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Optimus Prime (Animated)

2008-02-05T01:31:30Z

76.68.189.129:

{{Template:Disambig3|Optimus Prime}}

:''Optimus Prime is an [[Autobot]] in the [[Transformers Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:OptimusPrimeAnimated.JPG|right|thumb|300px|"Freedom... [[Megatron (BW)|Yeesss]]..."]]

'''Optimus Prime''' is a relatively naive and idealistic young leader, prone to long-winded "inspirational" speeches, who leads a small and inexperienced Autobot [[space bridge]] maintenance team under the supervision of [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]. Despite his humble "Bot Next Door" persona, he performs his job with a dedicated seriousness. He transforms into a fire engine and wields a kick-ass, rocket-powered, extendable battle axe.

His superior, [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] looks on Optimus as a failure, while [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] sneers at Optimus's lowly repair job. More than anything, Prime wishes to be a hero. He's got the speeches, he's got the moves... but what is he missing?
Maybe [[Stan Bush|The Touch]]?

{{Quote|Ah. Human upgrades. What will they think of next?|Optimus commenting on the human race's... ah... "creativity".|"[[Total Meltdown]]"}}

==Fiction==
===''Transformers Animated'' cartoon===
{{ongoing}}
:''Voice actor: [[David Kaye]] (US), ? (Japan)''

{{spoiler|Transform and Roll Out!}}
[[Image:Sariprime.jpg|right|thumb|120px|Sorry, Prime, this is just another one of those things you were never meant to know...]]

Prime and his crew came across the [[All Spark (Animated)|All Spark]] while repairing a [[Space Bridge]] and brought the artifact aboard their ship. During transport, they were discovered by the [[Decepticons]], and [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] came after them. He proved too strong to take head on (in spite of [[Starscream (Animated)|his subordinate]] planting a bomb on his chassis), but when the Autobot ship neared [[Earth]], Prime knocked Megatron overboard. The Autobots stayed in stasis for the next 50 years until they were accidentally awakened by an apparent intruder. Optimus and the Autobots took on Earth vehicles as alternate modes in an attempt to assimilate with what they believed to be the local dominant culture. Prime and his team were able to dispatch a bio-mechanical insectoid that was attacking Detroit. They were hailed as heroes for it. Eventually, Starscream came for the All Spark, and Optimus found that the schemer could pack quite a punch. The Autobot officer was still able to keep Starscream from getting the artifact, though at the cost of his life. However, he was quickly revived by [[Sari]] and her All Spark-influenced key. Later, the Autobots helped rebuild parts of Detroit that were destroyed in their battle with Starscream. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out!}}

==Toys==
===Transformers Animated===
*'''CYBERTRON Mode Optimus Prime''' (Deluxe, 2008)
[[Image:Animatedoptimusprimetoycybertronic.jpg|left|thumb|150px|''"I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay. I sleep all night and I work all day."'']]

:Based on his pre-Earth Cybertronian look, the first version of ''Animated'' Optimus Prime transforms into a half-track Cybertronic truck loosely based on the Mitsubishi Fuso Hybrid concept truck. As a half-track, instead of rear wheels, he has molded, caterpillar-linked tracks with smaller wheels inside for rolling along smooth surfaces. Prime's axe weapon is stored by partially folding the axe at the grey hinge near the handle peg, then placing the handle peg in a hole on the back of the cab (actually his two fists' holes, thus helping them holding in position) with the blade facing down and a grey peg facing up, acting as a "fifth wheel" (known as a trailer hitch among fans), should one find a suitable trailer to attach onto it.

:In robot mode, his head has a retracted [[mouthplate]]. He has a superb range of articulation, as is the standard with ''Animated'' toys, due to the extensive use of ball joints and universal hinge joints. As stated above, the hitch assembly becomes his axe, which can be wielded with one blade (for the rocket-boosted look) or have the single blade split to form a double-bladed axe. The truck roof is mounted on his left arm as a shield or can be separated in two and be attached to the axe to become giant energon blades.

