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Power Surge (episode)

2012-09-18T15:38:39Z

151.207.242.4: /* Synopsis */

{{episode
|series=BW
|ep=6
|image=Power Surge Terrorsaur pointing.jpg
|caption=Uncle Terror wants '''YOU'''.
|title="Power Surge"
|airdate= [[September 25]], 1996
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|written by=[[Larry DiTillio]]
|directed by=[[Nicholas Kendall]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity= [[Beast Wars continuity]]
|packaged with=[[Waspinator (BW)#Beast Wars Telemocha Series|Waspeeter]]
}}

'''Terrorsaur discovers a cache of energon on a floating mountain that gives him enough power to overthrow Megatron.'''

==Synopsis==
A wild and free bird majestically soars through the air, experiencing the wonders of aviation as it feels the wind flow around its proud wings. The bird explores its domain with a grace and sincerity and deliciousness. The lattermost attribute is of interest to a hungry [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]], who quickly swallows the bird as a snack.

[[Image:Power Surge Floating mountain.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Maybe it's made of very light rock?]]
Terrorsaur discovers a [[flying mountain|massive mountain elevated into the sky]]—defying gravity. Flying closer, he discovers the mountain houses an incredible cache of [[energon]]. To check the energon's stability, he transforms into his robot mode, at the risk of having raw energon radiation harm his circuits. When he tries to take a sample for study, bolts of pure energy surge though him, greatly enhancing his abilities. Naturally, the first thing the overcharged [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] does is fly back to his base to overthrow [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. Luckily, [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] also finds the airborne crag, and watches Terrorsaur leaving at top speeds.

[[Image:Power Surge Megatron down.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Gold Plastic Syndrome that later toy incarnations of Megatron would suffer being eerily anticipated by the show itself]]
Outside of the [[Darksyde|Predacons' crashed ship]], Megatron shows his troops some newly installed territorial defenses. Terrorsaur arrives, and flowing with power, immediately announces that he's taking over the Predacons. Megatron obviously disagrees, and the two fight, but the pumped-up Terrorsaur easily blasts Megatron over the edge of a cliff, where he lands in pieces. With the remaining Predacons under his control, Terrorsaur announces the [[Maximal]]s are his next target. Cheetor, having followed Terrorsaur from the floating mountain, perceives the new developments as bad news.

Before he can lead the final battle against the Maximals, Terrorsaur finds his new charge has a short life and he must return to the floating mountain to reinvigorate himself. [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] follows in secret, eager to steal the source of Terrorsaur's new capabilities. [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] is left alone with [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], so the two begin to re-assemble and repair Megatron.

Cheetor rushes back to the [[Axalon (BW)|Maximal base]] and scrambles onto the bridge, where he spits out an incoherent sequence of words vaguely relating to the current crisis. Giving explanations a second try, Cheetor explains the story thus far to his fellow Maximals. [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] concludes that the floating mountain isn't totally scientifically impossible, given enough energon. [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] and [[Rattrap]] prepare to destroy the entire island.

[[Image:Power Surge Terrorsaur Primal.jpg|left|200px|thumb|The Gutbuster Workout doesn't prove to be quite what Primal thought.]]
A weakened Terrorsaur flaps back to the island; on the ground, Tarantulas climbs a webline up to the suspended formation. Optimus and his cargo, Rattrap, arrive moments later. The two watch Terrorsaur re-charge his systems. To give Rattrap time to plant the explosives, Optimus Primal engages Terrorsaur in an airborne chase. Primal swiftly dodges most of what Terrorsaur fires, but eventually is hit by his [[Optic weaponry|optic blasts]]. He lands to deliver the finishing blast to Primal, who is now trapped in his beast mode thanks to energon buildup. But before a final shot can be fired, Terrorsaur's energon enhancements run out again, and he is forced to go for another recharge, promising to return to finish Optimus.

[[Image:Power Surge Optimus Rattrap jump.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Fly my pretties!]]
Rattrap meanwhile, has been tussling with Tarantulas, the two of them staying in their Beast Modes as they wrestle. With a toss of mud, Rattrap blinds Tarantulas and the spider blindly runs off the side of the mountain to the ground far, far below. Rattrap is passed by the flapping Terrorsaur, and concludes that Optimus Primal must have lost their bout. Terrorsaur, meanwhile, discovers the timed charges Rattrap left, and flees in panic without recharging.

The explosives detonate, causing the energon crystals to collapse and explode. Before the ground loses form, Optimus arrives to carry Rattrap away from annihilation. With his ratty companion, Optimus Primal swan dives off the exploding alp and somehow the two survive thanks to Primal grabbing onto a tree.

Terrorsaur, no longer having the mountain's resources to rely on, returns to base to meet a very, very angry repaired Megatron.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (2)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (7)
*[[Rattrap]] (8)
*[[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (9)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] (1)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (3)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (4)
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (5)
*[[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] (6)
}}

==Quotes==
"Terrorsaur, you treacherous worm. I'll finish you forever!"
:—'''Megatron'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s famous last words.

