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Possession

2012-02-13T17:09:16Z

24.201.20.180: /* Continuity errors */

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=21
|image=Starscream ghost BW.jpg
|caption="Look, I'm a ghost, okay? Quit being such a jerk."
|title="Possession"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[February 3]], [[1997]]
|packaged with=[[Waspinator#Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|Waspinator]], [[Megatron (BW)/toys#Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|Optimus Primal vs. Megatron]], [[Motorarm (BWII)#Beast Wars Telemocha Series|Motorarm]]
|written by=[[Ian Weir]]
|directed by=[[Owen Hurley]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''Waspinator finds himself possessed by none other than the original Decepticon traitor, Starscream!'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Possession Waspinator.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Haunter used Hypnosis!]]
A violent storm rages, causing significant damage and knocking out power to both the [[Axalon (BW)|Maximal]] and [[Darksyde|Predacon bases]]. While the [[Maximal]]s stash their extra ammo deeper in their ship's hold to prevent undue accidents, [[Waspinator]] attempts to get one of the Predacon base's computer consoles online...only to be greeted by a ghostly, shrill voice from it. A power surge hits the bug-bot soon afterwards, and when the other Predacons begin to wonder what has happened to him, in he comes, announcing his return "at long last" in the same eerie voice.

The voice belongs to [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], Air Commander of the [[Decepticon]] forces and [[second-in-command]] to the original [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], whose [[spark]] had been tumbling through time and space for an unknown number of years before settling within Waspinator. As he puts it, he was destroyed defending [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] from the Chaos Bringer [[Unicron]], but his [[spark]] endured. As a show of his good faith, he pledges his loyalty to the Predacon [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], revealing vital information about the state of the Maximal base due to the storm, intelligence Megatron could use to plan a sneak attack. Intrigued by the idea, Megatron accepts Starscream into his ranks, but warns [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] in private to watch their new ally closely.

[[Image:Possession Megatron victorious.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"B-3" "BINGO!!!"]]
The next day, as the Maximals are making repairs to their base, they are suddenly attacked by the Preds, and Starscream's intel proves very useful in catching them off-guard. In the ensuing firefight, [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] is injured and the Decepticon Air Commander flies rings round [[Optimus Primal]], forcing the Maximals to abandon ship and regroup outside. Happy with their victory, Megatron puts Starscream in charge of holding the ''Axalon'', with Scorponok and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] under his command, while the rest of the Predacons return to their base, in case the Maximals decide to go for a sneak attack of their own. Once they're alone, though, Blackarachnia shows off her knack for history by correctly pointing out to Starscream that he was [[The Transformers: The Movie|murdered by Galvatron after he betrayed the Decepticon commander]]. She's willing to keep this a secret, though, if she's let in on his real plans: to destabilize Megatron's control and rule both factions.

Deep in the forest, as the Maximals recover, Optimus Primal voices his confusion and concern over Waspinator's new personality. He isn't entirely convinced Waspinator is possessed by the spark of Starscream, but as the [[Maximal Elder]]s had long since sealed the Decepticon's records, they're not able to confirm or deny it, either. Fortunately, Dinobot's as much of a military history buff as Blackarachnia is, commenting on how ''Webster's Cybertronian Dictionary'' has pretty much replaced all definitions of "traitor" with Starscream's name.

[[Image:Possession Starscream point.jpg|left|200px|thumb|I want YOU for Predacon Army]]
Realizing Starscream's tendencies, Optimus Primal leads the Maximals in returning to the ''Axalon'' and calling Starscream out to announce their surrender, citing the need to use the ship's [[CR chamber]] to repair Dinobot's (now exaggerated) wounds. Feeling generous, the Decepticon Air Commander allows Optimus and Dinobot to come on board, but as predictably as night follows day, betrays them and strips Optimus of his weapons and locks him up in the hold as soon as he steps on deck. With their leader now his prisoner, Starscream orders the other Maximals to attack the Predacon base, over the token objections of Scorponok. They comply, and the trap is set.

[[Image:Possession Starscream gunpoint.jpg|right|200px|thumb|I'm azzz mad azzz hell, and I'm not going to take thizzz anymore!]]
Unbeknown to the Air Commander, he's been duped by the oldest trick in the book; by allowing himself to be betrayed, Optimus Primal has put himself and Dinobot in the perfect position to retake their base, which they do in a dazzling display that forces Starscream to retreat back to Pred territory. Upon hearing of the Maximal attack that is ordered by Starscream, Megatron angrily swears to finish him both Stascream and Blackarachnia off to himself. Optimus pursues and manages to best the Decepticon in an aerial dogfight, leaving him grovelling at the Maximal's feet...until Blackarachnia shows up, prompting Starscream to plead for her aid, believing they can still complete their coup. No dice; this new generation is much less gullible than [[Autobot|their]] [[Decepticon|ancestors]], and Blackarachnia has skillfully pulled off a double-cross on the double-crosser, igniting a small energon cache underneath Starscream to "exorcise" the Decepticon's spark from Waspinator's body.

At the end of the day, Megatron gets done fixing the back-to-normal Waspinator as Blackarachnia explains her betrayal; if she hadn't done it, she maintains, she wouldn't have been able to sniff out Starscream's true motives. Megatron reluctantly accepts this excuse, but warns her that it still doesn't invoke confidence in her loyalties. Back at the ''Axalon'', the Maximals are finishing up repairs of their own...everyone but Cheetor, who's slacking off with a bout of stargazing, quipping "Twinkle, twinkle, little Starscream," as the camera pans up to beyond the planet's orbit, showing Starscream's spark screaming mech fluid-drenched vengeance on all within the Beast Wars as he drifts away into the void.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (2)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (3)
*[[Optimus Primal]] (4)
*[[Rattrap]] (8)
*[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] (13)
*[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] (14)
*[[Tigatron]] (15)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s
|c2=
*[[Waspinator]] (5)
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (6)
*[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] (7)
*[[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] (9)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (10)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (11)

|c4=
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (1)
* [[Unicron]] (12)
}}

==Quotes==
"What is this? Program does not respond! Waspinator does not understand!" 
"I'll bet Waspinator seldom does! But try not to let it depress you, bug-face."
:—'''Waspinator''', about to be possessed by '''Starscream'''

"Starscream, perhaps the centuries of weightlessness have taken a toll on your neurological circuitry."
:—'''Megatron''' seems to forget that free-floating sparks don't ''have'' circuitry.

"Lie still! And GROAN, for cryin' out loud! You're supposed to be half-dead!" 
"If you don't shut up, vermin, you will be my role model!"
:-'''Rattrap''' and '''Dinobot'''. 'Nuff said.

"You're nothin' but a schemin' snake in the grass!" 
"Ehh, flattery will get you flattened, vermin."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Starscream'''

"Ugh! Starscream and Blackarachnia! I'll have both their treacherous hides! Yeeessss...I'll-I'll melt them down and use them for aluminum siding! Oh, yes, indeed!"
:—'''Megatron''' finally learning of Starscream's traitorous nature. Odd...

"I'll be back! Even if it takes a thousand years, I'LL BE REVENGED ON YOU ALL!"
:—'''Starscream''', as he drifts through space

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* When Megatron "checks up" on Waspinator, his dino head inexplicably switches from his right hand to his left hand.
* Unicron's "ring" is not connected to his body.
* When Starscream points to the unguarded side of the ''Axalon'', he seems to have a finger pointing on both sides of his hand, as though the animators were unsure of which hand he was using to point at the screen. (From the looks of the previous scenes, it should be his left hand.)
* When the Maximals come to "surrender", as Optimus talks to Starscream, his head is hideously deformed, with the sides stretched down to the base of his neck, and his head sitting far too high. Additionally his mouth doesn't move while he's speaking. ''Argh...''
* When Starscream/Waspinator is standing on top of the ''Axalon'' and instructing the Maximals to attack the Predacon base, his right foot clips straight through one of the autocannons. A few moments later when he blasts Scorponok, he's standing nowhere near the cannon.

