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Human Error, Part I

2010-08-22T01:19:44Z

75.162.25.8: /* Trivia */

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|image=TFA Human Error Part 1 Automen.jpg
|caption=''Humans Animated'' is a very popular show on Cybertron.
|ep=37
|title="Human Error, Part I"
|airdate=[[April 18]], 2009
|written by=[[Henry Gilroy]]
|directed by=[[Kalvin Lee]] [[Christopher Berkeley]] [[Naoto Hashimoto]]
|animation studio=[[Mook]]
}}
'''With the Christmas season upon them, the Autobots are not quite themselves following a run-in with Porter C. Powell's new mass-produced Soundwave action figures.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:TFAni Human Error Part 1 Powell Soundwave.jpg|thumb|left|180px|He's actually worse than [[wikipedia:Vince Offer|Vince Offer]].]]
It's [[Christmas]] in Detroit, but [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] is not in a festive mood. The hottest toy of the year is [[Sound Wave]], being marketed by [[Porter C. Powell]], who acquired the schematics and patent when he ran [[Sumdac Systems]]. Observing a commercial for the new toy, Optimus notices one of the small robots running across the plaza near the trains. Trying to follow it, he is nearly run over by a train and finally decides that he may be obsessing.

At the plant, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] and [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] are interested in what they got for Christmas, but [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] tells them that [[Santa Claus]] will know if they try to peek. As the two help Sari decorate, a Sound Wave toy breaks out of the present and does something to the [[oilnog]] that Sari made for the Autobots. The toy is barely able to hide as Optimus, [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]], and [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] weigh in on Santa's ability to deliver presents to all the children. Sari tells them to just accept the holiday magic and be thankful for what they have, like family, leading to a toast of the spiked oil. Soon, the Autobots all begin to feel tired and decide to call it a night, as Sari heads back to [[Sumdac Tower]].

[[Image:TFAni Human Error Part 1 Optimus Human.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Who would want to be a human in ''Transformers''? The [[Fandom|fans]] all hate them.]]
The next morning, Optimus wakes up, still woozy, and discovers something frightening: his hands are made of flesh! Falling off his bed in shock, Prime's eyes fall upon a mirror, and he discovers the horrifying truth—He's become a human! Optimus hears Bumblebee and Bulkhead cry out, and discovers that all the other Autobots are human as well. Optimus is convinced that there must be a reason, but a few scans by Ratchet are unable to determine the cause of the change. Looking for Prowl, the Autobots head outside, where they find the ninja is mostly at home with the situation, except he feels that something is wrong. Since they're unable to contact Sari, the Autobots decide to [[roll out|<s>roll ou—</s>]] er, walk to Sumdac Tower.

[[Image:TFA Human Error Sumdac dance.jpg|thumb|left|180px|Truly fun for all ages.]]
The Sumdacs, meanwhile, are exchanging Christmas presents, although Sari is less than impressed with the Soundwave toy she receives, having less-than-fond memories of her previous experience with the musical menace. The next present, a scooter, likewise fails to excite, until her father reveals that it also transforms into a jetpack! Thrilled at the gift, Sari takes off to show the Autobots, leaving her dad dancing and singing along with Sound Wave.

On their way to Sumdac Tower, the Autobots stop at [[Burger Bot]] when Bulkhead experiences the odd sensation of "hunger". Before long, he is also experiencing the thrills and spills of "the bathroom", while Prowl makes the most of his new human form, having a salad and playing peek-a-boo with a greatly amused [[Nancy Witwicky|baby]]. The light-heartedness is brought to an end by a sudden explosion outside, and the Autobots race onto the street to see an armada of airborne [[Decepticon]]s, with [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] in the lead, opening fire on the city! As chaos erupts around them, more Decepticons led by [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] come stomping up the street . A blast from Shockwave sets a nearby building on fire, and Prime orders the Autobots into action despite their frail new forms. While Bulkhead and Bumblebee fight the fire, Prime and Ratchet rescue a woman, and Prowl heads upstairs to save her [[Gary|son]]. At the last minute, Prowl dives out a window several stories up with the boy in his arms and lands with ease, prompting Bulkhead to wonder exactly how he accomplished such a seemingly impossible feat. Before any thought can go into the matter, Starscream transforms to robot mode and lands in front of them!

Carried by her new jetpack to the Autobot plant, Sari is surprised to discover it locked up tight, and even more surprised when the Autobots don't respond to her knocking. She flies into the plant through a skylight, but the whole building seems deserted, so she uses the computer to scan for the Autobots' energy signatures, which turn out to be coming from...inside the plant?

[[Image:TFAni Human Error Part 1 Starscream Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|right|180px|GET IT OFF GET IT OFF GET IT OFF!]]
As Starscream tears up the street and sends humans scattering in fear, Bulkhead and Bumblebee rather foolishly attempt to attack him, and the results are rather predictable. When Optimus tries slashing the Decepticon with an axe, Starscream backhands him into a wall, breaking his leg. Hearing the Autobots refer to each other by name, Starscream realizes who his opponents are, but is so busy smirking over things that he loses sight of them and finds that he can't tell one human from another! Dismissing them, he departs for more destruction elsewhere, leaving the Autobots to have their injuries tended to by paramedics. Requiring some of Professor Sumdac's technology to fight the Decepticons, the Autobots board a bus to get to the tower quickly.

Back at the Autobots' plant, Sari is still searching for her friends, when suddenly, a [[Laserbeak (Animated)|large, robotic bird]] flies out of a shaft in the floor, followed by a small army of Sound Wave action figures! Sari blasts the evil toys and heads down the shaft to investigate.

[[Image:TFAni Human Error Part 1 Bumblebee vs Blitzwing.jpg|thumb|180px|left|''You spin my head right 'round, right 'round''.]]
At the foot of Sumdac Tower, the Autobots have just stepped off the bus when suddenly, a huge shadow falls over Detroit. Looking up, the stunned Autobots see the entire planet of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] itself hanging in the sky. Sumdac tower is obliterated by a huge planetary laser weapon, and a full-scale Decepticon invasion force swarms the sky, led by [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] himself! The Decepticons are just as surprised by the Automens' appearance as they are, but Megatron decides to take advantage by destroying them last, so that they may watch their adopted home be destroyed. The sheer impossibility of everything that is happening finally hits Optimus Prime and Prowl, who realize that whatever may be happening to them, none of it is real. Megatron seizes Prowl, but amazingly, the Autobot breaks free of his grip, and with a single swipe of his hand, severs Megatron's arm. Blitzwing attempts to crush Prowl beneath his foot, but Bulkhead runs forward and smashes straight through the [[Triple Changer]]'s leg. As Bumblebee pummels Blitzwing's faces and Prowl knocks out Starscream by phasing into his head, Optimus Prime beats Megatron with his own arm, then hurls his axe into the barrel of the Decepticon leader's cannon, causing it to explode. As the dust cloud fades, Cybertron and all of the Decepticons have vanished, and the Autobots come to the realization that they are trapped in some kind of virtual reality.

