This is probably my favourite issue of TOC.  Not only did it have my longest strip story to date, but it was the first direct multiple-part TOC strip story and I got to draw the Predacons fighting Scorponok!

In the main strip story 'Hunted' Scorponok is ambushed by the Predacons.  Using data obtained in #3 Straxus orders in the Predacons to attack Scorponok.  Scorponok manages to hold them of but in doing so he losses his remote-controlled scout Fasttrack and has to make use of his energy-consuming Battle Platform mode, which leaves him temporally weakened.  Razorclaw, realising that Scorponok is too powerful for them as individuals orders the Predacons to merge into Predaking.

The Predacons are slightly modified from their familiar Earthen forms in this story as they are on their native Cybertron, along the lines of Divebombs differences in Marvels What's in a name? UK annual story.

In the Dark Behind the Force, Lieutenant Optimus Prime and Jazz lead a contingent of Autobot in a crucial battle at an Autobot Outpost located within Decepticon territory.  Failure means the downfall of Iacon itself, victory would give the Autobots a major tactical advantage.  Extra trouble quickly arrives in the form of the Force trio, a group of powerful Decepticons.  The death of one of the trio creates problems for Prime in later stories.

Split chronicles the final falling out of Emirate Xaaron and Fortress Maximus.  By the end of the story, Maximus leads one group of Autobots and Xaaron another.  Both leaders have very differing idea's on how to fight the War.  How (and if) these differences can be overcome remains to be seen.