Devastation issue 6

	; "These are MY enemies!"
Publisher	IDW Publishing
First published	February 27, 2008
Cover date	February 2008
Written by	Simon Furman
Art by	E. J. Su
Colors by	Josh Burcham
Letters by	Chris Mowry
Edits by	Andrew Steven Harris
Continuity	2005 IDW continuity
Chronology	Devastation

The Reapers battle the Decepticons, who get some help from Galvatron; Hunter completes his transformation; the Autobots leave Earth.

Synopsis

Sunstreaker finally gets ahead in the world (groan).

In the Machination's Tampa, Florida, headquarters, an employee reports to the damaged Transformer that Hunter O'Nion is trapped in the well-guarded bodyshop. The Transformer orders his men not to engage and speaks to Abraham Dante, now in Headmaster attire. Dante prepares to become the head for... Scorponok, revealed as severely damaged. Hunter struggles with the Headmaster process as scientists mess with the real head of Sunstreaker. Scorponok smashes through the wall just as Hunter figures out how to transform, suddenly speaking with Sunstreaker's voice. A cloned body picks up the head and attaches it, but complains that the scientists' prodding is slowing him down. Scorponok attacks but Sunstreaker—despite some personal pronoun trouble—is able to transform, blast a hole in the wall and escape.

In the battle with the Reapers, the Decepticons fight valiantly, but are outnumbered. As Starscream states his loyalty, Megatron transforms to become his sidearm. The Battlechargers don't fare so well, though; both are killed. The battle is observed by Galvatron, who lends a hand to the Decepticons by turning the Deathbringer into a death-dealing zombie, who kills other Reapers by touch. With the odds tipping in their favor, Megatron gives the order for the Seekers to attack the Reapers' ship while he and the Triple Changers attack the rest of the ground forces. When the battle is won, Megatron contemplates dismembering Blitzwing, but Starscream interrupts with the information that the United States Air Force is attacking.

At Warsaw, Hot Rod is utterly dominating the battle with the Headmasters, until it's down to just him and one other, who calls for help. Hardhead assists Hot Rod by blowing up the last Sunstreaker clone and tells him about Optimus Prime's orders to evacuate. Hot Rod refuses to leave though, determined to find the root of the Headmaster mystery. Hardhead lets him go and takes Wheeljack and Ironhide back to the Ark-32. Aboard the ship, Optimus Prime speaks with Hound about rendezvousing at Garrus-9, and that he doesn't take leaving Earth or Sunstreaker lightly. Hound also sent info on Leadfoot's death to Nightbeat, who investigates the odd way in which he died. While investigating, he feels that he has seen the condition before and that someone has possibly interfered with his memory. He heads down to the hangar bay, and to the ship he once piloted to Gorlam Prime...

As the Ark-32 leaves orbit, Doctor Weston argues with Agent Red, stating that the "Bulwark Mechs" (Ravage and Laserbeak) are unaccounted for and that he doesn't have the time to activate a new one (Grimlock). Red says he must since they are at war and unlikely to get help.

Galvatron stares at the damaged form of Sixshot before returning to the Dead Universe. Though Nemesis Prime states he did good work, he confers with Jhiaxus, who suspects that Galvatron has hidden agendas and secrets.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Humans	Others
Sunstreaker (5) Hot Rod (18) Hardhead (20) Optimus Prime (21) Hound (22) Nightbeat (23) Leadfoot (24) Grimlock (26)	Scorponok (2) Megatron (7) Astrotrain (9) Runamuck (10) Thundercracker (11) Runabout (12) Blitzwing (14) Skywarp (15) Starscream (16) Sixshot (25)	Abraham Dante (1) Hunter O'Nion (4) Reese (19) Weston (27) Joshua Red (28)	Sunstreaker clones (3) Other Reapers (6) Ravenous Reaper (8) Klaxa (13) Galvatron (17) Jhiaxus (29) Nemesis Prime (30)

Quotes

"You Headmasters have gone from serious threat to rank amateur in no time at all. Whatever edge you had...it's gone!"

—Hot Rod's opinion of the Headmasters: They fail at life, and everything they try.

"There's trouble at Garrus-9 and we're the nearest big stick."

— Hardhead demonstrates unparalleled brevity.

"You, who claim the title Deathbringer... Be one! You are now, for a brief, burning instant, a harbinger! Giver of the unlife!"

— Galvatron, as he turns one of the Reapers on his own.

Notes

Continuity notes

Optimus Prime's choice to abandon Earth to the Decepticons in this issue was, in a variety of solicits and other hype, heavily implied to be the big event that would lead to All Hail Megatron. However, All Hail itself would contradict that notion: it shows that the Autobots had returned to Earth in force prior to that series' start during the one-year gap after Devastation and Maximum Dinobots.
This issue confirms that Scorponok is the puppet-master of the Machination, though he had been the primary suspect since Escalation.
It seems that the Dead Universe powers affect organic creatures differently to mechanical beings like Transformers. Whereas they kill mechanical creatures, they cause organic beings to waste away and crumble into dust.

Transformers references

Real-life references

Errors

Nightbeat's chest is now a symmetrical "two-boob" affair, rather than the mirrored toy-based version he had previously.
Hot Rod's lower legs and the rear end of his vehicle mode are now red, rather than the blue he had previously. Josh Burcham stated that this was an artistic choice, and not a coloring mistake.

Other trivia

The story is followed by a pin-up by Josh Burcham, emphasizing Earth's isolation following the Autobots' departure.
The inner rear cover contains the Transformers: Mosaic "Feeling Yellow".