The Energon Pub

I'm going with Scorpinok as well.

When I heard Machination I thought Machine + Nation.

I like how everything is connected in someway with the Spotlights and the different miniseries'.

If the head is indeed Scorponok and you have a 3rd party in play there could be a 4th since I believe that it was Galvatron who implanted a device in Nightbeat's head(Nightbeat Spotlight) and Nightbeat is part of the backup Prime has called to Earth in Escalation.

Furman said when Galvatron Spotlight was announced that he would be a stand alone character from Megatron and that he wouldnt be part of the Decepticons initially.

When Nightbeat is captured in his Spotlight there is a closeup of a face that does look like Galvatron.

I thought that it was Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge who appeared in Nightbeat's issue, too, but to be honest that close-up reminded me more fo Cyclonus than it did of Galvatron.

I'm still of the mind that the chap in Escalation #5 is Scorponok, largely because of what Glyph said, but also because the head silhouette just resembles Scorponok more than anyone else.

MYoung23, I think you're right about the fact that Nightbeat's implant means another party is involved in the Escalation drama.

I doubt the mystery bot could be Soundwave. He's locked in tape deck mode since 1984. OR at least that's what Spotlight Soundwave tells us.........nor Shockwave either. He's burried in a mountain, & all that's showing is his hand. That's what I like about the IDW-verse, it all connects & you know what happened to who. My bet is either Scorponok or some other powerful Decepticon. I dunno...............