TFtember: Dinobot Island, Part 1

"Dinobot Island part 1" the Transformers, September 25, 1985

Last cartoon episode for the year, and get ready next month for Horror Hosts and Horror Countdown.

Bumblebee and Powerglide are on patrol when they find an uncharted island filled with dinosaurs! They report back to base, and it is brought up that maybe the Dinobots would be happier on their own island. 

The Dinobots, after nearly wrecking the base, agree and leave. Ravage overhears this and soon the island is being spied on by Laserbeak. 

While the Dinobots train, Laserbeak reports back to Megatron. He figures such an island would be rich with energy he could use, so an assault is planned. 

Spike and Bumblebee, meanwhile, are back in the city when a barbarian riding a wooly mammoth appears in the middle of the street and knocks the buildings around him down, burying Spike and Bumblebee in the rubble. 

When Megatron attacks, he kicks off a stampede of dinosaurs, who end up knocking the Dinobots into a tar pit. 

Can they escape in time?

Overall good. Donald F. Glut really sells us on the idea of a dinosaur island and no one really questions it. More characters are introduced, and their powers showcased, which is nice. 

TFtember: The Transformers#30

 "The Cure!" the Transformers#30 (July 1987) with credits to Bob Budiansky (script), Don Perlin (pencils), Ian Akin/Brian Garvey (inks), Nel Yomtov (colors), Janice Chiang (letters), and Don Daley (editor)

Remember the Throttlebots? Ratbat sure does and he makes it clear that unless they destroy the scraplets in ten hours, he'll make sure they get blown up with the rest of the Earth. 

Charlie, the scientist from last issue, is pushing an infected Goldbug to nearby gas station when they discover the cure-water! Pity that both Rollbar and Wide Load arrive, ready to fight. Seeing the cure at work though, convinces them to focus their efforts on the bigger picture. 

Which turns out to be rather literal as the remaining scraplets suddenly form into a giant being. Curing both Blaster and the infected Decepticons gives Goldbug enough firepower to keep the beast at bay before he can destroy it for good. 

Astrotrain, meanwhile, learns of Mister Blackrock and figures he could be of use to the Decepticon cause. He flashes a light pattern in front of his eye before escaping with the rest of the Decepticons, along with the orginal ship's unseen cargo. 

Good and nice use of the new characters. The cure is a bit odd, as #29 and this one makes it clear that the scraplets are known, and the cure is known, but the cure's chief ingredient is apparently so rare and legendary most doubt it exists. So they don't think water is real? Kind of odd considering what the last previous issues have said. 

TFtember: Sideswipe

Sideswipe 

And this is the last toy for 2022. Sideswipe started out as a Diaclone New Countach LP500S. Like most of the other toys, he came with a missile launcher that was altered to not fire in the US. The figure was later reused for several other figures. 

Now, there was an Action Master version but that was only available in Europe. Looked pretty cool, had a jetpack and everything. 

His file card paints an interesting picture. First, he's the brother of Sunstreaker. Also, he doesn't break the rules...he just bends them; plus he has a jetpack, so that's nice. 

As far as the comic goes, well, he's there at least? Usually in the background, and very little mention of his rule breaking. He did get mauled by Ravage and made it to #50, where he was last seen in a group shot. 

Voiced by Michael Bell in the cartoon, Sideswipe did get to have a jetpack, even if Optimus Prime was the only one to actually use it. He was in quite a few episodes, and he did manage to get some nice action scenes every so often. I suppose the biggest thing he ever did was disguise himself as Breakdown, but that's really about it. 

TFtember: The Insecticon Syndrome

"The Insecticon Syndrome" the Transformers, October 9, 1985

The return of the Insecticons and the introduction of Beachcomber and Inferno.

Beachcomber, Hound, Bumblebee, and Spike are summoned to a national park. Seems something has been chewing up the forrest. Beachcomber makes it clear it must be the Insecticons, a fact the park ranger finds hard to believe. 

But they are at it, rather hungry in fact. Megatron needs them to help with his attack on a nearby military base, and as a reward they can gorge themselves on a power plant. 

They eat up, but something in the plant's core makes them grow to giant size. Soundwave tries to check on them, but Bombshell places him under his hypnotic command. Megatron, unaware of all this, continues to use the now stronger Insecticons but will he be able to control them?

Good, although like with many other characters Beachcomber and Inferno just show up with the implication that they've just been there the whole time and we never saw them. 

