The New Order
Shockwave has destroyed the Autobots, and begins his plans for the conquest of Earth.
Marvel US issue #5
(Story also appears in: Marvel UK issues #22-23)
Script: Bob Budiansky
Art: Alan Kupperberg
Lettering: Rick Parker
Colors: Nelson Yomtov
Editor: Jim Owsley
Cover artist: Mark Bright
- Major characters (in order of appearance): Shockwave, G.B. Blackrock, Josie Beller, Megatron, Buster Witwicky, Ratchet, Optimus Prime
- Originally published: June, 1985
Synopsis
Within the Ark, Shockwave observes a number of human television programs, and judges Earth's natives as quite primitive. As he walks past the deactivated Autobots, now strung from the ceiling for use as spare parts, he concludes that conquest of the planet "will be a simple task indeed."
Elsewhere in the vessel, the poisoned Decepticons are being revived. Shockwave explains to Megatron that, in light of this humiliating defeat, his leadership was clearly faulty, and it is only logical for Shockwave to take command. The weakened Megatron is in no condition to disagree... yet. Shockwave flies off to undertake his first conquest.
Meanwhile, as Sparkplug recovers from his heart attack, he makes Buster promise not to have anything more to do with the Transformers. Ratchet takes Buster back to the Ark to say his good-byes, only to discover that the Decepticons have taken over. Buster convinces Ratchet to stay outside while he sneaks in to investigate. Buster discovers the deactivated Autobots and despairs. When he realizes that Optimus Prime is not among them, he holds out hope, only to have that hope destroyed when he discovers Prime's detached head located in another room. Prime, still functional, informs Buster that he is the Autobots' last hope.
Items of note
- In a panel on page 9 of US issue #5, Shockwave blasts the body of an unnamed Autobot. It appears that this is intended to be Sunstreaker, but the coloring is completely wrong for Sunstreaker. However, given Sunstreaker's absence in the scene on page 4 of US issue #9, which is meant to include all the Autobots, and Yomtov's penchant for completely messing up the colors, it seems reasonable that Sunstreaker is the Autobot.
- In the US version of the story, the first page illustrates a scene from the classic TV series The Honeymooners. However, in the UK reprint of the story, a publicity still from the contemporary (at the time) series V was used instead.
- The entire issue is devoid of any standard comic sound effects such as "BUTHROOM" or "KA-BLAM"
