Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 12

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Transformers Comic-Magazin #12

Well at least there isn't a random little kid on this one...
Publisher Condor Verlag
Cover date December 1990
Continuity Marvel Comics continuity
Price 3.50 DM

Contents

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The document below is a faithful translation of the text story included with this issue

Translators: Creature SH

Transformers in Action: "By their blasters you shall know them...!"

by Robert Mann


For four million years, they lay deactivated at the bottom of Mount St. Hilary. Then, they awoke to new life. But on Earth, dimensions away from their homeworld, the TRANSFORMERS are split into two camps. However: The broad shape-changing abilities of the cosmic robots are not exactly making identification easy - Especially not in uneasy situations.

Inside the ARK, the stranded spaceship of the AUTOBOTS, solemn silence reigns. RUCKUS, a friend of the AUTOBOT POWERMASTER OPTIMUS PRIME, lost Energon during a defense mission. The condition is disquieting. What outrages OPTIMUS PRIME: The laser blast that struck RUCKUS down clearly came from an AUTOBOT blaster.

"This must never happen again! Never! Do you hear me?" OPTIMUS looks around the circle of his friends, shakes his head, explains for the probably hundredth time: "DECEPTICONS are aggressors on this planet. They chose cold colors and shapes that signal assault and a hunger for power - for example, to the weapon systems of the Earthlings. As un-combatlike as possible, on the other hand, is what the disguise of the AUTOBOTS should be. After all, we want to bring peace to this world, want to defend it against all dangers of the cosmos"

Affirmative nods in the crowd.

"Are Needlenose and Bomburst in attendance?" No reaction to OPTIMUS' question. With a hint of a smile in his robotic eyes, OPTIMUS then announces: "You have not passed the test! None of you has noticed that those two are... DECEPTICONS! In a serious situation, this could have cost you your life! Do you really want to risk that?"

"There are so many AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS" BACKSTREET, a friend of the wounded RUCKUS makes himself heard. "How are we supposed to keep all of them apart?"

And Bumblebee points out: "There are TRANSFORMERS coming throught he dimensional bridge to the CYBERTRON all the time! AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS! Some even from the FUTURE!"

"True!" OPTIMUS PRIME nods contemplatively. "While 'aggressive' and 'passive' are helpful criteria of separation, but errors - You can see it by RUCKUS' case - are not ruled out by that. You have to memorize the names and distinctive characteristics of your friends and foes - Or you're doomed!"

On the ARK's screens, a fast succession of robots in the most varied colors and transformations appear. They are DECEPTICONS. "Their equipment" explains OPTIMUS PRIME to his teammates, "is constructed for attack and conquest. Their laser - and photon blasters have far higher energy concentrations than our own. You can recognize them by that. You should pay attention to the TRANSFORMER logos - but they're no surefire proof for AUTOBOT allegiance. Some DECEPTICONS just love to transmit the AUTOBOT identification for reasons of subterfuge..."

OPTIMUS PRIME looks into the crowd. "I will now set out on a reconnaissance flight. The screens will play back a demostration program. Memorize the name and transformation form of each of your friends and each of our opponents precisely. When I return, we will put your studies to the test in a combat simulation..."

BUMBLEBEE pushes a button - and already, the TRANSFORMERS central computer provides mechanically-voiced explanations for the action sequences flickering on the screen....

SCREEN 1: TRIGGERBOTS/TRIGGERCONS TRIGGERBOTS: RUCKUS, BACKSTREET, WINDSWEEPER TRIGGERCONS: OVERRIDE, DOGFIGHT, CRANKCASE "One electric impulse is enough to change form - TRIGGERBOTS chose Earth- and fantasy vehicles, TRIGGERCONS prefer the shape of earth combat machines for ground- and air missions."

SCREEN 2: SPARKLER MINIBOT ASSISTANTS SPARKABOTS: FIZZLE, CINDERSAUR, SPARKSTALKER FIRECONS: FLAMEFEATHER, SIZZLE, GUZZLE "In dangerous situations, each of them transforms their robot form into the form of earth inhabitants of prehistory, called dinosaurs. The SPARKLER MINIBOTS have spark-shooting friction engines at their disposal. Their primary discerning feature: With each movement, SPARKABOTS spray sparks from their 'muzzle', FIRECONS from their exhaust..."

SCREEN 3: TARGETMASTER ASSISTANTS TARGETMASTER AUTOBOT ASSISTANTS: QUICKMIX, SCOOP, LANDFILL TARGETMASTER DECEPTICONS: SPINESTER, QUAKE, NEEDLENOSE "The AUTOBOT TARGETMASTERS have chosen earthly construction vehicles fro their alternative form: QUICKMIX transforms into a cement mixer, SCOOP into a front payloader, LANDFILL into a dump truck. The DECEPTICONS, on the other hand, have given themselves a military flavor: SPINESTER turns into a combat helicopter, NEEDLENOSE into a delta jet, QUACK into a tank."

