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Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall

2011-11-04T14:53:52Z

186.45.187.199: /* Synopsis */

{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=25
|image=Spark colors.jpg
|caption=Getting the Maximals breast implants wasn't one of Primal's better ideas.
|title="Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall"
|airdate=[[April 26]], 2000
|written by=[[Steven Melching]]
|directed by=[[George Samilski]]
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuty=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''The Maximals make their last stand against Megatron and his Vehicon army.'''

:''French title:'' '''Bataille Finale (Partie 2)''' ("Final Battle (Part 2)")
:''French-Canadian title:'' '''Fin du Jeu p2: La Légende Tombe''' ("End of the Game p2: The Legend Falls")
:''Japanese title:'' '''希望の終止符''' (''Kibō no Shūshifu'', "Hope's End")
:''Spanish title:'' '''Juego Final Parte 2: Cuando las Leyendas Caen'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:BMEndgame2 Optimus allspark vision.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Well, that's the ''last'' time I experiment with crystal meth.]]
Drones and Generals surround the [[Grand Mal|Big Floating Head]]. The Generals question whether anyone survived, but [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] can sense [[Optimus Primal|Primal]]'s [[Spark]]. His orders are simple: capture the Sparks, destroy the [[Maximal]]s. Megatron confers with a [[Diagnostic Drone]] on the status of his new body.

The [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]] initiate field repairs on all drones, which buys the Maximals time. [[Rattrap]] despairs; they're utterly without power. But [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] unmelts out of the floor; she's found a power conduit they can tap into. Rattrap is overjoyed to see... the power supply. Yeah! [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] notes that they get only one shot; they'll be cut off as soon as the power flow is detected. As the Vehicons move in, the Maximals prepare their final defenses. [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] and Silverbolt share a quiet moment before the battle begins, as do Rattrap and Botanica.

Primal pays a visit to the Spark chamber, calling upon the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] one final time. A Spark-filled vision overtakes him, and the Oracle speaks: "You already have the wisdom, along with the strength of your convictions." And the Sparks speak as one, offering their strength. When he returns to where [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] is working, he has a Spark-colored glow about him; the other Maximals receive a similar Spark boost.

The group steps outside, where Optimus gives one final pep talk. A holographic Megatron-head presents itself to them just then, offering to relieve them of their Sparks painlessly. The Maximals are having none of it, so the Vehicons move in.

[[Image:BMEndgame2 Optimus spark power.jpg|right|thumb|200px|IT'S OVER 9000!]]
The Maximals wait a moment, then activate the shield, causing the first wave of drones to crash and explode. When the Generals try their harmonics trick again, they discover that the harmonics are changing randomly. The Vehicons resort to a kamikaze strategy, drones ramming the shield to deplete it. It doesn't take long for the shield to go down, and the battle is joined.

No words, no sounds, just ominous music as the Maximals deploy everything they've got, before falling back to the ship's entry point.

Far below the surface, a group of mole miners suddenly burst into the orchard chamber, and proceeds to destroy it. It doesn't take Botanica long to notice this: she reels in pain. She hauls [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] and Rattrap underground to go fight the drones.

Three tank drones, carried in by copter drones, manage to get through the Maximals; Primal goes after them. Botanica's group finishes a harrowing decent and immediately finds themselves under mole miner attack. They dispose of them, Rattrap commandeering one and using it to total another. Nightscream goes after another mole that's heading for the fossil chamber and destroys it, only to have another pop up in its place. Above, another mole unleashes a napalm-style attack on the orchard, intending to burn the DNA out of existence.

Elsewhere, Megatron's new body is complete...

Primal chases the tank drones through the Grand Mal. He blows up one... and when he rounds a corner to find the others waiting for him, the Sparks within him begin to glow... and surround him... and then vaporize the tanks. The other Maximals find the same happening to them, and drones are vaped left and right, both above and below the surface.

But part of the Oracle is Megatron's, and he cuts the connection. The Maximals' Spark boost is cut short.

