Transformation 250: Bothersome Bipeds.

24/2/2017

We've reached the end of another year! Yay!

Meaning the usual hugely tiring three pronged attack of posts.

Staring with: Starscream's ghost and a Christmas gift in ISSUE 250!

Then, Dreadwing goes down in the 1989 ANNUAL!

And finally, THE 1989 COLLECTED COMICS!

Thanks to everyone who's read over the preceeding 12 months. Here's to 1990, the last full year I'll be doing in real time...

20 Comments

SII

24/2/2017 11:56:58 pm

Errrm, that isn't a dalek in Combat Colin. That is Seawatch holding a christmas tree. :lol

Stuart

25/2/2017 08:15:47 am

Just popping up above the word "Merry".

SII

25/2/2017 12:50:45 pm

Oh, you mean THAT "Dalek"? That is CLEARLY Octus, a Transformer rather than a Skaro resident, popping in to enjoy a vol-au-vent and in no way exterminate everyone.

By which I mean: D'oh! Oops!

On a different note, I just noticed a mis-coloured Swindler and (presumably) Tailspin on the front cover of issue 250. Only took me 27 and a bit years to do so. Go me!

Are there any art errors on the back cover?

Ryan F

25/2/2017 11:56:49 am

Well, Whisper is described as an Autobot Assassin and Seaspray is inexplicably dead here.

I know it's a case of 2+2=5, but the obvious explanation for Seaspray's death would be that he was killed by Whisper!

JeremiahEcks

22/2/2025 04:14:35 pm

I like it.

I like it a lot.

Ryan F

25/2/2017 12:14:34 pm

Sorry for the double-post... just read the piece on the Annual. The two parts of Trigger-Happy were written by different people: Ian Rimmer and Dan Abnett, so blame Abnett for the Scoop SNAFU.

The story is also notable for being the only G1 fiction outside of the Universe profiles to acknowledge the Double Targetmaster's Nebulan weapons (Holepunch is mentioned by name.)

I think the new piece of art on The Quest is by the same Wetherell/Baskerville team who did the inside cover art - it's certainly the same style.

One thing does come out of Dreadwind Down... presumably this is set before Underbase, in which Hi-Q spends a lot of time floating in space as Prime's engine. I like to think that the events of this story prompted the Nebulans to increace the oxygen capacity of their armour!

Destiny of the Dinobots doesn't work if we set it in 1992 (as by that point Grimlock is s non-transforming Action Master), so I prefer to think of it as a 1991 story!

Stuart

25/2/2017 01:40:34 pm

DAMN. Amusingly I double checked the art credit to make sure the illustrations on both halves were from the same team. I would definitely guess it being written from a Furman outline (certainly all of Abnett's other Marvel TF stuff was as well, I'd guess Chain Gang was too). Spliting it between two authors suggests a bit of a mad rush to get things done as well.

Been a while since I read Another Time and Place, but there's nothing to say Destiny couldn't be set in 1992 after than and Grimlock getting his powers back is there? Or after him doing whatever it was he did prior to G2 in that continuity.

Tim Roll-Pickering link

25/2/2017 03:02:29 pm

Dreadwing Down! is mainly a problem because of Dreadwing, Darkwing and Quake all running around on Earth. I suppose you could have the first two as mercenaries currently contracted by Ratbat pre Underbase and maybe Quake has been assigned to Earth but it's unusual by this time for an annual strip to have to be placed some time back and/or need explanations for why particular characters are around.

I had forgotten that Rimmer and Abnett wrote separate parts. Was there ever a plan to release Scoop as a Decepticon that could have been on some reference material Abnett used? Did the pictures get drawn from the plot rather than the final text? Or was there some other reason to be discovered one day?

Destiny of the Dinobots takes us into the movie timeline, Earthforce and "is anyone still going to be following us then?" territory. It's probably best to wait for when the blog reaches the Earthforce mess to row over that one.

Ryan F

25/2/2017 02:34:17 pm

Other than the sight of Grimlock transforming, yeah, you're right in saying there's no other reason why this couldn't be set in 1992 as stated. Presumably, though, if Nucleon can cure death then it should have cured Snarl's corrodia gravis? That's why I always have it in my head that this is pre-Another Time And Place and not after it.

