The Transformers #7
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join free"Warrior School!" is the issue that transformed Ratchet — the Autobots' chief medical officer — from a background support character into the series' most unlikely hero, forcing the peaceful surgeon to negotiate a life-or-death deal with Megatron when every other Autobot lies deactivated aboard the Ark. That single dramatic pivot cemented Ratchet as a fan-defining character across every subsequent generation of Transformers storytelling. The issue also advances the slow-burn origin of Josie Beller, whose arc toward becoming Circuit Breaker — and the unusual legal strategy Marvel used to protect that character — made this story a small but consequential footnote in the history of intellectual property in comics. As the first issue of the ongoing series to introduce penciler William Johnson, it also marked a brief but notable creative transition in the book's visual identity.
In "Warrior School!", Ratchet returns to the Ark to find Optimus Prime still holding on to hope, only to face a dangerous bargain with Megatron: defeat Shockwave, and the Ark will be his. But knowing Megatron's deceit, Ratchet sets off to locate the buried Dinobots in the Savage Land, beginning a perilous journey that could change everything. Written by Bob Budiansky and illustrated by William Johnson, with inks by Kyle Baker and colors by Nel Yomtov, the issue’s dynamic art is matched by M. D. Bright’s striking cover, rendered inks by Brad K. Joyce.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Bob Budiansky scripted every chapter of the ongoing series through issue #55, and "Warrior School!" was no exception — but it debuted a new art team, with William Johnson on pencils and Kyle Baker on inks, replacing the book's prior rotating roster of artists. According to a comment Budiansky later shared with fan sites, Johnson was a talented collaborator who struggled to meet the demands of a monthly schedule, which is why his tenure on the title lasted only two issues (#7 and #8). The book was edited by Christopher Priest, then working under his Marvel credit Jim Owsley, under editor-in-chief Jim Shooter. Printed on higher-grade Mando paper as part of Marvel's early-series production choices, the issue carried a May 14, 1985 on-sale date with an August 1985 cover date.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Story title: "Warrior School!" — written by Bob Budiansky, penciled by William Johnson, inked by Kyle Baker, colored by Nelson Yomtov, lettered by Rick Parker; edited by Christopher Priest (credited as Jim Owsley).
- Central plot: Ratchet, the sole active Autobot, discovers all of his teammates deactivated aboard the Ark; Optimus Prime's disembodied head counsels him to fight as a warrior, leading to a tense confrontation with Megatron that ends with Ratchet bargaining — he will eliminate Shockwave in exchange for the Autobots' freedom.
- Josie Beller (future Circuit Breaker) appears in her second comics appearance — still hospitalized after the Decepticon attack on Blackrock's oil platform — and is shown quietly beginning to formulate plans against the robots; her full transformation into Circuit Breaker occurs in issue #9.
- Soundwave and Laserbeak use their disguise modes to infiltrate and seize a Blackrock Enterprises aerospace plant, deepening the Decepticons' stranglehold on Earth's energy infrastructure.
- William Johnson debuted as penciler with this issue, but only contributed to two consecutive issues (#7 and #8) due to difficulty maintaining the monthly deadline — a fact Budiansky later acknowledged in fan-site interviews.
- The character 'O' makes his final appearance in the series: the Transformers Wiki notes he takes Buster's parting words to 'leave him alone' literally and never appears in the book again.
- The issue has been reprinted numerous times, including in Marvel's own Transformers Comics Magazine #4 (1987), IDW Publishing's The Transformers: Generations #1 (2006) — the debut issue of that reprint series — and various trade paperback collections by Titan Books and IDW.
- The large roster of Marvel Universe characters indexed to this issue (Captain America, the Avengers, the Beyonder, Daredevil, Hulk, and others) most likely reflects their appearance in in-house Secret Wars II promotional material — house ads or editorial copy — printed within the physical issue, consistent with Marvel's 1985 practice of embedding SWII cross-promotional content across all its titles.
Cast · 38 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in The Transformers #26 (1985), Les Transformers #7 (1986), Transformers #4 (1987), Transformers #4/1987 (1987), Transformers #[2] (2003), Transformers Compendium #1 (2025), The Transformers Classics #1, Transformers #2/1987
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