MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

Blaster (G1)

2009-08-04T16:04:25Z

173.63.86.84: /* Trivia */

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig2|the heroic Autobot|the evil alternate-universe Autobot|Blaster (Shattered Glass)}}
:''Blaster is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]]. In Japan he is later rebuilt as '''Twincast'''.''

[[Image:Blaster g1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|"What it is, big mama? My mama ain't raise no dummies. I dug her rap!"]]
'''Blaster''' loves all [[Earth]] music, especially good, hard, LOUD rock 'n' roll. A powerful fighter who tends to make his presence known, you can find him at the forefront of any situation in which he's involved.

{{note|Blaster's personality varied significantly between the comic and cartoon; see entries below for details.}}

:''Preliminary name:'' '''Blastbox'''<ref>[[Production bible]] of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]]</ref>
:''Japanese names:'' '''Broadcast''', later '''Twincast'''
:''Japanese names (Binaltech Asterisk):'' '''Broadblast'''
:''French-Canadian name:'' '''Tempo'''
:''Hungarian name:'' '''Össztűz''' ("All-fire" or "Class firing")
:''Italian name (original cartoon):'' '''Radiorobot'''
:''Italian names (The Headmasters):'' '''Audiobot''' / '''Digital'''
:''Malay-English dub names:'' '''Billy''' / '''Blaster'''
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comic):'' '''Dinamitador'''
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comic):'' '''Rajada''' ("Gust")

==Fiction==
===Cartoon continuity===
====Generation 1 cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Buster Jones]] (English), [[Keiichi Nanba]] (Japanese)

[[Image:G1 DinobotIsland Blaster.jpg|left|150px|thumb|"May I have this dance?"]]
Blaster was a fun-loving, hip and happening robot. Loud and energetic, he was happy to share his choice of rockin' tunes with anyone, whether they really wanted to hear them or not.

Blaster appeared out of nowhere one day during [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s demonstration of the modifications he'd made to the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] to improve their sense of balance and coordination, and to that end, Blaster was requested to play something "nice". For some reason, Blaster had trouble tuning into a station until Grimlock (obviously tired of this padding) blasted fire at Blaster's controls, allowing the Autobot boom box to tune into the local rock 'n' roll/big band music fusion station. [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] showed their appreciation for the fine selection of elevator music by jerkily dancing around and claiming their audio sensors were being fried. Blaster continued to enthrall Grimlock until [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] and [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] bumped into their leader and totally freaked him out. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}}

[[Image:DesertionDinos1 BlastergrabsRavage.jpg|right|170px|thumb|One must wonder how he failed to notice Soundwave, but really, it's more Ironhide's fault.]]
At a not-so-secret EJK testing facility for the new Ultraplane, Blaster was sitting in the back of Ironhide's vehicle mode and didn't seem to notice the fact that [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] was sitting right next to him—at least until the Decepticon tape deck launched [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], whom Blaster quickly transformed to grab. The cat turned to attack the Autobot while his master escaped to report to [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. Blaster continued to tussle until Ironhide transformed into robot mode and threw them both out of his caboose. After being initially distracted by the Ultraplane's destruction, the Autobots returned to EJK's lab to confront the Decepticons. Blaster greatly appreciated [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]'s taste in fusion rock/big band music to confound the hapless villains. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}}

[[Image:BlasterBlues kickedinface.jpg|left|170px|thumb|De-FEETed!]]
Blaster's taste in music often got him into trouble. He attended a concert by a popular '80s rock/big band fusion hair metal band with [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Carly]]. Concerned that the other Autobots weren't enjoying the concert with them, Blaster flooded the Autobot communications channels with the music, though only [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] and Jazz seemed to appreciate it. Unfortunately, his taste in music also disrupted an emergency communique from the Helix Observatory, until the other Autobots told him to shut up. After the [[Voltronic Galaxer]] was stolen, Blaster was teamed up with Cosmos to search for signs of the Decepticons, but both were rather quickly captured. Blaster was welded into place to be used as a trans-scrambler for Megatron's scheme to use the voltronic galaxer to disrupt communications on Earth and then demand all the energy on the planet in exchange for normality. While Megatron ranted about his demands, Blaster secretly played his music, which served both to rally the Autobots and inform them of Megatron's location — until Megatron kicked him in the face. After foiling the Decepticon plans, Blaster was assigned to the abandoned moon base with Cosmos, but quickly got into trouble with Prime again for his music. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}}

Later, Blaster and [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] helped the [[New York City|New York]] police crack a car theft ring by posing as an attractive target for punks to steal. After Blaster teamed up with car thief [[Raoul]], they learned that Megatron was behind the criminal operation, stealing cars to rebuild them into transforming drones. Blaster defended the Washington Bridge from the Decepticon drones alongside the other Autobots, but they were nearly overwhelmed by sheer numbers. After [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] realized the cars were remote-controlled, Blaster jammed the frequency, allowing the Autobots to attack and defeat the Decepticons. {{storylink|Make Tracks}}

Blaster proved useful again, even pivotal, in allowing the Autobots to save Cosmos and some [[robotic insecticide]] from the [[Morphobot]]s. It turns out even plants hate Blaster's music. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}} Soon afterward, the Autobots were attacked by the malevolent [[Kremzeek]], an energy life form created by Megatron. Blaster and a small number of other Autobots were the only ones to stay functional long enough to be sprayed with an insulating foam that protected them from the creature's attacks. The Autobot team chased it to [[Japan]], where it wreaked havoc with the massive electronics industry there. The creature spawned copies of itself, one of which managed to slip inside Blaster, and after the other Kremzeeks were seemingly destroyed, it jumped out of his chest and the pursuit began again. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

[[Image:Auto-Bop Blaster Soundwave.jpg|right|200px|thumb|So. AWESOME.]]
Blaster was watching "[[As the Kitchen Sinks]]" with his Auto-buddies when Prime informed them that Tracks and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] were late returning from their supply run. Suspecting foul play, the Autobots took off to search for their missing comrades. While on the search, Blaster was forcibly transformed by a Creamy Cream billboard ''(They can do that?)'', then carted away by the big game hunter [[Lord Chumley]] and his butler [[Dinsmoore]] as bait to lure Optimus Prime into a hunt. Chumley apparently couldn't think of a suitably dastardly device in which to store Blaster, though, as he was totally absent from Chumley's prisoner showcase later on. {{storylink|Prime Target}}

{{bigquote|I've been waiting a long time for this, you poor excuse for a sound system!|Blaster confronting [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]|"[[Auto-Bop]]"}}

Tracks and Blaster were reunited with Raoul when they saved their human friend and his [[Bop Crew]] from a bunch of hoodlums in the employ of the [[Dancitron]] nightclub. When a punk tried to ensnare him in a chain, Blaster simply remarked that the humans were seriously out of their league, then broke the chain by moving his arm slightly. The Autobots forced their way into the nightclub, where Blaster appreciated the atmosphere and the impressive sound system. He then went off to dance with some oddly well-dressed ladies who sounded like Penny Marshall. Soon after leaving the club, Tracks and Blaster had to save Raoul again when a Decepticon-controlled train driver sent the train Raoul was in hurtling out of control. Conferring with [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]], Blaster discovered that Dancitron controlled its patrons by using hypnotic signals, and he suggested countering them with his own sonic powers. Entering the club, Blaster finally faced his Decepticon counterpart Soundwave in battle. At first, the combatants appeared to be evenly matched, but Soundwave drove Blaster back with his sonic assaults. Improvising, Blaster jury-rigged Dancitron's own sound system into his speakers. He turned the combined sonic force against Soundwave, forcing him into retreat and wrecking the nightclub in the process. {{storylink|Auto-Bop}}

When Megatron journeyed to Cybertron to bring life to his new [[Stunticon|Stunticons]], Optimus Prime took Blaster and a small group aboard Omega Supreme to stop him. Megatron sent a cadre of [[Centurion droid|Centurion droids]] after the Autobots, delaying them long enough for him to access [[Vector Sigma]] and bring his Stunticons to life. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} As a counter-measure, Blaster and the other Autobots worked to retrofit five Cybertronian shuttles as Earth vehicles, and then used Vector Sigma in turn to bring life to these [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. Once they returned to Earth, the Autobots and Aerialbots confronted the newly-minted Stunticons. Impressively, Blaster used his sound system to generate a miniature earthquake using sonic vibrations, but [[Wildrider]] just sailed over the cracks and smashed into Blaster's face. On a second encounter with the Stunticons, Blaster converted into tapedeck mode and used his sonics to try blasting down a tree to make [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] crash. Instead, Breakdown used it as a ramp and Wildrider casually drove by and ran Blaster over. Ouch. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

Blaster and Cosmos were sent on an inter-galactic shopping trip to pick up more [[Ingredient X]] for Perceptor's protective chemical spray, [[Corrostop]]. Unfortunately there was no more Ingredient X. Anywhere. In the entire universe. Bummer. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}} When the Stunticons returned performing a series of heists for Megatron, Blaster joined Prime and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] in hunting down [[Motormaster]]. He didn't do much, but he did get to witness the most awesome game of chicken ever, when Prime totalled Motormaster and proved himself the real "King of the Road". {{storylink|Masquerade}}

[[Image:TFtM BlasterRoundhouseKick.jpg|left|172px|thumb|Everybody was kung-fu fighting, those cats were fast as lightning...]]
In the year 2005, Blaster was assigned to the communications hub at [[Autobot City]] on Earth. When the fortress was [[Battle of Autobot City|attacked]] by the Decepticons, Blaster attempted to send out a distress signal to Optimus Prime's forces on Moon Base 1. His efforts were disrupted by Soundwave, who had sent out his cassette forces to destroy the hub's transmitter. Blaster countered with his own cassette army, and the itty-bitty guys 'rassled. After the Decepticons retreated, Blaster was helping to rebuild the city when he received a faint signal from Jazz and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] on Moon Base 1, which was being munched by a [[Unicron|ginormous, weird-looking planet]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

In early 2006, Blaster was stationed mostly on Earth. After the attack on the [[Galactic Olympics]] which saw [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and Spike kidnapped, Blaster and [[Outback]] were sent to the North African nation of [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]] on the suspicion that the militant leader [[Abdul Fakkadi]] was harbouring Decepticon fugitives. Despite Fakkadi's assurances that there were no Decepticons on his soil, Outback managed to psyche out [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] and [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]], whose escape was also quickly put down by the Australian-accented Autobot. Blaster then threatened the two [[Conehead|coneheads]] to spill the beans, for Outback was trigger-happy. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} After returning to Autobot City, Blaster kept tabs on the delivery of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s [[Transformation cog|transforming cog]], which had been damaged during the battle of Autobot City the year before. Unfortunately, [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]'s delivery shuttle was destroyed by [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], forcing Blaster to call upon Commander [[Marissa Faireborn]] of the [[Earth Defense Command]] for help. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}}

However, Faireborn and the Autobot delivery team were stranded when [[Lipole|lipoles]] native to [[Io]] destroyed the EDC ship, so the long-suffering Blaster sent rescue in the form of the magnificent [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], whom Blaster remarked was difficult to describe. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} After Sky Lynx effortlessly saved their friends and delivered the cog to Earth, [[Pipes]] installed the cog, and Blaster activated Metroplex's transformation sequence. Once the Autobot city defeated the Decepticon giant [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Blaster declared that Metroplex was his kind of town. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

Blaster was briefly seen aboard the Autobot flagship when Optimus Prime returned from the dead to rally the troops against the [[Quintesson|Quintessons]]. He fled the ship with the rest of the crew before Prime's suicidal assault on the Quintessons' central planet. {{storylink|Dark Awakening}}

After Perceptor uncovered a source of chronal energy emanating from an asteroid belt, Blaster accompanied him on a survey mission, along with his cassettes [[Rewind]] and [[Ramhorn]]. Their simple survey soon turned into a battle, though, when a school of [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]] assaulted the Autobots as they approached the belt. Blaster radioed for reinforcements during the battle but, alongside Blurr and [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]], they soon made short work of their opponents. At the asteroid belt, they found a Quintesson scientist working with an actual [[Time Window]], allowing passage backwards through time. Several Quintesson ships interrupted their observations, and Blaster and the other Autobots were accidentally chased through the time window itself, finding themselves 11 million years in Cybertron's past. The Quintesson warships were gone, but they just traded one threat for another and soon came under assault by [[Guardian robot|Guardian Robots]]. Blaster and his comrades were saved by the intervention of [[Beta]], second-in-command of the slave rebellion against the Quints. With the rebels' leader [[Alpha Trion (G1)|A3]] missing, Blaster and the Autobots stepped into his place to lead the rebellion against the Guardians and their Quintesson masters. The Autobots did their best, but the sheer number of Guardian Robots was on the verge of overwhelming them when A3 returned through the time window. He turned his [[Coda Remote]] device against the Guardians and preserved the natural flow of history, as Blaster and the future Autobots took the window back to the present. {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

