Totaled!
Template:Comicnav It starts with Grimlock vs. Fruitloop Multipuck, but things never end that simply do they?
Synopsis
Having acquired Optimus Prime's mind on a disc, the Autobots on the Steelhaven were attempting to build a new body for the Autobot leader, and failing. Realizing they didn't have the resources to rebuild Prime, they approached Grimlock, leader of the Autobots on Earth.
Grimlock didn't want to help, and instead demanded Fortress Maximus hand over the fugitive Goldbug. Once he had Goldbug, he challenged Fortress Maximus to one-on-one battle for the leadership of the Autobots under the Code of Combat.
In the brig, Goldbug found Blaster, strapped to an energy-sucking Variable Voltage Harness. Goldbug talked Blaster into fighting in the injured Fortress Maximus' place.
On the Earth's moon the Autobots assembled, the crews from both the Ark and the Steelhaven, to watch Grimlock and Blaster fight it out.
The battle soon drew Blaster and Grimlock away from the rest of the Autobots. This was rather unfortunate because Ratbat's Decepticons had been watching and chose this moment to attack the Autobots' combined forces.
Onslaught led the Decepticon assault on the Autobots, while Bonecrusher (!) led the Constructicons in an attack on the Ark, to retrieve Decepticon prisoners.
Without strong leadership, the Autobots were losing the battle, so (rather than taking command) Fortress Maximus ordered the skeleton crew on the Steelhaven to depart the moon to get some help in rebuilding Optimus Prime.
Grimlock and Blaster were still fighting when Blaster noticed the battle going on far in the distance. Setting their differences aside, the two Autobots rejoined the battle. Working together, Grimlock and Blaster managed to turn back the Decepticons and damaged their ship enough to force a full Decepticon retreat.
Credits
Writer: Bob Budiansky
Pencil Art: Jose Delbo
Ink Art: Danny Bulanadi
Colorist: Nelson Yomtov
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Editor: Don Daley
- Originally published: June, 1988
Major characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
|
Regulars
|
Errors
- Helicopters should not be able to fly in a vacuum, but obviously no one ever told Vortex. (Okay, planes can't fly in vacuum, either...)
Items of note
- Unlike in the cartoon, writer Bob Budiansky always made sure sound didn't travel in space sequences in the Transformers comic. To this end there's no 'sound effects' during the entire 13-page moon battle sequence. The Transformers used radio to communicate over these pages.
- This even plays a part in the plot — Grimlock and Blaster don't notice the Decepticon attack on their fellows immediately because they can't hear the battle.
- This is the first (and only) U.S. Generation 1 appearance of the Triple Changer Broadside. It's not certain whether he's from the Ark's crew or the Steelhaven's. As their respective crews happened to be aligned according to year-of-toy-release, he would probably be from the Ark, but he is not shown among the crew leaving it.
- Inferno is not among the nearly-comprehensive group of Autobots exiting the Ark, since he yet to appear in the U.S. comic. He doesn't make his first U.S. appearance until the alternate-future tale in issue #67.
- How can one not love the nicknames all through this issue? "Doc Ratchet," "Grimbo," and of course Grimlock's constant reworking of Fortress Maximus' name. He calls him "Fruitloop Multipuck," "Forktongue Maxiface" and even the ever-classic "Fullstrength Motleypuss."
- The letters page of this issue featured two competitions, Spot the Shingo and a competition to name all the Transformers pouring from the Ark on page 10 of the issue. The prizes were not really disclosed.
- The massed Autobots apparently sit around on the Moon licking their wounds until issue 47, at the beginning of which they are all back on Earth. It's implicitly clear that Optimus Prime eventually picks them up using the Steelhaven (after rescuing Sky Lynx from the Cosmic Carnival), re-assumes command, and then they all return to Earth, but it's not depicted outright.
References
- The Decepticons retrieved by the Constructicons in this issue were captured in battle with Omega Supreme way back in U.S. #19.
- Optimus Prime was put on a disc after his death in U.S. #24.
- There are numerous references to the previous issue, including the acquiring of the Prime disc, the rebuilding of Goldbug, and the creation of the Pretenders.
- Fortress Maximus was still recovering from his battle with Shockwave in issue #39.
UK printing
- The title was given a second "L." (Because that's the correct spelling in the Queen's English, you colonial fools)
- Issue #174 included Transformers A-Z's for Jazz and Jetfire.
- In a flashback to issue #144, Sandstorm appears in the background of a shot of Blaster surrounded by other Autobots. Unfortunately Sandstorm, as a Wrecker, was actually meant to be on Cybertron at this time.
- In the Grim Grams for issue #174, Grimlock states that he doesn't want a toy of his Cybertronian form to be created and that people should be happy with him as he is!
- In the Grim Grams for issue #175, Grimlock identified the a generic transformer from the opening splash page of UK issue #164 as "Chuffer".
- Issue #175 features some of the biggest art edits done to a U.S. story to bring it into line with UK continuity. Broadside's cameo headshot was edited, his head partially redrawn and his blue parts colored green, turning him into a generic robot. This was done because Broadside was a member of the Wreckers, who were meant to be on Cybertron at the time.
- The boxes of rescued Decepticons seen in this issue were edited because many of the Decepticons defeated by Omega Supreme had been revived already during Target: 2006. The Constructicons' mission only freed Rumble and Buzzsaw in the UK continuity (that we see, though we can assume Skywarp - destroyed in Target: 2006 and unseen since - was freed too, since he appears among Ratbat's forces in their next appearance). In U.S. continuity they freed Buzzsaw, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Rumble, Frenzy and Starscream.
Covers (3)
- U.S. issue 40 cover: battle royal by Jose Delbo
- UK issue 174 cover: Grimlock and Spike by Jeff Anderson
- UK issue 175 cover: Grimlock and Blaster by Lee Sullivan
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