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Shadowzone (episode)

2011-05-15T11:38:50Z

68.205.150.67: /* Quotes */

{{disambig2|the episode|the dimension|Shadowzone (dimension)}}
{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 15
|prev=Out of His Head
|next=Operation: Breakdown
|image=Shadowzone-shadow.jpg
|caption=Who zones? The Shadow zones.
|title="Shadowzone"
|airdate=[[May 14]], [[2011]]
|written by=[[Marsha Griffin]]
|directed by=[[Todd Waterman]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''After a GroundBridge failure, the kids are flung into another dimension with a reanimated Skyquake.'''

==Synopsis==

[[Image:Shadowzone-MegsStarscream.jpg|left|thumb|300px|"Baby, I don't ''want'' to hurt you!"]]

[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] lies in the ''[[Nemesis (Prime)|Nemesis]]''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> lab, having taken a severe pounding from [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]]. His leader pays a visit, mostly to gloat over how their positions have changed. Once he leaves, Starscream rips himself free of the cables feeding him. [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] is shocked to see Starscream up and about, but Starscream claims angrily that he feels fine and limps away. Starscream retrieves a shard of [[Dark Energon]]—the one he originally ripped from Megatron's body—from its hiding place and promises that his and Megatron's positions will be reversed.

At the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot base]], [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] reports that he's detected a weak but rapidly moving Dark Energon signal, which the [[Autobot]]s assume is Megatron. [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] seems thrilled at the prospect of zombie-cons.

Starscream arrives at the site of [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]]'s grave, announcing that this time the fallen warrior will be his servant. Breaking off a chunk of the Dark Energon and throwing it into the cairn, Starscream plunges the rest of it into himself and feels the power flowing through him.

[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] readies the Autobots to move out, though Ratchet's surprised that he's on the team. As Miko yells words of encouragement to [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]], [[Jack Darby|Jack]] and [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] observe that she's obviously up to something, since she's acting disinterested in coming along. Indeed, as the Autobots head through the [[GroundBridge]], Miko makes a break for the opening, and Jack and Raf give chase. Jack manages to grab her on the threshold, but she shakes loose and runs through, though her cell phone is knocked from her belt. The three kids arrive on site just behind the Autobots and scramble up a nearby outcropping to watch the anticipated battle. The Autobots are surprised to find Starscream instead of Megatron, and he takes advantage by shooting at them and proclaiming his invulnerability. Optimus responds by shooting one of Starscream's arms off. As the Autobots close in, Starscream takes cover and shouts at Skyquake to hurry up and rise before panicking and requesting an emergency GroundBridge. The Autobots finally spot the kids when Miko shouts at Jack for making her lose her phone, just in time for [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] to call from base asking where the kids are. Optimus orders her to send a GroundBridge. Ratchet is surprised when ''two'' GroundBridge portals open, but orders the kids to go in. They do so, and Starscream likewise dives through the 'Con GroundBridge, but moments later, green energy begins swirling around everywhere. Bulkhead runs to save the kids, but is knocked back from the GroundBridge portal, which then explodes.

[[Image:Shadowzone-purple.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"The Power Cosmic!"]]

Starscream arrives back on the ''Nemesis'' and tells the [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]] operator to keep his mouth shut. After leaving the GroundBridge room, he removes the chunk of Dark Energon from his chest.

The kids pick themselves up, as do the Autobots, but the kids quickly discover that the Autobots can't see them, and to Miko's alarm, Bulkhead steps right through her. Unaware, the Autobots speculate on what happened to the kids. Raf works out that he, Jack and Miko are in a sort of alternate dimension he calls a [[Shadowzone (dimension)|shadowzone]]. Optimus observes that Skyquake's grave is empty and requests a GroundBridge from Arcee. The kids spot Skyquake—now a Dark Energon zombie—heading towards the Autobots. Their cries of warning go unheard, but Skyquake's strike passes right through Bulkhead. The kids rapidly realize that Skyquake is in the same dimension as they are, and they and run for it. Raf trips and is carried to safety by Jack, but has lost his glasses. Miko makes an ill-advised recovery of the spectacles, and they continue their flight.