===Continuity errors===
* Looking at the intro sequence with Starscream's spark, he clearly touches down somewhere in the southwest United States, apparently Arizona. The terrain and creatures in ''Beast Wars'' suggest that it takes place in Africa and the presence of the standing stones, though not necessarily Stonehenge, suggest Britain. On the other hand, it makes sense, since "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]" puts the ''Axalon'' and the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] within commuting distance. It's not too wild to assume that it kept commuting for an unknown distance even after touching down either.

* While free-floating sparks are usually depicted as spheres, Starscream's spark has the twiddly bits which are usually only present to attach a spark to a protoform. Then again, it has been stated that Starscream's spark is not normal, so this may have been a conscious alteration?

* Megatron knew a great deal about Cybertronian history, yet apparently did not know the real nature of Starscream and his demise. However, Megatron might have been playing dumb to lure Starscream into being bolder with his actions. On the other hand, both the Predacon and Maximal Elders had a large portion of his records sealed ''due'' to his history. Then again, Megatron DID tell Scorponok to watch Starscream...

** On that same note, both Blackarachnia and Dinobot knew about Starscream, even though Primal stated that his records were sealed. It's possible that the records were sealed only to the Maximals (as Primal notes it was the Maximal Elders who sealed them), but given what we'll learn of the state of Maximal/Predacon relations on Cybertron and the Maximal Elders' dirty little secrets, that explanation is rather hard to believe.

* Despite being born from a Maximal Protoform, Blackarachnia refers to the Decepticons as "our" (the Predacons') ancestors.

* Starscream apparently imprisons Optimus in shackles that he can break out of in about five seconds flat. However, in the episode commentary on [[Madman Entertainment]]'s ''Beast Wars Season 1'' DVDs, story editor [[Bob Forward]] states that Primal originally had a very complex way of breaking free involving tools and the dexterity of his beast mode appendages, but the animators changed this to just him "busting out", possibly due to time and monetary constraints.

* Blackarachnia states that Starscream met his demise at the hands of Galvatron presumably meaning right after the battle for Autobot City in 2005. However, in the Season 3 episode "Ghost in the Machine", Starscream tricks Unicron into giving him a new body. He is last seen tumbling into space after suffering another non-lethal blast from Galvatron's cannon one last time.

* [Optimal Situation|Future] [Master Blaster|Episodes] would show that a Maximal or Predacon body with two sparks (one of them Autobot or Decepticon) in undergoes violent and great changes, growing in size and might. Waspinator undergoes no such change.
** Megatron does infer that the "power" of the second park has an effect on this, but this also seems strange, as Starscream's spark, due to its immortality, would be presumably better than the average.

===Transformers references===
* Obviously, Starscream himself firmly ties ''Beast Wars'' to established Generation 1 history, though you could argue that Waspinator thinking he was [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] already did this.

* Starscream's spark—or "ghost", as it was then called—possesses several Decepticons (including [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]) in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 episodes]] "[[Starscream's Ghost]]" and "[[Ghost in the Machine]]". His actions [[Atari Hitotonari|don't stop]] [[Teletraan 15|there]].

* One of the Predacon insignias on the side of Waspinator's cranium changes into a Decepticon insignia while Starscream's spark is inhabiting his superstructure.

* And of course, Starscream's fate was from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

* Starscream's head is white and his face is blue, making him resemble his appearance in [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel Comics]] instead of his [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] [[character model]].

===Real-world references===
* [[Optimus Primal]] says "Hasta la vista, Starscream", paraphrasing a famous line from the film ''[[wikia:c:terminator:Terminator 2: Judgment Day|Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]''.

* As he flies away immediately after saying this, Optimus Primal is seen wearing a pair of sunglasses, aping (ahem) Arnold Schwarzenegger's trademark look from the movie.

* Rhinox's line "It's tramplin' time" could be an homage to "It's clobberin' time!", the catchphrase of the [[Thing]] of the [[Fantastic Four]].

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Possession'''"

:*''Title:'' "'''Possession'''" (Canada)

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Il traditore'''" ("The Traitor")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Fujimi no Sutāsukurīmu'''" (不死身のスタースクリーム, "The Immortal Starscream")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 18|18 February]] [[1998]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Possessão'''" ("Possession")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Posesión'''" ("Possession")

===Trivia===
* [[Doug Parker]] performs both [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (standing in for the late [[Chris Latta]]), and the very Starscreamy [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]]. In fact, Parker's Starscream is basically Terrosaur with a metallic distortion a la G1 Soundwave. Perhaps Starscream should have possessed Terrorsaur instead — of course, nobody would notice the difference.
* According to fan consultant [[Ben Yee]] and story editor Bob Forward on the Madman DVD commentary track, the original idea for this episode was to have the spark of an Autobot possess one of the characters. This idea was abandoned early on because a model of Starscream had already been made for "[[The Web]]". Besides, Starscream had the experience.
* Also according to Forward, the angles used for Waspinator (when he is possessed by Starscream) are much more "heroic" than normal (views from slightly below him, extreme closeups, etc.), to reflect Starscream's personality.
* Apart from the Decepticon insignia on his head, Waspinator's only physical change when possessed is the addition of a yellow stripe along the upper edges of his "mandibles", similar to their inner edges.
* Additionally, Yee provided all of the original Starscream's [[Tech Spec]] [[Bio|biographies]] to writer Ian Weir as a reference for Starscream's character and personality. Yee was pleased that Weir incorporated Starscream's original "[[Air Commander]]" [[function]] as the character's rank and title.
* After Blackarachnia convinces Starscream to take her on as his protege, as they're walking away Starscream's hand is at her shoulder but then starts moving down towards her um... butt. Perv.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars'' — Warning from Space ([[Alliance Atlantis|Alliance Video]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1998 — ''Robots-Bêtes'' — Alert Dans L'Espace (Alliance Video) — French audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Starscream's Invulnerability ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars'' / ''Robots-Bêtes'' Three pack (Alliance Video) — Available in English or French audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2001 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 4 ([[Universal]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Predacon Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — English and Japanese audio.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete First Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes: Volume 3 — The Battle Rages On! ([[Alliance Atlantis]]) — English and French audio. 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — The Complete First Season (Alliance Atlantis) — English and French audio. 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]
[[Category:Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]]
[[category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:Pack-in material]]

Kibble

2012-02-11T03:16:23Z

24.201.20.180: /* "Faux-parts" */ Beast Wars Meg detail

[[Image:Kibblerhinox.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Rhinox photographed from behind, showcasing the several large pieces of rhinoceros hanging loosely from his body.]]
'''Kibble''' is a feature of many Transformers, both in [[Toy|their toys]] and in their animation/comic designs. In its modern usage (see below for earlier meanings) it refers to pieces which have no clear purpose in one mode but are there only because they are part of another mode. In most cases, "kibble" is used to refer to pieces of the character's [[alternate mode]] which "hang" or stick out in their robot mode. Sometimes these pieces are there as a matter of aesthetics, and sometimes it's simply because there wasn't any place better to put the stuff.

Much less frequently, the word is used to refer to "robot parts" which are badly hidden in an altmode; This is most common in figures with aircraft altmodes, where whole limbs or compressed torsos were left exposed on the underside. In this case, the term ''undercarriage junk'' is more often used. During the [[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]] era, the term was also applied to any figure with robot mode limbs hanging from underneath the animal-mode shell.

Parts of one mode which are merely ''visible'' in other modes are not necessarily kibble. For example, an altmode part which is well-integrated into the robot's form—like the front of a car or truck that becomes a character's chest—is not kibble because it is an integral part of the robot's body, rather than being "tacked on".

When "kibble" entered the Transfan lexicon, it had a different meaning, and referred to a Transformer's accessories and detachable parts which had nowhere to go when not attached/worn/held. This meaning has almost, if not completely, disappeared from use.

==Examples of kibble==
[[Image:BWN-toy Break.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Penguins, after reaching a certain size, undergo a process that scientists have taken to calling "second-stage hatching".]]
Although it was most prominent during the [[Beast Era]] and ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'', kibble has been a part of Transformers from the very beginning. [[Prowl (G1)|G1 Prowl]] or movie [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]], for example, has car doors that stick out behind his shoulders. The doors have no purpose in robot mode. They are not part of his actual body; they are just there, serving as decoration, but otherwise pointless. Those doors are kibble. In the robot modes of the G1 [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] toys, the jet's nosecone and tailfins are also kibble. The jet wings, despite being one of the Seekers' most prominent features, are kibble as well because they are not needed for the robot mode. In the old sense of the word, their fists can also be considered kibble since they are removed for jet mode yet do not store anywhere in said mode.

