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Proving Grounds (BW)

2009-07-15T05:57:18Z

99.199.38.212: /* Synopsis */

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=46
|image=Proving Grounds title shot.JPG
|caption=Quick, before Silverbolt comes!
|title= "Proving Grounds"
|production company= [[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate= [[February 14]], 1999
|written by= [[Arthur Sellers]]
|directed by= [[William Lau]]
|animation studio= [[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity= [[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''Blackarachnia leaves the Maximals, and is drawn into a dangerous hunt with Dinobot.'''

:''Japanese title:'' ラブタイフーン (''Love Typhoon'')

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Proving Grounds Blackarachnia scan.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Nice curves.]]
The Maximals examine Blackarachnia, using a machine to display her insides. Rattrap is unimpressed with the Predacon, but Cheetor finds the lady's structure to be fascinating. Rhinox finds the location of the [[shell program]] that Tarantulas installed in Blackarachnia's protoform to make her into a Predacon. When the test is over, Blackarachnia responds aggressively to Rattrap's suspicion and Cheetor's infatuation, but Primal orders her to stand down. Frustrated with not yet being accepted, she leaves the Maximal base using a secret tunnel, but Dinobot II, spying on the Maximals, watches her exit and follows.

In the outdoors, Blackarachnia reflects on her situation to a stray butterfly. Before she can execute the butterfly, she notices Dinobot hunting her. She leaps through trees and starts to hunt the predator. Soon, she ensnares and suspends Dinobot by her webbing. Dinobot cuts himself free and transforms to his robot mode. He accuses her of being a coward and walks away.

In the Maximal base, Rattrap enjoys a video game, but Silverbolt deactivates the game to use the computers to find Blackarachnia. Rattrap cries over his lost game, while the Fuzor determines Blackarachnia to be in Predacon territory. Silverbolt convinces Rattrap to not report Blackarachnia's irregular whereabouts to Primal by mentioning [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]].

[[Image:Proving Grounds Dinobot trees.jpg|right|200px|thumb|What is it with Dinobot and logs?]]
In darker woods, Blackarachnia and Dinobot find each other again. But the spider realizes she has been fooled by a hologram, while the real Dinobot attacks her from behind using a strong tail swipe. The two fire at each other, and Dinobot dodges a falling tree. Blackarachnia runs, but Dinobot blasts down two trees, pinning the widow's legs under two massive pieces of lumber. Before he can carve into her, Blackarachnia is able to grab her gun and fire a shot into Dinobot at close range. With her enemy down, Blackarachnia tries to radio for help, but doesn't notice Dinobot being repaired by his Transmetal 2 energies. Luckily, Silverbolt is already searching for his lady friend, tracing her scent.

The other Maximals figure out that Blackarachnia and Silverbolt are in Megatron's jamming zone.

[[Image:Proving Grounds Silverbolt.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Silverbolt was strapped the wrong way around on Goldfinger's table.]]
Blackarachnia keeps her guard up, aware that Dinobot is still hunting her. Silverbolt arrives, and is promptly shot directly in the chest. The two males battle, with Dinobot getting an upper hand. As Dinobot uses his heat vision to slowly burn Silverbolt's face, Blackarachnia fires her machine guns at her lover, announcing the fight is between Predacons.

Blackarachnia tries to convince Dinobot to form a private alliance. Dinobot rejects the idea and stuns her with a beam from his eyes. But Blackarachnia's conversation gives Silverbolt the time to stand up again. Dinobot's attacks, but discovers too late that Silverbolt had created a hologram of himself using the vaguely sexual looking holo-projector. He blasts the Transmetal 2 over the edge of one of those surprisingly common steep cliffs—but Dinobot climbs back up to level. However Blackarachnia fires a missile directly into his face, making sure he won't be able to climb up again.

[[Image:Proving Grounds Silverbolt Blackarachnia.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Shoulder massages always help.]]
As the sun rises, Blackarachnia and Silverbolt discuss the conversation about her betrayal that he overheard. She explains it was an attempt to fool Dinobot—a stalling tactic. Blackarachnia decides to leaves the Maximals—no longer desiring to let them distrust her as they do. Blackarachnia tries to leave, but her headbutt harms both Silverbolt and herself. Primal lands and explains that it's up to Blackarachnia if she wants to have the shell program removed. Blackarachnia is surprised to find out Optimus is pro-choice. Blackarachnia agrees to stay with the Maximals, but keeps herself the way she is.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal|Maximals]]|c1=
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (2)
*[[Optimus Primal]] (3)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (4)
*[[Rattrap]] (5)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (7)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (1)
*[[Dinobot II]] (6)
}}

==Quotes==
"What's the matter? Don't you trust me?" 
"Huh, about as far as an anvil can jump." [''forcibly grabbed by the neck''] "Of course, I mean that in the best possible way."
:—'''Blackarachnia''' and '''Rattrap'''

"I'm beginning to like you, Skullface. Let's play."
:—'''Blackarachnia'''

"Now we play...for real!"
:—'''Dinobot''', holding a vaguely sexual apparatus

"Hands off the metal, Sir Drools-a-lot."
:—'''Rattrap''' to Silverbolt

"Mood, setting...all I need now is my dance partner."
:—'''Blackarachnia''' on her "hunt"

"Now hold still, this ''will'' hurt."
:—'''Dinobot''' with Blackarachnia at his mercy

'''Silverbolt:''' You're going to hear the truth if it... 
[''Blackarachnia turns around and headbutts Silverbolt, knocking him down.''] 
'''Blackarachnia:''' Warned ya...ohh, not such a great idea. 
[''Blackarachnia falls to the ground; she and Silverbolt groan.'']
:—'''Blackarachnia''' learns not to do something stupid the hard way.

==Notes==
* Though kind of bad-ass, this is episode was just a colossal waste of time and indicative of Season 3's Blackarachxploitation.

===Animation/technical errors===
* When Blackarachnia jumps out of the X-ray machine, she's missing her beast mode legs.
* The way the trees fall on Blackarachnia, her head and torso would have been trapped, with her legs sticking out.

===Real-world references===
* The video game Rattrap plays has some aspects modelled after Street Fighter. Primal tosses a projectile similar to Ryu's "Hadoken" and performs a spinning kick similar to Ryu's "Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku". The two characters in the game are a miscolored Megatron (Transmetal body) and Optimus Primal (using the body of pre-beast mode Megatron from [[Beast Wars (Part 1)|"Beast Wars" (Part 1)]]).
*The next game Rattrap plays is of the "First Person Shooter" kind, ala Wolfenstein 3D and Doom. It consists of blasting many [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]]s.

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Dinobot (BW)

2009-06-30T03:32:48Z

99.199.38.212: /* Beast Wars cartoon */

{{disambig3|Dinobot}}

{{featured}}

:''Dinobot is a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] and [[Maximal]] from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

{{factions|maximal|predacon}}

[[Image:Dinobotbwx.jpg|right|300px|thumb|






"You lived like a warrior ans died to an hero." [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/ee52db9e103fd5a8?hl=en&&] ]]








'''Dinobot''' is a Predacon ruled by honor. He lives to die gloriously in battle. When he aided [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] in the theft of the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]], Dinobot believed he was in the pursuit of endless glory. But when he and his Predacon peers crashed on what seemed to be the wrong planet alongside a Maximal exploration vessel, he rebelled against Megatron and joined the Maximal team. It would be an uneasy alliance, fraught with turns of loyalty and turns of Shakespearean phrase. But it also led to strong friendships and even the salvation of all humanity.

As befits a warrior of his stature, Dinobot is skilled in all forms of combat. He wields a spinning sword and a [[Rotate blade|rotating blade]], both which are his preferred means of battle, though he has been known to use ranged weapons such as his laser eye-beams or a simple handheld gun. He has threatened to use any and all of these on [[Rattrap]], with whom he has an intense rivalry. Deep down, he may respect the rodent, but he'll die before he'll admit to it.

{{bigquote|The question that has haunted my being has been answered: The future is not fixed. My choices are my own. And yet, how ironic, for I now find I have no choice at all! I am a warrior... let the battle be joined.|Dinobot|"[[Code of Hero]]"}}

:''Chinese name (Taiwan):'' '''Kǔng-lúng''' (恐龍, "Dinosaur") / '''Múo Lúng''' (魔龍, "Demonic Dinosaur")
:''Cantonese name:'' '''Dillonburg''' (狄龍堡 ''Dik Lung Pou'')

==Fiction==
===Cartoon continuity===
====Dreamwave comics continuity====
[[Image:Dinobotmtmte8.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Little did we know that there was a giant shovel on the other arm.]]
During the theft of the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]], [[Megatron (BW)|He Who Would Be Megatron]] also scanned the historical datatrax of the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s. He failed to notice the approaching guard until Dinobot dispatched him with his sword and insisted they speed up the operation. {{storylink|More Than Meets The Eye (G1)|More Than Meets The Eye Volume 8}}

{{note|The Golden Disk was wrongly drawn as the [[Alien Disk]]. This two-page story is contradicted by many other versions of the story—specifically Megatron's spontaneous renaming of himself—possibly placing it in a version of the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] that occurs only in Dreamwave's Generation 1 continuity. Of course, Dreamwave chose that time to [[Pat Lee|fold]] before this could be explained.}}

====Theft of the Golden Disk====
[[Image:Dinobotdawnoffuturespast.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them."]]
After meeting with [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]], "Dinobot", Megatron, and [[Dirge (BWII)|Dirge]] broke into the archives to steal a [[Data-Con]] which would provide all sorts of information about the Golden Disk. As they were making their getaway, Dinobot threw the Data-Con to Dirge (who was unaware of a switch on Megatron's part) before battling a squadron of [[Maximal Command Security Force|Maximal Security Troopers]], ending with a close combat duel with [[9K]] using his then energy-based sword. Dinobot evidently emerged victorious, as he was later seen with Megatron and "[[Scorponok (BW)|Clamps]]". {{storylink|Theft of the Golden Disk}}

====Dawn of Future's Past====
Megatron and Dinobot joined [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] in escaping the archives with the Golden Disk, avoiding patrolmen [[Unit 1]] and [[Tigatron|Unit 2]]. As Dinobot disabled the former, he protested Megatron's apparent cowardice and dishonorable tactics. Megatron responded by clamping his fist around Dinobot's neck, rebuking him for using the "h" word in his presence. After Dinobot had regained his composure, they made their way to the rendezvous point with the ''[[Darksyde]]'' and launched into space, where they activated their transwarp drive.

The ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'' and the ''[[Chromia 10]]'' gave chase, though the latter was destroyed by [[Laserbeak (G1)|unknown]] [[Buzzsaw (G1)|assailants]]. When the ''Axalon'' caught up with the Predacons, Dinobot balked at the idea of fleeing again and managed to fire a few shots at the ''Axalon''. After Megatron taunted the pilot of the ''Axalon'' via videoscreen, Dinobot and the other rogue Predacons on board the ''Darksyde'' disappeared through a transwarp portal, with the ''Axalon'' close behind. {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}

====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Scott McNeil]] (English), [[Keiji Fujiwara]] (Japanese), [[Luiz Carlos de Moraes]], [[Jorge Barcellos]] (Portuguese)

[[Image:BWDinobot arrival.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair... wherever the hell we are."]]
Dinobot was one of a group of rogue Predacons and was party to their theft of the Maximal relic, the Golden Disk. They stole a ship and traveled through a transwarp portal, with the Maximal ship ''Axalon'' not far behind. After a heated space battle over a mysterious planet, both ships were damaged, and they fell blazing towards the ground below.

The entire planet was saturated with [[Energon (fuel)|energon]], so much so that Dinobot and the other Predacons required protection. To this end, organic forms were scanned. In Dinobot's case, ''Velociraptor'' remains buried deep within the volcanic soil of their crash site became the basis for his new form. But the levels of energon were just one problem—this planet looked nothing like [[Earth]], their target destination! As Dinobot ventured outside the base, he blamed Megatron for this error and announced his intention to take over the Predacons himself. Megatron laughed and had [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] shoot him over the horizon.

Dinobot, cheated and humbled, took his efforts elsewhere. As the Maximals returned to their crashed ship from an outing, Dinobot was there, blocking the rocky bridge that crossed the waterfall surrounding their new base. This time, he challenged [[Optimus Primal]], and for the leadership of the Maximals. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}}

[[Image:BWPart1 bridgefaceoff.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"Ill met by moonlight—er, sunlight, proud Optimus."]]

He and [[Optimus Primal]] began their fight. It almost ended badly for Primal when the Maximal commander's foot slipped on the edge of the bridge, but Dinobot saved him, as the Predacon believed that a dishonorable death would mean a dishonorable victory on his own part. They continued, but their battle was interrupted by a Predacon attack. After that clash subsided, Dinobot helped the Maximals, leading them to a victory against Megatron when he tried to obtain the bounty of a mountain-sized cache of natural energon. Optimus accepted him into the fold—not as a leader, of course, but still as a valued team member. This didn't sit well with the other Maximals, particularly [[Rattrap]]. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 2)}}

Dinobot provided not only brute force but an understanding of the enemy. A short time afterward, Dinobot was standing with Primal and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] on the bridge of the ''Axalon'' around a holo-map of the Predacon base when Primal suggested that Rattrap go on a scouting mission. {{storylink|The Web}}

[[Image:Dinobotbulliescheetor.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Come not within the measure of my wrath."]]

However, though he was an asset against the Predacons, Dinobot sowed discontent amongst the Maximals' own ranks. Early on, [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] was ordered to his quarters for fumbling the test of an energon monitoring device, and Dinobot suggested to the young Maximal that he secretly test the device himself. This ended in potential disaster when Cheetor unwittingly created a instant-transport stream between the two bases. When [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] used this to infiltrate the Maximal base, Dinobot feigned a desire to team up with him and overthrow Megatron. Lulling him into a false sense of security, Dinobot eventually took care of him with the trash disposal unit—all without firing a shot, and the other Maximals never even knew. {{storylink|Equal Measures}}

[[Image:Coc getshorty.jpg|left|300px|thumb|"The course of true love never did run smooth."]]

