Target: 2006
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| This article is about the original Marvel UK storyline. For the Titan Books trade paperback collecting this storyline, see Transformers: Target: 2006. |
The mysterious disappearance of Optimus Prime heralds the appearance of three super-powerful Decepticons from the future, led by Galvatron. With new arrival from Cybertron Ultra Magnus at their side, the Autobots find themselves forced to ally with Megatron against this new foe... but what is the secret their enemy is hiding, and what does he want in 1986?"
Synopsis
Prologue
Optimus Prime and Prowl track down the errant Dinobots, but the team refuse to disclose the details of their recent adventure and simply depart, against Optimus's orders. The pair have no choice but to head back to the Ark, though Optimus, frustrated by the Dinobots' pig-headedness winds up indiscriminately knocking over trees in his anger, until Prowl reigns him in.
Meanwhile, on Cybertron, Autobot resistance leader Emirate Xaaron arrives at the resistance's subterranean headquarters beneath Iacon for a meeting with Impactor, leader of the commando team the Wreckers, about their major upcoming mission, Operation: Volcano. Impactor is wary, given the operation's high danger level, but Xaaron assures him that the new Autobot soldier Ultra Magnus will be operational in time to take part. "Volcano" involves luring the Decepticons into an ambush by staging a phony meeting of Autobot resistance chiefs, and the trap has already been baited by Wreckers member Roadbuster, who has deliberately "leaked" news of the meeting to a known traitor. The traitor is captured by the Insecticon Shrapnel in Polyhex, and gives up the information in exchange for this life—though Shrapnel kills him anyway.
Back on Earth, Optimus Prime addresses the Autobots on the reason for their fight and the importance of protecting humanity when he, Prowl, and Ratchet, are suddenly wracked by pain and disappear in an explosive flash. The distraught Autobots beleve their leader dead, and across the galaxy, on Cybertron, that fear seems verified when the Matrix Flame, tied to the Creation Matrix within Optimus Prime, sputters and goes out!
But all is not what it seems, as, concurrently with the three Autobots' disappearance, three new arrivals materialise at a cereal farm in Oregon. When the farm's owners come to investigate, the new arrivals demand to know the year, and are delighted to hear it is 1986. Galvatron and his lieutenants Cyclonus and Scourge have arrived from twenty years in the future... and the past will tremble before their might!
Part 1: "Apocalypse Then...Now!"
With Galvatron aboard Cyclonus in his shrunken pistol mode, the Decepticons test out of the destructive capabilites of their "new forms", destroying first a locomotive and then a gas station. Cyclonus and Scourge muse how easy it would be to conquer the planet, but Galvatron reminds them that the reason they have come to the past is to prepare for the future, and orders them to seek out Megatron.
Suspecting Decepticon involvement in the disappearance of Optimus Prime, Prowl, and Ratchet, Jazz leads a team of Autobots on a spying mission to the Decepticon base. As they watch, Galvatron and his lieutenants arrive and introduce themselves to Megatron and the other Decepticons. Soundwave scans their minds to confirm that they are, indeed, Decepticons, but something blocks him from scanning deeper. A wary Megatron asks if they work for Straxus, but Galvatron scoff at the notion, revealing that he is the Decepticon leader of 2006. Though he recognizes Megatron's skepticism, Galvatron requests that he trust him, and temporarily surrender command of the Constructicons to him. Unsurprisingly, Megatron replies by blasting Galvatron point blank with his fusion cannon. Cyclonus and Scourge are about to retaliate in kind, until a panicked Galvatron reminds them that Megatron cannot be allowed to die. Instead, they bull-rush Megatron and Soundwave, positioning them for Galvatron, who transforms into his cannon mode and blasts the quarry wall, collapsing it and burying the pair under an avalanche of rock. Laserbeak proceeds to perch on Galvatron's shoulder, causing the future Decepticon to cryptically remark about the bird's ability to see beyond his outward appearance. The Constructicons quickly fall into line, and at Galvatron's command, they all depart the base. Jazz and Hound secretly trail them, while Ironhide keeps watch at the Decepticon base, and Smokescreen reports back to the Ark.
On Cybertron, Xaaron has designed that investigating the dying out of the Matrix Flame must take precedence over Operation: Volcano. Though Impactor is furious at the news, the decision has been made: Ultra Magnus must travel to Earth!
Part 2: "Construction Time Again!"
Jazz and Hound follow the Decepticons to northern Oregon, and watch as Galvatron instructs the Constructicons to commence building a mysterious structure. Unsure if the massive machine is a weapon or a power transmitter, they are at least sure that it is dangerous, as incorporates so many solar panels that it will be capable of generating enough power to "level a small planet". The pair are about to pull out and return to the Ark with this news, but are suddenly ambushed by Cyclonus, who disables Jazz with one shot. Hound, on the other hand, he takes his time with, gleefully recalling as he pummels the Autobot how, in his former life, he too was once left broken and near death, as Hound now is. But where someone or something named "Unicron" was responsible for healing Cyclonus's wounds and recreating him into the being he is now... for Hound, there shall be no such reprieve!
Nearby, Ultra Magnus arrives on Earth via Spanner's unstable prototype space bridge. Fighting his way through the pain and disorientation caused by the transit, he recalls Impactor's fury at the disruption of the Operation: Volcano timetable, and remembers that he has only five Earth days to the bottom of the Matrix Flame mystery and set things right on Earth. Following the sound of battle, he arrives just as Cyclonus is about to finish Hound off, and shoots the Decepticons' gun out of his hand before he can pull the trigger.
Cyclonus initially mistakes the Autobot for the Magnus of his future era, thinking that he has followed them back through time, and though he is relieved to realise his error, he still believes Magnus's arrival must be reported to Galvatron. Cyclonus hurls the wounded Hound at Magnus, buying himself enough time to transform and fly off. With Hound too injured to return to the Ark under his own power, Ultra Magnus transforms to his car carrier mode and transports the stricken Autobot back to base.
Upon hearing the unexpected news of Magnus's arrival on Earth, Galvatron quickly concocts a new scheme. Knowing that with time and Magnus on their side, the Autobots may genuinely be able to threaten his plans, he resolves to trick them into acting in haste...
Back at the Ark, Grapple gets to work repairing Hound, who briefs the Autobots on the threat of Galvatron. Jetfire wants to investigate immediately, but Ultra Magnus insists that solving the mystery of Optimus Prime's disappearances is of paramount importance. Jetfire doesn't quite buy Magnus's story, but before they can have a full argument about it, they are interrupted by Smokescreen, who calls them into the monitor room. On the screen is a communication from Galvatron, revealing that Jazz is his prisoner, and goading the Autobots to come and get him!
Part 3: "Defeat!"
Jetfire and Smokescreen fall for Galvatron's bait and are ready to rush into action to save Jazz, but Hound disagrees with their tactics; he's seen the future Decepticons in action, and knows they need Ultra Magnus's help if they want to stand a chance of beating them. The less-than-trusting Jetfire reluctantly acquiesces, and instructs Hound and Ironhide to invite Magnus along on the rescue mission... but much to the Autobots' frustration, Magnus refuses to accompany them, remaining insistent that his priority on Earth is to learn the truth about what has happened to Optimus Prime.
