The Energon Pub

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Thu Jan 23, 2020 6:39 pm

https://hasbropulse.com/blogs/unboxed/behind-the-scenes-of-transformers-84-comic-book-miniseries

Behind the Scenes of Transformers ’84 Comic Book Miniseries

To celebrate the debut issue of Transformers '84 Comic Book Miniseries SECRETS & LIES, we sat down with David Mariotte; editor on this project.

TELL US ABOUT THE NEW SERIES. WHEN DOES IT HIT SHELVES?

Transformers '84: Secrets & Lies is a prequel to the original run of Transformers comics from 1984. The first issue of this 4-part miniseries will be available April 1st 2020. A little background; in the first five pages of the classic 1984 first issue, Bill Mantlo, Ralph Macchio, and the artists established the Cybertronian Civil War, the Autobots and Decepticons, why Cybertron the planet is out of its orbit hurtling through space. Then, almost immediately, the main cast leaves Cybertron and crashes into Earth. All that happens in about nine pages and on page 10, they wake up in 1984. This new Secrets and Lies series covers what else was happening on Cybertron before the Ark launched, after the Ark launched, and before the Autobots and Decepticons woke up on earth.

HOW DID THIS MINISERIES COME ABOUT?

Simon Furman has written Transformers comics for decades and when we at IDW were discussing doing a book for the franchise's 35th anniversary in 2019, Simon was the obvious choice to write it. What that book ended up being, Transformers '84 #0, was a phenomenal issue tying the events of the first U.S. comic original story to the first U.K. comic original story and fleshing out this "lost period" of the past. That book did very well and it was so great to work with Simon, Guido Guidi, and John-Paul Bove (who had previously worked together on Transformers: Regeneration One, a continuation of the original series) that we asked them if they wanted to play in the past some more and flesh out some of the threads that Simon had planted in the #0 issue.

Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #1 - Cover B by Casey W. Coller - B&W

Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #1 - Cover B by Casey W. Coller - Color

Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #1 - Cover RI-A by Nick Roche - B&W

WHERE DOES THE STORY PICK UP AND HOW DOES IT CONNECT TO TRANSFORMERS LORE

This story really happens around the events of Transformers #1. Parts of it take place before the Ark launched. Parts of it take place after, but before the Autobots and Decepticons woke up. There are a number of other classic issues that contribute to the overall story (Transformers #7, #8, #11 and the Transformers '84 #0 all come to mind), so if you've read those, you'll be really excited to see all the little references and ways they helped build the story. However, if you never have gotten into that first comic continuity, you'll pick up everything because it's a smart story with plenty of explanation. And, for readers who might just think "that's familiar, but I couldn't place it", Simon's going to provide a Reader's Guide of annotations every issue.

WHAT IS THE BASIC STORY ARC FOR THIS MINISERIES?

The basic story arc is that Optimus Prime has a plan to lead Megatron and other high-ranking Decepticons off of Cybertron to try to end the war. And, as it turns out, that works out just fine for Shockwave, who's new theory is that the reason the Decepticons can't win is Megatron's too caught up in fighting so he's ignoring the way to win. There's some intrigue around that as the Autobots and Decepticons head off of Cybertron to crash on Earth and those who are left behind start making new plans for Cybertron's future. Plus, the Dinobots show up!

Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #2 - Cover A by Guido Guidi - Color

Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #2 - Cover RI by Nick Roche - B&W

Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #3 - Cover A by Guido Guidi - Color

Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #3 - Cover RI by Nick Roche - B&W

Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #4 - Cover A by Guido Guidi - Color

Transformers ‘84: Secrets and Lies #1 (of 4))

Simon Furman returns! The beloved writer, accompanied by the equally accomplished Guido Guidi and John-Paul Bove, return to tell a new tale in the original Transformers comic universe, hot off the heels of the successful Transformers ’84 #0 one-shot! As the Cybertronian Civil War rages, Decepticon scientist Shockwave has encountered a new obstacle to the Decepticon’s victory and subjugation of the planet: an obstacle called... Megatron!

