Devastation Derby!

	; Constructicheerleaders
	"Devastation Derby"
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First published	Part 1: 10th May, 1986 ; Part 2: 17th May, 1986
Cover date	Part 1: 17th May, 1986 ; Part 2: 24th May, 1986
Script	Simon Furman
Art	Will Simpson
Colours	John Burns
Lettering	Mike Scott
Editor	Ian Rimmer
Continuity	Marvel Comics continuity (Marvel UK)
Chronology	1986

Soundwave and the Constructicons attempt to abduct Buster Witwicky.

Synopsis

Part 1

Soundwave is training Devastator after his disappointing first battle. Shockwave then sends them to capture Buster Witwicky, who is attending a demolition derby with Jessie. Sparkplug, meanwhile, shows Optimus Prime a drawing Buster did while having a nightmare. Prime sends a team led by Smokescreen to watch over the human. The Constructicons arrive and battle the Autobots, before forming Devastator. Just then, Buster collapses.

Part 2: "Devastated!"

While Devastator delays the Autobots, Soundwave is able to scan Buster's mind. Smokescreen is able to confront the Decepticon, but is surprised when Soundwave immediately offers to retreat. The Autobots take Buster back to the Ark, while Soundwave reports to Shockwave, telling him that, thanks to the Matrix, Buster has a vision of the future of the Transformers race.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Humans
Wheeljack (13) Optimus Prime (14) Smokescreen (15) Tracks (16) Ironhide (17) Brawn (18) Ratchet (19)	Devastator (1) Soundwave (2) Scavenger (3) Mixmaster (4) Scrapper (5) Hook (6) Bonecrusher (7) Long Haul (8) Shockwave (9)	Sparkplug Witwicky (10) Buster Witwicky (11) Jessie (12)

Quotes

"By the Matrix! Literally!"

—Soundwave discovers the secret within Buster's mind

Notes

Continuity notes

This issue marks the first appearance of the Constructicons as a team since their debut in US issue #10, in which the less-than-stellar initial performance by Devastator that both Soundwave and Ironhide recall took place. Barring Scavenger, who appeared in "Dinobot Hunt!", they've been in off-panel limbo ever since, and the US series does not account for their whereabouts during the current period of instability that has seen the Decepticons break into two groups. "Devastation Derby" places them with Shockwave's group.
Speaking of which, over in the US stories, Soundwave is not part of Shockwave's Decepticons. When last seen in US issue #15, Soundwave was with Megatron in Wyoming, having previously been undercover in alternate mode in a human electronics shop for some time. Conversely, when this story begins, Soundwave is already part of Shockwave's group; he is not surprised to see Shockwave, indicating that they have had an off-panel reunion prior to this. This will be clarified in issue #65, in which it is explained that Soundwave left Megatron to feel out Shockwave in advance of organizing a meeting between the two leaders.
Shockwave's fixation on Buster comes about as the result of the preceding story, "Robot Buster!," the events of which Optimus recounts for Sparkplug.
The Autobots use their facsimile constructs, introduced in US issue #14. Brawn and Ironhide are revealed to also have been equipped with them; having survived "Dinobot Hunt!" unscathed, these two Autobots remain active in the UK stories despite being on the injured list in the US ones.
Soundwave reminds Shockwave that Buster's mind previously held the Creation Matrix, as seen in US issues #6-12.

Transformers references

The "amalgam model" Transformer Buster draws is Superion, combined form of the Aerialbots. Readers of the series are likely to recognize the character from the special bonus comic, "The Special Teams Have Arrived", included with issue #54 a few months earlier.

Artwork and technical errors

Shockwave's eye is purple instead of yellow throughout part 1.
Part 1, page 2, panel 3:
- Long Haul's name is spelled "Longhaul."
- In addition to Long Haul's abdomen being purple instead of green, all six of the Constructicons' heads are purple, when they should be blue-black. This continues into the next panel for Bonecrusher and Hook, but Long Haul's is corrected; they're then the right colour on the next page.
Part 1, page 3:
- Panel 3: Soundwave's eyes are uncoloured white instead of yellow.
- Panel 4: There's a blank speech bubble coming from Soundwave. Presumably he was supposed to be yelling "WHAT?" or somesuch, interrupting Shockwave and leading into his dialogue in the next panel.
Tracks's face is black instead of red throughout part 2, a coloration derived from his toy package art. Artist Will Simpson commonly referenced the toy art for his work on the series.
Part 2, page 6, panel 7 and page 7, panel 1: Soundwave's eyes are again uncoloured white.

Other trivia

A poster singles out "Mike Mayhem" as one of the drivers at the demolition derby. No relation to Miles, we're fairly certain!
Ironhide's transformation sequence at the end of Part 1 is drawn based on Ratchet's was rendered in US issue #7.
In issue #61's letters page, Soundwave shares his thoughts on the recent Robotix backup strip, remarking: "I have to admit my sympathies lie with the Terrakors."

Back-up material

Issue #61:

Back-up strips: Rocket Raccoon ("Masque of the Red Breath," Part 4), Robo-Capers and Matt and the Cat. The first page of Rocket Racoon is misprinted, with the magenta and cyan inks switched. The third installment of the comic strip advert for Biggles also runs this issue.
Fact File Interface: Devastator

Issue #62:

Back-up strips: Rocket Raccoon ("The Book of Revelations," Part 1) and Robo-Capers. The advert for next issue is a whole page instead of the usual half-page, so Matt and the Cat sits this issue out; the fourth part of Biggles also appears.

Covers (2)

UK issue #61: the Constructicons discuss Buster's fate, by Will Simpson.
UK issue #62: Jesse cradles a prone Buster while the Autobots fight Devastator, by Robin Smith.