As one door closes, another door opens.

Synopsis

There is not one universe, but many, in a multiverse. Millions of universe orbiting around one another...and in the center on oneCybertron isAxiom Nexus, a city home to the super-advancedTransTech. They were once stewards of the multiverse...but they are no longer its protectors, with theShroud cutting them off from the rest of the multiverse. But, with their door having been closed, another one now opens...

Rhinox shuts down the last of the monitors observing the multiverse, sorrowfully noting that after millions of years, they're no longer able to show them much of anything. AsHeinrad andThrustinator warp off to parts unknown, Rhinox presses one last button, and says goodbye...

...And on the flipside, in a negative-polarity universe with an Axiom Nexus of its own,Airazor andRhinox succeed in opening a window in the multiverse for the first time, proving their theories. Rhinox vows to observe this multiverse first hand, refusing to limit himself to simple monitor duty. The two are interrupted, however, when High ChancellorMegatron, wary of Rhinox's ambition, enters the room. Airazor explains to the High Chancellor how, before, they believe they were the only universe in existence, but now they have undeniable proof; some sort of veil has lifted them, showing them many worlds to...explore. Astonished by the multiverse's beauty, Megatron tells them to begin recording these universes...

...and in one of these, the heroic DecepticonStarscream reports to his leader,Megatron, thatNightbird is no Autobot plaything, but a robot invented byDoctor Fujiyama the Infamous Scientist to steal theWorld Energy Chip the Decepticons were entrusted with. Megatron consults withMr. Xamot, who assures Megatron that America's highly-trained, special mission force,Cobra, will be there to help the Decepticon against the Autobots and anyone else who threatens Earth!

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

Notes

• Characters mentioned include:Doctor Fujiyama the Infamous Scientist, Lt.Cisarovna, and GeneralKessler.

Continuity notes

• The TransTech were cut off from the multiverse whenNexus Prime strengthened the multiversal walls with theStar Saber and theTerminus Blade in "Out of the One, Many", resulting in the Shroud. The effects were seen in the variousTransTech Facebook pages posted through the latter quarter of 2015 and the first half of 2016. BothRook - Axiom Nexus News: Investigative Journalist andAndromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter noted thatTransTechMegatron did manage to open a hole back into the multiverse-but only powerful enough for limited observation, and as such, Rhinox shuts down the screens. This story happens concurrently with posts on theRook andAndromeda pages on the last day of 2016, where a confusedWaspinator, believing that the monitors going black meant that the universes were being destroyed, reported it to the infonet, causing mass panic.
• Heinrad and Thrustinator are seen heading off; Thrustinator was mentioned as meeting with theSpy Changers ofPrimax 085.0 Eta to inform them of theirMegatron's alliance withCy-Kill andMagmar, as seen inTransformers: Renegade Rhetoric, presumably placing that after this story. Evidently, Thrustinator still has access to the multiverse.
• The existence of a "Shattered Multiverse" was hinted at in "Coalescence".

