Shattered Glass (issue)

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Transformers stand and point a lot in the mirrorverse, too.
"Shattered Glass"
Publisher	Fun Publications
First published	April 24, 2008 (BotCon 2008) November 26, 2008 (Diamond Edition)
Cover date	Spring 2008
Story	Pete Sinclair and Benson Yee
Writer	Benson Yee
Pencils	Don Figueroa
Inks	Don Figueroa
Colors	Espen Grundetjern
Letters	Jesse Wittenrich
Managing editor	Pete Sinclair
Editor-in-chief	Brian Savage
Continuity	Shattered Glass
Chronology	Current era (2008)

Decepticons wage their battle to destroy the evil forces of... the Autobots?

Synopsis

Cliffjumper is spat forth from a portal, separated from the party he was traveling with. When he regains his senses, he is surprised to find himself in the tunnels underneath Cybertron, and doubly so by the sight of the Decepticon Ruckus stumbling over him, apologizing profusely and promising not to say anything until several blasts rip though Ruckus's chest and kill him. Rodimus, Cliffjumper's "savior", greets Cliffjumper, having thought the small Autobot had been killed three stellar cycles ago. Cliffjumper is confused, having only just seen him a few hours ago, along with the sportscar's new paint job and facial hair. Rodimus ignores Cliffjumper's confusion, and escorts him topside. Back at Iacon, Optimus Prime is elated to see his old friend, and takes him to show the new additions he's made to the headquarters. Cliffjumper is shocked when he sees Decepticon corpses decorating the hallways, but is even more horrified when Prime leads him to the smelting pool. There, Goldbug holds a mock trial for Rumble, but is interrupted by Cliffjumper. Prime assumes that his "friend" is angry that he has not been given the honor of executing prisoners, and gives Cliffjumper control. Cliffjumper, however, proceeds to protest that while he may hate Decepticons, he believes that they should not be killed for entertainment, as it stands against Autobot morals. Prime quickly turns around and blasts the diminutive Autobot. Prime orders the still living Cliffjumper to be dropped into the Rad Zone, stating that if he comes back in one piece, then maybe he will be worthy to wear the Autobot symbol.

In the Rad Zone, Cliffjumper's damaged body is found by the Constructicons. Cliffjumper hears Megatron order them to bring him back to base, but falls unconscious as the Constructicons put him in stasis lock. After being repaired, Cliffjumper awakens; assuming that he's been brought to a Decepticon death-camp, Cliffjumper pushes the medics out of the way and tries to escape, but runs straight into Megatron's leg. Cliffjumper recognizes the Decepticon with Megatron as Sideswipe, and demands for an explanation. Megatron wants to have Shockwave check on Cliffjumper's memory circuits, but Sideswipe requests some time with the Autobot alone. Megatron grants this, and goes off to plan for an attack on the Autobot ship, the Ark. Sideswipe explains to the Autobot that he knows he is not Cliffjumper everyone knew, having witnessed Cliffjumper's death himself. Additionally, while the Constructicons were repairing him, the scans they took indicated that radiation readings indicated from the portal were backwards, and that his ember was composed of positrons instead of electrons.

Coming to the conclusion that Cliffjumper is from an alternate universe, Sideswipe proceeds to give Cliffjumper a history lesson. Cybertron was once at peace, populated by a race that sought peace and harmony. However, one librarian by the name of Optronix was unsatisfied with his position. Backstabbing his way to the top, he began to preach violence and conquest, gaining a loyal following in the process. Optronix had his army, now named the Autobots, upgraded with weapons and enhancements, and proceeded to conquer city after city. Optronix, having renamed himself Optimus Prime, began to desire more and more knowledge, until one day he learned something that made him snap, turning him from cool and calculating to vicious and erratic. Meanwhile, resistance pockets had sprung up across the planet, but were mostly ineffectual until they united as the Decepticons under Megatron. Megatron utilized technology to allow for Cybertronians to transform into vehicles, using their new found powers to take several strongholds back from the Autobots. Prime, however, soon copied the technology for the Autobots as well, and without the advantage of transformation, the Decepticons began to falter. Cliffjumper is still unsure, but after the last week of dimension hoppers and alternate realities, he sees that there is at least some truth to the story. Cliffjumper then asks Sideswipe why he's on the side of the Decepticons, even with the giant scarred Autobot symbol on his chest. Sideswipe explains that when he saw Prime's concern was only for himself, he was ambushed and left for dead by the Autobots. Joining up with the Decepticons for revenge, he know wears the Autobot symbol as a badge of honor. Cliffjumper still isn't sure who to trust, but decides that being here is better than the alternative.

