Shadow of Evil

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«	The Transformers (UK) #253	»

You're MY WIFE now!

"Shadow of Evil"

Publisher

Marvel Comics

First published

14th January 1990

Cover date

20th January 1990

Writer

Simon Furman

Art

Cam S

Letterer

Stuart Bartlett

Continuity

Marvel Comics continuity (Marvel UK)

Chronology

Post-Time Wars future (2010)

Unicron has possessed Rodimus—everyone's buggered...

1 Synopsis
2 Featured characters
3 Quotes
4 Notes

Synopsis

The Unicron-possessed Rodimus Prime is slaughtering the Autobots by the dozen, and, as they are reluctant to kill him, their weapons are set to stun. Kup has called for help from Autobot City, but until it arrives, he feels they owe it to Rodimus to let him have a chance fighting against the real enemy...

Rodimus Prime flees through a nightmare world, pursued by Unicron, now in the form of a walking shadow. Rodimus is running scared when he should be fighting, and he is lost.

The possessed Rodimus Prime pauses due to this psychic battle, so as reinforcements arrive, Arcee makes Kup realise they have to take this chance and shoot to kill...

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots

Others

Getaway (1)
Quickmix (2)
Rodimus Prime (3)
Siren (5)
Red Alert (6)
Kup (7)
Arcee (8)

Unicron (4)

Quotes

"Ah, the taste of revenge is sweet indeed! It is somewhat fitting that your executioner is your own leader, Rodimus Prime! What is this, Autobots? Do I detect a certain reluctance? Blasters set to stun? Do you think you can save your pathetic leader? Let me set your minds at rest. You can no more save him... than you can save yourselves!"

—Unicron having possessed Rodimus Prime, while killing various Autobots.

Notes

Artwork and technical errors

Transformation calls the story "Shadow of a Greater Evil."
Lettering is erroneously credited to Annie Halfacree; Transformation in issue 259 apologises for not properly crediting Stuart Bartlett.

Continuity errors

Continuity notes

Unicron's name is not mentioned either here or in "White Fire".
Rodimus/Unicron appears to take out a fair number of Autobots in this issue. As well as the deactivated Getaway and Quickmix, we see him blasting Siren, Doubleheader, Hosehead and Longtooth (along with some poor sod in silhouette who is pretty much disintegrated). It would be the last time we would see these characters in the future timeline, leaving their fates uncertain.
The Autobots really are in trouble; the "heavy artillery" ordered in by Kup consists of Blaster, Perceptor, Afterburner and Strafe. We could be charitable and assume the other Technobots are just off-panel, but they're still not more heavily armed than, say, any other group of random Autobots.