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Bee in the City

2008-05-07T02:45:16Z

66.32.242.84: /* Quotes */ "Powerful relics such as this AllSpark-enhanced key are contraband in Axiom Nexus, and I will not allow you to ''deus ex machina'' your way out of this."

{{comicnav | Timelines | BotCon 2008 Script Reading | seriesname= | prev=Shattered Glass (comic) | next= }}

'''Two Transformers and a human are zapped to another dimension. Fourth-wall-breaking hijinks ensue!'''

==Summary==
Professor Sumdac tests a new space-warp teleportation device, the Bi-directional Unified Transit Terminal, in an attempt to transport the Autobots home. His BUTT malfunctions, sending Sari, Optimus and Bumblebee to the city of [[Axiom Nexus]] on an alternate version of Cybertron.

There, they are soon confronted by Officer Flareup, who notes that, by their very presence, they have violated the city's rules against no mechs named Prime or Megatron and no cosmic MacGuffins (in this case, [[Sari Sumdac's Key|Sari's key]]), rules established to preserve this Cybertron's utter lack of war. She takes them in for "processing", which turns out to be seventeen soul-crushingly boring hours of standing in line and filling out paperwork (or the digital equivalent).

As they finally leave, they encounter the morally ambiguous scientist Shockwave, a Subcommander Third Rank from the Menacing and Foreboding Sciences Division of the Axiom Nexus Military Intelligence Branch. Enforcing his will with a cadre of utterly silent soldiers, he takes Optimus Prime and Sari into custody as potential threats to planetary security, but ignores Bumblebee, reasoning the plucky, yellow, kid-friendly character will be essentially ineffective without a spunky human sidekick. Flareup is dismayed, noting to an indignant Bumblebee that she expected his group to receive no more than a fine and a deportation home, not a military arrest.

At Shockwave's lab, he prepares to experiment on Sari and Prime in some fashion to determine the extent of their potential threat. In particular, he is concerned about the potential effects of Sari's key being present. After confiscating it, he begins examining Rescue Roy—er, Optimus, starting with a routine Matrix check.

Elsewhere in the city, Bumblebee and Flareup meet ''Beast Wars'' universe Megatron (or a version of him, at least), who is going by the alias "Joe" to avoid arrest and/or deportation himself. Learning about Sari's key, Megatron is all too eager to gain this MacGuffin and utilize its power for his own nefarious plans. Once he determines that the other two have no idea who or what he is, he asserts that as a "heroic Predacon", he will help them retrieve their friends and the key.

Bumblebee comes up with an initial plan involving a trained chimp marching band, but it predictably fails. Megatron comes up with a plan that will actually work: pretending he and Bumblebee are illegal Primes (Bee-imus Prime and Joe Convoy) being transferred by Flareup.

Once they reach Shockwave's lab, Megatron has Flareup and 'Bee run a distraction so he can knock out the TransTech scientist. Once that is done, Megatron reveals his true name and ambitions. He snatches the key and uses it to bring to life a variety of Shockwave's lab equipment. However, Bumblebee and Sari introduce the new robots to the concept of bureaucracy. Less than thrilled with all the paperwork their new lives will entail just to be part of society, the new robot army turn on Megatron and drag him away. Shockwave provides Prime, Bumblebee and Sari a way home, expediting their paperwork, and he and Flareup agree never to speak of the incident again.

Back home, Sari and her Autobot friends likewise agree never to speak of the incident again. Still, Prime finds the thoughts of a Cybertron without war so inspiring that he feels like bursting into song. Thankfully, the others shout him down first.

{{epstub}}

==Stats==

*'''Written by:''' [[Greg Sepelak]], [[Trent Troop]]
*'''Directed by:''' Uh...
*'''Original presentation:''' 9:45pm Saturday, April 26th, 2008.

===Featured characters===
(''Numbers indicate order of appearance.)''
{|border=5 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=5 align=center style="border:#800000"

! style="background:#FFEEEE" | [[Autobot]]s
! style="background:#EEEEFE" | [[Decepticon]]s/Predacons
! style="background:antiquewhite" | [[Human]]s/Others
|-
| style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top" |
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (4)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (5)
*[[Flareup]] (6)
| style="background:#EEEEFE" valign="top" |
*[[Shockwave (Transtech)|Shockwave]] (7)
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (8)
*TransTech Guard (10)
| style="background:antiquewhite" valign="top" |
*Narrator (1)
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (2)
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (3)
* Drive-thru speaker (9)
* Newly-created robots (11)
|}

==Quotes==

"Begin proactive maintenance log: Subject A, [[Sari Sumdac|adolescent human female]], has regained consciousness and has demonstrated both an awareness of the narrator and an utter disregard for the fourth wall." 
:{{m-}}'''Shockwave''' records his observations.

"Powerful relics such as this AllSpark-enhanced key are contraband in Axiom Nexus, and I will not allow you to ''deus ex machina'' your way out of this."
"''Deus ex machina'' isn't a verb."
"'''SILENCE!!'''"
:{{m-}}Morally-ambiguous '''Transtech Shockwave''' and imprisoned '''Animated Optimus''' argue proper grammar usage.

"Bumblebee, what are you doing?!" 
"A contractually obligated gag." 
:{{m-}}'''Flareup''' is educated by '''Bumblebee''' on how BotCon works.

"We need help. BIG help! Maybe we can rig up a communicator and call in [[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]]. Or maybe we can con [[Lugnut]] into helping us out." 
"Oh, please. What do I look like, [[Scott McNeil]]?" 
:{{m-}}'''Bumblebee's''' plan is shot down by '''Megatron'''. Maybe he should've tried asking [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] instead?

==Other notes==
*The cast:
** [[Tara Strong]]: [[Sari Sumdac]]
** [[David Kaye]]: [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]
** [[Bumper Robinson]]: [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], Narrator
** [[Marty Isenberg]]: [[Isaac Sumdac]], Drive-Thru, [[TransTech]] guard
** [[Anastasia Matejka]]: [[Flareup]]
** [[Chris Ho]]: [[Shockwave (Transtech)|Shockwave]]
** [[Pete Sinclair]]: Pete Sinclair
:Anastasia and Chris were the winners of the [[BotCon Idol]] voice acting contest held that weekend. Everyone played the parts of the newly created lab-equipment bots, with Marty Isenberg having their only line in English.

{{-}}
===Continuity errors===
* Not really ''continuity'', but Sari is mistakenly described as an "adolescent", which is a teenager.
{{-}}

===Transformers references===
* Bumblebee ordering fast food is a reference to a longstanding BotCon voice actor panel tradition, which involves the attending actors performing their characters ordering at a drive-in.

* Bumblebee is identified by Flareup as "a kid-appeal character", narrowed down to either "a Bumblebee or a [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]]", also referencing early ''Animated'' plans for Hot Shot to be the kid-appeal character of the crew. Various characters later "mistake" him for [[Wheelie]], [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]], and [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]].

* While masquerading as a Prime, Megatron identifies himself as "Joe [[Convoy]]", playing on the Japanese name for Optimus and his ilk.

* In a sort of anti-reference, Prime and Bumblebee's "let us never speak of it again" conclusion provides an in-story reason for why none of this extra-dimensional silliness will ever be mentioned on the actual ''Animated'' cartoon.

{{-}}

===Real-world references===
* Professor Sumdac refers to Sari as "the joy and the laughter," a reference to actress Tara Strong's role as Bubbles in ''[[wikipedia: The Powerpuff Girls|The Powerpuff Girls]]''. Bubbles is proclaimed to be "the joy and the laughter" in that show's closing theme tune.

* Prime remarks that waiting in line for 17 hours "took longer then an ''[[wikipedia: InuYasha|InuYasha]]'' story arc". David Kaye played a recurring role in that series as InuYasha's brother, Sesshomaru. (David also punctuated the gag with a little fist-pump.)

* Bumblebee tries to get the maniacally laughing (and coughing) Megatron's attention with a "Yo, Joe?" This is, of course, a reference to the battle cry of ''[[G.I. Joe]]'' from the eponymous '80s cartoon series. Flareup follows up with "Wrong convention", referencing [[Fun Publications]]' role in running the annual ''G.I. Joe'' convention.

* When Sari snatches Bumblebee's meal, Bumblebee laments "My manwich!", a line used by another of voice actor Bumper Robinson's characters, Dwight Conrad of ''[[wikipedia:Futurama|Futurama]]''.

* With the key in hand, Megatron claims he has "a big boost of confidence," a tag line from commercials Kaye narrated touting [[wikipedia:Enzyte|Enzyte]], a non-prescription drug for...er, male performance enhancement.

* One of the newly born lab robots, upon being told of the forms it will have to fill out, says "What you talkin' 'bout, Wheelie?", a reference to the catchphrase of a young [[wikipedia:Gary Coleman|Gary Coleman]] in ''[[wikipedia:Diff'rent Strokes|Diff'rent Strokes]]''.

* During the epilogue, Prime adds to the list of Bumblebee's misnomers by calling him "T-Bob", the robot sidekick from the '80s cartoon series/[[Kenner]] toy line ''[[wikipedia: M.A.S.K.| M.A.S.K.]]''.

{{-}}

===Miscellaneous trivia===
* "Bi-directional Unified Transit Terminal"... [[Fully Automated Rapid Transit System|Mature as ever]], eh, Sumdac?
{{-}}

[[Category: Animated]]
[[Category: Script reading]]
[[Category: Timelines]]<div id="wikia-credits"> From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</div>

Mission Accomplished

2008-05-07T00:40:16Z

66.32.242.84: /* Continuity errors */ Optimus does note in the episode that, in the past, Sari's key had been the primary tool used to locate fragments of the AllSpark. As this has only happened in the episode "Th

[[Image:Offlinescream.JPG|right|thumb|350px|I get knocked down, but I get up again.]]