{{comingsoontoy}}

*'''Optimus Prime''' (Voyager, 2008)
:Based on his Earth look, a futuristic fire truck. His rear portion transforms into a giant gun and wings, but you can remove it in both modes. Also, the giant opened-up energon axe will be included.

{{comingsoontoy}}

*'''Optimus Prime vs. Megatron: The Battle Begins''' (Deluxe, 2008)

{{comingsoontoy}}

==Trivia==
*Optimus was killed off after only [[Transform and Roll Out!|three episodes]] ''and'' revived 1 minute and 15 seconds later. That's gotta be [[Optimus Prime (G1)|a]] [[Optimus Primal|new]] [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|record]].

{{charstub}}

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

Bumblebee (Animated)

2008-02-05T01:04:32Z

76.68.189.129:

{{disambig3|Bumblebee}}

:''Bumblebee is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Transformers Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Bumblebeeanimated.jpg|thumb|right|300px|He's so cute, he's impossible to catch [[wikipedia:Chamillionaire|ridin' dirty]].]]
'''Bumblebee''' the youngest, yellowest, and most energetic of the Autobots...[[Bumblebee (G1)|as]] [[Bumblebee (Movie)|usual]]. A hyperactive wisecracker, Bumblebee is quite convinced he's the fastest{{m-}}and coolest{{m-}}thing on four wheels. He has a tendency to bite off more then he can chew, so it's a good thing he pals around with the massive [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]]. He does ''not'' take well to being called "short", and his over-eager ways can get on [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet's]] nerves all too easily. Still, Bumblebee is good people.

Whatever you do, don't, for any reason, call him short.

{{quote|I may be small, but I'm scrappy!|Bumblebee|"[[Total Meltdown]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Transformers Animated cartoon===
{{ongoing}}
:''Voice actor'': [[Bumper Robinson]]

[[Image:AniBee-SG.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Rattrap|We're all gonna die]], aren't we?]]
Bumblebee can save [[Sari Sumdac|a little girl]] from a rampaging slug creature and retain his cheerfulness and good humor while doing so. He also calls [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]] [[Optimus Primal|"Big Bot"]]... sounds [[Cheetor|familiar.]]

His hands can transform intro electronic welders, which he can use to shoot electric jolts. Also, he has a [[Bumblebee (G1)|strangely familiar]] [[faceplate]]—probably also for welding. Despite the fact that he maintains that he's a repair-bot and not programmed for combat, he's quite useful in battle.

Bumblebee is a member of Optimus Prime's repair crew, assigned to perform maintenance on malfunctioning [[space bridge]]s. He proved agile enough to help his stronger (but much larger) teammate, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], who had managed to lodge a wrecking ball in an asteroid. Even though he expressed significant fear of [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], he still managed to crack wise at the [[Decepticon leader]]'s appearance once they were face-to-face. The humor vanished when Megs pulled out his sword. After Megatron was thrown off the ship, Bumblebee entered stasis with the rest of the crew just before the ''Ark'' crash-landed on [[Earth]].

Upon awakening the crew to alert them to the intrusion of a nanite-powered bug-slug, the ship's computer scanned vehicle modes to disguise them. Bumblebee got reformatted into [[Captain Fanzone]]'s car. Lucky him.

Upon noticing [[Sari Sumdac|"a little creature"]] struggling with her [[Sparkplug (Animated)|"owner"]], 'Bee and Mr. Bulk showed their unfamiliarity with organic life by assuming the owner/pet relationship was reversed. Their speculation was interrupted by the attacks of the giant, nanite-fueled bug monster, and Bumblebee intervened to get Sari out of the way. Later in the battle, Bumblebee was called on to deliver the override command to the beast's nanites, as he was the fastest and most nimble of the crew.

