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Talk:Earthforce

2009-09-18T20:23:37Z

F-Cuzz:

Yeah. This article is... sufficient? Maybe? Someone else should take a look at it. The subject's just a little too daunting for me, but I tried. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 19:55, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

:I wanna argue about Earthforce continuity!
:Marvel UK's big Thing was that Time Wars created a new, subtually altered timeline (resulting in the Marvel US stories.)
:In that timeline, Unicron arrives in 1991. I think it's clear that in Earthforce Unicron is still coming- but slated to arrive in 2005. This is the events leaving up the Marvel UK's movie-era stories. "We lost the Matrix, Unicron is coming... but he's still 15 years off."
:In which case- there really AREN'T any continuity errors in Earthforce Per-Se... they're just Earth 2 stories, continuing the old universe while the new post-crisis one is running in a splashier fashion. There's some wobbley-ness about just when the break point is, which I think accounts for all the really odd stuff.
:Disagreements? -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 23:11, 6 December 2006 (UTC)
::That's a nice fantheory, but I don't think it has any relevance. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 23:13, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

:::So in other words- "Unless you have the time to go back and find page-and-pannel references to support this idea, I don't want to wast time discussing it."
:::...fair enough. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 23:18, 6 December 2006 (UTC)
::::The other huge problem with this is, simply, that Earthforce has stories leading into it -- starting with "Survivors" that work perfectly in US continuity... until Earthforce interfers. Basically, you're talking bullsnot.
::::The EArthforce stories clearly aren't trying to form a seperate continuity -- for example, in "Apsects of Evil" Scorponok is stalked by the Micromaster Air Strike patrol, because Furman knows that they belong to Megatron, as per his early US Stories. He also makes reference to the upcoming Decepticon Civil War. But Megatron's DEAD by the time the Civil War takes place -- sorta. He creates ECHOS of what's going to happen.
::::I think maybe Earthforce, as a term for the divergent continuity, should have its own page -- seperated from Earthforce the team. That way it can be discussed a little more comprehensively. Though I think what you've got there is pretty damn good, Walky.[[User:Jhiaxus|Jhiaxus]] 23:23, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

==Polar bears==
I know of the trivia, but I don't have a source I can cite for it. Uh. Anybody remember? Hopefully? --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 06:05, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
:Found it! The opening background text in the Prey TPB covers this. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 08:37, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

== Which issues are Earthforce? ==

Exactly which issues are Earthforce issues, all UK issues from [[Starting Over!|261]] on? - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 17:21, 14 April 2009 (EDT)
:Yep. You could probably include the [[Perchance to Dream|preceding six]], too. - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 17:23, 14 April 2009 (EDT)

==Continuity and Legacy Sections==
I just completely overhauled the section on Continuity. The previous basically just provided a Straw Man argument against reconciling Earthforce into the mainline continuity...saying the only way it would fit is some kind of (illogical) concurrent story approach. I think I covered all of the serious approaches to dealing with the Earthforce continuity. If these approaches have proper names, please change it. Also, I'm sure there are plenty of errors, omissions, and typos in what I wrote. I tried to cite the thing like crazy...probably to a fault. Also put in the Legacy section, which has some good arguments for what adding Earthforce to the continuity adds to the story as a whole. I definitely recommend somebody change the caption on the picture. While I didn't want it to reflect the concurrent story approach by claiming characters to be in two places, I also couldn't think of anything funny to say for some reason. [[User:F-Cuzz|F-Cuzz]] 01:36, 17 September 2009 (EDT)
:How about the ''correct'' approach? The comics are fairly clear, and the Letter Page make it even clearer. (Of course, if you've read the Earthforce run via TPB's, that make the continuity harder to see than reading them in the order they were published.) Note for clarity: There is not fandom consensus on this, this is just Derik calling everyone else's view dumb. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 02:48, 17 September 2009 (EDT)
::I definitely have not read the letters pages. If they specifically supported the Alternate Reality Approach, then please add it to that section. I had assumed anything officially putting Earthforce in another dimension would have been included in the Continuity Problems page that previously existed. As you stated, it doesn't stop the alternate theories in the Fandom from existing![[User:F-Cuzz|F-Cuzz]] 15:48, 18 September 2009 (EDT)

Earthforce

2009-09-18T20:22:38Z

F-Cuzz: Removed Octane stuff...

:''Earthforce is a group of [[Earth]]-stationed [[Autobot]]s in the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Earthforce.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Fighting crime in a never time!]]

'''Earthforce''' is the name of a cell of [[Autobot]]s commanded by [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and stationed on [[Earth]] to counter the rising threats of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and their respective armies. Grimlock formed his group as a reaction to [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s command regimen, which he interprets as weak and counterproductive to ending the [[Decepticon]] menace.

Earthforce's base of operations is in northern [[Canada]]. They get into lots of not-so-serious hijinks.

{{note|More importantly, it's the source of a huge continuity trainwreck in the latter issues of the Marvel Comics UK series.}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics UK continuity===
[[Image:Prowllittlemen.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Ratchet, Sunstreaker 
Way before Groundbreaker 
There was Huffer and Mirage 
And Bumblebee in Spike's garage 
I still kick it old school 
Don't tell me that I'm so uncool 
Or that I'm too absorbed 
With 19, 19, 1984.]]

After [[Galvatron (G1)#Other versions of Galvatron|Galvatron]] ''(uh, one of them)'' revived [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], and [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] on the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], intent on mind-controlling them, they rebelled and sealed Galvatron away in the Ark's medbay. {{storylink|Perchance to Dream}} As [[Unicron]] neared [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] dispatched Wheeljack and Prowl to the [[Arizona]] desert to investigate Decepticon activity. Musing about the simplicity of the old days, they stumbled across [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], and the [[Stunticon]]s, deep into a plan to detonate Earth's atmosphere and convert it into [[Energon (fuel)|Energon]]. {{storylink|Starting Over!}}

Meanwhile, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] were ambushed by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], and the [[Battlecharger]]s, demanding to know how Grimlock was able to revive them without using the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]]. In the middle of the Dinobots' retaliation, Optimus Prime interrupted them angrily, asking them to be mindful of the humans' civilization and to adhere to the [[Autobot Code]]. {{storylink|Two Steps Back!}}

Back on the Ark, Grimlock once again announced his dissatisfaction with Prime's leadership and threatened to take his Dinobots and leave the Autobots for good. Optimus Prime dismissed Grimlock's behavior as a tantrum, prompting a battle between the two that ended in stalemate. Conceding to Grimlock partially, Optimus Prime allowed Grimlock to be the Autobot Commander on Earth, so long as he played less rough than usual. A group of Autobots entered the room and announced that Prowl and Wheeljack had foiled Megatron's plan to detonate a deadly heat-trapping gas in Earth's atmosphere, but were in danger and needed backup. With Prime's blessing, these Autobots joined the Dinobots to form the Earthforce. {{storylink|Break-Away!}}

Ironhide and Bumblebee found and destroyed a partially-constructed duplicate Devastator, under construction because the Constructicons had lost the ability to combine. {{storylink|Desert Island Risks!}} Jazz and Sunstreaker, meanwhile, found that Prowl had neutralized the gas days ago and was enjoying the relaxed pace of south Louisiana. {{storylink|Life in the Slow Lane}}

Prowl later followed Megatron back in time to the era of the [[Underbase Saga]], to stop him from recruiting the Seacons to his cause. {{storylink|Flashback!}} After few minor altercations {{storylink|Snow Fun!}} {{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}} and incidents {{storylink|Mystery!}}, several of the team managed to disrupt the Decepticons' [[Enclave]], preventing their splintered enemies from uniting. {{storylink|The Bad Guy's Ball!}} They then joined up with the [[Survivors]] to help them back up Carnivac's solo attack on the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]]; they took the surviving Mayhems prisoner, and welcomed Carnivac into their ranks. {{storylink|Where Wolf?}}

[[Image:Earthforce house that wheeljack built.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Prowl decides who to pick next for his kickball team]]
The [[Decepticon Civil War]] continued, but Soundwave and Starscream both began working against their alleged commanders - Soundwave even had Megatron lured into an ambush. {{storylink|Secrets}} {{storylink|Bugged!}} They set up a clash between Megatron and Shockwave, then let the Autobots attack them while they took control of the Decepticon factions and united them into a single army under dual leadership (both plotting to backstab the other later). {{storylink|Internal Affairs!}} The Autobots fortified their headquarters, though a flaw in their design caused them to temporarily switch the defences off, {{storylink|The House that Wheeljack Built!}} thus leaving them vulnerable to a massed Decepticon assault. The Autobots foiled the plot, partly due to the Survivors' presence, and Soundwave took the opportunity to mention to the Decepticons "look how bad Starscream's plan was, clearly I should be in charge!". {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}}

Optimus Prime came to Autobot Earthbase for an ill-timed inspection visit, just as Slag was driven to run wild by a cerebral circuit flaw, causing many hijinks as the other Dinobots struggled to keep his condition secret from the Autobot leader. {{storylink|The 4,000,000 Year Itch!}} Prime also inspected the base's "bodyshop", which was used to reanimate the long-inert Tracks (over Grimlock's violent protests). {{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}} After Prime's visit, the imprisoned Mayhem Squaddies managed to escape, viciously injuring Inferno in the process. {{storylink|Shut Up!}}

The Decepticon Civil War flared up again when Megatron & Shockwave put out a contract on Starscream's head, knowing he'd blame Soundwave and go after him - and either they or their assassins could finish off whoever remained and take control of their armies again. The plan failed when the Autobots got involved: Snarl had fallen ill with Corrodia Gravis and with Starscream as the only compatible Transformer who could provide Snarl with the needed circuit-boost, Grimlock was required to order his troops to protect Starscream from his enemies. {{storylink|Assassins}} {{storylink|External Forces!}} {{storylink|The Lesser Evil}} Eventually, Snarl's body gave out regardless, requiring drastic measures to save his life. {{storylink|Destiny of the Dinobots!}} ''Note: This story cannot happen if you consider Earthforce to happen in a Continuity that leads to the [[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|American G2]]. See the [[Earthforce#Continuity|Continuity Section]] for more details.''

When Bombshell implanted a cerebro shell to send Superion on a rampage, the Autobots recruited a human reporter to get the shell out. {{storylink|Inside Story!}} They gladly gave him a tour of their base and full interviews in gratitude, but another cerebro shell ensured that the story he wrote painted the Autobots in a negative light. {{storylink|End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road!}}

At some point, with the Matrix still lost and a Decepticon alliance ruined beyond repair, Optimus decided to search for the original site of the [[Underbase]] - having discovered it was linked into the centre of Cybertron and thus to [[Primus]], they intended to use the site to tap into Primus' energies and use it as a substitute for the Matrix against Unicron. Six of the team were either called in or had already rejoined Prime's main force aboard the Ark, and were dispatched to the [[Acid Wastes]] to search. There they came into conflict with the mad Decepticon known as [[Megadeath]]. Facing up to personal demons, they defeated him and found the Underbase site. {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}}

==Continuity==
Part of an attempt to help sell Europe's [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] line of reissues, the Earthforce stories, black and white backup material for the issue's "main" story, intentionally harken back to the simpler era of ''Transformers''' early years. Although the stories were independent material, they often included tie-ins to the main story with references to such topics as [[Unicron]] approaching and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock's]] attempts to revive his comrades. However, many of these tie-ins were referred to in advance of them actually occurring in the continuity proper. It appears to the reader that writer [[Simon Furman]] knew vaguely what was going to happen in the future of the comic, so he wrote these stories with references to these future events.

Simon Furman has since stated that a key part of the problem was that due to publishing deadlines, the altered format of the UK comic and the shorter US stories, he found that attempts to write UK strips tying into the concurrent US stories proved near impossible as the UK comic kept interrupting the US strips with reprints of old UK stories in order to widen the gap in publishing. This in turn meant that the UK stories often pre-empted upcoming surprises in the US strips. Consequently he abandoned efforts to tie the two strips together.<ref name="fumint1">'''Question''' Why do you feel continuity suffered more instead of less, between Marvel UK and US when you took over the US book? "The problem was, we were badly out of synch with the US material reprints by the time I was also writing the US comic. I was trying my hardest to craft semi-crossover stories (like the [[Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer two-parter]] with [[Dark Creation|US #65]]) and then the UK comic would run a batch of old UK reprint material and completely throw it out. I realised I was making matters worse (and more confusing) and not better, and pretty much stopped trying to directly tie the two together. [http://transfans.net/interviews_furman.php TransFans.net - Interviews: Simon Furman - Part 1 'The Past'].</ref> He has since stated that even he finds it hard to place the Earthforce stories.<ref name="fumint2">"...because (if I’m brutally honest) I didn't try too hard to make it work in the first place. By that point, I was just trying to tell a bunch of fun UK stories that didn’t necessarily impact on the larger (US) storyline. How was I to know 15 or so years later people would be trying to reconcile it all?" Ibid.</ref> Largely this has been considered a [[pseudocanon]] revelation that the Earthforce Saga as irreconcilable with the main [[Marvel Comics continuity]]. Based on these quotes, the stories were obviously ''[[Authorial intent|intended]]'' to fit into the continuity, but any approach to make this a reality has problems. There are typically two ways fans use to look at the saga in their own [[personal canon]]: either it happens in an alternate reality or it happens in the mainline.

