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Wing Saber (Energon)

2011-11-08T07:58:06Z

71.202.173.229: /* Energon cartoon */

{{picsneeded}}
{{disambig3|Wing Saber}}
{{factions|autobot|{{factions/icons|custom=Energon Powerlinx symbol.png|cLink=Powerlinx}}}}
:''Wing Saber is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Unicron Trilogy]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:WingSaber-comic.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Wing Saber joins Robots in Disguise Ultra Magnus in the proud tradition of being a Power Mushroom for an Optimus.]]
'''Wing Saber''' is an Autobot who used to be called '''Wing Dagger'''. Then [[Shockblast]] happened to him. Since then, Wing Saber has led a noble life of becoming parts for [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]]. Wing Saber even has his own personal team of [[Mini-Con]]s, the [[Caliber Micron]].

{{quote|In all the years you've known me: have I ever followed orders?|Wing Saber|"[[Optimus (episode)|Optimus]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Toy pack-in comics===
When [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] was downed in battle and under imminent attack by several [[Decepticon]]s, Wing Saber swooped to the rescue by blasting away the Decepticons and combining with Optimus Prime. With this new power, Optimus Prime was able to defeat [[Shockblast]] and [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]]. Soon after, Optimus welcomed Wing Saber to the Autobots. {{storylink|Energon Volume 4}}

===''Energon'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Colin Murdoch]] (English), [[Kōji Yusa]] (Japanese), [[Christian Jernbro]] (Swedish)

[[Image:WingDagger ep21.jpg|left|thumb|200px|"Last one alive at the end of the day buys the pancakes!"]]

Wing Dagger served the Autobots as a security guard on Cybertron; he was the jailer in charge of the Decepticon criminal [[Shockblast]]. During a Decepticon uprising, Shockblast escaped his prison. {{storylink|Alpha Q: Identity}} Wing Dagger and his friend [[Padlock (Energon)|Padlock]] pursued him, but Shockblast ended up killing Padlock. Wing Dagger grieved for his friend and swore revenge on Shockblast. {{storylink|Shockblast: Rampage}}

[[Image:Energon-Wing-Dagger-Dead.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]

During a Decepticon assault on Cybertron, Wing Dagger lassoed Shockblast with energy bands, but the powerful Decepticon simply pulled him up into the air. As they wove through the sky among the [[energon tower]]s, the Decepticon blasted one of the towers, causing it to crash down upon Wing Dagger and Tidal Wave. Tidal Wave survived with damage, but Wing Dagger died. {{storylink|Each One Fights...}}

Wing Dagger's inert form was taken to [[Primus]]. {{storylink|Unicron Unleashed}} With the aid of [[Rad White|Rad]], Primus restored the warrior, imbuing him with a [[Spark of Combination]]. {{storylink|Open Fire!}} Reformatted into Wing Saber, he joined Optimus's team not only to find energon, but to avenge the death of his friend.

Wing Saber, having been reformatted and re-powered by Primus himself, understood his task of being Optimus Prime's personal servant. Optimus Prime reminded Wing Saber that he was not Prime's property, and Wing Saber seemed to have issues figuring out who he was. He went with Optimus's team as they pursued Megatron into [[Alpha Q's universe|a fledgling new dimension]]. {{storylink|Ripped Up Space}}

Wing Saber eventually faced off with Shockblast again on [[Iron Planet]]. After making sure that his half-dozen buddies were backing him up, he gave the lone Decepticon a thorough trashing and captured him. Oh, brave Wing Saber! Shockblast was defeated at last; Padlock was avenged, and justice was served. {{storylink|Protection}}

Shockblast escaped about a day later. Wing Saber didn't seem to notice much. {{storylink|Imprisoned Inferno}}

Wing Saber continued to help Optimus and the other Autobots defend Alpha Q's planets. {{storylink|Jungle Planet (episode)|Jungle Planet}} He braved the hazards of the [[Rift (Energon)|rift in space]] to locate Unicron's missing body. {{storylink|Omega Supreme (episode)|Omega Supreme}} Like most of the team, he was severely damaged during the final confrontation with Unicron. {{storylink|Optimus Supreme}} He returned to the ''Miranda II''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s sick bay as the battle neared its end. {{storylink|Unicron Perishes}}

Later, he returned to Cybertron, {{storylink|Ambition}} and led underground resistance to Galvatron's invasion of the planet. {{storylink|Galvatron!}} {{storylink|Break Through}} Optimus finally arrived to help them, and he and Wing Saber linked up once more to stand up against Galvatron. {{storylink|The Omega Train}} They took a direct hit from the planet's [[energon grid]], however, and went down in flames. Wing Saber was left unconscious, and was nearly destroyed by Galvatron until the Omnicons arrived to restore him. He and Optimus recombined, striking a devastating blow to Galvatron, prompting him to retreat. {{storylink|Decepticon Army}}

Wing Saber was among the gathered troops who joined with Optimus Prime in spark form to confront the massive [[Megatron (Armada)|Galvatron]]-[[Unicron]] fusion. Like the others, he was restored to his own body after the battle's conclusion. {{storylink|The Sun}}

===''Cybertron'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Peter Kelamis]] (English), [[Takayasu Usui]] (Japanese)
Some time after Galvatron's defeat, Wing Saber underwent a falling out with Optimus Prime involving the life of a stranded astronaut and took off into space. {{storylink|United (episode)|United}} He returned during the search for the [[Cyber Planet Key]]s when he encountered the [[Omega Frequency]] wave after the [[Velocitron|Speed Planet]] Key was inserted into the [[Omega Lock]] on [[Earth]]. He approached the Earth at a breakneck speed, blazing like a meteor. Reaching the volcanic island where his comrades were doing battle with the Decepticons, he nailed Megatron with missiles before the Decepticon could fire his Death Machine Gun at Optimus Prime. Jetfire, while not entirely happy to see Wing Saber again, provided him with an Earth vehicle mode, a powerful fighter-bomber. Wing Saber now showed signs of a new, defiant attitude toward his former allies, even to the point of violence. He fired at Hot Shot's feet when the latter questioned him once, but cooled down, with Jetfire explaining to a worried Lori that "That's just how he is." However, Wing Saber quickly found himself part of the team again, taking to the air to dogfight with Megatron and keep him away from Starscream and the Omega Lock. {{storylink|Assault}}

Wing Saber continued to battle Megatron while Optimus Prime and Vector Prime pursued the Lock, and later rescued Vector Prime after Starscream's growth to skyscraper size caused an eruption. [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] attempted to stop them from leaving, but was defeated by Wing Saber's [[Cyber Key]] cannon. {{storylink|Starscream (episode)|Starscream}}

Several attempts to take Starscream down were made, all of which failed. After Starscream thwarted one attempt by filling the air between him and the Autobots with chunks of rock, Wing Saber was reminded of the mission in the Chaar asteroid belt. He suggested trying the same trick again, and attempted to link up with Optimus. The attempt failed, but Prime agreed the method from the first attempt to clear the asteroids worked. Wing Saber and Prime flew together through the boulders to reach clear sky, which led to reviving his ability to combine with Optimus Prime to create their Sonic Wing Mode. Wing Saber took the place of Prime's Super Mode backpack,lending his leader his weapons and his powerful jet engines. This and the power of the merge allowed Optimus to deliver a powerful slashing blow to Starscream, knocking him out. {{storylink|United (episode)|United}}

