Oh, sweet mother of mercy, there have been some major manga updates published for the new Big Powered set.
First, we got not one but TWO online chapters that lead into the toy pack-in issues:
https://takaratomymall.jp/img/goods/4904810119975/comic01.pdfhttps://takaratomymall.jp/img/goods/4904810119975/comic02.pdfHere are my best interpretations of the two:
Comic 01
In the year 2038, the three components of Violen Jiger, possessing the original bodies of the Powered Masters, work to turn a distant planet into "Unicron Neo", which is based directly on the Beast Wars Neo Unicron toy prototype. This is during the post-G2 era of 2038, during Galvatron II's reign as leader of the Decepticons.
We then cut to a flashback to 2030, during the events of the Train Wars when The Fallen was attacking Cybertron in his design that was based on that of Generations FOC Ruination. G2 Smokescreen is a witness of these events and is in the body that he would have had if his toy had won in the poll that led to Goshooter's new toy getting made instead. Anyway, G2 Smokescreen has some mental problems from the Binaltech GT System (which enabled one Transformer to operate from multiple bodies simultaneously). G2 Smokescreen keeps hearing the voices of GT Units 01, 02, and 08 in his head, which I guess would make him 07 since one of the voices calls him that (these were all numbers that the four variant releases of Binaltech Smokescreen had). This would mean that G2 Smokescreen is actually G1 Smokescreen after having suffered from multiple personalities and turned bad as a result. He then gets attacked by "Double Goshooter" and is knocked away. He wakes up later having been rebuilt into his proper G2 jet body and meets Dreadwing, who gets him up to speed on things.
Back in the present, Unicron Neo appears above Planet Chaar where he attacks the Decepticons. Galvatron II engages Unicron Neo and recalls what he had learned on Planet Beast about the potential of Beast Power (which was shown in the previous manga that advertised Repugnus and Grotusque). Unable to stop Unicron Neo, Galvatron II uses Solitarium to escape, traveling back in time to the 20th Century, when the first Trypticon (from Scramble City) is currently being built, and where he meets G1 Megatron and will go on to have more adventures there as Megatron's City Commander.
Unicron Neo reformats the damaged Dreadwing and Smokescreen in new forms based on their Tokyo Toy Show 2010 toys (which are redecos of ROTF Mindwipe and Skystalker) to make then into servants. They and rest of the G2 Decepticons on Chaar are recruited to serve Unicron Neo. Meanwhile, aboard Broadside, Optimus Prime (in his MP-10 body) and Megatron discuss the Legends World and the possibility of reestablishing the Cybertron Alliance. But Unicron Neo suddenly appears behind them.
Optimus is shocked by this, especially since Unicron was last seen dead in the Triple Z Point. A character from the Generations books, named Screenshot, is also with Optimus. Unicron Neo heads for Planet Zone, and so do all the other Supreme Commanders. On Zone, Violen Jiger attacks all the Micromasters, demanding Energon Z from them. He unleashes Metrotitan, who has undergone the same "Titan Power Up" that Metroplex underwent back during the Metrowars. Galaxy Shuttle goes on the defense, assuming his Zone Base Mode. Grandus and Sky Garry also appear, along with Metrobase, who has likewise undergone the Titan Power Up. The real Powered Masters arrive and Dai Atlas assumes his Zone Base for the Micromasters to use. The Micromasters swarm over Vion while Phaser and Groundshaker, being "G1 Microns" (Mini-Cons) now, use their Targetmaster modes with Roadfire and Sonic Bomber.
The Micromasters then reveal that they used Schaffer Energy with Plasma Energy to make Plasma Schaffer Energy, which they then use to combine into Micron Target Modes with the cry of "Energy In!" (using their Siege toy weapon modes). The Sky Patrol Team (in their United EX bodies) use these new weapons, but Eagle Eye won't help, saying that he's named "Hawking" now.
Unicron Neo transforms into robot mode starts attacking Planet Zone. Then those two weird monster creatures from the Zone opening appear (I'm guessing they came from Unicron Neo) and attack Dai Atlas. The other Supreme Commanders arrive to help. Fortress turns into Fortress Maximus and Cog (in his Siege toy body) combines with him to form Weaponizer Fortress Maximus. He engages Unicron Neo, but Optimus tells him that the Matrix needs to be used to stop Unicron. Suddenly, Mini-Cons appear in their glowing forms from Armada, with Dragoyell explaining that they were the Mini-Con toy collection of Armada Megatron, having since become real Transformers.
Armada Thrust then appears and explains his new membership with the Aerialbots. The Mini-Cons then all combine into the Unicron of Light (colored like the new Encore toy). The Mini-Con Dead End then links with the bulk to use the "Cosmo Springer" attack, blasting a hole in Unicron Neo, who just smiles...
