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The Transformers (cartoon)

2009-12-17T12:16:27Z

220.255.7.249: /* Season 3 */

{{disambig2|the cartoon series|other uses of ''The Transformers''|Transformers (disambiguation)}}

{{nav-G1}}

{{bigquote|...we feel '''action''' should be emphasized over''' plot'''—especially avoiding any complicated story lines—to ensure the success of this series with its intended viewers.|[[Bryce Malek]] and [[Dick Robbins]], ''Transformer''s story editors, [[Marvel Productions]] internal correspondence[http://tfarchive.com/cartoons/bible/#154]}}

[[Image:TransformersLogoSlantedOrange.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Red is the colour of GOOD...]]
[[Image:TransformersLogoSlantedPurple.jpg|right|250px|thumb|...while purple is the colour of EVIL!!]]
[[Image:G1Season1Logo.jpg|right|250px|thumb|In space, no one can hear your trumpets go Dah-NUN NUN NAHHHHHH!]]

More than any other of the many media which [[Transformer]]s have invaded in the past 25 years, it is '''''The Transformers''''', the original cartoon that ran from 1984 to 1987, which captured the imagination of children and children-at-heart worldwide.

==Overview==
[[Image:Cybertronplanet.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Depleted of energy... aside from the power source that lights up the entire core of the planet.]]
The cartoon (along with the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comics]]) set up the basic story of Transformers that most other incarnations were to follow: two warring factions of robots on the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] leave in search of resources. The factions crash-land on [[Earth]] and, millions of years later, begin their battle anew in Reagan-era [[United States|America]] and across the globe.

Once established, the cartoon rarely took any steps to upset its status quo. Plots generally centered on a [[Decepticon]] plot or invention of the week, which would be used to gather energy or Defeat The [[Autobot]]s FOREVER!!, and the Autobots' efforts to stop the plan. Most of the time the Decepticons were forced into retreat, and the Autobots drove off victorious. At most, a new character or team was added to one side or the other. Plots became a bit less formulaic during Season 3, though character death and true plot upheaval remained a rarity.

Through its 98-episode run, this series took viewers around the globe and to many strange places and times: across the alien Cybertron, the Earth's prehistoric past, the Earth's then-future of 2005, the ''Metropolis''-like society of [[Nebulos]], and more. It is not the best animated series ever to air, but it stimulated viewers with its concept at the time, and continued to do so in the years to come.
{{-}}

==Production==
[[Image:DivideAndConquer-UnderseaBase.jpg|center|450px|thumb|The Decepticon undersea base. Note that it is neither pineapple, rock, nor tiki head.]]

Writing and distribution for this series were handled as a joint effort by [[Marvel Productions]] and [[Sunbow Productions]]. Animation was produced overseas, by [[Toei]], [[AKOM]], [[Tokyo Movie Shinsha]] (''supposedly'') and an [[Unknown Filipino animation studio|unknown studio from the Philippines]].

[[Image:CrashedArk1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Nobody on Earth noticed this for millions of years.]]
The original 30 or so characters were heavily modified from their toy designs for aesthetics and ease of animation. Among the artists involved in the original designs are [[Shōhei Kohara]] and [[Floro Dery]]. Other known production artists include [[Dell Barras]], who worked on second season backgrounds.

Story editors for the series included [[Dick Robbins]], [[Bryce Malek]], [[Flint Dille]], [[Marv Wolfman]], and [[Steve Gerber]]. Episode scripts were written by a large array of freelance writers. Writers notable for writing numerous episodes include [[Donald F. Glut]] and [[David Wise]].

The series was animated on an enormously rushed schedule, due to the need to get episodes on the air in sync with the toys appearing on shelves. That, combined with the vast number of characters and the difficulties involved with the overseas animation process, resulted in a cartoon that is notoriously riddled with [[animation error]]s and other mistakes. The producers were often aware of these mistakes, but tight deadlines left them no time to correct them.

Another byproduct of the rushed production is that the show tends not to be very self-referential. Continuity between episodes is minimal, with most acting as self-contained, standalone stories, though a few Season Two and Season Three stories did build on previous episodes. Within each season, the addition of new characters is the only common change to the status quo.

[[Image:ShockwaveDesertionOfTheDinobots1.jpg|left|200px|thumb|My toy's so great, I bought one myself!]]
Mistakes or not, the show is fondly remembered by many fans for the high quality of its voice acting. Indeed, many characters, lacking any significant plot developments or screen time, were brought to life solely by their unique voices and inflection styles. Voice direction for the series was provided by [[Wally Burr]], notorious for driving his performers to the limit. One of the performers in his stable, [[Susan Blu]], would later go on to work as voice director for ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', ''[[Beast Machines (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', and ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]''.

The ''sinister'' voice of [[Victor Caroli]] provided narration for the entire series, most commonly heard on the [[commercial bumper]]s: "The Transformers will return after these messages!" Caroli's voice also provided occasional introductory narration, recap segments for multi-part episodes, and the ''[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]'' segments which ran before the credits of Season 3.

[[Image:RollForIt Spacebridge recieves.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Looks safer than flying United.]]
In addition to the show's iconic [[theme song]], ''Transformers'' featured a great variety of background music, composed by [[Robert J. Walsh]]. Walsh had previously worked on the ''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'' cartoon, and many of those pieces were reused for ''Transformers''. New pieces were composed as well, many incorporating the melody of the show's theme song. Walsh composed new music for 2nd and 3rd seasons, each in a different style, further distinguishing the three main seasons from one another.

