Description

Transformers: Beast Wars – The Gathering                                                     Trade Paperback
Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: Don Figueroa
Inker: Don Figueroa
Colorist: Josh Burcham
Letterer: Tom B. Long
Editor: Chris Ryall & Dan Taylor
Cover by: Don Figueroa

The Beast Wars – the time-lost series of conflicts on Earth, where heroic Maximals are pitted against evil Predacons. As one strand of the Beast Wars rages on, another is just beginning. Predacon general Magmatron is on a mission to capture the renegade Megatron, but his true intentions are far more terrifying and revolutionary; his ultimate aim – to bring Cybertron itself to its knees. All he needs… is an army. And he knows exactly where to find one! Transformers legendary writer Simon Furman and artist extraordinaire Don Figueroa build a towering new era of Beast Wars majesty!

This trade paperback includes: A foreword by Simon Furman, concept sketches by Don Figueroa, a cover gallery and an embossed front and back cover.

Story/Spoilers
In part #1, Magmatron and his Predacons set down on prehistoric Earth, in the midst of the Beast Wars, to capture Megatron for the Tripredacus Council. Or at least, that was his order. Instead, Razorbeast sets up a transmitter array which will activate the Axalon’s abandoned stasis pods and convert them into an army of Predacons!

Depth Charge suddenly appears, but Magmatron reminds Drill Bit that his team has been chronally displaced, rendering them invisible to the rest of the beast warriors.

Flashing back to Cybertron, Magmatron is officially a retired warlord who sits on bipartisan committees with his old foes, and unofficially helping the Tripredacus Council with their dark schemes. But behind the Council’s back, he has gathered a group of disenchanted Predacons: he promises victory over the oppressive Maximal Imperium as well as the stagnant Tripredacus Council. Even the Tripredacus agent Ravage was secretly with him, sending tactical planetary scans to of ancient Earth, as both agree the Council are taking too long to make a move.

What Magmatron doesn’t know is that his henchman Razorbeast is an undercover Maximal agent, sent by Lio Convoy to find out what’s going on. If caught, the Maximals will disavow him and claim no knowledge…

Back on Earth, in the “present”, Razorbeast has been delaying the signal so he can slip his own plan in. He eventually sends it, waking up the multitude of Maximal stasis pods scattered across Earth. Most of Magmatron’s troops report in, confirming that the new Transformers are indeed Predacons. Spittor, however, is attacked by a newly roused Maximal, Polar Claw. This reveals Razorbeast as a traitor, and the Maximal rushes off to gather his own troops with a wide-field sonic call. Elsewhere, other Maximals begin to gather in informal militias.

Magmatron, eager to complete his plan, separates into his three dinosaur forms and declares war!

Next in part #2, A new army of Predacons gathers to receive orders. Magmatron sends his troops to hunt down Razorbeast’s diffuse band of Maximals. Spittor and Drill Bit accompany Magmatron on his own mission to hunt down Razorbeast.

Razorbeast has met up with Snarl, B’Boom, Optimus Minor, Bonecrusher, Wolfang, and Ramulus. Deciding he needs to contact Cybertron, Razorbeast splits up the group to locate Ravage’s Transwarp cruiser.

Other groups of Maximals continue their journey to answer Razorbeast’s summoning call. Stinkbomb, Bantor, Noctorro, K-9, and Armordillo help free Torca from some mud. Claw Jaw and Cybershark travel together in water, while Night Glider, Sonar, Prowl, and Air Hammer take to the skies. Polar Claw treks alone across the Arctic.

Ramulus is defeated by Spittor, and Magmatron’s triple dinosaur modes attack Razorbeast, Wolfang, and Bonecrusher.

Optimus Minor, meanwhile, has located the cruiser. Drill Bit got there first though and has been lurking in wait for a Maximal to kill… a dumb move as Snarl ambushes and dispatches him! The two Maximals return with their prize, a signal amplifier.

Although Magmatron briefly attains the upper hand, Razorbeast and his teammates escapes after the boar ambushing his foe with a cannonfire-caused landslide. They rendezvous with Minor and Snarl to assess their situation. The signal amplifier is broken, but it may be fixable. But the only place with the tools they need are on the Ark….

