Rock and Roll-Out!
A new group of Autobots are born in the USA, and must thwart the Decepticons' attempts to steal sound energy from a rock concert.
Marvel US issue #14
(Story also appears in: Marvel UK issues #53-54, IDW Transformers: Generations #3)
Script: Bob Budiansky
Pencils: Don Perlin
Inks: Al Gordon
Lettering: Janice Chiang
Colors: Nelson Yomtov
Editor: Michael Carlin
- Major characters (in order of appearance): Jetfire, Optimus Prime, Grapple, Hoist, Smokescreen, Skids, Tracks, Bumblebee, G.B. Blackrock, Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Shockwave
- Originally published: March, 1986
Synopsis
As Jetfire is made a full member of the Autobots, Optimus Prime activates five Autobot warriors whose minds had been encoded on crystals for four million years. While holding Grapple back for a special project, he sends the other four with Bumblebee to acclimate them to their new homeworld. The Autobots stumble across Shockwave's plan to steal sonic energy from a rock concert. Disobeying Prime's orders, Bumblebee leads the new recruits into battle and they save the concert.
Errors
- If Ratchet is having so much trouble fixing the existing warriors, how come Wheeljack can build new bodies from scratch for the new Autobots so easily?
- The lead singer is alternatively called "Brick Springhorn" and "Brick Springstern."
Items of note
- References to other Transformers continuities/issues: Although Jetfire has been featured since US issue #10, this is the first time he is seen as an Autobot with sentience.
- The Autobots in the repair bay include Hound, Cliffjumper, Prowl, Gears, Huffer, Jazz and Sideswipe. In the US storyline, their injuries were sustained during the events of "Prime Time!". The UK storyline is less clear -- some of those shown were deactivated during the Dinobot Hunt! storyline (Cliffjumper, Gears and Sideswipe), but others were not (Prowl, Trailbreaker). Most appear in subsequent UK stories, long after they'd disappeared from the US stories.
- The special project Optimus commissions Grapple to work on is none other than Omega Supreme, the Autobot defense platform. He is introduced (in front of a full audience, no less) in US issue #19.
- Songs by Mr. "Springstern" include "Dancing in the Night", "Born to Ride", "Born in America", and "Margarita (Jump a Little Lighter)".
- This issue was reprinted as issue 3 of IDW Publishing's Generations series.