"Well?" 
"Well what?" 
"If you're second in command, what is your command?" 
"..."
:—'''Waspinator''' and '''Scorponok'''. Be patient, Waspinator.

"Demolition charges?! Th..They'll blow this mountain to PIECES!"
:—'''Terrorsaur''' realizing the source of his energon addiction is coming to an explosive end.

"You do know... that was crazy." 
"Eh, sometimes crazy works. By the way, you did good up there!" 
"Eh, you weren't so bad yourself. But, er...don't tell anybody I said so!"
:—'''Rattrap''' witnesses '''Optimus Primal''' coin his motto.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* Tarantulas shoots a line up to the floating mountain and begins scurrying up it—yet the mountain is revolving. What is his line anchored to?

===Transformers references===
* Terrorsaur eating the bird in the beginning of the episode may be alluding to his on-package [[bio]], where it is said that he "ingests entire flocks of birds by flying opened mouthed through their flight pattern". He apparently didn't have much of an appetite in this case.
* When Optimus Primal and Rattrap are flying to the mountain, Rattrap complains that if he wanted to fly, he'd have chosen a [[Optimus Primal/toys| bat]] as an altmode.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''L'Énergie d'Énergon'''" ("The Energy of Energon")

:*''Title:'' "'''Surcharge'''" (Canada, "Overcharge")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Sete di potere per i Biocombat'''" ("Thirst for Power for the Biocombats")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kūchū Sanmyaku Dai Bakuha'''" (空中山脈大爆破, "The Aerial Mountain Explodes")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 5|5 November]] [[1997]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Surto de Energia'''" ("Power Surge")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Descarga de Energía'''" ("Power Discharge")

===Trivia===
* [[Insecticon (BW)|Insecticon]] was at one point slated to join the cast of the ''Beast Wars'' TV show. A remnant of this can be found in the script to "Power Surge" on [[Ben Yee]]'s website, where it is noted most of Insecticon's intended lines (including the ''"If you are second in command, what is your command?"'' exchange with [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]]) were transferred to [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]].<ref>CHANGES FROM 1ST DRAFT TO FINAL - The Only Change is the removal of Insectacon {{sic}}. Some of his lines have gone to Waspinator. Changes are marked with an asterisk. - ''Power Surge'' script notes.</ref>
* This is the only episode in the entire series where Waspinator has actual dialogue and doesn't get damaged in some way, shape or form. That and the fact he doesn't use his normal tic of referring to himself and others in the third person are probably explained by his role originally being meant for Insecticon, as above.
* The Predacon [[Autogun]]s are introduced in this episode.
* Megatron's line "I thought you already learned your lesson about challenging me, Terrorsaur" suggests that this isn't the first time Terrorsaur has tried to openly seize leadership of the Predacons. Some possibilities are that this episode was meant to be set after "Double Jeopardy" (the absence of the Predacon [[Autogun]]s in that episode would seem to reinforce that), that Megatron has found out about the attempted coup in "Equal Measures", or simply that Terrorsaur did something before the series started.
* Rattrap plays holographic cards. According to the [[Cybertronix]] text, he's playing old maid.
* Dinobot is mentioned but does not appear.
* Tarantulas's interest in the floating mountain's energon is the first glimpse at his treacherous nature.
* After Terrorsaur informs the rest of the Predacons that "Megatron is scrap," he adds Megatron's practically patented "Yeess".
* When charging on the unstable energon, Terrorsaur appears to flicker in and out of existence. That can't be good.
* When indicating where he saw the floating mountain, Cheetor points to a location in North America.
* A 'Con that wants to overthrow his leader? Where have we seen [[Starscream (G1)|this]] before? (In a twist on the usual formula, ''none'' of the 'Cons take his coup seriously and happily bring Megatron back when he's not looking.)
* When Terrorsaur sees the newly repaired Megatron, his entire body changes from red to white in complete terror.
*The concept of energon crystals supercharging a Transformer would be used again as an explanation for [[Transformers: Beast Wars Diorama Story#TM-SP Character Data File|the DX Convoy and DX Megatron toys]] in the ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Telemocha Series|Telemocha Series]]'' being of a much larger size than the other toys.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Convoy Disappeared ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2001 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 1 ([[Universal]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 2 ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Maximal Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — English and Japanese audio.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 1 ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete First Season (Rhinomation) 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes — Where the Beasties Began! ([[Alliance Atlantis]]) — English and French audio. 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — The Complete First Season (Alliance Atlantis) — English and French audio. 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]
[[category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:Pack-in material]]

Power Surge (episode)

2012-09-18T15:37:09Z

151.207.242.4: /* Synopsis */

{{episode
|series=BW
|ep=6
|image=Power Surge Terrorsaur pointing.jpg
|caption=Uncle Terror wants '''YOU'''.
|title="Power Surge"
|airdate= [[September 25]], 1996
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|written by=[[Larry DiTillio]]
|directed by=[[Nicholas Kendall]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity= [[Beast Wars continuity]]
|packaged with=[[Waspinator (BW)#Beast Wars Telemocha Series|Waspeeter]]
}}

'''Terrorsaur discovers a cache of energon on a floating mountain that gives him enough power to overthrow Megatron.'''