TFtember: The Transformers#29

"Crater Critters" the Transformers#29 (June 1987) with credits to Bob Budiansky (script), Don Perlin (pencils), Ian Akin/Brian Garvey (inks), Nel Yomtov (colors), Janice Chiang (letters), and Don Daley (editor)

Blaster and Goldbug reach out to GB Blackrock. He is a bit hesitant to trust them, but he gives them a task; it seems a meteor crashed in Arizona. Taking the job, the pair head out.

The meteor, as it turns out, is actually a Decepticon ship. The fact that the pilot failed to check in makes Ratbat nervous; thus he sends out the Triple Changers!

Blitzwing (robot to tank to jet)

Astrotrain (robot to space shuttle to locomotive)

Octane (robot to oil tanker to jumbo jet)

They arrive and chase off the scientists investigating the crash. The reason the pilot failed to check in becomes clear. The ship's cargo was scraplets. Think metal piranha, only capable of explosive breeding. The Triple Changers find themselves infected with the metal horrors. Blaster falls too, but when Goldbug leaves (to help a scientist find a cure), Blaster swears revenge for his friend's apparent betrayal. Pity that Goldbug is also infected too...

Darn good and great way to introduce the new toys. 

TFtember: Rumble

Rumble 

Was he red or blue? The world may never know. Seriously though it seemed the animators made a snafu and thus the eternal question was born. 

The toy was a simple affair. Starting as Micro Change Microcassette Micro Micross, Rumble was released as a red robot that changed into a red microcassette. A few variations, mostly some with rub signs and the last model had plastic feet instead of metal. His file card actually follows the cartoon pretty faithfully, with his main role being demolitions plus his habit of sometime rhyming. 

The comic Rumble had a less than stellar run. He showed up in quite a few issues, but he was usually little more than a grunt. He started out as red but slowly turned blue over time; then Omega Supreme blew him up. 

That wasn't the end, not fully. His parts got taken by the Autobots and left on a table. Thus ends the tale of Rumble. 

The cartoon was a bit kinder. Frank Welker did the voice and did it perfectly, with just the right level of cheap punk. While his voice was perfect, his role in the show wasn't much better than his comic version. Big role in the early episodes but fell by the wayside as the series continued; plus it seemed any time a Decepticon needed to have something embarrassing happen to them Rumble got picked.  

TFtember: The Core

"The Core" the Transformers, October 29, 1985

Focusing on the Constructicons this time out. Digging a new tunnel, as Megatron wants to tap into the geothermal power ripe in the Earth's core, they run into some problems. When an Autobot patrol shows up, the combined Devestator manages to capture all of them save for Mirage.

He manages to rescue his friends and they escape back to base. The Autobots figure out what Megatron's plan is, but they are stumped on how to stop it. Human ally Chip Chase has an idea-dominator disks. Basically once the Constructicons transform into Devestator, the Autobots will control them

Sounds a bit suspect to me, but what do I know?

Ok, consent issues aside we see plenty of interaction between Megatron and Starscream, plus the Constructicons are really featured here to full effect. 

TFtember: The Transformers#28

"Mechanical Difficulties!" the Transformers#28 (May 1987) with credits to Bob Budiansky (script), Don Perlin (pencils), Ian Akin/Brian Garvey (inks), Nel Yomtov (colors), Janice Chiang (letters), and Don Daley (editor)

Remember the Mechanic? Yeah, he's back. He managed to steal some tech from the Ark and he's now on a crime spree. As his first official order of business, Grimlock sends out Blaster and Goldbug to bring the tech back.

They come into conflict with the police, who are fighting the Mechanic and his souped up cars, but they come to an understanding. Pity they fail, the Mechanic gets away, and the two Autobots figure Grimlock is a bit too bloodthirsty for their liking. 

Guess someone at Hasbro wanted more synergy, as Grimlock now talkes like his cartoon version. Not bad though, and Blaster and Goldbug get some great character moments. We also see the Autobots as more flawed, and not always as paragons as the cartoon portrayed. 

TFtember: Ravage

Ravage 

Nearing the end, so let's take a look at the Decepticon's favorite kitty!

The toy is pretty basic. What was once a Micro Change Robo Jaguar is now a black microcassette. No variations, although it was packaged differently overseas. Here in the US it was released in a two-pack. The jaguar mode is pretty good and honestly pretty accurate to the box art, which is rather rare. 

The mold would be reused a few times, but we'll get to them later. As for the file card, things are a bit different when compared to the show, which is pretty well normal by this point. The card lists him as a saboteur who almost becomes invisible when he wants, plus he always works alone (more on that in a bit).

