Grudge Match!

« The Transformers (UK) #135–136 »
I mean, who would have thought Hasbro would go and use the name Divebomb?
"Grudge Match!"
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Cover date	17th October - 24th October 1987
Script	Simon Furman
Pencils	Jeff Anderson
Inks	Baskerville
Colour	Steve White
Letters	Annie H
Continuity	Marvel Comics continuity (Marvel UK)
Chronology	1987

Dinobots vs Predacons! Nuff said?

Synopsis

In Calusa, Florida, O'Connor's Circus is performing when it is attacked by the Predacons. They charge through the main tent and the side shows, causing chaos all round. However, Divebomb is not taking part, even though he was the first to admit his boredom.

Up on the roller coaster track, Divebomb thinks that scaring a few humans may be fun but isn't what he joined the Predacons for. He wishes for challenges worthy of the team, like Optimus Prime and Megatron. He contemplates returning to Cybertron, but this would prevent the others from forming Predaking. But what really eats at him is wondering about a foe who escaped—what happened to the original Divebomb?

Now called Swoop, the original Divebomb has recognised his old foe in a news broadcast about the Predacon attack. Swoop tells Sludge that it's the Decepticon who stole his name, but Sludge responds that Swoop has always said Divebomb was dead and the insult avenged. Swoop determines to settle things once and for all. Sludge wonders why Swoop is concerned by ancient history, but Swoop cannot say, as he told lies about the event and doesn't want to admit who saved him. Instead all he says is "The point, Sludge, is... is... he's still usin' my name!"

The story "What's in a Name?" in the Transformers annual released that year, takes place between panels at this point and tells the true story of what happened.

Later, Divebomb is flying over swamps when he is attacked. He immediately recognises his old foe and they fight. Divebomb wonders if Swoop ever did tell the truth about their last fight and knocks Swoop from the sky. On the ground, it is the Dinobot who is stronger. But both combatants are disappointed when the other four Predacons appear, declaring that they look after their own. They start beating up Swoop, though Divebomb himself wants no part of it. Swoop thinks things can't get any worse...

True Confessions!

Pants To Be Darkened.

But it does. The other Dinobots arrive, also looking after their own. Grimlock knocks down Razorclaw with one kick and battle rages between the Dinobots and Predacons. Swoop is depressed and Divebomb taunts him, asking what will happen when he tells them the truth of what happened when Swoop tried to reclaim his original name. He threatens to do so now and Swoop declares he will kill the Predacon first. Divebomb is overjoyed and the two take to the skies to resume their battle.

Grimlock is also taunting, telling Razorclaw how the Predacons have proved weaker than expected. Sludge will keep going until he wears down Rampage, Slag is only softening up Tantrum and will soon turn on the heat, Snarl is demolishing Headstrong with his tail, leaving only Swoop and Divebomb. Razorclaw rises, transforms and attacks Grimlock, but is soon subdued.

Once again Divebomb proves superior in the sky and Swoop wonders what to do. Then he sees Grimlock and suddenly comes up with a plan. Swoop dodges Divebomb's missile so it instead just misses Grimlock. The Autobot leader picks up his sword and clips Divebomb's wings. Swoop lands, thinking how he's almost certainly sent Divebomb to his death and silence.

Divebomb realises what is happening and tells Grimlock he is being used and that Swoop has done it before. Grimlock is intrigued and asks what happened before. Meanwhile, Swoop wonders if he isn't just making the same mistakes as before, relying on others then covering his tracks with lies.

Grimlock plays his trump card—he already knows about the battle on Cybertron, including about Optimus Prime. As Autobot leader, Grimlock has access to Prime's unlogged reports, but, as a Dinobot, Grimlock looks after his own and refuses to expose Swoop. Grimlock is about to crush Divebomb with a boulder, when Swoop charges up and declares he doesn't want others fighting his battles for him.

Shortly afterwards, the Dinobots watch as the Predacons limp away. Swoop explains that this way it will wipe the slate clean. And he now volunteers to tell the truth about the battle on Cybertron.

