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Starscream the Mysterious Mercenary

2008-05-14T21:54:30Z

97.100.240.84: Added picture caption.

{{picsneeded}}

{{episodenav|energon|8|prev=Megatron Raid|next=Battle of the Asteroid Belt}}

'''The ghostly Starscream stalks Optimus Prime, culminating in a battle on the Moon.'''
: '''Japanese title:''' "The Mysterious Assassin, Nightscream"

==Summary==
Ironhide and Inferno watch as Kicker restlessly rides around [[Ocean City]]. He finally realizes that someone or something is coming. Starscream's voice wanders down corridors, searching for his victim, Optimus Prime. Ironhide and Kicker both suspect something, but find no one. Worried for Optimus' safety, they head for HQ Central Ops. Signal Flare and Skyblast also sense something, but dismiss it.

Aboard Unicron's head, Alpha Q speaks to his new creation, Starscream -- a warrior without physical form, who cannot be harmed. They ran out of energon while re-creating him, leaving him incomplete. They send him to destroy Optimus Prime, who's hording all the energon.

Kicker senses Starscream and orders Ironhide to open fire, even though it seems like he's shooting at empty air. Starscream takes a shot at Optimus in the control center, misses, and retreats in the face of Ironhide's barrage of laser fire. The Autobots meet with Prime and voice their concerns, but Prime says he doesn't need a bodyguard. Kicker isn't happy about this.

Outside the city, Kicker and Ironhide receive orders from Hot Shot to secretly tail Optimus around the city. Prime's already aware of it, and orders Hot Shot to get back to work, over his protests. Prime remembers the mysterious entity that attacked him recently, and stops. He shouts a challenge to whoever it is that wants to take him on. Kicker, watching, senses the attacker and shouts a warning. Starscream attacks from the sky. The others arrive, only to find empty air. Prime leads his attacker away, intending to find out who it is.

The other Autobots are baffled by Prime's disappearance, when a space bridge appears above them. Prime drives into it, followed by Starscream. Though delayed by Starscream, Kicker, Jetfire and Ironhide follow, heading for Lunar City on the [[moon]].

The pair meet with [[Lunar City]]'s crew, who haven't seen a trace of Prime. Jetfire finds out that Prime has turned off his communicator -- he wants to deal with this alone.

A horde of Terrorcons approaches the moon. Cyclonus wonders how the Autobots figured out Optimus is on the moon. Megatron orders him to find Optimus and "that mindless menace" before the Autobots do. Within Unicron's body, Scorponok gives Demolishor a hard time over his recent defection.

Hot Shot observes the incoming Terrorcons and requests energon stars from the Omnicons.

In an empty crater, Prime shouts another challenge at his invisible attacker, who responds dismissively. Hot Shot and Skyblast arrive to help out Prime. Prime manages to get a few hits in on Starscream, who tells him he's doing this to revive Unicron. Skyblast powers up the Autobots with energon stars and Megatron swords, which Kicker finds rather heavy compared to the Energon Sabre.

Prime is rather irate at Starscream's plan to revive Unicron. Megatron finds Prime just as Starscream blasts him. As the invisible soldier drifts away, Megatron shouts angrily at him to identify himself. Kicker finds Prime down and inoperative, and completely freaks out. Skyblast revives him with a series of energon stars. Megatron breaks off pursuing Starscream and heads back Prime's crater. Prime materializes "[[Hot Shot's blaster]]" and wonders why he's been granted it. The blaster holds Megatron off and sends him flying away.

Kicker is bummed about Lunar City getting trashed again, just as it was rebuilt. Prime tells him that lives are more important than cities, and to leave the worrying to him. Kicker says he'll always be there for backup.

==Stats==
'''Original airdate:''' February 27, 2004 (Japan); April 9, 2004 (North America)

'''Written by:'''

===Featured characters===
(''Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
{|border=5 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=5 align=center style="border:#800000"
! style="background:#FFEEEE" | [[Autobots]]
! style="background:#EEEEFE" | [[Decepticons]]
! style="background:antiquewhite" | [[Human|Humans]]
! style="background:#FFEEB8" | Others
|-
| style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top" |

| style="background:#EEEEFE" valign="top" |

| style="background:antiquewhite" valign="top" | '''Regulars'''

'''Guests'''

| style="background:#FFEEB8" valign="top" |

|}

==Quotes==
"Aw, Megatron, trying to find Optimus is a total waste of time!"<br>
"Scorponok will ''pay'' for this."
:—'''Cyclonus''' and '''Megatron''' aren't making any sense at all.

"Terrorcons. They're in attack mode again. We'd better beef up our defenses."
:—Neither is '''Hot Shot'''.

"Forgive me men, but let me have a moment while my hard drive optimizes."
:—Neither is '''Optimus Prime''', as he prepares to fire "Hot Shot's blaster".

