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Autobot High Council

2009-06-22T02:34:35Z

96.236.225.247: /* Fiction */

[[Image:AutobotHighCouncil.jpg|thumb|right|1000x160px|"First motion: the honourable Councillor for Tyger Pax requests we TURN THE FRAGGING LIGHTS ON."]]
The '''Autobot High Council''' is the ruling body of Autobot-ruled Cybertron.

In the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]] universe their base of operations is the [[Metroplex (Animated)|Metroplex]].

==Fiction==
===Generation 1===
====Dreamwave comics continuity====
{{stub}}
{{storylink|War and Peace}}

===''Animated'' continuity===
The ruling [[Magnus]] ([[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]]) holds the chairbotship, and correspondingly sits in the highest seat. To his left sits the head of all of the civilian guilds, ([[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]]), representing the non-military portion of the council; and to his right sits the head of [[Cybertron Intelligence]] (previously [[Highbrow (Animated)|Highbrow]] and [[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm Prime]], currently [[Cliffjumper (Animated)|Cliffjumper]]).

Other seats are visible in the council chamber, and while it is unknown whether they have any permanent occupants, [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] has a seat on the council, presumably representing the [[Ministry of Science]]. {{storylink|Decepticon Air}}.

Otherwise, [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] and [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] of the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] were once seen to attend in one of the lowest areas, but they had specific business and may not hold positions on the council. {{storylink|TransWarped}}

While [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] was technically the ''pro tempore'' [[Magnus]] following Ultra Magnus's injuries, the High Council made it clear they did not recognise his authority. They were later forced to due to the public support for Sentinel after he displayed <strike>Decepticons other people had captured for him</strike> his Decepticon captives.

Sentinel Prime views the Council as being incompetent bureaucrats, but he's a jerk and they'd snubbed him when he said that, so it's probably not true. {{storylink|Decepticon Air}}. He happily ignored them and established government protocol when a Decepticon-controlled [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] appeared over Cybertron, taking action when they were still discussing options. Since this action could have ''blown up the planet'', they were not happy, and Alpha Trion openly said he'd remove Sentinel from office if he was able. {{storylink|This Is Why I Hate Machines}}

===Trivia===
Derrick Wyatt originally intended to have [[Botanica (Animated)|Botanica]] as a member of the Council, but due to unknown circumstances, this plan unfortunately fell through.

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Transformer culture]]

This Is Why I Hate Machines

2009-06-21T18:57:11Z

96.236.225.247: /* Real-world references */

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|image=TFAni ThisisWhyIHateMachines Fanzone Crowd.jpg
|caption=
|ep=40
|title="This Is Why I Hate Machines"
|airdate=[[May 9]], 2009
|written by=[[Rob Hoegee]]
|directed by=[[Kalvin Lee]] [[Yutaka Hirata]]
|animation studio=[[Mook]]
}}
'''A space bridge accident sends Ratchet and Captain Fanzone to Cybertron, right as the Decepticon controlled Omega Supreme arrives.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:TFA ThisIsWhyIHateMachines Fanzone SpaceBridge.jpg|thumb|200px|left|That's it! I'm firing my travel agent.]]
[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] is trying to calibrate the newly constructed [[space bridge]] properly to begin the hunt for [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]]. Unfortunately, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]]'s advanced notation system of adhesive note papers leaves something to be desired. [[Captain Fanzone]] chooses that moment to step off [[Sumdac Tower]]'s elevator, engaged in a spirited discussion with [[Sumdac Systems]] technical support over some malfunctioning police drones. Fanzone has come to take up the matter with [[Isaac Sumdac]] himself, but before he can start looking for the scientist, a pair of police drones catch up to him and open fire with lethal force. Now dodging gunfire while the oblivious Ratchet continues to sort through Bulkhead's notes, Fanzone grows progressively more irate until the space bridge suddenly activates, having located Omega Supreme's transwarp signature. Ratchet looks up just in time to see the hapless Fanzone being sucked into the space bridge portal, and, deciding that this probably isn't a good thing, opts to follow.

[[Image:ThisIsWhyIHateMachines-Glyphandothers.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Just robot asses as far as the eye can see.]]

Fanzone finds himself unceremoniously dumped in the middle of a large city on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], a situation he's less than thrilled about. A crowd of Autobots freaks out at the presence of the horrifying organic lifeform. Nearly stepped on by the immense [[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]] at the urging of a [[Flareup (Animated)|friend]], Fanzone is rescued by the timely arrival of Ratchet. Fanzone wants to return home immediately, but Ratchet insists that while they're on Cybertron, they may as well hit up [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]]. To his dismay, his favorite watering hole has been shut down, along with other "subversive" gathering places, by order of [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]]. After watching one of Sentinel Prime's propaganda videos, the pair are soon approached by the Elite Guard, and Sentinel Prime demands to know how they have been able to get to Cybertron with space bridge travel locked down. Ratchet angrily explains that they didn't use the space bridge network, but rather piggybacked on Omega Supreme's transwarp signature. Sentinel, well-informed as always, laughs off Ratchet, thinking that Omega Supreme had been decommissioned centuries ago. He is immediately proven wrong as the looming shape of Omega Supreme's robot form appears in the Cybertronian skies.

Above the city, aboard Omega's inert body, [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] muses on this (glorious!) moment for the [[Decepticon]]s: With the [[plasmadynamic thruster]] that was causing them to warp through space and time randomly now disabled, those who were once driven away from Cybertron in exile are now poised over it in one of its greatest weapons. As [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] points out that they have no means actually to ''use'' said weapon, Megatron rebuffs him with the revelation that he still has a spy on Cybertron who can fetch him the access codes to Omega Supreme. Starscream comments that this will only work if the Cybertronian defense cannons don't shoot them out of the sky, but Megatron doubts that they would fire on one of the greatest symbols of Autobot military strength.

Meanwhile, Sentinel is giving the order to divert all [[energon (fuel)|energon]] reserves to fire the Cybertronian defense cannons on one of the greatest symbols of Autobot military strength. This understandably does not go over well with several prominent members of the [[Autobot High Council]], to say nothing of Omega Supreme's former mentor, Ratchet, who warns that destroying Omega with the amount of transwarp energy currently stored within him could cause a blast that would wipe out Cybertron itself. [[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] and [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] rebuff Sentinel and inform him to wait for the council's decision. Sentinel prepares to lock up Ratchet and Fanzone, but they make a break for it in order to try to make contact with Omega. The pair take refuge in the forgotten network of maintenance tunnels beneath the city, which have been sealed for quite some time, but soon realize that someone ''else'' has been hiding in the tunnels quite recently. The occupant of that hideout is revealed to be none other than the double-agent [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]], who nearly gets the jump on the duo, still armed with the stolen [[Magnus Hammer]]. Ratchet fights back, surmising that Shockwave wishes to hack his processor to get the access codes to Omega Supreme, but Shockwave scoffs at this, revealing that he plans to go right to the original source: [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]! Horrified, Ratchet loses his concentration, allowing Shockwave to hurl him aside and escape.

As the council continues to deliberate a course of action, Sentinel Prime orders [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] to arm the weapons of the Elite Guard's base, [[Fortress Maximus (Animated)|Fortress Maximus]], and aim at Omega Supreme. Starscream and [[Lugnut]] advocate leaving Omega's body and retaliating, but Megatron silences them, claiming he has a reason for exposing their position. Shockwave then contacts Megatron to inform him that he has acquired clearance codes to enter the facility holding Arcee.

[[Image:TFA-ThisIsWhyIHateMachines-UltraMagnusSparkSupport.jpg|thumb|200px|left|"Is it water on the knee?" "A whole bucket, see?" "A Charley Horse, it's true!" "I'm the doctor for YOU!"]]
Fanzone puts his cop instincts to work and quickly tracks down the local stoolie, [[Rattletrap]], the bot who gave Shockwave the clearance codes. With a little organic coercion, the pair are able to force an access card from Rattletrap, but when they attempt to use it, they discover that the codes are bogus. Just as they make this discovery, [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] steps from the shadows to offer them his aid. He has finally had it with Sentinel Prime's attitude, and he gives Fanzone and Ratchet a functioning access card. The duo quickly locate Arcee, only to find that they have inadvertently led Shockwave right to her. A running firefight ensues as Ratchet tries to get Arcee to safety while Shockwave pursues them, and the battle carries them to the medical bay in which [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] is convalescing. Thinking that Ratchet is out of commission after a blow from the Magnus Hammer, Shockwave decides to finish the job on Ultra Magnus and turns his back on his fallen foe. Ratchet is still very much alive and kicking, however, and he downs Shockwave with a blast from his [[electromagnetic pulse]] generator, allowing him to reclaim the Magnus Hammer from the Decepticon's clutches. Of course, Sentinel Prime chooses that moment to enter the room, and he promptly leaps to the conclusion that Ratchet is trying to do away with Ultra Magnus. This distraction offers Shockwave the time he needs to escape with Arcee, which prompts Sentinel to issue the command to fire on Omega Supreme. Fortress Maximus opens fire, but Omega transwarps out of the path of the blast, which shoots off harmlessly through the sky.

A short while later, the council and Elite Guard see Ratchet and Fanzone to the [[space bridge nexus]] so that they can return to [[Earth]]. Alpha Trion chastises Sentinel for his actions, making it clear that if it was up to him alone, Sentinel wouldn't be Magnus for a second longer. Trion extends his thanks to Ratchet and Fanzone, but Ratchet sees little reason to celebrate, as the Decepticons now have Arcee. Perceptor tries to assure Ratchet that the damage done to Arcee's processor is irreversible, but Ratchet is not cheered up at the prospect. Just before they enter the space bridge, Sentinel orders Ratchet to hand over the Magnus Hammer, but Ratchet refuses, telling him they will give it back to its rightful owner, Ultra Magnus, when he is repaired. Before Sentinel can object, Ratchet and Fanzone dart off through the space bridge. Sentinel is about to pursue them, but Jazz blocks his path and offers to go in his stead. Ratchet and Fanzone are not happy to see Jazz when he appears in front of them, but Jazz explains that he is unable to condone Sentinel's actions any more and is deserting to join the Autobots on Earth.

[[Image:TFAni ThisisWhyIHateMachines Arcee Earth.jpg‎|thumb|200px|right| "Insert ''2001: A Space Odyssey'' instrumental here"]]
Out in space, Omega Supreme rematerializes close to Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. Aboard the dormant Autobot, Shockwave bows before Megatron and abandons his [[electronic paint job]] so that he can finally serve his leader under his true colors. Megatron bids his "most loyal servant" to rise, sending Lugnut into fits of silent, quivering rage—much to Starscream's amusement. On the other side of the bridge, the ''conscious'' Arcee lies upon a table and looks out at the Earth below, quietly whispering Ratchet's name...
 

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (1)
*[[Freeway (Animated)|Freeway]] (3)
*[[Carerra (Animated)|Carerra]] (4)
*[[Huffer (Animated)|Huffer]] (5)
*[[Sedan (Animated)|Sedan]] (6)
*[[Glyph (Animated)|Glyph]] (7)
*[[Bumper (Animated)|Bumper]] (8)
*[[Tap-Out (Animated)|Tap-Out]] (9)
*[[Powerglide (Animated)|Powerglide]] (10)
*[[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]] (11)
*[[Flareup (Animated)|Flareup]] (12)
*[[Steeljaw (Animated)|Steeljaw]] (13)
*[[Zaur]] (14)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (15)
*[[Autotrooper]] (20)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (21)
*[[Tracks (Animated)|Tracks]] (22)
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] (23)
*[[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] (24)
*[[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] (25)
*[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] (26)
*[[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] (27)
*[[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] (28)
*[[Rattletrap]] (29)
*[[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] (30)

|c2=
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] (16)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (17)
*[[Lugnut]] (18)
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (19)
*[[Lockdown]] (31, flashback)

|c3=
*[[Captain Fanzone]] (2)
}}

==Quotes==
''"Halt. You are in violation of Criminal Code 30114. Lethal force has been authorised."'' 
"Hey! Ow! Hey!" 
"Think you have it bad? I got to decipher ''Bulkhead''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> handwriting! And those claws of his aren't exactly designed for penbotship."
:—As the '''Security Bots''' try to kill '''Captain Fanzone''', '''Ratchet''' shows the depth to which he does not care.

"I'd be a happy man if I never see another—''[Fanzone takes in his surroundings]''...''robot''?
:—'''Captain Fanzone''' enters his own personal hell, and its name is Cybertron.

"I can't believe we're on Cybertron! Of all the places we transwarped, this is great!"
:—'''Ratchet''', happy for the first time since...well, since we've seen him.

"Citizens of Cybertron, Decepticons are in our midst! Neighbours, friends, even ''your own model'' can be a spy! Do your duty and report any suspicious activity to the Elite Guard immediately." 
"...what is this scrap?!" 
"For your protection, all potentially subversive gathering places remain closed. Curfew remains in effect. Remember, Decepticons will stop at nothing to destroy our way of life! Don't let THIS ''[picture of Ultra Magnus on [[spark support]]]'' happen to you. As your Magnus, I will continue to defeat the Decepticon scourge and bring peace and security to Cybertron! I'm Sentinel Prime, and I approve of this message." 
"No-good glory-hog's got a lot of steel. It was [[Lockdown]] who caught those 'Cons!"
:—'''Sentinel Prime'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s propaganda film, with commentary by '''Ratchet'''

"Cybertron. At last, our ultimate goal is at our feet. And here we stand, aboard its ultimate weapon." 
"Now, wouldn't it be nice if we could figure out how to use it!" 
:—'''Megatron''' has a moment, which '''Starscream''' ruins.

"How'd you know about this bot?" ''[indicating Rattletrap]'' 
"Ehh. There's one in every town." 
:—'''Ratchet''' learns a little more about how '''Captain Fanzone''' works.

==Notes==

===Animation or technical errors===
* A few of the laser blasts that the drone fires at Captain Fanzone (before he gets sucked up by the Space Bridge) are out of sync with the animation of the strafing drone.
* Shockwave's head model changes randomly throughout the episode in shape, size and in the positioning of his optic.
* When Shockwave holds up the Magnus Hammer and starts generating lightning, its handle is only half as long as usual.

===Transformers references===
* Captain Fanzone's arrival on Cybertron treats us to another crowd scene full of cameos, some of which we haven't seen before. Notable newbies in this crowd include [[Glyph (Animated)|Glyph]], [[Bumper (Animated)|Bumper]] and his white recolor [[Sedan (Animated)|Sedan]], [[Steeljaw (Animated)|Steeljaw]], [[Zaur]] and robot-mode [[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]]. We also get a closer look at [[Carerra]], but only from behind, as he talks to an unnamed blue-and-tan female robot.

* Ratchet's favorite hangout is [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]].

* Parade footage from "[[Decepticon Air]]" is used in Sentinel's little propaganda video. (See said episode for the list of cameos within.)

* Ratchet remarks that [[Lockdown]] was the one to capture the Decepticon prisoners, as seen in "[[Five Servos of Doom]]".

* The Autobot Council's headquarters is known as "the [[Metroplex (Animated)|Metroplex]]", and the Elite Guard's battle station is "[[Fortress Maximus (Animated)|Fortress Maximus]]".

* Ratchet's flashback uses footage from "[[The Thrill of the Hunt]]", giving Lockdown a brief "appearance" in this episode.

* At the end of the episode, Shockwave utilizes an [[electronic paint job]] to reveal his "true colors", represented by a [[Target]] [[exclusive]] [[redeco]] reminiscent of his [[Shockwave (G1)|Generation 1 namesake]]'s color scheme.

===Real-world references===
*Sentinel Prime's broadcast was based on [[wikipedia:The Red Scare|The Red Scare]] during the Cold War. The broadcast concludes with him saying "I'm Sentinel Prime, and I approve of this message."—in the style of contemporary [[President of the United States|political campaign ads]].
*Sentinel's insistence that he is the one who "makes the tough decisions" and insistence that any questioning of his orders is tantamount to treason is probably some kind of statement about [[Mission Accomplished|some''one'' or some''thing'']], but we'll leave it at that.
*Shockwave's slow, deadpan delivery of "I'm afraid I can't let you do that" is a reference to the menacing supercomputer HAL from Stanley Kubrick's ''[[wikipedia:2001 (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'', who also featured an unblinking single red eye.
* When Ratchet and Fanzone are headed to Maccadam's, they stop in front of a building which appears to have Target's trademark "bull's-eye" logo.
* Ratchet's line to Shockwave about taking the activation codes from his "cold, offline processor", similar to one of Charleton Heston's most famous quotes in support of the NRA.

===Trivia===
* This is the first episode in which [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] does not appear at all.

* There is oxygen on Cybertron. Probably to allow combustion to happen.

* This episode marks the last appearances of Jetfire, Jetstorm and Captain Fanzone in the series.

* Arcee wasn't actually offline at the end of the flashbacks in "The Thrill of the Hunt"—although she was amnesiac, she could stand, talk and take in her surroundings. This implies that it was the vivisection of her head in the "[[TransWarped]]" flashbacks in an attempt to retrieve the activation codes for Omega Supreme which caused the "damage to her circuitry" that Perceptor called "completely irreversable", and meant she was left, comatose, in a hospital bed for millions of stellar cycles.

==External links==
* [http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/video/dlink/index.html?episodeID=8a25c39221152c35012117d5d4380030 "This Is Why I Hate Machines" streaming video at Cartoon Network] (link viable until 5/25/09)

[[Category:Animated episodes]]

Cybertron Intelligence

2009-06-19T02:39:53Z

96.236.225.247: /* Former Members */

{{factions|autobot}}
:''The Cybertron Intelligence is a body in the [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]] [[Continuity family|continuity family]].''

'''Cybertron Intelligence''', also known as '''Cybertron Intel''', was a intelligence gathering body that exists within the [[Autobot]] forces that controlled [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Those members of the [[Autobot Academy]] that show particular skill as intelligence agents get moved to Cybertron Intelligence with the head of the organization attaining the rank of [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]. Their headquarters is in "The [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]".

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===

====Known Members====
*[[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] (also a member of the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]]) - [[wikipedia:missing in action|MIA]]
*[[Cliffjumper (Animated)|Cliffjumper]]
=====Former Members=====
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm Prime]] - Revealed to be a [[Decepticon]] double agent.
*[[Highbrow (Animated)|Highbrow]]
*[[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]

After his training at the boot camp and the demonstration of his skills as an intelligence operative, [[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm]] eventually reached the position of Prime and became the head of Cybertron Intelligence. {{storylink|Autoboot Camp}}
Cliffjumper became the head of Cybertron Intelligence following the revelation that Longarm was in fact a Decepticon spy. Whether or not he now holds the rank of Prime is unknown. {{storylink|Decepticon Air}}

{{stub}}

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Autobot subgroups]]
[[Category:Transformer culture]]

Scanning

2009-06-18T21:40:31Z

96.236.225.247: /* Transformers: Animated */

{{stub}}
[[Image:TFA Lugnut scanning.JPG|right|350px|thumb|Sure, the new packaging looks great, but the number of twisty-ties they use to hold it in that position is insane.]]
'''Scanning''' is a method for the [[Transformer|Transformers]] to change their [[alternate mode]] into the native things from other planets, such as vehicles or animals on Earth.

Although the "original" or "Cybertronian" altmodes of the characters prior to scanning and reformatting are not always shown, they generally tend to be something roughly similar in size, form and function to their new mode, i.e. flyers tend to become planes, Cybertronian tanks usually become Earth tanks, and small, fast land vehicles tend to become sports cars (or [[Cheetor (BW)|cheetahs]]) etc. This suggests that in most continuities the scanning process involves attempting to find the most similar compatible altmode available. Whether this makes the following reconstruction process easier or is merely a concession to the individual Cybertronian's personal preference is unknown.

They also have a funny tendency to be the same colors each time...<ref>The ''Animated-verse'' is one of the first continuities to show multiple cases of characters scanning Earth Altmodes with explicitly different (i.e. more "realistic") colouration or paintwork, and yet having their reformatted bodies stick with their original [[deco]] schemes instead of conforming to the scanned example. Lugnut, Blitzwing, Starscream and Bulkhead all do this, which is particularly odd in the last case, since the mudflap rather seems to be using [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s deco, which is itself based on a vintage U.S. Army Jeep. Mind you, the idea goes all the way back to "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|More Than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]", in which an orange tractor trailer was scanned for [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], yet he retained his red and blue coloration.</ref>

==Generation 1==
''None of the various versions of Generation 1 continuity show the original G1-era Cybertronians as capable of either scanning for new alt modes or reformatting themselves without the use of external technology and a drawn-out nuts n' bolts process of physical reconstruction. This technology appears to be standard issue in ships and various facilities.''

===Marvel Comics continuity===
[[Image:Toaster ark.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Built to Rule!]]
Four million years ago, shortly after the crash of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], the Ark's computer detected [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] landing on the planet in the [[Savage Land|Antarctic land-out-of-time]]. The Ark used the last of its capabilities to revive [[Dinobot (G1)|five warriors]] and rebuild them to transform into the Savage Land's dominant lifeform: dinosaurs. {{storylink|The Last Stand|The Last Stand}}

Subsequently, in 1984 the eruption of the volcano reboots the Ark, which sends a [[drone]] to scan the area for the local life form, which it takes to be terrestrial vehicles. Damaged, the Ark does not distinguish between factions, and repairs and rebuilds both Autobots and Decepticons alike with new altmodes. The 'Cons leave soon after. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

Later stories would refer to new arrivals to Earth having to take on new Terran altmodes, but the process was generally glossed over.