Dinobot and Optimus Primal investigated an energy signature detected within the [[Standing Stones]], an enigmatic monument of alien origin. After a clash with Megatron and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], the monument came to life and Optimus Primal disappeared before their eyes. When Dinobot woke up, he was in the Maximal CR chamber, as he'd been found stripped down and abandoned outside the base by unknown hands. But that wasn't important-Optimus Primal was gone, perhaps dead! The Maximals quickly tried to select a new leader by [[Democracy|secret ballot]], and Dinobot laughed at them when their vote ended in a tie. No, he would be the new leader-by force, if necessary! However, they were all interrupted by a message from Optimus Primal, who was inside the alien monument. Primal put Rattrap in charge, and the remaining Maximals mounted a plan to extract Primal from the alien construct. After another battle with the Predacons at the Standing Stones, the aliens returned Primal to them, with no explanations. {{storylink|Chain of Command}}

When an incoming [[stasis pod]] carrying a potential new Maximal team member was detected, Dinobot refused to let Primal leave without scouting the area outside the ''Axalon'' first himself. Dinobot was convinced the Predacons would try to remove Primal from the equation, as he was their faction's only flying member, and he was right—the Predacons managed to damage Primal enough to keep him out of the race for the pod. Dinobot stayed behind with Primal while the others made a play for the pod on foot. When Dinobot received a transmission indicating the Maximals were having difficulties, he awoke Primal's [[core consciousness]] to consult him. As a result, the two were able to bounce a signal off one of the planet's moons to the dormant stasis pod, beating the Predacons to the punch. [[Tigatron]] joined the team. {{storylink|Fallen Comrades}}

[[Image:Better Mousetrap Dinobot.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Today is a good day for violence!"]]

Soon after, Dinobot and Primal were investigating a second stasis pod when they were suddenly ambushed by Predacons. The Predacons defeated the two and secured the pod for themselves, bringing [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] online. As this was one in a long string of clever coups, this forced Optimus Primal to consider that their team was suffering from an information leak. Primal scapegoated Rattrap, an accusation in which Dinobot took pleasure. Dinobot was all too happy to destroy the alleged turncoat despite the potential hypocrisy of that act. Rattrap subsequently defected, and in the ensuing battle, was ordered by Megatron to shoot Dinobot, his frequent rival. After some hesitation, Rattrap shot Terrorsaur instead and revealed that the entire situation was a ruse by Optimus Primal to detect the real source of the information leak: stolen Maximal codes. {{storylink|Double Jeopardy}}

Childish infighting between Rattrap and Dinobot inadvertently triggered Rhinox's new security program, [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]], before it could be completed. Dinobot and the other Maximals fled the ''Axalon'', while Rattrap stayed inside to combat Sentinel himself. Later, when Sentinel appeared to have shut down, Rattrap was assumed dead. Each Maximal gave a touching eulogy for Rattrap except for Dinobot, who refused to taint Rattrap's memory with lies. It was soon revealed that Rattrap had not perished, but had instead managed to shut off Sentinel.{{storylink|A Better Mousetrap}}

[[Image:Dinobotversusplant.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"I will speak daggers to it, but use none."]]

Dinobot joined Optimus Primal on a mission once again, but this time to explore the planet's native organisms. Dinobot considered this work as being beneath him, and in the process found himself assaulted by one of the planet's flora. As Primal considered this a lesson in respect learned, he found himself attacked by one of Scorponok's [[cyberbee]]s. It injected him with a virus that was intended to make him a coward, but instead removed all his inhibitions. Upon returning Primal to the ''Axalon'', Dinobot oddly found himself agreeing that this new bloodthirsty Primal was not a beneficial change. After he failed to solve the problem with the Predacons diplomatically, as Primal would have wanted, it was decided to let the new violent Primal be the new violent Primal. Ultimately, Primal acquired the antidote and woke up with Dinobot standing watch over him. Dinobot assured him that it was merely his shift, and not indicative of his feelings towards Primal—despite having placed a beautiful plant in Primal's quarters. {{storylink|Gorilla Warfare}}

When a Cybertronian probe was detected, Dinobot helped his teammates attempt to contact it, despite the fact he dreaded a return home. After all, he was a criminal even in Predacon terms, and he had no hope for a warm Maximal reception. Somewhat fortunately for Dinobot's potential fate, their attempts to catch the attention of the probe failed when [[Tarantulas]] invented the [[transformation lock lens]]. {{storylink|The Probe}} The issue was raised again when the Maximals thought that the Predacons had been destroyed. Dinobot elected to remain on the planet while the Maximals repaired their ship and launched it. However, just as Dinobot wandered off to explore the world that had become his, he stumbled across the not-so-dead Predacons, who attacked the ''Axalon'' and grounded the Maximals once again. {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}}

[[Image:Dinobot mirror.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"A little more than kin, and less than kind."]]

After Dinobot and the other Maximals were saved from a Predacon attack by Rhinox's ingenuity, Rhinox was abducted by the Predacons and reprogrammed into one of them. Optimus Primal waited for this to backfire on them, and when their plot began to unravel, Dinobot joined the Maximals in infiltrating the Predacon base and retrieving their kidnapped comrade. {{storylink|Dark Designs (episode)|Dark Designs}} Megatron soon set his sights on Dinobot as well. After Terrorsaur buried Dinobot in a cave, Megatron unleashed a [[Clone One|clone of Dinobot]] on the unsuspecting Maximals. Ultimately, Dinobot broke free and returned to the ''Axalon'', where he confronted his clone and ate him. Yes. He ate him. {{storylink|Double Dinobot}}

Not long afterward, Tigatron went missing during a routine scouting report. When Optimus Primal noted that Tigatron was the victim of an aerial attack, Dinobot identified the culprits as Waspinator and Terrorsaur. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 1}} Dinobot remained at base with Rhinox while the others searched for Tigatron on a mysterious flying island. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 2}} Dinobot suffered along with his teammates when the energon dampener was stolen from the ''Axalon'', requiring him and the others to stay in beast mode to avoid energon surges. Between that and sleep deprivation from persistent Predacon attacks, their innate beast instincts began to take over, and the Maximals went feral. It was only through the instruction of Tigatron that they were able to defeat the Predacons and retrieve the dampener. {{storylink|Call of the Wild}}

Dinobot was tested again when he, Cheetor, Rhinox, and Rattrap were blinded by a Predacon attack. They were far from base and completely helpless, so Dinobot immediately began to panic. Rhinox was able to calm him and the others and slowly lead them back to base, using their other senses. They were rescued by Optimus Primal and Tigatron at the foot of the base just as they began to slip into [[stasis lock]]. {{storylink|Dark Voyage}} The Maximals were also visited by the wandering spark of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], who possessed the body of Waspinator and led a successful attack on the Maximal base, resulting in Dinobot receiving critical damage. Forced out of their base, Optimus Primal surrendered the Maximals to Starscream, under the condition that Dinobot be repaired. In exchange, Starscream ordered the Maximals to attack Megatron. Despite his treachery, Starscream himself was deceived, as Dinobot was not as damaged as advertised. He and Primal were able to eject Starscream from Waspinator's body and retake the ''Axalon''. {{storylink|Possession}}

[[Image:Dinobottarantulasrattrapthelowroad.jpg|left|300px|thumb|"Frailty, thy name is Tarantulas!"]]

Once again, the feud between Rattrap and Dinobot led to disaster. Their carelessness indirectly caused Rhinox to be infected with a virus that caused him to eject energy involuntarily, via hiccups or sneezes or...other means. Optimus Primal ordered the bickering pair to hunt down Tarantulas in his lair and obtain the antidote, figuring they'd either learn to work together or everyone would be destroyed. Unfortunately, the latter wasn't so unlikely an option, as Dinobot and Rattrap's out-of-control behavior toward each other repeatedly sabotaged their efforts to capture Tarantulas. Dinobot was able to grab him just as Megatron arrived, and claimed the spider as a hostage. Megatron did not care and shot them both. Ultimately, the day was saved when Rhinox used his virus against the Predacons, unleashing a mighty explosion from his rear end. {{storylink|The Low Road}}

Despite his increasing loyalty to the team, Dinobot's violent heart occasionally created rifts. Most notable was his reaction to [[Tigatron]]'s pacifism: When the tiger tried to leave the Maximals in grief over the accidental death of his best friend, Dinobot argued vociferously with the "coward". He simply could not comprehend what Tigatron was saying, that in order to stop the fighting, someone had to lay down his weapon. The confrontation with Tigatron revealed more than just Dinobot's warrior ethic. He explained to Tigatron a bit of his motives for turning against Megatron: He feared that if Megatron used Earth's energon supply to wage a new war, Cybertron would burn as a result. Dinobot could only see desertion, and for that he nearly killed Tigatron, who refused to fight back. But Primal interrupted before any damage was done, and Tigatron later came back to battle to save Dinobot from a Predacon attack, making the whole point moot. {{storylink|Law of the Jungle}}

The [[Vok|alien]] mystery that surrounded the planet soon came to a head. When it became apparent that the aliens themselves would visit them imminently, the Predacons surprisingly called for a truce. Tigatron was called to sneak into the Predacon base and find out what had captured Megatron's attention, and Dinobot and the other Maximals staged a non-lethal battle to cover Tigatron's exit, upholding their end of the truce. Dinobot loosened a large boulder out of place, allowing it to crush both Tarantulas and Blackarachnia. {{storylink|Before the Storm}} As expected, the aliens arrived. A wormhole opened up over the planet, and a beam shot down to the surface, where another alien device was activated. Rhinox and Dinobot stayed behind at the ''Axalon'' while the others investigated, but were too engaged by the planet's second moon shifting its shape into a horrible [[Planet Buster]] weapon to notice their base had been compromised. Both Rhinox and Dinobot were removed from the equation by Blackarachnia and Tarantulas. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 1}} The Maximals returned to find them both welded to the ceiling by cyberwebs. Dinobot and Rhinox were placed inside [[CR chamber]]s as Rattrap and Airazor went to find their unwelcome visitors. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}

[[Image:Dinobotgoldendisks.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, and borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry."]]

When Dinobot awoke, Optimus Primal was dead, having sacrificed himself to destroy the Planet Buster with a transwarp explosion, and Cheetor and Rattrap had been altered into [[Transmetal]] forms by the resulting [[quantum surge]]. After reluctantly admitting Rattrap's new form was an improvement, he immediately declared himself the new Maximal leader. However, with Primal dead, Rhinox was not in any mood to tolerate Dinobot's outburst and shut him up forcefully. While Rattrap and Cheetor were sent outside to deal with Waspinator and a newly Transmetalled Megatron, Rhinox and Dinobot were stuck with the task of restoring their security systems. They did not account for [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]], who had also infiltrated the ''Axalon''. Thankfully, Rhinox was able to defeat the Predacon and eject him from the ship. {{storylink|Aftermath}}

With the destruction of the planet's second moon and the stabilization of the planet's natural energon reserves, it became apparent to Dinobot that Megatron was right all along; this was indeed Earth, though in the distant past. Dinobot broke into the Predacon base and stole Megatron's golden disks. He knew that they contained information about the future, and this cut to the core of his being: "If the future is indeed immutably foretold, then my demise is but moments from that confirmation, for I could not live if not the master of my fate." Dinobot hid the disks in a remote location and returned to the ''Axalon'', where Rattrap was having a minor meltdown. Rhinox had hooked himself to a machine with little explanation, and with Tigatron and Airazor on a long-term exploration trip, it fell to Rattrap, Dinobot, and Cheetor to hold off the combined force of the Predacons. Worse yet, Megatron had introduced two new [[Fuzor]]s to his team, [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]]. Dinobot grabbed what weaponry he could, and with the other two Maximals engaged the Predacons far from the ship, in hopes that they could keep the Predacons away from whatever Rhinox was trying to accomplish. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}}

[[Image:Coming of the Fuzors 2 Dinobot Rattrap.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!"]]

Their efforts, though seemingly doomed, were not for naught. Though Dinobot, Rattrap, and Cheetor fought to near-death, they held off the enemy long enough for Rhinox's gamble to work. He had travelled into the [[Allspark|Matrix]] and retrieved Optimus Primal's spark. Optimus Primal, restored as a Transmetal from a [[blank]] [[protoform]], dramatically turned the tide, saving Dinobot and the others from what would at least have been honorable deaths. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}

[[Image:Maximal No More Dinobot bow.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Is this a dagger which I see before me, Dinobot, the handle toward my hand?"]]

His desire to discover whether the future could be changed kept Dinobot focused on Megatron's actions. When Predacon installations were placed in a Voyager-disk-like pattern, Dinobot remarked that Megatron's plan proceeded even without the disk's information. Thus, he resubmitted himself to Megatron's command, but the Maximals' influence still showed itself. When he was pitted in a death match against [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] in a bizarre test of loyalty, Dinobot subdued his foe but refused to kill him, offering to train him instead. But Megatron accepted the prodigal son anyway, as long as he returned the original Golden Disk. (He had already given the alien disk to Rhinox.) Dinobot complied. He admitted to himself that by helping Megatron he might be sacrificing his own race, but he had to discover whether his actions were his own or predestined. After the artifact was back in Megatron's hands, Rattrap attacked and was quickly immobilized. As a final test of allegiance, Dinobot was ordered to kill his former teammate. This task proved too much for him, and he turned once again on the Predacon leader. Megatron retreated with the disk in his possession, and Primal was left with the decision on whether to allow Dinobot back into their ranks. Dinobot explained that either way, he would fight Megatron, prompting Primal to forgive Dinobot his treacherous actions. Once welcomed back, Dinobot told Primal of Megatron's ultimate designs for the disks' information. {{storylink|Maximal, No More}}

[[Image:BWDinobot decision.jpg|left|300px|thumb|"To Bay or not to Bay; that is the question, and here is the sunset."]]

As Rhinox and Dinobot scanned known alien sites, they suddenly realized that Tigatron and Airazor were journeying into one. But before they could send a warning, the traveling pair triggered the alien site and were shot into space. Dinobot and the other Maximals were rallied by Optimus Primal to this site, where they confronted the Predacons. Before the fight could begin, the alien site activated again, creating a massive [[Metal Hunter]], and blasted everyone in the area. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 1)}} The Transformers who had not been altered by the quantum surge lay deactivated, but the Transmetals and Fuzors were unaffected by the Metal Hunter's blast. Silverbolt and Cheetor were instructed to carry Dinobot and Rhinox back to the base for repairs. Megatron used the alien disk to activate the Metal Hunter, and the Maximals gained an unlikely ally: Tarantulas. Dinobot, like his fellow Maximals, greeted the Predacon turncoat with bared weapons and only reluctantly allowed Tarantulas to aid them. Subsequently, Dinobot joined an assault on the Metal Hunter itself, a cover for Tarantulas's entry. The Metal Hunter was destroyed. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 2)}}

When Silverbolt went missing during an energon storm while he, Cheetor, and Optimus Primal were investigating [[Protoform X]], Dinobot suggested they forget the Fuzor and concentrate on the Predacons. The enemy was, after all, minus both Tarantulas and Blackarachnia, while they were only down one member. Primal rejected Dinobot's lack of sympathy. As Primal and Cheetor left to find Silverbolt, Dinobot turned to one of the ''Axalon'''s consoles and began downloading into its database. {{storylink|Bad Spark}}

Unlike Primal, Rattrap was not so forgiving of Dinobot's earlier betrayal. After contemplating suicide and enduring Rattrap's continuing recriminations, Dinobot decided to set things right. He tracked Megatron down and found him testing the original disk which Dinobot had returned. Megatron had discovered a mountain whose image was recorded on the disk, and he had [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] destroy the peak. From a distance, Dinobot saw his greatest hope and worst fear form simultaneously: The disk's image changed. Dinobot's future was his own...but Megatron had virtually limitless power to change it.

