« The Transformers: Infiltration #5 »
Who disrupts my coronation?!
Publisher	IDW Publishing
First published	May 31, 2006
Cover date	May 2006
Written by	Simon Furman
Art by	E. J. Su
Colors by	John Rauch
Letters by	Tom B. Long
Edits by	Chris Ryall & Dan Taylor
Continuity	2005 IDW continuity
Chronology	Infiltration

Megatron shows the Decepticons what happens to traitors, but Starscream may have an ace up his sleeve.

Synopsis

Having managed to see off the two Decepticons for the time being, Bumblebee manages to get the damaged Ratchet back up on his feet; as the Autobot medic stabilizes himself, Bumblebee watches as Skywarp and Blitzwing return to bombing the abandoned bunker. Bumblebee notes that he Decepticons obviously don't see them as a threat—but even if the Decepticons aren't directly attacking them, their bombing run means that it's only a matter of time before the thin ground crumbles from the impacts, burying the bunker in rubble—and taking the entire mountainside with it.

Underground, Jimmy Pink and Hunter O'Nion race for the exit, but Hunter is more concerned about Verity Carlo, who went off on her own to explore the farthest reaches of the command center. Desperate, O'Nion shouts into his commlink to try and reach Verity, a transmission that only reaches Verity's abandoned transmitter. Verity herself is terrified by the sight of Megatron... but the Decepticon leader only gives her a brief glance before going back to his business, ignoring the irrelevant Earth native. Verity takes advantage of the situation to take some video footage of the situation, but another tremor causes the entire bunker to start collapsing! While Megatron stoically braces himself for the worst, Verity makes a run for it as Hunter, still underground, prepares to look for her. Jimmy talks him out of it: if they're both underground, chances are that neither of them will make it to the surface alive, and Hunter reluctantly complies with the request.

At the new Decepticon bunker in Oregon, Astrotrain prepares a massive machine for an impatient Starscream. Starscream, for his part, can't wait for another dose of what he calls his "medicine..."

In Nebraska, Ratchet and Bumblebee race through the crumbling landscape to reach the two humans, and although the Autobots insist that they need to cut their losses and run, Jimmy states otherwise: they're not going anywhere without Verity. At that moment, a faint transmission from Verity crackles through Jimmy's commlink. Verity is on her way up, but a stream of debris threatens to engulf what remains of the base! Bumblebee leaps into action, using his robot mode to shore up the falling tree they've knotted their tether around. But as the entire landscape begins to collapse into a sinkhole Jimmy hangs on for dear life as the ground splits in half, while Hunter uses the rope to help Verity up just in time—Bumblebee uses his strength to haul both Hunter and Verity to safety, and all the humans pile aboard the Autobots as they race to safety.

From above, Skywarp and Blitzwing survey the new crater and the remains of the Decepticon base. Blitzwing is glad to have buried the bunker so that he could put the entire experience behind him, believing that what they did inside the old base made them stop being Decepticons. Skywarp isn't so convinced, and tells him to forget the whole issue. They're distracted from their argument when something stirs in the very center of the crater... a something that reveals itself to be a furious Megatron, who easily smashes his way out of the rubble.

Neither of the two flyers knew that Megatron was inside the base, and as they hastily stammer their apologies Megatron dispassionately downs Skywarp with a single blast from his fusion cannon. The Autobots watch in horror as Blitzwing throws caution to the wind and engages the Decepticon leader, only to be grabbed by his cannon and smashed against the ground. Bumblebee and Ratchet fall back, knowing that Megatron is far out of their league. Fortunately for them, the Autobots aren't even on Megatron's radar. He has someone else to destroy...

The two Autobots contact the Ark-19 to report the data they've gained to Prowl, while Ratchet relays his theories. While carrying out a routine infiltration procedure, Ratchet theorizes, Starscream's team found a new variant of energon they could directly apply to their systems. Quickly exhausting the seam, they abandoned the bunker for a new location in Oregon, located over a far richer seam, and engaged Siege Mode to protect their assets. Now Megatron has arrived on Earth to put down this preemptive rebellion, nobody can tell how powerful Starscream's cell may have become in the interim, and the Autobots are stuck in the middle...

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"How quickly... they forget. And so..."
-Megatron grabs Blitzwing by the turret and smashes him into the ground-
"...I must remind them."

— Megatron reminds us why he's the leader of the Decepticons

Notes

Continuity notes

• This issue sees the official debut of Ore-13, an incredibly powerful substance which will go on to influence IDW continuity for many years to come. Spotlight: Shockwave reveals the origin story behind this rare ore, and following its appearance in the Furman-written comics it will have a major part to play in the Dark Cybertron and Revolution crossover events.

Transformers references

• When Megatron bursts out of the bunker, a broken piece of a pipe has the label "Binaltech".

Other trivia

• The "Decepticomments" section featured mail answered by Chris Ryall and short ads for next month's issues: Infiltration #6, Hearts of Steel #1, Generations #4.

Covers (7)

• 

  Infiltration #5 cover A - Megatron can dance!

• 

  Infiltration #5 cover B - Crotch shot

• 

  Infiltration #5 cover C - I am invincible!

• 

  Infiltration #5 cover D - Come on and hit me with your best shot!

• Infiltration #5 cover A: Megatron choked, by E. J. Su.
• Infiltration #5 cover B: Starscream on throne, by Guido Guidi.
• Infiltration #5 cover C: Ore-13 Starscream, by Andrew Wildman.
• Infiltration #5 cover D: Megatron vs Blitzwing, by Nick Roche.

• 

  Infiltration #5 cover RI-A - Starscream, get out of my cover!

• 

  Infiltration #5 cover RI-B - Toy accurate!

• 

  Infiltration #5 cover RI-C - Robotic John Wayne

• Infiltration #5 cover RI-A: wraparound of cover A.
• Infiltration #5 cover RI-B: Autobots, by Guido Guidi.
• Infiltration #5 cover RI-C: Ironhide, by Guido Guidi (includes 4 mini-prints).

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• Optimus Prime Alternators toy
• Infiltration #6, B&W sketch cover
• Transformers posters
• 3-page preview of Stormbringer #1
• Stormbringer #1
• Hearts of Steel #1
• Stormbringer (back cover)

Reprints

Other than reprints of the full series

• N/A