The Transformers #5

Name: The Transformers #5
Brand: Marvel
Availability: InStock

Jun 1985 · Marvel · 0.75 USD; 0.50 GBP; 1.00 CAD

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“The New Order”

★ 1st appearance — G. B. Blackrock★ 1st appearance — Circuit Breaker

About this Issue

The Transformers #5, titled 'The New Order!', marks the pivotal moment when what had been planned as a disposable four-issue limited series became a monthly ongoing comic — a transition driven entirely by reader demand. It brought Shockwave to the forefront as the series' defining early villain, displacing Megatron in a power struggle that gave the comic a darker and more politically complex edge than the concurrent cartoon. The issue also introduced both G.B. Blackrock and Josie Beller — the woman who would eventually become Circuit Breaker, one of the most significant human characters in the Marvel run — setting in motion a subplot that would pay off across dozens of future issues. The painted cover, with its stark 'Are All Dead' inscription, became one of the most recognized and homaged images in the entire franchise.

In "The New Order," the Autobots are reeling after Shockwave captures nearly all of them, leaving only Ratchet free and the rest damaged and imprisoned aboard the Ark—now Shockwave’s fortress. As Buster stumbles upon the severed head of Optimus Prime, the fate of the Autobots hangs in the balance. Written by Bob Budiansky and illustrated by Alan Kupperberg, with vibrant colors by Nel Yomtov and sharp lettering by Rick Parker, this pivotal 1985 issue features a striking cover by M. D. Bright.

writer Bob Budiansky · artist, inker Alan Kupperberg · colorist Nel Yomtov · letterer Rick Parker · cover M. D. Bright

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Raw / ungraded $29.99 Newsstand $50 Raw / ungraded $150

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History

Bob Budiansky, who had edited the original four-issue limited series, stepped up to write the ongoing book beginning with this issue, alongside penciler/inker Alan Kupperberg, colorist Nel Yomtov, and letterer Rick Parker; the cover was painted by Mark Bright and edited by Christopher Priest (credited as Jim Owsley), with Jim Shooter serving as editor-in-chief. The cover nearly never saw print: Hasbro rejected it because they feared the 'Are All Dead' tagline would discourage children from purchasing Transformer toys, and also considered it too frightening — Priest personally argued Hasbro out of their objection, and the cover ran unchanged. The issue went on sale February 26, 1985, with a June 1985 cover date, and its success confirmed that the Transformers license could sustain a long-term monthly publication.

Trivia · 8 facts

First issue of the ongoing monthly series, following the original four-issue limited series; the series would run for 80 issues total.
First issue written by Bob Budiansky, who scripted the majority of the US run through issue #56.
First full appearance of Shockwave in the ongoing Marvel continuity, including his first cover appearance — a painted image by Mark Bright with the words 'Are All Dead' inscribed on a wall.
First appearance of G.B. Blackrock, the oil-industry tycoon who becomes a recurring human ally to the Autobots throughout the series.
First appearance of Josie Beller, whose electrocution during Shockwave's attack on Blackrock's offshore oil platform sets her on the path to becoming Circuit Breaker.
Story titled 'The New Order!' introduces Shockwave's takeover of the Ark and his usurpation of Decepticon leadership from Megatron, with Optimus Prime's severed head kept alive by the Decepticons.
The Creation Matrix — here depicted as a computer program that can give life to new Transformers — is first identified as a central plot MacGuffin; it was later retconned to resemble the Matrix of Leadership from the cartoon.
Issue was reprinted multiple times, including in The Transformers Collected Comics #2 (Marvel, 1985), The Transformers Comics Magazine #3 (Marvel, 1987), a Titan Books trade paperback (2003), The Transformers Classics Vol. 1 (IDW, 2011), and Transformers: Best of Shockwave (IDW, 2022).