Cover A: Guido Guidi

Cover B: Casey W. Coller

Cover RI-A: Nick Roche (10-copy Retailer Incentive)

Cover RI-B: Geoff Senior (25-copy Retailer Incentive)

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Expected in-store date: April 2020

News Credits: 1642 · by **D-Maximal_Primal** » Thu Jan 23, 2020 7:06 pm

Thanks to Hasbro Pulse, we have news that there is a new mini-series coming from IDW Publishing, a story that will continue on after last year's Transformers '84 #0, which you can purchase from the Seibertron Store! The series will pick up multiple plot threads developed in Transformers '84 #0, and will examine Cybertron during the original Marvel comic run while the main Autobots and Decepticons are asleep on Earth.

Read up below, and let us know what you think in the comments section below!

Behind the Scenes of Transformers ’84 Comic Book Miniseries

To celebrate the debut issue of Transformers '84 Comic Book Miniseries SECRETS & LIES, we sat down with David Mariotte; editor on this project.

TELL US ABOUT THE NEW SERIES. WHEN DOES IT HIT SHELVES?

Transformers '84: Secrets & Lies is a prequel to the original run of Transformers comics from 1984. The first issue of this 4-part miniseries will be available April 1st 2020. A little background; in the first five pages of the classic 1984 first issue, Bill Mantlo, Ralph Macchio, and the artists established the Cybertronian Civil War, the Autobots and Decepticons, why Cybertron the planet is out of its orbit hurtling through space. Then, almost immediately, the main cast leaves Cybertron and crashes into Earth. All that happens in about nine pages and on page 10, they wake up in 1984. This new Secrets and Lies series covers what else was happening on Cybertron before the Ark launched, after the Ark launched, and before the Autobots and Decepticons woke up on earth.

HOW DID THIS MINISERIES COME ABOUT?

Simon Furman has written Transformers comics for decades and when we at IDW were discussing doing a book for the franchise's 35th anniversary in 2019, Simon was the obvious choice to write it. What that book ended up being, Transformers '84 #0, was a phenomenal issue tying the events of the first U.S. comic original story to the first U.K. comic original story and fleshing out this "lost period" of the past. That book did very well and it was so great to work with Simon, Guido Guidi, and John-Paul Bove (who had previously worked together on Transformers: Regeneration One, a continuation of the original series) that we asked them if they wanted to play in the past some more and flesh out some of the threads that Simon had planted in the #0 issue.

Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #1 - Cover B by Casey W. Coller - B&W

Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #1 - Cover B by Casey W. Coller - Color

Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #1 - Cover RI-A by Nick Roche - B&W

WHERE DOES THE STORY PICK UP AND HOW DOES IT CONNECT TO TRANSFORMERS LORE

This story really happens around the events of Transformers #1. Parts of it take place before the Ark launched. Parts of it take place after, but before the Autobots and Decepticons woke up. There are a number of other classic issues that contribute to the overall story (Transformers #7, #8, #11 and the Transformers '84 #0 all come to mind), so if you've read those, you'll be really excited to see all the little references and ways they helped build the story. However, if you never have gotten into that first comic continuity, you'll pick up everything because it's a smart story with plenty of explanation. And, for readers who might just think "that's familiar, but I couldn't place it", Simon's going to provide a Reader's Guide of annotations every issue.

WHAT IS THE BASIC STORY ARC FOR THIS MINISERIES?

The basic story arc is that Optimus Prime has a plan to lead Megatron and other high-ranking Decepticons off of Cybertron to try to end the war. And, as it turns out, that works out just fine for Shockwave, who's new theory is that the reason the Decepticons can't win is Megatron's too caught up in fighting so he's ignoring the way to win. There's some intrigue around that as the Autobots and Decepticons head off of Cybertron to crash on Earth and those who are left behind start making new plans for Cybertron's future. Plus, the Dinobots show up!

Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #2 - Cover A by Guido Guidi - Color

Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #2 - Cover RI by Nick Roche - B&W

Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #3 - Cover A by Guido Guidi - Color

Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #3 - Cover RI by Nick Roche - B&W

Transformers 84 - Secrets & Lies #4 - Cover A by Guido Guidi - Color

Transformers ‘84: Secrets and Lies #1 (of 4))

Simon Furman returns! The beloved writer, accompanied by the equally accomplished Guido Guidi and John-Paul Bove, return to tell a new tale in the original Transformers comic universe, hot off the heels of the successful Transformers ’84 #0 one-shot! As the Cybertronian Civil War rages, Decepticon scientist Shockwave has encountered a new obstacle to the Decepticon’s victory and subjugation of the planet: an obstacle called... Megatron!

Cover A: Guido Guidi

Cover B: Casey W. Coller

Cover RI-A: Nick Roche (10-copy Retailer Incentive)

Cover RI-B: Geoff Senior (25-copy Retailer Incentive)

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Expected in-store date: April 2020]

News Credits: 1642 · by **D-Maximal_Primal** » Thu Jan 23, 2020 7:09 pm

After 84 #0, I am really excited for this, it looks good!

News Credits: 1 · by **Archforce** » Thu Jan 23, 2020 7:46 pm

I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that a pre-Earth Jetfire is a feature of the series (maybe focusing on his and Starscream's friendship from the cartoon) and not a continuity bug.

News Credits: 3595 · by **Seibertron** » Thu Jan 23, 2020 8:17 pm

I'm very excited about this. I love the Marvel Comics continuity, silly stories and all (though I was not a fan of Regeneration One).

Curious how Jetfire will be in the story since Shockwave built Jetfire and the Constructicons on Earth with help from the Creation Matrix. Maybe they retcon that his body was rebuilt, or reconstructed, or something, which I'm OK with. Just hope Furman didn't forget that Jetfire's origin was different in the comics than in the cartoon.

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Thu Jan 23, 2020 8:37 pm

What if the Jetfire thing is actually a flash forward glimpse of the future set during the Underbase Saga in which Jetfire is retroactively declared to have been killed off by Starscream after all, since he was originally among the survivors of that saga, but never appeared again afterward, with this retcon showing that Starscream ultimately did kill him off panel with our merely seeing it now for the first time ever?

News Credits: 3595 · by **Seibertron** » Thu Jan 23, 2020 8:48 pm

Sabrblade wrote:What if the Jetfire thing is actually a flash forward glimpse of the future set during the Underbase Saga in which Jetfire is retroactively declared to have been killed off by Starscream after all, since he was originally among the survivors of that saga, but never appeared again afterward, with this retcon showing that Starscream ultimately did kill him off panel with our merely seeing it now for the first time ever?

I don't think Blaster's letter page mention in the UK comics makes it so that Jetfire lives. He was pretty clearly destroyed by Starscream, along with all of the other Transformers. Basically everyone that wasn't tied to an organic died (Targetmasters, Headmasters, Pretenders, and Powermasters).

Website · by **PhunkJunkion** » Thu Jan 23, 2020 9:39 pm

Star Saber in Marvel G1 continuity? Yes, please. I'm looking forward to whatever surprises this miniseries will bring. I do hope it stays neatly within continuity though. I'd rather see that than big retcons. Either way, I'm hyped for it.

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Thu Jan 23, 2020 9:44 pm

Seibertron wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:What if the Jetfire thing is actually a flash forward glimpse of the future set during the Underbase Saga in which Jetfire is retroactively declared to have been killed off by Starscream after all, since he was originally among the survivors of that saga, but never appeared again afterward, with this retcon showing that Starscream ultimately did kill him off panel with our merely seeing it now for the first time ever?

I don't think Blaster's letter page mention in the UK comics makes it so that Jetfire lives. He was pretty clearly destroyed by Starscream, along with all of the other Transformers. Basically everyone that wasn't tied to an organic died (Targetmasters, Headmasters, Pretenders, and Powermasters).