The Autobots are at a loss to locate the kids until [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] suggests calling them. Bulkhead rings Miko, only to discover her lost cellphone sitting on the floor in the Autobot base. Arcee rings Jack, and in the shadowzone, his phone rings, but there's too much interference for him and Arcee to communicate. The kids hit on the idea of sending a text message to Miko's phone but are forced to run as Skyquake finds them. Miko is just realizing that they've gone in a circle when they literally run into Starscream's lost arm.

Knock Out examines Starscream, who covers for his lost arm by saying it just fell off. The medic tries unsuccessfully to interest him in a replacement upgrade arm.

Meanwhile, the kids use Starscream's arm to fire a missile at Skyquake. They manage to blast Skyquake's arm off, but it promptly animates and starts charging towards them at high speed. The kids start running once again.

At base, Bulkhead spots Miko's phone is flashing, and the Autobots finally get the kids' message. Ratchet sets about trying to locate where they are.

Starscream's piece of Dark Energon starts pulsing, which he takes to mean that Skyquake has risen. He tells Knock Out, returning with a new arm, that he's going to go and retrieve his old arm.

Ratchet pinpoints the kids to the location of Skyquake's grave and starts working on a way to return them to the normal dimension.

[[Image:Shadowzone-alone.jpg|left|thumb|300px|]]

The kids find themselves back at Starscream's arm and are confronted by Starscream himself, come to find Skyquake. Luckily, he can't see them, but they're forced to run toward him when Skyquake's arm appears. A GroundBridge portal opens in front of them, and they run through at the last moment. Starscream is startled by the three humans running past, but then Skyquake's arm follows them through the portal and grabs Starscream's head. He has barely shaken the thing loose when Optimus, Bulkhead and Bumblebee arrive, and he has to request another emergency GroundBridge.

Back at base, Miko takes responsibility for the whole venture, much to Jack's surprise, but the Autobots decide she's been through enough. Bulkhead regrets she didn't get to take any pictures, but Miko asserts that the mental image of zombie Skyquake will be enough.

Knock Out performs more repairs on Starscream and enquires whether he retrieved his arm. Back in the shadowzone, Skyquake briefly tries Starscream's arm on for size before tossing it away.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (4)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (6)
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (7)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (8)
|c2=
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (1)
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (2)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (3)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]] (12)
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] (13)
|c3=
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (9)
*[[Jack Darby]] (10)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (11)
|c4=

}}

==Quotes==
"You cannot harm me while Dark Energon flows through my veins!" 
:—'''Starscream''', seconds before Optimus blows off his arm.

"I can't see without my glasses!" 
"What are you, ninety?" 
"Not. Helping!" 
:—A glasses-less '''Raf''', a jerky '''Miko''' and a frustrated '''Jack'''.

"Uhhh, Starscream, I don't quite understand how this could have happened?" 
"And yet it DID! Can you imangine my horror? There I am minding my own business my when my arm just falls off! Clearly Megatron inflicted more damage upon my the you realize, doctor..." 
:-'''Starscream''' not admitting to '''Knockout''' what really happened.

"Agh! Unhand me!" 
:—'''Starscream''' to Skyquake's hand. Sorry.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical errors===

===Continuity errors===

===Continuity notes===
* Starscream attempts to raise Skyquake as a zombie the way Megatron raised an undead army in "[[Darkness Rising]]" parts [[Darkness Rising, Part 4|4]] and [[Darkness Rising, Part 5|5]]".
* Starscream stole the Dark Energon shard he uses from Megatron way back in "[[Masters & Students]]". Likewise, Skyquake made his previous appearance in the same episode, and the action in this episode happens around his burial site.

===Transformers references===
* This episode finally has the Autobots refer to the ''Nemesis'' by name. The name was previously given to the [[Nemesis (G1)|Decepticon cruiser]] from Generation 1 in "[[Nemesis Part 1]]".
* When suggesting alternative arm weapons for Starscream, Knock Out recommends the [[null-ray]].

