Stargazing

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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 (UK) #145 </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/e/e5/MarvelUK-145.jpg/230px-MarvelUK-145.jpg" width="230" height="303" border="0" /><br />He's Jewish, you see. </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 14px; background-color:#e7d492; color:black;font-weight:bold;" align="center"> "Stargazing" </td></tr> <tr> <td>Publisher </td><td> Marvel Comics </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Cover date </td><td> December 26th 1987 </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Plot </td><td> Simon Furman </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Script </td><td> Ian Rimmer </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Pencils </td><td> Jeff Anderson </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Inks </td><td> Stephen Baskerville </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Colours </td><td> Euan Peters </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Lettering </td><td> Annie Halfacree </td></tr>

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

</table> A boy tries to teach Starscream the meaning of Christmas.

Synopsis

Starscream's spark grew three sizes that day...then immediately collapsed on itself.

Starscream has awakened from his deep sleep capsule (see Target 2006) and come to a personal revelation. For all his treachery and lust for conquest, what he really wants is to see his home again. His angst is interrupted by a young man who tells Starscream to cheer up -- it's Christmas Eve! Starscream is not impressed; he'd squash the fleshling then and there if he weren't so depressed.

Stubbornly, the kid refuses to leave until he demonstrates the Christmas spirit to Starscream. Starscream reluctantly flies him into town, where along the way they spy a van full of senior citizens stuck in some snow. Stopping, the kid suggests to Starscream that he should rescue them. But what's in it for me? Starscream asks.

As Starscream reaches for the van, he is blasted from behind by Streetwise, who suspects ill-doing from the Decepticon. After a heated battle, both are interrupted by the kid, who chastises Streetwise for jumping to conclusions. As Streetwise watches, Starscream picks up the van and sets it back down on the road. Streetwise escorts the van to its destination.

Later, downtown in front of a Christmas tree, the kid explains to Starscream the meaning of the Christmas spirit, of charity, and the communal reassurance of good will. Starscream doesn't care. The kid is confused -- didn't Starscream enjoy saving the elderly humans in the van? No, Starscream counters, he was merely pleased to humiliate the Autobot.

Distraught, the kid wanders away, finally conceding defeat. Starscream laughs, momentarily thinks better of it, and finally wishes the surprised kid a Merry Christmas.

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">

• Hot Rod (2)
• Blurr (3)
• Streetwise (5)

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

• Starscream (1)

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

• Christmas kid (4)

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

Errors

TBA

Items of note

File:Biggrim christmas.jpg

Me Grimlock no like fruitcake!

• As far as American Marvel continuity goes, Starscream was sealed in a capsule after getting fragged by Omega Supreme, and wasn't up and about again until Ratbat had him liberated in time for the Underbase Saga. Marvel UK, however, had Screamer awaken during Target 2006 as a result of a simple mechanical error in his capsule not being caught; Kup, Hot Rod and Blurr sealed him back up at the end of that story, to return the status quo so it wouldn't interfere with any further US stories, and then this issue came along - which makes it appear that they just left the capsule lying in a field. Starscream drops off the board after this story until the Underbase Saga, when he just chooses to hook up with Ratbat for convenience's sake, rather than having been freed by him.

• Grimlock shows up in a Father Christmas costume, opening a letter with his energo-sword in the letters page "Grim Grams Column".

• This is not the only time that Starscream does good thing.

Secondary Transformers Stories

On rare occasions, the Marvel UK issues ran two new (to the UK audience, at least) Transformers stories in the same issue. This is the case for "Stargazing", the back-up story in this case being part 4 of Brothers in Armor!!

Back-Up Stories

Issue 145:

• Robo-Capers

Reprints

• This story was reprinted in Collected Comics #11.
• It was reprinted again in the Titan Books trade paperback "Second Generation".

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/e/e5/MarvelUK-145.jpg/91px-MarvelUK-145.jpg" width="91" height="120" border="0" /></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> 145 cover

</div> </div></td> <td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;"> <div style="height: 152px;">Tfcolcom11.jpg</div> <div class="gallerytext"> Collected Comics 11 cover

</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/9/92/TitanSG.jpg/88px-TitanSG.jpg" width="88" height="120" border="0" /></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> Second Generation TPB cover

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

• UK issue 145 cover: Starscream sneers at your Christmas, by Barry Kitson & Robin Bouttell
• Collected Comics 11 cover: Starscream decorating a Christmas tree, by Robin Smith
• Second Generation TPB cover: Superion fights Bruticus, by Lee Sullivan