When Daniel Witwicky and Wheelie were taken hostage by the Decepticons, Blaster fielded the ransom call for Spike and Ultra Magnus. His skill as a communication officer seemed to fail him, as he lost [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]'s signal at a critical point in the monologing. Maybe he was just tired of listening to The Villain Speech, trademarked. {{storylink|Surprise Party}} Daniel was saved, but it wasn't long before he got into more trouble, disappearing with Grimlock during a reception on Cybertron. Ultra Magnus summoned Blaster for assistance, and Blaster in turn ejected [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] so that his tracking abilities could locate the missing boy. Their search led to a hidden chamber beneath Cybertron's surface, abandoned since the time of the Quintessons. Blaster summoned Rewind next to help translate and interpret the ancient Quintessonese on the walls, and the rescue party learned the chamber was a method of banishing criminals to other dimensions. After Rewind worked out that Daniel had travelled to [[Menonia]], Blaster and the others reactivated the portal to chase after them. They got involved in a local skirmish against [[Mara-Al-Utha]], the banished Quintesson who had usurped power from the benevolent [[Golden One]]. In order to defeat the Quintesson, Blaster lent his sound system to the Golden One, amplifying his voice as he invoked the proper counter-spells. It had a nice beat, and you could smash Quintessons with it: even Grimlock had to approve. {{storylink|Madman's Paradise}}

[[Image:Blaster C Minor.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Who runs Bartertown?]]
While helping Ultra Magnus and the other Autobots fight the Decepticons on a renegade comet, Blaster was blasted out of space by a musical harmony. It was generated from the planet [[Eurythma]] below as a sonic weapon to destroy the comet before it struck their world. Galvatron naturally wanted such a powerful weapon for himself, and fled the battle with Soundwave to steal the secret of the harmony. Ultra Magnus recruited Blaster and [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] to make their own effort to secure the harmony, or at least keep it out of Galvatron's hands. Blaster was enamored with Eurythma, and could somehow interpret that the nearby city and the entire civilization were based on musical harmonies. Luckily, he also somehow knew exactly where the "band leader" was, and directed Broadside to take them to [[Basso Profundo]]'s palace. Blaster was the only one who could understand the overly synthesized and harmonic speaking voices of the Eurythmians. Maybe Ultra Magnus was tone deaf. The hunt for the harmony turned into a bizarre scavenger hunt, as Blaster and Soundwave attempted to recover the three thirds of the harmony produced by Basso Profundo, [[Zebop Skandana]] and [[Allegra]]. The Decepticons assembled the harmony first, and Soundwave turned its united power against the Autobots. Blaster managed to stop Soundwave by punching him in the crotch. No seriously — that's where his "Erase" button is. Really. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}}

Running the day-to-day operations of Metroplex and Autobot City on Earth, Blaster was subjected to a security inspection by Kup. He passed with flying colors and nearly succeeded in convincing Kup how seriously they took the job... until he happened to lean against a control panel and set off some 20 year old tunes on the sound speakers. Things turned serious immediately thereafter, though, as Metroplex was invaded by [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and the ghost of Starscream. It only got worse when they stole Metroplex's eyes and set off a bomb in his brain. The report Kup filed for the inspection must have interesting reading material. Poor Blaster. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine}}

Blaster joined Kup, Ultra Magnus and Rodimus Prime aboard Omega Supreme to check out some strange reports from the [[Junkion (planet)|planet of Junk]]. These "strange reports" turned out to be a full-fledged war between half the galaxy raging over the [[Junkion|Junkions]]' heads. On the surface, Blaster's receivers located a hypnotic signal being broadcast somehow from the Junkions' TV antenna. Using Omega Supreme to get the proper altitude, Blaster began broadcasting his own counter-frequency to break the spell. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

Blaster was returning from a space mission aboard Sky Lynx with Outback, Steeljaw and Ramhorn when Perceptor radioed in that a peculiar Quintession transmission was being picked up in their area. On an uninhabited planet, they found a Quintesson journal which detailed centuries of manipulating the planets [[Xetaxxis]] and [[Lanarq]] into ever-escalating warfare. Despite Quintesson and Decepticon interference, Blaster and his comrades managed to bring the journal to the attention of the warring aliens, ending their conflicts... at least for the moment. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}}

Blaster was manning Autobot City when [[Victor Drath]]'s men drove the empty shells of Ultra Magnus, Arcee, Springer and Rodimus Prime towards the city for a Trojan horse ploy. When the REAL Magnus and Springer hijacked the latter's helicopter mode and started taking potshots at the city, however, Blaster quickly caught on and transformed the city into battle station mode, cutting off their entry. It's not Springer, it's a ringer! How's that for a zinger? {{storylink|Only Human}}

When Sky Lynx and Cosmos crashed on [[Power Platform Alpha]], Blaster raced out to help with his fellow Autobots. Upon trying to radio for assistance, however, Blaster found himself unable to properly transmit any signals. The Autobots eventually uncovered [[anti-electron]] sabotage in the new power generator, and cleaned out the disruptive influence. {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}} Later, Blaster began self-ejecting when the [[Oracle (G1)|Oracle]]'s transmission convinced Ramhorn and Steeljaw to force their way out of Blaster's chest to answer the call of the [[Primitive|Primitives]]. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

Although he wasn't on the initial casualty list, Blaster was revived alongside the Autobots who fell before the crazed [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], during the outbreak of the [[Hate Plague]]. Apparently, the Quintesson repaired him instead of Wheelie. Wise choice. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers comics=====
Blaster was vacationing on a utopian island when he was captured by the Constructicons. He was eventually freed by [[Kenji]], Superion and several other Autobots. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 6}}

=====''Full Throttle Scramble Power!''=====

Blaster came to the rescue of [[Toru]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], after they were captured while searching for the Decepticon [[Omega Whip]] device. Blaster's electro-scrambler gun blew several large holes in Ravage. He then fought against Soundwave until the entire Autobot army arrived with Metroplex to drive off the Decepticons. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}

=====Scramble City (animation)=====
Blaster was finally gifted with some Cassette forces of his own to counter Soundwave's. [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] and [[Ramhorn]] took on [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] but couldn't protect the secrets of Metroplex. {{storylink|Scramble City}} {{storylink|Scramble City (toy version)}}

=====''15 Go! Go!''=====
[[Image:TGGBlaster.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"Don't be cryin'—here's a lion!"]]
As [[Teletraan 15]] lay recuperating from her Galvatron-inflicted injuries, a voice came from a nearby boombox, remarking that the song in her heart sounded lonely.

Transforming into his towering robot mode, Blaster told 15 that a princess like her deserved a more cheerful song. After listening to her problems, he advised her not to worry about what she ought to do and suggested that she concentrate on doing what she loved best. He told her that as individuals, sentient beings are notes, and that together, they become music.

He handed her a small cassette tape and told her that whenever she was depressed, she should listen to music. She thanked him as he left.

Despite Blaster's good intentions, the tape turned out to be full of depressing music. It also turned out to be [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]]. {{storylink|15 Go! Go!}}

=====''Kiss Players Position''=====
Blaster hand-picked [[Rosanna (KP)|Rosanna]] to join his cassette team, feeling that she was the only [[Autobot]] who properly understood his love of music.

He was later appointed by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] as the Producer of the [[Kiss Players (singing group)|Kiss Players]] singing group, of which Rosanna became a founding member. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players Position}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
[[Image:Hm blaster1.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Blaster layeth the smack down]]
[[Image:Twincast emerges.jpg|right|150px|thumb|I'm blue da ba dee da ba die...]]
{{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

Blaster's rivalry with Soundwave increased dramatically by the year 2011. At one point, when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] was searching Earth for the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], he was ambushed by Soundwave. Blaster took on Soundwave alone, urging Rodimus to leave without him. Soundwave and Blaster then prepared for their final duel. The result was a tie, sorta—they both died. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

Later, all the Autobots were content to leave Blaster as a corpse until [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] and Blaster's cassette forces whined enough to have their pal resurrected. Rodimus then brought Blaster back online as the yellow and blue repaint '''Twincast'''. Coincidentally, the Decepticons reanimated Soundwave as the black-as-coal Soundblaster. The two arch-enemies then renewed their struggle. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

{{charstubfiction}}

{{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}}

After his revival, he also served as the Autobots' karaoke machine. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}}

{{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}}

{{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

{{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}}

{{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

{{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}}

{{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}}

{{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}}

{{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

{{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

{{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}}

{{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

{{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}}

{{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

{{-}}

=====''Binaltech Asterisk''=====

{{charstubfiction}}

=====''Generation 2'' story pages=====
[[Image:BlasterG2.jpg|left|180px|thumb|There's so much I don't understand about this image.]]

After [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] forged the [[Cybertron Alliance]], Twincast returned to his original form as Blaster for reasons unknown, adopting a new [[Action Master]] body in the process. {{storylink|G-2 (story page)|G-2 Part 3}}

{{-}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:BlasterUS17.jpg|left|200px|thumb|More than likely, he'll kill you. Yeah, you. You know who you are.]]
Blaster was a rather grim, brooding, rebellious loner who hated Decepticons with a passion. And while he was one of the best kickass fighters the [[Autobot|Autobots]] had he had a bit of a problem with authority. Part of [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s Autobot resistance cell on Cybertron, he often disagreed with his superior's orders, especially after his friend [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]] went missing and Blaster wanted to hunt for him. Unfortunately, he found him in the Decepticons' [[smelting pool]]. Blaster was too late to save Scrounge's life, but he did retrieve the last bit of data the little spy had uncovered, so Scrounge didn't die in vain.

[[Image:Powerglideblastercybertronic.jpg|right|150px|thumb|And you thought the 1980s cellphones were huge.]]
This information brought new hope to the Autobot resistance, as it revealed that [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and the Autobots on the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' were still alive and well after four million years, fighting on a planet called Earth. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}} Shortly after Scrounge was killed, Blaster took part in an assault on [[Darkmount]], where he engaged and seemingly destroyed the Decepticon commander [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]], before using the [[Space Bridge]] to flee to Earth. {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}}

Upon arriving on Earth, Blaster was among the Autobots deactivated and disassembled by [[Circuit Breaker]] and [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team|RAAT]]. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}} He was later released and, ''after a brief skirmish with the crazed future Decepticon known as [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] {{storylink|Fallen Angel (issue)|Fallen Angel}},'' joined the other Earthbound Autobots at the ''Ark'' shortly before Optimus Prime's death. Blaster was one of the Autobots who voted for [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] to be the new Autobot leader, though he soon came to regret this decision. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}}

Blaster developed a reluctant friendship with [[Goldbug (G1)|Goldbug]], whose more naturally upbeat personality provided the Boy Wonder to his Batman. After an encounter with the [[Mechanic]], Blaster and Goldbug went AWOL from Grimlock's command, having grown tired of his aggressive orders and increasing disregard for humans. {{storylink|Mechanical Difficulties!}}

For this disobedience (and their failure to capture the Mechanic), Grimlock branded Blaster and Goldbug traitors and sent the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] to hunt them down. They eventually captured Blaster, but after he saved their lives from the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], they realized Grimlock's orders were purely vengeful and let him go. {{storylink|Used Autobots}} {{storylink|Child's Play (issue)|Child's Play}}

[[Image:Blasterbeourleaderplease.jpg|right|300px|thumb|"BLASTER, BE OUR LEADER, PLEAAAASE???"]]
Blaster finally returned to the Ark, where his fellow Autobots begged him to take over as leader. However, he was forced to surrender to his former commander when Grimlock threatened the safety of several Earth children. {{storylink|Spacehikers!}}

[[Image:Variablevoltageharnessblaster.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Maybe they should have called it a Constant Sarcasm Harness.]]
Imprisoned by Grimlock, Blaster was strapped to a [[Variable Voltage Harness]] as punishment for his desertion and disobedience. However, when [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] and his Autobots arrived and Grimlock challenged him to a duel, Blaster took Fort Max's place. Their duel was interrupted by a Decepticon attack. When Blaster pointed out that their feud had put all Autobots in danger, Grimlock agreed to call their duel a draw and declared a truce with Blaster as they fended off the Decepticons side by side. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

While Blaster and [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]'s girlfriend [[Jesse]] failed to rescue the young boy from the Decepticons' [[Club Con|island resort/base]], they proved instrumental in discovering the upcoming arrival of the legendary Transformers database, the [[Underbase]]. {{storylink|Club Con!}} ''Then Blaster, Prime, [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] [[Highbrow (G1)|and]] [[Brainstorm|three]] [[Hardhead (G1)|newcomers]] were temporarily displaced into [[Limbo]] to make room for [[Rodimus Prime (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] [[Kup (G1)|and]] [[Blurr (G1)|his]] [[Arcee (G1)|own]] [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|little]] [[Red Alert (G1)|band.]] {{storylink|Time Wars}}'' Like many other Transformers, Blaster was killed fighting the [[Underbase]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], shot dead atop the Brooklyn Bridge in [[New York City|New York]]. {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}}

[[Image:Marvel77-Blaster.jpg|right|150px|thumb|He used to be badass, now he's just a poor man's Perceptor...]]
Blaster was later among the first Autobots resurrected by Grimlock with [[Nucleon]]. Arriving on Cybertron in the nick of time aboard the ''Ark'', he took part in and survived the battle with [[Unicron]]. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}} In the aftermath, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] had Blaster run a check on the strange seismic activity Cybertron was suffering from, with disastrous results. It turned out Cybertron was tearing itself apart without the binding life-force of [[Primus]] to sustain it. {{storylink|Exodus!}} Prowl had the Autobots plan for a peaceful co-departure with the Decepticons.

Fat chance.