The Autobots launch their attack on Galvatron's construction site, but are almost immediately ambushed by Scourge and Cyclonus, leaving Mirage the first casualty of the battle. While Jetfire takes to the skies to engage Cyclonus in a dogfight, Scourge comes in for a landing, knocking out Brawn and Wheeljack as he does so. The rest of the Autobots all gang up on Scourge, their combined might apparently enough to overcome his great strength. Jetfire, likewise, seems to get the better of Cyclonus, and rejoins the rest of the Autobots, pulling Ironhide, Smokescreen, and Tracks away from the fight with Scourge to join him in going after Galvatron.
The quartet proceeds to corner Galvatron at the base of his massive machine, but the Decepticon leader is completely unfazed. Cooly, he indicates the Constructicons, standing nearby, yet taking no action. A moment later, Scourge and Cyclonus reappear, completely unharmed, having faked their own defeats and subdued the other Autobots in the interim. Galvatron stands, completely unprotected... and demands that the Autobots open fire on him. They do so, unleashing everything they've got... but "everything" isn't enough to even put a dent in the super-powered Decepticons' armor. Galvatron laughs in the face of the feeble attack, then physically, savagely beats every single one of the Autobots into submission with his bare hands, but stops short of ending their lives, deeming them not even worth killing.
Beaten and broken, the Autobots limp back to the Ark, realizing that they truly are helpeless before Galvatron's power—just as the Decepticon desired. Without someone to lead them, Ironhide realizes they have no chance at all, and so he undertakes the unthinkable: he returns to the Decepticons' base and digs the unconscious Megatron and Soundwave out from under the rocks burying them!
And, back at the Ark, a distracted Grapple fails to notice a blinking light on one of the ship's stasis chambers... as somebody inside punches their way out of it!
Part 4: "Wreck and Rule!"
On Cybertron, the Wreckers run through a simulation of Operation: Volcano using facsimile constructs of their Decepticon opponents. Impactor uses his harpoon to take out Shrapnel, whose electrical powers he subsequently employs to dispose Octane. While Whirl draws enemy fire, Rack'n'Ruin disposes of Thrust. Topspin handles Bombshell and Blitzwing, but is almost taken from behind by Dirge and Ramjet, before his Jumpstarter Twin Twist ambushes them from below. Finally, Roadbuster, finishes off the remaining Decepticons... then points out that, in the actual battle, without Ultra Magnus to guard their flank, they will be overrun by Decepticon reinforcements. The Wreckers all agree with the sentiment voiced by Twin Twist; Volcano has turned into a suicide mission, and it's no longer their fight. Impactor concurs with his men, and leaves to inform Xaaron the team will be pulling out of the mission.
Twin Twist, Whirl, and Roadbuster retire to the faction-neutral black market speakeasy Maccadam's Old Oil House to relax with a drink, but it's a glum affair; they realise calling off Volcano is the logical course of action, but still feel bad about it.
The depressing mood is broken when a Decepticon bully named Fang bursts into the Oil House and brutally attacks a piano Transformer for playing music he doesn't like. Roadbuster holds back an angry Twin Twist, telling him it "isn't their fight," but hearing his own words repeated only galvanized Twin Twist to action. Finished beating on the piano, Fang dares anyone in the crowd to challenge him... and Twin Twist takes up the call, smashing Fang to bits with one double-handed punch. Defending an innocent Transformer against an unprovoked Decepticon attack acts as an epiphany for the Wreckers, who agree that they must continue to fight, no matter what.
In the meantime, Impactor meets with Xaaron to relay his news. Xaaron agrees that if Magnus is unable to return on time, then withdrawing would be the right thing to do, and might lead to an Autobot victory later on... but the Emirate also muses about how it will look Volcano is aborted and Ultra Magnus does return to Cybertron on time. Impactor grudgingly takes the hint, and returns, slightly embarrassed, to tell his men Volcano is back on. When he asks for volunteers to take part, to his surprise, the entire team takes him up on the offer, and another combat rehearsal begins.
Part 5: "The Devil You Know..."
Starscream has awoken aboard the Ark, and has also freed Frenzy and Thundercracker. Starscream cannot accept the sight he is seeing, that of Megatron commanding the Autobots.
Megatron tells the Autobots that they need to follow his instructions as closely as possible. Jetfire is in disagreement, claiming that Megatron was rescued by Ironhide merely to advise, not to command. Megatron treats this statement with contempt, pointing out how spectacularly unsuccessful Jetfire's last attempt at commanding an assault on Galvatron was. Ironhide interjects that Megatron wasn't exactly a resounding success against Galvatron either, and would still be lying under a rock pile if not for the Autobot.
Ironhide concedes that a mutual alliance with Megatron's forces is the Autobots' best bet against Galvatron, and calls for a vote on whether they should follow Megatron's instructions, at least in the short term. The vote carries.
Starscream can't help but smirk as he learns of these events, particularly at the prospect of allying with a being powerful enough to force the Autobots and Decepticons together. Overcome with the idea of power, Starscream leaves to seek out Galvatron.
At the Ark, Ultra Magnus cannot believe the Autobots are willingly going to follow the orders of a monster such as Megatron and berates Hound rather fiercely about committing to rescuing Jazz over seeking out Optimus Prime. Hound comments that they have plenty of time to carry out both objectives. Magnus strenuously disagrees, showing him the countdown to Operation: Volcano—now down to 97:18—and explaining how Magnus's time on Earth is strictly limited by his mission on Cybertron. Hound wonders if that mission can be postponed, and Ultra Magnus flatly states that it can't, as the bait has already been set. Hound understands, but knows he still has to accompany the others to rescue Jazz. Magnus agrees but cautions to watch out for Megatron, who is just as insidiously evil as Galvatron.
Over at the Portland Iron and Steel Foundry central storehouse, Scourge is struggling with ennui, reduced to carrying the raw materials for Galvatron's weapon. With the humans not being a match for his considerable fighting prowess, Galvatron's lieutenant is itching to fight. He detects something and brings his weapon to bear, blasting Trailbreaker who is trying to sneak in alongside Brawn and Tracks.
The sneak attack surprises Scourge, who thought that once the Autobots were beaten, they wouldn't recover. The future Decepticon is nonplussed, though, as a mere three Autobots are no match for his fire-power. Unfortunately for Scourge, five more Autobots arrive from another part of the building and pen him in amongst the maze-like storage areas.
Things get worse for Scourge as his weapon is blasted out of his hand. A second blast hits Scourge, enraging him to the point that he smashes into a pile of steel, burying Smokescreen and Ironhide. Realising that discretion is the better part of valour, Scourge tries to contact Galvatron and escape, but his signal is jammed.
Scourge's mood is momentarily improved when he catches Grapple unaware and impales the Autobot with a thrown steel plate. With the need to transform into his jet mode becoming more and more pressing, Scourge smashes through an exterior wall. Before he can transform, though, Megatron blasts Scourge with the ol' fusion cannon, temporarily incapacitating the future Decepticon.
Elsewhere, Jazz is struggling with the pain of his torture, but fights through it enough to claim that Galvatron is just as bad as Megatron. Galvatron is amused by Jazz's claim, but makes one small correction. Galvatron is not "as bad as Megatron," Galvatron IS Megatron!
Part 6: "Trios!"
On Cybertron, Impactor is trapped in an inhibitor claw and is getting his aft handed to him by the Triple Changer team of Springer, Broadside, and Sandstorm. Unable to transform, Impactor has to rely on his close combat skills to defeat the trio, but it is found wanting. Down but not out, Impactor knows that the stakes are higher than just his life, and if Operation: Volcano has any chance of succeeding, it will be because he fights back. Impactor charges Springer, knocking him to the ground. Reacting instantaneously, Sandstorm draws a bead on Impactor with his sandblaster gun. Springer chides Sandstorm, stating that they don't need to use their guns. Instead, Springer uses his rocket pack to leap over Impactor and backhands the Wrecker to the ground.
