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The Trigger, Part 1

2025-01-04T20:20:21Z

AllSpark901: /* Synopsis */

{{disambig3|Trigger}}

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=16
|series2=BWJtoon
|ep2=13
|prev2=The Spark
|next2=The Trigger, Part 2
|season=1
|season ep=16
|image=The Trigger Tigatron island.jpg
|caption="The entire world will once again kneel before the power of Laputa!"
|title="The Trigger" Part 1
|production company= [[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[November 18]], 1996
|written by= [[Bob Forward]]
|directed by= [[J. Falconer]]
|animation studio= [[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity= [[Beast Wars continuity]]
|packaged with=[[Megatron (BW)/toys#Beast Wars Telemocha Series|DX Megatron]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8yEa9FMdjI
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''Tigatron discovers a flying island with amazing alien power, but the Predacons are after it as well.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:The Trigger Terrorsaur.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Who has got the creepiest smile? Terrorsaur or that weird-looking Bullet Bill?]]
An earthquake on a snowy mountainside raises questions from the nearby [[Tigatron]], on his way to file his weekly report with the rest of the [[Maximal]]s. [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] answers Tigatron's call, and as soon as Tigatron mentions that he hasn't seen any [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] activity, [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] and [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] attack, their attacks causing Tigatron's communication console to collapse upon him as Rattrap listens. [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] heads out to rescue his comrade.

Tigatron, pushing the console off himself, continues to fight against his airborne assailants. A missile from Terrorsaur is detonated by a shot from Waspinator, tearing the ground into pieces and dropping Tigatron into a cloudy chasm. But when the two fliers follow Tigatron into the cloud to gather his remains as trophies, they are blasted by something unseen.

[[File:The Trigger Terrorsaur waspinator.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Battered and bruised.]]
Primal eventually arrives at the site of the battle, and using Tigatron's communication console, radios to the [[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]] that Tigatron is missing, possibly destroyed.

[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], spying on the Predacon base, witnesses Waspinator and Terrorsaur return in poor condition. The two goons report to [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] what happened to them after they followed Tigatron.

Inside of the cloud Tigatron fell into, the two Predacons discovered Tigatron had landed on a massive [[Brigadoon|flying island]]. While trying to finish Tigatron, the two were blasted away by energy beams from a strange tower in the center of the island. Megatron sends the team of [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] to claim the island in the name of the Predacons.

[[File:The Trigger Tigatron beast.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|These trees all look so unrealistic.]]
Airazor reports to the Maximals her observation of the two Predacons, who were badly damaged to the point of death. The other Maximals deduce that while Tigatron is against such brutality, he could still be alive. [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] rushes in to follow up her report with news that Blackarachnia and Scorponok are leaving the Predacon base. Airazor is sent to follow the two.

In [[beast mode]], Tigatron explores the island he's discovered, and is amazed at the flora and fauna on the isolated paradise. But, after passing a rock with strange markings, the island reveals some strange defenses against his presence. Tigatron decides to play it safe for the rest of his time in the strange area.

[[File:The Trigger Tigatron bee.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|If you want order in Gotham, Batman must take off his mask and turn himself in. Oh, and every day he doesn't, people will die, starting tonight.]]
Outside of the cloud, Blackarachnia and Scorponok find the island. Scorponok explores the island with one of his [[cyberbee]]s, until Tigatron snatches the bee out of the air. The deceptive nature of the cloud confirmed, Blackarachnia fires a line into the cloud to board the island. As the line retracts, pulling up the two arachnids, Scorponok sees Airazor in pursuit. Using one of his rockets, he blasts her out of the sky. After Scorponok dodges the island's response to his attack, Blackarachnia resolves to take control of the island for herself.

Tigatron aids Airazor and explains to her that he reprogrammed the cyber bee to carry a message back to the Axalon. Soon, Primal recovers the bee and receives the message explaining how if the island's weapon is commandeered by either side, it would ensure victory....
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
* [[Tigatron]] (1)
* [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (4)
* [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (5)
* [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (6)
* [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (7)
* [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] (8)
* [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] (9)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
* [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] (2)
* [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (3)
* [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (10)
* [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] (11)
* [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (12)
}}

==Quotes==
"Waszzpinator love victims that are punctual!"
:—'''Waspinator''' is happy to see Tigatron.

"Waszzpinator wants his heeeeead!" 
"It's ''mine,'' bug face!"
:—'''Waspinator''' and '''Terrorsaur''' fighting over whatever's left of Tigatron.

"Either the grunge look is coming back, or those two ran into something hot."
:—'''Airazor''' on spying Terrorsaur and Waspinator after their encounter with the flying island.

'''Optimus Primal:''' Good thing you didn't just blast this bee. 
'''Cheetor:''' Well, I would've... but it was carrying one of Airazor's feathers. 
'''Rattrap:''' 'Sides... he ''missed.'' 
'''Cheetor:''' Yeah, that too. 
'''Optimus Primal:''' ''Prime.''
:—The Maximals receiving the Cyber Bee.

==Notes==
===Script timeline===
* First draft: 20th May 1996
* Second draft: 18th July 1996
* Finalised: 13th August 1996
* As Air 12th November 1996

===Animation and technical errors===
*The trail of tiger footprints in the snow is a nice touch, but then Tigatron transforms and he's not leaving footprints anymore. The snow effects in general are rather inconsistent, only leaving impressions when absolutely necessary.
*Waspinator's first transformation is pretty screwy. The wasp-stripes on his thighs are vertical instead of horizontal; his insect-mode wings don't disappear entirely, so he has an extra set of wings in [[robot mode]]; the animation of his wings stops mid-shot; and there's a big green part sticking through his chest, clipping into his chin.
*Both times when Terrorsaur transforms, his shoulder cannons float above him as he transforms, then reattach when he turns to robot mode. This is better seen in his flashback.
*As Tigatron's transmission cuts off, part of Rattrap's wrist comes detached from his hand.
*When the radar array falls on Tigatron, it's explicitly shown that his gun lands a little distance away from it. But after he pushes the radar off himself and engages the flyers, the gun's right next to him.
*As the two Preds are looking for Tigatron's remains, Terrorsaur's wing membrane keeps detaching from his arms when he flaps them.
*When Terrorsaur and Waspinator fly into the cloud, the sounds of the resulting battle are different from the ones heard during the former's flashback. Most notably, Terrorsaur is heard screeching before the island's beam weapon fires.
*Most of Waspinator's abdomen stripes are gone when he and Terrorsaur report to Megatron, but after the flashback, his stripes are back.
*After Megatron demands an explanation from the flyers, the position of his dinosaur head-hand is flipped 180° in the following shot.
*When Megatron addresses Scorponok and Blackarachnia, their feet are partially clipping into their floating platforms.
*Scorponok's visor changes from yellow to red multiple times in the second half of the episode.

===Continuity errors===
*It seems to take a very, VERY long time for the transmission tower to fall on Tigatron. There is at least a 20-second break between the Maximals losing his transmission and Optimus taking off to find him, after which Tigatron is still screaming as the tower ''finally'' falls on him.

===Continuity notes===
*Early in the episode, Rhinox observes that one of the moons is lighter than it should be. Perhaps this could be [[Planet Buster|foreshadowing]]? A hollow celestial body? Call Dr. [[Lucy Suzuki]]!
*Terrorsaur's suspicions about the nature of the "cloud" may be due to [[Power Surge (episode)|previous experience with abnormal landforms on the planet]].
* Gadgets and powers:
** Terrorsaur fires off a missile with a "shark-toothed" paint job.
** Airazor possesses telescopic vision, which she uses several times in the episode.
** Scorponok can receive live feeds from his cyber-bees.

===Transformers references===
*The idea of a tropical area surviving amongst otherwise inhospitable coldness is [[Savage Land|a concept used elsewhere in Transformers]].

===Real-world references===
*Rattrap answers Tigatron's call with the phrase "{{w|What's New Pussycat?|What's new, pussycat?}}" This is actually the third time this phrase is used. The first was in "[[Equal Measures]]" as an expression by Cheetor and the second time in "[[The Spark]]" when Rhinox greets Cheetor during his dream sequence.
*Airazor, spying on a damaged Terrorsaur and Waspinator, quips that "The {{w|grunge}} look must have come back."

===Trivia===
*There is a model submarine on Rattrap's station.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''L'île Volante - 1re partie'''" ("The Flying Island - Part 1")

:*''Title:'' "'''Île Volante 1'''" ("Flying Island 1")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Die fliegende Insel, Teil 1'''" ("The Flying Island, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 18|18 July]] [[1998]]

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Il grilletto - Parte 1'''" ("The Trigger - Part 1")
::*When Scorponok explores the island with the [[cyberbee]], the narrator wrongly states that Blackarachnia is the one exploring it.

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ukishima no Death Match Zenpen'''" (浮島のデスマッチ前編, "Floating Island Death Match Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 31|31 December]] [[1997]]
::*This episode was held back from Japanese broadcast for one week, due to the previous week's Wednesday (the day on which all episodes of the series had aired) having been [[December 24]], [[Christmas|Christmas Eve]]. Because of this delay, both it and the [[The Trigger, Part 2|next episode]] aired together on the same day as a one-hour special.
::*Terrorsaur's angry-face missile that he fires at Tigatron actually ''speaks''. In a high-pitched voice, it screeches "''caw caw caw!''" in a manner similar to Terrorsaur (as ''caw caw caw'' was his verbal tic in the Japanese dub) and when it impacts without exploding, it coughs and grumbles in disappointment.
::*Likewise, Scorponok's cyberbee also speaks, mimicking its master's verbal tic (chanting "''orya orya orya''"). As Tigatron holds it down and picks at it, the cyberbee pleads with him to stop between gasps of "''orya orya orya''".
::*As the cyberbee surveys the floating island's terrain and Scorponok watches through his visor, he passes the time by singing "[[War War! Stop It]]" by [[Banana Ice]] to himself (naturally, this was the show's [[Japanese themes|theme song]] in Japan).
::*When recording his message for the Maximals with the cyberbee, Tigatron starts by stuttering and clearing his throat like he doesn't know the camera is on, then launches into a melodramatic call for help.
::*After Tigatron's message ends and the screen goes blank, Rattrap shouts "Hey, what're we gonna do now?" before the clips for next episode begin.

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''O Gatilho Parte 1'''" ("The Trigger Part 1")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''El Detonante Primera Parte'''" ("The Explosive First Part")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Yún Zhōng zhī Dǎo '''" (云中之岛, "The Island in the Cloud")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars'' — Warning from Space ([[Alliance Atlantis|Alliance Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1998 — ''Robots-Bêtes'' — Alert Dans L'Espace (Alliance Video) — French audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Floating Island Deathmatch ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars'' / ''Robots-Bêtes'' Three pack (Alliance Video) — Available in English or French audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2001 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 3 ([[Universal]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Predacon Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — English and Japanese audio.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete First Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes: Volume 3 — The Battle Rages On! ([[Alliance Atlantis]]) — English and French audio. 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — The Complete First Season (Alliance Atlantis) — English and French audio. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trigger part 1}}
[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:Pack-in material]]

The Low Road

2023-03-21T22:40:32Z

AllSpark901: /* Synopsis */

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=22
|series2=BWJtoon
|ep2=22
|prev2=Possession
|next2=Law of the Jungle
|image=Low Road Rhinox fart.jpg
|caption=AKA "The Low Brow"
|title="The Low Road"
|season=1
|season ep=22
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[February 10]], [[1997]]
|written by=[[Bob Forward]]
|directed by=[[J. Falconer]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''Rhinox is infected with a strange energon discharge virus, and if a cure isn't found, he'll destroy the Maximal base as he literally sneezes himself to death.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Low Road Rattrap Dinobot fight.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Objection!"]]
The [[Maximal]]s use their tools to garden, trimming the wild bean vines that have grown around the Maximal base and, as [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] explains, could be exploited by the Predacons. [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] and Dinobot get into a fight. Inside, [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] detects [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] coming to attack, but can't activate the [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]] shields because of the two arguing Maximals outside. Rhinox comes down the elevator with his guns ablaze and commands the two to get inside, but they are too busy arguing to obey. Trying to cover his teammates' withdrawal, Rhinox is hit by a strange weapon from [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]. Dinobot blasts Tarantulas several times, and with the crucial shot fired, the Predacons retreat.

Inside, the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'''s computer reports on the strange effect the device had on Rhinox, giving him a [[Energon discharge virus|disease]] that causes the larger Maximal to "spontaneously discharge energy." Rhinox demonstrates this by hiccuping energy beams around the base, causing much collateral damage. It's decided a counter-virus must be found.

[[Image:Low Road Rattrap Dinobot Taratulas.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Hello? You're at gunpoint!]]
Rattrap and Dinobot attempt to trail the injured Tarantulas. The two get into an argument about who is to blame for Rhinox becoming sick, which quickly degenerates into name-calling. While listening to them over the comm channels, Cheetor asks Optimus if sending them out was really a good idea. He admits he isn't sure (considering how much trouble their disagreements have caused in the past), but dismisses the matter, as Rhinox's deteriorating health is more important. Eventually forgetting why they started the argument, the two follow Tarantulas's scent. Running after a glimpse of the Predacon, they fall though a hole and onto a long slide—with a heavy boulder close behind them. But after they land at the bottom of the slide, the boulder actually hits Tarantulas. Rattrap and Dinobot continue bickering as they search through the underground caverns for Tarantulas's lab.

Aboard the ''Axalon'', [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus]] reveals to [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] that he paired Dinobot and Rattrap together so they could either learn to work together or kill each other. Rhinox is meanwhile kept on a life support system which drains energy from the rest of the (now heavily damaged) Maximal base.

Back at the [[Darksyde (BW)|Predacon base]], [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] sends his own forces to reclaim Tarantulas so more of the virus can be developed to use on the rest of the Maximals. They head to his [[Tarantulas's lair|laboratory]] to see if they can locate the missing arachnid there. On Tarantulas's security sensors, [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] notices the two wandering Maximals making their way through the caverns towards the hideout.

[[Image:Low Road Optimus Rhinox.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Hey, handsome. Come here often?"]]
Primal rallies his available soldiers for action against the Predacons to seize the antidote to Rhinox's ailment forcibly. Rhinox attempts to come along with the others, but Primal orders his friend to stay behind and consume some food to help stabilize his systems. Naturally, the first option on Rhinox's menu happens to be the wild beans conveniently surrounding the ''Axalon''.

[[Image:Low Road Megatron countervirus.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Megatron discovers what has been making his beast head go all green.]]
Back in Tarantulas's lair, Blackarachnia discovers where Tarantulas stored the counter-virus. When [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] detects the two Maximals getting closer, the Predacon goons open fire, wildly hoping to hit something, but instead just ruin any chance they have of ambushing their targets. Dinobot tries to use Tarantulas as a hostage, but this tactic doesn't work on Megatron, who has no reservations about abusing his own soldiers. However, the distraction has bought Rattrap (who was supposed to be covering Dinobot) the time to sneak through some tubes to arrive behind the Predacons, leaving him close enough to disarm them quickly.

A nasal energon-expulsion from Rhinox provides a hole for the other Maximals to enter the chamber once they finish posing heroically. Megatron mentions that he alone has the counter-virus that could save Rhinox.

But then Rhinox shoots an incredible energon fart (visible from space) that blows the Predacons far away, giving the Maximals the chance to grab the counter-virus and live happily ever after. Rattrap and Dinobot still bicker like kids, though. As for the Predacons? They landed on a dead tree in very uncomfortable positions.

==Featured Characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal|Maximals]]
|c1=
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (1)
*[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] (2)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (3)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (4)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (5)
*[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] (13)
*[[Tigatron]] (14)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]
|c2=
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (6)
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (7)
*[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] (8)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (9)
*[[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] (10)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (11)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (12)
}}

==Quotes==
"No can do there Big Green, I got problems on my own."
:—'''Rattrap''' tells '''Rhinox''' that he's unavailable at the moment.

"Excuse me. Are ''you'' implying that the current situation is somehow... ''my'' responsibility?!" 
"Well, you did start it... ''gearhead!''" 
"I BEG to differ... cheese lips!" 
"Pre-evolved birdbrain!" 
"Eater of garbage!"
:—'''Dinobot''' and '''Rattrap''' trade insults.

"Sheesh, and they call ''me'' the immature one."
:—'''Cheetor''''s response to above argument.

"A bargaining chip should remain in play until the game is over, yesss." 
"Why do you always talk to yourself?" 
"Ah, I simply have a penchant for... ''intelligent conversation.''"
:—'''Megatron''' ripostes rather well to '''Blackarachnia'''.

''(Dinobot enters, holding Tarantulas)'' 
"Do not fire, Megatron! I have a HOSTAGE!" 
"Why, so you do..." 
''(Megatron shoots Tarantulas)''
:—'''Megatron''' has also watched ''{{w|Speed (1994 film)|Speed}}''.

"This is ''certainly'' the most humiliating defeat of my entire career. Yess..."
:—'''Megatron''' after '''Rhinox''' defeats the Predacons single... erm, handedly.

==Notes==
===Script timeline===
* First draft: 9th October 1996
* Finalised: 17th October 1996
* As Air: 7th February 1997

===Animation and technical errors===
* It seems the digital light emitter that normally gives Rattrap's eyes their glow has somehow became "detached" from his head, as when he giggles at Dinobot, there is a red glow illuminating his neck, chest and forehead, then it fades away as he moves back a bit.
*When Rhinox stands up from his console to aid Rattrap and Dinobot, he's holding his Chaingun upside down.
* When the three flying Predacons break formation, Waspinator's legs are clipping through his abdomen.
* Immediately after Dinobot grabs Rattrap by his head, his fingers slip off and Rattrap flies up seemingly by himself.
* Then as he's held by Dinobot, the hinges of Rattrap's elbows are twisted apart.
* When Tarantulas first speaks, his open mouth provides a clear window through his ''entire body'', so that the mountain behind him is clearly visible.
* As Tarantulas' missile flies at the Maximals, Dinobot is missing his "bones" that normally decorate his torso and legs.
* When the Preds retreat, Inferno is not only missing his jet thrusters, his abdomen blades aren't spinning either, though their motion blur effect is in place.
* When Rhinox comically blows the CR chamber up, it's missing a number of textures (rivets and the black lines on the side) that reappear just before the contraption falls apart.
* The CR chamber's top simply disappears after it flies up, never coming back down.
* Rattrap's right hand clips into Dinobot's shoulder after Rhinox blows the table off.
* After Rattrap and Dinobot land on top of Tarantulas' cave entrance, the latter's shins keep detaching from his feet as he moves about.
* After the boulder hits Tarantulas, it cracks in a most unconvincing way — the cracks appear to be extremely shallow.
* In the first shot of the duo dragging Tarantulas through the tunnel, Dinobot isn't holding the Predacon in any way. Tarantulas' foot is just sticking to the outside of his hand. Also, Dinobot's head periodically keeps jerking around.
* When the Predacons are looking around the lab, the first bottle inspected by Blackarachnia turns much darker a moment after she puts it down, while the other turns brighter when she picks it up. Their bottoms also partially clip into the table after she places them down.
* As the Maximals leave their base, Cheetor's eyes are red instead of green.
* Waspinator and Terrorsaur are incomplete 3D models when they open fire at the lab's entrance. Various pieces of them are either missing or are invisible, while others just float in the air connected to nothing. Note for instance the absence of Terrorsaur's pterosaur head from his back and the bright grey ring around his shoulders, and Waspinator's insect antennae, most of his pelvis, the main green part of his shoulders and the insect legs from his arms.
* Dinobot's left kneecap clips through Tarantulas' arm when he picks him up before entering the lab. Tarantulas' left claw also clips through Rattrap's gun and hand.
* Terrorsaur is standing right beside Inferno, but from Rattrap's view through the vent, he's nowhere to be seen.
* Dinobot is also missing from view when Rattrap drops on the table, making it seem like the Preds are aiming their guns at nothing.
* Rattrap blows off Waspinator's right hand along with his gun, but it's back on his arm just a few seconds later.
* The extreme closeup on the counter-virus in Megatron's dino-head-hand reveals a see-through seam running down one of his teeth.
* Tigatron's front feet momentarily cross and clip through each other as he goes into beast form.
* Megatron's back kibble are clipping through the tree branch in the final shot.

===Continuity notes===
[[Image:LowRoad fart.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The same results can be obtained by eating at Taco Bell.]]
*In this episode Blackarachnia mentions that Tarantulas encrypted all the information on his computers, foreshadowing that he has something to hide.
*When the rhino-fart shakes the globe, the epicenter is clearly in Africa, providing more evidence for the show being set there. In fact, it appears to be in the middle of the [[Sahara]], which would have been less arid in the prehistoric time of the Beast Wars than it is today. Quite possibly. this energon-fart is ''why'' it is so arid now, the fart having caused a slow destabilization of its climate. You be the judge!
*Somehow, even in the most humiliating defeat of Megatron's entire career, yes, Waspinator ''still'' manages to get the short end of the stick.

===Continuity errors===
*The details of exactly ''why'' Optimus decided it was a good idea to send Rattrap and Dinobot together on a life saving mission is beyond anyone. He later confesses, "They'll either learn to work together or destroy each other. Right now I don't really care which." He apparently doesn't hold Rhinox's life in very high regard.
*Rattrap's declaration that he and Dinobot have the Predacons under control is a bit exaggerated. He may have shot the guns from their hands, but that still leaves six Predacons with a variety of built-in weapons (Scorponok's missiles, Terrorsaur's shoulder cannons, Blackarachnia's spider-leg machine guns, etc.) against two Maximals. Either Rattrap has a lot of faith in his and Dinobot's fighting abilities, or he has an incredibly low view of Predacon skill...
*Megatron's decision to blast Tarantulas is pretty reckless and flat out moronic. Tarantulas is the one who created the virus and thus is probably the only one who knows how to make it. Megatron seems to be acting as if he holds all the cards but all he really has is the antidote. How exactly Megatron plans on infecting the Maximals with a virus using THE CURE FOR THE VIRUS isn't clear.
*When the Maximals break into Tarantulas' lab, Cheetor can be seen standing next to Tigatron holding his original "gut gun" as opposed to the alternative "rump gun" he is seen to use whenever he and Tigatron are armed and on-screen together.
*Tarantulas' lab is never seen as massively as portrayed in this episode before or since. Even the main chamber of it looks decidedly different than any other incarnation.
*How the heck did the Maximals manage to locate Tarantulas' lair? Optimus sent Rattrap and Dinobot precisely to find it, it took nearly the whole episode for them to do just that, it was impossible for the Maximals to contact either Rattrap or Dinobot... And then suddenly they all burst inside Tarantulas' lair, as if they had always known where it was. Odd.

===Transformers references===
*Rattrap's predilection for eating garbage was first mentioned in his original toy's [[bio]]. <ref>[http://www.tfarchive.com/toys/techspecs/beast-era/1996__Rattrap_(1996a).jpg Tech spec bio].</ref>.

===Real-world references===
*Befitting the rather silly premise of the episode, the animation takes numerous cues from classic [[Warner Bros.]] cartoons, such as {{w|Road Runner (cartoon)|Road Runner}}.
** When Dinobot and Rattrap first encounter Tarantulas, he runs off in traditional Road Runner fashion, accompanied a slide whistle sound cue.
** Shortly afterwards, Dinobot and Rattrap fall into Tarantulas lair- in classic cartoon fashion, they temporarily hang in the air for a few seconds before falling; Rattrap's gun stays suspended for even longer.
* Dinobot refers to a [[Silicon Valhalla]] as some kind of afterlife, dually referencing both {{w|Valhalla|ancient Norse mythology}} and {{w|Silicon Valley}} (and at a stretch {{w|Red Dwarf}}'s {{w|Silicon Heaven}}).
* During one of their squabbles, Rattrap refers to Dinobot as a 'pre-evolved birdbrain', riffing on the then-recent scientific theory that birds evolved from Dromaeosaurid dinosaurs ("raptors") like Dinobot.
*When the Maximals burst into Tarantulas's lab, Airazor is kneeling at Optimus's feet, with one hand affectionately placed on his leg. Instead of, y'know, ''pointing a gun at the bad guys.'' The shot is a parody of the stereotypical heroic entrance/posturing scene, such as found on the theatrical poster for the original ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' film. Once Rattrap undermines the moment, as evidenced by the musical score, Airazor can be seen standing normally with the other Maximals. All part of the fun, folks.
*Rhinox dons a beer-hat style contraption from which to sip his treatment.
[[Image:LowRoad Rattrap in hardhat.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Safety first!]]
*Rattrap wears a [[hard hat]] while undertaking repairs on the Axalon.

===Trivia===
*In the beginning of the episode, Rattrap is using one of Optimus Primal's swords to cut down the vines.
*While turning around to deliver his energon fart, Rhinox's *ahem* anus is clearly visible. Now that's classy.
*The virus which infected Rhinox and which Megatron intended to use to infect the rest of the Maximals was never mentioned again. But can you blame him for washing his hands of the entire affair?
*Tarantulas seems to have one of Waspinator's arms in his lab.
*A dart-riddled picture of Megatron hangs in Tarantulas's lab.
*Apparently Megatron considers the immoral act of holding hostages a Maximal ploy.
*The title "The Low Road" may be a reference to all of the toilet humor in this episode.
*Episode writer Bob Forward summed up the reaction to the episode thusly: "[...] After 15 Years And A Couple Of Hundred Scripts, [I] Will Be Remembered Forever For A Rhinocerous {{sic}} Fart."<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/70dc1b8dd547cba9 Post on alt.toys.transformers by Bob Forward]</ref>
*Farts are funny. Hence, this episode is very funny if you like farts. And who doesn't?

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le Virus'''" ("The Virus")

:*''Title:'' "'''Le Virus'''" (Canada, "The Virus")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Il virus'''" ("The Virus")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Stop the Kushami'''" (ストップ･ザ･くしゃみ, "Stop the Sneezing")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 25|25 February]] [[1998]]
::*A very large portion of this episode was featured in the [[clip show|clip movie]] "[[Clash! Beast Warriors]]", a segment of the ''[[Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers]]''.
::*In a prime example of how flippantly the Japanese dub would break the Fourth Wall, when Megatron begins listing places to search for Tarantulas, he also tells the Predacons to "Keep watching this TV channel!" (replacing the English line, "I want that virus!")
::*After Rhinox farts and the energy cloud is seen from orbit, all the Predacons can be heard screaming in terror and disgust. Likewise, in the closing scene of all the Predacons dangling from the tree in defeat, they join Megatron in his cries of embarrassment.

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''O Caminho Subterrâneo'''" ("The Underground Way")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''El Subterráneo'''" ("The Underground")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Bìngdú yǔ Fǎn-bìngdú '''" (病毒与反病毒, "Virus and Anti-Virus")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Starscream's Invulnerability ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2001 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 4 ([[Universal]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Predacon Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — English and Japanese audio.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete First Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes: Volume 4 — The Predacons Advance! ([[Alliance Atlantis]]) — English and French audio. 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — The Complete First Season (Alliance Atlantis) — English and French audio. 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

==References==
<references />

{{DEFAULTSORT:Low Road}}
[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Yoda

2023-02-17T12:07:54Z

AllSpark901:

{{factions|galacticrepublic}}
{| style="" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tt1_disambig"
|-
|''About the Jedi Master, this article is. The Japanese voice actor, see [[Ōsuke Yoda]] for.''
|}

:''An [[alien]] from [[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]], Yoda is.''

[[Image:Crossoverstoy-Yoda.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"Adventure. Heh! Excitement. Heh! Waist articulation. Heh! A Jedi craves not these things."]]

A [[Jedi]] Master, '''Yoda''' is. Size matters not, hmm? Talk like [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]], he does. Strange coincidence, yes, yes.

==Fiction==
===2005 IDW continuity===
Owned a toy of Yoda, [[Hunter O'Nion]] did. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 1|Infiltration #1}}

==Toys==
===''Crossovers''===
*'''Yoda to Republic Attack Shuttle''' (2010)
**''Accessories:'' Lightsaber
:Into a [[Republic Attack Shuttle]], Yoda transforms. A [[lightsaber]], he has. His cartoon counterpart, Yoda resembles.

:During the period between 26 December 2010 and 31 January 2011, the "Supercharge Your Holidays" promotion, Hasbro ran: receive a free, random product from a list provided by Hasbro for every $20 spent on Hasbro-branded product, customers could. "Star Wars Transformers Crossovers", among the items on the list was. According to [http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=75487 this discussion thread on Allspark.com], one of the figures distributed, Yoda to Republic Attack Shuttle was.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2010/SWTF/Yoda/yoda.htm More information on Yoda at TFU.info]''

==Notes==
*Previously voiced by Transformers alumnus [[Tony Pope]], [[Greg Berg]] and [[Peter Kelamis]], Yoda has been.

==External links==
{|
|-
|style="padding-left:2em;"|[[Image:Wookieepedia_mainlogo.png|35px|That's no moon...]]
|valign="top" style="background-color:#efefff;padding:0 0.5em 0 0.5em;"|'''Content relating to [[fandom:starwars:{{{1|{{PAGENAMEE}}}}}|{{{2|{{{1|{{PAGENAME}}}}}}}}]], [[fandom:starwars:Main Page|Wookieepedia]] has.''' ''More about Star Wars than you do, Wookieepedia knows.''
|}

[[Category:Crossovers characters]]
[[Category:Galactic Republic]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) characters]]
[[Category:Jedi]]
[[Category:Star Wars characters]]

Three's a Crowd (episode)

2023-01-11T22:49:13Z

AllSpark901: /* Quotes */

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|series2=AniJapan
|image=TFAni Threes a Crowd Constructicons.jpg
|caption=
|ep=33
|ep2=30
|prev2=TransWarped
|next2=Where Is Thy Sting?
|title="Three's a Crowd"
|airdate=[[March 21]], [[2009]]
|season=3
|season ep=4
|written by=[[Rich Fogel]]
|directed by= [[Kalvin Lee]] [[Tetsurō Moronuki]]
|animation studio=[[Mook]]
|continuity=[[Animated cartoon continuity]]}}

'''Bulkhead seeks the help of the Constructicons for a vital construction project, but, thanks to their new leader, the Constructicons have bigger and deadlier plans.'''

==Synopsis==
At [[Sumdac Tower]], [[Isaac Sumdac (Animated)|Isaac Sumdac]] and [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] are spending the night working to construct a new [[space bridge]], although Isaac is a bit distracted by the damaged [[Headmaster unit]] sitting in the lab. Bulkhead is eager to get the job done, but Sumdac is tired, having spent the previous night overriding the signal dampeners he created for the [[Decepticon]]s.

Elsewhere in [[Detroit]], the other Autobots are taking advantage of the overridden dampeners, and are on the trail of a Decepticon energy signature at that very moment. Unfortunately, the Decepticon in question turns out to be [[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]], who doesn't shy away from a fight, and drops out of the sky on the pursuing Autobots, unleashing his "[[Punch of Kill Everything]]".

Back at Sumdac Tower, Sumdac loads the power core for the space bridge onto a forklift, as Bulkhead fits a few [[AllSpark]] fragments into it in order to give it a boost. When Bulkhead reclines against the core, however, the floor beneath them gives out, and the core, the forklift and the Headmaster unit go tumbling down, taking out a few more floors on their way. Luckily, Sumdac is saved from the fall by Bulkhead's wrecking ball, and retires to bed to recover from the shock. Bulkhead examines the damage, and decides that he knows just the experts to help him fix it... but as he departs, at the bottom of the pit, the Headmaster, the forklift, and the power core begin creeping towards each other, as the familiar glow of an AllSpark fragment lights up the darkness...

[[File:TFAni Threes a Crowd Stop Hitting Yourself.jpg|thumb|left|Stop hitting yourself. Stop hitting yourself. Stop hitting yourself!]]
Across town, [[Mixmaster (Animated)|Mixmaster]] and [[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]] are enjoying the "show" at an automotive disassembly plant when Bulkhead, having tracked them down through their energy signatures, arrives to ask them for help. The two [[Constructicon (Animated)|Constructicons]] refuse to work for the Autobots, until Bulkhead promises to keep the job "off the books". The trio return to Sumdac Tower, and Scrapper begins clearing the debris when suddenly, something grabs the other end of his shovel. The Constructicons reel in the offending item, which turns out to be a forklift... which promptly transforms into a diminutive robot that introduces itself as [[Dirt Boss (Animated)|Dirt Boss]]. Bulkhead realizes that the forklift has fused with the Headmaster unit and the AllSpark fragment, and the perpetually cranky Dirt Boss quickly announces his intention to take charge of the Constructicons. Scrapper is amused by this prospect, but Dirt Boss brings him around to his way of thinking by launching a shell from his forehead which burrows into Scrapper's head and gives the tiny terror control of Scrapper's motor functions. Bulkhead contacts the other Autobots to inform them of the new problem, but they are too busy battling Lugnut to offer any help. Bulkhead is struggling to figure out what to do when Sumdac appears to find out what the commotion is all about. In order to keep his human friend safe from Dirt Boss, Bulkhead introduces Sumdac as his servant, and barks an order at the scientist to get back to work finishing the [[plasma dynamic thruster]] they require. Sumdac, of course, completely fails to understand Bulkhead's ruse, and becomes genuinely afraid of the big Autobot, scampering off in terror to complete his task. With that taken care of, Dirt Boss announces his plan to take back the city that machines like he helped build, by stealing the its [[oil]]. That, as it turns out, is a plan Mixmaster and Scrapper can definitely get behind! The Constructicons commence Dirt Boss's plan by hijacking a tanker truck, but when Bulkhead tries to talk them out of it, Mixmaster turns on him and glues him to the road with a pair of cement galoshes. The evil trio proceed to go on a crime spree, stealing oil from all over the city.
The other Autobots, meanwhile, have managed to get a pair of [[stasis cuffs]] on Lugnut, but find themselves lacking in the physical strength necessary to haul his paralyzed body out of the crater his punch had created earlier. The cable they are using to haul the huge Decepticon soon snap, putting them right back where they started.