==Alternate Reality Approach==
This approach declares that the stories take place in the [[The Transformers: The Movie|Movie]] timeline(but turned in a different direction by the fact that the [[Primal Scream (issue)|Primal Scream]] is a multiversal singularity.{{storylink|Vector Prime: In the Beginning}}), and the [[Marvel Comics continuity]] is an alternate universe that was created as a result of the [[Time Wars]]. By splitting prior to the [[Underbase Saga]], this theory solves nearly all problems with resolving character status and appearances. The only major problem with this approach is that it leaves a loose end with the [[Survivors]]. Before Earthforce started and when US-UK continuity was still around, there was a storyline of the Mayhem Attack Squad hunting down Decepticon defectors Carnivac and Catilla.{{storylink|The Hunting Party}} Bludgeon killed Catilla and an enraged Carnivac swore vengeance. But he got the vengeance... during the Earthforce stories, with the Earthforce cast playing a role in the final story {{storylink|Where Wolf?}} and Carnivac joining them afterwards. So... does this mean Carnivac didn't get his revenge in the non-Earthforce timeline? Or did he get it differently? Or was it pretty much the same (off-panel), but with the US cast instead of the Earthforce cast? One approach to tying up this loose end is to consider [[The Hunting Party]] and the [[Way of the Warrior]] storyline to also only happen in the Earthforce continuity.

==Mainline Approaches==
All other approaches involve integrating Earthforce into the [[Marvel Comics continuity]]. The goal would be a continuity that would encompass both Earthforce and the [[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|American G2]]. Several of the characters that appear in Earthforce are supposed to be [[Death|dead]] or near to it in any such approach. There are several methods of resurrection offered during the course of the saga:
* [[Nucleon]] - [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] are revealed to have been restored to life without the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]]. [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], lacking a method of resurrection himself, tried to learn this method from Grimlock. While Nucleon is never once mentioned in Earthforce, a footnote specifies the details of Grimlock's method will be revealed in "an upcoming U.S. story."{{storylink|Two Steps Back!}} The only method of resurrection ever used by Grimlock in a U.S. story is Nucleon.{{storylink|The Price of Life!}} Nucleon can also heal the Aerialbots in the After the [[End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!]] Approach, as that would follow Grimlock giving it to them prior to [[On the Edge of Extinction!]]
* [[Galvatron II|Galvatron's]] Mind Probes - As an unintended side-effect, Galvatron's probes reactivate Autobots [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], and [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]. It may also have resurrected the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] behind the scenes, although this is not implied.{{storylink|Perchance to Dream}}
* A "Computer programmed to recreate the deactivated warriors in their life pods" - No Transformers were explicitly stated to come back through this method. The fact that [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] had an expectation for it to work implies that somebody had been revived with it. This is very likely the method used to bring back at least some of the Aerialbots...assuming they were on [[Tracks (G1)|the list]].{{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}}
* The "ACU" - The previous computer possibly just fixes minds, but the ACU is shown to fix (or [[Grimlock (G1)|unfix]]) physical bodies. [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] is shown to be rebuilt using this.{{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}}
* The Flashback Doorway - Not a way of bringing somebody back to life, per se, but the only method it is suggested the Decepticons had. Basically, Decepticons about to die would be rescued from death and taken offline in hiding until they could be collected and reactivated in the present. Potentially the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], the [[Triple Changer|Decepticon Triple Changers]], and the [[Battlecharger|Battlechargers]] are brought back this way. As all of these Decepticons ended up under [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave's]] leadership, it would make more sense that Shockwave used it to recruit the above members. This is something of a paradox with the Battlechargers, as they were shown prior to Shockwave having a method of resurrection. It is possible Megatron rescued all of the above and more (potentially including the [[Stunticon|Stunticons]], the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], the [[Conehead|Coneheads]], and the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]], all of whom are implied to be dead after the [[Underbase Saga]] but are not explicitly shown dying), but several of them defected to Shockwave's group. The defectors would have told Shockwave that Megatron had a method of bringing fallen soldiers back to life, and in an arms race Shockwave would try to also obtain a method of resurrection for himself.{{storylink|Two Steps Back!}} The Flashback Doorway is only depicted in an attempt to resurrect the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]], and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] causes it to fail. Megatron then loses possession of the Doorway.{{storylink|Flashback!}}
There are three common ways to attempt to integrate Earthforce into the mainline stories:
===After the [[End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!]] Approach===
One common placement is to have the stories take place following the series proper. While this approach is plausible, it is not consistent with [[authorial intent]]. As such, there are several events which would have to happen without any implication as to how or why in the source material:
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] has somehow become a [[Powermaster]] again, even though he would no longer be able to bond with [[Hi-Q]].
* [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] has no opportunity to get kicked out of [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok's]] crew for trying to control him. The only possible explanation is that he has gone crazy (not the worst assumption based on his plan...).{{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}} In that case his ramblings could either refer to a former fight with Scorponok, or they could also be nothing more than ramblings.
* [[Unicron]] has somehow returned to life after his defeat in [[On the Edge of Extinction!]]. Apparently this resurrection occurred at least as far away from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] as where he was when he heard [[Primal Scream (issue)|Primus's cry]], if not farther. Déjà vu!
* The [[Survivors]] manage to get back to Earth and form into a group again.
* The [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] is back in the air {{storylink|Perchance to Dream}} and down by G2{{storylink|Realignments}}.
* [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] somehow lost his leadership, then he did not play a major part in a [[Decepticon Civil War]] (other than a single [[External Forces!|solicited assassination attempt]]), then ended up leader again. On the flip side, this could explain why Bludgeon seems to have his own island base,{{storylink|Cry Wolf!}} and it could also represent a subtle approach to the Civil War where one just sits back and feeds the in-fighting. [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], a tactician, felt a "subtle takeover" would work well with [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]].{{storylink|Surrender!}} Maybe Bludgeon determined the same about these Decepticon factions.
* [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] and [[Cloudburst]] would need resurrected after the [[On the Edge of Extinction!|battle with Unicron]].

===The Gap Approach===
The story takes place at a specific point in the series. That place is ''extremely'' specific -- between US#[[The Price of Life!|70]]-[[Surrender!|71]]. This placement puts [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] out of limbo (although not in a whole lot better of shape){{storylink|The Price of Life!}}. [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] has not arrived at [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] yet. [[Unicron]] is still has a "great" distance left until he gets to Cybertron. [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] has already recruited several members, but he has not yet revealed himself to Scorponok.{{storylink|Eye of the Storm!}} [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] has already acquired [[Nucleon]]{{storylink|The Price of Life!}} but has not yet implied he would bring any back with him. He has not felt any negative effects yet, either.{{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} Also, [[Surrender!]] leads directly into [[On the Edge of Extinction!]] without pause, so it must occur before then if at all during the series. This placement is the only logical placement that also seems to follow [[authorial intent]].

For the story to fit here, one must infer that there is a larger gap between these two stories than is suggested in the material. Nothing in the stories themselves specifically implies or refutes the existence of a time gap. There are several problems posed by putting Earthforce into this gap (and just having a gap):
* [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] was specifically sent to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] by [[Unicron]].{{storylink|Eye of the Storm!}} It does not seem to fit into Unicron's plans for Galvatron to make a stop on Earth first. Additionally, if it goes against Unicron's plans why was Galvatron not punished? Also, how or when does he escape? Where are [[Hook, Line, and Sinker]] during all of this? There has also been some fan debate as to [[Galvatron (G1)#Other_versions_of_Galvatron|which Galvatron]] this actually is. That would also place Galvatron II in the same limbo as Hook, Line, and Sinker during this period (or a several month assault on Cybertron?).
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] was in a coma on the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] during this period with his mind bound to that of [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]](and that is the best state he is in to appear in Earthforce between US#59-80!). How does he escape, how is he repaired, and why is Ratchet not an issue?
** As to his escape, it is possible that whenever [[Spinister]] and [[Needlenose]] broke free that they took him as well. Also, if [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]] and [[Windsweeper]] escaped as well, their history with Megatron is one of respect making them likely to rescue him.{{storylink|The Flames of Boltax!}}{{storylink|The Fall and Rise of the Decepticon Empire}} This does not explain how he was healed and had no problems with the link to Ratchet. This could (almost) explain the Decepticon line-up in [[Trigger-Happy!]] and would potentially bring it into the Earthforce continuity. Still would need to get [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]], [[Quake (G1)|Quake]], and [[Trigger-Happy!#Errors|bizarro-Scoop]] there somehow. And get rid of all of them afterwards (except Needlenose and Spinister). Okay, it is more complicated than that. Just see [[Trigger-Happy!]] for all of the nuances of bringing that story into the main timeline.
** All three questions be explained by use of the time machine, but this directly conflicts with the link to Ratchet still existing in ''[[A Savage Circle]]'' It is possible the link to Ratchet only causes confusion in Megatron when Ratchet is online. Likewise starting with the [[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|G.I.Joe lead-in to Generation 2]] it seems that [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] is proven wrong about how the link between Ratchet and Megatron works.
* On the flipside, how does Megatron get reinjured and recaptured?
* The ability to use the [[Underbase]] site to defeat [[Unicron]] is explored.{{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}} Obviously this does not turn out to be a viable option in [[Surrender!]].
** This is not exactly a contradiction. [[The Magnificent Six!]] is a very open-ended story, and it does not paint a very optimistic picture. The word "desperately" comes up in the description of the mission. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] does not think it is a slam dunk. He says, "''If'' we ''could'' tap that source of energy, it ''may'' act as a substitute for the Matrix force..." The story ends with them arriving at the site. Their mission could fail for any number of reasons:
*** The Decepticons had occupied the area for at least 4 million years. They were obviously creating new warriors from somewhere, and they were never depicted having a [[Matrix Flame]]. It is possible they leeched the area dry.
*** The poisonous atmosphere or the inhabitants of the [[Acid Wastes]] may have corrupted the Primus energies, much like the Matrix itself can be corrupted.{{storylink|All Fall Down (issue)}}
*** The well or flow to it may have been blown up by the blast of tons of [[Megadeath|neutron bombs]].
*** Seems like if you have access to his [[Primal Scream (issue)|face]] you could tap into [[Primus|Primus's]] powers, too. Speaking of which, wouldn't these have been the same powers that Primus/[[Emirate Xaaron]] tapped into? How did that one turn out?{{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
** [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] suggests [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] surrendered without pursuing other options.{{storylink|Surrender!}} At the very least, he attempted to harness the power of the [[Underbase]] site.{{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}} Perhaps this was a secret mission so as to not get anybody's hopes up?
* In "the Magnificent Six!" Prime also states that the "chances of an alliance with the Decepticons [are] wrecked beyond all hope of salvage." The source material actually provides all of the pieces that would explain this conclusion:
# Optimus Prime was preparing to surrender to [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] in [[Eye of the Storm!]]
# [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] prefered a "subtle takeover" of Scorponok's forces. He also knew that an Autobot surrender would strengthen the image of Scorponok.{{storylink|Surrender!}}
# [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] and [[Triggerhappy]] were working for Shockwave,{{storylink|Eye of the Storm!}} but Mindwipe's dialogue in [[the Living Nightlights!]] strongly implies he went back. This effectively makes him (and possibly Triggerhappy) a double-agent.
# Mindwipe was kicked out of Scorponok's crew because he was using his hypnotic powers on Scorponok.{{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}}
:Basically, this strongly implies that Mindwipe was preventing the surrender from happening as part of Shockwave's larger plan. Prime's leadership was already in doubt, and this would lead to further dissent in his ranks.{{storylink|The Price of Life!}} Prime searches for some other answer that may stop Unicron without the Decepticons.{{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}} In Prime's last attempt at surrender Scorponok accepts, mostly because Mindwipe was kicked out of his group.{{storylink|Surrender!}}{{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}}
* A large number of Decepticons who participated in Earthforce completely vanish between the Earthforce [[End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road]] and G2. By process of elimination, only [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] would be left to lead them. If they are still loyal to Soundwave, that would explain why none of them show up in G2 until [[The Gathering Darkness]], which is when Soundwave first becomes active in G2. Soundwave still had a high rank in Scorponok's army,{{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} implying he was a double agent throughout Earthforce. He would be the logical choice for the Decepticon who ratted out [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] as well.{{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}}
* Grimlock and several members of the Earthforce team show up in "[[On the Edge of Extinction!]]" when the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] arrives from Earth with reinforcements. [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] mentions they are all freshly returned from near-[[death]] by [[Nucleon]], but all of the characters were in good condition in their last Earthforce appearances. Not all of those pictured participated in the open-ended [[The Magnificent Six!]] which could have included more fighting. Where were several members of the Earthforce injured? Perhaps the others were injured when [[Hook, Line, and Sinker]] retrieve [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] from the Ark (assuming such an event happens), but there is nothing in the source material to support or contradict this idea. This attack would also lead into Grimlock's second trip to [[Hydrus Four]] (the one where he starts to feel the effects of the [[Nucleon]]), this time bringing proper equipment to transport Nucleon back to the Ark. The other [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] were also apparently damaged in the battle based on the dialogue on Hydrus Four.{{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}}
* [[Zarak (Nebulan)|Lord Zarak]] refers to [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] and [[Triggerhappy]] as deserters who would come crawling back. Mindwipe was thrown out in Earthforce.{{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}} Perhaps it was specifically Soundwave that kicked him out without telling Scorponok. If Mindwipe eventually found that out, it would give him more motivation to later single him out in the fight.{{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}}
* While [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] are never established to know who hired them in [[External Forces!]], they certainly would have seen Soundwave cooperating with the rebels at some point when they were trying to kill him! It may be their mercenary code prevents them from sharing information from other clients' jobs, even with Scorponok?
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] acts like he was experiencing giving orders for the first time, although he was co-leader of the combined earth forces in Earthforce.{{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} Interestingly, in [[Surrender!]] he is established as a co-leader with [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], maybe giving an insight into what kind of a truce it took to bring the two back together. Also interesting is that Starscream's recap in that issue covering from [[The Human Factor!]] onward does not contradict Earthforce or the gap.
* Not a problem, but [[Break-Away!]] would establish [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] as surviving [[Thunderwing (G1)|Lord Thunderwing's]] blast in [[All Fall Down (issue)|All Fall Down]].

