TFtember: A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court

"A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court", the Transformers, October 24, 1985

Warpath and Hoist are duking it out with Starscream, Rumble, Ravage, and Ramjet. The 'cons flee and duck into a nearby cave. This isn't an ordinary cave, however, as the bots end up 543 AD, somewhere in England. 

They run into Sir Wigend, who takes them to be fellow knights. Starscream and Ramjet are roughly twenty stories tall, so Sir Wigend is a bit dim. 

The two Autobots, plus Spike, follow them into the past. Once arrived, they end up meeting Sir Wigend's rival, Sir Aetheling the Red. Spike is taken with the man's daughter. He tries to fight for her hand, but Rumble proves to be better at jousting,

Starscream, now utterly sick of the whole code of honor nonsense, just up and kidnaps Nimue (the aforementioned daughter). An army is assembled but Starscream introduces them to a nifty new invention-gunpowder. 

With a dragon prowling around, can our heroes succeed?

Pretty good, even if the 'heroes end up in the past' had been done before a few times by now. 

TFtember: Transformers#40

"Pretender to the Throne!" the Transformers#40 (May 1988) with credits to Bob Budiansky (script), Jose Delbo (pencils), Dave Hunt (inks), Nel Yomtov (colors), Bill Oakley (letters), and Don Daley (editor)

So we end the look back at the comics for right now, and with the first Transformers comic I ever bought, plus the first one I saw advertised on TV.

Say, remember Optimus Prime? And Ethan Zachery?

Well, Optimus is alive! Sort of! Ethan keep a backup of Prime's brain and uses it to play video games. Prime thinks and talks but he is convinced he is a very smart computer program, nothing more. 

Ethan tries calling Buster but gets Sparkplug instead. He also gets Sparkplug's full opinion on all transformers up to this point, and TLDR-not a fan.

Luckily for them, Spike has a tap on his dad's phone and hears the news. Optimistic, he, Goldbug and Brainstorm head back to Earth to figure out if Ethan is on the level. 

The guys are convinced but Prime isn't. Figuring a mission might snap him out of it, they have Prime infiltrate a Decepticon computer, where he finds files on something called 'pretender shells'. Prime gets the info back to the 'bots but his theft is noticed. 

The Decepticon Pretenders attack, but they are driven back by the Autobot Pretenders. Prime is still convinced he is a program though. 

Interesting change to the status quo, and the first time Optimus gets brought back from the dead. 

TFtember: Astrotrain

 Astrotrain 

The last figure of the season, and we're ending things with Generation One, Series 2. Astrotrain the figure was a first for the line, in that he was a Triple Changer. He could go from robot to JNR Class D51 steam locomotive to a space shuttle. 

His color scheme changed a bit from his preview photos to the finished model but overall he stayed the same. His file card is interesting even if none of it holds up. He's obsessed with creating chaos, but I fail to see how going from a shuttle to a train is going to cause that much chaos. How many locomotives does one really encounter? Or space shuttles for that matter?

In the comic he showed up in #29, whereas he is promptly infected with scraplets. After that he pretty much acted as a cargo hauler before he got blown up by Starscream in #50.

For the cartoon, he was voiced by Jack Angel. He also acted pretty much the same in the show as he did in the comic, i.e. acting mostly as the guy who hauled stuff. He did get to crown Starscream in the Movie, for whatever that was worth. 

He showed up in later episodes but never as a focus. He did get smacked by Galvatron, but at that was pretty much it. 

TFtember: Blaster Blues

 "Blaster Blues", the Transformers, October 23, 1985

Spike, Carly, and Blaster are enjoying a date at a local rock concert. Blaster enjoys it so much that at Spike's prompting he decides to share it with the rest of the Autobots. Mostly by blasting said music over their radios.

Well, Jazz likes it at least. 

Professor Haley, meanwhile, is trying to contact alien life. Apparently the Transformers don't count. He succeeds, after a fashion. His work gets him noticed by Starscream at least. 

The professor's Mcguffin gets taken by the Decepticons and installed in their Moon base, where it is used to blackout the Earth. 

Can the Autobots save the day? Will Blaster get to finish playing his song?

...yeah. Not the worst episode but boy. Scale all over the place, a plan that makes no sense, plus Trailbreaker changes his name to Trailblazer (or else we have a new character) at random times. Blaster's radio mode is also the same size as Spike, which kind of defeats the purpose of disguise, doesn't it?

