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Decepticon

2011-02-07T20:21:08Z

69.140.106.144: /* Animated */

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|ttdecepticon|sgDecepticon}}
{{disambig2|the Transformers faction|the ''Robots in Disguise'' episode|The Decepticons}}
[[Image:Symbol decept reg.png|right|236px|thumb|Get this tattooed on you and all you'll need is a black trenchcoat and a long ponytail. Then people will love you.]]

{{quote|'''''Decepticon''' (di-sep-ti-con ) A member of a subversive sect or society. From the noun — 'decepticon'; one who deceives.|the [[New Cybertronic Dictograph]]}}

The '''Decepticons''' are one of the primary factions in the ''[[Transformer]]s'' mythos. They are typically concerned with such things as conquering [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], defeating the [[Autobot]]s, amassing large quantities of [[Energon (fuel)|energon]], developing powerful weaponry, and beating people up. Not necessarily in that order.

Unlike the Autobots, whose leader is a [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] bearing a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], the Decepticons are led by the [[Decepticon leader|most powerful]] of their ranks. This tends to cause some conflict, given how generally ''every'' Decepticon thinks that they're the most powerful. Also, the Decepticons are not exactly the most compassionate beings in the universe, but not all fight for greed. More than a few have a sense of honor, while others believe that Cybertron would be better protected by [[Decepticon Empire|aggressive expansion]]. Ultimately, the Decepticons desire to protect their homeworld, even if it is at the expense of others. [[Shattered Glass (franchise)|Usually]].

{{quote|The Decepticons are a malevolent race of robot warriors, brutal and merciless. The Decepticons are led by a single undeviating goal: total domination of the universe.|[[Victor Caroli|Narrator]]|[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]}}

:''Japanese name'': '''Destron''' (デストロン, ''de-su-to-ro-n''), '''Combatrons''' (Car Robots only)
:''Danish name (Marvel comic)'': '''Bedragerne''' ("Betrayers")
:''Danish name (G1 cartoon)'': '''Bedraonerne''' (weird variation on Bedragerne I guess...)
:''French name (France, G1 cartoon)'': '''Decepticans'''
:''Hungarian name (Marvel comic)'': '''Álcák''' ("Disguises")
:''Hungarian name (toy commercial)'': '''Decepticonok'''
:''Hungarian name (''Energon/Cybertron'')'': '''Robotikák''' ("Roboticas")
:''Hungarian name (Movie, first dub)'': '''Varangyok''' ("Toads")
:''Hungarian name (Movie, second dub)'': '''Decepticonok'''
:''Italian name'': '''Distructors'''
:''Polish name'': '''Deceptikony''' (full name); '''Decepci''' (as a short)
:''Polish name (Beast Wars)'': '''Dezorientaci'''
:''Polish name (Movie, first dub)'': '''Decepcjokony''' (Deceptiocons? What the?)
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comic):'' '''Decépticos'''
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comic):'' '''Malignus'''
:''Serbian name'': '''Deseptikoni'''
:''Swedish name (Marvel comic)'': '''Bedragare''' ("Betrayers")
:''Chinese name'': '''Ba Tian Hu''' (霸天虎, ''Tigers that forcibly occupy the sky'')
:''Ukrainian name'': '''Obmanoidy''' (Обманойди, ''Decepticons'')

==Generation 1==
===Marvel Comics===
[[Image:Thelaststand-prepare.jpg|left|350px|thumb|MAKE OUT YOUR WILLS! NOTIFY YOUR NEXT OF KIN!]]
The Decepticons emerged from the gladiatorial [[State Games]], which caused [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s rise to public prominence - in the aftermath of the destructive Vos-Tarn War, Megatron was able to use his fame and charisma to unite both the survivors and the planet's malcontents into a new army. His plan was to turn Cybertron into a mobile cosmic dreadnought and conquer the galaxy. The Decepticons developed new technology to allow them to transform into attack vehicles and weaponry, launching a devastating attack that killed billions and shook the planet from its orbit before [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] turned the tide.

Megatron, Shockwave and others were lost on Earth for four million years; as Optimus was too, the Autobots swiftly lost ground to Decepticon leaders [[Trannis]] and [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]. Cybertron was devastated and conquered, causing the cream of the Decepticons to leave the burnt-out planet to form a [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] out in the stars, while Straxus threw all those he considered weak into the [[Smelting pool]]. The Empire would go on to slaughter and Cyberform planet after planet, their actions unknown on Cybertron.

Eventually the Earth-bound Decepticons would awaken in 1984, sparking off a new front in the war. After the presumed suicide of Megatron, an escalation in fighting would see Decepticon leadership fragment and change hands rapidly, with frequent clashes, plots and counter-plots between the primary leadership, namely [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], until most of them were killed in the [[Underbase]] conflict, leaving Scorponok the only surviving commander. A brief truce with the Autobots was held when [[Unicron]] attacked in 1991, but Scorponok was killed in the following conflict. Immediately after this, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] came to power. Charismatic and driven, Bludgeon turned the beaten Decepticons into a new army; after a defeat on [[Klo]], they regrouped and reorganised. ([[Another Time and Place|In one reality, they were immediately massacred afterward.]])

====Earthforce====
In the side-continuity of [[Earthforce]], while Unicron continued on to Cybertron, Megatron and Shockwave continued a Decepticon civil war on Earth with a small handful of troops - wasting most of their time trying to take each other out. Eventually Soundwave and Starscream overthrew them, uniting both factions into a stronger Decepticon force. The two former leaders attempted to regain their position but never appeared to succeed.

====Generation 2====
Bludgeon invaded Earth with the intention of capturing the Matrix and making a new generation of Decepticons, but Megatron returned, killed Bludgeon in one-on-one combat, and stole this plan. However, the threat of the Cybertronian Empire forced an alliance between the Autobots and Decepticons again.

====Classics====

===Cartoon===
====Season 1 & 2====
[[Image:Masterplan2 earth germ.jpg|thumb|"Excuse me, do you have seating for 3?"]]
In the various continuities descending from [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]], the Decepticons and the [[Autobot]]s are the two great powers in the Transformer population. The factions, however, are not a complete set -- there are Transformers who are unaffiliated / neutral, or even members of smaller or splinter factions.

Many G1 timelines actually credit [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] as the founder of the Decepticons, not merely its most recent leader. In contrast, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] is almost always depicted as only the latest in a long line of [[Prime (rank)|Primes]] or [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix bearers]].

Eventually, the Decepticons managed to take control of all of Cybertron, forcing the Autobots to operate on Cybertron's two moons, but [[Autobot City]] on [[Earth]] was viewed as the greater threat. The Decepticons overtook a supply shuttle and launched an [[Battle of Autobot City|attack]], with disastrous consequences for the Autobots. The battle saw one of the Decepticons' long held dreams achieved in the death of Optimus Prime, but Megatron was damaged, and left to rot in deep space. [[Unicron]] reformatted him into [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], and Galvatron attempted to enslave Unicron with the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. When Unicron attacked Cybertron, most of the Decepticon forces on the planet were wiped out, allowing the Autobots to retake control of the planet. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

====Season 3 & 4====
{{quote|Once the Decepticons held the quadrant through terror, now we scrap like [[Slaarg]]s over a few [[energon cube]]s.|[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]|[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]}}

Times would turn harsh for the Decepticons who were forced to abandon their homeworld of Cybertron and were exiled to the burnt out planet of [[Chaar]]. There they would face constant energy shortages and engage in constant inter-fighting, as well as suffer from a lack of leadership. From this chaos came [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and the [[Sweep]]s, who hatched a plan of finding Galvatron who would lead the Decepticons once more.

Eventually, the Autobots, led by a resurrected Optimus Prime, managed to finally defeat the Decepticons.

===Dreamwave===
[[Image:DeceptLitho.jpg|left|150px|thumb|"My Liege, when did you get that sw--" "CAN'T HEAR YOU, FANWANKING"]]
The Decepticons arose out of the [[Gladiatorial combat|underground fights]] that Megatron once partook in. After discovering certain secrets about Cybertron's origin, including massive [[planetary engine]]s, Megatron began using the games to recruit combatants. For nearly half a million years, they grew in numbers and trained, until they rebelled against the [[Council of Ancients]] and took [[Kaon]] by force.

While the war raged on, the Constructicons repaired the engines and introduced a mecha-forming process, but what they really needed was a power source. Megatron became convinced that he could find one powerful enough within the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], which was in the possession of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]. However, when Megatron finally killed the Prime, he discovered that it was not within him. Soon after, Optronix became Optimus Prime, and Megatron initiated a plan: an assassination team under Communications Officer [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] would elimate the Prime and claim the Matrix, while Military Operations Commander [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] would lay siege to Iacon, preventing the Autobots from coming to Prime's rescue.

However, Megatron made two mistakes: he informed Air Commander [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] of his intentions, and he underestimated Optimus Prime. The Prime managed to erase some of Megatron's memories of what he discovered, while Starscream activated the mechaforming process using energy from the planetary engines. The engines were destroyed before the process was complete, ruining both. {{storylink|The War Within}}

After Megatron disappeared with Optimus Prime in a space bridge test, Shockwave became Decepticon leader, though Starscream and High Auditor [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] broke off with their own splinter factions shortly afterwards. The Decepticons allied with [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'s Autobots and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s [[Lightning Strike Coalition]] (an Autobot splinter group), to stop the machinations of the [[The Fallen|Fallen]]. {{storylink|War Within: The Dark Ages|The War Within: The Dark Ages}} Several thousand years later, Shockwave was prepared to sign a peace treaty with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], who had become Autobot leader, the LSC, and Ratbat's [[Ultracon]]. However, Megatron returned with the [[Air Warrior|Aerospace Extermination Squadron]], an army of [[Quintesson]] created [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] drones, whose abilities allowed the Decepticons to fully conquer Cybertron and enslave the Autobots. The Decepticons' control over Cybertron was ended when Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron and the Air Warriors were defeated. {{storylink|War Within: The Age of Wrath|The War Within: The Age of Wrath}}

When Megatron disappeared along with the ''Nemesis'' crew, Shockwave again emerged as Decepticon leader, this time as head of a triumvirate including Ratbat and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. With [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] becoming scarce, Shockwave agreed to work with Ultra Magnus and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] in the creation of the [[Micromaster]]s, Transformers who were downsized for better fuel efficiency. Shockwave suffered a rebellion when [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] overthrew him, using Shockwave's severed head as a tool. {{storylink|Micromasters}} However, all Transformers on Cybertron entered [[stasis lock]] when the [[Great Shutdown]] occurred.

Around 1,000 B.C.E., Shockwave was reactivated by Scourge, and then defeated the Unicronian Transformer. Studying Scourge and discovering some of the secrets Megatron had learned, Shockwave made peace with the Autobots, installing himself as Head of State with an [[Autobot High Council]] as a legislature, while Ultra Magnus became his senior security officer. However, the High Councillors were unsuited for peace time government, and gradually gave Shockwave more and more power... which is exactly what he had planned.

On Earth, the ''Nemesis'' crew was reawakened in 1984. Cut off from Cybertron, the Decepticons concluded that they had no other choice but to conquer the planet. Megatron soon learned that others had come looking for them, including [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]]. The Decepticons captured Jetfire and the Dinobots except Grimlock, and used the hostage situation to force Grimlock to serve the Decepticons. Additionally, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] located Earth and served under Megatron. In 1998, the Autobots allied with humanity to defeat the Decepticons. They were to be returned to Cybertron in the ''[[Ark II]]'', but Shockwave, through a human intermediary, sabotaged the ''Ark II'', causing the ship to crash and send the Transformers aboard into stasis lock.

Renegade members of the [[United States military]] managed to capture the Decepticons and a number of Autobots, intending to use them as instruments of war, but [[Lazarus|Adam Rook]] later stole them and set himself up as an arms dealer. Unfortunately, Megatron overwhelmed the programming that kept him a prisoner, and freed the other Decepticons. Megatron then intended to unleash a technovirus on Earth, but the Autobots defeated him. {{storylink|Prime Directive}}

A year later, Shockwave arrived to tie up loose ends, quickly capturing Megatron and the ''Nemesis'' crew. Starscream ejected Megatron out of the ship carrying them to Cybertron, leaving him to die in space. The ''Nemesis'' crew were granted amnesty, but Starscream quickly recruited them into going back to Earth to conquer the planet, taking the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] with them. Shockwave was finally overthrown when Optimus Prime united the Autobot resistance groups, but he escaped with a small number of troops. {{storylink|War and Peace}}

Meanwhile, Megatron was rescued by [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]], who repaired his memory loss. Using some recovered Air Warriors, Megatron located the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], who were used to take control of Shockwave's small army. On Earth, Starscream's failures during [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]]'s rampage were reason enough to convince the ''Nemesis'' crew to mutiny against Starscream in Megatron's favor. With two combiner teams, an army of Seekers, Soundwave's cassettes, and knowledge of Earth's connection to Cybertron, Megatron prepared to lead the Decepticons on the conquests of Earth and Cybertron {{storylink|Generation One (Dreamwave comic)|G1 ongoing}}...

{{note|...At which point Dreamwave went bankrupt. Damn.}}

===IDW===
{{ongoing}}
The Decepticons were formed out of the uprising in Kaon that Megatron spearheaded: the end result of a corrupt Autobot Senate and a vicious underground bloodsport. Kaon fell quickly {{storylink|Megatron Origin}} and the Decepticons soon began spreading across the planet, recruiting new people and carrying out terrorist strikes in advance of their main assaults. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blurr}} The war they started proved ''too'' destructive for Cybertron to handle though, and the Decepticons had to abandon it after the disastrous [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] incident. {{storylink|Stormbringer (comics)|Stormbringer}}

The Decepticons are spread across known space, following a strict [[Infiltration protocol]] to conquer worlds. Disguising themselves, the infiltration unit gathers intelligence and seeds [[Facsimile construct|facsimiles]] in key strategic places; Phase Two is to use their facsimiles to inflame global tensions and watch the locals to devastate themselves. By Phase Five, their base is in [[Infiltration protocol|Siege Mode]] and Phase 6 has open war on a burnt-out world. {{storylink|Infiltration}} {{storylink|Escalation (IDW)|Escalation}} In extreme circumstances, when they ''really'' want a world destroyed, they'll send in [[Sixshot]].

The Decepticon army is highly specialised: there's infiltration units for, er, infiltration; a [[Decepticon Secret Service]] handling spying and tech acquisitions {{storylink|Spotlight: Hot Rod}}; penal colonies like [[Styx]]; and Tactical Assault Units like the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] who carry out direct action.

This all got thrown out of the window in the early 21st Century, however, when it appeared the Decepticons had won. Whoops, they hadn't. Earth is lost, Megatron is down, and Starscream currently holds control through a charade of wielding the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron}}

===Aftermath===
Both sides signed the [[Pax Cybertronia]], which eventually led to peace, but left the Decepticons in a second class position.

==Beast Era==
In ''Beast Wars'' continuity, the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] were the descendants of the Decepticons and fought with the same aggression and ideas of conquest. They faced the [[Maximal]]s in the same way their ancestors had fought the [[Autobot]]s.

==Robots in Disguise==
In the [[Robots in Disguise (cartoon)|''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]], the Decepticons were a brand new faction that came into being during the events of the story. Because there were so few Decepticons (only six or seven), and because they were a subset of the [[Predacon (RID)|Predacon]] antagonists, they can almost be viewed as a [[subgroup]] rather than a proper faction. The RiD Decepticons were created on Earth when [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]]'s forces captured a set of [[stasis pod]]s from an ancient Transformer spaceship that had been found on [[Earth]], leading to the birth of the [[Commando]]s and [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]]. The toy version of [[Megatron (RID)|Galvatron]] was also labeled as a Decepticon, although this "change" in the character's faction was only mentioned once in the cartoon series.

In the Japanese version of RiD, ''Car Robots'', the Decepticons were known as Combatrons. This is the same name by which the [[Combaticon (G1)|G1 Combaticons]] were called in Japan.

For the [[Hasbro]] toy line, several other non-show Decepticons were added to the ranks to help fill out the line. It is unknown how most of these actually fit into the story, though one of them, [[Axer]], is actually a dimension-hopper who arrived from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] universe.

==Unicron Trilogy==
===Animated continuity===
====Armada====
The ''exact'' origins of the Decepticon faction are a bit muddled. It is widely assumed, though never directly confirmed, that the movement was founded by [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]]. Also, the enslavement of the power-enhancing [[Mini-Con]]s is considered to be the impetus to the Decepticons' rise to a massive multi-planet-spanning army, though at what point in the war this occurred is unclear; it's possible the Mini-Cons' arrival was what gave Megatron the opportunity to rise to power, or that they arrived after the war had already begun.

Either way, the Mini-Cons fueled the war machine for centuries, and the war with the [[Autobot]]s soon spread from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to other worlds. The self-imposed exile of the Mini-Cons to an unknown destination was seen as a major setback for the Decepticons (and something of a pyrrhic victory for the Autobots), but despite this, the war continued, as both sides had amassed a large enough power base to continue on without the little buggers.

The Autobots and Decepticons seemed to fight to a stalemate, neither able to gain a distinct advantage over the other. When a signal reached Cybertron centuries later that the Mini-Cons had landed on [[Earth]], it seemed neither side was capable of sending a full force to retrieve them, despite the power they contained. Though the Decepticon force sent to Earth was small in numbers, it was far from insignificant; Megatron himself led the squad, backed by some of his most trusted warriors.

When Megatron returned to Cybertron, the overwhelming majority of the Mini-Cons were in the protective custody of the Autobots, but Megatron was unfazed; he had assembled the Mini-Cons required to make the three legendary weapons: the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]], [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom Shield]] and [[Requiem Blaster]]. Bolstered by this new power and the apparent death of [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]], Megatron attempted to take Cybertron once and for all.

But Megatron's (now calling himself Galvatron) return to Cybertron was the beginning of the end of the Decepticon army. When [[Unicron]] revealed himself as a threat to both armies, fueled by the negative psychic energies from centuries of death and destruction, the two sides eventually joined together to beat back the planet-eater. Despite the truce, Galvatron and Prime engaged in a brutal duel on the surface of the weakened Unicron after the three legendary weapons had been removed from his core. Realizing their battle was keeping Unicron active, Galvatron sacrificed himself, and both Unicron and Galvatron disappeared into nothingness.

====Energon====
[[Image:Energon Decepticon insignia.jpg|left|127px|thumb|Now available with added purple!]]
Galvatron's final orders to his troops still stood: work ''with'' the Autobots. The Decepticons maintained a degree of autonomy, still wearing the faction sigil and often taking military/defensive positions in the growing number of [[Energon (Energon)|energon]]-mining colonies, but they were ultimately answerable to Optimus Prime and the Autobots. There were, of course, dissenters, most of whom were captured and imprisoned. For a decade, Autobot and Decepticon worked side-by-side in a somewhat stable truce.

Both sides found themselves the target of attacks from Unicron again; hordes of [[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcon drones]], sent by [[Alpha Quintesson]] to steal energon ore with which to revive the now-shattered husk of Unicron. What the alien did not count on was that Galvatron's [[spark]] had survived within the remains, and was siphoning energon from Unicron's body. Soon the Decepticon leader revived himself in a new form,(calling himself Megatron again) drove off Alpha Quintesson, and along with an elite cadre of soldiers and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of mindless Terrorcon drones, began his ''new'' plans for conquest.

When news of Megatron's return reached Cybertron, hundreds of Decepticons rose up and rebelled, eager to get back to conquering. But having been joined to Unicron for so long apparently had given Megatron a taste of godhood; he had no more interest in amassing a galaxy-spanning army of troops. Countless Decepticons died in the resulting battles, with Megatron more than willing to sacrifice them without a thought to attain ultimate power for himself. As "[[the Powerlinx Battles]]" -as they came to be called- came to their climax, Megatron (calling himself Galvatron ''again'') found that his actions and thoughts were being influenced and controlled by the dark spark of Unicron. Unwilling to let Unicron stand in his way, Galvatron ultimately sacrificed himself (again) and seemingly destroyed Unicron's spark by plunging himself into a newly-formed energon sun created by [[Primus]].

====Cybertron====
What little remained of the once-mighty Decepticon army after [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron's]] loss was at best a loose association of criminals, thugs, and lunatics, with no real political or military power to speak of. For a decade, [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] was once again at peace, with the population overwhelmingly [[Autobot]] or neutral. The Transformers had withdrawn from [[Earth]] and its other colonies to focus on revitalizing their homeworld after the devastation of the Powerlinx Battles. However, two great catastrophes shattered this peace; the energon sun collapsed in on itself, forming the powerful black hole known as the [[Unicron Singularity]], which threatened to devour Cybertron and, if left unchecked, the entire universe... and the return yet once again of Megatron, who had absorbed much of what remained of Unicron's power.

Megatron's goal of attaining godhood was now at hand. By obtaining the legendary [[Omega Lock]] and the four [[Cyber Planet Key]]s, Megatron intended to accelerate the growth of the black hole, consuming the universe in a vast sea of nothingness that only he would survive, then use his powers to re-create the universe in his image.

To this end, he had no need of an army. He gathered a small group of allies and lackeys to seek the items he needed, but they were nothing more than pawns to him, to be used and discarded at a whim.

The Decepticons briefly regained their status as a mass army of individuals when [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]], who had long suffered at Megatron's hands since the beginning of the Decepticons, made his own bid for ultimate power with the help of the [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]] agent [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]]. Having sealed Megatron and his troops in a trap, Starscream freed hundreds of criminal Transformers who had been locked up on [[Earth]] for millennia, and formed his own globe-spanning army. The Decepticon "Monsters" were tasked with finding the Omega Lock and Earth's Cyber Planet Key, which they eventually brought to their leader. However, numerous Decepticons were killed in the battles with the Autobots, and it soon became apparent that Starscream, like Megatron before him, didn't care. Most of these criminals soon abandoned Starscream and went into hiding.

As for Megatron, he too had deserters among his own considerably-small ranks. Most notably, the powerful [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]], leader of the [[Jungle Planet (Cybertron)|Jungle Planet]] and the colossal [[Menasor (Cybertron)|Menasor]] from [[Gigantion]], both of whom eventually joined forces with their former enemies the Autobots.

This was not seen as a concern for Megatron, however, as by this time Starscream and his allies were seemingly destroyed on Gigantion, and Megatron (now calling himself "Galvatron" again) had the Omega Lock and all four Keys. What few Decepticons remained loyal to him were too stupid to see what Galvatron had planned, and made perfect distractions as he set his final plan in motion. If they weren't strong enough to survive the coming cataclysm, then so be it.

[[Image:NewDecepticonArmy.jpg|right|180px|thumb|The yutz, the ditz, the klutz, and the putz.]]
Ultimately, Galvatron's plan failed, and the Unicron Singularity was sealed. His remaining Decepticons quickly left him, realizing what was likely to have happened to them, and eventually joined the Autobots. After Galvatron's seemingly-final defeat and death in a one-on-one duel with [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron's]] moon, the Decepticons, not knowing when to quit, rose again, albeit in a rather pathetic fashion. Having cobbled together a rather rickety rocket, [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] and [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] shanghaied the reluctant [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], who was ''really'' keen on being on the winning side for once, and flew off to parts unknown as the "[[New Decepticon Army]]".

They made it to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] before the rocket crash-landed.

Meanwhile, the Autobot [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] reported form a deep-space recon mission that he thought he had picked up traces of Starscream, seemingly backed up by Sideways and [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]]. [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] and the former Decepticon [[Mudflap (Cybertron)|Mudflap]] raced off to join Wing Saber and investigate...

===Comics continuity===
====Armada====
Founded by Megatron, the exact number of the original Decepticons is unknown. Using the Mini-Cons as weapons, they were able to conquer Cybertron and force the Autobots underground. Eventually they were beaten due to the arrival of Unicron: his heralds slaughtered the entire Decepticon base on Cybertron, and the Chaos-Bringer's arrival forced them to join forces with the Autobots. With Megatron shot dead during the Unicron battle, the peace held for a period of years.

==Live-action ''Transformers'' movies continuity==
[[Image:Defiance3_wearenowDECEPTICONS.jpg|thumb|300px|LATER: Megatron realizes he blew his entire budget on the giant rotating wall symbol.]]

The Decepticons are the Transformers who sided with [[Megatron (Movie)|Lord High Protector Megatron]] and attempted to seize the [[AllSpark]]. Their numbers ranged from the [[Starscream (Movie)|treacherous]], the [[Blackout (Movie)|fanatical]], the [[Brawl (Movie)|violent]], and the [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|treacherous fanatically violent]] to the [[Frenzy (Movie)|spastic]].

The origins of these Decepticons began when a being known as [[The Fallen]] turned on his [[Dynasty of Primes|brother Primes]] in an attempt to seize power at the cost of [[human|humanity's]] existence. One account has it that the Fallen gathered a small army of [[Constructicon (ROTF)|construction drones]] to assist him and named them Decepticons. {{storylink|Tales of the Fallen issue 3}} Either way, he would become known as the ''first'' Decepticon and would go on to become the [[Yoda]] to Megatron's [[Luke Skywalker|Luke]] {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}, tempting the latent aggressive edge in the Protector. Filled with dreams of power and paranoia of losing that power, Megatron reformed the Cybertron defense force into a massive engine of war, ready to wipe out entire alien species who would dare challenge them. When science leader [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime's]] opposition became known, Megatron branded them traitors and declared his followers to be the Decepticons. Soon after, The Fallen commanded Megatron to build the ''[[Nemesis (ROTF)|Nemesis]]'', a ship that would carry his sarcophagus and Decepticon soldiers in their search for the [[Matrix of Leadership]] left on Earth. Megatron was commanded to remain on Cybertron, so [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]] commanded the expedition. Most of the Decepticons left Cybertron, leaving Megatron with a reduced, but still potent, army. {{Storylink|Defiance}}

War devastated Cybertron. While the Decepticons were heavily reliant on drone units to bolster their forces and were forced to automate many of their outposts, the risk was still too high that they might claim the AllSpark, {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 1|Prelude: Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 5|Lost In Space 3: Ironhide}} and Optimus Prime made the desperate decision to launch the AllSpark into deep space. Megatron obsessively followed after it, and disappeared. [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] took over leadership, and began a search for Megatron and the AllSpark. After a while, Starscream began to focus more on the AllSpark, hoping Megatron would remain lost, something the other Decepticons began to suspect. {{storylink|Ghosts of Yesterday}}

In 2003, Starscream's retrieval team made their way to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], destroyed the [[Beagle 2 Rover]] and making their way to Earth. In 2007, the Decepticons began to make their presence known, with [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] destroying [[SOCCENT Forward Operations Base]] in [[Qatar]], searching for information on Megatron and the AllSpark. A few days later, [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] hacked [[Air Force One]]'s computers. Although he was unable to find out the truth about [[Sector Seven]], he avoided detection and managed to get a clue in [[Sam Witwicky]], whose ancestor [[Archibald Witwicky]] had discovered Megatron a century earlier. His glasses had been marked with coordinates to the AllSpark's location, so [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] and Frenzy attempted to confront the boy. Although they were defeated by [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] and [[Mikaela Banes]], Frenzy hid in Mikaela's purse, and accompanied them to [[Hoover Dam]], where Megatron and the AllSpark were hidden. As Starscream ordered the Decepticons to mobilize, Frenzy shut down the temperature controls while Starscream destroyed the external generators. Megatron was freed, but Bumblebee took the Cube with a group of survivors from Blackout's attack to Mission City, meeting with Optimus Prime's Autobots along the way. In the Battle of Mission City, Megatron and most of the Decepticons were killed and the AllSpark believed destroyed. {{storylink|Transformers (2007)|Transformers}}

Starscream, however, survived, and stole Frenzy's remains to access whatever information the humans had on the AllSpark to build [[Replica AllSpark|his own AllSpark]]. Returning to Cybertron, Starscream proclaimed himself [[Decepticon leader]] and began building the replica. One month later, the replica was ready, but it didn't work properly and [[Dreadwing (Movie)|Dreadwing]] made a coup attempt. Starscream barely survived and made his way back to Mars, questioning his purpose, when he received word that the Autobots would be helping the humans destroy Megatron's remains. Hoping to destroy Prime, Megatron, and the traitor [[Wreckage (Movie)|Wreckage]] all at once, Starscream returned to Earth. Although he managed to destroy Wreckage, Prime had already left with Megatron's body. Just as he defeated Bumblebee, Starscream received word from Soundwave, who had brought the ''Nemesis'' to Earth's solar system. After meeting up with Soundwave, Starscream explained the situation, and returned to the ''Nemesis'' to awaken the remaining Decepticons and oversee the spawning of more [[hatchling]]s while Soundwave lead a scout team to Earth. {{storylink|The Reign of Starscream}} {{storylink|Alliance (comic)|Alliance}}

[[Image:ROTF Fallen message.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The Fallen performs what may be the greatest [[Rick Astley|Rick roll]] in history.]]
Over the next two years, the Decepticons searched for the [[Tomb of the Primes]], which housed the Matrix needed to activate the solar harvester. In 2009, Soundwave discovered Megatron's resting place in the [[Laurentian Abyss]] and the presence of an AllSpark shard on [[Diego Garcia]]. Dispatching [[Ravage (ROTF)|Ravage]] and the [[Constructicon (ROTF)|Constructicon]]s, the Decepticons managed to restore Megatron's [[Spark]] and bring him back to life. Returning to the ''Nemesis'', Megatron learned from the Fallen that the AllSpark's knowledge was within Sam Witwicky's mind, who had destroyed the Cube when he killed Megatron. Further commanded to kill Optimus Prime, Megatron captured the boy. Although he escaped, Megatron managed to kill Optimus. Megatron then decided that a show of force was needed to compel the humans to turn Sam over to them. The Fallen lead Decepticon protoforms to Earth and then broadcast a message demanding the humans turn over Sam. Sam was eventually found in [[Egypt]], where the harvester was hidden. Although the Fallen managed to reclaim the Matrix, it had been used to resurrect Optimus, who in turn killed the Fallen. Megatron and Starscream were forced to retreat and form a new plan. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

[[Image:Titan23_decepticonsmassing.JPG|250px|right|thumb|Company photo day.]]
The Decepticons are, in general, less human in appearance than the Autobots in the movie, resembling carnivorous mammals, birds, insects or the Decepticon insignia itself (possibly to frighten the [[Human|insects]]). What is also most noticeable about the Decepticons in the movie franchise is that they've actually been designed to resemble the insignia of their faction, most notably Megatron, Blackout, Barricade, and the Fallen; the insignia is in fact based on the Fallen's ugly mug. {{storylink|Defiance}}

{{note|In a departure from previous Transformers incarnations, Japan used the name "Decepticons" for this franchise, rather than "Destrons"<ref>[http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/TF/products/movie/decepticons.html Movie Decepticons toy listing on Takaratomy.com]</ref>.}}

{{-}}
==Animated==
Around 1 billion years ago, the [[Destron (Animated)|Destrons]] emerged as a new faction on the Protectobot governed Cybertron. Led by [[Devron (Animated)|Devron]],the [[Third Cybertronian War]] was fought between the Destrons and the Protectobots (who were led by the new leader [[Nova Magnus]]). ''The Destrons emerged victorious, though many Cybertronian records were forever lost due to the [[Great Purge]].{{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}}

The Decepticons came to prominence as a sub-faction of the Destrons around 70 million years ago (MYA). They advocated the use of the AllSpark to bring Cybertron itself to life, that it might serve as a cosmic juggernaut that would allow the Transformers to return to the era of expansion and colonization of other worlds they had enjoyed nearly 700 million years beforehand.

14MYA, the Decepticon leader [[Megazarak (Animated)|Megazarak]] was ousted by a charismatic rhetorician named [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]. Megatron's rhetoric exacerbates Autobot / Decepticon tension, and at 12MYA Ultra Magnus came into power and decreed his frist act as Magnus the 'Decepticon Registration Act'. In response to this, Megatron publishes a manifesto which helps drive up Decepticon recruitment. After 2 million years of rising tensions and discrimination, at 10MYA the Decepticons and Autobots finally broke out into [[Great War (Animated)|war]] for possession of the AllSpark.

After something in the vicinity of six million years of civil war, things reached a crisis point when the Decepticons began a strategic bombing campaign on Cybertron, demanding the AllSpark be turned over in exchange for a cessation of hostilities. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}} Rather than give in to Megatron's demands, the Autobots instead sought to put the AllSpark beyond any Cybertronian's reach, essentially dooming their race to a slow death, by launching it randomly through a [[space bridge]] to some distant corner of the galaxy, where it was hoped it would never be found. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out}}

4 million stellar cycles ago, the Autobots and Decepticons battled each other in what is now known as The Great War. The Autobots pulled a victory only due to their exclusive access to [[space bridge]]s and their decision to send the [[AllSpark]] into deep space. Defeated, the Decepticons dispersed, and, according to [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], the only sight of them would be an occasional scout ship. In fact, they had been missing for so long, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] believed a Decepticon presence was a thing of the past. This was quickly reassessed upon encountering [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron's]] crew.

{{stub}}

{{note|As with the movie Decepticons, the Animated Decepticons are not called Destrons in Japan.}}

==Shattered Glass==
[[Image:Decepticon Shattered Glass.png|right|180px|thumb|Decepticons wage their battles to destroy...]]
The Decepticons are a resistance group, intended to overthrow Autobot tyranny and their dastardly leader, [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]. Led by the heroic [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]], the 'Cons want to liberate Cybertron and preserve freedom and life across the galaxy, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|no matter the cost]]. {{storylink|Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass}}
{{-}}

==Prime==
{{bigquote|Sometimes deception is necessary, when those who listen to the truth should not, and will only understand once they have been lied to and forced to see their own lies.|[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]].}}

[[Image:Decepticons_Darkness_Rising_5.jpg|thumb|300px|]]

The Decepticons originated from those in the [[caste system|lower castes]] of Cybertronian society in the [[Badlands]]. Megatron, a gladiator who seized control of all the gladiatorial pits and assumed the name of The Fallen, began preaching to the dispossessed on the Grid. He allowed them to bomb Cybertron and throw their society into chaos, for he rightly believed if he denied any connection to their extremist behavior, it would elevate him in the eyes of the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]]. Even the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] kidnapped [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Sentinel Prime]] for him. When the Council questioned Megatron about the movement's name, he denied he had heard of it, though he also accepted it for reasons outlined above.

When Halogen appointed Orion the new Prime, Megatron declared his Decepticons would continue to fight for freedom. During the war they conquered eighty-five percent of the planet, as well as occupying [[Moonbase One|Moon Base One]] and [[Trypticon (Prime)|Trypticon]] Station, before poisoning the [[core]] itself with [[Dark Energon]]. When the Autobots left aboard the ''[[Ark (Prime)|Ark]]'', Trypticon transformed into the ''Nemesis'' and followed them with Megatron, Starscream, [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] and [[Lugnut (Prime)|Lugnut]] into unknown space, while [[Shockwave (Prime)|Shockwave]] took control of the Cybertronian Decepticons. {{storylink|Exodus: The Official History of the War for Cybertron}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers (2007)===
====Transformers Movie Screen Cleaners====
[[Image:Movie Decepticon Screencleaner.jpg|right|105px|thumb|Transforms your dirty screen to a clean one and--well, actually just the first thing.]]
*'''Decepticon''' (2008)
:Released by Tomy Yujin on January,<ref>[http://www.gachausa.com/products/transformers.asp Tomy Yujin ''Transformers'' page]</ref> this dangler is a [[Insignia|faction logo]]-shaped screen cleaner for your cell phone, with a stock image of Decepticon insignia printed on the other side.
{{-}}

==References==
<references/>

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[[Category:Armada]]
[[Category:Beast Machines]]
[[Category:Beast Wars]]
[[Category:Beastformers franchise]]
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[[Category:Dark of the Moon]]
[[Category:Decepticons| ]]
[[Category:Energon]]
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Decepticon

2011-02-07T20:20:02Z

69.140.106.144: /* Animated */

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|ttdecepticon|sgDecepticon}}
{{disambig2|the Transformers faction|the ''Robots in Disguise'' episode|The Decepticons}}
[[Image:Symbol decept reg.png|right|236px|thumb|Get this tattooed on you and all you'll need is a black trenchcoat and a long ponytail. Then people will love you.]]

{{quote|'''''Decepticon''' (di-sep-ti-con ) A member of a subversive sect or society. From the noun — 'decepticon'; one who deceives.|the [[New Cybertronic Dictograph]]}}

The '''Decepticons''' are one of the primary factions in the ''[[Transformer]]s'' mythos. They are typically concerned with such things as conquering [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], defeating the [[Autobot]]s, amassing large quantities of [[Energon (fuel)|energon]], developing powerful weaponry, and beating people up. Not necessarily in that order.

Unlike the Autobots, whose leader is a [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] bearing a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], the Decepticons are led by the [[Decepticon leader|most powerful]] of their ranks. This tends to cause some conflict, given how generally ''every'' Decepticon thinks that they're the most powerful. Also, the Decepticons are not exactly the most compassionate beings in the universe, but not all fight for greed. More than a few have a sense of honor, while others believe that Cybertron would be better protected by [[Decepticon Empire|aggressive expansion]]. Ultimately, the Decepticons desire to protect their homeworld, even if it is at the expense of others. [[Shattered Glass (franchise)|Usually]].

{{quote|The Decepticons are a malevolent race of robot warriors, brutal and merciless. The Decepticons are led by a single undeviating goal: total domination of the universe.|[[Victor Caroli|Narrator]]|[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]}}

:''Japanese name'': '''Destron''' (デストロン, ''de-su-to-ro-n''), '''Combatrons''' (Car Robots only)
:''Danish name (Marvel comic)'': '''Bedragerne''' ("Betrayers")
:''Danish name (G1 cartoon)'': '''Bedraonerne''' (weird variation on Bedragerne I guess...)
:''French name (France, G1 cartoon)'': '''Decepticans'''
:''Hungarian name (Marvel comic)'': '''Álcák''' ("Disguises")
:''Hungarian name (toy commercial)'': '''Decepticonok'''
:''Hungarian name (''Energon/Cybertron'')'': '''Robotikák''' ("Roboticas")
:''Hungarian name (Movie, first dub)'': '''Varangyok''' ("Toads")
:''Hungarian name (Movie, second dub)'': '''Decepticonok'''
:''Italian name'': '''Distructors'''
:''Polish name'': '''Deceptikony''' (full name); '''Decepci''' (as a short)
:''Polish name (Beast Wars)'': '''Dezorientaci'''
:''Polish name (Movie, first dub)'': '''Decepcjokony''' (Deceptiocons? What the?)
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comic):'' '''Decépticos'''
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comic):'' '''Malignus'''
:''Serbian name'': '''Deseptikoni'''
:''Swedish name (Marvel comic)'': '''Bedragare''' ("Betrayers")
:''Chinese name'': '''Ba Tian Hu''' (霸天虎, ''Tigers that forcibly occupy the sky'')
:''Ukrainian name'': '''Obmanoidy''' (Обманойди, ''Decepticons'')

==Generation 1==
===Marvel Comics===
[[Image:Thelaststand-prepare.jpg|left|350px|thumb|MAKE OUT YOUR WILLS! NOTIFY YOUR NEXT OF KIN!]]
The Decepticons emerged from the gladiatorial [[State Games]], which caused [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s rise to public prominence - in the aftermath of the destructive Vos-Tarn War, Megatron was able to use his fame and charisma to unite both the survivors and the planet's malcontents into a new army. His plan was to turn Cybertron into a mobile cosmic dreadnought and conquer the galaxy. The Decepticons developed new technology to allow them to transform into attack vehicles and weaponry, launching a devastating attack that killed billions and shook the planet from its orbit before [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] turned the tide.

Megatron, Shockwave and others were lost on Earth for four million years; as Optimus was too, the Autobots swiftly lost ground to Decepticon leaders [[Trannis]] and [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]. Cybertron was devastated and conquered, causing the cream of the Decepticons to leave the burnt-out planet to form a [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] out in the stars, while Straxus threw all those he considered weak into the [[Smelting pool]]. The Empire would go on to slaughter and Cyberform planet after planet, their actions unknown on Cybertron.

Eventually the Earth-bound Decepticons would awaken in 1984, sparking off a new front in the war. After the presumed suicide of Megatron, an escalation in fighting would see Decepticon leadership fragment and change hands rapidly, with frequent clashes, plots and counter-plots between the primary leadership, namely [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], until most of them were killed in the [[Underbase]] conflict, leaving Scorponok the only surviving commander. A brief truce with the Autobots was held when [[Unicron]] attacked in 1991, but Scorponok was killed in the following conflict. Immediately after this, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] came to power. Charismatic and driven, Bludgeon turned the beaten Decepticons into a new army; after a defeat on [[Klo]], they regrouped and reorganised. ([[Another Time and Place|In one reality, they were immediately massacred afterward.]])

====Earthforce====
In the side-continuity of [[Earthforce]], while Unicron continued on to Cybertron, Megatron and Shockwave continued a Decepticon civil war on Earth with a small handful of troops - wasting most of their time trying to take each other out. Eventually Soundwave and Starscream overthrew them, uniting both factions into a stronger Decepticon force. The two former leaders attempted to regain their position but never appeared to succeed.

====Generation 2====
Bludgeon invaded Earth with the intention of capturing the Matrix and making a new generation of Decepticons, but Megatron returned, killed Bludgeon in one-on-one combat, and stole this plan. However, the threat of the Cybertronian Empire forced an alliance between the Autobots and Decepticons again.

====Classics====

===Cartoon===
====Season 1 & 2====
[[Image:Masterplan2 earth germ.jpg|thumb|"Excuse me, do you have seating for 3?"]]
In the various continuities descending from [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]], the Decepticons and the [[Autobot]]s are the two great powers in the Transformer population. The factions, however, are not a complete set -- there are Transformers who are unaffiliated / neutral, or even members of smaller or splinter factions.

Many G1 timelines actually credit [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] as the founder of the Decepticons, not merely its most recent leader. In contrast, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] is almost always depicted as only the latest in a long line of [[Prime (rank)|Primes]] or [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix bearers]].

Eventually, the Decepticons managed to take control of all of Cybertron, forcing the Autobots to operate on Cybertron's two moons, but [[Autobot City]] on [[Earth]] was viewed as the greater threat. The Decepticons overtook a supply shuttle and launched an [[Battle of Autobot City|attack]], with disastrous consequences for the Autobots. The battle saw one of the Decepticons' long held dreams achieved in the death of Optimus Prime, but Megatron was damaged, and left to rot in deep space. [[Unicron]] reformatted him into [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], and Galvatron attempted to enslave Unicron with the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. When Unicron attacked Cybertron, most of the Decepticon forces on the planet were wiped out, allowing the Autobots to retake control of the planet. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

====Season 3 & 4====
{{quote|Once the Decepticons held the quadrant through terror, now we scrap like [[Slaarg]]s over a few [[energon cube]]s.|[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]|[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]}}

Times would turn harsh for the Decepticons who were forced to abandon their homeworld of Cybertron and were exiled to the burnt out planet of [[Chaar]]. There they would face constant energy shortages and engage in constant inter-fighting, as well as suffer from a lack of leadership. From this chaos came [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and the [[Sweep]]s, who hatched a plan of finding Galvatron who would lead the Decepticons once more.

Eventually, the Autobots, led by a resurrected Optimus Prime, managed to finally defeat the Decepticons.

===Dreamwave===
[[Image:DeceptLitho.jpg|left|150px|thumb|"My Liege, when did you get that sw--" "CAN'T HEAR YOU, FANWANKING"]]
The Decepticons arose out of the [[Gladiatorial combat|underground fights]] that Megatron once partook in. After discovering certain secrets about Cybertron's origin, including massive [[planetary engine]]s, Megatron began using the games to recruit combatants. For nearly half a million years, they grew in numbers and trained, until they rebelled against the [[Council of Ancients]] and took [[Kaon]] by force.

While the war raged on, the Constructicons repaired the engines and introduced a mecha-forming process, but what they really needed was a power source. Megatron became convinced that he could find one powerful enough within the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], which was in the possession of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]. However, when Megatron finally killed the Prime, he discovered that it was not within him. Soon after, Optronix became Optimus Prime, and Megatron initiated a plan: an assassination team under Communications Officer [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] would elimate the Prime and claim the Matrix, while Military Operations Commander [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] would lay siege to Iacon, preventing the Autobots from coming to Prime's rescue.

However, Megatron made two mistakes: he informed Air Commander [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] of his intentions, and he underestimated Optimus Prime. The Prime managed to erase some of Megatron's memories of what he discovered, while Starscream activated the mechaforming process using energy from the planetary engines. The engines were destroyed before the process was complete, ruining both. {{storylink|The War Within}}

After Megatron disappeared with Optimus Prime in a space bridge test, Shockwave became Decepticon leader, though Starscream and High Auditor [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] broke off with their own splinter factions shortly afterwards. The Decepticons allied with [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'s Autobots and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s [[Lightning Strike Coalition]] (an Autobot splinter group), to stop the machinations of the [[The Fallen|Fallen]]. {{storylink|War Within: The Dark Ages|The War Within: The Dark Ages}} Several thousand years later, Shockwave was prepared to sign a peace treaty with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], who had become Autobot leader, the LSC, and Ratbat's [[Ultracon]]. However, Megatron returned with the [[Air Warrior|Aerospace Extermination Squadron]], an army of [[Quintesson]] created [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] drones, whose abilities allowed the Decepticons to fully conquer Cybertron and enslave the Autobots. The Decepticons' control over Cybertron was ended when Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron and the Air Warriors were defeated. {{storylink|War Within: The Age of Wrath|The War Within: The Age of Wrath}}

When Megatron disappeared along with the ''Nemesis'' crew, Shockwave again emerged as Decepticon leader, this time as head of a triumvirate including Ratbat and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. With [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] becoming scarce, Shockwave agreed to work with Ultra Magnus and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] in the creation of the [[Micromaster]]s, Transformers who were downsized for better fuel efficiency. Shockwave suffered a rebellion when [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] overthrew him, using Shockwave's severed head as a tool. {{storylink|Micromasters}} However, all Transformers on Cybertron entered [[stasis lock]] when the [[Great Shutdown]] occurred.

Around 1,000 B.C.E., Shockwave was reactivated by Scourge, and then defeated the Unicronian Transformer. Studying Scourge and discovering some of the secrets Megatron had learned, Shockwave made peace with the Autobots, installing himself as Head of State with an [[Autobot High Council]] as a legislature, while Ultra Magnus became his senior security officer. However, the High Councillors were unsuited for peace time government, and gradually gave Shockwave more and more power... which is exactly what he had planned.

On Earth, the ''Nemesis'' crew was reawakened in 1984. Cut off from Cybertron, the Decepticons concluded that they had no other choice but to conquer the planet. Megatron soon learned that others had come looking for them, including [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]]. The Decepticons captured Jetfire and the Dinobots except Grimlock, and used the hostage situation to force Grimlock to serve the Decepticons. Additionally, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] located Earth and served under Megatron. In 1998, the Autobots allied with humanity to defeat the Decepticons. They were to be returned to Cybertron in the ''[[Ark II]]'', but Shockwave, through a human intermediary, sabotaged the ''Ark II'', causing the ship to crash and send the Transformers aboard into stasis lock.

Renegade members of the [[United States military]] managed to capture the Decepticons and a number of Autobots, intending to use them as instruments of war, but [[Lazarus|Adam Rook]] later stole them and set himself up as an arms dealer. Unfortunately, Megatron overwhelmed the programming that kept him a prisoner, and freed the other Decepticons. Megatron then intended to unleash a technovirus on Earth, but the Autobots defeated him. {{storylink|Prime Directive}}

A year later, Shockwave arrived to tie up loose ends, quickly capturing Megatron and the ''Nemesis'' crew. Starscream ejected Megatron out of the ship carrying them to Cybertron, leaving him to die in space. The ''Nemesis'' crew were granted amnesty, but Starscream quickly recruited them into going back to Earth to conquer the planet, taking the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] with them. Shockwave was finally overthrown when Optimus Prime united the Autobot resistance groups, but he escaped with a small number of troops. {{storylink|War and Peace}}

Meanwhile, Megatron was rescued by [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]], who repaired his memory loss. Using some recovered Air Warriors, Megatron located the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], who were used to take control of Shockwave's small army. On Earth, Starscream's failures during [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]]'s rampage were reason enough to convince the ''Nemesis'' crew to mutiny against Starscream in Megatron's favor. With two combiner teams, an army of Seekers, Soundwave's cassettes, and knowledge of Earth's connection to Cybertron, Megatron prepared to lead the Decepticons on the conquests of Earth and Cybertron {{storylink|Generation One (Dreamwave comic)|G1 ongoing}}...

{{note|...At which point Dreamwave went bankrupt. Damn.}}

===IDW===
{{ongoing}}
The Decepticons were formed out of the uprising in Kaon that Megatron spearheaded: the end result of a corrupt Autobot Senate and a vicious underground bloodsport. Kaon fell quickly {{storylink|Megatron Origin}} and the Decepticons soon began spreading across the planet, recruiting new people and carrying out terrorist strikes in advance of their main assaults. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blurr}} The war they started proved ''too'' destructive for Cybertron to handle though, and the Decepticons had to abandon it after the disastrous [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] incident. {{storylink|Stormbringer (comics)|Stormbringer}}

The Decepticons are spread across known space, following a strict [[Infiltration protocol]] to conquer worlds. Disguising themselves, the infiltration unit gathers intelligence and seeds [[Facsimile construct|facsimiles]] in key strategic places; Phase Two is to use their facsimiles to inflame global tensions and watch the locals to devastate themselves. By Phase Five, their base is in [[Infiltration protocol|Siege Mode]] and Phase 6 has open war on a burnt-out world. {{storylink|Infiltration}} {{storylink|Escalation (IDW)|Escalation}} In extreme circumstances, when they ''really'' want a world destroyed, they'll send in [[Sixshot]].

The Decepticon army is highly specialised: there's infiltration units for, er, infiltration; a [[Decepticon Secret Service]] handling spying and tech acquisitions {{storylink|Spotlight: Hot Rod}}; penal colonies like [[Styx]]; and Tactical Assault Units like the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] who carry out direct action.

This all got thrown out of the window in the early 21st Century, however, when it appeared the Decepticons had won. Whoops, they hadn't. Earth is lost, Megatron is down, and Starscream currently holds control through a charade of wielding the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron}}

===Aftermath===
Both sides signed the [[Pax Cybertronia]], which eventually led to peace, but left the Decepticons in a second class position.

==Beast Era==
In ''Beast Wars'' continuity, the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] were the descendants of the Decepticons and fought with the same aggression and ideas of conquest. They faced the [[Maximal]]s in the same way their ancestors had fought the [[Autobot]]s.

==Robots in Disguise==
In the [[Robots in Disguise (cartoon)|''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]], the Decepticons were a brand new faction that came into being during the events of the story. Because there were so few Decepticons (only six or seven), and because they were a subset of the [[Predacon (RID)|Predacon]] antagonists, they can almost be viewed as a [[subgroup]] rather than a proper faction. The RiD Decepticons were created on Earth when [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]]'s forces captured a set of [[stasis pod]]s from an ancient Transformer spaceship that had been found on [[Earth]], leading to the birth of the [[Commando]]s and [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]]. The toy version of [[Megatron (RID)|Galvatron]] was also labeled as a Decepticon, although this "change" in the character's faction was only mentioned once in the cartoon series.

In the Japanese version of RiD, ''Car Robots'', the Decepticons were known as Combatrons. This is the same name by which the [[Combaticon (G1)|G1 Combaticons]] were called in Japan.

For the [[Hasbro]] toy line, several other non-show Decepticons were added to the ranks to help fill out the line. It is unknown how most of these actually fit into the story, though one of them, [[Axer]], is actually a dimension-hopper who arrived from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] universe.

==Unicron Trilogy==
===Animated continuity===
====Armada====
The ''exact'' origins of the Decepticon faction are a bit muddled. It is widely assumed, though never directly confirmed, that the movement was founded by [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]]. Also, the enslavement of the power-enhancing [[Mini-Con]]s is considered to be the impetus to the Decepticons' rise to a massive multi-planet-spanning army, though at what point in the war this occurred is unclear; it's possible the Mini-Cons' arrival was what gave Megatron the opportunity to rise to power, or that they arrived after the war had already begun.

Either way, the Mini-Cons fueled the war machine for centuries, and the war with the [[Autobot]]s soon spread from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to other worlds. The self-imposed exile of the Mini-Cons to an unknown destination was seen as a major setback for the Decepticons (and something of a pyrrhic victory for the Autobots), but despite this, the war continued, as both sides had amassed a large enough power base to continue on without the little buggers.

The Autobots and Decepticons seemed to fight to a stalemate, neither able to gain a distinct advantage over the other. When a signal reached Cybertron centuries later that the Mini-Cons had landed on [[Earth]], it seemed neither side was capable of sending a full force to retrieve them, despite the power they contained. Though the Decepticon force sent to Earth was small in numbers, it was far from insignificant; Megatron himself led the squad, backed by some of his most trusted warriors.

When Megatron returned to Cybertron, the overwhelming majority of the Mini-Cons were in the protective custody of the Autobots, but Megatron was unfazed; he had assembled the Mini-Cons required to make the three legendary weapons: the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]], [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom Shield]] and [[Requiem Blaster]]. Bolstered by this new power and the apparent death of [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]], Megatron attempted to take Cybertron once and for all.

But Megatron's (now calling himself Galvatron) return to Cybertron was the beginning of the end of the Decepticon army. When [[Unicron]] revealed himself as a threat to both armies, fueled by the negative psychic energies from centuries of death and destruction, the two sides eventually joined together to beat back the planet-eater. Despite the truce, Galvatron and Prime engaged in a brutal duel on the surface of the weakened Unicron after the three legendary weapons had been removed from his core. Realizing their battle was keeping Unicron active, Galvatron sacrificed himself, and both Unicron and Galvatron disappeared into nothingness.

====Energon====
[[Image:Energon Decepticon insignia.jpg|left|127px|thumb|Now available with added purple!]]
Galvatron's final orders to his troops still stood: work ''with'' the Autobots. The Decepticons maintained a degree of autonomy, still wearing the faction sigil and often taking military/defensive positions in the growing number of [[Energon (Energon)|energon]]-mining colonies, but they were ultimately answerable to Optimus Prime and the Autobots. There were, of course, dissenters, most of whom were captured and imprisoned. For a decade, Autobot and Decepticon worked side-by-side in a somewhat stable truce.

Both sides found themselves the target of attacks from Unicron again; hordes of [[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcon drones]], sent by [[Alpha Quintesson]] to steal energon ore with which to revive the now-shattered husk of Unicron. What the alien did not count on was that Galvatron's [[spark]] had survived within the remains, and was siphoning energon from Unicron's body. Soon the Decepticon leader revived himself in a new form,(calling himself Megatron again) drove off Alpha Quintesson, and along with an elite cadre of soldiers and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of mindless Terrorcon drones, began his ''new'' plans for conquest.

When news of Megatron's return reached Cybertron, hundreds of Decepticons rose up and rebelled, eager to get back to conquering. But having been joined to Unicron for so long apparently had given Megatron a taste of godhood; he had no more interest in amassing a galaxy-spanning army of troops. Countless Decepticons died in the resulting battles, with Megatron more than willing to sacrifice them without a thought to attain ultimate power for himself. As "[[the Powerlinx Battles]]" -as they came to be called- came to their climax, Megatron (calling himself Galvatron ''again'') found that his actions and thoughts were being influenced and controlled by the dark spark of Unicron. Unwilling to let Unicron stand in his way, Galvatron ultimately sacrificed himself (again) and seemingly destroyed Unicron's spark by plunging himself into a newly-formed energon sun created by [[Primus]].

====Cybertron====
What little remained of the once-mighty Decepticon army after [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron's]] loss was at best a loose association of criminals, thugs, and lunatics, with no real political or military power to speak of. For a decade, [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] was once again at peace, with the population overwhelmingly [[Autobot]] or neutral. The Transformers had withdrawn from [[Earth]] and its other colonies to focus on revitalizing their homeworld after the devastation of the Powerlinx Battles. However, two great catastrophes shattered this peace; the energon sun collapsed in on itself, forming the powerful black hole known as the [[Unicron Singularity]], which threatened to devour Cybertron and, if left unchecked, the entire universe... and the return yet once again of Megatron, who had absorbed much of what remained of Unicron's power.

Megatron's goal of attaining godhood was now at hand. By obtaining the legendary [[Omega Lock]] and the four [[Cyber Planet Key]]s, Megatron intended to accelerate the growth of the black hole, consuming the universe in a vast sea of nothingness that only he would survive, then use his powers to re-create the universe in his image.

To this end, he had no need of an army. He gathered a small group of allies and lackeys to seek the items he needed, but they were nothing more than pawns to him, to be used and discarded at a whim.

The Decepticons briefly regained their status as a mass army of individuals when [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]], who had long suffered at Megatron's hands since the beginning of the Decepticons, made his own bid for ultimate power with the help of the [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]] agent [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]]. Having sealed Megatron and his troops in a trap, Starscream freed hundreds of criminal Transformers who had been locked up on [[Earth]] for millennia, and formed his own globe-spanning army. The Decepticon "Monsters" were tasked with finding the Omega Lock and Earth's Cyber Planet Key, which they eventually brought to their leader. However, numerous Decepticons were killed in the battles with the Autobots, and it soon became apparent that Starscream, like Megatron before him, didn't care. Most of these criminals soon abandoned Starscream and went into hiding.

As for Megatron, he too had deserters among his own considerably-small ranks. Most notably, the powerful [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]], leader of the [[Jungle Planet (Cybertron)|Jungle Planet]] and the colossal [[Menasor (Cybertron)|Menasor]] from [[Gigantion]], both of whom eventually joined forces with their former enemies the Autobots.

This was not seen as a concern for Megatron, however, as by this time Starscream and his allies were seemingly destroyed on Gigantion, and Megatron (now calling himself "Galvatron" again) had the Omega Lock and all four Keys. What few Decepticons remained loyal to him were too stupid to see what Galvatron had planned, and made perfect distractions as he set his final plan in motion. If they weren't strong enough to survive the coming cataclysm, then so be it.

[[Image:NewDecepticonArmy.jpg|right|180px|thumb|The yutz, the ditz, the klutz, and the putz.]]
Ultimately, Galvatron's plan failed, and the Unicron Singularity was sealed. His remaining Decepticons quickly left him, realizing what was likely to have happened to them, and eventually joined the Autobots. After Galvatron's seemingly-final defeat and death in a one-on-one duel with [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron's]] moon, the Decepticons, not knowing when to quit, rose again, albeit in a rather pathetic fashion. Having cobbled together a rather rickety rocket, [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] and [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] shanghaied the reluctant [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], who was ''really'' keen on being on the winning side for once, and flew off to parts unknown as the "[[New Decepticon Army]]".

They made it to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] before the rocket crash-landed.

Meanwhile, the Autobot [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] reported form a deep-space recon mission that he thought he had picked up traces of Starscream, seemingly backed up by Sideways and [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]]. [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] and the former Decepticon [[Mudflap (Cybertron)|Mudflap]] raced off to join Wing Saber and investigate...

===Comics continuity===
====Armada====
Founded by Megatron, the exact number of the original Decepticons is unknown. Using the Mini-Cons as weapons, they were able to conquer Cybertron and force the Autobots underground. Eventually they were beaten due to the arrival of Unicron: his heralds slaughtered the entire Decepticon base on Cybertron, and the Chaos-Bringer's arrival forced them to join forces with the Autobots. With Megatron shot dead during the Unicron battle, the peace held for a period of years.

==Live-action ''Transformers'' movies continuity==
[[Image:Defiance3_wearenowDECEPTICONS.jpg|thumb|300px|LATER: Megatron realizes he blew his entire budget on the giant rotating wall symbol.]]

The Decepticons are the Transformers who sided with [[Megatron (Movie)|Lord High Protector Megatron]] and attempted to seize the [[AllSpark]]. Their numbers ranged from the [[Starscream (Movie)|treacherous]], the [[Blackout (Movie)|fanatical]], the [[Brawl (Movie)|violent]], and the [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|treacherous fanatically violent]] to the [[Frenzy (Movie)|spastic]].

The origins of these Decepticons began when a being known as [[The Fallen]] turned on his [[Dynasty of Primes|brother Primes]] in an attempt to seize power at the cost of [[human|humanity's]] existence. One account has it that the Fallen gathered a small army of [[Constructicon (ROTF)|construction drones]] to assist him and named them Decepticons. {{storylink|Tales of the Fallen issue 3}} Either way, he would become known as the ''first'' Decepticon and would go on to become the [[Yoda]] to Megatron's [[Luke Skywalker|Luke]] {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}, tempting the latent aggressive edge in the Protector. Filled with dreams of power and paranoia of losing that power, Megatron reformed the Cybertron defense force into a massive engine of war, ready to wipe out entire alien species who would dare challenge them. When science leader [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime's]] opposition became known, Megatron branded them traitors and declared his followers to be the Decepticons. Soon after, The Fallen commanded Megatron to build the ''[[Nemesis (ROTF)|Nemesis]]'', a ship that would carry his sarcophagus and Decepticon soldiers in their search for the [[Matrix of Leadership]] left on Earth. Megatron was commanded to remain on Cybertron, so [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]] commanded the expedition. Most of the Decepticons left Cybertron, leaving Megatron with a reduced, but still potent, army. {{Storylink|Defiance}}

War devastated Cybertron. While the Decepticons were heavily reliant on drone units to bolster their forces and were forced to automate many of their outposts, the risk was still too high that they might claim the AllSpark, {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 1|Prelude: Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 5|Lost In Space 3: Ironhide}} and Optimus Prime made the desperate decision to launch the AllSpark into deep space. Megatron obsessively followed after it, and disappeared. [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] took over leadership, and began a search for Megatron and the AllSpark. After a while, Starscream began to focus more on the AllSpark, hoping Megatron would remain lost, something the other Decepticons began to suspect. {{storylink|Ghosts of Yesterday}}

In 2003, Starscream's retrieval team made their way to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], destroyed the [[Beagle 2 Rover]] and making their way to Earth. In 2007, the Decepticons began to make their presence known, with [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] destroying [[SOCCENT Forward Operations Base]] in [[Qatar]], searching for information on Megatron and the AllSpark. A few days later, [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] hacked [[Air Force One]]'s computers. Although he was unable to find out the truth about [[Sector Seven]], he avoided detection and managed to get a clue in [[Sam Witwicky]], whose ancestor [[Archibald Witwicky]] had discovered Megatron a century earlier. His glasses had been marked with coordinates to the AllSpark's location, so [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] and Frenzy attempted to confront the boy. Although they were defeated by [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] and [[Mikaela Banes]], Frenzy hid in Mikaela's purse, and accompanied them to [[Hoover Dam]], where Megatron and the AllSpark were hidden. As Starscream ordered the Decepticons to mobilize, Frenzy shut down the temperature controls while Starscream destroyed the external generators. Megatron was freed, but Bumblebee took the Cube with a group of survivors from Blackout's attack to Mission City, meeting with Optimus Prime's Autobots along the way. In the Battle of Mission City, Megatron and most of the Decepticons were killed and the AllSpark believed destroyed. {{storylink|Transformers (2007)|Transformers}}

Starscream, however, survived, and stole Frenzy's remains to access whatever information the humans had on the AllSpark to build [[Replica AllSpark|his own AllSpark]]. Returning to Cybertron, Starscream proclaimed himself [[Decepticon leader]] and began building the replica. One month later, the replica was ready, but it didn't work properly and [[Dreadwing (Movie)|Dreadwing]] made a coup attempt. Starscream barely survived and made his way back to Mars, questioning his purpose, when he received word that the Autobots would be helping the humans destroy Megatron's remains. Hoping to destroy Prime, Megatron, and the traitor [[Wreckage (Movie)|Wreckage]] all at once, Starscream returned to Earth. Although he managed to destroy Wreckage, Prime had already left with Megatron's body. Just as he defeated Bumblebee, Starscream received word from Soundwave, who had brought the ''Nemesis'' to Earth's solar system. After meeting up with Soundwave, Starscream explained the situation, and returned to the ''Nemesis'' to awaken the remaining Decepticons and oversee the spawning of more [[hatchling]]s while Soundwave lead a scout team to Earth. {{storylink|The Reign of Starscream}} {{storylink|Alliance (comic)|Alliance}}

[[Image:ROTF Fallen message.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The Fallen performs what may be the greatest [[Rick Astley|Rick roll]] in history.]]
Over the next two years, the Decepticons searched for the [[Tomb of the Primes]], which housed the Matrix needed to activate the solar harvester. In 2009, Soundwave discovered Megatron's resting place in the [[Laurentian Abyss]] and the presence of an AllSpark shard on [[Diego Garcia]]. Dispatching [[Ravage (ROTF)|Ravage]] and the [[Constructicon (ROTF)|Constructicon]]s, the Decepticons managed to restore Megatron's [[Spark]] and bring him back to life. Returning to the ''Nemesis'', Megatron learned from the Fallen that the AllSpark's knowledge was within Sam Witwicky's mind, who had destroyed the Cube when he killed Megatron. Further commanded to kill Optimus Prime, Megatron captured the boy. Although he escaped, Megatron managed to kill Optimus. Megatron then decided that a show of force was needed to compel the humans to turn Sam over to them. The Fallen lead Decepticon protoforms to Earth and then broadcast a message demanding the humans turn over Sam. Sam was eventually found in [[Egypt]], where the harvester was hidden. Although the Fallen managed to reclaim the Matrix, it had been used to resurrect Optimus, who in turn killed the Fallen. Megatron and Starscream were forced to retreat and form a new plan. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

[[Image:Titan23_decepticonsmassing.JPG|250px|right|thumb|Company photo day.]]
The Decepticons are, in general, less human in appearance than the Autobots in the movie, resembling carnivorous mammals, birds, insects or the Decepticon insignia itself (possibly to frighten the [[Human|insects]]). What is also most noticeable about the Decepticons in the movie franchise is that they've actually been designed to resemble the insignia of their faction, most notably Megatron, Blackout, Barricade, and the Fallen; the insignia is in fact based on the Fallen's ugly mug. {{storylink|Defiance}}

{{note|In a departure from previous Transformers incarnations, Japan used the name "Decepticons" for this franchise, rather than "Destrons"<ref>[http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/TF/products/movie/decepticons.html Movie Decepticons toy listing on Takaratomy.com]</ref>.}}

{{-}}
==Animated==
Around 1 billion years ago, the [[Destron (Animated)|Destrons]] emerged as a new faction on the Protectobot governed Cybertron. Led by [[Devron (Animated)|Devron]],the [[Third Cybertronian War]] was fought between the Destrons and the Protectobots (who were led by the new leader [[Nova Magnus]]). ''The Destrons emerged victorious, though many Cybertronian records were forever lost due to the [[Great Purge]].{{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}}

The Decepticons came to prominence as a sub-faction of the Destrons around 70 million years ago (MYA). They advocated the use of the AllSpark to bring Cybertron itself to life, that it might serve as a cosmic juggernaut that would allow the Transformers to return to the era of expansion and colonization of other worlds they had enjoyed nearly 700 million years beforehand.

14MYA, the Decepticon leader [[Megazarak (Animated)|Megazarak]] was ousted by a charismatic rhetorician named [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]. Megatron's rhetoric exacerbates Autobot / Decepticon tension, and at 12MYA Ultra Magnus came into power and decreed his frist act as Magnus the 'Decepticon Registration Act'. In response to this, Megatron publishes a manifesto which helps drive up Decepticon recruitment. After 2 million years of rising tensions and discrimination, at 10MYA the Decepticons and Autobots finally broke out into [[Great War (Animated)|war]] for possession of the AllSpark.

After something in the vicinity of six million years of civil war, things reached a crisis point when the Decepticons began a strategic bombing campaign on Cybertron, demanding the AllSpark be turned over in exchange for a cessation of hostilities. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}} Rather than give in to Megatron's demands, the Autobots instead sought to put the AllSpark beyond any Cybertronian's reach, launching it randomly through a [[space bridge]] to some distant corner of the galaxy, where it was hoped it would never be found. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out}}

4 million stellar cycles ago, the Autobots and Decepticons battled each other in what is now known as The Great War. The Autobots pulled a victory only due to their exclusive access to [[space bridge]]s and their decision to send the [[AllSpark]] into deep space. Defeated, the Decepticons dispersed, and, according to [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], the only sight of them would be an occasional scout ship. In fact, they had been missing for so long, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] believed a Decepticon presence was a thing of the past. This was quickly reassessed upon encountering [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron's]] crew.

{{stub}}

{{note|As with the movie Decepticons, the Animated Decepticons are not called Destrons in Japan.}}

==Shattered Glass==
[[Image:Decepticon Shattered Glass.png|right|180px|thumb|Decepticons wage their battles to destroy...]]
The Decepticons are a resistance group, intended to overthrow Autobot tyranny and their dastardly leader, [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]. Led by the heroic [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]], the 'Cons want to liberate Cybertron and preserve freedom and life across the galaxy, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|no matter the cost]]. {{storylink|Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass}}
{{-}}

==Prime==
{{bigquote|Sometimes deception is necessary, when those who listen to the truth should not, and will only understand once they have been lied to and forced to see their own lies.|[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]].}}

[[Image:Decepticons_Darkness_Rising_5.jpg|thumb|300px|]]

The Decepticons originated from those in the [[caste system|lower castes]] of Cybertronian society in the [[Badlands]]. Megatron, a gladiator who seized control of all the gladiatorial pits and assumed the name of The Fallen, began preaching to the dispossessed on the Grid. He allowed them to bomb Cybertron and throw their society into chaos, for he rightly believed if he denied any connection to their extremist behavior, it would elevate him in the eyes of the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]]. Even the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] kidnapped [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Sentinel Prime]] for him. When the Council questioned Megatron about the movement's name, he denied he had heard of it, though he also accepted it for reasons outlined above.

When Halogen appointed Orion the new Prime, Megatron declared his Decepticons would continue to fight for freedom. During the war they conquered eighty-five percent of the planet, as well as occupying [[Moonbase One|Moon Base One]] and [[Trypticon (Prime)|Trypticon]] Station, before poisoning the [[core]] itself with [[Dark Energon]]. When the Autobots left aboard the ''[[Ark (Prime)|Ark]]'', Trypticon transformed into the ''Nemesis'' and followed them with Megatron, Starscream, [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] and [[Lugnut (Prime)|Lugnut]] into unknown space, while [[Shockwave (Prime)|Shockwave]] took control of the Cybertronian Decepticons. {{storylink|Exodus: The Official History of the War for Cybertron}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers (2007)===
====Transformers Movie Screen Cleaners====
[[Image:Movie Decepticon Screencleaner.jpg|right|105px|thumb|Transforms your dirty screen to a clean one and--well, actually just the first thing.]]
*'''Decepticon''' (2008)
:Released by Tomy Yujin on January,<ref>[http://www.gachausa.com/products/transformers.asp Tomy Yujin ''Transformers'' page]</ref> this dangler is a [[Insignia|faction logo]]-shaped screen cleaner for your cell phone, with a stock image of Decepticon insignia printed on the other side.
{{-}}

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Alternators]]
[[Category:Alternity]]
[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Armada]]
[[Category:Beast Machines]]
[[Category:Beast Wars]]
[[Category:Beastformers franchise]]
[[Category:Cybertron]]
[[Category:Dark of the Moon]]
[[Category:Decepticons| ]]
[[Category:Energon]]
[[Category:Factions]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Generation 2]]
[[Category:Machine Wars]]
[[Category:Masterforce]]
[[Category:Micromaster Collection]]
[[Category:Movie]]
[[Category:Operation Combination]]
[[Category:Predacon subgroups]]
[[Category:Prime]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy]]
[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen]]
[[Category:Robot Masters]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise]]
[[Category:The Headmasters]]
[[Category:Universe (2003)]]
[[Category:Victory]]
[[Category:Zone]]

Megatron (Animated)

2011-01-29T05:56:54Z

69.140.106.144: /* Animated cartoon */

{{factions|decepticon|hofsilver}}{{disambig3|Megatron}}
:''Megatron is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Megatronanimated.jpg|300px|thumb|An insult to 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 [[spark]], 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.

He is extremely intolerant of treachery and deals with [[Starscream (Animated)|said treacherous bots]] with a vicious no-nonsense efficiency, [[Megatron (G1)|unlike other Decepticon leaders]]. He is also a shrewd strategist who effortlessly [[Scrapper (Animated)|wraps]] [[Mixmaster (Animated)|others]] around his fingers.

