{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 13
|prev=Predatory
|next=Out of His Head
|image=SickMind-OPinfected.jpg
|caption=Psychonautobots!
|title="Sick Mind"
|airdate=[[April 30]], [[2011]]
|written by=[[Steven Melching]]
|directed by=[[Shaunt Nigoghossian]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''When Optimus is infected by a Decepticon plague, Arcee and Bumblebee sneak aboard the ''Nemesis'' to find a cure.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Cybonicplague.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Day one-thousand and one. We came in close contact with a hive today...]]
[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] reports that his scans have located the [[Nemesis (Prime)|Decepticon warship]] while experimenting with different frequencies. [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] thinks they should strike now, but Ratchet says he's also detected an [[Autobot]] emergency beacon, and [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] decides they should check that out first. He and Ratchet arrive at a centuries-old crashed Autobot ship and venture inside. Though they expect there may be survivors, they find the crew already dead. Ratchet's scans reveal that the crew didn't die in the crash, but had succumbed to [[cybonic plague]]. As the ship shifts, a deceased Autobot hanging from the ceiling drips plague-imbued [[energon (fuel)|energon]] onto Optimus.

Later at [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|base]], Optimus lays stricken while the others discuss the situation. The plague was developed as part of the Decepticons' [[Decepticon Biological Warfare Program|Biological Warfare Program]], specifically by [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] himself, and Ratchet thinks they might be able to find information in the Decepticon databases. [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] and [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] [[GroundBridge]] onto the Decepticon ship and, narrowly hiding from [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]], enter the ship's laboratory. Inside, Arcee scours the database, but fails to find a cure for the plague. While she's doing so, Bumblebee stumbles on something just as important—the comatose body of Megatron! Arcee is ready to finish Megatron off then and there, but Ratchet has a better idea—enter Megatron's brain and retrieve the plague cure. Ratchet knows of a procedure to create a [[cortical psychic patch]]. Though such procedures have been banned by the Autobots for years, it will get them into Megatron's brain, and Bumblebee is willing to try it.

On the ship's bridge, [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] complains that the ship's electromagnetic shielding has not been fixed, and directs the [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]]s to hurry up and do so before the Autobots detect them. Afterwards Starscream has a private word with Knock Out, suggesting that the Decepticons deserve a leader who is conscious, and the pair come to an understanding whereby Knock Out will be Starscream's new [[second-in-command]].

[[Image:Megatron_WHY_IN_MY_HEAD.jpg|thumb|250px|right|He ''does'' [[Transform and Roll Out!|eat Autobot protoforms for breakfast]].]]
Arcee plugs Bumblebee into Megatron, and Bumblebee finds himself in a simulation of [[Kaon]]. Ratchet creates a communications downlink, so they can monitor what Bumblebee is doing. Bumblebee wanders though Kaon until he finds what appears to be Optimus, but is just a figment of Megaton's imagination. Megatron appears and slays the false Optimus, who dissolves into smoke. Another Optimus appears, and as Megatron fires his [[fusion cannon]], Bumblebee jumps in the path of the blast, only to find it passes right through him to slay the imaginary Optimus. Megatron, however, has seen Bumblebee and attempts to strike him, but his blows pass clean through the Autobot scout. While Megatron is trying to work out what's going on, Optimus, [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] and another Bumblebee appear, all figments of his imagination. Megatron destroys them, but begins to realize that he's in his own subconscious.

Arcee becomes anxious when Starscream, Knock Out and [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] enter the lab, though the two Autobots are hidden well enough that the Decepticons don't see them. Starscream is determined to put on a show for Soundwave, to convince his fellow Decepticon that Megatron is beyond saving. He and Knock Out attempt to persuade Soundwave that putting Megatron out of his misery is the best thing. Arcee and Ratchet overhear their conversation, and Ratchet says terminating Megatron will permanently separate Bumblebee's mind and body.

In the dream world, Megatron ponders what has happened to him, and finds out from Bumblebee about the [[space bridge]] explosion. Short on time, Bumblebee relays the news about Optimus's cybonic plague infection. Megatron is amused that after all this time Optimus will be felled by a virus, but Bumblebee plays on his desire to finish Optimus himself.

Starscream is about to pull the plug on Megatron when Soundwave points out the psychic patch cable. Starscream begins following it, as Arcee observes from her hiding place.

[[Image:SickMind-take me.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"The dream's collapsing!" Braaaahm. Braaahm.]]

Megatron briefly shows Bumblebee the formula for the virus cure, but will only share it if Bumblebee can release him from his mental prison. Unknown to Megatron, Ratchet can still see everything Bumblebee sees. Having ganked the formula, Ratchet tells Arcee to cut the link. Megatron's dream world begins to disintegrate and the Decepticon leader launches himself at the disappearing Bumblebee.

Bumblebee comes around as Starscream finds the two hidden Autobots, and, as they escape through the GroundBridge, Arcee blasts one of the cables attached to Megatron. Starscream is actually pleased that Megatron has flatlined as a result, but at Soundwave's insistence has Knock Out reconnect the cable.