[[Image:Dinbot funeral.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Out, out, brief spark! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor mech that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more."]]

When the Predacons launched an attack on a tribe of [[protohuman]]s, attempting to destroy the future human race and alter the course of the Autobot/Decepticon war, Dinobot singlehandedly took on all of them. Having already been blindsided by Tarantulas, he waded through the attack squad. Ignoring the damage he sustained, the warnings of his own internal computer, and the danger to himself, Dinobot defeated everyone save Megatron. Mocking the weakened Dinobot, Megatron tallied the score firmly in his own favor: He had unimaginable power via the disk, he held a lone protohuman hostage, and the severely damaged Dinobot was the only obstacle in his way. Mostly depowered and refusing to quit, Dinobot jammed a rock through a stick and attacked with the makeshift hammer. Megatron dropped the disk, and Dinobot blasted it to pieces with his last bit of energy. A short time after the rest of the Maximals arrived, Dinobot's spark left his frame.

He was given a hero's funeral, with his body cremated as the Maximal fliers executed a [[wikipedia:Missing man formation|Missing man formation]]. His legacy remained even with the anthropoids, who found his hammer and used it as a weapon. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}

Then Megatron [[Dinobot II|cloned him]]. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 1}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars Metals'' comic===
Following the [[Quantum surge]], Dinobot, as well as many other Maximals, became separated from the rest of the team and left stranded somewhere on [[Earth|Energoa]]. After Optimus Primal's resurrection and escape from Megatron, Dinobot could be seen watching the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]] from somewhere off in the distance. {{storylink|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic===
[[Image:Henkeimanga-Dinobot.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Who's got two thumbs on one hand except for when I switch to my fists? THIS guy!]]
In the present day, the [[Autobot]] [[Mini Vehicle]]s dug up the bodies of [[Hot Rod (Henkei!)|Hot Rod]] and Dinobot from deep within the earth. As the Mini Vehicles wondered if Dinobot were an Autobot, he woke up angrily, and began to attack the others, hoping to find a worthy foe, until finally Hot Rod (and his [[Mini-Con]], Jolt) faced Dinobot in battle. After seeing Hot Rod perform a series of clever moves, Dinobot suggested the two battle for leadership. However, Hot Rod declined Dinobot's offer and suggested instead they team up and make peace.

Hot Rod returned with Dinobot to Autobot headquarters, where [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] immediately suggesting he and Dinobot fight each other for fun, ruining Hot Rod's ceasefire. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 11}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
[[Image:BeastWars Dinobot 1996 toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Wasn't he in ''Jurassic Park''? (Hasbro version pictured)]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Deluxe, 1996/1997)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-4'''
**''Accessories:'' sword, [[Cyber-slash tail weapon|"Cyber-slash" tail weapon]]

: Part of the first wave of ''Beast Wars'' product, Dinobot transforms into what his bio claims is a "vicious velociraptor". His tail detaches and separates to form a gear-powered, spinning blade weapon, while the central "tail bone" separates to be used as a sword. The entire assembly can store in robot mode by flipping down the tail-mount and pegging the blade's base to the peg on his lower back. Like all early Deluxe-and-up ''Beast Wars'' toys, he has a "mutant mask", halves of a dino-skull that flip up to cover his more robotic head.

: The original Dinobots shipped on cards with "rocky"-shaped bubbles. Later (and more numerous) assortments moved to a smooth, rounded bubble, leading the first packaging type to become sought-after collectibles on the secondary market.

[[Image:BW-toy DinobotTakara97.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Let's hide the legs in beast mode by making them bright translucent orange! (Takara version pictured)]]
: Takara's version of the toy was identical to the [[Hasbro]] version. In January 1997, Takara [[redeco]]ed many of the ''Beast Wars'' toys and re-released them in slightly more show-like tones; Dinobot's pink was changed to tan, his orange robot eyes became red, his flat blue face became metallic blue, his orange dinosaur eyes became white, and his helmet was painted in metallic gold.

:This toy and the Fox Kids redeco, as well as some other versions of this mold, had the robot mode's biceps on the wrong arms, with the skin-like texture inside and the weight-reducing cavities on the outside. Later molds, such as the 10th Anniversary release, had this error corrected.

: This mold was used to make... lots of guys. Other than countless redecos as himself, this mold was also used for ''Beast Wars'' [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and ''[[Dinobots (toyline)|Dinobots]]'' [[Grimlock (Dinobots)|Grimlock]], and was [[Retool|retooled]] extensively to make ''[[Beast Wars Neo (toyline)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' [[Hardhead (BWN)|Hardhead]], [[Dinotron]], and [[Thrust (BWII)|Thrustor]].

{{-}}

[[Image:VS4-DinobotTarantuas.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I prefer to package my toys the old-fashioned way... BRUTALLY!!!]]

*'''Brutal Showdown: Dinobot VS Tarans''' (VS pack, 1997)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''VS-4'''
**''Accessories:'' sword, [[Cyber-slash tail weapon|"Cyber-slash" tail weapon]]

: In Japan, Dinobot was available both as an individual and in a two-pack with "[[Tarantulas|Tarans]]". Both toys in this set were identical to their individual releases.

: Currently, it is unknown if the latter "more show-like" redeco of Dinobot was ever released in a VS set.

{{-}}{{anchor|Transmetal}}

[[Image:Mcdinobot.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Transforms from ''Velociraptor'' to wolfman.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Happy Meal Transmetal, 1998)
**''McNumber'':

: Part of the second McDonald's ''Beast Wars'' Happy Meal promotion, [[Transmetal]] Dinobot transforms into a robotic ''Velociraptor''. To tie in with the chrome plastic [[gimmick]] of the retail Transmetal toys, parts of his beast mode are cast in glittery metallic plastic. Like the other McDonald's toys from this assortment, he shares nothing in common with his previous body other than [[alternate mode]] choice.

{{-}}{{anchor|FoxKids}}

[[Image:FK-Dinobot-toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Eww...perhaps using the power sander to buff his scales wasn't a good idea.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Fox Kids Deluxe, 1999)
**''Accessories:'' sword, "Cyber-slash" tail weapon

: Part of the first wave of "Fox Kids" redecoes (so called because of the callout to the Fox Kids programming block on the package where the cartoon had recently moved to), this version of Dinobot is more dark brown than the original, with red stripes instead of the original's brown, with a red robot-mode face and green eyes. This toy uses the [[Retool|retooled]] mold with the shoulder ratchets and the (unused) "[[energon chip]]" space that were created for ''Beast Wars'' [[Grimlock (G1) toys|Grimlock]].

: Hasbro solicitations named this toy "Live Wire Dinobot", but the name never made it to final packaging.

{{-}}

===Beast Wars 10th Anniversary===
[[Image:BW10Dinobot toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He disagrees with everything that T-Rex says, but you know they're best friends.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Tenth Anniversary Deluxe, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' "Energo-drill" sword, spinning blade tail weapon, Transmutate left arm

: This release is yet another redeco of the original Dinobot toy. Though the ''[[Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]]'' line's aim was "[[show accuracy]]", the resulting Dinobot toy confused some fans, with its dark brown base color, odd placement of blue, and, mostly, the metallic green on his bone-like decorations. Like the other ''10th Anniversary'' toys, he has a faction symbol tampoed on his body; in Dinobot's case, there's a Maximal logo on the left side of his robot chest. Like FoxKids! Dinobot, this toy has the Energon Chip indent and shoulder ratchets that were added for ''Beast Wars'' Grimlock.

: ''Beast Wars 10th Anniversary'' Dinobot came with the left arm to the "build-a-bot" figure [[Transmutate]], plus a DVD containing the obvious Dinobot-themed episode, "[[Code of Hero]]".

{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[Image:Botcon2006Dinobot toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Can you dig it?]]
*'''Dawn of Future's Past''' (Multi-pack Deluxe, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Golden Disk Key

: Part of the five-toy [[BotCon 2006]] [[exclusive]] boxed set (along with [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], [[Optimus Primal]], [[Rattrap]] and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]]), "Darksyde Dinobot" is a redeco of the ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] mold, itself a [[retool]] of ''[[Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Hoist]]. Dinobot uses almost all of Longrack's new-mold parts save for the head; Hoist's was a dead ringer for Dinobot in the first place. He transforms into a Cybertronic excavator. Inserting a [[Cyber Key]] or [[Golden Disk Key]] into his shoulder assembly unlocks a shovel-punch attack activated by pressing on the plunger mechanism above the key port. Like Longrack, he does ''not'' come with a [[Mini-Con]] partner (dammit). The color scheme is partially based on his ''10th Anniversary'' toy.

: The original version of this mold was also used to make ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Ransack (Universe)|Ransack]].

{{-}}

===Beast Wars Telemocha Series===
[[Image:Japanese10thDinobot.jpg|right|300px|thumb|At last, I CAN TALK!]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Deluxe, 2006)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TM-05'''
**''Accessories:'' sword, spinning tail weapon

:Celebrating Japan's 10th anniversary of ''[[Beast Wars]]'' (one year later than the West), the [[Beast Wars Telemocha]] version of Dinobot is yet another (and final?) redeco of the venerable tooling, including the shoulder ratcheting added to the previous Hasbro versions. While definitely more [[Show accuracy|accurate to the CGI model]] than the Hasbro [[Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|10th Anniversary]] version from the previous year, most of its color-scheme decisions favor the robot mode, such as bronze/gold shoulder joints. The result of this is a less consistently colored beast mode than the Hasbro version. It is the first (and only) version of the mold to place deco on the "mutant mask" halves.

:Though there are some colors dropped between the transition from CGI model to toy, Telemocha Dinobot does currently hold the prize for the sheer number of paint applications used on this mold, and by a large margin. Perhaps most significant to many fans, however, is that this version of Dinobot has a mouth, if only in the form of a paint operation.

This release of Dinobot came with a DVD containing the ''Beast Wars'' episode... "New Weapons of Terror!", the Japanese dub of "[[The Probe]]" and not "Code of Hero".
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[Image:Dinobotuniversedeluxe.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Just in time for the original mold to be practically cheese by now.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Deluxe, 2009)
**''Accessories:'' Tail/missile launcher, missile/sword

: Dinobot transforms into a brown and amber ''Jurassic Park''-style ''Velociraptor'' with a robot mode styled heavily after the ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' CGI model, including a face with a nose and mouth. To this end, his transformation has been altered accordingly for more human-like proportions, with his robot legs now becoming the raptor legs and the arms hiding mostly inside the torso. He also sports a fully show accurate robot head with can turn as usual, but can also look up at a 45 degree angle. On his chest is a panel that can swap between Maximal and Predacon faction symbols and a blank third panel (for the beast mode head). His [[Show accuracy|show-accurate]] double opposable thumbs can be swapped out for "proper" fists, and his tail still detaches. It becomes a weapon that splits similarly to the original's, but now no longer rotates but fires a missile shaped like his sword from the cartoon, which can actually be held as a sword by either the regular fist or claw hands. The tail can also clip onto his back for storage.
{{-}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkei_Dinobot.jpg|right|300px|thumb|"Then I'll be brief! Oh, happy dagger, this is thy sheath. There rust and let me die."]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Deluxe, 2009)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-16'''
**''Accessories:'' Tail/missile launcher, missile/sword

:The ''Henkei!'' release of Dinobot is in more traditional colors than the Hasbro version, decoed in brown with several tan stripes, plus blue and golden detailing. Clear red plastic replaces clear orange found on the ''Universe'' version. Like all ''Henkei!'' releases he features [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum metalized]] parts, particularly his missile/sword.

{{-}}

===Device Label===
[[Image:DeviceLabel-Dinobot.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Sorry, you've been replaced.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Device Label, 2009)
:Dinobot would have transformed from a working USB laser mouse into a brown and gold mechanoid raptor, but an early BigBadToyStore solicitation for him was almost immediately supplanted by a solicitation for [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], once better information was had.
{{canceledtoy}}
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Beast Wars Mini-Busts===
[[Image:BWDinobot minibust.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Legs are for the weak.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (?)

: In 2006, [[First 4 Figures]] announced a seven-inch tall mini-bust of Dinobot, featuring his upper torso mounted upon a Maximal pedestal. He was sculpted by Ryan Bailey and is limited to 1,996 pieces. He is based upon his animated appearance, mounted on a silver pedestal adorned with the Maximal sigil.
{{canceledtoy}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[Image:BWRConcept04.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Dinobot's control art. The beast head displays a more rigid grill structure.]]
* It's been rumored that Dinobot's first toy borrowed some molding from an unproduced [[Kenner]] ''Jurassic Park'' dinosaur toy. There's no evidence at all to support this, however, and it is incredibly unlikely to begin with.

* Some fans humorously refer to Dinobot's [[Cyber-slash tail weapon]] as a "Rotate Blade" because of its usage in a [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/ee52db9e103fd5a8?hl=en& fanfic by MG-Dinobot].

* Likewise, fans refer to Dinobot as having a "rigid grill structure," an injoke that came into being because of an [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/307ed3ad2152d304 alt.toys.transformers poster's] somewhat confusing signature that included a quote from ''Mystery Science Theater 3000''. What part of Dinobot is the rigid grill structure is not definitively determined, whether it be the bony pair of robot legs that hang under his toy's beast mode or his, uh, crotch.

{{quote|A poster going by the handle of Dinobot had a .sig file that read "Dinobot has spoken," followed by an MST quote. For a while, it was a Tom Servo quote from the experiment RIDING WITH DEATH. The sig read more or less like this:
Dinobot has spoken.

"My rigid grill structure is bearing down on your unprotected cargo
door."--Tom Servo

However, many people only remembered as far as the "grill structure" bit, and putting the two sentences together, it sounded like he was pretending Dinobot himself was saying it. So a whole bizarre running gag started up around Dinobot's rigid grill structure, culminating in someone getting [[Scott McNeil]] to say the line in Dinobot's voice at
BC98.|—[[User:Apcog|Doug Dlin]] on [[alt.toys.transformers]]}}

[[Image:Dinobottoycommercial.jpg|right|200px|thumb|An abandoned deco?]]
* In the first ''Beast Wars'' toy commercials, Dinobot had a slightly different deco than the final toy. He was browner, rather than pinker, and had thicker stripes.

* Some fans are inclined to yank off Dinobot's mutant mask pieces, since he doesn't have them on the television show, they get in the way during transformation, and they're easily removable. Ten years later, Hasbro thought so, too, in their stock photography for ''[[Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]]'' Dinobot.

