Between my son discovering my Soundwave action figure and me building Lego's recent Optimus Prime set, I decided it was time to get going on my long-standing goal of reading the original "Transformers" series. Away we go!
The series was originally a four-issue mini-series. In order to convey all the information we need to understand the Transformers, the authors resort to an incredible number of text boxes. At some points, it's hard even to see the action. The first issue's first page is a great example of this trait as we get a lot of information thrown at us.
First and foremost, we're told Cybertron is a "Saturn-sized" planet that orbits Alpha Centauri. The Transformers apparently evolved from "the interaction of naturally occurring gears" [emphasis added]. Notably, the planet's - and Transformers' - origins are lost to the "dead past" (despite us seemingly knowing the gears developed "naturally).
Shockingly, Ravage has the series' first word, spoken to Megatron. Megatron exposits that the Decepticons have lived in peace with the Autobots for eons but have bided their time to strike at those who brought the "stagnation of peace and prosperity" to Cyberton. I get why a committed warrior like Megatron could find peace "stagnant" but prosperity? How do you get so mad at prosperity? I guess it reduces the number of lifeforms susceptible to falling into Megatron's thrall.
At any rate, Megatron launches his war. The Deceptions' advanced technology allows them to transform into "weapons of unprecedented power" (e.g., Megatron, whose fusion cannon can apparently destroy entire Autobot strongholds). The war causes Cybertron to spin from its orbit and costs "billions" of Autobot lives. (Cybertron becoming a rogue planet is one of the more interesting deviations from the cartoon series that we see in this issue.) Megatron's goal is to turn Cybertron into a "cosmic dreadnought," presumably so he can conquer the galaxy.
The tide turns when Optimus Prime emerges from Iacon, Cybertron's most powerful city-state. Mantol and Macchio inform us that only Megatron can match Optimus' vehicle form's firepower.
Other than the "spinning from its orbit" revelation, this exposition's description of the status quo on Cybertron more or less matches the TV series' plot at the start, mostly providing some interesting extra details. We deviate soon, however.
The rogue Cybertron enters an asteroid field and someone has to clear the way. Enter Optimus and his team of Autobots boarding the Ark. Interestingly, it's Ravage, not Laserbeak, who gathers this information after eavesdropping on an Autobot meeting. (Ravage allegedly "absorbs electromagnetic radiation," which is how he remained undetected.)
Of course, it turns out the asteroid belt is the one between Mars and Jupiter, setting up how the Ark eventually crashed into Earth. Allegedly, the Autobots were so exhausted from clearing the asteroids that they're helpless against the Deceptions (who seek to take out Optimus while he and his team are vulnerable). With no good options, Optimus activates his fall-back plan to crash the Ark into Earth to take out the Decepticons with them. (How...prescient.)
At this point, we return to the TV series' storyline. "Mt. St. Hilary" erupts, activating one of the Ark's sensor drones, which departs the Ark to scan 1984 Earth. The authors remind us that the Decepticons had advanced technology on Cybertron and imply it's why they wind up having a more diverse range of Earth forms, mostly communications devices, jets, and weapons. Conversely, the Autobots wind up being mostly vehicles that the Ark's drone saw on an Oregon highway.
The authors then deliver the most text-based page I've ever seen in a comic. The Decepticons introduce themselves to...themselves and explain their powers to...themselves: Skywarp (teleportation), Thundercracker (rockets and sonic booms), Starscream (maneuverability and speed), Rumble (low-frequency "ground-waves"), Frenzy (high-pitched sound waves), Soundwave (monitor transmissions, read "electrical impulses," and photographic memory), Ravage (a nose module that allows him to "smell, hear and detect electromagnetic radiation"), Buzzsaw (powerful optical sensors), and Laserbeak (optical lasers). Some of these "powers" aren't exactly clear, like how Ravage can "hear" and "smell" electromagnetic radiation. But it's 1984 so I'm just going with it.
Beyond Buzzsaw and Lazerbeak's abilities to speak (as seen earlier with Ravage), the most interesting revelations to me were that Frenzy and Rumble actually have different powers and that Starscream is (at least somewhat) loyal to Megatron at the start ("I...shall accumulate Autobot body-count that enhance the reputation of our leader.").