[[Image:Bigconvoy shell.jpg|right|250px|thumb|It really is two toys in one.]]
One of the most infamous examples of beast kibble on a robot mode is [[Big Convoy]] from ''[[Beast Wars Neo (franchise)|Beast Wars Neo]]''. Many of the Neo toys are kibble heavy, with "panels" of beast skin attached to the robot body by swiveling rods. This is also common in the ''Car Robots''/''Robots in Disguise'' line, most notably with the [[Autobot Brothers]] ([[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]], [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]], and [[X-Brawn]]).{{See|Shellformer}}

==Connotation==
[[Image:Kibbleprowl.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Prowl's car door "wings" are kibble, and so are his removable missiles and launchers.]]
Kibble is usually only brought up when it is being used derisively. Indeed, kibble often has a negative impact on a toy. It can restrict movement by getting in the way, it can make a toy unbalanced if it is too concentrated in one part of the body such as a "backpack", and it can simply make the robot look like a purely humanoid robot that has car or animal parts stuck to it, rather than being a robot ''composed of'' car or animal parts.

However, kibble serves an important purpose in Transformer design, often giving characters distinctive or interesting silhouettes. As mentioned above, the airplane wings on the Seekers' backs, as well as the doors on Prowl, are among their most memorable features. They look "cool" even if they are not integrated into the robot body. Thus, kibble is not an intrinsically bad thing. Most Transformers have it, and it may even be seen as an integral part of some characters' designs. Actually, if all kibble was removed from most Transformers (with the exception of shellformers), they would pretty much look like stick figures.

Some kibble can also serve a purpose in the fiction even if it has no purpose on the toy. For example [[Wreck-Gar (Animated)| Animated Wreck-Gar's]] backpack. On the toy it's just most of his garbage truck mode folded up on his back. However, on the show it holds a phenomenal amount of junk that Wreck-Gar can pull out and use, often for comedic effect.

==Other meanings / development of term==
[[Image:Kibblecombiner.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"Combiner kibble." These pieces have nowhere to go while Superion is broken up into his smaller components.]]
The word "kibble" was first applied to Transformers in February of 1996, when Lizard coined the term "combiner kibble" in a post to the newsgroup [[alt.toys.transformers]]. At that time, and for the next two years, the word kibble was used mainly to refer to detachable parts or accessories. It seems to have acquired its modern meaning sometime in 1998. A more detailed discussion follows:

In Google's archive of ATT, there are no recorded uses of the word "kibble" until the year 1996. In that year it was used only in reference to detachable parts and/or accessories, usually (but not always) in reference to pieces needed for [[combiner]]s to combine properly, such as [[Combiner#Terms_for_combiners|Scramble City]] style feet, heads and fists. The very first instance of the word comes from a post by Lizard which is missing from the archive, but appears quoted in other posts:

<blockquote>Now, if only there was a convenient place to store "Combiner Kibble" - all the hands, feet, chestplates, etc, that go into making a combiner... ([http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/ea0978924f203ee7?dmode=source&hl=en&output=gplain Quoted text in <3122E99A.19BB@texas.net>], Feb 1996)</blockquote>

Said Lizard when reflecting on this ten years later, "The word comes from, of course, pet food — I guess I felt the plethora of small pieces of Transformers detritus strongly resembled the little bits of cat food batted all over the kitchen." Lizard also used the word to refer to [[Megatron (G1)|G1 Megatron]]'s accessories in his [[BotCon 1996]] report. Three other fans referred to "combiner kibble" in the first half of 1996 after Lizard's use of the term, all of them either placing it in quotes or adding an emoticon, which emphasizes the newness of the term. Later in the year the word shows up about a dozen more times, always in reference to combiner pieces or other detachable parts.

The first archived use of the word kibble to refer to something ''other than'' detachable parts is a January 1997 review of [[Claw Jaw]], by Dave Richter. "In beast mode, he looks great from head on, but the abdomen (made out of robot legs and jointed squid kibble) doesn't look too solid if viewed from the side." ([http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/e087c89d29ba5c97?dmode=source&hl=en&output=gplain <32F023AC.397A@virginia.edu>], 29 Jan 1997) In March, Dave made a more explicitly modern use of the word in response to another fan. This post serves reasonably well as a definition:

<blockquote>''IMO, toys should look cool from any angle. You should be able to turn a BW or any figure around have it look as cool as it does in the front. The rear should not be a place for a toy designer to throw any excess pieces on the figure that are not needed in robot mode. There are much more better designs than that.'' 
I don't know, you've got to put the animal kibble somewhere. This is standard TF fare; look at all the T-rex bitz Grimlock has hanging off his back. BW has alot of junk hanging off the back of many of it's entries, but it doesn't overbalance them, so what does it matter? ([http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/376dcb3652135228?dmode=source&hl=en&output=gplain <33237FCB.656E@virginia.edu>], 9 Mar 1997)
</blockquote>
Still, through 1997 the "detachable parts" sense was more heavily used, with six uses to the modern meaning's three. In the previous year, 1996, the word was used to refer to detachable parts 16 times. In 1998 Dave Van Domelen began to use the word regularly in his posted toy reviews. He used it in both senses, but more often in the modern one. Overall, the word appeared in ATT 21 distinct times in 1998, with 13 of those being the new/current meaning. In 1999, usage exploded, with virtually all instances of the word being in its modern usage.

The original "detachable parts" meaning has essentially become archaic and all but unknown, most likely due to the toyline itself largely abandoning that form of construction. Indeed, it is very unusual for a modern Transformers toy ''not'' to integrate or at least store all of its parts in all modes. With regards to combiner kibble, combiner teams themselves have become rare, and the recent examples either have no kibble ([[Superion Maximus]]), or the kibble can ''itself'' combine into a separate vehicle ([[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]] [[Superion (Universe)|Superion]]) — it's still kibble, but it's kibble with play value!

By November 1999, the meaning was well enough entrenched in ATT that Straight-Edge gave this definition, from which the meaning has not drifted at all in the years since:

<blockquote>It means pieces of the alternate mode (Beast mode, vehicle mode) being not only visible, but actually hanging off the robot body. IE the Doors hanging off of Prowl's shoulders, and the Crab Legs/Claws on Rampage's robot mode. They are not part of an anthropomorphic robot, hence they are kibble. ([http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/0caa8c898d45586d?dmode=source&hl=en&output=gplain <19991109002603.08548.00002231@ng-fg1.aol.com>], 9 Nov 1999)</blockquote>
It can't be determined from the limited breadth of the Usenet archive how the word kibble shifted its meaning, but it seems reasonable to ''guess'' that the earliest uses in the modern sense were simply an extension of the idea of "parts that stick on". Kibble, as we discuss it today, is just that—parts that are "stuck on".

=="Faux-parts"==
[[Image:Movie Legends Jazz toy.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Please ignore the roof. Please.]]
There is a related phenomenon with no generally accepted name, in which a toy's robot mode has obvious elements of its alternate mode showing (usually in the chest area), which are ''not'' in fact part of its alt-mode. This usually happens when the toy is based on a pre-existing design with prominent elements of its alternate mode present in robot mode (usually an older toy), but due to budget, size or other reasons, the <strike>[[Trademark|transformation]]</strike> [[transformation|conversion]] could not be designed to reflect the existing design accordingly.

