The Enemy Within!

	{{#if: What have you done with the real Sideswipe? \|; What have you done with the real Sideswipe?}}}}
	"The Enemy Within!" {{#if: \| {{#if: \|; (')}} {{#if:\|; ""}}}}
Publisher	Marvel Comics}}
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First published	Part 1: 9th March; Part 2: 23rd March; Part 3: 6th April; Part 4: 20th April; Part 5: 4th May, 1985}}
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Script	Simon Furman}}
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Art	John Ridgway (Part 1) & Mike Collins (Parts 2-5)}}
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Colours	Gina Hart}}
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Letters	Richard Starkings}}
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Editor	Sheila Cranna}}
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This article is about the Marvel UK story. For the unproduced Dreamwave issue, see The Enemy Within{{#switch:{{#sub:The Enemy Within|-1}}

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{{#if: MarvelUK-013.jpg | {{#if: Marvel Comics | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: Part 1: 9th March
Part 2: 23rd March
Part 3: 6th April
Part 4: 20th April
Part 5: 4th May, 1985 | {{#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: Simon Furman | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: John Ridgway (Part 1) & Mike Collins (Parts 2-5) | {{#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: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: Gina Hart | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: Richard Starkings | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: Sheila Cranna | {{#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:xx|2|14}}|dark cybertron=}}

Brawn and Starscream both fall foul of their friends.

Synopsis

Part 1: "Solo Strategy!"

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

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

Part 2: "The Best Laid Plans..."

Some time later, as Starscream attacks US Air Force Base Oregon Four-Alpha, the other Decepticons discover the badly damaged Ravage, who reveals Starscream’s treachery. Enraged, the Decepticons race off, and capture Starscream during his attack. Starscream demands his right to Trial by Combat.

Brawn, meanwhile, has gone on a rampage in the small town of St. Petersburg, believing their cars to be enslaved robots... and when the immobile vehicles just sit there, he throws a wobbly and smashes them.

Part 3: "Crime...and Punishment!"

The Autobots try to subdue Brawn but are overwhelmed, only winning due to an ambush by Red Alert. The Autobots, unwilling to harm him in battle, use a neuro-tranquillizer to keep him down and take him back to base. Megatron, unwilling to let Starscream off so easily, plans to take advantage of the situation and suggests to Optimus Prime that they allow Starscream and Brawn to fight each other. Desperate to redeem himself, the now repaired Brawn agrees.

Part 4: "Trial...and Error!"

The two battle, unaware that Megatron has stationed Ravage nearby with orders to blast Starscream if he wins the battle.

Part 5: "Endings...and Beginnings!"

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

Unknown to the Decepticons, Brawn was not destroyed. Instead, Mirage projected a hologram showing his death while the real Brawn was taken to safety: the same electric shock that harmed Brawn boosted Mirage's hologram powers!

Back at the Decepticon fortress, Megatron is preparing to launch an all-out attack on the Autobots.

Featured characters

{{#if:*Bumblebee (7)

Jazz (8)
Mirage (9)
Brawn (10)
Windcharger (11)
Prowl (12)
Sunstreaker (14)
Sideswipe (14)
Red Alert (15)
Huffer (18)
Optimus Prime (19)
Gears (26)
Ratchet (27)|

{{#if:*Bumblebee (7)

Jazz (8)
Mirage (9)
Brawn (10)
Windcharger (11)
Prowl (12)
Sunstreaker (14)
Sideswipe (14)
Red Alert (15)
Huffer (18)
Optimus Prime (19)
Gears (26)
Ratchet (27)|| style="background:#ffdddd;" valign="top" |
Bumblebee (7)
Jazz (8)
Mirage (9)
Brawn (10)
Windcharger (11)
Prowl (12)
Sunstreaker (14)
Sideswipe (14)
Red Alert (15)
Huffer (18)
Optimus Prime (19)
Gears (26)
Ratchet (27) }}{{#if:*Megatron (1)
Starscream (2)
Rumble (3)
Skywarp (4)
Thundercracker (5)
Ravage (6)
Buzzsaw (23)
Laserbeak (24)
Soundwave (25)
Earthquake (28)
Tornado (29)
Frenzy (30)|