The show also originated the concept of the iconic "[[Scene transition|symbol flip]]" serving as a transition between scenes, a tradition carried on by some of the later series.
{{-}}

==Episodes==
{{note|These episodes are listed in production order rather than original airdate. In a few instances, this means that episodes are not in the correct chronological story order, the specifics of which are noted in their own articles. Note that Season 3, in particular, suffers from this—the [[Kid Rhino]] DVD release of the season reordered the episodes in question so that they were in order, but also reordered many episodes that did not have any placement problems, throwing off the whole shebang. Conversely, the Region 2 [[Metrodome]] release of the season just reorganized the problematic ones.}}
{{see|List of Generation 1 episodes}}

===Season 1===
[[Image:DinobotsG1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Remember those dinosaur guys? Man, they were awesome.]]
The first season is primarily set on [[Earth]], with a few excursions to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. It started with the 1984 toys as its characters, and introduced the early wave of 1985 toys as it progressed—the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]], and [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]].

{{collist|2|
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]"
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]"
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3]]"
# "[[Transport to Oblivion]]"
# "[[Roll for It]]"
# "[[Divide and Conquer]]"
# "[[Fire in the Sky]]"
# "[[S.O.S. Dinobots]]"
# "[[Fire on the Mountain]]"
# "[[War of the Dinobots]]"
# "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 2]]"
# "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 3]]"
# "[[Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction]]"
# "[[A Plague of Insecticons]]"
# "[[Heavy Metal War]]"
}}

===Season 2===
[[Image:CosmicRust-BigGroup.jpg|center|450px|thumb|I liked the one with the guy.]]
The very long second season greatly expanded the cartoon's scope and cast. The second season tends to feature more character-driven episodes than the first season, with many characters getting their own "spotlight" episode. It also features a recurring theme of the Autobots assimilating Earth culture, such the Autobots playing basketball and football and even watching a soap opera. Excursions to alien civilizations popped up occasionally as well. The second season also saw the introduction of concepts and characters that would spread out to other fictions, including the mystic [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], the ancient [[Vector Sigma]] supercomputer and its [[Key to Vector Sigma|circuit key]], and the first appearance of [[Female Transformers]] within official fiction.

[[Image:Master builders prime basketball.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Didn't they make Optimus Prime play soccer or something once? Man, that was dumb.]]
The second season also marked a move from weekly airings (usually on Saturday mornings) to a "stripped" show, aired Monday through Friday, either in the morning or afternoon. Some markets also scheduled it in conjunction with daily episodes of ''[[G.I.Joe]]''.
====Season 2 intro====
A battle is taking place on [[Earth]] in an area with rocky, desert like terrain. The Decepticons are getting their chassis handed to them by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s and [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. The [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s are hiding out in a crevasse and display the ability to float on molten lava. The scene then shifts to a stylized computer grid where [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] square off with some of their loyal troops nearby. The grid then swallows up Optimus and Megatron.

====Episodes====
Season Two breaks down very roughly into three segments:

* The first dozen episodes feature (primarily) the Season One cast.
* A large second batch of episodes brings in the remainder of the 1985 toys.
* The final ten episodes introduce the four [[combiner]] teams that formed the early entries in the 1986 line.
{{-}}
{{collist|2|
# "[[Autobot Spike]]"
# "[[Changing Gears]]"
# "[[City of Steel]]"
# "[[Attack of the Autobots]]"
# "[[Traitor]]"
# "[[The Immobilizer]]"
# "[[The Autobot Run]]"
# "[[Atlantis, Arise!]]"
# "[[Day of the Machines]]"
# "[[Enter the Nightbird]]"
# "[[A Prime Problem]]"
# "[[The Core]]"
# "[[The Insecticon Syndrome]]"
# "[[Dinobot Island, Part 1]]"
# "[[Dinobot Island, Part 2]]"
# "[[The Master Builders]]"
# "[[Auto Berserk]]"
# "[[Microbots]]"
# "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1]]"
# "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2]]"
# "[[Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1]]"
# "[[Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2]]"
# "[[Blaster Blues]]"
# "[[A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court]]"
# "[[The Golden Lagoon]]"
# "[[The God Gambit]]"
# "[[Make Tracks]]"
# "[[Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play]]"
# "[[Quest for Survival]]"
# "[[The Secret of Omega Supreme]]"
# "[[The Gambler]]"
# "[[Kremzeek!]]"
# "[[Sea Change]]"
# "[[Triple Takeover]]"
# "[[Prime Target]]"
# "[[Auto-Bop]]"
# "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]"
# "[[The Girl Who Loved Powerglide]]"
# "[[Hoist Goes Hollywood]]"
# "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2]]"
# "[[Aerial Assault]]"
# "[[War Dawn]]"
# "[[Trans-Europe Express]]"
# "[[Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust]]"
# "[[Starscream's Brigade]]"
# "[[The Revenge of Bruticus]]"
# "[[Masquerade]]"
# "[[B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.]]"
}}

===Intermediate===
[[Image:Tftm1986b.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Then they like, killed him in the movie. Man, that was awesome.]]
''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' is in continuity with the cartoon series, occurring 20 years after the end of Season 2. It was the single biggest turning point for the series, and remains controversial. The movie saw the introductions of [[Unicron]], the [[Quintesson]]s, and the [[Matrix of Leadership]], all of which would play important roles in Season 3. It made radical changes to the show's cast, killing off many characters and introducing new ones—a shock to young viewers who were used to their heroes driving off into the sunset at the end of every adventure.