===Cartoon continuity===
[[Image:MTMtE Part1 Prime repair.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Wake up, Prime! Don't make me use this to wake you up."]]
The Transformers aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] were damaged and went into [[stasis lock]] after the Ark crashed into [[Mount St. Hilary]]. Four million years passed and then in 1984 volcanic activity stirred the half-buried Ark, awakening [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]], the computer system aboard. Teletraan I sent out a [[Sky Spy]] satellite to reconnoiter this new world, and scanned examples of terrestrial machinery in order to repair the Transformers and reformat them into new alt modes. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|More Than Meets The Eye, Part 1}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
Being set quite some time after the initial awakening of the Transformers on modern-day Earth, the scanning and rebuilding process was never really detailed in this continuity, but can probably be assumed to have been something along the lines of the fairly similar classic cartoon and Marvel comic scenaria.

Subsequent arrivals under [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s banner of a unified Cybertron have been reformatted into Earth modes prior to their arrival to the planet. Again, the process is not shown. {{storylink|War and Peace|War and Peace}}

===IDW comics continuity===
Much like the Dreamwave comics, the IDWverse shows the Autobots and Decepticons already on Earth, albeit with a higher emphasis on disguise. The process of their reformatting is not shown. {{storylink|Infiltration|Infiltration}}

Again, subsequent arrivals to Earth such as Optimus Prime, Megatron and Hot Rod make mention of having been modified to have new Earth-based altmodes, but the process is similarly not depicted directly.

The first on-panel scanning was for the Dynobots and required the use of a CR chamber. {{storylink|Spotlight: Shockwave|Spotlight: Shockwave}}

In the jump-forward storyline ''All Hail Megatron'', many of the Autobots and Decepticons have inexplicably been reformatted again, but merely into similar-but-different Earth altmodes. It is no surprise that in all cases these resemble their most recent real-world toy releases, particularly under the ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' line. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron}}

;Hearts of Steel continuity

===Universe (2008) promotional video===
Optimus Prime emits the scanning beam from his [[optic]] sensor to scan a truck. {{storylink|Action Blast 1|Action Blast 1 Part 1}}

==Beast Era==
[[Protoform]] Transformers are able to get new alternate modes by using the DNA scanned from the lifeforms of the nearby environment.

===Beast Wars===
When in operation, the "scan beam" emitted from the [[DNA scanner|DNA scanners]] built into Cybertronian ships can analyze the DNA data scanned from the lifeforms immediately. If the device scans a corpse or fossils, it is able to reconstruct the lifeform's appearance during its lifetime. Examples of this include the alternate modes of [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]].

Once the scanned DNA data is retrieved, it is sent to the [[CR Chamber|C/R Chambers]] or C/R Tanks. The Protoform Transformers have to enter the C/R Chambers or C/R Tanks to get their new alternate modes.

There is also a DNA scanner mounted on each [[stasis pod]], in order to get the DNA data from the local lifeforms of the planet on which the stasis pod land. The stasis pod itself then reformats the occupant—or perhaps just "formats", since protoforms are generally considered to be newborns.

===Beast Wars II===
''[[Beast Wars II (franchise)|Beast Wars II]]'' featured the first instance of built-in DNA scanners and self-reformatting technology, allowing the Transformers to adopt alternate modes on the spot, without the need for external machinery. Only [[Tasmania Kid]] is seen using it on an animal, {{storylink|The New Forces Arrive!}} while the Predacons obtained vehicle modes by accessing an ancient computer and scanning the recorded data within it. {{storylink|White Lion, Run!}}

===Beast Machines===
After falling into a hole, Nightscream became unconscious. During that time, a DNA scanner inside his body was activated and scanned the fossils of a native big bat on the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], gaining him a bat alternate mode. {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit|Forbidden Fruit}} He explains to [[Rattrap]] that all Cybertronians now have built-in scanners by this slightly later point in history, having been equipped with them in the planetwide [[Quantum Cycle Upgrade]] that evidently occurred after the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'' and ''[[Darksyde]]'' crews departed Cybertron for the Beast Wars.

According to [[Botanica]], she scanned the DNA from the plant on the planet on which she landed.

==Robots in Disguise==
[[Skid-Z (RID)|Skid-Z]] was able to scan [[Auggie Cahnay (RID)|Auggie Cahnay]]'s racing car and reformat after arriving on Earth using a built-in scanner. The scan also seemed to pick up parts of Auggie Cahnay's personality, causing him to experience the urge to enter races. {{storylink|Skid Z's Choice|Skid Z's Choice}} Stasis Pods with in-built scanners also appeared in the series, enabling the [[Predacon (RID)|Predacons]] to select the alternate modes which the contained protoforms would take. In the case of [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]], the scan beam took in a fuel tanker, [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Kelly]], causing Scourge's robot mode to bear a resemblance to Optimus, and adding a human tinge to his bio-signature. {{storylink|The Decepticons|The Decepticons}}

==Unicron Trilogy==
Upon arriving on Earth, both Autobots and Decepticons display the ability to scan and [[reformat]] for new alt modes without requiring the aid of any external reconfiguration technology. {{storylink|Metamorphosis|Metamorphosis}} When the [[Unicron Singularity]] was threatening the universe, Transformers even displayed the ability to scan multiple alternate modes in addition to the one they chose for themselves, storing the data on other vehicles and passing it on to other Transformers to scan. Scanning didn't even require the presence of the actual vehicle—even a photograph or illustration of the vehicle would do. {{storylink|Fallen (episode)|Fallen}}

==Transformers (2007 film)==
Autobots and Decepticons from the live-action film have the most fluid abilities to date regarding scanning and reformatting their bodies at will, without any apparent need for external assistance whatsoever. Although there is some ambiguity, it even appears that the transformational abilities of Movieverse Cybertronians are so fluid that they can re-scan and reformat as often as they wish and not even use the same "tranformation scheme" twice, possibly suggesting that they can generate new parts such as additional weapons at will, independent of a full reformatting cycle.

Movieverse scanning can even replicate the appearance of rust and scratched, faded, custom paintwork when imitating [[Bumblebee (Movie)|an old beater]], apparently.

''See also:'' '''[[Trans-scan]]'''

==Transformers: Animated==
In the ''Animated'' Universe, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] and his crew use a Sky Spy-type probe from their ship to scan new alt modes for them, which they are then (very quickly) reformatted into by taking turns stepping inside a device similar to a [[CR Chamber]].

However, upon arriving on Earth, the Decepticons [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]], [[Lugnut]], and (memorably) [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] are capable of scanning new alt modes directly from their own bodies, and then immediately reformatting themselves without any such chamber (although the actual reformatting is not shown onscreen). This may suggest that while ''Animated''verse Decepticons appear to have the ability to scan and reformat themselves unaided, Autobots apparently do not.

When [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] rebuilds himself with the assistance of [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]]'s [[Allspark]]-powered key, he is reconstituted with his newly reformatted helicopter-alt mode body straight away, rather than in his original body. Presumably, he had already scanned the design while his disembodied head had access to [[Sumdac]]'s computers.

In a similar vein, mere moments after upgrading himself, [[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]] was capable of transforming into a brand-new vehicle mode without any scanning whatsoever.

==Shattered Glass==
[[Image:Desert Heat Scanning.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Hey, this isn't a light cycle!]]

After arriving Earth and finding [[Soundwave (Shattered Glass)|Soundwave]] in [[stasis lock]], [[Heatwave]] reactivated the systems and the on-board scanner of Soundwave's stasis pod. It scanned a [[:Image:Universe_2008_Ironhide_Toy.jpg|familiar vehicle]] nearby for Soundwave and reactivated him. {{storylink|The Desert Heat!}}

{{-}}

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Technology]]

Scanning

2009-06-18T21:40:13Z

96.236.225.247: /* Transformers: Animated */

{{stub}}
[[Image:TFA Lugnut scanning.JPG|right|350px|thumb|Sure, the new packaging looks great, but the number of twisty-ties they use to hold it in that position is insane.]]
'''Scanning''' is a method for the [[Transformer|Transformers]] to change their [[alternate mode]] into the native things from other planets, such as vehicles or animals on Earth.

Although the "original" or "Cybertronian" altmodes of the characters prior to scanning and reformatting are not always shown, they generally tend to be something roughly similar in size, form and function to their new mode, i.e. flyers tend to become planes, Cybertronian tanks usually become Earth tanks, and small, fast land vehicles tend to become sports cars (or [[Cheetor (BW)|cheetahs]]) etc. This suggests that in most continuities the scanning process involves attempting to find the most similar compatible altmode available. Whether this makes the following reconstruction process easier or is merely a concession to the individual Cybertronian's personal preference is unknown.

They also have a funny tendency to be the same colors each time...<ref>The ''Animated-verse'' is one of the first continuities to show multiple cases of characters scanning Earth Altmodes with explicitly different (i.e. more "realistic") colouration or paintwork, and yet having their reformatted bodies stick with their original [[deco]] schemes instead of conforming to the scanned example. Lugnut, Blitzwing, Starscream and Bulkhead all do this, which is particularly odd in the last case, since the mudflap rather seems to be using [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s deco, which is itself based on a vintage U.S. Army Jeep. Mind you, the idea goes all the way back to "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|More Than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]", in which an orange tractor trailer was scanned for [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], yet he retained his red and blue coloration.</ref>

==Generation 1==
''None of the various versions of Generation 1 continuity show the original G1-era Cybertronians as capable of either scanning for new alt modes or reformatting themselves without the use of external technology and a drawn-out nuts n' bolts process of physical reconstruction. This technology appears to be standard issue in ships and various facilities.''

===Marvel Comics continuity===
[[Image:Toaster ark.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Built to Rule!]]
Four million years ago, shortly after the crash of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], the Ark's computer detected [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] landing on the planet in the [[Savage Land|Antarctic land-out-of-time]]. The Ark used the last of its capabilities to revive [[Dinobot (G1)|five warriors]] and rebuild them to transform into the Savage Land's dominant lifeform: dinosaurs. {{storylink|The Last Stand|The Last Stand}}

Subsequently, in 1984 the eruption of the volcano reboots the Ark, which sends a [[drone]] to scan the area for the local life form, which it takes to be terrestrial vehicles. Damaged, the Ark does not distinguish between factions, and repairs and rebuilds both Autobots and Decepticons alike with new altmodes. The 'Cons leave soon after. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

Later stories would refer to new arrivals to Earth having to take on new Terran altmodes, but the process was generally glossed over.

===Cartoon continuity===
[[Image:MTMtE Part1 Prime repair.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Wake up, Prime! Don't make me use this to wake you up."]]
The Transformers aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] were damaged and went into [[stasis lock]] after the Ark crashed into [[Mount St. Hilary]]. Four million years passed and then in 1984 volcanic activity stirred the half-buried Ark, awakening [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]], the computer system aboard. Teletraan I sent out a [[Sky Spy]] satellite to reconnoiter this new world, and scanned examples of terrestrial machinery in order to repair the Transformers and reformat them into new alt modes. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|More Than Meets The Eye, Part 1}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
Being set quite some time after the initial awakening of the Transformers on modern-day Earth, the scanning and rebuilding process was never really detailed in this continuity, but can probably be assumed to have been something along the lines of the fairly similar classic cartoon and Marvel comic scenaria.

Subsequent arrivals under [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s banner of a unified Cybertron have been reformatted into Earth modes prior to their arrival to the planet. Again, the process is not shown. {{storylink|War and Peace|War and Peace}}

===IDW comics continuity===
Much like the Dreamwave comics, the IDWverse shows the Autobots and Decepticons already on Earth, albeit with a higher emphasis on disguise. The process of their reformatting is not shown. {{storylink|Infiltration|Infiltration}}

Again, subsequent arrivals to Earth such as Optimus Prime, Megatron and Hot Rod make mention of having been modified to have new Earth-based altmodes, but the process is similarly not depicted directly.

The first on-panel scanning was for the Dynobots and required the use of a CR chamber. {{storylink|Spotlight: Shockwave|Spotlight: Shockwave}}

In the jump-forward storyline ''All Hail Megatron'', many of the Autobots and Decepticons have inexplicably been reformatted again, but merely into similar-but-different Earth altmodes. It is no surprise that in all cases these resemble their most recent real-world toy releases, particularly under the ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' line. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron}}

;Hearts of Steel continuity

===Universe (2008) promotional video===
Optimus Prime emits the scanning beam from his [[optic]] sensor to scan a truck. {{storylink|Action Blast 1|Action Blast 1 Part 1}}

==Beast Era==
[[Protoform]] Transformers are able to get new alternate modes by using the DNA scanned from the lifeforms of the nearby environment.

===Beast Wars===
When in operation, the "scan beam" emitted from the [[DNA scanner|DNA scanners]] built into Cybertronian ships can analyze the DNA data scanned from the lifeforms immediately. If the device scans a corpse or fossils, it is able to reconstruct the lifeform's appearance during its lifetime. Examples of this include the alternate modes of [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]].

Once the scanned DNA data is retrieved, it is sent to the [[CR Chamber|C/R Chambers]] or C/R Tanks. The Protoform Transformers have to enter the C/R Chambers or C/R Tanks to get their new alternate modes.

There is also a DNA scanner mounted on each [[stasis pod]], in order to get the DNA data from the local lifeforms of the planet on which the stasis pod land. The stasis pod itself then reformats the occupant—or perhaps just "formats", since protoforms are generally considered to be newborns.

===Beast Wars II===
''[[Beast Wars II (franchise)|Beast Wars II]]'' featured the first instance of built-in DNA scanners and self-reformatting technology, allowing the Transformers to adopt alternate modes on the spot, without the need for external machinery. Only [[Tasmania Kid]] is seen using it on an animal, {{storylink|The New Forces Arrive!}} while the Predacons obtained vehicle modes by accessing an ancient computer and scanning the recorded data within it. {{storylink|White Lion, Run!}}

===Beast Machines===
After falling into a hole, Nightscream became unconscious. During that time, a DNA scanner inside his body was activated and scanned the fossils of a native big bat on the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], gaining him a bat alternate mode. {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit|Forbidden Fruit}} He explains to [[Rattrap]] that all Cybertronians now have built-in scanners by this slightly later point in history, having been equipped with them in the planetwide [[Quantum Cycle Upgrade]] that evidently occurred after the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'' and ''[[Darksyde]]'' crews departed Cybertron for the Beast Wars.

According to [[Botanica]], she scanned the DNA from the plant on the planet on which she landed.

==Robots in Disguise==
[[Skid-Z (RID)|Skid-Z]] was able to scan [[Auggie Cahnay (RID)|Auggie Cahnay]]'s racing car and reformat after arriving on Earth using a built-in scanner. The scan also seemed to pick up parts of Auggie Cahnay's personality, causing him to experience the urge to enter races. {{storylink|Skid Z's Choice|Skid Z's Choice}} Stasis Pods with in-built scanners also appeared in the series, enabling the [[Predacon (RID)|Predacons]] to select the alternate modes which the contained protoforms would take. In the case of [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]], the scan beam took in a fuel tanker, [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Kelly]], causing Scourge's robot mode to bear a resemblance to Optimus, and adding a human tinge to his bio-signature. {{storylink|The Decepticons|The Decepticons}}

==Unicron Trilogy==
Upon arriving on Earth, both Autobots and Decepticons display the ability to scan and [[reformat]] for new alt modes without requiring the aid of any external reconfiguration technology. {{storylink|Metamorphosis|Metamorphosis}} When the [[Unicron Singularity]] was threatening the universe, Transformers even displayed the ability to scan multiple alternate modes in addition to the one they chose for themselves, storing the data on other vehicles and passing it on to other Transformers to scan. Scanning didn't even require the presence of the actual vehicle—even a photograph or illustration of the vehicle would do. {{storylink|Fallen (episode)|Fallen}}

==Transformers (2007 film)==
Autobots and Decepticons from the live-action film have the most fluid abilities to date regarding scanning and reformatting their bodies at will, without any apparent need for external assistance whatsoever. Although there is some ambiguity, it even appears that the transformational abilities of Movieverse Cybertronians are so fluid that they can re-scan and reformat as often as they wish and not even use the same "tranformation scheme" twice, possibly suggesting that they can generate new parts such as additional weapons at will, independent of a full reformatting cycle.

Movieverse scanning can even replicate the appearance of rust and scratched, faded, custom paintwork when imitating [[Bumblebee (Movie)|an old beater]], apparently.

''See also:'' '''[[Trans-scan]]'''

==Transformers: Animated==
In the ''Animated'' Universe, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] and his crew use a Sky Spy-type probe from their ship to scan new alt modes for them, which they are then (very quickly) reformatted into by taking turns stepping inside a device similar to a [[CR Chamber]].

However, upon arriving on Earth, the Decepticons [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]], [[Lugnut]], and (memorably) [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] are capable of scanning new alt modes directly from their own bodies, and then immediately reformatting themselves without any such chamber (although the actual reformatting is not shown onscreen). This may suggest that while ''Animated''verse Decepticons appear to have the ability to scan and reformat themselves unaided, Autobots apparently do not.

When [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] rebuilds himself with the assistance of [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]]'s [[Allspark]]-powered key, he is reconstituted with his newly reformatted helicopter-alt mode body straight away, rather than in his original body. Presumably, he had already scanned the design while his disembodied head had access to [[Sumdac]]'s computers.

In a similar vein, mere moments after upgrading himself, [[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundave]] was capable of transforming into a brand-new vehicle mode without any scanning whatsoever.

==Shattered Glass==
[[Image:Desert Heat Scanning.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Hey, this isn't a light cycle!]]

After arriving Earth and finding [[Soundwave (Shattered Glass)|Soundwave]] in [[stasis lock]], [[Heatwave]] reactivated the systems and the on-board scanner of Soundwave's stasis pod. It scanned a [[:Image:Universe_2008_Ironhide_Toy.jpg|familiar vehicle]] nearby for Soundwave and reactivated him. {{storylink|The Desert Heat!}}

{{-}}

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Technology]]

Survival of the Fittest

2009-06-13T14:21:37Z

96.236.225.247: /* Continuity errors */

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|image=TFA Survival Fittest Meltdown Dinobots.JPG
|caption=Oh sure, I know the drill. I look behind me, you make off with my car. Not gonna happen, pal.
|ep=12
|title="Survival of the Fittest"
|airdate=[[March 8]], 2008
|written by=[[Steven Granat]]
|directed by=[[Irineo Maramba]] [[Makoto Fuchigami]]
|animation studio=[[Mook]]
}}

'''Sari is kidnapped and the evidence points to the Dinobots. So Prowl and Bulkhead head to a mysterious island to investigate—with a highly suspicious Captain Fanzone on their tail.'''

:''German title:'' "'''Saris Entführung'''" ("Sari's Abduction")

==Synopsis==
[[Image:TFA Survival Fittest Sari karate.JPG|left|175px|thumb|Pre-Teen Cyborg Ninja Kiddies.]]

Concerned for [[Sari Sumdac|Sari's]] safety as possessor of the [[Key]] and knowing they can't be around every minute to protect her, the [[Autobot|Autobots]] decide to give her self-defense lessons. She doesn't do so well, but undaunted, she continues to practice alone in her room that night. She then goes to bed, but a shadow passing by her window makes her curious enough to get up again. She opens the window and is confronted by the [[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobot]] [[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]]. Shortly afterward, [[Isaac Sumdac|her father]] stops by to deliver a bedtime snack and is shocked to find her missing.

[[Image:SwoopSari.JPG|right|175px|thumb|I will make you one of my children of the night.]]

He immediately contacts the police and the Autobots, and [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] orders everyone to [[roll out]] immediately. Come morning, the police search Sari's room and question Doctor Sumdac. [[Captain Fanzone]] coordinates operations from the lobby of [[Sumdac Tower]], checking security video footage and struggling with the operation of his mobile phone. The Autobots arrive, and he asks if anything unusual happened yesterday. [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] mentions her self-defense lessons, to which Fanzone raises some objection, noting that hanging around Autobots might just be, oh, dangerous for a little girl. Just then, Prime spots Swoop on the security footage replay. [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] doesn't think it's possible, but Prime notes they never did find out what happened to the escaped Dinobots. Behind him, Bulkhead and [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] hold a quiet conversation about whether to tell Prime about their role in the Dinobots' escape, but decide to investigate the Dinobots' island themselves first. Fanzone notices them whispering, figures they must be discussing something relevant, and decides to follow this new lead on his own.

[[Image:TFA Survival Fittest Fanzone phone trouble.JPG|left|150px|thumb|It's [[Kremzeek]]! He's in the phone!]]

That night, Prowl and Bulkhead take a cargo ship out to the Dinobots' island, with Fanzone pursuing them in a police department mini-sub. By daylight, the Autobots arrive on the island and start exploring, with Fanzone coming ashore shortly afterward. Suddenly, Prowl spots tracks, indicating someone besides the Dinobots is on the island. As they arrive at the edge of the central crater, Bulkhead expresses second thoughts about setting the Dinobots free. What if someone were to find them there? Prowl deactivates his holographic generator and notes that currently won't be an issue, as the Dinobots appear to be gone.

From within a control room, [[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]] and [[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]] are ordered to deal with the two Autobots by their new master — [[Meltdown (Animated)|Meltdown]].

[[Image:Donkey Fanzone.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Donkey Fanzone.]]