At Autobot headquarters, Optimus Prime engages with holographic auto-combatants while Blurr gives him updates on the Ark. With more plasma blasters installed and twenty Autobots already on board, Prime wants even more troops on the vessel. Blurr is concerned about the platform's structural integrity, as the extra weight of the weapons has inceased their weight. Prime shrugs off his concerns, telling him that they only need the platform up until they launch, and that even if Megatron comes, the Decepticons won't have enough numbers to stop him. When Goldbug warns him that "the Old One" would never have approved of this plan, Prime reminds Goldbug that his former teacher is no longer relevant, and victory is soon at hand. In the Decepticon war room, Starscream reports on the additions to the Ark. Megatron is frustrated, since their original plan of head on attack will no longer work. When Cliffjumper walks in, Megatron greets him, and explains that Prime intends to use the Ark to plunder energy from other worlds. When Cliffjumper swears by Primus, he is greeted with confused looks, and explains that Primus is the creator of all Transformers, which mildly amuses the Decepticons. Suddenly, Starscream comes up with the plan to attack the platform instead of the Ark itself. Megatron praises his lieutenant for the plan, seeing it as inspiration for factionless Cybertronians to join the Decepticons. Starscream points to the energon storage tanks, stating that if they are destroyed, it will cause a chain reaction that will destroy the platform and knock Prime back by deca-cycles. Razorclaw points out that the tanks are likely to be heavily armored and guarded, and Starscream asks Cliffjumper if he can take a look at his glass gas to reverse engineer bombs. The Autobot reluctantly agrees, and Megatron declares they will attack at sundown.

Later, the Autobot guards are taken out by Razorclaw and Rampage, who give the go-ahead for phase two. Starscream, Divebomb, and Whisper unleash their payload of glass gas bombs, destroying one of the tanks. The rest of the Decepticons face the Autobots head on. Megatron is attacked by the Seekers, while the Predacons attack the animalistic Grimlock. As the battle rages, Cliffjumper is conflicted, still unable to bring himself to fighting against what he's always known. Prime spots Cliffjumper among the Decepticons, and blast at the "traitor", when Megatron jumps in front of the beam, and blasts back at Prime. Cliffjumper is incredulous as to why Megatron would save him, and the Decepticon leader explains that all life is sacred, even those that are strangers or enemies. Megatron orders Cliffjumper to get to safety, believing the Autobot represents the hope that there is something better out there, but Cliffjumper takes to the skies. Blasting the other tanks with his glass gas, the platform comes crumbling down, and Megatron orders the Decepticons to retreat. Prime rants at the sky, telling Megatron he will hunt him down, but is blasted by the Decepticon leader into submission. Megatron tells Cliffjumper he would be honored if he would join the Decepticons, and Cliffjumper accepts his offer.

Featured characters

Characters in italic text appear only in flashback.
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Oh, so unwise..."

—Optimus Prime emulating Megatron.

Sideswipe: "You're not him. You look just like him, except for the colors. It's like seeing a ghost."
Cliffjumper: "Look, Sideswipe, or whoever you are, I'm tired of being shocked, confused, and generally angry here. Tell me what you are talking about or so help me I will beat it out of you!"
Sideswipe: "Heh, you even talk like him."

—Even mirrorverse Cliffjumper shares a mold with a Bumblebee.