[[Image:Dinobotearlycgimodel.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Code of... something.]]
* Several views of preliminary ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' CGI models were available in the Special Features of [[Kid Rhino]]'s ''Beast Wars: The Complete Second Season'' DVD box set. Dinobot's early model, like the other preliminary models, took more cues from the toy, such as including the [[mutant head]] and looking at all transformable. Interestingly enough, the preliminary model transformed into the final beast mode model, but since Dinobot's transformation involves swapping out parts, that's not too hard to believe.

* Speaking of Dinobot's crotch, [[Mainframe Entertainment]] once had a little fun with Dinobot's model after hours."[[:Image:Dirkdinobot.jpg|Dirk Dinobot]]" may not be safe for work, but his grill structure here is anything but rigid! Who's responsible for leaking this, and can we hug them?

[[Image:TMDinobotConcept.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Raptor and... squatting Raptor? It's a jet powered squat, surely.]]
* An actual (i.e. non-McDonald's affiliated) Transmetal Dinobot apparently made it to concept art stages, but not much further. It would have been notable for having the lamest "transport mode" of all the Transmetals if produced, however. Several elements of the design were recycled on Transmetal [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]].

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Maximal/Dinobot/dinobot.htm Dinobot at TFU.info]

*[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/ee52db9e103fd5a8?hl=en& "Dinobot's Old Technology" by MG-Dinobot]

[[Category:Beast Wars characters]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Fast food exclusives]]
[[Category: Henkei! Henkei! characters]]
[[Category:Maximals]]
[[Category:Predacons]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]

Dinobot (BW)

2009-06-30T03:27:29Z

99.199.38.212: /* Beast Wars cartoon */

{{disambig3|Dinobot}}

{{featured}}

:''Dinobot is a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] and [[Maximal]] from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

{{factions|maximal|predacon}}

[[Image:Dinobotbwx.jpg|right|300px|thumb|






"You lived like a warrior ans died to an hero." [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/ee52db9e103fd5a8?hl=en&&] ]]








'''Dinobot''' is a Predacon ruled by honor. He lives to die gloriously in battle. When he aided [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] in the theft of the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]], Dinobot believed he was in the pursuit of endless glory. But when he and his Predacon peers crashed on what seemed to be the wrong planet alongside a Maximal exploration vessel, he rebelled against Megatron and joined the Maximal team. It would be an uneasy alliance, fraught with turns of loyalty and turns of Shakespearean phrase. But it also led to strong friendships and even the salvation of all humanity.

As befits a warrior of his stature, Dinobot is skilled in all forms of combat. He wields a spinning sword and a [[Rotate blade|rotating blade]], both which are his preferred means of battle, though he has been known to use ranged weapons such as his laser eye-beams or a simple handheld gun. He has threatened to use any and all of these on [[Rattrap]], with whom he has an intense rivalry. Deep down, he may respect the rodent, but he'll die before he'll admit to it.

{{bigquote|The question that has haunted my being has been answered: The future is not fixed. My choices are my own. And yet, how ironic, for I now find I have no choice at all! I am a warrior... let the battle be joined.|Dinobot|"[[Code of Hero]]"}}

:''Chinese name (Taiwan):'' '''Kǔng-lúng''' (恐龍, "Dinosaur") / '''Múo Lúng''' (魔龍, "Demonic Dinosaur")
:''Cantonese name:'' '''Dillonburg''' (狄龍堡 ''Dik Lung Pou'')

==Fiction==
===Cartoon continuity===
====Dreamwave comics continuity====
[[Image:Dinobotmtmte8.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Little did we know that there was a giant shovel on the other arm.]]
During the theft of the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]], [[Megatron (BW)|He Who Would Be Megatron]] also scanned the historical datatrax of the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s. He failed to notice the approaching guard until Dinobot dispatched him with his sword and insisted they speed up the operation. {{storylink|More Than Meets The Eye (G1)|More Than Meets The Eye Volume 8}}

{{note|The Golden Disk was wrongly drawn as the [[Alien Disk]]. This two-page story is contradicted by many other versions of the story—specifically Megatron's spontaneous renaming of himself—possibly placing it in a version of the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] that occurs only in Dreamwave's Generation 1 continuity. Of course, Dreamwave chose that time to [[Pat Lee|fold]] before this could be explained.}}

====Theft of the Golden Disk====
[[Image:Dinobotdawnoffuturespast.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them."]]
After meeting with [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]], "Dinobot", Megatron, and [[Dirge (BWII)|Dirge]] broke into the archives to steal a [[Data-Con]] which would provide all sorts of information about the Golden Disk. As they were making their getaway, Dinobot threw the Data-Con to Dirge (who was unaware of a switch on Megatron's part) before battling a squadron of [[Maximal Command Security Force|Maximal Security Troopers]], ending with a close combat duel with [[9K]] using his then energy-based sword. Dinobot evidently emerged victorious, as he was later seen with Megatron and "[[Scorponok (BW)|Clamps]]". {{storylink|Theft of the Golden Disk}}

====Dawn of Future's Past====
Megatron and Dinobot joined [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] in escaping the archives with the Golden Disk, avoiding patrolmen [[Unit 1]] and [[Tigatron|Unit 2]]. As Dinobot disabled the former, he protested Megatron's apparent cowardice and dishonorable tactics. Megatron responded by clamping his fist around Dinobot's neck, rebuking him for using the "h" word in his presence. After Dinobot had regained his composure, they made their way to the rendezvous point with the ''[[Darksyde]]'' and launched into space, where they activated their transwarp drive.

The ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'' and the ''[[Chromia 10]]'' gave chase, though the latter was destroyed by [[Laserbeak (G1)|unknown]] [[Buzzsaw (G1)|assailants]]. When the ''Axalon'' caught up with the Predacons, Dinobot balked at the idea of fleeing again and managed to fire a few shots at the ''Axalon''. After Megatron taunted the pilot of the ''Axalon'' via videoscreen, Dinobot and the other rogue Predacons on board the ''Darksyde'' disappeared through a transwarp portal, with the ''Axalon'' close behind. {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}

====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Scott McNeil]] (English), [[Keiji Fujiwara]] (Japanese), [[Luiz Carlos de Moraes]], [[Jorge Barcellos]] (Portuguese)

[[Image:BWDinobot arrival.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair... wherever the hell we are."]]
Dinobot was one of a group of rogue Predacons and was party to their theft of the Maximal relic, the Golden Disk. They stole a ship and traveled through a transwarp portal, with the Maximal ship ''Axalon'' not far behind. After a heated space battle over a mysterious planet, both ships were damaged, and they fell blazing towards the ground below.

The entire planet was saturated with [[Energon (fuel)|energon]], so much so that Dinobot and the other Predacons required protection. To this end, organic forms were scanned. In Dinobot's case, ''Velociraptor'' remains buried deep within the volcanic soil of their crash site became the basis for his new form. But the levels of energon were just one problem—this planet looked nothing like [[Earth]], their target destination! As Dinobot ventured outside the base, he blamed Megatron for this error and announced his intention to take over the Predacons himself. Megatron laughed and had [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] shoot him over the horizon.

Dinobot, cheated and humbled, took his efforts elsewhere. As the Maximals returned to their crashed ship from an outing, Dinobot was there, blocking the rocky bridge that crossed the waterfall surrounding their new base. This time, he challenged [[Optimus Primal]], and for the leadership of the Maximals. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}}

[[Image:BWPart1 bridgefaceoff.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"Ill met by moonlight—er, sunlight, proud Optimus."]]

He and [[Optimus Primal]] began their fight. It almost ended badly for Primal when the Maximal commander's foot slipped on the edge of the bridge, but Dinobot saved him, as the Predacon believed that a dishonorable death would mean a dishonorable victory on his own part. They continued, but their battle was interrupted by a Predacon attack. After that clash subsided, Dinobot helped the Maximals, leading them to a victory against Megatron when he tried to obtain the bounty of a mountain-sized cache of natural energon. Optimus accepted him into the fold—not as a leader, of course, but still as a valued team member. This didn't sit well with the other Maximals, particularly [[Rattrap]]. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 2)}}

Dinobot provided not only brute force but an understanding of the enemy. A short time afterward, Dinobot was standing with Primal and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] on the bridge of the ''Axalon'' around a holo-map of the Predacon base when Primal suggested that Rattrap go on a scouting mission. {{storylink|The Web}}

[[Image:Dinobotbulliescheetor.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Come not within the measure of my wrath."]]

However, though he was an asset against the Predacons, Dinobot sowed discontent amongst the Maximals' own ranks. Early on, [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] was ordered to his quarters for fumbling the test of an energon monitoring device, and Dinobot suggested to the young Maximal that he secretly test the device himself. This ended in potential disaster when Cheetor unwittingly created a instant-transport stream between the two bases. When [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] used this to infiltrate the Maximal base, Dinobot feigned a desire to team up with him and overthrow Megatron. Lulling him into a false sense of security, Dinobot eventually took care of him with the trash disposal unit—all without firing a shot, and the other Maximals never even knew. {{storylink|Equal Measures}}

[[Image:Coc getshorty.jpg|left|300px|thumb|"The course of true love never did run smooth."]]

Dinobot and Optimus Primal investigated an energy signature detected within the [[Standing Stones]], an enigmatic monument of alien origin. After a clash with Megatron and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], the monument came to life and Optimus Primal disappeared before their eyes. When Dinobot woke up, he was in the Maximal CR chamber, as he'd been found stripped down and abandoned outside the base by unknown hands. But that wasn't important-Optimus Primal was gone, perhaps dead! The Maximals quickly tried to select a new leader by [[Democracy|secret ballot]], and Dinobot laughed at them when their vote ended in a tie. No, he would be the new leader-by force, if necessary! However, they were all interrupted by a message from Optimus Primal, who was inside the alien monument. Primal put Rattrap in charge, and the remaining Maximals mounted a plan to extract Primal from the alien construct. After another battle with the Predacons at the Standing Stones, the aliens returned Primal to them, with no explanations. {{storylink|Chain of Command}}

When an incoming [[stasis pod]] carrying a potential new Maximal team member was detected, Dinobot refused to let Primal leave without scouting the area outside the ''Axalon'' first himself. Dinobot was convinced the Predacons would try to remove Primal from the equation, as he was their faction's only flying member, and he was right—the Predacons managed to damage Primal enough to keep him out of the race for the pod. Dinobot stayed behind with Primal while the others made a play for the pod on foot. When Dinobot received a transmission indicating the Maximals were having difficulties, he awoke Primal's [[core consciousness]] to consult him. As a result, the two were able to bounce a signal off one of the planet's moons to the dormant stasis pod, beating the Predacons to the punch. [[Tigatron]] joined the team. {{storylink|Fallen Comrades}}

[[Image:Better Mousetrap Dinobot.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Today is a good day for violence!"]]

Soon after, Dinobot and Primal were investigating a second stasis pod when they were suddenly ambushed by Predacons. The Predacons defeated the two and secured the pod for themselves, bringing [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] online. As this was one in a long string of clever coups, this forced Optimus Primal to consider that their team was suffering from an information leak. Primal scapegoated Rattrap, an accusation in which Dinobot took pleasure. Dinobot was all too happy to destroy the alleged turncoat despite the potential hypocrisy of that act. Rattrap subsequently defected, and in the ensuing battle, was ordered by Megatron to shoot Dinobot, his frequent rival. After some hesitation, Rattrap shot Terrorsaur instead and revealed that the entire situation was a ruse by Optimus Primal to detect the real source of the information leak: stolen Maximal codes. {{storylink|Double Jeopardy}}

Childish infighting between Rattrap and Dinobot inadvertently triggered Rhinox's new security program, [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]], before it could be completed. Dinobot and the other Maximals fled the ''Axalon'', while Rattrap stayed inside to combat Sentinel himself. Later, when Sentinel appeared to have shut down, Rattrap was assumed dead. Each Maximal gave a touching eulogy for Rattrap except for Dinobot, who refused to taint Rattrap's memory with lies. It was soon revealed that Rattrap had not perished, but had instead managed to shut off Sentinel.{{storylink|A Better Mousetrap}}

[[Image:Dinobotversusplant.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"I will speak daggers to it, but use none."]]

Dinobot joined Optimus Primal on a mission once again, but this time to explore the planet's native organisms. Dinobot considered this work as being beneath him, and in the process found himself assaulted by one of the planet's flora. As Primal considered this a lesson in respect learned, he found himself attacked by one of Scorponok's [[cyberbee]]s. It injected him with a virus that was intended to make him a coward, but instead removed all his inhibitions. Upon returning Primal to the ''Axalon'', Dinobot oddly found himself agreeing that this new bloodthirsty Primal was not a beneficial change. After he failed to solve the problem with the Predacons diplomatically, as Primal would have wanted, it was decided to let the new violent Primal be the new violent Primal. Ultimately, Primal acquired the antidote and woke up with Dinobot standing watch over him. Dinobot assured him that it was merely his shift, and not indicative of his feelings towards Primal—despite having placed a beautiful plant in Primal's quarters. {{storylink|Gorilla Warfare}}

When a Cybertronian probe was detected, Dinobot helped his teammates attempt to contact it, despite the fact he dreaded a return home. After all, he was a criminal even in Predacon terms, and he had no hope for a warm Maximal reception. Somewhat fortunately for Dinobot's potential fate, their attempts to catch the attention of the probe failed when [[Tarantulas]] invented the [[transformation lock lens]]. {{storylink|The Probe}} The issue was raised again when the Maximals thought that the Predacons had been destroyed. Dinobot elected to remain on the planet while the Maximals repaired their ship and launched it. However, just as Dinobot wandered off to explore the world that had become his, he stumbled across the not-so-dead Predacons, who attacked the ''Axalon'' and grounded the Maximals once again. {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}}

[[Image:Dinobot mirror.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"A little more than kin, and less than kind."]]

After Dinobot and the other Maximals were saved from a Predacon attack by Rhinox's ingenuity, Rhinox was abducted by the Predacons and reprogrammed into one of them. Optimus Primal waited for this to backfire on them, and when their plot began to unravel, Dinobot joined the Maximals in infiltrating the Predacon base and retrieving their kidnapped comrade. {{storylink|Dark Designs (episode)|Dark Designs}} Megatron soon set his sights on Dinobot as well. After Terrorsaur buried Dinobot in a cave, Megatron unleashed a [[Clone One|clone of Dinobot]] on the unsuspecting Maximals. Ultimately, Dinobot broke free and returned to the ''Axalon'', where he confronted his clone and ate him. Yes. He ate him. {{storylink|Double Dinobot}}

Not long afterward, Tigatron went missing during a routine scouting report. When Optimus Primal noted that Tigatron was the victim of an aerial attack, Dinobot identified the culprits as Waspinator and Terrorsaur. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 1}} Dinobot remained at base with Rhinox while the others searched for Tigatron on a mysterious flying island. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 2}} Dinobot suffered along with his teammates when the energon dampener was stolen from the ''Axalon'', requiring him and the others to stay in beast mode to avoid energon surges. Between that and sleep deprivation from persistent Predacon attacks, their innate beast instincts began to take over, and the Maximals went feral. It was only through the instruction of Tigatron that they were able to defeat the Predacons and retrieve the dampener. {{storylink|Call of the Wild}}

Dinobot was tested again when he, Cheetor, Rhinox, and Rattrap were blinded by a Predacon attack. They were far from base and completely helpless, so Dinobot immediately began to panic. Rhinox was able to calm him and the others and slowly lead them back to base, using their other senses. They were rescued by Optimus Primal and Tigatron at the foot of the base just as they began to slip into [[stasis lock]]. {{storylink|Dark Voyage}} The Maximals were also visited by the wandering spark of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], who possessed the body of Waspinator and led a successful attack on the Maximal base, resulting in Dinobot receiving critical damage. Forced out of their base, Optimus Primal surrendered the Maximals to Starscream, under the condition that Dinobot be repaired. In exchange, Starscream ordered the Maximals to attack Megatron. Despite his treachery, Starscream himself was deceived, as Dinobot was not as damaged as advertised. He and Primal were able to eject Starscream from Waspinator's body and retake the ''Axalon''. {{storylink|Possession}}

[[Image:Dinobottarantulasrattrapthelowroad.jpg|left|300px|thumb|"Frailty, thy name is Tarantulas!"]]

