Dinobot Hunt!
| This article is about the Marvel UK story. For the trade paperback from Titan Books, see Transformers: Dinobot Hunt. For a list of other meanings, see Dinobot Hunt (disambiguation). |
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 Where's Mothra when you need her? | |||||||||||||
| "Dinobot Hunt!" | |||||||||||||
| Publisher | Marvel Comics | ||||||||||||
| Cover date | 8th February / 1st March 1986 | ||||||||||||
| Writer | Simon Furman | ||||||||||||
| Art | Will Simpson (47 & 49), Barry Kitson (48 & 50) | ||||||||||||
| Art assistant | Tim Perkins (50) | ||||||||||||
| Pencils | Barry Kitson (48) | ||||||||||||
| Inks | Marc Griffiths (48) | ||||||||||||
| Colours | Stuart Place (47, 49-50), Jeff Anderson (48) | ||||||||||||
| Lettering | Annie Halfacree (47-48, 50), Mike Scott (49) | ||||||||||||
| Editor | Ian Rimmer | ||||||||||||
| Continuity | Marvel Comics continuity (Marvel UK) | ||||||||||||
| Chronology | 1986 | ||||||||||||
The Autobots attempt to round up those crazy Dinobots but the Decepticons interfere....
Synopsis
After finding out that the Dinobots have probably lost control due to their primary cybo-dendrons having burnt out, Optimus Prime assigns the Autobots into teams to capture Snarl, Slag, Sludge, and Grimlock before they can harm any humans.
The B-Team (consisting of Mirage, Brawn, and Trailbreaker) are assigned to Black Rock Desert in Nevada to capture Snarl, which they do (thanks to the help of a prototype molecular disintegration bomb being developed at a secret army base that Snarl destroys). Unfortunately, Laserbeak has been watching, giving the Decepticons knowledge of the Autobots' mission and they make plans to disrupt it as much as possible.
Swamp-Thing!
In the waterways of Littlewood, California, Sludge is contentedly being filmed by Joy Meadows while the A-Team (cue music—Windcharger, Gears, and Cliffjumper) look for him. Unfortunately, a Decepticon group consisting of Soundwave, Skywarp, and Scavenger manage to find and knock out Sludge first. Stumbling upon the unconscious Sludge, the A-Team gets taken out by the Decepticons, pleasing Soundwave greatly.
Robot Rustlers!
The Decepticon plan suffers a setback when they are too late to capture Slag in Old River Valley, Idaho. A fried Laserbeak tells them of how Jetfire, Jazz, and Ironhide (of D-Team) managed to capture Slag (mainly by blocking Slag's flamethrower with Laserbeak in an attempt to make Idaho Fried Decepticon). However, Soundwave is unconcerned by this setback.
The Final Rage!
The reason for Soundwave's lack of concern is revealed—the Decepticons have found Grimlock before the Autobots and have set Sludge on him. The town of Doonstown is reduced to a war zone as the two Dinobots fight, plunging into a frozen lake as they do. Bluestreak, Huffer, and Sideswipe are early casualties as they try to stop the fight. Summoned by an urgent S.O.S., Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Ratchet, and Prowl speed to the scene. The first three arrive and Prime attempts to keep the Dinobots in the lake while Ratchet goes to tend the members of C-Team and Bumblebee finds a hidden energy source.
The energy source turns out to be a cloaked Autobot shuttle with Windcharger, Gears, Cliffjumper (as prisoners) and a sonic lance on board. Bumblebee rescues the captured Autobots as Prowl transfers his shuttle's electrical systems to the hull and bails out. The shock knocks out Grimlock, but Sludge, still controlled by the sonic lance, lunges for Optimus Prime. Bumblebee realizes that the sonic lance is probably booby-trapped so he blows the shuttle up, causing Sludge to pass out before he can attack Prime.
Nearby, the Decepticons (having found an oil rig to steal energy from) hear the explosion and an elated Soundwave shouts that the Decepticons have emerged triumphant. Optimus Prime hears Soundwave but realizes he can do nothing until his injured Autobots are repaired.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Quotes
Notes
Artwork and technical errors
- During part 3, Slag's horn pierces Jetfire in the chest through the middle of his Decepticon insignia. Yet when Soundwave finds the buckled insignia later, it is intact with no sign of damage.
- On the last page of part 3, Sideswipe is shown to be badly injured before the transmission cuts off. In part 4, he states that he went back to the ship to call for reinforcements, then states that "I'm not totally sure my distress call got through as at that moment one of them decided to chew through my shuttle's fuel tank." Therefore he should not have been injured when talking to Prime.
