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This Is Why I Hate Machines

2010-06-30T14:08:29Z

64.12.116.203: /* Trivia */

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|image=TFAni ThisisWhyIHateMachines Fanzone Crowd.jpg
|caption=
|ep=40
|title="This Is Why I Hate Machines"
|caption=This is what hell looks like to Captain Fanzone.
|airdate=[[May 9]], 2009
|written by=[[Rob Hoegee]]
|directed by=[[Kalvin Lee]] [[Yutaka Hirata]]
|animation studio=[[Mook]]
}}
'''A space bridge accident sends Ratchet and Captain Fanzone to Cybertron, right as the Decepticon controlled Omega Supreme arrives.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:TFA ThisIsWhyIHateMachines Fanzone SpaceBridge.jpg|thumb|200px|left|That's it! I'm firing my travel agent.]]
[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] is trying to calibrate the newly constructed [[space bridge]] properly to begin the hunt for [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]]. Unfortunately, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]]'s advanced notation system of adhesive note papers leaves something to be desired. [[Captain Fanzone]] chooses that moment to step off [[Sumdac Tower]]'s elevator, engaged in a spirited discussion with [[Sumdac Systems]] technical support over some malfunctioning police drones. Fanzone has come to take up the matter with [[Isaac Sumdac]] himself, but before he can start looking for the scientist, a pair of police drones catch up to him and open fire with lethal force. Now dodging gunfire while the oblivious Ratchet continues to sort through Bulkhead's notes, Fanzone grows progressively more irate until the space bridge suddenly activates, having located Omega Supreme's transwarp signature. Ratchet looks up just in time to see the hapless Fanzone being sucked into the space bridge portal, and, deciding that this probably isn't a good thing, opts to follow.

[[Image:ThisIsWhyIHateMachines-Glyphandothers.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Just robot asses as far as the eye can see.]]

Fanzone finds himself unceremoniously dumped in the middle of a large city on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], a situation he's less than thrilled about. A crowd of Autobots freaks out at the presence of the horrifying organic lifeform. Nearly stepped on by the immense [[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]] at the urging of a [[Flareup (Animated)|friend]], Fanzone is rescued by the timely arrival of Ratchet. Fanzone wants to return home immediately, but Ratchet insists that while they're on Cybertron, they may as well hit up [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]]. To his dismay, his favorite watering hole has been shut down, along with other "subversive" gathering places, by order of [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]]. After watching one of Sentinel Prime's propaganda videos, the pair are soon approached by the Elite Guard, and Sentinel Prime demands to know how they have been able to get to Cybertron with space bridge travel locked down. Ratchet angrily explains that they didn't use the space bridge network, but rather piggybacked on Omega Supreme's transwarp signature. Sentinel, well-informed as always, laughs off Ratchet, thinking that Omega Supreme had been decommissioned centuries ago. He is immediately proven wrong as the looming shape of Omega Supreme's robot form appears in the Cybertronian skies.

Above the city, aboard Omega's inert body, [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] muses on this (glorious!) moment for the [[Decepticon]]s: those who were once driven away from Cybertron in exile are now poised over it in one of its greatest weapons. As [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] points out that they have no means actually to ''use'' said weapon, [[Lugnut]] comes to Megatron's defense, saying that with the [[plasmadynamic thruster]] removed, the Decepticons have control over Omega's navigational systems, transformation, and free access to the ship. Starscream points out that they have no control over the weapons systems, but Megatron rebuffs him with the revelation that he still has a spy on Cybertron who can fetch him the access codes to Omega Supreme. On cue, [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] contacts the Decepticons, saying that he knows of another means to the get the codes, only needing time to get to it. Starscream comments that this will only work if the Cybertronian defense cannons don't shoot them out of the sky, but Megatron doubts that they would fire on one of the greatest symbols of Autobot military strength.

Meanwhile, Sentinel advocates that they fire the Cybertronian defense cannons on one of the greatest symbols of Autobot military strength. This understandably does not go over well with several prominent members of the [[Autobot High Council]], to say nothing of Omega Supreme's former mentor, Ratchet, who warns that destroying Omega with the amount of transwarp energy currently stored within him could cause a blast that would wipe out Cybertron itself. [[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] and [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] rebuff Sentinel and inform him to wait for the council's decision. Ratchet warns Sentinel that there will be consequences if Omega is harmed, and Sentinel prepares to lock up Ratchet and Fanzone, but they make a break for it when Fanzone fakes a sneeze. The Elite Guard pursue the two, but lose them outside the [[Metroplex (Animated)|Metroplex]]. Sentinel orders Jazz to continue searching, while he and the twins head to [[Fortress Maximus (Animated)|Fortress Maximus]] to prepare the defense cannons, as Sentinel intends to attack regardless of the Council's decision.

Meanwhile, Ratchet and Fanzone take refuge in the forgotten network of maintenance tunnels beneath the city, which have been sealed for quite some time, but soon realize that someone ''else'' has been hiding in the tunnels quite recently. The occupant of that hideout is revealed to be none other than the double-agent [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]], who nearly gets the jump on the duo, still armed with the stolen [[Magnus Hammer]]. Ratchet fights back, surmising that Shockwave wishes to hack his processor to get the access codes to Omega Supreme, but Shockwave scoffs at this, revealing that he plans to go right to the original source: [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]! Horrified, Ratchet loses his concentration, allowing Shockwave to hurl him aside and escape.

At Fortress Maximus, Sentinel's diverting of all but essential [[energon (fuel)|Energon]] has not gone unnoticed, and Perceptor contacts him for an explanation. Sentinel says that the Elite Guard is simply preparing to attack if the Council gives the okay, and Alpha Trion informs him that they will have a decision shortly. As the council continues to deliberate a course of action, Sentinel Prime orders [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] to arm the weapons of the Elite Guard's base and aim at Omega Supreme. Lugnut advocates that they leave Omega's body and retaliate, something Starscream agrees to for different reasons, but Megatron silences them, claiming he has a reason for exposing their position. Shockwave then contacts Megatron to inform him that he has acquired clearance codes to enter the facility holding Arcee.

[[Image:TFA-ThisIsWhyIHateMachines-UltraMagnusSparkSupport.jpg|thumb|200px|left|"Is it water on the knee?" "A whole bucket, see?" "A Charley Horse, it's true!" "I'm the doctor for YOU!"]]
Fanzone puts his cop instincts to work and quickly tracks down the local stoolie, [[Rattletrap]], the bot who gave Shockwave the clearance codes. With a little organic coercion, the pair are able to force an access card from Rattletrap, but when they attempt to use it, they discover that the codes are bogus. Just as they make this discovery, [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] steps from the shadows to offer them his aid. He has finally had it with Sentinel Prime's attitude, and he gives Fanzone and Ratchet a functioning access card. The duo quickly locate Arcee, only to find that they have inadvertently led Shockwave right to her. A running firefight ensues as Ratchet tries to get Arcee to safety while Shockwave pursues them, and the battle carries them to the medical bay in which [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] is convalescing. Thinking that Ratchet is out of commission after a blow from the Magnus Hammer, Shockwave decides to finish the job on Ultra Magnus and turns his back on his fallen foe. Ratchet is still very much alive and kicking, however, and he downs Shockwave with a blast from his [[electromagnetic pulse]] generator, allowing him to reclaim the Magnus Hammer from the Decepticon's clutches. Of course, Sentinel Prime chooses that moment to enter the room, and he promptly leaps to the conclusion that Ratchet is trying to do away with Ultra Magnus. This distraction offers Shockwave the time he needs to escape with Arcee, which prompts Sentinel to issue the command to fire on Omega Supreme. Fortress Maximus opens fire, but Omega transwarps out of the path of the blast, which shoots off harmlessly through the sky.

A short while later, the council and Elite Guard see Ratchet and Fanzone to the [[space bridge nexus]] so that they can return to [[Earth]]. Alpha Trion chastises Sentinel for his actions, making it clear that if it was up to him alone, Sentinel wouldn't be Magnus for a second longer. Trion extends his thanks to Ratchet and Fanzone, but Ratchet sees little reason to celebrate, as the Decepticons now have Arcee. Perceptor tries to assure Ratchet that the damage done to Arcee's processor is irreversible, but Ratchet is not cheered up at the prospect. Just before they enter the space bridge, Sentinel orders Ratchet to hand over the Magnus Hammer, but Ratchet refuses, telling him they will give it back to its rightful owner, Ultra Magnus, when he is repaired. Before Sentinel can object, Ratchet and Fanzone dart off through the space bridge. Sentinel is about to pursue them, but Jazz blocks his path and offers to go in his stead. Ratchet and Fanzone are not happy to see Jazz when he appears in front of them, but Jazz explains that he is unable to condone Sentinel's actions any more and is deserting to join the Autobots on Earth.

[[Image:TFAni ThisisWhyIHateMachines Arcee Earth.jpg‎|thumb|200px|right| "Insert ''2001: A Space Odyssey'' instrumental here"]]
Out in space, Omega Supreme rematerializes close to Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. Aboard the dormant Autobot, Shockwave bows before Megatron and abandons his [[electronic paint job]] so that he can finally serve his leader under his true colors. Megatron bids his "most loyal servant" to rise, sending Lugnut into fits of silent, quivering rage—much to Starscream's amusement. On the other side of the bridge, the ''conscious'' Arcee lies upon a table and looks out at the Earth below, quietly whispering Ratchet's name...
 

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (1)
*[[Freeway (Animated)|Freeway]] (3)
*[[Carrera (Animated)|Carrera]] (4)
*[[Huffer (Animated)|Huffer]] (5)
*[[Sedan (Animated)|Sedan]] (6)
*[[Glyph (Animated)|Glyph]] (7)
*[[Bumper (Animated)|Bumper]] (8)
*[[Tap-Out (Animated)|Tap-Out]] (9)
*[[Powerglide (Animated)|Powerglide]] (10)
*[[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]] (11)
*[[Flareup (Animated)|Flareup]] (12)
*[[Steeljaw (Animated)|Steeljaw]] (13)
*[[Zaur]] (14)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (15)
*[[Autotrooper]] (20)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (21)
*[[Tracks (Animated)|Tracks]] (22)
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] (23)
*[[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] (24)
*[[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] (25)
*[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] (26)
*[[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] (27)
*[[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] (28)
*[[Rattletrap]] (29)
*[[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] (30)

|c2=
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] (16)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (17)
*[[Lugnut]] (18)
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (19)
*[[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] (31, flashback)

|c3=
*[[Captain Fanzone]] (2)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Security Bot''': ''Halt. You are in violation of Criminal Code 30114. Lethal force has been authorised.'' 
''[Security bots open fire]'' 
'''Fanzone''': Hey! Ow! Hey! 
'''Ratchet''': Think you have it bad? I got to decipher ''Bulkhead''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> handwriting! And those claws of his aren't exactly designed for penbotship.
:—As the Security Bots try to kill Captain Fanzone, Ratchet shows the depth to which he does not care.

"I'd be a happy man if I never see another—"''[Fanzone takes in his surroundings]''"...''robot''?"
:—'''Captain Fanzone''' enters his own personal hell, and its name is Cybertron.

"I can't believe we're on Cybertron! Of all the places we transwarped, this is great!"
:—'''Ratchet''', happy for the first time since...well, since we've seen him.

"Citizens of Cybertron, Decepticons are in our midst! Neighbours, friends, even ''your own model'' can be a spy! Do your duty and report any suspicious activity to the Elite Guard immediately." 
"...what is this scrap?!" 
"For your protection, all potentially subversive gathering places remain closed. Curfew remains in effect. Remember, Decepticons will stop at nothing to destroy our way of life! Don't let THIS ''[picture of Ultra Magnus on [[spark support]]]'' happen to you. As your Magnus, I will continue to defeat the Decepticon scourge and bring peace and security to Cybertron! I'm Sentinel Prime, and I approve of this message." 
"No-good glory-hog's got a lot of steel. It was [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] who caught those 'Cons!"
:—'''Sentinel Prime'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s propaganda film, with commentary by '''Ratchet'''

"Cybertron. At last, our ultimate goal is at our feet. And here we stand, aboard its ultimate weapon." 
"Now, wouldn't it be nice if we could actually figure out how to use it!" 
:—'''Megatron''' has a moment, which '''Starscream''' ruins.

'''Perceptor''': Sentinel Prime, please explain why all but essential Energon has been diverted to Fortress Maximus. 
'''Alpha Trion''': Need we remind you that the Council is still deliberating? 
'''Sentinel Prime''': As acting Magnus, I must be ready to strike should Omega... should Megatron make a move against us. 
'''Alpha Trion''': Very well. We will inform you of our decision shortly.
:-Sentinel Prime reveals his secret dream of blowing up Omega Supreme and covers it up neatly.

"How'd you know about this bot?" ''[indicating Rattletrap]'' 
"Ehh. There's one in every town." 
:—'''Ratchet''' learns a little more about how '''Captain Fanzone''' works.

"This is why I hate machines." ''[looks at Sentinel Prime]'' "Certain machines more than others."
:—'''Captain Fanzone'''

'''Captain Fanzone''': I get mixed up in a war, nearly stepped on, blasted, burried, and possibly zapped into space, and now, you've just made me an accomplice to INTERGALACTIC GRAND THEFT!! 
'''Police Drone:''' Halt. You are under arrest. 
''(Ratchet blows it up with his magnetic powers)'' 
'''Captain Fanzone''': Let's say we call it even.
:-Captain Fanzone complains about the worst day of his life and then blows it off.

==Notes==

===Animation or technical errors===
* A few of the laser blasts that the drone fires at Captain Fanzone (before he gets sucked up by the Space Bridge) are out of sync with the animation of the strafing drone.
* Shockwave's head model changes randomly throughout the episode in shape, size and in the positioning of his optic.
* When Shockwave holds up the Magnus Hammer and starts generating lightning, its handle is only half as long as usual.
* When Sentinel Prime first sees Omega Supreme, his shoulderpads ends up behind the circle around his neck.

===Transformers references===
* Captain Fanzone's arrival on Cybertron treats us to another crowd scene full of cameos, some of which we haven't seen before. Notable newbies in this crowd include [[Glyph (Animated)|Glyph]], [[Bumper (Animated)|Bumper]] and his white recolor [[Sedan (Animated)|Sedan]], [[Steeljaw (Animated)|Steeljaw]], [[Zaur]] and robot-mode [[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]]. We also get a closer look at [[Carrera (Animated)|Carrera]], but only from behind, as he talks to an unnamed blue-and-tan female robot.

* Ratchet's favorite hangout is [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]].

* Parade footage from "[[Decepticon Air]]" is used in Sentinel's little propaganda video. (See said episode for the list of cameos within.)