Autobots }}{{#if:*Megatron (1) Starscream (2) Rumble (3) Skywarp (4) Thundercracker (5) Ravage (6) Buzzsaw (23) Laserbeak (24) Soundwave (25) Earthquake (28) Tornado (29) Frenzy (30)\|	Decepticons }}{{#if:*Gordon (16) Alpha Leader (17) Mabel (20) Phil (21) OBTV News ancher (22)\|	Humans }}{{#if:\|	Others }}{{#if:\|	Misc }}{{#if:\|	Misc }}
Megatron (1) Starscream (2) Rumble (3) Skywarp (4) Thundercracker (5) Ravage (6) Buzzsaw (23) Laserbeak (24) Soundwave (25) Earthquake (28) Tornado (29) Frenzy (30) }}{{#if:*Gordon (16) Alpha Leader (17) Mabel (20) Phil (21) OBTV News ancher (22)\|	Gordon (16) Alpha Leader (17) Mabel (20) Phil (21) OBTV News ancher (22) }}{{#if:\|	}}{{#if:\|	}}{{#if:\|	}}

Quotes

HA! The Autobots have fallen. None can challenge the might of Brawn!

—Brawn, just after punching Prowl in the face

Notes

Production notes

If someone had told me back in 1985 that I'd still be writing TF in 2002, I'd have laughed.{{#if:|{{{quote2}}}}}{{#if:Simon Furman, Altered States Q&A... and he's still doing it in 2026!|Simon Furman, Altered States Q&A... and he's still doing it in 2026!{{#if:|, {{{3}}}|}}|}}

"The Enemy Within!" is the second UK-original story, produced following the conclusion of the original US mini-series to fill for time until more US issues were available to reprint. It was written to span four standard 11-page issues, but after production was finished, the fourth chapter was split up into two smaller chunks to make it span five issues total. Though somewhat lighter in tone than its sinister predecessor, "Man of Iron," the story remains a grim and violent affair, with Brawn even causing a human motorist's car to end up a flaming wreck that the man is not seen to be recovered from. Character models remained unavailable to the artists, and so the Transformers are drawn using only the toys as reference.
"The Enemy Within!" is the first Transformers story written by Simon Furman, who would go on to become the UK comic's main writer, and one of the most prolific writers for the franchise in general, which he has continued to work on right up until today. He has since gone on record as saying that he does not think much of this early work, seeing it as the work of someone who was still learning how to structure a page and gave the artists too much detail to put in, but artist Mike Collins thinks Furman "hit the ground running" with it.<ref>The Transformers Classics UK Volume 1 page 73</ref>
Furman had to pitch his idea but noted in a 2021 podcast that at the time, Marvel was desperate for "warm bodies" to fill the strip and that's how he got the opportunity. "The Enemy Within!" was one of several pitches Furman made and the one that got through, and right after he was asked if he could do another one.<ref>The Great Derelict 08:24 in</ref> (Steve Parkhouse, the previous writer, was a much busier guy at the time.)
Furman figured out his plot by looking at the tech specs and figuring out a "chalk-and-cheese combination" he could pit against each other. After latching onto Starscream, Brawn seemed the obvious contrast and then, as the script went on, he decided to use Ravage as a contrasting treacherous-lieutenant/loyal-lieutenant mix. Optimus and Megatron, meanwhile, were 'off limits' at the time to focus a story on because they'd definitely be getting key roles in the US material and poor Brawn might not be. The human characters were similarly out, though Furman thought the robots were more interesting anyway.<ref>The Transformers Classics UK Volume 1 page 72-3</ref>
This story was originally published in a mixture of full-colour and black-and-white artwork, as was the standard for the comic at the time. A year later, it was fully colourised for Collected Comics #4, which reprinted all five chapters, giving the first part, untitled in its original printing, a new name of its own. In 1991, this coloured version was split up into seven smaller parts and reprinted in issues #308, 309, and #313-317 of the regular series. Though the story was skipped for the Titan Books series of reprints in the early 2000s (probably something to do with Furman's low opinion of it), it would eventually be reprinted by IDW Publishing, Hachette Partworks Ltd and Skybound Entertainment, all of which also used the fully-coloured Collected Comics version.