Back outside in the valley, an outraged Bulkhead growls that they should have melted down the Dinobots as Dr. Sumdac wanted, but Prowl insists the Dinobots are more than just machines, that they are truly alive and so had to be saved. Bulkhead counters by asking who's going to save Sari. The two then leave to explore the island further, with Fanzone pursuing close behind—well, as close behind as possible after dealing with various mishaps.

In Meltdown's control room, [[Colossus Rhodes]] offers to pound the Autobots to scrap, but Meltdown stays him. Sari figures they're both as good as arrested and taunts them until Rhodes bulks up and scares her into silence.

Outside, Bulkhead and Prowl discover Captain Fanzone sinking in quicksand and haul him out. Prowl asks why he's following them, but Fanzone counters by asking what they're doing on an abandoned island research facility in the middle of Lake Erie, and they fall silent.

Still watching the proceedings, Meltdown decides it's time to greet his guests personally and leaves Rhodes to guard Sari. Rhodes taunts Sari for a change, but Sari just asks to go to the toilet.

On the surface, Fanzone continues to question Bulkhead about the situation, wondering if there's something he's not being told. Bulkhead abruptly points out the Dinobots behind Fanzone as the possible missing piece of info. Prowl offers to deal with the Dinobots, as they trust him, but [[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]] orders the Dinobots to attack. Prowl is confused, but Bulkhead figures it's pretty straightforward: The Dinobots kidnapped Sari and now want to destroy them. He also lets slip that he and Prowl helped the Dinobots escape. During the skirmish, Prowl notes acid burns on Swoop's leg plating and deduces that someone with the ability to burn the Dinobots is forcing them to act this way. The Autobots and Fanzone manage to make a run for it, only to find themselves in a dead-end canyon. When Meltdown confronts them, Prowl finally puts it all together, realizing that the villain is behind the Dinobots capturing Sari and attacking them. Meltdown gleefully monologues about finding an island with its own security system just when he needed a place for private experiments, and how Sari will now be his latest subject. An enraged Bulkhead charges, but Meltdown's acid blasts a painful hole in the Autobot's chest. Prowl and Fanzone run to help him, but Meltdown touches a remote-control button and sends the pair plummeting through a trap door down into a steel-lined holding pen.

[[Image:TFA Survival Fittest Prowl Fanzone mutants.JPG|left|200px|thumb|This is why I hate Pretenders!]]

When they regain consciousness, Meltdown arrives and explains his plans: after last encounter with the Autobots, Meltdown has been toying with the idea of a human capable of [[Transformation]]. However, Meltdown's [[fusion creature]] experiments (one of whom was his lawyer) were locked in their "alternate forms". He notes that the failures were a result of using adult test subjects, whereas a still-growing human should prove much more promising. And what better choice than the daughter of his arch-rival, Isaac Sumdac? He then leaves to administer his formula to Sari while his two mutants take care of Prowl and Fanzone.

Elsewhere in the base, Sari tricks Cyrus Rhodes into checking out the rest room toilet, then uses the Key to flood water on him, shorting out the electrode/pistons that let him bulk up. When he turns to attack her, she trips him, then locks him in the bathroom and takes off. Somehow, she finds the controls to turn off the laser barrier keeping Prowl and Fanzone trapped in the holding pit. Freed just in time, they take off and quickly locate Sari. Informed of Bulkhead's predicament, she guides them out the way she was brought in. As they start down the hall, Fanzone spots a rack of spare protective suits for Meltdown and grabs one.

[[Image:TFA Dinobots fire weapons.JPG|right|200px|thumb|"Your death will be swift."]]

Prowl gets the two humans past a closing steel door and outside, where Sari quickly uses the Key to heal Bulkhead. Before they can celebrate, Meltdown shows up with the Dinobots. Sari launches into a flying kick which totally misses Meltdown, but serves as the distraction needed for Prowl to score a hit. Before a stunned Meltdown can recover, Fanzone tackles him and wraps him up in a spare protective suit he grabbed. Meltdown orders the Dinobots to attack, but Prowl points out that Meltdown has no power over them any more. In preparation for revenge, the Dinobots [[Transformation|transform]] into robot mode, surprising the others. Prowl offers the panicking Meltdown a choice: going to prison or being left to the Dinobots' (lack of) mercies. Just then, Colossus Rhodes (whose electronics apparently dried out) and the two mutants burst out of the entrance into the underground facility, only to draw the Dinobots' attention to themselves. The mighty mechanical trio ignite their weapons and quickly trounce the three mutants.

That evening, Fanzone and the Autobots take Sari and the captive Meltdown and Rhodes back to Detroit. Fanzone calls Dr. Sumdac to give him the good news, and Bulkhead and Prowl wonder if they should admit about the Dinobots to Prime. Fanzone assures Prowl that as long as the Dinobots stay on the island and out of Detroit, he doesn't have a problem with them. Prowl thanks him for all his help, and the two acknowledge they make a decent team, despite their different physical compositions. Watching Sari try out another kick on Bulkhead, Fanzone expresses continuing doubts about teaching ninja moves to eight-year-olds. Prowl agrees, noting Sari can apparently take care of herself in her own unique fashion.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (2)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (3)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (4)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (6)
*[[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]] (7)
*[[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]] (10)
*[[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]] (11)

|c3=
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (1)
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (8)
*[[Captain Fanzone]] (9)
*[[Prometheus Black|Meltdown]] (12)
*[[Colossus Rhodes]] (13)

|c4=
*[[Reception Bot]] ()
}}

==Quotes==
"This is why I hate machines!" 
"No need to be such a technophobe, Captain." 
"A technophobe is someone who ''fears'' technology. ''(Smashes cell phone)'' Does '''''this''' look like'' '''FEAR TO YOU?!'''" 
"Um… my mistake."
:—'''Captain Fanzone''' straightens out '''Prowl''''s perceptions of him.

'''Bulkhead''': Hanging out. Teaching her ninja nerve blows. Watching cartoons. 
'''Fanzone''': Hold up? What was that again? 
'''Bulkhead''': Watching cartoons. 
'''Fanzone''': No before that. 
'''Bulkhead''': Teaching her ninja nerve blows. 
'''Fanzone''': You're teaching an eight-year-old to do ''nerve blows''? 
'''Ratchet''': You want her to pick it up in the street? 
'''Prowl''': This is part of every protoform's elemental programming. 
'''Fanzone''': Say what? 
'''Bulkhead''': Yeah, it's not like we're having her fight [[Decepticon]]s. 
'''Prowl''': Yet.
:—Fanzone and the Autobots debate the finer points of child education.

"Help!" 
"That sounded like Captain Fanzone." 
"Y-Yeah, hey, I—I do a really good impression of myself '''screaming for help!'''"
:—Even in mortal danger, '''Captain Fanzone''' zings '''Prowl'''.

"Who better than the daughter of my arch-rival, the bane of my existence, the simpering fool who is unworthy to lick the mud off the heels of my platform shoes—booga-looga-looga-looz—Professor Isaac Sumdac? Poetic, no?"
:—'''Meltdown''' gets down with his bad self while monologuing. It appears that the suit is more than just for show.

"Dibs on Lefty—I hate lawyers."
:—'''Captain Fanzone''' actually hates something besides machines.

'''Fanzone''': What the…?! 
'''Sari''': Whoa…! 
'''Bulkhead''': Uh… they couldn't do that before. Right? 
:—Turns out the Dinobots are [[Transformer|more than meets the eye]].

==Notes==
===Animation errors===
* Fanzone ''presses buttons'' on a ''rotary-dial'' cell phone. Of course, he also manages to get touch-tone sounds from them, so perhaps the rotary dial is just simulated. Y'know, to make him feel more familiar with the device.

===Continuity errors===
* When Sari is kidnapped by Swoop, she's just wearing socks on her feet (having crawled out of bed). When she's imprisoned in Meltdown's lair, she has her boots on again.

* The passage of time between Sari's kidnapping and the arrival on the island is wonky. Isaac appears to arrive at Sari's room with a snack mere minutes after she's gone to bed not too late in the evening, but the police and Autobots show up once the sun has risen. The "search party" heads for the Dinobots' island that ''night''—and arrive in the daylight. Did nearly ''forty-eight hours'' really pass all this time, and Meltdown did nothing?

* Why does Meltdown bother to send the Dinobots, then go to handle his guests himself several minutes later? Sure, it works out, but was it planned that way?

* What ever happened to Prowl's [[Blast from the Past|holographic forest?]]

===Transformers references===
[[Image:Meltdownexperiments.jpg|right|200px|thumb|They've got the power to surprise.]]

* [[Fusion creature|Meltdown's genetically engineered minions]] (previous failed attempts at producing "human transformers") bear a striking resemblance to the ''[[Generation 1]]'' [[Pretender]]s [[Submarauder]]/[[Gilmer]] and [[Bomb-Burst]]/[[Blood]].

* The notion of creating non-mechanical or organic Transformers [[Noble|is not new]] in Transformers lore.

===Trivia===
* This is the first episode in which Snarl and Swoop transform. They still haven't spoken, however.

* This is also the first episode in which Fanzone refers to any of the Autobots by name, suggesting he's getting used to them being more than machines.

* Part of Grimlock's transformation is recycled animation from "[[Blast from the Past]]".

* Captain Fanzone's phone seems remarkably outdated compared to the mobile phone his subordinate is shown using; it's the size of a brick, has a permanently extended antenna and amazingly features a rotary dial (or at least a simulated one; he still punches touch tones on it) to ring in the numbers—and even then Fanzone can't figure out how to use it. The man was clearly born a century after his time and presumably would be more comfortable around gramophones and [[Hearts of Steel|steam]] [[Secret Weapon: D-5|locomotives]].

* Fanzone's dialog suggests that a volcanic island in the middle of Lake Erie is not as preposterous as it might seem, as the island was formerly a research facility of some shape or form.

* Bulkhead seems to be more than a match for all three Dinobots here, yet they make incredibly short work of the mutants and Colossus Rhodes. (Colossus had previously proven to be a decent enough challenge for Bulkhead, Prime, Prowl and Ratchet.) Maybe their sparks just weren't in it? Or they were holding back? Or that could be attributed to Bulkhead being really pissed at them during the fight, which made him a much more ferocious warrior than the Dinobots were expecting.

* A lawyer turned into a blood-sucking monster — surely there's no deeper message here.

* Do we really want to know what that key slot was doing on the controls for a toilet?

* The two mutants are conspicuously absent in the final scene (Fanzone notes "got 'em both," indicating only two prisoners). As they appear in later episodes, they were obviously not destroyed, but this implies they were left imprisoned on the island, subject to the Dinobots' whims. If so, this seems harsh, given the two were (presumably) innocent victims of Meltdown's experiments. If they're somehow being held on ship, not mentioning or showing them seems to be quite an oversight.

* Although most human villains in the series to date have been shown in a comedic light, Meltdown seems the odd man out with some rather disturbing, more adult-oriented themes. He attempts murder (of rival Isaac Sumdac); he experiments to create mutants, which constitutes crimes against Humanity; he tortures the Dinobots into submission by burning them with his acidic touch; and he kidnaps a prepubescent girl for purposes of experimentation—but damn can he ''dance''.

* Speaking of adult themes, when the police learn that Sari is missing, they question the father and send divers into the river. ''HARSH.''

* It's rather unsettling how nobody, particularly Captain Fanzone, seemed to know that Meltdown wasn't in jail any more. Either Fanzone's inability to work with technology kept him from hearing, or information flow among the Detroit Police Department is really poor, even when a dangerous supervillain has broken out of jail. And on that note, it seems that, just like in comic books, prisons here aren't suited to hold superpowered criminals.

* The episode ends before Bulkhead, Prowl, and Fanzone return Sari to her father, and before the Autobots report back in to Prime. What they ''tell'' Prime (about where they found Sari) is extremely unclear, as discussed further under "[[Megatron Rising - Part 1]]".

* Prowl can kick with his knees ''while the wheels are turning'' and ''can ride on walls.'' This is awesomeness!

* Apparently, there's nothing wrong with cutting a cargo ship free of its moorings and sailing it out into the middle of Lake Erie without permission. (Prowl and Bulkhead must have convinced either the ship's captain or its computerized pilot system to make an unscheduled trip.)

* Why does Prowl think that Sari can defend herself against the Decepticons by ''kicking'' them?

[[Category:Animated episodes]]

Survival of the Fittest

2009-06-13T14:21:07Z

96.236.225.247: /* Continuity errors */

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|image=TFA Survival Fittest Meltdown Dinobots.JPG
|caption=Oh sure, I know the drill. I look behind me, you make off with my car. Not gonna happen, pal.
|ep=12
|title="Survival of the Fittest"
|airdate=[[March 8]], 2008
|written by=[[Steven Granat]]
|directed by=[[Irineo Maramba]] [[Makoto Fuchigami]]
|animation studio=[[Mook]]
}}

'''Sari is kidnapped and the evidence points to the Dinobots. So Prowl and Bulkhead head to a mysterious island to investigate—with a highly suspicious Captain Fanzone on their tail.'''

:''German title:'' "'''Saris Entführung'''" ("Sari's Abduction")

==Synopsis==
[[Image:TFA Survival Fittest Sari karate.JPG|left|175px|thumb|Pre-Teen Cyborg Ninja Kiddies.]]

Concerned for [[Sari Sumdac|Sari's]] safety as possessor of the [[Key]] and knowing they can't be around every minute to protect her, the [[Autobot|Autobots]] decide to give her self-defense lessons. She doesn't do so well, but undaunted, she continues to practice alone in her room that night. She then goes to bed, but a shadow passing by her window makes her curious enough to get up again. She opens the window and is confronted by the [[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobot]] [[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]]. Shortly afterward, [[Isaac Sumdac|her father]] stops by to deliver a bedtime snack and is shocked to find her missing.

[[Image:SwoopSari.JPG|right|175px|thumb|I will make you one of my children of the night.]]

He immediately contacts the police and the Autobots, and [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] orders everyone to [[roll out]] immediately. Come morning, the police search Sari's room and question Doctor Sumdac. [[Captain Fanzone]] coordinates operations from the lobby of [[Sumdac Tower]], checking security video footage and struggling with the operation of his mobile phone. The Autobots arrive, and he asks if anything unusual happened yesterday. [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] mentions her self-defense lessons, to which Fanzone raises some objection, noting that hanging around Autobots might just be, oh, dangerous for a little girl. Just then, Prime spots Swoop on the security footage replay. [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] doesn't think it's possible, but Prime notes they never did find out what happened to the escaped Dinobots. Behind him, Bulkhead and [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] hold a quiet conversation about whether to tell Prime about their role in the Dinobots' escape, but decide to investigate the Dinobots' island themselves first. Fanzone notices them whispering, figures they must be discussing something relevant, and decides to follow this new lead on his own.

[[Image:TFA Survival Fittest Fanzone phone trouble.JPG|left|150px|thumb|It's [[Kremzeek]]! He's in the phone!]]

That night, Prowl and Bulkhead take a cargo ship out to the Dinobots' island, with Fanzone pursuing them in a police department mini-sub. By daylight, the Autobots arrive on the island and start exploring, with Fanzone coming ashore shortly afterward. Suddenly, Prowl spots tracks, indicating someone besides the Dinobots is on the island. As they arrive at the edge of the central crater, Bulkhead expresses second thoughts about setting the Dinobots free. What if someone were to find them there? Prowl deactivates his holographic generator and notes that currently won't be an issue, as the Dinobots appear to be gone.

From within a control room, [[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]] and [[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]] are ordered to deal with the two Autobots by their new master — [[Meltdown (Animated)|Meltdown]].

[[Image:Donkey Fanzone.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Donkey Fanzone.]]

Back outside in the valley, an outraged Bulkhead growls that they should have melted down the Dinobots as Dr. Sumdac wanted, but Prowl insists the Dinobots are more than just machines, that they are truly alive and so had to be saved. Bulkhead counters by asking who's going to save Sari. The two then leave to explore the island further, with Fanzone pursuing close behind—well, as close behind as possible after dealing with various mishaps.

In Meltdown's control room, [[Colossus Rhodes]] offers to pound the Autobots to scrap, but Meltdown stays him. Sari figures they're both as good as arrested and taunts them until Rhodes bulks up and scares her into silence.

Outside, Bulkhead and Prowl discover Captain Fanzone sinking in quicksand and haul him out. Prowl asks why he's following them, but Fanzone counters by asking what they're doing on an abandoned island research facility in the middle of Lake Erie, and they fall silent.

Still watching the proceedings, Meltdown decides it's time to greet his guests personally and leaves Rhodes to guard Sari. Rhodes taunts Sari for a change, but Sari just asks to go to the toilet.

On the surface, Fanzone continues to question Bulkhead about the situation, wondering if there's something he's not being told. Bulkhead abruptly points out the Dinobots behind Fanzone as the possible missing piece of info. Prowl offers to deal with the Dinobots, as they trust him, but [[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]] orders the Dinobots to attack. Prowl is confused, but Bulkhead figures it's pretty straightforward: The Dinobots kidnapped Sari and now want to destroy them. He also lets slip that he and Prowl helped the Dinobots escape. During the skirmish, Prowl notes acid burns on Swoop's leg plating and deduces that someone with the ability to burn the Dinobots is forcing them to act this way. The Autobots and Fanzone manage to make a run for it, only to find themselves in a dead-end canyon. When Meltdown confronts them, Prowl finally puts it all together, realizing that the villain is behind the Dinobots capturing Sari and attacking them. Meltdown gleefully monologues about finding an island with its own security system just when he needed a place for private experiments, and how Sari will now be his latest subject. An enraged Bulkhead charges, but Meltdown's acid blasts a painful hole in the Autobot's chest. Prowl and Fanzone run to help him, but Meltdown touches a remote-control button and sends the pair plummeting through a trap door down into a steel-lined holding pen.

[[Image:TFA Survival Fittest Prowl Fanzone mutants.JPG|left|200px|thumb|This is why I hate Pretenders!]]

When they regain consciousness, Meltdown arrives and explains his plans: after last encounter with the Autobots, Meltdown has been toying with the idea of a human capable of [[Transformation]]. However, Meltdown's [[fusion creature]] experiments (one of whom was his lawyer) were locked in their "alternate forms". He notes that the failures were a result of using adult test subjects, whereas a still-growing human should prove much more promising. And what better choice than the daughter of his arch-rival, Isaac Sumdac? He then leaves to administer his formula to Sari while his two mutants take care of Prowl and Fanzone.

Elsewhere in the base, Sari tricks Cyrus Rhodes into checking out the rest room toilet, then uses the Key to flood water on him, shorting out the electrode/pistons that let him bulk up. When he turns to attack her, she trips him, then locks him in the bathroom and takes off. Somehow, she finds the controls to turn off the laser barrier keeping Prowl and Fanzone trapped in the holding pit. Freed just in time, they take off and quickly locate Sari. Informed of Bulkhead's predicament, she guides them out the way she was brought in. As they start down the hall, Fanzone spots a rack of spare protective suits for Meltdown and grabs one.

[[Image:TFA Dinobots fire weapons.JPG|right|200px|thumb|"Your death will be swift."]]

Prowl gets the two humans past a closing steel door and outside, where Sari quickly uses the Key to heal Bulkhead. Before they can celebrate, Meltdown shows up with the Dinobots. Sari launches into a flying kick which totally misses Meltdown, but serves as the distraction needed for Prowl to score a hit. Before a stunned Meltdown can recover, Fanzone tackles him and wraps him up in a spare protective suit he grabbed. Meltdown orders the Dinobots to attack, but Prowl points out that Meltdown has no power over them any more. In preparation for revenge, the Dinobots [[Transformation|transform]] into robot mode, surprising the others. Prowl offers the panicking Meltdown a choice: going to prison or being left to the Dinobots' (lack of) mercies. Just then, Colossus Rhodes (whose electronics apparently dried out) and the two mutants burst out of the entrance into the underground facility, only to draw the Dinobots' attention to themselves. The mighty mechanical trio ignite their weapons and quickly trounce the three mutants.

That evening, Fanzone and the Autobots take Sari and the captive Meltdown and Rhodes back to Detroit. Fanzone calls Dr. Sumdac to give him the good news, and Bulkhead and Prowl wonder if they should admit about the Dinobots to Prime. Fanzone assures Prowl that as long as the Dinobots stay on the island and out of Detroit, he doesn't have a problem with them. Prowl thanks him for all his help, and the two acknowledge they make a decent team, despite their different physical compositions. Watching Sari try out another kick on Bulkhead, Fanzone expresses continuing doubts about teaching ninja moves to eight-year-olds. Prowl agrees, noting Sari can apparently take care of herself in her own unique fashion.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (2)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (3)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (4)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (6)
*[[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]] (7)
*[[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]] (10)
*[[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]] (11)

|c3=
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (1)
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (8)
*[[Captain Fanzone]] (9)
*[[Prometheus Black|Meltdown]] (12)
*[[Colossus Rhodes]] (13)

|c4=
*[[Reception Bot]] ()
}}

==Quotes==
"This is why I hate machines!" 
"No need to be such a technophobe, Captain." 
"A technophobe is someone who ''fears'' technology. ''(Smashes cell phone)'' Does '''''this''' look like'' '''FEAR TO YOU?!'''" 
"Um… my mistake."
:—'''Captain Fanzone''' straightens out '''Prowl''''s perceptions of him.