Bludgeon and his army sabotaged the Autobot shuttles and took off to lay waste to the next world they found. Thanks to Grimlock planning ahead, the Autobots managed to follow, but were caught in a trap as the Decepticons lay waiting for them. Blaster was one of the few Autobots present to survive the initial Decepticon ambush on [[Klo]]. He took a blast in the shoulder from [[Quake (G1)|Quake]], but there was still more than enough fight left in Blaster to join Grimlock and the other survivors in charging the Decepticon position. He was last seen ''literally'' blowing the head off of [[Snapdragon]]. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}

=====Marvel UK Future Timelines=====
''In the future of 2008, Blaster was present at Autobot City when the Quintesson [[Trident]] ships attacked. He attempted to transform Autobot City himself, but was stopped cold by [[General Ghyrik]]. He was deactivated in the battle that followed and his body strung up on the outer parapets as a warning to any Autobots who came to liberate the city. Although Blaster was inactive, his cassettes were not, and this fact gave Hot Rod and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] an edge when they began battling their way through the Quintesson occupants. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}''

''Blaster was seen briefly in 2009 at the start of the Time Wars, but did not end up joining Rodimus Prime on his mission into the past (see above). {{storylink|Time Wars}} After Galvatron was destroyed back in 1989 and the time line rebooted itself, Blaster was still among the Autobots stationed at Autobot City. He responded to Kup's emergency signal when the Autobots crash landed on Earth after a crazed Rodimus Prime turned against them, and helped drive the evil possessing presence out of their leader. {{storylink|White Fire}}''

====''Another Time and Place''====
Blaster was part of the rescue unit who infiltrated [[Hydrus Four]] to defeat the Decepticons and rescue the Dinobots. He personally helped disarm and defeat [[Fangry]]. {{storylink|Another Time and Place}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
[[Image:AgeofWrath2 AutobotResistance.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Steeljaw was in the bathroom.]]
Blaster's first recorded activities took place shortly before the [[Age of Internment]]. When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] returned from self-imposed exile, he unified the disjointed Autobot factions with the help of warriors like Blaster and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]. Blaster may or may not have been co-leading a fourth Autobot faction during the Dark Ages with [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (in addition to those factions overseen by [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] and Grimlock), but this was never made completely clear. The Autobots were ready to usher in a new Golden Age, negotiating a peace with the Decepticons and [[Ultracon|Ultracons]], when [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] returned to Cybertron after a prolonged absence with his [[Aerospace Extermination Squadron]]. With his new army, Megatron ushered in an Age of Internment, with virtually the entire Autobot army forced to serve as slaves digging under the city-state of [[Praxus]].

Virtually.

A small faction of Autobots remained free, operating under the command of Blaster and Perceptor in the subterranean chambers of [[Iacon]] Command. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath issue 2}} This resistance unit coordinated several different plans in the hopes of one day overthrowing Megatron's rule over Cybertron. One plan involved the capture and analysis of one of the AXS drones, in order to learn more about Megatron's new [[Cloning|clone technology]]. Blaster oversaw this mission from a distance, using his abilities to jam any emergency transmissions while [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] and several other Autobots engaged the drone in battle long enough to attach an inhibitor claw, immobilizing it. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath issue 3}}
{{-}}
{{note|Dreamwave's subsequent backruptcy ended the story half-way, leaving it up to speculation how the capture of the drone and the eventual return of Optimus Prime worked into the defeat of Megatron and the end of the Age of Internment.}}

[[Image:PassiveAggression Blaster lovesEarth.jpg|left|300px|thumb|]]
Millions of years later, Blaster was one of the first Autobots who joined the resistance movement against [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s so-called "unified" Cybertronian government, sensing things were rotten in the city-state of Iacon. He joined up with several like-minded 'Bots under the supervision of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] to coordinate a rise against the one-eyed tyrant. Blaster's efforts helped the Autobots uncover a subliminal code being pumped through the public address screens around the planet. It seemed that, for whatever reason, Shockwave was intentionally aggravating the violent tendencies of the entire population. Despite his feelings for Shockwave, Blaster still developed a strong taste for information from the Earth culture Shockwave was introducing to Cybertron. He even modified his alternate mode into a Earthen tapedeck. {{storylink|Passive Aggression}}

When Optimus Prime and the crew of the [[Ark (G1)|''Ark'']] were returned to Cybertron by Shockwave's forces, double agents inside the United Cybertronian force delivered Prime and his crew to Blaster and the others at their headquarters in the [[Wastelands]]. With the help of Cybertron's greatest hero, the resistance movement began an open insurrection against Shockwave's loyal Decepticon forces and the [[Guardian Robot|Guardian Robots]] under his control. Shockwave's regime fell, and the Autobots resumed command of Cybertron. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

{{note|Dreamwave's bankruptcy interrupted another of Blaster's stories, leaving it unstated whether he got to travel to Earth when Prowl took a team to build Autobot City, or stayed on Cybertron with Ultra Magnus's team.}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
In the year 1985, Blaster and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] hastily took off for [[Earth]] in an starship poorly-suited for interstellar travel. Upon arrival, they unsurprisingly crashed, landing in the forests of [[Oregon]] near [[Mount St. Hilary]]. They were discovered there by a [[G.I. Joe]] team led by [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]]. {{storylink|Targets of Opportunity}}

{{note|Due to Dreamwave's bankruptcy, Blaster and Perceptor's motivations for coming to Earth — and pretty much anything else — were never revealed.}}
===IDW comics continuity===
{{ongoing}}

[[Image:SpotlightBlaster REVENGE.jpg|right|150px|thumb|I'm Batman.]]
Blaster was known as The Voice, a patriotic broadcaster who used his gift with words to rally Autobots whose faith was lacking, or who were in a bad way. He was such a positive influence on the Autobots, it was arranged that he be assassinated. The attempt failed, but Blaster's damaged body was ejected into space. Picked up by a passing trawler, he was delivered home, where it was revealed that he had to have been attacked by an Autobot. In an effort to flush the traitor out, Blaster went back on the air. The attempt worked, and his would-be killer was revealed: [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]. [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] had used [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] to implant a [[cerebro-shell]] and ordered him to kill Blaster. However, he was able to resist when Blaster used his greatest weapon: his voice. As a damaged Beachcomber was brought in for repairs, Blaster swore he'd find Soundwave and that the last thing he'd ever hear would be... the Voice. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

[[Image:Slowmotionmoviewalkahm5.jpg|left|200px|thumb|I can't stand it, I know you planned it. I'm-a set it straight, this Watergate.]]
Over the next year, Blaster began working alongside the [[Wreckers]], and was recruited into a new elite fighting unit on-board the ''[[Trion]]'' by [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Drift}}

{{note|It is unclear whether Blaster became an official member of the Wreckers before Kup cannibalized that team to make his own strike force.}}

Blaster and the others harried the Decepticon fleet until they were baited into an ambush above Cybertron. There, the ship was shot down and forced to crash-land on the assumed uninhabitable world. Banding together to survive, they eventually encountered Optimus Prime's unit, only to find him incapacitated, the Matrix having been seized by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1 Blaster toy.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Still think you're so superior, Soundwave?"]]
* '''Blaster''' (Autobot, 1985/1986/2006)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''38''', '''TFC-21'''
**''Accessories:'' [[Electro-scrambler|Electro-Scrambler]] Gun

: Originally a ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'' "Radi-Casse Robo" ("radio-cassette", you see), Blaster transforms into a miniature "ghetto blaster" boombox with a fold-out carrying handle. Pressing the "eject" button pops open his tape door, which can store a single micro-cassette Transformer. Due to a possible common internal misassembly issue, many original Blasters had doors which would not open when the eject button is pressed, nor would the other buttons work.

:In robot mode Blaster is freaking huge by the standards of ''Generation 1'' Transformers, towering over most Autobots and Decepticons. He has rather limited (useful) articulation, located in his neck and shoulders.

: Blaster is not a functional AM radio like his original ''Microchange'' toy, but has some left over parts from it, such as the molded power switch above the left speaker, the earphone jack behind the right speaker and the tuning dial next to the tape door. Some releases of Blaster still retain the battery-cover back from the ''Microchange'' release (see Trivia).

: Blaster was re-released in 2006 as part of the "[[Transformers Collection]]" "bookbox" series, packaged with [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]].

{{-}}
[[Image:ActionMasterBlaster toy.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Which gun is better?]]
*'''Blaster w/ Flight Pack''' (Action Master, 1990)
**''Accessories:'' "Flight Pack" backpack, "tractor beam electron gun"

: A non-transforming action figure, [[Action Master]] Blaster (not to be confused with the "Action Master Blasters" price-point) is compatible with any other Action Master vehicle or accessory. His design is based largely on his cartoon model, with elements from the toy added (like his visor). He came with the "[[Flight Pack]]" accessory, which converts from a winged jetpack to a massive "electro-scrambler" cannon.

{{-}}

===The Headmasters===
* '''Twincast''' (Autobot, 1987/2006)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-116'''
**''Accessories:'' Electro-Scrambler Gun

: The first Blaster toy was [[Redeco|redecoed]] and had its tape-door [[Retool|retooled]] in order to accommodate two cassettes at once. The clear-plastic part of the door was also changed to clear-red, so when certain cassettes were placed inside, the "secret plans" decals on them would reveal the "weak point" of either [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] or [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], much like using the [[tech-specs decoders]]. He came with Steeljaw, who was given one of these new decals.

: In 2006, Twincast was reissued as an [[e-Hobby]] [[exclusive]], this time packaged with the new character [[Flip Sides]].

===Binaltech Asterisk===
[[Image:Bta broadblast.jpg|right|250px|thumb|They see me rollin', they hatin'.]]
*'''Broadblast meets Lumina''' (Binaltech, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BTA03'''
**''Accessories:'' Engine/gun, Lumina Hoshi with stand, driving arms and driving legs

: A redeco of ''[[Alternators]]'' [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], "Broadblast" transforms into a 1:24 scale [[wikipedia:Scion_xB|Toyota bB, aka the Scion xB]]. He has working doors, hood, and trunk, plus his engine becomes a non-firing weapon. He also comes with an extra decal sheet, which includes signs for "TBN" which ''possibly'' stands for "Transformers Broadcast Network" or some such; there is Japanese text on the labels as well, but it's really tiny and hard to make out.

: He came with a PVC-plastic figurine of the [[human]] newsgirl [[Lumina Hoshi]].

===Attacktix===
*'''Blaster'''

: Blaster was likely to have been one of several ''Transformers [[Attacktix]]'' Booster pieces, using a powerful spring-loaded "blaster" missile launcher attack. Though displayed as part of the ''Attacktix'' display at the [[Star Wars]] "Celebration IV" convention, he —and all the other pieces revealed at the show— were ultimately never released.

{{canceledtoy}}

===Universe (2008)===
====Classic Series====
[[Image:Blasteruniversetoy.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Preparations for the military strike, dubbed Operation Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication Storm, are already underway.]]
*'''Autobot Blaster with Blockrock Mini-Con!''' (Voyager, 2008)
**''Accessories:'' Tri-barrel "particle feedback blaster"/bomb, double-barrel "harmonic wave cannon"/bomb, Cybertron Autobot Cyber Key (Clear black plastic, silver border, red insignia)

: Blaster is a redeco of ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]], transforming into a Cybertronic stealth bomber vaguely like an [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|F-117A Nighthawk prototype]], the [[Wikipedia:Have_Blue|Have Blue]]. He comes with three hexagonal prism "bombs"; one converts into his partner [[Blockrock]], the other two unfold into non-firing blaster weapons. Any one of these "bombs" can be stored in his robot-mode chest, which opens by plugging a [[Cyber Planet Key]] into him (his is a gunmetal-bordered clear-plastic [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]-style Autobot Key). The other two bombs store in indents on the underside of his wings.

[[Image:Blaster-U08-boxart.jpg|left|100px|thumb|If only...]]
: His packaging art shows him with only half of his chest-door as clear-blue, emulating the original toy design's tape-window, but the final product (and stock photography) show the blue all the way across. However, his visor ''does'' have red paint to simulate the "goggle visor" look of the [[#Generation 1|original toy]] and Marvel comics model.

: This mold was also used to make ''Galaxy Force'' [[Soundblaster (Cybertron)|Soundblaster]].

{{-}}

===Device Label===
*'''Broadcast''' (Device Label, 2009)
[[Image:Device_Label_Broadcast.jpg|thumb|right|200px|What, not a notebook?! You are the REAL ''Decept''icon!!]]
:''[[Device Label]]'' Broadcast transforms from a working USB hub (designed to look like the Toshiba Qosmio laptop computer) into a red, yellow and grey robot. Generation 1 Mini-Cassettes can fit into the false tape-deck in his chest.
{{comingsoontoy}}

==Merchandise==
===Robot Heroes===
[[Image:Robotheroesblasterthrust.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Waiting futilely for Robot Heroes Scrounge.]]
*'''Blaster and Thrust''' (2008)

:Part of the third wave of ''Universe'' ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'', "Generation 1 Series" Blaster comes packaged with [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]. He has the standard shoulders-and-neck articulation. His headsculpt is more toy-based than cartoon-based, featuring his "goggles" (even though his eyes kind of pop out from them).

{{-}}

==Trivia==
* The [[Pre-Transformer|pre-''Transformers'']] version of Blaster was actually a functioning AM radio. The ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'' release of the toy came with a microcassette-sized radio that plugged in to Radi-Casse Robo, which had internal wiring that allowed the radio to play through the speakers in its legs. The big hole in his Electro-Scrambler rifle is an earphone storage space, while the cord can be wrapped around the gun and the plug connects to the hole in the gun's stock. Despite popular belief, the compartment in the back of some Blaster toys was not a remnant of a battery compartment, but was actually storage for one of the transforming microcassettes, since a plug kept them from fitting in the cassette door. The battery compartment was actually in one of his legs.

* According to [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] on a [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|letters page]], Blaster's visor is retractable. He uses it to shield his especially delicate optical sensors from sunlight.

