So, in issue 23 circuit breaker destroys blasters team and reconstructs them into a Frankenstein mech of sorts and uses it to destroy Runamuck and Runabout. However, in issue 26 Blaster and his team are completely restored and hanging out at the ark. How did they get repaired and back to the ark?

 

At the end of issue #23, Circuit Breaker explains that she agreed to set the Autobots free afterwards in order to secure their cooperation as the big mech. So after the Battlechargers were dealt with, the Autobots were all put back to normal and then allowed to leave.

 

Oh ok, i must've missed that word bubble or something. It would've been better to actually show that agreement imo. Thanks for clearing it up.

 

Yeah, I think the problem with that issue is your typical José Delbo (I think it was him drawing it) lack of imagination. Instead of drawing the amalgam Autobot like parts of several combined, it looked like a completely different new creature. So it felt hard to believe these guys all got back alright.
I think next they ran into Galvatron and Centurion on their way back home, in the UK comics.

 

Unfortunately...

Look, I love the Marvel comics... but the reality is a LOT of stuff happens off panel or is just resolved much too simply. Issue 24; a Transformer's brain can fit on a floppy disk? Think about issue 37 where the III guy wires the Throttlebots' BRAINS to friggin' toy cars!

You just kind of have to look the other way on some of this stuff.

 

Marvel run didn't truly shine until Furman took over, imo.

 

In the full on UK continuity, it's fairly explicit, as others have noted, after the events of "Decepticon Graffiti", Circuit Breaker reconstituted Skids, the Aerialbots, and the Cybertron Seven into their original forms, honouring her bargain with them, whereupon the Aerialbots 'went bird' and flew off back to the Ark, leaving Skids and the Seven to walk, because the Aerialbots, in any continuity, have no manners whatsoever, and the Cybertron Seven apparently forgot that they had vehicle modes- or just fancied a relaxing stroll in their undisguised robot modes through the countryside right next to the current Decepticon base... because they're numpties, presumably. Though, granted, Skids was specifically identified as serving as their guide back to the Ark, so it's possible that this impressive display of less common sense than meets the eye is not entirely out of character. The Aerialbots get back in time for the start of "Prey", the Seven don't make it back until "Resurrection", and poor old Skids isn't, in fact, seen to make it back to the Ark until "Edge of Extinction", getting conveniently blacked out of the panel in "Funeral for a Friend" and re-drawn into someone else in "Totalled".

In the US continuity, it's ambiguous as to whether Circuit Breaker reconstructed them and they headed back as above, or whether the conglomerated creature may have flown back to the Ark once given its freedom, and the Autobots been restored to their original forms and structure by Ratchet prior to the Aerialbots showing up during that ghastly crossover with Action Force.

 

Incidentally, come to think of it, there's one odd consequence of all this. During "Fallen Angel", a few of the Cybertron Seven do transform- not as a means of transport, but during their free and frank exchange of views with Galvatron, at least Warpath, Perceptor, Powerglide, and Blaster are seen in their alternate modes- and these are their Earth forms, whereas the last time the Seven were able to transform, in "A Bridge to Nowhere", they were clearly in noticeably differently drawn Cybertronian vehicle forms.

So, this means that nice Miss Beller not only fixed them all, she also helpfully gave them new Earth-appropriate disguises to help the giant killer robots better conceal themselves and infiltrate human society. Well, except Cosmos. Maybe she just didn't like Cosmos.

Presumably we can chalk this helpful rebuild up to Blaster's negotiating skill, since Skids would have forgotten, and the Aerialbots would have just said "Nah, we can use the little red plane bloke as a sports bra in Combiner Wars or something, but the rest don't turn into jets; f*** 'em," if consulted on this.

Presumably this means that Blaster doesn't like Cosmos either. Poor Cosmos.

 

But surely Cosmos had the best earth disguise of them all. Nobody believes anyone if they say they saw a UFO/flying saucer.