From kendrick@io.com Fri Oct 20 09:09:42 CDT 1995
Article: 24662 of alt.toys.transformers
Path: news.io.com!io.com!not-for-mail
From: kendrick@io.com (Kendrick Kerwin Chua)
Newsgroups: alt.toys.transformers
Subject: TF Weekday 10/20 - Five Faces of Darkness Part IV
Date: 20 Oct 1995 09:09:06 -0500
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TF Weekday Oct 20 1995 - Five Faces of Darkness Part IV

The EI/AD: It's Mr. Bucket. The balls pop out of his mouth. Actually, the
real Evil Invention this episode is the Decepticon Matrix of Leadership,
evil because it doesn't really exist...

The plot: The Decepticons attack Goo, only to be attacked by Galvatron.
At the point of his big orange gun, the Cons all swear unwavering loyalty
to Galvy except for Swindle, who wonders what the greater profit is. In
the confusion Rodimus and Magnus are able to get a distress signal off to
Wreck-Gar, and Galvatron forges a temporary alliance with the Quintessons
who claim to know something about a Decepticon Matrix. Meanwhile,
Fairborne arrives at Io to rescue Blurr and the transform cog, but Blurr
decides that heroism is more important than the mission and goes back for
Wheelie, meaning that the Iovian bats get a chance to destroy Fairborne's
ship. As Galvatron renews the attack on the Autobots, they're sucked
through the Goo and rescued by the Junkions. whose space-vacuum
unceremoniously rejects Deliberata, the outcast Quintesson. They escape as
Galvy blows Goo away. They get to Junk and repair Springer, while Rodimus
takes a metaphysical trip into the Matrix and discovers that the
Quintessons were the creators of the Transformers, and want to take
Cybertron back.  Meanwhile, the Decepticons create Trypticon on Earth to
destroy Metroplex, and launch an all-out assault on Cybertron. To be
continued...

The characters: Galvy is bananas. Enough said about that. The Quintessons
throw any hope of their being a threatening bad guy out the window the
minute they begin to bargain from a position of false weakness. Springer
doesn't seem to think any differently of Rodimus now that he's the
leader... Springer still treats him a lot like a little brother, and
that's refreshing next to Magnus' constant nagging and Kup's tactical
advice. Welcome Swindle to the ranks of Decepticons dumb enough to
question Galvatron's judgement right to his face. Blurr is fast but
indecisive, bringing credence to the old 'haste makes waste' adage. And
Rodimus knows exactly what he has to do, despite his relative
inexperience... Something about fate favoring the fools, I suppose. :)
   One thing which is from my head and not necessarily meant to be
implied in the show... Rodimus listens to four main voices while he
watches the Matric travelogue, three former Autobot leaders and then
Optimus Prime. Are these Prima, Prime Nova, and Sentinel Prime? I bet
twenty astro-liters of ConcEnergon that Simon Furman got his inspiration
for the three former leaders of the Autobots named in the Matrix Quest
>from  FFOD.

The plot holes: What are the Aerialbots doing on Cybertron now? Weren't
they on Goo with the stranded leadership element before? Why does
Wreck-Gar seem to be the administrator of the Goo planets? Are they a
sort of intergalactic sanitation system, or do they just have inroads to
every possible junkheap in the universe? Why does Fairborne fly out to Io
all be herself with no backup if the Decepticons have been sighted out
there? More to the point, what is the biological advantage of a lifeform
that transforms into a bomb and destroys itself?

Moving pictures: Aie, this show is badly drawn and colored, even if the
plot is the strongest of the five episodes. Watch for a Shockwave colored
like a Constructicon, green and black. Watch for Starscream colored like
Onslaught, blue all over with grey highlights and a gold hip segment.
Watch for Blitzwing colored like an Aerialbot, red, white, and black.
Watch for Long Haul colored orange, and Vortex colored blue and purple.
Oh, I know, it's the G2 versions! Watch for SkyDive and AirRaid in the
crowds of Decepticons attack Goo and/or Cybertron. Watch for DINOBOTS in
the crowd of Decepticons attacking Goo and/or Cybertron. Although all
things considered, the Matrix flashback segment is pretty well done,
comparatively speaking. You get to see Autobot dancers, probably the
inspiration for Omichi's design of Precocious.

The cuts: Not a lot was cut, all things considered. Some of the unfriendly
and awkward exchange between Blurr and Fairborne was cut out, which makes
their subsequent dialogue sound like a bit of a non-sequiter.  A Grimlock
line was omitted. Also, Wreck-Gar's natterings about being able to repair
Springer are completely cut out, moving straight into his actual revival.
Also, a tiny bit of Quintesson dialogue is cut, and the complex Trypticon
transform scene is mercifully shortened into something that actually looks
halfway decent.

Toys they should reissue: Anybody for a new Galvatron in better looking
colors? The purple with grey highlights is something I'm more used to
than the grey with purple highlights on the toy. It also helps that the
Romita Galvatron actually has a helmet rather than a light bulb with a
slip sheath covering as on the toy. I've been saying forever that I'm
going to learn how to do epoxy plastic molds for the purpose of making an
Action Master Galvatron fan-toy, but this is about as likely as me
actually sitting down to paint all the miniatures in the six
Battlemasters sets I bought a year ago.

Quotables:
"You are in danger of cancellation or losing your time slot!"
"What's he talking about?"
"We're gonna get killed. Wreck-Gar, we need personalized service with
friendly convenient payment terms. Let's all be there?"
"...Wreck-Gar will put you in good hands!"

"ATTACK!!!!"
"Attack who?" *BLAM*
"EVERYBODY!!!!!"

"Why'd you short circuit yourself? Wake up, you... you... you *moron*!!"

KKC, woke up to watch GIJoe this morning. Wish I hadn't.
--
Kendrick Kerwin Chua - "London? You put the Eiffel Tower back... in London?!"
kendrick@io.com - WTB: 1980s Transformers, US and Japanese, and GIJoe figures
Necronomcon FAQ home page at http://www.io.com/~kendrick/necronomicon or anon
FTP at io.com:/pub/usr/kendrick -Personal home at http://www.io.com/~kendrick