Episode Guides • G1 Production Bible • Sounds • Videos • Promos • Wallpapers • Other • Beast Wars |
Synopsis: While out for a drive, Hoist, Carly and Spike happen into a film shooting by accident. After a car chase goes wrong and Hoist rescues the stunt drivers, the Director asks him to star in his new movie. Elsewhere, Dirge is carrying an Autobot device stolen from Wheeljack’s workshop on Cybertron when he crashes into the Major Pictures lot. Megatron orders him to remain still so as not to compromise the mission and sends Astrotrain, Ramjet and Thrust to rescue their comrade and retrieve the stolen device.
Hoist, Spike and Carly arrive at the Major Pictures lot for work, only to discover that several other Autobots found out about their stardom. Powerglide, Tracks, Warpath and Sunstreaker arrive on the set, showing off and attempting to gain favor. The Director likes what he sees, but much to the Autobots’ chagrin, uses them solely for stunt work. The Autobots tell Hoist to convince the Director to give them real acting parts in the movie. The Director ignores their request and the Autobots storm off set. He then finds Dirge laying in the fake swamp on set and decides to work him into the film. No sooner do they get to work building around him, the Decepticons arrive. The Director thinks this is totally awesome and starts filming their psychotic rampage. The Decepticons then leave with the device, though Megatron reveals he has no idea what the device does. Astrotrain then tells him that they were filmed while on the set, so Megatron orders them to retrieve the film, lest they compromise their mission.
Back at Major Pictures, the Director loves the Decepticon footage so much he decides to rename the film “Attack of the Alien Robots” (leaving stars Harold Edsel and Karen Fishook very displeased) and hires the Autobots back. The Autobots are pleased with the acting parts…until they receive their cheesy costumes and hear the film’s dialogue.
Elsewhere, Spike and Carly discover that several reels of film had been stolen from the workshop. Megatron praises Starscream’s burglary until Soundwave reveals that the negative was still unaccounted for. Megatron whips the crap out of Starscream and orders the Decepticons to find the negative. Meanwhile, in order to keep the enemy distracted, Rumble rigs some special effects explosions which nearly kill the Autobots on set. In a viewing room, Spike and Carly watch a print of the negative of the missing footage and discover the Decepticons in their midst. Soundwave attacks and destroys the print, leaving the pair to hunt down the negative before the Decepticons can get it. A chase scene follows.
The chase leads them to the swamp set where Carly activates a bunch of animatronic dinosaurs to slow the Decepticons. Spike and Carly are slowed down themselves, as they discover every means of escape on the set are actually fake props. They eventually find Hoist and run into a studio building. Hoist then tricks Megatron into thinking the film negative has been destroyed by dunking Carly, Spike and the film in a vat of flesh-eating lava (holy crap!).
Megatron leaves, believing his mission is accomplished, not aware that the “flesh-eating lava” was all a fake. With the Decepticons gone, the Autobots show the negative to Wheeljack. Wheeljack laughs, as the device was nothing more than a pile of junk that never worked. The Director, impressed by Hoist’s acting skills, offers him a contract. Hoist declines, as his duty to the Autobots comes first.
Notes: The characters of Harold Edsel and Karen Fishook are obvious parodies of Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher from the Star Wars films. Karen Fishook is voiced by Susan Blu, who would later voice another Princess Leia parody: Arcee.
Errors: After the explosion on the fake rocket, Warpath’s face-plate disappears briefly. The animators at Toei weren’t too kind on the spelling in this episode, what with instances of “Tracks” being spelled as “Trucks” and “closed” being spelled “clossed”.
Transformers featured (in order of appearance): Hoist, Dirge, Starscream, Megatron, Astrotrain, Thrust, Tracks, Warpath, Sunstreaker, Powerglide, Soundwave, Rumble, Wheeljack.
Notable others: Carly, Spike, Director (first and only appearance), Harold Edsel (first and only appearance), Karen Fishook (first and only appearance).
Review: Another tongue-in-cheek episode, but sadly not one of their funniest. A few bits got a chuckle out of me, such as the Director consistently calling Hoist “Moist” and Hoist’s reaction to things like bagels and donuts. I’d also like to compliment Earl Kress on actually reading the show’s bible and assembling all the Autobot glory-hounds and self-obsessed fops for the episode instead of just selecting random characters. Overall, though, a pretty “meh” offering. Megatron’s abuse of Starscream is more ridiculous than ever, with him blaming the Air Commander for messing up things he had absolutely nothing to do with. Kind of reminded me of that scene from Family Guy where a roid-raging Peter can’t cut his steak so he punches Meg in the face for no reason.
Synopsis: The government has offered the Autobots a supply of super-fuel to test out, but in order to keep it out of enemy hands, the Autobots accompany the fuel convoy as guards. The Decepticons inevitably attack, but fail miserably in the process. Licking their wounds, Megatron figures that the reason they keep losing is because they don’t have any “wheels”. A montage of grant theft auto follows, as the Decepticons gather the best cars they can steal. Megatron then alters the cars into Decepticon drones of incredible power, dubbing them the Stunticons. Nst, Megatron takes the Stunticons to Cybertron via the Space Bridge in order to grant them with life. On Cybertron, Shockwave reveals that he has located Vector Sigma, the super computer which gave all Transformers life, however, the computer cannot be activated without the special circuit key. Before Megatron can pout, Shockwave informs him that Alpha Trio possesses the Key.
Back on Earth, Prime deduces Megatron’s scheme and realizes the urgency. He orders Omega Supreme to take him and a troop of Autobots to Cybertron in order to stop Megatron from creating more Decepticons.
Megatron attacks Alpha Trion’s workshop, demanding the Key. He is over-powered and the Decepticons steal the Key. The Autobots arrive and seek help from Trion, only to find him damaged. Ratchet, Wheeljack and Hoist repair Trion, who informs Prime of the Decepticons’ full plot. The Autobots head down into the belly of Cybertron, hot on the Decepticons’ heels.
Meanwhile, the Decepticons are having trouble with a legion of nigh-invincible Centurion Droids guarding Vector Sigma. Megatron manages to subjugate them using the Key and orders them to destroy the Autobots. They then head into Vector Sigma’s chamber.
While on the Decepticons’ trail, the Autobots happen across a storage hanger full of archaic Cybertronian shuttles. They are then attacked by the Centurion Droids. In the chamber, Megatron activates Vector Sigma and orders it to give the Stunticons personalities filled with hatred for the Autobots. The Stunticons are activated and declare loyalty to Megatron.
Back outside, the Autobots are getting creamed by the Droids. To make some time to think up a plan, they reactivate a crew of repair drones and sic them on the Droids. The drones are clobbered instantaneously. Prime sends the second batch of drones off a cliff, which the brainless Droids follow to their apparent doom. They make their way into Vector Sigma’s chamber only to find they’re too late. To counter Megatron’s new threat, the Autobots plan to rebuild the archaic Cybertronian shuttles into air warriors.
On Earth, Megatron unleashes the Stunticons who rampage all over the roads. The Stunticons then attack a military base to steal the super fuel the Decepticons were after earlier. The soldiers at the base see the vehicles without drivers and mistake them for Autobots.