His defeat of the monster seriously impressed Sari, who decided to befriend him. Sari's definition of befriending included cajoling him into sneaking her aboard the ''Ark''. Of course, Sari wouldn't stay still as Bumblebee asked, compelling him to jettison her into a ventilation shaft. After introducing her to the group, Sari and 'Bee became fast friends. When [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] attacked Detroit, Bumblebee took a shot intended for Sari, allowing Screamer to capture Bumblebee, [[Isaac Sumdac]], [[Captain Fanzone]], and the Mayor. Sari, with Prowl's help, managed to rescue them. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out!}}

{{spoiler|Total Meltdown}}

At one point, Bumblebee took part in a match against [[Colossus Rhodes|Cyrus "Colossus" Rhodes]]. Unfortunately, Cyrus [[Wikipedia:Hulk (comics)|hulked up]], then proceeded to beat the [[slag (slang)|slag]] out of Bumblebee. The other Autobots were forced to rescue him, using it as a chance to riff on his small stature. However, only Bumblebee was able to get into [[Sumdac Tower]] when [[Prometheus Black|Meltdown]] went to kill Isaac Sumdac. Bumblebee managed to get him to the ground floor, but Meltdown arrived. Bulkhead tried to stop him, but Meltdown threw a glob of acid at Bulkhead, which Bumblebee took instead (basically, 'Bee is a human shield). Bulkhead offered his apologies over his comments, saying he was only having a little fun—which sent Bumblebee into declaring his good moves and speed. He's going to be pretty impossible to live with for a while. {{storylink|Total Meltdown}}

==Toys==
===Animated===
*'''Bumblebee''' (Deluxe, 2008)

: Bumblebee will be yellow, look a bit like the little car from ''Lupin the Third'' (and a little like a smart car), and have these cute little rocket booster pods that can go on either side. It seriously looks to be the cutest Transformer ever (right up there with [[Moon (BWII)|Moon]]). He cheats a bit in robot mode, with a fake car roof chest. He will not have a faceplate on the toy. Just a smirk. He will also have shock stingers.
{{comingsoontoy}}

==Trivia==
: Bumblebee's arm-mounted shock stingers are very likely inspired by an early weapon concept from the 2007 movie [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]].

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

Bumblebee (Animated)

2008-02-05T01:04:00Z

76.68.189.129:

{{disambig3|Bumblebee}}

:''Bumblebee is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Transformers Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Bumblebeeanimated.jpg|thumb|right|300px|He's so cute, he's impossible to catch [[wikipedia:Chamillionaire|ridin' dirty.]]
'''Bumblebee''' the youngest, yellowest, and most energetic of the Autobots...[[Bumblebee (G1)|as]] [[Bumblebee (Movie)|usual]]. A hyperactive wisecracker, Bumblebee is quite convinced he's the fastest{{m-}}and coolest{{m-}}thing on four wheels. He has a tendency to bite off more then he can chew, so it's a good thing he pals around with the massive [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]]. He does ''not'' take well to being called "short", and his over-eager ways can get on [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet's]] nerves all too easily. Still, Bumblebee is good people.

Whatever you do, don't, for any reason, call him short.

{{quote|I may be small, but I'm scrappy!|Bumblebee|"[[Total Meltdown]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Transformers Animated cartoon===
{{ongoing}}
:''Voice actor'': [[Bumper Robinson]]

[[Image:AniBee-SG.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Rattrap|We're all gonna die]], aren't we?]]
Bumblebee can save [[Sari Sumdac|a little girl]] from a rampaging slug creature and retain his cheerfulness and good humor while doing so. He also calls [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]] [[Optimus Primal|"Big Bot"]]... sounds [[Cheetor|familiar.]]

His hands can transform intro electronic welders, which he can use to shoot electric jolts. Also, he has a [[Bumblebee (G1)|strangely familiar]] [[faceplate]]—probably also for welding. Despite the fact that he maintains that he's a repair-bot and not programmed for combat, he's quite useful in battle.