{{charstubfiction}}

In the battle to reclaim the Lock and Keys from Galvatron, Wing Saber once again linked up with Prime into Sonic Wing Mode. His powerful engines and his speed helped Optimus pursue the Omega Lock into the depths of the Unicron Singularity. and snatch it back just before it reached the point of no return. {{storylink|End}} Wing Saber helped realign one of the rockets that propelled the Jungle Planet through the space bridge back to its proper orbit, and then watched as his leader dealt Galvatron a fatal sword blow, at long last ending the war. {{storylink|Unfinished}} While preparations for the renewed Space Bridge Project were being completed Wing Saber departed and eventually encountered (and dueled with) the mighty [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]], who had somehow survived his duel with Galvatron on [[Gigantion|the Giant Planet]]. Landmine and Mudflap joined him. {{storylink|Beginning}}

{{note|Sonic Bomber is not the same character as Energon Wing Saber in ''Galaxy Force''. Probably. Maybe. Takara's [[retcon]] of ''Galaxy Force'' back into [[continuity]] with ''Super Link'' makes things questionable.}}

==Toys==
===Energon===
[[Image:EnergonWingSaber.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Brickimus Maximus!]]
*'''Wing Saber''' (Mega, 2004)
**''Japanese ID Number'': '''SC-17'''
**''Accessories'': 2 missiles
: ''Energon'' Wing Saber transforms into a Cybertronic "flying wing" jet. In both jet and robot mode he has a pair of spring-loaded missile launchers. He disassembles into four portions, which attach to the limbs on the Super-class ''Energon'' Optimus Prime toy. When Wing Saber's upper-body parts and wings are attached to Prime's arms, they are in "Flight Mode", while the lower-body-as-arms configuration brings Wing Saber's non-firing cannons to the forefront, forming "Cannon Mode". His parts can also attach to the [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]] and [[Omega Sentinel (Energon)|Omega Sentinel]] toys.

:As Wing Saber is essentially a glorified accessory for the Super class Optimus Prime figure, his robot mode is a [[brick (term)|brick]], with almost no articulation beyond some minor movement in his lower arms.

: The [[Takara]] version predated the [[Hasbro]] release by several months. The two versions are largely identical, but Takara's has a greater number of more intricate [[Paint operation|paint applications]].

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Autobot/WingSaber/wingsaber.htm More information on Wing Saber at TFU.info]

===Cybertron===
*'''Wing Saber''' (Ultra, 2005)
**''Japanese ID Number:'' '''GC-22'''
**''Accessories'': Left & right blades, 2 blade-handles, left & right spring-loaded missile launchers, 2 missiles, Autobot Cybertron-planet Cyber Key
[[Image:Cyb wingsaber toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|His guns have guns on them which also shoot tiny guns.]]
: ''Cybertron'' Wing Saber transforms into a heavily armed military plane based on an A-10 Thunderbolt. Pressing the button behind his cockpit canopy causes a machine gun sound to emit from a speaker on the bottom of the nosecone. Plugging a [[Cyber Planet Key]] into the key slot behind his canopy splits the nosecone fuselage in half and exposes a cannon with a red LED. Pressing the button activates the same machine gun sound effect, this time with the red LED flashing.

:Wing Saber's wing-flaps detach to form swords; for Wing Saber to use them, they need to be inserted into sword-handles that plug into 5mm holes in his forearms, as his hands are incompatible with the standard weapon-pegs. His removable spring-loaded missile launchers, mounted under his wings, can also be attached to those ports. Wing Saber can also form a backpack for Leader class Optimus Prime's super mode, forming their '''Sonic Wing Mode'''.

[[Image:GF SonicBomber toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|FAINARU FYU- Oh wait, [[Brave (franchise)|wrong show]].]]
:Wing Saber comes with a silver-bordered Cybertron planet Autobot Cyber Key with the [[Cyber Key Codes|key code]] '''uya7''' printed on the back.

:The vast majority of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''Galaxy Force'' GC-22 Sonic Bomber figures have a misaligned "nose guard" that can obscure the eyes in some cases. This problem was fixed for the [[Hasbro]] Wing Saber figure. The Sonic Bomber figure preceded [[Hasbro]]'s Wing Saber by several months and has a slightly different deco. Differences include silver chromed saber blades and a gold chromed chest shield. Minor changes were also made to graphics on the plane, such as an entirely red nosecone as opposed to Sonic Bomber's red striped, and smaller [[Autobot]] insignias on the wings.

:This mold was [[Redeco|redecoed]] to make [[Wingblade]].

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/WingSaber/wingsaber.htm More information on ''Cybertron'' Wing Saber at TFU.info]

*'''Sonic Convoy''' (Gift set, 2005)
**''Japanese ID Number'': '''EX-02'''

:[[TakaraTomy|Takara]] issued a slight Sonic Bomber [[redeco]] as a (rushed) Toys "R" Us [[exclusive]] set with transparent [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Galaxy Convoy]] and a [[retool]] of "[[Scrapmetal (race)|Rumble]]" as "[[Cobybot|Rumble Coby version]]". Sonic Bomber received only very minor changes; the saber blades were changed from silver chrome to gold chrome, all red paint was changed to metallic red, and the chest shield halves were now red chrome rather than gold. Benefiting from a [[Hasbro]] tweak, this version also has a properly aligned "nose guard".

*'''Optimus Prime and Wing Saber''' (2-pack, 2006)

:This set, consisting of totally unmodified versions of Cybertron Optimus Prime and Wing Saber, was released as a CostCo exclusive. The set also includes a DVD with the Cybertron episode "[[United (episode)|United]]". This set comes in a particularly huge box, and retailed for $35.99, five dollars less than the MSRP for Optimus Prime by himself.

==Merchandise==
===Energon===
*'''Wing Convoy Super Real Figure''' (2004)

:Wing Convoy Super Real Figure (ウイングコンボイ超リアルフィギュア, ''Wing Convoy chou Real Figure'') is a PVC of Optimus Prime combined with Wing Saber in Flight Mode. It was sold exclusively with the August issue of ''TV-kun'' (てれびくん) magazine, first on sale July 1st, 2004.

::*''[http://snakas.web.infoseek.co.jp/energon/wingfig_televi.htm More information on Wing Convoy Super Real Figure at Autobase Aichi]''

*'''Wing Convoy Original Figure''' (2004)
[[Image:WingConvoyOriginalFigure.jpg|thumb|250px|Nemesis Saber? Wing Sweep?]]

:A [[redeco]] of the Wing Convoy Super Real Figure, Wing Convoy Original Figure (ウイングコンボイオリジナルフィギュア) was exclusively scotch taped inside Wing Saber figures sold at [[JUSCO]] department stores starting on July 30th, 2004. A sticker was placed on Wing Saber's packaging to note the promotion.

:Despite being sold as Wing Convoy/Optimus Prime, the figure's color scheme bears a striking resemblance to that of [[Grand Scourge]], whose model kit was on sale the same month.

::*''[http://snakas.web.infoseek.co.jp/energon/wingfig_jusco.htm More information on Wing Convoy Original Figure at Autobase Aichi]''

==Notes==
* ''Energon'' Wing Saber was a toy-concept initiated by [[Takara]] and left largely to their own design team to develop, though they had to follow various [[Hasbro]] price-point mandates. The toy was detail-designed by noted Japanese fan [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]] and incorporates elements of fan-favorites [[Predaking]] and [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]].

