Wheeljack sets to work finding a way to restore Optimus Prime and Bumblebee to the physical world, building them new bodies, using photonic material from Trypticon to grow them new sparks, and finally, transferring their consciousnesses out of Pyra Magna's mind. Bumblebee is restored first, and is caught up on current events by Windblade while Wheeljack repeats the process with Prime, who awakens with a start from another nightmare about the Dark Cybertron prophecy. Relieved to see that Bumblebee was not merely a figment of his imagination, Prime embraces his old friend, and begins to tell him about his nightmare, before Windblade interrupts with matters of greater importance.

Windblade plays back a video recording from an hour earlier, showing a three-man team of Cliffjumper, Subsea, and Rest-Q departing via Space Bridge for Velocitron to investigate a loss of contact with the planet. The trio step through the portal to find the the populace of Velocitron scattering in a mad panic in response to the appearance of a huge, horned, planet-size object in the sky, at which point the recording cuts out. The identity of the object is a mystery, but Windblade believes that recent events that took place while Optimus was offline hold the answer. A second message was beamed into space by the Talisman, this time containing a word that Windblade translates as "uncreator," the opposite of Primus, which she believes is the name of the monster planet: Unicron.

On Earth, Rom the Space Knight engages in battle with a group of humans he believes have recently come into contact with a Dire Wraith. Presently, Jazz arrives on the scene, having traced a line of black market Cybertronian technology to the humans, and helps Rom subdue them. Suddenly, Rom's body is wracked with pain; he senses his homeworld of Elonia is in danger as Unicron approaches it, and further, knows he will be unable to return there in time to defend it. Jazz believes he knows someone who can help...

Back on Cybertron, Shockwave is led through the streets to prison. As he goes, he rambles aloud to no-one in particular, relating the story of how, following the Age of Primes, he and the Maximals relocated to the planet Antilla, only to find that it "belonged to another." His escort, Beachcomber, snaps at him to shut up, telling him that nobody is listening to him... but Beachcomber couldn't be more wrong, as among the crowds, Shockwave's ancient servant Rhinox has heard his words...

Out in space, former Space Knight Stardrive also senses the threat now faced by Elonia. Prowl reminds her that she owes Elonia nothing, and that she and the rest of his team are already occupied tracking the Maximals. The beast-robots have been hunting down Cybertronians all across the galaxy, and Prowl's team is now on their trail following their flight from Cybertron...

On Earth, Trypticon has taken up residence in South Dakota, near Mount Rushmore. While he and Slug chat—with Slug grumbling over the fact that Victorion, rather than the Dinobots, got to be the one to take down Devastator—the President of the United States argues with Marissa Faireborn, determined to have Trypticon sent back to Cybertron to alleviate security concerns. Their debate is interrupted by the arrival of Jazz and Rom; realizing the importance of Rom's mission to protect his homeworld, Jazz, still wanted by human authorities, surrenders himself to military custody in return for Rom being allowed to use Trypticon's Space Bridge to go to Cybertron and rally aid for Elonia.

In the Little Cybertron refugee commune on Bikini Atoll, Wreck-Gar brings the news of Jazz's arrest and the attacks on the colonies to the Autobot colonist soldiers stationed there. Most of the group take the situation calmly, confident in Optimus Prime's ability to set it right, but of course, Slide is full of nothing but rancor for Optimus.

Alas, even with the might of the Cybertronian fleet backing Rom up, they are unable to stop Unicron from con

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