===Foreign dubbing===

===Real-world references===
* Ratchet fears that the Ground Bridges may have crossed streams. [[Wikipedia:Ghostbusters|This is generally a very bad thing]].
* Scenes taking place in the Shadowzone are in a greyish, washed out colour, ala old-timey horror movies.
* Skyquake's severed hand moves around in a way not unlike [[Wikipedia:Thing (The Addams Family)|Thing]] from ''The Addams Family'' and ''[[Wikipedia:Evil Dead 2|Evil Dead 2]]''.
* Raf proclaims he can't see without his glasses, bringing to mind [[Wikipedia:Velma Dinkley|Velma Dinkley]].

===Trivia===
* Starscream is apparently obsolete in terms of equipment and systems. Stubborn refusal to upgrade is not unheard of among [[Spotlight: Kup|Transformers]].
* Despite Megatron being pretty ticked off at Starscream in the previous episode, Screamer is still alive (albeit heavily injured). Just like old times!
* [[Jeff Kline]] claimed that when they kill a character, the character stays killed. He wasn't exactly lying: Skyquake reappears, but only as a shambling zombie. He doesn't even get lines except for groans and moans.
* So Starscream launches the missiles on his arms by flexing his index finger.
* Miko claims to have learned her lesson. Let's see how long that lasts.
* Optimus Prime actually SMILES in this episode!

==Home video releases==

==External links==

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

United (episode)

2011-03-30T13:56:40Z

68.205.150.67: /* Synopsis */

{{disambig2|the episode of Transformers: Cybertron|the Japanese toyline|Transformers United}}

{{episode
|series=Cybertron
|ep=30
|series2=Galaxy Force
|ep2=31
|title="United"
|japanese=高速機動合体ソニックコンボイ
|romaji=Kōsoku Kidō Gattai Sonic Convoy
|translation=High Speed Fusion—Sonic Convoy
|image=Cyb_ep30_sonic_wing_mode.jpg
|caption="Remember that thing we did all the time last year? I think we could do it... now as well!"
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Aichi]], [[we've|We've]], [[Tōkyū Agency]]
|writer=[[Gyō Yamatoya]]
|director=[[Megumi Sakai]]
|animation studio=[[GONZO]]
|airdate=[[August 6]], [[2005]] (Japanese) [[April 1]], [[2006]] (English)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy cartoon timeline|Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Memories of the past push Wing Saber and Optimus Prime to try a dangerous technique in hopes of defeating the super-powered Starscream.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Cyb_ep30_king_of_the_hill.jpg|left|thumb|220px]]

Struck by the mighty fist of the gargantuan [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]], [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] are hit so hard they split apart. Thinking of the [[Cybertron Defense Team]]'s struggle against the [[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] swarm on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Optimus appoints Leobreaker, [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] and [[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] to go to their aid, taking the [[Omega Lock]] with them, while the other Autobots remain on [[Earth]] to deal with the [[Decepticon]]s. Unfortunately, as the trio depart on the [[space bridge]], [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] alerts [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] to their actions, and the Decepticon leader decides to abandon the fight against Starscream so that he can follow them and steal the Lock with comparative ease. Starscream attempts to stop the Decepticons from giving chase through the space bridge, but his attentions are drawn away by a barrage of Autobot firepower, so he instead delegates [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] to pursue them in his place.

[[Image:Cyb_ep30_clang.jpg|right|thumb|220px|I'm not touching you....]]

[[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] attacks Starscream solo, and unsurprisingly, gets blasted out of the sky. As the other Autobots fire in concert at the giant Decepticon, Wing Saber swallow his pride and asks Optimus Prime if he remembers a past incident in the [[Chaar asteroid belt]]. Whatever this past incident entailed, Prime believes it will not work here, but Wing Saber is undeterred, and runs head-long at Optimus in an attempt to replicate its effects. Deeply amused at the sight of two Autobots repeatedly running into each other, Starscream uses his incredible new powers to rip up the ground surrounding him, filling the air with a deadly field of rocks and debris. Prime and Wing Saber take to the air, but are brought down to Earth with a bump by the flying rocks. Wing Saber is ready to throw in the towel, but a pep talk from Optimus soon brings him around.