* Ratchet remarks that [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] was the one to capture the Decepticon prisoners, as seen in "[[Five Servos of Doom]]".

* The Autobot Council's headquarters is known as "the [[Metroplex (Animated)|Metroplex]]", and the Elite Guard's battle station is "[[Fortress Maximus (Animated)|Fortress Maximus]]".

* Ratchet's flashback uses footage from "[[The Thrill of the Hunt]]", giving Lockdown a brief "appearance" in this episode.

* At the end of the episode, Shockwave utilizes an [[electronic paint job]] to reveal his "true colors", represented by a [[Target]] [[exclusive]] [[redeco]] reminiscent of his [[Shockwave (G1)|Generation 1 namesake]]'s color scheme.

*Rattletrap's design and speech pattern are modelled after [[Rattrap]].

===Real-world references===
*Sentinel Prime's broadcast was based on [[wikipedia:The Red Scare|The Red Scare]] during the Cold War. The broadcast concludes with him saying "I'm Sentinel Prime, and I approve of this message."—in the style of contemporary [[President of the United States|political campaign ads]].
*Sentinel's insistence that he is the one who "makes the tough decisions" and insistence that any questioning of his orders is tantamount to treason is probably some kind of statement about [[Mission Accomplished|some''one'' or some''thing'']], but we'll leave it at that.
*Shockwave's slow, deadpan delivery of "I'm afraid I can't let you do that" is a reference to the menacing supercomputer HAL from Stanley Kubrick's ''[[wikipedia:2001 (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'', who also featured an unblinking single red eye.
* When Ratchet and Fanzone are headed to Maccadam's, they stop in front of a building which appears to have Target's trademark "bull's-eye" logo.
* Ratchet retorts to Shockwave about taking the activation codes from his "cold, offline processor", similar to one of Charlton Heston's most famous quotes in support of the NRA. He'd previously used a similar line in [[Megatron Rising - Part 1]].

===Trivia===
*This is the first, and only, episode in which [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] does not appear at all.
*There is oxygen on Cybertron. Probably to allow combustion to happen.
*This episode marks the last appearances of Jetfire, Jetstorm, Ultra Magnus and Captain Fanzone in the series.
*Arcee wasn't actually offline at the end of the flashbacks in "The Thrill of the Hunt"—although she was amnesiac, she could stand, talk and take in her surroundings. This implies that it was the vivisection of her head in the "[[TransWarped]]" flashbacks in an attempt to retrieve the activation codes for Omega Supreme which caused the "damage to her circuitry" that Perceptor called "completely irreversible", and meant she was left, comatose, in a hospital bed for millions of stellar cycles.
*Everything has to be [[Megatron Rising - Part 1|"cold and offline"]] with Ratchet, doesn't it?
*Fans originally thought this episode would have Megatron turn into [[Galvatron (disambiguation)|Galvatron]]. [[Decepticon Air|Look how well that turned out.]]
* Wait. Every backround character appears in this episode, but Optimus and the rest of the main autobots, besides Ratchet, don't show up. That's just wrong.

==Home video releases==
This episode has yet to be released on home video.

[[Category:Animated episodes]]

This Is Why I Hate Machines

2010-06-30T14:07:46Z

64.12.116.203: /* Trivia */

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|image=TFAni ThisisWhyIHateMachines Fanzone Crowd.jpg
|caption=
|ep=40
|title="This Is Why I Hate Machines"
|caption=This is what hell looks like to Captain Fanzone.
|airdate=[[May 9]], 2009
|written by=[[Rob Hoegee]]
|directed by=[[Kalvin Lee]] [[Yutaka Hirata]]
|animation studio=[[Mook]]
}}
'''A space bridge accident sends Ratchet and Captain Fanzone to Cybertron, right as the Decepticon controlled Omega Supreme arrives.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:TFA ThisIsWhyIHateMachines Fanzone SpaceBridge.jpg|thumb|200px|left|That's it! I'm firing my travel agent.]]
[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] is trying to calibrate the newly constructed [[space bridge]] properly to begin the hunt for [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]]. Unfortunately, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]]'s advanced notation system of adhesive note papers leaves something to be desired. [[Captain Fanzone]] chooses that moment to step off [[Sumdac Tower]]'s elevator, engaged in a spirited discussion with [[Sumdac Systems]] technical support over some malfunctioning police drones. Fanzone has come to take up the matter with [[Isaac Sumdac]] himself, but before he can start looking for the scientist, a pair of police drones catch up to him and open fire with lethal force. Now dodging gunfire while the oblivious Ratchet continues to sort through Bulkhead's notes, Fanzone grows progressively more irate until the space bridge suddenly activates, having located Omega Supreme's transwarp signature. Ratchet looks up just in time to see the hapless Fanzone being sucked into the space bridge portal, and, deciding that this probably isn't a good thing, opts to follow.

[[Image:ThisIsWhyIHateMachines-Glyphandothers.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Just robot asses as far as the eye can see.]]

Fanzone finds himself unceremoniously dumped in the middle of a large city on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], a situation he's less than thrilled about. A crowd of Autobots freaks out at the presence of the horrifying organic lifeform. Nearly stepped on by the immense [[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]] at the urging of a [[Flareup (Animated)|friend]], Fanzone is rescued by the timely arrival of Ratchet. Fanzone wants to return home immediately, but Ratchet insists that while they're on Cybertron, they may as well hit up [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]]. To his dismay, his favorite watering hole has been shut down, along with other "subversive" gathering places, by order of [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]]. After watching one of Sentinel Prime's propaganda videos, the pair are soon approached by the Elite Guard, and Sentinel Prime demands to know how they have been able to get to Cybertron with space bridge travel locked down. Ratchet angrily explains that they didn't use the space bridge network, but rather piggybacked on Omega Supreme's transwarp signature. Sentinel, well-informed as always, laughs off Ratchet, thinking that Omega Supreme had been decommissioned centuries ago. He is immediately proven wrong as the looming shape of Omega Supreme's robot form appears in the Cybertronian skies.

Above the city, aboard Omega's inert body, [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] muses on this (glorious!) moment for the [[Decepticon]]s: those who were once driven away from Cybertron in exile are now poised over it in one of its greatest weapons. As [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] points out that they have no means actually to ''use'' said weapon, [[Lugnut]] comes to Megatron's defense, saying that with the [[plasmadynamic thruster]] removed, the Decepticons have control over Omega's navigational systems, transformation, and free access to the ship. Starscream points out that they have no control over the weapons systems, but Megatron rebuffs him with the revelation that he still has a spy on Cybertron who can fetch him the access codes to Omega Supreme. On cue, [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] contacts the Decepticons, saying that he knows of another means to the get the codes, only needing time to get to it. Starscream comments that this will only work if the Cybertronian defense cannons don't shoot them out of the sky, but Megatron doubts that they would fire on one of the greatest symbols of Autobot military strength.

Meanwhile, Sentinel advocates that they fire the Cybertronian defense cannons on one of the greatest symbols of Autobot military strength. This understandably does not go over well with several prominent members of the [[Autobot High Council]], to say nothing of Omega Supreme's former mentor, Ratchet, who warns that destroying Omega with the amount of transwarp energy currently stored within him could cause a blast that would wipe out Cybertron itself. [[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] and [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] rebuff Sentinel and inform him to wait for the council's decision. Ratchet warns Sentinel that there will be consequences if Omega is harmed, and Sentinel prepares to lock up Ratchet and Fanzone, but they make a break for it when Fanzone fakes a sneeze. The Elite Guard pursue the two, but lose them outside the [[Metroplex (Animated)|Metroplex]]. Sentinel orders Jazz to continue searching, while he and the twins head to [[Fortress Maximus (Animated)|Fortress Maximus]] to prepare the defense cannons, as Sentinel intends to attack regardless of the Council's decision.

Meanwhile, Ratchet and Fanzone take refuge in the forgotten network of maintenance tunnels beneath the city, which have been sealed for quite some time, but soon realize that someone ''else'' has been hiding in the tunnels quite recently. The occupant of that hideout is revealed to be none other than the double-agent [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]], who nearly gets the jump on the duo, still armed with the stolen [[Magnus Hammer]]. Ratchet fights back, surmising that Shockwave wishes to hack his processor to get the access codes to Omega Supreme, but Shockwave scoffs at this, revealing that he plans to go right to the original source: [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]! Horrified, Ratchet loses his concentration, allowing Shockwave to hurl him aside and escape.

At Fortress Maximus, Sentinel's diverting of all but essential [[energon (fuel)|Energon]] has not gone unnoticed, and Perceptor contacts him for an explanation. Sentinel says that the Elite Guard is simply preparing to attack if the Council gives the okay, and Alpha Trion informs him that they will have a decision shortly. As the council continues to deliberate a course of action, Sentinel Prime orders [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] to arm the weapons of the Elite Guard's base and aim at Omega Supreme. Lugnut advocates that they leave Omega's body and retaliate, something Starscream agrees to for different reasons, but Megatron silences them, claiming he has a reason for exposing their position. Shockwave then contacts Megatron to inform him that he has acquired clearance codes to enter the facility holding Arcee.

[[Image:TFA-ThisIsWhyIHateMachines-UltraMagnusSparkSupport.jpg|thumb|200px|left|"Is it water on the knee?" "A whole bucket, see?" "A Charley Horse, it's true!" "I'm the doctor for YOU!"]]
Fanzone puts his cop instincts to work and quickly tracks down the local stoolie, [[Rattletrap]], the bot who gave Shockwave the clearance codes. With a little organic coercion, the pair are able to force an access card from Rattletrap, but when they attempt to use it, they discover that the codes are bogus. Just as they make this discovery, [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] steps from the shadows to offer them his aid. He has finally had it with Sentinel Prime's attitude, and he gives Fanzone and Ratchet a functioning access card. The duo quickly locate Arcee, only to find that they have inadvertently led Shockwave right to her. A running firefight ensues as Ratchet tries to get Arcee to safety while Shockwave pursues them, and the battle carries them to the medical bay in which [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] is convalescing. Thinking that Ratchet is out of commission after a blow from the Magnus Hammer, Shockwave decides to finish the job on Ultra Magnus and turns his back on his fallen foe. Ratchet is still very much alive and kicking, however, and he downs Shockwave with a blast from his [[electromagnetic pulse]] generator, allowing him to reclaim the Magnus Hammer from the Decepticon's clutches. Of course, Sentinel Prime chooses that moment to enter the room, and he promptly leaps to the conclusion that Ratchet is trying to do away with Ultra Magnus. This distraction offers Shockwave the time he needs to escape with Arcee, which prompts Sentinel to issue the command to fire on Omega Supreme. Fortress Maximus opens fire, but Omega transwarps out of the path of the blast, which shoots off harmlessly through the sky.

A short while later, the council and Elite Guard see Ratchet and Fanzone to the [[space bridge nexus]] so that they can return to [[Earth]]. Alpha Trion chastises Sentinel for his actions, making it clear that if it was up to him alone, Sentinel wouldn't be Magnus for a second longer. Trion extends his thanks to Ratchet and Fanzone, but Ratchet sees little reason to celebrate, as the Decepticons now have Arcee. Perceptor tries to assure Ratchet that the damage done to Arcee's processor is irreversible, but Ratchet is not cheered up at the prospect. Just before they enter the space bridge, Sentinel orders Ratchet to hand over the Magnus Hammer, but Ratchet refuses, telling him they will give it back to its rightful owner, Ultra Magnus, when he is repaired. Before Sentinel can object, Ratchet and Fanzone dart off through the space bridge. Sentinel is about to pursue them, but Jazz blocks his path and offers to go in his stead. Ratchet and Fanzone are not happy to see Jazz when he appears in front of them, but Jazz explains that he is unable to condone Sentinel's actions any more and is deserting to join the Autobots on Earth.

[[Image:TFAni ThisisWhyIHateMachines Arcee Earth.jpg‎|thumb|200px|right| "Insert ''2001: A Space Odyssey'' instrumental here"]]
Out in space, Omega Supreme rematerializes close to Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. Aboard the dormant Autobot, Shockwave bows before Megatron and abandons his [[electronic paint job]] so that he can finally serve his leader under his true colors. Megatron bids his "most loyal servant" to rise, sending Lugnut into fits of silent, quivering rage—much to Starscream's amusement. On the other side of the bridge, the ''conscious'' Arcee lies upon a table and looks out at the Earth below, quietly whispering Ratchet's name...
 

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (1)
*[[Freeway (Animated)|Freeway]] (3)
*[[Carrera (Animated)|Carrera]] (4)
*[[Huffer (Animated)|Huffer]] (5)
*[[Sedan (Animated)|Sedan]] (6)
*[[Glyph (Animated)|Glyph]] (7)
*[[Bumper (Animated)|Bumper]] (8)
*[[Tap-Out (Animated)|Tap-Out]] (9)
*[[Powerglide (Animated)|Powerglide]] (10)
*[[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]] (11)
*[[Flareup (Animated)|Flareup]] (12)
*[[Steeljaw (Animated)|Steeljaw]] (13)
*[[Zaur]] (14)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (15)
*[[Autotrooper]] (20)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (21)
*[[Tracks (Animated)|Tracks]] (22)
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] (23)
*[[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] (24)
*[[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] (25)
*[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] (26)
*[[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] (27)
*[[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] (28)
*[[Rattletrap]] (29)
*[[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] (30)

|c2=
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] (16)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (17)
*[[Lugnut]] (18)
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (19)
*[[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] (31, flashback)

|c3=
*[[Captain Fanzone]] (2)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Security Bot''': ''Halt. You are in violation of Criminal Code 30114. Lethal force has been authorised.'' 
''[Security bots open fire]'' 
'''Fanzone''': Hey! Ow! Hey! 
'''Ratchet''': Think you have it bad? I got to decipher ''Bulkhead''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> handwriting! And those claws of his aren't exactly designed for penbotship.
:—As the Security Bots try to kill Captain Fanzone, Ratchet shows the depth to which he does not care.

"I'd be a happy man if I never see another—"''[Fanzone takes in his surroundings]''"...''robot''?"
:—'''Captain Fanzone''' enters his own personal hell, and its name is Cybertron.

"I can't believe we're on Cybertron! Of all the places we transwarped, this is great!"
:—'''Ratchet''', happy for the first time since...well, since we've seen him.