The original example of this is [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PMOP|Optimus Prime]], who had the front windshield and grill of a semi-cab on his chest...which had no relation at all to his actual semi-cab mode, as those parts ended up on his ''back''. The false truck windows on the chest also showed up on ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#LaserOptimusPrime|Laser Optimus Prime]] and his redeco, ''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Scourge (RID)#Robots in Disguise|Scourge]], whose chests are on the underside of the truck in vehicle mode. Another example is the T-rex face on the chest of [[Megatron (BW)/toys#MegaTransmetal|Transmetal Megatron]] from ''Beast Wars'', which is not the same part as his actual T-rex face (And in fact, this carried over to the cartoon, where the face on his chest is clearly not his beast mode head, as seen when he transforms). A particularly inelegant example would be the [[Legends Class]] toy for [[Jazz (Movie)#Legends Class toys|Jazz]] from the 2007 ''[[Movie (toyline)|Movie]]'' line, who has a fake Pontiac Solstice front bumper for a chest that ends up on his ''roof'' in vehicle mode, while the actual car front ends up on the robot's ''legs''. His [[Jazz (Movie)#Deluxe Class toys|Deluxe Class toy]], meanwhile, has fake "wheels" on the sides of his legs, while the ''actual'' wheels end up on the back of the legs. Legends Class, Voyager Class and [[Fast Action Battlers]] [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Transformers .282007.29|Optimus Prime]] from the same line also featured fake "windows" on their robot mode chests, while the actual truck mode's windows ended up elsewhere in robot mode. Particularly amusing is ''[[Reveal the Shield]]'' Legends Class [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Transformers (2010)|Starscream]], who has separate cockpits for the jet and robot modes, to give his robot mode chest the characteristic G1 Starscream look. Amusing because the jet mode cockpit ends up ''right behind'' the "faux part" cockpit in robot mode.

[[Image:ROTFtoy-ScattorshotScout.jpg|thumb|200px|left|An original sculpt, only the colors and the [[Scattorshot (ROTF)|name]] are an [[homage]] to an [[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|existing character]]... And yet his vehicle front is considered "iconic" enough to be reproduced on his robot chest.]]
Its use is even seen in ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]'': [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] has a false roof on his chest. A more notable case is [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]: He has false ambulance sides on his shoulder kibble (kibble AND "faux-parts"). [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], [[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]], and [[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] create even more confusing examples. Their robot mode chests are designed to be evocative of their much wider alt-mode hoods, which become kibble themselves.

The scale-model ''[[Alternators]]'' series is also not immune: ''Alternators'' [[Tracks (G1)#Alternators|Tracks]] (and thus the [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Battle Ravage]] and [[Swerve (G1)#Alternators|Swerve]] remolds) features a faux-roof on his chest, complete with false [[Microman]] hatch, to evoke the look of the original Tracks toy, while ''Alternators'' [[Rumble (G1)#Alternators|Rumble]] sports a faux cassette tape chest panel which simply hides under the vehicle mode.

There are, of course, other examples of "Faux-parts". [[Sideways (ROTF)#Deluxe Class toys|Sideways]] has spinning arm blades that transform from his front wheels in the movie, but because of the way the Deluxe toy transforms, the spinning wheels on his arms are not actually his front wheels. In that regard, Sideways has ''six'' turning wheels shared by his alternate and robot modes. [[Dirge (ROTF)|Dirge]] has a similar feature where his actual alt-mode cockpit ends up on his arm, while a second "cosmetic" cockpit appears on his robot-mode chest, thus giving him two cockpits simultaneously. A more recent faux-part example comes from [[Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]] Leader-Class [[Ironhide (Movie)/toys#Leader Class toys|Ironhide]]: On the chest guard is a pair of faux grills for the front of the vehicle mode to clip onto, with the real ones rotating onto the back. The most egregious examples, however, have to be Voyager-Class [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Voyager Class toys 4|Optimus Prime]] and the various ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime]]'' "First Edition" [[Optimus Prime (Prime)#Prime: First Edition|Optimus Prime toys]], who have fake window chests... which flip over the ''actual'' windshields ''on their chests''.

Masterpiece [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Rodimus Prime]] takes this in a different direction; the toy has two alternate modes that represents the upgrade from Hot Rod's vehicle mode to Rodimus's. One would assume that within the cartoon continuity, Rodimus' hood, front wheels, & windshield are homologous to Hot Rod's, like his robot mode is shown to be when he opens the Matrix in [[The Transformers: The Movie|The Transformers: The Movie]]. The toy uses a different hood & windshield for each mode, while the front set of wheels become the rear set for the other mode. The kibble of the unused mode is neatly hidden when in the other mode.

==Notes==

* When asked about terms like "kibble" and "faux-parts" and the concepts they refer to in the [[Hasbro Q&A|Q&A]] [[Hasbro Q&A/March 2010|session for March 2010]], [[Hasbro]] confirmed using "many of the same terms that the fans do"—effectively, the names fans came up with provide Hasbro with easy ways to refer to these concepts when they come up as "desired or undesired results" during the design process.<ref name="hasbro0310">[http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=67971 Allspark.com's answers to the Hasbro Q&A session for March 2010]</ref>

==Footnotes==
<references/>

[[Category:Fan terminology]]
[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Spark

2012-02-03T16:27:33Z

24.201.20.180: /* Establishment in fiction */

{{disambig3|Spark}}
{{featured}}

[[Image:Sparks.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Botanica is a Bellarian.]]
A '''spark''' is the lifeforce, or soul, of a [[Transformer]]. Each spark is part of the essence of [[Primus]] himself.

The spark is a physical entity which is safeguarded inside a Transformer body. If something harms the spark beyond repair, it is "extinguished" and returns to the [[Allspark]] (or sometimes the [[Well of All Sparks]]). The Transformer is then considered dead. A Transformer is able to survive an enormous amount of physical damage. As long as the spark is intact, it is possible to repair or rebuild the body and restore the spark to it.

{{quote|When a Spark goes online, there is great joy. When one is extinguished, the universe weeps.|[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] being all mystical|"[[The Spark]]"}}

==Establishment in fiction==
[[Image:Spark.gif|left|180px|thumb|Animation of a typical spark. Shiny!]]
The concept of the spark as currently understood was introduced to the Transformers mythos in the ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' episode "[[The Spark]]" (Though they are offhandedly mentioned in the earlier episode "[[Gorilla Warfare]]" without elaboration). In this episode, little is explained except that each spark is unique and that every "Cybertron" (here meaning, essentially, "Cybertronian") has one.

The later episode "[[Possession]]" dealt with the idea of sparks, but the spark in question—that of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]—is established as being aberrant, and thus the properties it displays are not necessarily characteristic of sparks in general. However, "Possession" was the first time it was claimed that characters from the Generation 1 series also had sparks, rather than sparks existing in ''Beast Wars'' only. Sparks remained prominent throughout ''Beast Wars'', and events in seasons two and three further established the [[retcon]] that Generation 1 Transformers all possessed sparks.

In ''[[Beast Machines (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', sparks became central to the story, as [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] had abducted the sparks from every Transformer on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Megatron's own spark displayed unusual behaviors in this series, and again, it is probable these behaviors do not apply to all sparks. Still, ''Beast Machines'' contributed more information about sparks to the [[canon]] than any other series.

Since the introduction of the spark concept in ''Beast Wars'', sparks have become an integral part of many Transformers fictions. They have been featured in new [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]]-based series and in every subsequently-created [[continuity family]], from the [[Unicron Trilogy]], to the [[live-action film series|live-action movie universe]], to ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]''.

===Prototypical concepts===

There do exist some concepts similar to the spark that precede its firm establishmen in fiction in the Beast Era.

The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] occasionally referenced a part of Transformer physiology called a [[laser core]], which seemingly has a similar function to a spark. The tech spec bio for the [[Beast Rider]] [[Mechatron]] says that he is "outfitted with an upgraded spark-capture claw that can tear out the entire laser core of any Transformer defender." This implies, as some fans had speculated prior to Mechatron's release, that the laser core may be some sort of housing for the spark. However, the ''inverse'' was suggested by the ''[[Story of Binaltech]]'', which noted that the laser core was the literal core of the spark.

A more detailed idea was that of the "[[Life Spark]]", a life-force concept which appeared in early drafts of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. "Life Sparks" resembled small, glowing versions of the Transformers to whom they belonged. Per a draft dated to April 1985, Life Sparks depart the body of a Transformer upon death, to ultimately dissipate into nothingness unless they are contained within another vessel. While [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] transfers his Life Spark into [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (essentially taking the place of the [[Matrix of Leadership]] in this version of events), [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] requests to have his enshrined in an urn at the Decepticon [[Hall of Heroes]], only for his pleas to be ignored and for his Life Spark to drift off into space to be recreated into [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] by [[Unicron]]. Although this idea was discarded from the finished film entirely, a vestigial reference to it persisted in the UK comic story "[[Target: 2006]]", where author [[Simon Furman]] read the draft and misinterpreted "Life Spark" as the name of a ''character'' who was rebuilt into [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]].

