Pretender to the throne!

• Writer - Bob Budiansky
• Penciler - Jose Delbo
• Inker - Dave Hunt
• Lettering - Bill Oakley
• Colorist - Nelson Yomtov
• Editor - Daley Don
• Editor in Chief - Tom Defalco

Summary

  At Alternate Realities, Inc., whiz-kid Ethan Zachary wiles away his free time by playing games with his electronic friend, Optimus Prime. Optimus does not remember much about his past, and thinks that he is a character playing in Zachary's games. Ethan, determined to bring Optimus back to reality, searches his memory banks to test his recollection. News about a Decepticon attack on a genetics lab draws blanks from Optimus, and their attempts to contact the Ark fails. When they find an image of Buster Witwicky, Ethan uses his computer to dial every Witwicky entry in the phone book. Ethan finds Sparkplug and calls for help, but Sparkplug is still brooding over his sons' involvements with the Transformers, and abruptly disconnects him.

  On the Autobot Headmasters' spaceship, the Steelhaven, Spike reveals that he had planted a bug in Sparkplug's telephone (from touching the wire last issue), and knows about Ethan's phone call. Goldbug volunteers to investigate; he soon makes contact with Ethan, who fills him in about Optimus' current condition. In an effort to bring Optimus back to normal, they send him to break into the computer system at the genetics lab, disguising it as a "game."

  Optimus breaks into the system, and finds that it is being used by Scorponok and the Decepticons to develop Pretenders. Optimus' presence is detected, but he records the data and escapes. Optimus realizes that the Autobots need their own Pretenders, and Goldbug suggests that the Steelhaven's facilities can be used. Several Autobots volunteer for the process and are quickly converted. Meanwhile, the Decepticons have tracked Optimus Prime back to Alternate Realities. The Decepticon Pretenders attack, but are stopped by the Autobot Pretenders, and a fight breaks out.

  Watching the battle through Goldbug's optics, Optimus successfully leads the Autobots in their battle. But then, due to a glitch in Goldbug's systems, a transmission error occurs, and Optimus loses contact. The Autobots start to get clobbered, and Scorponok projects himself into the computer to confront Optimus. But Optimus defeats Scorponok and knocks him out of cyberspace, and Scorponok quickly orders the Decepticons to retreat.

  After the battle, Optimus admits that he is feeling like a true leader -- and then asks Ethan when the next game will start...

  Information provided by Jim H. Lee.

  Gathered from Robert A. Jung Transformer page

Summary

  The cover was labeled "At last! The return of Optimus Prime!"

  Optimus Prime was destroyed in issue #24.

  The Pretenders premiered in this issue are Iguanus, Bombust, Submarauder, Skullgrin, Bugly, Finback, Landmine, Cloudburst, Waverider, Groundbreaker, Sky High, and Splashdown.

  The Autobot Pretenders, who stand twenty to thirty feet tall, have human forms and features. It might not sound like much of a disguise, but when the Decepticons first see them, they think the Pretenders are just very big humans. Guess there's no I.Q. test to join the Decepticons...