Notes: Alpha Trio first appeared in “The Search for Alpha Trion” (duh). The Centurion Drones would later appear in the Japanese “Headmasters” series, though they’ll be severely depowered. Vector Sigma will become a key part of the Japanese “Headmasters” series as well as Beast Wars Neo and especially Beast Machines.
Errors: Bank robbers and teamsters wear hardhats? Oh c’mon! The lock on the door to Vector Sigma’s chamber is encrypted with Earth numbers. After heading down the hole to Vector Sigma, Optimus exclaims “It’s a miracle we survived that blast!” What blast? I didn’t see anything. So the soldiers notice that no one is driving the Stunticons, but don’t notice the Decpeticon symbols on them?
Transformers featured (in order of appearance): Warpath, Optimus Prime, Prowl, Smokescreen, Megatron, Thrust, Dirge, Ramjet, Rumble, Soundwave, Ratchet, Shockwave, Hoist, Ironhide, Omega Supreme, Blaster, Wheeljack, Alpha Trion, Ravage, Motormaster (first appearance), Dead End (first appearance), Breakdown (first appearance), Dragstrip (first appearance), Wildrider (first appearance).
Notable others: Teletran-1, Centurion Droids (first appearance), Vector Sigma (first appearance).
Review: I kind of wish they’d have gone into greater detail on the history of Vector Sigma, other than “it gave us all life”. This isn’t my favorite two-parter of the season (“Desertion of the Dinobots” holds that honor), but it’s probably second best. With the only other competition being “Dinobot Island” and “Megatron’s Master Plan”, I suppose that’s not saying much. Overall, the episode offers little substance outside of the vague concept of Vector Sigma and is mostly a blatant “Buy New Toys!” advertisement. Well, more blatant than most episodes, anyhow.
Synopsis: The Autobots follow through with their plan to create a fleet of air warriors and then take them to Vector Sigma. Alpha Trion, being a first generation creation of Vector Sigma, sacrifices himself and merges with the computer in order to activate it. Sigma grants the air warriors with life turning them into the Aerialbots. Alpha Trion, speaking from Vector Sigma, informs Prime that the Key can be used as a horrible weapon on Earth. The Autobots head to Earth to stop Megatron.
Megatron and the Decepticons, now with the stolen super fuel, are on their way back to their base when Megatron receives a notice from Shockwave informing him of the Aerialbots as well as the destructive power of the Key. Megatron is intrigued and lands to examine the Key.
On Cybertron, the Aerialbots fight their way past some leftover Centurion Droids and the Autobots leave onboard Omega Supreme, not noticing Supreme has been damaged. On the way to Earth, Prime educates the Aerialbots on the history of the Autobots. Upon landing, Supreme explodes due to his damage. Ratchet begins repairs, though things look grim for Supreme. Making matters worse, once the Autobots arrive at the military base to investigate the Decepticon attack, the soldiers fire upon them. Slingshot wants to fight but Prime orders him to stand down. Slingshot views the act of retreat as cowardice and begins to doubt the Autobots’ power.
Just then, the Stunticons arrive and engage the Autobots in battle. Seeing the Autobots fighting the Stunticons, the soldiers realize the Autobots are still good guys. The Aerialbots attack the Stunticons and prove an equal match. Motormaster pummels Slingshot, who calls for help from Silverbolt. Silverbolt freaks out and retreats. Not far away, Megatron discovers the Stunticons attacking without his command and orders them to return. Silverbolt reveals he is afraid of heights and is harassed by Slingshot. The Autobots return to base to check on Omega Supreme only to find progress is slow. To try and help him deal with his fear of heights, Prime makes Silverbolt commander of the Aerialbots. The Aerialbots skulk around the Ark, developing a distaste for both the Autobots and humanity. Slingshot orders the Aerialbots to ditch the team, leaving Silverbolt to try and bring them back.
Out in the desert, the Decepticons continue to examine the Key and accidentally discover it can turn organic matter into metal. Megatron plots to use the Key to turn Earth into another Cybertron…one square foot at a time. Teletran-1 catches wind of Megatron’s plan, leaving Prime to order the Autobots to counter the threat without Omega Supreme or the Aerialbots. Outside, Silverbolt uses reverse psychology to convince Slingshot and the Aerialbots to return to the Ark and take over. Back at base, Silverbolt shows all the positive qualities of the Autobots and humans to the Aerialbots, convincing them to return to the team.
Elsewhere, the Autobots are getting trashed by the Decepticons and the Stunticons, who are getting closer to the densely populated city of Seattle. The Aerialbots arrive and turn the tide of battle until the Stunticons unite into Menasor. The Aerialbots then combine into Superion and the combiners clash. Omega Supreme returns, repaired, and the Decepticons retreat. Silverbolt chases after Megatron, overcoming his fear of heights and destroys the Key.
Notes: The Key’s ability to turn organic matter into metal will be a key plot-point in Beast Machines.
Errors: At this rate, Megatron will conquer the Earth in only a matter of decades. I’m pretty sure the animators at Toei had no idea what Seattle looked like.
Transformers featured (in order of appearance): Optimus Prime, Alpha Trion, Blaster, Ironhide, Ratchet, Hoist, Wheeljack, Silverbolt (first appearance), Air Raid (first appearance), Fireflight (first appearance), Skydive (first appearance), Slingshot (first appearance), Megatron, Soundwave, Shockwave, Omega Supreme, Motormaster, Dead End, Breakdown, Dragstrip, Wildrider, Smokescreen, Tracks, Jazz, Menasor (first appearance), Superion (first appearance)
Notable others: Vector Sigma, Teletran-1, Sparkplug
Review: Megatron’s evil plots are usually pretty lame, but this was one of his worst. I mean, they don’t even fly into the air and zap the Earth with the Key from a distance. No, they walk aimlessly around a desert, blasting one tree at a time. However, it was pretty badass the way Menasor picked up a skyscraper and *threw* it at Superion. Wonder what the death-count on that was? Still, a pretty weak two-parter, all things considered.
Synopsis: At Decepticon HQ, Megatron orders the Stunticons to procure three components he requires, much to Starscream’s disapproval. The Stunticons split up into three teams and hit the road. At the Ark, Teletran-1 alerts Optimus Prime of the Decepticon activity. Elsewhere, the Stunticons collect the components they need: special laser lenses, an experimental generator and the world’s largest ruby. At the Ark, Teletran-1 has pinpointed all five Stunticons and the Autobots head out to stop them.
At various locations, the Autobots encounter the Stunticons and engage in battle. The Stunticons are defeated entirely then taken to the Ark and imprisoned in vehicle mode. The Autobots are uncertain what the Stunticons had planned for the components they stole, only able to divulge a location from their memory banks: a big ole crater. Using camouflage paint, Windcharger, Jazz, Sideswipe, Mirage and Optimus Prime disguise themselves as the Stunticons and head to the crater.