TFtember: Transformers#39

   "The Desert Island of Space!" the Transformers#39 (April 1988) with credits to Bob Budiansky (script), Jose Delbo (pencils), Dave Hunt (inks), Nel Yomtov (colors), Bill Oakley (letters), and Don Daley (editor)

Buster finally wakes up, and quickly wishes he hadn't. He's at the mercy of Ratbat and Shockwave. The latter is in favor of keeping Buster alive, as it would deter the human fleet assembling off the coast of their new base. 

Spike, meanwhile, has come back to his dad's place and informs him of being a newly minted Headmaster. He picks up a phone call from Triple I and lets him know about Buster. From there the Autobots attack the Decepticons base, but it's a trap. 

Yeah, turns out this wasn't an uncharted desert island, but rather a decidedly large rocket. Can the Autobots stop the Decepticon's escape?

Ok, but it does seem a bit of a hard sell to clear the deck of the old toys and shill the new ones coming out, but we'll get to that in the next and last issue for this month. 

TFtember: Windcharger

 Windcharger

And with this we end the last figure ever released in the first series of the Transformers. A mini vehicle, Windcharger started as part of the Mysterians line from Knickerbocker like Brawn before Takara released him as a part of their Micro Change line. 

The file card has him as very fast and also has the ability to manipulate magnetic fields but often burns himself out. 

As far as the comic, well, he was there. His most notable acts were getting shot by the Decepticon powered Optimus and generally being laid up when he wasn't in crowd shots. 

He fared slightly better in the cartoon. Voiced by John Stephenson and sometimes Terry McGovern, he showed up quite a bit in the early episodes and even DID things! Sometimes even helpful things too!

Then he got shot off camera during the Movie and his corpse tossed outside. 

All in all, disappointing but I suppose it could have been worse. 

TFtember: Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2

 "Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2", the Transformers, October 22, 1985

Picking up from last time, Spike and Carly popped through the Space Bridge and find themselves on Cybertron.

Staring down Shockwave's arm cannon too, so that's not good.

They manage to avoid capture and even sabotage the Decepticon's computer, thus breaking the Space Bridge! And also stranding them on an alien planet. 

Sneaking into Wheeljack's old lab they radio Earth. They talk to Sparkplug but they are interrupted by none othe than Swoop!

Yeah, Swoop. It seems the rest of the Dinobots got captured, but Swoop managed to escape. The trio head into the bowels of the planet, discovering some info on the Great War along the way, activating some old defense systems, and rescuing the Dinobots. 

Can our heroes survive?

This would be the last major use of the Dinobots until the Movie. Not bad overall but honestly I think could easily be one part instead of two. The Dinobots rebel and learn their lesson, until next time. 

TFtember: Transformers#38

  "Trial by Fire!" the Transformers#38 (March 1988) with credits to Bob Budiansky (script), Jose Delbo (pencils), Dave Hunt (inks), Nel Yomtov (colors), Bill Oakley (letters), and Don Daley (editor)

And here's where we first get the second major break from the main continuity, sort of. We saw 2 issues be reprints from the UK series, but here the story picks up from the Headmasters miniseries. 

We have a recap of the Headmasters series up until now. The Autobot Fortress Maximus has been rebuilt, stronger and bigger than ever. The Nebulans question their leader Galen about this course of action, but he assures them it is for the best. 

Back on Earth, Spike Witwicky arrives home from college and boy does he have some catching up to do. The house is still totaled, but Sparkplug is ok. He gives his oldest boy a rundown on what has happened, causing Spike to haul tail to Mount St. Hilary to check on Buster. He fails to find him, but he does find a shrunken Goldbug. 

The Headmasters arrive and things aren't exactly improved. Galen is all business, basically telling Spike that Buster's (he witnesses his brother's kidnapping via Goldbug's memory) situation isn't a concern. At least not for him; if Spike wants to get himself killed he is welcome to. 

Somehow this answer fails to please Spike. 

The Decepticon Headmasters, however, arrive and make things worse. A pitched battle happens, and Galen is slain while saving Spike. The human youth takes the dying alien's helmet and turns the tide of battle. 

Yeah, 38 issues in and we finally see Spike. This is pretty much the main direction the series will be taking for a while, as the Headmaster toys have just come out. 

TFtember: Wheeljack

 Wheeljack

Mad science!

Yeah, this time we're looking at the Dr. Frankenstein of the Autobots. The toy was originally a Diaclone Lancia Stratos Turbo. I wasn't a huge fan of this toy. The car looked cool, but the robot was clunky as all get out and stiffer than the others. You can pop his back wings off and make his car mode winged, so that was neat at least. 

