Regeneration One #86 - SPOILERS

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 11:09 am

So in the aftermath of last issue's big clash, we now get the secondary plot threads coming to the fore. We have Scorponok's machinations on Nebulos, Soundwave being awesome on Cybertron and Galvatron and Starscream moving into position behind the scenes on Earth. All this and Grimlock and Optimus Prime being mentally tortured - great fun.

There's a lot to take in here. The scenes where they're disposing of all the zombie 'Cons (and 'Bots - I knew that was Repugnus back in #83) is particularly grim, though there are a few odd notes here and there. Why were all these Decepticons on board the Ark in the first place? US#50 ends with Scorponok explicitly stating that he was going to attend to his casualties, but maybe he was talking about his own troops rather than Ratbat's? Even so, we saw Grimlock in US#74 ordering the Dinobots to revive everyone with Nucleon without even checking who they were, which is how we got Megatron back in the first place. Was there another deck where they stashed the Decepticons and Monsterbots and the Dinobots missed it? If so, why didn't they stash Megs there as well?

I don't know if this is a kind of retcon that we're not supposed to look too closely at, but Wheeljack's assertion that someone was picky about who they revived just doesn't ring true - unless it's a meta-reference to Furman reviving the Classics and Action Masters who had toys on the shelves at the time. Maybe there's more to this that we haven't been told, but considering those revived have all been nuked from orbit it's unlikely that we'll be revisiting them any time soon. Huh. It's also weird that they just throw Grotusque into the pit with all the 'Cons. No chance of revival? Not taking him back to Cybertron for a proper disposal? Which other Autobots got tossed into the pit? The Throttlebots? Technobots?

Soundwave is awesome, as stated.

I'm intrigued as to how there can be a Decepticon gene - if it's basically a "warrior gene" how can Autobot characters like Blades (or Grimmy himself) not possess it? How does someone as cold and calculating (and awesome) as Soundwave exhibit warrior characteristics? Or Shockwave or Ratbat, for that matter? I really don't think Scorponok has thought this through.

Still, it's encouraging that Grimlock's agreed to do it within the space of an issue - that could have been dragged out across two, but it seems we're getting on with it. There are one or two nagging questions there as well, though. Like, where are all the other Headmasters? Assuming that Scorpy has killed or disabled the Autobot heads, that still leaves Mindwipe, Skullcruncher, Weirdwolf, Apeface and Snapdragon unaccounted for. Possibly Fangry, Horri-Bull and Squeezeplay as well, though were they ever explicitly Headmasters in the US continuity? And aren't some of them still alive and hanging out with Bludgeon? Are any of the original Nebulans still alive and attached to their respective robots?

I'm hoping at least a few of these questions will be addressed in future issues, as things seem to be a bit fudged at the moment. I understand jettisoning UK continuity in favour of the US material, but if we're not following the US continuity that closely either it leaves us drifting somewhat. Not least because for Springer, Broadside, Sandstorm, Roadbuster, Whirl, Topspin, Leadfoot, Rack 'n' Ruin, Ultra Magnus, Red Alert, Jhiaxus, Flywheels, Pounce or Wingspan (whichever), Direct-Hit, Fireshot, Half-Track, Meltdown, Power Punch, Vanquish, Venom, Ransack, Chop Shop, Terradive, Windrazor, Eagle Eye, Afterburner and Dirtbag this is effectively their debut in the Marvel continuity (if G2 doesn't count) and for some of them it's their debut in any fiction anywhere. That's a lot of new characters even considering how many of the old ones were just nuked from orbit.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 2:10 pm

I enjoyed this issue, it was cleaning up from the awesome 85 but I found Grimlocks turn around in the space of 1 panel a little silly.

Essentially Scorps tortures Grimlocks mind once, and bam! he joins the cons!

I was sad to see Megatron dead, destroyed, that was cold. It really tugged at my child mind from years ago.

Its ok of course, Galvy turned up - does Galvy know his past self is dead?

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 5:05 am

First, if anything rings "80's Marvel Transformers" it's been those Guido covers. Damn, that Optimus Prime cover is superbly eighties. I just feel like leaving those issues laying around the house just so I can gander at those beautiful covers from time to time.

On to the story itself, I still find myself upset at the way Furman has handled Megatron. What a waste. Like Impy, it tugs at my nostalgic childhood chords as well to see him...disposed of in such a way. It's almost like Simon said "Screw it, let me get Megs out of the way so I can bring my personal fav Galvatron back into the story." I mean, yeah, we all know how much Simon loves Galvatron, but surely something more could have been done with Megatron? Sigh. C'est la vie.

Not sure I understood the techo mumbo-jumbo from Scorponok, and not sure I cared much. As long as he's not the Scorpy that died during the Unicron War, I could care less about the way he's returned. He's back, nuff said.

