Transformers/Back to the Future Comic Gets a Creative Team, Story & Cover Details

You'd be lucky to get Gigawatt, the DeLorean Transformer created by NBC Universal and Hasbro, for under $100 right now on eBay, but if you want to read the story that inspired the toy, your luck will be a lot better: this afternoon, IDW Publishing (holder of both the Transformers and Back to the Future comics licenses) announced details about their previously-teased Transformers/Back to the Future crossover miniseries. The four-issue comic will be written by Cavan Scott (best known for his work on IDW's Star Wars Adventures, and feature art by Juan Samu (who works with the publisher on their Marvel Action title, Black Panther). The comic is set to lauch in October.

Per the official description, in the first issue, Marty McFly returns from the adventure of a lifetime to a new, better Hill Valley… that is, until Marty and his friend Doc Brown's time machine attracts the attention of the Decepticons. With one small mistake, Marty finds himself once again thrust into action to unravel a Decepticon plot in the past, present, and future... now with the help of a new converting time machine, the Autobot called Gigawatt!

"When I was asked to write the official crossover comic, I could only shout 'Great Scott' and dive in," Scott said in a statement.. "It's the perfect fit. Both Transformers and Back to the Future are packed with adventure, humor, and (most importantly) heart. Plus, it gave me a chance to play with multiple Transformers timelines, harkening back to some of my favorite Transformers storylines of the '80s, while also bringing in elements of all three Back to the Future movies. Look out for classic characters, both human and Cybertronian, and a few surprises along the way!"

"All my life I have waited for this moment!" Samu added. "This amazing project, apart from being an authentic journey through time for me, has brought out my inner child in every scene. The Autobots, Decepticons, Marty, and Doc are so iconic that I feel super-excited to be able to draw them! Thanks to IDW, NBC Universal, and Hasbro for giving us this opportunity!"

Transformers / Back to the Future #1 will be available with multiple cover variants for retailers and fans to enjoy, including Cover A by series artist Juan Samu, Cover B by Phil Murphy (Star Trek vs. Transformers), and two Retailer Incentive editions -- one illustrated by Dan Schoening (Transformers / Ghostbusters: Ghosts of Cybertron), and a second featuring a photo of the hotly anticipated Autobot Gigawatt toy, which sold out within hours of being listed on the Walmart website.

Timed to the announcement of the Transformers / Back to the Future miniseries, IDW Publishing is partnering with the Fleet Science Center of San Diego for "The Science of Back to the Future," a discussion of science and science fiction hosted by Comic-Con International as part of their Comic-Con@Home programming schedule. Posting online tomorrow at 3 p.m. PT, the panel will showcase Cavan Scott and Juan Samu as guests to discuss their work on the upcoming crossover, alongside panelists John Barber; Saura Naderi, Outreach Director at the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute at UC San Diego; Dr. Lisa Will, Fleet Science Center Resident Astronomer; and moderator Andrea Decker.