The Desert Island of Space!

	{{#if: He's a bad mother... SHUT YOUR MOUTH. \|; He's a bad mother... SHUT YOUR MOUTH.}}}}
	"The Desert Island of Space!" {{#if: \| {{#if: \|; (')}} {{#if:\|; ""}}}}
Publisher	Marvel Comics}}
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First published	December 1987}}
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Cover date	April 1988}}
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Writer	Bob Budiansky}}
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Penciler	José Delbo}}
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Inker	Dave Hunt}}
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Colorist	Nel Yomtov}}
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Letterer	Bill Oakley}}
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Editor	Don Daley}}
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ist}}{{#if: \| by}}	}}
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{{#if: MarvelUS-39.jpg | {{#if: Marvel Comics | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: December 1987 | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: April 1988 | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: Bob Budiansky | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: José Delbo | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: Dave Hunt | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: Nel Yomtov | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: Bill Oakley | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: Don Daley | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: Marvel Comics continuity | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: |

{{#switch:{{#sub:the transformers (uk) #158–159|2|14}}|dark cybertron=}}

Acapulco was never like this...

Synopsis

As Buster Witwicky slowly comes to, he quickly realizes he is far from home. The giant Decepticon robots looming over him are a good clue, as is the desert island locale. Shockwave and Ratbat debate the fuel-efficiency merits of keeping the young human alive, with Shockwave defending his position by pointing to the human naval fleet just off the coast of their new island base. He correctly believes that Buster will serve as an effective human shield against any reprisal by Triple-I or the military. As Forrest Forsythe and Walter Barnett find themselves stymied by the Decepticons, Walter calls home to Oregon to alert Sparkplug Witwicky of his son's fate.

At that very moment, Spike has come to his father's motel room to inform him that he's going to search for Buster. As Barnett's call comes through, Spike surprises his father by "tracing the call" just by holding the phone wire in his hands. He's forced then to reveal his new status as an Autobot Headmaster, and takes his father outside to introduce him to his new partner, Fortress Maximus, and the Targetmaster troops currently under his command. As Spike is doing the introductions, though, there is dissension in the ranks, especially with Kup, who disapproves of their overly-sentimental new leader.

As the Autobot turbo-transport arrives at the island, Kup insists Fortress Maximus remain behind and provide covering fire for the Targetmasters, lest his sentiment interfere directly with the mission. Kup should have been more worried about the island itself interfering, though, as massive cannons and blaster-weapons pop out of the sand and began unloading on the Autobots. Kup and his men are driven back into the water as the island's impenetrable dome forms above the sand, revealing its true form as a giant spacecraft.

In order to save his brother, Spike combines with Fortress Maximus and leaps onto the island craft as it begins shooting out of Earth's atmosphere. As the Decepticons inside detect his presence, Shockwave triggers an elaborate defensive mechanism that flips Fortress Maximus off the side of the rocket and directly in line with a palm tree that spears him with a missile. Damaged, Cerebros splits off from his larger partner, only to be forced into combat with Shockwave himself, who has left the rocket to defend his precious logic from the illogical actions of the Autobot. A blast from Shockwave's gun mode cripples Cerebros, and Spike is forced to separate off once more, leaving himself very vulnerable. However, he manages to remotely line-up Max's guns to target Shockwave, blasting him back into Earth's gravitational pull, where the Decepticon begins to burn up in re-entry.

Spike has a brief moment of reunion with Buster through the island's transparent casing before Ratbat fires the rockets and takes the ship far beyond Spike's meager propulsion capabilities. As he and his components are picked up by the Targetmasters' transport, Spike laments the loss of his brother. Despite that, his take-charge attitude and success against Shockwave earned him the respect of his fellow Autobots, and Kup officially welcomes Spike onto the team.

