I Fought the Law, the Law Won.
Spotlight: Ultra Magnus. January 17th 2007.
MAAAAGNUS! This is all your fault!
The first comic of 2007 was also the last in the initial run of Spotlights, and clearly the intent was both to start the year and end the trade with a big popular character in a high-octane romp that forefronts some major backstory that up till now have only been hinted at.
It’s also, out of the 22 issues I’ve talked about so far, the hardest to read as it did in its original context. Many of the characters we’ve met so far are going to change drastically across the run. Sometimes due to considered and careful character development, sometimes due to writers not giving a fuck. But Magnus is the first, and may well wind up being the only, where a later revelation of his secret past will completely change what we think we know about him and how this first appearance reads.
Now, to get into spoiler territory so close your eyes and go “LALALALALALALA” for a paragraph, that reveal being that Ultra Magnus is a title, and a suit of armour worn by a succession of tiny, tiny, men who have taken on the name.
Now, there’s very little in this issue that actively contradicts that take, indeed, most of the concepts introduced here will become a fundamental part of it. But on a core gut-feeling level, it now doesn’t read like the same Magnus we’ll come to know and love in later years.
MAAAAGNUS! This is all your fault!
The first comic of 2007 was also the last in the initial run of Spotlights, and clearly the intent was both to start the year and end the trade with a big popular character in a high-octane romp that forefronts some major backstory that up till now have only been hinted at.
It’s also, out of the 22 issues I’ve talked about so far, the hardest to read as it did in its original context. Many of the characters we’ve met so far are going to change drastically across the run. Sometimes due to considered and careful character development, sometimes due to writers not giving a fuck. But Magnus is the first, and may well wind up being the only, where a later revelation of his secret past will completely change what we think we know about him and how this first appearance reads.
Now, to get into spoiler territory so close your eyes and go “LALALALALALALA” for a paragraph, that reveal being that Ultra Magnus is a title, and a suit of armour worn by a succession of tiny, tiny, men who have taken on the name.
Now, there’s very little in this issue that actively contradicts that take, indeed, most of the concepts introduced here will become a fundamental part of it. But on a core gut-feeling level, it now doesn’t read like the same Magnus we’ll come to know and love in later years.
Some of you would like the hard way from Magnus.
So I’ll point out the odd moment (and irony) here that adds to that feeling for me, but I’m going to try and talk about this in and of itself, and in particular, what Furman was trying to achieve with the character.
Which, as strange as it sounds now, was a rehabilitation. In 2007, Magnus was a joke. “I can’t deal with that right now” guy, the mildly rubbish passive failed leader. Something not helped by an infamous moment in the Dreamwave comics where he strips off (so to speak) to reveal he’s secretly a smaller robot in a suit of armour. Rubbish idea.
So this is about bringing Magnus back from parody, toughening him up in a way Furman really had never written him before in the Marvel days with any consistency.
Something immediately apparent from a Bondian (not the first time you’ll be hearing that word today) pre-credits sequence on the planet Zull, where Decepticon Swindle is desperately asking for protection from a local warlord he’s been selling Decepticon technology to.
Why he needs protection is immediately apparent as Ultra Magnus blasts in doing his best Robocop (“You are coming with me!”) and declaring himself a “Duly appointed enforcer of the Tyrest Accord”.
Remember that one.
Which, as strange as it sounds now, was a rehabilitation. In 2007, Magnus was a joke. “I can’t deal with that right now” guy, the mildly rubbish passive failed leader. Something not helped by an infamous moment in the Dreamwave comics where he strips off (so to speak) to reveal he’s secretly a smaller robot in a suit of armour. Rubbish idea.
So this is about bringing Magnus back from parody, toughening him up in a way Furman really had never written him before in the Marvel days with any consistency.
Something immediately apparent from a Bondian (not the first time you’ll be hearing that word today) pre-credits sequence on the planet Zull, where Decepticon Swindle is desperately asking for protection from a local warlord he’s been selling Decepticon technology to.
Why he needs protection is immediately apparent as Ultra Magnus blasts in doing his best Robocop (“You are coming with me!”) and declaring himself a “Duly appointed enforcer of the Tyrest Accord”.
Remember that one.
Space Del Boy with a gun.
Despite the Warlord Karzai quite fairly pointing out the Autobots have no jurisdiction here, a quite fun battle ensues that ends with Swindle quite smugly trying to use an “R-Infinity accelerator” on Magnus with a cheery “Want a demo?”.
Which fails, but does establish Swindle is going to be one of the more fun and underrated IDW characters.
On Magnus’ ship, Swindle tries to do a deal for information, which Magnus originally refuses as he fully intends to take Swindle to a Decepticon outpost for trial by his own people.
