Decepticons at the Pole

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It looks like someone is rubbing Scorponok's belly!
Decepticons at the Pole
Publisher	Ladybird Books
First published	1988
Written by	John Grant
Art by	Barry Rowell
Continuity	Ladybird Books continuity
ISBN	ISBN 0-721-41068-5
Page count	48 pp

Nebulos faces doomsday when the Decepticons start draining energy from the pulsar that gives the planet life.

Synopsis

Lacking enough energy to assemble a major offensive operation against theAutobots,theDecepticonsinvestigate the natural energy sources ofNebulos,learning that the planet derives the vast majority of its power from a steady stream of cosmic radiation emitted by a pulsar at the edge of the galaxy. Under the supervision ofAimless,a gigantic energy interceptor is assembled at the North Pole, where the pulsar energy is at its most concentrated.

Concerned over the lack of Decepticon attacks in the last few weeks, the Autobots soon discover the villains' plan, and learn that it will mean the death of Nebulos itself if the Decepticons deprive the planet of its steady flow of cosmic energy.Hot RodbegsCyclonusto stop, but the Decepticon brushes off Hot Rod's warnings, forcing the Autobots to take action. A task force led byBrainstormdistracts the Decepticons guarding the interceptor, while the small Nebulans attach demolition charges to it, bringing the structure crashing down.

Beginning their scheme again, the Decepticons move their entire base—Scorponok—to the North Pole to ensure the interceptor will be adequately protected. Well aware of their enemies' movements, the Autobots enact "Operation Heatwave",formulated by Brainstorm, to put a stop to their energy theft. Taking up strategic positions around Scorponok, the Autobots offer Cyclonus a chance to give up, but when he refuses, they open fire on the permafrost with thermal lasers, melting it into mud and slime. As Decepticon warriors struggle to fight back through the mire, the interceptor collapses and explodes, releasing all the captive energy. When Scorponok himself begins to sink, the Autobots leave their foes to rescue themselves and head back to base.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Notes

Trivia

• This is the first book in the Ladybird series to feature Nebulos and the concepts and characters that are associated with it. As with theprevious shift in setting,the story of the book itself is set in a time when this new change in status quo is already well-established. However, even the introductory blurb for the book offers little in the way of detail, simply making the point that the war has moved to this "far flung corner of the galaxy."
• Interestingly, the blurb implies that "many centuries" have passed since the Transformers' awakening on Earth, suggesting that their Nebulos adventures take place far into the future.
• All indications of this story suggest that Hot Rod leads the Autobots, while Cyclonus is in charge of the Decepticons. Wild.
• Here Scorponok is a seemingly lifeless mobile fortress driven by an unnamed Nebulon pilot.
• Hot Rod's Nebulan partner—normally known asFirebolt—is here named "Sparks," as inMarvel'sHeadmasters comic book mini-series.

External links

• Decepticons at the Pole scans at green-ranger.com