* Ichikawa originally envisioned Wing Saber's personal weapon to be the [[Energon Saber]]. This was nixed by the animation production staff, however, along with many other toy-team concepts.

* ''Energon'' Wing Saber was originally named [[Superion Maximus]] for his western incarnation, but the name was shelved in favor of simply reusing the established Japanese name. "Superion Maximus" was reused for the combined form of the ''Energon'' [[Air Team]] shortly thereafter.

[[Image:CYB sonic bomber originalsculpt.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Sonic Bomber has wing sabers.]]
* Wing Saber's [[bio]] on Transformers.com, first appearing under the "Superion Maximus" title, was largely different from anything else, wherein "Wing Saber" was a venerable defender of high ranking Autobots and was the personal carrier of the Autobot high council.

* ''Cybertron'' Wing Saber's original [[prototype]] featured a different vehicle mode nosecone design than seen on the final toy. As revealed by the Japanese online retailer [http://www.amenbo.com Amenbo.com] on April 29 2005, the original sculpt had a much greater resemblance to the A-10 Thunderbolt, with a rounded nose cone, a correctly shaped (translucent) canopy, and twin translucent gatling cannons. It's possible that the [[design change|change]] from this more realistic sculpt to the entirely opaque one seen on the final toy occurred in order to avoid licensing issues.

*''Cybertron'' Wing Saber was originally named "Knockdown", but this was presumably shelved to have another preexisting character in the series.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Wing Saber''' (ウイングセイバー ''Uingu Seibā''), '''Wing Dagger''' (ウイングダガー ''Uingu Dagā''), '''Sonic Bomber''' (''Galaxy Force'', ソニックボンバー ''Sonikku Bonbā'')
*''Hungarian:'' '''Éleskard''' ("Sharp Sword"), '''Éleskés''' (Wing Dagger, "Sharp Knife")<ref>In "[[Optimus Prime vs Megatron: The Ultimate Battle]]", Wing Dagger is called '''Tőrszárny''', the most accurate of the translations (it means "Dagger Wing"), but not the most fancy-sounding.</ref>
*''Mandarin:'' '''Jī-yì Wǔ-lì''' (''Energon'', Taiwan, 機翼武力, "Wing Force")
*''Russian:'' '''Ostrokryl''' (Wing Dagger, Острокрыл, "Sharp Wing"), '''Sablekryl''' (Саблекрыл, "Saber Wing")

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_frm/thread/b064ea50d2b114d0/43847f79db724831?lnk=st&q=&rnum=3&hl=en#43847f79db724831 An interview with Hirofumi Ichikawa on his ''Energon'' work]

[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Costco exclusives]]
[[Category:Cybertron Autobots]]
[[Category:Energon Autobots]]
[[Category:Security officers]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]

Wing Saber (Energon)

2011-11-08T07:57:41Z

71.202.173.229: /* Energon cartoon */

{{picsneeded}}
{{disambig3|Wing Saber}}
{{factions|autobot|{{factions/icons|custom=Energon Powerlinx symbol.png|cLink=Powerlinx}}}}
:''Wing Saber is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Unicron Trilogy]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:WingSaber-comic.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Wing Saber joins Robots in Disguise Ultra Magnus in the proud tradition of being a Power Mushroom for an Optimus.]]
'''Wing Saber''' is an Autobot who used to be called '''Wing Dagger'''. Then [[Shockblast]] happened to him. Since then, Wing Saber has led a noble life of becoming parts for [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]]. Wing Saber even has his own personal team of [[Mini-Con]]s, the [[Caliber Micron]].

{{quote|In all the years you've known me: have I ever followed orders?|Wing Saber|"[[Optimus (episode)|Optimus]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Toy pack-in comics===
When [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] was downed in battle and under imminent attack by several [[Decepticon]]s, Wing Saber swooped to the rescue by blasting away the Decepticons and combining with Optimus Prime. With this new power, Optimus Prime was able to defeat [[Shockblast]] and [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]]. Soon after, Optimus welcomed Wing Saber to the Autobots. {{storylink|Energon Volume 4}}

===''Energon'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Colin Murdoch]] (English), [[Kōji Yusa]] (Japanese), [[Christian Jernbro]] (Swedish)

[[Image:WingDagger ep21.jpg|left|thumb|200px|"Last one alive at the end of the day buys pancakes!"]]

Wing Dagger served the Autobots as a security guard on Cybertron; he was the jailer in charge of the Decepticon criminal [[Shockblast]]. During a Decepticon uprising, Shockblast escaped his prison. {{storylink|Alpha Q: Identity}} Wing Dagger and his friend [[Padlock (Energon)|Padlock]] pursued him, but Shockblast ended up killing Padlock. Wing Dagger grieved for his friend and swore revenge on Shockblast. {{storylink|Shockblast: Rampage}}

[[Image:Energon-Wing-Dagger-Dead.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]

During a Decepticon assault on Cybertron, Wing Dagger lassoed Shockblast with energy bands, but the powerful Decepticon simply pulled him up into the air. As they wove through the sky among the [[energon tower]]s, the Decepticon blasted one of the towers, causing it to crash down upon Wing Dagger and Tidal Wave. Tidal Wave survived with damage, but Wing Dagger died. {{storylink|Each One Fights...}}

Wing Dagger's inert form was taken to [[Primus]]. {{storylink|Unicron Unleashed}} With the aid of [[Rad White|Rad]], Primus restored the warrior, imbuing him with a [[Spark of Combination]]. {{storylink|Open Fire!}} Reformatted into Wing Saber, he joined Optimus's team not only to find energon, but to avenge the death of his friend.

Wing Saber, having been reformatted and re-powered by Primus himself, understood his task of being Optimus Prime's personal servant. Optimus Prime reminded Wing Saber that he was not Prime's property, and Wing Saber seemed to have issues figuring out who he was. He went with Optimus's team as they pursued Megatron into [[Alpha Q's universe|a fledgling new dimension]]. {{storylink|Ripped Up Space}}

Wing Saber eventually faced off with Shockblast again on [[Iron Planet]]. After making sure that his half-dozen buddies were backing him up, he gave the lone Decepticon a thorough trashing and captured him. Oh, brave Wing Saber! Shockblast was defeated at last; Padlock was avenged, and justice was served. {{storylink|Protection}}

Shockblast escaped about a day later. Wing Saber didn't seem to notice much. {{storylink|Imprisoned Inferno}}

Wing Saber continued to help Optimus and the other Autobots defend Alpha Q's planets. {{storylink|Jungle Planet (episode)|Jungle Planet}} He braved the hazards of the [[Rift (Energon)|rift in space]] to locate Unicron's missing body. {{storylink|Omega Supreme (episode)|Omega Supreme}} Like most of the team, he was severely damaged during the final confrontation with Unicron. {{storylink|Optimus Supreme}} He returned to the ''Miranda II''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s sick bay as the battle neared its end. {{storylink|Unicron Perishes}}

Later, he returned to Cybertron, {{storylink|Ambition}} and led underground resistance to Galvatron's invasion of the planet. {{storylink|Galvatron!}} {{storylink|Break Through}} Optimus finally arrived to help them, and he and Wing Saber linked up once more to stand up against Galvatron. {{storylink|The Omega Train}} They took a direct hit from the planet's [[energon grid]], however, and went down in flames. Wing Saber was left unconscious, and was nearly destroyed by Galvatron until the Omnicons arrived to restore him. He and Optimus recombined, striking a devastating blow to Galvatron, prompting him to retreat. {{storylink|Decepticon Army}}