[[Image:TFA Human Error Part 1 Soundwave Superior.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Giant virtual "Shattered Glass" ''Animated'' Soundwave?]]
Sari makes the same discovery as the Autobots when she reaches the bottom of the secret shaft and discovers their bodies, plugged into machinery being operated by the full-size [[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]], who is planning to use the illusion to reprogram the Autobots into Decepticons. Within the virtual world, the Autobots are able to will themselves back into robotic form (although Bulkhead has a little trouble), but before they can take any further actions, a gigantic arm bursts out of the ground beneath them, scooping them up in its hand. Soundwave's giant face looks down upon the Autobots, declaring escape impossible and shocking them all with blasts of purple energy. Soundwave also has his hands full in the real world, as Sari blasts a chunk out of his shoulder with one of her energy-balls,. Soundwave summons Laserbeak, the robotic bird Sari saw earlier, into his arms, where it transforms into a guitar and hits Sari with a powerful sonic shock wave. The wounded Sari retreats, promising to come back for her friends and leaving Soundwave to resume the final phase of his Autobot reprogramming with [[Ratbat (Animated)|another musical instrument]] that bathes the heroic robots in waves of sonic energy. As Soundwave gloats, Optimus Prime's optics activate and begin glowing Decepticon-red...

[[Human Error, Part II|To be continued...]]

==Featured characters==
{{note|Characters in italics appear only as part of Soundwave's virtual reality scenario.}}
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (2)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (3)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (4)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (9)
|c2=
*[[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]] (5)
*''[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]'' (12)
*''[[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]]'' (13)
*''[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]]'' (14)
*''[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]]'' (15)
*''[[Strika (Animated)|Strika]]'' (16)
*''[[Oil Slick (Animated)|Oil Slick]]'' (17)
*''[[Spittor (Animated)|Spittor]]'' (18)
*''[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]'' (23)
*[[Laserbeak (Animated)|Laserbeak]] (24)
*[[Ratbat (Animated)|Ratbat]] (25)
|c3=
*[[Porter C. Powell]] (6)
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (7)
*''[[Nancy Witwicky]]'' (10)
*''[[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly Witwicky]]'' (11)
*''[[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel Witwicky]]'' (19)
*''[[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike Witwicky]]'' (20)
*''[[Gary]]'' (21)
*''Hydra'' (22)
*''[[Marty Isenberg]]'' (23)
*''Cancer'' (24)
|c4=
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (8)
}}

==Quotes==

"That toy rightfully belongs to me, Powell! You are a thieving crook!" 
"And a Merry Christmas to you too, Professor Sumdac, but I acquired your toy's patents fair and square when I owned your company. Now I'm sharing Sound Wave with the entire world, for only $19.99 each." 
"$19.99? ''How does he do it''?!" 
:—'''Professor Sumdac''' unwittingly provides PR for '''Porter C. Powell's''' products. Say that three times fast.

'''Ratchet''': And I'm telling you, there is no way that this "Santa Claus" could deliver billions of presents in one night. 
'''Prowl''': I can think of at least one way. Ho. Ho. Ho. 
''[Prowl projects holograms of himself]'' 
'''Optimus''': A sound theory, Prowl. I did see multiple Santas in the shopping district tonight.
:—The Autobots weigh in on the debate of how Santa does his job.

"We need to get to Sumdac Tower. Auto—uh, men. Transfo—er, uh, roll—er, uh, oh, let's...let's just go."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' has a few slips on his "[[roll out]]" command.

"Why would ze Autobots choose to be human?" 
"Not for the fashion sense, I can tell you that. A-ha-ha-ha!"
:—'''Icy Blitzwing''' and '''Random Blitzwing''', the next [[wikipedia:Tim Gunn|Tim Gunn]].

"Not a creature was stirring, not even a—''[Laserbeak flies out of the Autobrand on the floor]'' creepy robot bird?" 
:—'''Sari Sumdac''' adds a new twist to a classic Christmas tale.

"Oh, look! I have a hole in my rocket!"
:—Even horrible injury cannot faze '''Random Blitzwing'''.

"Hey, we're baaaaack!" 
"Not all of us!" 
"It might help you if you make the noise with your mouth like this: ''Choo-chuh-chah-chik''!" 
"Sounds silly... But, okay. Choo-chuh-chah-chah-chik! ''Choo-chuh-chah-chah-chik''!"
:— '''Bumblebee''' and '''Bulkhead''', making [[Transform#The_noise|the transformation noise]] like so many of us do—DID. As children. Yeah.

"Escape is impossible. Autobots inferior, Soundwave superior."
:-'''Soundwave''' makes sure that line is never forgotten.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical errors===
* When Bulkhead sets down his Christmas present, the box is missing the horizontal ribbon it has in the preceding and following shots.
* When Ratchet scans Optimus, all the equipment is human-sized, instead of the much larger, Transformer-scaled size. Of course, it's not actually ''real'', but still.
[[Image:HumanError-DanielSpike.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The popular "Invisible Booster Seat" image from Lolbots.com.]]
* In the bus tram scene, Daniel is shown levitating over his seat.
* We first see [[Nancy Witwicky|<strike>Jennifer</strike> Nancy Witwicky]] for a few frames in the background next to a mom who isn't Carly. She's Carly later, though.
* After the explosion is heard outside the Burger Bot, Bulkhead's previously half-eaten burger is now whole.
* Bulkhead punches Starscream with his right hand...then screams and clutches his ''left'' hand...then after a scene cut, he is shown clutching his ''right'' hand...and later he gets a bandage put on his ''left'' hand. Of course, it's...oh, you get the idea.
* Of course, if this was real, we'd point out that the force with which Starscream smashed Optimus into the wall should probably have killed him, or at least caused a lot more damage than a broken leg. Good thing it's not, then.
* When Cybertron approaches Earth, it's entirely ''in front'' of the clouds, which is absurd for anything planet-sized. (Still not real, though.)
* The elevator platform in the Autobots' base shrinks from Autobot-sized at the top (such that Sari is shown to be tiny in comparison to it) to human-sized at the bottom (such that Laserbeak couldn't fit through the door even if it had been open).
* Blitzwing's face changes from Icy to Random when he lifts up his leg, only to be Icy again when he's looking through the hole after the shot changes.
* When Optimus beats Megatron with his own severed arm, the arm is ''freaking colossal'', nearly as big as the rest of Megatron's body. (Megatron's face also goes significantly off-model in the same scene.) It's also hollow, but that's what virtual things look like on the inside.
* When Optimus commands the "Automen" to transform, one of his irises is bigger than the other.
* When being held by the giant Soundwave, Prowl is briefly missing his armor.
* The hole Sari blows in Soundwave's backpack comes and goes. Hey, this bit is real!

===Continuity errors===
* Where did Soundwave get images of the Decepticons? In particular, since there are several conceivable ways to get the Earth Decepts' images, what are [[Team Chaar]] and [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] doing there, as none of them have been to Earth? Even if you somehow presume the Autobots themselves generated the images, only Oil Slick—per ''The Arrival'' comic—and Shockwave's head have been seen by any of Optimus's team.
* Where did Sari's jetpack go while she was on the lift? (For that matter, why did she transform out of her robot mode at all?)
* Lugnut disappears with the other Decepticons, despite the fact none of the Autobots fought him.