===[[personal canon|Personal Canon]] Approach===
The story is not one single story but several. Each piece can be accepted or rejected as the [[personal canon|reader chooses]]. The order of the stories themselves may also change, too. The major drawback is that no consensus could be formed as to where to draw such conclusions. Some examples of this approach:
* [[Perchance to Dream]] could happen after the end of the series, while it can be assumed the rest occurs in the US#70-71 gap. Autobots in Perchance were revived for Earthforce by [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] using [[Nucleon]]. This would allow for the appearance of [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] without contradiction.
* Using a similar approach to "After the End of the Road", if your personal canon believes the story [[The Living Nightlights!]] is too contradictory, it can be removed.

==Legacy==
There are several references and nods made in later stories back to Earthforce, and if the Earthforce (or similar) events happen in continuity then there are many lasting effects:
[[Image:Grimlockwasthatwise.jpg|left|thumb|300px|"Me Grimlock no see [[Makin' Tracks!|Tracks]]. We have a chance!"]]
* Several members of the Earthforce team are shown joining the battle with [[Unicron]]. Though the presence of most of them could be explained by the need to push their [[Action Master]] toys (and it seems to be the only reason [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] is there, as he was not an Earthforce character), the appearances of Skids, Ironhide, Silverbolt, and especially Sunstreaker are conspicuous, considering the Earthforce stories. (Sunstreaker's only prominent use in the Marvel Comics was in Earthforce. He was offline for most of it otherwise.)
* Assuming the Gap Approach, Earthforce seems like a logical step in the development of [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] as a leader. Without the stories he skips straight from the megalomaniac from [[Totaled!]] to a fairly serious (though unorthodox) leader in [[Still Life!]]. Spending time as a highly rebellious leader who is both stern and goofy makes it feel like his characters goes through a higher level of development.
** Likewise, Earthforce was the first depicted time where [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and Grimlock worked closely together. Grimlock could only otherwise have drawn his conclusions while he was sitting around wasting time prior to [[Prime Time!]] (assuming none of the UK continuity happens!), or during the brief period between [[Second Generation!]] and [[In the National Interest]]. Prowl is never depicted as having a position on King Grimlock's "court"{{storylink|Spacehikers!}}{{storylink|Totaled!}} or exercising any authority during Grimlock's period as King. The dynamic between the two during and after Unicron suggests that a history exists between them.{{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}{{storylink|Still Life!}}
* [[Escalation!]] seems to be an homage to Earthforce. All members of Earthforce are present except [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]](who wasn't officially a member to keep up his street cred), [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], and [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]. None of those characters appear in G2 except for Wheeljack (who is mostly in the role of a science officer) and Tracks. For those who think missing five is significant, that still leaves ''seventeen'' out of twenty-two. [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] may have been a fill-in, as he appears in a scene that otherwise had nothing but former Earthforce members. Ironically, he is killed because he is not acting as a unit with the rest of his group. Also, to nod to their [[Wrecker]] herritage (and because this is G2), several of the members die in this issue.
* [[Runabout]] and [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] showing up alive and established as working with [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] is consistent with Earthforce. In fact, they do not show up in the [[Marvel Comics continuity]] until immediately after Earthforce ends under the Gap Approach.{{storylink|Surrender!}} Without Earthforce there is no explanation, implicit or explicit, suggested for their return in the US comics. Of course, that doesn't prevent a mysterious return from the death for one later...{{storylink|Still Life!}}{{storylink|New Dawn}}
* The Decepticon line-up in [[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|Generation 2]] after Megatron takes over (not counting [[Laser Rod|Laser Rods]], [[Rotor Force]], and [[Darkwing]], of course) very quickly morphs into almost the same one from Earthforce. Only the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] did not appear in Earthforce, and only the latter two are alive without any kind of hint at an explanation.
** Also, [[Wildrider]] definitely dies during Earthforce, and he is the only [[Stunticon]] who never shows up during G2.{{storylink|Secrets}}
** Megatron explicitly fails to revive the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]] in Earthforce, and they do not show up in G2.{{storylink|Flashback!}}.
** The [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] and [[Triple Changer|Decepticon Triple Changers]] specifically died during the [[Underbase Saga]], and they are all back alive both here and in G2.
** [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] is still alive in G2, which is consistent with UK stories in general. Not very consistent with being Dirge, though!

==Trivia==
* According to the ''[[Prey]]'' trade paperback collection, Earthforce is stationed in northern Canada because [[Simon Furman]] really likes [[Polar Claw|polar bears]]. This is why there's one drawn in nearly every establishing shot.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Continuities]]

Talk:Total War!

2009-09-18T20:21:29Z

F-Cuzz:

Octane is listed as making a cameo as a corpse, but I seriously don't see him. Assuming the cameo list is in order, there are only three panels set on the Warworld between Ramhorn and Roller's appearance (unless a page is missing from my copy). The only thing I see that resembles Octane on those three panels is a crystal...a crystal that more closely resembles the crystals growing out of the stand the Matrix is on than anything else. Is that it, or am I missing something? Unless it was confirmed in an interview or a letter page, I would like to downgrade this to "Octane?" and make the language more ambiguous as to whether it was him or not in the Items of Note and on Octane's page.[[User:F-Cuzz|F-Cuzz]] 00:32, 16 September 2009 (EDT)

:Have you check page 11 of the story, which seems to be missing from your count? In the first panel we see Starscream and the Cybertronians marching onwards after overcoming the Decepticons guarding the control centre and Octane's corpse is present at the bottom right of the panel. [[User:Timrollpickering|Timrollpickering]] 12:58, 17 September 2009 (EDT)

::Yes, actually it is missing. I used to own these comics, just recently downloaded scans, and I am planning on buying the TPBs in a few paychecks here. I guess just one more reason not to trust illegal copies of things![[User:F-Cuzz|F-Cuzz]] 16:21, 18 September 2009 (EDT)

Earthforce

2009-09-18T20:02:09Z

F-Cuzz: Added mention of Trigger-Happy!

:''Earthforce is a group of [[Earth]]-stationed [[Autobot]]s in the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Earthforce.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Fighting crime in a never time!]]

'''Earthforce''' is the name of a cell of [[Autobot]]s commanded by [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and stationed on [[Earth]] to counter the rising threats of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and their respective armies. Grimlock formed his group as a reaction to [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s command regimen, which he interprets as weak and counterproductive to ending the [[Decepticon]] menace.

Earthforce's base of operations is in northern [[Canada]]. They get into lots of not-so-serious hijinks.

{{note|More importantly, it's the source of a huge continuity trainwreck in the latter issues of the Marvel Comics UK series.}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics UK continuity===
[[Image:Prowllittlemen.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Ratchet, Sunstreaker 
Way before Groundbreaker 
There was Huffer and Mirage 
And Bumblebee in Spike's garage 
I still kick it old school 
Don't tell me that I'm so uncool 
Or that I'm too absorbed 
With 19, 19, 1984.]]

After [[Galvatron (G1)#Other versions of Galvatron|Galvatron]] ''(uh, one of them)'' revived [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], and [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] on the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], intent on mind-controlling them, they rebelled and sealed Galvatron away in the Ark's medbay. {{storylink|Perchance to Dream}} As [[Unicron]] neared [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] dispatched Wheeljack and Prowl to the [[Arizona]] desert to investigate Decepticon activity. Musing about the simplicity of the old days, they stumbled across [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], and the [[Stunticon]]s, deep into a plan to detonate Earth's atmosphere and convert it into [[Energon (fuel)|Energon]]. {{storylink|Starting Over!}}

Meanwhile, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] were ambushed by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], and the [[Battlecharger]]s, demanding to know how Grimlock was able to revive them without using the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]]. In the middle of the Dinobots' retaliation, Optimus Prime interrupted them angrily, asking them to be mindful of the humans' civilization and to adhere to the [[Autobot Code]]. {{storylink|Two Steps Back!}}

Back on the Ark, Grimlock once again announced his dissatisfaction with Prime's leadership and threatened to take his Dinobots and leave the Autobots for good. Optimus Prime dismissed Grimlock's behavior as a tantrum, prompting a battle between the two that ended in stalemate. Conceding to Grimlock partially, Optimus Prime allowed Grimlock to be the Autobot Commander on Earth, so long as he played less rough than usual. A group of Autobots entered the room and announced that Prowl and Wheeljack had foiled Megatron's plan to detonate a deadly heat-trapping gas in Earth's atmosphere, but were in danger and needed backup. With Prime's blessing, these Autobots joined the Dinobots to form the Earthforce. {{storylink|Break-Away!}}

Ironhide and Bumblebee found and destroyed a partially-constructed duplicate Devastator, under construction because the Constructicons had lost the ability to combine. {{storylink|Desert Island Risks!}} Jazz and Sunstreaker, meanwhile, found that Prowl had neutralized the gas days ago and was enjoying the relaxed pace of south Louisiana. {{storylink|Life in the Slow Lane}}

Prowl later followed Megatron back in time to the era of the [[Underbase Saga]], to stop him from recruiting the Seacons to his cause. {{storylink|Flashback!}} After few minor altercations {{storylink|Snow Fun!}} {{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}} and incidents {{storylink|Mystery!}}, several of the team managed to disrupt the Decepticons' [[Enclave]], preventing their splintered enemies from uniting. {{storylink|The Bad Guy's Ball!}} They then joined up with the [[Survivors]] to help them back up Carnivac's solo attack on the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]]; they took the surviving Mayhems prisoner, and welcomed Carnivac into their ranks. {{storylink|Where Wolf?}}

[[Image:Earthforce house that wheeljack built.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Prowl decides who to pick next for his kickball team]]
The [[Decepticon Civil War]] continued, but Soundwave and Starscream both began working against their alleged commanders - Soundwave even had Megatron lured into an ambush. {{storylink|Secrets}} {{storylink|Bugged!}} They set up a clash between Megatron and Shockwave, then let the Autobots attack them while they took control of the Decepticon factions and united them into a single army under dual leadership (both plotting to backstab the other later). {{storylink|Internal Affairs!}} The Autobots fortified their headquarters, though a flaw in their design caused them to temporarily switch the defences off, {{storylink|The House that Wheeljack Built!}} thus leaving them vulnerable to a massed Decepticon assault. The Autobots foiled the plot, partly due to the Survivors' presence, and Soundwave took the opportunity to mention to the Decepticons "look how bad Starscream's plan was, clearly I should be in charge!". {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}}

Optimus Prime came to Autobot Earthbase for an ill-timed inspection visit, just as Slag was driven to run wild by a cerebral circuit flaw, causing many hijinks as the other Dinobots struggled to keep his condition secret from the Autobot leader. {{storylink|The 4,000,000 Year Itch!}} Prime also inspected the base's "bodyshop", which was used to reanimate the long-inert Tracks (over Grimlock's violent protests). {{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}} After Prime's visit, the imprisoned Mayhem Squaddies managed to escape, viciously injuring Inferno in the process. {{storylink|Shut Up!}}

The Decepticon Civil War flared up again when Megatron & Shockwave put out a contract on Starscream's head, knowing he'd blame Soundwave and go after him - and either they or their assassins could finish off whoever remained and take control of their armies again. The plan failed when the Autobots got involved: Snarl had fallen ill with Corrodia Gravis and with Starscream as the only compatible Transformer who could provide Snarl with the needed circuit-boost, Grimlock was required to order his troops to protect Starscream from his enemies. {{storylink|Assassins}} {{storylink|External Forces!}} {{storylink|The Lesser Evil}} Eventually, Snarl's body gave out regardless, requiring drastic measures to save his life. {{storylink|Destiny of the Dinobots!}} ''Note: This story cannot happen if you consider Earthforce to happen in a Continuity that leads to the [[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|American G2]]. See the [[Earthforce#Continuity|Continuity Section]] for more details.''