Despite its unconventional place in the cartoon canon, it remains the best-known representation of the cartoon series among fans.

===Season 3===
[[Image:Intro3 4 with error.jpg|left|200px|thumb|They didn't make any more cartoons after the movie. Yeah, the movie totally killed Transformers.]]
Season 3 ''transformed'' the whole premise of the show. Gone were the two teams stranded on Earth, along with many of the characters that composed those teams. In their place was a galaxy-spanning tale of battles on alien worlds. With the Autobots in firm control of Cybertron, the Decepticons, though still a threat, were somewhat reduced as villains; new enemies in the form of the [[Quintesson|Quintessons]] were introduced. Plots often centered on the ultra-powerful [[city-bot]]s, [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]].

Season 3 has a mixed reputation. It contains some of the most mistake-laden episodes of the entire franchise ("Five Faces of Darkness", "Carnage in C Minor", the introduction sequence at left) most of which can be laid at the feet of [[AKOM]]. But some of its episodes are among the best as well, both in animation and scripting; "Dark Awakening", "Chaos", "Webworld", and "Dweller in the Depths" are all heavy fan favorites.

Late in Season 3, as in Season 2, the forerunners of the 1987 toy line were introduced: the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]], [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s, and [[Throttlebot]]s, and (very briefly) the cassettes [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]]. The season concluded with the resurrection of Optimus Prime, spurred on by a massive campaign on the part of fans, who were displeased by his death and subsequent "evil" resurrection.

{{collist|2|
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]"
# "[[The Killing Jar]]"
# "[[Chaos (episode)|Chaos]]"
# "[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"
# "[[Starscream's Ghost]]"
# "[[Thief in the Night]]"
# "[[Surprise Party]]"
# "[[Madman's Paradise]]"
# "[[Nightmare Planet]]"
# "[[Ghost in the Machine]]"
# "[[Webworld]]"
# "[[Carnage in C-Minor]]"
# "[[The Quintesson Journal]]"
# "[[The Ultimate Weapon]]"
# "[[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006]]"
# "[[Fight or Flee]]"
# "[[The Dweller in the Depths]]"
# "[[Only Human]]"
# "[[Grimlock's New Brain]]"
# "[[Money Is Everything]]"
# "[[Call of the Primitives]]"
# "[[The Face of the Nijika]]"
# "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]"
# "[[Dark Awakening]]"
# "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2]]"
}}

===Season 4===
[[Image:Bumblebee and Goldbug.jpg|right|200px|thumb|They kept making the toys? But weren't those like, the ones that couldn't transform or something?]]
How the truncated Season 4 came about remains a mystery, though presumably the short version is that [[Hasbro]] pulled out its funding support. Whether anything further was ever planned is not known; see ''[[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers|Urban legends about Transformers]]'' for more.

As it is, the "season" consisted of a single three-part episode, that somewhat hastily brought in thirty or so new Transformer characters as well as [[Nebulos|Nebulan]] partners for 22 of them, and attempted to provide a satisfactory conclusion to the series as a whole.

The previous three seasons each feature fully original opening credits. For Season 4, however, the opening credit sequence is a mishmash of existing animation, combining high-quality animation sequences from some of the 1986 and 1987 toy commercials with segments of the Season 3 opening credits, which were of a visibly different art style.

# "[[The Rebirth, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Rebirth, Part 2]]"
# "[[The Rebirth, Part 3]]"

===Season 5===
[[Image:Puppetpmprime.jpg|thumb|]]
Season 5 did not feature any new episodes, but rather consisted of 15 episodes from the previous seasons and ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' broken up into five episodes, for a total of 20 episodes. New opening and closing footage was added to each episode, which portrayed an animatronic puppet of [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] meeting regularly with a live-action human named [[Tommy Kennedy]] to tell him old Transformers stories.

{{collist|2|
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]"
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]"
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3]]"
# ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' (Day 1)
# ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' (Day 2)
# ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' (Day 3)
# ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' (Day 4)
# ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' (Day 5)
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]"
# "[[Surprise Party]]"
# "[[Dark Awakening]]"
# "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2]]"
# "[[The Rebirth, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Rebirth, Part 2]]"
# "[[The Rebirth, Part 3]]"
}}

===Sci-Fi Channel===
In the late 1990s, the Sci-Fi Channel began airing the original episodes. Unfortunately, due to longer commercial slots and/or shorter show times, the decision was made to edit the cartoon down. Sometimes this was done in comparatively harmless fashion, but other times the flow of scenes and even the plot suffered.

In one of the most notorious edits, two lines from [[Grapple]] and [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] in "[[Masquerade]]" ended up smooshed into a single nonsensical jumble: "Time to add fire torobably hate myself in the morning, but--"

==Japanese release==
With the success of ''Transformers'' proven by Hasbro, [[Takara]] elected to cut short their plans for a new ''[[Diaclone]]'' line in 1985 and import the ''Transformers'' toyline and cartoon instead. To play catch-up with Hasbro markets, Takara combined the first two years of toys and cartoon into one series, which was given the excessive (but typical of Japanese cartoons) title of '''''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'''''.

