THE TRANSFORMERS issue #33 was a reprint of an early 1985 story that was originally printed for the United Kingdom, parts 1 and 2 of "Man of Iron."  For those who don't know, the UK version of the book was printed on a weekly schedule, but only included 11 pages of Transformers material per issue.  They were reprinting the monthly issues of the comic from the USA—so American issue #1 became British issues #1 and #2, American issue #2 became British issues #3 and #4, and so forth.  After all four original issues of the USA comic book were printed, Great Britain published its own original story, constituting issues #9-12 of the UK title.

The writers of this early story have stated flat-out that they weren't familiar with the existing U.S. storyline when they wrote this one, and part of the reason they moved the setting to Great Britain was so they hopefully wouldn't interfere with existing plot points.  But, it's very difficult to reconcile this story and fit it into the USA continuity.  Even if you wedged it somewhere between USA issues #3 and #4, it doesn't quite work..  Also, while the original UK artwork often featured gorgeous painted colors, the four-color printing process used in America wouldn't allow for this, so Nel Yomtov had to colorize all the UK artwork using the arguably inferior American lithography process, and the original, beautiful artwork lost a lot in translation a a result.

The actual reason we were getting reprints of old UK stories was most likely because Bob Budiansky was not meeting his deadlines, as he was in the midst of writing two titles by this point (the ongoing TRANSFORMERS series as well as the limited HEADMASTERS mini-series).  Rather than delay the printing of the issues, Marvel Comics elected to printa couple of filler stories instead, using existing issues they already had easy access to.  They tried to spin it as a special event, "finally printing some of the British issues" due to "overwhelming demand."  In truth, most readers probably had no idea there was a separate UK comic book at all, and given a choice, would probably have been content to continue reading about all the new Headmasters and Targetmaster characters rather than divert to this very weird and out-of-place story.

"Man of Iron" was written by Steve Parkhouse, who spent some time writing the comic book version of the Doctor Who BBC television series.  He's gone on record as detesting television as a medium, stating that it's little more than radio with pictures, and that the people who work in television are largely "visually illiterate."  Art was by John Ridgway, who brought a realistic style to Transformers not seen up until this point.  However, he did not have access to the Marvel Productions character designs, so in lieu of them, he drew the exsiting Hasbro toys for this story.

It's likely the front cover was supposed to feature the Man of Iron, the otherwise unnamed Autobot from this story, but it's actually Megatron who appears on the cover of issue #33, decked out in bizarre red and blue and orange colors, tangling with some medieval knights with lances on horseback.  The front cover is was a new illustration for 1987 by Charles Vess, but Megatron doesn't even appear in this story, so I have no idea what kind of miscommunication led to that character appearing prominently on the cover.

At Stansham Castle, a tourist spot in England, a trio of Decepticon jets rockets overhead, waking the attendant as they drop bombs upon the landscape—a small one, leaving a crater near the castle, and another one buried under the ground that does not explode.  The police and castle curator (Roy Harker) are at a loss, but Roy ventures into the woods to find his son, Sammy, and ask him to return home where it's safe.  Sammy is playing cowboys and indians alone, but he is confronted by Jazz, who is positively creepy in this story.  He says nothing, just staring at Sammy with a deadpan Hasbro toy expression, forcing the child to flee in terror.  He runs screaming all the way home, and Jazz is hot on his heels in car mode.  Jazz communicates to Optimus Prime, who advises him to "engage and restrain" Sammy if it becomes necessary.  But, the Autobots don't talk at all like we're accustomed to.  Their radio communications are like this:  "AUTOBOT CODENAME JAZZ TO AUTOBOT LEADER +++ SUBJECT UNDER SURVEILLANCE +++ THREAT MINIMAL" as if they were, well, machines.  

