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* In "[[Man and Machine, Part Four]]", when Spider-Man web-swings off Megatron, the scene is said to be directly inspired by the cover for this issue.
* In "[[Man and Machine, Part Four]]", when Spider-Man web-swings off Megatron, the scene is said to be directly inspired by the cover for this issue.
* Amongst the military vehicles seen in this issue, the MOBAT and the Wolverine from the [[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]] series appear repeatedly.
* Amongst the military vehicles seen in this issue, the MOBAT and the Wolverine from the [[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]] series appear repeatedly.
* When IDW released the Original Transformer comics onto the Digital Comics Service, this comic was missing from the Listings. Hhhhmm, I wonder why that could be?
* When IDW released the Original Transformer comics onto the Digital Comics Service, this comic was missing from the Listings. Hhhhmm, I wonder why that could be? Myabe Peter Parker can tell me?


===References===
===References===

Revision as of 16:58, 5 January 2010

« The Transformers (US) #3 »
« The Transformers (UK) #5–6 »

Is he strong? Listen, bud, he made Megatron go thud.
Prisoner of War!
Publisher Marvel Comics
First published October 2, 1984
Cover date January 1985
Writer Jim Salicrup
Penciler Frank Springer
Inker Kim DeMulder, Jim Esposito
Colorist Nelson Yomtov
Letterers Janice Chiang & Others
Editor Bob Budiansky
Continuity Marvel Comics continuity

When Sparkplug is kidnapped, it's up to Gears and Spider-Man to save him.

Synopsis

The Decepticons bring Sparkplug Witwicky to their fortress and Megatron deliberates internally on Starscream's loyalty. The Decepticons demand that Sparkplug create a method to convert gas into fuel compatible with their forms. A Korean War vet, Sparkplug equates his capture to his time spent as a POW in Korea and refuses, until he's forcefully persuaded.

Back at the Witwicky garage, Buster and his friends are wondering what to do next. Optimus orders everyone back to the Ark for fuel and repairs, inviting Buster along the ride. When they arrive, he marvels at the size of the Autobots' HQ.

Soundwave, Rumble and Starscream are out stealing components for Sparkplug's fuel conversion process, and their crime spree attracts attention from the press and world governments. As camera crews and the military surround the Decepticon fortress, photojournalist Peter Parker decides to use his alter ego Spider-Man in order to get some better shots of the action. He runs into Gears, and after a short tussle Gears proves that he's a good guy when he saves a crowd of humans from getting squashed flat by a tank. The Autobots team up with Spider-Man to break through the line of reporters and soldiers, and an all-out battle breaks out between the 'Cons and the 'Bots.

Meanwhile, Gears and Spider-Man are making their way into the fortress. After a short scrap with Ravage, Gears and Spider-Man break in and steal Sparkplug from under Megatron's nose. The Decepticon leader shoots out the floor beneath them, and while Spider-Man saves Sparkplug, Gears' weight breaks the web Spider-Man tried to save him with and he plummets to the earth below.

On their return to the Ark, Buster and Sparkplug are reunited and the Autobots say goodbye to Spider-Man. Ratchet brings Gears back to a functional level and he informs the Autobots that the Decepticons got what they wanted out of Sparkplug. Dad, say it ain't so!


(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots Decepticons Humans

Errors

  • Page 5: Ironhide is colored like... uh... uh... well, he's got blue arms, blue and gray legs, and a white windshield frame. Windcharger is colored white and blue instead of red and gray. (Coincidence!) The silhouettes behind Optimus don't match anyone from the Autobot ranks.
  • Page 8: Ratchet is colored with a red crest, shoulders, and legs. They should all be white. For the rest of Ratchet's appearances in this issue, he's colored with a blue windshield frame and red shoulders; it happens consistently enough to suggest that it was an earlier color scheme rather than a flat-out error.
  • Page 9: Shockwave is shown hanging out with the Decepticons. Next issue will reveal that he's still buried in rock at this point.
  • Page 11: Skywarp's jet mode is colored as if his cockpit canopy extended all the way back to his tail fins. When he lands on the Air Force jet, his wings are missing.
  • Page 15: As the Autobots transform, Sunstreaker is colored red instead of yellow. In the next panel, Cliffjumper's head is colored yellow instead of red.
  • Page 16: A blue-colored Gears is drawn behind Brawn, even though Gears is off somewhere else with Spider-Man. It should probably be Frenzy, who shows up in the next panel.
  • Page 17: Gears' legs can't seem to decide what color they are.
  • Page 18: Panel 1: Megatron is drawn instead of Soundwave. Amusingly, the thought bubbles almost work for Megatron.
  • Page 19: Soundwave is drawn with a strange, enormous cannon attached to his arm, rather than his usual weapon.
  • Page 21: Brawn and Cliffjumper are both white and blue instead of their normal color schemes. Sunstreaker is blue, white and red, and has the wrong head, AND is missing most of his left arm.
  • Page 22:
    • Panel 3: Optimus is drawn with strange huge conjoined goggles instead of his usual separate eyes.
    • Panel 4: Cliffjumper is still white and blue, while Hound is colored red and white instead of green. Ratchet's repair bay is colored red instead of white.
    • Panel 5: Optimus's head is tiny!

Items of note

  • Cameos: Startled onlookers, traffic cop, security guard, trucker, the President of the United States and his adviser (voices only), Russian adviser (voice only), agents of SHIELD, reporters, United States military.
  • Advertised as part 3 in a 4-issue limited series.
  • As one of the issues written during the period when the series was considered to be part of the mainstream Marvel Universe, this installment features a guest appearance by Spider-Man in his black symbiote costume, complete with a footnote that dates the story as occurring before the issue of his own title in which he disposed of the suit.
  • A much shorter guest appearance by U.S. 1 can be seen in the background as the Autobots drive down the highway.
  • Many characters (Ratchet and Bumblebee being among the more prominent examples) are suddenly drawn to match their animation models after two issues of being drawn with toy-based designs.
  • Ratchet's repair sled speaks! Ratchet himself speaks immediately afterwards, making it seem less likely that this was merely a misattributed speech balloon.
  • In "Man and Machine, Part Four", when Spider-Man web-swings off Megatron, the scene is said to be directly inspired by the cover for this issue.
  • Amongst the military vehicles seen in this issue, the MOBAT and the Wolverine from the G.I. Joe series appear repeatedly.
  • When IDW released the Original Transformer comics onto the Digital Comics Service, this comic was missing from the Listings. Hhhhmm, I wonder why that could be? Myabe Peter Parker can tell me?

References

  • Although it is later established that Transformers existed outside the regular Marvel universe, there is a footnote indicating this story takes place before Spider-Man #258 (when he learns the black costume is a living symbiote).

Covers (4)

  • US issue #3 cover: Spider-Man webbing Megatron, by Michael Golden.
  • UK issue #5 cover: Thundercracker and Sparkplug, by John Ridgway.
  • UK issue #6 cover: reuse of art from U.S. issue
  • Collected Comics #2 cover: Reuse of US issue #4's cover.

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