Impactor refuses to beg for his life. Springer doesn't seem to care, dismissing Sandstorm and Broadside who transform to their aerial forms and fly off. Springer also transforms to his helicopter mode and tells his fellow Triple Changers that they'll meet at Debris before flying away. This shocks Impactor as only the Wreckers are supposed to know about the Debris base. The departing Springer tosses a communicube to Impactor, much to the Wrecker's confusion. The communication turns out to be from Emirate Xaaron who reveals that the Triple Changers are Autobots who Xaaron has drafted in to replace Ultra Magnus on Operation: Volcano. He admits they're not up to Magnus's standard but points out that the beating they just handed out to Impactor proves their worth. A frustrated but convinced Impactor crushes the communicube.
Back on Earth, Galvatron is dispelling Jazz's disbelief about Galvatron being a future version of Megatron. Jazz goads Galvatron into explaining further. Twenty years from now, Megatron and Optimus Prime will fight at the very spot Galvatron is occupying now. Megatron will ultimately fall. Though wounded, Megatron would have continued to function if the ever-treacherous Starscream hadn't booted him out into space.
In space, Megatron's broken body is discovered by Unicron, a planet-sized living being. Unicron offers Megatron a simple choice: Serve him or die. Being pragmatic, Megatron opts for the first option. Unicron repairs and upgrades Megatron into his new form: that of Galvatron. Still being a Decepticon leader at heart, Galvatron tries to rebel from Unicron's enslavement. Galvatron is instantly (and painfully) punished. Understanding that he needs to be free of Unicron's influence, Galvatron time travelled to 1986 where the Chaos Bringer could not follow and set about building a weapon powerful enough to destroy Unicron which Galvatron plans to fire the moment he returns to 2006.
Cyclonus returns from the steel foundry and reports that there was no sign of Scourge, so he assumes that Scourge is either dead or captive. Cyclonus did come across Starscream, who claimed to have information to share with the winning side in return for their alliance. Having no patience for the Decepticon jet's schemes, Cyclonus instead beat the information out of him. Megatron is currently leading the Autobots. Jazz is amused by the irony of Megatron fighting Megatron and begins to laugh before an upset Galvatron knocks the Autobot unconscious.
In the Wyoming desert, Shockwave, Frenzy, and Thundercracker are confused about why Megatron, Soundwave and the Constructicons are absent. Frenzy and Thundercracker don't recall anything after their earlier beating from Omega Supreme, which Shockwave despairs at. Meanwhile, in the far-flung future of 2006, Hot Rod, Kup, and Blurr prepare to travel back to 1986. As the Autobot trio use the mass displacement time travel machine to arrive in 1986, Frenzy, Shockwave, and Thundercracker are spirited away in a manner similar to what happened to Optimus Prime, Prowl and Ratchet.
As the future Autobots arrive in the '80s, a malevolent subconscious laughter is heard. The laughter echoes across the coal mine, the surface of Cybertron and even reaches Galvatron, who is suddenly afraid...
Part 7: "Prisoners of War!"
In, the inky void of space, the Nemesis floats above the Earth, protected from detection from highly sophisticated shielding systems. A lance of energy shoots from the Earth and utterly obliterates the Decepticon starship.
Watching the orbital destruction on a monitor, Galvatron is very pleased with himself. The test firing of his new super weapon was a complete success. Now all the future Decepticon leader has to do is wait for the weapon to recharge, return to the 2006 from whence he came and use the weapon against Unicron and Galvatron will be his own master.
The self-congratulating is interrupted by Cyclonus, reporting that it is time for the prisoner-exchange meeting.with the Autobots. A meeting in which the new recruit, Starscream, is to play a pivotal role. Starscream agrees, but wants to know the reasoning behind destroying a perfectly good starship like the Nemesis. What if the Decepticons wish to leave Earth some day? Galvatron scoffs that there are far better methods of transportation now available.
Noting that Starscream seems rather ill at ease in their presence, Galvatron reassures the jet not to be too concerned about violence-first approach to problems now that Galvatron is in full control of the situation. Starscream transforms and flies off to perform his duties. This gives Cyclonus an opportunity to ask Galvatron why they need Starscream at all. The future Decepticon leader explains that Cyclonus is missing the delicious irony in Starscream using Galvatron to ensure his future when Galvatron is the reason Starscream has no future. The Decepticons allow themselves some healthy maniacal laughter.
At the Ark, Ultra Magnus is contemplating his failure. With a mere twenty-two hours before the launch of Operation: Volcano, he is no closer to locating Optimus Prime than he was when he was first sent to Earth. Magnus's reverie is interrupted by the arrival of Kup, Blurr, and a genuflecting Hot Rod, who introduce themselves, and then go to leave, explaining that they have to talk to Optimus Prime about Galvatron. Ultra Magnus stops them right there and insists that they compare notes.
In Northern Oregon, it is time for the prisoner exchange. Galvatron insists that the Autobots turn Scourge back over to him before he releases Jazz. Jetfire agrees but reminds Galvatron that the anti-grav manacles restraining Scourge are programmed to fry the Decepticon should Galvatron break his pledge and bring harm to Jazz.
Jetfire claims that it could easily have been Galvatron in the manacles, as they beat Scourge easily. The future Decepticon leader disagrees about the ease of his lieutenant's capture. The prisoners are exchanged, and the Autobots now have a badly-wounded but still living Jazz back in their hands. Galvatron asks after Megatron.
At the site of Galvatron's weapon, Megatron is being choked by Cyclonus, who points out that Megatron was foolish to come snooping around unprotected. Megatron claims it is Cyclonus who is the foolish one and that he is not unprotected just as Soundwave sneaks up on Cyclonus, allowing Megatron to incapacitate the future Decepticon. Knowing that it won't take long for Galvatron to deal with the Autobots, and orders to Soundwave to round up the Constructicons. Before he can acknowledge the order, Soundwave is blasted into unconsciousness. Megatron is slow to react and is also rendered unconscious thanks to Starscream and his null-ray.
At the Ark, Kup is explaining the principles of time travel using mass substitution to Ultra Magnus. After realising that Optimus Prime's disappearance must be due to Galvatron's time travel, Magnus berates himself for his idiocy in avoiding the future Decepticons when they were the key to his Prime hunt and charges off to rectify his mistake, ignoring the remainder of Kup's explanation.
Back at the prisoner exchange rendezvous, the Autobots are confused. If Galvatron knew about Megatron, why bother with the exchange at all? Galvatron explains that he has need of Scourge, and feels that the Autobots are in need of a lesson. Using a remote control, the future Decepticon activates Jazz and sends him to attack against his Autobot comrades. Unwilling to attack their cohort, the Autobot group are soon rendered unconscious and Jazz is deactivated once more.
Shortly thereafter, Galvatron visits the site of his weapon, where Starscream is poised to fatally shoot Megatron. Galvatron prevents Starscream from committing the act, and punishes the Seeker for disobeying a direct order to leave Megatron alive in true Decepticon style. Starscream gets punched out. Gloating at the ease in which all his foes are falling to him, Galvatron asks who can truly stand against him. Enter Ultra Magnus...
