The Energon Pub

This has probably been asked before, so I apologize up-front for a repeated topic...

Anyway, I am curious what characters everyone would like to see as their own "Spotlight" comic. Here is my listing:

- Cosmos
- Dreadwind
- Octane
- Astrotrain
- Fortress Maximus
- Hound
- Any of the Technobots
- Any of the Triggerbots


Have a great day,

Bob

Fortress Maximus.
Trypticon

Beachcomber
Nova Prime

Don't throw things at me, but I want a Spotlight Starscream. I know that he's a featured member of most storylines, but we can't keep saving Spotlights for super-obscure characters like Optimus Prime or Hot Rod or Shockwave or Soundwave. We might need eventually to dip into the vaguer realms of the Universe and get characters like Starscream. I mean really, how many more obscure, unknown stories are there to tell like those of Optimus Prime? There's a guy who never, ever gets feature facetime in any TF universe.

Yeah, Starscream.

Dagon,

I agree with your suggestion and I think that a "Spotlight: Starscream" would make for an excellent issue. Especially with characters such as Starscream, we are continually confronted with their actions in the current story arc and we are never given a glimpse of their background and underlying history. With that, I wish that IDW would publish more "Spotlight" comics along the lines of Blurr, where the reader is presented with the back-story to a particular character. In terms of Starscream, I would love to read about his pre-war origins and how he came to lead and his early interactions with the Seekers.

Along similar lines, why do the "Spotlight" comics have to be about one particular Transformer? Why can't a "Spotlight" issue showcase a group of Transformers such as the Protectobots, Triggerbots, or Seacons?


- Bob

Bobton03 wrote:Along similar lines, why do the "Spotlight" comics have to be about one particular Transformer? Why can't a "Spotlight" issue showcase a group of Transformers such as the Protectobots, Triggerbots, or Seacons?
- Bob

There's isn't any reason why a group couldn't be in a "Spotlight", it's just a matter of someone getting the story together. I'm sure that it's not quite that easy, but whatever.

I'd like to see a Starscream Spotlight too! And if you wanted to group them up, why not a Starscream/Skywarp/Thundercracker story.

Others I'd like to see:
Jetfire - because I like him.
Fortress Maximus - because I like him
Jazz - because I like him
Hound - because he's a Jeep
Bludgeon - because he's freaky
Scorponok - because I like him
Drift - hahahaha! Just kidding...
The Predacons - because they're so cut-throat
Motormaster - because I like him
Dirge - because I like him (actually, I just like saying "Dirge!")

There's more, I just can't think of any right now...time for my glass of milk and beddie-bye.

I think that spotlight is a good opritunity for IDW to flesh out their characters, Something I take a liking to. I would like to see:

Omega Suprme
Sentinel Prime (Hey, we don't know an extensive much about him.)
Alpha Trion
Prowl
Scourge
Scrapper
Silverbolt

However, who said that all spotlight comics should be foucused on IDW'S G1? What about their other productions, like a Spotlight Beast Wars edition? Or a movieverse edition? Wouldn't it be cool if they went out of their own continuity, and made Spotlight comics for every franchise?

But then, If I think about a Movie Spotlight Skids of Mudflap...

Scourge would be a great "Spotlight" issue, but IDW would probably have to append his story onto the existing arc with Cyclonus, Nova Prime, and company if they do not want to introduce Unicron into their developing Transformers universe.


- Bob

Skywarp. (Didn't see that coming, huh?) But seriously, the character is such a grey man in Ramjet's book--and always a prankster--so you know there is a lot going on there. In a similar vein, Thundercracker would be good. But I could also go for Astrotrain, who also seems to have a lot of hidden personality. Or, best of all, a Runamuck/Runabout comback via two-issue special!

Or just Drift 2.

Spotlight: Jazz and Spotlight: Prowl have already been made.

MYoung23 wrote:Spotlight: Jazz and Spotlight: Prowl have already been made.

Ok, then, Jazz 2 along with Drift 2. heh heh!

Bobton03 wrote:Why can't a "Spotlight" issue showcase a group of Transformers such as the Protectobots, Triggerbots, or Seacons?

Well, I don't think the format would work well for a group. There's not really enough space to get much even out of one character, hence why I hope IDW will not shy away from giving certain characters a second spotlight issue despite the inevitable bitching from fans. The ideal is, of course, that a spotlight will lead to a mini-series or preface a spotlit character having a larger role in a series. In this vein, what might work for the gestalts is having a spotlight that focused on the gestalt itself--like Spotlight: Piranacon--that led into a mini-series about the Seacons or the Seacons having a large part in one of the other books.

Great point -- 22-24 pages is not nearly enough space for some characters, so a "Spotlight" issue on the gestalt itself would work better than trying to cover each composite transformer of the overall gestalt character. With that said, I think that a "Spotlight: Piranacon" or "Spotlight: Defensor" would be a great read.