===Transformers references===
* [[Derrick Wyatt]] stated this episode was a partial homage to a [[Only Human|"classic" Generation 1 episode]].
* Sari's transforming scooter-jetpack was an early idea that didn't make it into the series, but which was featured in a promotional reel for the ''Animated'' series (seen on the convention circuit in mid-2007 and featured on the DVD included with the "Optimus Prime and Megatron: The Battle Begins" action figure set). The version introduced with this episode is somewhat different from the original concept, which was a pedal-powered tricycle that transformed using the power of the [[AllSpark Key]].
* The scooter's jetpack form is, in turn, based on the backpacks worn by the Acroyear/Acroyer, the villains from Takara's [[Microman]] toyline.
[[Image:HydraMartyCancer.jpg|right|thumb|150px|This is a winning sitcom concept right here.]]
* The [[Burger Bot]] patrons include series head writer [[Marty Isenberg]], [[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly Witwicky]], her baby daughter [[Nancy Witwicky|Nancy]] (who was close to being born during the Season 2 episode "[[Garbage In, Garbage Out]]"), and ''Animated'' homages to the ''[[Super-God Masterforce (franchise)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' characters [[Cancer]] and [[Hydra (Masterforce)|Hydra]]. Hydra, Marty, and Cancer are sitting together at one table, indicating a very interesting family.
* Speaking of Masterforce, this episode also features [[Pretender|Transformers turning into people and back]], though in this case, it actually makes some kinda sense.
* Starscream's missiles feature the shark-toothed smiley faces sculpted into his Voyager-class toy's missile accessories.
* Cybertron was brought into Earth orbit twice in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] series: first in the multipart episode "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 1|The Ultimate Doom]]", and then in the series finale, "[[The Rebirth, Part 3]]".
* Soundwave's declaration of "Autobots inferior; Soundwave superior" is a paraphrase of his Generation 1 namesake's famous line of dialogue from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'': "Soundwave superior; Constructicons inferior."
* The colors on the giant Soundwave in the virtual world come from Takara's "Sonic White" Soundwave MP3 player.
* Prowl had already chopped off Megatron's arm in the [[Transform and Roll Out|pilot episode]].

===Foreign dubbing===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Erreur humaine 1/2'''" ("Human Error 1/2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

===Real-world references===
* Appropriately enough, the first act of this episode incorporates traditional Christmas songs "[[Wikipedia: Carol of the Bells|Carol of the Bells]]", [[Wikipedia: Jingle Bells|Jingle Bells]]" and "[[Wikipedia:God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen|God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen]]" into the background music.
* When Sari's searching the Autobot base for her friends, at one point, her jetpack sounds like a [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Podracer podracer] from ''[[Star Wars]] Episode I: The Phantom Menace''.
* Sari quotes from the Christmas poem, "[[Wikipedia: A Visit from St. Nicholas|A Visit from St. Nicholas]]" (more commonly known as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"), replacing the word "mouse" with "[[Laserbeak (Animated)|creepy robot bird]]".
* When Laserbeak chases Sari into the elevator, he makes sounds like a seagull.
* Bumblebee says "We're not in Detroit anymore," which is another twist on an oft-paraphrased line from ''The Wizard of Oz''.
* The scene of Cybertron blowing up [[Sumdac Tower]] is straight out of the mid-'90s summer blockbuster ''Independence Day'', in which an alien mothership blows up the White House in a similar manner while using the [[Death Star]] sound effect from ''Star Wars''.
* The whole idea of the heroes acting in a virtual world where only those aware of its true nature can break the laws of physics is similar to [[Wikipedia: The Matrix (series)|the ''Matrix'' series]].
* Prowl going into the burning building to save the child, despite being in human form, is highly reminiscent of a scene in ''Spider-Man 2'' in which Peter Parker does the same thing, despite not wearing his hero outfit.

===Trivia===
* This episode features an unusually high amount of [[stock footage]] by ''Animated'' standards. Starscream's sequence is a few seconds longer than when it was last seen in "[[Megatron Rising - Part 1]]". Of course, all the sequences of the "human" Autobots transforming have been re-edited.
* Apparently, in future Detroit, you are allowed to use public transportation while bearing a giant axe. Well, it ''is'' Detroit...
* Back in "[[Sound and Fury]]", Soundwave's voice was modulated using only one tone, meaning it never rose or fell. With this episode, more tones are introduced into his voice, allowing it to rise and fall in the same manner as his [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[Soundwave (G1)|counterpart]].
* Sari's abilities include being capable of holding a full barrel of oil on each hand and surviving getting slammed into a wall by Laserbeak and Soundwave. Plus, she makes a mean oilnog.
* Man, Professor Sumdac sure can ''dance''.
* Now in his samurai armor, Prowl can make two or more holographic projections of himself, whereas he could only make one at a time before getting the armor. It's ''that'' awesome!
* Technically, since most of this episode wasn't real, most of the errors above can be dismissed. So nyah!
* This isn't the [[Bee in the City|first time]] Bumblebee has a taste of human food.
* Considering the presence of snow at the end of the first season, and now again here, it seems fairly obvious that it's been well over a year since the Autobots awoke from their stasis under Lake Erie. Additionally, while "[[Along Came a Spider]]" explicitly showed the Autobots' first Halloween, this is never said to be their first Christmas.
* Just when you thought he couldn't get any more awesome, Prowl becomes a Ghost/Cop/Ninja.
* As the Decepticon Jets attack Detroit, Two lugnuts are attacking. Lugnut in his regular color scheme and behind him is the Atomic Lugnut redeco.

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

[[Category:Animated episodes]]

Human Error, Part I

2010-08-22T01:17:40Z

75.162.25.8: /* Trivia */

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|image=TFA Human Error Part 1 Automen.jpg
|caption=''Humans Animated'' is a very popular show on Cybertron.
|ep=37
|title="Human Error, Part I"
|airdate=[[April 18]], 2009
|written by=[[Henry Gilroy]]
|directed by=[[Kalvin Lee]] [[Christopher Berkeley]] [[Naoto Hashimoto]]
|animation studio=[[Mook]]
}}
'''With the Christmas season upon them, the Autobots are not quite themselves following a run-in with Porter C. Powell's new mass-produced Soundwave action figures.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:TFAni Human Error Part 1 Powell Soundwave.jpg|thumb|left|180px|He's actually worse than [[wikipedia:Vince Offer|Vince Offer]].]]
It's [[Christmas]] in Detroit, but [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] is not in a festive mood. The hottest toy of the year is [[Sound Wave]], being marketed by [[Porter C. Powell]], who acquired the schematics and patent when he ran [[Sumdac Systems]]. Observing a commercial for the new toy, Optimus notices one of the small robots running across the plaza near the trains. Trying to follow it, he is nearly run over by a train and finally decides that he may be obsessing.

