The Power and the Glory
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 Wait till you see what I'm gonna do to your skull, Bludgeon! | |||||||||||||
| "The Power and the Glory" | |||||||||||||
| Publisher | Marvel Comics | ||||||||||||
| First published | January 1994 | ||||||||||||
| Cover date | March 1994 | ||||||||||||
| Writer | Simon Furman | ||||||||||||
| Penciler | Manny Galan | ||||||||||||
| Inker | Jim Amash | ||||||||||||
| Colorist | Chia-Chi Wang ("The Power and the Glory"), Sarra Mossoff ("Tales of Earth Part Two") | ||||||||||||
| Letterers | Richard Starkings with Gaushell | ||||||||||||
| Editor | Rob Tokar | ||||||||||||
| Continuity | Marvel Comics continuity | ||||||||||||
Optimus Prime learns about the buds and the bees, while Megatron and Bludgeon duel to see who gets to destroy the Earth.
The American issue contains a main story, "The Power and the Glory", and a backup story, "Tales of Earth Part Two". In the British version, "Tales of Earth Part One" (which was the backup story in American #4) and "Tales of Earth Part Two" would make up issue #4, and "The Power and the Glory" would be issue #5. The British comic was canceled after issue #5.
"The Power and the Glory"
Synopsis
On Cybertron, the Venerable Ones are hooking Optimus Prime up to a psychic amplifier, preparing to dropping him into the heart of the planet, the better to commune with the Matrix. Prime believes this will clarify his visions. Though he has doubts, he nevertheless tells the Venerable Ones to flip the switch.
Within Cybertron, he receives visions of the birth of the first Transformers from the body of Primus... and then learns, for the first time, how these early Transformers reproduced. This budding process is a sort of bio-mechanical mitosis. However, it becomes clear to Prime that in the present day, budding is no longer a safe method of reproduction. Primus intends for current Transformers to reproduce using the Creation Matrix. The continued use of budding by the Cybertronian Empire is what makes them ruthless and emotionless; their link to Primus has been attenuated by too many generations.
Prime tears himself out of the psychic link, more determined than ever to stop the Empire. However, if he had stayed linked a few seconds more, he would have seen that Imperial budding, in addition to producing cold, hard Transformers, is also releasing a strange dark energy. Dark, and purposeful...
Meanwhile, Jhiaxus is overseeing the cyber-forming of a (formerly) lush organic world, and wondering where the heck the Autobots got to. Hot Rod and the other Autobots under Prime's command are engaging in training exercises at the Autobase, and are champing at the bit to kick some Imperial (or Decepticon) skidplate.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Cybertronians | Others |
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Quotes
"Cybertron. More than a homeworld, a living planet — the final form of Primus, first of our kind. We were his army, soldiers created from the very substance of his 'self' to continue the fight against evil... Our bodies... complex reconfigurable bio-chanic structures, changeling figures able to mimic vehicles, machinery, and weapons. Transformers! These are not legends, these are facts — facts I have never sought nor thought to question... until now!"
- —Optimus Prime relates the origins of his species.
Items of Note
- The three vehicles seen in the close-up of Cybertron on the first page are the alternate modes of Blurr, Wheelie and Scourge.
"Tales of Earth Part Two"
Synopsis
Back on Earth, Bludgeon laments about how he created all this carnage to draw out Optimus Prime (and his tasty Creation Matrix), but instead all he got were Megatron and Starscream. The opposing leaders exchange some trash talk, then begin the fight. Though Bludgeon makes good use of his Pretender nature and tank alternate mode, he's truly no match for the new, upgraded Megatron, who decapitates his shell, then blows his inner robot to bits. Watching from a safe distance, the Autobot Skydive scampers off to report to Prime that Megatron is back as undisputed leader of the Decepticons.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons |
|---|---|
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Quotes
Bludgeon: You should have stayed dead.
Starscream: We suffer from a disquieting knack, Megatron and I, of refusing to do just that. All "death" does is make us a little meaner and a little crankier.
"Strange. The only evidence I see of enhancement — is a bigger mouth!"
- —Bludgeon, to Megatron
Starscream (whispering): Five triliters of evergon resin says Bludgeon's goin' down.
Fangry (also whispering): You're on!
"Hear me, loyal Decepticons. The shallow pretender is dead — the reign of Megatron begins anew!"
- —Megatron makes a pun.
Errors
- Bludgeon says, "I wanted Optimus Prime to come scurrying out from behind the protected ramparts Autobase to save his beloved mudball..." It should be "ramparts of Autobase".
Items of note
- The creators for this tale did not get specific credits, but were instead lumped together under "By". The credit assignments given in this article are based on precedent.
- Starscream sports a really unsettling segmented tongue in some panels.
- This marks the first time Megatron has truly been leader of the Decepticons in American continuity since U.S. #25, when he went nuts and blew up a space bridge with himself on it.
- In this issue, the first panel on page five of the main story is some trees and mountains. The first panel on page five of the back-up story is Megatron decapitating Bludgeon. This is relevant to issue #7, "New Dawn", where (apparently) the first is mistakenly reprinted where the second was intended.
- This issue contains an advert for the U.K fan-club.
Covers (3)
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Wait till you see what I'm gonna do to your skull, Bludgeon! -
I knew you well. -
Chestburster!
- American cover: Megatron holding Bludgeon's skull by Derek Yaniger
- British issue 4 cover : recolored version of U.S. cover
- British issue 5 cover : budding process by Manny Galan
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