The Energon Pub

[Uniprimus]

So I am planning on getting #1-80 of the originall Marvel TF comic, so them I look on the TF Wiki for info on them and it looks like there were more of them made in UK! Is this like true? I mean can someone explain this to me?

I also heard that some of the marvel comics had GI Joe. Is this true? Bcause if it is, I will get the UK ones, since I HATE GI Joe...

[Stormwolf]

So I am planning on getting #1-80 of the originall Marvel TF comic, so them I look on the TF Wiki for info on them and it looks like there were more of them made in UK! Is this like true? I mean can someone explain this to me?

I also heard that some of the marvel comics had GI Joe. Is this true? Bcause if it is, I will get the UK ones, since I HATE GI Joe...

Try to get the UK comics, they have some very excellent stories. And GI Joe only appears in 3 or so issues there (not counting the 4 part crossover).

There was a easier way to find this out, like this huge database we have hosted on this very site:

http://www.seibertron.com/comics/list.php?f_series=3

[waaaaghlord]

Some info to get you on your way:

http://seibertron.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13585&sid=

I've tried to keep it as an overview and avoid spoilers, hope that's of some help.

[Scaleface]

Don't forget to pickup the 4 part Headmasters series. It's part of the US storyline.

Do remember that:

1. The US story doesn't really follow the UK one, but the UK one follows the us (most of the time). Lots of the stories they made in the UK were to fill in plot hole in the US story, but the US writers didn't really acknoledge them.

2. The movie comic isn't part of the main Marvel US storyline.

3. The UK stories had several timelines that didn't mesh with each other, including some stories set in the movie comic book adaption story.

4. There are a couple issues of the US comic that are not in the mainline US story either, adaptions of tv episodes, and limited stories set in england.

[Uniprimus]

So wait, which line (Uk or Us) had the GI Joe crossover?

[Scaleface]

So wait, which line (Uk or Us) had the GI Joe crossover?

I think they both had crossovers. The US comic had a 4 issue title called GI Joe vs. The Transformers" and the UK title had a Transformers and Action Force comic.

Plus there were three issues of the US made regular GI Joe comic which had Transformers appearing in them, I believe. This story was set after issue 80 of the US series, but before the "Generation 2" series.

[Burn]

There was only the TF/GI Joe cross-over which because TF/Action Force in the UK.

For a while Transformers UK had Action Force running as a second comic at the back of the book.

And the other reason why TF UK had so many more issues is that a standard TF US issue would often be spread across four TF UK issues.

[Goribus]

So wait, which line (Uk or Us) had the GI Joe crossover?

I think they both had crossovers. The US comic had a 4 issue title called GI Joe vs. The Transformers" and the UK title had a Transformers and Action Force comic.

Plus there were three issues of the US made regular GI Joe comic which had Transformers appearing in them, I believe. This story was set after issue 80 of the US series, but before the "Generation 2" series.

And from that point on the storyline of Generation 2 and the GI Joe comic became pretty much entwined up until the end of Generation 2. One in particular saw Hotspot kill himself after destroying a shipment of Transformers technology that had fallen into the hands of Cobra.

[Uniprimus]

So BOTH Us and Uk had GI Joe in their Marvel G1 comics??

[waaaaghlord]

So BOTH Us and Uk had GI Joe in their Marvel G1 comics??

Yes, but right up until the end of the 80s GI Joe was rebranded as Action Force over here to make it a bit more Brit friendly. This also meant that the UK originated material tended to focus on Flint and Jaye a lot of the time.

[Magnus' Mate]

I'm not sure if you've followed the links, but a brief potted history...

Marvel US began releasing their bimonthly Transformers comic in 1984, originally intending it to be just a 4-issue mini series. It did really well, and so a regular monthly soon followed. In the UK, reprints of American comics were common, and so the Transformers UK comic was launched in Sept 1984, on a fortnightly basis. Each American comic was split into two parts, so that the first 4-issue mini series actually gave enough material for issues #1-8 of the UK comic.