{{bigquote|Decepticons... ''transform and rise up!''|Megatron puts a new twist on [[Roll out|an old saying]]|"[[Megatron Rising - Part 2]]"}}

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
{{Idw-tfa}}
:''Voice actor:'' [[Corey Burton]] (English), [[Norio Wakamoto]] (Japanese), [[Jan Spitzer]] (German), [[Mirosław Neinert]] (Polish), [[Raffaele Farina]] (Italian), [[Afonso Amajones]] (Portuguese), [[Mario Santander]] (Latin American Spanish, season 1 and 2), [[Alexander Páez]] (Latin American Spanish, season 3), [[Song Junseok]] (Korean)

[[Image:Megatron Cybertron.jpg|left|thumb|Pointier than thou.]]
''Eons ago, Megatron overthrew the [[Decepticon|Decepticon]] leader [[Megazarak (Animated)|Megazarak]] and took control of the faction for himself. He gave speeches and wrote manifestos calling for the Decepticons to rise up and take control of both Cybertron and the [[AllSpark]] from the Autobots. Finally, on the [[Cycle of Infamy]], he took the Decepticons from mere rhetoric to outright war.''

''The Decepticons overran Autobot space but the Autobots under [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] had one major advantage—[[space bridge]] technology, which allowed them to move about the galaxy more easily. The Decepticon advance ground to a halt.'' {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}} However, Megatron's forces continued to fight on until the Autobots sent the AllSpark through the space bridge to random coordinates. Realizing that the AllSpark was the key to defeating the Autobots, Megatron abandoned the Cybertron theater and began searching the galaxy aboard his massive flagship, the ''[[Nemesis (Animated)|Nemesis]]''. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out}} With the war going badly after this, Megatron tried a last-ditch attempt with the [[False Calm]] and sent his troops at sub-light speeds to Cybertron, but this failed and the Decepticons were finally forced to agree to an armistice and exile. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}}

[[Image:TFA TARO Decepticons attention.JPG|175px|thumb|He's not planning on shaking Prime's hand...he's going to tear it off.]] However, Megatron continued to search for the AllSpark. Four million years later, the ''Nemesis's'' crew discovered a [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|small Autobot repair vessel]] after detecting the AllSpark. When [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] volunteered to attack, Megatron saw his ambitions all too clearly, and pointedly remarked that he wasn't about to let four million solar cycles of searching for the AllSpark end with Starscream getting his greasy wings on it. No, Megatron would strike the Autobot ship and take the AllSpark himself. Just prior to his departure, Starscream approached him again, ostensibly to wish him luck, but actually to place an overload device on his leader's back. This device went off just as Megatron's fusion cannon was about to breach the hull of the Autobots' ship. The Autobot crew managed to steer the now-failing ship through an asteroid field and into a nearby [[space bridge]].

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

Over the next fifty years, Sumdac built a robotics empire by reverse-engineering Megatron's components, while, 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. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out}}

[[Image:AniMegsHead-TransformAndRollout.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Hey Megatron, don't lose your... oh.]]
After the Autobots re-awoke, [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] used her [[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, footage in which Starscream admitted to his treachery. 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]] 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 proxy machines. He needed a body, which meant it was time to provide some more advanced technology 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. Megatron then helped construct the [[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobots]], 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 the fossil fuels supposedly derived from dinosaurs.

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

Soon, Dr. Sumdac began attempting to build him some new servos, but these proved inadequate. Megatron revealed that his body would need [[Destronium]] to work, but Isaac responded there was only a small amount available and that it would have to be delivered across town in less than 10 minutes or it would become unstable. Taking notice of an experimental turbo suit Sumdac's labs were developing (with flaws that possibly precluded Isaac considering it as a solution), Megatron manipulated computer systems so the suit was delivered to small-time hood [[Nanosec|Nino Sexton]]. Once Sexton began using the suit to commit crimes too quickly to be stopped, Megatron contacted him with an offer of much money out of Dr. Sumdac's private account if Sexton used the suit to steal and deliver the Destronium. Between Autobot interference and the suit aging him prematurely, Sexton failed. Worse, the Destronium was energized to a critical level, 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 (episode)|Nanosec}}

After Megatron learned of the power of Sari's AllSpark 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 the Key upon it, until eventually it would be a suitable robotic body for Megatron himself. When the Key instead brought Soundwave to 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 (Animated)|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, but 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 the 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 (episode)|Lost and Found}}

[[Image:Sumdac megatron%27s body.jpg|200px|thumb|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 attacking a [[Sparkplug (Animated human)|miner]], it was defeated by Bumblebee and Prowl. Later, the body was discovered (minus space barnacles) by Isaac Sumdac and most likely brought back to his laboratory. Sumdac remarked that Megatron would be ''very'' pleased with the find... {{storylink|Nature Calls}}

[[Image:MegRisingRebuilt.jpg|left|200px|thumb|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 AllSpark Key. This communication triggered Starscream's curiosity, and the treacherous jet located Megatron. Starscream didn't have time to <s>finish his speech</s> 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, ready to unleash his vengeance on all of them. {{storylink|Megatron Rising - Part 1}}

[[Image:PayThePiper.JPG|200px|thumb|"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—then used the AllSpark Key to send a painful power surge through Starscream, extinguishing the traitor's spark 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|left|200px|thumb|This is not good...]] Finding it aboard the Autobots' ship, the Decepticons caused the ship to crash on [[Dinobot Island (Animated)|Dinobot Island]], where Megatron proceeded to beat the [[Slag (slang)|slag]] out of Optimus Prime. Getting into the ship, Megatron removed the AllSpark from its casing and placed it in his chest, preparing to devastate Earth before conquering Cybertron. However, Professor Sumdac used his knowledge of Megatron's circuitry to disrupt his equilibrium sensors, causing Megatron to drop the AllSpark 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.

And yet, 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 2}}

Establishing a base deep underground in a mine, 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 embedded within it. This gave Megatron hope that the AllSpark was not destroyed, but dispersed throughout the city of Detroit. {{storylink|The Elite Guard}}

[[Image:Swordscream.JPG|200px|thumb|Yes, Starscream, and we'll keep doing it until you get it right!]]
Finding out about the AllSpark fragments, however, didn't seem to result in 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. He had Lugnut and Blitzwing steal a tachyon transmitter from the [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]] so he could send his message, but was interrupted during his transmission by a revived Starscream. After quickly beating him to a pulp, Megatron relayed his commands to the spacefaring 'Cons, only to be repeatedly attacked by a seemingly invincible Starscream. The renegade even attempted to draw Megatron out with an AllSpark fragment. Megatron emerged victorious every time and was informed by his spy that all was going as planned: With his [[Decepticon Uprisings|forces now drawing the Autobots away from Cybertron]], Megatron could attack a weakened Cybertron from within as soon as his space bridge was completed. {{storylink|Mission Accomplished}}

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

[[Image:RiseoftheConstructicons-Megatron%27sprivateblend.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Gentlemen, to evil.]]
When Lugnut and Blitzwing brought the [[Constructicon (Animated)|Constructobots]] back to base, Megatron saw the advantage of keeping them alive, and he invited them to have a look at his space bridge schematics. Impressed by their knowledge, he decided to put them to work stealing supplies. After an encounter with [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], the Constructobots became convinced of "the funny guy's" less-than-noble intentions, and they returned to the mine to confront him. Megatron calmly slammed them both against a rock face and asked them to explain. He feigned shock and brought them in to discuss things over his own private oil blend. Megatron showed himself to be a bit of an oil connoisseur, possessing stylish little goblets for it made of twisted oil drums, as well as a secret stash of top-quality oil and a chamber to drink it in. Megatron spoke of the glories they could achieve as Constructicons: the adulation, the statues in their honor...the barrels of oil they could down. Ever the shrewd worker, it didn't take much for him to convince them to join up, and he promptly sent them to the Autobot base to retrieve the AllSpark fragments. {{storylink|Rise of the Constructicons}}

[[Image:Rise Constructicons Megatron what.jpg|200px|thumb|Constructicons say WHAAAAAT?]]
When Starscream escaped from the Elite Guard's ship, Megatron received [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]]'s alert to the Autobots thanks to the stolen tachyon transmitter. Megatron had placed a bounty on the traitor, and [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] (with the unknowing aid of Prowl) pretty much took the opportunity to bring him to the Decepticon leader. Lockdown contacted Megatron to confirm that he had captured a purple-ish "Starscream" (who was acting quite odd and cowardly) and agreed to meet at an abandoned warehouse for the exchange. As "Starscream" was brought to Megatron, Prowl, who was hiding on a rafter high above, accidentally scuffed a small bolt, which grabbed the Decepticons' attention. Not too long after, the Autobots appeared with another, different-colored Starscream. Megatron intercepted Lockdown's escape and announced confusedly that no one was to leave until they found out which was the true Starscream. However, it turned out that both Starscreams were clones with bombs in their [[spark]] chambers designed to destroy Megatron and the Autobots in one go. Quickly thinking up a plan, Megatron and the other Decepticons transformed and escaped forcibly through the ceiling. However, Prowl used the upgrades given to him by Lockdown to send the [[Starscream clone (Animated)|clones]] into the air, not too far from the fleeing Decepticons, when the bombs exploded. It is unknown if they were wounded, but Megatron later raised the bounty on Starscream—insisting on the ''real'' one this time. {{storylink|A Fistful of Energon}}

He was later contacted by [[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]], who attempted to sell him a new weapon. Nothing came of this, as Swindle was defeated before the deal could be closed. {{storylink|SUV: Society of Ultimate Villainy}} Megatron also made some ''"secret"'' transmissions to his [[Shockwave (Animated)|double agent]] on Cybertron in order to settle his new plans for the coming Autobot-Decepticon war. {{storylink|Autoboot Camp}}

[[Image:TFA ABTC1 Megatron Sumdac Hostage.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Did I tell you about the time I killed the cult leader?"]]
Megatron's plans finally seemed on the verge of fruition when Sumdac and the Constructicons completed the space bridge. However, some vital technical aspects made it inoperable. In order to remedy this, Megatron contacted Shockwave to learn who was Cybertron's leading [[Space bridge technician]], which turned out to be the Autobot Bulkhead. Not wishing to leave Doctor Sumdac alone to sabotage the Constructicons' efforts, Megatron took him along as a hostage while he went to capture Bulkhead. Once he had the big Autobot in custody, Megatron threatened to use the [[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster]] unit on him if he didn't help make the space bridge operational. To Megatron's satisfaction, Bulkhead agreed and finished the project. Just as the machine was activated, both the Autobots and Starscream and his clone army attacked. {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part I}}

The three-way free-for-all ironically forced Megatron and Optimus Prime to team up temporarily, but this quickly ended when Megatron used Prime's body as a shield against one of Starscream's clone's attacks. Despite putting up a decent resistance, Megatron was overwhelmed and held down by two of the Starscream clones. As the original Starscream gloated, he was head-jacked by Isaac Sumdac in the Headmaster unit. Sumdac prepared to fight Megatron himself, but Megatron simply used his strength to throw the two Starscream clones at him, knocking off the Headmaster unit and proving himself the victor. With Starscream incapacitated, the clones sided with Megatron. He then made his own victory speech to his soldiers, declaring he would send Optimus Prime through the bridge to test it. However, the Autobots got some [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|reinforcements]]. Megatron quickly ordered the majority of his forces to deal with this new menace while the Constructicons cleared the space bridge area of rubble. Grabbing Optimus, Megatron threw him into the portal, but was frustrated when Prowl freed his leader in the nick of time, at which point the bridge shut down. Bulkhead declared the power source wasn't strong enough to maintain the link for long, so Megatron grabbed Starscream's AllSpark-powered head to maintain the gateway. However, this provided too much power, sending the space bridge portal out of control. An enraged Megatron decided to terminate Optimus Prime, only for Optimus to slap [[stasis cuffs]] on him, causing him to lose his grip and fall into the portal.

[[Image:TFA ABTC2 Megatron Screamer End.jpg|200px|thumb|"Stop staring at me!"]]
With the overload having deleted the space bridge's receiving coordinates, the defeated Megatron was transported to some unknown sector of space. Still immobilized by the stasis cuffs, Megatron's only companion was now Starscream's head, which a cruel twist of Fate had deposited right next to him. Forced to remain face to face with his traitorous ex-lieutenant, Megatron could only trade verbal blows. A most cruel fate, indeed. {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}

After their bickering subsided, Starscream began trying to free Megatron from the stasis cuffs, but having no body was a hinderance. Megatron was only freed when Starscream revealed a previously unseen weapon from his mouth. Before they could react, Omega Supreme appeared, offline. Getting aboard him, Megatron was captured by Omega, but was able to convince the simple processor possessing behemoth to take him to Cybertron to face a war crimes tribunal. However, Omega Supreme's attempt to transwarp to Cybertron left them somewhere else in space, but did drain Omega for the time being. Initially disgusted that he was trapped aboard the cause of the Decepticons defeat, as well without his weapons and only Starscream for company, Megatron soon realized that if he could reprogram Omega to serve him, he would be a great advantage.

Managing to hotwire the Autobot with the stasis cuffs and Starscream's AllSpark charged head, Megatron contacted Shockwave to give him a status report on the Earth space bridge. However, the situation was worse than Megatron realized: not only was the space bridge network shut down, but the Earth Autobots could expose Shockwave at any moment. Although Omega Supreme provided an advantage that could end both problems, Megatron decided that the space bridge invasion plan was a failure, and issued a fleet wide stand down order. Heading to Earth, Megatron attempted to use Omega to destroy the Autobots (even though he couldn't remember their names). However, Prowl and Optimus Prime managed to board Omega and sever Megatron's control over him. Unfortunately, Starscream managed to gain control over Omega Supreme, capturing Megatron again. Ever the manipulator, Megatron convinced Starscream that his time would be better spent conquering Cybertron. However, the Autobots managed to install the [[plasmadynamic thruster]] from Megatron's space bridge into Omega Supreme, sending Omega and the two Decepticons aboard warping through space randomly. {{storylink|TransWarped}}

[[Image:TFAni Decepticon Air Lugnut Megatron.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Don't you just hate it when fanboys keep following you?]]
Later, as Lugnut was floating through space following his half-successful escape from the Elite Guard flagship, Omega Supreme transwarped to directly in front of him and he smashed into the bridge window. When Starscream asked Megatron if they were picking up hitchhickers, Megatron simply slapped his head of its position. That was for asking stupid questions.. {{storylink|Decepticon Air}}

Soon thereafter, Megatron gained control of Omega Supreme's transforming mechanism, and by detaching the plasmadynamic thruster was also able to direct their transwarp jumps; however, he could not get the weapons online without the proper access codes. Megatron brought the ship to Cybertron, where they could do little but float helplessly in the air; Megatron reasoned—correctly—that the Autobots would not dare fire on their own most famous weapon (though [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel "Magnus"]] sure wanted to). Megatron ordered Shockwave to hurry up his search for the access codes; once Shockwave successfully abducted Arcee and boarded the ship, they transwarped into Earth orbit right before Sentinel opened fire. Megatron welcomed Shockwave aboard as his "most loyal" servant, to the great concern of Lugnut. {{storylink|This Is Why I Hate Machines}}

Now on the moon, Megatron commanded Shockwave to extract the access codes from Arcee's mind. When Starscream re-attached his head to another clone body, Megatron pursued him and destroyed all the remaining clones, teasing Starscream for having always thought on a small scale. Megatron's ultimate plans for the protoforms aboard the ''Nemesis'' was to use them to create his own clone fleet of Omega Supremes--based on the personality template of his ''truly'' most loyal minion, Lugnut. That part of the plan went just fine, but Shockwave was still unable to get Arcee to do his bidding--perhaps because although she was fooled by his Longarm Prime persona, she saw the evil Megatron standing right behind him and refused to cooperate. After a few technical bypasses put Lugnut in mental command of the "[[Lugnut Supreme]]" fleet, Megatron ordered his new weapons to test their skills by destroying the Earthbound Autobots. {{storylink|Endgame, Part I}}

Observing from within one of the Lugnut Supremes, Megatron's first target for destruction was his former prison, Sumdac Tower. But when the tower's forcefield proved impenetrable and Optimus Prime was able to destroy one of the Lugnut Supremes and severely damage the other two by using the [[Magnus Hammer]], Megatron settled on a new plan: destroying everything that wasn't him. He flew cover over the advancing Lugnut Supremes, directly engaging Optimus Prime (at first mistaken for [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], then dismissed as a [[knockoff|"cheap imitation"]]) so Prime would not again be able to use the Magnus Hammer on the giants. As their combat raged on, Megatron was at last able to remember Optimus Prime's name, to Prime's bitter enjoyment. The two were later trapped within a prison of Allspark energy--meant to seal in the timebomb that Starscream had secretly placed in one of the Lugnut Supremes--and Megatron reasoned that even if he himself had to die, he could at least kill Prime first. But Prowl's ghost was having none of that, and Megatron soon found himself left alone to be blown up. Though massively damaged, he survived this and turned to attack the Autobots once more. He was quickly defeated by Optimus Prime, and when Megatron then invited Prime to kill him, Prime retorted that that would be "the easy way out," which Megatron did not deserve. Megatron was placed in [[stasis cuffs]] and arrested, then brought back to Cybertron and displayed as a prisoner before the cheering Autobot masses. {{storylink|Endgame, Part II}}

===''Quest for the AllSpark''===
Megatron took to hanging around online using the alias "Meg A. Tron". Masquerading thusly, he was able to recruit the unwitting help of [[Heinz Von Furstwartz|Professor Heinz Von Furstwartz]] in his scheme to sow confusion amongst the Autobots and get hold of the AllSpark. He was also able to take control of Detroit's legion of robot workers, forcing the Autobots to enact an elaborate plan to keep the AllSpark safe. {{storylink|Quest for the AllSpark}}

===Titan Magazines===
[[Image:MegatronTitan23.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"NIXON'S BAAACK!"]]

Apart from showing interest in the activities of [[Quake-Maker]], {{storylink|Animated Comic issue 1|Burnout!}} Megatron seemed idle... but what the Autobots were unaware of was that he'd constructed a Spark-less drone unit, [[Afterburn]], as a prototype of a future army, and then sent Afterburn off to spy on the Autobots.

He not only received repeated communications from his spy, but gained directions to the Autobot base! Megatron entered with explosive results {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 23|Divebomb}} and then ''killed'' Afterburn while rubbing [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]'s nose in it. He proceeded to summon the other Decepticons and thrash most of the Autobots with ease, making some really bad puns along the way, only stopped when [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] secretly got him buried under a crane. Starscream then "saved" him, making Megatron think he'd turned over a new leaf and thus giving him temporary command until he got better. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 24|Megatron's Revenge}}

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===Animated shorts===
[[Image:MockMegs-bunny.jpg|thumb|left|200px|If only [[Cyclonus (Animated)|he]] was around to see this]]
While Megatron gave an inspirational speech to his Decepticons (which seemed to be very similar to [[Mission Accomplished|another message]] he'd sent out), Starscream proceeded to make fun of him behind his back—making faces, giving Megatron bunny ears, and shaking his butt at his leader. Megatron was suspicious of Starscream's actions, but each time he turned to look, his lieutenant was standing there innocently, doing nothing unseemly. Megatron apparently decided to let it go, as did the other Decepticons (even Lugnut), until he finally caught Starscream in mid-heckle and dealt with him by blasting him through a wall. {{storylink|Starscream Heckles Megatron}}
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===''The Cool'' comic===
[[Image:TheCoolMegatronChokesPrime01.jpg|thumb|200px|right|All aboard the Crazy Train! ''Toot! Toot!'']]

At some point, [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] double-crossed Megatron and attempted to kill him. Unbeknownst to anyone, Megatron's head survived his destruction and had hooked into [[Detroit]]'s closed-circut video surveillance system. Following the dispersion of the [[AllSpark]] (and Starscream's apparent demise), Megatron became intrigued by [[Sari Sumdac|Sari's]] [[AllSpark Key|key]] after she used it to bring [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] back to life. Interests piqued, Megatron declared the time was right to initiate the next phase of his operation. {{storylink|The Cool issue 2|The Cool #2}}

Megatron eventually got his hands on the key and used its power to revive himself. After killing Starscream, Megatron engaged Optimus Prime in a sword-to-axe duel. The outcome of that fight is unknown, though apparently the Autobots survived the day. {{storylink|The Cool issue 5|The Cool #5}}

Megatron later hired [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] to capture the (somehow still alive) Starscream. Lockdown mistakenly captured [[Clone number 3370318|Clone #3370318]], instead, while the Autobots captured [[Clone number 2716057|Clone #2716057]]. Megatron was met with both clones at his meeting place in a warehouse and demanded to know why there were ''two'' Starscreams. When the clones turned out to be bombs, Megatron attempted to flee in helicopter mode, only to be chased down by the explosives after [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] attached a pair of rockets to them. Megatron screamed in confusion as he was caught in the explosion. {{storylink|The Cool issue 6|The Cool #6}}

With the [[Space Bridge]] nearly completed, Megatron was caught off-guard by a surprise attack from Optimus Prime and the Autobots. Clashing sword with Prime's axe, Megatron arrogantly told the Autobot he could never win, though his efforts were amusing. Megatron was then met by a second surprise: an attack by Starscream and his [[Starscream clone (Animated)|Clone Army]]. Megatron was forced to fight side by side with Optimus, but quickly dissolved the partnership when he use Prime as a shield to block one of [[Slipstream (Animated)|Slipstream]]'s shots. Dropping Prime's smoking body, Megatron informed all listening that the universe belonged to him. {{storylink|The Cool issue 7|The Cool #7}}

Megatron then installed the severed head of Starscream into the Space Bridge in order to power it with his AllSpark fragment. The fragment proved ''too'' powerful and caused the Space Bridge to overload. Optimus, recovered, took Megatron's distraction as an opportunity to defeat the villain once and for all. Slapping a pair of stasis cuffs on him, Optimus kicked Megatron in the jaw and sent him hurtling into the vortex. {{storylink|The Cool issue 8|The Cool #8}}

Megatron found himself warped to the same coordinates as Starscream's head and Omega Supreme. Megatron attempted to use Starscream's [[spark]] to jumpstart Omega Supreme, but the plan backfired and Starscream took control of Omega's systems. Starscream sized Megatron in his giant hand and, taunting him, returned to [[Earth]] for vengeance against the Autobots. Megatron would not be so easily defeated, however, and breaking free, teamed with Optimus Prime to sever Starscream's connection to Omega. That dealt with, Megatron and Optimus then agreed to end their rivalry with a final battle. Flying off into the sky, the enemies clashed sword with hammer. {{storylink|The Cool issue 9|The Cool #9}}
{{-}}

==Games==
===Transformers Battle Universe===

At the edge of time, when the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] needed a new host, Megatron was among several warriors (and [[Megatron]]s) summoned from the multiverse to battle for control of the prize. {{storylink|Transformers Battle Universe}}

{{--}}

==Toys==
===Animated===
[[Image:TFAnimated Deluxe BattleBegins Megatron toy.jpg|250px|thumb|SPAAAACE ROOOAAACH!]]
*'''Optimus Prime vs. Megatron: The Battle Begins''' (Entertainment Pack, 2008)
**''Accessories'': Missile

: Transforms into a sleek spacecraft with, er, VTOL turbofans (presumably designed to show some lineage with his eventual helicopter mode. It's best if you don't think about it too hard). Megatron's signature fusion cannon forms the central chassis and cockpit section of the spacecraft (officially, a "Fusion Fighter"); his sword sections mount on the sides of the cannon for storage, though the blade is unremovable and effectively useless. Like the [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Prime]] figure he comes with, he features a punching gimmick, having a spring-loaded waist that snaps back when twisted. Unfortunately, Megatron's balljoint hips and the swivel joints between his thighs and knees are rather loose, making it difficult to pose the figure in such a way that he stands on his own. The figure features a silver color scheme and battle damage paint applications. Also included was [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)/DVD#Pack-in disc|a DVD]] featuring the first episode of ''Transformers Animated''.

:The design makes it tricky to tell which end of his Fusion Fighter is the front and which is the back.

:This toy was also released in a 2-pack with Prowl as a Wal*Mart [[exclusive]] (see below).

:If you want to be pedantic about it, the battle implied by the battle-pack pairing is technically a timeline impossibility, insofar as it depicts Cybertron Mode Megatron versus Earth Mode Optimus. It is also [[scale]]d incorrectly, as Megatron was shown as being notably larger than Optimus in "[[Transform and Roll Out]]".

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/BattleBeginsMegatron/megatron.htm More information on "The Battle Begins" Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|VoyagerCybMode}}

[[Image:Animated megatron voyager.jpg|250px|thumb|Curse you, Earth's atmosphere!]]
*'''CYBERTRON Mode Megatron''' (Voyager, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TA-06'''
**''Accessories'': Missile

: A larger, bulkier, more detailed, and more gimmick-laden iteration of the same character design used in the deluxe-scaled versus pack toy. Note that while both modes of both toys look very similar, they have different transformation mechanisms and are not a simple upscaling/downscaling of each other. Where the deluxe version is straight silver, this version has a pearl-gray paint scheme. The figure features an [[automorph]] gimmick in the chest, which closes like a clamshell in transforming to robot mode. A second automorph gimmick is built into the energon blades on the cannon, swinging them into place to form a polearm. Red translucent plastic is heavily used throughout the figure, including in the light piping for the head and the missile for the spring-loaded cannon. Even his ''fingers'' are made of energon, it seems.

:This toy apparently had a safety modification done late on in the design process (late enough that it doesn't show up on the instructions), possibly as a result of drop test failure. The strut that holds his fusion cannon has been reinforced, and as a result, his cannon cannot be mounted flush against his arm. It is also noted that his cannon easily pops off.

:As with the smaller figure above, it's not obvious exactly what end is the front of his spaceship mode. Neither orientation really matches up to the version seen in the show, which had the fusion cannon mounted in a way that's impossible with both toys.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/VoyagerMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Cybertron Mode Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}{{anchor|Leader}}

[[Image:Animated megatron leader.jpg|250px|thumb|"I kill you till you're dead!"]]
*'''Megatron''' (Leader, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TA-26'''
**''Accessories'' Missile, 2 rotor-swords

: Megatron's "Earth" robot mode bears a significant resemblance to Generation 1 [[Megatron (G1)#The Battlestars|Super Megatron]] from the ''Battlestars'' storyline, and thus, in turn, to his original G1 body. His alt-mode is a dual-rotored helicopter design, somewhat like an [[Incinerator (Movie)|Osprey]] [[Obsidian|helicopter]] or the [[Cobra]] Mamba. Its rotors form double-bladed swords. The fusion cannon is attached to the left arm out of the box, but it can be detached and put on either arm. It has wheels for use in vehicle mode, and if it is removed, then (undocumented) landing gear can be deployed to make up for the loss. Interestingly, it seems the alt-mode was originally intended to allow for the removal of the cannon without removal of the bottom half of the fuselage. With a fair amount of force the cannon can be popped off (and will reattach), but the cannon mount/fuselage lower half does not provide the front landing gear with sufficient clearance to fully extend. The toy has a [[Gimmick|voice chip]], activated by pressing the Decepticon symbol on his chest. If used in robot mode it says one of three quotes: "Crush the Autobots!", "Where is the AllSpark?", and (glorious) evil laughter. In helicopter mode it makes the sound of the rotors warming up, spinning, and powering down. When the cockpit is moved during transformation the classic G1/Animated [[Transformation#The noise|transformation noise]] is heard. It is compatible with the [[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster]] toy, but it does not change his quotes.

: The instructions leave a couple of things out. First, the shoulders should be pushed backwards/upwards for vehicle mode. This lowers the wings down and aligns the front of the engines with the back. Second, the barrel of the cannon can be rotated 180 degrees (at a separate pivot from the one at its base) for robot mode, to better match how it looks in the cartoon, with the red stripes facing his arm. Considering how padded the instructions are to mask the relatively simple transformation (two whole steps just to move the rear landing gear), leaving all this out is quite a feat. Bad Hasbro.

:There is no doubt whatsoever as to which end is the front and which is the back of his vehicle mode.

: The TakaraTomy version of the toy features a metallic silver and red paint job, and replaces the English voice clips with typically hammy Japanese ones by [[Norio Wakamoto]]: "I am Megatron" in Japanese and "Megatron, transform!" and "Fusion Cannon!" in [[Engrish]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Leader Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|McDonalds}}

*'''Megatron''' (McDonald's Happy Meal Toys, 2008)

:This is a very simple representation of Megatron in his Earth form. It transforms by rotating the head, lying face down and flipping the arms onto the back. The robot mode seems to have taken priority in the design process, since the vehicle mode looks like his robot mode lying down. Megatron does not come with his signature arm cannon.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/McMegatron/megatron.htm More information on McDonald's Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Activator}}

[[Image:Megatronanimatedactivator.jpg|250px|thumb|"Transform and shrink down!"]]
*'''Megatron''' (Activators, 2008)

:Part of the fourth wave of [[Activators]], this version of Megatron is a very simplified, roughly-Basic-sized version of his Earth mode. His spring-loaded transformation from vehicle to robot mode is activated by a single switch on the back of his copter mode.

:Despite having a cannon on the bottom of his vehicle mode, he does not possess one on either arm in robot mode.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/ActMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Activators Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|ShadowBlade}}

[[Image:SBAniMegs..jpg|200px|thumb|I defy the Unicron Trilogy. Defy it, I say!]]
*'''Shadow Blade Megatron''' (Leader, 2008)

: A [[Black repaint|black]], grey and purple redeco of Megatron's leader class mold with a slight remolding to the tail... that's NOT called [[Megatron (Armada)/toys|Galvatron]]. YeabuhWHA?

:Surprisingly for a Hasbro produced redeco, Shadow Blade Megatron is cast entirely in black plastic with the exception of his translucent parts. His nose is not painted, so whenever his lights light up...his nose glows red.

: He has a slight molding problem that prevents him from actually moving his face when his Decepticon insignia is pressed.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/SBMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Shadow Blade Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
{{anchor|FightOfStart}}
*'''Fight of Start''' (Deluxe 2-pack, 2010)
**''Accessories'': Missile
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''VS-F'''

:For its Japanese release, "Battle Begins" Megatron was given a shinier metallic paint job (sans battle damage) and white-bordered Decepticon symbols, like the majority of the TakaraTomy ''Animated'' toys. The figure was only available in a 2-pack with a redecoed version of the Deluxe-scale CYBERTRON Mode Optimus Prime.

:The title of this set in Japanese is "hajimari no taiketsu" - which amounts to "the battle begins" when translated, but the back of the box chooses to render the phrase as "Fight of Start". [[Engrish|Oh well...]]

{{-}}{{anchor|GoldVersion}}
[[Image:AniDXMegsGoldVersion.jpg|thumb|250px| All that glitters is gold.]]
*'''Megatron Gold Version''' (Deluxe, 2011)
**''Accessories'': Missile

:A gold-chromed version of the Deluxe-class Battle Begins Megatron, Megatron Gold Version was made available to residents of Japan via a lottery. There were several ways to enter the drawing for him: one could clip out and send in a barcode from a single standard ''Animated'' toy or a single standard ''Autobot Alliance'' live action film series toy (or four EZ Collection barcodes), '''or''' send in 5 Sega Transformers trading cards, '''or''' cut out and send in the appropriate portion of the character cards included with volumes 4 or 5 of Paramount of Japan's ''Animated'' DVDs or the "[[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Transformers: Revenge]] Greatest Hits" DVD. The entry period of the drawing was November 1st, 2010 to January 16th, 2011.

:Megatron Gold Version was limited to 1,000 pieces.

{{-}}

[[Image:MarauderMegatron.jpg|200px|thumb|Tonight, I dine on turtle soup!]]
*'''Marauder Megatron'''
**''Accessories:'' Missiles

:A mold of Megatron as a [[Triple Changer]] in the canceled fourth season. He has a jet mode and a tank mode, and his robot mode head has a muzzle-like plate over the mouth in a homage to ''[[Beast Machines (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]. [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] also based the design on [[Super Megatron|Super and Ultra Megatron]].[http://www.formspring.me/DerrickJWyatt/q/878717866]

{{canceledtoy}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[Image:AnimatedMegatronMovieHat.jpg|150px|thumb|They moonlight as lawn darts.]]

[[Image:AnimatedMegatronAltmode.jpg|150px|thumb|[[Show-accuracy]] be damned!]]

[[Image:AniMegsKatana.jpg|thumb|150px|Where is my [[fusion cannon]]?! All Megatrons should have them! ALL OF THEM, I TELL YOU!!!]]

* 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 Seven|reverse-engineered by humans]].

* He is, additionally, [[Megatron (BW)|not the only Megatron]] to spend time as [[Grand Mal|a giant, disembodied head]].

* Megatron's cannon makes the same sound as his [[Megatron (G1)|Generation 1 counterpart]]'s weapon, except with additional effects mixed in to make it actually sound like a laser cannon and not a blender.

* Megatron's outer space alt mode, shown for all of 20 seconds, has ''two'' toy molds devoted to it. Though these "Cybertron mode" toys resemble each other, neither looks anything like the alt mode of the pre-Earth Megatron seen on the show.

* Megatron is the only one of the original 5 Decepticons in ''Animated'' actually to have a Cybertronian vehicle mode design. Although the others have different robot mode kibble before they scan their Earth modes, none of them had an alt-mode created. Having a toy helps. (This is in contrast to the Autobots, who all had Cybertronian-modes designed for them from the start, even if we didn't see them in the first episode.)

* Sumdac found Megatron's head intact in its original Cybertronian mode. The head housed in his lab, however, is essentially a damaged version of his Earth-mode head. Presumably, this change is the result of Sumdac's destructive tinkering and research over the fifty years Megatron was in stasis lock.

* According to ''[[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac|The Allspark Almanac]]'', Megatron's Earth mode cockpit seats five.

* When he was a disembodied head, Megatron had a pupil in his right eye, similar to the Autobots. Once he regained his body, this never appeared again.

* An early image of Megatron's Earth body had slight differences from the finished product, most notably the lack of a fusion cannon and the presence of a katana instead of his twin swords. This image originally appeared as part of an Amazon.com listing for [[Transformers Animated Volume 2|volume 2]] of [[IDW Publishing]]'s screenshot-based ''[[Transformers Animated (IDW Publishing)|Transformers Animated]]'' adaption series.

* According to [[Cyclonus (Animated)|Cyclonus]]'s bio in ''[[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II‎]]'', a possible future has Megatron becoming Galvatron.

[[Category:Animated Decepticons]]
[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Emperors]]
[[Category:Engineers]]
[[Category:Fast food exclusives]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame]]

Battle for Iacon

2011-01-12T22:08:28Z

69.140.106.144: /* Known participants */

:''The Battle for Iacon is a battle from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:TransWarpedDefeatedOmega.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Help, I've fallen, and I can't get up!]]

The '''Battle for Iacon''' was the climatic battle between the Autobots and Decepticons that finally concluded the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]]. It started after [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] used the "[[False Calm]]" strategy to reach Cybertron unnoticed, where his troops attempted to capture the [[space bridge nexus]] in [[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]] by force. The Autobots were led into battle by [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], and the Decepticons led by [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]].

{{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2}}
==Fiction==
===Animated cartoon continuity===
The [[Autobot]]s won the battle, though at the cost of [[Beta Supreme]], [[Eta Supreme]], [[Gamma Supreme]], [[Sigma Supreme]] and [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]]. The latter two were locked into [[Steelhaven (Animated)|modified]] [[Teletran-1|stasis]]. [[Warpath (Animated)|Warpath]] was badly injured, but he recovered.
[[Image:Transwarped-Warpath.jpg|thumb|right|200px|So, uh, no toy, huh?]]
The Decepticons were exiled to [[New Kaon]].

Megatron has referred to the battle as "-the Decepticons' greatest defeat."{{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2}}{{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}{{storylink|TransWarped}}

==Known participants==

'''Autobots'''
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]]
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]
*[[Warpath (Animated)|Warpath]]
'''11''' [[Omega Sentinel (Animated)|Omega Sentinels]] including:
*[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]]
*[[Gamma Supreme|Gamma Supreme]]
*[[Beta Supreme|Beta Supreme]]
*[[Eta Supreme|Eta Supreme]]
*[[Sigma Supreme|Sigma Supreme]]

'''Decepticons'''
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]
*[[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]]
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]]
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]]
*[[Strika (Animated)|Strika]]
*[[Oil Slick (Animated)|Oil Slick]]
*[[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]]
*[[Spittor (Animated)|Spittor]]
*[[Straxus (Animated)|Straxus]]
*[[Reflector (Animated)|Reflector]]

{{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2}}

==Notes==
* The battle was originally going to be included in [[TransWarped]], but alas, was cut for time.

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Battles]]

Battle for Iacon

2011-01-12T22:08:09Z

69.140.106.144: /* Known participants */

:''The Battle for Iacon is a battle from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:TransWarpedDefeatedOmega.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Help, I've fallen, and I can't get up!]]

The '''Battle for Iacon''' was the climatic battle between the Autobots and Decepticons that finally concluded the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]]. It started after [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] used the "[[False Calm]]" strategy to reach Cybertron unnoticed, where his troops attempted to capture the [[space bridge nexus]] in [[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]] by force. The Autobots were led into battle by [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], and the Decepticons led by [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]].

{{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2}}
==Fiction==
===Animated cartoon continuity===
The [[Autobot]]s won the battle, though at the cost of [[Beta Supreme]], [[Eta Supreme]], [[Gamma Supreme]], [[Sigma Supreme]] and [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]]. The latter two were locked into [[Steelhaven (Animated)|modified]] [[Teletran-1|stasis]]. [[Warpath (Animated)|Warpath]] was badly injured, but he recovered.
[[Image:Transwarped-Warpath.jpg|thumb|right|200px|So, uh, no toy, huh?]]
The Decepticons were exiled to [[New Kaon]].

Megatron has referred to the battle as "-the Decepticons' greatest defeat."{{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2}}{{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}{{storylink|TransWarped}}

==Known participants==

'''Autobots'''
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]]
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]
*[[Warpath (Animated)|Warpath]]
'''11''' [[Omega Sentinel (Animated)|Omega Sentinels]] including:
*[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]]
*[[Gamma Supreme|Gamma Supreme]]
*[[Beta Supreme|Beta Supreme]]
*[[Eta Supreme|Eta Supreme]]
*[[Sigma Supreme|Sigma Supreme]]

'''Decepticons'''
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]
*[[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]]
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]]
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]]
*[[Strika (Animated)|Strika]]
*[[Oil slick (Animated)|Oil Slick]]
*[[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]]
*[[Spittor (Animated)|Spittor]]
*[[Straxus (Animated)|Straxus]]
*[[Reflector (Animated)|Reflector]]

{{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2}}

==Notes==
* The battle was originally going to be included in [[TransWarped]], but alas, was cut for time.

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Battles]]

Battle for Iacon

2011-01-12T22:06:54Z

69.140.106.144: /* Animated cartoon continuity */

:''The Battle for Iacon is a battle from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:TransWarpedDefeatedOmega.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Help, I've fallen, and I can't get up!]]

The '''Battle for Iacon''' was the climatic battle between the Autobots and Decepticons that finally concluded the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]]. It started after [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] used the "[[False Calm]]" strategy to reach Cybertron unnoticed, where his troops attempted to capture the [[space bridge nexus]] in [[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]] by force. The Autobots were led into battle by [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], and the Decepticons led by [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]].

{{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2}}
==Fiction==
===Animated cartoon continuity===
The [[Autobot]]s won the battle, though at the cost of [[Beta Supreme]], [[Eta Supreme]], [[Gamma Supreme]], [[Sigma Supreme]] and [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]]. The latter two were locked into [[Steelhaven (Animated)|modified]] [[Teletran-1|stasis]]. [[Warpath (Animated)|Warpath]] was badly injured, but he recovered.
[[Image:Transwarped-Warpath.jpg|thumb|right|200px|So, uh, no toy, huh?]]
The Decepticons were exiled to [[New Kaon]].

Megatron has referred to the battle as "-the Decepticons' greatest defeat."{{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2}}{{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}{{storylink|TransWarped}}

==Known participants==

'''Autobots'''
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]]
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]
*[[Warpath (Animated)|Warpath]]
'''11''' [[Omega Sentinel (Animated)|Omega Sentinels]] including:
*[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]]
*[[Gamma Supreme|Gamma Supreme]]
*[[Beta Supreme|Beta Supreme]]
*[[Eta Supreme|Eta Supreme]]
*[[Sigma Supreme|Sigma Supreme]]

'''Decepticons'''
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]
*[[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]]
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]]
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]]
*[[Strika (Animated)|Strika]]
*[[Oilslick (Animated)|Oilslick]]
*[[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]]
*[[Spittor (Animated)|Spittor]]
*[[Straxus (Animated)|Straxus]]
*[[Reflector (Animated)|Reflector]]

{{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2}}

==Notes==
* The battle was originally going to be included in [[TransWarped]], but alas, was cut for time.

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Battles]]

Battle for Iacon

2011-01-12T22:04:12Z

69.140.106.144:

:''The Battle for Iacon is a battle from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:TransWarpedDefeatedOmega.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Help, I've fallen, and I can't get up!]]

The '''Battle for Iacon''' was the climatic battle between the Autobots and Decepticons that finally concluded the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]]. It started after [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] used the "[[False Calm]]" strategy to reach Cybertron unnoticed, where his troops attempted to capture the [[space bridge nexus]] in [[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]] by force. The Autobots were led into battle by [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], and the Decepticons led by [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]].

{{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2}}
==Fiction==
===Animated cartoon continuity===
The [[Autobot]]s won the battle, though at the cost of [[Beta Supreme]], [[Eta Supreme]], [[Gamma Supreme]], [[Sigma Supreme]] and [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]]. The latter two were locked into [[Steelhaven (Animated)|modified]] [[Teletran-1|stasis]]. [[Warpath (Animated)|Warpath]] was badly injured, but he recovered.
[[Image:Transwarped-Warpath.jpg|thumb|right|200px|So, uh, no toy, huh?]]
The Decepticons were exiled to [[New Kaon]]. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2}}{{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}{{storylink|TransWarped}}

==Known participants==

'''Autobots'''
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]]
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]
*[[Warpath (Animated)|Warpath]]
'''11''' [[Omega Sentinel (Animated)|Omega Sentinels]] including:
*[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]]
*[[Gamma Supreme|Gamma Supreme]]
*[[Beta Supreme|Beta Supreme]]
*[[Eta Supreme|Eta Supreme]]
*[[Sigma Supreme|Sigma Supreme]]

'''Decepticons'''
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]
*[[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]]
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]]
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]]
*[[Strika (Animated)|Strika]]
*[[Oilslick (Animated)|Oilslick]]
*[[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]]
*[[Spittor (Animated)|Spittor]]
*[[Straxus (Animated)|Straxus]]
*[[Reflector (Animated)|Reflector]]

{{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2}}

==Notes==
* The battle was originally going to be included in [[TransWarped]], but alas, was cut for time.

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Battles]]

Battle for Iacon

2011-01-12T22:03:00Z

69.140.106.144: /* Known participants */

:''The Battle for Iacon is a battle from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:TransWarpedDefeatedOmega.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Help, I've fallen, and I can't get up!]]

The '''Battle for Iacon''' was the climatic battle between the Autobots and Decepticons that finally concluded the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]]. It started after [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] used the "[[False Calm]]" strategy to reach Cybertron unnoticed, where his troops attempted to capture the [[space bridge nexus]] in [[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]] by force. The Autobots were led into battle by [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], and the Decepticons led by [[Straxus (Animated)|Straxus]].

==Fiction==
===Animated cartoon continuity===
The [[Autobot]]s won the battle, though at the cost of [[Beta Supreme]], [[Eta Supreme]], [[Gamma Supreme]], [[Sigma Supreme]] and [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]]. The latter two were locked into [[Steelhaven (Animated)|modified]] [[Teletran-1|stasis]]. [[Warpath (Animated)|Warpath]] was badly injured, but he recovered.
[[Image:Transwarped-Warpath.jpg|thumb|right|200px|So, uh, no toy, huh?]]
The Decepticons were exiled to [[New Kaon]]. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2}}{{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}{{storylink|TransWarped}}

==Known participants==

'''Autobots'''
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]]
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]
*[[Warpath (Animated)|Warpath]]
'''11''' [[Omega Sentinel (Animated)|Omega Sentinels]] including:
*[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]]
*[[Gamma Supreme|Gamma Supreme]]
*[[Beta Supreme|Beta Supreme]]
*[[Eta Supreme|Eta Supreme]]
*[[Sigma Supreme|Sigma Supreme]]

'''Decepticons'''
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]
*[[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]]
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]]
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]]
*[[Strika (Animated)|Strika]]
*[[Oilslick (Animated)|Oilslick]]
*[[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]]
*[[Spittor (Animated)|Spittor]]
*[[Straxus (Animated)|Straxus]]
*[[Reflector (Animated)|Reflector]]

{{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2}}

==Notes==
* The battle was originally going to be included in [[TransWarped]], but alas, was cut for time.

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Battles]]

Battle for Iacon

2011-01-12T22:01:35Z

69.140.106.144: /* Known participants */

:''The Battle for Iacon is a battle from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:TransWarpedDefeatedOmega.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Help, I've fallen, and I can't get up!]]

The '''Battle for Iacon''' was the climatic battle between the Autobots and Decepticons that finally concluded the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]]. It started after [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] used the "[[False Calm]]" strategy to reach Cybertron unnoticed, where his troops attempted to capture the [[space bridge nexus]] in [[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]] by force. The Autobots were led into battle by [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], and the Decepticons led by [[Straxus (Animated)|Straxus]].

==Fiction==
===Animated cartoon continuity===
The [[Autobot]]s won the battle, though at the cost of [[Beta Supreme]], [[Eta Supreme]], [[Gamma Supreme]], [[Sigma Supreme]] and [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]]. The latter two were locked into [[Steelhaven (Animated)|modified]] [[Teletran-1|stasis]]. [[Warpath (Animated)|Warpath]] was badly injured, but he recovered.
[[Image:Transwarped-Warpath.jpg|thumb|right|200px|So, uh, no toy, huh?]]
The Decepticons were exiled to [[New Kaon]]. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2}}{{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}{{storylink|TransWarped}}

==Known participants==

'''Autobots'''
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]]
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]
*[[Warpath (Animated)|Warpath]]

11 [[Omega Sentinel (Animated)|Omega Sentinels]] including:
*[[Omega Supreme(Animated)|Omega Supreme]]
*[[Gamma Supreme(Animated)|Gamma Supreme]]
*[[Beta Supreme(Animated)|Beta Supreme]]
*[[Eta Supreme(Animated)|Eta Supreme]]
*[[Sigma Supreme(Animated)|Sigma Supreme]]

'''Decepticons'''
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]
*[[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]]
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]]
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]]
*[[Strika (Animated)|Strika]]
*[[Oilslick (Animated)|Oilslick]]
*[[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]]
*[[Spittor (Animated)|Spittor]]
*[[Straxus (Animated)|Straxus]]
*[[Reflector (Animated)|Reflector]]

{{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2}}

==Notes==
* The battle was originally going to be included in [[TransWarped]], but alas, was cut for time.

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Battles]]

Decepticon

2011-01-12T21:41:42Z

69.140.106.144: /* Animated */

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|ttdecepticon|sgDecepticon}}
{{disambig2|the Transformers faction|the ''Robots in Disguise'' episode|The Decepticons}}
[[Image:Symbol decept reg.jpg|right|236px|thumb|Get this tattooed on you and all you'll need is a black trenchcoat and a long ponytail. Then people will love you.]]

{{quote|'''''Decepticon''' (di-sep-ti-con ) A member of a subversive sect or society. From the noun — 'decepticon'; one who deceives.|the [[New Cybertronic Dictograph]]}}

The '''Decepticons''' are one of the primary factions in the ''[[Transformer]]s'' mythos. They are typically concerned with such things as conquering [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], defeating the [[Autobot]]s, amassing large quantities of [[Energon (fuel)|energon]], developing powerful weaponry, and beating people up. Not necessarily in that order.

Unlike the Autobots, whose leader is a [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] bearing a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], the Decepticons are led by the [[Decepticon leader|most powerful]] of their ranks. This tends to cause some conflict, given how generally ''every'' Decepticon thinks that they're the most powerful. Also, the Decepticons are not exactly the most compassionate beings in the universe, but not all fight for greed. More than a few have a sense of honor, while others believe that Cybertron would be better protected by [[Decepticon Empire|aggressive expansion]]. Ultimately, the Decepticons desire to protect their homeworld, even if it is at the expense of others. [[Shattered Glass (franchise)|Usually]].

{{quote|The Decepticons are a malevolent race of robot warriors, brutal and merciless. The Decepticons are led by a single undeviating goal: total domination of the universe.|[[Victor Caroli|Narrator]]|[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]}}

:''Japanese name'': '''Destron''' (デストロン, ''de-su-to-ro-n''), '''Combatrons''' (Car Robots only)
:''French name (France, G1 cartoon)'': '''Decepticans'''
:''Hungarian name (Marvel comic)'': '''Álcák''' ("Disguises")
:''Hungarian name (toy commercial)'': '''Decepticonok'''
:''Hungarian name (''Energon/Cybertron'')'': '''Robotikák''' ("Roboticas")
:''Hungarian name (Movie, first dub)'': '''Varangyok''' ("Toads")
:''Hungarian name (Movie, second dub)'': '''Decepticonok'''
:''Italian name'': '''Distructors'''
:''Polish name'': '''Deceptikony''' (full name); '''Decepci''' (as a short)
:''Polish name (Beast Wars)'': '''Dezorientaci'''
:''Polish name (Movie, first dub)'': '''Decepcjokony''' (Deceptiocons? What the?)
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comic):'' '''Decépticos'''
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comic):'' '''Malignus'''
:''Serbian name'': '''Deseptikoni'''
:''Swedish name (Marvel comic)'': '''Bedragare''' ("Betrayers")
:''Chinese name'': '''Ba Tian Hu''' (霸天虎, ''Tigers that forcibly occupy the sky'')
:''Ukrainian name'': '''Obmanoidy''' (Обманойди, ''Decepticons'')

==Generation 1==
===Marvel Comics===
[[Image:Thelaststand-prepare.jpg|left|350px|thumb|MAKE OUT YOUR WILLS! NOTIFY YOUR NEXT OF KIN!]]
The Decepticons emerged from the gladiatorial [[State Games]], which caused [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s rise to public prominence - in the aftermath of the destructive Vos-Tarn War, Megatron was able to use his fame and charisma to unite both the survivors and the planet's malcontents into a new army. His plan was to turn Cybertron into a mobile cosmic dreadnought and conquer the galaxy. The Decepticons developed new technology to allow them to transform into attack vehicles and weaponry, launching a devastating attack that killed billions and shook the planet from its orbit before [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] turned the tide.

Megatron, Shockwave and others were lost on Earth for four million years; as Optimus was too, the Autobots swiftly lost ground to Decepticon leaders [[Trannis]] and [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]. Cybertron was devastated and conquered, causing the cream of the Decepticons to leave the burnt-out planet to form a [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] out in the stars, while Straxus threw all those he considered weak into the [[Smelting pool]]. The Empire would go on to slaughter and Cyberform planet after planet, their actions unknown on Cybertron.

Eventually the Earth-bound Decepticons would awaken in 1984, sparking off a new front in the war. After the presumed suicide of Megatron, an escalation in fighting would see Decepticon leadership fragment and change hands rapidly, with frequent clashes, plots and counter-plots between the primary leadership, namely [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], until most of them were killed in the [[Underbase]] conflict, leaving Scorponok the only surviving commander. A brief truce with the Autobots was held when [[Unicron]] attacked in 1991, but Scorponok was killed in the following conflict. Immediately after this, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] came to power. Charismatic and driven, Bludgeon turned the beaten Decepticons into a new army; after a defeat on [[Klo]], they regrouped and reorganised. ([[Another Time and Place|In one reality, they were immediately massacred afterward.]])

====Earthforce====
In the side-continuity of [[Earthforce]], while Unicron continued on to Cybertron, Megatron and Shockwave continued a Decepticon civil war on Earth with a small handful of troops - wasting most of their time trying to take each other out. Eventually Soundwave and Starscream overthrew them, uniting both factions into a stronger Decepticon force. The two former leaders attempted to regain their position but never appeared to succeed.

====Generation 2====
Bludgeon invaded Earth with the intention of capturing the Matrix and making a new generation of Decepticons, but Megatron returned, killed Bludgeon in one-on-one combat, and stole this plan. However, the threat of the Cybertronian Empire forced an alliance between the Autobots and Decepticons again.

====Classics====

===Cartoon===
====Season 1 & 2====
[[Image:Masterplan2 earth germ.jpg|thumb|]]
In the various continuities descending from [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]], the Decepticons and the [[Autobot]]s are the two great powers in the Transformer population. The factions, however, are not a complete set -- there are Transformers who are unaffiliated / neutral, or even members of smaller or splinter factions.

Many G1 timelines actually credit [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] as the founder of the Decepticons, not merely its most recent leader. In contrast, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] is almost always depicted as only the latest in a long line of [[Prime (rank)|Primes]] or [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix bearers]].

Eventually, the Decepticons managed to take control of all of Cybertron, forcing the Autobots to operate on Cybertron's two moons, but [[Autobot City]] on [[Earth]] was viewed as the greater threat. The Decepticons overtook a supply shuttle and launched an [[Battle of Autobot City|attack]], with disastrous consequences for the Autobots. The battle saw one of the Decepticons' long held dreams achieved in the death of Optimus Prime, but Megatron was damaged, and left to rot in deep space. [[Unicron]] reformatted him into [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], and Galvatron attempted to enslave Unicron with the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. When Unicron attacked Cybertron, most of the Decepticon forces on the planet were wiped out, allowing the Autobots to retake control of the planet. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

====Season 3 & 4====
{{quote|Once the Decepticons held the quadrant through terror, now we scrap like [[Slaarg]]s over a few [[energon cube]]s.|[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]|[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]}}

Times would turn harsh for the Decepticons who were forced to abandon their homeworld of Cybertron and were exiled to the burnt out planet of [[Chaar]]. There they would face constant energy shortages and engage in constant inter-fighting, as well as suffer from a lack of leadership. From this chaos came [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and the [[Sweep]]s, who hatched a plan of finding Galvatron who would lead the Decepticons once more.

Eventually, the Autobots, led by a resurrected Optimus Prime, managed to finally defeat the Decepticons.

===Dreamwave===
[[Image:DeceptLitho.jpg|left|150px|thumb|"My Liege, when did you get that sw--" "CAN'T HEAR YOU, FANWANKING"]]
The Decepticons arose out of the [[Gladiatorial combat|underground fights]] that Megatron once partook in. After discovering certain secrets about Cybertron's origin, including massive [[planetary engine]]s, Megatron began using the games to recruit combatants. For nearly half a million years, they grew in numbers and trained, until they rebelled against the [[Council of Ancients]] and took [[Kaon]] by force.

While the war raged on, the Constructicons repaired the engines and introduced a mecha-forming process, but what they really needed was a power source. Megatron became convinced that he could find one powerful enough within the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], which was in the possession of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]. However, when Megatron finally killed the Prime, he discovered that it was not within him. Soon after, Optronix became Optimus Prime, and Megatron initiated a plan: an assassination team under Communications Officer [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] would elimate the Prime and claim the Matrix, while Military Operations Commander [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] would lay siege to Iacon, preventing the Autobots from coming to Prime's rescue.

However, Megatron made two mistakes: he informed Air Commander [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] of his intentions, and he underestimated Optimus Prime. The Prime managed to erase some of Megatron's memories of what he discovered, while Starscream activated the mechaforming process using energy from the planetary engines. The engines were destroyed before the process was complete, ruining both. {{storylink|The War Within}}

After Megatron disappeared with Optimus Prime in a space bridge test, Shockwave became Decepticon leader, though Starscream and High Auditor [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] broke off with their own splinter factions shortly afterwards. The Decepticons allied with [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'s Autobots and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s [[Lightning Strike Coalition]] (an Autobot splinter group), to stop the machinations of the [[The Fallen|Fallen]]. {{storylink|War Within: The Dark Ages|The War Within: The Dark Ages}} Several thousand years later, Shockwave was prepared to sign a peace treaty with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], who had become Autobot leader, the LSC, and Ratbat's [[Ultracon]]. However, Megatron returned with the [[Air Warrior|Aerospace Extermination Squadron]], an army of [[Quintesson]] created [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] drones, whose abilities allowed the Decepticons to fully conquer Cybertron and enslave the Autobots. The Decepticons' control over Cybertron was ended when Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron and the Air Warriors were defeated. {{storylink|War Within: The Age of Wrath|The War Within: The Age of Wrath}}

When Megatron disappeared along with the ''Nemesis'' crew, Shockwave again emerged as Decepticon leader, this time as head of a triumvirate including Ratbat and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. With [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] becoming scarce, Shockwave agreed to work with Ultra Magnus and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] in the creation of the [[Micromaster]]s, Transformers who were downsized for better fuel efficiency. Shockwave suffered a rebellion when [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] overthrew him, using Shockwave's severed head as a tool. {{storylink|Micromasters}} However, all Transformers on Cybertron entered [[stasis lock]] when the [[Great Shutdown]] occurred.

Around 1,000 B.C.E., Shockwave was reactivated by Scourge, and then defeated the Unicronian Transformer. Studying Scourge and discovering some of the secrets Megatron had learned, Shockwave made peace with the Autobots, installing himself as Head of State with an [[Autobot High Council]] as a legislature, while Ultra Magnus became his senior security officer. However, the High Councillors were unsuited for peace time government, and gradually gave Shockwave more and more power... which is exactly what he had planned.

On Earth, the ''Nemesis'' crew was reawakened in 1984. Cut off from Cybertron, the Decepticons concluded that they had no other choice but to conquer the planet. Megatron soon learned that others had come looking for them, including [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]]. The Decepticons captured Jetfire and the Dinobots except Grimlock, and used the hostage situation to force Grimlock to serve the Decepticons. Additionally, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] located Earth and served under Megatron. In 1998, the Autobots allied with humanity to defeat the Decepticons. They were to be returned to Cybertron in the ''[[Ark II]]'', but Shockwave, through a human intermediary, sabotaged the ''Ark II'', causing the ship to crash and send the Transformers aboard into stasis lock.

Renegade members of the [[United States military]] managed to capture the Decepticons and a number of Autobots, intending to use them as instruments of war, but [[Lazarus|Adam Rook]] later stole them and set himself up as an arms dealer. Unfortunately, Megatron overwhelmed the programming that kept him a prisoner, and freed the other Decepticons. Megatron then intended to unleash a technovirus on Earth, but the Autobots defeated him. {{storylink|Prime Directive}}

A year later, Shockwave arrived to tie up loose ends, quickly capturing Megatron and the ''Nemesis'' crew. Starscream ejected Megatron out of the ship carrying them to Cybertron, leaving him to die in space. The ''Nemesis'' crew were granted amnesty, but Starscream quickly recruited them into going back to Earth to conquer the planet, taking the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] with them. Shockwave was finally overthrown when Optimus Prime united the Autobot resistance groups, but he escaped with a small number of troops. {{storylink|War and Peace}}

Meanwhile, Megatron was rescued by [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]], who repaired his memory loss. Using some recovered Air Warriors, Megatron located the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], who were used to take control of Shockwave's small army. On Earth, Starscream's failures during [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]]'s rampage were reason enough to convince the ''Nemesis'' crew to mutiny against Starscream in Megatron's favor. With two combiner teams, an army of Seekers, Soundwave's cassettes, and knowledge of Earth's connection to Cybertron, Megatron prepared to lead the Decepticons on the conquests of Earth and Cybertron {{storylink|Generation One (Dreamwave comic)|G1 ongoing}}...

{{note|...At which point Dreamwave went bankrupt. Damn.}}

===IDW===
{{ongoing}}
The Decepticons were formed out of the uprising in Kaon that Megatron spearheaded: the end result of a corrupt Autobot Senate and a vicious underground bloodsport. Kaon fell quickly {{storylink|Megatron Origin}} and the Decepticons soon began spreading across the planet, recruiting new people and carrying out terrorist strikes in advance of their main assaults. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blurr}} The war they started proved ''too'' destructive for Cybertron to handle though, and the Decepticons had to abandon it after the disastrous [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] incident. {{storylink|Stormbringer (comics)|Stormbringer}}

The Decepticons are spread across known space, following a strict [[Infiltration protocol]] to conquer worlds. Disguising themselves, the infiltration unit gathers intelligence and seeds [[Facsimile construct|facsimiles]] in key strategic places; Phase Two is to use their facsimiles to inflame global tensions and watch the locals to devastate themselves. By Phase Five, their base is in [[Infiltration protocol|Siege Mode]] and Phase 6 has open war on a burnt-out world. {{storylink|Infiltration}} {{storylink|Escalation (IDW)|Escalation}} In extreme circumstances, when they ''really'' want a world destroyed, they'll send in [[Sixshot]].

The Decepticon army is highly specialised: there's infiltration units for, er, infiltration; a [[Decepticon Secret Service]] handling spying and tech acquisitions {{storylink|Spotlight: Hot Rod}}; penal colonies like [[Styx]]; and Tactical Assault Units like the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] who carry out direct action.

This all got thrown out of the window in the early 21st Century, however, when it appeared the Decepticons had won. Whoops, they hadn't. Earth is lost, Megatron is down, and Starscream currently holds control through a charade of wielding the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron}}

===Aftermath===
Both sides signed the [[Pax Cybertronia]], which eventually led to peace, but left the Decepticons in a second class position.

==Beast Era==
In ''Beast Wars'' continuity, the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] were the descendants of the Decepticons and fought with the same aggression and ideas of conquest. They faced the [[Maximal]]s in the same way their ancestors had fought the [[Autobot]]s.

==Robots in Disguise==
In the [[Robots in Disguise (cartoon)|''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]], the Decepticons were a brand new faction that came into being during the events of the story. Because there were so few Decepticons (only six or seven), and because they were a subset of the [[Predacon (RID)|Predacon]] antagonists, they can almost be viewed as a [[subgroup]] rather than a proper faction. The RiD Decepticons were created on Earth when [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]]'s forces captured a set of [[stasis pod]]s from an ancient Transformer spaceship that had been found on [[Earth]], leading to the birth of the [[Commando]]s and [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]]. The toy version of [[Megatron (RID)|Galvatron]] was also labeled as a Decepticon, although this "change" in the character's faction was only mentioned once in the cartoon series.

In the Japanese version of RiD, ''Car Robots'', the Decepticons were known as Combatrons. This is the same name by which the [[Combaticon (G1)|G1 Combaticons]] were called in Japan.

For the [[Hasbro]] toy line, several other non-show Decepticons were added to the ranks to help fill out the line. It is unknown how most of these actually fit into the story, though one of them, [[Axer]], is actually a dimension-hopper who arrived from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] universe.

==Unicron Trilogy==
===Animated continuity===
====Armada====
The ''exact'' origins of the Decepticon faction are a bit muddled. It is widely assumed, though never directly confirmed, that the movement was founded by [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]]. Also, the enslavement of the power-enhancing [[Mini-Con]]s is considered to be the impetus to the Decepticons' rise to a massive multi-planet-spanning army, though at what point in the war this occurred is unclear; it's possible the Mini-Cons' arrival was what gave Megatron the opportunity to rise to power, or that they arrived after the war had already begun.

Either way, the Mini-Cons fueled the war machine for centuries, and the war with the [[Autobot]]s soon spread from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to other worlds. The self-imposed exile of the Mini-Cons to an unknown destination was seen as a major setback for the Decepticons (and something of a pyrrhic victory for the Autobots), but despite this, the war continued, as both sides had amassed a large enough power base to continue on without the little buggers.

The Autobots and Decepticons seemed to fight to a stalemate, neither able to gain a distinct advantage over the other. When a signal reached Cybertron centuries later that the Mini-Cons had landed on [[Earth]], it seemed neither side was capable of sending a full force to retrieve them, despite the power they contained. Though the Decepticon force sent to Earth was small in numbers, it was far from insignificant; Megatron himself led the squad, backed by some of his most trusted warriors.

When Megatron returned to Cybertron, the overwhelming majority of the Mini-Cons were in the protective custody of the Autobots, but Megatron was unfazed; he had assembled the Mini-Cons required to make the three legendary weapons: the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]], [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom Shield]] and [[Requiem Blaster]]. Bolstered by this new power and the apparent death of [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]], Megatron attempted to take Cybertron once and for all.

But Megatron's (now calling himself Galvatron) return to Cybertron was the beginning of the end of the Decepticon army. When [[Unicron]] revealed himself as a threat to both armies, fueled by the negative psychic energies from centuries of death and destruction, the two sides eventually joined together to beat back the planet-eater. Despite the truce, Galvatron and Prime engaged in a brutal duel on the surface of the weakened Unicron after the three legendary weapons had been removed from his core. Realizing their battle was keeping Unicron active, Galvatron sacrificed himself, and both Unicron and Galvatron disappeared into nothingness.

====Energon====
[[Image:Energon Decepticon insignia.jpg|left|127px|thumb|Now available with added purple!]]
Galvatron's final orders to his troops still stood: work ''with'' the Autobots. The Decepticons maintained a degree of autonomy, still wearing the faction sigil and often taking military/defensive positions in the growing number of [[Energon (Energon)|energon]]-mining colonies, but they were ultimately answerable to Optimus Prime and the Autobots. There were, of course, dissenters, most of whom were captured and imprisoned. For a decade, Autobot and Decepticon worked side-by-side in a somewhat stable truce.

Both sides found themselves the target of attacks from Unicron again; hordes of [[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcon drones]], sent by [[Alpha Quintesson]] to steal energon ore with which to revive the now-shattered husk of Unicron. What the alien did not count on was that Galvatron's [[spark]] had survived within the remains, and was siphoning energon from Unicron's body. Soon the Decepticon leader revived himself in a new form,(calling himself Megatron again) drove off Alpha Quintesson, and along with an elite cadre of soldiers and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of mindless Terrorcon drones, began his ''new'' plans for conquest.

When news of Megatron's return reached Cybertron, hundreds of Decepticons rose up and rebelled, eager to get back to conquering. But having been joined to Unicron for so long apparently had given Megatron a taste of godhood; he had no more interest in amassing a galaxy-spanning army of troops. Countless Decepticons died in the resulting battles, with Megatron more than willing to sacrifice them without a thought to attain ultimate power for himself. As "[[the Powerlinx Battles]]" -as they came to be called- came to their climax, Megatron (calling himself Galvatron ''again'') found that his actions and thoughts were being influenced and controlled by the dark spark of Unicron. Unwilling to let Unicron stand in his way, Galvatron ultimately sacrificed himself (again) and seemingly destroyed Unicron's spark by plunging himself into a newly-formed energon sun created by [[Primus]].

====Cybertron====
What little remained of the once-mighty Decepticon army after [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron's]] loss was at best a loose association of criminals, thugs, and lunatics, with no real political or military power to speak of. For a decade, [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] was once again at peace, with the population overwhelmingly [[Autobot]] or neutral. The Transformers had withdrawn from [[Earth]] and its other colonies to focus on revitalizing their homeworld after the devastation of the Powerlinx Battles. However, two great catastrophes shattered this peace; the energon sun collapsed in on itself, forming the powerful black hole known as the [[Unicron Singularity]], which threatened to devour Cybertron and, if left unchecked, the entire universe... and the return yet once again of Megatron, who had absorbed much of what remained of Unicron's power.

Megatron's goal of attaining godhood was now at hand. By obtaining the legendary [[Omega Lock]] and the four [[Cyber Planet Key]]s, Megatron intended to accelerate the growth of the black hole, consuming the universe in a vast sea of nothingness that only he would survive, then use his powers to re-create the universe in his image.

To this end, he had no need of an army. He gathered a small group of allies and lackeys to seek the items he needed, but they were nothing more than pawns to him, to be used and discarded at a whim.

The Decepticons briefly regained their status as a mass army of individuals when [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]], who had long suffered at Megatron's hands since the beginning of the Decepticons, made his own bid for ultimate power with the help of the [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]] agent [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]]. Having sealed Megatron and his troops in a trap, Starscream freed hundreds of criminal Transformers who had been locked up on [[Earth]] for millennia, and formed his own globe-spanning army. The Decepticon "Monsters" were tasked with finding the Omega Lock and Earth's Cyber Planet Key, which they eventually brought to their leader. However, numerous Decepticons were killed in the battles with the Autobots, and it soon became apparent that Starscream, like Megatron before him, didn't care. Most of these criminals soon abandoned Starscream and went into hiding.

As for Megatron, he too had deserters among his own considerably-small ranks. Most notably, the powerful [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]], leader of the [[Jungle Planet (Cybertron)|Jungle Planet]] and the colossal [[Menasor (Cybertron)|Menasor]] from [[Gigantion]], both of whom eventually joined forces with their former enemies the Autobots.

This was not seen as a concern for Megatron, however, as by this time Starscream and his allies were seemingly destroyed on Gigantion, and Megatron (now calling himself "Galvatron" again) had the Omega Lock and all four Keys. What few Decepticons remained loyal to him were too stupid to see what Galvatron had planned, and made perfect distractions as he set his final plan in motion. If they weren't strong enough to survive the coming cataclysm, then so be it.

[[Image:NewDecepticonArmy.jpg|right|180px|thumb|The yutz, the ditz, the klutz, and the putz.]]
Ultimately, Galvatron's plan failed, and the Unicron Singularity was sealed. His remaining Decepticons quickly left him, realizing what was likely to have happened to them, and eventually joined the Autobots. After Galvatron's seemingly-final defeat and death in a one-on-one duel with [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron's]] moon, the Decepticons, not knowing when to quit, rose again, albeit in a rather pathetic fashion. Having cobbled together a rather rickety rocket, [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] and [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] shanghaied the reluctant [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], who was ''really'' keen on being on the winning side for once, and flew off to parts unknown as the "[[New Decepticon Army]]".

They made it to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] before the rocket crash-landed.

Meanwhile, the Autobot [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] reported form a deep-space recon mission that he thought he had picked up traces of Starscream, seemingly backed up by Sideways and [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]]. [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] and the former Decepticon [[Mudflap (Cybertron)|Mudflap]] raced off to join Wing Saber and investigate...

===Comics continuity===
====Armada====
Founded by Megatron, the exact number of the original Decepticons is unknown. Using the Mini-Cons as weapons, they were able to conquer Cybertron and force the Autobots underground. Eventually they were beaten due to the arrival of Unicron: his heralds slaughtered the entire Decepticon base on Cybertron, and the Chaos-Bringer's arrival forced them to join forces with the Autobots. With Megatron shot dead during the Unicron battle, the peace held for a period of years.

==Live-action ''Transformers'' movies continuity==
[[Image:Defiance3_wearenowDECEPTICONS.jpg|thumb|300px|LATER: Megatron realizes he blew his entire budget on the giant rotating wall symbol.]]

The Decepticons are the Transformers who sided with [[Megatron (Movie)|Lord High Protector Megatron]] and attempted to seize the [[AllSpark]]. Their numbers ranged from the [[Starscream (Movie)|treacherous]], the [[Blackout (Movie)|fanatical]], the [[Brawl (Movie)|violent]], and the [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|treacherous fanatically violent]] to the [[Frenzy (Movie)|spastic]].

