Hello everyone. As someone who collected the Marvel UK comic from number 1 right through until the end I want to thank you for this nostalgia trip through the US issues. I have enjoyed reading the comments on here. It will always be my favourite series and I still enjoy reading some of the stories in the collected volumes.

There is just one thing that I want to contribute to this though and it is regarding Optimus Prime and his resurrection. When I read it at the time and even now, it is clearly implied that this is the same Optimus that has returned with a new body. His personality has been copied on to the disc (but in the UK Christmas story Cold, Comfort and Joy, Prime is suffering from memory loss). I never saw any indication anywhere in the comic where anyone ever referred to Prime as a clone. It would be years later when I read the book Eugenesis, by future Transformers writer James Roberts, that I became aware of this theory. It is clear that James Roberts believes this to be the case. However the book is not cannon, it was never an official publication and I have always treated it as fanfiction. In terms of the Marvel US Transformers, Prime is clearly intended to have been brought back to life and carried on as before, with the now added help of HiQ.

 

Under Marvel G1 sparks were non-existent in canon even after the introduction of Primus, so Cybertronian entire personality could be downloaded and uploaded to a new body.

I still think it would result in a clone if you duplicated data and uploaded it into multiple bodies.

 

I suppose if there were lots of versions of the same Transformer wandering around that would make them a clone of the original. By using the process of copying their personality into new bodies then I guess this would work, proving that they had the materials to build multiple bodies of the same bot (an army of Trypticon's for example). Maybe Transformers are like us and think that it is unethical to create duplicates of the same Transformers as not even the Decepticons seemed to consider this method to build super soldiers. I think we are led to believe that to physically build a Transformers body is extremely complex as even Brainstorm couldn't seem to be able to download Prime into a new body without it exploding.

 

#51 The Man in the Machine

Having left the Autobots, Spike Witwicky is haunted by dreams of mechanical creatures. When during a ski holiday he and his friend are attacked by Decepticon Pretenders, he comes to realise that it’s his past self, his headmaster self, that’s haunting him. Through his dreams he summons Fortress Maximus and combined with him again he fights off the Decepticons. But although he has accepted his headmaster self, he again sends Maximus off to live his college student life.


Not every issue can be an Underbase saga issue, but I am definitely glad not every issue is like this one. I just don’t like this, but I will admit to being biased. I liked Fortress Maximus and although his role was already seriously diminished, this issue would be his last appearance for the rest of the series save for the very end, almost thirty issues later. It just goes to show Budiansky, despite writing the wonderful The Headmasters series and Galen’s downfall in that, didn’t know what to do with the character in the series proper. Like I speculated earlier, it almost reads that he created the interesting Galen just to kill him and replace him with Spike so he could get rid of Fort Max due to Spike leaving. It also shows again that for the Autobots Galen dying (and Spike replacing him) was a serious blow. Fort Max became erratic (very emotional, erratic and making several bad calls) because the seasoned leader/politician/military commander Galen was replaced by a college student. And now the seriously weakened Autobot forces loose a formidable fighting machine.

Outside of this bias about Fort Max his role, I just don’t find the story very interesting. Spike dealing with his former life is predictable, the main story has him and his friend skiing, and there are two new Decepticons about whom we learn nothing save that they’re beast pretenders and their name.

I think the only positive about this for me is the art. Delbo does a very fine job and although very obvious what Spike’s nightmare entails, it is well visualised. On the negative side, Max has shrunk even further and Cerebros is basically non-existent.

A so-so issue for me, which is even more painful because the previous arc was so great. Thankfully, the next two issues are a whole lot better.

 

A filler issue, this time Budiansky didn't even base the idea on anything stupid enough to be enjoyable. 100% forgettable.

 

Well, Spike was always going to be the HeadMaster counterpart to Fort Max because toy. Galen had to be introduced because the headmasters were on Nebulos. The only other work around would of been to ignore Nebulos and just make all of the Head Masters and Target Masters human. As in Earth humans.
I wonder why Bob couldn’t of just said, “well, Fort Max accomplished his mission. Now we can un-binary bond Spike and return Fort Max to his old self.” Not sure if the reason why they didn’t do that was ever explained. Maybe once you undergo the Head Master process you can’t go back? Yet, we can rebuild Prime and Starscream and on and on.
But again, you’re right this was just a way to get FM out of the picture.