Still with me? Anyway, what with different publishing schedules to the US, the UK Marvel team realised they'd need to create some of their own material for in between the US reprints. Initially these were written with no regard to continuity, but pretty soon main writer Simon Furman was able to intertwine his UK stories so that they not only fit into US continuity, but often helped make it more understandable, filling in plot holes, developing other characters, answering questions etc etc. The Marvel UK comic eventually went weekly (and then fortnightly again) totalling 332 issues before it finished at the end of 1991.

So, in terms of story continuity, you're best off with the Marvel UK one - you not only get all the US stuff, but lots of FANTASTIC, exciting stories about time travel, transformer gods and other cool stuff that only the UK saw!

Regarding GI Joe - Marvel US produced a truly terrible 4-issue mini series called GI Joe Vs. The Transformers. Not only was it pure hack work, it also didn't actually tie in with the continuity of the main comic (e.g. Ravage was alive and well, as were Thundercracker and Skywarp - all dead/presumed dead by this point). It definitely didn't make sense in the UK continuity, so was skipped over in the UK reprints (it was eventually reprinted years later as an "alternate reality" thing). But, Marvel UK did decide to do their own GI Joe (Called Action Force in the UK) / Transformers crossover. This was far superior, and featured the return of Megatron (well, briefly anyway!).

I really can't stress how much you'd be missing out on if you just went with the US stuff!

Are you planning to actually get the original comics? That's where you might come a little unstuck - the 80 US issues are quite common, less desirable and easy to find pretty cheap (save, perhaps, the first four and the last few). The UK comics...well, not only are there 332 of 'em, but you're also looking at crazy prices for some of them (a Near-Mint #1 went recently for £72 on ebay...what's that? Around $140?). As a dedicated Marvel UK fan, I'd of course say they were worth it, but others might not!

So, what to do? Well, MOST of the stories from both the US and UK comics were reprinted into nice trade paperback graphic novel collections by Titan. Frustratingly, not all the UK comics were put in continuity order, but it's not too hard to work out which fits where! (I'll happily help!)

IDW - the current TF comic publisher - have also reprinted some of the UK material; I haven't looked into them yet, but I'm guessing that's also a good way of getting hold of the stories.

As a beginning, you'll want to pick up the TPB "Beginnings" and "New Order", which contain #1-12 of the US series.Don't be put off by some of the less-than-stellar art, or occasional rubbish dialogue...it gets better, trust us!

Forgive the essay, but as you can see, I feel passionately about spreading the Marvel goodness!!

[Duke of Luns]

Regarding GI Joe - Marvel US produced a truly terrible 4-issue mini series called GI Joe Vs. The Transformers. Not only was it pure hack work, it also didn't actually tie in with the continuity of the main comic (e.g. Ravage was alive and well, as were Thundercracker and Skywarp - all dead/presumed dead by this point). It definitely didn't make sense in the UK continuity, so was skipped over in the UK reprints (it was eventually reprinted years later as an "alternate reality" thing). But, Marvel UK did decide to do their own GI Joe (Called Action Force in the UK) / Transformers crossover. This was far superior, and featured the return of Megatron (well, briefly anyway!).

Actually, I think that was the main problem with the G.I. Joe/TF U.S. crossover was that it did TRY to tie in with TF continuity. And you know what, it probably would have worked if it had come a few months earlier, but it came at a bad time. I haven't read every Marvel issue around that time, and none of the Joes, but the footnotes said that it was a pretty big plot time for both comics. Thus, Prime, Cobra Commander, and Megatron all disapear by issue three for no reason(unless you had been reading the other monthly comics I guess). And don't expect to see too many Transformers, there are very few that appear. I think Serpentor kills Dirge and Goldbug first appears in the series, but other than that, there were no other ties to lasting continuity.

Oh, and let's not forget the plot, it's very generic and unoriginal, and because of trying to tie into the other monthly titles it gets really messy. And the less said about the art the better. No disrespect to the artist, but it's some of the worst that I've seen.

I'm not saying skip it, but if you don't like G.I. Joe, or aren't curious about it, then it probably wouldn't hurt to pass on it.

