Transformers: Energon (mini-comic)
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Continuing the marketing direction of Armada, the Energon toyline included as series of 4 mini-comics rolled out as the line progressed. Written and illustrated by Dreamwave, the mini-comics were printed back-to-back with a catalog featuring the current waves of Energon toys. None of them have any overt link to any other Energon fiction.
Volume 1
Somewhere on Planet Earth, Hot Shot and Strongarm find a big yellow puddle of energon lying around in the desert. Before they can radio its location in, a pack of Battle Ravage drones attack the pair. But the battle is just a diversion; while the Autobots fight, other drones have been absorbing the energon.
Scorponok arrives to further harass the pair, ordering the drones to fashion an energon weapon for him. Strongarm soaks up enough of the energon to create a weapon for Hot Shot, which he uses to bash Scorponok aside. But with the energon secured, Scorponok simply calls a retreat. Hot Shot and Strongarm take some solace that they have faced "the toughest Decepticon" and survived.
But somewhere, deep inside Unicron, from a fiery portal steps the reborn form of... Megatron!
Notes
- The flip half of the booklet features a catalog of Energon Wave 1 toys.
Volume 2
Volume 3
Mission clock running, 00:01. From orbit, Shockblast neutralizes the defenses of an Autobot energon refinery, allowing Slugslinger and Sharkticon to enter while Mirage patrols the exterior.
Mission clock: 02:11. The two Decepticons slip past an apparently inert sentry drone. They plan to modify the pipeline flows to destroy Autobot City, and capture the refinery to boot. Unfortunately, they come under attack from Bulkhead and Tow-Line.
Mission clock: 04:07. Mirage comes racing in to help, only to get stopped by the formerly "inert" Omega Supreme. Sharkticon attempts to cut out, but Omega nails him and the orbiting Shockblast with a single shot. Though the Autobots are victorious, Tow-Line notes that they can never rest as long as the Decepticons seek control of Earth's energon. Mission clock: 05:27.
Notes
- It's very difficult to tell what Sharkticon and Slugslinger are reacting to when they see Omega Supreme. Only the inside portion of his legs are shown in the scene, and at no point are his legs visible when the rest of him is on-panel.
- Though uncredited, the story format and dialog both resemble Simon Furman's style ("That's Slugslinger's wings clipped!" "Shockblast, it's all gone to -- EEAG!"). Furman was also writing the main Dreamwave Energon comic at the time.
- The flip half of the booklet features a catalog of Energon toys, including the various "Energon" redecos and the later new-mold Combat-class toys.
Volume 4
The Autobots and Decepticons had been locked in an epic war, until energon was discovered on Earth. Now both sides fight for control, and the Powerlinx Battles have begun!
Optimus Prime and Hot Shot are down, with Megatron, Snowcat, Mirage, Demolishor and Shockblast all standing ready to finish them. But just as all seems lost, Wing Saber arrives, combining with Prime. The pair blows away the Decepticons, then switches to flight mode as Megatron attacks from the air. Megatron is shocked that his foe can fly now, but Prime informs him that "with teamwork, you can do anything Megatron." [sic]
Prime speculates that Wing Saber will enable them to protect the area's energon.
Notes
- Pain count:
- Let's do it: 1
- It's time to: 1
- We're a team: 1
- You're just in time: 1
- Seriously. Was this written by the cartoon dub team?
- The flip half of the booklet features a catalog of Energon toys, including the three combiner teams and the various larger-sized late-run redecos.
- The binding of at least one of these booklets has been observed to come apart despite careful storage and minimal use.
- This mini-comic was also available as a "Conventions 2004 Exclusive Mini Comic" in a larger format, paired with the Wave 3 catalog. The convention version featured a fold-out front cover with conceptual design sketches of various Energon toys. The actual comic was missing its first page, however.