The origins of these Decepticons began when a being known as [[The Fallen]] turned on his [[Dynasty of Primes|brother Primes]] in an attempt to seize power at the cost of [[human|humanity's]] existence. One account has it that the Fallen gathered a small army of [[Constructicon (ROTF)|construction drones]] to assist him and named them Decepticons. {{storylink|Tales of the Fallen issue 3}} Either way, he would become known as the ''first'' Decepticon and would go on to become the [[Yoda]] to Megatron's [[Luke Skywalker|Luke]] {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}, tempting the latent aggressive edge in the Protector. Filled with dreams of power and paranoia of losing that power, Megatron reformed the Cybertron defense force into a massive engine of war, ready to wipe out entire alien species who would dare challenge them. When science leader [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime's]] opposition became known, Megatron branded them traitors and declared his followers to be the Decepticons. Soon after, The Fallen commanded Megatron to build the ''[[Nemesis (ROTF)|Nemesis]]'', a ship that would carry his sarcophagus and Decepticon soldiers in their search for the [[Matrix of Leadership]] left on Earth. Megatron was commanded to remain on Cybertron, so [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]] commanded the expedition. Most of the Decepticons left Cybertron, leaving Megatron with a reduced, but still potent, army. {{Storylink|Defiance}}

War devastated Cybertron. While the Decepticons were heavily reliant on drone units to bolster their forces and were forced to automate many of their outposts, the risk was still too high that they might claim the AllSpark, {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 1|Prelude: Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 5|Lost In Space 3: Ironhide}} and Optimus Prime made the desperate decision to launch the AllSpark into deep space. Megatron obsessively followed after it, and disappeared. [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] took over leadership, and began a search for Megatron and the AllSpark. After a while, Starscream began to focus more on the AllSpark, hoping Megatron would remain lost, something the other Decepticons began to suspect. {{storylink|Ghosts of Yesterday}}

In 2003, Starscream's retrieval team made their way to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], destroyed the [[Beagle 2 Rover]] and making their way to Earth. In 2007, the Decepticons began to make their presence known, with [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] destroying [[SOCCENT Forward Operations Base]] in [[Qatar]], searching for information on Megatron and the AllSpark. A few days later, [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] hacked [[Air Force One]]'s computers. Although he was unable to find out the truth about [[Sector Seven]], he avoided detection and managed to get a clue in [[Sam Witwicky]], whose ancestor [[Archibald Witwicky]] had discovered Megatron a century earlier. His glasses had been marked with coordinates to the AllSpark's location, so [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] and Frenzy attempted to confront the boy. Although they were defeated by [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] and [[Mikaela Banes]], Frenzy hid in Mikaela's purse, and accompanied them to [[Hoover Dam]], where Megatron and the AllSpark were hidden. As Starscream ordered the Decepticons to mobilize, Frenzy shut down the temperature controls while Starscream destroyed the external generators. Megatron was freed, but Bumblebee took the Cube with a group of survivors from Blackout's attack to Mission City, meeting with Optimus Prime's Autobots along the way. In the Battle of Mission City, Megatron and most of the Decepticons were killed and the AllSpark believed destroyed. {{storylink|Transformers (2007)|Transformers}}

Starscream, however, survived, and stole Frenzy's remains to access whatever information the humans had on the AllSpark to build [[Replica AllSpark|his own AllSpark]]. Returning to Cybertron, Starscream proclaimed himself [[Decepticon leader]] and began building the replica. One month later, the replica was ready, but it didn't work properly and [[Dreadwing (Movie)|Dreadwing]] made a coup attempt. Starscream barely survived and made his way back to Mars, questioning his purpose, when he received word that the Autobots would be helping the humans destroy Megatron's remains. Hoping to destroy Prime, Megatron, and the traitor [[Wreckage (Movie)|Wreckage]] all at once, Starscream returned to Earth. Although he managed to destroy Wreckage, Prime had already left with Megatron's body. Just as he defeated Bumblebee, Starscream received word from Soundwave, who had brought the ''Nemesis'' to Earth's solar system. After meeting up with Soundwave, Starscream explained the situation, and returned to the ''Nemesis'' to awaken the remaining Decepticons and oversee the spawning of more [[hatchling]]s while Soundwave lead a scout team to Earth. {{storylink|The Reign of Starscream}} {{storylink|Alliance (comic)|Alliance}}

[[Image:ROTF Fallen message.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The Fallen performs what may be the greatest [[Rick Astley|Rick roll]] in history.]]
Over the next two years, the Decepticons searched for the [[Tomb of the Primes]], which housed the Matrix needed to activate the solar harvester. In 2009, Soundwave discovered Megatron's resting place in the [[Laurentian Abyss]] and the presence of an AllSpark shard on [[Diego Garcia]]. Dispatching [[Ravage (ROTF)|Ravage]] and the [[Constructicon (ROTF)|Constructicon]]s, the Decepticons managed to restore Megatron's [[Spark]] and bring him back to life. Returning to the ''Nemesis'', Megatron learned from the Fallen that the AllSpark's knowledge was within Sam Witwicky's mind, who had destroyed the Cube when he killed Megatron. Further commanded to kill Optimus Prime, Megatron captured the boy. Although he escaped, Megatron managed to kill Optimus. Megatron then decided that a show of force was needed to compel the humans to turn Sam over to them. The Fallen lead Decepticon protoforms to Earth and then broadcast a message demanding the humans turn over Sam. Sam was eventually found in [[Egypt]], where the harvester was hidden. Although the Fallen managed to reclaim the Matrix, it had been used to resurrect Optimus, who in turn killed the Fallen. Megatron and Starscream were forced to retreat and form a new plan. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

[[Image:Titan23_decepticonsmassing.JPG|250px|right|thumb|Company photo day.]]
The Decepticons are, in general, less human in appearance than the Autobots in the movie, resembling carnivorous mammals, birds, insects or the Decepticon insignia itself (possibly to frighten the [[Human|insects]]). What is also most noticeable about the Decepticons in the movie franchise is that they've actually been designed to resemble the insignia of their faction, most notably Megatron, Blackout, Barricade, and the Fallen; the insignia is in fact based on the Fallen's ugly mug. {{storylink|Defiance}}

{{note|In a departure from previous Transformers incarnations, Japan used the name "Decepticons" for this franchise, rather than "Destrons"<ref>[http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/TF/products/movie/decepticons.html Movie Decepticons toy listing on Takaratomy.com]</ref>.}}

{{-}}
==Animated==
Around 1 billion years ago, the [[Destron (Animated)|Destrons]] emerged as a new faction on the Protecobot governed Cybertron. Lead by [[Devron (Animated)|Devron]],the [[Third Cybertronian War]] is fought between the Destrons and the Protectobots(Who were lead by the new leader [[Nova Magnus]]). ''The Destrons emerged victorious, though many Cybertronian records are forever lost due to the [[Great Purge]].{{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2}}

The Decepticons came to prominence as a sub-faction of the Destrons around 70 million years ago. They advocated the use of the AllSpark to bring Cybertron itself to life, that it might serve as a cosmic juggernaut that would allow the Transformers to return to the era of expansion and colonization of other worlds they had enjoyed nearly 700 million years beforehand. When the Decepticon leader [[Megazarak (Animated)|Megazarak]] was ousted by charismatic rhetorician named [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], tensions finally exploded, and the Autobots and Decepticons went to [[Great War (Animated)|war]] for possession of the AllSpark.

After something in the vicinity of six million years of civil war, things reached a crisis point when the Decepticons began a strategic bombing campaign on Cybertron, demanding the AllSpark be turned over in exchange for a cessation of hostilities. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}} Rather than give in to Megatron's demands, the Autobots instead sought to put the AllSpark beyond any Cybertronian's reach, launching it randomly through a [[space bridge]] to some distant corner of the galaxy, where it was hoped it would never be found. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out}}

4 million stellar cycles ago, the Autobots and Decepticons battled each other in what is now known as The Great War. The Autobots pulled a victory only due to their exclusive access to [[space bridge]]s and their decision to send the [[AllSpark]] into deep space. Defeated, the Decepticons dispersed, and, according to [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], the only sight of them would be an occasional scout ship. In fact, they had been missing for so long, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] believed a Decepticon presence was a thing of the past. This was quickly reassessed upon encountering [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron's]] crew.

The Decepticons in ''Transformers Animated'' are fought by the Autobots a lot less than in previous continuities, instead staying mostly in the background, thus making it more momentous whenever they do appear. To go with this plan, the Decepticons are, for the most part, stronger than the Autobots in this series.
{{note|As with the movie Decepticons, the Animated Decepticons are not called Destrons in Japan.}}

==Shattered Glass==
[[Image:Decepticon Shattered Glass.png|right|180px|thumb|Decepticons wage their battles to destroy...]]
The Decepticons are a resistance group, intended to overthrow Autobot tyranny and their dastardly leader, [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]. Led by the heroic [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]], the 'Cons want to liberate Cybertron and preserve freedom and life across the galaxy, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|no matter the cost]]. {{storylink|Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass}}
{{-}}

==Prime==
{{bigquote|Sometimes deception is necessary, when those who listen to the truth should not, and will only understand once they have been lied to and forced to see their own lies.|[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]].}}

[[Image:Decepticons_Darkness_Rising_5.jpg|thumb|300px|]]

The Decepticons originated from those in the [[caste system|lower castes]] of Cybertronian society in the [[Badlands]]. Megatron, a gladiator who seized control of all the gladiatorial pits and assumed the name of The Fallen, began preaching to the dispossessed on the Grid. He allowed them to bomb Cybertron and throw their society into chaos, for he rightly believed if he denied any connection to their extremist behavior, it would elevate him in the eyes of the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]]. Even the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] kidnapped [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Sentinel Prime]] for him. When the Council questioned Megatron about the movement's name, he denied he had heard of it, though he also accepted it for reasons outlined above.

When Halogen appointed Orion the new Prime, Megatron declared his Decepticons would continue to fight for freedom. During the war they conquered eighty-five percent of the planet, as well as occupying [[Moonbase One|Moon Base One]] and [[Trypticon (Prime)|Trypticon]] Station, before poisoning the [[core]] itself with [[Dark Energon]]. When the Autobots left aboard the ''[[Ark (Prime)|Ark]]'', Trypticon transformed into the ''Nemesis'' and followed them with Megatron, Starscream, [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] and [[Lugnut (Prime)|Lugnut]] into unknown space, while [[Shockwave (Prime)|Shockwave]] took control of the Cybertronian Decepticons. {{storylink|Exodus: The Official History of the War for Cybertron}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers (2007)===
====Transformers Movie Screen Cleaners====
[[Image:Movie Decepticon Screencleaner.jpg|right|105px|thumb|Transforms your dirty screen to a clean one and--well, actually just the first thing.]]
*'''Decepticon''' (2008)
:Released by Tomy Yujin on January,<ref>[http://www.gachausa.com/products/transformers.asp Tomy Yujin ''Transformers'' page]</ref> this dangler is a [[Insignia|faction logo]]-shaped screen cleaner for your cell phone, with a stock image of Decepticon insignia printed on the other side.
{{-}}

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Alternators]]
[[Category:Alternity]]
[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Armada]]
[[Category:Beast Machines]]
[[Category:Beast Wars]]
[[Category:Beastformers franchise]]
[[Category:Cybertron]]
[[Category:Dark of the Moon]]
[[Category:Decepticons| ]]
[[Category:Energon]]
[[Category:Factions]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Generation 2]]
[[Category:Machine Wars]]
[[Category:Masterforce]]
[[Category:Micromaster Collection]]
[[Category:Movie]]
[[Category:Operation Combination]]
[[Category:Predacon subgroups]]
[[Category:Prime]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy]]
[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen]]
[[Category:Robot Masters]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise]]
[[Category:The Headmasters]]
[[Category:Universe (2003)]]
[[Category:Victory]]
[[Category:Zone]]

Decepticon

2011-01-12T21:29:54Z

69.140.106.144: /* Animated */

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|ttdecepticon|sgDecepticon}}
{{disambig2|the Transformers faction|the ''Robots in Disguise'' episode|The Decepticons}}
[[Image:Symbol decept reg.jpg|right|236px|thumb|Get this tattooed on you and all you'll need is a black trenchcoat and a long ponytail. Then people will love you.]]

{{quote|'''''Decepticon''' (di-sep-ti-con ) A member of a subversive sect or society. From the noun — 'decepticon'; one who deceives.|the [[New Cybertronic Dictograph]]}}

The '''Decepticons''' are one of the primary factions in the ''[[Transformer]]s'' mythos. They are typically concerned with such things as conquering [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], defeating the [[Autobot]]s, amassing large quantities of [[Energon (fuel)|energon]], developing powerful weaponry, and beating people up. Not necessarily in that order.

Unlike the Autobots, whose leader is a [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] bearing a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], the Decepticons are led by the [[Decepticon leader|most powerful]] of their ranks. This tends to cause some conflict, given how generally ''every'' Decepticon thinks that they're the most powerful. Also, the Decepticons are not exactly the most compassionate beings in the universe, but not all fight for greed. More than a few have a sense of honor, while others believe that Cybertron would be better protected by [[Decepticon Empire|aggressive expansion]]. Ultimately, the Decepticons desire to protect their homeworld, even if it is at the expense of others. [[Shattered Glass (franchise)|Usually]].

{{quote|The Decepticons are a malevolent race of robot warriors, brutal and merciless. The Decepticons are led by a single undeviating goal: total domination of the universe.|[[Victor Caroli|Narrator]]|[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]}}

:''Japanese name'': '''Destron''' (デストロン, ''de-su-to-ro-n''), '''Combatrons''' (Car Robots only)
:''French name (France, G1 cartoon)'': '''Decepticans'''
:''Hungarian name (Marvel comic)'': '''Álcák''' ("Disguises")
:''Hungarian name (toy commercial)'': '''Decepticonok'''
:''Hungarian name (''Energon/Cybertron'')'': '''Robotikák''' ("Roboticas")
:''Hungarian name (Movie, first dub)'': '''Varangyok''' ("Toads")
:''Hungarian name (Movie, second dub)'': '''Decepticonok'''
:''Italian name'': '''Distructors'''
:''Polish name'': '''Deceptikony''' (full name); '''Decepci''' (as a short)
:''Polish name (Beast Wars)'': '''Dezorientaci'''
:''Polish name (Movie, first dub)'': '''Decepcjokony''' (Deceptiocons? What the?)
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comic):'' '''Decépticos'''
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comic):'' '''Malignus'''
:''Serbian name'': '''Deseptikoni'''
:''Swedish name (Marvel comic)'': '''Bedragare''' ("Betrayers")
:''Chinese name'': '''Ba Tian Hu''' (霸天虎, ''Tigers that forcibly occupy the sky'')
:''Ukrainian name'': '''Obmanoidy''' (Обманойди, ''Decepticons'')

==Generation 1==
===Marvel Comics===
[[Image:Thelaststand-prepare.jpg|left|350px|thumb|MAKE OUT YOUR WILLS! NOTIFY YOUR NEXT OF KIN!]]
The Decepticons emerged from the gladiatorial [[State Games]], which caused [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s rise to public prominence - in the aftermath of the destructive Vos-Tarn War, Megatron was able to use his fame and charisma to unite both the survivors and the planet's malcontents into a new army. His plan was to turn Cybertron into a mobile cosmic dreadnought and conquer the galaxy. The Decepticons developed new technology to allow them to transform into attack vehicles and weaponry, launching a devastating attack that killed billions and shook the planet from its orbit before [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] turned the tide.

Megatron, Shockwave and others were lost on Earth for four million years; as Optimus was too, the Autobots swiftly lost ground to Decepticon leaders [[Trannis]] and [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]. Cybertron was devastated and conquered, causing the cream of the Decepticons to leave the burnt-out planet to form a [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] out in the stars, while Straxus threw all those he considered weak into the [[Smelting pool]]. The Empire would go on to slaughter and Cyberform planet after planet, their actions unknown on Cybertron.

Eventually the Earth-bound Decepticons would awaken in 1984, sparking off a new front in the war. After the presumed suicide of Megatron, an escalation in fighting would see Decepticon leadership fragment and change hands rapidly, with frequent clashes, plots and counter-plots between the primary leadership, namely [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], until most of them were killed in the [[Underbase]] conflict, leaving Scorponok the only surviving commander. A brief truce with the Autobots was held when [[Unicron]] attacked in 1991, but Scorponok was killed in the following conflict. Immediately after this, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] came to power. Charismatic and driven, Bludgeon turned the beaten Decepticons into a new army; after a defeat on [[Klo]], they regrouped and reorganised. ([[Another Time and Place|In one reality, they were immediately massacred afterward.]])

====Earthforce====
In the side-continuity of [[Earthforce]], while Unicron continued on to Cybertron, Megatron and Shockwave continued a Decepticon civil war on Earth with a small handful of troops - wasting most of their time trying to take each other out. Eventually Soundwave and Starscream overthrew them, uniting both factions into a stronger Decepticon force. The two former leaders attempted to regain their position but never appeared to succeed.

====Generation 2====
Bludgeon invaded Earth with the intention of capturing the Matrix and making a new generation of Decepticons, but Megatron returned, killed Bludgeon in one-on-one combat, and stole this plan. However, the threat of the Cybertronian Empire forced an alliance between the Autobots and Decepticons again.

====Classics====

===Cartoon===
====Season 1 & 2====
[[Image:Masterplan2 earth germ.jpg|thumb|]]
In the various continuities descending from [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]], the Decepticons and the [[Autobot]]s are the two great powers in the Transformer population. The factions, however, are not a complete set -- there are Transformers who are unaffiliated / neutral, or even members of smaller or splinter factions.

Many G1 timelines actually credit [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] as the founder of the Decepticons, not merely its most recent leader. In contrast, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] is almost always depicted as only the latest in a long line of [[Prime (rank)|Primes]] or [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix bearers]].

Eventually, the Decepticons managed to take control of all of Cybertron, forcing the Autobots to operate on Cybertron's two moons, but [[Autobot City]] on [[Earth]] was viewed as the greater threat. The Decepticons overtook a supply shuttle and launched an [[Battle of Autobot City|attack]], with disastrous consequences for the Autobots. The battle saw one of the Decepticons' long held dreams achieved in the death of Optimus Prime, but Megatron was damaged, and left to rot in deep space. [[Unicron]] reformatted him into [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], and Galvatron attempted to enslave Unicron with the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. When Unicron attacked Cybertron, most of the Decepticon forces on the planet were wiped out, allowing the Autobots to retake control of the planet. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

====Season 3 & 4====
{{quote|Once the Decepticons held the quadrant through terror, now we scrap like [[Slaarg]]s over a few [[energon cube]]s.|[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]|[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]}}

Times would turn harsh for the Decepticons who were forced to abandon their homeworld of Cybertron and were exiled to the burnt out planet of [[Chaar]]. There they would face constant energy shortages and engage in constant inter-fighting, as well as suffer from a lack of leadership. From this chaos came [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and the [[Sweep]]s, who hatched a plan of finding Galvatron who would lead the Decepticons once more.

Eventually, the Autobots, led by a resurrected Optimus Prime, managed to finally defeat the Decepticons.

===Dreamwave===
[[Image:DeceptLitho.jpg|left|150px|thumb|"My Liege, when did you get that sw--" "CAN'T HEAR YOU, FANWANKING"]]
The Decepticons arose out of the [[Gladiatorial combat|underground fights]] that Megatron once partook in. After discovering certain secrets about Cybertron's origin, including massive [[planetary engine]]s, Megatron began using the games to recruit combatants. For nearly half a million years, they grew in numbers and trained, until they rebelled against the [[Council of Ancients]] and took [[Kaon]] by force.

While the war raged on, the Constructicons repaired the engines and introduced a mecha-forming process, but what they really needed was a power source. Megatron became convinced that he could find one powerful enough within the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], which was in the possession of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]. However, when Megatron finally killed the Prime, he discovered that it was not within him. Soon after, Optronix became Optimus Prime, and Megatron initiated a plan: an assassination team under Communications Officer [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] would elimate the Prime and claim the Matrix, while Military Operations Commander [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] would lay siege to Iacon, preventing the Autobots from coming to Prime's rescue.

However, Megatron made two mistakes: he informed Air Commander [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] of his intentions, and he underestimated Optimus Prime. The Prime managed to erase some of Megatron's memories of what he discovered, while Starscream activated the mechaforming process using energy from the planetary engines. The engines were destroyed before the process was complete, ruining both. {{storylink|The War Within}}

After Megatron disappeared with Optimus Prime in a space bridge test, Shockwave became Decepticon leader, though Starscream and High Auditor [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] broke off with their own splinter factions shortly afterwards. The Decepticons allied with [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'s Autobots and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s [[Lightning Strike Coalition]] (an Autobot splinter group), to stop the machinations of the [[The Fallen|Fallen]]. {{storylink|War Within: The Dark Ages|The War Within: The Dark Ages}} Several thousand years later, Shockwave was prepared to sign a peace treaty with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], who had become Autobot leader, the LSC, and Ratbat's [[Ultracon]]. However, Megatron returned with the [[Air Warrior|Aerospace Extermination Squadron]], an army of [[Quintesson]] created [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] drones, whose abilities allowed the Decepticons to fully conquer Cybertron and enslave the Autobots. The Decepticons' control over Cybertron was ended when Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron and the Air Warriors were defeated. {{storylink|War Within: The Age of Wrath|The War Within: The Age of Wrath}}

When Megatron disappeared along with the ''Nemesis'' crew, Shockwave again emerged as Decepticon leader, this time as head of a triumvirate including Ratbat and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. With [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] becoming scarce, Shockwave agreed to work with Ultra Magnus and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] in the creation of the [[Micromaster]]s, Transformers who were downsized for better fuel efficiency. Shockwave suffered a rebellion when [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] overthrew him, using Shockwave's severed head as a tool. {{storylink|Micromasters}} However, all Transformers on Cybertron entered [[stasis lock]] when the [[Great Shutdown]] occurred.

Around 1,000 B.C.E., Shockwave was reactivated by Scourge, and then defeated the Unicronian Transformer. Studying Scourge and discovering some of the secrets Megatron had learned, Shockwave made peace with the Autobots, installing himself as Head of State with an [[Autobot High Council]] as a legislature, while Ultra Magnus became his senior security officer. However, the High Councillors were unsuited for peace time government, and gradually gave Shockwave more and more power... which is exactly what he had planned.

On Earth, the ''Nemesis'' crew was reawakened in 1984. Cut off from Cybertron, the Decepticons concluded that they had no other choice but to conquer the planet. Megatron soon learned that others had come looking for them, including [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]]. The Decepticons captured Jetfire and the Dinobots except Grimlock, and used the hostage situation to force Grimlock to serve the Decepticons. Additionally, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] located Earth and served under Megatron. In 1998, the Autobots allied with humanity to defeat the Decepticons. They were to be returned to Cybertron in the ''[[Ark II]]'', but Shockwave, through a human intermediary, sabotaged the ''Ark II'', causing the ship to crash and send the Transformers aboard into stasis lock.

Renegade members of the [[United States military]] managed to capture the Decepticons and a number of Autobots, intending to use them as instruments of war, but [[Lazarus|Adam Rook]] later stole them and set himself up as an arms dealer. Unfortunately, Megatron overwhelmed the programming that kept him a prisoner, and freed the other Decepticons. Megatron then intended to unleash a technovirus on Earth, but the Autobots defeated him. {{storylink|Prime Directive}}

A year later, Shockwave arrived to tie up loose ends, quickly capturing Megatron and the ''Nemesis'' crew. Starscream ejected Megatron out of the ship carrying them to Cybertron, leaving him to die in space. The ''Nemesis'' crew were granted amnesty, but Starscream quickly recruited them into going back to Earth to conquer the planet, taking the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] with them. Shockwave was finally overthrown when Optimus Prime united the Autobot resistance groups, but he escaped with a small number of troops. {{storylink|War and Peace}}

Meanwhile, Megatron was rescued by [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]], who repaired his memory loss. Using some recovered Air Warriors, Megatron located the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], who were used to take control of Shockwave's small army. On Earth, Starscream's failures during [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]]'s rampage were reason enough to convince the ''Nemesis'' crew to mutiny against Starscream in Megatron's favor. With two combiner teams, an army of Seekers, Soundwave's cassettes, and knowledge of Earth's connection to Cybertron, Megatron prepared to lead the Decepticons on the conquests of Earth and Cybertron {{storylink|Generation One (Dreamwave comic)|G1 ongoing}}...

{{note|...At which point Dreamwave went bankrupt. Damn.}}

===IDW===
{{ongoing}}
The Decepticons were formed out of the uprising in Kaon that Megatron spearheaded: the end result of a corrupt Autobot Senate and a vicious underground bloodsport. Kaon fell quickly {{storylink|Megatron Origin}} and the Decepticons soon began spreading across the planet, recruiting new people and carrying out terrorist strikes in advance of their main assaults. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blurr}} The war they started proved ''too'' destructive for Cybertron to handle though, and the Decepticons had to abandon it after the disastrous [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] incident. {{storylink|Stormbringer (comics)|Stormbringer}}

The Decepticons are spread across known space, following a strict [[Infiltration protocol]] to conquer worlds. Disguising themselves, the infiltration unit gathers intelligence and seeds [[Facsimile construct|facsimiles]] in key strategic places; Phase Two is to use their facsimiles to inflame global tensions and watch the locals to devastate themselves. By Phase Five, their base is in [[Infiltration protocol|Siege Mode]] and Phase 6 has open war on a burnt-out world. {{storylink|Infiltration}} {{storylink|Escalation (IDW)|Escalation}} In extreme circumstances, when they ''really'' want a world destroyed, they'll send in [[Sixshot]].

The Decepticon army is highly specialised: there's infiltration units for, er, infiltration; a [[Decepticon Secret Service]] handling spying and tech acquisitions {{storylink|Spotlight: Hot Rod}}; penal colonies like [[Styx]]; and Tactical Assault Units like the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] who carry out direct action.

This all got thrown out of the window in the early 21st Century, however, when it appeared the Decepticons had won. Whoops, they hadn't. Earth is lost, Megatron is down, and Starscream currently holds control through a charade of wielding the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron}}

===Aftermath===
Both sides signed the [[Pax Cybertronia]], which eventually led to peace, but left the Decepticons in a second class position.

==Beast Era==
In ''Beast Wars'' continuity, the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] were the descendants of the Decepticons and fought with the same aggression and ideas of conquest. They faced the [[Maximal]]s in the same way their ancestors had fought the [[Autobot]]s.

==Robots in Disguise==
In the [[Robots in Disguise (cartoon)|''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]], the Decepticons were a brand new faction that came into being during the events of the story. Because there were so few Decepticons (only six or seven), and because they were a subset of the [[Predacon (RID)|Predacon]] antagonists, they can almost be viewed as a [[subgroup]] rather than a proper faction. The RiD Decepticons were created on Earth when [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]]'s forces captured a set of [[stasis pod]]s from an ancient Transformer spaceship that had been found on [[Earth]], leading to the birth of the [[Commando]]s and [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]]. The toy version of [[Megatron (RID)|Galvatron]] was also labeled as a Decepticon, although this "change" in the character's faction was only mentioned once in the cartoon series.

In the Japanese version of RiD, ''Car Robots'', the Decepticons were known as Combatrons. This is the same name by which the [[Combaticon (G1)|G1 Combaticons]] were called in Japan.

For the [[Hasbro]] toy line, several other non-show Decepticons were added to the ranks to help fill out the line. It is unknown how most of these actually fit into the story, though one of them, [[Axer]], is actually a dimension-hopper who arrived from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] universe.

==Unicron Trilogy==
===Animated continuity===
====Armada====
The ''exact'' origins of the Decepticon faction are a bit muddled. It is widely assumed, though never directly confirmed, that the movement was founded by [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]]. Also, the enslavement of the power-enhancing [[Mini-Con]]s is considered to be the impetus to the Decepticons' rise to a massive multi-planet-spanning army, though at what point in the war this occurred is unclear; it's possible the Mini-Cons' arrival was what gave Megatron the opportunity to rise to power, or that they arrived after the war had already begun.

Either way, the Mini-Cons fueled the war machine for centuries, and the war with the [[Autobot]]s soon spread from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to other worlds. The self-imposed exile of the Mini-Cons to an unknown destination was seen as a major setback for the Decepticons (and something of a pyrrhic victory for the Autobots), but despite this, the war continued, as both sides had amassed a large enough power base to continue on without the little buggers.

The Autobots and Decepticons seemed to fight to a stalemate, neither able to gain a distinct advantage over the other. When a signal reached Cybertron centuries later that the Mini-Cons had landed on [[Earth]], it seemed neither side was capable of sending a full force to retrieve them, despite the power they contained. Though the Decepticon force sent to Earth was small in numbers, it was far from insignificant; Megatron himself led the squad, backed by some of his most trusted warriors.

When Megatron returned to Cybertron, the overwhelming majority of the Mini-Cons were in the protective custody of the Autobots, but Megatron was unfazed; he had assembled the Mini-Cons required to make the three legendary weapons: the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]], [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom Shield]] and [[Requiem Blaster]]. Bolstered by this new power and the apparent death of [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]], Megatron attempted to take Cybertron once and for all.

But Megatron's (now calling himself Galvatron) return to Cybertron was the beginning of the end of the Decepticon army. When [[Unicron]] revealed himself as a threat to both armies, fueled by the negative psychic energies from centuries of death and destruction, the two sides eventually joined together to beat back the planet-eater. Despite the truce, Galvatron and Prime engaged in a brutal duel on the surface of the weakened Unicron after the three legendary weapons had been removed from his core. Realizing their battle was keeping Unicron active, Galvatron sacrificed himself, and both Unicron and Galvatron disappeared into nothingness.

====Energon====
[[Image:Energon Decepticon insignia.jpg|left|127px|thumb|Now available with added purple!]]
Galvatron's final orders to his troops still stood: work ''with'' the Autobots. The Decepticons maintained a degree of autonomy, still wearing the faction sigil and often taking military/defensive positions in the growing number of [[Energon (Energon)|energon]]-mining colonies, but they were ultimately answerable to Optimus Prime and the Autobots. There were, of course, dissenters, most of whom were captured and imprisoned. For a decade, Autobot and Decepticon worked side-by-side in a somewhat stable truce.

Both sides found themselves the target of attacks from Unicron again; hordes of [[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcon drones]], sent by [[Alpha Quintesson]] to steal energon ore with which to revive the now-shattered husk of Unicron. What the alien did not count on was that Galvatron's [[spark]] had survived within the remains, and was siphoning energon from Unicron's body. Soon the Decepticon leader revived himself in a new form,(calling himself Megatron again) drove off Alpha Quintesson, and along with an elite cadre of soldiers and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of mindless Terrorcon drones, began his ''new'' plans for conquest.

When news of Megatron's return reached Cybertron, hundreds of Decepticons rose up and rebelled, eager to get back to conquering. But having been joined to Unicron for so long apparently had given Megatron a taste of godhood; he had no more interest in amassing a galaxy-spanning army of troops. Countless Decepticons died in the resulting battles, with Megatron more than willing to sacrifice them without a thought to attain ultimate power for himself. As "[[the Powerlinx Battles]]" -as they came to be called- came to their climax, Megatron (calling himself Galvatron ''again'') found that his actions and thoughts were being influenced and controlled by the dark spark of Unicron. Unwilling to let Unicron stand in his way, Galvatron ultimately sacrificed himself (again) and seemingly destroyed Unicron's spark by plunging himself into a newly-formed energon sun created by [[Primus]].

====Cybertron====
What little remained of the once-mighty Decepticon army after [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron's]] loss was at best a loose association of criminals, thugs, and lunatics, with no real political or military power to speak of. For a decade, [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] was once again at peace, with the population overwhelmingly [[Autobot]] or neutral. The Transformers had withdrawn from [[Earth]] and its other colonies to focus on revitalizing their homeworld after the devastation of the Powerlinx Battles. However, two great catastrophes shattered this peace; the energon sun collapsed in on itself, forming the powerful black hole known as the [[Unicron Singularity]], which threatened to devour Cybertron and, if left unchecked, the entire universe... and the return yet once again of Megatron, who had absorbed much of what remained of Unicron's power.

Megatron's goal of attaining godhood was now at hand. By obtaining the legendary [[Omega Lock]] and the four [[Cyber Planet Key]]s, Megatron intended to accelerate the growth of the black hole, consuming the universe in a vast sea of nothingness that only he would survive, then use his powers to re-create the universe in his image.

To this end, he had no need of an army. He gathered a small group of allies and lackeys to seek the items he needed, but they were nothing more than pawns to him, to be used and discarded at a whim.

The Decepticons briefly regained their status as a mass army of individuals when [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]], who had long suffered at Megatron's hands since the beginning of the Decepticons, made his own bid for ultimate power with the help of the [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]] agent [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]]. Having sealed Megatron and his troops in a trap, Starscream freed hundreds of criminal Transformers who had been locked up on [[Earth]] for millennia, and formed his own globe-spanning army. The Decepticon "Monsters" were tasked with finding the Omega Lock and Earth's Cyber Planet Key, which they eventually brought to their leader. However, numerous Decepticons were killed in the battles with the Autobots, and it soon became apparent that Starscream, like Megatron before him, didn't care. Most of these criminals soon abandoned Starscream and went into hiding.

As for Megatron, he too had deserters among his own considerably-small ranks. Most notably, the powerful [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]], leader of the [[Jungle Planet (Cybertron)|Jungle Planet]] and the colossal [[Menasor (Cybertron)|Menasor]] from [[Gigantion]], both of whom eventually joined forces with their former enemies the Autobots.

This was not seen as a concern for Megatron, however, as by this time Starscream and his allies were seemingly destroyed on Gigantion, and Megatron (now calling himself "Galvatron" again) had the Omega Lock and all four Keys. What few Decepticons remained loyal to him were too stupid to see what Galvatron had planned, and made perfect distractions as he set his final plan in motion. If they weren't strong enough to survive the coming cataclysm, then so be it.

[[Image:NewDecepticonArmy.jpg|right|180px|thumb|The yutz, the ditz, the klutz, and the putz.]]
Ultimately, Galvatron's plan failed, and the Unicron Singularity was sealed. His remaining Decepticons quickly left him, realizing what was likely to have happened to them, and eventually joined the Autobots. After Galvatron's seemingly-final defeat and death in a one-on-one duel with [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron's]] moon, the Decepticons, not knowing when to quit, rose again, albeit in a rather pathetic fashion. Having cobbled together a rather rickety rocket, [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]], [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] and [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] shanghaied the reluctant [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], who was ''really'' keen on being on the winning side for once, and flew off to parts unknown as the "[[New Decepticon Army]]".

They made it to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] before the rocket crash-landed.

Meanwhile, the Autobot [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] reported form a deep-space recon mission that he thought he had picked up traces of Starscream, seemingly backed up by Sideways and [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]]. [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] and the former Decepticon [[Mudflap (Cybertron)|Mudflap]] raced off to join Wing Saber and investigate...

===Comics continuity===
====Armada====
Founded by Megatron, the exact number of the original Decepticons is unknown. Using the Mini-Cons as weapons, they were able to conquer Cybertron and force the Autobots underground. Eventually they were beaten due to the arrival of Unicron: his heralds slaughtered the entire Decepticon base on Cybertron, and the Chaos-Bringer's arrival forced them to join forces with the Autobots. With Megatron shot dead during the Unicron battle, the peace held for a period of years.

==Live-action ''Transformers'' movies continuity==
[[Image:Defiance3_wearenowDECEPTICONS.jpg|thumb|300px|LATER: Megatron realizes he blew his entire budget on the giant rotating wall symbol.]]

The Decepticons are the Transformers who sided with [[Megatron (Movie)|Lord High Protector Megatron]] and attempted to seize the [[AllSpark]]. Their numbers ranged from the [[Starscream (Movie)|treacherous]], the [[Blackout (Movie)|fanatical]], the [[Brawl (Movie)|violent]], and the [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|treacherous fanatically violent]] to the [[Frenzy (Movie)|spastic]].

The origins of these Decepticons began when a being known as [[The Fallen]] turned on his [[Dynasty of Primes|brother Primes]] in an attempt to seize power at the cost of [[human|humanity's]] existence. One account has it that the Fallen gathered a small army of [[Constructicon (ROTF)|construction drones]] to assist him and named them Decepticons. {{storylink|Tales of the Fallen issue 3}} Either way, he would become known as the ''first'' Decepticon and would go on to become the [[Yoda]] to Megatron's [[Luke Skywalker|Luke]] {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}, tempting the latent aggressive edge in the Protector. Filled with dreams of power and paranoia of losing that power, Megatron reformed the Cybertron defense force into a massive engine of war, ready to wipe out entire alien species who would dare challenge them. When science leader [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime's]] opposition became known, Megatron branded them traitors and declared his followers to be the Decepticons. Soon after, The Fallen commanded Megatron to build the ''[[Nemesis (ROTF)|Nemesis]]'', a ship that would carry his sarcophagus and Decepticon soldiers in their search for the [[Matrix of Leadership]] left on Earth. Megatron was commanded to remain on Cybertron, so [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]] commanded the expedition. Most of the Decepticons left Cybertron, leaving Megatron with a reduced, but still potent, army. {{Storylink|Defiance}}

War devastated Cybertron. While the Decepticons were heavily reliant on drone units to bolster their forces and were forced to automate many of their outposts, the risk was still too high that they might claim the AllSpark, {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 1|Prelude: Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 5|Lost In Space 3: Ironhide}} and Optimus Prime made the desperate decision to launch the AllSpark into deep space. Megatron obsessively followed after it, and disappeared. [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] took over leadership, and began a search for Megatron and the AllSpark. After a while, Starscream began to focus more on the AllSpark, hoping Megatron would remain lost, something the other Decepticons began to suspect. {{storylink|Ghosts of Yesterday}}

In 2003, Starscream's retrieval team made their way to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], destroyed the [[Beagle 2 Rover]] and making their way to Earth. In 2007, the Decepticons began to make their presence known, with [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] destroying [[SOCCENT Forward Operations Base]] in [[Qatar]], searching for information on Megatron and the AllSpark. A few days later, [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] hacked [[Air Force One]]'s computers. Although he was unable to find out the truth about [[Sector Seven]], he avoided detection and managed to get a clue in [[Sam Witwicky]], whose ancestor [[Archibald Witwicky]] had discovered Megatron a century earlier. His glasses had been marked with coordinates to the AllSpark's location, so [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] and Frenzy attempted to confront the boy. Although they were defeated by [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] and [[Mikaela Banes]], Frenzy hid in Mikaela's purse, and accompanied them to [[Hoover Dam]], where Megatron and the AllSpark were hidden. As Starscream ordered the Decepticons to mobilize, Frenzy shut down the temperature controls while Starscream destroyed the external generators. Megatron was freed, but Bumblebee took the Cube with a group of survivors from Blackout's attack to Mission City, meeting with Optimus Prime's Autobots along the way. In the Battle of Mission City, Megatron and most of the Decepticons were killed and the AllSpark believed destroyed. {{storylink|Transformers (2007)|Transformers}}

Starscream, however, survived, and stole Frenzy's remains to access whatever information the humans had on the AllSpark to build [[Replica AllSpark|his own AllSpark]]. Returning to Cybertron, Starscream proclaimed himself [[Decepticon leader]] and began building the replica. One month later, the replica was ready, but it didn't work properly and [[Dreadwing (Movie)|Dreadwing]] made a coup attempt. Starscream barely survived and made his way back to Mars, questioning his purpose, when he received word that the Autobots would be helping the humans destroy Megatron's remains. Hoping to destroy Prime, Megatron, and the traitor [[Wreckage (Movie)|Wreckage]] all at once, Starscream returned to Earth. Although he managed to destroy Wreckage, Prime had already left with Megatron's body. Just as he defeated Bumblebee, Starscream received word from Soundwave, who had brought the ''Nemesis'' to Earth's solar system. After meeting up with Soundwave, Starscream explained the situation, and returned to the ''Nemesis'' to awaken the remaining Decepticons and oversee the spawning of more [[hatchling]]s while Soundwave lead a scout team to Earth. {{storylink|The Reign of Starscream}} {{storylink|Alliance (comic)|Alliance}}

[[Image:ROTF Fallen message.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The Fallen performs what may be the greatest [[Rick Astley|Rick roll]] in history.]]
Over the next two years, the Decepticons searched for the [[Tomb of the Primes]], which housed the Matrix needed to activate the solar harvester. In 2009, Soundwave discovered Megatron's resting place in the [[Laurentian Abyss]] and the presence of an AllSpark shard on [[Diego Garcia]]. Dispatching [[Ravage (ROTF)|Ravage]] and the [[Constructicon (ROTF)|Constructicon]]s, the Decepticons managed to restore Megatron's [[Spark]] and bring him back to life. Returning to the ''Nemesis'', Megatron learned from the Fallen that the AllSpark's knowledge was within Sam Witwicky's mind, who had destroyed the Cube when he killed Megatron. Further commanded to kill Optimus Prime, Megatron captured the boy. Although he escaped, Megatron managed to kill Optimus. Megatron then decided that a show of force was needed to compel the humans to turn Sam over to them. The Fallen lead Decepticon protoforms to Earth and then broadcast a message demanding the humans turn over Sam. Sam was eventually found in [[Egypt]], where the harvester was hidden. Although the Fallen managed to reclaim the Matrix, it had been used to resurrect Optimus, who in turn killed the Fallen. Megatron and Starscream were forced to retreat and form a new plan. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

[[Image:Titan23_decepticonsmassing.JPG|250px|right|thumb|Company photo day.]]
The Decepticons are, in general, less human in appearance than the Autobots in the movie, resembling carnivorous mammals, birds, insects or the Decepticon insignia itself (possibly to frighten the [[Human|insects]]). What is also most noticeable about the Decepticons in the movie franchise is that they've actually been designed to resemble the insignia of their faction, most notably Megatron, Blackout, Barricade, and the Fallen; the insignia is in fact based on the Fallen's ugly mug. {{storylink|Defiance}}

{{note|In a departure from previous Transformers incarnations, Japan used the name "Decepticons" for this franchise, rather than "Destrons"<ref>[http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/TF/products/movie/decepticons.html Movie Decepticons toy listing on Takaratomy.com]</ref>.}}

{{-}}
==Animated==
Around seventy million years ago, the Decepticon faction emerged, advocating the use of the AllSpark to bring Cybertron itself to life, that it might serve as a cosmic juggernaut that would allow the Transformers to return to the era of expansion and colonization of other worlds they had enjoyed nearly 700 million years beforehand. When the Decepticon leader [[Megazarak (Animated)|Megazarak]] was ousted by charismatic rhetorician named [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], tensions finally exploded, and the Autobots and Decepticons went to [[Great War (Animated)|war]] for possession of the AllSpark.

After something in the vicinity of six million years of civil war, things reached a crisis point when the Decepticons began a strategic bombing campaign on Cybertron, demanding the AllSpark be turned over in exchange for a cessation of hostilities. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}} Rather than give in to Megatron's demands, the Autobots instead sought to put the AllSpark beyond any Cybertronian's reach, launching it randomly through a [[space bridge]] to some distant corner of the galaxy, where it was hoped it would never be found. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out}}

4 million stellar cycles ago, the Autobots and Decepticons battled each other in what is now known as The Great War. The Autobots pulled a victory only due to their exclusive access to [[space bridge]]s and their decision to send the [[AllSpark]] into deep space. Defeated, the Decepticons dispersed, and, according to [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], the only sight of them would be an occasional scout ship. In fact, they had been missing for so long, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] believed a Decepticon presence was a thing of the past. This was quickly reassessed upon encountering [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron's]] crew.

The Decepticons in ''Transformers Animated'' are fought by the Autobots a lot less than in previous continuities, instead staying mostly in the background, thus making it more momentous whenever they do appear. To go with this plan, the Decepticons are, for the most part, stronger than the Autobots in this series.
{{note|As with the movie Decepticons, the Animated Decepticons are not called Destrons in Japan.}}

==Shattered Glass==
[[Image:Decepticon Shattered Glass.png|right|180px|thumb|Decepticons wage their battles to destroy...]]
The Decepticons are a resistance group, intended to overthrow Autobot tyranny and their dastardly leader, [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]]. Led by the heroic [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]], the 'Cons want to liberate Cybertron and preserve freedom and life across the galaxy, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|no matter the cost]]. {{storylink|Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass}}
{{-}}

==Prime==
{{bigquote|Sometimes deception is necessary, when those who listen to the truth should not, and will only understand once they have been lied to and forced to see their own lies.|[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]].}}

[[Image:Decepticons_Darkness_Rising_5.jpg|thumb|300px|]]

The Decepticons originated from those in the [[caste system|lower castes]] of Cybertronian society in the [[Badlands]]. Megatron, a gladiator who seized control of all the gladiatorial pits and assumed the name of The Fallen, began preaching to the dispossessed on the Grid. He allowed them to bomb Cybertron and throw their society into chaos, for he rightly believed if he denied any connection to their extremist behavior, it would elevate him in the eyes of the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]]. Even the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] kidnapped [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Sentinel Prime]] for him. When the Council questioned Megatron about the movement's name, he denied he had heard of it, though he also accepted it for reasons outlined above.

When Halogen appointed Orion the new Prime, Megatron declared his Decepticons would continue to fight for freedom. During the war they conquered eighty-five percent of the planet, as well as occupying [[Moonbase One|Moon Base One]] and [[Trypticon (Prime)|Trypticon]] Station, before poisoning the [[core]] itself with [[Dark Energon]]. When the Autobots left aboard the ''[[Ark (Prime)|Ark]]'', Trypticon transformed into the ''Nemesis'' and followed them with Megatron, Starscream, [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] and [[Lugnut (Prime)|Lugnut]] into unknown space, while [[Shockwave (Prime)|Shockwave]] took control of the Cybertronian Decepticons. {{storylink|Exodus: The Official History of the War for Cybertron}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers (2007)===
====Transformers Movie Screen Cleaners====
[[Image:Movie Decepticon Screencleaner.jpg|right|105px|thumb|Transforms your dirty screen to a clean one and--well, actually just the first thing.]]
*'''Decepticon''' (2008)
:Released by Tomy Yujin on January,<ref>[http://www.gachausa.com/products/transformers.asp Tomy Yujin ''Transformers'' page]</ref> this dangler is a [[Insignia|faction logo]]-shaped screen cleaner for your cell phone, with a stock image of Decepticon insignia printed on the other side.
{{-}}

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Alternators]]
[[Category:Alternity]]
[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Armada]]
[[Category:Beast Machines]]
[[Category:Beast Wars]]
[[Category:Beastformers franchise]]
[[Category:Cybertron]]
[[Category:Dark of the Moon]]
[[Category:Decepticons| ]]
[[Category:Energon]]
[[Category:Factions]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Generation 2]]
[[Category:Machine Wars]]
[[Category:Masterforce]]
[[Category:Micromaster Collection]]
[[Category:Movie]]
[[Category:Operation Combination]]
[[Category:Predacon subgroups]]
[[Category:Prime]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy]]
[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen]]
[[Category:Robot Masters]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise]]
[[Category:The Headmasters]]
[[Category:Universe (2003)]]
[[Category:Victory]]
[[Category:Zone]]

Sideways (Armada)

2010-09-15T18:00:22Z

69.140.106.144: /* Animated */

{{picsneeded|Sideways's Autobot/Decepticon faction symbol from Armada or Cybertron package.}}
{{disambig2|the Unicron-serving backstabber|the live-action Decepticon|Sideways (ROTF)}}
{{factions|autobot|decepticon|unicron}}

:''Sideways is a cross-universal agent of [[Unicron]] hailing from [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]], first seen in the [[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]] [[continuity]].''

[[Image:Sidewaysarmadafleer.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Goofy ominous nutball hardass.]]

'''Sideways''' is the consummate con-artist. He is misleading and deceitful in everything he does, portraying himself as the ninja-like warrior or the aloof drifter, and he lives for the look of shock and betrayal on his victims' faces when they realize he's played them for fools. Though Sideways appears to be a robot of average size and strength, he is nigh-invincible when he calls upon the powers of Unicron. Using the mysterious [[trans-phase mode]], he can take any form he chooses, and "heal" even the most grievous damage at will. Often, he'll eschew a body entirely, choosing to speak through monitors or as a vision in the sky. When does choose to manifest in physical form, there is one constant: Sideways prefers to shroud his face behind a mask or visor or [[Mini-Con]] so as to keep himself mysterious and anonymous.

{{note|Sideways enjoys an extremely convoluted backstory in which he has been retroactively inserted into multiple different continuity families, and may be portrayed very differently in each. See individual series notes for details.}}

:''Japanese name:'' '''Doubleface''' (''Armada'' and ''Robot Masters''), '''Noisemaze''' (''Cybertron'')
:''Polish name:'' '''Krętacz''' (''Armada'')

==Fiction==
===''Robots In Disguise''===
====Toy bio====
Sideways was recruited into the Autobot army on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] around the time that [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Fortress Maximus]] was uncovered on [[Earth]]. He modified his body to resemble a Terran sports motorcycle, facilitating the speed with which he performed many of his duties. Conscientious and ninja-like, Sideways maintained a mysterious silence about himself, expressing only a desire to quickly engage the enemy and then return to Cybertron (presumably from Earth, given his [[Alternate mode|alt-mode]]).<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-images/tech-specs/Robots-In-Disguise-Tech-Specs/2002-Transformers-Tech-Specs/Sideways__RID_.jpg.html ''Robots in Disguise'' Sideways's on-package bio]</ref>

{{note|In this, Sideways' first portrayal, we see no hint of anything beyond a run-of-the-mill Autobot warrior. However, much of the text of the RID Sideways profile (as well as the name and altmode, of course) was copied to become the basis for the Armada toy—thus making them the same character and "reversing" Sideways' exploits into the RID continuity.}}

===Unicron Trilogy===
====Cartoon continuity====
=====''Armada'' cartoon=====
:''Voice Actors:'' [[Paul Dobson]], [[Mark Acheson]] (as Unicron) (English); [[Takahiro Yamada]], [[Takahiro Sakurai]] (Japanese), [[Ekkehardt Belle]] (German)

[[Image:Gale Needalift.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Hey kids, want some candy?]]
Sideways first appeared as a beam of light from the sky striking a large [[Earth]] city near the Autobot base. An enigmatic warrior, he appeared to side with the Autobots, helping Hot Shot by watching his back during a confrontation with Scavenger. When asked to reveal himself, he transformed, his rider quickly splitting and becoming a helmet that covered his entire head. He claimed to be Sideways, a drifter who just wandered into the conflict. While he gave the human kids [[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] and [[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] rides in cycle mode to keep them entertained, [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] and [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] as well as [[Rad White|Rad]] and [[Alexis]] were suspicious of the motorcycle's motives, especially his close attention to the Mini-Cons. {{storylink|Gale}}

[[Image:Credulous Sidewaysknocksswordaway.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Surprise, the mysterious ninja is evil!]]

In the following battle, [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] faced Sideways and Hot Shot alone, and managed to force the [[Mini-Con storage panel|Mini-Con panel]] Sideways had (apparently) found out of his grasp. As the Decepticon leader began to warp away, both Autobots grabbed onto Megatron and all three were teleported to the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]]. To Hot Shot and Megatron's surprise, the Mini-Con panel was a fake,
made to convince Megatron to retreat so that Hot Shot, spurred on by Sideways's encouragement, could defeat the Decepticons once and for all. Though both robots fought well alongside each other, with Sideways expressing concern over Hot Shot's well-being, he eventually betrayed
the young Autobot, by striking a deal with Megatron. He would pretend to be Megatron's hostage and in exchange, no matter what, Hot Shot
would turn over the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]]. At first, Hot Shot did follow through, but reneged at the last moment by calling the Mini-Cons back to him. Sideways suddenly attacked Hot Shot, knocking the Star Saber out of his hands and kicking it to [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]]. He switched Mini-Con heads, revealing his allegiance to the Decepticons. Hot Shot was savagely beaten by the Decepticons, who stopped short of destroying him on the advice of [[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]], who teleported the young 'bot back to the Autobot base. Once Sideways's loyalty to the Decepticons seemed to be confirmed, he began manipulating them and playing them against each other to suit his mysterious goals. {{storylink|Credulous}}

[[Image:Sidewaysheads.jpg|left|150px|thumb|My Autobot counterpart is nearby...]]

One of these goals was the replacement of Megatron as Decepticon leader after a series of significant losses. Sideways sowed the seeds of rebellion within the Decepticon ranks, subtly turning Starscream against Megatron and convincing Megatron of Starscream's imminent treachery. The situation came to a head when the two Decepticons fought outside their base, but Sideways then realized Megatron would never execute Starscream for his insubordination, exposing an ever-constant weakness within the Decepticon command structure. After the battle, Sideways
mused that this weakness would come back to haunt Megatron one day, and would be his ruin. Fortunately though, this incident somehow served to
solidify the Decepticons as a unit, giving them much greater morale and cohesiveness, and achieving Sideways's aims of giving neither faction in the conflict a clear advantage. {{storylink|Rebellion}}

[[Image:Chase RainbowSideways.jpg|right|200px|thumb|You don't want to taste Sideways's rainbow.]]

Shortly thereafter, Sideways tried to hack the Autobot base computer, only to encounter the children attempting to destroy the equipment to stop Sideways. He transported them to a digital universe, where they saw the coming of two [[Jetfire (Armada)|new]] [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|combatants]]. He tried to threaten them into handing over the [[Street Action Mini-Con Team (Armada)|Street Action Mini-Con Team]], before the kids realized that as this wasn't real, he could not harm them. Sideways then apologized to an unseen master, shortly before the children escaped the digital universe, chased by an unknown [[Unicron|entity]]. {{storylink|Chase (episode)|Chase}}

The Decepticons began to distrust Sideways, suspecting he was not what he seemed, and realized he was manipulating everybody in the unit. Caught out by [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] and the other Decepticons while communicating with his unseen master, Sideways panicked and attempted to escape, but not before he was confronted by [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and sliced in half with the Star Saber. Sideways simply reformed each time, reconnecting his parts and absorbing laser blasts from the other Decepticons. Megatron, in fury and disgust, hacked Sideways to pieces and he was seemingly destroyed... or so they thought. Sideways had entered [[trans-phase mode]] and his [[Mirror|rider]] rose in the form of a twisted [[nanite]] creature before the Decepticons' eyes, declaring that the Star Saber and Skyboom shield were merely toys to him, as he was near-invincible. His rider said there were millions of Mini-Cons left to be found, and challenged Megatron to see who would find them first, before flying off to parts unknown. {{storylink|Detection}}

[[Image:Awakening-Sidewaysonscreen.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Sideways may be dead, but he lives on in reruns.]]

While most of the Autobots were on Earth fighting the monstrous new Decepticon recruit, [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]], Sideways made an appearance inside the Autobots' base... on a monitor! He told [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] and [[Alexis]] about the [[Requiem Blaster]], and how the Autobots must find the three Mini-Cons that form it before the Decepticons do. Neither of them trusted Sideways, but the knew Sideways was right. If the Decepticons did find the Requiem Blaster first, it could spell doom for the Autobots and the galaxy. {{storylink|Awakening}} He then journeyed to the [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] to deliver [[Ravenus]] and the [[Doomstone]] to a group of [[Speed Chaser Mini-Con Team|evil Mini-Cons]] who were hunting down [[Super Stunt Mini-Con Team|a group of refugee Mini-Cons]] for their master. {{storylink|Linkage Part 8}} Once the Autobots had acquired the Requiem Blaster, Sideways appeared once again on the Autobots' monitors, laughing. He showed them that he'd disabled their defenses. Sure enough, the Decepticons infiltrated the Autobot base, took the Requiem Blaster, and nearly killed [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Smokescreen]] in the process. {{storylink|Sacrifice}}

Later, Sideways appeared to the Decepticon tactician, [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]], and told him that the Requiem Blaster would be even more powerful if used in conjunction with the other two Mini-Con weapons, the sword and the shield. {{storylink|Mars (episode)|Mars}} Thrust talked with Sideways again in a secret, ominous meeting. They planned to get the Mini-Con weapons away from the Autobots. {{storylink|Crack}} Thanks to Starscream's confusion on where his loyalties lay, he was able to steal the other two weapons from the Autobots, giving the Decepticons all three weapons. Thrust was hard at work on a secret project for Megatron, one that would harness the energy of all three weapons, and Sideways congratulated the tactician on his growing duplicity. When the three weapons were combined to power the starship [[Hydra Cannon]], Megatron used it to blow up a nearby comet while Sideways laughed from afar, on Earth's moon. {{storylink|Threaten}}

Both the Autobots and Decepticons were en route to Cybertron when a few of each faction were warped to a strange planet where they fought a dark copy of Optimus Prime called [[Nemesis Prime (Armada)|Nemesis Prime]]. When Optimus Prime and Megatron combined their firepower against it, Nemesis Prime was destroyed, and as the copy dissipated, Sideways appeared momentarily. Nemesis Prime had merely been Sideways's puppet. {{storylink|Puppet}}

[[Image:Uprising-SidewaysSpookyGhost.jpg|right|200px|thumb|He controls the horizontal, but not the vertical. The vertical is for saps.]]

When both sides had arrived on Cybertron, a black hole opened up over the planet. It started becoming apparent to some that Unicron was arriving. An apparition of Sideways appeared over the Autobots, and the Mini-Cons attacked it. After telling the Mini-Cons to get lost, Sideways again disappeared. Sideways returned to swear vengeance against the Mini-Cons when they tried to stop the black hole's effects. {{storylink|Uprising}} Eventually, Thrust became suspicious that his partnership with Sideways and Unicron might be found out, so he panicked and stole the Requiem Blaster and Skyboom Shield. Thrust ran deep underground where he met up with Sideways, but he was tailed by Starscream. Starscream declined Sideways's obligatory offer to join Unicron, and the two fought.

[[Image:Portent-Sideways vs Starscream.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Armada basically lines up the cast one by one so Sideways can call them an idiot.]]

Sideways assaulted Starscream with strange tendrils and amoeba-like organisms, and he and Thrust were able to leave with the two weapons. Now inside the moon in Cybertron's orbit, Sideways placed the Mini-Con weapons into its core, revealing that the moon was Unicron lying dormant all along. {{storylink|Portent}} The last of the three Mini-Con weapons was dropped by Starscream when he sacrificed himself to Unicron to prove to Galvatron (a transformed Megatron) that Autobot and Decepticon must join forces to destroy Unicron. Sideways formed over what was left of Starscream and grabbed the sword, making an easy getaway. {{storylink|Cramp}}

With all three weapons in place within Unicron's core, Sideways's master was able to shed the rest of his moon disguise and show his real form. Sideways and his patsy Thrust celebrated their inevitable victory over time and space. {{storylink|Alliance (episode)|Alliance}} Thrust was told by Sideways to leave, as his work for now Unicron was now done. Thrust was confused, thinking he would be Unicron's right-hand man, but Sideways got angry, and ordered him to leave immediately. Thrust, dejected, left for the surface, where he later was crushed to death within Unicron's
creases during the battle. {{storylink|Union}}

[[Image:Origin-SidewaysUnicroncore.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"I'm going to start elongating all my 's' sounds, Optimusssss."]]

Optimus and Megatron managed to reach the glowing core deep within Unicron's body. Before their eyes, the core budded, recreating the body of Sideways. Unicron spoke through this Sideways body, announcing that Sideways had always been an extension of Unicron himself, and that Sideways
had intentionally stoked the flames of the Autobot/Decepticon war so that Unicron could be fueled by their mutual hatred. He took special delight in mocking Optimus Prime for claiming to fight a war for peace, a seeming contradiction. The truth, according to Unicron/Sideways, was that Optimus Prime loved to battle; Prime refused to admit this. Unicron/Sideways wrapped Prime and Megatron in tendrils, drained Megatron of his energy, and offered Prime the opportunity to merge with him.

[[Image:Sideways dead.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Ouchies.]]

Then the children and their Mini-Cons arrived, and they pleaded with him to stop, but Unicron/Sideways was able to claim them as their own; the Mini-Cons were Unicron's creation, after all. But inside a dreamworld created by Unicron, the children were able to call out to the Mini-Cons. They reactivated and told Unicron/Sideways that they believed in peace, and would fight for it if necessary. Their combined might was able to help Prime break free of his tendrils, and he fired a shot right through Sideways using the Requiem Blaster. As what was left of Sideways faded, he claimed he'd have his revenge... {{storylink|Origin}}

{{note|Internal to the ''Armada'' series, it is slightly unclear whether Unicron was somehow possessing his body for that period of time, or if Sideways had been an extension of Unicron all along instead of a separate individual. The additional backstory provided for Sideways in ''Cybertron'', however, would seem to establish that it's the former. Additionally, in "[[Credulous]]", before Sideways's Mini-Con head connects with his body after colliding with Megatron, an odd voice spoke, sounding like it came from a being of lesser intelligence emanated from the motorcycle body's own head, before the Mini-Con head took over. The mysterious line not being in the Japanese version of the episode and the shaky nature of the ''Armada'' dub in general only further obscures the issue.}}

=====''Linkage'' mini-comics=====

On Unicron's behalf, Sideways provided his master's corrupted Mini-Cons with the use of [[Ravenus]] and the [[Doomstone]]. {{storylink|Linkage Part 8}} When they failed to eliminate or claim [[Redline]] and his friends, the evil Mini-Cons used [[trans-phase mode]] to connect with Sideways via a dimensional portal, and fled from Earth. {{storylink|Linkage Part 12}}

=====''Cybertron'' cartoon=====
:''Voice Actors:'' [[Ted Cole]] (English), [[Susumu Chiba]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Deep-Sideways.jpg|left|200px|thumb|He's been up there waiting the whole time!]]

Sideways was preserved by Unicron's dark power after his defeat by the Requiem Blaster. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime}} Twenty years later, he appeared again during the Transformers' search for the [[Cyber Planet Key|Cyber Planet Keys]]. After the disappearance of ''[[Atlantis]],'' he observed from the top of a rocky cliff and wondered how he could best manipulate both factions to his own advantage. It wouldn't be long
until they were all his puppets! {{storylink|Deep}} He offered his services to the Autobots, but as soon as he'd helped them corner Starscream, Sideways switched to a Decepticon symbol, fired on the Autobots, and promptly left. Starscream and the others were left wondering exactly what that was all about. {{storylink|Ship}}

[[Image:Sand-Sideways explains.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Honestly guys, I'm an Autobot! You don't remember me at all!]]

Later, Sideways spoke to Megatron through a portal window, telling him that Optimus Prime could be found on [[Jungle Planet (Cybertron)|Jungle Planet]]. He later appeared with the other Decepticons as they confronted the Autobots, chuckling evilly as they argued over who sent the messages leading to their meeting. {{storylink|Savage (episode)|Savage}} Sideways stood back and observed as Megatron fumed after his defeat at the hands of Optimus Prime on Jungle planet. Noting that the locals were itching for another fight with Prime, Sideways sought out [[Leobreaker]] in the woods, pleading for help to save a friend who was buried under a rockslide. Leobreaker rallied the other Autobots on Jungle Planet and marched them into a canyon to save this imaginary friend, while Sideways laughed from above. He had also sent a fake message from Optimus Prime to [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]], and so the Decepticons were also converging on that point. Megatron suspected the message was fake, but kept quiet. The two factions met in battle as Sideways planned, while he mused from above that no matter who loses, he wins! But he was spotted, and Leobreaker angrily threw him to the ground for lying to him. Sideways desperately explained that he was a "secret agent" for the Autobots, digging for "inside information". Optimus Prime wasn't convinced, but when their interrogation was interrupted by a communication from [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]], Sideways transformed and escaped. {{storylink|Sand}}

Sideways traveled with Megatron and the other Decepticons to [[Velocitron]] to apprehend the Speed Planet Cyber Planet Key. Here, Leobreaker and Sideways clashed again. When Megatron lost the Cyber Planet Key to [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]], he, Sideways, and the other Decepticons fled. {{storylink|Champion}} Meanwhile, as Optimus Prime prepared to battle Scourge for the Jungle Planet Cyber Planet Key, Sideways and Starscream plotted. {{storylink|Honor}} As Scourge trained for the coming battle, Sideways and Starscream bet on the winner. At Sideways's suggestion, Starscream interfered with the Autobots's ability to get to the battle, thus causing Scourge's faith in Prime as an honorable opponent to waver. {{storylink|Primal}}

When the Autobots finally defeated Scourge and acquired the Cyber Planet Key, Sideways was deployed with the rest of Megatron's troops to track down the Key after the Autobots split up with several decoy boxes. He personally pursued Vector Prime, revealing the ability to warp as he battled the ancient warrior for the box he held. When Vector Prime sent out [[Safeguard (Cybertron)|Safeguard]] to attack, Sideways used his faction-swapping shield to trick the Mini-Con into leaving before snatching the box from Vector Prime. When he found nothing but a rock inside, Sideways beat a hasty retreat. He was later seen goofing off as Megatron and Starscream went after the real holders of the Cyber Planet Key, and returned to Megatron's personal dimension when the rest of the Autobots arrived to secure the Key. {{storylink|Trust}}

[[Image:Retreat-SidewaysStarscreamarmy.jpg|left|200px|thumb|That's right, the undercarriage of Sideways's altmode shows you the inside of his split-open ass.]]

Starscream was growing tired of Megatron's attitude towards him, and Sideways wondered if Starscream was going to doublecross his leader. When Megatron and his troops headed out from his dimension to find another Cyber Planet Key, Starscream instead chose to head to Earth. Intrigued, Sideways followed Starscream there, where they witnessed a burst of Cyber Key-related energy. He joined Starscream on his trip to the Arctic, where the wayward Decepticon demanded the Autobot [[Crosswise (Cybertron)|Crosswise]] give him Earth's Cyber Planet Key. When Sideways realized that Starscream had sent Megatron the wrong direction and intended to take Earth's Key for himself, he decided to stay back and watch Starscream's fight with Crosswise, out of harm's way. ...at least, until Crosswise looked like he was going to lose, when Sideways happily leapt into action to kick him while he was down. Crosswise drove away, and Sideways shadowed him while Starscream investigated the cave he was guarding. {{storylink|Trap}} Sideways followed Crosswise all the way to his hidden hideout, where his leader, [[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]], was waiting. When Sideways was discovered, he once again fled. {{storylink|Invasion}}

Starscream, meanwhile, had recruited countless imprisoned Decepticons he had freed in the Arctic, and so Sideways stood at his side while Starscream marched his army across the face of the Earth. They converged on the location of the Autobot base, where they found the Autobots retreating via a [[Space Bridge]]. Starscream and Sideways engaged them in battle, but Sideways was quickly knocked away by the Autobots' firepower. {{storylink|Retreat}} Starscream succeeded in grabbing the Autobots' collected Cyber Planet Keys and the [[Omega Lock]], and returned to his underground volcanic lair, where Sideways and [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] were waiting. {{storylink|Critical}} The Autobots weren't far behind, and a clash between them and Starscream's army was inevitable. Sideways called them forth, ordering them to rise up and destroy their enemies, while he and Starscream watched the battlefield through a portal;
Starscream was slowly absorbing the power of his stolen goods, and wasn't quite ready yet. The Autobots and Megatron managed to break into the volcano base, but Sideways had prepared a series of explosive boobytraps. {{storylink|Assault}}

[[Image:Starscreamepisode-Sidewaysposes.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Hey, Sideways, your shield has huge gaps in it.]]

Despite this, the Autobots were able to get through them, where they came face to face with Sideways. Asked as to what side he was on today, Sideways replied that he was on his own, but today he was betting on Starscream. The Autobots fought him, but he was able to warp around them at will, and none were able to land a punch. Ultimately, [[Vector Prime]] placed his Mini-Con, [[Safeguard (Cybertron)|Safeguard]] on Sideways's back, and Optimus Prime was able to use that to detect where Sideways would appear next. After several blasts, Sideways was once again able to flee, this time because of the arrival of Scourge. He returned to Starscream's side, where the wayward Decepticon was nearly finished absorbing the Omega Lock's power. When Starscream said he wouldn't run to face Megatron, but wait for Megatron to come and be picked off at his leisure, Sideways realized there was nothing more he could do there and left, teleporting away. {{storylink|Starscream (episode)|Starscream}} Once the tremendous battle was over, and Starscream (despite having grown to a large size) had fallen over defeated, Sideways reappeared. Noting that Starscream could still be useful to him, he warped Starscream's humongous body away. {{storylink|United}} Starscream woke up inside the ''Atlantis'', with Sideways standing over him. Sideways explained that during the time Starscream had been out, Megatron had been defeated and Primus had awoken. The two traveled to Cybertron and found it transformed into Primus, but lying dormant; Sideways snarked that some clever guy had stolen all his power. He and Starscream tried to fight their way through the Autobots to the Omega Lock, but failed. Later, Sideways warped behind the Autobots' human friends, nabbed their three [[Mini-Con]] pals, and warped away. Angry, the children jumped into the portal window he left behind. {{storylink|Balance}}

[[Image:Memory-Sidewaysandchildren.jpg|left|200px|thumb|WOULD YOU LIKE TO? WOULD YOU LIKE TO?]]

Sideways attached Jolt to some equipment in order to search his memories for data pertaining to location of [[Gigantion]], where the last Cyber Planet Key would be found. But all Sideways could extract was useless data that would take forever to examine, so he tried to watch some television to pass the time. No luck—they were jamming their own communications, so he couldn't watch ''[[Galactic Guardians]]'' or anything, so he turned on his [[Soundwave (G1)|stereo]] and began moving to the music. Starscream yelled at him for goofing off. Embarrassed, Sideways ran off to do repairs. Indeed, the memory download was taking too long, so Sideways decided it would be much quicker if they just hacked open Jolt's head, took what they wanted, and deleted the rest. The operation was interrupted by the children, and so Sideways left to deal with them. After a few slapstick adventures, including a faked hologram of Megatron telling Sideways to jump on one foot and call himself a "pretty lady", the children were able to escape with Sideways's key to the cell he was keeping the other two Mini-Cons in. Though those two were rescued, Sideways finally caught up with them, laughing maniacally and with evil intent. {{storylink|Memory}} Jolt, whose rotors were now untied, was able to open a warpgate for himself and the others to escape through. Angered, Sideways warped away himself, and appeared again in front of the children and the Mini-Cons, telling him that he had put an energy field around the ship to prevent Jolt from pulling that trick again. The children and the Mini-Cons ran, but he threw one of his wing blades into the path ahead of them, blocking their escape. As Sideways mocked their attempts to distract him so they could make their getaway, [[Coby Hansen|Coby]] was able to communicate with the ship and spray [[fire-retardant foam]] over Sideways's head. They fled.

[[Image:Escape-Sidewaysmeandrawing.jpg|right|thumb|250px|"A ''mouth?!'' This is libel!"]]

Later, when the children and the Mini-Cons had located the chamber in which Sideways was guarding, the one that was blocking communications from being sent out of ''Atlantis'', they remotely caused a malfunction in one of the engine rooms. Sideways ran out of the chamber and into the engine room, where he found a crude drawing of him on the wall. "Now that's just mean!" Next they dumped him down one of the garbage chutes, which Sideways laughed at. He'd just warp out of there! But he forgot that he'd disabled warping, so he was cast out of the ship into space. A piece of trash that followed him conked him on his head, knocking him out. ''Atlantis'' was soon found by the Autobots and Decepticons, and so Starscream set the ship to warp away. Just in time, the children and the Mini-Cons shot themselves out of the ship in two escape pods, but Sideways's floating body blocked the second pod from leaving the warp perimeter of the ship. Sideways and the second pod disappeared along with ''Atlantis''. {{storylink|Escape (episode)|Escape}}

Sideways returned to the helm of ''Atlantis'' with Starscream, as the distance between them and the planet [[Gigantion]], home to the final [[Cyber Planet Key]], quickly narrowed. But due to the work of [[Bud Hansen|Bud]], Jolt, and [[Reverb (Cybertron)|Reverb]], [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]], [[Wing Saber]], and the Decepticons were able to follow a trail to the ship, and so Sideways activated the ship's defenses while he navigated a warp jump away. But after they had jumped, Starscream felt the power of Primus, and so the ''Atlantis'' returned to Cybertron. After a battle between Starscream and Primus, Starscream was brutally defeated, so Sideways warped the ship away again with Starscream's body in tow. {{storylink|Titans}} Starscream was no worse for wear by the time Sideways had begun piloting ''Atlantis'' through a warp gate to another dimension where Gigantion was located, but the Autobots' ship, the ''[[Ogygia]]'', wasn't far behind. ''Atlantis'' started lagging behind the Autobots when Bud and the Mini-Cons aboard began sabotaging its engines, much to the fury of Sideways and Starscream. {{storylink|Warp}}

Sideways managed to get ''Atlantis'' to Gigantion, but only after a crash-landing. Before too long, the ship was under attack from the Autobots. Starscream was still too drained from his fight with Primus, so Sideways was told to fight them himself, an order he grumbled loudly about once he was out of Starscream's range. He confronted Optimus Prime, merged with Wing Saber, and bemoaned their sneaky tactics. He was the one supposed to be pulling the strings! As Sideways was targeted by a volley of missiles, Optimus Prime told Sideways that he'd had enough of his tricks. After a prolonged fight, Sideways could do nothing better than to utter a pathetic "mother!" as Prime's final, most powerful attack was bearing in on him. Thankfully for Sideways, he was saved by [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]], who pushed him out of the way at the last second. Once they were safe, Sideways thanked Soundwave for the rescue. Soundwave reminded Sideways that "that's how we roll," and not to forget their ultimate purpose. {{storylink|City}}

[[Image:Showdown-SoundwaveSidewaysstare.jpg|left|300px|thumb|Don't go towards the light, Sideways!]]