Ah, see, that's my bad. I didn't read Marvel Jetfire's TFWiki entry closely enough and completely missed its mentioning Jetfire's death, having forgotten all about Starscream blasting Jetfire after he blasted the Seacons. :oops:

News Credits: 1 · by **Bumblevivisector** » Fri Jan 24, 2020 1:42 am

Sabrblade wrote:
Seibertron wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:What if the Jetfire thing is actually a flash forward glimpse of the future set during the Underbase Saga in which Jetfire is retroactively declared to have been killed off by Starscream after all, since he was originally among the survivors of that saga, but never appeared again afterward, with this retcon showing that Starscream ultimately did kill him off panel with our merely seeing it now for the first time ever?

I don't think Blaster's letter page mention in the UK comics makes it so that Jetfire lives. He was pretty clearly destroyed by Starscream, along with all of the other Transformers. Basically everyone that wasn't tied to an organic died (Targetmasters, Headmasters, Pretenders, and Powermasters).
Ah, see, that's my bad. I didn't read Marvel Jetfire's TFWiki entry closely enough and completely missed its mentioning Jetfire's death, having forgotten all about Starscream blasting Jetfire after he blasted the Seacons.

Another possibility just occurred to me...maybe they're finally playing off the character's dual names and making Skyfire a separate character who was friends with Starscream back on Cybertron like in the cartoon, then betrayed and killed by him. Then Shockwave had a copy of Skyfire's schematics and based Jetfire's design on them in '85 on Earth. That kind of retcon would make a suitable secret/lie, and wouldn't be too far off in spirit from how Shockwave appeared to be building the Coneheads as part of his new generation of Seekers in the Blackrock plant, but never brought those to life, and then the actual trio showed up back on present-day Cybertron before taking the spacebridge to Earth in US #21.

by **serre prime** » Fri Jan 24, 2020 2:31 am

shockwave creating clones isn't afirst, i wouldn't be surprised.

News Credits: 18 · by **leokearon** » Fri Jan 24, 2020 3:25 am

Missed out on #0 and nowhere seels it to Irealnd cheap. Hopefully when this collections #0 will be included

News Credits: 650 · by **ScottyP** » Fri Jan 24, 2020 8:28 am

leokearon wrote:Missed out on #0 and nowhere seels it to Irealnd cheap. Hopefully when this collections #0 will be included

Probably worth checking if Big Bang can help you out https://bigbangcomics.ie/

News Credits: 18 · by **leokearon** » Fri Jan 24, 2020 11:39 am

ScottyP wrote:
leokearon wrote:Missed out on #0 and nowhere seels it to Irealnd cheap. Hopefully when this collections #0 will be included
Probably worth checking if Big Bang can help you out https://bigbangcomics.ie/

Sadly they only got a select number of #0 and quickly sold out.

News Credits: 3595 · by **Seibertron** » Fri Jan 24, 2020 3:19 pm

Bumblevivisector wrote:... and wouldn't be too far off in spirit from how Shockwave appeared to be building the Coneheads as part of his new generation of Seekers in the Blackrock plant

What issue did that happen in? I don't remember that. Would like to go look it up for a refresher!

News Credits: 22 · by **Rodimus Prime** » Fri Jan 24, 2020 5:48 pm

Seibertron wrote:
Bumblevivisector wrote:... and wouldn't be too far off in spirit from how Shockwave appeared to be building the Coneheads as part of his new generation of Seekers in the Blackrock plant

What issue did that happen in? I don't remember that. Would like to go look it up for a refresher!

Issues 11 and 12.

I'm also looking forward to this miniseries, I just hope Geoff Senior stays far away from it.

News Credits: 1 · by **sto_vo_kor_2000** » Fri Jan 24, 2020 11:26 pm

Seibertron wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:What if the Jetfire thing is actually a flash forward glimpse of the future set during the Underbase Saga in which Jetfire is retroactively declared to have been killed off by Starscream after all, since he was originally among the survivors of that saga, but never appeared again afterward, with this retcon showing that Starscream ultimately did kill him off panel with our merely seeing it now for the first time ever?

I don't think Blaster's letter page mention in the UK comics makes it so that Jetfire lives. He was pretty clearly destroyed by Starscream, along with all of the other Transformers. Basically everyone that wasn't tied to an organic died (Targetmasters, Headmasters, Pretenders, and Powermasters).