* The packaging for Twincast's e-Hobby reissue was the same generic [[Decepticon]]-scheme box used to package [[Magnificus]]. However, since Flip Sides is technically a Decepticon, it... sorta works.

* According to Blaster himself on the UK letters page, he has two [[Relatives|siblings]]: [[Toaster]] and [[Karmen]]. And then there's [[Bluster]], his retroactively-created and less-seen brother.

* Blaster hosted the [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|Marvel UK comic's letters page]] for the final 33 issues (from [[Rhythms of Darkness!|issue #300]] to [[End of the Road! (US)|issue #332]]), to tie in with his Action Master toy. Here, the letters page was dubbed "Darn 'n' Blast," replacing [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind's]] "Dread Tidings" (despite Dreadwind's holing himself up in the Marvel offices. He was finally evicted by Blaster who complained that Dreadwind had decorated the office in all purple and orange with a solitary picture of a dog with sad eyes). His characterization in the letters page is more in line with his fun-loving, hip and happening self from the cartoon than the rather grim, brooding, rebellious loner seen in the comics. He arrived on the letters page in advance of his resurrection in the comics itself, which did not occur until [[On the Edge of Extinction!|issue #321]]. He was explicitly identified as being a non-transformer Action Master, though his partner Flight Pack did not appear.

* Blaster had a different appearance in the 1980s between the cartoon and the Marvel comic series. His head in the comic was closer to the toy and depicted him with goggles, while the cartoon drew him with regular eyes and a large forehead.

==Reference==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Autobot/Blaster/blaster.htm Blaster at TFU.info]
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Blaster Blaster's Universe profile at NFTA.net]

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators]]
[[Category:Attacktix]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Classics characters]]
[[Category:E-Hobby]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Headmasters characters]]
[[Category:Kiss Players characters]]
[[Category:Letters page answerers]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

The Bridge to Nowhere!

2009-08-04T15:52:21Z

173.63.86.84: /* Items of note */

{{picsneeded|IDW reprint cover}}
{{comicstory|seriesissue=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' (US)]] #18
|prev=The Smelting Pool!
|next=Command Performances!
|title="The Bridge to Nowhere!"
|seriesissue2=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|''The Transformers'' (UK)]] #68–69
|prev2=The Smelting Pool!
|next2=Command Performances!
|image=MarvelUS-18.jpg
|caption="May I '''axe''' you a question?"
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|date=March 1986
|coverdate=July 1986
|writer=[[Bob Budiansky]]
|penciler=[[Don Perlin]]
|inkers=[[Keith Williams]] & [[Vince Colletta]]
|colorist=[[Nelson Yomtov|Nel Yomtov]]
|letterer=[[Janice Chiang]]
|editor=[[Michael Carlin]]
|continuity=[[Marvel Comics continuity]]
}}

'''While the Cybertronian Decepticons build a device that will allow travel between Cybertron and Earth, the Autobots make a desperate attempt to stop them.'''

==Synopsis==
A young couple is out for a drive through the mountainous countryside, when they discover a huge bridge. They further find that the bridge only goes half-way across, and has strange giant [[Transformer|metal creatures]] that appear and promptly explode. They flee just as the bridge itself vanishes into thin air.

On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Straxus is furious: the [[space bridge]] is returning from [[Earth]], unprompted. He's somewhat less concerned about the fact that one of his own troopers just blew up. Before too many more troops can be sacrificed, Shrapnel contacts Spanner, a kidnapped neutral scientist who designed the bridge, and identifies the fatal flaw. A watching Blaster, sent to hunt for Spanner, notes the info with interest. The space bridge is shut down pending repairs.

On Earth, Donny Finkleberg is still making broadcasts in his "Robot-Master" role, trying to convince [[human]]s that the Autobots are hostile. He complains about his working conditions, as all [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] brings him for food is a snack machine full of candy. Megatron is barely tolerant of this. Shockwave arrives just then; he and Megatron argue about who leads the Decepticons until they receive a message from Straxus, declaring that he is about to open the space bridge. Given this development, the two leaders agree to a truce. Finkleberg decides he needs to find a way to warn the Autobots.

Unable to spare further time hunting for Spanner, Perceptor's [[Autobot|Autobots]] mount a full-scale assault on [[Darkmount]] as a diversion. With the Decepticons occupied, Blaster attempts to sabotage the bridge, but hesitates to detonate the explosives when he discovers that Spanner has actually been reconfigured into the space bridge itself, even as Spanner pleads with him to destroy his mutilated form. The Decepticons discover Blaster and attack, preventing him from carrying out the mission.

Straxus orders the bridge to be activated, and the two sides battle between Earth and Cybertron. Blaster uses his earlier knowledge of the bridge's systems to destabilize it, and boots Straxus over the edge, destroying him. Blaster and his Autobot teammates flee to the other side of the space bridge to arrive on Earth, but the unstable bridge disappears behind them, and they are trapped on a strange new world.

==Featured Characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (7)
* [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] (8)
* [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (9)
* [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] (10)
* [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] (11)
* [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] (12)
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (13)
* [[Corkscrew]] (19)
* [[Borebit]] (20)
|c2=
* [[Crosscut (Decepticon)|Crosscut]] (2)
* [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] (3)
* [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] (4)
* [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] (5)
* [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] (6)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (14)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (16)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (17)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (18)
|c3=
'''Regulars'''
* [[Donny Finkleberg]] (15)
'''Guests'''
* [[Charley and Rita]] (1)
|c4=
* [[Spanner (G1)|Spanner]] (21)
}}

==Errors==
* Straxus's colors change extensively in comparison to the previous issue.

==Items of note==
* When Shockwave appears with Laserbeak and Buzzsaw to confront Megatron, Megatron comments that he had sent the two condors to retrieve the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], not Shockwave. This is new information, most likely an attempt to explain an earlier continuity hiccup: Laserbeak and Buzzsaw (along with Soundwave and Ravage) had rescued Megatron from his immobility in issue [[I, Robot-Master!|#15]] of the US series, but in [[Plight of the Bumblebee!|#16]] (written by a [[Len Kaminski|different author]]), the two bird-cassettes were working for Shockwave. This issue's revelation that they had been sent out on a mission provides an explanation: They had succeeded in finding the Seekers, but since the Seekers were serving under Shockwave at the time, the condors simply fell into his band. Notably, the UK comic inserted an [[Robot Buster!|additional]] [[Devastation Derby!|seven]] [[Second Generation!|issues]] between US #16 & [[The Smelting Pool!|#17]], wherein Soundwave and the cassettes served under Shockwave but manipulated events to bring him together with Megatron to resolve the Decepticon leadership issue.
* ''References to other Transformers continuities/issues:'' Donny Finkleberg was captured by the Decepticons in [[I, Robot-Master!]].
* The full title of the previous issue was given as "Return to Cybertron Part 1: The Smelting Pool!". Ostensibly, this would make "The Bridge To Nowhere!", "Return to Cybertron Part 2", although it is not explicitly named as such.
* This issue introduces the concept of the [[space bridge]], and it is radically different to how it appears in the cartoon.
* This issue was reprinted in the [[Titan Books]] collection "[[Cybertron Redux]]".
* This issue was reprinted as issue #6 of [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[Generations (comic reprints)|Generations]]'' series.
* The Letters to the Editors section of the Marvel US publication of this issue includes the first mention of [[Shingo]].
* Like last issue, Blaster is drawn with his cartoon head on the cover, but with his comic book head throughout the issue.

===Covers (3)===
<gallery>
Image:MarvelUS-18.jpg|'''US issue #18''' - "Maybe we should start seeing other people?"
Image:MarvelUK-068.jpg|'''UK issue #68''' - A really bad space soap opera.
Image:MarvelUK-069.jpg|'''UK issue #69''' - The US cover on acid.
Image:Titan-CybertronReduxSC.jpg|'''Titan TPB cover'''
Image:Titan-CybertronReduxHC.jpg|'''Titan HC cover'''
</gallery>
* '''US cover:''' Blaster vs. Straxus, by [[Herb Trimpe]].
* '''UK issue #68 cover:''' A half Earth/half Cybertron with the respective leaders of each, by [[Phil Gascoine]].
* '''UK issue #69 cover:''' reuse of art from US cover with a new background.
* '''Titan TPB cover:''' [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], [[Ramhorn]], [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]], [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] and half of the [[Space bridge]] by [[Andrew Wildman]].
* '''Titan hardback cover:''' Blaster in the [[Smelting pool]] by [[Don Figueroa]], [[Gary Erskine]] & [[Chris Blythe]].

===Advertisements===
* Bonkers candy Robot-Watch offer - between pages 4 & 5

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bridge to Nowhere!}}
[[Category:Marvel US issues]]
[[Category:Marvel UK issues]]

Day of the Machines

2009-08-01T13:04:55Z

173.63.86.84: /* Featured characters */

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=25
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=74
|image=Dayofmachinesprimeandtorq.jpg
|caption=Big Brother is watching you!
|title="Day of the Machines"
|production code=#700-24
|airdate=[[October 10]], 1985
|written by=[[David Wise]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Megatron's latest scheme involves using the most powerful computer on Earth to control machinery remotely.'''

:''Japanese title:'' コンピュータの反乱 (''Computer no Hanran'', "The Rebellion of the Computer")

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Dayofmachinesmegsinacase.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"Megatron! What are you doing in my [[Laserbeak (Animated)|cousin's]] house?!"]]

[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (the former disguised in a guitar case!) not-so-silently infiltrate [[Quantum Laboratories]], a top-secret facility where the world’s most powerful computer, [[TORQ III]], is housed. Megatron reprograms the computer with his own personality and gives it the power to control remotely dangerous machines of all types through the use of "[[Remote Control Circuit Linker]] cards."

At the same time, scientist Dr. [[Paul Gates]] of Quantum Labs muses with a colleague about the dangers of machine sentience and that, in the wrong hands, TORQ III might be too powerful. Since Fate is both cruel and timely, the very scenario they were discussing comes true when TORQ III locks them in their office and announces that he’s taking over.

Megatron is using TORQ and the circuit linker cards to remotely control fleets of oil tankers. This alerts [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]], who notifies [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. Prime then receives Dr. Gates’ distress signal; Gates fills him in on TORQ III’s rebellion and asks to be rescued.

[[Image:Dayofmachinesautossurround.jpg|right|225px|thumb|The Autobots play "Monkey in the Middle" with a bunch of Brawls.]]

[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] are assigned to investigate the tankers, and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] tags along. Prime leads a group to Quantum Labs, where they immediately come under attack by machines controlled by TORQ. Overwhelmed, Prime orders in the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] (minus [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]]) to come help, and they smash, chomp and melt down all of the machines. [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] makes his usual pompous comment about having to save Prime’s bacon when things get rough. Afterward, Prime rescues Dr. Gates and they advance toward the buildings, meeting lots of resistance from TORQ’s machines.

Meanwhile, Hound, Spike and Skyfire sneak aboard an oil tanker and infiltrate the [[Decepticon]]s' oil platform. Their attack falls short when Spike is captured and they are forced to surrender.

After smashing more remote-controlled machines at Quantum, Prime decides to explore inside TORQ’s maze-like complex alone. As Optimus moves in closer, one of the machines places a circuit linker card on him, making him Torq’s slave, and he is brought into the computer’s domain. But—surprise, surprise—Prime rips the card off his body, saying it was a dud he placed in the robot’s claw, and he disables TORQ with a well-placed punch to the control panel.

[[Image:DayOfMachines Megatron remote control.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"So this is what a human Cell Phone looks like."]]

Back at the oil platform, Spike has hatched an idea to use an electromagnet (which happened to be in their cell) to immobilize [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]. Skyfire easily smashes through the cell door and Hound disables the force dome that was protecting the platform. The rest of the Autobots arrive and a battle ensues. Prime faces down Megatron and manages to wrest a remote control device from his hands, then tosses it back to him. Megatron lands on it, crushing it, and comes back up spitting mad. He retaliates by activating the self-destruct mechanism on the platform.

The [[Autobot]]s escape, but Prime stays behind to find Hound, Skyfire and Spike. He rips apart the platform deck, revealing the missing team members, and Skyfire flies them out of danger.

Finally, Prime says goodbye to Dr. Gates, who makes a parting comment about machines being unreliable, and then quickly retracts the statement when he realizes his gaffe. The Autobots laugh at the ungrateful human's hubris.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] (10)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (11)
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (12)
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] (13)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (15)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (16)
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (17)
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (18)
* [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (19)
* [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (20)
* [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (21)
* [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (22)

|c2=
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (2)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (3)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (4)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (8)
* [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (9)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (25)
* [[Hook (G1) |Hook]]

|c3=
*Security guard (1)
* Dr Gates's colleague (6)
* Dr. [[Paul Gates]] (7)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (14)
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] (23)
* Oil tanker captain (24)

|c4=
* [[TORQ III]] (5)
}}

==Quotes==
"Illegal access! Illegal access!" 
"It certainly is."
:—'''TORQ III''' is reprogrammed by '''Megatron'''

"Good grief. More bad news. This isn’t one of our shining days."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' as TORQ's machines surround his troops.

"Always get Autobots out of messes they get into."
:—'''Grimlock''' laments at yet another Autobot bungle he is called upon to resolve. Forcefully.

"Fortunately, I have a delicate lock-picking technique."
:—'''Optimus Prime''', right before he "delicately" blasts his way into TORQ's building.

"Come and get me you metal-headed dumb-dumb." 
"That's one stupid Decepticon."
:—'''Skyfire''' and '''Hound''' accurately assess Frenzy's level of intelligence.

