The Frail Gaze

« The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #42 »
"The Frail Gaze"
Publisher	IDW Publishing
First published	June 24, 2015
Cover date	June 2015
Written by	James Roberts
Art by	Alex Milne
Colors by	Joana Lafuente
Letters by	Tom B. Long
Editor	John Barber
Continuity	2005 IDW continuity
Chronology	Current era (2015)

Boxed in by mysterious parasitic creatures, the least-charismatic members of the Lost Light and Vis Vitalis crews fight for survival against a very unusual enemy.

Synopsis

Nautica lets off some steam by convincing Skids to dance with her, surprising the super-learner with her skill and grace. As they twirl, Nautica explains her complicated relationship with Firestar; already looked down upon and labelled "Naughty" for her lack of interest in the performing arts, Nautica essentially befriended the egotistical Firestar out of necessity, as the stricter tenets of Camien religion would have resulted in her total ostracization if she did not have an Amica Endura before she was ten megacycles old. Worse yet, she can't "split up" with Firestar, because to do so is the ultimate affront one can commit in Camien culture. The exhausted Skids sits down to rest, but suddenly finds himself on the verge of passing out—as hideous, barnacled creates abruptly appear out of nowhere! With Skids too weak to fight and Nautica lacking the skill, the pair are soon buried under a pile of alien bodies...

In the morgue, Nightbeat and Getaway are also trying to fight off the creatures, which Nightbeat deduces are using a perception-based form of cloaking that ceased functioning when the pair discovered their spores incubating on Countdown. They are saved by a missile volley courtesy of Ravage—his attention deflectors now functioning properly again after the creatures revealed themselves—and the trio beat a quick retreat.

In the medibay, Minimus Ambus, First Aid, and Velocity come under attack from the horrors, one of which emerged from within Thunderclash's trailer. Firestar and Skystriker arrive in response to the noise, but Skystriker is immediately torn to shreds by the creatures. In an act of supreme heroism, Thunderclash transforms to hold their attackers off, giving everyone the chance to escape the room—though Velocity observes the monsters shudder at the sight of Thunderclash even as they flee...

Back on the dancefloor, Nautica claws her way free long enough to shove her fist into a nearby recharge socket, electrocuting the creatures piled on top of them with the current. They are soon joined by the groups from the morgue and medibay and barricade themselves in; Nautica has time for a happy reunion with Velocity, which results in the truth coming out about Firestar—she was lying about being Thunderclash's first officer in order to show off, and furthermore, it was the Vis Vitalis which rescued her ship, rather than the other way around, after its pilot Vertex suddenly died. Scanning the crew for spores, Nightbeat finds them on only Skids and Getaway, prompting him to realize that the beasts are "personality ticks", parasites that feed on charisma, inadvertently picked up by Firestar's crew during a stopover on Marasma. The ticks latched onto Vertex (a celebrated actor) and drained her dry, then moved onto Thunderclash, with one of their number even revealing itself long enough to heal his old war wound so they could continue feeding on him. Just as Velocity is recounting the momentary aversion to Thunderclash she saw the ticks display, and Nightbeat is using the information to formulate a solution, the door gives way and the creatures come pouring into the room. Nautica tries to force them back by hurling the vials of donated innermost energon at them, to no effect... but then, suddenly, the ticks all keel over, as a bemused Rodimus and Megatron enter the room!

A little later, back on the Lost Light, Nightbeat explains to Magnus that the deceased ticks had literally overdosed on Rodimus and Megatron's combined charisma, an extreme extension of their aversion to Thunderclash's moment of heroism Velocity had witnessed. Nightbeat is puzzled about one thing, though: he hadn't had time to call in Rodimus and Megatron after making his deduction, so how had they known to come? Ultra Magnus explains that, actually, three other crewmembers named Skater, Flex, and Borer had called them—they had figured everything out first, and just weren't so gosh-darned showy about it. Thunderclash, meanwhile, is receiving treatment and well on his way to full health, and although the map to Cyberutopia was destroyed in the chaos, Thunderclash will now no longer have to rely upon the Vis Vitalis for life-support and can join the Lost Light on their quest. Firestar's group are going to take the Vis Vitalis for themselves and return to Caminus; Nautica tries to persuade her to stay, but the experience has rattled Firestar, and moreover, has made her realize that Nautica surpassed her a long time ago. Firestar proposes that they sever their platonic lifebond, but Nautica refuses, telling her they are "different, but good."

Later still, the crew celebrate the successes of the day with an "indie disco" thrown at Swerve's. During the party, Tailgate cues up "The Power of Love" in an attempt to get Cyclonus to dance with him, but Cyclonus hesitates too long, and when he finally moves towards the dancefloor, Tailgate is already dancing with Getaway. Elsewhere amid the dancers, Nautica gets a nice surprise when Velocity appears, having been encouraged to stay by Firestar. Yep, all seems well to Swerve's eyes, and he wryly remarks that "his work here is done"... after which, he suddenly vanishes!

