Editing Eye of the Storm

{{disambig2|the stand-alone issue|the anthology|Best of Transformers: Eye of the Storm}}
{{comicstory|seriesissue=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' (US)]] #69
|prev=The Human Factor!
|next=The Pri¢e of Life!
|title="Eye of the Storm"
|seriesissue2=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|''The Transformers'' (UK)]] #306–308
|prev2=The Human Factor!
|next2=The Pri¢e of Life!
|image=MarvelUS-69.jpg
|caption=Finally, Wildman!!
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|date=June [[1990]]
|coverdate=August 1990
|writer=[[Simon Furman]]
|penciler=[[Andrew Wildman|Andy Wildman]]
|inkers=[[Harry Candelario]] & [[Bob Lewis]] (pages 7-8, 15-17)
|colorist=[[Nelson Yomtov|Nel Yomtov]]
|letterer=[[Rick Parker]]
|editor=[[Don Daley]]
|continuity=[[Marvel Comics continuity]]
}}
'''Several plot threads begin, as the countdown to Unicron continues.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] mad. Grimlock smash. Grimlock want [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] back. Grimlock nearly kill stupid [[Pretender]] [[Waverider]] for tedious flashback exposition.

[[File:Eye of the Storm Autobot Powermasters relax.JPG|thumb|left|Just chill, man...]]
Meanwhile, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] has become worried about the general mood of his soldiers aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. Despite the loss of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], they are still not taking the threat of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] very seriously, falling into the groove of serious relaxation and downtime between missions. He begins to consider that the only way to defeat Unicron may be with the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s united as one.

In the meantime, Optimus Prime checks in on [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], who he has assigned to a research project—looking into the apparent deaths of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] and [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]] a few months back to see if there was any chance they survived. Nightbeat had indeed come up with a theory, as one or both of the Transformers could have fled into a [[trans-time dimensional portal]] known to have been active at the time, only to have been caught between universes when the base exploded and deactivated the portal. To test his theory, Nightbeat constructed a sub-spatial "fishing line" to search the space between space for Ratchet's bio-mechanical readout and lifesigns.

Off in space, [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] is brought before the present day Unicron, and demands to know why Unicron has broken the bargain they made. Unicron explains that that was a different Unicron's promise, and he needs Galvatron's strength in his own timeline now. He demands that Galvatron go forth and spread word of his coming to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]... forcefully. Galvatron agrees, for the moment.

Grimlock retrieve Dinobots from stasis pods. Grimlock sorry he have to "WHAMM!" [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] to do it, but he found way to save friends. Dumb Prime not trust Grimlock's suggestion, so Grimlock take matters into own hands.

Elsewhere on the Ark, Optimus Prime makes the shocking announcement over the ship's comms that he plans to offer an unconditional surrender to [[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] and the Decepticons, in order to pave the way for an alliance against Unicron. 

[[File:US69EyeofStorm.JPG|upright=1.67|thumb|Rumble rumble rumble, mutiny mutiny mutiny.]]
The offer will come too late for two of Scorponok's troops, though. [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] and [[Triggerhappy (G1)|Triggerhappy]] were less than pleased when Scorponok offered the madman [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] a place in his Decepticons, and him then losing track of that psychopath completely was the last straw. As they fly away from the Decepticons' [[New Jersey base]], the two warriors are confronted by Starscream himself. Starscream, along with his partners [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] and [[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]], have joined forces to attempt a coup on Scorponok's command. They offer Mindwipe and Triggerhappy a place in their new order.

As Grimlock forcibly blasts free of the Ark, Optimus Prime explains to Nightbeat and Waverider the reasoning behind it. A new energy source called [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]] had been discovered on [[Hydrus Four]], a power apparently capable of granting new and more powerful life to mechanical lifeforms. Unfortunately, there were stories of psychological side effects, dementia and paranoia attacking some of the earliest recipients of Nucleon's power. Prime dismissed it as too dangerous to use on the fallen Autobots, but Grimlock got hold of a copy of the report and wanted to check it out. It seemed Prime's objection wasn't enough to discourage him.

Suddenly, in the midst of Optimus's explanation, Nightbeat's probe returned... carrying the bizarre fusion of Megatron and Ratchet's form with it.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
''(Characters in ''italics'' appear in flashbacks only.)''

