Timeliner2004TF

Soundwave

Function : Communications and Morale Officer

“ Even without a mouth, rock is my mission ! “

Character : His official title is Correspondent but in order to raise his friends’ morale with rock‘n’roll he is the self-proclaimed Cheering Squad. Enthusiastic and does not hide his emotions. Has a deep interest in the culture of Earth and its music

Ability : Has an internal antennae to receive radio-signals whilst managing the Decepticons’ combat communications. By transferring his Ember to a body made by Starscream, he successfully returned to the SG Earth

Weapons : Wave Missile Launcher “ DCAC “ , Sonic Cannon “ Venom “

Strength - 9, Intelligence - 7, Speed - 6, Endurance - 8, Rank - 6, Courage - 9, Fireblast - 9, Skill - 8. Total : 62

Ratbat

Function : Vigilante

“ The city is my partner, I am its guardian ! “

Character : By day he is a television personality but by night he transforms into a dark hero, protecting the Earth. As a vigilante on Cybertron he used to hunt his nemesis, Blackcat, an Autobot spy but now he targets human criminals on Earth who assist the Autobots

Ability : Relying on his weapons he tracks villains with a clear mind. Has a variety of concealed tools to help him look for criminals. Disguises himself by melting into the shadows by freely changing the shape of his body. His Laser Grappler enables high-speed flight

Weapons : Laser Grappler

Strength - 6, Intelligence - 9, Speed - 9, Endurance - 6, Rank - 6, Courage - 7, Fireblast - 3, Skill - 10. Total : 56

Slugfest

Function : Warrior

“ Show friends you work hard and they will stay true to you “

Character : Slugfest was created by Wheeljack as a simple drone but was granted an Ember and transformation ability by the mysterious supercomputer Omega Terminus. Even after having his neural processors upgraded by Starscream he remains the most unintelligent of the Decepticons. Despite this, he is a positive thinker who holds faith that his allies will be impressed by his strength and firepower

Ability : The solar panels attached to Slugfest’s Vibro-Cannons reduce his Energon consumption but slow his speed and reaction time when charging. Quite strong for his small size

Weapons : Vibro-Cannons

Strength - 7, Intelligence - 2, Speed - 5, Endurance - 8, Rank - 3, Courage - 10, Fireblast - 8, Skill - 5. Total : 48

Blaster

Function : Communications Squadron Leader

“ Scream is my symphony, agony is my encore !

Character : A genuine sadist, makes only those that he can manipulate his subordinates. Like a malevolent dictator he constantly torments the Scrounge drones that serve him. With his Cassettebot team, he plots revenge on Soundwave and Blitzwing for his banishment to the Moon. Speaks with a German accent, although from where he acquired it is unknown

Ability : Has a talent in acoustic manipulation, converting ordinary music into weapons of destruction. His generated waves have a range of one thousand kilometres. The sound of his Scrambler Gun further expands the extent of Blaster’s acoustic attacks

Weapons : Noise Scrambler Gun

Strength - 8, Intelligence - 7, Speed - 7, Endurance - 7, Rank - 8, Courage - 6, Fireblast - 9, Skill - 9. Total : 61

Rewind

Function : Tracker

“ Know your game, don’t let unnecessary information mislead you “

Character : A quiet and calm hunter. His mission from Blaster is to capture and torture Soundwave’s beast Recordicons. He has more of an interest with the living creatures on Earth rather than fighting

Ability : An expert tracker who honed his skills in the wilderness of Cybertron. His right rifle emits a Hypnotic Pulse that sedates his enemies. His left rifle Bonds to the metal of their body preventing their movement, even on the most savage of beasts

Weapons : Hypnotic Pulse Rifle / Bonding Rifle

Strength - 5, Intelligence - 8, Speed - 6, Endurance - 7, Rank - 5, Courage - 8, Fireblast - 5, Skill - 8. Total : 52

Ramhorn

Function : Berserker

“ Before me is the abyss, I leap into the depths of entropy. Watch me somersault ! “

Character : Obsessed with chaos. Ramhorn is convinced of a deep meaning behind seemingly-random occurrences. In contrast to his brutish appearance his mind is sharp and calculating. What appear to others as incomprehensible actions or utterances are all part of his meticulous plan

Ability : An intelligent animal Transformer, captured by Rewind. Attacks by ramming his foes in a wild fury or by using his Chaos Generator Cannons to fire off rounds with random effects

