The Toxic Transformer

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We're waiting on "Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxitron". Or a musical adaptation.
"The Toxic Transformer"
Publisher	Transformers Collectors' Club (online exclusive)
First published	May 20, 2016
Written by	Luke Thompson
Pencils	Dan Khanna
Inks	Jake Isenberg
Colors by	Thomas Deer and Jesse Wittenrich
Managing editor	Pete Sinclair
Continuity	Of Masters and Mayhem
Page count	14pp

The Decepticons have created a monster who burns everything he touches: Toxitron! But as it turns out, this monster is unwilling to be a slave...

Synopsis

On Cybertron, the Autobot/Decepticon war rages on, consuming everything in its path. A 500-strong Autobot platoon was sent to protect yet another city as part of yet another "holding action," and now, 17 days later, yet another Cybertronian city has been razed to the ground, with only a few dozen Autobots left. Autobot fuel-preparation specialist Spin-Out, the last remaining officer of the platoon, looks over the damage caused by the battle, melancholic over their Pyrrhic victory. One of his soldiers, Outback, tries to cheer him up, pointing out that without him, they wouldn't of had anyone else to lead them, but this only serves to upset Spin-Out more, as he only became leader because forty-eight other Autobots died. His frustration his interrupted when Powerflash calls him, informing the new "commander" that they've managed to capture a Decepticon. Heading on over, Spin-Out finds the remaining Autobots standing around the noxious-smelling prisoner, ready to use melee weapons at the first notice of trouble. Spin-Out interrogates the Decepticon, asking for his name; when he refuses to answer, Powerflash forces the prisoners head up, causing Spin-Out to realize that the Decepticon looks like a warped version of Optimus Prime! He doesn't have much time to think about this, however, as Powerflash begins screaming, his hand melting away from the orange slime that the Decepticon produces. The Decepticon slowly and deliberately rises up, his restraints melting away, and grabs Powerflash's head, reducing it to ooze. As the other Autobots attack him, only for the wounds that they do manage to inflict spraying orange slime all over them, the Decepticon slowly pontificates, explaining that he is an experiment, and like any experiment, he has a name...Toxitron. Spin-Out, now the only survivor of his platoon, is paralyzed with fear, as Toxitron turns his attention to him. Finding Spin-Out's red armor "too bright," Toxitron moves to melt the Autobot...when an electrical pop sounds off, freezing the Decepticon and causing him to fall backwards. Spin-Out stands silently for several seconds, before his knees give out, joining Toxitron in unconsciousness.

Inside a top-secret facility, Decepticon scientists Loudpedal and Oil Slick have retrieved Toxitron from his latest mission, along with Spin-Out, who has unfortunately become one of Loudpedal's "patients." Looking over the latest data, the two call up Knock Out to inform them of their latest success (with Loudpedal hoping to impress Knock Out enough to enter his fellowship). The two tense up, however, when their call is picked up on the other line, as Shockwave has elected to accompany Knock Out on the call, and coldly demands for their latest report. Regaining composure, Loudpedal and Oil Slick go over Toxitron's origins; he was part of an attempt at making a new combiner, and while he does seem capable of forming a torso component, the experiment upon him having changed his biology, turning his internal fluids into a "molecular solvent," toxic sludge constantly leaking from his body that has also imbued him with rapid regeneration abilities. This sludge is highly adhesive, unable to be removed until its potency is expired, and which emits caustic fumes that causes further damage to those around it. Knock Out is fascinated, and inquires into the "cognizant stasis" they've used to control him in-between missions. Loudpedal is all too happy to explain the process to his idol: using a form of mental conditioning created by Straxus, Toxitron is frozen, unable to move but fully aware of his surroundings, causing him to stew in his own negative emotions, building up until he is next unleashed upon the Autobots. Shockwave, apparently pleased, orders them to proceed to schedule, and ends the call.