Is it just me, or does Wildman draw Grimlock ten times better than anybody else?

And in truly eighties fashion, the plot devices just keep rolling in. Nucleon apparently does whatever you want it to do, and 'gene keys' now exist. Can't say I'm a fan of these things, but if the goal of this series is to take us back in time when things were gimmicky and silly, mission accomplished.

Overall, still enjoying this more than RID. Guido's covers. Wildman's Grimlock. Introspective Prime. There are enough of these kind of elements that still harken back to the Marvel run that I still find enjoyment in reading this series.

Hound · Post by **Hound** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 6:57 am

Impactor returns 2.0 wrote:I enjoyed this issue, it was cleaning up from the awesome 85 but I found Grimlocks turn around in the space of 1 panel a little silly.

Essentially Scorps tortures Grimlocks mind once, and bam! he joins the cons!

I was sad to see Megatron dead, destroyed, that was cold. It really tugged at my child mind from years ago.

Its ok of course, Galvy turned up - does Galvy know his past self is dead?

It wasn't just one panel though, to be fair. The issue opens up with a flashback showing Grimlock getting grief from his fellow dinobots about the effects of nucleon on those he revived. I imagine he's been feeling the guilt for many years.

It just didn't seem right that autobots would so casually toss their own into the pits. Decpepticons, yes.

Megatron I think has been treated pretty fairly. He lost. This isn't IDW Megatron, with some rich background and motivation for being the way he is, this is just the same mad Megatron we saw right throughout the series.

Good issue overall. I guess my underlying problem is that it still doesn't feel like the story that would have been told had the series not ended. Maybe I'm missing the point.

Post by **Best First** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 9:01 am

Hound wrote: Good issue overall. I guess my underlying problem is that it still doesn't feel like the story that would have been told had the series not ended. Maybe I'm missing the point.

Yeah, it feels a lot like Clairemont's X-Men continuation, which was in no way reflective of what would actually have happened if he had stayed on the title.

Galvy coming back is maybe the first thread that has felt like a real dangling story line.

I liked Kup's grumpiness/harshness with Prime.

I am holding judgement on the while gene thing - the idea that being bot or con is racially determined is Quint cartoon crap as far as i am concerned and sucks all the drama out of heroes and villains and those who sit inbetween - i am guessing Scorpy will be proved wrong about there being such a determinist factor, and as well know one bot who fights againts his nature is Grimmy, so he will be the key i suspect.

If it turns out that there is a Decepticon gene then, well, the series just jumped the Cybershark for me.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 11:59 am

Best First wrote:I am holding judgement on the while gene thing - the idea that being bot or con is racially determined is Quint cartoon crap as far as i am concerned and sucks all the drama out of heroes and villains and those who sit inbetween - i am guessing Scorpy will be proved wrong about there being such a determinist factor, and as well know one bot who fights againts his nature is Grimmy, so he will be the key i suspect.

Yeah, I can't imagine it's a coincidence that the one 'Bot who by his very existence actively disproves the "warrior gene" theory is the one involved in this plotline. If this goes off, I can see Grimmy being "infected" and remaining unchanged, throwing Scorpy's plans into disarray. That would be a neat little rebuking of the "good and evil are genetic" concept.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 9:00 pm

The more I think about this issue, the weaker it becomes.

For example, that mass grave site. Why just throw all those Autobots into that pit just to get vaporized when you've got Pretender tech available and nucleon? And if you could vaporize them bots that easily, why not just vaporize Megatron from space when you had the chance? Seemed like that mass grave pit was just a cheap way to whittle down the cast. And Starscream's just crawling out of the pit so nonchalantly was just weak.

Also, I felt the Dinobots' reaction to Grimlock was very un-Marvel like, at least US Marvel. They always came across as very loyal to Grimlock, regardless of the circumstances. Here, they pull an IDW and revolt against him. I'm starting to think Simon is confusing the Marvel Dinobots with IDW Dinobots.

Finally, Scorponoks machinations (purposeful IDW reference). Again, I think Simon is struggling in keeping IDW continuity out of the Marvel one. One reason I can't find myself intrigued by the whole Scorpy/Dinobots thing is because it's too reminiscent of Maximum Dinobots.

Bottom line, I almost feel Simon is taking material he had planned for the IDW run, and either purposely or subconsiously inserting it here, when he should be channeling his full efforts more in trying to make this thing jive with Marvel.

I'll tell you one good way to make that happen. Bring back Budiansky Blaster. Yes, I know Simon really never used him in that way, but I think seeing ole Blaster back in action (with faceplate) would go along way in getting this right.

Post by **Kaylee** » Sat Dec 08, 2012 5:49 pm

I'm not unhappy with this issue, but I felt there was a lot of hand-waving and 'pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...' logic going on.