"Citizens of Cybertron, Decepticons are in our midst! Neighbours, friends, even ''your own model'' can be a spy! Do your duty and report any suspicious activity to the Elite Guard immediately." 
"...what is this scrap?!" 
"For your protection, all potentially subversive gathering places remain closed. Curfew remains in effect. Remember, Decepticons will stop at nothing to destroy our way of life! Don't let THIS ''[picture of Ultra Magnus on [[spark support]]]'' happen to you. As your Magnus, I will continue to defeat the Decepticon scourge and bring peace and security to Cybertron! I'm Sentinel Prime, and I approve of this message." 
"No-good glory-hog's got a lot of steel. It was [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] who caught those 'Cons!"
:—'''Sentinel Prime'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s propaganda film, with commentary by '''Ratchet'''

"Cybertron. At last, our ultimate goal is at our feet. And here we stand, aboard its ultimate weapon." 
"Now, wouldn't it be nice if we could actually figure out how to use it!" 
:—'''Megatron''' has a moment, which '''Starscream''' ruins.

'''Perceptor''': Sentinel Prime, please explain why all but essential Energon has been diverted to Fortress Maximus. 
'''Alpha Trion''': Need we remind you that the Council is still deliberating? 
'''Sentinel Prime''': As acting Magnus, I must be ready to strike should Omega... should Megatron make a move against us. 
'''Alpha Trion''': Very well. We will inform you of our decision shortly.
:-Sentinel Prime reveals his secret dream of blowing up Omega Supreme and covers it up neatly.

"How'd you know about this bot?" ''[indicating Rattletrap]'' 
"Ehh. There's one in every town." 
:—'''Ratchet''' learns a little more about how '''Captain Fanzone''' works.

"This is why I hate machines." ''[looks at Sentinel Prime]'' "Certain machines more than others."
:—'''Captain Fanzone'''

'''Captain Fanzone''': I get mixed up in a war, nearly stepped on, blasted, burried, and possibly zapped into space, and now, you've just made me an accomplice to INTERGALACTIC GRAND THEFT!! 
'''Police Drone:''' Halt. You are under arrest. 
''(Ratchet blows it up with his magnetic powers)'' 
'''Captain Fanzone''': Let's say we call it even.
:-Captain Fanzone complains about the worst day of his life and then blows it off.

==Notes==

===Animation or technical errors===
* A few of the laser blasts that the drone fires at Captain Fanzone (before he gets sucked up by the Space Bridge) are out of sync with the animation of the strafing drone.
* Shockwave's head model changes randomly throughout the episode in shape, size and in the positioning of his optic.
* When Shockwave holds up the Magnus Hammer and starts generating lightning, its handle is only half as long as usual.
* When Sentinel Prime first sees Omega Supreme, his shoulderpads ends up behind the circle around his neck.

===Transformers references===
* Captain Fanzone's arrival on Cybertron treats us to another crowd scene full of cameos, some of which we haven't seen before. Notable newbies in this crowd include [[Glyph (Animated)|Glyph]], [[Bumper (Animated)|Bumper]] and his white recolor [[Sedan (Animated)|Sedan]], [[Steeljaw (Animated)|Steeljaw]], [[Zaur]] and robot-mode [[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]]. We also get a closer look at [[Carrera (Animated)|Carrera]], but only from behind, as he talks to an unnamed blue-and-tan female robot.

* Ratchet's favorite hangout is [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]].

* Parade footage from "[[Decepticon Air]]" is used in Sentinel's little propaganda video. (See said episode for the list of cameos within.)

* Ratchet remarks that [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] was the one to capture the Decepticon prisoners, as seen in "[[Five Servos of Doom]]".

* The Autobot Council's headquarters is known as "the [[Metroplex (Animated)|Metroplex]]", and the Elite Guard's battle station is "[[Fortress Maximus (Animated)|Fortress Maximus]]".

* Ratchet's flashback uses footage from "[[The Thrill of the Hunt]]", giving Lockdown a brief "appearance" in this episode.

* At the end of the episode, Shockwave utilizes an [[electronic paint job]] to reveal his "true colors", represented by a [[Target]] [[exclusive]] [[redeco]] reminiscent of his [[Shockwave (G1)|Generation 1 namesake]]'s color scheme.

*Rattletrap's design and speech pattern are modelled after [[Rattrap]].

===Real-world references===
*Sentinel Prime's broadcast was based on [[wikipedia:The Red Scare|The Red Scare]] during the Cold War. The broadcast concludes with him saying "I'm Sentinel Prime, and I approve of this message."—in the style of contemporary [[President of the United States|political campaign ads]].
*Sentinel's insistence that he is the one who "makes the tough decisions" and insistence that any questioning of his orders is tantamount to treason is probably some kind of statement about [[Mission Accomplished|some''one'' or some''thing'']], but we'll leave it at that.
*Shockwave's slow, deadpan delivery of "I'm afraid I can't let you do that" is a reference to the menacing supercomputer HAL from Stanley Kubrick's ''[[wikipedia:2001 (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'', who also featured an unblinking single red eye.
* When Ratchet and Fanzone are headed to Maccadam's, they stop in front of a building which appears to have Target's trademark "bull's-eye" logo.
* Ratchet retorts to Shockwave about taking the activation codes from his "cold, offline processor", similar to one of Charlton Heston's most famous quotes in support of the NRA. He'd previously used a similar line in [[Megatron Rising - Part 1]].

===Trivia===
*This is the first, and only, episode in which [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] does not appear at all.
*There is oxygen on Cybertron. Probably to allow combustion to happen.
*This episode marks the last appearances of Jetfire, Jetstorm, Ultra Magnus and Captain Fanzone in the series.
*Arcee wasn't actually offline at the end of the flashbacks in "The Thrill of the Hunt"—although she was amnesiac, she could stand, talk and take in her surroundings. This implies that it was the vivisection of her head in the "[[TransWarped]]" flashbacks in an attempt to retrieve the activation codes for Omega Supreme which caused the "damage to her circuitry" that Perceptor called "completely irreversible", and meant she was left, comatose, in a hospital bed for millions of stellar cycles.
*Everything has to be [[Megatron Rising - Part 1|"cold and offline"]] with Ratchet, doesn't it?
*Fans originally thought this episode would have Megatron turn into [[Galvatron (disambiguation)|Galvatron]]. [[Decepticon Air!|Look how well that turned out.]]
* Wait. Every backround character appears in this episode, but Optimus and the rest of the main autobots, besides Ratchet, don't show up. That's just wrong.

==Home video releases==
This episode has yet to be released on home video.

[[Category:Animated episodes]]

This Is Why I Hate Machines

2010-06-30T14:06:58Z

64.12.116.203: /* Trivia */

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|image=TFAni ThisisWhyIHateMachines Fanzone Crowd.jpg
|caption=
|ep=40
|title="This Is Why I Hate Machines"
|caption=This is what hell looks like to Captain Fanzone.
|airdate=[[May 9]], 2009
|written by=[[Rob Hoegee]]
|directed by=[[Kalvin Lee]] [[Yutaka Hirata]]
|animation studio=[[Mook]]
}}
'''A space bridge accident sends Ratchet and Captain Fanzone to Cybertron, right as the Decepticon controlled Omega Supreme arrives.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:TFA ThisIsWhyIHateMachines Fanzone SpaceBridge.jpg|thumb|200px|left|That's it! I'm firing my travel agent.]]
[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] is trying to calibrate the newly constructed [[space bridge]] properly to begin the hunt for [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]]. Unfortunately, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]]'s advanced notation system of adhesive note papers leaves something to be desired. [[Captain Fanzone]] chooses that moment to step off [[Sumdac Tower]]'s elevator, engaged in a spirited discussion with [[Sumdac Systems]] technical support over some malfunctioning police drones. Fanzone has come to take up the matter with [[Isaac Sumdac]] himself, but before he can start looking for the scientist, a pair of police drones catch up to him and open fire with lethal force. Now dodging gunfire while the oblivious Ratchet continues to sort through Bulkhead's notes, Fanzone grows progressively more irate until the space bridge suddenly activates, having located Omega Supreme's transwarp signature. Ratchet looks up just in time to see the hapless Fanzone being sucked into the space bridge portal, and, deciding that this probably isn't a good thing, opts to follow.

[[Image:ThisIsWhyIHateMachines-Glyphandothers.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Just robot asses as far as the eye can see.]]

Fanzone finds himself unceremoniously dumped in the middle of a large city on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], a situation he's less than thrilled about. A crowd of Autobots freaks out at the presence of the horrifying organic lifeform. Nearly stepped on by the immense [[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]] at the urging of a [[Flareup (Animated)|friend]], Fanzone is rescued by the timely arrival of Ratchet. Fanzone wants to return home immediately, but Ratchet insists that while they're on Cybertron, they may as well hit up [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]]. To his dismay, his favorite watering hole has been shut down, along with other "subversive" gathering places, by order of [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]]. After watching one of Sentinel Prime's propaganda videos, the pair are soon approached by the Elite Guard, and Sentinel Prime demands to know how they have been able to get to Cybertron with space bridge travel locked down. Ratchet angrily explains that they didn't use the space bridge network, but rather piggybacked on Omega Supreme's transwarp signature. Sentinel, well-informed as always, laughs off Ratchet, thinking that Omega Supreme had been decommissioned centuries ago. He is immediately proven wrong as the looming shape of Omega Supreme's robot form appears in the Cybertronian skies.

Above the city, aboard Omega's inert body, [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] muses on this (glorious!) moment for the [[Decepticon]]s: those who were once driven away from Cybertron in exile are now poised over it in one of its greatest weapons. As [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] points out that they have no means actually to ''use'' said weapon, [[Lugnut]] comes to Megatron's defense, saying that with the [[plasmadynamic thruster]] removed, the Decepticons have control over Omega's navigational systems, transformation, and free access to the ship. Starscream points out that they have no control over the weapons systems, but Megatron rebuffs him with the revelation that he still has a spy on Cybertron who can fetch him the access codes to Omega Supreme. On cue, [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] contacts the Decepticons, saying that he knows of another means to the get the codes, only needing time to get to it. Starscream comments that this will only work if the Cybertronian defense cannons don't shoot them out of the sky, but Megatron doubts that they would fire on one of the greatest symbols of Autobot military strength.

Meanwhile, Sentinel advocates that they fire the Cybertronian defense cannons on one of the greatest symbols of Autobot military strength. This understandably does not go over well with several prominent members of the [[Autobot High Council]], to say nothing of Omega Supreme's former mentor, Ratchet, who warns that destroying Omega with the amount of transwarp energy currently stored within him could cause a blast that would wipe out Cybertron itself. [[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] and [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] rebuff Sentinel and inform him to wait for the council's decision. Ratchet warns Sentinel that there will be consequences if Omega is harmed, and Sentinel prepares to lock up Ratchet and Fanzone, but they make a break for it when Fanzone fakes a sneeze. The Elite Guard pursue the two, but lose them outside the [[Metroplex (Animated)|Metroplex]]. Sentinel orders Jazz to continue searching, while he and the twins head to [[Fortress Maximus (Animated)|Fortress Maximus]] to prepare the defense cannons, as Sentinel intends to attack regardless of the Council's decision.

Meanwhile, Ratchet and Fanzone take refuge in the forgotten network of maintenance tunnels beneath the city, which have been sealed for quite some time, but soon realize that someone ''else'' has been hiding in the tunnels quite recently. The occupant of that hideout is revealed to be none other than the double-agent [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]], who nearly gets the jump on the duo, still armed with the stolen [[Magnus Hammer]]. Ratchet fights back, surmising that Shockwave wishes to hack his processor to get the access codes to Omega Supreme, but Shockwave scoffs at this, revealing that he plans to go right to the original source: [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]! Horrified, Ratchet loses his concentration, allowing Shockwave to hurl him aside and escape.

At Fortress Maximus, Sentinel's diverting of all but essential [[energon (fuel)|Energon]] has not gone unnoticed, and Perceptor contacts him for an explanation. Sentinel says that the Elite Guard is simply preparing to attack if the Council gives the okay, and Alpha Trion informs him that they will have a decision shortly. As the council continues to deliberate a course of action, Sentinel Prime orders [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] to arm the weapons of the Elite Guard's base and aim at Omega Supreme. Lugnut advocates that they leave Omega's body and retaliate, something Starscream agrees to for different reasons, but Megatron silences them, claiming he has a reason for exposing their position. Shockwave then contacts Megatron to inform him that he has acquired clearance codes to enter the facility holding Arcee.

[[Image:TFA-ThisIsWhyIHateMachines-UltraMagnusSparkSupport.jpg|thumb|200px|left|"Is it water on the knee?" "A whole bucket, see?" "A Charley Horse, it's true!" "I'm the doctor for YOU!"]]
Fanzone puts his cop instincts to work and quickly tracks down the local stoolie, [[Rattletrap]], the bot who gave Shockwave the clearance codes. With a little organic coercion, the pair are able to force an access card from Rattletrap, but when they attempt to use it, they discover that the codes are bogus. Just as they make this discovery, [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] steps from the shadows to offer them his aid. He has finally had it with Sentinel Prime's attitude, and he gives Fanzone and Ratchet a functioning access card. The duo quickly locate Arcee, only to find that they have inadvertently led Shockwave right to her. A running firefight ensues as Ratchet tries to get Arcee to safety while Shockwave pursues them, and the battle carries them to the medical bay in which [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] is convalescing. Thinking that Ratchet is out of commission after a blow from the Magnus Hammer, Shockwave decides to finish the job on Ultra Magnus and turns his back on his fallen foe. Ratchet is still very much alive and kicking, however, and he downs Shockwave with a blast from his [[electromagnetic pulse]] generator, allowing him to reclaim the Magnus Hammer from the Decepticon's clutches. Of course, Sentinel Prime chooses that moment to enter the room, and he promptly leaps to the conclusion that Ratchet is trying to do away with Ultra Magnus. This distraction offers Shockwave the time he needs to escape with Arcee, which prompts Sentinel to issue the command to fire on Omega Supreme. Fortress Maximus opens fire, but Omega transwarps out of the path of the blast, which shoots off harmlessly through the sky.

A short while later, the council and Elite Guard see Ratchet and Fanzone to the [[space bridge nexus]] so that they can return to [[Earth]]. Alpha Trion chastises Sentinel for his actions, making it clear that if it was up to him alone, Sentinel wouldn't be Magnus for a second longer. Trion extends his thanks to Ratchet and Fanzone, but Ratchet sees little reason to celebrate, as the Decepticons now have Arcee. Perceptor tries to assure Ratchet that the damage done to Arcee's processor is irreversible, but Ratchet is not cheered up at the prospect. Just before they enter the space bridge, Sentinel orders Ratchet to hand over the Magnus Hammer, but Ratchet refuses, telling him they will give it back to its rightful owner, Ultra Magnus, when he is repaired. Before Sentinel can object, Ratchet and Fanzone dart off through the space bridge. Sentinel is about to pursue them, but Jazz blocks his path and offers to go in his stead. Ratchet and Fanzone are not happy to see Jazz when he appears in front of them, but Jazz explains that he is unable to condone Sentinel's actions any more and is deserting to join the Autobots on Earth.