"I get the impression that Megatron has doubts about your loyalty, Demolishor."<br>
"He ordered me to stand guard. And that's exactly what I'm doing, Scorponok."<br>
"Up until yesterday, you were standing guard for the Autobots. That in itself would cast doubt upon you."<br>
"Come on, you can't be serious!"<br>
"Relax, I was just having some ''fun'' with you. Now let's try to get along, Demolishor; that would be the mature thing to do."<br>
"Why don't you go and leave me alone."<br>
:—'''Scorponok''' picks on '''Demolishor'''.

==Notes==
===Lost in translation===
* Upon hearing Starscream's disembodied voice, Ironhide wonders if Demolishor has returned, but the ''Energon'' dub warps it into him thinking that Demolishor is playing a joke on him (making it sound like he never left).
* The Decepticons arrive on the moon because Scorponok has told them that Optimus Prime is there, leading Cyclonus to wonder how he knows (the answer being that Alpha Q told Scorponok, since he knows that Starscream has lured him there). In ''Energon'', however, the line is screwed up into him wondering how the ''Autobots'' have located the missing Optimus Prime, making it sound as if the Decepticons were responsible for his disappearance, and erasing the actual explanation for their presence. However, the dub ''does'' accurately preserve the scene in which Megatron blames Scorponok for his inability to find Optimus, which consequently makes no sense within the dubbed episode.
* A silly little error occurs when Prime launches his Prime Force drones by uttering the command "Super Mode!" In ''Super Link'', he barked "Grand Force!" (the Japanese name for the drones), which the translators obviously mis-heard as "Grand ''Cross''" (Prime's Japanese super-mode combination phrase), and so it got replaced with it's normal English equivalent.
[[Image:Mysteriousmercenary_comparisons.jpg|right|thumb|It's amazing how easy buildings and laser fire are misplaced without anyone noticing.]]
* The ''Energon'' version of this episode features some unfinished animation that was later completed for ''Super Link''. Although it is mostly minor stuff (a different background layout here, a close-up not zooming in as far there, a missing laser blast or two, see screenshots), one brief segment is fully missing{{m-}}when Kicker asks Ironhide for the Energon Saber, Ironhide simply tosses it to him without argument, and Kicker hops up on top of it. The complete absence of this bit of animation in ''Energon'' (replaced second-for-second with a still frame of Kicker and Ironhide looking at each other) results in some nonsense being inserted into the script which sees Ironhide pout about giving up the sword. This is made even more nonsensical by Kicker's exasperated cry of "Never mind, I'll make do with this one"... as he flies off ''on the Energon Saber.'' ''Gnnnnn.''
* In one of the most notable instances of ''Energon'' just plain screwing something up in the most obvious way, Optimus Prime refers to the weapon which emerges from his chest as "Hot Shot's blaster," when Hot Shot has never been seen using such a weapon, and plays no hand in even ''giving'' it to Prime. In ''Super Link'', this weapon is referred to as the "Matrix Blaster," and Prime refers to it as "a token from the previous commanders." While this is distinctly Mcguffiny and makes only the most rudimentary level of sense, it's interesting to note that this is the only reference to the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] in either ''Super Link'' or ''Energon''. The gun was, by the by, released as the ''Energon'' roleplay toy, "Optimus Prime [[Energon Blaster]]."

===Pain count===
* "Uh?": 15
* Stock footage: 2
* We need/they want energon: 2
* It's time to: 2
* We've gotta: 4
* Let's do it: 1

===Animation and/or technical glitches===
* Starscream apparently bashes Jetfire away from the space bridge, but at no point are they shown in the same frame together -- Screamer swings his arm at nothing, and a second later Jetfire bounces away from nothing.
* The animation of Ironhide and Jetfire's space bridge arrival on the moon is ''hilariously'' bad.
* When we first see the Decepticons, they're flying directly above Tidal Wave (though it's not exactly clear from the animation that it's him.) A second later, the moon's surface is directly below Cyclonus instead.
* Megatron's final insult toward Starscream is a bit mis-timed, since he turns around and starts flying towards Prime before he's more than a word or two into the sentence.
* "Hot Shot's blaster" is not actually shown firing at Megatron; Megs simply flies into a beam of red energy.

===Continuity errors===

* Why do Kicker and Ironhide have to "synchronize" their communicators?
* Demolishor's is totally not voiced by [[Alvin Sanders]] in this episode.
* How does Prime's helicopter drone fly in the moon's vacuum?

===Miscellaneous notes===
* This episode is a prime example of the general sloppiness that typifies the series. A lot of the dialog makes no sense at all, or doesn't correspond to the visuals. The scene editing jumps around rather randomly as well.

===Keywords===

{{epstub}}

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

Chaos (episode)

2008-04-01T21:50:24Z

97.100.240.84: added caption

{{Episodenav|g1|season=3|7|prev=The Killing Jar|next=Dark Awakening}}
[[Image:G1 Chaos.JPG|thumb|350px|Kup discovers a very distant cousin (twice removed) of [[that big green, fire-snortin' lizard]].]]
'''A discovery on Goo forces Kup to face a demon from his past.'''