Roy reads from an ancient text, which depicts a story about a medieval siege of the castle in the 11th century.  When the Man of Iron appeared—obvious to modern-day comic book readers as a Transformer, but perceived by the medieval peasants as being some kind of god—he carried a "sword of fire" and a "javelin of flame" but left the humans unharmed.  When Roy Harker produces a crude illustration from the time period, Sammy recognizes it as being similar to the one he encountered in the woods.  

That night, Sammy has fitful dreams about his home being surrounded by Decepticon jets (Skywarp) and Autobot interceptors (in the form of Mirage), who seems to want the Man of Iron illustration.  His parents are forced to break down the door to his bedroom to find the window wide open, and Sammy's father just barely catches a glimpse of Mirage as he disappears into the night.

The next day, the castle has been cordoned off for security reasons, and Roy Harker learns that there is a large object buried beneath the castle the size of an oceanliner.  I suppose this works as an early Transformers story that heavily plays up the mystery angle, since the robots from planet Cybertron have only recently arrived, and they wouldn't yet be common public knowledge (especially across the pond).  

Sammy is walking along in his neighborhood when he notices a Porsche, and even remarks upon the lack of driving mirrors or visible spedometer.  When he spots his drawing inside the cabin of the car, though, he knows something strange is going on.  Then, the door swings open of its own volition, and a voice beckons for Sammy to climb inside.  Jazz basically lies to him, inviting him to sit in the driver's seat and pretend he's driving for a moment.  The young child can't pass up the opportunity, and that's all Jazz needs to slam the door and capture the youth.  His mother comes racing out of the house to find Sammy crying for help as Jazz drives away at top speed.

I'll be honest—I never particularly cared for this story.  It felt like an interruption to the regular narrative, and it added nothing to the U.S. version of the story (indeed, it's largely irreconcilable with the early U.S. issues).  If there were so hellbent on reprinting UK issues, I would have preferred a story that filled in some of the gaps missing from the American story, like where the heck the Protectobots and Combaticons actually came from.  The style of storytelling is also hugely different from what we'd gotten up to this point—most of the Budiansky stories featured a large cast of characters (generally whatever the current toys were), whereas the only Transformer who features promiently in this issue is Jazz.  And not the jive-talking, charismatic Jazz we've gotten to know, but a strange, mostly silent Jazz who scares children in the woods and then kidnaps them.

Next month we'll look at the conclusion to the "Man of Iron" story as well as HEADMASTERS #3!

Zob (hasn't gotten a single good night's sleep since the time change)

>> I'll be honest—I never particularly cared for this story. It felt like an interruption to the regular narrative, and it added nothing to the U.S. version of the story (indeed, it's largely irreconcilable with the early U.S. issues). If there were so hellbent on reprinting UK issues, I would have preferred a story that filled in some of the gaps missing from the American story, like where the heck the Protectobots and Combaticons actually came from.

It's a shame the powers that be never elected to reprint some of the stronger material in the U.S., like Time Wars, Space Pirates, or Earthforce.

That being said, I feel like fan opinion of the UK G1 run has fluctuated over the years. There was a time when it felt like the UK comics, much like the Japanese G1 anime, were held in absurdly high esteem simply due to their status as foreign and rare. When the Titan reprints finally made the UK issues available, I recall thinking that the UK run, while generally quite good, didn't always live up to the hype that it had garnered in the early days of the fandom. Of course, UK G1 continues to influence the fandom via the members of Transmasters UK who have since become official creators for the brand.

>>The style of storytelling is also hugely different from what we'd gotten up to this point—most of the Budiansky stories featured a large cast of characters (generally whatever the current toys were), whereas the only Transformer who features prominently in this issue is Jazz. And not the jive-talking, charismatic Jazz we've gotten to know, but a strange, mostly silent Jazz who scares children in the woods and then kidnaps them.

Speaking of Jazz, my SS86 Jazz has finally succumbed to the plastic discoloration curse that's been so controversial in the fandom.