When Bombshell implanted a cerebro shell to send Superion on a rampage, the Autobots recruited a human reporter to get the shell out. {{storylink|Inside Story!}} They gladly gave him a tour of their base and full interviews in gratitude, but another cerebro shell ensured that the story he wrote painted the Autobots in a negative light. {{storylink|End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road!}}

At some point, with the Matrix still lost and a Decepticon alliance ruined beyond repair, Optimus decided to search for the original site of the [[Underbase]] - having discovered it was linked into the centre of Cybertron and thus to [[Primus]], they intended to use the site to tap into Primus' energies and use it as a substitute for the Matrix against Unicron. Six of the team were either called in or had already rejoined Prime's main force aboard the Ark, and were dispatched to the [[Acid Wastes]] to search. There they came into conflict with the mad Decepticon known as [[Megadeath]]. Facing up to personal demons, they defeated him and found the Underbase site. {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}}

==Continuity==
Part of an attempt to help sell Europe's [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] line of reissues, the Earthforce stories, black and white backup material for the issue's "main" story, intentionally harken back to the simpler era of ''Transformers''' early years. Although the stories were independent material, they often included tie-ins to the main story with references to such topics as [[Unicron]] approaching and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock's]] attempts to revive his comrades. However, many of these tie-ins were referred to in advance of them actually occurring in the continuity proper. It appears to the reader that writer [[Simon Furman]] knew vaguely what was going to happen in the future of the comic, so he wrote these stories with references to these future events.

Simon Furman has since stated that a key part of the problem was that due to publishing deadlines, the altered format of the UK comic and the shorter US stories, he found that attempts to write UK strips tying into the concurrent US stories proved near impossible as the UK comic kept interrupting the US strips with reprints of old UK stories in order to widen the gap in publishing. This in turn meant that the UK stories often pre-empted upcoming surprises in the US strips. Consequently he abandoned efforts to tie the two strips together.<ref name="fumint1">'''Question''' Why do you feel continuity suffered more instead of less, between Marvel UK and US when you took over the US book? "The problem was, we were badly out of synch with the US material reprints by the time I was also writing the US comic. I was trying my hardest to craft semi-crossover stories (like the [[Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer two-parter]] with [[Dark Creation|US #65]]) and then the UK comic would run a batch of old UK reprint material and completely throw it out. I realised I was making matters worse (and more confusing) and not better, and pretty much stopped trying to directly tie the two together. [http://transfans.net/interviews_furman.php TransFans.net - Interviews: Simon Furman - Part 1 'The Past'].</ref> He has since stated that even he finds it hard to place the Earthforce stories.<ref name="fumint2">"...because (if I’m brutally honest) I didn't try too hard to make it work in the first place. By that point, I was just trying to tell a bunch of fun UK stories that didn’t necessarily impact on the larger (US) storyline. How was I to know 15 or so years later people would be trying to reconcile it all?" Ibid.</ref> Largely this has been considered a [[pseudocanon]] revelation that the Earthforce Saga as irreconcilable with the main [[Marvel Comics continuity]]. Based on these quotes, the stories were obviously ''[[Authorial intent|intended]]'' to fit into the continuity, but any approach to make this a reality has problems. There are typically two ways fans use to look at the saga in their own [[personal canon]]: either it happens in an alternate reality or it happens in the mainline.

==Alternate Reality Approach==
This approach declares that the stories take place in the [[The Transformers: The Movie|Movie]] timeline(but turned in a different direction by the fact that the [[Primal Scream (issue)|Primal Scream]] is a multiversal singularity.{{storylink|Vector Prime: In the Beginning}}), and the [[Marvel Comics continuity]] is an alternate universe that was created as a result of the [[Time Wars]]. By splitting prior to the [[Underbase Saga]], this theory solves nearly all problems with resolving character status and appearances. The only major problem with this approach is that it leaves a loose end with the [[Survivors]]. Before Earthforce started and when US-UK continuity was still around, there was a storyline of the Mayhem Attack Squad hunting down Decepticon defectors Carnivac and Catilla.{{storylink|The Hunting Party}} Bludgeon killed Catilla and an enraged Carnivac swore vengeance. But he got the vengeance... during the Earthforce stories, with the Earthforce cast playing a role in the final story {{storylink|Where Wolf?}} and Carnivac joining them afterwards. So... does this mean Carnivac didn't get his revenge in the non-Earthforce timeline? Or did he get it differently? Or was it pretty much the same (off-panel), but with the US cast instead of the Earthforce cast? One approach to tying up this loose end is to consider [[The Hunting Party]] and the [[Way of the Warrior]] storyline to also only happen in the Earthforce continuity.

==Mainline Approaches==
All other approaches involve integrating Earthforce into the [[Marvel Comics continuity]]. The goal would be a continuity that would encompass both Earthforce and the [[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|American G2]]. Several of the characters that appear in Earthforce are supposed to be [[Death|dead]] or near to it in any such approach. There are several methods of resurrection offered during the course of the saga:
* [[Nucleon]] - [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] are revealed to have been restored to life without the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]]. [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], lacking a method of resurrection himself, tried to learn this method from Grimlock. While Nucleon is never once mentioned in Earthforce, a footnote specifies the details of Grimlock's method will be revealed in "an upcoming U.S. story."{{storylink|Two Steps Back!}} The only method of resurrection ever used by Grimlock in a U.S. story is Nucleon.{{storylink|The Price of Life!}} Nucleon can also heal the Aerialbots in the After the [[End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!]] Approach, as that would follow Grimlock giving it to them prior to [[On the Edge of Extinction!]]
* [[Galvatron II|Galvatron's]] Mind Probes - As an unintended side-effect, Galvatron's probes reactivate Autobots [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], and [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]. It may also have resurrected the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] behind the scenes, although this is not implied.{{storylink|Perchance to Dream}}
* A "Computer programmed to recreate the deactivated warriors in their life pods" - No Transformers were explicitly stated to come back through this method. The fact that [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] had an expectation for it to work implies that somebody had been revived with it. This is very likely the method used to bring back at least some of the Aerialbots...assuming they were on [[Tracks (G1)|the list]].{{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}}
* The "ACU" - The previous computer possibly just fixes minds, but the ACU is shown to fix (or [[Grimlock (G1)|unfix]]) physical bodies. [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] is shown to be rebuilt using this.{{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}}
* The Flashback Doorway - Not a way of bringing somebody back to life, per se, but the only method it is suggested the Decepticons had. Basically, Decepticons about to die would be rescued from death and taken offline in hiding until they could be collected and reactivated in the present. Potentially the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], the [[Triple Changer|Decepticon Triple Changers]], and the [[Battlecharger|Battlechargers]] are brought back this way. As all of these Decepticons ended up under [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave's]] leadership, it would make more sense that Shockwave used it to recruit the above members. This is something of a paradox with the Battlechargers, as they were shown prior to Shockwave having a method of resurrection. It is possible Megatron rescued all of the above and more (potentially including the [[Stunticon|Stunticons]], the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], the [[Conehead|Coneheads]], and the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]], all of whom are implied to be dead after the [[Underbase Saga]] but are not explicitly shown dying), but several of them defected to Shockwave's group. The defectors would have told Shockwave that Megatron had a method of bringing fallen soldiers back to life, and in an arms race Shockwave would try to also obtain a method of resurrection for himself.{{storylink|Two Steps Back!}} The Flashback Doorway is only depicted in an attempt to resurrect the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]], and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] causes it to fail. Megatron then loses possession of the Doorway.{{storylink|Flashback!}}
There are three common ways to attempt to integrate Earthforce into the mainline stories:
===After the [[End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!]] Approach===
One common placement is to have the stories take place following the series proper. While this approach is plausible, it is not consistent with [[authorial intent]]. As such, there are several events which would have to happen without any implication as to how or why in the source material:
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] has somehow become a [[Powermaster]] again, even though he would no longer be able to bond with [[Hi-Q]].
* [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] has no opportunity to get kicked out of [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok's]] crew for trying to control him. The only possible explanation is that he has gone crazy (not the worst assumption based on his plan...).{{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}} In that case his ramblings could either refer to a former fight with Scorponok, or they could also be nothing more than ramblings.
* [[Unicron]] has somehow returned to life after his defeat in [[On the Edge of Extinction!]]. Apparently this resurrection occurred at least as far away from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] as where he was when he heard [[Primal Scream (issue)|Primus's cry]], if not farther. Déjà vu!
* The [[Survivors]] manage to get back to Earth and form into a group again.
* The [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] is back in the air {{storylink|Perchance to Dream}} and down by G2{{storylink|Realignments}}.
* [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] somehow lost his leadership, then he did not play a major part in a [[Decepticon Civil War]] (other than a single [[External Forces!|solicited assassination attempt]]), then ended up leader again. On the flip side, this could explain why Bludgeon seems to have his own island base,{{storylink|Cry Wolf!}} and it could also represent a subtle approach to the Civil War where one just sits back and feeds the in-fighting. [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], a tactician, felt a "subtle takeover" would work well with [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]].{{storylink|Surrender!}} Maybe Bludgeon determined the same about these Decepticon factions.
* [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] and [[Cloudburst]] would need resurrected after the [[On the Edge of Extinction!|battle with Unicron]].

===The Gap Approach===
The story takes place at a specific point in the series. That place is ''extremely'' specific -- between US#[[The Price of Life!|70]]-[[Surrender!|71]]. This placement puts [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] out of limbo (although not in a whole lot better of shape){{storylink|The Price of Life!}}. [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] has not arrived at [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] yet. [[Unicron]] is still has a "great" distance left until he gets to Cybertron. [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] has already recruited several members, but he has not yet revealed himself to Scorponok.{{storylink|Eye of the Storm!}} [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] has already acquired [[Nucleon]]{{storylink|The Price of Life!}} but has not yet implied he would bring any back with him. He has not felt any negative effects yet, either.{{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} Also, [[Surrender!]] leads directly into [[On the Edge of Extinction!]] without pause, so it must occur before then if at all during the series. This placement is the only logical placement that also seems to follow [[authorial intent]].

