MACABRE
Appearances:
UK Transformers
#88 (Target: 2006 Epilogue)
Quote:
"They all treat me with contempt. After today, that'll change!"
Alt-Mode:
According to the letters' page of issue #98 he transformed into "a bat-winged air current glider." Whatever that is.
Description:
I used to have the issue he appeared in and let me say, I felt robbed by this character. His purpose was simple: dispose of Impactor. This would in turn allow the Autobot Triple-changers to become the higher-ranking Wreckers, with Springer in the lead. It would also add a more dramatic ending to the Target:2006 story than just 'the Decepticons went home'. However, I still felt robbed.
Macabre was a generic Transformer who'd never been seen before and who looked, frankly, fairly pathetic. Now if he'd LOOKED like a real Transformer, and had perhaps been introduced a little earlier in the story, one wouldn't have felt so robbed. Because he wasn't specifically among the Decepticons the Wreckers wanted to kill (as seen in earlier issues) it makes his appearance there all the more annoying.
Ok, ok, enough ranting, I think I've worked through my childhood trauma now. Most of you are just going, "Yes, but who the hell IS this Macabre jerk?" Some are probably saying, "You're full of crap, Macabre wasn't THAT bad." The rest of you are probably going, "I don't even know who IMPACTOR is..."
Well obviously you're never going to know who Impactor is if you haven't followed the hyperlink to his entry on this site, are you?!
Err. I think that's enough of me yelling for now, I'll just go into the biography shall I?
Biography:
Macabre is, was, and always will be, a strange entry into the Decepticon chronicles. He was a Decepticon who lacked the respect of his comrades. He'd tagged along with the nine Decepticons who were lured into the trap known as Operation: Volcano. Volcano's purpose was simple: lure some of the Decepticon's best warriors into a trap, and annihilate them. This would signal that it was time for a mass Autobot uprising. Cybertron would be retaken!!
Macabre wasn't one of the Decepticons they were trying to lure. He just tagged along to try and prove himself, by killing Emirate Xaaron.
The problem was, just as the Decepticons were about to fall into the trap... they left. Megatron called them back, especially the Insecticons and Skyraiders, to help him on earth.
Indirectly Megatron's pig-headedness stopped the Autobot uprising! But it also really annoyed Macabre.
He stayed behind, hell bent on killing Emirate Xaaron (who was the trap's bait, and who Macabre seemed to have some inexplicable grudge against), and proving himself. No matter what Megatron said, he'd stay behind and make it a solo mission if he had to.
He snuck into the complex where they were going to be trapped, then blasted his massive-big cannon at Emirate Xaaron. Luckily for Xaaron, Impactor saw the attack coming and pushed Xaaron out of the way, taking the blast for him.
As Impactor lay dying Macabre jumped out from his cover and howled loudly at being denied Xaaron's death (despite the fact that he could have just fired again...), all the Autobots present responded: blowing him to smithereens in an impressive display of firepower and anger. And that was the end of Macabre.
So, yes, Macabre killed Impactor, first leader of the Wreckers. (At least, he killed him the first time...)
Tech Specs/TFU:
All I can think of is that Macabre MIGHT have a nice big firepower. As I've said before, and will definitely say again (as I accidentally wrote the 'toy' section first and know what's going to be in it), Macabre has a really big gun. Few Transformers have a gun that massive in proportion to their body. Only really Megatron (toy version) that I can think of.
No, Galvatron's gun is not THAT big in proportion to his body. So don't bug me and say it is.
It isn't.
So there.
Toy:
Macabre was never a toy, and thank god! He was this random mish-mash of relatively decent features and really stupid features. He's like a list of Pro's and Cons.
Pro: He has those cool, Scourge-like Bat Wings.
Con: His limbs are freakin' pipes.
Pro: He has those cool red horns and spikes.
Con: He's got so many he looks overdone.
Pro: He has a REALLY big gun.
Con: He has a giant M on his tummy because he often forgets his name.
Over All:
I felt robbed! I still do! But I don't hate this guy like I once did. Taken in the context of the story he's annoying. Target: 2006 is such a hard-hitting, fast-paced, kick-butt story, that Macabre is something of an anti-climax. But taken in isolation, Macabre is not too bad.
He's a pathetic Decepticon, who's clearly trying to overcompensate for the fact that other Decepticons look down on him. But why do they look down on him? Because he's quite clearly stupid.
Sure, he has a big gun, but a big gun is no good if you're stupid.
I mean, he kills Impactor, leader of the Wreckers. At this point, he should be running off to tell his friends. Sure, it's no Emirate Xaaron, but is IS the Leader of the Autobots' most powerful strike force. But instead, Macabre chucks a tantrum (no the Predacon...). He gets all upset, because he didn't get to kill Xaaron. In the process he reveals himself to the Autobots, and then he's dead.
If he'd had any brains he would have gotten out of there as fast as possible. Okay, no one would BELIEVE that he killed Impactor (any more than they'd have believed it if he'd killed Xaaron), but at least it would have been a story to tell.
Ahhh well.
UK Issue #88
Image 1 (Already on this page.)
Image 2 A shot of Macabre's profile. Monzo thinks he has an over-ornamented head. I suppose he does.
Image 3 Another close-up of Macabre's face. This time from front on.
Image 4 An okay full-body shot. Shows of Macabre's pathetic nature, and the big 'M' on his tummy.
Image 5 Macabre prepares to shoot Emirate Xaaron.
Image 6 (Already on this page.)
Image 7 (Already on this page.)
Image 8 (Already on this page.)