{{episodenav|animated|19|season=2|prev=The Return of the Headmaster|next=Garbage In, Garbage Out}}

'''Convinced there are no Decepticons left on Earth, the Elite Guard prepares to take Optimus Prime and his crew back to Cybertron, unaware of the increasing Decepticon activity taking place under their very noses.'''

==Summary==
The Autobot [[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] sends a message to the Earth-based Autobots, revealing he is under attack from Decepticons and has already lost one [[space bridge]]. He requests backup, but the transmission is cut off. Ultra Magnus explains this is but one of many reports of rising Decepticon activity. Jazz thinks it is due to the rumours of Megatron's survival, and Sentinel can't resist an opportunity to make a snide comment about the source of those rumours: Optimus Prime. Magnus therefore decides that all Earth-bound Autobots will make preparations to leave the planet. When Optimus protests due to the presence of Decepticons on Earth, Ultra Magnus brushes him off, whilst Sentinel butts in with another tirade about putting Prime up for an inquiry (or a [[wikipedia:court-martial|court-martial]], as Optimus perceives it). Ultra Magnus tries to make his position clear; that in the long run, everyone is better off believing Megatron is dead. Putting forward the idea of the Decepticon leader surviving and the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] being destroyed would cause panic among the Autobots and strengthen the resolve of the Decepticons. An outraged Optimus is forced into compliance.

Back at the factory, Sari is heartbroken by the idea of her friends being forced to leave Earth. The situation is made worse when Sentinel shows up. With his usual grace and tact, he tells Sari to belt up and officially inducts Optimus's team into the war effort. In the middle of insulting the "repair grunts", he makes a gesture of sorts to Optimus: Do as Ultra Magnus says, admit he's been lying, and Sentinel will use his connections to get Optimus's military career back on track, as thanks for [[Return of the Headmaster|the recent Headmaster incident]]. When Optimus tells him what to do with his offer, Sentinel places him under formal arrest.

[[Image:Tooyoungtodie.JPG|left|thumb|Go to your happy place, Screamer.]]
On a garbage scow moving along the river, Starscream suddenly reactivates. Disorientated, he panics when he realises that not only can he not pick up any Decepticon energy signatures, he can't even pick up his own! After a moment of shock, he recovers and gets his bearings: he's alive and still on Earth. Furious at Megatron's attempt on his life, he transforms and blasts off into the sky.

At the Decepticon base, Blitzwing and Lugnut successfully test out Professor Sumdac's new Decepticon signal dampener. Mildly impressed, Megatron quickly moves on, demanding the creation of a subspace communicator so he can contact his forces in space to call off the aimless skirmishes until he can build his own space bridge. When Sumdac comments that Earth technology is too primitive, Megatron smugly informs him that they will simply steal the required tech from the Elite Guard's ship. Meanwhile, the Autobots are trying to figure out what to do with Sari, so they take her to the most together human they know, Captain Fanzone—although they do point out that most of the humans they know are criminally insane. While they handle that, Optimus is on the Elite Guard's ship, with Sentinel still trying to convince him to play ball. While they argue, Lugnut and Blitzwing tunnel under the ship's shield and steal a tachyon transmitter. As they make their escape, they fail to notice Starscream tailing them back to base.

[[Image:Swordscream.JPG|Left|thumb|And so begins the greatest TF montage of all time.]]
As Lugnut presents his prize to Megatron, Starscream makes his presence known. What follows is a quick but decisive victory for Megatron, who simply slashes Starscream before blasting him point-blank. Lugnut checks to see if Starscream is still online, and finding no spark, helps Blitzwing toss his corpse into the river. After floating downstream, Starscream suddenly reactivates again. He realises he lacks a spark and discovers he is being kept alive by a fragment of the AllSpark buried in his head, effectively making him immortal. Delighted, he declares the end of the Megatron's era. As Megatron sends his message out to the Decepticons, Starscream attacks...and is promptly killed again. After a couple more fruitless attempts, he starts to wonder if he needs a new strategy. His fragment allows him to locate a second shard, and a plan begins to formulate...

[[Image:Sentinel Prime shocked.jpg|thumb|left|Sentinel Prime: Totally owned. Again.]]
At the Elite Guard ship, Magnus presses Optimus Prime to cooperate, when Jazz reveals that he's discovered a sudden surge in AllSpark energy. Concluding that it's another shard, Magnus and Jazz go to retrieve it, while Sentinel is to remain and watch Optimus. As Sentinel moans, Optimus realizes that they had only found AllSpark shards before due to [[Sari Sumdac's key|Sari's key]]. Doing a thermal scan, he discovers Starscream. Optimus tries to warn Ultra Magnus, but Sentinel threatens to put him in [[stasis cuffs]] if he tries to leave. Optimus is able to take down Sentinel (who [[Starscream (G1)|squeals]] like a [[Carly|girl]]) and place him in the cuffs, then [[roll out|rolls out]].

Meanwhile, the Autobots are watching Sari "interview" Captain Fanzone, who is not very fond of children. Optimus contacts the Autobots and tells them to meet him en route to the train.

As Starscream gloats about his plan to draw out Megatron and kill him in a massive explosion, Ultra Magnus and Jazz arrive, as do Megatron and Blitzwing. Megatron realizes that it's a trap set by Starscream, while Magnus and Jazz have trouble extracting the shard. An energy surge throws the Elite Guard off the train. Further ahead along the tracks, Optimus orders Prowl to sever the passenger cars from main car, while Bumblebee takes Sari to use the key to remove the shard. They succeed, but the train still nearly crashes, only stopped because Ratchet uses his magnets from ahead while Bulkhead, anchored by Optimus Prime, grabs the rear of the train. High in the air, as Starscream fumes about the lost opportunity, Megatron appears, ready to beat him senseless.

[[Image:Jagged.JPG|right|thumb|Starscream refused to invoke his right to remain silent, so the Autobots decided to enforce it.]]
On the ground, Ultra Magnus reprimands Optimus Prime, while Sentinel Prime arrives and accuses him of assault. Though Optimus defends his position, both Elite Guardsmen point out that there is no evidence of Decepticons{{m-}}only for Starscream to crash into the ground mere meters away, causing Sentinel Prime to freak out at the sight of an actual Decepticon. Quickly coming back online, Starscream takes advantage of Magnus's momentary inattention to blast the Autobot leader into unconsciousness from point-blank range, taking the shard with him. The Autobots' attempts to take down Starscream fail, until Optimus comes up with a plan—although an intervention from Jazz is required to make Sentinel go along with it. Having Sentinel draw Starscream's attention, Optimus uses the stasis cuffs on the Decepticon, who is then taken to the Elite Guard ship—with his mouth riveted shut.

Ultra Magnus admits that Optimus Prime was right about there being Decepticons on Earth, and though Sentinel Prime brings up the assault and insubordination charges, Magnus still supports Optimus's actions. Magnus decides that Optimus Prime's crew will remain on Earth to locate the remaining AllSpark shards and capture the Decepticons, while the Elite Guard returns to Cybertron for Magnus to conduct the war effort. Sari is overjoyed that the Autobots are staying, but promises Captain Fanzone that they can still hang out.

Meanwhile, Megatron tells his minions to inform their double agent on Cybertron that the Decepticons have repledged their allegiance to Megatron and that their attacks will draw Autobot forces away from the Transformers' home world. Once the space bridge technology is fully developed, Megatron's group will return to Cybertron and conquer the planet from within...

==Stats==

*'''Written by:''' [[Marsha Griffin]]
*'''Directed by:''' [[Irineo Maramba]] & [[Yoshio Chatani]]
*'''Original airdate:''' April 26, 2008

===Featured characters===


(''Numbers indicate order of appearance.)''
{|border=5 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=5 align=center style="border:#800000"

! style="background:#FFEEEE" | [[Autobot]]s
! style="background:#EEEEFE" | [[Decepticon]]s
! style="background:antiquewhite" | [[Human]]s
|-
| style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top" |
*[[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] (1)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (2)
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] (3)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (4)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (7)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (8)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (9)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (10)
| style="background:#EEEEFE" valign="top" |
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (11)
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (12)
*[[Lugnut|Lugnut]] (13)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (15)
| style="background:antiquewhite" valign="top" |
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (6)
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (14)
*[[Captain Fanzone]] (16)

|}

==Quotes==
"I'm not gonna have to use the stasis cuffs on you, am I, Optimus?"
:{{m-}}'''Sentinel Prime''' being kinky.

"You dare strike ME, Megatron? After all my loyal stellar cycles of—wh-wu-wait, where is everybody?"
:{{m-}}On coming back from the dead, '''Starscream''''s speech-making tendencies outweigh his observational skills.

[[Image:Number one wink.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Thumbs up, soldier!]]
'''Fanzone''': Why me? 
'''Bumblebee''': You're tops on the list of all the humans we know personally. 
'''Bulkhead''': Although, it is kind of a short list. 
'''Prowl''': And it does include [[Prometheus Black]] and [[Nanosec]]. 
'''Bumblebee''': But still, you're number one! 
:{{m-}}The Autobots try to get Captain Fanzone to adopt Sari. They need to work on their sales pitch.