For the story to fit here, one must infer that there is a larger gap between these two stories than is suggested in the material. Nothing in the stories themselves specifically implies or refutes the existence of a time gap. There are several problems posed by putting Earthforce into this gap (and just having a gap):
* [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] was specifically sent to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] by [[Unicron]].{{storylink|Eye of the Storm!}} It does not seem to fit into Unicron's plans for Galvatron to make a stop on Earth first. Additionally, if it goes against Unicron's plans why was Galvatron not punished? Also, how or when does he escape? Where are [[Hook, Line, and Sinker]] during all of this? There has also been some fan debate as to [[Galvatron (G1)#Other_versions_of_Galvatron|which Galvatron]] this actually is. That would also place Galvatron II in the same limbo as Hook, Line, and Sinker during this period (or a several month assault on Cybertron?).
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] was in a coma on the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] during this period with his mind bound to that of [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]](and that is the best state he is in to appear in Earthforce between US#59-80!). How does he escape, how is he repaired, and why is Ratchet not an issue?
** As to his escape, it is possible that whenever [[Spinister]] and [[Needlenose]] broke free that they took him as well. Also, if [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]] and [[Windsweeper]] escaped as well, their history with Megatron is one of respect making them likely to rescue him.{{storylink|The Flames of Boltax!}}{{storylink|The Fall and Rise of the Decepticon Empire}} This does not explain how he was healed and had no problems with the link to Ratchet. This could (almost) explain the Decepticon line-up in [[Trigger-Happy!]] and would potentially bring it into the Earthforce continuity. Still would need to get [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]], [[Quake (G1)|Quake]], and [[Trigger-Happy!#Errors|bizarro-Scoop]] there somehow. And get rid of all of them afterwards (except Needlenose and Spinister). Okay, it is more complicated than that. Just see [[Trigger-Happy!]] for all of the nuances of bringing that story into the main timeline.
** All three questions be explained by use of the time machine, but this directly conflicts with the link to Ratchet still existing in ''[[A Savage Circle]]'' It is possible the link to Ratchet only causes confusion in Megatron when Ratchet is online. Likewise starting with the [[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|G.I.Joe lead-in to Generation 2]] it seems that [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] is proven wrong about how the link between Ratchet and Megatron works.
* On the flipside, how does Megatron get reinjured and recaptured?
* The ability to use the [[Underbase]] site to defeat [[Unicron]] is explored.{{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}} Obviously this does not turn out to be a viable option in [[Surrender!]].
** This is not exactly a contradiction. [[The Magnificent Six!]] is a very open-ended story, and it does not paint a very optimistic picture. The word "desperately" comes up in the description of the mission. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] does not think it is a slam dunk. He says, "''If'' we ''could'' tap that source of energy, it ''may'' act as a substitute for the Matrix force..." The story ends with them arriving at the site. Their mission could fail for any number of reasons:
*** The Decepticons had occupied the area for at least 4 million years. They were obviously creating new warriors from somewhere, and they were never depicted having a [[Matrix Flame]]. It is possible they leeched the area dry.
*** The poisonous atmosphere or the inhabitants of the [[Acid Wastes]] may have corrupted the Primus energies, much like the Matrix itself can be corrupted.{{storylink|All Fall Down (issue)}}
*** The well or flow to it may have been blown up by the blast of tons of [[Megadeath|neutron bombs]].
*** Seems like if you have access to his [[Primal Scream (issue)|face]] you could tap into [[Primus|Primus's]] powers, too. Speaking of which, wouldn't these have been the same powers that Primus/[[Emirate Xaaron]] tapped into? How did that one turn out?{{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
** [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] suggests [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] surrendered without pursuing other options.{{storylink|Surrender!}} At the very least, he attempted to harness the power of the [[Underbase]] site.{{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}} Perhaps this was a secret mission so as to not get anybody's hopes up?
* In "the Magnificent Six!" Prime also states that the "chances of an alliance with the Decepticons [are] wrecked beyond all hope of salvage." The source material actually provides all of the pieces that would explain this conclusion:
# Optimus Prime was preparing to surrender to [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] in [[Eye of the Storm!]]
# [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] prefered a "subtle takeover" of Scorponok's forces. He also knew that an Autobot surrender would strengthen the image of Scorponok.{{storylink|Surrender!}}
# [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] and [[Triggerhappy]] were working for Shockwave,{{storylink|Eye of the Storm!}} but Mindwipe's dialogue in [[the Living Nightlights!]] strongly implies he went back. This effectively makes him (and possibly Triggerhappy) a double-agent.
# Mindwipe was kicked out of Scorponok's crew because he was using his hypnotic powers on Scorponok.{{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}}
:Basically, this strongly implies that Mindwipe was preventing the surrender from happening as part of Shockwave's larger plan. Prime's leadership was already in doubt, and this would lead to further dissent in his ranks.{{storylink|The Price of Life!}} Prime searches for some other answer that may stop Unicron without the Decepticons.{{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}} In Prime's last attempt at surrender Scorponok accepts, mostly because Mindwipe was kicked out of his group.{{storylink|Surrender!}}{{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}}
* A large number of Decepticons who participated in Earthforce completely vanish between the Earthforce [[End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road]] and G2. By process of elimination, only [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] would be left to lead them. If they are still loyal to Soundwave, that would explain why none of them show up in G2 until [[The Gathering Darkness]], which is when Soundwave first becomes active in G2. Soundwave still had a high rank in Scorponok's army,{{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} implying he was a double agent throughout Earthforce. He would be the logical choice for the Decepticon who ratted out [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] as well.{{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}}
* Grimlock and several members of the Earthforce team show up in "[[On the Edge of Extinction!]]" when the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] arrives from Earth with reinforcements. [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] mentions they are all freshly returned from near-[[death]] by [[Nucleon]], but all of the characters were in good condition in their last Earthforce appearances. Not all of those pictured participated in the open-ended [[The Magnificent Six!]] which could have included more fighting. Where were several members of the Earthforce injured? Perhaps the others were injured when [[Hook, Line, and Sinker]] retrieve [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] from the Ark (assuming such an event happens), but there is nothing in the source material to support or contradict this idea. This attack would also lead into Grimlock's second trip to [[Hydrus Four]] (the one where he starts to feel the effects of the [[Nucleon]]), this time bringing proper equipment to transport Nucleon back to the Ark. The other [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] were also apparently damaged in the battle based on the dialogue on Hydrus Four.{{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}}
* [[Zarak (Nebulan)|Lord Zarak]] refers to [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] and [[Triggerhappy]] as deserters who would come crawling back. Mindwipe was thrown out in Earthforce.{{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}} Perhaps it was specifically Soundwave that kicked him out without telling Scorponok. If Mindwipe eventually found that out, it would give him more motivation to later single him out in the fight.{{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}}
* While [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] are never established to know who hired them in [[External Forces!]], they certainly would have seen Soundwave cooperating with the rebels at some point when they were trying to kill him! It may be their mercenary code prevents them from sharing information from other clients' jobs, even with Scorponok?
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] acts like he was experiencing giving orders for the first time, although he was co-leader of the combined earth forces in Earthforce.{{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} Interestingly, in [[Surrender!]] he is established as a co-leader with [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], maybe giving an insight into what kind of a truce it took to bring the two back together. Also interesting is that Starscream's recap in that issue covering from [[The Human Factor!]] onward does not contradict Earthforce or the gap.
* Not a problem, but [[Break-Away!]] would establish [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] as surviving [[Thunderwing (G1)|Lord Thunderwing's]] blast in [[All Fall Down (issue)|All Fall Down]].

===[[personal canon|Personal Canon]] Approach===
The story is not one single story but several. Each piece can be accepted or rejected as the [[personal canon|reader chooses]]. The order of the stories themselves may also change, too. The major drawback is that no consensus could be formed as to where to draw such conclusions. Some examples of this approach:
* [[Perchance to Dream]] could happen after the end of the series, while it can be assumed the rest occurs in the US#70-71 gap. Autobots in Perchance were revived for Earthforce by [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] using [[Nucleon]]. This would allow for the appearance of [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] without contradiction.
* Using a similar approach to "After the End of the Road", if your personal canon believes the story [[The Living Nightlights!]] is too contradictory, it can be removed.

==Legacy==
There are several references and nods made in later stories back to Earthforce, and if the Earthforce (or similar) events happen in continuity then there are many lasting effects:
[[Image:Grimlockwasthatwise.jpg|left|thumb|300px|"Me Grimlock no see [[Makin' Tracks!|Tracks]]. We have a chance!"]]
* Several members of the Earthforce team are shown joining the battle with [[Unicron]]. Though the presence of most of them could be explained by the need to push their [[Action Master]] toys (and it seems to be the only reason [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] is there, as he was not an Earthforce character), the appearances of Skids, Ironhide, Silverbolt, and especially Sunstreaker are conspicuous, considering the Earthforce stories. (Sunstreaker's only prominent use in the Marvel Comics was in Earthforce. He was offline for most of it otherwise.)
* Assuming the Gap Approach, Earthforce seems like a logical step in the development of [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] as a leader. Without the stories he skips straight from the megalomaniac from [[Totaled!]] to a fairly serious (though unorthodox) leader in [[Still Life!]]. Spending time as a highly rebellious leader who is both stern and goofy makes it feel like his characters goes through a higher level of development.
** Likewise, Earthforce was the first depicted time where [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and Grimlock worked closely together. Grimlock could only otherwise have drawn his conclusions while he was sitting around wasting time prior to [[Prime Time!]] (assuming none of the UK continuity happens!), or during the brief period between [[Second Generation!]] and [[In the National Interest]]. Prowl is never depicted as having a position on King Grimlock's "court"{{storylink|Spacehikers!}}{{storylink|Totaled!}} or exercising any authority during Grimlock's period as King. The dynamic between the two during and after Unicron suggests that a history exists between them.{{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}{{storylink|Still Life!}}
* [[Escalation!]] seems to be an homage to Earthforce. All members of Earthforce are present except [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]](who wasn't officially a member to keep up his street cred), [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], and [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]. None of those characters appear in G2 except for Wheeljack (who is mostly in the role of a science officer) and Tracks. For those who think missing five is significant, that still leaves ''seventeen'' out of twenty-two. [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] may have been a fill-in, as he appears in a scene that otherwise had nothing but former Earthforce members. Ironically, he is killed because he is not acting as a unit with the rest of his group. Also, to nod to their [[Wrecker]] herritage (and because this is G2), several of the members die in this issue.
* [[Runabout]] and [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] showing up alive and established as working with [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] is consistent with Earthforce. In fact, they do not show up in the [[Marvel Comics continuity]] until immediately after Earthforce ends under the Gap Approach.{{storylink|Surrender!}} Without Earthforce there is no explanation, implicit or explicit, suggested for their return in the US comics. Of course, that doesn't prevent a mysterious return from the death for one later...{{storylink|Still Life!}}{{storylink|New Dawn}}
* The Decepticon line-up in [[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|Generation 2]] after Megatron takes over (not counting [[Laser Rod|Laser Rods]], [[Rotor Force]], and [[Darkwing]], of course) very quickly morphs into almost the same one from Earthforce. Only the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] did not appear in Earthforce, and only the latter two are alive without any kind of hint at an explanation.
** Also, [[Wildrider]] definitely dies during Earthforce, and he is the only [[Stunticon]] who never shows up during G2.{{storylink|Secrets}}
** Megatron explicitly fails to revive the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]] in Earthforce, and they do not show up in G2.{{storylink|Flashback!}}.
** Arguably, [[Octane]] dies during Earthforce and never reappears.{{storylink|Manoeuvres!}}. His death is not confirmed, and it is suggested his defeated corpse makes a cameo in G2.{{storylink|Total War!}}
** The [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] and [[Triple Changer|Decepticon Triple Changers]] specifically died during the [[Underbase Saga]], and they are all back alive both here and in G2 (except maybe Octane).
** [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] is still alive in G2, which is consistent with UK stories in general. Not very consistent with being Dirge, though!

==Trivia==
* According to the ''[[Prey]]'' trade paperback collection, Earthforce is stationed in northern Canada because [[Simon Furman]] really likes [[Polar Claw|polar bears]]. This is why there's one drawn in nearly every establishing shot.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Continuities]]

Talk:Earthforce

2009-09-18T19:48:16Z

F-Cuzz: Yep...