At the plant, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] and [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] are interested in what they got for Christmas, but [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] tells them that [[Santa Claus]] will know if they try to peek. As the two help Sari decorate, a Sound Wave toy breaks out of the present and does something to the [[oilnog]] that Sari made for the Autobots. The toy is barely able to hide as Optimus, [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]], and [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] weigh in on Santa's ability to deliver presents to all the children. Sari tells them to just accept the holiday magic and be thankful for what they have, like family, leading to a toast of the spiked oil. Soon, the Autobots all begin to feel tired and decide to call it a night, as Sari heads back to [[Sumdac Tower]].

[[Image:TFAni Human Error Part 1 Optimus Human.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Who would want to be a human in ''Transformers''? The [[Fandom|fans]] all hate them.]]
The next morning, Optimus wakes up, still woozy, and discovers something frightening: his hands are made of flesh! Falling off his bed in shock, Prime's eyes fall upon a mirror, and he discovers the horrifying truth—He's become a human! Optimus hears Bumblebee and Bulkhead cry out, and discovers that all the other Autobots are human as well. Optimus is convinced that there must be a reason, but a few scans by Ratchet are unable to determine the cause of the change. Looking for Prowl, the Autobots head outside, where they find the ninja is mostly at home with the situation, except he feels that something is wrong. Since they're unable to contact Sari, the Autobots decide to [[roll out|<s>roll ou—</s>]] er, walk to Sumdac Tower.

[[Image:TFA Human Error Sumdac dance.jpg|thumb|left|180px|Truly fun for all ages.]]
The Sumdacs, meanwhile, are exchanging Christmas presents, although Sari is less than impressed with the Soundwave toy she receives, having less-than-fond memories of her previous experience with the musical menace. The next present, a scooter, likewise fails to excite, until her father reveals that it also transforms into a jetpack! Thrilled at the gift, Sari takes off to show the Autobots, leaving her dad dancing and singing along with Sound Wave.

On their way to Sumdac Tower, the Autobots stop at [[Burger Bot]] when Bulkhead experiences the odd sensation of "hunger". Before long, he is also experiencing the thrills and spills of "the bathroom", while Prowl makes the most of his new human form, having a salad and playing peek-a-boo with a greatly amused [[Nancy Witwicky|baby]]. The light-heartedness is brought to an end by a sudden explosion outside, and the Autobots race onto the street to see an armada of airborne [[Decepticon]]s, with [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] in the lead, opening fire on the city! As chaos erupts around them, more Decepticons led by [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] come stomping up the street . A blast from Shockwave sets a nearby building on fire, and Prime orders the Autobots into action despite their frail new forms. While Bulkhead and Bumblebee fight the fire, Prime and Ratchet rescue a woman, and Prowl heads upstairs to save her [[Gary|son]]. At the last minute, Prowl dives out a window several stories up with the boy in his arms and lands with ease, prompting Bulkhead to wonder exactly how he accomplished such a seemingly impossible feat. Before any thought can go into the matter, Starscream transforms to robot mode and lands in front of them!

Carried by her new jetpack to the Autobot plant, Sari is surprised to discover it locked up tight, and even more surprised when the Autobots don't respond to her knocking. She flies into the plant through a skylight, but the whole building seems deserted, so she uses the computer to scan for the Autobots' energy signatures, which turn out to be coming from...inside the plant?

[[Image:TFAni Human Error Part 1 Starscream Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|right|180px|GET IT OFF GET IT OFF GET IT OFF!]]
As Starscream tears up the street and sends humans scattering in fear, Bulkhead and Bumblebee rather foolishly attempt to attack him, and the results are rather predictable. When Optimus tries slashing the Decepticon with an axe, Starscream backhands him into a wall, breaking his leg. Hearing the Autobots refer to each other by name, Starscream realizes who his opponents are, but is so busy smirking over things that he loses sight of them and finds that he can't tell one human from another! Dismissing them, he departs for more destruction elsewhere, leaving the Autobots to have their injuries tended to by paramedics. Requiring some of Professor Sumdac's technology to fight the Decepticons, the Autobots board a bus to get to the tower quickly.

Back at the Autobots' plant, Sari is still searching for her friends, when suddenly, a [[Laserbeak (Animated)|large, robotic bird]] flies out of a shaft in the floor, followed by a small army of Sound Wave action figures! Sari blasts the evil toys and heads down the shaft to investigate.

[[Image:TFAni Human Error Part 1 Bumblebee vs Blitzwing.jpg|thumb|180px|left|''You spin my head right 'round, right 'round''.]]
At the foot of Sumdac Tower, the Autobots have just stepped off the bus when suddenly, a huge shadow falls over Detroit. Looking up, the stunned Autobots see the entire planet of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] itself hanging in the sky. Sumdac tower is obliterated by a huge planetary laser weapon, and a full-scale Decepticon invasion force swarms the sky, led by [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] himself! The Decepticons are just as surprised by the Automens' appearance as they are, but Megatron decides to take advantage by destroying them last, so that they may watch their adopted home be destroyed. The sheer impossibility of everything that is happening finally hits Optimus Prime and Prowl, who realize that whatever may be happening to them, none of it is real. Megatron seizes Prowl, but amazingly, the Autobot breaks free of his grip, and with a single swipe of his hand, severs Megatron's arm. Blitzwing attempts to crush Prowl beneath his foot, but Bulkhead runs forward and smashes straight through the [[Triple Changer]]'s leg. As Bumblebee pummels Blitzwing's faces and Prowl knocks out Starscream by phasing into his head, Optimus Prime beats Megatron with his own arm, then hurls his axe into the barrel of the Decepticon leader's cannon, causing it to explode. As the dust cloud fades, Cybertron and all of the Decepticons have vanished, and the Autobots come to the realization that they are trapped in some kind of virtual reality.

[[Image:TFA Human Error Part 1 Soundwave Superior.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Giant virtual "Shattered Glass" ''Animated'' Soundwave?]]
Sari makes the same discovery as the Autobots when she reaches the bottom of the secret shaft and discovers their bodies, plugged into machinery being operated by the full-size [[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]], who is planning to use the illusion to reprogram the Autobots into Decepticons. Within the virtual world, the Autobots are able to will themselves back into robotic form (although Bulkhead has a little trouble), but before they can take any further actions, a gigantic arm bursts out of the ground beneath them, scooping them up in its hand. Soundwave's giant face looks down upon the Autobots, declaring escape impossible and shocking them all with blasts of purple energy. Soundwave also has his hands full in the real world, as Sari blasts a chunk out of his shoulder with one of her energy-balls,. Soundwave summons Laserbeak, the robotic bird Sari saw earlier, into his arms, where it transforms into a guitar and hits Sari with a powerful sonic shock wave. The wounded Sari retreats, promising to come back for her friends and leaving Soundwave to resume the final phase of his Autobot reprogramming with [[Ratbat (Animated)|another musical instrument]] that bathes the heroic robots in waves of sonic energy. As Soundwave gloats, Optimus Prime's optics activate and begin glowing Decepticon-red...