"You took the word right out of my mouth. It was in there with my foot."
:—'''Dr. Paul Gates''' after he tells the ''Autobots'' that all machines are unreliable.

==Notes==

*This is one of two episodes (the other being "[[Attack of the Autobots]]") not initially aired in Japan during the run of ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]''. The episode was eventually dubbed in 1990 and released on [[Pioneer]]'s laserdisk set of the series. As such, it was retroactively added to the series official episode list as episode 74, a numbering reflected in ''[[Transformers Generations]]''.

*Having been dubbed several years after ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' had ended, not all the original cast members were able to return. [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (originally voiced by [[Ken Shiroyama]]), [[Bluestreak]] (originally voiced by [[Kōki Kataoka]]) and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (originally voiced by [[Osamu Saka]]) were replaced by [[Katsumi Suzuki]].

===Animation or technical glitches===
* Sideswipe's head is colored red instead of black during one shot of him fleeing from a Torq-controlled machine.
* The Dinobots seem to disappear from the plot almost as soon as they appear, despite the fact that the Autobots meet more resistance before they reach Torq III.
* Where does Hound get the missile he uses to knock out the force field? It just seems to appear in his launcher as they run out of the cell.
* Soundwave's optics are white when he notifies Megatron that the force field is down.
* The hydrofoil Dr. Paul Gates lends the Autobots has the ability to jump out of the water and land on one of the tankers and vice versa. Awesome!
* There seems to be some dialogue missing at one point. After the Dinobots arrive at the plant and transform, it shows Slag saying something and his mouth is moving, but there is no sound, and then he proceeds to shoot fire at the tanks.

===Real-world references===
* Paul Gates, the scientist of Quantum Labs, could be a nod to the co-founders of Microsoft, Paul Allen and Bill Gates.

===Trivia===
* This is one of Optimus Prime's shining episodes. He defeats TORQ III almost singlehandedly; he destroys Megatron's remote control device and foils the tanker stealing plan; and he saves Spike, Skyfire and Hound from sinking with the oil platform. No wonder he's in charge!
* Ironhide destroys one of TORQ's machines by walking right through the blast it's emitting and sticking his finger in its hose. He is old because he is hard!
* This episode marks the only time in the original animated series that Megatron shrank to a human adequate scale.
* In another example of Spike's superhuman powers, he picks up an electro-magnet which must surely weigh quite a bit.

==External links==
* [http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/day_of_the_machines.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]

Day of the Machines

2009-08-01T13:02:40Z

173.63.86.84: /* Animation or technical glitches */

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=25
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=74
|image=Dayofmachinesprimeandtorq.jpg
|caption=Big Brother is watching you!
|title="Day of the Machines"
|production code=#700-24
|airdate=[[October 10]], 1985
|written by=[[David Wise]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Megatron's latest scheme involves using the most powerful computer on Earth to control machinery remotely.'''

:''Japanese title:'' コンピュータの反乱 (''Computer no Hanran'', "The Rebellion of the Computer")

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Dayofmachinesmegsinacase.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"Megatron! What are you doing in my [[Laserbeak (Animated)|cousin's]] house?!"]]

[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (the former disguised in a guitar case!) not-so-silently infiltrate [[Quantum Laboratories]], a top-secret facility where the world’s most powerful computer, [[TORQ III]], is housed. Megatron reprograms the computer with his own personality and gives it the power to control remotely dangerous machines of all types through the use of "[[Remote Control Circuit Linker]] cards."

At the same time, scientist Dr. [[Paul Gates]] of Quantum Labs muses with a colleague about the dangers of machine sentience and that, in the wrong hands, TORQ III might be too powerful. Since Fate is both cruel and timely, the very scenario they were discussing comes true when TORQ III locks them in their office and announces that he’s taking over.

Megatron is using TORQ and the circuit linker cards to remotely control fleets of oil tankers. This alerts [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]], who notifies [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. Prime then receives Dr. Gates’ distress signal; Gates fills him in on TORQ III’s rebellion and asks to be rescued.

[[Image:Dayofmachinesautossurround.jpg|right|225px|thumb|The Autobots play "Monkey in the Middle" with a bunch of Brawls.]]

[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] are assigned to investigate the tankers, and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] tags along. Prime leads a group to Quantum Labs, where they immediately come under attack by machines controlled by TORQ. Overwhelmed, Prime orders in the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] (minus [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]]) to come help, and they smash, chomp and melt down all of the machines. [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] makes his usual pompous comment about having to save Prime’s bacon when things get rough. Afterward, Prime rescues Dr. Gates and they advance toward the buildings, meeting lots of resistance from TORQ’s machines.

Meanwhile, Hound, Spike and Skyfire sneak aboard an oil tanker and infiltrate the [[Decepticon]]s' oil platform. Their attack falls short when Spike is captured and they are forced to surrender.

After smashing more remote-controlled machines at Quantum, Prime decides to explore inside TORQ’s maze-like complex alone. As Optimus moves in closer, one of the machines places a circuit linker card on him, making him Torq’s slave, and he is brought into the computer’s domain. But—surprise, surprise—Prime rips the card off his body, saying it was a dud he placed in the robot’s claw, and he disables TORQ with a well-placed punch to the control panel.

[[Image:DayOfMachines Megatron remote control.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"So this is what a human Cell Phone looks like."]]

Back at the oil platform, Spike has hatched an idea to use an electromagnet (which happened to be in their cell) to immobilize [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]. Skyfire easily smashes through the cell door and Hound disables the force dome that was protecting the platform. The rest of the Autobots arrive and a battle ensues. Prime faces down Megatron and manages to wrest a remote control device from his hands, then tosses it back to him. Megatron lands on it, crushing it, and comes back up spitting mad. He retaliates by activating the self-destruct mechanism on the platform.

The [[Autobot]]s escape, but Prime stays behind to find Hound, Skyfire and Spike. He rips apart the platform deck, revealing the missing team members, and Skyfire flies them out of danger.

Finally, Prime says goodbye to Dr. Gates, who makes a parting comment about machines being unreliable, and then quickly retracts the statement when he realizes his gaffe. The Autobots laugh at the ungrateful human's hubris.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] (10)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (11)
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (12)
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] (13)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (15)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (16)
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (17)
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (18)
* [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (19)
* [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (20)
* [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (21)
* [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (22)

|c2=
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (2)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (3)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (4)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (8)
* [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (9)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (25)

|c3=
*Security guard (1)
* Dr Gates's colleague (6)
* Dr. [[Paul Gates]] (7)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (14)
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] (23)
* Oil tanker captain (24)

|c4=
* [[TORQ III]] (5)
}}

==Quotes==
"Illegal access! Illegal access!" 
"It certainly is."
:—'''TORQ III''' is reprogrammed by '''Megatron'''

"Good grief. More bad news. This isn’t one of our shining days."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' as TORQ's machines surround his troops.

"Always get Autobots out of messes they get into."
:—'''Grimlock''' laments at yet another Autobot bungle he is called upon to resolve. Forcefully.

"Fortunately, I have a delicate lock-picking technique."
:—'''Optimus Prime''', right before he "delicately" blasts his way into TORQ's building.

"Come and get me you metal-headed dumb-dumb." 
"That's one stupid Decepticon."
:—'''Skyfire''' and '''Hound''' accurately assess Frenzy's level of intelligence.

"You took the word right out of my mouth. It was in there with my foot."
:—'''Dr. Paul Gates''' after he tells the ''Autobots'' that all machines are unreliable.

==Notes==

*This is one of two episodes (the other being "[[Attack of the Autobots]]") not initially aired in Japan during the run of ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]''. The episode was eventually dubbed in 1990 and released on [[Pioneer]]'s laserdisk set of the series. As such, it was retroactively added to the series official episode list as episode 74, a numbering reflected in ''[[Transformers Generations]]''.

*Having been dubbed several years after ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' had ended, not all the original cast members were able to return. [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (originally voiced by [[Ken Shiroyama]]), [[Bluestreak]] (originally voiced by [[Kōki Kataoka]]) and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (originally voiced by [[Osamu Saka]]) were replaced by [[Katsumi Suzuki]].

===Animation or technical glitches===
* Sideswipe's head is colored red instead of black during one shot of him fleeing from a Torq-controlled machine.
* The Dinobots seem to disappear from the plot almost as soon as they appear, despite the fact that the Autobots meet more resistance before they reach Torq III.
* Where does Hound get the missile he uses to knock out the force field? It just seems to appear in his launcher as they run out of the cell.
* Soundwave's optics are white when he notifies Megatron that the force field is down.
* The hydrofoil Dr. Paul Gates lends the Autobots has the ability to jump out of the water and land on one of the tankers and vice versa. Awesome!
* There seems to be some dialogue missing at one point. After the Dinobots arrive at the plant and transform, it shows Slag saying something and his mouth is moving, but there is no sound, and then he proceeds to shoot fire at the tanks.

===Real-world references===
* Paul Gates, the scientist of Quantum Labs, could be a nod to the co-founders of Microsoft, Paul Allen and Bill Gates.

===Trivia===
* This is one of Optimus Prime's shining episodes. He defeats TORQ III almost singlehandedly; he destroys Megatron's remote control device and foils the tanker stealing plan; and he saves Spike, Skyfire and Hound from sinking with the oil platform. No wonder he's in charge!
* Ironhide destroys one of TORQ's machines by walking right through the blast it's emitting and sticking his finger in its hose. He is old because he is hard!
* This episode marks the only time in the original animated series that Megatron shrank to a human adequate scale.
* In another example of Spike's superhuman powers, he picks up an electro-magnet which must surely weigh quite a bit.

==External links==
* [http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/day_of_the_machines.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]

The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1

2009-07-16T18:31:21Z

173.63.86.84: /* Animation and/or technical glitches */

{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|series2=2010
|ep=94
|ep2=31
|image=ReturnOptimusPrime1 Optimus lives.JPG
|caption=And there was much rejoicing (yay).
|title="The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1"
|production code=700-115
|airdate=[[February 24]], 1987
|written by=[[Marv Wolfman]] [[Cherie Wilkerson]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''An embittered scientist uses the body of Optimus Prime unleash a dangerous plague on the Autobots and, ultimately, the universe.'''

:''Japanese title:'' コンボイの復活パート1 (''Convoy no Fukkatsu Part 1'', "The Resurrection of Convoy Part 1")
:''German title:'' '''Die Rückkehr von Optimus Prime, Teil 1''' ("The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1")

==Synopsis==
[[Image:ReturnofOptimus1 Prime rescue.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"You're right, it is athlete's foot."]]

While on a deep-space mission to test a new [[Impervious Alloy|heat-and-radiation-resistant alloy]] that they have developed, scientists [[Jessica Morgan]] and [[Gregory Swofford]] detect a ship carrying Optimus Prime's body (see "[[Dark Awakening]]") on a collision course with a planetoid orbiting a star they are researching nearby. Despite Gregory's reservations (his face was scarred in a previous scuffle between Optimus and Megatron, which he blames on Optimus), he is talked into helping Jessica rescue Prime's body before the ship collides with the planetoid, the impact of which also sets off the star into a supernova and coating their ship with unusual spores.

[[Image:ReturnofOptimus1 Scattershot rescues Jessica.jpg|right|200px|thumb|]]

Upon return to Earth, Jessica's father studies the spores and learns that they are not only alive, but are an [[Hate Plague|incredibly contagious viral agent]] that induces hatred and destructive urges into whoever they contaminate. After a new scuffle between the Technobots and Terrorcons over the new alloy gravely injures Jessica, her father is convinced by Gregory to try and resurrect Prime's body as a carrier of the spores against the Autobots, a sentiment exacerbated when it's learned Jessica was paralyzed from the waist down in the accident and now needs a special exosuit to walk. However, when reviving Prime's body turns out to be impossible for them, Gregory and Jessica's father decide to use it as bait for the other Autobots. Dr. Morgan forces Jessica to lure them into a spore trap at the lab.

The trap goes off without a hitch, mostly due to Rodimus' reckless haste in recovering his predecessor's corpse in lieu of caution, and several Autobots—including Superion and Defensor, two of the most powerful Autobot gestalts—are infected. The Decepticons have learned about Optimus Prime's recovery as well, and have shown up to terminate the former Autobot leader permanently, but are instead infected themselves. Fortunately, Rodimus, Jessica, and Galvatron manage to escape unharmed, the former two with Optimus' body; a few other Autobots manage to escape infection as well, but are badly wounded while attempting to subdue a sickened and crazed Superion.

[[Image:ReturnofOptimus1 Magnus sneaks up.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Rodimus has [[Energy vampire|no reflection]]?]]

Back at Autobot City, Rodimus pleads to Wreck-Gar to try and repair Prime, but Prime is too far gone even for Junkion medical experience. Desperate, Rodimus contacts Sky Lynx and orders him to locate and bring back a Quintesson, remembering that they had [[Dark Awakening|once before restored Optimus to life]]. He then sets about disconnecting Metroplex to keep the city-former from becoming infected. However, just as he finishes the final steps to do so, an infected Ultra Magnus appears. He gives chase to Rodimus before he's temporarily subdued by Wreck-Gar...who ends up becoming infected, and infecting Rodimus in return.

[[Image:ReturnofOptimus1 Quintesson fixing Prime.jpg|right|200px|thumb|You put your right arm in. You put your right arm out.]]