Yeah. This article is... sufficient? Maybe? Someone else should take a look at it. The subject's just a little too daunting for me, but I tried. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 19:55, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

:I wanna argue about Earthforce continuity!
:Marvel UK's big Thing was that Time Wars created a new, subtually altered timeline (resulting in the Marvel US stories.)
:In that timeline, Unicron arrives in 1991. I think it's clear that in Earthforce Unicron is still coming- but slated to arrive in 2005. This is the events leaving up the Marvel UK's movie-era stories. "We lost the Matrix, Unicron is coming... but he's still 15 years off."
:In which case- there really AREN'T any continuity errors in Earthforce Per-Se... they're just Earth 2 stories, continuing the old universe while the new post-crisis one is running in a splashier fashion. There's some wobbley-ness about just when the break point is, which I think accounts for all the really odd stuff.
:Disagreements? -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 23:11, 6 December 2006 (UTC)
::That's a nice fantheory, but I don't think it has any relevance. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 23:13, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

:::So in other words- "Unless you have the time to go back and find page-and-pannel references to support this idea, I don't want to wast time discussing it."
:::...fair enough. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 23:18, 6 December 2006 (UTC)
::::The other huge problem with this is, simply, that Earthforce has stories leading into it -- starting with "Survivors" that work perfectly in US continuity... until Earthforce interfers. Basically, you're talking bullsnot.
::::The EArthforce stories clearly aren't trying to form a seperate continuity -- for example, in "Apsects of Evil" Scorponok is stalked by the Micromaster Air Strike patrol, because Furman knows that they belong to Megatron, as per his early US Stories. He also makes reference to the upcoming Decepticon Civil War. But Megatron's DEAD by the time the Civil War takes place -- sorta. He creates ECHOS of what's going to happen.
::::I think maybe Earthforce, as a term for the divergent continuity, should have its own page -- seperated from Earthforce the team. That way it can be discussed a little more comprehensively. Though I think what you've got there is pretty damn good, Walky.[[User:Jhiaxus|Jhiaxus]] 23:23, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

==Polar bears==
I know of the trivia, but I don't have a source I can cite for it. Uh. Anybody remember? Hopefully? --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 06:05, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
:Found it! The opening background text in the Prey TPB covers this. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 08:37, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

== Which issues are Earthforce? ==

Exactly which issues are Earthforce issues, all UK issues from [[Starting Over!|261]] on? - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 17:21, 14 April 2009 (EDT)
:Yep. You could probably include the [[Perchance to Dream|preceding six]], too. - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 17:23, 14 April 2009 (EDT)

==Continuity and Legacy Sections==
I just completely overhauled the section on Continuity. The previous basically just provided a Straw Man argument against reconciling Earthforce into the mainline continuity...saying the only way it would fit is some kind of (illogical) concurrent story approach. I think I covered all of the serious approaches to dealing with the Earthforce continuity. If these approaches have proper names, please change it. Also, I'm sure there are plenty of errors, omissions, and typos in what I wrote. I tried to cite the thing like crazy...probably to a fault. Also put in the Legacy section, which has some good arguments for what adding Earthforce to the continuity adds to the story as a whole. I definitely recommend somebody change the caption on the picture. While I didn't want it to reflect the concurrent story approach by claiming characters to be in two places, I also couldn't think of anything funny to say for some reason. [[User:F-Cuzz|F-Cuzz]] 01:36, 17 September 2009 (EDT)
:How about the ''correct'' approach? The comics are fairly clear, and the Letter Page make it even clearer. (Of course, if you've read the Earthforce run via TPB's, that make the continuity harder to see than reading them in the order they were published.) Note for clarity: There is not fandom consensus on this, this is just Derik calling everyone else's view dumb. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 02:48, 17 September 2009 (EDT)
::I definitely have not read the letters pages. If they specifically supported the Alternate Reality Approach, then please add it to that section. I had assumed anything officially putting Earthforce in another dimension would have been included in the Continuity Problems example that previously existed. As you stated, it doesn't stop the alternate theories in the Fandom from existing![[User:F-Cuzz|F-Cuzz]] 15:48, 18 September 2009 (EDT)

Talk:Earthforce

2009-09-17T05:36:08Z

F-Cuzz: Discussing Major Continuity Overhaul

Earthforce

2009-09-17T05:35:49Z

F-Cuzz: Major Continuity Overhaul

:''Earthforce is a group of [[Earth]]-stationed [[Autobot]]s in the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Earthforce.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Fighting crime in a never time!]]

'''Earthforce''' is the name of a cell of [[Autobot]]s commanded by [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and stationed on [[Earth]] to counter the rising threats of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and their respective armies. Grimlock formed his group as a reaction to [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s command regimen, which he interprets as weak and counterproductive to ending the [[Decepticon]] menace.

Earthforce's base of operations is in northern [[Canada]]. They get into lots of not-so-serious hijinks.

{{note|More importantly, it's the source of a huge continuity trainwreck in the latter issues of the Marvel Comics UK series.}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics UK continuity===
[[Image:Prowllittlemen.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Ratchet, Sunstreaker 
Way before Groundbreaker 
There was Huffer and Mirage 
And Bumblebee in Spike's garage 
I still kick it old school 
Don't tell me that I'm so uncool 
Or that I'm too absorbed 
With 19, 19, 1984.]]

After [[Galvatron (G1)#Other versions of Galvatron|Galvatron]] ''(uh, one of them)'' revived [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], and [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] on the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], intent on mind-controlling them, they rebelled and sealed Galvatron away in the Ark's medbay. {{storylink|Perchance to Dream}} As [[Unicron]] neared [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] dispatched Wheeljack and Prowl to the [[Arizona]] desert to investigate Decepticon activity. Musing about the simplicity of the old days, they stumbled across [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], and the [[Stunticon]]s, deep into a plan to detonate Earth's atmosphere and convert it into [[Energon (fuel)|Energon]]. {{storylink|Starting Over!}}

Meanwhile, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] were ambushed by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], and the [[Battlecharger]]s, demanding to know how Grimlock was able to revive them without using the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]]. In the middle of the Dinobots' retaliation, Optimus Prime interrupted them angrily, asking them to be mindful of the humans' civilization and to adhere to the [[Autobot Code]]. {{storylink|Two Steps Back!}}

Back on the Ark, Grimlock once again announced his dissatisfaction with Prime's leadership and threatened to take his Dinobots and leave the Autobots for good. Optimus Prime dismissed Grimlock's behavior as a tantrum, prompting a battle between the two that ended in stalemate. Conceding to Grimlock partially, Optimus Prime allowed Grimlock to be the Autobot Commander on Earth, so long as he played less rough than usual. A group of Autobots entered the room and announced that Prowl and Wheeljack had foiled Megatron's plan to detonate a deadly heat-trapping gas in Earth's atmosphere, but were in danger and needed backup. With Prime's blessing, these Autobots joined the Dinobots to form the Earthforce. {{storylink|Break-Away!}}

Ironhide and Bumblebee found and destroyed a partially-constructed duplicate Devastator, under construction because the Constructicons had lost the ability to combine. {{storylink|Desert Island Risks!}} Jazz and Sunstreaker, meanwhile, found that Prowl had neutralized the gas days ago and was enjoying the relaxed pace of south Louisiana. {{storylink|Life in the Slow Lane}}

Prowl later followed Megatron back in time to the era of the [[Underbase Saga]], to stop him from recruiting the Seacons to his cause. {{storylink|Flashback!}} After few minor altercations {{storylink|Snow Fun!}} {{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}} and incidents {{storylink|Mystery!}}, several of the team managed to disrupt the Decepticons' [[Enclave]], preventing their splintered enemies from uniting. {{storylink|The Bad Guy's Ball!}} They then joined up with the [[Survivors]] to help them back up Carnivac's solo attack on the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]]; they took the surviving Mayhems prisoner, and welcomed Carnivac into their ranks. {{storylink|Where Wolf?}}

[[Image:Earthforce house that wheeljack built.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Prowl decides who to pick next for his kickball team]]
The [[Decepticon Civil War]] continued, but Soundwave and Starscream both began working against their alleged commanders - Soundwave even had Megatron lured into an ambush. {{storylink|Secrets}} {{storylink|Bugged!}} They set up a clash between Megatron and Shockwave, then let the Autobots attack them while they took control of the Decepticon factions and united them into a single army under dual leadership (both plotting to backstab the other later). {{storylink|Internal Affairs!}} The Autobots fortified their headquarters, though a flaw in their design caused them to temporarily switch the defences off, {{storylink|The House that Wheeljack Built!}} thus leaving them vulnerable to a massed Decepticon assault. The Autobots foiled the plot, partly due to the Survivors' presence, and Soundwave took the opportunity to mention to the Decepticons "look how bad Starscream's plan was, clearly I should be in charge!". {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}}

Optimus Prime came to Autobot Earthbase for an ill-timed inspection visit, just as Slag was driven to run wild by a cerebral circuit flaw, causing many hijinks as the other Dinobots struggled to keep his condition secret from the Autobot leader. {{storylink|The 4,000,000 Year Itch!}} Prime also inspected the base's "bodyshop", which was used to reanimate the long-inert Tracks (over Grimlock's violent protests). {{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}} After Prime's visit, the imprisoned Mayhem Squaddies managed to escape, viciously injuring Inferno in the process. {{storylink|Shut Up!}}

The Decepticon Civil War flared up again when Megatron & Shockwave put out a contract on Starscream's head, knowing he'd blame Soundwave and go after him - and either they or their assassins could finish off whoever remained and take control of their armies again. The plan failed when the Autobots got involved: Snarl had fallen ill with Corrodia Gravis and with Starscream as the only compatible Transformer who could provide Snarl with the needed circuit-boost, Grimlock was required to order his troops to protect Starscream from his enemies. {{storylink|Assassins}} {{storylink|External Forces!}} {{storylink|The Lesser Evil}} Eventually, Snarl's body gave out regardless, requiring drastic measures to save his life. {{storylink|Destiny of the Dinobots!}} ''Note: This story cannot happen if you consider Earthforce to happen in a Continuity that leads to the [[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|American G2]]. See the [[Earthforce#Continuity|Continuity Section]] for more details.''

When Bombshell implanted a cerebro shell to send Superion on a rampage, the Autobots recruited a human reporter to get the shell out. {{storylink|Inside Story!}} They gladly gave him a tour of their base and full interviews in gratitude, but another cerebro shell ensured that the story he wrote painted the Autobots in a negative light. {{storylink|End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road!}}

At some point, with the Matrix still lost and a Decepticon alliance ruined beyond repair, Optimus decided to search for the original site of the [[Underbase]] - having discovered it was linked into the centre of Cybertron and thus to [[Primus]], they intended to use the site to tap into Primus' energies and use it as a substitute for the Matrix against Unicron. Six of the team were either called in or had already rejoined Prime's main force aboard the Ark, and were dispatched to the [[Acid Wastes]] to search. There they came into conflict with the mad Decepticon known as [[Megadeath]]. Facing up to personal demons, they defeated him and found the Underbase site. {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}}

==Continuity==
Part of an attempt to help sell Europe's [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] line of reissues, the Earthforce stories, black and white backup material for the issue's "main" story, intentionally harken back to the simpler era of ''Transformers''' early years. Although the stories were independent material, they often included tie-ins to the main story with references to such topics as [[Unicron]] approaching and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock's]] attempts to revive his comrades. However, many of these tie-ins were referred to in advance of them actually occurring in the continuity proper. It appears to the reader that writer [[Simon Furman]] knew vaguely what was going to happen in the future of the comic, so he wrote these stories with references to these future events.

Simon Furman has since stated that a key part of the problem was that due to publishing deadlines, the altered format of the UK comic and the shorter US stories, he found that attempts to write UK strips tying into the concurrent US stories proved near impossible as the UK comic kept interrupting the US strips with reprints of old UK stories in order to widen the gap in publishing. This in turn meant that the UK stories often pre-empted upcoming surprises in the US strips. Consequently he abandoned efforts to tie the two strips together.<ref name="fumint1">'''Question''' Why do you feel continuity suffered more instead of less, between Marvel UK and US when you took over the US book? "The problem was, we were badly out of synch with the US material reprints by the time I was also writing the US comic. I was trying my hardest to craft semi-crossover stories (like the [[Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer two-parter]] with [[Dark Creation|US #65]]) and then the UK comic would run a batch of old UK reprint material and completely throw it out. I realised I was making matters worse (and more confusing) and not better, and pretty much stopped trying to directly tie the two together. [http://transfans.net/interviews_furman.php TransFans.net - Interviews: Simon Furman - Part 1 'The Past'].</ref> He has since stated that even he finds it hard to place the Earthforce stories.<ref name="fumint2">"...because (if I’m brutally honest) I didn't try too hard to make it work in the first place. By that point, I was just trying to tell a bunch of fun UK stories that didn’t necessarily impact on the larger (US) storyline. How was I to know 15 or so years later people would be trying to reconcile it all?" Ibid.</ref> Largely this has been considered a [[pseudocanon]] revelation that the Earthforce Saga as irreconcilable with the main [[Marvel Comics continuity]]. Based on these quotes, the stories were obviously ''[[Authorial intent|intended]]'' to fit into the continuity, but any approach to make this a reality has problems. There are typically two ways fans use to look at the saga in their own [[personal canon]]: either it happens in an alternate reality or it happens in the mainline.