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"I thought you said you couldn't dance!"
"Did I say that?"
"You did. You used false modesty to lure me into a sympathy trap."

—Skids and Nautica

"I have an Amica Endura—Firestar."
"With the flame—oh yeah, saw you talking to him."
"Her."
"Sorry. Force of habit."

—Nautica and Skids

"Any chance to teaching me to fight in the next five seconds? Otherwise, all I've got to throw at them is a selection of scathing literary quotations..."

—Nautica, to Skids

"I've rattled around long enough to have learned one thing: the universe is cold, and cruel, and violent—but only if you choose to look at it that way. For every act of aggression there are a thousand acts of kindness. For every hateful word, a million declarations of love. The good always outweighs the bad."

—Thunderclash

"Wonderful! They're still attacking us, but now they're on fire!"

—Velocity

"I've been thinking, and... maybe we should end it."
"End it? Platonic Severance? Why?"
"Fire and water—we're a bad mix. I used to think it was a case of waiting for you to catch up with me, but your life now... all the things you do... fighting monsters..."
"But if you reject me you'll be pilloried!"
"?"
"Stigmatized. Lambasted. Looked down on!"
"I know. Why is which I should do it and not you. I haven't been the best of friends..."
"No. I won't let you. I'm not having it. We're good. We're different, but—but that's good. I say we keep going."
(hug)
"Okay, but just so you know... you were on fire today."

—Firestar and Nautica

"—and then whomp! I made them all collapse just by turning up! Just. By turning. Up."
"Yes. Yes, I was there."

—Rodimus and Ultra Magnus

"So, Megatron or Soundwave?"
"What? What kind of a question—"
"If you had to choose. If."
"What is this, a suicide attempt?"
"I'm sensing Megatron."
"I didn't say that."

—Riptide and Ravage

Notes

Continuity notes

• Nautica made a passing reference to the fact she had never been one for the performing arts back in issue #32.
• Nautica's inability to deal with compliments was seen before in issue #31.
• Firestar and Nautica talked last issue about the fact Firestar's flame had changed color since Nautica had last seen her; this issue, we learn that that is because she is fuelling it with "Black Diamond", a rare combustible found only on Marasma, which is what helps Nightbeat deduce the personality ticks' origins.
• Foreshadowing their eleventh-hour save in this issue, Borer and Skater were hidden in the crowd last month. Did you spot 'em? A generic green robot also popped up during the disco who might have been supposed to be Flex, but none of the visible details match.
• Tailgate mutters under his breath that he always embarrasses Cyclonus, referencing Getaway's lies that Cyclonus has been talking behind his back during issue #40.

Transformers references

• On his recap page, Swerve refers to the personality ticks as "space barnacle things".
• Skater was a generic Autobot who popped up in "Target: 2006" back in the UK Marvel comic. He was green there, but he's the red guy here. Magnus notes that he turns into a hydrofoil.
• One of the real-world bands whose music is featured in the ending is called Primal Scream.

Real-life references

• The title of the story is a pun on the concept of the "male gaze."
• As they dance, Skids remarks that Nautica is "teaching him a thing or two, whether he likes it or not," and she replies "That's an involuntary learner joke, and I claim my five shanix". This refers to an old promotion carried out by newspapers and other British media which dates back to the 1920s, in which a representative would be sent to a particular spot somewhere in the country, giving audience members the opportunity to win five pounds if they successfully located and identified them, approaching them with the phrase "You are [blank] and I claim my five pounds".
• The planet Marasma is likely named for the medical condition Marasmus, a form of severe malnutrition characterized by lack of energy.
• The concept of an alien creature that feeds on personality traits was explored in the Red Dwarf episodes Polymorph and Emohawk. Many ideas and quotations from that show appear in More Than Meets The Eye but this one seems a particularly notable correlation.
• In addition to the tunes on this issue's soundtrack and "The Power of Love", songs which play at Swerve's disco include "What Presence?!" by Orange Juice, "The Party Line" by Belle and Sebastian, "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" by Saint Etienne, and "Let's Make This Precious" by Dexys Midnight Runners.
• Swerve's vanishing act at the end of the issue is an homage to Quantum Leap, in which protagonist Sam Beckett would "leap" throughout time, moving on when he completed a task. The bartender even rattles off Beckett's "oh boy" catchphrase (although this was traditionally a reaction to arriving in a new time). Foreshadowing this, Swerve was seen watching Quantum Leap last issue.

