TFCC #69 - Of Masters and Monsters Part 3

Plot

At the Parque Zoologico de Merida, a group of school kids are being shown the native animals of this new Earth, and they are shown Opti-I mean...Garry the Gorilla, who was taken in and appears to be depressed.

Elsewhere, the mysterious man with a silver streak in his hair leads the disguised Autobots to a woodland area where he reveals himself to be a Decepticon using a similar Pretender suit design to them. A small battle breaks out but soon ends when the Decepticon reveals his ship to them, and gives them a brief history on HIS version of the Great War, and explains how it ended when the Decepticons created Thunder Mayhem, and he destroyed Cybertron and everyone on the planet.

The Decepticon reveals that he was able to escape and crashed on this planet, which he was fine with as it only had simple life-forms that Thunder Mayhem wouldn't be interested in, however when the humans arrived, he realized that he had to leave before Mayhem came and attacked again, but then detected the Autobots, meaning that Mayhem will be able to detect them and follow them here too before long.

Metalhawk asks the Decepticon who he is, and with a grin he reveals himself to be the local Megatron himself!

Elsewhere still, Ramjet has tracked down the Mayhem Attack Squad, and manages to convince them to team up with him for their joint goal in life, to destroy everything in this Universe....

Characters

Autobot

Metalhawk - Fighter Jet

Crossblades - Dragster/Helicopter Shell

Vroom - Dragster/Motorcycle Shell

Optimus Prime/Garry the Gorilla - Truck (In Gorilla Pretender Shell) Amnesiac

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex (Flashback)

Bumblebee - Car (Flashback)

Hot Rod - Race Car (Flashback)

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank

Ramjet - Fighter Jet

Bludgeon - Anti-Aircraft Tank

Needlenose - Fighter Jet

Windsweeper - Fighter Jet

Spinister - Helicopter

Ruckus - Pick Up Truck

Thunder Mayhem - Mayhem Attack Squad Gestalt (Flashback)

Shockwave - Ray Gun (Flashback)

Starscream - Fighter Jet (Flashback)

Human

Spike Witwicky

Elizabeth

School Kids

Zoo Tour Guide

Other

Unicron (Mentioned)

Notes

• I should note here, that my copy of the magazine was water-damaged whilst in delivery, so if I missed anything here then I'm blaming that :)
• The Unit-3 article shows us that the other considered figures, instead of Unit-3 (but with the same toy mold head and presumably body) were: Armordillo, Stinkbomb, Optimus Minor, Polar Claw, Stampy, Grimlock, Lio Junior, Ramulus, B'Boom and Wolfang.
• In case you're a bit out of the loop, "Garry the Gorilla" is clearly going to be a Pretender version of Optimus Prime, named after Garry Chalk, the voice of Optimus in the Beast Era and Unicron Trilogy. The Pretender Optimus was showcased for the next Sub Service package.
• Oh...the mystery guy who's been following the Autobots the past 2 issues was Megatron in a pretender suit....that was...underwhelming...
• To further pound in the Masterforce references in this issue, the characters use the phrases "Suit on" and "Pretender" to go into their suited bodies, and then to their real robot modes.
• According to Megatron, the cities that arrived on the new Earth just appeared one day between him landing there, and the Humans being transported there by Gaea. So where did the buildings originate from?
• Hey look! We get to see a silhouette of Thunder Mayhem for the first time in this continuity.
• Thunder Mayhem turning on the Cybertronians has been shown in the prose stories released in the 2 months between part 2 and 3.
• Ruckus is referred to as "Ruckus" here, instead of "Grabuge" like his toy.
• Where are Spinister's and Needlenose's Targetmasters? Did they kill them too D:
• Bludgeon's Matrix clone is named as the Matrix of Malice here.
• Ramjet is named as a Decepticon here, and features a Decepticon insignia in story....fine!

Other Features

Judd Nelson - Article on the TF:TM voice of Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime

The LAST Botcon? - Article on the (maybe) final Botcon

Botcon 2016 Unit-3 - Article on the process of creating the Unit-3 figure

4th Street Live! - Article on the Hall of Fame and Concert from Botcon 2016

SD Botcon - Mini-Comic showing Tarantulas and Ravage at Botcon

Botcon 2016 Souvenirs - "BUY OUR LEFTOVER JUNK!!!"