Aside from the Series 1, there was also the Action Master version. Looked even worse; I mean the head was show accurate but it didn't seem to be the same scale as the body plus the body was just off. Too narrow for my tastes. The car he came with was cool and could be used as an awesome GI Joe ride. 

There were a few reissues but those were mostly for the European market. The file card makes it clear he is the mad scientist of the Autobots. Armed to the teeth, likes to show off and is his own worse enemy. 

Looking at the comic, like most of the other characters they didn't devote a great deal of time on him but he did act as the main science guy. He functioned mostly as that, at least until Starscream blew him up. He got better though but his main claim to fame was bringing Optimus Prime back to life. Grimlock tossed him out the airlock but he got better. He ended the series about to be bashed by Bludgeon, only to be saved by Optimus. 

Voiced by Chris Latta, Wheeljack was one of the first Autobots to be seen on screen, and in his Cybertronian form to boot. He was definatly the mad scientist here, creating the Dinobots among other things, usually kicking off more than a few plots with his science gone mad. Pity he got his chips cashed in during the Movie. The Headmasters cartoon didn't get the message though, and we see him in a few background shots. 

TFtember: Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1

 "Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1", the Transformers, October 21, 1985

The Autobots are looking a new drone fighter. Ironhide swings by, and oh no, Soundwave and Ravage have snuck into the lab by hiding inside him!

Which you'd think he'd noticed but he doesn't.

The Autobots drive the attacking Decepticons off, so Bumblebee is off to help Spike and Carly pick up Sparkplug at the airport. Of course they discover a hidden Decepticon base; Prime is too far away to help so Wheeljack sends the Dinobots. The 'bots easily drive the 'cons away, exploded airport notwithstanding. 

While on the way back to their main base, Ravage flips out and attacks Megatron. He manages to kick him away and concludes bad energon is to blame, so they hurry back to base. 

Grimlock, meanwhile, is thoroughly sick of being bossed around so he takes the Dinobots with him and leaves. The 'bots are in no condition to argue, however, as they running out of Cybertonium (as are the 'cons hence Ravage's freakout). Their levels are so low some can't even transform or are stuck midway. Getting word that the Decepticons are expecting a massive shipment from Cybertron, Spike and Carly decided to get it first.

Sparkplug manages to win the Dinobots over but during the fight they knock out the Constructions and use the Space Bridge. He calls from Cybertron and makes it clear they ain't coming back. Spike and Carly rush to get the shipment themselves, but they forgot about the Decepticons waiting for the same shipment...

Not bad, although the Dinobots deciding to quit was already done once before. 

TFtember: Transformers#37

 "Toy Soldiers!" the Transformers#37 (February 1988) with credits to Bob Budiansky (script), Jose Delbo (pencils), Ian Akin & Brain Garvey (inks), Nel Yomtov (colors), Bill Oakley (letters), and Don Daley (editor)

So, how has Grimlock been doing as a leader?

Pretty awful actually

Yeah, with his brilliant idea to take the Autobots off Earth and pursue Blaster across the universe the Decepticons have taken full advantage. 

Thus, the main human faction, Triple-I in case you came in late, is a bit put off. Despite their captives being very clear there are two factions at work, the suits don't care. They even put out a statement-just one more raid or disturbance and they will kill their captives. 

The Decepticons, upon hearing this naturally think "we can steal more stuff and the human will kill 6 Autobots? Maybe humans aren't as bad as we think."

Agent Forsythe, however, thinks this is a bad idea. Sick of the red tape, he manages to act after the 'con do another raid. He removes the Autobot's brains from their shells before Triple-I has them tossed in a car compactor. 

Which would be fine, except Ratbat and some other Decepticons show up to pay their respects, i.e. strip the corpses just to make sure the humans did the job. When they fail to find the brain circuits, this makes Ratbat rather annoyed...

Back on Portland, Walter Barnett has an idea. If they could just get into the Ark they might be able to find something that could stop the 'cons. He tracks down Buster since he was the only human close to the 'bots. Sparkplug gives it the ok but after the two leave, Ratbat shows up and tears his house apart, mostly because he is a jerk. 

Goldbug and Buster, after being stalked by the Decepticons, manage to ditch them and get back to the Ark, only to find it gone. The place isn't empty though, as Ratbat snuck in and he isn't in the best of moods...

Really taking a turn for the serious here, and man, Sparkplug just can't catch a break can he?

