Once Upon a Time...

Grimlock throws the book out of the window.

=Marvel UK issue #265=

Writer: Simon Furman Art: Andy Wildman Lettering: Peri Godbold


 * Major characters (in order of appearance): Megatron, Optimus Prime and Grimlock.


 * Minor characters (in order of appearance): Starscream, Soundwave, Snarl, Swoop, Slag, Sludge, Silverbolt, Ironhide, Jazz, Bumblebee and Sunstreaker.


 * Originally published: 7th April 1990. Cover date ("off sale") 14th April 1990.

Synopsis
An initially unseen voice tells a story...


 * There was once a planet called Cybertron, inhabited by mechanical beings who could change their forms into machinery and weapons. There was a civil war between two factions - the evil Decepticons and the heroic Autobots. The Decepticons were lead by Megatron who took them to great successes, until Optimus Prime emerged and fought back. He had a good lieutenant. Such was the scale of the conflict that Cybertron was knocked out of its orbit and sent drifting through space towards an asteroid belt. So Optimus Prime had the Ark constructed to blast a path through the asteroids. He succeeded but the Decepticons attacked. Prime decided as they couldn't win he had to destroy them all and crashed the Ark on a nearby planet. Four million years later the Ark's computer revived them and gave them all the ability to transform into machinery, weapons and animals. The narrator curses the computer.

The art style changes dramatically, indicating some proposed new additions to the story.


 * After that the Autobots and Decepticons fight over fuel, Megaton and Shockwave fight over the Decepticon leadership, Prime and Megatron get killed off only to come back, some Transformers get Nebulan companions and more. Optimus Prime loses track of what's going on on Earth and dispatches the narrator and listeners to take care of it.


 * Megatron is convinced to try peace and that there is room on Earth for both factions. The Decepticons abandon war and settle down to a happy hippy lifestyle. Everyone lives happily ever after.

In Northern Canada, sixteen miles east of Churchill, the Earthforce shuttle has landed. Inside Grimlock has been reading to his fellow Autobots. He asks them if they buy the story. The silence is deafening. "Me neither!" exclaims Grimlock as he throws the book out of the window. Grimlock declares that they will do things their own way. Prowl and Wheeljack are in trouble and so orders them all to move out and "kick Decepticon butt!"

The book lies abandoned in the snow. It is the Autobot code.

Items of note

 * Grimlock's additions to the story are lettered and drawn in a very childish manner, intending to be the Dinobot's own efforts.

Reprints

 * This story was reprinted in the Titan Books trade paperback "Earthforce".