[[File:TFAni Threes a Crowd Lugnut Ratchet.jpg|thumb|"Oh, glorious Megatron!! I fear that your humble servant has fallen and can't [[Roll out#Transformers Animated|rise up]]!!"]]
Back at the Constructicons' plant, Mixmaster and Scrapper celebrate their successful run of heists by enjoying a tipple, but Dirt Boss promptly smacks the barrels from their hands, telling them they didn't steal the oil to drink it. Bulkhead, meanwhile, is snooping on the Constructicons through a nearby window when Professor Sumdac comes running up to him, with the plasma dynamic thruster completed as requested. Bulkhead struggles to make the human understand that he was merely acting before, but when the Constructicons hear the noise outside and come to investigate, Bulkhead has to start acting again and sends Sumdac away. This time, however, Sumdac has grasped Bulkhead's deception, and eavesdrops as Dirt Boss reveals his plan to blow up fossil fuel refinery, thereby giving him control of the largest supply of oil in the city. Bulkhead decides that he cannot let things go any further and attacks the Constructicons, but when his wrecking ball becomes jammed in Mixmaster's arm-cannon, the three Decepticons simply walk off, dragging the helpless Bulkhead behind them. They soon arrive at the refinery, where Bulkhead is able to give Scrapper and Mixmaster pause by asking them where they'll get any oil to drink if they blow up the refinery. With Mixmaster wavering, Dirt Boss takes control of his body, and orders him to finish Bulkhead off. The resulting fight is a bit on the awkward side, given that the two combatants are stuck together, and Bulkhead is able to open a comm channel to the other Autobots, transmitting the noise of the fight to them. Realizing their friend is in trouble, the other Autobots leave Lugnut lying in his crater, and race off to aid Bulkhead in battle.

The fight between Mixmaster and Bulkhead winds up damaging the refinery's main fuel tank, which begins leaking oil everywhere. Dirt Boss proceeds to remove his control shell from Mixmaster, and plants it in Bulkhead instead, intending to use the Autobot to ignite the oil and send the [[oil refinery|refinery]] up in flames. Mixmaster is distressed at this prospect, given that he is still stuck to Bulkhead, but neither Dirt Boss nor Scrapper are particularly bothered.

[[File:Three'saCrowdConstructiconsOilrefinery.jpg|thumb|left|"Ahhh... brotherly love, don't you see."]]
The other Autobots soon arrive at the refinery and nearly run over Professor Sumdac, who quickly brings them up to speed. Suddenly, Bulkhead comes storming towards the Autobots, whirling his wrecking ball (and Mixmaster) as he and Scrapper follow Dirt Boss's command to attack. Luckily, Ratchet is able to magnetically extract Dirt Boss's control shell, and Bulkhead uses some of the spilled oil to loosen his wrecking ball and disconnect himself from Mixmaster. He then hurls the Constructicon at Scrapper, but when the two collide, their metal bodies create a spark that sets the refinery ablaze. Worse yet, Scrapper's fist has become lodged in Mixmaster's chest drum, but as the pair struggle to free themselves from each other so they can make themselves scarce, Dirt Boss leaps on Scrapper's head and takes manual control of his body, refusing to let either of them chicken out. The Constructicons wind up on top of the main fuel tank as the Autobots try to fight the fire below, but it soon becomes apparent that the heroes can't stop the tank from blowing. Sumdac suggests using the plasma dynamic thruster to [[unspace|transwarp]] the tank away, and Bulkhead reprograms the device to do the job. Bulkhead hurls the thruster onto the top of the tank, causing it and the Constructicons to be warped away. They materialize just off the shores of [[Dinobot Island (Animated)|Dinobot Island]] seconds before the tank explodes.

With the Constructicon threat dealt with, the Autobots return to the crater to take Lugnut back into custody. Unfortunately, someone has beaten them to it: Lugnut has been liberated by [[Ramjet (Animated)|Ramjet]], who ''promises'' he will ''never'' speak a word of the whole embarrassing affair.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (2)
* [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (3)
* [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (4)
* [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (5)
* [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (6)
* [[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]] (13)
* [[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]] (14)
* [[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]] (15)
|c2=
* [[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]] (7)
* [[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]] (8)
* [[Mixmaster (Animated)|Mixmaster]] (9)
* [[Dirt Boss (Animated)|Dirt Boss]] (10)
* [[Ramjet (Animated)|Ramjet]] (16)
|c3=
* [[Isaac Sumdac (Animated)|Isaac Sumdac]] (1)
* [[Sparkplug (Animated human)|Sparkplug]] (11)
* [[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]] (12)
|c4=

}}

==Quotes==
'''Bulkhead''': These AllSpark fragments should give the power core a boost. 
'''Sumdac''': Be careful, Bulkhead! We don't want to overload it. 
'''Bulkhead''': Relax. When it comes to space bridges, I know what I'm doing. 
''[The floor starts to give way beneath them]'' 
'''Bulkhead''': But I'm not so hot at structural integrity!
:—Bulkhead and Sumdac learn that there are flaws with building a giant space bridge in a tower.

'''Scrapper''': ''[viewing the forklift he's just hauled up]'' What the slag is that? 
''[Forklift transforms into Dirt Boss]'' 
'''Bulkhead''': If I had to guess, a forklift, a Headmaster unit, an Allspark fragment, and a whole lot of trouble.
:—Dirt Boss's first transformation speaks volumes to Bulkhead.

'''Dirt Boss''': What are you cogs looking at? You want a piece of me? Try it and you'll be going to the scrapyard in a crankin' box. 
'''Bulkhead''': Whoa! Someone's got a big chip on their engine block. 
'''Dirt Boss''': You ever tried working for a livin', tiny? Takin' orders from the man? "Move this! Move that!" Well, fuhgeddaboudit! I'm in charge now! 
'''Scrapper''': ''[whispering to Mixmaster]'' Who stalled and made him boss? 
'''Dirt Boss''': That's ''Dirt Boss'' to you! Ya got a problem with that? ''[fires cerebro-shell into Scrapper's forehead]'' 
'''Scrapper''': What? No! Ow! Stop! 
'''Dirt Boss''': Ya got a problem? ''[Scrapper hits himself]'' Ya got a problem? ''[Scrapper hits himself]'' Ya got a problem? ''[Scrapper hits himself]'' 
:—Dirt Boss establishes his position in the pecking order.

"Tell 'em there's a new boss in town: Dirt Boss!"
:—'''Dirt Boss''', every chance he gets.

"Will you slag that annoying little pipsqueak already?!" 
"Who're you calling "pipsqueak", short stuff?
:—'''Dirt Boss''' and '''Bumblebee''' engage in height cracks.

"Oh, I so don't have time for this."
:—'''Optimus Prime''', in desperate need of some leave.

"Uh, you promise me you will, ahem, never speak of this to Megatron..." 
"Oh, I promise."
:—'''Lugnut''' and '''Ramjet''' engage in epic foreshadowing of something that, sadly, <s>probably won't be</s> is never brought up again.

==Notes==

===Continuity notes===
* At least one Detroit paper is titled the ''Detroit Powell Press''. [[Porter C. Powell]] has corporate investments everywhere, it seems.
* The Headmaster unit was recovered [[TransWarped|last episode]].

===Transformers references===
[[File:TFAni Threes a Crowd Sludge Sign.jpg|thumb|So cars & trucks ''do'' eat dinosaurs!]]

* The [[Fossil Fuel]] Oil Company's logo is [[Sludge (G1)|''Generation 1'' Sludge]] doing an impression of the {{w|Sinclair Oil Corporation|Sinclair Oil}} logo.
* This isn't the first series to have [[Space bridge#Generation 1 cartoon|a space bridge in a tower.]]
* Several dockworkers are dressed in the standard Generation 1 cartoon [[Hard hat|costume]].
* Dirt Boss would not be [[Bombshell (G1)|the first Transformer]] to use [[Cerebro-shell|shells fired from his head]] to control others.

===Real-world references===
*The ''Detroit Powell Press'' is a reference to a real-life Detroit paper, the ''{{w|Detroit Free Press}}''. Minus the freedom.
*Scrapper and Mixmaster are found drinking heavily in a manufacturing plant that is deconstructing luxury cars piece by piece. Striptease, anyone?
*The climactic scene with Dirt Boss on top of the oil tank is closely based on the ending of the gangster movie ''{{w|White Heat}}''.

===Animation or technical errors===
*Bulkhead is shown with the other Autobots as Lugnut crashes to the ground.
*When Scrapper says “A job?”, Bulkhead mouths the line.
*One of the ''[[Detroit Powell Press]]'' editions has a headline typo: "RACKETEERS STRIKES OIL" should read "RACKETEERS STRIKE OIL".
*During Dirt Boss's debut scene and when he's telling his plan to blow up the fossil-fuel refinery, the position of his mouth switches several times from the middle of his face (at the "W" shape) to the bottom, and presumably correct, position.
*Blink and you'll miss it, when the Constructicons interrupt Bulkhead explaining the situation to Sumdac, Dirt Boss's forklift prongs are missing.

===Continuity errors===
*When Bulkhead confronts Mixmaster and Scrapper, they speak to Bulkhead as if they remember the events that transpired in "[[Rise of the Constructicons]]", saying that they "don't work for no crankin' Autobots anymore" and referring to Bulkhead as "Bulky". While nothing says they can't have regained those memories by some point, if that's the case, it wasn't shown when this happened.
*More AllSpark fragments are shown in the beginning of the episode, yet all the previously collected pieces the Autobots found were placed into Omega Supreme last season. It's possible the Autobots have found some more since then, off-screen, but it seems an odd thing to omit, plus they would have only had between the end of "[[TransWarped]]" and the start of this episode to do so, which doesn't seem like a long time.
*The Constructicons' rampage goes on for long enough that newspapers pick up the story, and oil profits are seriously hurt. How long are the other Autobots hauling Lugnut out of that crater?
*Beginning in season 3 all [[Slag (slang)|slag]] lines were edited out in the [[United Kingdom|UK]]. In this episode this results in Bumblebee inexplicably yelling "Who you calling pipsqueak? Short stuff!" even though no one calls him pipsqueak.
* Where the hell did the fire at the oil rig go after the oilsplosion?
* If an explosion that big took place in Lake Erie, there would be such a big wave in the aftermath that Detroit would have been underwater.

===Trivia===
* The Detroit newspaper business is incredible; within what is apparently a single night of Constructicon rampage, the ''Detroit Powell Press'' puts out three separate editions announcing the new threat. Either that, or the Autobots spend a ''long'' time focusing on hauling Lugnut out of his crater and nothing else. (Though really, it's impressive that newspapers even still ''exist'' in the future...)
*It appears that Lugnut has accepted [[Starscream clone (Animated)|Starscream's clones]] (or at least Ramjet) as part of the main Decepticon force. Apparently, being Starscream's duplicate is fine as long as you serve the GLORIOUS Megatron.
*What ''exactly'' did Dirt Boss hope to accomplish by climbing up to the top of the oil tank, again?
*An exploding oil tank in the middle of Lake Erie is probably going to be a real mess, isn't it?
*[[David Kaye]]'s voice credit for this episode lists Grimlock, in spite of the Dinobot not having any lines.
*On the other hand, Ratchet appears prominently, particularly in the Lugnut arc, but aside from a few grunts has no lines of dialogue, and [[Corey Burton]] is not credited.
*It's never fully explained how Dirt Boss got his Decepticon insignia, much like the Dinobots having their Autobrands. But considering he was made from the same Headmaster unit that Megatron briefly controlled and was used to jack Starscream's body, it could have rubbed off on him.
*There is also a Decepticon forklift named [[Dirt Boss (ROTF)|Dirt Boss]] in the [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|''Revenge of the Fallen'' toyline]]. This is supposedly completely coincidental.
*This episode marks the final appearance of Mixmaster, Dirt Boss and the [[Headmaster unit]]

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Trois ça craint'''" ("But Three, That Sucks")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Três É Demais'''" ("Three's Too Much")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

'''Spanish (Latin America)'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tres son multitud'''" ("Thee's a Crowd")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 27|27 October]] [[2009]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tsuyoki na Dirt Boss'''" (強気なダートボス, "The Tough Dirt Boss")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 23|23 October]] [[2010]]

==Home video releases==
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2011 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Vol. 8 ([[Paramount]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Season Three ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers Animated'' — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2014 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Season Three ([[Madman Entertainment]])

[[Category:Animated episodes]]

Dirt Boss (Animated)

2023-01-11T22:46:45Z

AllSpark901:

{{factions|decepticon}}
{{disambig3|Dirt Boss}}
:''Dirt Boss is a [[Constructicon (Animated)|Constructicon]] from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:AnimatedDirtBoss.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Diminutive, ain't he?]]

Created accidentally by the fusion of a forklift, a [[Headmaster unit]], and an [[AllSpark#Animated continuity family|AllSpark]] fragment, '''Dirt Boss''' is a little bot with big, big plans. Sick of having been bossed around back when he was nothing more than a simple machine, he's decided that ''he's'' going to be giving the orders from now on!

His nasty attitude might be enough to accomplish this on its own, but he's capable of getting muscle for his jobs very quickly. He can fire a small remote control device from his forehead, tipped with a drill that allows it to bore its way into other machines—Transformers included—giving Dirt Boss direct control of their motor functions. And if he really has to get his servos dirty, his stumpy little legs are actually quite capable of delivering a brutal roundhouse. Now he's taken command of the other [[Constructicon (Animated)|Constructicon]]s and is going to make sure [[Detroit]] knows who's boss!

{{bigquote|That's '''Dirt Boss''' to you!|Dirt Boss's introduction|"[[Three's a Crowd]]"}}

{{bigquote|Bots like us, we helped build this city! An' now we're gonna take a piece of it back! ''With interest!''|Dirt Boss about five minutes after activation|"[[Three's a Crowd]]"}}

{{TOCclear}}
==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
{{Idw-tfa}}
{{voiceactor|[[John Mariano]] (English), [[Tetsuo Gotō]] (Japanese)|[[Sylvain Lemarié]] (French), [[Alexander Páez]] (Latin-American Spanish), [[Eudes Carvalho]] (Brazilian Portuguese)}}
[[Image:TFA Creation of Dirt Boss.jpg|left|thumb]]

[[Isaac Sumdac (Animated)|Isaac Sumdac]] and [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] were using the forklift that would become Dirt Boss in their [[space bridge]] recreation project at [[Sumdac Tower]], but Bulkhead's natural clumsiness sent the forklift, the recently recaptured Headmaster unit, and three Allspark fragments plummeting several floors. While Isaac went to sleep off his scare and Bulkhead went to get help with reinforcing the tower's structural support for the new space bridge, the fallen objects fused together.

[[Image:Imgdirtboss-animated.jpg|thumb|I gotta deal you can't-a refuse, icehole!]]

By the time Bulkhead returned with [[Mixmaster (Animated)|Mixmaster]] and [[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]], who were beginning to come around to the idea of becoming [[Autobot]]s, Dirt Boss had come to life. Pulled up by Scrapper, the tiny terror immediately used his motor-control power on Scrapper to make him hit himself repeatedly. The three far larger robots were quickly cowed into submission, and Dirt Boss revealed his plan to hijack oil shipments to increase his power base in the city...a plan with which the two Constructicons quickly got on board.

Leading the two on an overnight crime spree (and occasionally beating the Constructicons for drinking the profits), he revealed his plan to torch the [[Fossil Fuel]] plant, forcing the city to come to him for oil. Bulkhead attempted to stop them before they left, but that didn't go too well. Bulkhead was dragged to the fuel plant, and eventually Dirt Boss used his motor-control on him, intending him to start a fire that would destroy the plant (sacrificing the bound Mixmaster in the process). The rest of the Autobots arrived, but a stray spark set the spilled oil ablaze anyway. Dirt Boss took control of Mixmaster and Scrapper, who had become stuck together in the fight, and rode them to the top of the oil tower. Fortunately, Sumdac had followed them, carrying the [[plasma dynamic thruster]] from their space bridge. Bulkhead reprogrammed the device and [[unspace|transwarped]] the oil tanker—and the three Constructicons—to just offshore of [[Dinobot Island (Animated)|Dinobot Island]] just before it exploded. {{storylink|Three's a Crowd}}

After the blast, Scrapper made it to Dinobot Island and lived there for a few weeks, unsure of what fate had befallen Dirt Boss. {{storylink|Human Error, Part II}} ''After the Autobots captured the Decepticons and returned to Cybertron, however, it was revealed that Dirt Boss had also survived, though where he had been was not explained. Hooking back up with Scrapper, Dirt Boss put his two subordinates to work on his newest construction project: building something called "[[Devastator (Animated)|Devastator]]"...'' {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}}

==Notes==
* Well, it took a while, but anime fans can at last point to an honest-to-gosh reference to the anime ''{{w|Gurren Lagann}}'' in ''Animated'': As confirmed by [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] over his Twitter feed, Dirt Boss is designed in homage to the small Lagann mecha from the show.
* Despite having just been created, Dirt Boss manages to have a Decepticon insignia without [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]'s influence. Coincidently, the Forklift he was created from was colored in the same colors as Mixmaster and Scrapper after their induction into the Decepticons.
* Dirt Boss can fire shells from his forehead to control other robots? [[Bombshell (G1)|Sounds familiar...]]

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Dirt Boss''' (ダートボス ''Dāto Bosu'')

[[Category:Animated Decepticons]]
[[Category:Cartoon-only Transformers]]
[[Category:Constructicons]]
[[Category:Gangsters]]

Dark Voyage

2022-04-12T21:33:41Z

AllSpark901: /* Synopsis */

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=20
|image=Dark Voyage Rattrap Cheetor blind.jpg
|caption="Dude... I've got some serious CAT-aracts..."
|title="Dark Voyage"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[January 27]], 1997
|written by=[[Samuel Warren Joseph]]
|directed by=[[Steve Ball]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
|packaged with=[[Archadis#Beast Wars Telemocha Series|Archadis]]
}}
'''After an energon explosion, Rhinox must lead the blinded Maximals back to base.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Dark Voyage Energon mining.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Dinobot finishes building Cheetor's new jet boosters.]]
[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] burrows through some rocks to uncover a piece of valuable [[energon]]. [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] congratulates Rattrap's discovery, while [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], disgruntled with the labour, discovers a deposit of surface energon several times the size of Rattrap's harvest.

Suddenly, a dart from [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] lands on one of the larger pieces of energon. [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] recognizes the dart as an explosive, and rushes to toss it away from the unstable energon. However, with the energon already fractured, there's no stopping the gigantic explosion. Once the fireball expands and rises into the sky, Scorponok and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] are confident they've destroyed their enemies and return to base to report their conquest.

In the aftermath of the explosion, the four [[Maximal]]s have all survived, but because of energon poisoning, all of them have lost their sense of vision. Cheetor, Rattrap, and even Dinobot panic and fret—until Rhinox puts his foot down and gets his team moving, in hopes they can overcome their disability and reach home—or at least avoid being easy targets, especially since they must reach an R-chamber before the energon poisoning extinguishes their sparks...in 60 cycles (approximately one hour).

[[File:Dark Voyage Cheetor snake.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Cheetor's got himself a crush.]]
Rhinox, at the front of the train of blind Maximals, comes to a sudden stop, causing the Maximals behind him to bump into his large posterior. Dinobot hops back onto his feet (and onto one of Rattrap's as well). Rhinox silences the group so he can use his ears to detect if something is near the group—his suspicion is confirmed as a large snake grabs Cheetor. Ignoring Rhinox's command not to panic, Dinobot comically runs into a tree. Rattrap fails to fight the snake off, but Cheetor is saved when the reptile decides that Rattrap would be a better meal. Luckily, Rhinox is able to save Rattrap by tossing the snake over the horizon.

[[File:Dark Voyage Rhinox Dinobot.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Scary eyes!]]
[[Tigatron]] and [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (finally!) decide to search for their comrades who never reported home. Scorponok and Waspinator, searching for evidence of the expiry of the Maximals, decide to follow the trail of energon radiation their enemies left as the four walked away from the area. Waspinator finds the four as they cross a log over a waterfall, and the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] easily unhinges the log, causing the quartet to plunge into the water far beneath. As Waspinator congratulates himself, [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] arrives, demanding proof of the wasp's endeavor.

[[File:Dark Voyage Rhinox listening.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Rhinox pushes an invisible truck.]]
The four Maximals all manage to wash up on a shore together. Dinobot feels doomed by the situation but Rhinox remains hopeful. The Predacon fliers pass overhead at high speed, finding their targets. In response, Rhinox commands his group to transform to their [[robot mode]]s. Next, Rhinox instructs the group to imagine the targeting grid from their training. Using all his senses to extend his sensory awareness, Rhinox gives directions for Cheetor, Rattrap, and Dinobot to aim their weapons. Terrorsaur is hit, and the sound of fire alerts Tigatron to the missing group's location.

Another quick shot from Rattrap brings Waspinator down in flames as well, leaving the Maximals victorious despite their handicap. Before they can celebrate, the three gunners fall into stasis; being in robot mode for just a few extra minutes accelerated the energon contamination to near-lethal levels. Having transformed in reaction to the sound of something approaching, Rhinox loses consciousness as well-luckily, the sound was Optimus Primal, who retrieves the group before their sparks are extinguished.

Some time later, in the [[Axalon (BW)|Maximal base]], Rhinox exits the [[CR chamber]] and sees his comrades; literally, as they have all been cleansed of the energon poisoning. Rattrap and Cheetor thank him for getting them as far as he did, and even Dinobot commends Rhinox's leadership. For his part, Rhinox suggests that the whole ordeal was educational-the Maximals now have a greater appreciation for their senses and [[beast mode]]s. With that in mind, the rhino-bot leaves to smell some flowers.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
* [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (1)
* [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (2)
* [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (3)
* [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] (4)
* [[Tigatron]] (9)
* [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (10)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s
|c2=
* [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] (5)
* [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (6)
* [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (7)
* [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (11)
* [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] (12)

|c4=
* A large snake (8)
}}

==Quotes==
"Nice find, Dino-miner. You're even better at this than Rattrap!" 
"Mmm. I'm better at ''everything'' than Rattrap!"
:—'''Cheetor''' and '''Dinobot'''

"Listen to me!! You've all got to calm down." 
"Calm...down...? WE CAN'T SEEEEEEE!"
:—'''Rhinox''''s order and '''Dinobot''''s reaction

"What's happening? Are we under attack?" 
"Don't. Panic." 
"You won't get me!" ''[runs into tree]''
:—'''Dinobot''' and '''Rhinox''', the former clearly not listening.

"What irony. For a warrior like me to go out blind, wet and helpless."
:—'''Dinobot''' laments his situation.

"I'm gonna go smell some flowers."
:—'''Rhinox''' having recuperated.

==Notes==
===Script timeline===
* First draft: 28th February 1996
* Second draft: 9th April 1996
* Finalised: 25th April 1996
* Revised: 17th October 1996
* As Air: 13th January 1997

===Animation and technical errors===
* As Rattrap transforms at the beginning of the episode, his [[beast mode]] eyes briefly turn white before reverting to their normal colour as he completes his transformation.
* Dinobot's energon scanner is nowhere to be seen in the overhead shot of the Maximals prior to the energon explosion.
* When Rhinox jumps into the energon pit to grab Scorponok's dart, his butt briefly clips through his rhino skin "skirt".
* When Rattrap transforms just before the explosion, some of his robot bits visibly poke though his beast mode parts.
* As Rhinox explains the post-explosion situation to the other Maximals, the bottom of his chest (the lower jaw [[kibble]]) clips into his hip and his chest is also deforming weirdly.
* When Rattrap is in his [[robot mode]], the underside of his chin and the inside of his mouth is white like his eyes in some shots. However, in other shots, such as when he submits to stasis lock near the end of the episode, the underside of his chin is red. This is likely due to the fact that the piece of his digital model that colors his eyes is the same one that colors the underside of his chin as well as the inside of his mouth, and his model was outfitted with an additional white bit for his eyes in some, but not all shots.
* After being blinded, all of Cheetor's normally blue parts are colored in silver. Unlike the above error with Rattrap there's no reason to assume that all of these parts are being colored by the same piece of animation as his eyes, making this error stand out more (especially in close ups of his normally blue robot face).
* The rhinoceros horns and ears on Rhinox's back are charred black following the blast, but on his beast mode, these parts seem to be colored normal. In fact, when he first turns into his rhino form, the tips of his horns appear ''white'' instead of black.
* Rattrap's and Cheetor's beast mode bits are normal-colored, lacking all the damage textures during their transformation back into beast mode after the explosion, but they reappear once the transformation is done. Rattrap's rat-eyes even have their pupils, which is incredibly odd, given that they accidentally turned white when he transformed while still in his unharmed state.
* After Dinobot steps on Rattrap's foot and the latter stands up, his front left leg momentarily clips into his chest.
* The tip of Dinobot's tail is clipping into the ground when the team are looking around in the jungle for the source of the noise.
* When Rhinox chucks the giant snake away, it clips through his legs and also through his head for a frame.
* When Optimus Primal tells Tigatron, "I'm going to put Sentinel on automatic and search from the air.", his left pectoral muscle is much smaller than his right, almost as if it's squeezing itself in. (Optimus's left, not the viewer's.)
* In the same shot, Optimus' hand clips through the piece of machinery in front of him.
* When Waspinator transforms to attack the Maximals crossing the log, some green robot part clips through and floats in his chest.
* A recurring shortcoming of the show's CGI causes all reflective surfaces, including water and various robot bits, to lose their shine if they're covered by transparent objects or effects. This can be seen when Waspinator hovers above the waterfall, and when Terrorsaur shows up a moment later – Waspinator's see-through insect wings "blot out" the shininess on whatever's behind them.
* When Terrorsaur arrives at the waterfall, the tip of his right wing kibble is deformed. It turns back to normal later.
* When Rattrap turns back into robot mode near the end, not only do his beast mode eyes turn normal during his transformation (only to go back to white afterwards), his rat form briefly sports a small black "ring" on its eye before he begins transforming.
* Waspinator is missing his chest-antennae when he hovers face-to-face with Terrorsaur.
* When Terrorsaur and Waspinator open fire on the Maximals on the riverbank, one of Waspinator's projectiles is flying straight at Rhinox's face, but when the shot cuts, the projectile suddenly changes position and none hit him.
* At the end of the same shot, when a small blast goes off right in front of the screen, all of Dinobot's shiny part turn flat-colored. His upper-body regions regain their reflective textures after a couple frames, but his legs remain wonky-looking.
* In the following shot, when Cheetor yells "Where are they?", his cheetah head chest-kibble has pupils.
* The CR chamber's door clips through the locking mechanisms, which strangely remain un-animated, as Rhinox emerges from the chamber.
* When Rattrap thanks Rhinox for helping them through the events of the episode (at the moment where Rhinox awakens in the CR Chamber), his face plate is charred and burnt, and his eyes are a flat shade of red (instead of glowing red). When Dinobot speaks and Rattrap turns to face him, his face plate is as good as new.
* Dinobot also has flat red circles for eyes and some damage texturing on his helmet for only one shot during the final scene.
* In the final scene, while Rhinox is walking away in Beast mode, his movement speed is inconsistant with his walking speed, making him look as if he's sliding forward while walking.

===Continuity errors===
* Why the heck did Rattrap, Dinobot, and Cheetor decide to transform into robot mode when they're surrounded by raw Energon on the verge of an explosion? For that matter, why did they just stand there and stare rather than, y'know, running away?
* Waspinator and Scorponok are unaffected by Energon radiation in the wake of the explosion. It's possible that Scorponok's missile was somehow designed to reduce the range of the Energon wave, but it still seems like the Predacons should have been on the verge of stasis lock from Energon build-up.
* Rhinox says that their sight and "just about everything else" is broken, but apart from some sparks when transforming, the Maximals seem okay. Their other senses are working, their weapons are working, and they can change between robot and beast mode. The only issue (and granted, it is an important one) is the Energon poisoning that they are suffering from.
* Not to be a buzzkill, but getting found by Optimus at the end of the episode can hardly be seen as the end of the Maximals' problems. Let's review: the four of them are in stasis lock suffering from time critical energon contamination. They're still an unknown distance away from base. Past episodes have established that Optimus can only support Rattrap's additional weight for flight, so if he rushed back, then the other ''three'' would have to be carried back to base by the remaining ''two'' Maximals. Dinobot and Rhinox in particular are the two heaviest Maximals, and they would be truly "dead weight" for the journey. And finally, the ''Axalon'' has never shown more than two CR chambers on the bridge. Maybe they took turns? Basically...the writers yada yada yada'ed over a lot more than just bisque in those last few minutes.

===Continuity Notes===
* Rattrap claims that he used to be a miner.
* It seems likely this episode was originally intended for production and airing earlier in the season. Not only does the plot seem to retread (on a simpler level) the concepts of the just-aired "[[Call of the Wild]]" ("We never really knew what we were capable of in Beast Mode. Apart from when we found out last episode, I guess, but Cheetor has a really bad memory so he needed to learn it again"), but late-arriving characters Airazor and Inferno are notably absent from the screen. Indeed, there are actually two instances of using "[[Pit (BW)|Inferno]]" as a curse, a habit that quickly stopped on once the Predacon fire-ant appeared. Since Airazor was mentioned by Optimus in the episode (on camera) — he said she was sent to look for the others in [[Grid Delta]] - this episode could have occurred anywhere between the end of "[[The Spark]]" and the beginning of "[[Spider's Game]]".

===Trivia===
* The energon explosion at the beginning is a real pyrotechnic explosion superimposed over a CGI background.
* Since Cheetor was shown in "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]" to be the size of a real cheetah, that snake that attacks him must be truly gigantic—far larger than any living species and any fossil variety known to science when the episode was made. ({{w|Titanoboa}} would fit the bill, but it wasn't discovered until over a decade later).
* Speaking of the giant snake, when Rhinox flings it away in the jungle, it lands on an [[elephant]].
* While blind, Dinobot's optics do not work for seeing, but they continue to function for [[Optic weaponry|shooting]].

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Voyage au Bout de la Nuit'''" ("Travel till the End of the Night")

:*''Title:'' "'''Sombre Voyage'''" ("Dark Voyage")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Viaggio nelle tenebre'''" ("Journey into Darkness")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Jungle Guruguru'''" (ジャングルぐるぐる, "Around and Around the Jungle")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 11|11 February]] [[1998]]
::*When Dinobot tells Rhinox to leave Cheetor behind, Cheetor can be heard pathetically whimpering, "''How cruel.''"
::*As Rattrap begins sniffing his way across the fallen tree spanning the river, while the other Maximals stand by waiting, Dinobot growls, "''Be careful...''"
::*After Rhinox says he has some flowers to go sniff, he sings a melody to himself while stomping away, to the tune of his verbal tic ("''Danaaaa danadana danaaaa!''").

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Uma Viagem nas Trevas'''" ("A Journey into Darkness")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Viaje en la Obscuridad'''" ("Travel in the Dark")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hēi'àn zhī Lǚ '''" (黑暗之旅, "Dark Travel")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Resurrected Beast Power ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2001 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 3 ([[Universal]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Predacon Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — English and Japanese audio.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete First Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes: Volume 3 — The Battle Rages On! ([[Alliance Atlantis]]) — English and French audio. 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — The Complete First Season (Alliance Atlantis) — English and French audio. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:MSTF]]
[[Category:Pack-in material]]

Quickstrike (BW)

2022-04-11T22:14:22Z

AllSpark901:

{{factions|predacon|maximal|decepticon}}
{{disambig3|Quickstrike}}

:''Quickstrike is a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] from the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:BW-Quickstrike-render.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|NOBODY TOUCHES PETE'S PIECE!!!]]

'''Quickstrike''' is a violent, trigger-happy desperado who rarely thinks beyond the next "keister he's gonna kick." This simple-minded lust for beating others up seems to be his overriding personality trait. While this makes him easy to manipulate, which [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] finds extremely useful, the problem he has found is that Quickstrike is ''so'' easy to manipulate that Megatron's not the only one doing so! Both [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] have their hooks in him in some form or another, leading Megatron to consider controlling the vicious little bugger through the good old-fashioned method: fear of death. Quickstrike may be stupidly brave most of the time, but only to a point.