==Synopsis==
A wild and free bird majestically soars through the air, experiencing the wonders of aviation as it feels the wind flow around its proud wings. The bird explores its domain with a grace and sincerity and deliciousness. The lattermost attribute is of interest to a hungry [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]], who quickly swallows the bird as a snack.

[[Image:Power Surge Floating mountain.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Maybe it's made of very light rock?]]
Terrorsaur discovers a [[flying mountain|massive mountain elevated into the sky]]—defying gravity. Flying closer, he discovers the mountain houses an incredible cache of [[energon]]. To check the energon's stability, he transforms into his robot mode, at the risk of having raw energon radiation harm his circuits. When he tries to take a sample for study, bolts of pure energy surge though him, greatly enhancing his abilities. Naturally, the first thing the overcharged [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] does is fly back to his base to overthrow [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. Luckily, [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] also finds the airborne crag, and watches Terrorsaur leaving at top speeds.

[[Image:Power Surge Megatron down.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Gold Plastic Syndrome being anticipated by the show itself]]
Outside of the [[Darksyde|Predacons' crashed ship]], Megatron shows his troops some newly installed territorial defenses. Terrorsaur arrives, and flowing with power, immediately announces that he's taking over the Predacons. Megatron obviously disagrees, and the two fight, but the pumped-up Terrorsaur easily blasts Megatron over the edge of a cliff, where he lands in pieces. With the remaining Predacons under his control, Terrorsaur announces the [[Maximal]]s are his next target. Cheetor, having followed Terrorsaur from the floating mountain, perceives the new developments as bad news.

Before he can lead the final battle against the Maximals, Terrorsaur finds his new charge has a short life and he must return to the floating mountain to reinvigorate himself. [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] follows in secret, eager to steal the source of Terrorsaur's new capabilities. [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] is left alone with [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], so the two begin to re-assemble and repair Megatron.

Cheetor rushes back to the [[Axalon (BW)|Maximal base]] and scrambles onto the bridge, where he spits out an incoherent sequence of words vaguely relating to the current crisis. Giving explanations a second try, Cheetor explains the story thus far to his fellow Maximals. [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] concludes that the floating mountain isn't totally scientifically impossible, given enough energon. [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] and [[Rattrap]] prepare to destroy the entire island.

[[Image:Power Surge Terrorsaur Primal.jpg|left|200px|thumb|The Gutbuster Workout doesn't prove to be quite what Primal thought.]]
A weakened Terrorsaur flaps back to the island; on the ground, Tarantulas climbs a webline up to the suspended formation. Optimus and his cargo, Rattrap, arrive moments later. The two watch Terrorsaur re-charge his systems. To give Rattrap time to plant the explosives, Optimus Primal engages Terrorsaur in an airborne chase. Primal swiftly dodges most of what Terrorsaur fires, but eventually is hit by his [[Optic weaponry|optic blasts]]. He lands to deliver the finishing blast to Primal, who is now trapped in his beast mode thanks to energon buildup. But before a final shot can be fired, Terrorsaur's energon enhancements run out again, and he is forced to go for another recharge, promising to return to finish Optimus.

[[Image:Power Surge Optimus Rattrap jump.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Fly my pretties!]]
Rattrap meanwhile, has been tussling with Tarantulas, the two of them staying in their Beast Modes as they wrestle. With a toss of mud, Rattrap blinds Tarantulas and the spider blindly runs off the side of the mountain to the ground far, far below. Rattrap is passed by the flapping Terrorsaur, and concludes that Optimus Primal must have lost their bout. Terrorsaur, meanwhile, discovers the timed charges Rattrap left, and flees in panic without recharging.

The explosives detonate, causing the energon crystals to collapse and explode. Before the ground loses form, Optimus arrives to carry Rattrap away from annihilation. With his ratty companion, Optimus Primal swan dives off the exploding alp and somehow the two survive thanks to Primal grabbing onto a tree.

Terrorsaur, no longer having the mountain's resources to rely on, returns to base to meet a very, very angry repaired Megatron.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (2)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (7)
*[[Rattrap]] (8)
*[[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (9)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] (1)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (3)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (4)
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (5)
*[[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] (6)
}}

==Quotes==
"Terrorsaur, you treacherous worm. I'll finish you forever!"
:—'''Megatron'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s famous last words.

"Well?" 
"Well what?" 
"If you're second in command, what is your command?" 
"..."
:—'''Waspinator''' and '''Scorponok'''. Be patient, Waspinator.

"Demolition charges?! Th..They'll blow this mountain to PIECES!"
:—'''Terrorsaur''' realizing the source of his energon addiction is coming to an explosive end.

"You do know... that was crazy." 
"Eh, sometimes crazy works. By the way, you did good up there!" 
"Eh, you weren't so bad yourself. But, er...don't tell anybody I said so!"
:—'''Rattrap''' witnesses '''Optimus Primal''' coin his motto.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* Tarantulas shoots a line up to the floating mountain and begins scurrying up it—yet the mountain is revolving. What is his line anchored to?