'''Bulkhead''': Hanging out. Teaching her ninja nerve blows. Watching cartoons. 
'''Fanzone''': Hold up? What was that again? 
'''Bulkhead''': Watching cartoons. 
'''Fanzone''': No before that. 
'''Bulkhead''': Teaching her ninja nerve blows. 
'''Fanzone''': You're teaching an eight-year-old to do ''nerve blows''? 
'''Ratchet''': You want her to pick it up in the street? 
'''Prowl''': This is part of every protoform's elemental programming. 
'''Fanzone''': Say what? 
'''Bulkhead''': Yeah, it's not like we're having her fight [[Decepticon]]s. 
'''Prowl''': Yet.
:—Fanzone and the Autobots debate the finer points of child education.

"Help!" 
"That sounded like Captain Fanzone." 
"Y-Yeah, hey, I—I do a really good impression of myself '''screaming for help!'''"
:—Even in mortal danger, '''Captain Fanzone''' zings '''Prowl'''.

"Who better than the daughter of my arch-rival, the bane of my existence, the simpering fool who is unworthy to lick the mud off the heels of my platform shoes—booga-looga-looga-looz—Professor Isaac Sumdac? Poetic, no?"
:—'''Meltdown''' gets down with his bad self while monologuing. It appears that the suit is more than just for show.

"Dibs on Lefty—I hate lawyers."
:—'''Captain Fanzone''' actually hates something besides machines.

'''Fanzone''': What the…?! 
'''Sari''': Whoa…! 
'''Bulkhead''': Uh… they couldn't do that before. Right? 
:—Turns out the Dinobots are [[Transformer|more than meets the eye]].

==Notes==
===Animation errors===
* Fanzone ''presses buttons'' on a ''rotary-dial'' cell phone. Of course, he also manages to get touch-tone sounds from them, so perhaps the rotary dial is just simulated. Y'know, to make him feel more familiar with the device.

===Continuity errors===
* When Sari is kidnapped by Swoop, she's just wearing socks on her feet (having crawled out of bed). When she's imprisoned in Meltdown's lair, she has her boots on again.

* The passage of time between Sari's kidnapping and the arrival on the island is wonky. Isaac appears to arrive at Sari's room with a snack mere minutes after she's gone to bed not too late in the evening, but the police and Autobots show up once the sun has risen. The "search party" heads for the Dinobots' island that ''night''—and arrive in the daylight. Did nearly ''forty-eight hours'' really pass all this time, and Meltdown did nothing?

* Why does Meltdown bother to send the Dinobots, then go to handle his guests himself several minutes later? Sure, it works out, but was it planned that way?

* What ever happened to Prowl's [[Blast From The Past (episode)|holographic forest?]]

===Transformers references===
[[Image:Meltdownexperiments.jpg|right|200px|thumb|They've got the power to surprise.]]

* [[Fusion creature|Meltdown's genetically engineered minions]] (previous failed attempts at producing "human transformers") bear a striking resemblance to the ''[[Generation 1]]'' [[Pretender]]s [[Submarauder]]/[[Gilmer]] and [[Bomb-Burst]]/[[Blood]].

* The notion of creating non-mechanical or organic Transformers [[Noble|is not new]] in Transformers lore.

===Trivia===
* This is the first episode in which Snarl and Swoop transform. They still haven't spoken, however.

* This is also the first episode in which Fanzone refers to any of the Autobots by name, suggesting he's getting used to them being more than machines.

* Part of Grimlock's transformation is recycled animation from "[[Blast from the Past]]".

* Captain Fanzone's phone seems remarkably outdated compared to the mobile phone his subordinate is shown using; it's the size of a brick, has a permanently extended antenna and amazingly features a rotary dial (or at least a simulated one; he still punches touch tones on it) to ring in the numbers—and even then Fanzone can't figure out how to use it. The man was clearly born a century after his time and presumably would be more comfortable around gramophones and [[Hearts of Steel|steam]] [[Secret Weapon: D-5|locomotives]].

* Fanzone's dialog suggests that a volcanic island in the middle of Lake Erie is not as preposterous as it might seem, as the island was formerly a research facility of some shape or form.

* Bulkhead seems to be more than a match for all three Dinobots here, yet they make incredibly short work of the mutants and Colossus Rhodes. (Colossus had previously proven to be a decent enough challenge for Bulkhead, Prime, Prowl and Ratchet.) Maybe their sparks just weren't in it? Or they were holding back? Or that could be attributed to Bulkhead being really pissed at them during the fight, which made him a much more ferocious warrior than the Dinobots were expecting.

* A lawyer turned into a blood-sucking monster — surely there's no deeper message here.

* Do we really want to know what that key slot was doing on the controls for a toilet?

* The two mutants are conspicuously absent in the final scene (Fanzone notes "got 'em both," indicating only two prisoners). As they appear in later episodes, they were obviously not destroyed, but this implies they were left imprisoned on the island, subject to the Dinobots' whims. If so, this seems harsh, given the two were (presumably) innocent victims of Meltdown's experiments. If they're somehow being held on ship, not mentioning or showing them seems to be quite an oversight.

* Although most human villains in the series to date have been shown in a comedic light, Meltdown seems the odd man out with some rather disturbing, more adult-oriented themes. He attempts murder (of rival Isaac Sumdac); he experiments to create mutants, which constitutes crimes against Humanity; he tortures the Dinobots into submission by burning them with his acidic touch; and he kidnaps a prepubescent girl for purposes of experimentation—but damn can he ''dance''.

* Speaking of adult themes, when the police learn that Sari is missing, they question the father and send divers into the river. ''HARSH.''

* It's rather unsettling how nobody, particularly Captain Fanzone, seemed to know that Meltdown wasn't in jail any more. Either Fanzone's inability to work with technology kept him from hearing, or information flow among the Detroit Police Department is really poor, even when a dangerous supervillain has broken out of jail. And on that note, it seems that, just like in comic books, prisons here aren't suited to hold superpowered criminals.

* The episode ends before Bulkhead, Prowl, and Fanzone return Sari to her father, and before the Autobots report back in to Prime. What they ''tell'' Prime (about where they found Sari) is extremely unclear, as discussed further under "[[Megatron Rising - Part 1]]".

* Prowl can kick with his knees ''while the wheels are turning'' and ''can ride on walls.'' This is awesomeness!

* Apparently, there's nothing wrong with cutting a cargo ship free of its moorings and sailing it out into the middle of Lake Erie without permission. (Prowl and Bulkhead must have convinced either the ship's captain or its computerized pilot system to make an unscheduled trip.)

* Why does Prowl think that Sari can defend herself against the Decepticons by ''kicking'' them?

[[Category:Animated episodes]]

Survival of the Fittest

2009-06-13T14:20:21Z

96.236.225.247: /* Continuity errors */

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|image=TFA Survival Fittest Meltdown Dinobots.JPG
|caption=Oh sure, I know the drill. I look behind me, you make off with my car. Not gonna happen, pal.
|ep=12
|title="Survival of the Fittest"
|airdate=[[March 8]], 2008
|written by=[[Steven Granat]]
|directed by=[[Irineo Maramba]] [[Makoto Fuchigami]]
|animation studio=[[Mook]]
}}

'''Sari is kidnapped and the evidence points to the Dinobots. So Prowl and Bulkhead head to a mysterious island to investigate—with a highly suspicious Captain Fanzone on their tail.'''

:''German title:'' "'''Saris Entführung'''" ("Sari's Abduction")

==Synopsis==
[[Image:TFA Survival Fittest Sari karate.JPG|left|175px|thumb|Pre-Teen Cyborg Ninja Kiddies.]]

Concerned for [[Sari Sumdac|Sari's]] safety as possessor of the [[Key]] and knowing they can't be around every minute to protect her, the [[Autobot|Autobots]] decide to give her self-defense lessons. She doesn't do so well, but undaunted, she continues to practice alone in her room that night. She then goes to bed, but a shadow passing by her window makes her curious enough to get up again. She opens the window and is confronted by the [[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobot]] [[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]]. Shortly afterward, [[Isaac Sumdac|her father]] stops by to deliver a bedtime snack and is shocked to find her missing.

[[Image:SwoopSari.JPG|right|175px|thumb|I will make you one of my children of the night.]]

He immediately contacts the police and the Autobots, and [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] orders everyone to [[roll out]] immediately. Come morning, the police search Sari's room and question Doctor Sumdac. [[Captain Fanzone]] coordinates operations from the lobby of [[Sumdac Tower]], checking security video footage and struggling with the operation of his mobile phone. The Autobots arrive, and he asks if anything unusual happened yesterday. [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] mentions her self-defense lessons, to which Fanzone raises some objection, noting that hanging around Autobots might just be, oh, dangerous for a little girl. Just then, Prime spots Swoop on the security footage replay. [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] doesn't think it's possible, but Prime notes they never did find out what happened to the escaped Dinobots. Behind him, Bulkhead and [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] hold a quiet conversation about whether to tell Prime about their role in the Dinobots' escape, but decide to investigate the Dinobots' island themselves first. Fanzone notices them whispering, figures they must be discussing something relevant, and decides to follow this new lead on his own.

[[Image:TFA Survival Fittest Fanzone phone trouble.JPG|left|150px|thumb|It's [[Kremzeek]]! He's in the phone!]]

That night, Prowl and Bulkhead take a cargo ship out to the Dinobots' island, with Fanzone pursuing them in a police department mini-sub. By daylight, the Autobots arrive on the island and start exploring, with Fanzone coming ashore shortly afterward. Suddenly, Prowl spots tracks, indicating someone besides the Dinobots is on the island. As they arrive at the edge of the central crater, Bulkhead expresses second thoughts about setting the Dinobots free. What if someone were to find them there? Prowl deactivates his holographic generator and notes that currently won't be an issue, as the Dinobots appear to be gone.

From within a control room, [[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]] and [[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]] are ordered to deal with the two Autobots by their new master — [[Meltdown (Animated)|Meltdown]].

[[Image:Donkey Fanzone.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Donkey Fanzone.]]

Back outside in the valley, an outraged Bulkhead growls that they should have melted down the Dinobots as Dr. Sumdac wanted, but Prowl insists the Dinobots are more than just machines, that they are truly alive and so had to be saved. Bulkhead counters by asking who's going to save Sari. The two then leave to explore the island further, with Fanzone pursuing close behind—well, as close behind as possible after dealing with various mishaps.

In Meltdown's control room, [[Colossus Rhodes]] offers to pound the Autobots to scrap, but Meltdown stays him. Sari figures they're both as good as arrested and taunts them until Rhodes bulks up and scares her into silence.

Outside, Bulkhead and Prowl discover Captain Fanzone sinking in quicksand and haul him out. Prowl asks why he's following them, but Fanzone counters by asking what they're doing on an abandoned island research facility in the middle of Lake Erie, and they fall silent.

Still watching the proceedings, Meltdown decides it's time to greet his guests personally and leaves Rhodes to guard Sari. Rhodes taunts Sari for a change, but Sari just asks to go to the toilet.

On the surface, Fanzone continues to question Bulkhead about the situation, wondering if there's something he's not being told. Bulkhead abruptly points out the Dinobots behind Fanzone as the possible missing piece of info. Prowl offers to deal with the Dinobots, as they trust him, but [[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]] orders the Dinobots to attack. Prowl is confused, but Bulkhead figures it's pretty straightforward: The Dinobots kidnapped Sari and now want to destroy them. He also lets slip that he and Prowl helped the Dinobots escape. During the skirmish, Prowl notes acid burns on Swoop's leg plating and deduces that someone with the ability to burn the Dinobots is forcing them to act this way. The Autobots and Fanzone manage to make a run for it, only to find themselves in a dead-end canyon. When Meltdown confronts them, Prowl finally puts it all together, realizing that the villain is behind the Dinobots capturing Sari and attacking them. Meltdown gleefully monologues about finding an island with its own security system just when he needed a place for private experiments, and how Sari will now be his latest subject. An enraged Bulkhead charges, but Meltdown's acid blasts a painful hole in the Autobot's chest. Prowl and Fanzone run to help him, but Meltdown touches a remote-control button and sends the pair plummeting through a trap door down into a steel-lined holding pen.

[[Image:TFA Survival Fittest Prowl Fanzone mutants.JPG|left|200px|thumb|This is why I hate Pretenders!]]

When they regain consciousness, Meltdown arrives and explains his plans: after last encounter with the Autobots, Meltdown has been toying with the idea of a human capable of [[Transformation]]. However, Meltdown's [[fusion creature]] experiments (one of whom was his lawyer) were locked in their "alternate forms". He notes that the failures were a result of using adult test subjects, whereas a still-growing human should prove much more promising. And what better choice than the daughter of his arch-rival, Isaac Sumdac? He then leaves to administer his formula to Sari while his two mutants take care of Prowl and Fanzone.

Elsewhere in the base, Sari tricks Cyrus Rhodes into checking out the rest room toilet, then uses the Key to flood water on him, shorting out the electrode/pistons that let him bulk up. When he turns to attack her, she trips him, then locks him in the bathroom and takes off. Somehow, she finds the controls to turn off the laser barrier keeping Prowl and Fanzone trapped in the holding pit. Freed just in time, they take off and quickly locate Sari. Informed of Bulkhead's predicament, she guides them out the way she was brought in. As they start down the hall, Fanzone spots a rack of spare protective suits for Meltdown and grabs one.

[[Image:TFA Dinobots fire weapons.JPG|right|200px|thumb|"Your death will be swift."]]

Prowl gets the two humans past a closing steel door and outside, where Sari quickly uses the Key to heal Bulkhead. Before they can celebrate, Meltdown shows up with the Dinobots. Sari launches into a flying kick which totally misses Meltdown, but serves as the distraction needed for Prowl to score a hit. Before a stunned Meltdown can recover, Fanzone tackles him and wraps him up in a spare protective suit he grabbed. Meltdown orders the Dinobots to attack, but Prowl points out that Meltdown has no power over them any more. In preparation for revenge, the Dinobots [[Transformation|transform]] into robot mode, surprising the others. Prowl offers the panicking Meltdown a choice: going to prison or being left to the Dinobots' (lack of) mercies. Just then, Colossus Rhodes (whose electronics apparently dried out) and the two mutants burst out of the entrance into the underground facility, only to draw the Dinobots' attention to themselves. The mighty mechanical trio ignite their weapons and quickly trounce the three mutants.

That evening, Fanzone and the Autobots take Sari and the captive Meltdown and Rhodes back to Detroit. Fanzone calls Dr. Sumdac to give him the good news, and Bulkhead and Prowl wonder if they should admit about the Dinobots to Prime. Fanzone assures Prowl that as long as the Dinobots stay on the island and out of Detroit, he doesn't have a problem with them. Prowl thanks him for all his help, and the two acknowledge they make a decent team, despite their different physical compositions. Watching Sari try out another kick on Bulkhead, Fanzone expresses continuing doubts about teaching ninja moves to eight-year-olds. Prowl agrees, noting Sari can apparently take care of herself in her own unique fashion.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (2)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (3)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (4)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (6)
*[[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]] (7)
*[[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]] (10)
*[[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]] (11)

|c3=
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (1)
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (8)
*[[Captain Fanzone]] (9)
*[[Prometheus Black|Meltdown]] (12)
*[[Colossus Rhodes]] (13)

|c4=
*[[Reception Bot]] ()
}}

==Quotes==
"This is why I hate machines!" 
"No need to be such a technophobe, Captain." 
"A technophobe is someone who ''fears'' technology. ''(Smashes cell phone)'' Does '''''this''' look like'' '''FEAR TO YOU?!'''" 
"Um… my mistake."
:—'''Captain Fanzone''' straightens out '''Prowl''''s perceptions of him.

'''Bulkhead''': Hanging out. Teaching her ninja nerve blows. Watching cartoons. 
'''Fanzone''': Hold up? What was that again? 
'''Bulkhead''': Watching cartoons. 
'''Fanzone''': No before that. 
'''Bulkhead''': Teaching her ninja nerve blows. 
'''Fanzone''': You're teaching an eight-year-old to do ''nerve blows''? 
'''Ratchet''': You want her to pick it up in the street? 
'''Prowl''': This is part of every protoform's elemental programming. 
'''Fanzone''': Say what? 
'''Bulkhead''': Yeah, it's not like we're having her fight [[Decepticon]]s. 
'''Prowl''': Yet.
:—Fanzone and the Autobots debate the finer points of child education.

"Help!" 
"That sounded like Captain Fanzone." 
"Y-Yeah, hey, I—I do a really good impression of myself '''screaming for help!'''"
:—Even in mortal danger, '''Captain Fanzone''' zings '''Prowl'''.

"Who better than the daughter of my arch-rival, the bane of my existence, the simpering fool who is unworthy to lick the mud off the heels of my platform shoes—booga-looga-looga-looz—Professor Isaac Sumdac? Poetic, no?"
:—'''Meltdown''' gets down with his bad self while monologuing. It appears that the suit is more than just for show.

"Dibs on Lefty—I hate lawyers."
:—'''Captain Fanzone''' actually hates something besides machines.

'''Fanzone''': What the…?! 
'''Sari''': Whoa…! 
'''Bulkhead''': Uh… they couldn't do that before. Right? 
:—Turns out the Dinobots are [[Transformer|more than meets the eye]].

==Notes==
===Animation errors===
* Fanzone ''presses buttons'' on a ''rotary-dial'' cell phone. Of course, he also manages to get touch-tone sounds from them, so perhaps the rotary dial is just simulated. Y'know, to make him feel more familiar with the device.

===Continuity errors===
* When Sari is kidnapped by Swoop, she's just wearing socks on her feet (having crawled out of bed). When she's imprisoned in Meltdown's lair, she has her boots on again.

* The passage of time between Sari's kidnapping and the arrival on the island is wonky. Isaac appears to arrive at Sari's room with a snack mere minutes after she's gone to bed not too late in the evening, but the police and Autobots show up once the sun has risen. The "search party" heads for the Dinobots' island that ''night''—and arrive in the daylight. Did nearly ''forty-eight hours'' really pass all this time, and Meltdown did nothing?

* Why does Meltdown bother to send the Dinobots, then go to handle his guests himself several minutes later? Sure, it works out, but was it planned that way?

* What ever happened to Prowl's holographic forest?

===Transformers references===
[[Image:Meltdownexperiments.jpg|right|200px|thumb|They've got the power to surprise.]]

* [[Fusion creature|Meltdown's genetically engineered minions]] (previous failed attempts at producing "human transformers") bear a striking resemblance to the ''[[Generation 1]]'' [[Pretender]]s [[Submarauder]]/[[Gilmer]] and [[Bomb-Burst]]/[[Blood]].

* The notion of creating non-mechanical or organic Transformers [[Noble|is not new]] in Transformers lore.

===Trivia===
* This is the first episode in which Snarl and Swoop transform. They still haven't spoken, however.

* This is also the first episode in which Fanzone refers to any of the Autobots by name, suggesting he's getting used to them being more than machines.

* Part of Grimlock's transformation is recycled animation from "[[Blast from the Past]]".

* Captain Fanzone's phone seems remarkably outdated compared to the mobile phone his subordinate is shown using; it's the size of a brick, has a permanently extended antenna and amazingly features a rotary dial (or at least a simulated one; he still punches touch tones on it) to ring in the numbers—and even then Fanzone can't figure out how to use it. The man was clearly born a century after his time and presumably would be more comfortable around gramophones and [[Hearts of Steel|steam]] [[Secret Weapon: D-5|locomotives]].

* Fanzone's dialog suggests that a volcanic island in the middle of Lake Erie is not as preposterous as it might seem, as the island was formerly a research facility of some shape or form.

* Bulkhead seems to be more than a match for all three Dinobots here, yet they make incredibly short work of the mutants and Colossus Rhodes. (Colossus had previously proven to be a decent enough challenge for Bulkhead, Prime, Prowl and Ratchet.) Maybe their sparks just weren't in it? Or they were holding back? Or that could be attributed to Bulkhead being really pissed at them during the fight, which made him a much more ferocious warrior than the Dinobots were expecting.

* A lawyer turned into a blood-sucking monster — surely there's no deeper message here.

* Do we really want to know what that key slot was doing on the controls for a toilet?

* The two mutants are conspicuously absent in the final scene (Fanzone notes "got 'em both," indicating only two prisoners). As they appear in later episodes, they were obviously not destroyed, but this implies they were left imprisoned on the island, subject to the Dinobots' whims. If so, this seems harsh, given the two were (presumably) innocent victims of Meltdown's experiments. If they're somehow being held on ship, not mentioning or showing them seems to be quite an oversight.

* Although most human villains in the series to date have been shown in a comedic light, Meltdown seems the odd man out with some rather disturbing, more adult-oriented themes. He attempts murder (of rival Isaac Sumdac); he experiments to create mutants, which constitutes crimes against Humanity; he tortures the Dinobots into submission by burning them with his acidic touch; and he kidnaps a prepubescent girl for purposes of experimentation—but damn can he ''dance''.

* Speaking of adult themes, when the police learn that Sari is missing, they question the father and send divers into the river. ''HARSH.''

* It's rather unsettling how nobody, particularly Captain Fanzone, seemed to know that Meltdown wasn't in jail any more. Either Fanzone's inability to work with technology kept him from hearing, or information flow among the Detroit Police Department is really poor, even when a dangerous supervillain has broken out of jail. And on that note, it seems that, just like in comic books, prisons here aren't suited to hold superpowered criminals.

* The episode ends before Bulkhead, Prowl, and Fanzone return Sari to her father, and before the Autobots report back in to Prime. What they ''tell'' Prime (about where they found Sari) is extremely unclear, as discussed further under "[[Megatron Rising - Part 1]]".

