The War Within issue 1

	; "I'm even more of a wimp than Orion Pax!"
Publisher	Dreamwave Productions
First published	October 9, 2002
Cover date	October 2002
Story	Simon Furman
Pencils	Don Figueroa
Inks	Elaine To & Don Figueroa
Colors	Rob Ruffolo
Letters	Dreamer Design
Assistant editor	Matt Moylan
Graphic design	Kevin Lee
Editor-in-chief	Roger Lee
Continuity	Dreamwave continuity
Chronology	Early war

Following the death of Sentinel Prime, the Council of Ancients chooses an unlikely successor.

Synopsis

The Autobot leader, Sentinel Prime is killed in battle. A while later, in the Vaults of the High Council Pavilions in Iacon, Bluestreak relates scuttlebutt about how the old Prime died to indifferent archivist Optronix, who just wants to be left to his work. Bluestreak thinks Optronix has a cushy position.

Over in Orbital Torus State Altihex, Grimlock's team of Autobots is in trouble. Overhaul dies with a hole blasted through him, the latest victim of the Autobot/Decepticon war. As Grimlock orders his men to hold their position, Kup reports that the Skysled evac unit is having trouble—a group of Neutrals are refusing to evacuate. Bumblebee radios from the transport that Thundercracker and Skywarp are incoming, but Grimlock doesn't have the resources to provide assistance, and the two Seekers destroy the building full of Neutrals. Trailbreaker drags Bumblebee onto the ship, telling him Altihex is lost. As Grimlock prepares to withdraw, he complains that they need a leader with the strength to turn the tide.

Meanwhile, in the Chamber of the Ancients, the Council of Ancients is telling Optronix that they've selected him to succeed Sentinel Prime. Though he protests to Councillor Gravitas that a mistake has been made, the council is firm that the Matrix has made its choice and attempt to convince him it's a good idea.

[Super Mario Bros. powerup sound]

Jazz and Prowl arrive in Praxus and wait in what was once the Helix Gardens, both saddened at the devastation the Decepticons have wrought on the area. Grimlock soon arrives with his squad and a message—if the new Prime is unsuitable, they'll depose him and install themselves as leaders.

In the Oracle Tank, in Iacon's Stellar Galleries, Optronix asks the Keeper for answers, believing that they should leave Cybertron for the Decepticons. A short time later, he's back in the Chamber of the Ancients for the inauguration ceremony. Only a true Prime can contain the Matrix, and Optronix does, being augmented by the Matrix's power into Optimus Prime. Immediately after this, a Decepticon assassination squad moves to strike. Skids tries to block them and has his right arm sliced off by Umbra. While Backbite struggles with Bumblebee and Grimlock, Umbra transforms to gun mode. Before Darklight can fire Umbra, he's slammed to the ground by Optimus. Kup and Hound take out Backbite, but Grimlock holds the other Autobots back, as he wants to see how Optimus handles the remaining two Decepticons.

Optimus manages to twist Umbra's attack so that his blade fatally pierces Darklight. As Prime tries to question Umbra, the assassin merely says that the Autobots are all doomed, and then self-terminates. Though the other Autobots celebrate Prime's easy victory, their elation quickly turns to dismay, as their new leader announces that he doesn't feel that Cybertron is worth fighting for and orders the Autobots to evacuate the planet.

However, Megatron has other ideas...

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots

Decepticons

Trailbreaker (14)
Gravitas (17)
Kudon (18)
Vraz (19)
Prowl (20)
Jazz (21)
Guardian robots (22)
Hound (29)

Skywarp (10)
Thundercracker (11)
Shrapnel (15)
Runamuck (16)
Starscream (23)
Shockwave (24)
Ravage (25)
Darklight (26)
Umbra (27)
Backbite (28)
Megatron (30)

Quotes

"They say he took his sweet time, killed Prime diode at a time. They say—"
"They say a lot, don't 'they'."

—Bluestreak and Optronix

"If Council choose wrong, if new Prime falter...then we seize his title, his power...by show of force!"

—Grimlock plans ahead

"If it's me you want..."
"It's your head, actually. On a spike. Megatron has decreed it."

—Optimus Prime and Darklight

Bumblebee: "Awesome!"
Tracks: "If I ever doubted—"
Jazz: "You are the man!"

—The Autobots react to the fighting skills of their new Prime

Notes

The name "Optronix" is used in this article for convenience, but in truth, the issue's script conspicuously avoids calling Optimus anything until he becomes Prime. Whether Furman was the one who came up with the name "Optronix", or someone else behind-the-scenes at Dreamwave, is a bit of a mystery.

Transformers references

One of the buildings in the first establishing two-page panel of Iacon has "Transformers" written in Japanese katakana lettering on the side of it (specifically the main part of the Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers logo).
In the same panel, the alternate mode of Beast Machines Jetstorm makes a cameo.
Diagnostic Drones can be seen in the archives.
In the Chamber of the Ancients, the phrase "TILL ALL ARE ONE" can be seen around the edge of the room, with some of the letters inverted. Also, in case it's not clear Ancients are really into this stuff, the very ground Optronix stands upon is Matrix-shaped.

Trivia

The biggest contribution The War Within made to Transformers is that most of the characters were given "new" body designs for Cybertronian alt-modes, due to the fact that it takes place long before they arrived on Earth. While this has become the norm (and a lot of those bodies may now try to look pretty Earth-y), The War Within was the first time it had ever been done and got the fandom cheering.
This is both the first of Dreamwave Productions' tales about the early days of the Great War and also the first Dreamwave Productions comic Simon Furman wrote.
The term Seeker is used in official canon for the first time.

Errors

Thundercracker has Skywarp's colors as he shatters the building windows (he addresses Skywarp by name), and Skywarp has Thundercracker's colors a panel later. Both errors were fixed for the trade paperback collection.

Covers (3)

Regular Cover: Wraparound foldout of the story's major characters; art by Don Figueroa, colors by Alan Wang
Incentive Cover: Lenticular image of Optimus Prime transforming, art by Don Figueroa.
New Dimension Comics exclusive: Cover with a profile of War Within Optimus by Pat Lee. 450 copies had the profile in gold foil, 99 in "platinium foil". These issues also came with a postcard showing the lenticular image.

Transformers version of The Phantom Menace, but actually a good story and no Jar-Jar.
Glitchy picture, but it is the lenticular cover.
Devil without a cause, I'm going platinum.