===Transformers references===
* Terrorsaur eating the bird in the beginning of the episode may be alluding to his on-package [[bio]], where it is said that he "ingests entire flocks of birds by flying opened mouthed through their flight pattern". He apparently didn't have much of an appetite in this case.
* When Optimus Primal and Rattrap are flying to the mountain, Rattrap complains that if he wanted to fly, he'd have chosen a [[Optimus Primal/toys| bat]] as an altmode.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''L'Énergie d'Énergon'''" ("The Energy of Energon")

:*''Title:'' "'''Surcharge'''" (Canada, "Overcharge")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Sete di potere per i Biocombat'''" ("Thirst for Power for the Biocombats")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kūchū Sanmyaku Dai Bakuha'''" (空中山脈大爆破, "The Aerial Mountain Explodes")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 5|5 November]] [[1997]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Surto de Energia'''" ("Power Surge")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Descarga de Energía'''" ("Power Discharge")

===Trivia===
* [[Insecticon (BW)|Insecticon]] was at one point slated to join the cast of the ''Beast Wars'' TV show. A remnant of this can be found in the script to "Power Surge" on [[Ben Yee]]'s website, where it is noted most of Insecticon's intended lines (including the ''"If you are second in command, what is your command?"'' exchange with [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]]) were transferred to [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]].<ref>CHANGES FROM 1ST DRAFT TO FINAL - The Only Change is the removal of Insectacon {{sic}}. Some of his lines have gone to Waspinator. Changes are marked with an asterisk. - ''Power Surge'' script notes.</ref>
* This is the only episode in the entire series where Waspinator has actual dialogue and doesn't get damaged in some way, shape or form. That and the fact he doesn't use his normal tic of referring to himself and others in the third person are probably explained by his role originally being meant for Insecticon, as above.
* The Predacon [[Autogun]]s are introduced in this episode.
* Megatron's line "I thought you already learned your lesson about challenging me, Terrorsaur" suggests that this isn't the first time Terrorsaur has tried to openly seize leadership of the Predacons. Some possibilities are that this episode was meant to be set after "Double Jeopardy" (the absence of the Predacon [[Autogun]]s in that episode would seem to reinforce that), that Megatron has found out about the attempted coup in "Equal Measures", or simply that Terrorsaur did something before the series started.
* Rattrap plays holographic cards. According to the [[Cybertronix]] text, he's playing old maid.
* Dinobot is mentioned but does not appear.
* Tarantulas's interest in the floating mountain's energon is the first glimpse at his treacherous nature.
* After Terrorsaur informs the rest of the Predacons that "Megatron is scrap," he adds Megatron's practically patented "Yeess".
* When charging on the unstable energon, Terrorsaur appears to flicker in and out of existence. That can't be good.
* When indicating where he saw the floating mountain, Cheetor points to a location in North America.
* A 'Con that wants to overthrow his leader? Where have we seen [[Starscream (G1)|this]] before? (In a twist on the usual formula, ''none'' of the 'Cons take his coup seriously and happily bring Megatron back when he's not looking.)
* When Terrorsaur sees the newly repaired Megatron, his entire body changes from red to white in complete terror.
*The concept of energon crystals supercharging a Transformer would be used again as an explanation for [[Transformers: Beast Wars Diorama Story#TM-SP Character Data File|the DX Convoy and DX Megatron toys]] in the ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Telemocha Series|Telemocha Series]]'' being of a much larger size than the other toys.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Convoy Disappeared ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2001 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 1 ([[Universal]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 2 ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Maximal Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — English and Japanese audio.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 1 ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete First Season (Rhinomation) 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes — Where the Beasties Began! ([[Alliance Atlantis]]) — English and French audio. 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — The Complete First Season (Alliance Atlantis) — English and French audio. 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]
[[category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:Pack-in material]]

Knockoff

2011-06-07T12:24:54Z

151.207.242.4: /* Knockoff companies */

[[Image:Bootleg.jpg|right|273px|thumb|Super Combination Robot B/O 17-in-1. One just sold for $350 on Ebay. Feel free to throw up in your mouth a little.]]
A '''knockoff''' is a product similar or identical to a product of one company, but made by another without the authorization of the original maker. In the ''Transformers'' fandom, the term is commonly abbreviated '''KO'''. The term '''bootleg''' is also sometimes used as a synonym.

==What's a knockoff?==
Not all transforming robots from makers other than [[Hasbro]], [[TakaraTomy]], [[Bandai]], or other major toy makers are knockoffs, but those toys which wholly or partly duplicate pre-existing designs are well-qualified for the term. The term is also applied by fans, however, to some robots whose design was entirely original with the manufacturer, if said manufacturer is commonly associated with knockoffs, or if this maker's products are often sold in company with knockoffs.

Whether an original design, modified, or slavishly copied, knockoffs are often cheaper than the products of major toymakers. However, the quality of knockoffs is often poorer than that of the originals, including bad plastic quality, bad sticker application, and bad paint applications. Odd colors, excess chrome, resizings, and modifications are common. The world of knockoffs is a strange land of gigantic chromed swords, Gundam/[[Brave (franchise)|Brave]] card art, and wacky packaging translations.