Featured characters

{{#if:*Throttlebots (inside toy cars) (6)

Cerebros (12)
Fortress Maximus (13)
Crosshairs (15)
Pointblank (17)
Kup (19)
Hot Rod (20)
Blurr (23)
Sureshot (25)
Rollbar (26)|

{{#if:*Throttlebots (inside toy cars) (6)

Cerebros (12)
Fortress Maximus (13)
Crosshairs (15)
Pointblank (17)
Kup (19)
Hot Rod (20)
Blurr (23)
Sureshot (25)
Rollbar (26)|| style="background:#ffdddd;" valign="top" |
Throttlebots (inside toy cars) (6)
Cerebros (12)
Fortress Maximus (13)
Crosshairs (15)
Pointblank (17)
Kup (19)
Hot Rod (20)
Blurr (23)
Sureshot (25)
Rollbar (26) }}{{#if:{{ #if: {{#ifexpr: 2 }}

Autobots }}{{#if:{{ #if: {{#ifexpr: 2 }}

2

Shockwave (2)
Ratbat (3)
Divebomb (7)
Headstrong (8)
Tantrum (9)
Kickback (27)
Breakdown (28)
Frenzy (29)
Shrapnel (30)
Vortex (31)
Hook (32)
Soundwave (33)
Razorclaw (34)
Scavenger (35)
Onslaught (36)
? (37)
Dead End (38)

}}|

Decepticons }}{{#if:*Buster Witwicky (1)

Humans }}{{#if:*Pinpointer (14)

Peacemaker (16)
Recoil (18)
Sparks (21)
Haywire (22)
Spoilsport (24)|

Nebulans }}{{#if:|

Misc }}{{#if:|

Misc }}

2

Shockwave (2)
Ratbat (3)
Divebomb (7)
Headstrong (8)
Tantrum (9)
Kickback (27)
Breakdown (28)
Frenzy (29)
Shrapnel (30)
Vortex (31)
Hook (32)
Soundwave (33)
Razorclaw (34)
Scavenger (35)
Onslaught (36)
? (37)
Dead End (38)

}}|

{{ #if: {{#ifexpr: 2 }}

2

Shockwave (2)
Ratbat (3)
Divebomb (7)
Headstrong (8)
Tantrum (9)
Kickback (27)
Breakdown (28)
Frenzy (29)
Shrapnel (30)
Vortex (31)
Hook (32)
Soundwave (33)
Razorclaw (34)
Scavenger (35)
Onslaught (36)
? (37)
Dead End (38)

}} }}{{#if:*Buster Witwicky (1)

Buster Witwicky (1)
Forrest Forsythe (4)
Walter Barnett (5)
Sparkplug Witwicky (10)
Spike Witwicky (11) }}{{#if:*Pinpointer (14)
Peacemaker (16)
Recoil (18)
Sparks (21)
Haywire (22)
Spoilsport (24)|

Pinpointer (14)
Peacemaker (16)
Recoil (18)
Sparks (21)
Haywire (22)
Spoilsport (24) }}{{#if:|

}}{{#if:|

}}

Quotes

"Raw fish?! Do you Decepticons expect me to eat that?! I hate sushi!"
"In that case, fleshling... allow me to make amends." [ZZZZAP!] Here. I hope you like your fuel poached."

-Buster and Shockwave

"Now I understand why the Decepticons broke off their hunt at the mall - their real quarry was Buster Witwicky, and they got him!"
"What if he's working with the Decepticons?"
"I'd sooner believe you are, Mr. Forsythe!"

-Walter Barnett and Forrest Forsythe

"This operation is going as smooth as polished silver, Kup."
"That's what we thought on Deneb IV before the Decepticons almost washed away my entire platoon with a surprise acid shower, Hot Rod. Keep your sensors turned on."

-Hot Rod is optimistic, Kup can soon fix that.

"No! The island - it-it's turning into...a rocket!"

-Spike

"I've rendered the target inoperative, Ratbat."
"You have, Shockwave? He looks operative to me!"
"I stand...corrected."

-Shockwave sassed by Ratbat

Notes

Artwork and technical errors

On page 9, most of the Autobots' Targetmaster partners are miscoloured in their showcase roll-call sequence. Spoilspot is coloured like grey-and-black instead of black-and-grey; both Sparks and Recoil are coloured black-and-red instead of black-and-grey; and Haywire is coloured black-and-grey instead of grey-and-black.
In the scene where many Decepticons are seen in the control room one of them is clearly either Frenzy or Rumble. (Like all the non-speaking Decepticons in that scene he's block coloured so it's not possible to identify which, although the block colour is blue.) However both Decepticons have been in cold storage in the Ark since "Command Performances!" in issue #19 and won't be released until "Totaled!" in issue #41.
Fortress Maximus apparently makes a flying leap to catch onto the Decepticon ship... but the art makes it look rather like he's just plain flying.