Although two episodes out of the original 65 were cut ("Attack of the Autobots" and "Day of the Machines"), an additional nine [[clip episode]]s were created, comprised entirely of re-used footage taken from various episodes, bringing the total number of ''Fight!'' episodes to 72. The two missing episodes were later dubbed and released straight-to-video, then retroactively added to the episode list as numbers 73 and 74.

Additionally, the broadcast order of the series was significantly reworked, with most of the episodes featuring [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] being pushed to the end of the run (presumably owing the character's shaky status as a Bandai toy in Japan).

In 1986, after the release of the OVA ''[[Scramble City]]'' (but not ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', which was not released in Japan until 1989) the series was rebranded as '''''[[Transformers 2010 (franchise)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010]]'''''. All thirty episodes from the third season were dubbed for ''2010'', and two additional clip episodes were produced, bringing the total to thirty-two.

The additional clip shows include the following:

*'''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'''
:14. "[[Birth of the Transformers!]]"
:55. "[[War Without End (episode)|War Without End]]"
:56. "[[Desperate Battle on Dinobot Island]]"
:57. "[[Devastator, the Giant Warrior]]"
:58. "[[Neverending Struggle]]"
:69. "[[Earth's Greatest Crisis]]"
:70. "[[Seek the Cybertonium]] "
:71. "[[Stunticons VS Aerialbots]] "
:72. "[[Mutiny of the Combaticons]]"

*'''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010'''
:29. "[[Daniel's Adventure]]"
:30. "[[The Desperate Struggle of Justice]]"

The numbers denote the airing order of the episodes in relation to the rest of the series.

"The Rebirth" was not broadcast in Japan, in favor of producing a brand new series to continue the story of the animated continuity, beginning with ''[[The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]''. However, all three episodes of "The Rebirth" were released straight-to-video a few years later. Curiously, the dub for "The Rebirth" used standard English-language names and terminology in a more selective manner (for example, "Optimus Prime" remained "Convoy" while "Hot Rod" was not changed to "Hot Rodimus" but retained his English name). The majority of the dub cast was different, as well.

===Edits===
The Japanese release of the three American seasons were edited by Takara before their broadcast in Japan. These edits were made not for content, but for length so that the show could accommodate longer opening and ending sequences.

The combined length of the U.S. opening and ending sequences was about one minute and ten seconds. The combined length of the Japanese opening and ending sequences, however, was about two minutes and twenty seconds. This resulted in roughly one minute and ten seconds being cut from every single episode.

A few examples of "unnecessary" scenes that were cut to make space for J-pop:

* "[[Roll for It]]". The scene where [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] first reach the laboratory and meet the southern-accented security guard that gives them clearance.
* "[[Divide and Conquer]]". The scene where the Autobots first return to [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s base and he opens fire on them.
* "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1]]". The scene where Spike, [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]] and [[Chip Chase|Chip]] cheer for the Autobots during the Autobot Day parade.
* "[[Only Human]]". The scene where the informant tells [[Victor Drath]] that [[Cobra Commander|Old Snake]] is down the street pacing back and forth, and gets punched in the face as payment.
* All multi-part episodes have their Next Episode previews removed.

The only episodes not to be edited for length are "[[Attack of the Autobots]]", "[[Day of the Machines]]", ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' and all three episodes of "[[The Rebirth, Part 1|The Rebirth]]". These were not edited for length because they were all released straight-to-video, where broadcasting time slots were not an issue. As a result, these episodes are also the only ones to be released on laserdisc and DVD by [[Pioneer]] with optional English or Japanese audio tracks.

==DVD releases==
===[[Kid Rhino]] (United States, 2003)===
[[Image:SoundwaveDVD.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Soundwave's taken over my DVD player! Eek!]]
*'''''Transformers'' First Season Collector's Edition'''
*'''''Transformers'' Season 2 Part 1'''
*'''''Transformers'' Season 2 Part 2'''
*'''''Transformers'' Season 3 Part 1'''
*'''''Transformers'' Season 3 Part 2/Season 4'''

===[[Madman Entertainment]] (Australia, 2003-2007)===
*'''''Transformers'' Collection 1 — Season 1'''
*'''''Transformers'' Collection 2 — Season 2 Part 1'''
*'''''Transformers'' Collection 3 — Season 2 Part 2'''
*'''''Transformers'' Collection 4 — Season 3 Part 1'''
*'''''Transformers'' Collection 5 — Season 3 Part 2'''
*'''''Transformers'' Collection 6 — Season 4'''
*'''''The Best of Transformers Generation 1'''''
*'''''Transformers Generation 1 — Complete Collection'''''

===[[Maverick Entertainment]] (United Kingdom, 2001-2002)===
*'''''Transformers'' — Original Series, Vol 1''' (Season 1, episodes 9–13)
*'''''Transformers'' — Original Series, Vol 2''' (Season 1, episodes 1–6)
*'''''Transformers'' — Original Series, Vol 3''' (Season 1, episodes 7, 8, 14–16)
*'''''Transformers'' — Complete Original Series''' (complete Season 1)
*'''''Transformers — Five Faces of Darkness'''''
*'''''Transformers — The Rebirth'''''