Bumblebee is a member of Optimus Prime's repair crew, assigned to perform maintenance on malfunctioning [[space bridge]]s. He proved agile enough to help his stronger (but much larger) teammate, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], who had managed to lodge a wrecking ball in an asteroid. Even though he expressed significant fear of [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], he still managed to crack wise at the [[Decepticon leader]]'s appearance once they were face-to-face. The humor vanished when Megs pulled out his sword. After Megatron was thrown off the ship, Bumblebee entered stasis with the rest of the crew just before the ''Ark'' crash-landed on [[Earth]].

Upon awakening the crew to alert them to the intrusion of a nanite-powered bug-slug, the ship's computer scanned vehicle modes to disguise them. Bumblebee got reformatted into [[Captain Fanzone]]'s car. Lucky him.

Upon noticing [[Sari Sumdac|"a little creature"]] struggling with her [[Sparkplug (Animated)|"owner"]], 'Bee and Mr. Bulk showed their unfamiliarity with organic life by assuming the owner/pet relationship was reversed. Their speculation was interrupted by the attacks of the giant, nanite-fueled bug monster, and Bumblebee intervened to get Sari out of the way. Later in the battle, Bumblebee was called on to deliver the override command to the beast's nanites, as he was the fastest and most nimble of the crew.

His defeat of the monster seriously impressed Sari, who decided to befriend him. Sari's definition of befriending included cajoling him into sneaking her aboard the ''Ark''. Of course, Sari wouldn't stay still as Bumblebee asked, compelling him to jettison her into a ventilation shaft. After introducing her to the group, Sari and 'Bee became fast friends. When [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] attacked Detroit, Bumblebee took a shot intended for Sari, allowing Screamer to capture Bumblebee, [[Isaac Sumdac]], [[Captain Fanzone]], and the Mayor. Sari, with Prowl's help, managed to rescue them. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out!}}

{{spoiler|Total Meltdown}}

At one point, Bumblebee took part in a match against [[Colossus Rhodes|Cyrus "Colossus" Rhodes]]. Unfortunately, Cyrus [[Wikipedia:Hulk (comics)|hulked up]], then proceeded to beat the [[slag (slang)|slag]] out of Bumblebee. The other Autobots were forced to rescue him, using it as a chance to riff on his small stature. However, only Bumblebee was able to get into [[Sumdac Tower]] when [[Prometheus Black|Meltdown]] went to kill Isaac Sumdac. Bumblebee managed to get him to the ground floor, but Meltdown arrived. Bulkhead tried to stop him, but Meltdown threw a glob of acid at Bulkhead, which Bumblebee took instead (basically, 'Bee is a human shield). Bulkhead offered his apologies over his comments, saying he was only having a little fun—which sent Bumblebee into declaring his good moves and speed. He's going to be pretty impossible to live with for a while. {{storylink|Total Meltdown}}

==Toys==
===Animated===
*'''Bumblebee''' (Deluxe, 2008)

: Bumblebee will be yellow, look a bit like the little car from ''Lupin the Third'' (and a little like a smart car), and have these cute little rocket booster pods that can go on either side. It seriously looks to be the cutest Transformer ever (right up there with [[Moon (BWII)|Moon]]). He cheats a bit in robot mode, with a fake car roof chest. He will not have a faceplate on the toy. Just a smirk. He will also have shock stingers.
{{comingsoontoy}}

==Trivia==
: Bumblebee's arm-mounted shock stingers are very likely inspired by an early weapon concept from the 2007 movie [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]].

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

The Thrill of the Hunt

2008-02-05T01:01:01Z

76.68.189.129: /* Miscellaneous trivia */

{{picsneeded|screencaps}}
{{episodenav|animated|7|season=1|prev=Blast from the Past|next=Nanosec (episode)}}

'''While Autobots encounter a mysterious muscle car creating havoc in Detroit, Ratchet keeps flashing back to his "tour of duty" in the Great Autobot-Decepticon Wars.'''