Comic 02
We open with a flashback to 2021, just after the Unite Warriors comics ended with Optimus dying again and Roller looking after his body. Suddenly, a Vok probe appears and steals Optimus's body.
In the present, 2038, the disabled Unicron Neo reveals his true identity: Dark Nova! He defeats the Unicron of Light and explains his origin, which ties all the way back to the Vok! He is actually the two Vok who were killed with Tarantulas in the Beast Wars episode "Other Victories", and have taken eons to revive. As Dark Nova, he took the form of Unicron because he is a symbol to the Transformers (referencing the Vok having taken Unicron's form back in the Beast Wars episode "Other Voices") and created Violen Jiger to acquire the Zodiac energy for himself and to stop the resurrection of Optimus Prime (since Optimus is a symbol of hope for the Transformers). He ultimately wishes to the destroy the Transformers so that the Beast Wars may never come to the pass.
His mentioning the Beast Wars prompts Optimus Prime to mention Optimus Primal (whom he had met previously back in 2004 during the events of RobotMasters). Dark Nova then transforms into his never-used-until-now "Robo Mode" (which was only seen in a catalog image), and unleashes Vok Novaroids on the planet (which resemble Movie 1 Protoform Optimus Prime's comet mode with Vok faces). Jetmaster retaliates with Novabots while the Supreme Commanders fight on. Dreadwing and Smokescreen combine into their Double Jet Mode while Dai Atlas and Roadfire become Land Powered to fight back.
Suddenly, what looks like Universe Razorclaw appears (seemingly from the two monsters from the Zone opening) and introduces itself as a Vok Galaman. It defeats Hot Rod, God Ginrai, and Victory Saber all at once, but Optimus then takes it on using his Matrix's Reconfiguration powers to assume Go-Bot Mode, his Missile Trailer Mode (in which he uses his "Double Wheel Torque Megaton"), and his Battle Convoy Mode. He tries to use his "Seibertonium Sword", but is impaled by Dark Nova. Having expended much of the Matrix's energy, Optimus is tossed aside.
Reinforcements arrive in the form of Eldedroids, with Daniel leading the charge. We then get some information about when Alpha Trion rebuilt Optimus from Orion Pax and when Optimus Primal died destroying the Vok's planetbuster. Shaoshao Li (in her Targetmaster form based on Siege Firedrive) mourns for the dying Hot Rod, but suddenly a Matrix-like device appears inside his chest and revives him as Rodimus Prime (upgrading him into resemble his POTP Leader toy), much to Shaoshao's delight.
More Matrixes appear inside the chests of Fortress Maximus, Grand Maximus, God Ginrai, Victory Saber, and Dai Atlas, which are revealed to each be an Energon Matrix! All of them raise each Matrix to the sky, shooting up a massive blast that flies off elsewhere.
We then cut back to another earlier flashback to when Roller joined the Battlestars in finding the missing body of Optimus Prime. They tracked the body to Planet Lucifer, where they met resistance Galaman and Novaroid forces. Roller was killed in the battle, but Optimus's body was found and revived with Zodiac, becoming Star Convoy while Roller became Star Convoy's treaded component.
Back in the present, the Matrix energy blast finds the defeat MP-10-bodied Optimus and strikes him, upgrading him once more into his previous Star Convoy form. He regroups with Dai Atlas and borrows his Zone Powered Cutter to bisect the Vok Galaman. Optimus then turns into his upcoming MP-44 body and uses his trailer to load Dai Atlas as a Drill Rocket. Dai Altas is fired at Dark Nova and penetrates the massive alien's malformed body.
But then Broadside arrives with Soundwave and Weirdwolf, who informs every about something to do with Megatron. Dark Nova then reveals a horrific sight as his head then takes the form of Megatron, becoming the Star Giant once more!
And finally, RobotKingdom has scans of the three pack-in manga issues included with the Big Powered set:
Sonic Bomber's
Roadfire's
Dai Atlas's
Due to the low quality of these scans making it very hard to make out exactly what's happening in these three, I'm not going to attempt to summarize these events. But, from what little I can make out of these three chapters (aside from the fact that the Powered Masters simply fight Violen Jiger's Powered Master-bodied components and then go after Dark Nova to try to save Megatron), the combined form of Roadfire and Topspin is "Wing Powered", Dai Atlas combined with Twin Twist is "Drill Powered", and the combined form of all five Powered Masters (Dai Atlas, Sonic Bomber, Roadfire, Topspin, and Twin Twist) is "Ultra Powered".
Also, it looks like Dai Atlas, Sonic Bomber, and Roadfire were all originally created by Megatron using Vector Sigma, and were originally "Poweredrons" before they would be called Powered Masters.
And there's something about the Powered Masters' having Powered Engines, and Roadfire has an attack called "Zone Powered Hammer".