[[Image:TFAni ThisisWhyIHateMachines Arcee Earth.jpg‎|thumb|200px|right| "Insert ''2001: A Space Odyssey'' instrumental here"]]
Out in space, Omega Supreme rematerializes close to Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. Aboard the dormant Autobot, Shockwave bows before Megatron and abandons his [[electronic paint job]] so that he can finally serve his leader under his true colors. Megatron bids his "most loyal servant" to rise, sending Lugnut into fits of silent, quivering rage—much to Starscream's amusement. On the other side of the bridge, the ''conscious'' Arcee lies upon a table and looks out at the Earth below, quietly whispering Ratchet's name...
 

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (1)
*[[Freeway (Animated)|Freeway]] (3)
*[[Carrera (Animated)|Carrera]] (4)
*[[Huffer (Animated)|Huffer]] (5)
*[[Sedan (Animated)|Sedan]] (6)
*[[Glyph (Animated)|Glyph]] (7)
*[[Bumper (Animated)|Bumper]] (8)
*[[Tap-Out (Animated)|Tap-Out]] (9)
*[[Powerglide (Animated)|Powerglide]] (10)
*[[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]] (11)
*[[Flareup (Animated)|Flareup]] (12)
*[[Steeljaw (Animated)|Steeljaw]] (13)
*[[Zaur]] (14)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (15)
*[[Autotrooper]] (20)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (21)
*[[Tracks (Animated)|Tracks]] (22)
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] (23)
*[[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] (24)
*[[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] (25)
*[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] (26)
*[[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] (27)
*[[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] (28)
*[[Rattletrap]] (29)
*[[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] (30)

|c2=
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] (16)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (17)
*[[Lugnut]] (18)
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (19)
*[[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] (31, flashback)

|c3=
*[[Captain Fanzone]] (2)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Security Bot''': ''Halt. You are in violation of Criminal Code 30114. Lethal force has been authorised.'' 
''[Security bots open fire]'' 
'''Fanzone''': Hey! Ow! Hey! 
'''Ratchet''': Think you have it bad? I got to decipher ''Bulkhead''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> handwriting! And those claws of his aren't exactly designed for penbotship.
:—As the Security Bots try to kill Captain Fanzone, Ratchet shows the depth to which he does not care.

"I'd be a happy man if I never see another—"''[Fanzone takes in his surroundings]''"...''robot''?"
:—'''Captain Fanzone''' enters his own personal hell, and its name is Cybertron.

"I can't believe we're on Cybertron! Of all the places we transwarped, this is great!"
:—'''Ratchet''', happy for the first time since...well, since we've seen him.

"Citizens of Cybertron, Decepticons are in our midst! Neighbours, friends, even ''your own model'' can be a spy! Do your duty and report any suspicious activity to the Elite Guard immediately." 
"...what is this scrap?!" 
"For your protection, all potentially subversive gathering places remain closed. Curfew remains in effect. Remember, Decepticons will stop at nothing to destroy our way of life! Don't let THIS ''[picture of Ultra Magnus on [[spark support]]]'' happen to you. As your Magnus, I will continue to defeat the Decepticon scourge and bring peace and security to Cybertron! I'm Sentinel Prime, and I approve of this message." 
"No-good glory-hog's got a lot of steel. It was [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] who caught those 'Cons!"
:—'''Sentinel Prime'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s propaganda film, with commentary by '''Ratchet'''

"Cybertron. At last, our ultimate goal is at our feet. And here we stand, aboard its ultimate weapon." 
"Now, wouldn't it be nice if we could actually figure out how to use it!" 
:—'''Megatron''' has a moment, which '''Starscream''' ruins.

'''Perceptor''': Sentinel Prime, please explain why all but essential Energon has been diverted to Fortress Maximus. 
'''Alpha Trion''': Need we remind you that the Council is still deliberating? 
'''Sentinel Prime''': As acting Magnus, I must be ready to strike should Omega... should Megatron make a move against us. 
'''Alpha Trion''': Very well. We will inform you of our decision shortly.
:-Sentinel Prime reveals his secret dream of blowing up Omega Supreme and covers it up neatly.

"How'd you know about this bot?" ''[indicating Rattletrap]'' 
"Ehh. There's one in every town." 
:—'''Ratchet''' learns a little more about how '''Captain Fanzone''' works.

"This is why I hate machines." ''[looks at Sentinel Prime]'' "Certain machines more than others."
:—'''Captain Fanzone'''

'''Captain Fanzone''': I get mixed up in a war, nearly stepped on, blasted, burried, and possibly zapped into space, and now, you've just made me an accomplice to INTERGALACTIC GRAND THEFT!! 
'''Police Drone:''' Halt. You are under arrest. 
''(Ratchet blows it up with his magnetic powers)'' 
'''Captain Fanzone''': Let's say we call it even.
:-Captain Fanzone complains about the worst day of his life and then blows it off.

==Notes==

===Animation or technical errors===
* A few of the laser blasts that the drone fires at Captain Fanzone (before he gets sucked up by the Space Bridge) are out of sync with the animation of the strafing drone.
* Shockwave's head model changes randomly throughout the episode in shape, size and in the positioning of his optic.
* When Shockwave holds up the Magnus Hammer and starts generating lightning, its handle is only half as long as usual.
* When Sentinel Prime first sees Omega Supreme, his shoulderpads ends up behind the circle around his neck.

===Transformers references===
* Captain Fanzone's arrival on Cybertron treats us to another crowd scene full of cameos, some of which we haven't seen before. Notable newbies in this crowd include [[Glyph (Animated)|Glyph]], [[Bumper (Animated)|Bumper]] and his white recolor [[Sedan (Animated)|Sedan]], [[Steeljaw (Animated)|Steeljaw]], [[Zaur]] and robot-mode [[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]]. We also get a closer look at [[Carrera (Animated)|Carrera]], but only from behind, as he talks to an unnamed blue-and-tan female robot.

* Ratchet's favorite hangout is [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]].

* Parade footage from "[[Decepticon Air]]" is used in Sentinel's little propaganda video. (See said episode for the list of cameos within.)

* Ratchet remarks that [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] was the one to capture the Decepticon prisoners, as seen in "[[Five Servos of Doom]]".

* The Autobot Council's headquarters is known as "the [[Metroplex (Animated)|Metroplex]]", and the Elite Guard's battle station is "[[Fortress Maximus (Animated)|Fortress Maximus]]".

* Ratchet's flashback uses footage from "[[The Thrill of the Hunt]]", giving Lockdown a brief "appearance" in this episode.

* At the end of the episode, Shockwave utilizes an [[electronic paint job]] to reveal his "true colors", represented by a [[Target]] [[exclusive]] [[redeco]] reminiscent of his [[Shockwave (G1)|Generation 1 namesake]]'s color scheme.

*Rattletrap's design and speech pattern are modelled after [[Rattrap]].

===Real-world references===
*Sentinel Prime's broadcast was based on [[wikipedia:The Red Scare|The Red Scare]] during the Cold War. The broadcast concludes with him saying "I'm Sentinel Prime, and I approve of this message."—in the style of contemporary [[President of the United States|political campaign ads]].
*Sentinel's insistence that he is the one who "makes the tough decisions" and insistence that any questioning of his orders is tantamount to treason is probably some kind of statement about [[Mission Accomplished|some''one'' or some''thing'']], but we'll leave it at that.
*Shockwave's slow, deadpan delivery of "I'm afraid I can't let you do that" is a reference to the menacing supercomputer HAL from Stanley Kubrick's ''[[wikipedia:2001 (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'', who also featured an unblinking single red eye.
* When Ratchet and Fanzone are headed to Maccadam's, they stop in front of a building which appears to have Target's trademark "bull's-eye" logo.
* Ratchet retorts to Shockwave about taking the activation codes from his "cold, offline processor", similar to one of Charlton Heston's most famous quotes in support of the NRA. He'd previously used a similar line in [[Megatron Rising - Part 1]].

===Trivia===
*This is the first, and only, episode in which [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] does not appear at all.
*There is oxygen on Cybertron. Probably to allow combustion to happen.
*This episode marks the last appearances of Jetfire, Jetstorm, Ultra Magnus and Captain Fanzone in the series.
*Arcee wasn't actually offline at the end of the flashbacks in "The Thrill of the Hunt"—although she was amnesiac, she could stand, talk and take in her surroundings. This implies that it was the vivisection of her head in the "[[TransWarped]]" flashbacks in an attempt to retrieve the activation codes for Omega Supreme which caused the "damage to her circuitry" that Perceptor called "completely irreversible", and meant she was left, comatose, in a hospital bed for millions of stellar cycles.
*Everything has to be [[Megatron Rising - Part 1|"cold and offline"]] with Ratchet, doesn't it?
*Fans originally thought this episode would have Megatron turn into [[Galvatron (disambiguation)|Galvatron]]. [[Look how well that turned out|Decepticon Air!]].
* Wait. Every backround character appears in this episode, but Optimus and the rest of the main autobots, besides Ratchet, don't show up. That's just wrong.

==Home video releases==
This episode has yet to be released on home video.

[[Category:Animated episodes]]

This Is Why I Hate Machines

2010-06-30T14:06:08Z

64.12.116.203: /* Trivia */

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|image=TFAni ThisisWhyIHateMachines Fanzone Crowd.jpg
|caption=
|ep=40
|title="This Is Why I Hate Machines"
|caption=This is what hell looks like to Captain Fanzone.
|airdate=[[May 9]], 2009
|written by=[[Rob Hoegee]]
|directed by=[[Kalvin Lee]] [[Yutaka Hirata]]
|animation studio=[[Mook]]
}}
'''A space bridge accident sends Ratchet and Captain Fanzone to Cybertron, right as the Decepticon controlled Omega Supreme arrives.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:TFA ThisIsWhyIHateMachines Fanzone SpaceBridge.jpg|thumb|200px|left|That's it! I'm firing my travel agent.]]
[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] is trying to calibrate the newly constructed [[space bridge]] properly to begin the hunt for [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]]. Unfortunately, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]]'s advanced notation system of adhesive note papers leaves something to be desired. [[Captain Fanzone]] chooses that moment to step off [[Sumdac Tower]]'s elevator, engaged in a spirited discussion with [[Sumdac Systems]] technical support over some malfunctioning police drones. Fanzone has come to take up the matter with [[Isaac Sumdac]] himself, but before he can start looking for the scientist, a pair of police drones catch up to him and open fire with lethal force. Now dodging gunfire while the oblivious Ratchet continues to sort through Bulkhead's notes, Fanzone grows progressively more irate until the space bridge suddenly activates, having located Omega Supreme's transwarp signature. Ratchet looks up just in time to see the hapless Fanzone being sucked into the space bridge portal, and, deciding that this probably isn't a good thing, opts to follow.

[[Image:ThisIsWhyIHateMachines-Glyphandothers.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Just robot asses as far as the eye can see.]]

Fanzone finds himself unceremoniously dumped in the middle of a large city on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], a situation he's less than thrilled about. A crowd of Autobots freaks out at the presence of the horrifying organic lifeform. Nearly stepped on by the immense [[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]] at the urging of a [[Flareup (Animated)|friend]], Fanzone is rescued by the timely arrival of Ratchet. Fanzone wants to return home immediately, but Ratchet insists that while they're on Cybertron, they may as well hit up [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]]. To his dismay, his favorite watering hole has been shut down, along with other "subversive" gathering places, by order of [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]]. After watching one of Sentinel Prime's propaganda videos, the pair are soon approached by the Elite Guard, and Sentinel Prime demands to know how they have been able to get to Cybertron with space bridge travel locked down. Ratchet angrily explains that they didn't use the space bridge network, but rather piggybacked on Omega Supreme's transwarp signature. Sentinel, well-informed as always, laughs off Ratchet, thinking that Omega Supreme had been decommissioned centuries ago. He is immediately proven wrong as the looming shape of Omega Supreme's robot form appears in the Cybertronian skies.

Above the city, aboard Omega's inert body, [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] muses on this (glorious!) moment for the [[Decepticon]]s: those who were once driven away from Cybertron in exile are now poised over it in one of its greatest weapons. As [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] points out that they have no means actually to ''use'' said weapon, [[Lugnut]] comes to Megatron's defense, saying that with the [[plasmadynamic thruster]] removed, the Decepticons have control over Omega's navigational systems, transformation, and free access to the ship. Starscream points out that they have no control over the weapons systems, but Megatron rebuffs him with the revelation that he still has a spy on Cybertron who can fetch him the access codes to Omega Supreme. On cue, [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] contacts the Decepticons, saying that he knows of another means to the get the codes, only needing time to get to it. Starscream comments that this will only work if the Cybertronian defense cannons don't shoot them out of the sky, but Megatron doubts that they would fire on one of the greatest symbols of Autobot military strength.

Meanwhile, Sentinel advocates that they fire the Cybertronian defense cannons on one of the greatest symbols of Autobot military strength. This understandably does not go over well with several prominent members of the [[Autobot High Council]], to say nothing of Omega Supreme's former mentor, Ratchet, who warns that destroying Omega with the amount of transwarp energy currently stored within him could cause a blast that would wipe out Cybertron itself. [[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] and [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] rebuff Sentinel and inform him to wait for the council's decision. Ratchet warns Sentinel that there will be consequences if Omega is harmed, and Sentinel prepares to lock up Ratchet and Fanzone, but they make a break for it when Fanzone fakes a sneeze. The Elite Guard pursue the two, but lose them outside the [[Metroplex (Animated)|Metroplex]]. Sentinel orders Jazz to continue searching, while he and the twins head to [[Fortress Maximus (Animated)|Fortress Maximus]] to prepare the defense cannons, as Sentinel intends to attack regardless of the Council's decision.

Meanwhile, Ratchet and Fanzone take refuge in the forgotten network of maintenance tunnels beneath the city, which have been sealed for quite some time, but soon realize that someone ''else'' has been hiding in the tunnels quite recently. The occupant of that hideout is revealed to be none other than the double-agent [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]], who nearly gets the jump on the duo, still armed with the stolen [[Magnus Hammer]]. Ratchet fights back, surmising that Shockwave wishes to hack his processor to get the access codes to Omega Supreme, but Shockwave scoffs at this, revealing that he plans to go right to the original source: [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]! Horrified, Ratchet loses his concentration, allowing Shockwave to hurl him aside and escape.