Once again, the feud between Rattrap and Dinobot led to disaster. Their carelessness indirectly caused Rhinox to be infected with a virus that caused him to eject energy involuntarily, via hiccups or sneezes or...other means. Optimus Primal ordered the bickering pair to hunt down Tarantulas in his lair and obtain the antidote, figuring they'd either learn to work together or everyone would be destroyed. Unfortunately, the latter wasn't so unlikely an option, as Dinobot and Rattrap's out-of-control behavior toward each other repeatedly sabotaged their efforts to capture Tarantulas. Dinobot was able to grab him just as Megatron arrived, and claimed the spider as a hostage. Megatron did not care and shot them both. Ultimately, the day was saved when Rhinox used his virus against the Predacons, unleashing a mighty explosion from his rear end. {{storylink|The Low Road}}

Despite his increasing loyalty to the team, Dinobot's violent heart occasionally created rifts. Most notable was his reaction to [[Tigatron]]'s pacifism: When the tiger tried to leave the Maximals in grief over the accidental death of his best friend, Dinobot argued vociferously with the "coward". He simply could not comprehend what Tigatron was saying, that in order to stop the fighting, someone had to lay down his weapon. The confrontation with Tigatron revealed more than just Dinobot's warrior ethic. He explained to Tigatron a bit of his motives for turning against Megatron: He feared that if Megatron used Earth's energon supply to wage a new war, Cybertron would burn as a result. Dinobot could only see desertion, and for that he nearly killed Tigatron, who refused to fight back. But Primal interrupted before any damage was done, and Tigatron later came back to battle to save Dinobot from a Predacon attack, making the whole point moot. {{storylink|Law of the Jungle}}

The [[Vok|alien]] mystery that surrounded the planet soon came to a head. When it became apparent that the aliens themselves would visit them imminently, the Predacons surprisingly called for a truce. Tigatron was called to sneak into the Predacon base and find out what had captured Megatron's attention, and Dinobot and the other Maximals staged a non-lethal battle to cover Tigatron's exit, upholding their end of the truce. Dinobot loosened a large boulder out of place, allowing it to crush both Tarantulas and Blackarachnia. {{storylink|Before the Storm}} As expected, the aliens arrived. A wormhole opened up over the planet, and a beam shot down to the surface, where another alien device was activated. Rhinox and Dinobot stayed behind at the ''Axalon'' while the others investigated, but were too engaged by the planet's second moon shifting its shape into a horrible [[Planet Buster]] weapon to notice their base had been compromised. Both Rhinox and Dinobot were removed from the equation by Blackarachnia and Tarantulas. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 1}} The Maximals returned to find them both welded to the ceiling by cyberwebs. Dinobot and Rhinox were placed inside [[CR chamber]]s as Rattrap and Airazor went to find their unwelcome visitors. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}

[[Image:Dinobotgoldendisks.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, and borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry."]]

When Dinobot awoke, Optimus Primal was dead, having sacrificed himself to destroy the Planet Buster with a transwarp explosion, and Cheetor and Rattrap had been altered into [[Transmetal]] forms by the resulting [[quantum surge]]. After reluctantly admitting Rattrap's new form was an improvement, he immediately declared himself the new Maximal leader. However, with Primal dead, Rhinox was not in any mood to tolerate Dinobot's outburst and shut him up forcefully. While Rattrap and Cheetor were sent outside to deal with Waspinator and a newly Transmetalled Megatron, Rhinox and Dinobot were stuck with the task of restoring their security systems. They did not account for [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]], who had also infiltrated the ''Axalon''. Thankfully, Rhinox was able to defeat the Predacon and eject him from the ship. {{storylink|Aftermath}}

With the destruction of the planet's second moon and the stabilization of the planet's natural energon reserves, it became apparent to Dinobot that Megatron was right all along; this was indeed Earth, though in the distant past. Dinobot broke into the Predacon base and stole Megatron's golden disks. He knew that they contained information about the future, and this cut to the core of his being: "If the future is indeed immutably foretold, then my demise is but moments from that confirmation, for I could not live if not the master of my fate." Dinobot hid the disks in a remote location and returned to the ''Axalon'', where Rattrap was having a minor meltdown. Rhinox had hooked himself to a machine with little explanation, and with Tigatron and Airazor on a long-term exploration trip, it fell to Rattrap, Dinobot, and Cheetor to hold off the combined force of the Predacons. Worse yet, Megatron had introduced two new [[Fuzor]]s to his team, [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]]. Dinobot grabbed what weaponry he could, and with the other two Maximals engaged the Predacons far from the ship, in hopes that they could keep the Predacons away from whatever Rhinox was trying to accomplish. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}}

[[Image:Coming of the Fuzors 2 Dinobot Rattrap.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!"]]

Their efforts, though seemingly doomed, were not for naught. Though Dinobot, Rattrap, and Cheetor fought to near-death, they held off the enemy long enough for Rhinox's gamble to work. He had travelled into the [[Allspark|Matrix]] and retrieved Optimus Primal's spark. Optimus Primal, restored as a Transmetal from a [[blank]] [[protoform]], dramatically turned the tide, saving Dinobot and the others from what would at least have been honorable deaths. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}

[[Image:Maximal No More Dinobot bow.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Is this a dagger which I see before me, Dinobot, the handle toward my hand?"]]

His desire to discover whether the future could be changed kept Dinobot focused on Megatron's actions. When Predacon installations were placed in a Voyager-disk-like pattern, Dinobot remarked that Megatron's plan proceeded even without the disk's information. Thus, he resubmitted himself to Megatron's command, but the Maximals' influence still showed itself. When he was pitted in a death match against [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] in a bizarre test of loyalty, Dinobot subdued his foe but refused to kill him, offering to train him instead. But Megatron accepted the prodigal son anyway, as long as he returned the original Golden Disk. (He had already given the alien disk to Rhinox.) Dinobot complied. He admitted to himself that by helping Megatron he might be sacrificing his own race, but he had to discover whether his actions were his own or predestined. After the artifact was back in Megatron's hands, Rattrap attacked and was quickly immobilized. As a final test of allegiance, Dinobot was ordered to kill his former teammate. This task proved too much for him, and he turned once again on the Predacon leader. Megatron retreated with the disk in his possession, and Primal was left with the decision on whether to allow Dinobot back into their ranks. Dinobot explained that either way, he would fight Megatron, prompting Primal to forgive Dinobot his treacherous actions. Once welcomed back, Dinobot told Primal of Megatron's ultimate designs for the disks' information. {{storylink|Maximal, No More}}

[[Image:BWDinobot decision.jpg|left|300px|thumb|"To Bay or not to Bay; that is the question, and here is the sunset."]]

As Rhinox and Dinobot scanned known alien sites, they suddenly realized that Tigatron and Airazor were journeying into one. But before they could send a warning, the traveling pair triggered the alien site and were shot into space. Dinobot and the other Maximals were rallied by Optimus Primal to this site, where they confronted the Predacons. Before the fight could begin, the alien site activated again, creating a massive [[Metal Hunter]], and blasted everyone in the area. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 1)}} The Transformers who had not been altered by the quantum surge lay deactivated, but the Transmetals and Fuzors were unaffected by the Metal Hunter's blast. Silverbolt was instructed to carry Dinobot and Rhinox back to the base for repairs. Megatron used the alien disk to activate the Metal Hunter, and the Maximals gained an unlikely ally: Tarantulas. Dinobot, like his fellow Maximals, greeted the Predacon turncoat with bared weapons and only reluctantly allowed Tarantulas to aid them. Subsequently, Dinobot joined an assault on the Metal Hunter itself, a cover for Tarantulas's entry. The Metal Hunter was destroyed. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 2)}}

When Silverbolt went missing during an energon storm while he, Cheetor, and Optimus Primal were investigating [[Protoform X]], Dinobot suggested they forget the Fuzor and concentrate on the Predacons. The enemy was, after all, minus both Tarantulas and Blackarachnia, while they were only down one member. Primal rejected Dinobot's lack of sympathy. As Primal and Cheetor left to find Silverbolt, Dinobot turned to one of the ''Axalon'''s consoles and began downloading into its database. {{storylink|Bad Spark}}

Unlike Primal, Rattrap was not so forgiving of Dinobot's earlier betrayal. After contemplating suicide and enduring Rattrap's continuing recriminations, Dinobot decided to set things right. He tracked Megatron down and found him testing the original disk which Dinobot had returned. Megatron had discovered a mountain whose image was recorded on the disk, and he had [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] destroy the peak. From a distance, Dinobot saw his greatest hope and worst fear form simultaneously: The disk's image changed. Dinobot's future was his own...but Megatron had virtually limitless power to change it.

[[Image:Dinbot funeral.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Out, out, brief spark! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor mech that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more."]]

When the Predacons launched an attack on a tribe of [[protohuman]]s, attempting to destroy the future human race and alter the course of the Autobot/Decepticon war, Dinobot singlehandedly took on all of them. Having already been blindsided by Tarantulas, he waded through the attack squad. Ignoring the damage he sustained, the warnings of his own internal computer, and the danger to himself, Dinobot defeated everyone save Megatron. Mocking the weakened Dinobot, Megatron tallied the score firmly in his own favor: He had unimaginable power via the disk, he held a lone protohuman hostage, and the severely damaged Dinobot was the only obstacle in his way. Mostly depowered and refusing to quit, Dinobot jammed a rock through a stick and attacked with the makeshift hammer. Megatron dropped the disk, and Dinobot blasted it to pieces with his last bit of energy. A short time after the rest of the Maximals arrived, Dinobot's spark left his frame.

He was given a hero's funeral, with his body cremated as the Maximal fliers executed a [[wikipedia:Missing man formation|Missing man formation]]. His legacy remained even with the anthropoids, who found his hammer and used it as a weapon. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}

Then Megatron [[Dinobot II|cloned him]]. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 1}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars Metals'' comic===
Following the [[Quantum surge]], Dinobot, as well as many other Maximals, became separated from the rest of the team and left stranded somewhere on [[Earth|Energoa]]. After Optimus Primal's resurrection and escape from Megatron, Dinobot could be seen watching the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]] from somewhere off in the distance. {{storylink|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic===
[[Image:Henkeimanga-Dinobot.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Who's got two thumbs on one hand except for when I switch to my fists? THIS guy!]]
In the present day, the [[Autobot]] [[Mini Vehicle]]s dug up the bodies of [[Hot Rod (Henkei!)|Hot Rod]] and Dinobot from deep within the earth. As the Mini Vehicles wondered if Dinobot were an Autobot, he woke up angrily, and began to attack the others, hoping to find a worthy foe, until finally Hot Rod (and his [[Mini-Con]], Jolt) faced Dinobot in battle. After seeing Hot Rod perform a series of clever moves, Dinobot suggested the two battle for leadership. However, Hot Rod declined Dinobot's offer and suggested instead they team up and make peace.

Hot Rod returned with Dinobot to Autobot headquarters, where [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] immediately suggesting he and Dinobot fight each other for fun, ruining Hot Rod's ceasefire. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 11}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
[[Image:BeastWars Dinobot 1996 toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Wasn't he in ''Jurassic Park''? (Hasbro version pictured)]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Deluxe, 1996/1997)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-4'''
**''Accessories:'' sword, [[Cyber-slash tail weapon|"Cyber-slash" tail weapon]]

: Part of the first wave of ''Beast Wars'' product, Dinobot transforms into what his bio claims is a "vicious velociraptor". His tail detaches and separates to form a gear-powered, spinning blade weapon, while the central "tail bone" separates to be used as a sword. The entire assembly can store in robot mode by flipping down the tail-mount and pegging the blade's base to the peg on his lower back. Like all early Deluxe-and-up ''Beast Wars'' toys, he has a "mutant mask", halves of a dino-skull that flip up to cover his more robotic head.

: The original Dinobots shipped on cards with "rocky"-shaped bubbles. Later (and more numerous) assortments moved to a smooth, rounded bubble, leading the first packaging type to become sought-after collectibles on the secondary market.

[[Image:BW-toy DinobotTakara97.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Let's hide the legs in beast mode by making them bright translucent orange! (Takara version pictured)]]
: Takara's version of the toy was identical to the [[Hasbro]] version. In January 1997, Takara [[redeco]]ed many of the ''Beast Wars'' toys and re-released them in slightly more show-like tones; Dinobot's pink was changed to tan, his orange robot eyes became red, his flat blue face became metallic blue, his orange dinosaur eyes became white, and his helmet was painted in metallic gold.

:This toy and the Fox Kids redeco, as well as some other versions of this mold, had the robot mode's biceps on the wrong arms, with the skin-like texture inside and the weight-reducing cavities on the outside. Later molds, such as the 10th Anniversary release, had this error corrected.

: This mold was used to make... lots of guys. Other than countless redecos as himself, this mold was also used for ''Beast Wars'' [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and ''[[Dinobots (toyline)|Dinobots]]'' [[Grimlock (Dinobots)|Grimlock]], and was [[Retool|retooled]] extensively to make ''[[Beast Wars Neo (toyline)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' [[Hardhead (BWN)|Hardhead]], [[Dinotron]], and [[Thrust (BWII)|Thrustor]].

{{-}}

[[Image:VS4-DinobotTarantuas.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I prefer to package my toys the old-fashioned way... BRUTALLY!!!]]

*'''Brutal Showdown: Dinobot VS Tarans''' (VS pack, 1997)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''VS-4'''
**''Accessories:'' sword, [[Cyber-slash tail weapon|"Cyber-slash" tail weapon]]

: In Japan, Dinobot was available both as an individual and in a two-pack with "[[Tarantulas|Tarans]]". Both toys in this set were identical to their individual releases.