==Legal analysis of knockoffs==
Despite myths to the contrary, most ''Transformers'' knockoffs are illegal. In HASBRO BRADLEY, INC. v. SPARKLE TOYS, INC., 780 F.2d 189 (2nd Cir. 1985), the Second Circuit granted an injunction on Sparkle Toys' Jumpstarter knockoffs, where Hasbro showed a likelihood of success for infringement of their copyright in the Jumpstarters toys.<ref>[http://www.law.cornell.edu/copyright/cases/780_F2d_189.htm http://www.law.cornell.edu/copyright/cases/780_F2d_189.htm]</ref> For those not law literate, this basically means that (A) Hasbro held a valid copyright in the Jumpstarters, and (B) Hasbro had a strong enough case that this would have gone to a jury, which would ultimately decide whether there was infringement.

Although Hasbro and Takara's design patents on ''Transformers'' toys expire after 14 years from issuance, their copyright in ''Transformers'' toys lasts for 95 years from publication, i.e., sale to the public. Thus, while the design patents on some ''Transformers'' toys have expired, the copyright protection on all ''Transformers'' toys is still in effect. For useful articles, such as a reconfigurable toy, copyright protects only those expressive elements that are separable from the function. While a transformation is probably not protectable because it is functional, the overall look of the robot or alternate mode is protectable. Thus, while a heavily remolded knockoff that only retains the transformation of the original toy may avoid infringement, a toy that is only resized or is only painted in different colors would infringe Hasbro and Takara's copyright regardless of the slight modification.

==Availability of knockoffs==
Knockoffs were a real problem in the mid-1980's. As the majority of the line came from [[Diaclone]] and [[Micro Change]] toys that had been released in Japan a year or two earlier, Hong Kong bootleggers had plenty of time to copy the molds. Because of this, there were bootlegs on the shelf at the same time as their legitimate Hasbro counterparts. Some bootlegs even preceded their Transformers counterparts like [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]]. To combat this, the [[rubsign]] was developed, made with a patented technology that was difficult (at that time) to forge. There was also an accompanying TV ad campaign is which Optimus Prime and Megatron stress brand loyalty by stating, "We are the only ones that have the right to wear [ [[Autobot]] & [[Decepticon]] symbols ]."

Through most of the 1990s, knockoffs were relatively difficult to find in the West. Many fans had luck finding them at flea markets, hole-in-the-wall non-chain toy stores, or discount stores like [[wikipedia: Big! Lots|Big Lots]]. Some knockoff transforming robot toys did show up in chain toy stores, such as the Convert-A-Bots [[Sky Garry (ROC)|Sky Garry]] and Tek Toys ''Voltron'' I—both widely available at Toys R Us—but they were few and far between.

In the 2000s, knockoffs became more accessible. The Kidi Toys gestalt knockoffs were widely available at Family Dollar and [[Kay Bee]] Toy Liquidator stores, and saturated [[eBay]]. Happy Well knockoffs took up shelf space next to Transformers Armada toys at [[Wal-Mart]]. And of course, the realistic counterfeit G1 toys were also widely available on eBay from any number of different sellers. More recently, high end counterfeits have been harder to find on Ebay and can only be found on sites like ioffer or kotoys.com.

==Hasbro's intervention (or lack thereof)==
To date, Hasbro apparently has taken few actions against knockoff manufacturers. Only a couple of cases exist from the 1980s in which Hasbro shut down a ''Transformers'' knockoff operation, and no such cases exist from the 1990s onward. Hasbro's ''Transformers'' design director [[Aaron Archer]] was once quoted as making a comment at [[BotCon]] implying that Hasbro was unconcerned with knockoffs.{{fact}} Strangely, Hasbro recently contacted small online toy store AgesThreeAndUp and told them to take down their knockoff listings. At [[BotCon 2008]], [[Greg Lombardo]] read an official Hasbro policy discouraging fans from purchasing knockoffs — even in the main dealer room just a few yards away — and vaguely threatening future legal action against their producers. In May 2008, eBay began taking down auctions for knockoff Transformers (the high end counterfeits in particular), but it's unclear whether this was Hasbro's doing or not.<ref>http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/other-news-20/knockoff-transformers-auctions-being-pulled-from-ebay-165004/</ref>

==Knockoff companies==
Certain knockoff companies have become notable over the years for one reason or another:

* Four Star - Known during the 1980s for taking any number of ''[[Diaclone]]''-descendant [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] molds and making massive [[Retool|retools]] of them, usually changing 75% of the mold or more. They are especially known for "Mr. Hardhat", a [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] bootleg that is made up of six entirely changed [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] that combine in an entirely different way. The fully combined form uses [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]'s head. Despite only being known to exist during the '80s, previously unknown Four Star bootlegs seem to appear every few years, bringing into question exactly how many figures they retooled and how these figures were distributed to stay hidden for so long.

