DIS-Integrated Circuits!

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Decepticon sexual harassment violates you. And it violates the law.
"DIS-Integrated Circuits!"
Publisher Marvel Comics
First published June 1985
Cover date October 1985
Writer Bob Budiansky
Penciler Mike Manley
Inks "M. Hands"
Colors Nel Yomtov
Letters Rick Parker
Continuity Marvel Comics continuity

The Autobots, now restored, strike a deal with G.B. Blackrock. But one of his former employees has other plans.

Synopsis

G.B. Blackrock, driving practice laps on a race track, is interrupted by General Capshaw, who expresses concern over Blackrock's plans to unveil a new weapon designed to destroy the Transformers. Blackrock shrugs him off, and goes to visit Josie Beller in her hospital room to update her on the situation. She, in turn, shows Blackrock some technology she's been working on from her hospital bed, causing Blackrock to worry that she may put herself in another dangerous situation in her desire for revenge against the robots who crippled her.

These fears are warranted when Josie escapes from her hospital room, and shows up in Blackrock's office that night, revealing herself as Circuit Breaker, wearing a metal suit designed to compensate for her damaged nervous system and granting her offensive capability against any mechanical form. Blackrock orders her to forget the whole thing and get back to the hospital; Circuit Breaker ignores him and says she's going to do what she has to.

The Autobots have been revived after their imprisonment aboard the Ark, with Prowl in command. They seek a new solution to their fuel shortage, and Jazz takes Wheeljack and goes to strike a deal with G.B. Blackrock. Kidnapping the billionaire, Jazz offers to provide him with protection from the Decepticons in exchange for fuel. After a few confused moments, Blackrock agrees.

Starscream is feeling mutinous after receiving word that the Autobots are online again and that Megatron has disappeared. Shockwave sends him and Frenzy to destroy Blackrock's weapon, allowing them to blow off some steam.

Sparkplug Witwicky's customers are also feeling mutinous, as Buster can only offer fumbling excuses and delays while his father remains in the hospital. Despite tinkering with the automobiles in for repairs, it's all a mystery to him. But another headache-seizure grips him, and in a flash, everything becomes clear—the structure, the problem, everything. Buster repairs an engine block with merely a thought.

Later that day, the unveiling of Blackrock's Anti-Robot Photonic Multi-Cannon is sabotaged by Circuit Breaker, in an effort to get him to announce her as his intended weapon. The Decepticons attack just then. Jazz and Wheeljack transform, intending to make good on their promise to provide Blackrock with protection; but Circuit Breaker, unable to discern between Autobot and Decepticon, severely injures Wheeljack. Between her and Jazz, the Decepticons are driven off, though Jazz is damaged. Although Circuit Breaker spares Jazz at Blackrock's pleading, she destroys his weapon, and severs her ties with him. Blackrock fears she is the only one to have truly lost the day's battle...

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots Decepticons Humans

Quotes

"Getting fuel is a piece of cake!"
"Cake is fuel?"

-Jazz and Prowl - different strokes, man.


"Now, with your okay, I'm going to pay a visit to Mr. Blackrock. We have a deal to negotiate."
"As my Special Operations officer, you have my complete trust, Jazz. Permission granted. Take Wheeljack with you as a back-up. I only wish I knew what I just gave you permission for!"

-Jazz and Prowl


"Or else... fall before the sonic fury of... Frenzy!! Ha ha ha!! Ha! Ha-ha-ha! ...An Autobot -- here! No matter -- you'll be a flaming piece of junk when I'm done with you! Ha ha ha!"

-Frenzy, smashing stuff and happy as a clam.