Despite his failure to stop Razorbeast’s gang, Magmatron still has reason to celebrate. He has managed to salvage Ravage’s mangled body, which still houses a viable spark!

Next in part #3, Razorbeast, Optimus Minor, Bonecrusher, and Snarl sneak into the Ark for parts to fix the signal amplifier.

A group of Predacons enter a swampy area, tracking any stray Maximals. There are Transformers in this swamp, but they are neither Maximal nor Predacon. They are Mutants! Poison Bite stings Retrax; Soundwave takes a bite out of Powerpinch; Icebird takes down Transquito. Scourge and Insecticon retreat.

Magmatron, Iguanus, and Drill Bit insert Ravage’s spark into a stasis pod, transforming the blank protoform within into Transmetal 2 Ravage. Their plan is overruning and they need to keep the Tripredacus Council from growing suspicious by carrying out their official mission, capturing Megatron!

A short time later, Snarl, still salvaging parts, detects Magmatron nearing Megatron’s base. Megatron, returning from a successful mission, sends his troops Rampage and Inferno on ahead. While Megatron is left alone, Magmatron slips out of chronal displacement. Megatron suspects that Magmatron has come to complete Ravage’s previous task, and he promptly kicks Magmatron’s sorry ass. Distracted, Drill Bit and Iguanus easily knock Megatron out.

Razorbeast realizes that, with Megatron now his prisoner, Magmatron will return to Cybertron to continue his plans for takeover and the Maximals will be forever on the back foot. Razorbeast and Optimus Minor rush to stop him (repeating his gathering signal), while the others return to base with the parts.

Ravage dispatches Lazorbeak, Buzz Saw, Injector, Sky Shadow, and Jetstorm to locate the Maximal base.

Magmatron prepares to send Megatron back to Cybertron as an offering to gain favor with the Tripredacus Council. Razorbeast and Optimus Minor, watching from cover, discuss how to take down Magmatron. As if on cue, a distraction arrives in the form of Grimlock!

Finally in part #4, Sky Shadow locates the Maximals’ base, and Ravage moves in.

Grimlock tears through Drill Bit and Iguanus, then engages Magmatron. Optimus Minor takes advantage of the distraction and steals a chronal phase armband.

Snarl fixes the transwarp signal amplifier, using the spare parts he gathered from the Ark.

Magmatron’s triple dinosaur modes finally overpower Grimlock, knocking him unconscious. Magmatron returns his attention to sending Megatron through the transwarp shunt back to Cybertron.

Ravage and the Predacons have gathered outside the Maximals’ cave. As the Maximals finally prepare to send a warning signal to Cybertron, the Predacons attack. Bonecrusher, B’Boom, Ramulus, and Wolfang rush off to face the threat while Snarl tries to get the signal off.

Razorbeast, meanwhile, reveals himself to Magmatron. The smaller Maximal quickly gains the upper hand by altering his chronal placement.

The Predacons outnumber the small band of Maximals, and round them up. But just in time, Torca and the rest of the wayward Maximals arrive and battle the Predacons.

Back at Magmatron’s camp, Razorbeast’s scuffle is the perfect distraction for Optimus Minor to reach the prone Megatron and attach the device, shifting the rogue Predacon back into his native chronal phase. Magmatron is outraged and reaches for Minor, who is sitting on the Transwarp device. The agile Maximal avoids Magmatron’s advance, and Razorbeast sends Magmatron through the shunt.

At the Maximals’ cave, the Predacons have been beaten, and they retreat. Torca assists in freeing Snarl from the collapsed cave. Snarl has managed to send off the signal, but there’s no way of knowing if it was received. While Ravage and the Predacons regroup, the Maximals settle in, building a new base. Razorbeast mulls over his decision to “rescue” Megatron, but Prowl insists that they must concentrate on their own Beast Wars.

Trade Paperback reprints/collects: Transformers: Beast Wars (2006) Issues #1-4.  IDW Publishing

Trade Paperback is bagged & double boarded and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

First Printing
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Publication Date: August 2006
Format: FC, 112 pages, TPB, 10.25″ x 6.75″
ISBN-10: 1600100066
ISBN-13: 9781600100062

Collectible Entertainment note: Trade Paperback is in Very Fine + condition.  Beautiful!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Transformers collector and/or enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Very Highly recommended.

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