Worlds Apart!

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« The Transformers (UK) #130–131 »

Someday, love will find you. Break those necks that bind you.
"Worlds Apart!"
Publisher Marvel Comics
Cover date 12th - 19th September 1987
Script Simon Furman
Pencils Will Simpson
Inks Tim Perkins
Colour Steve White (#130) & Abadzis (#131)
Letters Annie Halfacree
Continuity Marvel Comics continuity

The Autobot Headmasters attempt to rescue the captured Autobot Targetmasters, but who are the Decepticons really interested in?

Synopsis

Brainstorm would rather fight and die than live with the knowledge that he ran.

The Autobot Headmasters find out that what Highbrow termed a "nice little rescue mission" is anything but when their Decepticon counterparts attack, but the Autobots turn the tide—rather too easily, in fact. As the group debates the significance of this, Brainstorm reminds them of their goal: rescuing the captured Autobot Targetmasters and thus preventing the Decepticons from learning the secrets of the process to perfect their own Targetmasters.

But as Highbrow begins to debate caution, Gort detaches to voice his more proactive opinion and Chromedome's partner, Stylor, also agrees with the need for immediate action. After re-bonding, Highbrow recounts the stated agreement and goal that led to the creation of the Headmasters, along with his opinion that he and Gort are just too far apart mentally to work as an effective team. But when the Autobots arrive at the Decepticons' notorious Fortress of Despair, all agree that the open door and lifeless nature of the base are a real concern.

When the Headmasters finally reach the strung-up bodies of the Targetmasters, Sureshot stirs to shout a warning, that the Decepticons' real goal was to lure and capture the Autobot Headmasters to perfect their own Headmaster process. Before they can flee, Scorponok and the Decepticon Targetmasters burst through the wall.

The Autobots are outnumbered and find themselves overpowered by the Decepticon leader, Scorponok, who batters the others aside as he grabs Highbrow in his claws. Only needing one specimen to examine, he orders the Decepticon Targetmasters to dispose of the rest. Hardhead decides to even the odds by freeing their captured friends, who in turn rescue their Nebulan partners.

Meanwhile, Scorponok is disappointed that Highbrow borders on the catatonic, as the Autobot and his partner violently argue over their best course of action. Scorponok laughs as he realizes that, far from being the perfect example he'd hoped for, Highbrow is just the thing he wanted to learn how to avoid. Back at the Decepticons' base, the combined might of the Autobot Targetmasters and Headmasters turns the tide, allowing Chromedome to race after his captured companion.

Scorponok calmly talks through the facts he knows about Highbrow and Gort, and realizes that the Autobot and Decepticon Headmaster processes are both technically sound and always have been; it's the compatibility between the partners that is the issue. Now that he's sorted out his problem, Scorponok's need for Highbrow and Gort evaporates, and only the timely arrival of Chromedome saves the pair. But Chromedome is greatly outmatched by the Decepticon Headmaster and pleads for Gort to recombine, pointing out that no matter how different Gort and Highbrow are, they both have common ground of wanting to protect peace and liberty.

Convinced, the combined Highbrow fights with renewed vigour, forcing a confused Scorponok to flee as the Autobot realizes the true power of the Headmaster process.

