Transformers: Robots in Disguise (comics)
When the Transformers Ongoing reached its peak in Chaos fans were.. divided. So another reboot was launched, the third (the other two were All Hail Megatron and The Ongoing), fourth if one counts infiltration. This reboot had two stories of the Transformers going in different directions.
The war has ended, Galvatron is dead and Megatron is missing, and presumed dead. Thousands of neutral transformers who left the world before and during the war have returned. The Autobots have triumphed over the Decepticons, who are now leaderless and directionless. The ongoing split many of the transformers into two groups. One group went into space to discover their history, the other stayed on Cybertron. Robots in Disguise covers the troops left behind, and delves into the political side, as the Autobots, Decepticons, and Non-Aligned Indigenous Life-forms (NAILs) reach a tentative peace. Tempers are still high as everyone blames everyone else for the war, and some try to take advantage of the chaos to carve out a new position in the Post-War Cybertron.
- Ax Crazy: Arcee
- Big Bad Wannabe: Ratbat try's to use his old position as senator to take control.
- Boom! Headshot!: Prowl kills Bombshell this way
- Call Back: Numerous: Prowl's tricky characterization is touched upon, and Swindle mentions his time on Earth where he was the Big Bad of the Police Action saga of the Ongoing.
- Canon Immigrant: Sky-Byte from the Transformers Robots in Disguise cartoon.
- The Chew Toy: Zetca and Dirge have lots of bad things happen to them, most of which aren't their fault. Sky-Byte too.
- Explosive Leash: Inhibitor/deterrence chips are in the heads of every Decepticon. They stop transformation, stop powers, and will blow up the Con's head if they get out of line. Soundwave may have found a way around it, or maybe not. Either way, Bumblebee deactivated them on Ironhide's advice..
- Grey and Gray Morality: Not all Autobots are clean cut and good, and some Decepticons just want to get on with their lives. The NAILs blame the warriors for dooming the planet, and the Cons and Bots blame the NAILs for leaving when the planet was being fought over, and now they want to take it back when they haven't fought in the war. Metalhawk, leader of the NAILs, is a massive prick, but he does have a point.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Ratbat, courtesy of Arcee.
- Jerkass: "Peace Enforcers" Needlenose and Horri-bull.
- Kill It with Fire: Needlenose tries with Streetwise, but it doesn't work.
- Killed Off for Real: Numerous; Horri-bull, Ratbat, Barrel-roll, Skydive, Bombshell, Sunstorm, and The Constructicons.
- Police Brutality: Needlenose and Horri-bull are enforcing the peace by order of the Autobots; they like to beat on people. Prowl is very "firm" on how to stop the two. In issue 4 Prowl flies off the deep end.
- They Killed Kenny: Averted. This is the series where Dirge, a character who repeatedly dies in numerous continuities so often, it's become a joke, gets character development and avoids numerous death encounters.
- Two-Faced: Soundwave was shot in the head in the previous ongoing, he was rebuilt, but his visor and faceplate are still damaged, giving him this look.
- The Voiceless: After Optimus shot Soundwave's face and head, he's gotten better, but his voice chip has been damaged, and he doesn't speak.
- Your Head Asplode: The Deceptions all have chips in their head to prevent them from using their powers and transforming. If they get out of line, their heads will explode. When Horri-bull almost beats a neutral to death, Bumblebee detonates his chip (they're called I/D Chips). When the Constructicons reveal they have weapons, Prowl detonates all of their chips.