Tftember: Trailbreaker

 Trailbreaker

Not the most well known character, but he does have a function. 

The toy was pretty neat, changing from a high camper truck to robot. Couldn't find anything about it being a Diaclone figure though; It got a reissue in 2001 and that was it for Trailbreaker. His file card paints an interesting picture. He's the Autobot's defensive strategist but he has low self esteem due to his fuel consumption. He's also a practical joker with an all encompassing force field ability. 

He can also jam radios but often asks to be left behind on missions.

The comic, well, he was there. From what I remember, he usually talked about his force field seconds before he would get crushed or shot up before he could use it. So basically he never used it. He survived until #41 when he vanished into the ether. 

The cartoon faired a bit better. Voiced by Frank Welker, Trailbreaker tended to show up but here he used his force field more often than the comic, even saving the day a few times. That was about his full extent in the show; showing up for quite a few episodes but mostly acting as an extra. The whole sad clown bit never came up at all. 

TFtember: Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2

 "Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2", the Transformers, October 15, 1985

The Decepticons are living it up. Shawn Berger has announced Decepticon Day and things are going great. 

Spike doesn't trust any of this though, but when he goes to check out the tape Berger was bragging about, he runs into Ravage. He manages to escape. 

On the ship, the Autobots figure out they're not heading home, rather the sun!

Megatron then declares martial law, with him as the marshal! Yup, turns out he was evil all along, as Shawn figures out too late when he gets chained alongside the rest of the humans.

Just when all hope seems lost, the Autobots arrive! Yeah, they regained control over the ship and flew it back to Earth. 

Pretty good overall. We see some new faces and they certainly try to get everyone a chance to shine (literally in Thundercracker's case). 

TFtember: Transformers#36

"Spacehikers!" the Transformers#36 (January 1988) with credits to Bob Budiansky (script), Jose Delbo (pencils), Ian Akin & Brain Garvey (inks), Nel Yomtov (colors), Diana Albers (letters), and Don Daley (editor)

Wow

Never fear, Sky Lynx is here!

Seems all is not sunshine and rainbows in the Autobot camp. Wheeljack discreetly sends out an SOS to any Autobots listening. He gets Sky Lynx, which is great because Grimlock has gone crazy.

Crazier, at any rate. Yeah, he wants Blaster dead-in fact, Blaster's location is so important Grimlock has ordered the Autobots to ignore the Decepticons until the cassette player is found. 

When Blaster was giving some Earth kids a tour, he ends up getting thrown out the airlock in an effort to save him. 

Pity this doesn't help the kids. Nope, Grimlock figures he can try a bunch of traitors at once rather than one so he considers it a win. 

The kids don't, especially when Grimlock orders them to walk a space plank. Sky Lynx manages to rescue the kids and flee to a meteor shower. Grimlock, disgusted when the rest of the Autobots point out they wouold die if they followed, orders the rest of the Dinobots to follow him as he'll capture the tratior himself!

Blaster, who managed to sneak onboard the Ark, is confronted by the rest of the Autobots. They aren't trying to arrest him though; no, they want him to lead. 

Before he can answer, Sky Lynx is captured by the Dinobots. Blaster decides he has no choice but to surrender.

Pretty good, although we kept seeing why Grimlock may not be the best leader. 

TFtember: Time Warrior

 Time Warrior

Might be a pretty small profile this time out. 

First, no file card, comic, or cartoon appearance.

Second, this wasn't an action figure, not really. Basically, it looked like the Autobot logo on a band. Pop it open, however, and it turns into a watch!

Neat and all, but not exactly the most gripping plaything, plus the idea of Transformers/watches had been done better eariler in the line. 

TFtember: Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1

 "Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1", the Transformers, October 14, 1985

We open with the Decepticons attacking a city. They easily crush the city's tanks but thankfully the Autobots arrive and drive them off. The mayor is so thankful he announces he'll honor them at the City Hall. 

Everyone is happy, everyone except Shawn Berger though. He wants to be mayor, but with the Autobots now being linked to the current administration? Yeah, he isn't as likeable as Bumblebee so that isn't happening. 

He muses, ignoring the odd cassette on his desk. He doesn't ignore it when it turns into Laserbeak and kidnaps him.

He's taken to Megatron, who promises to help him win his city, provided he does a small favor for them. What favor?

Why, to tell the truth about the evil Autobots, of course. 

As the Autobot prepare for the celebration, Berger witnesses the Autobots attacking an oil field and gloating about taking over the Earth. Berger shows the tapes at the celebration, turning the crowd against them and leading them to be arrested. 