Part 8: "You Haveta Ask?!"
Galvatron is perched on top of Ultra Magnus's car carrier mode, and is trying to destroy the powerful Autobot. Ultra Magnus is trying to shake off the enraged Decepticon and finally has to resort to the drastic measure of speeding over an incomplete highway overpass and slamming on the brakes hard. Galvatron's momentum sends the future Decepticon leader tumbling off the edge of the overpass and into the ground below, temporarily knocking the fight out of him. Ultra Magnus wonders how the fight got this complex.
Earlier, Magnus had confronted Galvatron and offered the Decepticon a simple choice: immediately return to his own time by choice, or Ultra Magnus would force him to, in pieces of necessary. Galvatron reacted in his typical manner, by firing his particle beam cannon. However the shot missed and grazed the edge of Galvatron's super weapon, prompting Galvatron to have to fight Magnus using only his bare hands.
Ultra Magnus is able to fend off the initial furious assault from Galvatron, and is able to weather most of the subsequent attacks although the powerful Autobot is taking a lot of damage. Magnus tries to keep Galvatron enraged and not thinking clearly with incessant quips. As Galvatron rants and raves about his Unicron-given indestructibility, Ultra Magnus picks up a message from Kup on his internal communications sensors.
Apparently, Kup, Blurr, and Hot Rod have a plan that will send Galvatron back to 2006, and all Magnus has to do is keep the near-indestructible warmonger busy for an hour or two. After a few more blows are exchanged, Ultra Magnus dazzles and disorientates Galvatron using his powerful headlights and drives off. Galvatron scrabbles for a handhold and climbs to the roof of Magnus' trailer.
Back to the present, Ultra Magnus is happy that he's been able to occupy Galvatron's attention for the length of time that he has, and hopes it's been enough for Kup and company to enact their plan. Before Magnus can check on Kup et al., the overpass he is standing on is blasted away by Galvatron, sending the Autobot hurtling to the ground. Once landed, Ultra Magnus is met by Galvatron's laser cannon mode, which proceeds to blast the Autobot all over the place. In a last, desperate gambit, Ultra Magnus tosses a fuel tanker in the firing line of Galvatron's barrel, causing a massive fire to erupt. The two Transformers continue to fight until a victor steps out of the conflagration—Galvatron!
Part 9: "Back to the Future!"
Hot Rod, Kup, and Blurr are laying the groundwork to their plan. First, they paint Skywarp to look like Starscream, then they set up explosives all around Galvatron's super weapon. After that, the future Autobots hide the real Starscream and render both Scourge and Cyclonus unconscious. The preparation complete, the Autobots go to their observation area.
Galvatron is dragging Ultra Magnus by the neck to his weapon site so that the Autobot can witness Galvatron's final triumph. When Galvatron discovers that his lieutenants have been recently damaged to ensure unconsciousness, he at first suspects Megatron and Soundwave, but finds them just as deactivated as before. Galvatron then, understandably, assumes that this was some treachery on the part of Starscream, just as the Autobot trio had intended. The Autobots prepare to attack Galvatron, but are unable to get a clear shot as Ultra Magnus has stepped into the firing line. Magnus is determined to do what he can to get Optimus Prime back and still participate in Operation: Volcano, which is kicking off in under an hour.
Not too far away, the Autobots are recovering from their attack at the hands of a remote-controlled Jazz. Smokescreen is determined to take the fight to Galvatron one more time, despite the results from the last few such assaults, as unchecked Galvatron could arrive at any point in time and use his weaponry to stand as an unchallenged ruler.
Ultra Magnus continues to battle Galvatron, simply refusing to give up. Eventually, Magnus is thrown by Galvatron, giving Hot Rod's group a clear bead on Galvatron, which is instantly disrupted by the arrival of Smokescreen, Jetfire, and their group, who are defending Magnus by forcing Galvatron to go through them first. Kup, being practical, realises that going up against Galvatron is likely to mean death for these Autobots, so he goes ahead and detonates the explosives anyway, hoping that the Autobots will have the sense to get clear. The chain reaction of the explosives cause the power source of Galvatron's weapon to detonate, obliterating the weapon completely. As he is being buried by falling shrapnel, Galvatron howls with rage at being denied his victory this late in the game.
Minutes later, Galvatron bursts from the wreckage, demanding to know who has the nerve to dare attack him. Skywarp-as-Starscream claims the credit, thanks to some remote control manipulation from the future Autobots. Overcome with rage, Galvatron fires at "Starscream", killing him. Once the red mist clears, Galvatron realises that he will not kill Starscream until 2006, and so, he must be in a parallel dimension to the one he time jumped from initially and thus his actions here will have no bearing on the future, or on his enslavement to Unicron. Taking the setback in his stride, Galvatron uses a hand-held device to transport himself, Scourge and Cyclonus back to 2006 whilst the future Autobots consider what to do with Starscream.
Epilogue: "Aftermath!"
Unicron is surveying the remains of Galvatron's weapon, and is happy to see that his puppet, Galvatron couldn't escape the Chaos Bringer's control so easily, although the ingenuity of Galvatron's trip to the past did surprise Unicron. Unicron's influence is such that he was able to subtly guide Hot Rod, Blurr, and Kup in their successful plan to thwart Galvatron. Unicron also plants the suggestion to one day build Autobot City on the site of Galvatron's weapon complex. The future Autobots return to the future.
After Starscream is stuffed back into cold storage, Jetfire and Smokescreen are thanking a magnanimous Ultra Magnus on his role in saving both Earth and Cybertron. At the mention of Cybertron, Magnus has a small conniption as he now knows that Operation: Volcano must have already begun—without him!
On Cybertron, Emirate Xaaron is at the Imperial Amphitheatre giving a speech to twenty-two Autobot resistance chiefs, who, in reality, are expendable facsimile constructs and part of the complicated trap that is Operation: Volcano. After an Insecticon-sized signal is detected by Impactor and the Wreckers, they know phase one of Volcano has been a success. The Decepticons have swallowed the bait. Roadbuster, though, isn't happy. He's worried about the chance of failure, especially as while powerful, the Triple Changers are not a match for Ultra Magnus. Impactor observes that if Magnus is returning to Cybertron to participate in Volcano, his time is extremely limited.
Back on Earth, Laserbeak cuts free Soundwave and Megatron, the latter of whom is thirsting for revenge. Ultra Magnus returns to Cybertron rather than meeting with Optimus Prime, and hopes that one day, Magnus and Prime can fight together side by side, a notion Jetfire agrees with.
Back on Cybertron, the Ten Deadliest Killers gather. They include the Insecticons, Thrust, Blitzwing, Octane, and a tagging-along thug by the name of Macabre. Unlike his fellow Decepticons, Macabre doesn't seek to interrogate Emirate Xaaron, merely to assassinate him. Impactor gives the signal: "Wreck and Rule!" However, the signal is superfluous as Astrotrain interrupts Dirge with a communicube containing a message from Megatron—the Decepticons must cease all operations in Polyhex and have the space bridge working well enough to transport the Insecticons to Earth within two cycles, with no questioning of orders.
Impactor steps to the dais and informs Xaaron that the Decepticons have turned back. Uncertain as to the reason, the Wrecker speculates that the Decepticons must have discovered that it was a trap, and so all the preparation work for Operation: Volcano was wasted. Macabre, however, didn't turn back with the other Decepticons, and is determined to go down in history as the Decepticon that killed Xaaron, so he fires his massive studded gun at the Autobot dignitary. Unfortunately for Macabre, Impactor spots the weapon and is able to take the impact himself and is fatally wounded.