They arrive at the crater and seem to fool everyone but Starscream. Back at the Ark, the Stunticons escape from their cells and combine into Menasor. Menasor wrecks the joint and escapes. At the crater, Megatron has completed construction of his newest super weapon…a death ray. Just then, Menasor arrives and confuses everyone. To try and prove they’re the genuine article, the faux Stunticons merge into Menasor using Windcharger’s magnetic field. The two Menasors fight and Megatron swears to test the ray on whichever Menasor loses. The Autobots ditch their disguises and are at a serious disadvantage. Then the death ray proves unstable and self destructs. Autobot reinforcements arrive and the Decepticons retreat. As it turns out, Ironhide had made adjustments to the ruby the Stunticons stole which is what caused the death ray to explode.
Errors: Ratchet has a different voice actor throughout the entire episode. The scientist at the Republic Optics Company sees cars without drivers and naturally assumes they’re the Autobots, despite the gigantic Decepticon symbols on their hoods. During the Stunticon escape, Ratchet is drawn to be half the size of Ironhide. In tape deck mode, Soundwave can apparently fly as fast as a jet.
Transformers featured (in order of appearance): Megatron, Motormaster, Breakdown, Wildrider, Dead End, Drag Strip, Starscream, Soundwave, Ironhide, Ratchet, Optimus Prime, Wheeljack, Bumblebee, Grapple, Inferno, Hoist, Blaster, Warpath, Tracks, Hound, Sideswipe, Jazz, Windcharger, Mirage, Prowl, Trailbreaker, Huffer, Laserbeak, Hook, Mixmaster, Scavenger, Scrapper, Longhaul, Bonecrusher, Menasor.
Notable others: Spike, Teletran-1.
Review: Anything that might have been good about this episode was eclipsed by the usual ho-hum clichés that pollute the Generation 1 cartoon. I swear to God, if Megatron builds another freakin’ death ray my head will explode. The actual masquerade didn’t last very long, as the Stunticons escape from their cells almost as soon as they’re imprisoned. So that pretty much just left the death ray plot, and I already harped on that. I suppose the episode’s only real highlight is the Autobots vs. Stunticons bit at the beginning, though the Stunticons don’t fair too well. This is an altogether boring episode, to say the least.
Synopsis: In Istanbul, Megatron is violently searching for a seer known as Abdul Bin-Phizel. He eventually finds the old sage and coerces him into revealing the location of the Pearl of Bahudin. The Decepticons arrive at the location but find the Pearl is buried too deep for their sensors to locate, so Megatron figures they might as well kidnap an archeologist to do their dirty work.
In Paris, the Europa 2000, a race for charity to Istanbul, is being held with $1 million bucks promised to the winner. Several Autobots enter the race as and extra mil has been promised to the charities if they win. Then this jerkwad named Auggie Cahnay shows up, complaining they have no place in the race. The self-absorbed racer also happens to be under the protection of the Autobots (though he doesn’t know it), as his car is an experimental machine built for him by Simultech Industries and may attract Megatron’s attention. It’s also built from some sort of “weird metal”, as Wheeljack brilliantly deduces.
Back in Istanbul, the Decepticons have kidnapped Professor Terranova and forced him to locate the Pearl. As Scavenger digs up the Pearl, Soundwave returns with news of the Europa 2000. Professor Terranova uses the distraction to escape. Megatron orders the Stunticons to keep the Autobots busy. Back at the race, Cahnay is driving like a madman and endangering the other drivers. Bumblebee and Bluestreak get ticked and pull him over. Cahnay ignores their advice and keeps going. Meanwhile, the Stunticons are making short work of all the Autobots in the race. As Bluestreak enters Turkey he is attacked by the Stunticons. He happens upon Professor Terranova who explains the Decepticons’ plot.
As Auggie takes the lead, the Stunticons stop him and steal is car. Back at the dig site, Scavenger finally unearths the Pearl. Meanwhile, Bluestreak happens upon Auggie who climbs inside and takes the wheel, determined to get his car back. They reach the finish line but keep going, much to the astonishment of the announcer and the crowd. The Autobots reach Megatron who explains the origins of the Pearl to them. Apparently, it was the core of a weather machine that was on board the Nemesis when it crashed on Earth 4 million years ago. When the ship crashed, the machine was ejected and buried for millions of years. It was discovered in the 14th century but once exposed to Earth’s atmosphere it went crazy and destroyed cities. To stop it, a Persian seer built a solid gold, jewel-encrusted casing around it and had it reburied for centuries. In order to harness the Pearl’s power, Megatron needed the energy-resistant metal used to make Auggie’s car.
The Autobots ain’t havin’ none of this and attack. Bumblebee swipes the Pearl and cracks the casing, unleashing a raging thunderstorm that trashes the Stunticons. The storm goes out of control and the Decepticons retreat, leaving Menasor to take car of the Autobots. Menasor crushes the Autobots until Auggie drives his car off the edge of a cliff, jumping out at the last second as it smashes against Menasor’s face. With Menasor down for the count, Bumblebee is free to destroy the Pearl and solve the weather problems. The job finished, the Autobots are about to walk joyfully into the sunset when they realize that the entire Europa 2000 was nothing but a scheme cooked up by Megatron, and that means no money for charity. Showing a change of heart, Auggie hands over the golden casing of the Pearl and tells them to get a good price for it.
Notes: In the series “Robots in Diguise”, the character of Skid-Z was once a racecar that was driven by an Auggie Cahnay (in the Japanese version, “Car Robot”, the character’s name was Goldback, not Auggie Cahnay).
Errors: Where highly advanced alien sensors failed, Professor Terranova succeeded in locating the Pearl of Bahudin with aid from a hobby-shop metal detector. After fitting Terranova with energy shackles, Rumble leaves him right next to a device which defuses energy shackles, then all the Decepticons proceed to turn and look the other direction. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker mistake the Stunticons for normal racecars despite the giant Decepticon symbols on their hoods. The map of Europe used to show the race’s progression is so incredibly off from reality it almost hurts. I mean, if that map is accurate, France dominated Poland, Luxembourg, Belgium and a healthy portion of Germany. Did the animators at Toei live on the same planet as the rest of us? When the Pearl is shown being unearthed in the 14th century it has its golden casing, which Megatron explains wasn’t created for it until after it had first been dug up. During the final battle, Bluestreak is mistakenly drawn as Prowl for a few shots.
Transformers featured (in order of appearance): Megatron, Soundwave, Rumble, Bumblebee, Bluestreak, Tracks, Wheeljack, Smokescreen, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Scavenger , Scrapper, Motormaster, Drag Strip, Dead End, Breakdown, Wildrider, Menasor, Prowl (do’h!).
Notable others: Auggie Cahnay (first appearance), Professor Terranova (first and only appearance).
Review: Man, Auggie’s a prick. His change of heart at the end was expected, though. Doesn’t really matter, since he’s a one time character (unless you count that Easter Egg from “Robots in Disguise”) and any development on his part means nothing. I rather liked the origin of the Pearl of Bahudin, but man, a whole lot of dangerous crap got ejected from the Nemesis when it crashed, didn’t it? First the Insecticons, then the Heart of Cybertron and now the Pearl of Bahudin. Outside of that, though, the episode was pretty uneventful. It’s not one I’d watch over and over again, anyhow.