Wing Saber was among the gathered troops who joined with Optimus Prime in spark form to confront the massive [[Megatron (Armada)|Galvatron]]-[[Unicron]] fusion. Like the others, he was restored to his own body after the battle's conclusion. {{storylink|The Sun}}

===''Cybertron'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Peter Kelamis]] (English), [[Takayasu Usui]] (Japanese)
Some time after Galvatron's defeat, Wing Saber underwent a falling out with Optimus Prime involving the life of a stranded astronaut and took off into space. {{storylink|United (episode)|United}} He returned during the search for the [[Cyber Planet Key]]s when he encountered the [[Omega Frequency]] wave after the [[Velocitron|Speed Planet]] Key was inserted into the [[Omega Lock]] on [[Earth]]. He approached the Earth at a breakneck speed, blazing like a meteor. Reaching the volcanic island where his comrades were doing battle with the Decepticons, he nailed Megatron with missiles before the Decepticon could fire his Death Machine Gun at Optimus Prime. Jetfire, while not entirely happy to see Wing Saber again, provided him with an Earth vehicle mode, a powerful fighter-bomber. Wing Saber now showed signs of a new, defiant attitude toward his former allies, even to the point of violence. He fired at Hot Shot's feet when the latter questioned him once, but cooled down, with Jetfire explaining to a worried Lori that "That's just how he is." However, Wing Saber quickly found himself part of the team again, taking to the air to dogfight with Megatron and keep him away from Starscream and the Omega Lock. {{storylink|Assault}}

Wing Saber continued to battle Megatron while Optimus Prime and Vector Prime pursued the Lock, and later rescued Vector Prime after Starscream's growth to skyscraper size caused an eruption. [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] attempted to stop them from leaving, but was defeated by Wing Saber's [[Cyber Key]] cannon. {{storylink|Starscream (episode)|Starscream}}

Several attempts to take Starscream down were made, all of which failed. After Starscream thwarted one attempt by filling the air between him and the Autobots with chunks of rock, Wing Saber was reminded of the mission in the Chaar asteroid belt. He suggested trying the same trick again, and attempted to link up with Optimus. The attempt failed, but Prime agreed the method from the first attempt to clear the asteroids worked. Wing Saber and Prime flew together through the boulders to reach clear sky, which led to reviving his ability to combine with Optimus Prime to create their Sonic Wing Mode. Wing Saber took the place of Prime's Super Mode backpack,lending his leader his weapons and his powerful jet engines. This and the power of the merge allowed Optimus to deliver a powerful slashing blow to Starscream, knocking him out. {{storylink|United (episode)|United}}

{{charstubfiction}}

In the battle to reclaim the Lock and Keys from Galvatron, Wing Saber once again linked up with Prime into Sonic Wing Mode. His powerful engines and his speed helped Optimus pursue the Omega Lock into the depths of the Unicron Singularity. and snatch it back just before it reached the point of no return. {{storylink|End}} Wing Saber helped realign one of the rockets that propelled the Jungle Planet through the space bridge back to its proper orbit, and then watched as his leader dealt Galvatron a fatal sword blow, at long last ending the war. {{storylink|Unfinished}} While preparations for the renewed Space Bridge Project were being completed Wing Saber departed and eventually encountered (and dueled with) the mighty [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]], who had somehow survived his duel with Galvatron on [[Gigantion|the Giant Planet]]. Landmine and Mudflap joined him. {{storylink|Beginning}}

{{note|Sonic Bomber is not the same character as Energon Wing Saber in ''Galaxy Force''. Probably. Maybe. Takara's [[retcon]] of ''Galaxy Force'' back into [[continuity]] with ''Super Link'' makes things questionable.}}

==Toys==
===Energon===
[[Image:EnergonWingSaber.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Brickimus Maximus!]]
*'''Wing Saber''' (Mega, 2004)
**''Japanese ID Number'': '''SC-17'''
**''Accessories'': 2 missiles
: ''Energon'' Wing Saber transforms into a Cybertronic "flying wing" jet. In both jet and robot mode he has a pair of spring-loaded missile launchers. He disassembles into four portions, which attach to the limbs on the Super-class ''Energon'' Optimus Prime toy. When Wing Saber's upper-body parts and wings are attached to Prime's arms, they are in "Flight Mode", while the lower-body-as-arms configuration brings Wing Saber's non-firing cannons to the forefront, forming "Cannon Mode". His parts can also attach to the [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]] and [[Omega Sentinel (Energon)|Omega Sentinel]] toys.

:As Wing Saber is essentially a glorified accessory for the Super class Optimus Prime figure, his robot mode is a [[brick (term)|brick]], with almost no articulation beyond some minor movement in his lower arms.

: The [[Takara]] version predated the [[Hasbro]] release by several months. The two versions are largely identical, but Takara's has a greater number of more intricate [[Paint operation|paint applications]].

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Autobot/WingSaber/wingsaber.htm More information on Wing Saber at TFU.info]

===Cybertron===
*'''Wing Saber''' (Ultra, 2005)
**''Japanese ID Number:'' '''GC-22'''
**''Accessories'': Left & right blades, 2 blade-handles, left & right spring-loaded missile launchers, 2 missiles, Autobot Cybertron-planet Cyber Key
[[Image:Cyb wingsaber toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|His guns have guns on them which also shoot tiny guns.]]
: ''Cybertron'' Wing Saber transforms into a heavily armed military plane based on an A-10 Thunderbolt. Pressing the button behind his cockpit canopy causes a machine gun sound to emit from a speaker on the bottom of the nosecone. Plugging a [[Cyber Planet Key]] into the key slot behind his canopy splits the nosecone fuselage in half and exposes a cannon with a red LED. Pressing the button activates the same machine gun sound effect, this time with the red LED flashing.

:Wing Saber's wing-flaps detach to form swords; for Wing Saber to use them, they need to be inserted into sword-handles that plug into 5mm holes in his forearms, as his hands are incompatible with the standard weapon-pegs. His removable spring-loaded missile launchers, mounted under his wings, can also be attached to those ports. Wing Saber can also form a backpack for Leader class Optimus Prime's super mode, forming their '''Sonic Wing Mode'''.

[[Image:GF SonicBomber toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|FAINARU FYU- Oh wait, [[Brave (franchise)|wrong show]].]]
:Wing Saber comes with a silver-bordered Cybertron planet Autobot Cyber Key with the [[Cyber Key Codes|key code]] '''uya7''' printed on the back.

:The vast majority of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''Galaxy Force'' GC-22 Sonic Bomber figures have a misaligned "nose guard" that can obscure the eyes in some cases. This problem was fixed for the [[Hasbro]] Wing Saber figure. The Sonic Bomber figure preceded [[Hasbro]]'s Wing Saber by several months and has a slightly different deco. Differences include silver chromed saber blades and a gold chromed chest shield. Minor changes were also made to graphics on the plane, such as an entirely red nosecone as opposed to Sonic Bomber's red striped, and smaller [[Autobot]] insignias on the wings.

:This mold was [[Redeco|redecoed]] to make [[Wingblade]].