==Alternate Reality Approach==
This approach declares that the stories take place in the [[The Transformers: The Movie|Movie]] timeline(but turned in a different direction by the fact that the [[Primal Scream (issue)|Primal Scream]] is a multiversal singularity.{{storylink|Vector Prime: In the Beginning}}), and the [[Marvel Comics continuity]] is an alternate universe that was created as a result of the [[Time Wars]]. By splitting prior to the [[Underbase Saga]], this theory solves nearly all problems with resolving character status and appearances. The only major problem with this approach is that it leaves a loose end with the [[Survivors]]. Before Earthforce started and when US-UK continuity was still around, there was a storyline of the Mayhem Attack Squad hunting down Decepticon defectors Carnivac and Catilla.{{storylink|The Hunting Party}} Bludgeon killed Catilla and an enraged Carnivac swore vengeance. But he got the vengeance... during the Earthforce stories, with the Earthforce cast playing a role in the final story {{storylink|Where Wolf?}} and Carnivac joining them afterwards. So... does this mean Carnivac didn't get his revenge in the non-Earthforce timeline? Or did he get it differently? Or was it pretty much the same (off-panel), but with the US cast instead of the Earthforce cast? One approach to tying up this loose end is to consider [[The Hunting Party]] and the [[Way of the Warrior]] storyline to also only happen in the Earthforce continuity.

==Mainline Approaches==
All other approaches involve integrating Earthforce into the [[Marvel Comics continuity]]. The goal would be a continuity that would encompass both Earthforce and the [[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|American G2]]. Several of the characters that appear in Earthforce are supposed to be [[Death|dead]] or near to it in any such approach. There are several methods of resurrection offered during the course of the saga:
* [[Nucleon]] - [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] are revealed to have been restored to life without the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]]. [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], lacking a method of resurrection himself, tried to learn this method from Grimlock. While Nucleon is never once mentioned in Earthforce, a footnote specifies the details of Grimlock's method will be revealed in "an upcoming U.S. story."{{storylink|Two Steps Back!}} The only method of resurrection ever used by Grimlock in a U.S. story is Nucleon.{{storylink|The Price of Life!}} Nucleon can also heal the Aerialbots in the After the [[End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!]] Approach, as that would follow Grimlock giving it to them prior to [[On the Edge of Extinction!]]
* [[Galvatron II|Galvatron's]] Mind Probes - As an unintended side-effect, Galvatron's probes reactivate Autobots [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], and [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]. It may also have resurrected the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] behind the scenes, although this is not implied.{{storylink|Perchance to Dream}}
* A "Computer programmed to recreate the deactivated warriors in their life pods" - No Transformers were explicitly stated to come back through this method. The fact that [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] had an expectation for it to work implies that somebody had been revived with it. This is very likely the method used to bring back at least some of the Aerialbots...assuming they were on [[Tracks (G1)|the list]].{{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}}
* The "ACU" - The previous computer possibly just fixes minds, but the ACU is shown to fix (or [[Grimlock (G1)|unfix]]) physical bodies. [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] is shown to be rebuilt using this.{{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}}
* The Flashback Doorway - Not a way of bringing somebody back to life, per se, but the only method it is suggested the Decepticons had. Basically, Decepticons about to die would be rescued from death and taken offline in hiding until they could be collected and reactivated in the present. Potentially the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], the [[Triple Changer|Decepticon Triple Changers]], and the [[Battlecharger|Battlechargers]] are brought back this way. As all of these Decepticons ended up under [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave's]] leadership, it would make more sense that Shockwave used it to recruit the above members. This is something of a paradox with the Battlechargers, as they were shown prior to Shockwave having a method of resurrection. It is possible Megatron rescued all of the above and more (potentially including the [[Stunticon|Stunticons]], the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], the [[Conehead|Coneheads]], and the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]], all of whom are implied to be dead after the [[Underbase Saga]] but are not explicitly shown dying), but several of them defected to Shockwave's group. The defectors would have told Shockwave that Megatron had a method of bringing fallen soldiers back to life, and in an arms race Shockwave would try to also obtain a method of resurrection for himself.{{storylink|Two Steps Back!}} The Flashback Doorway is only depicted in an attempt to resurrect the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]], and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] causes it to fail. Megatron then loses possession of the Doorway.{{storylink|Flashback!}}
There are three common ways to attempt to integrate Earthforce into the mainline stories:
===After the [[End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!]] Approach===
One common placement is to have the stories take place following the series proper. While this approach is plausible, it is not consistent with [[authorial intent]]. As such, there are several events which would have to happen without any implication as to how or why in the source material:
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] has somehow become a [[Powermaster]] again, even though he would no longer be able to bond with [[Hi-Q]].
* [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] has no opportunity to get kicked out of [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok's]] crew for trying to control him. The only possible explanation is that he has gone crazy (not the worst assumption based on his plan...).{{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}} In that case his ramblings could either refer to a former fight with Scorponok, or they could also be nothing more than ramblings.
* [[Unicron]] has somehow returned to life after his defeat in [[On the Edge of Extinction!]]. Apparently this resurrection occurred at least as far away from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] as where he was when he heard [[Primal Scream (issue)|Primus's cry]], if not farther. Déjà vu!
* The [[Survivors]] manage to get back to Earth and form into a group again.
* The [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] is back in the air {{storylink|Perchance to Dream}} and down by G2{{storylink|Realignments}}.
* [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] somehow lost his leadership, then he did not play a major part in a [[Decepticon Civil War]] (other than a single [[External Forces!|solicited assassination attempt]]), then ended up leader again. On the flip side, this could explain why Bludgeon seems to have his own island base,{{storylink|Cry Wolf!}} and it could also represent a subtle approach to the Civil War where one just sits back and feeds the in-fighting. [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], a tactician, felt a "subtle takeover" would work well with [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]].{{storylink|Surrender!}} Maybe Bludgeon determined the same about these Decepticon factions.
* [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] and [[Cloudburst]] would need resurrected after the [[On the Edge of Extinction!|battle with Unicron]].

===The Gap Approach===
The story takes place at a specific point in the series. That place is ''extremely'' specific -- between US#[[The Price of Life!|70]]-[[Surrender!|71]]. This placement puts [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] out of limbo (although not in a whole lot better of shape){{storylink|The Price of Life!}}. [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] has not arrived at [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] yet. [[Unicron]] is still has a "great" distance left until he gets to Cybertron. [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] has already recruited several members, but he has not yet revealed himself to Scorponok.{{storylink|Eye of the Storm!}} [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] has already acquired [[Nucleon]]{{storylink|The Price of Life!}} but has not yet implied he would bring any back with him. He has not felt any negative effects yet, either.{{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} Also, [[Surrender!]] leads directly into [[On the Edge of Extinction!]] without pause, so it must occur before then if at all during the series. This placement is the only logical placement that also seems to follow [[authorial intent]].

For the story to fit here, one must infer that there is a larger gap between these two stories than is suggested in the material. Nothing in the stories themselves specifically implies or refutes the existence of a time gap. There are several problems posed by putting Earthforce into this gap (and just having a gap):
* [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] was specifically sent to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] by [[Unicron]].{{storylink|Eye of the Storm!}} It does not seem to fit into Unicron's plans for Galvatron to make a stop on Earth first. Additionally, if it goes against Unicron's plans why was Galvatron not punished? Also, how or when does he escape? Where are [[Hook, Line, and Sinker]] during all of this? There has also been some fan debate as to [[Galvatron (G1)#Other_versions_of_Galvatron|which Galvatron]] this actually is. That would also place Galvatron II in the same limbo as Hook, Line, and Sinker during this period (or a several month assault on Cybertron?).
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] was in a coma on the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] during this period with his mind bound to that of [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]](and that is the best state he is in to appear in Earthforce between US#59-80!). How does he escape, how is he repaired, and why is Ratchet not an issue?
** As to his escape, it is possible that whenever [[Spinister]] and [[Needlenose]] broke free that they took him as well. Also, if [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]] and [[Windsweeper]] escaped as well, their history with Megatron is one of respect making them likely to rescue him.{{storylink|The Flames of Boltax!}}{{storylink|The Fall and Rise of the Decepticon Empire}} This does not explain how he was healed and had no problems with the link to Ratchet.
** All three questions be explained by use of the time machine, but this directly conflicts with the link to Ratchet still existing in ''[[A Savage Circle]]'' It is possible the link to Ratchet only causes confusion in Megatron when Ratchet is online. Likewise starting with the [[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|G.I.Joe lead-in to Generation 2]] it seems that [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] is proven wrong about how the link between Ratchet and Megatron works.
* On the flipside, how does Megatron get reinjured and recaptured?
* The ability to use the [[Underbase]] site to defeat [[Unicron]] is explored.{{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}} Obviously this does not turn out to be a viable option in [[Surrender!]].
** This is not exactly a contradiction. [[The Magnificent Six!]] is a very open-ended story, and it does not paint a very optimistic picture. The word "desperately" comes up in the description of the mission. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] does not think it is a slam dunk. He says, "''If'' we ''could'' tap that source of energy, it ''may'' act as a substitute for the Matrix force..." The story ends with them arriving at the site. Their mission could fail for any number of reasons:
*** The Decepticons had occupied the area for at least 4 million years. They were obviously creating new warriors from somewhere, and they were never depicted having a [[Matrix Flame]]. It is possible they leeched the area dry.
*** The poisonous atmosphere or the inhabitants of the [[Acid Wastes]] may have corrupted the Primus energies, much like the Matrix itself can be corrupted.{{storylink|All Fall Down (issue)}}
*** The well or flow to it may have been blown up by the blast of tons of [[Megadeath|neutron bombs]].
*** Seems like if you have access to his [[Primal Scream (issue)|face]] you could tap into [[Primus|Primus's]] powers, too. Speaking of which, wouldn't these have been the same powers that Primus/[[Emirate Xaaron]] tapped into? How did that one turn out?{{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
** [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] suggests [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] surrendered without pursuing other options.{{storylink|Surrender!}} At the very least, he attempted to harness the power of the [[Underbase]] site.{{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}} Perhaps this was a secret mission so as to not get anybody's hopes up?
* In "the Magnificent Six!" Prime also states that the "chances of an alliance with the Decepticons [are] wrecked beyond all hope of salvage." The source material actually provides all of the pieces that would explain this conclusion:
# Optimus Prime was preparing to surrender to [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] in [[Eye of the Storm!]]
# [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] prefered a "subtle takeover" of Scorponok's forces. He also knew that an Autobot surrender would strengthen the image of Scorponok.{{storylink|Surrender!}}
# [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] and [[Triggerhappy]] were working for Shockwave,{{storylink|Eye of the Storm!}} but Mindwipe's dialogue in [[the Living Nightlights!]] strongly implies he went back. This effectively makes him (and possibly Triggerhappy) a double-agent.
# Mindwipe was kicked out of Scorponok's crew because he was using his hypnotic powers on Scorponok.{{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}}
:Basically, this strongly implies that Mindwipe was preventing the surrender from happening as part of Shockwave's larger plan. Prime's leadership was already in doubt, and this would lead to further dissent in his ranks.{{storylink|The Price of Life!}} Prime searches for some other answer that may stop Unicron without the Decepticons.{{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}} In Prime's last attempt at surrender Scorponok accepts, mostly because Mindwipe was kicked out of his group.{{storylink|Surrender!}}{{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}}
* A large number of Decepticons who participated in Earthforce completely vanish between the Earthforce [[End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road]] and G2. By process of elimination, only [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] would be left to lead them. If they are still loyal to Soundwave, that would explain why none of them show up in G2 until [[The Gathering Darkness]], which is when Soundwave first becomes active in G2. Soundwave still had a high rank in Scorponok's army,{{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} implying he was a double agent throughout Earthforce. He would be the logical choice for the Decepticon who ratted out [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] as well.{{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}}
* Grimlock and several members of the Earthforce team show up in "[[On the Edge of Extinction!]]" when the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] arrives from Earth with reinforcements. [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] mentions they are all freshly returned from near-[[death]] by [[Nucleon]], but all of the characters were in good condition in their last Earthforce appearances. Not all of those pictured participated in the open-ended [[The Magnificent Six!]] which could have included more fighting. Where were several members of the Earthforce injured? Perhaps the others were injured when [[Hook, Line, and Sinker]] retrieve [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] from the Ark (assuming such an event happens), but there is nothing in the source material to support or contradict this idea. This attack would also lead into Grimlock's second trip to [[Hydrus Four]] (the one where he starts to feel the effects of the [[Nucleon]]), this time bringing proper equipment to transport Nucleon back to the Ark. The other [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] were also apparently damaged in the battle based on the dialogue on Hydrus Four.{{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}}
* [[Zarak (Nebulan)|Lord Zarak]] refers to [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] and [[Triggerhappy]] as deserters who would come crawling back. Mindwipe was thrown out in Earthforce.{{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}} Perhaps it was specifically Soundwave that kicked him out without telling Scorponok. If Mindwipe eventually found that out, it would give him more motivation to later single him out in the fight.{{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}}
* While [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] are never established to know who hired them in [[External Forces!]], they certainly would have seen Soundwave cooperating with the rebels at some point when they were trying to kill him! It may be their mercenary code prevents them from sharing information from other clients' jobs, even with Scorponok?
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] acts like he was experiencing giving orders for the first time, although he was co-leader of the combined earth forces in Earthforce.{{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} Interestingly, in [[Surrender!]] he is established as a co-leader with [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], maybe giving an insight into what kind of a truce it took to bring the two back together. Also interesting is that Starscream's recap in that issue covering from [[The Human Factor!]] onward does not contradict Earthforce or the gap.
* Not a problem, but [[Break-Away!]] would establish [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] as surviving [[Thunderwing (G1)|Lord Thunderwing's]] blast in [[All Fall Down (issue)|All Fall Down]].