* Tek Toys - A North American company that appeared in the early to mid-1990s and did business almost exclusively through Toys "R" Us. They pioneered the combination card/windowless box design used by many, many bootlegs to this day. Tek Toys also used a distinctively plain graphics style on their packaging, eschewing the usual random ''Gundam'' and ''Generation 1'' graphics for new airbrushed art or, surprising for a knockoff company, CGI models, almost always against a plain white background. Tek Toys also worked in extremes, either having recolored copies of existing figures or all new original figures that may or may not have been procured from smaller Asian companies (often times Leader Shine). In a bold move, Tek Toys had their office address printed on later boxes. Their new box graphics are still recycled by other knockoff companies to this day.

[[Image:JBootleg.jpg|right|180px|thumb|On your knees, Jumpstarters! Kneel before your living GOD!]]
* Leader Shine (AKA Champion Crown) - Known during the 1990s for bootlegging the living hell out of the [[Jumpstarter]] molds, producing clones, minor retools, major retools, and almost unrecognizable retools. They also produce "original" toys whose transformation schemes are derived from either ''Transformers'', the ''Brave'' series, or ''Power Rangers''. They still release new and varied Jumpstarters to this day. Leader Shine is also responsible for the very ''[[Godzilla]]''-themed knockoff of [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] that reappears every few years. They also have an amusing habit of putting "Pat. P." (Patent Pending) on almost all of their packages in spite of whether their product is a direct copy or completely changed. It is not known how many, if any, patents Leader Shine actually holds. However under the trade names "Leader Shine" and "Champion Crown" there are no patents held.

* Happy Well - One of the most prominent knockoff companies from the mid-2000's, Happy Well was bold enough to strike a contract with Wal*Mart, CVS Pharmacies, and Walgreen's, making them possibly the first company to have a knockoff "name brand", namely the "Galaxy Defender" series. Happy Well uses relatively high-quality materials, and most of their products are boxed. Some even come with sticker sheets and [[die-cast]] parts. They have since created their own properties and shy away from bootlegs, their "Roadbots" line was the only direct competitor to the ''[[Alternators]]'' line of licensed scale transforming cars.

* Zhong Jin, aka Playcenter<ref>Zhong Jin/Playcenter was first identified as the manufacturer of the knockoffs in September 2007, when fans noticed pictures of most of the current counterfeit G1 knockoffs on their [http://china.alibaba.com/company/detail/playcenter.html Alibaba supplier website], including then-upcoming counterfeits like Warpath. Apparently aware of this, Zhong Jin took down images of all their counterfeit Transformers from the website in October or November.</ref> - The first and primary manufacturer of the high-quality counterfeit ''Generation 1'' knockoffs. Zhong Jin has been making their counterfeit Transformers since 2005, starting with Beachcomber, but in 2007 began greatly increasing their range of counterfeit ''Generation 1'' knockoffs, which now includes at least 47 different G1 Transformers, filling in many of the gaps left by the official reissues. They have also done many plastic/paint variants of their knockoffs, including many clear plastic versions.

* Kidi Toys<ref>[http://www.toysghost.cn Kidi Toys' web site]</ref> - Perhaps best known as the manufacturer of the many low-quality ''Generation 1'' gestalt gift sets. Following Zhong Jin's lead, they briefly produced a couple realistic counterfeit ''Generation 1'' knockoffs ([[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]], and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. Among their other notable knockoffs are [[Alternator]] figures with new or copied paint schemes of reasonable quality. They are the knockoff company responsible for the infamous fake Metroplex Encore Reissues, which deceived major online Transformers stores.<src>http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-toy-discussion/199973-what-heck-encore-12-metroplex-i-got-tfsource-fake.html</src>

* Citi Toys - Based in Thailand, the same company that was producing toys for McDonald's Happy Meals was also producing knockoffs of transforming robots in the late 1990's, albeit mostly ''Brave'' and ''Power Rangers''. After news leaked out that they used child labor, new knockoffs with their "CT" logo stopped appearing, which suggests that the child labor scandal caused them to shut down.

* Agglo is a Hong Kong based company that has produced numerous Transformers knockoffs over the years. Their products have ranged from knockoffs of ''Generation 1'' figures, to ''Beast Wars'' and Japanese Beast Wars characters and even ''Robot Masters'' and ''Generation 2'' Cyberjets. They are notable for giving their lines rather long names, one of their Beast Wars KO lines being "Space Warriors Transformable Beast Tech Fighter". They are one of the primary suppliers to the American ''Big Lots!'' stores and generally use their toy molds until they are virtually destroyed, as evidenced by their bootlegs of a number of Leader Shine products which have been retooled to have fewer and fewer parts as time goes by.

* iGear produces down-sized and remolded knockoffs of Masterpiece Transformers toys.

==Countries that produce or once produced knockoffs==
Most knockoffs originate outside of North America and Europe. Although most knockoff-producing countries have joined the Berne Convention and have thus obligated themselves to protect the copyrights of other countries, lax enforcement has allowed manufacturers in many foreign countries, such as China, to continue to produce knockoffs. However, manufacturers in other countries like South Korea, which was once a huge source of knockoff ''Transformers'', have in the last decade made efforts to legitimize themselves by buying the rights to produce official Korean versions of the toys they had long been copying.