For the comics, Ravage was there certainly. He usually acted as a spy or just straight up attacked people (usually Mirage). He also talked. Unlike many of the other character featured this month, he managed to survive to the end of the Marvel series, so that's something. 

The cartoon is probably where most people know him. Voiced by Frank Welker, Ravage here was part of Soundwave's cassette crew and spoke only in growls. He had plenty of moments in the early episodes, but again he acted mostly as a spy. He also wasn't invisible so much as good at hiding. He made it to season three at least, where he was part of the animal transformers that got kidnapped by Unicron's brothers. 

TFtember: A Prime Problem

"A Prime Problem" the Transformers, October 2, 1985

The Decepticons find a crack in the Earth filled with some dangerous crystals. Naturally they want to use it to destory the Autobots, but how?

Clones! Yup, they manage to scan Optimus Prime and when he falls into a pit, they make a copy and send said copy into the base. The fact that he doesn't know anything or anyone's name fails to make anyone suspicious. 

When the real Prime fails all the tests, will the copy lead them into an ambush? Can Spike finally figure out which Prime is which?

Not the best episode. Total idiot plot, in that it only works if everyone is a moron. 

TFtember: The Transformers#27

"King of the Hill!" the Transformers#27 (April 1987) with credits to Bob Budiansky (script), Don Perlin (pencils), Ian Akin/Brian Garvey (inks), Nel Yomtov (colors), Janice Chiang (letters), and Don Daley (editor)

Some students in the Pacific Northwest notice what are clearly dinosaur tracks. The professor remarks they must be hoaxes, as the tracks have clearly been made by a machine. 

The word of Optimus Prime's death has reached the Dinobots. Grimlock figures this means he's now the leader of the Autobots. 

Shockwave, now fully the leader of the Decepticons, has a chat with fuel auditor Ratbat and manages to convince him to send Trypticon to Earth to crush the Autobots once and for all. 

Which he does almost at once. Grimlock watches on. When Rachel, one of the students, runs into him she refuses to cower. This impresses him and he lets her go, but she's captured by the Decepticon Wipe-Out. This angers him and thus he leads the attack. He manages to drive the larger 'con away, which impresses the rest of the Autobots enough to formally make him the new leader. 

Great issue, more shilling for toys but the way they are shown really gives us a good look at the characters and their motivations. 

TFtember: Ratchet

Ratchet 

Now we come to the Autobot medic. Never cared too much for this guy, as I already had Ironhide and didn't care to see him in white. 

Yeah, Ratchet started out as a Diaclone Onebox Ambulance with the exact same features as Ironhide. Aside from the 2001 classic line this would be it for the doc for the entirety of Generation One. 

His file card paints an interesting picture. Sure, it makes mention of his being able to repair things, but did you know he's also a party animal? Yeah, seems the doc like to party down, possiblly too much for his own good but he gets the job done. 

The comic is where he really shines. Ratchet was there from day one and nearly every issue he played a part, usually as the voice of reason. His oath as a medic was often challenged by the war he was in, and in one memorably horrible segment he got fused with Megatron. He did get separated and died right before the series ended. Indeed, you could argue that out of the entire cast, Ratchet had the closest thing to a proper ending. 

The cartoon was less than memorable. Voiced by Don Messick, Ratchet here showed up quite a bit in the first two seasons but that was about it. There wasn't as much conflict, plus Ratchet here had no issue fighting right alongside Optimus Prime and the others. He got shot dead in the movie too, and that was about it, plus his corpse got tossed into the sun for good measure. 

TFtember: Enter the Nightbird

"Enter the Nightbird" the Transformers, September 30, 1985

This was 1985, so it's only natural a ninja would show up. 

The Autobots have just finished a new security system for their base, so the Decepticons should never be a problem again, right?

Well, Doctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist wants them in Japan when he unveils his latest invention-Nightbird the Robot Ninja!

Why a robot ninja? Why not? The Decepticons figure this is neat enough to they steal her. One reprograming later the Decepticons have a ninja. Can the Autobots stop her?

Good, if a bit cheesy. If Nightbird isn't meant for violence, why the heck did Fujiyama give her so many weapons?

TFtember: The Transformers#26

"Funeral for a Friend!" the Transformers#26 (March 1987) with credits to Bob Budiansky (script), Don Perlin (pencils), Brett Breeding (inks), Nel Yomtov (colors), Janice Chiang (letters), and Don Daley (editor)

Optimus Prime is still dead. Ratchet has been working nonstop trying to remedy that, but after ten days he's been unable to bring Prime back. Staying behind, he decides to get proactive and help the rest of his patients still in statis. 

