Review Note: It's retro time! And Generation One Rocks!

Cover: Well, even by mid-80s standards this cover is on the crude side. We see Megatron, with Sparkplug in his left hand, his left foot on Bumblebee's chest firing his fusion cannon at Optimus Prime's right shoulder. Down near Bumblebee we have Buster Witwicky and they appear to be fighting in a junkyard near a building with the sign "S. Witwicky Auto Repair."

Story: This issue is titled "Power Play" We open on the decepticons on a cliff overlooking a nuclear power plant. Megatron tells the others that below them is all the fuel they desperately need and they'll just take it! Starscream askes petulently if it wouldn't be wiser to send a scout to the compound first Megatron, distrustful of his lieutenant, does agree and sends Ravage. The Decepticon scout infiltrates the compount and disguises himself as a cassette in the bag of a plant worker who's making a taped report, when the cassette he's using runs out he replaces it with Ravage. Skip to hours later and Ravage returns to the Decepticons and replays what he'd recorded, he concludes by saying that the compound is surrounded by the strange life form they encountered in their first battle with the Autobots on Earth (see last issue -- Rewind Time Dan). Megatron comments that these humans have created the machines they (the Transformers) are now modeled after and that they have the technology to give the Decepticons never ending energy. Starscream meanwhile plots his eventual rule of the Decpeticons. Saying that their course is clear, Megatron give the order to attack. With that, Skywarp, Starscream, Thundercrackerand Soundwave transform whileLazerbeak and Buzzsaw remain in their decepticon modes and take off for the compount. Thundercracker creates a sonic boom to scare the humans while their attack begins! The jets drop bombs, create sonic booms and shoot lasers to kill, scatter and scare the humans, who suspect it's the Russians. Then the second wave attacks, LAzerbeek, Ravage and Buzzsaw. While on the ground a human radios for help, but his call is stopped by interferance from the Decepticon Cassette Frenzy! Megatron orders them to cease fire and begin to dismantle the compound. Rumble (a miscolored one -- Artist Dan) loosens the enquipment with his ground shakes, the other Decpeticons begin to carry the equipment away past the stunned and disbelieving humans. Elsewhere, Sparkplug Witwicky's Garage is housing an injured Bumblebee while Buster pleads for help from his dad, Sparkplug. Buster describes what happened leading up to his encounter with Bumblebee. Meanwhile Sparkplug finds a busted something under the car, Buster tells his dad about four other cars that turned into giant robots and begun fighting the jets. Buster ends by pleading with his dad to save the car's life. Sparkplug shows Buster where the car is leaking oil and agrees to repair the car. Hours later Sparkplug finishes, commenting that he's never seen a car like this before. A kliking noice is heard behind them. , the car's falling apart.. No! it's changing into... A robot who introduces himself as Bumblebee and thanks Sparkplug for saving him, saying that his skills rival that of Ratchet, the Autobot's greatest physician. Bumblebee tells them that they are in need of fuel, Sparkplug offers him gas from the pump but it isn't compatable, but maybe Huffer can device a conversion process. Transforming Bumblebee says he should head back to the Ark, their spaceship. Buster jumps at the chance to go with him. On the way Bumblebee tells Buster the story of The Transformers! Elsewhere, Ravage spots Buster's friends Jessie and "O" and hides himself in "O's" boom box just as Buster drives past in Bumblebee. "O" and Jessie tell Buster and Bumblebee about an attack on a nuclear power plant. Bumblebee realizes he lost more fuel than he thought and they need to return to the garage. Back at the Ark, it's computer reports on the fuel status which is at a dangerous level. After some discussion amongst the Autobots Optimus comes to the conclusion that they need to contact the humans and offer an exchange, Cybertonian tech for fuel. Mirage on the other hand thinks to himself that they should just take it like the Decepticons must be. Suddenly a signal comes in from Bumblebee who relays Sparkplug's offer of fuel to the Autobots. Prime gives the order to transform and leads the way out of the Ark. Switch to the half completed Decepticon fortress, Megatron, having overheard Bumblebee's transmission orders the Decpticons to transform and find the Autobots. Meanwhile at Sparkplug's garage the Autobots arrive. Prime transforms and towers over the humans and thanks them for their offer. Suddenly the air is split with a sonic boom from a Decpticon jet as the three of them attack the Autobots! Prime commands Bumblebee to protect the humans while the jets shoot and bomb the Autobots and the surrounding area. The Autobot twins Sunstraker and Sideswipe transform and go into battle. The jets transform and land and a full blown firefight breaks out! Within minutes the cops arrive and find themselves in way too deep. Ravage jumps Mirage who is saved by Brawn. Meanwhile Megatron creeps up behind Bumblebee and, smashing him out of the way and grabs Sparkplug. Buster cries for help. His cry is overheard by Prime who comes and confronts Megatron, in the fight that ensues Sparkplug is dropped and Prime and Megatron begin to throw large parts of junk at each other, Prime deciding that the only language Megatron understands is violence. As Buster and Sparkplug get close to safety a hand reaches down and grabs Sparkplug! One of the jets transforms, taking Sparkplug inside him and rockets away, as Megatron sees he orders a retreat. Buster pleads with the Autobots to rescue his dad, Prime tells him that they want to, but are so low on fuel. As he says that Prime collapses to the ground. Buster wonders how they can rescue his dad when they can't even help themselves ... To Be Continued ...

Graphics: For 80s comics, these graphics are actually pretty good. The Transformers aren't quite the way they will eventually be drawn, for example Ratchet and Ironhide are drawn as sled type Transformers instead of the more regular robot types they later become. Megatron is more crude, more like his original concept drawing than the form we're more familiar with.

Bonuses: Zip, zero, none, nadda.

Readers Letters: Again Zip, zero, none, nadda.

Scores

Cover 3/10
Story 10/10
Graphics 5/10
Bonuses 0/10
Readers Letters 0/10

Average Score: 3.6/10
Overall Score: 8/10