Marvel US comic marathon

[spiderfrommars]

All this and Civil War 2!

There's some great characterisation for Starscream in this one. He's already planning to "ditch the one eyed freak." Shockwave wasn't too smart recruiting him was he?

I just love the contempt Starscream has for his new comrades, referring to them as wimps, rejects and losers that "can't even accept a victory without bleating." Of course this is Starscream we're talking about and it's wonderful how quickly the tables are turned on him when Scorponok bursts out of the ground and crushes his leg.

It's a good issue for Scorponok. He makes short work of his attackers and maintains the upperhand throughout his battle with Shockwave. There's a great panel as the two of them burst out of the river mid-fight. And Scorponok is his own 'con. He refuses to stop fighting just because Prime tells him to.

It's interesting how Prime prioritises helping the Autobots after the explosion despite the alliance. Perhaps he feels responsible? But Prime does take control in this issue, making up for the introspection of late. And he's prepared to take down Scorponok if he has to to end the fighting.

There's quite a few humans for a Furman issue, but that's a natural approach to a massive explosion and a big robot fight through New York. One bystander wonders if it's the Iraqis. The George Bush Sr cameo is great, a real world character adding authenticity to the proceedings.

The Dinobots are back. Yay! And we get some foreshadowing that something is wrong with Grimlock's body. (Anyone keeping an eye on the toy shelves would have known what that was).

After such an explosive issue the ending is a bit underwhelming. The Neo Knights feel like one plot element too many in a saga that has been gathering pace and excitement for a few issues now.

Wildman's art is more expressive than ever. This works particular well in a succession of panels of Galvatron, depicting a variety of rapidly changing moods. It's a bit weirder with Xaaron, as stretching those bars around his mouth looks a little odd.

[Best First]

the Neo-Knights is Simon pitching for more work isn't it? Sadly that may explain his failure to rise to prominance post TFs, as they are total guff.

The whole thing could have been done with Circuit breaker + possibly GB alone couldn't it?

Anyway - man this topic is making me misty eyed - the run of the US comic from the end of Matrix Quest to End of the Road is just brilliant, Scorps, Prime, Ratchet and Grimlock especially.

Fitting Preacher should be mentioned, because i think alongside that book, this remains my favourite set of comics.

Oh IDW, what could have been...

[DJ_Convoy]

Yes, I believe the Knights were basically a pitch. I think the GB/ CB connection would have worked well enough to take their place (especially since it's Josie who stalls Unicron).

[spiderfrommars]

The first page of Out of Time has a cool pic of an enraged Galvatron, spit bursting forth from his mouth, typical Wildman-style. He did like to give his Transformers human characteristics didn't he?

At this point in the arc I was starting to wonder if Primus would transform at some point and take Unicron on one and one. Now that would have been a hell of a punch up. But Unicron wants to "eat" Primus and he's rather excited about it. Kinky. But it is what some island tribes used to do (still do?) to gain strength and demonstrate power over the defeated. He's still a sicko though.

I always wondered about a certain line in the narration during the Unicron scenes. Furman writes: "It was simply ke - fate."

What was he going to write? Ke... what? I'm sure I figured it out years later and then subsequently forgot.

How did Galvatron know Primus would be able to transport all the TFs to Cybertron? Perhaps it's written in the TF Bible. But why didn't he bring Thunderwing? Did he feel the corrpution of the Matrix?

It's a bit of a comedown after all these galaxy-spanning events to turn to page 6 and see the Neo Knights fannying around. Thunderpunch proves completely inneffectual. The others go through the motions whilst naturally Circuit Breaker (new costume!) is the big hitter - Scorponok's no problem for her. So far, so so.

But then there's a complete facepalm moment when Circuit Breaker decides to go postal on both Decepticons AND Autobots. Any chance of a new avenue of character development for her is swept aside instantly. What exactly has Blackrock been teaching her? All of a sudden she's calling him a liar! By the time she's frazzling Optimus Prime I'm at the end of my tether.

Furman saves the day with some poetic justice. She sees Shockwave, the 'con that caused her disability all the way back in issue 5, and immobolises him. Things come full circle. Nice placing of the characters to tie up this long running loose end, but what should be cathartic for CB just makes her fall unconscious.

The rematch between Galvy and Hook, Line and Sinker is much more fun. Quite rightly he fares much better this time (Line particularly gets a spectacular exit - head caved in by his buddy). And Galvy even ends up saving the day by conning Primus. A good issue for him.

