Ark Duty

Scramble City, comic book style.

=Marvel UK Annual 1987=

Writer: Simon Furman Pencillers: Will Simpson


 * Characters: Ultra Magnus, Blurr, Hot Rod, Kup, Ravage, Dead End, Breakdown, Wildrider, Drag Strip, Motormaster
 * Originally published: December 1987

Synopsis
In 2003, Ultra Magnus unveils plans for a transforming Autobot City on Earth, capable of withstanding any Decepticon attack. Thanks to some generous donations by Earth's government, the Autobots will have all the supplies they require to construct the city. While divvying up assignments for the Autobots to collect all the supplies, he also places Blurr and Hot Rod on monitor duty and gives Kup a copy of the Autobot City blueprints and projected simulation to bring to their human sponsors.

Up in the rafters, however, the Decepticon spy Ravage has observed all that went on. He sneaks away and informs the Stunticons that all of Autobot City's secrets will be guarded by one lone Autobot in transport.

As Kup prepares to leave the Ark, he makes it very, very clear that under no circumstances is Hot Rod to leave his post. No walk-y, no leave-y. NONE. So naturally when Hot Rod sees Kup being attacked by the Stunticons on his monitor screens, he quicky jumps up and leaves his post to go help, pushing past Blurr in the process.

Finding Kup on the side of the road after his beating, Hot Rod tells Kup not to worry and goes chasing after the Stunticons to retrieve the tape. Minutes later, it's Kup's turn to find Hot Rod battered and beaten on the side of the road, after the Stunticons got done working him over. He tells Hot Rod that the tape wasn't important -- it was a ruse filled with false information to mislead the Decepticons into believing they had Autobot City's secrets. The real information was being sent by high-speed radio signal by Blurr as they spoke. Chagrinned, Hot Rod promises to think before he acts next time. Kup tells him he doubts it.

Items of note

 * It's no wonder Hot Rod gets in trouble -- no one tells him anything!