===[[Medianetwork Communication]] (Italy, 2008-TBA)===
*'''''Transformers'' - Volume 1''' (Season 1, episodes 1-8)
*'''''Transformers'' - Volume 2''' (Season 1, episodes 9-16)
*'''''Transformers'' - Volume 3''' (Season 2, episodes 1-12)
*'''''Transformers'' - Volume 4''' (Season 2, episodes 13-25)
*'''''Transformers'' - Volume 5''' (Season 2, episodes 26-37)
*'''''Transformers'' - Volume 6''' (Season 2, episodes 38-49)

===[[Metrodome]] (United Kingdom, 2003-2007 )===
*'''''Transformers'' — Season 1'''
*'''''Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1'''
*'''''Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 2'''
*'''''Transformers'' — Season 3 & Season 4'''
*'''''Transformers — The Complete Generation 1 Collection'''''
*'''''Transformers — Generation 1 Bumper Special'''''
*'''''Transformers — The Classic Episodes'''''

===[[Pioneer|Pioneer LDC]] (JP, 2001)===
*'''''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' DVD-BOX 1''' (episodes 1–13, 15-35)
*'''''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' DVD-BOX 2''' (episodes 36–54, 59-68, 73-74, "Scramble City")
*'''''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' 2010 DVD-BOX''' (episodes 1-28, 31-32, "The Rebirth" 1-3)

{{note|These DVDs were released without the additional clip shows.}}

===[[Shout! Factory]] (US, 2009-2010)===
*'''''The Transformers'' — The Complete First Season: 25th Anniversary Edition'''
*'''''The Transformers'' — More than Meets the Eye'''
*'''''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume One: 25th Anniversary Edition'''
*'''''The Transformers'' — 25th Anniversary Matrix of Leadership Collection'''
*'''''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume Two: 25th Anniversary Edition'''
*'''''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition'''

==Trivia==
* Looking at the production codes of the series reveals some choice tidbits:
**The series pilot, "More than Meets the Eye", was produced under a set of different production codes, as it was created before ''Transformers'' was expanded to become an ongoing series. After the pilot, the episode production numbers begin afresh with "700-01" ("Transport to Oblivion"), and proceeded in order until the end of the first season, with "700-13" ("Heavy Metal War"). At the beginning of the second season, it seems the production codes were adjusted to account for the three parts of "More than Meets the Eye", as they take a jump forward to "700-16" with "Autobot Spike". This, of course, is mathematically wrong-o, as "Autobot Spike" is the ''seventeenth'' episode, not the sixteenth.
**''B.O.T.'', the final episode of season 2, was production code 700-64, while ''Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1'', the first episode of season 3, was production code 700-86. The reason for this jump is unknown.
**There is no episode with production code 700-111. ''Grimlock's New Brain'' was 700-110, while ''Call of the Primitives'' was 700-112. The reason for this omission is likewise unknown.

==External links==
*[http://groups.google.com/group/net.comics/browse_thread/thread/eab15c298a61cdfb/fce7a2ddb7e35a81 1985 net.comics review]
*[http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Comet/5606/tfepgd.html Aaron Marsh's Transformers Episode Guide] — Including variants and repackagings
*[http://www.facebook.com/pages/Transformers/9160392217 Transformers on Facebook] - Includes information on Matrix of Leadership Box Set

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers (cartoon), The}}
[[Category:Continuities]]
[[Category:Generation 1| Transformers (cartoon)]]
[[Category:Generation 1 episodes| ]]
[[Category:Television series]]

Megatron (Animated)

2008-05-28T08:59:50Z

220.255.7.249:

{{SemiprotectSpoilers}}

{{disambig3|Megatron}}

:''Megatron is a [[Decepticon]] in the [[Transformers Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Megatronanimated.jpg|300px|thumb|An insult to [[Megatron (G1)|G1]], we swear!]]

If you were to ask '''Megatron''' to describe himself in one word, he'd probably go with "heroic". He sees himself as a freedom fighter, [[Decepticon leader#Animated|leading]] the Decepticons out of the days of [[Autobot]] tyranny. The fact he's hoping to replace that with Decepticon tyranny isn't really a concern. A fanatic at heart, he revels in every Autobot who suffers at Decepticon hands and doesn't register humans as anything more than "collateral damage."

Megatron demands loyalty from the Decepticons, loyalty he gains by his awe-inspiring power. With the combined threat of a sharp mind, his [[fusion cannon]], a pair of deadly swords and simple brute strength, there aren't many who'd dare cross him. Still, he has no problem manhandling troops as a gentle reminder.

The loss of his body and former power was only a minor setback for him, as Megatron proved a master manipulator. He effortlessly duped [[Isaac Sumdac]] into helping him--and once Megatron was restored to full power, he turned the tables on his old captor.

{{Quote|Laugh now, child. I will show you true fear!|Megatron as he listens in on Sari's ghost stories|"[[Home Is Where the Spark Is]]"}}

==Fiction==

===''Animated'' cartoon===
{{ongoing}}
:''Voice actor:'' [[Corey Burton]] (English), [[Jan Spitzer]] (German)

[[Image:Megatron Cybertron.jpg|left|thumb|Pointier than thou.]]

Aboard his [[Nemesis (Animated)|massive flagship]], Megatron went after the [[Autobot ship (Animated)|small Autobot repair vessel]] after detecting the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]]. When [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] volunteered to attack, Megs saw right through him, pointing out "I didn't spend the last four million solar cycles combing the galaxy just so you can get your greasy wings on the AllSpark." He even crumpled a part of said wings to make his point. Later, Starscream approached the Decepticon leader again, wishing him "luck", to which Megatron replied, "I do not believe in luck." Starscream got his own back by planting a bomb on Megatron, which blew just as his fusion cannon was about to breach the hull of the Autobots' ship. The Autobot crew managed to steer the now-failing ship through an asteroid field and into a nearby [[space bridge]].