SCREEN 4: MICROMASTERS AUTOBOT MICROMASTERS: RACE CAR PATROL, OFFROAD PATROL, RESCUE PATROL DECEPTICON MICROMASTERS: AIR STRIKE PATROL, BATTLE PATROL, SPORTS CAR PATROL "Each of recently-arrived-by-dimensional-bridge TRANSFORMERS consists of four mini-robots that transform into miniaturized earth vehicles and flight devices. The OFF ROAD PATROL consists of cybernetically-controlled off-road vehicles, the RESCUE PATROL of police- emergency- and firefighter vehicles, the RACE CAR and SPORTS CAR PATROL of racing- and sports cars, and the DECEPTICON patrols of flight machines or TANKS, respectively."

SCREEN 5: MICROMASTER TRANSPORT ASSISTANTS: AUTOBOT TRANSPORT ASSISTANTS: OVERLOAD (car carrier), ERECTOR (crane vehicle) DECEPTICON TRANSPORT ASSISTANTS: ROUGHSTUFF (military transport), FLAPTOP (aircraft carrier) "Each MICROMASTER TRANSPORT ASSISTANT unit consists of one larger transport vehicle - in the DECEPTICONS' case, meant for military use - and one MICROMASTER robot. In action mode, the MICROMASTER becomes a robot pilot, steering the machinery which is conceptualized as a defense unit in the AUTOBOTS' case or an attack unit in the DECEPTICONS' case."

SCREEN 6: NEW PRETENDER ASSISTANTS AUTOBOT PRETENDERS: OCTOPUNCH, LONGTOOTH, STRANGLEHOLD DECEPTICON PRETENDERS: DOUBLEHEADER, PINCHER, BLUDGEON "These massive, fearsome collossi are put together following the principle of the 'trojan horse'. Concealed inside the PRETENDER shell is a PRETENDER ASSISTANT, a transformable, but, compared to the PRETENDER's size, only tiny robot. Both, however, can operate separately."

SCREEN 7: PRETENDER CLASSICS AUTOBOT PRETENDERS: BUMBLEBEE, JAZZ DECEPTICON PRETENDERS: STARSCREAM, GRIMLOCK "The PRETENDER shells have taken the form of gladiators of the future. Crucial also in the case of these classic PRETENDERS are the programmed-for-attack - or defense - robot units under the hardly trust-inspiring shell. They, too, are useable individually."

SCREEN 8: PRETENDER FIGURES AUTOBOT PRETENDERS: CLOUDBURST, WAVERIDER, LANDMINE DECEPTICON PRETENDERS: SKULL GRIN, BOMBURST, SUBMARODER "Earth astronauts are the outer appearance of the AUTOBOTS' robot shells, threatening characters from earthly myths that of the DECEPTICONS'. Like all PRETENDERS, they rely on element of surprise that is achieved by the sudden separation of the robot husks and the smaller, more agile TRANSFORMERS."

SCREEN 9: ULTRA PRETENDERS AUTOBOT PRETENDERS: GROUNDSHAKER DECEPTICON PRETENDER: SKYHAMMER "The ULTRA PRETENDER vehicles are the TRANSFORMERS in a TRANSFORMER in a TRANSFORMER! The large vehicle opens by impulse control and reveals a PRETENDER figure; upon opening this figure, a robot appears. This robot can - like the PRETENDER figure - be transformed into a futuristic vehicle.

Articles and features

The Persistence of Logic by Somevador Germanguy.
  • Profiles for Bruticus, Breakdown, Brawn and Brawl
  • A picture of Optimus Prime with a grid for kids to copy it onto.
  • In the treasury of the Decepticons: a puzzle which sees Shockwave in a room full of toys and trafficlights. Shockwave looks understandably confused.
  • Alarm! Megatron in the Ark!: A puzzle where the reader must match closeups of a crudely drawn image to the overall picture. Megatron is notable by his absence.
  • An animal wordsearch which has a picture of Optimus Prime slapped onto it.
  • A maze where the reader must find which of Optimus Prime's 3 laser beams is cruelly murdering Megatron (who is coloured like Shockwave).

Reprints

Notes

  • The reprinted strip is titled "The Hunter of the Cosmos"
  • With this issue, the comic starts to print character profiles.

Errors

Advertisements

  • A one page advertisement for Action Masters.
  • A one page advertisement for Action Master Optimus Prime.