At Fortress Maximus, Sentinel's diverting of all but essential [[energon (fuel)|Energon]] has not gone unnoticed, and Perceptor contacts him for an explanation. Sentinel says that the Elite Guard is simply preparing to attack if the Council gives the okay, and Alpha Trion informs him that they will have a decision shortly. As the council continues to deliberate a course of action, Sentinel Prime orders [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] to arm the weapons of the Elite Guard's base and aim at Omega Supreme. Lugnut advocates that they leave Omega's body and retaliate, something Starscream agrees to for different reasons, but Megatron silences them, claiming he has a reason for exposing their position. Shockwave then contacts Megatron to inform him that he has acquired clearance codes to enter the facility holding Arcee.

[[Image:TFA-ThisIsWhyIHateMachines-UltraMagnusSparkSupport.jpg|thumb|200px|left|"Is it water on the knee?" "A whole bucket, see?" "A Charley Horse, it's true!" "I'm the doctor for YOU!"]]
Fanzone puts his cop instincts to work and quickly tracks down the local stoolie, [[Rattletrap]], the bot who gave Shockwave the clearance codes. With a little organic coercion, the pair are able to force an access card from Rattletrap, but when they attempt to use it, they discover that the codes are bogus. Just as they make this discovery, [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] steps from the shadows to offer them his aid. He has finally had it with Sentinel Prime's attitude, and he gives Fanzone and Ratchet a functioning access card. The duo quickly locate Arcee, only to find that they have inadvertently led Shockwave right to her. A running firefight ensues as Ratchet tries to get Arcee to safety while Shockwave pursues them, and the battle carries them to the medical bay in which [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] is convalescing. Thinking that Ratchet is out of commission after a blow from the Magnus Hammer, Shockwave decides to finish the job on Ultra Magnus and turns his back on his fallen foe. Ratchet is still very much alive and kicking, however, and he downs Shockwave with a blast from his [[electromagnetic pulse]] generator, allowing him to reclaim the Magnus Hammer from the Decepticon's clutches. Of course, Sentinel Prime chooses that moment to enter the room, and he promptly leaps to the conclusion that Ratchet is trying to do away with Ultra Magnus. This distraction offers Shockwave the time he needs to escape with Arcee, which prompts Sentinel to issue the command to fire on Omega Supreme. Fortress Maximus opens fire, but Omega transwarps out of the path of the blast, which shoots off harmlessly through the sky.

A short while later, the council and Elite Guard see Ratchet and Fanzone to the [[space bridge nexus]] so that they can return to [[Earth]]. Alpha Trion chastises Sentinel for his actions, making it clear that if it was up to him alone, Sentinel wouldn't be Magnus for a second longer. Trion extends his thanks to Ratchet and Fanzone, but Ratchet sees little reason to celebrate, as the Decepticons now have Arcee. Perceptor tries to assure Ratchet that the damage done to Arcee's processor is irreversible, but Ratchet is not cheered up at the prospect. Just before they enter the space bridge, Sentinel orders Ratchet to hand over the Magnus Hammer, but Ratchet refuses, telling him they will give it back to its rightful owner, Ultra Magnus, when he is repaired. Before Sentinel can object, Ratchet and Fanzone dart off through the space bridge. Sentinel is about to pursue them, but Jazz blocks his path and offers to go in his stead. Ratchet and Fanzone are not happy to see Jazz when he appears in front of them, but Jazz explains that he is unable to condone Sentinel's actions any more and is deserting to join the Autobots on Earth.

[[Image:TFAni ThisisWhyIHateMachines Arcee Earth.jpg‎|thumb|200px|right| "Insert ''2001: A Space Odyssey'' instrumental here"]]
Out in space, Omega Supreme rematerializes close to Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. Aboard the dormant Autobot, Shockwave bows before Megatron and abandons his [[electronic paint job]] so that he can finally serve his leader under his true colors. Megatron bids his "most loyal servant" to rise, sending Lugnut into fits of silent, quivering rage—much to Starscream's amusement. On the other side of the bridge, the ''conscious'' Arcee lies upon a table and looks out at the Earth below, quietly whispering Ratchet's name...
 

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (1)
*[[Freeway (Animated)|Freeway]] (3)
*[[Carrera (Animated)|Carrera]] (4)
*[[Huffer (Animated)|Huffer]] (5)
*[[Sedan (Animated)|Sedan]] (6)
*[[Glyph (Animated)|Glyph]] (7)
*[[Bumper (Animated)|Bumper]] (8)
*[[Tap-Out (Animated)|Tap-Out]] (9)
*[[Powerglide (Animated)|Powerglide]] (10)
*[[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]] (11)
*[[Flareup (Animated)|Flareup]] (12)
*[[Steeljaw (Animated)|Steeljaw]] (13)
*[[Zaur]] (14)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (15)
*[[Autotrooper]] (20)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (21)
*[[Tracks (Animated)|Tracks]] (22)
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] (23)
*[[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] (24)
*[[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] (25)
*[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] (26)
*[[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] (27)
*[[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] (28)
*[[Rattletrap]] (29)
*[[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] (30)

|c2=
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] (16)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (17)
*[[Lugnut]] (18)
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (19)
*[[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] (31, flashback)

|c3=
*[[Captain Fanzone]] (2)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Security Bot''': ''Halt. You are in violation of Criminal Code 30114. Lethal force has been authorised.'' 
''[Security bots open fire]'' 
'''Fanzone''': Hey! Ow! Hey! 
'''Ratchet''': Think you have it bad? I got to decipher ''Bulkhead''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> handwriting! And those claws of his aren't exactly designed for penbotship.
:—As the Security Bots try to kill Captain Fanzone, Ratchet shows the depth to which he does not care.

"I'd be a happy man if I never see another—"''[Fanzone takes in his surroundings]''"...''robot''?"
:—'''Captain Fanzone''' enters his own personal hell, and its name is Cybertron.

"I can't believe we're on Cybertron! Of all the places we transwarped, this is great!"
:—'''Ratchet''', happy for the first time since...well, since we've seen him.

"Citizens of Cybertron, Decepticons are in our midst! Neighbours, friends, even ''your own model'' can be a spy! Do your duty and report any suspicious activity to the Elite Guard immediately." 
"...what is this scrap?!" 
"For your protection, all potentially subversive gathering places remain closed. Curfew remains in effect. Remember, Decepticons will stop at nothing to destroy our way of life! Don't let THIS ''[picture of Ultra Magnus on [[spark support]]]'' happen to you. As your Magnus, I will continue to defeat the Decepticon scourge and bring peace and security to Cybertron! I'm Sentinel Prime, and I approve of this message." 
"No-good glory-hog's got a lot of steel. It was [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] who caught those 'Cons!"
:—'''Sentinel Prime'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s propaganda film, with commentary by '''Ratchet'''

"Cybertron. At last, our ultimate goal is at our feet. And here we stand, aboard its ultimate weapon." 
"Now, wouldn't it be nice if we could actually figure out how to use it!" 
:—'''Megatron''' has a moment, which '''Starscream''' ruins.

'''Perceptor''': Sentinel Prime, please explain why all but essential Energon has been diverted to Fortress Maximus. 
'''Alpha Trion''': Need we remind you that the Council is still deliberating? 
'''Sentinel Prime''': As acting Magnus, I must be ready to strike should Omega... should Megatron make a move against us. 
'''Alpha Trion''': Very well. We will inform you of our decision shortly.
:-Sentinel Prime reveals his secret dream of blowing up Omega Supreme and covers it up neatly.

"How'd you know about this bot?" ''[indicating Rattletrap]'' 
"Ehh. There's one in every town." 
:—'''Ratchet''' learns a little more about how '''Captain Fanzone''' works.

"This is why I hate machines." ''[looks at Sentinel Prime]'' "Certain machines more than others."
:—'''Captain Fanzone'''

'''Captain Fanzone''': I get mixed up in a war, nearly stepped on, blasted, burried, and possibly zapped into space, and now, you've just made me an accomplice to INTERGALACTIC GRAND THEFT!! 
'''Police Drone:''' Halt. You are under arrest. 
''(Ratchet blows it up with his magnetic powers)'' 
'''Captain Fanzone''': Let's say we call it even.
:-Captain Fanzone complains about the worst day of his life and then blows it off.

==Notes==

===Animation or technical errors===
* A few of the laser blasts that the drone fires at Captain Fanzone (before he gets sucked up by the Space Bridge) are out of sync with the animation of the strafing drone.
* Shockwave's head model changes randomly throughout the episode in shape, size and in the positioning of his optic.
* When Shockwave holds up the Magnus Hammer and starts generating lightning, its handle is only half as long as usual.
* When Sentinel Prime first sees Omega Supreme, his shoulderpads ends up behind the circle around his neck.

===Transformers references===
* Captain Fanzone's arrival on Cybertron treats us to another crowd scene full of cameos, some of which we haven't seen before. Notable newbies in this crowd include [[Glyph (Animated)|Glyph]], [[Bumper (Animated)|Bumper]] and his white recolor [[Sedan (Animated)|Sedan]], [[Steeljaw (Animated)|Steeljaw]], [[Zaur]] and robot-mode [[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]]. We also get a closer look at [[Carrera (Animated)|Carrera]], but only from behind, as he talks to an unnamed blue-and-tan female robot.

* Ratchet's favorite hangout is [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]].

* Parade footage from "[[Decepticon Air]]" is used in Sentinel's little propaganda video. (See said episode for the list of cameos within.)

* Ratchet remarks that [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] was the one to capture the Decepticon prisoners, as seen in "[[Five Servos of Doom]]".

* The Autobot Council's headquarters is known as "the [[Metroplex (Animated)|Metroplex]]", and the Elite Guard's battle station is "[[Fortress Maximus (Animated)|Fortress Maximus]]".

* Ratchet's flashback uses footage from "[[The Thrill of the Hunt]]", giving Lockdown a brief "appearance" in this episode.

* At the end of the episode, Shockwave utilizes an [[electronic paint job]] to reveal his "true colors", represented by a [[Target]] [[exclusive]] [[redeco]] reminiscent of his [[Shockwave (G1)|Generation 1 namesake]]'s color scheme.

*Rattletrap's design and speech pattern are modelled after [[Rattrap]].

===Real-world references===
*Sentinel Prime's broadcast was based on [[wikipedia:The Red Scare|The Red Scare]] during the Cold War. The broadcast concludes with him saying "I'm Sentinel Prime, and I approve of this message."—in the style of contemporary [[President of the United States|political campaign ads]].
*Sentinel's insistence that he is the one who "makes the tough decisions" and insistence that any questioning of his orders is tantamount to treason is probably some kind of statement about [[Mission Accomplished|some''one'' or some''thing'']], but we'll leave it at that.
*Shockwave's slow, deadpan delivery of "I'm afraid I can't let you do that" is a reference to the menacing supercomputer HAL from Stanley Kubrick's ''[[wikipedia:2001 (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'', who also featured an unblinking single red eye.
* When Ratchet and Fanzone are headed to Maccadam's, they stop in front of a building which appears to have Target's trademark "bull's-eye" logo.
* Ratchet retorts to Shockwave about taking the activation codes from his "cold, offline processor", similar to one of Charlton Heston's most famous quotes in support of the NRA. He'd previously used a similar line in [[Megatron Rising - Part 1]].

===Trivia===
*This is the first, and only, episode in which [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] does not appear at all.
*There is oxygen on Cybertron. Probably to allow combustion to happen.
*This episode marks the last appearances of Jetfire, Jetstorm, Ultra Magnus and Captain Fanzone in the series.
*Arcee wasn't actually offline at the end of the flashbacks in "The Thrill of the Hunt"—although she was amnesiac, she could stand, talk and take in her surroundings. This implies that it was the vivisection of her head in the "[[TransWarped]]" flashbacks in an attempt to retrieve the activation codes for Omega Supreme which caused the "damage to her circuitry" that Perceptor called "completely irreversible", and meant she was left, comatose, in a hospital bed for millions of stellar cycles.
*Everything has to be [[Megatron Rising - Part 1|"cold and offline"]] with Ratchet, doesn't it?
*Fans originally thought this episode would have Megatron turn into [[Galvatron (disambiguation)|Galvatron]]. Look how well that turned out.
* Wait. Every backround character appears in this episode, but Optimus and the rest of the main autobots, besides Ratchet, don't show up. That's just wrong.

==Home video releases==
This episode has yet to be released on home video.

[[Category:Animated episodes]]

This Is Why I Hate Machines

2010-06-30T14:05:23Z

64.12.116.203: /* Trivia */

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|image=TFAni ThisisWhyIHateMachines Fanzone Crowd.jpg
|caption=
|ep=40
|title="This Is Why I Hate Machines"
|caption=This is what hell looks like to Captain Fanzone.
|airdate=[[May 9]], 2009
|written by=[[Rob Hoegee]]
|directed by=[[Kalvin Lee]] [[Yutaka Hirata]]
|animation studio=[[Mook]]
}}
'''A space bridge accident sends Ratchet and Captain Fanzone to Cybertron, right as the Decepticon controlled Omega Supreme arrives.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:TFA ThisIsWhyIHateMachines Fanzone SpaceBridge.jpg|thumb|200px|left|That's it! I'm firing my travel agent.]]
[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] is trying to calibrate the newly constructed [[space bridge]] properly to begin the hunt for [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]]. Unfortunately, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]]'s advanced notation system of adhesive note papers leaves something to be desired. [[Captain Fanzone]] chooses that moment to step off [[Sumdac Tower]]'s elevator, engaged in a spirited discussion with [[Sumdac Systems]] technical support over some malfunctioning police drones. Fanzone has come to take up the matter with [[Isaac Sumdac]] himself, but before he can start looking for the scientist, a pair of police drones catch up to him and open fire with lethal force. Now dodging gunfire while the oblivious Ratchet continues to sort through Bulkhead's notes, Fanzone grows progressively more irate until the space bridge suddenly activates, having located Omega Supreme's transwarp signature. Ratchet looks up just in time to see the hapless Fanzone being sucked into the space bridge portal, and, deciding that this probably isn't a good thing, opts to follow.

[[Image:ThisIsWhyIHateMachines-Glyphandothers.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Just robot asses as far as the eye can see.]]

Fanzone finds himself unceremoniously dumped in the middle of a large city on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], a situation he's less than thrilled about. A crowd of Autobots freaks out at the presence of the horrifying organic lifeform. Nearly stepped on by the immense [[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]] at the urging of a [[Flareup (Animated)|friend]], Fanzone is rescued by the timely arrival of Ratchet. Fanzone wants to return home immediately, but Ratchet insists that while they're on Cybertron, they may as well hit up [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]]. To his dismay, his favorite watering hole has been shut down, along with other "subversive" gathering places, by order of [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]]. After watching one of Sentinel Prime's propaganda videos, the pair are soon approached by the Elite Guard, and Sentinel Prime demands to know how they have been able to get to Cybertron with space bridge travel locked down. Ratchet angrily explains that they didn't use the space bridge network, but rather piggybacked on Omega Supreme's transwarp signature. Sentinel, well-informed as always, laughs off Ratchet, thinking that Omega Supreme had been decommissioned centuries ago. He is immediately proven wrong as the looming shape of Omega Supreme's robot form appears in the Cybertronian skies.