[[Image:SENDTHEBOOKS.jpg|right|180px|thumb|SEND THE BOOKS!]]
* [[China]] — The main source of the world's Transformers knockoffs and notorious for their use of gigantic blister cards. Although they are typically low quality, such as the combiner gift sets produced by Kidi Toys, it is also the home of Playcenter, the high quality counterfeit ''Generation 1'' toy manufacturer. China has signed the Berne Convention obligating them to protect foreign copyrights, and has enacted legislation to do so, but their enforcement remains at a pitifully weak level. China is currently the main source of the world's Transformers knockoffs.

* [[South Korea]] — Was once a hotbed of Transformers knockoff activity. It was not uncommon in South Korea for there to even be animated series, like ''[[Inferno (G1)|Phoenix King]]'', that incorporated multiple knocked-off properties, such as [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] fighting a Gundam or any other number of famous characters. Hilariously, "Gundam" was so embedded in the South Korean public psyche as a synonym for "giant robot" via these different bootleg outlets that the ''Gundam'' property owner Sunrise's attempts to trademark the word were entirely rejected by the courts<ref>[http://www.comipress.com/article/2006/10/28/938 http://www.comipress.com/article/2006/10/28/938] Gundam and Giant Robots in South Korea</ref>. Some Korean knockoff manufacturers took great liberties with Transformers molds, such as significantly increasing their size[http://www.pleasesavemerobots.com/scrambledcity/skorbia/skorbydestrong.html], and/or retooling their alt modes to resemble completely different vehicles.[http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=17850203&uid=5138952] South Korea is known for such knockoffs as oversized Combaticons, Overlord with Starsaber's face, multiple Power Master Optimus cab knockoffs, and the white Oversized ''Generation 2'' Optimus Prime (the legitimacy of which has been debated). Since the mid-/late-1990s, South Korea has begun enforcing foreign copyrights and is no longer a major source of knockoff Transformers toys.

* Taiwan — Known for knockoffs with a lot of English text on them and higher quality than Chinese knockoffs. Many Taiwanese knockoffs found their way into Italy in the 1980s and 1990s and can often be spotted on Italian eBay. Gig, the official ''Transformers'' licensee in Italy, even imported a Taiwanese knockoff [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. Like South Korea, Taiwan is no longer a major source of knockoffs.

==Transitional companies==
[[Image:AlphaBaseRobot.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Oh, hi. I cost more than a [[Mint in sealed box|MISB]] ''G1'' Overlord. Want to touch me?]]
[[Image:TrendmastersMasterbotix.jpg|right|180px|thumb|AND I'LL FORM THE HE—oh, wait.]]
Although remarkably rare, some knockoff companies eventually venture into legitimate toy design territory. One such example is Trendmasters, which started out (arguably) as a knockoff manufacturer before eventually legally securing the [[wikipedia:Voltron|''Voltron'']] license. Happy Well has also shifted its focus from knockoffs to original Transforming robots in their Roadbots, X-Bot and V-Create lines.

Another such company was Korean knockoff manufacturer Academy. Academy is known for releasing the Overlord knockoff with Star Saber's head as well as the huge, up-sized ''Gundam'' Cloth MK-II. In the world of plastic scale models, they were also known for producing low-quality knockoffs of Japanese manufacturer Tamiya's kits with copied box art. Academy has since gone legit, legally acquiring such licenses as ''Gundam'', ''Naruto'', ''Tom and Jerry'', and ''Zoids''.<ref>[http://www.academy.co.kr/character/index.html http://www.academy.co.kr/character/index.html]</ref>

==High quality ''Generation 1'' counterfeits==
Starting around 2005, high quality ''Generation 1'' knockoffs began to appear on eBay. Originating from a company called Zhong Jin in China, both the packaging and toy of the knockoffs look nearly identical to the original. Unlike normal knockoffs, these sell for remarkably high prices. Since 2005, many counterfeit ''Generation 1'' products have surfaced from Zhong Jin, including Optimus Prime, Minibots, Cassettes, Autobot cars, Devastator, Dinobots, and Gnaw. Zhong Jin also has produced many color and plastic variants of their knockoffs, such as translucent versions, which were never previously released (and some of which that were, like Jafcon Black Optimus Prime). A second knockoff company, Kidi Toys, briefly produced high end G1 knockoffs as well.

The counterfeit ''Generation 1'' toys remain extremely controversial because they are virtually indistinguishable from the originals. This situation raises concerns about unscrupulous dealers selling bootlegs as genuine articles and scrupulous ones unknowingly doing the same. It's also a further infringement on Hasbro's intellectual property rights, since these fakes infringe not only the copyrights on the toys, but also the trademarks on the packaging.

Counterfeit ''Generation 1'' parts, stickers, and boxes have appeared from Zhong Jin as well, including many that have not had a corresponding whole knockoff released, including [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] boxes and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] sticker sheets.