==Synopsis==

While debating the ethical dilemma of an auto parts store with [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]'s old war wound tingles, making him think that trouble's ahead. Just then, the lights in the city go out, and the trio is confronted by a spiked muscle car with red headlamps. Thinking it's a human out for a joyride, the [[Autobot]]s go after the car. At a critical moment in the chase, Ratchet experiences a flashback to his days in the [[Great War]]...

''Field tech Ratchet is in the middle of a war zone with a Decepticon barrage falling down around him. Communicating with [[Supreme Commander]] [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], he says found the object of his mission, an Autobot intelligence officer named [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]. She is badly damaged and in need of immediate repair. Ratchet uses his [[EMP]] generator to deactivate her temporarily, allowing him to replace her leg, despite Arcee's concern that the EMP could wipe her [[memory core]].''

Ratchet flashes back into the present and is nearly run over by the muscle car, but is pushed out of the way by Bumblebee. The Autobots regroup at headquarters and Optimus inquires of Ratchet's well-being, but the crusty old bot doesn't want to talk. Meanwhile, the [[Television|TV]] news is broadcasting a live, high-speed chase between the police and the strange car, and Ratchet experiences another flashback.

''In the middle of the repair to Arcee, Ratchet loads her up and starts to evacuate the area, only to be caught and smacked down by a bounty hunter.''

Ratchet's thoughts are snapped back into the present as the Autobots begin the chase after the muscle car anew. Ratchet finally recognizes the muscle car as an old nemesis, [[Lockdown]]. The past haunts him again...

''Ratchet and Arcee are now prisoners of Lockdown, who explains his work as a bounty hunter and his lack of allegiance to either side in the war. He also says he has a fondness for taking weapons and parts from his quarry as trophies and upgrades. This time, he's taken Ratchet's EMP generator.''

Flash forward to the present, and Prime finally forces Lockdown to stop. The bounty hunter incapacitates Prime with the EMP weapon, and they both disappear. In his hideout, Lockdown explains to a tied-up Optimus Prime about the bounty on his head for killing [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]. Then he gets to work on removing Prime’s grapplers and installing them in his own body.

The Autobots scan the city for Prime, but don't have much luck until [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] finds that Lockdown's ship is sitting in the middle of the old downtown area, cloaked as an ordinary warehouse. Before they roll out, Ratchet refuses to join the rescue mission, though without explanation.

Finished with his chop job on Optimus, Lockdown converses with [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]], who is evidently the one who put the price on Prime's head. Lockdown requests payment first, but Blitzwing promises that he will be most satisfied with his upgrades... provided the [[Decepticon]]s are satisfied with the results. The Autobots arrive at Lockdown's ship and attack. Lockdown dispatches [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] and Bumblebee without much trouble. However, Prowl is a bit harder for Lockdown to handle until the bounty hunter drops him with an EMP blast. Before he can take any more trophies, Ratchet arrives and confronts Lockdown, but the medic too falls to the EMP. When Lockdown thinks he's beaten the doc-bot, Ratchet reveals he was playing dead, being immune to the effects of his own weapon, and throws Lockdown around with his magnetic powers, knocking him unconscious. Inside Lockdown’s ship, Ratchet finds Prime and frees him, but Lockdown{{m-}}himself "playing possum" after Ratchet's attack{{m-}}stops them from leaving. Ratchet takes him out again, and when he’s pinned down, Ratchet forcibly removes the parts Lockdown stole from Prime. The act brings on another flashback.

''In order to avoid interrogation from Megatron, Arcee asks Ratchet to use his EMP generator on her to wipe her memory core, which contains critical access codes for the Autobots. When Ratchet and Lockdown struggle for the device, it overloads and goes off. Ratchet and Arcee leave Lockdown's ship just before some part of it detonates, but when Ratchet inquires of her condition, Arcee doesn't know who she is or where they are, a result of the EMP blast.''

In the present, Ratchet takes the EMP weapon back and zaps Lockdown's ship. He escapes with Optimus as the ship crashes into a river.

Back at headquarters, Ratchet repairs Prime’s grapplers and then finally opens up to Optimus about his war experiences.