Continuity notes

Though printed after the conclusion of the original US mini-series, "The Enemy Within" (like "Man of Iron" before it, and its direct sequel, next issue's "Raiders of the Last Ark") is set in some vague time during its events. The only allusions the story itself offers to a continuity placement are Megatron making mention of Spider-Man, who the Decepticons encountered in US issue #3, and an OBTV News anchor remarking on the recent robot attacks in Oregon, which became public news in that same issue. The "Robot War" text features which would later run in issues #22, #36 and #63 would clumsily suggest that it took place somewhere "between panels" at the end of that story, after Spider-Man rescued Sparkplug Witwicky from the Decepticons, but before Sparkplug was returned to the Ark. This really doesn't work, not least of all because Gears appears active in the story, when he was offlined and would not be reactivated until Sparkplug's return.
Red Alert appears among the Autobots, trying to restrain Brawn in Chapter 1, then ambushing him in Chapter 3. As a character from the 1985 toy range, he had not yet appeared in the US series, but internal to the UK comic at the time, his appearance in this story wasn't really an error; the UK reprint of US issue #1 had omitted the famous two-page spread containing the full Autobot roll call, so Red's appearance didn't actually contradict anything in-story. Red disappeared from the series after this story, but by coincidence or design, when the 1985 Autobot Cars were later introduced properly into comic continuity in US issue #14, Red was not included among them, meaning that his original appearance in "The Enemy Within" still didn't contradict anything. The letters page of issue #62 justified his disappearance by explaining that he was critically injured off-panel during the events of US issue #4. He would eventually reappear in issue #199 as part of a group of time travelling Autobots from the future.
In the denouement, Mirage describes how the accident affected his power to create holographic images of himself, though oddly without reference to his electro-disrupter, which has been credited as the source of this power thus far.

Real-life references

Part 2, page 8, panel 1, in which Starscream shoots down a human military jet (pictured at right), is an homage to Roy Lichtenstein's painting, [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Whaam!|{{#if:||Whaam!}}]], complete with sound effect.
The phrase "The Enemy Within" was used in a famous speech by the then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on 19 July 1984, to describe the leaders of trade unions and local authorities in the country at the time.

Courtesy of my...

Ravage tries to take down Starscream with his proton missiles but fails.
Starscream attacks the US Air Force base with generic "missiles"; the human pilots retaliate with homing missiles.

Artwork and technical errors

The lettering style used for this story makes punctuation very faint. Many sentences appear at first glance to be missing periods.
In addition to Optimus Prime's solid-blue mouthplate (reoccurring from "Man of Iron"), another recurrent artistic quirk is introduced this issue: Megatron is coloured throughout the story with a golden torso, an overly literal artistic interpretation of the way his package art represented his toy's chromed chest.
Sideswipe is drawn heinously off-model in issue #13, looking nothing like himself (see right). The artist's reference for his appearance seems to have been the equally-bizarre model used for Gears in the aforementioned double-page spread of US issue #1—note especially the designs of the face, chest, and the shoulder-wheels. He gets a "proper" face in #14, but is still drawn with the wrong helmet.
Part 1
- Page 1, panel 3: Starscream's face, helmet, and cockpit are uncoloured.
- Page 2, panel 1: Megatron declares "Will discuss the matter no further!" which should evidently be either "I will discuss the matter no further!" or "We'll discuss the matter no further!"
- Page 2, panel 2: Rumble things Starscream should have "the right for a vote." He means "the right to a vote."
- Page 2, panel 4: Starscream had red thighs.
- Page 2, panel 5: Starscream is coloured like Skywarp.
- Page 4, panel 5: Starscream is coloured like Skywarp again.
- Page 9, panel 3: Red Alert is coloured like Gears.
- Page 10, panel 1: "It's" is used instead of "its."
Part 2, panel 10, panel 3: The edge of the text within Optimus Prime's speech bubble has been erased or obscured turning "You must do no more harm," into "ou must do o more harm."
Part 3, page 1, panel 2: Sunstreaker is coloured red and blue.

Back-up material

Issue #13:

Back-up strips: {{#if:The Chromobots|The Chromobots|The Transformers issue 13/The Chromobots}} , Machine Man ({{#if:"Baron Brimstone and his Sinister Satan Squad!"|"Baron Brimstone and his Sinister Satan Squad!"|Baron Brimstone and his Sinister Satan Squad!}} part 2), and {{#if:Matt and the Cat|Matt and the Cat|The Transformers issue 13/Matt and the Cat}}

Fact File: Windcharger
Other features: More results from issue #2's "Design a Decepticon" contest; "design a robot" contest to win a Draw and Colour Moving Book; "Robot Round-Up," "Prowl Needs That Star!" picture puzzle

Issue #14:

Back-up strips: {{#if:The Chromobots|The Chromobots|The Transformers issue 14/The Chromobots}} , Machine Man ("Baron Brimstone and his Sinister Satan Squad!" part 3), and {{#if:Matt and the Cat|Matt and the Cat|The Transformers issue 14/Matt and the Cat}}

