Ghosts of Cybertron Part 4

	; We have the tools, and we have the talent!
	"Ghosts of Cybertron Part 4"
Publisher	IDW Publishing
First published	September 4, 2019
Cover date	September 2019
Written by	Erik Burnham
Art by	Dan Schoening
Colors by	Luis Antonio Delgado
Letters by	Tom B. Long
Editor	David Mariotte and Tom Waltz
Continuity	Transformers/Ghostbusters

It's a showdown in Queens as the Ghostbusters and their Autobot allies search for the missing Starscream... and find more than they bargained for!

Synopsis

Having relocated to their spacious Red Hook warehouse to accommodate their extraterrestrial guests, the Ghostbusters, Ectotron, and Optimus Prime—the latter having used his built-in nanochromatic camouflage to cover up his graffiti underneath a Ghostbusters-inspired livery—take stock of their current situation and gear up for their next ghostly encounter. Ray and Egon's analysis of the burnt-out ghost trap confirms that Starscream didn't just escape, however... the duplicitous Decepticon was released, as evidenced by the presence of a second PKE signature.

Ectotron wonders just who would free Starscream; Optimus, still humoring the group, suggests that it might be part of a larger gambit, in keeping with Starscream's naturally treacherous nature. Even though he's still skeptical about the existence of "ghosts," he admits, he trusts the word of his fellow Autobot. Optimus trades a few wisecracks with Peter Venkman, much to the human's surprise; the Autobot suggests that his new colour scheme may be having an influence on his personality. The conversation is cut short when Winston and Ray reveal the end result of their work: a pair of power-amplifying adapters designed to accommodate conventional Ghostbusters proton packs, allowing the Autobots to wield Cybertronian-sized versions of their traditional gear, though Ectotron's impulsive early test fire annihilates a nearby small aircraft. Peter naturally grumbles at the prospects of more repairs, but Egon cuts in, revealing that he's gotten a fix on Starscream's PKE signature.

Their mission clear, the team rolls out, pursuing Starscream's signal to the Grosbeak Generating Station in Queens. The plant is only evacuated after some copious wheel-greasing from Peter, but as a result, the Cybertronians can safely transform without attracting attention. As Egon confirms the presence of the second PKE signature, the one responsible for freeing Starscream, the sky darkens, thunder rumbles, and Starscream appears! Optimus, skeptical to the last, is momentarily shocked by the sight of the ghostly Starscream. The four Ghostbusters, on the other hand, are unfazed, and promptly restrain the Air Commander with their four proton beams. Everything seems to be going according to plan... until Starscream shrieks for his "master" to save him. On cue, a bolt of supernatural lightning disgorges the red-robed figure of Kremzeek the Scavenger, but despite Starscream's assurance that he's fulfilled Kremzeek's wishes in luring Optimus Prime to Earth, Kremzeek makes his displeasure known. Starscream has consistently failed in every task he's been given; the Decepticon ghost was supposed to bring the AllSpark to Kremzeek from its hiding place aboard the Ark, and has further angered his master by allowing the Ghostbusters and Autobots to kill one of his "children", and so, ignoring Starscream's pathetic pleas for mercy, the ghost announces that he must be punished for his many failures... and so Starscream's ghostly form is absorbed back into Kremzeek's electrically-charged body.

