Second Generation!

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This article is about the story in the Marvel UK comics. For the Titan Books trade paperback, see Transformers: Second Generation.
« The Transformers (UK) #63–65 »
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...and he must let the world think that he is dead until he can find a way to control the raging spirit that dwells within him.
"Second Generation"
Publisher Marvel Comics
Cover date 31st May - 14th June 1986
Writer Simon Furman
Art John Stokes (#63), Barry Kitson & Tim Perkins (#64), Jeff Anderson (#65)
Colours Josie Firmin (#63), Steve Whitaker & Stuart Place[1] (#64), Tony Jozwiak (#65)
Lettering Mike Scott (#63–64), Annie Halfacree (#65)
Editor Ian Rimmer
Continuity Marvel Comics continuity

The Autobots and Decepticons learn the secrets of the next generation of combining Transformers due to a commercial message left in Buster’s mind by the Creation Matrix.

Synopsis

This story follows up (in part) on the events of "Victory!" from the 1987 UK Annual. It was also previewed in "The Special Teams Have Arrived", a free mini-comic available with issue #54.

After discovering that the Creation Matrix had left a message in the head of Buster Witwicky giving details of future Transformers, the Autobots attach him to scanning equipment to try and decipher the message. This causes Buster to dream that he is being chased across a desert by Shockwave. Buster is eventually rescued by Superion, who blasts Shockwave, only to be floored by Menasor. During the confusion Buster escapes but is ambushed by the Combaticons who combine into Bruticus. The fear causes Buster to jolt awake.

In order to better interpret and control the dreams Buster and Optimus Prime are linked together mentally. Little do they know that the Decepticons are tapping into the images by using the equipment that Shockwave designed to extract the Matrix from Optimus Prime's disembodied head.

The new vision shows the Protectobots evacuating an unnamed power plant. Blades then spots what he believes to be a group of human vehicles heading towards the plant. The Protectobots move to head them off only to find that it is the Stunticons. The Stunticons combine into Menasor, much to the delight of the watching Shockwave, who is impressed with the quality of the combination compared to the Constructicons.

The Protectobots combine into Defensor and quickly gain the upper hand. Soon, however, the Combaticons arrive and merge into Bruticus. Menasor and Bruticus overpower Defensor but are caught unaware when the Aerialbots arrive and combine into Superion. Superion and Defensor quickly gain the upper hand and defeat the Decepticons. At this point Optimus Prime and Buster awake, impressed by what they have seen.

Meanwhile, Soundwave is reporting events to Megatron who he is secretly in contact with. Megatron decides that it is time he retook control of the Decepticons from Shockwave. Megatron and Shockwave engage in battle, with Robot-Master providing commentary as the battle is broadcast to the world.

At the Ark, the Autobots watch the battle but decide not to interfere, devoting their energies to developing the new Special Teams. Prime's work is interrupted by an alarm in the medical bay... the Dinobots have finally awoken, and are back to their old cranky selves.

At the coal mine, Soundwave note that the two combatants are equally matched, and are basically making a laughingstock of themselves. Their battle only ends when Soundwave impertinently tells them to stop. Equally outraged, Megatron and Shockwave allow Soundwave to show them how similar they are, and they agree to a joint leadership.

Meanwhile, an electronic signal arrives at the distant world of Cybertron...

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots Decepticons Humans

Quotes

"Grimlock! Speak to me - are you alright?"
"Get your clammy paws away from me, Ratchet! Since when have you or any other Autobots cared what happens to us Dinobots!"
"Yes - they're alright."

-Ratchet checks on a just awakened Grimlock.

Notes

Artwork and technical errors

On a single page, you can find three John Stokes panels (above) swiped from panels from a single page of Herb Trimpe's work in "Prime Time!".
  • Artist John Stokes constantly "swipes" art from previous US issues, such as panels from Ricardo Villamonte's work in "The Next Best Thing to Being There!", Herb Trimpe's work in "Prime Time!", and Don Perlin's work in "I, Robot-Master!".
  • Seriously, these swipes litter the book.
  • Perhaps more forgivably, "The Special Teams Have Arrived" (the "preview" of this story given away free with issue #54 with art by Stokes) also appears to swipe art from issue #64. It's possible Kitson and/or Perkins copied their image from the preview, but as seen above Stokes has form in this area and was most likely working to a tight deadline.
  • The colourists on issue #64 are credited rather cryptically as "W & P".
  • At one point Menasor orders Dead End (as his right arm) to shoot Superion. However it is Drag Strip that is drawn. This was corrected in the Collected Comics reprint but the Titan Books and The Transformers Classics UK Volume 2 reprints both use the original page.
  • Vortex appears colourised as Blades on his arrival. Soundwave explained in a letters page that he has special circuitry which allows him to change his colour to disguise himself as Blades, but also made it clear that he had just made that explanation up on the spot.

Continuity errors

  • Cybertron was originally in orbit around Alpha Centauri, the closest star system to our own Sun at 4.37 light years' distance. It is therefore highly unlikely that Cybertron now resides in "a galaxy far, far beyond our own". It's more likely that it is in a solar system far beyond our own, given the high frequency with which "solar system" and "galaxy" are confused in Transformers fiction.

Continuity notes

  • After going into a coma at the end of Dinobot Hunt!, the Dinobots finally wake up. It's an anticlimactic moment, given we don't actually see it from their point of view, we just get an alarm going off and the Dinobots are all better now.

Real-life references

Other trivia

  • This story was written because Hasbro UK specifically requested that the Special Teams be given a prominent story, despite them not yet having appeared in the US comic.[2] So as to avoid a future major continuity clash the option of a vision of the future was taken.
  • The power plant section of this story was used along with elements from the cartoon series episodes, "The Key to Vector Sigma", "War Dawn" and "Starscream's Brigade" to produce the UK audio story "The Special Teams".

Back-up material

Issue #63:

  • Back-up strips: Rocket Raccoon - "The Book of Revelations" Part 2 and Robo-Capers
  • Free Gift: A fold out pamphlet themed around the Special Teams. The pamphlet had spaces to stick collectors cards which were included in the following issues up to issue #70.
  • Issue #63 included "Robot War III", the third and final in an irregular series of text features summarising events seen in the comic so far.
  • In the letters page Soundwave would often say "Puttup!" The word is revealed here to be the sound he makes when spitting. And no, it's not clear how he can spit without a mouth.

Issue #64:

  • Back-up strips: Rocket Raccoon - "The Book of Revelations" Part 3, Robo-Capers and Matt and the Cat

Issue #65:

Covers (6)

  • Issue #63
    Issue #63
  • Issue #64
    Issue #64
  • Issue #65
    Issue #65
  • Collected Comics #10
    Collected Comics #10
  • Second Generation
    Second Generation
  • The Transformers Classics UK Volume 2
    The Transformers Classics UK Volume 2

Reprints

References

  1. ↑ The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
  2. ↑ Simon Furman: "There were odd occasions where Hasbro UK would actually get it together and coordinate a story with a toy release. The Special Teams (in UK #63-65) story was one such instance, and in that case (because we were some way off reprinting the corresponding US issues) we had to work them in somehow (chronologically ahead of time)." TransFans.co.uk - Interviews: Simon Furman - Part 1 'The Past'.
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