Editing The Transformers (issue)

{{disambig2|the first comic issue of the first comic series about Transformers|other uses of ''The Transformers''|Transformers (disambiguation)}}
{{comicstory|
|seriesissue=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' (US)]] #1
|next=Power Play!
|seriesissue2=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|''The Transformers'' (UK)]] #1–2
|next2=Power Play!
|image=MarvelUS-01.jpg
|caption=[[Smallest Transforming Transformers|Largest Transforming Transformers]] Optimus Prime! One of six blind-packed $500,000,000 toys!
|title="The Transformers"
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|date=[[May 8]], 1984
|coverdate=September 1984
|plot=[[Bill Mantlo]]
|script=[[Ralph Macchio]]
|pencils=[[Frank Springer]]
|inks=[[Kim DeMulder]]
|colors=[[Nelson Yomtov]]
|lettering=Higgins, [[Rick Parker]]
|editor=[[Bob Budiansky]]
|continuity=[[Marvel Comics continuity]]}}
'''A group of sentient warring robots crash-lands on Earth four million years ago. When they awake in the present day, their battle begins anew.'''

==Synopsis==
On the [[Saturn]]-sized mechanical world of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], life has evolved not through carbon bonding, but via "[[Atechnogenesis|naturally-occurring gears, levers, and pulleys]]". The resultant sentient robots, the [[Autobot]]s, live in peace for many eons, until some of their number fall victim to a lust for power. Rallying behind the banner of the powerful [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], these "[[Decepticon]]s" rebuild their bodies, allowing them to [[Transformation|change]] at will between a humanoid form and the form of various war machines. The Decepticons unleash a furious war on the Autobots, intending to conquer the planet and rebuild it as a cosmic dreadnought.

Faced with annihilation, the Autobots turn to a noble leader from their own ranks: [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Under his leadership, the Autobots, also now gifted with the ability to "transform", rally and counterattack. And thus, an [[Great War (G1)|all-consuming war]] rages across the planet for a thousand years, while the planet itself—dislodged from its orbit by the titanic battles—spins out of control through the cosmos.

Eventually Cybertron enters another [[solar system]] and is faced with destruction as it approaches an asteroid belt. Aboard a huge spacecraft dubbed the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], Optimus Prime leads a team of Autobots on a mission to clear a path through the asteroids. After the mission is completed, the Decepticons attack the weakened Autobot warriors. Facing inevitable defeat, Optimus Prime sends the Ark on a suicide course into a supposedly [[Earth|lifeless planet]]. The crash renders all the combatants inert.

[[Image:Combat deck marvel 1.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Combat Deck bought a junker lot from eBay.]]
Four million years later, a [[Mount St. Hilary|volcanic eruption]] reactivates the Ark's dormant computer, which finds the planet now teaming with mechanical "life". It reactivates the ship's passengers, rebuilding them to resemble the planet's natives. Damaged, the computer does not recognize friend from foe, and thus both factions are restored to life. After [[Introdump|checking themselves over]], the Decepticons flee for other parts, leaving the Autobots to make their home in the crashed Ark. Observing the planet, Optimus notes that they must work to save the planet from the Decepticons, whom they've accidentally unleashed upon it.

Optimus Prime sends a team of five, under the command of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], to scout out the new world and make contact with the natives. En route, they are sighted by Decepticon spy [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]. The Autobots mistake a drive-in movie theater for some kind of religious ritual; Bumblebee over-enthusiastically nudges a "native", violently jostling its teenage occupants [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]], [[Jesse]] and [["O"]]. As Buster and the others climb out to see what happened, the Decepticons attack, intent on keeping their foes from establishing an alliance with the planet's natives. The Autobots reluctantly transform and defend themselves, turning the drive-in into a battlefield. During the battle, Prowl realizes that the automobiles are not alive at all, but the [[Human|small, pink creatures]] fleeing from them are; the Autobots retreat to draw the Decepticons' fire away from the apparently defenseless fleshlings.