"Is that the best you could do, Starscream? And to think you actually believed you could take over as leader of the Decepticons. You couldn't lead a parade."
:{{m-}}'''Megatron''' gives Starscream [[The Transformers: The Movie|a hint]].

"Fellow Decepticons, take heed. Your leader, Megatron, still lives! Though we remain dispersed throughout the far reaches of the galaxy, exiled from our true home, we are all still Decepticons, united by a common purpose. The time has come for us to put aside our differences and act as one under my undisputed leadership. Only then can we cast off the shackles of Autobot oppression. Working together, we can raise up our glorious empire once more and crush all who stand in our way!"
:{{m-}}'''Megatron''' has a good speechwriter.

"When are you going to get it through your thick processor? There are no Decepticons on this planet! So keep your audio unit shut or I'll do it for you." ''[brandishes stasis cuffs]'' 
''[beat]'' "I'd like to see you try, you worthless crankshaft!" 
"THAT'S IT!" ''[ten seconds later]'' "You put me in stasis lock?!"
:{{m-}}'''Sentinel Prime''', owned by '''Optimus Prime''' yet again.

"ARGH! This day couldn't possibly get any worse!" 
''[Megatron and Blitzwing appear]'' 
"I stand corrected."
:{{m-}}'''Starscream''', enjoying his luck to the fullest.

"STARSCREAM!" 
"Sorry, you must have me confused with some other harrier jet."
:{{m-}}'''Megatron''' and '''Starscream'''. We don't think he bought it, Screamer.

"WHAT IS THAT THING?!" 
"Oh, that's right, you've never seen one up close. It's called...a Decepticon."
:{{m-}}Starscream freaks out '''Sentinel Prime''' as '''Optimus Prime''' finally gets the proof he needs.

"Yeesh, Optimus, think you could have drawn that one out any longer?" 
"You're welcome, Sentinel." 
:{{m-}}'''Sentinel Prime''' and '''Optimus Prime''', same old song and dance.

==Other notes==
*This episode was first broadcast in Canada on April 26, one week before its United States premiere, and during the American premiere of the episode "[[The Return of the Headmaster]]".

===Animation errors===
* While dropping into Megatron's mountain base for the first time, the "glow" effect on Starscream's jet exhaust is misaligned for several seconds until he 'catches up' to it.
* Just before Prime activates the thermal scan of the cloud bank supposedly concealing Starscream, Starscream is already plainly visible on the viewscreen. If Starscream wasn't meant to be concealed, then it's a continuity error, as Prime wouldn't need a thermal scan to detect him, just a magnified visual.
* Not ''really'' an animation error ''per se'', but when the Autobots stop the train, Sari is somehow not hurled forward off its roof by her own momentum, even though she is not restrained in any fashion. Unless...''she's a witch!''

===Continuity errors===
* Megatron and the other Decepticons don't seem to wonder why it is that Starscream keeps coming back, despite the fact that they note that his spark compartment is empty. (Unless Megatron did find the allspark fragment, and decided it'd be fun to keep him around as a target for violence)
* Megatron shatters Starscream's yellow cockpit the first and fourth times he "kills" him in the episode, leaving his empty spark chamber visible. When Starscream pulls a [[wikipedia:Jack_Harkness|Captain Jack]], it is still missing. After he sees his reflection in the water the first time, and simply when they cut to a different angle on the fourth time, it is suddenly present and intact once more. (It's possible that's because of the miraculous powers of the AllSpark shard; if it can keep Starscream online, it surely can regenerate any damage he has taken.)
* How did Sentinel get the stasis cuffs off?
* When Optimus Prime puts the newly acquired fragment of the AllSpark into its housing, there are four shards total, even though thus far, only two have been recovered by the Autobots on-screen (three if they ripped the one out of Starscream's brainpan, but seeing as he's still online, that's not likely). Optimus does note in the episode that, in the past, Sari's key had been the primary tool used to locate fragments of the AllSpark. As this has only happened in the episode "The Elite Guard" so far (as well as this episode), it is concievable that the Autobots managed to locate two other "SmallSparks" off-screen.
* As Lugnut and Blitzwing tunnel under the force shield to the Elite Guard's ship, they leave a gigantic hole, which no one notices. And later on, the hole has mysteriously disappeared.

===Transformers references===
*Much like [[Starscream (G1)|his Generation 1 counterpart]], [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] is now immortal, only this time they actually explain why and leave him with a body.
*Megatron believes Starscream "couldn't even lead a parade", just as his G1 namesake said in "[[Starscream's Brigade]]".

===Real-world references===
* [[Wikipedia:Mission Accomplished|The title. Nuff said.]]
* Starscream refers to his disguise as a [[Wikipedia:Harrier Jump Jet|Harrier Jet]]. Pity his model won't turn up for another hundred years or so.

===Miscellaneous trivia===
* Along with [[Transformer|machines]] and [[Survival of the Fittest|lawyers]], it seems [[Captain Fanzone]] doesn't like kids.

* It's not clear how Starscream ended up in the garbage scow. If the Autobots threw him there, wouldn't they have retrieved him (as proof of Decepticon activity) in "[[The Elite Guard]]"? If it was humans, why didn't they keep his body in order to study alien technology? Or, one of the Decepticons may have thrown him into the scow, as a gesture of contempt or to hide their presence on Earth...but we don't know for sure.

* In the first interior shot of the Decepticons' hideout, we see the markings on the top of their computer station resemble the upper half of the Decepticon sigil, complete with glowing eyes.

* In his speech, Megatron goes on about how the Decepticons are united by a common purpose and need to put aside their differences, yet Megatron himself is beating the slag out of a fellow Decepticon throughout the episode. How ironic.

* Starscream is not just beaten up, but ''killed'' by Megatron five times in a ''single episode''. Must be a new record.

* The Elite Guard does not come off very well in this episode: Ultra Magnus and Jazz fail to notice a large hole the size of [[Lugnut|a B2 bomber]] when leaving their ship, a tachyon transmitter gets ripped off their ship without them even noticing, Sentinel Prime freaks out at the mere sight of a Decepticon, and Ultra Magnus gets defeated by Starscream after only one shot (though, to be fair, it ''was'' at point-blank range to the face), while Megatron shrugs them off and repeatedly defeats Starscream. If the Elite Guard are supposed to be the best and the brightest that Cybertron has to offer, then the Autobots are not going to fare very well in the upcoming war with the Decepticons.

* Starscream's fate is a bit unclear at the end. He's been captured by the Autobots, but is he taken back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] by the Elite Guard, or left under Optimus's watch on [[Earth]]?

* Megatron mentions having a double agent on Cybertron. Who could it be?

* With this episode, all five of the Autobots from [[Transformers (2007)|the live-action movie]] have appeared in ''Transformers: Animated''.

* When Sentinel is trying to bribe Optimus, he says he could get Optimus re-instated in the Elite Guard, so apparently Optimus used to be in the Elite Guard.

[[Category:Animated episodes]]<div id="wikia-credits"> From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</div>

The Return of the Headmaster

2008-05-07T00:27:05Z

66.32.242.84: /* Quotes */ And it's mine. All mine! ''laughs dementedly'', who

[[Image:Sentinelprimeanimatedhumiliated.jpg|right|thumb|350px|Schadenfreude.]]

{{episodenav|animated|18|season=2|prev=The Elite Guard|next=Mission Accomplished}}

'''Optimus Prime is forced to team up with his rival Sentinel Prime after Sentinel has a humiliating encounter with the Headmaster.'''

==Summary==
[[Image:Returnofheadmaster sarisroom.jpg|left|thumb|200px|im in ur room, shackin in ur cribs]]

In Sari's room at [[Sumdac Tower]], Sari bitterly packs her things while grumbling about Porter C. Powell taking over her home and throwing her to the curb. She doesn't notice Powell enter as she badmouths him, but rather than get upset, the man smugly proves many of her points right and adds insult to injury by introducing her bedroom's new tenant, the freshly re-hired Henry Masterson. As the Headmaster makes himself at home, Sari protests, pointing out the man's lack of sanity, but Powell merely rushes her out the door. Then, just as Sari's day can't get any worse, Powell claims [[Sparkplug (Animated)|Sparkplug]] and [[Tutor Bot]] as company property. Harsh.

[[Image:Returnofheadmaster sentinelspeaks.jpg|right|thumb|200px|I am destined to be a superhero. To right wrongs and to pound two-fisted justice into the hearts of evildoers everywhere.]]

Meanwhile, the Primes [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]] and [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel]] stand at a press conference along with the mayor and Captain Fanzone. Sentinel is his usual charming self, boasting the significance of the [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard's]] presence, condescending to the [[Humans|icky organics]], showing complete ignorance of the planet's customs, and insulting his comrade's lowly position at every opportunity. Optimus tries his best to ignore all this and put the humans' minds at ease about the current situation, but finds it difficult to get a word in edgewise as Sentinel cuts him off, determined to do all the talking, refusing to let Optimus speak for him.

Powell and Masterson watch the press conference with intent. Powell says he expects great things from Masterson, intending to tap the lucrative military hardware market that Sumdac so foolishly ignored. Masterson is itching to get to work, but wants new robots on which to test his Headmaster units. The old Autobot crew won't cut it, however; he wants the new models, and he eagerly eyes Sentinel Prime's image on the screen.

Masterson calls up Fanzone with a false Decepticon sighting in Old Detroit. Fanzone relays the information to the Primes, and the heroes transform and roll out. Sentinel still hasn't gotten the hang of the city's traffic customs, however, and spends more time driving over other cars than on the road.

