Darkness Rising, Part 2

2011-04-08T18:45:06Z

188.81.35.127:

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{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 2
|prev=Darkness Rising, Part 1
|next=Darkness Rising, Part 3
|image=DarknessRising2-letsgetyouhome.jpg
|caption=Ohh, Dark Energon brings back the dead, so ''that's'' how they're getting out of killiOH GOD ARRRRGGG!
|title="Darkness Rising, Part 2"
|airdate=[[November 26]], [[2010]]
|written by=[[Nicole Dubuc]]
|directed by=[[Dave Hartman|David Hartman]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}
'''The Autobots try to get Cliffjumper back, unaware of what the Decepticons have done to him.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] shows off the massive [[energon (fuel)|energon]] deposit that the [[Decepticon]]s have located. After [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] reminds his subordinate who's boss, he shows off what ''he's'' found — [[Dark Energon]], the blood of [[Unicron]], which Starscream claims is said to have the power to resurrect the dead. Megatron inquires if Starscream is willing to volunteer to try it out, but it turns out they still have [[Cliffjumper (Prime)|Cliffjumper]]'s corpse handy.

[[Image:DarknessRising2-Fowler.jpg|right|thumb|200px|He's not taking the words of a group of unaccountable aliens with their own agenda as gospel. ''Bastards!'']]

At Autobot HQ, Optimus Prime tells the kids that the Autobots will have to protect them, as the Decepticons will likely be interested in the Autobots' new allies. A proximity alert lets the Autobots know that Agent [[William Fowler|Fowler]], their liaison with the US government, is paying them a visit. Fowler is not happy with the Autobots' antics during the recent freeway chase, but [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] points out no humans were hurt. After Prime's assurances that the Autobots will take care of things, Fowler leaves.

Megatron uses the Dark Energon on Cliffjumper, who revives as a snarling, savage beast and immediately attacks a couple of Decepticon soldiers. The thing that was Cliffjumper then turns on Megatron, who slices him in two and announces that the Dark Energon is the key to a vast, indestructible army.

[[Image:Autobots Battle Darkness Rising 2.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"Starscream, this is the police! We have you surrounded!" "Oh crud!"]]

Ratchet reports that he's detected Cliffjumper's signal, and the chance that Cliffjumper's alive is too much for the Autobots to resist. Leaving the kids with Ratchet, they take the [[ground bridge]] out. Ratchet explains the ground bridge to the amazed kids and threatens to send them to Tokyo. Meanwhile, the rest of the Autobots arrive in the energon mine and start fighting Decepticon drones. Starscream alerts Megatron, who feels he needs more time to prepare to face Optimus and orders the ship made ready for departure. He also orders Starscream to blow up the mine. As the battle rages, [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] spots Cliffjumper. The other Autobots cover her, and she reaches her fellow Autobot, or what's left of him, only to discover what the Decepticons have done. Starscream stops by to drop off a bomb before making a rapid exit. The Autobots race through the mine ahead of the explosion, back to their entry point, as Optimus radios Ratchet to order the opening of the ground bridge.

[[Image:DarknessRising2-girltrouble.jpg|thumb|250px|"That ''better'' not be Barry Manilow you're playing, Jack."]]

After the team arrives back at base, Arcee tells the others what she saw. She becomes dizzy, and Ratchet scans her and finds contamination on her wrist. While Arcee goes and gets cleaned up, the kids explain to Optimus that they really need to get home, or their relatives will send the cops out looking for them. Prime assigns Bulkhead to take [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] home, [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] to take care of [[Rafael Esquivel|Raf]], and Arcee to [[Jack Darby|Jack]]. Arcee and Jack arrive home shortly before [[June Darby|Jack's mother]] hauls up in her car. Mom's less than impressed that Jack appears to have bought a motorcycle, but Jack talks her around. The next morning, despite Jack's protests that it's a Saturday, Arcee insists that they need to get to HQ.

