Total War!
From Transformers Wiki
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 Graaah!! This stress ball doesn't do anything for me! | |||||||||||||
| "Total War!" | |||||||||||||
| Publisher | Marvel Comics | ||||||||||||
| First published | June 1994 | ||||||||||||
| Cover date | August 1994 | ||||||||||||
| Writer | Simon Furman | ||||||||||||
| Artist | Geoff Senior ("Tales of Earth Part Seven") | ||||||||||||
| Penciler | Manny Galan ("Total War!") | ||||||||||||
| Inker | Jim Amash ("Total War!") | ||||||||||||
| Colorist | Sarra Mossoff | ||||||||||||
| Letterers | Richard Starkings with Comicraft | ||||||||||||
| Editor | Rob Tokar | ||||||||||||
| Continuity | Marvel Comics continuity | ||||||||||||
The climactic battle between the Autobot-Decepticon alliance and the Cybertronians begins, and Starscream's thoroughly predictable treachery is exposed.
Contents |
Synopsis
"Total War!"
At Autobase on Earth, Jhiaxus and the Cybertronians are attacking. The Autobot-Decepticon alliance manages to hold its own. Optimus Prime asks Megatron how they could have found them and breached their defenses without setting off any alarms. Megatron's thoughts turn immediately (and correctly) to Starscream.
Above, the Warworld's systems have stopped working correctly, due to more of Starscream's treachery. He and the Cybertronians board the titanic vessel.
Below, the alliance is actually beginning to force the attackers back. Jhiaxus simply furrows his brow, sends in the second wave, and sends out an alert: All Cybertronian battalions are to stop whatever they're doing and head to Earth.
Above, the Cybertronians have neutralized all resistance on the Warworld, but many Decepticons have fled to Earth in escape pods. The Cybertronians leave the ship to pursue them, leaving Starscream alone in the main control center. He smiles, and heads for the chamber where the Creation Matrix is stored.
Below, Optimus Prime declares the battle a lost cause, and orders the troops to scatter. He and Megatron board a shuttle and head into space to retrieve the Matrix from the Warworld.
Elsewhere, the Cybertronian Battalion Xerxes is heading to Earth, when it encounters the Swarm. There are no survivors. From the minds of the crew and the computers of the ship, the Swarm absorbs an imperative: To go to Earth.
"Tales of Earth Part Seven"
Aboard the Warworld, Starscream thinks smug thoughts. Then he attacks the Cybertronians. Scores of them die under the guns of the Warworld. Optimus Prime and Megatron use this as a distraction to approach and board the Warworld, though Prime suspects (correctly) that whoever is controlling the vast ship wants them to come aboard.
On Earth, the Autobot-Decepticon alliance continues to battle the Cybertronians. The Autobot Grimlock and the Decepticon Manta Ray have a bonding moment over the corpses of some Cybertronians. Razorclaw observes this, and swears to himself to kill the Decepticon if he should forget where his loyalties should lie.
Above, Optimus Prime and Megatron find the Warworld strangely changed. Suddenly, the very walls and ceiling attack them and Starscream reveals himself. He has taken the Matrix for himself, and merged his body with the Warworld. He and it are now one single giant weapon... and he wants nothing so much as to kill them both.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Cybertronians | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"Autobase Earth. A safe haven, far from the eyes and reach of Commander Jhiaxus and his second generation Transformer army. Not!"
- —The caption writer gets snarky.
"Tell me, Optimus Prime - was it something we said?"
- —Megatron as the Cybertronians attack.
"Hi, guys. Miss me?"
- —Starscream gets smug.
"Why? That's what they all asked me. Why him... why Starscream? Why, of all Decepticons, did I decide to revitalize the one whose record of deceit and betrayal is legend? Because I'm an idiot, that's why!"
"While I'm tempted to record that last statement for posterity..."
- —Megatron finally admits to an error and tfwiki helps out Optimus Prime
"I wonder some days if it is not a pity we fight on opposing sides."
"[Thinking] Not a pity, Megatron... a tragedy!"
- —Optimus Prime thinks about recruiting Megatron
Grimlock: Nice one! Me not like to admit it, Manta Ray — you being Decepticon and all — but me like your style!
Manta Ray: Pleasure's all mine. It's been a real education fighting alongside you.
Razorclaw: Grr!
Notes
Artwork and technical errors
- Tracks' line "Give it your best shot" has no punctuation.
- Jhiaxus orders all battalions to return to Earth. Unless there's some unrevealed backstory, none of them have ever been to Earth, so they're not "returning".
- For a single panel in Tales Of Earth, Grimlock has a bandana and "tattoo" on his shoulder that reads "BIG GRIM".
- The freaky snake-like necks are back.
Continuity errors
Continuity notes
- It's implied that the Combaticons were destroyed, but amid the destroyed Decepticons shown, only Octane is identifiable.
- This issue contains the only appearance of Roller in the Marvel US continuity.
Real-life references
Other trivia
- Big Grim can parry the Cybertronians' laser fire with his sword, using it not unlike a lightsaber.
- The airborne Cybertronian jets bear a resemblance to Cyclonus's alt mode.
- Skydive has sure become a seasoned veteran in G2. First he survived Megatron's assault in Milleville, then another attack from Megatron before the Ark exploded, then the Decepticon attack on Optimus Prime, then a skirmish with the Cybertronians before rallying his fellow Aerialbots in this issue.
Furminated
- Joyride explodes after being hit dead-on by a huge blast.
- It's implied that the Combaticons are all killed trying to hold off Starscream and the Cybertronians from entering the Warworld. Additionally, Octane's destroyed body is seen laying in a pile of scrap.
- Bazillions of Cybertronians die - they get sliced up, blasted and eaten by the Autobot-Decepticon alliance; they get devoured by the Swarm; they get pulverized by the Warworld's weapons.
Cover
Jhiaxus crushes the Earth in his hand, by Derek Yaniger.
Advertisements
- None yet identified.
Reprints
- Transformers: Rage in Heaven TPB: Optimus Prime, Skydive, Starscream and half of the Liege Maximo, by Andy Wildman.
- Transformers: Rage in Heaven HC: Blast Off, Onslaught and Ramjet, by Phil Jimenez, Andy Lanning, and Chris Blythe.
- Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 91: Generation 2 Part 2 Silverbolt, by Dreamwave Productions and Jhiaxus smashing Optimus Prime, by Geoff Senior.
Rage in Heaven TPB
(Titan Books, 2002)
Rage in Heaven HC
(Titan Books, 2003)
The Definitive G1 Collection Vol. 91: Generation 2 Part 2
(Hachette Partworks, 2020)