- Bluestreak's and Sideswipe's injuries change between panels.
Continuity errors
- The Autobots' map of the United States has states with names starting "Calaf-" and "Colara-".
- Windcharger, Cliffjumper and Gears are a bit naive (well, stupid) when they get captured. They see blaster fire and find an unconscious Sludge, but ponder on what's happened instead of thinking "hang on, we're next here."
Continuity notes
- Jazz is seen removing his flame-thrower from a compartment in his hip, in which it is stored in miniaturized form.
- Joy Meadows will team up with the Dinobots again in "In the National Interest" and also appears in Sludge's dream sequence in "Victory!"
- Cliffjumper gets to use his glass gun!
- Bumblebee mentions that he has 8 other senses besides sight.
- Although Jetfire has been featured since UK issue #35, this is the first time in the UK comic that he is seen as an Autobot with sentience. He also loses his Decepticon symbol in this story.
- The Decepticons win!
Real-life references
- The Issue #50 cover page is obviously a reference to the Godzilla films.
Other trivia
Back-up Material
Issue #47:
- Backup strips: Iron Man — "From the Ashes" Part 1, Robo-Capers and Matt and the Cat
Issue #48:
- Backup strips: Iron Man — "From the Ashes" Part 2, Robo-Capers and Matt and the Cat
- Who's Who: Decpticons
Issue #49:
- Backup strips: Iron Man — "From the Ashes" Part 3, Robo-Capers and Matt and the Cat
Issue #50:
- Backup strips: Iron Man — "From the Ashes" Part 4, Robo-Capers and Matt and the Cat
Covers (16)
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UK issue #47 - The Dinobot singing group was never a hit. -
UK issue #48 - Not that Swamp Thing. -
UK issue #49 - Someone get Jetfire a rope. -
UK issue #50 - Me Grimlock say Sludge getting too close for comfort.
- UK issue #47 cover: Snarl, Slag, Sludge and Grimlock by David Lloyd.
- UK issue #48 cover: Sludge by Jeff Anderson.
- UK Issue #49 cover: Jetfire vs Slag by Geoff Senior.
- UK issue #50 cover: Grimlock vs Sludge by John Higgins.
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Collected Comics #7 - Me Grimlock say this is very familiar. -
Transformers: Dinobot Hunt - Crush puny log cabins! -
Best of UK: Dinobots #2 A - Snarl slices and dices! -
Best of UK: Dinobots #2 B
- Collected Comics #7 cover: Reuse of cover of #50.
- Transformers: Dinobot Hunt cover: The Dinobots crush some log cabins, by ???
- Best of UK: Dinobots #2 cover A: Snarl brandishing a sword, art by Nick Roche, colours by Rob Ruffolo.
- Best of UK: Dinobots #2 cover B: Scene from UK issue #47, art by Will Simpson, colours by Stuart Place.
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Best of UK: Dinobots #2 RI-A -
Best of UK: Dinobots #2 RI-B - Snarl slices and dices in glorious monochrome! -
Best of UK: Dinobots #3 A - Slag you all! -
Best of UK: Dinobots #3 B
- Best of UK: Dinobots #2 Retail Incentive cover A: Panels from UK issue #48, art by Barry Kitson, colours by Stuart Place.
- Best of UK: Dinobots #2 Retail Incentive cover B: Sketch version of cover A, by Nick Roche.
- Best of UK: Dinobots #3 cover A: Slag leaping through flames, art by Nick Roche, colours by Rob Ruffolo.
- Best of UK: Dinobots #3 cover B: Scene from UK issue #50, art by Barry Kitson & Tim Perkins, colours by Stuart Place.
-
Best of UK: Dinobots #3 RI-A -
Best of UK: Dinobots #3 RI-B -
Best of UK: Dinobots TPB - Me Grimlock carry big sword. -
The Transformers Classics UK Volume 2
- Best of UK: Dinobots #3 Retail Incentive cover A: Panels from UK issue #50, art by Barry Kitson & Tim Perkins, colours by Stuart Place.
- Best of UK: Dinobots #3 Retail Incentive cover B: Sketch version of cover A, by Nick Roche.
- Best of UK: Dinobots TPB cover: Grimlock, by Nick Roche.
- The Transformers Classics UK Volume 2 cover: Centurion, Professor Morris and his neural relay link, Soundwave, Shockwave, Megatron, Buster's battlesuit, the Overlord and Nightstalker, by Andrew Wildman.