[[Human Error, Part II|To be continued...]]

==Featured characters==
{{note|Characters in italics appear only as part of Soundwave's virtual reality scenario.}}
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (2)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (3)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (4)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (9)
|c2=
*[[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]] (5)
*''[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]'' (12)
*''[[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]]'' (13)
*''[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]]'' (14)
*''[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]]'' (15)
*''[[Strika (Animated)|Strika]]'' (16)
*''[[Oil Slick (Animated)|Oil Slick]]'' (17)
*''[[Spittor (Animated)|Spittor]]'' (18)
*''[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]'' (23)
*[[Laserbeak (Animated)|Laserbeak]] (24)
*[[Ratbat (Animated)|Ratbat]] (25)
|c3=
*[[Porter C. Powell]] (6)
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (7)
*''[[Nancy Witwicky]]'' (10)
*''[[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly Witwicky]]'' (11)
*''[[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel Witwicky]]'' (19)
*''[[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike Witwicky]]'' (20)
*''[[Gary]]'' (21)
*''Hydra'' (22)
*''[[Marty Isenberg]]'' (23)
*''Cancer'' (24)
|c4=
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (8)
}}

==Quotes==

"That toy rightfully belongs to me, Powell! You are a thieving crook!" 
"And a Merry Christmas to you too, Professor Sumdac, but I acquired your toy's patents fair and square when I owned your company. Now I'm sharing Sound Wave with the entire world, for only $19.99 each." 
"$19.99? ''How does he do it''?!" 
:—'''Professor Sumdac''' unwittingly provides PR for '''Porter C. Powell's''' products. Say that three times fast.

'''Ratchet''': And I'm telling you, there is no way that this "Santa Claus" could deliver billions of presents in one night. 
'''Prowl''': I can think of at least one way. Ho. Ho. Ho. 
''[Prowl projects holograms of himself]'' 
'''Optimus''': A sound theory, Prowl. I did see multiple Santas in the shopping district tonight.
:—The Autobots weigh in on the debate of how Santa does his job.

"We need to get to Sumdac Tower. Auto—uh, men. Transfo—er, uh, roll—er, uh, oh, let's...let's just go."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' has a few slips on his "[[roll out]]" command.

"Why would ze Autobots choose to be human?" 
"Not for the fashion sense, I can tell you that. A-ha-ha-ha!"
:—'''Icy Blitzwing''' and '''Random Blitzwing''', the next [[wikipedia:Tim Gunn|Tim Gunn]].

"Not a creature was stirring, not even a—''[Laserbeak flies out of the Autobrand on the floor]'' creepy robot bird?" 
:—'''Sari Sumdac''' adds a new twist to a classic Christmas tale.

"Oh, look! I have a hole in my rocket!"
:—Even horrible injury cannot faze '''Random Blitzwing'''.

"Hey, we're baaaaack!" 
"Not all of us!" 
"It might help you if you make the noise with your mouth like this: ''Choo-chuh-chah-chik''!" 
"Sounds silly... But, okay. Choo-chuh-chah-chah-chik! ''Choo-chuh-chah-chah-chik''!"
:— '''Bumblebee''' and '''Bulkhead''', making [[Transform#The_noise|the transformation noise]] like so many of us do—DID. As children. Yeah.

"Escape is impossible. Autobots inferior, Soundwave superior."
:-'''Soundwave''' makes sure that line is never forgotten.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical errors===
* When Bulkhead sets down his Christmas present, the box is missing the horizontal ribbon it has in the preceding and following shots.
* When Ratchet scans Optimus, all the equipment is human-sized, instead of the much larger, Transformer-scaled size. Of course, it's not actually ''real'', but still.
[[Image:HumanError-DanielSpike.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The popular "Invisible Booster Seat" image from Lolbots.com.]]
* In the bus tram scene, Daniel is shown levitating over his seat.
* We first see [[Nancy Witwicky|<strike>Jennifer</strike> Nancy Witwicky]] for a few frames in the background next to a mom who isn't Carly. She's Carly later, though.
* After the explosion is heard outside the Burger Bot, Bulkhead's previously half-eaten burger is now whole.
* Bulkhead punches Starscream with his right hand...then screams and clutches his ''left'' hand...then after a scene cut, he is shown clutching his ''right'' hand...and later he gets a bandage put on his ''left'' hand. Of course, it's...oh, you get the idea.
* Of course, if this was real, we'd point out that the force with which Starscream smashed Optimus into the wall should probably have killed him, or at least caused a lot more damage than a broken leg. Good thing it's not, then.
* When Cybertron approaches Earth, it's entirely ''in front'' of the clouds, which is absurd for anything planet-sized. (Still not real, though.)
* The elevator platform in the Autobots' base shrinks from Autobot-sized at the top (such that Sari is shown to be tiny in comparison to it) to human-sized at the bottom (such that Laserbeak couldn't fit through the door even if it had been open).
* Blitzwing's face changes from Icy to Random when he lifts up his leg, only to be Icy again when he's looking through the hole after the shot changes.
* When Optimus beats Megatron with his own severed arm, the arm is ''freaking colossal'', nearly as big as the rest of Megatron's body. (Megatron's face also goes significantly off-model in the same scene.) It's also hollow, but that's what virtual things look like on the inside.
* When Optimus commands the "Automen" to transform, one of his irises is bigger than the other.
* When being held by the giant Soundwave, Prowl is briefly missing his armor.
* The hole Sari blows in Soundwave's backpack comes and goes. Hey, this bit is real!

===Continuity errors===
* Where did Soundwave get images of the Decepticons? In particular, since there are several conceivable ways to get the Earth Decepts' images, what are [[Team Chaar]] and [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] doing there, as none of them have been to Earth? Even if you somehow presume the Autobots themselves generated the images, only Oil Slick—per ''The Arrival'' comic—and Shockwave's head have been seen by any of Optimus's team.
* Where did Sari's jetpack go while she was on the lift? (For that matter, why did she transform out of her robot mode at all?)
* Lugnut disappears with the other Decepticons, despite the fact none of the Autobots fought him.