While the both of them were searching for the last Cyber Planet Key, they were discovered by the [[Cybertron Defense Force]]. Soundwave explained to them that he and Sideways were the last two survivors of [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]], which was destroyed as the result of a battle between it and Gigantion long ago. When the Autobots noted it was their own fault their planet was destroyed, Soundwave shrouded them in a thick black cloud while Sideways created virtual duplicates of himself. He managed to mess with Red Alert's head, but was tricked into revealing himself by Scattorshot after the clever technician dealt with the smog. In the end, the two Planet X natives were crushed under a falling tower. {{storylink|Challenge}}

Sideways and Soundwave didn't resurface until the Autobots were ready to leave Gigantion to their home dimension to repair the black hole. They challenged the Autobots, blocking their path out of the planet, for they wanted to ensure the black hole destroyed the galaxy. After fighting Optimus Prime to a standstill, they were interrupted by Starscream and Megatron, who were fighting several layers above them, glowing and pulsating with energy levels no one present had ever seen. Soundwave and Sideways wanted to escape, fearing their own destruction, but they lamented that if they didn't grab the Omega Lock then, they'd have failed at their mission. Both warped closer to the battle between Megatron and Starscream, and, reaching towards the tremendous energy that had built up during the Decepticons' battle, Sideways begged Soundwave to leave and save himself. Soundwave rejected this, because they were in this together. As Megatron and Starscream punched each other simultaneously, a wave of energy seemed to destroy both Planet X natives.

[[Image:Beginning-SoundwaveSideways.jpg|right|thumb|250px|We're not dead! Neither is our planet! Weird.]]

Vector Prime noted that neither were likely destroyed in the conventional sense, but were blasted into another dimension. {{storylink|Showdown (episode)|Showdown}} His analysis seemed to be correct; a little later, when Megatron witnessed a vision of Starscream—apparently reaching out through the [[fire dimension]] to mock him one final time—Sideways and Soundwave were both standing by the traitor's side. {{storylink|Unfinished}}

The next (and last) time Sideways was seen, he, Soundwave, and [[Laserbeak (Cybertron)|Laserbeak]] were cheering as they stood before an undestroyed Planet X, apparently having found an intact, parallel version of their homeworld in the dimension they had been transported to. {{storylink|Beginning}}

{{-}}

====Dreamwave ''Armada'' comic====
[[Image:SkywarpSidewaysWheeljack.jpg|left|300px|thumb|I'm such a secret shill for Unicron that you only ever see me once! Well, twice.]]

Always evasive about where his true loyalties lie, Sideways has been seen on battlefields the galaxy over, but not always on the same side. He has manipulated both factions like a game of cosmic chess, and chooses his words carefully. Neither Autobot nor Decepticon, he has always served just one master: [[Unicron]]. To these purposes, he assigned his Mini-Con companion, [[Crosswise (Armada)|Crosswise]] to infiltrate the Mini-Cons' Moonbase operations and send things awry. Crosswise was more of a wildcard than a full-on partner, unlike Sideways's other Mini-Con, [[Rook (Armada)|Rook]]. Rook was assigned to sow the real seeds of discontent amongst the Mini-Cons on the moon. {{storylink|More Than Meets The Eye (Armada)}}

Sideways himself was first seen working on a secret desert rocket site, guarded by [[Skywarp (Armada)|Skywarp]] and [[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]], which was designed to launch Megatron's [[Solar Scalpel]] laser system in orbit. {{storylink|Fire & Ice}} After the rocket was launched, he returned to Cybertron, and was present for the battle against Unicron... though what exact role he played in it is unknown. {{storylink|The End}}
{{-}}

===Generation 1===
====''Robot Masters'' online comic====
[[Image:RMComic-SidewaysBWMegs.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Master manipulator teamed up with master manipulator? That's WAY more interesting than [[Lio Convoy]] teaming up with [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]... so of course it only happens ONCE.]]

Sideways participated in the confusing war over [[Solitarium]], where he employed a special communications system called "[[Crosswise (Armada)|Shadow]] and [[Rook (Armada)|Bright]]". When [[Road Rocket (G2)|Road Rocket]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], and [[Optimus Primal]] explored a crevasse filled with [[Solitarium]] crystals, they were ambushed from above by [[Megatron (BW)|Beast Megatron]] and Sideways, who detonated the crystals around the Autobots.

Fortunately, Primal managed to shield the three from the explosion with a huge slab of rock, but they were unable to prevent the Decepticons from making off with a huge load of Solitarium.{{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|Must Defend the Solitarium!}}

{{note|Sideways is said to have used special dimension-jumping powers to participate in this storyline, and he now shares the paintscheme of Armada Sideways. Remember that part—you'll see why soon!}}

{{-}}
====TV Magazine ''Robot Masters'' photocomic====
[[Image:Roadrocketsidewaysphotocomic.jpg|left|thumb|150px|Okay, thumb war!]]

Road Rocket and Sideways found a piece of Solitarium at the same time, though each claimed they saw it first. The Solitarium was located across a gorge, so the two revved up their engines to see who could cross it in their motorcycle modes. Unfortunately, Sideways miscalculated, falling down the gorge, while Road Rocket was victorious. {{storylink|Robot Masters Vol. 4}}

{{-}}

===''Animated''===
[[Image:Sidewaysanimated.jpg|right|thumb|100px|He might change his mind about Shanghai once he gets there.]]
Shortly before the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] was hidden in space by [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], Sideways arrived from another dimension and joined the Decepticons. Land General Sideways was responsible for overseeing the [[Silvart War]], where he was captured by [[Primal Major]] and prepared for transportation back to Cybertron on board the ''[[Alpha Supreme|Axalon]]''. [[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm Prime]] speculated that thanks to the General's [[Trans-phase mode|Trans-Phase Generator]], Sideways broke free of his restraints and sabotaged the engine, causing the ''Axalon'' and its crew to succumb to a black hole.

Since Sideways was never seen again, Longarm Prime suspects Sideways was trying to get to some place called "[[Shanghai]]", which he frequently mentioned. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2|The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2}}

{{note|''Animated'' Sideways is described as having the signature powers of the familiar pre-existing character. His body looks like [[Sideways (ROTF)|''Revenge of the Fallen'' Sideways]] with the paintjob of ''Armada'' Sideways. These clear visual continuity points are very similar to those used to establish that Sideways had "jumped" from the Unicron Trilogy into Animated. However, there is no absolute proof that after his arrival in ''Animated'', Sideways ever followed through on his desire to visit Shanghai, nor which universe's Shanghai he might have visited. If one makes the conclusion that he did make that jump, he and the movie-continuity Sideways must be the same person; if not, not.}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===Robots in Disguise===
[[Image:RIDtoy-Sideways.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Hello, my treacherous friend.]]

* '''Sideways vs. Axer''' (Mega multi-pack, 2002)

: The first Sideways toy is a yellow and black [[redeco]] (and minor [[Retool|retooling]], from changes made to the mold for a Japanese ''[[Microman]]'' version) of [[Road Rocket (G2)|Road Rocket]], transforming into a Yamaha GTS1000A racing motorcycle with a light-up rear wheel suspension/buzzsaw weapon. He came packaged with [[Axer]] in a [[Wal-Mart]] [[exclusive]] two-pack.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Autobot/Sideways/sideways.htm More information on RiD Sideways at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Armada===
[[Image:Armadatoy-Sideways-wrongways.jpg|right|300px|thumb|My hats are the grandest of all... except that they're putting me on the wrong sides!]]

* '''Sideways w/ Rook and Crosswise''' (Super-Con, 2002)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MX-01'''
**''Accessories'': 2 tailpipe-missiles

: The second toy of Sideways was released in 2002 in ''[[Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'', transforming into a Cybertronic motorcycle, and was the first larger ''Armada'' toy to come with two [[Mini-Con|Mini-Cons]]; [[Rook (Armada)|Rook]] and [[Crosswise (Armada)|Crosswise]]. Each Mini-Con could form a new head for Sideways, as well as reveal a faction sigil behind his clear-plastic chestplate in that mode. Their individual and combined robot modes were designed to act as riders when Sideways is in vehicle mode. His tailpipes become arm-mounted [[Powerlinx]]-activated pressure-launch missile launchers.

: Two variations of the [[Hasbro]] version of the toy exist. The first variation features the opposite Mini-Con heads revealing their intended faction logo. This was due to an error in the television series' animation which depicted Crosswise as the Decepticon head and Rook as the Autobot head. Hasbro made a [[running change]] so the toy reflected the series' faction alignments. The second variation changed the salmon on Crosswise to a more Decepticon-like purple. This toy was also released in the Japanese ''Micron Legend'' toyline as "Doubleface" shortly afterwards, featuring a color scheme on the cockpit of the bike that was closer to the anime appearance.

: In November of 2003, US [[Toys"R"Us]] stores had special bonus pack Max-Con (Deluxe) toys, which came with a single bonus Mini-Con attached to the card over their sticker, for ''less'' than the price as a normal Max-Con during Toys"R"Us's post-Thanksgiving-day sale. Like [[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]], Sideways could come with one of the [[Destruction Mini-Con Team]] members: [[Buzzsaw (Armada)|Buzzsaw]], [[Drill Bit (Armada)|Drill Bit]], or [[Dualor]].

: This mold was also used for ''[[Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Rapid Run (Energon)|Rapid Run]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Autobot/ArmSideways/sideways.htm More information on Armada Sideways at TFU.info]''

===Robot Masters===
[[Image:RMtoy-Doubleface.jpg|right|300px|thumb|We've come full circle or something.]]
* '''Doubleface''' (Robot Master, 2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-19'''

: Doubleface, a purple, gray, and yellow [[redeco]] (and minor [[Retool|retooling]], from changes made to the mold for a Japanese ''[[Microman]]'' version) of [[Road Pig (G2)|Road Pig]], was released in Japan in 2005, transforming into a Harley-Davidson Electra Glide touring motorcycle with electronic light-up tailpipe/"blaster" weapon. It featured a fixed Decepticon logo, and was the second and last appearance of this character in Japan as of 2006.

: There is a minor variation to this toy; though both versions feature an "electronics warning" on the robot mode's butt, some versions use a clear-plastic sticker, while others have the text tampographed there.

: This mold was also used for ''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Axer]]. It was planned for use in ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' as [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#LaserCycle|Soundwave]], but that toy never saw release.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Destron/DoubleFace/doubleface.htm More information on Robot Masters Doubleface at TFU.info]''

===Cybertron===
[[Image:SidewaysCybertron.jpg|right|300px|thumb|On second thought, screw the whole motorcycle thing.]]
* '''Sideways''' (Deluxe-Class, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''GX-01'''
**''Accessories'': Left & right wing-blades, Planet X Cyber Key

: The third toy of Sideways released in the US was in the [[Cybertron (toyline)|''Cybertron'' toyline]]. Sideways in this line is a black and orange alien spacefighter with [[Cyber Planet Key]]-activated faction-switching ability and pop-out blades built into his battle shield. The toy features a translucent face with his signature horns. He comes with a [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]] style Cyber Planet Key; the US version has the [[Cyber Key Codes|Cyber Key Code]] "'''dj51'''" [[Tampograph|tampographed]] on the back.

: This toy was released in Japan as ''Galaxy Force'' Noisemaze, and no mention was made of a relationship to Doubleface / Sideways. He features chromed details on the wings instead of the standard gray, along with more intricate paint applications.

: This mold was also used for the Japanese DVD-[[exclusive]] [[Noisemaze Mass-Production Version]], ''[[Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], and was [[Retool|retooled]] into [[BotCon 2009]] ''[[Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and the [[Sweep]]s.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Decepticon/Sideways/sideways.htm More information on Cybertron Sideways at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Super Collection Figure===
[[Image:ACT10-Doubleface.jpg|right|thumb|300px|STRIKE POSE!]]
*'''Doubleface''' (2003)

:Available in "Act 10" of Takara's [[Super Collection Figure]] PVC line, Doubleface was available in both color and pewter. He came with an extra head so that his appearance could be switched between Doubleface's "normal" head and the "Decepticon" head. His appearance could ''not'' be switched out of its sort of weird-looking pose, however.
{{-}}

==Notes==

* The case for the Sidewayses of the five different continuity families (''Robots in Disguise,'' Unicron Trilogy, Generation 1, ''Animated'', and the live-action film) being the same individual hopping universes is... not airtight. Until 2010, no fiction had actually portrayed him migrating from one universe to another, but even before then, circumstantial evidence abounded:
** The first Sideways, a ''Robots in Disguise'' toy, was packaged with [[Axer]], whose on-package [[bio]] strongly insinuates that he had come from the ''Generation 1'' universe through a black hole. The bios make no particular connection between the two characters, so there is no reason to think Sideways must have come from another universe as well. Nevertheless, the real-world pairing of the characters makes it easy to accept that he did, based on later evidence.
** The next Sideways, from ''Armada'', was given an on-package bio of almost identical wording to that of the ''Robots in Disguise'' character. The ''Armada'' bio suggests that his duplicity is a new development upon coming to Earth, the result of being pulled in two mental directions by his Mini-Cons.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-images/tech-specs/Armada-Tech-Specs/2002-Transformers-Tech-Specs/Sideways__A_.jpg.html ''Armada'' Sideways's on-package bio]</ref> However, the cartoons and comics would both develop him as a pure agent of Unicron, which of course opens all sorts of cross-universal possibilities.
** The ''Robot Masters'' toy is what seals the deal. It's named and colored after the ''Armada'' toy, and some ''Robot Masters'' publicity material has declared that the character's first toy was indeed the ''Robots in Disguise'' Sideways figure. Since the entire premise of ''Robot Masters'' is that Transformers are arriving on present-day Earth through wormholes from across time and space, the idea that Sideways universe-hopped into the ''Robot Masters'' continuity is too strong to ignore.
** And finally, in 2010 the ''[[AllSpark Almanac II]]'' presented ''Animated'' Sideways as pretty clearly the same individual as all the other previous Sidewayses, and arguably the [[Sideways (ROTF)|Sideways of the live-action film]]. We are so, so shocked. On the other hand, this means getting cut in half was no huge deal for him. It'd happened [[Star Saber (Armada)|before]].

[[Image:Detection-SidewaysNoHat.jpg|right|180px|thumb|He's back. From outer space.]]

* In ''Armada'', outside of the stock footage sequences showing Sideways putting his Mini-Con helmets on, his "bare" head was often colored in shades of gray similar to the Crosswise head, rather than the appropriate purple and yellow.
* While the positioning of ''Armada'' Sideways's head-handlebars in toy form is up to the owner, the cartoon consistently portrayed them as angled downwards.
* In "[[Memory]]", Sideways seemed to be a fan of the [[Galactic Guardians]], a superhero team who star in their own cartoon show. He also seemed to be a fan of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive", as he sang the first few lyrics to himself before being interrupted by Starscream.

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Armada characters]]
[[Category:Animated characters]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Cybertron characters]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Double agents]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Ninjas]]
[[Category:Planet X]]
[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen characters]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise characters]]
[[Category:Robot Masters characters]]
[[Category:Scouts]]
[[Category:Spies]]
[[Category:Unicron-related characters]]

Starscream (Animated)

2010-07-31T20:58:53Z

69.140.106.144: /* Notes */

{{factions|decepticon}}
{{disambig3|Starscream}}
:''Starscream is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Transformers Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Starscreamanimated.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Special skills: <s>barefist fighting</s> backstabbing, aggressive negotiation, dramatic oratory, self-resurrection, clone production, [[chin]]-stroking.]]
'''Starscream''' is easily as accomplished, powerful and deserving of leadership as [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]. At least, that's what he thinks. Power-hungry and driven by jealousy, Starscream operates through three ideals: lying, manipulation and deception. And when all else fails, a bit of sabotage never goes astray. Wise bots are careful about turning their backs on Starscream, just in case it's the day he finally decides to shove in the knife.

Though not as powerful as Megatron (despite what he thinks of himself), Starscream is by no means a wimp. His weapons can demolish large buildings, and he can fly around so fast that he can break free of [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet's]] magnetic powers. Unfortunately, all these abilities are offset by an enormous ego and the tendency to make long, overbearing speeches when he should just get on with it and fight. More than once, his leanings towards bombast have caused him to miss a golden opportunity. Sadly, he doesn't seem to be learning from these mistakes.

{{bigquote|Fools! I am Starscream!...Hold your applause! Kneel and worship the TRUE leader of the Decepticons!...assuming I can ever dispose of that accursed Megatron.|Starscream|"[[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac]]"}}

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
{{Idw-tfa}}
:''Voice actor:'' [[Tom Kenny]] (English), [[Jin Yamanoi]] (Japan), [[Stefan Staudinger]] (German), [[Krzysztof Korzeniowski]] (Polish) [[Daniele Demma]] (Italian)

Starscream was aboard the ''[[Nemesis (Animated)|Nemesis]]'' when it came across an [[Teletran-1|Autobot repair ship]] that appeared to be emitting the energy signature of the fabled [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]]. Starscream's doubt of the AllSpark's very existence and his dismissal of Megatron's millennia-long search did not sit well with [[Lugnut]], and an argument broke out on the bridge until Megatron himself arrived and all fell silent. Starscream was forced to eat his words when [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] confirmed that the energy coming off the ship was indeed that of the AllSpark, but quickly volunteered to secure it for his leader. Seeing through his lieutenant's greed, Megatron put a dent in Starscream's wing and rose to obtain it for himself. As he was leaving, however, Starscream arrived at the airlock to wish Megatron luck and patted him on the back—planting an overload device on him in the process. As Megatron attacked the Autobot ship, the device overloaded his circuits and caused an explosion that led Starscream to believe that Megatron was no more. In the aftermath of the blast, Starscream got so caught up in his own greatness that he didn't notice that his comrades had left him on the ship, hurtling towards an exploding space bridge.

[[Image:MegsRisingPt1-StarTeeth.jpg|left|150px|thumb|He gained strength and speed and shiny teeth and as the Huntsman was reboo-oorn!]]
Surviving the explosion, Starscream spent the next fifty [[Units of time|solar cycles]] searching for the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] on his own, using the damaged ship as a base (and probably getting a few screws loose in his [[central processor]] in the meantime). Detecting the faint signal of the AllSpark on [[Earth]], Starscream tapped into television broadcasts from the planet and discovered that the Autobot ship had landed there. ''While heading for the planet, Starscream was approached by Blackarachnia, who was also seeking the AllSpark for her own purposes and proposed an alliance. Starscream was unsurprisingly unwilling to share power, and he booted Blackarachnia out into space just before the ship warped away. Starscream was so occupied by the task, however, that he failed to notice Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]] appearing in the ship's path.'' {{storylink|Dispatches}}

One crash-landing later, Starscream abandoned the ruined hulk of the ship and headed down to Earth, immediately drawing the attention of military jets. After a brief dogfight, Starscream scanned one of the jets as an alternate mode in order to continuing searching incognito. The search did not go on long, as Starscream found the Autobots watching a [[Crimson Angels]] air show, and he quickly joined in the proceedings. Upon revealing himself to the Autobots, he quickly thrashed each of them individually. Starscream mocked them, apparently assuming that the Autobots thought ''they'' had really defeated Megatron (whom he referred to as "the great Megatron" without sarcasm, so he seems to have at least a loathing respect for his leader's power). All too boastful of his cunning, Starscream boldly admitted that Megatron was already defeated by the bomb which Starscream himself had put on him. Despite being more powerful than the Autobots, Starscream failed to take the AllSpark, partially because he [[Megatron (BW)|spent too much time gloating]]. [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] grabbed Starscream in midair, and they opened the AllSpark, releasing a massive wave of energy. Optimus was killed by the energy surge and subsequent fall (he got better), while Starscream disappeared. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out}}

[[Image:StarscreamProfessorArrivalIssue2.jpg|thumb|Oh, so ''that's'' what happened to Whatisname...]]
''Starscream was hurled into the wilderness by the AllSpark energy surge, where he lay, unconscious and undisturbed, for an unspecified period of time. Eventually, Starscream came back online, only to discover that his body had succumbed to [[stasis lock]], leaving him immobile. As "luck" would have it, it was at this moment that he was happened upon by the villainous [[Professor Princess]], whom Starscream attempted to sweet-talk into triggering his manual reset. She was insistent upon "fixing up" Starscream first, plastering him with makeup and a wig, but when the horrified Starscream screamed at her, she just decided to blast him. Her rainbow-blast jumpstarted Starscream's systems, and he seized the Professor, but before he could reduce her to a pink stain, she threatened to broadcast an image of the prettified Starscream all over the world and perhaps the galaxy. Preferring ''not'' to be hideously embarrassed, Starscream let her live and quickly departed, unaware that she'd worked her fashion magic on his wings, too.'' {{storylink|Whatever Happened To Whatisname?}}

[[Image:Megatron rising 1 Starscream freakout.jpg|left|150px|thumb|"Do you have any idea how long I spent preparing that speech!?"]]
Starscream laid low on Earth, until he revealed himself to a badly damaged [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] and Lugnut, offering them help in exchange for their loyalty. {{storylink|Lost and Found (episode)|Lost and Found}} After repairing the duo, Starscream continually had to reassert his authority over the two walking malfunctions, who were quick to point out that their service was by threat, not choice. As Lugnut went prostrate with praise, Starscream was initially quite flattered by the hulking Decepticon's obsequity, but quickly learned that the big guy was being manipulated by an outside source. Tracking the transmission, he came to [[Sumdac Tower]] and was quite surprised to find the disembodied head of his former leader. Megatron, aware of Starscream's betrayal after seeing a news report on his earlier battle with the Autobots {{storylink|Home Is Where the Spark Is}} but not wanting to tip his hand, greeted Starscream as a "devoted and faithful subject", while Starscream adopted a subservient attitude himself. Beginning the smug monologue to end all smug monologues, he was interrupted by the senseless heroics of the Autobot [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]. Focusing his attentions on the yellow little squirt, he mistakenly assumed that Megatron was helpless, an oversight that allowed the galactic despot to control the lab's machinery and defenestrate the traitor. Even so Starscream remained fixated on Bumblebee, and thus was caught unaware when the repaired form of Megatron burst from the tower roof. {{storylink|Megatron Rising - Part 1}}

[[Image:PayThePiper.JPG|150px|thumb|Ghost in three...two...one...]]
Starscream watched with interest, tossing Bumblebee around absentmindedly as Megatron trashed the Autobots. When Megatron called out his loyal Decepticons, Starscream gracefully landed on Lugnut's head, ready to return to his position as second-in-command. Megatron prepared to fire on the Autobots, but quickly lashed out and rammed the [[AllSpark Key]] into Starscream's chest, seemingly offlining the traitor, who then crumpled to the ground. {{storylink|Megatron Rising - Part 2}}

[[Image:Jagged.JPG|left|150px|thumb|All tied up and ready for ''Kiss Players''.]]
Sometime later, Starscream awoke on a garbage barge, evidently thrown in by an Autobot cleaning up Detroit. He found he couldn't detect any Decepticons, not even himself. Panicking, he wondered if he was dead, but recovered when he realized he was still on Earth. Furious, he managed to track down Lugnut and Blitzwing and to follow them to the Decepticon base. There he challenged Megatron and was soundly sliced, blasted and thrown off a cliff. However, he again revived, except now he had no [[spark]]! Starscream discovered he was being kept alive by an AllSpark fragment embedded in his head. Using this newfound immortality to his advantage, he again attacked Megatron... and again and again and again, each time taking a trouncing and having his corpse thrown off a cliff by Blitzwing and Lugnut. Discovering another fragment, he set up a trap that would draw Megatron out and blow up both him and the city. He embedded the shard in a train engine, and as the overloading machine drew out Megatron, Blitzwing, the [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]] AND the Earth team, the plan seemed to be working. Unfortunately, the Autobots stopped the train, and Megatron knocked Starscream out of the sky, sending him crashing into the midst of the Autobots. He blasted [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] and took back his fragment, but was put into stasis lock when Optimus slipped [[Stasis cuffs|some cuffs]] on him. He was last seen bound, gagged and being taken onto the [[Steelhaven (Animated)|Elite Guard vessel]]. {{storylink|Mission Accomplished}}

While in transit on said vessel, Starscream somehow blasted his way out, once again vowing revenge against Megatron. Magnus sent word to Optimus Prime, warning him that Starscream was most likely on his way back to Earth. Megatron, eavesdropping on the conversation, offered a substantial reward for bringing Starscream to him.

To this end, [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] ran off by himself to the resting place of the ''Nemesis'' on the Moon, where he ran right into Starscream. Despite getting in behind Prowl, Starscream was rather easily disabled and put in stasis cuffs. While [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] and Prowl battled, Starscream somehow managed to escape.

Lockdown and Prowl agreed to team up, and they tracked down an apparently very scared Starscream, who was captured easily. While Lockdown brought him to Megatron, another Starscream turned up. This Starscream tried to deal with the Autobots, suggesting they team up to deal with their common enemy, Megatron. Prowl disabled him with ease, despite making a total mess.

[[Image:Lotta starscreams.jpg|thumb|Megs is gonna have a field day.]]
Shortly after Lockdown delivered "Starscream" into the hands of Megatron, the Autobots showed with the other Starscream. Confusion ensued, and suddenly both Starscreams exposed internal bombs, and a recording of the real Starscream revealed that his entire plan was to allow the [[Starscream clone (Animated)|clones of himself]] to be captured and take out all his enemies in one fell swoop. In his infinite wisdom, however, he apparently programmed the bombs to explode long after everyone had realized what had happened. Prowl sent the clones into the sky, where they exploded without destroying the city.

Afterwards, Megatron increased the bounty on Starscream, this time stipulating that it had to be the ''real'' one. Watching, Starscream cursed Megatron (again) and dismissed his failure, noting he had plenty more clones—an army of them. {{storylink|A Fistful of Energon}}

[[Image:Starscream with Shescream.jpg|thumb|left|Technically, she is my sister, and therefore unable to take me as her lover. After much soul searching, I have reluctantly decided, "What the hell", I just won't tell her.]]
His time alone allowed him to produce five clones of himself, which he empowered with small slivers of the AllSpark fragment in his head, giving them life. He quickly learned that each of the Starscreams was a different aspect of his personality: [[Skywarp (Animated)|cowardice]], [[Thundercracker (Animated)|ego]], [[Sunstorm (Animated)|sycophancy]], [[Ramjet (Animated)|deception]], and...[[Slipstream (Animated)|something else]]. He asked the female version of him where she came from, and she said not to ask. Once introductions were done, he ordered them on their merry way to Megatron's base. {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part I}}

[[Image:TFA ABTC1 Screamer Clones Emerge.jpg|thumb|There can be only one!]]
Upon reaching the base, the clone army attacked, leading to a free-for-all against Megatron's forces and the Autobots who'd assembled to stop the Decepticon leader's plan. During the fight, Starscream became fed up with his female clone telling him how to handle Megatron, as he'd been working on killing him long before she existed. She was unimpressed with his results to date. Eventually, his team overwhelmed Megatron, allowing two of the clones to subdue him while Starscream prepared to deal the killing blow. Starscream relished the moment, wryly assuring Megatron that he'd tell everyone that he died fighting valiantly—after naming Starscream as his successor. Abruptly, Starscream got head-jacked by [[Isaac Sumdac]] in a [[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster]] unit.

Starscream's inert body fell on top of his head, which put him out of action. Panicking, he told his clones to attack, but was outraged when they all sided with Megatron instead. Starscream's head was then glued to one of the walls by [[Mixmaster (Animated)|Mixmaster]]'s concrete. When he tried to mock Megatron's plan for the conquest of Cybertron, he had his mouth closed by more concrete. Poor Screamer.

[[Image:TFA ABTC2 Megatron Screamer End.jpg|150px|left|thumb|So...Megatron..how've you been]]
When Megatron's newly activated [[Space bridge]] ran out of power to maintain the portal to Cybertron, Megatron replaced the AllSpark fragment with Starscream's head, which overloaded the power systems. This caused the portal to expand and attempt to suck everything around it into itself. This included Starscream's head and Megatron, the latter of whom was disabled by Autobot stasis cuffs, which prevented him from resisting the space bridge's pull. The overload also caused the space bridge receiving coordinates to be deleted, dumping the pair into empty space. Without a body to manoeuvre, Starscream was forced to look at Megatron, while Megatron, still disabled by the stasis cuffs, suffered a similar problem. A long night of bickering commenced. {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}

[[Image:TransWarpedStarscreamsScream.jpg|thumb|200px|How... literal. And disturbingly yonic.]]
Somehow, Starscream managed to manoeuvre his head to begin trying to free Megatron from his stasis cuffs, either by gnawing on them or by picking them with a fragment of asteroid in his mouth. Megatron berated Starscream for his incompetence, whereupon the indignant Decepticon pointed out that this would be much easier if Megatron had reattached his head to his body back on Earth, and that they wouldn't even be here if Megatron hadn't overloaded the Space Bridge. Fuelled with anger, Starscream screamed that this was all Megatron's fault, during which the fragment in his head lit up... and Starscream's face suddenly unfolded into a sonic blaster that smashed Megatron's cuffs.

This was evidently not something from Starscream's original design plans, as he could be heard asking where that had come from once it had fired. Megatron didn't care, though; all that mattered was that he was free now. Starscream was petrified when Omega Supreme chose that moment to float into view, trying to denounce Megatron in order to save his own hide. Fortunately for them both, Omega Supreme was currently offline, giving Megatron an idea. Though Starscream nearly gave the plan away when he was brought inside the awoken giant, Megatron succeeded in installing Starscream's head into the computer to be used as a combination of power source and control mechanism.

[[Image:TransWarpedDigitalStarscream.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Take me to ATARI!]]
Megatron used Omega Supreme to attack the Autobots on Earth, and during the battle, [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] infiltrated Omega, accessed his internal processor, and helped him fight off Megatron's control... only for Starscream to take over instead. He continued fighting the Autobots until Megatron suggested that they just go conquer Cybertron instead. Starscream agreed that it was a good idea, but failed to make Omega transwarp as the giant's old friend [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] swayed his control. Eventually overpowering Omega's mind, Starscream tried flying into space, only for Optimus Prime to plant a [[plasmadynamic thruster]] on his new body, causing it to start warping around randomly in outer space. {{storylink|Transwarped}}

At some point during Starscream and Megatron's warping adventures, Starscream stopped controlling Omega Supreme's body, again reduced to a sarcastic head. After one of the warp jumps, Lugnut suddenly smacked into their windshield and joined their merry group. {{storylink|Decepticon Air}} Removing the plasmadynamic thruster, they traveled into Cybertron airspace, even though Omega Supreme was offline and drained of energy. Starscream advocated that they abandon the hulk before the Autobots picked them off in their helpless state, but Megatron disagreed. After the Decepticon agent [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] obtained Omega's activation codes, they picked him up and transwarped back to Earth's moon, where Starscream noted Lugnut's anger at Megatron complimenting Shockwave. {{storylink|This Is Why I Hate Machines}}

[[Image:TFA-Endgame-MegatronFieldDay.jpg|thumb|Megs has his field day.]]
Goading Lugnut into fighting Shockwave, Starscream used the distraction to roll himself back to his old headquarters, the wrecked ''Nemesis'', where he used a [[protoform]] and one of his many clone bodies to get himself back to 100%. Megatron subsequently destroyed the rest of the lifeless clone bodies, before explaining to Starscream his ultimate plan—creating Decepticon clones of Omega Supreme. When the time came for these clones to imprint upon a leader, Starscream went for a power grab yet again, knocking Megatron down and taking his place. However, he was in turn tackled by the eternally loyal Lugnut, who ended up becoming the template of the three "[[Lugnut Supreme]]s". As Megatron explained that this had been his plan all along, Starscream retorted that the giants would just be lifeless shells without his AllSpark fragment.

[[Image:TFA-Endgame-StarscreamBits.jpg|thumb|left|"It’s incredible! I can feel, I can touch, I’m alive! I can fondle, I can fiddle! Phwooar! I am ali—"]]
Unfortunately for him, Megatron had found three other fragments in Omega Supreme's spark chamber, and so and deemed Starscream useless before blasting his lower body to smithereens with a fusion cannon shot and leaving him on the surface of the Moon. {{storylink|Endgame, Part I}}

But this did not destroy the tenacious traitor, and he painstakingly reattached himself to a reassembled lower torso before transforming and flying to Earth. There, he was distracted from his goal of taking revenge on Megatron by a sudden severe pain in his head, which pulled him to Sumdac Towers, where he found Jazz and Prowl using their Processor-Over-Matter skills to reassemble AllSpark fragments. Realising what a threat this posed to him, he opened fire on them in an effort to distract them, but failed. His fragment was torn from his head, and Starscream, his sparkless body no longer fueled by the AllSpark, fell from the air, finally dead.

[[Image:TFAni EndgamePart2 Screamer Offlined.jpg|thumb|The ''seventh'' time's the charm.]]
He did leave behind a nasty post-mortem surprise, however: Upon the disconnection of Lugnut from the [[Lugnut Supreme]]s, a hidden program kicked in, a message from Starscream revealing that each of the Omega clones had been secretly outfitted with a nasty set of concealed explosives, now primed and ready to detonate. Unfortunately for Starscream, his revenge would not come to be. Not only did Omega Supreme destroy one clone while deactivating its explosive, the other was encased in an AllSpark-powered force field and failed to destroy anything...not even Megatron, who took the full force of the blast (albeit he was heavily damaged). {{storylink|Endgame, Part II}}
{{--}}

===Titan Magazines===
[[Image:Starscreamanimated_DinoMIGHT.jpg|right|150px|thumb|"''They're not singing they're not singing they're not singing any morrrre!''"]]

Megatron kept uncovering Starscream's hide-outs, so Starscream took [[Starscream clone (Animated)|his clone army]] and seized control of the Autobots' own base, reasoning the Decepticons would never look for him ''there''. His plan was undone by the [[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobots]]. {{storylink|Dino-MIGHT!}}

He later acted as the backer for the supervillain [[Crossroads]], giving him a sliver of Megatron (no, it ''wasn't'' explained how he got it) that completed the man's robot-controlling gauntlets. Starscream didn't care that Crossroads was going to hurt robots, as long as he made sure to turn the city against the Autobots. Boo, hiss! {{storylink|Crossroads!}}

Later still, he appeared out of nowhere to hack into the [[Wraith-X]] stealth bomber and send it off to bomb Detroit to bits, seemingly just for shits and giggles. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 23|Divebomb}} It turned out he'd been let back into the Decepticons for... some reason, joining their massed attack on the Autobot base. Of course, he used that as a way to ensure Megatron had an "accident", and then "saved him"; as a result, Megatron become stupid and believed he could be trusted with temporary command of the Decepticons... {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 24|Megatron's Revenge}}

===Animated shorts===
Starscream mocked Megatron during a speech by the latter. {{storylink|Starscream Heckles Megatron}}
{{--}}

===''The Cool'' comic===

Leading [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] and [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]], Starscream lead the Decepticons in an attack on [[Detroit]] against the Autobots. Clashing directly with [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]], Starscream's ultimate goal was to seize the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]]. {{storylink|The Cool issue 1|The Cool #1}}

Starscream ultimately succeeded, snatching the AllSpark out of [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]]'s hands. He announced to the stunned Autobots that he had destroyed [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] with his own hands and would now use the power of the AllSpark to cull the weak from the universe. Optimus Prime had other ideas, however, and falling down from the sky in vehicle mode, transformed to robot mode and grabbed one side of the AllSpark. Refusing to let Starscream use its power for evil, Prime opened the AllSpark, unleashing all its energy. Starscream took the energy square to the face, apparently getting vaporized. {{storylink|The Cool issue 2|The Cool #2}}

==Toys==
===Animated===
[[Image:TFAnimated Voyager Starscream toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|What? Decepticon sigil not upside down? HERESY! HERESYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!]]
*'''Starscream''' (Voyager, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TA-07'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 missiles

: Starscream transforms into a futuristic, forward-swept wing jet fighter based upon the [http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/s37/ Su-47 (S-37) Berkut Experimental Fighter] and the [http://www.mahq.net/MECHA/macross/plus/yf-19.htm YF-19 "Alpha One"] from the series ''[[wikipedia:Macross_Plus|Macross Plus]]''.

: His twin "sonic shock blaster" spring-loaded missile launchers can slide forward, opening panels on his forearms (referred to as blasters on the packaging). Landing gear in his vehicle mode flip down from his undercarriage, and his blasters flip forward or back for a "hidden" attack. He also features two [[automorph]] gimmicks. When his nose cone is pushed in, his undercarriage folds into his hips. Folding his shoulders down also pushes up his head. Though not really an "automorph", with the arms and legs out of the way, his spring loaded wings fold down by themselves. His arms are also ''just'' poseable enough to stroke that enormous chin.

:His missiles have tiny shark faces molded into them.

:The [[TakaraTomy]] release of the figure uses a bright shade of blue for both wings and canopy.

:As with [[Seeker (body-type)|past incarnations]], Starscream was [[Redeco|redecoed]] as [[Skywarp (Animated)|''Animated'' Skywarp]], [[Sunstorm (Animated)|''Animated'' Sunstorm]], and [[Thundercracker (Animated)|''Animated'' Thundercracker]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/Starscream/starscream.htm More information on Voyager Starscream at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|activator}}
[[Image:Activatorsstarscream.jpg|right|250px|thumb|I shall call him Screamer and he shall be mine and he shall be my Screamer. Come here, Screamer!]]
*'''Starscream''' (Activators, 2008)

: A smaller, simpler version of Starscream, the Activators Starscream toy has a spring-loaded autotransform gimmick that springs him from Harrier jet mode to robot mode in one easy step, although robot to Harrier jet mode is still that good old manual click-it-up yourself transformation, giving you the best of both worlds.

: Activators Starscream greatly resembles Voyager Starscream, especially when compared to several other Activators and their respective larger toys, with the only discernible difference between Activators and Voyager Starscream is that Activator Starscream's wings sit lower on his back. Most notably, this toy possesses more show-accurate weapons than its Voyager counterpart, due to the lack of a launching mechanism.

: This mold was also used to make ''Animated'' [[Thundercracker (Animated)|Thundercracker]] and [[Dirge (Animated)|Dirge]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/ActStarscream/starscream.htm More information on Activators Starscream at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|McDonald's}}
*'''Starscream''' (McDonald's Happy Meal Toy, 2008)

:A simple version of Starscream with a very simple transformation sequence. A tad unique among the McDonald's ''Animated'' toys, he has given up a toy accurate vehicle mode for a toy accurate robot mode. You transform him by splitting the front of the jet to form the legs, snapping up the feet, lowering the rear wings and rotating his head. His robot mode, save for the fact the wings are pointing the wrong direction and that he is missing his guns, is decently [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]], but his vehicle mode totally sucks. Plain and simple.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/McStarscream/starscream.htm More information on McDonald's Starscream at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|RescueRatchet}}
[[Image:Legends animated starscream purpledeco.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The Decepticon formerly-known-as-Starscream.]]
*'''Rescue Ratchet''' (Animated 3-pack, 2008)

: A Legends-class Starscream came packaged with this [[Target]]-[[exclusive]] version of [[Ratchet (Animated)#Rescue|Ratchet]], as well as a Legends [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]. He features a purplier, sparkly base plastic and fewer paint applications, particularly on the head.

:This mold was also used to make [[Thundercracker (Animated)|Thundercracker]] Clear Blue Ver., [[Skywarp (Animated)|Skywarp]] Clear Purple Ver., [[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]] Clear Orange Ver., [[Ramjet (Animated)|Ramjet]] Clear White Ver., and [[Starscream Clone Black Ver.]]

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/AniLegendsStarscream/starscream.htm More information on Legends Starscream at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
[[Image:AniLegendsStarscreamClearPurple.jpg|250px|thumb]]
*'''Starscream Clear Purple Ver.''' (EZ Collection, 2010)

:A redeco of Legends Starscream in mostly translucent purple with some parts, such as his wings, in opaque lavender. He was only available at Jusco stores in Japan (but not at ones in their [[wikipedia:Ryukyu Islands|Ryukyu]] branch), given away for free to customers who purchased Voyager-class [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] or [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]].

===Universe (2008)===
[[Image:Universe2008-toy LegendsAniStarscream.JPG|right|250px|thumb|And yet, his ego remains as big as ever.]]
*'''Starscream''' (Legends, 2008)

:Legends-class Starscream transforms surprisingly similarly to his larger counterparts. He is notable for being the only version of the character to have his weapons mounted correctly on his upper arms, rather than his lower arms (though this is largely because he completely lacks elbows). However, as with his past versions, he is again not gray, but apparently a shade of blue.

:This figure was redecoed in the Animated line, in a Target exclusive [[Starscream (Animated)#RescueRatchet|three-pack]] with Rescue Ratchet and Prowl.

{{--}}

==Notes==
*In a podcasted audio interview, [[Marty Isenberg]] revealed that he originally wanted to play Starscream's name ironically — he wanted the character to have a quiet, whispery tone, as he '''really''' didn't like the screechy voice of [[Starscream (G1)|the original Starscream]] (though, at the same time, he pointed out that he has nothing against [[Chris Latta|his actor]]). [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] argued against this idea, and Tom Kenny's reading finally won Marty over.
* Though he never ''truly'' took out Megatron, this Starscream may be the most successful to bear the name to date.
* There is some confusion as to precisely what weapons Starscream has. According to the Decepticon character descriptions sent out in the initial [[Cartoon Network]] press release for ''Transformers Animated'', Starscream "can affect a sonic scream and produce powerful blasts of sound that can send enemies spinning through the atmosphere". His toy packaging declares that he has "twin sonic shock blasters" rather than the [[null-ray]]s of his Generation 1 counterpart, while a bio on the [[Hasbro]] website declares that ''Animated'' Starscream '''does''' have null-rays... while otherwise being a direct copy of the press release text, which doesn't mention them anywhere. What is unquestionably Starscream's "sonic scream" appears in the third season episode "TransWarped", apparently a modification created by the AllSpark fragment in his head. Similarly, in the same episode, Blurr tells [[Skywarp (Animated)|Skywarp]] and [[Thundercracker (Animated)|Thundercracker]] to use alternating sonic pulses to destabilise the concrete the trio are trapped in. This could point to Starscream's arm-mounted cannons being sonic shock blasters, as he was addressing Skywarp, but also could be a reference to Generation 1 [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and his ability to create sonic booms.
*Several times in the series, Starscream's alt-mode is called a "harrier jet". In the real world, this term actually refers to just one specific jet type--the [[United Kingdom|British]]-designed V/STOL-capable [[wikipedia:Harrier_Jump_Jet|Harrier Jump Jet]]--which very clearly is not Starscream's altmode. Then again, the series is set about 100 years in the future, so perhaps the jet designs or terminology could have changed.
* ''[[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2‎]]'' hints that Starscream will return from the dead yet again, due to assistance from Slipstream.

[[Category:Animated characters]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Fast food exclusives]]
[[Category:Targetmasters]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Shockwave (Animated)

2010-07-18T19:54:16Z

69.140.106.144: /* Notes */

{{factions|decepticon|autobot|eliteguard}}
{{disambig3|Shockwave}}
{{disambig3|Longarm}}
:''Shockwave is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:TFA Shockwave.jpg|thumb|right|250px|My awesomeness is logical.]]

'''Shockwave''' is a covert agent in service to [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]. This size-changing master of disguise has infiltrated the Autobot security apparatus at the highest level: his cover persona is '''Longarm Prime''', head of [[Cybertron Intelligence]], reporting directly to [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] himself. The undercover Decepticon is the perfect agent to pull this off, as he's able to change his voice, his appearance, and even his energy signature. This puts Shockwave in the perfect position to undermine and mislead the Autobots while feeding strategic information to his true master. To establish his credibility, "Longarm" attended the [[Autobot boot camp]] alongside Bumblebee and Bulkhead. Over the years, he worked his way up the Autobot hierarchy until finally he was promoted to be the very head of the Intelligence Division itself!

Befitting a double agent, Shockwave is highly secretive and fearful of detection. Befitting a cartoon villain, he can confidently give those secrets away if he thinks he's winning. If he suspects his cover may be compromised, he's given to acts of desperation.

{{bigquote|Rise, Shockwave: my most loyal servant!|Megatron|"[[This Is Why I Hate Machines]]"}}

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
{{Idw-tfa}}
:''Voice actor'': [[Corey Burton]] (English), [[Helmut Gauß]] (German)

[[Image:TFA Longarm.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Why am I wearing a scuba mask?]]

[[Image:TFA Shockwave DoubleAgent.jpg|thumb|right|150px|So does that mean he's Shockwave Prime?]]
Shockwave was recruited by Megatron because his mass-shifting abilities allowed him to impersonate effectively a wide variety of shapes and sizes, making it difficult for Autobots to accurately track him during missions of infiltration and sabotage. It was these traits which led to Megatron sending him to enlist in the Autobot armed services as a means of climbing the ranks and eventually taking the organization down from within.

With the aid of [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]], {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac|The AllSpark Almanac}} Shockwave crafted a young Autobot persona and form for himself from old historical records <ref>Shockwave's on-package bio</ref> and enrolled in [[Autobot boot camp]], where his ability to stretch his limbs to great lengths (a limited use of his ability to change shape and size) earned him the name "Longarm" from his drill sergeant [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Minor]]. However, he slipped up in the early days of training and was overheard reporting to Megatron by the black sheep recruit [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]. Although Shockwave managed to avoid detection right away, Bumblebee was tipped off to the presence of a traitor in the camp and suspected fellow recruit [[Wasp]], whom he spotted leaving the building shortly afterward. Bumblebee turned to the espionage-savvy Longarm for advice, and Shockwave used the opportunity to divert attention away from himself. He suggested that the young Autobot refrain from telling their commander, [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Minor]], so that 'Bee could take all the credit himself. Unfortunately, all of Bumblebee's efforts only got him in worse trouble, and his fellow recruits began to bully him, with Longarm being the only one to stick up for him. After several failures on Bumblebee's part, Shockwave took matters into his own hands during a training exercise and switched the training equipment to live ammo in an attempt to offline the Autobot and keep the whole matter of a traitor a secret. Luckily for Bumblebee, this plan was foiled by [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]].

Eventually, Shockwave found out that Sentinel Minor intended to conduct a surprise inspection, and he contrived to set up Wasp to take the fall himself. After planting a Decepticon communicator in Wasp's locker, Shockwave, as Longarm, informed Bumblebee of the upcoming inspection, telling him that it was his last chance to find the evidence he needed. Using one of his extensible limbs to trip up Wasp, Shockwave allowed Bumblebee to palm Wasp's locker key as 'Bee helped him up, allowing him to find the communicator and show it to Sentinel. In the end, Wasp was dragged off to prison, and Longarm commended Bumblebee for his deductive work.

Subsequently, Shockwave graduated boot camp and eventually became the head of [[Cybertron Intelligence]]. Now "Longarm [[Prime (rank)#Transformers Animated|'''Prime''']]", he remained in this position, hiding in plain sight, for the fifty stellar cycles that Megatron was lost on [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Autoboot Camp}} He may have murdered [[Highbrow (Animated)|Intel director Highbrow]] to get the job. <ref>''[[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club]]''</ref>

''After [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]]'s ship was lost, Longarm pressed Sentinel to continue the search for the ship's crew, the AllSpark and [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]. His pleas fell on deaf ears. {{storylink|Dispatches}}''

After Megatron succeeded in restoring himself and the Decepticons were assembled on Earth, he re-established contact with Shockwave on Cybertron and initiated a plan to construct a [[space bridge]] that would allow the Decepticons to conquer the planet from within. {{storylink|Mission Accomplished}} Wasp, now criminally insane, escaped from prison, and Megatron started receiving transmissions from his double agent on Cybertron. When Megatron's captive, [[Isaac Sumdac]], attempted to alert the Autobots to the existence of the double agent by bouncing a transmission to their base, Bumblebee again suspected Wasp. He reported the news to Longarm Prime on Cybertron, but of course, that accomplished nothing. {{storylink|Autoboot Camp}}

[[Image:Anim shockwave pinchy.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Pinchy pinchy!]]

When the completed space bridge failed to function, Megatron contacted Shockwave and instructed him to locate the top space bridge specialist on Cybertron to help correct the problem. Shockwave was surprised to discover that the specialist was already on Earth; it was Bulkhead! Bulkhead was subsequently captured by Megatron and forced to perfect the space bridge. {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part I}} The other Autobots arrived too late to stop him, and they were defeated by the Decepticons and strung up to watch as the bridge was activated. Shockwave revealed his alter ego of Longarm Prime to the Autobots, disclosing that he had already given Megatron an appropriate access code and forcing Bumblebee to feel the shame of sending an innocent Wasp to prison. When Megatron tried to test the space bridge by sending Optimus Prime through it, Shockwave assured his master that he awaited the "test subject" on the other side. Unfortunately, an attempt by Megatron to boost power caused the space bridge to overload, deleting the access code and setting the space bridge to random coordinates. {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}

Megacycles later, Shockwave, as Longarm once more, assured Ultra Magnus that the Decepticons would not be able to reach the Cybertron Space Bridge nexus. Shockwave then contacted [[Team Chaar]], who had successfully taken over a space bridge and were ready to use it in order to gate to Cybertron. [[Strika (Animated)|Strika]] asked for permission to begin the assault, only to have Shockwave deny her request. She was to stay put with her team and wait for Megatron to arrive, even if he was megacycles overdue.

[[Image:TransWarpedBlurrLongarm.jpg|left|thumb|250px|"Whoops—there's a bug on your head, Blurr. Holllld stilll..."]]

Not long afterward, the entire Space Bridge Nexus powered down. Confused, Longarm questioned Cybertron Command, and [[Cliffjumper (Animated)|Cliffjumper]] informed him that Ultra Magnus had ordered the shutdown in order to prevent the Decepticons from accessing Cybertron. Just then, Agent [[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] arrived and (very) quickly informed Longarm that while on Earth, he had intercepted a transmission between Megatron and and his double agent on Cybertron, Shockwave. Further, Blurr noted that Shockwave's voice didn't match that of the suspected Wasp, but quick search of the Cybertron Intel Database would allow them to find the true identity of the traitor. Shocked, Longarm asked if Blurr had shared this information with anyone else. When Blurr replied that he had not, Shockwave decided it would be wise to quiet him down—permanently. Blurr eluded his initial attempts and escaped into the corridors around the nexus control center. Rather than give chase, Shockwave simply had the corridors' security hatches slam shut and close in on Blurr, trapping and crushing him to death.

At the [[Metroplex (Animated) | Metroplex]], Longarm handed over Blurr's remains to Cliffjumper, calling the small cube "sensitive materials." He received an incoming transmission from Lord Megatron in his private office. They traded information on their respective setbacks, but Megatron assured Shockwave that he had [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|a method]] of preventing the Earth Autobots from blowing Shockwave's cover.

Shortly, Longarm Prime attended an [[Autobot High Council]] meeting, where Ultra Magnus declared that the Decepticons' attacks were too organized to be random acts of sabotage. Rather, evidence pointed to a double agent in the Autobots' midst. Longarm nervously pointed out that the Decepticon uprisings had started after Wasp's escape, making the cause plain. Ultra Magnus agreed and ordered [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] and Sentinel Prime to organize an Elite Guard Unit to find the escapee. He then requested that the Earth-bound Autobots be contacted. Increasingly distraught, Longarm declared that all communications should be first filtered through him, without exceptions—for the sake of security and the protection of Cybertron, naturally. {{storylink|TransWarped}}

Unfortunately, Longarm's insistence on diverting blame toward Wasp was his undoing. When Wasp headed to Earth, Ultra Magnus didn't inform him about Wasp's destination until the Elite Guard's ship was in sight of the planet. Knowing he was on the verge of being exposed, Shockwave tried to contact Megatron, but still received no response. With no other orders on how to proceed, Shockwave took matters into his own hands: In an effort to inflict one last blow to the Autobots, Shockwave attacked and seriously damaged Ultra Magnus, stealing his Magnus hammer in the process. {{storylink|Where Is Thy Sting?}}

When the Autobots became trapped in [[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave's]] virtual reality, Shockwave appeared to invade and attack Earth. However, he didn't seem to do much besides set an apartment on fire. {{storylink|Human Error, Part I}}

[[Image:TFAni ThisisWhyIHateMachines Shockwave TrueColors.jpg|thumb|240px|right|Wish you'd bought that repaint now, don't you?]]
After escaping, Shockwave hid in an underground tunnel, concealed from detection, waiting for Megatron to call. The Decepticon leader, trapped inside of [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] along with [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] and [[Lugnut]], contacted Shockwave, who revealed a way to gain the access codes for Omega Supreme. However, Shockwave was soon discovered by [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] and [[Captain Fanzone]]. He easily defeated them and went to find the female intelligence agent [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]. To do this, he "asked" an informant-bot named [[Rattletrap]] for the directions. However, he apparently got lost, and so merely hid and waited for Fanzone and Ratchet to find her. He battled Ratchet and severely wounded the elderly Autobot. During the battle, he then found Ultra Magnus, still wounded. He was about to kill him for good when Ratchet used his EMP generator on both Shockwave ''and'' Ultra Magnus's hammer. Ratchet was then distracted by the arrival of temporary Magnus Sentinel Prime. After getting back online, Shockwave took Arcee and escaped to Omega Supreme, using the access codes to transwarp to Earth's orbit. He then celebrated his freedom to serve Megatron openly by [[electronic paint job|changing]] into more...[[Shockwave (G1)|suitable colors]], while [[Lugnut]] silently fumed at Megatron's description of him as his "most loyal servant". {{storylink|This Is Why I Hate Machines}}

[[Image:TFA-Endgame-ShockwavePointsAndLaughs.jpg|thumb|left|240px|It is only logical that you're an idiot.]]
Shockwave worked on the captured Arcee, initially hitting an early datatrax from her time as a teacher before the Great War. Megatron assured his "ever-loyal Shockwave" that if any bot could access the right datatrax, it was him. Combined with some taunting by Starscream, this sent Lugnut into a frenzy of jealousy, and he knocked Shockwave across the room as he begged for Megatron's favour. Shockwave in turn pointed out that while Lugnut was "fawning at Megatron's feet", he'd risked "spark and servo" as a double agent. This didn't go over well, and soon the two purple 'Cons were fighting one another. Later, with both sent to convert material from the wrecked [[Nemesis (Animated)|Decepticon flagship]] into [[Lugnut Supreme|clones of Omega Supreme]], Shockwave could be seen pointing and laughing at a misfortune on his rival's part.

After dropping a bit of stripped material from the wrecked ship, unwittingly nearly crushing a spying Bumblebee, Shockwave returned to working on Arcee and successfully restored her to the [[The Thrill of the Hunt|point at which her memory was wiped]]. Briefly returning to his grey "Longarm" mode, he confirmed that she had the activation codes, so he ripped the wires which artificially sustained her from her head, knocking her back into stasis. Outside, with the clones ready for activation, he rebooted Arcee. Despite "Longarm's" prompting, she refused to give the activation codes to Megatron voluntarily. Instead, Shockwave knocked her back into stasis and extracted the codes manually, making no comment when they ended up in Lugnut and Megatron proclaimed Lugnut his "most loyal lieutenant". As it turned out, however, the codes which Shockwave had torn from Arcee were missing a crucial "security upgrade patch", and he was forced to rig up an inelegant bypass—involving Lugnut directly puppeteering the clones—until he could retrieve the rest of the code from Arcee. {{storylink|Endgame, Part I}}

[[Image:EndGamePartII-Longarm.jpg|right|thumb|200px|You wouldn't hit a purple guy, would you?]]

As Shockwave attempted to find the patch in Arcee's processor, Megatron grew impatient with Lugnut's giving a long speech on the greatness of his Glorious Leader before he would actually do anything with the clones, and angrily enquired of Shockwave if he was done yet. Shockwave replied, with great amusement in his voice, that he was still working on it and Megatron would have to relay all orders through Lugnut for the time being.

[[Image:TFA-Endgame-PanAcrossEveryone.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Decepticons have failed forevermore.]]

Apparently, he gave up on extracting the patch, and instead left Arcee - her datatrax once again reverted to her teaching days - on the lunar surface as a trap, while he waited to ambush any Autobots who came for her and Omega Supreme. The group which transwarped there, led by Ratchet, blundered straight into the trap, and Ratchet was forced to flee with Arcee and [[Sari Sumdac]] while Bumblebee and Bulkhead confronted their old classmate. While Shockwave initially had little difficulty as they attempted to attack from distance, he couldn't deal with Bulkhead's strength Bot-to-Con, and was left sprawled on the lunar surface, his cannon knocked out of reach. In a desperate attempt to buy time, he switched to Longarm mode - forgetting to activate his [[electronic paint job]] - but the pair of Autobots were not impressed, and Bulkhead smashed the cannon.

He was last seen as the Autobots' prisoner, being paraded before a large crowd on Cybertron. {{storylink|Endgame, Part II}}

{{-}}
===Toy bios===
After graduating near the top of his class at the [[Autobot Academy]], he rose through the ranks of the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] to become the head of its Intelligence Division. Though he normally enjoys a subtle approach, blackmailing Autobots in positions of authority, Bumblebee's hyperactive personality annoys him enough to make him break cover and attack the Autobot directly.

==Toys==
===Animated===
[[Image:Longarmanimatedvoyager.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Punch.]]
[[Image:Shockwaveanimatedvoyager.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Counterpunch.]]
* '''Shockwave''' (Voyager, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TA-14'''
:Representing his double nature in the cartoon, ''Animated'' Shockwave becomes both the Autobot Longarm and Decepticon Shockwave, featuring four distinct modes. In "Infiltration Mode," the shorter, stockier Autobot Longarm transforms into a four-legged crane platform. If one fancies, one can stretch out his Shockwave-mode limbs to emulate his limb-stretching ability in Longarm mode (albeit not very well). In "Spy Mode," he stretches and converts into the taller, lankier Decepticon Shockwave, as the crane portion of Longarm's body converts into a hand-held cannon. The center panel on his chest flips between Autobot and Decepticon symbols. Both chest symbols are vacuum metalized, with very shiny silver and gold. Curiously, while the rotating faction symbols on his chest use the usual "classic" designs, the tampographed Decepticon symbol on his cannon/crane is in the movie style, and is visible in his Autobot modes. Additionally, the only mode in which Longarm's head is not fully visible is Shockwave himself.

:All the differences between Shockwave and Longarm can be difficult to remember, even for Hasbro. In the "tank mode" picture at right, the secondary guns are incorrectly folded back. On the back of this toy's box, there are several small transformation errors, the most obvious being that only ''one'' of Shockwave's shoulders has been correctly rotated up. Also, the toy [[instruction booklet|instructions]] do not show Shockwave's neck as correctly extended (his chin is touching his chestplate in the instructions, just as for Longarm). They also fail to mention that you can bend his upper torso forward as Shockwave to better replicate the slouch that he has in the cartoon.

:The instructions for the trilingual packaging version of Shockwave have an odd error, in the space that should explain the transformation for his hands, is a glitched/overlapping version of the final two steps instead.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/Shockwave/shockwave.htm More information on Shockwave at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Target}}
[[Image:Shockwavepurplebumblebeetoys.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Chugway.<ref>According to the ''Animated'' DVD closed captioning for [[Autoboot Camp]].</ref>]]
* '''Shockwave VS Bumblebee''' (Multi-pack, 2009)

:A predominantly purple [[redeco]] of the Voyager toy, this version of Shockwave is packaged with an apparently unaltered [[Activators]]-class [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] figure. Shockwave retains his four modes and gimmickry within each. A Target stores [[exclusive]], this set was available simultaneously with the [[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]]/[[Ratchet (Animated)#Activators|Ratchet]] multi-pack. Although this version seems to be a less convincing Autobot due to its purple paintjob, in one respect he would be a better spy in this form, as the repaint doesn't have the Decepticon symbol on the cannon arm to give him away. The Autobot and Decepticon symbols are also now red and purple, as opposed to the original silver and gold.
: The official Hasbro picture at right contains several transformation errors: In robot mode, Shockwave's shoulders are not rotated up. In tank mode, the secondary guns are not deployed, the red panels which are on the robot mode's shoulders have not been flipped to show the tank's treads, and the middle panel on the side of the tank is oriented wrong (the circle should be down, not back). In addition, his head is not fully retracted. Plus, his gun is in crane mode, '''NOT''' in cannon mode. Someone at Hasbro is dozing.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/Shockwave/shockwave.htm More information on Purple Shockwave at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Notes==

* Actor Corey Burton reprises the role of Shockwave from Generation 1, reusing precisely the same British-accented, [[Wikipedia:Sark (Tron)|David-Warner-inspired]] voice for the character (while employing an American accented variation for Longarm). In an online interview with Seibertron.com in early 2009 (sadly lost owing to a server crash), Burton revealed that Shockwave's inclusion in Season 2 arose from a between-scenes conversation he had with the production team, regarding how little the original Shockwave actually had to do.

* In somewhat of a reversal, while this incarnation of Shockwave has much fewer appearances than his original incarnation, he does a heck of a lot more stuff: in just a few fleeting appearances on Animated, Shockwave manages to destroy Wasp's life, kill a [[Blurr (Animated)|popular recurring character]], bring down Cybertron's entire interplanetary transport and communications system, brutally assault the Magnus (and steal his hammer!), and give Megatron control of the Autobots' [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|most feared and powerful weapon]]. Shockwave is ''awesome''. And it is very logical indeed.

* While Shockwave possesses the single, round optic and window-chest of his Generation 1 counterpart, much of the rest of his body appears to be largely patterned after ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]]; he transforms into an "H-tank", the front treads end up on his shoulders and the rear treads end up on the back of his lower legs, plus he has the large, spiky "antlers" on his head. Additionally, Shockwave's vehicle mode appears to be loosely based on one of the [[Transtech]] sketch designs for Megatron, with the high angled treads and turret. However, Shockwave is much thinner and taller than Megatron, and is also able to bend his knees.

[[Image:Chugway.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Closed Captioning provided by the Zero Wing Translation Team.]]
* The [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)/home video|DVD]] closed captioning for the episode "[[Autoboot Camp]]" mispelled Shockwave's name as Chugway. Seriously. No, it's not a joke.

* Shockwave's status as an Elite Guard member in his Longarm identity is an issue fraught with much confusion. His on-package [[bio]] states that, as Longarm, he rose through the ranks of the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] to reach his current position; this theoretically meshes with Longarm's cover story in "Autoboot Camp", where he states that he wishes to become an Elite Guard intelligence officer<ref>On the other hand, ''everyone else'' (outside of Bulkhead) in Sentinel Minor's recruit line-up stated that they wanted to serve some function in the Elite Guard, and none of them actually ended up in it.</ref>. However, [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] has informed this wiki that Longarm is not actually a member of that group in the cartoon continuity. Shockwave's status as a nonmember of the Elite Guard is supported by Longarm's lack of the Elite Guard's winged Autobot symbol, and the evident fact that, while Longarm ''is'' head of the Autobot Intelligence Division, the Autobot Intelligence Division is ''not'' a part of the Elite Guard; Longarm's immediate predecessor as head of the organization, [[Highbrow (Animated)|Highbrow]], did not sport the Elite Guard symbol either. Adding to this confusion, Longarm was drawn with an Elite Guard symbol in [[Dispatches|''The Arrival'' #1]], but this seems to have been in error, as Sentinel Prime {{m-}} stated to be ''the second-in-command'' of the Elite Guard in the story {{m-}} sported a normal Autobot symbol throughout it, suggesting the symbol-paster got confused.
** [[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2]] suggests that part of the reason Shockwave isn't an Elite Guardsman is toy-based. The toy's faction symbol rotates to switch allegiances, and the wider Elite Guard symbol wouldn't have been mechanically feasible.

[[Image:Shockwave_goodside.jpg|thumb|right|180px|I hear this is my good side...]]

*Both "Shockwave and "Longarm" have official alternate capitalizations. The credits of "[[TransWarped]]" give "LongArm Prime", and the credits for "[[This Is Why I Hate Machines]]" have "ShockWave".

* Despite not having a face, Shockwave still manages to have a [[chin]].

* Like [[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]], Shockwave has the ability to fly despite having a land-based vehicle mode. Unlike Soundwave, his ability is explained by having rocket boosters in his feet [[Megatron (Animated)|like]] [[Starscream (Animated)|several]] [[Lugnut|other]] [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Decepticons]].

* Having dispatched of both Highbrow and (allegedly) Blurr, Shockwave has the dubious honor of having killed more named characters in ''Animated'' than any other Decepticon. Also, according to [[AllSpark Almanac II|AllSpark_Almanac_II]], Ultra Magnus never did make it through spark-supoort. Yikes, Shockwave, yikes.

*As his "true" eye is in his forehead, it's possible his Longarm eyes are in fact false eyes, and don't actually function.
{{-}}

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Animated characters]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Double agents]]
[[Category:Elite Guard]]
[[Category:Spies]]
[[Category:Transformers with multiple modes]]

Shockwave (Animated)

2010-07-18T19:53:40Z

69.140.106.144: /* Notes */

{{factions|decepticon|autobot|eliteguard}}
{{disambig3|Shockwave}}
{{disambig3|Longarm}}
:''Shockwave is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:TFA Shockwave.jpg|thumb|right|250px|My awesomeness is logical.]]

'''Shockwave''' is a covert agent in service to [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]. This size-changing master of disguise has infiltrated the Autobot security apparatus at the highest level: his cover persona is '''Longarm Prime''', head of [[Cybertron Intelligence]], reporting directly to [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] himself. The undercover Decepticon is the perfect agent to pull this off, as he's able to change his voice, his appearance, and even his energy signature. This puts Shockwave in the perfect position to undermine and mislead the Autobots while feeding strategic information to his true master. To establish his credibility, "Longarm" attended the [[Autobot boot camp]] alongside Bumblebee and Bulkhead. Over the years, he worked his way up the Autobot hierarchy until finally he was promoted to be the very head of the Intelligence Division itself!

Befitting a double agent, Shockwave is highly secretive and fearful of detection. Befitting a cartoon villain, he can confidently give those secrets away if he thinks he's winning. If he suspects his cover may be compromised, he's given to acts of desperation.

{{bigquote|Rise, Shockwave: my most loyal servant!|Megatron|"[[This Is Why I Hate Machines]]"}}

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
{{Idw-tfa}}
:''Voice actor'': [[Corey Burton]] (English), [[Helmut Gauß]] (German)

[[Image:TFA Longarm.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Why am I wearing a scuba mask?]]

[[Image:TFA Shockwave DoubleAgent.jpg|thumb|right|150px|So does that mean he's Shockwave Prime?]]
Shockwave was recruited by Megatron because his mass-shifting abilities allowed him to impersonate effectively a wide variety of shapes and sizes, making it difficult for Autobots to accurately track him during missions of infiltration and sabotage. It was these traits which led to Megatron sending him to enlist in the Autobot armed services as a means of climbing the ranks and eventually taking the organization down from within.

With the aid of [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]], {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac|The AllSpark Almanac}} Shockwave crafted a young Autobot persona and form for himself from old historical records <ref>Shockwave's on-package bio</ref> and enrolled in [[Autobot boot camp]], where his ability to stretch his limbs to great lengths (a limited use of his ability to change shape and size) earned him the name "Longarm" from his drill sergeant [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Minor]]. However, he slipped up in the early days of training and was overheard reporting to Megatron by the black sheep recruit [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]. Although Shockwave managed to avoid detection right away, Bumblebee was tipped off to the presence of a traitor in the camp and suspected fellow recruit [[Wasp]], whom he spotted leaving the building shortly afterward. Bumblebee turned to the espionage-savvy Longarm for advice, and Shockwave used the opportunity to divert attention away from himself. He suggested that the young Autobot refrain from telling their commander, [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Minor]], so that 'Bee could take all the credit himself. Unfortunately, all of Bumblebee's efforts only got him in worse trouble, and his fellow recruits began to bully him, with Longarm being the only one to stick up for him. After several failures on Bumblebee's part, Shockwave took matters into his own hands during a training exercise and switched the training equipment to live ammo in an attempt to offline the Autobot and keep the whole matter of a traitor a secret. Luckily for Bumblebee, this plan was foiled by [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]].

Eventually, Shockwave found out that Sentinel Minor intended to conduct a surprise inspection, and he contrived to set up Wasp to take the fall himself. After planting a Decepticon communicator in Wasp's locker, Shockwave, as Longarm, informed Bumblebee of the upcoming inspection, telling him that it was his last chance to find the evidence he needed. Using one of his extensible limbs to trip up Wasp, Shockwave allowed Bumblebee to palm Wasp's locker key as 'Bee helped him up, allowing him to find the communicator and show it to Sentinel. In the end, Wasp was dragged off to prison, and Longarm commended Bumblebee for his deductive work.

Subsequently, Shockwave graduated boot camp and eventually became the head of [[Cybertron Intelligence]]. Now "Longarm [[Prime (rank)#Transformers Animated|'''Prime''']]", he remained in this position, hiding in plain sight, for the fifty stellar cycles that Megatron was lost on [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Autoboot Camp}} He may have murdered [[Highbrow (Animated)|Intel director Highbrow]] to get the job. <ref>''[[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club]]''</ref>

''After [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]]'s ship was lost, Longarm pressed Sentinel to continue the search for the ship's crew, the AllSpark and [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]. His pleas fell on deaf ears. {{storylink|Dispatches}}''

After Megatron succeeded in restoring himself and the Decepticons were assembled on Earth, he re-established contact with Shockwave on Cybertron and initiated a plan to construct a [[space bridge]] that would allow the Decepticons to conquer the planet from within. {{storylink|Mission Accomplished}} Wasp, now criminally insane, escaped from prison, and Megatron started receiving transmissions from his double agent on Cybertron. When Megatron's captive, [[Isaac Sumdac]], attempted to alert the Autobots to the existence of the double agent by bouncing a transmission to their base, Bumblebee again suspected Wasp. He reported the news to Longarm Prime on Cybertron, but of course, that accomplished nothing. {{storylink|Autoboot Camp}}

[[Image:Anim shockwave pinchy.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Pinchy pinchy!]]

When the completed space bridge failed to function, Megatron contacted Shockwave and instructed him to locate the top space bridge specialist on Cybertron to help correct the problem. Shockwave was surprised to discover that the specialist was already on Earth; it was Bulkhead! Bulkhead was subsequently captured by Megatron and forced to perfect the space bridge. {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part I}} The other Autobots arrived too late to stop him, and they were defeated by the Decepticons and strung up to watch as the bridge was activated. Shockwave revealed his alter ego of Longarm Prime to the Autobots, disclosing that he had already given Megatron an appropriate access code and forcing Bumblebee to feel the shame of sending an innocent Wasp to prison. When Megatron tried to test the space bridge by sending Optimus Prime through it, Shockwave assured his master that he awaited the "test subject" on the other side. Unfortunately, an attempt by Megatron to boost power caused the space bridge to overload, deleting the access code and setting the space bridge to random coordinates. {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}

Megacycles later, Shockwave, as Longarm once more, assured Ultra Magnus that the Decepticons would not be able to reach the Cybertron Space Bridge nexus. Shockwave then contacted [[Team Chaar]], who had successfully taken over a space bridge and were ready to use it in order to gate to Cybertron. [[Strika (Animated)|Strika]] asked for permission to begin the assault, only to have Shockwave deny her request. She was to stay put with her team and wait for Megatron to arrive, even if he was megacycles overdue.

[[Image:TransWarpedBlurrLongarm.jpg|left|thumb|250px|"Whoops—there's a bug on your head, Blurr. Holllld stilll..."]]

Not long afterward, the entire Space Bridge Nexus powered down. Confused, Longarm questioned Cybertron Command, and [[Cliffjumper (Animated)|Cliffjumper]] informed him that Ultra Magnus had ordered the shutdown in order to prevent the Decepticons from accessing Cybertron. Just then, Agent [[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] arrived and (very) quickly informed Longarm that while on Earth, he had intercepted a transmission between Megatron and and his double agent on Cybertron, Shockwave. Further, Blurr noted that Shockwave's voice didn't match that of the suspected Wasp, but quick search of the Cybertron Intel Database would allow them to find the true identity of the traitor. Shocked, Longarm asked if Blurr had shared this information with anyone else. When Blurr replied that he had not, Shockwave decided it would be wise to quiet him down—permanently. Blurr eluded his initial attempts and escaped into the corridors around the nexus control center. Rather than give chase, Shockwave simply had the corridors' security hatches slam shut and close in on Blurr, trapping and crushing him to death.

