Black Sunshine

• Writer - Brad Mick
• Penciler - Don Figueroa
• Inker - Elaine To
• Colorist - Espen Grundet Jern
• Colorist - Rob Ruffolo
• Lettering - Ben Lee

Summary

  On Earth, Starscream and his Decepticons are desperately firing on the newly-arrived yellow flier (see last issue) with no effect. The warrior overloads the Decepticons' circuits with but a gesture; Starscream summons Bruticus to counterattack, but the gestalt is quickly blasted by an incoming Autobot shuttle. In response, the yellow warrior lands on the shuttle and overloads its systems, causing it to plunge into free-fall. Starscream escapes in the confusion, prompting the stranger to give chase, and the Autobots bring the shuttle in for a crash landing.

  At the Autobase on Cybertron, Ironhide and Prowl watch with concern as a trio of training drones handily defeats their available Autobots. Fretting over their lackluster fighting ability, the two head for the infirmary, where Hoist updates them on the status of Optimus Prime's recuperation (following the events of the Transformers: Generation 1: War and Peace limited series). Ultra Magnus drops by to exchange pleasantries, but the chat is interrupted when the Protectobots report their findings in one of Shockwave's hidden laboratories -- something there severely damaged Runamuck and Runabout, before blasted out of there in a hurry...

  Back on Earth, the yellow Decepticon is tracking Starscream to the underwater wreck of the Nemesis, even as Starscream activates another back-up gambit. Starscream's delusion of safety is torn away as he's suddenly grabbed by the new Decepticon, who identifies himself as Sunstorm -- Starscream's brother!

  At the Autobot crash site, Brawn works off his stress by pounding on Bruticus' inert body while the other Autobots console Ratchet over the destruction of the Ark (see last issue). While Ratchet activates the Powerdashers to help repair the crashed shuttle, Brawn wonders about the lack of any attention from the humans -- unaware that he's being watched from afar by a military helicopter...

  In the Nemesis, Starscream tells Sunstorm of the Decepticons' arrival from Cybertron (following the events of the last issue of the War and Peace limited series): after Soundwave overrode Sky Lynx's mind, the Decepticons arrived on Earth and seeked out the Nemesis. Unfortunately, major repairs were needed, which required an attack on the Ark -- a move that required re-activating the Combaticons for extra firepower. Starscream then asks Sunstorm about himself, and the latter explains that he is the Savior; he has been imbued with the wisdom of the Oracle, and has a "divine mission" to unite with Starscream, in order to lead the others. Starscream remains skeptical, long enough for his "backup" to ambush Sunstorm from behind!

  As the sun sets in the desert, the Autobots have completed their repairs on the shuttle, and Seaspray re-activates its cloaking device. Ratchet and Bumblebee prepare to step on boad, both to rest and to make plans to find Starscream and their missing Autobot comrades. Their plans are interrupted by a blast from the twilight sky, as Starscream has returned -- with Jetfire at his side!