| Beast Wars: The Gathering | |
|---|---|
Issue #1 cover by Don Figueroa |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | IDW Publishing |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Limited series |
| Publication date | February–May 2006 |
| Number of issues | 4 |
| Main character(s) | Maximals, Predaconss |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Simon Furman |
| Artist(s) | Don Figueroa |
| Colorist(s) | Josh Burcham |
| Creator(s) | Hasbro |
Beast Wars: The Gathering is a four-issue comic book mini-series, published by IDW Publishing. The series was launched with #1 in February 2006 and ended with #4 in May. It has since been republished as a trade paperback.
The story is set in the continuity of the Beast Wars CG animated series. According to Transformers writer Simon Furman, the mini-series is set during the events of the season three episode, "Changing of the Guard". The four-issue series was written by Simon Furman with art by Don Figueroa.
The mini-series will be followed up on with the Beast Wars: The Ascending mini-series, with the first issue being released in August 2007; The Ascending was delayed, but has been released early October.
Contents |
Unlike IDW's take on the G1 universe, which essentially rebooted the whole continuity, with no links to pre-existing continuities, the IDW Beast Wars comic does take place in the continuity of the Beast Wars show. However, instead of using the pre-existing cast from the show, the story focuses on those characters who were released as toys but never made it into the show, specifically Razorbeast. Many characters from the show, like Optimus Primal, Megatron and Ravage do still make appearances though. In the third issue, the Predacons are installing Sentinel, placing the events in the season 3 episode Changing of the Guard.
The plot begins with a brief recap of seasons 1-2 of Beast Wars, ending with Ravage's failure to contain Megatron. At this point the Predacon general Magmatron arrives with a crew of followers, having been dispatched by the Tripredacus Council to follow up on the former Decepticon. However, displaced from the timestream by a chronal armband, Magmatron has his own agenda: to use a Predacon shell program to turn the Axalon's cargo of Maximal protoforms in an army he can use to overthrow the existing status quo on Cybertron. However, he is betrayed by his technical expert Razorbeast, in reality a Maximal double agent sent by Lio Convoy to thwart Magmatron's plan, and many of the protoforms turn into Maximals. Razorbeast gathers a small band of Maximals, surviving an attack by Magmatron's three modes and gathering a transwarp receiver to get a signal back to Cybertron from Ravage's ship (destroyed in The Agenda pt 3), before heading for the Ark.
Magmatron, meanwhile, has realised his plan is not working, and resurrects Ravage in a new body to hunt Razorbeast's group down after he leaves. To divert suspicion, he attacks Megatron as his mission requires. Megatron gains the upper hand, but is knocked out by Drill Bit and Spittor, and they prepare to take him back to Cybertron. Leaving the other to cobble together a signal booster from the Ark, Razorbeast and Optimus Minor head to stop him, realising if Magmatron gets back to Cybertron there will be no telling what he'll do. The two hope for a distraction to allow them to sabotage Magmatron's time-travel equipment - and get one as Grimlock arrives on the scene. The former Dinobot and Magmatron battle, with Grimlock eventually being defeated. Razorbeast reveals himself to Magmatron, but uses his time armband to protects himself from the Predacon's attacks. He knocks Magmatron into the malfunctioning equipment and he disappears. Meanwhile, B'Boom and the others have been discovered by Ravage's Predacons. Outnumbered and outgunned, they are saved by reinforcements led by Torca, forcing Ravage to flee, although the signal booster has sent its message but burnt out. In the resolution, Razorbeast and Prowl converse on the ethics of leaving Megatron where he was and not altering the timeline, while Ravage and the other surviving Predacons regroup.
Beast Wars: The Gathering uses and expands upon plot elements and characters from the Beast Wars TV series and toyline and also uses characters from the Japanese Beast Wars II and Beast Wars Neo TV series as well.
The trade paperback was released in August 2006, while a pocket sized "Manga" volume was released in March 2007. The TPB includes all of artist Don Figueroa's covers used throughout the series and some additional art by Figueroa. Included are Cybertronian modes for Magmatron (tank, jet and submarine), Spittor (walker) and Manterror (Cybertronian motorbike), as well as sketches of Optimus Primal in his "Optimal" form.