At the [[Metroplex (Animated) | Metroplex]], Longarm handed over Blurr's remains to Cliffjumper, calling the small cube "sensitive materials." He received an incoming transmission from Lord Megatron in his private office. They traded information on their respective setbacks, but Megatron assured Shockwave that he had [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|a method]] of preventing the Earth Autobots from blowing Shockwave's cover.

Shortly, Longarm Prime attended an [[Autobot High Council]] meeting, where Ultra Magnus declared that the Decepticons' attacks were too organized to be random acts of sabotage. Rather, evidence pointed to a double agent in the Autobots' midst. Longarm nervously pointed out that the Decepticon uprisings had started after Wasp's escape, making the cause plain. Ultra Magnus agreed and ordered [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] and Sentinel Prime to organize an Elite Guard Unit to find the escapee. He then requested that the Earth-bound Autobots be contacted. Increasingly distraught, Longarm declared that all communications should be first filtered through him, without exceptions—for the sake of security and the protection of Cybertron, naturally. {{storylink|TransWarped}}

Unfortunately, Longarm's insistence on diverting blame toward Wasp was his undoing. When Wasp headed to Earth, Ultra Magnus didn't inform him about Wasp's destination until the Elite Guard's ship was in sight of the planet. Knowing he was on the verge of being exposed, Shockwave tried to contact Megatron, but still received no response. With no other orders on how to proceed, Shockwave took matters into his own hands: In an effort to inflict one last blow to the Autobots, Shockwave attacked and seriously damaged Ultra Magnus, stealing his Magnus hammer in the process. {{storylink|Where Is Thy Sting?}}

When the Autobots became trapped in [[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave's]] virtual reality, Shockwave appeared to invade and attack Earth. However, he didn't seem to do much besides set an apartment on fire. {{storylink|Human Error, Part I}}

[[Image:TFAni ThisisWhyIHateMachines Shockwave TrueColors.jpg|thumb|240px|right|Wish you'd bought that repaint now, don't you?]]
After escaping, Shockwave hid in an underground tunnel, concealed from detection, waiting for Megatron to call. The Decepticon leader, trapped inside of [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] along with [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] and [[Lugnut]], contacted Shockwave, who revealed a way to gain the access codes for Omega Supreme. However, Shockwave was soon discovered by [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] and [[Captain Fanzone]]. He easily defeated them and went to find the female intelligence agent [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]. To do this, he "asked" an informant-bot named [[Rattletrap]] for the directions. However, he apparently got lost, and so merely hid and waited for Fanzone and Ratchet to find her. He battled Ratchet and severely wounded the elderly Autobot. During the battle, he then found Ultra Magnus, still wounded. He was about to kill him for good when Ratchet used his EMP generator on both Shockwave ''and'' Ultra Magnus's hammer. Ratchet was then distracted by the arrival of temporary Magnus Sentinel Prime. After getting back online, Shockwave took Arcee and escaped to Omega Supreme, using the access codes to transwarp to Earth's orbit. He then celebrated his freedom to serve Megatron openly by [[electronic paint job|changing]] into more...[[Shockwave (G1)|suitable colors]], while [[Lugnut]] silently fumed at Megatron's description of him as his "most loyal servant". {{storylink|This Is Why I Hate Machines}}

[[Image:TFA-Endgame-ShockwavePointsAndLaughs.jpg|thumb|left|240px|It is only logical that you're an idiot.]]
Shockwave worked on the captured Arcee, initially hitting an early datatrax from her time as a teacher before the Great War. Megatron assured his "ever-loyal Shockwave" that if any bot could access the right datatrax, it was him. Combined with some taunting by Starscream, this sent Lugnut into a frenzy of jealousy, and he knocked Shockwave across the room as he begged for Megatron's favour. Shockwave in turn pointed out that while Lugnut was "fawning at Megatron's feet", he'd risked "spark and servo" as a double agent. This didn't go over well, and soon the two purple 'Cons were fighting one another. Later, with both sent to convert material from the wrecked [[Nemesis (Animated)|Decepticon flagship]] into [[Lugnut Supreme|clones of Omega Supreme]], Shockwave could be seen pointing and laughing at a misfortune on his rival's part.

After dropping a bit of stripped material from the wrecked ship, unwittingly nearly crushing a spying Bumblebee, Shockwave returned to working on Arcee and successfully restored her to the [[The Thrill of the Hunt|point at which her memory was wiped]]. Briefly returning to his grey "Longarm" mode, he confirmed that she had the activation codes, so he ripped the wires which artificially sustained her from her head, knocking her back into stasis. Outside, with the clones ready for activation, he rebooted Arcee. Despite "Longarm's" prompting, she refused to give the activation codes to Megatron voluntarily. Instead, Shockwave knocked her back into stasis and extracted the codes manually, making no comment when they ended up in Lugnut and Megatron proclaimed Lugnut his "most loyal lieutenant". As it turned out, however, the codes which Shockwave had torn from Arcee were missing a crucial "security upgrade patch", and he was forced to rig up an inelegant bypass—involving Lugnut directly puppeteering the clones—until he could retrieve the rest of the code from Arcee. {{storylink|Endgame, Part I}}

[[Image:EndGamePartII-Longarm.jpg|right|thumb|200px|You wouldn't hit a purple guy, would you?]]

As Shockwave attempted to find the patch in Arcee's processor, Megatron grew impatient with Lugnut's giving a long speech on the greatness of his Glorious Leader before he would actually do anything with the clones, and angrily enquired of Shockwave if he was done yet. Shockwave replied, with great amusement in his voice, that he was still working on it and Megatron would have to relay all orders through Lugnut for the time being.

[[Image:TFA-Endgame-PanAcrossEveryone.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Decepticons have failed forevermore.]]

Apparently, he gave up on extracting the patch, and instead left Arcee - her datatrax once again reverted to her teaching days - on the lunar surface as a trap, while he waited to ambush any Autobots who came for her and Omega Supreme. The group which transwarped there, led by Ratchet, blundered straight into the trap, and Ratchet was forced to flee with Arcee and [[Sari Sumdac]] while Bumblebee and Bulkhead confronted their old classmate. While Shockwave initially had little difficulty as they attempted to attack from distance, he couldn't deal with Bulkhead's strength Bot-to-Con, and was left sprawled on the lunar surface, his cannon knocked out of reach. In a desperate attempt to buy time, he switched to Longarm mode - forgetting to activate his [[electronic paint job]] - but the pair of Autobots were not impressed, and Bulkhead smashed the cannon.

He was last seen as the Autobots' prisoner, being paraded before a large crowd on Cybertron. {{storylink|Endgame, Part II}}

{{-}}
===Toy bios===
After graduating near the top of his class at the [[Autobot Academy]], he rose through the ranks of the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] to become the head of its Intelligence Division. Though he normally enjoys a subtle approach, blackmailing Autobots in positions of authority, Bumblebee's hyperactive personality annoys him enough to make him break cover and attack the Autobot directly.

==Toys==
===Animated===
[[Image:Longarmanimatedvoyager.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Punch.]]
[[Image:Shockwaveanimatedvoyager.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Counterpunch.]]
* '''Shockwave''' (Voyager, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TA-14'''
:Representing his double nature in the cartoon, ''Animated'' Shockwave becomes both the Autobot Longarm and Decepticon Shockwave, featuring four distinct modes. In "Infiltration Mode," the shorter, stockier Autobot Longarm transforms into a four-legged crane platform. If one fancies, one can stretch out his Shockwave-mode limbs to emulate his limb-stretching ability in Longarm mode (albeit not very well). In "Spy Mode," he stretches and converts into the taller, lankier Decepticon Shockwave, as the crane portion of Longarm's body converts into a hand-held cannon. The center panel on his chest flips between Autobot and Decepticon symbols. Both chest symbols are vacuum metalized, with very shiny silver and gold. Curiously, while the rotating faction symbols on his chest use the usual "classic" designs, the tampographed Decepticon symbol on his cannon/crane is in the movie style, and is visible in his Autobot modes. Additionally, the only mode in which Longarm's head is not fully visible is Shockwave himself.

:All the differences between Shockwave and Longarm can be difficult to remember, even for Hasbro. In the "tank mode" picture at right, the secondary guns are incorrectly folded back. On the back of this toy's box, there are several small transformation errors, the most obvious being that only ''one'' of Shockwave's shoulders has been correctly rotated up. Also, the toy [[instruction booklet|instructions]] do not show Shockwave's neck as correctly extended (his chin is touching his chestplate in the instructions, just as for Longarm). They also fail to mention that you can bend his upper torso forward as Shockwave to better replicate the slouch that he has in the cartoon.

:The instructions for the trilingual packaging version of Shockwave have an odd error, in the space that should explain the transformation for his hands, is a glitched/overlapping version of the final two steps instead.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/Shockwave/shockwave.htm More information on Shockwave at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Target}}
[[Image:Shockwavepurplebumblebeetoys.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Chugway.<ref>According to the ''Animated'' DVD closed captioning for [[Autoboot Camp]].</ref>]]
* '''Shockwave VS Bumblebee''' (Multi-pack, 2009)

:A predominantly purple [[redeco]] of the Voyager toy, this version of Shockwave is packaged with an apparently unaltered [[Activators]]-class [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] figure. Shockwave retains his four modes and gimmickry within each. A Target stores [[exclusive]], this set was available simultaneously with the [[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]]/[[Ratchet (Animated)#Activators|Ratchet]] multi-pack. Although this version seems to be a less convincing Autobot due to its purple paintjob, in one respect he would be a better spy in this form, as the repaint doesn't have the Decepticon symbol on the cannon arm to give him away. The Autobot and Decepticon symbols are also now red and purple, as opposed to the original silver and gold.
: The official Hasbro picture at right contains several transformation errors: In robot mode, Shockwave's shoulders are not rotated up. In tank mode, the secondary guns are not deployed, the red panels which are on the robot mode's shoulders have not been flipped to show the tank's treads, and the middle panel on the side of the tank is oriented wrong (the circle should be down, not back). In addition, his head is not fully retracted. Plus, his gun is in crane mode, '''NOT''' in cannon mode. Someone at Hasbro is dozing.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/Shockwave/shockwave.htm More information on Purple Shockwave at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Notes==

* Actor Corey Burton reprises the role of Shockwave from Generation 1, reusing precisely the same British-accented, [[Wikipedia:Sark (Tron)|David-Warner-inspired]] voice for the character (while employing an American accented variation for Longarm). In an online interview with Seibertron.com in early 2009 (sadly lost owing to a server crash), Burton revealed that Shockwave's inclusion in Season 2 arose from a between-scenes conversation he had with the production team, regarding how little the original Shockwave actually had to do.

* In somewhat of a reversal, while this incarnation of Shockwave has much fewer appearances than his original incarnation, he does a heck of a lot more stuff: in just a few fleeting appearances on Animated, Shockwave manages to destroy Wasp's life, kill a [[Blurr (Animated)|popular recurring character]], bring down Cybertron's entire interplanetary transport and communications system, brutally assault the Magnus (and steal his hammer!), and give Megatron control of the Autobots' [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|most feared and powerful weapon]]. Shockwave is ''awesome''. And it is very logical indeed.

* While Shockwave possesses the single, round optic and window-chest of his Generation 1 counterpart, much of the rest of his body appears to be largely patterned after ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]]; he transforms into an "H-tank", the front treads end up on his shoulders and the rear treads end up on the back of his lower legs, plus he has the large, spiky "antlers" on his head. Additionally, Shockwave's vehicle mode appears to be loosely based on one of the [[Transtech]] sketch designs for Megatron, with the high angled treads and turret. However, Shockwave is much thinner and taller than Megatron, and is also able to bend his knees.

[[Image:Chugway.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Closed Captioning provided by the Zero Wing Translation Team.]]
* The [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)/home video|DVD]] closed captioning for the episode "[[Autoboot Camp]]" mispelled Shockwave's name as Chugway. Seriously. No, it's not a joke.

* Shockwave's status as an Elite Guard member in his Longarm identity is an issue fraught with much confusion. His on-package [[bio]] states that, as Longarm, he rose through the ranks of the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] to reach his current position; this theoretically meshes with Longarm's cover story in "Autoboot Camp", where he states that he wishes to become an Elite Guard intelligence officer<ref>On the other hand, ''everyone else'' (outside of Bulkhead) in Sentinel Minor's recruit line-up stated that they wanted to serve some function in the Elite Guard, and none of them actually ended up in it.</ref>. However, [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] has informed this wiki that Longarm is not actually a member of that group in the cartoon continuity. Shockwave's status as a nonmember of the Elite Guard is supported by Longarm's lack of the Elite Guard's winged Autobot symbol, and the evident fact that, while Longarm ''is'' head of the Autobot Intelligence Division, the Autobot Intelligence Division is ''not'' a part of the Elite Guard; Longarm's immediate predecessor as head of the organization, [[Highbrow (Animated)|Highbrow]], did not sport the Elite Guard symbol either. Adding to this confusion, Longarm was drawn with an Elite Guard symbol in [[Dispatches|''The Arrival'' #1]], but this seems to have been in error, as Sentinel Prime {{m-}} stated to be ''the second-in-command'' of the Elite Guard in the story {{m-}} sported a normal Autobot symbol throughout it, suggesting the symbol-paster got confused.
** [[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2]] suggests that part of the reason Shockwave isn't an Elite Guardsman is toy-based. The toy's faction symbol rotates to switch allegiances, and the wider Elite Guard symbol wouldn't have been mechanically feasible.

[[Image:Shockwave_goodside.jpg|thumb|right|180px|I hear this is my good side...]]

*Both "Shockwave and "Longarm" have official alternate capitalizations. The credits of "[[TransWarped]]" give "LongArm Prime", and the credits for "[[This Is Why I Hate Machines]]" have "ShockWave".

* Despite not having a face, Shockwave still manages to have a [[chin]].

* Like [[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]], Shockwave has the ability to fly despite having a land-based vehicle mode. Unlike Soundwave, his ability is explained by having rocket boosters in his feet [[Megatron (Animated)|like]] [[Starscream (Animated)|several]] [[Lugnut|other]] [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Decepticons]].

* Having dispatched of both Highbrow and (allegedly) Blurr, Shockwave has the dubious honor of having killed more named characters in ''Animated'' than any other Decepticon. Also, according to [[AllSpark_Almanac_II]], Ultra Magnus never did make it through spark-supoort. Yikes, Shockwave, yikes.

*As his "true" eye is in his forehead, it's possible his Longarm eyes are in fact false eyes, and don't actually function.
{{-}}

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Animated characters]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Double agents]]
[[Category:Elite Guard]]
[[Category:Spies]]
[[Category:Transformers with multiple modes]]

Sumdac Tower

2010-05-26T01:16:03Z

69.140.106.144: /* Notes */

:''Sumdac Tower is a building from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Animated cartoon Sumdac Tower.JPG|right|300px|thumb|It's big, It's bold, it's sassy.]]
'''Sumdac Tower''' (or '''Powell Tower''', depending on who's running the show), a skyscraper in downtown [[Detroit]], is the home of [[Isaac Sumdac]] and his daughter [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]]. It also appears to be the center of [[Sumdac Systems]], Professor Sumdac's corporation. The tower is massive, armed with impressive security features and staffed by both humans and robots. It also happens to be shaped like a giant <strike>[[Sparkplug (disambiguation)|Sparkplug]]</strike> spark plug.

Unfortunately, there <strike>is</strike> was [[Megatron (Animated)|evil]] in that tower... evil which does not sleep.

==Fiction==
===Transformers Animated===
In addition to what is presumably the living quarters of the Sumdac family, Sumdac Tower also includes Professor Sumdac's penthouse office and his private laboratory, where he keeps the severed head of Megatron as well as Megatron's severed hand—which he uses as a chair. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out!|Transform and Roll Out!}}

Whenever the tower is under attack, it engages an automatic [[force field]] to protect those inside the building. Good idea if you're under siege from the [[Decepticon|bad guys]]. Bad idea if the [[Prometheus Black|bad guy]] is already in there. {{storylink|Total Meltdown|Total Meltdown}}

Sumdac Tower suffered quite a bit of damage when the Decepticons mobilized to steal the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] and rescue Megatron. [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] blew a large hole in it, Megatron burst through the roof, and the Decepticons then fired missiles at it. That's probably going to send the property values of the nearby buildings down. {{storylink|Megatron Rising - Part 1|Megatron Rising - Part 1}} {{storylink|Megatron Rising - Part 2|Megatron Rising - Part 2}}

Even after Megatron's rampage, the building was still under reconstruction. Mainly, it had a notable gap in the upper part of the tower. {{storylink|The Elite Guard|The Elite Guard}}

After [[Porter C. Powell]] took over Sumdac Systems, he kicked Sari out of the penthouse and gave her room to [[Headmaster (Animated)|Henry Masterson]]. He also informed [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] that the [[Autobot|Autobots]] were no longer welcome in the tower. The tower was completely repaired by this point. {{storylink|The Return of the Headmaster|The Return of the Headmaster}}

{{stub}}

==Notes==
* The exact location of Sumdac Tower can be deduced from its appearance in "[[The Return of the Headmaster]]"; it's immediately adjacent to the real-life Wayne County Building and the Renaissance Center, placing it on two blocks of Randolph Street which in the present day are occupied by a parking garage and a surface parking lot.
* The tower was designed by noted architect George R. Apple. {{storylink|The AllSpark Almanac}} There is [[Grapple|another architect]] with a similar name ...
[[Category:Animated locations]]
[[Category:United States of America]]

Sumdac Tower

2010-05-26T01:15:33Z

69.140.106.144: /* Notes */

:''Sumdac Tower is a building from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Animated cartoon Sumdac Tower.JPG|right|300px|thumb|It's big, It's bold, it's sassy.]]
'''Sumdac Tower''' (or '''Powell Tower''', depending on who's running the show), a skyscraper in downtown [[Detroit]], is the home of [[Isaac Sumdac]] and his daughter [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]]. It also appears to be the center of [[Sumdac Systems]], Professor Sumdac's corporation. The tower is massive, armed with impressive security features and staffed by both humans and robots. It also happens to be shaped like a giant <strike>[[Sparkplug (disambiguation)|Sparkplug]]</strike> spark plug.

Unfortunately, there <strike>is</strike> was [[Megatron (Animated)|evil]] in that tower... evil which does not sleep.

==Fiction==
===Transformers Animated===
In addition to what is presumably the living quarters of the Sumdac family, Sumdac Tower also includes Professor Sumdac's penthouse office and his private laboratory, where he keeps the severed head of Megatron as well as Megatron's severed hand—which he uses as a chair. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out!|Transform and Roll Out!}}

Whenever the tower is under attack, it engages an automatic [[force field]] to protect those inside the building. Good idea if you're under siege from the [[Decepticon|bad guys]]. Bad idea if the [[Prometheus Black|bad guy]] is already in there. {{storylink|Total Meltdown|Total Meltdown}}

Sumdac Tower suffered quite a bit of damage when the Decepticons mobilized to steal the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] and rescue Megatron. [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] blew a large hole in it, Megatron burst through the roof, and the Decepticons then fired missiles at it. That's probably going to send the property values of the nearby buildings down. {{storylink|Megatron Rising - Part 1|Megatron Rising - Part 1}} {{storylink|Megatron Rising - Part 2|Megatron Rising - Part 2}}

Even after Megatron's rampage, the building was still under reconstruction. Mainly, it had a notable gap in the upper part of the tower. {{storylink|The Elite Guard|The Elite Guard}}

After [[Porter C. Powell]] took over Sumdac Systems, he kicked Sari out of the penthouse and gave her room to [[Headmaster (Animated)|Henry Masterson]]. He also informed [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] that the [[Autobot|Autobots]] were no longer welcome in the tower. The tower was completely repaired by this point. {{storylink|The Return of the Headmaster|The Return of the Headmaster}}

{{stub}}

==Notes==
* The exact location of Sumdac Tower can be deduced from its appearance in "[[The Return of the Headmaster]]"; it's immediately adjacent to the real-life Wayne County Building and the Renaissance Center, placing it on two blocks of Randolph Street which in the present day are occupied by a parking garage and a surface parking lot.
* The tower was designed by noted architect George R. Apple. {{storylink|The AllSpark Almanac}} There is [[Grapple|another architect]] with a similar name ...
*If you look closely, you can see that Sumdac Tower resembles an upside-down [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spark_plug spark plug.]
[[Category:Animated locations]]
[[Category:United States of America]]

Transform and Roll Out

2010-04-10T18:20:40Z

69.140.106.144: /* Japanese version (Part 2) */

{{disambig2|the [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]] multi-part episode|the command|roll out}}
{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|series2=
|image=TFA_TFandRollout_AutobotHeroes.jpg
|caption=''Epic''
|next=Home Is Where the Spark Is
|next2=Sound and Fury
|ep=1, 2 and 3
|next=Home Is Where the Spark Is
|title="Transform and Roll Out"
|airdate=[[December 26]], [[2007]] (US) [[April 3]], [[April 10]], [[April 17]], [[2010]] (JP)
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|directed by= [[Matt Youngberg]] [[Yutaka Kagawa]] [[Minoru Yamaoka]] [[Makoto Fuchigami]]
|animation studio= [[Mook]]}}
'''When a small crew of maintenance Autobots comes into possession of the powerful AllSpark, a battle with their long-forgotten enemies sends them crashing toward a strange, distant planet known as... ''Earth.'''''

:''Japanese title (Part 1):'' 新章! トランスフォーマー (''Shinshō! Transformer'', "A New Chapter! Transformers")
:''Japanese title (Part 2):'' 英雄、その名はオートボット (''Eiyū, sono na wa Autobot'', "The Heroes Are Called Autobots")
:''Japanese title (Part 3):'' オールスパークの秘密 (''AllSpark no himitsu'', "Secret of the AllSpark")
:''German title:'' "'''Transformieren und Abfahrt'''"
:''Polish title:'' "'''Transformacja i jazda'''" ("Transform and Roll Out")

==Synopsis==
===Part 1===
In deep, deep space, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] watches a history vid of the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], prompting [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] to complain about him watching that "junk" when the other members of the crew need assistance. Prime wonders if they were designed for more than repairing [[space bridge]]s. The two 'Bots transform into their vehicle modes and head out into the asteroid field.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout TheAllsparkdiscovered.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Well... at least there's no mass-shifting.]]
Outside, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], dangling from a high rock by his wrecking ball (and becoming quite queasy in the process), is freed by [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], who also ends up taking a tumble. Bumblebee complains about the sheer amount of rocks blocking the space bridge node, and one is shattered unexpectedly by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]'s throwing star. Prime gives his troops a speech about teamwork (which Prowl moans at theatrically), but at that point the space bridge lights up, sending rocks and Autobots flying. Fancy footwork by Optimus saves each of his teammates from the debris, and a well-aimed grappling line shuts down the bridge. With his subordinates stunned at their leader's skills, Prime is forced to admit he trained at [[Autobot Academy|Cybertron's military academy]]. Bumblebee's query as to what the heck he's doing on a nowhere maintenance assignment is left unanswered as they notice something glowing in the rubble.

Prime clears away the debris to reveal a large, chest-like object. Ratchet is horrified and immediately demands they throw it back into the space bridge, but an alert from [[Teletran-1]] announces the arrival of a signature consistent with the long-lost [[Decepticon]]s. Ratchet then insists they take the object and just get out of there post-haste.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Decepticonship.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Yes, this is a scout ship. Way to go, Magnanimous.]]
On board [[Teletran-1|their ship]], Ratchet finally reveals what they've found: the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], the source of all Transformer life that was lost centuries ago. Optimus, worried about the oncoming Decepticon signal, contacts the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] for help. After taking a bit of snark from [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], Optimus reveals what they found, which shuts Sentinel up fast. Sentinel then puts the crew through to [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], who tells Optimus Prime to stay put while they send reinforcements... and not to worry about that Decepticon thing. Optimus, considering this to be a really stupid move, orders the crew to start booking it out of there.

[[Image:Ani crew.JPG|left|200px|thumb|Scotty, engage!]]
This proves wise, as the signal is indeed a Decepticon ship—a [[Nemesis (Animated)|command ship]], in fact. The identification markings are ones that Optimus and Ratchet recognize, meaning its commander can only be one person: [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], leader of the Decepticons. On board the Decepticon ship, [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] doubts the AllSpark is aboard the Autobot ship and declares Megatron a fool. [[Lugnut]] denounces Starscream as a traitor, while [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] calls Lugnut an idiot for his blind loyalty and [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] just acts... well, crazy. The Decepticons continue to bicker at each other until Megatron enters, shutting up all of them. The Decepticons chase the Autobot ship, and Starscream volunteers to board them. Megatron quickly shoots that idea down. Just before he leaves, Starscream wishes his commander "luck" with a pat on the back... affixing a bomb to Megatron in the process.

Megatron makes his way to the Autobots' ship and begins to melt his way through its hull. Optimus uses external manipulator arms to grapple with Megatron, until the bomb detonates, sending the ship careening uncontrollably into a space bridge node, which explodes after they go through the gate. Starscream begins to make a speech declaring himself the new Decepticon leader, but the other three have abandoned ship, noting that the fireball from the space bridge explosion is only getting larger. Too late, Starscream realizes the trouble he's in...

An unknown distance away, the Autobot ship reappears above a [[Earth|small blue and green planet]]. Prime checks on his troops, but Megatron has gotten aboard, having survived the explosion, but at the cost of his right arm. Prime uses his grappling line to shut off the gravity, making it more difficult for Megatron to fight. All five Autobots face off against the Decepticon, but he's too strong (though Prowl does manage to cut off Megatron's damaged arm). Prime and Megatron both end up in the storage bay where the AllSpark is... and as the ship enters the atmosphere, Prime is able to blow the hatch and kick the screaming Megatron out of the ship.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Arkatmosphere.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Oddly familiar.]]
On a small farm, a young boy hears a thud and runs to where something has landed in a not-too-distant field. He is shocked to find a robotic head staring lifelessly up at him.

Meanwhile, Prime orders his team into emergency stasis pods to prepare for a crash-landing. He manages to steer the ship away from the city below and gets to a stasis pod just before the ship plunges into [[Lake Erie]].

Fifty years later, [[Detroit]] is once again a thriving city, but instead of manufacturing automobiles, robots are the city's stock-in-trade. [[Isaac Sumdac]] is talking to a public school class taking a tour of his facilities, which gets interrupted by Isaac's daughter, [[Sari Sumdac]], and her robot dog, [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]]. As Sari is carted off to her lessons by a [[Tutor Bot|robot tutor]], Isaac shows the school kids a nanotech lab, just in time to witness a roach infused with microbots grow out of control and start consuming everything in sight. Isaac tries to keep things calm, but the monster bursts out of the lab...

===Part 2===
[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Firefighters monster.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Yeah, watering it will surely stop the beast.]]
The monster continues to grow, absorbing just about everything it touches to increase its size and power. In the process, it destroys a lot of the factory. [[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]], the S.W.A.T team, the fire department, ambulances, and robot drones arrive, but the creature absorbs several of the responding vehicles, too. Fanzone uses a bazooka-type weapon and destroys the beast, despite Sumdac's objection. This protest proves well-founded, as the remnants of the creature start flowing back together again, save for one piece that drops into the nearby lake and works its way down to the Autobots' ship, its nanites seeking the absorbable technology there. It infiltrates via a small breach in the outer hull, but thankfully, the ship's intruder alert systems are functional and awaken the Autobots before any damage is done. Examining the situation, they decide to have Teletran-1 give them Earth forms so they can blend in and help out. A probe is launched into the chaos and scans various vehicles, including an ambulance, a police motorcycle, an armored personnel carrier, a fire truck, and [[Captain Fanzone's car]]. Everyone deploys except Ratchet, who remains behind to analyze the sample of alien material.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Autobots.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Avengers, ASSEMBLE!]]
During the fight, Bulkhead and Bumblebee spot Sari trying to wrest her security key from Sparkplug's mouth. Mistaking which is owner and which is pet, they approach her, but Bulkhead's greeting only scares her away. She quickly gets nabbed by the monster, but Bumblebee saves her, earning her trust and friendship. Prowl attempts to take on the bug-slug by himself, against Prime's orders, and gets absorbed. Prime orders Ratchet to join them in battle to save Prowl, but the old veteran insists that finding a "cure" code to neutralize the nanites' programming makes more sense than coming out and getting trashed. A somewhat chastened Prime agrees, and Ratchet soon delivers the goods. However, the new program must be uploaded by direct contact—meaning from inside the monster. This means the smallest, fastest one of them has to do it. Bumblebee reluctantly takes on the task. The beast has been using some of Prowl's absorbed intelligence and comm link tech, though, so it knows what they're planning and is now smart enough to fight back. Despite this, Bumblebee succeeds in delivering the code, and the bug dissolves into a dusty shower of deactivated nanites. Prowl is soon uncovered, but he's suffered grave wounds and must be taken back to the Autobots' ship for repairs. Sari pesters Bumblebee to be taken along, and her new friend reluctantly agrees, since there's no time to make her go away quietly.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Sari followedmehome.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Bumblebee, having a pet is a big responsibility.]]
Once on board, Sari's refusal to stay still and quiet causes 'Bee some embarrassment. He quickly and discreetly ejects her into a ventilation port and joins the others. However, the port opens onto a shaft that takes Sari right to the chamber where the AllSpark is being kept. Curious, she touches it, and it reacts to her, sending its energies into her security card key and reconfiguring it into [[AllSpark Key|a key of another sort entirely]]. Prime finds her almost immediately thereafter, but with no time left to spare away from Prowl, he has to bring her back with him to the repair table. Ratchet's prognosis is bleak, but the [[AllSpark Key]] abruptly reacts, glowing and tugging her toward Prowl. Bumblebee, seeming to grasp what's happening, helps her onto the table, and as she approaches, her Key reshapes itself to fit into a slot on Prowl's chest. She inserts it, and with a burst of energy, the Autobot ninja is whole again. The Autobots then take Sari home and, after a brief misunderstanding, are made heroes and are even invited to a ceremony.

In outer space, Starscream sits aboard the damaged but functional Decepticon ship, babbling that he will find the AllSpark, even though he's been attempting it on his own for the last fifty solar cycles. The ship's computers then detect the traces of AllSpark-like energy in action, and Starscream learns where the Autobots are...
{{-}}
===Part 3===
[[Image:Sariprime.jpg|right|150px|thumb|INSERT WHAT WHERE?!]]
The Autobots are later seen trying to fit in. Bulkhead gets firsthand experience in traffic jams, some birds mistake Prowl for the statue of the [[wikipedia:Hazen_S._Pingree|bald guy]] next to him, Bumblebee learns how organics fuel up, and Ratchet can't get a stasis nap without getting a dozen or so parking tickets. Optimus Prime remarks that the Autobots are programmed to respect life, which they always understood to stem from the AllSpark, but as organics are life, they must respect and protect them too. Optimus also expresses curiosity about how little organics are made. Sari's whispered explanation leaves him rather... shocked. The Autobots make a new home base out of a building Sari's dad got out of a merger, an abandoned auto factory that Bumblebee describes as a real fixer-upper—a REAL fixer-upper. All of a sudden, they get alerted to a fire. The Autobots proceed to douse the blaze and save its victims, no problem, unaware they are being watched by Starscream.

The next day, during the inauguration ceremony for the Sumdac [[Fully Automated Rapid Transit System]] (F.A.R.T.S., for short), Starscream enters Earth's atmosphere and takes on a group of fighter jets. He destroys all but one, which he scans. As the civilians and Autobots watch the aerial display of the [[Crimson Angels]], Isaac Sumdac notices there is an extra jet present that he didn't hire. That one jet then leaves the formation and streaks toward the ceremony platform, where it transforms into Starscream, who fires his null-ray cannons at the Autobots.

After a short fight, which the Autobots lose, Starscream knocks out Bumblebee and takes him, Isaac, the mayor, and Capt. Fanzone hostage in the F.A.R.T.S. train, flying it to the top of a very tall tower. He demands that the Autobots deliver the AllSpark if they want him to release the train car. The Autobots don't trust him, but don't want to risk human lives, so Sari offers a plan, but they ignore her. She continues to tell a sob story until the Autobots listen. The Autobots proceed with her plan, and Prowl and Sari fly up to the transit pod to rescue the hostages while the other Autobots keep Starscream busy. Once Starscream realizes what's happening, he takes a brief beating but recovers quickly. Starscream then throws the train—thus keeping his end of the deal—with Sari, Prowl, and Bumblebee on top of/in it. Between Bumblebee's agility and Prowl's thrusters, Sari is rescued and the train lands without much damage. The Autobots then challenge Starscream to a friendly game of Keep Away, during which Starscream almost gets the AllSpark, but Bulkhead gets it instead, because he said he got it. A furious Starscream unleashes a devastating, prolonged (as in nearly 12 seconds) null-ray blast on the Autobots, briefly knocking them all senseless.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Prime SS Allsparkactivates.jpg|left|150px|thumb|In the old days, The Touch would have started playing now.]]
With the Autobots down, Starscream takes the AllSpark from Optimus and blows a couple of blocks of Detroit right off the map. Not ready to give up, Optimus climbs all the way up a building to get it back from Starscream, which Starscream doesn't see coming because he was too busy gloating. After a quick back-and-forth exchange of possessing it, both grab it at the same time. As they struggle, the AllSpark opens and emits a strange energy wave that blasts Starscream away.

The explosion has left Prime dangling precariously, and he takes a tremendous plummet to the pavement. He notes weakly that he now knows what it feels like to be a hero, then dies, but Sari uses the AllSpark Key to revive him.<ref>[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|This is something of an Optimus Prime record]]: Dead after only three episodes, revived a mere 75 seconds later. Way to go.</ref> The Autobots later go about fixing up Detroit, earning the enduring gratitude of the citizenry. Professor Sumdac is also grateful, for the Autobots saved him and Sari, but he fears what will happen if the Autobots—not to mention the rest of the world—were to discover the source of his robotic empire.

Unseen by Sumdac, one of the [[Sensors|optics]] of his source of technology glows in a darkened room. Megatron still functions...
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (2)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (3)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (4)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (5)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (6)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (7)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (8)
*[[Lugnut]] (9)
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] (10)
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (11)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (12)

|c3=
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (13)
*[[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel]] (14)
*[[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]] (15)
*[[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly]] (16)
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (17)
*[[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]] (18)

|c4=
*[[Teletran-1]] ()
*[[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]] ()
*[[Tutor Bot]] ()
*[[Burger Bot]] ()}}

==Quotes==
"Do you ever get the feeling that you were programmed for something more than just repairing space bridges?" 
"I got a diagnostics program that can delete that feeling like a bad line of code."
:—'''Optimus Prime''''s dreams are crushed to a fine powder by '''Ratchet'''

"Know what? You're even uglier at this angle!"
:—'''Bumblebee''' is about to realize there are some things you should never, EVER, say to a Decepticon.

"Hi, I'm Bumblebee!" 
"I'm Sari." 
"Oh, don't be, I like my name."
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Sari''' are off to an awkward start.

"Y'know, all things considered, fixin' space bridges wasn't such a bad gig."
:—'''Bumblebee''', just before embarking on the plan to dissolve the bug monster

"Uh...am I going to be able to ''breathe'' down there?" 
"Oh, sure! ...What's 'breathe'?"
:—'''Sari''' is in good hands with '''Bumblebee'''.

"And to think, Ultra Magnus told me not to be a hero. Is this what it was like in your day?" 
"The Decepticons didn't leave us very much to cheer about."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''' at the ceremony

"Enjoy it while you can, 'heroes.' You're about to take a fall."
:—'''Starscream''', watching a news report on the Autobots

"Give up the AllSpark or give up the Earth. How am I supposed to decide?" 
"Heroes are the ones who make the hard choices."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''' after Starscream makes his ultimatum

"Let go, Autobot!" 
"Never! The AllSpark is life!" 
"Then, let it end yours!"
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Optimus Prime''', fighting over the AllSpark

"So, this...is what it feels like...to be a hero."
:—'''Optimus Prime''', just before dying

"Fixing bridges? Isn't this where we started out?"
:—'''Bumblebee''', as the Autobots clean up the city

==Home releases==
[[Image:Animatedshort01.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Meet the Press lives on through our young ones.]]
"Transform and Roll Out" was released to DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment on June 17, 2008. The DVD includes all three episodes of the pilot movie and two all-new animated shorts. [[Career Day|The first short]] features Optimus Prime attempting to give a speech at [[Black River Elementary School]]'s career day, but being repeatedly interrupted by nagging questions from [[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|some little kid]] and overwhelming cheers for him to transform. [[Evel Knievel Jump|The second]] features Bumblebee messing up one of Prowl's cool stunts. Together, the two shorts run just under three minutes.

Target sold an [[exclusive]] version of the DVD with a special bonus disc that included the episode "[[Home Is Where the Spark Is]]."

All three episodes were also condensed and re-told in the [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] paperback "cine-manga" style book ''[[Transformers Animated Volume 1]]''.
{{-}}

==Notes==
===Japanese version (Part 1)===
*The episode begins with the [[Otoboto family]] telling the viewers to watch in a well-lit room (to prevent seizures and damage to your eyesight, you know).

*As the [[title sequence]] begins, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] asks how everyone is doing, then introduces himself as leader of the Autobots. When he realizes nobody knows who he is, he ''assures'' them that he's leader of the Autobots. Then the [[Transformers Evo.|theme song]] starts.

* '''Cut:''' Ratchet and Optimus's conversation as they walk down a hall, where Prime refers to feeling like being meant for "more than just repairing space bridges", and Ratchet's snarky response about deleting that feeling "like a bad line of code".

* '''Cut:''' Bulkhead's comment on their medic being always grumpy, Ratchet responding to Bumblebee's "old man" comment with a smack upside the head and the retort of "I may have one servor in the scrapheap, but I can still hear!".

*The usual cries of "Transform!" and attack names are added in. ([[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]'s "stingers" are now called "Energy Stingers", for instance.) Perhaps most annoyingly, ''every single thing Optimus does'' has the prefix of "Ultra" added to it. In the span of ten seconds, he goes through his "Ultra Anchor", "Ultra Axe" and "Ultra Net" attacks.

* '''Cut:''' After shutting down the space bridge, the following sequence where Ratchet is repairing Bumblebee, Bulkhead commenting about Optimus's moves, Optimus reluctantly admitting that he used to train at the Academy, and Bumblebee saying that he should've been with the Elite Guard.

* '''Cut:''' Ratchet's poking back at Optimus wanting to see some action, Bumblebee pointing out they're repair bots, Optimus correcting on not without backup and Bulkhead in awe on them connecting with Cybertron Command Headquarters.

*[[Teletran-1]] now speaks as though "she" is in a state of perpetual orgasm.

*When the Autobots first happen upon the ''[[Nemesis (Animated)|Nemesis]]'' and all freak over [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], a new [[scene transition]] is added when transitioning into the discussion between the Decepticon forces. A guitar riff of the classic Generation 1 scene transition music is even used.

*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]]'s "hothead" persona now speaks with a thick American accent, spouting English words like "Hey!" and "Man!"

*New [[commercial bumper]]s have been crafted, featuring stock art of the characters with their voice actors screaming their name, followed by "Transform!"

*'''Cut:''' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]'s entire speech on the bridge ("This is a dark day...") followed by him getting caught in the explosion was cut for time.

*When Bulkhead tumbles into Optimus, following his line "A little warning would have helped!", he screams out "Mommyyyyyyy!" Yeah, Japanese Bulkhead ain't so smart.

*'''Cut:''' After Megatron is kicked from the ship, the establishing shots of Paw Paw (the street sign, the outside of the barn and the scroll across [[Isaac Sumdac]]'s lab) have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' Following Prime's line "Not until I've steered us clear of this populated sector!", the brief scenes of the Autobots being sealed in their stasis pods have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' As soon as the ship crashes into Lake Eerie and leaves a stream of upturned water on the surface, the scenes of the ship sinking and Teletran-1 "initiating emergency stasis mode" on the pods as they turn grey have been cut for time. The episode resumes at the long shot of the sinking ship slowly coming toward the camera, with a new voice-over of Teletran-1 telling the Autobots "good night".

*'''Cut:''' As Isaac Sumdac narrates the history of Detroit and automaton manufacturing, the scene of the trash-collecting automaton has been cut.

*'''Cut:''' The scenes of [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] pulling the bubblegum off her face, eating it, the crowd reacting in disgust, Isaac Sumdac reacting in frustration, the kid asking Sari what its like to grow up around robots and [[Tutor Bot]] hauling Sari off have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' After the cockroach absorbs the nanobot liquid, all the scenes involving Isaac Sumdac explaining the nanobots to the children and the children looking through microscopes at the nanobots have been cut for time. The episode resumes at the roach growing bigger.

*'''Cut:''' The close-up of Isaac Sumdac saying "Nothing to be concerned about, children!" and the kid remarking that "This accident doesn't look too happy" have been cut for time. The episode resumes with the roach crashing through the window behind him.

*The Otoboto Family segment features [[Hiroyuki Otoboto]] telling his son, [[Tatsuya Otoboto]], about ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'', complete with clips from "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]". Mr. Otoboto then produces a complete set of ''Animated'' Autobot toys. Tatsuya is thrilled, but wouldn't ya know it? [[Megumi Otoboto|Mrs. Otoboto]] comes in with dinner! During mealtime conversation, Mrs. Otoboto makes the mistake of using the word "transform", which inevitably causes Tatsuya to start talking about Transformers, much to the amusement of his father and the annoyance of his older sister, [[Yūka Otoboto|Yūka]]. Tatsuya then causes a "freeze frame" so that he can introduce himself and his family (messing with his father's glasses in the process for his own amusement). Oddly, despite being "frozen", everyone proceeds to blink. As time resumes its normal pace, Hiroyuki wonders what happened to his glasses. He then digs into his dinner, except, oh no! It's too hot! ''Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!''

*During the "next episode" segment, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee proceed to have an argument. Bumblebee thinks Optimus's name is too long and hard to remember. Bumblebee suggests that "[[Convoy]]" would be better, but Prime shoots the idea down immediately. Bumblebee opts to call him "Oputi", since it has fewer syllables. Prime refuses to be called such a name (more fitting for a dog), so Bumblebee settles on "Pu-Pu" after "Opura" is also rejected. Prime refuses that too, thinking it sounds cute, but that it would be hard not to laugh instinctively at it. Bumblebee then tricks Prime into answering to it, which frustrates him even ''further''. The argument proceeds ''past'' the "next episode" segment and straight into the sponsor cards.

===Japanese version (Part 2)===
*Instead of Optimus introducing at the opening, Bumblebee introduces himself as well praising the awesomeness of [[JAM Project]].
*'''Cut:''' The rush of emergency vehicles driving through the city was cut for time. As was the following scene of Fanzone getting into his car and about to enjoy his lunch at the Burgerbot, and being disappointed at the emergency call, along with his leaving.
*'''Cut:''' Fanzone arriving at Sumdac laboratories, and his little dilemma regarding his broken megaphone, and his first directions to the police force.
*Optimus now has "Ultra Jump" to add to his "arsenal" as he distracts the nano-monster.
*Bulkhead now uses "''dosukoi''" on occasion, a word usually used by [[Wikipedia:Sumo|sumo wrestlers]].
*'''Cut:''' The left to right pan of the ruined laboratory where the tour had taken place was cut for time.
*'''Cut:''' Much of the flying debris from the monster falling into the ocean.
* During the [[trans-scan|trans-scanning]], Teletran-1 announces the name of the vehicle being scanned, and the Autobot's as they are re-formatted.
*'''Cut:''' Fanzone noticing the four vehicles confronting the monster and attempts to call them back, before noticing that they are unmanned and include his own car.
*'''Cut:''' Immediately after the previous cut, the scene where Bulkhead and Bumblebee attempt to converse with the police drones while fighting the monster, is cut.
*'''Cut:''' After Bumblebee takes Sari into the parking garage, Fanzone's and Dr. Sumdac's observation of Bumblebee, his unknown purposes, and ordering of the Police drones to save Sari, is cut.
*Bumblebee counts off while disabling the police drones, and he has an extra line even though his mouth doesn't move.
*During the ceremony, the cheering crowd has been replaced with what looks to be a photo of a Japanese crowd.
*'''Cut:''' After the ceremony, the scene in which Starscream is seen monologing in the crashed ''Nemesis'' on the moon.

===Animation or technical glitches===
* Megatron's vehicle mode was depicted flying upside-down, or backwards, or possibly both. To be fair, in space, there is no up and down (and to be even fairer, it's really hard to tell from the toys exactly what ''is'' the front of Megatron's Cybertronian spaceship mode), but that does not excuse the fact that any propulsion system used would be in the ''back'' of the mode.

*When the Autobot get into the stasis pods, Prime, Bulkhead, and Ratchet are on the left side, with Bumblebee, Prowl, and an empty pod on the right, in that order. Yet when they get out later in the episode, Prime, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead are on the left, and the empty one, Prowl, and Ratchet on the right.

* As pre-Earth Prime enters the chamber which will re-format his body into his Earth mode, he walks past Ratchet, who is drawn mostly in his pre-Earth mode, except for the fact that his Cybertronian gut is replaced with his ambulance gut. In the next scene, Ratchet is properly drawn, pre-Earth gut and all.

* When Sari says to the Autobots it is okay to put down their hands, Bulkhead's face is black.

* When Starscream tackles Optimus Prime through a building as the Autobot tries to escape with the AllSpark, Optimus's axe is missing from Starscream's left wing. It reappears moments later for Optimus to retrieve it.

* In at least one scene, Starscream's Earth-form wing is shown with a spike, in the same manner as his Cybertronian body.

===Continuity errors===
* The train Starscream blasts from the tower falls toward the ground very, very slowly.

* When we first meet Starscream, he states that he has been searching for the AllSpark for fifty ''solar'' cycles. In later episodes, a solar cycle is equivalent to a day and a ''stellar'' cycle is used for years. This is the only time a solar cycle has been used to reference years, so either Starscream entered some sort of temporal anomaly or someone messed up. For more <s>confusion</s> information, See [[Cycle|this page]].

* Sumdac is using Megatron's hand as a chair. However, he seems to be using the right hand, which was blown up by Starscream. (It ''could'' have fallen off the Autobots' ship, as it was still clinging to the hull when last seen, but that seems unlikely.)

===Transformers references===
* The title of the episode itself is a [[Roll out|reference to past Transformers lore]].

* Footage from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|G1 cartoon]] episodes "[[War Dawn]]" and "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]" is used as history tapes detailing the events of the first [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], millions of years prior. [[Canon|This]] has been confirmed as purely an in-joke, and should not be taken as linking ''Animated'' to G1, continuity wise.

* The [[Teletran-1|Autobot ship]] here bears a distinct resemblance to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], albeit with a colour scheme more reminiscent of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. (As we learn [[A Bridge Too Close, Part II|much later]], there is [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|a very good reason for that]].)

* Bumblebee says "[[Rattrap|We're all gonna die.]]"

* Sari's robotic dog [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]] is likely named after either [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] from G1, the ''Armada'' Mini-Con [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]], or both.

[[Image:Spikecarlydanielanimated.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Twenty years later, and they're still overdressed.]]
* Characters resembling [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], [[Carly]], and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] are seen at a hot dog stand, purchasing some sort of futuristic bunless wieners-on-a-stick. The characters went on to become recurring figures in the background cast of the show, and in "[[Garbage In, Garbage Out]]" it was revealed that their names were... [[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]], [[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel Witwicky]].

* When Optimus Prime dies, his body fades to grays, just as [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Generation 1 Optimus Prime]] did in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. His spark chamber opens in much the same manner as well.

* Teletran-1 (spelled with only one "a" in this universe) dispatches a small satellite very similar to the [[Sky Spy]] satellite used on occasion by the Autobots in the ''Generation 1'' cartoon. The glowing energy "boxes" with which it scans vehicles for the Autobots to transform into are lifted wholesale out of "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]".

* At one point, Bulkhead refers to Optimus as "Boss-bot", echoing an epithet used for ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] by the [[Fuzor]] [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]].

===Notes===
* In this episode, [[Tutor Bot]] tries to teach Sari about the [[wikipedia:Smoot-Hawley_Tariff_Act|Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act]], a major economic blunder of the 1930s.
* Bumblebee's voice is slightly different in this episode from how it sounds later, as is Lugnut's voice, which seems very metallic.
* When Prowl gets birdpooped on, he is standing next to a statue of [[wikipedia:Hazen_S._Pingree|Hazen S. Pingree]], four-term mayor of Detroit and one-time governor of Michigan. In real life, the statue is located in Detroit's Grand Circus Park.
* A refurbished Michigan Central Station makes an appearance as the site for the dedication of Detroit's rapid transit system. The real-life station (abandoned since the '80s) was featured in the [[Transformers (2007)|2007 live-action movie]].
* When mocking the Autobots, Starscream actually calls Megatron "the great Megatron" without any sarcasm. Apparently, he'll only give a sincere compliment to his leader when he's insulting something else. Either that or he's just trying to make ''himself'' sound more impressive by building up the reputation of the one he's defeated.
* When Optimus comes back to life, he asks, "Is this the [[Well of All Sparks]]?" and Sari answers, "No, it's Detroit." This is an allusion to the movie ''Field of Dreams'', in which Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) asks Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), "Is this Heaven?" and Ray answers, "No, it's Iowa."
* According to responses at a panel at BotCon 2008, the unfortunate acronym for Fully Automated Rapid Transit System was totally unintentional...which makes it that much funnier.
* Ratchet is able to use his front windshield as a video screen.
* Several elements present in this opener were changed/dropped in the main series, including expressive vehicle modes, the replacement of solar cycles with stellar cycles in terminology, the recolouring of Ratchet's magnetism from yellow to pink, and Sari's Key changing shape. However, the expressions on vehicle mode were briefly used again by [[Wasp]] in the episode [[Predacons Rising]].
* During [[Sari Sumdac|Sari's]] "conversation" with the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], it shows her the faces of Ultra Magnus, Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Starscream, then the Cybertronian [[Alternate mode|vehicle modes]] for Optimus and Ratchet, the AllSpark's case and the [[Teletran-1|Autobots' ship]]. Then Sari unknowingly shows the AllSpark a man in a suit, a woman, a boy, the planet [[Earth]], pyramids, purple flowers, a horse, an aircraft with a giant cloud coming from the back, a cell and a DNA strand. The woman has dark skin and red hair like Sari.
* This movie was (lovingly) lampooned at the [[MSTF]] panel for [[BotCon 2008]], along with "[[War Dawn]]", the episode from which most of the "history vid" footage was taken.
* It's Detroit. There are guns everywhere. Why are the humans using ''water'' to take down the monster?
* In this episode, Starscream's engines use a sound effect borrowed from ''The Phantom Menace'': the sound made by Sebulba's podracer engines.

==Home video releases==
;DVD
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — The Battle Begins ([[Pack-in material|Hasbro]]) — Part 1 only.
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Transform and Roll Out ([[Transformers Animated (cartoon)/home video|Paramount]]) — English and Spanish audio (NTSC version) / English and German audio (PAL version).
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Transformieren und Abfahrt (Paramount) — English and German audio.

== Footnote ==
<references/>

[[Category:Animated episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Transform and Roll Out

2010-04-10T18:09:15Z

69.140.106.144: /* Japanese version (Part 2) */

{{disambig2|the [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]] multi-part episode|the command|roll out}}
{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|series2=
|image=TFA_TFandRollout_AutobotHeroes.jpg
|caption=''Epic''
|next=Home Is Where the Spark Is
|next2=Sound and Fury
|ep=1, 2 and 3
|next=Home Is Where the Spark Is
|title="Transform and Roll Out"
|airdate=[[December 26]], [[2007]] (US) [[April 3]], [[April 10]], [[April 17]], [[2010]] (JP)
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|directed by= [[Matt Youngberg]] [[Yutaka Kagawa]] [[Minoru Yamaoka]] [[Makoto Fuchigami]]
|animation studio= [[Mook]]}}
'''When a small crew of maintenance Autobots comes into possession of the powerful AllSpark, a battle with their long-forgotten enemies sends them crashing toward a strange, distant planet known as... ''Earth.'''''

:''Japanese title (Part 1):'' 新章! トランスフォーマー (''Shinshō! Transformer'', "A New Chapter! Transformers")
:''Japanese title (Part 2):'' 英雄、その名はオートボット (''Eiyū, sono na wa Autobot'', "The Heroes Are Called Autobots")
:''Japanese title (Part 3):'' オールスパークの秘密 (''AllSpark no himitsu'', "Secret of the AllSpark")
:''German title:'' "'''Transformieren und Abfahrt'''"
:''Polish title:'' "'''Transformacja i jazda'''" ("Transform and Roll Out")

==Synopsis==
===Part 1===
In deep, deep space, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] watches a history vid of the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], prompting [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] to complain about him watching that "junk" when the other members of the crew need assistance. Prime wonders if they were designed for more than repairing [[space bridge]]s. The two 'Bots transform into their vehicle modes and head out into the asteroid field.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout TheAllsparkdiscovered.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Well... at least there's no mass-shifting.]]
Outside, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], dangling from a high rock by his wrecking ball (and becoming quite queasy in the process), is freed by [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], who also ends up taking a tumble. Bumblebee complains about the sheer amount of rocks blocking the space bridge node, and one is shattered unexpectedly by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]'s throwing star. Prime gives his troops a speech about teamwork (which Prowl moans at theatrically), but at that point the space bridge lights up, sending rocks and Autobots flying. Fancy footwork by Optimus saves each of his teammates from the debris, and a well-aimed grappling line shuts down the bridge. With his subordinates stunned at their leader's skills, Prime is forced to admit he trained at [[Autobot Academy|Cybertron's military academy]]. Bumblebee's query as to what the heck he's doing on a nowhere maintenance assignment is left unanswered as they notice something glowing in the rubble.

Prime clears away the debris to reveal a large, chest-like object. Ratchet is horrified and immediately demands they throw it back into the space bridge, but an alert from [[Teletran-1]] announces the arrival of a signature consistent with the long-lost [[Decepticon]]s. Ratchet then insists they take the object and just get out of there post-haste.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Decepticonship.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Yes, this is a scout ship. Way to go, Magnanimous.]]
On board [[Teletran-1|their ship]], Ratchet finally reveals what they've found: the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], the source of all Transformer life that was lost centuries ago. Optimus, worried about the oncoming Decepticon signal, contacts the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] for help. After taking a bit of snark from [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], Optimus reveals what they found, which shuts Sentinel up fast. Sentinel then puts the crew through to [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], who tells Optimus Prime to stay put while they send reinforcements... and not to worry about that Decepticon thing. Optimus, considering this to be a really stupid move, orders the crew to start booking it out of there.

[[Image:Ani crew.JPG|left|200px|thumb|Scotty, engage!]]
This proves wise, as the signal is indeed a Decepticon ship—a [[Nemesis (Animated)|command ship]], in fact. The identification markings are ones that Optimus and Ratchet recognize, meaning its commander can only be one person: [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], leader of the Decepticons. On board the Decepticon ship, [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] doubts the AllSpark is aboard the Autobot ship and declares Megatron a fool. [[Lugnut]] denounces Starscream as a traitor, while [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] calls Lugnut an idiot for his blind loyalty and [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] just acts... well, crazy. The Decepticons continue to bicker at each other until Megatron enters, shutting up all of them. The Decepticons chase the Autobot ship, and Starscream volunteers to board them. Megatron quickly shoots that idea down. Just before he leaves, Starscream wishes his commander "luck" with a pat on the back... affixing a bomb to Megatron in the process.

Megatron makes his way to the Autobots' ship and begins to melt his way through its hull. Optimus uses external manipulator arms to grapple with Megatron, until the bomb detonates, sending the ship careening uncontrollably into a space bridge node, which explodes after they go through the gate. Starscream begins to make a speech declaring himself the new Decepticon leader, but the other three have abandoned ship, noting that the fireball from the space bridge explosion is only getting larger. Too late, Starscream realizes the trouble he's in...

An unknown distance away, the Autobot ship reappears above a [[Earth|small blue and green planet]]. Prime checks on his troops, but Megatron has gotten aboard, having survived the explosion, but at the cost of his right arm. Prime uses his grappling line to shut off the gravity, making it more difficult for Megatron to fight. All five Autobots face off against the Decepticon, but he's too strong (though Prowl does manage to cut off Megatron's damaged arm). Prime and Megatron both end up in the storage bay where the AllSpark is... and as the ship enters the atmosphere, Prime is able to blow the hatch and kick the screaming Megatron out of the ship.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Arkatmosphere.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Oddly familiar.]]
On a small farm, a young boy hears a thud and runs to where something has landed in a not-too-distant field. He is shocked to find a robotic head staring lifelessly up at him.

Meanwhile, Prime orders his team into emergency stasis pods to prepare for a crash-landing. He manages to steer the ship away from the city below and gets to a stasis pod just before the ship plunges into [[Lake Erie]].

Fifty years later, [[Detroit]] is once again a thriving city, but instead of manufacturing automobiles, robots are the city's stock-in-trade. [[Isaac Sumdac]] is talking to a public school class taking a tour of his facilities, which gets interrupted by Isaac's daughter, [[Sari Sumdac]], and her robot dog, [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]]. As Sari is carted off to her lessons by a [[Tutor Bot|robot tutor]], Isaac shows the school kids a nanotech lab, just in time to witness a roach infused with microbots grow out of control and start consuming everything in sight. Isaac tries to keep things calm, but the monster bursts out of the lab...

===Part 2===
[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Firefighters monster.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Yeah, watering it will surely stop the beast.]]
The monster continues to grow, absorbing just about everything it touches to increase its size and power. In the process, it destroys a lot of the factory. [[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]], the S.W.A.T team, the fire department, ambulances, and robot drones arrive, but the creature absorbs several of the responding vehicles, too. Fanzone uses a bazooka-type weapon and destroys the beast, despite Sumdac's objection. This protest proves well-founded, as the remnants of the creature start flowing back together again, save for one piece that drops into the nearby lake and works its way down to the Autobots' ship, its nanites seeking the absorbable technology there. It infiltrates via a small breach in the outer hull, but thankfully, the ship's intruder alert systems are functional and awaken the Autobots before any damage is done. Examining the situation, they decide to have Teletran-1 give them Earth forms so they can blend in and help out. A probe is launched into the chaos and scans various vehicles, including an ambulance, a police motorcycle, an armored personnel carrier, a fire truck, and [[Captain Fanzone's car]]. Everyone deploys except Ratchet, who remains behind to analyze the sample of alien material.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Autobots.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Avengers, ASSEMBLE!]]
During the fight, Bulkhead and Bumblebee spot Sari trying to wrest her security key from Sparkplug's mouth. Mistaking which is owner and which is pet, they approach her, but Bulkhead's greeting only scares her away. She quickly gets nabbed by the monster, but Bumblebee saves her, earning her trust and friendship. Prowl attempts to take on the bug-slug by himself, against Prime's orders, and gets absorbed. Prime orders Ratchet to join them in battle to save Prowl, but the old veteran insists that finding a "cure" code to neutralize the nanites' programming makes more sense than coming out and getting trashed. A somewhat chastened Prime agrees, and Ratchet soon delivers the goods. However, the new program must be uploaded by direct contact—meaning from inside the monster. This means the smallest, fastest one of them has to do it. Bumblebee reluctantly takes on the task. The beast has been using some of Prowl's absorbed intelligence and comm link tech, though, so it knows what they're planning and is now smart enough to fight back. Despite this, Bumblebee succeeds in delivering the code, and the bug dissolves into a dusty shower of deactivated nanites. Prowl is soon uncovered, but he's suffered grave wounds and must be taken back to the Autobots' ship for repairs. Sari pesters Bumblebee to be taken along, and her new friend reluctantly agrees, since there's no time to make her go away quietly.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Sari followedmehome.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Bumblebee, having a pet is a big responsibility.]]
Once on board, Sari's refusal to stay still and quiet causes 'Bee some embarrassment. He quickly and discreetly ejects her into a ventilation port and joins the others. However, the port opens onto a shaft that takes Sari right to the chamber where the AllSpark is being kept. Curious, she touches it, and it reacts to her, sending its energies into her security card key and reconfiguring it into [[AllSpark Key|a key of another sort entirely]]. Prime finds her almost immediately thereafter, but with no time left to spare away from Prowl, he has to bring her back with him to the repair table. Ratchet's prognosis is bleak, but the [[AllSpark Key]] abruptly reacts, glowing and tugging her toward Prowl. Bumblebee, seeming to grasp what's happening, helps her onto the table, and as she approaches, her Key reshapes itself to fit into a slot on Prowl's chest. She inserts it, and with a burst of energy, the Autobot ninja is whole again. The Autobots then take Sari home and, after a brief misunderstanding, are made heroes and are even invited to a ceremony.

In outer space, Starscream sits aboard the damaged but functional Decepticon ship, babbling that he will find the AllSpark, even though he's been attempting it on his own for the last fifty solar cycles. The ship's computers then detect the traces of AllSpark-like energy in action, and Starscream learns where the Autobots are...
{{-}}
===Part 3===
[[Image:Sariprime.jpg|right|150px|thumb|INSERT WHAT WHERE?!]]
The Autobots are later seen trying to fit in. Bulkhead gets firsthand experience in traffic jams, some birds mistake Prowl for the statue of the [[wikipedia:Hazen_S._Pingree|bald guy]] next to him, Bumblebee learns how organics fuel up, and Ratchet can't get a stasis nap without getting a dozen or so parking tickets. Optimus Prime remarks that the Autobots are programmed to respect life, which they always understood to stem from the AllSpark, but as organics are life, they must respect and protect them too. Optimus also expresses curiosity about how little organics are made. Sari's whispered explanation leaves him rather... shocked. The Autobots make a new home base out of a building Sari's dad got out of a merger, an abandoned auto factory that Bumblebee describes as a real fixer-upper—a REAL fixer-upper. All of a sudden, they get alerted to a fire. The Autobots proceed to douse the blaze and save its victims, no problem, unaware they are being watched by Starscream.

The next day, during the inauguration ceremony for the Sumdac [[Fully Automated Rapid Transit System]] (F.A.R.T.S., for short), Starscream enters Earth's atmosphere and takes on a group of fighter jets. He destroys all but one, which he scans. As the civilians and Autobots watch the aerial display of the [[Crimson Angels]], Isaac Sumdac notices there is an extra jet present that he didn't hire. That one jet then leaves the formation and streaks toward the ceremony platform, where it transforms into Starscream, who fires his null-ray cannons at the Autobots.

After a short fight, which the Autobots lose, Starscream knocks out Bumblebee and takes him, Isaac, the mayor, and Capt. Fanzone hostage in the F.A.R.T.S. train, flying it to the top of a very tall tower. He demands that the Autobots deliver the AllSpark if they want him to release the train car. The Autobots don't trust him, but don't want to risk human lives, so Sari offers a plan, but they ignore her. She continues to tell a sob story until the Autobots listen. The Autobots proceed with her plan, and Prowl and Sari fly up to the transit pod to rescue the hostages while the other Autobots keep Starscream busy. Once Starscream realizes what's happening, he takes a brief beating but recovers quickly. Starscream then throws the train—thus keeping his end of the deal—with Sari, Prowl, and Bumblebee on top of/in it. Between Bumblebee's agility and Prowl's thrusters, Sari is rescued and the train lands without much damage. The Autobots then challenge Starscream to a friendly game of Keep Away, during which Starscream almost gets the AllSpark, but Bulkhead gets it instead, because he said he got it. A furious Starscream unleashes a devastating, prolonged (as in nearly 12 seconds) null-ray blast on the Autobots, briefly knocking them all senseless.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Prime SS Allsparkactivates.jpg|left|150px|thumb|In the old days, The Touch would have started playing now.]]
With the Autobots down, Starscream takes the AllSpark from Optimus and blows a couple of blocks of Detroit right off the map. Not ready to give up, Optimus climbs all the way up a building to get it back from Starscream, which Starscream doesn't see coming because he was too busy gloating. After a quick back-and-forth exchange of possessing it, both grab it at the same time. As they struggle, the AllSpark opens and emits a strange energy wave that blasts Starscream away.

The explosion has left Prime dangling precariously, and he takes a tremendous plummet to the pavement. He notes weakly that he now knows what it feels like to be a hero, then dies, but Sari uses the AllSpark Key to revive him.<ref>[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|This is something of an Optimus Prime record]]: Dead after only three episodes, revived a mere 75 seconds later. Way to go.</ref> The Autobots later go about fixing up Detroit, earning the enduring gratitude of the citizenry. Professor Sumdac is also grateful, for the Autobots saved him and Sari, but he fears what will happen if the Autobots—not to mention the rest of the world—were to discover the source of his robotic empire.

Unseen by Sumdac, one of the [[Sensors|optics]] of his source of technology glows in a darkened room. Megatron still functions...
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (2)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (3)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (4)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (5)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (6)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (7)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (8)
*[[Lugnut]] (9)
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] (10)
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (11)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (12)

|c3=
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (13)
*[[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel]] (14)
*[[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]] (15)
*[[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly]] (16)
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (17)
*[[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]] (18)

|c4=
*[[Teletran-1]] ()
*[[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]] ()
*[[Tutor Bot]] ()
*[[Burger Bot]] ()}}

==Quotes==
"Do you ever get the feeling that you were programmed for something more than just repairing space bridges?" 
"I got a diagnostics program that can delete that feeling like a bad line of code."
:—'''Optimus Prime''''s dreams are crushed to a fine powder by '''Ratchet'''

"Know what? You're even uglier at this angle!"
:—'''Bumblebee''' is about to realize there are some things you should never, EVER, say to a Decepticon.

"Hi, I'm Bumblebee!" 
"I'm Sari." 
"Oh, don't be, I like my name."
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Sari''' are off to an awkward start.

"Y'know, all things considered, fixin' space bridges wasn't such a bad gig."
:—'''Bumblebee''', just before embarking on the plan to dissolve the bug monster

"Uh...am I going to be able to ''breathe'' down there?" 
"Oh, sure! ...What's 'breathe'?"
:—'''Sari''' is in good hands with '''Bumblebee'''.

"And to think, Ultra Magnus told me not to be a hero. Is this what it was like in your day?" 
"The Decepticons didn't leave us very much to cheer about."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''' at the ceremony

"Enjoy it while you can, 'heroes.' You're about to take a fall."
:—'''Starscream''', watching a news report on the Autobots

"Give up the AllSpark or give up the Earth. How am I supposed to decide?" 
"Heroes are the ones who make the hard choices."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''' after Starscream makes his ultimatum

"Let go, Autobot!" 
"Never! The AllSpark is life!" 
"Then, let it end yours!"
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Optimus Prime''', fighting over the AllSpark

"So, this...is what it feels like...to be a hero."
:—'''Optimus Prime''', just before dying

"Fixing bridges? Isn't this where we started out?"
:—'''Bumblebee''', as the Autobots clean up the city

==Home releases==
[[Image:Animatedshort01.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Meet the Press lives on through our young ones.]]
"Transform and Roll Out" was released to DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment on June 17, 2008. The DVD includes all three episodes of the pilot movie and two all-new animated shorts. [[Career Day|The first short]] features Optimus Prime attempting to give a speech at [[Black River Elementary School]]'s career day, but being repeatedly interrupted by nagging questions from [[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|some little kid]] and overwhelming cheers for him to transform. [[Evel Knievel Jump|The second]] features Bumblebee messing up one of Prowl's cool stunts. Together, the two shorts run just under three minutes.

Target sold an [[exclusive]] version of the DVD with a special bonus disc that included the episode "[[Home Is Where the Spark Is]]."

All three episodes were also condensed and re-told in the [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] paperback "cine-manga" style book ''[[Transformers Animated Volume 1]]''.
{{-}}

==Notes==
===Japanese version (Part 1)===
*The episode begins with the [[Otoboto family]] telling the viewers to watch in a well-lit room (to prevent seizures and damage to your eyesight, you know).

*As the [[title sequence]] begins, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] asks how everyone is doing, then introduces himself as leader of the Autobots. When he realizes nobody knows who he is, he ''assures'' them that he's leader of the Autobots. Then the [[Transformers Evo.|theme song]] starts.

* '''Cut:''' Ratchet and Optimus's conversation as they walk down a hall, where Prime refers to feeling like being meant for "more than just repairing space bridges", and Ratchet's snarky response about deleting that feeling "like a bad line of code".

* '''Cut:''' Bulkhead's comment on their medic being always grumpy, Ratchet responding to Bumblebee's "old man" comment with a smack upside the head and the retort of "I may have one servor in the scrapheap, but I can still hear!".

*The usual cries of "Transform!" and attack names are added in. ([[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]'s "stingers" are now called "Energy Stingers", for instance.) Perhaps most annoyingly, ''every single thing Optimus does'' has the prefix of "Ultra" added to it. In the span of ten seconds, he goes through his "Ultra Anchor", "Ultra Axe" and "Ultra Net" attacks.

* '''Cut:''' After shutting down the space bridge, the following sequence where Ratchet is repairing Bumblebee, Bulkhead commenting about Optimus's moves, Optimus reluctantly admitting that he used to train at the Academy, and Bumblebee saying that he should've been with the Elite Guard.

* '''Cut:''' Ratchet's poking back at Optimus wanting to see some action, Bumblebee pointing out they're repair bots, Optimus correcting on not without backup and Bulkhead in awe on them connecting with Cybertron Command Headquarters.

*[[Teletran-1]] now speaks as though "she" is in a state of perpetual orgasm.

*When the Autobots first happen upon the ''[[Nemesis (Animated)|Nemesis]]'' and all freak over [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], a new [[scene transition]] is added when transitioning into the discussion between the Decepticon forces. A guitar riff of the classic Generation 1 scene transition music is even used.

*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]]'s "hothead" persona now speaks with a thick American accent, spouting English words like "Hey!" and "Man!"

*New [[commercial bumper]]s have been crafted, featuring stock art of the characters with their voice actors screaming their name, followed by "Transform!"

*'''Cut:''' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]'s entire speech on the bridge ("This is a dark day...") followed by him getting caught in the explosion was cut for time.

*When Bulkhead tumbles into Optimus, following his line "A little warning would have helped!", he screams out "Mommyyyyyyy!" Yeah, Japanese Bulkhead ain't so smart.

*'''Cut:''' After Megatron is kicked from the ship, the establishing shots of Paw Paw (the street sign, the outside of the barn and the scroll across [[Isaac Sumdac]]'s lab) have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' Following Prime's line "Not until I've steered us clear of this populated sector!", the brief scenes of the Autobots being sealed in their stasis pods have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' As soon as the ship crashes into Lake Eerie and leaves a stream of upturned water on the surface, the scenes of the ship sinking and Teletran-1 "initiating emergency stasis mode" on the pods as they turn grey have been cut for time. The episode resumes at the long shot of the sinking ship slowly coming toward the camera, with a new voice-over of Teletran-1 telling the Autobots "good night".

*'''Cut:''' As Isaac Sumdac narrates the history of Detroit and automaton manufacturing, the scene of the trash-collecting automaton has been cut.

*'''Cut:''' The scenes of [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] pulling the bubblegum off her face, eating it, the crowd reacting in disgust, Isaac Sumdac reacting in frustration, the kid asking Sari what its like to grow up around robots and [[Tutor Bot]] hauling Sari off have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' After the cockroach absorbs the nanobot liquid, all the scenes involving Isaac Sumdac explaining the nanobots to the children and the children looking through microscopes at the nanobots have been cut for time. The episode resumes at the roach growing bigger.

*'''Cut:''' The close-up of Isaac Sumdac saying "Nothing to be concerned about, children!" and the kid remarking that "This accident doesn't look too happy" have been cut for time. The episode resumes with the roach crashing through the window behind him.

*The Otoboto Family segment features [[Hiroyuki Otoboto]] telling his son, [[Tatsuya Otoboto]], about ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'', complete with clips from "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]". Mr. Otoboto then produces a complete set of ''Animated'' Autobot toys. Tatsuya is thrilled, but wouldn't ya know it? [[Megumi Otoboto|Mrs. Otoboto]] comes in with dinner! During mealtime conversation, Mrs. Otoboto makes the mistake of using the word "transform", which inevitably causes Tatsuya to start talking about Transformers, much to the amusement of his father and the annoyance of his older sister, [[Yūka Otoboto|Yūka]]. Tatsuya then causes a "freeze frame" so that he can introduce himself and his family (messing with his father's glasses in the process for his own amusement). Oddly, despite being "frozen", everyone proceeds to blink. As time resumes its normal pace, Hiroyuki wonders what happened to his glasses. He then digs into his dinner, except, oh no! It's too hot! ''Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!''

