Too Close (Enough) for Comfort

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Planet Terry in Too Close (Enough) for Comfort The Saga of Princess Ugly part 2
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Published in	The Transformers issue 21
First published	29th June, 1985
Writer	Lenny Herman (uncredited)
Pencils	Warren Kremer (uncredited)
Inks	Jon D'Agostino (uncredited)
Colours	Peter Kremer (uncredited)
Letterer	Grace Kremer (uncredited)
Editor	Sid Jacobson (uncredited)
Executive editor	Tom DeFalco (uncredited)
Editor-in-chief	Jim Shooter (uncredited)

"In a ticklish situation!"

Synopsis

Equipped with a vibro-compass given to him by the Gorkels, Planet Terry and his friends make headway through the planet's impenetrable forest, aided ably thanks to Omnus's great skill in uprooting trees. Robota offers to take over when he needs a break, but is appalled that Omnus considers it work best suited to a man. Terry tells them to stop bickering, and Robota is quickly distracted when she spots a cute little parrot. Terry has no cracker for "Polly", so he instead offers the bird a space cookie. The grateful parrot takes the cookie and flies away...

Reaching the Domed City, the parrot changes into a vulture that Vermin the Vile addresses as Scavage. He tells his master that, as per the prophecy of the book, alien creatures are approaching to rescue Princess _(shudder) Ugly. Deciding to check that the princess still sleeps and that his control over the planet is maintained, Vermin radios down to his dungeon guard. He does not get a clear answer to his question of whether the princess is still sleeping, as the guard is unable to hear him over her loud snoring. Vermin then moves to put some obstacles in the path of his alien adversaries, crossing over to a large computer console called the Mayhem Maker.

Terry and friends come to a break in the heavy woodlands, their only hindrance being a handful of hanging vines that Omnus reckons he'll make short work of. As he tries to swipe them, all three heroes are ensnared by the plants, which reveal hands at the end of each stem. As Terry and Omnus are tickled into submission, the vines prove ineffective on Robota, and she snaps herself free before using her robot ray beam to rescue Terry and Omnus. As Terry thanks her, Robota remarks that she had the last laugh.

The gang presses on, but halts as the ground underneath them begins to shake. A volcano spontaneously appears out of the ground, erupting with molten lava. It's Omnus's turn to come to the rescue, first grabbing a vine and then his two companions to swing them all to safety. When Terry says that someone mustn't want them to reach the Domed City, Omnus growls that he'd like to meet that someone.

Their next obstacle appears to be a simple stream. Terry deploys an aqua-analyzer, which bobs on top of the gentle water and tells him that it is only two feet deep and absent of hostile life forms. The three of them wade in, unaware that they are being watched by Vermin. The villain pulls a lever on the Mayhem Maker and the placid water suddenly froths up into a whirlpool. Spinning rapidly, the vortex launches them out into an aquatic prison Terry calls a bubble cell.

The bubble cell lands at the outskirts of the Domed City, where Vermin is there to welcome them personally. With the citadel visible now that Vermin has lifted the mist, Terry asks why the city is so named if it has no dome, but his question is dismissed by Vermin, who reckons it must have been written "in that dumb book of the Gorkels!" Terry refuses to recognise Vermin's authority over Princess _(shudder) Ugly, but Vermin shuts him down; as they have trespassed to the Domed City, they are under arrest – and she is under a rust! Vermin laughs evilly as Terry and Omnus gasp at Robota, who is succumbing to rapid onset oxidisation...

Featured characters

Planet Terry's crew	Antagonists	Incidentals
Planet Terry Robota Omnus	Vermin the Vile Scavage	Dungeon guard

Quotes

"Anytime you need a break, Omnus, I'll be glad to take over!"
"Huh? Haw haw! Best you leave this work to a man, miss!"
"Why, you egotistical big ape!"

—Robota and Omnus on equal rights in the workplace.

Vermin: "Dungeon guard! Does the princess still sleep?"
Guard: "What?"
Vermin: "I said, does the princess sleep?"
Guard: "WHAT?"
Vermin: "IS THE PRINCESS SLEEPING?"
Guard: "I can't hear you!"
Princess Ugly: Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z
Guard: "The princess sleeps too soundly!"

"Domed City? There is no dome! Why is it called the Domed City?"
"Who knows? It must have been written in that dumb book of the Gorkels!"

—Terry asks a question of Vermin the Vile.

Notes

Planet Terry issue 2 on Marvel Database, an external wiki

Original printing

• Planet Terry issue 2, 22 January 1985

As originally published, each issue of Planet Terry contained multiple separately-titled but interconnected chapters. "Too Close (Enough) for Comfort" is the second of three chapters from the second issue.

As it was originally published in the same book as "The Saga of Princess Ugly", "Too Close (Enough) for Comfort" carries no credits for its creative team, meaning they are uncredited by The Transformers.

Edits

• Pages 1-3 and 8-9 are printed in black and white.

Artwork and technical errors

• "Aqua-analyzer" is an American English spelling left unedited.

Continuity notes

• Each of the dangers faced by Terry and his crew were listed by a Gorkel in "The Saga of Princess Ugly" – with the exception of the "terror vines", which are called "tickle vines" by Robota here. Close enough!

Real-life references

• The title is a Gorkel spin on the phrase "too close for comfort".
• In disguise as a parrot, Scavage says "Polly wants a cracker".