Although the word "spark" does appear offhandedly in some [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''Generation 1'' comic]] stories (a "spark of life", a "life spark", and the phrases [[The Bridge to Nowhere!|"Let no spark remain flickering in a single Autobot microchip!"]] and [[Pretender to the Throne!|"For as long as a spark exists within a single Mechabot..."]]), these were clearly simply metaphorical statements. They may be retroactively seen as referring to the contemporary concept of a Transformer's spark, but did not establish anything of the sort on their own.

==Properties of sparks==
[[Image:Spark colors.jpg|right|180px|thumb|The sparks of the reformatted Maximals took on unusual colors. Before their final battle with Megatron, the sparks became visible within their bodies. They also lift and separate.]]
As seen in the image at the top of this article, sparks normally appear as semitransparent blue balls of energy with a pulsating center composed of smaller, blue spheres. The center spheres are engulfed in a reddish glow. An ever-changing pattern of "electricity"-like lines travels around the surface and through the interior. However, in ''Beast Machines'', the sparks of the Maximal heroes who had been [[Reformatting|reformatted]] took on different colors (for example, [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]'s was green). This was first visible in "[[Revelations Part I: Discovery]]". At the end of that series, after being infused with extra power from the Matrix (cf. [[Allspark]]), their sparks became visible, as if parts of their torsos were translucent.

[[Beast Era]] Transformers seem to have permanent "spark chambers" within their chassis where the spark can be seen simply by opening the chamber. Older Transformers within the same G1/Beast [[continuity family]], such as those who lived before the [[Great Upgrade]], do not seem to have this feature in most continuities. The G1 ''[[More Than Meets The Eye (G1)|More Than Meets The Eye]]'' guidebook from [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] specifically states that a spark is normally "suffused" throughout a Transformer's body rather than residing in any particular place. It may be that this is also true after the Great Upgrade, and that the spark chamber is merely a protected location for the spark to coalesce when needed, or be safely contained during [[stasis lock]]. Meanwhile, making things more confusing, the cutaway diagrams of G1 Optimus Prime and Megatron in ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'' include spark chambers.

In the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, there were two cases of Beast-era Transformers temporarily housing the sparks of G1-era Transformers in their own bodies while still housing their own sparks. In both cases, this resulted in the Beastie undergoing a mutation of sorts into a more powerful body: [[Optimus Primal]], upon taking the spark of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], grew into his Optimal Optimus body; and Megatron, upon taking the spark of the [[Megatron (G1)|original Megatron]] obtained his dragon form. However, based on the information from the series, there is no basis for determining whether this phenomenon is a result of a single body housing two sparks, a Beast-era body housing a G1-era spark, a body being implanted with an especially "powerful" spark (like those of Optimus Prime and Megatron could conceivably be), or some combination of these. When the disembodied spark of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] had earlier possessed [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], the only physical change was the body's allegiance emblems shifting from Predacon to Decepticon. (The later ''Beast Wars'' comic miniseries ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Gathering|The Gathering]]'' implies that G1 sparks may be intrinsically more powerful than Beast-era sparks.)

Although Transformer memories and personalities are generally treated as if they are stored within the Transformers' computer brains, repeated canonical instances have established that a spark will (or can) hold all of an individual's memories, along with their "essence" or personality. Further, there is some evidence that sparks may even retain records of the Transformer's previous bodies (such as when Optimal Optimus, whose body originated with a [[blank]] [[protoform]], regressed into a copy of the gorilla body Primal wore at the beginning of the Beast Wars). A Transformer's behavior can be modified through programming of their mechanical body (referred to as a [[shell program]]), but this is always a struggle between the programming and the "true" nature of the spark within. It may be that over long periods of time, a spark may begin to internalize some aspects of a programmed personality.

Many Transformers, such as [[Sky Lynx (G1)|G1 Sky Lynx]], [[Omega Supreme (G1)|G1 Omega Supreme]] and the [[Duocon|Duocons]], simultaneously inhabit multiple mechanical bodies or components. The character bio for [[Magmatron]] mentions this ability of his, and categorizes his spark as a "mitotic spark" which is able of splitting and sharing itself between his three beast modes. It is unknown whether other multiple-bodied Transformers also possess mitotic sparks or if they are examples of something more mundane such as simple remote control.

Some Transformers are able to sense and communicate with the sparks of other Transformers through a process that appears analogous to telepathy. According to dialog from "[[Revelations Part III: Apocalypse]]", this ability is related to the sparks' mutual connection to the Allspark. Disembodied sparks are sometimes able to communicate through this same method. (See [[#Disembodied_sparks|below]].)

The radiation emitted by [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] crystals is harmful to sparks, even when protected within a Transformer's body. Certain body types are better able to shield the spark from energon radiation. For example, the flesh-like beast modes adopted by the crews of the [[Axalon (BW)|''Axalon'']] and ''[[Darksyde]]'' provided essentially 100% protection, allowing activity in environments that were practically forests of energon crystal, so long as those involved remained in beast mode. Direct contact between crystalline energon and a spark is highly dangerous.

In the ''Beast Machines'' episode "[[Spark of Darkness]]", [[Rattrap]] describes Megatron's disembodied spark as a ball of [[Electron|electrons]]. He goes on to say that normal sparks contain a large number of [[Positron|positrons]]. Based on his dialogue, it is possible, but not certain, that sparks are composed ''entirely'' of positrons. Rattrap also indicates, in "Revelations Part I", that when a spark is extinguished, carbon scoring is typically left on or within the Transformer's chassis.

[[Image:Revelations3 Nightscream spark.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Nightscream's hands don't seem to touch the spark itself while pushing on it. Mind you, wouldn't you recoil from the guy too?]]
Regardless of their composition, sparks are not insubstantial energy, but have some sort of physical aspect. This is clearly demonstrated in, again, "Revelations Part III", when [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] is seen attempting to push Blackarachnia's spark back into her body. His hands press against some sort of surface (or perhaps merely a force field, in which case the spark could be entirely energy) which is above the visible surface of her spark. Later in the series, in "Spark of Darkness", Megatron's spark is also shown to have physicality. Further back, in ''Beast Wars'', the spark of Rampage/Protoform X would respond to being "crushed" by Megatron by flattening slightly inside its energon-lined carrying case. And even the spark of G1 Megatron was "grabbed" physically by a tentacle-like appendage of BW Megatron's. While some of these examples may be special cases, as they deal with sparks that have unusual properties, those properties are unique to each spark. The weight of evidence, then, is in favor of sparks being at least partially substantial.

In the [[Energon (cartoon)|''Energon'' cartoon]], sparks were shown to have the ability to be somehow augmented by Primus to become a [[Combination Spark]]. This allowed two Autobots to [[powerlinx]] together into a new form, allowing one Autobot to take command of the fused body while the "pants" remained dormant. Without the Combination Spark, a powerlinx between two normal Transformers could not be completed. It is not stated whether the combiner teams [[Constructicon Maximus]] and [[Bruticus Maximus (Energon)|Bruticus Maximus]] also possessed Combination Sparks or if their ability to combine has some other origin.

==Disembodied sparks==
Sparks are able to exist outside of a Transformer body, but the parameters of this phenomenon are largely unclear. In is unknown for how long a spark can survive under such conditions, although they are vulnerable to damage in this state. It is also unknown whether a disembodied spark is "conscious" and aware of its surroundings, or whether it is capable of moving under its own power. (There are unusual cases, as described under [[#Aberrant_sparks|Aberrant sparks]].)

It is hard to imagine how a spark could be aware of its surroundings when stripped of all sensory mechanisms. Indeed, in "Revelations Part III: Apocalypse", while Blackarachnia's spark was outside of her body, her consciousness did not remain in the "real world". Instead, she experienced a conversation with [[Optimus Primal]]—not a hallucination—which took place on an abstract "higher plane of existence," perhaps within the Allspark itself.