{{bigquote|Well, howdy! Don't bother gettin' up, I'll just kick you while you're down!|Quickstrike|"[[Code of Hero]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Cartoon continuity===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Colin Murdoch]] (English), [[Nobuo Tobita]] (Japanese)|[[Yao Jude]] (Chinese), [[Mikhail Tihonov]] (Russian, 2nd dub), [[Fabio Tomasini]] (Portuguese) [[Gianluca Iacono]] (Italian), [[Jorge Ornelas]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Pascal Renwick]] (French)}}
[[File:Coming of the Fuzors 1 Quickstrike intro.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Say howdy to mah head!]]
Quickstrike was originally one of the [[Maximal]] [[protoform]]s stored aboard the ''Axalon'', prior to it crashlanding on prehistoric [[Earth]]. When the [[Planet Buster]] exploded, his [[stasis pod]] was knocked out of orbit and crashed in [[Delta Quadrant]], an unstable region. His malfunctioning [[DNA scanner]] gave Quickstrike a dual scorpion/snake [[beast mode]], however when he was awakened, he had no knowledge of his identity as a Maximal. His first action was to engage his fellow [[Fuzor]] [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]] in a sparring match. His aggressive nature made him an easy convert to the Predacon cause for [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]], and he was soon happily attacking the Maximals. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}} He took part in the defeat of the Maximals, but only until [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] was resurrected as a [[Transmetal]]. During the fight against the Maximal leader, he was slagged by one of [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]]'s errant missiles. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}

[[File:MaximalNoMore Quickstrike mid-shot.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|" 'Both spiders found Quickstrike to be ludicrously easy to manipulate'... Ah don't ''like'' you wiki writers no more."]]
A short time later, Quickstrike was sent with [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] on a mission to build a refueling station at a cave full of energon. Both spiders found Quickstrike to be ludicrously easy to manipulate, as all he was really interested in was a good fight, and possibly relations with Blackarachnia. Quickstrike was overjoyed when [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] and Silverbolt turned up and threw himself into the battle with his usual gusto. When the cave they'd been sent to build at was apparently destroyed, he only retreated after a lengthy parting shot. {{storylink|Tangled Web}} Taking part in an ambush, Quickstrike got the drop on Rattrap, but Rattrap was able to out-draw him and blasted him off a cliff. Quickstrike survived, and when [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] attempted to change sides, was only too happy to face the much-larger Maximal in one-on-one combat. Though he was defeated, Dinobot refused to terminate him, claiming he'd make a good soldier with some training. {{storylink|Maximal, No More}}

Quickstrike and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] attempted unsuccessfully to defend a jamming tower against Dinobot and Rattrap. Once they reported back to Megatron, they and the other Predacons proceeded to an alien site which had been discovered in the meantime, and set up a [[refractive web]]. They were unprepared when an [[Metal Hunter|alien construct]] appeared and blasted them all. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 1)}} Quickstrike, due to some Transmetal-like quality of his form, recovered quickly from the blast, and ventured into the construct with Megatron and Tarantulas. Megatron soon used him as a guinea pig to see if the construct's defences would respond to them — luckily for Quickstrike, they didn't. After Megatron had taken control of the ship, Quickstrike and the other Predacons defended it against a Maximal attack. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 2)}}

[[File:CodeofHero Quickstrike.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.34|"Awww, this happens every time Ah try to do a barbeque..."]]
While Blackarachnia and Silverbolt were traipsing around the jungle together, Megatron, Quickstrike and Inferno spied on them using a bugging device planted earlier. {{storylink|Bad Spark}} Perhaps uncharacteristically, while the other Predacons were torching a valley full of [[anthropoid]]s, Quickstrike hung back with Megatron. Once Dinobot had exhausted most of his power defeating the others, Quickstrike leaped into battle, believing Dinobot to be less of a warrior without his weapons. Dinobot responded by physically beating the Predacon and slamming him head-first into the ground. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}

Quickstrike took part in a desperate attack on the ''Axalon'' when it seemed as though the Maximals would be receiving help from Cybertron. As it turned out they did, and the Predacons were repelled by [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]'s [[transwarp cruiser]]. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} Once Megatron had convinced Ravage to switch sides, the Predacons mounted another attack on the ''Axalon''. Quickstrike rode triumphantly atop [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]]'s tank mode... only to be blasted off by Cheetor and subsequently run over by his comrade. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} Quickstrike worked to reassemble himself as Megatron called on the Predacons to get themselves ready for battle. Apparently he wasn't finished in time to take part in the subsequent destruction of the ''Axalon''. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}}

[[File:DeepMetal Quickstrike firing.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55|BURRRRRRRRP]]
After Rampage disappeared while on a mission, Megatron sent Quickstrike to look for him. Quickstrike soon found the crab at the mercy of [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], and was only too happy to lend a hand by shooting the Maximal newcomer. Sadly he didn't have long to celebrate his victory before a cluster of missiles fired by Primal blew him away. {{storylink|Deep Metal}} When the Maximals attempted to salvage [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]] from the wreck of the ''Axalon'', Quickstrike helped Waspinator by taking on Rattrap and Silverbolt, while his fellow Predacon headed for home with the computer module. He headed over to finish off the unconscious Silverbolt... only to be flattened when Rampage fell on him. {{storylink|Changing of the Guard}}

While the bulk of the Maximal forces were distracted by Megatron's [[Cyber raptor]]s out in the field, Rampage accompanied the Predacon leader in an assault against the Maximals' home base. Quickstrike was given lead position as they entered the base, arising jealousy from Inferno. The reason as to why Quickstrike was allowed to go first became clear moments later as Quickstrike was taken out by a sequence of booby traps. {{storylink|Cutting Edge}}

Attempting to find out what had happened to the [[Transmetal driver]], the Predacons interrogated Depth Charge, only to be attacked by a strange feral cat creature. After promising to make the creature into a ghost, Quickstrike chased it behind a rock. His snake head came back minus the rest of him. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 1}} During the construction of the [[disruptor cannon]], Quickstrike was the only one <s>foolish</s> brave enough to be welding ''inside'' the weapon barrel when Inferno plugged it in, and was knocked off his perch by the energy surge. Once they got the cannon working, Quickstrike's prognosis of "lookin' good!" proved premature, as it exploded in their faces. {{storylink|Go with the Flow}} Quickstrike and the other Predacons attempted to disrupt the power in the Maximal base during an attempt by the Maximals to remove Blackarachnia's Predacon [[shell program]]. He was swiftly dispatched by Cheetor. {{storylink|Crossing the Rubicon}}

[[File:MasterBlaster Quickstrike in Optimus suit.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Check out mah fancy duds!]]
Using one of Tarantulas's devices, Optimus Primal was able to be controlled using an exo-suit manipulated by Quickstrike. The Fuzor was able to rapidly disable the other Maximals, allowing the Predacons to take control of the Maximal base. Using the [[Teletraan I]] control codes stored in Primal, Quickstrike and Megatron gained entry to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], within which lay the body of the original [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. Megatron took his predecessor's spark into himself and, while he was weakened from the struggle of doing so, Quickstrike revealed it was a double-cross. On Tarantulas's orders, Quickstrike used Primal to seize the Predacon leader and throw him into the lava outside the Ark. Unfortunately for both the arachnids, Megatron lived, upgraded into a new form. Quickstrike was defeated by Blackarachnia, losing his link with Primal. {{storylink|Master Blaster}}

Furious, Megatron held a trial for Quickstrike, however it was interrupted by an unexpected incursion — the [[Vok]] emissary [[Tigerhawk]] destroyed the ''[[Darksyde (BW)|Darksyde]]''. Quickstrike was literally blown away along with his Predacon comrades, leaving Megatron the only one standing to face Tigerhawk. {{storylink|Other Victories}} In the aftermath, Inferno, Quickstrike and Waspinator were sent by Megatron to find a new base. They decided on attacking an anthropoid colony, though Waspinator refused and was slagged by the other two. Quickstrike and Inferno charged, only to meet with heavy resistance from the natives. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}} They finally got the early humans on the run, and were overjoyed to see the [[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]] appear overhead... until the main [[fusion cannon]] fired on the site, killing them both. Among the parts of him salvaged by the early humans were his cobra tail, used as a trumpet, his claws used as a spit, and his faceplate, used as a mask. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
{{-}}

====3H comics====
After Megatron gained his dragon body, a temporal distortion drew the attention of both the Maximals and Predacons to a remote canyon, where Quickstrike and his fellow Predacons met their foes. The Maximals were losing, having been fought into a corner, when suddenly the battle was interrupted. The [[Dark Essence]], the source of the temporal distortion, had possessed the newcomer [[Windrazor (BW)|Windrazor]] with the life force of [[Unicron]]. Quickstrike and the others were immobilized by Windrazor/Unicron's psionic force blasts, and the merged creature advanced on the Maximals. {{storylink|Paradox}}

====''Transformers Legends'' anthology====
While waiting for his trial for betraying Megatron, Quickstrike was approached by his leader (who'd seemingly taken to talking to himself of late) and given a new mission. He flew over Maximal territory on a small glider, dropping off a small device into the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] before retiring to a safe position to observe. The device soon caused the Maximals to be at each other's throats, a fact he gleefully reported to Megatron. As his leader proceeded with the rest of the plan, Quickstrike relaxed in the sun, and was subsequently unprepared when the Maximals, having overcome the effects of the device, pounced on him. {{storylink|A Meeting of Minds}}

====2006 IDW ''Beast Wars'' continuity====
[[File:BWGatherQuickstrike.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
As [[Magmatron]] surveyed the timestream, he witnessed several key moments during the Beast Wars. Among these moments was Quickstrike and Silverbolt's initial initiation into the Predacon ranks. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 1|The Gathering #1}}

Hearing a commotion at some point after the Predacons acquired Sentinel, a distressed Inferno rushed to where he has last left Megatron, bringing Quickstrike in tow. Both were surprised to see that Megatron had completely vanished. In reality, their leader had been chronologically displaced by Magmatron and his lackeys. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 3|The Gathering #3}}

====Waspscream continuity====
In [[Primax 208.06 Zeta]], Quickstrike joined the hybrid [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]-[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] entity's successful coup against Megatron. Waspscream later released [[Rampage (BW)|Protoform X]] from containment to force Protoform X into his service, but not before Protoform X offlined Quickstrike. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/16}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars Metals'' manga===
[[File:QuickstrikeMetalsManga01.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|left|He's a tall drink a' water, ain't he?]]

Following the [[Quantum surge]], the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] Quickstrike was upgraded into a [[Transmetal]]. Combining the mutated blood in his body with [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s warrior drones, Quickstrike fashioned himself the [[Scorpion Corps]] and [[Cobra Corps]]. With his new army, he proceeded to attack the weakened Maximal base, gradually depleting [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel's]] defenses. When the Maximals were forced to shut Sentinel down to let [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] in, Quickstrike's attacks really began to take a toll. Seeing an opening, [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] entered the base and confronted the Maximals inside.

After she had finished, she left the base just as Quickstrike's forces caused it to collapse completely. Angry at her "interference", Quickstrike began to berate her. Not in the mood, Blackarachnia proceeded to kick Quickstrike's head clean off. Weeping, Quickstrike's noggin sat helplessly on the ground as his decapitated body scrambled around blindly. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 1|Beast Wars Metals #1}}

Quickstrike recovered, but was promptly killed alongside his troopers by [[Jaguar]]. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 3|Beast Wars Metals #3}} When Megatron freed the sparks eaten by Rampage, however, the released energies revived Quickstrike as a mindless zombie. He attacked Optimus Primal along with several other zombies, but was ultimately destroyed for good by Primal's rocket-fists. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 5|Beast Wars Metals #5}}

{{--}}

===Legends World===
Quickstrike arrived at Tera-Kura Co. for a job interview with Megatron but was taken aback when Megatron asked no questions but instead produced an hourglass and demands that he "appeal to me" (Megatron had recently watched [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|the third movie]]). {{storylink|Legends Vol. 16#The Results of Mega-chan's Studies|The Results of Mega-chan's Studies}} He made the cut, as he was later among Megatron's employees. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 63|Bonus Edition Vol. 63}}

After the [[Legends World]] was restored, Quickstrike watched on as [[T-AI|Ai]] attempted to arrest [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] in [[Tera-Kura Co.]] {{Storylink|Transformers Legends Final Chapter "Epiloge"|Epiloge}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
Quickstrike participated in Battle MCMXXIII of the [[Games (competition)|Games]], a three-day long struggle that culminated in a stand-off between him and [[Stinkbomb]]. After a heated hand-to-hand battle between the two, Stinkbomb's chemical gun failed him, giving Quickstrike the opening he needed to fire his tail weapon and kill his opponent, winning the game for the Predacons. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}}

===''My Little Pony/Transformers''===
[[File:MLPTFII-2B-QuickstrikeKO.jpg|thumb|200px]]
Under the control of [[King Sombra]], Quickstrike attempted to interrupt a duel between [[Applejack]] and [[Wildwheel (G1)|Wildwheel]] in the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]], only for the two to knock him out cold before he could make a move. {{storylink|One-Trick Pony}}
{{--}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals'' (PS)===
{{voiceactor|[[Ian James Corlett]] (English), [[Nobuo Tobita]] (Japanese)}}

Quickstrike participated in an extensive one-on-one beatdown involving nearly every active participant of the Beast Wars. {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (PS)}}

{{charstubgame}}

===3D Battle Card Game===
Quickstrike fights under the command of [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] once more, this time with several allies from (potentially) different universes and/or timelines. He now possesses a new body; although his [[beast mode]] is an approximation of his original form, his transformation scheme and [[robot mode]] are distinctively different. {{storylink|3D Battle-Card Game#Energon Wars expansion|Energon Wars Expansion Set}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Quickstrike-Fuzor.jpg|thumb|400px]]
Quickstrike Fuzor participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Super Rare character available as a reward for the "Transmetals Episode 3" event. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Beast Wars''===
[[File:BW-toy Quickstrike.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Space ship of death hole snake]]
*'''Quickstrike''' (Basic Fuzor, 1998)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''D-45'''

: Quickstrike transforms into a scorpion with a cobra's head on his tail rather than a stinger. The cobra head has a soft-plastic bladder than can be used to store and [[Water-squirting gimmick|squirt water]]. Most of its orange parts are translucent plastic, and make extensive use of [[ball joint]]s, particularly in its tail. While this provides excellent articulation, care should be taken as the joints loosen rather quickly with play.

: [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s version of the toy, released in September 1999 as part of the first wave of ''Metals'' toys, has extra blue paint applications on its face and red paint for its eyes. Its scorpion legs are cast in a darker orange color.

: Oddly, the Hasbro version of Quickstrike, in Hasbro packaging with a large Japanese-language sticker on the back, was available in Japan long before the ''Metals'' release as a prize at KFC restaurants in December 1998 as part of a promotion for the ''[[Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers]]'' movie. Kids' meals came with a special token used to activate a "gacha" capsule machine in the restaurants; among a number of ''Beast Wars'' themed goods was a special capsule that won the contestant a Hasbro Quickstrike.<ref>[http://standfactory555.blog41.fc2.com/blog-entry-435.html http://standfactory555.blog41.fc2.com/blog-entry-435.html]</ref>

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Predacon/Quickstrike/quickstrike.htm More information on Quickstrike at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|VS45}}{{anchor|VsAirazor}}
*'''Heatwave Showdown: Airazor vs Quickstrike''' (VS Pack, 1999)
**''ID number'': '''VS-45'''

: The Japanese ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)#BWM|Metals]]'' release of Quickstrike was available individually or packaged together with [[Transmetal]] [[Airazor (BW)#VS45|Airazor]].

:Both toys are original to their individual (Japanese) releases.

==Merchandise==
===3D Battle-Card Game===
[[File:3DBattleCard Quickstrike.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Quickstrike''' (2007)

: A 33-point "rare" character in the [[3D Battle-Card Game]]'s "Energon Wars" expansion, Quickstrike "transforms" from a gold and green scorpion to a gold and green scorpion standing on its hind legs. He uses the same parts layout as [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|Movie]] [[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]].
{{--}}

==Notes==
*Like [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]], Quickstrike did not have a Predacon shell program installed in his Maximal [[protoform]] state to turn him bad.
*In the jovial Japanese dub, ''Beast Wars Metals'', Quickstrike's cobra tail could talk and think independently from Quickstrike. It would always end its sentences with either "-ko", "-bura", or "-kobura". Another of Quickstrike's quirks in both the cartoon and the [[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals (manga)|manga]] was that he'd constantly end his sentences in ''gitchon/gitchonchon'', which essentially translates to ''snippity/snippity-snip''.
*As revealed at [[BotCon 2011]], the ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Decepticon]] [[Darksteel (DOTM)|Darksteel]] is an intentional [[homage]] to Quickstrike. This occurred because designer [[Lenny Panzica]] likes snakes.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Quickstrike''' (クイックストライク ''Kuikkusutoraiku'')
*''French:'' '''Cinglant''' (Canada, "Scathing")
*''Italian:'' '''Serpex'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Kuài Dāo''' (快刀, "Quick Cutter")
*''Polish:'' '''Szybki Cios''' ("Quickstrike")
*''Spanish:'' '''Sorpresivo''' (Spain, "Surprise"), '''Cobra''' (America)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:3D Battle-Cards]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Predacons]]
[[Category:Fuzors]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Legends World natives]]

In Darkest Knight

2021-04-29T19:06:10Z

AllSpark901:

{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=17
|image=Silverboltbm.jpg
|caption=I'm [[Batman]].
|title="In Darkest Knight"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[March 1]], 2000 (Canada) [[September 2]], 2000 (USA)
|written by=[[Steven Melching]]
|directed by=[[George Samilski]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''Blackarachnia is finally able to revive Silverbolt, but he doesn't seem too happy about it.'''

==Synopsis==
As the [[Grand Mal|big floating head]], [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s newest body, drifts overhead, [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] searches through a derelict region of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] for his former friend, the organic [[Noble (BM)|Savage/Noble]]. However, his search is cut short by [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] and [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]].

[[File:DarkestKnight Rattrap's invention.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|"Behold my new invention: ''a LIGHT!''"]]
Back at the Maximal base, [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] talks to [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] about his newest invention, combining a [[spark extractor]] with a [[DNA scanner]]. This process, he hopes, could someday be used to restore any of the captured sparks they recover into Transformer bodies. [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] and [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] arrive, wondering what's happened to Nightscream. Nobody has seen him for a while, so the team head aboveground to find out where he's gone. However, Blackarachnia has a lingering fascination with Rattrap's new device.

The Maximals find Nightscream surrounded by a pack of [[Cycle Drone]]s and other [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s. A fight to rescue their young member begins. Cheetor uses his blades to glide through the air, fighting the [[Aero Drone]]s all the while. Rattrap outraces several more Cycle Drones. Cooking up her own plot, Blackarachnia places Rattrap's device on Jetstorm, hoping to free his spark and reformat him.

Megatron, in his gigantic head, uses his gravity beams to capture Optimus and Cheetor, ending the conflict quickly. Nightscream is left behind, at the mercy of Thrust. Luckily, he is protected by Savage/Noble, who uses both of his tails to damage Thrust. Rattrap sees the strange dragon haul Nightscream's unconscious body away and, suspecting Savage intends to consume the younger Maximal, follows.

[[File:DarkestKnight Silverbolt reflection.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1|"Kermit, I would like to have a word about injecting some culture into this show."]]
Blackarachnia leads Jetstorm deeper underground. The jet crashes through one of her webs and into a pool of [[organic goop|organic fluid]]. With the general restrained, the DNA scanner Blackarachnia placed onto him activates and begins to detect local fossils. The scanner passes by several other bones before locking onto a suitable candidate: a skeleton of a prehistoric, condor-like creature. After a painful metamorphosis, the Vehicon once known as Jetstorm is destroyed, and the [[Maximal]] [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] is reborn. He becomes aware of himself and is surprised by his new, [[technorganic]] form. Shocked, disgruntled, and angry, he flies out of the cave in which he was brought back, leaving a confused Blackarachnia behind.

Confronting the renegade Maximal atop a skyscraper, Blackarachnia discovers a change in her lover. Instead of the corny, phrase-spouting 'bot of prehistoric Earth, this new, angry Silverbolt loathes himself. Blackarachnia tries to remind the Maximal of the heroic personality he used to be, but Silverbolt (who is no longer silver) no longer has any connection to those ideals that once defined him. He comes along with Blackarachnia on a trip to rescue Optimus Primal and Cheetor not out of concern for his Maximal pals, but only as a way to confront his former master, Megatron.

Nightscream awakens in an abandoned warehouse, now serving as Savage/Noble's "den". The creature, in his "Noble" form, provides a metallic apple for Nightscream to feed on. Noble has lost his former mental skills, but still seems to like Nightscream and remember him. Rattrap tries to rescue Nightscream quietly but catches Noble's attention. Confused, Noble shifts into his Savage form, causing Nightscream and Rattrap to cheese it.

[[File:DarkestKnight Optimus Cheetor interrogation.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|"I'm a pepper! Don't you want to be a pepper, too?"]]
Inside of the Grand Mal, Cheetor and Optimus are interrogated for information on the Oracle and how Megatron can use it to manipulate the Sparks he holds captive. Blackarachnia and Silverbolt arrive in the same chamber, where Megatron manifests an image of himself, a hologram of the Grand Mal made out of floating masses of data. He explains why he selected Silverbolt's spark to be made into a new general: He believed Silverbolt's sense of honor would let him stay true to Megatron's Vehicon ideology. Blackarachnia argues, hoping Silverbolt understands that friendship and love are more important.

Silverbolt rejects Megatron's dogma and transforms into his new [[robot mode]]. His throwing blades heavily damage Megatron's insides. Freed, Primal orders a retreat, but Silverbolt feels it would be better to [[Furmanism|fight and die]]. Blackarachnia uses one of her abilities to stun him so she can drag him out.

[[File:Blackarachniasilverboltdarkestknight.jpg|right|upright=1.67|thumb|A sunset on Cybertron? Crazy!]]
Rattrap and Nightscream are still running from Savage when they find Thrust and his drones standing in their way. The Maximals let Savage take care of the drones, while Silverbolt tosses away Thrust into the water. Primal welcomes Silverbolt back into the Maximals, but the bird just leaves the Maximals, not yet ready to be part of the team. Nightscream argues that Savage/Noble still has the qualities of a good guy inside of him, and Primal decides that the best thing to do is to wait.

That morning, sitting on a skyscraper, Blackarachnia and Silverbolt have another discussion, in which he reveals how he enjoyed being a Vehicon, without having to follow his code of honor. Despite this, Blackarachnia is still ready to reach out to him, and together they return to the Maximals.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (2)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (5)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (6)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (7)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (8)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (11)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s
|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (1)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (3)
*[[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] (4)
*[[Cycle Drone]]s (9)
*[[Aero Drone]] (10)

|c4=
*[[Noble (BM)|Noble]] (11)

}}

==Quotes==
"Nothing noble about us!" 
"But savage? We can do that!"
:—'''Thrust''' and '''Jetstorm'''

"You broke 'em, you bought 'em, kittycat!"
:—'''Jetstorm'''

"What do you want from us?" 
"Oh, nothing much. Just every bit of data on the Oracle to better understand how I can fully exploit the precious sparks in my possession. I anticipate that extracting this information will be slow, painful, and, regrettably...fatal."
:—'''Optimus Primal''' and '''Megatron'''

"How can you stand the sight of me? Look at what I've become!"
:–'''Silverbolt''' doesn't like his new design any more than the rest of us.

"You helped me find the light once." 
"I was a fool back then. I ''believed'' in things."
:—'''Blackarachnia''' and '''Silverbolt'''

"Don't listen to him, Silverbolt! He turned you into a monster!" 
"I gave you strength. I gave you power." 
"We gave you friendship! I gave you my heart." 
"I gave you purpose. I gave you ''life!''" 
"''You... gave... me... '''NOTHING!!!'''''"
:-'''Blackarachnia''' and '''Megatron''' play Loyalty-tug-of-war with '''Silverbolt'''. Guess who loses?

"Nobody's judging you. You were under Megatron's control. Join us, and you can avenge yourself." 
"You still don't get it, do you? I don't hate Megatron for what he made me do. He freed me from my code of honor, and I revelled in it. Don't you see? I… enjoyed it. I don't know what I am anymore." 
"You are what you've always been – honest, pure, virtuous to a fault." 
[''Blackarachnia takes Silverbolt's hand''] 
"You're taking a huge risk." 
"Considering how well I know the goodness in your heart, it really isn't a risk at all."
:—'''Blackarachnia''' and '''Silverbolt'''

==Notes==
===Animation or technical errors===

===Continuity errors===
* How do the Maximals know that Noble survived at all?
* Similarly, how do the Maximals know where to find Nightscream after he goes missing?
* When Blackarachnia previously freed Silverbolt from his Jetstorm persona back in "[[The Catalyst]]", he seemed to immediately return to his original chivalrous goofball personality, with no psychological side effects.
* It's not clear how Noble, a purely organic creature, has been managing to survive on Cybertron. The "fruits" that he gives Nightscream appear to be completely technological in origin... and raise questions about where these things are even coming from.
* Seeing as how Silverbolt looks virtually ''nothing'' like his previous form, it seems somewhat odd that [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] would instantly recognise him without being introduced.
* Remember how, in "[[Revelations Part III: Apocalypse]]", Optimus said that changing Rhinox against his will is no better than Megatron? Or, in "[[Crossing the Rubicon]]", when he said much the same thing about Blackarachnia herself? Well, either Blackarachnia [[Fallout (episode)|''doesn't'' remember]] or it's okay when Jetstorm/Silverbolt has a [[To sell toys|new toy]] out. Then again, it's not unlike Blackarachnia to ignore directions and strike out on her own.
* Previously, it was a major plot point to maintain [[robot mode]]. Now Nightscream is able to maintain robot form while unconscious. Good focus, kid.
* Silverbolt is able to transform without any practice. This is not the [[Nightscream (BM)|first]] time, nor will it be the [[Botanica (BM)|last]].

===Continuity notes===
* [[DNA scanner]]s were a major component of ''Beast Wars'', incorporated into [[stasis pod]]s. Nightscream noted in "[[Survivor]]" that all DNA scanners have since been directly integrated into Cybertronians.
* One of the fossils in the cavern belongs to the same prehistoric bat species that Nightscream scanned.
* Silverbolt had previously shown a non-chivalrous, dark side to him from time to time: most notably in "[[Crossing the Rubicon]]" where he intends to murder [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]].
* Blackarachnia refers to how Silverbolt helped her "find the light", referring to her defection to the Maximals in ''Beast Wars''.
* During the escape, when Optimus orders Blackarachnia and Silverbolt to retreat, he calls her "Arachnia" instead of "Blackarachnia". Either this is an error or Optimus has a new nickname for Blackarachnia.
* Gadgets and powers:
** In his new body, Megatron can grab people off the ground and drag them up into the Grand Mal, UFO-abduction style.
** Rattrap has telescopic vision, thanks to his face-mask.
** Cheetor later uses his swords as a parachute.

===Transformers references===

===Real-world references===
* The episode's title, of course, is a reference to "The Dark Knight", a nickname for [[Batman]]. Writer [[Steven Melching]] based Silverbolt's drastic personality change on the Caped Crusader himself: comparing Silverbolt's ''Beast Wars'' incarnation to the silly, campy {{w|Adam West}} version of the character, while the grim, vengeance-driven reincarnation we see here was inspired by the darker takes on the character.

===Trivia===
* While it's not explicitly saying so, this episode does give a reason for how ''Waspinator'' of all people could influence his Vehicon self to help Blackarachnia but her true love couldn't: it wasn't that he couldn't, he just didn't want to ''stop'' being a villain.
* Vehicons are a superstitious and cowardly lot.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Une Sombre Nuit'''" ("A Dark Night")

:*''Title:'' "'''Sombre Chevalier'''" (Canada, "Dark Knight")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Silver Bolt'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 18]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Yajū no Ongaeshi'''" (野獣の恩返し, "The Beast's Gratitude")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 1]], [[2005]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''O Cavaleiro das Trevas'''" ("The Dark Knight")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''El Caballero en la Oscuridad'''" ("The Knight in the Dark")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Dúzhīzhū de Xīn '''" (毒蜘蛛的心, "The Heart of Blackarachnia")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 5 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season Two (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

Rattrap (BW)

2020-12-17T02:17:19Z

AllSpark901:

{{faction|maximal|predacon|maximalbm|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Rattrap}}
{{suite}}
:''Rattrap is a [[Maximal]] from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:Rattrap-S1.jpg|upright=1.8|thumb|He's like Bugs Bunny if he were a rat. And a robot. And had more lethal weapons than a Die Hard movie.]]

It's not so much that '''Rattrap''' is a coward... he just doesn't want to die. He's seen enough battles to know the score, so he's not afraid to tell his commanding officer to shove it if he's not fond of the odds. He prefers to sneak around unseen, in gutters or trenches or trash barges or what have you—whatever keeps him out of harm's way. He shouldn't be so worried. When he does encounter conflict, he deals with it masterfully with the arsenal of guns and bombs he keeps on himself at all times. He feels naked without them.

Of course, it's hard to like Rattrap, especially if you're his commanding officer, because he's sarcastic, irreverent and rude. Plus he doesn't exactly smell the greatest, what with the whole garbage-eating thing. He's also not the most trusting or forgiving sort, so he's not the best choice to take on a diplomatic run. He'd sooner shoot a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] or [[Decepticon]] than talk to them. Despite his tough-as-nails attitude, he has a [[Transformer romance|strong affection]] for his fellow Maximal [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]].

{{quote|Y'know, I feel just ''heaps'' better knowing that our lives are in your ''capable'' hands. [sighs] ''We're all gonna die.''|Rattrap lays on the sarcasm|"[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Toy bio===
Rattrap was a highly respected, top-notch soldier who was used mostly for reconnaissance, continually prowling the city streets for any Predacon activities. In order to keep up his strength, he was always eating "grunge and grime and any wretched refuse he may encounter along the way". Eeeeewwww... {{storylink|#Toys|Rattrap bio}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon continuity===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Scott McNeil]] (English), [[Kappei Yamaguchi]] (Japanese)|[[Teng Kuixing]] (Chinese), [[Pierre Laurent]] (French), [[Robert Missler]] (German), [[Claudio Moneta]] (Italian), [[Hwan Jin Kim]] (Korean), [[Orlando Viggiani]] (Portuguese), [[Paulo Porto]] (Portuguese, in some episodes), [[Martín María Soto Portilla|Martín Soto]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Jesús Rodríguez (Rolo)]] (Castilian Spanish)}}

The 'bot who would become "Rattrap" was once the best miner in the [[Vespa System]]. {{storylink|Dark Voyage}}

[[File:BWPart1 coverfire.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|That's what friends are for!]]

After following the Predacons through a transwarp portal and appearing above a mysterious planet, both ships were damaged in the ensuing space battle, and before both ships crashed into the planet's surface below, the [[stasis pod]]s carrying the rest of "Rattrap's" crew were ejected into orbit.

The planet was rich with [[energon]]—so much so that prolonged exposure would short out their bodies. The Maximals and Predacons were forced to take organic forms from the local creatures; Rattrap took the form of a ([[Scale|very oversized]]) rat, and was dismayed to find that they were going to have to use the disguises to avoid the energon radiation. Forced into battle, he refused [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]]'s order to rescue [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] on the grounds he'd get shot up. When Optimus went to do the job himself, [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] had to hold up Rattrap to get the rat to provide covering fire. Afterwards, Rattrap was unrepentant, pointing out that they'd all come out of it alive.

[[File:BeastWars2 Dinobot Rattrap glaring.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|How's the weather up there?]]

On the way back to base, the Maximals ran into the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] who challenged Primal to a fight over leadership. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} Rattrap objected to Primal's decision to subsequently let Dinobot join their group, accusing Dinobot of trying to kill Rhinox when the Predacon accidentally caused a rock fall. Primal had some harsh words with him. During a battle atop a mountain laced with energon, Rattrap found himself having a [[beast mode]] fight against [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 2)}}

[[File:The Web Rattrap rescue.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb]]
After Cheetor got himself blasted by Scorponok and got Rhinox's new comlink trashed, Rattrap didn't hesitate to mock the cat for his mistakes. When Cheetor ran off to fix it, though, Rattrap found himself going after him to stop him from doing anything stupid - which failed miserably, as Cheetor was captured by Tarantulas long before Rattrap reached him. The rat and the spider engaged in a heated duel in Tarantulas' underground lair, with Rattrap gaining the upper hand by using a heat box to fool the spider's thermal scanner. After rescuing Cheetor, Rattrap gave an alibi to Optimus about their whereabouts, but then chewed out the cat for almost getting them both scrapped. He left to munch some garbage, but earned a new friend when Cheetor thanked him for saving his life. {{storylink|The Web}}

[[File:Coc getshorty.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|"Frenzy is red!" "Maximal lies!"]]
During an energon storm, Rattrap tried fruitlessly to raise Optimus, only for their leader to arrive and scrub the mission Cheetor was due to go out on. At least this time it was Dinobot who goaded Cheetor into going out, but all of the Maximals were later thanking the cat for saving their lives later on. {{storylink|Equal Measures}} When Optimus went semi-missing in action, swallowed by a [[Vok probe|alien probe]], Rattrap objected strenuously to Dinobot nominating himself as new leader. A vote was left stalemated until Optimus managed to get a signal to the base and named Rattrap group commander in his absence. After a moment of initial indecision, Rattrap commanded capably while Primal was missing (even earning Dinobot's grudging respect). When Primal returned, he offered his compliments as well. Rattrap's response: "Eh, command's a pain in the tail, especially with this pack of hyenas. You can keep it!" {{storylink|Chain of Command (BW)|Chain of Command}}

Over time, Rattrap grew to respect his commander grudgingly, with the earliest glimmers showing through when Primal and Rattrap infiltrated a flying mountain that was loaded with supercharged Energon. Primal bravely distracted a super-powered Terrorsaur while Rattrap planted explosives to destroy the mountain (and had a brief tussle with Tarantulas). Optimus then got them both off of the exploding mountain with a fearless beast mode leap off the edge, which ended with them dangling in the treetops far below. Rattrap commented that Primal "did pretty good up there—but don't tell anyone I said so". {{storylink|Power Surge (episode)|Power Surge}} Rattrap was a member of the party sent out to attempt to capture a stasis pod after Optimus Primal was taken out as soon as he left the base. The group was cut off from the pod when [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] and Terrorsaur took out a snow bridge, and Rattrap radioed base to break the bad news. Fortunately Dinobot and Primal were able to set up a transmitter, and by the time Rattrap and the others got to the pod, the [[protoform]] inside had already been reformatted into [[Tigatron]], who was able to help them fight the Predacons off. {{storylink|Fallen Comrades}}

[[File:TerrorsaurcagedRT.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Despite all of Terrorsaur's rage, Rattrap is still just a rat in a cage.]]