[[Image:AnimatedBumbleeBulkheadProfessor.jpg|left|thumb|150px|We tackle any topic, immense or microscopic!]]

Meanwhile, Sari is moving in with the Autobots at the old factory. Bulkhead and Bumblebee are eager to cheer up the sullen girl with loud TV, music, and a misguided tutoring session in which they end up throwing around theories about her mysterious origins. Predictably, everything they try only seems to make her more miserable.

Sentinel soon arrives at the scene of the supposed Decepticon sighting, prying a stop sign from his shoulder, and is quickly joined by Optimus and the police. Optimus starts making suggestions, but Sentinel shuts him up, opting to split up and search on his own, as he doesn't need help from a scrub.

The search drags on into the night, and Sentinel is jumping at shadows, turning the advanced weaponry of the Cybertron Elite Guard on such dire threats as stray cats. This distracts him, and Masterson gets the jump on him with the Headmaster unit. Shortly afterwards, Sentinel contacts Optimus, telling him it was a false alarm and to send the police away. He then demands Optimus come to his position alone and promise not to laugh. Soon after, Optimus finds Sentinel's decapitated head and breaks out in laughter. Bitter and humiliated, Sentinel pleads with Optimus to help him get his body back without Ultra Magnus finding out. Optimus guesses that the reason Sentinel is trusting him with the task is that he's just not important enough for his opinion to matter, but Sentinel is careful not to say something so insulting in his position. How about that.

[[Image:Returnofheadmaster optimuslaughs.jpg|right|thumb|200px|<nelson>''Haw''-haw!</nelson>]]

Optimus learns of Masterson's re-hiring thanks to a conveniently timed message from Bumblebee, reporting what he's heard from Sari. The next day, Optimus pays a visit to Sumdac Tower, hiding Sentinel's head under a tree trunk while he chats with Powell. The new manager makes it clear that the Autobots aren't free to waltz into his building as they please any more, but assures their leader that Masterson isn't there. However as soon as Optimus leaves, he phones the Headmaster with information on the new development, warning his employee not to jeopardize the company's image. Lucky for the Primes, Optimus thought ahead enough to intercept the phone call with his ear transceiver as soon as he was out of sight. He traces the call to a cargo ship at the docks.

It's night again when the 1.5 Primes arrive at the docks and start searching for Sentinel's body. They don't get far before a nearby crate bursts open, revealing a sinister Sparkplug and Tutor Bot outfitted with miniature Headmaster Units. Sentinel isn't too worried by the puny automatons until they reveal some powerful laser-shooting upgrades. They send Optimus scrambling for cover while Sentinel's head bounces around impotently on the ground. When the ship Masterson is supposedly on starts casting off, they can't play around any longer, and Optimus rushes through the laser fire, ramps off the deck, transforms in mid-air and rides a powerful burst from his rocket axe to hook into the side of the ship's hull. Awesome. His grappling hooks probably would have worked equally well, but dude, flying rocket axe!

[[Image:Returnofheadmaster headmastersvictim.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Oh, beware the other head of science, Arthur. It bites.]]

On the ship, Optimus and Sentinel try to find Sentinel's body...until it finds them. The Headmaster pushes Optimus down with Sentinel's shield. Sentinel is surprised that it's so powerful, to which Masterson gloats he upgraded his equipment. Pulling out Sentinel's beam lance and expanding the shield into a spikier version, the Headmaster clashes with Optimus while Sentinel bounces around impotently on the ground some more.

Masterson manages to knock Optimus's axe off the ship, leaving him unarmed. After being pinned to the ground with shield spikes inches from his face, Optimus returns the favor by ripping off Sentinel's arm, shield and all. Sentinel is mortified by the dismemberment, but Optimus feels it was justified. He then uses Sentinel's arm as a makeshift axe and fights back the body, eventually severing the Headmaster unit. The head quickly converts to robot mode and starts to run off, but this time Optimus stops him by kicking Sentinel's head into the fleeing villain like a soccer ball. Again, Sentinel is appalled. Optimus has less of an excuse this time.

[[Image:Headm_anim.JPG|right|thumb|200px|Salut!]]

Back on land, Fanzone has Masterson in cuffs, and it looks like a happy ending until Powell shows up, pointing out that the ship was Sumdac Systems property, the assaulted robots don't have rights protected by the law, and the whole incident occurred over international waters between the [[United States of America|US]] and [[Canada]]. Masterson is free to go, much to the chagrin of everybody else.

Meanwhile, at the factory, Bumblebee and Bulkhead are about to try another zany scheme to cheer up Sari, but Prowl stops them and tells them just to listen to her instead. When they try this last resort, Sari opens up about all her worries regarding her [[Isaac Sumdac|missing father]], her lost home and company, and her questioned existence. Bumblebee and Bulkhead aren't sure what to do, but they assure her they are there for her.

Finally, aboard the Elite Guard's ship the next day, Sentinel and Optimus report to Ultra Magnus, who has heard something about Sentinel "losing his head". Sentinel trembles uncomfortably in silence, but Optimus reports that they worked together to solve the crisis, effectively covering for his comrade, who really doesn't deserve it. Ultra Magnus congratulates both of them and takes his leave to contact [[Cybertron Command]] on an issue of great importance. As the Primes walk down the hallway, Sentinel struggles out a "thank you" to his compatriot. Optimus notes that it must have hurt to say that, and Sentinel acknowledges the fact and reaches out his hand.

==Stats==

*'''Written by:''' [[Michael Ryan]]
*'''Directed by:''' [[Ben Jones]] & [[Shunji Oga]]
*'''Original airdate:''' April 19, 2008

===Featured characters===
(''Numbers indicate order of appearance.)''
{|border=5 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=5 align=center style="border:#800000"

! style="background:#FFEEEE" | [[Autobot]]s

! style="background:antiquewhite" | [[Human]]s
! style="background:#FFEEB8" | Others
|-
| style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top" |
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (6)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (7)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (12)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (13)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (14)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (15)

| style="background:antiquewhite" valign="top" |
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (1)
*[[Porter C. Powell]] (4)
*[[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster]] (5)
*[[Captain Fanzone]] (8)
*[[Mayor Edsel]] (9)
*[[Mayor Edsel's aide]] (10)

| style="background:#FFEEB8" valign="top" |
* [[Tutor Bot]] (2)
* [[Sparkplug (Animated)|Sparkplug]] (3)
* [[News Bot]] (11)
|}

==Quotes==
'''Sari''' ''(while packing her belongings)'': Chairman of the Board...what does that even mean? They should just call him "big jerk who thinks he's in charge of everything"! 
''[comes face to face with Powell]'' 
'''Porter C. Powell''': Oh, I don't ''think'' I'm in charge, young lady, I ''know'' it. So hurry along. I need this space for more research and development in order to make enough new money to cover what you lost the company while you were ''playing'' at being in charge, ''Miss Sumdac''—or...can I even call you that? 
'''Sari''': Just because there's no record that I'm Isaac Sumdac's daughter doesn't mean I'm not! He's my dad, and I don't care ''what'' you say! Ugh! Why am I even talking to you!? 
:{{m-}} Sari gets evicted from the [[Sumdac Tower|Big Brother House]].

"Whoa, hey! Check it! Major cribbage! And it's mine. All mine! ''laughs dementedly''" 
:{{m-}} '''Masterson''', who is surprisingly okay with the fact that his new "R&D facilities" are frilly, lacy, and painted pink.

'''News Bot''': Prime! Prime! 
'''Sentinel''' and '''Optimus''': Yes? 
'''News Bot''': ''Optimus'' Prime. Is it true that all Cybertronians have no regard for human life and view Earth as little more than a battleground for the never-ending robot wars? 
'''Sentinel''': Why, you little...! 
:{{m-}} News Bot's shot at the Pulitzer Prize nearly gets him crushed.

"How could they hire that nutjob body-snatcher to work for your father's company anyway?" 
:{{m-}}'''Bulkhead''', saying what we're all thinking.

'''Fanzone''': Attention, all units! We have a Decepticon sighting in Old Detroit! 
'''Sentinel''': A "Decepticon sighting"? These organics wouldn't know a Decepticon from a garbage bot! ''[turns to a garbage bot]'' Tell your organic captain we're going to investigate. 
'''Optimus''': Uh, Sentinel, that's a trash bot. 
'''Sentinel''': Well, ''obviously'' it's a trash bot. I didn't just arrive on this planet yesterday! 
'''Optimus''': Actually, y{{m-}} 
'''Sentinel''': Ah, never mind, let's go.
:{{m-}}Sentinel Prime reaches out to the natives.

"This is why I hate machines...especially arrogant, full-of-themselves machines!"
:—'''Captain Fanzone''', also saying what we're all thinking.

"Sentinel, we should scramble our comlink frequencies in case the Decepticons are listening in!" 
"What you ''should'' do is stick within the scope of your programming. If I need a trash can emptied or a floor mopped, I'll call on my buddy Optimus Prime. Or should I say...''Maintenance'' Prime? Hahahaha!" 
''[Sentinel turns and walks away; Optimus does the same]'' 
"'Maintenance Prime'...then I'll just call you 'Pompous Gas-Bag Prime'. Yeah...that's what I should have said." 
:{{m-}}<s>Maintenance</s> '''Optimus Prime''' and '''Sentinel Prime''' match wits. Somehow, Optimus loses.

"'Maintenance Prime'...hee hee, I gotta save that one in the hard drive."
:—'''Sentinel Prime''' revels in his own sense of humor.

