Cold War!

If Starscream was always this competent, we'd be in a lot of trouble.

=Marvel US issue #49= (Story also appears in: Marvel UK issues #206-207)

Script: Bob Budiansky Art: Jose Delbo Inks: Danny Bulanadi Lettering: Bill Oakley Colors: Nelson Yomtov Editor: Don Daley Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco Cover: Frank Springer
 * Major characters (in order of appearance): Ratbat, Starscream, Scorponok, Optimus Prime, Spike Witwicky, Blaster, Fortress Maximus
 * Originally published: February, 1989

Synopsis
Having moved their base to the cold Arctic after the Club Con debacle, Ratbat and his Decepticons respond to an incoming intruder alert signal. As the Seacons form Piranacon and begin shaking the arriving starship, Starscream flies in and tells the combiner robot to stop what he's doing and let the ship down gently. Good thing, too, because as soon as he does Scorponok and his Decepticon Headmasters file out, and they are not in the best of moods.

Starscream explains that Scorponok contacted him some weeks ago about the prospect of working together against the Autobots. With Club Con active at the time, Screamer asked Scorponok's crew to keep their distance for the time being. It seems once the Club folded, Scorponok tracked a signal beacon that Starscream had set up for them, since humans were no longer an issue. Starscream claims to have simply "forgotten" to inform Ratbat during the shuffle of moving. In a whispered aside, he also tells Ratbat that he couldn't have warned Scorponok off any longer without making him suspicious, despite how critical the time is in their plans for the Underbase. As both commanders' hackles are already raised, things don't get any more pleasant when Scorponok reveals that he and his troops are part "puny fleshling", something Ratbat finds infinitely distasteful.

Back in the Caribbean, Optimus Prime and Blaster are accompanied by Spike and Fortress Maximus in a futile search for the Decepticons' island base. The search for Buster Witwicky and the threat of the Underbase weigh heavily on all three Autobots.

In the Arctic, Starscream has been escorting the Decepticon Headmasters on a highly-censored tour of their base. During the tour, he stops in on Buster Witwicky and openly informs the flesh creature that he is scheduled for immediate termination. Naturally, Buster speaks up about how they're only killing him because he overheard about the Underbase. Even though Starscream tries to stop him from talking (really), the topic quickly catches Scorponok's attention. After Starscream "reluctantly" pleads the fifth on the subject, Scorponok goes stomping off to confront Ratbat. Giddy with evil glee, Starscream thanks Buster for helping set his plan in motion, before gathering up the boy for his last flight.

Ratbat and Scorponok exchange harsh words with each other over the Underbase and the inherent value of fleshlings, at which point Scorponok stalks off to leave with his Headmaster entourage. Ratbat sends the Predacons to stop his departure, and events proceed naturally from there. The rest of Scorponok's troops file out of their starcruiser, and the battle is joined.

In the meantime, Starscream prepares to abandon Buster on the Arctic ice shelf. As a parting gift, he leaves Buster a small communication beacon that, when triggered, will send a powerful homing pulse directly to the Autobots. Buster quickly realizes exactly what Starscream intends: to gather the Autobots so close to the Decepticon base would only serve as a uniting force to bring Ratbat and Scorponok's crew together, and slaughter the Autobots. Still, Buster realizes that he'll die otherwise, and only the Autobots can possibly stop Starscream from stealing the Underbase for himself. As Starscream flies into Scorponok's now-empty starcruiser and commandeers it, Buster reaches over to press the beacon...

Scorecard
Buzzsaw v. Cutthroat = Buzzsaw Blitzwing v. Horri-Bull = Blitzwing Skywarp v. Bugly = Bugly Rampage v. Apeface = Apeface Astrotrain v. Weirdwolf & Snapdragon Octane v. Rippersnapper Tantrum & Razorclaw v. Scorponok = Scorponok Soundwave v. Bomb-Burst = Bomb-Burst

Errors

 * Several Decepticons are critically damaged in this issue, most notably ones like Tantrum who was literally torn in half, yet are perfectly healthy next issue (in some cases, only to be destroyed again).

Items of note

 * This issue marks the third and last time we ever see Fortress Maximus transformed.
 * Transformers Universe profiles for Chase and Freeway are found after the main story.