The Power and the Glory

« Transformers: Generation 2 #5 » « Transformers: Generation 2 (Fleetway) #4–5
Wait till you see what I'm gonna do to your skull, Bludgeon!
"The Power and the Glory"
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First published	January 1994
Cover date	March 1994
Writer	Simon Furman
Penciler	Manny Galan
Inker	Jim Amash
Colorist	Chia-Chi Wang ("The Power and the Glory"), Sarra Mossoff ("Tales of Earth Part Two")
Letterers	Richard Starkings with Gaushell
Editor	Rob Tokar
Continuity	Marvel Comics continuity

Optimus Prime learns about the buds and the bees while Megatron and Bludgeon duel to see who gets to destroy the Earth.

Synopsis

"The Power and the Glory"

On Cybertron, the Venerable Ones are hooking Optimus Prime up to a psychic amplifier, preparing to drop him into the heart of the planet, the better to commune with the Matrix. Prime believes this will clarify his visions. Though he has doubts, he nevertheless tells the Venerable Ones to flip the switch.

Within Cybertron, he receives visions of the birth of the first Transformers from the body of Primus... and then learns, for the first time, how these early Transformers reproduced. This budding process is a sort of bio-mechanical mitosis. However, it becomes clear to Optimus Prime that in the present day, budding is no longer a safe method of reproduction. Primus intends for current Transformers to reproduce using the Creation Matrix. The continued use of budding by the Cybertronians is what makes them ruthless and emotionless; their link to Primus has been attenuated by too many generations.

Optimus Prime tears himself out of the psychic link, more determined than ever to stop the Cybertronians. However, if he had stayed linked a few seconds more, he would have seen that continued process of budding, in addition to producing cold, hard Transformers, is also releasing a strange dark energy. Dark, and purposeful...

Meanwhile, Jhiaxus is overseeing the eco-structuring of a (formerly) lush organic world, and wondering where the heck the Autobots got to. Hot Rod and the other Autobots under Optimus Prime's command are engaging in training exercises at the Autobase, and are champing at the bit to kick some Cybertronian (or Decepticon) skidplate.

"Tales of Earth Part Two"

Back on Earth, Bludgeon laments about how he created all this carnage to draw out Optimus Prime (and his tasty Creation Matrix), but instead all he got were Megatron and Starscream. The opposing leaders exchange some trash talk, then begin the fight. Though Bludgeon makes good use of his Pretender nature and tank alternate mode, he's truly no match for the new and upgraded Megatron, who decapitates his shell, then blows his inner robot to bits. Watching from a safe distance, the Autobot Skydive scampers off to report to Optimus Prime that Megatron is back as undisputed leader of the Decepticons.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Cybertron. More than a homeworld, a living planet — the final form of Primus, first of our kind. We were his army, soldiers created from the very substance of his 'self' to continue the fight against evil...Our bodies...complex reconfigurable bio-chanic structures, changeling figures able to mimic vehicles, machinery, and weapons. Transformers! These are not legends, these are facts — facts I have never sought nor thought to question...until now!"

—Optimus Prime relates the origins of his species.

"Optimus Prime, fourth heir to the Matrix, holder of the lifeforce of Primus. I ask you this one last time...do you wish to proceed?"
"[Thinking] Good question!"

—A Venerable One and Optimus Prime

"In the words of the prophets, boys...eat my TRACKS!"

—Hot Rod runs rings round the Aerialbots.

"You should have stayed dead."
"We suffer from a disquieting knack, Megatron and I, of refusing to do just that. All "death" does is make us a little meaner and a little crankier."

—Bludgeon and Starscream

"Strange. The only evidence I see of enhancement — is a bigger MOUTH!"

—Bludgeon to Megatron.

"[Whispering] Five triliters of evergon resin says Bludgeon's goin' down."
"[Whispering] You're on!"

—Starscream and Fangry place their bets.

"Hear me, loyal Decepticons. The shallow pretender is dead — the reign of Megatron begins anew!"

—Megatron makes a pun.

Notes

Artwork and technical errors

Manny Galan needs to cut back on the hentai.

• Starscream sports a really unsettling segmented tongue in some panels.
• In this issue, the first panel on page five of the main story is some trees and mountains. The first panel on page five of the back-up story is Megatron decapitating Bludgeon. This is relevant to issue #7, "New Dawn", where (apparently) the first is mistakenly reprinted where the second was intended.
• Bludgeon says, "I wanted Optimus Prime to come scurrying out from behind the protected ramparts Autobase to save his beloved mudball..." It should be "ramparts of Autobase".

Continuity errors

Continuity notes

• The three vehicles seen in the close-up of Cybertron on the first page are the alternate modes of Blurr, Wheelie, and Scourge.
• Optimus Prime is referred to as the "fourth heir to the Matrix," which tracks with what we first learned back in Dark Creation.
• This marks the first time Megatron has truly been leader of the Decepticons in American continuity since US issue #25, when he went nuts and blew up a space bridge with himself on it.
• Poor Bludgeon has had battles with Megatron for leadership in other canons too, and they always have him getting killed and in a humiliating way... even though he's always done a pretty dang good job as leader!

Real-life references

• The cover references the very famous "Alas, poor Yorick!" monologue from Hamlet, where Hamlet holds the skull of a long-departed jester.
• "The power and the glory" is a phrase from the Gospel of Matthew.

UK printing

Issue #4

• Stories: "Tales of Earth" Part One and "Tales of Earth" Part Two

Issue #5

• Stories: The Power and the Glory
• The editorial promotes UK fan-club Transmasters UK.
• This was the final UK issue due to it being cancelled because of low sales.

Other trivia

• The creators for this tale did not get specific credits, but were instead lumped together under "By". The credit assignments given in this article are based on precedent.

Furminated

• Darkwing takes a direct hit from Megatron and explodes, but is later seen to have survived - just barely.
• After having his Pretender shell decapitated, Bludgeon is killed in tank mode by a point-blank blast from Megatron.

Covers (3)

• US cover: Megatron holding Bludgeon's skull, by Derek Yaniger.
• UK issue #4 cover: recolored version of US cover, by Derek Yaniger.
• UK issue #5 cover: budding process by Manny Galan.

• 

  Transformers: Generation 2 #5 - Wait till you see what I'm gonna do to your skull, Bludgeon!

• 

  Transformers: Generation 2 (Fleetway) #4 - I knew you well.

• 

  Transformers: Generation 2 (Fleetway) #5 - Chestburster!

Advertisements

• None yet identified.

Reprints

• Transformers: Dark Designs TPB: Megatron, Swoop, Bludgeon, Grimlock's toe and half of the Liege Maximo, by Andy Wildman.
• Transformers: Dark Designs hardback: Megatron and the graves of Starscream, Bludgeon, Fortress Maximus and Optimus Prime, by John Byrne and Chris Blythe.
• Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 90: Generation 2 Part 1: Red Alert, by Dreamwave Productions and Kup, by Derek Yaniger.

• 

  Dark Designs TPB
  (Titan Books, 2002)

• 

  Dark Designs hardback
  (Titan Books, 2002)

• 

  The Definitive G1 Collection Vol. 90: Generation 2 Part 1
  (Hachette Partworks, 2020)