Weapons : Chaos Generator Cannons

Strength - 8, Intelligence - 9, Speed - 5, Endurance - 7, Rank - 4, Courage - 8, Fireblast - 6, Skill - 6. Total : 53

Solarbot

Function : Messenger

" The light of the sunburst will shine on all that is dark "

Character : A legend heard in the Mirtonian Constellation tells of the Solarbots, an ancient race of beings that live within suns. One day the stars they inhabited grew dark and they were pushed to the verge of extinction. Seeking help, a lone Solarbot began to journey to reach their distant relatives, the Transformers

Ability : The ability to convert sunlight into pure Energon grants Solarbot massive power. Can scan physical forms of others and reformat himself to better communicate with intelligent lifeforms. Having evolved to be resistant to incredible heat, he is very resilient to lasers and beam weapons

<Wheeljack> Hello...is this thing on ? Hello ?

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<Wheeljack>--ot sure if anyone is reading me. The bad news is, I don’t think we’ve arrived on the 22nd Strata. The good news is, I’m fairly certain that this is the reality Megatron and his Renegade Decepticons have fled to

<Red Alert> Is the Reality Beacon functioning ?

<Wheeljack> I believe so

<Red Alert> Then finish the report back to Cybertron and get ready to patrol. Prowl’s team has already departed

<Wheeljack> Perhaps you, Hoist and Jazz should go. I can remain behind, see if I can jury-rig some more equipment

<Red Alert> Hmmm...good idea. Once we rescue Optimus Prime, we’ll need some way to get back to Strata 1

<Wheeljack> Right. I should make this brie--

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<Wheeljack>--ower fluctuat--

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<Wheeljack>--idnapped during the tria--

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<Wheeljack> --lity Bridge cont--

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<Wheeljack>--in the parking lot of a “ Taco Bell “, whatever that is--

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<Wheeljack>--upposed to know that he was a police off--

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<Wheeljack>--the Decepticons earlier today. Prowl, Silverstreak and Trailbreaker encountered Soundwave, Rumble and Frenzy. They were raiding a human military installation belonging to an organization called Unit:E. The ‘Cons managed to get away with research on something called Project Chimera. I’m trying to figure out exactly what it--

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<Wheeljack>--ot a good day for the Spy Changers. Jazz intercepted communications indicating that Nightracer and Crash Test were conducting a raid on a Sumdac Systems research facility. When we showed up, they had already gotten aw--<static>--ountered a group of superpowered humans !

Prowl did his best to--<static>--them but they thought we were some of Sumdac’s robots and attacked us. I used my freeze ray against the leader, an acid-man named Meltdown. Trailbreaker’s forcefield was p--<static> --he test against Quake-Maker’s unpredictable earthquakes. Hoist grappled with the super-powerful cyborg Trident. Jazz tried to talk down a technophobic woman wearing a suit made of printed circuitry calling herself Circ--<static>--aker. Silverstreak pitted his speed against Nanosec, a super-fast human. And Red Alert did his best against the military-themed Sergeant Chaos

Eventually we were able to defeat this “ Society of Ultimate Villainy “ thanks to Prowl’s quick-thinking and level head. When we turned them over to the authorities, Cap--<static>--zone seemed quite put out by the entire affair

I might be burying the lead, though. The Decepticons got away with a pallet of Destronium. I don’t know what they plan to--<static> <static>--n’t be good for us Autobots. We were all pretty glum about the affair but then Jazz reminded us that Optimus Prime was counting on--<static>--nd we weren’t about to let him down. That improved morale considerably

Wheeljack out

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<Wheeljack>--ithout havi--

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<Wheeljack> More trouble ! This time in Metro City. Hoist happened upon a news report that there was an exhibition at the International Exhibition Center. Professor Morris was showcasing an invention that promised to revolutionize the treatment of certain psychiatric disorders, the Brainwave Scanner. He thought the Decepticons might be interested in it, so Prowl dispatched him, Jazz and Red Alert to patrol

His instincts were--<static><static>--cepticons had infiltrated the convention using holomatter avatars. Jazz realized it when there was a dead ringer for an 80’s era Siouxsie Sioux walking around with someone who looked an awful lot like Lenny Montana’s character in The Godfather. Crash Test and Rumble !