Errors

• The Camien religion is called the "Way of the Flame" this issue, but was just the "Way of Flame" (no "the") when it was first mentioned in Windblade #1.
• Skids talks about a 'bot named Chopper (see "Other trivia," below). Chopper is called a "Helibut", which is a typo for a Helibot subgroup.^[1]
• When the personality ticks appear in front of them, First Aid thinks they have all emerged from Thunderclash's trailer. Minimus corrects him by pointing out that only "the blue one" was inside the trailer... except all the ticks are blue.
• Like last issue, a reference to a Camien called (and colored as) "Skystalker" gets changed to "Skystriker" for the trade paperback. Which was the correct name? Who cares! SLETCH!
  • On that same panel, Skystriker's face is miscolored the same gray as his chest. It should be a warm yellow.
• Excessively pedantic, but Skids' "honky dory" should be "hunky dory".

Crew Manifest

• Thunderclash and Velocity join the crew of the Lost Light.

Other trivia

• This issue was accidentally released a day early on IDW's digital comics app.
• Swerve's recap, absent since issue #33, is two pages in length this issue! This will turn out to be important for the very next issue.
• Skids mentions that he once had an Amica Endura named Chopper, but split up with him because he was "an absolute arse."
• We learn more about Caminus and its religion, the Way of Flame in this issue. Socially, the performing arts carry great cachet on the planet, and those who do not at least try their hand at them are "frowned upon". Further, the Way of Flame stipulates that one must have an Amica Endura within ten megacycles of their creation, or they will be utterly shunned. Two people become Amica Endura through recitation of the Act of Constancy, and to split up such a bond is known as the Platonic Severance, but it is considered the worst thing one 'bot can do to another, and represents a failure on the part of the instigator to try harder at the friendship.
• Proxima, who was mentioned last issue, and Roadmaster, who only showed up on last issue's cover, both appear in-story this issue.
• A "deleted scene" for this issue would have had Minimus Ambus perform what could only be described as a striptease using the Magnus Armor to the Bee Gee's "Stayin' Alive". Tragically, the scene was cut because it would be completely out of character for Minimus Ambus.^[2]
• A number of fans liked 'Season 2' of More than Meets the Eye less than the first; this two-parter in general and this issue in particular have been particularly criticised for being meandering and indulging in Roberts' tropes too much. The dance, with its references to indie music, got a dinging for this. In a discussion of issue 50, Roberts acknowledged some people felt the comic had been meandering throughout the 40s.^[3]

Soundtrack

• "She's Hearing Voices" by Bloc Party^[4]
• "Light Pours Out Of Me" by Magazine^[5]
• "Velocity Girl" by Primal Scream^[6]
• "How Soon Is Now" by The Smiths^[7]

Foreign Localization

Swedish:

• Title: "Den bräckliga blicken" ("The Fragile Gaze")

Covers (4)

• Regular cover: Ravage raises his hackles at an unseen enemy, in front of the fallen Nightbeat, by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
• Subscription cover: Nautica boogies at the centre of a Lost Light dance party, by Nick Roche and Josh Burcham
• Retailer incentive cover: The Lost Light crew gather for a celebration with drinks and fireworks, by Naoto Tsushima and Yamaishi
• Convention cover: Combiner Hunters Chromia (with the Lost Light in the background for relevance), by Sara Pitre-Durocher, available exclusively from IDW at San Diego Comic-Con 2015.

• 

  Ravage, if you don't give him back his wallet, you're going to be a sorry little kitty!

• 

  This is my melody and it's just a ravers' fantasy...

• 

  Please tell me we didn't give all the fireworks to Whirl.

• 

  Chromia's here to chop down Swerve's recap page and kick ass, and she's... Well, she's gonna do both, probably.

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• More than Meets the Eye #43
• The Transformers #42
• Windblade #4
• Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #7
• IDW Jem and the Holograms comic
• IDW Donald Duck comic
• Monster Motors trade paperback (back cover)

Reprints

• The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 8 (October 21, 2015) ISBN 1631404520 / ISBN 978-1631404528
  • Collects More than Meets the Eye issues #39–44.
  • Bonus material includes covers of each issue.
  • Trade paperback format.

• Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 63: Elegant Chaos (June 12, 2019)
  • Collects More than Meets the Eye issues #35–42.
  • Bonus material includes a cover gallery and a forward by Simon Furman.
  • Hardcover format.

• The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 9 (June 19, 2019) ISBN 1684054842 / ISBN 978-1684054848
  • Collects The Transformers (2012) issues #39–41, #42 & #43, Windblade (2015) issues #1–3 & #4–5, and More than Meets the Eye issues #41–44.
  • Hardcover format.

• Transformers: Några av mina bästa vänner är Autoboter (November, 2025)
  • Collects More than Meets the Eye issues #39 & #41-46, Drift: Empire of Stone issues #1-4 and the Revolution one-shot.
  • Swedish reprint. Hardcover format.

• 

  More Than Meets the Eye Volume 8 – cover art by Alex Milne and Josh Perez

• 

  The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 63: Elegant Chaos – cover art by Don Figueroa (Trailbreaker) and Alex Milne (retro)

• 

  The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 9 – cover art by Marcelo Matere

• 

  Några av mina bästa vänner är Autoboter – cover art by Alex Milne and Josh Perez

References

External links

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