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scans_dailyI recently came across this story in old copies of Transformers Weekly I found in a longbox, and thought I'd share.
There's a G1 cartoon episode, "Autobot Spike", which deals with what happens when the mind of a wounded Spike Witwicky (the Autobots human sidekick) is placed inside a convenient robot body made out of spare Autobot parts whilst his body undergoes a life saving operation. Naturally, he goes stark staring mad, and runs amok, until he is eventually stopped and brought back to be restored to his old self... As disturbing Frankenstein body-horror stories go, it's not a bad 22 minute toy-based cartoon.
This is NOT that story, though it does examine the question... "What CAN a race of 40 foot tall alien battle robots possibly do to help their squishy little human buddy stay safe?"
The cover offers a clue... (The story is written by Transformers legend Simon Furman, and the art is a very early example of Barry Kitson, another find of Marvel UK)
(each issue is 11 pages of story, and I have just under 4 pages per issue here)
We start in the Ark, with Optimus being summoned....
Ratchet is the Autobot's medic and Wheeljack their cheif engineer... as one might imagine with a robot based life form, they actually have a lot of overlap in their tasks.
Okay, I admit it, I WANT ONE!!! (and whether I mean the battlesuit or the cute blond (Who I believe is legal age), I leave up to you to decide)
.... um.... way to be the great communicator there Prime.
Peerless leader is prepared make allowances for Buster because he's young, but he berates the two Autobots for doing anything which would put Buster in danger like that. Op feels that they have already involved him in their battles with the Decepticons too much, and giving him a means to be on the front line is unbelievably irresponsible. Wheeljack tries the "With the greatest respect, he already IS involved in our battles one way or the other" approach but Prime will have none of it. He wants the suit decommissioned immediately.
Buster has a few ideas of his own about that. (A summary of the cause and result of his holding the Creation Matrix in his head can be found here)
Wheeljack and Ratchet literally draw back at such language (Seriously, they look like the victims of "The Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town" (poor lip synch in that video, but rather funny).
Optimus actually uses "Well, I'm sorry you feel that way." and before he leaves insists the it is his responsibility to keep Buster safe, and out of the fight, so the suit be destroyed.
Buster has a quick yell at Wheeljack and Ratchet for not standing up for him better, but they point out that whilst Buster is their friend, Prime is their commander. Buster storms out wondering (and it's a fair point) "Who is Optimus Prime to tell me what I think is worth fighting for?"
The two Autobots are sort of down about all this, and decide to call it a night, they'll junk the battlesuit the next day. (Now surely a plan like that can't possibly go wrong, can it?)
I think the appropriate term to use here is "Uh-oh...."
Buster decides to prove how capable he is by using the suit to go on a mission. Nothing TOO insanely dangerous mind you... and he has a destination in mind..
The old abandoned Decepticon base just inside the suits flight range. This is the first base they had set up on Earth, which they have long since cleared out of. Buster hopes to find some useful piece of alien tech lying around which will prove his worth.
But of course, nothing is quite as straightforward, and the base has a couple of other visitors tonight. This is also a chance for a little used character to shine. He was sadly usually overlooked because A) His alt mode was an audio cassette tape (hardly terrifying), and B) He usually found himself being overshadowed by his brother, who had a cooler name, a much more interesting visual and a lot more screentime. Meet the Decepticon who doesn't like to be known as "Rumble's brother" Frenzy!
Whereas Rumble dealt with low frequency vibrations to create earthquakes, Frenzy dealt with the other end of the spectrum, high frequency vibrations. He also has a hair trigger temper and is NOT happy about being on his current salvage mission, he's looking for something to punch, and punch hard.
Say what you like about Buster, it takes balls of steel to even try a move like that...
Alas, it's not enough to finish Frenzy off, and when he climbs to his feet again, he unleashes an intensive sonic barrage on Buster.
Luckily, Buster had found the button for an "Echo Cell", which creates a small bubble around a target, reflecting all sound they generate back in on them, and in Frenzy's case, that's the LAST thing he'd want...
But no sooner is Buster thanking his lucky stars that he managed to stop one of the smaller, weaker Decepticons adn it's time to get the hell out of there well... Remember I said there were a COUPLE of visitors to the base other than Buster... Take a peek at the next issue's cover to see if you can guess who the other one is and why Buster is screwed six ways from Cybertron.
