Transformers: Mystery of Convoy (comic)
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 Ultra Magnus doesn't remember his son's birthday, either. | |||||||||||||
トランスフォーマー コンボイの謎
(Transformer Convoy no Nazo) | |||||||||||||
| Publisher | Kodansha | ||||||||||||
| Published in | Comic Bom Bom | ||||||||||||
| First published | December 1986 | ||||||||||||
| Manga by | Ikuo Miyazoe | ||||||||||||
| Continuity | Generation 1 continuity family | ||||||||||||
| Page count | 39 | ||||||||||||
Transformers: Mystery of Convoy (トランスフォーマー コンボイの謎 - Transformer Convoy no Nazo) is a manga one-shot written and drawn by Famicom Manga Superstar Ikuo Miyazoe, as a tie-in for the Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Famicom game. Published in the December 1986 issue of Comic Bom Bom, the story follows original characters Ultra Magnus Jr. and Shunichi on a mission to retrieve the stolen plans for the Autobots' secret weapon, and rescue Shunichi’s kidnapped father from the Decepticons.
Synopsis
Decepticons have broken into the Autobot Research Lab, stealing plans for a top secret new weapon, and kidnapping the human scientist who developed it. Optimus Prime and the Autobots use a transmitter hidden on the plans to track the Decepticons to an amusement park, but the Autobots are too big to fit inside the "House of Mysteries", where the signal leads. Shunichi, the Autobots’ human ally and son of the kidnapped scientist, volunteers for the dangerous mission, Optimus immediately consents, but also sends Ultra Magnus' son, Ultra Magnus Jr., to keep Shunichi safe.
Inside the House of Mysteries, Shunichi and Ultra Magnus Jr. are overcome by a strange power which merges them together, leaving both of their minds inhabiting Ultra Magnus Jr.’s body, simultaneously. An ominous voice welcomes them to the Decepticon Secret Base, and warns of the many dangers awaiting them. Undeterred, they continue forward, into the Decepticon World of Nightmares.
Through a portal, they’re taken to an endless desert, and ambushed by Decepticon forces. After Ultra Magnus Jr. and Shunichi defeat the Decepticons, Starscream begs for mercy, promising to show them the way out if they spare his life. He reveals that Bumblebee is the key to warp out of Stage 1, but once they’re distracted, Starscream attempts to betray them. Grabbing Bumblebee, Ultra Magnus Jr. executes Starscream for his treachery, and they fly through the warp zone.
Facing many dangers, Ultra Magnus Jr. and Shunichi continue to Stage 9, the Decepticon Machine City. Making their way through the old labyrinth, Ultra Magus Jr. is damaged and dangerously low on energy when they are confronted by Megatron himself. Megatron claims it would be beneath him to just kill Ultra Magnus Jr. without giving him a fighting chance, so he offers a duel where they will each take ten paces, turn, and fire. However, Megatron is only toying with them, and has no intention of honoring the duel. Once Ultra Magnus Jr.’s back is turned, Megatron fires on them. Luckily, Ultra Magnus Jr. is so low on power that he stumbles, causing Megatron’s shot to miss him. Ultra Magnus Jr. fires back, blasting Megatron through the chest, and killing the Emperor of Destruction.
Taking matters into his own hands, the ominous voice decides to bring Ultra Magnus Jr. and Shunichi to the Decepticons’ Jupiter Base, where he will kill them himself. From outside, Optimus Prime sees the House of Mysteries building rise high into the air, attached to an enormous rocket, which launches into outer space. There, the ominous voice reveals himself to be Trypticon, who bests Ultra Magnus Jr. easily, taunting and stomping on him. Ultra Magnus Jr. refuses to give up, finding the inner strength and determination to toss Trypticon off him. Then Ultra Magnus Jr. flies into Trypticon’s open mouth, and blows him up from the inside.
Separated back into their own bodies somehow, and with Shunichi’s father safely recovered, Ultra Magnus Jr. and Shunichi fly home. They vow to always help the people of Earth fight the Decepticons.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
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Notes
- The manga uses an original plot, completely ignoring the "Mystery of Convoy" concept.
- A disclaimer warns there are several differences between the manga and the game.
- Ultra Magnus Jr. and Shunichi kill most of the Decepticon army, and win the Cybertronian civil war in an afternoon. That probably means this story is set outside of standard continuity.
- Transformers: Mystery of Convoy was the sixth in a series of Famicom tie-in manga produced for Comic Bom Bom, by Ikuo Miyazoe. Other titles include 魔界村 (Ghosts ‘n Goblins), and スーパーマリオブラザーズ2 (Super Mario Bros 2). Outside of Famicom itself, there was no direct link between the individual installments of the series, except for reoccurring themes like a young boy going into a strange world, to help the hero.
- Since they promised tips on how to beat the games, fans have referred to Miyazoe’s series of six Famicom manga as the "Famicom 'how-to' manga series" (ファミコンハウツー漫画シリーズ). Because of this, “Transformers: Mystery of Convoy” is sometimes rendered in English as “Famicom How-to Manga: Transformers Mystery of Convoy”, as though that were the title. However, this term was not used in the manga itself.
- It will not tell you how to manga.
References
- Transformers: Mystery of Convoy translation by Necronomitron at TFRaw
