Mechanical Difficulties!
Blaster and Goldbug are ordered to catch the Mechanic, at any cost!
Marvel US issue #28
(Story also appears in: Marvel UK issues #121-122)
Script: Bob Budiansky
Pencils: Don Perlin
Inks: Ian Akin and Brian Garvey
Lettering: Janice Chiang
Colors: Nelson Yomtov
Editor: Don Daley
- Major characters (in order of appearance): The Mechanic, Goldbug, Blaster, Detective Altman, Detective Greco, Juan, Grimlock
- Originally published: May, 1987
Synopsis
Aided by stolen Autobot technology, the Mechanic launches a crime wave, stealing high technology equipment and extorting huge payments from the Portland underworld. Grimlock sends Blaster and Goldbug to find the Mechanic and retrieve their stolen technology, even at the cost of human lives. Meanwhile, members of the Portland police are also attempting to bring the Mechanic to justice. Believing the Mechanic's super-tools to be of Transformer origin, the police have been instructed to deal aggressively with any Transformers they encounter. In one attempt to trap the Mechanic, the police and the Autobots hinder each other's progress, and the Mechanic escapes.
The Mechanic calls a meeting of all the crime bosses of the Pacific Northwest, during which he displays modifications to their cars that equip them with heavy weaponry. The police and the Autobots, having come to an agreement to work together, invade this meeting, capturing the crime bosses and the Mechanic's henchman, Juan, but the Mechanic himself escapes once again.
Believing Grimlock to be an unfit commander, and knowing that Grimlock will see their mission to recover the Mechanic as a failure, Blaster and Goldbug decide to head out on their own.
Errors
- On page 2 Ratchet's cryogenic sprayer's beam is coloured like a laser, though it's drawn like a frost beam.
- In this issue, Goldbug is drawn consistently as Bumblebee's body with Goldbug's head and colored in Bumblebee's color scheme.
- The Mechanic's cripling fear of police officers, so important in his last appearances, seems to have completely disappeared here.
Items of note
- This is the first Marvel US issue to be sold for $1.00.
- Blaster's plan is kind of ridiculous. Detective Greco carries Blaster (in altmode) into the hanger full of gangsters, singing scat and dancing to music. He pulls out his badge and turns off the music, which is the signal for the police outside to rush in. It's unclear what any of that accomplished.
- References past issues:
- The Mechanic acquired his Autobot technology in Issue #26.
UK Printing
- Issue #121 featured a cover by Jeff Anderson. It marked the beginning of a trend to only use UK covers. From this point on very few US covers would reprinted for UK issues -- and only one by a US artist.
- Issue #122 featured a cover by Jeff Anderson.
- In issue 121's letter column Grimlock seems to think that there are toys available of individual Junkions in the US!
- Issue #122 included a bonus 6 page Action Force strip by Geoff Senior.