Most of the disembodied sparks in ''Beast Machines'' drift slowly and largely directionlessly. In many other cases, sparks seem to move with some sort of intent. However, aside from attempts of sparks to re-enter their "home" bodies, these are conceivably all "special cases" and may not be generalizable. In one example, the sparks of [[Tigatron]] and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] are seen following [[Tigerhawk]] to Earth in "[[Other Victories]]". While their sparks appear normal when this occurs, they later merge into a single white spark and then inhabit the (then-empty) Tigerhawk body. This is not normal spark behavior and may be related to the time they spent seemingly in stasis with the [[Vok]]. Also, in "Revelations Part III", when Blackarachnia becomes panicked during her telepathic conversation with Primal, her spark begins moving erratically and has to be chased down by Nightscream. However, it is unclear whether the spark was moving ''with intent''—especially since Blackarachnia's consciousness was portrayed as still being on a higher plane—or simply zigzagging randomly. And, again, a reformatted spark may be different from a normal spark anyway.

==Absence of spark==

Strangely, it is possible for both Transformers and related mechanical entities to remain online and sentient despite the ''lack'' of a spark.

The first example would be the original [[Diagnostic Drone]] in ''Beast Machines''. While simply being a robotic aid and having no spark, it showed a full range of emotions, the ability to reason, and could be consulted by Megatron. In ''Animated'', first [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] and later [[Starscream clone (Animated)|his clones]] each substituted a natural spark with an [[AllSpark (Animated)#AllSpark Fragments|AllSpark fragment]]. Titan's tie-in comics, meanwhile, would reveal that comic-original character [[Afterburn]] was really a sparkless drone, despite having shown emotion, initiative and thought beforehand.

These instances raise questions about how necessary a spark ''really'' is, and what properties it bestows that are genuinely unique.

Of interest is that when Afterburn was revealed to have had no spark, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] ''immediately'' wrote him off as not having been a "real" bot and viewed it as pointless to mark Afterburn's death. Similarly, nobody seemed bothered by the Starscream clones dying or found it notable that Starscream had created beings whose sole purpose was to be suicide bombers. Cybertronian orthodoxy, it would seem, views the presence of a spark as the true indicator of life, with emotion and sentience being seen as irrelevant.

{{-}}

==Aberrant sparks==
Some sparks have exhibited properties or behaviors that do not seem to be generalizable to other sparks.

===Starscream===
As established in the ''Beast Wars'' episodes "[[Possession]]" and "[[Bad Spark]]", Starscream possesses a "mutant" immortal spark. Even when his body is destroyed, his spark is not extinguished. This explanation retcons the appearance of Starscream's ghost in some season three episodes from the G1 cartoon; the "ghost" was in fact Starscream's disembodied spark.

Starscream's spark was able to move under its own power and seemingly travelled not just across space from Cybertron to [[Earth]], but backwards through time from 2006 to human prehistory. It may be that the time travel was accomplished by "falling" through the [[transwarp]] hole left by the ''Axalon'' and ''Darksyde'' when they arrived on prehistoric Earth—[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]]'s ship arrived there by that method later in the series—but this is uncertain.

Additionally, Starscream's spark was able to take possession of other Transformers simply by entering their bodies. While in another body, Starscream's will completely dominate that of his host. When Starscream possessed [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], Waspinator's voice even changed to sound like Starscream's, and the [[Insignia|Predacon insignias]] on his body changed to Decepticon insignias. Starscream either did not have, or did not seem to know that he had, this possession ability until he died during the events of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

===Rampage/Protoform X===
The creation of Protoform X was an experiment conducted by the [[Maximal Elder]]s to attempt to replicate Starscream's indestructible spark. Although they succeeded in creating such a spark, dubbed [[Rampage (BW)|Protoform X]] (and later taking on the name [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]]), it was, unfortunately, psychotic.

Like Starscream's spark, Rampage's could not be extinguished through simple destruction of his body. In fact, Rampage's body—at least, the body he wore during the Beast Wars—had uncannily rapid self-repair functions. In one instance, Depth Charge pierced Rampage's body from front to back with a spear, and the damage disappeared in a matter of seconds once the spear was removed.

Megatron devised a way to split Rampage's spark by carving it with a blade of [[energon crystal]]. Amazingly, this did not destroy the spark, nor did it seem to weaken Rampage appreciably. Megatron kept part of the spark in a case lined with energon crystals. By squeezing the case, the crystals would pinch the spark fragment, and Megatron used this to torture Rampage into obedience.

Megatron later placed this piece of Rampage's spark inside his [[Transmetal 2]] clone of [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], who is usually referred to as [[Dinobot II]]. Dinobot II appeared to have a personality wholly independent of Rampage's, although he was similarly brutal. Dinobot II's personality, however, may have been imposed upon him through programming. Dinobot II could torture Rampage by compressing the spark fragment that he held, much as Megatron had previously done. This did not seem to affect Dinobot himself.

Rampage's spark turned out to not be completely indestructible. Seemingly as an extension of Megatron's splitting of the spark with an energon blade, Depth Charge eventually destroyed Rampage by piercing his spark with "pure" crystalline energon. Normally sparks "extinguish" somewhat peacefully, but when Rampage's was pierced, a powerful explosion destroyed the bodies of both Rampage and Depth Charge. It may be that Starscream's spark would be similarly vulnerable to being cut/destroyed by energon, but this is mere extrapolation.

When Rampage's spark was destroyed, the fragment within Dinobot II did not explode. It may have simply disappeared, or it may have remained there. However, through a process which is not clearly established, Dinobot II at that instant "reverted" to the personality of the original Dinobot, and even had a vision of Dinobot's last moments. It may be that this reversion was related to events scripted for an episode which was never produced, titled "[[Dark Glass]]".

Rampage's spark never displayed the ability to move under its own power.

===Megatron===
In season two of ''Beast Machines'', Megatron's spark does a number of unusual things.

As part of the battle between him and [[Optimus Primal]] at the end of season one, during which the [[Key to Vector Sigma]] and the [[Plasma Energy Chamber]] were pitted against each other, Megatron somehow was able to "split" his Beast body into two separate bodies, one entirely robotic and the other entirely "biological". (Whether the Beast bodies of the ''Beast Wars'' characters had any true biological components or whether they were faux-flesh composed of nanites is not consistently established in either series.) Contrary to his intentions, Megatron's spark ended up trapped within the biological body, which came to be known as [[Noble|Noble/Savage]].

It is unclear how a biological body was able to sustain a Transformers' spark. Indeed, even the Maximals were surprised when they realized what had happened. It could be argued, based on statements made by [[Vector Sigma|the Oracle]] in the first episode ("[[The Reformatting]]") that all lifeforms in the universe have sparks, not just Transformers. However, this is never alluded to by any other canonical source, so most fans have seemingly dismissed it.

As shown in "[[Prometheus Unbound]]", using the biological Noble/Savage body, Megatron was unable to exercise mental control over devices in his citadel or interface with his [[control harness]]. Upon using a [[spark extractor]] on himself, however, his spark was freed and immediately flew to the harness, which it activated before "flowing" up to the ceiling through the harness's cables. His spark then took over the [[Grand Mal]], an enormous, floating replica of his own head, as its new body and stayed there for part of season two. The Noble/Savage body appeared to be dead, but recovered. After Megatron's spark had left it, it seemed to be a perfectly "normal" animal which had the ability to change between a wolf-like form and a dragon form, possessing little if any sentience.

As soon as his spark had been removed from Noble, it took on an unusual appearance, having turned entirely red or orange in color (perhaps a change similar to that of the reformatted Maximals). Megatron's disembodied spark also seemed to be able to speak even though it had no physical body. It may be that this speech was telepathic, but the spark itself pulsated in perfect rhythm with the words.

While inhabiting the Grand Mal, Megatron's spark was sometimes seen floating freely and under its own power through the construct's interior, particularly in a large space that appeared to serve as his control room. (It was here that he addressed his [[Vehicon general|Vehicon generals]], usually manifesting as a holographic projection of one kind or another.)