===[[personal canon|Personal Canon]] Approach===
The story is not one single story but several. Each piece can be accepted or rejected as the [[personal canon|reader chooses]]. The order of the stories themselves may also change, too. The major drawback is that no consensus could be formed as to where to draw such conclusions. Some examples of this approach:
* [[Perchance to Dream]] could happen after the end of the series, while it can be assumed the rest occurs in the US#70-71 gap. Autobots in Perchance were revived for Earthforce by [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] using [[Nucleon]]. This would allow for the appearance of [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] without contradiction.
* Using a similar approach to "After the End of the Road", if your personal canon believes the story [[The Living Nightlights!]] is too contradictory, it can be removed.

==Legacy==
There are several references and nods made in later stories back to Earthforce, and if the Earthforce (or similar) events happen in continuity then there are many lasting effects:
[[Image:Grimlockwasthatwise.jpg|left|thumb|300px|"Me Grimlock no see [[Makin' Tracks!|Tracks]]. We have a chance!"]]
* Several members of the Earthforce team are shown joining the battle with [[Unicron]]. Though the presence of most of them could be explained by the need to push their [[Action Master]] toys (and it seems to be the only reason [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] is there, as he was not an Earthforce character), the appearances of Skids, Ironhide, Silverbolt, and especially Sunstreaker are conspicuous, considering the Earthforce stories. (Sunstreaker's only prominent use in the Marvel Comics was in Earthforce. He was offline for most of it otherwise.)
* Assuming the Gap Approach, Earthforce seems like a logical step in the development of [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] as a leader. Without the stories he skips straight from the megalomaniac from [[Totaled!]] to a fairly serious (though unorthodox) leader in [[Still Life!]]. Spending time as a highly rebellious leader who is both stern and goofy makes it feel like his characters goes through a higher level of development.
** Likewise, Earthforce was the first depicted time where [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and Grimlock worked closely together. Grimlock could only otherwise have drawn his conclusions while he was sitting around wasting time prior to [[Prime Time!]] (assuming none of the UK continuity happens!), or during the brief period between [[Second Generation!]] and [[In the National Interest]]. Prowl is never depicted as having a position on King Grimlock's "court"{{storylink|Spacehikers!}}{{storylink|Totaled!}} or exercising any authority during Grimlock's period as King. The dynamic between the two during and after Unicron suggests that a history exists between them.{{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}{{storylink|Still Life!}}
* [[Escalation!]] seems to be an homage to Earthforce. All members of Earthforce are present except [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]](who wasn't officially a member to keep up his street cred), [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], and [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]. None of those characters appear in G2 except for Wheeljack (who is mostly in the role of a science officer) and Tracks. For those who think missing five is significant, that still leaves ''seventeen'' out of twenty-two. [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] may have been a fill-in, as he appears in a scene that otherwise had nothing but former Earthforce members. Ironically, he is killed because he is not acting as a unit with the rest of his group. Also, to nod to their [[Wrecker]] herritage (and because this is G2), several of the members die in this issue.
* [[Runabout]] and [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] showing up alive and established as working with [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] is consistent with Earthforce. In fact, they do not show up in the [[Marvel Comics continuity]] until immediately after Earthforce ends under the Gap Approach.{{storylink|Surrender!}} Without Earthforce there is no explanation, implicit or explicit, suggested for their return in the US comics. Of course, that doesn't prevent a mysterious return from the death for one later...{{storylink|Still Life!}}{{storylink|New Dawn}}
* The Decepticon line-up in [[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|Generation 2]] after Megatron takes over (not counting [[Laser Rod|Laser Rods]], [[Rotor Force]], and [[Darkwing]], of course) very quickly morphs into almost the same one from Earthforce. Only the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] did not appear in Earthforce, and only the latter two are alive without any kind of hint at an explanation.
** Also, [[Wildrider]] definitely dies during Earthforce, and he is the only [[Stunticon]] who never shows up during G2.{{storylink|Secrets}}
** Megatron explicitly fails to revive the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]] in Earthforce, and they do not show up in G2.{{storylink|Flashback!}}.
** Arguably, [[Octane]] dies during Earthforce and never reappears.{{storylink|Manoeuvres!}}. His death is not confirmed, and it is suggested his defeated corpse makes a cameo in G2.{{storylink|Total War!}}
** The [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] and [[Triple Changer|Decepticon Triple Changers]] specifically died during the [[Underbase Saga]], and they are all back alive both here and in G2 (except maybe Octane).
** [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] is still alive in G2, which is consistent with UK stories in general. Not very consistent with being Dirge, though!

==Trivia==
* According to the ''[[Prey]]'' trade paperback collection, Earthforce is stationed in northern Canada because [[Simon Furman]] really likes [[Polar Claw|polar bears]]. This is why there's one drawn in nearly every establishing shot.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Continuities]]

New Dawn

2009-09-16T04:40:35Z

F-Cuzz: The character flagged as Runabout was clearly Smokescreen (G2), and he was clearly marked as such on that page.

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=[[Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)|Transformers: Generation 2]] #7
|prev=The Gathering Darkness
|next=Escalation!
|title=New Dawn
|image=MarvelUSG2-07.jpg
|caption=Megatron is suddenly cured of his foot fetish.
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|date=March 1994
|coverdate=May 1994
|writer=[[Simon Furman]]
|artist=[[Derek Yaniger]] ("Tales of Earth Part Four")
|penciler=[[Manny Galan]] ("New Dawn")
|inker=[[Jim Amash]] ("New Dawn")
|colorist=[[Sarra Mossoff]]
|letterers=[[Richard Starkings]] with [[O'Neil]]
|editor=[[Rob Tokar]]
|continuity=[[Marvel Comics continuity]]
}}
'''Megatron gets his diodes kicked by Jhiaxus and the Cybertronian Empire.'''

This issue contains a main story, "New Dawn", and a backup story, "Tales of Earth Part Four".

=="New Dawn"==
===Synopsis===
On the planet [[Tykos]], Megatron and the [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] are staging a raid for the wonder chemical, [[rheanimum]]. This is the first field test for the new [[Rotor Force]] and [[Laser Rod]] Decepticons, as well as the rebuilt [[Darkwing]], and they acquit themselves admirably. Megatron gloats over his success, then orders Starscream and Thundercracker to begin loading the rheanimum for transport to the ''[[Warworld]]''. Starscream muses over how it's approaching the day when he'll have to start looking out for number one.

Megatron is contemplating his victory and his plans for conquest, when Soundwave informs him of an incoming message from Skullgrin. Megatron had dispatched him and five other Decepticons to investigate the alleged threat of the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]]. Skullgrin is the only survivor, and he's so badly damaged that he doesn't survive the crash of his shuttle. Megatron is enraged, and whips the Decepticons into a killing frenzy. The ''Warworld'' sets out to conquer the Empire.

This goes really badly. The Empire is vicious beyond [[Autobot|any foes the Decepticons are used to]], and they kill Runamuck and Quake, among others. Megatron confronts Jhiaxus personally, and is thoroughly trounced. Jhiaxus only breaks off the beating when Megatron undergoes orbital reentry, at which point the Decepticons retreat to look for their fallen (literally) leader. Eventually they find a black smoking crater, and ''most'' of Megatron... who is nevertheless still alive, and if you thought he was angry ''before''...

===Featured characters===
{{featuredcharacters
|c2=
*[[Ransack (G2)|Ransack]] (1)
*[[Powerdrive]] (2)
*[[Jolt (G2)|Jolt]] (3)
*[[Sizzle (G2)|Sizzle]] (4)
*[[Darkwing]] (6)
*[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (7)
*[[Fangry]] (8)
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (9)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (10)
*[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (11)
*[[Smokescreen (G2)|Smokescreen]] (12)
*[[Skullgrin]] (13)
*[[Stranglehold]] (14)
*[[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (15)
*[[Octopunch]] (16)
*[[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] (19)
*[[Barricade (G1)|Barricade]]? (20)
*[[Quake (G1)|Quake]] (21)
*[[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] (22)
*[[Drag Strip]] (23)
|h4=[[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian]]s|c4=
*[[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] (18)
*[[Rook (G2)|Rook]] (17)
|h5=Others|c5=
* Tykos Miners (5)
}}

===Quotes===
''"Death to the pretenders!"''
:—An '''unspecified Decepticon,''' referring to the Empire, not his many [[Pretender]] teammates

"Bludg — er... ''beat'' them into the ground!"
:—Another '''unspecified Decepticon''' narrowly avoids mentioning the former Decepticon leader in front of Megatron

===Errors===
* Ransack's name is spelled "Ransak".
* Powerdive's name is spelled "Powerdrive".
* Drag Strip's name is parsed as "Dragstrip".
* In group shot, what appears to be Bonecrusher is miscolored red and silver.
* When Octopunch is killed, he suddenly is colored partially brown.

===Items of note===
* '''Cameos:''' [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]], [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], [[Hook (G1)|Hook]], [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]], [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]]?, [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]], [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]]?
* Rotor Force briefly stop fighting to re-attach their rotors. The next generation, ladies and gents!
* Darkwing's new body is pretty obviously the [[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]] toy.
* As Megatron is musing over past events, immediately before receiving the message from Skullgrin, there's a flashback panel showing some mountains surrounded by forest. This appears to be a (cropped, recolored, and squashed) reprint of a panel from issue #5, "[[The Power and the Glory]]", depicting a world the Empire was cyberforming in that issue. There's no sensible reason for it to be part of Megatron's flashback, since he has not encountered the Empire yet, wasn't thinking about the Empire during that flashback, and has never been to that world, so far as we know.
*However, here's a theory. Megatron is reminiscing about A) killing [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], and B) taking the Matrix-force from Optimus. The panel ''after'' the "mystery panel" is a reprint from issue #6, showing Megatron ripping off Optimus's chest (event B). Presumably the directions to the artist for panel B were something like "reprint panel 2 from page sixteen of issue #6". If panel A was ''supposed'' to be Megs killing Bludgeon (event A), the instructions ''might'' have been "reprint panel 1 from page five of 'Tales of Earth' from issue #5" (Megatron decapitating Bludgeon). The mountains-and-trees panel is — wait for it! — panel 1 from page five of ''issue #5 as a whole,'' instead of panel 1 from page five of ''the back-up story'' in issue #5. Ergo: The writer and artist had an understandable miscommunication, which nobody caught, so instead of a decapitation scene, we got some pretty trees.
* Among Megatron's crew are Runamuck and Quake, both back from the dead. They are also among those killed off. Again.

=="Tales of Earth Part Four"==
===Synopsis===
Optimus Prime, having been beaten by Megatron last issue, is [[Repair crab|recovering from his injuries]], and mourning the loss of the [[Creation Matrix]]. He quietly thinks back over Megatron's many defeats and resurrections, and wonders if the war will ever end. His reverie is interrupted by the arrival of the hideously damaged Megatron, who ominously declares, "I'm ''not'' happy!"

===Featured characters===
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (2)
|c2=
*[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (3)
}}

==Items of note==
* '''Cameos:''' All in flashback: [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]
* Optimus Prime flashes back to "[[Gone but Not Forgotten!]]", "[[Skin Deep]]", and "[[The Price of Life!]]", among others.

===Covers (1)===
* Jhiaxus smashing Megatron by [[Derek Yaniger]]

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

[[Category:Marvel Generation 2 issues]]

Talk:Total War!

2009-09-16T04:32:27Z

F-Cuzz: Octane?