Cliffjumper: "So, you're telling me that Megatron's a good guy and Optimus Prime is loonier than Straxus? Last week, I'd have told ya that you had a cracked cylinder. But... I've seen some crazy things lately. Dimension hopping, time travel, alternate realities... what I wouldn't give for a simple war with good guys and bad guys!"
Sideswipe: "Straxus is insane where you come from? Pity, I always liked his poetry..."

—Poetry? Hate to see what their Sky-Byte is like.

Optimus Prime: "Seekers, Transform and Roll out!"
Rodimus: "15 points for the tapes, 25 points for the rest, loser buys the fuel! Game on!"

—Even when everything's the opposite, some things remain constant.

Notes

• Mentioned character include: three red-and-blue bots, Cliffjumper, Rodimus, Sideswipe, Shockwave, Megatron, Optimus Prime, Straxus, Straxus, the "Old One", Primus, and Unicron.
• Characters mentioned in Rodimus's bio include: Optimus Prime.
  • Rodimus used to lead the Wreckers, like his positive-universe counterpart did in the 3H Productions Wreckers comic.
• Characters mentioned in Starscream's bio include: Optimus Prime and Megatron.
  • Starscream graduated from the Crystal City Science Institute; Crystal City was introduced in The Transformers episode "The Secret of Omega Supreme".
  • Starscream's motto, "Among mysteries of science lies the key to victory," is the motto of Generation 1 Jetfire, whose colors serve as the basis for Starscream's.

Continuity notes

• Cliffjumper comes straight from "Crossing Over: Part 6", having entered a portal created by the Caretaker computer. He was diverted from Skyfall, Landquake, and Breakaway, who entered Axiom Nexus in the club magazine storyline "Transcendent".
• Goldbug mentions the "Old One"; later stories would make it clear that this is Alpha Trion, who was appearing in the contemporaneous Transcendent storyline.

Transformers references

• Of the non-toy Shattered Glass characters here, most are "virtual" redecos, with a few repurposings.
  • Ruckus is modeled on his positive universe counterpart in the colors of Generation 1 Backstreet.
  • Perceptor is a repurposing of e-HOBBY exclusive Magnificus, who is a Decepticon redeco of his positive universe counterpart.
  • Rumble is based off his positive universe counterpart in the colors of Generation 1 Rewind.
  • Long Haul, Hook, and Scrapper are all based off their positive-universe counterparts in colors reminiscent of the various Autobot ambulances, including First Aid, Fixit, and Ratchet.
  • Sunstreaker is modeled on his positive counterpart in the colors of Alternators Dead End, who was originally intended to be (and was later redecoed into) Alternators Sunstreaker.
  • Soundwave is repurposed from the Music Label "Sonic White" Soundwave toy. Quite a few of those got sold on that BotCon weekend.
  • Reflector is a virtual redeco of Real Gear Robot Spy Shot 6 in Generation 1 Bumblebee colors.
  • Cyclonus is based off his positive-universe counterpart in the colors of Generation 1 Hot Rod. He would later receive a toy in the form of a redeco of Universe Cyclonus.
  • Dropshot uses the same unreleased Diaclone toy as his Armada counterpart, but with red eyes. Like his counterpart, he's basically a red-shirt.
  • Leader-1 is based on his GoBots counterpart's toy in Cy-Kill colors. Fitor, meanwhile, is identical to his Gobots counterpart. They're both yet another "hilarious" GoBot death that plague 2000's Transformers comics.
  • Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, and Frenzy are all based off their positive-universe counterparts, in the colors of Generation 1 Ramhorn, Steeljaw, and Eject, respectively.
  • Slugslinger is based off his positive-universe counterpart in the colors of Generation 1 Crosshairs.
  • Quake is based on his positive universe counterpart in the colors of Generation 1 Landfill.
• Iacon is modeled after its appearance in the The Transformers cartoon. There's even a line of Soundwave-lampposts (also in "Sonic White" colors) in front of the dome!
• Among the Decepticon corpses in Autobot headquarters include Shattered Glass versions of Generation 1 Black Shadow, Krok, Skyquake, and Clench.
• The Rad Zone was introduced in issue #79 of the Marvel The Transformers comic.
• There's a Diagnostic Drone from Beast Machines helping Hook and Scrapper fix Cliffjumper. Amusingly, it's wearing a little nurse's cap.
• Sideswipe notes that Cliffjumper's spark is made of positrons, as opposed to the Cybertronians of his universe, which have electron-based embers; sparks were established to be made of positrons in the Beast Machines episode "Spark of Darkness".
• Sideswipe's history of "Shattered" Cybertron closely mirrors (so to speak) the version told in the first issue of Marvel's The Transformers comic, and even Optimus Prime's initial rallying cry to his troops is an homage to Generation 1 Megatron's in that issue. However, Optimus Prime's profession as an archivist is in reference to Dreamwave's The War Within. His original name of Optronix, meanwhile, comes from the Dreamwave tie-in novel Transformers: Hardwired, itself taken from early material written for the Dreamwave Transformers: More than Meets the Eye guidebooks written by Destination Entertainment, before they were kicked off the project.
• In addition, it's noted that Megatron invented the process of transforming for the Decepticons, and was a technology the Autobots would eventually steal, reflecting how, in the first issue of the Marvel comic, transformation was shown to be a Decepticon invention, though later stories would retcon this.
• Heatwave makes an appearance among the Decepticon crowd-shot, setting up his exclusive toy for next year.
• Shattered Glass Shockwave is mentioned, as a mental health professional. Shattered Glass Straxus is mentioned as a poet.
• The Ark is based off the cartoon model for the Generation 1 Ark, colored like the Decepticon ship the Nemesis.
• Shattered Glass Nightbeat, BotCon 2008's customization class figure, appears briefly at the Ark launch, the first to do so of any of the custom class toys.
• Rodimus, Blurr, and Goldbug are Seekers, countering the Generation 1 Decepticon group by being Autobots in different body types but with similar colors.