So, heading out to a local junkyard Ratchet starts to get parts. Pity for him said junkyard is under surveillance by the local cops, as the owners are running a chop shop. When the cops raid the place, the Mechanic (the boss) sees a neat getaway car and peels out.

Ratchet manages to escape, but the Mechanic sees opportunity and follows the medic. Can Ratchet stop the humans from attacking his patients?

Pretty darn good. The story of Prime's death and the fallout continues and Ratchet really carries the story.  

TFtember: Prowl

Prowl 

Starting out as a Diaclone police car Fairlady Z, Prowl had a few international variants, mostly paint differences. Prowl stayed as the police car for a bit, getting released as part of the Classic line in 1990 and a few commemorative lines through the years but the toy was more or less the same. 

In 1990 Prowl got a remake for the Action Masters line, this time as a regular action figure that didn't transform but with a bike that did. Never cared for that version, always looks too puffy to me. 

His file card labeled him as a military strategist (so I guess Overdrive was a regular one?) He's described as being able to focus on a task for as long as it takes but the unexpected can scramble his logic circuits. 

For the comic, that isn't totally inaccurate. For most of the series, Prowl was a pretty static character. He had the same role as Ironhide mostly, being referenced as Prime's old friend but that was about it.

He wouldn't get a real character arc until near the end when Prime seemingly died again and left Grimlock is charge. Prowl rightly calls this out and steps up as a diplomat, but his every effort ends in failure. He manages to survive until the end of the series, so that's something. 

The cartoon was also different. Voiced by Michael Bell (sounding a heck of a lot like Duke from GI Joe), Prowl was just...there. He showed up in most episodes from the first season and quite a few in season two but with either very little dialogue or just being there. He did get made into a chair by Blitzwing through, so there's that. 

Then he got shot dead in the movie. 

So yeah, a hyper focused strategist who can't handle changes to the routine could have been a neat character, especially playing off of the Dinobots, but he didn't do that much. 

TFtember: Day of the Machines

"Day of the Machines" the Transformers, October 10, 1985

Megatron and Soundwave manage to infiltrate a computer lab. Inside, Megatron manages to imprint his personality on the computer TORQ III. That can't be good. 

And it isn't, as TORQ III takes over the lab. With Megatron calling the shots, he quickly takes over a fleet of oil tankers, which gets the Autobots on the case.

Skyfire, Hound, and Spike check out the fleet while the rest of the Autobots check out the lab. Spike gets captured pretty early. The Autobots are attacked at the lab, but the Dinobots clear the way. Optimus gets slapped with a mind control card, but he no sells it and takes down TORQ III with one punch. 

Spike, meanwhile, gets the idea to escape by using a nearby electromagnet to disable the cell and take down Rumble and Ravage. Why was that is the cell? Who knows. 

Can the Autobots manage to stop Megatron in time?

Ok; Optimus does most of the heavy work and this would be the last time Skyfire would be a major player, although he does make a small cameo in the 3rd season. 

 

TFtember: The Transformers#25

 "Gone but Not Forgotten!" the Transformers#25 (Febuary 1987) with credits to Bob Budiansky (script), Don Perlin (pencils), Ian Aiken/Brian Garvey (inks), Nel Yomtov (colors), Janice Chiang (letters), and Don Daley (editor)

The death of Optimus Prime is still being felt. The Army decides to invade the Decepticons base, but they've left for Florida. Megatron is slowly going crazy, as he simply can't buy that 1) Prime is dead, 2) one lone human really did it and not him. 

The last point is all the proof to Shockwave and Soundwave that Megatron should step down. To help move that along, they summon the Predacons, slap some Autobot symbols on them have the combined form of Predaking attack Megatron.

Pity they didn't subscribe to the 'bigger they are the harder they fall' as Megatron easily blasts them apart. Inside the wreackage, he finds a disc, which he leaps to the idea that Prime didn't die. Soundwave plays the disc, which reveals Shockwave's role. 

Shockwave isn't bothered, as he explains thanks to the disc he was there, here (to where his body is), and everywhere else. This causes Megatron even more stress, so the only thing he can do is blow up the Space Bridge with him on it. 

Good, and nice to see the story move along with emphasis on Megatron. Plus we see Shockwave ad Soundwave scheming, which is always nice. 

TFtember: Overdrive

Overdrive 

And with this we end our lookback at the Omnibots. Overdrive went from a robot to a Ferrari 512 Berlinetta Boxer to the same car but with little wings and a blaster under the hood. 