: Currently, it is unknown if the latter "more show-like" redeco of Dinobot was ever released in a VS set.

{{-}}{{anchor|Transmetal}}

[[Image:Mcdinobot.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Transforms from ''Velociraptor'' to wolfman.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Happy Meal Transmetal, 1998)
**''McNumber'':

: Part of the second McDonald's ''Beast Wars'' Happy Meal promotion, [[Transmetal]] Dinobot transforms into a robotic ''Velociraptor''. To tie in with the chrome plastic [[gimmick]] of the retail Transmetal toys, parts of his beast mode are cast in glittery metallic plastic. Like the other McDonald's toys from this assortment, he shares nothing in common with his previous body other than [[alternate mode]] choice.

{{-}}{{anchor|FoxKids}}

[[Image:FK-Dinobot-toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Eww...perhaps using the power sander to buff his scales wasn't a good idea.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Fox Kids Deluxe, 1999)
**''Accessories:'' sword, "Cyber-slash" tail weapon

: Part of the first wave of "Fox Kids" redecoes (so called because of the callout to the Fox Kids programming block on the package where the cartoon had recently moved to), this version of Dinobot is more dark brown than the original, with red stripes instead of the original's brown, with a red robot-mode face and green eyes. This toy uses the [[Retool|retooled]] mold with the shoulder ratchets and the (unused) "[[energon chip]]" space that were created for ''Beast Wars'' [[Grimlock (G1) toys|Grimlock]].

: Hasbro solicitations named this toy "Live Wire Dinobot", but the name never made it to final packaging.

{{-}}

===Beast Wars 10th Anniversary===
[[Image:BW10Dinobot toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He disagrees with everything that T-Rex says, but you know they're best friends.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Tenth Anniversary Deluxe, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' "Energo-drill" sword, spinning blade tail weapon, Transmutate left arm

: This release is yet another redeco of the original Dinobot toy. Though the ''[[Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]]'' line's aim was "[[show accuracy]]", the resulting Dinobot toy confused some fans, with its dark brown base color, odd placement of blue, and, mostly, the metallic green on his bone-like decorations. Like the other ''10th Anniversary'' toys, he has a faction symbol tampoed on his body; in Dinobot's case, there's a Maximal logo on the left side of his robot chest. Like FoxKids! Dinobot, this toy has the Energon Chip indent and shoulder ratchets that were added for ''Beast Wars'' Grimlock.

: ''Beast Wars 10th Anniversary'' Dinobot came with the left arm to the "build-a-bot" figure [[Transmutate]], plus a DVD containing the obvious Dinobot-themed episode, "[[Code of Hero]]".

{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[Image:Botcon2006Dinobot toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Can you dig it?]]
*'''Dawn of Future's Past''' (Multi-pack Deluxe, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Golden Disk Key

: Part of the five-toy [[BotCon 2006]] [[exclusive]] boxed set (along with [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], [[Optimus Primal]], [[Rattrap]] and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]]), "Darksyde Dinobot" is a redeco of the ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] mold, itself a [[retool]] of ''[[Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Hoist]]. Dinobot uses almost all of Longrack's new-mold parts save for the head; Hoist's was a dead ringer for Dinobot in the first place. He transforms into a Cybertronic excavator. Inserting a [[Cyber Key]] or [[Golden Disk Key]] into his shoulder assembly unlocks a shovel-punch attack activated by pressing on the plunger mechanism above the key port. Like Longrack, he does ''not'' come with a [[Mini-Con]] partner (dammit). The color scheme is partially based on his ''10th Anniversary'' toy.

: The original version of this mold was also used to make ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Ransack (Universe)|Ransack]].

{{-}}

===Beast Wars Telemocha Series===
[[Image:Japanese10thDinobot.jpg|right|300px|thumb|At last, I CAN TALK!]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Deluxe, 2006)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TM-05'''
**''Accessories:'' sword, spinning tail weapon

:Celebrating Japan's 10th anniversary of ''[[Beast Wars]]'' (one year later than the West), the [[Beast Wars Telemocha]] version of Dinobot is yet another (and final?) redeco of the venerable tooling, including the shoulder ratcheting added to the previous Hasbro versions. While definitely more [[Show accuracy|accurate to the CGI model]] than the Hasbro [[Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|10th Anniversary]] version from the previous year, most of its color-scheme decisions favor the robot mode, such as bronze/gold shoulder joints. The result of this is a less consistently colored beast mode than the Hasbro version. It is the first (and only) version of the mold to place deco on the "mutant mask" halves.

:Though there are some colors dropped between the transition from CGI model to toy, Telemocha Dinobot does currently hold the prize for the sheer number of paint applications used on this mold, and by a large margin. Perhaps most significant to many fans, however, is that this version of Dinobot has a mouth, if only in the form of a paint operation.

This release of Dinobot came with a DVD containing the ''Beast Wars'' episode... "New Weapons of Terror!", the Japanese dub of "[[The Probe]]" and not "Code of Hero".
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[Image:Dinobotuniversedeluxe.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Just in time for the original mold to be practically cheese by now.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Deluxe, 2009)
**''Accessories:'' Tail/missile launcher, missile/sword

: Dinobot transforms into a brown and amber ''Jurassic Park''-style ''Velociraptor'' with a robot mode styled heavily after the ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' CGI model, including a face with a nose and mouth. To this end, his transformation has been altered accordingly for more human-like proportions, with his robot legs now becoming the raptor legs and the arms hiding mostly inside the torso. He also sports a fully show accurate robot head with can turn as usual, but can also look up at a 45 degree angle. On his chest is a panel that can swap between Maximal and Predacon faction symbols and a blank third panel (for the beast mode head). His [[Show accuracy|show-accurate]] double opposable thumbs can be swapped out for "proper" fists, and his tail still detaches. It becomes a weapon that splits similarly to the original's, but now no longer rotates but fires a missile shaped like his sword from the cartoon, which can actually be held as a sword by either the regular fist or claw hands. The tail can also clip onto his back for storage.
{{-}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkei_Dinobot.jpg|right|300px|thumb|"Then I'll be brief! Oh, happy dagger, this is thy sheath. There rust and let me die."]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Deluxe, 2009)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-16'''
**''Accessories:'' Tail/missile launcher, missile/sword

:The ''Henkei!'' release of Dinobot is in more traditional colors than the Hasbro version, decoed in brown with several tan stripes, plus blue and golden detailing. Clear red plastic replaces clear orange found on the ''Universe'' version. Like all ''Henkei!'' releases he features [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum metalized]] parts, particularly his missile/sword.

{{-}}

===Device Label===
[[Image:DeviceLabel-Dinobot.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Sorry, you've been replaced.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Device Label, 2009)
:Dinobot would have transformed from a working USB laser mouse into a brown and gold mechanoid raptor, but an early BigBadToyStore solicitation for him was almost immediately supplanted by a solicitation for [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], once better information was had.
{{canceledtoy}}
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Beast Wars Mini-Busts===
[[Image:BWDinobot minibust.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Legs are for the weak.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (?)

: In 2006, [[First 4 Figures]] announced a seven-inch tall mini-bust of Dinobot, featuring his upper torso mounted upon a Maximal pedestal. He was sculpted by Ryan Bailey and is limited to 1,996 pieces. He is based upon his animated appearance, mounted on a silver pedestal adorned with the Maximal sigil.
{{canceledtoy}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[Image:BWRConcept04.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Dinobot's control art. The beast head displays a more rigid grill structure.]]
* It's been rumored that Dinobot's first toy borrowed some molding from an unproduced [[Kenner]] ''Jurassic Park'' dinosaur toy. There's no evidence at all to support this, however, and it is incredibly unlikely to begin with.

* Some fans humorously refer to Dinobot's [[Cyber-slash tail weapon]] as a "Rotate Blade" because of its usage in a [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/ee52db9e103fd5a8?hl=en& fanfic by MG-Dinobot].

* Likewise, fans refer to Dinobot as having a "rigid grill structure," an injoke that came into being because of an [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/307ed3ad2152d304 alt.toys.transformers poster's] somewhat confusing signature that included a quote from ''Mystery Science Theater 3000''. What part of Dinobot is the rigid grill structure is not definitively determined, whether it be the bony pair of robot legs that hang under his toy's beast mode or his, uh, crotch.

{{quote|A poster going by the handle of Dinobot had a .sig file that read "Dinobot has spoken," followed by an MST quote. For a while, it was a Tom Servo quote from the experiment RIDING WITH DEATH. The sig read more or less like this:
Dinobot has spoken.

"My rigid grill structure is bearing down on your unprotected cargo
door."--Tom Servo

However, many people only remembered as far as the "grill structure" bit, and putting the two sentences together, it sounded like he was pretending Dinobot himself was saying it. So a whole bizarre running gag started up around Dinobot's rigid grill structure, culminating in someone getting [[Scott McNeil]] to say the line in Dinobot's voice at
BC98.|—[[User:Apcog|Doug Dlin]] on [[alt.toys.transformers]]}}

[[Image:Dinobottoycommercial.jpg|right|200px|thumb|An abandoned deco?]]
* In the first ''Beast Wars'' toy commercials, Dinobot had a slightly different deco than the final toy. He was browner, rather than pinker, and had thicker stripes.

* Some fans are inclined to yank off Dinobot's mutant mask pieces, since he doesn't have them on the television show, they get in the way during transformation, and they're easily removable. Ten years later, Hasbro thought so, too, in their stock photography for ''[[Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]]'' Dinobot.

[[Image:Dinobotearlycgimodel.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Code of... something.]]
* Several views of preliminary ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' CGI models were available in the Special Features of [[Kid Rhino]]'s ''Beast Wars: The Complete Second Season'' DVD box set. Dinobot's early model, like the other preliminary models, took more cues from the toy, such as including the [[mutant head]] and looking at all transformable. Interestingly enough, the preliminary model transformed into the final beast mode model, but since Dinobot's transformation involves swapping out parts, that's not too hard to believe.

* Speaking of Dinobot's crotch, [[Mainframe Entertainment]] once had a little fun with Dinobot's model after hours."[[:Image:Dirkdinobot.jpg|Dirk Dinobot]]" may not be safe for work, but his grill structure here is anything but rigid! Who's responsible for leaking this, and can we hug them?

[[Image:TMDinobotConcept.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Raptor and... squatting Raptor? It's a jet powered squat, surely.]]
* An actual (i.e. non-McDonald's affiliated) Transmetal Dinobot apparently made it to concept art stages, but not much further. It would have been notable for having the lamest "transport mode" of all the Transmetals if produced, however. Several elements of the design were recycled on Transmetal [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]].

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Maximal/Dinobot/dinobot.htm Dinobot at TFU.info]

*[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/ee52db9e103fd5a8?hl=en& "Dinobot's Old Technology" by MG-Dinobot]

[[Category:Beast Wars characters]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Fast food exclusives]]
[[Category: Henkei! Henkei! characters]]
[[Category:Maximals]]
[[Category:Predacons]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]