*During the "next episode" segment, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee proceed to have an argument. Bumblebee thinks Optimus's name is too long and hard to remember. Bumblebee suggests that "[[Convoy]]" would be better, but Prime shoots the idea down immediately. Bumblebee opts to call him "Oputi", since it has fewer syllables. Prime refuses to be called such a name (more fitting for a dog), so Bumblebee settles on "Pu-Pu" after "Opura" is also rejected. Prime refuses that too, thinking it sounds cute, but that it would be hard not to laugh instinctively at it. Bumblebee then tricks Prime into answering to it, which frustrates him even ''further''. The argument proceeds ''past'' the "next episode" segment and straight into the sponsor cards.

===Japanese version (Part 2)===
*Instead of Optimus introducing at the opening, Bumblebee introduces himself as well praising the awesomeness of [[JAM Project]].
*'''Cut:''' The rush of emergency vehicles driving through the city was cut for time. As was the following scene of Fanzone getting into his car and about to enjoy his lunch at the Burgerbot, and being disappointed at the emergency call, along with his leaving.
*'''Cut:''' Fanzone arriving at Sumdac laboratories, and his little dilemma regarding his broken megaphone, and his first directions to the police force.
*Optimus now has "Ultra Jump" to add to his "arsenal" as he distracts the nano-monster.
*'''Cut:''' The left to right pan of the ruined laboratory where the tour had taken place was cut for time.
*'''Cut:''' Much of the flying debris from the monster falling into the ocean.
* During the [[trans-scan|trans-scanning]], Teletan-1 announces the name of the vehicle being scanned, and the Autobot's as they are re-formatted.
*'''Cut:''' Fanzone noticing the four vehicles confronting the monster and attempts to call them back, before noticing that they are unmanned and include his own car.
*'''Cut:''' Immediately after the previous cut, the scene where Bulkhead and Bumblebee attempt to converse with the police drones while fighting the monster, is cut.
*During the ceremony, the cheering crowd has been replaced with what looks to be a photo of a Japanese crowd.
*'''Cut:''' After the ceremony, the scene in which Starscream is seen monologing in the crashed ''Nemesis'' on the moon.

===Animation or technical glitches===
* Megatron's vehicle mode was depicted flying upside-down, or backwards, or possibly both. To be fair, in space, there is no up and down (and to be even fairer, it's really hard to tell from the toys exactly what ''is'' the front of Megatron's Cybertronian spaceship mode), but that does not excuse the fact that any propulsion system used would be in the ''back'' of the mode.

*When the Autobot get into the stasis pods, Prime, Bulkhead, and Ratchet are on the left side, with Bumblebee, Prowl, and an empty pod on the right, in that order. Yet when they get out later in the episode, Prime, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead are on the left, and the empty one, Prowl, and Ratchet on the right.

* As pre-Earth Prime enters the chamber which will re-format his body into his Earth mode, he walks past Ratchet, who is drawn mostly in his pre-Earth mode, except for the fact that his Cybertronian gut is replaced with his ambulance gut. In the next scene, Ratchet is properly drawn, pre-Earth gut and all.

* When Sari says to the Autobots it is okay to put down their hands, Bulkhead's face is black.

* When Starscream tackles Optimus Prime through a building as the Autobot tries to escape with the AllSpark, Optimus's axe is missing from Starscream's left wing. It reappears moments later for Optimus to retrieve it.

* In at least one scene, Starscream's Earth-form wing is shown with a spike, in the same manner as his Cybertronian body.

===Continuity errors===
* The train Starscream blasts from the tower falls toward the ground very, very slowly.

* When we first meet Starscream, he states that he has been searching for the AllSpark for fifty ''solar'' cycles. In later episodes, a solar cycle is equivalent to a day and a ''stellar'' cycle is used for years. This is the only time a solar cycle has been used to reference years, so either Starscream entered some sort of temporal anomaly or someone messed up. For more <s>confusion</s> information, See [[Cycle|this page]].

* Sumdac is using Megatron's hand as a chair. However, he seems to be using the right hand, which was blown up by Starscream. (It ''could'' have fallen off the Autobots' ship, as it was still clinging to the hull when last seen, but that seems unlikely.)

===Transformers references===
* The title of the episode itself is a [[Roll out|reference to past Transformers lore]].

* Footage from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|G1 cartoon]] episodes "[[War Dawn]]" and "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]" is used as history tapes detailing the events of the first [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], millions of years prior. [[Canon|This]] has been confirmed as purely an in-joke, and should not be taken as linking ''Animated'' to G1, continuity wise.

* The [[Teletran-1|Autobot ship]] here bears a distinct resemblance to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], albeit with a colour scheme more reminiscent of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. (As we learn [[A Bridge Too Close, Part II|much later]], there is [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|a very good reason for that]].)

* Bumblebee says "[[Rattrap|We're all gonna die.]]"

* Sari's robotic dog [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]] is likely named after either [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] from G1, the ''Armada'' Mini-Con [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]], or both.

[[Image:Spikecarlydanielanimated.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Twenty years later, and they're still overdressed.]]
* Characters resembling [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], [[Carly]], and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] are seen at a hot dog stand, purchasing some sort of futuristic bunless wieners-on-a-stick. The characters went on to become recurring figures in the background cast of the show, and in "[[Garbage In, Garbage Out]]" it was revealed that their names were... [[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]], [[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel Witwicky]].

* When Optimus Prime dies, his body fades to grays, just as [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Generation 1 Optimus Prime]] did in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. His spark chamber opens in much the same manner as well.

* Teletran-1 (spelled with only one "a" in this universe) dispatches a small satellite very similar to the [[Sky Spy]] satellite used on occasion by the Autobots in the ''Generation 1'' cartoon. The glowing energy "boxes" with which it scans vehicles for the Autobots to transform into are lifted wholesale out of "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]".

* At one point, Bulkhead refers to Optimus as "Boss-bot", echoing an epithet used for ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] by the [[Fuzor]] [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]].

===Notes===
* In this episode, [[Tutor Bot]] tries to teach Sari about the [[wikipedia:Smoot-Hawley_Tariff_Act|Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act]], a major economic blunder of the 1930s.
* Bumblebee's voice is slightly different in this episode from how it sounds later, as is Lugnut's voice, which seems very metallic.
* When Prowl gets birdpooped on, he is standing next to a statue of [[wikipedia:Hazen_S._Pingree|Hazen S. Pingree]], four-term mayor of Detroit and one-time governor of Michigan. In real life, the statue is located in Detroit's Grand Circus Park.
* A refurbished Michigan Central Station makes an appearance as the site for the dedication of Detroit's rapid transit system. The real-life station (abandoned since the '80s) was featured in the [[Transformers (2007)|2007 live-action movie]].
* When mocking the Autobots, Starscream actually calls Megatron "the great Megatron" without any sarcasm. Apparently, he'll only give a sincere compliment to his leader when he's insulting something else. Either that or he's just trying to make ''himself'' sound more impressive by building up the reputation of the one he's defeated.
* When Optimus comes back to life, he asks, "Is this the [[Well of All Sparks]]?" and Sari answers, "No, it's Detroit." This is an allusion to the movie ''Field of Dreams'', in which Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) asks Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), "Is this Heaven?" and Ray answers, "No, it's Iowa."
* According to responses at a panel at BotCon 2008, the unfortunate acronym for Fully Automated Rapid Transit System was totally unintentional...which makes it that much funnier.
* Ratchet is able to use his front windshield as a video screen.
* Several elements present in this opener were changed/dropped in the main series, including expressive vehicle modes, the replacement of solar cycles with stellar cycles in terminology, the recolouring of Ratchet's magnetism from yellow to pink, and Sari's Key changing shape. However, the expressions on vehicle mode were briefly used again by [[Wasp]] in the episode [[Predacons Rising]].
* During [[Sari Sumdac|Sari's]] "conversation" with the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], it shows her the faces of Ultra Magnus, Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Starscream, then the Cybertronian [[Alternate mode|vehicle modes]] for Optimus and Ratchet, the AllSpark's case and the [[Teletran-1|Autobots' ship]]. Then Sari unknowingly shows the AllSpark a man in a suit, a woman, a boy, the planet [[Earth]], pyramids, purple flowers, a horse, an aircraft with a giant cloud coming from the back, a cell and a DNA strand. The woman has dark skin and red hair like Sari.
* This movie was (lovingly) lampooned at the [[MSTF]] panel for [[BotCon 2008]], along with "[[War Dawn]]", the episode from which most of the "history vid" footage was taken.
* It's Detroit. There are guns everywhere. Why are the humans using ''water'' to take down the monster?
* In this episode, Starscream's engines use a sound effect borrowed from ''The Phantom Menace'': the sound made by Sebulba's podracer engines.

==Home video releases==
;DVD
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — The Battle Begins ([[Pack-in material|Hasbro]]) — Part 1 only.
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Transform and Roll Out ([[Transformers Animated (cartoon)/home video|Paramount]]) — English and Spanish audio (NTSC version) / English and German audio (PAL version).
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Transformieren und Abfahrt (Paramount) — English and German audio.

== Footnote ==
<references/>

[[Category:Animated episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Transform and Roll Out

2010-04-10T18:06:24Z

69.140.106.144: /* Japanese version (Part 2) */

{{disambig2|the [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]] multi-part episode|the command|roll out}}
{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|series2=
|image=TFA_TFandRollout_AutobotHeroes.jpg
|caption=''Epic''
|next=Home Is Where the Spark Is
|next2=Sound and Fury
|ep=1, 2 and 3
|next=Home Is Where the Spark Is
|title="Transform and Roll Out"
|airdate=[[December 26]], [[2007]] (US) [[April 3]], [[April 10]], [[April 17]], [[2010]] (JP)
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|directed by= [[Matt Youngberg]] [[Yutaka Kagawa]] [[Minoru Yamaoka]] [[Makoto Fuchigami]]
|animation studio= [[Mook]]}}
'''When a small crew of maintenance Autobots comes into possession of the powerful AllSpark, a battle with their long-forgotten enemies sends them crashing toward a strange, distant planet known as... ''Earth.'''''

:''Japanese title (Part 1):'' 新章! トランスフォーマー (''Shinshō! Transformer'', "A New Chapter! Transformers")
:''Japanese title (Part 2):'' 英雄、その名はオートボット (''Eiyū, sono na wa Autobot'', "The Heroes Are Called Autobots")
:''Japanese title (Part 3):'' オールスパークの秘密 (''AllSpark no himitsu'', "Secret of the AllSpark")
:''German title:'' "'''Transformieren und Abfahrt'''"
:''Polish title:'' "'''Transformacja i jazda'''" ("Transform and Roll Out")

==Synopsis==
===Part 1===
In deep, deep space, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] watches a history vid of the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], prompting [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] to complain about him watching that "junk" when the other members of the crew need assistance. Prime wonders if they were designed for more than repairing [[space bridge]]s. The two 'Bots transform into their vehicle modes and head out into the asteroid field.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout TheAllsparkdiscovered.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Well... at least there's no mass-shifting.]]
Outside, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], dangling from a high rock by his wrecking ball (and becoming quite queasy in the process), is freed by [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], who also ends up taking a tumble. Bumblebee complains about the sheer amount of rocks blocking the space bridge node, and one is shattered unexpectedly by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]'s throwing star. Prime gives his troops a speech about teamwork (which Prowl moans at theatrically), but at that point the space bridge lights up, sending rocks and Autobots flying. Fancy footwork by Optimus saves each of his teammates from the debris, and a well-aimed grappling line shuts down the bridge. With his subordinates stunned at their leader's skills, Prime is forced to admit he trained at [[Autobot Academy|Cybertron's military academy]]. Bumblebee's query as to what the heck he's doing on a nowhere maintenance assignment is left unanswered as they notice something glowing in the rubble.

Prime clears away the debris to reveal a large, chest-like object. Ratchet is horrified and immediately demands they throw it back into the space bridge, but an alert from [[Teletran-1]] announces the arrival of a signature consistent with the long-lost [[Decepticon]]s. Ratchet then insists they take the object and just get out of there post-haste.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Decepticonship.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Yes, this is a scout ship. Way to go, Magnanimous.]]
On board [[Teletran-1|their ship]], Ratchet finally reveals what they've found: the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], the source of all Transformer life that was lost centuries ago. Optimus, worried about the oncoming Decepticon signal, contacts the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] for help. After taking a bit of snark from [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], Optimus reveals what they found, which shuts Sentinel up fast. Sentinel then puts the crew through to [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], who tells Optimus Prime to stay put while they send reinforcements... and not to worry about that Decepticon thing. Optimus, considering this to be a really stupid move, orders the crew to start booking it out of there.

[[Image:Ani crew.JPG|left|200px|thumb|Scotty, engage!]]
This proves wise, as the signal is indeed a Decepticon ship—a [[Nemesis (Animated)|command ship]], in fact. The identification markings are ones that Optimus and Ratchet recognize, meaning its commander can only be one person: [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], leader of the Decepticons. On board the Decepticon ship, [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] doubts the AllSpark is aboard the Autobot ship and declares Megatron a fool. [[Lugnut]] denounces Starscream as a traitor, while [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] calls Lugnut an idiot for his blind loyalty and [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] just acts... well, crazy. The Decepticons continue to bicker at each other until Megatron enters, shutting up all of them. The Decepticons chase the Autobot ship, and Starscream volunteers to board them. Megatron quickly shoots that idea down. Just before he leaves, Starscream wishes his commander "luck" with a pat on the back... affixing a bomb to Megatron in the process.

Megatron makes his way to the Autobots' ship and begins to melt his way through its hull. Optimus uses external manipulator arms to grapple with Megatron, until the bomb detonates, sending the ship careening uncontrollably into a space bridge node, which explodes after they go through the gate. Starscream begins to make a speech declaring himself the new Decepticon leader, but the other three have abandoned ship, noting that the fireball from the space bridge explosion is only getting larger. Too late, Starscream realizes the trouble he's in...

An unknown distance away, the Autobot ship reappears above a [[Earth|small blue and green planet]]. Prime checks on his troops, but Megatron has gotten aboard, having survived the explosion, but at the cost of his right arm. Prime uses his grappling line to shut off the gravity, making it more difficult for Megatron to fight. All five Autobots face off against the Decepticon, but he's too strong (though Prowl does manage to cut off Megatron's damaged arm). Prime and Megatron both end up in the storage bay where the AllSpark is... and as the ship enters the atmosphere, Prime is able to blow the hatch and kick the screaming Megatron out of the ship.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Arkatmosphere.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Oddly familiar.]]
On a small farm, a young boy hears a thud and runs to where something has landed in a not-too-distant field. He is shocked to find a robotic head staring lifelessly up at him.

Meanwhile, Prime orders his team into emergency stasis pods to prepare for a crash-landing. He manages to steer the ship away from the city below and gets to a stasis pod just before the ship plunges into [[Lake Erie]].

Fifty years later, [[Detroit]] is once again a thriving city, but instead of manufacturing automobiles, robots are the city's stock-in-trade. [[Isaac Sumdac]] is talking to a public school class taking a tour of his facilities, which gets interrupted by Isaac's daughter, [[Sari Sumdac]], and her robot dog, [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]]. As Sari is carted off to her lessons by a [[Tutor Bot|robot tutor]], Isaac shows the school kids a nanotech lab, just in time to witness a roach infused with microbots grow out of control and start consuming everything in sight. Isaac tries to keep things calm, but the monster bursts out of the lab...

===Part 2===
[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Firefighters monster.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Yeah, watering it will surely stop the beast.]]
The monster continues to grow, absorbing just about everything it touches to increase its size and power. In the process, it destroys a lot of the factory. [[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]], the S.W.A.T team, the fire department, ambulances, and robot drones arrive, but the creature absorbs several of the responding vehicles, too. Fanzone uses a bazooka-type weapon and destroys the beast, despite Sumdac's objection. This protest proves well-founded, as the remnants of the creature start flowing back together again, save for one piece that drops into the nearby lake and works its way down to the Autobots' ship, its nanites seeking the absorbable technology there. It infiltrates via a small breach in the outer hull, but thankfully, the ship's intruder alert systems are functional and awaken the Autobots before any damage is done. Examining the situation, they decide to have Teletran-1 give them Earth forms so they can blend in and help out. A probe is launched into the chaos and scans various vehicles, including an ambulance, a police motorcycle, an armored personnel carrier, a fire truck, and [[Captain Fanzone's car]]. Everyone deploys except Ratchet, who remains behind to analyze the sample of alien material.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Autobots.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Avengers, ASSEMBLE!]]
During the fight, Bulkhead and Bumblebee spot Sari trying to wrest her security key from Sparkplug's mouth. Mistaking which is owner and which is pet, they approach her, but Bulkhead's greeting only scares her away. She quickly gets nabbed by the monster, but Bumblebee saves her, earning her trust and friendship. Prowl attempts to take on the bug-slug by himself, against Prime's orders, and gets absorbed. Prime orders Ratchet to join them in battle to save Prowl, but the old veteran insists that finding a "cure" code to neutralize the nanites' programming makes more sense than coming out and getting trashed. A somewhat chastened Prime agrees, and Ratchet soon delivers the goods. However, the new program must be uploaded by direct contact—meaning from inside the monster. This means the smallest, fastest one of them has to do it. Bumblebee reluctantly takes on the task. The beast has been using some of Prowl's absorbed intelligence and comm link tech, though, so it knows what they're planning and is now smart enough to fight back. Despite this, Bumblebee succeeds in delivering the code, and the bug dissolves into a dusty shower of deactivated nanites. Prowl is soon uncovered, but he's suffered grave wounds and must be taken back to the Autobots' ship for repairs. Sari pesters Bumblebee to be taken along, and her new friend reluctantly agrees, since there's no time to make her go away quietly.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Sari followedmehome.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Bumblebee, having a pet is a big responsibility.]]
Once on board, Sari's refusal to stay still and quiet causes 'Bee some embarrassment. He quickly and discreetly ejects her into a ventilation port and joins the others. However, the port opens onto a shaft that takes Sari right to the chamber where the AllSpark is being kept. Curious, she touches it, and it reacts to her, sending its energies into her security card key and reconfiguring it into [[AllSpark Key|a key of another sort entirely]]. Prime finds her almost immediately thereafter, but with no time left to spare away from Prowl, he has to bring her back with him to the repair table. Ratchet's prognosis is bleak, but the [[AllSpark Key]] abruptly reacts, glowing and tugging her toward Prowl. Bumblebee, seeming to grasp what's happening, helps her onto the table, and as she approaches, her Key reshapes itself to fit into a slot on Prowl's chest. She inserts it, and with a burst of energy, the Autobot ninja is whole again. The Autobots then take Sari home and, after a brief misunderstanding, are made heroes and are even invited to a ceremony.

In outer space, Starscream sits aboard the damaged but functional Decepticon ship, babbling that he will find the AllSpark, even though he's been attempting it on his own for the last fifty solar cycles. The ship's computers then detect the traces of AllSpark-like energy in action, and Starscream learns where the Autobots are...
{{-}}
===Part 3===
[[Image:Sariprime.jpg|right|150px|thumb|INSERT WHAT WHERE?!]]
The Autobots are later seen trying to fit in. Bulkhead gets firsthand experience in traffic jams, some birds mistake Prowl for the statue of the [[wikipedia:Hazen_S._Pingree|bald guy]] next to him, Bumblebee learns how organics fuel up, and Ratchet can't get a stasis nap without getting a dozen or so parking tickets. Optimus Prime remarks that the Autobots are programmed to respect life, which they always understood to stem from the AllSpark, but as organics are life, they must respect and protect them too. Optimus also expresses curiosity about how little organics are made. Sari's whispered explanation leaves him rather... shocked. The Autobots make a new home base out of a building Sari's dad got out of a merger, an abandoned auto factory that Bumblebee describes as a real fixer-upper—a REAL fixer-upper. All of a sudden, they get alerted to a fire. The Autobots proceed to douse the blaze and save its victims, no problem, unaware they are being watched by Starscream.

The next day, during the inauguration ceremony for the Sumdac [[Fully Automated Rapid Transit System]] (F.A.R.T.S., for short), Starscream enters Earth's atmosphere and takes on a group of fighter jets. He destroys all but one, which he scans. As the civilians and Autobots watch the aerial display of the [[Crimson Angels]], Isaac Sumdac notices there is an extra jet present that he didn't hire. That one jet then leaves the formation and streaks toward the ceremony platform, where it transforms into Starscream, who fires his null-ray cannons at the Autobots.

After a short fight, which the Autobots lose, Starscream knocks out Bumblebee and takes him, Isaac, the mayor, and Capt. Fanzone hostage in the F.A.R.T.S. train, flying it to the top of a very tall tower. He demands that the Autobots deliver the AllSpark if they want him to release the train car. The Autobots don't trust him, but don't want to risk human lives, so Sari offers a plan, but they ignore her. She continues to tell a sob story until the Autobots listen. The Autobots proceed with her plan, and Prowl and Sari fly up to the transit pod to rescue the hostages while the other Autobots keep Starscream busy. Once Starscream realizes what's happening, he takes a brief beating but recovers quickly. Starscream then throws the train—thus keeping his end of the deal—with Sari, Prowl, and Bumblebee on top of/in it. Between Bumblebee's agility and Prowl's thrusters, Sari is rescued and the train lands without much damage. The Autobots then challenge Starscream to a friendly game of Keep Away, during which Starscream almost gets the AllSpark, but Bulkhead gets it instead, because he said he got it. A furious Starscream unleashes a devastating, prolonged (as in nearly 12 seconds) null-ray blast on the Autobots, briefly knocking them all senseless.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Prime SS Allsparkactivates.jpg|left|150px|thumb|In the old days, The Touch would have started playing now.]]
With the Autobots down, Starscream takes the AllSpark from Optimus and blows a couple of blocks of Detroit right off the map. Not ready to give up, Optimus climbs all the way up a building to get it back from Starscream, which Starscream doesn't see coming because he was too busy gloating. After a quick back-and-forth exchange of possessing it, both grab it at the same time. As they struggle, the AllSpark opens and emits a strange energy wave that blasts Starscream away.

The explosion has left Prime dangling precariously, and he takes a tremendous plummet to the pavement. He notes weakly that he now knows what it feels like to be a hero, then dies, but Sari uses the AllSpark Key to revive him.<ref>[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|This is something of an Optimus Prime record]]: Dead after only three episodes, revived a mere 75 seconds later. Way to go.</ref> The Autobots later go about fixing up Detroit, earning the enduring gratitude of the citizenry. Professor Sumdac is also grateful, for the Autobots saved him and Sari, but he fears what will happen if the Autobots—not to mention the rest of the world—were to discover the source of his robotic empire.

Unseen by Sumdac, one of the [[Sensors|optics]] of his source of technology glows in a darkened room. Megatron still functions...
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (2)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (3)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (4)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (5)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (6)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (7)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (8)
*[[Lugnut]] (9)
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] (10)
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (11)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (12)

|c3=
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (13)
*[[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel]] (14)
*[[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]] (15)
*[[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly]] (16)
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (17)
*[[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]] (18)

|c4=
*[[Teletran-1]] ()
*[[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]] ()
*[[Tutor Bot]] ()
*[[Burger Bot]] ()}}

==Quotes==
"Do you ever get the feeling that you were programmed for something more than just repairing space bridges?" 
"I got a diagnostics program that can delete that feeling like a bad line of code."
:—'''Optimus Prime''''s dreams are crushed to a fine powder by '''Ratchet'''

"Know what? You're even uglier at this angle!"
:—'''Bumblebee''' is about to realize there are some things you should never, EVER, say to a Decepticon.

"Hi, I'm Bumblebee!" 
"I'm Sari." 
"Oh, don't be, I like my name."
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Sari''' are off to an awkward start.

"Y'know, all things considered, fixin' space bridges wasn't such a bad gig."
:—'''Bumblebee''', just before embarking on the plan to dissolve the bug monster

"Uh...am I going to be able to ''breathe'' down there?" 
"Oh, sure! ...What's 'breathe'?"
:—'''Sari''' is in good hands with '''Bumblebee'''.

"And to think, Ultra Magnus told me not to be a hero. Is this what it was like in your day?" 
"The Decepticons didn't leave us very much to cheer about."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''' at the ceremony

"Enjoy it while you can, 'heroes.' You're about to take a fall."
:—'''Starscream''', watching a news report on the Autobots

"Give up the AllSpark or give up the Earth. How am I supposed to decide?" 
"Heroes are the ones who make the hard choices."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''' after Starscream makes his ultimatum

"Let go, Autobot!" 
"Never! The AllSpark is life!" 
"Then, let it end yours!"
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Optimus Prime''', fighting over the AllSpark

"So, this...is what it feels like...to be a hero."
:—'''Optimus Prime''', just before dying

"Fixing bridges? Isn't this where we started out?"
:—'''Bumblebee''', as the Autobots clean up the city

==Home releases==
[[Image:Animatedshort01.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Meet the Press lives on through our young ones.]]
"Transform and Roll Out" was released to DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment on June 17, 2008. The DVD includes all three episodes of the pilot movie and two all-new animated shorts. [[Career Day|The first short]] features Optimus Prime attempting to give a speech at [[Black River Elementary School]]'s career day, but being repeatedly interrupted by nagging questions from [[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|some little kid]] and overwhelming cheers for him to transform. [[Evel Knievel Jump|The second]] features Bumblebee messing up one of Prowl's cool stunts. Together, the two shorts run just under three minutes.

Target sold an [[exclusive]] version of the DVD with a special bonus disc that included the episode "[[Home Is Where the Spark Is]]."

All three episodes were also condensed and re-told in the [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] paperback "cine-manga" style book ''[[Transformers Animated Volume 1]]''.
{{-}}

==Notes==
===Japanese version (Part 1)===
*The episode begins with the [[Otoboto family]] telling the viewers to watch in a well-lit room (to prevent seizures and damage to your eyesight, you know).

*As the [[title sequence]] begins, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] asks how everyone is doing, then introduces himself as leader of the Autobots. When he realizes nobody knows who he is, he ''assures'' them that he's leader of the Autobots. Then the [[Transformers Evo.|theme song]] starts.

* '''Cut:''' Ratchet and Optimus's conversation as they walk down a hall, where Prime refers to feeling like being meant for "more than just repairing space bridges", and Ratchet's snarky response about deleting that feeling "like a bad line of code".

* '''Cut:''' Bulkhead's comment on their medic being always grumpy, Ratchet responding to Bumblebee's "old man" comment with a smack upside the head and the retort of "I may have one servor in the scrapheap, but I can still hear!".

*The usual cries of "Transform!" and attack names are added in. ([[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]'s "stingers" are now called "Energy Stingers", for instance.) Perhaps most annoyingly, ''every single thing Optimus does'' has the prefix of "Ultra" added to it. In the span of ten seconds, he goes through his "Ultra Anchor", "Ultra Axe" and "Ultra Net" attacks.

* '''Cut:''' After shutting down the space bridge, the following sequence where Ratchet is repairing Bumblebee, Bulkhead commenting about Optimus's moves, Optimus reluctantly admitting that he used to train at the Academy, and Bumblebee saying that he should've been with the Elite Guard.

* '''Cut:''' Ratchet's poking back at Optimus wanting to see some action, Bumblebee pointing out they're repair bots, Optimus correcting on not without backup and Bulkhead in awe on them connecting with Cybertron Command Headquarters.

*[[Teletran-1]] now speaks as though "she" is in a state of perpetual orgasm.

*When the Autobots first happen upon the ''[[Nemesis (Animated)|Nemesis]]'' and all freak over [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], a new [[scene transition]] is added when transitioning into the discussion between the Decepticon forces. A guitar riff of the classic Generation 1 scene transition music is even used.

*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]]'s "hothead" persona now speaks with a thick American accent, spouting English words like "Hey!" and "Man!"

*New [[commercial bumper]]s have been crafted, featuring stock art of the characters with their voice actors screaming their name, followed by "Transform!"

*'''Cut:''' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]'s entire speech on the bridge ("This is a dark day...") followed by him getting caught in the explosion was cut for time.

*When Bulkhead tumbles into Optimus, following his line "A little warning would have helped!", he screams out "Mommyyyyyyy!" Yeah, Japanese Bulkhead ain't so smart.

*'''Cut:''' After Megatron is kicked from the ship, the establishing shots of Paw Paw (the street sign, the outside of the barn and the scroll across [[Isaac Sumdac]]'s lab) have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' Following Prime's line "Not until I've steered us clear of this populated sector!", the brief scenes of the Autobots being sealed in their stasis pods have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' As soon as the ship crashes into Lake Eerie and leaves a stream of upturned water on the surface, the scenes of the ship sinking and Teletran-1 "initiating emergency stasis mode" on the pods as they turn grey have been cut for time. The episode resumes at the long shot of the sinking ship slowly coming toward the camera, with a new voice-over of Teletran-1 telling the Autobots "good night".

*'''Cut:''' As Isaac Sumdac narrates the history of Detroit and automaton manufacturing, the scene of the trash-collecting automaton has been cut.

*'''Cut:''' The scenes of [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] pulling the bubblegum off her face, eating it, the crowd reacting in disgust, Isaac Sumdac reacting in frustration, the kid asking Sari what its like to grow up around robots and [[Tutor Bot]] hauling Sari off have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' After the cockroach absorbs the nanobot liquid, all the scenes involving Isaac Sumdac explaining the nanobots to the children and the children looking through microscopes at the nanobots have been cut for time. The episode resumes at the roach growing bigger.

*'''Cut:''' The close-up of Isaac Sumdac saying "Nothing to be concerned about, children!" and the kid remarking that "This accident doesn't look too happy" have been cut for time. The episode resumes with the roach crashing through the window behind him.

*The Otoboto Family segment features [[Hiroyuki Otoboto]] telling his son, [[Tatsuya Otoboto]], about ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'', complete with clips from "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]". Mr. Otoboto then produces a complete set of ''Animated'' Autobot toys. Tatsuya is thrilled, but wouldn't ya know it? [[Megumi Otoboto|Mrs. Otoboto]] comes in with dinner! During mealtime conversation, Mrs. Otoboto makes the mistake of using the word "transform", which inevitably causes Tatsuya to start talking about Transformers, much to the amusement of his father and the annoyance of his older sister, [[Yūka Otoboto|Yūka]]. Tatsuya then causes a "freeze frame" so that he can introduce himself and his family (messing with his father's glasses in the process for his own amusement). Oddly, despite being "frozen", everyone proceeds to blink. As time resumes its normal pace, Hiroyuki wonders what happened to his glasses. He then digs into his dinner, except, oh no! It's too hot! ''Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!''

*During the "next episode" segment, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee proceed to have an argument. Bumblebee thinks Optimus's name is too long and hard to remember. Bumblebee suggests that "[[Convoy]]" would be better, but Prime shoots the idea down immediately. Bumblebee opts to call him "Oputi", since it has fewer syllables. Prime refuses to be called such a name (more fitting for a dog), so Bumblebee settles on "Pu-Pu" after "Opura" is also rejected. Prime refuses that too, thinking it sounds cute, but that it would be hard not to laugh instinctively at it. Bumblebee then tricks Prime into answering to it, which frustrates him even ''further''. The argument proceeds ''past'' the "next episode" segment and straight into the sponsor cards.

===Japanese version (Part 2)===
*Instead of Optimus introducing at the opening, Bumblebee introduces himself as well praising the awesomeness of [[JAM Project]].
*'''Cut:''' The rush of emergency vehicles driving through the city was cut for time. As was the following scene of Fanzone getting into his car and about to enjoy his lunch at the Burgerbot, and being disappointed at the emergency call, along with his leaving.
*'''Cut:''' Fanzone arriving at Sumdac laboratories, and his little dilemma regarding his broken megaphone, and his first directions to the police force.
*Optimus now has "Ultra Jump" to add to his "arsenal" as he distracts the nano-monster.
*'''Cut:''' The left to right pan of the ruined laboratory where the tour had taken place was cut for time.
*'''Cut:''' Much of the flying debris from the monster falling into the ocean.
* During the [[trans-scan|trans-scanning]], Teletan-1 announces the name of the vehicle being scanned, and the Autobot's as they are re-formatted.
*'''Cut:''' Fanzone noticing the four vehicles confronting the monster and attempts to call them back, before noticing that they are unmanned and include his own car.
*During the ceremony, the cheering crowd has been replaced with what looks to be a photo of a Japanese crowd.
*'''Cut:''' After the ceremony, the scene in which Starscream is seen monologing in the crashed ''Nemesis'' on the moon.

===Animation or technical glitches===
* Megatron's vehicle mode was depicted flying upside-down, or backwards, or possibly both. To be fair, in space, there is no up and down (and to be even fairer, it's really hard to tell from the toys exactly what ''is'' the front of Megatron's Cybertronian spaceship mode), but that does not excuse the fact that any propulsion system used would be in the ''back'' of the mode.

*When the Autobot get into the stasis pods, Prime, Bulkhead, and Ratchet are on the left side, with Bumblebee, Prowl, and an empty pod on the right, in that order. Yet when they get out later in the episode, Prime, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead are on the left, and the empty one, Prowl, and Ratchet on the right.

* As pre-Earth Prime enters the chamber which will re-format his body into his Earth mode, he walks past Ratchet, who is drawn mostly in his pre-Earth mode, except for the fact that his Cybertronian gut is replaced with his ambulance gut. In the next scene, Ratchet is properly drawn, pre-Earth gut and all.

* When Sari says to the Autobots it is okay to put down their hands, Bulkhead's face is black.

* When Starscream tackles Optimus Prime through a building as the Autobot tries to escape with the AllSpark, Optimus's axe is missing from Starscream's left wing. It reappears moments later for Optimus to retrieve it.

* In at least one scene, Starscream's Earth-form wing is shown with a spike, in the same manner as his Cybertronian body.

===Continuity errors===
* The train Starscream blasts from the tower falls toward the ground very, very slowly.

* When we first meet Starscream, he states that he has been searching for the AllSpark for fifty ''solar'' cycles. In later episodes, a solar cycle is equivalent to a day and a ''stellar'' cycle is used for years. This is the only time a solar cycle has been used to reference years, so either Starscream entered some sort of temporal anomaly or someone messed up. For more <s>confusion</s> information, See [[Cycle|this page]].

* Sumdac is using Megatron's hand as a chair. However, he seems to be using the right hand, which was blown up by Starscream. (It ''could'' have fallen off the Autobots' ship, as it was still clinging to the hull when last seen, but that seems unlikely.)

===Transformers references===
* The title of the episode itself is a [[Roll out|reference to past Transformers lore]].

* Footage from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|G1 cartoon]] episodes "[[War Dawn]]" and "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]" is used as history tapes detailing the events of the first [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], millions of years prior. [[Canon|This]] has been confirmed as purely an in-joke, and should not be taken as linking ''Animated'' to G1, continuity wise.

* The [[Teletran-1|Autobot ship]] here bears a distinct resemblance to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], albeit with a colour scheme more reminiscent of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. (As we learn [[A Bridge Too Close, Part II|much later]], there is [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|a very good reason for that]].)

* Bumblebee says "[[Rattrap|We're all gonna die.]]"

* Sari's robotic dog [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]] is likely named after either [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] from G1, the ''Armada'' Mini-Con [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]], or both.

[[Image:Spikecarlydanielanimated.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Twenty years later, and they're still overdressed.]]
* Characters resembling [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], [[Carly]], and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] are seen at a hot dog stand, purchasing some sort of futuristic bunless wieners-on-a-stick. The characters went on to become recurring figures in the background cast of the show, and in "[[Garbage In, Garbage Out]]" it was revealed that their names were... [[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]], [[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel Witwicky]].

* When Optimus Prime dies, his body fades to grays, just as [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Generation 1 Optimus Prime]] did in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. His spark chamber opens in much the same manner as well.

* Teletran-1 (spelled with only one "a" in this universe) dispatches a small satellite very similar to the [[Sky Spy]] satellite used on occasion by the Autobots in the ''Generation 1'' cartoon. The glowing energy "boxes" with which it scans vehicles for the Autobots to transform into are lifted wholesale out of "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]".

* At one point, Bulkhead refers to Optimus as "Boss-bot", echoing an epithet used for ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] by the [[Fuzor]] [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]].

===Notes===
* In this episode, [[Tutor Bot]] tries to teach Sari about the [[wikipedia:Smoot-Hawley_Tariff_Act|Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act]], a major economic blunder of the 1930s.
* Bumblebee's voice is slightly different in this episode from how it sounds later, as is Lugnut's voice, which seems very metallic.
* When Prowl gets birdpooped on, he is standing next to a statue of [[wikipedia:Hazen_S._Pingree|Hazen S. Pingree]], four-term mayor of Detroit and one-time governor of Michigan. In real life, the statue is located in Detroit's Grand Circus Park.
* A refurbished Michigan Central Station makes an appearance as the site for the dedication of Detroit's rapid transit system. The real-life station (abandoned since the '80s) was featured in the [[Transformers (2007)|2007 live-action movie]].
* When mocking the Autobots, Starscream actually calls Megatron "the great Megatron" without any sarcasm. Apparently, he'll only give a sincere compliment to his leader when he's insulting something else. Either that or he's just trying to make ''himself'' sound more impressive by building up the reputation of the one he's defeated.
* When Optimus comes back to life, he asks, "Is this the [[Well of All Sparks]]?" and Sari answers, "No, it's Detroit." This is an allusion to the movie ''Field of Dreams'', in which Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) asks Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), "Is this Heaven?" and Ray answers, "No, it's Iowa."
* According to responses at a panel at BotCon 2008, the unfortunate acronym for Fully Automated Rapid Transit System was totally unintentional...which makes it that much funnier.
* Ratchet is able to use his front windshield as a video screen.
* Several elements present in this opener were changed/dropped in the main series, including expressive vehicle modes, the replacement of solar cycles with stellar cycles in terminology, the recolouring of Ratchet's magnetism from yellow to pink, and Sari's Key changing shape. However, the expressions on vehicle mode were briefly used again by [[Wasp]] in the episode [[Predacons Rising]].
* During [[Sari Sumdac|Sari's]] "conversation" with the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], it shows her the faces of Ultra Magnus, Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Starscream, then the Cybertronian [[Alternate mode|vehicle modes]] for Optimus and Ratchet, the AllSpark's case and the [[Teletran-1|Autobots' ship]]. Then Sari unknowingly shows the AllSpark a man in a suit, a woman, a boy, the planet [[Earth]], pyramids, purple flowers, a horse, an aircraft with a giant cloud coming from the back, a cell and a DNA strand. The woman has dark skin and red hair like Sari.
* This movie was (lovingly) lampooned at the [[MSTF]] panel for [[BotCon 2008]], along with "[[War Dawn]]", the episode from which most of the "history vid" footage was taken.
* It's Detroit. There are guns everywhere. Why are the humans using ''water'' to take down the monster?
* In this episode, Starscream's engines use a sound effect borrowed from ''The Phantom Menace'': the sound made by Sebulba's podracer engines.

==Home video releases==
;DVD
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — The Battle Begins ([[Pack-in material|Hasbro]]) — Part 1 only.
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Transform and Roll Out ([[Transformers Animated (cartoon)/home video|Paramount]]) — English and Spanish audio (NTSC version) / English and German audio (PAL version).
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Transformieren und Abfahrt (Paramount) — English and German audio.

== Footnote ==
<references/>

[[Category:Animated episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Transform and Roll Out

2010-04-10T17:57:57Z

69.140.106.144: /* Japanese version (Part 2) */

{{disambig2|the [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]] multi-part episode|the command|roll out}}
{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|series2=
|image=TFA_TFandRollout_AutobotHeroes.jpg
|caption=''Epic''
|next=Home Is Where the Spark Is
|next2=Sound and Fury
|ep=1, 2 and 3
|next=Home Is Where the Spark Is
|title="Transform and Roll Out"
|airdate=[[December 26]], [[2007]] (US) [[April 3]], [[April 10]], [[April 17]], [[2010]] (JP)
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|directed by= [[Matt Youngberg]] [[Yutaka Kagawa]] [[Minoru Yamaoka]] [[Makoto Fuchigami]]
|animation studio= [[Mook]]}}
'''When a small crew of maintenance Autobots comes into possession of the powerful AllSpark, a battle with their long-forgotten enemies sends them crashing toward a strange, distant planet known as... ''Earth.'''''

:''Japanese title (Part 1):'' 新章! トランスフォーマー (''Shinshō! Transformer'', "A New Chapter! Transformers")
:''Japanese title (Part 2):'' 英雄、その名はオートボット (''Eiyū, sono na wa Autobot'', "The Heroes Are Called Autobots")
:''Japanese title (Part 3):'' オールスパークの秘密 (''AllSpark no himitsu'', "Secret of the AllSpark")
:''German title:'' "'''Transformieren und Abfahrt'''"
:''Polish title:'' "'''Transformacja i jazda'''" ("Transform and Roll Out")

==Synopsis==
===Part 1===
In deep, deep space, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] watches a history vid of the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], prompting [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] to complain about him watching that "junk" when the other members of the crew need assistance. Prime wonders if they were designed for more than repairing [[space bridge]]s. The two 'Bots transform into their vehicle modes and head out into the asteroid field.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout TheAllsparkdiscovered.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Well... at least there's no mass-shifting.]]
Outside, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], dangling from a high rock by his wrecking ball (and becoming quite queasy in the process), is freed by [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], who also ends up taking a tumble. Bumblebee complains about the sheer amount of rocks blocking the space bridge node, and one is shattered unexpectedly by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]'s throwing star. Prime gives his troops a speech about teamwork (which Prowl moans at theatrically), but at that point the space bridge lights up, sending rocks and Autobots flying. Fancy footwork by Optimus saves each of his teammates from the debris, and a well-aimed grappling line shuts down the bridge. With his subordinates stunned at their leader's skills, Prime is forced to admit he trained at [[Autobot Academy|Cybertron's military academy]]. Bumblebee's query as to what the heck he's doing on a nowhere maintenance assignment is left unanswered as they notice something glowing in the rubble.

Prime clears away the debris to reveal a large, chest-like object. Ratchet is horrified and immediately demands they throw it back into the space bridge, but an alert from [[Teletran-1]] announces the arrival of a signature consistent with the long-lost [[Decepticon]]s. Ratchet then insists they take the object and just get out of there post-haste.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Decepticonship.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Yes, this is a scout ship. Way to go, Magnanimous.]]
On board [[Teletran-1|their ship]], Ratchet finally reveals what they've found: the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], the source of all Transformer life that was lost centuries ago. Optimus, worried about the oncoming Decepticon signal, contacts the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] for help. After taking a bit of snark from [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], Optimus reveals what they found, which shuts Sentinel up fast. Sentinel then puts the crew through to [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], who tells Optimus Prime to stay put while they send reinforcements... and not to worry about that Decepticon thing. Optimus, considering this to be a really stupid move, orders the crew to start booking it out of there.

[[Image:Ani crew.JPG|left|200px|thumb|Scotty, engage!]]
This proves wise, as the signal is indeed a Decepticon ship—a [[Nemesis (Animated)|command ship]], in fact. The identification markings are ones that Optimus and Ratchet recognize, meaning its commander can only be one person: [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], leader of the Decepticons. On board the Decepticon ship, [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] doubts the AllSpark is aboard the Autobot ship and declares Megatron a fool. [[Lugnut]] denounces Starscream as a traitor, while [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] calls Lugnut an idiot for his blind loyalty and [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] just acts... well, crazy. The Decepticons continue to bicker at each other until Megatron enters, shutting up all of them. The Decepticons chase the Autobot ship, and Starscream volunteers to board them. Megatron quickly shoots that idea down. Just before he leaves, Starscream wishes his commander "luck" with a pat on the back... affixing a bomb to Megatron in the process.

Megatron makes his way to the Autobots' ship and begins to melt his way through its hull. Optimus uses external manipulator arms to grapple with Megatron, until the bomb detonates, sending the ship careening uncontrollably into a space bridge node, which explodes after they go through the gate. Starscream begins to make a speech declaring himself the new Decepticon leader, but the other three have abandoned ship, noting that the fireball from the space bridge explosion is only getting larger. Too late, Starscream realizes the trouble he's in...

An unknown distance away, the Autobot ship reappears above a [[Earth|small blue and green planet]]. Prime checks on his troops, but Megatron has gotten aboard, having survived the explosion, but at the cost of his right arm. Prime uses his grappling line to shut off the gravity, making it more difficult for Megatron to fight. All five Autobots face off against the Decepticon, but he's too strong (though Prowl does manage to cut off Megatron's damaged arm). Prime and Megatron both end up in the storage bay where the AllSpark is... and as the ship enters the atmosphere, Prime is able to blow the hatch and kick the screaming Megatron out of the ship.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Arkatmosphere.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Oddly familiar.]]
On a small farm, a young boy hears a thud and runs to where something has landed in a not-too-distant field. He is shocked to find a robotic head staring lifelessly up at him.

Meanwhile, Prime orders his team into emergency stasis pods to prepare for a crash-landing. He manages to steer the ship away from the city below and gets to a stasis pod just before the ship plunges into [[Lake Erie]].

Fifty years later, [[Detroit]] is once again a thriving city, but instead of manufacturing automobiles, robots are the city's stock-in-trade. [[Isaac Sumdac]] is talking to a public school class taking a tour of his facilities, which gets interrupted by Isaac's daughter, [[Sari Sumdac]], and her robot dog, [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]]. As Sari is carted off to her lessons by a [[Tutor Bot|robot tutor]], Isaac shows the school kids a nanotech lab, just in time to witness a roach infused with microbots grow out of control and start consuming everything in sight. Isaac tries to keep things calm, but the monster bursts out of the lab...

===Part 2===
[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Firefighters monster.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Yeah, watering it will surely stop the beast.]]
The monster continues to grow, absorbing just about everything it touches to increase its size and power. In the process, it destroys a lot of the factory. [[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]], the S.W.A.T team, the fire department, ambulances, and robot drones arrive, but the creature absorbs several of the responding vehicles, too. Fanzone uses a bazooka-type weapon and destroys the beast, despite Sumdac's objection. This protest proves well-founded, as the remnants of the creature start flowing back together again, save for one piece that drops into the nearby lake and works its way down to the Autobots' ship, its nanites seeking the absorbable technology there. It infiltrates via a small breach in the outer hull, but thankfully, the ship's intruder alert systems are functional and awaken the Autobots before any damage is done. Examining the situation, they decide to have Teletran-1 give them Earth forms so they can blend in and help out. A probe is launched into the chaos and scans various vehicles, including an ambulance, a police motorcycle, an armored personnel carrier, a fire truck, and [[Captain Fanzone's car]]. Everyone deploys except Ratchet, who remains behind to analyze the sample of alien material.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Autobots.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Avengers, ASSEMBLE!]]
During the fight, Bulkhead and Bumblebee spot Sari trying to wrest her security key from Sparkplug's mouth. Mistaking which is owner and which is pet, they approach her, but Bulkhead's greeting only scares her away. She quickly gets nabbed by the monster, but Bumblebee saves her, earning her trust and friendship. Prowl attempts to take on the bug-slug by himself, against Prime's orders, and gets absorbed. Prime orders Ratchet to join them in battle to save Prowl, but the old veteran insists that finding a "cure" code to neutralize the nanites' programming makes more sense than coming out and getting trashed. A somewhat chastened Prime agrees, and Ratchet soon delivers the goods. However, the new program must be uploaded by direct contact—meaning from inside the monster. This means the smallest, fastest one of them has to do it. Bumblebee reluctantly takes on the task. The beast has been using some of Prowl's absorbed intelligence and comm link tech, though, so it knows what they're planning and is now smart enough to fight back. Despite this, Bumblebee succeeds in delivering the code, and the bug dissolves into a dusty shower of deactivated nanites. Prowl is soon uncovered, but he's suffered grave wounds and must be taken back to the Autobots' ship for repairs. Sari pesters Bumblebee to be taken along, and her new friend reluctantly agrees, since there's no time to make her go away quietly.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Sari followedmehome.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Bumblebee, having a pet is a big responsibility.]]
Once on board, Sari's refusal to stay still and quiet causes 'Bee some embarrassment. He quickly and discreetly ejects her into a ventilation port and joins the others. However, the port opens onto a shaft that takes Sari right to the chamber where the AllSpark is being kept. Curious, she touches it, and it reacts to her, sending its energies into her security card key and reconfiguring it into [[AllSpark Key|a key of another sort entirely]]. Prime finds her almost immediately thereafter, but with no time left to spare away from Prowl, he has to bring her back with him to the repair table. Ratchet's prognosis is bleak, but the [[AllSpark Key]] abruptly reacts, glowing and tugging her toward Prowl. Bumblebee, seeming to grasp what's happening, helps her onto the table, and as she approaches, her Key reshapes itself to fit into a slot on Prowl's chest. She inserts it, and with a burst of energy, the Autobot ninja is whole again. The Autobots then take Sari home and, after a brief misunderstanding, are made heroes and are even invited to a ceremony.

In outer space, Starscream sits aboard the damaged but functional Decepticon ship, babbling that he will find the AllSpark, even though he's been attempting it on his own for the last fifty solar cycles. The ship's computers then detect the traces of AllSpark-like energy in action, and Starscream learns where the Autobots are...
{{-}}
===Part 3===
[[Image:Sariprime.jpg|right|150px|thumb|INSERT WHAT WHERE?!]]
The Autobots are later seen trying to fit in. Bulkhead gets firsthand experience in traffic jams, some birds mistake Prowl for the statue of the [[wikipedia:Hazen_S._Pingree|bald guy]] next to him, Bumblebee learns how organics fuel up, and Ratchet can't get a stasis nap without getting a dozen or so parking tickets. Optimus Prime remarks that the Autobots are programmed to respect life, which they always understood to stem from the AllSpark, but as organics are life, they must respect and protect them too. Optimus also expresses curiosity about how little organics are made. Sari's whispered explanation leaves him rather... shocked. The Autobots make a new home base out of a building Sari's dad got out of a merger, an abandoned auto factory that Bumblebee describes as a real fixer-upper—a REAL fixer-upper. All of a sudden, they get alerted to a fire. The Autobots proceed to douse the blaze and save its victims, no problem, unaware they are being watched by Starscream.

The next day, during the inauguration ceremony for the Sumdac [[Fully Automated Rapid Transit System]] (F.A.R.T.S., for short), Starscream enters Earth's atmosphere and takes on a group of fighter jets. He destroys all but one, which he scans. As the civilians and Autobots watch the aerial display of the [[Crimson Angels]], Isaac Sumdac notices there is an extra jet present that he didn't hire. That one jet then leaves the formation and streaks toward the ceremony platform, where it transforms into Starscream, who fires his null-ray cannons at the Autobots.

After a short fight, which the Autobots lose, Starscream knocks out Bumblebee and takes him, Isaac, the mayor, and Capt. Fanzone hostage in the F.A.R.T.S. train, flying it to the top of a very tall tower. He demands that the Autobots deliver the AllSpark if they want him to release the train car. The Autobots don't trust him, but don't want to risk human lives, so Sari offers a plan, but they ignore her. She continues to tell a sob story until the Autobots listen. The Autobots proceed with her plan, and Prowl and Sari fly up to the transit pod to rescue the hostages while the other Autobots keep Starscream busy. Once Starscream realizes what's happening, he takes a brief beating but recovers quickly. Starscream then throws the train—thus keeping his end of the deal—with Sari, Prowl, and Bumblebee on top of/in it. Between Bumblebee's agility and Prowl's thrusters, Sari is rescued and the train lands without much damage. The Autobots then challenge Starscream to a friendly game of Keep Away, during which Starscream almost gets the AllSpark, but Bulkhead gets it instead, because he said he got it. A furious Starscream unleashes a devastating, prolonged (as in nearly 12 seconds) null-ray blast on the Autobots, briefly knocking them all senseless.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Prime SS Allsparkactivates.jpg|left|150px|thumb|In the old days, The Touch would have started playing now.]]
With the Autobots down, Starscream takes the AllSpark from Optimus and blows a couple of blocks of Detroit right off the map. Not ready to give up, Optimus climbs all the way up a building to get it back from Starscream, which Starscream doesn't see coming because he was too busy gloating. After a quick back-and-forth exchange of possessing it, both grab it at the same time. As they struggle, the AllSpark opens and emits a strange energy wave that blasts Starscream away.

The explosion has left Prime dangling precariously, and he takes a tremendous plummet to the pavement. He notes weakly that he now knows what it feels like to be a hero, then dies, but Sari uses the AllSpark Key to revive him.<ref>[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|This is something of an Optimus Prime record]]: Dead after only three episodes, revived a mere 75 seconds later. Way to go.</ref> The Autobots later go about fixing up Detroit, earning the enduring gratitude of the citizenry. Professor Sumdac is also grateful, for the Autobots saved him and Sari, but he fears what will happen if the Autobots—not to mention the rest of the world—were to discover the source of his robotic empire.

Unseen by Sumdac, one of the [[Sensors|optics]] of his source of technology glows in a darkened room. Megatron still functions...
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (2)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (3)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (4)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (5)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (6)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (7)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (8)
*[[Lugnut]] (9)
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] (10)
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (11)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (12)

|c3=
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (13)
*[[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel]] (14)
*[[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]] (15)
*[[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly]] (16)
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (17)
*[[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]] (18)

|c4=
*[[Teletran-1]] ()
*[[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]] ()
*[[Tutor Bot]] ()
*[[Burger Bot]] ()}}

==Quotes==
"Do you ever get the feeling that you were programmed for something more than just repairing space bridges?" 
"I got a diagnostics program that can delete that feeling like a bad line of code."
:—'''Optimus Prime''''s dreams are crushed to a fine powder by '''Ratchet'''

"Know what? You're even uglier at this angle!"
:—'''Bumblebee''' is about to realize there are some things you should never, EVER, say to a Decepticon.

"Hi, I'm Bumblebee!" 
"I'm Sari." 
"Oh, don't be, I like my name."
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Sari''' are off to an awkward start.

"Y'know, all things considered, fixin' space bridges wasn't such a bad gig."
:—'''Bumblebee''', just before embarking on the plan to dissolve the bug monster

"Uh...am I going to be able to ''breathe'' down there?" 
"Oh, sure! ...What's 'breathe'?"
:—'''Sari''' is in good hands with '''Bumblebee'''.

"And to think, Ultra Magnus told me not to be a hero. Is this what it was like in your day?" 
"The Decepticons didn't leave us very much to cheer about."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''' at the ceremony

"Enjoy it while you can, 'heroes.' You're about to take a fall."
:—'''Starscream''', watching a news report on the Autobots

"Give up the AllSpark or give up the Earth. How am I supposed to decide?" 
"Heroes are the ones who make the hard choices."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''' after Starscream makes his ultimatum

"Let go, Autobot!" 
"Never! The AllSpark is life!" 
"Then, let it end yours!"
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Optimus Prime''', fighting over the AllSpark

"So, this...is what it feels like...to be a hero."
:—'''Optimus Prime''', just before dying

"Fixing bridges? Isn't this where we started out?"
:—'''Bumblebee''', as the Autobots clean up the city

==Home releases==
[[Image:Animatedshort01.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Meet the Press lives on through our young ones.]]
"Transform and Roll Out" was released to DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment on June 17, 2008. The DVD includes all three episodes of the pilot movie and two all-new animated shorts. [[Career Day|The first short]] features Optimus Prime attempting to give a speech at [[Black River Elementary School]]'s career day, but being repeatedly interrupted by nagging questions from [[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|some little kid]] and overwhelming cheers for him to transform. [[Evel Knievel Jump|The second]] features Bumblebee messing up one of Prowl's cool stunts. Together, the two shorts run just under three minutes.

Target sold an [[exclusive]] version of the DVD with a special bonus disc that included the episode "[[Home Is Where the Spark Is]]."

All three episodes were also condensed and re-told in the [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] paperback "cine-manga" style book ''[[Transformers Animated Volume 1]]''.
{{-}}

==Notes==
===Japanese version (Part 1)===
*The episode begins with the [[Otoboto family]] telling the viewers to watch in a well-lit room (to prevent seizures and damage to your eyesight, you know).

*As the [[title sequence]] begins, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] asks how everyone is doing, then introduces himself as leader of the Autobots. When he realizes nobody knows who he is, he ''assures'' them that he's leader of the Autobots. Then the [[Transformers Evo.|theme song]] starts.

* '''Cut:''' Ratchet and Optimus's conversation as they walk down a hall, where Prime refers to feeling like being meant for "more than just repairing space bridges", and Ratchet's snarky response about deleting that feeling "like a bad line of code".

* '''Cut:''' Bulkhead's comment on their medic being always grumpy, Ratchet responding to Bumblebee's "old man" comment with a smack upside the head and the retort of "I may have one servor in the scrapheap, but I can still hear!".

*The usual cries of "Transform!" and attack names are added in. ([[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]'s "stingers" are now called "Energy Stingers", for instance.) Perhaps most annoyingly, ''every single thing Optimus does'' has the prefix of "Ultra" added to it. In the span of ten seconds, he goes through his "Ultra Anchor", "Ultra Axe" and "Ultra Net" attacks.

* '''Cut:''' After shutting down the space bridge, the following sequence where Ratchet is repairing Bumblebee, Bulkhead commenting about Optimus's moves, Optimus reluctantly admitting that he used to train at the Academy, and Bumblebee saying that he should've been with the Elite Guard.

* '''Cut:''' Ratchet's poking back at Optimus wanting to see some action, Bumblebee pointing out they're repair bots, Optimus correcting on not without backup and Bulkhead in awe on them connecting with Cybertron Command Headquarters.

*[[Teletran-1]] now speaks as though "she" is in a state of perpetual orgasm.

*When the Autobots first happen upon the ''[[Nemesis (Animated)|Nemesis]]'' and all freak over [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], a new [[scene transition]] is added when transitioning into the discussion between the Decepticon forces. A guitar riff of the classic Generation 1 scene transition music is even used.

*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]]'s "hothead" persona now speaks with a thick American accent, spouting English words like "Hey!" and "Man!"

*New [[commercial bumper]]s have been crafted, featuring stock art of the characters with their voice actors screaming their name, followed by "Transform!"

*'''Cut:''' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]'s entire speech on the bridge ("This is a dark day...") followed by him getting caught in the explosion was cut for time.

*When Bulkhead tumbles into Optimus, following his line "A little warning would have helped!", he screams out "Mommyyyyyyy!" Yeah, Japanese Bulkhead ain't so smart.

*'''Cut:''' After Megatron is kicked from the ship, the establishing shots of Paw Paw (the street sign, the outside of the barn and the scroll across [[Isaac Sumdac]]'s lab) have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' Following Prime's line "Not until I've steered us clear of this populated sector!", the brief scenes of the Autobots being sealed in their stasis pods have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' As soon as the ship crashes into Lake Eerie and leaves a stream of upturned water on the surface, the scenes of the ship sinking and Teletran-1 "initiating emergency stasis mode" on the pods as they turn grey have been cut for time. The episode resumes at the long shot of the sinking ship slowly coming toward the camera, with a new voice-over of Teletran-1 telling the Autobots "good night".

*'''Cut:''' As Isaac Sumdac narrates the history of Detroit and automaton manufacturing, the scene of the trash-collecting automaton has been cut.

*'''Cut:''' The scenes of [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] pulling the bubblegum off her face, eating it, the crowd reacting in disgust, Isaac Sumdac reacting in frustration, the kid asking Sari what its like to grow up around robots and [[Tutor Bot]] hauling Sari off have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' After the cockroach absorbs the nanobot liquid, all the scenes involving Isaac Sumdac explaining the nanobots to the children and the children looking through microscopes at the nanobots have been cut for time. The episode resumes at the roach growing bigger.

*'''Cut:''' The close-up of Isaac Sumdac saying "Nothing to be concerned about, children!" and the kid remarking that "This accident doesn't look too happy" have been cut for time. The episode resumes with the roach crashing through the window behind him.

*The Otoboto Family segment features [[Hiroyuki Otoboto]] telling his son, [[Tatsuya Otoboto]], about ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'', complete with clips from "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]". Mr. Otoboto then produces a complete set of ''Animated'' Autobot toys. Tatsuya is thrilled, but wouldn't ya know it? [[Megumi Otoboto|Mrs. Otoboto]] comes in with dinner! During mealtime conversation, Mrs. Otoboto makes the mistake of using the word "transform", which inevitably causes Tatsuya to start talking about Transformers, much to the amusement of his father and the annoyance of his older sister, [[Yūka Otoboto|Yūka]]. Tatsuya then causes a "freeze frame" so that he can introduce himself and his family (messing with his father's glasses in the process for his own amusement). Oddly, despite being "frozen", everyone proceeds to blink. As time resumes its normal pace, Hiroyuki wonders what happened to his glasses. He then digs into his dinner, except, oh no! It's too hot! ''Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!''

*During the "next episode" segment, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee proceed to have an argument. Bumblebee thinks Optimus's name is too long and hard to remember. Bumblebee suggests that "[[Convoy]]" would be better, but Prime shoots the idea down immediately. Bumblebee opts to call him "Oputi", since it has fewer syllables. Prime refuses to be called such a name (more fitting for a dog), so Bumblebee settles on "Pu-Pu" after "Opura" is also rejected. Prime refuses that too, thinking it sounds cute, but that it would be hard not to laugh instinctively at it. Bumblebee then tricks Prime into answering to it, which frustrates him even ''further''. The argument proceeds ''past'' the "next episode" segment and straight into the sponsor cards.

===Japanese version (Part 2)===
*Instead of Optimus introducing at the opening, Bumblebee introduces himself as well praising the awesomeness of [[JAM Project]].
*'''Cut:''' The rush of emergency vehicles driving through the city was cut for time. As was the following scene of Fanzone getting into his car and about to enjoy his lunch at the Burgerbot, and being disappointed at the emergency call, along with his leaving.
*'''Cut:''' Fanzone arriving at Sumdac laboratories, and his little dilemma regarding his broken megaphone, and his first directions to the police force.
*Optimus now has "Ultra Jump" to add to his "arsenal" as he distracts the nano-monster.
*'''Cut:''' The left to right pan of the ruined laboratory where the tour had taken place was cut for time.
*'''Cut:''' Much of the flying debris from the monster falling into the ocean.
* During the [[trans-scan|trans-scanning]], Teletan-1 announces the name of the vehicle being scanned, and the Autobot's as they are re-formatted.
*During the ceremony, the cheering crowd has been replaced with what looks to be a photo of a Japanese crowd.
*'''Cut:''' After the ceremony, the scene in which Starscream is seen monologing in the crashed ''Nemesis'' on the moon.

===Animation or technical glitches===
* Megatron's vehicle mode was depicted flying upside-down, or backwards, or possibly both. To be fair, in space, there is no up and down (and to be even fairer, it's really hard to tell from the toys exactly what ''is'' the front of Megatron's Cybertronian spaceship mode), but that does not excuse the fact that any propulsion system used would be in the ''back'' of the mode.

*When the Autobot get into the stasis pods, Prime, Bulkhead, and Ratchet are on the left side, with Bumblebee, Prowl, and an empty pod on the right, in that order. Yet when they get out later in the episode, Prime, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead are on the left, and the empty one, Prowl, and Ratchet on the right.

* As pre-Earth Prime enters the chamber which will re-format his body into his Earth mode, he walks past Ratchet, who is drawn mostly in his pre-Earth mode, except for the fact that his Cybertronian gut is replaced with his ambulance gut. In the next scene, Ratchet is properly drawn, pre-Earth gut and all.

* When Sari says to the Autobots it is okay to put down their hands, Bulkhead's face is black.

* When Starscream tackles Optimus Prime through a building as the Autobot tries to escape with the AllSpark, Optimus's axe is missing from Starscream's left wing. It reappears moments later for Optimus to retrieve it.

* In at least one scene, Starscream's Earth-form wing is shown with a spike, in the same manner as his Cybertronian body.

===Continuity errors===
* The train Starscream blasts from the tower falls toward the ground very, very slowly.

* When we first meet Starscream, he states that he has been searching for the AllSpark for fifty ''solar'' cycles. In later episodes, a solar cycle is equivalent to a day and a ''stellar'' cycle is used for years. This is the only time a solar cycle has been used to reference years, so either Starscream entered some sort of temporal anomaly or someone messed up. For more <s>confusion</s> information, See [[Cycle|this page]].

* Sumdac is using Megatron's hand as a chair. However, he seems to be using the right hand, which was blown up by Starscream. (It ''could'' have fallen off the Autobots' ship, as it was still clinging to the hull when last seen, but that seems unlikely.)

===Transformers references===
* The title of the episode itself is a [[Roll out|reference to past Transformers lore]].

* Footage from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|G1 cartoon]] episodes "[[War Dawn]]" and "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]" is used as history tapes detailing the events of the first [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], millions of years prior. [[Canon|This]] has been confirmed as purely an in-joke, and should not be taken as linking ''Animated'' to G1, continuity wise.

* The [[Teletran-1|Autobot ship]] here bears a distinct resemblance to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], albeit with a colour scheme more reminiscent of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. (As we learn [[A Bridge Too Close, Part II|much later]], there is [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|a very good reason for that]].)

* Bumblebee says "[[Rattrap|We're all gonna die.]]"

* Sari's robotic dog [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]] is likely named after either [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] from G1, the ''Armada'' Mini-Con [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]], or both.

[[Image:Spikecarlydanielanimated.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Twenty years later, and they're still overdressed.]]
* Characters resembling [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], [[Carly]], and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] are seen at a hot dog stand, purchasing some sort of futuristic bunless wieners-on-a-stick. The characters went on to become recurring figures in the background cast of the show, and in "[[Garbage In, Garbage Out]]" it was revealed that their names were... [[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]], [[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel Witwicky]].

* When Optimus Prime dies, his body fades to grays, just as [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Generation 1 Optimus Prime]] did in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. His spark chamber opens in much the same manner as well.

* Teletran-1 (spelled with only one "a" in this universe) dispatches a small satellite very similar to the [[Sky Spy]] satellite used on occasion by the Autobots in the ''Generation 1'' cartoon. The glowing energy "boxes" with which it scans vehicles for the Autobots to transform into are lifted wholesale out of "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]".

* At one point, Bulkhead refers to Optimus as "Boss-bot", echoing an epithet used for ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] by the [[Fuzor]] [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]].

===Notes===
* In this episode, [[Tutor Bot]] tries to teach Sari about the [[wikipedia:Smoot-Hawley_Tariff_Act|Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act]], a major economic blunder of the 1930s.
* Bumblebee's voice is slightly different in this episode from how it sounds later, as is Lugnut's voice, which seems very metallic.
* When Prowl gets birdpooped on, he is standing next to a statue of [[wikipedia:Hazen_S._Pingree|Hazen S. Pingree]], four-term mayor of Detroit and one-time governor of Michigan. In real life, the statue is located in Detroit's Grand Circus Park.
* A refurbished Michigan Central Station makes an appearance as the site for the dedication of Detroit's rapid transit system. The real-life station (abandoned since the '80s) was featured in the [[Transformers (2007)|2007 live-action movie]].
* When mocking the Autobots, Starscream actually calls Megatron "the great Megatron" without any sarcasm. Apparently, he'll only give a sincere compliment to his leader when he's insulting something else. Either that or he's just trying to make ''himself'' sound more impressive by building up the reputation of the one he's defeated.
* When Optimus comes back to life, he asks, "Is this the [[Well of All Sparks]]?" and Sari answers, "No, it's Detroit." This is an allusion to the movie ''Field of Dreams'', in which Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) asks Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), "Is this Heaven?" and Ray answers, "No, it's Iowa."
* According to responses at a panel at BotCon 2008, the unfortunate acronym for Fully Automated Rapid Transit System was totally unintentional...which makes it that much funnier.
* Ratchet is able to use his front windshield as a video screen.
* Several elements present in this opener were changed/dropped in the main series, including expressive vehicle modes, the replacement of solar cycles with stellar cycles in terminology, the recolouring of Ratchet's magnetism from yellow to pink, and Sari's Key changing shape. However, the expressions on vehicle mode were briefly used again by [[Wasp]] in the episode [[Predacons Rising]].
* During [[Sari Sumdac|Sari's]] "conversation" with the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], it shows her the faces of Ultra Magnus, Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Starscream, then the Cybertronian [[Alternate mode|vehicle modes]] for Optimus and Ratchet, the AllSpark's case and the [[Teletran-1|Autobots' ship]]. Then Sari unknowingly shows the AllSpark a man in a suit, a woman, a boy, the planet [[Earth]], pyramids, purple flowers, a horse, an aircraft with a giant cloud coming from the back, a cell and a DNA strand. The woman has dark skin and red hair like Sari.
* This movie was (lovingly) lampooned at the [[MSTF]] panel for [[BotCon 2008]], along with "[[War Dawn]]", the episode from which most of the "history vid" footage was taken.
* It's Detroit. There are guns everywhere. Why are the humans using ''water'' to take down the monster?
* In this episode, Starscream's engines use a sound effect borrowed from ''The Phantom Menace'': the sound made by Sebulba's podracer engines.

==Home video releases==
;DVD
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — The Battle Begins ([[Pack-in material|Hasbro]]) — Part 1 only.
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Transform and Roll Out ([[Transformers Animated (cartoon)/home video|Paramount]]) — English and Spanish audio (NTSC version) / English and German audio (PAL version).
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Transformieren und Abfahrt (Paramount) — English and German audio.

== Footnote ==
<references/>

[[Category:Animated episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Transform and Roll Out

2010-04-10T16:52:11Z

69.140.106.144: /* Japanese version (Part 2) */

{{disambig2|the [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]] multi-part episode|the command|roll out}}
{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|series2=
|image=TFA_TFandRollout_AutobotHeroes.jpg
|caption=''Epic''
|next=Home Is Where the Spark Is
|next2=Sound and Fury
|ep=1, 2 and 3
|next=Home Is Where the Spark Is
|title="Transform and Roll Out"
|airdate=[[December 26]], [[2007]] (US) [[April 3]], [[April 10]], [[April 17]], [[2010]] (JP)
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|directed by= [[Matt Youngberg]] [[Yutaka Kagawa]] [[Minoru Yamaoka]] [[Makoto Fuchigami]]
|animation studio= [[Mook]]}}
'''When a small crew of maintenance Autobots comes into possession of the powerful AllSpark, a battle with their long-forgotten enemies sends them crashing toward a strange, distant planet known as... ''Earth.'''''

:''Japanese title (Part 1):'' 新章! トランスフォーマー (''Shinshō! Transformer'', "A New Chapter! Transformers")
:''Japanese title (Part 2):'' 英雄、その名はオートボット (''Eiyū, sono na wa Autobot'', "The Heroes Are Called Autobots")
:''Japanese title (Part 3):'' オールスパークの秘密 (''AllSpark no himitsu'', "Secret of the AllSpark")
:''German title:'' "'''Transformieren und Abfahrt'''"
:''Polish title:'' "'''Transformacja i jazda'''" ("Transform and Roll Out")

==Synopsis==
===Part 1===
In deep, deep space, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] watches a history vid of the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], prompting [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] to complain about him watching that "junk" when the other members of the crew need assistance. Prime wonders if they were designed for more than repairing [[space bridge]]s. The two 'Bots transform into their vehicle modes and head out into the asteroid field.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout TheAllsparkdiscovered.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Well... at least there's no mass-shifting.]]
Outside, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], dangling from a high rock by his wrecking ball (and becoming quite queasy in the process), is freed by [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], who also ends up taking a tumble. Bumblebee complains about the sheer amount of rocks blocking the space bridge node, and one is shattered unexpectedly by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]'s throwing star. Prime gives his troops a speech about teamwork (which Prowl moans at theatrically), but at that point the space bridge lights up, sending rocks and Autobots flying. Fancy footwork by Optimus saves each of his teammates from the debris, and a well-aimed grappling line shuts down the bridge. With his subordinates stunned at their leader's skills, Prime is forced to admit he trained at [[Autobot Academy|Cybertron's military academy]]. Bumblebee's query as to what the heck he's doing on a nowhere maintenance assignment is left unanswered as they notice something glowing in the rubble.

Prime clears away the debris to reveal a large, chest-like object. Ratchet is horrified and immediately demands they throw it back into the space bridge, but an alert from [[Teletran-1]] announces the arrival of a signature consistent with the long-lost [[Decepticon]]s. Ratchet then insists they take the object and just get out of there post-haste.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Decepticonship.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Yes, this is a scout ship. Way to go, Magnanimous.]]
On board [[Teletran-1|their ship]], Ratchet finally reveals what they've found: the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], the source of all Transformer life that was lost centuries ago. Optimus, worried about the oncoming Decepticon signal, contacts the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] for help. After taking a bit of snark from [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], Optimus reveals what they found, which shuts Sentinel up fast. Sentinel then puts the crew through to [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], who tells Optimus Prime to stay put while they send reinforcements... and not to worry about that Decepticon thing. Optimus, considering this to be a really stupid move, orders the crew to start booking it out of there.

