Cry Wolf!

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"Cry Wolf!"
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First published	26th May 1990
Cover date	2nd June 1990
Writer	Simon Furman
Pencils	Pete Knifton
Inks	Michael Eve
Lettering	Glib
Continuity	Marvel Comics continuity/Earthforce

Needlenose learns the hard way why one should never cry wolf...

Synopsis

These stories do not fit into the normal Marvel continuity. See Earthforce for details. Bearing that in mind, this story ostensibly follows on from "A Savage Place!".

In the dark, no one can see you cower...

The Mayhem Attack Squad have established a base on a tropical island. In this base, Bludgeon, Octopunch, and Stranglehold attack Needlenose. They are stopped by Snarler and Spinister, who demand to know what is going on. Bludgeon explains that the got a distress call from Needlenose about Carnivac and the Survivors attacking the island, but, when they returned, all they found was Needlenose with a chronometer, timing their response. Needlenose explains that he served with Carnivac on Cybertron and knows that, after they killed Catilla, he won't stop until they are all dead. Spinister responds that Catilla, like Carnivac, was a renegade Decepticon who deserved to die and that they deliberately set up this base as it will be easy to defend and their target will come to them. Snarler decides to leave Needlenose behind to learn his lesson.

As the four Pretenders head off, Spinister reminds Needlenose that he overlooked the latter's cowardice during training as he believed Needlenose had potential. Spinister feels betrayed and swears that, if Needlenose screws up again, he will kill him.

Later, Needlenose returns to his quarters, bemoaning that the others don't understand. Inside, he finds the light doesn't work—because Carnivac prefers the dark! Needlenose transmits a cry for help, but the other Mayhems just walk off in disbelief that he hasn't even waited for them to leave the base before trying again. Carnivac reminds Needlenose that one should never cry wolf, and then attacks.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons
Catilla (7)	Bludgeon (1) Stranglehold (2) Octopunch (3) Needlenose (4) Snarler (5) Spinister (6) Carnivac (8)

Notes

Continuity notes

• It's not clear where one draws the line between the main storyline and this portion of the Earthforce branch though this would be a logical crossover point because:
  • We last saw the Survivors in issue #239 and the break with the main storyline happens in issue #255.
  • The next issue, which follows on immediately from this story, is explicitly tied into the Earthforce storyline.
• What that says about how Earthforce fits in with everything else is still way open to speculation.

Back-up material

• Additional Transformers story: "Power Struggle"
• Other strips: G.I. Joe the Action Force - "The Tenth Letter" and Combat Colin

Covers (4)

• 
  Issue #272
• 
  Transformers Annual 1992
• 
  Winter Special
• 
  Way of the Warrior

• Issue #272 cover: Carnivac, by Stephen Baskerville.
• Transformers Annual 1992 cover: the Dinobots on the rampage, by Jeff Anderson.
• Winter Special cover: Optimus Prime mourns the dying Scorponok, by Stewart Johnson.
• Way of the Warrior cover: Carnivac and Springer stand victorious over a Limbo nightmare creature, by Simon Coleby.

Reprints

• 1992 — Transformers Annual 1992 (coloured by Louise Cassell)
• 1994 — Transformers Winter Special (coloured by Louise Cassell)
• 2005 — Transformers: Way of the Warrior