The Memories You Gave to Me.
Issue 304: In the National Interest Part 3/The Human Factor! Part 3. 5th January 1991.
Who...? Wait—I know you!
You can always tell it’s going to be a good issue when the Transformation page flat out tells you the entire plot. Which this week’s not only does, but spends more time teasing next week, who did shoot Circuit Breaker? Though as there’s no Next Week page (making way for either the bonus G.I. Joe: The Action Force map of Cobra Island or the Police Academy advert), text intended for that may have been ported forward. It also oddly gets a bit Michael Winner over Circuit Breaker, “Now calm down lads...”
The third part of The Human Factor! is the sort of story where a one sentence summary is really what you need. It is actually quite funny that Starscream recognises Circuit Breaker from way back in issue 33 (especially as the editorial mentions the reprint having “See issue” boxes going back years is a problem), but that’s the one and only highlight here as he clunkily narrates his own torture at her hands before the Mystery Someone shoots her down.
Who...? Wait—I know you!
You can always tell it’s going to be a good issue when the Transformation page flat out tells you the entire plot. Which this week’s not only does, but spends more time teasing next week, who did shoot Circuit Breaker? Though as there’s no Next Week page (making way for either the bonus G.I. Joe: The Action Force map of Cobra Island or the Police Academy advert), text intended for that may have been ported forward. It also oddly gets a bit Michael Winner over Circuit Breaker, “Now calm down lads...”
The third part of The Human Factor! is the sort of story where a one sentence summary is really what you need. It is actually quite funny that Starscream recognises Circuit Breaker from way back in issue 33 (especially as the editorial mentions the reprint having “See issue” boxes going back years is a problem), but that’s the one and only highlight here as he clunkily narrates his own torture at her hands before the Mystery Someone shoots her down.
But you're happy to let him give you a silly name.
The rest of this part is taken up with the first strike of the Neo Knights. Not actually named as such yet of course, but Transformation has been calling them as such and it’s better than “OH DEAR GOD PLEASE STOP”. Though I’ll be calling Lee and Katrina Thunderpunch and Rapture from now on as they do get their superhero names.
Before Blackrock sends them into battle he goes full Furmanism (“It’s over...finished!”) and there’s an odd attempt at feminism as Rapture tells him she’s had enough of men telling her what to do and she is not to be used as he sees fit. Which is a bit much considering he’s basically her employer and it's hard to make a stand for the sisterhood when your comic also has a woman in a sellotape bikini in it.
Their attack on Starscream shows their special powers: Thunderpunch can... well punch. Rapture has more useful skills though as she can create hallucinations, making Starscream imagine defeating everyone and being prepared to deliver the killing blow to Scorponok. Which feels very Victory! with its pile of bodies.
Before Blackrock sends them into battle he goes full Furmanism (“It’s over...finished!”) and there’s an odd attempt at feminism as Rapture tells him she’s had enough of men telling her what to do and she is not to be used as he sees fit. Which is a bit much considering he’s basically her employer and it's hard to make a stand for the sisterhood when your comic also has a woman in a sellotape bikini in it.
Their attack on Starscream shows their special powers: Thunderpunch can... well punch. Rapture has more useful skills though as she can create hallucinations, making Starscream imagine defeating everyone and being prepared to deliver the killing blow to Scorponok. Which feels very Victory! with its pile of bodies.
Probably the only time Starscream fantasises about beating anyone other than Megatron.
But this is the problem, between them three of the four Neo Knights have the powers of the Insecticons (electricity, mind control, kicking/punching). That’s the Insecticons who are such a minimal threat to Starscream we had a story last year where he took them out with a fly swat. They’re basically rubbish, and the attempts to make them a threat in a story that’s trying to be serious just winds up very silly.
Still, the rough and ready art is a bit more solid this week, suggesting Turner was slowly getting the hang of it. If he’d done another 50 weeks he might have gotten quite competent.
Transformation talks about the future. Including assuring us that the difficulties of presenting old stories out of sequence is going to be deal with by going all the way back to the start of the British series, even pre-Furman!
Still, the rough and ready art is a bit more solid this week, suggesting Turner was slowly getting the hang of it. If he’d done another 50 weeks he might have gotten quite competent.
Transformation talks about the future. Including assuring us that the difficulties of presenting old stories out of sequence is going to be deal with by going all the way back to the start of the British series, even pre-Furman!
What a superpower.
The big news though, is that G.I. Joe: The Action Force is ending next week, whatever pressure Hasbro have brought to bare to keep it going no longer an issue. And if you want to know how unpopular the series was, the editor is cheerful in talking about being carried shoulder high around the office as everyone cheers and that they’ve finally listened to readers.
The third part of our final Joe story itself sees the team on the Island meet Captain Minh and Serpentor breaks out of the ship. Which makes the Baroness really lay into Cobra Commander over the radio. Overall, not the most exciting penultimate part.
Combat Colin (with “trendy Combat Ponytail") meets the Giggly Granddad, famous actor Sir Kenneth Giggly. Who, based on his films (Ooer, Mind the Triffle?), is a piss take of Norman Wisdom. He charges Colin and Steve £1.50 (plus Giggly Added Tax) for an autograph they don’t ask for and then lets them get mobbed by his fans. No wonder they decide going to fight villains is safer.
The third part of our final Joe story itself sees the team on the Island meet Captain Minh and Serpentor breaks out of the ship. Which makes the Baroness really lay into Cobra Commander over the radio. Overall, not the most exciting penultimate part.
Combat Colin (with “trendy Combat Ponytail") meets the Giggly Granddad, famous actor Sir Kenneth Giggly. Who, based on his films (Ooer, Mind the Triffle?), is a piss take of Norman Wisdom. He charges Colin and Steve £1.50 (plus Giggly Added Tax) for an autograph they don’t ask for and then lets them get mobbed by his fans. No wonder they decide going to fight villains is safer.
Pre Furmanian!
The aforementioned full page advert for the Police Academy comic is strange as the timing is odd. We’re in the long gap between the sixth film in 1989 (the short lived comic this reprints coming from around that time) and the seventh and final in 1994 (the only film with the voice of Grimlock and Sir Christopher Lee in it). There was a cartoon in 1988 that might only now may have made it to Sky, but at a guess it would have been the constant presence of the movies on a Saturday afternoon on ITV that made someone think this was a good idea.
It wasn’t.
On the last page this week, Blaster is asked by Andrew McDonnell of Sevenoaks who writes Transformation. Turns out it arrives mysteriously every week in a box that's hot to the touch.
Which is actually the same way I receive this.
Next week, Blackrock and Circuit Breaker reunited!
ISSUE 303
1991-1994
COMMENT
It wasn’t.
On the last page this week, Blaster is asked by Andrew McDonnell of Sevenoaks who writes Transformation. Turns out it arrives mysteriously every week in a box that's hot to the touch.
Which is actually the same way I receive this.
Next week, Blackrock and Circuit Breaker reunited!
ISSUE 303
1991-1994
COMMENT
