Prime Directive issue 6

« Transformers: Generation 1 #6 »
Not now, Inferno.
Publisher	Dreamwave Productions
First published	October 23, 2002
Cover date	October 2002
Writer	Chris Sarracini
Penciler	Pat Lee
Inker	Rob Armstrong, Erik Sander
Backgrounds	Edwin Garcia
Colorist	Ramil Sunga, Gary Yeung, Alan Wang, Shaun Curtis, Rob Ruffolo, Stuart Ng, Angelo Tsang, Juan Malera, Matt Cossin, Pat Lee
Letterer	Dreamer Design
Editor	Roger Lee
Continuity	Dreamwave continuity
Chronology	Modern era

The Autobots save the day but pay the ultimate price.

Synopsis

Defense Minister Dawson and the President of the United States are getting a sitrep on the San Francisco battle when the CIA breaks in with news that the city has been targeted by a nuclear missile from the American arsenal. The President frantically orders to abort the launch, but he's too late.

In the Northwest Territories, a misguided tank commander of the Canadian military orders the Autobots to lower their weapons. When Wheeljack tries to explain their mission the tanks open fire, and a viral wave heads straight for the humans.

In San Francisco, Megatron explains to Optimus Prime that he ordered all the devastation on the city just to get Prime's attention. Still weary, Optimus tells Megatron to shut up, and that he'll defend humans even if they betray him and his own troops abandon his cause. Just as Megatron decides to end Optimus Prime's life once and for all, the sound of honking distracts him. Prime jumps out of the way as three fire engines, driven by humans, come racing down a broken freeway and slam into the Decepticons. Prime uses the distraction to quickly free his captured troops and then tells the Autobots that he wants their heads but to save Megatron for him.

In the Pentagon, General Hallo has already tipped over the edge of insanity and is gleefully watching the nuclear countdown. Spike Witwicky bursts in and announces the general's complicity in the destruction of the Ark II and the deaths of the humans on board. Hallo swings the gun in Spike's direction and tells him to enjoy the show.

Back in Canada, the cyber-virus is eating up the Canadian tanks and their human operators. Their interference has stymied Wheeljack's plan to stop the virus. Jazz and Wheeljack can't agree if they should retreat or stay and try to find some last-ditch solution. Wheeljack has an epiphany and races off toward a human settlement without explanation.

Meanwhile, Hallo is still holding Spike at gunpoint and ranting about safeguarding the security of the United States. Luckily for Spike, the president and several armed officers arrive. When Hallo turns his gun on them he's shot down.

Me not hear the magic word.

In San Francisco, Optimus and the Autobots are making short work of the Decepticons. Optimus decides that taking Megatron captive isn't good enough this time, but Soundwave's alert of an incoming nuclear projectile makes him pause. Despite his damaged state, Megatron laughs at the irony. The Aerialbots merge into Superion and take off, while in Canada Wheeljack hooks himself up to a satellite dish. He uses the last of his power to blast the virus, just as Superion flies into the nuclear missile, causing a huge explosion and tidal wave.

Spike wakes Optimus Prime and lets him know the Decepticons have fled and the missile was stopped. The Autobots uncover Grimlock from the rubble and Optimus offers the Dinobot leader a place back in their ranks. But Grimlock refuses and walks off. Prime assesses the personal toll the last battle has had on his troops and how things will never be the same.

Little does he know that up north, Jazz is cradling Wheeljack's seemingly lifeless body.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"So save your rambling Megatron and hope that your next blast kills me because if it doesn't I promise I'll tear you to pieces."

—Optimus Prime, hardcore

"I always dreamed of the day that I'd finally capture Megatron as my prisoner. Slight change of plans."

—Optimus Prime, even more hardcore

Notes

• After the previous two issues had only ranked second in Diamond Comic Distributors' sales charts, this issue repeated the success of the first three issues, ranking #1 with 119,533 copies ordered for September 2002.^[1]
• The first panel on pages 9 is identical to the first panel on page 8, down to the cracks Optimus Prime is decked out with and the details in the dust cloud in the background.
• The fire engines that drive into the Decepticons don't just smack into them, they explode when they hit the ground with a loud BOOOOOM! sound. Why... why does San Francisco have explosive fire engines? That seems like poor design.
• The middle of the comic contains a two-page spread by James Raiz and Alan Wang with Kenny Li featuring Generation 1 Transformers.
• Spike is shown being happy for the Autobots' victory and apparently oblivious to the damage to the city, while Prime observes the devastation with concern and grief. In issue 2, as Prime comments that the Autobots wouldn't cause this much destruction if they weren't being controlled, Spike replies that such damage is the usual result of Transformers' battles on Earth.
• Was it really necessary for Superion to fly into the missile, killing all five Aerialbots, when they could have just delegated the job to Slingshot? Or just shoot the bloody thing down over the sea.
• As a safety precaution, nuclear missiles can be deactivated while in-flight, yet it was allowed to continue on its merry way.

Errors

• "Defense Minister"? Uh... there is no such office in the United States government.

• Red Alert's presence was later explained as being an art error, for the second time in a row.

• In the panel of Cliffjumper and Canadian soldiers (who are escaping from their tank), Cliffjumper's legs appear to be buried in snow despite being snow-free a few pages earlier. Whatever the case, the snow disappears by the next panel.

• When Optimus Prime emerges from his unconsciousness we see him wake up from his own point of view. The background appears in a warped fish-eye perspective. However the foreground character, Spike Witwicky, isn't in this distorted perspective. When the camera view shifts to an objective point of view, the buildings in the background are still in the same fish-eye perspective. There's definitely something screwy going on there.

Covers (2)

—All covers by Pat Lee

• Cover A: Red Alert and Inferno
• Cover B: Menasor

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• Titan Books G1 reprints
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• Sandscape #1
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• Transformers: Generation 1 vol. 1: Prime Directive TPB
• Devastator versus Superion poster
• G1 battle poster
• Arkanium #2 (back interior cover)
• Fate of the Blade #4 (back interior cover)
• Warlands, Vol. 3 #1 (back interior cover)
• Transformers Generation One, Vol. 1 TPB (back cover)

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References