With the Hate Plague, as it's now called, rampaging even to the ends of the galaxy, Sky Lynx finds an uninfected Quintesson who he saves from infected Sharkticons in exchange for reviving Optimus. The Quintesson warns that—should anything go too awry during the process — there's a good chance that Optimus will never live again. It's touch-and-go for a while, but eventually, the Quintesson manages to pull through and Optimus is restored to full life, declaring that "no force in the Universe can stop me."

[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2|To be continued]]...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (3)
* [[Afterburner (G1)|Afterburner]] (10)
* [[Strafe (G1)|Strafe]] (11)
* [[Lightspeed (Technobot)|Lightspeed]] (12)
* [[Scattershot]] (13)
* [[Nosecone (G1)|Nosecone]] (14)
* [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] (16)
* [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (17)
* [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] (18)
* [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] (19)
* [[Wide Load]] (20)
* [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] (21)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (22)
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] (23)
* [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] (25)
* [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] (26)
* [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] (27)
* [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (28)
* [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (29)
* [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (30)
* [[Slingshot]] (31)
* [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] (32)
* [[Chase (G1)|Chase]] (33)
* [[Freeway (G1)|Freeway]] (34)
* [[Searchlight (G1)|Searchlight]] (35)
* [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (36)
* [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (37)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (38)
* [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] (39)
* [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] (50)
* [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] (51)
* [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (52)
* [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] (53)
|c2=
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (4; flashback)
* [[Cutthroat]] (5)
* [[Rippersnapper]] (6)
* [[Sinnertwin]] (7)
* [[Blot]] (8)
* [[Hun-Gurrr]] (9)
* [[Abominus]] (15)
* [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] (24)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (40)
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (41)
* [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (42)
* [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] (43)
* [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] (44)
* [[Drag Strip]] (45)
* [[Motormaster]] (46)
* [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (47)
* [[Wildrider]] (48)
* [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (49)
* [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (54)
* [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] (55)
* [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] (56)
|c3=
* [[Gregory Swofford]] (1)
* [[Jessica Morgan]] (2)
* [[Mark Morgan]] (3)
|c4=
* [[Quintesson]]s (57)
* [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]] (58)
}}

==Notable quotes==
"Computron think too much!"
:—'''Abominus''', who subsequently shoots Computron.

"Why do I keep seeing you in my dreams, Optimus? Are you telling me I'm not the leader ''you'' were? I already know that, Optimus. I always have."
:—'''Rodimus''' ponders in front of Optimus' statue in Metroplex.

"Where's that punk Rodimus Prime?! I want him!" 
"There you are, you wimp!" 
"You can't escape, Rodimus! I can track your gas fumes anywhere!"
:—Several lines from infected '''Ultra Magnus''' as he tracks down Rodimus Prime. ''In virus veritas,'' indeed.

"The Autobots are acting like madmen!" 
"It's a madness plague, Galvatron. If one of those Transformers touches you, you're infected." 
"You're lying!" 
"Fine. Whatever makes you a happy Decepticon. Just watch your rear thruster."
:—'''Galvatron''' and '''Rodimus Prime'''

"I'm a doctor, not a forklift!" 
"His engines, they cannot take the strain!" 
"He's dead, Jim." 
:—'''Wreck-Gar'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s inspired medical descriptions of Optimus Prime's condition

"It's over kid. I've won!" 
"Don't believe it, old friend!"
:—Infected '''Ultra Magnus''' blocks '''Rodimus Prime''', who evades him.

"It's as I said before, kid. It's all over. What...? ARGH!" 
"And as I said before: Don't believe it."
:—Infected '''Ultra Magnus''' corners '''Rodimus Prime''', only to be lassoed by Wreck-gar.

"I'm a pepper! Wouldn't you like to be a pepper, too?"
:—'''Wreck-Gar''' merrily spreads the infection.

"They've all gone mad. This is no place for me!"
:—The irony is lost on '''Galvatron.'''

"The world needs a leader, now!"
:—'''Sky Lynx''' on the reactivation of Optimus Prime. He doesn't realize that the Autobots have needed a good leader since Optimus died in the first place...

"I've done it! Optimus Prime lives!" 
"It's true. Our leader is back." 
"Yes, Sky Lynx, and this time, no force in the universe can stop me."
:—'''Quintesson''' and '''Sky Lynx''' as the decidedly confident '''Optimus Prime''' is revived.

==Notes==
===Animation and/or technical glitches===
[[Image:Swindle TROOP.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"So we bought your daughter's exosuit from a Decepticon . . . what's so bad about that?"]]
*When Rodimus is done talking to Optimus's statue, his head slides backwards. Twice.
*When Gregory and Jessica's father rush at the hospital and find the Autobots, [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] is amongst them.
*When Defensor is shown after the Protectobots combine his left arm is missing.
*When Soundwave looks down after having Ratbat inserted into him, his faceplate stays in its old position of looking upwards.
*When Ratbat is inserted into Soundwave, he is white instead of a purplish-magenta colour.
*Also pertaining to Soundwave, when he says "Ratbat has returned. Ratbat, report!", his vocoded voice sounds more high pitched than usual.
*In one scene, Bruticus is the same size as all the regular Decepticons, or the regular Decepticons are the same size as Bruticus.
* Before entering the lab to retrieve Prime's body, Rodimus gives orders to Defensor...though Defensor is shown as the one making all of those orders.
*In the same scene as above, Goldbug is somehow right in front of Defensor, but Bumblebee wasn't rebuilt into him yet.
*Quite often the red halos around infected Transformers are out of step with the animation, or visible through objects in front of them.
*When Wreck-Gar is about to infect Rodimus, Rodimus is all red before he's been infected.
*Even though it is a flashback, this is ''technically'' the last appearance of Megatron in the American Series

===Continuity errors===
[[Image:Retcon.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Someone fixed Prime's body, but no one can fix the story.]]
*More or less this entire episode is a massive continuity error, as it purports to pick up at the end of Optimus Prime's last prior appearance in "[[Dark Awakening]]", yet actually presents entirely different conditions. In the prior episode, Optimus Prime lost an arm and half of his face (on top of his longstanding physical damage still left from the [[The Transformers: The Movie|animated movie]]), but was still alive as he managed to steer his ship at high speed through the heavy fire of a massed Quintesson spacefleet, deliberately ramming a detonator that caused a binary supernova and obliterated the ship and the entire solar system around it. Yet in this new episode, Optimus Prime is shown completely intact and pristine, albeit dead, as his (completely different) ship drifts, slowly and alone, through a system in which the sun is about to go nova from natural causes.
*Jessica Morgan and Gregory Swofford detect life-signs aboard Optimus Prime's ship, but the Autobot is dead.

===Real-world references===
*Wreck-Gar's lines: "I'm a doctor, not a forklift!" and "He's dead, Jim." Reference popular quotes from Star Trek medic [http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Leonard_H._McCoy/ Dr. Leonard H. McCoy].
*Similarly "His engines, they cannot take the strain!" comes from another Star Trek character, namely [http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Montgomery_Scott Montgomery Scott] (AKA Scotty), though this is often claimed to not be attributed to the character except for its use in parodies.
*Wreck-Gar's comment: "I'm a pepper! Wouldn't you like to be a pepper, too?" is a reference to an old [[wikipedia:Dr._Pepper|Dr. Pepper]] ad campaign in the late '70s to early '80s.

===Trivia===
* The [[Hate Plague]] appears to affect Sharkticons differently from how it affects Transformers and humans. While other organisms become incredibly aggressive, Sharkticons seem to become obsessed with infecting everyone else.
*When Jessica Morgan asks who built Optimus Prime in the first place, Rodimus Prime responds by saying the Quintessons did so, yet Optimus was modified from [[Orion Pax]] who was repaired by [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], though he might have meant who built him in his original form.
*Jessica Morgan and Gregory Swofford are able to lift, push and pull Optimus Prime's massive body out of his chair and onto their ship without any mechanical assistance or devices except a rope. Seriously?
*The Hate Plague can apparently infect any creature, both purely mechanical and biological.

==External links==
* [http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/the_return_of_optimus_prime_part_1.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}
[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]

The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2

2009-07-02T18:07:45Z

173.63.86.84: /* Transformers references */

{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|series2=2010
|ep=95
|ep2=32
|image=ReturnOptimusPrime2 title shot.JPG
|caption=I'm back, kiddies!
|title="The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2"
|production code=700-116
|airdate=[[February 25]], 1987
|written by=[[Michael Charles Hall]]
|story by=[[Marv Wolfman]] [[Cherie Wilkerson]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Optimus and a handful of Autobots make a desperate bid to recover the Matrix, in the hopes that a cure for the Hate Plague can be found.'''

:''Japanese title:'' コンボイの復活パート2 (''Convoy no Fukkatsu Part 2'', "The Resurrection of Convoy Part 2")
:''German title:'' '''Die Rückkehr von Optimus Prime, Teil 2''' ("The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2")

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Primeandjessicamorgan.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Chip Chase, is that you?]]

[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], now fully restored to life by [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] and a [[Quintesson]] survivor of the rampant Hate Plague that's infecting the universe, demands to know what has happened during his time on the [[Allspark|other side]]. Sky Lynx recaps the events that had conspired to bring him back, including [[Jessica Morgan]]'s valiant play to save him from total destruction, the discovery of the [[Hate Plague]] spores, and the trap laid out by Jessica's father and her partner Gregory Swofford to infect the Autobots with the spores in revenge, which ultimately spiraled out of control. It was thought by Rodimus, before his infection, that Prime would know what it would take to stop the plague. Prime asks who is available, and learns of the injured [[Autobot|Autobots]]. The Quintesson manages to reactivate them, completely rebuilding [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] into Goldbug.

When [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] asks what the plan is, Prime admits that he doesn't have a plan. Without the accumulated wisdom within the [[Matrix of Leadership]] (which now resides in Rodimus), he doesn't have a clue as to where to start. That is, until Jessica comes forward with the experimental alloy that she, her father, and Gregory had worked on, which proved strong enough to block the spores. Theoretically, coating Optimus with this alloy would protect himself from the spore's infection and allow him to get close enough to Rodimus to extract the Matrix from him. However, all remaining alloy samples were stolen by the Decepticons. The Autobots decide to retrieve the metal.

[[Image:ReturnOptimusPrime2 crazycons.JPG|right|200px|thumb|Cyclonus and Scourge each spent 2,000 XP to create the Level 7 Flame Barrier spell. Unfortunately Galvatron has Protection from Fire with Permanency effect.]]

Meanwhile, on [[Chaar]], [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] is pinned down by his own mutinously diseased soldiers, unable to fight back against their maddening ferocity...until Optimus and his team arrive to save the day, convincing Galvatron that it would be in his best interest to join in an alliance with them. As is his way, however, the Decepticon leader is suspicious of Optimus' motives, especially when he learns they need the alloy he stole, but cannot get a reason for it out of them. He agrees to join in and leads Optimus and his gang down a series of boobytrapped tunnels, their numbers dwindling from the tunnel's natural hazards and the infected Decepticon mob behind them, until only Optimus, Galvatron, Sky Lynx, and Jessica arrive at the alloy's hiding place. Unfortunately, Jessie accidentally lets slip their plan to coat Optimus with the metal after confirming there would be enough of it to do the job, prompting Galvatron to turn on Optimus in hopes of using the process on himself, but he is soon subdued by Sky Lynx. Under coercion, Galvatron loads the alloy onto Prime's trailer, but doesn't notice that an infected Cyclonus has managed to sneak in, infecting Jessica in the process. Jessica, in turn, infects Galvatron, forcing Sky Lynx and Optimus to flee back to Earth.

[[Image:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Primes duel.JPG|left|200px|thumb|So I guess Rodimus is a bottom...to Ultra Magnus?]]

Once on Earth, Optimus is coated with the alloy, and sets out to find Rodimus. He finds him, taking down infected Transformers with reckless glee, and attempts to reason with him, which fails. Unwilling to hurt his successor, Prime lures Rodimus to a nearby auto shop, attempting to peacefully subdue and talk Rodimus into helping him, but the Hate Plague is overriding any effort to do so, forcing Optimus to knock Rodimus out and take the Matrix back by force. Back at [[Autobot City]], Optimus dives into the Matrix to question the elders of the past in reverse chronological order (of their history) to try and find out any information on the spores. The spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] warns him that if he travels too far, he risks becoming lost within the Matrix itself.

During Prime's journey, the Quintesson that revived him notices a troop of infected Transformers attempting to get in, and manages to temporarily shut them out, giving Optimus the time he needs to finally find his answer. He learns that, in a period of pre-Cybertronian history, the Plague ''has'' visited the planet before, but was contained and sealed inside the star Jessica and Gregory found it in using sheer wisdom, though even back then, no one had the wisdom to destroy the spores, and now that it has spread so much throughout the galaxy, it's doubtful that anyone has the wisdom to even contain them again. Optimus then realizes that a source of raw wisdom may be available to destroy the infection once and for all: the accumulated wisdom within the Matrix of Leadership.

[[Image:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Matrix open.JPG|right|200px|thumb|Hmm, this looks familiar...]]

The infected Transformers finally break into the base, and corner the Quintesson, who begs them to stop. Galvatron grabs a metal pole, intending to impale Prime. However, Prime's chest opens to reveal a glowing Matrix, surprising the Transformers. Asking it to "light our [[darkest hour]]", Optimus Prime releases the energy of the Matrix of Leadership, which spreads across the universe and totally eradicates the Plague. It even seems to, at least temporarily, cure Gregory and Jessica's father of their hatred for Autobots, and Galvatron of his own madness; all of them call a truce with Optimus.