Above the city, aboard Omega's inert body, [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] muses on this (glorious!) moment for the [[Decepticon]]s: those who were once driven away from Cybertron in exile are now poised over it in one of its greatest weapons. As [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] points out that they have no means actually to ''use'' said weapon, [[Lugnut]] comes to Megatron's defense, saying that with the [[plasmadynamic thruster]] removed, the Decepticons have control over Omega's navigational systems, transformation, and free access to the ship. Starscream points out that they have no control over the weapons systems, but Megatron rebuffs him with the revelation that he still has a spy on Cybertron who can fetch him the access codes to Omega Supreme. On cue, [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] contacts the Decepticons, saying that he knows of another means to the get the codes, only needing time to get to it. Starscream comments that this will only work if the Cybertronian defense cannons don't shoot them out of the sky, but Megatron doubts that they would fire on one of the greatest symbols of Autobot military strength.

Meanwhile, Sentinel advocates that they fire the Cybertronian defense cannons on one of the greatest symbols of Autobot military strength. This understandably does not go over well with several prominent members of the [[Autobot High Council]], to say nothing of Omega Supreme's former mentor, Ratchet, who warns that destroying Omega with the amount of transwarp energy currently stored within him could cause a blast that would wipe out Cybertron itself. [[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] and [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] rebuff Sentinel and inform him to wait for the council's decision. Ratchet warns Sentinel that there will be consequences if Omega is harmed, and Sentinel prepares to lock up Ratchet and Fanzone, but they make a break for it when Fanzone fakes a sneeze. The Elite Guard pursue the two, but lose them outside the [[Metroplex (Animated)|Metroplex]]. Sentinel orders Jazz to continue searching, while he and the twins head to [[Fortress Maximus (Animated)|Fortress Maximus]] to prepare the defense cannons, as Sentinel intends to attack regardless of the Council's decision.

Meanwhile, Ratchet and Fanzone take refuge in the forgotten network of maintenance tunnels beneath the city, which have been sealed for quite some time, but soon realize that someone ''else'' has been hiding in the tunnels quite recently. The occupant of that hideout is revealed to be none other than the double-agent [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]], who nearly gets the jump on the duo, still armed with the stolen [[Magnus Hammer]]. Ratchet fights back, surmising that Shockwave wishes to hack his processor to get the access codes to Omega Supreme, but Shockwave scoffs at this, revealing that he plans to go right to the original source: [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]! Horrified, Ratchet loses his concentration, allowing Shockwave to hurl him aside and escape.

At Fortress Maximus, Sentinel's diverting of all but essential [[energon (fuel)|Energon]] has not gone unnoticed, and Perceptor contacts him for an explanation. Sentinel says that the Elite Guard is simply preparing to attack if the Council gives the okay, and Alpha Trion informs him that they will have a decision shortly. As the council continues to deliberate a course of action, Sentinel Prime orders [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] to arm the weapons of the Elite Guard's base and aim at Omega Supreme. Lugnut advocates that they leave Omega's body and retaliate, something Starscream agrees to for different reasons, but Megatron silences them, claiming he has a reason for exposing their position. Shockwave then contacts Megatron to inform him that he has acquired clearance codes to enter the facility holding Arcee.

[[Image:TFA-ThisIsWhyIHateMachines-UltraMagnusSparkSupport.jpg|thumb|200px|left|"Is it water on the knee?" "A whole bucket, see?" "A Charley Horse, it's true!" "I'm the doctor for YOU!"]]
Fanzone puts his cop instincts to work and quickly tracks down the local stoolie, [[Rattletrap]], the bot who gave Shockwave the clearance codes. With a little organic coercion, the pair are able to force an access card from Rattletrap, but when they attempt to use it, they discover that the codes are bogus. Just as they make this discovery, [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] steps from the shadows to offer them his aid. He has finally had it with Sentinel Prime's attitude, and he gives Fanzone and Ratchet a functioning access card. The duo quickly locate Arcee, only to find that they have inadvertently led Shockwave right to her. A running firefight ensues as Ratchet tries to get Arcee to safety while Shockwave pursues them, and the battle carries them to the medical bay in which [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] is convalescing. Thinking that Ratchet is out of commission after a blow from the Magnus Hammer, Shockwave decides to finish the job on Ultra Magnus and turns his back on his fallen foe. Ratchet is still very much alive and kicking, however, and he downs Shockwave with a blast from his [[electromagnetic pulse]] generator, allowing him to reclaim the Magnus Hammer from the Decepticon's clutches. Of course, Sentinel Prime chooses that moment to enter the room, and he promptly leaps to the conclusion that Ratchet is trying to do away with Ultra Magnus. This distraction offers Shockwave the time he needs to escape with Arcee, which prompts Sentinel to issue the command to fire on Omega Supreme. Fortress Maximus opens fire, but Omega transwarps out of the path of the blast, which shoots off harmlessly through the sky.

A short while later, the council and Elite Guard see Ratchet and Fanzone to the [[space bridge nexus]] so that they can return to [[Earth]]. Alpha Trion chastises Sentinel for his actions, making it clear that if it was up to him alone, Sentinel wouldn't be Magnus for a second longer. Trion extends his thanks to Ratchet and Fanzone, but Ratchet sees little reason to celebrate, as the Decepticons now have Arcee. Perceptor tries to assure Ratchet that the damage done to Arcee's processor is irreversible, but Ratchet is not cheered up at the prospect. Just before they enter the space bridge, Sentinel orders Ratchet to hand over the Magnus Hammer, but Ratchet refuses, telling him they will give it back to its rightful owner, Ultra Magnus, when he is repaired. Before Sentinel can object, Ratchet and Fanzone dart off through the space bridge. Sentinel is about to pursue them, but Jazz blocks his path and offers to go in his stead. Ratchet and Fanzone are not happy to see Jazz when he appears in front of them, but Jazz explains that he is unable to condone Sentinel's actions any more and is deserting to join the Autobots on Earth.

[[Image:TFAni ThisisWhyIHateMachines Arcee Earth.jpg‎|thumb|200px|right| "Insert ''2001: A Space Odyssey'' instrumental here"]]
Out in space, Omega Supreme rematerializes close to Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. Aboard the dormant Autobot, Shockwave bows before Megatron and abandons his [[electronic paint job]] so that he can finally serve his leader under his true colors. Megatron bids his "most loyal servant" to rise, sending Lugnut into fits of silent, quivering rage—much to Starscream's amusement. On the other side of the bridge, the ''conscious'' Arcee lies upon a table and looks out at the Earth below, quietly whispering Ratchet's name...
 

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (1)
*[[Freeway (Animated)|Freeway]] (3)
*[[Carrera (Animated)|Carrera]] (4)
*[[Huffer (Animated)|Huffer]] (5)
*[[Sedan (Animated)|Sedan]] (6)
*[[Glyph (Animated)|Glyph]] (7)
*[[Bumper (Animated)|Bumper]] (8)
*[[Tap-Out (Animated)|Tap-Out]] (9)
*[[Powerglide (Animated)|Powerglide]] (10)
*[[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]] (11)
*[[Flareup (Animated)|Flareup]] (12)
*[[Steeljaw (Animated)|Steeljaw]] (13)
*[[Zaur]] (14)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (15)
*[[Autotrooper]] (20)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (21)
*[[Tracks (Animated)|Tracks]] (22)
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] (23)
*[[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] (24)
*[[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] (25)
*[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] (26)
*[[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] (27)
*[[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] (28)
*[[Rattletrap]] (29)
*[[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] (30)

|c2=
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] (16)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (17)
*[[Lugnut]] (18)
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (19)
*[[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] (31, flashback)

|c3=
*[[Captain Fanzone]] (2)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Security Bot''': ''Halt. You are in violation of Criminal Code 30114. Lethal force has been authorised.'' 
''[Security bots open fire]'' 
'''Fanzone''': Hey! Ow! Hey! 
'''Ratchet''': Think you have it bad? I got to decipher ''Bulkhead''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> handwriting! And those claws of his aren't exactly designed for penbotship.
:—As the Security Bots try to kill Captain Fanzone, Ratchet shows the depth to which he does not care.

"I'd be a happy man if I never see another—"''[Fanzone takes in his surroundings]''"...''robot''?"
:—'''Captain Fanzone''' enters his own personal hell, and its name is Cybertron.

"I can't believe we're on Cybertron! Of all the places we transwarped, this is great!"
:—'''Ratchet''', happy for the first time since...well, since we've seen him.

"Citizens of Cybertron, Decepticons are in our midst! Neighbours, friends, even ''your own model'' can be a spy! Do your duty and report any suspicious activity to the Elite Guard immediately." 
"...what is this scrap?!" 
"For your protection, all potentially subversive gathering places remain closed. Curfew remains in effect. Remember, Decepticons will stop at nothing to destroy our way of life! Don't let THIS ''[picture of Ultra Magnus on [[spark support]]]'' happen to you. As your Magnus, I will continue to defeat the Decepticon scourge and bring peace and security to Cybertron! I'm Sentinel Prime, and I approve of this message." 
"No-good glory-hog's got a lot of steel. It was [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] who caught those 'Cons!"
:—'''Sentinel Prime'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s propaganda film, with commentary by '''Ratchet'''

"Cybertron. At last, our ultimate goal is at our feet. And here we stand, aboard its ultimate weapon." 
"Now, wouldn't it be nice if we could actually figure out how to use it!" 
:—'''Megatron''' has a moment, which '''Starscream''' ruins.

'''Perceptor''': Sentinel Prime, please explain why all but essential Energon has been diverted to Fortress Maximus. 
'''Alpha Trion''': Need we remind you that the Council is still deliberating? 
'''Sentinel Prime''': As acting Magnus, I must be ready to strike should Omega... should Megatron make a move against us. 
'''Alpha Trion''': Very well. We will inform you of our decision shortly.
:-Sentinel Prime reveals his secret dream of blowing up Omega Supreme and covers it up neatly.

"How'd you know about this bot?" ''[indicating Rattletrap]'' 
"Ehh. There's one in every town." 
:—'''Ratchet''' learns a little more about how '''Captain Fanzone''' works.

"This is why I hate machines." ''[looks at Sentinel Prime]'' "Certain machines more than others."
:—'''Captain Fanzone'''

'''Captain Fanzone''': I get mixed up in a war, nearly stepped on, blasted, burried, and possibly zapped into space, and now, you've just made me an accomplice to INTERGALACTIC GRAND THEFT!! 
'''Police Drone:''' Halt. You are under arrest. 
''(Ratchet blows it up with his magnetic powers)'' 
'''Captain Fanzone''': Let's say we call it even.
:-Captain Fanzone complains about the worst day of his life and then blows it off.

==Notes==

===Animation or technical errors===
* A few of the laser blasts that the drone fires at Captain Fanzone (before he gets sucked up by the Space Bridge) are out of sync with the animation of the strafing drone.
* Shockwave's head model changes randomly throughout the episode in shape, size and in the positioning of his optic.
* When Shockwave holds up the Magnus Hammer and starts generating lightning, its handle is only half as long as usual.
* When Sentinel Prime first sees Omega Supreme, his shoulderpads ends up behind the circle around his neck.

===Transformers references===
* Captain Fanzone's arrival on Cybertron treats us to another crowd scene full of cameos, some of which we haven't seen before. Notable newbies in this crowd include [[Glyph (Animated)|Glyph]], [[Bumper (Animated)|Bumper]] and his white recolor [[Sedan (Animated)|Sedan]], [[Steeljaw (Animated)|Steeljaw]], [[Zaur]] and robot-mode [[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]]. We also get a closer look at [[Carrera (Animated)|Carrera]], but only from behind, as he talks to an unnamed blue-and-tan female robot.

* Ratchet's favorite hangout is [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]].

* Parade footage from "[[Decepticon Air]]" is used in Sentinel's little propaganda video. (See said episode for the list of cameos within.)

* Ratchet remarks that [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] was the one to capture the Decepticon prisoners, as seen in "[[Five Servos of Doom]]".

* The Autobot Council's headquarters is known as "the [[Metroplex (Animated)|Metroplex]]", and the Elite Guard's battle station is "[[Fortress Maximus (Animated)|Fortress Maximus]]".

* Ratchet's flashback uses footage from "[[The Thrill of the Hunt]]", giving Lockdown a brief "appearance" in this episode.

* At the end of the episode, Shockwave utilizes an [[electronic paint job]] to reveal his "true colors", represented by a [[Target]] [[exclusive]] [[redeco]] reminiscent of his [[Shockwave (G1)|Generation 1 namesake]]'s color scheme.

*Rattletrap's design and speech pattern are modelled after [[Rattrap]].

===Real-world references===
*Sentinel Prime's broadcast was based on [[wikipedia:The Red Scare|The Red Scare]] during the Cold War. The broadcast concludes with him saying "I'm Sentinel Prime, and I approve of this message."—in the style of contemporary [[President of the United States|political campaign ads]].
*Sentinel's insistence that he is the one who "makes the tough decisions" and insistence that any questioning of his orders is tantamount to treason is probably some kind of statement about [[Mission Accomplished|some''one'' or some''thing'']], but we'll leave it at that.
*Shockwave's slow, deadpan delivery of "I'm afraid I can't let you do that" is a reference to the menacing supercomputer HAL from Stanley Kubrick's ''[[wikipedia:2001 (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'', who also featured an unblinking single red eye.
* When Ratchet and Fanzone are headed to Maccadam's, they stop in front of a building which appears to have Target's trademark "bull's-eye" logo.
* Ratchet retorts to Shockwave about taking the activation codes from his "cold, offline processor", similar to one of Charlton Heston's most famous quotes in support of the NRA. He'd previously used a similar line in [[Megatron Rising - Part 1]].

===Trivia===
*This is the first, and only, episode in which [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] does not appear at all.
*There is oxygen on Cybertron. Probably to allow combustion to happen.
*This episode marks the last appearances of Jetfire, Jetstorm, Ultra Magnus and Captain Fanzone in the series.
*Arcee wasn't actually offline at the end of the flashbacks in "The Thrill of the Hunt"—although she was amnesiac, she could stand, talk and take in her surroundings. This implies that it was the vivisection of her head in the "[[TransWarped]]" flashbacks in an attempt to retrieve the activation codes for Omega Supreme which caused the "damage to her circuitry" that Perceptor called "completely irreversible", and meant she was left, comatose, in a hospital bed for millions of stellar cycles.
*Everything has to be [[Megatron Rising - Part 1|"cold and offline"]] with Ratchet, doesn't it?
*Fans originally thought this episode would have Megatron turn into [[Galvatron (disambiguation)|Galvatron). Look how well that turned out.
* Wait. Every backround character appears in this episode, but Optimus and the rest of the main autobots, besides Ratchet, don't show up. That's just wrong.