List of Beast Wars episodes

2009-06-30T01:00:33Z

99.199.38.212: /* Season 3: 1998–1999 */

{{main|Beast Wars (cartoon)}}
__toc__
==Season 1: 1996–1997==
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto; width: 100%;"
|-
!#!!Title!!Writer!!Director!!Original airdate!!Production code
{{Episode list
|Title=[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]
|EpisodeNumber=1
|OriginalAirDate=September 16, 1996
|Aux1=[[Bob Forward]]
|Aux2=[[Ian Pearson]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=The [[Maximal]] and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] forces crash-land on a mysterious, primitive world.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Beast Wars (Part 2)]]
|EpisodeNumber=2
|OriginalAirDate=September 17, 1996
|Aux1=[[Bob Forward]]
|Aux2=[[Steve Ball]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=After a battle between [[Optimus Primal|Optimus]] and [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], a huge cache of Energon is discovered.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[The Web]]
|EpisodeNumber=3
|OriginalAirDate=September 18, 1996
|Aux1=[[Larry DiTillio]]
|Aux2=[[C. Michael Easton]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=While testing a new communications device, [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] runs into trouble.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Equal Measures]]
|EpisodeNumber=4
|OriginalAirDate=September 23, 1996
|Aux1=[[Greg Johnson]]
|Aux2=[[T.W. Peacocke]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=While placing communication relay devices, Cheetor is accidentally transported to the [[Darksyde]].
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Chain of Command]]
|EpisodeNumber=5
|OriginalAirDate=September 24, 1996
|Aux1=[[Jesse Winfield]]
|Aux2=[[Andrew Doucette]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=After Optimus is abducted by an alien probe, the remaining Maximals must decide on a new leader.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Power Surge]]
|EpisodeNumber=6
|OriginalAirDate=September 25, 1996
|Aux1=[[Larry DiTillio]]
|Aux2=[[Nicholas Kendall]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=
[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] discovers a cache of energon on a floating mountain that gives him enough power to overthrow [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]].
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Fallen Comrades]]
|EpisodeNumber=7
|OriginalAirDate=September 30, 1996
|Aux1=[[Bob Forward]]
|Aux2=[[Steve Ball]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=A stasis pod falls form orbit into [[Northern Sector|an icy region]] of the planet and the Maximals and Predacons race to obtain it.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Double Jeopardy]]
|EpisodeNumber=8
|OriginalAirDate=October 7, 1996
|Aux1=[[Jesse Winfield]]
|Aux2=[[Mark Schiemann]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=After a series of failed missions, [[Rattrap]]'s loyalty is brought into question.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[A Better Mousetrap]]
|EpisodeNumber=9
|OriginalAirDate=October 8, 1996
|Aux1=[[Karen Willson]], [[Chris Weber]]
|Aux2=[[J. Falconer]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=Rattrap is trapped inside the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'' when the new Sentinel security program malfunctions, and must disarm it.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Gorilla Warfare]]
|EpisodeNumber=10
|OriginalAirDate=October 14, 1996
|Aux1=[[Greg Johnson]]
|Aux2=[[James Boshier]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=A virus, courtesy of [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] turns Optimus into an overly-aggressive fighting machine.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[The Probe]]
|EpisodeNumber=11
|OriginalAirDate=October 15, 1996
|Aux1=[[Craig Miller]], [[Marv Wolfman|Marvin Wolfman]]
|Aux2=[[Ezekiel Norton]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=As a probe from Cybertron approaches the planet, the Maximals desperately try to make contact with it, but Megatron has other plans.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Victory (episode)|Victory]]
|EpisodeNumber=12
|OriginalAirDate=November 1, 1996
|Aux1=[[Wendy Reardon]]
|Aux2=[[Steve Ball]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=A rebellion (and explosion) at the Predacon base seemingly leads to a Maximal victory.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Dark Designs (episode)|Dark Designs]]
|EpisodeNumber=13
|OriginalAirDate=November 4, 1996
|Aux1=[[Ian Weir]]
|Aux2=[[Owen Hurley]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=Megatron captures [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] and reprograms him into a Predacon.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Double Dinobot]]
|EpisodeNumber=14
|OriginalAirDate=November 5, 1996
|Aux1=[[Rowby Goren]]
|Aux2=[[John Pozer]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=Megatron creates a non-transforming clone of Dinobot in an effort to disable Sentinel.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[The Spark]]
|EpisodeNumber=15
|OriginalAirDate=November 11, 1996
|Aux1=[[Larry DiTillio]]
|Aux2=[[Colin Davies]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=Rhinox and Cheetor assist a downed [[stasis pod]] and the damaged [[protoform]] within.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[The Trigger, Part 1]]
|EpisodeNumber=16
|OriginalAirDate=November 18, 1996
|Aux1=[[Bob Forward]]
|Aux2=[[J. Falconer]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=[[Tigatron]] discovers a flying island with amazing alien power, but the Predacons are after it as well.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[The Trigger, Part 2]]
|EpisodeNumber=17
|OriginalAirDate=November 19, 1996
|Aux1=[[Bob Forward]]
|Aux2=[[Michaela Zabranska]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=With the flying island under Predacon control, the Maximal base and the ''Beast Wars'' are in jeopardy.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Spider's Game]]
|EpisodeNumber=18
|OriginalAirDate=January 6, 1997
|Aux1=[[Larry DiTillio]]
|Aux2=[[James Boshier]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=[[Tarantulas]] detects a new stasis pod and attempts to turn the protoform into a new Predacon.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Call of the Wild]]
|EpisodeNumber=19
|OriginalAirDate=January 7, 1997
|Aux1=[[Bob Forward]]
|Aux2=[[Jonathan Goodwill]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=The Predacons steal the ''Axalon''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Energon Dampener which causes the Maximals to revert into a more feral state.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Dark Voyage]]
|EpisodeNumber=20
|OriginalAirDate=January 27, 1997
|Aux1=[[Samuel Warren Joseph]]
|Aux2=[[Steve Ball]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=After an energon explosion, Rhinox must lead the blinded Maximals back to base.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Possession]]
|EpisodeNumber=21
|OriginalAirDate=February 3, 1997
|Aux1=[[Ian Weir]]
|Aux2=[[Owen Hurley]]
|ProdCode=BW021
|ShortSummary=[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] finds himself possessed by none other than the original [[Decepticon]] traitor, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]!
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[The Low Road]]
|EpisodeNumber=22
|OriginalAirDate=February 10, 1997
|Aux1=[[Bob Forward]]
|Aux2=[[J. Falconer]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=Rhinox is infected with a strange energon discharge virus and if a cure isn't found he'll destroy the Maximal base.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Law of the Jungle]]
|EpisodeNumber=23
|OriginalAirDate=February 17, 1997
|Aux1=[[Mark Leiren-Young]]
|Aux2=[[John Pozer]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=After [[Snowstalker|an innocent]] is killed, Tigatron questions his commitment to the Maximal cause.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Before the Storm]]
|EpisodeNumber=24
|OriginalAirDate=February 21, 1997
|Aux1=[[Bob Forward]]
|Aux2=[[Adam Wood]]
|ProdCode=BW024
|ShortSummary=[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] brings Megatron an alien [[Golden Disk (Vok)|golden disk]] that causes him to offer a too good to be true cease fire to the Maximals.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Other Voices, Part 1]]
|EpisodeNumber=25
|OriginalAirDate=March 31, 1997
|Aux1=[[Larry DiTillio]], [[Bob Forward]]
|Aux2=[[Colin Davies]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=The plans of both Megatron and the [[Vok|mysterious aliens]] are coming to a head as one of the two moons transforms.
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Other Voices, Part 2]]
|EpisodeNumber=26
|OriginalAirDate=April 1, 1997
|Aux1=[[Larry DiTillio]]
|Aux2=[[Ezekiel Norton]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=As the [[Planet Buster]] begins destroying the planet's energon, Optimus devises a desperate plan to destroy the alien device.
}}
|}

==Season 2: 1997–1998==
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto; width: 100%;"
|-
!#!!Title!!Writer!!Director!!Original airdate!!Production code
{{Episode list
|Title=[[Aftermath]]
|EpisodeNumber=27
|OriginalAirDate=October 26, 1997
|Aux1=[[Larry DiTillio]]
|Aux2=[[Colin Davies]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=After the destruction of the Planet Buster and the death of Optimus, the remaining Maximals are left to pick up the pieces and fend off the Predacons.
|LineColor=801818
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)]]
|EpisodeNumber=28
|OriginalAirDate=November 2, 1997
|Aux1=[[Bob Forward]]
|Aux2=[[Steve Sacks]]
|ProdCode=BW028
|ShortSummary=Dinobot breaks into the Predacon base and steals the golden disks, meanwhile two oddly misshapen transformers emerge from their stasis pods.
|LineColor=801818
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)]]
|EpisodeNumber=29
|OriginalAirDate=November 9, 1997
|Aux1=[[Bob Forward]]
|Aux2=[[Cal Shumiatcher]]
|ProdCode=BW028
|ShortSummary=Vastly outnumbered, the remaining Maximals must defend their base from a Predacon assault while Rhinox takes a dangerous journey.
|LineColor=801818
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Tangled Web]]
|EpisodeNumber=30
|OriginalAirDate=November 16, 1997
|Aux1=[[Len Wein]]
|Aux2=[[Craig McEwen]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=Megatron sends Tarantulas to build a new energon processing station, but Tarantulas has other plans.
|LineColor=801818
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Maximal, No More]]
|EpisodeNumber=31
|OriginalAirDate=November 23, 1997
|Aux1=[[Patrick Barry]]
|Aux2=[[Trenton Carlson]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=With the contents of the Golden Disks weighing heavily on his mind, Dinobot must decide which side of the conflict he truly belongs to.
|LineColor=801818
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Other Visits (Part 1)]]
|EpisodeNumber=32
|OriginalAirDate=February 8, 1998
|Aux1=[[Larry DiTillio]]
|Aux2=[[John Pozer]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=A new alien site and device are discovered, and Megatron intends to have both for himself.
|LineColor=801818
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Other Visits (Part 2)]]
|EpisodeNumber=33
|OriginalAirDate=February 15, 1998
|Aux1=[[Larry DiTillio]]
|Aux2=[[Colin Davies]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=With the alien craft in his possession, Megatron intends to use it to conquer Cybertron!
|LineColor=801818
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Bad Spark]]
|EpisodeNumber=34
|OriginalAirDate=February 22, 1998
|Aux1=[[Greg Johnson]]
|Aux2=[[Steve Sacks]], [[Jonathan Goodwill]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=An oversize stasis pod reveals the secrets of [[Rampage (BW)|Protoform X]].
|LineColor=801818
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Code of Hero]]
|EpisodeNumber=35
|OriginalAirDate=March 9, 1998
|Aux1=[[Ian Weir]]
|Aux2=[[Bob Forward]]
|ProdCode=BW035
|ShortSummary=Dinobot makes a choice. |LineColor=801818
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Transmutate (episode)|Transmutate]]
|EpisodeNumber=36
|OriginalAirDate=March 10, 1998
|Aux1=[[Christy Marx]]
|Aux2=[[J. Falconer]], [[Sean Osborne]], [[George Samilski]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=A strange creature emerges from a damaged [[stasis pod]], and both [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] find a strange type of kinship with it.
|LineColor=801818
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]
|EpisodeNumber=37
|OriginalAirDate=March 11, 1998
|Aux1=[[Bob Forward]]
|Aux2=[[Cal Shumiatcher]]
|ProdCode=BW037
|ShortSummary=The [[Tripredacus Council]] sends an agent to Earth to bring back Megatron and his band of criminals.
|LineColor=801818
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[The Agenda (Part 2)]]
|EpisodeNumber=38
|OriginalAirDate=March 12, 1998
|Aux1=[[Bob Forward]]
|Aux2=[[Owen Hurley]]
|ProdCode=BW038
|ShortSummary=Captured by [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] lets the former Decepticon warrior in on the secret of the Golden Disk, and gets him to switch sides.
|LineColor=801818
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[The Agenda (Part III)]]
|EpisodeNumber=39
|OriginalAirDate=March 12, 1998
|Aux1=[[Bob Forward]]
|Aux2=[[Asaph Fipke]], [[Colin Davies]]
|ProdCode=BW039
|ShortSummary=His plans crumbling, Megatron takes a final stab at winning the ''Beast Wars'' and changing history.
|LineColor=801818
}}
|}

==Season 3: 1998–1999==
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto; width: 100%;"
|-
!#!!Title!!Writer!!Director!!Original airdate!!Production code
{{Episode list
|Title=[[Optimal Situation]]
|EpisodeNumber=40
|OriginalAirDate=October 24, 1998
|Aux1=[[Bob Forward]]
|Aux2=[[Steve Sacks]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=With [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] in critical condition after Megatron's attack, Optimus Primal takes on his [[spark]] to save the timestream.
|LineColor=006699
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Deep Metal]]
|EpisodeNumber=41
|OriginalAirDate=November 1, 1998
|Aux1=[[Larry DiTillio]]
|Aux2=[[Owen Hurley]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=[[Depth Charge]] arrives on Earth continuing his obsessive quest to hunt down Protoform X.
|LineColor=006699
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Changing of the Guard]]
|EpisodeNumber=42
|OriginalAirDate=November 8, 1998
|Aux1=[[Evan Somers]]
|Aux2=[[Steve Sacks]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=While trying to salvage the [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]] program from the ruins of the ''Axalon'', Rattrap finds himself caught between Depth Charge and Rampage.
|LineColor=006699
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Cutting Edge]]
|EpisodeNumber=43
|OriginalAirDate=November 15, 1998
|Aux1=[[Ian Weir]]
|Aux2=[[Trenton Carlson]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=A new group of raptor clones attacks the proto-human tribe, and it falls to Cheetor and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] to defend them.
|LineColor=006699
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Feral Scream Part 1]]
|EpisodeNumber=44
|OriginalAirDate=January 31, 1999
|Aux1=[[Greg Johnson]]
|Aux2=[[Steve Sacks]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=Megatron creates a new [[Dinobot II|Transmetal 2 Dinobot]] using alien technology, and Cheetor is caught in the blast as the device malfunctions.
|LineColor=006699
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Feral Scream Part 2]]
|EpisodeNumber=45
|OriginalAirDate=February 7, 1999
|Aux1=[[Jules Dennis]]
|Aux2=[[William Lau]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=Cheetor is behaving oddly after the accident, and a new [[Transmetal 2]] creature is stalking both camps.
|LineColor=006699
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Proving Grounds]]
|EpisodeNumber=46
|OriginalAirDate=February 14, 1999
|Aux1=[[Arthur Sellers]]
|Aux2=[[William Lau]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=Blackarachnia discovers that removing a shell program could free her from Predacon control... or wipe her mind entirely. Believing this revelation to be the latest in a long line of mistrust between her and the Maximals, Blackarachnia strikes out on her own, only to be pulled into a dangerous cat-and-mouse game within a Predacon jamming zone by Dinobot II.
|LineColor=006699
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Go with the Flow]]
|EpisodeNumber=47
|OriginalAirDate=February 18, 1999
|Aux1=[[Bob Forward]]
|Aux2=[[Cal Shumiatcher]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=Megatron and the Predacons are building a cannon that could destroy the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' and the Maximals, but requires an organic life-form to finish the construction.
|LineColor=006699
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Crossing the Rubicon]]
|EpisodeNumber=48
|OriginalAirDate=February 22, 1999
|Aux1=[[D. C. Fontana]]
|Aux2=[[Trenton Carlson]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=After experimenting with the [[Transmetal driver]], Blackarachnia's core consciousness begins to crash and Rhinox has to perform emergency surgery.
|LineColor=006699
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Master Blaster]]
|EpisodeNumber=49
|OriginalAirDate=March 1, 1999
|Aux1=[[Eric Torin]]
|Aux2=[[Steve Sacks]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=After taking control of Optimus and capturing the Maximals, Megatron enters the Ark and absorbs the original Megatron's spark.
|LineColor=006699
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Other Victories]]
|EpisodeNumber=50
|OriginalAirDate=May 5, 1999
|Aux1=[[Larry DiTillio]]
|Aux2=[[William Lau]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=The [[Vok]] send their powerful new emissary, [[Tigerhawk]] to Earth to stop the continued disruption of the time stream.
|LineColor=006699
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Nemesis Part 1]]
|EpisodeNumber=51
|OriginalAirDate=May 6, 1999
|Aux1=[[Bob Forward]]
|Aux2=[[Ezekiel Norton]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=Down, but not out, Megatron discovers Tarantulas' secret tunnel network that leads to the [[Decepticon]] warship the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''.
|LineColor=006699
}}

{{Episode list
|Title=[[Nemesis Part 2]]
|EpisodeNumber=52
|OriginalAirDate=May 7, 1999
|Aux1=[[Simon Furman]]
|Aux2=[[Cal Shumiatcher]], [[Steve Sacks]]
|ProdCode=
|ShortSummary=The end of the ''Beast Wars''. Megatron has possession of the ''Nemesis'', and Optimus and the Maximals need a last-minute miracle to stop him.
|LineColor=006699
}}
|}

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes| ]]
[[Category:Episode lists|Beast Wars]]

Equal Measures

2009-06-05T19:44:53Z

99.199.38.212: /* Technical/animation glitches */

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=4
|image=Equal Measures Cheetor darksyde.jpg
|caption=Later they discovered Cheetor was sitting on the self-destruct button.
|title="Equal Measures"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[September 23]], 1996
|written by=[[Greg Johnson]]
|directed by=[[T.W. Peacocke]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''Dinobot manipulates both Maximals and Predacons around a teleporter that Cheetor has unintentionally developed between both bases.'''

:''Japanese title:'' 時限爆弾転送作戦! (''Jigen Bakudan Tensō Sakusen!'', "Operation: Time Bomb Transfer!")

==Synopsis==
[[Optimus Primal]] watches a bolt of lightning shatter a mountain, revealing a cache of [[Energon (fuel)|energon]]. Because of the hazardous conditions, he radios to his team to abort their current operation. The storm garbles the transmission, though, preventing the other [[Maximal]]s from receiving it.

[[Image:Dinobotbulliescheetor.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Something we've seen all too often.]]
The mission involves energon monitoring devices designed by [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], who has just gotten done building the last of them. Impatient to get going, [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] carelessly plays with one of [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]'s projects, a ''time bomb'', and accidentally drops it out the floor hatch... where it's caught by a returning Optimus, who reiterates his order for the mission to be scrubbed. Everyone's clearly upset over the development, not believing the storm to be that severe yet, but Primal is adamant; it'll have to wait until later. Dejected, everyone returns to quarters to wait out the storm.