* Prowl can kick with his knees ''while the wheels are turning'' and ''can ride on walls.'' This is awesomeness!

* Apparently, there's nothing wrong with cutting a cargo ship free of its moorings and sailing it out into the middle of Lake Erie without permission. (Prowl and Bulkhead must have convinced either the ship's captain or its computerized pilot system to make an unscheduled trip.)

* Why does Prowl think that Sari can defend herself against the Decepticons by ''kicking'' them?

[[Category:Animated episodes]]

Cybertron Intelligence

2009-06-09T22:58:12Z

96.236.225.247: /* Known Members */

{{factions|autobot}}
:''The Cybertron Intelligence is a body in the [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]] [[Continuity family|continuity family]].''

'''Cybertron Intelligence''', also known as '''Cybertron Intel''', was a intelligence gathering body that exists within the [[Autobot]] forces that controlled [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Those members of the [[Autobot Academy]] that show particular skill as intelligence agents get moved to Cybertron Intelligence with the head of the organization attaining the rank of [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]. Their headquarters is in "The [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]".

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===

====Known Members====
*[[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] (also a member of the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]]) - [[wikipedia:killed in action|KIA]]
*[[Cliffjumper (Animated)|Cliffjumper]]

=====Former Members=====
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm Prime]] - Revealed to be a [[Decepticon]] double agent.
*[[Highbrow (Animated)|Highbrow]]
*[[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]

After his training at the boot camp and the demonstration of his skills as an intelligence operative, [[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm]] eventually reached the position of Prime and became the head of Cybertron Intelligence. {{storylink|Autoboot Camp}}
Cliffjumper became the head of Cybertron Intelligence following the revelation that Longarm was in fact a Decepticon spy. Whether or not he is now known as Cliffjumper Prime remians a mystery.{{storylink|Decepticon Air}}

{{stub}}

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Autobot subgroups]]
[[Category:Transformer culture]]

Cybertron Intelligence

2009-06-09T22:57:21Z

96.236.225.247: /* Known Members */

{{factions|autobot}}
:''The Cybertron Intelligence is a body is in the [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]] [[Continuity family|continuity family]].''

'''Cybertron Intelligence''', also known as '''Cybertron Intel''', was a intelligence gathering body that exists within the [[Autobot]] forces that controlled [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Those members of the [[Autobot Academy]] that show particular skill as intelligence agents get moved to Cybertron Intelligence with the head of the organization attaining the rank of [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]. Their headquarters is in "The [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]".

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===

====Known Members====
*[[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] (also a member of the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]]) - [[wikipedia:killed in action|KIA]]
*[[Cliffjumper (Animated)|Cliffjumper]]

=====Former Members=====
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm Prime]] - Revealed to be a [[Decepticon]] double agent.
*[[Highbrow (Animated)|Highbrow]]
*[[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]

After his training at the boot camp and the demonstration of his skills as an intelligence operative, [[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm]] eventually reached the position of Prime and became the head of Cybertron Intelligence. {{storylink|Autoboot Camp}}
Cliffjumper became the head of Cybertron Intelligence following the revelation that Longarm was in fact a Decepticon spy. Whether or not he is now known as Cliffjumper Prime remians a mystery.{{storylink|Decepticon Air}}

{{stub}}

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Autobot subgroups]]
[[Category:Transformer culture]]

Blast from the Past

2009-06-09T22:41:54Z

96.236.225.247: /* Animation errors */

{{disambig2|the 2008 Transformers Animated episode|the 2003 Armada comic|Panini Armada issue 6}}
{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|image=TFA Blast Past Dinobots burn.JPG
|caption="When they opened Disneyland in 1955, nothing worked." "Yes, but, John, when Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates don't eat the tourists."
|ep=6
|title="Blast from the Past"
|airdate=[[January 12]], 2008
|written by=[[Kevin Hopps]]
|directed by=[[Irineo Maramba]] [[Ben Jones]] [[Kentaro Mizuno]]
|animation studio= [[Mook]]}}

'''Professor Sumdac upgrades a trio of animatronic dinosaurs from a local theme park, but the creatures develop minds of their own and become rampaging Dinobots, bent on destroying the Autobots.'''

:''German title:'' "'''Drachenkämpfer'''" ("Dragon Fighters")
:''Polish title:'' "'''Cios z przeszłości'''" ("Blast from the Past")

==Synopsis==
[[Image:TFA Blast Past Bulkhead Tutor Bot.JPG|left|200px|thumb|"Did you find him?" "Just the parts they didn't like."]]

[[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] takes the [[Autobot|Autobots]] to "[[Dino Drive]]", a [[dinosaur]]-based theme park, in order to teach them about [[Earth]]'s history. On the way, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] accidentally destroys every car in the parking lot. Once inside, [[Tutor Bot]] gives an impromptu lesson on dinosaurs. The Autobots see the animatronic dinosaurs and become amazed by the replicas, especially Bulkhead, who becomes so fascinated that he tries to get the robot ''Pteranodon'' to fly. This only succeeds in having the robot fall and cause a ''Triceratops'' and ''Tyrannosaurus'' robot to collide and break each other, crushing Tutor Bot in the process. The Autobot take the broken animatronics to [[Isaac Sumdac|Professor Sumdac]] for repair.

[[Image:TFA Blast Past Sumdac Megatron meet.JPG|right|200px|thumb|"The voice you hear is Richard Kiley. We spared no expense."]]

At the lab, [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] views the power of dinosaurs through the damaged Tutor Bot and seems very impressed by their destructive potential. Sumdac enters the lab and berates himself for programming the Tutor Bot with such simple information that everyone already knows. Megatron reveals his consciousness by saying ''he'' never knew these things. Sumdac is shocked, and Megatron, pretending that he has just come back online, asks where he is. Professor Sumdac rambles a bit, then says it's a long story. Megatron reassures him that he can listen, as he is not going anywhere. After Sumdac gives a brief history of Megatron's discovery and how he relates to modern technology, Megatron convinces Sumdac that he is an old friend of the Autobots and that they'll be more forgiving of Sumdac keeping his secrets if he helps repair their old comrade. However, it would be best to keep it quiet for now. As a sign of good faith, he offers to help Sumdac repair the dinosaur displays and provide information on how to upgrade their technology so they'll be even more convincing. He conveniently forgets to tell Sumdac that he plans on using them for prototype attack drones.

Meanwhile, at the Autobot base, [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] is trying to teach Bulkhead how to control his strength. This, of course, ends with Bulkhead falling on Prowl. He then tries a new tactic and moves the training to an island in Lake Erie. This results in Bulkhead causing some trees to drop on Prowl.

[[Image:TFA Blast Past pulse.JPG|left|200px|thumb|"Think they'll have that on the tour?"]]

At Dino Drive, Sumdac reveals his and Megatron's creations to the gathered press and Autobots—the [[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobots]]! After a short display, Megatron takes control, and the Dinobots go on a rampage. As the Autobots fight them, Bulkhead tries to recreate Prowl's teaching, but to no effect other than falling into Prowl and knocking him flat on his back. [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] and [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] then combine their powers to create an electromagnetic pulse to shut down the Dinobots, but her [[Key]] is somehow drawn to the creatures. She decides to help and plugs the Key into Bumblebee. The blast intensifies, blowing the dinosaurs' skins off and revealing the robot bodies beneath. Professor Sumdac is confused as to why they malfunctioned and brings them back to his lab for maintenance.

At Sumdac's lab, Megatron becomes perplexed as to why the Key activated, thinking it sensed something Cybertronian about the Dinobots. He dismisses this idea and curses the drones for being useless. Their failure also forces Megatron to reassess his plans. Given the primitive level of technology available on the planet, it could take years not only to create adequate attack drones, but even longer for his own new body. Megatron laments the grim situation of being locked away in Sumdac's lab, then something very surprising happens—the ''Tyrannosaurus'' starts to talk, and the other dinosaurs begin to move. On top of that, Megatron finds he can't control them!

Megatron then surmises that the Autobots must have done something to them, declaring that, somehow, they have [[Spark|sparks]] of their own. The ''Tyrannosaurus'' then dubs himself "[[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]]" and, without fail, Megatron declares that he is the Dinobots' leader. Grimlock doesn't approve of this concept and announces that ''he'' is the leader, and [[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]] and [[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]] seem to agree. The Tutor Bot activates, much to Megatron's annoyance, and explains how dinosaur fossils create fossil fuel, which powers cars and trucks. Grimlock takes this to mean cars and trucks "eat" dinosaurs and announces that cars and trucks are bad. Megatron takes advantage of their low intelligence and tells them to destroy the "fossil feeders", and, of course, that the only things worse than cars and trucks are "car robots". He shows them how to use one of their more destructive powers, [[fire-breath]], and they use it to destroy the Tutor Bot. Grimlock is pleased with this, but does not know how he did it. Megatron explains how he designed them, then tells them that the fossil feeders want them dead, so the Dinobots go to defend themselves.

[[Image:Fanzone.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Somewhere on this island is the greatest hunter that ever lived. And the second greatest hunter must take him down."]]

As they start on their rampage, [[Captain Fanzone]] and assembled emergency crews try to stop them. Suddenly, Snarl whips a car with his tail, and [[Captain Fanzone's car]] becomes the first casualty of the Dinobots' war on the fossil feeders as the thrown car lands on it. Fanzone, not missing a beat, takes a bazooka and shoots Snarl in the face, but he just swallows the incoming missile.

The Autobots arrive and, at Bulkhead's suggestion, lure the Dinobots to a park in order to avoid any more collateral damage. As Grimlock sees them transform, he remembers something he'd forgotten: Car robots are worse than cars and trucks. Furious, he orders the Dinobots to attack. As the battle goes on, the Autobots are seriously outmatched, especially since Bulkhead is trying to "access the situation" before acting, as Prowl tried to teach him to do. Prowl, realizing their disadvantage, hollers for Bulkhead not to try and be like Prowl, but to be like ''Bulkhead''. Reassured, Bulkhead quickly drops Snarl and Swoop.

At the lab, Sumdac and Megatron are watching the events unfold on the news, and Sumdac is unable to comprehend why the Dinobots malfunctioned again. Suddenly, the professor realizes that the fire-breath was part of Megatron's design specifications. Megatron feigns shame, claiming that he wanted a body again, so he experimented with the Dinobots by adding "features". Sumdac sympathizes with Megatron, promising not to tell the Autobots and to restore Megatron one day.

[[Image:TFA Blast Past Dinobots stuck.JPG|left|200px|thumb|"You're sure they're contained?" "Yes. Unless they figure out how to open doors."]]

Meanwhile, Bumblebee and Ratchet are pinned down by Grimlock's fire-breath. Snarl and Swoop get up and join in, the heat melting the parking lot behind the two Autobots. [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]] remembers the tar lesson from Dino Drive, and Bulkhead throws all three Dinobots into the newly formed pool. The Dinobots use their flames in an attempt to free themselves from the "black, sticky stuff", but only make things worse for themselves.

The Dinobots are trapped with only their heads sticking out. Professor Sumdac promises to melt them down due to their unpredictableness and the danger they therefore pose. Optimus approves of this, but Prowl does not, feeling that they have shown they have minds and sparks of their own. When Sumdac returns the next morning, he finds the Dinobots have escaped from their tar prison.

On the [[Dinobot Island (Animated)|deserted island]] where Prowl and Bulkhead trained, the Dinobots are freed into a large crater which houses a beautiful natural environment. Prowl and Bulkhead see how happy they are and decide to keep it their little secret. With that, Prowl sets a hologram up to keep them hidden and safe from the world.

[[Image:Animated cartoon Grimlock energo-sword.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Life finds a way."]]

After they leave, Grimlock dubs cars and trucks bad, but Nature good. Two birds promptly defecate on him, which makes him rethink his claim and dub Nature stupid. He orders the birds to come down and "fight like Dinobot" and spits out a flame at them, but they simply fly away. Furious, Grimlock suddenly activates another of Megatron's "features" and transforms! Snarl and Swoop stare in amazement as Grimlock draws a [[Energo-sword|giant, flaming sword]]. Grimlock like….
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
* [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (3)
* [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (4)
* [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (5)
* [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (6)
*[[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]] (9)
*[[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]] (10)
*[[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]] (11)

|c2=
* [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (7)

|c3=
* [[Sari Sumdac]] (1)
* [[Isaac Sumdac]] (8)
* [[Captain Fanzone]] (12)

|c4=
*[[Tutor Bot]] ()
}}

==Quotes==
"Sorry I'm late, guys. Uh, did I miss anything?" 
"No, I'd say you hit just about every car in the lot."
:—'''Bulkhead''' can't seem to catch a break, certainly not from '''Bumblebee'''. At first I thought Bulky was as destructive as Patrick Star but now, I think he's worse!

'''Tutor Bot''': Besides the valuable information dinosaurs' bones can tell us, fossils also gave way to fossil fuels, which today power our automobiles. 
'''Sumdac''': Oh, I cannot believe that I programmed you with such simplistic information. Everyone knows this. 
'''Megatron''': Oh, but I did not. 
'''Sumdac''': Well, everyone but you. ''[gasps loudly]'' You—you ''spoke!''
:—Isaac Sumdac learns that his guest is awake.

"Nice, Prowl. Maybe next you can teach an engine block to float."
:—'''Ratchet''' being a crotchety old goat

"The primitive materials available on this planet are useless. It will take countless solar cycles to create attack drones capable of ''my'' needs, and without more substantial robotics for my own body, my prospects are grim, locked in this prison of a lab." 
"Grim—lock…Grim—lock."
:—'''Megatron''' learns why '''Grimlock''''s name doesn't start with an "S".

"Cars and trucks bad! [[Car Robots|Car robots]]…worse!"
:—'''Grimlock''', to the dismay of ''[[Robots in Disguise (cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' fans everywhere.

'''Bulkhead''': Wait! Uh, I was thinking. Maybe we should lead them some place safer first. 
'''Optimus''': Good thinking, Bulkhead! 
'''Bulkhead''': He said "good thinking". 
'''Bumblebee''': And "''Bulkhead''".
:—Optimus gives Bulkhead kudos, much to his and Bumblebee's shock.

"You call breathing fire a glitch?!?"
:—'''Ratchet''', saying what we're all thinking.

"Just because something is big and lumbering and destructive doesn't mean you give up on it."
:—'''Prowl''' delivering the most backhanded compliment ever

==Notes==
===Animation errors===
*In one scene, Snarl's head is coloured grey instead of gold.

*Prowl removes his Autobot symbol because of its hologram emitter. However, in the next shot, he still has it.
** In [[Five Servos Of Doom]], Master Yoketron is shown removing Prowl's projector, too. A new insignia, implied to be his true one, slides in from right behind it.

*During the final fight, when Bulkhead tries to use Prowl's training properly, his mouth doesn't move.

===Transformers references===
*A far-off island that becomes a training ground for a lumbering warrior to hone his skills without causing collateral damage to the Autobots' base? Gee, [[Dinobot Island (G1)|that sure sounds familiar]].

*After smashing into Snarl, Bulkhead cheerfully apologizes with "Excuse me!" in much the same way that ''Generation 1'' [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] did after stomping on a [[Quintesson]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

* Grimlock's line "Cars and trucks bad! Car Robots worse!!!" may be taken as a subtle jab at ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'', which was called ''Car Robots'' in Japan. Interestingly enough, that was also the only post-Generation 1 show that did not feature [[David Kaye]], Grimlock's voice actor.

* Megatron tries to convince Grimlock that Autobots are bad. [[War of the Dinobots| Familiar indeed]].

* At the end of the episode, Prime suggests that the Dinobots are too dangerous to be kept around. Again, [[S.O.S. Dinobots| familiar]].

*Only two other animatronic dinosaurs are seen in Dino Drive, a ''Stegosaurus'' and an unidentified sauropod. These may be references to [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] and the original [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]. And/or potential future Dinobots.

*Grimlock's robot mode resembles his look in the Generation 1 series. However, in this series, he wields a flaming sword just like his G1 toy and depiction in several comic series including Transformers War Within.

*This is not the first series to use a tar pit to entrap the Dinobots. In the Generation 1 cartoon episode "[[Dinobot Island, Part 1|Dinobot Island]]", Megatron used the island's residents to drive the Dinobots into a tar pit to get them out of the Decepticon's way. In the G1 Marvel comic series, the Decepticon [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] defeated the Dinobots by entombing them in tar (before falling in himself).

===Real-world references===
* The gate of Dino Drive is remarkably similar to the gate of Jurassic Park in the movie of the same name (and thus, by extension, to the gate from ''King Kong'', to which Jurassic Park's design was an [[homage]]). Music reminiscent of the ''Jurassic Park'' theme can be heard during some of the Dino Drive scenes.

===Trivia===
* This marks the first time the Dinobots have been used in a ''Transformers'' television series since Generation 1. There is much joy. Grimlock is particularly happy.

* Snarl was obviously designed to be the ''Animated'' incarnation of the [[Generation 1]] [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] named [[Slag (G1)|Slag]], and preproduction shots even bore that name. Hasbro [http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=76674442 holds the United States trademark for "Slag" unopposed, and renewed it as recently as Xmas 2007]. They aren't using "Slag" as a product name because, as acknowledged by the Hasbro representatives at [[BotCon 2008]], it is a negative slang term in the United Kingdom (specifically, a reference to prostitution), and might have affected toy sales. Grimlock was the only Dinobot to be named in the show itself until "[[Human Error, Part II]]", when [[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]] gave Snarl his name. "Swoop" still remains unnamed..

* The Dinobots' color schemes are lifted directly from the Generation 1 cartoon, with some minor variations. This is most obvious in Swoop's torso being blue, rather then the red featured in Generation 1 Swoop's comic and toy incarnations. The ''[[Diaclone]]'' version of [[Swoop (G1)|Generation 1 Swoop]]'s toy likewise had a blue chest, so this is possibly an homage, but is more likely coincidence.

* For the first time, the Dinobots' alt modes match closely with how dinosaurs are depicted in the fossil record (no sluggishness, more mammal/bird-like, Grimlock bent over horizontally, no bowleggedness, etc.). There was still a lack of feathers before they were de-skinned, though. (However, since it's doubtful ''T. Rex''es had a feather covering like smaller therapods, and large pterosaurs had short, bristly fur, if at all, it's not really an issue)

*In this episode, Tutor Bot actually teaches Sari and the Autobots about dinosaurs and fossil fuels. He's back on form, however, when the pre-Transformer Grimlock squashes him.

* It seems somewhat odd (but not terribly surprising) that humanity has developed advanced robotics and such, but still uses fossil fuels in cars.

* According to Ratchet, the Transformer race is over 10 billion years old.

*Tutor Bot makes statements of questionable factual accuracy in this episode:
**Despite what Tutor Bot says, fossil fuels are ''not'' made from dinosaur fossils. Fossil fuels are made from various [[wikipedia:Hydrocarbon|hydrocarbons]], which are mostly formed from plant matter that has long since settled in the Earth's crust. For more, see [[wikipedia:Fossil_fuel|this]].
**Tutor Bot claims that the [[wikipedia:Jurassic|Jurassic]] era is over 200 million years old. It lasted from circa 199.6 million years ago to 145.4 million years ago. Yes, the show takes place in the future, but not '''that''' far in the future.
**Tutor Bot claims that many of the creatures lived during the Jurassic period, but ''Tyrannosaurus'', ''Triceratops'' and the pterosaur ''Pteranodon'' hail from the Late [[wikipedia:Cretaceous|Cretaceous]], not the Jurassic. The only dinosaurs actually from that time period are the ''Stegosaurus'' and the sauropod mentioned above. This makes Tutor Bot blind, vague, or incapable of teaching about dinosaurs, fossil fuels, and (depending on how literally you take him) basic math. The fact that Professor Sumdac continues to fix him is almost amazing.

*Michigan does not have volcanoes. (Although, this ''is'' the future.)

[[Category:Animated episodes]]

Along Came a Spider

2009-06-07T23:39:51Z

96.236.225.247: /* Notes */

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|image=TFA Along Spider Blackarachnia introduction.JPG
|caption=[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee, you seem to have lubricated yourself]].
|ep=9
|title="Along Came a Spider"
|airdate=[[February 16]], 2008
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|directed by=[[Matt Youngberg]] [[Irineo Maramba]] [[Yutaka Kagawa]]
|animation studio=[[Mook]]
}}

'''Bumblebee and Bulkhead's first Halloween turns even spookier when they encounter a giant spider that turns out to be the deadly Decepticon Blackarachnia.'''

:''German Title:'' "'''Im Netz der Spinne'''" ("In the Spider's Web")

==Synopsis==
[[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] introduces [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] and [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] to the concept of [[Halloween]], starting with selecting pumpkins. As she explains the idea of choosing just the right costume, Optimus's attention is distracted by a large black widow spider decoration. He remembers back to his academy days….

[[Image:Alongcameaspiderthreefriends.jpg|left|210px|thumb|"So once again, we find that evil of the past seeps into the present like salad dressing through cheap wax paper, mixing memory and desire."]]

''On [[Spider planet|an organic world]], Optimus and his friend Elita-1 admire the strange webbing stretching across the high rocks, not knowing what it is, until [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel]] calls to them to hurry up. Optimus cautions that such worlds are normally considered off-limits to Autobots, but there's supposedly a real Decepticon ship somewhere in the area. Elita's there for the historical value, but Sentinel just wants to get his hands on the [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] cache that must be in it. Optimus is still wary of potential punishment should they get caught, but figures he has to keep the other two from getting in over their heads. Sentinel insists that never happens—right before the ground crumbles under their feet, sending all three plunging into a deep cavern. Strange, skittering noises echo from its dark reaches. Optimus activates his shoulder-light to see….''