Macabre steps out of the shadows, bewailing his lost opportunity to finish off Xaaron and is blown to smithereens by the Wreckers' combined fire-power. Xaaron is upset about Impactor's impending death, but Impactor always knew that death was a possibility and nominates Springer for his replacement as Wreckers commander.
On Earth, Optimus Prime is speechifying at the Ark. He talks about the severe injuries that Jazz, Trailbreaker, and Grapple have suffered, and the perhaps even more debilitating mental injuries the other Autobots have acquired having faced total defeat. Prime states that no matter what sufferings they go through in their battles, the Autobots will prevail.
Featured characters
(Characters in italic text appear only in flashbacks; characters with a * also appear as facsimile constructs.)
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans | Others | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
Quotes
"Autobots—I'm gravely disappointed. You come and visit me unannounced and then—to add insult to injury... You leave something behind you! Feel free to pop round and pick him up anytime!"
- —Galvatron
"Defeat. A nasty, ugly word that leaves a nasty, ugly taste in the mouth."
- —Ironhide
"With the chance of Magnus returning to Cybertron in time being so slim, you have made the right decision. No-one can blame you for dropping out. Unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Nothing, nothing. Just an idle thought really, not worth mentioning."
"Xaaron—unless what?"
"Well, it occurs to me that if Magnus doesn't return in time, history will judge you as having made the right decision... perhaps even one that would later give the Autobots their victory. You'd be a hero! However... if Magnus was to get back to Cybertron in time and you weren't ready..."
"Enough, enough! I get the picture... (You wily old buzzard!)"
- —Xaaron plays Impactor like a harp
"I only agreed to this insanity on the condition that yours was purely an advisory role. I'm in command here!"
"Oh, really? In that case, perhaps you would like to lead the next strike against Galvatron. It certainly couldn't turn out to be any more catastrophic than last time."
- —Jeftire and Megatron
"Until, at last, a victor emerges from the conflagration... AND IT IS GALVATRON!"
"Does your pathetic Autobot Code demand sacrifices? Must I destroy you to stop you?"
"Yes."
- —Galvatron while beating Ultra Magnus to death
"Tell your leader that someday, Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime will fight side-by-side!"
- —Ultra Magnus ain't wrong!
"You - ack! - always were... a wily... old... buzzard..."
- —Impactor
Notes
Production notes
- "Target: 2006" was conceived to promote toys from the new 1986 product line—in particular, the so-called "New Leaders" Galvatron and Ultra Magnus—by tying in with the The Transformers: The Movie. The idea was seized on by Ian Rimmer as a way of using the movie to promote the comic to even more people, following the successful cross-media synergy the comic had employed in its promotion of the Special Teams a few months earlier.[1] In defiance of the clear separation that had existed between the comic and animated series up to that point, "Target: 2006" presented the events of the movie as taking place in the future of the comic's timeline, and featured the film's cast of characters travelling back in time from a point during the film's events to interact with the present-day comic cast.
- This was all made possible by the fact that US writer Bob Budiansky was not going to be featuring the movie's cast or its future setting in the monthly American series, so the UK team had free reign to use them as they saw fit. Before this point, the UK-original stories had simply latched onto characters where they could, weaving between the gaps in the US material, but with the opening up of this whole new world, an entire UK-original ongoing storyline took shape, spanning over one hundred subsequent issues, as the future setting and characters became one of the most distinctive elements of the series. "Target: 2006" wound up being just the first of what fans would later refer to as the Marvel UK "epics": the extra-length "tentpole" serials that formed the backbone of this ongoing narrative, with stories set in both the future time period (including a handful of stories set before "Target: 2006" that fill in the backstory of the "future" timeline) and the present day, and with time travel between the two.
- Context is important to fully understand the way "Target: 2006" tells its story. Though The Transformers: The Movie had been released in the United States a month before "Target: 2006" began, the film wouldn't arrive in UK cinemas until a month after the serial concluded. As such, the whole story is really a "mystery box" to hype kids up for the upcoming film, obliquely teasing and drip-feeding information about its events (Galvatron's origins, who and what Unicron is, Ultra Magnus gaining the Matrix) which may read as a little odd to anyone not in the know who's reading the story today, years later, with full knowledge of the film's events. That being said, however, the story was written using not the finished film for reference, but an earlier revision of its script, which leads to certain incongruities; most notably, the finished film is set in the year 2005, not 2006.[2] The series would stick with this date even after the film had been released, advancing the future setting in parallel with the real-life calendar (stories published in 1987 took place in 2007, stories from 1988 took place in 2008, etc).
Continuity notes
- Following the events of the previous story, the Dinobots are revealed to have formally ceded from the Autobot ranks, disobeying Optimus Prime's orders and marching off on their own. This brings their status into line with the US stories; there, they had previously ceded in US issue #19, but that was edited out for the UK reprint.
- Emirate Xaaron makes his first appearance in the regular weekly comic, following his introduction in the 1985 Annual story, "And There Shall Come...a Leader!" The establishing shot of Iacon seen in the prologue is directly based on the city as it appeared in that story, and the narration notes that Autobase is located beneath the Celestial Temple also featured in it, from which Xaaron and and the other councilors ruled from.
- Though the landscape doesn't match, the flashback shown during Optimus Prime's speech in the prologue seems to depict the events of US issue #2, as Starscream captures Sparkplug Witwicky while Prime and Megatron fight in the background.
- The story doesn't specify at what precise point during The Transformers: The Movie, Galvatron, Cyclonus, and Scourge embark on their trip back through time. As it falls after Galvatron has been tortured by Unicron at least once, but at a point when Kup, Hot Rod, and Blurr are still on Earth (from where Unicron spirits them away), that allows us to position it after the destruction of Moonbase Two, but before Galvatron's attack on Autobot City: right after Galvatron orders "Decepticons, to Earth!"
- With both Optimus Prime's and second-in-command Prowl's disappearance, Autobot leadership falls to Jazz. Though the comic has never really indicated that Jazz possesses such clout in-story, this is in-keeping with the Autobot Who's Who published in issue #53, which identified him as a member of high command. Likewise, when Jazz is captured by Galvatron, Jetfire inherits command from him, also in accordance with that same Who's Who, despite Jetfire being a very recent addition to the Autobot ranks.
- Smokescreen recalls Omega Supreme's first time in action, in which he took out half-a-dozen Decepticons, as seen in US issue #19. The Autobots subsequently took these Decepticons' offline bodies into custody, and it is from this captivity that Starscream, Thundercracker, and Frenzy escape during this story. However, regarding Omega, see "Continuity and plotting errors," below.
- Both Megatron and Xaaron reference Straxus, the Decepticon leader on Cybertron featured in US issues #17-18. Straxus appeared to die in the latter of these; Xaaron says in the epilogue he is "gone," but in Part 1, Megatron speaks of him as if he were still alive, as future UK storylines will indeed reveal him to be.
- As the Autobots do not yet possess the ability to free travel between Earth and Cybertron in US issues, Ultra Magnus is specifically noted to make his trip to Earth via a dangerous, unstable prototype of the space bridge designed by the scientist Spanner, who featured in US issues #17-18. Evidently Xaaron's Autobots recovered the prototype from Spanner's lab at some point after he was taken prisoner by the Decepticons and developed the finished space bridge for them.
