Firebug!

« The Transformers (UK) #188 »
...Oh no he's not!
"Firebug!"
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First published	15th October 1988
Cover date	22nd October 1988
Plot	Simon Furman
Script	Dan Abnett
Art	Jeff Anderson
Colour	Euan Peters
Letters	Tom Frame
Continuity	Marvel Comics continuity

Inferno meets his match...

Synopsis

A meteorite hits the base of Mount St. Hilary, containing a strange creature aboard it. The next day, an Autobot shuttlecraft carrying the Advance Surveillance Unit lands on the other side and its passengers disembark, activating its scan cloak. Sandstorm reminds Broadside and Inferno that Emirate Xaaron wants a permanent reconnaissance base on Earth to increase their knowledge of the terrain. Inferno guesses that this is to prevent a repeat of the disaster when the Wreckers attacked Galvatron. Broadside is angry because the Wreckers didn't know where they'd arrive, but Sandstorm prevents a fight. He then notices a fire in the distance and transforms into his new buggy mode to check it out.

Sandstorm discovers an entire town ablaze. Changing to his helicopter mode he notices something in the shadows but it disappears before he can reach it. Broadside orders Sandstorm to return to base, but the latter argues that they must help the humans. Broadside reiterates that they must maintain non-intervention, but Inferno agrees with Sandstorm that they have a duty to protect all lifeforms. Broadside agrees to go but tells the others that if asked they are investigating a sighting of Galvatron.

Soon after arriving, Inferno and Broadside have the fire under control. But Broadside can't extinguish one section. Inferno soon recognises the creature at its centre—a Firebug! The creature escapes as Inferno explains that it is from the planet Furnacia, feeds on high temperatures and combusts matter. Most perished when their planet burnt itself out and the survivors landed on the ice world of Thessin.

The three Autobots pursue the Firebug through the town and eventually corner it. Whilst the Triple Changers block its escape with lasers, Inferno douses it with water. Broadside wants to kill the creature but Inferno reminds him they're not murderers. After checking the ship's files on the Solar System, Inferno comes up with an idea. The Firebug is placed in a message pod and dispatched to Mercury, where the creature can live happily in temperatures of over 400 degrees centigrade.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Scan cloak operational. Someone remember where we parked, eh?"

—Sandstorm

"[Thinking] Wait just a minute! Looks like a big fire over yonder. Just the sort of thing I should be...er, observing."

—Sandstorm

"Let's see how he fares against my silica gun! It'll erode anything it hits...including the wrong thing!"

—Sandstorm accidentally melts some poor shlub's car.

Notes

Artwork and technical errors

• TBD

Continuity errors

• Sandstorm claims that Xaaron had Earthen forms prepared for them despite having the same helicopter mode he used in "Target: 2006".

Continuity notes

• This is the first appearance of Inferno in the present-day timeline, discounting a possible cameo in the flashback in "Decepticon Dam-Busters!" and an appearance in the annual story "Missing in Action", which is hard to place in continuity. His 2008 counterpart had previously appeared in "The Legacy of Unicron!".
• Inferno's previous possible cameo has led to fan speculation that he has been an unseen character on Earth for the past few years and has been assigned as a liaison with the Wreckers. There is nothing in this story itself that contradicts this theory.

Real-life references

• TBD

Back-up material

• Back-up strips: Visionaries - "Wings" and Combat Colin

Cover

• Issue #188 cover: Sandstorm, Inferno, Broadside and the Firebug, by Jeff Anderson.

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  Issue #188

Reprints

• Transformers Annual 1991: Ironhide, Jazz and Wheeljack, by Geoff Senior.
• Transformers: City of Fear: Broadside, Springer and Ultra Magnus take on a horde of zombies, by Geoff Senior.
• The Transformers: Best of UK: Time Wars #2 cover A: The Terrorcons run amok, by Dan Khanna and Liam Shalloo.
• Best of UK: Time Wars #2 cover RI: reuse of a panel from UK issue #199, by Andrew Wildman, Stephen Baskerville and Euan Peters.

• 

  Transformers Annual 1991

• 

  City of Fear

• 

  Best of UK: Time Wars #2 cover A

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  Best of UK: Time Wars #2 cover RI

• Best of UK: Time Wars TPB: reuse of Best of UK: Time Wars issue #1 cover A.
• The Transformers: Best of UK Omnibus: crop of Best of UK: Time Wars issue #4 cover A.
• Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 14: Space Pirates: Hot Rod and a scene of the Blaster and Wheeljack strung up
• The Transformers Classics UK Volume 6 cover: General Ghyrik, a Quintesson Judge, Metroplex, Galvatron, Optimus Prime, Arcee, Carnivac and Snarler. Art and colors by Andrew Wildman.

• 

  Best of UK: Time Wars TPB

• 

  Best of UK Omnibus

• 

  The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 14; cover art by Don Figueroa, Dougie Braithwaite and Dave Harwood

• 

  Classics UK Volume 6 TPB