==Home video releases==
This episode has yet to be released on home video.

[[Category:Animated episodes]]

Scorponok (Movie)

2009-06-02T10:55:26Z

64.12.116.203: /* Deluxe Class toys */

{{factions|decepticon}}
{{disambig3|Scorponok}}
:''Scorponok is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Movie (franchise)|2007 movie franchise]] in the [[Live-action film series|live-action film]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Movie Scorponok Procterrender1.jpg|right|350px|thumb|This is his first major role since ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie'' as Scorpitron. This role he likes better because he doesn't get blown up.]]

'''Scorponok''' is a small [[Transformer]] with a symbiotic connection to [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]]. His main drives are to hunt, destroy, and hunt some more, and nobody knows if he's truly barely sentient or is actually a cunning opponent getting friend & foe alike to underestimate him. Just as Blackout would often be found looming powerful and silent by [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]], Scorponok is always near Blackout, except in those times he has been sent to kill.

Since he can tunnel underground with frightening speed, he's incredibly good at ambushing. His favorite pastime is playing Hide and Seek with unsuspecting players, be they robotic or organic. He prefers to be hider ''and'' seeker. On Cybertron, he was deliberately left behind on battlefields so he could use his chameleon mesh armour plating to blend in perfectly with the background, then ambush any Autobot patrols that would arrive. Thanks to this, Megatron gave him more autonomy than other Decepticons would get, as he admired Scorponok's genocidal zeal.

He may retreat, but he'll come back. He kills Autobots. He never gives up.<ref>Character Profile: Scorponok in [[Transformers #9]] (Titan)</ref>

:''Chinese name (Taiwan):'' '''Wēn-yì''' (瘟疫, "Plague")

== Fiction ==
===IDW ''Transformers'' movie prequel comics===
Scorponok and Blackout, who ordinarily never leave [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]'s side, were dispatched to join [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]'s forces elsewhere on Cybertron while Megatron closed in on the [[All Spark]]. After the group realized that both the All Spark and Megatron had left Cybertron, Blackout ended an argument with Starscream over what to do next by deploying the fearsome Scorponok. {{storylink|Planetfall}}

Soon after the Decepticons launched a battlecruiser to pursue [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]'s starship, they were unwittingly led into a trap and crippled by mines. Also damaged was Starscream's forward scout [[Dreadwing (Movie)|Dreadwing]], who was rescued by Scorponok. The Decepticons limped back to Cybertron in humiliation. {{storylink|The Reign of Starscream issue 1|The Reign of Starscream #1}}

[[Image:HoorayScorponok.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Adorably bloodthirsty.]]
After repairs were made to their ship, they followed the energy signature of the All Spark to [[Mars]], then to [[Earth]], where Scorponok adorably helped out in the massacre of a United States military installation in [[Afghanistan]]. {{storylink|Planetfall}}

{{note|IDW's comics thus far have the only two fictional depictions of Scorponok's robot mode (which was designed for the toy) and show that he has always had a scorpion beast mode, meaning it was not a form he assumed once on Earth. His beast mode is just alien enough to work, but you can explain his name yourself.}}
{{-}}

===''Ghosts of Yesterday'' prequel novel===
Scorponok helped Blackout fight [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and later sabotaged the ''Ark''. [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] trashed Scorponok for this act. He was saved by Blackout, who was still recovering from a massive beating by [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]. What a pal. {{storylink|Ghosts of Yesterday}}

{{charstubfiction}}

===''Transformers'' (2007) film===
[[Image:Movie Blackout Scorponok eject1.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Oh, slag, I forgot the Bungee cord!]]

During Blackout's attack on the [[United States Military|US]] [[SOCCENT Forward Operations Base]] in [[Qatar]], the Decepticon helicopter dispatched Scorponok to seek out and destroy an escaped unit under the command of [[William Lennox|Captain Lennox]].

[[Image:Movie Scorponok leapsout.jpg|250px|thumb|HUUUGZ!!!]]

The next morning, as the surviving soldiers discussed the attack, Scorponok observed their conversation from a distance while hidden in the sand. Targeting Lennox for elimination, Scorponok followed the unit as they made their way to [[Mahfouz|the human boy's]] village. Choosing his moment to strike just as the men stopped on the outskirts of the settlement, his attack was foiled when [[Robert Epps|Sergeant Epps]] saw the metal scorpion tail pointed at Lennox's back and shouted a warning. (Well, it wasn't so much a warning as it was a very, very panicked "''WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!''" followed by gunfire, but hey, it counts.) The other soldiers joined in the firefight as Scorponok dove under the sand to confuse them before impaling [[Donnelly|Sgt. Donnelly]] and dragging him below.

[[Image:Scorponok hurt.JPG|left|250px|thumb|I'm not having fun any more.]]

Driving the soldiers into the village, Scorponok fired a barrage of missiles, which destroyed the ruins that the village had grown around and critically injured [[Jorge Figueroa|Figueroa]]. Unfortunately for Scorponok, Lennox's distress call to the [[Pentagon]] had gotten through, and an [[United States Air Force#MQ-1 Predator|MQ-1 Predator]] drone relayed images of the Decepticon to astonished US military commanders. They immediately sent two [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|A-10 Thunderbolt IIs]] to attack Scorponok, to little effect, then followed up with an [[United_States_Air_Force#AC-130_Spectre|AC-130 Spectre gunship]], which damaged Scorponok enough for him to dive back into the sand and escape, leaving his broken tail behind.

Scorponok's tail was transported back to the States aboard a [[United_States_Air_Force#C-17_Globemaster_III|C-17 transport]]. Lennox, Epps, and several other soldiers examined it en route, which led to the discovery that the only damage the armor didn't either shrug off or quickly heal was the "6000-degree magnesium burn" of a sabot round. Armed with this knowledge, the humans knew they now had a weapon that could hurt the invaders. {{storylink|Transformers (2007)|Transformers}}
{{-}}

===Titan Magazines ''Transformers'' comics===
{{note|The following event is unique to the Titan Magazines continuity.}}
[[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] and a team of US Special Forces went looking for Scorponok. (Captain Lennox was originally meant to oversee this mission but was reassigned.) Hunting his hunters, Scorponok attacked Ironhide and took control of his motor functions, having him rampage through the humans. Luckily, one of them was able to sever the connection with a shot, and Ironhide smashed the Decepticon to pieces. {{storylink|Scorpion Sting}}

{{notetitantlg}}
[[Image:SkyblastVersusScorponok.jpg|left|260px|thumb|"DIE, empty space next to Autobot! DIE!"]]

Scorponok spied on a team of Moon-based Autobot reinforcements {{storylink|Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 1}} and later helped [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] battle them. {{storylink|Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 3}}

''Much'' later, during the [[Decepticon Civil War]], he was Blackout's trump card against [[Stockade (Movie)|Stockade]]. He not only failed, he was thrown as a ''projectile weapon'' against Blackout. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 25|Revolution Part Three}}
{{-}}

===Toy bios===

Scorponok actually ''led'' the hunt for the AllSpark during the absence of Megatron, and this gave him a taste of command. He happily started using Megatron's own style of super-brutality to keep the troops in line, and looked forward to bumping off his leader and taking full command of the Decepticons. {{storylink|#Deluxe Class toys|Desert Attack}}

The disastrous failure on Earth evidently cocked ''that'' up, as poor Scorpy was left behind by the other Decetpicons in the [[Middle East]]. His attempt at remaining out of sight have failed, and he is constantly being pursued by Bumblebee. {{storylink|#Legends Class toys|Legends Scorponok}}

===''Revenge of the Fallen''===
He's back! {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

{{comingsoon}}

==Games==
==="Flight of the Bumblebee" online game===
Scorponok was one of a group of Decepticons who trapped Bumblebee in a canyon. He stood around on a rocky butte, walking back and forth and waiting for Bumblebee to drive up to him. When the Autobot dropped in, Scorponok immediately opened fire, blasting Bumblebee continuously. Unfortunately, Bumblebee had the idea to shoot back, blasting him right out of the picture with just one shot. {{storylink|Flight of the Bumblebee}}

===Transformers The Game===
[[Image:Scorponok 2007game babygotback.jpg|right|120px|thumb|Coolest. Backpack. Ever.]]
After Blackout scrapped the military base in Qatar, Scorponok was sent to destroy five mobile communications vehicles, succeeding in his task. Scorponok went and did his own thing while Blackout searched the databanks for information on Megatron and the All Spark, but reunited with Blackout in time for their escape.

After arriving in [[Mission City]], Scorponok fought through a horde of [[Energon drone|Energon drones]] to secure the All Spark. Sam Witwicky nearly handed Scorponok the All Spark, but Ironhide punted Scorponok. That made Blackout very mad... {{storylink|Transformers The Game (console)|Transformers The Game}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===Transformers (2007)===
====Voyager Class Blackout companions====
[[Image:MiniScorponok.jpg|right|144px|thumb|I'm just an accessory.]]
*'''Blackout''' (Voyager Class, 2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MD-01'''

: Blackout comes packed with a small silver figurine of Scorponok, who himself features a spring-loaded tail. He is usually stored in a cage on the rear of Blackout's helicopter mode. (Note: The spring in the figurine's tail is oriented not to spring the tail forward, but to help propel the figure out of the cage so that it lands right-side up.)

{{-}}

* '''Blackout Ver. 4500X''' (Lawson exclusive Voyager Class, Japan 2007)

:This Voyager Class Blackout repaint, exclusive to the Japanese convenience store chain Lawson with the purchase of the movie DVD, came with a redeco of the small Scorponok figurine that came with the regular Voyager Class Blackout, in metallic colors that better match the Deluxe Class Scorponok toy (and the movie CG design, of course).

{{-}}

[[Image:Mov2007-toy PremiumScorponok.JPG|right|162px|thumb|I'm just a Premium accessory. But face it, I got better colours.]]
* '''Blackout''' ("Premium Series" Voyager Class, USA 2008)

:This redeco of the Voyager Class Blackout toy appears to be based on the same plastic color layout and paint mask as the Japanese Lawson exclusive "Version 4500X" redeco of Voyager Blackout, down to the improved paint on the Scorponok mini-figure. As a matter of fact, both toys might turn out to be outright ''identical'', packaging aside.

:Unlike some of the early "Premium Series" toys, Blackout was available as a mass release.

{{-}}

====Legends Class toys====
[[Image:Movie Legends Bumblebee Scorponok toys.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Ironically, more robot-like than the deluxe-sized one.]]
*'''Bumblebee vs. Scorponok''' (Legends Allspark Battles two-pack, 2008)

: Legends Scorponok is the smallest transforming figure of ''Movie'' Scorponok yet. He features a better-proportioned robot mode and better articulation for the legs than the Deluxe Class version. In fact, he's one of the best articulated Legends-sized toys to date. Even his claw hands are able to rotate. He does bear a resemblance to a [[Scorponok (BW)|previous version]], though. The only version of the mold released thus far comes packed with a slightly redecoed Legends Class [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]. Face it, ''he'' should've come with Voyager Blackout.

{{-}}

====Deluxe Class toys====
[[Image:Move DeluxeScorponok toy.jpg|right|250px|thumb|This looks [[Scorponok (BW)|familiar]].]]
*'''Scorponok''' (Deluxe Class, 2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MD-04'''

: Scorponok is a robotic scorpion. His body is covered in military warning and command designation markings, suggesting he forms part of a larger military vehicle ([[Blackout (Movie)|hint, hint]]). Two wheels on the bottom of his beast mode, when pushed along a flat, smooth surface, rotate gears that cause the turbines in his body and the pincers on his arms to spin. His tail features a spring-loaded, yet non-launching stinger that extends when a latch is released.

: In beast mode, Scorponok can combine with the underside of [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout's]] helicopter mode to exploit the larger Decepticon's own gear gimmick system. A geared shaft linked to Blackout's rotor mechanism connects to a geared peg on Scorponok's back. Thus, pressing the button on Blackout's tail not only rotates his blades, but also rotates Scorponok's pincers and the turbines in his body. (This can also be done with [[Evac (Movie)|Evac]] due to him being a retool of Blackout.) This gimmick can also be activated (more easily) by rotating the geared wheels on Scorponok's undercarriage instead.

: Deluxe Scorponok can transform into what might be ''charitably'' called a robot mode, but was most likely added as an afterthought to the design for added play value (and possibly so Hasbro could actually justify selling the toy as a "Transformer" by itself). The later Legends Class toy features a considerably better-executed bipedal robot mode. In any case, this robot mode never appears in the movie, but does appear briefly in the second Target-sponsored [[Planetfall|Movie Prequel comic]] and in [[The Reign of Starscream issue 1]].

{{-}}

[[Image:Movie DecepticonDesertAttack 2pack.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Ignoring the vast difference in scale between Scorponok's two figures while linked to Blackout takes some imagination.]]
*'''Decepticon Desert Attack''' (Toys'R'Us exclusive two-pack, 2007)

: This package, based on their first appearance in the film, features an unchanged Voyager Blackout packaged with an unchanged Deluxe Scorponok, which was exclusively available at Toys "R" Us stores. Since Voyager Blackout was gang-molded with the miniature Scorponok figure the single release came with, this means that the set contains ''two'' Scorponok toys in different sizes.

{{-}}

*'''Ultimate Bumblebee Bonus Value pack''' (Wal*Mart exclusive multi-pack, 2007)

:A Wal*Mart-exclusive special pack of [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Ultimate Bumblebee]] with Deluxe Class [[Brawl (Movie)|Decepticon Brawl]] and Scorponok as bonus figures. None of the three toys are changed from their respective original releases.

{{-}}

[[Image:Movie ScreenBattles DesertAttack.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Scorponok now comes with little people to kill.]]
*'''Desert Attack''' (Screen Battles, 2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''SB-03'''

:This pack features a minor [[redeco]] of Deluxe Class Scorponok sporting "sand" paint applications on his body. The pack also comes with non-posable figurines of [[Epps|Sergeant Epps]], [[Jorge Figueroa]] and [[Donnelly|Sergeant Donnelly]]. They are packaged in a special window box featuring a diorama depicting the battle at [[Mahfouz]]'s village.

:According to details listed in an official checklist on Hasbro's website<ref>[http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/default.cfm?page=Collectors/Checklist Hasbro Transformers Collectors Checklist]</ref>, this pack was originally supposed to include "4 soldiers". Apparently budget ultimately only allowed for three. The fourth one was most probably supposed to be [[William Lennox|Captain Lennox]], who was included with the Screen Battles "Capture of [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]" set instead, colored as a [[Sector Seven]] soldier.

