Transformers: Generation 2 #1

History

When Hasbro relaunched the Transformers toy line in 1993, Marvel Comics was again tapped to produce a companion title, with editor Rob Tokar overseeing the book under editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco. Rather than debut the series cold, Marvel seeded the storyline across five issues of Larry Hama's ongoing G.I. Joe comic, in which Megatron is rebuilt by Cobra into his G2 tank body, establishing the status quo for when the standalone series begins. Simon Furman returned to write all twelve issues, picking up directly from the end of the G1 Marvel run, while Derek Yaniger handled the distinctive, stylized pencils and cover art for the debut — though Yaniger would eventually miss deadlines and Manny Galan stepped in to carry much of the interior art for later issues.

Trivia · 10 facts

• Written by Simon Furman with art and cover by Derek Yaniger; colored by Sarra Mossoff; lettered by Richard Starkings; edited by Rob Tokar under editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco.
• The issue's story is titled 'War Without End!' and was released on September 21, 1993, with a November 1993 cover date.
• First comic appearance of Jhiaxus, a Cybertronian Empire warlord created entirely for the comic with no corresponding toy; his name is a deliberate pun on 'Gee, axe us,' Furman's wry commentary on Marvel's unrealistic sales expectations for the book.
• First comic appearance of Rook, a new Decepticon character introduced in this issue alongside the broader Cybertronian Empire threat.
• The Swarm — a black, cloud-like mass of corrosive organisms born as a byproduct of abused Cybertronian 'budding' reproduction — is first foreshadowed in Optimus Prime's visions within this issue, functioning as the series-wide overarching threat.
• Terradive appears in the gatefold pin-up illustration of the Direct Edition foil variant, making his comics debut there, though his role in the main narrative unfolds in subsequent issues.
• Issue #1 was published in three primary formats: a standard newsstand edition, a Direct Edition with a gatefold foil cover (the premium collector's variant), and an Australian edition; a UK price foil variant also exists.
• The issue was later reprinted in Transformers (Titan, 2001 series) #15, subtitled 'Dark Designs,' published in September 2002.
• The series is set in the same Earth-91274 continuity as the original Marvel G1 run, directly continuing that story rather than rebooting it — at the time a relatively uncommon approach for a toy-line revival comic.
• The G2 comic was the only genuinely new media produced for the 1993 Transformers relaunch; the accompanying cartoon was a repackaging of the original G1 cartoon, and the initial toy line was dominated by redecos of decade-old molds.

Cast · 26 characters

Full credits

Variants (2)