Nice character work for Scorponok too. He finally gathers his wits and even asks Prime to forgive him.

Soundwave is acting Decepticon commander. How come a former member of Ratbat's crew jumped the queue?

What an ending! Thunderwing! Evil Matrix! Yesss!

the Neo-Knights is Simon pitching for more work isn't it? Sadly that may explain his failure to rise to prominance post TFs, as they are total guff.

They're just not good enough are they? They never really get fleshed out. Maybe Simon had their back stories plotted out somewhere but it's hard to see how they could sustain a title. Marvel had more interesting mutants with more exciting superpowers by the dozen. And where exactly could you take Circuit Breaker?

[Guest]

I always wondered about a certain line in the narration during the Unicron scenes. Furman writes: "It was simply ke - fate."

What was he going to write? Ke... what? I'm sure I figured it out years later and then subsequently forgot.

I always took it that Ke was just that species' word for Fate. Nothing omitted.

How did Galvatron know Primus would be able to transport all the TFs to Cybertron? Perhaps it's written in the TF Bible. But why didn't he bring Thunderwing? Did he feel the corrpution of the Matrix?

He didn't bring Grimlock, or the Dinobots, or Sky Lynx, or any of the inactive TFs either. Maybe his particular 'spell,' as it were, only worked on specifics, and in a literal sense. Galvy could've asked him to summon all the TFs on Earth, and Primus did just that. No Ark-based TFs, no Hydrus Four-based TFs, no space-borne TFs. Just those who, as it happened, were having a bit of an impromptu gathering on the coastline of the US.

[Best First]

I always wondered about a certain line in the narration during the Unicron scenes. Furman writes: "It was simply ke - fate."

What was he going to write? Ke... what? I'm sure I figured it out years later and then subsequently forgot.

That's how i read it as well.

[Kaylee]

Ke-y lime pie?

[spiderfrommars]

The Void opens with a page of complete whiteness, with Unicron in the centre. It takes you aback... it's a really arresting image...

...which leads to a completely contrasting double page spread of explosions and colour as Xaaron/Primus retells the Transformers origin story. Furman isn't happy with just rewriting the history of the TFs in the US comic, he's retconning The Big Bang too!

Then another contrast. Over the page from this verbose double page spread is one huge panel and one simple line: "They are the last line of defense against Unicron. They are you. They are Transformers." And as Wildman and Baskerville pack in over 30 TFs in beautiful detail (Apeface is eating a banana, heh) you feel compelled to identify them all before continuing with the story. It's the artist duo's best issue so far, which is saying something. I love the effort they make in depicting the battle damage these TFs have picked up in the last few issues too.

In short the whole thing feels massive. Epic doesn't do it justice anymore. The comic at this point isn't just a page turner, it's a sacred text!

Furman's dispensed with Light Gods and Dark Gods. The universe has a senitient core. And Unicron is more mysterious than ever. He's already consumed the universe once. He's trillions of years old and the ultimate foe.

That TF life signal on Earth "in not one but two parts" was perplexing at the time. I can't remember if I figured it out but I never forgot about it. I even recall wondering if it had slipped Furman's mind until he paid it off brilliantly in issue 79.

Someone's spelt Ratchet's name wrong on his life support pod. Shoddy workmanship. Grimlock gets things done though doesn't he? When he was Autobot leader he got all the deactivated Autobots back on their feet and here he's pumping them all full of Nucleon already.

Interesting that Optimius Prime has doubts about Primus from the start. I love the chat between him and Scorponok. It's amazing to see a Decepticon leader confide in an Autobot one that he is afraid and doesn't want to die.

The huge punch up between the Autobot/Decepticon alliance and the Unicron disciples is such fun. Everyone comes out of the carnage well, whether it's Bludgeon slicing off heads or Galvatron stuffing grenades in mouths. And Scorponok spares the life of one of them under Prime's orders. What would've come of Scorponok if he survived next issue? Would he have changed his ways?

The issue's ending is so ******* brilliant. There's the sheer scale and awesomeness of the picture of Unicron looming over the Cybertronian horizon. But Furman lulled us into a false sense of security. We were so used to hearing about 'the coming of Unicron' that we weren't actually ready for him to arrive! He didn't even appear in the issue until the close, so you'd be forgiven for forgetting about him (even with all those mini-Unicrons running around).

