Dis-Integrated Circuits!

Part 1

Issue 33, 2 November 1985.

Written by: Bob Budiansky
Art by: Mike Manley (pencils), M Hands (inks)
Colours by: Nel Yomtov
Letters by: Rick Parker
Cover art: Beats me, chief.

Reprinted from US issue 9.

Plot: GB Blackrock prepares to unveil his big anti-robot photon cannon, ignoring the Army's requests to keep it under wraps. Despite being ready to roll again, the Autobots are still low on fuel, subsisting only on what reserves the Decepticons left in the Ark. Jazz, however, hits on a plan to offer GB Blackrock protection in exchange for fuel. Meanwhile, Shockwave and Optimus Prime argue about the Creation Matrix. Oh, and Shockers sends Starcream and Frenzy off to deal with Mr Blackrock's weapon. Buster can fix engines and stuff with his mind (because he's got the Matrix in it). Josie Beller, meanwhile, has disappeared from her hospital bed - she arrives in Blackrock's office, disrobing to reveal metal-covered skin and a new name: Circuit Breaker.

Brill!: Oh, come on. Like none of you have ever wanted to be like Josie, walk into your boss's office and take your clothes off. Um, no, me neither.

Wicked dialogue: Jazz: 'Getting fuel is a piece of cake!' Prowl isn't so up on Terran culture as Jazz, so he wonders, 'Cake is fuel?'

Britishisms: A number of footnotes have been reworked to show the UK issue numbers. Well, they should have been, I'm guessing.

First appearances: Circuit Breaker! Well, this is the first time she appears as Circuit Breaker, at least.

Miserable glitches: I don't know if this just some quirk of wording, or even if it's all in my own head, but Blackrock's thoughts as he leave's Josie's bedside don't quite ring right. He sounds like he hopes she doesn't want to get even with the robots because they're so bad. Or because he can't do anything about it. I think it just sounds strange, that's all.
OK...when we see the Autobots for the first time this issue, the caption tells us fifteen of them are rocking up. They're heading towards Ratchet so he can give them final check-over after the repairs last issue. In the last panel of that page, there's only fourteen of them in front of Ratchet. (In case you're wondering, it's Red Alert who's missing. I guess he could be standing around off-panel, but the caption sounds like we should be able to see everyone.)
Incidentally, in the panel above where the Autobots are transforming, Bumblebee's mid-transform state doesn't at all look like it should. Judging from his robot mode, his Romita character-design should transform pretty much the same as the toy.
And that bottom panel is miscolour theatre: Prowl's horns are white (not red) (actually, they're like that all issue - but they're usually red no matter what), Ironhide's face is red (not grey), Gears' face is red (not grey), Cliffjumper's face is yellow (not grey), Bumblebee's Autobot insignia is white (not red), Sideswipe's helmet is white (not black) and Wheeljack's 'mouth bandage' (or whatever that thing is) is white (not grey/black).
On the next page, Ratchet is pointing out Optimus' headless body, and it's all white but his hands. Hey, it's the cab from the Ultra Magnus toy!
That Prowl sure is a goofy tactician! Jazz pipes up that he knows how to get fuel from the humans, and that they can offer protection in return. Prowl trusts him, so he gives him permission, then adds, 'I only wish I knew what I just gave you permission for!' Was he even listening? Guess he trusts Jazz so much that he doesn't even listen to him! If that's not enough, Wheeljack asks Jazz the same question as soon as they get outside!
Starscream's colours are right off and he's missing an air intake when he's whinging about Megatron. And his head's on funny.
As Josie/Circuit Breaker creeps into GB Blackrock's office, she's dressed in a trenchcoat and hat, all the better to not be naked with. However, at one point we see her face beneath the hat and she doesn't have any implants/circuit tape on it.

Notes: I'm using a scan of the original US issue here.

Comments: We're getting ready for something here, can you tell? Bob Budiansky's writing holds up pretty well here, as it happens, and this week he introduces one of the most memorable fan-favourite original characters in the whole series. Yes, Circuit Breaker is a controversial figure, whom many seem to either love or hate, and me, I love her. But we'll refrain comment because she doesn't really do much yet except show that she's smart and take her clothes off. Meanwhile, we're reminded again why Transformers is so readily associated with the 1980s. Jazz listens to Madonna (I wouldn't have thought of Jazz as a Madonna kind of guy, but we're always ready to be surprised), and General Armyguy (oh, whatever he was called) warns Mr Blackrock that they could be facing...Commies! Russkies, even! (Well, that's the General's problem, anyway. Blackrock's quite prepared to run his corporation without worrying about the Cold War.) Oh, and there's Circuit Breaker's haircut, too. The short space of pages leaves the plot threads getting in a little bit of time then leaving the stage, but we can tell that it's going somewhere.