In my personal head-canon, events play out like this....

* The Earthforce stories happen in 1990/1991, simultaneously with the first half of the Matrix Quest (Earthforce Megatron is either a duplicate, a faker, or a time traveller, because Real Megatron is still stuck between dimensions with Ratchet at this point).

* Snarl gets corrodia gravis in the 'Assassins' three-parter, and the systems boost from Starcream fails to cure him.

* Destiny of the Dinbots happens. Crucially, Snarl's mind is only COPIED into that of a real Stegosaurus; his real mind remains in his original body.

* Post-Earthforce: a major battle occurs (not depicted by the comic). Earthforce Megatron dies, as do the Dinobots, the Survivors, most of Earthforce and the Earthbound Decepticons. Shockwave fakes his death (hence why Starscream is shocked to see him in The Human Factor). The only survivors of this massive Transformer massacre are Grimlock, Bumblebee and Jazz (the three of whom end up helping out in the latter half of the Matrix Quest), Soundwave and Starscream (who end up with Scorponok), Bludgeon, Stranglehold and Octopunch. The bodies of the fallen Earthforce Autobots are later picked up by the Ark so they can be resurrected by Nucleon later.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!

Tigerbread

26/2/2017 02:02:02 pm

That's...pretty good actually. With a little bit of squinting that could actually work.

Tim Roll-Pickering link

26/2/2017 06:29:24 pm

The absence of G.I. Joe the Action Force (incidentally I think this is the very last issue to use the name "Action Force" in the legal information) meant that at the time issue #250 felt thinner than usual - there's only so far that full colour Combat Colin, excellent as it is, can cover half the pages being non-strip. And the message really dates the conclusion of the UK strip - this was a period when environmentalism was raging just about everywhere.

The Incredible Hulk Presents joined a long line of very short lived comics that tried but failed. It also saw Doctor Who get a second unannounced cancellation in the same month. However this may have happened anyway - there's only one leftover strip known (Doctor Conkeror which later showed up in Doctor Who Magazine) and the intro page of the last issue promised that the new year would see the X-Men arrive.

The annual is easily the most forgettable of the seven - it doesn't advance the regular stories, it doesn't make great additions to the mythology and it doesn't really have any great memorable tales. Maybe that's why the comic did so little to advertise it.

The specials are a fun mix. I wonder if running the Cybertron arc was a deliberate choice to re-establish Straxus in time for Two Megatrons or if it was just sheer coincidence. And Enemy Action was a good, reasonably self-contained tale. The Victory editing wasn't spotted by me at the time but the following year a friend lent me the original annual and it was a shock to discover so much had been chopped out.

Ralph Burns

3/3/2017 06:22:52 pm

I must re-acquire that Star Trek V special!!!

SPECIAL TEAMS!

Cradok

5/2/2018 02:23:45 pm

I always placed Destiny in the Movie timeline, it seemed that the whole story was showing why Snarl wasn't around.

Simon

25/9/2019 10:45:36 am

Just noticed now thanks to your comments in issue 200 about the Dan Reed drawing of Prime were actually from the 1989 annual issue. While I was able to place the artwork straight away I never noticed until now going through chronologically that the annual is a good year after issue 200 with Prime holding the communicator in both images. Does this mean artwork for the annual and story was held back a year or was this a draft for a totally different story?

One to look into.

Tim Roll-Pickering link

25/9/2019 11:19:23 am

It's quite possible this story was on file from a year earlier - maybe a standby fill-in issue, maybe one of the one-parters from the #180s was deemed more essential to the ongoing plot, maybe the format change was known about early enough to bank this story. The G.I. Joe annuals of the next two years reprinted material from file (shown by the continued use of the name "Action Force" and Destro's old outfit), presumably left over from Action Force Monthly, so it's quite possible this story had been hanging around and was used where the presence of the Aerialbots and Seacons wouldn't get so commented on.

Felicity link

1/12/2019 05:24:10 pm

First “UNAAH” of the American Furman issues?

Furman and environmentalism: check out “Brute Force” (1990), another chunk of Simon Furman writing that I love. Teaming up once again with José Delbo on art, and for the first time Janice Chiang on letters, we get a team of uplifted cyborg animals saving the environment! My favourite is Hip Hop the kangaroo.