Bulkhead snaps Optimus's attention back to the present by donning a bedsheet (which just covers his head) and going "Boo," startling his leader. Optimus claims a ghost from his past just has him jumpy, then stalks off.

[[Image:TFA Along Spider Costume bots.JPG|right|200px|thumb|Bumblebee's decision to dress up as Count Blackula didn't go down well.]]

Back at the Autobot base, Sari critiques Bumblebee and Bulkhead's costumes, but says her own costume is only one surprise planned for the night. Noticing Optimus lost in thought, she uses the [[Key]] to activate one of the car plant's cranes, swinging another spider decoration in his face. The unexpected sight of it gives Optimus a bad flashback, and he quickly hacks the fake spider to bits. He admonishes Sari for making frivolous use of the Key, and she counters about him needlessly using his axe. Optimus stares down at the remains of the decoration, and his thoughts travel back again….

''As Optimus, Elita, and Sentinel walk through the cavern, Sentinel enthuses about the rich hoard of energon he's sure they'll find soon. Optimus shushes him as he hears something, and soon all three are casting their lights about, trying to pinpoint the skittering. The source reveals itself as an enormous, alien spider, which quickly traps Elita with some webbing. As Optimus fights it off, Sentinel frees her with his charged shield, but the spider abruptly takes him down. Elita starts using her special power-download ability, but Optimus, holding back the spider, tells her it won't work on organics. She instead borrows the unconscious Sentinel's shield power and shield itself, using them to defend herself, then to bring down a huge stalactite to impale the spider. As Sentinel wakes up and Elita returns his shield, Optimus says that it's not worth staying around, be it for history or energon. Sentinel still insists on one good reason to leave, and he gets three when another trio of giant spiders drop down to confront them. Sentinel quickly puts up his shield's energy barrier, covering Optimus and Elita's retreat. Optimus rolls out, and Elita follows, calling his name….''

[[Image:Saricostume.jpg|left|130px|thumb|Arise, Sarimus Prime.]]

Optimus suddenly becomes aware of Sari calling his name to show off her costume—a costume of him. He doesn't appreciate her vocal impersonation of him, and declines to join the trio on their trick-or-treat outing.

As Sari and the two Autobots progress though a local neighborhood, Bumblebee is a bit spooked by the atmosphere. Sari reminds him it's all pretend—unaware they're being tracked by an enormous spider traveling over the rooftops. As she coaches them through their first actual "trick or treat," Bumblebee spots the spider watching them and freaks out, but it's gone before anyone else sees it. Sari teases him for being more timid than Optimus, but 'Bee protests he knows the difference between a fake decoration and a real giant spider. Listening in from headquarters, Optimus has Bumblebee clarify what he saw, then heads out to meet them, advising them to stay put. As Optimus [[rolls out]], his thoughts roll back….

''Racing through the caverns, Optimus reaches the wreckage of a [[Decepticon]] warship. Separated from the other two, he heads inside, hoping to find them there. Instead, he finds an impressive stash of energon cubes, just as Sentinel predicted. He also finds an impressive stash of giant spider eggs. As the spiderlings hatch and start attacking, Optimus gets stuck on some webbing, but Elita shows up in time to help. As they fight to escape from more full-grown spiders, Optimus has Elita borrow his grappler ability. They bring down a huge stalactite through the ship's ruined overhead, grappling their way out as the energon detonates below them. However, Elita's download ability times out just then, and she goes plunging back too fast for Optimus to catch her. Sentinel arrives on top of the ship as she plummets into the hold, but knowing the energon is going to blow any second, Optimus grapples himself and Sentinel to safety rather than risk going after Elita just then. Once they break the surface, Optimus scans for Elita's energy signature, but doesn't find it. A furious Sentinel blames everything on Optimus.''

[[Image:Blackarach anim beast.jpg|right|200px|thumb|All those eyes, and she still can't see why those kids like Cinnamon Toast Crunch.]]

In the present, still en route to Sari and company's location, Optimus swears he won't let it happen again. Meanwhile, Bumblebee stresses that they have to stay vigilant until Optimus arrives—even as Sari is yanked out from under them by the giant spider. Bumblebee quickly cuts Sari free, but as he and Bulkhead surround the spider, it transforms into a female robot who calls herself [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]]. Sari's not too surprised or impressed by her femininity, but it makes a much bigger impression on Bulkhead—right up to the point Blackarachnia stabs him with two of her spider legs, knocking him out. She quickly gives Bumblebee the same treatment, then tells Sari they should go, now that Sari's safe. Sari protests the two Autobots are her friends, and Blackarachnia apologizes, pretending she can't tell which robots are good or bad on Earth. As Sari futilely tries to revive Bulkhead with her Key, Blackarachnia notes that the organic nature of her venom precludes that solution, since the All Spark doesn't affect organics. She offers to try helping the Autobots if Sari will just hand her the Key, but her ruse is interrupted when Optimus lassos her legs out from under her. Blackarachnia appears shocked to see him, but quickly frees herself and starts fighting back—using Bumblebee's stingers and Bulkhead's strength. Instead of borrowing any of Optimus's powers, though, she judo-throws him across the street, then kidnaps Sari.

Optimus desperately pursues the pair across the rooftops. He catches up, stuns Blackarachnia with a faceful of foam, then grapples Sari free. Despite this respite and Sari's warning, Blackarachnia still catches Optimus half-unaware. He fights back, but she dodges him constantly, claiming to know all his textbook Autobot Academy moves. Optimus wonders if he knows her, and she berates him for forgetting his friends—even if he remembered Sentinel. Optimus is horrified to realize he's facing Elita-1. She finally relates what really happened that day:

[[Image:TFA Elite-1 mutation.JPG|left|200px|thumb|Even Female Transformers have to worry about bloating.]]

''Trapped in the ship and surrounded by the spiders, Elita tries desperately to download their abilities. Instead, she is infected with their venom, and it mutates her into a freak, a half-organic, half-robotic being.''

Optimus realizes that her half-organic nature is what masked her energy signature from his scans. Blackarachnia sneers that if he'd known and saved her, she'd just have been dismantled and examined on some lab table on Cybertron. Optimus reproves her for joining the Decepticons, but she counters that at least she knows where she stands with them. She webs up Optimus and snatches the Key, certain that if anything can purge her organic half, it can. She plugs it into herself, but the unleashed energies begin causing all organic life in range, including Sari, to wither and sicken. Optimus breaks free, but before he can stop Blackarachnia, she grabs up Sari and throws her off the roof. Sari snags a flagpole long enough for Bumblebee and Bulkhead to save her, leaving Optimus free to deal with Blackarachnia.

[[Image:TFA ep9 Optimus and Blackarachnia rooftop.jpg|right|205px|thumb|Never liked the [[Silverbolt (BW)|Bird-dog]] anyway.]]

However, Blackarachnia collapses on her own, though. Optimus surmises her spark can't survive without her organic half, but she's too weak to pull out the Key and stop the reaction. Optimus forces through the energy barrier around her and removes it for her, restoring the organic life in the area to normal. As he helps her up, Blackarachnia asks him to go, not wanting to be seen like that. Still calling her Elita, Optimus asks her to come with them, promising his group will find a cure, and allow him to earn back her trust. She seems to respond positively, but it's another sham. Blackarachnia stabs him unconscious and leaves, vowing it will be a long time before she trusts another Autobot, especially him.

Later, Optimus returns Sari the Key. She thanks him and admits he was right—maybe it's time she gave the Key a rest. Bumblebee trundles in painfully, still damaged from his fall after catching Sari, and asks if she could use it once more. Bulkhead asks who the bug-bot lady was, and Optimus responds it was someone he should never have left behind. Elsewhere, Blackarachnia stands on a rooftop, gazing at the moon and sobbing over her fate.
{{--}}
==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead ]] (2)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (3)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (4)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel]] (6) (Flashback)

|c2=
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Elita-1/Blackarachnia]] (5)

|c3=
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (1)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Bumblebee''': ''[Bad Slavic accent]'' Velcome. I am Count Dracubot. I vant to drink your motor oil. 
'''Bulkhead''': Hey, guys! I finally found something big enough for my ghost costume. 
''[Fumes surround his feet, causing Sari to cough]'' 
'''Sari''': Bulkhead, where did you get that sheet? 
'''Bulkhead''': It was just draped over some house. Weird place for a bed sheet, huh? 
'''Sari''': Oh, that's not a bedsheet. That's a fumigation tent. 
'''Bulkhead''': Really…? What's a fumigation tent? 
''[As well as the fumes, Bulkhead's feet are now covered in dead cockroaches.]''
:—Sari sees the Autobots' costumes.

"I've got a good feeling about this. Any cycle now, we're gonna be overflowing with rich, All Spark-infused, energon-y goodness!" 
"Did you really just say 'energon-y goodness'?"
:—'''Sentinel''''s speech <strike>tick</strike>—er, tic bemuses '''Elita-1'''.

'''Sari''': Optimus! Check out my costume! 
''[Camera reveals that Sari is Optimus Prime]'' 
'''Sari''': ''[Imitating Optimus]'' Oh, look at me. I'm Optimus Prime. I'm scared of spiders. 
''[Bumblebee and Bulkhead chuckle]'' 
'''Optimus''': That's ''not'' what I sound like—is it? 
'''Bumblebee''': Last chance to join us, Boss Bot. 
'''Optimus''': Thanks, but I'll pass. Just be careful out there, all right? 
'''Sari''': Don't worry. I'll keep these two out of trouble. ''[Imitating Optimus]'' Transform and roll out! 
''[Optimus gives Sari a look]'' 
'''Sari''': Couldn't resist.
:—Sari and the Autobots roast Optimus Prime.

'''Bumblebee''': Who are you? 
'''Bulkhead''': What are you? 
'''Sari''': Duh. She's a girl.
:—The gang meets Blackarachnia.

"So, who ''was'' that bug-bot lady?" 
"Someone I never should have left behind."
:—'''Bulkhead''' and '''Optimus Prime''' talk some heavy stuff.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical glitches===
[[Image:TFA Along Spider Bulkhead jaw drop.JPG|right|200px|thumb|I've heard of jaw droppers before but this is ridiculous.]]
* Shortly after Sentinel says that he and Optimus should go back for Elita when the Decepticon ship explodes, his nose and forehead are painted silver, like Optimus.
* As Blackarachnia is stroking Bulkhead, his jaw falls off, then is seen re-attached to him the next cut--an obviously intentional, throw-away [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/JawDrop animation joke.]
* Sentinel's light blue markings can be seen several times during flashbacks.

===Continuity===
* Though not quite an error, the events of this episode's flashbacks are [[Endgame, Part I|later]] revealed to be the reason for his being expelled from the Autobot Academy.

===Transformers references===
* In the [[Generation 1 (cartoon)|Generation 1 animated series]], [[Elita One]] was [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Generation 1 Optimus Prime's]] paramour. The ''Animated'' incarnation of the character refrains from attempting to visually homage the original pink-and-white Elita, instead creating a blue-and-yellow pony-tailed character who bears a resemblance to Elita's earlier (pony-tailed) form, [[Ariel]]. Her relationship with Optimus is less distinct (it almost appears as if she's ''Sentinel's'' girlfriend at one point), with this episode's flashbacks not suggesting any romantic connection between the two, but the present-day scenes suggesting ''some'' kind of personal tension (though that could be guilt on Optimus's part and anger on Elita's).
* Sentinel is depicted here as Optimus's friend and peer, whereas in all other series he's either been Optimus's mentor, a superior officer, or a predecessor. In this way it seems the roles of Sentinel and [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] have been reversed from past continuities.
* With this episode, [[Energon cube|energon cubes]] make their first appearance in Transformers cartoons since ''Beast Wars''. They look ''exactly'' like they did in the Generation 1 cartoon, which even ''Beast Wars'' didn't pull off.
* Speaking of which, Sari's Optimus costume resembles the original [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] from ''Generation One'' more than it does the [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|one in the timeline she's in]].

===Real-world references===
* Bulkhead's "ghost" costume, with its constant cloud of pesticides at the bottom, coincidentally resembles "Pig-Pen's" costume from ''[[wikipedia:It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown"|It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown]]''.
* Judging how Blackarachnia [[Spider-Man|can swing from a thread]], the Autobots had best take a look overhead.
* "Little help for the vertically challenged?". Bulkhead throwing Bumblebee is bettter known to X-Men fans as the Fastball Special, usually performed by [[wikipedia:Colossus (comics)|Colossus]] and [[Wolverine]].

===Trivia===
* In a flashback, prior to Blackarachnia's transformation, a helmet can be seen sitting in a corner of the Decepticon ship. In the season 3 episode "[[Predacons Rising]]", it is confirmed that she starts wearing the helmet to conceal the extent of her transformation.
* This episode makes a point of how Sari has been overusing the Key previously, and that it can't be used to cure every Transformer injury. The writers evidently anticipated that reaction from the audience.
* Referring to himself as "vertically challenged," Bumblebee seems to be over his height complex, which was such a major point in "[[Total Meltdown]]".
* This is the first time Sentinel has been fully on screen. When he appeared in "[[Transform and Roll Out!]]", all that was seen of him was his big jerk head.
* In the flashbacks, neither Sentinel nor Optimus is addressed as "[[Prime (rank)|Prime]]". It's possible they hadn't attained that rank yet. (Sentinel is actually credited as just "Sentinel", not Sentinel Prime or Sentinel Minor, like he is in "[[Autoboot Camp]]", making it much more likely that the non-mention of their ranks was intentional.)
* On a related note, in the flashbacks, Sentinel's Autobot insignia (unsurprisingly) does not have the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] "[[:Image:Cyb Elite Guard Badge.png|wings]]" we see when he's introduced [[The Elite Guard|in the present]].
* Blackarachnia claims that she's been waiting to be cured for "a thousand [[Units of time|stellar cycles]]", which gives us a rough time frame for when the flashbacks in this episode took place. Whether they occur before or after "[[Autoboot Camp]]" is unclear, but it's probably before if we assume that our favorite jerk was only going by "Sentinel", and not "Sentinel Minor" at that point.
* This episode gives us at least one reason why Sentinel hates Optimus. The incident is also later established as the cause of Optimus' expulsion from the Autobot Academy in "[[Endgame, Part I]]".
* The hand motions Bulkhead makes at the end of the episode when he says "So who was that Bug-Bot-Lady?" are... interesting, to say the least.
* While dressed up as Count Dracubot, Bumblebee states that he "wants to drink your motor oil." As we learn [[Rise of the Constructicons|later]], this is roughly the equivalent of a vampire saying he wants to bum a few beers off you. Bumblebee ''really'' needs to work on this whole Halloween thing.
* When we see Sari, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee together in the city, one of the kids in the bottom left of the screen is wearing a Bumblebee costume.

[[Category:Animated episodes]]

Nanosec (episode)

2009-06-07T23:35:09Z

96.236.225.247: /* Continuity errors */

{{disambig2|an episode of Transformers Animated|the supervillain the episode is named for|Nanosec}}
{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|image=TFA Nanosec flee.JPG
|caption=Sure was nice of Sumdac to make a prototype suit that already had a supervillain look to it.
|ep=8
|title="Nanosec"
|airdate=[[January 26]], 2008
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|directed by=[[Matt Youngberg]] [[Shunji Ōga|Shunji Oga]]
|animation studio=[[The Answer Studio]]
|continuity=
}}

'''Bumblebee's self-proclaimed title as "fastest thing on wheels" is threatened by Nanosec, a super speedster crook on a deadly mission that could destroy all of Detroit.'''

:''German Title:'' "'''Die Turbodüsen'''" ("The Turbojets")

==Synopsis==
[[Image:TFA Nanosec Bumblebee Nino Sexton.JPG|left|200px|thumb|"Bumblebee, put your doll down." "It is an ACTION FIGURE, Prime!"]]
During a nighttime fireworks display, a small-time thief named Nino Sexton takes advantage of the distraction to pull a heist not far from [[Detroit|Detroit's]] boardwalks. He eludes the easily bamboozled [[police drone]]s, but makes the mistake of trying to steal the not-so-easily-bamboozled [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] for a getaway car. Bumblebee toys with the crook for a bit, showing off his speed, but [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] arrives and tells him to knock it off. As they argue, Sexton tries to leave, but Bulkhead stops him with his wrecking ball—which cracks apart the boardwalk, sending all three plunging down. The two 'bots hit the water while Sexton hangs on desperately to a shattered board. He is saved in the nick of time by [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]], who turns him in to the police.

Meanwhile, in [[Isaac Sumdac|Professor Sumdac]]'s private lab, his attempt to construct a servo for [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] fails, as Megatron knew it would. The [[Decepticon]] says that [[Destronium]] is necessary to build parts of sufficient quality, but Sumdac responds that the only available Destronium is a small amount synthesized on Earth.

[[Image:TFA Nanosec Bumblebee turbo boosters.JPG|right|200px|thumb|"Bumblebee, give me my jetpack back right now!"]]

The next day, Prime reprimands Bulkhead and Bumblebee, then says that Bumblebee will spend the day working with [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and Bulkhead on using his head instead of his thrusters. This upsets [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]], who has been looking forward to sharing with 'Bee one of her dad's latest prototypes: a set of turbo boosters. Bumblebee's all too eager to get them attached, but [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] absolutely nixes the idea. Sari protests that her dad's equipment is perfectly safe.

Across town, a technician reports to Professor Sumdac that there are problems with the new turbo-blade cyber suit as the test subject hurtles helplessly around the test track. Sumdac resignedly asks for the design specs so he can work out the bugs. Once the suit is perfected, it will increase human speed and reaction time a thousandfold. Megatron insists that the Destronium take priority, but Sumdac notes that the available sample is too unstable; transporting it from across town would leave it useless—or worse, highly explosive—unless it could be delivered in under ten minutes. He notes that nothing is that fast, but Megatron eyes the display of the plans for the cyber suit.

Shortly, Nino Sexton is informed that someone has posted his bail, though the police drone has no info on who it was. Bemused, he walks outside, where a delivery drone hands him a package "from a friend." Nino opens it to find the cyber suit.

In traffic, Bumblebee refuses to slow down and blend in. He points out that a riderless motorcycle hardly blends in either, so Prowl generates a holographic driver, but Bumblebee still refuses to cooperate—until a traffic jam forces him to do so. When a group of police vehicles speed by, Bumblebee takes the excuse to put on his own police roof light and do some "blending".

[[Image:TFA Nanosec Prowl awesome.JPG|left|200px|thumb|Ninjas are AWESOME!]]

The police turn out to be responding to a sudden rash of thefts by a hyper-fast Nino Sexton. Just after one theft, a teller comments in shock that the money vanished in a nanosec. Nino overhears and decides he likes the name. He then proceeds to elude the police easily, then encounters Bumblebee. This time, [[Nanosec]] gets away, and Bumblebee can only marvel at his speed. However, for all his speed, Nanosec finds his big bags of loot rather heavy, and he pauses to catch his breath—only to be confronted by Prowl. The crook soon escapes, but Bumblebee's had time to catch up. He's still not fast enough to overtake Nanosec before the speedster zooms through a railroad crossing with a train closing in fast. Losing his nerve at the last second, Bumblebee slams on the brakes but gets stuck on the tracks. Bulkhead manages to grab the train in time to save 'Bee from getting crushed and holds it long enough that his buddy can get out of the way.

As Nanosec rejoices in his escape, he is contacted by Megatron, who is using a strobing signal that can only be detected at ultra-high speeds. Megatron offers Nanosec a substantial reward—$50 million—for delivering the Destronium. As a downpayment, he provides an ATM code that delivers a large amount of cash out of Isaac Sumdac's private bank account. All he has to do is get the Destronium from the lab to [[Sumdac Tower]] within ten minutes.

At the Autobots' base, Bumblebee continues to try to beat his speed record, but to no avail. As he begs Ratchet to give him the turbo booster upgrade, Nanosec heists the Destronium from Sumdac Labs. Prime arrives to announce Nanosec's latest activity and location, and commands everyone to roll out to capture the villain. A dejected Bumblebee thinks it's impossible, but Sari holds up the [[Key]] and says there might be a way.

[[Image:TFA Nanosec Bumblebee no control.JPG|right|200px|thumb|Don't drink and drive, kids!]]

As Nanosec races into town, Prime stops him with a spread of negative-friction lubricant, but once he lassos the criminal out of the puddle, Nanosec's speed allows him to turn Prime's grappling lines against him. Prime calls for back-up, so Sari activates Bumblebee's newly installed boosters with the Key. Prime finally manages to catch Nanosec by his legs, but Bumblebee rockets into him, out of control, allowing the villain to escape. 'Bee and Sari nearly zoom off the edge of a half-built bridge, but Prime's line catches them. Even so, it's a struggle for the Autobot leader to hold them, so 'Bee throws it in reverse. This gets him away from the drop, but otherwise doesn't help much.

[[Image:Destronium.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Better hope Hot Shot doesn't find this.]]