Out in space, Leobreaker, Override and Evac continue their race along the space bridge to Cybertron, with Decepticon fire blazing all around them. Megatron is in no great hurry to catch up to the three Autobots, though: after all, he knows exactly where they're going. As such, he is able to turn his attention from them for a moment when Thunderblast emerges through the space bridge behind them, and immediately offers Megatron her services, claiming that she has no desire to keep working for Starscream. Megatron agrees and accepts her into his fold, sending her on ahead after the Autobots, before commenting to Scourge that he doesn't trust her, but will happily sacrifice a willing pawn.

[[Image:Cyb_ep30_back_to_back.jpg|left|thumb|220px]]

Back on Earth, Wing Saber and Optimus Prime recall some of the specifics of the Chaar asteroid belt incident, which involved them flying back-to-back to navigate a massive field of asteroids and save the life of a stranded spacefarer, and Wing Saber very nearly meeting a messy end when he lost control. With the other Autobots covering them as best they can, the pair repeat the strategy and dive into the heart of Starscream's makeshift barrier. Weaving and dodging, the pair are nearly through the field when Optimus is struck by a rock and sent careening. Wing Saber swoops to his aid, repaying the favor from long ago, and together, the pair burst free of the rock field and reveal the hidden power they experienced in the original Chaar incident—the power of combination!

[[Image:Cyb_ep30_who_has_won.jpg|right|thumb|220px]]

As the amazed Autobots watch from below, Optimus Prime and Wing Saber merge into "Sonic Wing Mode", and face off against Starscream with their incredible speed and strength. Stunned by their power, far in excess of merely the sum of the two Autobots' own, Starscream demands to know where their strength is coming from, and Prime tells him that their true power comes from their team and working to save the universe, not just fighting for themselves. Starscream denies this, declaring that power is all that matters, but Prime soon proves him wrong as he weaves between his laser blasts and brings him to his knees with a slash of his new swords.

As the Autobot celebrate, [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]] sneaks onto the scene and teleports the fallen Starscream away. Not noticing this strange development, Prime address his Autobots, and informs them that they are all heading to Cybertron right now. The Autobots have been fighting against the odds for too long... now it's time to take charge!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] (4)
*[[Vector Prime]] (5)
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (6)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (13)
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (14)
*[[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]] (15)
*[[Reverb (Cybertron)|Reverb]] (18)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (19)
*[[Six-Speed]] (20)
*[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] (21)
*[[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] (22)
*[[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] (23)
*[[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]] (24)
*[[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] (25)
*[[Crosswise (Cybertron)|Crosswise]] (26)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] (2)
*[[Mudflap (Cybertron)|Mudflap]] (7)
*[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] (8)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (9)
*[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] (10)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] (11)
*[[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] (12)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (27)

|c3=
*[[Coby Hansen]] (3)
*[[Bud Hansen]] (16)
*[[Lori]] (17)

|c4=
*[[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]] (28)
*[[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]]

}}

==Quotes==
"Megatron, I'm a friend! I want to crash your party." 
"Crash my party...?" 
"I've been working for that lame-o Starscream, but this girl needs someone with shoulders broad enough to hold the universe — shoulders like yours." 
"Ha! So you say you wish to turn against Starscream to ally with me?" 
"What do you say? Can I join your team?" 
"You can join us, but I will make you work hard. No breaks because you're... cute."
:—'''Thunderblast''' and '''Megatron'''.

"You can't glue two guppies together to make a shark!"
:—'''Starscream''' on Sonic Wing Mode. Oh, how wrong he is!

