Transformers Annual 1987
The Transformers Annual 1988 was published by Marvel Comics Ltd in December 1987.
Contents
- What's in a Name?
- Doomsday for Nebulos - Headmasters Saga (chapter 1)
- Transformers Trivia Quiz
- Vicious Circle!
- Stylor's Story - Headmasters Saga (chapter 2)
- Bios: Brainstorm, Chromedome, Hardhead, Highbrow
- Ark Duty
- The Final Conflict - Headmasters Saga (chapter 3)
- Bios: Mindwipe, Skullcruncher, Weirdwolf
Synopsis
Having learned of the arrival of the Predacons on Earth, Swoop reflects on how he encountered one of their number, Divebomb, on Cybertron.
Lord Zarak meets with a group of Decepticons led by Scorponok, who he has summoned to Nebulos. He tells them of the recent arrival of a group of Autobots led by Scorponok's old nemesis, Fortress Maximus, of how their emissary destroyed a symbol of peace and how when the Nebulans fought with them many of them, including Fortress Maximus, removed their heads in order to deactivate themselves and others surrendered their weapons. Worried about the influence the Autobots were having on his rival Kord and his supporters, Zarak summoned the Decepticons.
Zarak is horrified, however, when instead of going after the Autobots still active, Scorponok considers Fortress Maximus the greatest threat and orders an attack on the Nebulan city.
Errors
- Along with some curious colouring decisions, the opening illustration depicts Skullcruncher standing alongside Scorponok in robot form and towards the back of the group in alligator form.
- Scorponok is referred to as "almost unoticeably flexing those enormous cruel claw hands".It should be "unnoticeably".
- Although the text states Scorponok is stooped when he drops Zarak, the accompanying illustration depicts him standing upright. (Perhaps he straightened up really quickly.)
Transformers Trivia Quiz
Split into two sections, one about Autobots and one about Decepticons, with a slight numerical imbalance of 21 Autobot questions and 22 Decepticon. Most are general franchise questions (eg. "Scattershot is the team leader of which Autobot group?", "The Decepticon Triple Changer Octane can become which two vehicles?") but a few relate specifically to the comic (eg. "Which Autobot hosted the Transformers comic letters page for just one issue?", "Three Decepticons appeared on the cover of last year's Transformers Annual. Who were they?").
Ultra Magnus, having survived falling into a volcano, learns from Goldbug that Galvatron is about to use an energy siphon to harness the power of the volcano, destroying most of the surrounding area. Ultra Magnus eventually confronts his old enemy and both of them apparently perish when the volcano erupts unmolested.
As the Decepticons attack the Nebulan city, Stylor sees Kord and Duros heading towards the vault where the headless Autobots are kept and follows them. He hears them talking with the Autobots' heads about the best way to stop the Decepticons, with Brainstorm mentioning the possibility of integrating Nebulans and Autobots.
Stylor later goes to see Arcana to find Kord, Duros and Grot already there and ends up volunteering to join the four in binary bonding with the headless Autobots, becoming Headmasters. Once the process is complete, they engage the Decepticons and easily defeat them, before reuniting with their fellow Nebulans.
Errors
- There is an odd illustration on page 35 which appears to depict Stylor following Kord and Duros whilst wearing his Headmaster armour, some time before he actually acquires it. (The only alternative, since the story is told in the first person in the form of a recollection after the fact, is that he's supposed to be "watching" his own flashback.)
- "Chromedome and I had a similar role, but as we were lighter and faster than Kord with Maximus and our hit and run strikes were more frequent." And someone seems to have and gone a bit "and" happy and.
Character bios
Bios of Brainstorm, Chromedome, Hardhead and Highbrow, similar in style to the A to Z features in the regular UK title (which are themselves cribbed from the US Transformers Universe). The only difference is the addition of a "Chest Readout" category (although similar stats are available for all Transformers, they're just more visible with the Headmasters).
