(Massive great big spoilers below.)
Kathryn
I just finished reading Lost Light 24.
AAAAAAAAAAAAA.
Elizabeth
RIGHT??
Kathryn
HOW MANY DID WE LOSE?
Elizabeth
I DON’T KNOW!
(Last warning on the spoilers!)
Elizabeth
Whirl for sure AAAAAAA.

Kathryn
And Rung!
I panicked for a bit and thought we’d lost Brainstorm and Ultra Magnus (sorry, Minimus Ambus, who was blown through BOTH sets of armor).
But I did a re-read, and they’re both fine.
Elizabeth
*sigh of relief*

Kathryn
Whirl however…
Elizabeth
Aw, Team Whirl.
Kathryn
And also, HOW DID THAT HAPPEN.
By “THAT” I mean “liking Whirl.”
Elizabeth
Props to James Roberts, man.
Not only did I like him, he became one of my favorites.
Kathryn
When he was introduced in the first issue of MTMTE, I thought Whirl was the most annoying hateful character ever.
Damn it, Roberts, how dare you make me like him and then kill him off.
Elizabeth
To be honest, I think my dislike of him only lasted three issues.
And way to give him an AMAZING death.
Kathryn
I think I really started to like him around the end of the Tyrest storyline.
Elizabeth
His snark levels were always off the charts.
Kathryn
He was the one who suggested how Cyclonus could save Tailgate, but it was that conversation about how he didn’t WANT to have his face and hands fixed that really nailed it for me.
Elizabeth
Oh absolutely.
Kathryn
Okay, to start this recap back at the beginning…
Elizabeth
Can I just say before we begin that the TFWiki is a godsend forever and ever amen.
Kathryn
HEAR HEAR!
I don’t think I even knew what had happened when two of the first Cybertronians in the last issue disappeared in a puff of dust until I read the TF Wiki explanation.
Inert Sentio Metallico.
Do you remember where that was explained in an actual issue?
Elizabeth
Nope, I knew Rung was gone and I thought it was just creating twelve Matrices one after the other just shaved pieces off himself little by little until the cabin was covered in dust and there was nothing left of him. I have no memory of that happening in the comic
So, your opinion: is Whirl ACTUALLY dead?
Kathryn
Boy I don’t want him to be. But…if he didn’t die then literally none of the main characters other than Rung died.
Storywise I feel like they would have missed an opportunity.
Character-wise, I want Whirl up and about and delivering snark in the last issue.
Elizabeth
I assumed he was dead, but Lug was resurrected from a flower and Tailgate from, I don’t know, a dream, so Roberts doesn’t usually kill main characters.
Kathryn
When Rung was sitting at his desk (and boy, I just knew he wasn’t going to make it when he deleted all his patient files), did his memory of Skids have any particular significance?
Elizabeth
I think it was the very first time he met him, but other than that I don’t know. What exactly was Skids’ significance to him in general, other than a patient and a friend?
Kathryn
First patient and first friend aboard ship?
Elizabeth
I’ll accept that.
Kathryn
Seeing him reduced to dust across the cabin was sad, but seeing his goggles lying on the window sill just killed me.
Elizabeth
I KNOW!
Ooo, wiki just reminded me that not only was that when Skids met him, Skids actually saved him from the sparkeater. I think by deleting his file Rung wanted to even things up.
Kathryn
Good point, not a lot of people knew Skids’s secret (that he was manipulated into creating the means to execute his fellow prisoners in the Decepticon prisoner of war camp.)
Elizabeth
I’m sure Rung knew it was his last act, do you suppose anybody else knew?
Kathryn
Chromedome, maybe.
Elizabeth
He and Rewind looked pretty broken up waiting outside the door, they suspected at least.

Kathryn
And I guess by “forgive” themselves, well, their history was pretty tangled.
Elizabeth
True.
Speaking of suspected but maybe not knew..when did Brainstorm and Nautica become a thing?
Kathryn
They’ve been best friends for ages. I think Nautica almost didn’t forgive him for being a Decepticon agent.
But then we saw them reconciling in Swerve’s bar, when Brainstorm adjusted her wrench to say something.
“Brainstorm is a gigantic jerk”, or something like that.
(Sorry, that was “Brainstorm is an ass!”)
Elizabeth
Hee
Man, that image of the two of them right after she’s opened her Matrix….beautiful stuff.
And speaking of cool images, Luna 1 whanging the giant Cybertron-Primus on the back of the head.
OH, and how about the MASSIVE Dratchetbaiting!

