Bon-Bon: July 1998 There is currently a manga serialization in the mini-"phonebook" series "Comics Bon-Bon" in Japan. While I don't read Japanese, this manga is pretty much aimed at little kids, so most of the story is made clear from the art. And my friend Drew can help me out with a few bits that need clarification on the translation. Since most of you can't get this book (only one copy on the shelf where I get it, sorry), I figured I'd summarize the installments. And away we go! [Corrections from Takeuchi Shouichi will follow each relevant page in brackets.] Page 1: A Cybertron prison ship travels through space, accompanied by an armada of support craft. Suddenly, a drill bit pierces the Maximal (Cybertron) symbol from inside! Page 2: The Destron ship (with Galvatron's drill bit on front) blasts free of the prison ship. This seems to indicate a divergent storyline from the anime, since Galvatron has his vehicle form already. Page 3: As the Destron ship blasts through the escort fleet as shown on monitors in the background, Lioconvoy surveys the situation, flanked by nameless guard guys. [It's not Lioconvoy, according to Takeuchi. It's just the unnamed Cybertron Commander. Yeah, his silhouette looks kinda like Lioconvoy's, but they seem to have a standardized "Convoy"-style command body for leader types. Side note, one of the message icons in the room with the commander states that "Energon explorers sent to the planet Unicron were lost."] Page 4: Lioconvoy assesses the situation and calls up a hologram of Gaia. Page 5: Lioconvoy observes a brief background, showing how the Destrons are vile criminals and suggesting the creation of a special cadre to hunt them down on Gaia. Or something like that. Page 6: Hologram off. Cut to Gaia itself some time after the team has landed there. Apache barges into the rec room and berates the others, probably for not doing anything but sit on their skidplates. [Because of the corrosive atmosphere of Gaia and the monsoon currently happening, none of the Cybertrons wants to go outside (except Diver). Apache knows the reasons, but still berates the others for laziness.] Page 7: Everyone gives excuses for why they're doing whatever is annoying Apache, and he sets off his missile rack in anger. Page 8: Lioconvoy enters and defuses the situation. Apparently Apache was being clueless, and Kid says something which makes him do a facefault. Transition to the rainy outdoors. Page 9: Diver is enjoying the rain in his frog form, and looking very Gon- like. Suddenly, dozens of female frogs surround him, romance on their minds (he's a really BIG frog, such a manly man!). He panics. Page 10: Diver sticks his head out in that freaky way he has. This scares off the frog femmes, and Diver transforms to robot mode, sighing in relief but a little wistful. Then the giant Galvatron head appears. Page 11: Diver jumps back, but the mammoth head pursues, and then fires cannons at him. Pages 12-13: Splash page, pull back to see that the giant head is a tank in the shape of Galvatron's head. Diver's reaction is, "A *TANK?*" Page 14: Tank pursues Diver, blowing chunks out of the forest. Page 15: A tree blown over by the cannons falls towards a deer, but BigMos arrives just in time to save Bambi. Meanwhile, Diver runs full tilt through the forest as the tank plows through the trees. Page 16: Cut to interior of the tank. Megastorm is commanding it, while Starscream and BB sit below him and Dirge and Thrust do the actual driving. BB whistles a happy tune. Destruction is good. Megastorm orders more speed, so they can crush Diver. Page 17: Dirge and Thrust chat while following orders. They don't seem too enthusiastic about this plan. And there's some suspicious radar blips.... Page 18: Lioconvoy, Bighorn, Apache and Kid run in in beast modes, eating another splash page. Kid looks more like a cartoon cat. Page 19: Dirge and Thrust argue, Megastorm gloats, and Kid decides running away from the tank is a good plan. Page 20-21: Especially since the big guns just fired at him. Kid is launched into the air and transforms across the top of two pages, then realizes that he's kinda high up. He panics, but Tonbotto is there to catch him. Page 22: BigMos has picked up Lioconvoy, and they fly towards the tank. Page 23: Kid and Lioconvoy fire on the tank to no real effect. Page 24: Apache and Bighorn transform and attack the tank with everything they've got. Page 25: No effect. Someone (Starscream?) mans the external defense guns and shoots Lioconvoy out of BigMos's grip. Oh no! Pages 26-27: Bighorn cranks back and fires the Buffalo Missile. Doesn't even scratch the paint. RUN AWAY! Page 28: Bighorn and Apache continue to implement the "run away" plan as Starscream(?) and BB fire on them from the eyes of the tank. Kid lets go of Tonbotto and starts to freefall. Page 29: Kid transforms in mid-air and bounces across BB's gun on his way into the tank. Apache and Bighorn run out of land and jump into the water. And it's still raining. Wet buffalo smell, ew. Page 30: Kid infiltrates the tank (and still looks more like a cat), and finds Galvatron asleep at the center, snoring. Apparently his life force runs the tank, but it takes so much out of him that he can't remain conscious. [Apparently I gave the story too much credit. Turns out that Galvatron being unconscious or drunk is a running gag in the show, even after he wakes from the initial Argonmoa Energy coma. Turns out Megastorm took advantage of one of these stupors to toss Galvatron into the tank as a fuel source... Galvy didn't know in advance he'd be doing this.] Page 31: Guess what? The tank can swim, and continues to chase Apache and Bighorn. Megastorm gloats. Page 32: Kid's demolition charges start to go off, and the tank is rocked. Another charge is shown ticking away under the water line. Page 33: Kid abandons ship very very quickly as the other charges go off, sinking the tank. Scuba and Diver look on as the head goes down face first. But it's still full of Destrons. Page 34: Everyone's floating in the water and generally pleased with themselves, then Lioconvoy shows up on a promontory. Page 35: Lioconvoy transforms to robot mode just as the tank's hatch opens. Page 36: Megastorm emerges and fires on Lioconvoy, who blocks the shots with his spinning shield. Then he pops his claws and closes the distance with Megastorm between panels. Page 37: Lioconvoy goes upide Megastorm's head with the claws. Splash page. Page 38: Wounded, Megastorm triggers the self-destruct, forcing Lioconvoy and Kid to get the heck out of Dodge. Everyone stands on the promontory watching bubbles rise. Page 39: Kid pushes Apache off the promontory. Apache recovers his balance and goes ballistic in a long shot. Meanwhile, Megastorm is nervously trying to explain things to a confused Galvatron. To be continued.