On the Decepticon ship, Megatron is skeptical that Optimus perished in the destruction of the energon mine. Starscream is concerned that Megatron is being affected by too much exposure to the Dark Energon, but Megatron responds by taking a sliver of the substance and plunging it into his own spark.

Ratchet's analysis of the Dark Energon sample he retrieved from Arcee is incomplete due to his lack of the necessary technology. As he moves the sample to another part of the lab, some of it drips on the manipulator arm Bulkhead broke earlier. Unseen by Ratchet, the arm twitches into life, turning into a one-eyed, spider-like creature.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Cliffjumper (Prime)|Cliffjumper]]'s corpse (4)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (6)
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (7)
*[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (8)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (9)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (1)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Decepticon drones]] (2)
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (3)

|c3=
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (10)
*[[Jack Darby]] (11)
*[[Rafael Esquivel]] (12)
*[[William Fowler]] (13)
*[[June Darby]] (14)

}}

==Quotes==
"Then, as your humble servant, shall I ready the space bridge to bring forth the Decepticon army you have surely gathered during your three years in space?"
:—'''Starscream''' drips with sarcasm.

"They have no protective shell! If they get underfoot, they will go...squish."
:—'''Ratchet''' on humans.

"Team Prime knows ''when'' to use force, and how ''much'' to use!" 
"Bulkhead, I ''NEEDED THAT''!"
:—'''Bulkhead''' destroys '''Ratchet''''s medical claw.

"[[Maximum overdrive|MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE!]]"
:—'''Optimus''' utters a soon-to-be infamous phrase.

"Blood of Unicron, how I might fathom the depths of your mystery, become worthy of wielding your astonishing power!"
:—'''Megatron''' in a private moment with his prize.

"Robots who get dizzy?" 
"Robots with emotions." 
"Robots who can [[death|die]]."
:—'''Miko''', '''Raf''' and '''Jack''' recognize the lasting appeal of Transformers.

"Well, if I don't call my mom, like, now, I'm pretty sure the cops will be out looking for me." 
"Have you broken a law?"
:—'''Jack''' and '''Optimus Prime'''

"You can watch cartoons back at base with Bumblebee." 
"Cartoons? I'm sixteen."
:—'''Arcee''''s suggestion of weekend entertainment meets '''Jack''''s disapproval.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical errors===
* The Autobots have no shadows when they walk into the main mine.

===Continuity errors===

===Transformers references===
*Dark Energon is a central MacGuffin for Megatron in this continuity, first being used in the ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron|War for Cybertron]]'' games, as well as in the ''[[Exodus: The Official History of the War for Cybertron|Exodus]]'' novel. Megatron and Starscream's introductory conversation about the substance is ''very'' expository for the benefit of viewers who haven't read the book or played the game, to the extent that it sounds like neither of them has encountered it before, and neither Arcee nor Ratchet is indicated to have any familiarity with the substance, despite having seen it first-hand back during the war. And yet, Arcee does compare Decepticon experiments during the war on Cybertron to the substance's effect on Cliffjumper, without explicitly naming the stuff (though previously it didn't make anyone crazed zombies.... On the other hand, it was never used on a dead guy before (that we know of) - in fact, it always left deceased users and sought for living ones, which is kinda weird for a substance which could merely rise the user from the dead. Sorry, Cliff, them's the breaks). It's all a bit wobbly; while the cartoon almost certainly seems to have been written as if it is the characters' first encounter with Dark Energon, the dialogue does have enough wiggle room if you're obstinate, like us!
*The purple goo shares the property of changing ordinary machines into Transformers with the [[AllSpark]].

===Foreign dubbing===

===Real-world references===

===Trivia===
* The Energon Mine is in Nebraska as Fowler will point out in the next episode. 
* Megatron stabbing himself would later keep him from dying.....or at least [[Masters & Students|until he's found.....]]

==Home video releases==
{{epstub}}

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

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Darkness Rising, Part 2