The counterfeit ''Generation 1'' toys are often confused with the legitimate [[Generation 1 (Chinese toyline)|Hasbro-made re-releases for the Chinese market produced from 1989 through 1995]]. (See below.)

==Myths about knockoffs==
Over the years, there have been a lot of widespread myths about knockoffs. Perhaps the most preposterous myth is that knockoffs are legal. See the Legal Analysis section above for why this theory is incorrect. Although few proponents of this theory exist, those that do claim vigorously that the presence of knockoffs on Family Dollar or Wal-Mart's shelves means that those products must be legitimate. The flaw in the reasoning here is that it assumes big chain stores would never do anything ignorantly or illegally, which is certainly [http://www.google.com/search?q=walmart+lawsuit not the case].

One long-held myth among fans (due to a general lack of information), is that the ''Generation 1'' ''Transformers'' with Chinese stickers in the corner are high-quality counterfeits. After all, they look just like the original ''Generation 1'' releases, but with some very small differences and oftentimes slightly inferior plastic quality. Recently, though, it's come out that these were, in fact, [[Generation 1 (Chinese toyline)|re-releases for the Chinese market produced from 1989 through 1995]], not unlike their Chinese ''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'' counterparts from around the same period. Ironically, high-quality counterfeit ''Generation 1'' toys from China would eventually come out, but it wouldn't be until 2005, a decade later.

==Recent knockoffs==
Since the release of the [[Transformers (2007)|2007 ''Transformers'' movie]], a flood of bootlegged figures has entered the market, with some movie line figure knockoffs appearing within a month of the official product's debut. The figures range from high-quality clones to ''very'' low-quality copies and strange variations, such as random Generation 1 figures being redone in movie paint decos (usually [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]'s flame scheme or [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee's]] yellow with black stripes).

[[Image:TFA Prime KO.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Hey I'm not the KO, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|He]] is!]]

One notable release was a knockoff of ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Transformers Animated]]'' Voyager Earth-mode [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]], which came out several weeks ''before'' the release of the original! The reason this occurred is that Hasbro shelved their already-manufactured ''Animated'' toys for several months in order to extend selling their popular movie line. Thus, finished ''Animated'' toys were able to leak out of factories and into hands of bootleggers long before they were to finally be released.

With the release of the 2009 [[Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|''Revenge of the Fallen'' movie line]] various knockoff toys have also emerged. These include oversized versions of the new Scout class molds, redecos of new Deluxe molds and molds from other lines redecoed to more closely resemble new characters (for instance the ''Animated'' Deluxe [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] mold repainted to look like [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]], complete with door detailing).

The most recent twist in the knockoff toys saga are companies creating high quality knockoffs of recent toys aimed at collectors. These include the "KOLD" knockoffs, sold through kotoys.com, which attempt to imitate [[Lucky Draw]] and other rare Transformers. Also, there have been high quality knockoffs of Henkei Starscream and the seekers (including Sunstorm and the Generic Air Warriors, who have yet to get an official Classics-verse release), as well as Henkei/Classics Mirage in several of his rarer color schemes.

==External links==
*[http://highendtfs.com/?q=node/17 HighEndTFs' ID Guide for high quality counterfeit Generation 1 Transformers]

*[http://www.actionfigurechecklist.com/Images/Album/index.php?v=list&i=0&p=Transformers_KnockOff_KO Action Figure Checklist's Transformer Knock-Off Photo Album]

*[http://www.reocities.com/TelevisionCity/3230/tfother.html All Things Transformers - Other Transforming Toys]

*[http://www.mykooltoyz.com/bootleg-tf.html BOOTLEG TRANSFORMERS]

*[http://cybertronphils.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=toyreview&action=print&thread=4183 Bootleg Center]

*[http://www22.pos.to/~butto/ttot.html Butto's Other Transforming Toys (Japanese)]

*[http://www.netlaputa.ne.jp/~m-akao/GALLERY/fakehp.html Fake Toy Gallery (Japanese)]

*[http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=6&uid=5138952 Hatch's Bootleg Transformers]

*[http://replay.waybackmachine.org/20091026164943/http://www.geocities.com/kidk0rrupt/ Kid K0rrupt's Bootleg Gallery]

*[http://www.builtstlouis.net/tf/mmkos/index.html Rob's Pile of Transformers: Micromaster Knockoffs]

*[http://www.tfarchive.com/toys/bootlegs/ TFArchive.com's Bootleg Gallery]

*[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-toy-discussion/191817-knock-off-transformers-thread.html TFW2005 Ongoing Knock-Off Transformers Thread]

*[http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/Knockoffs/Genertaion1KnockOffs.html Toyarchive.com's Gallery of Generation 1 Knockoffs]

*[http://zobovor.20megsfree.com/knockoffs_archive.html Zobovor's Knockoff Toys Archive (text)]

*[http://www.reocities.com/scrambledcity/skorbia/index.html SKORBIA-Crazysteve's South Korean Bootleg Information Archive]

==Footnotes==
<references />

[[Category:Toys]]