You forget that Blaster was also “killed” by Underbase Starscream and he returned

Not Jazz ,Goldbug and Grimlock were also “killed”... in the Marvel Continuity death meant next nothing

Also, according to Tfwiki, Blasters letter page listed Jetfire among the survivors
https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Jetfire_(G1)

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Fri Jan 24, 2020 11:38 pm

sto_vo_kor_2000 wrote:
Seibertron wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:What if the Jetfire thing is actually a flash forward glimpse of the future set during the Underbase Saga in which Jetfire is retroactively declared to have been killed off by Starscream after all, since he was originally among the survivors of that saga, but never appeared again afterward, with this retcon showing that Starscream ultimately did kill him off panel with our merely seeing it now for the first time ever?

I don't think Blaster's letter page mention in the UK comics makes it so that Jetfire lives. He was pretty clearly destroyed by Starscream, along with all of the other Transformers. Basically everyone that wasn't tied to an organic died (Targetmasters, Headmasters, Pretenders, and Powermasters).

You forget that Blaster was also “killed” by Underbase Starscream and he returned

Not Jazz ,Goldbug and Grimlock were also “killed”... in the Marvel Continuity death meant next nothing

Also, according to Tfwiki, Blasters letter page listed Jetfire among the survivors
https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Jetfire_(G1)

That's what he was talking about. He said Blaster's letter page shouldn't be regarded the same as the actual comic itself, which did unambiguously show Starscream blasting Jetfire. The only reason Ryan mentioned this is because I made a mistake in overlooking the mention of Jetfire's on-panel demise.

Jazz, Goldbug, and Grimlock all got dedicated on-panel restorations from their deaths in the Underbase Saga, so they're a special case. Jetfire never got any such treatment.

News Credits: 1 · by **Archforce** » Fri Jan 24, 2020 11:50 pm

Jetfire was in Regeneration One in a non-zombie capacity, wasn't he?

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Fri Jan 24, 2020 11:54 pm

Archforce wrote:Jetfire was in Regeneration One in a non-zombie capacity, wasn't he?

A number of Underbase victims were. The time skip at the beginning of that series allowed for some things to happen off-panel in the meantime between that series and the original.

News Credits: 1 · by **sto_vo_kor_2000** » Sat Jan 25, 2020 2:51 am

Sabrblade wrote:
sto_vo_kor_2000 wrote:
Seibertron wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:What if the Jetfire thing is actually a flash forward glimpse of the future set during the Underbase Saga in which Jetfire is retroactively declared to have been killed off by Starscream after all, since he was originally among the survivors of that saga, but never appeared again afterward, with this retcon showing that Starscream ultimately did kill him off panel with our merely seeing it now for the first time ever?

I don't think Blaster's letter page mention in the UK comics makes it so that Jetfire lives. He was pretty clearly destroyed by Starscream, along with all of the other Transformers. Basically everyone that wasn't tied to an organic died (Targetmasters, Headmasters, Pretenders, and Powermasters).

You forget that Blaster was also “killed” by Underbase Starscream and he returned

Not Jazz ,Goldbug and Grimlock were also “killed”... in the Marvel Continuity death meant next nothing

Also, according to Tfwiki, Blasters letter page listed Jetfire among the survivors
https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Jetfire_(G1)
That's what he was talking about. He said Blaster's letter page shouldn't be regarded the same as the actual comic itself, which did unambiguously show Starscream blasting Jetfire. The only reason Ryan mentioned this is because I made a mistake in overlooking the mention of Jetfire's on-panel demise.

Jazz, Goldbug, and Grimlock all got dedicated on-panel restorations from their deaths in the Underbase Saga, so they're a special case. Jetfire never got any such treatment.

Jazz and the others got “ dedicated restorations”....and your point being?

TD Death just wasn’t Permanent in the Marvel Continuity, Resurrections were pretty much an issue of resources and technology, or the Occasional special energy/device and Time, And you were proposing a “flash forward“ weren’t you?Its very likely Jetfire was/could be restored in the years after the underbase event

Do you recall or did you read RegenOne?Jetfire was featured there and in very good health

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Sat Jan 25, 2020 10:18 am

sto_vo_kor_2000 wrote:Jazz and the others got “ dedicated restorations”....and your point being?