Kathryn
So many lovely couples
Rewind and Chromedome
Nautica and Brainstorm
LUG AND ANODE
(Seriously, I love the hell out of that ship.)
And as far as gorgeous pictures, that shot of Rodimus when Megatron told him to tell his crew what they needed to hear.
Flat-out stunning picture of Rodimus there.
Elizabeth
Yes!
Related note: so Megatron couldn’t open the Matrix because in his heart of hearts he still doesn’t believe he’s worthy?
Kathryn
That’s how I read it.
Elizabeth
Wiki seems to agree. That infinite field of flowers…
Kathryn
Remember, he still has a trial to attend. And Megatron was really only stalling I think when he manipulated the court into delaying his trial.
They FOUND the Knights of Cybertron.
Elizabeth
I wonder if that’s part of the “not yet” from Swerve at the end.
Kathryn
Oo, quick question that could lead to a long list; how many items can you name from the cover of the next issue?
Elizabeth
Whew, okay one sec..
Kathryn
Brainstorm’s briefcase, obviously.
Rung’s goggles (plus one of the crystals he could make)
Elizabeth
Tray of drinks from Swerve’s bar
Kathryn
Plus Swerve’s “Little Bot’s First Blaster” that Brainstorm made for him.
Because Swerve accidentally blew off Rung’s head.
Elizabeth
Heh
“Towards Peace” (that was Megatron’s book wasn’t it?
Kathryn
I think so,
Nautica’s wrench!
Is that flower a Sparkflower?
Elizabeth
I think so!
One of those little Rodimus awards he used to hand out (covered over by the logo at the bottom.)
Kathryn
Ha! I missed the Rodimus award.
Elizabeth
Hee
Kathryn
Drift’s sword.
Elizabeth
Half a Matrix.
Kathryn
Ultra Magnus’s nameplate from his desk.
Elizabeth
I was JUST typing that.
What’s the thing that looks like a little flashlight on a chain?
Kathryn
Not a clue, I was hoping you knew what that one was.
Also the keys. Are those the keys to the ship?
Elizabeth
I think so, or the keys to the RodPod.
The torn insignia, Tailgate or Megatron? Neither?
Kathryn
Not at all sure.
I think the coiled thing is the Sparkeater’s tail.
Elizabeth
Agreed. Are the multi colored crystal thingees from the Holiday Special?
Kathryn
Pretty sure that’s it.
Elizabeth
The thing to the right of it, I thought it was a communicator but it almost looks like a hoverboard.
Kathryn
And I’m sure the bottle is something from Swerve’s bar. “Fortean’s Old….” something.
Elizabeth
I wondered, I thought the last word looked like “Fuel.”
Also, did Nightbeat have a magnifying glass? I want to say he did.
Kathryn
Oh I forgot about Nightbeat. If any Transformer would have one it would be him.
Elizabeth
Except I have a memory of Nautica looking through one too.

