Appearing in "Return to Cybertron Part 1: The Smelting Pool"
Transformers #17
Featured Characters:
- Autobots
- Blaster (First appearance)
- Scrounge (First appearance; dies)
- Perceptor (First appearance)
- Cosmos (First appearance)
- Powerglide (First appearance)
- Seaspray (First appearance)
- Warpath (First appearance)
- Beachcomber (First appearance)
- Optimus Prime (Only in flashback)
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Decepticons
- Lord Straxus (First appearance)
- Insecticons (First appearance)
- Dirge (First appearance)
- Ramjet (First appearance)
- Thrust (First appearance)
- Megatron (Only in flashback)
- Starscream (Only in flashback)
- Laserbeak (Only in flashback)
- Soundwave (Only in flashback)
- Ravage (Only in flashback)
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Return to Cybertron Part 1: The Smelting Pool"
Transformers #17
Scrounge meanwhile has managed to sneak his way into Darkmount the headquarters of Decepticon leader Lord Straxus, to search for a missing scientist named Spanner. There he spies on Shrapnel and his subordinates who have just picked up a message from the planet Earth. Recording this message with special devices that allow him to collect audio and video that are in his fingers, Scrounge attempts to retreat but sets off the alarm. Scrounge reports to Blaster and asks to meet him when he is then captured and carried away by Shrapnel in an area known as the Dead End, filled with Cybertron's impoverished.
When Scrounge doesn't show up, the worried Blaster returns to Autobase, the Autobots secret headquarters on Cybertron. There he tells his comrades Perceptor, Cosmos, Powerglide, Beachcomber, Warpath, and Seaspray that he is worried about Scrounge and that he wants them to help search for his friend. When Perceptor refuses this request due to the risks, and the possibility that Scrounge has likely been fed into Lord Straxus' smelting pool. However, Blaster manages to rally up the other Autobots on his mission and Perceptor concedes.
The Autobots end up in the Dead End where one of its many Empties tells them that he saw Shrapnel capturing Scrounge. While the other Autobots figure Scrounge is dead, Blaster is not willing to give up on his friend and goes to Darkmount alone. There, Scrounge is brought before Lord Straxus who tears off Scrounge's arm and then orders him tossed into the Smelting Pool, a place where all Straxus' victims are tossed to be melted down for raw materials.
When Blaster arrives he attacks the base's defenses, however, he is soon outmatched and before he can be destroyed Shrapnel recognizes him as a key player in the Autobot resistance and has him brought before Lord Straxus. Straxus is hardly impressed with Blaster and orders him thrown into the Smelting Pool as well. Blaster manages to grab onto a ledge where he spots Scrounge already in the smelting pools liquids. Scrounge attempts to give him information when Powerglide arrives. Blaster is determined to pull them both out, however, when they are pulled up, Blaster sees that already half of Scrounge's body has been melted away. Scrounge forces Blaster to let go, ejects a memory tape from his head, and tosses it to Blaster before sinking to the bottom of the pool to his death.
Pulling Blaster up, he is surprised to see Seaspray, Cosmos, Beachcomber, and Warpath have come to rescue him. They make their escape but are chased after by Shrapnel, Bombshell, Kickback, Dirge, Thrust, and Ramjet. Blaster drops down and pulls out two pipes from the smelting pool, using them to blast the Decepticons with hot slag. With their attackers retreating, Blaster and the others escape and return to Autobase.
There they play Scrounge's data tape and learn that it is a transmission from the planet Earth sent by the Decepticon Soundwave, informing the Decepticon of Cybertron of the planet Earth, and the only opposition is Optimus Prime and a group of Autobots that are also stranded on Earth with them. Perceptor and the others are elated to learn that Optimus Prime thought lost for four million years is alive and well on Earth, giving them renewed hope.
This story is continued next issue...Appearing in "The Bridge to Nowhere"
Transformers #18
Featured Characters:
- Autobots
- Blaster
- Scrounge (Only in flashback)
- Perceptor
- Cosmos
- Powerglide
- Seaspray
- Warpath
- Beachcomber
Supporting Characters:
- Donny Finkleberg
- Spanner (First appearance)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
- Space Bridge (First appearance)
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Bridge to Nowhere"
Transformers #18
In northern Oregon, a couple is out driving and enjoying the scenery when they spot a strange, gigantic metallic bridge that they have never seen before. Driving on it, they are horrified when a robot materializes on the bridge and suddenly explodes, sending them fleeing from the scene as the bridge suddenly vanishes. This is the first test run of the Decepticon's new Space Bridge, and it is a failure.
Lord Straxus is not impressed and sends another warrior across which leads to the same results, much to Lord Straxus' infuriation. The Decepticons continue their tests unaware that they are being spied on by Blaster who is intercepting the data transmissions until he is picked up by Powerglide. Returning to Autobase, he provides Perceptor his findings on the Decepticon Space Bridge. They all agree that they need to rescue the kidnapped scientist Spanner, who is clearly being forced to make the Space Bridge for the Decepticons and prevent them from breaching the distance between Cybertron and Earth.
On Earth, in a coal mine in Wyoming which has now become the Decepticons new base of operations, Donny Finkleberg completes another Robot Master transmission and demands to be fed. Megatron sends Ravage out and the panther returns with a vending machine full of candy bars. When Donny complains about the nutritional value of living off candy bars, Megatron angrily crushes the vending machine and warns Donny about further complaints. Just then Laserbeak and Buzzsaw return from their mission to collect Starscream, Skywarp, and Thundercrack. When Megatron realizes that Shockwave has come along, he is furious. The two are then about to battle each other to determine who is fit to lead the Decepticons when they are interrupted by a holographic transmission from Lord Straxus. Straxus explains his tails with the Space Bridge. With this new revelation, Shockwave and Megatron agree to put aside their differences and come up with a means of creating Energon Cubes for the Decepticon war effort back on Cybertron. Overhearing this, Donny doesn't like what is about to happen and begins considering a way to escape to warn the Autobots.
Meanwhile, on Cybertron, the Autobots spring a two-pronged attack: While Powerglide, Perceptor, Seaspray, Cosmos, Beachcomber and Warpath tunnel under Darkmount, Blaster infiltrates it from above to plant explosives. Ambushing the Decepticon base, they are caught off guard when Darkmount is suddenly detonated. Furious, Straxus decides to take the matter into his own hand, transforming into cannon mode and entering the battle. Blaster makes it to his next target the Space Bridge where he is rigging up explosives. He is surprised when the Space Bridge transforms and to his horror realizes the Bridge is alive, and that it has been made out of Spanner himself. Blaster is hesitant to kill Spanner, however, Spanner begs him and is forced to revert to bridge mode because it's too painful to remain in robot mode.
The Space Bridge is activated and the Decepticons then begin attacking Blaster, bringing his Autobot comrades to his aid. On Earth, the reappearance of the Space Bridge brings about the police who speed toward it. As the Autobots battle on the Space Bridge, they just barely avoid being blasted by Straxus, sending them landing on the Earth side of the bridge. Battling Straux one-on-one, Blaster is on the defensive but avoids the Decepticons blows. Straxus hits the Space Bridge's fuel line before Blaster knocks him into the interdimensional energy between both points of space, causing Straxus to be completely obliterated. With the Space Bridge running out of power and closing up, the Autobots are forced to flee down the Earthside to avoid being destroyed by the remaining Decepticons. As they reach Earth the Bridge disappears, and they find themselves stranded on Earth and are greeted by police and military officials.