The House that Wheeljack Built!
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| "The House that Wheeljack Built!" | |||||||||||||
| Publisher | Marvel Comics | ||||||||||||
| First published | 7th July 1990 | ||||||||||||
| Cover date | 14th July 1990 | ||||||||||||
| Writer | Simon Furman | ||||||||||||
| Penciler | Pete Knifton | ||||||||||||
| Inker | Michael Eve | ||||||||||||
| Letterer | Glib | ||||||||||||
| Cover | Jeff Anderson | ||||||||||||
| Continuity | Marvel Comics continuity/Earthforce | ||||||||||||
Wheeljack discovers you can be too clever by half!
Synopsis
Wheeljack presents the newly built Autobot Earthbase for Earthforce. Grimlock likes it, but Prowl is concerned about the lack of defences. Wheeljack replies that the defences are hidden and produces a remote control. Prowl presses the red button on it and nothing happens... until Wheeljack throws a rock and immediately guns rise from the snow and destroy it. Wheeljack explains that many more defences are hidden in the snow to defend the base. Prowl asks about how strong they are—can they be knocked out? Can they be disabled by destroying the remote? Wheeljack replies that they can't and the only way to deactivate the system is a control panel inside the base.
Prowl points to where Swoop, Jazz, Snarl, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Slingshot, Skydive, Fireflight, Slag, Silverbolt, Sludge, Air Raid, and Sunstreaker are standing. It's a silly question, but he asks anyway "Who exactly is inside the base to operate the control?" Wheeljack realises his slight mistake and Grimlock explodes in rage that they cannot get into their own base.
Realising that this will test the defences, Prowl orders Jazz and Bumblebee to follow him and the Aerialbots to provide air cover whilst the other Autobots do what they can to help. Jazz and Bumblebee shoot out the guns that blast Prowl, then heat seekers follow him. Prowl transforms to robot mode to dodge heat seeking drones and is met by acid spitting bats. Fortunately, the Aerialbots are overhead and shoot the bats down. Prowl enters the base, only to be confronted by electric shock tentacles.
Finally, Prowl reaches the control and deactivates the defences. He radios Grimlock, who is holding Wheeljack upside down, and tells him to tell the inventor that next time he shouldn't do such a good job!
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
Quotes
Notes
Artwork and technical errors
- No polar bears appear in the exterior shots in this issue unlike normally.
Continuity errors
- Prowl's transformation immediately removes the heat he was generating, in spite of the laws of energy. This sort of thing has happened before.
Continuity notes
- The Survivors are noticeably absent from the story, but they are accounted for in the next issue.
Real-life references
- The title comes from a popular British nursery rhyme ("This is the House that Jack Built"), whose title (and variations thereof) has graced many songs, novels, TV shows, etc.
Other trivia
Back-up Material
- Additional Transformers Story: ...All Fall Down!
- Other strips: G.I. Joe the Action Force - "Cut and Freeze Dried" and Combat Colin
- AtoZ: Soundwave and Starscream
Covers (2)
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Issue #278 -
Titan TPB
- Issue #278 cover: Prowl and Wheeljack are ambushed, by Jeff Anderson.
- Earthforce TPB cover: Grimlock thumps a table, by Stephen Baskerville.