===Transformers references===
* [[Derrick Wyatt]] stated this episode was a partial homage to a [[Only Human|"classic" Generation 1 episode]].
* Sari's transforming scooter-jetpack was an early idea that didn't make it into the series, but which was featured in a promotional reel for the ''Animated'' series (seen on the convention circuit in mid-2007 and featured on the DVD included with the "Optimus Prime and Megatron: The Battle Begins" action figure set). The version introduced with this episode is somewhat different from the original concept, which was a pedal-powered tricycle that transformed using the power of the [[AllSpark Key]].
* The scooter's jetpack form is, in turn, based on the backpacks worn by the Acroyear/Acroyer, the villains from Takara's [[Microman]] toyline.
[[Image:HydraMartyCancer.jpg|right|thumb|150px|This is a winning sitcom concept right here.]]
* The [[Burger Bot]] patrons include series head writer [[Marty Isenberg]], [[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly Witwicky]], her baby daughter [[Nancy Witwicky|Nancy]] (who was close to being born during the Season 2 episode "[[Garbage In, Garbage Out]]"), and ''Animated'' homages to the ''[[Super-God Masterforce (franchise)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' characters [[Cancer]] and [[Hydra (Masterforce)|Hydra]]. Hydra, Marty, and Cancer are sitting together at one table, indicating a very interesting family.
* Speaking of Masterforce, this episode also features [[Pretender|Transformers turning into people and back]], though in this case, it actually makes some kinda sense.
* Starscream's missiles feature the shark-toothed smiley faces sculpted into his Voyager-class toy's missile accessories.
* Cybertron was brought into Earth orbit twice in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] series: first in the multipart episode "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 1|The Ultimate Doom]]", and then in the series finale, "[[The Rebirth, Part 3]]".
* Soundwave's declaration of "Autobots inferior; Soundwave superior" is a paraphrase of his Generation 1 namesake's famous line of dialogue from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'': "Soundwave superior; Constructicons inferior."
* The colors on the giant Soundwave in the virtual world come from Takara's "Sonic White" Soundwave MP3 player.
* Prowl had already chopped off Megatron's arm in the [[Transform and Roll Out|pilot episode]].

===Foreign dubbing===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Erreur humaine 1/2'''" ("Human Error 1/2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

===Real-world references===
* Appropriately enough, the first act of this episode incorporates traditional Christmas songs "[[Wikipedia: Carol of the Bells|Carol of the Bells]]", [[Wikipedia: Jingle Bells|Jingle Bells]]" and "[[Wikipedia:God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen|God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen]]" into the background music.
* When Sari's searching the Autobot base for her friends, at one point, her jetpack sounds like a [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Podracer podracer] from ''[[Star Wars]] Episode I: The Phantom Menace''.
* Sari quotes from the Christmas poem, "[[Wikipedia: A Visit from St. Nicholas|A Visit from St. Nicholas]]" (more commonly known as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"), replacing the word "mouse" with "[[Laserbeak (Animated)|creepy robot bird]]".
* When Laserbeak chases Sari into the elevator, he makes sounds like a seagull.
* Bumblebee says "We're not in Detroit anymore," which is another twist on an oft-paraphrased line from ''The Wizard of Oz''.
* The scene of Cybertron blowing up [[Sumdac Tower]] is straight out of the mid-'90s summer blockbuster ''Independence Day'', in which an alien mothership blows up the White House in a similar manner while using the [[Death Star]] sound effect from ''Star Wars''.
* The whole idea of the heroes acting in a virtual world where only those aware of its true nature can break the laws of physics is similar to [[Wikipedia: The Matrix (series)|the ''Matrix'' series]].
* Prowl going into the burning building to save the child, despite being in human form, is highly reminiscent of a scene in ''Spider-Man 2'' in which Peter Parker does the same thing, despite not wearing his hero outfit.

===Trivia===
* This episode features an unusually high amount of [[stock footage]] by ''Animated'' standards. Starscream's sequence is a few seconds longer than when it was last seen in "[[Megatron Rising - Part 1]]". Of course, all the sequences of the "human" Autobots transforming have been re-edited.
* Apparently, in future Detroit, you are allowed to use public transportation while bearing a giant axe. Well, it ''is'' Detroit...
* Back in "[[Sound and Fury]]", Soundwave's voice was modulated using only one tone, meaning it never rose or fell. With this episode, more tones are introduced into his voice, allowing it to rise and fall in the same manner as his [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[Soundwave (G1)|counterpart]].
* Sari's abilities include being capable of holding a full barrel of oil on each hand and surviving getting slammed into a wall by Laserbeak and Soundwave. Plus, she makes a mean oilnog.
* Man, Professor Sumdac sure can ''dance''.
* Now in his samurai armor, Prowl can make two or more holographic projections of himself, whereas he could only make one at a time before getting the armor. It's ''that'' awesome!
* Technically, since most of this episode wasn't real, most of the errors above can be dismissed. So nyah!
* This isn't the [[Bee in the City|first time]] Bumblebee has a taste of human food.
* Considering the presence of snow at the end of the first season, and now again here, it seems fairly obvious that it's been well over a year since the Autobots awoke from their stasis under Lake Erie. Additionally, while "[[Along Came a Spider]]" explicitly showed the Autobots' first Halloween, this is never said to be their first Christmas.
* Just when you thought he couldn't get any more awesome, Prowl becomes a Ghost/Cop/Ninja.
* As the Decepticon Jets attack Detroit, 2 lugnuts are attacking. Lugnut in his regular color scheme and behind him is his Atomic Lugnut color scheme.

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

[[Category:Animated episodes]]

International Incident Part 2: "Ranks of Bronze"

2010-08-20T05:13:08Z

75.162.25.8:

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers (IDW)|The Transformers]]'' #10
|prev=International Incident Part 1: "The Land Ironclads"
|next=International Incident Part 3
|title=International Incident Part 2: "Ranks of Bronze"
|image=Transformers 10A.jpg
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date= [[August 10]], [[2010]]
|coverdate=August 2010
|written by=[[Mike Costa]]
|art by=[[Guido Guidi]]
|colors by=[[James Brown|J. Brown]]
|letters by=[[Neil Uyetake]]
|assistant editor=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|editor=[[Andy Schmidt]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2010)]]
}}
'''The Autobots sneak into North Korea'''

==Synopsis==
On a dock in [[Incheon]], [[South Korea]] Campologno is hooking up a shipping container to a crane when he is confronted by a rather officious dockworker. The dockworker, quite reasonably, wants to know what sort of shipping company has the power to force a shipyard to unload a single ship at a time when there's alien attacks occurring within 10 miles. Unable to successfully bluff the operation even with Joe Henderson's help, Campologno incapacitates the dockworker with a sleeper hold and tosses him into the water. Henderson and Campologno argue about this course of action, bemoaning the limited time they've had to run the operation. [[Skywatch]] field commander Spike Witwicky silences his subordinates and gets there assistance in opening the seven shipping containers, revealing seven Autobots in their [[alternate mode|vehicular forms]].

Once freed from his container, Optimus Prime asks if there's a problem. Spike complains about the lack of smarts that his unit has been displaying. Prime reminds him that a unit is a reflection of its commanding officer. After that, the Autobots and Skywatch personnel enter a hangar, allowing the Autobots to transform into their robot forms without being spotted by the watchful eyes of any orbiting reconnaissance satellites. Witwicky reminds them that the mission is strictly off the book now that Cybertronians have been classified as Weapons of Mass Destruction, so they'll have to engage the enemy without revealing their robotic nature. The Autobots will have to fight in their alternate modes. Spike reveals that Prime's trailer contains a lot of weaponry, and Wheeljack is tasked with attaching that weaponry to the Autobots' vehicular bodies.