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots Decepticons Nebulans

Notes

  • Where this story can even fit into the continuity of the Headmasters limited series is a problem. The Autobot Targetmasters were introduced after the Autobot Headmasters had been captured by the Decepticons, the Decepticon Targetmasters were created just before the Autobot Headmasters escaped, when both sides very quickly fled Nebulos for Earth, and all that occurs in the space of the single issue "Brothers in Armor!!". Nevertheless, when the chronology of the Headmasters series was questioned in the UK letters page, Grimlock claimed "Worlds Apart!" took place during the action of "Brothers in Armour!", presumably shortly before the Transformers left Nebulos.[1]
  • Part of this is because the story was specifically ordered by Hasbro UK, who were heavily promoting the Headmasters at the time, but the full Headmasters limited series was not yet ready for a more rapid printing. Indeed "Brothers in Armor!!" only went on sale in the same month as "Worlds Apart!" As a result the story sits awkwardly in a continuity that was not fully available when it was written.[2][3]
  • Geoff Senior finds the cover boring and says it wasn't his idea.[4]
  • While the Decepticon Targetmasters include their full roster, the Autobot Targetmasters seem to consist of only the trio of new characters, with the movie trio absent.
  • Having learned nothing from the events of this issue, Scorponok's next plan involving the capture of an Autobot Headmaster will also target Highbrow with even worse end results in the Transformers Annual 1989 story "All in the Minds!".
  • Highbrow's retelling of the origins of the Headmaster process references both the events and art of "Broken Glass!", with the UK reprinting taking place in issues #134–137.
  • Issue subtitles:
    • Issue #130—
    • Issue #131—Scorponok's Sting!

Errors

  • Crosshairs and Sureshot's colour schemes are swapped, but otherwise the pair are drawn to their animation/Marvel model sheets.
  • Hardhead refers to his Targetmaster comrades as "Pointblank, Triggerhappy and Sureshot".

Secondary Transformers story

On rare occasions, the Marvel UK issues ran two new (to the UK audience, at least) Transformers stories in the same issue. This is the case for both parts of "Worlds Apart!" The back-up story in this case being the first half of "Ring of Hate!".

Back-up stories

Issue #130:

Issue #131:

  • Robo-Capers

Covers (13)

  • UK issue #130
    UK issue #130
  • UK issue #131
    UK issue #131
  • UK issue #255
    UK issue #255
  • UK issue #256
    UK issue #256
  • UK issue #257
    UK issue #257
  • UK issue #258
    UK issue #258
  • Transformers Comic-Magazin issue #15
    Transformers Comic-Magazin issue #15
  • Titan Time Wars TPB
    Titan Time Wars TPB
  • Best of UK: Space Pirates #4 cover A
    Best of UK: Space Pirates #4 cover A
  • Best of UK: Space Pirates #4 cover RI
    Best of UK: Space Pirates #4 cover RI
  • Best of UK: Space Pirates TPB
    Best of UK: Space Pirates TPB
  • Best of UK: Space Pirates TPB
    Best of UK: Space Pirates TPB
  • Best of UK: Space Pirates issue #4 cover A: 'Bot and 'Con battle by Dan Khanna (art) and Josh Burcham (colors).
  • Best of UK: Space Pirates issue #4 Retail Incentive cover: Scorponok menaces the Autobot Headmasters, taken from page 1 of issue #131.
  • Best of UK: Space Pirates TPB cover: Wreck-Gar fights Sharkticons, art by Robby Musso, colours by Kieran Oats. Reuse of the cover of Best of UK: Space Pirates issue #1.
  • Best of UK: Space Pirates TPB cover:Soundwave leading the Decepticons, art by Dan Khanna, colours by Liam Shalloo. Reuse of the cover of Best of UK: Space Pirates issue #2.
  • Best of UK: Omnibus
    Best of UK: Omnibus
  • The Transformers Classics UK Volume 4
    The Transformers Classics UK Volume 4

Reprints

References

  1. ↑ 142's Grim Grams
  2. ↑ Unknown author "Transformers UK" in Legacy of Unicron [Trade paperback] (London; Titan Books, 2003), page 5.
  3. ↑ Simon Furman: "There were odd occasions where Hasbro UK would actually get it together and coordinate a story with a toy release. The Special Teams (in UK #63–65) story was one such instance, and in that case (because we were some way off reprinting the corresponding US issues) we had to work them in somehow (chronologically ahead of time). Same with Headmasters." TransFans.co.uk - Interviews: Simon Furman - Part 1 'The Past'
  4. ↑ http://transfans.co.uk/interviews_geoff.php
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