Madman Transformers Comic

As the Autobots flee their wartorn homeworld, a young Autobot glimpses his destiny.

Credits
Script: Simon Furman Art: Nick Roche Colors: Josh Burcham Lettering: ? Editor: Justin Eisinger
 * Originally published: June 26, 2007
 * Continuity: Generation 1 cartoon

Major characters
(''Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Synopsis
It is the year 2001, and the Autobots are evacuating their remaining forces from the Decepticon-held Cybertron. On the relative safe haven of Earth, a dejected Hot Rod laments to Spike Witwicky that while every other Autobot is fighting to protect the escapees, he is stuck on guard duty over a construction site. The human tries to cheer him up, assuring the young Autobot that his time is coming, and for now, just to enjoy the view of the future Autobot City. Hot Rod thinks his duty is a waste of time, as what's anyone going to steal?

At that moment an Autobot transport drone drives down to the construction site carrying the Soundwave! The Decepticon communicator replays footage recorded of Optimus Prime telling Ultra Magnus that he hide the Autobot Matrix of Leadership in a bunker on the site in case he is captured or killed during the evacuation effort. Soundwave commences Operation: Extraction, ejecting Ratbat, Squawktalk, Beastbox, Overkill and Slugfest to dig up the Matrix.

Meanwhile, Hot Rod daydreams about Optimus Prime single-handedly holding the Decepticons at bay while the other Autobots help the survivors escape. His fantasy is interrupted when Spike alerts him to Soundwave's activities, causing the Autobot to leap into action. Unaware, Ratbat happily reports a minimal fuel was used in the successful operation while Soundwave called for retrival. Suddenly, Hot Rod comes barrelling through, knocking over the land-based tapes and seriously scaring the crap out of Ratbat. As the Matrix flies through the air, Hot Rod transforms and catches it. For a split second, he sees a vision of himself fighting a powerful Decepticon while Spike's words echo in his mind's eye: "Everyone has their time. Yours is coming!" Soundwave attempts the counterattack, but is not nearly as fast to the trigger as Hot Rod, who quickly subdues the Decepticon with laser fire.

Later, the Autobot refugees and the rescue teams have returned. As Hot Rod hands Optimus Prime the Matrix, the young Autobot tells the venerable leader that the artifact spoke to him. For a brief moment, the energy from the Matrix links both Autobots, and Optimus Prime replies that perhaps Hot Rod's destiny is greater than he knows. As Prime leaves, Kup dismissively tells the young Autobot that he thinks Hot Rod merely took his eye off the ball. Hot Rod merely sighs at his lot in life.

Errors

 * None yet identified.

Items of note

 * This comic was only available exclusively with Madman Entertainment's The Transformers Complete Collection DVD set.
 * Ratbat's sole line about fuel outlay is based upon his Marvel comics personality, rather than his animal-like cartoon characterisation.
 * Slugfest and Overkill's appearance in this storyline marks their second (though chronologically the first) appearance in the cartoon continuity.
 * After the story, there is an essay by artist Nick Roche about how Transformers wrecked his life and that he couldn't be happier.
 * The Transformers (cartoon) Timeline in the book lists the beginning of the Quintesson creation of the Transformer race to the Rebirth of Cybertron. Interestingly, it includes Scramble City as part of this timeline even though Simon Furman has professed to have never seen the episode, which is why he didn't include it in this comic.

Covers (1)

 * Cover: Cybertron by Don Figueroa

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