[[Image:Spark consumption.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Megatron's spark ensnares and consumes other sparks from his collection.]]
[[Image:Giant megatron spark.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Now enormous, Megatron's spark looms over Cybertron in the vicinity of his Big Floating Head.]]
Eventually, in the three-part "[[Sparkwar]]" story, Megatron's spark began consuming/fusing with the captured sparks of Cybertron's inhabitants. He claimed to have learned how to accomplish this after communicating with the Oracle.

To consume other sparks, Megatron's spark extended tendrils which ensnared victim sparks. These tendrils also had the ability extract sparks from occupied shells, much like a [[spark extractor]]. As each spark was absorbed, Megatron's spark grew larger in size.

Megatron was temporarily beaten when [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] attacked him with a sonic scream. The scream, according to Primal, depolarized Megatron's spark. This caused him to lose control temporarily and allowed the Maximals to escape. In the following episode, "[[Spark of Darkness]]", Megatron's spark exhibited additional strange behaviors which may or may not have been dependent on its depolarized state:

*It travelled very quickly and with great agility.
*It was able to "crash" physically into things to push them around. In particular, it repeatedly knocked the Maximals out of its way.
*It seemed to be able to cause large explosions simply by flying through other objects.
*It could inhabit and leave any sparkless body at will. This ability evidently differs from Starscream's, in that Starscream never animated a vacant body, and Megatron never dominated an occupied one. These re-animated bodies were able to remain functional even after suffering extreme physical damage.
*His spark was not detectable by his Vehicon generals' sensors, and Primal was unable to "sense" his spark through the Oracle.
*The spark did not speak at all while depolarized, neither when in a body nor when floating freely.

Rattrap was able to capture Megatron using a hand-held [[spark extractor]], and using a control panel on the extractor, repolarized and thus stabilized his spark. Afterwards, Megatron's spark remained red and just as fast and agile as before, but became detectable by his generals' scanners again and became "trapped" in the next body it inhabited (that of a [[Diagnostic Drone]]). Upon entering this body, Megatron declared, "I live!" This was the first time he had spoken since being hit by the sonic scream. This implies that something about his prior "destabilized" state may have prevented him from fully utilizing the bodies he had visited. The only other clue we have is that when Optimus tried to contact Megatron's spark inside the Grand Mal, he discovered that it "was not a sentient mind." Whether this is a result of trying to find a spark that was not in the expected location or because of its depolarized state is ambiguous.

===Embers===
One particular [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|alternate universe]] seems to be much more of a departure from the "regular" realities in the [[multiverse]]. In it, the semi-mystical ball of energy that gives the resident Transformers their lifeforce is an electron-charged "Ember". Aside from the polarity, there's no other difference noted from the [[positron]]-charged Spark that [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] brings into that universe.

==Fiction==
===Movie continuity===
[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] devoured the Sparks of fallen foes. {{storylink|Optimus Prime Versus Megatron}} {{storylink|Transformers (novel)}}

[[Sam Witwicky]] destroyed both the [[AllSpark]] and Megatron himself when he inserted the AllSpark into Megatron's exposed Spark. {{storylink|Transformers (2007)|Transformers}}

Megatron was revived when [[Scalpel| The Doctor]] pierced a shard of the AllSpark into his spark. Optimus Prime was stabbed and then shot through the Spark by Megatron, but was later revived by Sam Witwicky, who pierced the [[Matrix of Leadership]] into his Spark. Jetfire ripped out his Spark to give [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus]] his parts. Moments later, Optimus tore through [[The Fallen]]'s chest and crushed his spark. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[Image:KupsSpark.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Save the Spark. Save the World.]]
[[Kup (G1)|Kup]]'s sparkhousing was unstable due to age and radiation poisoning. He finally experienced sparkcore stabilizer failure, which threatened to blow him up. [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] saved him by extending a forcefield around the crashing spark. Later, Kup recovered in a [[CR chamber]], fitted with a placeholder powercore to maintain his spark. {{storylink|Spotlight: Kup}}

[[Image:SpotlightArcee Garrus-9 inmates.jpg|left|400px|thumb|Reminds me of the reptile cages at the zoo...except less stinky .]]
The Autobots kept Decepticon prisoners in spark stasis, which entailed actually removing the sparks from their casings, separating the spark from the body.

This process was not possible for Monstructor since the Autobots couldn't break through the destructive programming far enough to rehabilitate/reform the sparks (as per Optimus Prime's orders), and as such, haven't pulled the sparks from the frames.

Arcee found this limbo peaceful, but was later reunited with her body. To control her behavior, a "g-force crush" device was installed on or in her spark casing and could be operated via remote control. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

==Notes==
*It is possible there is some quantitative difference between the sparks of Generation 1 Transformers and [[Protoform]] ''Beast Wars''-era Transformers' sparks. G1 Transformers' sparks are generally glossed as small fragments of [[Primus]]'s lifeforce. ''Beast Wars''-era Transformers' sparks are generally considered to be the same, but writer [[Larry DiTillio]] has stated that he envisioned ''Beast Wars'' Transformers' sparks as small fragments split from the [[Vok Nebula]]. When a spark is split from Vok Nebula, a "good" one travels to the [[Matrix (facility)|Matrix]] and an "evil" one to the [[Pit]].<ref>[[Beast Wars Universe]]</ref>

==See also==
*[[Allspark]]
*[[Laser core]]
*[[Personality component]]
*[[Shell program]]
*[[Spark of Combination]]
*[[Mitotic spark]]
*[[Binary spark]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Wars]]
[[Category:Beast Machines]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Movie]]
[[Category:Primus]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Transformer anatomy]]

Arachnoid

2012-02-03T13:41:50Z

24.201.20.180: /* Beast Wars cartoon */ Tarantulas wasn't there

:''Arachnoids are [[drone]]s from the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:Arachnoids.JPG|right|250px|thumb|Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go.]]
'''Arachnoids'''<ref>Named as such by [[Rattrap]] in "[[Go with the Flow]]".</ref> are drones which serve [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]. They assist him in his various evil schemes, such as scouting out locations for him, stealing [[Maximal]] [[Axalon (BW)|bases]], and reassembling him after he gets blown up.

==Fiction==
===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
[[Image:LowRoad arachnoid.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
[[Terrosaur]], [[Waspinator]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] used a number of arachnoids as lights as they tried to burrow under the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]''. {{storylink|A Better Mousetrap}} Arachnoids tended to be common near [[Tarantulas's lair]]. {{storylink|The Low Road}} After Tarantulas was blown up during the destruction of [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]'s [[Transwarp cruiser]], some arachnoids collected up his body parts and fixed him. Still more of them assisted [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] in an attempt to pull the ''Axalon'' off the cliff it was resting on, pulling it via ropes. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}}

A couple of arachnoids spied on [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] as he tried to teach [[Chak]] and [[Una]] about levers. When the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s found they needed an organic to help complete their latest weapon, Tarantulas knew just where they could get one. {{storylink|Go with the Flow}} Tarantulas used a bunch of arachnoids as weapons to incapacitate [[Tigerhawk]] via electrical shocks delivered through their arms. As Cheetor ventured into Tarantulas's lair, he was confronted by arachnoids. They didn't last long. {{storylink|Other Victories}}

==Notes==
[[Image:OptimalSituation arachnoid tugging.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
*Two different types of arachnoid are seen during the show. The second type, seen from "Optimal Situation" onwards, differ from the first type in a number of details including an extendable manipulator arm and a Tarantulas insignia.
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Spiderbot''' (スパイダーボット ''Supaidābotto'')

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Wars technology]]
[[Category:Drones]]

Home Soil

2012-02-02T18:58:25Z

24.201.20.180: /* Continuity errors */

{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=19
|image=HomeSoil Maximal plant attack.jpg
|caption="''K-K-Kill meeee...''"
|title="Home Soil"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[March 15]], 2000
|written by=[[Megeen McLaughlin|Meg McLaughlin]]
|directed by=[[Dennis Heaton]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''A spaceship crash-lands on Cybertron, releasing a tentacled alien monster. The Maximals and Vehicons both rush to take control of the vessel's secrets.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:HomeSoil Silverbolt shipcrash.jpg|left|thumb|200px|My god, Bones. What have I done.]]
High above the planet of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], a mysterious spaceship and a cluster of asteroids prepare to make planetfall. But the automated space-cannons manage to destroy the asteroids and badly damage the ship, sending it plummeting towards the planet. Flying above the city streets, [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] sends word of the ship to base.