Synopsis: The Decepticons have kidnapped several of the world’s leaders and taken them to the skies. The Aerialbots give chase and after a brief dogfight with Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker, rescue the humans. Back at the Ark, the Aerialbots are swooning over the aerial combat skills of the Decepticon jets, much to the disapproval of the other Autobots. Teletran-1 alerts the Autobots to bizarre energy readings emanating from Cybertron. The Autobots board Omega Supreme and head out to investigate.
At the Decepticon headquarters, the jets are still repairing themselves after their encounter with the Aerialbots. Soundwave alerts Megatron of the Autobots departure for Cybertron. Worried that they have learned of his scheme, the Decepticons activate the Space Bridge in order to meet them there. It seems Shockwave has been building a device called a Chronosphere, a time machine, so that Megatron can steal energy from Cybertron’s Golden Age. Megatron intends to use the Chronosphere as a trap to dispose of the Aerialbots.
The Autobots arrive on Cybertron and the Aerialbots immediately sneak off to go exploring. They are quickly attacked by Starscream and co, but rather than fight back, ask if they can talk shop. Sensing an opportunity, Starscream agrees to a little chit chat. Slingshot questions whether the Decepticons are truly evil and Starscream successfully manipulates them into stepping into Megatron’s trap. Silverbolt alerts Prime of the situation because he’s a tattletaling little dork. The Aerialbots walk right into the Chronosphere and Megatron activates it, attempting to hurl them into the oblivion before time began. Prime and the rest arrive, fighting off the Decepticons and stopping the Chronosphere by damaging it. The act leaves the Aerialbots stuck in Cybertron’s Golden Age, about 9 million years ago.
In the past, the Aerialbots are wandering around and are met by a warehouse worker named Orion Pax. Pax shows them around the joint and introduces them to his best friend, Dion, and his girlfriend, Ariel. The tour is interrupted when everyone stops to gawk at these super cool new flying robots called the Decepticons. The Aerialbots are suitably impressed, all except for that little nerdlinger, Silverbolt. Megatron introduces himself to Orion Pax and asks to store his equipment in Pax’s warehouse. Pax lets him in but as soon as he does all of Megatron’s vehicles transform into warriors. Orion tries to stop Megatron from stealing the energy inside the warehouse only to have himself, Ariel and Dion mortally wounded. The Aerialbots arrive too late and find the remains of their new friends.
Back in the present, Megatron ponders a way to reclaim the Chronosphere. Shockwave happens upon an old Guardian Robot and the Decepticons rebuild it in order to tackle the Autobots. Wheeljack continues to repair the Chronosphere.
9 millions years prior, the Aerialbots drag their injured friends to a young and dashing Alpha Trion. Alpha Trion takes in Orion Pax and agrees to rebuild him entirely. After some time, Orion Pax returns…as Optimus Prime, the first in a new generation of Autobot defenders. Prime and the Aerialbots head out to battle Megatron as Alpha Trion considers what he’ll name Ariel after he rebuilds her (answer: Elita One). The Decepticons are trashing the Guardian Robots when Prime enters the battlefield. Megatron engages Prime in battle only to suffer the first of nine million years-worth of miserable losses. Despite being beaten, the Decepticons are still stealing energy from the warehouse. Silverbolt concocts a plan to thwart their robbery.
In the present, the Autobots repair the Chronosphere only to be attacked by Megatron’s headless Guardian Robot. Wheeljack sets the controls to retrieve the Aerialbots in two minutes.
Back in the past once more, the Aerialbots are fixing to detonate the warehouse once the Decepticons all enter the warehouse. They set off the explosives with the intention of sacrificing themselves in the process, only to be recalled in the nick of time by the Chronosphere. Upon returning to the future, the Aerialbots merge into Superion and trash the Guardian Robot. The Aerialbots swear vengeance upon Megatron and the Decepticons. After the bad guys flee, Optimus conveniently remembers the Aerialbots from long ago.
Notes: This episode takes place only a few weeks after “The Key to Vector Sigma”, at least according to Optimus Prime. And whose going to argue with him? No one, that’s who. In an interview on the Rhino DVD box set, writer David Wise reveals that he had originally written for Orion Pax to be decapitated with his own severed arm by Megatron, only to have censors tone down the sequence into a couple of laser blasts. The final fate of Dion is uncertain, though many fans choose to believe he was rebuilt into Ultra Magnus (who is identified as Prime’s “brother” in several other fiction sources). The Chronosphere would eventually be rebuilt and cause more trouble in the Binaltech story written by Hirofumi Ichikawa and released exclusively in Japan.
Errors: Considering the distance the hostages plummeted, landing on the wings of the Aerialbots would probably have splattered them something nasty. Starscream attempts to trick the Aerialbots into following him with dialogue along such as “You’ll see, the Decepticons are a *swell* bunch. And do we have *fun*!” Sounds like that middle-aged guy who use to hang out around my elementary school in the ice cream truck with no license plates, or the clown who lived in the sewer and would offer me balloons and candy. This episode somewhat contradicts the origin of the Transformers as revealed in “Five Faces of Darkness”, as that episode establishes that the Autobots didn’t develop the ability to transform until long after their war with the Decepticons began, but this episode supposedly takes place before the war yet all the Autobots and Decepticons are transforming. Ariel can be seen rushing to the warehouse with the Aerialbots after she’d been mortally wounded. Thundercracker is not voiced by John Stephenson in this episode. Instead of sounding like Mr. Slate from the Flintstones, he sounds like Sam Elliot.
Transformers featured (in order of appearance): Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker, Silverbolt, Slingshot, Skydive, Air Raid, Fireflight, Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Wheeljack, Ratchet, Omega Supreme, Megatron, Soundwave, Orion Pax (first appearance - TEE HEE!), Dion (first appearance), Ariel (first appearance – TEE HEE!), Shockwave, Alpha Trion, Superion.
Notable others: Teletran-1.
Review: Now this is the type of episode I like, the kind that goes into the history of the Autobot/Decepticon war. While it may contradict some of the specifics as explained in “Five Faces of Darkness”, it’s nothing a little fanon can’t cure. While Optimus Prime’s origin was a little predictable, it’s still nice that he had one. The image of Orion Pax shaking Megatron’s hand in admiration makes for a very interesting picture. And I totally dig the dark humor of the Orion Pax vs. Megatron scene, as Pax rockets into the air all dramatically while Megatron effortlessly blasts him to near death without even trying. Optimus Prime’s and Megatron’s first encounter was especially fun. Yeah, “your worst nightmare” may be one of the most clichéd lines in cinematic history, but its cheesiness kind of added an endearing quality to the moment. I do wish the history lesson could have been delivered in a method that didn’t involve a time machine, mostly because what’s to stop Shockwave from building the Chronosphere over again and killing all the Autobots in their proverbial cribs? Still, this is certainly one of the best episodes of the season and easily one of my favorites.
Synopsis: While flying through space, the Decepticons happen upon an Autobot colony on the planet Antilla that they never knew existed. The Decepticons investigate and discover the entire planet deserted. They locate a holographic warning from a decaying Autobot who warns them of a terrible curse. Megatron figures it’s a trick and that the Autobots are hiding something wicked sweet in the city. It appears he’s right, as they discover a powerful weapon called a Lightning Bug. As they leave, Megatron blasts a stray asteroid with the Lightning Bug. As it explodes, it sends a shard of rock straight through Astrotrain and directly into Megatron’s shoulder. Back at Decepticon headquarters, Starscream removes the asteroid chunk from Megatron’s shoulder, only to discover a bizarre rust covering his wound.