My teammates stormed the center but that was exactly what Soundwave had been counting on. He had warned the local authorities that giant robots would be attacking the show, so they were met by the enforcement division of Sector 7 : Triple I ! Jazz tried to convince the humans we were here to help but they shocked him into submission. Hoist and Red Alert fled

Fearing what would happen to their mission commander, they managed to infiltrate III headquarters by causing a small fire on their facility, then driving in in their alt-modes. Hoist towed Jazz away while Red Alert saved a human who had become trapped in the blaze, the ironically-named Nick Burns. He promised that he’d try to convince his superiors of the Autobots’ good intentions

Sadly, the Decepticons stole Professor Morris’ invention. What are Megatron and Soundwave planning ?

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<Wheeljack>--a nightmare ! I don’t know how we’re goi--

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<Wheeljack> Hello ?

<Wheeljack> I realize that the previous message was--<static>--ryptic but we were still emotionally recovering from the shock

<Wheeljack> I managed to tap into the Decepticon communications network here on Earth. While I coul--<static>--sn’t able to actually decode their messaging

<Wheeljack> Prowl wasted no time organizing a strike force. With the opportunity to finally rescue Optimus Prime upon us, h--<static> <static>--leaving our temporary camp undefended. Red Alert objected but Prowl decided that it was a calculated risk worth taking

<Wheeljack> When we arrived at the Decepticon Earth Base, in an old abandoned mine, we scouted the perimeter but saw no activity. Fearing that Optimus was in danger, Prowl ordered us to attempt to infiltrate without tripping any--<static>--stems

<Wheeljack> At first it looked like we had succeeded. We managed to get to a cen--<static>--mber, where Megatron sat on a throne. But when we moved to apprehend him, he toppled over, a lifeless shell. That’s when spotlights illuminated our position. <static>--trap !

<Wheeljack> The Decepticons had us surrounded but what was more disturbing was that they were in bodies much like ours ! Megatron and Frenzy shared a body type, Porsche 959. Soundwave became a yellow Ford Thunderbird. Crash Test shared a body-type with me, in blue, white and purple. Rumble’s body was superficially-identical to Silverstreak’s. Nightracer became--<static> <static> <static>

<Wheeljack>--talling for time, I’m not sure but Silverstreak mocked Megatron for turning himself into knock-off Spy Changers. He gloated in that--<static> --ron way that, while we may have adopted the look of the inhabitants of Strata 22, he and his cohorts had co-opted and improved their technology. No mere Spy Changers, his troops had used the Project Chimera research and the Destronium to become the second generation of Go-Bots ! And they immediately demonstrated their new abilities, with integrated flight circuits and hand-blasters. We mi--<static> <static>--ed then-and-there, except for Trailbreaker’s forcefield. Prowl called a retreat and Hoist and Jazz managed to create enough of a diversion to let us escape before rendezvousing with us at the designated location

<Wheeljack> But our nightmare wasn’t over yet. When we returned to our base, we found that the defense system had turned on us ! We fought our own de--<static>--to a standstill but the fight went out of us when we heard the voice of our own commander, Optimus Prime, taunting us from within. He sounded like someone had drained all of the compassion out of him and replaced it with sheer ruthle--<static> <static>--he second time that day were were forced to retreat, all the while listening to the taunts of “ Nemesis Prime “

<Wheeljack> Things look grim for us. The Decepticons have superior technology and have--<static>--ur very leader against us with the Brainwave Scanner ! If you don’t hear from us again, I beg you, don’t come looking for us. This world, wherever we are, is lost

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<Wheeljack> Come in ? Are you there ?

<Wheeljack> It never rains but it pours. We were licking our wounds, hiding out in a salvage yard outside of Crown City. Tensions--<static>--igh and we started blaming each other for the failures. Red Alert was particularly ha--<static>--Prowl, as he had in fact warned him about the dangers of leaving the base unguarded. They wound up getting into a fistfight. Than--<static>--eapons were used but they still managed to beat the hell out of each other. The rest of us were just too drained to intervene

<Wheeljack> Prowl won the battle but lost the war. Red Alert declared that he had no interest in serving--<static>--eader with judgement as bad as his. He, Trailbreaker, and Silverstreak took off on their own. I begg--<static>--ot to go but Prowl just ordered me to drop it - “ I have no use for Autobots who question my orders “