Thankfully, in later years the idea the Tyrest Accord is an agreement between Autobots and Decepticons will be largely ignored as it makes no real sense. As an Autobot (and his claims to be neutral are dubious when he’s wearing the badge), can Magnus really ignore an potential source of information? Can he hand someone over to Decepticon “Justice” (and we’ll see more of that down the line) from an ethical perspective?
For the Decepticons, when Ultra Magnus shows up at your base with Swindle, are you really going to go “Oh thanks for this low level guy, please go about your business legendary high ranking Autobot Ultra Magnus, we shall not try to kill you”.
The whole premise is based on the idea that, as Magnus puts it, “Even in a war, there are rules—codes of practice that must be abided by”. Which is hopelessly naive, especially writing in a week in 2021 where our international leaders are doing a lot of hand waving over attempted genocide in Palestine. Turns out what the rules in conflict (not even a war in Palestine) actually are is pretty much up for grabs and getting people to agree isn’t likely to happen.
Which fails, but does establish Swindle is going to be one of the more fun and underrated IDW characters.
On Magnus’ ship, Swindle tries to do a deal for information, which Magnus originally refuses as he fully intends to take Swindle to a Decepticon outpost for trial by his own people.
Thankfully, in later years the idea the Tyrest Accord is an agreement between Autobots and Decepticons will be largely ignored as it makes no real sense. As an Autobot (and his claims to be neutral are dubious when he’s wearing the badge), can Magnus really ignore an potential source of information? Can he hand someone over to Decepticon “Justice” (and we’ll see more of that down the line) from an ethical perspective?
For the Decepticons, when Ultra Magnus shows up at your base with Swindle, are you really going to go “Oh thanks for this low level guy, please go about your business legendary high ranking Autobot Ultra Magnus, we shall not try to kill you”.
The whole premise is based on the idea that, as Magnus puts it, “Even in a war, there are rules—codes of practice that must be abided by”. Which is hopelessly naive, especially writing in a week in 2021 where our international leaders are doing a lot of hand waving over attempted genocide in Palestine. Turns out what the rules in conflict (not even a war in Palestine) actually are is pretty much up for grabs and getting people to agree isn’t likely to happen.
MO
And it’s especially hard to see the Autobots and Decepticons ever agreeing on anything. Except maybe that Swindle’s a dick.
So in future, Magnus and his counterparts will generally deal with Autobot issues, whilst the Decepticons will a very special division to deal with any of their own.
All of which is a preamble to Swindle offering Magnus a far bigger fish: Scorponok.
Scorponok is a character who’ll arguably have even more unlikely things revealed about him down the line than even Magnus (though we’re talking many, many years before we get to that), but here he’s a high profile scammer who goes in on planets, promises them all sorts of good shit and instead gives them lemons before running off with anything good they’ve developed, leaving a scorched Earth behind.
So the dilemma is, does Magnus deal with Swindle even though it’s against the rules to get the guy he’s been after for years?
So in future, Magnus and his counterparts will generally deal with Autobot issues, whilst the Decepticons will a very special division to deal with any of their own.
All of which is a preamble to Swindle offering Magnus a far bigger fish: Scorponok.
Scorponok is a character who’ll arguably have even more unlikely things revealed about him down the line than even Magnus (though we’re talking many, many years before we get to that), but here he’s a high profile scammer who goes in on planets, promises them all sorts of good shit and instead gives them lemons before running off with anything good they’ve developed, leaving a scorched Earth behind.
So the dilemma is, does Magnus deal with Swindle even though it’s against the rules to get the guy he’s been after for years?
Ultra Spy.
He deals of course (and he leaves Swindle in the middle of nowhere with a hidden tracker on him for when he reoffends), and it doesn’t seem like that much of a deal to be honest. And would he really not have gotten the information by offering a nicer by comparison Autobot prison of the sort we’ll soon be seeing?
That Magnus agrees fairly easily despite fretting over whether he’s badly compromising himself is probably the biggest way this does not feel like the Magnus we’ll come to know and love, where it will takes years for him to get to the point breaking a rule wouldn’t cause him a complete breakdown.
I hate to go all TVTropes, but I suppose you could say he’ll be extremely Flanderised.
Oh, and he talks about Scorponok’s “Machinations”, if you want a subtle hint where things are going.
I’d actually forgotten how much of the issue is spent on the Swindle opening and debate, we’re on the tenth page before Magnus arrives at the main plot, on Nebulos.
Scorponok up to no good on Nebulos? Could be a hint.
That Magnus agrees fairly easily despite fretting over whether he’s badly compromising himself is probably the biggest way this does not feel like the Magnus we’ll come to know and love, where it will takes years for him to get to the point breaking a rule wouldn’t cause him a complete breakdown.