Elsewhere, Perceptor is being honored with a Scientific Achievement Award for inventing Corrostop, a substance which prevents rust and decay. The Autobots intend to use the stuff to coat all of Earth’s monuments, but at the present only have enough for one: the Statue of Liberty. Back at Decepticn HQ, a raspy Megatron shrouds himself in a dark room, demanding that the Decepticons kidnap Perceptor, as he is the only Transformer brilliant enough to cure his mysterious ailment.
At Liberty Island, the Aerialbots are ready to hose Lady Liberty down with the Corrostop. As they finish, the Stunticons arrive on a ferry and attack and kidnap Perceptor. The Aerialbots give chase but are blasted out of the sky by the Lightning Bug. Inside Decepticon HQ, Perceptor and his Decepticon escorts are horrified at the site of Megatron. Apparently, he is covered with a terrible rust which is causing him to rapidly decay alive. Megatron offers to surrender the Lightning Bug if Perceptor can cure him. Not given much choice, Perceptor agrees to the terms and gets busy. He eventually discovers that Corrostop cures the Cosmic Rust and gives the last of it to Megatron.
Out in space, Cosmos delivers news that there is no more of the ingredient to create Corrostop…anywhere. Doesn’t that suck? At the Ark, Megatron radios Prime and tells him that Perceptor is being released (albeit via a patented time-release death trap). The Autobots rescue Perceptor only to find him covered in Cosmic Rust. They take him back to the Ark where he proceeds to infect everyone. Making things even worse, Megatron has begun zapping the Ark with the Lightning Bug, but only with enough power to slowly roast them instead of obliterating them. Perceptor and Wheeljack manage to get a device called a matter duplicator to work in hopes of creating more Corrostop.
At Decepticon Headquarters Megatron learns that the Autobots plan to duplicate the Corrostop by scraping some off the Statue of Liberty. The Decepticons head out to destroy Lady Liberty with the Lightning Bug before the Autobots get there. A fight erupts at Liberty Island between the healthy Decepticons and the rust-covered Autobots. Superion destroys the Lightning Bug and the Decepticons retreat. Perceptor then duplicates enough Corrostop to save the Autobots.
Notes: The threat of Cosmic Rust would eventually lead to the creation of the Binaltech program in the Binaltech story written by Hirofumi Ichikawa and released exclusively in Japan.
Errors: As he sprays Lady Liberty’s torch, Gears is awkwardly given Shockwave’s colors. Sounds like an E-Hobby exclusive waiting to happen.
Transformers featured (in order of appearance): Astrotrain, Rumble, Starscream, Megatron, Perceptor, Silverbolt, Fireflight, Slingshot, Air Raid, Skydive, Optimus Prime, Wheeljack, Mirage, Ratchet, Red Alert, Ironhide, Bumblebee Gears, Jazz, Motormaster, Wildrider, Dragstrip, Breakdown, Dead End, Blitzwing, Dirge, Ramjet, Cosmos, Blaster, Inferno, Powerglide, Tracks, Hound, Beachcomber, Trailbreaker, Hoist, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Prowl, Soundwave, Laserbeak, Smokescreen, Menasor, Superion.
Notable others: Spike, Carly, Sparkplug, Teletran-1.
Review: Oh yeah, this is one of my absolute favorites. They do a great job recreating a B-horror movie. I especially like the Japanese title, “Terror of the Cosmic Rust!” Sounds like something Mystery Science Theater would make fun of. Toei actually put some effort into a few effects, particularly shrouding Megatron in darkness until he revealed his rust-ridden self. I didn’t dig the Lightning Bug, though. It was another lame “weapon of the week” and really wasn’t necessary to the plot since it pointlessly distracted from the Cosmic Rust. A great change of pace and an episode that stands up to multiple viewings. Not perfect but a highlight of the season.
Synopsis: At Decepticon headquarters, Megatron is finishing-up his newest creation; a menacing little monster of pure energy named “Kremzeek”. Kremzeek has a habit of utterly destroying any electronic devices it touches, so Megatron sets it loose at Autobot headquarters. Kremzeek runs amok, deactivating Autobots left and right, until Sparkplug comes up with a plan and coats the last remaining Autobots (Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Inferno and Blaster) with an insulating compound. Desperate to avoid capture, Kremzeek leaps into Teletran-1 and uses the Skyspy to teleport itself all the way to Tokyo; electronics capital of the world!
The Autobots take-off for Tokyo inside Omega Supreme. Meanwhile, 200 miles off the coast of Tokyo (what a coincidence), Megatron, Starscream and Soundwave are finishing the second wave of their plan: a giant energy tower. Elsewhere, the Autobots arrive in Tokyo, though Kremzeek deactivates Omega Supreme as soon as they get their. They chase the little creep all over the city, with it wreaking havoc in video game arcades and causing the bullet train to run wild. Kremzeek eventually takes refuge inside the Shibuya Manufacturing Plant and starts destroying everything in sight. The Autobots run into Dr. Yoshikawa, the Chief Engineer of the plant, and try to come up with a means to stop it. Yoshikawa recommends Blaster use radio-waves against Kremzeek, which works for a little while, but Kremzeek manages to ride the radio waves and get inside Blaster. Blaster attempts to fry the sucker with his own energy, but ends-up only powering the little guy up. Kremzeek then splits into a dozen multi-colored little monsters and things go from bad to worse.
The Autobots figure that the only way to stop the Kremzeeks now is to get them all in one place. Dr. Yoshikawa takes them to the nearest power plant and they create some high-voltage bait. All the Kremzeeks gather at the power plant, save for the original, which sneaks inside of Blaster. The Kremzeeks feed on the energy, combine and form a giant city-stomping monster. This just isn’t the Autobots’ day.
As the giant Kremzeek tears Tokyo apart, Megatron unleashes the full force of his energy tower, which drains Tokyo of all its electricity. The Autobots realize that Kremzeek was nothing more than a distraction and figure that they can use Megatron’s own weapon against him. Bumblebee lures the Kremzeek to Tokyo Tower, where they use radio signals to teleport it directly onto Megatron’s energy tower. Kremzeek destroys the tower and the Decepticons retreat. Dr. Yoshikawa and the Autobots eventually arrive at the tower by boat and use their equipment to build a large cannon. Reluctantly, they use the cannon to disperse all of Kremzeek’s energy, “killing” the monster. The Autobots return to Omega Supreme and Dr. Yoshikawa offers to help get their friend up and running again. As soon as they start to lament having to take such extreme measures against the giant monster, the original Kremzeek pops out of Blaster’s chest and starts terrorizing Tokyo again. Exhausted, the Autobots chase after the little guy once more.
Notes: While Kremzeek never appears in the cartoon again, an energy beverage appears through-out the Dreamwave comics which appears to have Kremzeek as the drink’s mascot.