Suspicious of why the Predacons had managed to ambush three straight Maximal operations, Optimus sent Rattrap on an undercover mission into the ''[[Darksyde (BW)|Darksyde]]'', under the guise of not trusting Rattrap and him defecting to the Predacons. Captured by Terrorsaur as part of the mission, Rattrap pleaded his loyalty to him and was taken to the base, where he knocked out [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] with a transformation-disabling device, allowing Terrorsaur to seize power. After he was locked in the lower chambers and Megatron made his escape, Rattrap broke out and continued his mission, discovering that the Predacons had acquired a Maximal decoder chip which allowed them to hack the Maximals' communications. He was almost caught by Tarantulas but disabled him and signaled Optimus, who attacked the Predacon base with the other Maximals. In the firefight, Rattrap was forced to fire on Optimus, blasting him from the sky and seemingly confirming his traitorous ways. Dinobot almost destroyed him, but two timely breaks allowed Rattrap and the Maximals to escape. Back on the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'', Optimus congratulated Rattrap on a job well done, adding that he didn't need to make his "defection" that believable (as he rubbed where Rattrap had shot him). Rattrap's response was "Eh, what can I say? I was trying to miss." {{storylink|Double Jeopardy}}

[[File:Better Mousetrap Rattrap duct.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb]]

Rattrap distrusted Dinobot and insulted him at every turn. Dinobot wantonly returned in kind, constantly bickering with the "vermin". Dinobot and Rattrap's arguments ranged from being a minor irritation at times to causing serious chaos in the Maximal ranks at others. Rattrap's taunts caused a berserk Dinobot to damage the control module of the newly activated Sentinel defense system, which promptly drove the Maximals out of their own base. Under the circumstances, Rattrap's rarely seen sense of nobility and fair play came to the fore; recognizing the predicament as his own fault, he immediately volunteered to stay inside the base and deactivate Sentinel. His considerable skills at infiltration and demolition allowed him to reach the central computer core and order Sentinel to stand down, though very nearly at the cost of his own life. {{storylink|A Better Mousetrap}}

When Primal was hit by one of [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]]'s [[Cyberbee]]s, injecting a virus and turning Primal into a berserker, Rattrap unexpectedly became the voice of reason, telling Cheetor and Dinobot to settle down. He objected to Dinobot's idea to set their enraged leader on the Predacons, but it became academic when Primal escaped and headed for the ''Darksyde'' anyway. Rattrap and the other Maximals provided cover fire for Cheetor, as the young Maximal mounted a rescue. {{storylink|Gorilla Warfare}} During an attempt by the Maximals to build a communications tower to contact a [[temporal probe]], which the [[Maximal High Council]] had sent to search for the ''Axalon'', Rattrap managed to save Dinobot's life by blasting [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] over a cliff. Unfortunately he was promptly hit by the same [[Transformation Lock Lens]] which had disabled Dinobot's [[robot mode]]. Ultimately the tower was destroyed by Megatron. {{storylink|The Probe}}

[[File:Victory Megatron crushes Rattrap.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|[[Rubber Ducky]] isn't his ''only'' squeaky toy.]]

Rattrap planted a spy cam in the ''Darksyde'', and the Maximals were surprised to watch the Predacons apparently manage to blow themselves up. He proceeded to try to push as many of Dinobot's buttons as possible, but without getting a rise. The Maximals managed to salvage enough to get their own ship working. As Rattrap was telling Tigatron about a "sweet little hole-in-the-wall", it was revealed that the Predacons weren't slagged after all. Megatron managed to get on board and blasted everyone but Rattrap, attempting to crush the Maximal with his bare hands (or at least his beast mode jaws). Fortunately Rhinox came around in time to come to Rattrap's rescue, though the ship still crashed. Afterwards, Rattrap and Dinobot resumed their usual bickering. {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}}

After Rhinox was captured by the Predacons, Rattrap managed to tap into his friend's comlink, and the Maximals listened in horror as Rhinox was converted into a Predacon by Megatron's [[Transmuter (BW)|Transmuter]]. Though Rattrap was determined that they should go in there immediately, Primal held them back, allowing the evil-ized Rhinox to wreak havoc in the Predacon base. {{storylink|Dark Designs}} Tricked by a [[Clone One|clone of Dinobot]], Primal sent Rattrap with the clone to investigate a possible Predacon base. Instead, while Rattrap was crossing a log over a lava flow, the clone kicked the log out from under him. Rattrap survived, landing on a rock and using a grenade to get himself out of the chasm. He swiftly warned Primal and Cheetor, but by the time they reached base, Dinobot had already... dealt with the clone. {{storylink|Double Dinobot}}

[[File:The Trigger Rattrap optimus.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|You call it "hi-jacking". I call it "forced donation".]]

Rattrap and the other Maximals later welcomed [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] to the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]]. {{storylink|The Spark}} During a contact with Tigatron, Rattrap was alarmed to hear his comrade was under Predacon attack. After news came in by Cyberbee that Tigatron had discovered an alien-built [[Brigadoon|flying island]], the Maximals were alarmed to hear that Blackarachnia and Scorponok were trying to take control of it. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 1}} Rattrap and Primal headed for the island, tangling with Terrorsaur and Waspinator on the way, Rattrap commandeering Terrorsaur as his new ride. After they reached the island, Blackarachnia took control of it. Rattrap's leg became trapped, and he told Tigatron to go on, dealing with the problem himself by using the island's own defense system. This also provided a crucial distraction, allowing Tigatron to destroy the island's power source. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 2}}

Megatron's latest gambit involved the Predacons stealing the ''Axalon''<nowiki>'</nowiki> [[rectifier coil]], forcing the Maximals to remain in their beast modes at all time. The Maximals soon succumbed to their base animal insincts, wandering out into the jungle, but were aided by Tigatron, who helped them to delete the block between their instincts and Maximal programming. Rhinox and Rattrap improvised a ratball special during the ensuing battle. {{storylink|Call of the Wild}}

Rattrap was part of the group of Maximals who were searching for energon when Scorponok triggered an explosion, blinding them all. Lead by Rhinox, they attempted to make their way back to the ''Axalon'', but were attacked by a snake. Though Rattrap failed to rescue Cheetor, he did manage to save his companion in a way, by proving a more attractive meal. Luckily for him, Rhinox got rid of the snake. They continued on, managing to nearly reach the Maximal base when they came under attack by Terrorsaur and Waspinator. Rhinox was able to guide the other Maximals in fighting the Predacons off while blinded. {{storylink|Dark Voyage}} After a violent storm damaged the Maximal base, making it vulnerable, the Predacons mounted an attack with the help of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], who had possessed Waspinator's body. The Predacons triumphed, expelling the Maximals into the wilderness, however the Predacon occupation didn't last long, as internal conflict in their ranks allowed the Maximals to retake their base. {{storylink|Possession}}

[[File:Low Road Rattrap Dinobot fight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|YOU THERE! STFU!]]

Another costly incident resulted when Rattrap and Dinobot were ordered to clear rampant wild bean vines growing outside the Maximal base. A prank by Rattrap quickly turned into a brawl between the two. Their struggle continued even when the Predacons launched a sneak attack, requiring Rhinox to exit the base to provide covering fire for them. Tarantulas used the distraction to inject Rhinox with an [[energon discharge virus]], which eventually wore down his systems to the point of near-deactivation. Primal ordered Rattrap and Dinobot to find Tarantulas's lair and retrieve an antidote, commenting: "They'll either learn to work together or they'll destroy each other...right now, I don't care which." Despite continuing their argument the whole time, Rattrap and Dinobot managed to find [[Tarantulas's lair]], and retrieve the counter-virus. {{storylink|The Low Road}}

After Megatron called for a truce, Rattrap was sent with Airazor to infiltrate the ''Darksyde'' to find out what was going on. They were immediately detected and asked to leave, but they'd provided the necessary distraction for Tigatron to get into the Predacon base. Rattrap later took part in a (non-violent) operation to aid Tigatron's escape, and Tigatron reported that Megatron had discovered that the aliens were coming. {{storylink|Before the Storm}} Rattrap and Airazor were first to reach the alien landing site, but Rattrap was blasted, while Airazor became trapped in the [[Bio-Dome|"nutty alien bungalow"]] which sprouted up. After dealing with Waspinator in a not at all non-violent manner, Rattrap attempted to cut into the structure using a laser, but was unsuccessful. fortunately Scorponok's sting allowed him to enter the construct with Optimus, and he was able to pull Airazor out, only to find the truce was over and he was at Predacon gunpoint.

[[File:OtherVoices1 Rattrap beast mode.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|RataTOING!!!]]

Rattrap and Airazor were subsequently able to overpower the Predacons and make a retreat when Optimus's escape from the bungalow provided a distraction. High above, one of the moons opened up, revealing what Rattrap would later dub the "[[Planet Buster]]". {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 1}} Returning to base, the Maximals discovered it had been compromised, and Rattrap and Airazor found Blackarachnia in the hold with a spacecraft Tarantulas had constructed from a stasis pod. Optimus would later pilot the stasis pod, using it to destroy the Planet Buster and save the Maximals, though at the cost of his own life. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}

The destruction of the Planet Buster caused a [[quantum surge]], mutating Cheetor and Rattrap into new [[Transmetal]] forms (which Rattrap decided were "gorgeous"). Rattrap gained a new wheeled mode which afforded him more speed. Almost immediately, Megatron, who had also received an upgrade, attacked, and the two Maximals found their new forms being tested in battle. Rattrap was able to use his wiles to trip Megatron, but ended up being crashed into by Cheetor. {{storylink|Aftermath}} After finding a stasis pod containing a [[blank]], Rhinox put himself into some sort of trance-like state. With everyone else out in the field, Rattrap was left alone in the base, and Cheetor naturally soon radioed to warn him that the Predacons were on their way. Naturally any use of the base defenses would interfere with what Rhinox was doing, so, joined by Dinobot, Rattrap set out to defend the base with Cheetor. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}}

[[File:Coming of the Fuzors 2 Dinobot Rattrap.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|They should make a kart game for the Wii out of this scene.]]

Outnumbered two to one, the trio fought on, capturing [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]], one of the two [[Fuzor]]s who had revived and been co-opted into the Predacon forces by Megatron. Though Dinobot favored termination, Rattrap and Cheetor had Silverbolt put in a [[CR chamber]]. The Maximals continued to defend the base, and were on the verge of defeat, until Optimal Primal appeared, reborn in a Transmetal body, and fought the Predacons off. Resuming command, Optimus asked Rattrap to remove his junk from the commander's quarters. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}

With Silverbolt now a Maximal, he and Rattrap were out patrolling when they were sent to investigate a Predacon signal and tangled with Blackarachnia, Tarantulas and [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]]. To Rattrap's chagrin, his comrade refused to strike Blackarachnia because of her gender. When the cave the Predacons were protecting exploded, Rattrap congratulated Silverbolt on his shot, but Silverbolt denied doing anything. {{storylink|Tangled Web}}

Rattrap's relationship with Dinobot was sorely tested when Dinobot temporarily returned to the Predacon side. For one long moment, as Dinobot was faced with a test of Predacon loyalty at Megatron's behest, Rattrap truly believed that Dinobot was about to slag him. But Dinobot proved unable to kill his erstwhile teammate; he instead turned on Megatron. Optimus left the final decision over whether Dinobot could stay a Maximal to Rattrap, who reluctantly agreed. {{storylink|Maximal, No More}}

[[File:OtherVisits2 Rattrap with gun.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Showing a surprising distate for color clashing, Rattrap repainted his gun when he became a [[Transmetal]].]]

Rattrap and Dinobot were assigned to knock out a Predacon jamming tower. They eventually managed it, but by then Tigatron and Airazor had been shot into space by an alien device. After rendezvousing back at base, the Maximals headed out to the site, where the alien device sprouted into a huge [[Metal Hunter|construct]] and blasted everyone with an energy wave. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 1)}} The Transmetals and Fuzors recovered quickly, and Primal and Rattrap worked to drop the [[refractive web]] which Tarantulas had placed over the machine. Unfortunately they were too late to prevent Megatron taking control of ship, and Primal was taken prisoner. Rattrap was able to take Tarantulas captive, returning the Predacon to the ''Axalon'', where they formulated a plan of attack. While the other Maximals provided a distraction, Tarantulas and Rattrap got on board the ship, and Rattrap was able to rescue Optimus. The craft itself was destroyed when Tarantulas sabotaged the transwarp drive, but luckily Primal and Rattrap got clear in time. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 2)}}

[[File:CodeofHero Rattrap salutes.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Like I said, you're just a blasted, slag-spouting saurian, but... it's nice to know where ya stand.]]
Rattrap still give Dinobot grief about his recent betrayal—not the usual flippant insults, either, but genuine barbs that cut Dinobot to the quick. Rattrap's words helped motivate Dinobot into what would ultimately be his heroic final sacrifice to save the future of the human race. Rattrap arrived at the battlefield along with the other Maximals to find Dinobot damaged beyond recovery. His reaction was perhaps the strongest of any of the team. The two shared final words of both insult and reconciliation, Rattrap gingerly holding Dinobot's hand as he died. As Dinobot's spark left his body, Rattrap was the first to stand and, with utter sincerity, salute the fallen hero. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}

While searching for a jamming tower, Rattrap, Cheetor and Silverbolt discovered a crashed stasis pod containing a [[Transmutate (BW)|strangely mutated Transformer]]. As they fought the Predacons over, it, it let out a sonic cry which shorted out the Maximals. {{storylink|Transmutate (episode)|Transmutate}}

[[File:Rattrap-slimpickins5.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|Rattrap fights to prevent Predacon infiltration, subversion, and pollution of the Maximals' precious bodily fluids.]]
When Rhinox's calculations suggested that the [[transwarp wavefront]] from the Planet Buster explosion would soon be detected by [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the Maximals celebrated their impending rescue. Instead they got Predacon secret agent [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], who Rattrap trusted only slightly less than he initially did Dinobot. Despite his misgivings, Rattrap took part in the assault on the ''Darksyde'', and was present for Megatron's apprehension. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} Rattrap raised the alarm when Cheetor was knocked out by Silverbolt, who wanted to go capture Blackarachnia himself. A while later, Rattrap's distrust of Ravage proved well founded—Ravage was turned against them by Megatron, and Rattrap had to radio a warning to Primal. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}}

As Ravage's [[Transwarp cruiser]] attacked the ''Axalon'', Rattrap used his wheeled beast mode to launch himself out of the base and onto Ravage's ship. Tearing his way through its hull, he tossed a pair of [[Fusion weaponry#Fusion grenade|fusion grenade]]s right into the hands of the startled Tarantulas, who could do nothing but scream as they blew him to bits and destroyed the cruiser's engines. Rattrap bailed out as the Transwarp cruiser crashed its destructive way to earth, having pretty much single-handedly saved the Maximals and their base from destruction.

The next day, as the Maximals tried to infiltrate the Autobot vessel the Ark, Rattrap fired the shot that brought down the Ark's shields and—almost—gave the Maximals a chance to stop Megatron's last-ditch scheme to alter history. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}}

Though Blackarachnia turned against Megatron and assisted the Maximals in starting to repair the damage Megatron had done to [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], Rattrap was not particularly sympathetic, threatening to shoot her, even on pain of injury by Silverbolt. When Optimus hesitated in shooting Megatron, Rattrap volunteered to do it himself, and Primal batted him aside. Later still, Rattrap spared no sarcasm in mocking Silverbolt, after the other Maximal gave a long melodramatic speech over Blackarachnia, offering the services of his invisible violin. The Maximals were forced to move in to the cavern housing the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] after [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] destroyed the ''Axalon''. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}}

[[File:Rattrap-subaquatic2.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|"Scientist, super spy, gardener, construction worker, and now marine explorer. Maybe I should try tap dancing."]]

Rattrap wasn't impressed with new arrival [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], declaring him rude and joking the Predacons would make fish sticks out of him. {{storylink|Deep Metal}} Rattrap was picked for a mission to enter the submerged remains of the ''Axalon'' and retrieve Sentinel, mostly because he was the only one small enough to fit in the [[subaquatic stealth vessel]] which Blackarachnia had built. Attacked by Rampage, he was glad to see Depth Charge coming to the rescue, though Depth Charge was more interested in fighting Rampage than helping with the mission. Extracting the Sentinel module, Rattrap returned to the surface where Silverbolt was waiting, however the pair quickly ran into a group of Predacons whole stole Sentinel. Though Rattrap and Silverbolt got it back, they collided with Depth Charge, resulting in Sentinel falling into [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]]'s hands. Rattrap later had some uncomplimentary things to say about Depth Charge, but was forced to admit the other Maximal ''had'' saved his life. {{storylink|Changing of the Guard}}

Rattrap's suspicions of Blackarachnia continued when he spotted her lurking around restricted areas. When later telling Rhinox about it, Rattrap made it clear he still didn't trust the ex-Predacon. He and Rhinox found themselves defending the base alone against a Predacon incursion, when the others were all out battling a group of [[Cyber raptor]]s. Just as it seemed the Predacons would triumph, Depth Charge arrived to lend a hand, and saved Rattrap's bacon. {{storylink|Cutting Edge}} Rattrap monitored Cheetor, after the latter had turned up, having been missing presumed killed. He was startled by noises coming from Cheetor's quarters, and was even more shocked when a strange feral beast burst through the door, apparently spiriting away Cheetor. A while later, Cheetor once again returned, but it was clear all wasn't right, and Rattrap was surprised to discover that the young bot had been mutated by the strange properties of the [[transmetal driver]]. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 2}}

Blackarachnia didn't appreciate Rattrap's insinuations about her loyalty when the Maximals were investigating the possibility of removing her Predacon shell program. His suspicions were seemingly confirmed a while later, when Silverbolt's scan detected Blackarachnia heading for Predacon territory. Although Rattrap's first instinct was to tell Optimus, Silverbolt managed to talk him out of it by bringing up Rattrap's friendship with Dinobot. {{storylink|Proving Grounds}}

[[File:Go with the Flow Rattrap Una.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left]]

Rattrap was amused by Cheetor's attempts to educate [[Chak]] and [[Una]], two young [[Protohuman]]s. When Una was kidnapped by the Preds in order to complete Megatron's [[disruptor cannon]], Rattrap was teamed up with Depth Charge to go rescue the kid. During the flight, they were shot down by Megatron's cannon, disabling Depth Charge and leaving Rattrap to go on alone. Though outnumbered by the Predacons, Rattrap was aided by Una herself, and the pair made their escape, using Depth Charge as a raft. {{storylink|Go with the Flow}} When Blackarachnia's shell program began to degrade, and she downloaded the Ark's access codes into Optimus, Rattrap commented "You couldn't pay me to let that spider inside my processor", which prompted Cheetor and Silverbolt to tell him to keep his opinions to himself. He still defended the base to try and prevent the operation to save Blackarachnia from failing, even if it did fail in the end (she got better). {{storylink|Crossing the Rubicon}} Megatron's next plan saw Quickstrike taking control of Optimus Primal, disabling the other Maximals and locking them in a cage. Blackarachnia released them all in time to fight off a newly upgraded Megatron. {{storylink|Master Blaster}}

When the Predacon base was destroyed by the arrival of [[Tigerhawk]], Rattrap was the first, and only Maximal prepared to celebrate, but was puzzled when anyone failed to return his high-five. {{storylink|Other Victories}} He was skeptical that Tigerhawk's arrival had anything to do with the [[Covenant of Primus]], and was later dismayed to learn that Megatron had pulled an ace out of his sleeve, in the form of the ancient [[Decepticon]] warship, the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', and they were going to have to defend the Ark against the oncoming attack. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}

[[File:Nemesis2-Maximals.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
With the ''Nemesis'' airborne, the Maximals were forced to try to implement [[Operation Eternity]]. Rattrap found himself having to pack up his collection of Predacon parts, which has particularly full of Waspinator bits, as Rhinox explained that they might need to move the Ark. The Maximals struggled to get the ship working, and Blackarachnia found that Rattrap's [[sword]]-tail made a perfect power conduit... once she snipped off the tip. OW. Of course, it quickly melted when they tried and failed to fire up the engines.

As the victorious Maximals left Earth in a refitted Autobot shuttle, Rattrap was more than surprised to learn that [[Dinobot II|old chopper face's clone]] was responsible for saving them, but very happy—they were going home, and they wouldn't have to see Megatron until after they got there, as he was strapped to the roof of their shuttle. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
{{-}}

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Scott McNeil]] (English), [[Kappei Yamaguchi]] (Japanese)|[[Ignacio Castaño]] (Castilian Spanish), [[Alexandre Moreno]] (Portuguese), [[Daniel Abundis]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Gerald Schaale]] (German), [[Nicolas Dubois]] (French), [[Fabrizio Manfredi]] (Italian)}}

[[File:MasteroftheHouse Rattrap.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right|Look, if you're not going to keep your technorganic body clean, it'll be taken away from you.]]

After the Beast Wars ended, the Maximals finally made it back to Cybertron, only to be shot down, hunted and attacked by legions of [[Vehicon (BM)|mindless tank drone Transformers]]. The drones unleashed a virus on the Maximals, devolving them back into their organic beast forms and erasing any prior memory of the event. Rattrap was hiding in a [[Monorail transport|monorail car]] when [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Primal]] stumbled upon him. Although Rattrap wanted to hide in the train car, Primal snatched him up and escaped just as the tank drones fired upon him. Primal's newfound intuition soon reunited the pair with [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]. Primal then led them to the ancient [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] computer, which reformatted them into new, techno-organic bodies, curing the virus.

In his new form, Rattrap became a large green rat with a "toolkit" on his back, containing such things as flashlights and computer ports. When they first faced a platoon of [[Cycle Drone]]s, the Maximals discovered that they were unable to transform. Rattrap asked if maybe they could return the upgrade, but Optimus soon stumbled on the fact that they needed to focus their inner selves in order to transform. {{storylink|The Reformatting}}

Optimus set about teaching the other Maximals how to transform, but Rattrap had an immense amount of trouble, unable to get anything to happen. Their base discovered, the Maximals split up to find a new one, Rattrap accompanying Optimus on his search. When they later tried to gain entry to the [[Council Citadel]], Rattrap found his inability to transform caused him to be pretty much useless in battle. He was only saved from some Tank drones by Optimus interrupting [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s concentration. {{storylink|Master of the House}}

The other Maximals kept the Vehicons busy while Rattrap broke into the [[Cybertron Archives]], only to find the ancient library had been wiped clean. After a disorderly retreat, Rattrap followed Blackarachnia to the spaceport, where they encountered three new [[Vehicon general]]s. They managed to evade the trio and accessed the spaceport records of their arrival, discovering that there had been six of them on the shuttle. Blackarachnia headed for the shuttle's location, and Rattrap overheard a communication from Megatron indicating that he was going to access her mind when she accessed the shuttle computer. Rattrap dashed to the shuttle and cut the connection in time, and the pair were subsequently rescued from the three generals by Optimus and Cheetor. {{storylink|Fires of the Past}}

[[File:Mercenary Pursuits Rattrap 2heads.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|left|"My grandmother was caught snogging with Star Upper in a private zoo in 1919, so now I have a talking boil on my neck."]]

The discovery of information about [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] reawakened memories of them in the Maximals, who set out to find the missing pair. During the search, Rattrap found a transformation enhancer in a laboratory and, frustrated at his inability to transform, used it. Unfortunately it caused unpredictable effects, resulting in the four Maximals being captured by [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]]. Taken to Megatron, the Maximals were in danger of having their sparks extracted, however Rattrap's spontaneous random transformations broke him free of the energon bonds, and he was able to free everyone. With the help of Tankor, who Optimus temporarily convinced to help them, the Maximals escaped. {{storylink|Mercenary Pursuits}}

Rattrap's failure to master transforming continued to frustrate him, causing him to snap at Primal and bluntly suggest the Maximal leader save his concern for Rhinox and Silverbolt. The Maximals subsequently encountered another Maximal, [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]], who had survived Megatron's purge. After a brief battle with [[Aero Drone]]s, during which Rattrap was forced to hide, Nightscream took the Maximals to the tree he had been living off. Rattrap, Blackarachnia and Optimus ate fruit from the tree, causing their beast instincts to overcome them, until Cheetor blasted the tree. {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit}}

[[File:Rattrap bm robotmode.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|right|They see me rollin', they hatin'.]]

With Optimus Primal weakened after reformatting Nightscream, Cheetor was left in charge, and he, Rattrap and Blackarachnia went on a mission to a Vehicon factory in search of information. While under orders to access the computer, Rattrap saw Nightscream in what looked like deadly peril... and finally found that his concern for others allowed him to transform. Though he realised straight away that his new [[robot mode]] lacked weapons, he attempted to save Nightscream anyway, only to discover he'd bungled an ambush his friends were planning. While trying to stop the factory operating, he managed to send a massive surge through the computer system, destroying the factory- at the same time temporarily crippling Megatron and putting his drone armies out of commission.

Back at base, Cheetor chewed out his behaviour. To make matters worse, he compounded the problem by transforming to robot mode within the base to prove that he could- something that potentially allowed the Vehicons to track their position. Though he suddenly realised that the power surge he'd caused had made Megatron weak, the other Maximals refused to follow his suggestion that pressing to the attack might be a good idea, and he would later overhear them discussing what to do about him. Upset, he left the base and went to Megatron, offering to protect the Vehicon leader overnight in return for "noisemakers", and was provided with a massive armored suit. As the other Maximals arrived, accusing him of being a traitor, tensions mounted between the two. Indeed, this controversial decision almost brought him to blows with the other Maximals, until Primal arrived and talked him down, telling the other Maximals that Rattrap was stronger than they knew. As a result, Rattrap abandoned the armored suit and walked into the sunlight with the other four Maximals. {{storylink|The Weak Component}}

Not long afterwards, the Maximals found a factory full of empty Transformer bodies, which Rattrap examined. and discovered that the sparks had been forcibly ripped out. After another skirmish with the Vehicons, Blackarachnia revealed she'd discovered that the three generals held the sparks of their missing friends. {{storylink|Revelations Part I: Discovery|Discovery}} While Nightscream and Blackarachnia kept the other Vehicon generals busy, Rattrap and Cheetor went on a special mission. Rattrap hacked into Tankor's processor, unlocking memories about what had happened when they reached Cybertron. It didn't take long before he realised that Tankor was actually Rhinox. {{storylink|Revelations Part II: Descent|Descent}} Though Cheetor was skeptical, they revived Tankor, only to find themselves being chased across the city by the enraged Vehicon. Eventually, Primal was able to reawaken Rhinox's personality, only for the Maximals to discover their friend had turned against him. Though Rattrap was about to reprogram Tankor, he was prevented by Optimus, and could only watch as their friend left. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse|Apocalypse}}

[[File:Survivor Rattrap takes cover.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Cowering away from Zoisite.]]

While Rattrap was trying to extract memories from Nightscream, the young Maximal's snide comments about the fact they had lost the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] angered him. The Maximals attempted to find the chamber containing the fruit tree again, leading to a fight with the Vehicons during which everyone was knocked out, and Nightscream abducted. The Maximals managed to find him, leading them to battle more Vehicons, and the discovery of a [[fossil chamber|fossil cave]] which they would use for their base. {{storylink|Survivor}} With Optimus and Cheetor now constantly coming to blows over leadership decisions, Rattrap would often find himself in the middle of their arguments. The latest such argument was cut short when the Maximals discovered a quantity of [[organic goop]], which was followed by the appearance of Tankor, who used the [[Key to Vector Sigma]] to turn Nightscream into [[Living metal|technomatter]] before himself overloading. As they'd discovered that the organic goop would cure the technomatter sickness, Rattrap accompanied Primal and Cheetor in trying to obtain a [[Mole Drone]] in order to drill for more goo. Having commandeered one and cured the technomatter, Rattrap found himself in the middle of another argument, and this time left them to it, forcing them to talk about their disagreement. {{storylink|The Key}}

[[File:Catalyst Rattrap vine uhoh.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|He hurt it through the grapevine.]]
Searching the computers for more locations to find the organic goop, Rattrap stumbled on a catalyst planted there by Tankor. He used it to superaccelerate the plant growth, only to find himself literally carried away by the vines, and having to be rescued by the other Maximals. They would later use the fast-growing vines to rescue Blackarachnia, against Optimus's wishes, an act that almost spelled doom for the orchard. {{storylink|The Catalyst}} Nonetheless, Rattrap used the catalyst to create plant-bombs that ensnared Vehicons in instant-growth vines. When Optimus discovered the location of the [[plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]], which would end all technological life on Cybertron, the other Maximals persuaded him not to use it. Instead, they had Rattrap attempt to hack into the computers to found a way to disable the Keys. Unfortunately Tankor had other plans, and disabled Rattrap by zapping him into technomatter. {{storylink|End of the Line}}

Restored to technorganic health when the conflicting energies of the Keys and the Plasma Energy Chamber cancelled each other out, the Maximals visited the Council Citadel, where they discovered the remains of Optimus, Megatron and Tankor. Rattrap checked out the city's central core and reported it was flat-lining. Though he was greatly discouraged, Cheetor announced they had to find the lost sparks. After an altercation with the two remaining Vehicon generals, the Maximals went to the Oracle chamber, where they found Primal floating with in the Oracle. Though he asked for them to forgive him, Rattrap told him there was nothing to forgive. With some encouragement from the Maximals and an encounter with the Matrix, Optimus chose life, returning to them.

[[File:PrometheusUnbound Rattrap harness.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|left|"''I'' was Number One all along!!"]]
Returning to the surface, the Maximals were startled when a giant [[Grand Mal|likeness of Megatron]] floated into view. {{storylink|Fallout (episode)|Fallout}} While Optimus tried to contact Megatron's spark, the other Maximals went to look for the Vehicon generals, and found [[Noble (BM)|Noble]], a completely organic [[Transformer]] who had seemingly no control over his transformations into a huge beast dubbed Savage. {{storylink|Savage Noble}} Noble made Rattrap extremely uneasy and he had little sympathy for Nightscream's friendship with the beast. The Maximals broke into the Council Citadel, eventually reaching the throne room, where Rattrap tapped into Megatron's [[control harness]] and attempted to access the encrypted data. He was pulled from the harness by Noble, who it turned out was Megatron himself, trapped in his own organic half. Megatron used [[spark extractor]]s to remove his spark, and soon took up residence in the giant floating head, reactivating the Vehicon drones. After the Maximals retreated to a safe place, Rattrap expressed his sorrow to Nightscream that Noble had turned out to be a con job. {{storylink|Prometheus Unbound}}

Rattrap developed a new device, combining a spark extractor with a [[DNA scanner]], which he hoped to use to reformat the Vehicon generals back into their friends. While searching for Nightscream, he spotted the young Maximal being dragged away by Savage, who was by then sparkless and operating completely on instinct. Believing the worst, Rattrap attempted to quietly rescue Nightscream, but accidentally alerted Savage. The pair fled, and managed to lose Savage by diverting his attention to [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]]. They found that Blackarachnia had used Rattrap's device to turn [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] back into [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and Rattrap was overjoyed to have at least one of their friends back. {{storylink|In Darkest Knight}} A [[Hate Plague]] virus created by Megatron infected the Maximal ranks, causing the Maximals to fight among themselves. With Optimus's help, they realised what was happening and managed to work together to overcome the virus. {{storylink|A Wolf in the Fold}}

A spaceship crash led the Maximals to discover [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]], a Maximal formatted as a plant-based life form, who was able to lend a hand with the failing technorganic crops. {{storylink|Home Soil}} Though the Maximals were finding they had an easier time dealing with just Thrust, Megatron soon introduced two new Vehicon generals—[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]]—who almost got the better of the Maximals until a vision prompted Botanica to lend a hand. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike|The Strike}}

[[File:Sparkwar2 Rattrap generators.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|"All right, so it's not a TARDIS generator, it's just a jammy dodger..."]]
Searching for a way to evade the Vehicons, Rattrap developed [[scrambled field generator]]s, which hid their life signs. Rattrap and Botanica were paired up to search for the lost sparks, but spent most of their search bickering, only to encounter Strika. Fleeing, they hid in a handy building which turned out to contain a [[Holo-chip|holographic entertainment unit]], much to Rattrap's delight. While he was immersed in an illusion, Strika attacked. Botanica yanked him out of the holographic world, and he subsequently used the device to keep Strika occupied. Though he was inordinately pleased with himself, Botanica dragged him from the building, saying the hologram wouldn't hold Strika for long. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search|The Search}}

As the Maximals intended to infiltrate the floating head in search of the missing sparks, Rattrap provided upgraded versions of his scrambled field generators. They were used to great effect, as Rattrap, Primal, Blackarachnia and Botanica snuck aboard the flying head, only to discover that Megatron had begun to devour the missing sparks as part of his ascension. After Megatron made the mistake of killing Noble, Nightscream used his sonic attack to blast and apparently dissipate Megatron's spark. With the floating head plummeting, Rattrap managed to activate the manual controls so that Optimus could take control of it. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege|The Siege}}

After the Maximals had celebrated their foe's demise, Optimus assigned Botanica and Rattrap to tend to the [[technorganic orchard]], much to Rattrap's dismay. He continued to complain, even as he worked on the orchard, and got into an intense argument with Botanica, which abruptly ended when they accidentally [[Kiss|locked lips]]. Startled and embarrassed, they both decided to delete their memories of the incident. As it turned out, Megatron wasn't gone after all, and his spark possessed a Cycle Drone, which wreaked havoc in the orchard until Botanica destroyed it. Rattrap swiftly found a way to track the spark, and managed to repolarize it, allowing it to finally possess a body for good—that of a [[Diagnostic Drone]]. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

[[File:BMEndgame1 Rattrap Botanica dying.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|"See?! Botanica's no longer GOING to be in the show! ''I HOPE YOU'RE SATISFIED, FANDOM.''"]]
Soon the Maximals found themselves sieged aboard the giant head. The ship's shields cut Botanica from Cybertron's organic core, slowly starving her. Desperate to save her, Rattrap loaded her into a lifepod and used a device to eject her through the shields. Unfortunately this also allowed Megatron to learn the shield harmonics, enabling the Vehicons to bypass the shields as well. Rattrap defended his actions, but the ship was doomed. He erected a stasis field around the [[spark containment unit]] as the ship plunged to the ground. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. I: The Downward Spiral|The Downward Spiral}} With the ship completely depowered, Botanica showed up with a power cable, and Rattrap was extremely happy to see her, though he clumsily hid it. As they prepared to defend the ship, Botanica thanked Rattrap for saving her life. Optimus was able to get the Oracle to provide them with spark powerups.