With the ship now plummeting through the Earth's atmosphere, a wounded Megatron still managed to thrash the crew soundly and nearly claimed the AllSpark. Quick thinking on the part of [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] sent the Decepticon leader out the cargo hatch and into free fall. Megatron [[Megatron (Movie)|fell from the sky]] and crashed in Paw Paw, Michigan, where his head (and later, a hand) was found by a young [[Isaac Sumdac]].

Over the next fifty years, Sumdac built a robotics empire by reverse-engineering Megatron's components. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out!}} Fifty years after his fall to Earth, Megatron's inert head remained secretly in Sumdac's private lab, the source of the human's engineering genius and also a secret shame. Megatron's severed hand was there as well, used by Sumdac as a piece of furniture.

[[Image:Animatedmegatronhead1.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Hey Megatron, don't lose your... oh.]]

After the Autobots re-awoke, [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] used her [[Sari Sumdac's key|AllSpark key]] to sneak into her father's lab. He stopped her from seeing anything it contained, but the AllSpark energy from the key was absorbed by Megatron's head, reawakening his spark and bringing him back online. Confused and disoriented, he automatically brought up video footage of Starscream and the Autobots. Furious both at Starscream's betrayal and the fact he didn't have the hands to reach out and take the AllSpark which was finally within his grasp, he released a burst of energy which activated a small drone Dr. Sumdac had been working on. Megatron thus realized he could control the extremely primitive (by his standards) technology around him. Learning Sari was going to spend the night at the Autobot base, he secreted his drone into her backpack.

Once she arrived, Megatron sent the drone to look for the AllSpark, but his search was fruitless. He decided to try a simpler method: kill the Autobots and extract the data from their lifeless corpses. Interfacing with the factory's assembly line, he attacked. As the Autobots fought back, he decided to cut out the middleman and knocked a hole in a fuel tank. [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] arrived, realized the factory was working via motion sensors, and managed to get close to the control panel. To counter him, Megatron simply took over the factory arms and snatched up Prowl. However, he failed to stop [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], due to the primitive tools he was forced to use. With his plans foiled, Megatron was out of patience, refusing to work through these worthless machines. He needed a body. Perhaps it was time to reveal something more advanced to Sumdac... {{storylink|Home Is Where the Spark Is}}

Megatron soon revealed to Isaac that he still functioned and, when Isaac guessed he was a friend of the Autobots, Megatron played along. He persuaded Isaac to keep his existence secret until Isaac had built him a new body, as then the Autobots would be more forgiving of how Isaac had reverse-engineered their friend. He then helped construct the [[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobot]]s, deliberately programming them to go on a rampage and building fire-breath into them as a prototype for a planned army of drones. When they were defeated, Megatron despaired he might never gain a new body, but upon discovering they'd been turned into sentient Transformers, he quickly convinced them that cars, trucks and "[[Autobot|car robots]]" were evil beings that ate dinosaurs.

During their second rampage, Isaac realized Megatron had deliberately built weapons into the Dinobots. The tyrant feigned shame, saying he'd added experimental features out of a desire to have a body again. Isaac promised not to tell the Autobots and that Megatron would have a body again one day... {{storylink|Blast from the Past}}

Soon, Dr. Sumdac began attempting to build him some new servos, but these proved inadequate. Megatron revealed that his body would need [[Destronium]] to work, but Isaac responded there was only a small amount available and that it would have to be delivered across town in less than 10 minutes or it would become unstable. Taking notice of an experimental turbo suit Sumdac's labs were developing (with flaws that possibly precluded Isaac considering it as a solution), Megatron manipulated computer systems so the suit was delivered to small-time hood [[Nanosec|Nino Sexton]]. Once Sexton began using the suit to commit crimes too quickly to be stopped, Megatron contacted him with an offer of much money out of Dr. Sumdac's private account if Sexton used the suit to steal and deliver the Destronium. Between Autobot interference and the suit aging him prematurely, Sexton failed. Worse, the Destronium was at critical levels, risking an explosion that would destroy [[Detroit]]. The Autobots barely managed to send the Destronium sample into the upper atmosphere before it exploded, and they were left to wonder why a human had tried to steal it in the first place. {{storylink|Nanosec}}

After Megatron learned of the power of [[Sari Sumdac's key|Sari's key]] and the careless nature in which she used it, he attempted to trick her into assisting him. He designed [[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]], a musical toy that was secretly meant to grow more powerful every time Sari used her key upon it, until eventually it would be a suitable robotic body for Megatron himself. When the Key instead brought Soundwave into independent life, Megatron changed his plan and, with convincing logic, recruited Soundwave as a Decepticon warrior. {{storylink|Sound and Fury}}

When [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] and [[Lugnut]] arrived on Earth, Megatron, remembering Starscream's betrayal, was hesitant to act. After witnessing a battle between his soldiers and the Autobots, Megatron concluded that Blitzwing was too unstable while Lugnut was genuinely loyal. He contacted Lugnut only, instructing him to locate the AllSpark, which would help restore him. Later, he also informed Lugnut about Sari's key. Unfortunately, Lugnut and Blitzwing were defeated and damaged by the Autobots, severing Lugnut's link with Megatron—and Megatron's only link to the outside world. {{storylink|Lost and Found (Animated episode)|Lost and Found}}

[[Image:Sumdac megatron's body.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Yeah, it's a fixer-upper.]]

