Things We Said We'd Never Do
From Transformers Wiki
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"War? War never changes." | |||||||||||||
"Things We Said We'd Never Do" | |||||||||||||
Publisher | IDW Publishing | ||||||||||||
First published | August 17, 2016 | ||||||||||||
Cover date | August 2016 | ||||||||||||
Written by | Mairghread Scott | ||||||||||||
Art by | Sara Pitre-Durocher | ||||||||||||
Colors by | Joana Lafuente | ||||||||||||
Letters by | Tom B. Long | ||||||||||||
Editor | John Barber | ||||||||||||
Continuity | 2005 IDW continuity | ||||||||||||
Chronology | Current era |
Chromia and Blast Off race to discover the true fate of Swindle's body.
Contents |
Synopsis
Following Starscream's instructions to keep watch on Onslaught, Windblade visits Metroplex's brain chamber and asks him to show her footage from the security cameras near the Combaticons' apartment. Chromia arrives, having observed Windblade's squirrely behavior, and soon manages to draw the truth out of her friend: Windblade is doing Starscream's bidding because he knows about Chromia's role in the Acrolight bombing and is threatening to reveal both it and the fact Windblade covered it up. Chromia insists on taking over the task for Windblade as some small measure of recompense, so Windblade explains that Starscream's fears have something to do with Swindle's body. Security footage of the space bridge chamber at the time of Swindle's death has been erased by Starscream to cover his tracks, but Chromia reveals that she had Metroplex set aside a private cache for her, and, thinking it can provide some clues, she has Metroplex pull it up. Unfortunately, it turns out it has been corrupted by parties unknown.
Over the next few weeks, as Chromia works to unscramble the corrupted data, new security chief Ironhide puts his new recruits through painstaking training. Though it is a grueling process, the recruits prove themselves up to the task—Blast Off in particular—and Ironhide attends a Council meeting to happily report on their progress. Concurrently, the recruits all head out for a drink after their most recent session, but Blast Off declines the offer to join them, claiming he wants to put in some overtime getting to grips with the computer's booking system. In truth, he is enacting the secret objective for which Onslaught had him infiltrate the Badgeless ranks: using the computer to access the same security footage Chromia is working on to learn of Swindle's fate. Blast Off opens up the file just as Chromia finally finishes unscrambling it, and the video reveals to them both that Swindle's body was spirited by Wheeljack and Rattrap!
Unable to reach Windblade—who Starscream has held back after the council meeting for a debriefing—Chromia speeds to Wheeljack's apart on her own, arriving just as Blast Off and Vortex blast their way in. The two Combaticons overpower Chromia, and Blast Off forces Wheeljack to spill the beans by threatening to execute her. Wheeljack explains that they did not take Swindle on Starscream's orders; they were trying to save his life, but were too late—Swindle is alive, but brain-dead. Taking Wheeljack and Chromia captive, Blast Off and Vortex regroup with Onslaught and Brawl at Rattrap's quarters to reveal what they have learned. Onslaught believes that they may still be a way to recover Swindle's memories from his damaged brain, and forces Rattrap at gunpoint to go and fetch something that he believes will help them accomplish the task...
Wheeljack leads the Combaticons to the secret underground chamber where Swindle's body is being kept, confiding in Chromia along the way that they really tried to save Swindle because, while dying, he had told Rattrap that he had dirt on Starscream. Arriving at the chamber, the sight of the comatose Swindle gives Blast Off pause, and he again finds himself questioning Onslaught's zeal and the need for his plan. Onslaught is determined to get his revenge on Starscream, but Blast Off is growing tired and is starting to believe that justice is just not possible, and that they need to move on together. Onslaught refuses; he has one final plan, one last chance to get what he wants, and he will not give up until he has exhausted it. Blast Off agrees to stand by his side this one final time—at which point Rattrap returns with the object Onslaught requested. The perfect way for the other Combaticons to quite literally get inside Swindle's mind... the Enigma of Combination!
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
Autobots | Decepticons | Others |
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Quotes
"I cannot tell you how pleased I am with your progress. The First will hear of this, rest assured."
"Thanks, I think. I don't have to meet her, do I?"
- —Obsidian puts the fear of Elita One into Ironhide
"You've been thorough?"
"I've been busy. If you wanted a better spy, you should have picked someone who actually wanted the job."
- —Starscream and Windblade
"No one else can be involved. I don't trust anyone but you [Blast Off]."
"What about me?"
"I don't trust you to feed yourself in the morning, Brawl."
- —Onslaught and Brawl
"Maybe we didn't need to kidnap these people. Maybe we're making enemies where there are none."
"But Starscream—"
"Everyone hates Starscream! You're not the only one he hurt. You're not the only one the war hurt. Don't... don't you see that? Maybe we don't ever get justice. Maybe that's not what we should be fighting for anymore."
"I can't stop, Blast Off. I won't. Not until this chance... our last chance, is over. Do you understand?"
"...I'm with you, then. This last time."
- —Blast Off and Onslaught
Notes
Continuity notes
- When Swindle appeared to die in Windblade vol. 2 #3, his last words were a whisper to Rattrap that he had evidence of Starscream's misdeeds. It was Rattrap who "confirmed" for Starscream that Swindle was dead in that issue, foreshadowing his role in his disappearance.
Transformers references
- Chromia calls Wheeljack "Jackie," a nickname previously used only to refer to the Prime incarnation of the character.
Errors
- "Unless you can convince me Ironhide asked you to spy on the 'Con ghetto the night be took over the Badgeless," says Chromia. "He's also not the law," Windblade replies, with an odd choice of words. The trade paperback changes Windblade's line to "Ironhide isn't the law."
- So if Starscream erased the security footage of the space bridge chamber, making Chromia's secret, private cache the only saved copy of it... how does Blast Off find out about it and view it?
Other trivia
- Blast Off is shown to be left-handed. Artist Sara Pitre-Durocher confirmed at a convention that this was her idea.
- This issue also contains the second part of the Revolution Prelude back-up strip, a four-page prequel laying the groundwork for next month's "Revolution" crossover which appears in several of IDW's August titles.
Covers (3)
- Regular cover: The Combaticons, by Sara Pitre-Durocher
- Subscription cover: The Combaticons surrounded by the Badgeless, as Starscream schemes, by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
- Retailer incentive cover: Windblade finds herself a pawn on Starscream's chessboard, by Thomas Deer
Advertisements
- Till All Are One #4 and the Titans Return one-shot
- Revolution
Reprints
- The Transformers: Till All Are One, Volume 1 (December 14, 2016) ISBN 1631408089 / ISBN 978-1631408083
- Collects Till All Are One issues #1–4.
- Bonus material includes art from most covers.
- Trade paperback format.
- Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 75: Titans Return, Part 1 (February 7, 2018)
- Collects Till All Are One issues #1–4, Titans Return #1, The Transformers (2012) issues #56–57, and More than Meets the Eye issues #56–57.
- Bonus material includes a two-page article on the beginnings of More than Meets the Eye and Robots in Disguise.
- Hardcover format.
- The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 12 (February 10, 2021) ISBN 1684057469 / ISBN 978-1684057467
Till All Are One, Volume 1 – cover art by Sara Pitre-Durocher
The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 75: Titans Return, Part 1 – cover art by Don Figueroa (Arcee) and Livio Ramondelli (retro)
The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 12 – cover art by Marcelo Matere