"The Most Titanic And Revealing Optimus Prime/Megatron Clash Ever" - Simon Furman On Transformers Regeneration One #85

[Rich Johnston]

Simon Furman talks Transformers: Regeneration One #85 out this week, the climax of the Loose Ends story arc...

Pretty much everyone now knows it features what I hope is the most titanic and revealing Prime/Megatron clash ever. I?d always felt vaguely unsatisfied that the two towering titans of Transformers-dom had never really had an appropriately epic smackdown in the (original) comic series. Circumstances and story direction just seemed to have them in different corners of the storyline, or the clashes would end in stalemate.

When I came on the (US) book, with issue #56, the first thing on my mind was to get Megatron back in the fray. But through twists and turns (of my own devising) somehow I could never get them face-to-face, toe-to-toe (if you discount the Mega-Ratchet combo fight with Prime, where it?s fair to say Megatron wasn?t exactly feeling himself). So uppermost in mind when we got to continue the saga beyond it?s abrupt conclusion in issue #80 (in Regeneration One), was to put that to rights, to accelerate Optimus and ?*Megatron into a showdown where all bets are off, the stakes and surrounding elements too mighty to brush off with an inconclusive draw (another stalemate was just not on the cards).

In one corner, you?ve got Prime, who?s been head in the sand for the past 20 years, in the other Megatron, who?s been laying waste to Earth with almost the sole aim of sticking it to Prime and getting his attention. Well, now he?s got it ? big time. The gloves are well and truly off.

And just when you think it can?t get any more extreme (in terms of Prime?s state of mind), any worse ? it does. In fact, it?s worth noting that IDW editor John Barber has been really sympathetic to this defiantly non-spoilerish lead-in to #85, and the preview you?ll eventually see is not the standard first 7 pages. It?s 5 pages from safely within the issue. It?ll give you the flavour and some of the stakes, but won?t spoil some of the OMG jaw-droppers in this issue. Anyway, I digress.

As well as a totally titanic battle, I really wanted to get under the skin of the truly time and space-spanning grudge these two characters have. I wanted to understand this strange, almost symbiotic relationship a little more, before, well, it ends. Forever.

All I can say is, whatever you might think you know from the covers and forums and whatever else has engendered a mountain of speculation, think again. Nothing can be taken from granted. And the Prime/Megatron clash is just one part of this packed issue! There?s Autobots (including Ultra Magnus ? wait till you see that incredible Senior variant cover!) vs zombies, Wreckers vs Guardians, Spike vs Auntie and a tail end shock (or should that be ?sting?) or two, including the return of? and? But that would be telling!

Issue #85 hits the stores this coming Wednesday. Shout about it! Be first in line! Read nothing (online or otherwise) until you?ve read the issue. Trust me? fur will fly, feathers will be ruffled!

[longtimereader]

In my opinion this has been the best Transformers series that IDW has put out, but i did read the original run. I'm hoping that Prime finishes of Megatron to avoid the severeal hundred deaths of Prime that we've already had and Galvatron comes back in a big way.

[Death's Head]

In my opinion this has been the best Transformers series that IDW has put out, but i did read the original run. I'm hoping that Prime finishes of Megatron to avoid the severeal hundred deaths of Prime that we've already had and Galvatron comes back in a big way.

Not reading James Roberts' More Than Meets the Eye? Much as I love the work of Mr Furman (how could I not, growing up with it as I did?), MTMTE has been taking things to an amazing place.

[Mike H.]

The "most titanic and revealing Prime/Megatron clash ever"?

They're finally gonna... umm... "check each others' fluids", aren't they?

[MicroZone]

A year ago Re:G1 would have been a breath of fresh air from the mediocrity that IDW had been belching out. (With rare exceptions like Last Stand of the Wreckers.) After a year of James Roberts writing the ongoing MTMTE comic and the politically-minded, reconstruction of Cybertron as a planet and a society in the Robots in Disguise book by John Barber, Simon's book by comparison is just not that spectacular. Solid. Not spectacular.

With Roberts work, the Transformers haven't had fiction this good since the second season of Beast Wars.

[Phantom309]

I wanted to like MTMTE & RID but I am lost as to who many of the characters are. This is the only transformers book I can follow

[_OM_]

..I can see it now:

Megatron: "Prime...I am your father!"

[DJ_Convoy]

A year ago Re:G1 would have been a breath of fresh air from the mediocrity that IDW had been belching out. (With rare exceptions like Last Stand of the Wreckers.) After a year of James Roberts writing the ongoing MTMTE comic and the politically-minded, reconstruction of Cybertron as a planet and a society in the Robots in Disguise book by John Barber, Simon's book by comparison is just not that spectacular. Solid. Not spectacular.

With Roberts work, the Transformers haven't had fiction this good since the second season of Beast Wars.

I would agree about MTMTE, but not so much RiD. Not really feeling that book.

[DJ_Convoy]

MTMTE features a who's who cast page pretty much every issue. I can't recall off of the top of my head if RiD does, but it probably does, as well.

I wanted to like MTMTE & RID but I am lost as to who many of the characters are. This is the only transformers book I can follow

[Death's Head]

Besides, that's what the TF Wiki was made for!