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 | Comic Bun Bun | ||||||||||||
| Cover date | February 2009 | ||||||||||||
| Story | Naoto Tsushima | ||||||||||||
| Art | Naoto Tsushima | ||||||||||||
| Editor | TakaraTomy | ||||||||||||
| Continuity | Henkei! Henkei! | ||||||||||||
A reunion with Starscream's old friend...
Synopsis
As Ramjet and Starscream study the glacier Starscream deemed important, Starscream has reminisces briefly before shooting the mountain of ice down to size. A Transformer falls from the wreckage of the frozen prison: Jetfire, 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 Jetfire became trapped in the glaciers and Starscream escaped the blizzard. Playing quick catch-up, Jetfire 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 Jetfire marvels the dominant species, Starscream sends them to an icy and wet death by shooting out the glacier on which the humans were standing. As Jetfire demands an explanation, his old friend slaps a mask over his head, which causes 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 he strangely hasn't outright harmed anyone yet, acting almost as if the attacker were in constant pain and struggling against something. Wataru ducks out of sight when Starscream appears, the Decepticon obviously less than pleased at Jetfire'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 Jetfire 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 Jetfire 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, Jetfire 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 Jetfire to kill their enemies, namely the retreating 'Bee and Wataru. Jetfire 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 Jetfire's gun, as the brainwashed Transformer declares that he'll kill his enemies...
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
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Notes
- Interestingly, Jetfire is portrayed with his wings swept down like his incarnation in the G2 manga and "15 Go! Go!", rather than swept up such as his original incarnation, "Stormbringer" and his Classics/Henkei packagings/mini-comic.
Transformers references
- 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.
Miscellaneous trivia
- Coincidentally, there seems to be a recurring pattern of Jetfire 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 was #700-04, so it would be the fourth episode if one counts the three part pilot as one episode.