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/WingSaber/wingsaber.htm More information on ''Cybertron'' Wing Saber at TFU.info]

*'''Sonic Convoy''' (Gift set, 2005)
**''Japanese ID Number'': '''EX-02'''

:[[TakaraTomy|Takara]] issued a slight Sonic Bomber [[redeco]] as a (rushed) Toys "R" Us [[exclusive]] set with transparent [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Galaxy Convoy]] and a [[retool]] of "[[Scrapmetal (race)|Rumble]]" as "[[Cobybot|Rumble Coby version]]". Sonic Bomber received only very minor changes; the saber blades were changed from silver chrome to gold chrome, all red paint was changed to metallic red, and the chest shield halves were now red chrome rather than gold. Benefiting from a [[Hasbro]] tweak, this version also has a properly aligned "nose guard".

*'''Optimus Prime and Wing Saber''' (2-pack, 2006)

:This set, consisting of totally unmodified versions of Cybertron Optimus Prime and Wing Saber, was released as a CostCo exclusive. The set also includes a DVD with the Cybertron episode "[[United (episode)|United]]". This set comes in a particularly huge box, and retailed for $35.99, five dollars less than the MSRP for Optimus Prime by himself.

==Merchandise==
===Energon===
*'''Wing Convoy Super Real Figure''' (2004)

:Wing Convoy Super Real Figure (ウイングコンボイ超リアルフィギュア, ''Wing Convoy chou Real Figure'') is a PVC of Optimus Prime combined with Wing Saber in Flight Mode. It was sold exclusively with the August issue of ''TV-kun'' (てれびくん) magazine, first on sale July 1st, 2004.

::*''[http://snakas.web.infoseek.co.jp/energon/wingfig_televi.htm More information on Wing Convoy Super Real Figure at Autobase Aichi]''

*'''Wing Convoy Original Figure''' (2004)
[[Image:WingConvoyOriginalFigure.jpg|thumb|250px|Nemesis Saber? Wing Sweep?]]

:A [[redeco]] of the Wing Convoy Super Real Figure, Wing Convoy Original Figure (ウイングコンボイオリジナルフィギュア) was exclusively scotch taped inside Wing Saber figures sold at [[JUSCO]] department stores starting on July 30th, 2004. A sticker was placed on Wing Saber's packaging to note the promotion.

:Despite being sold as Wing Convoy/Optimus Prime, the figure's color scheme bears a striking resemblance to that of [[Grand Scourge]], whose model kit was on sale the same month.

::*''[http://snakas.web.infoseek.co.jp/energon/wingfig_jusco.htm More information on Wing Convoy Original Figure at Autobase Aichi]''

==Notes==
* ''Energon'' Wing Saber was a toy-concept initiated by [[Takara]] and left largely to their own design team to develop, though they had to follow various [[Hasbro]] price-point mandates. The toy was detail-designed by noted Japanese fan [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]] and incorporates elements of fan-favorites [[Predaking]] and [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]].

* Ichikawa originally envisioned Wing Saber's personal weapon to be the [[Energon Saber]]. This was nixed by the animation production staff, however, along with many other toy-team concepts.

* ''Energon'' Wing Saber was originally named [[Superion Maximus]] for his western incarnation, but the name was shelved in favor of simply reusing the established Japanese name. "Superion Maximus" was reused for the combined form of the ''Energon'' [[Air Team]] shortly thereafter.

[[Image:CYB sonic bomber originalsculpt.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Sonic Bomber has wing sabers.]]
* Wing Saber's [[bio]] on Transformers.com, first appearing under the "Superion Maximus" title, was largely different from anything else, wherein "Wing Saber" was a venerable defender of high ranking Autobots and was the personal carrier of the Autobot high council.

* ''Cybertron'' Wing Saber's original [[prototype]] featured a different vehicle mode nosecone design than seen on the final toy. As revealed by the Japanese online retailer [http://www.amenbo.com Amenbo.com] on April 29 2005, the original sculpt had a much greater resemblance to the A-10 Thunderbolt, with a rounded nose cone, a correctly shaped (translucent) canopy, and twin translucent gatling cannons. It's possible that the [[design change|change]] from this more realistic sculpt to the entirely opaque one seen on the final toy occurred in order to avoid licensing issues.

*''Cybertron'' Wing Saber was originally named "Knockdown", but this was presumably shelved to have another preexisting character in the series.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Wing Saber''' (ウイングセイバー ''Uingu Seibā''), '''Wing Dagger''' (ウイングダガー ''Uingu Dagā''), '''Sonic Bomber''' (''Galaxy Force'', ソニックボンバー ''Sonikku Bonbā'')
*''Hungarian:'' '''Éleskard''' ("Sharp Sword"), '''Éleskés''' (Wing Dagger, "Sharp Knife")<ref>In "[[Optimus Prime vs Megatron: The Ultimate Battle]]", Wing Dagger is called '''Tőrszárny''', the most accurate of the translations (it means "Dagger Wing"), but not the most fancy-sounding.</ref>
*''Mandarin:'' '''Jī-yì Wǔ-lì''' (''Energon'', Taiwan, 機翼武力, "Wing Force")
*''Russian:'' '''Ostrokryl''' (Wing Dagger, Острокрыл, "Sharp Wing"), '''Sablekryl''' (Саблекрыл, "Saber Wing")

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_frm/thread/b064ea50d2b114d0/43847f79db724831?lnk=st&q=&rnum=3&hl=en#43847f79db724831 An interview with Hirofumi Ichikawa on his ''Energon'' work]

[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Costco exclusives]]
[[Category:Cybertron Autobots]]
[[Category:Energon Autobots]]
[[Category:Security officers]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]

Dark Ages

2011-09-06T07:32:06Z

71.202.173.229:

{{disambig2|the fictional Cybertronian era|the real-life comics relating this era|War Within: The Dark Ages}}
:''The Dark Ages are an era from the [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave portion]] of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

The '''Dark Ages''' started 7.4 million ago with the disappearance of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] into the [[Space Bridge]] at [[Kaon]]. {{storylink|Fragmentation}} Their leaders gone, both factions fell apart. Rather than concerning themselves with the war and the state of the planet, the Autobots and Decepticons organized themselves in various subfactions that had no real power. Their small but ongoing struggles for control, domain and [[Energon (fuel)|energy]] eventually developed in what became known as the [[Border Wars]].

A remarkable event during these dark times was the arrival of [[The Fallen]], a Transformer "from before" with [[Dark science|immense powers]] and a mission to push the Cybertronian population from chaos into damnation. The various subfactions agreed to a temporary peace in order to be able to stop him, and succeeded.

The Dark Ages officially ended 6.5 million years ago, {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Guide}} even though the Border Wars lasted for another 500,000 years.

[[Category:Generation 1 history]]
[[Category:Transformer culture]]

Bad Spark

2011-08-05T07:29:22Z

71.202.173.229: /* Animation or technical errors */

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=34
|series2=Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers
|ep2=part 3
|prev2=Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger
|image=BWRampage Badspark.jpg
|caption=Herrrree'sss Jonnnny!
|title="Bad Spark"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[February 22]], 1998
|written by=[[Greg Johnson]]
|directed by=[[Steve Sacks]] [[Jonathan Goodwill]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''An oversized stasis pod reveals the secrets of Protoform X.'''