Spike tries to get the evidence to clear his friends, but Ravage moves in for the kill...

Declared guilty, Berger convinces the public to push the Autobots off the planet via rocket and has them deported back to Cybertron.

He gloats, but before his eyes Megatron overrides the ship's controls and detours it from Cybertron to the Earth's sun...

Actually pretty suspenseful. Megatron's plan actually makes sense and gets carried out in a rather clever way, although if you think about it from a legal perspective this is utter nonsense. 

TFtember: Transformers#35

   "Child's Play" the Transformers#35 (December 1987) with credits to Bob Budiansky (script), Don Perlin (pencils), Nelson Yomtov (colors), Jack Morelli (letters), and Don Daley (editor)

Back to the US stories. 

Blaster, trapped in his tape deck mode, is being transported back to the Ark to stand trial. The Protectibots get distracted, however, when they spot the Combaticons. 

As the two robot subgroups tangle, Blaster is found by some Earth kids. They get him freed and Blaster hatches a plan that is going to require a fair amount of cunning...

Blaster manages to help defeat Devesator and even snag a quick shuttle ride for him and the kids. Yup, things are looking great, all except a restored Ark flying overhead and with Grimlock announcing that Blaster's disrespect will end-NOW.

Good back and forth between the Protectibots and the Combaticons and some great character development from Blaster. 

TFtember: Thundercracker

 Thundercracker

The guy was just there. 

For the toys, Thundercracker started out as a Diaclone Jet Robo Acrobat type. Similar to Starscream and Skywarp, Thundercracker was part of the initial Seeker lineup and that was about it. His file card had an interesting portryal; he was contemptuous of anything that couldn't fly plus he wasn't 100 percent sure about the Decepticon cause. His main power was supposed to be generating sonic booms, but that never game up directly in the show. 

He would get reissued a few times but the last Generation One figure was part of the Action Masters line, albeit only the Asian markets. Hideious looking thing I thought, all bright with purple, blue, and gold.

As for his comic counterpart, well, see my opening line. He was there, yes, but that's about. He was knocked into stasis near the end before a mad Starscream blew him up in #50. He gets better for Generation 2, but we'll get to that series later. 

The cartoon version was voiced by John Stephenson and (briefly) Wally Burr. He was, again, pretty much there. We get a tiny bit of background (seems he had a bad encounter with a Guardian bot) but there was no arrogance or doubt. 

Then he died in the Movie and got turned into Scrouge. 

He was well liked enough to get a statue at least. 

Honestly the idea of Thundercracker intrigues more than the actual portrayal. I rather liked the IDW version, where he lives on Earth and writes scripts on the side. 

Tftember: Microbots

 "Microbots", the Transformers, October 7, 1985

As some archaeologists dig in South America, they stumble across a hidden ship. Megatron and Soundwave reconize it as a Decepticon ship, a ship that holds something they could use...

Back at the Ark, Perceptor is using his shrinking ray to work on Ironhide's circuits. Optimus assembles a team to track down Megatron and soon they are off to South America!

They arrive too late, as Megatron has found what he was looking for-the Heart of Cybertron! With it, his power is increased a hundred fold. The Autobots learn this the hard way and beat a hasty retreat. Perceptor, Bumblebee, and Brawn have an idea though. Shrinking themselves down, they sneak inside Megatron's body and set out to disassemble the Heart of Cybertron. Can they suceed, or will Megatron's own body stop them?

Or, the episode were Megatron gets drunk. Yeah, the Decepticons get wasted on energon and put on the funniest bit of the series. 

TFtember: Transformers#34

  "Man of Iron" the Transformers#34 (November 1987) with credits to Steve Parkhouse (script), John Ridgeway and Mike Collins (pencils, 1 & 2 and 3 & 4), Joise Fimin, Gina Hart, and Nel Yomtov (colors 1 & 2, 3 & 4, and US), Richard Starkings (letters), and Sheilia Cranna (editor)

As this was part two, we already covered it with issues 33. 

TFtember: Sunstreaker

 Sunstreaker

The bot with the most 'tude. 

The toy began as a Diaclone Lamborghini Countach LP500. Pretty much a redecoed version of Sideswipe, who is mentioned as his brother. Mentioned on his file card as extremely arrogant, but backs up his talk as a ruthless warrior. 

That was pretty much it for the toys, although he did get a multipack in Japan and Europe saw a rerelease. 