It is then that Rodimus (now [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], without the Matrix within him) notes that the Matrix is now empty, its wisdom supposedly lost in order to stop the plague. Optimus, however, disagrees; they have all become a little wiser, now, and although the Matrix is indeed empty of wisdom, it is up to them from then on to fill it again with their knowledge and experience. Optimus, once again the Autobot leader, ordering his troops to "Transform and roll out".

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (2)
*[[Slingshot]] (6)
*[[Chase (G1)|Chase]] (7)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (8)
*[[Kup (G1)|Kup]] (10)
*[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (11)
*[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] (12)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee/Goldbug]] (13)
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (14)
*[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (15)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] (21)
*[[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] (22)

|c2=
*[[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] (16)
*[[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (17)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (18)
*[[Sweep|Sweeps]] (19)
*[[Predaking]] (20)
*[[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] (23)
*[[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] (24)
*[[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] (25)

|c3=
*[[Jessica Morgan]] (4)
*[[Gregory Swofford]] (5)
*[[Mark Morgan]] (26)

|c4=
*[[Quintesson]] (3)
*[[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]] (9)
}}

==Quotes==
"[[Autobots, transform and roll out]]!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''', getting back into the swing of things.

"Fools, I am your leader! ... It's no use. You're all crazed!"
:—'''Galvatron''' fighting his infected and insane troops. The irony fairy just had a coronary.

"Have I no friends left?!" 
"Well, well, what have we here?" 
"Looks like something the cat dragged in."
:—'''Galvatron''' tries to reason with the infected '''Cyclonus''' and '''Scourge'''...for once

[[Image:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Prime Galvatron.JPG|right|200px|thumb|"Come on, Optimus, why can't we be friends?" "When we first met, you shot and damaged me and my girlfriend. You make a bad first impression."]]

"Come on, Optimus, tell me! Why do you want this metal? How will it be used? Why is it so precious?" 
"I've explained it to you." 
"You told me it was important, but you didn't tell me why!" 
"That's because I know you too well, Galvatron."
:—'''Galvatron''' and '''Optimus Prime''' resuming their same old song and dance

"I don't need you anymore, Optimus. So much for your resurrection!"
:—'''Galvatron''', same song, different tune

"I don't want to hurt you, Rodimus!" 
"Don't worry, Optimus, you won't! HAHAHAHAH!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Rodimus Prime''' throw down.

"Innocent lives are at stake, Rodimus!" 
"''No one'' is innocent!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Rodimus Prime''' throw down some more...right before Optimus clocks him.

"Now, light our darkest hour!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''', proving that destiny and Chosen Ones mean nothing when pitted against letters from angry kids and parents.

"There will be no war today, Optimus. You have earned Galvatron's respect."
:—'''Galvatron''', totally sane for the first time since...ever

"The wisdom of the ages! It's lost!" 
"No, not lost. We're all a little wiser now." 
"But the Matrix is empty!" 
"It's up to all of us to fill it again—with the wisdom we accumulate from this moment on. Autobots, transform and roll out!"
:—'''Hot Rod''' and '''Optimus Prime'''

==Notes==
*The Japanese version of this episode has a slightly alternate ending. After Optimus Prime and the Autobots ride off into the sunset and "the Touch" ends, the music changes to "Dash Dash Transformer" (the 2010 Japanese theme song) and the scene shifts to a montage of all the major characters from the series.
*The portion of "The Touch" that plays includes the line about "Hell breaking loose," an unusually strong word for an American '80s TV cartoon. Guess the censors were looking elsewhere that day.

===Animation errors===
*When Galvatron is threatening Optimus after they find the heat-resistant metal, Galvatron's cannon has a trigger on it.
*When escaping after Galvatron is infected, Optimus and his cab are coated in the resistant metal before it was even melted down.
*As Optimus is explaining that the Matrix must be refilled with the future wisdom, he is colored as if he still has the heat resistant metal on him.

===Continuity errors===
*The alloy is heat-resistant to the point of surviving a supernova in the [[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|previous episode]]. Yet it now can be melted down to coat Optimus Prime with it.
* So....how ''exactly'' does Sky Lynx know every single detail of what happened in the previous episode? He wasn't even there when half of those recapped events took place!
*The Transformers wounded by [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] included Steeljaw and Wheelie, who are briefly seen at the start. They are then replaced by Blaster. Steeljaw returns a bit later, however, but Wheelie stays gone.
*How did Kup know that Rodimus had been contaminated since he was deactivated by Superion before Rodimus was?
*When Galvatron and Prime are working together, Prime says, "That's because I know you too well, Galvatron." Yet this is the first time Prime has ever met Galvatron (being dead since before Galvatron was created). Perhaps he just has really good intuition.

===Transformers references===
*When Optimus uses the Matrix to cure the Hate Plague, it bears more than a passing resemblance to when Rodimus Prime used the Matrix to destroy [[Unicron]] in [[The Transformers: The Movie|''The Movie'']]. They've even got "The Touch" playing in the background.

*In Japanese continuity, the events of [[The Great Transformer War issue 3|issue 3]] of ''[[The Great Transformer War]]'' take place shortly after this episode, helping to bridge the gap between it and "[[Four Warriors Come out of the Sky]]", the first episode of ''[[The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]''.

*Optimus's armored form is identical to Ultra Magnus's inner robot mode.

*Does anyone else think that Dr. Swafford and Morgan get off waaaaay too easy at the end of the episode? They ''willingly'' unleash the hate plague that causes widespread devastation (and probably death), just to spite the Autobots, and they get off by just saying "sorry"?

==External links==
* [http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/the_return_of_optimus_prime_part_2.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}
[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]

Surprise Party

2009-06-24T16:16:49Z

173.63.86.84: /* Continuity errors */

{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|series2=2010
|ep=77
|ep2=13
|image=Danielvsshadows.jpg
|caption=
|title="Surprise Party"
|production code=700-97
|airdate=[[October 9]], 1986
|written by=[[Steve Mitchell]] [[Barbara Petty]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Daniel and Wheelie's first team-up! Oh noes!'''

:''Japanese title:'' ビックリパーティー (''Surprise Party'')
:''German title:'' "'''Die Geburtstagsparty"'''" ("The Birthdayparty")

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Firstaidfixesmultramagnus.jpg|left|200px|thumb|It's a good thing you called me, they've stolen your cyber-kidney.]]

Spike and the Autobots throw a surprise party for Daniel, but it is interrupted by an attack from the Combaticons. Wheelie gets caught in the crossfire and Ultra Magnus throws himself over the boy Autobot to save him from being shot. After hitting the shuttle bay and destroying several ships, the Combaticons retreat. The attack was a coordinated effort by Galvatron to disrupt a peace conference to be hosted on Cybertron the next day.

[[Image:Nafromlibrarianbot.jpg|right|200px|thumb|That's a karaoke machine. Right now it's playing the end of "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" by Journey.]]

Daniel and Wheelie want to throw Ultra Magnus a surprise party, but no one knows the date of his creation and it isn’t on file in the [[Hall of Records]]. An annoying and clumsy [[library droid]] tells them that the information must be stored on the lost Autobot storage asteroid. Daniel and Wheelie steal a garbage ship and head out to find the asteroid and the info. Unbeknownst to them, their movements are being watched by Cyclonus, who evidently doesn’t have anything better to do than spy on garbage ships. Galvatron orders his troops to follow it.

[[Image:Daniel%26wheeliesurpriseparty.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Wheelie is trying to beat Spike's old high score on ''Asteroids''.]]

Stuck in a meteor shower, Daniel and Wheelie crash on an asteroid that—surprise!—happens to be the asteroid they were looking for. While they are exploring they are attacked by scaly flying eels and take refuge in a cave, which turns out to be the opening to the records. Inside, sentry robots attack them for asking for the wrong file name. To make matters worse, the eels have found their way inside and attach themselves to Wheelie. Just as they are about to be shot by the drones and eaten by the eels, both menaces are destroyed by Cyclonus and the Sweeps, who take the pair hostage and interrogate them.

Cyclonus reprograms the asteroid into a collision course for Cybertron and then sends Spike a message that he’s holding Daniel hostage. The Autobots have two choices: destroy the asteroid and kill Daniel, or let the asteroid hit the planet and kill all the peace delegates.

[[Image:Cyclonus%26daniel.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Apparently Deathsaurus isn't the only Decepticon who likes small children.]]
Ultra Magnus takes Sky Lynx to the asteroid. The Sweeps attack, but Magnus makes short work of them, then heads after Cyclonus. They pound on each other as Wheelie sneaks by and presses the convenient self-destruct button. Cyclonus runs off and the Autobots and Daniel escape in Sky Lynx as the asteroid blows up.

Safe on Cybertron, Daniel explains how they got into this mess, looking for Ultra Magnus’ birthday. Spike declares today as Ultra Magnus’ birthday and everyone cheers.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] (2)
* [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (3)
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] (4)
* [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (5)
* [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] (6)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (7)
* [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (17)
* [[Library droid]] (18)
* Sentry drones (20)
* [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (22)
* [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (23)
|c2=
* [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] (9)
* [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (10)
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (11)
* [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]
* [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (12)
* [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (13)
* [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (14)
* [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (15)
* [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (16)
* [[Sweep]]s (21)
|c3=
* [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] (1)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (8)
* Old peace delegate (19)
}}

==Quotes==
"I don't know, Wheelie. This seems an awful lot like stealing to me." 
"A ship we'll only borrow! We'll have it back tomorrow."
:—'''Daniel''' is led into a life of crime by '''Wheelie'''.

"Invalid file name! Invalid file name! Invalid file name!"
:—The asteroid '''security drones''' are pissed over Daniel's use of incorrect syntax.

"You are insolent, Earth boy." 
"Heh, thanks."
:—'''Cyclonus''' vs. '''Daniel Witwicky'''

"If my superb physique would pass through the tunnels I would join you." 
"Forget it."
:—'''Sky Lynx''' and '''Ultra Magnus'''

"Happy birthday, Ultra Magnus! Ha ha ha ha ha!"
:—The Autobots and humans make merry.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical glitches===
[[Image:Supriseparty 2rodimuses.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"Hi, I'm Rodimus, and this is my twin, Not-Optimus"]]
* Just before Ultra Magnus enlists Sky Lynx's help in finding Daniel, two Rodimus Primes can be seen guarding the entrance to the Peace Conference.
* In a few Combaticon shots, Swindle is colored green. Since he's in jeep mode, it makes him look just like [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]!
* In one shot of Blaster and Spike talking to Daniel, Blaster's helmet is almost completely white.
* When Ultra Magnus points at Cyclonus through the monitor he has six fingers.
* When the Combaticons retreat, Bruticus is seen running with them instead of Onslaught.
* During Daniel and Wheelie's conversation with the librarian bot, Wheelie makes their request but it's Daniel's mouth and hands that are moving
* As Daniel and Wheelie enter the cave, a [[scene transition]] runs, but the background music and sound effects play over it instead of the usual flip-change music.
* While Ultra Magnus and Sky Lynx are fighting the eels, Sky Lynx has a red Decepticon logo—twice.
* The word "welcome" is spelt "wellcome" over the entrance to the peace conference, and later Wheelie activates the asteroid's "auto destrut sequences".

===Continuity errors===
* Does the asteroid have an atmosphere? Because Daniel doesn't have a space suit...and the vacuum of space nor the lack of oxygen seems to have an effect. Maybe it's part of those superhuman abilities those Witwickys have...
* Cyclonus's hostage-taking plan isn't executed very well. He puts Wheelie and Daniel in a cell that Wheelie can escape from by just ''driving through the door''. Cyclonus is totally unaware of their escape, not having assigned a guard or anything to watch them.
* Not only does Cyclonus spend his time watching garbage ships, but the fact that one of them is off course is apparently reason to alert Galvatron. Okay...

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/surprise_party.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicles]

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]

The Insecticon Syndrome

2009-06-21T00:29:29Z

173.63.86.84: /* Animation or technical glitches */

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=29
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=21
|image=Insect1.jpg
|caption=I think they have a special shampoo for that.
|title="The Insecticon Syndrome"
|production code=#700-28
|airdate=[[October 9]], 1985
|written by=[[Douglas Booth]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''The Insecticons feed on a source of power which causes them to grow... and will cause them to explode if not cured.'''

:''Japanese title:'' インセクトロン・シンドローム (''Insectron Syndrome'')

==Synopsis==
At a park, Jeff, a park ranger has called for help. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] respond, driving along a rocky road (and Bumblebee is especially having trouble). The ranger shows the Autobots some trees that appeared to have been chewed on by something. Beachcomber quickly realizes that something ''did'' chew on the trees, but not by an animal—it was the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]. Meanwhile, the Insecticons are hiding in their current lair/hive/base thingy. They complain that the trees didn't fill them up the way that they wanted to, so the Insecticons decide to go feast on some redwoods. Meanwhile, Jeff is having trouble accepting the possibility of giant robotic insects (even though he's taking to a trio of [[Transformer|giant robotic cars]]). Suddenly, another ranger calls him, saying he's seeing giant robotic insects. The [[Autobot]]s proceed to [[roll out]].

[[Image:Insectsyndromejazzhelps.jpg|right|200px|thumb|They do not make a squeegee powerful enough to get that off the windshield.]]