[[Image:Ani crew.JPG|left|200px|thumb|Scotty, engage!]]
This proves wise, as the signal is indeed a Decepticon ship—a [[Nemesis (Animated)|command ship]], in fact. The identification markings are ones that Optimus and Ratchet recognize, meaning its commander can only be one person: [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], leader of the Decepticons. On board the Decepticon ship, [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] doubts the AllSpark is aboard the Autobot ship and declares Megatron a fool. [[Lugnut]] denounces Starscream as a traitor, while [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] calls Lugnut an idiot for his blind loyalty and [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] just acts... well, crazy. The Decepticons continue to bicker at each other until Megatron enters, shutting up all of them. The Decepticons chase the Autobot ship, and Starscream volunteers to board them. Megatron quickly shoots that idea down. Just before he leaves, Starscream wishes his commander "luck" with a pat on the back... affixing a bomb to Megatron in the process.

Megatron makes his way to the Autobots' ship and begins to melt his way through its hull. Optimus uses external manipulator arms to grapple with Megatron, until the bomb detonates, sending the ship careening uncontrollably into a space bridge node, which explodes after they go through the gate. Starscream begins to make a speech declaring himself the new Decepticon leader, but the other three have abandoned ship, noting that the fireball from the space bridge explosion is only getting larger. Too late, Starscream realizes the trouble he's in...

An unknown distance away, the Autobot ship reappears above a [[Earth|small blue and green planet]]. Prime checks on his troops, but Megatron has gotten aboard, having survived the explosion, but at the cost of his right arm. Prime uses his grappling line to shut off the gravity, making it more difficult for Megatron to fight. All five Autobots face off against the Decepticon, but he's too strong (though Prowl does manage to cut off Megatron's damaged arm). Prime and Megatron both end up in the storage bay where the AllSpark is... and as the ship enters the atmosphere, Prime is able to blow the hatch and kick the screaming Megatron out of the ship.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Arkatmosphere.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Oddly familiar.]]
On a small farm, a young boy hears a thud and runs to where something has landed in a not-too-distant field. He is shocked to find a robotic head staring lifelessly up at him.

Meanwhile, Prime orders his team into emergency stasis pods to prepare for a crash-landing. He manages to steer the ship away from the city below and gets to a stasis pod just before the ship plunges into [[Lake Erie]].

Fifty years later, [[Detroit]] is once again a thriving city, but instead of manufacturing automobiles, robots are the city's stock-in-trade. [[Isaac Sumdac]] is talking to a public school class taking a tour of his facilities, which gets interrupted by Isaac's daughter, [[Sari Sumdac]], and her robot dog, [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]]. As Sari is carted off to her lessons by a [[Tutor Bot|robot tutor]], Isaac shows the school kids a nanotech lab, just in time to witness a roach infused with microbots grow out of control and start consuming everything in sight. Isaac tries to keep things calm, but the monster bursts out of the lab...

===Part 2===
[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Firefighters monster.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Yeah, watering it will surely stop the beast.]]
The monster continues to grow, absorbing just about everything it touches to increase its size and power. In the process, it destroys a lot of the factory. [[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]], the S.W.A.T team, the fire department, ambulances, and robot drones arrive, but the creature absorbs several of the responding vehicles, too. Fanzone uses a bazooka-type weapon and destroys the beast, despite Sumdac's objection. This protest proves well-founded, as the remnants of the creature start flowing back together again, save for one piece that drops into the nearby lake and works its way down to the Autobots' ship, its nanites seeking the absorbable technology there. It infiltrates via a small breach in the outer hull, but thankfully, the ship's intruder alert systems are functional and awaken the Autobots before any damage is done. Examining the situation, they decide to have Teletran-1 give them Earth forms so they can blend in and help out. A probe is launched into the chaos and scans various vehicles, including an ambulance, a police motorcycle, an armored personnel carrier, a fire truck, and [[Captain Fanzone's car]]. Everyone deploys except Ratchet, who remains behind to analyze the sample of alien material.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Autobots.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Avengers, ASSEMBLE!]]
During the fight, Bulkhead and Bumblebee spot Sari trying to wrest her security key from Sparkplug's mouth. Mistaking which is owner and which is pet, they approach her, but Bulkhead's greeting only scares her away. She quickly gets nabbed by the monster, but Bumblebee saves her, earning her trust and friendship. Prowl attempts to take on the bug-slug by himself, against Prime's orders, and gets absorbed. Prime orders Ratchet to join them in battle to save Prowl, but the old veteran insists that finding a "cure" code to neutralize the nanites' programming makes more sense than coming out and getting trashed. A somewhat chastened Prime agrees, and Ratchet soon delivers the goods. However, the new program must be uploaded by direct contact—meaning from inside the monster. This means the smallest, fastest one of them has to do it. Bumblebee reluctantly takes on the task. The beast has been using some of Prowl's absorbed intelligence and comm link tech, though, so it knows what they're planning and is now smart enough to fight back. Despite this, Bumblebee succeeds in delivering the code, and the bug dissolves into a dusty shower of deactivated nanites. Prowl is soon uncovered, but he's suffered grave wounds and must be taken back to the Autobots' ship for repairs. Sari pesters Bumblebee to be taken along, and her new friend reluctantly agrees, since there's no time to make her go away quietly.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Sari followedmehome.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Bumblebee, having a pet is a big responsibility.]]
Once on board, Sari's refusal to stay still and quiet causes 'Bee some embarrassment. He quickly and discreetly ejects her into a ventilation port and joins the others. However, the port opens onto a shaft that takes Sari right to the chamber where the AllSpark is being kept. Curious, she touches it, and it reacts to her, sending its energies into her security card key and reconfiguring it into [[AllSpark Key|a key of another sort entirely]]. Prime finds her almost immediately thereafter, but with no time left to spare away from Prowl, he has to bring her back with him to the repair table. Ratchet's prognosis is bleak, but the [[AllSpark Key]] abruptly reacts, glowing and tugging her toward Prowl. Bumblebee, seeming to grasp what's happening, helps her onto the table, and as she approaches, her Key reshapes itself to fit into a slot on Prowl's chest. She inserts it, and with a burst of energy, the Autobot ninja is whole again. The Autobots then take Sari home and, after a brief misunderstanding, are made heroes and are even invited to a ceremony.

In outer space, Starscream sits aboard the damaged but functional Decepticon ship, babbling that he will find the AllSpark, even though he's been attempting it on his own for the last fifty solar cycles. The ship's computers then detect the traces of AllSpark-like energy in action, and Starscream learns where the Autobots are...
{{-}}
===Part 3===
[[Image:Sariprime.jpg|right|150px|thumb|INSERT WHAT WHERE?!]]
The Autobots are later seen trying to fit in. Bulkhead gets firsthand experience in traffic jams, some birds mistake Prowl for the statue of the [[wikipedia:Hazen_S._Pingree|bald guy]] next to him, Bumblebee learns how organics fuel up, and Ratchet can't get a stasis nap without getting a dozen or so parking tickets. Optimus Prime remarks that the Autobots are programmed to respect life, which they always understood to stem from the AllSpark, but as organics are life, they must respect and protect them too. Optimus also expresses curiosity about how little organics are made. Sari's whispered explanation leaves him rather... shocked. The Autobots make a new home base out of a building Sari's dad got out of a merger, an abandoned auto factory that Bumblebee describes as a real fixer-upper—a REAL fixer-upper. All of a sudden, they get alerted to a fire. The Autobots proceed to douse the blaze and save its victims, no problem, unaware they are being watched by Starscream.

The next day, during the inauguration ceremony for the Sumdac [[Fully Automated Rapid Transit System]] (F.A.R.T.S., for short), Starscream enters Earth's atmosphere and takes on a group of fighter jets. He destroys all but one, which he scans. As the civilians and Autobots watch the aerial display of the [[Crimson Angels]], Isaac Sumdac notices there is an extra jet present that he didn't hire. That one jet then leaves the formation and streaks toward the ceremony platform, where it transforms into Starscream, who fires his null-ray cannons at the Autobots.

After a short fight, which the Autobots lose, Starscream knocks out Bumblebee and takes him, Isaac, the mayor, and Capt. Fanzone hostage in the F.A.R.T.S. train, flying it to the top of a very tall tower. He demands that the Autobots deliver the AllSpark if they want him to release the train car. The Autobots don't trust him, but don't want to risk human lives, so Sari offers a plan, but they ignore her. She continues to tell a sob story until the Autobots listen. The Autobots proceed with her plan, and Prowl and Sari fly up to the transit pod to rescue the hostages while the other Autobots keep Starscream busy. Once Starscream realizes what's happening, he takes a brief beating but recovers quickly. Starscream then throws the train—thus keeping his end of the deal—with Sari, Prowl, and Bumblebee on top of/in it. Between Bumblebee's agility and Prowl's thrusters, Sari is rescued and the train lands without much damage. The Autobots then challenge Starscream to a friendly game of Keep Away, during which Starscream almost gets the AllSpark, but Bulkhead gets it instead, because he said he got it. A furious Starscream unleashes a devastating, prolonged (as in nearly 12 seconds) null-ray blast on the Autobots, briefly knocking them all senseless.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Prime SS Allsparkactivates.jpg|left|150px|thumb|In the old days, The Touch would have started playing now.]]
With the Autobots down, Starscream takes the AllSpark from Optimus and blows a couple of blocks of Detroit right off the map. Not ready to give up, Optimus climbs all the way up a building to get it back from Starscream, which Starscream doesn't see coming because he was too busy gloating. After a quick back-and-forth exchange of possessing it, both grab it at the same time. As they struggle, the AllSpark opens and emits a strange energy wave that blasts Starscream away.

The explosion has left Prime dangling precariously, and he takes a tremendous plummet to the pavement. He notes weakly that he now knows what it feels like to be a hero, then dies, but Sari uses the AllSpark Key to revive him.<ref>[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|This is something of an Optimus Prime record]]: Dead after only three episodes, revived a mere 75 seconds later. Way to go.</ref> The Autobots later go about fixing up Detroit, earning the enduring gratitude of the citizenry. Professor Sumdac is also grateful, for the Autobots saved him and Sari, but he fears what will happen if the Autobots—not to mention the rest of the world—were to discover the source of his robotic empire.

Unseen by Sumdac, one of the [[Sensors|optics]] of his source of technology glows in a darkened room. Megatron still functions...
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (2)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (3)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (4)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (5)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (6)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (7)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (8)
*[[Lugnut]] (9)
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] (10)
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (11)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (12)

|c3=
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (13)
*[[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel]] (14)
*[[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]] (15)
*[[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly]] (16)
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (17)
*[[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]] (18)

|c4=
*[[Teletran-1]] ()
*[[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]] ()
*[[Tutor Bot]] ()
*[[Burger Bot]] ()}}

==Quotes==
"Do you ever get the feeling that you were programmed for something more than just repairing space bridges?" 
"I got a diagnostics program that can delete that feeling like a bad line of code."
:—'''Optimus Prime''''s dreams are crushed to a fine powder by '''Ratchet'''

"Know what? You're even uglier at this angle!"
:—'''Bumblebee''' is about to realize there are some things you should never, EVER, say to a Decepticon.

"Hi, I'm Bumblebee!" 
"I'm Sari." 
"Oh, don't be, I like my name."
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Sari''' are off to an awkward start.

"Y'know, all things considered, fixin' space bridges wasn't such a bad gig."
:—'''Bumblebee''', just before embarking on the plan to dissolve the bug monster

"Uh...am I going to be able to ''breathe'' down there?" 
"Oh, sure! ...What's 'breathe'?"
:—'''Sari''' is in good hands with '''Bumblebee'''.

"And to think, Ultra Magnus told me not to be a hero. Is this what it was like in your day?" 
"The Decepticons didn't leave us very much to cheer about."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''' at the ceremony

"Enjoy it while you can, 'heroes.' You're about to take a fall."
:—'''Starscream''', watching a news report on the Autobots

"Give up the AllSpark or give up the Earth. How am I supposed to decide?" 
"Heroes are the ones who make the hard choices."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''' after Starscream makes his ultimatum

"Let go, Autobot!" 
"Never! The AllSpark is life!" 
"Then, let it end yours!"
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Optimus Prime''', fighting over the AllSpark

"So, this...is what it feels like...to be a hero."
:—'''Optimus Prime''', just before dying

"Fixing bridges? Isn't this where we started out?"
:—'''Bumblebee''', as the Autobots clean up the city

==Home releases==
[[Image:Animatedshort01.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Meet the Press lives on through our young ones.]]
"Transform and Roll Out" was released to DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment on June 17, 2008. The DVD includes all three episodes of the pilot movie and two all-new animated shorts. [[Career Day|The first short]] features Optimus Prime attempting to give a speech at [[Black River Elementary School]]'s career day, but being repeatedly interrupted by nagging questions from [[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|some little kid]] and overwhelming cheers for him to transform. [[Evel Knievel Jump|The second]] features Bumblebee messing up one of Prowl's cool stunts. Together, the two shorts run just under three minutes.

Target sold an [[exclusive]] version of the DVD with a special bonus disc that included the episode "[[Home Is Where the Spark Is]]."

All three episodes were also condensed and re-told in the [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] paperback "cine-manga" style book ''[[Transformers Animated Volume 1]]''.
{{-}}

==Notes==
===Japanese version (Part 1)===
*The episode begins with the [[Otoboto family]] telling the viewers to watch in a well-lit room (to prevent seizures and damage to your eyesight, you know).

*As the [[title sequence]] begins, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] asks how everyone is doing, then introduces himself as leader of the Autobots. When he realizes nobody knows who he is, he ''assures'' them that he's leader of the Autobots. Then the [[Transformers Evo.|theme song]] starts.

* '''Cut:''' Ratchet and Optimus's conversation as they walk down a hall, where Prime refers to feeling like being meant for "more than just repairing space bridges", and Ratchet's snarky response about deleting that feeling "like a bad line of code".

* '''Cut:''' Bulkhead's comment on their medic being always grumpy, Ratchet responding to Bumblebee's "old man" comment with a smack upside the head and the retort of "I may have one servor in the scrapheap, but I can still hear!".

*The usual cries of "Transform!" and attack names are added in. ([[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]'s "stingers" are now called "Energy Stingers", for instance.) Perhaps most annoyingly, ''every single thing Optimus does'' has the prefix of "Ultra" added to it. In the span of ten seconds, he goes through his "Ultra Anchor", "Ultra Axe" and "Ultra Net" attacks.

* '''Cut:''' After shutting down the space bridge, the following sequence where Ratchet is repairing Bumblebee, Bulkhead commenting about Optimus's moves, Optimus reluctantly admitting that he used to train at the Academy, and Bumblebee saying that he should've been with the Elite Guard.

* '''Cut:''' Ratchet's poking back at Optimus wanting to see some action, Bumblebee pointing out they're repair bots, Optimus correcting on not without backup and Bulkhead in awe on them connecting with Cybertron Command Headquarters.

*[[Teletran-1]] now speaks as though "she" is in a state of perpetual orgasm.

*When the Autobots first happen upon the ''[[Nemesis (Animated)|Nemesis]]'' and all freak over [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], a new [[scene transition]] is added when transitioning into the discussion between the Decepticon forces. A guitar riff of the classic Generation 1 scene transition music is even used.

*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]]'s "hothead" persona now speaks with a thick American accent, spouting English words like "Hey!" and "Man!"

*New [[commercial bumper]]s have been crafted, featuring stock art of the characters with their voice actors screaming their name, followed by "Transform!"

*'''Cut:''' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]'s entire speech on the bridge ("This is a dark day...") followed by him getting caught in the explosion was cut for time.

*When Bulkhead tumbles into Optimus, following his line "A little warning would have helped!", he screams out "Mommyyyyyyy!" Yeah, Japanese Bulkhead ain't so smart.

*'''Cut:''' After Megatron is kicked from the ship, the establishing shots of Paw Paw (the street sign, the outside of the barn and the scroll across [[Isaac Sumdac]]'s lab) have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' Following Prime's line "Not until I've steered us clear of this populated sector!", the brief scenes of the Autobots being sealed in their stasis pods have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' As soon as the ship crashes into Lake Eerie and leaves a stream of upturned water on the surface, the scenes of the ship sinking and Teletran-1 "initiating emergency stasis mode" on the pods as they turn grey have been cut for time. The episode resumes at the long shot of the sinking ship slowly coming toward the camera, with a new voice-over of Teletran-1 telling the Autobots "good night".

*'''Cut:''' As Isaac Sumdac narrates the history of Detroit and automaton manufacturing, the scene of the trash-collecting automaton has been cut.

*'''Cut:''' The scenes of [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] pulling the bubblegum off her face, eating it, the crowd reacting in disgust, Isaac Sumdac reacting in frustration, the kid asking Sari what its like to grow up around robots and [[Tutor Bot]] hauling Sari off have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' After the cockroach absorbs the nanobot liquid, all the scenes involving Isaac Sumdac explaining the nanobots to the children and the children looking through microscopes at the nanobots have been cut for time. The episode resumes at the roach growing bigger.

*'''Cut:''' The close-up of Isaac Sumdac saying "Nothing to be concerned about, children!" and the kid remarking that "This accident doesn't look too happy" have been cut for time. The episode resumes with the roach crashing through the window behind him.

*The Otoboto Family segment features [[Hiroyuki Otoboto]] telling his son, [[Tatsuya Otoboto]], about ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'', complete with clips from "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]". Mr. Otoboto then produces a complete set of ''Animated'' Autobot toys. Tatsuya is thrilled, but wouldn't ya know it? [[Megumi Otoboto|Mrs. Otoboto]] comes in with dinner! During mealtime conversation, Mrs. Otoboto makes the mistake of using the word "transform", which inevitably causes Tatsuya to start talking about Transformers, much to the amusement of his father and the annoyance of his older sister, [[Yūka Otoboto|Yūka]]. Tatsuya then causes a "freeze frame" so that he can introduce himself and his family (messing with his father's glasses in the process for his own amusement). Oddly, despite being "frozen", everyone proceeds to blink. As time resumes its normal pace, Hiroyuki wonders what happened to his glasses. He then digs into his dinner, except, oh no! It's too hot! ''Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!''

*During the "next episode" segment, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee proceed to have an argument. Bumblebee thinks Optimus's name is too long and hard to remember. Bumblebee suggests that "[[Convoy]]" would be better, but Prime shoots the idea down immediately. Bumblebee opts to call him "Oputi", since it has fewer syllables. Prime refuses to be called such a name (more fitting for a dog), so Bumblebee settles on "Pu-Pu" after "Opura" is also rejected. Prime refuses that too, thinking it sounds cute, but that it would be hard not to laugh instinctively at it. Bumblebee then tricks Prime into answering to it, which frustrates him even ''further''. The argument proceeds ''past'' the "next episode" segment and straight into the sponsor cards.

===Japanese version (Part 2)===
*'''Cut:''' The rush of emergency vehicles driving threw the city was cut for time. Fanzone getting into his car and about to enjoy his lunch at the Burgerbot, and being disappointed at the emergency call, along with his leaving.
*'''Cut:''' Fanzone arriving at Sumdac laboratories, and his little dilemma regarding his broken megaphone, and his first directions to the police force.
*'''Cut:''' The Left to right pan of the ruined laboratory where the tour had taken place, was cut for time.
*'''Cut:''' Much of the flying debree from the monster falling into the ocean.
* Teletran-1 still sounds as if 'She's in a state of constant climax.
*During the ceremony, the cheering crowd has been replaced with what looks to be a photo of a Japanese crowd.
*'''Cut:''' After the ceremony, the scene in which Starscream is seen monologing in the crashed Nemisis on the moon.

===Animation or technical glitches===
* Megatron's vehicle mode was depicted flying upside-down, or backwards, or possibly both. To be fair, in space, there is no up and down (and to be even fairer, it's really hard to tell from the toys exactly what ''is'' the front of Megatron's Cybertronian spaceship mode), but that does not excuse the fact that any propulsion system used would be in the ''back'' of the mode.

*When the Autobot get into the stasis pods, Prime, Bulkhead, and Ratchet are on the left side, with Bumblebee, Prowl, and an empty pod on the right, in that order. Yet when they get out later in the episode, Prime, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead are on the left, and the empty one, Prowl, and Ratchet on the right.

* As pre-Earth Prime enters the chamber which will re-format his body into his Earth mode, he walks past Ratchet, who is drawn mostly in his pre-Earth mode, except for the fact that his Cybertronian gut is replaced with his ambulance gut. In the next scene, Ratchet is properly drawn, pre-Earth gut and all.

* When Sari says to the Autobots it is okay to put down their hands, Bulkhead's face is black.

* When Starscream tackles Optimus Prime through a building as the Autobot tries to escape with the AllSpark, Optimus's axe is missing from Starscream's left wing. It reappears moments later for Optimus to retrieve it.

* In at least one scene, Starscream's Earth-form wing is shown with a spike, in the same manner as his Cybertronian body.

===Continuity errors===
* The train Starscream blasts from the tower falls toward the ground very, very slowly.

* When we first meet Starscream, he states that he has been searching for the AllSpark for fifty ''solar'' cycles. In later episodes, a solar cycle is equivalent to a day and a ''stellar'' cycle is used for years. This is the only time a solar cycle has been used to reference years, so either Starscream entered some sort of temporal anomaly or someone messed up. For more <s>confusion</s> information, See [[Cycle|this page]].

* Sumdac is using Megatron's hand as a chair. However, he seems to be using the right hand, which was blown up by Starscream. (It ''could'' have fallen off the Autobots' ship, as it was still clinging to the hull when last seen, but that seems unlikely.)

===Transformers references===
* The title of the episode itself is a [[Roll out|reference to past Transformers lore]].

* Footage from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|G1 cartoon]] episodes "[[War Dawn]]" and "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]" is used as history tapes detailing the events of the first [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], millions of years prior. [[Canon|This]] has been confirmed as purely an in-joke, and should not be taken as linking ''Animated'' to G1, continuity wise.

* The [[Teletran-1|Autobot ship]] here bears a distinct resemblance to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], albeit with a colour scheme more reminiscent of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. (As we learn [[A Bridge Too Close, Part II|much later]], there is [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|a very good reason for that]].)

* Bumblebee says "[[Rattrap|We're all gonna die.]]"

* Sari's robotic dog [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]] is likely named after either [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] from G1, the ''Armada'' Mini-Con [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]], or both.

[[Image:Spikecarlydanielanimated.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Twenty years later, and they're still overdressed.]]
* Characters resembling [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], [[Carly]], and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] are seen at a hot dog stand, purchasing some sort of futuristic bunless wieners-on-a-stick. The characters went on to become recurring figures in the background cast of the show, and in "[[Garbage In, Garbage Out]]" it was revealed that their names were... [[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]], [[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel Witwicky]].

* When Optimus Prime dies, his body fades to grays, just as [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Generation 1 Optimus Prime]] did in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. His spark chamber opens in much the same manner as well.

* Teletran-1 (spelled with only one "a" in this universe) dispatches a small satellite very similar to the [[Sky Spy]] satellite used on occasion by the Autobots in the ''Generation 1'' cartoon. The glowing energy "boxes" with which it scans vehicles for the Autobots to transform into are lifted wholesale out of "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]".

* At one point, Bulkhead refers to Optimus as "Boss-bot", echoing an epithet used for ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] by the [[Fuzor]] [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]].

===Notes===
* In this episode, [[Tutor Bot]] tries to teach Sari about the [[wikipedia:Smoot-Hawley_Tariff_Act|Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act]], a major economic blunder of the 1930s.
* Bumblebee's voice is slightly different in this episode from how it sounds later, as is Lugnut's voice, which seems very metallic.
* When Prowl gets birdpooped on, he is standing next to a statue of [[wikipedia:Hazen_S._Pingree|Hazen S. Pingree]], four-term mayor of Detroit and one-time governor of Michigan. In real life, the statue is located in Detroit's Grand Circus Park.
* A refurbished Michigan Central Station makes an appearance as the site for the dedication of Detroit's rapid transit system. The real-life station (abandoned since the '80s) was featured in the [[Transformers (2007)|2007 live-action movie]].
* When mocking the Autobots, Starscream actually calls Megatron "the great Megatron" without any sarcasm. Apparently, he'll only give a sincere compliment to his leader when he's insulting something else. Either that or he's just trying to make ''himself'' sound more impressive by building up the reputation of the one he's defeated.
* When Optimus comes back to life, he asks, "Is this the [[Well of All Sparks]]?" and Sari answers, "No, it's Detroit." This is an allusion to the movie ''Field of Dreams'', in which Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) asks Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), "Is this Heaven?" and Ray answers, "No, it's Iowa."
* According to responses at a panel at BotCon 2008, the unfortunate acronym for Fully Automated Rapid Transit System was totally unintentional...which makes it that much funnier.
* Ratchet is able to use his front windshield as a video screen.
* Several elements present in this opener were changed/dropped in the main series, including expressive vehicle modes, the replacement of solar cycles with stellar cycles in terminology, the recolouring of Ratchet's magnetism from yellow to pink, and Sari's Key changing shape. However, the expressions on vehicle mode were briefly used again by [[Wasp]] in the episode [[Predacons Rising]].
* During [[Sari Sumdac|Sari's]] "conversation" with the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], it shows her the faces of Ultra Magnus, Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Starscream, then the Cybertronian [[Alternate mode|vehicle modes]] for Optimus and Ratchet, the AllSpark's case and the [[Teletran-1|Autobots' ship]]. Then Sari unknowingly shows the AllSpark a man in a suit, a woman, a boy, the planet [[Earth]], pyramids, purple flowers, a horse, an aircraft with a giant cloud coming from the back, a cell and a DNA strand. The woman has dark skin and red hair like Sari.
* This movie was (lovingly) lampooned at the [[MSTF]] panel for [[BotCon 2008]], along with "[[War Dawn]]", the episode from which most of the "history vid" footage was taken.
* It's Detroit. There are guns everywhere. Why are the humans using ''water'' to take down the monster?
* In this episode, Starscream's engines use a sound effect borrowed from ''The Phantom Menace'': the sound made by Sebulba's podracer engines.

==Home video releases==
;DVD
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — The Battle Begins ([[Pack-in material|Hasbro]]) — Part 1 only.
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Transform and Roll Out ([[Transformers Animated (cartoon)/home video|Paramount]]) — English and Spanish audio (NTSC version) / English and German audio (PAL version).
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Transformieren und Abfahrt (Paramount) — English and German audio.

== Footnote ==
<references/>

[[Category:Animated episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Transform and Roll Out

2010-04-10T16:51:48Z

69.140.106.144: /* Japanese version (Part 2) */

{{disambig2|the [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]] multi-part episode|the command|roll out}}
{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|series2=
|image=TFA_TFandRollout_AutobotHeroes.jpg
|caption=''Epic''
|next=Home Is Where the Spark Is
|next2=Sound and Fury
|ep=1, 2 and 3
|next=Home Is Where the Spark Is
|title="Transform and Roll Out"
|airdate=[[December 26]], [[2007]] (US) [[April 3]], [[April 10]], [[April 17]], [[2010]] (JP)
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|directed by= [[Matt Youngberg]] [[Yutaka Kagawa]] [[Minoru Yamaoka]] [[Makoto Fuchigami]]
|animation studio= [[Mook]]}}
'''When a small crew of maintenance Autobots comes into possession of the powerful AllSpark, a battle with their long-forgotten enemies sends them crashing toward a strange, distant planet known as... ''Earth.'''''

:''Japanese title (Part 1):'' 新章! トランスフォーマー (''Shinshō! Transformer'', "A New Chapter! Transformers")
:''Japanese title (Part 2):'' 英雄、その名はオートボット (''Eiyū, sono na wa Autobot'', "The Heroes Are Called Autobots")
:''Japanese title (Part 3):'' オールスパークの秘密 (''AllSpark no himitsu'', "Secret of the AllSpark")
:''German title:'' "'''Transformieren und Abfahrt'''"
:''Polish title:'' "'''Transformacja i jazda'''" ("Transform and Roll Out")

==Synopsis==
===Part 1===
In deep, deep space, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] watches a history vid of the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], prompting [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] to complain about him watching that "junk" when the other members of the crew need assistance. Prime wonders if they were designed for more than repairing [[space bridge]]s. The two 'Bots transform into their vehicle modes and head out into the asteroid field.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout TheAllsparkdiscovered.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Well... at least there's no mass-shifting.]]
Outside, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], dangling from a high rock by his wrecking ball (and becoming quite queasy in the process), is freed by [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], who also ends up taking a tumble. Bumblebee complains about the sheer amount of rocks blocking the space bridge node, and one is shattered unexpectedly by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]'s throwing star. Prime gives his troops a speech about teamwork (which Prowl moans at theatrically), but at that point the space bridge lights up, sending rocks and Autobots flying. Fancy footwork by Optimus saves each of his teammates from the debris, and a well-aimed grappling line shuts down the bridge. With his subordinates stunned at their leader's skills, Prime is forced to admit he trained at [[Autobot Academy|Cybertron's military academy]]. Bumblebee's query as to what the heck he's doing on a nowhere maintenance assignment is left unanswered as they notice something glowing in the rubble.

Prime clears away the debris to reveal a large, chest-like object. Ratchet is horrified and immediately demands they throw it back into the space bridge, but an alert from [[Teletran-1]] announces the arrival of a signature consistent with the long-lost [[Decepticon]]s. Ratchet then insists they take the object and just get out of there post-haste.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Decepticonship.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Yes, this is a scout ship. Way to go, Magnanimous.]]
On board [[Teletran-1|their ship]], Ratchet finally reveals what they've found: the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], the source of all Transformer life that was lost centuries ago. Optimus, worried about the oncoming Decepticon signal, contacts the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] for help. After taking a bit of snark from [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], Optimus reveals what they found, which shuts Sentinel up fast. Sentinel then puts the crew through to [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], who tells Optimus Prime to stay put while they send reinforcements... and not to worry about that Decepticon thing. Optimus, considering this to be a really stupid move, orders the crew to start booking it out of there.

[[Image:Ani crew.JPG|left|200px|thumb|Scotty, engage!]]
This proves wise, as the signal is indeed a Decepticon ship—a [[Nemesis (Animated)|command ship]], in fact. The identification markings are ones that Optimus and Ratchet recognize, meaning its commander can only be one person: [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], leader of the Decepticons. On board the Decepticon ship, [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] doubts the AllSpark is aboard the Autobot ship and declares Megatron a fool. [[Lugnut]] denounces Starscream as a traitor, while [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] calls Lugnut an idiot for his blind loyalty and [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] just acts... well, crazy. The Decepticons continue to bicker at each other until Megatron enters, shutting up all of them. The Decepticons chase the Autobot ship, and Starscream volunteers to board them. Megatron quickly shoots that idea down. Just before he leaves, Starscream wishes his commander "luck" with a pat on the back... affixing a bomb to Megatron in the process.

Megatron makes his way to the Autobots' ship and begins to melt his way through its hull. Optimus uses external manipulator arms to grapple with Megatron, until the bomb detonates, sending the ship careening uncontrollably into a space bridge node, which explodes after they go through the gate. Starscream begins to make a speech declaring himself the new Decepticon leader, but the other three have abandoned ship, noting that the fireball from the space bridge explosion is only getting larger. Too late, Starscream realizes the trouble he's in...

An unknown distance away, the Autobot ship reappears above a [[Earth|small blue and green planet]]. Prime checks on his troops, but Megatron has gotten aboard, having survived the explosion, but at the cost of his right arm. Prime uses his grappling line to shut off the gravity, making it more difficult for Megatron to fight. All five Autobots face off against the Decepticon, but he's too strong (though Prowl does manage to cut off Megatron's damaged arm). Prime and Megatron both end up in the storage bay where the AllSpark is... and as the ship enters the atmosphere, Prime is able to blow the hatch and kick the screaming Megatron out of the ship.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Arkatmosphere.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Oddly familiar.]]
On a small farm, a young boy hears a thud and runs to where something has landed in a not-too-distant field. He is shocked to find a robotic head staring lifelessly up at him.

Meanwhile, Prime orders his team into emergency stasis pods to prepare for a crash-landing. He manages to steer the ship away from the city below and gets to a stasis pod just before the ship plunges into [[Lake Erie]].

Fifty years later, [[Detroit]] is once again a thriving city, but instead of manufacturing automobiles, robots are the city's stock-in-trade. [[Isaac Sumdac]] is talking to a public school class taking a tour of his facilities, which gets interrupted by Isaac's daughter, [[Sari Sumdac]], and her robot dog, [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]]. As Sari is carted off to her lessons by a [[Tutor Bot|robot tutor]], Isaac shows the school kids a nanotech lab, just in time to witness a roach infused with microbots grow out of control and start consuming everything in sight. Isaac tries to keep things calm, but the monster bursts out of the lab...

===Part 2===
[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Firefighters monster.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Yeah, watering it will surely stop the beast.]]
The monster continues to grow, absorbing just about everything it touches to increase its size and power. In the process, it destroys a lot of the factory. [[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]], the S.W.A.T team, the fire department, ambulances, and robot drones arrive, but the creature absorbs several of the responding vehicles, too. Fanzone uses a bazooka-type weapon and destroys the beast, despite Sumdac's objection. This protest proves well-founded, as the remnants of the creature start flowing back together again, save for one piece that drops into the nearby lake and works its way down to the Autobots' ship, its nanites seeking the absorbable technology there. It infiltrates via a small breach in the outer hull, but thankfully, the ship's intruder alert systems are functional and awaken the Autobots before any damage is done. Examining the situation, they decide to have Teletran-1 give them Earth forms so they can blend in and help out. A probe is launched into the chaos and scans various vehicles, including an ambulance, a police motorcycle, an armored personnel carrier, a fire truck, and [[Captain Fanzone's car]]. Everyone deploys except Ratchet, who remains behind to analyze the sample of alien material.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Autobots.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Avengers, ASSEMBLE!]]
During the fight, Bulkhead and Bumblebee spot Sari trying to wrest her security key from Sparkplug's mouth. Mistaking which is owner and which is pet, they approach her, but Bulkhead's greeting only scares her away. She quickly gets nabbed by the monster, but Bumblebee saves her, earning her trust and friendship. Prowl attempts to take on the bug-slug by himself, against Prime's orders, and gets absorbed. Prime orders Ratchet to join them in battle to save Prowl, but the old veteran insists that finding a "cure" code to neutralize the nanites' programming makes more sense than coming out and getting trashed. A somewhat chastened Prime agrees, and Ratchet soon delivers the goods. However, the new program must be uploaded by direct contact—meaning from inside the monster. This means the smallest, fastest one of them has to do it. Bumblebee reluctantly takes on the task. The beast has been using some of Prowl's absorbed intelligence and comm link tech, though, so it knows what they're planning and is now smart enough to fight back. Despite this, Bumblebee succeeds in delivering the code, and the bug dissolves into a dusty shower of deactivated nanites. Prowl is soon uncovered, but he's suffered grave wounds and must be taken back to the Autobots' ship for repairs. Sari pesters Bumblebee to be taken along, and her new friend reluctantly agrees, since there's no time to make her go away quietly.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Sari followedmehome.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Bumblebee, having a pet is a big responsibility.]]
Once on board, Sari's refusal to stay still and quiet causes 'Bee some embarrassment. He quickly and discreetly ejects her into a ventilation port and joins the others. However, the port opens onto a shaft that takes Sari right to the chamber where the AllSpark is being kept. Curious, she touches it, and it reacts to her, sending its energies into her security card key and reconfiguring it into [[AllSpark Key|a key of another sort entirely]]. Prime finds her almost immediately thereafter, but with no time left to spare away from Prowl, he has to bring her back with him to the repair table. Ratchet's prognosis is bleak, but the [[AllSpark Key]] abruptly reacts, glowing and tugging her toward Prowl. Bumblebee, seeming to grasp what's happening, helps her onto the table, and as she approaches, her Key reshapes itself to fit into a slot on Prowl's chest. She inserts it, and with a burst of energy, the Autobot ninja is whole again. The Autobots then take Sari home and, after a brief misunderstanding, are made heroes and are even invited to a ceremony.

In outer space, Starscream sits aboard the damaged but functional Decepticon ship, babbling that he will find the AllSpark, even though he's been attempting it on his own for the last fifty solar cycles. The ship's computers then detect the traces of AllSpark-like energy in action, and Starscream learns where the Autobots are...
{{-}}
===Part 3===
[[Image:Sariprime.jpg|right|150px|thumb|INSERT WHAT WHERE?!]]
The Autobots are later seen trying to fit in. Bulkhead gets firsthand experience in traffic jams, some birds mistake Prowl for the statue of the [[wikipedia:Hazen_S._Pingree|bald guy]] next to him, Bumblebee learns how organics fuel up, and Ratchet can't get a stasis nap without getting a dozen or so parking tickets. Optimus Prime remarks that the Autobots are programmed to respect life, which they always understood to stem from the AllSpark, but as organics are life, they must respect and protect them too. Optimus also expresses curiosity about how little organics are made. Sari's whispered explanation leaves him rather... shocked. The Autobots make a new home base out of a building Sari's dad got out of a merger, an abandoned auto factory that Bumblebee describes as a real fixer-upper—a REAL fixer-upper. All of a sudden, they get alerted to a fire. The Autobots proceed to douse the blaze and save its victims, no problem, unaware they are being watched by Starscream.

The next day, during the inauguration ceremony for the Sumdac [[Fully Automated Rapid Transit System]] (F.A.R.T.S., for short), Starscream enters Earth's atmosphere and takes on a group of fighter jets. He destroys all but one, which he scans. As the civilians and Autobots watch the aerial display of the [[Crimson Angels]], Isaac Sumdac notices there is an extra jet present that he didn't hire. That one jet then leaves the formation and streaks toward the ceremony platform, where it transforms into Starscream, who fires his null-ray cannons at the Autobots.

After a short fight, which the Autobots lose, Starscream knocks out Bumblebee and takes him, Isaac, the mayor, and Capt. Fanzone hostage in the F.A.R.T.S. train, flying it to the top of a very tall tower. He demands that the Autobots deliver the AllSpark if they want him to release the train car. The Autobots don't trust him, but don't want to risk human lives, so Sari offers a plan, but they ignore her. She continues to tell a sob story until the Autobots listen. The Autobots proceed with her plan, and Prowl and Sari fly up to the transit pod to rescue the hostages while the other Autobots keep Starscream busy. Once Starscream realizes what's happening, he takes a brief beating but recovers quickly. Starscream then throws the train—thus keeping his end of the deal—with Sari, Prowl, and Bumblebee on top of/in it. Between Bumblebee's agility and Prowl's thrusters, Sari is rescued and the train lands without much damage. The Autobots then challenge Starscream to a friendly game of Keep Away, during which Starscream almost gets the AllSpark, but Bulkhead gets it instead, because he said he got it. A furious Starscream unleashes a devastating, prolonged (as in nearly 12 seconds) null-ray blast on the Autobots, briefly knocking them all senseless.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Prime SS Allsparkactivates.jpg|left|150px|thumb|In the old days, The Touch would have started playing now.]]
With the Autobots down, Starscream takes the AllSpark from Optimus and blows a couple of blocks of Detroit right off the map. Not ready to give up, Optimus climbs all the way up a building to get it back from Starscream, which Starscream doesn't see coming because he was too busy gloating. After a quick back-and-forth exchange of possessing it, both grab it at the same time. As they struggle, the AllSpark opens and emits a strange energy wave that blasts Starscream away.

The explosion has left Prime dangling precariously, and he takes a tremendous plummet to the pavement. He notes weakly that he now knows what it feels like to be a hero, then dies, but Sari uses the AllSpark Key to revive him.<ref>[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|This is something of an Optimus Prime record]]: Dead after only three episodes, revived a mere 75 seconds later. Way to go.</ref> The Autobots later go about fixing up Detroit, earning the enduring gratitude of the citizenry. Professor Sumdac is also grateful, for the Autobots saved him and Sari, but he fears what will happen if the Autobots—not to mention the rest of the world—were to discover the source of his robotic empire.

Unseen by Sumdac, one of the [[Sensors|optics]] of his source of technology glows in a darkened room. Megatron still functions...
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (2)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (3)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (4)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (5)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (6)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (7)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (8)
*[[Lugnut]] (9)
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] (10)
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (11)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (12)

|c3=
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (13)
*[[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel]] (14)
*[[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]] (15)
*[[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly]] (16)
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (17)
*[[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]] (18)

|c4=
*[[Teletran-1]] ()
*[[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]] ()
*[[Tutor Bot]] ()
*[[Burger Bot]] ()}}

==Quotes==
"Do you ever get the feeling that you were programmed for something more than just repairing space bridges?" 
"I got a diagnostics program that can delete that feeling like a bad line of code."
:—'''Optimus Prime''''s dreams are crushed to a fine powder by '''Ratchet'''

"Know what? You're even uglier at this angle!"
:—'''Bumblebee''' is about to realize there are some things you should never, EVER, say to a Decepticon.

"Hi, I'm Bumblebee!" 
"I'm Sari." 
"Oh, don't be, I like my name."
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Sari''' are off to an awkward start.

"Y'know, all things considered, fixin' space bridges wasn't such a bad gig."
:—'''Bumblebee''', just before embarking on the plan to dissolve the bug monster

"Uh...am I going to be able to ''breathe'' down there?" 
"Oh, sure! ...What's 'breathe'?"
:—'''Sari''' is in good hands with '''Bumblebee'''.

"And to think, Ultra Magnus told me not to be a hero. Is this what it was like in your day?" 
"The Decepticons didn't leave us very much to cheer about."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''' at the ceremony

"Enjoy it while you can, 'heroes.' You're about to take a fall."
:—'''Starscream''', watching a news report on the Autobots

"Give up the AllSpark or give up the Earth. How am I supposed to decide?" 
"Heroes are the ones who make the hard choices."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''' after Starscream makes his ultimatum

"Let go, Autobot!" 
"Never! The AllSpark is life!" 
"Then, let it end yours!"
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Optimus Prime''', fighting over the AllSpark

"So, this...is what it feels like...to be a hero."
:—'''Optimus Prime''', just before dying

"Fixing bridges? Isn't this where we started out?"
:—'''Bumblebee''', as the Autobots clean up the city

==Home releases==
[[Image:Animatedshort01.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Meet the Press lives on through our young ones.]]
"Transform and Roll Out" was released to DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment on June 17, 2008. The DVD includes all three episodes of the pilot movie and two all-new animated shorts. [[Career Day|The first short]] features Optimus Prime attempting to give a speech at [[Black River Elementary School]]'s career day, but being repeatedly interrupted by nagging questions from [[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|some little kid]] and overwhelming cheers for him to transform. [[Evel Knievel Jump|The second]] features Bumblebee messing up one of Prowl's cool stunts. Together, the two shorts run just under three minutes.

Target sold an [[exclusive]] version of the DVD with a special bonus disc that included the episode "[[Home Is Where the Spark Is]]."

All three episodes were also condensed and re-told in the [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] paperback "cine-manga" style book ''[[Transformers Animated Volume 1]]''.
{{-}}

==Notes==
===Japanese version (Part 1)===
*The episode begins with the [[Otoboto family]] telling the viewers to watch in a well-lit room (to prevent seizures and damage to your eyesight, you know).

*As the [[title sequence]] begins, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] asks how everyone is doing, then introduces himself as leader of the Autobots. When he realizes nobody knows who he is, he ''assures'' them that he's leader of the Autobots. Then the [[Transformers Evo.|theme song]] starts.

* '''Cut:''' Ratchet and Optimus's conversation as they walk down a hall, where Prime refers to feeling like being meant for "more than just repairing space bridges", and Ratchet's snarky response about deleting that feeling "like a bad line of code".

* '''Cut:''' Bulkhead's comment on their medic being always grumpy, Ratchet responding to Bumblebee's "old man" comment with a smack upside the head and the retort of "I may have one servor in the scrapheap, but I can still hear!".

*The usual cries of "Transform!" and attack names are added in. ([[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]'s "stingers" are now called "Energy Stingers", for instance.) Perhaps most annoyingly, ''every single thing Optimus does'' has the prefix of "Ultra" added to it. In the span of ten seconds, he goes through his "Ultra Anchor", "Ultra Axe" and "Ultra Net" attacks.

* '''Cut:''' After shutting down the space bridge, the following sequence where Ratchet is repairing Bumblebee, Bulkhead commenting about Optimus's moves, Optimus reluctantly admitting that he used to train at the Academy, and Bumblebee saying that he should've been with the Elite Guard.

* '''Cut:''' Ratchet's poking back at Optimus wanting to see some action, Bumblebee pointing out they're repair bots, Optimus correcting on not without backup and Bulkhead in awe on them connecting with Cybertron Command Headquarters.

*[[Teletran-1]] now speaks as though "she" is in a state of perpetual orgasm.

*When the Autobots first happen upon the ''[[Nemesis (Animated)|Nemesis]]'' and all freak over [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], a new [[scene transition]] is added when transitioning into the discussion between the Decepticon forces. A guitar riff of the classic Generation 1 scene transition music is even used.

*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]]'s "hothead" persona now speaks with a thick American accent, spouting English words like "Hey!" and "Man!"

*New [[commercial bumper]]s have been crafted, featuring stock art of the characters with their voice actors screaming their name, followed by "Transform!"

*'''Cut:''' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]'s entire speech on the bridge ("This is a dark day...") followed by him getting caught in the explosion was cut for time.

*When Bulkhead tumbles into Optimus, following his line "A little warning would have helped!", he screams out "Mommyyyyyyy!" Yeah, Japanese Bulkhead ain't so smart.

*'''Cut:''' After Megatron is kicked from the ship, the establishing shots of Paw Paw (the street sign, the outside of the barn and the scroll across [[Isaac Sumdac]]'s lab) have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' Following Prime's line "Not until I've steered us clear of this populated sector!", the brief scenes of the Autobots being sealed in their stasis pods have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' As soon as the ship crashes into Lake Eerie and leaves a stream of upturned water on the surface, the scenes of the ship sinking and Teletran-1 "initiating emergency stasis mode" on the pods as they turn grey have been cut for time. The episode resumes at the long shot of the sinking ship slowly coming toward the camera, with a new voice-over of Teletran-1 telling the Autobots "good night".

*'''Cut:''' As Isaac Sumdac narrates the history of Detroit and automaton manufacturing, the scene of the trash-collecting automaton has been cut.

*'''Cut:''' The scenes of [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] pulling the bubblegum off her face, eating it, the crowd reacting in disgust, Isaac Sumdac reacting in frustration, the kid asking Sari what its like to grow up around robots and [[Tutor Bot]] hauling Sari off have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' After the cockroach absorbs the nanobot liquid, all the scenes involving Isaac Sumdac explaining the nanobots to the children and the children looking through microscopes at the nanobots have been cut for time. The episode resumes at the roach growing bigger.

*'''Cut:''' The close-up of Isaac Sumdac saying "Nothing to be concerned about, children!" and the kid remarking that "This accident doesn't look too happy" have been cut for time. The episode resumes with the roach crashing through the window behind him.

*The Otoboto Family segment features [[Hiroyuki Otoboto]] telling his son, [[Tatsuya Otoboto]], about ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'', complete with clips from "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]". Mr. Otoboto then produces a complete set of ''Animated'' Autobot toys. Tatsuya is thrilled, but wouldn't ya know it? [[Megumi Otoboto|Mrs. Otoboto]] comes in with dinner! During mealtime conversation, Mrs. Otoboto makes the mistake of using the word "transform", which inevitably causes Tatsuya to start talking about Transformers, much to the amusement of his father and the annoyance of his older sister, [[Yūka Otoboto|Yūka]]. Tatsuya then causes a "freeze frame" so that he can introduce himself and his family (messing with his father's glasses in the process for his own amusement). Oddly, despite being "frozen", everyone proceeds to blink. As time resumes its normal pace, Hiroyuki wonders what happened to his glasses. He then digs into his dinner, except, oh no! It's too hot! ''Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!''

*During the "next episode" segment, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee proceed to have an argument. Bumblebee thinks Optimus's name is too long and hard to remember. Bumblebee suggests that "[[Convoy]]" would be better, but Prime shoots the idea down immediately. Bumblebee opts to call him "Oputi", since it has fewer syllables. Prime refuses to be called such a name (more fitting for a dog), so Bumblebee settles on "Pu-Pu" after "Opura" is also rejected. Prime refuses that too, thinking it sounds cute, but that it would be hard not to laugh instinctively at it. Bumblebee then tricks Prime into answering to it, which frustrates him even ''further''. The argument proceeds ''past'' the "next episode" segment and straight into the sponsor cards.

===Japanese version (Part 2)===
*'''Cut:''' The rush of emergency vehicles driving threw the city was cut for time. Fanzone getting into his car and about to enjoy his lunch at the Burgerbot, and being disappointed at the emergency call, along with his leaving.
*'''Cut:''' Fanzone arriving at Sumdac laboratories, and his little dilemma regarding his broken megaphone, and his first directions to the police force.
*'''Cut:''' The Left to right pan of the ruined laboratory where the tour had taken place, was cut for time.
*'''Cut:''' Much of the flying debree from the monster falling into the ocean.
* Teletran-1 still sounds as if 'She's in a state of constant .
*During the ceremony, the cheering crowd has been replaced with what looks to be a photo of a Japanese crowd.
*'''Cut:''' After the ceremony, the scene in which Starscream is seen monologing in the crashed Nemisis on the moon.

===Animation or technical glitches===
* Megatron's vehicle mode was depicted flying upside-down, or backwards, or possibly both. To be fair, in space, there is no up and down (and to be even fairer, it's really hard to tell from the toys exactly what ''is'' the front of Megatron's Cybertronian spaceship mode), but that does not excuse the fact that any propulsion system used would be in the ''back'' of the mode.

*When the Autobot get into the stasis pods, Prime, Bulkhead, and Ratchet are on the left side, with Bumblebee, Prowl, and an empty pod on the right, in that order. Yet when they get out later in the episode, Prime, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead are on the left, and the empty one, Prowl, and Ratchet on the right.

* As pre-Earth Prime enters the chamber which will re-format his body into his Earth mode, he walks past Ratchet, who is drawn mostly in his pre-Earth mode, except for the fact that his Cybertronian gut is replaced with his ambulance gut. In the next scene, Ratchet is properly drawn, pre-Earth gut and all.

* When Sari says to the Autobots it is okay to put down their hands, Bulkhead's face is black.

* When Starscream tackles Optimus Prime through a building as the Autobot tries to escape with the AllSpark, Optimus's axe is missing from Starscream's left wing. It reappears moments later for Optimus to retrieve it.

* In at least one scene, Starscream's Earth-form wing is shown with a spike, in the same manner as his Cybertronian body.

===Continuity errors===
* The train Starscream blasts from the tower falls toward the ground very, very slowly.

* When we first meet Starscream, he states that he has been searching for the AllSpark for fifty ''solar'' cycles. In later episodes, a solar cycle is equivalent to a day and a ''stellar'' cycle is used for years. This is the only time a solar cycle has been used to reference years, so either Starscream entered some sort of temporal anomaly or someone messed up. For more <s>confusion</s> information, See [[Cycle|this page]].

* Sumdac is using Megatron's hand as a chair. However, he seems to be using the right hand, which was blown up by Starscream. (It ''could'' have fallen off the Autobots' ship, as it was still clinging to the hull when last seen, but that seems unlikely.)

===Transformers references===
* The title of the episode itself is a [[Roll out|reference to past Transformers lore]].

* Footage from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|G1 cartoon]] episodes "[[War Dawn]]" and "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]" is used as history tapes detailing the events of the first [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], millions of years prior. [[Canon|This]] has been confirmed as purely an in-joke, and should not be taken as linking ''Animated'' to G1, continuity wise.

* The [[Teletran-1|Autobot ship]] here bears a distinct resemblance to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], albeit with a colour scheme more reminiscent of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. (As we learn [[A Bridge Too Close, Part II|much later]], there is [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|a very good reason for that]].)

* Bumblebee says "[[Rattrap|We're all gonna die.]]"

* Sari's robotic dog [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]] is likely named after either [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] from G1, the ''Armada'' Mini-Con [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]], or both.

[[Image:Spikecarlydanielanimated.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Twenty years later, and they're still overdressed.]]
* Characters resembling [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], [[Carly]], and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] are seen at a hot dog stand, purchasing some sort of futuristic bunless wieners-on-a-stick. The characters went on to become recurring figures in the background cast of the show, and in "[[Garbage In, Garbage Out]]" it was revealed that their names were... [[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]], [[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel Witwicky]].

* When Optimus Prime dies, his body fades to grays, just as [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Generation 1 Optimus Prime]] did in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. His spark chamber opens in much the same manner as well.

* Teletran-1 (spelled with only one "a" in this universe) dispatches a small satellite very similar to the [[Sky Spy]] satellite used on occasion by the Autobots in the ''Generation 1'' cartoon. The glowing energy "boxes" with which it scans vehicles for the Autobots to transform into are lifted wholesale out of "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]".

* At one point, Bulkhead refers to Optimus as "Boss-bot", echoing an epithet used for ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] by the [[Fuzor]] [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]].

===Notes===
* In this episode, [[Tutor Bot]] tries to teach Sari about the [[wikipedia:Smoot-Hawley_Tariff_Act|Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act]], a major economic blunder of the 1930s.
* Bumblebee's voice is slightly different in this episode from how it sounds later, as is Lugnut's voice, which seems very metallic.
* When Prowl gets birdpooped on, he is standing next to a statue of [[wikipedia:Hazen_S._Pingree|Hazen S. Pingree]], four-term mayor of Detroit and one-time governor of Michigan. In real life, the statue is located in Detroit's Grand Circus Park.
* A refurbished Michigan Central Station makes an appearance as the site for the dedication of Detroit's rapid transit system. The real-life station (abandoned since the '80s) was featured in the [[Transformers (2007)|2007 live-action movie]].
* When mocking the Autobots, Starscream actually calls Megatron "the great Megatron" without any sarcasm. Apparently, he'll only give a sincere compliment to his leader when he's insulting something else. Either that or he's just trying to make ''himself'' sound more impressive by building up the reputation of the one he's defeated.
* When Optimus comes back to life, he asks, "Is this the [[Well of All Sparks]]?" and Sari answers, "No, it's Detroit." This is an allusion to the movie ''Field of Dreams'', in which Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) asks Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), "Is this Heaven?" and Ray answers, "No, it's Iowa."
* According to responses at a panel at BotCon 2008, the unfortunate acronym for Fully Automated Rapid Transit System was totally unintentional...which makes it that much funnier.
* Ratchet is able to use his front windshield as a video screen.
* Several elements present in this opener were changed/dropped in the main series, including expressive vehicle modes, the replacement of solar cycles with stellar cycles in terminology, the recolouring of Ratchet's magnetism from yellow to pink, and Sari's Key changing shape. However, the expressions on vehicle mode were briefly used again by [[Wasp]] in the episode [[Predacons Rising]].
* During [[Sari Sumdac|Sari's]] "conversation" with the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], it shows her the faces of Ultra Magnus, Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Starscream, then the Cybertronian [[Alternate mode|vehicle modes]] for Optimus and Ratchet, the AllSpark's case and the [[Teletran-1|Autobots' ship]]. Then Sari unknowingly shows the AllSpark a man in a suit, a woman, a boy, the planet [[Earth]], pyramids, purple flowers, a horse, an aircraft with a giant cloud coming from the back, a cell and a DNA strand. The woman has dark skin and red hair like Sari.
* This movie was (lovingly) lampooned at the [[MSTF]] panel for [[BotCon 2008]], along with "[[War Dawn]]", the episode from which most of the "history vid" footage was taken.
* It's Detroit. There are guns everywhere. Why are the humans using ''water'' to take down the monster?
* In this episode, Starscream's engines use a sound effect borrowed from ''The Phantom Menace'': the sound made by Sebulba's podracer engines.

==Home video releases==
;DVD
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — The Battle Begins ([[Pack-in material|Hasbro]]) — Part 1 only.
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Transform and Roll Out ([[Transformers Animated (cartoon)/home video|Paramount]]) — English and Spanish audio (NTSC version) / English and German audio (PAL version).
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Transformieren und Abfahrt (Paramount) — English and German audio.

== Footnote ==
<references/>

[[Category:Animated episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Transform and Roll Out

2010-04-10T16:51:26Z

69.140.106.144: /* Japanese version (Part 2) */

{{disambig2|the [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]] multi-part episode|the command|roll out}}
{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|series2=
|image=TFA_TFandRollout_AutobotHeroes.jpg
|caption=''Epic''
|next=Home Is Where the Spark Is
|next2=Sound and Fury
|ep=1, 2 and 3
|next=Home Is Where the Spark Is
|title="Transform and Roll Out"
|airdate=[[December 26]], [[2007]] (US) [[April 3]], [[April 10]], [[April 17]], [[2010]] (JP)
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|directed by= [[Matt Youngberg]] [[Yutaka Kagawa]] [[Minoru Yamaoka]] [[Makoto Fuchigami]]
|animation studio= [[Mook]]}}
'''When a small crew of maintenance Autobots comes into possession of the powerful AllSpark, a battle with their long-forgotten enemies sends them crashing toward a strange, distant planet known as... ''Earth.'''''

:''Japanese title (Part 1):'' 新章! トランスフォーマー (''Shinshō! Transformer'', "A New Chapter! Transformers")
:''Japanese title (Part 2):'' 英雄、その名はオートボット (''Eiyū, sono na wa Autobot'', "The Heroes Are Called Autobots")
:''Japanese title (Part 3):'' オールスパークの秘密 (''AllSpark no himitsu'', "Secret of the AllSpark")
:''German title:'' "'''Transformieren und Abfahrt'''"
:''Polish title:'' "'''Transformacja i jazda'''" ("Transform and Roll Out")

==Synopsis==
===Part 1===
In deep, deep space, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] watches a history vid of the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], prompting [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] to complain about him watching that "junk" when the other members of the crew need assistance. Prime wonders if they were designed for more than repairing [[space bridge]]s. The two 'Bots transform into their vehicle modes and head out into the asteroid field.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout TheAllsparkdiscovered.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Well... at least there's no mass-shifting.]]
Outside, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], dangling from a high rock by his wrecking ball (and becoming quite queasy in the process), is freed by [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], who also ends up taking a tumble. Bumblebee complains about the sheer amount of rocks blocking the space bridge node, and one is shattered unexpectedly by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]'s throwing star. Prime gives his troops a speech about teamwork (which Prowl moans at theatrically), but at that point the space bridge lights up, sending rocks and Autobots flying. Fancy footwork by Optimus saves each of his teammates from the debris, and a well-aimed grappling line shuts down the bridge. With his subordinates stunned at their leader's skills, Prime is forced to admit he trained at [[Autobot Academy|Cybertron's military academy]]. Bumblebee's query as to what the heck he's doing on a nowhere maintenance assignment is left unanswered as they notice something glowing in the rubble.

Prime clears away the debris to reveal a large, chest-like object. Ratchet is horrified and immediately demands they throw it back into the space bridge, but an alert from [[Teletran-1]] announces the arrival of a signature consistent with the long-lost [[Decepticon]]s. Ratchet then insists they take the object and just get out of there post-haste.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Decepticonship.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Yes, this is a scout ship. Way to go, Magnanimous.]]
On board [[Teletran-1|their ship]], Ratchet finally reveals what they've found: the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], the source of all Transformer life that was lost centuries ago. Optimus, worried about the oncoming Decepticon signal, contacts the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] for help. After taking a bit of snark from [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], Optimus reveals what they found, which shuts Sentinel up fast. Sentinel then puts the crew through to [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], who tells Optimus Prime to stay put while they send reinforcements... and not to worry about that Decepticon thing. Optimus, considering this to be a really stupid move, orders the crew to start booking it out of there.

[[Image:Ani crew.JPG|left|200px|thumb|Scotty, engage!]]
This proves wise, as the signal is indeed a Decepticon ship—a [[Nemesis (Animated)|command ship]], in fact. The identification markings are ones that Optimus and Ratchet recognize, meaning its commander can only be one person: [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], leader of the Decepticons. On board the Decepticon ship, [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] doubts the AllSpark is aboard the Autobot ship and declares Megatron a fool. [[Lugnut]] denounces Starscream as a traitor, while [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] calls Lugnut an idiot for his blind loyalty and [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] just acts... well, crazy. The Decepticons continue to bicker at each other until Megatron enters, shutting up all of them. The Decepticons chase the Autobot ship, and Starscream volunteers to board them. Megatron quickly shoots that idea down. Just before he leaves, Starscream wishes his commander "luck" with a pat on the back... affixing a bomb to Megatron in the process.

Megatron makes his way to the Autobots' ship and begins to melt his way through its hull. Optimus uses external manipulator arms to grapple with Megatron, until the bomb detonates, sending the ship careening uncontrollably into a space bridge node, which explodes after they go through the gate. Starscream begins to make a speech declaring himself the new Decepticon leader, but the other three have abandoned ship, noting that the fireball from the space bridge explosion is only getting larger. Too late, Starscream realizes the trouble he's in...

An unknown distance away, the Autobot ship reappears above a [[Earth|small blue and green planet]]. Prime checks on his troops, but Megatron has gotten aboard, having survived the explosion, but at the cost of his right arm. Prime uses his grappling line to shut off the gravity, making it more difficult for Megatron to fight. All five Autobots face off against the Decepticon, but he's too strong (though Prowl does manage to cut off Megatron's damaged arm). Prime and Megatron both end up in the storage bay where the AllSpark is... and as the ship enters the atmosphere, Prime is able to blow the hatch and kick the screaming Megatron out of the ship.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Arkatmosphere.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Oddly familiar.]]
On a small farm, a young boy hears a thud and runs to where something has landed in a not-too-distant field. He is shocked to find a robotic head staring lifelessly up at him.

Meanwhile, Prime orders his team into emergency stasis pods to prepare for a crash-landing. He manages to steer the ship away from the city below and gets to a stasis pod just before the ship plunges into [[Lake Erie]].

Fifty years later, [[Detroit]] is once again a thriving city, but instead of manufacturing automobiles, robots are the city's stock-in-trade. [[Isaac Sumdac]] is talking to a public school class taking a tour of his facilities, which gets interrupted by Isaac's daughter, [[Sari Sumdac]], and her robot dog, [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]]. As Sari is carted off to her lessons by a [[Tutor Bot|robot tutor]], Isaac shows the school kids a nanotech lab, just in time to witness a roach infused with microbots grow out of control and start consuming everything in sight. Isaac tries to keep things calm, but the monster bursts out of the lab...

===Part 2===
[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Firefighters monster.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Yeah, watering it will surely stop the beast.]]
The monster continues to grow, absorbing just about everything it touches to increase its size and power. In the process, it destroys a lot of the factory. [[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]], the S.W.A.T team, the fire department, ambulances, and robot drones arrive, but the creature absorbs several of the responding vehicles, too. Fanzone uses a bazooka-type weapon and destroys the beast, despite Sumdac's objection. This protest proves well-founded, as the remnants of the creature start flowing back together again, save for one piece that drops into the nearby lake and works its way down to the Autobots' ship, its nanites seeking the absorbable technology there. It infiltrates via a small breach in the outer hull, but thankfully, the ship's intruder alert systems are functional and awaken the Autobots before any damage is done. Examining the situation, they decide to have Teletran-1 give them Earth forms so they can blend in and help out. A probe is launched into the chaos and scans various vehicles, including an ambulance, a police motorcycle, an armored personnel carrier, a fire truck, and [[Captain Fanzone's car]]. Everyone deploys except Ratchet, who remains behind to analyze the sample of alien material.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Autobots.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Avengers, ASSEMBLE!]]
During the fight, Bulkhead and Bumblebee spot Sari trying to wrest her security key from Sparkplug's mouth. Mistaking which is owner and which is pet, they approach her, but Bulkhead's greeting only scares her away. She quickly gets nabbed by the monster, but Bumblebee saves her, earning her trust and friendship. Prowl attempts to take on the bug-slug by himself, against Prime's orders, and gets absorbed. Prime orders Ratchet to join them in battle to save Prowl, but the old veteran insists that finding a "cure" code to neutralize the nanites' programming makes more sense than coming out and getting trashed. A somewhat chastened Prime agrees, and Ratchet soon delivers the goods. However, the new program must be uploaded by direct contact—meaning from inside the monster. This means the smallest, fastest one of them has to do it. Bumblebee reluctantly takes on the task. The beast has been using some of Prowl's absorbed intelligence and comm link tech, though, so it knows what they're planning and is now smart enough to fight back. Despite this, Bumblebee succeeds in delivering the code, and the bug dissolves into a dusty shower of deactivated nanites. Prowl is soon uncovered, but he's suffered grave wounds and must be taken back to the Autobots' ship for repairs. Sari pesters Bumblebee to be taken along, and her new friend reluctantly agrees, since there's no time to make her go away quietly.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Sari followedmehome.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Bumblebee, having a pet is a big responsibility.]]
Once on board, Sari's refusal to stay still and quiet causes 'Bee some embarrassment. He quickly and discreetly ejects her into a ventilation port and joins the others. However, the port opens onto a shaft that takes Sari right to the chamber where the AllSpark is being kept. Curious, she touches it, and it reacts to her, sending its energies into her security card key and reconfiguring it into [[AllSpark Key|a key of another sort entirely]]. Prime finds her almost immediately thereafter, but with no time left to spare away from Prowl, he has to bring her back with him to the repair table. Ratchet's prognosis is bleak, but the [[AllSpark Key]] abruptly reacts, glowing and tugging her toward Prowl. Bumblebee, seeming to grasp what's happening, helps her onto the table, and as she approaches, her Key reshapes itself to fit into a slot on Prowl's chest. She inserts it, and with a burst of energy, the Autobot ninja is whole again. The Autobots then take Sari home and, after a brief misunderstanding, are made heroes and are even invited to a ceremony.

In outer space, Starscream sits aboard the damaged but functional Decepticon ship, babbling that he will find the AllSpark, even though he's been attempting it on his own for the last fifty solar cycles. The ship's computers then detect the traces of AllSpark-like energy in action, and Starscream learns where the Autobots are...
{{-}}
===Part 3===
[[Image:Sariprime.jpg|right|150px|thumb|INSERT WHAT WHERE?!]]
The Autobots are later seen trying to fit in. Bulkhead gets firsthand experience in traffic jams, some birds mistake Prowl for the statue of the [[wikipedia:Hazen_S._Pingree|bald guy]] next to him, Bumblebee learns how organics fuel up, and Ratchet can't get a stasis nap without getting a dozen or so parking tickets. Optimus Prime remarks that the Autobots are programmed to respect life, which they always understood to stem from the AllSpark, but as organics are life, they must respect and protect them too. Optimus also expresses curiosity about how little organics are made. Sari's whispered explanation leaves him rather... shocked. The Autobots make a new home base out of a building Sari's dad got out of a merger, an abandoned auto factory that Bumblebee describes as a real fixer-upper—a REAL fixer-upper. All of a sudden, they get alerted to a fire. The Autobots proceed to douse the blaze and save its victims, no problem, unaware they are being watched by Starscream.

The next day, during the inauguration ceremony for the Sumdac [[Fully Automated Rapid Transit System]] (F.A.R.T.S., for short), Starscream enters Earth's atmosphere and takes on a group of fighter jets. He destroys all but one, which he scans. As the civilians and Autobots watch the aerial display of the [[Crimson Angels]], Isaac Sumdac notices there is an extra jet present that he didn't hire. That one jet then leaves the formation and streaks toward the ceremony platform, where it transforms into Starscream, who fires his null-ray cannons at the Autobots.

After a short fight, which the Autobots lose, Starscream knocks out Bumblebee and takes him, Isaac, the mayor, and Capt. Fanzone hostage in the F.A.R.T.S. train, flying it to the top of a very tall tower. He demands that the Autobots deliver the AllSpark if they want him to release the train car. The Autobots don't trust him, but don't want to risk human lives, so Sari offers a plan, but they ignore her. She continues to tell a sob story until the Autobots listen. The Autobots proceed with her plan, and Prowl and Sari fly up to the transit pod to rescue the hostages while the other Autobots keep Starscream busy. Once Starscream realizes what's happening, he takes a brief beating but recovers quickly. Starscream then throws the train—thus keeping his end of the deal—with Sari, Prowl, and Bumblebee on top of/in it. Between Bumblebee's agility and Prowl's thrusters, Sari is rescued and the train lands without much damage. The Autobots then challenge Starscream to a friendly game of Keep Away, during which Starscream almost gets the AllSpark, but Bulkhead gets it instead, because he said he got it. A furious Starscream unleashes a devastating, prolonged (as in nearly 12 seconds) null-ray blast on the Autobots, briefly knocking them all senseless.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Prime SS Allsparkactivates.jpg|left|150px|thumb|In the old days, The Touch would have started playing now.]]
With the Autobots down, Starscream takes the AllSpark from Optimus and blows a couple of blocks of Detroit right off the map. Not ready to give up, Optimus climbs all the way up a building to get it back from Starscream, which Starscream doesn't see coming because he was too busy gloating. After a quick back-and-forth exchange of possessing it, both grab it at the same time. As they struggle, the AllSpark opens and emits a strange energy wave that blasts Starscream away.

The explosion has left Prime dangling precariously, and he takes a tremendous plummet to the pavement. He notes weakly that he now knows what it feels like to be a hero, then dies, but Sari uses the AllSpark Key to revive him.<ref>[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|This is something of an Optimus Prime record]]: Dead after only three episodes, revived a mere 75 seconds later. Way to go.</ref> The Autobots later go about fixing up Detroit, earning the enduring gratitude of the citizenry. Professor Sumdac is also grateful, for the Autobots saved him and Sari, but he fears what will happen if the Autobots—not to mention the rest of the world—were to discover the source of his robotic empire.

Unseen by Sumdac, one of the [[Sensors|optics]] of his source of technology glows in a darkened room. Megatron still functions...
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (2)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (3)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (4)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (5)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (6)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (7)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (8)
*[[Lugnut]] (9)
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] (10)
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (11)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (12)

|c3=
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (13)
*[[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel]] (14)
*[[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]] (15)
*[[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly]] (16)
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (17)
*[[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]] (18)

|c4=
*[[Teletran-1]] ()
*[[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]] ()
*[[Tutor Bot]] ()
*[[Burger Bot]] ()}}

==Quotes==
"Do you ever get the feeling that you were programmed for something more than just repairing space bridges?" 
"I got a diagnostics program that can delete that feeling like a bad line of code."
:—'''Optimus Prime''''s dreams are crushed to a fine powder by '''Ratchet'''

"Know what? You're even uglier at this angle!"
:—'''Bumblebee''' is about to realize there are some things you should never, EVER, say to a Decepticon.

"Hi, I'm Bumblebee!" 
"I'm Sari." 
"Oh, don't be, I like my name."
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Sari''' are off to an awkward start.

"Y'know, all things considered, fixin' space bridges wasn't such a bad gig."
:—'''Bumblebee''', just before embarking on the plan to dissolve the bug monster

"Uh...am I going to be able to ''breathe'' down there?" 
"Oh, sure! ...What's 'breathe'?"
:—'''Sari''' is in good hands with '''Bumblebee'''.

"And to think, Ultra Magnus told me not to be a hero. Is this what it was like in your day?" 
"The Decepticons didn't leave us very much to cheer about."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''' at the ceremony

"Enjoy it while you can, 'heroes.' You're about to take a fall."
:—'''Starscream''', watching a news report on the Autobots

"Give up the AllSpark or give up the Earth. How am I supposed to decide?" 
"Heroes are the ones who make the hard choices."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''' after Starscream makes his ultimatum

"Let go, Autobot!" 
"Never! The AllSpark is life!" 
"Then, let it end yours!"
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Optimus Prime''', fighting over the AllSpark

"So, this...is what it feels like...to be a hero."
:—'''Optimus Prime''', just before dying

"Fixing bridges? Isn't this where we started out?"
:—'''Bumblebee''', as the Autobots clean up the city

==Home releases==
[[Image:Animatedshort01.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Meet the Press lives on through our young ones.]]
"Transform and Roll Out" was released to DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment on June 17, 2008. The DVD includes all three episodes of the pilot movie and two all-new animated shorts. [[Career Day|The first short]] features Optimus Prime attempting to give a speech at [[Black River Elementary School]]'s career day, but being repeatedly interrupted by nagging questions from [[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|some little kid]] and overwhelming cheers for him to transform. [[Evel Knievel Jump|The second]] features Bumblebee messing up one of Prowl's cool stunts. Together, the two shorts run just under three minutes.