For the comics, the UK series gave him a proper origin, namely he was a gladiator who was nearly killed by Megatron. For the US he was pretty much just there with minimum dialogue and action. He was blown up by Shockwave to establish his credibility, but he got better before the series ended. Seriously, he keeps getting injured and put into stasis. 

For the cartoon, he was voiced by Corey Burton. Much like his comic counterpart, he tended to just show up but at least he had more dialogue. The writers clearly read the filecard too, as Sunstreaker has some of the snarkiest lines in the show. He was last seen in the Movie, both manning a roadblock on Earth and piloting a shuttle to the moon at the same time. 

Guess that justifies the attitude then. 

Seriously, a good concept at least. Usualy the hero characters are always presented as being nice if bland. Not here; nope, Sunstreaker is the best and he won't hesitate to let you know it. 

TFtember: Auto Berserk

 "Auto Berserk", the Transformers, October 16, 1985

With this we have a special look at the Autobot security chief Red Alert.

While the Autobots test a weapon, the Decepticons attack! Red Alert stays behind to protect said weapon and gets blasted as a result. 

He shrugs off his comrade's concerns, but it clear that Red Alert is far from ok. On the way back, Red Alert fails to pick up approaching Decepticons signals, leaving Optimus Prime and Ironhide buried alive. They dig themselves out, but they confront Red Alert. He takes their criticism to heart, i.e. screams they are plotting to kill him. He flees as everyone tries to explain, but the exchange is witnessed by Starscream, who sees opportunity.

The air commander approaches Red Alert and convinces him to put his weapon down and work with him. Are his intentions clear or is Red Alert walking into a trap?

Great, even if this would color Red Alert's media portrayal for the next thirty years. 

TFtember: Transformers#33

 "Man of Iron" the Transformers#33 (October 1987) with credits to Steve Parkhouse (script), John Ridgeway and Mike Collins (pencils, 1 & 2 and 3 & 4), Joise Fimin, Gina Hart, and Nel Yomtov (colors 1 & 2, 3 & 4, and US), Richard Starkings (letters), and Sheilia Cranna (editor)

Here's a first-a UK story. Yup, this was first published in issues 9-12 of the UK series. 

Decepticon jets flyby the rural Stansham Castle deep in the English countryside. Sammy, the caretaker's son, spots an investigating Jazz and freaks out, mistaking him for the legendary 'Man of Iron', which as legends states defended the castle against invaders with a 'javelin of flame'. 

Mirage later kidnaps him, which is a pinch awkward. 

There is a reason for this, however. Optimus explains to the freaking out boy that when the Autobots crashed on Earth centuries ago, some rescue ships were sent out to find them. They suspect one, 'the Man of Iron' is one of those Autobots. 

With the Decepticons increasing their own search for the ship and the weapons therein, can the Autobots find their comrade in time?

Pretty good and totally unlike what was being done at the time with the American series. 

TFtember: Starscream

 Starscream

Now this is a character. To keep this manageable, we'll be limiting ourselves to the Generation 1 toys and shows.

The first toy started as Jet Robot from the Diaclone line. He was a bit different from the other two seekers, as you had to formally remove some parts of the plane to make him a robot. You didn't have to, but you could. 

The figure was pretty basic and reused plenty of times. There was a two pack with Megatron in 1986, but 1989 would see a new figure as part of the Prentender line. Decent, although I still had an issue with the idea of robots in human looking shells. Are they really big humans or really small robots?

Kmart would get the Legends lines, which was just the Pretender figure on a card. Japan, meanwhile, would get a hero set multipack, with Starscream renamed Tornado. 1990 would see the Action Masters line, and yeah, didn't care for this one. While the other figures we talked about at least looked like their show versions, Action Master Starscream looked like he dipped his arms and legs in blue paint. 

The file card would set the tone for most portrayals across the franchise. He wants to replace Megatron, relies on treachery and has an overinflated opinion of himself. 

He spent most of the comic series frozen but he acted as an underling (not quite second in command though) who always plotted against Megatron. He did manage to kill a bunch of characters in#50 before getting blown up. He got better though and got brought back as a Pretender. They used the shell as an excuse, saying it was healing his body. 

He made it to the end of the series, locked in combat with Ratchet. Not a bad way to go, all things considered. 

Voiced by Chris Latta (more or less the same as Cobra Commander), this was the perfect portrayal for many fans. Right from the first story arc he was plotting against Megatron. All Megatron had to do was trip and Starscream would declare himself leader. 

The show would have some character development though. We learn that before the war, Starscream was a simple scientist and even best friends with Skyfire. 

