Issue 11 finally appeared in the Transformers app today so I clicked and got it.

I'm a bit over TFTM being quoted and paraphrased in other Transformers fiction, and even though three quotes in ten pages isn't that much, it's felt like too much. Sure this is written by the author of TFTM but that doesn't give it a pass.

But then I thought more about Metroplex's comment at the start and it got me thinking. This isn't 5 million years ago on Cybertron at all!

This is an alternate/altered reality/dream of some sort. This is a comic book story like "Heroes Reborn", "Age of Apocalypse", "Flashpoint", "House of M". Something happened during Chaos when Optimus Prime opened the Matrix and everything went white. The Autobots and Decepticons awoke in a Cybertron based on their memories pre-war, but the details were slightly wrong or reflected their current situations, rather than where these Transformers were back then or what actually happened.

It bugged me from issue one that "young" Bumblebee was a police officer fighting alongside his "idols" years before the war began. Orion's fellow officers just happen to be key Autobots 5 million years later too? Hot Rod being the leader of a faction before the war began doesn't fit the young upstart. Silverbolt not getting over his fear of flying despite 5 million years as a jet? All of this makes more sense if it's the characters where they were (in a figurative sense) at the point of issue 30.

The art's dream like quality? Of course because it is a sort of dream. The same art style that we saw in Chaos? Of course because this is part of the Chaos story. Familiar phrases? Well that happens in dreams too!

Metroplex, as an ancient Cybertronian, can see through the illusion. At least somewhat. He knows something has changed. (He's the Bishop/Flash/Wolverine of the story - just not as proactive about setting it all right again, probably because he knows that's not his role in all of this). Ironhide's vision (#31) likely comes after all of this, a side effect or a hopeful wish, a glimpse of what could be.

Everything happening is a metaphor. Optimus Prime, who gave up leadership of the Autobots after Ironhide's death, is being forced to truly reclaim the position. The only way he can really unleash the power of the Matrix to stop the D-Void is if he's sure of who he is. So he's been cast in a universe, to a time were there was some doubt and is forced to reclaim the Matrix and make a stand against the Decepticons. To become Optimus Prime one more time.

With all this in mind, I actually like the story more and look forward to getting the last chapter and reading it all in one go to see if my theory holds true on re-reading.