The Transformers: Infiltration

In Phoenix, pickpocket Verity Carlo steals a businessman's handheld computer and teams up with conspiracy hunter Hunter O'Nion. The two, plus garage owner Jimmy Pink, become targets of giant robots who want the device. The ambulance that saves them is Ratchet, an Autobot, and the Decepticons Runabout and Runamuck soon show up. The Autobots take the humans to their underwater base, Ark-19, and the computer points to an abandoned Decepticon bunker in Nebraska, where Verity finds Megatron. Starscream had been hiding a cache of Ultra-Energon and, powered up by it, challenges his leader. Megatron cuts him down, orders "Phase Two" against the Autobots, and Optimus Prime finally arrives.

1. Behind the scenesModeled on Marvel's Ultimate line

   IDW built Infiltration on the model of Marvel's Ultimate line: start from scratch and introduce the robots slowly.

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2. Behind the scenesToo many covers for the trade

   Some issues had as many as ten covers. With no room for them in the trade, IDW put out a separate cover gallery first.

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3. ReferenceSwapped bases

   Here the Autobots operate from an underwater base and the Decepticons from a mountain, the reverse of other versions.

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4. Behind the scenesRecent arrivals

   In this version, the robots weren't buried for four million years: they arrived on Earth recently and use holographic drivers to blend in.

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