Gone but Not Forgotten!

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« The Transformers (US) #25 »
« The Transformers (UK) #107–108 »

The 25th Anniversary mark is so common that it's a special occasion not to have it.
"Gone but Not Forgotten!"
Publisher Marvel Comics
First published October 1986
Cover date February 1987
Writer Bob Budiansky
Penciler Don Perlin
Inkers Ian Akin & Brian Garvey
Colorist Nel Yomtov
Letterer Janice Chiang
Editor Don Daley
Continuity Marvel Comics continuity

As the Decepticons relocate to a new base, Shockwave plays a gambit to finally destroy Megatron.

Synopsis

The United States army prepares to invade the Decepticon base. Unknown to them, the Decepticons are already planning to abandon this base for a new one off the Florida Keys, intending to make better use of the stolen hydrothermocline to meet their energy needs. Megatron has other concerns on his mind. He is preoccupied with the death of Optimus Prime, unable to fully believe that his enemy is, in fact, dead. This uncertainty drives him mad (as well as the fact that it was a human that did the actual killing, rather than himself).

As the other Decepticons abandon their base, Shockwave and Soundwave stay behind to arrange for the Predacons to attack and destroy Megatron. To further Megatron's confusion, the Predacons have been fitted with Autobot symbols, to make him think that they have been sent by Optimus Prime.

The Predacons locate and attack Megatron who, despite being outnumbered five-to-one, is able to defend himself (although not unscathed by any means). Finding Megatron too strong for them to defeat in their individual forms, the Predacons combine into Predaking. However, Predaking just proves to be a bigger target, and Megatron defeats him with one blast of his fusion cannon.

When the Decepticons arrive at their new base, a Decepticon soldier locates a laser disk inside Predaking, which Soundwave then plays back to reveal Shockwave's attempt to have Megatron killed. As Megatron threatens to destroy Shockwave, Shockwave explains that he recorded major portions of his personality on the disk he gave to the Predacons: "I controlled the Predacons. I was with them as much as I am with you now!"

This revelation causes Megatron to reflect on Optimus Prime's death. He now knows what he did not see at the time: that Optimus Prime's personality had been saved on a computer disk. This awareness drives him mad once again, and he blows up the space bridge to Cybertron with himself on it. Both disappear, and Shockwave reflects that it was not he himself who destroyed Megatron, but "a memory did!"

Characters in italic text appear only in flashbacks.
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots Decepticons Humans

Quotes

"Did you wrap your hands around his neck and feel its smooth steel skin? ...did you squeeze and feel its infrastructure begin to buckle under the pressure? Did you keep squeezing until there was no longer any reason to squeeze? Did you?! Well, neither did I!!"

—Megatron, while crushing Brawl's head


"C-Commander, do you see? That wasn't Optimus Prime -- it was only a truck!"
"I see that now, Dead End. But it could have been Optimus Prime. And if it had been... he'd be dead."
"But... but Commander... he's already dead."

—Dead End and Megatron


"I am Predaking, the greatest hunting machine the galaxy has ever known! And you, little robot, are my prey!"
"And you are a fool! I am no one's prey! I am Megatron the conqueror!"
"My x-ray laser cannon will see to it that you're scrap."

—Predaking trades barbs and blasts with Megatron


"---Optimus Prime!! He lives! But he won't get Megatron, no -- Megatron is too clever, yes... too clever! Megatron will go where no one can ever follow him! Where Optimus Prime can never follow--"

—Megatron goes out in a blaze of insanity-fueled glory

Notes

Artwork and technical errors

  • Page 2, panel 4: Shockwave's speech balloon is directed to Soundwave.
  • In "Decepticon Graffiti!", Megatron's throne is made from one or maybe two cars. In this issue, it's made from about 25 tiny cars. Although, he could simply have more than one chair - the Constructicons need to do something during all that off panel time.
  • When the Predacons combine into Predaking he has a Decepticon logo on his chest.
  • When Dead End finds the laser disk in Predaking, Shockwave is drawn with only one arm.

Continuity errors

  • It would appear that the American army is incapable of distinguishing between an artillery bombardment and a shower of flying debris.
  • On page 8, the caption reads that Megatron "commands Drag Strip to carry him to their destination," and the coloring is consistent with this. The art, however, shows Megatron entering Dead End. Later on the car he's in is drawn, colored, and referred to as Dead End.