>> Next month we'll look at the conclusion to the "Man of Iron" story as well as HEADMASTERS #3!
I enjoyed Man of Iron as an Elseworlds/multiverse tale of the Transformers - a What If? to tide us over while Budiansky caught up on his deadlines. The Autobots as mechanical beings, rather than exposition-spouting humanoids, struck me as different and interesting, in small and isolated doses. I wouldn't want an entire run like it, but as a one-off, it's not without its charm.

The recent "Secrets and Lies" miniseries by Furman follows up on and fleshes out "Man of Iron," adding some depth and entertainment value - if you haven't read it, I'd definitely recommend it. It's the rare followup that makes the original even more interesting by way of added complexity and shadings.

On Tuesday, March 28, 2023 at 11:56:01 AM UTC-7, Codigo Postal wrote:
> >> I'll be honest—I never particularly cared for this story. It felt like an interruption to the regular narrative, and it added nothing to the U.S. version of the story (indeed, it's largely irreconcilable with the early U.S. issues). If there were so hellbent on reprinting UK issues, I would have preferred a story that filled in some of the gaps missing from the American story, like where the heck the Protectobots and Combaticons actually came from.
> It's a shame the powers that be never elected to reprint some of the stronger material in the U.S., like Time Wars, Space Pirates, or Earthforce.
>
> That being said, I feel like fan opinion of the UK G1 run has fluctuated over the years. There was a time when it felt like the UK comics, much like the Japanese G1 anime, were held in absurdly high esteem simply due to their status as foreign and rare. When the Titan reprints finally made the UK issues available, I recall thinking that the UK run, while generally quite good, didn't always live up to the hype that it had garnered in the early days of the fandom. Of course, UK G1 continues to influence the fandom via the members of Transmasters UK who have since become official creators for the brand.
>
>
> >>The style of storytelling is also hugely different from what we'd gotten up to this point—most of the Budiansky stories featured a large cast of characters (generally whatever the current toys were), whereas the only Transformer who features prominently in this issue is Jazz. And not the jive-talking, charismatic Jazz we've gotten to know, but a strange, mostly silent Jazz who scares children in the woods and then kidnaps them.
>
> Speaking of Jazz, my SS86 Jazz has finally succumbed to the plastic discoloration curse that's been so controversial in the fandom.
> >> Next month we'll look at the conclusion to the "Man of Iron" story as well as HEADMASTERS #3!
> I enjoyed Man of Iron as an Elseworlds/multiverse tale of the Transformers - a What If? to tide us over while Budiansky caught up on his deadlines. The Autobots as mechanical beings, rather than exposition-spouting humanoids, struck me as different and interesting, in small and isolated doses. I wouldn't want an entire run like it, but as a one-off, it's not without its charm.
>
> The recent "Secrets and Lies" miniseries by Furman follows up on and fleshes out "Man of Iron," adding some depth and entertainment value - if you haven't read it, I'd definitely recommend it. It's the rare followup that makes the original even more interesting by way of added complexity and shadings.

I totally agree about "Secrets and Lies" - also, how some of the UK stories and art can age differently over time. (With that said, I still feel like "Target: 2006" is really great, objectively so).

