Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge travel back in time with a plan to destroy Unicron.

Generation One (Marvel UK) > Issue # 78-88
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Marvel UK issues #78-88

Writer: Simon Furman
Pencillers: Jeff Anderson, Geoff Senior, Will Simpson, Ron Smith
Inks: Tim Perkins, Geoff Senior
Lettering: Starkings
Colours: Tony Jozwiak
Editor: Ian Rimmer

• Characters Optimus Prime, Megatron, Soundwave, Laserbeak, Galvatron, Cyclonus, Scourge, Ironhide, Jazz, Prowl, Emirate Xaaron, Skater, Impactor, Shrapnel, Roadbuster, Twin Twist, Piano Transformer guy, Fang, Springer, Sandstorm, Broadside, Ultra Magnus, Jetfire, Trailbreaker, Starscream, Grapple, Inferno, Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Macabre
• Originally published: 13th September 1986 - 22nd November 1986

Synopsis

Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge travel back to 1986 from 2006 to escape Unicron. The time travel device causes three Autobots - Optimus Prime, Prowl and Ratchet - to be displaced to a holding dimension. Ironhide, Jazz and Hound go to spy on the Decepticons, certain that they are to blame for their leader's disappearance.

Galvatron usurps command of the 'local' Decepticons from Megatron, burying his former self and Soundwave under a rock fall. Then he takes the Constructicons off to begin building a giant laser cannon. The cannon will fire upon his return to 2006, destroying Unicron.

On Cybertron, the Matrix Flame, the embodiment of the Creation Matrix, is extinguished as Optimus Prime is removed from this reality. As a result Autobot resistance leader Emirate Xaaron sends Ultra Magnus to Earth to hunt for the missing Autobot leader and the Creation Matrix, despite him being a crucial part of Operation: Volcano, an Autobot plan to lure the Decepticons' most vicious killers into the open and destroy them.

On Earth Jazz is captured by Galvatron and tortured to provoke the Autobots into making a hasty attack. Unwilling to interrupt his mission, Ultra Magnus refuses to accompany his fellow Autobots.

The Autobots are humiliated by Galvatron and decide they need help. So they dig Megatron out from the rock fall and ally themselves with him. Under Megatron's leadership they successfully capture Scourge and plan to exchange him for Jazz. Starscream, seeking to gain power for himself betrays Megatron and the Autobots to Galvatron.

Galvatron tricks the Autobots by unleashing a remote controlled Jazz at the exchange, inflicting yet another defeat on them. While the exchange is underway Megatron attempts to destroy Galvatron's weapon but is surprised by Starscream and knocked unconscious.

Back in 2006, Unicron realises what Galvatron is planning and takes mental control of Hot Rod, Kup and Blurr and sends them back in time to sabotage Galvatron's plan. In 1986 they tell Ultra Magnus that Optimus Prime’s disappearance is related to Galvatron and he agrees to help them send him back to his own time.

Ultra Magnus attacks Galvatron and the two battle each other, keeping Galvatron distracted while Hot Rod, Kup and Blurr prepare their plan. Once they are ready they use a remote controlled Skywarp, disguised as Starscream, to destroy Galvatron’s weapon.

Enraged, Galvatron destroys “Starscream”. Knowing that Starscream is not destined to die until 2006 he becomes convinced that he had travelled back in time to a dimension other than his own and that nothing he achieves here will affect his future. He reluctantly decides to abandon his plan and returns to 2006 where he is punished by Unicron.

Satisfied with himself, Unicron returns Hot Rod, Kup and Blurr to the future. Once Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge return to their own time, Optimus Prime, Prowl and Ratchet return.

Ultra Magnus returns to Cybertron only to find that he is too late, Operation: Volcano has begun. The leader of the Wreckers, Impactor, dies saving Xaaron’s life, but the plan comes to nothing as Megatron contacts Cybertron and orders the Decepticons to abort their attack and return to their headquarters for transport to Earth.

Errors

• It is implied that Galvatron builds his weapon on the site of the future Autobot City so that when the weapon fires in 2006 it will destroy Autobot City and Unicron. He states it will be "hidden underground", but it's not mentioned how it'll get underground - we could be charitable and assume there is a way, but why would the Autobots build their city where they know a slag-off great cannon was buried?
• On page 5 of issue 81, Jetfire's backpack suddenly disappears for a single frame.
• The Autobots do not use Omega Supreme. This would normally be an item of interest and not an error, except that we are reminded that Omega Supreme exists, that he is powerful enough to kill lots of Decepticons, and Smokescreen actually says "Now there's a thought! Why not sic Omega on them?" in Part 1 and no reason is ever given why they don't use him against Galvatron.
• The final part establishes Operation: Volcano will kill the ten deadliest killers - but the art only shows nine of them (Astrotrain turns up but doesn't seem to have been expected by the others). Did the tenth just decide to have a lie-in?

Items of note

• This is the epic Transformers story that everyone remembers from the UK comics. Events in this story cause ramifications over the next 150 issues.
• The Movie was originally planned to take place in 2006 but was changed to 2005 very late in production by which time Target 2006 had already been given a title. As a result, all of the UK comics future stories were set twenty years in the future of the 'real' year.
• Galvatron time jumps just at the point in the Movie after he says "Decepticons, to Earth."
• According to Galvatron in issue 78, Earth has a weather control system as of 1995. Our Earth is clearly behind schedule.
• This story has it that Unicron's physical form can be destroyed by weapons technology (albeit really powerful weapons) and not just the Matrix - Unicron himself refers to the cannon being able to destroy him. The idea of Unicron being defeatable by Transformer weaponry has never turned up again.
• The character designs for Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge in issue 78 are based on the toys rather than the Movie look as the issue was designed before the artist got to see the Movie designs.
• For this story and all future appearances Galvatron would appear in his grey and purple toy colour scheme rather than the Movie's predominantly purple colour.
• Simon Furman reused issue 78's sequence with Emirate Xaaron and captions about the Autobot movement going literally underground almost verbatim when he took over the US strip some years later.
• Reprinted as a Trade Paperback by Titan Books in August 2002. A hardback version with an exclusive cover was made available at the Transforce 2002 convention in the UK.
• Reprinted in 5 parts by IDW in 2007 as part of their Generations series, with nearly 100 variant covers.
• The IDW reprints were then inevitably collected in a TPB, released January 2008 and again in The Transformers Classics UK volume 3.
• The drawing of Galvatron on the cover of issue 86 is a slightly altered tracing of his character model.
• The fate of Optimus Prime and the other Transformers who disappear is revealed in #100's "Distant Thunder!"

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