How are the Neo Knights surviving on Cybertron? I'll go with the fact that it has a breathable atmosphere at a stretch, but last I heard they didn't have a Sainsburys.

I always took it that Ke was just that species' word for Fate. Nothing omitted.

Aha! I'm seeing it with fresh eyes.

I like it. I might try and fit it into everyday conversation: "Don't feel bad about missing your bus mate. It's simply Ke."

He didn't bring Grimlock, or the Dinobots, or Sky Lynx

Well, we can't be completely be sure he didn't bring Sky Lynx. It's a big planet.

[inflatable dalek]

Plus it wouldn't really have been worth his effort to move about the Transformers already on Cybertron. They're likely watching his speech on the telly.

EDIT: Oh, and amongst the Ka stuff the same page also contains the first mention of The Swarm. Presumably a completely coincidental reuse of the same phrase (after all, Furman's hardly averse to recycling, and a couple of years later he'd likely completely forgotten its use here), but in-Universe it counts.

[spiderfrommars]

A world... ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION!

Issue 75 is the Big One. Literally. The double page spread of Unicron greedily taking a mouthful of Cybertron is incredible. No wonder the Transformers either run in fear, have mental breakdowns or are frozen to the spot, including big hitters like Optimus Prime, Scorponok and Shockwave.

Interestingly, the first to decide to make a stand are the humans. On his second attempt to be badass in the comic Thunderpunch's abilities again have no effect (wow, this guy was really gonna feature in a spin off comic?) and there are some uncomfortable scenes as Blackrock uses physical violence on Circuit Breaker to stir her into action. It works because he truly hates doing it. The outcome reminds you that there is no TF too big or too small whose circuits she cannot break.

But it's Xaaron/Primus and Galvatron taking action that stirs the rest of the TFs into doing the same. Primus gets killed in an OMG moment (again, literally). Galvatron proves why he is one of the strongest TFs of all time by surviving a direct hit from Unicron (though at the time I was far from convinced that he had survived). It's been amusing that Galvy's motives have been aligned with the rest of the TFs since he came back in time, and that his plotting against Unicron continues to benefit them.

And then we get the massacre we knew was coming. Brainstorm impaled on a fingernail! Cloudburst breathed on! Joyride heat visioned! Hardhead and Bomb Burst stepped on!

In a way it's sort of the reverse of the Underbase saga. In that G1 characters made way for the newer Pretender and 'master toys. This time it's the newer toys in the firing line as the classic TFs make a comeback.

In amongst the deaths there's even time for moments of humour, whether it's Autobots bumping into each other on hover sleds or Grimlock chucking Prowl out of the Ark.

Scorponok's character arc comes to a spectacular conclusion as he faces his fears and gets melted for his trouble. It's a death scene you don't see coming (unless you were a UK reader spoiled by the cover. Doh http://transfans.co.uk/popup.php?id=1689 ) and one of the most powerful ever seen in the comic. In the end, Scorponok dies happy because he has Prime's approval.

He's not the only 'con leader to buy the farm in this issue. Thunderwing is torn apart, in a bit of an anti-climactic moment.

After the big explosion the page that follows, the calm after the storm, with the "they were the dream" bit, is sublime.

I like the way that after the cataclysmic events of the issue it ends with Runabout being eaten by a demon in the ground. It reminds us that though the TFs have just fought their biggest battle ever the story still goes on...

Did the creative team know the comic was axed at this point? When were readers informed? In the UK it was issue 319 (part 1 of this story). I remember sadly counting down to the last issue and savouring each one as much as I could.

[bumblemusprime]

As I recall, the US letters page in #75 (Edge of Extinction) said that cancellation was a possibility, but nothing was definite, and urged TF fans to get their friends to buy more copies. I will fetch the issues later, when it's not ass o'clock in the morning.

Once the cancellation was announced, there were angry letters that said "you said we could save it!" and Tokar's response was "#75's letter column was written at the same time #72 was on sale, and the axe fell shortly thereafter." So sometime into the production of #76 and #77, which were obviously in Andy's hands while Geoff drew #75, everyone found out.

Simon mentioned in his afterword to issue #80 (which was, I believe, the first time he said "It never ends..." which is, going by my UK analysis, more of his meditation on fate) that he actually wrapped it up faster than they expected, presumably because he just kiboshed the whole Nucleon subplot.

