The Magnificent Six!

Short summary
More than four million years ago, before Optimus Prime was leader of the Autobots, Prowl Jazz Wheeljack Sunstreaker Inferno Stampede were sent on a mission to Stanix, deep within Decepticon-controlled territory to create chaos.

After rescuing a group of neutralists from a Decepticon unit led by Steamhammer, they were pinned down under steady bombardment by Thunderwing.

A flippant remark by Sunstreaker after the town's museum was destroyed angered Huxx, the town elder, who convinced the other neutralists to betray their Autobot defenders. They were tortured for seven days by the Decepticon general Megadeath.

After breaking their will, Megadeath challenged the Autobots to stop him killing Stampede. They were all too afraid to stop him. Megadeath released the Autobots, giving them two hours to find the neutralists before a neutronic explosion would devastated Stanix.

Unable to find the neutralists, the Autobots instead hid, and attacked Megadeath when he came to investigate. Though crippled at ground zero, Megadeath refused to tell then where the neutralists were, and the Autobots were forced to flee Yuss before the bombs exploded.

''Demoralized by their experiences, the five survivors claimed amnesia after returning to the Autobot Army rather than confront their shame.

In 1990, Optimus Prime ordered the five survivors (plus Silverbolt) back to Stanix to discover if any vestige of the Underbase had survived its destruction four million years ago.

The surviving members of the Magnificent Six are paralyzed by indecision as they pass through the ruins of Yuss- and ambushed by Megadeath, who now commands the mutated neutralists. Imprisoned in the same Yuss justice building where Stampede was killed, Silverbolt forces the others to overcome their haunted past. They escape, and the five Autobots beat Megadeath nearly to death with their bare hands (well, Prowl uses part of a refrigeration unit.) Rather than be put on trial for crimes against the Transformer race, megadeath ruptures his internal reactor and explodes- finally demolishing Yuss... and its ghosts.

Continuity
This story takes place in Earthforce continuity, as Optimus prime references the more-disastrous-than-in-the-US outcome of their attempted alliance with the Decepticons.

Keywords
Claw (G1), Switchblade (G1), Ripsnorter (G1), Steamhammer (G1), Pounder (G1)

Fort Scyk, Stanix, Yuss, Backstrut, Oral circuits, Acid Wastes, Backfire (G1), Huxx (G1)

hic, groon, joor, vun