Fire on High!

'''Galvatron loses to Golbug. Seriously.'''

=Marvel UK issues #119 - 120=

Writer: Simon Furman Art: Dan Reed (119), Geoff Senior (120) Lettering: Mike Scott (119), Starkings (120) Colors: Steve White


 * Major Characters (in order of appearance:) Ultra Magnus, Wreck-Gar, Kup, Cindy Newell, Blurr, Rodimus Prime, Goldbug, Galvatron and Death's Head.


 * Originally published: 20th-27th June 1987; Cover date ("off sale") 27th June - 4th July 1987

Synopsis
At the foot of Mount Verona Cindy Newell briefs a war council consisting of Autobots from both 1987 and 2007. She explains how Galvatron is aiming to generate the huge force of a volcanic eruption but deny the release and instead tap the energy. But this will trigger off shockwaves across the entire West Coast, causing numerous other volcanoes to erupt, devastate cities and cause major structural damage to the continent. Rodimus is outraged and suggests that since brute force can't stop Galvatron perhaps they should try returning him to his own timeline. Wreck-Gar and Goldbug explain their idea to create a time jump over-ride device, cannibalising the machines of both the Autobots and Galvatron.

As plans are initiated Ultra Magnus explains to Cindy that he has been given the task of distracting Galvatron, and he wants her to get away from here. Cindy is angry that Magnus is going to his certain doom and asks why he has to sacrifice himself. In tears she runs away. Magnus is depressed by this and his mood is not helped when Wreck-Gar makes smutty comments about the situation.

At the summit Galvatreon completes repairs to his siphon, correctly deducing that Ultra Magnus was responsible for them. Galvatron plans a slow painful death for Magnus when suddenly Goldbug charges up the mountain aboard Wreck-Gar's vehicle mode. Goldbug's blaster and Wreck-Gar's axe knock Galvatron off guard, but when Kup and Blurr attack Galvatron the latter recovers long enough to blast them unconscious. Goldbug dodges the blasts as Ultra Magnus challenges Galvatron from the other side of the siphon. Meanwhile Wreck-Gar, guarded by Rodimus, is rapidly constructing a device. Galvatron pounces on Magnus and quickly overcomes him, then picks up his foe and throws him into the mouth of the volcano.

Galvatron believes he has won and now only needs to await the imminent eruption to tap the volcano's power. He suddenly remembers that there is one thing that can stop him becoming a god - his time-jump trigger device. He goes into the siphon control room to destroy it, but it is gone.

Wreck-Gar is taking longer than expected, as Galvatron's device incorporates some unusual technology, and needs more time. But Galvatron now advances on them. Rodimus and Galvatron exchange blasts but neither makes little progress. Then Rodimus notices Galvatrn is standing near a power cable and blasts that. Galvatron is caught in a huge electrical charge and falls. Rodimus approaches, only to learn the hard way that Galvatron is much tougher. The future Decepticon savagely beats and subdues his foe and prepares to achieve his dream of annhilating Rodimus Prime.

But Death's Head wants his money, so Rodimus must live! Death's Head blasts Galvatron away from the Autobot and then attacks him. Whilst the bounty hunter freelance peacekeeping agent fares no better, with both his mace and left arm destroyed on the process, he has unwittingly brought the Autobots the time they need.

Goldbug awakens Rodimus and tells him that Wreck-Gar has finished. He tries to explain that the device has some strange parts, but Rodimus orders the override be triggered now. Wreck-Gar triggers the device and it sweeps away all the future combatants.

Goldbug is left alone. He assumes that Wreck-Gar's theory about Galvatron recalibrating his device to stay behind was wrong. He turns and sees that Wreck-Gar was not wrong at all...

Errors

 * Rodimus's chest symbol not only regularly disappears (as usual) but on the first splash page it is a Decepticon symbol.
 * Cindy Newell is described as a "post graduate student" but she states she has a PhD in Geology. The term "post doctoral" is more accurate.
 * Ultra Magnus's shoulder rockets appear and disappear on the final page of 119.

Items of note

 * Wreck-Gar's line "Nudge nudge, wink, wink - know what I mean?" is from Monty Python and was originally spoken by Eric Idle, who voiced Wreck-Gar in.
 * The cliffhanger of Goldbug all alone facing Galvatron was intended to lead into the conclusion in the Annual. However the very next issue of the weekly comic featured Goldbug fully functional.

Reprints

 * This issue was reprinted in the Titan Books trade paperback "Fallen Angel".