During the battle, Buster hears the damaged Bumblebee cry out in pain, and ends up "driving" him away from the battlefield. That night, his father "[[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]]" finds him tinkering with the yellow Volkswagen Beetle in his garage. He's delighted that his son is finally showing some interest in mechanics, but not so amused when the car cries out that it needs help, because it's dying...

{{note|Chronologically, the UK Annual stories "[[State Games]]" and "[[And There Shall Come...a Leader!]]" are set during the early events of this issue.}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] (4)
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (10)
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (13)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (14)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (15)
* [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (16)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (17)
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (18)
* [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (19)
* [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (20)
* [[Bluestreak]] (21)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (22)
* [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (23)
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (24)
* [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (25)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (26)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (27)
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (28)
|c2=
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (1)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (2)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (3)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (5)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (6)
* [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (7)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (8)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (9)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (11)
* [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] (12)
|c3=
* [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] (29)
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] (30)
* [[Jesse]] (31)
* [["O"|"O"]] (32)}}

==Errors==
* It's said in this issue that the war between the Transformers <i>knocked Cybertron out of its orbit</i>, which sounds...very improbable because of the sheer magnitude of force required for something like that to happen; Cybertron would have likely been completely obliterated before it would've been knocked out of its orbit.
* [[Image:Contentedfools.jpg|thumb|right|250px| ]] In his very first appearance, parts of Soundwave's backpack, arms and legs are colored red.
* [[Image:M01 tomaandi.jpg|thumb|right|250px| ]]As he and Optimus Prime report to the Autobot Elders, Jazz is colored yellow and blue, and has two shoulder launchers instead of one.  He's also ''extremely'' toy-based, right down to have the toy's conjoined uni-feet, and complete with Earthen car parts!
* Numerous [[generic]]s show up aboard the Ark. By story continuity, it should only have the 18 crewers shown here, plus the future Dinobots (whose characters presumably didn't exist yet in real-life terms.)
* Page 7: 
** As the Decepticons first strike the Ark, Optimus Prime is colored almost entirely red.
** [[Image:Generic decepticons marvel 1.jpg|thumb|right|250px|...[[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]], is that you?]] A blue-chested, red-legged Optimus Prime is among the invading Decepticons!  In the same panel, Optimus himself is colored entirely red and is missing his chest windows.
** None of the invading Deceptions resemble the ten Decepticons later shown to comprise Megatron's crew.
* Page 8: Prowl is missing his door/wings, though one could retcon this as being his "Cybertronian" body.
* Page 10: "The drone swiftly plots its return to the Ark" -- it's not clear from context if "it" is the jet scanned by the probe, or the probe itself.  Neither makes a lot of sense.
* Page 12: The robots undergoing repair don't really correspond to any Transformer known to be present.
* Nobody thought to attack the other faction instead of standing around yakking?  (Granted, some of the Autobots do open fire as the Decepticons transform to escape.)
* Soundwave converts to his tape player form and flies off with the jets!  Or starts to, at least—he's not shown in the next panel as the Decepticons flee the volcano.
* In the giant two-page Autobot spread:
** Sideswipe seems to have a made-up or at least off-model head.
** Wheeljack's "ears" are kind of folded up against his head.
** Bluestreak is missing his door/wings and shoulder rockets.
** Gears is a strange alternate model bearing almost no resemblance to his toy or later design.
** Hound, Wheeljack, and Sideswipe are all missing their shoulder launchers.
** Trailbreaker is missing his force field projector.

[[Image:Gearsg1firstappearance.jpg|thumb|right|250px| ]]
* Page 16: 
** Gears seems to have an entirely new, entirely different model here.  
** Bluestreak is colored like Prowl. 
** Bumblebee suddenly has the toy-based "backing plate" behind his head, whereas before he didn't.  
** Not all of the silhouettes correspond to actual characters.
** Sunstreaker's "ears" are misshapen.
* Page 17: Sparkplug's "okay" is missing a period at the end.
* Page 19: More Deception generics visible on the cliff.
* Page 22: Starscream's entire cockpit cowling is colored as though it were a canopy.
* When Ravage confronts him, Hound has ''two'' shoulder launchers.
* Soundwave is colored silver-blue as he attacks Prowl and Cliffjumper.  His gun is missing its narrow tip.
* Cliffjumper's arms are colored white as Prowl orders the retreat.

