#4 - "...All Fall Down!"

Information provided by Keith Palmer.

Credits

Writer - Michael Higgins / Penciler - Herb Trimpe / Inker - Vince Colleta / Lettering - Joe Rosen / Colors - Nel Yomtov

Story

Under Shockwave's control, Power Station Alpha begins its destructive attack on the Earth's crust. One of the ensuing earthquakes shakes the Ark, and the new Autobot/Cobra/G.I. Joe alliance (assembled between the last issue and this one) learn that the Earth will be destroyed once Alpha has traveled to a dozen key locations.

At the Decepticons' island base, Shockwave orders Bombshell to kill Dr. Mindbender, who has outlived his usefulness. Bombshell finds Mindbender sending Alpha's movements to Cobra, but is blasted by the Baroness before he can kill him. Bombshell transforms to his insect mode, but is captured by the humans, who escape from the base.

Ratchet arrives at Fort Lewis in Seattle as they start work on Bumblebee's new body, and takes over the effort. Dr. Mindbender and the Baroness soon arrive, and when Mainframe prods at the captured cerebro-shell (removed from Anthony Duranti last issue), Bombshell undergoes more transformations and gets stuck between modes.

In the Pentagon, Hawk continues to follows Alpha's progress around the world, relaying updates to the alliance members at the Ark. While the Joes and Cobra want Alpha destroyed, the Autobots are reluctant to agree, because they think it may have developed sentience.

Ratchet finishes the reconstruction of Bumblebee, who adopts the name Goldbug. Hawk then contacts them with a plan -- since the station is approaching the San Andreas Fault, Scarlett and the Baroness can intercept it and plant explosives on it. In the meantime, the rest of the alliance will attack the Decepticons' base to distract them.

The alliance soon reach the Decepticons' island; while the Aerialbots form Superion and fight Devastator, the rest of the strike force battles the flight-capable Decepticons. Meanwhile, as Goldbug drives Scarlett and the Baroness to the San Andreas Fault, Dr. Mindbender has modified his mind-control helmet with the cerebro-shell, allowing him to control Alpha once more.

When Alpha lands, Scarlett and the Baroness quickly plant explosives throughout. Hawk then orders Dr. Mindbender to send the station into Earth orbit, where it cannot harm anyone. The Baroness then reveals that she had set the explosives to detonate in orbit, and mentions that only one loose end remains.

Home again, a recovering Anthony Duranti sees Power Station Alpha explode in Earth orbit. His plans ruined, Shockwave orders the Decepticons to retreat. Serpentor ends the alliance, and the Cobras withdraw as well. Blaster, unsure if he can trust the humans, warns G.I. Joe that the humans should not interfere in the Transformers' battles.

Back in Washington D.C., Senator Larkin is assassinated, a kill arranged by the Baroness. And as Anthony Duranti and his mother recover in the hospital, Hawk privately mourns Barbara Larkin's death.

Notes and Comments

• The chronology of this issue is unclear, as there are no clues as to when it takes place relative to the regular Transformers comic. A reasonable guess, however, is that it takes place between issue #26 (Optimus Prime's funeral) and issue #27 (the selection of Grimlock as the Autobot leader).
• No explaination is provided anywhere for how Bombshell escaped from G.I. Joe headquarters to appear in subsequent issues of the regular series.
• Shockwave orders Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker, Ramjet, Thrust, and Laserbeak into the air to fight the combined Autobot/Cobra/G.I. Joe task force. There's no explanation given for how Starscream, Skywarp, or Thundercracker returned to the Decepticons after they were captured by Omega supreme in issue #19 of the regular series.
• The only Decepticons shown retreating at the end of the battle are the ones who can fly. No word is given for what happens to the Constructicons and other ground-based forces. Also, though the Decepticons abandon their island base in this issue, they have regained it once more in later issues of the regular series. There is no explaination given for how they retrieved the base, nor why G.I. Joe, Cobra, and the Autobots didn't bother to secure it.