Transformers (2023) issue 24

Publisher	Image Comics; Skybound Entertainment
First published	September 10, 2025
Cover date	September 2025
Written by	Daniel Warren Johnson
Art by	Jorge Corona
Colors by	Mike Spicer
Letters by	Rus Wooton
Editor	Ben Abernathy
Continuity	Energon Universe

One shall stand. One shall fall.

Synopsis

Optimus Prime and Megatron clash in a furious exchange of unrelenting blows. Optimus affirms that even though he cares for the innocent, that won't stop him from giving Megatron the beating he deserves. However, Megatron quickly turns that around on him and begins targeting the civilians in the area, taunting Prime that he's never been able to make the hard choices that were necessary to save Cybertron. He whales on Prime all the while, rendering him nearly unconscious. Starscream congratulates the Decepticon leader on his victory, but Megatron is not yet finished. Megatron transforms into gun mode and orders Starscream to drop Optimus onto a set of antennae atop a skyscraper, impaling Prime and keeping him stationary as Megatron prepares his final lesson. Starscream then collects Spike, Carly, and Beachcomber and brings them before Optimus. Megatron presents his mortal enemy with an ultimatum: choose which he will execute, his human friends or the pure-hearted Autobot. Optimus refuses to play this sick game, but Megatron says that if he doesn't choose, he will simply kill them both! Beachcomber begs Optimus to choose him, but still Prime rejects the idea. Under the influence of Megatron, Starscream aims at Spike and Carly, ready to pull Megatron's trigger...

But he hesitates, as Omega Supreme glides silently overhead. Optimus and Starscream both look up in awe at the ancient Transformer, who looks down and waves at Starscream — just as he did millennia ago. Starscream, speechless, waves back. As Omega flies off, Megatron orders Starscream to obey his will. However, seeing Omega has reminded the Seeker of his true name: Ulchtar.

Turning Megatron's gun mode on himself, Ulchtar blasts himself in the head as Megatron cries out in fury and returns to robot mode. As Ulchtar's body falls to the ground below, Megatron turns his fusion cannon on Carly and Spike, who are saved by the timely intervention of Shredhead, who tells Carly — noticeably surprised to see her van is now a Transformer — that Cliffjumper says hello, before slicing through the antenna that pins Optimus in place. Megatron begs Optimus to stop, but the Autobot leader has lost any patience with his enemy, pulling the remaining antenna from his torso and using it to knock Megatron off the skyscraper. His body is caught by Devastator, and he orders the Decepticons to retreat.

Still reeling from the battle, Optimus holds Spike in his hands, relieved to see that the boy is okay. As Optimus, Spike, Carly, and Beachcomber collect themselves in the aftermath, Carly notices that the light in the Matrix of Leadership has returned, with Prime realizing that he has been cured of Megatron's infection. Carly remarks on how small the light is... but as Optimus looks over the dark and destroyed remnants of Chicago, he tells her that it is small, but still mighty.

Featured characters

Characters in italic text appear only in flashbacks.
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Humans	Others
Optimus Prime (2) Jazz (8) Trailbreaker (9) Wheeljack (10) Arcee (11) Ultra Magnus (12) Beachcomber (16) Shredhead (18)	Megatron (1) Laserbeak (3) Starscream (4) Soundwave (5) Bruticus (6) Devastator (7)	Carly (13) Spike Witwicky (14) Sparky Witwicky (19) Nurse (20)	Omega Supreme (17)

Quotes

"You think I am weak. But just because I care for the innocent... doesn't mean I can't beat you into submission!"

—Optimus Prime to Megatron

"If I beat you, their whole planet will be worse off won't it?!! But no! You can't make the hard choices! You can't lead this way! YOU CAN'T SAVE CYBERTRON THIS WAY!!!!"

—Megatron chastises Optimus Prime's concern for humans

"Who are you?"
"A new friend. Sent by an old friend."

—Optimus Prime meets Shredhead

Notes

Continuity notes

Bruticus is missing his left leg throughout this issue, apparently having been blown off. Brawl reappears in the next issue.
Omega Supreme was first seen in the flashback story in issue #13, the same story that revealed Starscream's origins as Ulchtar. How is he here on Earth? We'll just have to wait and find out. But it might have something to do with the signal being sent out from the shard of Cybertron on earth, mentioned by Megatron in issue #20.
Shredhead was sent to Earth by Cliffjumper in issue #22 to protect Carly.
The flashback of Sparky holding little baby Spike for the first time has been glimpsed before in the visions Optimus had after Sparky entered the Matrix.
The final line of the issue calls back to what Prime said to Sparky in issue #4.

Transformers references

Optimus drops a Furmanism after he is impaled by Megatron ("I cannot, I will not!").
Optimus pulls a Sears Tower spire out of his left side, evoking a similar action from his climatic battle with Megatron in The Transformers: The Movie.
Following up on the previous issue ending with a The Transformers: The Movie quote, Optimus delivers a “I thought you were made of sterner stuff” to a pleading Megatron.

Errors

On page 8, where Optimus is impaled, the three small rectangles on his thigh are colored yellow instead of white.
On page 14, where Starscream states his name, the triangle shape on his shoulder thing is painted like the background as opposed to red.
Ultra Magnus’s antennas are once again colored blue in this issue.

Other notes

Prime’s trailer appears out of thin air when he transforms.
Energon Experience: Presented by Skybound Brand VP Arune Singh.
- Character Spotlight: Beachcomber.
- You've Got The Touch: Spotlight on the F cover homaging The Transformers: The Movie (see below).
- Creator Q&A: Arune asks Sean Mackiewicz what his favorite memory from Daniel Warren Johnson's run was. Sean shares that he visited Johnson's home before San Diego Comic-Con 2023 and was blown away seeing the physical copies of the pages Johnson drew for the first issue of the series.

Covers (17)

Cover A: Optimus stands over a defeated Megatron, by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer.
Cover B: Megatron stands over a beaten Optimus Prime, by Jorge Corona & Mike Spicer.
Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive): Connecting variant by David Nakayama.
Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive): Optimus Prime versus Megatron, by Jeff Spokes.
Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive): Optimus in truck mode drives over a chalk drawing of his own face, by Simon Parr.
Cover F: Wraparound variant of Optimus transforming and leaping into the air to fire his ion blaster at Megatron in an homage to his famous intro in The Transformers: The Movie, by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer.
Second Printing Cover A: by Jason Howard.
Second Printing Cover B: by Jason Howard.
TopShelfComic New York Comic Con 2025 Cover: by Vlad Legostaev. Limited to 200 copies.
East Coast Comics Cover: by Sukesha Ray. Limited to 750 copies.
ATComicShop Cover A: by Alan Quah.
ATComicShop Cover B: Foil virgin variant.
The 616 Comics Cover A: by Björn Barends. Limited to 750 copies.
The 616 Comics Cover B: Foil virgin variant. Limited to 750 copies.
Comic Grail Vault Singapore Comic Con 2025 Cover: by Warrick Wong. Limited to 500 copies.