Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 15

« Transformers Comic-Magazin #15 »
Optimus Prime continued his bloodthirsty rampage on Nebulos for ten more days...
Publisher	Condor Verlag
Cover date	June 1991
Continuity	Marvel Comics continuity
Price	3.50 DM

Contents

The Cosmic Adventure: Memories of Bumblebee

It's a dark night above Mount St. Hilary, as Goldbug begins his shift of monitor duty. In the middle of the night, he instinctively senses danger and checks the screens, despite of the lack of alert signals. And indeed, he witnesses a Decepticon force advancing through a forest, towards an oil refinery. But the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, are already on the way to intercept them. After a brief skirmish, Bumblebee demands that the others follow him in circling the Decepticons in a narrowing parameter, succeeding in forcing Megatron to order a retreat.

Meanwhile, Goldbug frantically tries to establish contact with the other Autobots, but inexplicably remains cut off from all outgoing communications. Shortly thereafter, Optimus Prime alerts his troops to another Decepticon attack, this time on a damaged oil tanker near Alaska.

Arriving at the mission side in a Blackrock transport vehicle, the Autobot Pretenders quickly put a stop to the oil-siphoning already in progress by damaging the hoses used for it. Then, the Autobots grab the hoses before the Decepticons can detach and yank them into the water while Optimus uses his antigrav-beam to create huge waves and offers the Decepticons a chance to surrender. But before that can happen, Darkwing and Dreadwind rescue their drenched comrades by the way of fly-over with dangling ropes to hold on to. Optimus Prime then orders the Autobots not to pursue, but to remain and aid the clean-up of the oil spill.

After a brief moment of admiration, Goldbug goes to check on the systems. Returning without any findings, he then sees a mission briefing in which Optimus Prime points out the distinctiveness of and differences between various Autobots and Decepticons. Then, Goldbug suddenly and finally realizes that there's something odd about the fact that he's seeing Bumblebee talk to Optimus Prime right now. Seeing as that's him and all. He once again checks the panels until he realizes that he accidentally triggered a simulation which mashed up previous recordings into a new mission, which he could have influenced if he'd pushed the right button.

But all is well, as Goldbug is kind of happy about having seen Bumblebee in action and feels proud of his past self. (source)

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Articles and features

Safety Megatron and friend

• A page of puzzles hosted by Safety Megatron and a generic chap made from the head of Starscream and the torso of a Decepticon medic (both copied from The Last Stand).
• A grid-based game with little cut-out pieces and spinners.
• The same competition as last issue to win Action Master Optimus Prime and Micromasters.

Models

Optimus Prime's car is a bit rubbish

• The Transformers Hypercar: The reader is invited to help Optimus Prime build a Transformers Hypercar from paper.

Reprints

• The Transformers (Marvel UK) #130-131 - "Worlds Apart!"

Notes

• The title to the comic is translated as "The Headmasters - Examination".
• The comic reprint uses the four-part version reprinted in Marvel UK #255 - 258
• The text story is mostly a hodge-podge of barely-rewritten excerpts from the stories in issues #11, 9 and 2, in that order.
• We learn that Goldbug must either have terrible memory or lost some of it when he was rebuilt, as he fails to recognize three distinctive events at which he was originally present. He also doesn't seem very quick on the uptake in general, as he only notices that Bumblebee and Optimus Prime can't be in action right now after several hours. Also it takes him a while to realise that he is Bumblebee so Bumblebee can't be somewhere else.
• He is described as dozing at one point, implying that Transformers can sleep much like humans in this continuity.
• Optimus has been "missing in action for a long time now". This comes up again next issue!
• Bumblebee's reconfiguration into Goldbug is briefly described as "von einem kosmischen Transformer getuned", which roughly translates into "customized by a cosmic Transformer". This isn't very helpful, as "tunen" in the German language is usually used much like "pimping" in English. The phrasing "a cosmic Transformer" might imply a higher being, but then, the term "cosmic" has been used by the same writer to describe Transformers in general more than once. In all likelihood, Robert Mann wasn't sure about this particular plot element (now there's a surprise) and just wrote something that sounded fancy to him. Presumably it refers to Wreck-Gar's rebuilding of Bumblebee in "Hunters", which was printed in an earlier issue.
• If Goldbug was trying to contact everyone while watching the simulation, does that mean that he kept transmitting very confusing messages to the rest of the Autobots all night?

Errors

Advertisements

• A one page advertisement for Action Master Optimus Prime
• A one page advertisement for Action Master Rumbler

• 

  Action Master Optimus Prime: A convoy... of DEATH

• 

  Action Master Rumbler: Bet you wish you had a sweet ride like that