Confused, Winston asks what the AllSpark is; Ectotron explains that the device gives life to Transformers, and Kremzeek agrees. The ghost tells his side of the story: when Gozer invaded Cybertron a thousand years ago, Kremzeek "saved" Megatron and his inner retinue of Decepticons by changing them into ghosts, but only Starscream willingly pledged his services to their impromptu savior. Starscream was supposed to bring the AllSpark to Kremzeek, so that he could absorb its power, the way he did with the other Decepticons, become as strong as Gozer, and decide the fate of worlds... but the Ghostbusters aren't having it, and after taking the opportunity to diss on the would-be conqueror, the four men and their Autobot allies open fire, quickly ensnaring the monster with their combined proton beams. Kremzeek's electrical powers, however, allow him to burst free of his bonds, the shockwave almost knocking the heroes off their feet. Kremzeek has been weakened by overexertion, but he's still very much in the game... and when he kills Optimus Prime, he'll absorb him too, then learn the location of the AllSpark! Prime swears that that won't happen, and sends his foe flying with another mighty punch. Though Prime puts up a good fight, time is running out: Kremzeek quickly rebuilds his strength by leeching off the power plant generators. The other five members of the team quickly analyze their options, and Ray muses that it's a shame that they don't have the electricity-eating ghost they encountered last night on their side. That's when Ectotron-after rummaging through his inner compartments—produces the same trap! While Peter cuts the power, Ray opens the trap, and, just as he hoped, the energy-eater goes straight for the biggest, juiciest meal on the menu: Kremzeek. In a blinding explosion, the two electroplasmic beings cancel one another out, dispelling them both.

The day is seemingly saved... until a familiar voice cuts through the smoke: Megatron! The destruction of Kremzeek has freed him and his fellow Decepticon ghosts from the creature's control, and now the Decepticon leader is eager to reignite their long war on Earth. Prime tries to get his ancient foe to see reason... but Megatron insists that the only way that the war will end is if he destroys his ancient foe. As he hooks his new proton pack directly into his body, and produces an energon-axe that crackles with protonic power, Prime warns Megatron to back down, because he ain't afraid of no ghost!

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Ghostbusters	Others
Ectotron (1) Optimus Prime (4)	Starscream (7) Megatron (9) Soundwave (10) Shockwave (11)	Winston Zeddemore (2) Peter Venkman (3) Ray Stantz (5) Egon Spengler (6)	Kremzeek (8) "Killerwatt" (12)

Quotes

"Shame you can't, y'know, shrink."
"Actually, some of us can modify our size. There was a powerful Decepticon who could transform into a handheld weapon. I accidentally stepped on him once and set off a thousand years of war."
"Is that—really?"
"No, not really. But it certainly wouldn't have helped matters."
"...you're a funny guy, Prime."

— Peter is just as stunned as we are at Optimus Prime cracking jokes

"You can't do this to me! Not again!"
"Sure we can! I swear, you ghosts always seem so surprised that our gear works like it's supposed to..."

—Starscream vs. Ray

"Wow. When did they start making so many speeches?"
"I thought it was normal. Decepticons did it all the time."

—Ray and Optimus

"You left it in my vehicle form, Ray. Along with these empty traps, a canister of slime, and enough food crumbs to compose another meal. You four are disgusting."
"I'm not disgusting—I'm just focused."

—Ectotron and Egon

"I'm just tired of war, Megatron. But what I am not, as an old friend once said—is afraid of a ghost."

—Optimus Prime says it's on

Notes

Continuity notes

The issue opens in the Ghostbuster's auxiliary warehouse, located in the real-world neighborhood of Red Hook, Brooklyn. Another comics-original invention, this offsite holding facility is generally used to store the various "Ecto" vehicles used by the Ghostbusters in between their various adventures, and served as a training center during 2017's Ghostbusters 101 miniseries.
While testing his proton pack, Ectotron accidently blasts the unnamed miniature helicopter (though it's based on the Ecto-2 from the Real Ghostbusters cartoon) that's seen infrequent use throughout the comic continuity.
The Ghostbusters describe Kremzeek as a "jumped-up Class 5", this term has been used to describe inhuman, and sometimes mindless, manifestations—"Slimer" is one such ghost.
While weighing up their options, Ray rues the fact that they don't have a boson caster, a proton pack attachment invented by their one-time business rival, and current Chicago-based Ghostbuster, Ron Alexander.
Optimus quotes Grimlock from the prior issue, who noted that, as per the Ghostbusters theme song, he wasn't afraid of no ghosts.

