...All Fall Down!
| The name or term "All Fall Down" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see All Fall Down (disambiguation). |
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 This year's WWF roster was looking especially promising. | |||||||||||||
| "...All Fall Down!" | |||||||||||||
| Publisher | Marvel Comics | ||||||||||||
| First published | December 1986 | ||||||||||||
| Cover date | April 1987 | ||||||||||||
| Writer | Michael Higgins | ||||||||||||
| Penciler | Herb Trimpe | ||||||||||||
| Inker | Vince Colletta | ||||||||||||
| Colorist | Nelson Yomtov | ||||||||||||
| Letterer | Joe Rosen | ||||||||||||
| Editor | Bob Harras | ||||||||||||
| Continuity | Marvel Comics continuity | ||||||||||||
The Autobots, Joe and Cobra devise a plan to deal with Power Station Alpha.
Synopsis
The Autobots, together with their new allies from G.I. Joe and Cobra, take refuge inside the Ark as the area is shook with earthquakes from the effects of Power Station Alpha. At the Decepticon base, Shockwave instructs Bombshell to dispose of Doctor Mindbender but he is saved by the intervention of the Baroness. The two Cobra agents depart, taking Bombshell with them in insect mode, and depart for Seattle, where they are due to rendezvous with a team from G.I. Joe.
Ratchet arrives at the Joes' base to inspect the remains of Bumblebee and is pleased to learn that not only is he still alive but that Mainframe has already begun reconstructing him. With Ratchet's help, the work is soon completed and Bumblebee announces from now on he wishes to be known as Goldbug. Mindbender and Baroness arrive and Mainframe's investigation of the cerebro-shell retrieved from Anthony Duranti is shown to allow them to control Bombshell.
Meanwhile, debate ranges about the fate of Alpha. Both Serpentor and Ace think it should be destroyed but Blaster is worried that, after the Decepticons' modifications, Alpha may now be a sentient being whilst Hawk is concerned about the loss of life if Alpha is destroyed in a populated area. It is eventually decided that a small team consisting of Goldbug, Scarlett and Baroness will plant explosives on Alpha which can be detonated if necessary. In order to prevent the Decepticons intervening, a combined Autobot, Joe and Cobra force will attack their base.
As the attack begins, Shockwave dispatches a group of Decepticon planes to counter the aircraft and also has the Constructicons combine into Devastator. The Aerialbots counter by becoming Superion and battling their opposite number.
Mainframe and Mindbender work out a way to use the cerebro-shell and electronic helmet to control Alpha and send the power station to an unpopulated area. Without permission, Baroness sets the timers on the charges and Alpha explodes harmlessly in orbit. Cobra hastily withdraw from the scene of the battle whilst Mindbender also slips away. Not entirely convinced the Joes weren't in on Cobra's plan, Blaster tells them that with the immediate crisis averted they should leave the Decepticons to them in the future. Ratchet signals that he and Goldbug are on their way back to the Ark.
Later, Hawk watches on as Senator Larkin is taken into custody, only to be shot by a gunman working for Cobra.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | G.I. Joe | Cobra | Humans |
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Quotes
Notes
Artwork and technical errors
- In addition to another anomalous appearance by Ravage, Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp are all shown among the Decepticons at the base. All three of them were captured by the Autobots in "Command Performances!" and in US continuity they wouldn't be freed until "Totaled!".
- A total of seven Seekers are seen taking off from the Decepticon base but only Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Thrust and Ramjet are named. Since Dirge was killed in the previous issue, it's unclear who the other two are meant to be.
- Although all six Constructicons are pictured, Shockwave only refers to Mixmaster, Hook, Long Haul, Bonecrusher and Scavenger.
Continuity errors
- Anthony recovered from what was basically full brain surgery incredibly quickly. Normally, a patient in his situation wouldn't be out of the hospital until 3 weeks later, at the earliest.
- In "Power Struggle", Mindbender was able to control Alpha with the helmet alone, but here he apparently also needs the cerebro-shell.
Continuity notes
- Laserbeak is mentioned but not seen.
- Blaster is clearly implied to be in acting command of the Autobots following the death of Optimus Prime.
- Ratchet rebuilds Bumblebee as Goldbug. He will later rebuild Goldbug as Bumblebee, saying he preferred him that way. Maybe he decided he'd made a mistake, turned him back into Bumblebee while he was asleep, only for him to be destroyed again and rebuilt by Wreck-Gar. Stranger things have happened...
- Baroness seemingly wanders into Decepticon base, takes out Bombshell with a single shot (an achievement in itself), then wanders out again with Mindbender. That's great security.
- Similarly, the Decepticons have a massive force assembled around their base but don't bother to leave anyone guarding Alpha.
- Senator Larkin's grave stone gives the date as December 1986.
- By a happy coincidence, the encounter with Snake-Eyes that Mindbender referred to was printed in the UK Transformers comic, simplifying the footnote no end when they printed the story.
Real-life references
UK printing
Issue #277
- Additional Transformers story: "Internal Affairs!"
- Other strips: G.I. Joe the Action Force - "Cold Snap" and Combat Colin
- AtoZ: Smokescreen and Snarl
Issue #278
- Additional Transformers story: "The House that Wheeljack Built!"
- Other strips: G.I. Joe the Action Force - "Cut and Freeze Dried" and Combat Colin
- AtoZ: Soundwave and Starscream
Issue #279
- Additional Transformers story: "Divide and Conquer!"
- Other strips: G.I. Joe the Action Force - "Cut and Freeze Dried" and Combat Colin
- AtoZ: Streetwise and Sunstreaker
Issue #280
- Additional Transformers story: "The 4,000,000 Year Itch!"
- Other strips: G.I. Joe the Action Force - "Cut and Freeze Dried" and Combat Colin
- AtoZ: Steeljaw and Superion
Other trivia
Covers (7)
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G.I. Joe and the Transformers #4 -
UK issue #277 -
UK issue #278 -
UK issue #279
- G.I. Joe and the Transformers #4 cover: G.I. Joe, Cobra and the Autobots pose next to Power Station Alpha, by Tom Morgan.
- Marvel UK #277 cover: Megatron and Shockwave wrestle at Memphis Airport, by Stewart Johnson.
- Marvel UK #278 cover: Prowl and Wheeljack are ambushed, by Jeff Anderson.
- Marvel UK #279 cover: Springer and Starscream duel in the skies, by Bryan Hitch.
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UK issue #280 -
G.I. Joe and the Transformers TPB -
G.I. Joe/Transformers Volume 1 -
The Transformers Classics Volume 8
- Marvel UK #280 cover: Swoop tries to keep Slag from smashing through a door; art by ???
- G.I. Joe and the Transformers TPB cover: Blaster, Ratchet, Omega Supreme, the Aerialbots, G.I. Joe and Cobra get angry, by Andrew Wildman and Stephen Baskerville.
- G.I. Joe/Transformers Volume 1 cover: G.I. Joe joyride in Bumblebee whilst Megatron looks on, by Klaus Scherwinski.
- The Transformers Classics, Volume 8 cover: Ironhide by Guido Guidi.
Reprints
- 1993 — G.I. Joe and the Transformers TPB (Marvel Comics, ISBN 0871359731)
- 2012 — G.I. Joe/Transformers Volume 1 (IDW Publishing, ISBN ISBN 978-1613773529)
- 2015 — The Transformers Classics, Vol. 8 (IDW Publishing, ISBN ISBN 978-1631401336)
