The Transformers
(guía de cómics)

17 - The Smelting Pool !

¡ El pozo de fundición !

	Guión:	Bob Budiansky
	Dibujo:	Don Perlin
	Entintado:	Keith Williams
	Letra:	Janice Chiang
	Color:	Nel Yomtov
22 páginas

Resumen:

In the city of Polyhex on Cybertron, Blaster fights off a Decepticon raider while waiting for an Autobot spy called Scrounge. Scrounge, snooping near the Decepticon base Darkmount, is searching for a neutralist scientist called Spanner. Using his wire-guided microphone and video-recording fingers, Scrounge discovers that the Decepticons have received a strange transmission, and have kidnapped Spanner as a result. But as he retreats, Scrounge accidentally trips an alarm; he manages to send a brief message to Blaster before being captured by the Decepticons.

Blaster, failing to make contact, eventually returns to Autobot headquarters. The other Autobots are dubious about Scrounge's findings, but Blaster convinces Perceptor to give him one chance to rescue the spy.

Scrounge is taken to Straxus, the Decepticon governor of Polyhex, but refuses to reveal what he had learned. In response, Straxus destroys Scrounge's left arm and orders him to be thrown into the smelting pool.

In Polyhex, the Autobots question the Empties (non-combatants) for information. When they learn that Scrounge was captured, Blaster continues to look for him, even though the other Autobots assume he is dead.

Blaster is soon captured by the Decepticons. He is tossed into the smelting pool, but saves himself by catching a ledge. He then finds Scrounge, half-melted and near death. The other Autobots -- Warpath, Powerglide, Seaspray, Cosmos, and Beachcomber -- suddenly arrive to rescue Blaster. Scrounge, wounded beyond repair, refuses to be rescued. Instead, he gives his findings to Blaster, then throws himself into the pool for a quick death. Blaster takes out some revenge on the Decepticons, and then the Autobots escape.

Back at Autobase, Perceptor decodes the transmission. It is from Soundwave (sent in issue #10) and tells about Earth, Megatron, Optimus Prime, and the other Autobots and Decepticons. This information renews the Autobots with hope.