Further inland, Onslaught, Brawl and Vortex are relaxing, and celebrating not having to deal with [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] or [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] bossing them around. At this point, Kim Jong Du storms out with his bodyguards to admonish the idling Decepticons and order them to deal with US/South Korean forces that are mustering. Brawl is less than happy to be ordered about by a human and makes his objections known to Onslaught. The Combaticon leader says they have to keep this up as long as Kim has Energon, but he has a plan. Vortex calls him on it, and Onslaught admits that he's ''formulating'' a plan. This causes Brawl to claim that he misses Swindle.

A short while later a US NCO is rallying his troops to face off against the 3 Combaticons. As he's declaring that the humans won't let machines just march in, an extremely up-gunned Smokescreen goes speeding past to engage the Decepticon foe. Smokescreen lays down a smokescreen as blasts Vortex. This leads Onslaught to wonder if there are Autobots present. Onslaught's suspicions are confirmed when Optimus Prime emerges from the smoke at ramming speed and barrels into the luckless Decepticon. Vortex uses his rotors to redirect the smokescreen at Smokescreen, reasoning that the Autobot can't see through it either. Taking advantage of the distraction, Vortex takes to the skies and transforms to helicopter mode, bragging that the Autobot/Skywatch force is doomed without air support.

Spike obviously agrees with Vortex, as he orders the hitherto hidden Jetfire to engage the Combaticon helicopter. Meanwhile, the ground-based Decepticon forces are trying to figure out why the Autobots won't transform, preferring to remain as sitting ducks in their alternate modes. As Onslaught starts tearing into Prime's cab, Skywatch deploys their Beta Team of [[Crash suit]]s. The Autobots and the Crash suits start herding the Combaticons towards the sea, where a waiting Broadside unleashes a debilitating volley of firepower at the Decepticon duo, effectively pinning them. Immediately after this, Vortex blasts Jetfire, damaging the Autobot's wing and causing him to plummet into a collision with Broadside. The huge explosion this causes distracts the Autobots long enough for the three Combaticons to flee the area.

A short time later, the Autobots are back in the hangar, with Ratchet working on repairing some of the damage to Broadside and Jetfire. Spike wants to know how come the other Skywatch personnel allowed Brawl to escape. Campologno and Henderson point out that the Combaticons are protected from Skywatch's suppressors and without that advantage, they can't stop a tank. Optimus notes that Jetfire, as a research scientist, really is no match for soldier of Vortex's caliber. Ratchet interrupts the debrief to give a prognosis on Jetfire: he'll be out of action for at least a week. Cliffjumper grouses that this will leave them without air support and the option of transforming, meaning that they'd have almost no chance of victory. Prime states that he's been in contact with the Autobot leader, Bumblebee, and that 'Bee has a plan.

Bumblebee is giving a speech to a potential new recruit, mentioning how times have changed, and how they're not really sure where things are now, citing [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] as an example. 'Bee talks about how the situation is much bigger than it used to be and that it threatens all Autobots and Decepticons. Bumblebee concludes by asking Thundercracker to join his force as the Seeker ponders...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters

|c1=
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (5)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (6)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (7)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (8)
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (9)
* [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] (10)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (11)
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (17)
* [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] (18)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (19)
|c2=
* [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (12)
* [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (13)
* [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (14)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (20)

|c3=
* [[Campologno]] (1)
* South Korean customs official (2)
* [[Joe Henderson]] (3)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (4)
* [[Kim Jong Du]] (15)
* US Army commander (16)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Onslaught''': As long as he (Kim Jong Du) has the Energon, we have to keep this up. But don't worry, I have a plan. 
'''Vortex''': Oh, you have a '''plan'''? Are you learning to make Energon? 
'''Onslaught''': No. 
'''Vortex''': Are you figuring out how to capture the facility without blowing the whole thing sky high? 
'''Onslaught''': Well...no...look, I'm '''formulating''' a plan, okay? I '''will''' have one.
:-Onslaught, demonstrating his unparalleled mastery of strategy

==Errors==
* On page 7, Prime's licence plate is blank
* On page 11, when Vortex speaks to Kim Jong Du, the "<" is missing.
* On page 13, one of the military guys describes the Combaticons as "tough costumers" instead of "tough customers."
* On page 15, when Vortex attacks Cliffjumper, the latter is coloured like Smokescreen.
* On page 22, Bumblebee's wings are coloured to match the tv screens.
* The soldiers spying on the Decepticons identifies their weakness is incendiary ammo, which was established in the movies, not in the Generation One Universe.

==Items of note==
*''Once again'' the designs for the Transformer characters have changed, with artist Guido Guidi giving the Autobots character models that are closer to the style he used during ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'' but incorporating details from [[Don Figueroa]]'s run in ''The Transformers'' ongoing series. The notable exception is Jetfire, who retains his (more or less) [[Floro Dery]]-designed character model. Meanwhile, the Combaticons have less detailed character models that more closely resemble their original toys than Dery-based models seen in the previous issue.
*Skywatch soldier Campologno has been providing the Autobots with his DVDs in an attempt at a cultural exchange. Evidently, among them are television series and movies starring [[Patton Oswalt]].
*Broadside has the emblem that looks like the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] logo, but it's actualy a LEGO 4005-1: Tug Boat homage.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/comic-books-graphic-novels/318429-transformers-10-preview-review-thread-2.html#post5105571 Guido post at TFW 2005 message board.]</ref>
*Onslaught and Vortex are shown opening their [[mouthplate]]s to reveal mouths underneath. Brawl can probably do this too.
*As Ratchet repairs Broadside and Jetfire, the rarely seen [[onebox component|repair bay]] from his original toy sits next to him.

===Covers (2)===
* '''Cover A:''' Jetfire getting blasted out of the sky; art by [[Guido Guidi]], colors by [[James Brown|J. Brown]]
* '''Cover RI:''' The Autobots in the darkness; art by [[Charles Paul Wilson III]]

<gallery>
Image: Transformers 10A.jpg|
Image: Transformers 10RI.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* TBD

==References==
<references />

[[Category:IDW Generation 1 issues]]

International Incident Part 2: "Ranks of Bronze"

2010-08-20T05:11:45Z

75.162.25.8: /* Errors */

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers (IDW)|The Transformers]]'' #10
|prev=International Incident Part 1: "The Land Ironclads"
|next=International Incident Part 3
|title=International Incident Part 2: "Ranks of Bronze"
|image=Transformers 10A.jpg
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date= [[August 10]], [[2010]]
|coverdate=August 2010
|written by=[[Mike Costa]]
|art by=[[Guido Guidi]]
|colors by=[[James Brown|J. Brown]]
|letters by=[[Neil Uyetake]]
|assistant editor=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|editor=[[Andy Schmidt]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2010)]]
}}
'''The Autobots sneak into North Korea'''

==Synopsis==
On a dock in [[Incheon]], [[South Korea]] Campologno is hooking up a shipping container to a crane when he is confronted by a rather officious dockworker. The dockworker, quite reasonably, wants to know what sort of shipping company has the power to force a shipyard to unload a single ship at a time when there's alien attacks occurring within 10 miles. Unable to successfully bluff the operation even with Joe Henderson's help, Campologno incapacitates the dockworker with a sleeper hold and tosses him into the water. Henderson and Campologno argue about this course of action, bemoaning the limited time they've had to run the operation. [[Skywatch]] field commander Spike Witwicky silences his subordinates and gets there assistance in opening the seven shipping containers, revealing seven Autobots in their [[alternate mode|vehicular forms]].