Transformers references

• The text box recounting the origins of the TransTech is done in homage to the text box published at the top of the first page of every issue of Marvel'sThe Transformers comic.
• Shattered Glass TransTech Airazor is based directly onunused 1996 concept art for an unknown character from an unknown line, uncovered by Fun Publications staff.Shattered Glass TransTech Rhinox shares his body with his positive-universe counterpart, but in the colors ofArmadaRhinox. Megatron, too, shares his positive-universecounterpart's body, but in the colors of an alternate red-and-white color scheme seen on theTranstech Megatron concept art, rather that the green and red color scheme that was chosen to be used forTransTech Megatron's appearances.
• Shattered Glass TransTech Megatron is the High Chancellor of Cybertron; in the positiveTransTech universe,Optimus Prime is High Chancellor, with Megatron serving as High Commander.
• The worlds displayed in the holograms are allShattered Glass versions of main continuities, alongside the originalShattered Glass universe. Accompanying them are identifiers that resemble truncated versions of the familiaruniversal stream designations. They're formatted as "Cybertron -[x]" with the first letter of the cluster name, the first letter of the universe type (described with a Greek letter), and the year component of the numerical part. These universes include:
  • "Cybertron -MA07": theShattered Glass Animated universe featuringShattered Glass Animated Bumblebee, who first appeared with several other characters on theBotCon 2011 lithograph "The 'Cons" before going on to appear in various other pieces of ancillary media, based on concepts forTransformers Animated season 4. Notably, rather than using the numbers from the universal stream given to it previously—Malgus -411.27 Zeta—it's based on the positive universe's numerical designation,Malgus 1207.26 Alpha.
  • "Cybertron -AA02": aShattered Glass version of the "Unicron Trilogy" cartoons:Transformers: Armada,Transformers: Energon, andTransformers: Cybertron. An image of aShattered Glass version ofCybertronOptimus Prime illustrates it, based on his positive universecounterpart in the colors of the originalShattered GlassOptimus Prime.
  • "Cybertron -PG05": aShattered Glass version the 2005 IDW comics continuity. Illustrating the universe is aShattered Glass version of IDWRodimus in the originalShattered GlassRodimus colors—though without a goatee.
  • "Cybertron -PE08": the originalShattered Glass universe. Cyclonus and Tailgate illustrate the image, in homage to their positive-universe counterparts' relationship in the 2005 IDW comic continuity. Tailgate is depicted as being repurposed from theTransformers Figure Subscription ServiceNightracer toy, as he was in "Coalescence".
  • "Cybertron -PA84": aShattered Glass version of the SunbowThe Transformers cartoon, which the TransTech choose to record.
• Shattered Glass TransTech Megatron lets out a "yes," much likeBeast WarsMegatron.
• The Starscream seen in Cybertron -PA84 is in his (then-unseen) Transformers Figure Subscription Service 5.0 body. Megatron is based on his positive-universecounterpart's early character model design (used in the first two issues of the Marvel comic), with the colors of the originalShattered Glass Megatron. Soundwave is based onCombiner WarsOnslaught, with the colors, shoulder cannon, and head of the originalShattered Glass Soundwave, the colors themselves taken from theMusic LabelSonic White Soundwave. Thundercracker and Skywarp are both"virtual" redecos of Starscream (who was redecoed from theUnite WarriorsStarscream toy), with Thundercracker in theAction Master colors of his positive-universecounterpart (as was the originalShattered Glass Thundercracker), and Skywarp in the colors of theCybertronincarnation of the character. Bombshell is based on his positive-universecounterpart’sCombiner Wars toy in the colors ofCollector's EditionSalvo (who the orignialShattered Glass Bombshell was repurposed from). Nightbird is based on her positive-universecounterpart, with the colors ofCombiner Wars AutobotDust Up, whose head is very similar to Nightbird's.
• The scene of theShattered Glass "Sunbow" universe is a mirror of the originalThe Transformers cartoon episode, "Enter the Nightbird". Starscream notes that Doctor Fujiyama (who is specifically namedropped as Doctor Fujiyama the Infamous Scientist; the positive universe Fujiyama was referred to byCliffjumper asDoctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist) designed Nightbird to steal the World Energy Chip from the Decepticons. In "Enter the Nightbird", the Decepticons stole Nightbird from Fujiyama, and reprogrammed her to steal the World Energy Chip from the Autobots.

G.I. Joe references

• Xamot was previously in the "Adventure Team: Shattered Glass" storyline published in the G.I. Joe Collectors' Club Magazine from chapters 37 to 50 ofThe Adventure Team Chronicles. There, theShattered Glass world was the result of a time travel accident, but this version of the character is one that more closely resembles theTransformers model of a mirror universe.
• The Sunbow cartoons for bothThe Transformers andG.I. Joe: A Real American Hero were indicated to take place in the same world by a variety of easter eggs, and the same holds true here.
• The original version ofShattered Glass Xamot, as seen inThe Adventure Team Chronicles, had dissociative identity disorder, with his alter being a "twin brother" named Tomax. Whether or not this holds true for this incarnation is unclear. The positive-universeXamot had a scar on his right cheek, while this Xamot has one on his left.
• Xamot mentions talking to LieutenantCisarovna, a mirror version of theBaroness, and GeneralKessler, who must be either a counterpart ofBilly Kessler or his father,Cobra Commander. If he is a mirror of Billy, his being a general could also be a homage toGeneral Flagg, Jr, son of the originalGeneral Flagg.
• Cobra is "America's highly-trained special mission force", i.e. whatG.I. Joe was according to the intro of theG.I. Joe: A Real American Hero cartoon.

Real-world references

• The use of "Cybertron" in the universal stream designations calls to mind how, in both the DC and Marvel Comics multiversal system, each universe is designated as Earth [X].

Errors

• In the top text recounting the story of the TransTech, the second "the" in the sentence "this is the home of the TransTech" is misspelled as "he".

Other trivia

• This comic serves as an advertisement for theShattered Glass Starscream toy from the Transformers Figure Subscription Service 5.0, and theShattered Glass Xamot toy from the G.I. Joe Figure Subscription Service 5.0.
• This two-page minicomic was released as bonus content at the end of the Diamond edition ofG.I. Joe vs. Cobra issue #9, "Project: Downfall", Fun Publications' GIJoeCon 2016 comic. Its odd name is a reference to the TransTech-focused epilogue toOf Masters and Mayhem, the final comic arc to run in theHasbro Transformers Collectors' Club magazine.
• The image of Cybertron onShattered Glass TransTech Rhinox's screen is taken from "Cybertron's Most Wanted", with lineart byMatt Frank and colors byThomas Deer andWade Alexander.

Covers

• G.I. Joe vs. Cobra issue #9 Diamond Edition cover:Cobra Commander holding aloft the JoeCon 2016 toys by the parachutes they're attached to. Pencils and inks byDan Khanna, colors byJesse Wittenrich.