<Wheeljack> One bright spot. A half-formed human, some kind of offspring of the junkyard’s owner, discovered us. Normally this would be cause f--<static>--ern but Jazz managed to befriend him. I’m thinking that having a human friend to show us the ropes could come in very handy. Plus “ Rusty “ seems like a great kid

<Wheeljack> Wherever they are, I hope Red Alert and his team manage to stay safe. Wheeljack out

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<Wheeljack>--ike we aren’t the only ones having trouble in the ranks. According to the Decepticon frequencies I’m monitoring, Nemesis Prime made a play for leadership. Frenzy and Crash Test backed his--<static><static>--umble and Nightracer with Megatron. Maybe turning Optimus evil wasn’t the smartest thing Meg--<static>

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<Wheeljack> Are you there ? This will likely be our final transmission but we have good--<static>--o report !

<Wheeljack> Our te--<static>--warted Nemesis Prime’s play to steal the D-5 supertrain, a fully automated rapid transit system, was dis--<static><static><static>

<Wheeljack> He, Frenzy and Crash Test appeared at its inaugural launch from Jasper, Nev--<static><static>--tely for us, a local nurse recognized their alt-modes from news footage, which allowed us to intercept them

<Wheeljack> Hoist and I were able to stop Crash Test from toppling a building on top of two cats with collars reading “ Ding Dong “ and “ Chi Chi “. Prowl confronted Nemesis and tried to remind him of h--<static>--ime as Autobot leader. He said that he knew exactly who he WAS but that the old Optimus was gone forever. Jazz--<static><static>--ep Frenzy from driving the train out of the city but Frenzy’s vibrations were able to disrupt his circuitry

<Wheeljack> We tracked--<static>--wn, aided by, well, tracks. There were only so many places they could go. But by the ti--<static>--aught up with them, they’d mastered the train’s capabilities. The locomotive’s Search Mode quickly located us, allowing them to use the gondola car’s Proton Laser Cannon to knock us out of the sky. <static>--hey sicced the caboose’s Hawkfighter mode on us

<Wheeljack> Fortunately, Prowl had taken precautions. We we--<static><static>--isrupt the Decepticon control of the train by initiating the emergency “ Red Mode “, causing it to self-dest--<static>

<Wheejack> With his weapon destroyed, Nemesis Prime fou--<static>--elf surrounded. He grabbed a human from a nearby car, a young woman named Kelly and threatened to blast her if we didn’t surrendered. Prowl lay down his gun at Prime’s feet but said that he didn’t believe he would ev--<static>--a human. Prime seemed to struggle with himself, even as Crash Test and Frenzy urged him on...then he grabbed Frenzy and slammed him into Crash Test ! Optimus Prime was back !

<Wheeljack> Hoist lamented that we had to destroy an invention as magnificent as the D-5, surely the grandpa of all train-based weapon systems and vowed to reconstruct it for the humans in his off-time

Meanwhile, Red Alert’s team tracked the Decepticons to Asia, spending days attempting to ascertain the next move of the Go-Bots, who struck at Auckland, Jakarta, then Manila. Red Alert predicted an attack on an international scientific conference in Wuhan, China, hosted by Arbco. The cent--<static>--of the conference was the prototype of a new model of exosuit, designed primarily for search-and-rescue operations in hazardous environments

<Wheeljack> Sure enough, a team of Decepticons arrived, breaking down the windows as they flew in and landed on the stage. Soundwave--<static>--hat the humans turn over the suit and all its support equipment

<Wheeljack> Red Alert, Silverst--<static>--ailbreaker revealed themselves and Silverstreak demanded that the Decepticons immediately surrender. In response, Rumble and Nightracer aimed their hands at the audience and threatened to open fire unless they backed down. Reluctantly, my colleagues conceded that Trailbreaker couldn’t bring up a forcefield large enough to cover--<static><static>--ector, so they started backing away

<Wheeljack> It seemed for certain that the Decepticons would g--<static>--prize but that was when the humans fought back. One of the scientists yelled : “ Now ! ”. She ripped off her lab coat to reveal military-style fatigues. Others started to do the same…it was an ambush !