{{-}}

===Attacktix===
[[Image:Attacktix-MovMegsScorp.jpg|right|150px|thumb|I am going to KILL Yukon Cornelius.]]
*'''Battle Masters Megatron and Scorponok''' (Battle Master set, 200?)

{{charstubtoys}}
{{-}}
===Revenge of the Fallen===
====Voyager Class Grindor companions====
*'''Grindor''' (2009)
{{comingsoontoy}}

====Deluxe Class Toys====
*'''Stealth Scorponok''' (2009)
{{Charstubtoys}}
{{comingsoontoy}}
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Robot Heroes===
[[Image:Rhscorpprime.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Ripped straight from that scene they didn't appear together in.]]
*'''Optimus Prime vs Scorponok''' (2007)

:Scorponok is naturally sculpted in his beast mode for his Robot Heroes release. Cast in gray plastic, he has gold and black paint apps for color. His head is quirked to the side, and his pedipalps are bent into a ''possible'' standard-issue smile. He is articulated only at the pincers' shoulder joints, but his tail and legs are made of soft enough plastic to wiggle about. (The tail is much too short to sting anything other than his own back.)

{{-}}

==Notes==
* In the film, Scorponok is a silent hunter-killer sent by Blackout. This has caused some conflicting depictions in the fiction and toy bios of Scorponok's level of intelligence. Some present him as being barely alive and merely an animalistic drone, and this is a commonly accepted view. After all, [[Ratbat (G1)#Trivia|non-humanoid Transformers aren't important or noteworthy]]. Another bio, by contrast, describes him as having ''leadership'' ambitions, and his Titan Magazines profile implies strongly that he fakes being a bestial drone to give him a psychological edge.
[[Image:Movie Scorponok headprop.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Now I'm the Headmaster!]]
* Real physical props of Scorponok's head and tail were made by ILM's crew for certain scenes, most notably Lennox and Epps's examination of the tail leftovers on the plane. The head prop was used in the close-up of Scorponok stalking the SOCCENT survivors.<ref>[http://www.benprocter.com/SITEv2/HTML/PROJPAGE_Trans_08.html Ben Procter's portfolio, depicting CGI models and life-sized props for Scorponok]</ref>

* According to writer [[Roberto Orci]] on the official Transformers Movie board, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] was originally going to appear in the movie (back when Blackout was still supposed to be [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]])<ref>[http://boards.transformersmovie.com/showpost.php?p=234188&postcount=2008 Roberto Orci confirms that Ravage was replaced by Scorponok at the official movie boards]</ref>, but was later changed to Scorponok when the setting of the opening scene was changed from jungle to desert.<ref>[http://boards.transformersmovie.com/showpost.php?p=234188&postcount=2008 Roberto Orci confirms that Ravage would have appeared in a different terrain at the official movie boards]</ref> This would make Scorponok's scorpion form the ''robot mode'' (in the same fashion Ravage's panther mode was the robot mode), whereas his "alternate mode" is actually a part of Blackout's engine.

[[Image:Geturboshaftengine.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The Turboshaft engine that film Scorponok transforms from. You can almost see the bits of Donnelly.]]
* Exactly ''which'' parts of Blackout turn into Scorponok is a little unclear. The center of his body appears to be made of a [[wikipedia:General_Electric_T64|General Electric T64]] turboshaft engine; his transformation/separation sequence in the movie shows that his forearms are made up of part of the side exhausts, and therefore ''also'' consist of parts of T64 engines. How this is possible, considering an MH-53 Pave Low only features ''two'' T64 engines, is up to anyone's guess.

* Meanwhile, the various markings found on the CGI model's design, the life-sized props and Hasbro's Deluxe toy are taken from all kinds of places on Blackout's helicopter mode, most prominently the cockpit and the tail.<ref>[http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/mh53jreferencefr_1.htm Detail close-up photos of a real MH-53 Pave Low]</ref> Some of those markings can also be found on props used for the scene which features the [[United States Navy|US Navy]] dumping the Decepticons' remains into the ocean.<ref>[http://transformerslive.blogspot.com/2006/10/pics-from-uss-shoup-of-transformer.html Behind the scenes photos taken aboard the [[Wikipedia:USS Shoup (DDG-86)|''U.S.S. Shoup'']], depicting props from the movie used for the scene which features the US Navy dumping the Decepticons' remains into the ocean]</ref> Considering Blackout didn't appear to be missing any integral parts of his alternate mode in the movie's final act, it seems that either Scorponok reattached himself to Blackout after he escaped the US Air Force's counterattack in Qatar (and was therefore part of Blackout during the final battle), or Blackout somehow magically regrew the parts that were previously made up by Scorponok.

* In the feature "From Script to Sand: The Skorponok Desert Attack" on the movie's bonus DVD, production designer [[Jeff Mann]] suggested that Scorponok was "birthed" from Blackout, thus suggesting that he might be more of an autonomous extension of Blackout himself, similar to [[Roller]]. Screenwriter Roberto Orci later confirmed that as far as he was concerned, Scorponok was something between a symbiont and a "drone", rather than a fully fledged character.<ref>[http://www.donmurphy.net/board/showpost.php?p=1159482&postcount=9822 Orci confirming his view of Scorponok]</ref> The [[Ghosts of Yesterday]] novel would go on to unambiguously identify him as a symbiont.

* A leaked early draft of the script<ref>Details from an early script draft [http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showpost.php?p=2213120&postcount=297 summed up here], [http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showpost.php?p=2214148&postcount=303 confirmed as authentic by Roberto Orci here].</ref> spells his name "Skorponok". That spelling is also used by [[Alan Dean Foster]]'s [[Transformers (novel)|novelization]] of the movie and in the menus for the movie's bonus DVD (most notably the featurette named "From Script to Sand: The Skorponok Desert Attack"). Hasbro themselves used the [[Scorponok (G1)|traditional]] [[Scorponok (BW)|spelling]] "[[Scorponok (Energon)|Scorponok]]" for their toys, even though a wallpaper on Hasbro's website spells the name "Scorponock".<ref name="hasbrodemolishor">[http://www.hasbro.com/objects/content/wallpaper.cfm?img=wp_transformers651_1280.jpg&brand_id=496&lang_id=1 Wallpaper at Hasbro's website calling Brawl/Devastator "Demolisher".]</ref> Meanwhile, in interviews, Michael Bay constantly refers to him as "Scorponox", and a preorder listing for the movie score even uses the spelling "Skorpinok".<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Steve-Jablonsky/dp/B000VFGQHK Amazon.com preorder for the movie score]</ref> Come on, people! It's not like his name's Mxyzptlk. (Even though misspelling Scorponok's name is not quite [[Scorpinok|unprecedented]].)

* Speaking of real, the famous shot of Scorponok leaping from the sand in pursuit a trio of soldiers, the shot used in a lot of the promos? Scorponok is the ''only'' element of CGI in that shot. The sand-explosion behind the soldiers is real, caused by carefully timed explosives placed under the dunes, which certainly must have encouraged the actors to run like hell—the looks of fear on their faces are 100% genuine. The overwhelming majority of explosions, flying cars, and broken buildings in the movie are similarly real effects, not CGI.

* Scorponok is the only Transformer in the movie whose name is not spoken or stated in any way. Well, arguably [[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]] fits in that category too...

* In [http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-04-01-transformers-first-look_N.htm an interview] for [[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]] Roberto Orci stated that the Decepticon beasts didn't speak because it would be "strange," for audiences to hear Scorponok's English accent.

==Footnotes==
<references/>

==External links==
* [http://www.tfu.info/2007/Decepticon/Scorponok/scorponok.htm Scorponok at TFU.info]

{{charstub}}

[[Category:3D Battle-Cards]]
[[Category:Attacktix]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Movie characters]]
[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen characters]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]

Zarak (G1)

2007-01-08T00:23:44Z

64.12.116.203: Only comic pic I could find

{{disambig3|Zarak}}

:''Zarak is a [[Decepticon]] allied [[Nebulan]] in the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

'''Zarak''' was a powerful and corrupt Nebulan leader who transforms into the head of [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]].

''('''Note:''' The small headmaster partner that represented "Zarak" in the west was "Scorponok" in Japan. The larger body that was the Decepticon Scorponok here was, in that continuity, mearly a powerful [[transector]]. See Scorponok's link above for that character.)''

==Fiction==
[[Image:Llyrapowerhungry.jpg|right|120px|thumb| Zarak standing,like any good father, between his half-dressed daughter and the strapping pantsless gentleman.]]
===Marvel Comics continuity===

Lord Zarak was a high-ranking politician of questionable morality and ethics. Though generally believing he worked for what was, in his own mind, the good of all Nebulos, he tended to be close-minded, dishonest, manipultive, self-aggrandizing, and excessively proud. He loved his daughter [[Llyra]] very much, but was a political rival of her young and idealistic love [[Galen]]. He is blackmailed and manipulated by the Decepticon [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] into working for him and [[binary-bonding]] with him. Ultimately, their bonding seemes to have the unexpected side-effect of causing their minds to fuse into one compossite being. It was Zarak who, in one last act of individual choice, nobility and self-sacrifice, who freed Galen and the captured Autobot Headmasters so the Decepticons would follow them away from his beloved world. Thier bonding may be part of the reason that Scorponok became more sympathetic towards the Autobot cause towards the end of the series, ultimately sacrificing his life against [[Unicron]].

===Animated Continuity===
====The Rebirth (U.S.)====

[[Image:RebirthZarak1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|How on Nebulos did I get so ugly?]]

In the three part ''The Rebirth'' series, Lord Zarak is a vile dictator, the leader of the [[Hive]], a group of telekinetics who have enslaved the population of [[Nebulos]]. While the Hive cannot control Transformers as they would normal machines, Zarak nonetheless uses his machines to capture and bully the Decepticons into supplying [[Headmaster]] and [[Targetmaster]] forms for the other ten members.

Zarak later rebuilt the Hive's underground city into the giant Headmaster body Scorponok, with a special suit that allowed him sole control over Scorponok. In the end, Zarak/Scorponok lost to [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] and the Decepticons and Hive fled Nebulos. The series ended but hints of a conflict between Zarak and [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] for leadership were present.

Zarak talks in an almost monotone voice, showing little emotion and never anger. While he retains his body, he is never shown to walk without his Headmaster suit and may be a paraplegic. One eye is also drawn closed, he may be blind in it or missing it.

Animation errors also abound in these episodes, as Zarak, both with and without his suit, is drawn as both human and Transformer sized, which fluctuates between scenes.

==Toys==

[[category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[category: Decepticons]]
[[category:Headmasters]]
[[category:Headmasters characters]]
[[Category: Hive]]
[[category:Masterforce characters]]
[[category:Zone characters]]
[[category:Nebulans]]

Zarak (G1)

2007-01-08T00:02:24Z

64.12.116.203: JTF Scorps is already covered and better under that name, also fixed some to be more in-universe but needs a LOT more of that still

{{disambig3|Zarak}}

:''Zarak is a [[Decepticon]] allied [[Nebulan]] in the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

'''Zarak''' was a powerful Nebulan and corrupt Nebulan leader who transforms into the head of [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]].

''('''Note:''' The small headmaster partner that represented "Zarak" in the west was "Scorponok" in Japan. The larger body that was the Decepticon Scorponok here was, in that continuity, mearly a powerful [[transector]] for the smaller robot. See Scorponok's link above for that character.)''

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===

Lord Zarak was a high-ranking politician of questionable morality and ethics. Though generally believing he worked for what was, in his own mind, the good of all Nebulos, he tended to be close-minded, dishonest, manipultive, self-aggrandizing, and excessively proud. He loved his daughter [[Llyra]] very much, but was a political rival of her young and idealistic love [[Galen]]. He is blackmailed and manipulated by the Decepticon [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] into working for him and [[binary-bonding]] with him. Ultimately, their bonding seemes to have the unexpected side-effect of causing their minds to fuse into one compossite being. It was Zarak who, in one last act of individual choice, nobility and self-sacrifice, who freed Galen and the captured Autobot Headmasters so the Decepticons would follow them away from his beloved world. Thier bonding may be part of the reason that Scorponok became more sympathetic towards the Autobot cause towards the end of the series, ultimately sacrificing his life against [[Unicron]].

===Animated Continuity===
====The Rebirth (U.S.)====

[[Image:RebirthZarak1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|How on Nebulos did I get so ugly?]]

In the three part ''The Rebirth'' series, Lord Zarak is a vile dictator, the leader of the [[Hive]], a group of telekinetics who have enslaved the population of [[Nebulos]]. While the Hive cannot control Transformers as they would normal machines, Zarak nonetheless uses his machines to capture and bully the Decepticons into supplying [[Headmaster]] and [[Targetmaster]] forms for the other ten members.

Zarak later rebuilt the Hive's underground city into the giant Headmaster body Scorponok, with a special suit that allowed him sole control over Scorponok. In the end, Zarak/Scorponok lost to [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] and the Decepticons and Hive fled Nebulos. The series ended but hints of a conflict between Zarak and [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] for leadership were present.

Zarak talks in an almost monotone voice, showing little emotion and never anger. While he retains his body, he is never shown to walk without his Headmaster suit and may be a paraplegic. One eye is also drawn closed, he may be blind in it or missing it.

Animation errors also abound in these episodes, as Zarak, both with and without his suit, is drawn as both human and Transformer sized, which fluctuates between scenes.

==Toys==

[[category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[category: Decepticons]]
[[category:Headmasters]]
[[category:Headmasters characters]]
[[Category: Hive]]
[[category:Masterforce characters]]
[[category:Zone characters]]
[[category:Nebulans]]

Talk:Buster Witwicky (G1)

2006-03-27T22:42:39Z

64.12.116.203:

What are we callign the iBooks trilogy? it has a gaggle of characters unique to it...

Well, it happens in the Dreamwave continuity, so do we need to give it its own designation? --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 09:56, 27 March 2006 (UTC)

Everyone yells at me when i try to say it takes place in Dreamave continuity. :~( -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 10:09, 27 March 2006 (UTC)

Since very few people are going to be familiar with the events of those books, I strongly feel that they should be explicitly cited when information from them is presented, along the lines of the first revision to this article that mentioned them. --[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 21:54, 27 March 2006 (UTC)

Are lines like "Buster is a sex crime waiting to happen" ''really'' appropriate for this wiki?--[[User:G.B. Blackrock|G.B. Blackrock]] 22:39, 27 March 2006 (UTC)

I think funny tag lines on the pictures are a nice way to liven things up and make the pages more fun. Or are you more upset about the content of this one than the fact that it's silly?<div id="wikia-credits"> From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</div>