I, Robot-Master!
Introducing the dorkiest terrorist the world has ever known.
Marvel US issue #15
(Story also appears in: Marvel UK issues #55-56)
Script: Bob Budiansky
Pencils: Don Perlin
Inks: Keith Williams
Lettering: Janice Chiang
Colors: Nelson Yomtov
Editor: Michael Carlin
- Major characters (in order of appearance): Megatron, Walter Barnett, G.B. Blackrock, Donny Finkleberg, Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Tracks, Skids, Hoist, Soundwave, Ravage, Laserbeak, Buzzsaw
- Originally published: April, 1986
Synopsis
Megatron, not yet having rejoined his fellow Decepticons, is rendered immobile when he runs out of fuel. Meanwhile, III scrambles with a way to explain the presence of giant robots to the public that will calm panic. Despite the efforts of G.B. Blackrock to convince III that the Autobots can be Earth's allies, III decides to go with a cover story, inspired by the Robot Master comic book, that all Transformers are controlled by a terrorist supervillain with an army of robots under his control. The first broadcast to the public of "Robot Master's" exploits takes advantage of the inert Megatron, whose presence bolsters the government's claims. This broadcast gains the attention of both the Autobots and the Decepticon Soundwave, who undertakes to free Megatron. The Autobots, knowing the presence of Megatron to be a threat, attempt to collect him, but are met with resistance not only from Soundwave, but from the human military, which does not recognize the Autobots anything other than a threat. Soundwave frees Megatron and the Autobots are forced to retreat. Although Megatron wishes to kill Finkleberg for claiming to control him, Finkleberg is able to appeal to the Decepticons that, by continuing to convince the humans that the Autobots are as much a threat to them as the Decepticons, the Autobots efforts might continue to be thwarted. Finkleberg is spared, for now....
Errors
- The reader is required to assume that the media never notices that Finkleberg's assumed persona is identical to a comic book, that the creator of that comic book is missing, and that he bears a strong resemblance to this "real" Robot-Master. Apparently the comic is absurdly unpopular.
Items of note
- References to other Transformers continuities/issues: III has been looking for a way to deal with the issue of the Transformers since last issue.
- The title is presumably an homage to the classic SF collection I, Robot by Isaac Asimov.
