Prime Directive issue 5

2024-12-17T14:56:39Z

Starsight0001: Added third alternate cover, removed "section in need of images" warning

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=[[Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave)|''Transformers: Generation 1'']] #5
|prev=Prime Directive issue 4
|next=Prime Directive issue 6
|image=G1_Vol.1_Issue5_1.jpg
|caption=[[Eject (G1)|Eject]] poses for the cover of a Wheaties box.
|publisher=[[Dreamwave Productions]]
|date=[[September 11]], [[2002]]
|coverdate=August 2002
|writer=[[Chris Sarracini]]
|penciler=[[Pat Lee]]
|backgrounds=[[Edwin Garcia]]
|inker=[[Rob Armstrong]], [[Erik Sander]]
|colorist=[[Ramil Sunga]], [[Gary Yeung]], [[Alan Wang]]
|letterer=[[Dreamer Design]]
|editor=[[Roger Lee]]
|continuity=[[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave continuity]]
|chronology=[[Dreamwave timeline|Modern era]]
}}
'''While the Autobots fight on two fronts, Spike learns a terrible secret and Hallo plans a final solution.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] is under lock and key in the Pentagon due to [[Robert Hallo|General Hallo]]'s orders. To his surprise, a note is slipped under the door: "3 O'CLOCK BE READY".

In the [[Northwest Territories]] the [[Autobot]]s try to warn some hikers about the danger to the [[human]] race from the [[cyber-virus]], but the recent attacks by [[Decepticon]]s have the humans running scared of all [[Transformer]]s. [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] explains that the blasters he designed will effectively destroy the virus, but that the devices are powered by the Autobots' own internal systems, which means the power depletion will weaken them.

As they start blasting away, [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] gets an emergency call for backup from [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. The battle in [[San Francisco]] looks bleak after the loss of [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]. After [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] stomps on Trailbreaker and smacks [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] away, he turns his attention to [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. The Autobot leader transforms and makes a suicide run, leaps onto Devastator's chest and fires point-blank into the [[combiner]]'s face. He falls back into the ocean as Prime, wasted by the effort, lifts himself onto shore...only to find [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] waiting for him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (1)
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (2)
*[[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (3)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (4)
*[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (5)
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (6)
*[[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (7)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (8)
*[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (9)
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (11)
*[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (12)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (13)
*[[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] (23)
*[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (24)
*[[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (25)
|c2=
*[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (10)
*[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (14)
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (19)
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (20)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (21)
*[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (22)
|c3=
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (15)
*[[Larry]] (16)
*[[Robert Hallo]] (17)
*[[Lazarus]] (18)
}}

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

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

==Notes==
*After the [[Prime Directive issue 4|previous issue]] had lost to Dreamwave's own [[Dreamwave Armada issue 1|''Transformers: Armada'' #1]], this issue once again ranked second in Diamond Comic Distributors' sales charts, with 122,829 copies ordered for August 2002. The top spot was claimed by [[Marvel Comics|Marvel's]] ''[[Fantastic Four]]'' #60, which sold for a mere 9¢ as part of a publicity stunt, and therefore managed to have an extraordinary 705,109 (!) copies ordered.<ref name="diamondaugust">[http://www.icv2.com/articles/home/1658.html ICv2 reporting on Diamond's charts for August 2002]</ref> Despite this, like [[Prime Directive issue 1|issues 1]] [[Prime Directive issue 2|and 2]] before, this issue saw a second printing run due to high demand.
*The middle of the comic contains a two-page spread by [[James Raiz]] and [[Alan Wang]] with [[Kenny Li]] featuring ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' Transformers.
*After the story, a letter by [[Adam Fortier]] apologizes for the delays in some of [[Dreamwave Productions]]' titles.
*On the same page is a 3-panel humorous strip with Optimus Prime finding that the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] was "made in China".
*Megatron states that he hardly even remembers the reason for the war anymore. Though he seems to be speaking metaphorically, he's actually speaking quite literally. ''[[Transformers: The War Within|The War Within]]'' would later reveal that in one of their first battles, Optimus gave Megatron a sort of lobotomy that caused Megatron to forget his original reason for fighting the war. This will become a semi-major plot point in the Dreamwave continuity.

===Errors===
[[Image:PrimeDirective5-extrawheels.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|This art was so awesome they zoomed up on it across three panels.]]
*Red Alert's presence was not an error at the time of publication, but became one in the next miniseries when it turned out he'd actually been on Cybertron the entire time. [[Matt Moylan]] later explained in his blog that Pat Lee had originally drawn Sideswipe fighting the technovirus in the snow, despite having already drawn him fighting Devastator in San Francisco on an earlier page in the very same issue, and so the solution was to recolor Sideswipe into Red Alert.<ref>[http://www.lilformers.com/blog/2012/03/13/dreamslaves-1-red-alert Matt Moylan explains how he altered scenes to correct the Sideswipe error]</ref>
*When Optimus Prime charges at Devastator, not only are his two rear axles ''reaaally'' far apart from each other in the panels that show him from the top, the front one being almost in the ''center'' of his cab mode... he even has an ''extra wheel'' in front of the "center" axle on his passenger's side! Seriously... ''how does this happen''?

