This page contains affiliate links. We may earn commissions when readers interact with or purchase items through these links. For more information, see our affiliate disclosures here.

Transformers Regeneration One #88 Creator Commentary with Simon Furman

Discuss anything about the Transformers cartoons and comics! You can discuss anything from G1 to Cybertron as well as the comics from Marvel, Dreamwave, IDW and more!

Transformers Regeneration One #88 Creator Commentary with Simon Furman

Postby El Duque » Thu Feb 14, 2013 8:34 am

Motto: "I ain't got time to bleed!"
Weapon: Gattling Gun
The official Transformers facebook page has posted the Creator Commentary for this week's comic release, Transformers: Regeneration One #88. Hall of Fame writer Simon Furman gives us his thoughts on the first five pages, which we've mirrored below for those without facebook access.

Image
PAGE 1: What is it about the character of Scorponok that draws you to him?

SIMON FURMAN: When he first appeared, Scorponok was a fairly die-cut Decepticon (somewhat second-tier) tyrant, but the introduction of Lord Zarak, his binary-bonded Headmaster component, gave him much more in the way of layers and a kind of noble gravitas, and he gradually became a character who walked the same fine line between good and evil as Grimlock (always a pull for me as a writer). But, of course, that Scorponok died in #75. And Zarak was the more dominant in that incarnation. Here/now, I was interested to explore the other side of the equation, see what the original Scorponok was like. This time, he’s the dominant personality, but you don’t share a head with someone for all that time without some kind of evolution. So there’s two reasons for going with Scorponok: one, there are parallels with Grimlock, the other main focus of this second story arc, and two, I get to bring the original Scorponok (who I never wrote) back and watch him struggle against who and what he was versus who he is (or thinks he is) now. Lots of great character potential there to explore, which I love!

Image
PAGE 2: Scorponok comes across the other Decepticons, who may/may not accept him as their leader. How do you approach a scene like this in the writing, getting the tension across from the characters as they decide what to do next?

SIMON FURMAN: The theme underlying the whole “Natural Selection” arc is choice, or rather the enforced withdrawal of choice (and its consequences… which will ripple on well after this arc). And here the Decepticons are presented with just that, a choice: join Scorponok or stay loyal to the absent Soundwave. Scorponok overrides that bit of free will/loyalty pretty brutally, which plays into his more blanket intentions to skew the whole nature of Primus’s creations and push them all in a more Decepticon-oriented direction. But I also wanted to show here that there is loyalty and shades of grey even among Decepticons. They’re not all of one mind. Not all stamped out of the same world-conquering mold. There are factions and differing agendas and varying methodologies.

Image
PAGE 3: While choosing the Cybertron cast, did you have to do a lot of trading with the Earth bound characters or was the process very straightforward?

SIMON FURMAN: Right at the start of RG1 I kind of assigned a non-official sub-group affiliation to the various Decepticons, some of which was predicated by where they were and who they were with when the original series ended with issue #80. So most of those fighting alongside Bludgeon on Klo at the end stayed with Bludgeon. Others I assigned to Soundwave’s neo-Decepticons. The rest I left a little more independent or undecided, like Dreadwind and Darkwing, so in reserve for more general/later use. The Earthbound Decepticons tended to be the older/original characters, whereas those still active on Cybertron the newer ones (in terms of toy release). I also had a list of those Decepticons who demonstrably died in #75 in the battle with Unicron (like Quake, Runabout and Apeface), and I was careful for those characters to stay dead.

Image
PAGE 4: Soundwave meets with Bludgeon and they discuss his plans. Didn’t Soundwave die back issue 86 while trying to access Thunderwing’s remains? What happened to him?

SIMON FURMAN: Ah no, the destruction of the Hall of Silence was designed to mask Soundwave’s exit (via teleporter) with the remains of Thunderwing. Both were just assumed vaporized by the explosion. If you read those Soundwave scenes again, you’ll see he’s waiting for/relying on the more inexperienced Hot Rod to follow protocol and (in the event of a breach) destroy the entire building (and everything/one in it). This way, there’s no pursuit, no suspicion the Thunderwing remains are still out there.

Image
PAGE 5: Soundwave continues to see more of Bludgeon’s grand plans for the future. Was Bludgeon your favorite Pretender back from the original run? Do you find him any more difficult to write than the other Pretender characters?