Overdrive didn't come with a file card in the US, but in Japan he was listed as a stagiest. 

He would eventually show up in the comics, but never in the Marvel series; likewise, the cartoon never featured any Omnibots, so unless you had the mail-in inserts you'd likely never see him or even hear of him. 

TFtember: Atlantis, Arise

"Atlantis, Arise", the Transformers, October 3, 1985

Title is a bit misleading, as Atlantis doesn't factor into the plot. I suppose Sub-Atlantica Arise doesn't quite roll off the tongue the same way. 

The Decepticons discover the undersea kingdom of Sub-Atlantica and enter into an alliance. Neither side trusts the other, but they put up with each other long enough to attack Washington, DC. Megatron even wrecks the Lincoln Memorial to make himself a new throne. 

The Autobots are on the ropes for most of the episode, even with Wheeljack being taken offline. Can the Dinobots turn the tide?

Overall good. You think the Decepticons and Autobots are going to team up, but no. Starscream has several good moments even figuring out the Sub-Atlanticians can't be trusted. 

TFtember: The Transformers#24

 "Afterdeath!" the Transformers#24 (January 1987) with credits to Bob Budiansky (script), Don Perlin (pencils), Ian Aiken/Brian Garvey (inks), Nel Yomtov (colors), Janice Chiang (letters), and Don Daley (editor)

Woah, this was a big issue. 

We met Ethan Zachary. He's a computer programmer working a new fancy device. Megatron wants said device. 

So he takes the Combaticons with him to the lab to steal the device. Optimus and the Protectobots arrive to stop them, but the resulting fight threatens to destroy the device, so Ethan has a compromise: Optimus and Megatron duke it out in a video game!

Inside the game, each side must be true to their principals. The Autobots must protect the NPCs while the Decepticons try to destroy everyone. The Combaticons get taken out, thus leaving Megatron to take on Optimus and the combined Defensor. Defensor opts to blow up the platform he and Megatron share, thus giving Optimus the win!

Ah, but Megatron cheats! Yup, he uses basically a cheat code and gives himself another life. He also manages to appear right behind Optimus and shoots him square in the back!

But Optimus manages to overcome the odds and win! But some NPCs are destroyed, this Optimus has no other option other than to kill himself and let Megatron leave with the device. 

Yeah, Optimus was kind of a dumbass. What's the quote "Evil always wins because good is dumb"?

Unseen by the mourning Autobots, Ethan manages to save a copy of Prime's brainwaves on a floppy disk. 

Yeah, this was just dumb. I get staying true to your principals but when you'd do more damage to your own side than the enemy maybe you should rethink them?

TFtember: Optimus Prime

Optimus Prime  

Another big one, but again for brevity's sake I'll keep the focus to the Generation One toys, the Marvel Comic, and the Generation One cartoon. 

The toy, which was the pretty much the coolest thing ever, started out as the Diaclone Battle Convoy. The truck was cool, but the trailer that transformed into a base was also pretty nice, and included Roller, something I held an inordinate amount of fondness for. 

There were a few different models depending on the country of release, mostly painting differences, but for the most part the toy stayed the same. There were a few rereleases though, mostly packaged with Megatron. 

1985 saw the release of the first seriously different variant with the introduction of what a few fans dubbed Pepsi Prime (who would later become a seperate character in 2007). It was basically the exact same as the original, save for the Pepsi logos on the trailer. 

1986 saw Ultra Magnus. Now, technically Magnus was a different character, but the truck was a solid white repaint of Optimus. 

The biggest change came in 1988 with the release of the Powermasters. Basically, if you wanted to change Optimus from truck to robot, you had to attach a motor. Never cared for that feature, but I thought the figure looked cool. 

1990 and the Action Masters included Prime as part of the lineup. Overall good, but they made his gun a neon orange for some reason. He was just a straight action figure, although his truck transformed into a base and jet. 

That would be largely it, although the original mold would get reissued in multiple colors over the years starting in 2000. 

The file card was pretty close to what we saw in the cartoons, with him being the commander and ultimate good. It did mention that he was able to split his mind across his body, Roller, and the base although that was never brought up as best as I can tell. 

The comics give him the most characterization and yet also the most infamous moment. He's still in charge and a brave leader. Ine one issue he and Megatron fight it out in a digital landscape, with the loser swearing to blow themselves up.