Continuity notes

  • The Decepticon alliance with Cobra is briefly mentioned, plugging the concurrent GI Joe/Transformers crossover series.
  • Megatron gives us a recap of Optimus's death in "Afterdeath!", the last issue. The hydrothermocline was stolen in that issue as well.
  • Brawl is seemingly killed in this issue. Don't worry, though. Even though his head is crushed and it doesn't appear anybody carried his body with them to their new base, he later gets better.
  • This would not be the last time a Megatron goes into a deep funk when Optimus Prime is killed.
  • Predaking's height is given as 80 feet.

Real-life references

UK printing

  • This story has a lot of parallels with Prey! - the arrival of the Predacons from Cybertron; Shockwave using the Predacons in a sneaky plan to usurp Megatron; the Predacons only combining after they fail to win as individuals; Megatron attacking one of the Special Teams characters; confusion on whether Prime is alive or not (albeit by different characters) and Megatron exiting the story via the spacebridge.
  • Due to that, this story is probably the most edited of any US story printed in the UK comic.
  • The Dead End mistake mentioned in the errors section was fixed for the UK printing. Dead End was recolored in red, and the caption box was corrected, referring to him by his actual name.
  • Page 11 of the US comic was edited to make a better cliffhanger for UK issue #107. Megatron was given new dialog, replacing a speech bubble of Dead End questioning his leader's sanity.
  • Megatron and the Predacons had met before in UK continuity. In the story arc beginning with "Prey!" Shockwave employed the Predacons to hunt down and kill Megatron. However he was so deranged (and befuddled), that he didn't remember this first encounter. To reflect this previous meeting a lot of dialog was changed for the UK version of this issue:
    • On US page 9, Shockwave gives Razorclaw his assignment on Earth. In the UK version, Razorclaw worries that Megatron will recognize him. Shockwave quickly allays those fears.
    • On US page 12, the Predacons lament having to change into Earth forms. In the UK version, they lament having to stay in those forms since their last visit.
    • Some caption boxes on page 12 were changed to reflect the Predacons' previous visit. In particular the caption The Predacons have arrived! on was changed to The Predacons have returned! for the UK version.
    • On US page 13, Razorclaw says Megatron doesn't know the Predacons. In the UK version, he says Megatron doesn't remember them.
  • US page 2 was also edited, but this time to reflect the fact that the G.I. Joe and the Transformers story was not 'in continuity' for the UK comics (and wasn't printed until years later). In the US version, Shockwave suggests contacting Cobra and telling them about the Decepticons' moving base. In the UK version, Shockwave talks instead about Megatron's mental instability.

Back-up Material

Issue #107:

Issue #108:

  • Backup strips: The Inhumanoids - "I Left My Monsters in San Francisco" and Robo-Capers
  • AtoZ: Bluestreak and Blitzwing

Letters pages

Other trivia

  • This issue was reprinted as issue #8 of IDW Publishing's Generations series.
  • Page 4 consists entirely of flashbacks to "Afterdeath!".
  • Like some other issues, a free version of UK issue 107 (with an altered corner box) was given out at the chain of British steakhouses Berni Inn.

Changes in the IDW Transformers Classics reprint

  • Soundwave is "correctly" recolored blue throughout the issue, without any random panels of PurpleWave.
  • The Drag Strip/Dead End confusion on page 8, panel 4 is, for whatever reason, not corrected in this edition. I guess they weren't reading the wiki that day.
  • On page 16, panel 4 Tantrum's horns are corrected from green to grey.
  • On page 18, panel 5 the Ben-Day dots are removed from Razorclaw's mane, leaving only blotchy black smudges.


Covers (3)

  • US issue #25 - Predacons gone wild!
    US issue #25 - Predacons gone wild!
  • UK issue #107 - Ironically, Rampage isn't on this cover.
    UK issue #107 - Ironically, Rampage isn't on this cover.
  • UK issue #108 - Hang on, haven't we been here before?
    UK issue #108 - Hang on, haven't we been here before?

Advertisements

US

  • Inside Front Cover: M&Ms
  • Between Page 4 & 5 : Lazer Tag game kit
  • Between Page 5 & 6: Captain Crunch "Free The Captain" Promotion
  • Between Page 7 & 8 : East Cost Comics
  • Between Page 8 & 9 : Comic Dealers and Charles Atlas
  • Between Page 16 & 17 : New Universe "Supersleuth Sweepstakes" Promotion
  • Between Page 17 & 18 : Random Sponsors
  • Between Page 19 & 20: Classic Comics Subscription Offer
  • Pg. 22: Next Issue Blurb
  • Page After Letters Column : Marvel Subscription Offer
  • After That Page : YAMAHA Synthesizer
  • Back Cover: Brach's Gum Dingers

UK

Reprints

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