Cybertron: The Middle Years!

« The Transformers (UK) #83 »
"Cybertron: The Middle Years!"
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Cover date	18th October 1986
Writer	Simon Furman
Editor	Ian Rimmer
Continuity	Marvel Comics continuity (Marvel UK)
Chronology	Post-Arklaunch

The rise of Trannis heralds the fall of the Autobots.

Synopsis

Following the disappearance of their great leader, Optimus Prime, the Autobot army fragments, despite the efforts of the Council of Autobot Elders led by Traachon. Taking advantage of the Autobot schism, a young and ambitious warlord by the name of Trannis rises in the Decepticon ranks, seizing control of the Decepticon army in the absence of Megatron. Under his control, the Decepticon army diminishes all of Optimus Prime's accomplishments, invading and occupying city states won by the Autobot leader. Trannis's campaign drives the Autobots into an underground movement that can only practice guerrilla warfare. However, despite his wave of victory after victory, Trannis finds himself unable to take the Autobot capital of Iacon, even after assaulting it for hundreds of thousands of years. After an era of deadlock, Trannis decides Iacon isn't worth capturing and almost razes the entire city to the ground with the full might of the Decepticons.

Realizing the hopeless situation they are in, the Council of Autobot Elders meet to decide upon surrender to the Decepticons. Xaaron disagrees with the mandate and organizes a hundred-strong cadre of loyalists, fleeing the city with them. The Council are left to their fate and summarily executed by Trannis when he marches into the defeated city.

Despite Trannis's belief that the remaining cells of Autobot resistance would be crushed, Xaaron gathers the disparate Autobots over a thousand years. Hidden, they form a slowly-growing army while Trannis becomes complacent in his position. Finding him lacking of the edge he once possessed, the Decepticon High Command seek to have him killed. Unknowing of the High Command's desires, Xaaron has his special squad, the Wreckers, assassinate Trannis, putting an end to his long reign. In his place, Lord Straxus becomes Decepticon leader. Ruthless and unrelenting, Straxus drives the Autobots back into hiding and destroys whatever advantage Xaaron had. Nevertheless, the Autobots are regrouping and are now ready to attack the Decepticons in one concentrated strike.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons
Traachon (1) Xaaron (3)	Trannis (2) Straxus (4)

Notes

Continuity notes

• This story is a one-page prose supplement to the main story of issue 83, "Target: 2006" part 5, intended to provide background information on Xaaron and the Wreckers and explain how the Autobots of the first issue came to the perilous situation they found themselves in at this time in continuity.
• The story might be called "Downfall!", which is the header before the story proper.

Back-up material

• Additional Transformers story: "Target: 2006"
• Back-up strips: Hercules - "...Not Just Another Galactus Story!" Part 2 and Robo-Capers

Covers (2)

• 
  UK issue #83
• 
  The Transformers Classics UK Volume 3

• UK issue #83 cover: Scourge being blasted, by Robin Smith.
• The Transformers Classics UK Volume 3: Impactor, Megatron vs Guardian, Straxus's head, Xaaron, Galvatron riding Ultra Magnus and Outback by Andrew Wildman.

Reprints

• 2012 — The Transformers Classics UK Volume 3