When Kup is assigned the task of delivering information on the new Autobot City to the Earth Government, he is ambushed by the Stunticons and the vital tape is stolen. Hot Rod makes a failed attempt to retrieve it, only to learn the tape was a dummy designed to fool the Decepticons.
While Fortress Maximus worries about the appearance of a new dial on the astronomy computer, Highbrow reports they have discovered the position of Earth, another planet that has become a refuge for Autobots and Decepticons. He thinks they should relocate there, where their arrival will easily alter the balance of power in their behaviour, but Fortress Maximus is worried about what will happen to Nebulos if they leave the Decepticons behind.
After binary-bonding with Kord, Fortress Maximus witnesses the arrival of the Decepticon Targetmasters, acting as heralds to Scorponok. As other Autobots join them, Scorponok offers Fortress Maximus a deal - the pair will duel to the death with the loser's followers having to surrender. As soon as Maximus agrees, Scorponok attacks, announcing the duel has begun. Maximus mounts a defence but Scorponok still ends up nearly tearing him in half until Kord (in defiance of the rules) fires a hand blaster into Scorponok's eyes, temporarily blinding him. As first the other Decepticons and then the Autobots pile in, it is revealed the whole thing was a charade: Slugslinger has taken advantage of the distraction to steal the Autobots' new fuel converter, which the Decepticons plan to use to travel to Earth.
Maximus realises the new dial was a bugging device, which the Decepticons used to learn about the fuel converter and Earth. He decides the Autobots have no option but to follow the Decepticons.
Errors
- Arcana is referred to as Brainstorm's "Nebulan Headmaster", rather than "Nebulan Headmaster partner".
- The illustrations of Fortress Maximus and especially Brainstorm look so unlike them you wonder if the artist was looking at the right reference.
- It was "exactly the same situation Maximus had sort to escape." He probably sought to escape it too.
- Scorponok is able to grab hold of Maximus in mid-transformation. Not exactly impossible but a rare if not unique occurence.
- Weirdwolf is referred to as Weird-Wolf.
Character bios
Profiles of Mindwipe, Skullcruncher and Weirdwolf, identical in style to the Autobot ones.
Errors
- Throughout the annual (in the latter two text stories and the profile on Highbrow), Gort is referred to as Grot. It's too consistent to be a typo and suggests that whoever wrote and/or edited the annual wasn't really familiar with the franchise. (The annual features no credits except on the first two comic strips.)
Items of Note
- The three comic strips tie in well with the Marvel UK stories: "What's In a Name?" is set during the events of "Grudge Match" (just after the scene of Swoop and Sludge watching the television report), "Vicious Circle" carries on the story from "Fire on High" (in what was either an attempt to make people buy the annual or a way of ensuring there was something in there worth reading, depending who you listen to) and "Ark Duty" ties in with the future timeline.
- The Headmaster Saga seems to be set during the events of the Headmaster mini-series. The first two stories are a faithful adaptation of "Broken Glass" (with a recap of "Ring of Hate"), but the third is new and must be set during "Brothers in Armour" (in the same gap as "Worlds Apart", after the creation of the Targetmasters and before the Transformers left Nebulos).
- For no readily apparent reason, Fortress Maximus' Nebulan partner is called Kord rather than Galen.
- Fortress Maximus apparently keeps his old head "inside a chamber in his massive robot structure".
- Bonded Headmasters are referred to on occasion by both Transformer and Nebulan namesTemplate:-me.g., Duros/Hardhead, even in dialogue, although this is less than consistent.
- The origin of the Targetmasters recounted in "The Final Conflict" states their partners are Nebulan weapons who have been engineered to transform into robots and then given minds duplicated from other Nebulans (implying the originals are still walking around).
- In "Doomsday for Nebulos", all dialogue for Scorponok (the only Transformer to speak) is written in CAPITALS AND BOLD. This practise is discontinued in the other stories.
Stats
ISBN: 0-948936-09-6
Pages: 61
List Price: £3.75
Printed in Italy