- Bob

I'd prefer the Spotlights if they were closer to the original G1 characterisations. Spotlight: Ramjet turned everyone's favourite headbutter into a 2nd rate Starscream. It just seemed like it would have suited Thrust better, if you're familiar with the old G1. Mirage was crap and Blaster just plain boring.

Plus the Dead Universe stuff means we won't get any spotlights based on Micromasters. Nebulans probably won't get in either. Pity because Marvel Lord Zarak was a great character.

I mean Dreamwave illustrated a wonderful grasp of the G1 characters in their MTMTE books. Those profiles are what I would have liked to see Spotlights based on.

Repugnus, Sunstreaker, Scorponok were a lot more interesting in a few sentences in MTMTE than anything IDW did with them.

That said, most Spotlights are good and Arcee is proof that given the right circumstances, a new interpretation of a character can indeed be great. Galvatron too.

Anyway, I'd like to see the following:

Repugnus

Rollout (based on his MTMTE profile, it could be funny. Could see him like Buzz Lightyear, where he thinks he's a superspy but Glitch keeps getting him out of trouble.)

Scamper/Fasttrack/Wipeout, any of the basebots little buds.

Sparkstalker

Streetwise

Ruckus

Trailbreaker

Snarl

Acid Storm

Crosscut

Clampdown

Deep Cover

Soundblaster

Tiger tracks

Roadrage

Stepper/Ricochet

Artfire

Kick Off

Skram

Zap

You bring up an interesting point regarding the Nebulans. It seems that IDW is on the verge of essentially writing them out of the overall story arc based on the events of "Spotlight: Ultra Magnus" and the resulting shift of the Headmaster plot to Earth, as well as Thunderwing's rampage on Nebulos during the Stormbringer series.

Personally I see a lot of potential for Nebulos in IDW's story arc, especially considering the cast of Decepticons assigned to the planet and whom we were only fleetingly introduced to during Stormbringer. Maybe with recent information such as the shifting of the "Transformers: Ongoing" story into space by following the exploits of Hot Rod, maybe we will see more non-Earth subplots which might include planets such as Nebulos?

- Bob

Like I said, I liked the MTMTE take on the G1 cast, including Nebulans. Sure they only got a few lines but it still gave you a grasp of their character and possible interactions.

For example, Quake's Double Targetmasters where the disgraced Tip Top has problems with the shifty chemical dealer, Heater (see MTMTE). That trio were among my first TF's so I suppose I have the nostalgia thing going on too. A good writer could probably give us an interesting Spotlight or something on that.

The Marvel comics made a brave attempt at their characterisations. The conflicted Lord Zarak was easily one of the best villains in Transformers. From the snatches of conversation and factfiles, he himself had a supporting cast; Llyra - daughter, Krunk - loyal, vicious bodyguard, Spasma - seemed to be his butler/aide, Blowpipe - brother in law, Galen - political rival, potential son in law.

I liked Duros reaction to Stylor, calling him a society dandy. Always nice when the good guys aren't all friends, lends itself to the realism.

Even Hi-Q's initial reluctance to help the Autobots.

I also liked how Marvel had the Nebulans look human. It made storylines like the Z Foundation and the wrestling Micromasters possible as it allowed for human interaction. While not to everyone's taste, I liked those stories as a kid with Lord Zarak's 'secret identity' in both stories.

It also allowed for Galen to pass the Fortress Maximus mantle onto Spike, another arc I thoroughly enjoyed.

As I said earlier, the MTMTE's characterisations were great and breathed life into the Micromasters as well. Shame IDW has put the nails in that coffin. Both Nebulan and Micromaster casts were quite large so that's an awful lot of characters that won't get Spotlights regrettably.

Punch/Counterpunch

Wheeljack

Hound

Pounce/Wingspan

Overlord

Thunderwing

Astrotrain

Blitzwing

Tracks

Springer

Carnivac

Smokescreen

Great list -- I think that Tracks and Thunderwing would be very worth considering as "Spotlights"!

- Bob

Dead End, Skywarp, or Ratbat. I haven't kept up with the IDW-verse past the first couple issues of AHM, so I really don't know if Dead End is even in there yet. But basically, these are my 3 favorite Decepticons, so obviously I'd want a Spotlight issue on all 3 of them.

I just noticed that Blurr gets driven around by who appears to be Bulkhead in 'Spotlight: Blurr'

Windsweeper wrote:That said, most Spotlights are good and Arcee is proof that given the right circumstances, a new interpretation of a character can indeed be great.

Agreed

primusprime22 wrote:Sentinel Prime (Hey, we don't know an extensive much about him.)

I was about to say that, too. I know Alex Milne had some interest in the character after he finished Megatron Origin. He's supposed to be badly hurt but alive, after all. So maybe a Spotlight issue explaining how he dies or why the "Prime" title is passed on to "Zeta Prime" (thanks, McCarthy, for another inconsistency Nick Roche may be able to fix/explain in the future) would be nice.

I'd love a Devcon spotlight, too (and iirc Josh Burcham loves the character).

And why not give Emirate Xaaron a chance to shine in this continuity as well?

Whirl?