Yup, that's Shockwave, the first one to supplant Megatron, part time giant ray gun and one of the most ruthless, badass Transformers of all time.
This issue starts with a nice little montage (You can almost hear the power chords) which highlight that Buster is actually a lot more creative and capable than even Prime would have guessed.
He's not successful mind you, but he IS trying...
For a Decepticon who claims to be the embodiment of pure logic and disdains those who embrace emotion of any sort, Shockwave DOES love a dramatic entrance... He has Buster cornered...
When you only have one great big unblinking eye... lens... thingie, don't be surprised when it becomes a target
Reeling in pain and blinded, Shockwave has very unpleasant flashbacks....G1 comics Shockwave pent several hundred thousand years trapped in a tarpit after a fight with the Dinobots, and another long period, trapped underground. He does NOT like being unable to see)
Buster wisely takes the chance to scarper.
I should also add that when Shockwave veers into emotional mode, run like hell and pray to whatever deity you believe in.
Buster uses the time to try one last chance strike, putting ALL his suits power into one last ditch plasma blast. It'll exhaust every erg he has, but he hasn't got a whole lot of choice. He doesn't want to risk missing, so, again showing he has a a LOT of nerve, actually calls Shockwave out (I don't think even PRIME ever called Shockwave out) to get him in range (and also it means if the whole lash-up blows up then he might still stand a chance to do Shockwave some damage)
Now Buster, don't fire until you can see thewhites yellow of his eyes!
The blast manages to blast Shockwave into a canyon wall, stunning him... unfortunately it also does a number on the battlesuit.
Optimus offers Shockwave a deal. If he puts the squishy little human down unharmed, then he will be allowed to leave. If he harms Buster then six of the toughest Autobot warriors will take great pleasure in unleashing car-mageddon upon him.
Shockwave is back to logical mode, and agrees.
Yeah, anyone want to guess how THAT turns out?
If there's interest I could put up the next issues, when Shockwave tries to get revenge using the Constructicons, who give new meaning to the notion of a "Demolition Derby".
There's a G1 cartoon episode, "Autobot Spike", which deals with what happens when the mind of a wounded Spike Witwicky (the Autobots human sidekick) is placed inside a convenient robot body made out of spare Autobot parts whilst his body undergoes a life saving operation. Naturally, he goes stark staring mad, and runs amok, until he is eventually stopped and brought back to be restored to his old self... As disturbing Frankenstein body-horror stories go, it's not a bad 22 minute toy-based cartoon.
This is NOT that story, though it does examine the question... "What CAN a race of 40 foot tall alien battle robots possibly do to help their squishy little human buddy stay safe?"
The cover offers a clue... (The story is written by Transformers legend Simon Furman, and the art is a very early example of Barry Kitson, another find of Marvel UK)
(each issue is 11 pages of story, and I have just under 4 pages per issue here)
We start in the Ark, with Optimus being summoned....
Ratchet is the Autobot's medic and Wheeljack their cheif engineer... as one might imagine with a robot based life form, they actually have a lot of overlap in their tasks.
Okay, I admit it, I WANT ONE!!! (and whether I mean the battlesuit or the cute blond (Who I believe is legal age), I leave up to you to decide)
.... um.... way to be the great communicator there Prime.
Peerless leader is prepared make allowances for Buster because he's young, but he berates the two Autobots for doing anything which would put Buster in danger like that. Op feels that they have already involved him in their battles with the Decepticons too much, and giving him a means to be on the front line is unbelievably irresponsible. Wheeljack tries the "With the greatest respect, he already IS involved in our battles one way or the other" approach but Prime will have none of it. He wants the suit decommissioned immediately.
Buster has a few ideas of his own about that. (A summary of the cause and result of his holding the Creation Matrix in his head can be found here)
Wheeljack and Ratchet literally draw back at such language (Seriously, they look like the victims of "The Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town" (poor lip synch in that video, but rather funny).
Optimus actually uses "Well, I'm sorry you feel that way." and before he leaves insists the it is his responsibility to keep Buster safe, and out of the fight, so the suit be destroyed.
