Prime Directive issue 5

2011-03-05T23:31:52Z

76.229.125.91: /* Covers (3) */

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=[[Prime Directive|''The Transformers: ''Generation 1'']]
|prev=Prime Directive issue 4
|next=Prime Directive issue 6
|title=''The Transformers: ''Generation 1'' #5
|image=G1_Vol.1_Issue5_1.jpg
|caption=[[Eject]] poses for the cover of a Wheaties box.
|publisher=[[Dreamwave Productions]]
|date=[[September 11]], [[2002]]
|coverdate=August, 2002
|writer=[[Chris Sarracini]]
|penciler=[[Pat Lee]]
|backgrounds=[[Edwin Garcia]]
|inker=[[Rob Armstrong]], [[Erik Sander]]
|colorist=[[Ramil Sunga]], [[Gary Yeung]], [[Alan Wang]]
|letterer=[[Dreamer Design]]
|editor=[[Roger Lee]]
|continuity=[[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave continuity]]
|chronology=[[Dreamwave timeline|Modern era]]
}}

'''While the Autobots fight on two fronts, Spike learns a terrible secret and Hallo plans a final solution.'''

==Synopsis==
Spike Witwicky is under lock and key in the Pentagon due to General Hallo's orders. To his surprise, a note is slipped under the door: "3 O'CLOCK BE READY".

In the [[Northwest Territories]] the Autobots try to warn some hikers about the danger to the human race from the [[cyber-virus]], but the recent attacks by Decepticons have the humans running scared of all Transformers. Wheeljack explains that the blasters he designed will effectively destroy the virus, but that the devices are powered by the Autobots' own internal systems, which means the power depletion will weaken them.

As they start blasting away Jazz gets an emergency call for backup from Trailbreaker. The battle in [[San Francisco]] looks bleak after the loss of Superion. After Devastator stomps on Trailbreaker and smacks Sideswipe and Sunstreaker away he turns his attention to Optimus Prime. The Autobot leader transforms and makes a suicide run, leaps onto Devastator's chest and fires point-blank into the [[Combiner]]'s face. He falls back into the ocean as Prime, wasted by the effort, lifts himself onto shore...only to find Megatron waiting for him.

It's 2:59 and Spike is expecting Hallo to come and kill him. But the person who opens the door to his cell is someone he didn't expect.

Up north, the Autobots are still battling the virus and appear to be winning, but the power drain is making them so weak they have to speak in halting sentences. To make matters worse, an armored division of the [[Canada|Canadian]] military arrives and demands that they stand down.

In the Pentagon, [[Larry]] the janitor helps Spike escape and when the pair are concealed he hands over a file folder labeled "[[Project Lazarus|Lazarus Project]]". He explains that General Hallo and an engineer named [[Adam Rook]] tried to build their own transforming robots five years ago, but when their efforts failed they plotted to control the real Transformers. After the Decepticon defeat, Rook came up with a program to override and control the captured robots. Hallo didn't want to stop with just Decepticons. Larry reveals that Hallo planned and carried out the explosion of the ''[[Ark II]]'' to eliminate the Autobots as well. However, Hallo didn't expect Rook to turn traitor and disappear from the project along with the Decepticons that same day. Upon learning that his [[Sparkplug Witwicky|father]] was murdered, Spike declares Larry a coward, takes his keycard and leaves the janitor to stew in his conscience.

In San Francisco, the Autobots have been rounded up and disabled. Megatron is pointing out to a damaged and exhausted Optimus Prime all the failings of humans and how he pities the Autobots for protecting such a primitive race. Megatron tells Prime to say the word and they can end the war and remake Earth to Megatron's satisfaction.

Back at the Pentagon, the military is monitoring the Transformer battle. Hallo calls for the nuclear option. When his troops question the order he holds them off at gunpoint, enters his launch key and orders that the warhead coordinates be set to San Francisco.

[[Prime Directive issue 6|To be concluded...]]

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (1)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (2)
* [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (3)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (4)
* [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (5)
* [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (6)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (7)
* [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (8)
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (9)
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (11)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (12)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (13)
* [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] (22)
* [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (23)
* [[Slingshot]] (24)
|c2=
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (10)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (14)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (18)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (19)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (20)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (21)
|c3=
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (15)
* [[Robert Hallo|General Hallo]] (16)
* [[Lazarus]] (17)
}}

==Errors==
[[Image:PrimeDirective5-extrawheels.jpg|right|thumb|300px|This art was so awesome they zoomed up on it across three panels.]]
* Red Alert's presence was later explained as being an art error.{{fact|When? Where?}}
* When Optimus Prime charges at Devastator, not only are his two rear axles ''reaaally'' far apart from each other in the panels that show him from the top, the front one being almost in the ''center'' of his cab mode... he even has an ''extra wheel'' in front of the "center" axle on his passenger's side! Seriously... ''how does this happen''?

==Quotes==
"Good show Prime. Impressive as always. The second greatest warrior I know."
:—'''Megatron'''

"The goodness you see in them...the virtues you praise...they don't exist! You fight for what you want them to be...never seeing them for what they really ''are''."
:—'''Megatron''' takes stock of humanity

==Items of note==
* After the [[Prime Directive issue 4|previous issue]] had lost to Dreamwave's own [[Dreamwave Armada issue 1|''Transformers: Armada'' #1]], this issue once again ranked second in Diamond Comic Distributors' sales charts, with 122,829 copies ordered for August 2002. The top spot was claimed by [[Marvel Comics|Marvel's]] ''[[Fantastic Four]]'' #60, which sold for a mere 9¢ as part of a publicity stunt, and therefore managed to have an extraordinary 705,109 (!) copies ordered.<ref name="diamondaugust">[http://www.icv2.com/articles/home/1658.html ICv2 reporting on Diamond's charts for August 2002]</ref> Despite this, like [[Prime Directive issue 1|issues 1]] [[Prime Directive issue 2|and 2]] before, this issue saw a second printing run due to high demand.
* The middle of the comic contains a two-page spread by [[James Raiz]] and [[Alan Wang]] with [[Kenny Li]] featuring ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' Transformers.
* After the story, a letter by [[Adam Fortier]] apologizes for the delays in some of [[Dreamwave Productions]]' titles.
* On the same page is a 3-panel humorous strip with Optimus Prime finding that the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] was "made in China".

===Covers (3)===
{{picsneeded|Second printing cover}}
* '''Cover A:''' Blaster with cassettes by [[Pat Lee]]
* '''Cover B:''' Soundwave with cassettes by Pat Lee
* '''Alternate Cover:''' Devastator (front) Reflector vs Perceptor (back) by [[Guido Guidi]]

<gallery>
Image:G1 Vol.1 Issue5 1.jpg|
Image:G1 Vol.1 Issue5 2.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* [[Titan Books]] G1 reprints
* ''Gasaraki'' DVDs
* [[Prime Directive issue 6|''Prime Directive'' #6]] (Autobots and Menasor covers)
* [[The War Within issue 1|''The War Within'' #1]]
* ''Fate of the Blade'' #2
* ''Warlands'': #8
* ''Shidima'' #7
* [[Dreamwave Armada issue 3|''Armada'' #3]]
* ''Prime Directive'' #5 (again)
* ''Limbo City'' #1 (back interior cover)
* ''Arkanium'' #1 (back interior cover)
* [[Prime Directive|''Prime Directive'' TPB]] (back cover)

==Footnotes==
<references/>

[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 issues]]

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Prime Directive issue 5