Although Megatron himself was not mentally involved, his headless body was infected with [[space barnacles]], causing the barnacles to mutate into a semi-sentient form. After absorbing two mining bots and possibly killing a [[Sparkplug Witwicky|familiar-looking]] miner, it was defeated by Bumblebee and Prowl. Later, it was discovered (minus space barnacles) by Isaac Sumdac, and most likely brought back to his laboratory. Sumdac was heard to remark that Megatron would be ''very'' pleased... {{storylink|Nature Calls}}

[[Image:MegRisingRebuilt.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Don't call it a comeback; I've been here for years.]]
Sumdac attempted to rebuild Megatron, but progress was slowed by a power failure. Frustrated, Megatron again contacted Lugnut and ordered him to bring him the Key. This communication triggered Starscream's curiosity, and the treacherous jet located Megatron. Starscream didn't have time to slay Megatron before he was distracted by the Autobots--and Megatron used that distraction to take Starscream by surprise and eject him from the lab. When Blitzwing and Lugnut arrived with the Key, Megatron revealed his true identity to his human "friend". Sumdac, seized by the mechanical hand he had so long used as a chair, could only watch and wail in horror as the Decepticon tyrant used the power of the AllSpark to reconstruct himself, more powerful than ever. Finally restored, he burst through the roof of [[Sumdac Tower]], to the horror of the Autobots and Starscream{{m-}}ready to unleash his vengeance on all of them. {{storylink|Megatron Rising - Part I}}

[[Image:PayThePiper.JPG|left|thumb|200px|[[The Transformers: The Movie (1986)|"Will anyone else attempt to fill his shoes?"]]]]
Megatron's revenge was quick and brutal. Trashing the Autobots in short order, he called his Decepticons to him. As Starscream bootlicked, Megatron powered up his fusion cannon to destroy the one responsible for his defeat{{m-}}then used the key to send a painful power surge through Starscream, both punishing the traitor and reinforcing his authority over Blitzwing and Lugnut. He commanded them to "transform and rise up," and the three Decepticons took to the sky, using the key to track the AllSpark.

[[Image:Megatron Rising 2 All Spark Megs boom.jpg|200px|thumb|This is not good...]]
Finding it aboard the Autobots' ship, the Decepticons caused it to crash on [[Dinobot Island (Animated)|Dinobot Island]], where Megatron proceeded to beat the [[slag (slang)|slag]] out of Optimus Prime. Getting into the ship, Megatron removed the AllSpark from its casing and placed it in his chest, preparing to devastate Earth before conquering Cybertron. However, Professor Sumdac used his knowledge of Megatron's circuitry to disrupt his equilibrium sensors, causing Megatron to drop the key. Optimus Prime used the key to force a surge of power through the AllSpark within Megatron, causing it to explode and disperse its energy.

However, it was not a total loss for Megatron; despite the damage, he escaped and managed to abduct Sumdac. Once again, their fates were intertwined, only this time Sumdac was Megatron's prisoner. {{storylink|Megatron Rising - Part II}}

Establishing a base deep underground, Megatron quickly adjusted his plans after the loss of the AllSpark. During his battle aboard the Autobot ship, he had managed to download a partial [[space bridge]] schematic from their computers. He planned to use the space bridge to teleport himself, Lugnut, and Blitzwing to Cybertron, then conquer the planet from within. To facilitate this plan, Megatron used the captive Professor Sumdac to reverse-engineer the space bridge and fill in the "gaps" within the schematics. However, when a service bot suddenly malfunctioned, it was revealed that a shard of the AllSpark was imbedded within it. This gave Megatron hope that the AllSpark was not destroyed, but dispersed throughout the city of Detroit... {{storylink|The Elite Guard}}

[[Image:swordscream.JPG|left|thumb|200px|Yes, Starscream, and we'll ''keep'' doing it until you get it right!]]
Finding out about the Allspark fragments, however, didn't seem to cause him to make any changes in his plans. Megatron received word from a spy that the Decepticons had begun making random assaults on the Autobots. He realized that they needed to make a concentrated effort in order to secure his victory. Once Lugnut and Blitzwing had stolen what they needed from the Elite Guard to send the message, Megatron was interrupted by a revived Starscream. After quickly beating him to a pulp, Megatron relayed his commands to the spacefaring cons, only to be repeatedly attacked by a seemingly invincible Starscream. The renegade even attempted to draw Megatron out with an AllSpark fragment. Megatron emerged victorious every time and was informed by his spy that all was going as planned: With his forces now drawing the Autobots away from Cybertron, Megatron could attack a weakened Cybertron from within as soon as his space bridge was completed. {{storylink|Mission Accomplished}}

Later, while at the Decepticon base, Lugnut detected an AllSpark energy signal emanating from Detroit. Megatron quickly dispatched Lugnut to retrieve the AllSpark shard before the Autobots could. Lugnut proceeded to praise his master's "grand and glorious plan", but Megatron, fed up with the adulation to the point of involuntary optic-twitching, curtly commanded his enforcer to get going.
{{storylink|Garbage In, Garbage Out}}