[[File:Rattrap bm treehugger.jpg|right|upright=1.4|thumb|A little man and a big plant.]]
During the battle against the Vehicon drones, Botanica sensed Mole Drones attacking the orchard, and took Rattrap and Nightscream down to fight them off. The Moles moved in on Botanica, but Rattrap used his spark power to whisk her out of danger. Megatron was able to use his access to the Oracle to cut off the Maximals' spark power, and, overcome by the Moles, Rattrap and Botanica had their sparks ripped out by Cycle Drones. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall|When Legends Fall}}

Though no longer able to physically help, the Maximals were able to offer brief words of encouragement to Primal during his final battle with Megatron. When Primal's sacrifice triggered the reformatting of Cybertron, their sparks were freed and quickly returned to their bodies. As they witnessed the newly greened Cybertron and the restored population, Rattrap leapt joyfully into Botanica's arms. So he's a tree hugger. Deal with it. His and Botanica's romantic moment was interrupted by [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (now regular wasp size and with his [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] head) complaining about how he never gets what he wants, Rattrap just swatted him away. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future|Seeds of the Future}}
{{-}}

====Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity====
=====''Cloud''=====
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Wild (Cloud)|Wild}}}}

=====''Legends'' comic=====
[[File:Legends Rattrap fanboy.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
Following the [[Great Transformation]], the Maximals learned that Rhinox's spirit had crossed over into the [[Legends World|Legends Universe]], an alternate dimension where they were all fictional characters. Intrigued, Rattrap volunteered to go search for Rhinox, and was reformatted into his original Earth body for the trip. On arrival, he found to his surprise that he and his friends existed in the Legends world as small, cute versions of themselves, and ended up signing an autograph for his own alternate self, who was a huge ''Beast Wars'' fan. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Rattrap)|Bonus Edition Rattrap}} When Waspinator, who had come with him to this universe, started causing trouble, Rattrap set out to stop him. He rebuffed the other Rattrap's offer to help, believing him too small and weak, but his other self revealed that he could transform into a proper Transformer nigh-identical to the original Rattrap. The two teamed up against Waspinator, only to find he was possessed by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], who was too strong for them. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Waspinator)|Bonus Edition Waspinator}} In the end, Starscream was defeated by the ghost of Rhinox, who Rattrap was overjoyed to see again. After Rhinox had been provided with a new body, Rattrap returned with him to their [[Primax 1097.01 Alpha|home dimension]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Rhinox)|Bonus Edition Rhinox}}
{{--}}

====3H comics====
{{voiceactor|[[Scott McNeil]] (English)}}

[[File:Terminus-Rattrap.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right]]
Silverbolt and Rattrap came upon [[Packrat]] and [[Onyx Primal]] battling the Predacons [[Vice Grip]] and [[Fractyl]]. Although Silverbolt was gung-ho as always when it came to rescue fellow Maximals, Rattrap didn't want to bother, them being "repaints" and all. Silverbolt disregarded Rattrap's commentary and charged right in. Apparently, their phenomenal entrance took out half the landscape. It must have really been something to see. After the Predacons were driven off, Rattrap asked the two "promotional items" if they had gotten around to acquiring the "episode's McGuffin". The others admitted that they had lost the item. The Maximals were then attacked by [[Antagony (BW)|mysterious shadowy figure]]. Thankfully, Optimus Primal soon came around to help out with the situation. {{storylink|Visitations}}

Later, Rattrap and the other Maximals set out to investigate a temporal anomaly detected by Rhinox. They encountered the Predacons en route. The two factions were locked in a firefight, though the advantage lay with the Predacons. Rattrap, as always, made his displeasure over the situation vocal. After Megatron took off to reach the time-traveller that both teams had previously detected, Optimus was forced to pursue him, leaving his troops against insurmountable odds. This, of course, prompted Rattrap to make more smart-ass comments about the Maximals' situation. The Predacons eventually began to push the Maximals back towards a cliffside. Then, suddenly, Predacon fire ceased entirely. The situation had not become any safer however, the Maximals now had to contend with [[Windrazor (BW)|Windrazor]], the aforementioned time-traveler, possessed by Unicron's dark essence. Though Windrazor was able to expunge Unicron from his systems, the much more powerful Shokaract appeared immediately aftwerwards... {{storylink|Paradox}}

Shokaract grabbed hold of Optimus in an attempt to rip his spark from his body. Simultaneously, the evil overlord unleashed a torrent of projectiles, which Rattrap desperately attempt to avoid, with only semi-success. Once Shokaract was defeated space-time rebooted itself with the disappearance of the Dark Essence from the past, and these events were erased from Rattrap's timeline. {{storylink|Terminus (issue)|Terminus}}

During the [[Quintesson]] invasion of the newly techno-organic Cybertron, Rattrap was with Botanica when she sensed a disturbance in the earth. He and Nightscream joined her in tracing her feelings underground, where they encountered a Quintesson named [[Al-Badur]]. After Al-Badur proved his good intentions (for the moment) by disabling a large number of the invading [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]]s, Rattrap and his friends agreed to follow the Quint to the site of the [[Wrecker]]s' battle.

The combined Autobots and Maximals were drafted to assist [[Sentinel Maximus]] in his conflict with [[Cryotek (Universe)|Cryotek]]. Naturally, Al-Badur betrayed them when he saw a chance, trapping Sentinel and Cryotek behind a force field over a spatial portal, and nearly snaring Rattrap and the others as well. Worse still, the unique composition of the Quintesson portal chamber resisted the effects of the reformatting, and was completely blocked off from the planet's organic core. Without that link, Botanica was fading fast. Rattrap and Nightscream got her to safety and returned to help, but ultimately there was nothing to be done. Sentinel Maximus grabbed hold of Cryotek and pulled him into the yawning portal, sacrificing himself to remove the Predacon gangster from Cybertron.

Afterwards, Rattrap and the others mourned their losses, including the fabled Autobot leader [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]]. They were nearly caught up in [[Rook (Universe)|Rook]]'s media coverage on the way out of the underground, but Rattrap side-stepped the camera-bot. He offered the Wreckers' ally [[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]] a restored commission as [[Imperial Peace Marshal|Peace Marshall]] in the [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] territories, but the hunter declined. {{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}

[[File:Rattrap legs.jpg|left|thumb|Legs! Precious, beautiful legs!]]
Approximately one year later, Rattrap was among the Maximals gathered at the [[Memorial Spaceport]] to greet the wayward [[Autobot]]s [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], [[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]], and [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]] back to Cybertron. He welcomed Trailbreaker back in his own unique fashion (involving intoxicants, naturally). Seconds later, Rattrap bore witness as the five travelers were abducted by Unicron. {{storylink|Abduction}}

When Optimus Primal was restored to life and returned to Cybertron with the abductees, Rattrap was there to witness their arrival. {{storylink|Escape (Universe)|Escape}} Despite Primal's miraculous return, some of the Maximals voiced concerns that he might not be the same 'bot they once knew, but Rattrap vowed that this time, he was with Primal all the way.

Not long after, needing to blow off steam, Rattrap headed down to the [[Undercity]]. While firing off a blaster at nothing in particular, he was attacked on Cybertron by Blackarachnia, who had been abducted and [[Unicron virus|corrupted]] by the Chaos-Bringer. Rattrap noted that he had never trusted Blackarachnia, and she replied that he was right not to do so. She was seconds away from delivering a killing strike, but Rattrap was saved by the recently resurrected [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]]. After the spider was driven off, Depth Charge started to leave. Rattrap pleaded with him that there was obviously something big afoot, but Depth Charge would not be swayed, taking his leave as the injured Rattrap passed out. {{storylink|Homecoming (Universe)|Homecoming}}

Later in the [[Universe War]], Rattrap was part of a team sent to rescue several would-be abductees of Unicron from a barren, icy planetoid. Rattrap was left upset that it was becoming increasingly hard to insult people, not sure why they bothered keeping ex-enemy [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] around, and wishing he had bought a copy of ''Universe 1/2'' so he could understand the plot. When [[Sunstorm (Universe)|Sunstorm]] attacked, the Beast Warriors were luckily warped to the passing Autobot ship ''[[OTFCC (ship)|OTFCC]]'' before being wiped out. {{storylink|Voice Actor Drama}}

====''Universe'' comic====
[[File:Escape-extraRattrap.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|THERE. ARE. TWO. RATTRAPS.]]
The technorganic Rattrap of [[Primax 1103.12-R Gamma]] was abducted by [[Unicron]], as was [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] and, from earlier in their reality's timeline, [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]]. Unlike Terrorsaur, Rattrap and Thrust held out against Unicron's corrupting influence, arguably becoming [[Child of Primus|Children of Primus]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/20}} Rattrap was freed along with many other abductees in a jailbreak engineered by [[Primax 797.18 Epsilon|another universe]]'s [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] and presumably returned to his home universe. {{storylink|Escape (Universe)|Escape}}

====Dreamwave ''Armada'' comic====
When the [[Herald of Unicron|Heralds of Unicron]] destabilized the Decepticon [[space bridge nexus]], causing the space bridges to become windows to other dimensions, [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] caught a glimpse of Tigatron and Rattrap in one of the portals. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 4 of 4}}

====Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity====
[[File:AintNoRat Rattrap target.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left|There is a checkbook in the left pocket of my fatigues! I will pay you all of my money to stop!]]
As Rattrap piloted the Autobot shuttle back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], he observed his companions sleeping in back, and drifted off himself, beginning to dream...

:''Out testing an experimental vehicle built by [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], Rattrap ran into [[Dinobot II|Dinobot]], who yanked him out of the small craft. Rattrap's appeals to the Predacon's honor appeared to have an effect, and Dinobot halted his blow for a few moments, before appearing to resume his attack. They were interrupted when a [[Bonecrusher (BW)|bison]] knocked them both from a cliff, and Rattrap was saved from falling to his death by a [[Optimus Minor|monkey]]. Bonecrusher, Optimus Minor and [[Wolfang (Maximal)|Wolfang]] introduced themselves to a startled Rattrap, but Optimus Minor asked him not to tell Primal, as the three Maximals did not wish to fight in the Beast Wars.''

Rattrap was woken up by Primal, but wouldn't elaborate on what he had been dreaming. {{storylink|Ain't No Rat}}

{{BW Shell Game}}
After being shaken out of his nap, Rattrap found his comrades acting unusually hostile. Strange still, he was plagued by visions of Optimus Minor, Bonecrusher, and Wolfang, but couldn't recall who these three were anymore. Rattrap's confused reaction to phantoms no one else could see prompted Optimus to suggest the rodent spent som time in the C.R. Chamber. Rattrap insisted he was fine, but a Transwarp agitator previously planted on the shuttlecraft's exterior by the Predacons upped his crew-mates' aggressiveness, causing them to openly attack Rattrap after he refused to comply to their suggestion. Rattrap fled to the shuttle's cockpit while the rest of his team started turning on one-another. There, he was once more accosted by visions of the three Maximals. Being urged to "turn back" by these apparitions, Rattrap deactivated the ship's transwarp drive, returning it to prehistoric Earth. Though this also caused the other Maximals to return to normal, Megatron took advantage of the situation to escape from his bonds atop of the ship! {{storylink|Shell Game issue 1|Shell Game #1}}
{{-}}

====''Transformers Legends'' anthology====
Not long after Megatron combined his spark with that of the original Megatron, he had Quickstrike plant a device in the Maximal base. The device magnified the Maximals' aggression. For Rattrap, this simply meant that his complaining became even more incessant until Cheetor started chasing him around. Eventually Optimus Primal was able to help them overcome the device's effects, and they fought off Megatron instead. {{storylink|A Meeting of Minds}}

Much later, While [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] and Rattrap were bickering in the [[technorganic orchard]], Megatron's spark animated a [[Cycle Drone|Cycle drone]] and attacked them. After a brief scuffle, the thing exploded, sending the pair diving for cover. Rattrap later worked out that Megatron's spark had become depolarised and attempted to repolarise it. Unfortunately his attempts clued Megatron in to what had happened, and before Rattrap ultimately succeeded, Megatron used the knowledge to destroy Rhinox. {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}

====IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics====
The 'bot that would one day call himself "Rattrap" was aboard the Axalon, along with the rest of its original crew, tasked with performing orbital scans of Cybertron. He managed to annoy his [[Optimus Primal (BW)|superior]] the whole time by teasing the 'bot about his "Optimus Primey" look and behavior. The crew's survey yielded transmatter energy signatures coming from the head of [[Unicron]], in orbit around the planet. But upon their approach, a Transmatter bomb erupted out of the satellite, and the Axalon accidentally came to meet its path. The ship avoided damage thanks to its shields, and the bomb was deflected away from the planet. {{storylink|Dawn of the Predacus}}

As [[Magmatron]] surveyed the events that began the Beast Wars, he witnessed Rattrap looking distressed and suffering from Energon overexposure. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 1|The Gathering #1}}

====''Timelines''====
[[File:Timelines-rattrap.jpg|thumb|Remember kids, always wear your helmet when you transform into a bicycle.]]

While preparing for an exploration mission on board the [[Axalon (BW)|''Axalon'']], the Maximal who would later be called Rattrap and [[Cheetor (BW)|his young companion]] were stuck aboard a space station for weeks, running various errands before their mission could officially begin. Rattrap made no secret of his desire to be [[O'Malley's|somewhere else]]. After acquiring additional [[Energon]] for their trip, they returned to the ''Axalon'' where their captain, [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], notified his crew they had to travel first to the [[Alpha Quadrant]] to rid themselves of [[Rampage (BW)|some mysterious cargo]].

In the middle of Rattrap's objections, the ''Axalon'' was contacted by the [[Maximal High Council|High Council]]. The [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]], a historic Maximal artifact, had been stolen by a rogue group of [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] led by a Predacon criminal who had dubbed himself [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. As the ''Axalon'' was the closest ship with the capabilities to take down the [[Darksyde (BW)|Predacons' stolen ship]], Rattrap and his team were ordered to pursue.

However, before long, their ship was attacked by a [[Buzzsaw and Laserbeak's ship|mysterious Predacon ship]]. After taking some damage, Rattrap was elated to see the ''[[Chromia 10]]'', a second Maximal ship, arrive and help deter their unknown attackers. However, the ''Chromia 10'' and its pilots were severely damaged in the scuffle before Rattrap was able to destroy the unknown Predacon ship with the ''Axalon'''s forward guns.

The battle over momentarily, Rattrap's ship was hailed by Megatron's, and the Predacon criminal introduced himself quickly to them before his ship opened fire on the Maximals. The ''Darksyde'' disappeared through a [[transwarp]] portal, and Rattrap and the Maximals followed. {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}
{{-}}
====''Wings Universe''====
Following the Great Transformation of Cybertron, Rattrap and his friends stood guard over Cheetor as their leader attempted to commune with the Oracle. {{storylink|Hoist the Flag|Alpha Trizer's profile}}

====Razorclaw continuity====
In one splinter timeline of [[Primax 496.22 Alpha]], minor atmospheric perturbations caused [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]]'s stasis pod to crash on the far side of Earth, and absent his presence, Megatron slaughtered all the remaining Maximals except [[Tigatron]] and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/07}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
Due to the temporal machinations of [[Ravage (G1)|Jaguar]] and the subsequent response by the [[Alternity]] in [[G1 World|Primax 785.06 Alpha]], a quantum duplicate of Rattrap from just after the end of the Beast Wars in [[Primax 496.22 Alpha]] was spawned. The Autobot shuttle carrying him was shunted into [[BT World|Primax 903.0 Beta]], where Unicron destroyed the ship, scattering the crew into [[transwarp]] space. The Alternity shepherded the "shipwrecked" Primal, Rhinox, Rattrap, and Silverbolt to [[Viron 102.0 Beta]] in order to fight the similarly shipwrecked Megatron, who schemed to take over this reality's Cybertron by capturing the populace's sparks and converting their bodies into Vehicons. Guided by the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]], Primal's forces fought the long and arduous "Allspark Battles", eventually triumphing over Megatron's Vehicon hordes. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/30}}

====A Change to the Agenda====
After [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] attacked [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and was thrown out of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] when [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] activated the ship's defense systems, Rattrap and the other Maximals attempted to heal the wounded Autobot. However, Megatron was not thrown far enough and the Predacon managed to reenter the Ark and blast the Autobot leader, decisively erasing the Maximals from the timeline. {{storylink|A Change to the Agenda}} In [[Primax 209.0 Gamma|the wildly different timeline]] that followed, Rattrap's life would take [[#Beast Wars: Uprising|a very different track]].

===''Beast Wars Metals'' manga===
[[File:RattrapMetalsMangaIssue1Fre.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Well, at least he's still in character, anyway.]]

Following the [[Quantum surge]], [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] was dead and the [[Maximal]]s were left scattered all over [[Earth|Energoa]]. Now a [[Transmetal]], Rattrap proceeded to freak out all over the Maximal base as [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] attacked in force with his [[Cobra Corps]] and [[Scorpion Corps]]. With [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]]'s defenses gradually depleting, Rattrap remarked that they were all going to die.

Suddenly, [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] appeared above the base, only to be attacked by Sentinel. [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] moved to shut Sentinel down and let her in, but Rattrap stopped him, saying that if he shut it down, they'd die for sure. Rhinox angrily reminded him that Maximals don't turn their backs on one another and shut Sentinel down. Feeling a bit guilty, Rattrap proceeded to use himself to cushion Airazor's crash-landing.

With the defenses down, [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] was able to sneak in and attack. Ripping off Rattrap's arm, Blackarachnia was only spurred to leave after seeing what she thought was Rhinox committing suicide. As the base collapsed, Rattrap, Airazor and Rhinox were kept safe by a small force field, protecting a machine Rhinox hoped would return Optimus Primal to his old body. As Rhinox brought Primal's spark out of [[Transwarp|Transwarp space]], Rattrap blasted it from a laser cannon toward a dish positioned by Airazor, allowing Primal to return to his new Transmetal body. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 1|Beast Wars Metals #1}}

Rattrap later joined Primal and Airazor in investigating the remains of the ''Axalon''. He had his tail eaten by Rampage, who was lying in wait for the Maximals. He and Airazor were ultimately able to defeat the monster by using the ship's missiles to activate undersea volcanos, that blasted the crab sky high. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 2|Beast Wars Metals #2}}

Rattrap was later thrilled to see that his buddy Dinobot was alive, albeit recovering from injuries in a [[protohuman]] village. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 3|Beast Wars Metals #3}}

And after that, Rattrap and Rhinox used their monitors to see Airazor struggling with a mind-controlled Tigatron. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 4|Beast Wars Metals #4}}

And after ''that'', Rattrap's and Rhinox's monitoring skills came in handy again, as they hacked into the security cameras of the ''Ark'' and saw that Megatron was planning to kill [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 5|Beast Wars Metals #5}}

He and Rhinox raced to the ''Ark'' in their vehicle modes, but were too slow to arrive in time to help. They made it there after Primal had taken care of business and were reunited with all the other Maximals who had been separated. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 6|Beast Wars Metals #6}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
:*''First Appearance:'' [[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|''Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye'' #9]] (cameo); [[Three Monologues|''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' #20]] (full appearance)

{{quote|I like to '''do''' good more than '''be''' good.|Rattrap|"[[The Chosen One]]"}}

[[File:PostHoc-Rattrap.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|In IDW continuity, Rattrap goes through his bodies backwards.]]

Rattrap was [[Reproduction#2005 IDW continuity|forged]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}} During the [[Clampdown (event)|Clampdown]], he stood on a street corner outside [[Maccadam's Old Oil House|Maccadam's New Oil House]]. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}}

[[File:ThreeMonologues-Rattrapbeastmode.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3]]

When the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] began, Rattrap joined the Autobots and was deployed to the backwater planet of [[Z'verei]]. While there, he adopted a new alternate mode based off the native [[Z'verein mole-rat]]s and fought Decepticons for millions of years. {{storylink|Three Monologues}} When the war ended and [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] was once more habitable, Rattrap returned home with other Transformers, both combatants and non-combatants. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}}

Tensions eventually boiled over, leading to a brief conflict in postwar Iacon that ended after [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]], supposedly the "Chosen One", {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}} renounced his Decepticon allegiance and exiled the Autobots and Decepticons from the city, prompting several Autobots and Decepticons, including Rattrap, to abandon their old factions. Jealous of [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]]'s growing popularity on the very first night of his rulership, Rattrap approached him and offered his aid to the new ruler of Iacon. Rattrap knew Scoop from before and had never trusted him, even calling him jealous of the more successful bots. Rattrap had the damaged power coupling responsible for the blackout, and called Starscream's attention to the phosphex burn that indicated the power loss was sabotage, and not the result of an overload.

Later that night, Starscream met Scoop while the former Autobot was repairing Iacon's communications array. Rattrap pointed at Scoop's toolbox, indicating it had some dark secret inside. When Scoop descended from the tower, Rattrap got under his feet and caused him to drop his toolbox. The toolbox opened and revealed its contents, including a canister of phosphex. Starscream took advantage of the situation and indicated that Scoop orchestrated the blackout for his own benefit, then ordered him to be incarcerated.

[[File:ThreeMonologues-Rattrap.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3]]

Later still, Rattrap arrived home, where Starscream was already waiting for him, complaining about the dirt and smell of Rattrap's flat. Easily realizing that Rattrap—always evious of the luckier 'bots—had planted the phosphex and caused the blackout in the first place. Amused by Rattrap's opportunism, the Seeker offered Rattrap a job in his new government. {{storylink|Three Monologues}} Shortly afterwards, Starscream was affected by [[Solomus|Tyrest]]'s [[universal killswitch]], sending Rattrap scurrying for cover from this unknown attacker. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}}

As morning came, Rattrap's "ninth sense" started to twitch, warning him of danger. He brought to Starscream's attention the "sunrise" coming over the horizon...and the fact that sunrise was still a few hours away. {{storylink|Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Dawn}} As the [[Quintessa (IDW)|Necrotitan]] emerged from the former site of [[Crystal City]] outside of Iacon, the natives started getting restless. Rattrap brought Starscream down to see Scoop at the detention facility. Scoop informed them of the legends in the [[Covenant of Primes]] about a false prophet and the black titan that would herald him. {{storylink|Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|Black Metal}}

[[File:IntoTheAbyss-nobodysperfect.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3]]

Rattrap began to see the tide of public opinion turning against Starscream in the wake of the "lost prophecy" (which ''somehow'' made its way from Scoop's cell to the general public). After overhearing Starscream admit to killing [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]] as well, Rattrap started to plan for a...different future. He released Scoop from confinement just as Starscream confronted the Necrotitan and seemingly ushered forth a blast of "death plague" that devastated New Iacon and its inhabitants. {{storylink|Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|Winners & Losers}} Rattrap remained at Starscream's side during the clean up efforts, but continued to sow discord against the boss in his own way at the same time. {{storylink|Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss}}

As the Necrotitan marched on New Iacon, Rattrap contacted [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s factions, bringing them back into the city to defend the population where Starscream could not. {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} He began working to evacuate civilians to the Autobot camp on the outskirts of the city. {{storylink|Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Finis Temporis}} When the arrival of the ''Lost Light'' and Metroplex (at Starscream's bidding) turned the tide and saved New Iacon from complete destruction, Rattrap quietly reaffirmed his loyalty to Starscream over Scoop or the others. Starscream, always amused to see another schemer at work, seemingly welcomed Rattrap back with open arms... and a watchful eye. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}}

Starscream and Rattrap joined the Autobots and Decepticons in defense of Cybertron against the billions of [[Ammonite]]s summoned by Shockwave for the final stages of his plan. They teleported into Crystal City with [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]'s help, and assaulted the chronal drive along with the resurrected Metalhawk. The trio were opposed by [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], however, and his ever-changing reactive armor. {{storylink|Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Black Planet}} They succeeded, though, with Metalhawk destroying the drive and Starscream killing Jhiaxus in combat. As the Ammonite army self-destructed, Rattrap tried to get into Starscream's head and play on his doubts on his part in everything that happened, but Starscream firmly warned him not to even try. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}}

[[File:ABotAndHerCity-she.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.7]]

In the aftermath, Megatron - now affiliated with the Autobots- agreed to stand trial for his crimes. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|Words Hang in the Air}} Over the next six months, Starscream began rebuilding his power base in Metroplex, who had integrated himself with the ruins of Iacon. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}} Rattrap kept Starscream up to date on his polls and was present for Megatron's trial on [[Moonbase Two|Luna 2]]. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}}

As the Titan struggled to recuperate from his injuries, Starscream and Rattrap began a new project: illicitly tapping into the Titan's filtration systems to try and retrieve samples of Shockwave's ores. {{storylink|Windblade issue 3|Windblade vol. 1 #3}} At the same time, however, the [[Caminus (planet)|Camien]] [[Cityspeaker]] [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] began investigating a series of blackouts that plagued the city; at a subsequent meeting between Windblade and Starscream, Rattrap was confused as to why everyone referred to Windblade and her bodyguard [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] as "[[Female Transformer|she]]". {{storylink|A 'Bot and Her City}} After Windblade was injured by a mysterious explosion, Rattrap and Starscream paid her a visit to try and intimidate her into cutting off her investigation into Metroplex's inner workings. {{storylink|A Long Way Down}}

Their warnings didn't have much effect; after Starscream and his [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] apprehended her and her co-conspirators in the bowels of the Titan, Rattrap tortured the Camien for information regarding Chromia's whereabouts and the "real" reason why the two colonists had come to Cybertron. Though she uncovered their skullduggery, Windblade also accused the two of arranging the explosion that had temporarily sidelined her, which confused Rattrap. {{storylink|Windblade issue 3|Windblade vol. 1 #3}}

[[File:TheWorldOfTomorrow-RattrapAndWheeljack.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3]]

Some time later, Rattrap stopped the recently revived [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] from seeing Starscream, as his boss as in the throes of a particularly violent nervous breakdown. Among Starscream's many concerns was the not-unfounded fear that Rattrap wanted him dead because then he'd get his job. {{storylink|The World of Tomorrow}} Growing increasingly wary of Starscream's endless ambitions and his worsening mental health, the ex-Autobot began building up a clandestine network of allies to keep his boss in check, starting with [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]], the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s, and Wheeljack. {{storylink|The Possible Light}}

Rattrap's fears would come to pass some months after Windblade's arrival on Cybertron; with the help of Wheeljack, the pair were able to repair Metroplex's [[space bridge]] and use it to reestablish contact with Windblade's homeworld: the ailing colony of Caminus. Rattrap was present as Windblade and Optimus debated foreign policy with Starscream. {{storylink|First Contact (IDW)|First Contact}} Correctly guessing that his boss would annex Caminus and turn it into a puppet state, Rattrap informed Prowl of the situation, and, after watching Starscream indict and imprison his patsy [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], slipped back to Metroplex to summon Prowl and the Constructicons to Cybertron... {{storylink|The Possible Light}} but wasn't pleased to learn that Prowl's plan amounted to becoming [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and smashing the space bridge to cut Cybertron off from the galaxy. {{storylink|Mistakes and Mayhem}}

[[File:AllThatRemains-youtookittoofar.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3]]

Prowl's first plan was easily foiled by Starscream's combiners; after watching Starscream use the [[Enigma of Combination]] to incorporate Scoop and make Devastator loyal to him, Rattrap stole the artifact when Starscream's back was turned, sprang Swindle from his cell, and asked him to create a diversion while Prowl put his backup plan into play. As Swindle and [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] started a Decepticon riot inside Metroplex, Rattrap took the Enigma to the imprisoned Prowl, who used it on himself and some bystanders to create [[Optimus Maximus (G1)|Optimus Maximus]]. {{storylink|You, Me, and the Universe}} As Starscream struggled to control the Decepticon uprising, Rattrap witnessed him shoot Swindle—who had been a willing coconspirator in Starscream's imperialist aims—in the back to silence him. Before he passed out however, Swindle informed Rattrap that he had proof of the deal he made with Starscream to attack Caminus. When Starscream asked if Swindle still lived, Rattrap claimed that Swindle had died. {{storylink|All That Remains}} In the aftermath, Rattrap had Wheeljack help him move Swindle's body so that they could try to save his life and obtain evidence against Starscream. Though he and Wheeljack were able to stabilize Swindle, the Combaticon was brain-dead, and so the pair hid him away instead. {{storylink|Things We Said We'd Never Do}}

With both Starscream's and Prowl's machinations in pieces, Rattrap was appointed the first delegate for Cybertron on the new [[Council of Worlds]]. {{storylink|All That Remains}} Rattrap still wasn't ready to count himself out of the game: after a disastrous reconciliation attempt between Prowl and Optimus Prime, Rattrap spirited Prowl's broken body away, noting that the former tactician had promised Rattrap a victory... {{storylink|Now and On Earth}}

[[File:Windblade6-rattraponeukaris.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]

The formation of the Council led to both Starscream and Windblade travelling off-planet to form new alliances with the various [[Titan (group)|Titan]] colonies. While they were occupied, Rattrap made a jaunt of his own to the colony of [[Eukaris]], populated by xenophobic [[beast mode]] Transformers. The inhabitants were surprised to find a beast-bot claiming to represent Cybertron; though [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] wasn't interested in listening to the "vermin", Rattrap managed to win support for his cause from [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] the [[Fateweaver]] and [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], leader of the [[Fur Walkers|Fur Walker]] tribe. {{storylink|Windblade vol. 2 issue 6|Windblade vol. 2 #6}}

Back at Starscream's side, Rattrap was present when Cybertron opened negotiations with the planet [[Velocitron]], though neither Windblade or Starscream appreciated his comments about Velocitronian society. He later went behind Starscream's back to help Windblade and a small contingent of Autobots use the space bridge to get to Velocitron. {{storylink|Windblade vol. 2 issue 4|Windblade vol. 2 #4}} After Starscream and Windblade agreed to travel to Eukaris together, Rattrap slipped Windblade some information on how to get the Eukarians to join the Council of Worlds. {{storylink|Windblade vol. 2 issue 6|Windblade vol. 2 #6}} Rattrap got on Chromia's nerves as the pair waited on Cybertron, and was present when the two fliers departed for [[Vigilem|Carcer]]. {{storylink|The Will of the Few}} With Starscream in a bad mood, Rattrap went along with his boss's harebrained scheme to found a [[Chosen One Day|new holiday]], and although it didn't go according to plan he nevertheless gave Starscream the gift of friendship for a night. {{storylink|Choose Me}}

Continuing to ostensibly serve Starscream, Rattrap later informed his boss that the other four [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s wanted to have a word with him. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|Aphelion}} The rest of the team - left rudderless and disaffected after [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]]'s failed invasion of [[Earth]]—would factor into Rattrap's growing power plays; using the pseudonym of "DC-357", he lied to them that Swindle was still alive, being held prisoner by Starscream, and this rumor would go on to take hold in the majority of Iacon's Decepticon population. {{storylink|07:00:00}}

When Optimus used his growing political clout among the colonists to unilaterally declare Earth a member of the Council of Worlds, Rattrap participated in the emergency meeting that followed. {{storylink|New Worlds Order}} The Council later met with Optimus to hear his side of the story; although Prime insisted that his intentions were pure, its members unanimously voted against allowing Earth a seat on the Council. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message|The Medium and the Message}}

[[File:ApplicableSkills-rattraponthecouncil.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3]]

As Starscream tried to find the source of the rumors, he hired the exiled Eukarian [[mnemosurgery|mnemosurgeon]] [[Airachnid (G1)|Airachnid]] to covertly trace the rumors to its source, which, to the citizens of Iacon, appeared to be a string of random mnemosurgical murders. [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] brought this issue to the Council, and Rattrap took the same line as Starscream: this was a purely ''domestic'' issue and thus not Council business.

As "DC-357", Rattrap sent another communique to the Combaticons, providing them with a suit of Badgeless armor to help destabilize the increasingly fraught peace; following the murder of [[Drunkatron|another Decepticon]], anti-Badgeless riots and protests broke out. At the next Council meeting, Rattrap suggested, and Starscream rejected, that they called Earth to get [[Victorion]] sent over to enforce the law as nobody on Cybertron had an issue with her. Instead, Starscream got pushed into putting Ironhide in charge of the Badgeless, and Rattrap pushed him to make a response as the protesters marched on the [[Spire]]. {{storylink|Applicable Skills}}

[[File:WhatWeSaidWedNeverDo-rattrapandonslaught.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3]]

After the Combaticons learned that Rattrap had been responsible for abducting the braindead Swindle, they stormed his apartment to find their erstwhile comrade. After some convincing by [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]], Rattrap retrieved the Enigma and, alongside Wheeljack and Chromia, escorted them to the secret chamber that they stored Swindle in; Onslaught hoped to use the Enigma to probe Swindle's brain for dirt on Starscream. {{storylink|Things We Said We'd Never Do}} The Combaticons duly activated the Enigma and transformed into the gigantic [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], prompting Rattrap and the others to make a run for it. {{storylink|The Line Between Us}}

As Optimus' plans on Earth slowly spiralled out of control, Rattrap joined Starscream as they watched the Autobot leader try to deflect the Cybertronian press while fending off an [[Earth Defense Command|EDC]] assault; he commemorated the occasion by preparing a bag of Energon goodies. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 4: It's Beginning To And Back Again|It's Beginning To And Back Again}} He was less excited to see Optimus raise a slumbering Titan from beneath [[Monument Valley]], {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 5: As Above...So Below|As Above...So Below}}, and recognized it as the same [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Titan]] that had proclaimed Starscream as the Chosen One. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|No Fair Fights}}

Following Bruticus' rampage, Rattrap and Starscream met with Ironhide to discuss moving the Enigma into his custody. Shortly afterwards, Rattrap attended a Council meeting regarding a fleet of [[zombie]] Titans approaching Cybertron. {{storylink|Ping}} The battle ended with the [[Liege Maximo]] released from the bowels of [[Vigilem]], and, as Starscream struggled to keep his fragmented government together, Rattrap brought him news of Carcerian leader [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]]'s growing popularity. {{storylink|Heavy}} Not long afterwards, Rattrap bothered Starscream with a stack of urgent briefs, though his boss had more important business on his mind. {{storylink|If I Know You}}

A spectral image of Rattrap was one of the many figures summoned by Windblade during a battle against Vigilem in Starscream's consciousness. {{storylink|Your First Mistake}} In the wake of the defeat of the [[Iron Ring]], Rattrap watched Windblade almost return to her duties as a representative before she was banished from the Council and exiled from Caminus for blaspheming the [[Way of Flame]]. {{storylink|The Chosen One}} Seeking to win the adulation of his constituents, Starscream watched ''[[The Birth of Cybertron]]'' with Rattrap, giving Starscream the idea to commission a biopic based off his life. {{storylink|Starscream: The Movie (comic)|Starscream: The Movie}}

[[File:TheChosenOne-RattrapsBriefcase.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|"So, [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]] thinks he has the most destructive briefcase on Cybertron? ''I'll'' be the judge of that!"]]