Buster has a quick yell at Wheeljack and Ratchet for not standing up for him better, but they point out that whilst Buster is their friend, Prime is their commander. Buster storms out wondering (and it's a fair point) "Who is Optimus Prime to tell me what I think is worth fighting for?"
The two Autobots are sort of down about all this, and decide to call it a night, they'll junk the battlesuit the next day. (Now surely a plan like that can't possibly go wrong, can it?)
I think the appropriate term to use here is "Uh-oh...."
Buster decides to prove how capable he is by using the suit to go on a mission. Nothing TOO insanely dangerous mind you... and he has a destination in mind..
The old abandoned Decepticon base just inside the suits flight range. This is the first base they had set up on Earth, which they have long since cleared out of. Buster hopes to find some useful piece of alien tech lying around which will prove his worth.
But of course, nothing is quite as straightforward, and the base has a couple of other visitors tonight. This is also a chance for a little used character to shine. He was sadly usually overlooked because A) His alt mode was an audio cassette tape (hardly terrifying), and B) He usually found himself being overshadowed by his brother, who had a cooler name, a much more interesting visual and a lot more screentime. Meet the Decepticon who doesn't like to be known as "Rumble's brother" Frenzy!
Whereas Rumble dealt with low frequency vibrations to create earthquakes, Frenzy dealt with the other end of the spectrum, high frequency vibrations. He also has a hair trigger temper and is NOT happy about being on his current salvage mission, he's looking for something to punch, and punch hard.
Say what you like about Buster, it takes balls of steel to even try a move like that...
Alas, it's not enough to finish Frenzy off, and when he climbs to his feet again, he unleashes an intensive sonic barrage on Buster.
Luckily, Buster had found the button for an "Echo Cell", which creates a small bubble around a target, reflecting all sound they generate back in on them, and in Frenzy's case, that's the LAST thing he'd want...
But no sooner is Buster thanking his lucky stars that he managed to stop one of the smaller, weaker Decepticons adn it's time to get the hell out of there well... Remember I said there were a COUPLE of visitors to the base other than Buster... Take a peek at the next issue's cover to see if you can guess who the other one is and why Buster is screwed six ways from Cybertron.
Yup, that's Shockwave, the first one to supplant Megatron, part time giant ray gun and one of the most ruthless, badass Transformers of all time.
This issue starts with a nice little montage (You can almost hear the power chords) which highlight that Buster is actually a lot more creative and capable than even Prime would have guessed.
He's not successful mind you, but he IS trying...
For a Decepticon who claims to be the embodiment of pure logic and disdains those who embrace emotion of any sort, Shockwave DOES love a dramatic entrance... He has Buster cornered...
When you only have one great big unblinking eye... lens... thingie, don't be surprised when it becomes a target
Reeling in pain and blinded, Shockwave has very unpleasant flashbacks....G1 comics Shockwave pent several hundred thousand years trapped in a tarpit after a fight with the Dinobots, and another long period, trapped underground. He does NOT like being unable to see)
Buster wisely takes the chance to scarper.
I should also add that when Shockwave veers into emotional mode, run like hell and pray to whatever deity you believe in.
Buster uses the time to try one last chance strike, putting ALL his suits power into one last ditch plasma blast. It'll exhaust every erg he has, but he hasn't got a whole lot of choice. He doesn't want to risk missing, so, again showing he has a a LOT of nerve, actually calls Shockwave out (I don't think even PRIME ever called Shockwave out) to get him in range (and also it means if the whole lash-up blows up then he might still stand a chance to do Shockwave some damage)
Now Buster, don't fire until you can see the
The blast manages to blast Shockwave into a canyon wall, stunning him... unfortunately it also does a number on the battlesuit.
Optimus offers Shockwave a deal. If he puts the squishy little human down unharmed, then he will be allowed to leave. If he harms Buster then six of the toughest Autobot warriors will take great pleasure in unleashing car-mageddon upon him.
Shockwave is back to logical mode, and agrees.
Yeah, anyone want to guess how THAT turns out?
If there's interest I could put up the next issues, when Shockwave tries to get revenge using the Constructicons, who give new meaning to the notion of a "Demolition Derby".