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

<gallery>
File:G1 Vol.1 Issue5 1.jpg|
File:G1 Vol.1 Issue5 2.jpg|
File:Dreamwave PrimeDirective Issue5 Altcover.jpg
</gallery>

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

===Reprints===
{{issuestub}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 issues]]

File:Dreamwave PrimeDirective Issue5 Altcover.jpg

2024-12-17T14:52:01Z

Starsight0001: The Alternate font and back cover for Dreamwave's Transformers: Prime Directive Issue 5 - ~~~~

The Alternate font and back cover for Dreamwave's Transformers: Prime Directive Issue 5 - [[User:Starsight0001|Starsight0001]] ([[User talk:Starsight0001|talk]]) 09:52, 17 December 2024 (EST)

Talk:Shadowzone (episode)

2024-01-24T12:37:07Z

Starsight0001: /* Arcee Screaming? */ new section

Should Optimus blasting off Starscreams arm be considered a reference to ROTF? --[[User:Rxlthunder|Rxlthunder]] 08:16, 15 May 2011 (EDT)
:Only if Optimus ripped off the arm and beat Starscream with it. Otherwise, no. -- [[User:SFH|SFH]] 12:58, 15 May 2011 (EDT)
:I'd say no, parts getting blasted off is pretty standard for robot battle scenes. --[[User:Khajidha|Khajidha]] 13:01, 15 May 2011 (EDT)

Did Megatron steal the plans for the GroundBridge while in Bumblebee's body or was the technology already known to the Decepticons? {{unsigned|95.172.196.153}}
:It's not mentioned in the episode. It seems unlikely that they'd have a GroundBridge up and running in the short time since Megatron was resurrected. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 16:19, 16 May 2011 (EDT)
::Before this episode I didn't think the Decepticons had a GroundBridge. Maybe because their base isn't, you know, on the ground. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 16:37, 16 May 2011 (EDT)

Starscream loses the same arm (right) wich had also happened to Screamer in Revenge of the Fallen. Coincidence? - [[User:Rustyscraplet|Rustyscraplet]] 23:00, 1 Jan 2012 (EDT)
:Already discussed and rejected because 1)robots losing body parts is fairly standard and 2)Screamer only has two arms, there's a 50% probability of it being the same arm lost this time by pure chance. --[[User:Khajidha|Khajidha]] 17:10, 1 January 2012 (EST)
::Understood. - [[User:Rustyscraplet|Rustyscraplet]] 23:28, 1 Jan 2012 (EDT)
== OPTIMUS SMILING?! ==

At what time in the episode does Optimus Smile?
:When he says they are glad the humans are safe.--[[User:Roni134730|Roni134730]] 23:23, 18 May 2011 (EDT)
::Optimus actually smiles quite a bit in this show. Dunno if the fanfare is that necessary. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 23:36, 18 May 2011 (EDT)

== Universal Stream Factor ==

I'm confused. If the Shadow Zone is a alternate dimension, how exactly does it fit into the universal stream factor? It's like the negative universe from G1. Besides, when Cliffjumper went too the SG universe, he didn't see his universe.
:Uh, it's not a universe. It's a dimension within Aligned universe 1010.26 Alpha. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 20:24, 27 May 2011 (EDT)
: Sorry, I just don't understand that kind of stuff. I mean, ever since Transtech came around, it just changed my viewpoint.
Still, aren't dimmensions still considered universal streams? {{[[Special:Contributions/184.56.27.61|184.56.27.61]] 01:04, 28 May 2011 (EDT)}}

==Silent Hill reference?==
I'm rewatching TFP, and once again the Shadowzone strikes me as very similar to the other dimension in Silent Hill (movie) - muted colors, electronic devices registering white noise, both worlds untouchable to each other... Is it worth noting in the Real-world references section? - [[User:Silver|Silvery]] 18:32, 4 April 2012 (EDT)

== Arcee Screaming? ==

I was recently rewatch TFP, and I noticed that when starscream pulls out the dark energon shard, you can hear a sound clip of arcee screaming "Tailgate" from episode 12: Predatory. However, I can only hear this detail when I watch the TRANSFORMERS OFFICIAL version of the episode: [https://youtu.be/pFnoQ5cbpT0?si=Ai4JCdDrvH8KrtHh&t=503]. Looking at other rips of the episode this audio clip isn't present. I don't have TFP on dvd, so I was wondering if someone could check to see if this is in the DVD copy. This is really bizarre. [[User:Starsight0001|Starsight0001]] ([[User talk:Starsight0001|talk]]) 07:37, 24 January 2024 (EST)

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Prime Directive issue 5

File:Dreamwave PrimeDirective Issue5 Altcover.jpg

Talk:Shadowzone (episode)