Anyway. Ten-year-old Spencie actually MISSED Edge of Extinction. As I recall, my subscription ran out with that issue, perhaps coincidentally because Marvel did not want to send me a double-sized issue. It was awful. I got issue #76 and I had absolutely no clue what had killed Prime.

[DJ_Convoy]

Marvel still owes me three issues from when the book got axed. They didn't even roll it over to, say, GI Joe! No credit, no nothing.

[The Last Autobot]

Terrrific issue. Lots of things happening. In today terms it would have been a mini series on its own.

I always found it strange when Prime yelled Primus and Scorponok said Xaaron at the moment of their death. It should have been the other way around.

[Best First]

Ten-year-old Spencie actually MISSED Edge of Extinction.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo

[Sunyavadin]

Anyway. Ten-year-old Spencie actually MISSED Edge of Extinction. As I recall, my subscription ran out with that issue, perhaps coincidentally because Marvel did not want to send me a double-sized issue. It was awful.

OMG that happened with me too!

[spiderfrommars]

The blurb at the top of page 1 has changed! No longer are they the dream. Instead "they fulfilled their destiny battling a malignant force from beyond time." Admittedly it's not quite got the same ring to it.

But Still Life very much deals with the aftermath (afterdeath?) of issue 75 and is rather overshadowed by it. Despite the really big moments here it's one of my least favourite of the Furman/Wildman/Baskerville run.

Not that there's anything wrong with the art. These Transformers look like they've been bashed from pillar to post after last issue's events. None more so than Optimus Prime who is a skeletal mass of wires and metal (it's revealed he has a mouth under his faceplate - what are TF faceplates for anyway?)

It's a good death scene. In those days Prime wasn't dying all the time and a character could give a good gutsy "Noooooooooo!" without us sniggering.

I think the monsters are a little wasted here. It's a cool concept and raises interesting questions (such as did these creatures basically get shafted by Primus?). They work best in the shadows, with the flash of claws or fangs, but before long they're just cannon fodder. I would've liked to see them dismember some more unwitting TFs too.

So why did Prime name Grimlock as new leader? Obviously he knew perhaps even better than Grimlock himself (and certainly the reader) that the Dinobot leader had grown up and was up to the task (and as resourceful as ever). Revealingly he agrees to uphold Prime's ideals and it's reinforced by the end of the issue when he spares one of his victims.

Krok has become a major player out of nowhere. Perhaps Furman had big plans for him in the Actionmaster subplot that never was. He and Bludgeon seem to be previous acquaintances as he appears to be a trusted confidant.

I like the way Swoop calls Prowl a jerk. Prowl is a bit of a dick in this and yet he remains a sympathetic character. The Grimlock/Prowl scenes are scintillating stuff and it's really good to see Prowl take an A list role again. It's interesting that he takes such a lead role in proceedings when he's been offline for a couple of years but he's a high ranker so it makes sense.

And it's good to see the Dinobots back together, whether bantering or fighting. Grimlock's got all philosophical, explaining his theory that the war is down to genetics. Maybe he's been doing some reading.

The whole chrysalis stage of the Nucleon process is a cool idea, and it's a great scene when Grimlock leaps back into action, slashing away with his sword. I like the way Wildman draws AM Grimlock, it's a look I liked from the start (though conveniently ignored in G2).

Prime's speech (through HiQ) is one of his best as he insists whatever something's shape or form it is "still life". And then we get the big bombshell at the story's close... "I am Optimus Prime." Golly!

I always found it strange when Prime yelled Primus and Scorponok said Xaaron at the moment of their death. It should have been the other way around.

I guess Prime is thinking about the big picture.

[bumblemusprime]

I loved Still Life. That moment when the creature is crawling and squealing after it's been cut in half... awesome. And of course the big reveal that we had all been dreading: "Me no longer able to transform."

Eeeee.

Folks had been deluging the letter columns with "don't, please don't do anything with Action Masters" for a good year by this point. Tokar, as I recall, had been saying "We think you'll love what Simon has in mind for the Action Masters subplot." Shame. I wonder just how much he would have gotten into the concept of "diseased" TFs. That's kind of what it boiled down to, no?

The AMs were wretched toys. Look at these awful things: http://www.unicron.us/tf1990/toypics/optimusprime.htm

The bath of Matrix energy almost means that Primus is reviving himself in a way, yes?

[DJ_Convoy]

I guess, in a "snake shedding his skin because you took out his heart and rubbed it all over his body" kind of way.