Outside a top-secret Autobot facility, security director Red Alert keeps watch. Inside, engines are being built for the Autobot's last hope: the Ark Project, a spaceship that will allow them to search for energy elsewhere, as Cybertron's own energy grows dim. Lost in thought as he looks over the security log, his attention is brought to the sky when a shuttle comes flying overhead, following the complicated flight pattern Red Alert devised to identify those who are a friend and foe. Completing the maneuvers, the shuttle lands; Brawn exits the craft with a box of new components, and the shuttle transforms into Jetfire. Red Alert elects to escort the two in, having received reports from the front gate that Optimus Prime appears to be coming. Inside the factory, Jetfire takes the components from Brawn, heading off towards his laboratory. Red Alert and Brawn head for the security area, where a group of Autobots are watching the security footage. One of the officers informs Red Alert that the signal is from an Autobot transponder, and that the cybermetrics match Optimus Prime. However, "Prime" is traveling alone, and although he's maintained radio silence, the video feeds are unable to actually capture an image of the incoming Transformer, due to some sort of feedback emitting from him. Red Alert activates the Emergency Autobot Alert System, informing everyone of the situation, as the Transformer rams through the gates. Red Alert orders everyone to their battle stations, as he and the rest of the security force gather around the front doors, which begin melting away. As Toxitron emerges through the whole, the Autobots open fire...but when the smoke clears, the damage inflicted on Toxitron heals over rapidly. Toxitron mockingly asks them why they would treat a fellow Autobot like that, as he opens his chest, revealing the source of the transponder signal: the decapitated head of Spin-Out! Infuriated, Brawn rushes towards Toxitron, but the Decepticon pulls out his rifle, spraying the small Autobot with his toxic ooze. Unsheathing his sword, Toxitron blasts and cuts his way through the security forces, with what little damage the Autobots do manage to inflict on him simply damaging their comrades. However, Toxitron is blindsided when Jetfire punches him to the ground, his heat shielding slowing down the effects of Toxitron's sludge. Jetfire warns Red Alert to stay back, allowing Toxitron enough time to heal, as blasts Jetfire back with a stream of sludge, quickly standing up and pressing his hands against Jetfire's battlemask, quickly burning through it. Red Alert jumps at Toxitron, knocking him off of Jetfire, but before he can get back up, the Decepticon slices him at the waist with his blade, the two halves falling to the floor. The other Autobots fall in pain, connected to Red Alert from the emergency alert system; his link to Spin-Out causes him pain as well, and Toxitron rips the dead Autobot's head out of his chest, tearing it apart. Jetfire, recovered from Toxitron's attack, blasts the Decepticon with his pulse rifle, but unfortunately, it sends him flying into the incomplete engines, ruining the Ark. Jetfire orders everyone to escape the compromised facility, promising to buy them some time, as Toxitron melts his way out of the engines...

Later, Loudpedal and Oil Slick report once more to Shockwave and Knock Out. The two explain how they've given Toxitron weaponry using frequency-randomizing force fields, allowing him to hold them and channel his toxic sludge through it. Unfortunately, Oil Slick lets slip that they've been looking into the force field tech because they learned that his stasis-lock implant had been corroded away, which they found out after several missions, his mental conditioning apparently working regardless. Loudpedal chimes in that they do have a back-up...but it takes a breem to charge. Realizing what Shockwave's getting at, Knock Out demands to know how often the two scientists are resupplied, and when they reveal that the ship comes every three months and is currently there, Knock Out chews them out for their incompetence, and signals for the supply ship to return. Shockwave coldly tells the two that if there's any survivors, he wishes for a report, and ends the transmission. Loudpedal and Oil Slick slowly realize that Toxitron has feigned his mental conditioning, and has been waiting for this moment...and as soon as this dawns on them, the base's klaxon begin to go off. Many years later, the frozen Toxitron reflects on his situation. He was able to get his revenge on his tormentors, but as he was headed for the hangars, the back-up stasis implant activated, freezing him. Now he spends his days counting the rivets in the doors...but on one day, he is given a brief respite, as the surface of the planet shakes, under the threat of some unstoppable force, and lets the sounds of destruction carry him back to sleep.

Sometime later, Impactor, Counterpunch, and Fractyl return to the ruins of Cybertron, following a potential lead from records that speak of a secret base abandoned by the Decepticon, with an experiment still alive inside. Fractyl finds the hidden bunker, and Counterpunch, who doubts they'll find anything, nearly falls over when the hangar doors finally open, finding the frozen form of Toxitron within. The three explain to the frozen Decepticon what has happened: Cybertron was rendered lifeless by the Mayhem Attack Squad, who have virtually wiped out the entire Transformer race. Impactor orders Fractyl to disable the stasis lock device, promising to let Toxitron do whatever he wants when he's free; Counterpunch briefly protests, believing Toxitron will just kill him, but Impactor is fine with that, because then Toxitron will have at least made a choice for himself. Fractyl disables the device, and Toxitron moves for the first time in many stellar cycles. Slowly gaining control over himself, Toxitron decides to listen to whatever Impactor has to say, and so the Autobot offers him a choice: to join them in gaining revenge on the monsters who destroyed Cybertron, no matter what it takes. Toxitron mocks him, pointedly asking him whether or not that he would go to the Mayhem Attack Squad if he was the one responsible for the destruction of Cybertron. Impactor candidly confirms that he would, promising that he'll drag them all down with them if he has to, and Toxitron, genuinely impressed, asks what he'll get in return. Impactor figures that the chance to kill is the best reward Toxitron can have; Toxitron muses over this, reflecting on how he was molded to be little more than a monster. For the first time in his life, he has a choice to be part of a team...a team of killers that need him to be a monster. Toxitron is silent for a second, and begins laughing, unnerving Fractyl and Counterpunch. Taking Toxitron's howling as a yes, Impactor welcomes Toxitron into the Wreckers, and heads off, promising him that, like every other Wrecker...