[[Image:RiseoftheConstructicons-Megatron'sprivateblend.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Gentlemen, to evil.]]
When Lugnut and Blitzwing brought the [[Constructicons (Animated)|Constructobots]] back to base, Megatron saw the advantage of keeping them alive, and invited them to have a look at his space bridge schematics. Impressed by their knowledge, he decided to put them to work, stealing supplies. After an encounter with [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], the Constructobots became convinced of "the funny guy's" less then noble intentions, and returned to the mine to confront him. Megatron calmly slammed them both against a rock face and asked them to explain. He feigned shock, and brought them in to discuss things over his own private oil blend. He spoke of the glories they could achieve as Constructicons, the adulation, the statues in their honor...the barrels of oil they could down. Ever the shrewd worker, it didn't take much for him to convince them to join up, and he promptly sent them to the Autobot base to retrieve the AllSpark fragments. {{storylink|Rise of the Constructicons}}

{{spoiler|A Fistful of Energon}}

When Starscream escaped from the Elite Guard's ship, Megatron received the message that was sent to the Autobots by Ultra Magnus from the tachyon transmitter which was stolen by Lugnut and Blitzwing. He had placed a bounty on the traitor, in which Lockdown (with the unknown aid of Prowl) pretty much took the opportunity to bring him to the Decepticon leader. Lockdown contacted Megatron to confirm that he had captured a purple-ish "Starscream" (who was acting quite odd and cowardly) and agreed to meet at an abandoned warehouse for the exchange. As "Starscream" was brought to Megatron, Prowl, who was hiding on a rafter high above, accidentally scuffed a small bolt, which grabbed the Decepticons' attention. Not too long after, the Autobots appeared, with another, different colored, Starscream. Megatron intercepted Lockdown's escape and announced confusedly that no one was to leave until they found out which was the true Starscream. However, it turned out that both Starscreams were clones with bombs in their [[spark]] chambers which were designed to destroy Megatron and the Autobots in one go. Quickly thinking up a plan, Megatron and the other Decepticons transformed and escaped forcibly through the ceiling. Unfortunately, Prowl used the upgrades given to him by Lockdown to send the [[Starscream clone|clones]] into the air, not too far from the fleeing Decepticons, when the bombs exploded. It is unknown if they were wounded, but Megatron later raised the bounty on Starscream, only this time, he wanted the "real" Starscream. {{storylink|A Fistful of Energon}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Transformers Animated===
*'''Optimus Prime vs. Megatron: The Battle Begins''' (Deluxe class figure multi-pack, 2008)
[[Image:TFAnimated_Deluxe_BattleBegins_Megatron_toy.jpg|thumb|left|250px|SPAAAACE ROOOAAACH!]]

: Transforms into a sleek spacecraft with VTOL turbofans (''uhh...''). Megatron's signature fusion cannon forms the central chassis and cockpit section of the spacecraft; his sword sections mount on the sides of the cannon for storage. The figure also features a silver color scheme and battle damage paint applications.
{{comingsoontoy}}

{{-}}

*'''CYBERTRON Mode Megatron''' (Voyager, 2008)
[[Image:Animated_megatron_voyager.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Curse you, Earth's atmosphere!]]

: A larger, bulkier, more detailed, and more gimmick-laden version of the Deluxe toy above. Note that while both modes of both toys look very similar, they have different transformation mechanisms. Where the deluxe version is straight silver, this version has a pearl-gray paint scheme.

*'''Megatron''' (Leader, 2008)
[[Image:Animated_megatron_leader.jpg|left|thumb|250px|He will kill you until you are dead.]]
: Megatron's "Earth" robot mode bears a significant resemblance to ''Generation 1'' [[Megatron (G1)#The Battlestars|Super Megatron]] from the ''Battlestars'' storyline, and thus, in turn, to his original G1 body. His alt-mode is a dual-rotored helicopter design, somewhat like an [[Incinerator (Movie)|Osprey]] [[Obsidian|helicopter]] or the [[Cobra]] Mamba; its rotors form double-bladed swords. The toy has a [[gimmick|voice chip]] with three quotes: "Crush the Autobots!", "Where is the AllSpark?", and evil laughter. It is compatible with the [[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster]] toy.
{{comingsoontoy}}

==Trivia==
[[Image:AnimatedMegatronMovieHat.jpg|150px|thumb|They moonlight as lawn darts.]]
* Megatron's pre-Earth head has a rather pointed resemblance to the somewhat early head of 2007 movie's [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]], which went unused in the actual movie but appeared on loads of promotional materials and merchandise.

* Also in common with Movie Megatron, ''Animated'' Megatron lay inert for many years while his technology was [[Sector 7|reverse-engineered by humans]].

* Yes, his outer-space altmode, shown for all of 20 seconds, is getting ''two'' toy molds devoted to it.

*In this series, Megatron has his own catchphrase: "Decepticons, transform and rise up!", contrasting Optimus Prime's classic "Autobots, transform and roll out!" line.

*Apparently Megatron is a bit of an oil connoisseur. He even has little goblets for it, too, as well as a secret stash of top-quality oil and a secret chamber to drink it in. Classy! {{storylink|Rise of the Constructicons}}

*Early images of Megatron's Earth body were slightly different from the finished product, most notably the lack of a fusion cannon, and a katana instead of his twin swords.

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[[Category: Decepticons]]
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