"Total ownage never gets old."
:—'''Headmaster''', saying what nobody is thinking.

''[Optimus launches off the dock with the ship already well away]'' 
"We're not gonna make it...!" 
''[Optimus transforms and uses his rocket axe to reach the ship]'' 
"Told ya we'd make it!"
:—'''Sentinel Prime''' at his best

'''Bumblebee''': Just because you don't have a tutor bot anymore doesn't mean you have to stop learning. 
'''Bulkhead''': Right. We can teach you. 
'''Bumblebee''': So, class, today's lesson is regarding...um...well, stuff, and how it works. Any questions? 
'''Sari''': Yeah. Why is there no record of my existence? 
'''Bumblebee''': Okay...a little bit outside the lesson plan. Professor Bulkhead, your thoughts? 
'''Bulkhead''': Maybe she came here from another planet in some kinda egg and crashed on Sumdac's doorstep. 
'''Bumblebee''': Or a portal could have opened and she fell through from another dimension. 
'''Bulkhead''': Or maybe she's really a robot. 
'''Bumblebee''': Or maybe Sumdac found her in a cabbage patch. 
'''Bulkhead''': Or that stork thing. 
:{{m-}}Professors Bumblebee and Bulkhead have obviously been visiting the fan forums...

"Whoa, I don't remember my shield ever being that powerful." 
"Hee, you know me. I can't resist the upgrades." 
:{{m-}}'''Sentinel Prime''' marvels at the '''Headmaster'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s tinkering. [[Lockdown]] would love this guy...

"Yes! I am so l33t!" 
"Yeah? Well, I have no idea what that means!" 
:{{m-}}'''Headmaster''' boasts as '''Optimus Prime''' scores a blow against [[Floro Dery|over-sized egos everywhere]].

"You... You ripped my arm off!" 
"It was trying to jam shield spikes into my FACE!" 
:{{m-}} '''Sentinel''' and '''Optimus'''

'''Headmaster''': Yo, two things, law-dog. First: I do not sound like a "ma'am". Second: If you think you're laying down the rules, maybe you better conversate with my boss—him. 
''[Powell's limousine drives up]'' 
'''Porter C. Powell''': Captain Fanzone. I suggest you release my employee. 
'''Fanzone''': I don't think so, Mr Powell. 
'''Porter C. Powell''': And you're holding him on what charge? Destruction of property? ''[waves a hand at the ship]'' The ship belongs to Sumdac Systems. Assault? ''[gestures towards Optimus and Sentinel]'' Since when does an alien robot have rights? Plus, didn't the alleged incident occur in international waters between the U.S. and Canada? ''[points at Canada's shoreline on the horizon]'' A little out of your jurisdiction, wouldn't you agree, Captain? Why don't you work it out with the Mounties and let me know? 
:{{m-}} Porter C Powell out-wrestles the [[Captain Fanzone|arm of the law]] while the Headmaster invents a new word.

'''Sari''': What do you guys want? 
'''Bumblebee''': Nothing. 
'''Bulkhead''': We just wanted to know if you were okay. 
'''Sari''': Okay? If I'm okay? My dad is missing, I lost control of his company, that Powell guy is going to destroy everything good he worked for, I've been kicked out of the only home I've ever known, and I don't even know if I exist, and you think I'm okay!? 
''[she breaks down into tears]'' 
'''Bulkhead''': Oh...her eyes are leaking. 
'''Bumblebee''': You let 'em leak as much as you need to. We're here, and you're safe. So whatever it is, you can...always talk to us. We'll listen... 
''[Sari sniffles]'' 
'''Sari''': Thank you...
:{{m-}}[[Tara Strong]] gets even the most hard-hearted of fans sympathizing with Sari. ''Voice-acting goddess!''

==Other notes==
* This episode was first broadcast in Canada on April 19, one week before its United States premiere.

===Continuity errors===
* When Optimus stops Masterson's escape, he asserts the villain is going "back to prison", although the Headmaster has yet to serve time at all.


===Real-world references===
* Bumblebee mentions Sari could have come from a cabbage patch, a reference to the popular explanation of where babies come from - or to the [[Wikipedia:Cabbage Patch Kids|Cabbage Patch Kids]] said explanation inspired.
* Powell makes a passing reference to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, also known as "the Mounties".
* Bulkhead's "came here from another planet in some kind of egg" comment could be a reference to 1970s sitcom ''[[Wikipedia:Mork and Mindy|Mork and Mindy]]''
* The appearance of [[Detroit]]'s real-life Wayne County Building and the Renaissance Center in this episode gives a firm location for [[Sumdac Tower]] -- it's on one of two blocks of Randolph Street, currently occupied by a parking garage and a surface parking lot.

===Miscellaneous trivia===
* Powell claims Optimus and Sentinel's clash with Masterson took place in "international waters". There are no ''international'' waters in Lake St. Clair or Lake Erie, just American and Canadian waters. (But then, this is the future.) The "Mounties" remark is still relevant.
* Apparently, calling the police to report fabricated events (about Decepticons) doesn't constitute a crime in [[Detroit]].
* [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] and [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] do not appear in this episode.
* The Mayor's aide has gotten in more dialog than her boss...despite only having a single line.
* When Sentinel asks for Optimus to cover for him, Optimus mentions how Sentinel "covered for him" all those years ago, presumably after the Elita-1 incident. Maybe this is the reason that Optimus washed out of the [[Autobot Academy]]?
* Either the events of this episode span at least two days and two nights, or the sun goes down roughly [[Transformers (2007)|every couple of hours]].
* Given they presumably had very little time to prepare, the Autobots have whipped up a surprisingly comfortable room for Sari in their factory, doubly surprising given the lack of proper materials to hand. Who wouldn't want to sleep in a bed made from a giant radial tire!?
* On the other hand, their idea of proper human cuisine needs some work, since the meal they provide for Sari consists of a bunch of acorns, a fish skeleton (with flies buzzing around it), a live rabbit, and some miniature barrels of [[oil]].
* Professors Bumblebee and Bulkhead seriously need their own show. Imagine [[Dinobots (Animated)|the teaching aids they'd bring to a paleontology class]].
* Porter C. Powell is shaping up to be a bigger villain than all the previous human bad guys in the series combined.
* To go with his Captain America-inspired shield, Sentinel turns out to have an energy lance and a very knight-like battle mask.
* Prowl is in this episode for less then thirty seconds, yet is still the one who ends up solving one of the episode's conflicts. He's that good.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Return of the Headmaster, The}}
[[Category:Animated episodes]]<div id="wikia-credits"> From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</div>

Mission Accomplished

2008-05-02T21:21:01Z

66.32.242.84: /* Miscellaneous trivia */ Though it ''may'' have been justified ''if'' it was Bumblebee who did the throwing.

{{episodenav|animated|19|season=2|prev=The Return of the Headmaster|next=Garbage In, Garbage Out}}

[[Image:Offlinescream.JPG|right|thumb|300px|I get knocked down, but I get up again.]]

'''Convinced there are no Decepticons left on Earth, the Elite Guard prepares to take Optimus Prime and his crew back to Cybertron, unaware of the increasing Decepticon activity taking place under their very noses.'''

==Summary==
The Autobot [[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] sends a message to the Earth-based Autobots, revealing he is under attack from Decepticons and has already lost one [[space bridge]]. He requests backup, but the transmission is cut off. Ultra Magnus explains this is but one of many reports of rising Decepticon activity. Jazz thinks it is due to the rumours of Megatron's survival, and Sentinel can't resist an opportunity to make a snide comment about the source of those rumours: Optimus Prime. Magnus therefore decides that all Earth-bound Autobots will make preparations to leave the planet. When Optimus protests due to the presence of Decepticons on Earth, Ultra Magnus brushes him off, whilst Sentinel butts in with another tirade about putting Prime up for an inquiry (or a court-martial, as Optimus perceives it). Ultra Magnus tries to make his position clear; that in the long run, everyone is better off believing Megatron is dead. Putting forward the idea of the Decepticon leader surviving and the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] being destroyed would cause panic among the Autobots and strengthen the resolve of the Decepticons. An outraged Optimus is forced into compliance.

Back at the factory, Sari is heartbroken by the idea of her friends being forced to leave Earth. The situation is made worse when Sentinel shows up. With his usual grace and tact, he tells Sari to belt up and officially inducts Optimus's team into the war effort. In the middle of insulting the "repair grunts", he makes a gesture of sorts to Optimus: Do as Ultra Magnus says, admit he's been lying, and Sentinel will use his connections to get Optimus's military career back on track, as thanks for [[Return of the Headmaster|the recent Headmaster incident]]. When Optimus tells him what to do with his offer, Sentinel places him under formal arrest.

[[Image:Tooyoungtodie.JPG|left|thumb|Go to your happy place, Screamer.]]
On a garbage scow moving along the river, Starscream suddenly reactivates. Disorientated, he panics when he realises that not only can he not pick up any Decepticon energy signatures, he can't even pick up his own! After a moment of shock, he recovers and gets his bearings: he's alive and still on Earth. Furious at Megatron's attempt on his life, he transforms and blasts off into the sky.

At the Decepticon base, Blitzwing and Lugnut successfully test out Professor Sumdac's new Decepticon signal dampener. Mildly impressed, Megatron quickly moves on, demanding the creation of a subspace communicator so he can contact his forces in space to call off the aimless skirmishes until he can build his own space bridge. When Sumdac comments that Earth technology is too primitive, Megatron smugly informs him that they will simply steal the required tech from the Elite Guard's ship. Meanwhile, the Autobots are trying to figure out what to do with Sari, so they take her to the most together human they know, Captain Fanzone—although they do point out that most of the humans they know are criminally insane. While they handle that, Optimus is on the Elite Guard's ship, with Sentinel still trying to convince him to play ball. While they argue, Lugnut and Blitzwing tunnel under the ship's shield and steal a tachyon transmitter. As they make their escape, they fail to notice Starscream tailing them back to base.