JB

On Saturday, April 1, 2023 at 4:30:50 AM UTC-4, Joseph Bardsley wrote:
> On Tuesday, March 28, 2023 at 11:56:01 AM UTC-7, Codigo Postal wrote:
> > >> I'll be honest—I never particularly cared for this story. It felt like an interruption to the regular narrative, and it added nothing to the U.S. version of the story (indeed, it's largely irreconcilable with the early U.S. issues). If there were so hellbent on reprinting UK issues, I would have preferred a story that filled in some of the gaps missing from the American story, like where the heck the Protectobots and Combaticons actually came from.
> > It's a shame the powers that be never elected to reprint some of the stronger material in the U.S., like Time Wars, Space Pirates, or Earthforce.
> >
> > That being said, I feel like fan opinion of the UK G1 run has fluctuated over the years. There was a time when it felt like the UK comics, much like the Japanese G1 anime, were held in absurdly high esteem simply due to their status as foreign and rare. When the Titan reprints finally made the UK issues available, I recall thinking that the UK run, while generally quite good, didn't always live up to the hype that it had garnered in the early days of the fandom. Of course, UK G1 continues to influence the fandom via the members of Transmasters UK who have since become official creators for the brand.
> >
> >
> > >>The style of storytelling is also hugely different from what we'd gotten up to this point—most of the Budiansky stories featured a large cast of characters (generally whatever the current toys were), whereas the only Transformer who features prominently in this issue is Jazz. And not the jive-talking, charismatic Jazz we've gotten to know, but a strange, mostly silent Jazz who scares children in the woods and then kidnaps them.
> >
> > Speaking of Jazz, my SS86 Jazz has finally succumbed to the plastic discoloration curse that's been so controversial in the fandom.
> > >> Next month we'll look at the conclusion to the "Man of Iron" story as well as HEADMASTERS #3!
> > I enjoyed Man of Iron as an Elseworlds/multiverse tale of the Transformers - a What If? to tide us over while Budiansky caught up on his deadlines.. The Autobots as mechanical beings, rather than exposition-spouting humanoids, struck me as different and interesting, in small and isolated doses. I wouldn't want an entire run like it, but as a one-off, it's not without its charm.
> >
> > The recent "Secrets and Lies" miniseries by Furman follows up on and fleshes out "Man of Iron," adding some depth and entertainment value - if you haven't read it, I'd definitely recommend it. It's the rare followup that makes the original even more interesting by way of added complexity and shadings.
> I totally agree about "Secrets and Lies" - also, how some of the UK stories and art can age differently over time. (With that said, I still feel like "Target: 2006" is really great, objectively so).
>
> JB

Agreed! Target: 2006 is a foundational text for the UK G1-verse, from its use of the Season 3 cast, to the multiple dimension/time-hopping shenanigans, to the introduction of a certain wily old buzzard, and the iconic image of Galvatron clinging to vehicle-mode Ultra Magnus, which numerous fans rushed to recreate once Selects Galvatron and Kingdom Magnus were released. May just have to dust off those Titan reprints this weekend...

On Tuesday, March 28, 2023 at 12:56:01 PM UTC-6, Codigo Postal wrote:
> That being said, I feel like fan opinion of the UK G1 run has fluctuated over the years. There was a time when it felt like the UK comics, much like the Japanese G1 anime, were held in absurdly high esteem simply due to their status as foreign and rare. When the Titan reprints finally made the UK issues available, I recall thinking that the UK run, while generally quite good, didn't always live up to the hype that it had garnered in the early days of the fandom.

I don't dislike the early UK stuff, certainly, but it doesn't thrill me, either. Part of the problem is Simon Furman having to write some rather convoluted stuff to get it to make sense within the context of the stories from the USA (the whole business with two Megatrons, characters being dead-but-not-really, etc.)

> Speaking of Jazz, my SS86 Jazz has finally succumbed to the plastic discoloration curse that's been so controversial in the fandom.

I do not check my boxes of toys as often as I should. It's possible I've got victims that I'm not even aware of right now. My condolences!

Right now I've been focusing on replacing some of my G2 toys that have succumbed to various maladies over the years. I got some more Detolf cabinets last month so I finally had enough room to display the G2 collection, so I cleaned off about 30 years' worth of dust. I dipped the Mini Autobots in hot soapy water, and it ruined the chrome finish on all of them. The colored laquer completely separated from the vaccum metalized finish. Such a tragedy.

> The recent "Secrets and Lies" miniseries by Furman follows up on and fleshes out "Man of Iron," adding some depth and entertainment value - if you haven't read it, I'd definitely recommend it. It's the rare followup that makes the original even more interesting by way of added complexity and shadings.

I should read it, probably, since I do loves me a good continuation of the Marvel story. It's got, like, Punch-Counterpunch and Fastlane and Cloudraker in it, right?

Zob (neo-G1 Man of Iron toy when, Hasbro?)