The Decepticons have lost another founding member of the team in the new Transformers universe, but not the way anybody expected. After 40 years fighting for Megatron, one icon of the series has officially switched sides to join the Autobots.
Thundercracker Finally Leaves The Decepticons To Join The Autobots Instead
The Decepticon Accepts That Optimus Prime’s Army is “Where He Belongs”
Even for a hero as legendary as Optimus Prime, the new Transformers series from Skybound and Image has made it clearer than ever that the Autobot commander is a singular paragon of leadership. So it’s almost no surprise that Decepticons are being drawn to his side, as Megatron pushes for endless violence.
The true depths to which the Decepticons are willing to sink was made clear early on in the series, with the Transformers’ crash landed on Earth, but unable to heal or resurrect fallen comrades thanks to a lack of Cybertronian tech. As a true villain, Starscream sacrificed his teammate Skywarp to a hellish prison as a solution… to the horror of his fellow Seeker and Decepticon, Thundercracker.
With Starscream dead and Megatron retreating, Optimus Prime takes the chance to show his integrity. With Thundercracker present as a semi-captive, Optimus insists that Skywarp be healed and liberated before his own soldiers. The act is lost on the faithful and enraged Skywarp, but not on Thundercracker.
Realizing the Autobots seek peace and an end to the war, not just a victory, Thundercracker allows his battle brother to flee, acknowledging he is now on the right side of the endless Cybertronian War.
Our Take on Transformers’ Thundercracker Officially Switching Sides
The New Twist Actually Began Back in Transformers #26
This latest official switch to join the Autobots comes after months of anticipation, ever since Thundercracker learned the truth about his teammates back in Transformers #16. After Starscream revealed he had personally torn their fellow Seeker Skywarp to shreds, Thundercracker was stunned into inaction. Ignoring the pleas of Soundwave (who helped Starscream commit the horror), Thundercracker left the battlefield.
For longtime fans of the Transformers lore, it appeared that this disturbing act against their own kind was the final straw. Since his debut in the original 1984 Transformers toy line, Thundercracker was distinguished not only from his fellow Seeker models, but from the Decepticons serving Megatron. He might be proud and fearsome, but the jet fighter was never ‘evil.’
Still, that distinction was rarely explored in any actual depth, beyond allowing a dissenting voice (to ask if the Decepticons should really be quite so evil to human beings, for instance). That has changed in modern stories, but this defection to tthe side “he belongs” on is the greatest step yet for the character’s development. And fans will be thrilled.
The same can’t be said for the Decepticons, with Skywarp guaranteed to paint Thundercracker as a shameful traitor. Here’s hoping the Autobots will waste no time in protecting him as one of their own. And that Optimus Prime’s status as an Autobot enemy gets fixed sooner rather than later.
Transformers #26 is available now from Skybound and Image Comics.
- Writer
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Daniel Warren Johnson
- Penciler
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Daniel Warren Johnson
- Colorist
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Mike Spicer
- Letterer
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Rus Wooton
- Publisher(s)
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Image Comics, Skybound Entertainment