[[Image:Swordscream.JPG|Left|thumb|And so begins the greatest TF montage of all time.]]
As Lugnut presents his prize to Megatron, Starscream makes his presence known. What follows is a quick but decisive victory for Megatron, who simply slashes Starscream before blasting him point-blank. Lugnut checks to see if Starscream is still online, and finding no spark, helps Blitzwing toss his corpse into the river. After floating downstream, Starscream suddenly reactivates again. He realises he lacks a spark and discovers he is being kept alive by a fragment of the AllSpark buried in his head, effectively making him immortal. Delighted, he declares the end of the Megatron's era. As Megatron sends his message out to the Decepticons, Starscream attacks...and is promptly killed again. After a couple more fruitless attempts, he starts to wonder if he needs a new strategy. His fragment allows him to locate a second shard, and a plan begins to formulate...

[[Image:Sentinel Prime shocked.jpg|thumb|left|Sentinel Prime: Totally owned. Again.]]
At the Elite Guard ship, Magnus presses Optimus Prime to cooperate, when Jazz reveals that he's discovered a sudden surge in AllSpark energy. Concluding that it's another shard, Magnus and Jazz go to retrieve it, while Sentinel is to remain and watch Optimus. As Sentinel moans, Optimus realizes that they had only found AllSpark shards before due to [[Sari Sumdac's key|Sari's key]]. Doing a thermal scan, he discovers Starscream. Optimus tries to warn Ultra Magnus, but Sentinel threatens to put him in [[stasis cuffs]] if he tries to leave. Optimus is able to take Sentinel down and place him in the cuffs, then [[roll out|rolls out]].

Meanwhile, the Autobots are watching Sari "interview" Captain Fanzone, who is not very fond of children. Optimus contacts the Autobots and tells them to meet him en route to the train.

As Starscream gloats about his plan to draw out Megatron and kill him in a massive explosion, Ultra Magnus and Jazz arrive, as do Megatron and Blitzwing. Megatron realizes that it's a trap set by Starscream, while Magnus and Jazz have trouble extracting the shard. An energy surge throws the Elite Guard off the train. Further ahead along the tracks, Optimus orders Prowl to sever the passenger cars from main car, while Bumblebee takes Sari to use the key to remove the shard. They succeed, but the train still nearly crashes, only stopped because Ratchet uses his magnets from ahead while Bulkhead, anchored by Optimus Prime, grabs the rear of the train. High in the air, as Starscream fumes about the lost opportunity, Megatron appears, ready to beat him senseless.

[[Image:Jagged.JPG|right|thumb|Starscream refused to invoke his right to remain silent, so the Autobots decided to enforce it.]]
On the ground, Ultra Magnus reprimands Optimus Prime, while Sentinel Prime arrives and accuses him of assault. Though Optimus defends his position, both Elite Guardsmen point out that there is no evidence of Decepticons{{m-}}only for Starscream to crash into the ground mere meters away, causing Sentinel Prime to freak out at the sight of an actual Decepticon. Quickly coming back online, Starscream takes advantage of Magnus's momentary inattention to blast the Autobot leader into unconsciousness from point-blank range, taking the shard with him. The Autobots' attempts to take down Starscream fail, until Optimus comes up with a plan—although an intervention from Jazz is required to make Sentinel go along with it. Having Sentinel draw Starscream's attention, Optimus uses the stasis cuffs on the Decepticon, who is then taken to the Elite Guard ship—with his mouth riveted shut.

Ultra Magnus admits that Optimus Prime was right about there being Decepticons on Earth, and though Sentinel Prime brings up the assault and insubordination charges, Magnus still supports Optimus's actions. Magnus decides that Optimus Prime's crew will remain on Earth to locate the remaining AllSpark shards and capture the Decepticons, while the Elite Guard returns to Cybertron for Magnus to conduct the war effort. Sari is overjoyed that the Autobots are staying, but promises Captain Fanzone that they can still hang out.

Meanwhile, Megatron tells his minions to inform their double agent on Cybertron that the Decepticons have repledged their allegiance to Megatron and that their attacks will draw Autobot forces away from the Transformers' home world. Once the space bridge technology is fully developed, Megatron's group will return to Cybertron and conquer the planet from within...

==Stats==

*'''Written by:''' [[Marsha Griffin]]
*'''Directed by:''' [[Irineo Maramba]] & [[Yoshio Chatani]]
*'''Original airdate:''' April 26, 2008

===Featured characters===


(''Numbers indicate order of appearance.)''
{|border=5 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=5 align=center style="border:#800000"

! style="background:#FFEEEE" | [[Autobot]]s
! style="background:#EEEEFE" | [[Decepticon]]s
! style="background:antiquewhite" | [[Human]]s
|-
| style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top" |
*[[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] (1)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (2)
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] (3)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (4)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (7)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (8)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (9)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (10)
| style="background:#EEEEFE" valign="top" |
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (11)
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (12)
*[[Lugnut|Lugnut]] (13)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (15)
| style="background:antiquewhite" valign="top" |
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (6)
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (14)
*[[Captain Fanzone]] (16)

|}

==Quotes==
"You dare strike ME, Megatron? After all my loyal stellar cycles of—wh-wu-wait, where is everybody?"
:{{m-}}On coming back from the dead, '''Starscream''''s speech-making tendencies outweigh his observational skills.

'''Fanzone''': Why me? 
'''Bumblebee''': You're tops on the list of all the humans we know personally. 
'''Bulkhead''': Although, it is kind of a short list. 
'''Prowl''': And it does include [[Prometheus Black]] and [[Nanosec]]. 
'''Bumblebee''': But still, you're number one! 
:{{m-}}The Autobots try to get Captain Fanzone to adopt Sari. They need to work on their sales pitch.

"Is that the best you could do, Starscream? And to think you actually believed you could take over as leader of the Decepticons. You couldn't lead a parade."
:{{m-}}'''Megatron''' gives Starscream [[The Transformers: The Movie|a hint]].

"Fellow Decepticons, take heed. Your leader, Megatron, still lives! Though we remain dispersed throughout the far reaches of the galaxy, exiled from our true home, we are all still Decepticons, united by a common purpose. The time has come for us to put aside our differences and act as one under my undisputed leadership. Only then can we cast off the shackles of Autobot oppression. Working together, we can raise up our glorious Empire once more and crush all who stand in our way!"
:{{m-}}'''Megatron''' has a good speechwriter.

"When are you going to get it through your thick processor? There are no Decepticons on this planet! So keep your audio unit shut or I'll do it for you." ''[brandishes stasis cuffs]'' 
''[beat]'' "I'd like to see you try, you worthless crankshaft!" 
"THAT'S IT!" ''[ten seconds later]'' "You put me in stasis lock?!"
:{{m-}}'''Sentinel Prime''', owned by '''Optimus Prime''' yet again.

"ARGH! This day couldn't possibly get any worse!" 
''[Megatron and Blitzwing appear]'' 
"I stand corrected."
:{{m-}}'''Starscream''', enjoying his luck to the fullest.

"STARSCREAM!" 
"Sorry, you must have me confused with some other harrier jet."
:{{m-}}'''Megatron''' and '''Starscream'''. We don't think he bought it, Screamer.

"WHAT IS THAT THING?!" 
"Oh, that's right, you've never seen one up close. It's called...a Decepticon."
:{{m-}}Starscream freaks out '''Sentinel Prime''' as '''Optimus Prime''' finally gets the proof he needs.

"Yeesh, Optimus, think you could have drawn that one out any longer?" 
"You're welcome, Sentinel." 
:{{m-}}'''Sentinel Prime''' and '''Optimus Prime''', same old song and dance.

==Other notes==
*This episode was first broadcast in Canada on April 26, one week before its United States premiere, and during the American premiere of the episode "[[The Return of the Headmaster]]".

===Animation errors===
* While dropping into Megatron's mountain base for the first time, the "glow" effect on Starscream's jet exhaust is misaligned for several seconds until he 'catches up' to it.
* Just before Prime activates the thermal scan of the cloud bank supposedly concealing Starscream, Starscream is already plainly visible on the viewscreen. If Starscream wasn't meant to be concealed, then it's a continuity error, as Prime wouldn't need a thermal scan to detect him, just a magnified visual.
* Not ''really'' an animation error ''per se'', but when the Autobots stop the train, Sari is somehow not hurled forward off its roof by her own momentum, even though she is not restrained in any fashion. Unless...''she's a witch!''

===Continuity errors===
* Megatron and the other Decepticons don't seem to wonder why it is that Starscream keeps coming back, despite the fact that they note that his spark compartment is empty. (Unless Megatron did find the allspark fragment, and decided it'd be fun to keep him around as a target for violence)
* Megatron shatters Starscream's yellow cockpit the first and fourth times he "kills" him in the episode, leaving his empty spark chamber visible. When Starscream pulls a Captain Jack, it is still missing. After he sees his reflection in the water the first time, and simply when they cut to a different angle on the fourth time, it is suddenly present and intact once more. (It's possible that's because of the miraculous powers of the AllSpark shard; if it can keep Starscream online, it surely can regenerate any damage he has taken.)
* How did Sentinel get the stasis cuffs off?
* When Optimus Prime puts the newly acquired fragment of the AllSpark into its housing, there are four shards total, even though thus far, only two have been recovered by the Autobots on-screen (three if they ripped the one out of Starscream's brainpan, but seeing as he's still online, that's not likely).
* As Lugnut and Blitzwing tunnel under the force shield to the Elite Guard's ship, they leave a gigantic hole, which no one notices. And later on, the hole has mysteriously disappeared.