Target sold an [[exclusive]] version of the DVD with a special bonus disc that included the episode "[[Home Is Where the Spark Is]]."

All three episodes were also condensed and re-told in the [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] paperback "cine-manga" style book ''[[Transformers Animated Volume 1]]''.
{{-}}

==Notes==
===Japanese version (Part 1)===
*The episode begins with the [[Otoboto family]] telling the viewers to watch in a well-lit room (to prevent seizures and damage to your eyesight, you know).

*As the [[title sequence]] begins, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] asks how everyone is doing, then introduces himself as leader of the Autobots. When he realizes nobody knows who he is, he ''assures'' them that he's leader of the Autobots. Then the [[Transformers Evo.|theme song]] starts.

* '''Cut:''' Ratchet and Optimus's conversation as they walk down a hall, where Prime refers to feeling like being meant for "more than just repairing space bridges", and Ratchet's snarky response about deleting that feeling "like a bad line of code".

* '''Cut:''' Bulkhead's comment on their medic being always grumpy, Ratchet responding to Bumblebee's "old man" comment with a smack upside the head and the retort of "I may have one servor in the scrapheap, but I can still hear!".

*The usual cries of "Transform!" and attack names are added in. ([[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]'s "stingers" are now called "Energy Stingers", for instance.) Perhaps most annoyingly, ''every single thing Optimus does'' has the prefix of "Ultra" added to it. In the span of ten seconds, he goes through his "Ultra Anchor", "Ultra Axe" and "Ultra Net" attacks.

* '''Cut:''' After shutting down the space bridge, the following sequence where Ratchet is repairing Bumblebee, Bulkhead commenting about Optimus's moves, Optimus reluctantly admitting that he used to train at the Academy, and Bumblebee saying that he should've been with the Elite Guard.

* '''Cut:''' Ratchet's poking back at Optimus wanting to see some action, Bumblebee pointing out they're repair bots, Optimus correcting on not without backup and Bulkhead in awe on them connecting with Cybertron Command Headquarters.

*[[Teletran-1]] now speaks as though "she" is in a state of perpetual orgasm.

*When the Autobots first happen upon the ''[[Nemesis (Animated)|Nemesis]]'' and all freak over [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], a new [[scene transition]] is added when transitioning into the discussion between the Decepticon forces. A guitar riff of the classic Generation 1 scene transition music is even used.

*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]]'s "hothead" persona now speaks with a thick American accent, spouting English words like "Hey!" and "Man!"

*New [[commercial bumper]]s have been crafted, featuring stock art of the characters with their voice actors screaming their name, followed by "Transform!"

*'''Cut:''' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]'s entire speech on the bridge ("This is a dark day...") followed by him getting caught in the explosion was cut for time.

*When Bulkhead tumbles into Optimus, following his line "A little warning would have helped!", he screams out "Mommyyyyyyy!" Yeah, Japanese Bulkhead ain't so smart.

*'''Cut:''' After Megatron is kicked from the ship, the establishing shots of Paw Paw (the street sign, the outside of the barn and the scroll across [[Isaac Sumdac]]'s lab) have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' Following Prime's line "Not until I've steered us clear of this populated sector!", the brief scenes of the Autobots being sealed in their stasis pods have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' As soon as the ship crashes into Lake Eerie and leaves a stream of upturned water on the surface, the scenes of the ship sinking and Teletran-1 "initiating emergency stasis mode" on the pods as they turn grey have been cut for time. The episode resumes at the long shot of the sinking ship slowly coming toward the camera, with a new voice-over of Teletran-1 telling the Autobots "good night".

*'''Cut:''' As Isaac Sumdac narrates the history of Detroit and automaton manufacturing, the scene of the trash-collecting automaton has been cut.

*'''Cut:''' The scenes of [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] pulling the bubblegum off her face, eating it, the crowd reacting in disgust, Isaac Sumdac reacting in frustration, the kid asking Sari what its like to grow up around robots and [[Tutor Bot]] hauling Sari off have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' After the cockroach absorbs the nanobot liquid, all the scenes involving Isaac Sumdac explaining the nanobots to the children and the children looking through microscopes at the nanobots have been cut for time. The episode resumes at the roach growing bigger.

*'''Cut:''' The close-up of Isaac Sumdac saying "Nothing to be concerned about, children!" and the kid remarking that "This accident doesn't look too happy" have been cut for time. The episode resumes with the roach crashing through the window behind him.

*The Otoboto Family segment features [[Hiroyuki Otoboto]] telling his son, [[Tatsuya Otoboto]], about ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'', complete with clips from "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]". Mr. Otoboto then produces a complete set of ''Animated'' Autobot toys. Tatsuya is thrilled, but wouldn't ya know it? [[Megumi Otoboto|Mrs. Otoboto]] comes in with dinner! During mealtime conversation, Mrs. Otoboto makes the mistake of using the word "transform", which inevitably causes Tatsuya to start talking about Transformers, much to the amusement of his father and the annoyance of his older sister, [[Yūka Otoboto|Yūka]]. Tatsuya then causes a "freeze frame" so that he can introduce himself and his family (messing with his father's glasses in the process for his own amusement). Oddly, despite being "frozen", everyone proceeds to blink. As time resumes its normal pace, Hiroyuki wonders what happened to his glasses. He then digs into his dinner, except, oh no! It's too hot! ''Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!''

*During the "next episode" segment, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee proceed to have an argument. Bumblebee thinks Optimus's name is too long and hard to remember. Bumblebee suggests that "[[Convoy]]" would be better, but Prime shoots the idea down immediately. Bumblebee opts to call him "Oputi", since it has fewer syllables. Prime refuses to be called such a name (more fitting for a dog), so Bumblebee settles on "Pu-Pu" after "Opura" is also rejected. Prime refuses that too, thinking it sounds cute, but that it would be hard not to laugh instinctively at it. Bumblebee then tricks Prime into answering to it, which frustrates him even ''further''. The argument proceeds ''past'' the "next episode" segment and straight into the sponsor cards.

===Japanese version (Part 2)===
*'''Cut:''' The rush of emergency vehicles driving threw the city was cut for time. Fanzone getting into his car and about to enjoy his lunch at the Burgerbot, and being disappointed at the emergency call, along with his leaving.
*'''Cut:''' Fanzone arriving at Sumdac laboratories, and his little dilemma regarding his broken megaphone, and his first directions to the police force.
*'''Cut:''' The Left to right pan of the ruined laboratory where the tour had taken place, was cut for time.
*'''Cut:''' Much of the flying debree from the monster falling into the ocean.
* Telletran 1 still sounds as if 'She's in a state of constant .
*During the ceremony, the cheering crowd has been replaced with what looks to be a photo of a Japanese crowd.
*'''Cut:''' After the ceremony, the scene in which Starscream is seen monologing in the crashed Nemisis on the moon.

===Animation or technical glitches===
* Megatron's vehicle mode was depicted flying upside-down, or backwards, or possibly both. To be fair, in space, there is no up and down (and to be even fairer, it's really hard to tell from the toys exactly what ''is'' the front of Megatron's Cybertronian spaceship mode), but that does not excuse the fact that any propulsion system used would be in the ''back'' of the mode.

*When the Autobot get into the stasis pods, Prime, Bulkhead, and Ratchet are on the left side, with Bumblebee, Prowl, and an empty pod on the right, in that order. Yet when they get out later in the episode, Prime, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead are on the left, and the empty one, Prowl, and Ratchet on the right.

* As pre-Earth Prime enters the chamber which will re-format his body into his Earth mode, he walks past Ratchet, who is drawn mostly in his pre-Earth mode, except for the fact that his Cybertronian gut is replaced with his ambulance gut. In the next scene, Ratchet is properly drawn, pre-Earth gut and all.

* When Sari says to the Autobots it is okay to put down their hands, Bulkhead's face is black.

* When Starscream tackles Optimus Prime through a building as the Autobot tries to escape with the AllSpark, Optimus's axe is missing from Starscream's left wing. It reappears moments later for Optimus to retrieve it.

* In at least one scene, Starscream's Earth-form wing is shown with a spike, in the same manner as his Cybertronian body.

===Continuity errors===
* The train Starscream blasts from the tower falls toward the ground very, very slowly.

* When we first meet Starscream, he states that he has been searching for the AllSpark for fifty ''solar'' cycles. In later episodes, a solar cycle is equivalent to a day and a ''stellar'' cycle is used for years. This is the only time a solar cycle has been used to reference years, so either Starscream entered some sort of temporal anomaly or someone messed up. For more <s>confusion</s> information, See [[Cycle|this page]].

* Sumdac is using Megatron's hand as a chair. However, he seems to be using the right hand, which was blown up by Starscream. (It ''could'' have fallen off the Autobots' ship, as it was still clinging to the hull when last seen, but that seems unlikely.)

===Transformers references===
* The title of the episode itself is a [[Roll out|reference to past Transformers lore]].

* Footage from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|G1 cartoon]] episodes "[[War Dawn]]" and "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]" is used as history tapes detailing the events of the first [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], millions of years prior. [[Canon|This]] has been confirmed as purely an in-joke, and should not be taken as linking ''Animated'' to G1, continuity wise.

* The [[Teletran-1|Autobot ship]] here bears a distinct resemblance to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], albeit with a colour scheme more reminiscent of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. (As we learn [[A Bridge Too Close, Part II|much later]], there is [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|a very good reason for that]].)

* Bumblebee says "[[Rattrap|We're all gonna die.]]"

* Sari's robotic dog [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]] is likely named after either [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] from G1, the ''Armada'' Mini-Con [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]], or both.

[[Image:Spikecarlydanielanimated.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Twenty years later, and they're still overdressed.]]
* Characters resembling [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], [[Carly]], and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] are seen at a hot dog stand, purchasing some sort of futuristic bunless wieners-on-a-stick. The characters went on to become recurring figures in the background cast of the show, and in "[[Garbage In, Garbage Out]]" it was revealed that their names were... [[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]], [[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel Witwicky]].

* When Optimus Prime dies, his body fades to grays, just as [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Generation 1 Optimus Prime]] did in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. His spark chamber opens in much the same manner as well.

* Teletran-1 (spelled with only one "a" in this universe) dispatches a small satellite very similar to the [[Sky Spy]] satellite used on occasion by the Autobots in the ''Generation 1'' cartoon. The glowing energy "boxes" with which it scans vehicles for the Autobots to transform into are lifted wholesale out of "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]".

* At one point, Bulkhead refers to Optimus as "Boss-bot", echoing an epithet used for ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] by the [[Fuzor]] [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]].

===Notes===
* In this episode, [[Tutor Bot]] tries to teach Sari about the [[wikipedia:Smoot-Hawley_Tariff_Act|Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act]], a major economic blunder of the 1930s.
* Bumblebee's voice is slightly different in this episode from how it sounds later, as is Lugnut's voice, which seems very metallic.
* When Prowl gets birdpooped on, he is standing next to a statue of [[wikipedia:Hazen_S._Pingree|Hazen S. Pingree]], four-term mayor of Detroit and one-time governor of Michigan. In real life, the statue is located in Detroit's Grand Circus Park.
* A refurbished Michigan Central Station makes an appearance as the site for the dedication of Detroit's rapid transit system. The real-life station (abandoned since the '80s) was featured in the [[Transformers (2007)|2007 live-action movie]].
* When mocking the Autobots, Starscream actually calls Megatron "the great Megatron" without any sarcasm. Apparently, he'll only give a sincere compliment to his leader when he's insulting something else. Either that or he's just trying to make ''himself'' sound more impressive by building up the reputation of the one he's defeated.
* When Optimus comes back to life, he asks, "Is this the [[Well of All Sparks]]?" and Sari answers, "No, it's Detroit." This is an allusion to the movie ''Field of Dreams'', in which Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) asks Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), "Is this Heaven?" and Ray answers, "No, it's Iowa."
* According to responses at a panel at BotCon 2008, the unfortunate acronym for Fully Automated Rapid Transit System was totally unintentional...which makes it that much funnier.
* Ratchet is able to use his front windshield as a video screen.
* Several elements present in this opener were changed/dropped in the main series, including expressive vehicle modes, the replacement of solar cycles with stellar cycles in terminology, the recolouring of Ratchet's magnetism from yellow to pink, and Sari's Key changing shape. However, the expressions on vehicle mode were briefly used again by [[Wasp]] in the episode [[Predacons Rising]].
* During [[Sari Sumdac|Sari's]] "conversation" with the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], it shows her the faces of Ultra Magnus, Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Starscream, then the Cybertronian [[Alternate mode|vehicle modes]] for Optimus and Ratchet, the AllSpark's case and the [[Teletran-1|Autobots' ship]]. Then Sari unknowingly shows the AllSpark a man in a suit, a woman, a boy, the planet [[Earth]], pyramids, purple flowers, a horse, an aircraft with a giant cloud coming from the back, a cell and a DNA strand. The woman has dark skin and red hair like Sari.
* This movie was (lovingly) lampooned at the [[MSTF]] panel for [[BotCon 2008]], along with "[[War Dawn]]", the episode from which most of the "history vid" footage was taken.
* It's Detroit. There are guns everywhere. Why are the humans using ''water'' to take down the monster?
* In this episode, Starscream's engines use a sound effect borrowed from ''The Phantom Menace'': the sound made by Sebulba's podracer engines.

==Home video releases==
;DVD
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — The Battle Begins ([[Pack-in material|Hasbro]]) — Part 1 only.
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Transform and Roll Out ([[Transformers Animated (cartoon)/home video|Paramount]]) — English and Spanish audio (NTSC version) / English and German audio (PAL version).
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Transformieren und Abfahrt (Paramount) — English and German audio.

== Footnote ==
<references/>

[[Category:Animated episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Transform and Roll Out

2010-04-10T16:43:06Z

69.140.106.144: /* Japanese version (Part 2) */

{{disambig2|the [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]] multi-part episode|the command|roll out}}
{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|series2=
|image=TFA_TFandRollout_AutobotHeroes.jpg
|caption=''Epic''
|next=Home Is Where the Spark Is
|next2=Sound and Fury
|ep=1, 2 and 3
|next=Home Is Where the Spark Is
|title="Transform and Roll Out"
|airdate=[[December 26]], [[2007]] (US) [[April 3]], [[April 10]], [[April 17]], [[2010]] (JP)
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|directed by= [[Matt Youngberg]] [[Yutaka Kagawa]] [[Minoru Yamaoka]] [[Makoto Fuchigami]]
|animation studio= [[Mook]]}}
'''When a small crew of maintenance Autobots comes into possession of the powerful AllSpark, a battle with their long-forgotten enemies sends them crashing toward a strange, distant planet known as... ''Earth.'''''

:''Japanese title (Part 1):'' 新章! トランスフォーマー (''Shinshō! Transformer'', "A New Chapter! Transformers")
:''Japanese title (Part 2):'' 英雄、その名はオートボット (''Eiyū, sono na wa Autobot'', "The Heroes Are Called Autobots")
:''Japanese title (Part 3):'' オールスパークの秘密 (''AllSpark no himitsu'', "Secret of the AllSpark")
:''German title:'' "'''Transformieren und Abfahrt'''"
:''Polish title:'' "'''Transformacja i jazda'''" ("Transform and Roll Out")

==Synopsis==
===Part 1===
In deep, deep space, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] watches a history vid of the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], prompting [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] to complain about him watching that "junk" when the other members of the crew need assistance. Prime wonders if they were designed for more than repairing [[space bridge]]s. The two 'Bots transform into their vehicle modes and head out into the asteroid field.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout TheAllsparkdiscovered.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Well... at least there's no mass-shifting.]]
Outside, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], dangling from a high rock by his wrecking ball (and becoming quite queasy in the process), is freed by [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], who also ends up taking a tumble. Bumblebee complains about the sheer amount of rocks blocking the space bridge node, and one is shattered unexpectedly by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]'s throwing star. Prime gives his troops a speech about teamwork (which Prowl moans at theatrically), but at that point the space bridge lights up, sending rocks and Autobots flying. Fancy footwork by Optimus saves each of his teammates from the debris, and a well-aimed grappling line shuts down the bridge. With his subordinates stunned at their leader's skills, Prime is forced to admit he trained at [[Autobot Academy|Cybertron's military academy]]. Bumblebee's query as to what the heck he's doing on a nowhere maintenance assignment is left unanswered as they notice something glowing in the rubble.

Prime clears away the debris to reveal a large, chest-like object. Ratchet is horrified and immediately demands they throw it back into the space bridge, but an alert from [[Teletran-1]] announces the arrival of a signature consistent with the long-lost [[Decepticon]]s. Ratchet then insists they take the object and just get out of there post-haste.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Decepticonship.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Yes, this is a scout ship. Way to go, Magnanimous.]]
On board [[Teletran-1|their ship]], Ratchet finally reveals what they've found: the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], the source of all Transformer life that was lost centuries ago. Optimus, worried about the oncoming Decepticon signal, contacts the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] for help. After taking a bit of snark from [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], Optimus reveals what they found, which shuts Sentinel up fast. Sentinel then puts the crew through to [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], who tells Optimus Prime to stay put while they send reinforcements... and not to worry about that Decepticon thing. Optimus, considering this to be a really stupid move, orders the crew to start booking it out of there.

[[Image:Ani crew.JPG|left|200px|thumb|Scotty, engage!]]
This proves wise, as the signal is indeed a Decepticon ship—a [[Nemesis (Animated)|command ship]], in fact. The identification markings are ones that Optimus and Ratchet recognize, meaning its commander can only be one person: [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], leader of the Decepticons. On board the Decepticon ship, [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] doubts the AllSpark is aboard the Autobot ship and declares Megatron a fool. [[Lugnut]] denounces Starscream as a traitor, while [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] calls Lugnut an idiot for his blind loyalty and [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] just acts... well, crazy. The Decepticons continue to bicker at each other until Megatron enters, shutting up all of them. The Decepticons chase the Autobot ship, and Starscream volunteers to board them. Megatron quickly shoots that idea down. Just before he leaves, Starscream wishes his commander "luck" with a pat on the back... affixing a bomb to Megatron in the process.

Megatron makes his way to the Autobots' ship and begins to melt his way through its hull. Optimus uses external manipulator arms to grapple with Megatron, until the bomb detonates, sending the ship careening uncontrollably into a space bridge node, which explodes after they go through the gate. Starscream begins to make a speech declaring himself the new Decepticon leader, but the other three have abandoned ship, noting that the fireball from the space bridge explosion is only getting larger. Too late, Starscream realizes the trouble he's in...

An unknown distance away, the Autobot ship reappears above a [[Earth|small blue and green planet]]. Prime checks on his troops, but Megatron has gotten aboard, having survived the explosion, but at the cost of his right arm. Prime uses his grappling line to shut off the gravity, making it more difficult for Megatron to fight. All five Autobots face off against the Decepticon, but he's too strong (though Prowl does manage to cut off Megatron's damaged arm). Prime and Megatron both end up in the storage bay where the AllSpark is... and as the ship enters the atmosphere, Prime is able to blow the hatch and kick the screaming Megatron out of the ship.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Arkatmosphere.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Oddly familiar.]]
On a small farm, a young boy hears a thud and runs to where something has landed in a not-too-distant field. He is shocked to find a robotic head staring lifelessly up at him.

Meanwhile, Prime orders his team into emergency stasis pods to prepare for a crash-landing. He manages to steer the ship away from the city below and gets to a stasis pod just before the ship plunges into [[Lake Erie]].

Fifty years later, [[Detroit]] is once again a thriving city, but instead of manufacturing automobiles, robots are the city's stock-in-trade. [[Isaac Sumdac]] is talking to a public school class taking a tour of his facilities, which gets interrupted by Isaac's daughter, [[Sari Sumdac]], and her robot dog, [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]]. As Sari is carted off to her lessons by a [[Tutor Bot|robot tutor]], Isaac shows the school kids a nanotech lab, just in time to witness a roach infused with microbots grow out of control and start consuming everything in sight. Isaac tries to keep things calm, but the monster bursts out of the lab...

===Part 2===
[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Firefighters monster.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Yeah, watering it will surely stop the beast.]]
The monster continues to grow, absorbing just about everything it touches to increase its size and power. In the process, it destroys a lot of the factory. [[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]], the S.W.A.T team, the fire department, ambulances, and robot drones arrive, but the creature absorbs several of the responding vehicles, too. Fanzone uses a bazooka-type weapon and destroys the beast, despite Sumdac's objection. This protest proves well-founded, as the remnants of the creature start flowing back together again, save for one piece that drops into the nearby lake and works its way down to the Autobots' ship, its nanites seeking the absorbable technology there. It infiltrates via a small breach in the outer hull, but thankfully, the ship's intruder alert systems are functional and awaken the Autobots before any damage is done. Examining the situation, they decide to have Teletran-1 give them Earth forms so they can blend in and help out. A probe is launched into the chaos and scans various vehicles, including an ambulance, a police motorcycle, an armored personnel carrier, a fire truck, and [[Captain Fanzone's car]]. Everyone deploys except Ratchet, who remains behind to analyze the sample of alien material.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Autobots.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Avengers, ASSEMBLE!]]
During the fight, Bulkhead and Bumblebee spot Sari trying to wrest her security key from Sparkplug's mouth. Mistaking which is owner and which is pet, they approach her, but Bulkhead's greeting only scares her away. She quickly gets nabbed by the monster, but Bumblebee saves her, earning her trust and friendship. Prowl attempts to take on the bug-slug by himself, against Prime's orders, and gets absorbed. Prime orders Ratchet to join them in battle to save Prowl, but the old veteran insists that finding a "cure" code to neutralize the nanites' programming makes more sense than coming out and getting trashed. A somewhat chastened Prime agrees, and Ratchet soon delivers the goods. However, the new program must be uploaded by direct contact—meaning from inside the monster. This means the smallest, fastest one of them has to do it. Bumblebee reluctantly takes on the task. The beast has been using some of Prowl's absorbed intelligence and comm link tech, though, so it knows what they're planning and is now smart enough to fight back. Despite this, Bumblebee succeeds in delivering the code, and the bug dissolves into a dusty shower of deactivated nanites. Prowl is soon uncovered, but he's suffered grave wounds and must be taken back to the Autobots' ship for repairs. Sari pesters Bumblebee to be taken along, and her new friend reluctantly agrees, since there's no time to make her go away quietly.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Sari followedmehome.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Bumblebee, having a pet is a big responsibility.]]
Once on board, Sari's refusal to stay still and quiet causes 'Bee some embarrassment. He quickly and discreetly ejects her into a ventilation port and joins the others. However, the port opens onto a shaft that takes Sari right to the chamber where the AllSpark is being kept. Curious, she touches it, and it reacts to her, sending its energies into her security card key and reconfiguring it into [[AllSpark Key|a key of another sort entirely]]. Prime finds her almost immediately thereafter, but with no time left to spare away from Prowl, he has to bring her back with him to the repair table. Ratchet's prognosis is bleak, but the [[AllSpark Key]] abruptly reacts, glowing and tugging her toward Prowl. Bumblebee, seeming to grasp what's happening, helps her onto the table, and as she approaches, her Key reshapes itself to fit into a slot on Prowl's chest. She inserts it, and with a burst of energy, the Autobot ninja is whole again. The Autobots then take Sari home and, after a brief misunderstanding, are made heroes and are even invited to a ceremony.

In outer space, Starscream sits aboard the damaged but functional Decepticon ship, babbling that he will find the AllSpark, even though he's been attempting it on his own for the last fifty solar cycles. The ship's computers then detect the traces of AllSpark-like energy in action, and Starscream learns where the Autobots are...
{{-}}
===Part 3===
[[Image:Sariprime.jpg|right|150px|thumb|INSERT WHAT WHERE?!]]
The Autobots are later seen trying to fit in. Bulkhead gets firsthand experience in traffic jams, some birds mistake Prowl for the statue of the [[wikipedia:Hazen_S._Pingree|bald guy]] next to him, Bumblebee learns how organics fuel up, and Ratchet can't get a stasis nap without getting a dozen or so parking tickets. Optimus Prime remarks that the Autobots are programmed to respect life, which they always understood to stem from the AllSpark, but as organics are life, they must respect and protect them too. Optimus also expresses curiosity about how little organics are made. Sari's whispered explanation leaves him rather... shocked. The Autobots make a new home base out of a building Sari's dad got out of a merger, an abandoned auto factory that Bumblebee describes as a real fixer-upper—a REAL fixer-upper. All of a sudden, they get alerted to a fire. The Autobots proceed to douse the blaze and save its victims, no problem, unaware they are being watched by Starscream.

The next day, during the inauguration ceremony for the Sumdac [[Fully Automated Rapid Transit System]] (F.A.R.T.S., for short), Starscream enters Earth's atmosphere and takes on a group of fighter jets. He destroys all but one, which he scans. As the civilians and Autobots watch the aerial display of the [[Crimson Angels]], Isaac Sumdac notices there is an extra jet present that he didn't hire. That one jet then leaves the formation and streaks toward the ceremony platform, where it transforms into Starscream, who fires his null-ray cannons at the Autobots.

After a short fight, which the Autobots lose, Starscream knocks out Bumblebee and takes him, Isaac, the mayor, and Capt. Fanzone hostage in the F.A.R.T.S. train, flying it to the top of a very tall tower. He demands that the Autobots deliver the AllSpark if they want him to release the train car. The Autobots don't trust him, but don't want to risk human lives, so Sari offers a plan, but they ignore her. She continues to tell a sob story until the Autobots listen. The Autobots proceed with her plan, and Prowl and Sari fly up to the transit pod to rescue the hostages while the other Autobots keep Starscream busy. Once Starscream realizes what's happening, he takes a brief beating but recovers quickly. Starscream then throws the train—thus keeping his end of the deal—with Sari, Prowl, and Bumblebee on top of/in it. Between Bumblebee's agility and Prowl's thrusters, Sari is rescued and the train lands without much damage. The Autobots then challenge Starscream to a friendly game of Keep Away, during which Starscream almost gets the AllSpark, but Bulkhead gets it instead, because he said he got it. A furious Starscream unleashes a devastating, prolonged (as in nearly 12 seconds) null-ray blast on the Autobots, briefly knocking them all senseless.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Prime SS Allsparkactivates.jpg|left|150px|thumb|In the old days, The Touch would have started playing now.]]
With the Autobots down, Starscream takes the AllSpark from Optimus and blows a couple of blocks of Detroit right off the map. Not ready to give up, Optimus climbs all the way up a building to get it back from Starscream, which Starscream doesn't see coming because he was too busy gloating. After a quick back-and-forth exchange of possessing it, both grab it at the same time. As they struggle, the AllSpark opens and emits a strange energy wave that blasts Starscream away.

The explosion has left Prime dangling precariously, and he takes a tremendous plummet to the pavement. He notes weakly that he now knows what it feels like to be a hero, then dies, but Sari uses the AllSpark Key to revive him.<ref>[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|This is something of an Optimus Prime record]]: Dead after only three episodes, revived a mere 75 seconds later. Way to go.</ref> The Autobots later go about fixing up Detroit, earning the enduring gratitude of the citizenry. Professor Sumdac is also grateful, for the Autobots saved him and Sari, but he fears what will happen if the Autobots—not to mention the rest of the world—were to discover the source of his robotic empire.

Unseen by Sumdac, one of the [[Sensors|optics]] of his source of technology glows in a darkened room. Megatron still functions...
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (2)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (3)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (4)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (5)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (6)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (7)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (8)
*[[Lugnut]] (9)
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] (10)
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (11)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (12)

|c3=
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (13)
*[[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel]] (14)
*[[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]] (15)
*[[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly]] (16)
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (17)
*[[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]] (18)

|c4=
*[[Teletran-1]] ()
*[[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]] ()
*[[Tutor Bot]] ()
*[[Burger Bot]] ()}}

==Quotes==
"Do you ever get the feeling that you were programmed for something more than just repairing space bridges?" 
"I got a diagnostics program that can delete that feeling like a bad line of code."
:—'''Optimus Prime''''s dreams are crushed to a fine powder by '''Ratchet'''

"Know what? You're even uglier at this angle!"
:—'''Bumblebee''' is about to realize there are some things you should never, EVER, say to a Decepticon.

"Hi, I'm Bumblebee!" 
"I'm Sari." 
"Oh, don't be, I like my name."
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Sari''' are off to an awkward start.

"Y'know, all things considered, fixin' space bridges wasn't such a bad gig."
:—'''Bumblebee''', just before embarking on the plan to dissolve the bug monster

"Uh...am I going to be able to ''breathe'' down there?" 
"Oh, sure! ...What's 'breathe'?"
:—'''Sari''' is in good hands with '''Bumblebee'''.

"And to think, Ultra Magnus told me not to be a hero. Is this what it was like in your day?" 
"The Decepticons didn't leave us very much to cheer about."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''' at the ceremony

"Enjoy it while you can, 'heroes.' You're about to take a fall."
:—'''Starscream''', watching a news report on the Autobots

"Give up the AllSpark or give up the Earth. How am I supposed to decide?" 
"Heroes are the ones who make the hard choices."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''' after Starscream makes his ultimatum

"Let go, Autobot!" 
"Never! The AllSpark is life!" 
"Then, let it end yours!"
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Optimus Prime''', fighting over the AllSpark

"So, this...is what it feels like...to be a hero."
:—'''Optimus Prime''', just before dying

"Fixing bridges? Isn't this where we started out?"
:—'''Bumblebee''', as the Autobots clean up the city

==Home releases==
[[Image:Animatedshort01.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Meet the Press lives on through our young ones.]]
"Transform and Roll Out" was released to DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment on June 17, 2008. The DVD includes all three episodes of the pilot movie and two all-new animated shorts. [[Career Day|The first short]] features Optimus Prime attempting to give a speech at [[Black River Elementary School]]'s career day, but being repeatedly interrupted by nagging questions from [[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|some little kid]] and overwhelming cheers for him to transform. [[Evel Knievel Jump|The second]] features Bumblebee messing up one of Prowl's cool stunts. Together, the two shorts run just under three minutes.

Target sold an [[exclusive]] version of the DVD with a special bonus disc that included the episode "[[Home Is Where the Spark Is]]."

All three episodes were also condensed and re-told in the [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] paperback "cine-manga" style book ''[[Transformers Animated Volume 1]]''.
{{-}}

==Notes==
===Japanese version (Part 1)===
*The episode begins with the [[Otoboto family]] telling the viewers to watch in a well-lit room (to prevent seizures and damage to your eyesight, you know).

*As the [[title sequence]] begins, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] asks how everyone is doing, then introduces himself as leader of the Autobots. When he realizes nobody knows who he is, he ''assures'' them that he's leader of the Autobots. Then the [[Transformers Evo.|theme song]] starts.

* '''Cut:''' Ratchet and Optimus's conversation as they walk down a hall, where Prime refers to feeling like being meant for "more than just repairing space bridges", and Ratchet's snarky response about deleting that feeling "like a bad line of code".

* '''Cut:''' Bulkhead's comment on their medic being always grumpy, Ratchet responding to Bumblebee's "old man" comment with a smack upside the head and the retort of "I may have one servor in the scrapheap, but I can still hear!".

*The usual cries of "Transform!" and attack names are added in. ([[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]'s "stingers" are now called "Energy Stingers", for instance.) Perhaps most annoyingly, ''every single thing Optimus does'' has the prefix of "Ultra" added to it. In the span of ten seconds, he goes through his "Ultra Anchor", "Ultra Axe" and "Ultra Net" attacks.

* '''Cut:''' After shutting down the space bridge, the following sequence where Ratchet is repairing Bumblebee, Bulkhead commenting about Optimus's moves, Optimus reluctantly admitting that he used to train at the Academy, and Bumblebee saying that he should've been with the Elite Guard.

* '''Cut:''' Ratchet's poking back at Optimus wanting to see some action, Bumblebee pointing out they're repair bots, Optimus correcting on not without backup and Bulkhead in awe on them connecting with Cybertron Command Headquarters.

*[[Teletran-1]] now speaks as though "she" is in a state of perpetual orgasm.

*When the Autobots first happen upon the ''[[Nemesis (Animated)|Nemesis]]'' and all freak over [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], a new [[scene transition]] is added when transitioning into the discussion between the Decepticon forces. A guitar riff of the classic Generation 1 scene transition music is even used.

*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]]'s "hothead" persona now speaks with a thick American accent, spouting English words like "Hey!" and "Man!"

*New [[commercial bumper]]s have been crafted, featuring stock art of the characters with their voice actors screaming their name, followed by "Transform!"

*'''Cut:''' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]'s entire speech on the bridge ("This is a dark day...") followed by him getting caught in the explosion was cut for time.

*When Bulkhead tumbles into Optimus, following his line "A little warning would have helped!", he screams out "Mommyyyyyyy!" Yeah, Japanese Bulkhead ain't so smart.

*'''Cut:''' After Megatron is kicked from the ship, the establishing shots of Paw Paw (the street sign, the outside of the barn and the scroll across [[Isaac Sumdac]]'s lab) have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' Following Prime's line "Not until I've steered us clear of this populated sector!", the brief scenes of the Autobots being sealed in their stasis pods have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' As soon as the ship crashes into Lake Eerie and leaves a stream of upturned water on the surface, the scenes of the ship sinking and Teletran-1 "initiating emergency stasis mode" on the pods as they turn grey have been cut for time. The episode resumes at the long shot of the sinking ship slowly coming toward the camera, with a new voice-over of Teletran-1 telling the Autobots "good night".

*'''Cut:''' As Isaac Sumdac narrates the history of Detroit and automaton manufacturing, the scene of the trash-collecting automaton has been cut.

*'''Cut:''' The scenes of [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] pulling the bubblegum off her face, eating it, the crowd reacting in disgust, Isaac Sumdac reacting in frustration, the kid asking Sari what its like to grow up around robots and [[Tutor Bot]] hauling Sari off have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' After the cockroach absorbs the nanobot liquid, all the scenes involving Isaac Sumdac explaining the nanobots to the children and the children looking through microscopes at the nanobots have been cut for time. The episode resumes at the roach growing bigger.

*'''Cut:''' The close-up of Isaac Sumdac saying "Nothing to be concerned about, children!" and the kid remarking that "This accident doesn't look too happy" have been cut for time. The episode resumes with the roach crashing through the window behind him.

*The Otoboto Family segment features [[Hiroyuki Otoboto]] telling his son, [[Tatsuya Otoboto]], about ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'', complete with clips from "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]". Mr. Otoboto then produces a complete set of ''Animated'' Autobot toys. Tatsuya is thrilled, but wouldn't ya know it? [[Megumi Otoboto|Mrs. Otoboto]] comes in with dinner! During mealtime conversation, Mrs. Otoboto makes the mistake of using the word "transform", which inevitably causes Tatsuya to start talking about Transformers, much to the amusement of his father and the annoyance of his older sister, [[Yūka Otoboto|Yūka]]. Tatsuya then causes a "freeze frame" so that he can introduce himself and his family (messing with his father's glasses in the process for his own amusement). Oddly, despite being "frozen", everyone proceeds to blink. As time resumes its normal pace, Hiroyuki wonders what happened to his glasses. He then digs into his dinner, except, oh no! It's too hot! ''Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!''

*During the "next episode" segment, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee proceed to have an argument. Bumblebee thinks Optimus's name is too long and hard to remember. Bumblebee suggests that "[[Convoy]]" would be better, but Prime shoots the idea down immediately. Bumblebee opts to call him "Oputi", since it has fewer syllables. Prime refuses to be called such a name (more fitting for a dog), so Bumblebee settles on "Pu-Pu" after "Opura" is also rejected. Prime refuses that too, thinking it sounds cute, but that it would be hard not to laugh instinctively at it. Bumblebee then tricks Prime into answering to it, which frustrates him even ''further''. The argument proceeds ''past'' the "next episode" segment and straight into the sponsor cards.

===Japanese version (Part 2)===
*'''Cut:''' The rush of emergency vehicles driving threw the city was cut for time. Fanzone getting into his car and about to enjoy his lunch at the Burgerbot, and being disappointed at the emergency call, along with his leaving.
*'''Cut:''' Fanzone arriving at Sumdac laboratories, and his little dilemma regarding his broken megaphone, and his first directions to the police force.

*During the ceremony, the cheering crowd has been replaced with what looks to be a photo of a Japanese crowd.
*'''Cut:''' After the ceremony, the scene in which Starscream is seen monologing in the crashed Nemisis on the moon.

===Animation or technical glitches===
* Megatron's vehicle mode was depicted flying upside-down, or backwards, or possibly both. To be fair, in space, there is no up and down (and to be even fairer, it's really hard to tell from the toys exactly what ''is'' the front of Megatron's Cybertronian spaceship mode), but that does not excuse the fact that any propulsion system used would be in the ''back'' of the mode.

*When the Autobot get into the stasis pods, Prime, Bulkhead, and Ratchet are on the left side, with Bumblebee, Prowl, and an empty pod on the right, in that order. Yet when they get out later in the episode, Prime, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead are on the left, and the empty one, Prowl, and Ratchet on the right.

* As pre-Earth Prime enters the chamber which will re-format his body into his Earth mode, he walks past Ratchet, who is drawn mostly in his pre-Earth mode, except for the fact that his Cybertronian gut is replaced with his ambulance gut. In the next scene, Ratchet is properly drawn, pre-Earth gut and all.

* When Sari says to the Autobots it is okay to put down their hands, Bulkhead's face is black.

* When Starscream tackles Optimus Prime through a building as the Autobot tries to escape with the AllSpark, Optimus's axe is missing from Starscream's left wing. It reappears moments later for Optimus to retrieve it.

* In at least one scene, Starscream's Earth-form wing is shown with a spike, in the same manner as his Cybertronian body.

===Continuity errors===
* The train Starscream blasts from the tower falls toward the ground very, very slowly.

* When we first meet Starscream, he states that he has been searching for the AllSpark for fifty ''solar'' cycles. In later episodes, a solar cycle is equivalent to a day and a ''stellar'' cycle is used for years. This is the only time a solar cycle has been used to reference years, so either Starscream entered some sort of temporal anomaly or someone messed up. For more <s>confusion</s> information, See [[Cycle|this page]].

* Sumdac is using Megatron's hand as a chair. However, he seems to be using the right hand, which was blown up by Starscream. (It ''could'' have fallen off the Autobots' ship, as it was still clinging to the hull when last seen, but that seems unlikely.)

===Transformers references===
* The title of the episode itself is a [[Roll out|reference to past Transformers lore]].

* Footage from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|G1 cartoon]] episodes "[[War Dawn]]" and "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]" is used as history tapes detailing the events of the first [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], millions of years prior. [[Canon|This]] has been confirmed as purely an in-joke, and should not be taken as linking ''Animated'' to G1, continuity wise.

* The [[Teletran-1|Autobot ship]] here bears a distinct resemblance to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], albeit with a colour scheme more reminiscent of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. (As we learn [[A Bridge Too Close, Part II|much later]], there is [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|a very good reason for that]].)

* Bumblebee says "[[Rattrap|We're all gonna die.]]"

* Sari's robotic dog [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]] is likely named after either [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] from G1, the ''Armada'' Mini-Con [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]], or both.

[[Image:Spikecarlydanielanimated.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Twenty years later, and they're still overdressed.]]
* Characters resembling [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], [[Carly]], and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] are seen at a hot dog stand, purchasing some sort of futuristic bunless wieners-on-a-stick. The characters went on to become recurring figures in the background cast of the show, and in "[[Garbage In, Garbage Out]]" it was revealed that their names were... [[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]], [[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel Witwicky]].

* When Optimus Prime dies, his body fades to grays, just as [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Generation 1 Optimus Prime]] did in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. His spark chamber opens in much the same manner as well.

* Teletran-1 (spelled with only one "a" in this universe) dispatches a small satellite very similar to the [[Sky Spy]] satellite used on occasion by the Autobots in the ''Generation 1'' cartoon. The glowing energy "boxes" with which it scans vehicles for the Autobots to transform into are lifted wholesale out of "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]".

* At one point, Bulkhead refers to Optimus as "Boss-bot", echoing an epithet used for ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] by the [[Fuzor]] [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]].

===Notes===
* In this episode, [[Tutor Bot]] tries to teach Sari about the [[wikipedia:Smoot-Hawley_Tariff_Act|Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act]], a major economic blunder of the 1930s.
* Bumblebee's voice is slightly different in this episode from how it sounds later, as is Lugnut's voice, which seems very metallic.
* When Prowl gets birdpooped on, he is standing next to a statue of [[wikipedia:Hazen_S._Pingree|Hazen S. Pingree]], four-term mayor of Detroit and one-time governor of Michigan. In real life, the statue is located in Detroit's Grand Circus Park.
* A refurbished Michigan Central Station makes an appearance as the site for the dedication of Detroit's rapid transit system. The real-life station (abandoned since the '80s) was featured in the [[Transformers (2007)|2007 live-action movie]].
* When mocking the Autobots, Starscream actually calls Megatron "the great Megatron" without any sarcasm. Apparently, he'll only give a sincere compliment to his leader when he's insulting something else. Either that or he's just trying to make ''himself'' sound more impressive by building up the reputation of the one he's defeated.
* When Optimus comes back to life, he asks, "Is this the [[Well of All Sparks]]?" and Sari answers, "No, it's Detroit." This is an allusion to the movie ''Field of Dreams'', in which Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) asks Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), "Is this Heaven?" and Ray answers, "No, it's Iowa."
* According to responses at a panel at BotCon 2008, the unfortunate acronym for Fully Automated Rapid Transit System was totally unintentional...which makes it that much funnier.
* Ratchet is able to use his front windshield as a video screen.
* Several elements present in this opener were changed/dropped in the main series, including expressive vehicle modes, the replacement of solar cycles with stellar cycles in terminology, the recolouring of Ratchet's magnetism from yellow to pink, and Sari's Key changing shape. However, the expressions on vehicle mode were briefly used again by [[Wasp]] in the episode [[Predacons Rising]].
* During [[Sari Sumdac|Sari's]] "conversation" with the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], it shows her the faces of Ultra Magnus, Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Starscream, then the Cybertronian [[Alternate mode|vehicle modes]] for Optimus and Ratchet, the AllSpark's case and the [[Teletran-1|Autobots' ship]]. Then Sari unknowingly shows the AllSpark a man in a suit, a woman, a boy, the planet [[Earth]], pyramids, purple flowers, a horse, an aircraft with a giant cloud coming from the back, a cell and a DNA strand. The woman has dark skin and red hair like Sari.
* This movie was (lovingly) lampooned at the [[MSTF]] panel for [[BotCon 2008]], along with "[[War Dawn]]", the episode from which most of the "history vid" footage was taken.
* It's Detroit. There are guns everywhere. Why are the humans using ''water'' to take down the monster?
* In this episode, Starscream's engines use a sound effect borrowed from ''The Phantom Menace'': the sound made by Sebulba's podracer engines.

==Home video releases==
;DVD
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — The Battle Begins ([[Pack-in material|Hasbro]]) — Part 1 only.
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Transform and Roll Out ([[Transformers Animated (cartoon)/home video|Paramount]]) — English and Spanish audio (NTSC version) / English and German audio (PAL version).
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Transformieren und Abfahrt (Paramount) — English and German audio.

== Footnote ==
<references/>

[[Category:Animated episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Transform and Roll Out

2010-04-10T16:30:55Z

69.140.106.144: /* Japanese version (Part 2) */

{{disambig2|the [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]] multi-part episode|the command|roll out}}
{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|series2=
|image=TFA_TFandRollout_AutobotHeroes.jpg
|caption=''Epic''
|next=Home Is Where the Spark Is
|next2=Sound and Fury
|ep=1, 2 and 3
|next=Home Is Where the Spark Is
|title="Transform and Roll Out"
|airdate=[[December 26]], [[2007]] (US) [[April 3]], [[April 10]], [[April 17]], [[2010]] (JP)
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|directed by= [[Matt Youngberg]] [[Yutaka Kagawa]] [[Minoru Yamaoka]] [[Makoto Fuchigami]]
|animation studio= [[Mook]]}}
'''When a small crew of maintenance Autobots comes into possession of the powerful AllSpark, a battle with their long-forgotten enemies sends them crashing toward a strange, distant planet known as... ''Earth.'''''

:''Japanese title (Part 1):'' 新章! トランスフォーマー (''Shinshō! Transformer'', "A New Chapter! Transformers")
:''Japanese title (Part 2):'' 英雄、その名はオートボット (''Eiyū, sono na wa Autobot'', "The Heroes Are Called Autobots")
:''Japanese title (Part 3):'' オールスパークの秘密 (''AllSpark no himitsu'', "Secret of the AllSpark")
:''German title:'' "'''Transformieren und Abfahrt'''"
:''Polish title:'' "'''Transformacja i jazda'''" ("Transform and Roll Out")

==Synopsis==
===Part 1===
In deep, deep space, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] watches a history vid of the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], prompting [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] to complain about him watching that "junk" when the other members of the crew need assistance. Prime wonders if they were designed for more than repairing [[space bridge]]s. The two 'Bots transform into their vehicle modes and head out into the asteroid field.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout TheAllsparkdiscovered.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Well... at least there's no mass-shifting.]]
Outside, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], dangling from a high rock by his wrecking ball (and becoming quite queasy in the process), is freed by [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], who also ends up taking a tumble. Bumblebee complains about the sheer amount of rocks blocking the space bridge node, and one is shattered unexpectedly by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]'s throwing star. Prime gives his troops a speech about teamwork (which Prowl moans at theatrically), but at that point the space bridge lights up, sending rocks and Autobots flying. Fancy footwork by Optimus saves each of his teammates from the debris, and a well-aimed grappling line shuts down the bridge. With his subordinates stunned at their leader's skills, Prime is forced to admit he trained at [[Autobot Academy|Cybertron's military academy]]. Bumblebee's query as to what the heck he's doing on a nowhere maintenance assignment is left unanswered as they notice something glowing in the rubble.

Prime clears away the debris to reveal a large, chest-like object. Ratchet is horrified and immediately demands they throw it back into the space bridge, but an alert from [[Teletran-1]] announces the arrival of a signature consistent with the long-lost [[Decepticon]]s. Ratchet then insists they take the object and just get out of there post-haste.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Decepticonship.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Yes, this is a scout ship. Way to go, Magnanimous.]]
On board [[Teletran-1|their ship]], Ratchet finally reveals what they've found: the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], the source of all Transformer life that was lost centuries ago. Optimus, worried about the oncoming Decepticon signal, contacts the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] for help. After taking a bit of snark from [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], Optimus reveals what they found, which shuts Sentinel up fast. Sentinel then puts the crew through to [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], who tells Optimus Prime to stay put while they send reinforcements... and not to worry about that Decepticon thing. Optimus, considering this to be a really stupid move, orders the crew to start booking it out of there.

[[Image:Ani crew.JPG|left|200px|thumb|Scotty, engage!]]
This proves wise, as the signal is indeed a Decepticon ship—a [[Nemesis (Animated)|command ship]], in fact. The identification markings are ones that Optimus and Ratchet recognize, meaning its commander can only be one person: [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], leader of the Decepticons. On board the Decepticon ship, [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] doubts the AllSpark is aboard the Autobot ship and declares Megatron a fool. [[Lugnut]] denounces Starscream as a traitor, while [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] calls Lugnut an idiot for his blind loyalty and [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] just acts... well, crazy. The Decepticons continue to bicker at each other until Megatron enters, shutting up all of them. The Decepticons chase the Autobot ship, and Starscream volunteers to board them. Megatron quickly shoots that idea down. Just before he leaves, Starscream wishes his commander "luck" with a pat on the back... affixing a bomb to Megatron in the process.

Megatron makes his way to the Autobots' ship and begins to melt his way through its hull. Optimus uses external manipulator arms to grapple with Megatron, until the bomb detonates, sending the ship careening uncontrollably into a space bridge node, which explodes after they go through the gate. Starscream begins to make a speech declaring himself the new Decepticon leader, but the other three have abandoned ship, noting that the fireball from the space bridge explosion is only getting larger. Too late, Starscream realizes the trouble he's in...

An unknown distance away, the Autobot ship reappears above a [[Earth|small blue and green planet]]. Prime checks on his troops, but Megatron has gotten aboard, having survived the explosion, but at the cost of his right arm. Prime uses his grappling line to shut off the gravity, making it more difficult for Megatron to fight. All five Autobots face off against the Decepticon, but he's too strong (though Prowl does manage to cut off Megatron's damaged arm). Prime and Megatron both end up in the storage bay where the AllSpark is... and as the ship enters the atmosphere, Prime is able to blow the hatch and kick the screaming Megatron out of the ship.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Arkatmosphere.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Oddly familiar.]]
On a small farm, a young boy hears a thud and runs to where something has landed in a not-too-distant field. He is shocked to find a robotic head staring lifelessly up at him.

Meanwhile, Prime orders his team into emergency stasis pods to prepare for a crash-landing. He manages to steer the ship away from the city below and gets to a stasis pod just before the ship plunges into [[Lake Erie]].

Fifty years later, [[Detroit]] is once again a thriving city, but instead of manufacturing automobiles, robots are the city's stock-in-trade. [[Isaac Sumdac]] is talking to a public school class taking a tour of his facilities, which gets interrupted by Isaac's daughter, [[Sari Sumdac]], and her robot dog, [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]]. As Sari is carted off to her lessons by a [[Tutor Bot|robot tutor]], Isaac shows the school kids a nanotech lab, just in time to witness a roach infused with microbots grow out of control and start consuming everything in sight. Isaac tries to keep things calm, but the monster bursts out of the lab...

===Part 2===
[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Firefighters monster.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Yeah, watering it will surely stop the beast.]]
The monster continues to grow, absorbing just about everything it touches to increase its size and power. In the process, it destroys a lot of the factory. [[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]], the S.W.A.T team, the fire department, ambulances, and robot drones arrive, but the creature absorbs several of the responding vehicles, too. Fanzone uses a bazooka-type weapon and destroys the beast, despite Sumdac's objection. This protest proves well-founded, as the remnants of the creature start flowing back together again, save for one piece that drops into the nearby lake and works its way down to the Autobots' ship, its nanites seeking the absorbable technology there. It infiltrates via a small breach in the outer hull, but thankfully, the ship's intruder alert systems are functional and awaken the Autobots before any damage is done. Examining the situation, they decide to have Teletran-1 give them Earth forms so they can blend in and help out. A probe is launched into the chaos and scans various vehicles, including an ambulance, a police motorcycle, an armored personnel carrier, a fire truck, and [[Captain Fanzone's car]]. Everyone deploys except Ratchet, who remains behind to analyze the sample of alien material.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Autobots.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Avengers, ASSEMBLE!]]
During the fight, Bulkhead and Bumblebee spot Sari trying to wrest her security key from Sparkplug's mouth. Mistaking which is owner and which is pet, they approach her, but Bulkhead's greeting only scares her away. She quickly gets nabbed by the monster, but Bumblebee saves her, earning her trust and friendship. Prowl attempts to take on the bug-slug by himself, against Prime's orders, and gets absorbed. Prime orders Ratchet to join them in battle to save Prowl, but the old veteran insists that finding a "cure" code to neutralize the nanites' programming makes more sense than coming out and getting trashed. A somewhat chastened Prime agrees, and Ratchet soon delivers the goods. However, the new program must be uploaded by direct contact—meaning from inside the monster. This means the smallest, fastest one of them has to do it. Bumblebee reluctantly takes on the task. The beast has been using some of Prowl's absorbed intelligence and comm link tech, though, so it knows what they're planning and is now smart enough to fight back. Despite this, Bumblebee succeeds in delivering the code, and the bug dissolves into a dusty shower of deactivated nanites. Prowl is soon uncovered, but he's suffered grave wounds and must be taken back to the Autobots' ship for repairs. Sari pesters Bumblebee to be taken along, and her new friend reluctantly agrees, since there's no time to make her go away quietly.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Sari followedmehome.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Bumblebee, having a pet is a big responsibility.]]
Once on board, Sari's refusal to stay still and quiet causes 'Bee some embarrassment. He quickly and discreetly ejects her into a ventilation port and joins the others. However, the port opens onto a shaft that takes Sari right to the chamber where the AllSpark is being kept. Curious, she touches it, and it reacts to her, sending its energies into her security card key and reconfiguring it into [[AllSpark Key|a key of another sort entirely]]. Prime finds her almost immediately thereafter, but with no time left to spare away from Prowl, he has to bring her back with him to the repair table. Ratchet's prognosis is bleak, but the [[AllSpark Key]] abruptly reacts, glowing and tugging her toward Prowl. Bumblebee, seeming to grasp what's happening, helps her onto the table, and as she approaches, her Key reshapes itself to fit into a slot on Prowl's chest. She inserts it, and with a burst of energy, the Autobot ninja is whole again. The Autobots then take Sari home and, after a brief misunderstanding, are made heroes and are even invited to a ceremony.

In outer space, Starscream sits aboard the damaged but functional Decepticon ship, babbling that he will find the AllSpark, even though he's been attempting it on his own for the last fifty solar cycles. The ship's computers then detect the traces of AllSpark-like energy in action, and Starscream learns where the Autobots are...
{{-}}
===Part 3===
[[Image:Sariprime.jpg|right|150px|thumb|INSERT WHAT WHERE?!]]
The Autobots are later seen trying to fit in. Bulkhead gets firsthand experience in traffic jams, some birds mistake Prowl for the statue of the [[wikipedia:Hazen_S._Pingree|bald guy]] next to him, Bumblebee learns how organics fuel up, and Ratchet can't get a stasis nap without getting a dozen or so parking tickets. Optimus Prime remarks that the Autobots are programmed to respect life, which they always understood to stem from the AllSpark, but as organics are life, they must respect and protect them too. Optimus also expresses curiosity about how little organics are made. Sari's whispered explanation leaves him rather... shocked. The Autobots make a new home base out of a building Sari's dad got out of a merger, an abandoned auto factory that Bumblebee describes as a real fixer-upper—a REAL fixer-upper. All of a sudden, they get alerted to a fire. The Autobots proceed to douse the blaze and save its victims, no problem, unaware they are being watched by Starscream.

The next day, during the inauguration ceremony for the Sumdac [[Fully Automated Rapid Transit System]] (F.A.R.T.S., for short), Starscream enters Earth's atmosphere and takes on a group of fighter jets. He destroys all but one, which he scans. As the civilians and Autobots watch the aerial display of the [[Crimson Angels]], Isaac Sumdac notices there is an extra jet present that he didn't hire. That one jet then leaves the formation and streaks toward the ceremony platform, where it transforms into Starscream, who fires his null-ray cannons at the Autobots.

After a short fight, which the Autobots lose, Starscream knocks out Bumblebee and takes him, Isaac, the mayor, and Capt. Fanzone hostage in the F.A.R.T.S. train, flying it to the top of a very tall tower. He demands that the Autobots deliver the AllSpark if they want him to release the train car. The Autobots don't trust him, but don't want to risk human lives, so Sari offers a plan, but they ignore her. She continues to tell a sob story until the Autobots listen. The Autobots proceed with her plan, and Prowl and Sari fly up to the transit pod to rescue the hostages while the other Autobots keep Starscream busy. Once Starscream realizes what's happening, he takes a brief beating but recovers quickly. Starscream then throws the train—thus keeping his end of the deal—with Sari, Prowl, and Bumblebee on top of/in it. Between Bumblebee's agility and Prowl's thrusters, Sari is rescued and the train lands without much damage. The Autobots then challenge Starscream to a friendly game of Keep Away, during which Starscream almost gets the AllSpark, but Bulkhead gets it instead, because he said he got it. A furious Starscream unleashes a devastating, prolonged (as in nearly 12 seconds) null-ray blast on the Autobots, briefly knocking them all senseless.

[[Image:TFA TFandRollout Prime SS Allsparkactivates.jpg|left|150px|thumb|In the old days, The Touch would have started playing now.]]
With the Autobots down, Starscream takes the AllSpark from Optimus and blows a couple of blocks of Detroit right off the map. Not ready to give up, Optimus climbs all the way up a building to get it back from Starscream, which Starscream doesn't see coming because he was too busy gloating. After a quick back-and-forth exchange of possessing it, both grab it at the same time. As they struggle, the AllSpark opens and emits a strange energy wave that blasts Starscream away.

The explosion has left Prime dangling precariously, and he takes a tremendous plummet to the pavement. He notes weakly that he now knows what it feels like to be a hero, then dies, but Sari uses the AllSpark Key to revive him.<ref>[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|This is something of an Optimus Prime record]]: Dead after only three episodes, revived a mere 75 seconds later. Way to go.</ref> The Autobots later go about fixing up Detroit, earning the enduring gratitude of the citizenry. Professor Sumdac is also grateful, for the Autobots saved him and Sari, but he fears what will happen if the Autobots—not to mention the rest of the world—were to discover the source of his robotic empire.

Unseen by Sumdac, one of the [[Sensors|optics]] of his source of technology glows in a darkened room. Megatron still functions...
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (2)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (3)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (4)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (5)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (6)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (7)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (8)
*[[Lugnut]] (9)
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] (10)
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (11)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (12)

|c3=
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (13)
*[[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel]] (14)
*[[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]] (15)
*[[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly]] (16)
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (17)
*[[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]] (18)

|c4=
*[[Teletran-1]] ()
*[[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]] ()
*[[Tutor Bot]] ()
*[[Burger Bot]] ()}}

==Quotes==
"Do you ever get the feeling that you were programmed for something more than just repairing space bridges?" 
"I got a diagnostics program that can delete that feeling like a bad line of code."
:—'''Optimus Prime''''s dreams are crushed to a fine powder by '''Ratchet'''

"Know what? You're even uglier at this angle!"
:—'''Bumblebee''' is about to realize there are some things you should never, EVER, say to a Decepticon.

"Hi, I'm Bumblebee!" 
"I'm Sari." 
"Oh, don't be, I like my name."
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Sari''' are off to an awkward start.

"Y'know, all things considered, fixin' space bridges wasn't such a bad gig."
:—'''Bumblebee''', just before embarking on the plan to dissolve the bug monster

"Uh...am I going to be able to ''breathe'' down there?" 
"Oh, sure! ...What's 'breathe'?"
:—'''Sari''' is in good hands with '''Bumblebee'''.

"And to think, Ultra Magnus told me not to be a hero. Is this what it was like in your day?" 
"The Decepticons didn't leave us very much to cheer about."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''' at the ceremony

"Enjoy it while you can, 'heroes.' You're about to take a fall."
:—'''Starscream''', watching a news report on the Autobots

"Give up the AllSpark or give up the Earth. How am I supposed to decide?" 
"Heroes are the ones who make the hard choices."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''' after Starscream makes his ultimatum

"Let go, Autobot!" 
"Never! The AllSpark is life!" 
"Then, let it end yours!"
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Optimus Prime''', fighting over the AllSpark

"So, this...is what it feels like...to be a hero."
:—'''Optimus Prime''', just before dying

"Fixing bridges? Isn't this where we started out?"
:—'''Bumblebee''', as the Autobots clean up the city

==Home releases==
[[Image:Animatedshort01.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Meet the Press lives on through our young ones.]]
"Transform and Roll Out" was released to DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment on June 17, 2008. The DVD includes all three episodes of the pilot movie and two all-new animated shorts. [[Career Day|The first short]] features Optimus Prime attempting to give a speech at [[Black River Elementary School]]'s career day, but being repeatedly interrupted by nagging questions from [[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|some little kid]] and overwhelming cheers for him to transform. [[Evel Knievel Jump|The second]] features Bumblebee messing up one of Prowl's cool stunts. Together, the two shorts run just under three minutes.

Target sold an [[exclusive]] version of the DVD with a special bonus disc that included the episode "[[Home Is Where the Spark Is]]."

All three episodes were also condensed and re-told in the [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] paperback "cine-manga" style book ''[[Transformers Animated Volume 1]]''.
{{-}}

==Notes==
===Japanese version (Part 1)===
*The episode begins with the [[Otoboto family]] telling the viewers to watch in a well-lit room (to prevent seizures and damage to your eyesight, you know).

*As the [[title sequence]] begins, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] asks how everyone is doing, then introduces himself as leader of the Autobots. When he realizes nobody knows who he is, he ''assures'' them that he's leader of the Autobots. Then the [[Transformers Evo.|theme song]] starts.

* '''Cut:''' Ratchet and Optimus's conversation as they walk down a hall, where Prime refers to feeling like being meant for "more than just repairing space bridges", and Ratchet's snarky response about deleting that feeling "like a bad line of code".

* '''Cut:''' Bulkhead's comment on their medic being always grumpy, Ratchet responding to Bumblebee's "old man" comment with a smack upside the head and the retort of "I may have one servor in the scrapheap, but I can still hear!".

*The usual cries of "Transform!" and attack names are added in. ([[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]'s "stingers" are now called "Energy Stingers", for instance.) Perhaps most annoyingly, ''every single thing Optimus does'' has the prefix of "Ultra" added to it. In the span of ten seconds, he goes through his "Ultra Anchor", "Ultra Axe" and "Ultra Net" attacks.

* '''Cut:''' After shutting down the space bridge, the following sequence where Ratchet is repairing Bumblebee, Bulkhead commenting about Optimus's moves, Optimus reluctantly admitting that he used to train at the Academy, and Bumblebee saying that he should've been with the Elite Guard.

* '''Cut:''' Ratchet's poking back at Optimus wanting to see some action, Bumblebee pointing out they're repair bots, Optimus correcting on not without backup and Bulkhead in awe on them connecting with Cybertron Command Headquarters.

*[[Teletran-1]] now speaks as though "she" is in a state of perpetual orgasm.

*When the Autobots first happen upon the ''[[Nemesis (Animated)|Nemesis]]'' and all freak over [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], a new [[scene transition]] is added when transitioning into the discussion between the Decepticon forces. A guitar riff of the classic Generation 1 scene transition music is even used.

*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]]'s "hothead" persona now speaks with a thick American accent, spouting English words like "Hey!" and "Man!"

*New [[commercial bumper]]s have been crafted, featuring stock art of the characters with their voice actors screaming their name, followed by "Transform!"

*'''Cut:''' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]'s entire speech on the bridge ("This is a dark day...") followed by him getting caught in the explosion was cut for time.

*When Bulkhead tumbles into Optimus, following his line "A little warning would have helped!", he screams out "Mommyyyyyyy!" Yeah, Japanese Bulkhead ain't so smart.

*'''Cut:''' After Megatron is kicked from the ship, the establishing shots of Paw Paw (the street sign, the outside of the barn and the scroll across [[Isaac Sumdac]]'s lab) have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' Following Prime's line "Not until I've steered us clear of this populated sector!", the brief scenes of the Autobots being sealed in their stasis pods have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' As soon as the ship crashes into Lake Eerie and leaves a stream of upturned water on the surface, the scenes of the ship sinking and Teletran-1 "initiating emergency stasis mode" on the pods as they turn grey have been cut for time. The episode resumes at the long shot of the sinking ship slowly coming toward the camera, with a new voice-over of Teletran-1 telling the Autobots "good night".

*'''Cut:''' As Isaac Sumdac narrates the history of Detroit and automaton manufacturing, the scene of the trash-collecting automaton has been cut.

*'''Cut:''' The scenes of [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] pulling the bubblegum off her face, eating it, the crowd reacting in disgust, Isaac Sumdac reacting in frustration, the kid asking Sari what its like to grow up around robots and [[Tutor Bot]] hauling Sari off have been cut for time.

*'''Cut:''' After the cockroach absorbs the nanobot liquid, all the scenes involving Isaac Sumdac explaining the nanobots to the children and the children looking through microscopes at the nanobots have been cut for time. The episode resumes at the roach growing bigger.

*'''Cut:''' The close-up of Isaac Sumdac saying "Nothing to be concerned about, children!" and the kid remarking that "This accident doesn't look too happy" have been cut for time. The episode resumes with the roach crashing through the window behind him.

*The Otoboto Family segment features [[Hiroyuki Otoboto]] telling his son, [[Tatsuya Otoboto]], about ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'', complete with clips from "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]". Mr. Otoboto then produces a complete set of ''Animated'' Autobot toys. Tatsuya is thrilled, but wouldn't ya know it? [[Megumi Otoboto|Mrs. Otoboto]] comes in with dinner! During mealtime conversation, Mrs. Otoboto makes the mistake of using the word "transform", which inevitably causes Tatsuya to start talking about Transformers, much to the amusement of his father and the annoyance of his older sister, [[Yūka Otoboto|Yūka]]. Tatsuya then causes a "freeze frame" so that he can introduce himself and his family (messing with his father's glasses in the process for his own amusement). Oddly, despite being "frozen", everyone proceeds to blink. As time resumes its normal pace, Hiroyuki wonders what happened to his glasses. He then digs into his dinner, except, oh no! It's too hot! ''Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!''

*During the "next episode" segment, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee proceed to have an argument. Bumblebee thinks Optimus's name is too long and hard to remember. Bumblebee suggests that "[[Convoy]]" would be better, but Prime shoots the idea down immediately. Bumblebee opts to call him "Oputi", since it has fewer syllables. Prime refuses to be called such a name (more fitting for a dog), so Bumblebee settles on "Pu-Pu" after "Opura" is also rejected. Prime refuses that too, thinking it sounds cute, but that it would be hard not to laugh instinctively at it. Bumblebee then tricks Prime into answering to it, which frustrates him even ''further''. The argument proceeds ''past'' the "next episode" segment and straight into the sponsor cards.

===Japanese version (Part 2)===
*During the ceremony, the cheering crowd has been replaced with what looks to be a photo of a Japanese crowd.
*'''Cut:''' After the ceremony, the scene in which Starscream is seen monologing in the crashed Nemisis on the moon.

===Animation or technical glitches===
* Megatron's vehicle mode was depicted flying upside-down, or backwards, or possibly both. To be fair, in space, there is no up and down (and to be even fairer, it's really hard to tell from the toys exactly what ''is'' the front of Megatron's Cybertronian spaceship mode), but that does not excuse the fact that any propulsion system used would be in the ''back'' of the mode.

*When the Autobot get into the stasis pods, Prime, Bulkhead, and Ratchet are on the left side, with Bumblebee, Prowl, and an empty pod on the right, in that order. Yet when they get out later in the episode, Prime, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead are on the left, and the empty one, Prowl, and Ratchet on the right.

* As pre-Earth Prime enters the chamber which will re-format his body into his Earth mode, he walks past Ratchet, who is drawn mostly in his pre-Earth mode, except for the fact that his Cybertronian gut is replaced with his ambulance gut. In the next scene, Ratchet is properly drawn, pre-Earth gut and all.

* When Sari says to the Autobots it is okay to put down their hands, Bulkhead's face is black.

* When Starscream tackles Optimus Prime through a building as the Autobot tries to escape with the AllSpark, Optimus's axe is missing from Starscream's left wing. It reappears moments later for Optimus to retrieve it.

* In at least one scene, Starscream's Earth-form wing is shown with a spike, in the same manner as his Cybertronian body.

===Continuity errors===
* The train Starscream blasts from the tower falls toward the ground very, very slowly.

* When we first meet Starscream, he states that he has been searching for the AllSpark for fifty ''solar'' cycles. In later episodes, a solar cycle is equivalent to a day and a ''stellar'' cycle is used for years. This is the only time a solar cycle has been used to reference years, so either Starscream entered some sort of temporal anomaly or someone messed up. For more <s>confusion</s> information, See [[Cycle|this page]].

* Sumdac is using Megatron's hand as a chair. However, he seems to be using the right hand, which was blown up by Starscream. (It ''could'' have fallen off the Autobots' ship, as it was still clinging to the hull when last seen, but that seems unlikely.)

===Transformers references===
* The title of the episode itself is a [[Roll out|reference to past Transformers lore]].

* Footage from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|G1 cartoon]] episodes "[[War Dawn]]" and "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]" is used as history tapes detailing the events of the first [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], millions of years prior. [[Canon|This]] has been confirmed as purely an in-joke, and should not be taken as linking ''Animated'' to G1, continuity wise.

* The [[Teletran-1|Autobot ship]] here bears a distinct resemblance to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], albeit with a colour scheme more reminiscent of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. (As we learn [[A Bridge Too Close, Part II|much later]], there is [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|a very good reason for that]].)

* Bumblebee says "[[Rattrap|We're all gonna die.]]"

* Sari's robotic dog [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]] is likely named after either [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] from G1, the ''Armada'' Mini-Con [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]], or both.

[[Image:Spikecarlydanielanimated.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Twenty years later, and they're still overdressed.]]
* Characters resembling [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], [[Carly]], and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] are seen at a hot dog stand, purchasing some sort of futuristic bunless wieners-on-a-stick. The characters went on to become recurring figures in the background cast of the show, and in "[[Garbage In, Garbage Out]]" it was revealed that their names were... [[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]], [[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel Witwicky]].

* When Optimus Prime dies, his body fades to grays, just as [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Generation 1 Optimus Prime]] did in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. His spark chamber opens in much the same manner as well.

* Teletran-1 (spelled with only one "a" in this universe) dispatches a small satellite very similar to the [[Sky Spy]] satellite used on occasion by the Autobots in the ''Generation 1'' cartoon. The glowing energy "boxes" with which it scans vehicles for the Autobots to transform into are lifted wholesale out of "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]".

* At one point, Bulkhead refers to Optimus as "Boss-bot", echoing an epithet used for ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] by the [[Fuzor]] [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]].

===Notes===
* In this episode, [[Tutor Bot]] tries to teach Sari about the [[wikipedia:Smoot-Hawley_Tariff_Act|Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act]], a major economic blunder of the 1930s.
* Bumblebee's voice is slightly different in this episode from how it sounds later, as is Lugnut's voice, which seems very metallic.
* When Prowl gets birdpooped on, he is standing next to a statue of [[wikipedia:Hazen_S._Pingree|Hazen S. Pingree]], four-term mayor of Detroit and one-time governor of Michigan. In real life, the statue is located in Detroit's Grand Circus Park.
* A refurbished Michigan Central Station makes an appearance as the site for the dedication of Detroit's rapid transit system. The real-life station (abandoned since the '80s) was featured in the [[Transformers (2007)|2007 live-action movie]].
* When mocking the Autobots, Starscream actually calls Megatron "the great Megatron" without any sarcasm. Apparently, he'll only give a sincere compliment to his leader when he's insulting something else. Either that or he's just trying to make ''himself'' sound more impressive by building up the reputation of the one he's defeated.
* When Optimus comes back to life, he asks, "Is this the [[Well of All Sparks]]?" and Sari answers, "No, it's Detroit." This is an allusion to the movie ''Field of Dreams'', in which Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) asks Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), "Is this Heaven?" and Ray answers, "No, it's Iowa."
* According to responses at a panel at BotCon 2008, the unfortunate acronym for Fully Automated Rapid Transit System was totally unintentional...which makes it that much funnier.
* Ratchet is able to use his front windshield as a video screen.
* Several elements present in this opener were changed/dropped in the main series, including expressive vehicle modes, the replacement of solar cycles with stellar cycles in terminology, the recolouring of Ratchet's magnetism from yellow to pink, and Sari's Key changing shape. However, the expressions on vehicle mode were briefly used again by [[Wasp]] in the episode [[Predacons Rising]].
* During [[Sari Sumdac|Sari's]] "conversation" with the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], it shows her the faces of Ultra Magnus, Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Starscream, then the Cybertronian [[Alternate mode|vehicle modes]] for Optimus and Ratchet, the AllSpark's case and the [[Teletran-1|Autobots' ship]]. Then Sari unknowingly shows the AllSpark a man in a suit, a woman, a boy, the planet [[Earth]], pyramids, purple flowers, a horse, an aircraft with a giant cloud coming from the back, a cell and a DNA strand. The woman has dark skin and red hair like Sari.
* This movie was (lovingly) lampooned at the [[MSTF]] panel for [[BotCon 2008]], along with "[[War Dawn]]", the episode from which most of the "history vid" footage was taken.
* It's Detroit. There are guns everywhere. Why are the humans using ''water'' to take down the monster?
* In this episode, Starscream's engines use a sound effect borrowed from ''The Phantom Menace'': the sound made by Sebulba's podracer engines.

==Home video releases==
;DVD
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — The Battle Begins ([[Pack-in material|Hasbro]]) — Part 1 only.
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Transform and Roll Out ([[Transformers Animated (cartoon)/home video|Paramount]]) — English and Spanish audio (NTSC version) / English and German audio (PAL version).
*2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Transformieren und Abfahrt (Paramount) — English and German audio.

== Footnote ==
<references/>

[[Category:Animated episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]