The Enemy from the Arctic
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| "The Enemy from the Arctic" 北極からの敵
(Hokkyoku Kara no Teki) | |||||||||||||
| Publisher | Poplar | ||||||||||||
| Published in | Comic BunBun | ||||||||||||
| First published | January 15, 2009 | ||||||||||||
| Cover date | February 2009 | ||||||||||||
| Manga by | Naoto Tsushima | ||||||||||||
| Editing | TakaraTomy | ||||||||||||
| Continuity | Henkei! Henkei! | ||||||||||||
A reunion with Starscream's old friend...
Synopsis
[edit]As Ramjet and Starscream study the glacier Starscream deemed important, Starscream briefly reminisces before shooting the mountain of ice down to size. A Transformer falls from the wreckage of the frozen prison: Skyfire, someone whom the Decepticon Air Commander hasn't seen in millennia. Ramjet learns that before Starscream joined the Decepticons, both were once scientists on an energon-search expedition until Skyfire became trapped in the glaciers and Starscream escaped the blizzard. Playing quick catch-up, Skyfire is a little surprised to hear about Starscream having gained battle capabilities, believing that his old friend is still just a scientist.
However, a group of humans have spotted the trio, and just as Skyfire marvels the dominant species, Starscream sends them to an icy and wet death by shooting out the glacier on which the humans were standing. When Skyfire demands an explanation, his old friend slaps a mask over his head, causing the larger mech to start screaming in pain...
At the industrial district along Hoshinochō's gulf, Wataru is the only person attending a field trip at a hydroelectric plant, saying that he wants to be green and more efficient for Earth's consideration in the future. In reality, he's researching suitable energy sources for the Autobots' sake. Suddenly, the plant is attacked, and Wataru sees an unknown mech bearing the Decepticon symbol, prompting him to contact the Autobots. Using a web-like network of underground secret routes under the town, the Autobots sortie onto a main highway very quickly. Along the route, Mirage gets admired by a trucker for being an F-1 racer, while Grimlock gets admired for being a dinosaur by a girl in a neighboring car. Bumblebee jokes about the T. rex being popular (which he likes), but Optimus chides that the Dinobot is supposed to be pretending to be a display (even though he's riding on top of Prime's hitch).
Back at the plant, the new mech is on a destructive rampage, although Wataru notices that the attacker strangely hasn't outright harmed anyone yet, acting almost as if he was in constant pain and struggling against something. Wataru ducks out of sight when Starscream appears, the Decepticon obviously less than pleased at Skyfire's stubborn resistance against the mind control from the mask. He decides to set an example by shooting the human workers, declaring that he and Skyfire could rule not just Earth but the whole of space as well. A stray explosion reveals Wataru's location and it looks like certain death for him, but he's saved because of Skyfire grabbing Starscream's null-ray and protesting that they're researchers, not murderers (much to Wataru's surprise).
The distraction lasts long enough for the Autobots to show up. Prime and Mirage exchange fire with Starscream, allowing Grimlock to sneak up from behind and start up clobbering time. Even with a nasty uppercut from the Dinobot and fighting the control mask, Skyfire is being constantly yelled at that the Autobots are his enemies. As Wataru tries to fasten his seat belt, Bumblebee is forced to eat his words about being reliably safe when Starscream takes his rage out on the smaller pair. When Grimlock occupies his time again, the F-15 practically orders Skyfire to kill their enemies, namely the retreating 'Bee and Wataru. Skyfire transforms to jet mode, flies past Optimus and Mirage, and pretty much cuts loose with his weaponry, one shot flipping Bumblebee and causing the 5th-grader to land on a pile of bags. Wataru reassures that he's fine, only to come face-to-muzzle with Skyfire's gun, as the brainwashed Transformer declares that he'll kill his enemies...
Featured characters
[edit](Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
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Notes
[edit]
- Interestingly, Skyfire is portrayed with his wings swept down like his incarnation in the G-2 manga and Information Administration Teletraan 15 Go! Go!, rather than swept up such as his original incarnation, Stormbringer and his Classics/Henkei! Heneki! packagings/mini-comic.
Transformers references
[edit]- The battle at the hydroelectric plant with human workers caught in the crossfire harks back to Sherman Dam, although this one is at Hoshinochō's gulf, rather than on a river.
- The Autobots' secret underground route is similar along the lines of Car Robots' Cybertron Network, although it's unknown if it covers the entire world, rather than spreading outward in a spider web's fashion that covers just Hoshinochō and its outer vicinities.
Trivia
[edit]- Coincidentally, there seems to be a recurring pattern of Skyfire having a less-than-stellar reunion with Starscream in part 4 of a series: both chapter 4 here and volume 4 in the pack-in comic that came with him and Ramjet. In addition "Fire in the Sky"'s production code is #700-04, and is the fourth episode after "More than Meets the Eye".