<Wheeljack> Three humans opened fire on the Decepticons with primitive electro-disruptors and drove them back. Soundwave ordered a retr--<static><static>--oo damaged to fly, Soundwave and Nightracer converted to car modes while Rumble did his best to cover their backs. Rumble tried to charge a shot of his hand-blaster to bring down part of the roof on his opponents but he never--<static><static><static>--shot in the back by one of the male humans who had scrambled into the exosuit

<Wheeljack> Red Alert's team pursued the two second generation Go-Bots, trapping them in a cul-de-sac. Silverstreak--<static>--a crane and toppled some girders onto Nightracer and Trailbreaker tackled Soundwave and affixed cuffs to him

<Wheeljack> Taking a chance, Red Alert introduced himself to the individuals who captured Rumble. They were skeptical but willing to accept that his team was here to help. They are a--<static>--alled the People’s Liberation Army Paranormal Taskforce. The three operatives were Dr.Li Shaoshao, lead designer of the anti-Cybertronian hardware ; Colonel Qian Zilong, an expert pilot ; and Special Agent “ Cancer “, a martial artist and expert on mysticism. They thanked the Spy Changers for their help

<Wheeljack> Optimus Prime, now in his correct colors, summoned Red Alert and Prowl to him and they apologized for the infighting. We now outnumbered Megatron eight-to-one and tracked him to his lair...but too late ! We--<static>--pon him just as he was diving through a Reality Bridge, which self-destructed behind him. We despaired that he was loose in th--<static><static>...until a strange, purple-and-green half-wasp / half-motorcycle appeared. He told us that there was no time to lose, Megatron was linking up with two other, like-minded tyrants and worse yet, there were six Cybertronian Sparks vulnerable to his manipulation ! With us as the only hope for Blurr, Scavenger, Brawn, Perceptor, Mirage and Banzaitron, we prepared to follow this strange being into the unknown

<Wheeljack> I still don’t know where this place is but I ho--<static>--e leave it the better for our brief sojourn here. The humans here seem capable of amazing things. I’m happy we were able to prevent the Decepticons from twisting their brilliance into something rotten. Part of me is concerned about what they will do with our Decepticon prisoners in--<static>--sence but our new allies assure us the prisoners won’t be mistreated, nor allowed to cause further mischief

And now, once more unto the breach ! We will return home to Strata 1 someday, once Megatr--<static>--s secure. What wonders we’ll see and new allies we’ll make, only time will tell

<Wheeljack> Wheeljack out !

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Optimus Prime

Function : Leader

    " Freedom is the right of all sentient beings "

    Dedicated to protecting all life, Optimus Prime leads the Autobots in unceasing battle against the evil Decepticons. His courage and wisdom know no bounds and he is respected throughout the universe as a powerful champion of peace. Carries a blaster rifle as well as the ancient Autobot Matrix of Leadership

Prowl

Function : Military Strategist

    " Logic is the ultimate weapon "

    Prowl is a strategic genius. His logic center is the most sophisticated in the Autobot army, capable of analyzing complex combat situations and making strategic decisions almost instantaneously. Unexpected events, however, have been known to scramble his circuits. Launches powerful wire-guided missiles and high-corrosive acid pellets

Jazz

Function : Special Operations Expert / Special Ops. Agent

    " Do it with style or don't bother doing it "

    Clever, cool and adaptable, Jazz takes on the riskiest missions with trademark flair, dazzling enemies with spectacular sound and light displays. His vast knowledge of Earth culture makes his especially valuable in Earth operations. Equipped with photon rifle, flamethrower, full-spectrum beacon and 180db stereo-speakers

Silverstreak

Function : Gunner

    " I never met a Decepticon I didn't dislike "

    Always on overdrive, Silverstreak is an incessant talker whose sharp humor can lighten tense situations. Formidable weapons and incendiary speed make him an impressive adversary, although the memory of his home-city's destruction has left him with a lasting distaste for war. Equipped with long-range bombing capability and 80,000 volt attack beam

Wheeljack

Function : Mechanical Engineer

    " Never do what your enemy expects you to do "

    Wheeljack is a genius at combining throwaway objects into incredibly effective weapons. He is also a spectacular driver who never passes up a chance to show off his high-speed prowess. Arsenal includes a magnetic inducer sheel, gyro-inhibitor and an ever-changing array of new gadgets

Hoist

Function : Maintenance

    " You have to be rolling before you can be fighting "

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#4 : The Pawns and the Power ( Storypages 2 )

#4 : The Pawns and the Power ( Storypages 1 )

#4 : The Pawns and the Power ( Cover 2 )

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#3 : Red Rampage ( Storypages 2 )

#3 : Red Rampage ( Storypages 1 )

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