Shane McCarthy interview

[Sparky Prime]

When I say "The Gathering" promised nothing, I mean that nothing was promised beyond a comic with "Beast Wars" characters. And, we did get that. I hated every page, but IDW's never *promised* me anything else. Like it or hat it, "Stormbringer" made explicit promises about basics like character and setting, and promptly broke them....in a story that had little to say beyond "this is the status quo until we change it."

I don't see what you're talking about. They said Stormbringer would be about battling on Cybertron and no humans. It was at that. I do not see any of the "broken promises" you're referring to.

If Furman set out to avoid mystical elements, he failed, as "Revelations" had those, including plagiarized ideas.

Revelations is a different story. The interview I'm referring to took place long before "Revelations" was planned. Furman had also said in the same interview, as I recall, that he did have plans for the Matrix (down the line) but when it showed up, it might not be a good thing. However, those plans changed when IDW decided to give AHM the immediate go ahead. As a result, "Revelations" was a rush job to tie-up loose ends and obviously the story Furman had initially planned out changed and suffered as a result.

The Matrix meaning something in AHM has to do with it not just being the magic McGuffin to beat Unicron/The Hate Plague/Swarm..... As Onslaught points out, it may well just be a symbol, (in and out of the story), possibly with an ironic twist owing to a leadership symbol nearly tearing the Decepticons apart.

I still don't get the impression it's being used as anything in this story. If it was being used as a symbol, it should be more prominently displaced as such, not a panel of "Oh crap, look what Megatron stole" and then it's gone for the rest of the story. And the only thing that's tearing the Decepticons apart is boredom due to a lack of worthy enemies to fight.

[Dominic]

The tag-line for "Stormbringer" was "nothing but robots on Cybertron", and even discounting the Nebulons, much of the action took place off of Cybertron.


Taking the Matrix in AHM is the symbol that makes the victory easy to understand, not unlike taking the capital of an enemy country. Of course when you home planet is ruined, as Cybertron is, holy relics make good substitutes a trophies. Because he took the Matrix, Megatron cannot even use the Autobots as a viable other. Megatron's biggest mistake was winning decisively. Of course, based on issue 10, Megatron accepted this prospect, though he thought he could handle it. I think there might be some mysticism involved on the resolution, but so long as it is thematically consistent, I can forgive it.


Furman saying he would not use his worst faux-profoundidty in "Infiltration" when he fully intended to use it later is like a drunkard saying they do not intend to drink at "the meeting" when they are fully intending to get drunk the next day.

[Sparky Prime]

The tag-line for "Stormbringer" was "nothing but robots on Cybertron", and even discounting the Nebulons, much of the action took place off of Cybertron.

I don't recall the exact tag line being "nothing but", but still, the majority of the story was all about Transformers on Cybertron.

Taking the Matrix in AHM is the symbol that makes the victory easy to understand, not unlike taking the capital of an enemy country.

I don't see it that way at all. The Matrix is important to the Autobot's but they don't have to have it to have a leader.

Furman saying he would not use his worst faux-profoundidty in "Infiltration" when he fully intended to use it later is like a drunkard saying they do not intend to drink at "the meeting" when they are fully intending to get drunk the next day.

You're over-exaggerating. Besides, you aren't taking into consideration how Furman was planning on using the Matrix. He was indicating Optimus didn't have it, rather Nemesis Prime did. Unfortunately, that story was scrapped.

[Dominic]

I don't see it that way at all. The Matrix is important to the Autobot's but they don't have to have it to have a leader.

But, if your leader if flat on his back, then symbols become more important. "Well, we lost. Prime it out cold, but at least we have....awww noooo." And, holding the Matrix as a symbol of victory makes it clear for everybody who won, Megatron. Decepticons, being greedy and avaricious, would likely seek to attack the guy who just won, hoping some of that victory stink would rub off on them.


I admit this is the first I heard of Nemesis Prime being planned to have the Matrix. And, it might have been an interesting idea. But, Furman had given readers and editor little reason to be optimistic about there being any pay-off to his writing. And, given the amount of McGuffins floating around in Furman's writing, the execution might have been terrible.

Dom

[Onslaught Six]

I admit this is the first I heard of Nemesis Prime being planned to have the Matrix. And, it might have been an interesting idea. But, Furman had given readers and editor little reason to be optimistic about there being any pay-off to his writing. And, given the amount of McGuffins floating around in Furman's writing, the execution might have been terrible.

Yes. I still don't understand the Magnificence or what its point is.

[Dominic]

Furman was not allowed to drink beer, so he went for vodka?

Dom

[Onslaught Six]

You're a funny man today, Dom. Now there's Game Fuel on my laptop.

[Sparky Prime]

But, if your leader if flat on his back, then symbols become more important.

It's not like Optimus was dead. He was in bad shape, but they hadn't lost their leader. And really, while the Autobots (that knew about it anyway) were concerned over the loss of the Matrix, they didn't seem to care about the symbolism of it so long as they still had Optimus.

And, holding the Matrix as a symbol of victory makes it clear for everybody who won, Megatron.

Yes, Megatron won a battle and succeeded in temporarily stranding the Autobots but clearly that wasn't the end of the Autobots. I just don't see how Megatron taking the Matrix makes any difference as long as Optimus was still alive, even if he was comatose.

I admit this is the first I heard of Nemesis Prime being planned to have the Matrix. And, it might have been an interesting idea. But, Furman had given readers and editor little reason to be optimistic about there being any pay-off to his writing. And, given the amount of McGuffins floating around in Furman's writing, the execution might have been terrible.

We will never know now.

[Dominic]

And really, while the Autobots (that knew about it anyway) were concerned over the loss of the Matrix, they didn't seem to care about the symbolism of it so long as they still had Optimus.

Which plays into the whole leadership theme running through AHM. Along the same, if inverted, lines, having the Matrix is not exactly helping Megatron. But, the propaganda value of taking the Matrix to say "I won" is huge.

Yes, Megatron won a battle and succeeded in temporarily stranding the Autobots but clearly that wasn't the end of the Autobots. I just don't see how Megatron taking the Matrix makes any difference as long as Optimus was still alive, even if he was comatose.

Megatron soundly thrashed Optimus. It is stated that Prime is in bad enough shape that death is not an unlikely prospect. And, it is also stated that the Decepticons are winning on other fronts beyond Earth. For an observer on either side of that, things look pretty bad for the Autobots. There would be little reason to expect that they are going to win, regardless of Optimus being alive or not.

At that point, (presumed victory), the Decepticons are going to start looking for other enemies, and that includes each-other.

Dom

[Sparky Prime]

Which plays into the whole leadership theme running through AHM. Along the same, if inverted, lines, having the Matrix is not exactly helping Megatron. But, the propaganda value of taking the Matrix to say "I won" is huge.

Which all in all goes back to the point of why take the Matrix at all? How was it even the target that started the war? The Autobots still have their leader and it isn't helping Megatron. Heck, all he did with it was hide it away.

Megatron soundly thrashed Optimus. It is stated that Prime is in bad enough shape that death is not an unlikely prospect.

But Optimus was still alive, if only barely. That's all the Autobots needed to keep their hope alive. And then Ratchet makes him better.

There would be little reason to expect that they are going to win, regardless of Optimus being alive or not.

That's the thing though... Although things were bleak, they still had hope.

At that point, (presumed victory), the Decepticons are going to start looking for other enemies, and that includes each-other.

Optimus sabotaged the Decepticon's plans at the last second when they got sent to Cybertron. As such, the Decepticons would know the Autobots would still be out there. They could have gone to finish the job.