Prime wins, but in the course of the fight he blows up some virtual people (i.e. NOT REAL/ALIVE) this declares himself the loser in spirit thus he blows himself up. Which causes some problem for the Autobots, as you would well imagine. He manages to get brought to life and even becomes a Powermaster, which he would stay until the end of the series. 

The cartoon was where I grew to know him. Voiced by Peter Cullen, he was there from the start and was one of the few to have a backstory. 

He started out as a laborer named Orion Pax (unlike the comic where he was always Optimus) who was rebuilt into Optimus by Alpha Trion. He was in every episode on seasons 1 and 2. He death in the movie, however, was a low point and brought more than a few kids to tears.

He came back briefly in season 3, first as a zombie but he got better. 

For season 5, Optimus was changed into a narrator, teaching a young human named Tommy about the Autobot's past adventures. 

I honestly thought Prime was the best character. He could play off nearly everyone, and Cullen's voice was the best casting. 

TFtember: The Autobot Run

"The Autobot Run" The Transformers, October 31, 1985

Spike and Chip watch a race and wonder how cool it would be to see the Autobots race each other. 

The Constructicons have unveiled their latest invention-the Transfixatron! It locks a Transformers into their vehicle mode! And look, Laserbeak just told them where the Autobots are going to be and in their vehicle modes too!

The race ends in a tie due to dust, but during the race they all got blasted by the Transfixatron! They don't notice until the Decepticons attack. They try to attack, but their powers are limited as cars. 

Bumblebee takes Spike and Chip back to the Ark. Can they reverse the change before Megatron feeds the captive cars to a giant crusher. 

Animation errors aside, not bad. There is a problem and the Autobots work to fix it. Good use of the cast too, with everyone either showing up at least. 

TFttember: The Transformers#23

"Decepticon Graffiti!" the Transformers#23 (December 1986) with credits to Bob Budiansky (script), Don Perlin (pencils), Ian Aiken/Brian Garvey (inks), Nel Yomtov (colors), Janice Chiang (letters), and Don Daley (editor)

Skids is in trouble. Thanks to Donny's double cross, he's now in RAAT's custody and about to be dissected. Donny is starting to feel bad about this. 

Megatron unveils two new characters, IE new toys. Runamuck and Runabout are brought from Cybertron and ordered to deliver a message to Optimus Prime-a duel to the death!

Ordered out, the two Battlechargers aren't real keen on listening to a guy they haven't seen in a few million years. Pulling over to ponder, they notice a child spray painting some graffiti on a gas station wall. Inspired, they vow to follow the family and commit similar acts at every stop. 

Pity the family is going on a cross country road trip, so quite a few national monuments are about to covered in Cybertronian profanity. 

RAAT finally figures it out and confronts the pair. Circuit Breaker gets hurt and is ordered to remain at base. She says nuts to that and thanks to a suggestion from Donny, has the perfect idea...

Runamuck and Runabout decide that spray painting the Statue of Liberty would be their magnum opus when Circuit Breaker arrives!

And she's using a Frankenstein Monster's battle mech made from the Autobots she cut up. I somehow doubt Donny suggested that. 

She manages to drive the pair off and even gives the Autobots back their body parts. She is then fired from RAAT for, well, see above. 

Good way to introduce new characters and Circuit Breaker even gets some chracter moments. 

TFtember: Mirage

Mirage 

The not street legal playboy of the Autobot team. 

The toy, which was incredibly common from what I recall, started out as a Diaclone F-1 Ligier JS11. The transformation was basic as was usual at the time, but a bit fragile. 

There was another figure, but it was more or less the same. It was a Japan only release as part of the Farewell Convoy 3 pack. 

The file card paints an interesting character. He's mentioned as not only being rich but that his heart isn't fully in the Autobot cause. They even end on how he can't be trusted. 

The comic continued this. In the early issues, he tries to befriend Ravage but when Brawn saves him, he equally throws his support to him. 

That would be his main trait. The other was him showing up, getting blasted, then getting repaired only to get blasted again. This would keep up until #50 then he got blasted again, this time fatally. 

Voiced by Frank Welker, Mirage didn't do a whole lot in the cartoon. Early episodes had him wanting to leave the Earth and get back to Cybertron not matter what but that was dropped early on; after that he was able to make himself invisible. That's about it, although he was scripted to die in the movie but that scene was never made. 

TFtember: The Immobilizer

"The Immobilizer", the Transformers, September 24, 1985

Wheeljack is showing off his latest invention-the Immobilizer! Sadly, while demonstrating its use, Ironhide mistakes a nearby hologram for the real thing and blows up some of the base. Spike and Bumblebee are tasked to get the needed parts to repair it. 