Eventually, Starscream decided to call an open election that eventually narrowed down to three contenders: himself, Windblade, and Elita-One. As Windblade gathered support at Maccadam's, Rattrap—unable to tell if this new behavior from his boss was genuine or another trick—made plans to cash out and escape to Eukaris, and thus met with Windblade to reveal his hand in recent events, explaining that ''he'' was "DC-357" and handing her a briefcase full of kompromat on her political rival.

Ultimately, Starscream confessed to his own crimes in the first debate; as a result, he, Airachnid, the Combaticons, and Starscream were all given life sentences after Windblade triumphed in the election and became the next leader of Cybertron. {{storylink|The Chosen One}}

{{-}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
[[File:AloneTogetherPrologue Rattrap.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3]]
As one of the Maximals forced to continue the war which the Autobots were no longer able to fight, Rattrap was part of a small team under the command of [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] that went up against the [[Darksyder]]s. As things quickly went south, he realized the futility of the war, and went on to become part of a resistance cell fighting against the status quo. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 25|"TransTech" Blackarachnia's profile in Club magazine #25}} At one point he even went so far as to fake his own death, encouraging reports that he'd died on the road to [[Damaxus]]. Hoping to free [[Dinobot (BW)#Beast Wars: Uprising|Dynobot]], he and his cell infiltrated the [[Ferromax Detention Center]] and managed to find and liberate ol' Chopperface. {{storylink|Alone Together: Prologue|Prologue}}
{{--}}

===''Kre-O'' online manga===
When [[Metroplex (Kre-O)|Metrotitan]] fell apart, some of the bricks fell on a stunned Rattrap. {{Storylink|Two Giant Bases! Everybody Getting Along, Come On, Fight!}}

Rattrap was part of the Autobot troops guarding [[Metroplex (Kre-O)|Autobot City]]. When Earth's most wanted criminals attacked the city, [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] ordered Rattrap and [[Fractyl]] to take the flanks. After the villains were defeated, he made a joke at the beheaded [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]]'s expense. {{storylink|The Brick List: Earth's Most Wanted}}

===''Legends'' comic===
[[File:Legends 1 Rattrap.jpg|thumb]]
Rattrap of the [[Legends World]] was a rookie salaryman at [[Axalon Trading Company]] who'd grown up with ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' and loved collecting the accompanying toys. At one point he set his sights on a [[BotCon 2006|Dawn of Future's Past]] boxset, but his attempts to telepathically force the [[Ravage (G1)|toy store owner]] to put the toys aside until he could afford them ended in failure. {{storylink|Legends Vol. 1}} On his first day at work, he introduced himself by telling everyone of his love for ''Beast Wars'', though most of his co-workers had never heard of it and president [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] thought he was talking about the [[live-action film series]], to Rattrap's annoyance. Manager [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], on the other hand, was also a Transformers fan, and the two hit it off quite well until Rattrap realized the older man was talking about [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]], not ''Beast Wars''. {{storylink|The Generation Gap}} A similar gap grew between him and young part-timer [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]], a fan of the live-action movies who thought Rattrap's beast toys looked gross. In response, Rattrap showed Silverbolt updated toys from the ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Telemocha Series|Telemocha]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars Reborn|Reborn]]'' series, but accidentally let slip that these remakes didn't sell very well. {{storylink|The Youth Gap}}

[[File:Legends Rattrap robot mode.jpg|thumb|left]]
While it was expected that Axalon employees use their robot modes while working, it being their "serious adult" mode, Rattrap instead worked in beast mode then transformed to go toy shopping when the work day was over. {{storylink|Legends Vol. 4#The Transformation Gap|The Transformation Gap}} He was smitten by co-workers [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] and [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]], and left confused when Rhinox told him there were no women employed at Axalon. {{storylink|Legends Vol. 4#The Gender Gap|The Gender Gap}} [[Tigatron]] approached Rattrap to talk about Transformers, but Rattrap quickly realized he only liked series with cute girls in them and asked if Tigatron knew anything about ''Beast Wars''. To his exasperation, all Tigatron could remember was the [[Blackarachnia (BW)#TM2|Transmetal Blackarachnia]] toy's removable chest armor. {{storylink|Legends Vol. 5#The Bishōjo Fan Gap|The Bishōjo Fan Gap}} Rattrap and Rhinox later watched Airazor serving tea and wished he wasn't a man. {{storylink|Legends Vol. 5#The Gender Gap Part 2|The Gender Gap Part 2}}

[[File:Legends AOE toy get.jpg|thumb|]]
Together with his fellow fans, Rattrap visited the [[Transformers Celebration 2014]], where he bought ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (franchise)|Age of Extinction]]'' [[Dinobot (AOE)|Dinobot]] toys and was elated to get one signed by [[Hisashi Yuki]], designer of [[Lio Convoy]] and [[Big Convoy]]. {{storylink|Legends Bonus Vol.}} As they looked over the toys they'd bought, Rattrap poked fun at Silverbolt's [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#AOELeader|Optimus Prime]], saying its [[kibble|backpack]] made it look like Prime was going hiking. When Silverbolt transformed Rhinox's [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#EvasionMode|Classic Optimus Prime]], Rhinox got violently upset at its movie-based robot mode and Rattrap had to physically restrain him. Rattrap himself showed off his [[Grimlock (AOE)#Voyager|Grimlock]] and [[Slug (AOE)#Generations|Slug]] toys, and the three cracked jokes about their weapons' resemblance to food and utensils until they all got hungry. {{storylink|TF4 Toy Party}}

[[File:Legends Optimus Primal grow up.jpg|thumb|left]]
Rattrap and his pals also went to [[Tokyo Toy Show]] 2014, but were left discouraged after running into Optimus Primal, who questioned what a bunch of adults were doing at a toy show. They regained their faith in their hobby upon seeing ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Star Saber (Victory)#Masterpiece|Star Saber]], aimed at adult fans like them, though Rattrap was left appalled by Rhinox's attempts at dancing to an ''Age of Extinction'' song for kids. He had a fangasm upon seeing ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' characters at the show, gushing to the others about all the ''Beast Wars'' references had been in it. After watching Primal and [[Optimus Minor|his son]] play with a Transformer together, Rattrap and the others warmed up to the idea that the franchise was definitely for children after all. {{storylink|Tokyo Toy Show 2014 Report}} Rattrap and Silverbolt later listened to Rhinox sing the praises of his beloved 1980s, and though they had no nostalgia for that century and were ready to leave, they ended up being interested by the fact that Japan had no consumption tax back then. {{storylink|Legends Vol. 9#The Era Gap|The Era Gap}} Intending to solve the mystery of Airazor and Nightscream's genders, Rattrap checked which restroom they used, only to find, to his confusion, that their company had an {{w|otokonoko|"otokonoko"}} restroom in place of a women's one. {{storylink|Legends Vol. 9#The Bathroom Gap|The Bathroom Gap}}

[[File:Legends OP Rattrap bananas.jpg|thumb]]
When Optimus Primal headed out, leaving his employees with strict orders not to touch his [[banana]]s, Rattrap and the others found his warning so tempting that they immediately hosted a banana party and gobbled them up. {{storylink|Legends Vol. 10#Even Though I Told You Not To...|Even Though I Told You Not To...}} As punishment, Primal assigned [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] as Rattrap's trainer, and the frightened rat quickly found ''himself'' a target for someone's appetite. He managed to make the best of it, though, and continued working even when he was stuck in Dinobot's jaws. {{storylink|Legends Vol. 11#The Two's Recent Encounter|The Two's Recent Encounter}} Dinobot also mocked his interest in kids' toys, so Rattrap challenged him to transform a [[Mach Kick]] as proof that Transformers could be hard to figure out for adults too, but to his horror, the hungry and impatient raptor ended up eating the toy instead. {{storylink|Legends Vol. 11#When We Have Been Social|When We Have Been Social}} Having found his trainer's weakness for figuring out Transformers, Rattrap continued to prank him by replacing his office supplies with ''[[Transformers Device Label|Device Label]]'' toys, only for these to end up in Dinobot's belly as well. When Dinobot wanted an ice cream, Rattrap tried again by giving him a plastic [[Gari Robo-kun]], but was left lamenting his own stupidity when Dinobot inevitably ate it anyway. {{storylink|Prank}}

[[File:Transformers Legends LG01 comic Rattle.jpg|thumb|left]]
One day, Rattrap woke up in the body of an actual realistic Transformer, which he naturally thought was awesome. His co-workers didn't agree, especially after he brought out his weapons at work, and Primal forced him to go to the hospital where he was diagnosed with [[Transformers sickness]], caused by being surrounded by Transformers toys for a prolonged period of time. He refused to get rid of his toys, however, preferring to live life with a Transformer body rather than lose his collection. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 1|Bonus Edition Vol. 1}} Becoming something of a superhero, Rattrap intervened when Optimus Primal was also turned into a Transformer and lost control of his weapons, using his knowledge of Primal toys to transform him into his harmless gorilla mode. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 2|Bonus Edition Vol. 2}} At another point, Rattrap woke up in a [[technorganic]] body that he thought looked weird, like some sort of modern art. {{storylink|Legends Vol. 15#LG03 Tankor Prologue|LG03 Tankor Prologue}}

[[File:Legends 80s Rattrap Ai.jpg|thumb|]]
When Rhinox was turned into [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] and began using his "80s Transformation Beam" to turn stuff around him into their 80s counterparts, Rattrap was offended to see his precious ''Beast Wars'' DVD set turned into ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' on VHS. Having learned to transform between his normal and Transformer forms by now, he turned into a Transformer and defeated Tankor and his [[Tank Drone]]s with a bomb. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 3|Bonus Edition Vol. 3}} Tankor resumed his attacks after creating two new minions, [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] and [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]], {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 4|Bonus Edition Vol. 4}} and the latter used the 80s Beam to turn Rattrap into a ''[[Choro-Q]]'' mode. In an attempt to stop Tankor, Rattrap delivered an impassioned speech about how the old days were never forgotten and how new generations of Transformers exist ''thanks'' to the 80s, causing Tankor to reflect on his lifelong enough for Rattrap and the defected Whirl to defeat Roadbuster and send the villains fleeing. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 5|Bonus Edition Vol. 5}} That [[Christmas]], Rattrap partied with his co-workers and confused Dinobot by gifting him a [[Heinrad (BWN)|Heinrad]] toy. {{storylink|Merry X'mas!!}}

[[File:Legends Mini-Con Rattrap.jpg|thumb|left]]
Rattrap later met the interdimensional visitor [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]], explaining to him that Transformers were fictional in their world and that he wasn't super popular compared to the big-name characters (though Rattrap himself liked him). {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 6|Bonus Edition Vol. 6}} He later watched in awe as [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] defeated Tankor, turning him back into Rhinox. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 7|Bonus Edition Vol. 7}} Being a small guy, Rattrap harbored regrets over his stature that led to his traveling to [[G1 World|another dimension]] in a dream and encountering the two [[Mini-Vehicles|Minibots]] [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] and [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]. As he watched them get defeated by [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], he wondered why they'd even try to take on such a huge enemy, and was told by the optimistic Swerve that brains and guts are more important than size. After meeting the two's [[Mini-Con]] partners, which were as small as him but still valued allies, Rattrap felt better about himself and cheered the Autobots on. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 8|Bonus Edition Vol. 8}} Rattrap went on to ask Swerve some questions regarding his few appearances in the cartoon and new name, and was really impressed by Swerve's cool, laid-back answers that those things weren't important to him. He then watched Swerve try to hit Trypticon with Phaser's weapon mode, commenting that Phaser's attempts to correct his aim was also warning Trypticon where he was aiming. {{storylink|2015's Swerve}} He had a chat with Tailgate, who taught him about the history of the Mini-Cons. Wanting try out being a Mini-Con, Rattrap acted as a weapon for the Autobot and defeated Trypticon with a mighty ribbon bomb. {{storylink|Transformers 2015 Tailgate/G1 Mini-Con Chapter|Tailgate/G1 Mini-Con Chapter}} He was present when Trypticon was brought down by Swerve and Tailgate. {{storylink|LG-43 Trypticon Project Chapter}}

[[File:LegendsManga BonusEdition9 BrainstormAndRattle.jpg|thumb]]
Rattrap also dreamt about [[Brainstorm (G1)|Cana]], who taught him about [[Transtector]]s as an example of growing larger and stronger through practice, a lesson that inspired Rattrap to work out more. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 9|Bonus Edition Vol. 9}} Rattrap asked a question about his new appearance that caused an argument to break out among the [[Headmasters of Justice]], though as a strict ''Beast Wars'' fan he didn't understand what they were talking about. Having learned the wrong lesson from Cana, he later stole the Brainstorm Transtector and smugly claimed to have "worked hard" to grow large, prompting an angry Cana to combine with it and trap Rattrap with the flip-down [[Tech Spec]] plate. {{storylink|Transformers 2015 Brainstorm Chapter|Brainstorm Chapter}}

[[File:Legends Rattrap drives Arcee.jpg|thumb|left]]
To Rattrap's shock, his aunt and caretaker [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] was later afflicted by Transformers sickness as well, turning into a giant robot who personally drove him to work when he was late one morning. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 10|Bonus Edition Vol. 10}} Rattrap was present when [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] came to the Legends Universe on a mission to destroy it. Learning from her that their world was one where wishes could come true, he was able to wish [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] into the Legends world to stop the invader. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 12|Bonus Edition Vol. 12}} {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Metroplex)|Bonus Edition Metroplex}} He later told Rhinox and Tigatron about his close relationship to Arcee, having slept and bathed together with her while growing up, causing them to become increasingly jealous until he explained that that was ''before'' she became a Transformer. {{storylink|Transformers Legends: Arcee Chapter|Arcee Chapter}}

[[File:Deckss SD Beasties.jpg|thumb|]]
Together with Optimus Primal and rival company president [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], Rattrap visited a ''[[Q-Transformers]]'' event where they tried out food and drink, bought merchandise, watched a show with [[Ryōhei Kimura]], and all along collected stamps to trade in for snacks. {{storylink|Deckss × Q-Transformers Collaboration Event Report|Deckss × Q-Transformers}} When the Transformer [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] arrived in the Legends world, Rattrap was quick to recognize him. {{storylink|Legends Vol. 23#Lord Megatron Goes to the Legends World|Lord Megatron Goes to the Legends World}}

Finding his collection of beast [[Mini-Con]]s stolen by the [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Armada Megatron]], Rattrap took revenge by taking [[Dragoyell]]'s place when Megatron tried to powerlinx with the Mini-Con. His presence caused Megatron to power ''down'' instead of up, and he fled, leaving Rattrap to squabble with Waspinator over whose Dragoyell it was. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Armada Megatron)|Bonus Edition Armada Megatron}} Rattrap was visiting Tokyo Toy Show 2015 when [[Scourge (RID)|Black Convoy]] showed up to cause trouble. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Scourge)|Bonus Edition Scourge}} Enjoying the new ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Transformers Adventure]]'' series thanks to its many beast-like characters, Rattrap had a dream about meeting [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]], who told him all about his [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Adventure|latest toy]]. He thought Prime was cool and had a great time playing around in his trailer and inventing a base mode for him. {{storylink|TAV21 Optimus Prime Now on Sale!}} After moving offices to Metroplex, who had crushed the original Axalon building, Rattrap and Rhinox listened to [[Alpha Trion (G1)|the company janitor]]'s explanation of the city-bot's backstory. {{storylink|LG14 Ultra Magnus Prologue#The Mysterious Knowledgeable Grandpa Chapter|The Mysterious Knowledgeable Grandpa Chapter}}

[[File:LG17 Megatrons.jpg|thumb|left]]
Rattrap was caught in the chaos when the original Megatron and Armada Megatron formed an alliance to conquer the world, {{storylink|LG14 Ultra Magnus Prologue#The Autumn Megatron Festival Chapter|The Autumn Megatron Festival Chapter}} but to his amazement, Alpha Trion had foreseen this and put a stop to them. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 14|Bonus Edition Vol. 14}} He then asked Trion to show off his Mini-Con body's weapon mode, having learned from Tailgate that all Mini-Cons had one, and was taken aback when the sage transformed into a car and claimed it was a shield. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Sequel#Alpha Trion Chapter|Alpha Trion Chapter}} After getting caught up in a rampage of [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]] clones, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 15|Bonus Edition Vol. 15}} Rattrap learned from Trion that [[Slipstream (Animated)|Slipstream]] would be coming to their world to cause trouble, and used his Transformer body to help greet her with a barrage of firepower. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 16|Bonus Edition Vol. 16}} That [[Halloween]], Rattrap was held at gunpoint by Megatron, who had misunderstood the point of "trick or treat". {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 17|Bonus Edition Vol. 17}}

[[File:Legends Adventure Rattrap.jpg|thumb]]
After enjoying an episode of ''Adventure'' with Tigatron, Rattrap had the idea of using the wish-granting power of the Legends Universe to travel the ''Adventure'' world through their dreams. It worked, but while he was explaining to [[Sideswipe (WFC)|Sideswipe]] who they were, Tigatron upset [[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]], who locked them both up in [[stasis pod|stasis cells]]. Because of this, Rattrap was late for work that morning, to President Primal's annoyance. {{storylink|Go! Adventure}} Reading up on [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]]'s origin, Rattrap asked the ninja why she transformed into a car, and was unimpressed with her non sequitur about acquiring a "swan mode" after training with the [[Six Clan]]. {{Storylink|LG-15 Nightbird Shadow Sequel}} He was later curious about Slipstream coming from the ''Animated'' world, and she explained that she'd remodeled her body to include dimension-crossing technology and also to look younger. This caused Arcee to grow jealous, and Rattrap had to tell her she looked plenty young already. He also asked about Slipstream's origin as a clone of [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]], and mistakenly pointed her in the direction of [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Armada Starscream]]. {{storylink|LG-16 Slipstream Sequel}}

[[File:Legends Cloud World Rattrap.jpg|thumb|left]]
Rattrap and his pals were later menaced by Armada Megatron once more, who was now out to steal ''all'' their toys. {{storylink|LG-18 Armada Starscream Super Mode Prologue}} This led to Windblade attempting to destroy the world again, and Rattrap despaired when Armada Starscream tried to sacrifice himself to destroy her. Everything ended peacefully, though, prompting him to celebrate with Waspinator and attempt to claim Armada Megatron's abandoned [[Unicron of Light]] toy. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 18|Bonus Edition Vol. 18}} Rattrap was present when [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] entered the Legends world and had his body remodeled, {{storylink|LG19 Sprung Prologue}} and corrected the newcomer after he mistook Aunt Arcee for the Arcee of his home universe. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 19|Bonus Edition Vol. 19}} Rattrap and a couple others were later temporarily sent to [[Cloud World]] after getting caught up in [[Drift (G1)|Deadlock]] and [[SARA]]'s return. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Deadlock)|Bonus Edition Deadlock}}

[[File:Legends Double Rattrap.jpg|thumb]]
While visiting the Transformers Fes2016 event, Rattrap bore witness to an unbelievable sight: the appearance of the "real" Rattrap from ''Beast Wars''! Shaking with the simultaneous panic and joy of a fan meeting their idol, he proceeded to ask his alternate self for an autograph. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Rattrap)|Bonus Edition Rattrap}} When the Starscream-possessed Waspinator of the ''Beast Wars'' world attacked Metroplex, Rattrap offered to help his other self fight by transforming into his Transformer mode, but even together they couldn't beat him. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Waspinator)|Bonus Edition Waspinator}} Starscream was vanquished by ''Beast Wars'' Rhinox, who both Rattraps were equally happy to see. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Rhinox)|Bonus Edition Rhinox}} Rattrap was aghast when [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] set out to send all his friends from other dimensions back to where they came from, and when this struggle led to the apparent death of G1 Megatron, he mustered up the courage to place himself in the line of fire and tell Skids to leave their peaceful world alone. His words caused the self-proclaimed peacekeeper to give up his plans on realizing he was the one causing conflict. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 20}}

When the Autobot [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] visited to get Axalon Co.'s help in making [[transtector]]s, Rattrap and Optimus Primal protested that they wanted payment, which led to the Autobots and Axalon merging into one company. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 21|Bonus Edition Vol. 21}} He was then silently present for a bunch of occurrences, including [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]'s rampage, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 23|Bonus Edition Vol. 23}} the [[Headmaster Junior]]s' arrival in the Legends world, {{storylink|LG24 Shockwave & Cancer Prologue}} [[Cancer (Masterforce)|Cancer]]'s first concert, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 24|Bonus Edition Vol. 24}} Galvatron's return and defeat of [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]], {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 25|Bonus Edition Vol. 25}} and [[T-AI|Ai]]'s attempt at arresting the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]], {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 26|Bonus Edition Vol. 26}} and was among those subjected to [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]]'s loud music. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 27|Bonus Edition Vol. 27}}

When his company began producing [[Master-Brace]]s that could turn anyone into a Headmaster, Rattrap was thrilled to receive a pair. Thirsting for giant robot bodies of their own, he and the other were convinced by [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] to invade Tera-Kura Co. and steal the Decepticon [[transtector]]s, but combining with the Galvatron body caused Rattrap to be affected by its brainwashing mask and attack Rewind. Fortunately, the braces stopped working and he reverted to his normal self before he could do any harm. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 28|Bonus Edition Vol. 28}} He went on to get upset at [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]'s harassment of Arcee at a soccer game, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 29|Bonus Edition Vol. 29}} witness [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] lose and find his living transtector, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 30|Bonus Edition Vol. 30}} and be present for Weirdwolf's attempt to steal the Autobot company HQ, the newly finished Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 31|Bonus Edition Vol. 31}}

Next, Rattrap warned [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] when Weirdwolf was attacking, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 32|Bonus Edition Vol. 32}} witnessed a defeated Weirdwolf return for revenge on Chromedome, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 33|Bonus Edition Vol. 33}} and was hypnotized by [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] into his loyal servant. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 34|Bonus Edition Vol. 34}} He was accidentally drawn into [[Ginrai (human)|Ginrai]]'s body when the Autobot activated his [[Getmaster]] power, which by a stroke of luck allowed Ginrai to access the power of [[Chōkon Power|Jūchōkon]] and transform into a base mode. Together, he and Rattrap unleashed a barrage that won that day's battle. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 35|Bonus Edition Vol. 35}} While partying at the [[Dancitron]], Rattrap was among those brainwashed by [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundblaster]] into attacking Blaster, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 36|Bonus Edition Vol. 36}} and later he was present for the defeat of [[Apeface]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 38|Bonus Edition Vol. 38}}

Encountering Cana/Brainstorm again in another dream trip to his world, Rattrap learned that his inherent "[[Chōkon Power|Beast Power]]" had powered the Autobot up during their last meeting and lent him the same power again in another battle. To his joy, Brainstorm then came to live in the Legends Universe the next morning. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 39|Bonus Edition Vol. 39}} He was present when the [[Astrotrain Transport Company]] delivered a package to his home, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 40|Bonus Edition Vol. 40}} notified his Headmaster friends when [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] attacked the city, {{storylink|LGEX Headmaster Set Chapter}} was caught up in a battle between [[Lio Convoy]] and [[Katsu Don]], {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 41|Bonus Edition Vol. 41}} and received another package from Ginrai. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 42|Bonus Edition Vol. 42}} When Black Convoy returned to dole out some [[Dimensional Patrol]] justice, Rattrap and his friends didn't want any and helped [[Dark Ai]] restore him. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Scourge 2)|Bonus Edition Scourge 2}} He lamented the [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s devastation of [[Akihabara]], but was told by Alpha Trion to use Trypticon's base mode as a temporary replacement. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 43|Bonus Edition Vol. 43}} He was overjoyed when Akihabara was rebuilt and renamed Neo Akihabara City. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Prologue}}

Rattrap was present when [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] was causing a ruckus on the streets, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 45|Bonus Edition Vol. 45}} was covered in bugs when [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] clones swarmed the city, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 47|Bonus Edition Vol. 47}} panicked when [[Repugnus (G1)|Repugnus]] in a [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] suit was breaking everything around him, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 48|Bonus Edition Vol. 48}} and had his latest toy purchase destroyed by [[Blowpipe (G1)|Blowpipe]]'s [[plasma energy]] emissions. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 49|Bonus Edition Vol. 49}} When [[Kreon]]s showed up in their world, Rattrap had to have them explained to him by Waspinator before convincing them to leave. {{storylink|Transformers Legends Special Chapter|Special Chapter}} [[White Leo]] later turned the people of the Legends World into [[Beastformer]]s to become his new army, transforming Rattrap into "Enthu Warrior Otaku Rattrap". After the situation was dealt with, Rattrap chastised him for not considering their feelings on the matter. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 51|Bonus Edition Vol. 51}} He was surprised to see the buildings of Akihabara be bought up by [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]], {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 52|Bonus Edition Vol. 52}} was around when [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]] came to the Legends World, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 54|Bonus Edition Vol. 54}} and got confused by Waspinator's explanation of there being a [[Minerva (Masterforce human)|human Minerva]] and [[Minerva (Masterforce robot)|robot Minerva]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 56|Bonus Edition Vol. 56}} Towards the end of the year he was caught by surprise by the [[No. 7 Clone Corps]] searching the city. {{storylink|TF Legends Late Xmas Present Chapter|Late Xmas Present Chapter}}

When the Autobot [[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]] came visiting, Rattrap had Waspinator explain who they were and found that while they looked the same, their personalities were very different. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 58|Bonus Edition Vol. 58}} He watched as a [[Quintesson]] army retreated following a failed invasion. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 59|Bonus Edition Vol. 59}} Ginrai called upon Rattrap to grant him Getmaster powers during a duel with [[Giga]] and [[Mega]], though he still lost to his opponents' Shinchōkon. Fortunately, Rattrap's wish for Ginrai to keep fighting exuded its own Shinchōkon, allowing him to use draw both Jūchōkon and Shinchōkon from the rat and claim victory. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 60|Bonus Edition Vol. 60}} When the world came under attack from rampaging [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]], Rattrap huddled behind [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]'s force field. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 62|Bonus Edition Vol. 62}} Next the city was flooded by [[Tigerburn]] who turned Rattrap and his friends into [[Laser Beast]]s and left them floating on rafts, which really annoyed him and had him demanding to know why people from [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] kept coming over. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 64|Bonus Edition Vol. 64}} He was caught up in the devastation when Windblade returned to being evil and attacked the Legends World a second time, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 65|Bonus Edition Vol. 65}} but to his joy, [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] repaired all the damage. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 66|Bonus Edition Vol. 66}} He watched [[Grand Maximus]] and the world's [[Masterforce]] warriors battle [[Devil Z]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Grand Maximus)|Bonus Edition Grand Maximus}}

====The Beast Wars Road Map====
Rattrap was scampering atop of Rhinox's monitor when the latter was contacted by his [[Rhinox (TransTech)|counterpart]] from [[Axiom Nexus]]. {{storylink|The Beast Wars Road Map}}

==Games==
===''Beast Wars: Transformers'' video game continuity===
====''Beast Wars: Transformers'' video game advertising comic====
Upon arriving on "[[Earth|Planet Energon]]", the dangers of Energon radiation forced the six surviving Maximals and their Predacon adversaries to take on beast alternate forms. {{storylink|Beast Wars: Transformers video game advertising comic}}

====''Beast Wars: Transformers'' video game====
{{voiceactor|??? (English), ??? (Japanese)}}

Rattrap joined his fellow Maximals in battling not only an entrenched Predacon threat, but the interdimensional monsters known as the [[Skriix]].

=====Maximal campaign=====
Rattrap was not one of the active members of the ''Axalon'' when it crashed, but rather a dormant protoform. When the stasis pod landed in the "Polluted Area" of the planet, he was rescued by the Maximals and subsequently joined them.

{{Note|Due to the nature of this game, a player may select various individual characters to perform the feats required in every level, and complete the game's narrative. Thus, any playable Maximal can fill the role of protagonist in Maximal Mode, and any playable Predacon can fill the role of protagonist in Predacon Mode. To view the various feats Rattrap can accomplish throughout gameplay in Maximal Mode, it is told on the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)|''Beast Wars'' video game]] page, wherein Rattrap fills the role of the nameless Maximal.}}

Upon having eliminated the Predacon threat, Rattrap was part of Optimus Primal's roll call when he announced that the galaxy was now at peace. Rattrap also commented that the Maximals "survived" and were "the baddest! Yyyyeeeeeaaaah!"

=====Predacon campaign=====
{{note|In the Predacon campaign, the stasis pod that would contain Rattrap is instead rescued by the Predacons, producing [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]. It is thus questionable whether or not Rattrap even exists in this specific version of the Beast Wars.}}

===''Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals'' (N64)===
[[File:N64 Rattrap.jpg|frame|Use the cheat codes or he's not in character!]]
{{voiceactor|[[Scott McNeil]] (English), ??? (Japanese)}}

Rattrap displayed an ability to quickly burrow underground in his beast mode, and subsequently erupt from the earth in order to surprise his opponent.

The Beast Wars were ultimately won thanks to a spy mission successfully completed by Rattrap. The resulting sneak attack meant the end of Megatron, who perished in the battle's explosive finale. The remaining Predacon troops were subsequently taken prisoner. The Beast warriors then boarded the ancient Autobot shuttle, and returned to Cybertron. Back on his home planet, Rattrap can finally enjoy peace and tranquility, as he relaxes at restaurants, taverns and bars, proclaiming: "Ahh... Ya know, we're all gonna di... dine!" {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (N64)}}

{{note|Each character possessed an alternate ending, displayed if the N64 version of the game was beaten with said character. Each character has only their own ending listed on their pages, see the other characters' pages for Rattrap's fate in those outcomes.}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals'' (PS)===
{{voiceactor|[[Scott McNeil]] (English), ??? (Japanese)}}
{{charstubgame|{{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (PS)}}}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
During a tectonic upshift, a huge amount of [[Energon]] was exposed. Rattrap and the other Maximals found themselves the victims of a Predacon ambush as they tried to secure the Energon themselves, and the cache ultimately fell into Predacon hands. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Legends)|Beast Wars}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Rattrap.jpg|thumb|400px]]
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Rattrap-(TM).jpg|thumb|400px]]
Rattrap participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He appeared in two different bodies:
*''Rattrap''—This Super Rare character was available as a reward in the "Beast Wars Episode 3" event.
*''Rattrap (TM)''—This Epic character first appeared in the "Beast Wars: Episode 4" event, and could be recruited by collecting 500 units of Cybermetal, 250 units of Transmetal, and 50 cores of this character.
{{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
{{main|Rattrap (BW)/toys}}

==Notes==
[[File:Concept-Rattrap.jpg|thumb|Handi-capable!]]
[[File:BWRattrapEarlyCGIColorModel.jpg|thumb|Delicious chocolate rats are only available from the finest NYC street vendors.]]
[[File:RattrapScooter.jpg|thumb]]
*He likes plundering, insulting, gambling, and cheese.<ref>Page 10, "Character Profile" in ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]''</ref>
*In an extremely strange precursor of things to come in ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', Mainframe's original concept for Rattrap during ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' was to capitalize on the exposed "brain" of the toy and make Rattrap a deeply flawed character. Originally, Rattrap's scanning and transformation technology was to fail, leaving him basically half-formed, with an exposed brain, wiring, "veins", an asymmetrical body, arms of uneven lengths, and malformed organic sections in [[robot mode]]. On top of all that, he was hooked up to a "colostomy bag-like heating cable" to stress his need for life support. Rattrap's overall story arc would have been, of course, about him accepting and overcoming his near-fatal flaws. This approach was entirely nixed by the limits of CGI in rendering convincing organic innards at the time... and the fact that his model would have been massively far off from the actual toy probably also factored into it. However, the idea of a defective Transformer ''was'' later revisited in season 2 with the introduction of [[Transmutate (BW)|Transmutate]]. The idea of Rattrap dealing with the limitations of an "inferior" body seems to surface in ''Beast Machines'' as well.
*An early Mainframe color model for season 1 Rattrap shows his beast mode as brown. Whether his toy was ever intended to be these colors is unknown.
*Rattrap's Transmetal models by Mainframe include a strange, unused model of Rattrap riding his detached kibble (see right). The purpose of this model is unknown, though [[Jim Sorenson]] (who [https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/unofficial-beast-wars-scale-chart.1075068/page-9#post-14371538 originally posted the model]) suggests that it's a "scooter mode".
*At one point in the series, Rattrap says, "What in the name of my [[Relatives|great-aunt]] [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] is going on!?" This is an in-joke referring to [[Susan Blu]], who was not only voice director on ''Beast Wars'', but the voice of Arcee in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon series]] and Transmutate in the ''Beast Wars'' episode [[Transmutate (episode)|of the same name]]. He was originally going to say the line again when he saw Transmetal 2 [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (and she was to reply, "Not your great-aunt Arcee!") in the early script of "[[Crossing the Rubicon]]", but the lines went unused.<ref>Page 96, "Beast Wars Glossary" in ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]''</ref>
*On Transmetal Wal-Mart Rattrap/Packrat: According to [[3H Productions|3H]], they were on the phone discussing exclusives with their at-the-time Hasbro contact, when he (the Hasbro guy) realized that the not-yet-released blue Wal-Mart Rattrap could have been named Packrat. However, it was a few days too late to make the change without a massive production delay. Had he simply been looking at the right wall of his office a few days earlier, which had the Packrat/[[Fractyl]] box-set on it...{{fact}}
*In the jovial Japanese dub of ''Beast Wars'', one of Rattrap's most notable "shticks" was that he would constantly break the Fourth Wall by "smelling" what the audience was eating. For instance, in "[[Tangled Web]]", he randomly announces while sniffing the air "Sato-san's having curry today" and "Tanaka-san's having ramen". Like all characters in the Japanese dub, Rattrap was given a vocal tic that he would mutter and wheeze all the time; in his case it was a high-pitched, protracted, "''kyuuuuuu!''" noise. This vocal tic carried over into the habit of making a "''pikyuu!''" sound whenever he fired his gun (sort of like a kid making a laser blast sound effect while playing pretend).
*To piggyback on the popularity of the ''[[Pokeformers|Pokémon]]'' phenomenon of the late '90s, or perhaps just to parody it, Rattrap's [[:File:BeastWarsMetals1 Rattrap beast mode.jpg|beast mode]] in the ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals (manga)|Beast Wars Metals]]'' manga was redesigned to resemble ''Pikachu'' heavily. While many characters received "humorous" redesigns for the manga, Rattrap's remains the most reviled.
*By splicing together footage for [https://youtu.be/5ezrgJtdXf0 their promo], [[Toonami]] allowed Rattrap the distinct pleasure of shooting Jonny Quest and sending him plummeting to a gruesome demise.
*Rattrap makes a blink-and-you'll-miss-him cameo appearance in "Nor Iron Bars a Cage", an episode of Mainframe's ''War Planets'' (AKA ''Shadow Raiders''). He's standing next to Emperor Sternum in a long shot, but sneakily turns into a different animation model entirely for the close-up. The scamp! His season 1 rat mode also appears several times throughout the second season.
* Rattrap more often than not says "For bootin' up cold!" In the Transformers universe, this can be interpreted as his version of "for crying out loud" or "for Pete's sake".