Once freed from his container, Optimus Prime asks if there's a problem. Spike complains about the lack of smarts that his unit has been displaying. Prime reminds him that a unit is a reflection of its commanding officer. After that, the Autobots and Skywatch personnel enter a hangar, allowing the Autobots to transform into their robot forms without being spotted by the watchful eyes of any orbiting reconnaissance satellites. Witwicky reminds them that the mission is strictly off the book now that Cybertronians have been classified as Weapons of Mass Destruction, so they'll have to engage the enemy without revealing their robotic nature. The Autobots will have to fight in their alternate modes. Spike reveals that Prime's trailer contains a lot of weaponry, and Wheeljack is tasked with attaching that weaponry to the Autobots' vehicular bodies.

Further inland, Onslaught, Brawl and Vortex are relaxing, and celebrating not having to deal with [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] or [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] bossing them around. At this point, Kim Jong Du storms out with his bodyguards to admonish the idling Decepticons and order them to deal with US/South Korean forces that are mustering. Brawl is less than happy to be ordered about by a human and makes his objections known to Onslaught. The Combaticon leader says they have to keep this up as long as Kim has Energon, but he has a plan. Vortex calls him on it, and Onslaught admits that he's ''formulating'' a plan. This causes Brawl to claim that he misses Swindle.

A short while later a US NCO is rallying his troops to face off against the 3 Combaticons. As he's declaring that the humans won't let machines just march in, an extremely up-gunned Smokescreen goes speeding past to engage the Decepticon foe. Smokescreen lays down a smokescreen as blasts Vortex. This leads Onslaught to wonder if there are Autobots present. Onslaught's suspicions are confirmed when Optimus Prime emerges from the smoke at ramming speed and barrels into the luckless Decepticon. Vortex uses his rotors to redirect the smokescreen at Smokescreen, reasoning that the Autobot can't see through it either. Taking advantage of the distraction, Vortex takes to the skies and transforms to helicopter mode, bragging that the Autobot/Skywatch force is doomed without air support.

Spike obviously agrees with Vortex, as he orders the hitherto hidden Jetfire to engage the Combaticon helicopter. Meanwhile, the ground-based Decepticon forces are trying to figure out why the Autobots won't transform, preferring to remain as sitting ducks in their alternate modes. As Onslaught starts tearing into Prime's cab, Skywatch deploys their Beta Team of [[Crash suit]]s. The Autobots and the Crash suits start herding the Combaticons towards the sea, where a waiting Broadside unleashes a debilitating volley of firepower at the Decepticon duo, effectively pinning them. Immediately after this, Vortex blasts Jetfire, damaging the Autobot's wing and causing him to plummet into a collision with Broadside. The huge explosion this causes distracts the Autobots long enough for the three Combaticons to flee the area.

A short time later, the Autobots are back in the hangar, with Ratchet working on repairing some of the damage to Broadside and Jetfire. Spike wants to know how come the other Skywatch personnel allowed Brawl to escape. Campologno and Henderson point out that the Combaticons are protected from Skywatch's suppressors and without that advantage, they can't stop a tank. Optimus notes that Jetfire, as a research scientist, really is no match for soldier of Vortex's caliber. Ratchet interrupts the debrief to give a prognosis on Jetfire: he'll be out of action for at least a week. Cliffjumper grouses that this will leave them without air support and the option of transforming, meaning that they'd have almost no chance of victory. Prime states that he's been in contact with the Autobot leader, Bumblebee, and that 'Bee has a plan.

Bumblebee is giving a speech to a potential new recruit, mentioning how times have changed, and how they're not really sure where things are now, citing [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] as an example. 'Bee talks about how the situation is much bigger than it used to be and that it threatens all Autobots and Decepticons. Bumblebee concludes by asking Thundercracker to join his force as the Seeker ponders...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters

|c1=
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (5)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (6)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (7)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (8)
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (9)
* [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] (10)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (11)
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (17)
* [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] (18)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (19)
|c2=
* [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (12)
* [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (13)
* [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (14)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (20)

|c3=
* [[Campologno]] (1)
* South Korean customs official (2)
* [[Joe Henderson]] (3)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (4)
* [[Kim Jong Du]] (15)
* US Army commander (16)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Onslaught''': As long as he (Kim Jong Du) has the Energon, we have to keep this up. But don't worry, I have a plan. 
'''Vortex''': Oh, you have a '''plan'''? Are you learning to make Energon? 
'''Onslaught''': No. 
'''Vortex''': Are you figuring out how to capture the facility without blowing the whole thing sky high? 
'''Onslaught''': Well...no...look, I'm '''formulating''' a plan, okay? I '''will''' have one.
:-Onslaught, demonstrating his unparalleled mastery of strategy

==Errors==
* On page 7, Prime's licence plate is blank
* On page 11, when Vortex speaks to Kim Jong Du, the "<" is missing.
* On page 13, one of the military guys describes the Combaticons as "tough costumers" instead of "tough customers."
* On page 15, when Vortex attacks Cliffjumper, the latter is coloured like Smokescreen.
* On page 22, Bumblebee's wings are coloured to match the tv screens.

The soldiers spying on the Decepticons identifies their weakness is incendiary ammo, which was established in the movies, not in the Generation One Universe.

==Items of note==
*''Once again'' the designs for the Transformer characters have changed, with artist Guido Guidi giving the Autobots character models that are closer to the style he used during ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'' but incorporating details from [[Don Figueroa]]'s run in ''The Transformers'' ongoing series. The notable exception is Jetfire, who retains his (more or less) [[Floro Dery]]-designed character model. Meanwhile, the Combaticons have less detailed character models that more closely resemble their original toys than Dery-based models seen in the previous issue.
*Skywatch soldier Campologno has been providing the Autobots with his DVDs in an attempt at a cultural exchange. Evidently, among them are television series and movies starring [[Patton Oswalt]].
*Broadside has the emblem that looks like the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] logo, but it's actualy a LEGO 4005-1: Tug Boat homage.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/comic-books-graphic-novels/318429-transformers-10-preview-review-thread-2.html#post5105571 Guido post at TFW 2005 message board.]</ref>
*Onslaught and Vortex are shown opening their [[mouthplate]]s to reveal mouths underneath. Brawl can probably do this too.
*As Ratchet repairs Broadside and Jetfire, the rarely seen [[onebox component|repair bay]] from his original toy sits next to him.

===Covers (2)===
* '''Cover A:''' Jetfire getting blasted out of the sky; art by [[Guido Guidi]], colors by [[James Brown|J. Brown]]
* '''Cover RI:''' The Autobots in the darkness; art by [[Charles Paul Wilson III]]

<gallery>
Image: Transformers 10A.jpg|
Image: Transformers 10RI.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* TBD

==References==
<references />

[[Category:IDW Generation 1 issues]]