==Notes==
* '''Cameos:''' an Autobot Elder who [[Retcon|may or may not]] be [[Tomaandi]].
* Advertised as part #1 in a 4-issue limited series.
* Printed on high-quality [[Mando paper]].
* The artwork uses early character designs for many characters, some of them heavily toy-based (Ironhide, Ratchet, Brawn, Gears), others based on early models that would later be changed (Megatron, Starscream's color scheme), and still others completely random (Gears again).
* The "revival drones" that reactivate the Ark's crew are based on Optimus Prime's [[Combat Deck]].
* Though many generics appear in the pre-Earth battle aboard the Ark and its aftermath, the art might be seen as providing an "out": On page 12, what looks to be a huge pile of unrepaired Transformers can be seen between behind Optimus and Megatron as they re-awaken.
* On [[May 22]], the [http://groups.google.com/group/net.comics/msg/1cdaf7df610e0376?dmode=source&amp;hl=en first Usenet post about Transformers] is posted by Ted Nolan to net.comics, regarding this issue.  Capsule review?  "Worst comic of the year."
* The cover price is 75 cents, which would be $1.50 when adjusted for inflation to 2007 dollars.  In November, 2007, [[IDW Publishing]]'s Transformers comics currently cost $3.99.
* Over the course of the series, some of this issue's early details would be retconned away or simply ignored.  Among them are the notion of a Saturn-sized Cybertron, the "naturally evolving" origin of the Transformers, and the toy-based appearance of several characters, such as Ratchet, Ironhide, Bumblebee and Brawn.

===Covers (3)===
* '''US issue #1 cover:''' gigantic Optimus Prime, tiny Starscream, Gears, Laserbeak and the Witwickys, by [[Bill Sienkiewicz]].
* '''UK issue #1 cover:''' Soundwave and Buzzsaw kick Prime's ass, by [[Jerry Paris]].
* '''UK issue #2 cover:''' the Autobots depart the Ark, by [[John Ridgway]].
* '''The Complete Works Part 1 cover:''' reuse of UK issue #1's cover.
* '''25th Anniversary Optimus Prime cover:''' now including tiny disclaimer: "Headline from original comic; this reissue is not part of a series."
<gallery perrow="5">
Image:MarvelUS-01.jpg|'''US issue #1''' - First he will crush the planes, then he will crush the giant floating heads.
Image:MarvelUK-1.jpg|'''UK issue #1''' - Is Soundwave on [[Ultra-Energon]]?
Image:MarvelUK-2.jpg|'''UK issue #2''' - Is this girl '''that''' into her doll that she didn't see the [[Michael Bay|giant f*cking robots]]?
Image:Complete works 1 cover.jpg|'''The Complete Works Part 1'''
Image:MarvelUS-01-25years.jpg|'''US issue #1''' (25th Anniversary Optimus Prime pack-in)
</gallery>

===Generics===
This issue features a broad range of [[generic]] Transformers, from peace-loving Autobots to a Decepticon raiding party. As the brand was in its infancy at this stage, [[Character model|character models]] were not yet fixed and coloring tended to veer towards the random, so some of these generics may have been [[authorial intent|intended]] to represent actual characters. Whether they do so is probably best left [[Personal canon|up to you]].

{{main|Big Red}}

<gallery>
Image:Generic autobots marvel 1.jpg|The first glimpse of the Transformers. The Autobot on the far right may represent a pre-war Optimus Prime (Orion Pax/Optronix?) while the others share design elements (if not colors) with the 1984 [[Autobot Cars|Autobot cars]].
Image:Generics marvel 1.jpg|Since he is called out in the caption box, it is probably fair to assume that the robot armed with the [[ion blaster]] represents Optimus Prime, albeit miscolored. That may be Sideswipe to his right, apparently armed with a [[fusion cannon]].
Image:Generic decepticons marvel 1.jpg|In one of the more famous mistakes from this issue, a robot resembling a miscolored Optimus Prime leads the Decepticon raid on the Ark.
</gallery>

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