...he probably won't survive the experience.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons
Spin-Out (1) Outback (2) Powerflash (3) Red Alert (9) Jetfire (10) Brawn (11) Impactor (13)	Toxitron (4) Loudpedal (see "Notes", 5) Oil Slick (6) Shockwave (7) Knock Out (8) Counterpunch (12) Fractyl (14)

Quotes

"You still stepped up when we needed it, and that’s what counts."
"Is that... supposed to make me feel better? I stepped up because the forty-eight Autobots ahead of me were already dead!"

—Outback isn't good at cheering up Spin-Out

"Your armor shines too bright."

—Toxitron

"Knock Out isn’t going to award the fellowship based on looks. [pause] What am I saying? Of course he will. He keeps an autographed picture of the Stunticons in his glovebox!"

—Oil Slick knows the score

"Then why would you want my help? Because I like to break things too? Do you think I’m different than them? How many more would I have killed, had I not been shut down and buried? Would you be approaching them to fight with you against me?"
"I’m not delusional. We’re all broken. Our time in this universe is done, and none of us are going to win regardless of whether we survive. So yeah. I would team with them to fight you. I want to pitch one walking genocide against another and make sure I drag them all down with me when I go."

—Toxitron and Impactor

"Tortured into existence, deprived of will, of simple connection to others. Molded to do nothing but kill... to be nothing but a monster. You give me a choice, offer me inclusion. I can belong—and there’s nothing left to belong to except a group of killers who need a better monster."

—Toxitron tells a funny joke

Notes

• Characters mentioned but not seen include: Hauler, Optimus Prime, the Stunticons, Straxus, Primus, and the Mayhem Attack Squad.
• Characters who appear in the illustrations include: Mainframe, Wheeljack, Perceptor, and Grapple.

Continuity notes

• Chronologically speaking, the majority of this story is the earliest point in the Of Masters and Mayhem timeline, set during the war on Cybertron; since the Ark is being built during this story, and Of Masters and Mayhem is mostly based upon the original Marvel The Transformers comic continuity, this places it slightly before four million years ago. The third to last section of the story take place during Thunder Mayhem's destructive rampage on Cybertron, while the final two sections take place after the last two prose stories ("The Truth We Make" and "Life Finds a Way"), in which Impactor was shown to be assembling a new team of Wreckers, including Counterpunch, Fractyl, and now Toxitron.