[[Image:SickMind-I'm out.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Hmm... A [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] that gets [[Spark of Darkness|trapped inside]] a [[Diagnostic Drone|weaker bot]] after he was [[Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege|presumed deceased]]. That sounds familiar.]]
A newly-cured Optimus stands up and the Autobots celebrate, but Optimus insists the celebration should be for Ratchet and Bumblebee. On the Decepticon ship, Knock Out observes that Megatron is no longer exhibiting any brainwave activity — there's no one home. Unbeknownst to anyone, Megatron now resides in Bumblebee's head...
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=*[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (1)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (3)
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (4)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (8)
*[[Autobot plague victims]] (9)

|c2=*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (10)
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (11)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]]s (12)
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (13)
*[[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (14)

|c3=
*[[Jack Darby]] (5)
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (6)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (7)

}}

==Quotes==

"Spiking hard, his sick mind still at work."
:—'''Arcee''' namedrops the title.

"Enter Megatron's brain? Ratchet are you out of your frakking mind?"
:-so '''Arcee''''s been watching Battlestar Galactica...

"I will NOT allow Optimus to pass knowing that Megatron will outlive him!"
:—'''Ratchet''', increasingly desperate to save Optimus.

"An inglorious fate that he should remain in this vegetative state..."
:—'''Starscream''' composes poetry about Megatron. [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sound]] [[Wheelie (G1)|familiar]]?

"You scratch my back, I scratch yours."
:—'''Starscream''' to Knock-Out, who evidently doesn't remember what happened [[Speed Metal|the last time Starscream's claws got close to him]].

"If this is my subconscious... ''WHAT ARE YOU DOING INSIDE MY HEAD?!''"
:—'''Megatron''' unintentionally makes us laugh.

"Speak now, or forever hold your peace."
:—'''Starscream''' to Soundwave as the former is about to take Megatron off life support. And Soundwave STILL won't say a word.

"I'm out... or should I say ''in''?"
:—'''Megatron''' cackles as he awakes in Bumblebee's body.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===

*The spot where the downed Autobot ship was shown on Rachet's map is in a temperate climate. Meaning it should have been in a forest or grassland, not a desert.
*When Knock Out says that there is no brainwave activity, one of the monitors next to Starscream shows brainwave activity in Megatron.

===Continuity errors===

*Since Megatron's dream was, presumably, taking place ''before'' the cortical psychic patch, why is it destroyed once the patch is broken? Shouldn't Bumblebee be the only thing in it to disappear?

===Transformers references===
*[[Kaon]], the Decepticon capital on Cybertron, was first mentioned in the Dreamwave ''Generation One'' comics.
*"One shall stand, one shall fall" is used for the [[Darkness Rising, Part 5|second time]] in this series.
*Megatron asks whether or not he "still functions".
*Megatron refuses handing over the formula for the cure to the plague unless Bumblebee helps him escape, or he will let Optimus [[The many deaths of Optimus Prime#The Transformers: The Movie| "fade to gunmetal grey."]]
*The first showdown between Megatron and an Optimus illusion is reminiscent of the [[title sequence]].

===Real-world references===
*[[Cybonic plague]] is a reference to [[wikipedia:bubonic plague|bubonic plague]].
*Bulkhead says that Megatron is "pushing up lugnuts." This is a modification of the human phrase, "pushing up daisies," although it doesn't make much literal sense.
*Oddly enough, Starscream uses two common human phrases, both quoted above. Perhaps Soundwave gets cable?

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Die Cybonische Pest'''" ("The Cybonic Plague")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 16|16 December]] [[2011]]
'''Korean'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Yukche wa Jeongsin'''" (육체와 정신, "Body and Mind")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 10|10 October]] [[2011]]

===Trivia===
*The two offline Autobots on the plague ship were reminiscent of [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and [[Ironhide (G1) |Ironhide]].
*This episode was available to watch prior to its intended airdate on some cable providers' Video On Demand services.
*This episode marks Megatron's first speaking role since the end of the ''[[Darkness Rising]]'' mini-series.
*This is also the first episode to show Megatron using his [[fusion cannon]] outside of the opening titles sequence.
*"I'm inside your mind!" is a common fictional trope that ''Transformers'' fiction has explored in the past:
**In the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' episode]] "[[Other Voices, Part 2]]", [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] uplinks herself into [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]'s mind and wanders through his inwardly-imagined world before confronting his own psychic avatar. Tarantulas also manages to install himself into her mind as Megatron has done here.
**And from a less metaphysical perspective, the Autobots literally shrank themselves into microscopic size in order to walk around inside [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s brain in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 episode]] "[[Microbots]]".
*Starscream totally bitch-slaps a Vehicon.
*Megatron moves rather quickly in his dreams. After destroying the dream Optimus, Bulkhead and Bumblebee, and realizing it's his subconscious, he takes barely a second to move from his position a few feet away to looming over Bumblebee.
*Megatron's voice has a surprisingly compassionate sound to it when he asks if "someone besides [him]self is unwell"... It's rather disturbing.
*Nobody transforms even once in this episode.

[[Category:Prime episodes]]