Victory!

The name or term "Victory" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Victory (disambiguation).

Megatron gets a splitting headache.

The Dinobots dream about dying in battle while in a coma-like state.

Published in: Transformers Annual 1987<br /> Preceded by: "State Games"<br /> Followed by: "The Mission"

Synopsis

<div style="width: 90%; margin: 0 auto .2em auto; background-color:#efefef; border: 2px solid #eeeeee; padding: 2px; text-align: left;">Note: This story follows from the mainline comic story "Dinobot Hunt!".</div> The Decepticons think they are victorious. All the Autobots are dead. Except one — Grimlock. He surprises Megatron and quickly dispatches him by slicing him in half with his sword. He then goes on to attack the other Decepticons, defeating all who stand before him. Except one — Starscream. He picks up Megatron's fusion cannon and interrupts Grimlock's victory celebrations by pleading for mercy. Grimlock lets his guard down and Starscream gets close enough to blast and fatally wound Grimlock, who sees his victory turn to defeat, and then to darkness.

Swoop attacks and carries off Soundwave in the middle of a battle. Ignoring a direct order from Optimus Prime to release him, Swoop flies off to display Soundwave in front of the other Decepticons. Unwilling to allow himself to be humiliated, Soundwave self-destructs and destroys Swoop in the process, a blast of fire and light descending instantly into darkness.

Sludge is running free through a swamp when he comes upon his human friend, Joy Meadows. Pleased to see her, Sludge stops, only for Joy to rip the flesh of her head away to reveal a robotic head that fatally blasts Sludge with eye beams. As he dies, he sees Megatron striding towards him with a remote control device for the robotic Joy. Then just darkness.

Snarl battles a Guardian droid and manages to decapitate it with his tail. Satisfied that he has defeated it, he turns away, unaware that the headless droid is still active and is surprised when he is attacked from behind and destroyed. Snarl doesn't see what hits him, only darkness.

Slag is charging towards Shockwave, who is standing on a cliff edge. He hits him and they both go flying over the edge. Shockwave crashes to the ground but Slag lands in a tar pit and sinks out of sight, into the darkness.

The scene cuts to the Ark's medical bay, where Ratchet reveals to Optimus Prime that the Dinobots have fully recovered physically from the damage they have sustained but for some reason they are not mentally active. They seem to be in a coma and are dreaming but just as their mental activity is about to reach the point that will wake them, it drops back down to a minimal state.

Prime tells Ratchet that he has to save the Dinobots, but Ratchet is unconvinced that he will be able to do anything. He thinks that a character flaw is preventing them from waking, and being unable to help them, the Dinobots must win this battle for themselves.

<div style="width: 90%; margin: 0 auto .2em auto; background-color:#efefef; border: 2px solid #eeeeee; padding: 2px; text-align: left;">Note: This story continues in the mainline comic story "Second Generation!".</div>

Credits

Writer: Simon Furman <br /> Art: Geoff Senior<br /> Colours: Gina Hart<br /> Lettering: Annie Halfacree<br /> Editor: Sheila Cranna<br />

• Originally published: September 1986

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

<table border="5" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5" align="center" style="border:#800000"> <tr> <th style="background:#FFEEEE"> Autobots </th><th style="background:#EEEEFE"> Decepticons </th><th style="background:antiquewhite"> Humans </th></tr> <tr> <td style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top">

• Optimus Prime (3)
• Grimlock (4)
• Swoop (6)
• Sludge (7)
• Snarl (10)
• Ratchet (11)
• Slag (13)

</td><td style="background:#EEEEFE" valign="top">

• Megatron (1)
• Soundwave (2)
• Starscream (5)
• Shockwave (12)

</td><td style="background:antiquewhite" valign="top">

• Joy Meadows (8)
• Guardian (9)

</td></tr></table>

Errors

• In Grimlock's story, the colour of Starscream and Megatron changes almost on a frame-by-frame basis.

Items of note

• Cameos: Jazz, Ravage
• The Dinobots entered their comas following the events of "Dinobot Hunt!" They recover in "Second Generation!"
• This is the first UK Annual story that links into the main UK comic continuity. Up to this point the annual stories were standalone tales.
• The Dinobots' character flaws that Ratchet feels are preventing them from waking would seem to be:
• Grimlock – Arrogance.
• Swoop – Insubordination.
• Sludge – Stupidity
• Snarl – Carelessness
• Slag – Aggression

This fits almost verbatim with the weaknesses Megatron uncovered in the animated episode "War of the Dinobots" where he states, "Slag is hostile, Grimlock arrogant, and Sludge stupid."

• Swoop's lack of respect for Optimus Prime's orders is shown again in "What's in a Name?"

Reprints

• The story was reprinted in Collected Comics #14 with the first, eighth, ninth and tenth pages missing, presumably due to space shortages. Originally Collected Comics #14 was advertised as containing the story "Ark Duty" which is seven pages long, suggesting this was a late in the day replacement cut down to fit the available slot.
• The same truncated version was reprinted again in the 1992 Summer Special.
• The full version was reprinted in the "Dinobot Hunt" trade paperback by Titan Books in March 2004.
• It was reprinted yet again in IDW's Best of UK: Dinobots in December 2007, and later once more in the collected TPB.