Kathryn
I think she uses her wrench to examine things.
Elizabeth
That thing to the right of the Sparkeater tail has got to be the shaker you always see Swerve with.
Kathryn
Okay, enough digression, how cool was it that Swerve and Misfire opened a Matrix together?!
It’s the pairing we didn’t know we needed.
Elizabeth
Yes!
Because of their recaps!
I need the Swerve and Misfire recap spinoff and I need it now.
And I loved the quick bit with Misfire and Krok:
“I’ve done good things.”
“You done bad things, too.”
“Oh, God, loads.”
Man, that speech of Rodimus’, especially with everyone blowing up all over the place.
Kathryn
And how Rodimus introduced himself as “Co-captain.”
Elizabeth
awww
Kathryn
He’s come a long way since Megatron first joined the ship.
Elizabeth
So’s Megatron.
Kathryn
And I can’t sing TFWiki’s praises enough, I didn’t quite understand everything about the “Don’t Forget Me” showing up on Luna 1.
Turns out that was the hotspot that flared to life back during the Tyrest storyline.
Rodimus thought he was the one who set it off, but it was TFWiki that pointed out that RUNG set foot on Luna 1 at the same time that Rodimus did.
Elizabeth
TFWiki ALWAYS picks up what Roberts is puttin’ down.
Kathryn
Every. Time.
Elizabeth
Hee, I believe TFWiki’s guess that the line about “an archivist, a retired mnemosurgeon, a gunsmith, an archaeologist, a waste disposal expert,” is like the line in the Breakfast Club, which starred Judd Nelson, who voiced Rodimus, and the final song of the Breakfast Club was “Don’t You Forget About Me.”
*brain exploded*
Kathryn
That has got to be planned, I won’t accept any other explanation.
Elizabeth
Ditto.
(EDITED to add – James Roberts emphatically denies that this was planned.)
Kathryn
And that whole bit about no one being able to remember Rung’s name.
Planned from the very. First. Issue.
Right down to his serial number.
Elizabeth
Yes! Other comics and TV shows I’d say they bent the story to fit the facts, but if it’s Roberts I’m saying this whole story was spelled out to the last digit from page one.

That Dratchetbaiting was pretty blatant. Right down to the wire and they’re STILL not going to come out and say it.

Kathryn
The ultimate mystic and the ultimate skeptic. TOTALLY CANON PAIRING.
Elizabeth 
Kathryn
So sweet. Starscream and Skyfire will always be my favorite slash pairing (at least for fan art), but Dratchet comes pretty damn close.
Elizabeth
Hee
I just paged back through the issue and Cahill and Lafuente did just a jawdroppingly good job all throughout, especially with SO MUCH GOING ON.

Kathryn
Those battle scenes, damn.
Elizabeth
So many bots to draw!
And seriously, I’d love to have that picture of Nautica and Brainstorm on my wall, the one right after she opened the Matrix.
Kathryn
Every single face I think was drawn EXACTLY the way I wanted to see it.
Elizabeth
Yes!
So neat that he got to do an issue right before the end. I’d say Alex Milne needed to do one too but damn, he’s got his hands full with Unicron.
Which reminds me: now you see why I didn’t want to spoil anything when you asked if Rodimus’ crew knew about Unicron yet. Answer: NOPE.
Kathryn
Yeah that’s…odd. I’m not necessarily complaining (God knows we didn’t need ANOTHER complicated storyline tacked onto this one), but still.
Elizabeth
I’m wondering if they’ll even find out in the last issue.
Are you caught up on Unicron?
Kathryn
…yes?
Elizabeth
What’s the last thing you remember happening in Unicron, just to be safe?
Kathryn
Erm, can’t remember, that whole story is going by in a blur.
Elizabeth
Anything about the Talisman? Being teleported to Earth?
Kathryn
I remember Blurr being killed after saving a BUNCH of people.
And Elita One dying.
Elizabeth
Oh yes.
I’m sure Blurr was what Milne meant when he tweeted that he’d just drawn someone going out like a hero.
Kathryn
Aww, and Arcee punching out Starscream.
Elizabeth
Hee
So (SPOILERS) you already know the Cybertron of OUR Universe is destroyed?
Kathryn
Yep.
Earth in the crosshairs.
And we have TWO more issues of Unicron left?
Elizabeth
Yep.
Two more Optimus Prime issues too.
BUT, now that they’ve opened the 12 Matrices, don’t we have a whole new Cybertron?
Kathryn
…
…
I, honestly hadn’t thought about that.
Elizabeth
And the Functionist council is destroyed, right?
Kathryn
Definitely.
So now we just need to figure out how to stop Unicron from eating everyone, and we’ll be set!
Elizabeth
Especially since (correct me if I’m wrong) the Functionist Universe was pretty horrible, except they DIDN’T have a four million year war?
Kathryn
So the planet should be fairly pristine.
Getting knocked around during a battle as a giant transformed Primus notwithstanding.
Elizabeth
So we’ve got a Cybertron going spare and a formerly Functionist Universe that might improve without the, you know, Functionists.
Could the plan be to pack everybody (planet included) over to the new universe next door and let them live their happily ever afters?
Kathryn
Works for me.