Continuity errors

Forsythe and Barnett incorrectly identify their former Autobot captives as numbering seven total, not six.
Fortress Maximus signals the transport craft to leave the Steelhaven and come to pick up the Targetmasters - so how'd they get down to Earth in the first place?
The entire island - a huge ship loaded with dozens of Decepticons - was being held back by Fortress Maximus's weight alone?
Why wasn't Buster sucked out through the top of the island when it opened up to fire the palm tree?
If Ratbat is so concerned about energy usage, why is he always hovering?

Continuity notes

Barnett catches us up on what's happened with the Throttlebots since issue #37 - the Predacons broke off their hunt, allowing him to collect the scattered 'bots and escape.
Sparkplug gives us a timeframe for recent events - #37 and #38 all happened "this week".
Spike's trick with the phone makes it clear that binary-bonding bestows Headmaster partners with more than just transforming ability.
Kup mentions a battle on Deneb IV involving acid rain.
Cerebros has rockets in his feet.
In the US comic, Shockwave is supposedly destroyed, and indeed believed dead for years until he eventually turns up again in US issue #65.
Though it's glossed over, one can assume the Autobots stopped off at the naval fleet and collected the Throttlebots from Barnett and Triple-I some time after this issue, as the robots were back with the Autobots by the Underbase Saga.

Real-life references

The story is set in the Caribbean Sea with an interlude in Portland.

UK printing

Howdy partners. My name is sheriff [Lisa Simpson]. I sure am hungry for my favorite food, [McNuggets].

The UK version corrects or alters several pieces of dialogue:
- The number of Transformers Triple-I captured is corrected to six and the number of Throttlebots Barnett brings with him back down to five... except for the fifth panel on page 7 which is untouched and retains the US error. Whoops.
- It also corrects Spike calling Galen a "human" during his explanation to Sparkplug.
- It also changes Spike's explanation from stating that he bonded with "Galen's Autobot body" to "Fort's Autobot body", which is arguably an unnecessary correction, since the body of Fortress Maximus is the same thing as the Autobot body of Galen.
- Shockwave's supposed demise is edited into the more benign-sounding fate of merely falling to Earth, to allow his continued use in UK only stories such as in the very next issue. Specifically, Shockwave's line "Its gravity is pulling me down... into the atmosphere... where it is only logical... that I burn up..." was changed to the much less ironic "it is only logical... that I fall to Earth..." A couple of Ratbat's lines have also been changed to reflect that Shockwave does not die, and these changes similarly drain the irony from his lines.

All of these changes are... let's say, "not done by a professional letterer".

The cameo by Frenzy or Rumble is not an error in the UK continuity as Frenzy escaped the Ark in "Target: 2006" in issue #83 and had since returned to the main Decepticon forces, as shown in "Resurrection!" in issue #104.

Issue #158

Back-up strips: Action Force - "Serpentor" and Combat Colin
AtoZ: Hound and Huffer
In Grim Grams, Grimlock attempts to clear up confusion over whether Fortress Maximus's original partner was Galen or Kord, and continually teases on the events in the upcoming issues #160 & 161.

Issue #159

Back-up strips: Action Force - "Serpentor" and Combat Colin
In Grim Grams, Grimlock accepts yet more praise for "The Legacy of Unicron!" and the last 50 issues.

Other trivia

Fortress Maximus gives us nearly two solid pages of toy-sellery as he explains himself and the Headmaster gimmick, and introdumps the Targetmasters.

Bot Roster

Ark Autobots: 34 active, 6 bodyless Throttlebots, 11 in repair bay. (51 total)
Steelhaven Autobots: 28 active.
Ratbat's Decepticons: 32 active; 12 offline/missing as Shockwave falls to Earth. (44 total)
Scorponok's Decepticons: 25 active.

Courtesy of my...

Spike remotely operates Fortress Maximus's wrist-mounted machine gun batteries to take out Shockwave.

Covers (3)

US issue #39 cover: Fortress Maximus shafted, by José Delbo and Dave Hunt.
UK issue #158 cover: Shockwave holding Buster, by Dan Reed.
UK issue #159 cover: truly ugly copying of the US cover, by Will Simpson and David Elliott.