Razorclaw hands Divebomb a blaster and tells him he can quickly take out Swoop and scarper. But Divebomb responds "And where's the fun in that?" He never wanted the help of the other Predacons and could have killed Swoop many times but didn't. Because he's now having fun on Earth as his playmate is back and this is a battle he'll win in his own time.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Humans
Swoop (8) Sludge (9) Grimlock (10) Snarl (11) Slag (12)	Headstrong (1) Rampage (3) Razorclaw (4) Tantrum (5) Divebomb (6) Predaking (7)	Bobby (2)

Quotes

"Haw! Nice to see your subtle touch hasn't deserted you, Tantrum!"
"Humph! Shoddy workmanship I say!"

—Razorclaw and Tantrum have fun smashing.

"What do you reckon, Swoop? Are those 'Cons dumb, or are they dumb? Seems they've nothing better to do than torment humans!"

—Sludge remarks on the Predacons' intelligence. That's got to hurt.

"We Predacons look after our own, Autobot! You're dead meat!"

—Razorclaw

"No ya don't! That's Swoop you're roughing up - a Dinobot! And we Dinobots look after our own!"

—Grimlock

"Heck - if I could accept death, my death, as a way out, why oh why can't I accept disgrace with the same courage?!"

—Swoop

Notes

Artwork and technical errors

• Jeff Anderson inexplicably draws Divebomb's eagle mode with his robot mode legs still hanging down.

Continuity notes

• The story was inspired by a casual line in "The Icarus Theory" in which it was stated that Swoop's name on Cybertron was Divebomb (itself likely based on the Generation 1 cartoon series bible, wherein a description of the Dinobot was typed with the name "Divebomb", then crossed out by hand and rewritten "Swoop"). The opportunity this presented for conflict between Swoop and the Predacon Divebomb was almost certainly serendipitous.

Real-life references

• TBD

Back-up material

Issue #135

• Back-up Transformers story: "Broken Glass!"
• Other strips: Robo-Capers

Issue #136

• Back-up Transformers story: "Broken Glass!"
• Other strips: Robo-Capers

Foreign Localization

• Swedish

• Title: "Tvekampen" ("The Duel")

Covers (2)

• Issue #135 cover: Swoop vs. Divebomb, by Jeff Anderson.
• Issue #136 cover: Grimlock takes on Divebomb, by Robin Smith.

• 
  Issue #135
• 
  Issue #136

Reprints

• Transformers Summer Special 1992 cover: big Transformers brawl, wraparound cover by Alan Davis. Reuse of issue #100 cover.
• Transformers: Prey TPB cover: Optimus Prime fends off Predacons while Ultra Magnus broods, by Lee Sullivan.
• The Transformers: Best of UK: Prey #5 Regular cover: Grimlock and Swoop battle Razorclaw and Divebomb, by Andrew Griffith.
• Best of UK: Prey #5 RI "Retro" cover: A contemplative Swoop, by Jeff Anderson (Pencils), Stephen Baskerville (Inks) and Steve White (Coulor).
• Best of UK: Prey TPB cover: Predaking prepares to crush Optimus, by Andrew Griffith.
• The Transformers Classics UK Volume 4 cover: Rodimus and Galvatron fight whilst Scorponok squeezes Highbrow and Goldbug rides Wreck-Gar, by Andrew Wildman
• Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection, Volume 11: The Legacy of Unicron: Wreck-Gar and Unicron by Don Figueroa and Dan Reed.
• Transformers 100-Page Giant: Power of the Predacons: Predacons attack, by Don Figueroa and Josh Burcham

• 
  Summer Special 1992 (Marvel Comics, 1992)
• 
  Transformers: Prey TPB (Titan Books, 2004)
• 
  Best of UK: Prey #5 Regular (IDW Publishing, 2009)
• 
  Best of UK: Prey #5 RI (IDW Publishing, 2009)
• 
  Best of UK: Prey TPB (IDW Publishing, 2010)
• 
  The Transformers Classics UK Volume 4 (IDW Publishing, 2013)
• 
  Definitive G1 Collection vol. 11: The Legacy of Unicron (Hachette Partworks, Ltd., 2018)
• 
  Power of the Predacons (IDW Publishing, 2020)