===Transformers references===
*Much like [[Starscream (G1)|his Generation 1 counterpart]], [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] is now immortal, only this time they actually explain why and leave him with a body.
*Megatron believes Starscream "couldn't even lead a parade", just as his G1 namesake said in "[[Starscream's Brigade]]".

===Real-world references===
* [[Wikipedia:Mission Accomplished|The title. Nuff said.]]
* Starscream refers to his disguise as a [[Wikipedia:Harrier Jump Jet|Harrier Jet]]. Pity his model won't turn up for another hundred years or so.

===Miscellaneous trivia===
* Along with [[Transformer|machines]], it seems [[Captain Fanzone]] doesn't like kids.

* In previous episodes, the Autobots were seen cleaning up the places where they battled Megatron, thus one of them would have to have thrown Starscream's corpse into the trash. Kinda cold-hearted there. Though it ''may'' have been justified ''if'' it was Bumblebee who did the throwing.

* Starscream is not just beaten up, but ''killed'' by Megatron five times in a ''single episode''. Must be a new record.

* The Elite Guard does not come off very well in this episode: Ultra Magnus and Jazz fail to notice a large hole the size of [[Lugnut|a B2 bomber]] when leaving their ship, a tachyon transmitter gets ripped off their ship without them even noticing, Sentinel Prime freaks out at the mere sight of a Decepticon, and Ultra Magnus gets defeated by Starscream after only one shot (though, to be fair, it ''was'' at point-blank range to the face), while Megatron shrugs them off and repeatedly defeats Starscream. If the Elite Guard are supposed to be the best and the brightest that Cybertron has to offer, then the Autobots are not going to fare very well in the upcoming war with the Decepticons.

* Starscream's fate is a bit unclear at the end. He's been captured by the Autobots, but is he taken back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] by the Elite Guard, or left under Optimus's watch on [[Earth]]?

* Megatron mentions having a double agent on Cybertron. Who could it be?

* With this episode, all five of the Autobots from [[Transformers (2007)|the live-action movie]] have appeared in ''Transformers: Animated''.

[[Category:Animated episodes]]<div id="wikia-credits"> From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</div>

Megatron (Animated)

2008-05-02T21:07:25Z

66.32.242.84: /* Toys */ This means '''you''', Starscream.

{{disambig3|Megatron}}

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

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

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

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

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

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

==Fiction==

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{{-}}

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

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

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

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

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

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

*In this series, Megatron has his own catchphrase: "Decepticons, transform and rise up!", contrasting Optimus Prime's classic "Autobots, transform and roll out!" line.
{{-}}
[[Category: Animated characters]]
[[Category: Decepticons]]
[[Category: Decepticon leaders]]<div id="wikia-credits"> From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</div>

Megatron (Animated)

2008-05-02T21:04:08Z

66.32.242.84: /* Toys */ This means '''you''', Starscream.

{{disambig3|Megatron}}

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

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

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

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

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

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

==Fiction==

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{{-}}

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

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

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

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

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

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

*In this series, Megatron has his own catchphrase: "Decepticons, transform and rise up!", contrasting Optimus Prime's classic "Autobots, transform and roll out!" line.
{{-}}
[[Category: Animated characters]]
[[Category: Decepticons]]
[[Category: Decepticon leaders]]<div id="wikia-credits"> From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</div>

Blast from the Past

2008-04-29T21:02:41Z

66.32.242.84: /* Quotes */ , saying what we're all thinking.

[[Image:DinobotsAnimated.jpg|thumb|400px|"When they opened Disneyland in 1955, nothing worked." "Yes, but, John, when Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates don't eat the tourists."]]

{{episodenav|animated|6|season=1|prev=Total Meltdown|next=The Thrill of the Hunt}}

'''Professor Sumdac upgrades a trio of animatronic dinosaurs from a local theme park, but the creatures develop minds of their own and become rampaging Dinobots, bent on destroying the Autobots.'''

==Synopsis==

[[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] takes the [[Autobot]]s to "[[Dino Drive]]", a [[dinosaur]]-based theme park, in order to teach them about [[Earth]]'s history. On the way, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] accidentally destroys every car in the parking lot. Once inside, [[Tutor Bot]] gives an impromptu lesson on dinosaurs. The Autobots see the animatronic dinosaurs and become amazed by the replicas, especially Bulkhead, who becomes so fascinated that he tries to get the robot ''Pteranodon'' to fly. This only succeeds in having the robot fall and cause a ''Triceratops'' and ''Tyrannosaurus'' robot to collide and break each other, crushing Tutor Bot in the process. The Autobot take the broken animatronics to [[Isaac Sumdac|Professor Sumdac]] for repair.

At the lab, [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] views the power of dinosaurs through the damaged Tutor Bot and seems very impressed by their destructive potential. Sumdac enters the lab and berates himself for programming the Tutor Bot with such simple information that everyone already knows. Megatron reveals his consciousness by saying ''he'' never knew these things. Sumdac is shocked, and Megatron, pretending that he has just come back online, asks where he is. Professor Sumdac rambles a bit, then says it's a long story. Megatron reassures him that he can listen, as he is not going anywhere. After Sumdac gives a brief history of Megatron's discovery and how he relates to modern technology, Megatron convinces Sumdac that he is an old friend of the Autobots and that they'll be more forgiving of Sumdac keeping his secrets if he helps repair their old comrade. However, it would be best to keep it quiet for now. As a sign of good faith, he offers to help Sumdac repair the dinosaur displays and provide information on how to upgrade their technology so they'll be even more convincing. He conveniently forgets to tell Sumdac that he plans on using them for prototype attack drones.

Meanwhile, at the Autobot base, [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] is trying to teach Bulkhead how to control his strength. This, of course, ends with Bulkhead falling on Prowl. He then tries a new tactic and moves the training to an island in Lake Erie. This results in Bulkhead causing some trees to drop on Prowl.

At Dino Drive, Sumdac reveals his and Megatron's creations to the gathered press and Autobots—the [[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobots]]!

After a short display, Megatron takes control, and the Dinobots go on a rampage. As the Autobots fight them, Bulkhead tries to recreate Prowl's teaching, but to no effect other than falling into Prowl and knocking him flat on his back. [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] and [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] then combine their powers to create an electromagnetic pulse to shut down the Dinobots, but Sari's key is somehow drawn to the creatures. She decides to help and plugs the key into Bumblebee. The blast intensifies, blowing the dinosaurs' skins off and revealing the robot bodies beneath. Professor Sumdac is confused as to why they malfunctioned and brings them back to his lab for maintenance.

At Sumdac's lab, Megatron becomes perplexed as to why the key activated, thinking it sensed something Cybertronian about the Dinobots. He dismisses this idea and curses the drones for being useless. Then something very surprising happens{{m-}}the ''Tyrannosaurus'' starts to talk, and the other dinosaurs begin to move. On top of that, Megatron finds he can't control them!

Megatron then surmises that the Autobots must have done something to them, declaring that, somehow, they have [[spark]]s of their own. The ''Tyrannosaurus'' then dubs himself "[[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]]" and, without fail, Megatron declares that he is the Dinobots' leader. Grimlock doesn't approve of this concept and announces that ''he'' is the leader, and [[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]] and [[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]] seem to agree. The Tutor Bot activates, much to Megatron's annoyance, and explains how dinosaur fossils create fossil fuel, which powers cars and trucks. Grimlock takes this to mean cars and trucks "eat" dinosaurs and announces that cars and trucks are bad. Megatron takes advantage of their low intelligence and tells them to destroy the "fossil feeders", and, of course, that the only things worse than cars and trucks are "car robots". He shows them how to use one of their more destructive powers, [[fire-breath]], and they use it to destroy the Tutor Bot. Grimlock is pleased with this, but does not know how he did it. Megatron explains how he designed them, then tells them that the fossil feeders want them dead, so the Dinobots go to defend themselves.

As they start on their rampage, [[Captain Fanzone]] and assembled emergency crews try to stop them. Suddenly, Snarl whips a car with his tail, and Captain Fanzone's car becomes the first casualty of the Dinobots' war on the fossil feeders as the thrown car lands on it. Fanzone, not missing a beat, takes a bazooka and shoots Snarl in the face, but he just swallows the incoming missile.

The Autobots arrive and, at Bulkhead's suggestion, lure the Dinobots to a park in order to avoid any more collateral damage. As Grimlock sees them transform, he remembers something he'd forgotten: Car robots are worse than cars and trucks. Furious, he orders the Dinobots to attack. As the battle goes on, the Autobots are seriously outmatched, especially since Bulkhead is trying to "access the situation" before acting, as Prowl tried to teach him to do. Prowl, realizing their disadvantage, hollers for Bulkhead not to try and be like Prowl, but to be like ''Bulkhead''. Reassured, Bulkhead quickly drops Snarl and Swoop.

At the lab, Sumdac and Megatron are watching the events unfold on the news, and Sumdac is unable to comprehend why the Dinobots malfunctiooned again. Suddenly, the professor realizes that the fire-breath was part of Megatron's design specifications. Megatron feigns shame, claiming that he wanted a body again, so he experimented with the Dinobots by adding "features". Sumdac sympathizes with Megatron, promising not to tell the Autobots and to restore Megatron one day.

