Well I'm damned if I can see what's supposed to be happening!
A mysterious force causes the Autobots and Decepticons to change sides!
Published in: Transformers Annual 1987
Preceded by: In the Beginning...
Followed by: The Return of the Transformers
Writer: Ian Mennell & Wilf Prigmore
Art: Will Simpson
Letters: Annie Halfacree
Colouring: Josie Firmin
Editors: Sheila Cranna
Characters: Mirage, Jazz, Prowl, Optimus Prime, Starscream, Ratchet, Sideswipe
Synopsis[]
In America, a group of Autobots is forging relationships with humans, when an energy blast hits them and makes them aggressive. Similarly, a group of Decepticons is attacking a town when the energy blast hits them and makes them well.....nice!
When both groups have recovered, they track the source of the energy blast to the United Kingdom and a group from both factions sets off to find the source, each group believing the other is to blame for it. On a patrol, Starscream spots Optimus Prime in truck mode and attacks him. As he unleashes a missile another energy blast strikes the transformers, reversing their personalities again. Starscream wonders why everyone can't be friends and the Autobots travelling inside Prime (including Jazz, Mirage and Prowl see Prime as useless and try to attack him.
As the effects of the blast fades Prime orders the Autobots to leave and find the source of the blast as Starscream comes in for the kill. Prime is a sitting duck but Starscream is forced to pull out of the attack with a systems failure leaving Prime to realise that maybe the Decepticons are not the source of the blast. Badly injured, Optimus finds shelter in an old railway tunnel.
The source of the energy blast is in fact PARD, developed by the British as a weapon to abort attacks by making the attacker attack themselves. But a traitor, Zeke Heilmann, tries to steal the core of PARD, inadvertently releasing a blast that both Jazz and Starscream feel. Jazz, slightly damaged by the blast, homes in on the research lab. Running out carrying the core of PARD, Heilmann sees the Porsche as an escape ticket and jumps in. Jazz lets the human think he's in control for the moment.
In the meantime, Starscream is forced to land nearby after an encounter with the Red Arrows. Hellman thinks the landing plane is for him and runs towards it and climbs in. Starscream takes off. Jazz, transformed by this stage, fires a heat seeking missile at Starscream as the Decepticon plans to use Heilmann to make PARD affect only Autobots. Starscream plans to outrun the missile with his hyperblast but his systems are still scrambled and he transforms instead, meaning Heilmann and the core of PARD are destroyed by Jazz's missile as the main heat source. Jazz and Starscream battle until being interrupted by the Royal Air Force.
The story ends with the Autobots, now fully restored, bringing a badly damaged Optimus Prime back for Ratchet to repair.
Errors[]
- When Starscream attacks the Autobots after the energy blast reverses their personalities, why do they not attack Starscream back before starting on Optimus Prime? It is hard to imagine Megatron or Starscream attacking their own before an Autobot.
- How come Starscream is no longer a heat source after he transforms? (This sort of thing will happen again)
- During Jazz and Starscream's fight they are shown barely a couple of metres apart firing at each other, but neither takes any damage. Time for some weapon upgrades and some shooting practice, guys....
Items of note[]
- Jazz mentions that the Autobots have to save fuel "after that sky jump over the ocean". This implies that the Autobots can fly (or at least jump) considerable distances, but it uses a lot of energy.