Notes

Artwork and technical errors

  • The latest change of artists has Josie Beller looking quite a bit different than previous issues. In particular, her hair's wavier, shorter and brighter now (and more in line with the Marvel employee that Budiansky modeled her after.) After she becomes Circuit Breaker, it changes into a ponytailed mullet.
  • Page 4: Sideswipe's helmet is white instead of black, and Gears' face is red instead of gray while his helmet is blue instead of red.
  • Page 5: The arms and torso of Optimus Prime's headless body are colored white instead of red, and no, it's not Ultra Magnus.
  • Page 5: Ratchet is drawn finishing Prowl's line about rescuing Optimus and acquiring fuel. This leads to the peculiar sight of Ratchet stating that he is in command of the Autobots!
  • Page 9, panel 6: Starscream's missing his air intakes, and his cockpit is red instead of yellow.
  • Buzzsaw is miscolored as Laserbeak in 2 panels on pages 6 and 7.
  • The sign on G.B. Blackrock's office door reads "JB BLACKROCK".
  • Page 16:
    • "You really are a robot" is missing its punctuation.
    • Jazz says "If I were a Decepticon I would've let you bounce me a couple of times before scraping you off the ground!" The "me" probably shouldn't be there.
  • Page 19: Starscream should probably be saying "Unfortunately for you", as Jazz likely doesn't consider getting shot with cluster bombs to be very fortunate.
  • Page 21: Starscream's missing his wings as he and Frenzy escape.

Continuity errors

  • Blackrock seems to grow and shave off his mustache every other issue.

Continuity notes

  • As the Autobots finish their performance examinations, Sunstreaker is absent from the group. He was blasted point blank by Shockwave in "The New Order", and next issue is shown to still be inoperative, with Ratchet uncertain of his prospects for recovery.
  • The narration refers to Starscream's robot form as his "secret mode".

Real-life references

  • The general is worried that "Communists" might behind the ongoing robot plague.
  • Jazz likes Madonna, blasting her song "Material Girl" during the Autobots' test drive.
  • The guard at Blackrock's offices is totally reading Playboy.
  • Apart from the Autobots' doings at the Ark, the action is set entirely in and around Portland.

UK printing

Issue #33:

  • Back-up strips: Machine Man - "If This Be Sanctuary?!" Part 3, Robo-Capers and Matt and the Cat

Issue #34:

  • Back-up strips: Machine Man - "If This Be Sanctuary?!" Part 4, Robo-Capers and Matt and the Cat

Changes in the IDW Classic Transformers reprint

wheeljack's got green, right, here's some dang green then, wherevs
  • On page 5, Optimus Prime's headless body is colored properly, rather than left mostly white as in the original.
  • On page 20, and only on page 20, suddenly little bits of green trim are added to Wheeljack's robot mode and the blue removed from his shoulders.

Other trivia

  • "M. Hands", the supposed inker of the issue, doesn't exist. It's a pseudonym ("Many Hands") used to cover multiple inkers working on a rush-job.
  • When IDW released The Transformers Classics, Vol. 1 on their digital comics app/website and at other digital comic retailers, this issue was not included due to Marvel owning the Circuit Breaker character (as with issue 3). Unfortunately, there do not appear to be text summaries for these comics, like IDW did with the earlier Classic Transformers collections.

Bot Roster

  • Autobots: 21 active, as Ratchet revives all but one of the captive Autobots, plus 1 inactive and Optimus Prime held captive.
  • Decepticons: 10 active; 1 missing.

Covers (3)

  • US issue #9 - Thanks Marvel. Thanks
    US issue #9 - Thanks Marvel. Thanks
  • UK issue #33 - Introducing: DAVID BOWIE
    UK issue #33 - Introducing: DAVID BOWIE
  • UK issue #34 - Starscream has a really sweet cycling helmet
    UK issue #34 - Starscream has a really sweet cycling helmet
  • US cover: Circuit Breaker and Starscream, by Mike Manley.
  • UK issue #33 cover: Circuit Breaker, Wheeljack and Frenzy, by John Higgins.
  • UK issue #34 cover: reuse of art from US cover, modified to fit the UK aspect ratio. Note that this means we don't get to see Circuit Breaker's... erm... crotch shot.
  • The Transformers Comics Magazine #5
    The Transformers Comics Magazine #5
  • New Order TPB
    New Order TPB
  • New Order hardback
    New Order hardback
  • The Transformers Classics, Vol 1
    The Transformers Classics, Vol 1

Advertisements

  • Young Astronaut Program—inside front cover
  • Newtons Fruit Chewy Cookies
  • Twizzlers
  • The Heavenly Kid (live-live action film)
  • Nestlé Quik
  • Tootsie Roll
  • The Transformers on videocassette
  • Mile High Comics
  • The West Coast Avengers and The Vision and the Scarlet Witch
  • Marvel subscriptions
  • "Secret Wars II" #5, "The Thing" #30, "Dr. Strange" #74, and "Fantastic Four" #285—inside back cover
  • Rip-Off's (shoes)—back cover

Reprints

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