Down the road, Ratchet uses his magnets to catch Nanosec, then checks the container he was carrying. He quickly realizes the danger involved—if the Destronium detonates in its current state, it could wipe out half of Detroit. Then Bulkhead notices Nanosec, whose hood has come off, now has grey hair when he used to be a redhead. Just then, Bumblebee rockets by, still out of control and now in reverse, again knocking Nanosec free to resume his delivery. Ratchet suggests Bee switch to robot mode, which is a MUCH bigger help. Prime catches up and orders Ratchet to disable the boosters, but there's no time; Nanosec has to be caught and stopped NOW. Prime tells everyone to roll out—without any vehicle mode modifications, thank you. As they proceed, Bulkhead wonders if the Destronium turned Nanosec's hair white, but Prowl responds that loss of hair color in organics is a sign of aging. Realizing what's going on, Bumblebee activates his boosters (which are apparently under control now) and races after Nanosec, using his head AND his thrusters. Once he catches up to the slowing speedster, 'Bee easily zaps the Destronium out of his grasp and rolls off with it. He then taunts the criminal into pursuing him at top speed until Nanosec becomes literally too old for this stuff and collapses.

[[Image:TFA Nanosec Bumblebee flight.JPG|right|200px|thumb|And they say bees can't fly.]]

By this time, the Destronium is very near its flash point, and according to Ratchet, the only safe place to take it is the upper atmosphere. With a two-stage boost assist from Bulkhead and Prowl, Bumblebee manages to use his thrusters to take the Destronium high enough and chuck it away before it explodes. Ratchet and Prime then slow him down and cool him off during his reentry. As the media cover Nanosec's arrest and the averted disaster, Prime congratulates everyone on a job well done, and Prowl even offers to race Bumblebee back to the plant, but 'Bee says he and Sari will walk.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (2)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (3)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (4)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (8)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (9)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (6)

|c3=
*[[Nanosec]] (1)
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (5)
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (7)
*[[Captain Fanzone]] (10)

|c4=
*[[Domestic Bot]]
*[[Security Bot]]
*[[Guard Bot]]
}}

==Quotes==
"I'm kinda new to this planet, but I believe you're supposed to pay for those things before you run off with them."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' holding Nanosec after he robs the warehouse

"Couldn't I just ask your Autobot friends to help?" 
"NO! I…do not wish them to see me in this weakened state."
:—'''Megatron''' tells '''Isaac Sumdac''' the absolute truth, for once. Sort of.

'''Bumblebee''': Turbo boosters! Suh-weet! 
'''Optimus Prime''': You're not actually thinking of hooking these things up to yourself, are you? 
'''Bumblebee''': Oh, of course not! I was gonna ask the doc-bot to do it for me. 
'''Ratchet''': Have you got your processor up your exhaust port? These things are untested, incompatible— 
'''Sari''': And totally wicked fast!
:—Bumblebee gets a few mixed signals.

'''Prowl''': The point of this exercise is to blend into your environment 
'''Bumblebee''': Oh, right! 'Cause nothing says 'blend' like a motorcycle driving itself." 
''[Prowl generates a hologram of a policeman driver for himself]'' 
'''Prowl''': Happy?
:—Houston, we have [[Moustache Man]] sighting.

"You know, there might be another way to get that turbo booster upgrade." 
"But, Prime's orders—" 
"Were to catch Nanosec. He didn't say HOW."
:—'''Sari''' plays the little devil on '''Bumblebee'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s shoulder.

"What is this stuff? Are you nuts?" 
"Negative friction lubricant ''[transforms]'' and technically, I'm nuts, bolts, and armored plating."
:-'''Nanosec''' gets schooled by '''Optimus Prime'''

'''Bumblebee''': You ROCK! 
'''Sari''': No, YOU rock! 
'''Bumblebee''': No, YOU rock! 
'''Sari''': No, YOU rock! 
'''Bumblebee''': I said YOU rock! 
'''Sari''': I said YOU rock! 
'''Bumblebee''': YOU rock! 
'''Sari''': YOU rock!
:—Mercifully, the exchange ends here.

"How do you suppose this Nanosec fellow got hold of my experimental turbo suit?" 
"I suspect it was an inside job."
:—Delightfully layered-meaning dialog between '''Professor Sumdac''' and '''Megatron'''

==Notes==
===Continuity errors===
* Prof. Sumdac seems woefully dim about his own creation, stating that nothing could be fast enough to bring the Destronium across town in time, '''right after''' talking about the turbo suit. However, as the suit has just been shown to have problems, perhaps Sumdac is instead exercising some sensible caution by not even considering using it.

* Ironically, judging from the position of the train at the time Bumblebee stopped on the tracks, he ''would'' have made it if he'd kept going, or he could've just stepped off the tracks by transforming to robot mode.

* Comparing Megatron's directions to a map of the Detroit-Monroe area, he seems to recommend taking a primarily north-south route, which seems to be the shortest distance. However, Prime says Nanosec's taking I-94, the east-west highway, which would require a substantially longer route. Even given his super speed, why would Nanosec make it harder on himself to make the 10-minute deadline? (It's possible maps.megatron.com's route doesn't use highways, meaning more traffic lights, but the map's semi-fictionalized, so it's hard to tell. And why would Nanosec care about traffic lights anyway?)

* Apparently, news spreads as fast as Nanosec can run. No one seems to be around to hear him say he likes the name after he hears the teller use the word, yet within a few hours, Prime and Sari somehow know his name as well. Maybe he quickly put up some P.R.?

* Sumdac claims that the Destronium has to be delivered quickly, or it will become too unstable, yet Ratchet later claims that moving the substance at high speed is what makes it so volatile, so it was a lose-lose situation from the beginning. Perhaps Megatron needs to run a few more self-diagnostics before he starts his galactic conquest gig again.

* What would Megatron actually ''do'' with the destronium, even if he got it, without letting Sumdac know about it? He needs ''help'' to get his body back.

===Animation errors===
*As Bumblebee is about to go over the closed bridge, just before he goes into reverse, the Key is stuck in his ignition—and also depicted hanging from its lanyard around Sari's neck.
*When the police drone tells Nanosec to freeze, its caterpillar treads are still moving.

===Transformers references===
* Bumblebee uses the term "Big Bot", which was also [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor's]] affectionate name for [[Optimus Primal]] in ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]''.

* Megatron is made up of [[Destronium]] circuits. The Decepticons are called [[Destron]]s in Japan. Or maybe they got it from [[Destro|a certain Scottish arms dealer]].

* Bumblebee's battle mask bears a striking similarity to the toy-face of the original [[Generation 1]] [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] toy.

* Sumdac's new police drones, first seen (sort of) in "[[Total Meltdown]]", have been adopted by the Detroit police department. They still need to work out some bugs.

===Real-world references===
* Going by the semi-fictional map Megatron provides, Sumdac Tower appears to be near the interchange of I-96 and State Highway 39, while the lab with the Destronium is somewhere near the suburb of Berlin, just east of I-75. For comparison, the robot plant shown in "[[Transform and Roll Out]]" is on the lakeshore in Monroe, about six miles further southwest.

===Trivia===
[[Image:TFA Nanosec Sumdac Megatron chill.JPG|right|200px|thumb|"You know, this really hugs the buttocks." "I hate you, I really really do."]]
* The script for this episode was the first ''Transformers Animated'' script to be written, and was used by series scribe [[Marty Isenberg]] both as a showcase and as a testing ground for the new show's Detroit setting and character dynamics, particularly in terms of its focus on a human rather than a Decepticon villain. Indeed, this episode was originally conceived as the show's pilot, until the decision was later made to open instead with a larger-scale "event" TV movie, leading to the development of "[[Transform and Roll Out]]".<ref>,http://www.cvcomics.com/artandstory/?p=242 Art & Story interview with Marty Isenberg]</ref>
* This is the first time Bumblebee uses his battle mask.
* This is also the first time we see Bumblebee's rocket boosters. He loses them during atmospheric reentry, but he gets them back in the second season—just in time to have some [[Velocity|fun with race cars]].
* In the previous week's episode, "[[The Thrill of the Hunt]]", Ratchet repaired his war wound—the exposed circuitry on the dorsal side of his left forearm—when he installed his EMP generator, regained from the bounty hunter [[Lockdown]]. Only a few shots in this episode provide a view of that part of his arm, and most of them show it as whole. However, the one good view available—after the Destronium theft, when Bumblebee is begging Ratchet to install the boosters—distinctly shows the war wound still present. It's possible he's left the generator unattached so he may continue to remember the circumstances of its loss [[Arcee (Animated)|"for those who can't,"]] as he puts it.
* In this episode, Bumblebee tries to be responsible, while Sari is the one who opts for breaking the rules. Wow. That's a role reversal from [[Unicron Trilogy|previous fictions]].
* Isaac Sumdac is still using Megatron's hand as a chair. For a fleshling, he's got brass.
* Bumblebee ran Nanosec, already slowed enough to make them equal, into old age on purpose for no apparent reason. That is '''COLD'''.

==Footnotes==
<references />

[[Category:Animated episodes]]

Jetstorm (Animated)

2009-06-07T01:51:24Z

96.236.225.247: /* Notes */

{{factions|autobot|eliteguard}}{{disambig3|Jetstorm}}
:''Jetstorm is a [[Autobot|comrade]] from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Jetstormanimatedboxart.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Still got the air superiority complex?]]

'''Jetstorm''' and his twin [[brother]] [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] are part of a risky Autobot [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]] experiment in duplicating the flight and combat abilities of the [[Decepticon|Decepticons]]. While the experiment gave them incredible new powers, it did absolutely nothing to blunt their hyperactive, act-without-thinking natures. Jetstorm is capable of attacking with incredible bursts of wind in both robot and jet modes, creating focused cyclones with devastating force (if somewhat questionable accuracy). Luckily, he's one of the few bots who actually listens to [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], and stops his attack once his commander barks out his order to do so... though usually by that time, the damage has already been done.

The twins also have the ability to combine into a superjet ''and'' the powerful robot [[Safeguard (Animated)|Safeguard]]. Both modes greatly enhance their combat effectiveness... but not their wits, unfortunately.

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' continuity===
{{note|Events from [[IDW Publishing]] comics are in italics}}
:''Voice actor:'' [[Phil LaMarr]] (English)
[[Image:Jetfirejetstormzackly.jpg|left|200px|thumb|He's just mad because he didn't think of the joke first.]]

''Jetstorm was a simple repair bot who, along with his brother Jetfire, nearly died in an on-site accident. Viewed by the [[Elite Guard]] as completely expendable, Jetstorm and his brother were chosen to have [[Decepticon]] coding (acquired from [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] during his time in custody) grafted onto their Autobot shells in hopes that the pair would gain the Decepticons' flight abilities. [[Wheeljack (Animated)|Wheeljack]], [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] and [[Red Alert (Animated)|Red Alert]] did the necessary calculations and programming needed. After this, the pair's combat abilities were tested against [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]], whom they easily defeated.''

[[Image:Jetstormdoesnotswing.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Boot" is a sound effect?]]

''To try their combat skills against a Decepticon, Starscream's programming was scanned into a combat simulator. However, Starscream's programming overpowered the training system, and the battle became real. Starscream's strength and cunning were more than they expected; Jetfire briefly lost control of his flame throwers and began to burn up, only to be saved when Jetstorm's wind turbines put out the flames. With newfound determination, the two combined into Safeguard for the first time and destroyed the virtual Decepticon. After this performance, Jetstorm and his brother were inducted into the Elite Guard. {{storylink|Rise of Safeguard|Rise of Safeguard}}''

Later, Jetstorm, along with his brother, Jazz, and [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], were sent by [[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm Prime]] to chase after the supposed Decepticon spy [[Wasp]]. The twins soon found a Wasp-disguised [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], whom Wasp intended to frame by swapping paint jobs, helmets and voices, but Jetstorm accidentally (and literally) blew Bumblebee away. They then were confronted by [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]], who mistook them for Decepticons due to their ability to fly. After a one-on-one battle with Optimus & Ratchet (with Jetstorm facing Optimus and Jetfire facing Ratchet, respectively), the two combined into Safeguard to try and gain the upper hand, only to have the brawl end when Sentinel and Jazz arrived and cleared up the misunderstanding. Then, under Sentinel's orders, the twins set out to find Wasp once more.

They later found him with [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] and [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]], who tried to convince them that Wasp had swapped places with Bumblebee, but to no avail. The twins assumed all three to be traitors and attacked them. The long battle was once again broken up by the others, who had become at least partly convinced of Bumblebee's true identity. The group quickly headed back to the Autobots' base to try and sort out the matter. During the fighting, however, Wasp had hacked into the Autobots' files on Bumblebee, allowing Wasp to know everything about him. Bulkhead decided to settle it with a game of ''Ninja Gladiator'' to determine the real Bumblebee. Jetfire and Jetstorm were so delighted by the concept of video games that they both shouted that they would play the winner. This would not happen, as Wasp revealed his true identity under the pressure. He swapped the paint jobs back and was able to escape. {{storylink|Where Is Thy Sting?}}

Later on, they were just as out of the loop as Jazz and Optimus when Sentinel was tracking down Decepticons, although they were considerably less cynical about the captures than the others. They did however combine to fight [[Liar Starscream]] when Sentinel's stupid ego-trip backfired on him.
{{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}}
{{charstubfiction}}
{{Storylink|Predacons Rising}}
{{storylink|This Is Why I Hate Machines}}

===Safeguard toy bio===
{{note|In the comic included with the toy, Jetfire and Jetstorm are not clones, but already exist as refinery bots. They are upgraded into [[Elite Guard]] warriors. {{storylink|Rise of Safeguard}}}}
Jetfire and Jetstorm are clones created by the Autobots from techniques learned from Starscream.

==Toys==
===Animated===
[[Image:AniJetstorm-toy.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Not to be confused with JetBlue...or Blue Jet.]]
*'''Jetfire and Jetstorm''' (Entertainment Pack, 2008)

: Available only in a two-pack with his brother Jetfire, Jetstorm transforms into a blue Cybertronic wedge-shaped jet. He features pop-up "wind blades" in his robot mode armor. He can combine with his brother in both modes; in vehicle mode, they form an odd super-jet simply by docking together along their undercarriages (Yes, yes, har har, very droll), while Jetstorm's robot mode forms the left half of the super robot Safeguard.

: Both Jetfire and Jetstorm can flip open their cockpits. Nice. Pointless, but nice.

: The set comes with a bonus comic book, "[[Rise of Safeguard]]", which details the creation of the twins.

{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:TFA Jetfire Jetstorm concept.jpg|right|200px|thumb|CHEEKS!]]
* Both twins speak with a pronounced Romanian accent.

* Jetstorm's design, revealed at [[BotCon 2008]], contains numerous [[homage]]s to the ''[[Beast Machines (franchise)|Beast Machines]]'' [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]] General [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]], particularly his helmet.

* Jetfire and Jetstorm's fire/wind theme has its roots in some of the earliest concepts of ''Animated''. [[Sean Galloway]], who had been commissioned to do early concept work for the series, revealed several pieces of this concept art long before the "final" [[Derrick J. Wyatt|Derrick Wyatt]]-designed characters were shown. Among these images were a pair of "fire and wind" robots who have a few features that made it into the jet-twins' final designs.

* The twins' method of combination is seemingly an intentional homage to Hyoryū and Enryū/Chōryūjin from the final installment of Takara's [[Brave]] Series, ''King of Braves GaoGaiGar''.

* In the early stages of the toy's development, the end of the twins' combined vehicle mode is supposed to split apart and wings are supposed to slide out of the shins, so that the combined mode resembles an [[Luke Skywalker|X-wing fighter]]<ref>http://derrickjwyatt.blogspot.com/2008/09/hey-everybody-its-prowl.html</ref> however, this did not appear in the released instructions.

* Perceptor's dialogue in the [[Rise of Safeguard]] comic implies that the twins were split from one protoform, possibly indicating that Safeguard is their true form.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Animated characters]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Clones]]
[[Category: Elite Guard]]

Jetfire (Animated)

2009-06-07T01:50:03Z

96.236.225.247: /* Notes */

{{factions|autobot|eliteguard}}
{{disambig3|Jetfire}}
:''Jetfire is a [[Autobot|comrade]] from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Jetfireanimatedboxart.jpg|right|300px|thumb|"Ready, Ronald?" "Ready when you are, Professor Stein."]]

'''Jetfire''' and his twin [[brother]] [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] are part of a risky Autobot [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]] experiment in duplicating the flight and combat abilities of the [[Decepticon]]s. What the Autobots got were two incredibly rambunctious, cocky, and oddly naive robots with devastating combat power and acrobatic skill. Jetfire, true to his name, has the ability to create massive bursts of flame in both robot and jet modes. However, his accuracy and judgment as to when to use this power are questionable at best. Thankfully, he actually listens to [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]]'s orders to throttle down once they get on his nerves (which is often).

The twins also have the ability to combine into a superjet, or into the robot [[Safeguard (Animated)|Safeguard]]... modes that makes them even more physically powerful, but no less prone to acting without thinking.

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
{{note|Events from the IDW comics are in italics.}}
:''Voice actor:'' [[Tom Kenny]] (English)

[[Image:Jetfirejetstormzackly.jpg|left|200px|thumb|He probably thinks the "henbotway" joke is funny too.]]

''Jetfire was a simple repair bot who, along with his brother Jetstorm, nearly died in an on-site accident. Viewed by the Elite Guard as completely expendable, Jetfire and his brother were chosen to have [[Decepticon]] coding (acquired from [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] during his time in custody) grafted onto their Autobot shells in hopes that the pair would gain the Decepticons' flight abilities. [[Wheeljack (Animated)|Wheeljack]], [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] and [[Red Alert (Animated)|Red Alert]] did the necessary calculations and programming needed. After this, the pair's combat abilities were tested against [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]], whom they easily defeated.''

[[Image:Jetfirewilldestroyusall.jpg|right|200px|thumb|My goggles, they do nothing!]]

''To try their combat skills against a Decepticon, Starscream's programming was scanned into a combat simulator. However, Starscream's programming overpowered the training system, and the battle became real. Starscream's strength and cunning were more than they expected; Jetfire briefly lost control of his flame throwers and began to burn up, only to be saved when Jetstorm's wind turbines put out the flames. With newfound determination, the two combined into Safeguard for the first time and destroyed the virtual Decepticon. After this performance, Jetfire and his brother were inducted into the Elite Guard. {{storylink|Rise of Safeguard|Rise of Safeguard}}''

Later, Jetfire, along with his brother, Jazz, and [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], were sent by [[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm Prime]] to chase after the supposed Decepticon spy [[Wasp]]. The twins soon found a Wasp-disguised [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], whom Wasp intended to frame by swapping paint jobs, helmets and voices, and Jetfire was able to make at least one fireball attack before Jetstorm accidentally (and literally) blew Bumblebee away. They then were confronted by [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]], who mistook them for Decepticons due to their ability to fly. After a one-on-one battle with Optimus & Ratchet (with Jetstorm facing Optimus and Jetfire facing Ratchet, respectively), the two combined into Safeguard to try and gain the upper hand, only to have the brawl end when Sentinel & Jazz arrived and cleared up the misunderstanding. Then, under Sentinel's orders, the twins set out to find Wasp once more.

They later found him with [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] and [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]], who tried to convince them that Wasp had swapped places with Bumblebee, but to no avail. The twins assumed all three to be traitors and attacked them. The long battle was once again broken up by the others, who had become at least partly convinced of Bumblebee's true identity. The group quickly headed back to the Autobots' base to try and sort out the matter. During the fighting, however, Wasp had hacked into the Autobots' files on Bumblebee, allowing Wasp to know everything about him. Bulkhead decided to settle it with a game of ''[[Ninja Gladiator]]'' to determine the real Bumblebee. Jetfire and Jetstorm were so delighted by the concept of video games that they both shouted that they would play the winner. This would not happen, as Wasp revealed his true identity under the pressure. {{storylink|Where Is Thy Sting?}}
{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}}
{{storylink|Predacons Rising}}
{{storylink|This Is Why I Hate Machines}}

===Safeguard toy bio===
{{note|In the comic included with the toy, Jetfire and Jetstorm are not clones, but already exist as refinery bots. They are upgraded into [[Elite Guard]] warriors. {{storylink|Rise of Safeguard}}}}
Jetfire and Jetstorm are clones created by the Autobots from techniques learned from Starscream.

==Toys==
===Animated===
[[Image:AniJetfire-toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I am the god of Jetfire! And I bring you...]]
*'''Jetfire and Jetstorm''' (Entertainment Pack, 2008)

: Available only in a twin-pack with his brother Jetstorm, Jetfire transforms into a white and orange Cybertronic wedge-shaped jet. He features pop-up "fire blades" in his robot mode armor. He can combine with his brother in both modes; in vehicle mode, they form an odd super-jet simply by docking together along their undercarriages (Yes, yes, har har, very droll), while Jetfire's robot mode forms the right half of the super robot Safeguard.

:Both Jetfire and Jetstorm can flip open their cockpits. Nice. Pointless, but nice.

: The set comes with a bonus comic book, "[[Rise of Safeguard]]", which details the creation of the twins.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Autobot/Jetfire/jetfire.htm| More information on Jetfire at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

==Notes==
* Both twins speak with a thick Romanian accent.

[[Image:TFA Jetfire Jetstorm concept.jpg|right|200px|thumb|CHEEKS!]]
* Jetfire and Jetstorm's fire/wind theme has its roots in some of the earliest concepts of ''Animated''. [[Sean Galloway]], who had been commissioned to do early concept work for the series, revealed several pieces of this concept art long before the "final" [[Derrick J. Wyatt|Derrick Wyatt]]-designed characters were shown. Among these images were a pair of "fire and wind" robots who have a few features that made it into the jet-twins' final designs.