In Cheetor's quarters, Dinobot meets with the cat-bot and endorses the mission being continued regardless of the danger from the weather and the energon. He points out that Primal clearly treats Cheetor like a child, even though with his speed, the cat-bot could easily outrun the storm and plant the devices before it hits. This appeal to vanity works, and Cheetor sneaks out to complete the mission.

[[Image:Equal Measures Cheetor monitoring device.jpg|right|200px|thumb|This wireless Broadband box is rubbish!]]
In the field, Cheetor plants survey apparatuses in quick succession, but a bolt of lightning causes the cat accidentally to plant one of the posts dangerously close to an energon vein. He tries to remove the device and correct his mistake, but in the middle of his struggle, a second lightning bolt hits, and he finds himself suddenly teleported — onto a control panel in the [[Darksyde|Predacon base]]!

[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] "welcomes" Cheetor and attacks the Maximal, but Cheetor grabs a hover-platform and tries to escape. After being knocked off the platform, Cheetor lunges at Terrorsaur and pushes the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] onto the control panel he'd just arrived on, causing Terrorsaur to vanish. [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] arrive and chase Cheetor around the Predacon base, but lose him in the ventilation shafts.

[[Image:Cheetorsurprised.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Shouldn't have had the vindaloo last night.]]
Meanwhile, Terrorsaur finds himself in the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Enemy Arms]]'' command center, where he's given a warm reception by Dinobot. However, the former Predacon is more concerned over how the pteranodon arrived, eventually working out that a freak combination of the survey devices, the storm, and the energon created a transporter link between the two bases. Using this to his advantage, Terrorsaur seems to convince Dinobot into forming an alliance, suggesting they scrap the Maximals, then take over the Predacons and rule together... until Dinobot drops the charade and unceremoniously flushes the Pred out of the ''Axalon'' through a waste disposal unit.

Back at the Predacon base, Cheetor continues to flee while avoiding fire from Waspinator. He sneaks away from the two long enough to hack the Predacons' data files, and determines that both bases sit on a common underground Energon vein, so an explosion at one base would cause a chain reaction that would obliterate both ships. Cheetor is discovered as soon as he downloads this data to a disk.

At the Maximal base, Optimus confronts Dinobot on Cheetor's whereabouts. Dinobot tells him about the link and how the cat-bot has "surely" been destroyed by now, but convinces him that they could use the link to annihilate the Predacon base with the bomb, a plan Primal only agrees to as long as the bomb's timer is set with enough time to allow the Preds to evacuate. Just as the bomb is sent, though, Cheetor tosses the disk with the energon vein data onto the console, transporting both items simultaneously.

[[Image:Crispyterrorsaur.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Would you like me original, or extra crispy?]]
The Predacons finally corner Cheetor, but the bomb has magnetically locked itself onto the Pred console, forcing Megatron to let him go so he can release it. With a few seconds left, Cheetor throws it up to Terrorsaur, who flies it out of the base (and is blown up with it), while Cheetor escapes through the link. The Predacons' errant shots destroy the console instead. Furthermore, his return trip to the ''Axalon'' shatters all of the survey posts he's planted, ensuring the link is severed for good.

Afterwards, Rhinox and [[Rattrap]] congratulate Cheetor's prevention of the Maximal base from being destroyed by their own explosive, while Dinobot is in a bad mood as usual and leaves—though Cheetor apparently didn't tell anyone that Dinobot talked him into the whole thing. Primal still commands Cheetor to take more care to obey direct orders. Cheetor says he will—except when he doesn't—and scampers off, leaving Rhinox and Rattrap to have a jolly laugh.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal]] (1)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (2)
*[[Rattrap]] (3)
*[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] (4)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (5)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s
|c2=
*[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] (6)
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (7)
*[[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] (8)
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (9)

}}
==Quotes==
"Defeating them does not mean we have to ''annihilate'' them. You seem to have trouble understanding that."
:—'''Optimus''' gently chides Dinobot for thinking like a Predacon.

"Shoulda known no Maximal'd be stupid enough to try anything on a day like this."
:—'''Terrorsaur''' underestimates the enemy again.

"Cheetor! Maximi- did that already."
:—'''Cheetor''' forgets that he already transformed.

"He's gone into the vents! You better report this to Megatron." 
"Me?! ''You're'' second-in-command!" 
"So make it an order!"
:—'''Scorponok''' and '''Waspinator''' establish the chain of command.

"Where'd he go?! Where'd ''I'' go?"
:—'''Terrorsaur''' realises he isn't in Kansas any more.

"Think of the cosmic magnificence. Together we'll overthrow these low-grade metal knock-offs you've joined, and then rule the Predacons with two iron fists! NOTHING CAN STOP US!"
:—'''Terrorsaur''' has such naive optimism.

"Hey! What are you doing? We're partners!" 
"In case you had not realized, Needlenose... I am ''not'' a team player." 
:—'''Terrorsaur''', about to get launched over the horizon by '''Dinobot'''

"OK, OK, I'll never do that again! Until the next time."
:—'''Cheetor''' has learned nothing from this adventure.

==Notes==
* Dinobot is kind of a jerk this early on.
* And Cheetor needs obedience beat into him.
* And Rattrap just needs the snot beat ''out'' of him.

===Technical/animation glitches===
* When Optimus is tossing the time bomb in one hand, it really doesn't move convincingly.
* After Cheetor escapes from the vents, he falls to the ground and his right forehead chevron kind of "twangs" forward. In the next scene he's in, it's back to normal against his head.

===Continuity errors===
* A major plot point is that due to an energon vein running beneath both ships, the destruction of either Predacon or Maximal bases would destroy the other. This is never mentioned again and frequently contradicted due to the repeated explosions at both. While most of the planet's energon was stabilised by the start of Season 2 and so wouldn't be an issue, the plot of Season 1 episode "[[Victory (episode)|Victory]]" revolves around... a massive explosion at the Predacon base.

===Transformers references===
* When Cheetor appears before him, Terrorsaur greets him thus: "Welcome to the dark side!" The episode script reveals that this was simply Terrorsaur being dramatic. However, because Transformers fans can be ''incredibly'' literal, some fans speculatively latched on to the idea that Terrorsaur was welcoming Cheetor to the "''Dark Side''", supposedly giving the Predacon ship/base a proper name.
*This bit of [[fanon]] was made official by the video game ''[[Beast Wars: Transmetals]]''. Years later, the ship's name was further codified by the [[BotCon 2006]] story "[[Dawn of Future's Past]]", which dodged trademark issues by giving it the intentional misspelling "[[Darksyde]]".
* This is what happens when fans are allowed to run things. Seriously.
* Curiously, at no point has anybody interpreted Dinobot's line as suggesting the Maximal base is meant to be called "Enemy Arms".
* Just before he drops him through the waste disposal unit, Dinobot insults Terrorsaur's beaky (and geeky) beast mode by calling him [[Needlenose]], who was a G1 Decepticon Double-Targetmaster.

==External links==
*[http://www.bwtf.com/bw/tvshow/episodes/seasonone/em/emscript.doc The script on BWTF.com]

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Chain of Command (BW)

2009-05-30T18:03:30Z

99.199.38.212: /* Quotes */

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=5
|image=Coc getshorty.jpg
|caption=An armed society is a polite society.
|title="Chain of Command"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[September 24]], 1996
|written by=[[Jesse Winfield]]
|directed by=[[Andrew Doucette]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''After Optimus Primal is abducted by an alien probe, the remaining Maximals must decide on a new leader.'''

:''Japanese title:'' 消えたコンボイ (''Kieta Convoy'', "Convoy Disappeared")

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Chain of Command Standing stones glow.jpg|left|200px|thumb|No wonder Stonehenge is popular.]]
The [[Maximal]]s detect an [[energon crystal]] under the [[wikipedia:cairn|cairn]] in the [[Standing Stones]]. [[Rattrap]] thinks it reeks of 'bait' and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] notes that the [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] on [[Energoa|this planet]] isn't natural, as it does not conform to the planet's geology. The [[Predacons (BW)|Predacons]] attack, putting an end to the discussion. During the battle, [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] purposely fires directly on the buried energon crystal, causing it to destabilize. His prize now useless, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] orders a retreat while the Maximals head for cover as it builds to overload. But instead of a debilitating [[energon wave]], it sends a signal to the stars, depleting the crystal's energy. With the Predacons gone and the energon reduced to dust, the bewildered Maximals return to base.

[[Image:Chain of Command Dinobot probe.jpg|right|200px|thumb|You are getting sleepy...]]
Later, an [[Vok Probe|alien probe]] emerges from [[Transwarp|transwarp space]] and enters the atmosphere. The Predacons initially mistake it for a [[stasis pod]], but Rhinox immediately recognizes it as something else. Both sides head to intercept it at the Standing Stones. Optimus and [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] confront Megatron and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], but when they transform and begin to battle, the Probe puts out an energy burst that renders them unconscious and causes Primal to vanish into thin air.

A disoriented Dinobot awakens in the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'''s [[CR Chamber]] and, seeing three pissed-off Maximals standing over him, momentarily mistakes it for a [[Maximal Torture Chamber]]. The Probe, as it turned out, somehow dumped Dinobot, Megatron and Waspinator outside of their respective bases. Believing Primal to be destroyed, Dinobot attempts to take command of the Maximals. Rhinox heads off a fight between Dinobot and Rattrap by insisting on a secret ballot, the traditional Maximal method for resolving such problems.

After the vote results in stalemate, with two votes for each contender, Dinobot giddily rebukes the shortcomings of their peaceful solution. He declares that he will break the tie by force and prepares to attack Rattrap. Before the fight can begin, they are contacted by Optimus Primal, who is ''not'' dead. Primal's body has been digitally stored, but his consciousness remains active within the Probe. Optimus puts Rattrap in charge. Dinobot glares at him.

[[Image:Chain of Command Rhinox device.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Rhinox builds his flux capacitor.]]
Megatron, also believing Primal dead, sends [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] and Waspinator to the Standing Stones while the other Predacons attack the Axalon. Dinobot fights Megatron one-on-one, ignoring Rattrap's order to disengage and reset the Axalon's failing [[shield circuitry]]. Rattrap scrambles and is able to restore the shields at the last moment. The Predacons retreat when Dinobot beats Megatron back, and Dinobot apologizes to Rattrap for not following his orders, affirming himself "dishonored". Dinobot's uncharacteristic deference and respect makes Rattrap uncomfortable, and he brushes it off.

[[Image:Chain of Command Maximals probe.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The Maximals prepare to fight G1 fanatics.]]
The Maximals head to the Standing Stones with a device Rhinox has built to attempt to extract Optimus from the Probe. The Predacons attack them at the Stones, Rhinox unloading his frustrations on Waspinator when his device malfunctions, blasting him to bits with his chaingun. Waspinator shorts out and comes in contact with one of the stones which activates, revealing the entire Standing Stones site is a single device. The Probe opens in response, and Primal materializes. The Predacons retreat before his considerable firepower, but the Probe dematerializes before the Maximals can decide what to do with it.

Optimus commends Rattrap on his performance as commander, though Rattrap is more than happy to hand the title back. The Maximals are left wondering what the Probe's purpose was, and Rhinox ominously observes the aliens have learned they have the ability to reason... and of their destructive capabilities.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
* [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (1)
* [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] (2)
* [[Rattrap]] (3)
* [[Optimus Primal]] (5)
* [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (5)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s
|c2=
* [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (6)
* [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (7)
* [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] (8)
* [[Tarantulas]] (9)
* [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] (10)

|c4=
* [[Vok Probe]] (11)

}}
==Quotes==
"Hey power down! You're on our side now, remember?" 
"And Maximals don't have torture chambers! Though, you know... I could get behind that idea."
:—'''Cheetor''' and '''Rattrap''' to Dinobot

"Wait, stand by here! Who died and made you Prime, scaleface?"
:—'''Rattrap'''

"Megatron back! Megatron back! Scorponok alone with Tarantulas and Terrorsaur. Very ''bad!''"
:—'''Scorponok''' loses coherence under pressure.

"I know just how the weakling Maximals will response to Optimus's death. Confusion! Bickering! Recriminations! The perfect opportunity for a surprise attack."
:—'''Megatron''' deals with loss like a true villain.

"Ha ha, great system, your 'democracy.' No mechanism to break a tie!"
:—'''Dinobot'''

"Make a device to extract physical molecular structure from an alien probe? Man, I've gotta be a miracle worker!"
:—'''Rhinox''', channeling Scottie

"You were selfless in putting that shield back online. I ought to have followed your command I... am dishonored." 
"Ehh.... next time."
:—'''Dinobot''' and an uncomfortable '''Rattrap'''

"But why would they want to know? And more importantly, who are they? Friends, enemies, or... something ''more''?"
:—'''Dinobot''', on the mysterious aliens

==Notes==
* The initial fight by the [[Standing Stones]] features shadow, a rare luxury in early Beast Wars episodes.
* Optimus Primal is reading late at night below the ''Axalon'' when the Probe comes down, a rare quiet character moment.
* The Maximals are not entirely convinced Dinobot didn't off Primal himself for the job, as he attempted to 3 episodes prior.
* During the battle at the Maximal base, Megatron tries to gain the upper hand by ramming his face into Dinobot's airborne foot. Megatron clearly fails at this attempt and takes note to dodge easily evadable flying kicks in the future.
* [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] exhibits his "babbling" personality this episode as, apparently, being left alone with the scheming Terrorsaur and Tarantulas while Megatron is undergoing major repairs makes him ''extremely'' nervous. Given Tarantulas's dietary habits, that might be understandable...
* This episode features the debut of Rhinox's "Chaingun of Doom" (occasionally called the "Chaingun of Command" after this episode). And possibly the start of the trend of Waspinator getting utterly butchered in almost every episode.

===Technical/animation glitches===
* If that's a solar eclipse in the opening shot, how come there's light coming from below the horizon?
* During the initial fight, as Waspinator and Terrorsaur swoop up towards Optimus, Terrorsaur's upper body distorts for a fraction of a second before the shot changes.
* Towards the end of the episode, Scorponok remembers that he's a Predacon and adjusts the symbol on his chest accordingly. ''Finally.''
* When Dinobot executes his flying kick, his foot actually passes through Megatron's head.

===Transformers references===
* The episode opens with the [[Planet Buster|second moon]] eclipsing the sun. The moon's unnatural nature will again be mentioned in "[[The Trigger, Part 1]]", and it plays a critical role in the season finale.
* The ongoing [[Vok]] storyline put in its first appearance since "[[Beast Wars (Part 2)]]", it will feature again in "[[The Trigger, Part 1]]". The Vok will not be named until the series is almost over.

===Real-world references===
* Rattrap makes a mention to "B movies," a uniquely [[human]] concept.
* The "Standing Stones" resemble many European stone circles, of which [[wikipedia:Stonehenge|Stonehenge]] is the most famous. Most evidence points to Beast Wars not being set in Europe, however.

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]