Transformers references

Optimus Prime's new Ghostbusters-themed colour scheme is, of course, a reference to his concurrently-released Collaborative toy. The protonically-charged energon-axe that he wields here, however, while an iconic and well-remembered part of the cartoon iteration of the character despite only appearing once in "More than Meets the Eye, Part 2", did not appear with this version of the toy; it's a comic-original concept.
Several computer monitors in the warehouse display stills from the various G1 commercial bumpers that aired alongside the cartoon. Another computer readout in the Ghostbusters warehouse reads "HYPNO-CHIP CONTROL," alongside a copy of the hypno-chip infographic that appeared in "The Ultimate Doom, Part 2."
Kremzeek is surrounded by his "children"; these smaller Kremzeeks are coloured to resemble the various multi-hued Kremzeek copies that appeared in the episode "Kremzeek!", including orange and purple.
The real Kremzeek, known as "the Scavenger" in what's presumably a riff off Gozer's own appellation as "the Traveller", is revealed to be the architect behind the ghostly rebirth of Megatron and the other Decepticons. Unlike any of his other depictions, Kremzeek is portrayed with a far more humanoid frame, though the idea of recasting the wacky electrical pest as a more serious, supernatural menace is not a new one: issue #12 of Transformers vs. G.I. Joe did something similar, re-imagining the character as a gluttonous, obese "eater of souls" who dwelt in the realm that led to the Transformer afterlife.
Killerwatt's consumption of Kremzeek, and his subsequent explosion, is all rendered with a single, all-consuming "CHOOM" sound effect—a consistently popular onomatopoeia among Transformers authors to describe weaponsfire, usually Shockwave's, and other explosions.

Ghostbusters references

Parked just behind Ectotron in the warehouse is the "cage car," a toyline-original vehicle that originated in Playmobil's 2018 Real Ghostbusters line of playsets.
The autogyro Ectotron accidentally destroyed was the Ecto-2, a vehicle occasionally used specifically in the Real Ghostbusters cartoon.
Stickers on Ray's toolbox include a sticker that reads "WUGH," the radio station from the Real Ghostbusters episode "Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream." Right next to that toolbox is a box of Japanese candy, based on the real-world Mitsubishi Foods snack biscuits, which was released to promote the then-upcoming 2016 reboot.
Winston refers to the team's prior defeat of Gozer, as seen in the original Ghostbusters movie.
Among the many odds and ends Ectotron finds in his vehicle mode compartment includes a canister of mood slime, a plot device from Ghostbusters II.
Kremzeek's absorbing Starscream into his body, as well as the way he parts his cloak to suck Starscream in, is similar to Ghash the ghost-consuming poltergeist that appeared in the Real Ghostbusters episode "Slimer, Come Home".

Real-world references

Regarding Prime's new paint job, Peter pokes fun at the concept of an "Ecto-semi" and notes that all they need now are "cowboy hats and a Firebird", as per the protagonists of 1977's trucker comedy Smokey and the Bandit.
There is indeed a real power plant located in Long Island City, which matches up pretty closely to the fictional "Grosbeak Generating Station" that appears in this issue. Just like the real-world power plant, Grosbeak is owned and operated by the real-world Con Edison company, a company that appeared in both Ghostbusters films... and whose logo appearing in this issue might, in itself, be a sneaky Transformers reference (Con Edison, see?)
After defeating Kremzeek, Ray thanks Coulomb's Law for the mutual destruction of both Kremzeek and "Killerwatt." Egon points out that the law doesn't work that way, however, though Ray argues that it might be different for electrical ghosts... and, well, we can't argue with that, can we?

Covers (3)

Cover A: Slimer vs. the Decepticons, by Dan Schoening and Luis Antonio Delgado, part 4 of a 5-part composite cover
Cover B: Optimus, Ectotron, and the Ghostbusters fight various ghosts, by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
Retailer incentive cover: Blueprints for Ectotron, done in the style of several other "schematics" covers across the IDW Ghostbusters continuity, by Chris Panda