:''French-Canadian title:'' '''Étincelle du Mal''' ("Spark of Evil")
:''Japanese title:'' ビーストウォーズメタルス (''Beast Wars Metals'', see below)
:''Spanish title:'' '''Mala Chispa'''
:''Latin-American title:'' '''Mala Chispa'''
:''Italian title:'' '''Il ritrovamento''' ("The retrieval")
:''Brazilian name:'' '''Centelha do Mal''' ("Evil Spark")

==Synopsis==
[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], on recon patrol, spots a giant stasis pod (labeled with a big yellow "X") crashed inside a patch of unstable [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] deep inside a murky swamp. [[Optimus Primal]] orders Cheetor not to open the pod until he arrives. As Optimus and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] leave, [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] invokes the help of [[Primus]] if "that thing survived". However, the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] intercept the transmission, and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] sends [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] to retrieve it, subtly planting a [[Synch-pulse transmitter|listening device]] on the former. He calmly taps his chair armrest, possibly aware that [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] left a bug of his own under it.

[[Image:Bad Spark Optimus cheetor.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"I don't feel a pulse, so it's dead." (Sure it is.)]]
When Optimus and Silverbolt meet Cheetor beside the pod, they find the protoform within apparently dead, and Primal seems relieved. When the other two ask why, Primal tells them what the pod means: The stasis pod holds "the dark secret of [[Axalon (BW)|''Axalon'']]'s journey," Protoform X. Protoform X was created in experiments attempting to replicate the mutation in the [[spark]] of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], making it indestructible, but the subject was treacherous and insane, so the ''Axalon'' was to dump the protoform "somewhere far, someplace barren."

Blackarachnia and Waspinator strike, attempting to take Protoform X for themselves. Attacking Silverbolt, Blackarachnia is angry that his code of honor won't allow him to fight back by hitting a female. Then Tarantulas arrives and threatens her. Silverbolt defends her, but the battle accidentally ignites the energon beneath Protoform X's stasis pod, which explodes and triggers an energon storm that scatters everyone for miles.

[[Image:Bad Spark Tarantulas.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Horror movies have shown us that if you see a shadow come from behind you, just run!]]
Blackarachnia and Silverbolt crash-land next to each other. They agree to work together, as they are far from their respective teams and Silverbolt's wing is broken. Tarantulas lands next to the pod; he investigates it, only to find it empty. He then turns to find ''something'' looming over him through the mist. His scream echoes for miles...

Optimus Primal and Cheetor return to the ''Axalon'', too damaged to search for Silverbolt. Blackarachnia and Silverbolt journey by foot, learning to trust each other, but Megatron is eavesdropping on them. They soon discover a piece of Tarantulas and conclude with dark humor that he is no longer a threat. [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] is disgusted by their alliance, but Megatron notes that with Tarantulas out of the way, Blackarachnia no longer needs a protector. This becomes apparent when Silverbolt is the first to cross a log bridge, only for Blackarachnia to pull her weapon on him. However, a sabertoothed cat attacks her, which Silverbolt defeats, but is left dangling on a vine. Blackarachnia saves Silverbolt, awkwardly saying that it was in case there were more tigers around. Megatron is disgusted, as it is apparent that she may have feelings for the [[Maximal]].

[[Image:Bad Spark Blackarachnia Silverbolt.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Look, just admit that it's possible Frenzy is the blue one.]]
As the two Transformers walk on, Silverbolt tries to appeal to Blackarachnia's "inner Maximal goodness", only to receive gunfire in return. As Blackarachnia stomps off, she finds Tarantulas's stasis locked body—in several pieces. Silverbolt notes that Protoform X must have done this, and tells Blackarachnia about the protoform's indestructible spark. Megatron, still eavesdropping, fashions an energon blade in preparation. Blackarachnia, freaked, prepares to high-tail it out of the area as an ominous form skitters through the fog behind them. Suddenly, the two find themselves face-to-face with Protoform X! Huge and frightening, it knocks them around effortlessly and is immune to their firepower. The monster lifts Silverbolt in its powerful claw, relishing his victim's mounting terror. Silverbolt screams in pain as X crushes him.

[[Image:Bad Spark Megatron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|This will hurt me a lot more than it will hurt you... oh, I'm lying. This won't hurt me. If anything, I'll enjoy it.]]
Primal and Cheetor arrive in the nick of time and attack, freeing Silverbolt. Blackarachnia joins them in blasting Protoform X, eventually driving it off a cliff edge. However, it transforms into tank mode and ascends the cliffside. Silverbolt throws a feather missile, knocking him down into another pile of raw energon, but not before Protoform X fires at Blackarachnia, knocking her off the other side of the cliff. Silverbolt jumps after her, unsure if his wing mechanism is healed, but he succeeds, and she is saved. The Maximals let her go before returning home. Blackarachnia watches them depart, then uses her grappling wire to depart, emphasizing a claim that she didn't need Silverbolt's last rescue.

Helpless in the pile of raw energon, Protoform X sees Megatron appear over him with the energon blade. X wakes up in the Predacon base to find that Megatron has carved out a piece of his spark and put it in a tiny cage that, when squeezed, causes him tremendous pain. Megatron has Protoform X at his mercy and renames him "Rampage".
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (1)
*[[Optimus Primal]] (2)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (3)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (4)
*[[Rampage (BW)|Protoform X]] (9)
*[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] (12)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s
|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (5)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (6)
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (7)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (8)
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (10)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (11)

}}
==Quotes==
"Primus help us all if that thing survived."
:—'''Rhinox''', on Protoform X

"Spiders spin their webs, yes. But I spin them larger."
:—'''Megatron''' after placing a cloaked tracking device on Blackarachnia

"Fine, Tarantulas, here's the scoop: Megatron is a slag-suckin' saurian, got it?" 
"Grr... she'll pay for that."
:—'''Blackarachnia''' is eavesdropped on by '''Megatron'''.

"Are you...damaged?" 
"Ah...just enough to make me...interesting."
:—'''Silverbolt''' and '''Blackarachnia'''

"Tarantulas!" 
"Where?!" 
"Do not worry. He has...been disarmed." 
"To say the least."
:—'''Silverbolt''' and '''Blackarachnia''' share a dark joke.

"Are ya...damaged?" 
"Just enough to make me...interesting."
:—'''Blackarachnia''' and '''Silverbolt''' trade roles and lines.

'''Silverbolt:''' "Why did you save me?" 
'''Blackarachnia:''' "Well, uh...there...might be other...creatures..." 
'''Megatron:''' "Eww, yuck."
:—Megatron listens in on Silverbolt and Blackarachnia's conversation.

"Forget the rescue plan, Optimus, and start devising an attack plan! Megatron has lost two, but we have only lost one." 
"I'll remember that...next time ''you're'' out missing in an energon storm." 
:—'''Dinobot''' and '''Optimus Primal''' debate priorities.

"Is that fear you're feeling, Maximal? Mmm...yes. My spark, it feeds on terror. Let it grow! Let it consume your circuitry! Feel it! Yes, feel it! Feel the fear!"
:—'''Protoform X''' with Silverbolt in his claws

"Your persistence is futile! I rise again...!" 
"In that case, let us give you further to fall!"
:—'''Protoform X''' and '''Silverbolt'''

"You are much more than a Predacon, my lady. Someday, you will come to realise that."
:—'''Silverbolt''' to the departed Blackarachnia.

"Welcome to the Predacons, '''RAMPAGE'''. You shall be an honored member...so long as you never forget one important fact about your new life: ''It's mine.''"
:—'''Megatron'''

==Notes==
===Animation or technical errors===
*As Optimus is departing the bridge with Silverbolt in tow, the panels that make up his boogie board/robot lower legs are missing.
*In one scene what appears to be a drawing of Silverbolt's torso stands behind Blackarachnia instead of his CG model.