Errors: Jazz talks in the wrong voice when firing upon Kremzeek. Later, Jazz is seen walking into the room with Ratchet shortly after he was just seen being deactivated. There are a lot of blond and Caucasian-looking people in Japan. The Japanese sign for “Game Arcade” uses English letters mixed with Japanese katakana, which is typically a big no-no. While sitting at the control panel of the energy tower, Starscream is shown with a faceplate for a couple scenes.
Transformers featured (in rough order of appearance): Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave, Thurst, Optimus Prime, Jazz, Smokescreen, Hoist, Ratchet, Huffer, Beachcomber, Sideswipe, Bumblebee, Blaster, Inferno, Omega Supreme.
Notable others: Kremzeek (first appearance), Teletran-1, Sparkplug, Dr. Yoshikawa (first and only appearance).
Review: A blatant comic-relief episode, and I rather like it. While Kremzeek and his Pokemon-like habit of saying his name over and over could get irritating, the Autobots’ reaction to things getting worse and worse is priceless. Like when the dozen Kremzeeks pop out of Blaster’s chest (Prime: “I’ve got that sinking feeling…”) or Teletran-1’s dialogue when Kremzeek causes him to malfunction (“Warning! Martians are invading super markets across the globe to steal Earth’s ammonia!”). And however silly this episode may be, it’s actually one of the best plans Megatron will ever come-up with in his entire cartoon career. Had he built some anti-Kremzeek safeguards into his energy tower, he would’ve won. “Kremzeek!” is very goofy (David Wise did write most of the old Ninja Turtles cartoon, so “goofy” is his strong point) but at the same time it can be very clever. Just relax and try to laugh.
Synopsis: The episode opens with a brief look at Guadal Canal, 1943, during a World War II battle which leaves several war machines of the era destroyed. Fast forward to 1985 and the battered machines are still there, albeit half buried and decaying rather badly. Down at the Decepticon HQ, Starscream is pissing and moaning over how Megatron prefers Shockwave’s services over his own. While Megatron has his back turned, Starscream blasts him at point blank and assumes him dead. Megatron is far from dead and has finally had his fill of Starscream’s treachery. Megatron blasts Starscream out cold and orders Laserbreak to exile him. Laserbeak dumps him at Guadal Canal where Starscream happens upon the ruined WWII war machines. Starscream suddenly has a brainstorm and swears to build an army of his own.
At the Space Bridge, Starscream muscles his way past Thundercracker and Skywarp and travels to Cybertron. Sneaking into a Decepticon prison, Starscream steals the personality components of several Deceptions, then kills all the remaining personality components in the cell. Back at Guadal Canal, Starscream places the components inside the ruined war machines, reconfiguring them into Transformers he dubs the Combaticons. Starscream quickly forces them into his service by revealing he has not equipped them with energy-absorbers, their only means of refueling. The Combaticons agree to follow his lead for the moment.
At a small town, Jazz and Cliffjumper are attending a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Optimus Prime statue. The Combaticons attack and take the two Autobots prisoner. Starscream celebrates his victory while the Combaticons fight amongst themselves. Starscream breaks it up and orders them to capture three more Transformers, otherwise they’ll never get their energy-absorbers.
On Cybertron, Shockwave reports of the liberation of the renegade Decepticon personality components to Megatron. Megatron believes it to be the work of the Autobots and swears vengeance. At the Ark, Teletran-1 reports the kidnapping Jazz and Cliffjumper only to be interrupted when the Decepticons attack. Megatron demands the return of the personality components of the renegade Decepticons, while Prime demands he return Jazz and Cliffjumper. Megatron gets confused, runs out of energy, gets shot and retreats. The Autobots go back inside and ask Teletran-1 for a report on the renegade Decepticons. It turns out they were political prisoners who had their bodies destroyed and their personality components imprisoned.
At a train station, the Decepticons are busy re-energizing when Starscream arrives and calls Megatron out for a showdown with his Combaticons. After a brief skirmish, the Decepticons retreat to complete re-energizing elsewhere. The Combaticons are just about through with Starscream’s leadership, but before they can dispose of him he buys them off with two more energy-absorbers, this time collected from the injured Dirge and Ramjet.
At the Ark, Optimus sends Powerglide out to scout for the missing Autobots. While at Decepticon HQ, Megatron orders the Stunticons to come to his aid, as he wants all Decepticons available to crush Starscream and the Combaticons. At the Amalgamated Water and Power plant, Starscream and friends are enjoying some energy via nipple plugs. Immediately after finishing, Megatron and the Decepticons arrive in full force. Overhead, Powerglide spots the action and reports back to Prime. The Autobots then roll-out to rescue their pals.
Back at the fight, the Constructicons merge into Devastator and overwhelm the Combaticons. The Combaticons counter by merging into Bruticus. As Bruticus pummels Devastator, the Autobots arrive and rescue their friends. Megatron attempts to retreat but Bruticus grabs him and forces him to renounce his leadership of the Decepticons. Starscream revels in his victory for all of two seconds, then the Stunticons arrive, merge into Menasor and flatten Bruticus. Starscream peers into the crater Bruticus was crushed into, only to have Megatron pop out and grab his throat. Not amused, Megatron orders Astrotrain to banish Starscream and the Combaticons to an isolated asteroid out and deep space. From his prison, Starscream swears vengeance.
Notes: Personality components are somewhat similar to the concept of sparks, the souls of Transformers, as seen in “Beast Wars”.
Errors: During the WWII flashback, the animators at Toei showed the armies fighting with lasers instead of bullets. The cells at the Cybertronian penitentiary are labeled with Earth numbers. The statue is referred to as the “Optimus Prime Memorial”. Don’t they usually only construct memorials after someone dies? Shockwave is shown on Earth with the other Decepticons after the fight at the train station. Dirge is shown back at Decepticon HQ when he’s supposed to be a prisoner of Starscream’s. Despite only having four stolen energy-absorbers, all five Combaticons are able to recharge at the power plant. Devastator switches back and forth between having a visor and individual eyes.
Transformers featured (in order of appearance): Starscream, Megatron, Soundwave, Dirge, Ramjet, Thrust, Astrotrain, Laserbeak, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Brawl (first appearance), Swindle (first appearance), Blast Off (first appearance), Vortex (first appearance), Onslaught (first appearance), Jazz, Cliffjumper, Shockwave, Optimus Prime, Gears, Bumblebee, Tracks, Powerglide, Reflector, Brawn, Rumble, Scrapper, Hook, Bonecrusher, Scavenger, Mixmaster, Longhaul, Motormaster, Drag Strip, Dead End, Breakdown, Wildrider, Ironhide, Prowl, Warpath, Devastator, Bruticus (first appearance), Grapple, Ratchet, Menasor.
Notable others: Teletran-1.
Review: Generally revered as one of the best episodes of the second season, and with good reason, as it really is quite good. After, what, 50-something episodes of watching Starscream defy Megatron, cry, get slapped, cry again and then repeat the cycle…it’s refreshing to see him take a more proactive approach. Megatron’s line “You and what army?” set the episode up nicely and the Combaticons have one of the better origins in the series. They also got some great voice actors and sound far more distinctive than the Stunticons, who all sound rather generic. I’m particularly fond of Blast Off, Onslaught and Swindle’s voices. What’s especially fun about this episode is that it’s almost entirely from the point of view of the Decepticons. Sure, the Autobots are thrown in there to rescue their friends, but they hardly interact with the Decepticons and disappear immediately after rescuing Jazz and Cliffjumper. I’m a sucker for stories that focus on the badguys. Of course, there’s the question of why Megatron would banish Starscream a second time when it obviously didn’t work the first time, but at least he’s doing more than pimp-slapping him and calling it a day.
