The Primal Scream: Difference between revisions
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* There are two unnamed red [[generic]] Autobots that are just a little bit too off model to be called [[Fastlane]] and [[Cloudraker (G1)|Cloudraker]]. | * There are two unnamed red [[generic]] Autobots that are just a little bit too off model to be called [[Fastlane]] and [[Cloudraker (G1)|Cloudraker]]. | ||
* [[Seawatch]] has some really sparkling patter in this issue. Who knew [[Micromaster|Micromasters]] were so funny? Invite the guy to your parties. Seriously. | * [[Seawatch]] has some really sparkling patter in this issue. Who knew [[Micromaster|Micromasters]] were so funny? Invite the guy to your parties. Seriously. | ||
** He's also a total badass. He not only beats up Bludgeon but also DRAGS HIM ACROSS A LAKE. He comes out of the incident untouched. | |||
* The "water" in the tunnels around Primus's chamber was explained in [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|Darn 'n' Blast #303]] to be liquid helium. | * The "water" in the tunnels around Primus's chamber was explained in [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|Darn 'n' Blast #303]] to be liquid helium. | ||
* This is one of three tellings of the origin of the Transformers that appeared throughout the Marvel US and Marvel UK comics series. Each one was told from a different point of view, and this was the only one told by someone who wasn't actually there. The other tellings of the story were by Primus and [[The Legacy of Unicron!|Unicron]]. None of the tellings are quite consistent with each other, despite all having been written by Simon Furman. | * This is one of three tellings of the origin of the Transformers that appeared throughout the Marvel US and Marvel UK comics series. Each one was told from a different point of view, and this was the only one told by someone who wasn't actually there. The other tellings of the story were by Primus and [[The Legacy of Unicron!|Unicron]]. None of the tellings are quite consistent with each other, despite all having been written by Simon Furman. | ||
Revision as of 01:14, 26 August 2011
| This article is about the comic issue. For the Titan Books collection, see Primal Scream (Titan). |
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 I am Oz! The great and powerful! | |||||||||||||
| Primal Scream | |||||||||||||
| Publisher | Marvel Comics | ||||||||||||
| First published | October 1989 | ||||||||||||
| Cover date | Mid December 1989 | ||||||||||||
| Writer | Simon Furman Maximus | ||||||||||||
| Artist | Geoffire Senior | ||||||||||||
| Colorist | Shrapnel Yomtov | ||||||||||||
| Letterer | Jim Lock Massara | ||||||||||||
| Editor | Megadon Daley | ||||||||||||
| Continuity | Marvel Comics continuity | ||||||||||||
Don't wake the sleeping god... whatever you do! Plus: The Honest to Gosh Origin of the Transformers!
Synopsis
Well, yes. So it turns out that when Bludgeon sabotaged the Autobots' trip to Earth, everyone ended up instead in the middle of Cybertron. And it also turns out that this was where an old dude in metal robes called the Keeper lives. He was guarding, sorta, the head of Primus. Primus — the Transformers' god.
Grimlock didn't think much of the Keeper, or Primus. He thought the whole thing was a load of bunk. So to prove to Grimlock that it was real, the Keeper recounted the origin of the Transformers. (It's this sort of logic that leads to telling the difference between a clone and the real thing by having a race.)
The origin went a little something like this — at the dawn of time, two gods — Primus and Unicron — fought. Unicron beat the crap out of Primus on a physical plane, then on the astral plane. In a last desperate ploy, Primus escaped the astral plane into a massive metal asteroid. Unicron did the same, thinking Primus was onto something, and as a result they were both trapped.
Primus eventually learned to shape his prison, and made it into Cybertron. Unicron shaped his prison into a giant planet-devouring planet that could change into a robot. To combat this Primus made a race of little robots called the Transformers. And now Unicron searches the cosmos for Primus, while Primus sleeps to hide from his enemy.
The Keeper had just gotten to tell his whole story when suddenly the Decepticons burst in. The Autobots beat them up to stop them from waking Primus. Then, at the last moment, Octopunch shoots Grimlock in the back and the shot ricochets into Primus' face. The shock was enough to wake Primus, causing him to scream. A scream that sent shock waves through the planet.
A scream that, out in deep space, Unicron heard.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Others |
|---|---|---|
|
Items of note
- The credits listed above replicate the joke credits used for the US printing of this story. The UK printing did not use these pun names for the creative team.
- Doubleheader's tech specs indicate that only his left head speaks, but in the comics either or both heads are shown speaking. During the Matrix Quest, Doubleheader's heads even talk over each other, making two different statements at once.
- There are two unnamed red generic Autobots that are just a little bit too off model to be called Fastlane and Cloudraker.
- Seawatch has some really sparkling patter in this issue. Who knew Micromasters were so funny? Invite the guy to your parties. Seriously.
- He's also a total badass. He not only beats up Bludgeon but also DRAGS HIM ACROSS A LAKE. He comes out of the incident untouched.
- The "water" in the tunnels around Primus's chamber was explained in Darn 'n' Blast #303 to be liquid helium.
- This is one of three tellings of the origin of the Transformers that appeared throughout the Marvel US and Marvel UK comics series. Each one was told from a different point of view, and this was the only one told by someone who wasn't actually there. The other tellings of the story were by Primus and Unicron. None of the tellings are quite consistent with each other, despite all having been written by Simon Furman.
- While Dan Reed was the first UK artist to work on the US series (drawing the cover for issue #56), this is the first US issue to feature interior art by a UK artist. Geoff Senior penciled and inked the entire strip for this issue.
- This issue featured the final Transformers art to be produced for the series by long-time artist Don Perlin, in the form of the issue's cover.
- Transformers Universe profiles for Triggerhappy, Landfill, Quickmix and Scoop are found after the main story.
- According to Vector Prime: In the Beginning (published many years later,) Primus and Unicron's dual awakenings in this story in fact reverberated across the Multiverse, ending a long period of dormancy for both entities in every reality, and making this the single most cataclysmically important Transformers story, ever.
- Octopunch's actions here not only wake up Primus, but also leads Unicron straight to Cybertron resulting in the deaths of dozens of Transformers and the near devastation of Cybertron. In short, Octopunch destroyed the world.
References
- Bumblebee contemplates his mortality in this issue, mentioning that he died once. This appears to be in reference to his death as Goldbug in US issue #50. Perhaps he doesn't consider his destruction at the hands of G.I. Joe/Death's Head (which led to his rebirth as Goldbug) a true death.
- Mindwipe complains to Scorponok about Starscream almost killing the Decepticons twice, references to US issues #50 and #59.
Covers
-
US issue #61 - NOM NOM NOM. -
UK issue #259 - And that's why you don't insult Menasor's ear-things. -
UK issue #260 - If this was what actually happened, it would be magical. -
UK issue #261 - "Guns. Lots of guns."
- US issue #61 cover: The Classic Pretenders in front of Primus's screaming face, by Don Perlin.
- UK issue #259 cover: Menasor vs. Superion, by Andrew Wildman.
- UK issue #260 cover: Galvatron with his Transformers chess set, by Geoff Senior.
- UK issue #261 cover: Drag Strip, Dead End, Soundwave, Megatron, and Mixmaster vs. Prowl and Wheeljack, by Stephen Baskerville.
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