The stuff about just dumping everyone (friend and foe alike) into a hole before nuking it from orbit just raises unnecessary questions.

Skorponok's technobabble answer regarding why he's alive, and why the Nebulon's are enslaved, I must have read about 5 times and I still don't get.

The whole stuff around a 'warrior gene' is just dumb. Honestly, of all the idiotic plans the Decepticon leaders have had over the years, the whole "being a Decepticon is a genetic switch that I intend to flip, Cybertron-wide, using SCIENCE!" has to take the energon-goodie. I appreciate toys fighting an intergalactic war because of a God which transforms into Pacman requires some level of suspension of disbelief, but I just cannot get on board with this genetic development. It robs the story and characters of any pathos.

Similarly I didn't like Screamer being spared. Again. To get up to more of his usual ****. Again.

I did like Grimmers, and I also liked Prime being his old, introspective, incredibly unhappy and moral self. Also some good Soundwave plans going on.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Sun Dec 09, 2012 1:29 pm

Hm. Just realised that even if Scorponok had only been talking about attending to his own casualties rather than Ratbat's as well, it still doesn't work because (aside from Soundwave's miraculous post-Underbase recovery) Hun-Grrr and Blot were Scorpy's boys and they're here among Megatron's zombies. So that doesn't explain it either.

Post by **Best First** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 9:31 pm

Karl wrote:
Skorponok's technobabble answer regarding why he's alive, and why the Nebulon's are enslaved, I must have read about 5 times and I still don't get.

Ah yeah that was total ballbag.

"Fortunately Zarak had to foresight to ensure that in the event of his death a cheese multiplier would be deployed, cascading through the cheddar contingency until all people called Neil became Steves. Once the forename shift had completed it was a simple matter to dominate the Nebulans through my cloven astroflap. I sqeezed their mindtubes like toothpaste i tells ya. Mmm, minty"

i'm actually hoping there's more too it - and that we will actually revisit the binary bonding storyline that saw HiQ become Prime - maybe leading to Scorpy becoming more his EoE self. I'm not particularly optimistic about this hope though. And now i've conjured it if it doesn't turn out this way i will see the whole thing as a collosal wasted opportunity.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 3:36 am

Best First wrote:
"Fortunately Zarak had to foresight to ensure that in the event of his death a cheese multiplier would be deployed, cascading through the cheddar contingency until all people called Neil became Steves. Once the forename shift had completed it was a simple matter to dominate the Nebulans through my cloven astroflap. I sqeezed their mindtubes like toothpaste i tells ya. Mmm, minty"

I like this explanation far better.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 11:27 pm

Best First wrote: it was a simple matter to dominate the Nebulans through my cloven astroflap.

I'm going to dominate you with my cloven astroflap? Sounds kinky.

So yeah, this issue is a big "meh" for me. I'm not interested in Scorponok the mustache-twirling villan. "Warrier Gene Key in the CNA" is crap and drains the drama out of everything. This is a strong point of both RiD AND MTMTE: We're all Cybertronians at heart, some with old jobs and old theology, and the difference between bots like Arcee/Prowl and Starscream is a matter of degree. I'm a sociologist, dammit! Nurture pwns!

Still better than RiD - especially this week's RiD - but the gap is closing.

The Last Autobot · Post by **The Last Autobot** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 5:43 pm

I know it was because of the toys, but what I never understood storywise is why leave the heads in Nebulos. I got that the Autobots wanted to make a "peace demonstration" but why after that leave them?

And furthermore, each of the HM was for all intents and purposes a nebulan/human controlling a Tf body (albeit influenced by him). Why the decepticons should follow "Scorponok" if that really wasn´t their leader, just a human with his body? And why accept that and once more leave their comrades in Nebulos?

in the Us Continuity AFAIK the only master who we saw as having the two personalities "together" was Fortress Maximus.

Sunyavadin · Post by **Sunyavadin** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:37 am

Impactor returns 2.0 wrote: Essentially Scorps tortures Grimlocks mind once, and bam! he joins the cons!

I saw that more as playing up to Grimmy's character. Smarter than he looks, and often than he acts, but also a bit prone to not thinking things through. So if he decides to lie to Scorponok, he'll do it right from stage 1 to get what he wants, rather than having any subtlety about petending to gradually come around.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Sun May 19, 2013 8:10 pm

Metal Vendetta wrote:Possibly Fangry, Horri-Bull and Squeezeplay as well, though were they ever explicitly Headmasters in the US continuity?

Yep, as established in Cash and Carnage, which still might be the dullest Marvel TF story ever.

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Regeneration One #86 - SPOILERS

Re: Regeneration One #86 - SPOILERS