Synopsis: From his asteroid prison, Starscream is going stir crazy. The Combaticons get sick of his whining and after an argument Starscream flees into deep space, despite not having enough energy to make it anywhere. The Combaticons add Starscream to their revenge list as Blast Off slowly by surely tows their asteroid toward Cybertron. On Cybertron, Shockwave is training his Sentinel Guards using a holographic projector. The Combaticons arrive, crush the Sentinel Guards and hurl Shockwave out into space.
On Earth, the Insecticons are running amok, devouring cities and collecting Energon for Megatron. The Autobots arrive and attack the Insecticons. The Insecticons continue to devour the city, sending thousands of humans screaming in terror as skyscrapers crumble around them. Prime alerts the Protectobots who arrive on the scene to help. At the Ark, Spike and Perceptor are giggling that there’s absolutely, positively no remote chance that the Earth could ever conceivably collide with a star.
Out in space, Shockwave smacks into Starscream and the two join forces to reclaim Cybertron from the Combaticons. On Cybertron, Onslaught is busy reconfiguring the Space Bridge to hurl the Earth into the Sun (suck it, Perceptor!) as a means to destroy Megatron and the Decepticons.
At the Earth city, the Protectobots have succeeded in evacuating all the humans. The Autobots are then free to open fire on the swarms of Insecticons. Perceptor and Spike then arrive to alert Prime that Earth is on a collision course with the Sun. With no time to lose, Prime makes a break for the Space Bridge. In order to stop him, Shrapnel steals the control box for the Bridge and flees.
On Cybertron, the Combaticons believe they are under attack by aliens when it’s all really a hologram being projected by Starscream and Shockwave. While the Combaticons are busy, Starscream and Shockwave enter the Space Bridge chamber and discover Onslaught’s reprogramming. Before Shockwave can shut it down, Starscream double-crosses him and knocks him out.
On Earth, the Autobots are frantically searching for Shrapnel and the control box. Watching from a distance, Megatron suddenly receives a call from Starscream. Starscream tells him to hand over leadership of the Decepticons or he’ll let the Earth fry. While Starscream is busy, the Combaticons discover the hologram projector. Down on Earth again, Megatron orders Ramjet and Dirge to find Shrapnel and the control box so they can get off the planet. Back on Cybertron, Shockwave wakes up and scuffles with Starscream. The Combaticons then enter the building and throw the pair into jail cells.
Hey, guess what, we’re back on Earth again. Fires are breaking out all over the place as the planet draws ever nearer to the Sun. Both the Autobots and the Decepticons track the Insecticons to a parking garage and regain the control box. It’s badly damaged, so both Prime and Megatron donate the parts needed to repair it. Both teams take the Space Bridge to Cybertron and encounter the imprisoned Starscream and Shockwave. Megatron reluctantly releases Starscream and then engages in battle with the Combaticons. Out numbered, the Combaticons merge into Bruticus and even the odds. Starscream reveals that Bruticus has three weak spots on his back; hit them all and he deactivates. As Prime knocks Bruticus out, Sideswipe reverses the course of the Earth and returns it to normal. Megatron then destroys Bruticus and lets the Autobots return to Earth. After the Autobots leave, it is revealed that the Bruticus that was destroyed was only a holographic projection. Megatron reprograms the real Bruticus to obey only him, and allows Starscream back into his ranks for helping defeat the giant combiner.
Notes: Starscream and the Combaticons were banished and imprisoned after the events of “Starscream’s Brigade”.
Errors: What are the odds of Shockwave smacking into Starscream out in the infinite of space? During the final battle, Vortex orders the Combaticons to merge in Onsalught’s voice. As Sideswipe returns the Earth to its original orbit, the screen shows it far too close to the Sun for any living thing on the planet to have possibly survived. A giant solar flare licks the planet, for crying out loud. At the end, Sideswipe is not voiced by Michael Bell.
Transformers featured (in order of appearance): Starscream, Onslaught, Blast Off, Swindle, Vortex, Brawl, Shockwave, Shrapnel, Bombshell, Kickback, Megatron, Thundercracker, Dirge, Optimus Prime, Prowl, Sideswipe, Tracks, Ramjet, Streetwise (first appearance), Groove (first appearance), First Aid (first appearance), Blades (first appearance), Hot Spot (first appearance), Perceptor, Powerglide, Ratchet, Dirge, Inferno, Red Alert, Sunstreaker, Skywarp,
Notable others: Spike.
Review: A pretty good follow-up episode, all things considered. I really got a kick out of seeing the swarms of Insecticons leveling a human city with people running and panicking and skyscrapers crumbling around them. A really great visual and shows how great a threat the Insecticons can be. The ending is a bit too clean and tidy, with Megatron inviting Starscream back equating to nothing but a colossal “Reset Button”. Still, this is the Generation 1 cartoon we’re talking about, here. While not as strong as the previous episode, it’s still a good episode with some very nice animation. If this had had a “part 1/part 2” tagged onto it, it would easily rank as my favorite multi-parter of the season.
Synopsis: At a bazaar in a Middle Eastern country, a young boy attempts (successfully) to steal the tire off a beat-up old car. A strange man then drives in and begins hauling out scrap parts as the boy watches from behind a pile of scrap. Up above, the Aerialbots are investigating the disappearances of several aircraft in the area. Silverbolt receives a distress signal from a nearby canyon, but as soon as the Aerialbots enter they are ambushed by the Combaticons. The Combaticons make short work of the Aerialbots until Optimus Prime and some Autobot reinforcements arrive on the scene. The Deceptions flee, though Sligshot is rendered buried alive after an attack from Blast Off. The Autobots fish Slingshot out of the rubble and take him to an airforce base for repairs. Ratchet puts Slingshot back together, though his weapons remain offline due to damage. While waiting, Skydive comes up with an idea to catch the plane-nappers. Skydive and Slingshot decide to stay at the base by themselves pretending to be regular jets in the hopes of catching the thieves red handed.
That night, the plane-nappers arrive and disassemble the two Aerialbots. Before they can radio for help, the thieves remove their transmitters and haul them off, leaving the two Autobots on their own. Back at the bazaar, the thieves decide that the Cybertronian jet parts are too complex to use to make cars and choose not to use them. The leader of the thieves (Ali), apparently in cahoots with Swindle, heads off with the Aerialbot remains. The young boy from earlier notices the suspicious transaction and decides to tag along. He sneaks inside the truck and encounters the two Aerialbots. The Aerialbots mistake him for a thief and attempt to apprehend him, only to discover that after transforming they are only torsos and heads. The boy identifies himself as Hassaan and explains that he wants to take Ali down as much as they do. The Aerialbots consent to a team-up.