[Sunyavadin]

The AMs were wretched toys. Look at these awful things: http://www.unicron.us/tf1990/toypics/optimusprime.htm

Don't remind me. I got that one, that christmas. His legs kept falling off every time I tried to repose him. Or held him by the legs. Or if I so much as slightly shook him. Or anything, really.

Meant I was able to re-enact the scene of his death from the comics OVER AND OVER AND OVER though, having him blow up, leaving a pile of parts...

[inflatable dalek]

The big mistake with Action Masters was making the actual non-Transforming thing part of their backstory. If they'd just been presented as highly poseable versions of your favourite characters (like Robot Replicas) and the comic had just brought them back as was rather than writing it in it might have worked (after all, hardly anyone bothers with Transforming much anyway in the last days of the comic).

Edge of Extinction is brilliant, but I do find it increasingly distracting that the comic's usual (Wildman drawn? Or does it pre-date him?) stock drawing of Cybertron is used repeatedly throughout the issue and is blatantly in a completely different style to Senior's. Compare his landscape shots of the surface, battered and moody Mega City 1-ish, to the fairly pristine and shiny stock pic and it really stands out, no matter how much the flip it about to try and make it look different. It never looks very convincing when Unicron's put on top of it either.

Only a small flaw, but it niggles (though the same drawing of Cybertron is also the very last thing is issue 80, so perhaps it was the real star of the comic all along?).

[DJ_Convoy]

I'm pretty sure that's a statted image of Cybertron pasted in.

[spiderfrommars]

You really start to get the impression that the comic is heading towards the end with Exodus. The atmosphere is ominous as wind and rain lashes Cybertron and you realise it could be on the way out.

There's a riveting scene as the Autobots and Decepticons argue about their future, a great sense of desperation from Prowl and Grimlock's constant belittling of Fangry is amusing.

But Furman's Blaster doesn't work. There's a cursory nod to his cartoon persona as he calls everyone dudes but BoBlaster would be throwing things at Fangry too, not studying stats on seismic activity.

The Prowl/Grimlock scenes continue to be a highlight of these final issues. There's an awesome moment where Grimlock accuses Prowl of being pissed off because he wasn't made leader. There's a great silent panel of Prowl fuming that speaks volumes.

There's other good double acts in this issue. I like the way Dreadwind and Darkwing have become ubiquitous since events moved to Cybertron. And Starscream and Shockwave work well together too. Starscream's always taking the mick and it's cute how they've stuck together.

Bludgeon is cannily waiting for the right time to seize leadership and restart the war. His political manoueverings are written well but I don't think he's anywhere near as cool as I used to think. I've not got much time for Pretenders these days but at least he's moving the plot along in cool ways. I would've liked to see Soundwave more involved at this point though.

I don't buy that all the Decepticons would fit in three ships by the way.

The issue ends with the Autobots "stranded on a dying planet". I couldn't wait to see what happened next. But Furman had one more trick up his sleeve... Megatron v Galvatron!

And I'll give a shout out to Nel Yomtov who seems to be finally getting to grips with colouring this comic (only 77 issues too late eh?)

[DJ_Convoy]

To be fair, Blaster hasn't been the dynamic character he once was since he threw down with Grimlock. I seem to recall that he's in the leadership pow wow in the run up to the Underbase Saga... and then he's zilched out.

[The Last Autobot]

In the US comics we only saw Grimlock suffering the non transformation as a nucleon effect. Even more, when Grim talked with the Hydrus IV survivor he told him that Nucleon affected each individual differently.

So one can guess that either the rest of the tfs didnt have the same issues or other kind. Or they would at a later time.

[Legion]

In the US comics we only saw Grimlock suffering the non transformation as a nucleon effect. Even more, when Grim talked with the Hydrus IV survivor he told him that Nucleon affected each individual differently.

So one can guess that either the rest of the tfs didnt have the same issues or other kind. Or they would at a later time.

I kind of assumed that it was because Grimmers was alive when he took in the Nucleon, the others were all deactivated so were effected differently.

[spiderfrommars]

There's a dreamlike quality to A Savage Circle. The battle between Megatron and Galvatron is mostly in their heads, largely internalised. Furman's done great punch ups before (including a classic one next issue) but here he's trying something different.

And these are different versions of the characters seen in the UK comics: a Galvatron from an alternate future (a future where the movie took place in 2005!) and a Megatron who isn't a clone. And much like that continuity the two Transformers eventually find common ground and team up.

