The Enemy Within!

2009-03-28T14:50:30Z

81.153.234.196:

==Synopsis==
After challenging Megatron’s authority and being savagely reprimanded, Starscream plots Megatron’s downfall. He plans to attack [[Human|humans]] indiscriminately until the [[Autobot|Autobots]] come to their defence. This will force the other [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] to come to his aid, and together they will destroy the Autobots, proving that Starscream’s methods are superior to Megatron’s. Unfortunately, Ravage overhears Starscream’s plotting and rushes to tell Megatron, but he is spotted, and Starscream attacks him and leaves him for dead.

At the same time, in the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], the Autobots are moving a heavy piece of machinery when it slips, and a short-circuit causes Brawn to be electrocuted, knocking him unconscious. After his recovers, he begins to act strangely before eventually violently attacking Sideswipe and then abandoning the Ark.

[[Image:RavageEnemyWithinColour.jpg|left|180px|thumb|"Ravage's ALIVE!"]]
Some time later, as Starscream attacks the [[United States Military|US Air Force Base: Oregon Four-Alpha]] the other Decepticons discover the badly damaged Ravage, who reveals Starscream’s treachery. Enraged, the Decepticons race off and capture Starscream during his attack. Starscream demands his right to trial by combat.

Brawn, meanwhile, has gone on a rampage in a small town, believing their cars to be enslaved robots. The Autobots are forced to subdue him. Megatron, unwilling to let Starscream off so easily, plans to take advantage of the situation and suggests to Optimus Prime that they allow Starscream and Brawn to fight each other. Desperate to regain his honour, the now repaired Brawn agrees.

The two battle, unaware that Megatron has stationed Ravage nearby with orders to blast Starscream if he wins the battle. The battle goes against Brawn, and it appears that he has been destroyed. Following his orders, Ravage blows Starscream out of the sky, gaining revenge on him. He then lets the other Decepticons believe that it was the Autobots who attacked Starscream, motivating them to get behind Megatron and attack the Autobots.

Unknown to the Decepticons, Brawn was not destroyed. Instead, Mirage projected a [[hologram]] showing his death, while the real Brawn was taken to safety.

Back at the [[Fortress Sinister|Decepticon fortress]], Megatron is preparing to launch an all-out attack on the Autobots.

{{note|This story leads directly into "[[Raiders of the Last Ark]]".}}
==Featured Characters==
(''Numbers indicate order of appearance.)''

<table border="5" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5" align="center" style="border:#800000">
<tr>
<th style="background:#FFEEEE"> [[Autobots]]</th><th style="background:#EEEEFE"> [[Decepticons]]</th><th style="background:antiquewhite"> [[Human|Humans]]
</th></tr>
<tr>
<td style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top">
* [[Jazz (G1)| Jazz]] (6)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)| Bumblebee]] (7)
* [[Mirage (G1)| Mirage]] (8)
* [[Brawn (G1)| Brawn]] (9)
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)| Sunstreaker]] (10)
* [[Huffer (G1)| Huffer]] (12)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)| Optimus Prime]] (13)
* [[Gears (G1)| Gears]] (17)
* [[Red Alert (G1)| Red Alert]] (18)
* [[Ratchet (G1)| Ratchet]] (19)

</td><td style="background:#EEEEFE" valign="top">
*[[Megatron (G1)| Megatron]] (1)
* [[Starscream (G1)| Starscream]] (2)
* [[Rumble (G1)| Rumble]] (3)
* [[Skywarp (G1)| Skywarp]] (4)
* [[Ravage (G1)| Ravage]] (5)
* [[Buzzsaw (G1)| Buzzsaw]] (14)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)| Laserbeak]] (15)
* [[Soundwave (G1)| Soundwave]] (16)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)| Thundercracker]] (20)
* [[Tornado]] (21)
* [[Earthquake (G1)| Earthquake]] (22)

</td><td style="background:antiquewhite" valign="top">
* [[Major Gordon]] (11)

</td></tr></table>
==Errors==
* [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] is shown to be among the Autobots but is never seen again until he appears in further [[Marvel UK]] stories alongside [[Hot Rod|Rodimus Prime]] and the other [[The Transformers: The Movie|post-Movie]] characters, beginning with the [[Time Wars]] story arc.

==Items of note==
* This was the first Transformers to be written by [[Simon Furman]]. He has gone on record as saying that he does not think much of this early work and does not wish to see it reprinted, which may explain the story’s absence from the [[Titan Books]] reprints.
* Like "[[Man of Iron!]]" and "Raiders of the Last Ark", it is unclear where this story fits in the Marvel UK continuity. It was originally printed between "[[The Last Stand]]" and "[[The New Order]]", when the Autobots and Decepticons were deactivated after [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave’s]] arrival. It is generally assumed to take place somewhere in US issue [[Prisoner of War!|#3]] or [[The Last Stand|#4]], as the Decepticons' encounter with [[Spider-Man]] is mentioned.

==Back-Up Stories==
'''Issue #13:'''

* [[Machine Man]] - "Kill Me or Cure Me" Part 4
* [[Matt and the Cat]]
* [[Chromobots]]

'''Issue #14:'''

* Machine Man - "Kill Me or Cure Me" Part 5
* Matt and the Cat
* Chromobots

'''Issue #15:'''

* Machine Man - "Arms and the Robot" Part 1
* Matt and the Cat
* Chromobots
* [[Robo-Capers]]
* [[Tales from the Fact Files]] - "Trapped Beneath the Waves!"

