Action Force #25
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeAction Force #25 holds a firm place in British comics history as the second chapter of 'Ancient Relics!' — the landmark crossover between Marvel UK's Action Force and its sister Transformers title, which ran across Transformers #125 and Action Force #24–27. This was the first time UK readers saw their Europeanised G.I. Joe equivalents share pages with Megatron and the Autobots, a collision of two of the decade's defining toy-licensed franchises that had never before happened in this market. The story, set beneath the streets of London, gave the 'Ancient Relics!' arc a distinctly British atmosphere that set it apart from anything published on the American side, and its events — particularly the fate of Centurion — were referenced repeatedly throughout the Marvel UK Transformers continuity for years afterward. As part of the mid-run of a 50-issue series that was simultaneously published in the UK and exported to North America, #25 represents Action Force at its most ambitious editorially.
In "Ancient Relics! Part Three," Rip-Cord and Blowtorch take Spirit to the mall, where a surprising encounter with Fred II—whom Spirit believes to be the original Fred I—unravels a personal mystery. Meanwhile, Destro reveals his true face to the Baroness, and a shocking twist exposes Billy as Cobra Commander’s son, halting a deadly plot. Larry Hama writes this pivotal chapter, with Frank Springer’s art bringing the action to life, while Jeff Anderson’s cover captures the tension in bold, dynamic lines.
In "Celebration!", Rip-Cord and Blowtorch take Spirit to the mall, where he unexpectedly runs into Fred II—mistaking him for the long-lost Fred I—enjoying a quiet family outing. Meanwhile, Destro confronts the Baroness with a shocking revelation, and a dangerous plot to kill Cobra Commander unravels when it's exposed that Billy is his son.
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The Marvel UK Action Force weekly launched on 7 March 1987 after IPC lost the toy licence, and was built from a combination of UK-originated strips, re-edited G.I. Joe reprints with American references localised or relettered, and a rotating roster of backup features including a Master of Kung Fu serial. The 'Ancient Relics!' crossover, written by Simon Furman — who was also writing and editing the Transformers title at the time, uncredited under the pseudonym 'Chris Francis' — was conceived as a deliberate promotional exercise to funnel Transformers readers toward the newer, less established Action Force title. Geoff Senior, already a key artistic voice across both Marvel UK weeklies, pencilled and inked the entire crossover arc, lending it visual consistency. The intent to boost Action Force's readership ultimately did not succeed in sustaining the title, which folded after 50 issues in February 1988.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Action Force #25 was released on 22 August 1987 as part of a 50-issue weekly series published by Marvel UK, priced at 32p in the UK and exported to the US and Canada.
- The issue contains 'Ancient Relics! Part Three' (the third instalment of the crossover as numbered in the weekly; later renumbered 'Part Four' for the Action Force Monthly reprint), written by Simon Furman and drawn by Geoff Senior.
- The 'Ancient Relics!' story ran across Transformers (Marvel UK) #125 and Action Force #24–27; issue #25 is the middle chapter, in which a battle-damaged Megatron — discovered in Roman sewers beneath London — faces both Action Force and the Autobots under Grimlock.
- The cover of Action Force #25 was drawn by Jeff Anderson, depicting Wild Bill leaping from a helicopter — part of a visually cohesive cover run Anderson provided across the entire 'Ancient Relics!' arc (#24–27).
- Alongside the Transformers crossover strip, #25 also carried 'The Mountain: Part 3!' — a UK-originated story featuring Destro and Firefly — and part six of 'The Crystal Connection,' a backup strip reprinting a Master of Kung Fu story from the US title, re-presented as a single ongoing narrative.
- The crossover was designed to introduce Transformers readers to the Action Force comic in hopes of converting them to regular readers, though the initiative did not prevent Action Force from cancelling in early 1988.
- The 'Ancient Relics!' storyline became a significant part of Marvel UK's Transformers continuity, with its events — including the fates of Megatron and the robot Centurion — referenced multiple times in subsequent Transformers stories.
- Action Force #25's original UK-originated strip content was later reprinted in Action Force Monthly #4 (September 1988) in the American colour comic format, which was simultaneously published in the US under the title G.I. Joe: European Missions.
Full credits
Reprints
↩ Reprints Master of Kung Fu #30 (1975), G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #33 (1985)
Reprinted in Action Force Monthly #4 (1988), G.I. Joe #4 (1988), The Marvel Bumper Comic #1 (1988), Transformers #7/1989 (1989), The Transformers Classics UK #4 (2013), Transformers / Action Force: Vedergällning #[nn] (2022)
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