Real-world references

• Cliffjumper mutters "Ponderous, slaggin' ponderous" after Sideswipe tells his tale is part of a semi-elaborate convention callback. There is an infamous set of outtakes of Casey Kasem (the original voice actor for Cliffjumper) having... well, violent meltdowns while recording American Top 40 ("Ponderous, f***in' ponderous, man."). Clips of these outtakes were edited with footage of Cliffjumper attempting to sniper-shot Megatron from "More than Meets the Eye, Part 1" for the closing credits of MSTF at OTFCC 2004.
• Among the raised hands in the scene of Optimus Prime's rally is the clamp hands of GoBots Cy-Kill.
• Jazz blurts out "I ain't gettin' bombed by no plane!", a reference to the oft-repeated protests of B.A. Baracus (played by Mr. T, who heavily influenced Jazz's depiction in the "Shattered Expectations" mini-comic and future appearances of him) from the 1983-1987 action adventure television series The A-Team: "I ain't gettin' on no plane!"

Errors

• Cliffjumper, though portrayed as such in the story immediately prior, is not in his actual Classics color scheme. The silver highlights of his car deco were dropped by the colorist for no reason.
• The Predacons are drawn as regular sized Cybertronians in the Decepticon War Room.
• Starscream's bio describes him as if he was a redeco of the Supreme Class Cybertron Starscream toy, describing one of his arms as having a hidden particle beam cannon. He's even drawn having it.

Other trivia

• This was Figueroa's first Transformers work since his hiatus.
• Extras in the Diamond Edition include:
  • More than Meets the Eye-style bios of Rodimus and Starscream.
  • A reprint of "Shattered Expectations".

Covers (2)

• BotCon Convention cover: Evil Autobots Goldbug, Rodimus, and Blurr by Dan Khanna (pencils).
• Wide release cover: Megatron leads the heroic Decepticons in an attack against Optimus.

• 

  Exclusive cover

• 

  Retail cover

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