DIS-Integrated Circuits!

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<tr style="background-color:#e7d492;text-align:center;font-size:12px;"> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 14px; background-color:#e7d492; color:black;font-weight:bold;" align="center"> <table width="100%" style="background-color:transparent">

<tr style="font-size:14px;"> <td class="tti_buttonlink">« </td><td align="center">The Transformers (US) #9 </td><td align="right" class="tti_buttonlink">» </td></tr> <tr class="tt1_secondarynav"> <td class="tti_buttonlink">« </td><td align="center">The Transformers (UK) #33–34 </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/0/0d/MarvelUS-09.jpg/230px-MarvelUS-09.jpg" width="230" height="363" border="0" /><br />Decepticon sexual harassment violates you. And it violates the law. </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 14px; background-color:#e7d492; color:black;font-weight:bold;" align="center"> "DIS-Integrated Circuits!" </td></tr> <tr> <td>Publisher </td><td> Marvel Comics </td></tr> <tr> <td>Date published </td><td> June 1985 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Cover date </td><td> October 1985 </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Writer </td><td> Bob Budiansky </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Penciler </td><td> Mike Manley </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Inks </td><td> M. Hands </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Colors </td><td> Nel Yomtov </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Letters </td><td> Rick Parker </td></tr>

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

</table> The Autobots, now restored, strike a deal with G.B. Blackrock. But one of his former employees has other plans.

Synopsis

G.B. Blackrock, driving practice laps on a race track, is interrupted by an army officer, who expresses concern over Blackrock's plans to unveil a new weapon designed to destroy the Transformers. Blackrock shrugs him off, and goes to visit Josie Beller in her hospital room to update her on the situation. She, in turn, shows Blackrock some technology she's been working on from her hospital bed, causing Blackrock to worry that she may put herself in another dangerous situation in her desire for revenge against the robots who crippled her.

These fears are warranted when Josie escapes from her hospital room, and shows up in Blackrock's office that night, revealing herself as Circuit Breaker, wearing a metal suit designed to compensate for her damaged nervous system and granting her offensive capability against any mechanical form. Blackrock orders her to forget the whole thing and get back to the hospital; Circuit Breaker ignores him and says she's going to do what she has to.

The Autobots have been revived after their imprisonment aboard the Ark, with Prowl in command. They seek a new solution to their fuel shortage, and Jazz takes Wheeljack and goes to strike a deal with G.B. Blackrock. Kidnapping the billionaire, Jazz offers to provide him with protection from the Decepticons in exchange for fuel. After a few confused moments, Blackrock agrees.

Starscream is feeling mutinous after receiving word that the Autobots are online again and that Megatron has disappeared. Shockwave sends him and Frenzy to destroy Blackrock's weapon, allowing them to blow off some steam.

Sparkplug Witwicky's customers are also feeling mutinous, as Buster can only offer fumbling excuses and delays while his father remains in the hospital. Despite tinkering with the automobiles in for repairs, it's all a mystery to him. But another headache-seizure grips him, and in a flash, everything becomes clear -- the structure, the problem, everything. Buster repairs an engine block with merely a thought.

Later that day, the unveiling of Blackrock's secret weapon is sabotaged by Circuit Breaker, in an effort to get him to announce her as his intended weapon. The Decepticons attack just then. Jazz and Wheeljack transform, intending to make good on their promise to provide Blackrock with protection; but Circuit Breaker, unable to discern between Autobot and Decepticon, severely injures Wheeljack. Between her and Jazz, the Decepticons are driven off, though Jazz is damaged. Although Circuit Breaker spares Jazz at Blackrock's pleading, she destroys his weapon, and severs her ties with him. Blackrock fears she is the only one to have truly lost the day's battle...

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">

• Wheeljack (6)
• Prowl (7)
• Jazz (8)
• Ratchet (9)
• Optimus Prime (14)

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

• Starscream (10)
• Buzzsaw (11)
• Shockwave (12)
• Frenzy (13)

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

• G.B. Blackrock (1)
• Circuit Breaker (5)
• Buster Witwicky (15)

Guests

• Chuck (2)
• Ames (3)
• General Capshaw (4)

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

Errors

• On the cover, Starscream appears to be wearing some kind of funny hat, possibly a misinterpretation of the toy-form jet nosecone behind his head.
• Sloppy coloring of some Autobots on page 4.
• On page 5, Optimus Prime's headless body is colored white instead of red, and no, it's not Ultra Magnus. Also, Ratchet speaks as if he's in command of the Autobots. This was likely meant to have been said by Prowl, who started the sentence.
• Buzzsaw is miscolored as Laserbeak in 2 panels on pages 6 and 7.

Items of note

• Jazz likes Madonna.
• Blackrock seems to grow and shave off his mustache every other issue.

References

• In a panel at the bottom of page 4, all of the Autobots are shown finishing their performance examinations. However, Sunstreaker is absent from this group. He was apparently destroyed by Shockwave in "The New Order". In fact, he is seen badly damaged in the next issue.

Covers (3)

<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/0/0d/MarvelUS-09.jpg/76px-MarvelUS-09.jpg" width="76" height="120" border="0" /></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> US issue #9 - Thanks Marvel. Thanks

</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/f/f4/MarvelUK-33.jpg/90px-MarvelUK-33.jpg" width="90" height="120" border="0" /></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> UK issue #33 - Introducing: DAVID BOWIE

</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/6/62/MarvelUK-34.jpg/91px-MarvelUK-34.jpg" width="91" height="120" border="0" /></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> UK issue #34 - Starscream has a really sweet cycling helmet

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

• US cover: Circuit Breaker and Starscream, by Mike Manley.
• UK issue #33 cover: Circuit Breaker, Wheeljack and Frenzy, by John Higgins.
• UK issue #34 cover: reuse of art from US cover, modified to fit the UK aspect ratio. Note that this means we don't get to see Circuit Breaker's... erm... crotch shot.

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