Meanwhile, the [[Decepticon]]s are searching for their Insecticon "allies". [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] has come up with a plan that will require their unique abilities. As [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] spots the Autobots, Megatron takes it as a chance to observe them in action. As the other ranger barely dodges a falling tree, the Autobots arrive. The Autobots and Insecticons throw down, until the Insecticons push a log down a hill that nearly crushes the Autobots. Our heroes jump into a river to avoid death, but they then fall over a waterfall...at least, that's what the Insecticons believe, for Hound used his [[Hologram|holograms]] to make it appear that the Autobots and humans fell over. After that, Megatron and the Decepticons arrive. He explains that he intends to attack [[Iron Mountain]], a human military base, but offers the Insecticons to gorge themselves at the [[Nova Power Plant]] if they help them. Overhearing this, the Autobots contact the [[Ark (G1)|base]].

[[Image:Insect2.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"For the swarm!"]]

Receiving their signal, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] leads a strike force to the Nova Power Plant. Unfortunately, the Decepticons are already there. The [[Seeker]]s quickly down the helicopters the humans have to defend the base, while Megs, Soundwave, [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] go to stop the Autobots. The Insecticons reach the [[Nova Power Core]], which they proceed to drain. However, the [[proton]]s within the core cause them to [[Size changing|grow in size]], making them as [[Scale|large]] as Optimus Prime and Megatron. Soundwave overhears what is happening, but [[Bombshell]] implants him with a [[cerebro-shell]]. The Insecticons proceed to kick the [[Slag (slang)|slag]] out of [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], and the Autobots are forced to retreat with their fallen comrades. Megatron is pleased with the Insecticons' new power, unaware that the Insecticons plan to off him.

[[Image:Insectsyndromepokesthru.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Here's your problem, ma'am. See that? Termites.]]

At the base, the [[Autobot]]s use [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] to calculate what will happen to the Insecticons. It says that the energy from the Power Core will cause the Insecticons to explode unless something is done. However, the Autobots receive a distress signal from Iron Mountain, where the Decepticons are attacking. If the Insecticons explode there, they'll kill everyone there. [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and Wheeljack quickly work on an antidote.

[[Image:Insectsyndromefeeding.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Open the door! Are you jacking on in there?"]]

At Iron Mountain, the Decepticons attack. However, the human defenses are surprisingly advanced for simple flesh creatures. Finally, [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] takes control of the human weapons, causing them to attack the base. The Autobots arrive, but are quickly buried in rubble by the Insecticons. Entering the base, Soundwave manages to access the computer. Megatron declares that it's time to eliminate the Insecticons, only to discover that his army has been taken over by the Insecticons. Bombshell fires a cerebro-shell into [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], but Megatron manages to grab the shell fired at him and destroy it. Having finally dug themselves out, the Autobots explain the explosive situation to Megatron. Fortunately, Ratchet and Wheeljack have arrived with an antidote.

[[Image:Insectsyndromeprime%26megs.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Megatron does not appreciate Optimus groping him.]]

Heading into Iron Mountain, the Insecticons begin to reach critical mass, and will explode at any minute. As Megatron [[Transformation|transforms]] into [[Alternate mode|gun mode]] for Optimus to use, the [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]] uses the Decepticon leader to fire the antidotes into Bombshell and [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]]. However, Shrapnel manages to avoid his cure, so Spike bravely manages to get the cure into Shrapnel...who blows up anyway. The cures cause the cerebro-shells to deactivate, but also erase the information Soundwave downloaded. Bombshell uses a special shell to cause Shrapnel to reassemble, and the Insecticons run away, with the angry Decepticons in pursuit. With the Decepticons defeated, the day is saved.
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (1)
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (2)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (3)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (15)
*[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] (16)
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (17)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (18)
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (19)
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (20)

|c2=
*[[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] (6)
*[[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] (7)
*[[Bombshell]] (8)
*[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (10)
*[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (11)
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (12)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (13)
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (14)
*[[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] (21)
*[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (22)

|c3=
*[[Jeff (ITS)|Jeff]], the young park ranger (4)
*[[Mike]], the old park ranger (9)
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (5)
}}

==Quotes==
"HAHHAHAHAHAHEHEHHEEHHE! Insecticons always triumph, triumph."
:—'''Shrapnel'''

"The Insecticons have done well." 
"Yes...perhaps they should lead us." 
"You test my patience, Starscream."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Starscream''' after the Insecticons defeat some Autobots.

"Well, if it isn't Megatron, and his merry mechanical men!"
:—'''Bombshell'''

"Oh boy, a robotoid turkey shoot!"
:—'''Inferno''' takes aim at Laserbeak and Buzzsaw.

"Power has made the Insecticons obnoxious." 
"''And'' invincible."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Megatron'''

"What's the matter, Megatron? Weakling humans too tough for you, for you?"
:—'''Shrapnel''' to Megatron, after the latter has been shot by a human weapon.

"Ohhhh....that Nova Power Core is giving me heartburn...that is, if I have a heart." 
"If you have a ''brain'', you'll realize that we've got a battle to fight!"
:—'''Bombshell''' and '''Megatron'''

"Guys, you all right?" 
"Just great...if you don't mind two tons of Inferno sitting on your head plates." 
"Look, you get ten tons of boulders off my shoulder struts, and I'll get off your noggin."
:—'''Spike''', '''Hound''' and '''Inferno'''

"No one gets into my [[cranial chamber]]!"
:—'''Megatron''' crushing one of Bombshell's cerebro-shells

"Auugh, my cerebro-shell! My precious shell!" 
:—'''Bombshell''' reacting to the crushing of his cerebro-shell

"We Insecticons, know how to get... it... together!!"
:—'''Bombshell''' delivers a cheesy line after reassembling Shrapnel.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical glitches===
* Shrapnel's voice sounds completely different from usual when he says "They're firing on us! Us! It's a Decepticon ambush! Ambush!" (It's not even the same actor)

* When [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] rescues [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], the latter is suddenly covered in foam.

* Jazz had a Decepticon insignia during the shot in the Ark.

===Continuity errors===
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] is part of the Autobot group attacking the power plant where the Insecticons are feeding. However, he seems to be missing when the Autobots have to recover the damaged [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], which is curious, as he is the medic.

* [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] is part of the Autobot group that attacks Iron Mountain to stop the Insecticons. However, he is not seen in the final scene, after the Autobots win. Maybe he's still trapped under the boulders?

===Transformers references===
* This episode features the first appearances of [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] and [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]]. However, no explanation of their origins is given.

===Trivia===
[[Image:Insectsyndromespikeshoot.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Remember kids, guns are awesome!]]
* Inferno really gets the [[Introdump|spotlight]] this episode. He is Prime's right hand man in the Ark, and on the battlefield he's unstoppable. Jazz even gives him a high five. Clearly, Inferno is an [[To sell toys|integral member of the team.]]

* After he climbs up the electrical tower and gets electrocuted, Ironhide's forearm panel pops open and the word "Ironhide" is written on the circuits inside.

* While Megatron is out cold, Optimus transforms him into his gun mode.

* From the time Spike looks at his watch and issues the 30-second warning to the point where Shrapnel explodes, about 1 minute and 46 seconds pass. As well, when he gives Shrapnel his 10-second warning, it takes about 47 seconds until he detonates. (On a minor note, it takes Spike 6 out of the available 10 seconds to ''say'' that Shrapnel is going to explode.) Either their estimates on when the Insecticons would explode were off, or seconds are longer in this episode than they are elsewhere.

==Home video releases==
* [[The Original Transformers Volume 6: Evolution Revolution]] (VHS, [[February 22]], 2000)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Insecticon Syndrome}}
[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]

The Gambler

2009-06-13T00:48:13Z

173.63.86.84: /* Animation or technical glitches */

{{episode
|image=The Gambler title shot.JPG
|caption="On a warm summer's evenin', on a train bound for nowhere..."
|series=G1toon
|ep=47
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=36
|title="The Gambler"
|written by=[[Michael Charles Hill]]
|production code=700-46
|airdate=[[November 11]], 1985
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''On the return journey from Aron's world, the Autobots are captured by a gambling-addicted alien and traded away, leaving Smokescreen and the Autobot bounty hunter Devcon to rescue them.'''

:''Japanese title:'' ギャンブル惑星モナカス (''Gamble Wakusei Monacus'', "Monacus, the Planet of Gambling ")

==Synopsis==
{{note|This episode follows the events of "[[Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play]]".}}
[[Image:Gamblerautosintubes.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Every gambler knows that the secret to survivin' is knowin' what to throw away and knowin' what to keep.]]
The Autobots are returning to earth after their adventure on [[Aron]]'s planet, when their "toy rocket" space ship suddenly comes to a halt. They are captured by an alien captain named [[Bosch]]. Bosch deactivates them and intends to sell the Autobots as slaves in exchange for energon. However, [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]]'s tube malfunctions and he remains functional, though temporarily immobilized.

Smokescreen learns that Bosch is a gambler. After demonstrating his ability to manipulate a slot machine, he takes Bosch's proposition to go to [[Monacus]], a gambling asteroid, and win enough energon to repower Bosch's ship in exchange for the freedom of the rest of the Autobots.

Bosch and Smokescreen end up at the "Pit of Destruction" arena of [[Lord Gyconi]], a local swindler, where they use the Autobots as collateral for a very high-interest loan of energon chips. At a casino, Smokescreen builds up quite a stack of winnings and lets it all ride on one last bet. But one of the casino workers breaks his link with a slot machine and he loses everything. Unable to buy back his friends, Smokescreen vows that Gyconi hasn't seen the last of him.

[[Image:Gamblersmokescreenbets.jpg|right|200px|thumb|You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table. There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.]]

Meanwhile, [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] and [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] arrive on the planet in [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and head towards the city. They are followed by a mysterious blue Autobot.

In a local tavern, Smokescreen meets the mysterious Autobot, who introduces himself as [[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]]; he's a bounty hunter searching for Decepticons.

[[Image:Gamblerdevconslizardo.jpg|left|200px|thumb|For a taste of your whiskey, I'll give you some advice.]]

In Gyconi's lair, Ramjet and Dirge shake down the big green frogman for a share of his profits. He invites the two Decepticon planes to stay and watch the upcoming battle in his arena: the Autobots versus the Animalians. Before the show, Gyconi fixes the fight by giving the Autobots unstable energon which will wear off and make them defenseless.

The fight begins as [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], under Gyconi's control, takes on an ugly red lizard animalian. At first the Autobot leader holds his own, prompting a lot of patrons to bet on him, but then his power runs out and he's overcome. [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] is forced into the arena for the next match, but before it starts, Smokescreen fills the place with smoke and forces everyone out. Ramjet and Dirge chase him down, but he's saved by Devcon.

[[Image:Gambleranimalianfight.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep.]]

Gyconi and the Decepticons load up Astrotrain with energon cubes in order to make a getaway, but Smokescreen, Devcon and Bosch confront them. During a fierce firefight, Smokescreen uses his smoke again to confuse the Decepticons. They take off aboard Astrotrain and Devcon chases after them.

The Autobots are returned to normal and Bosch offers to take them back to earth, but only after a quick stop at casino row.

{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (1)
* [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] (2)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (3)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (4)
* [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] (5)
* [[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]] (14)
|c2=
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (11)
* [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (12)
* [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] (13)
|c4=
* [[Bosch]] (6)
* Monacan loan shark (7)
* [[Animalien]] (8)
* [[Slizardo]] (9)
* [[Lord Gyconi]] (10)
}}

==Quotes==
"Arrrgh! I can't even beat my own machine anymore, and I had it fixed so I could cheat!"
:—'''Bosch''' has a stroke of bad luck.

"The name is Smokescreen, and I never walk when I can drive."
:—'''Smokescreen'''

"Ladies and gentlemen! Tonight for the first time anywhere in the galaxies, you will witness the pugilistic spectacle of the millennium!"
:—'''Lord Gyconi''' talks up his gladiator show.

"Now, prepare to meet my friend, Mr. Ionic Displacer."
:—'''Astrotrain'''

==Notes==
===Animation or technical glitches===
*The animation of the tubes opening to release the brainwashed Autobots is just the shot of them closing played backwards — unfortunately this means that Smokescreen appears to be in one of the tubes when he shouldn't be.
*The lowering platform in Gyconi's room is left unanimated, making the Autobots seem to lower into a paving stone.
*When Slizardo and Bosch approach Astrotrain, Slizardo's animation cell does not change, resulting in him appearing much smaller than Bosch.
*When Bosch and Smokescreen are walking together, they are about the same height, however, when Smokescreen transforms, Bosch rides inside him. Then again, mass-shifting is nothing new here

===Continuity errors===
*In terms of airdates, this episode is ''definitely'' played out of order, as we've seen several of the characters that are still trying to escape from Aron's planet in "[[Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play]]" on Earth prior to this one.

===Transformers references===
*Slizardo would eventually return in the season 3 episode "[[Grimlock's New Brain]]" alongside the [[Skuxxoid]].
*Devcon would later be featured in the [[Universe (2003 comic)|''Wreckers'' comic]].

===Real-world references===
*[[wikipedia:Sheol|Sheol]], the name of Lord Gyconi's part of town, is a Hebrew word that means "the grave", and is sometimes used as a synonym or euphemism for Hell.
*When an alien turns down Bosch's offer of the Autobots as collateral, saying he's "got robots up to [his] eyeballs", he advises Bosch to go see someone named Asimov. [[wikipedia:Isaac Asimov|Isaac Asimov]] was a science-fiction writer known for his stories about robots (duh).

===Trivia===
* This is one of the only two episodes in which [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] does not appear, the other being "[[The God Gambit]]". Both have Astrotrain and two Seekers in them.

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/the_gambler.html Dossier on the Cybertron Chronicle]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gambler}}
[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]