Bludgeon's an arrogant sod isn't he? Just stabbing a planet at random with his sword and deciding to plunder it. Not the best strategic plan for a leader.

These issues with Grimlock in charge give the comic a fresh feel. And he saves the day yet again, having the foresight to nick some Decepticon ships 4 million years ago (hints at the Dinobots pre-Earth backstory are always tantalising).

Ratchet's back, yay! And he and Megatron are still connected, mentally, somehow (and it's never mentioned again after this issue).

It's a hilarious moment when Starscream suddenly switches to his grovelling "Mighty Megatron" mode. And of course he ends up picking on the seemingly weak Ratchet instead and getting a lot more than he bargained for.

So would all Nebulans eventually merge like HiQ and Prime?

I'm starting to get the sense Furman really doesn't know what to do with Circuit Breaker. She's still drooling on the floor.

I don't buy that all the Autobots would fit in three ships by the way.

This issue contains some of Wildman's best work, whether it's the two 'Atrons knocking the living **** out of each other or Ratchet giving Starscream one of the most memorable punches in TF history.

And it's a mind-boggling and wonderful piece of writing that the comic is finishing as it once started, with the Ark crashing to Earth.

[DJ_Convoy]

Everyone wants issue 81. I want a Furman return to start from Megatron and Galvatron deciding that "Together we could... ...Rule the Galaxy! Yes!" The greatest thing ever.

[Kaylee]

I'm starting to get the sense Furman really doesn't know what to do with Circuit Breaker. She's still drooling on the floor

It's a good question. TBH I never really got on with CB: she's very predictable, and everytime you think she's going to grow in some way she doesn't.

"Oh Circuit Breakers turned up. I wonder how long until... yep, there she goes: managing to ignore the Decepticons and attack the Autobots every single ******* time with the same raving, swivvel eyed hatred."

It's a shame because there is the nucleus of a good character. I suspect Furman was just wrapping her up for the postage home at this point?

[spiderfrommars]

The Last Autobot!

Referring to Rob Tokar and Tom DeFalco as "The Last Editors" made me chuckle.

But there's a beautiful symmetry to this one... the eponymous hero is both the fabled Transformer on Cybertron and Spike Witwicky on Earth.

Yes, Spike. After more than 2 years he's back. Simon continues to mine the characters from Transformers lore from before his time. Spike was a big hanging loose end (and now we know who the TF life signal in two parts mentioned a few issues ago is).

There's an awesome picture of a truly knackered Ark lying in the snow. It makes the original Ark crash look like a picnic. But I'm pretty sure it would cause more than a few tanks to turn up.

Galvatron is like the Terminator. He keeps on coming! Overall he's had a good showing in the US comic and certainly shook things up.

Fortress Maximus says "it never ends." It's not the last time we'll hear that hoary old phrase.

We finally see Bludgeon's vehicle and robot modes. The former, a tank, doesn't really have the subtlety you'd expect from a samurai warrior and the latter is rather diminutive. No wonder he jumps straight back in that shell sharpish.

Cindersaur accidentally incinerated Sparkstalker. Heh.

Another gold star for Grimlock, putting tracers on the Decepticon ships. He's not doing bad as leader... though he makes a big cock up next issue.

It's a nice touch that when Spike binary bonds with Fort Max he starts urging him on instead of the other way round. And he needs the encouragement against a fighting dog Galvatron who chews his circuits with his teeth.

I'm often sceptical when Galvatron is outright defeated in a fight but I'm happy to give this one to Maxie. Surviving a space crash meant he wasn't at full strength and it means we get a beautiful scene as a victorious Max stands silently in the falling snow. (Presumably Galvy is still there today, under that ice.)

And as The Last Autobot rises from underneath Cybertron there's a real sense of finality in the air. The End (of the Road) is in sight...

It's a shame because there is the nucleus of a good character. I suspect Furman was just wrapping her up for the postage home at this point?

Yeah, she only went and helped the Transformers defeat Unicron, and her fate is left in the dark. Makes you wonder why the palaver of bringing her back in The Human Factor when nothing new was done with her.

[The Last Autobot]

and now we know who the TF life signal in two parts mentioned a few issues ago is.

But Snarl said the tf´s life signal was in two parts in Earth. And Fort´s body was in the Ark with them.

Half life signal would be more accurate?

Or its that every master "carries" every tf lifesignal with them and HiQ fate would be everyone´s at the end?