'''Issue #16:'''

* Machine Man - "Arms and the Robot" Part 2
* Matt and the Cat
* Chromobots
* Robo-Capers
* [[Planet Terry]]

'''Issue #17:'''

* Machine Man - "Arms and the Robot" Part 3
* Matt and the Cat
* Chromobots
* Robo-Capers
* Planet Terry
* Tales from the Fact Files - "The Truth about Alcatraz"

==Reprints==
* This story was reprinted in the ''Transformers Special 1986 ([[Collected Comics (Marvel)|Collected Comics]]'' #4). The story was now printed in full colour and was given a new cover.
*The story was reprinted again in full colour in issues #308-309 & #313-317 of the regular comic. The reprint was interrupted when the plan to give the comic a permanent extra four pages was dropped and there was no room to carry both the reprint and the back-up strip ''Machine Man'' in the same issues.

==Covers (13)==
<table class="gallery" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tr>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 13px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;">[[MarvelUK-013.jpg|<img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/f/f4/MarvelUK-013.jpg/88px-MarvelUK-013.jpg" width="88" height="119" border="0" />]]</div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
'''Issue #13''' - Let's get rrready to Frrrenzy!

</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 13px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;">[[MarvelUK-014 COVER.JPG|<img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/f/f7/MarvelUK-014_COVER.JPG/90px-MarvelUK-014_COVER.JPG" width="90" height="120" border="0" />]]</div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
'''Issue #14''' - "With a mind like yours, I'd try the land crab."

</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 13px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;">[[MarvelUK-015 COVER.JPG|<img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/0/07/MarvelUK-015_COVER.JPG/89px-MarvelUK-015_COVER.JPG" width="89" height="120" border="0" />]]</div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
'''Issue #15''' - Either Starscream has shrunk, or Brawn has grown.

</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 13px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;">[[MarvlUK-016 COVER.JPG|<img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/4/4a/MarvlUK-016_COVER.JPG/89px-MarvlUK-016_COVER.JPG" width="89" height="119" border="0" />]]</div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
'''Issue #16''' - Geronimoooo!

</div>
</div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 13px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;">[[MarvelUK-017 COVER.JPG|<img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/d/de/MarvelUK-017_COVER.JPG/90px-MarvelUK-017_COVER.JPG" width="90" height="120" border="0" />]]</div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
'''Issue #17''' - Is it just me, or is Megatron going bald?

</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 13px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;">[[CollectedComics4Cover.jpg|<img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/8/81/CollectedComics4Cover.jpg/91px-CollectedComics4Cover.jpg" width="91" height="120" border="0" />]]</div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
'''Collected Comics #4'''

</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 13px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;">[[MarvelUK-308.jpg|<img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/5/51/MarvelUK-308.jpg/90px-MarvelUK-308.jpg" width="90" height="120" border="0" />]]</div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
'''Issue #308'''

</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 13px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;">[[MarvelUK-309.jpg|<img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/b/b5/MarvelUK-309.jpg/91px-MarvelUK-309.jpg" width="91" height="120" border="0" />]]</div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
'''Issue #309'''

</div>
</div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 13px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;">[[MarvelUK-313.jpg|<img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/1/1b/MarvelUK-313.jpg/90px-MarvelUK-313.jpg" width="90" height="120" border="0" />]]</div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
'''Issue #313'''

</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 13px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;">[[MarvelUK-314.jpg|<img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/c/c6/MarvelUK-314.jpg/90px-MarvelUK-314.jpg" width="90" height="120" border="0" />]]</div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
'''Issue #314'''

</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 13px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;">[[MarvelUK-315.jpg|<img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/f/f8/MarvelUK-315.jpg/90px-MarvelUK-315.jpg" width="90" height="120" border="0" />]]</div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
'''Issue #315'''

</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 13px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;">[[MarvelUK-316.jpg|<img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/6/67/MarvelUK-316.jpg/90px-MarvelUK-316.jpg" width="90" height="119" border="0" />]]</div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
'''Issue #316''' - Colour your own Transformers!

</div>
</div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 13px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;">[[MarvelUK-317.jpg|<img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/f/fb/MarvelUK-317.jpg/90px-MarvelUK-317.jpg" width="90" height="120" border="0" />]]</div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
'''Issue #317''' - [[Emirate Xaaron]] impersonates [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]].

</div>
</div></td>
</tr>
</table>
* '''Issue #13 cover:''' Brawn giving Sideswipe a suplex, by [[John Ridgway]].
* '''Issue #14 cover:''' Brawn & Optimus Prime, by [[Mike Collins]].
* '''Issue #15 cover:''' Starscream vs. Brawn, by Mike Collins.
* '''Issue #16 cover:''' Brawn vs. Starscream, by Mike Collins.
* '''Issue #17 cover:''' Laughing Megatron, by Mike Collins.
* '''Collected Comics #4 cover:''' Starscream vs the Decepticons & Brawn vs the Autobots, by [[Will Simpson]].
* '''Issue #308 cover:''' [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] chokes [[Mindwipe]], by [[Stephen Baskerville]], [[Leslie Dalton]] and [[Robin Bouttell]].
* ''' Issue #309 cover:''' Ratchet/Megatron fusion, by [[Frances Farmer]].
* ''' Issue #313 cover:''' Shockwave's troops, by [[Stewart Johnson]] and Robin Bouttell.
* ''' Issue #314 cover:''' [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] vs Shockwave, by [[Andrew Wildman]] and Robin Bouttell.
* ''' Issue #315 cover:''' [[Circuit Breaker]] vs Scorponok, by Andrew Wildman and Robin Bouttell.
* ''' Issue #316 cover:''' Scorponok, Shockwave and Prime are transported to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] while the [[Neo-Knights]] watch, by Andrew Wildman.
* ''' Issue #317 cover:''' [[Emirate Xaaron]] as servant of [[Primus]], by Andrew Wildman and Robin Bouttell.

[[Category:Marvel UK issues]]

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The Enemy Within!