[megrimlock]

Sticking with the US Marvel series, I think in one issue do they make a reference to the GI Joe/Transformers crossover. Shockwave says something about their relationship with Cobra and how they should maintain pretenses for now. So you never see any GI Joe characters in the US Marvel series.

But like other posters have said, it doesn't really mesh with what happens in the GI Joe/Transformers crossover. When Shockwave makes mention of Cobra in the US Marvel series, Megatron is still alive and in command of the Decepticons. But in the GI Joe/Transformers crossover, Shockwave is in command and Megatron is gone when the Decepticons initially meet with Cobra.

So to put it short, you can buy the US Marvel series and completely ignore the GI Joe/Transformers crossover if you wish. Here is what basically happens in the crossover: Decepticons hatch a plan to destroy the earth and capture energon. Autobots and GI Joe join forces (and eventually Cobra joins forces with them when they realize they are being doublecrossed by the Decepticons). And Bumblebee is reformatted into Goldbug. Just so you understand when Bumblebee magically becomes Goldbug in the US Marvel series run without explanation.

[Insurgent]

Yet Bumblebee gets rebuilt into Goldbug in the Marvel UK story "Fallen Angel". I forge the name of the individual issue, but it's in the Graphic Novel of that name. So even if you skip the GI Joe stuff, there is still an explaination for the change.

I only have the three novels Beginnings, Target 2006 and Fallen Angel. Whatever you do

GET TARGET 2006!


It is one hell of a read and you don't need to know anything that has happened in the comics previously. Luckily, IDW has just reprinted it so it should be fairly easy to get a hold of.

I'm currently on the look out for A new Order, Time Wars and the 2 G2 books, Dark Designs. and (insert name here). Can anyone name the name of the second G2 book?

[Magnus' Mate]

Yet Bumblebee gets rebuilt into Goldbug in the Marvel UK story "Fallen Angel". I forge the name of the individual issue, but it's in the Graphic Novel of that name. So even if you skip the GI Joe stuff, there is still an explaination for the change.

I only have the three novels Beginnings, Target 2006 and Fallen Angel. Whatever you do

GET TARGET 2006!


It is one hell of a read and you don't need to know anything that has happened in the comics previously. Luckily, IDW has just reprinted it so it should be fairly easy to get a hold of.

I'm currently on the look out for A new Order, Time Wars and the 2 G2 books, Dark Designs. and (insert name here). Can anyone name the name of the second G2 book?

"Rage In Heaven".

[Loki120]

Sticking with the US Marvel series, I think in one issue do they make a reference to the GI Joe/Transformers crossover. Shockwave says something about their relationship with Cobra and how they should maintain pretenses for now. So you never see any GI Joe characters in the US Marvel series.

But like other posters have said, it doesn't really mesh with what happens in the GI Joe/Transformers crossover. When Shockwave makes mention of Cobra in the US Marvel series, Megatron is still alive and in command of the Decepticons. But in the GI Joe/Transformers crossover, Shockwave is in command and Megatron is gone when the Decepticons initially meet with Cobra.

So to put it short, you can buy the US Marvel series and completely ignore the GI Joe/Transformers crossover if you wish. Here is what basically happens in the crossover: Decepticons hatch a plan to destroy the earth and capture energon. Autobots and GI Joe join forces (and eventually Cobra joins forces with them when they realize they are being doublecrossed by the Decepticons). And Bumblebee is reformatted into Goldbug. Just so you understand when Bumblebee magically becomes Goldbug in the US Marvel series run without explanation.

A whole host of continuity issues arise with TF vs. G.I.Joe, but then another host arise without it as well. The story itself is crap, however.

As for the issues involving who was in command at the time, the story takes place at the same time as the other TF issues being published at the same time. Unfortunately, this concides with the deaths of Optimus Prime and Megatron going insane and blowing up the space bridge, hence the sudden unexplained shifts in leadership throughout the crossover.

Because the UK issues completely ignore this crossover, they created an entirely new origin of Goldbug, making reconcilliation between the two continuities even harder.