I hate to go all TVTropes, but I suppose you could say he’ll be extremely Flanderised.
Oh, and he talks about Scorponok’s “Machinations”, if you want a subtle hint where things are going.
I’d actually forgotten how much of the issue is spent on the Swindle opening and debate, we’re on the tenth page before Magnus arrives at the main plot, on Nebulos.
Scorponok up to no good on Nebulos? Could be a hint.
Robot Dick.
It is definitely a hint this is before Stormbringer, and probably before the Decepticons set up an infiltration unit there.
According to Swindle, Scorponok is in with the Zarak Consortium, a front for an organisation called the Cranium (suggestive) led by Mo Zarak...
Wait, I’m sorry, Zarak as a character had gone 20 years without a first name and when given one it’s the very human and mundane Mo?
Mo Zarak?
Mo.
I’m not sure if that’s a joke or not. But considering that Scorponok will, in later issues, have a blimp and that the logo of the Zarak Consortium is a massive Z, I suspect it’s meant to be evocative of A View to a Kill villain Max Zorin.
But it’s still very funny though.
Yo Mo.
Ahem.
It’s also worth noting that the Z logo is so designed that if you flipped it sideways, it could be a massive M.
A hint.
According to Swindle, Scorponok is in with the Zarak Consortium, a front for an organisation called the Cranium (suggestive) led by Mo Zarak...
Wait, I’m sorry, Zarak as a character had gone 20 years without a first name and when given one it’s the very human and mundane Mo?
Mo Zarak?
Mo.
I’m not sure if that’s a joke or not. But considering that Scorponok will, in later issues, have a blimp and that the logo of the Zarak Consortium is a massive Z, I suspect it’s meant to be evocative of A View to a Kill villain Max Zorin.
But it’s still very funny though.
Yo Mo.
Ahem.
It’s also worth noting that the Z logo is so designed that if you flipped it sideways, it could be a massive M.
A hint.
No little man in there, that's a fact.
Using his SPACE internet hacking skills (he’d clearly get on great with the eternally online Verity, I hope these two nerds get to meet), Magnus gets a fake inspector ID and sends his new Nebulon holoavatar in.
And when he gets into an office with a lowly middle manager. He knocks them out and changes form to impersonate them. Something he does to get through the building, each time becoming someone more and more important.
Which, as with Hot Rod, is one of the rare smart extended uses of the technology we’ll see other than just providing a driver.
This eventually leads him to a lab, where a Nebulon in one of those Empire Strikes Back tubes of liquid that’s the only way of doing medicine in SF has been clearly augmented with Cybertronian technology. To the point they might be able to transform.
Which is where both Magnus realises that Scorponok is up to something much bigger this time and the Nebulons in the room realise he’s not who he appears to be as they have special glasses to let them see through any such disguise.
Might have been an idea to give those to the guys on reception though.
The holo avatar gets zapped, meaning Magnus has to fight his way in, including past some automated robot drones that feels like unexpected padding for such an otherwise fast sequence.
And when he gets into an office with a lowly middle manager. He knocks them out and changes form to impersonate them. Something he does to get through the building, each time becoming someone more and more important.
Which, as with Hot Rod, is one of the rare smart extended uses of the technology we’ll see other than just providing a driver.
This eventually leads him to a lab, where a Nebulon in one of those Empire Strikes Back tubes of liquid that’s the only way of doing medicine in SF has been clearly augmented with Cybertronian technology. To the point they might be able to transform.
Which is where both Magnus realises that Scorponok is up to something much bigger this time and the Nebulons in the room realise he’s not who he appears to be as they have special glasses to let them see through any such disguise.
Might have been an idea to give those to the guys on reception though.
The holo avatar gets zapped, meaning Magnus has to fight his way in, including past some automated robot drones that feels like unexpected padding for such an otherwise fast sequence.
Advances that will let him do anything but hold a pen.
What is notable though is that artist Robby Musso (who does a strong job overall here) was on record at the time that he deliberately designed Magnus and drew his transformation to make it unambiguous that this is not an armour, Ultra Magnus does not have a smaller robot inside of him. No Sir. That’s one thing that will never happen in IDW.
Inside, Magnus ties to read Scorponok his SPACE Miranda rights, but the Decepticon is too pissed to care.
And I don’t mean “Pissed” as in just angry, he really emotionally upset at how Magnus has been hounding him and has had enough and won’t run any more.
Which is the moment things go very wrong for him as ya’boy Mo Zarak, drawn brilliantly as a full on TV Nebulon with cape, ridiculous hat and big purple gloves (none of the other Nebulons have been so ornate, does he chair board meetings looking so fabulous?), runs in worried that Scorponok might hit something vital to their work.