==Stats==

*'''Written by:''' [[Andrew Robinson]]
*'''Directed by:''' [[Ben Jones]] and [[Shunji Oga]]
*'''Original airdate:''' January 19, 2008

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

! style="background:#FFEEEE" | [[Autobot]]s
! style="background:#EEEEFE" | [[Decepticon]]s
|-
| style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top" |
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (1)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (3)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (5)
*[[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] (6)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (7)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (8)

| style="background:#EEEEFE" valign="top" |
*[[Lockdown]] (4)
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (9)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (10)

|}

==Quotes==
'''Ratchet:''' "Augh, it's primitive. It's barbaric. There ought to be a law against it!"<br>
'''Optimus:''' "It's just an auto supply store, Ratchet."<br>
'''Ratchet:''' "You mean they actually sell spare parts on the open market? What kind of malfunction would be crass enough to buy this stuff?"<br>
'''Bumblebee:''' "Hey, guys, check out my new horn!"
:—Evidently, Bumblebee is crass enough.

"Ooh, I want to see [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|him]] turn into a fire truck! Can I? Can I? Huh? Huh? Can I?"
:—Crazy '''Blitzwing''', happy as a protoform in a supply shop

"I'm not good with names and faces, but I never forget a trophy."
:—'''Lockdown''', best buddy of Kraven and Predator.

"I'm impressed. It's been eons since the last time someone got the drop on me."<br>
"Next time will be much sooner!"
:—'''Lockdown''' and '''Prowl''' talk tough.

"Now, that was just sad. HAHAHAHA."
:—'''Lockdown''', after supposedly taking out '''Ratchet''' with one shot

"Humans call it 'playing possum'. Don't ask me what a possum is."
:—'''Ratchet''', after deceiving '''Lockdown'''. But was he playing [[Enter the Nightbird|roboto-possum]]?

"Time was I'd use my EMP generator to do this painlessly. Too bad I don't have it anymore"
:—'''Ratchet''', right before ripping Prime's grapplers out of Lockdown's arm, forgetting children are watching.

==Other notes==

===Continuity errors===

===Transformers references===
* Bumblebee's new horn plays the traditional melody of the phrase "Ro-bots in Dis-guise"!
* Lockdown's symbol on his chest resembles a [[rubsign]], such as those in the [[Generation_1_(toyline)|G1]] toyline.

===Miscellaneous trivia===
* This is the first episode of ''Animated'' in which not a single human (including [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] and [[Isaac Sumdac]]) appears
* This episode reveals how Ratchet's right horn got broken and why his left arm has a missing piece. Both were caused by Lockdown.
* [[Susan Blu]] reprises her role of Arcee from the Generation One series.
* This is the first episode in which we see ''Animated'' Cybertron, albeit in a flashback.
* The TV anchorman seen in this episode appears to be an ''Animated'' version of [[wikipedia:Ron Burgundy|Ron Burgundy]]. Stay classy, Cybertron.
* An over-sized human skull can be seen in Lockdown's trophy collection. This is possibly a reference to the ''[[Wikipedia:Predator (film series)|Predator]]'' film series, in which another alien hunter keeps body parts (particularly skulls) as trophies of its kills. (Or it might just be a common trait of hunters in general.)
*This episode seems to refute [[fandom|fans]] who had worried the series would be too kid-oriented, as it features a heavy atmosphere, post-traumatic shock, guilt, suggested torture, and quite obvious pain being inflicted by a good guy on a villian, pretty much for no other reason but revenge.
*As Prime and Ratchet talk at the end, you hear the saddest rendition of "More Than Meets The Eye" ever.

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

The Thrill of the Hunt

2008-02-05T01:00:28Z

76.68.189.129: /* Miscellaneous trivia */

{{picsneeded|screencaps}}
{{episodenav|animated|7|season=1|prev=Blast from the Past|next=Nanosec (episode)}}

'''While Autobots encounter a mysterious muscle car creating havoc in Detroit, Ratchet keeps flashing back to his "tour of duty" in the Great Autobot-Decepticon Wars.'''