Meanwhile, Bumblebee and Ratchet are pinned down by Grimlock's fire-breath. Snarl and Swoop get up and join in, the heat melting the parking lot behind the two Autobots. [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]] remembers the tar lesson from Dino Drive, and Bulkhead throws all three Dinobots into the newly formed pool. The Dinobots use their flames in an attempt to free themselves from the "black, sticky stuff", but only make things worse for themselves.

The Dinobots are trapped with only their heads sticking out. Professor Sumdac promises to melt them down due to their unpredictableness and the danger they therefore pose. Optimus approves of this, but Prowl does not, feeling that they have shown they have minds and sparks of their own. When Sumdac returns the next morning, he finds the Dinobots have escaped from their tar prison.

On the [[Dinobot Island|deserted island]] where Prowl and Bulkhead trained, the Dinobots are freed into a large crater which houses a beautiful natural environment. Prowl and Bulkhead see how happy they are and decide to keep it their little secret. With that, Prowl sets a hologram up to keep them hidden and safe from the world.

[[Image:Animated cartoon Grimlock energo-sword.jpg|thumb|200px|By the power of Greyskull, ME GRIMLOCK AM KING!]]
After they leave, Grimlock dubs cars and trucks bad, but Nature good. Two birds promptly defecate on him, which makes him rethink his claim and dub Nature stupid. He orders the birds to come down and "fight like Dinobot" and spits out a flame at them, but they simply fly away. Furious, Grimlock suddenly activates another of Megatron's "features" and transforms! Snarl and Swoop stare in amazement as Grimlock draws a [[Energo-sword|giant, flaming sword]]. Grimlock like...

{{-}}

==Stats==

*'''Written by:''' [[Kevin Hopps]]
*'''Directed by:''' [[Irineo Maramba]], [[Ben Jones]], & [[Kentaro Mizuno]]
*'''Original airdate:''' January 12, 2008

===Featured characters===
(''Numbers indicate order of appearance.)''
{|border=5 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=5 align=center style="border:#800000"

! style="background:#FFEEEE" | [[Autobot]]s
! style="background:#EEEEFE" | [[Decepticon]]s
! style="background:antiquewhite" | [[Human]]s

|-
| style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top" |
* [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (6)
* [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (3)
* [[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]] (9)
* [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
* [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (5)
* [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (4)
* [[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]] (10)
* [[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]] (11)

| style="background:#EEEEFE" valign="top" |
* [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (7)

| style="background:antiquewhite" valign="top" |
* [[Captain Fanzone]] (12)
* [[Isaac Sumdac]] (8)
* [[Sari Sumdac]] (1)

|}

==Quotes==
"Sorry I'm late, guys. Uh, did I miss anything?" 
"No, I'd say you hit just about every car in the lot."
:—'''Bulkhead''' can't seem to catch a break, certainly not from '''Bumblebee'''.

"Nice, Prowl. Maybe next you can teach an engine block to float."
:—'''Ratchet''' being a crotchety old goat

"This island will be the ideal place to train [[Bulkhead|you]]: quiet, peaceful, and nothing around for you to damage."
:{{m-}}'''Prowl''', who is wrong

"The primitive materials available on this planet are useless. It will take countless solar cycles to create attack drones capable of ''my'' needs, and without more substantial robotics for my own body, my prospects are grim, locked in this prison of a lab." 
"Grim...lock...Grim...lock."
:—'''Megatron''' learns why '''Grimlock'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s name doesn't start with an "S".

"Me Grimlock." 
"Then listen well, Grimlock. I am Megatron, your leader." 
"[[Grimlock (G1)|Me Grimlock leader.]]"
:—'''Grimlock''' and '''Megatron'''. Some things never change.

"Cars and trucks bad! [[Car Robots|Car robots]]...worse!"
:{{m-}}'''Grimlock''', to the dismay of [[Robots in Disguise (cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]] fans everywhere.

"Bulkhead...what are you ''doing''?" 
"I'm doing what you do!" 
"...better idea! Do what ''you'' do!" 
:—'''Prowl''' and '''Bulkhead''' discuss strategy.

"You call breathing fire a glitch in the programming?!?"
:—'''Ratchet''', saying what we're all thinking.

"I should be more careful when I try to reverse-engineer alien technology."
:{{m-}}'''Isaac Sumdac's''' entry in the "Gee, You Think?" competition.

"Just because something's big and lumbering and destructive doesn't mean you give up on it." 
:—'''Prowl''' delivering the most backhanded compliment ever

"Me Grimlock...like."
:—'''Grimlock''' upon transforming. And the world trembled.

{{-}}

==Other notes==

===Animation errors===

*In one scene, Snarl's head is coloured grey instead of gold.

*Prowl removes his Autobot symbol because of its hologram emitter. However, in the next shot, he still has it.

===Transformers references===
*A far-off island that becomes a training ground for a lumbering warrior to hone his skills without causing collateral damage to the Autobots' base? Gee, [[Dinobot Island|that sure sounds familiar...]]

*After smashing into Snarl, Bulkhead cheerfully apologizes with "Excuse me!" in much the same way that ''Generation 1'' [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] did after stomping on a [[Quintesson]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

* Grimlock's line "Cars and trucks bad! Car Robots worse!!!" may be taken as a subtle jab at ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Transformers: RiD]]'', which was called ''Car Robots'' in Japan.

*Only two other anamatronic dinosaurs are seen in Dino Drive, a ''Stegosaurus'' and an unidentified sauropod. These may be references to [[Sludge]] and the original [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]. And/or potential future Dinobots.

*Grimlock's robot mode resembles his look in the Generation One series. However, in this series, he wields a flaming sword just like his G1 toy and depiction in several comic series including Transformers War Within.

*This is not the first series to use a tar pit to entrap the Dinobots. In the original G1 cartoon episode [[Dinobot Island, Part 1|"Dinobot Island,"]] Megatron used the island's residents to drive the Dinobots into a tar pit to get them out of the Decepticon's way. In the G1 Marvel comic series, the Decepticon Shockwave defeated the Dinobots by entombing them in tar (before falling in himself).

===Real-world references===
* The gate of Dino Drive is remarkably similar to the gate of Jurassic Park in the movie of the same name (and thus, by extension, to the gate from ''King Kong'', to which Jurassic Park's design was an [[homage]]). Music reminiscent of the ''Jurassic Park'' theme can be heard during some of the Dino Drive scenes.

===Miscellaneous trivia===

* This marks the first time the Dinobots have been used in a ''Transformers'' TV series since Generation 1. There is much joy. Grimlock is particularly happy.

* Snarl was obviously designed to be the ''Animated'' incarnation of the [[Generation 1]] [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] [[Slag (G1)|Slag]]. (Preproduction shots even bore the name Slag.) Given that Hasbro [http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=76674442 holds the US trademark for "Slag" unopposed, and renewed it as recently as Xmas 2007], why this should be is a complete mystery. Regardless, Grimlock is the only Dinobot to have received an in-show name.

* The Dinobots' color schemes are lifted directly from the Generation 1 cartoon, with some minor variations. This is most obvious in Swoop's torso being blue, rather then the red featured in Generation 1 Swoop's comic and toy incarnations. The ''[[Diaclone]]'' version of [[Swoop (G1)|Generation 1 Swoop]]'s toy likewise had a blue chest, so this is possibly an homage, but is more likely coincidence.

* For the first time in a Transformers TV show, the Dinobots' alt modes match closely with how dinosaurs are depicted in the fossil record (no sluggishness, more mammal/bird-like, Grimlock bent over horizontally, no bowleggedness, etc.). There was still a lack of feathers before they were de-skinned, though. (However, since it's doubtful ''T. Rex''es had a feather covering like smaller therapods, and pterosaurs only had down, it's not really an issue)

*In this episode, Tutor Bot actually teaches Sari and the Autobots about dinosaurs and fossil fuels. He's back on form, however, when the pre-Transformer Grimlock squashes him.

* It seems somewhat odd (but not terribly surprising) that humanity has developed advanced robotics and such, but still uses fossil fuels in cars.

* According to Ratchet, the Transformer race is over 10 billion years old.

*Tutor Bot makes statements of questionable factual accuracy in this episode:
**Despite what Tutor Bot says, fossil fuels are ''not'' made from dinosaur fossils. Fossil fuels are made from various [[wikipedia:Hydrocarbon|hydrocarbon]]s, which are mostly formed from plant matter that has long since settled in the Earth's crust. For more, see [[wikipedia:Fossil fuel|this]].
**Tutor Bot claims that the [[wikipedia:Jurassic|Jurassic]] era is over 200 million years old. It lasted from circa 199.6 million years ago to 145.4 million years ago.
**Tutor Bot claims that many of the creatures lived during the Jurassic period, but ''Tyrannosaurus'', ''Triceratops'' and the pterosaur ''Pteranodon'' hail from the Late [[wikipedia:Cretaceous|Cretaceous]], not the Jurassic. The only dinosaurs actually from that time period are the ''Stegosaurus'' and the sauropod mentioned above. This makes Tutor Bot blind, vague, or incapable of teaching about dinosaurs, fossil fuels, and (depending on how literally you take him) basic math. The fact that Professor Sumdac continues to fix him is almost amazing.
*Michigan does not have volcanoes.

[[Category:Animated episodes]]<div id="wikia-credits"> From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</div>