While taking a small break in the arcade, Spike has an awkward meet cute with a gal named Carly. The pair leave but get stopped by a cop. Ravage attacks, but Spike manages to drive the cat off. He fails to see the tiny spy camera that got planted on Bumblebee. 

They decide to have a demonstration outside, but thanks to some shenanigans Wheeljack ends up getting shot with the device and turned immobile. Also Carly tries to sneak into the base, gets caught by Ironhide, and manages to talk the older bot out of retiring when he blames himself for the Autobots getting ambushed by the Decepticons. 

Megatron and co. manage to steal the Immoblizer, but a river washes them away. Wheeljack comes to, but there are bigger problems. Seems Carly stole a grenade! Why?

To blow up the Decepticons of course. Girl has some goals, you have to respect that. 

So with a rescue party on the way, can they rescue Carly in time? 

Carly would go on to be bigger part of the show, somewhat. I don't recall her being quite this competent after this episode. She's also an MIT student, which does raise some questions. 

TFtember: The Transformers#22

"Heavy Traffic!" the Transformers#22 (November 1986) with credits to Bob Budiansky (script), Don Perlin (pencils), Ian Aiken/Brian Garvey (inks), Nel Yomtov (colors), Hans IV (letters), and Don Daley (editor)

We open with RAAT HQ, and commander Walter Barnett talking with Circuit Breaker. He notes how eager she seemed in capturing the Autobots. She also turns down an offered bonus check, as smashing robots is its own reward. 

Ratchett, meanwhile, is fixing up Optimus. Unseen by the 'bots, Bombshell slips a mickey into Prime's programing. He fails, however, and is unable to take control of Prime. He can monitor his thoughts though, so it's not a total loss. 

With this in place, Megatron steals some energy from Prime's matrix as he reanimates the Aerielbots and uses that to bring the Decepticon's newest faction to life!

Yes, here we we met the Stunticons.

Skids and Donny, meanwhile, are on their quest. They spot a downed motorist, trapped by power lines. Skids rushes to help, much to Donny's annoyance. The event gets them mentioned on the news, which finds its way to RAAT. 

Barnett is fascinated and starts to rethink his position on aliens. Circuit Breaker? Not convinced. The Decepticons also see the report. Deciding to test their newest recruits and wanting to keep the public opinion against the largely car based Autobots, the Stunticons are on the way.

The next day, Stunticons track Donny and Skids down and attack. The Aerielbots make the scene and combine to form Superion! Pity the Stunticons combine to form Menasor!

RAAT attacks too, but Circuit Breaker decides to focus on Superion. She's also convinced, but thanks to some trickery, she leaves even more convinced that both sides are equally evil. 

Skids and Donny flee and spend the night at a motel. Donny calls Barnett and asks how much is he willing to pay for an Autobot?

Good, but Circuit Breaker's schtick is starting to wear then. Plus when she arrives, the Stunticons clearly call themselves evil, so why does she focus on the Autobots? Is she going alphabetical order?

TFtember: Megatron

Megatron 

Now this one might be a long one. In order to keep it under a few thousand words, I'll be focusing on just the Generation One toys, the Marvel Comics, and the Generation One cartoon.

Now this was the Holy Grail for Transformers fans, at least the ones I knew. Nobody had it, as the schools made it clear anyone bringing it in would lose it. Which was understandable, as the robot changed into a fairly realistic Walther P-38. Parents also hated it, as I recall more than a few kids being accused of budding juvenile delinquents jut for looking at the thing. Starting out as a Microman Gun Robo P38 UNCLE, I'm told the Japanese version could shoot plastic bullets as well. 

Speaking of Japan, the first major variant was released there as part of a two pack with Convoy (Optimus Prime). The major difference is the figure lacked the scope, silencer, and stock in pistol mode, but it did come with a pretty cool sword. 

And the next variant would also only be released in Japan too. Dubbed the Good Bye Megatron, this one came with only the sword and scope, as well as sporting a different paint job. 

The last official Megatron figure was part of the Action Masters line released in 1990. That one I had some reservations about; on the one hand it did finally resemble the cartoon version and on the other it lacked the cannon that was so distinctly the character's; plus, I didn't care for the Action Masters' main gimmick of simple robot action figures and transforming vehicles. The tank that turned into a base/jet was ok, even if I think it would have fit GI Joe better. 

