Child's Play (comic issue)



A group of children stumble into the middle of a Transformers battle.

=Marvel US issue #35= (Story also appears in: Marvel UK issues #139-140)

Script: Bob Budiansky Pencils: Don Perlin Inks: Ian Akin and Brian Garvey Lettering: Jack Morelli Colors: Nelson Yomtov Editor: Don Daley


 * Major characters (in order of appearance): Streetwise, First Aid, Groove, Blaster, Wheeljack, Grimlock, Blades, Hot Spot, Brawl, Swindle, Vortex, Blast Off, Onslaught, Bruticus, Defensor,
 * Originally published: September, 1987

Synopsis
A group of four small children are playing in a railyard, but they're play is interrupted when one of them sees a police car: the Protectobot Streetwise. The Protectobots are transporting Blaster to the Ark to be tried and executed for treason. The grim task is likewise interrupted when Blades discovers that the Combaticons are nearby. Groove transports Blaster to a safe hiding place while the other Protectobots investigate.

While the Protectobots and Combaticons battle, one of the children discovers Blaster. As the nearby battle threatens the children, Blaster convinces one of them to remove a mode lock that prevents him from transforming out of his tape deck mode, so that he may be able to protect them.

When Bruticus stuns Defensor, Blaster steps in to confront Bruticus himself, telling the giant robot that he no longer has allegiance to the Protectobots, who holding him prisoner. Bruticus forces Blaster to prove his loyalty by killing one of the human children. Blaster points him rifle, and pulls the trigger. The child immediately cries out in pain, and collapses.

As Bruticus examines the child's fallen form, Blaster knocks him out with a massive electrical shock from a downed powerline. The child then gets up, having only played dead, knowing that Blaster would not really have hurt him, but understanding Blaster's need to convince Bruticus that Blaster had no loyalty to the humans.

Hot Spot chooses not to arrest Blaster, realizing that to do so would be to go against his own principles. The mode lock is instead attached to the Combaticon Blast Off, enabling Blaster to treat the children to a ride in space. No sooner do they achieve orbit than Blaster and the children find themselves fired upon. The Ark is spaceworthy once again, and Grimlock is using to make sure Blaster is brought to justice!

Errors
TBA

Items of note

 * References to other Transformers continuities/issues: Blaster was arrested in Used Autobots.