At a royal palace, Megatron is radioed by Ali who informs him that the parts needed for Megatron’s drone airforce are on the way. Via convenient exposition, Megatron explains that Ali had deposed Prince Jamal, the former resident of the palace, and teamed with the Decepticons in order to take over the Middle Eastern oil fields and the riches they contain. Blast Off inspects Skydive and Slingshot but deems them “junk” and orders them to be taken away. Hassaan secretly repairs the two Aerialbots, giving Slingshot a grill from Prince Jamal’s Rolls Royce.
Outside, Ali’s workers are putting the finishing touches on Megatron’s ultimate weapon…a giant purple robot griffon monster…thing. Hassaan goes to investigate while Skydive radios for help from the rest of the Aerialbots. Help arrives and Megatron orders the drone jets to attack, not noticing Hassaan sneaking inside the griffon. Without his weapons, Slingshot is unable to help the Aerialbots battle the drones, though Hassaan notices the weapons console needed to repair him inside the griffon. Megatron orders Rumble and Frenzy to activate the griffon. Desperate, Slingshot attacks the Combaticons without any weapons. Hassaan retrieves the necessary weapons console and installs it in Slingshot.
The Combaticons combine into Bruticus and take the upper hand, at least until Fireflight arrives and the Aerialbots merge into Superion. Megatron attacks with the griffon only to have the beast completely destroyed by a well placed kick from Superion and sent hurtling into an oil field. Superion then separates into the Aerialbots, who ignite the oil and comically blast the Decepticons over the horizon. Back inside the fortress, Ali has been apprehended by the Aerialbots and confesses everything. Hassaan then comes onto the scene and reveals he is actually Prince Jamal. Slingshot then worries that Jamal will want the grill from his Rolls Royce back, but Jamal allows him to keep the bling. Bros before hos and all that.
Notes: This episode initially aired before “Starscream’s Birgade”, but due to the presence of the Combaticons would place it after “Revenge of Bruticus”, continuity-wise.
Errors: So Skydive and Slingshot just *let* themselves get chopped up into parts, radios and all? At a military inspection point, the soldiers looking through Ali’s trucks for anything suspicious but don’t even notice the gigantic Decepticon symbol on the hood of Ali’s jeep (Swindle). Similarly, Blast Off doesn’t notice the giant Autobot symbols on the two jets he inspects. After the defeat of the griffon, Ali says “Megatron, you promised me world domination” then proceeds to scream in Megatron’s voice.
Transformers featured (in order of appearance): Swindle, Silverbolt, Slingshot, Skydive, Fireflight, Air Raid, Onslaught, Brawl, Vortex, Dirge, Blast Off, Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Jazz, Hoist, Megatron, Ramjet, Rumble, Frenzy, Bruticus.
Notable others: Hassaan/Prince Jamal (first and only appearance), Ali (first and only appearance).
Review: A pretty boring episode, but it is a rather nice bit of character development for Slingshot. He’s previously been shown to think very little of humans and what-not, so having him show actual concern and a bond of friendship with one adds a tiny speck of depth to his otherwise forgettable character. The animation in this episode was also pretty sweet. Not “Microbots” sweet, but still pretty good. At least during the fight scenes. Megatron’s evil griffon is one of the lowest notes of his career and you’d wonder why he’d bother building something that could be defeated with such relative ease. Is he even trying anymore?
Synopsis: Bruticus is out terrorizing a city for about ten seconds, only to be scrapped by Defensor in a single blast. Swindle escapes destruction, though his Combaticon comrades aren’t so lucky. Swindle then goes to barter spare parts from a known terrorist. At Decepticon HQ, Megatron is running a simulation of a new device that can adjust the Moon’s orbit, allowing them to control Earth’s tides so they can flood canyons and create power sources of their own or something. Needing the Combaticons, but unable to find them, the Decepticons retrieve Swindle. Apparently, instead of bartering for scrap to repair his comrades, he just sold them for spare parts. Not amused, Megatron places a bomb inside Swindle’s head. Unless he reassembles Bruticus in 15 hours, his head goes kablam! Swindle gets crackin’ and collects all the parts, reassembling the Combaticons. However, he was unable to find Brawl’s personality component and the Combaticons are still unable to merge. Megatron tells Swindle to find Brawl’s personality component or die.
At Benjamin Franklin Pierce High, two punk kids (Martin and Roland) are given a mandatory assignment to win a blue ribbon at the school’s science fair or else fail their science course. They are paired with the hideous nerdlinger Elyse, much to their dismay. While watching the Protectobots quench a fire, the trio decides to build a robot for the science fair. They scrounge through a scrapyard for spare parts and unknowingly walk away with Brawl’s personality component. Building the robot, they decide to call it the Biotronic Operational Telecommunicator, or “BOT” for short.
They complete BOT (who looks like an overweight LEGO man) and install Brawl’s personality component. BOT goes completely berserk and tries to kill everyone. BOT escapes and the kids decide to call the Autobots for help. Prime gets the message and sends Ironhide, Bumblebee and Gears to check it out. At the scrapyeard, Swindle interrogates the owner and learns about the three kids who took Brawl’s personality component.
The Autobots arrive at the high school and encounter BOT. BOT beats the crap out of them and runs away. Swindle finds BOT first and retrieves Brawl’s personality component. Brawl is brought back online and Megatron continues with his crazy scheme. Back at the high school, the kids are looking through BOT and discover the personality component missing. They decide to go find it by tracking its brainwaves…just because. Hacking into Brawl’s personality component, they listen in on Megatron’s dastardly plan and discover he intends to test the orbit disrupter on the Ark.
The kids warn the Autobots just in time. Megatron attacks the Ark but the Autobots are ready for him. The Decepticons and Autobots are at a stalemate, leaving the trio of kids to send BOT in by remote to sneak up to the orbit disrupter. BOT hijacks the orbit disrupter, causing it to explode and send all the Decepticons flying. The Autobots thank the kids for their help in defeating the Decepticons. Elyse asks for some spare parts to rebuild BOT. Mortified, Martin and Roland gag her with duct tape and drag her away.
Errors: Brawl’s personality component looks nothing like it did in “Starscream’s Brigade”. The doors and hallways at the high school are big enough to fit three Autobots.
Transformers featured (in order of appearance): Onslaught, Brawl, Vortex, Blast Off, Swindle, Bruticus, Defensor (first appearance), Starscream, Megatron, Skywarp, Soundwave, Hot Spot, Blades, Groove, Streetwise, First Aid, Gears, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Wheeljack, Bluestreak, Prowl, Thundercracker, Ramjet.
Notable others: Martin (first and only appearance), Roland (first and only appearance), Elyse (first and only appearance), Teletran-1.
Review: What a terrible way to end a season. They couldn’t have tried any less. The three high school kids are some of the worst humans I’ve ever seen in a Transformers show, with Elyse being so offensively ugly I bet Kiss Players wouldn’t touch her with a ten foot pole. The thought of Swindle selling his comrades for spare parts is kind of funny, but it gets relegated to a brief montage sequence. Even after being rebuilt, the Combaticons don’t seem to really care what happened to them. Heck, most of them don’t even talk. A very poor episode and an even poorer note to end a season on.
| Season Two, Part 1 | Transformers Episode Guide | Scramble City |