===Continuity errors===
* Why would Optimus Primal be so quick to assume Protoform X's indestructible spark was permanently offline? (Admittedly, he didn't have much time to examine it before the Predacons showed up, and his later assertion that it was offline may have only been to deter Blackarachnia.)

===Transformers references===
* Rhinox notes, "[[Primus]] help us all if that thing survived," which was the first reference to the Creator-God of the Transformers outside of the original Marvel comics. According to Bob Forward, they took the term from a post in the [[alt.toys.transformers]] newsgroup, and were unaware of its history until afterwards. <ref>Forward's introduction to the [[Matrix Quest (Titan)|Matrix Quest]] TPB.</ref>
* Protoform X was created as an attempt to duplicate [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s "mutant indestructible spark." This is a reference (and a retcon in technobabble jargon) to Starscream's ghost in the third season of the original animated series and, more recently, to Starscream's appearance in the ''Beast Wars'' episode "[[Possession]]." It also explains why, as Optimus noted in "Possession", Starscream's records were sealed; the Council didn't want anyone else to make the same mistake they did and try to recreate Starscream's spark condition.

===Trivia===
* Cheetor's [[Transmetal]] body can soak up energon, and instead of seizing up, he can shunt it away from his body in a burst of gas. Primal thinks this is rude, and Cheetor apologizes for "blasting one off." In other words, Transformers can [[The Low Road|fart]]. This absorption and release of energon radiation was rarely mentioned in the series.
*Apparently Blackarachnia can shoot a line downwards to save Silverbolt; however, she can't shoot one upwards to scale the wall of the chasm they must venture through on foot. Her usual ability to scuttle up walls in beast mode is also seemingly offline. On the other hand, immediately afterwards she said, *sigh* "Like I needed him to catch me anyway." while using her grappling gun. So it seems likely she simply ''wanted'' Silverbolt to catch her. Wacky mis-matched buddy adventures can be a tricky business.
*The original script includes an extra line from Rampage in the last scene, in which he threatens to eat Megatron's "living brain on a plate with fava beans". No doubt cut because it was just a little too on the nose regarding Rampage's [[Wikipedia:Hannibal Lecter|Hannibal Lecter]] characterization.
* This episode confirms that some of the Axalon's crew (like Cheetor and Rattrap) were kept in the dark about many of the Axalon's true purposes.

===Theatrical release===
[[Image:BeastWarsSpecialJapanesePosterArt01.jpg|right|200px|thumb|]]

*This episode was released theatrically in Japan on [[December 19]], 1998, as the third segment in the ''[[Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers]]'' feature film, titled simply as "Beast Wars Metals". The episode was included to get fans anticipating the long-awaited Japanese release of the ''[[Beast Wars Metals (franchise)|Beast Wars Metals]]'' TV series (seasons 2 and 3 of the Canadian series). Its placement in the ''Beast Wars Metals'' TV broadcasts was filled with a newly crafted [[clip show]], "[[Where Is the Banana?]]".
{{--}}

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Bad Spark / Code of Hero ([[KB Toys]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers Special'' — Clash! Beast Warriors ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — English audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2001 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 7 ([[Universal]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers Special'' (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers Special'' (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Second Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 2 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]
[[Category:Real world films]]

Bad Spark

2011-08-05T00:20:11Z

71.202.173.229: /* Animation or technical errors */

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=34
|series2=Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers
|ep2=part 3
|prev2=Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger
|image=BWRampage Badspark.jpg
|caption=Herrrree'sss Jonnnny!
|title="Bad Spark"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[February 22]], 1998
|written by=[[Greg Johnson]]
|directed by=[[Steve Sacks]] [[Jonathan Goodwill]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''An oversized stasis pod reveals the secrets of Protoform X.'''

:''French-Canadian title:'' '''Étincelle du Mal''' ("Spark of Evil")
:''Japanese title:'' ビーストウォーズメタルス (''Beast Wars Metals'', see below)
:''Spanish title:'' '''Mala Chispa'''
:''Latin-American title:'' '''Mala Chispa'''
:''Italian title:'' '''Il ritrovamento''' ("The retrieval")
:''Brazilian name:'' '''Centelha do Mal''' ("Evil Spark")

==Synopsis==
[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], on recon patrol, spots a giant stasis pod (labeled with a big yellow "X") crashed inside a patch of unstable [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] deep inside a murky swamp. [[Optimus Primal]] orders Cheetor not to open the pod until he arrives. As Optimus and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] leave, [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] invokes the help of [[Primus]] if "that thing survived". However, the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] intercept the transmission, and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] sends [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] to retrieve it, subtly planting a [[Synch-pulse transmitter|listening device]] on the former. He calmly taps his chair armrest, possibly aware that [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] left a bug of his own under it.

[[Image:Bad Spark Optimus cheetor.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"I don't feel a pulse, so it's dead." (Sure it is.)]]
When Optimus and Silverbolt meet Cheetor beside the pod, they find the protoform within apparently dead, and Primal seems relieved. When the other two ask why, Primal tells them what the pod means: The stasis pod holds "the dark secret of [[Axalon (BW)|''Axalon'']]'s journey," Protoform X. Protoform X was created in experiments attempting to replicate the mutation in the [[spark]] of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], making it indestructible, but the subject was treacherous and insane, so the ''Axalon'' was to dump the protoform "somewhere far, someplace barren."

Blackarachnia and Waspinator strike, attempting to take Protoform X for themselves. Attacking Silverbolt, Blackarachnia is angry that his code of honor won't allow him to fight back by hitting a female. Then Tarantulas arrives and threatens her. Silverbolt defends her, but the battle accidentally ignites the energon beneath Protoform X's stasis pod, which explodes and triggers an energon storm that scatters everyone for miles.

[[Image:Bad Spark Tarantulas.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Horror movies have shown us that if you see a shadow come from behind you, just run!]]
Blackarachnia and Silverbolt crash-land next to each other. They agree to work together, as they are far from their respective teams and Silverbolt's wing is broken. Tarantulas lands next to the pod; he investigates it, only to find it empty. He then turns to find ''something'' looming over him through the mist. His scream echoes for miles...

Optimus Primal and Cheetor return to the ''Axalon'', too damaged to search for Silverbolt. Blackarachnia and Silverbolt journey by foot, learning to trust each other, but Megatron is eavesdropping on them. They soon discover a piece of Tarantulas and conclude with dark humor that he is no longer a threat. [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] is disgusted by their alliance, but Megatron notes that with Tarantulas out of the way, Blackarachnia no longer needs a protector. This becomes apparent when Silverbolt is the first to cross a log bridge, only for Blackarachnia to pull her weapon on him. However, a sabertoothed cat attacks her, which Silverbolt defeats, but is left dangling on a vine. Blackarachnia saves Silverbolt, awkwardly saying that it was in case there were more tigers around. Megatron is disgusted, as it is apparent that she may have feelings for the [[Maximal]].