Who’s the guy to the right of the Punisher (he looks like Stan Freezoid with a Santa Claus beard)?

Tim Roll-Pickering link

1/12/2019 09:28:38 pm

It looks like Skydriver, one of the most obscure members of Colin's Rogues' Gallery.

Felicity

2/12/2019 03:04:52 am

Thanks!

JeremiahEcks

22/2/2025 08:14:05 pm

I really like the annual. The Quest isn't as good as the other 'story so far' recap versions but it works and might even explain a few continuity snafus...

Destiny of the Dinobots, not sure why people have an issue with chronology. Grimlock isn't an Action Master... yeah but he isn't in G2 either and he transforms there from #1. So clearly his non-transforming issues solve themselves shortly after Klo. But basically I'm not entirely sure what the issue is with him transforming in DotD if we see him transforming in G2 anyway. In terms of the story... I like the art but never thought much of the issue.

Dreadwing Down doesn't comfortably fit continuity though. It has to be before Underbase due to the presence of the Aerialbots and the Seacons. I actually think if you take Dreadwing Down alongside Prime Bomb, it indicates that the Powermasters have to get to Earth post Power Play to work with Scorponok. I don't see any issue with this as their explicit goal in Power Play, to come to Nebulos, was to follow Scorponok's trail... so it makes sense they follow him to Earth.

Then they join him for a bit for Dreadwing Down and Prime Bomb before they end up being seconded by Megatron and doing the Mechannibal mission. It works more comfortably than you might think if you squint.

Quake being there though? No. Doesn't work. Quake throws this story off. Maybe the Autobots were getting Quake and Brawl mixed up? I mean we only see him in a flashback...

In terms of the story... I love Dan Reed and I love the Seacons and I especially love the Con Powermasters so this story is a hard win for me.

Finally Trigger-Happy... it only works for me as part of Earthforce. OK bear with me... I'll post why I put Earthforce where I do in the relevant post but generally I have Earthforce post Matrix quest.

This means the Triggercons and Double Targetmasters can be on Earth as the last we see them they're captives on the Ark and we have to assume they break free at some point (possibly thanks to Galvatron II when he sneaks into the Ark). They're near Earth, they get to Earth. There they join the burgeoning new faction built by 'Megatron', as Trigger-Happy mentions the three way fight between 'Megatron', Shockwave and Scorponok which is referenced in Earthforce.

More so if you put Trigger-Happy during Earthforce it also explains why there is a Megatron running around on Earth and one either in another dimension with Ratchet or in Stasis on the Ark... it's because this Megatron is explicitly Megatron 2 / The Megatron Clone / Straxustron / Archforce.

But isn't he dead?

He gets his head blown off. *Shrugs* The only Transformers I know who that actually killed were Topspin and Cyclonus. I have no problem believing someone as powerful as Megatron could be resurrected to participate into Earthforce.

And where does he go eventually? Killed off or reclaims his identity as Archforce, who knows. But again we have Quake here, as well as the mysterious EVIL Scoop. Well, maybe Megatron's original Earthforce team is started with Quake and EVIL Scoop, as well as some Scorponok defectors and the prisoners from the Ark. Seeing as most of them worked for him on Cybertron that works for me. And then Spinister and Needlenose can join with the other Mayhems who we know are already stuck on Earth... and we know how that story plays out.

About the story, I like it but as with Longtooth, I like the odd story about the odd flawed Autobot and I like how this shows not all Autobots are perfect. I've always been fond of two of the Triggerbots myself (never warmed to Override).

So the annual is indeed rife with continuity messed up stories but I find them an easy read and aside from Destiny, put the spotlight on B-List characters that rarely get character pieces. I like it.

JeremiahEcks

22/2/2025 10:26:46 pm

It's perhaps amusing that I forgot the existence of The Chain Gang in this annual considering other posts on this site about the forgetability of most of the original 12 Pretenders...

I like the Chain Gang as a nice self contained one off actually. But isn't it odd to see Splashdown used instead of Waverider? Not that I mind, I kind of liked that he got some panel time. If only Finback, Bugly or Groundshaker were so lucky.

Transformation 250: Bothersome Bipeds.

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