The Next Best Thing to Being There!
The Autobots must stop the Decepticons from sending a message to Cybertron. But the Decepticons have a rather large surprise waiting for the Autobots.
Marvel US issue #10
(Story also appears in: Marvel UK issues #35-36)
Script: Bob Budiansky
Pencils: Ricardo Villamonte
Inks: Brad Joyce
Lettering: Janice Chiang
Colors: Nelson Yomtov
Editor: Mike Carlin
- Major characters (in order of appearance): Shockwave, Optimus Prime, Ferdy and Gabe, Scavenger, Mixmaster, Long Haul, Bonecrusher, Scrapper, Hook, G.B. Blackrock, Huffer, Sparkplug Witwicky, Buster Witwicky, Soundwave, Devastator
- Originally published: November, 1985
Synopsis
Shockwave succeeds in creating the first of his new generation of Decepticons, the Constructicons. Their first mission, to accompany Soundwave on a mission to build a transdimensional radiowave scrambler with which to contact their home planet of Cybertron.
Meanwhile, the Autobots show G.B. Blackrock around the Ark, and Blackrock offers the Autobots a way to spy on the Decepticons within Blackrock's aerospace plant. Using this system, they learn of the Decepticons' plans, and send a team to intercept them.
Elsewhere, Sparkplug Witwicky returns home from his heart attack, and Buster wonders how to explain to his father his recent experience with Optimus Prime, and the subsequent powers he's gained.
Near the site of the Constructicon project, trucker Bomber Bill looks forward to a return home after a long assignment, but his truck is stolen by the Constructicons as raw material for the scrambler. Bomber Bill attempts to follow, and meets the Autobots on the way. Together, they engage the Constructicons, who reveal their ability to combine into the super-robot, Devastator. Bomber Bill is able to destroy the scrambler, but not before Soundwave gets part of a message through to Cybertron.
Meanwhile, at the aerospace plant, Shockwave discovers that Optimus Prime may no longer possess the Creation Matrix. If this proves true, Shockwave no longer has any reason to allow Prime to live. The Autobots, listening in from the Ark, are helpless.
Errors
- On page 20, Soundwave's head is totally wrong.
- When Shockwave created the Constructicons, he did their brains first, and only created their bodies this issue. Why does he create Jetfire's body first, before knowing that he'll be able to put life into it?
Items of note
- Jetfire is introduced here, although only as an unfinished, lifeless shell.
- References to past issues: Sunstreaker is noted as being badly damaged, likely as a reference to issue 5, when Shockwave destroys his body as an example to the detained Megatron.
UK Printing
- Issue #35 featured a Shockwave cover.
- Issue #36 used the cover art from US issue #10 with a modified caption.
- Page orders were changed for the UK printing to provide a more effective 'cliffhanger' ending for issue #35. US page 11 was printed before pages 9 and 10. A caption was also removed from the last panel of page 10. The upshot of this change was that Bomber Bill was introduced 2 pages earlier in the UK version of this issue than in the US.