The file card was pretty close to what we see saw in the show and comic. "Peace through tyranny" sums him up pretty well. Cunning, ruthless, and possessing no weakness also sums up his character perfectly. 

The comic version was pretty similar, although some details differ; the UK comic goes into his background as a gladiator more and provides more motivation. The US comic had him being more of a straight evil overlord, albeit a competent one. Funny enough his biggest rival was Ratchet, rather than Optimus Prime, with the two even being fused together at one point. 

His relationship with Galvatron (and we'll get to him in a bit) was...well they had one certainty. Megatron would be a strong part of the comic up until #79 when he and Galvatron II seemingly got blown up by Ratchet. He'd get better in the Generation Two book, but we'll cover that later. 

The cartoon was where I really grew to know the character. Voiced by Frank Welker, Megatron was the chief villain for the first two seasons and the movie. Problems with his backstory, however. Either he was created by the Constructicons or he created them or maybe he was already working for the Decepticons and helped them develop the power to transform. 

The movie was both his best and worst though. The best was seeing him being utterly ruthless and slaughtering his way through the Autobots and the worst was him getting turned into Galvatron. Never agreed with that. 

He did show up in the Scramble City OVA, although he mostly stood on the sidelines and ordered his forces around. 

The character has endured though, and I can see why. He can be a multifaceted character, or he can be a one hundred percent evil jerk and I can respect that. 

TFtember: Traitor

"Traitor" the Transformers, September 7, 1985

At a research lab, scientists have just created new electro-cells that will, hopefully, end the energy crisis. Assuming they can keep the things from blowing up first though. 

The last point isn't a concern for Starscream and Skywarp, who arrive and bust up the lab. Megatron arrives, and after taking the cells, blows up the lab. Decepticons roll like that. 

Cliffjumper rushes into the base and tells the Autobots he found the cells. They are in the exact place Mirage patrolled yesterday. Before he makes his accusation formal, Optimus sends the team out. 

Mirage's every action seems to convince Cliffjumper he's a Decepticon agent. Can he prove his name in time?

Not bad, although Cliffjumper's paranoia does come out of nowhere. 

TFtember: The Transformers#21

 "Aerialbots over America!" the Transformers#21 (October 1986) with credits to Bob Budiansky (script), Don Perlin (pencils), Ian Aiken/Brian Garvey (inks), Nel Yomtov (colors), Janice Chiang (letters), and Mike Carlin (editor)

 With the Space Bridge finally repaired, Megatron moves onto the next step of his plan. With the Insecticons in tow, he manages to take over Hoover Dam. 

Skids, with Danny in tow, returns to the Autobots. Sending a team to check out Danny's claims, they get news of Megatron's actions. So why not send the newest Autobots to handle it? Yeah, here we see the newly built Aerialbots!

The Aerialbots fight with the Decepticons, who have managed to open a Space Bridge by the dam to steal all the water. The Aerialbots transform into Superion and drive them off, although unseen by all Bombshell manages to hitch a ride on Aerialbot Silverbolt's wing. 

Danny leads the Autobots to where he spotted the newly arriving Autobots. They're not there, but there is enough evidence to suggest that Danny was telling the truth. So where did they go?

The RAATS (Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team) can answer that. They managed to subdue and capture all seven Autobots, which pleases their boss, Circuit Breaker.

Pretty good. We finally get a pay off to Danny, the new toys get a good showing, and we see the introduction of a new faction. 

TFtember: Laserbeak

Laserbeak 

Bringing this one back, and why not start out with the Decepticon's number interrogator?

The toy, which had three variants, was the exact same as Buzzsaw. The first one came in a two-pack with Frenzy. The second one was released by Milton Bradley in Europe, and the third one came in a single pack in Japan. All three are the exact same toy, a simple micro-cassette that turned into a condor. 

Checking out the file card shows a slightly different character. According to that he's a sadist, a coward, and he's fast. Aside from his function as a interrogator there's not much mention of what he does. Honestly you might think he's a scout from the wording. 

For the comic, things were different. For starters, Laserbeak actually talked (or at least thought to himself) and played an active role. Granted that role was usually Soundwave's sidekick, but he did manage to do things, small though they were. Like many other characters he got blown up in #50.

For the cartoon, Laserbeak acted more like how most fans recall. Offically voiced by Chris Latta, Laserbeak was there from the first episode (and most episodes too) acting as Soundwave's eyes and ears on the Autobots and humans. Neither side noticing the giant robot bird for some reason. 

The character would stick with the show until the very end, and even appeared in the Japanese Headmasters series, although his role was greatly reduced in that series.