[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]], meanwhile, singles out Silverbolt for attack, prepared to deal with the "traitor". Thrust drops him and blasts a radio tower down on him. Blackarachnia is prepared to take vengeance, till [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] drops her from behind.

[[Image:BMEndgame2 Obsidian Strika in space.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Now look what you've gotten us into.]]
As Primal finds himself Sparkless and prepares to deal with the tank drones the "old fashioned way", a battle-worn Cheetor confronts all three Generals solo. They fire; when the smoke clears, only a hole in the ground is left. The Generals move in, blasting into the Grand Mal. They enter into darkness within. Suddenly, massive machinery activates, as Cheetor brings the anti-gravity generators on-line. Cheetor rises from the shadows, as a roof hatch opens above the Generals. Thrust has presence of mind to scoot, but Obsidian and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] are blasted up and away, all the way to orbital space.

Megatron tries out his new body in a shadow-filled, nasty room. He is alive again!

Cheetor confronts Thrust. Thrust pulls out a Spark extractor... and derisively tosses it aside. As they battle, Cheetor gets tossed aside, then grapple-hooked. But as he's dragged along, he grabs Thrust's discarded Spark extractor, and turns it on Thrust. Thrust's body falls and his lights switch out. Victorious, Cheetor looks up and sees a shadow: "Big Bot?" he asks, confused. But it's Megatron, who zaps him.

[[Image:BMEndgame2 Optimal megatron.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Megatron tries his hand at Transformers cosplay.]]
Optimus soon finds himself confronting the new Megatron, who blasts him with a glowing light from one extended hand. Now wearing the Optimal Optimus body form, with a slightly-altered face, Megatron then steps out of the shadows to stand over his enemy. He tells Primal that the day of the Maximals is at an end.

Elsewhere, drones begin hauling out Spark extractors, and de-sparking the various downed Maximals. Megatron tells Optimus that now... it's his turn.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (7)
*[[Optimus Primal]] (8)
*[[Rattrap]] (9)
*[[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] (10)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (11)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (12)
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (13)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]|c2=
*[[Copter Drone|Copter Drones]] (1)
*[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] (2)
*[[Strika (BM)|Strika]] (3)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (4)
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (5)
*[[Diagnostic Drone]] (6)
*[[Tank Drone|Tank Drones]] (14)
*[[Motorcycle Drone|Motorcycle Drones]] (15)
*[[Heavy Artillery Drone|Heavy Artillery Drones]] (16)
*[[Sonic Attack Jet|Sonic Attack Jets]] (17)
*[[Vehicon Mole|Mole Drones]] (18)

|c4=
*[[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] (14)

}}
==Quotes==
"Botanica! Am I glad to see... you've brought us this new power supply."
:—'''Rattrap''' isn't fooling anyone.

"I already lost you once. I won't lose you again." 
"No matter what happens, we will be together...forever."
:-'''Blackarachnia''' and '''Silverbolt''' prepare for the final battle.

"Very swank, but what can they do?" 
"Provide us with the key to victory."
:—'''Blackarachnia''' admires the new hole in her chest and '''Optimus''' is typically cryptic.

"Greetings, Maximals. You cannot win, but there is no need for you to suffer. Surrender your sparks and the nightmare will end." 
"You want our sparks, Megatron, come and get 'em!" 
"...So be it."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Optimus''', just before all hell breaks loose.

"Ooh, sleek exterior...nice handling!"
:-'''Rattrap''' takes a mole drone for a test drive...straight through another one.

"Let me show you how we deal with traitors, Jetstorm." 
"My. Name. Is. SILVERBOLT!"
:—'''Thrust''' and '''Silverbolt'''

"As long as my spark burns, I'll fight for the freedom of every Transformer, even you!"
:—'''Cheetor''' to Thrust

"I'm alive! Aliiive! Mwaaahaaahaa! '''Yeessss.'''"
:—'''Megatron'''. ''Finally.''

