A Savage Circle

Altered Images, redux.

=Marvel US issue #78= (Story also appears in: Marvel UK issues #327-328

Script: Simon Furman Pencils: Andrew Wildman Inks: Stephen Baskerville Lettering: Rick Parker Colors: Nelson Yomtov Cover: Andrew Wildman


 * Major characters (in order of appearance): Galvatron, Megatron, Starscream, Shockwave, Bludgeon, Stranglehold, Prowl, Blaster, Ratchet, Grimlock
 * Originally published: May, 1991

Synopsis
Aboard the Ark, Galvatron sees his own past self before him, and snaps. In his insanity, he begins venting his rage on Megatron, unloading millennia of loathing on his former self. Megatron, meanwhile, is still recovering from his nuero-physio linkage to the Autobot Ratchet, and the Nucleon infusion which brought him back to life. As a result, he perceives Galvatron as Ratchet, and begins to fight back against his "Autobot oppressor". On the bridge, Shockwave and Starscream detect the conflict on their monitors, and head down to that level intent on vanquishing what they believe are weakened Autobots, just out of the stasis pods.

Rocketing away from Cybertron, Bludgeon and his Decepticons employ the strictest of scientific method in choosing their destination -- Bludgeon blinds stabs a big map with his sword, and they decide to go after and conquer the world he skewered, Klo.

Back on the Ark, Ratchet has just fallen free of his stasis pod, the Nucleon effect having taken longer to revitalize him than Megatron or the other Autobots. He quickly realizes, though, that a psychic link remains between him and Megatron, as he begins to see through the Decepticon leader's eyes, and feel his pain from the battle with Galvatron. Around that time, though, Galvatron finally snags a clue and stops beating the life out of himself. As he steps around the corner to collect himself, though, Starscream and Shockwave arrive and find the semi-lucid Megatron before them. Starscream reflexively shifts back into groveling boot-licker mode, but Shockwave snaps him out of it and sends 'Screamer on his way to locate any Autobots on the loose while he deals with Megatron. Before Ratchet's helpless eyes, Shockwave unleashes his cannon-arm's firepower on Megatron, and the feedback knocks Ratchet to his knees just as Starscream finds him in the maintenance bay.

On Cybertron, Prowl is regretting his choices which led to the Autobots being trapped on the dying planet. He gets a sudden shock when Grimlock arrives out of the blue with salvation: a set of Decepticon battle cruisers which he had secreted away millions of years ago just for such an occasion. Grimlock's foresight has now given the Autobots a chance to survive the planet's destruction and track down the Decepticons before they do any more damage.

Meanwhile, Hi-Q continues trying to convince the Neo-Knights that he is Optimus Prime reincarnate, and holds the key to Cybertron's salvation...

On the Ark, Ratchet astonishingly manages to hold his own against Starscream, decking the treacherous Decepticon with a single punch. And yet, with Megatron and Galvatron having reached an alliance and turned on Shockwave, Ratchet realizes that they are too dangerous to be allowed to roam free. With Starscream's unwilling help, he triggers and explosion in the Nucleon storage reactor, causing the Ark to spindle out of control and crash down to Earth, just as it did four million years earlier...

Items of note

 * A second year Autobot Car, Inferno finally makes his first official appearance in the Marvel US comic this issue, in a one-panel cameo.
 * Transformers Universe profiles for Pounce and Repugnus are found after the main story.