- When the Autobots launch their attack on Galvatron's forces in Part 3, Mirage is the first to be taken out, and does not appear again throughout the story. Though he is not explicitly included in the list of Autobot casualties at the end of the serial, this would mark his final appearance in the comic until the many inactive characters were reactivated several years later, indicating his injuries put him on the offline list, reflecting his (unexplained) inactive status in concurrent US stories.
- The Decepticons' "deadliest killers" are made up of the Decepticons who appeared in Straxus's service in US issues #17-18 (the "conehead" jets, the Insecticons, and the Decepticon Triple Changers, all from the 1985 toy range). "Target: 2006" adds 1986 Triple Changer Octane (who will not appear in US stories for almost another year) to their ranks, and comic-original character Macabre, who only appears in the epilogue.
- As the story comes to a close, Jazz and Trailbreaker are placed on the injured list to match their status in the US storylines; however, see issue #93.
- The fate of Optimus Prime and the other Transformers who disappear is later revealed in issue #100.
Transformers references
- Part 3 sees Ironhide, last of the Autobots to fall, lying at Galvatron's feet as the Decepticon leader aims his cannon at his head. Is it a deliberate reference to Ironhide's fate at Megatron's hands in the upcoming movie?
Real-life references
- Part 2, "Construction Time Again!", takes its name from the 1983 album by Depech Mode.
Continuity and plotting errors
- "Target: 2006" is pretty careful about precisely which present-day characters appear, with so many different cast members having recently gone offline between both the US and UK storylines. However, with such a huge cast, a few errors were bound to creep through: Gears appears in both the prologue and Part 3, and Sideswipe shows up in a single panel of the epilogue, when both those characters were offlined in issue #50.
- Despite Smokescreen suggesting they do so, no reason is ever given for why the Autobots do not unleash Omega Supreme on the Decepticons, and Omega does not appear on-panel during the story.
- Ultra Magnus's clock shows how much time is passing over the five days. About twenty-three hours elapse between Magnus's arrival in Part 3 and the start of Part 5, which is fine, but then, by Part 7, he's suddenly down to twenty-two hours, with not nearly enough having occurred between those two parts for that to make sense. Further, from there, everything else has to last a full day without the sky changing colour or anyone commenting on it.
- In Part 2, while recounting his origin (right), Cyclonus claims that he was recreated from a Decepticon named "Life Spark." No such Decepticon has ever been heard of before; in fact, this line is a result of writer Simon Furman misinterpreting the early version of script for the movie he was working off of, in which Cyclonus was created from the "life spark"—that is, the bodliess lifeforce—of a long-dead Decepticon, not from a Decepticon actually named "Life Spark."
- Part 3 concludes with Ironhide uncovering a still-unconscious Megatron and Soundwave and kneeling next to them. In part 5, however, a flashback to this scene instead shows Megatron busting out of the rubble during Ironhide's rescue attempt and throttling him.
- Part 6 explicitly dates the events of "Target: 2006" to October 1986 (the future Autobots key the date "11th October 1986" into the time machine, which was the publication date of the... previous issue, so that was probably a goof). However, the story immediately following this one, a reprint of US issue #21, takes place on 4th July, and is not edited to change this fact.
- The epilogue explicitly states that the Wreckers will be going up against "ten" of the Decepticons' deadliest killers, which fits in theory (three coneheads, three Insecticons, three Triple Changers, and Macabre makes ten)... except the art shows only nine of the characters, with Astrotrain arriving to deliver a message, rather than to take part in the attack. If he wasn't the tenth, who was?
- Speaking of these killers; perhaps not an error, but it's certainly odd to see Dirge leading the group, when one of their number, Shrapnel was presented as a high-ranking officer in US issues #17-18.
Artwork and technical errors
Prologue
- The yellow details on Optimus Prime's pelvis are uncoloured throughout this issue.
- Page 2: Prowl's hands are coloured blue-black on this page, instead of white.
- Page 4: It seems as if artist Jeff Anderson intended for Impactor to have an long, narrow, arm-mounted gun on his left arm; there's a yellow greeblie attached to his shoulder in panel 3, and in panel 4, a yellow gun barrel awkwardly extends past his fist (right). This weapon would disappear in Anderon's subsequent renderings of Impactor during "Target: 2006," but other artists would reference these panels when drawing the character, misinterpreting Anderson's apparent intent and rendering it as being in Impactor's hand; in Part 2, Will Simpson draws Impactor with an ordinary gun held in his hand, while in Part 4, Ron Smith reinterprets the barrel as a kind of baton or club Impactor wields in battle. Also, Impactor's got a hand-held gun in an ankle-holster on his right leg... but he doesn't have a hand on his right arm, so he's not going to be able to draw it!
- Page 4-5: Here and throughout "Target: 2006," Shrapnel appears with the early colour scheme seen in US issue #18, which gives him a silver face with a visor, purple boots, and solid purple arms. With the exception of his boots, these features make him look more like his action figure, and match how he looks in the animated series, but they weren't used on his finalized Marvel character model, seen in later issues. At intermittent points during the story, however, he does have black biceps like those used on his final Marvel model; they appear in this chapter on page 4, panel 6.
- Page 6, panel 4: Starscream's helmet and forearms are white instead of blue, and the red stripes on his wings are missing. His left "vent ear" is colored red, like the exhaust intakes on either side of his head, instead of the same color as his helmet, and his cockpit canopy is grey instead of orange.
- Page 8, panel 3: Trailbreaker's legs, poking in from off-panel, are coloured yellow.
- Pages 9-11: On these page, and these pages only, Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge are drawn based on their toys, as the completed character models had not yet been made available to the artist. In fact, the finished models would never make it into the comic; for the rest of "Target: 2006," and all of their future appearances in both UK and US comics, the future Autobots and Decepticons are drawn based on early character designs and colour schemes that wound up being further revised for the finished film. All the characters are affected in some way by this, but the most notable one is Galvatron, who appears in the mostly-grey colour scheme also used for his toy, versus the predominantly purple colours seen in the film and animated series.
Part 1
- Throughout this chapter, Megatron's Decepticon symbol is off-center, a recurring error first seen in US issue #3 that results from misinterpreting some poor perspective drawing on his character model.
- Also throughout this chapter, and indeed, the whole first half of "Target: 2006," Cyclonus has an entirely purple body and silver head (see right) a very early colour scheme devised for an protoype version of the toy, seen in the Toy Fair 1986 catalogue. The back half of the story uses corrected colours closer to the released toy, starting from Part 5.
- Laserbeak is consistently coloured with an orange beak in this chapter; it's a quirk derived from his toy's package art, but it's not part of the toy itself, nor should he have it here, as it's not part of his standard comic colour model.
- Page 4: Jazz has orange vents in his cheekguards that aren't normally there. They disappear later in the issue.
- Page 5, panel 1: As with past UK stories, proper colour models still don't seem to be have been available for the Constucticons at the time of "Target: 2006," as they continue to be coloured in random, inconsistent applications of their basic purple-and-green all through the serial. Most notable in this panel are Scrapper's purple payloader bucket, and Hook's purple head and crane arm (right)
- Page 6: Galvatron's shoulder pylons are purple instead of grey on this whole page.
- Page 7: Galvatron's pylons are still colored purple in panels showing him from behind, but the correct grey in panels showing him from the front. The consistency of this an error would suggest it was present on the colour models colorist Tony Jozwiak was referencing.
