Whose Lifeforce is it Anyway?



Can Longtooth finally do the right thing?

=Marvel UK issue #250=

Script: Simon Furman Art: Staz Lettering: Stuart Bartlett


 * Major characters (in order of appearance): Longtooth, Pincher, Doubleheader, Optimus Prime, Emirate Xaaron
 * Originally published: December 17, 1989

Synopsis
Cybertron - and to the annoyance of Doubleheader and Pincher, Longtooth is doing another death-defying charge on the Decepticons! The "fearless Longtooth" is beginning to grate on them, with Pincher stating he thinks Longtooth doesn't care if he's hit.

After the mission, they're called back to Autobase by Xaaron to be briefed on a mission involving the Creation Matrix. Longtooth is suddenly terrified - he's not brave at all, but is secretly a selfish coward. Long ago, before the Ark launch, he was left alone after a battle that saw thousands die; he desperately tried to keep a comrade alive solely because he was too scared to be on his own, but Optimus Prime saw this and believed Longtooth was being altruistic. With considerable effort, he broke off a fragment of Matrix energy and gave it to Longtooth so he could save his friend.

Instead, he gave in to temptation and kept the fragment, ensuring he would always have an "extra life" in case he was badly injured. His comrade survived purely by luck.

He barely listens to the mission briefing - to search for the lost Matrix - and on the way out sees a group of Autobots, fresh from battle, mourning the death of their comrade who had sacrificed himself. Unable to live with his actions anymore, he sends the Matrix fragment to Earth where it could help the many deactivated there. "I can never undo what's been done - that shame is mine to bear..." but now he has a chance to start over.

Items of note

 * Apparently Xaaron didn't mention they wanted the Matrix back because of Unicron, killer of worlds. I think Longtooth would've paid attention to that.
 * Longtooth has a Pretender shell four million years ago - one of several stories that does this, including The Magnificent Six!). (This despite organic life being a shocking new concept in the first Transformers issues, but oh well...)
 * This is Longtooth's debut and he's presented as a selfish, cowardly loser - quite an odd thing for a new character debut, but it's certainly more striking and memorable than his later hunting-a-whale.