==Notes==
* In a surprising moment of honor Thrust chooses to throw his spark extractor to the side and fight Cheetor in an honorable one on one fight. That said Cheetor obviously dosn't give a crap about honor as he then uses Thrust's own weapon to rip out his spark.
===Continuity Errors===
*In "[[Revelations Part II: Descent]]", Optimal Optimus is shown in Tankor's memories, devolving due to Megatron's virus. Megatron's new body was built from schematics, but it's never explained where these schematics came from.

===Transformers References===
*This episode contains the first instance of a Diagnostic Drone speaking since the one from the first season was destroyed. It has the same voice as that one, but without the emotive qualities.
*Megatron's new body is based on Optimus Primal's third body from Beast Wars, the "Optimal Optimus" form, except with Megatron's Transmetal (or Transmetal 2) face underneath the helmet. This does mean that his face has the "claws" that those forms had, which you would think would be unacceptably beastial to Megatron. Obviously his anti-organic feelings don't count when he has a chance to be ironic.
*Megatron is back to saying "Yesss." Yay.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 7 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season Two (Sony) 
[[Image:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

Spark of Darkness

2011-11-04T14:50:35Z

186.45.187.199:

{{episode|
|series=BMtoon
|ep=23
|title=Spark of Darkness
|image=SparkDarkness.jpg
|caption=Beauty is in the optic of the beholder
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[April 12]], 2000
|writer=[[Nick Dubois]]
|director=[[Greg Donis]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''Megatron has been defeated, but strange creatures keep attacking the Maximals all over Cybertropolis.'''

:''French title:'' '''Obscurité''' ("Obscurity")
:''French-Canadian title:'' '''La Sombre Étincelle''' ("The Dark Spark")
:''Japanese title:'' '''恐怖の赤い玉''' (''Kyōfu no Akai Tama'', "The Terrifying Red Ball")
:''Spanish title:'' '''Chispa de Oscuridad'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:SparkDarkness Celebrating maximals.jpg|left|thumb|200px|It's Miller time!]]
The [[Maximal]]s celebrate the defeat of [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] inside the now-dormant [[Grand Mal]]. But while most of the group high-five each other, [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] mourns the loss of his pet, [[Noble|Savage/Noble]]. [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] wonders if Megatron is truly defeated, but [[Optimus Primal|Primal]] assures his team that he knows Megatron is dead, thanks to their mutual connection to the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]]. When [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] mentions there's still business to be taken care of, [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] responds she feels there's another evil on Cybertron.

Cheetor and Nightscream are sent to find the [[Vehicon general|Vehicon generals]]. Silverbolt and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] are sent to assess the dormant Transformer bodies to start the process of getting the sparks Megatron kidnapped to function again. Rattrap and Botanica are assigned to attend the techno-organic orchard. [[Rattrap]], of course, whines about this. As he does this, he moans that he feels his talents are being wasted and he'll be stuck with embarrassing stories to tell his grandkids. Botanica argues that tending the garden is important. The debate between the two heats up, and in their rage, the two Maximals accidentally touch lips. The two quickly agree to completely disregard, forget, and ignore their contact and get to work. Optimus stays in the Grand Mal.

[[Image:SparkDarkness Blackarachnia zombie.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Supreme Class kitbashing gone horribly, horribly wrong.]]
At the shell yard, Blackarachnia tries to put the moves on Silverbolt, but without confirmation that Megatron is truly really dead, he's extremely hesitant to respond to her advances. At this, Blackarachnia finally loses patience, and begins berating Silverbolt for his obsessiveness. She's so focused on Silverbolt that only he notices the large, lumbering monster emerge behind her. The two Maximals run away (cowardly) from the giant, but when the monster hits Silverbolt with gunfire, Blackarachnia fights back with her electric sting. The monster knocks her over, but Silverbolt has had time to recover and attacks the monster with his throwing blades. Eventually, Blackarachnia has the idea to attack the monster using an explosive component from one of the nearby Transformer bodies. The behemoth steps out of the explosion, and the two Transformers watch a strange red spark emerge from the monster as it falls over in defeat. The red glow races away.