- Page 8: Soundwave's arms are solid blue on this page; his forearms should be white. Additionally, his shoulder cannon disappears in panel 2, and his normally-yellow eyes are left white (right).
- Page 9, panel 4: Mixmaster's right arm is coloured purple instead of green like his left; it looks as if Jozwiak mistook for it for Bonecrusher's torso, who's standing right behind Mixmaster (right). Of course, that's still wrong, as Bonecrusher's torso should be green, but like we said, nobody in the UK has figured out how to colour the Constructicons correctly yet.
- Page 10: Impactor has two hands, instead of a harpoon in place of his right. Also, his hands switch from their correct yellow to an incorrect purple in panel 6.
- Page 11: Ultra Magnus's chestplate is coloured white instead of blue. This error will persist for the entirety of "Target: 2006."
Part 2
- Pages 1-2: Jazz says the Constructicons have "almost covered the whole crater" with solar panels, but we can see that less than half the crater is covered.
- Page 3: Due to artist Will Simpson using the toys' package art for reference (as he often does), Jazz now suddenly has his shoulder-mounted missile launcher. The weapon wasn't included of his character model, and so, as a rule, wasn't part of his standard appearance in the comics.
- Pages 3-4: Ultra Magnus's missiles are miscolored white instead of red on pages 3, 4, and 5.
- Page 7, panel 6: Ultra Magnus's missile launcher is miscoloured blue instead of white, and there's no missile in it.
- Pages 9-11: As in past issues, Jetfire is once again coloured in the early, outdated colour scheme seen in US issues #11-12, with all-red wings. He will have this colour scheme for most of "Target: 2006," appearing in his correct colours only in Parts 5 and 7. Here, he's also visibly missing his Autobot insignia on pages 9 and 10, and when it does show up on page 11, it's incorrectly coloured in Decepticon purple.
Part 3
- Throughout this chapter, Wheeljack is coloured in the early colour scheme originally seen in issue #31, with red shoulder fins instead of white, and missing the red details on his torso.
- Page 2, panel 6: Jetfire's Autobot symbol is again coloured Decepticon-purple.
- Page 3, panels 2 & 4: Jetfire is missing not just his symbol, but his backpack and his wings as well.
- Page 6, panel 2: Gears's helmet is blue instead of red.
- Page 7, panel 2: Brawn's legs are coloured silver like his arms and head, instead of their correct olive green.
- Page 11: Soundwave is missing his shoulder cannon.
Part 4
- Page 1:
- Panel 1: The Octane facsimile construct is mis-colored as Blitzwing Kickback's got very a reddish-orange chest and antennae, instead of their normal yellow, and is drawn with a toy-accurate visor, instead of the individual eyes used on his finalized Marvel character model. These errors repeat in the recreation of the panel on page 11, panel 5.
- Panel 2: Impactor is coloured in a colder, more blue-r shade of purple here than he is in the rest of the issue, and he's drawn with visor-goggles instead of individual eyes.
- Page 2, panels 2-3: Shrapnel again has the black biceps of his finalized Marvel colour model, while otherwise being in an early colour scheme (see "Prologue" errors).
- Page 3: On this page and throughout the issue, the top of Thrust's conehead is red instead of grey. On this page specifically, though coloured their correct grey/black in panel 1, on the rest of the page, Thrust's forearms are red. Additionally, his arm-guns have red stripes on them, when they should be entirely red the full length of their barrels.
Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Epilogue
- The drawing of Galvatron on the cover of issue #87 is a slightly altered tracing of his character model.
Time-travel and parallel universes
Time travel can be confusing, and the resolution of "Target: 2006" hinges on that. Here are a few points (and potential errors?) to consider while reading this adventure:
- Galvatron's not being uncharacteristically merciful when he spares the Autobots' lives; he actually can't kill them, because doing so will alter history. Not that they know this!
- The story plays out as if the Autobots have "tricked" Galvatron into thinking he is in a parallel dimension by having him kill Skywarp instead of Starscream... but since Skywarp was also alive during The Transformers: The Movie, doesn't that mean that his death in 1986 would still split the timeline, just like Galvatron thinks Starscream's has? And that Galvatron really is in a parallel dimension? Of course, later issues of the series will reveal that Skywarp's not actually dead, so this question solves itself...
- ...except the longer the comic's run continues, the more events occur that make it almost impossible for the movie to take place in the comic timeline's's future—with the most prominent being that Unicron eventually arrives in 1990, sixteen years early, firmly relegating the "movie future" to a parallel timeline from the main one. Whether this was always the case, and Galvatron actually jumped timestreams to get to this version of the past, or whether his arrival in the past is the event that caused the timelines to split, we'll leave you to ponder for yourself...
- ...but consider this last little thing. It's implied that the site Galvatron chooses to build his weapon will be the site of the future Autobot City, so that when the weapon fires in 2006 it will destroy both the city and Unicron. Obviously this never happens, so this isn't the reason the timelines diverge, but if Galvatron had succeeded in his plans, he would have left the Autobots knowing there was a slag-off great cannon buried under there. So why would they have ever gone on to build their city on top of it? Timeline altered!
Other trivia
- Aside from all the movie-related stuff, "Target: 2006" is also famous for introducing two of, if not the, most famous UK-original ideas, which between them have gone on to appear in almost every major iteration of the Transformers franchise virtually unchanged in concept: Maccadam's Old Oil House, the Cybertronian watering hole where all factions are welcome, and the down-and-dirty Autobot commando unit, the Wreckers. The Wreckers' ranks are different in every continuity, of course, but here, along with comic-original characters Impactor and Rack'n'Ruin, they are made up entirely of characters from both the 1985 and 1986 toy ranges chosen specifically because they were not appearing in the US comic; the Autobot Deluxe Vehicles, the Jumpstarters, and the Autobot Triple Changers. That the Deluxe Vehicles weren't even available in UK toy stores evidently didn't matter to Simon Furman!
- Ladybird Books would borrow the basic premise of this story (Optimus Prime disappearing and Ultra Magnus coming from Cybertron, and Galvatron travelling back in time to usurp Megatron) for their 1986 books "Galvatron's Air Attack" and "Decepticon Hideout."
- This story's entire premise is rooted in what should rightly be an incorrect belief: Galvatron thinks that the omnipotent Unicron can be destroyed by the cannon he creates, when the Matrix is stated by the film to be the "one thing, the only thing" that can stop Unicron. Unicron's dialogue on the subject is vague enough that it's unclear if the story is written from the position that Galvatron is right, but certainly, future stories would thoroughly abandon the idea that conventional weaponry would be enough to destroy Unicron.
- According to Jeff Anderson's website, the splash page of Galvatron, Scourge, and Cyclonus in #78 was evidently stolen by parties unknown along with another piece of artwork. If you see it, won't you be a doll and contact him or Simon Furman?
Back-up material
Issue #78:
- Back-up strips: Hercules ("Whom the Gods Would Destroy!" Part 1) and Robo-Capers
Issue #79:
- Back-up strips: Hercules ("Whom the Gods Would Destroy!" Part 2) and Robo-Capers
- Free Gift: Part 1 of a 2-part "New Leaders" poster, featuring Ultra Magnus (right)
Issue #80:
- Back-up strips: Robo-Capers and Hercules ("Whom the Gods Would Destroy!" Part 3)
- Free Gift: Part 2 of a 2-part "New Leaders" poster, featuring Galvatron (right)
Issue #81:
- Back-up strips: Robo-Capers and Hercules ("Whom the Gods Would Destroy!" Part 4)
- Fact File: Ultra Magnus (right). Rather than a reprinting of his Universe profile, as with past Fact Files, this original write-up provides Magnus's backstory, revealing that he was built over the course of several years to boost the Autobot rebels' morale by giving them an inspirational figure to look up to, and was brought to life by the Matrix Flame.
