Gone but Not Forgotten!



As the Decepticons relocate to a new base, Shockwave plays a gambit to finally destroy Megatron.

=Marvel US issue #25= (Story also appears in: Marvel UK issues #107-108)

Script: Bob Budiansky Pencils: Don Perlin Inks: Ian Akin and Brian Garvey Lettering: Janice Chiang Colors: Nelson Yomtov Editor: Don Daley


 * Major characters (in order of appearance): Soundwave, Shockwave, Laserbeak, Megatron, Brawl, Swindle, Motormaster, Onslaught, Dead End, Vortex, Blast Off, Drag Strip, Razorclaw, Headstrong, Rampage, Divebomb, Tantrum, Predaking
 * Originally published: February, 1987

Synopsis
The United States army prepares to invade the Decepticon base. Unknown to them, the Decepticons are already planning to abandon this base for a new one off the Florida keys, intending to make better use of the stolen hydrothermocline to meet their energy needs. Megatron has other concerns on his mind. He is preoccupied with the death of Optimus Prime, unable to fully believe that his enemy is, in fact, dead. This uncertainty drives him mad. As the other Decepticons abandon their base, Shockwave and Soundwave stay behind to arrange for the Predacons to attack and destroy Megatron. To further Megatron's confusion, the Predacons have been fitted with Autobot symbols, to make him think that they have been sent by Optimus Prime. The Predacons locate and attack Megatron who, despite being outnumbered five-to-one, is able to defend himself (although not unscathed by any means). Finding Megatron too strong for them to defeat in their individual forms, the Predacons combine into Predaking. However, Megatron is able to defeat Predaking, as well. When the Decepticons arrive at their new base, a Decepticon soldier (it is unclear who) locates a laser disk inside Predaking, which Soundwave then plays back to reveal Shockwave's attempt to have Megatron killed. As Megatron threatens to destroy Shockwave, Shockwave explains that he recorded major portions of his personality on the disk he gave to the Predacons: "I controlled the Predacons. I was with them as much as I am with you now!" This revelation causes Megatron to reflect on Optimus Prime's death. He now knows what he did not see at the time: that Optimus Prime's personality had been saved on a computer disk. This awareness drives him mad once again, and he blows up the space bridge to Cybertron with himself on it. Both disappear, and Shockwave reflects that it was not he himself who destroyed Megatron, but "a memory did!"

Errors

 * On page 8, the caption reads that Megatron "commands Drag Strip to carry him to their destination," and the coloring is consistent with this. The art, however, shows Megatron entering Dead End.

Items of note

 * References to other Transformers continuities/issues: The hydrothermocline was stolen in "Afterdeath," the previous story.
 * In the US version of this story, Shockwave instructs Soundwave to radio Cobra, a reference to alliance they made in the original Marvel GI Joe/Transformers mini-series.
 * Page 4 consists entirely of flashbacks to "Afterdeath."
 * In the UK equivalent of US page 9, Razorclaw worries that Megatron already knows the Predacons, and Shockwave assures them that he is so deluded that he has forgotten them entirely. This is in reference to the story arc beginning with "Prey."  It is assumed that text on US page 13 is similarly altered.