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Rattle''' (ラットル ''Rattoru''), '''Rattrap''' (Kingdom, ラットトラップ ''Ratotorappu'')
*''French:'' '''Rattrape''' (Canada), '''Rattrap''' (Canada, Transmetal)
*''Italian:'' '''Rattilus''' (original toy), '''Metal Rattilus''' (Transmetal)
*''Korean:'' '''Rattrap''' (래트렙 ''Raeteuleb'', 래트랩 ''Raeteulaeb'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Tà Huēi Shǔ''' (Taiwan, 大灰鼠, "Big Grey Rat"), '''Jīnglíng Shǔ''' (China, 精灵鼠, "Clever Rat")
*''Polish:'' '''Szczurotrop''' ("Rat Trail")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Ratoeira'''
*''Russian:'' '''Krysohvat''' (Крысохват, "Rats Grip")
*''Spanish:'' '''Rattrap''' (Spain), '''Ratatrampa''' (Latin America)

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Beast Machines Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Maximals]]
[[Category:Children of Primus]]
[[Category:Cloud characters]]
[[Category:Council members]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Transformers]]
[[Category:Kre-O Autobots]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Maximals]]
[[Category:Maximal leaders]]
[[Category:Reconnaissance specialists]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2001) characters]]
[[Category:Spies]]
[[Category:Surveillance specialists]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]
[[Category:Universe Maximals]]
[[Category:Wal-Mart exclusives]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Maximals]]

Talk:Garbage In, Garbage Out

2020-12-04T15:12:22Z

AllSpark901: /* Something I'd add after Ratchet yells at Wreck-Gar: */ new section

Here's hoping the moose comes through for us again.
:You shouldn't rely so much on the moose. The day will come when there is no moose, and what will you do then?--[[User:Carrion|Carrion]] 16:16, 3 May 2008 (UTC)
When that day comes, all hope will rest on the beaver. -- [[User:SFH|SFH]] 17:21, 3 May 2008 (UTC)

== Spike/Carley caption ==

Who changed the caption from "Oh, shit! What are we gonna do now!?"???

I thought the old caption was a.) Much funnier and b.) fits the "fanwanky" nature of the episode. Anyone else want to revert to the old caption? [[User:(Undecided)|(Undecided)]] 04:36, 4 May 2008 (UTC)
:That caption's a little overplayed, if you ask me. Spike images get it way too often. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 04:56, 4 May 2008 (UTC)
::It's the most overused caption ''ever''. I know people like to giggle or be shocked when "shit" is used in kid's cartoons, but Jesus Christ already. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 06:12, 4 May 2008 (UTC)
:::Spike returns in a role with lines, in all his Geewun glory. What better way to commemorate the occasion than with an overused caption in a place where it actually fits? [[User:(Undecided)|(Undecided)]] 07:29, 4 May 2008 (UTC)
::::I'm with those who want the caption to stay - I took the effort to scan in and upload that screencap, just for the purposes of that joke, and I honestly don't find the new caption all that funny --[[User:Rbdavies86|Rbdavies86]] 11.56, 4th May 2008 (GMT)
:::::I rather liked the TFTM quote caption for that image, too, as I agree that it was very fitting given the episode's content. I think it should be restored. --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 11:42, 4 May 2008 (UTC)
::::::Given all the support, I've switched the caption back --[[User:Rbdavies86|Rbdavies86]] 13.47, 4th May 2008 (GMT)
:::::::And now it's been reverted back. Boo, I say! If it's being overused, then take it out of ''other'' captions. It's ''perfect'' for this one, and put a smile on my face when I first saw it. --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 16:03, 4 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm just really tired of it. For the past few episodes' screenshots it seemed like every third caption was this quote. Perhaps I knee-jerked, but it really ''has'' been run into the ground lately.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 16:13, 4 May 2008 (UTC)
:Personally, I'm finding myself in agreement with KilMichaelMcC. I fully agree that it is a vastly overused caption that is all too frequently employed as a lazy substitute for an actual joke, but at the same time I can't help but feel that it is, in this context, by far the most appropriate and humorous caption for this specific picture. To be honest, I'd go as far as to say that the image almost ''relies'' on that caption; if we're really dead-set against using the quote, I'd say it'd be better to find an entirely new pic. -- [[User:Muddtallica|Muddtallica]] 16:15, 4 May 2008 (UTC)
::How many F'n times does the caption need to be changed?!? As said before, this picture is one of the few instances where the caption actually fits ''and'' is funny. I laughed when I read it, thinking it was the best use of that quote I have ever seen and now we are on the precipice of a edit war. If we can't even agree on a caption then WHAT CHANCE DO WE HAVE? [[User:(Undecided)|(Undecided)]] 22:24, 4 May 2008 (UTC)
:::As of now, the only other pic with that caption is the shot of Megatron in [[Megatron Rising - Part 1]]. Change that one to something else, change this one to the movie quote, and BAM! Problem solved. [[User:Cyberlink420|Cyberlink420]] 23:51, 4 May 2008 (UTC)

== Lugnut's Tail/Axe - Trivia Check ==

I love that they finally used Lugnut's toy-accurate weapon. Does anyone know if this the first time a transformer was forced to go without their "integral to alt-mode" weapon? [[User:Qiiru|Qiiru]] 19:55, 13 May 2008 (UTC)
:Nah. Rattrap lost his whip/tail to Blackarachnia's engineering needs at the end of ''Beast Wars,'' for example. [[User:JW|JW]] 19:59, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

== Something I'd add after Ratchet yells at Wreck-Gar: ==

Bumblebee: OK, that's it! 
Ratchet: What's it? 
Sari: You know what we mean! We've had with your attitude today! If you're gonna be a Mr. Cranky Pants, you can just go home! 
Bumblebee: Right! We can do this mission without you! 
Ratchet: Sorry to burst your bubble, but only Optimus has the authority to send me back to base. And I know he won't, because as the medic, I am a valuable asset to the team. Right, Optimus? (beat) Sir? 
Optimus: No, Ratchet, Bumblebee and Sari are right. Your behavior today has nothing short of unacceptable, and is a detriment to this mission. If can't work out your attitude problems, I'll have no choice but to send you back to base for the rest of the mission. 
Sari: All right! 
Bumblebee: You tell him, boss-bot! 
Ratchet: Well, *Optimus*, maybe I wouldn't be so cranky today (suddenly yelling) IF THESE TWO WOULD'VE KEPT QUIET DURING MY STASIS NAP!! 
Bumblebee: Oh, so now it's *our* fault?! 
Ratchet: Exactly, but the real reason for my behavior today is this stupid mission, which I never wanted to go on in the first place! We're Autobots, for spark's sake! We could be looking for Megatron's hideout and Professor Sumdac right now, but what are doing? Picking up trash like common maintenance bots! 
Sari: Look, I wanna find my dad as much you do, but that's no reason to be such a grumpy Gus! 
Bumblebee: Yeah, and it's not our fault you have no taste in rock music! 
[The three of them start arguing indistinctly, and Bulkhead bangs his fist on the ground] 
Bumblebee: Hey, watch what you're doing, klutzy! 
Bulkhead: Sorry about that, but now's not really the time to argue. 
Optimus: I agree with Bulkhead. We have a mission to complete. We'll sort this little issue out later.

Dark Voyage

2020-04-26T13:32:43Z

AllSpark901:

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=20
|image=Dark Voyage Rattrap Cheetor blind.jpg
|caption="Dude... I've got some serious CAT-aracts..."
|title="Dark Voyage"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[January 27]], 1997
|written by=[[Samuel Warren Joseph]]
|directed by=[[Steve Ball]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
|packaged with=[[Archadis#Beast Wars Telemocha Series|Archadis]]
}}
'''After an energon explosion, Rhinox must lead the blinded Maximals back to base.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Dark Voyage Energon mining.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Dinobot finishes building Cheetor's new jet boosters.]]
[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] burrows through some rocks to uncover a piece of valuable [[energon]]. [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] congratulates Rattrap's discovery, while [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], disgruntled with the labour, discovers a deposit of surface energon several times the size of Rattrap's harvest.

Suddenly, a dart from [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] lands on one of the larger pieces of energon. [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] recognizes the dart as an explosive, and rushes to toss it away from the unstable energon. However with the energon already fractured, there's no stopping the gigantic explosion. Once the fireball expands and rises into the sky, Scorponok and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] are confident they've destroyed their enemies and return to base to report their conquest.

In the aftermath of the explosion, the four [[Maximal]]s have all survived, but because of energon poisoning, all of them have lost their sense of vision. Cheetor, Rattrap, and even Dinobot panic and fret—until Rhinox puts his foot down and gets his team moving, in hopes they can overcome their disability and reach home—or at least avoid being easy targets, especially since they must reach an R-chamber before the energon poisoning extinguishes their sparks.

[[File:Dark Voyage Cheetor snake.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Cheetor's got himself a crush.]]
Rhinox, at the front of the train of blind Maximals, comes to a sudden stop, causing the Maximals behind him to bump into his large posterior. Dinobot hops back onto his feet (and onto one of Rattrap's as well). Rhinox silences the group so he can use his ears to detect if something is near the group—his suspicion is confirmed as a large snake grabs Cheetor. Ignoring Rhinox's command not to panic, Dinobot comically runs into a tree. Rattrap fails to fight the snake off, but Cheetor is saved when the reptile decides that Rattrap would be a better meal. Luckily, Rhinox is able to save Rattrap by tossing the snake over the horizon.

[[File:Dark Voyage Rhinox Dinobot.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Scary eyes!]]
[[Tigatron]] and [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (finally!) decide to search for their comrades who never reported home. Scorponok and Waspinator, searching for evidence of the expiry of the Maximals, decide to follow the trail of energon radiation their enemies left as the four walked away from the area. Waspinator finds the four as they cross a log over a waterfall, and the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] easily unhinges the log, causing the quartet to plunge into the water far beneath. As Waspinator congratulates himself, [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] arrives, demanding proof of the wasp's endeavor.

[[File:Dark Voyage Rhinox listening.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Rhinox pushes an invisible truck.]]
The four Maximals all manage to wash up on a shore together. Dinobot feels doomed by the situation but Rhinox remains hopeful. The Predacon fliers pass overhead at high speed, finding their targets. In response, Rhinox commands his group to transform to their [[robot mode]]s. Next, Rhinox instructs the group to imagine the targeting grid from their training. Using all his senses to extend his sensory awareness, Rhinox gives directions for Cheetor, Rattrap, and Dinobot to aim their weapons. Terrorsaur is hit, and the sound of fire alerts Tigatron to the missing group's location.

Another quick shot from Rattrap brings Waspinator down in flames as well, leaving the Maximals victorious despite their handicap. Before they can celebrate, the three gunners fall into stasis; being in robot mode for just a few extra minutes accelerated the energon contamination to near-lethal levels. Having transformed in reaction to the sound of something approaching, Rhinox loses consciousness as well-luckily, the sound was Optimus Primal, who retrieves the group before their sparks are extinguished.

Some time later, in the [[Axalon (BW)|Maximal base]], Rhinox exits the [[CR chamber]] and sees his comrades; literally, as they have all been cleansed of the energon poisoning. Rattrap and Cheetor thank him for getting them as far as he did, and even Dinobot commends Rhinox's leadership. For his part, Rhinox suggests that the whole ordeal was educational-the Maximals now have a greater appreciation for their senses and [[beast mode]]s. With that in mind, the rhino-bot leaves to smell some flowers.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
* [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (1)
* [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (2)
* [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (3)
* [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] (4)
* [[Tigatron]] (9)
* [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (10)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s
|c2=
* [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] (5)
* [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (6)
* [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (7)
* [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (11)
* [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] (12)

|c4=
* A large snake (8)
}}

==Quotes==
"Nice find, Dino-miner. You're even better at this than Rattrap!" 
"Mmm. I'm better at ''everything'' than Rattrap!"
:—'''Cheetor''' and '''Dinobot'''

"Listen to me!! You've all got to calm down." 
"Calm...down...? WE CAN'T SEEEEEEE!"
:—'''Rhinox''''s order and '''Dinobot''''s reaction

"What's happening? Are we under attack?" 
"Don't. Panic." 
"You won't get me!" ''[runs into tree]''
:—'''Dinobot''' and '''Rhinox''', the former clearly not listening.

"What irony. For a warrior like me to go out blind, wet and helpless."
:—'''Dinobot''' laments his situation.

"I'm gonna go smell some flowers."
:—'''Rhinox''' having recuperated.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* As Rattrap transforms at the beginning of the episode, his [[beast mode]] eyes briefly turn white before reverting to their normal colour as he completes his transformation.
* Dinobot's energon scanner is nowhere to be seen in the overhead shot of the Maximals prior to the energon explosion.
* When Rhinox jumps into the energon pit to grab Scorponok's dart, his butt briefly clips through his rhino skin "skirt".
* When Rattrap transforms just before the explosion, some of his robot bits visibly poke though his beast mode parts.
* As Rhinox explains the post-explosion situation to the other Maximals, the bottom of his chest (the lower jaw [[kibble]]) clips into his hip and his chest is also deforming weirdly.
* When Rattrap is in his [[robot mode]], the underside of his chin and the inside of his mouth is white like his eyes in some shots. However, in other shots, such as when he submits to stasis lock near the end of the episode, the underside of his chin is red. This is likely due to the fact that the piece of his digital model that colors his eyes is the same one that colors the underside of his chin as well as the inside of his mouth, and his model was outfitted with an additional white bit for his eyes in some, but not all shots.
* After being blinded, all of Cheetor's normally blue parts are colored in silver. Unlike the above error with Rattrap there's no reason to assume that all of these parts are being colored by the same piece of animation as his eyes, making this error stand out more (especially in close ups of his normally blue robot face).
* The rhinoceros horns and ears on Rhinox's back are charred black following the blast, but on his beast mode, these parts seem to be colored normal. In fact, when he first turns into his rhino form, the tips of his horns appear ''white'' instead of black.
* Rattrap's and Cheetor's beast mode bits are normal-colored, lacking all the damage textures during their transformation back into beast mode after the explosion, but they reappear once the transformation is done. Rattrap's rat-eyes even have their pupils, which is incredibly odd, given that they accidentally turned white when he transformed while still in his unharmed state.
* After Dinobot steps on Rattrap's foot and the latter stands up, his front left leg momentarily clips into his chest.
* The tip of Dinobot's tail is clipping into the ground when the team are looking around in the jungle for the source of the noise.
* When Rhinox chucks the giant snake away, it clips through his legs and also through his head for a frame.
* When Optimus Primal tells Tigatron, "I'm going to put Sentinel on automatic and search from the air.", his left pectoral muscle is much smaller than his right, almost as if it's squeezing itself in. (Optimus's left, not the viewer's.)
* In the same shot, Optimus' hand clips through the piece of machinery in front of him.
* When Waspinator transforms to attack the Maximals crossing the log, some green robot part clips through and floats in his chest.
* A recurring shortcoming of the show's CGI causes all reflective surfaces, including water and various robot bits, to lose their shine if they're covered by transparent objects or effects. This can be seen when Waspinator hovers above the waterfall, and when Terrorsaur shows up a moment later – Waspinator's see-through insect wings "blot out" the shininess on whatever's behind them.
* When Terrorsaur arrives at the waterfall, the tip of his right wing kibble is deformed. It turns back to normal later.
* When Rattrap turns back into robot mode near the end, not only do his beast mode eyes turn normal during his transformation (only to go back to white afterwards), his rat form briefly sports a small black "ring" on its eye before he begins transforming.
* Waspinator is missing his chest-antennae when he hovers face-to-face with Terrorsaur.
* When Terrorsaur and Waspinator open fire on the Maximals on the riverbank, one of Waspinator's projectiles is flying straight at Rhinox's face, but when the shot cuts, the projectile suddenly changes position and none hit him.
* At the end of the same shot, when a small blast goes off right in front of the screen, all of Dinobot's shiny part turn flat-colored. His upper-body regions regain their reflective textures after a couple frames, but his legs remain wonky-looking.
* In the following shot, when Cheetor yells "Where are they?", his cheetah head chest-kibble has pupils.
* The CR chamber's door clips through the locking mechanisms, which strangely remain un-animated, as Rhinox emerges out of the chamber.
* When Rattrap thanks Rhinox for helping them through the events of the episode (at the moment where Rhinox awakens in the CR Chamber), his face plate is charred and burnt, and his eyes are a flat shade of red (instead of glowing red). When Dinobot speaks and Rattrap turns to face him, his face plate is as good as new.
* Dinobot also has flat red circles for eyes and some damage texturing on his helmet for only one shot during the final scene.

===Continuity errors===
* Why the heck did Rattrap, Dinobot, and Cheetor decide to transform into robot mode when they're surrounded by raw Energon on the verge of an explosion? For that matter, why did they just stand there and stare rather than, y'know, running away?
* Waspinator and Scorponok are unaffected by Energon radiation in the wake of the explosion. It's possible that Scorponok's missile was somehow designed to reduce the range of the Energon wave, but it still seems like the Predacons should have been on the verge of stasis lock from Energon build-up.
* Rhinox says that their sight and "just about everything else" is broken, but apart from some sparks when transforming, the Maximals seem okay. Their other senses are working, their weapons are working, and they can change between robot and beast mode. The only issue (and granted, it is an important one) is the Energon poisoning that they are suffering from.
* Not to be a buzzkill, but getting found by Optimus at the end of the episode can hardly be seen as the end of the Maximals' problems. Let's review: the four of them are in stasis lock suffering from time critical energon contamination. They're still an unknown distance away from base. Past episodes have established that Optimus can only support Rattrap's additional weight for flight, so if he rushed back, then the other ''three'' would have to be carried back to base by the remaining ''two'' Maximals. Dinobot and Rhinox in particular are the two heaviest Maximals, and they would be truly "dead weight" for the journey. And finally, the ''Axalon'' has never shown more than two CR chambers on the bridge. Maybe they took turns? Basically...the writers yada yada yada'ed over a lot more than just bisque in those last few minutes.

===Continuity Notes===
* Rattrap claims that he used to be a miner.
* It seems likely this episode was originally intended for production and airing earlier in the season. Not only does the plot seem to retread (on a simpler level) the concepts of the just-aired "[[Call of the Wild]]" ("We never really knew what we were capable of in Beast Mode. Apart from when we found out last episode, I guess, but Cheetor has a really bad memory so he needed to learn it again"), but late-arriving characters Airazor and Inferno are notably absent from the screen. Indeed. there are actually two instances of using "[[Pit|Inferno]]" as a curse, a habit that quickly stopped on once the Predacon fire-ant appeared. Since Airazor was mentioned by Optimus in the episode (on camera) — he said she was sent to look for the others in [[Grid Delta]] - this episode could have occurred anywhere between the end of "[[The Spark]]" and the beginning of "[[Spider's Game]]".

===Trivia===
* The energon explosion at the beginning is a real pyrotechnic explosion superimposed over a CGI background.
* Since Cheetor was shown in "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]" to be the size of a real cheetah, that snake that attacks him must be truly gigantic—far larger than any living species and any fossil variety known to science when the episode was made. ({{w|Titanoboa}} would fit the bill, but it wasn't discovered until over a decade later).
* Speaking of the giant snake, when Rhinox flings it away in the jungle, it lands on an [[elephant]].
* While blind, Dinobot's optics do not work for seeing, but they continue to function for [[Optic weaponry|shooting]].

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Voyage au Bout de la Nuit'''" ("Travel till the End of the Night")

:*''Title:'' "'''Sombre Voyage'''" ("Dark Voyage")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Viaggio nelle tenebre'''" ("Journey into Darkness")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Jungle Guruguru'''" (ジャングルぐるぐる, "Around and Around the Jungle")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 11|11 February]] [[1998]]
::*When Dinobot tells Rhinox to leave Cheetor behind, Cheetor can be heard pathetically whimpering, "''How cruel.''"
::*As Rattrap begins sniffing his way across the fallen tree spanning the river, while the other Maximals stand by waiting, Dinobot growls, "''Be careful...''"
::*After Rhinox says he has some flowers to go sniff, he sings a melody to himself while stomping away, to the tune of his verbal tic ("''Danaaaa danadana danaaaa!''").

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Uma Viagem nas Trevas'''" ("A Journey into Darkness")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Viaje en la Obscuridad'''" ("Travel in the Dark")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hēi'àn zhī Lǚ '''" (黑暗之旅, "Dark Travel")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Resurrected Beast Power ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2001 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 3 ([[Universal]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Predacon Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — English and Japanese audio.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete First Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes: Volume 3 — The Battle Rages On! ([[Alliance Atlantis]]) — English and French audio. 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — The Complete First Season (Alliance Atlantis) — English and French audio. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:MSTF]]
[[Category:Pack-in material]]

Garbage In, Garbage Out

2019-09-06T16:39:07Z

AllSpark901:

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|series2=AniJapan
|image=Wreck-Gar-Ani.jpg
|caption=Wreck-Gar auditions for the role of {{w|WALL-E|WALL·E}}.
|ep=20
|ep2=19
|prev2=Mission Accomplished
|next2=Velocity (episode)
|title="Garbage In, Garbage Out"
|airdate=[[May 3]], [[2008]]
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|directed by=[[Ben Jones]] [[Shunji Ōga|Shunji Oga]]
|animation studio=[[The Answer Studio]]
|continuity=[[Animated cartoon continuity]]}}

'''AllSpark energy turns a junkpile into a sentient robot who tries to help the Autobots, but ends up doing more harm than good.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:TFA Garbage In Out Garbage bots malfunction.JPG|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"Too much garbage in your face? There's plenty of space out in space!"]]

Garbage is piling up all over [[Detroit]], as the trash-bots are malfunctioning and [[Sumdac Systems]] CEO Porter C. Powell refuses to repair them until the city and he can come to an agreement on payment. In Powell's office, a technician demonstrates a new form of the [[Nanite|nanobots]] that [[Transform and Roll Out|caused big problems a while back]], designed this time to break down garbage into its component molecules, quickly and cheaply solving the garbage problem (while allowing Powell to charge the city a hefty fee).

Elsewhere, the [[Autobot]]s are trying to patch up their still-damaged reputation by helping pile garbage into scows. Ratchet (who is *very* cranky due to the fact that they are cleaning up garbage when they should be looking for Megatron's hideout) ends up getting into a shouting match with an old man whose car ended up under a garbage mound, resulting in the car being dumped in the river and the two old grouches almost coming to blows. Captain Fanzone arrives to break up the scene and remarks that Ratchet needs to work on his "people skills". Prime agrees and assigns Bumblebee and Sari to try and help out Ratchet while they work more on the garbage problem. Ratchet is not happy with this.

Just before the Autobots depart, though, Sari's [[AllSpark Key]] glows, but she quickly disregards this, and so she misses the emergence of a junk-robot from the scow, brought to life by an [[AllSpark]] shard. The confused machine tries to figure out his identity using the scraps around him, but is unsatisfied with the results. Spying a passing [[hover-billboard]] with a sign for the Detroit police department with the slogan "We're Here to Help", the robot happily goes about trying to find the police for some help with his identity.

[[File:TFA Garbage In Out Megatron twitch.JPG|right|upright=1.1|thumb|If [[Inferno (BW)|you]] call me your [[Megatron (BW)|queen]] ''one more time''...]]

At the Decepticon base, Lugnut detects a surge in AllSpark energy, and Megatron concludes that another fragment must have turned up. Megatron orders Lugnut to retrieve it, and Lugnut continues his glory-spouting as he leaves. Megatron's optical sensor begins to twitch noticeably.

Stuck in a traffic jam, Ratchet is about to display some serious road rage when Bumblebee puts on his siren and clears a path for them. Heading through, they find [[Witwicky|a familiar couple]] who are expecting a child, but their car has broken down on the way to the hospital. Ratchet agrees to take them to the hospital, then jets off at high speed, despite Sari's warning to keep the mother calm.

Meanwhile, the new robot is walking through downtown Detroit, nearly causing several accidents. The police, pursuing the [[Angry Archer]], crash into the robot, who subsequently asks them for help. Archer tells the robot to throw them aside so that they can escape, and the robot agrees. When Archer inquires as to his identity, the robot responds that he is "worthless-wreck-walking-pile-of-garbage" (all things he had been called by citizens who nearly slammed into him), so the Archer dubs him Wreck-Gar for short. He tries to explain that they steal from the rich and give to the poor (themselves), but Wreck-Gar gets the Archer's words confused. Seeing a passing armored car, Archer tells Wreck-Gar that they must "knock it over", so Wreck-Gar proceeds to chase the armored car and do just that.

[[File:TFA Garbage In Out Spike Carly bumpy ride.JPG|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Oh shit, what are we gonna do now?!]]

Meanwhile, expecting mother Carly asks her husband, Spike, to ask the driver to slow down, only for Spike to learn that there is only a little girl in the car—and no driver! Ratchet tells them to keep quiet as he tries to find a hospital, only for the armored car knocked over by Wreck-Gar to land in his way. Jettisoning the humans, Ratchet and Bumblebee try to stop Wreck-Gar, but before they can do anything, the Angry Archer snags and flees with a canister that was in the armored car. Sari points out that Autobots are supposed to catch the bad guys, and Wreck-Gar assumes that he is an Autobot, slaps on an [[Insignia|Autobrand]], and goes after the Archer. Bumblebee and Sari go after him, while Ratchet offers to drive Spike and Carly to the hospital. They say they'll take a cab, leaving Ratchet miffed at their rudeness.

Outrunning the swinging Archer, Wreck-Gar hurls him into the air so he can "catch" him, allowing the Angry Archer to escape, but the canister falls into Wreck-Gar's backpack. As the Autobots and Sari show up, the Key starts to glow, and they realize that Wreck-Gar was created by an AllSpark fragment. Ratchet rudely tells Wreck-Gar that he is not an Autobot and is only good for one thing: GARBAGE! Wreck-Gar therefore [[Transformation|transforms]] into his garbage truck [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] and leaves to deliver garbage to the people of Detroit—starting by covering Sari and the Autobots in a pile of it.

[[File:GarbageInGarbageOut-Wreck-GarandLugnutwithaxe.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|It's no Star Saber but it'll do.]]

Meanwhile, Lugnut has reached the city, and he confronts Wreck-Gar at the military base he and [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] previously visited. Lugnut demands the AllSpark fragment from the vehicle's driver, but Wreck-Gar transforms, revealing his robotic nature. When Wreck-Gar repeats Ratchet's statement that he's no Autobot, Lugnut concludes that Wreck-Gar is a loyal Decepticon, so Wreck-Gar slaps on a Decepticon symbol.

Back at the crime scene, Ratchet is removing the driver of the armored car when Powell and Fanzone show up. Powell reveals that the car was carrying the garbage-devouring microbots to a demonstration for Mayor Edsel. However, the canister carrying them is gone. Sari is more than willing to let Powell suffer, but Ratchet is concerned about what the microbots might do if infused with AllSpark energy. Tracking Wreck-Gar to the base, Ratchet demands the Microbots, only for Lugnut to transform and activate his [[Punch of Kill Everything]]. Wreck-Gar interprets this as the [[universal greeting]] and gives Lugnut a high five. Sari and the Autobots barely manage to avoid ground zero. As Lugnut transforms to attack, Wreck-Gar takes out the canister, which has cracked, allowing some of the microbots to touch Lugnut. Crying out in pain, Lugnut commands Wreck-Gar to get them off, so Wreck-Gar dissects Lugnut, causing his tail end, still carrying Wreck-Gar, to crash onto a garbage scow. Bumblebee declares their problems over, but Ratchet is worried. If those microbots could eat through Decepticon [[armor-plating]], there's no telling what they'll do to downtown Detroit.

[[File:Garbage In Garbage Out Wreck-Gar stuck.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|[[Lost and Found (episode)#Quotes|Help! Give me a hand! Or-or a foot! How about a pelvis?]]]]

On the river bank, Powell arrives to cancel the presentation with the mayor, only for the group to see the microbots eat the garbage on the scow. Powell quickly takes advantage of the situation to start wheeling and dealing. As the scow gets closer, Ratchet jumps from a nearby bridge to stop it. He tries to reason with Wreck-Gar, but everything fails, forcing Ratchet to make the ultimate sacrifice...and apologize. He tells Wreck-Gar he can be whatever he wants, and Wreck-Gar decides to save the city, vacuuming up the microbots. However, the microbots overload Wreck-Gar's backpack, causing him to fall into the river. Ratchet tries to pull him out with his magnets, but only finds junk. As Bumblebee and Sari declare Ratchet a hero, Powell cries foul, saying that Ratchet destroyed his product. Thus there is no deal with the city, and the garbage dispute will continue. Ratchet picks up Powell, the Mayor, and the Mayor's aide, and tells them to make peace or be thrown into the river. Powell and Edsel agree to a small increase to re-service the garbage bots, ending the dispute. Ratchet decides the cheering bystanders are lauding him, leading him to conclude that he does have people skills. Sari and Bumblebee know differently, however.

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the river, Wreck-Gar, buried shoulder-deep in sediment, assures the sea life that he is a hero and is there to help. First, however, he needs a hand. Or a fin.
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (6)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (7)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (8)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (10)
|c2=
*[[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]] (14)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (15)
|c3=
*[[Lester Black]] (2)
*[[Porter C. Powell]] (3)
*[[Eddie Fairchild and Matt Conroy|Sumdac technician]]s (4)
*[[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]] (9)
*[[Irate Citizen]] (11)
*[[Carmine Fanzone]] (12)
*Police officer (16)
*[[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike Witwicky]] (17)
*[[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly Witwicky]] (18)
*[[Angry Archer]] (19)
*[[Augustus Edsel]] (20)
*[[Adrias]] (21)
|c4=
*[[Trash Bot]]s (1)
*[[Wreck-Gar (Animated)|Wreck-Gar]] (13)

}}

==Quotes==
"Stasis lock itself could not deter me from your grand and glorious plan, oh wise and noble Megatron!" 
''[Left optic twitches]'' "Just...''go''..."
:—'''Lugnut's''' blind worship can be too much even for '''Megatron''' sometimes.

"I don't suppose you can tell me what I am, funny green man?" 
"You are...my partner-in-crime. They call me Angry Archer!" 
"They call me 'worthless-wreck-walking-pile-of-garbage'!" 
"Oh, really? Bit of a mouthful. Perhaps we should just call you 'Wreck-Gar' for short."
:—'''Angry Archer''', Renaissance Man, does some on-the-spot dubbing.

''[The Autobots are stuck in traffic]'' 
'''Ratchet''': Move it, already! Don't you humans have anything better to do?! 
'''Sari''': You should really try to be more patient with people. 
'''Ratchet''': I'd be a lot more patient with them...if they'd GET OUT OF MY WAY!
:—Ratchet shows that road rage is alive and well in the 22nd century.

'''Bumblebee''': ''[To Wreck-Gar]'' What are you? ''[To Sari]'' What is he? 
'''Sari''': I don't know, but he's givin' off a ton of AllSpark energy. 
'''Wreck-Gar:''' I am Wreck-Gar! I give off a ton of AllSpark energy! 
'''Bumblebee''': So, what, an AllSpark fragment just brought a junk pile to life and made some new kind of Autobot?! 
'''Wreck-Gar''': I am Wreck-Gar! I am some new kind of Autobot?! 
'''Ratchet''': Listen up, scrapheap. You're not an Autobot, and you never will be an Autobot. You're only good for one thing...'''''GARBAGE!''''' 
'''Wreck-Gar''': I am Wreck-Gar! I am only good for one thing...'''''GARBAGE!''''' I must deliver garbage to all! ''[transforms and rolls out]''
:— Ratchet's lack of people skills backfires again.

'''Lugnut''': Are you an Autobot? 
'''Wreck-Gar''': I am Wreck-Gar! I am not an Autobot and never will be an Autobot! 
'''Lugnut''': Ah! Then you must be a Decepticon! 
'''Wreck-Gar''': I am Wreck-Gar! I...must be a Decepticon! 
''[Wreck-Gar places a Decepticon badge on his chest]'' 
'''Lugnut''': Aah, ALL HAIL MEGATRON! 
'''Wreck-Gar''': All hail Megatron! Uh...w-what's a 'Megatron'?
:— Wreck-Gar makes a new friend.

"You glitch-head! You're gonna destroy the whole city! You wouldn't dare do something THAT stupid!" 
"I am Wreck-Gar! I ''dare'' to be stupid! I will destroy the whole city!"
:— '''Ratchet''' and '''Wreck-Gar'''. Yes, but does he count his chickens before they hatch?

"Well, whaddaya know. They like me. They really like me! Guess I got a way with words."
:— '''Ratchet''', discovering what we've known all along.