* The twins' method of combination is seemingly an homage to Hyōryū and Enryū/Chōryūjin from the final installment of Takara's [[Brave]] Series, ''King of Braves GaoGaiGar''.

* In the early stages of the toy's development, the end of the twins' combined vehicle mode is supposed to split apart and wings are supposed to slide out of the shins, so that the combined mode resembles an [[Luke Skywalker|X-wing fighter]].<ref>[http://derrickjwyatt.blogspot.com/2008/09/hey-everybody-its-prowl.html Derrick Wyatt blog post (read comments below)]</ref>

* [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] had no input over Jetfire's name, as the twins were largely the work of [[Eric Siebenaler]]; Wyatt only did a "once-over" of their aesthetics to match the rest of the series near the end of their development cycle. That's the reason why ''Animated'' Jetfire does not have a more "traditional" [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] design. As such, Wyatt says that if he ever does an homage to the original Jetfire's design, he would gladly call the character "Skyfire". (Of course, that [[trademark]] isn't actually available to [[Hasbro]] for toys, but that doesn't matter for a TV show.)

* Perceptor's dialogue in the [[Rise of Safeguard]] comic implies that Jetfire and Jetstorm were split from one protoform, possibly making Safeguard their true form.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Animated characters]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Clones]]
[[Category: Elite Guard]]

Jetfire (Animated)

2009-06-07T01:48:21Z

96.236.225.247: /* Notes */

{{factions|autobot|eliteguard}}
{{disambig3|Jetfire}}
:''Jetfire is a [[Autobot|comrade]] from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Jetfireanimatedboxart.jpg|right|300px|thumb|"Ready, Ronald?" "Ready when you are, Professor Stein."]]

'''Jetfire''' and his twin [[brother]] [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] are part of a risky Autobot [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]] experiment in duplicating the flight and combat abilities of the [[Decepticon]]s. What the Autobots got were two incredibly rambunctious, cocky, and oddly naive robots with devastating combat power and acrobatic skill. Jetfire, true to his name, has the ability to create massive bursts of flame in both robot and jet modes. However, his accuracy and judgment as to when to use this power are questionable at best. Thankfully, he actually listens to [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]]'s orders to throttle down once they get on his nerves (which is often).

The twins also have the ability to combine into a superjet, or into the robot [[Safeguard (Animated)|Safeguard]]... modes that makes them even more physically powerful, but no less prone to acting without thinking.

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
{{note|Events from the IDW comics are in italics.}}
:''Voice actor:'' [[Tom Kenny]] (English)

[[Image:Jetfirejetstormzackly.jpg|left|200px|thumb|He probably thinks the "henbotway" joke is funny too.]]

''Jetfire was a simple repair bot who, along with his brother Jetstorm, nearly died in an on-site accident. Viewed by the Elite Guard as completely expendable, Jetfire and his brother were chosen to have [[Decepticon]] coding (acquired from [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] during his time in custody) grafted onto their Autobot shells in hopes that the pair would gain the Decepticons' flight abilities. [[Wheeljack (Animated)|Wheeljack]], [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] and [[Red Alert (Animated)|Red Alert]] did the necessary calculations and programming needed. After this, the pair's combat abilities were tested against [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]], whom they easily defeated.''

[[Image:Jetfirewilldestroyusall.jpg|right|200px|thumb|My goggles, they do nothing!]]

''To try their combat skills against a Decepticon, Starscream's programming was scanned into a combat simulator. However, Starscream's programming overpowered the training system, and the battle became real. Starscream's strength and cunning were more than they expected; Jetfire briefly lost control of his flame throwers and began to burn up, only to be saved when Jetstorm's wind turbines put out the flames. With newfound determination, the two combined into Safeguard for the first time and destroyed the virtual Decepticon. After this performance, Jetfire and his brother were inducted into the Elite Guard. {{storylink|Rise of Safeguard|Rise of Safeguard}}''

Later, Jetfire, along with his brother, Jazz, and [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], were sent by [[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm Prime]] to chase after the supposed Decepticon spy [[Wasp]]. The twins soon found a Wasp-disguised [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], whom Wasp intended to frame by swapping paint jobs, helmets and voices, and Jetfire was able to make at least one fireball attack before Jetstorm accidentally (and literally) blew Bumblebee away. They then were confronted by [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]], who mistook them for Decepticons due to their ability to fly. After a one-on-one battle with Optimus & Ratchet (with Jetstorm facing Optimus and Jetfire facing Ratchet, respectively), the two combined into Safeguard to try and gain the upper hand, only to have the brawl end when Sentinel & Jazz arrived and cleared up the misunderstanding. Then, under Sentinel's orders, the twins set out to find Wasp once more.

They later found him with [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] and [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]], who tried to convince them that Wasp had swapped places with Bumblebee, but to no avail. The twins assumed all three to be traitors and attacked them. The long battle was once again broken up by the others, who had become at least partly convinced of Bumblebee's true identity. The group quickly headed back to the Autobots' base to try and sort out the matter. During the fighting, however, Wasp had hacked into the Autobots' files on Bumblebee, allowing Wasp to know everything about him. Bulkhead decided to settle it with a game of ''[[Ninja Gladiator]]'' to determine the real Bumblebee. Jetfire and Jetstorm were so delighted by the concept of video games that they both shouted that they would play the winner. This would not happen, as Wasp revealed his true identity under the pressure. {{storylink|Where Is Thy Sting?}}
{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}}
{{storylink|Predacons Rising}}
{{storylink|This Is Why I Hate Machines}}

===Safeguard toy bio===
{{note|In the comic included with the toy, Jetfire and Jetstorm are not clones, but already exist as refinery bots. They are upgraded into [[Elite Guard]] warriors. {{storylink|Rise of Safeguard}}}}
Jetfire and Jetstorm are clones created by the Autobots from techniques learned from Starscream.

==Toys==
===Animated===
[[Image:AniJetfire-toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I am the god of Jetfire! And I bring you...]]
*'''Jetfire and Jetstorm''' (Entertainment Pack, 2008)

: Available only in a twin-pack with his brother Jetstorm, Jetfire transforms into a white and orange Cybertronic wedge-shaped jet. He features pop-up "fire blades" in his robot mode armor. He can combine with his brother in both modes; in vehicle mode, they form an odd super-jet simply by docking together along their undercarriages (Yes, yes, har har, very droll), while Jetfire's robot mode forms the right half of the super robot Safeguard.

:Both Jetfire and Jetstorm can flip open their cockpits. Nice. Pointless, but nice.

: The set comes with a bonus comic book, "[[Rise of Safeguard]]", which details the creation of the twins.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Autobot/Jetfire/jetfire.htm| More information on Jetfire at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

==Notes==
* Both twins speak with a thick Romanian accent.

[[Image:TFA Jetfire Jetstorm concept.jpg|right|200px|thumb|CHEEKS!]]
* Jetfire and Jetstorm's fire/wind theme has its roots in some of the earliest concepts of ''Animated''. [[Sean Galloway]], who had been commissioned to do early concept work for the series, revealed several pieces of this concept art long before the "final" [[Derrick J. Wyatt|Derrick Wyatt]]-designed characters were shown. Among these images were a pair of "fire and wind" robots who have a few features that made it into the jet-twins' final designs.

* The twins' method of combination is seemingly an homage to Hyōryū and Enryū/Chōryūjin from the final installment of Takara's [[Brave]] Series, ''King of Braves GaoGaiGar''.

* In the early stages of the toy's development, the end of the twins' combined vehicle mode is supposed to split apart and wings are supposed to slide out of the shins, so that the combined mode resembles an [[Luke Skywalker|X-wing fighter]].<ref>[http://derrickjwyatt.blogspot.com/2008/09/hey-everybody-its-prowl.html Derrick Wyatt blog post (read comments below)]</ref>

* [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] had no input over Jetfire's name, as the twins were largely the work of [[Eric Siebenaler]]; Wyatt only did a "once-over" of their aesthetics to match the rest of the series near the end of their development cycle. That's the reason why ''Animated'' Jetfire does not have a more "traditional" [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] design. As such, Wyatt says that if he ever does an homage to the original Jetfire's design, he would gladly call the character "Skyfire". (Of course, that [[trademark]] isn't actually available to [[Hasbro]] for toys, but that doesn't matter for a TV show.)

* Perceptor's dialogue in the [[Rise Of Safeguard]] comic implies that Jetfire and Jetstorm were split from one protoform, possibly making Safeguard their true form.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Animated characters]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Clones]]
[[Category: Elite Guard]]

Porter C. Powell

2009-06-06T21:53:55Z

96.236.225.247: /* Notes */

:''Porter C. Powell is a [[human]] from the [[Animated]] [[continuity family]].''
[[Image:PorterCPowellModel.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Like an evil, mulleted [[wikipedia:Harland_Sanders|Colonel Sanders]]. But I repeat myself.]]
'''Porter C. Powell''' is Chairman of the Board of [[Sumdac Systems]], CEO of [[Powell Motorworks]]... and, peculiarly, a major financier of the experiments and business ventures of one of Sumdac's chief rivals, [[Prometheus Black]]. A capitalist of the sleazy, profit-at-any-price type, Powell is not above working with the villainous or demented to make big bucks.

Basically, he's a rich jerk. His mullet, however, is ''truly inspirational''.

{{quote|There's no room for sentiment in business.|Porter C. Powell, "[[The Elite Guard]]"}}

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===

:''Voice actor:'' [[Bumper Robinson]] (English), [[Klaus Lochthove]] (German)

After the highly public failure of Black's test subject, [[Colossus Rhodes]], Porter C. Powell spoke to Black via the video link in his lab. When Black tried to sell Powell on his latest innovation (a super-corrosive derived from [[Autobot]] [[mech fluid]] and Black's own steroids) and the necessity of a new human test subject, Powell informed him that Black's investors were unwilling to sink any more money into his mad science—and furthermore, that even the prison system wouldn't provide Black with a new guinea pig. Regretfully, Powell ended both the call and his business relationship with Black. {{storylink|Total Meltdown}}

[[Image:Portercpowell.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Dull surprise|DULL SURPRISE]].]]
Powell was among the crowd who watched [[Isaac Sumdac]] unveil his new improved [[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobots]] at [[Dino Drive]]. {{storylink|Blast from the Past}}

After Isaac Sumdac was abducted by [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] took over leadership of the company. Powell disapproved of having a mere child responsible for the business, especially since she was diverting corporate funds to the search for her father. Powell wouldn't have to deal with her for very long, however: He was unable to discover any legal documents referring to a "Sari Sumdac"—no will, birth certificate, adoption papers, Social Security Number, anything. Not only was there no proof she was Sumdac's daughter, from a bureaucratic standpoint, there was no proof she existed. Powell was installed as new CEO of Sumdac Systems, and one of his early decisions was to lock Sari out of Isaac's lab and offices. He then rather smugly informed Sari of her "lack of existence". What a nice guy. {{storylink|The Elite Guard}}

[[Image:No_Sari_Sumdac.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Porter C. Powell, class act. If there's karma in ''Animated'', [[Lugnut]] will step on him.]]
Totally unsympathetic to Sari's circumstances, Powell evicted her from Sumdac Tower, confiscated [[Tutor Bot]] and [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]], and gave her bedroom to [[Headmaster (Animated)|Henry Masterson]]. Powell had invested considerable effort in clearing up that whole [[Headmaster (episode)|attempted nuclear terrorism thing]] and wanted to use Masterson's skills to gain access to lucrative [[United States Military|military]] contracts that had previously been ruled out by Isaac Sumdac's silly, unprofitable conscience. As part of his new research and development, Masterson body-jacked [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], and Powell helped him out, preventing [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] from searching the tower for evidence and trying to conceal Masterson from detection. But when Powell phoned Masterson to warn him the Autobots were looking for him, an eavesdropping Optimus traced the call and was able to apprehend the nerdy ne'er-do-well. But Powell wasn't about to let a corporate asset go to jail; even as [[Captain Fanzone]] was slapping the cuffs on Masterson, Powell drove up in his limo to announce that no real crimes had been committed (the damaged property belonged to Sumdac Systems, and the alien robots had no legal rights), and further that the alleged crime had occurred in international waters and thus outside Fanzone's jurisdiction. {{storylink|The Return of the Headmaster}}

[[Image:Powellandsari.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Screw PR backlash, I'm kickin' this girl out of her home.]]
Powell continued his ruthless streak by holding out on having the company service the city's malfunctioning trashbots until the [[Mayor Edsel|mayor]] would agree to a renegotiated and more lucrative contract. During these delays, his research team showed him that they'd retooled the nanomachines that used to produce rampaging giant insects, {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out!}} and that now they were more useful for eating garbage. As a bonus, they cost a fraction of what the materials for the trashbots went for. Powell realized that this, combined with charging the city more, meant he was soon to be even more fabulously wealthy.

[[Image:Powell.JPG|thumb|right|200px|"Compadres, it is imperative that we crush the freedom fighters before the start of the rainy season. And remember; a shiny new donkey for whoever brings me [[Megatron (Animated)|the head of Colonel Montoya]]."]]
Unfortunately this was all derailed when the armored car containing the sample was cracked open by the ever-affable [[Wreck-Gar (Animated)|Wreck-Gar]]. Powell hurried to tell Edsel that the demonstration had to be called off, only to be cut off by the sighting of a garbage scow with a rapidly decreasing load. Smugly claiming credit, he was about to nail that new contract when it was further revealed that the garbage scow ''itself'' was rapidly decreasing as the nanobots devoured it. After [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] managed to avert disaster, the mayor steadfastly refused to renew the contract—until the curmudgeonly Autobot picked up both parties and gave them a good shake and a yell, accompanied with the threat of tossing them in the water. Negotiations proceeded in good faith from there on. {{storylink|Garbage In, Garbage Out}}
Powell went so far as to rename Sumdac Tower into Powell Tower. Offended, Sari reprogrammed the Reception Bot into saying the original name again, as well as informing visitors that Powell was a booger-head. {{storylink|SUV: Society of Ultimate Villainy}}

As it turns out, one of Powell's main concerns in "Powell Tower" was keeping tabs on his former business partner, Prometheus "Meltdown" Black, in prison. Thus, he was rather unnerved when, in response to Sari and Bumblebee asking him to provide information on anything that would incriminate Powell, Meltdown said that it would be useless, but if they freed him, he'd make all their problems "melt away". (Read: liquid Powell.) Although Sari and Bumblebee clearly thought that was taking things too far, Powell still considered this bad news, so much so that when the [[Dinobots (Animated)|Dinobots]] broke Meltdown out, he showed the tape to Fanzone, trying to implicate Bumblebee. Between the fact that Powell had illegally hacked into the prison's security cameras and his earlier arrogance while freeing Headmaster, Fanzone wasn't inclined to take Powell seriously.

[[Image:Animated_Black_Friday_Grimlock_Prime_Powell.jpg|thumb|left|175px|He's not Lugnut, but he'll do for now.]]

Powell's frustrations rose even further when Optimus and [[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]] charged into Powell Tower to learn the whereabouts of Meltdown's [[genetic modifier]]. When Powell refused to divulge the whereabouts of his private property, he found himself swallowed by Grimlock. (Step one in his karmic debt payment, ''many'' more to go.) Terrified, he agreed to lead the Autobots there and was duly spit back out, covered in the Dinobot equivalent of saliva...nasty, purple saliva. (Step two performed, ''still'' many more to go.) After Optimus took away the modifier (and an accident named Grimlock happened to several of Meltdown's leftover experiments), Powell contacted Fanzone about the "robbery". However, Optimus returned the modifier in the end...ruined by contact with Meltdown. Enraged, Powell demanded that Fanzone arrest Optimus for destroying private property. Fanzone retaliated by saying he was more inclined to arrest ''Powell'' for being a public nuisance. Fanzone and the Autobots then left Powell to stew in his own pompous indignation. {{storylink|Black Friday (episode)|Black Friday}}

Pompous indignation turned to terror when Sari Sumdac returned to Powell Tower with the only person who could threaten Powell's authority: Isaac Sumdac himself. Realizing his position was threatened, Powell tried to smooth things over by saying how happy he was that Isaac was alive. Masterson, however, had just been robbed of his Headmaster unit by the Decepticons, and made several threats to the Autobots, while Powell stated that there was little difference between the Autobots and the Decepticons. Powell was quickly reminded of those differences when Optimus Prime picked up Masterson and asked for clarification on his threats. Furious over his actions while running the company, Isaac immediately terminated Porter C. Powell and Henry Masterson's employment at Sumdac Systems. Masterson made a cocky comment about refusing to do what "some old man and his little daughter" told them, and Powell expressed further doubts about Sari's parentage. At which point a furious Sari somehow blasted the two into an elevator, and out of Sumdac Tower. {{storylink|TransWarped}}

[[Image:TFAni_Human_Error_Part_1_Powell_Soundwave.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[To sell toys]]]]
Down but not out, Powell had acquired the designs for the [[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]] toy [[Sound and Fury|that Isaac had made for Sari]] and patented them. Powell released the Soundwave toys for the [[Christmas]] season, despite Isaac Sumdac's protests, at the low, ''low'' price of only $19.99. The fact that the Soundwave toys are under the control of the original will in no way blow up in his face. {{storylink|Human Error, Part I}}

And then it totally, unexpectedly blew up in his face when Soundwave instructed his toy replicas to hypnotize the humans of Detroit, so that they would not interfere with Soundwave's plans to reprogram the Autobots. Fortunately for Detroits humans, Optimus Prime managed to defeat Soundwave and end his control over them. Unfortunately for Powell, consumers began returning the Sound Waves en masse over the hypnosis incident. Powell lamented that the resulting refunds would leave him financially ruined. Karma finally hit him where it hurts: his wallet. {{storylink|Human Error, Part II}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[Image:GarbagePowellLimo.jpg|thumb|right|250px|C'mooooon ''Animated'' Renegades!]]
* According to the DVD audio commentary for "[[Garbage In, Garbage Out]]", Powell was originally meant to be a one-shot incidental character. However, the strength of his design prompted the other ''Animated'' staff members to bug [[Marty Isenberg]] into using him again, delving further into his identity and place in the ''Animated'' universe.
* The audio commentary, furthermore, describes Powell as being "very '70s game show-esque". [[Derrick Wyatt]] is in fact a big fan of the [[Wikipedia:Game Show Network|Game Show Network]], particularly vintage episodes of ''[[wikipedia:Match Game|Match Game]]''.
* At [[BotCon 2008]], it was revealed by one of the [[Cartoon Network]] guests that Powell's limo was based on the Renegade [[GoBot (Tonka)|GoBot]] [http://tfu.info/Gobots/Renegades/Tux/tux.htm Tux] because another member of the production staff still owned one from childhood. This was more-or-less confirmed by the audio commentary of "Garbage In, Garbage Out", where it was noted that Powell's limo was designed by [[Byron Penaranda]], and [[Eric Siebenaler]] brought up that "there was a character from another transformingrobot show that was based on that vehicle", with Derrick Wyatt pointing out that it "had a little top hat". As it stands, the limo is not an ''exact'' match for Tux, being more futuristic... of course, the show ''does'' take place in the future.
* It remains unclear exactly what it is Powell does. He's been seen as [[The Arrival issue 4|the CEO of a car company]], [[Total Meltdown|making deals with gene-splicers]], and [[Mission Accomplished|usurping a robotics company from an 8-year-old girl]]. His main area of expertise remians a mystery.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Porter C}}
[[Category:Animated characters]]
[[Category:Humans]]

Human Error, Part I

2009-06-06T17:25:12Z

96.236.225.247: /* 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:Billy Mays|Billy Mays]].]]
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 will know if they try to peek. As the two help Sari decorate, a Soundwave 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, Optimus looks into a mirror and 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. 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 Soundwave.

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 to play peek-a-boo with a greatly amused [[Jennifer 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 Soundwave 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 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, 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 eyes open 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]]'' (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)
*''[[Jennifer 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==

'''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 the transformation noise like so many of us do—DID. As children. Yeah.

==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 [[Jennifer 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.
* 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).
* When Optimus commands the 'Automen' to transform, one of his human irises are 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, none of which 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' 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 [[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 [[Jennifer Witwicky|Jennifer]] (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 & 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.

===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.
*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]].

===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, wheras he could only make one at a time before getting his new 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.

==External link==
* [http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/video/dlink/index.html?episodeID=8a25c39220a3dc290120a5b0a5610025 "Human Error, Part I" streaming video at Cartoon Network] (link functional until 5/18/09)

[[Category:Animated episodes]]

Human Error, Part I

2009-06-06T17:24:50Z

96.236.225.247: /* 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:Billy Mays|Billy Mays]].]]
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 will know if they try to peek. As the two help Sari decorate, a Soundwave 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, Optimus looks into a mirror and 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. 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 Soundwave.

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 to play peek-a-boo with a greatly amused [[Jennifer 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 Soundwave 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 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, 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 eyes open 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]]'' (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)
*''[[Jennifer 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==

'''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 the transformation noise like so many of us do—DID. As children. Yeah.

==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 [[Jennifer 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.
* 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).
* When Optimus commands the 'Automen' to transform, one of his human irises are 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, none of which 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' 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 [[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 [[Jennifer Witwicky|Jennifer]] (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 & 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.

===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.
*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]].

===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, wheras he could only make one at a time before getting his new 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 pof 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.

==External link==
* [http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/video/dlink/index.html?episodeID=8a25c39220a3dc290120a5b0a5610025 "Human Error, Part I" streaming video at Cartoon Network] (link functional until 5/18/09)

[[Category:Animated episodes]]