One of the bigger shocks from the movie was actually seeing Starscream being made leader, for about.05 seconds before Galvatron turned him into dust. He'd come back though, as the first Transformer ghost (including a crossover with the Ghostbusters too). The show even gave him a proper ending. Hurtling screaming through space isn't much of an ending but is an ending all the same. 

Starscream would set the tone for treacherous seconds in command, which isn't too shabby for a toy line. 

TFtember: The Master Builders

"The Master Builders", the Transformers, October 8 1985

Grapple and Hoist are trying to sell Prime on their building a solar tower. Prime likes it, but shoots it down as it would be too hard to defend. 

After a fight, Grapple has the idea of just doing the tower anyway. Better to ask forgiveness than permission, right? Hoist says no. Even if they did build the tower themselves, it is too much work for just two bots. 

Right on cue the Constructicons appear! Just appear, not attack. Yeah, they are sick of fighting and want to construct things, not destroy. 

They tell Megatron the opposite though, telling him that the tower would be a nice addition to the Decepticon's power needs. 

The tower is soon completed, but will Grapple and Hoist survive the unveiling?

Pretty good, although we get more contradictory background for Constructicons, with the group saying they were always fans of Grapple's work, except "Heavy Metal War" suggested they were built on Earth and fairly recent at that.  

The idea of Decepticons/Autobots working together was a neat idea though and would be touched on again later throughout the franchise. 

TFtember: Transformers#32

"Used Autobots" the Transformers#32 (September 1987) with credits to Bob Budiansky (script), Don Perlin (pencils), Ian Akin and Brian Garvey (finishes), Nel Yomtov (colors), Pat Brosseau (letters), and Don Daley (editor)

We see the Throttlebots and they aren't having a good day. Nope, the Decepticon Vortex has decided to put an end to their throttling. Blaster makes the save, but sadly human witness the fight, and when they go to refuel, a call to RAAT is made. 

Grimlock, meanwhile, has ordered the entire Protoctobots to bring Blaster and Goldbug back to base ASAP. 

Unable to refuel, the Throttlebots decide to bunk at a used car lot for the night. Pity Big Steve finds them. Big Steve being the lot's owner and he takes an even dimmer view on Autobots than RAAT; who he has called by the way. 

The Throttlebots try to escape, but Big Steve was too smart. That gas they used to refuel? Mostly soda. RAAT arrives, but so do the Comboticons. The Protectobots make the scene too. Before a brawl can commence, Big Steve offers a compromise: Why not bid for the bots?

Onslaught is puzzled so he radios Swindle, who states the most obvious solution; i.e. kill Big Steve and take the robots. 

During the fighting, RAAT manages to steal the Throttlebots. Blaster arrives and manages to turn the tide of battle, driving off the Decepticons. He also takes time to destroy the check RAAT paid Big Steve. 

Once that is taken care of, Blaster wants to rescue his friends from the humans, but Hot Spot stops him. They're under orders; specifically they are to bring Blaster back to the Autobot base. He has to be there for his trial and execution after all. 

Pretty good. We get more focus on Grimlock's method of leadership, and yeah, Optimus he ain't. 

TFtember: Soundwave

 Soundwave

Another major character, and one of my favorites. 

First, the toy/file card. Soundwave began as Cassette Man from the Micro Change series. Packaged with Buzzsaw, he went from robot to microcassette player. The Japanese release came with headphones and a microphone, I'm told. The figure was nice and big, although going by the style of the time it had darn little by way of articulation. 

Now that was pretty much it for a while, at least as the US is concerned. In 1987, Japanese kids got a change to play with Soundblaster; who was pretty much the same save his chest had been redone to hold two microcassettes instead of one. The plastic in the door was replaced with red instead of clear, mostly to read the secret plans written on the back of Buzzsaw. 

In 1990, Soundwave was part of the Action Master line. Like the others, Soundwave didn't transform but his partner Wingthing did. The figure looked nice and show accurate. Pity it didn't come with any microcassettes. The file card painted an interesting picture. According to that, Soundwave had super hearing that let him listen in to other bots and use that info for blackmail (not shown in the series), had low level mind control (shown in the cartoon) and was often a target for retaliation by his comrades (not shown). 

The comics had a pretty similar version to the cartoon. The biggest reveal about the character is that Soundwave, Megatron, and Ravage started the Decepticons together. He worked mostly as Megatron's enforcer. He also sometimes had a mouth and was purple on occasion. 