==Synopsis==

While debating the ethical dilemma of an auto parts store with [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]'s old war wound tingles, making him think that trouble's ahead. Just then, the lights in the city go out, and the trio is confronted by a spiked muscle car with red headlamps. Thinking it's a human out for a joyride, the [[Autobot]]s go after the car. At a critical moment in the chase, Ratchet experiences a flashback to his days in the [[Great War]]...

''Field tech Ratchet is in the middle of a war zone with a Decepticon barrage falling down around him. Communicating with [[Supreme Commander]] [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], he says found the object of his mission, an Autobot intelligence officer named [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]. She is badly damaged and in need of immediate repair. Ratchet uses his [[EMP]] generator to deactivate her temporarily, allowing him to replace her leg, despite Arcee's concern that the EMP could wipe her [[memory core]].''

Ratchet flashes back into the present and is nearly run over by the muscle car, but is pushed out of the way by Bumblebee. The Autobots regroup at headquarters and Optimus inquires of Ratchet's well-being, but the crusty old bot doesn't want to talk. Meanwhile, the [[Television|TV]] news is broadcasting a live, high-speed chase between the police and the strange car, and Ratchet experiences another flashback.

''In the middle of the repair to Arcee, Ratchet loads her up and starts to evacuate the area, only to be caught and smacked down by a bounty hunter.''

Ratchet's thoughts are snapped back into the present as the Autobots begin the chase after the muscle car anew. Ratchet finally recognizes the muscle car as an old nemesis, [[Lockdown]]. The past haunts him again...

''Ratchet and Arcee are now prisoners of Lockdown, who explains his work as a bounty hunter and his lack of allegiance to either side in the war. He also says he has a fondness for taking weapons and parts from his quarry as trophies and upgrades. This time, he's taken Ratchet's EMP generator.''

Flash forward to the present, and Prime finally forces Lockdown to stop. The bounty hunter incapacitates Prime with the EMP weapon, and they both disappear. In his hideout, Lockdown explains to a tied-up Optimus Prime about the bounty on his head for killing [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]. Then he gets to work on removing Prime’s grapplers and installing them in his own body.

The Autobots scan the city for Prime, but don't have much luck until [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] finds that Lockdown's ship is sitting in the middle of the old downtown area, cloaked as an ordinary warehouse. Before they roll out, Ratchet refuses to join the rescue mission, though without explanation.

Finished with his chop job on Optimus, Lockdown converses with [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]], who is evidently the one who put the price on Prime's head. Lockdown requests payment first, but Blitzwing promises that he will be most satisfied with his upgrades... provided the [[Decepticon]]s are satisfied with the results. The Autobots arrive at Lockdown's ship and attack. Lockdown dispatches [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] and Bumblebee without much trouble. However, Prowl is a bit harder for Lockdown to handle until the bounty hunter drops him with an EMP blast. Before he can take any more trophies, Ratchet arrives and confronts Lockdown, but the medic too falls to the EMP. When Lockdown thinks he's beaten the doc-bot, Ratchet reveals he was playing dead, being immune to the effects of his own weapon, and throws Lockdown around with his magnetic powers, knocking him unconscious. Inside Lockdown’s ship, Ratchet finds Prime and frees him, but Lockdown{{m-}}himself "playing possum" after Ratchet's attack{{m-}}stops them from leaving. Ratchet takes him out again, and when he’s pinned down, Ratchet forcibly removes the parts Lockdown stole from Prime. The act brings on another flashback.

''In order to avoid interrogation from Megatron, Arcee asks Ratchet to use his EMP generator on her to wipe her memory core, which contains critical access codes for the Autobots. When Ratchet and Lockdown struggle for the device, it overloads and goes off. Ratchet and Arcee leave Lockdown's ship just before some part of it detonates, but when Ratchet inquires of her condition, Arcee doesn't know who she is or where they are, a result of the EMP blast.''

