Transformers #66

The Matrix Quest comes to a staggering conclusion with All Fall Down. In the opening of the story, Unicron destroys a shuttle and converts its owners into Hook, Line, and Sinker. They are his new agents of destruction, and Unicron sends them on a mission to retrieve an emissary to make way for his coming to Cybertron.

Back on the Ark, the Matrix possessed Thunderwing attacks Optimus Prime and the Autobots. The power of the Matrix is too great, and the Autobots fall one by one. Many are damaged and some (Landmine) are deactivated. Thunderwing's Decepticons realize that he has gone completely insane with the power, and contemplate their own futures as his followers. Back on Earth, Starscream exits Skorponok's base only to be followed by a mysterious being emerging from the river.

The battle on the Ark continues as Prime continues to try and stop Thunderwing. Thunderwing reveals the fates of Grimlock, Jazz, and Bumblebee and how Thunderwing got the Matrix from them. The three are in stasis aboard their ship. However, Nightbeat, Siren, and Hosehead have escaped from their prison on said ship. Nightbeat fires a harpoon into Thunderwing's shoulder, and then he opens the airlock. The weight of the ship drags Thunderwing and the Matrix out of the ark. The ship was set to self-destruct, and the explosion seems to take out Thunderwing, whose remains continue to tumble through the darkness of space. Although the Autobots start to feel the weight of their loss of the Matrix, Optimus Prime reassures them that the goodness of Primus is in each of them as his creations means that there is hope. He also states that they will find another way to defeat Unicron.

The Matrix Quest is not the best work of Simon Furman, however the final three issues turn the story around. Part five was a great end to the series as it tied up the loose ends, and it showed the power of the Matrix tainted by evil. Thunderwing was a well thought out character for this story, and he would later reappear in the IDW comic book series Transformers: Stormbringer as the central plot point (although it is a different Thunderwing as it was a re-imagining of the Generation One universe). This issue also laid the groundwork for future stories and characters. Starscream hadn't been seen in a while, so be ready for him to take a big role again. Who was the mysterious being following him? Is the Matrix really gone for good? Who is the mysterious emissary that Unicron is searching for? What is Optimus Prime's plan now? At least one of those questions will be answered in the next issue!