Total War!
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 Graaah!! This stress ball doesn't do anything for me! | |||||||||||||
| Total War! | |||||||||||||
| Publisher | Marvel Comics | ||||||||||||
| First published | June 1994 | ||||||||||||
| Cover date | August 1994 | ||||||||||||
| Writer | Simon Furman | ||||||||||||
| Artist | Geoff Senior ("Tales of Earth Part Seven") | ||||||||||||
| Penciler | Manny Galan ("Total War!") | ||||||||||||
| Inker | Jim Amash ("Total War!") | ||||||||||||
| Colorist | Sarra Mossoff | ||||||||||||
| Letterers | Richard Starkings with Comicraft | ||||||||||||
| Editor | Rob Tokar | ||||||||||||
| Continuity | Marvel Comics continuity | ||||||||||||
The climactic battle between the Autobot-Decepticon Alliance and the Cybertronian Empire begins, and Starscream's thoroughly predictable treachery is exposed.
This issue contains a main story, "Total War!", and a backup story, "Tales of Earth Part Seven".
"Total War!"
Synopsis
At Autobase on Earth, Jhiaxus and the Cybertronian Empire are attacking. The Autobot-Decepticon Alliance manages to hold its own. Prime asks Megatron how they could have found them and breached their defenses without setting off any alarms. Megatron's thoughts turn immediately (and correctly) to Starscream.
Above, the Warworld's systems have stopped working correctly, due to more of Starscream's treachery. He and the Imperials board the titanic vessel.
Below, the Alliance is actually beginning to force the attackers back. Jhiaxus simply furrows his brow, sends in the second wave, and sends out an alert: All Imperial battalions are to stop whatever they're doing and head to Earth.
Above, the Imperials have neutralized all resistance on the Warworld, but many Decepticons have fled to Earth in escape pods. The Imperials leave the ship to pursue them, leaving Starscream alone in the main control center. He smiles, and heads for the chamber where the Creation Matrix is stored.
Below, Prime declares the battle a lost cause, and orders the troops to scatter. He and Megatron board a shuttle and head into space to retrieve the Matrix from the Warworld.
Elsewhere, the Imperial Battalion Xerxes is heading to Earth, when it encounters the Swarm. There are no survivors. From the minds of the crew and the computers of the ship, the Swarm absorbs an imperative: To go to Earth.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Cybertronians | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"Autobase Earth. A safe haven, far from the eyes and reach of Commander Jhiaxus and his second generation Transformer army. Not!"
- —The caption writer gets snarky.
"Hi, guys. Miss me?"
- —Starscream gets smug.
"Why? That's what they all asked me. Why him... why Starscream? Why, of all Decepticons, did I decide to revitalize the one whose record of deceit and betrayal is legend? Because I'm an idiot, that's why!"
- —Megatron finally admits to an error.
Megatron: I wonder some days if it is not a pity we fight on opposing sides.
Optimus Prime (thinking): Not a pity, Megatron... a tragedy!
Errors
- Tracks' line "Give it your best shot" has no punctuation.
- Jhiaxus orders all battalions to return to Earth. Unless there's some unrevealed backstory, none of them have ever been to Earth, so they're not "returning".
Items of note
- Cameos: Joyride, Kup, Sideswipe, Jazz, Air Raid, Silverbolt, Snarl, Weirdwolf, Headstrong, Octane, Roller
- Joyride pretty much dies, exploding after being hit dead-on by a huge blast. And we all thought he had already died. Then again, we've seen plenty of this already.
- It's also implied that the Combaticons were destroyed, but amid the destroyed Decepticons shown, only Octane is identifiable.
- This issue contains the only appearance of Roller in the Marvel U.S. continuity.
"Tales of Earth Part Seven"
Synopsis
Aboard the Warworld, Starscream thinks smug thoughts. Then he attacks the Imperials. Scores of them die under the guns of the Warworld. Prime and Megatron use this as a distraction to approach and board the Warworld, though Prime suspects (correctly) that whoever is controlling the vast ship wants them to come aboard.
On Earth, the Autobot-Decepticon Alliance continues to battle the Imperials. The Autobot Grimlock and the Decepticon Manta Ray have a bonding moment over the corpses of some Imperials. Razorclaw observes this, and swears to himself to kill the Decepticon if he should forget where his loyalties should lie.
Above, Prime and Megatron find the Warworld strangely changed. Suddenly, the very walls and ceiling attack them and Starscream reveals himself. He has taken the Matrix for himself, and merged his body with the Warworld. He and it are now one single giant weapon... and he wants nothing so much as to kill them both.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Cybertronians |
|---|---|---|
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Quotes
Grimlock: Nice one! Me not like to admit it, Manta Ray — you being Decepticon and all — but me like your style!
Manta Ray: Pleasure's all mine. It's been a real education fighting alongside you.
Razorclaw: Grr!
Items of note
- Razorclaw's desicion to kill Manta Ray if he betrays the Decepticons sets up Razorclaw's own death in the final issue.
Covers (1)
- Jhiaxus crushes the world by Derek Yaniger
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