Transformers US #4
The Facts
Dated: March 1985
Cover: Artist Unknown
Story: "The Last Stand" (22 pages)
Credits: Jim Salicrup (writer); Frank Springer (penciller); Akin (co-inker); Garvey (co-inker); John Workman (letterer); Nelson Yomtov (colourer); Bob Budiansky (editor); Jim Shooter (editor in chief)
Reprints: Reprinted partly in black and white in UK #7 and #8, and in full colour in Collected Comics 2, in hardcover format in The Complete Works Volume 2 (with an altered ending), and currently available in the Titan graphic novel Beginnings.
In Brief
Which one is this?
Sparkplug has a heart attack, O's dad wears an Optimus Prime costume, the Decepticons have corrosive fuel, and Shockwave kills everyone.
Firsts and Lasts
- First and only appearance of "O"'s father
- First appearance of Shockwave and the Dinobots
- First appearance of the Savage Land from the Marvel Universe
- First and last appearance of the Tubes of Transference, which the caption makes out to be far more impressive than they actually are.
- Last issue where Bob Budiansky is editor. From now on he'll be writing the stories.
Memorable Moments / Dialogue Triumphs
The probe has a speech bubble with the words "Beep! Beep!"
Miserable Moments / Dialogue Disasters
Ratchet directly quotes from his tech specs. Couldn't they at least have tried to paraphrase?
A news report says "obviously there's more than meets the eye". Obviously he's been watching too many Transformers toy ads.
Megatron on Optimus Prime: "He's had this coming for centuries."
Most of the dialogue is pretty awful, really.
The Characters
Autobots
Autobots (behind the scenes)
Autobots (in flashback)
Decepticons
Decepticons (in flashback)
Humans
Humans (in flashback)
The Story
Synopsis
Following Sparkplug's revelation about providing the Decepticons with fuel, the Autobots argue what to do with him. Seeing them fighting amongst themselves, Sparkplug grabs Buster and runs. When the Autobots cease arguing, they see the humans making a run for it, and Jazz uses his flamethrower to block their path. This causes Sparkplug to have a heart attack. Ratchet drives Buster and Sparkplug to hospital, whilst Sparkplug dreams of his time as a Prisoner of War in the Korean War. Meanwhile in Oregon, "O" watches the news reports about the battle at the Decepticon fortress, whilst his father tells him how it's good for business, the Roland family leave town, and Jessie can't stop wondering if she'll ever see Buster again. At the Decepticon base, Megatron steps outside, subjecting himself to a fifteen minute barrage of human artillery fire which proves useless, before returning to the fortress. He then assess the casualties and orders Ravage to go spy on the Autobots.
Meanwhile on the Ark, Huffer shows Prime records that shortly after the Ark crashed on Earth, it sent out a probe to investigate a Cybertronic life form in a part of Antarctica known to Marvel readers as the Savage Land. It detected the Decepticon Shockwave and, with the last of its power, rebuilt five Autobots into the shape of the dinosaurs which lived there. The probe was destroyed just before the battle between the two forces. Ratchet has already dispatched a new probe to try to find out what happened. Prime resolves to find a way to stand against the Decepticons with no fuel, and Ravage - who has been lurking in the Ark - reports this to Megatron, who decides to launch an attack.
The Autobots decide to transfer their remaining fuel into a select group of five for a last stand against the Decepticons. Optimus Prime, Bluestreak, Huffer, Ironhide, and Mirage fight the Decepticons, and are on the verge of defeat when the Decepticons collapse because Sparkplug had provided them with corrosive fuel. However, the probe despatched to investigate the disappearance of Shockwave and the Dinobots accidentally reactivated Shockwave, who arrives on the scene just as the weakened Autobots have won and takes them all out. Meanwhile, at the hosptial, two paramedics take Ratchet out on an emergency call - believing him to be a real ambulance - and Sparkplug regains consciousness.
Goofs
- Huffer says that Bumblebee, Sideswipe, Brawn, and Gears were all knocked out defending the humans. We saw Bumblebee and Gears, and Brawn get knocked out in a UK story set before this comment. But when did Sideswipe get knocked out?
- I don't normally comment on the artwork, but on page 2 there's an Autobot in the background who looks a lot like Swoop.
- How did "O"'s father get such a perfect Optimus Prime suit?
- Just why does Megatron subject himself to 15 minutes of human artillery fire?
- If the Ark could reconstruct the Dinobots in response to Shockwave, why couldn't it reconstruct other Autobots immediately after the crash?
- The five warriors Prime chooses to face the Decepticons are an odd choice. He picks Mirage and Bluestreak - who both have motivation issues - over the likes of superior warriors like Prowl, Brawn, Sideswipe, or Sunstreaker.
- The caption says that all but the injured Autobots are in the tubes of transference. However, Cliffjumper, Hound, Jazz, Prowl, Trailbreaker and Wheeljack have not been injured at all, but are absent from the scene, whilst Sideswipe, and Brawn were listed amongst the casualties last issue, yet are clearly seen standing in the tubes of transference.
- Prime's hand grows to be larger than Starscream's leg.
- There are at least seven Autobots in some panels of the fight scene, and not just the five indicated in the captions. Identifiable Autobots who shouldn't be there include Bumblebee, Cliffjumper, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker.
Analysis
'Victory is within my grasp!' The comic is finally starting to get there. The plot is very well constructed, with some great exploration of human responses to the Transformers, a great plot twist with the corrosive fuel, and the double reversal in the last few pages. The artwork is showing signs of improvement, but the dialogue is still very clunky.
Copyright
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