The 4,000,000 Year Itch!

Every so often Slag goes berserk!

Generation 1 (Marvel UK) > Issue # 280
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	Marvel UK issue #280 Writer: Simon Furman Art: Jeff Anderson Letters: Stuart Bartlett Featured characters (Numbers indicate order of appearance.) Autobots Slag (1) Swoop (2) Sludge (3) Snarl (4) Grimlock (5) Optimus Prime (6) Synopsis All Transformers fight to control their savage inner selves, but most control them with emotional dampers. However Slag was built without these and so constantly struggles to keep it at bay. Occasionally he loses the struggle... Swoop, Sludge and Snarl struggle desperately to keep Slag under control as Grimlock tells them to keep him quiet. For Grimlock is showing Optimus Prime around Autobot Earthbase and if he discovers Slag's breakdown then it's dangerous for the Dinobot. The last time it happened was four million years ago on Cybertron when he wiped out his entire unit before the other Dinobots could get to him. Grimlock insists on giving Prime a formal tour to prevent him finding out, whilst the others do their best. Prime keeps hearing minor noises, forcing Grimlock to come up with explanations. Luck plays its part too, distracting Prime at key moments. Eventually Slag transforms and chases the other Dinobots through the base and burns their backsides. Soon Slag collapses, the rage solved, whilst Prime heads off to settle down to business. Swoop expresses his relief that this only happens every four million years. Errors Items of note The Dinobots covered up the murder of an entire unit so their mate wouldn't get in trouble. Holy crap! This particular quirk of Slag's was mentioned as one of his weaknesses in the Classics profile printed by Fun Publications, despite the UK material not being included in the backstory for that Splinter timeline. The title possibly derives from the film The Seven Year Itch. Reprints This story was reprinted in the Titan Books trade paperback "Earthforce".