Underground, a worried [[Optimus Primal|Optimus]] examines the wilting [[technorganic]] trees and ponders their survival and the future of Cybertron should they die. [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] tries to console him, but to no avail. Suddenly, [[Rattrap]] bursts in, telling the [[Maximal]]s about the ship's crash. [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] has also found out about the arrival of the ship and orders [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] to destroy any survivors of the crash. Thrust obediently heads towards the site, turning this into a race against time.

[[Image:HomeSoil Maximals head towards crash.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Not running ''away'' from something for once.]]
As the Maximals head towards the crash site, Thrust and his troops whiz by them. Several of the drones peel from the squadron and about-face, turning to fight the Maximals. Transforming into robot mode, the Maximals make short work of the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s, but they have lost time. Primal splits them into three teams: He and Cheetor will travel on the surface, Rattrap and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] will go underground, and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] will take to the sky.

In the air, Nightscream and Silverbolt destroy a squadron of Aero-Drones, but Nightscream still treats newcomer Silverbolt rudely, even after the latter compliments their teamwork together.

In the sewers of Cybertron, Blackarachnia laments to Rattrap of Silverbolt's lack of affection, even after she freed him from his Jetstorm slave form and reformatted him into his present condor form. However, the conversation is cut short as two [[Vehicon Mole|mole drones]] burst in from the sides. Blackarachnia destroys one and Rattrap commandeers another, and the duo head towards the site much quicker.

On the surface, Cheetor and Primal are surrounded by a group of drones. The two flying Maximals arrive to help them, and together they destroy the drones.

Eventually, the Maximals arrive at the ship. Stepping inside, they discover that the walls are covered with plant matter. They are suddenly attacked by a tentacled plant beast, but when they fight it, it turns tail and heads underground, towards the Oracle and the technorganic orchard. Primal fears that the fast-growing seeds the alien leaves in its wake will contaminate and destroy the orchard.

[[Image:HomeSoil Optimus prebotanica.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Of course, if this Transformer is ''normally'' a ravenous psychotic, they'll now be more dangerous, but hey, who dares wins!]]
However, he has a plan: Tapping the power of the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]], he attempts to reformat the monster. Cheetor protests, seeing as only "Cybertronians" can be reformatted, but Primal goes ahead with his idea, and the alien is bathed in a white light. The organic components of the creature begin to merge with the technological, and a technorganic, sentient plant emerges. The creature explains that she too is of Cybertronian descent, and that several years ago, she and her crew embarked on a mission of exploration similar to the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'''s (except without all the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|guns, violence and killing]]). Reaching a [[Regalis V|planet]] covered with aggressive, mobile plants (in other words, "talking trees"), she and her crew took the natives' forms to study them and avoid predation. The plant says that Megatron's attack had "shorted out" both her ship and her higher mental functions, so she was merely acting out of self-preservation.

But the plant-bot is cut short as a phalanx of Tank Drones attack, beginning to ravage the orchard. The newest member of the Maximals takes action, transforming into her robot mode. Shooting one drone with electrical energy, she uses a "chain-lightning" attack, with the energy leaping from one tank to the next, until the deadly circuit is completed and the drones are destroyed.

[[Image:HomeSoil Optimus botanica plant.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Do you still have that baggy I gave you?]]
Examining the poor state of the plants, the robot notes that different plants need different lighting, and she throws a bomb-like device onto the lights currently used. As the light changes, the technorganic plants flourish, and the new Maximal introduces herself as [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]].

Above, Megatron (encompassed within the [[Grand Mal|big floating head]]) notes the newest arrival and transforms into a "spaceship mode", destroying the remains of Botanica's ship and the rampant plant growth around it. As Thrust gripes about the ever-increasing odds against him, Megatron declares that it is time to put an end to the Maximal "infestation" for good.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (1)
*[[Optimus Primal]] (2)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (3)
*[[Rattrap]] (4)
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (5)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (6)
*[[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] (13)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]|c2=
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (7)
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (8)
*[[Motorcycle Drone]]s (9)
*[[Aero Drone]]s (10)
*[[Vehicon Mole]]s (11)
*[[Tank Drone]]s (12)
}}

==Quotes==
"Don't worry, legs, I know the drill."
:—'''Rattrap''', about to take out a mole drone.

"''Real'' fair. One of me, six of them." 
"''Seven''! ... now. As we remain static, the organics grow yet stronger. Clearly this infestation must be exterminated, once and for all."
:—'''Thrust''' groans about unfair odds, while '''Megatron''' makes with the foreshadowing.

==Notes==
* This is the only episode where Grand Mal Megatron transforms.
* The destruction of Botanica's ship in the last scene is reminiscent of [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]]'s destruction of [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]]'s [[starhopper]] in the last scene of "[[Deep Metal]]". In both cases, the writers were cleaning up a loose end, since giving the heroes access to a working spaceship would've derailed the story.

===Continuity errors===
*Primal doesn't suffer any weakness post-reformatting, as he did with Nightscream. {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit|Forbidden Fruit}}
*Like Nightscream, Botanica is able to transform to robot mode immediately after being reformatted. Then again, like Nightscream, she was reformatted by Optimus Primal directly, instead of the Oracle, which might be a deciding factor in the new transformation process.
*Rattrap usually transforms into robot mode in order to interface with computers. In this episode, he transforms ''out'' of robot mode to do it.
*It apparently doesn't occur to Optimus to use his jet boosters to reach the downed spacecraft first. Plus, even if they have to stay in Beast Mode, why do they stick together rather than sending Cheetor out on ahead? Or are they seriously suggesting that every Maximal has the same top speed? (This isn't the [[Fallen Comrades|first]] [[Code of Hero|time]] this has happened.)
*Why does a Maximal shuttle look exactly like a four million year old Autobot shuttle, instead of, say, the Axalon, one of its contemptories? It also has a very inconsistent size. Botanica fills the exit door when she leaves the ship in the flashback, whereas Rattrap and the other Maximals were tiny against it when trying to break in.
*Apparently Botanica (or at least one of her crew) can change her alt-mode just from receiving information from a DNA scanner, without the need for a CR Chamber.
*So, er, what happened to Botanica's crew then?

===Transformers references===
* Nightscream wonders aloud if the new arrivals might "spread some sort of virus" while glaring at Silverbolt, a reference to the events of [[A Wolf in the Fold|last episode]].

===Real-world references===
* Nightscream and Silverbolt declare "Do not pass 'Go!' Do not collect $200!", a clear reference to the popular board game [[Monopoly]].
* Nightscream at one point refers to Silverbolt as "Typhoid Mary", a reference to both the previous episode and the infamous real-life carrier of the Typhoid virus.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Terre Natale'''" ("Native Land")

:*''Title:'' "'''Provenance'''" (Canada, "Source")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Shokubutsu no Hanran'''" (植物の反乱, "The Plant's Rebellion")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Su Tierra Natal'''" ("Her Native Soil")

===Trivia===
* The planet that Botanica and her crew were sent to explore is apparently Planet Jungle from Mainframe Entertainment's other toyline-based cartoon ''[[wikipedia:Shadow_Raiders|Shadow Raiders/War Planets]]''. Whether this is an intentional crossover or simply due to the recycling of backgrounds and animation models for budget reasons is unclear.
* Botanica's pre-plant form, seen only in shadow, is another reuse of the Giant Robot model from ''ReBoot'', which was previously used for [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s pre-beast form and in a number of other places during ''Beast Wars''. As used here, it has what looks like [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]]'s head.
* For some reason, Blackarachnia checks herself out after Botanica gets reformatted. Jealous at no longer being the only girl, Legs? (She also has the most over-the-top look of shock on her face imaginable.)
* When Thrust's drones surround the Maximals Thrust extends one of his fingers and holds his hand up as if he's giving Optimus the finger. Optimus is not amused.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 5 ([[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]]