He had a role in most issues and biggest surprise at all, managed to survive the series. He was even working the same post, albeit with Bludgeon rather than Megatron. 

The cartoon version was still my favorite of the portrayals. Voiced by a modulated Frank Welker, Soundwave tended to stay in the background and shoot his cassettes, but there was an indication that he was a trusted member of the team. 

He made it all the way to season three, acting mostly the same and ending his role on screen by relating information about Optimus Prime. Not terrible for a tape deck. 

TFtember: Dinobot Island, Part 2

"Dinobot Island part 2", the Transformers, September 26 1985

We open with the Dinobots trapped in tar. Megatron declares victory and leaves them, despite Starscream's misgivings. 

Back at the Ark, the Autobots manage to get Teletraan I rebooted in time. Rushing to the Statue of Liberty, they rescue Spike and Bumblebee and capture the Vikings and barbarians. 

Across the globe, things are getting crazier. Pirates attacking yachts, Wild West outlaws going after bikers, and more. Chip manages to trace the source of the weird energy that's tearing time up, and yeah, it's coming from Dinobot Island.

Sludge manages to free the Dinobots, mostly by setting the tar on fire. As they free themselves, the Autobots and Decepticons rumble. 

Just when the 'cons start to get the upper hand, Grimlock arrives with the Calvery-a Calvery made up of actual dinosaurs!

Not bad, the ending may have been telegraphed and honestly one could have done this as a one parter, but overall pretty good. We also get to see the debuts of Perceptor, Seaspray, and Dirge. 

No idea where they were before but new toys kids!

TFtember: Transformers#31

 "Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom" the Transformers#31 (August 1987) with credits to Bob Budiansky (script), Don Perlin (pencils), Jim Fern (finishes), Nel Yomtov (colors), Rick Parker (letters), and Don Daley (editor)

Shockwave and Ratbat are fighting over the leadership of the Decepticons. Shockwave thinks he scores a massive win when he steals an oil tanker, but when it turns out to be empty, he's a bit put out. Ratbat suggests they work smarter, not harder, and let the humans do the work for them. 

At Sparkplug's auto repair, business is booming. Yup, he's been doing so well ever since he installed a new wash and roll car wash. Buster is a bit annoyed, since the shop is now so busy he can't get any time off. 

GB Blackrock, meanwhile, is at a press conference. Since the Wash and Roll franchise has been such a success, he is pleased to announce Wash and Roll Mark II. When he's alone, he pulls out a cassette, which turns into Ratbat...

Buster and his gal Jessie take a private moment while going through a Wash and Roll. Buster is rather distracted, but Jessie isn't and gets an eye full of the wash's full service. Namely she gets hypnotized, takes her truck to a Blackrock oil storage and siphons out her own gas. 

Buster manages to snap her out of it, but a crowd of similarly entranced people arrive. Blackrock himself shows up and addresses the crowd. The effects of the Wash and Roll mark I are only temporarily, but mark II will be permanent!

Can Buster save the crowd, including his dad?

Pretty good, and Ratbat steals the show. I could see this as an episode of the cartoon.  I'm rather shocked he did end up in the show. 

TFtember: Skywarp

Skywarp 

We're bring this back and we're hitting the ground with an actual major character!

There would be other toys, quite a few, but we'll just focus on Generation One for right now. 

Skywarp, the Decepticon Jet that isn't Starscream. To begin, the toy started out as a Diaclone Jet Robo. Black and purple, his mold wasn't one hundred percent like his fellow Seekers, which mostly involved switching a few parts around. This also means finding a decent used one is almost impossible. 

His file card painted a rather interesting picture too. He's the nastiest Decepticon, thanks in part to his teleportation. Yes, he can teleport and he uses this ability to mostly play pranks. It even says he'd be useless without Megatron's direct supervision. 

For the comic, well, he was there from the start but if you can tell the difference between him and Thundercracker, you're a better man than I pal. Seriously, if you thought Rumble/Frenzy was confusing...

As for his role in the comic, he was there but he mostly acted as a thug and background character before Starscream blew him up real good in#50

Voiced by Frank Welker, he did slightly better in the cartoon. He didn't do a whole lot but in most episodes he did have a line or at least some kind action. He actually used his teleportation once, plus in a way he saved the entire series. 

Seriously, he was first Transformer revived and helped bring the Decepticons back on line. If Starscream hadn't shot that volcano, it might have been a very short series. 

A decent character; could have been used better surely but he was a nice spear carrier if nothing else and sometimes that's ok.