MP-1B Cybertron Commander / Convoy Black Ver.

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"MP-1B Cybertron Commander / Convoy Black Ver."
Publisher	e-HOBBY
Published in	January 2010
Written by	Naoto Sakai
Art by	Hidetsugu Yoshioka
Continuity	Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity
Chronology	Post-G-2
Packaged with	Convoy Black Ver.

Convoy Black Ver. is the one underwater fighting the Constructicons, heck !

Synopsis

Optimus Prime gathers the Autobots together for a mission briefing regarding a spate of attacks on human shipping vessels that have occurred over the last 47 days. Prime unveils the mangled remains of a grotesque biomechanical creature that was responsible for attacking a transport ship from Carbombya eight days prior. Evidence of DNA alteration and nanotechnology in the creature's corpse led the Autobots to suspect Decepticon involvement, which was confirmed three days ago when a second creature was sighted during another attack. Tracking it, the Autobots discovered an underwater Decepticon base, and Prime announces that an oceanic team is now investigating...

Beneath the ocean's surface, Splashdown and Waverider transport a submarine containing "cargo" to the Decepticon base. The two Pretenders are mystified at the lack of activity or guards as they approach, but, inside, they come across Hook and Bonecrusher. The submarine opens to reveal Cliffjumper, Sideswipe, and a black Optimus Prime—an Eldedroid, programmed with a personality based on that of a human named Dan. This plan also takes advantage of the fear of Optimus Prime inherent in all Decepticons, a fear proven when the two horrified Constructicons express their disbelief that Optimus Prime would deign to attack their "tiny mining base". Dan makes easy work of the Constructicons and enters a room with a moon pool leading to the outside sea. As he looks out over the water, however, he is attacked from behind by Megatron, and although he falls, he feels no pain through the robotic body. Megatron is understandably in a bad mood, having been demoted to this demeaning position by the new Decepticon leader Galvatron, and he and Dan battle, with Dan making a point of sounding as much like Prime as he can to make sure Megatron believes he is fighting the genuine article.

Back at Autobot headquarters, Prime is concerned over Dan's welfare, but Ironhide tells him not to be so pessimistic. Splashdown radios in to report that the Constructicons have revealed the true story behind the biomechanical beasts: They were created in the underwater base by the Decepticons, with the aid of human scientists! However, the experiment backfired when the creatures went out control, turning on the Decepticons and keeping them trapped in the base. Splashdown has not yet determined if the creatures' attacks on the human ships are the product of animal instinct or not.

Back with the fight, although Dan feels no pain, he can tell that his body is accumulating a dangerous amount of damage. As Megatron is without his fusion cannon, Dan refuses to shoot him, as it is "not the Prime way", at which point Megatron reveals that he knows Dan is not the real Optimus Prime. Megatron denounces his followers as fools for believing Dan's trick and instructs him to return to the real Prime and tell him that Megatron is leaving all responsibility for the creatures in the Autobots' hands. As he makes this declaration, a gigantic creature bursts from the moon pool...

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons
Optimus Prime (1) Hot Rod (2) Perceptor (3) Ironhide (4) Bumblebee (5) Ultra Magnus (6) Kup (7) Splashdown (8) Waverider (9) Cliffjumper (12) Eldedroid/Dan (13) Sideswipe (13)	Hook (10) Bonecrusher (11) Megatron (12)

Quotes

"Optimus ? The boss oneself came to beat such tiny mining base, heck ? No kidding this time ! It's going to be more knotty !!"

—Hook assesses his situation.

Notes

Continuity notes

• You'll notice that Ultra Magnus is still in his Laser Rod body, but missing his face-plate. This is an accurate detail, as he lost his faceplate in his battle with Galvatron II during the "Hybrid Style Convoy Black Version" comic.
• The presence of Ironhide stands out as anomalous, as he ought to be dead by this point in time. Ironically, though, this continues a trend established by an erroneous cameo in an episode of The Headmasters cartoon, and which would be continued by other stories in the Japanese continuity.
• In 1989, Takara released a "Hero Set" containing the Classic Pretender versions of Bumblebee, Grimlock, Jazz and Starscream (sans their shells). Takara's 2007 timeline confirmed that the conflict this set represented was set in cartoon continuity, explaining why Bumblebee appears in his original form in this story, rather than as Goldbug.
• According to the artist, Splashdown's partner is American Pretender Waverider, not Diver, making his Japanese-continuity debut.
• The Constructicons were last seen in the Zone cartoon, being washed away in a flood of lava and by all evidence dying. The Transformers United EX story "Unearthed Future" sought to repair the discontinuity, explaining how the Constructicons were revived (so they could appear in this story!).

Transformers references

• The identity of "Dan" is not revealed, but we're pretty confident in saying it's Daniel Witwicky, who would chronologically be an adult in his forties, if not older, by this point.
• This comic takes place after the events of the Japanese Generation 2 storyline. It follows an arc begun by Hirofumi Ichikawa via the bios packaged with several other e-HOBBY exclusive toys.
  • The story began in the Galvatron II bio, where a Galvatron from an alternate reality traveled to this timeline, intending to conquer the universe with his fleet of Warworlds.
  • The story continued in the Laser Rod Ultra Magnus bio, in which Ultra Magnus used the Reconfiguration Matrix within the Matrix of Leadership to resurrect himself in a new body with which to counter Galvatron II.
  • The story then continued into the "Hybrid Style Convoy Black Version" comic, in which Optimus Prime dons a "Black body" in order to save Ultra Magnus from the rampaging Galvatron II.
  • "Convoy Black Ver."'s bio was the next link in the chain, establishing that Wheeljack and Ga'mede had studied Prime's new Black Body and created mass-produced robot drones in its image named Eldedroids. This comic occurs some time afterward.
• This marks the first appearance of Megatron since the end of the G-2 storyline, when he and the Decepticons were banished to deep space. Apparently, Galvatron II seized command of the Decepticons following their defeat.

Other notes

• The issue contains both Japanese and English text. However, the English translation is sloppy, sometimes to the point of incomprehensibility. It renders "Dan" with two Ns for no readily apparent reason.

External links

• Scans of MP-1B Cybertron Commander / Convoy Black Ver.