'''Optimus Prime:''' I'm! Too! Fast! For! You! 
'''Lori:''' Amazing! Optimus Prime and Wing Saber just linked together, and now it looks like they're twice as fast! 
'''Starscream:''' Too fast? Lasers move at the speed of light! 
''[Prime avoids Starscream's lasers with ease]'' 
'''Starscream:''' That ''is'' fast! 
:—Take ''that'', laws of physics!

'''Starscream:''' What is this, they link up and become super-powerful? 
'''Optimus Prime:''' You're too self-centered to get it. We didn't just "link up." Our power comes from being part of a team, and working with others for the good of the universe, ''not'' just for ourselves! ''THAT'' is the Autobot way! 
'''Starscream:''' Eh, give it a rest. What matters is power, and I'm still the most powerful here! 
'''Optimus Prime:''' Not for long!
:—Optimus Prime being Optimus Prime, and Starscream being arrogant.

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Galaxy Force''===
[[Image:C30 charr.jpg|right|thumb]]
*In ''Galaxy Force'', Wing Saber and Optimus Prime have never combined before, and Wing Saber only gets the idea after having seen Prime and Leobreaker combined in the previous episode. He is then reminded of the Chaar asteroid belt incident after Starscream fills the air with rocks. ''Cybertron'' combines the two threads into one, with Prime and Wing Saber having previously combined to navigate the Chaar belt.
*The Chaar asteroid belt fracas is described in ''Galaxy Force'' as an incident on the planet Astorea. Presumably, this was changed because careless animation causes the so-called "planet" to be ''ridiculously'' tiny. Neither version mentions where the spacefarer the pair save is from, but in ''Galaxy Force'', one might presume he was an Astorean.

===Animation or Technical Glitches===
*There are some shots that show Sonic Wing Mode Optimus Prime holding the swords formed from the wing flaps...but also show the flaps and handles still in place. Other shots lack this error.

===Continuity errors===
*Internal to the ''Cybertron'' series alone, this episode ''really'' puts the lie into Optimus Prime's claim back in "[[Sand]]" that he had never heard of two Autobots combining before. Of course, ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' and ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' had already done that, but still, you know what we mean.

===Transformers references===
*The Chaar asteroid belt is named for the [[Chaar|planet of the same name]] from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]].

===Real-world references===
*Of the Scrapmetal, Scattorshot says: "Destroy 'em all an' let Primus sort 'em out!", a reference to a popular English translation of a saying by Abbot [[:wikipedia:Arnaud Amalric|Arnold Amaury]], before the massacre of Béziers during the Albigensian Crusade: "Kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out."
* "Scrapmetals to the left of me, Decepticons to the right, and here we are, stuck in the middle with the Omega Lock!" complains Leobreaker, paraphrasing the lyrics of Stealers Wheel's "[[wikipedia:Stuck_in_the_Middle|Stuck in the Middle]]".
* The quote regarding speed and lasers pokes fun at how most so-called laser weapons in science fiction do not actually behave like real lasers. These ''are'' closer than some, being useless underwater as shown in "[[Deep]]".

===Trivia===
*When Mudflap draws a bead on Thunderblast as she emerges from the space bridge, he's using one of the hand-held guns he was seen with back in "[[Ice]]". In that episode, they were demanded by the plot; in this one, we'd just like to know why he doesn't just use the ''gun mounted in his arm''.
*Starscream unveils his new Cyber Key powers in this episode, and reveals that his left arm-sword has been replaced with a cannon. It's not mentioned explicitly in dialogue in either version of the episode, but this cannon actually takes the place of the sword which Leobreaker broke off back in "[[Retreat]]".
*Assuming Wing Saber is not being hyperbolic, Starscream is now roughly twenty stories tall.
*This episode would later be combined with "[[Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron]]", "[[Balance]]" and "[[Darkness (episode)|Darkness]]" to create the TV "movie" special, "[[Primus Unleashed (TV special)|Primus Unleashed]]".

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Galaxy Force'' — Vol. 08 ([[Victor Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Ultimate Collection ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]])

[[Category:Cybertron episodes]]