 

Except that the toy bio, that Budiansky must have known about, refers to Spike as the Nebulan leader. And since Spike didn't exist in the Marvel run, he could've just used the name Spike for who became Galen.

I would've preferred that as well. However...This is where we hit a potential continuity problem in this issue (which I only now realise).

Budiansky has established that a TF is nothing more than a very advanced A.I. It's the brainmodule, and nothing more, that gives life and the personality, and that brainmodule is in the head (that was removed and likely left on Nebulos). "The Headmasters" makes clear that the body is completely under control of the Headmaster unit, while (quoting from memory) the head remains in contact to instruct and guide the newly formed Headmaster. Unlike the cartoon where the TF transfers his memories to the body and the two are in constant contact, in Marvel there's essentially only the Nebulon. Hence why Fortress Maximus and especially Scorponok, change so much in character after the process. Scorponok is now essentially Zarak, while Fort Max first was Galen and now is Spike.

And here we have Spike conversing (in his mind) with Fortress Maximus. Granted, it can still fit because it can be reasoned that this not the true Fortress Maximus, but just the image of what it represents to Spike. (But in his next appearance, under Furman, Fort Max his mind is still there and the process is a merging of two personalities.)

 

All good points!

 

Transformers Marvel US #52 is live to discuss!
Menace of the Mechanibals!
“Guess who the Mechanibals are having for dinner?”
Roll Out!

 

I'm going to review #51 and #52 together here:
#51: The Man in the Machine!
-Not much to say about this one. It's about the G1 comic versions of Fortress Maximus and Spike, neither of whom I find particularly interesting. As many other reviews in this thread have noted, Budiansky doesn't seem to have liked Fort Max...and it shows.
-This comic features the last appearance of Sparkplug Witwicky. A fond farewell to another of the comic's best human characters.
-I like Spike's friend (Cliff) and find him to be a lot more interesting than Spike himself. He's proven to be the most memorable part of the issue for me.
-This is the only appearance of Carnivac and Snarler in the US series. They're pretty clearly here just to be toy advertisements, and they aren't given any terribly distinguishing features beyond being evil. (The UK series, from what I understand, handled Carnivac in a much more interesting way.)
-I believe this is now the second issue in the series to feature a big Transformers battle at a ski resort (the first was Ratchet and the Dinobots vs Megatron in issue #8). The snow-covered landscape was apparently very memorable for me, as I remember it more than basically anything Spike/Fort Max did.
-And after this issue, we say good-bye to Fort Max and Spike for a good long time. They will not be missed (by me, at least).

#52: Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having For Dinner?
-In spite of being totally nuts, I remember enjoying this issue a lot more than I enjoyed the last issue, probably because it doesn't focus on Fruitloop Multipuck.
-Landmine and Cloudburst are a great duo and play off one another really well. I was pleasantly surprised by how well Budiansky wrote them here.
-The Grand Central Space Station, and its hatred of robots, is a really neat concept and lent itself to some excellent visuals.
-Sky Lynx and Berko are back, the latter apparently having decided that he'd rather not return to Earth for some reason. Yay for continuity!
-Hi-Test and Throttle (the Nebulan partners of Darkwing and Dreadwind) are also in this story; the four of them are working as mercenaries and continue to be very entertaining.
-The Mecannibals are an entertaining concept, being equal parts interesting visually, scary, and amusing. It's also interesting to see a pair of Autobots engaging in black market deals with them (albeit in order to repair fallen comrades). That being said, it is kind of odd that none of the Autobots seem suspicious about where the Mecannibals got all of their microchips from.
-The Space Station's preestablished hatred of robots pays off as Hi-Test and Throttle use it to capture the Autobot Pretenders and deliver them to the Mecannibals.
-The issue ends on a good cliffhanger.

 

I love the idea that if the Autobots can get their hands on some high grade microchips, everything is gonna be okay. Just solder in some some new chips and them old guys will be up and running in no time.

 

Issues 51 and 52 really drive Home the point that Blaster is dead. In fact, this issue shows Grimlock, Blaster and Goldbugs bodies in the same panel. Former series stars.

 

Definitely. Even though Grim and Bee come back relatively soon, Blaster as we’ve known him realy may as well be killed off at this point. He doesn’t act, or even really look, like Blaster in his next appearance a million years from now. There is something kind of sad about Blaster’s underbase death after following him for so long tbh

 

Poor Blaster really got the short end of the stick (especially for such a major character).