In the orchard, while Botanica works, Rattrap scavenges parts of a [[Motorcycle Drone]] to see if anything can be made into a useful tool. But suddenly, the deactivated Cycle Drone comes to life and begins to blast the orchard. Botanica, upset about the carnage, transforms and uses her bolts to bring heavy wreckage crashing down upon the possessed drone. The drone flails its body one last time before falling over, no longer inhabited by the glowing red spark.

Cheetor and Nightscream meet with [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] and [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and invite the two generals to join the Maximals. As the two generals debate, [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] stops by to make it clear that he has no interest in joining with the Maximals and that he believes that Megatron, "The Big M," will soon return. After Thrust leaves, the remaining four are attacked by a damaged but resilient [[Aero Drone]]. Nightscream sucks the energy from the drone, but the monster still tries to pull Cheetor over the edge of a nearby cliff. Cheetor is saved by Nightscream and the drone falls, but before it makes impact with the water below, the glowing red spark leaves the body.

[[Image:SparkDarkness Rattrap repolarising.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Rattrap's audition for the new [[Susan Hoffman#Related characters|Ghostbusters]] movie went surprisingly well.]]
The group returns to meet with the other Maximals (sans Botanica) inside the Grand Mal, and Optimus welcomes Strika and Obsidian to the team. The two new recruits leave to fortify the base—just in time for Rattrap to detect the haunting red spark heading right towards them all. Inside, the spark passes by the two generals and briefly encounters Cheetor and Blackarachnia. Next, the spark uses a [[Tank Drone]] body to attack Optimus and Botanica. While Rattrap tracks the movement of the Spark, he deduces a way to neutralize its rampage.

Rattrap uses a Spark Extractor on the Tank Drone to draw out the spark. Once the red spark is contained, he "re-polarizes" his captive, but the Spark Extractor flies alive, trying to break free of Rattrap's grip. After escaping the spark extractor, the spark flies into a [[Diagnostic Drone]] and, finally coherent, exclaims "I live!" But Rattrap has the next laugh: The spark, who is clearly Megatron, is now trapped inside of the diminutive body.

[[Image:SparkDarkness Megadrone Optimus.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Stop looking at me like that. All I wanted to do was borrow a cup of sugar.]]
The Maximals meet Megatron, but he laughs at them. Even in his tiny form, he's able to reactivate the Grand Mal's internal defenses to evict the Maximals. As the Maximals struggle against the tentacles that have begun to bind them, Primal has an Oracle moment, but the Maximals are all captured anyway. Megatron starts to reformat Primal's spark, but Rattrap gets Botanica to destroy the control panel, freeing the team from Megatron's grip.

Obsidian arrives at the fight scene and is forced to choose: Be loyal to Primal's or Megatron's side. The two generals grab Megatron and fall out of sight. Out of immediate danger, Optimus explains that Nightscream didn't kill Megatron, but only turned Megatron into the monster that he was but no longer is.

Away from the battle, Strika, Obsidian and Megatron meet up with Thrust. Enraged that he was pulled out of battle and refusing to accept a withdrawal was sensible, Megatron growls that at least Obsidian and Strika weren't "''useless''" like Thrust; Obsidian admits that it was Thrust who reminded them that their true loyalties lay with Megatron. No longer in control of the Sparks, Megatron declares, "The time for action is now."

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (1)
*[[Rattrap]] (2)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (3)
*[[Optimus Primal]] (4)
*[[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] (5)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (6)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (7)
|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)|Evil Red Spark]] (8)
*[[Copter Drone|Copter Drones]] (9)
*[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] (10)
*[[Strika (BM)|Strika]] (11)
*[[Heavy Artillery Drone|Heavy Artillery Drones]] (12)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
"So, eh, whatcha got for me and Miss Twiggy? A "teak and destroy" mission? Or maybe some "oak and dagger" work?"
:—'''Rattrap''' comes up with some evil puns.