My point being that because they did and Jetfire didn't, Jetfire was indeed taken out of commission by Starscream during the Underbase Saga and remained that way for the rest of the Marvel G1 comic's run, sequel series notwithstanding.

sto_vo_kor_2000 wrote:TD Death just wasn’t Permanent in the Marvel Continuity, Resurrections were pretty much an issue of resources and technology, or the Occasional special energy/device and Time,

And none of which were applied to Jetfire following his being taken offline in the Underbase Saga in the main Marvel G1 comic (again, sequel series notwithstanding because me and Ryan were never talking about any sequel series, only the main Marvel G1 series).

sto_vo_kor_2000 wrote:And you were proposing a “flash forward“ weren’t you?Its very likely Jetfire was/could be restored in the years after the underbase event

Do you recall or did you read RegenOne?Jetfire was featured there and in very good health

My proposal was for a flash forward to a time set during the Underbase Saga, not after it, since the present time of this new Secrets & Lies series will be set before the Ark's occupants wake up on Earth in 1984.

Besides, as I stated, my proposal was based on misremembered and misread information anyway, so my proposal doesn't work.

But here's a new proposal. Seeing as the "Starscream blasting Jetfire" artwork is from a cover and those don't always accurately reflect the contents of the issue's story, suppose that the art isn't actually depicting anything that will be seen in Secrets & Lies at all, but is instead merely one of those fanwanky "Here's some Transformers art that might remind you of something from back in 1984, guys!" covers, which is entirely possible.

News Credits: 1 · by **sto_vo_kor_2000** » Sat Jan 25, 2020 11:41 am

Sabrblade wrote:And none of which were applied to Jetfire following his being taken offline in the Underbase Saga in the main Marvel G1 comic (again, sequel series notwithstanding because me and Ryan were never talking about any sequel series, only the main Marvel G1 series).

Time was the key word

Sure it didn’t happen within the Marvel partnership, but we both know that given Marvel writers handling of deaths it’s certainly possible he could have been repaired given the right amount of time

My proposal was for a flash forward to a time set during the Underbase Saga, not after it, since the present time of this new Secrets & Lies series will be set before the Ark's occupants wake up on Earth in 1984.

Besides, as I stated, my proposal was based on misremembered and misread information anyway, so my proposal doesn't work.

But here's a new proposal. Seeing as the "Starscream blasting Jetfire" artwork is from a cover and those don't always accurately reflect the contents of the issue's story, suppose that the art isn't actually depicting anything that will be seen in Secrets & Lies at all, but is instead merely one of those fanwanky "Here's some Transformers art that might remind you of something from back in 1984, guys!" covers, which is entirely possible.

Sorry I misunderstood you were original proposal, didn’t realize you were suggesting it take place inside or just after the under base saga, by the way nice to Converse with you again

Like Cyberstrike on Facebook · by **Cyberstrike** » Sat Jan 25, 2020 9:40 pm

BIG.
EFFING.
PASS.

I'm sorry but IMHO TF'84 #0 was the worst TF comics I've ever read. All it did was piss on the original series and so stupid that it was insulting. I generally don't like prequels in general because they all become just a continuity checklist in the end and why would I want to waste anymore more money and time on a damn prequel to a series 35 years old about stuff that I could look up on TF Wiki?

Otherwise all this is just a cynical cash grab because IDWV2 isn't working out like they hoped and so they they hope that by bringing in Furman do a prequel to the original Marvel US/UK series (which is something IDW should just stop messing with it's already a convoluted mess without a prequel and/or sequel) to get people to buy their TF comics when they could use the resources to try and make the IDWV2 comics you know better by hiring better writers and artists.

If Furman was trying to redeem himself after TFR1 then he should do a Generation 2 maxi series and then MAYBE I would buy it because that is the ONLY Marvel series that needs a proper ending, then again maybe Furman should just stay away from the Transformers now of days since all he seems to do is piss on his legacy.