 

I wonder how much having to kill Blaster did contribute to Budiansky's burning out as a TF writer. Looks like he liked the character.

 

Too bad the classic pretenders couldn’t of been Grim, Bee and Blaster. Would of been a cool trio actually considering their pasts.

 

#52 "Guess Who the Mecannibals are having for Dinner!"

To get a much needed supply of microchips to repair the fallen Autobots, two Pretenders, Landmine and Cloudburst, are send to a space station where robots are not wanted. Once there they are approached by two small humanoids revealed to be the powermasters Hi-Test and Throttle. They also encounter Berko and this makes Landmine demand a meeting with the real dealer in micro-chips. These turn out to be the titular Mecannibals, robot eating mechanoids and Sky Lynx is their meal. Landmine in his robot form (while his shell also walks around) attacks and frees Sky Lynx. Afterwards the two Pretenders reveal themselves to Berko and accidentally to the Nebulans. And it ends on a cliff-hanger with our heroes now captured and to be eaten.


This issue maintains a delicate balance between acceptable and absurd. The Mecannibals are pretty ridiculous (and in the 80’s I seriously hated their presence) but the rest is perfectly acceptable: a space station that’s a resting place and home to outcasts and criminals, organics hating robots, Hi-Test and Throttle ending up here and making a living, Pretenders going undercover. It all is perfectly acceptable.

The biggest strength of this issue (and the next) is that it finally provides character for some of the Autobot Pretenders. Their creation was overshadowed by the return of Optimus, so it’s great to see some of them get some time in the spotlight. And I’m happy it’s these two (we only got three of the Pretenders per faction in Europe) resulting in them being definite favourites (plus Waverider because I loved the look of his toy). Of these I think Landmine is handled best and most accurately. He’s definitely a rough and tough guy who wants to be a hero, while Cloudburst comes across as just another more reserved type. But as noted by @Longitudinalwave, these two characters are perfect for each other.

It’s great to see Hi-Test and Throttle (and by extension Dreadwing and Darkwind), but I could do without Berko. Actually, something I didn’t notice in the past, but the timeline is a bit wobbly. We find Berko in an alley, washed up and boozed up...but Sky Lynx is only now on the menu and following the Chromite captures at the start of the story. So how quickly exactly does Berko looks for solace in his drinks?

As noted by others, in hindsight the depiction of Blaster, Goldbug and Grimlock, Budiansky’s three leading Autobots in the past, could be seen as a sign that he wanted to move on, disconnecting from his past characters. On the other hand, in interviews he’s distanced himself very much of his tenure calling it nothing but a job he once had, so maybe we’re reading too much in it. What I do find interesting is that all the Autobots apparently need to fix their fallen troops, is microchips. First it questions how much effort Scorponok is undertaking to repair his troops (since he wouldn’t be hindered by morals that will plague the Autobots in the next issue) and secondly it affirms Budiansky’s view on TF’s as just very advanced machines/A.I.. Just repair them and you’re done.

Not Budiansky’s best work, a bit weird and bonkers, but still a solid outing with a highlight the nice character work of the two Autobot leads.

 

I also love the Waverider toy. Makes me want to dig him out.

 

Transformers Marvel US #53 is live to discuss.
I never realized Jim Lee did this cover. I thought he only did #67.
“Recipe for Disaster”
Roll out!

 

An excellent cover.

Also, the thing that would probably most controversial these days; Cloudburst pointing out that, among his people, there are no men or women or mates. This has always informed my view of the Transformers (even in the face of Elita One and Arcee) so, whenever the endless sex / gender debates crop up, I think back to this. Cloudburst feeling mecha guilt or whatever in "lying" to the First One is interesting.

So the Pretender shells themselves wear armor? Huh. Also, you just need a big magnet to yank the bots out of the shells? Double huh. Could the Decepticon Pretenders possibly just be wearing armor and be humanoid underneath? Well, I guess not the likes of the guys like Carnivac or Catilla, but you know what I mean.

Of course, they make the (possibly nauseatingly) noble decision to return the chips, so they can be "recombined" with the spare parts comprising the Mechcannibals' world which will magically fix all of their victims. If you say so.