{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] (1)
*[[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] (2)
*[[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] (3)
*[[Siren (G1)|Siren]] (4)
*[[Hosehead (G1)|Hosehead]] (5)
*[[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] (6)
*[[Getaway]] (7)
*[[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]] (8)
*[[Waverider]] (9)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] (10)
*''[[Jazz (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Jazz]]'' (11)
*''[[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]]'' (12)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] (13)
*[[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] (14)
*[[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] (15)
*[[Cloudburst]] (16)
*[[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]] (17)
*[[Snarl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Snarl]] (24)
*[[Swoop (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Swoop]] (25)
}}
|c2=
*[[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] (18)
*[[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] (20)
*[[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] (26)
*[[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] (27)
*[[Triggerhappy (G1)|Triggerhappy]] (28)
*[[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] (29)
*[[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]] (30)
*[[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] (31)
|c4=
*[[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] (19)
*[[Hook, Line, and Sinker]] (21–23)
}}

==Quotes==
"'''No!''' I will serve you '''no more!''' '''''Die!'''''" ''[opens fire]''<br>
''[laughs as the blast hits him harmlessly; tortures Galvatron]'' "Would you care to '''reconsider?'''"
:—'''Galvatron''' and '''Unicron''' negotiate


"C'mon, '''Kup''' -- we '''old hands''' at this game, we know score. Obey orders to a  point, but sometimes to win, you have to '''bend rules''' -- take chances!"
:—'''Grimlock'''


"Me '''truly''' sorry, Kup -- but coldn't let you stop me! May not believe this, but this go against grain for me too. Prime idiot, but he also boss. Like you, I '''loyal''' to Autobot ways. But like I say, sometimes you have to '''bend''' rules.... even if it mean '''compromising your principles!'''"
:—'''Grimlock''' monologues for an unconscious Kup


"Shockwave! I saw you '''burn up''' in Earth's atmosphere! I saw you '''die!'''"<br>
"'''Illogical''', since I am here standing in front of you, clearly '''functional''' -- it would follow that I '''survived'''. '''Suggestion''', we dispense with the '''tiresome''' shocked exclamations and get down to '''business!'''"
:—'''Triggerhappy''' is not happy with '''Shockwave'''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> convenient explanations.


"'''Hahaha!''' Maybe we should be called the '''ex-Decepticons''' then! I mean, all '''three''' of us are supposed to be dead! Want to '''join?''' 'Fraid we gotta '''kill you''' first!"
:— it's not so funny when '''Starscream''' jokes about killing you.

==Notes==
===Artwork and technical errors===

===Continuity errors===
*Shockwave fell to Earth in "[[The Desert Island of Space!]]" and Ravage was knocked down a mine-shaft by [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] in "[[Showdown!]]," but in the UK [[Salvage!|they]] had [[Time Wars|both]] been alive for quite a while since then. It's possible that, like [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], they were simply presumed dead after "Time Wars" --Ravage slinked away at the height of the battle while everyone else was dropping like flies, and Shockwave only arrived on-scene ''after'' the rest of the Decepticons (including Megatron) had begun to flee, neither ever to be seen again up until now-- however, there was no lettering edit in the UK reprint to explain this. Even in the US stories, Ravage had been around for the [[Power Struggle|GI Joe crossover]].
*Triggerhappy mentions seeing Shockwave burn up in Earth's atmosphere, but Scorponok's Decepticons had not yet joined up with Shockwave and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]'s forces by that point. Perhaps he saw a recording?
*The recurring issue is that Triggerhappy and Mindwipe are going to work with Starscream in the coup despite defecting ''because'' of Starscream!

===Continuity notes===
*Hot Rod is palling around with Chromedome while the latter's in sickbay. The two were comrades under [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] since "[[Ring of Hate!]]" so it makes sense Hot Rod is visiting. 
*Several characters mention the events of US issues [[Dark Creation|#65]]–[[All Fall Down|66]], where the [[Classic Pretender]]s were left to die on [[VsQs]], and [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] assaulted the Ark with the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], only for both to be lost in space. Waverider handwaves why the Classics weren't killed by saying "I guess" Thunderwing felt they were going to die anyway and he didn't need to bother doing it himself.
*Nightbeat's investigation pertains to the explosion at the climax of US issue [[Skin Deep|#59]].
*Optimus Prime experiences the first of a series of mysterious pains in his gut. Though never truly spelled out for us, this is apparently the first indicator of the "metamorphosis" [[Hi-Q]] underwent in later issues.
*Optimus' "hail mary" of surrendering is happening because Scorponok is "approachable". This nods to the Decepticon leader being willing to listen to Optimus and stand down forces in "[[All the Familiar Faces!]]" and "[[Skin Deep]]", at the start of Furman's US run. (This is actually a recent development in both US and UK continuity but Optimus ''is'' desperate.)

===Real-life references===
*"The [[servo-droid]] did it!" Siren yells at the TV, a riff on the stereotype that the butler always dun it in murder mysteries.