==Detailed synopsis==
Near Goo, a [[Skuxxoid]] is using a bazooka to fire strange crystals at random pieces of junk. However, [[Blast Off]] spots him and they start firing at each other. Cornering the Skuxxoid on on Goo, Blast Off demands to know what he was shooting him with. The Skuxxoid shows him the crystals, which he says are hard to find, but he knows where the planet is.

On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Kup]] is telling a story about one of his encounters with an [[Ick-Yak]] to [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], [[Wheelie]], and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]. An Ick-Yak had cornered Kup on [[Dredd]], but Kup managed to trick it into walking into the quickmud. Grimlock says he heard that a monster named [[Chaos (alien)|Chaos]] lived on Dredd, and asks Kup if that's true. Kup freaks out and tells Grimlock to never speak of Chaos again. However, [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] contacts Cybertron, telling them of a discovery he made. Using [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], the [[Autobot]]s go to investigate. On [[Goo]], they discover that a destroyed [[Earth Defense Command]] station. Grimlock is shocked, as the station was made of the strongest metal in the galaxy. Kup, however, recognizes what did it: [[death crystal]]s. The Autobots ask what death crystals are, but Kup is hesitant. At that moment, Blast Off appears with [[Runamuck]] riding on him, firing death crystals. Escaping on Sky Lynx, the two [[Transformer]] shuttles play a game of cat and mouse, until Runamuck destroys a comet, allowing Sky Lynx to escape.

After escaping, the Autobots demand answers. Kup explains that one hundred thousand years ago, when he was on Dredd, he was captured by [[Orb]]s, a slaver race that was on Dredd, and forced to work in the death crystal mines. Kup managed to sneak away from his work detail, heading into the caves, where he found a group of imprisoned robots. As he was preparing to free them, Chaos appeared. Kup was so frightened that he fled, leaving the robots behind. He's never forgiven himself for leaving those other robots behind, and now the [[Decepticon]]s know about the death crystals. The Autobots resolve to stop the Decepticons before disaster should strike.

On Dredd, it turns out that [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] is not content to merely use them as ammunition—he's building a [[death crystal cannon|cannon]] that will fire death crystals at Cybertron, destroying the planet with one shot. Landing away from the Decepticon camp, Kup takes Blurr to do some recon. During their search, the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacon]]s arrive, with [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] and [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] taking on Kup, with the others knocking Blurr into the quickmud (which has the benefit of shutting him up). Grimlock, Wheelie, and Wreck-Gar head to help, while Sky Lynx separates. Heading for the two Autobots, Grimlock mauls Razorclaw as Wheelie and Wreck-Gar fire, while Sky Lynx rescues Blurr from the mud. As the Predacons retreat to inform Galvatron, Sky Lynx follows to further investigate.

Heading for the camp, the other Autobots arrive to attack the Decepticons, and the Predacons form [[Predaking]], managing to get a luck shot on Sky Lynx. Kup is trapped in the mines due to a random shot, and immediately goes to find Chaos. Finding imprisoned robots, he frees them, just as Chaos arrives. The beast has death crystals imbedded into his skin, but Kup has a plan. Using another opening in the volcano, Kup leads the robots to freedom, and uses Galvatron's death crystal cannon on Chaose, which also causes the volcano to erupt. Sky Lynx manages to rescue the Autobots, who flee into space. Sky Lynx has been injured, but Kup is sure that he'll be okay. It actually reminds him of the time he was riding the shuttle [[Jonagar]] and was trapped in a [[space whale]]. As the other Autobots bemoan another tale, Grimlock commands them to be quiet, as he loves Kup's war stories.

==Stats==
'''Original airdate:'''

'''Production number:'''

'''Written by:'''

===Featured Characters===
(''Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
{|border=5 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=5 align=center style="border:#800000"
! style="background:#FFEEEE" | [[Autobots]]
! style="background:#EEEEFE" | [[Decepticons]]
! style="background:antiquewhite" | [[Human|Humans]]
! style="background:#FFEEB8" | Others
|-
| style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top" |

*[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]]
*[[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]
*[[Kup]]
*[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]
*[[Wheelie]]
*[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]

| style="background:#EEEEFE" valign="top" |

*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]
*[[Blast Off]]
*[[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]
*[[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]
**[[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]]
**[[Headstrong]]
**[[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]]
**[[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]]
**[[Tantrum]]
**[[Predaking]]
*[[Runamuck]]

| style="background:antiquewhite" valign="top" | '''Regulars'''

'''Guests'''

| style="background:#FFEEB8" valign="top" |

|}

==Notable quotes==
"This could be the galaxy busting case I've been waiting to sink my teeth into."<br>
:{{m-}}'''Kup''', thinking he's [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]].

==Other notes==
*References

===Animation and/or technical glitches===
*References

===Continuity errors===
*References

===Real-world references===
*The story of Jonagar and the space whale is a reference to the Biblical story of [[Wikipedia:Jonah|Jonah and the Whale]]

===Transformers references===
*References

===Miscellaneous trivia===
*This episode would be the last time [[Casey Kasem]] would ever voice a character in Transformers.

{{epstub}}
[[Category: Generation 1 episodes]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>