Rhythms of Darkness!

2010-04-26T07:09:32Z

121.45.207.182:

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' (US)]] #67
|prev=All Fall Down (issue)
|next=The Human Factor!
|seriesissue2=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel_UK|''The Transformers'' (UK)]] #298–301
|prev2=All Fall Down (issue)
|next2=The Human Factor!
|title="Rhythms of Darkness!"
|image=MarvelUS-67.jpg
|caption=Galvatron can be [[Scale|any size]] he wishes!
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|date=April 1990
|coverdate=June 1990
|writer=[[Simon Furman]]
|penciler=[[José Delbo]]
|inker=[[Danny Bulanadi]]
|colorist=[[Nelson Yomtov|Nel Yomtov]]
|letterer=[[Jim Massara]]
|editor=[[Don Daley]]
|continuity=[[Marvel Comics continuity]]
}}

'''In an alternate future with Galvatron victorious, several Autobots fight in a last ditch attempt to retake Earth.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Nyc-alternate-future1.jpg|left|250px|thumb|A lot of the Bronx already looked like this.]]
Galvatron and the [[Pretender Monster|Pretender Monsters]] arise from the Atlantic Ocean into a destroyed [[New York City]], complete with a deactivated [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] strung up between the stumps of the shattered World Trade Center towers. Galvatron sends his minions to search the city's ruins for Autobots. Though he has devastated the Autobot army and controls the planet's entire western hemisphere, Galvatron wishes even the slightest trace of resistance wiped out.

Elsewhere, a rebel group of surviving [[Autobot|Autobots]] and [[Human|humans]], including Spike Witwicky, race to strike the [[Decepticon Powerbase]]. They have only hours before the governments of the remaining free nations launch nuclear weapons. Not only will this annihilate what remains of North America, but Galvatron has already prepared to shield his army and siphon off the blasts' energy, making him even more unstoppable. At the Decepticon base, the Autobots attack, providing a distraction while Spike carries out the mission's main goal. The Autobots bring down the base's force field and take out a number of Decepticons, but Crossblades, Guzzle, and Getaway soon fall. Chainclaw is seconds away from killing Cyclonus, when Galvatron arrives, destroying first the Autobot, then his "weak" lieutenant. Galvatron and the Pretender Monsters move in to finish the Autobots. However, Spike claims 'victory': he has scaled the Decepticon fortress and erected an American flag, a symbol to the world that America is still alive and fighting. The watching world governments abort the nuclear launch at the final second.

Galvatron is unimpressed, and takes aim at the iconic flag. But suddenly Hook, Line, and Sinker appear and attack Galvatron, dragging him back through time. With their mightiest foe defeated, the remaining Autobots and humans rally, pressing the attack and fighting for their world...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Chainclaw]] (8)
* [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] (9)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (10)
* [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] (11)
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (14)
* [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] (15)
* [[Getaway]] (15)
|c2=
* [[Galvatron II]] (1)
* [[Wildfly]] (2)
* [[Icepick]] (3)
* [[Slog]] (4)
* [[Birdbrain]] (5)
* [[Scowl]] (6)
* [[Bristleback]] (7)
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (16)
* [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (17)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (18)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]
* [[Octane]]
* [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]]

|c3=
* [[Lisa]] (12)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (13)
|c4=
* [[Hook, Line, and Sinker]] (19)
}}

==Errors==
* Though it is supposed to follow the events of the [[The Transformers: The Movie|movie]] (until the battle with Unicron, anyway), someone appears to have overlooked Prowl's death. [[Prowl II|Again.]]

==Items of note==
* This was the only issue in the Marvel US series that dealt with an alternate reality, a subject that would later become commonplace in [[Transformer|Transformers]] lore.
* In the early 2000s, this issue was the object of an infamous [[EBay|eBay]] auction in which the seller claimed that certain panels of the comic could be seen as prophetic warnings about the 9/11 attacks.<ref>http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/weblog/comments/1323/</ref>
* Galvatron says that Cyclonus is a "being forged in the fires of [[Unicron]] himself," which is in line with the [[The Transformers: The Movie|animated movie]], but in strictly US stories, he and Scourge were first seen on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] serving under [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. The Marvel UK stories explained this using time travel. This is the only time in the US stories that any reference is made to Cyclonus and Scourge being created by [[Unicron]].
:* With that in mind, Cyclonus and Scourge's deaths here mean they can never be thrown into the past to become [[Targetmaster]]s under Scorponok, ruling out this story as a possible future.
[[Image:Furmanismsrod.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Witness the birth of three [[Furmanism|Furmanisms]].]]
* The seven Autobot survivors shown are Prowl, Inferno (first US appearance), Jazz, Crossblades (only appearance anywhere thus far), Getaway, Guzzle, and Chainclaw (also first US appearance). By the end of the issue only Prowl, Inferno and Jazz are still alive. [[To sell toys|Guess]] who had new [[Action Master]] toys?
* This issue is notable for its high percentage of [[Furmanism|Furmanisms]]. In fact, this issue is the genesis of three of them. "Rhythms of Darkness!" spawned "FIGHT AND DIE," "IT IS OVER — FINISHED," and "WHAT CHANCE DO WE HAVE?"
* One of the UK covers for this book features a [[United States of America|US]] flag with 52 stars. One of the two images in the book itself doesn't feature individual stars, the other has the stars run off into shadow.
{{-}}
===Covers===
<gallery>
Image:MarvelUS-67.jpg|'''US issue #67''' - ...And so Galvatron turned the Earth into a ''disco''.
Image:MarvelUK-298.jpg|'''UK issue #298''' - Galvatron - too cheap for a boat ticket.
Image:MarvelUK-299.jpg|'''UK issue #299''' - "Can I sing One Million Bottles Of Energon On The Wall?"
Image:MarvelUK-300.jpg|'''UK issue #300''' - C'mon, you know you want this on your bedroom wall.
Image:MarvelUK-301.jpg|'''UK issue #301''' - Brings a tear to my eye...
</gallery>

* '''US issue #67 cover:''' victorious Galvatron, by [[Jim Lee]].
* '''UK issue #298 cover:''' Galvatron emerging in the New York harbor by [[Staz|Stewart Johnson]].
* '''UK issue #299 cover:''' Galvatron before a dead Rodimus Prime, by [[John Marshall]] and Stewart Johnson.
* '''UK issue #300 cover:''' Autobots attack by John Marshall and Stewart Johnson.
* '''UK issue #301 cover:''' Autobots victorious by John Marshall, Stewart Johnson and [[Robin Bouttell]].

===Advertisements===
* None yet identified.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Marvel US issues]]
[[Category:Marvel UK issues]]

MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

Rhythms of Darkness!