The Capture of Comrade Boris

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Robo Machine featuring The Challenge of the GoBots Annuals
CotG1987Anya.jpg
The Capture of Comrade Boris
Publisher World International Publishing Limited
First published Autumn 1986
Cover date 1987
Writer Uncredited
Artist Uncredited
Printed in Robo Machine featuring the Challenge of the GoBots Annual 1987

A criticism of the Communist regime that greatly contributed to the fall of the Berlin wall.

Synopsis[edit | edit source]

CotG1987-36.jpg

In Siberia, Boris Bulkanikov is piloting Anya Turgenova through a snowstorm to investigate strange rumours surrounding Russia's new Project-X, where the workers have claimed to have seen a dinosaur. Bulkanikov, a typical Soviet martinet type, is sceptical but Anya's scientific background makes her more inclined to believe there could be dinosaurs floating around. Before their high-level theological argument over whether Communism is more powerful than archaeology could conclude a huge monster emerged from the tundra and directed a jet of fire at their plane. Bulkanikov attempted to steer the plane away but the mechanical creature simply swallowed them.

Meanwhile back on the non-evil side of the Iron Curtain the Enemy Invaders are attacking the Command Centre. However, Battle Suit - manned by Flip Top, Dumper, Night Ranger, Hans-Cuff, Road Ranger, Turbo and Nick Burns - soon turned the battle against the Renegade trio, driving Vamp, Pincher and Scorp back. Even when the Enemy Invaders start lobbing telegraph poles it doesn't slow Battle Suit down. However, it is checked when Cop-Tur and Crasher arrive - with Anya and Boris as their hostages, towed on a railway truck by Loco. Boris believes the whole thing to be a Western trick and rants about reporting basically everyone to the Kremlin until Crasher tells him to shut his filthy red mouth while Cop-Tur threatens to crush the pair of Russians in his mighty claw unless the Guardians surrender Battle Suit. As the pressure grows Anya tries to tell Turbo not to give in, while Boris is more concerned that Anya seems to be on first-name terms with a dirty robot capitalist. Turbo agrees with the Renegades before the humans are crushed to death, but as he's dealing with Cop-Tur as soon as the dumb Renegade sets Boris and Anya down he simply doesn't hand over Battle Suit, instead ordering the pair to run for shelter in a nearby tunnel. Battle Suit then easily overwhelmed the Renegades, using the gun arm to blast Loco while Nick and Turbo flattened Crasher. The Renegades ran for it, allowing Anya and Boris to emerge from the tunnel unharmed.

Turbo then used Battle Suit to fly them back to Russia, and on the way Boris is still banging on about reporting everyone to Moscow - until Anya points out no-one would believe the crazy events, presumably referring to just how stupid Cop-Tur is. After some thought he realises she is right, but does angle for being allowed to have a go on the controls of Battle Suit to seal the deal.

Featured characters[edit | edit source]

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Notes[edit | edit source]

Continuity notes[edit | edit source]

  • After a four-story build up Zod is finally revealed in incredibly undramatic fashion.

Animation and technical errors[edit | edit source]

  • The text refers to Cop-Tur having knuckles right under a huge picture showing he has nothing of the sort.

Trivia[edit | edit source]

  • It cannot be emphasised how colossally stupid Crasher and Cop-Tur are at the handover, getting absolutely no assurances that Turbo will actually hand over Battle Suit before they release Boris and Anya. It's not really an error per se as both have a history of being that dumb, though you do wonder why Cy-Kill leaves them to run this operation without adult supervision.
  • Anya refers to Turbo as transforming into a "Japanese car", which is technically true.
  • Cy-Kill is mentioned but does not appear.
  • While the bulk of the Guardians - and Nick - bravely battle the Enemy Invaders, Leader-1 just watches passively from the Command Centre. Which is completely in character.