Edge of Impact

« The Transformers (UK) #252 »
He actually was like that when Longtooth got there.
"Edge of Impact"
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First published	7th January 1990
Cover date	13th January 1990
Writer	Simon Furman
Art	Staz
Letterer	Glib
Continuity	Marvel Comics continuity (Marvel UK)
Chronology	Post-Time Wars future (2010)

Kup hunts for an Autobot traitor.

Synopsis

The Autobot ship is out of control, either going to burn up or crash into Earth—causing the energon goodwill gift to the humans to detonate like a multi-nuclear strike. Kup searches for the saboteur and for Rodimus Prime, and seemingly finds both when he discovers Longtooth over Prime's body. Arcee quickly reveals Longtooth can't have done it, and that the doors to the retro-engines are sealed shut. Rodimus, coming to, is unable to remember why he passed out.

Kup comes up with a plan, explaining to Rodimus Prime that Arcee is going to reach the retro engines via the coolant tank. In actual fact, she's going through the ship's ducts, and she's able to fire the retros and allow the ship to land (badly). But Kup's plan has caused the saboteur to reveal himself, as they try to intercept Arcee at the coolant tanks—and the saboteur is Rodimus himself, possessed by dark forces...

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Others
Kup (1) Longtooth (2) Rodimus Prime (3) Arcee (4) Red Alert (5) Quickmix (6)	Unicron (7)

Notes

Artwork and technical errors

• The story reveals a possessed Rodimus is the enemy as a twist. Transformation page tells us that Rodimus Prime is the saboteur and this is the 'Dark Rodimus' storyline.

Continuity errors

• TBD

Continuity notes

• Rodimus has been possessed by the Matrix-trapped Unicron, following on from Galvatron's attempts to pervert the Matrix in "Aspects of Evil!". The story doesn't recap this though, relying on the reader's memory.
• Over 430 Autobots are fleeing to Earth.

Real-life references

• The "Dark Rodimus" name is likely a nod to the famous X-Men story The Dark Phoenix Saga.

Other trivia

• TBD

Back-up material

• Additional Transformers story: "Yesterday's Heroes!"
• Other strips: G.I. Joe the Action Force - "The Lower Depths" and Combat Colin
• AtoZ: Sandstorm and Scavenger

Cover

• Issue #252 cover: Kup accuses Longtooth of being a traitor, by Gary Erskine.

• 
  Issue #252

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• The Real Ghostbusters comic
• Doctor Who Magazine
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• Micromasters Sports Car Patrol, Rescue Patrol and Battle Patrol sets (back cover)

Reprints

• Transformers: Aspects of Evil: Rodimus Prime and Unicron fight, by Stephen Baskerville. Cropped version of issue #254's cover.
• Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection: Vol 19: Perchance to Dream: Megatron (from early IDW promo art), by Guido Guidi above a retro scene of the Battlechargers (from Marvel UK #255 cover), by Stephen Baskerville.

• 
  Aspects of Evil TPB
  (Titan Books, 2005)
• 
  The Definitive G1 Collection Vol. 19
  (IDW Publishing, 2017)