Animated Comic issue 2

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« Transformers Animated Comic #2 »
Yeah, you BETTER run, cover text!
Publisher	Titan Comics
First published	November 2008
Editor	Natalie Clubb
Deputy editor	Andrew James
Designer	Danny Preston
Continuity	Animated cartoon continuity

A Hoax! An Imaginary Story!

Contents

Ratchet & Grimlock Are DEAD?

• Script: Robin Etherington
• Art: Diego Jourdan
• Colours: Kat Nicholson
• Lettering: Jimmy Betancourt/Comicraft

The Autobots have received an SOS from Dinobot Island — Snarl and Swoop are malfunctioning, and Grimlock is in danger! Ratchet heads out with Bumblebee, Sari Sumdac (for her AllSpark Key), and new recruit Afterburn, who qualified with honours from the Autobot Academy in Anti-Virus Diagnosis; Captain Fanzone is forced to airlift the 'bots, expressing a desire to kill them grumbling hilariously about turning them into recycling bins.

Bumblebee is nervous about the mission, especially with half the team absent, and it's only made worse when Fanzone claims the helicopter can't safely land and they'll need to jump down. Bumblebee believes there's no way Afterburn could figure out a way down, and is embarrassed when the dude effortlessly comes up with a simple way to jump down down safely... and then more embarrassed when he screws up the safe landing and almost hits a big rock (luckily Sari reminded him he has brakes). To add insult to injury, Afterburn lands smoothly and wins Sari's affection again; Bumblebee looks like he wants to cry.

Just as Ratchet says they need to find Snarl and Swoop, Snarl comes charging out at them. Bumblebee and Afterburn both dodge him, but Ratchet forgets he can move and is knocked down and gnawed by Snarl! Luckily, Sari reminds him he has magnetic powers and can throw Snarl away. While Afterburn gazes at amazement at the power Snarl showed and is reminded of something, Bumblebee steps out to finish Snarl off... at which point Swoop turns up and knocks him into mud.

Afterburn has figured out what the infection is! ...but forget that, as suddenly Ratchet announces he's dying. He explains to an upset Sari that his termination inhibitor was torn out by Snarl and is wedged in the robot's teeth, and now nothing can save him. He collapses, pleading with the others to complete the mission, and Sari is reduced to tears.

Afterburn has figured out what the infection is! The Dinobots are infected with a Rage virus, fatal if untreated, but luckily Sari's AllSpark Key is a deus ex machina cure!

The Autobots quickly track the Dinobots down, finding Snarl and Swoop have defeated Grimlock. Afterburn quickly works out a plan—Sari (being small) will sneak over to help Grimlock, Bumblebee (being quick) will get the inhibitor off Snarl, and he'll distract Swoop! Then he calls Bumblebee leader for no apparent reason.

Bumblebee is able to slide under Snarl and grab the inhibitor on his way, while Sari repairs Grimlock and Afterburn (having been tossed the AllSpark Key) wrassles and cures the Rage virus on both other Dinobots. Mission accomplished, they go to repair Ratchet... who's totally fine, as there's no such thing as a termination inhibitor and Snarl actually grabbed his spare oil thermos. Ratchet just wanted to challenge Afterburn's skills to see if he had what it takes to join the team, and he passed with flying colours — and by working as a team!

Everyone forgives Ratchet's emotional abuse, and goes on to mock Bumblebee for not being as clean as Afterburn.

Articles & features

• Starscreamers - Jokes by Starscream
• Character Puzzles: Prowl related puzzles
• Nano-Bites - news about all the cool Animated stuff you can buy, plus barely anything about Season 3 and factoids on the Robot Games and the world's first electronic computer.
• Animated books competition.
• Feature on the Animated game, with a chance to win it.
• Search For The Allspark: the Autobots have hidden the Allspark in this comic! Find it and write in, and win a prize!
• Poster of Megatron
• Half of a The Many Faces of Megatron poster, companion to the The Many Faces of Optimus Prime one. The other half is in the next Movie comic
• Challenge Optimus Prime: Complete the puzzles and join the Autobots!
• Bee Mail: Letters page, hosted by Bumblebee

Free Gift

• "Free! Bot-Kicking Badges and Tattoos!" — temporary tattoos and two badges, both either Decepticon or Autobot based on which copy you buy!

Bits and Bots

A short four-panel strip by Robin Etherington and Nick Roche (colours by John Burns).

It's rubbish day! Time for Fanzone to throw all his unwanted trash in the bin, while saying how great it is as now "all the unwanted garbage is where it belongs!". Buried up to the necks in binbags, Bumblebee and Bulkhead wonder if he's telling them something...

Reprints

Reprinted stories are only a portion of their respective issues.

• Blast From The Past, part 1b (screencaps strip) (17 pages)

Errors

• The screencaps are still there!

Quotes

"Woah! We're gonna hit that rock!"
"Use your brakes! You're a car!"
"Oh yeah! Haha! Sometimes I forget!"

—Sari knows Bumblebee better than he knows himself

"Not the mud! Not the mud!"

—Bumblebee as he's tossed into, yep, mud

"They were actually able to beat the mighty Grimlock! Very interesting..."

—Afterburn is not dodgy at all

"Does that [plan] sound good, fearless leader?"
"It'll do! But only because I can't think of a better plan!"

—Afterburn and Bumblebee

"We've been rumbled! Do you think they heard us?"
"They heard you!"

—Bumblebee and Afterburn

"Hey, Grimlock, it's me, Sari. I'm here to help you, so please don't eat me, okay?"
"Rooar"

—Sari and Grimlock

"Time to go home and get Bumblebee cleaned up."
"He really needs it."
"Hey! Just because you're always buffed to a shine!" "I'll always come up smelling of rose-oil! *smirk*"

—Ratchet kicks off Afterburn vs. Bumblebee

Items of note

• Ratchet actually did this. What a git.
• The lead story's title is derived from a well-known line from Shakespeare's Hamlet, "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead."
• Grimlock sent the distress signal that started the story off. No, we don't know how.
• The last time Dinobots appeared on a UK newsagent's comic cover was fourteen years ago (to the month).
• The Rage virus is likely a reference to the Rage virus of 28 Days Later, which also gave you red eyes and turned you violent. As far as Transformers goes, it really calls to mind the Hate Plague (specifically the Beast Machines version), but it's hard to know if the writer (being new to Transformers comics and an unknown quantity) did that deliberately.
• Afterburn was an ace virologist at the Autobot Academy, and was called "Squeaky-Clean Afterburn" there. No, really!
• As he did with Optimus last issue, Afterburn makes an Autobot (here Bumblebee) feel inadequate by being so awesome. Here it seems somewhat deliberate, as he casually puts down Bumblebee on several occasions. He also seems really interested in the Rage virus and what how violent it makes you. Possibly hints of dodginess?