Little girl voice: And what'd you do in the war, Daddy? 
Rattrap voice: Well, honey, I made ''gardening equipment'' to help the troops plant petunias! 
Little girl voice: ''Really'', Daddy?! 
:—'''Rattrap''' expresses how much he hates his job and Scott McNeil gets to talk to himself. Uh... [[Dinobot (BW)|Some]] [[Silverbolt (BW)|more]].

"What would you rather be doing, sticking your tail into a computer circuit?" 
"Heh, beats the heck outta plowing ''your'' little field of dreams."
:—"Innuendo 101" with '''Botanica''' and '''Rattrap'''

"You shall not pass!" 
[''Red spark passes without pause'']
:—'''Strika''' makes a very poor Gandalf.

"Aw man, I can't believe I'm stuck here while a really honked-off ball of electrons is making mince-meat outta my buddies."
:—'''Rattrap''' complaining again.

"I live! I live! I—what kind of puny body is this?!" 
:—'''Megatron''' discovers he's in a diagnostic drone. Now that's karma.

==Notes==
*Once Megatron's spark enters the [[Diagnostic Drone]] body, the optics resemble that of his [[Grand Mal]] vessel.
*"I will brook no failure — not from anyone not for any reason" appears to be a motto of Megatron's.
* The events of this episode are strongly reminiscent of "[[Savage Noble]]" and "[[Prometheus Unbound]]". In both cases, Megatron has apparently been defeated, the Maximals go recruiting among the Vehicons, a strange beastie starts attacking all and sundry, and {{m-}} surprise {{m-}} it turns out to be Megatron in a new body. (The similarity is even ''commented upon'' by Thrust.) It's especially annoying that "Prometheus Unbound" was only seven episodes before this one.
===Animation or technical errors===
*As Primal is welcoming Obsidian and Strika to the team, Obsidian is rendered with flat colors instead of textures.
===Transformers references===
*The short story "[[Singularity Ablyss]]" by [[Bob Skir]], published in the [[Transformers Legends]] anthology, is set between-the-scenes of this episode. It doesn't change the events of the episode, but it does illuminate what Megatron may have been thinking in the midst of all that body-jumping; also, he kills [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]].
*The shell that attacks Silverbolt and Blackarachnia is composed of parts from [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] combatants. The feet, torso, and right arm belong to the transmetalized [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] and the head bears a strong resemblance to the original [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], with Tigerhawk's eyes. What were Tarantulas, Dinobot, and Tigerhawk ''doing'' on Cybertron anyway?
*Precisely 5 minutes and 3 seconds into the episode, immediately after Blackarachnia says, "Whoever you are, THAT was a big mistake!", one can see the severed head of [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] lying behind her.
*Even later on in the episode, when Silverbolt trips over battling the mutant, Blackarachnia proceeds to rip out the power core from what appears to be [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]'s body.

===Real-world references===
*This episode's title is a play on [[Wikipedia:Joseph Conrad|Joseph Conrad]]'s novella ''[[wikipedia:Heart of Darkness|Heart of Darkness]]''.
*When Cheetor asks Thrust what he's rebelling against now that Megatron is gone, Thrust replies "What've you got?", the reply given by Marlon Brando's character in ''[[Wikipedia:The Wild One|The Wild One]]''. Fitting.
*The sequence where Optimus Primal and Botanica are first ambushed is also a visual quote from the original ''[[Wikipedia:Alien (film)|Alien]]''.
*When Obsidian and Strika attempt to intercept the red spark, Strika exclaims "You shall not pass!", a possible reference to Gandalf's words in ''[[Wikipedia:The Lord of the Rings|The Lord of the Rings]]''.
*Botanica refers to the technorganic orchard as her "[[Wikipedia:Field_of_Dreams|Field of Dreams]]".
*A young child asking Dad what ''he'' did in the war was the subject of an iconic [[United Kingdom|British]] [http://www.iwmshop.org.uk/product/18697/Daddy_What_did_You_do_Poster World War 1 propaganda poster], while the specific wording Rattrap uses is the title for a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Did_You_Do_in_the_War,_Daddy%3F 1966 Blake Edwards film].

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 6 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season Two (Sony) 
[[Image:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]