Decepticon Dam-Busters!

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<tr style="font-size:14px;"> <td class="tti_buttonlink">« </td><td align="center">The Transformers (UK) #29–30 </td><td align="right" class="tti_buttonlink">» </td></tr> <tr class="tt1_secondarynav"> <td class="tti_buttonlink"> </td><td align="center"> </td><td align="right" class="tti_buttonlink"> </td></tr></table> </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; background-color:#ffffff;" align="center"> <img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/2/24/MarvelUK-029.jpg/230px-MarvelUK-029.jpg" width="230" height="307" border="0" /><br />You know, this would look quite good on television. </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 14px; background-color:#e7d492; color:black;font-weight:bold;" align="center"> "Decepticon Dam-Busters!" </td></tr> <tr> <td>Publisher </td><td> Marvel Comics </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Cover date </td><td> 5th October - 12th October 1985 </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Writer </td><td> Simon Furman </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Art </td><td> John Stokes </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Colours </td><td> Steve Whitaker </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Lettering </td><td> Richard Starkings </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Editor </td><td> Ian Rimmer </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Continuity </td><td> Marvel Comics continuity </td></tr>

Synopsis

Following their defeat of Megatron, Ratchet and the Dinobots are making their way back to the Ark. Grimlock decides to ask a passing human for directions and is surprised when the man runs away in fear. Ratchet explains that humans can’t distinguish between the Autobots and the Decepticons.

Grimlock is baffled and so Ratchet relates a story of a Decepticon attack on Sherman Dam. The Decepticons attacked the dam while Rumble went under the water to create a tidal wave, increasing the power output which the Decepticons planned to harness.

The Autobots arrived to the rescue and Optimus Prime and Megatron duel atop the dam. Hound meanwhile attempts to stop Rumble by diving down and fighting him. Rumble gained the upper hand and Hound is thrown clear of the water. This distracts Prime who is thrown from the dam by Megatron as a result.

As the Autobots rescue Prime from the water Megatron blasts the dam and makes his escape. The water pouring through the shattered dam rushes down the valley and threatens to sweep away a nearby village.

The Autobots scramble to save the village, first by trying to block the water with a rock fall and when that fails by blasting channels in the ground for the water to drain away into. This eventually works and the Autobots are pleased that they have saved the village.

Their celebrations are cut short by the angry villagers who, unable to distinguish the Autobots from the Decepticons, blame them for the destruction in the first place. The Autobots sadly depart the scene.

As Ratchet finishes his tale, another angry human, Josie Beller lies in a hospital bed and becomes Circuit Breaker. Ratchet and the Dinobots arrive back at the Ark where Swoop is attacked by a Guardian battle droid.

<div style="width: 90%; margin: 0 auto .2em auto; background-color:#efefef; border: 2px solid #eeeeee; padding: 2px; text-align: left;">Note: This story leads straight into The Wrath of Guardian!</div>

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><th style="background:#FFEEB8"> Others </th></tr> <tr> <td style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top">

• Grimlock (1)
• Slag (2)
• Snarl (3)
• Sludge (4)
• Ratchet (5)
• Swoop (6)
• Bumblebee (12)
• Sideswipe (13)
• Optimus Prime (14)
• Jazz (15)
• Hound (16)
• Prowl (17)
• Mirage (18)
• Ironhide (19)

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

• Rumble (7)
• Megatron (8)
• Starscream (9)
• Soundwave (10)
• Thundercracker (11)

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

• Josie Beller (20)
• G.B. Blackrock (21)

</td><td style="background:#FFEEB8" valign="top">

• Guardian (22)

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

Errors

• The dam is given the name "Sherman Dam" in part 1 but "Boulder Dam" in part 2. This was corrected as "Sherman Dam" for the reprints.
• If the Autobot on page three of part two is Inferno (see below), he has his forearm cannon in place of his left hand instead of his right one.

Items of note

• Like many early UK stories, it’s not clear exactly when the dam portion of this story is set. It is presumed to be somewhere during "Prisoner of War" and "The Last Stand!"
• This story is basically a retelling of the Sherman Dam incident from "More Than Meets the Eye".
• The title is derived from the film The Dam Busters.
• On page three of part two of the story, there is a block-coloured Autobot shown from behind who looks very similar to Inferno. This could be an error or an elaboration of Ratchet's storytelling, but equally it could indicate that Inferno was one of the original Autobots who spent the early years almost always off-panel, similar to Red Alert who is seen in "The Enemy Within!". Inferno also appears in the story "Missing in Action" in the very first annual, though that story's place in continuity is unclear. When Inferno does eventually appear in the present day in issue #188's "Firebug!" he is working with members of the Wreckers but does not appear to be a member himself and it is possible that he was assigned as a liaison officer by the Earthbound Autobots.

Back-Up Stories

Issue #29:

• Machine Man - "He Lives Again" Part 3
• Matt and the Cat
• Robo-Capers

Issue #30:

• Machine Man - "He Lives Again" Part 4
• Matt and the Cat
• Robo-Capers

Reprints

• Reprinted in Collected Comics 5
• Reprinted again in the Winter Special 1993.

Covers (4)

<table class="gallery" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;"> <div class="thumb" style="padding: 13px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/2/24/MarvelUK-029.jpg/90px-MarvelUK-029.jpg" width="90" height="120" border="0" /></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> Issue #29

</div> </div></td> <td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;"> <div class="thumb" style="padding: 13px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/1/1b/MarvelUK-030.JPG/88px-MarvelUK-030.JPG" width="88" height="119" border="0" /></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> Issue #30

</div> </div></td> <td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;"> <div class="thumb" style="padding: 13px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/a/a1/Tfcolcom05.jpg/90px-Tfcolcom05.jpg" width="90" height="119" border="0" /></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> Collected Comics #5

</div> </div></td> <td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;"> <div class="thumb" style="padding: 13px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/7/76/Tfcolcom24.jpg/90px-Tfcolcom24.jpg" width="90" height="120" border="0" /></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> 1993 Winter Special

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

• Issue #29 cover: Optimus Prime and Megatron fight on Sherman Dam, art by John Ridgway.
• Issue #30 cover: Ratchet & Prowl rescue Optimus Prime while Megatron destroys Sherman Dam, by Jeff Anderson?
• Collected Comics #5 cover: Optimus Prime and Megatron fight using energy weapons, by Geoff Senior.
• 1993 Winter Special cover: Megatron, with Straxus-Megatron in shadows behind him, by Andrew Wildman originally used for the cover of issue #243.