Unlike the TV series, the authors do a solid job explaining why the Decepticons don't just end the Autobotos in the Ark. Instead of the Ark resurrecting Skywarp who then resurrects the Decepticons (as we see in the TV show), the Ark resurrects everyone at the same time. Megatron notes to a questioning Starscream that "one of our mightiest is missing" (huh?) and they're low on fuel so they might lose. To underline that point, the Autobots open fire on them as they leave.
We now get more text, this time with the Autobot line-up: Ironhide (steel-alloy skin and liquids), Huffer (stress-testing sensors and mathematical skill), Bumblebee (low fuel needs), Sunstreaker (ground-to-air missiles and hotness), Cliffjumber (fast and glass gas), Brawn (strong), Sideswipe (piledriver arms), Mirage (electro-disrupter, which can disrupt circuits and project his mirages), Bluestreak (fast), Prowl (logic circuits that identify the most advantageous course of action), Jazz (photon rifle and overhead flamethrowers), Hound (infrared radiation collector and terrain map-projecting hologram gun), Windcharger (magnetic arms), Gears (serves as a mobile transport unit), Ratchet (tools to fix anything), Wheeljack (shoulder cannons), and Trailbreaker (force-field projector).
First, it's crazy we have 18 Autobots but only ten Decepticons (and five of the Decepticons are Soundwave's cassettes). The most interesting revelations on the Autobot side are that Bumblebee apparently likes swimming (?) and Ironhide and Ratchet have their terrible toy-consistent designs. The Autobots also have a lot more personality than the Decepticons. Similar to the TV show, Huffer is pessimistic, Sunstreaker is vain, Mirage is a reluctant warrior (he'd rather hunt turbofoxes on Cybertron), and Bluesreak is chatty. Unlike the TV show, Ratchet would apparently rather be "partying than tinkering." Who knew? Also, did you notice how many Autobots' powers were just being fast?
Of course, the series' most interesting twist is that Buster, not Spike, is Sparkplug's son. Unlike Spike (who starts the TV series as child labor on an oil rig), Buster is a nerd, much to his father's disappointment. (The authors show Sparkplug is just worried about how a kid without skills will survive.) Lest we think he's a gay, though, Buster gets hot and heavy with his girlfriend Jesse at a drive-in while his friend "O" tries to watch (allegedly the movie) from the backseat. Maybe Buster is gay and just likes to make "O" jealous?
At any rate, Buster and company are on hand when the Autobots stumble upon the drive-in. Laserbeak observes them and, to Starscream's disapproval, Megatron dispatches the Decepticons to attack. The Seekers open fire, and Bumblebee takes the brunt of the attack in vehicle mode. Cliffjumper turns the Seekers' wings to gas, forcing them to retreat, and Hound dispatches Ravage with his holograms. Cliffjumper and Prowl take on Soundwave, who's confusingly colored like Megatron.
The Autobots realize the humans (and not the vehicles) are Earth's dominant lifeforms and depart given their inability to protect themselves from the Decepticons. They leave behind Bumblebee, who they hope fled. Instead, Buster heard him cry in pain when the Seekers wounded him and drove him to his father's garage, where he's dying.
Thoughts: As mentioned, the authors introduce the Transformers in a way that fills in some gaps that I truthfully hadn't noticed in the TV series but make their backstory more interesting. That said, the series' focus stays the same: Megatron realizes that the Decepticons can strip-mine Earth for resources to conquer the galaxy, and Optimus understands that the now-inhabited Earth needs protection from the Decepticons.
My only complaint at this stage is that the coloring is pretty awful. You can tell the limitations that colorists faced in this era, as Yomtov struggles to stay within the confines of all the small details. By the end, though, he's also frequently off model, making it hard to tell characters apart (particularly the Seekers). Given how many similar models there are (particularly on the Autobot side), it leads to some serious confusion at times.
All in all, though, it's a pretty solid comic, particularly for the fact that it's there mostly to sell a toy line.
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