Fact File: {{#if:||Humph}} (star of Matt and the Cat)
April calendar: Starscream
Other features: "Transformers Gallery Greats," a selection of readers' artwork; mail-in competition to win a Transformers Stunt Flyer; "Robot Round-Up"

Issue #15:

Back-up strips: {{#if:Robo-Capers|Robo-Capers|The Transformers issue 15/Robo-Capers}} , {{#if:The Chromobots|The Chromobots|The Transformers issue 15/The Chromobots}} , Machine Man ({{#if:"Arms and the Robot!"|"Arms and the Robot!"|Arms and the Robot!}} part 1), A Tale from the Transformers Fact Files ({{#if:"Trapped Beneath the Waves!"|"Trapped Beneath the Waves!"|Trapped Beneath the Waves!}} ), and {{#if:Matt and the Cat|Matt and the Cat|The Transformers issue 15/Matt and the Cat}} . Both Robo-Capers and the inconsistently-titled From the Fact Files debut this issue; Fact Files will be a short-lived intermittent strip, while Robo-Capers will run until issue #152
Fact File: Laserbeak
Other features: Art competition to win a Kodak DiscCamera

Issue #16:

Back-up strips: {{#if:Robo-Capers|Robo-Capers|The Transformers issue 16/Robo-Capers}} , {{#if:The Chromobots|The Chromobots|The Transformers issue 16/The Chromobots}} , Machine Man ("Arms and the Robot!" part 2), Planet Terry ({{#if:"The Search"|"The Search"|The Search}} ), and {{#if:Matt and the Cat|Matt and the Cat|The Transformers issue 16/Matt and the Cat}} . The debut of Planet Terry ate up more page space and facilitated the splitting of the final chapter of "The Enemy Within" into two smaller parts.
Fact File: Prowl
May calendar: Sideswipe
Other features: "Robot Round-Up;" "Turtle Take-Away!", mail-in competition to win a robot turtle

Issue #17:

Back-up strips: {{#if:Robo-Capers|Robo-Capers|The Transformers issue 17/Robo-Capers}} , {{#if:The Chromobots|The Chromobots|The Transformers issue 17/The Chromobots}} , From Our Transformers Fact Files ({{#if:"The Truth About Alcatraz!"|"The Truth About Alcatraz!"|The Truth About Alcatraz!}} ), Machine Man ("Arms and the Robot!" part 3), Planet Terry ({{#if:"Part II: A Clue"|"Part II: A Clue"|A Clue}} ), and {{#if:Matt and the Cat|Matt and the Cat|The Transformers issue 17/Matt and the Cat}}
Fact File: Soundwave
Other features: "Transformers Super-Search" word search; single-page poster made from an animation still from the first Transformers commercial; "Constructive Thinking!" mail-in competition to win Model 8 construction kits

Covers (5)

Issue #13: Brawn giving Sideswipe a suplex, by John Ridgway; art reused from page 8 of the story.
Issue #14: Brawn & Optimus Prime, by Mike Collins; collage of panels reused from the story.
Issue #15: Starscream vs. Brawn, by Mike Collins; art reused from the final page of the story.
Issue #16: Brawn vs. Starscream, by Mike Collins; art reused from page 5 of the story.
Issue #17: laughing Megatron, by Mike Collins; art reused from page 3 of the story.

Issue #13 - Let's get rrready to Frrrenzy!
Issue #14 - "With a mind like yours, I'd try the land crab."
Issue #15 - Either Starscream has shrunk, or Brawn has grown.
Issue #16 - Geronimoooo!
Issue #17 - Is it just me, or is Megatron going bald?

Reprints

Collected Comics #4 (Marvel UK, 1986)
Issue #308 (Marvel UK, 1990; reprints issue #13)
Issue #309 (Marvel UK, 1990; reprints first half of #14)
Issue #313 (Marvel UK, 1990; reprints second half of #14)
Issue #314 (Marvel UK, 1990; reprints first half of #15)
Issue #315 (Marvel UK, 1990; reprints second half of #15)
Issue #316 (Marvel UK, 1990; reprints issue #16)
Issue #317 (Marvel UK, 1990; reprints issue #17)
The Transformers: Best of Starscream (IDW Publishing, 2010)
The Transformers Classics UK Volume 1 (IDW Publishing, 2011)
Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection, Vol. 1: Power Play (Hachette Partworks Ltd, 2017)