[[Image:Bad Spark Blackarachnia Silverbolt.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Look, just admit that it's possible Frenzy is the blue one.]]
As the two Transformers walk on, Silverbolt tries to appeal to Blackarachnia's "inner Maximal goodness", only to receive gunfire in return. As Blackarachnia stomps off, she finds Tarantulas's stasis locked body—in several pieces. Silverbolt notes that Protoform X must have done this, and tells Blackarachnia about the protoform's indestructible spark. Megatron, still eavesdropping, fashions an energon blade in preparation. Blackarachnia, freaked, prepares to high-tail it out of the area as an ominous form skitters through the fog behind them. Suddenly, the two find themselves face-to-face with Protoform X! Huge and frightening, it knocks them around effortlessly and is immune to their firepower. The monster lifts Silverbolt in its powerful claw, relishing his victim's mounting terror. Silverbolt screams in pain as X crushes him.

[[Image:Bad Spark Megatron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|This will hurt me a lot more than it will hurt you... oh, I'm lying. This won't hurt me. If anything, I'll enjoy it.]]
Primal and Cheetor arrive in the nick of time and attack, freeing Silverbolt. Blackarachnia joins them in blasting Protoform X, eventually driving it off a cliff edge. However, it transforms into tank mode and ascends the cliffside. Silverbolt throws a feather missile, knocking him down into another pile of raw energon, but not before Protoform X fires at Blackarachnia, knocking her off the other side of the cliff. Silverbolt jumps after her, unsure if his wing mechanism is healed, but he succeeds, and she is saved. The Maximals let her go before returning home. Blackarachnia watches them depart, then uses her grappling wire to depart, emphasizing a claim that she didn't need Silverbolt's last rescue.

Helpless in the pile of raw energon, Protoform X sees Megatron appear over him with the energon blade. X wakes up in the Predacon base to find that Megatron has carved out a piece of his spark and put it in a tiny cage that, when squeezed, causes him tremendous pain. Megatron has Protoform X at his mercy and renames him "Rampage".
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (1)
*[[Optimus Primal]] (2)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (3)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (4)
*[[Rampage (BW)|Protoform X]] (9)
*[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] (12)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s
|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (5)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (6)
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (7)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (8)
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (10)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (11)

}}
==Quotes==
"Primus help us all if that thing survived."
:—'''Rhinox''', on Protoform X

"Spiders spin their webs, yes. But I spin them larger."
:—'''Megatron''' after placing a cloaked tracking device on Blackarachnia

"Fine, Tarantulas, here's the scoop: Megatron is a slag-suckin' saurian, got it?" 
"Grr... she'll pay for that."
:—'''Blackarachnia''' is eavesdropped on by '''Megatron'''.

"Are you...damaged?" 
"Ah...just enough to make me...interesting."
:—'''Silverbolt''' and '''Blackarachnia'''

"Tarantulas!" 
"Where?!" 
"Do not worry. He has...been disarmed." 
"To say the least."
:—'''Silverbolt''' and '''Blackarachnia''' share a dark joke.

"Are ya...damaged?" 
"Just enough to make me...interesting."
:—'''Blackarachnia''' and '''Silverbolt''' trade roles and lines.

'''Silverbolt:''' "Why did you save me?" 
'''Blackarachnia:''' "Well, uh...there...might be other...creatures..." 
'''Megatron:''' "Eww, yuck."
:—Megatron listens in on Silverbolt and Blackarachnia's conversation.

"Forget the rescue plan, Optimus, and start devising an attack plan! Megatron has lost two, but we have only lost one." 
"I'll remember that...next time ''you're'' out missing in an energon storm." 
:—'''Dinobot''' and '''Optimus Primal''' debate priorities.

"Is that fear you're feeling, Maximal? Mmm...yes. My spark, it feeds on terror. Let it grow! Let it consume your circuitry! Feel it! Yes, feel it! Feel the fear!"
:—'''Protoform X''' with Silverbolt in his claws

"Your persistence is futile! I rise again...!" 
"In that case, let us give you further to fall!"
:—'''Protoform X''' and '''Silverbolt'''

"You are much more than a Predacon, my lady. Someday, you will come to realise that."
:—'''Silverbolt''' to the departed Blackarachnia.

"Welcome to the Predacons, '''RAMPAGE'''. You shall be an honored member...so long as you never forget one important fact about your new life: ''It's mine.''"
:—'''Megatron'''

==Notes==
===Animation or technical errors===
*As Optimus is departing the bridge with Silverbolt in tow, the panels that make up his boogie board/robot lower legs are missing.
*In one scene, what appears to be a drawing of Silverbolt's torso stands behind Blackarachnia.

===Continuity errors===
* Why would Optimus Primal be so quick to assume Protoform X's indestructible spark was permanently offline? (Admittedly, he didn't have much time to examine it before the Predacons showed up, and his later assertion that it was offline may have only been to deter Blackarachnia.)

===Transformers references===
* Rhinox notes, "[[Primus]] help us all if that thing survived," which was the first reference to the Creator-God of the Transformers outside of the original Marvel comics. According to Bob Forward, they took the term from a post in the [[alt.toys.transformers]] newsgroup, and were unaware of its history until afterwards. <ref>Forward's introduction to the [[Matrix Quest (Titan)|Matrix Quest]] TPB.</ref>
* Protoform X was created as an attempt to duplicate [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s "mutant indestructible spark." This is a reference (and a retcon in technobabble jargon) to Starscream's ghost in the third season of the original animated series and, more recently, to Starscream's appearance in the ''Beast Wars'' episode "[[Possession]]." It also explains why, as Optimus noted in "Possession", Starscream's records were sealed; the Council didn't want anyone else to make the same mistake they did and try to recreate Starscream's spark condition.

===Trivia===
* Cheetor's [[Transmetal]] body can soak up energon, and instead of seizing up, he can shunt it away from his body in a burst of gas. Primal thinks this is rude, and Cheetor apologizes for "blasting one off." In other words, Transformers can [[The Low Road|fart]]. This absorption and release of energon radiation was rarely mentioned in the series.
*Apparently Blackarachnia can shoot a line downwards to save Silverbolt; however, she can't shoot one upwards to scale the wall of the chasm they must venture through on foot. Her usual ability to scuttle up walls in beast mode is also seemingly offline. On the other hand, immediately afterwards she said, *sigh* "Like I needed him to catch me anyway." while using her grappling gun. So it seems likely she simply ''wanted'' Silverbolt to catch her. Wacky mis-matched buddy adventures can be a tricky business.
*The original script includes an extra line from Rampage in the last scene, in which he threatens to eat Megatron's "living brain on a plate with fava beans". No doubt cut because it was just a little too on the nose regarding Rampage's [[Wikipedia:Hannibal Lecter|Hannibal Lecter]] characterization.
* This episode confirms that some of the Axalon's crew (like Cheetor and Rattrap) were kept in the dark about many of the Axalon's true purposes.

===Theatrical release===
[[Image:BeastWarsSpecialJapanesePosterArt01.jpg|right|200px|thumb|]]

*This episode was released theatrically in Japan on [[December 19]], 1998, as the third segment in the ''[[Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers]]'' feature film, titled simply as "Beast Wars Metals". The episode was included to get fans anticipating the long-awaited Japanese release of the ''[[Beast Wars Metals (franchise)|Beast Wars Metals]]'' TV series (seasons 2 and 3 of the Canadian series). Its placement in the ''Beast Wars Metals'' TV broadcasts was filled with a newly crafted [[clip show]], "[[Where Is the Banana?]]".
{{--}}

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Bad Spark / Code of Hero ([[KB Toys]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers Special'' — Clash! Beast Warriors ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — English audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2001 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 7 ([[Universal]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers Special'' (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers Special'' (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Second Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 2 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]
[[Category:Real world films]]