In the present, Ratchet takes the EMP weapon back and zaps Lockdown's ship. He escapes with Optimus as the ship crashes into a river.

Back at headquarters, Ratchet repairs Prime’s grapplers and then finally opens up to Optimus about his war experiences.

==Stats==

*'''Written by:''' [[Andrew Robinson]]
*'''Directed by:''' [[Ben Jones]] and [[Shunji Oga]]
*'''Original airdate:''' January 19, 2008

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

! style="background:#FFEEEE" | [[Autobot]]s
! style="background:#EEEEFE" | [[Decepticon]]s
|-
| style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top" |
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (1)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (3)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (5)
*[[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] (6)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (7)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (8)

| style="background:#EEEEFE" valign="top" |
*[[Lockdown]] (4)
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (9)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (10)

|}

==Quotes==
'''Ratchet:''' "Augh, it's primitive. It's barbaric. There ought to be a law against it!"<br>
'''Optimus:''' "It's just an auto supply store, Ratchet."<br>
'''Ratchet:''' "You mean they actually sell spare parts on the open market? What kind of malfunction would be crass enough to buy this stuff?"<br>
'''Bumblebee:''' "Hey, guys, check out my new horn!"
:—Evidently, Bumblebee is crass enough.

"Ooh, I want to see [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|him]] turn into a fire truck! Can I? Can I? Huh? Huh? Can I?"
:—Crazy '''Blitzwing''', happy as a protoform in a supply shop

"I'm not good with names and faces, but I never forget a trophy."
:—'''Lockdown''', best buddy of Kraven and Predator.

"I'm impressed. It's been eons since the last time someone got the drop on me."<br>
"Next time will be much sooner!"
:—'''Lockdown''' and '''Prowl''' talk tough.

"Now, that was just sad. HAHAHAHA."
:—'''Lockdown''', after supposedly taking out '''Ratchet''' with one shot

"Humans call it 'playing possum'. Don't ask me what a possum is."
:—'''Ratchet''', after deceiving '''Lockdown'''. But was he playing [[Enter the Nightbird|roboto-possum]]?

"Time was I'd use my EMP generator to do this painlessly. Too bad I don't have it anymore"
:—'''Ratchet''', right before ripping Prime's grapplers out of Lockdown's arm, forgetting children are watching.

==Other notes==

===Continuity errors===

===Transformers references===
* Bumblebee's new horn plays the traditional melody of the phrase "Ro-bots in Dis-guise"!
* Lockdown's symbol on his chest resembles a [[rubsign]], such as those in the [[Generation_1_(toyline)|G1]] toyline.

===Miscellaneous trivia===
* This is the first episode of ''Animated'' in which not a single human (including [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] and [[Isaac Sumdac]]) do not appear.
* This episode reveals how Ratchet's right horn got broken and why his left arm has a missing piece. Both were caused by Lockdown.
* [[Susan Blu]] reprises her role of Arcee from the Generation One series.
* This is the first episode in which we see ''Animated'' Cybertron, albeit in a flashback.
* The TV anchorman seen in this episode appears to be an ''Animated'' version of [[wikipedia:Ron Burgundy|Ron Burgundy]]. Stay classy, Cybertron.
* An over-sized human skull can be seen in Lockdown's trophy collection. This is possibly a reference to the ''[[Wikipedia:Predator (film series)|Predator]]'' film series, in which another alien hunter keeps body parts (particularly skulls) as trophies of its kills. (Or it might just be a common trait of hunters in general.)
*This episode seems to refute [[fandom|fans]] who had worried the series would be too kid-oriented, as it features a heavy atmosphere, post-traumatic shock, guilt, suggested torture, and quite obvious pain being inflicted by a good guy on a villian, pretty much for no other reason but revenge.
*As Prime and Ratchet talk at the end, you hear the saddest rendition of "More Than Meets The Eye" ever.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thrill of the Hunt}}
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