War erupts on Cybertron in IDW's new limited series, 'Transformers: Escape'

It seems like the planet Cybertron has always existed in a perpetual state of war, with Autobots and Decepticons battling it out over control of their chaotic homeworld and its drained supply of Energon, that glowing gold ore which sustains the sentient machines. Through numerous timelines and continuities in comics, video games, animated series, and feature films, this turbulent theme remains constant in Transformers lore.

Now a new limited series from IDW Publishing leaps into the fray with Transformers: Escape, a five-issue series written by Brian Ruckley (The Godless World Trilogy) and injected with spirited artwork by illustrator Bethany McGuire-Smith (Transformers: Galaxies) and colorist Josh Perez — and SYFY WIRE has an extended look at the premiere issue, arriving in comic shops Dec. 30.

Credit: IDW Publishing

"From the launch in 2019, the Transformers universe that's unfolded in the ongoing series and in Transformers: Galaxies has been about showing Cybertronians from exciting new perspectives," series editor David Mariotte said in a statement. "That's why we're thrilled to have Brian Ruckley and Beth McGuire-Smith reuniting to dig into the lives of faces both new and familiar as war breaks out and how they respond to the other inhabitants of Cybertron."

Reuniting again after working together in the main series, Ruckley and McGuire-Smith's Escape plotline sees world war spilling out into the streets of Cybertron. When the mechanized planet descends into a state of civil war, multitudes of Cybertronians unaffiliated with the Autobots or Decepticons are unfortunately caught in the crossfire.

However, a brilliant solution might be forthcoming, with Wheeljack, Hound, and many of Cybertron’s greatest and most infamous scientists yearning to reactivate the Ark program and evacuate the planet with an armada of massive spaceships. With a savage conflict brewing, will their efforts be enough to flee their homeworld?

"Escape's a cocktail of what I love most about Transformers, with some of my favorite characters and a few surprise guest stars caught up in a pretty epic escalation," Ruckley said. "I've always thought it would be a pretty terrifying, bewildering experience for aliens — non-Cybertronians — to be caught between warring factions of big transforming robots. We're exploring the question: Who are the most dangerous Cybertronians of all?"

Credit: IDW Publishing

Artist McGuire-Smith admits to being thrilled with working on this awesome new chapter in the Transformers saga and contributing to the franchise's legacy.

"From the perspective of Hound and Wheeljack, we will see what matters most when so many lives are on the line… and whom they can really trust as multiple threats rise," she noted.

Now roll out our exclusive peek at the debut issue for IDW's Transformers: Escape #1 in the full gallery below, featuring variant covers by Winston Chan, Sara Pitre-Durocher, and Alex Milne.