Transformers references

• The flag on the cover (see "real-world references" below for more information) has red and blue stripes, with a white square containing an image of Cybertron; evidently, this is the flag of Cybertron.
• According to the bombastic claims of the story's cover, Toxitron is the first Wrecker from the Rust Sea, a location on Cybertron first mentioned in the letters page of the Marvel UK The Transformers comic. See "real-world references" for more information below.
• The "film rating" on the cover illustration reads "Under 17 requires accompanying Autobot or Decepticon. (Under 3 requires kids' meal purchase.)" The latter half is a reference to "Under-3", the designation given to the Maximal toy for toddlers that was part of the 1996 Beast Wars "Happy Meal" promotion from McDonald's. He's infamous for his rather strange, "clamshell"-style altenate mode: the head of a lion. See "real-world references" below for more information.
• Although not pictured, Spin-Out is recognizable from his description as a red Autobot with a "supercharged engine" on his back and vents on each side of his head as the red Diaclone Super Tuning Countach toy, which would become the original The Transformers Sunstreaker toy. "Spin-Out" was, in turn, a pre-production name for Sunstreaker, hence its application here.
• Autobots in Spin-Out's unit include: Hauler (an Autobot crane seen very briefly in the first episode of the Sunbow The Transformers cartoon, who would later receive a backstory when e-HOBBY released a toy of him in 2003), Outback (one of the 1986 Autobot Mini Vehicles), and Powerflash (a European-exclusive Action Master from 1991).
• Powerflash insults Toxitron by calling him a scraplet, a species of metal-eating parasites first seen in the original Marvel The Transformers comic.
• Toxitron melts through the stasis cuffs the Autobots put him in at the beginning of the story; stasis cuffs were restraining devices introduced in the Transformers Animated cartoon.
• Loudpedal is based on the Finnish-exclusive black variant of the Diaclone Corvette Stingray toy, for which the mold would later go on to be used for The Transformers Tracks. See "other trivia" below for more information.
• Oil Slick is broadly inspired by the Decepticon chemical weapons expert Oil Slick from Transformers Animated. Visually, he's based on Generation 1 Ratchet's character model, using the colors of "Ratchet Emergency Green", the Transformers Encore release of Ratchet's original toy recolored based on the live-action movie version of the character, sold as a mail-away with the Transformers Visualworks artbook. His head, meanwhile, is repurposed from Transformers Go! Hunter Ratchet's noggin, who was also colored in homage to the live-action movie Ratchet.
• Many of the characters in this story are colored based on their appearances in the Marvel The Transformers, including: :
  • Shockwave, who has blue shoulders, which he was depicted with for the first dozen or so issues of the comic, though they eventually were changed to be colored purple.
  • Jetfire, who has red eyes, white feet with red detailing, and red details on his chest.
  • Red Alert, who has dark blue hands, wheels, lower legs, and his head.
  • Wheeljack, who is mostly white, with a blue head, shoulders, hands, and waist, and a red windshield.
  • Perceptor, who has a blue head, a nearly all-blue torso, blue thighs, and blue forearms.
  • Grapple, who has a blue helmet, hands, and knees.
• Knock Out is, in terms of personality, based on the Transformers: Prime Decepticon medic of the same name. His visual appearance, meanwhile, is based on the original Knockout, a Decepticon Micromaster Combiner from 1991 who was part of the Constructor Squad. However, his torso is now colored red instead of orange, and his original head, rather blocky in shape, has been redesigned to look more like Prime Knock Out's noggin.
• Oil Slick and Loudpedal have based their use of "cognizant stasis" on a mental conditioning program created by Straxus, a Decepticon dictator from the Marvel The Transformers comic.
• When Red Alert activates the Emergency Autobot Alert System, his helmets little stubby "horns" glow blue, as they did several times in the Sunbow The Transformers episode "Auto Berserk".
• Toxitron shoots Brawn in his shoulder, where the Autobot Mini Vehicle was fatally shot in The Transformers: The Movie.
• Jetfire uses a battlemask in his fight with Toxitron, based upon his original toy's head.
• Among Toxitron's victims is Mainframe (seen only in illustration), one of the 1990 Autobot Action Masters.
• Both breems and vorns are mentioned, units of time first mentioned in the Marvel The Transformers comic, equivalent to 8.3 minutes and 83 years, respectively.

Real world references

• The story's title is a reference to the 1984 black comedy film, The Toxic Avenger, with the cover of the story recreating the film's theatrical poster (Toxitron holding his gun in front of a flag with Cybertron on it/the Toxic Avenger holding a mop in front of an American flag). All of the phrases on the poster are recreated ("He was 9.8 tons of solid scrap until he became..."/"He was 98 lb of solid nerd until he became..."; "The first Wrecker...from the Rust Sea!"/"The first Super-Hero...from New Jersey!"; "A Fun Publications Production"/"A Lloyd Kaufman/Michael Herz Production"). Also recreated are the film credits (replaced by the creative team of this story) and even the film rating (now "C" for Cybertron instead of "R", with the MPAA logo replaced by the Autobot and Decepticon insignias, and an accompanying Autobot or Decepticon instead of a parent) and copyright symbol (right where the Troma Entertainment copyright indicator was on the original film poster).
• Toxitron's internal fluids are described by Oil Slick as a "universal molecular solvent"; this rather tautological description seems to be in reference to the Xenomorphs from the Alien film franchise, the blood of which was a substance known as "molecular acid".

Errors

• The word "hangar" is consistently misspelled as "hanger".

Other trivia

• When this story was first released, the Decepticon based upon the Finnish "Black Tracks" was given the name of Vivisector, a Decepticon scientist mentioned in the profile for Overlord in the trade paperback collection of IDW Publishing's Last Stand of the Wreckers mini-series. However, less than a day later, TakaraTomy announced the release of Loudpedal, a Masterpiece toy that was also based on the Finnish black Diaclone Corvette Stingray. Hence, the story was re-released a few days later, with Vivisector now called Loudpedal. In homage to the original name, the revised version adds in a line from Knock Out, where the Decepticon expresses his appreciation for Loudpedal's new career as a "vivisectionist." In turn, the narration notes that Loudpedal was "pleased that the vocational change meant to further impress Knock Out had the desired effect."
• In addition to the aforementioned changes, the second release of the story made it more clear that Spin-Out was Loudpedal's patient ("The last patient was… juicy." vs. "The last patient, that red one, was... juicy.").

External links

• "The Toxic Transformer" at The Official Transformers Collectors' Club