Which Scorponok does, as Mo runs right into one of his Scorpion blasts and is killed. With the burnt away flesh revealing he too has been augmented.
Inside, Magnus ties to read Scorponok his SPACE Miranda rights, but the Decepticon is too pissed to care.
And I don’t mean “Pissed” as in just angry, he really emotionally upset at how Magnus has been hounding him and has had enough and won’t run any more.
Which is the moment things go very wrong for him as ya’boy Mo Zarak, drawn brilliantly as a full on TV Nebulon with cape, ridiculous hat and big purple gloves (none of the other Nebulons have been so ornate, does he chair board meetings looking so fabulous?), runs in worried that Scorponok might hit something vital to their work.
Which Scorponok does, as Mo runs right into one of his Scorpion blasts and is killed. With the burnt away flesh revealing he too has been augmented.
Your new fave, Mo Zarak.
And Scorponok is genuinely horrified, unexpectedly showing he really cares, something that makes you question the very negative report Magnus gave when describing him earlier.
Equally interestingly Magnus is a take’em alive guy, actually imploring the Decepticon “Don’t make me” as he rushes at him.
But Scorponok has lost the will to fight, and instead uses a handy portal (and the Cybertronians not having this sort of long range teleportation technology at the moment will become an important thing later on, so that’s a definite retcon) to escape, leaving the coordinates scrambled and impossible to follow.
Magnus vows to get him though, as a strange voice comes through the portal and offers him the chance to make a deal...
Oh wait no, that’s an accidental repetition of dialogue from the last panel that I would have been expected to be fixed in the trade I’m using. Unless Hachette just used the wrong file for their book...
But no, 29 Stella Cycles later (and that there’s a big gap before the last panel of the story will amazingly not be used in conjunction with the later Magnus revelation to have the guy in most of this story and the one going forward not be the same person), Magnus has again caught Swindle up to no good, making the call we saw in Escalation issue one as he arrests him, and is again offered a potentially compromising deal...
How the hell is Swindle so in on Scorponok’s plots anyway?
This is an oddly structured issue, devoting as it does nearly as much time to the Swindle story that’s just there to provide a breadcrumb as it does to Scorponok.
But it’s also fast and fun and subversive of our expectations by killing the usually a main character Mo off within two panels.
Equally interestingly Magnus is a take’em alive guy, actually imploring the Decepticon “Don’t make me” as he rushes at him.
But Scorponok has lost the will to fight, and instead uses a handy portal (and the Cybertronians not having this sort of long range teleportation technology at the moment will become an important thing later on, so that’s a definite retcon) to escape, leaving the coordinates scrambled and impossible to follow.
Magnus vows to get him though, as a strange voice comes through the portal and offers him the chance to make a deal...
Oh wait no, that’s an accidental repetition of dialogue from the last panel that I would have been expected to be fixed in the trade I’m using. Unless Hachette just used the wrong file for their book...
But no, 29 Stella Cycles later (and that there’s a big gap before the last panel of the story will amazingly not be used in conjunction with the later Magnus revelation to have the guy in most of this story and the one going forward not be the same person), Magnus has again caught Swindle up to no good, making the call we saw in Escalation issue one as he arrests him, and is again offered a potentially compromising deal...
How the hell is Swindle so in on Scorponok’s plots anyway?
This is an oddly structured issue, devoting as it does nearly as much time to the Swindle story that’s just there to provide a breadcrumb as it does to Scorponok.
But it’s also fast and fun and subversive of our expectations by killing the usually a main character Mo off within two panels.
Later Magnus would die over that printing error.
The ideas are also interesting and intriguing (even though there’s no real surprise as to where these Machinations are going), and sad genuinely caring Scorponok is great, with it being a real shame the next time we’ll see him his circumstances will leave him much diminished.
It may be bread and butter Furman rather than outstanding, but it’s still quick enough and well drawn enough by Musso to make it the nice crusty freshly baked bread and butter just squeezed out of a cow.
I assume that’s how it works.
The only downsides come from reading it in relations to how both this plots will play out and how it reads in relation to what Magnus will become. But if you can get past that, this comic will leave you with nothing to MOan about.
Next week, even more Machinations (I wonder if they’re related?) in the third issue of Escalation!
ADDENDUM 2
2007
COMMENT
KO-FI
It may be bread and butter Furman rather than outstanding, but it’s still quick enough and well drawn enough by Musso to make it the nice crusty freshly baked bread and butter just squeezed out of a cow.
I assume that’s how it works.
The only downsides come from reading it in relations to how both this plots will play out and how it reads in relation to what Magnus will become. But if you can get past that, this comic will leave you with nothing to MOan about.
Next week, even more Machinations (I wonder if they’re related?) in the third issue of Escalation!
ADDENDUM 2
2007
COMMENT
KO-FI
