The Icarus Theory
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 Anthony Morris was able to build this IN A CAVE with a box of SCRAPS! | |||||||||||||
| "The Icarus Theory" | |||||||||||||
| Publisher | Marvel Comics | ||||||||||||
| Cover date | 25th January / 1st February 1986 | ||||||||||||
| Writer | Simon Furman | ||||||||||||
| Art | Barry Kitson | ||||||||||||
| Colours | Gina Hart (45), Stuart Place (46) | ||||||||||||
| Lettering | Richard Starkings | ||||||||||||
| Editor | Ian Rimmer | ||||||||||||
| Continuity | Marvel Comics continuity | ||||||||||||
Professor Morris goes fishing and shocks the Autobots with what he catches.
Synopsis
Professor Morris believes that the Transformers rampaging across Oregon are not warring aliens, as they claimed, but rather automatons, controlled by oil tycoon G.B. Blackrock. When he presents his theory at a meeting at Roxxon Oil (where he is employed) in Portland, he is shot down by Hemmings. Enraged, he retires to his laboratory, where he takes out his fury at both Blackrock and Hemmings by destroying dummies with his antiquated robots, which he can control through a device he has invented.
The next day, the Professor goes fishing in Lake Dena, bitterly thinking about how he cannot get financial backing. Suddenly he gets a bite. Morris has found something he can control, and he practices controlling and flying the robot he has found. But when a guard discovers him and tries blackmail, Morris accidentally kills him. Wrestling with his conscience, he decides he must finish his plan and destroy Blackrock's robots at all costs.
At the Ark, the Autobots realize they are coming under attack from a flying Transformer and prepare for battle. The unknown enemy gets the first strike in with rockets, and as the Autobots are trying to re-group, from out of the smoke comes Swoop. Optimus Prime quickly realizes that Swoop is being controlled and orders the Autobots to restrain him without using lethal force — however, this is easier said than done.
Prime remembers that Swoop used to hate taking orders from him on Cybertron, and orders him to stop his attacks. This causes Swoop to fight the mental control and return to Morris's lab to confront him. An Autobot group led by Prime follows Swoop's signal and arrives in time for Swoop to start attacking them. Morris helps the Autobots disable Swoop before destroying his control device. Back at the Ark, Ratchet examines Swoop and finds his primary cybo-dendrons have burnt out, probably because the insulation that protects them has been eroded by 4 million years submerged in a tar-pit. Repeat Performance!
Ratchet doesn't understand Prime's rising concern at first, until Prime mentions that there were four other Dinobots in that tar-pit that are probably having the same issues. Prime realizes that the Autobots will temporarily have to forget the war with the Decepticons and capture the other Dinobots before they can harm any humans.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
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Errors
- Morris must be very strong, being able to reel in and pull Swoop from the lake on his own.
- Several colouring errors.
- Jazz is drawn without his visor and Brawn with his toy's face.
- Trailbreaker is wildly off-model and colored incorrectly.
Items of note
- The first reference is made to Swoop being part of the Elite Flying Corps and his former name of Divebomb. This would later be expanded in "What's in a Name?"
- The idea of Swoop having been previously named "Divebomb" is based in behind-the-scenes fact, as evidenced by the Generation 1 cartoon series bible. In it, a description of the Dinobot was typed with the name "Divebomb", then crossed out by hand and rewritten "Swoop". While the same evidence shows that Dinobots Grimlock and Sludge likewise had preliminary names, those have never appeared in the fiction.
- Bumblebee was injured in UK issue #44.
- Swoop fought Guardian in #32.
- The Dinobots' fate in the tar pit was told in #28.
- Issue subtitles:
- Issue #45—
- Issue #46—Dreams Die Hard!
Back-up Stories
Issue #45:
- Iron Man — "Night of the Octopus" Part 3
- Robo-Capers
- Matt and the Cat
Issue #46:
- Iron Man — "Night of the Octopus" Part 4
- Robo-Capers
- Matt and the Cat
Reprints
- This story was reprinted in Transformers: Dinobot Hunt by Titan Books.
- This story is also featured in issue #1 of IDW Publishing's Best of UK: Dinobots.
- Inevitably, it was included in IDW's Best of UK: Dinobots Trade Paperback.
Covers (8)
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UK issue #45 - Its okay, he only comes with four bombs!! -
UK issue #46 -
Transformers: Dinobot Hunt -
Best of UK: Dinobots #1 A -
Best of UK: Dinobots #1 B -
Best of UK: Dinobots #1 RI-A -
Best of UK: Dinobots #1 RI-B -
Best of UK: Dinobots TPB - Never play an April fools joke on Grimlock
- UK issue #45 cover: the Autobots attacked by missiles, by Kev Hopgood.
- UK issue #46 cover: Wheeljack, Jazz and Swoop, by Jeff Anderson.
- Transformers: Dinobot Hunt cover: the Dinobts crush some log cabins, by ???
- Best of UK: Dinobots #1 cover A: Swoop, by Nick Roche.
- Best of UK: Dinobots #1 cover B: Swoop over the volcano by Barry Kitson?
- Best of UK: Dinobots #1 Retail Incentive cover A: Professor Morris, by Barry Kitson?
- Best of UK: Dinobots #1 Retail Incentive cover B: uncolored sketch of cover A, by Nick Roche.
- Best of UK: Dinobots TPB cover: Grimlock, by Nick Roche.