- Free Gift: Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars sticker album and a pack of stickers
Issue #82:
- Back-up strips: Robo-Capers and Hercules ("...Not Just Another Galactus Story!" Part 1)
- Free Gift: Another pack of Secret Wars stickers
Issue #83:
- Back-up strips: Robo-Capers and Hercules ("...Not Just Another Galactus Story!" Part 2)
- Other features: Cybertron: The Middle Years!, a text piece detailing the history of Cybertron following the departure of Optimus Prime and Megatron's crews, covering the rise and fall of Decepticon warlord Trannis (an UK-original character first mentioned in the "Target: 2006" prologue), the sacking of of Iacon, Xaaron's formation of the Autobot rebel network, Trannis's assassination by the Wreckers, and Straxus's rise to replace him.
Issue #84:
- Back-up strips: Hercules ("...Not Just Another Galactus Story!" Part 3) and Robo-Capers
Issue #85:
- Back-up strips: Hercules ("...Not Just Another Galactus Story!" Part 4) and Robo-Capers; Hercules concludes this issue.
- Other features: Hercules pin-up
Issue #86:
- Back-up strips: Robo-Capers and Spitfire and the Troubleshooters ("Beginnings," Part 1); Spitfire and the Troubleshooters begins this issue.
Issue #87:
- Back-up strips: Spitfire and the Troubleshooters ("Beginnings," Part 2) and Robo-Capers; Swoop appears in this issue's Robo-Capers in a rare example of "real" Transformers featuring in the strip.
- Fact File: Galvatron (right). A companion piece to Issue #81's Ultra Magnus's Fact File, featuring art from issue #1 of the comic book adaptation of the movie.
Issue #88:
- Back-up strips: Spitfire and the Troubleshooters ("Beginnings," Part 3) and Robo-Capers; this issue's Robo-Capers features Optimus Prime introducing Transformers who "didn't make the grade."
Covers (11)
- Issue #78 cover: Prowl, Ratchet, and Optimus Prime disappearing into limbo, by Alister Pearson.
- Issue #79 cover: Galvatron and Ultra Magnus, by John Higgins.
- Issue #80 cover: Ultra Magnus arrives, by John Stokes.
- Issue #81 cover: Galvatron stands over vanquished Autobots, by Will Simpson.
- Issue #82 cover: the Wreckers, by Phil Gascoine.
- Issue #83 cover: Scourge being blasted, by Robin Smith.
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Issue #78 -
Issue #79 -
Issue #80 -
Issue #81 -
Issue #82 -
Issue #83
- Issue #84 cover: Galvatron and Unicron, by Phil Gascoine.
- Issue #85 cover: Jazz is possessed by Galvatron, by Robin Smith.
- Issue #86 cover: Ultra Magnus fighting Galvatron, by Robin Smith.
- Issue #87 cover: Galvatron poses by his weapon, by Phil Gascoine.
- Issue #88 cover: the Wreckers, by Geoff Senior.
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Issue #84 -
Issue #85 -
Issue #86 -
Issue #87 -
Issue #88
Reprints
-
Collected Comics #15 (Marvel UK, 1990; reprints prologue and Parts 1-2) -
Transformers: Target: 2006 TPB (Titan Books, 2002) -
Transformers: Target: 2006 hardcover (Titan Books, 2002; Transforce 2002 exclusive) -
The Transformers: Target: 2006 #1 Cover A (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints prologue & Part 1) -
The Transformers: Target: 2006 #1 Cover B (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints prologue & Part 1) -
The Transformers: Target: 2006 #1 Cover RI-A (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints prologue & Part 1) -
The Transformers: Target: 2006 #1 Cover RI-B (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints prologue & Part 1) -
The Transformers: Target: 2006 #2 Cover A (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints Parts 2-3) -
The Transformers: Target: 2006 #2 Cover B (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints Parts 2-3) -
The Transformers: Target: 2006 #2 Cover RI-A (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints Parts 2-3) -
The Transformers: Target: 2006 #2 Cover RI-B (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints Parts 2-3) -
The Transformers: Target: 2006 #3 Cover A (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints Parts 4-5) -
The Transformers: Target: 2006 #3 Cover B (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints Parts 4-5) -
The Transformers: Target: 2006 #3 Cover RI-A (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints Parts 4-5) -
The Transformers: Target: 2006 #3 Cover RI-B (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints Parts 4-5) -
The Transformers: Target: 2006 #4 Cover A (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints Parts 6-8) -
The Transformers: Target: 2006 #4 Cover B (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints Parts 6-8) -
The Transformers: Target: 2006 #4 Cover RI-A (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints Parts 6-8) -
The Transformers: Target: 2006 #4 Cover RI-B (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints Parts 6-8) -
The Transformers: Target: 2006 #5 Cover A (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints Part 9 & epilogue) -
The Transformers: Target: 2006 #5 Cover B (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints Part 9 & epilogue) -
The Transformers: Target: 2006 #5 Cover RI-A (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints Part 9 & epilogue) -
The Transformers: Target: 2006 #5 Cover RI-B (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints Part 9 & epilogue) -
The Best of Simon Furman (IDW Publishing, 2007; reprints Parts 3 & 8 -
'The Transformers: Target: 2006 TPB (IDW Publishing, 2008) -
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The Transformers Classics UK Volume 3 (IDW Publishing, 2012) -
Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection, Vol. 6: Target: 2006 (Hachette Partworks Ltd, 2016)
Reprint notes
- Marvel UK intended to reprint all of Target: 2006 in Collected Comics #15-18, but after the first issue was released, those plans were abruptly curtailed when the master artwork for the next three parts was lost in the mail. Marvel simply shrugged their shoulders and changed gears for #16, printing different stories instead, with no acknowledgement of why the story wasn't continuing. Hinting at the original intent, Collected Comics #16 still re-uses issue #84's cover, despite its content being unrelated.
- The hardback edition of Titan's graphic novel collection exclusive to the unofficial UK convention Transforce 2002 was misprinted, with the final eight pages of the story appearing in reverse order. Titan offered a free replacement, but many fans kept the original—partially because of the novelty, but mostly because they had just got it signed by Simon Furman.
- The reprint included with the Universe Ratbat vs. Springer two-pack wasn't actually supposed to come with that set. Rather, it was meant to be included with the "Target: 2006"-themed Roadbuster vs. Dirge set, while Springer and Ratbat were supposed to be packaged with War Within: The Dark Ages #2, but the two comics were accidentally swapped. This printing altered two uses of the word "damn" to "darn", to be more friendly to American children.
- At some point, CardsOne, a company that deals in vintage comics, trading cards, and collectibles, acquired a large stock of unsold copies of the IDW's Target: 2006 #3 Cover B, and sold them via Dollar Tree stores during the Summer of 2014.
References
- ↑ Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection Vol.6 "Behind the Scenes"
- ↑ In Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection, Furman says they didn't know about the change until he'd seen the film.
