tfwiki.info

Spotlight: Ramjet - Transformers Wiki

  • ️Mon Jul 11 2005

Ramjet schemes to overthrow Megatron. Who knew the guy had it in him?

Synopsis

Skywarp diverts from his mission to meet with Ramjet in mid-flight. While speeding across the skies, Ramjet and Skywarp discuss the failings of Megatron and Starscream. Ramjet boasts that he has the smarts to overthrow Megatron, and tries to enlist Skywarp. Skywarp gives him 24 hours to come up with a good plan, reminding him of the old Cybertronian saying, "Always bet on the leader." Ramjet checks in with his Mini-Constructicons, who inform him that the Universal Cybertronic Tracker will be ready in 18 hours. Ramjet next contacts his Pentagon-employed facsimile Harrison (who, due to inferior construction, appears dimwitted) and tells him to be prepared to deliver missile codes. Ramjet will use the missiles to devastate the United States.

As Megatron and his Decepticons begin their war in Brasnya, Ramjet flies to the European Union Alternative Energy Research Center and drops fliers for an unspecified contest. An emblem of a Euro symbol on each flier is actually a spy device which jumps off the paper and attaches itself to the computers of the Center's employees. Ramjet believes that someone at the Center will eventually develop a useful energon substitute. Meanwhile, in Brasnya, Megatron delivers the beating of Optimus Prime's life.

Ramjet later returns to his Mini-Constructicons, and they have his device ready. When two of them ask for a taste of his power once he overthrows Megatron, Ramjet destroys them for their insolence. Harrison meets with Ramjet and delivers the codes, but his face is melting off due to his inferior creation. Ramjet boasts of his plans to his liquefying lackey, which include tracking all Cybertronians, acquiring his energon substitute, blowing up the United States, enslaving the Decepticons and humans of Earth, and using a superstring spacebridge to dominate the galaxy.

Unfortunately for Ramjet, Megatron arrives and beats him mercilessly, ripping out his spark before tearing him limb from limb. He scatters Ramjet's parts at Ramjet's base, Harrison's office at the Pentagon, and the Energy Research Center, indicating that he knew about Ramjet's plans in detail. Megatron keeps Ramjet's head as a trophy and an object lesson for his other troops. Behind him, Skywarp echoes his earlier statement: "Always bet on the leader."

Featured characters

(Characters in italic text only appear in Ramjet's fantasy.)
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Notes

Continuity notes

  • This issue takes place after the New Avengers/Transformers miniseries, and is written by the same author. The "business" that Skywarp mentions on page 2 is the battle in Latveria in which Ramjet deserted his post, letting the Autobots and Avengers win.
  • The timeframe of the issue corresponds with the events in the Escalation series.
  • Apparently, IDW Transformers can fart (page 7). In general terms, this is not a new development.
  • As Harrison collapses to the ground, it can also be seen that his car is wrecked and smoking. This is not explained, though it seems likely that the barely-functional facsimile is a terrible driver, given that it can only speak in rudimentary grunts. (It's also nicely symbolic of how everything around Ramjet was about to turn to crap.)
  • This issue has the first mention of a space bridge in the IDW continuity.
  • Given how the Decepticons are so keen on keeping themselves hidden from the planet's populace they infiltrate, it is quite unexpected that Megatron throws parts of Ramjet around the globe. Whilst it would take both a good few years and the intervention of John "Master of Continuity" Barber, giving humans access to Cybertronian technology would go on to have some drastic repercussions.

Trivia

  • Following the story are two pages of sketches by Robby Musso.
  • This was the first Spotlight issue that wasn't part of a larger storyline. While every previous Spotlight (and a bunch of the following) answered questions raised in previous issues, brought up mysteries that created new questions, or introduced future plot developments, this one was relatively self-contained. The only references to the rest of the storyline exist merely for chronological placement. However, Simon Furman mentioned on his blog that Ramjet may show up again[1] and in a way, he did. After Ramjet, we would see more Spotlights that told done-in-one contained stories like Spotlight: Cliffjumper.

Errors

  • The size of the text in this issue is considerably smaller than the norm.
  • On page 17, the first dialogue box of Ramjet's big plan ends abruptly:
"With the universal tracker, I can monitor the locations of all Cybertronians, anywhere in the galaxy–Autobots and
The trade paperback ends this sentence with "Decepticons alike."

Covers (3)

  • (thumbnail)

    Ramjet hates everyone, even himself!

  • (thumbnail)

    And he would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you pesky kids Megatron's head hovering behind him the whole time.

  • (thumbnail)

    RI Cover

Advertisements

Reprints

  • (thumbnail)

    The IDW Collection Volume Two – cover art by E.J. Su

  • (thumbnail)

    The IDW Collection Compendium, Vol. 1 – cover art by Jeffrey Veregge

  • (thumbnail)

    The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 38: Devastation – cover art by Don Figueroa (Sunstreaker) and Robby Musso (Sixshot)

References