===Other trivia===
*In the credits, over Grimlock trashing his room, editor Don Daley and editor-in-chief [[Tom DeFalco]] are credited as "Grimlock's Interior Decorators".
*According to a [[retcon]] made by [[Fun Publications]], Unicron is a single entity who travels across the dimensions, meaning that the Unicron of Galvatron II's timeline and the Unicron of this timeline '''are''' the same entity. This means that Unicron lied to Galvatron II and ''did'' break his promise. Bear in mind, this should not surprise anyone. [[Shroud|Or did he?]]
*''[[The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe]]'' profiles for [[Fastlane]] and [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] are found after the main story.
*Sight gags by Andrew Wildman include various items of human food, a spyglass for Nightbeat, and a toy dinosaur in Grimlock's room.

===Bot Roster===
*Autobots: 30 active; 8 rogue Micromasters; 1 in storage, 31 offline, 25 presumed offline. (95 total)
*Decepticons: 21 active (+Soundwave, -Triggerhappy and Mindwipe), 5 gone rogue; 25 offline, 25 presumed offline, 2 offline/missing. (78 total)

===UK printing===
*For these issues, the backup strip (''[[Action Force (comic)|G.I. Joe the Action Force]]'') was dropped and this story ran across three issues instead of the usual four (as had been the case since [[Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?|Issue #213]]).
*The cover for #306 gets doubly [[Highbrow (G1)|highbrow]] as it depicts Prime as Rodin's sculpture ''The Thinker'' and also quotes the famous Roman general Tacitus.
'''Issue #306:'''
*'''Reprint ''Transformers'' story:''' "[[In the National Interest]]"
*'''Other strips:''' ''[[Combat Colin]]''
'''Issue #307:'''
*'''Reprint ''Transformers'' story:''' "In the National Interest"
*'''Other strips:''' ''Combat Colin''
'''Issue #308:'''
*'''Reprint ''Transformers'' story:''' "[[The Enemy Within]]"
*'''Other strips:''' ''Combat Colin''
*This is the last weekly issue before the move to fortnightly printing.

===Covers (9)===
<gallery>
File:MarvelUS-69.jpg|'''US issue #69''' - What's in the middle? I hope it's [[Rack'n'Ruin]]!
File:MarvelUK-306.jpg|'''UK issue #306''' - Nice to see you, to see you nice.
File:MarvelUK-307.jpg|'''UK issue #307''' - No more! No more Stan Bush!
File:MarvelUK-308.jpg|'''UK issue #308''' - Even when he's trying to be cool, Shockwave is ''mean''.
</gallery>
*'''US cover:''' Major plot points of the story, by [[Andrew Wildman]].
*'''UK issue #306 cover:''' A pensive Prime, by [[Staz|Stewart Johnson]] and [[Robin Bouttell]].
*'''UK issue #307 cover:''' Unicron punishes Galvatron, by [[Andrew Wildman]] and Robin Bouttell.
*'''UK issue #308 cover:''' Shockwave chokes Mindwipe, by [[Stephen Baskerville]], [[Lesley Dalton]] and Robin Bouttell.
<gallery>
File:Titan-MatrixQuestSC.jpg|'''''Matrix Quest'' TPB'''
File:Titan-MatrixQuestHC.jpg|'''''Matrix Quest'' hardback'''
File:Best of Transformers.jpg|'''''Best of Transformers: Eye of the Storm'''''
</gallery>
*'''''Matrix Quest'' TPB cover:''' [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]], [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]], Shockwave and half of [[Primus]], by Andrew Wildman.
*'''''Matrix Quest'' hardback cover:''' Thunderwing with the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], by [[Pat Lee]].
*'''''Best of Transformers: Eye of the Storm'' cover:''' Optimus Prime, Ravage and [[Skywarp (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Skywarp]], by Andrew Wildman.
<gallery>
File:Classic Transformers Vol5.jpg|'''''Classic Transformers'' Volume 5'''
File:TFClassicsVol6.jpg|'''''The Transformers Classics,'' Vol. 6'''
</gallery>
*'''''Classic Transformers'' Volume 5 cover:''' panels from this issue, "[[Deadly Obsession]]", "[[All Fall Down]]" and "[[...All This and Civil War 2]]".
*'''''The Transformers Classics,'' Vol. 6 cover:''' [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], by [[Guido Guidi]].

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

===Reprints===
*[[2001]] — ''[[Transformers: All Fall Down]]''
*[[2008]] — ''[[Best of Transformers: Eye of the Storm]]''
*[[2009]] — [[Classic Transformers Volume 5|''Classic Transformers'' Volume 5]]
*[[2013]] — [[The Transformers Classics, Vol. 6|''The Transformers Classics,'' Vol. 6]]

[[Category:Marvel US issues]]
[[Category:Marvel UK issues]]