SIMON FURMAN: Bludgeon was always, and still is, one of my favourite characters. He’s a prime example of there not being much in the way of precedent or character detail originally (in either comics or tech specs), so I was able to embellish and create a lot of his character from the ground up. He’s also, let’s face it, just a really cool looking character with a ninja/warrior vibe and a big sword. What’s not to like. Bludgeon comes back into things in a big way in the third arc. What Bludgeon really wants is… well… not what Soundwave necessarily thinks he wants, and it’s going to result in one of the biggest shocks in RG1. Andrew’s cover for #91 just gave me chills! I think he kind of likes Bludgeon too.
User avatar
El Duque
Matrix Keeper
Posts: 9760
News Credits: 5749
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 8:57 pm
Location: tornado alley

Re: Transformers Regeneration One #88 Creator Commentary with Simon Furman

Postby Rodimus Prime » Thu Feb 14, 2013 11:26 am

Motto: "Individual freedom above all else."
El Duque wrote:Furman: ...What Bludgeon really wants is… well… not what Soundwave necessarily thinks he wants, and it’s going to result in one of the biggest shocks in RG1. Andrew’s cover for #91 just gave me chills! I think he kind of likes Bludgeon too.


I think I feel a bit of GEEWUNNER nerdrage coming on. Do NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT KILL SOUNDWAVE!!! Especially not at the hands of a 2nd-tier character, which I always thought Bludgeon was. As far as I'm concerned, the "honor" of vanquishing Soundwave should be reserved for either Grimlock or Optimus Prime, or if it has to be another Decepticon, let it be either Galvatron or Scorponok. No, not even Starscream deserves to do that.
........Image
Rodimus Prime
God Of Transformers
Posts: 14562
News Credits: 22
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2002 8:31 pm


Return to Transformers Cartoons and Comics Forum

Transformers and More @ The Seibertron Store

Visit our store on eBay
These are affiliate links. We may earn commissions when you purchase items or services through these links.
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "Cyber Slammers RATCHET Transformers Movie 2007 complete Hasbro 170510A"
Cyber Slammers RAT ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "Transformers Dark of the Moon OFFICIAL TRADING CARDS Pack 2011 Hasbro New DOTM"
Transformers Dark ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "THE FALLEN Transformers Revenge Fallen ROTF Voyager complete Target 2009 220802A"
NEW!
THE FALLEN Transfo ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "Sword Slash DRIFT Transformers Age Extinction Power Attackers AOE 2014 210930A"
Sword Slash DRIFT ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "THE FALLEN Transformers Revenge Fallen ROTF Voyager complete Hasbro 2009 240109R"
NEW!
THE FALLEN Transfo ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "CYBERTRONIAN BUMBLEBEE Transformers Dark Moon Cyberverse Legion DOTM TRU 2011"
CYBERTRONIAN BUMBL ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "SIDESWIPE Transformers Dark of the Moon Deluxe complete DOTM Hasbro 2011 230427A"
SIDESWIPE Transfor ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "OPTIMUS PRIME Transformers Age Extinction One-Step complete AOE Hasbro 2014"
OPTIMUS PRIME Tran ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "STARSCREAM Transformers Revenge Fallen Robot Replicas complete ROTF 2009 210930A"
STARSCREAM Transfo ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "SKIDS (variant) Transformers Revenge Fallen ROTF Deluxe complete + more 220802A"
SKIDS (variant) Tr ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "OPTIMUS PRIME Transformers Age Extinction Leader complete AOE 2014 221114A"
OPTIMUS PRIME Tran ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "GRIMLOCK Transformers Age Extinction Legion Class Movie AOE 2014 New 220427A"
GRIMLOCK Transform ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "OFFROAD SKIDS Transformers Revenge the Fallen NEST Global Alliance Legends ROTF"
OFFROAD SKIDS Tran ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "GALVATRON Transformers Studio Series 90 Age of Extinction AOE Movie Voyager 2022"
GALVATRON Transfor ...
* Price and quantities subject to change. Shipping costs, taxes and other fees not included in cost shown. Refer to listing for current price and availability.
Find the items above and thousands more at the Seibertron Store on eBay
Transformers Podcast: Twincast / Podcast #346 - Gas Station Jamboree
Twincast / Podcast #346:
"Gas Station Jamboree"
MP3 · iTunes · RSS · View · Discuss · Ask
Posted: Saturday, March 23rd, 2024

Featured Products on Amazon.com

These are affiliate links. We may earn commissions when you purchase items or services through these links.
Buy "Transformers Authentics Megatron" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Titans Return Arcee Action Figure Set" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Attacker 15 Bania Action Figure" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Toys Megatron Cyberverse Ultimate Class Action Figure - Repeatable Fusion Mega Shot Action Attack Move - Toys for Kids 6 and Up, 11.5-inch" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Studio Series 07 Leader Class Movie 4 Grimlock" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Studio Series 09 Voyager Class Movie 2 Thundercracker" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Generations Power of The Primes Voyager Class Elita-1" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Generations Power of The Primes Deluxe Class Terrorcon Blot" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Superion Collection Pack" on AMAZON
Buy "Hasbro Transformers Generations Titans Return Soundwave and Soundblaster" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Robots in Disguise Warrior Class Optimus Prime Figure" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Legends Class Decepticon Viper Figure" on AMAZON