Deadly Obsession

Simon Furman rewrites Melville, as the Matrix Quest continues.

=Marvel US issue #64= (Story also appears in: Marvel UK issues #286-289)

Script: Simon Furman Art: Jose Delbo Inks: Al Williamson Lettering: Jim Massara Colors: Nelson Yomtov Cover: Ian Akin
 * Major characters (in order of appearance): Longtooth, Pincher, Doubleheader, Xaaron, Thunderwing, Ruckus, Spinister, Needlenose
 * Originally published: March, 1990

Synopsis
On the mercury seas of Pequod, the one-legged Autobot Longtooth is closing in on his prey, the whale-like creature known as the Klud that tore away his leg. As he aims his harpoon gun at the creature, his fellow Autobots Pincher and Doubleheader are racing to stop him in another craft. As they near their destination, Pincher thinks back on how things became so desperate...

Two weeks earlier, the trio had begun their leg of the Matrix Quest, leaving the Ark and eventually arriving at the harbor town of Gottlieb on Pequod. Only a little while ago, the Klud were believed to be extinct, and yet now one had turned up again, attacking boaters. The Pretenders decided to check it out, believing the creature's sudden return to functioning could have been caused by the Matrix's power.

Back in the present, Thunderwing and his Decepticons have found the creature as well, and opened fire on Longtooth to prevent him from killing. Ruckus sees fit to make a few jeering remarks about how Thunderwing seems more interested in saving a dumb creature than killing a dumb Autobot, and so Thunderwing knocks him across the bridge for his insubordination.

As Longtooth falls into the water after taking missile fire, his addled mind recollects the events after the Autobots began their quest for the Klud. They had come across the latest of the ships torn apart by the creature and, while Longtooth was making a forensic analysis of the remains, the Klud itself shot out of the water and took Longtooth's leg with it. As he fell into shock, Longtooth experienced a mental break, and began associating the Klud with "the destroyer of worlds". After some repairs, he stole a craft and went out hunting the Klud in the name of justice and vengeance. And now he had found it.

Thunderwing sends Needlenose and Spinister out to deal with the Autobots while he attempts to make contact with the Klud. Exhibiting some unique mental powers, Thunderwing reaches out and makes contact with the beast's mind. He sees the creature swallow a scientist and his escape pod that were adrift at sea, and charged with Matrix energy. That lingering energy was enough to completely revitalize the Klud. Thunderwing also sees the escape pod is from the moon VsQs, elsewhere in the system.

With the Autobots and Decepticons engaged with each other, Longtooth has beaten down the Klud and is ready to pull the trigger on the creature, when Pincher comes forth and makes a last ditch attempt to save his fellow Autobot's soul. Pincher pleads at Longtooth to remember what he was, and what the Autobot code meant to him.

Thunderwing, content in the knowledge that the Matrix should be on VsQs, abruptly calls off the attack and demands his flyers return to the ship at once. Pincher watches them go, and also watches the Klud swim away, alive and well. In that, at least, he finds a victory.

Items of note

 * This issue is the first US appearance for Longtooth and Pincher.
 * Thunderwing's affinity for the Matrix is first mentioned here.
 * Transformers Universe profiles for Crankcase and Needlenose are found after the main story.