Lightning Strike Coalition
The Lightning Strike Coalition (or L.S.C.) is a fictional faction of Autobots in Dreamwave Productions' Transformers: The War Within comic series. They were introduced in volume 2 of the series, known as "The Dark Ages". The L.S.C. used hit and run tactics against their enemies, the Decepticons, foes of all Autobots, often striking first.
Members
History
In the first volume of The War Within, set far in the past, Grimlock leads a small faction of Autobots (generally the good guys) consisting of himself, Ironhide, Kup, Wheeljack and multiple other unknown entities. One of the unknown is a casualty in their initial appearance.
In the span of time between volumes 1 and 2 (several million years), Optimus Prime and Megatron are lost in a Space Bridge/teleportational accident. Because their main leaders are gone, Autobots and Decepticons alike split into several sub-factions based on different goals and philosophies.
Loyalties
The Lightning Strike Coalition is an expansion of Grimlock's earlier team, now including the additions of Slag, Swoop, Sludge and Snarl, Inferno and Smokescreen (though the later two were not featured in the story). Grimlock's team continues performing many missions, including stealing a large quantity of Energon, a needed fuel, from under the noses of Starscream's Predacons.
On one occasion, Grimlock's team abandoned the mission to confront the (falsely assumed) traitorous Jetfire. They instead help defend Prowl's Autobots from being slaughtered by Trypticon. However, his team would even cooperate with the Decepticons to rescue Grimlock himself from the attentions of the mysterious Chaos Trinity.
Third Volume
The L.S.C. is disbanded under the uniting leadership of Ultra Magnus. Grimlock keeps four of his best soldiers, Slag, Sludge, Swoop and Snarl under his direct command. This group is named the 'Dynobots'. Grimlock himself seemingly perishes saving Magnus from the Decepticon Motormaster. Dreamwave, the company, ends without clarifying Grimlock's fate.
Earth
Millions of years later, when the Ark disappears on its maiden voyage, Grimlock and the Dynobots are sent to investigate. They gain the alternate forms of Earth dinosaurs. A Decepticon ambush results in them being placed in stasis until the 1980s. Fellow Autobots bring them back online and they take the name Dinobots to reflect their new forms.
IDW Publishing
- In IDW Publishing's The Transformers: Spotlight, Grimlock once again led the Dynobots in an attack against Shockwave. They initially had the same alternate modes as their Dreamwave counterparts, though Simon Furman (the writer of both stories) said this was a coincidence.
References
- http://www.tfarchive.com/comics/dreamwave/review.php?s=tww_2_1 - Review of the comics which has the first appearance of the LSC.
- http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Lightning_Strike_Coalition - Transformers wiki page on the LSC.
- http://www.tfarchive.com/comics/dreamwave/timeline/ - Dreamwave timelines includes mention of the LSC at 7.4 million years ago.
- http://server6.web-mania.com/users/tranform/lsc.html - Fan page for the LSC.