Three human women take on the Combaticons, who are trying to dispose of Ultra Magnus and Galvatron.

Generation One (Marvel UK) > Issue # 137-138
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Marvel UK issues #137-138

Writer: Simon Furman
Art: Dan Reed (137) and Geoff Senior (138)
Lettering: Annie Halfacree
Colours: Euan Peters (137) and Nick Abadzis (138)
Editor: Ian Rimmer

• Characters Susan Hoffman, Galvatron, Ultra Magnus, Rollbar, Goldbug, Blaster, Joy Meadows, Cindy Newell, Soundwave, Shockwave, Vortex, Swindle, Onslaught, Brawl, Blast Off
• Originally published: 31st October 1987 - 7th November 1987

Synopsis

Archaeologist Susan Hoffman is investigating the dormant volcano Mount Verona and is shocked to discover the entombed bodies of Galvatron and Ultra Magnus. She is later interviewed on television by journalist Joy Meadows. The news report is later seen by the Decepticons and by Goldbug, Blaster and the Throttlebots.

Shockwave, seeing an opportunity to rid himself of Galvatron for good, dispatches Soundwave and the Combaticons to blow the volcano up. Goldbug, Blaster, and the Throttlebots set out to rescue Ultra Magnus.

Also watching the news is Cindy Newell who had once befriended Ultra Magnus. Upon seeing his body she sets out for Mount Verona herself and demands that Susan and Joy help her to free him.

It is just at that moment that the Combaticons attack. They plan to plant explosives around the volcano burying Galvatron and Ultra Magnus forever.

When they reach the volcano Goldbug and Rollbar overhear the Combaticons' plan and decide that destroying Galvatron is ultimately more important than freeing Ultra Magnus. As they are about to leave they are confronted by Cindy with Joy and Susan in tow. She demands that they help her free Ultra Magnus but Goldbug refuses and tells her to go home. They then depart to keep an eye on things from a distance.

Cindy is unwilling to leave Ultra Magnus to his fate, however, and with the help of Susan and Joy takes on the Combaticons. Using an abandoned jeep that was left behind by the military when the Combaticons attacked they first take down Swindle before luring the other Combaticons to a second jeep loaded with explosives. They then attack them with a tank causing the jeep to explode violently.

All the Combaticons except Onslaught are brought down. He is just about to kill his attackers when the Throttlebots return, feeling guilty for having left the women to fight alone.

Onslaught and the Combaticons leave but the Autobots are nervous as they feel that everything was too easy. They realise that the Combaticons have lain explosives around the whole volcano and that they plan to detonate it from a distance. Fortunately Blaster is able to jam Soundwave’s detonation signal giving them time to defuse the bomb. The Decepticons depart defeated.

Goldbug and the Throttlebots leave as well after expressing their admiration that mere humans could have defeated the Combaticons on their own.

Inside the volcano the earlier explosion has weakened the hardened lava and Galvatron begins to stir.

Errors

• The Throttlebots and Cindy are happy to leave Ultra Magnus entombed in the volcano at the end of the story rather than releasing him, despite this being the reason for their involvement in the first place.

• Even though they were defeated why do the Decepticons not try to kill Galvatron again once the coast is clear?

Items of note

• Susan Hoffman had previously appeared in UK issue 125, "Ancient Relics!", in which she encountered Megatron in the London sewer system.

• Joy Meadows befriended the Dinobot Sludge in UK issue 48, part 2 of Dinobot Hunt!.

• Cindy Newell encountered Ultra Magnus in UK issue 115, "Burning Sky!", where he once again came face to face with Galvatron. She left, angry at his apparently suicidal need to face Galvatron, just before the pair became entombed in Mount Verona.

Reprints

• This story was reprinted by Titan Books in 2003 as part of their Legacy of Unicron trade paperback