==Notes==
* This episode was first shown on Friday, [[April 25]]th at [[BotCon 2008]] (with the time-code running in the top-left corner).

===Animation or technical errors===
* In one scene where Ratchet crosses his arms, he gains a second war wound on his right arm.
* After Lugnut uses his "Punch of Kill Everything" and causing an explosion at the airport. A lining on the concrete vanishes before the explosion damages the fighter jets.
* When Wreck-Gar asks Bumblebee and Ratchet if they want garbage, his forehead is white instead of orange.
* Though Wreck-Gar calls what he pulls from his backpack a "microscope", it's actually a telescope. Of course this ''could'' just be ignorance on his part as he had not been online for a single day yet...

===Continuity errors===
* Optimus pays honor to the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|long-standing tradition]] of his [[trailer]] disappearing when he transforms. His dump-truck trailer disappears magically along with all the garbage in it!
* Why don't Sari or Ratchet react to the Key when it starts to glow, indicating the presence of AllSpark energy?
* Sari uses the Key to help track down Wreck-Gar...which seems rather unnecessary, considering the noticeable trail of garbage he left behind.
* The previously cylindrical trash-bots now appear somewhat rectangular.

===Transformers references===
[[File:Beemeatcycle.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Most fanwanky episode ever? Most likely.]]
* Wreck-Gar interprets Lugnut's incoming rocket punch as an invitation to a high five, and he happily delivers the [[universal greeting]].
*Wreck-Gar appears to have the original's near-invulnerability. After triggering Lugnut's [[Punch of Kill Everything]] and causing a huge explosion, Wreck-Gar is simply knocked down, but otherwise fine.
* Wreck-Gar's shifting allegiance and red optics as he faces down Ratchet on the garbage scow appear to be callbacks to the [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|original Wreck-Gar]], who seemed to be an enemy to the Autobots in his initial movie appearance, complete with red optics, and was even marketed as such in television [[commercial]]s.
* The ''Animated'' incarnations of Spike and Carly, who made a cameo in [[Transform and Roll Out|the pilot episode]], reappear with speaking lines and even get their names called out. In the process, Corey Burton reprises his post-[[The Transformers: The Movie|Movie]] voice for the adult [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]].
* Generation 1 Wreck-Gar's motorcycle alt mode can be spotted amongst the garbage that Wreck-Gar throws at Bumblebee.
* The term "microbots" is a reference to one of the [[Microbots|good old G1 episodes]].

===Real-world references===
* The title "Garbage In, Garbage Out" is a phrase used in computing meaning that if you give a computer bad data, or garbage, it gives you the same, as it just does what it's programmed to do without correcting your errors. This makes it very appropriate for Wreck-Gar's introductory episode, as it seems to be the case for him as well.
* While driving Spike and Carly to the hospital, Ratchet drives past the Wyatt Toys toy store, a reference to Art Director [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] previously seen in "[[Sound and Fury]]".
* The line "Thumb tack? Carpet tack? Income tack?" bears a striking resemblance to a gag used by Groucho Marx in ''Duck Soup''.
* The line "They like me, they really like me!" refers to Sally Field's Oscar acceptance speech in 1985.
* Wreck-Gar's "I ''dare'' to be stupid!" is, of course, a reference to one of [["Weird Al" Yankovic]]'s most well-known songs, "[[Dare to Be Stupid]]"–a {{w|Devo}} "style parody" which appeared on the soundtrack to [[The Transformers: The Movie|the original animated movie]], and was used there in the scene with the [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|original Wreck-Gar]].

===Trivia===
*Even Megatron gets annoyed by Lugnut's constant worshipping. [[Inferno (BW)|Sound familiar]]?
*The mayor still doesn't talk, letting his [[Adrias|Press Secretary]] speak for him instead.
*Aside from Wreck-Gar, Weird Al also voices the Sumdac Systems technician who explains the new version of the nanobots to Porter C. Powell.
*This is the first and only time we see Lugnut use his mace/axe weapon. Originally, Hasbro never told the cartoon team that they had included it with the toy. As such, they only found out after Season 1 was finished.
*Given that Carly is about to give birth when she seemed to have a wafer-thin profile in [[Transform and Roll Out|the pilot]], the Autobots seem to have spent at least six months or so in Detroit.
*This episode sees the return of the human newscaster.
*Wreck-Gar appears to have access to [[Subspace|Hammerspace]].
*Bulkhead appears, but has no lines. Blitzwing and Isaac Sumdac are also absent.
*One of the two policemen Wreck-Gar picks up resembles Officer Dibble from ''{{w|Top Cat}}''.
*This episode is the first to feature Ratchet's full robot-to-vehicle [[stock footage|transformation animation sequence]].
*This episode was adapted in comic book format using screen captures as half of "[[Transformers Animated Volume 9]]", with "[[Velocity (episode)|Velocity]]" making up the other half.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Lixo dentro, lixo fora'''" ("Garbage In, Garbage Out")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Un tri trop sélectif'''" ("A Too Selective Sorting")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Die Müll-Bots'''" ("The Garbage-Bots")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 18|18 July]] [[2008]]

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Rifiuti'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 7|7 February]] [[2009]]
::* Wreck-Gar is renamed "Pattumiera" (Trashcan), getting the dubious award of being the first Autobot renamed in Italy since ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]''. ([[Mega-Octane]] already had the crown as the first overall Transformer with a different Italian name after BW, FYI)

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Wreck-Gar no Bōsō'''" (レックガーの暴走, "Wreck-Gar's Rampage")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[August 7|7 August]] [[2010]]
::* It's Optimus's turn for the warning message and stock footage. Wreck-Gar wonders what he is and doesn't understand anything, other than that the show is starting during the intro.
::* The [[universal greeting]] doesn't quite work out in Japanese, and Wreck-Gar instead sings a little ditty. The "carpet/thumb/income tack" gag also doesn't work as well.
::* The outro [[commercial bumper]] for Wreck-Gar shows his [[robot mode]] in black silhouette with him asking who it is. The intro bumper shows his robot mode and has him announcing his name. This is a send-up/homage to the [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Who's_That_Pokémon? "Who's that Pokémon?"] bumpers from the ''Pokémon'' TV series.
::* The [[Otoboto family]] act as news anchors, the family obviously trying not to lose their composure. It's also a promotion for the recently released DVD and the exclusive gold-chromed Optimus figure.
::* During the "next episode" segment, Bumblebee and Ratchet promote a contest for which entries—drawings of the entrant's favorite Transformer—must be postmarked by [[August 31]] to TV Aichi, the prizes being Voyager Optimus and TF-26 Megatron Light & Sound. Additional information can be found at [http://www.tv-aichi.co.jp/TF-animated/news/index.html#100726a TV Aichi's site].

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Śmieci weszły, Śmieci wyszły'''" ("Garbage In, Garbage Out")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

==Home video releases==
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Season Two ([[Transformers Animated (cartoon)/home video|Paramount]]) — English and Spanish audio. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Four: Mission Accomplished (Paramount) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Four: Mission Accomplished (Paramount) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Vier: Mission Erfüllt (Paramount) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2010 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Vol. 5 (Paramount) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2014 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Season Two ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers Animated'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]])

[[Category:Animated episodes]]

Mercenary Pursuits

2019-02-03T14:31:03Z

AllSpark901:

{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=4
|image=Mercenary Pursuits Rattrap 2heads.jpg
|caption=So which one is Rosie Greer?
|title="Mercenary Pursuits"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[October 9]], [[1999]]
|written by=[[Michael Reaves]]
|directed by=[[Raul Sanchez Inglis]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''The Maximals have a second run-in with the Vehicon generals, and sense the presence of a familiar spark.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] rebukes his [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]] generals for failing to destroy the [[Maximal]]s, refusing to accept failure; he sends them forth with promises of rewards to whichever one captures the Maximals.

[[File:Mercenary Pursuits Optimus Primal holograms.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb]]
[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] contemplates the images of [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and vows to find them. His meditation is interrupted when he senses the presence of a [[spark]]; the team goes out to find it. During the search, [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] beaks into a secure laboratory and discovers the transformation inhibitor virus which Megatron used... and a counter-virus as well, a transformation enhancer. Rattrap swipes the enhancer while [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]]'s back is turned.

[[File:Mercenary Pursuits Tankor search.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb]]
While [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] and [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] squabble, [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] manages to find the Maximals, who elude him by reverting to [[beast mode]]... until Rattrap shows up, able to transform at last thanks to the enhancer. This alerts Tankor, of course, who attacks the team. Rattrap finds he's unable to control his transformations, as he continually changes between [[robot mode|robot]] and beast mode, passing through strange intermediate forms.

Tankor manages to trap the Maximals under a metal dome. Thrust and Jetstorm arrive and fight Tankor for the right to bring in the captive Maximals; the distraction allows the Maximals escape from the dome, but an explosion knocks out all the Transformers present, leaving only the durable Tankor standing.

[[File:Mercenary Pursuits Megatron Optimus bound.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Now tell me, Maximal... how did you like my poem?]]
At the Citadel, Megatron gloats to the captured Maximals, while Tankor demands his reward: "freedom" via the removal of his spark. Rattrap's continual transformations strain his bonds to the breaking point, freeing him; he quickly releases the others. During the ensuing fight, Megatron loses control and breaks free of his control harness; Primal talks directly to Tankor's spark, compelling him to do what is right. After a moment of confusion, Tankor blasts open the door so the Maximals can escape, and leaves with them.

[[File:Mercenary Pursuits Tankor maximals.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|One of these things is not like the other]]
Restored to his harness, Megatron interfaces directly with Tankor's CPU, deleting the last 20 cycles of his memory. Thus Tankor suddenly attacks the Maximals again as they travel underground; Megatron blocks Primal's attempts to speak to Tankor's Spark again. The Maximals trip up Tankor as he's preparing to fire; the cannon backblast sends him flying upwards through Cybertron's sublevels, only to crash back down to the surface atop a startled Thrust and Jetstorm.

Optimus Primal explains to the other Maximals that he sensed something familiar about Tankor's spark... but then it was gone.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (5)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (6)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (7)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (8)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]
|c2=
*[[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] (1)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (2)
*[[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] (3)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (4)
}}

==Quotes==
"An interesting tale. Now here are some meaningful words. I am your creator. Please me and I shall reward you. Disappoint me and you shall suffer. A difficult choice?"
:—'''Megatron''' attempts to raise his troops' morale.

'''Cheetor:''' Use me for target practice?! THAT'S IT!! I Am Trans... 
'''Optimus Primal:''' Negative. These storage bins may contain explosives. 
'''Blackarachnia:''' [''scoffs''] Aren't you being just a ''little'' overcautious? 
[''Tankor blows up a storage bin, triggering the explosion of other storage bins in the vicinity.''] 
'''Optimus Primal:''' Next question?
:—'''Optimus Primal''', showing the other Maximals why he's the big banana.

"Transform back before Tankor locks in on you." 
"But..but...I am ''transformed!''"
:—'''Optimus Primal''' talks sense to '''Rattrap''' who appears to be having an off-day.

"Now, if there are no further interruptions." 
"I'm afraid there will be."
:—'''Megatron''' is clued in by '''Optimus'''.

"Tankor! Tankor!" 
"I'm sorry, Tankor is not available at the present time. Would you like to leave a message?"
:—'''Optimus Primal''' tries to contact Tankor's spark again and gets '''Megatron''' instead.

[''After escaping Tankor, parts of Rattrap's body changes uncontrollably from beast to robot mode''] 
'''Blackarachnia:''' Rattrap, what are you doing? 
'''Rattrap:''' The hokey-pokey! What's it look like? I can't...stop! 
'''Cheetor:''' The transformation enhancers. Tell me you didn't! 
'''Rattrap:''' Can we.. [''twitches once, robot mode head pops out and speaks simultaneously with his beast mode head''] discuss this...later? 
:—Two heads are ''not'' better than one with '''Rattrap'''.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*As Optimus says "I'm closing in on the spark," the colored bands on his beast mode arms are turned sideways.
* When Jetstorm throws Thrust at the building, Thrust looks exactly the same as the Cycle Drones, but then at the just before he transforms, he is back to normal.
* When Blackarachnia tells Rattrap to transform back into beast mode, one of her legs clips through her abdomen.
* As Rattrap comes to a halt while he and his team are fleeing from the generals, his tails keeps clipping into the ground.
* When Optimus confronts Tankor, and then as the latter drops the dome the Maximals, Optimus' hand is clipping through his forearm-guards – not an uncommon error, due to his design.
*When Jetstorm and Thrust stand off against Tankor, in the shot from underneath Thrust as he rolls backward towards the camera, Tankor in the distance has a solid blue Tank Drone chestplate instead of his red-banded chestplate.
* When Megatron glares at the Maximals after they simultaneously transform, his scar is over his left eye instead of his right.
* As the Maximals react to Megatron closing the gate, Cheetor's legs clip through each other.
* The sparks shooting out of Tankor when Megatron electrocutes him cast shadows – another common error in the show.
* When Optimus calls out to Tankor to follow them, and he twists around, a piece in the middle of Tankor's back doesn't turn with him.

===Continuity errors===
* At the end of the previous episode, Rattrap was excited to inform Optimus about the missing Rhinox and Silverbolt. But in this episode, he is instead annoyed about Optimus having been told about them.
* If the Maximals are immune to the debilitating effects of the transformation virus, shouldn't the counter-virus have no effect on them either?

===Continuity notes===
* Optimus is mourning the missing-in-action [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] at the start of the episode. Clearly, Blackarachnia opted to tell her leader about her discoveries in "[[Fires of the Past]]".
* Blackarachnia mentions to her trip to [[Central Spaceport]] and Megatron almost hacking into her memories, which occurred in the same episode.
* Rattrap's inability to transform has been an issue since "[[Master of the House]]".
* Some more hints about the state of Cybertron: the transformation virus that prevented the Maximals from transforming in "[[The Reformatting]]" is finally identified.
* Gadgets and powers:
** Optimus Primal displays his burgeoning spiritual side as he telepathically contacts Tankor.

===Real-world references===
* As Rattrap finds the transformation enhancer, he exclaims "Good-bye fur coat; hello full metal jacket!" A ''full metal jacket'' is a copper bullet casing commonly used by infantrymen, as well as the {{w|Full Metal Jacket|title of a Stanley Kubrick film}}.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Poursuite'''" ("Pursuit")

:*''Title:'' "'''Le Mercenaire'''" (Canada, "The Mercenary")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Die Jagd'''" ("The Hunt")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 6]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Higan no Henshin'''" (悲願の変身, "The Dearly Wished Transformation")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 14]], [[2004]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Persecuciones Mercenarias'''" ("Mercenary Pursuits")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Shúxī de Huǒzhǒng '''" (熟悉的火种, "Familliar Sparks")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2004 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 1 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One — Reformatting (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season One (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 1 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

Dark Designs

2019-01-21T22:42:54Z

AllSpark901: /* Quotes */

{{disambig2|the Beast Wars episode|the Titan Books collection|Transformers: Dark Designs}}

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=13
|series2=BWJtoon
|ep2=16
|prev2=Victory (episode)
|next2=Double Dinobot
|image=Dark Designs Evil Rhinox.jpg
|caption=Heeeeeere's Johnny!
|title="Dark Designs"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[November 4]], 1996
|written by=[[Ian Weir]]
|directed by=[[Owen Hurley]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity= [[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''Megatron captures and reprograms Rhinox into a Predacon. It doesn't turn out very well.'''

==Synopsis==
In some usual rocky terrain, the [[Maximal]]s are disappointed to learn that their day's expedition has been a waste of time, as the [[energon]] they were searching for is inaccessible. [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] whines, saying the situation couldn't get worse, prompting an attack from the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]. The Maximals are at a clear disadvantage, but [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] triggers a rockslide that crushes all the Predacons.

[[File:Dark Designs Rhinoxweb.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|What a catch.]]
[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] commends Rhinox's intelligent tactics, and the Maximals begin their return to base. [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] also determines that Rhinox is a major threat to his operation and orders [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] to capture the large Maximal. When Rhinox is a distance behind the other Maximals on the road home, the spider captures Rhinox and knocks the rhino out with some [[cyber venom]].

[[File:Dark Designs Transmuter.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Shocking footage reveals Hasbro's use of test animals for its [[redeco]] machinery.]]
A while later, the Maximals noticed their large comrade has disappeared. Rattrap activates his communicator, and are able to listen through Rhinox's communicator, overhearing the events in the Predacon base where Megatron uses "the [[Transmuter (BW)|Transmuter]]" to turn Rhinox into an evil Predacon. While the Maximals are concerned, Optimus Primal plans to wait a while before the Maximals make an effort to rescue their friend, yessssssss...

In the [[Darksyde (BW)|Predacon base]], Megatron, and his new underling, Evil Rhinox, get down to plotting on how they can use Rhinox's knowledge to destroy the Maximals—but some technical problems with Megatron's computer halt the planning session. Rhinox is sent to check up on [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]]'s repair of the system (which was secretly vandalised by Rhinox). With no witnesses, Rhinox drops several tons of hardware onto Scorponok. When Scorponok's flattened body is found later by Megatron and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], they have no clue who committed the crime.

[[File:Dark Designs Rhinox Terrorsaur.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Mmm, I feel like ''turkey'' tonight.]]
Waspinator deposits Scorponok into a [[CR chamber]] for repair, but flying away, Waspinator is hit with a heavy piece of weight pushed by Rhinox. The impact drives Waspinator into a state of dementia. This time, Rhinox's attempt at homicide is witnessed by [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]], who meets with Rhinox in private. There, Rhinox declines Terrorsaur's offer of partnership and insists that Terrorsaur stay silent. Later, Megatron discovers that Tarantulas and Blackarachnia have been poisoned. Still oblivious, a furious Megatron shouts out his confusion.

Outside of the Predacon base, [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] figures out Optimus Primal's plan: leave Rhinox as he is, so he'll run roughshod over the Predacons. But knowing that Megatron will eventually wise up, the Maximals get ready to mount a rescue. At the same time, Scorponok has been repaired, and he tells Megatron what happened to him. Megatron concludes that his little experiment has gone wrong, and decides to end it—and Rhinox as well.

[[File:Dark Designs Megatron.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|So purple is a primary color to Predacons, right?]]
Megatron confronts Rhinox, and assigns Scorponok and Terrorsaur to disarm the new recruit. By mentioning Terrorsaur's plotting, Rhinox is able to get the two Predacon goons to fight each other instead of himself, leaving them as easy pickings. With those two taken care of, he opens fire on Megatron, causing the Predacon to fall off his hover platform.

Rhinox taunts Megatron with a speech about who's the boss now, but Rhinox has stepped into the range of the Transmuter. Megatron reactivates the machine, converting Rhinox back to his regular good self. The Maximals blast their way into the base. Optimus Primal battles with Megatron, slicing off one of the Predacon leader's arms. A stray shot from the still demented Waspinator hits the Transmuter, and the Maximals grab Rhinox and evacuate while the Predacons take cover to avoid being harmed by the exploding machine.

Afterward, the Maximals relax. Rhinox admits that the Predacons have some serious personality problems, and the Maximals have a big laugh. Except for [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]].

==Featured Characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (1)
*[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] (2)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (3)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (4)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (5)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (6)
*[[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] (7)
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (8)
*[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] (9)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (10)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (11)
}}

==Quotes==
[[File:Rhinox_bad_aim.gif|thumb|300px|right]]
"There's more than one way to skin a cat... so to speak."
:—'''Rhinox''', realizing that Cheetor is standing right there.

"Close the file on Optimus Primal... and ''delete!''"
:—'''Megatron''' is apparently referencing another [[Mainframe Entertainment|Mainframe]] {{w|ReBoot|series}}.

"Better dead than Pred." 
"Some of us have ''survived'' the experience, furball." 
:—'''Cheetor''' and '''Dinobot''' discuss the benefits of being a Predacon.

"Oh, I'm being real careful. See, I'm on ''this'' side, and it's all gonna fall ''that way''."
:—'''Rhinox''', shortly before dropping a pile of crates on Scorponok.

"Idiot! What have you done?!" 
"Idiot does not respond! Idiot is comatose!"
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Waspinator''' inspect Rhinox's handiwork.

"These spiders have been POISONED!" 
''[He tries to activate coms, but nothing happens. He shakes his fist in frustration!]'' 
"'''WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND HERE!!!!'''" 
''[Cut to outside the Darksyde, and we hear the echoes of his frustration!]''
:—'''Megatron''' clearly regretting his decisions now.

"He's a smirker! Mangle!"
:—'''Scorponok''' re: Terrorsaur

"Destroy all Autobot-b-bot-bot-bot-bot!" 
"Waspinator, what are you buzzing about?" 
"Waspinator? Negative-negative-negative! I am Shrapnel, Decepticon hero-o-o-o!" 
"Shrapnel? That was a Decepticon from the Great Wars three centuries ago! He's wacko." 
"Wacko? No, Wonko! Wonko the Sane!"
:-'''Megatron'' and '''Blackarachnia''' watch '''Waspinator''', who has obviously flipped his lid.

"Well, what do you know? I win. Reprogramming me was the worst mistake you ever made cause now that I'm a Predacon, I'm just a little too crafty for you." 
"Yes, I see this now." 
"It's called irony, sport. I take over, and you head straight for the recycling bin. ''Yessss''." 
"So it would seem. And even now, Rhinox, you're teaching me a valuable lesson." 
"Yeah? What's that?" 
"Sometimes, Predacons ''gloat'' too much!"
:—'''Rhinox''' and '''Megatron'''

"Like you're three gigabytes of attitude on a two-gig hard drive. No ''wonder'' they've got personality problems!"
:—'''Rhinox''' on being a Predacon

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* The animation and continuity in the opening scene is janky even by early ''Beast Wars'' episode standards, a fact the jumpy editing and excessive use of shaky-cam do their best to hide. Some goofs in the sequence:
** Rhinox's Energon scanner disappears from his rhino mode leg.
** While Rattrap tempts fate, Dinobot's rear-end is messed up, with his tail sticking out at a very awkward angle and its base being all scrunched up.
** When the missile blows Cheetor away, his feet momentarily sink into the ground. After he hits the rock face, his limbs all twist around and clip through each other and his (non-animated) tail. After he lands, one of his back legs ends up ponting toward his back, and his front left paw slowly makes a 360° turn. His head rotates near 180°, crinkling his neck into a thin strand.
** During Cheetor's stunt, Rhinox and Primal are not animated in one shot, failing to react to the explosion in any way.
** One of Tarantulas' feet is situated on thin air during the fight, and is also painfully twisted. In some of his full body shots, his foot seems bent normally, but he's still floating.
** All other Maximals aside from Cheetor and Rhinox are missing in one shot. Also, the river on the screen's left appears to gradually disappear.
** Following this, Dinobot's left leg remains clipping into the cliff side for much of the scene, and his spinning shield also sinks into it.
** In the closeup on Rhinox's chain gun, Dinobot's eye beams are extremely thin, too close to each other, and colorless. The latter two issues get fixed a moment later, but the beams remain way too thin. Some shots later, they're too close again.
** There's a few empty, blue gaps in the background scenery during the shots focusing on Tarantulas.
** Scorponok's lower body is clipping straight through the boulder he's supposedly hiding behind. His feet and a tiny speck of his knee poke through, and his left claw also clips into it at times. Also, his eyes are red.
** Megatron's thigh is clipping through his knee and shin.
** A gap appears between Dinobot's head and neck when he's looking up.
** While Dinobot and Rattrap argue, one shot shows Optimus up and well, despite having been shot down a bit earlier.
** As Rhinox attempts to blast apart the rock above the Predacons, Megatron's aim is way off, shooting far away from the Maximals (see the animated .gif above).
** There's no damage on Primal when he gets shot down. But afterwards, his whole body looks beat to scrap. He somehow turns back to normal just before the Maximal revert to [[beast mode]].
** When he chastises Rhinox for his aim, Cheetor is standing in between him and Optimus. In the next shot, Cheetor is gone.
** During Megatron's "Close the file..." line, what look like Dinobot's eye beams are shooting off into the distance behind the Maximals.
** After the whole firefight is done, the river in the bottom of the canyon isn't animated for a few shots.
** What ''do'' seem to be moving, however, are the textures on a background cliff as Rhinox says "Looks clear."
* When Rhinox terrorizes, he's suddenly not shackled anymore. He's standing like normal, clipping through the shackles.
* As the camera pulls out after Megatron introduced their new teammate, both Tarantulas' and Scorponok's feet are sunken into their floating platforms.
* When Cheetor reacts to the news, the spots on his torso are messy-looking.
* While Terrorsaur watches Waspinator bouncing around, the top part of his neck is jutting through his head. It stays so in his following scene too.
* Blackarachnia's floating platform is clipping into Megatron's legs as the dazed Waspinator flies about.
* After Rhinox is done walking down a corridor, the texturing on his "skirt" completely changes.
* The joints on Rattrap's arms slip apart when he expresses his worries about Rhinox outside the Pred base.
* When Scorponok explains what happened to Megatron, he lowers his tail. In the next shot, it's above his head again.
* When we see the Maximals conversing near the Predacon base for the second time, all of them are floating. This is most noticeable on Dinobot, who looks like he's standing in the lava flow. Rattrap's lower arms are also twisted around again.
* Megatron's toes are sunken into his platform when he greets Rhinox.
* When Terrorsaur is about to attack Rhinox, he's missing his ''Pteranodon'' feet, and so his legs end in stubs.
* As Scorponok paces toward Rhinox, his right shoulder is turned upside-down, with his scorpion leg [[kibble]] sticking out above it instead of being on his back. His eyes also shift between red and yellow throughout the scene.
* When Terrorsaur tosses Scorponok over himself, Rhinox is missing from the back.
* After Rhinox disposes of Megatron's two goons, he keeps laughing with his mouth closed.
* As Megatron struggles to stand up while Rhinox gloats, his left arm panels keep clipping through each other.
* When the Maximals bust into the Pred base, Cheetor begins talking, but his mouth only starts moving when we cut to a closeup of him.
* Waspinator's damaged chest is suddenly pristine after Cheetor shoots him down.
* When Dinobot throws his sword at Scorponok, he keeps growling without opening his mouth.
* As Optimus swings his blade around, crying "Nooo!", the blade slices clean through his own neck. ''Ouch.''
* When Megatron dives to the floor to launch Optimus, his beast mode head can be seen lying on the ground, before it is severed.
* After he's cut off Megatron's beast head, Optimus' left leg twists around for a frame before popping back into shape.
* Megatron's arm gets severed at the bicep. But when he talks to Terrorsaur a bit later, his arm is intact down to his elbow, with part of his lower arm still attached.

===Continuity errors===
* Near the end of the episode, Evil Rhinox shoots Megatron's kneecaps, making it very hard for him to stand up. Yet Megatron has little trouble standing or moving around in the big fight with the Maximals that happens soon afterward.
* It's a bit of a cartoon standard, but whilst the bad guys find it nearly impossible to actually kill any of their opponents, capturing one is a piece of cake.

===Continuity notes===
* Megatron says that he might have "underestimated the rhinoceros" after falling to Rhinox's quick wits during the initial battle. Apparently the decking he received off the Maximal [[Victory (episode)|last episode]] wasn't enough to impress him.
* Gadgets and powers:
**Rhinox is using the same tricorder-esque thingamajig he used [[Victory (episode)|last episode]], but this time he's using it to detect energon.
**In addition to the bombs, grenades, and lockpicking kits, Rattrap also has a tracking device in his forearm which he can use to home in on a comm device. He's basically a walking swiss-army knife.
* Blackarachnia says that the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] occured "three centuries ago", giving us our first indication as to the time zone the Maximals and Predacons hail from. It's notable that she uses the English term rather than a Cybertronian one, as by this point in the series we have finally settled on [[Units of time|"cycles"]] for all other time measurements.

===Transformers references===
* A lot of them, thanks to [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]]!
** After suffering a head injury, Waspinator babbles that his name is [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]], an [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] from the pre-[[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]]. He proceeds to stutter and repeat words in a semi-accurate reference to the distinctive speech pattern that Shrapnel had in the G1 cartoon, which saw him repeat the last word of his sentences, sentences. <ref> Oddly, Waspinator's Shrapnel impression is ''much'' more reminiscent of [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]]'s speech pattern in the episode "[[City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel]]", widely assumed to be his normal speech pattern by fans despite actually being confined to that episode. Mix-Mix-Mixmaster repeated the first syllable of a sentence several times, while Shrapnel repeats the last word of a sentence once, once. </ref>
** Waspinator-as-Shrapnel describes himself as a "[[Decepticon]] hero", and one of his many non-sequiturs is the phrase "Destroy all [[Autobot]]-bot-bots!"
** When the Maximals storm the ''Darksyde'', Waspinator cries "[[Decepticons, attack]]"!, a phrase frequently uttered by the original [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]].
** Just after getting shot down by Cheetor, Waspinator delivers the classic TF slogan "More than meets the eye."
* This is the first episode to clarify what the "Great War", first alluded to back in [[Beast Wars (Part 1)|the first episode]], actually is - the Beast Era term for the original Autobot-Decepticon conflict.

===Real-world references===
*Cheetor's line "Better dead than Pred" is a paraphrase of the old 1950's anti-Communism slogan "Better dead than Red".
*Immediately following saying that he is Shrapnel, Waspinator claims that he is "Wonko! Wonko the Sane!" and salutes the audience before punching himself in the head. In addition to being a fictional character created by the sci-fi comedy author {{w|Douglas Adams}}, it is a tribute to Transfan [[Ben Yee]], whose online username at the time was Wonko the Sane.
*The scene where Optimus Primal proudly brandishes his swords before an unimpressed Megatron lazily shoots him down is reminiscent of the famous duel between [[Indiana Jones]] and the Cairo swordsman in ''{{w|Raiders of the Lost Ark}}''. Dinobot pushing Scorponok into his rotor blade weapon echoes the demise of the German engineer later in the movie.

===Trivia===
[[File:RhinoxEvilandGood.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Grapety purple edition not sold in stores. Or anywhere else, for that matter.]]
* Oddly enough, there are [[To sell toys|no purple and silver redecos of Rhinox.]]
* Rhinox gains evil, red eyes in beast mode upon being transformed into a Predacon. His robot form already has those, however, so to underscore his evilness in that form, his eyes are circled with silver rings that connect to the ridge over his forehead. The effect is similar to "dark circles" under a [[human]]'s eyes.
* Megatron only ever refers to Rhinox by name while he's a Predacon. Before and after his reprogramming, Megatron refers to Rhinox either as 'Rhinoceros' or 'Maximal'.
* Both Optimus and Rhinox say "Yeeessssss..." in a very similar manner to Megatron. Imitation ''is'' the sincerest form of flattery.
* Apparently Megatron didn't learn his lesson, because he'd go on to reprogram Rhinox ''again'' in ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]''. Guess what happens...

===Foreign localization===
'''French''':

*''Title:'' "'''Sombres Dessins'''" ("Dark Drawings")

:*''Title:'' "'''Sombre Modèle'''" (Canada, "Dark Model")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Strani progetti'''" ("Strange Designs")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Rhinox Ōabare!'''" (ライノックス大暴れ!, "Rhinox Rampages!")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 14|14 January]] [[1998]]
::*As the Maximals limp away from the opening battle, during the shot that follows Rhinox from behind (focusing largely on his rump), Rhinox thinks to himself, "I have a sexy butt". Not making this up, we swear.
::*When Waspinator is injured by Rhinox and starts going bonkers, he does not take on the identity of [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]]. Instead, he identifies himself as "Ultramask the Third" (ウルトラマスク三世). Blackarachnia explains that Waspinator is mixing up his "TV heroes" (likely {{w|Ultraman}}, {{w|Tiger Mask}} and {{w|Lupin III|Lupin the Third}}).
:::Of course, to accommodate the pop culture gag, that means the translation completely eliminated Blackarachnia's speech about Decepticon ancestors and all the world-building it provided.
::*As Scorponok recounts his accident to Megatron, he whimpers and sniffles like a rueful child confessing to a parent. Scorponok was previously shown to be a blubbering crybaby in "[[Double Jeopardy]]".
::*After Rhinox makes his joke about Predacons and all the Maximals roll over with laughter, instead of just snarling in anger, Dinobot shouts, "They're all idiots!"

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Projetos Sombrios'''" ("Dark Projects")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Oscuros Designios'''" (America, "Dark Designs")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hēi'àn zhī Xīn'''" (黑暗之心, "Dark Heart")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars'' — Beasties Escape ([[Alliance Atlantis|Alliance Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1998 — ''Robots-Bêtes'' — L'Évasion (Alliance Video) — French audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — The Destrons Make Drama ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars'' / ''Robots-Bêtes'' Three pack (Alliance Video) — Available in English or French audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2001 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 2 ([[Universal]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Maximal Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — English and Japanese audio.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete First Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes: Volume 2 — The Saga Continues! ([[Alliance Atlantis]]) — English and French audio. 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — The Complete First Season (Alliance Atlantis) — English and French audio. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

==Footnotes==
<references />

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Ambush (episode)

2018-09-16T20:25:11Z

AllSpark901: /* Quotes */

{{disambig2|the ''Cybertron'' episode|the G.I. Joe-aligned human|Ambush (G.I. Joe)}}
{{episode
|series=Cybertron
|ep=42
|series2=Galaxy Force
|ep2=43
|image=Cyb ep42 cowardly Scourge.jpg
|caption=SAY MY NAME.
|title="Ambush"
|japanese=対決! ローリ VS クロミア
|romaji=Taiketsu! Lori tai Chromia
|translation=Showdown! Lori VS Chromia
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Aichi]], [[We've]], [[Tōkyū Agency]]
|writer=[[Gyō Yamatoya]]
|director=[[Atsushi Nakayama]]
|animation studio=[[GONZO]]
|airdate=[[October 29]], [[2005]] (Japanese) [[September 18]], [[2006]] (English)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy cartoon timeline|Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''The Autobots split up to search the lower levels of Gigantion for its Cyber Planet Key, while the Decepticons do the same. Lori and Thunderblast get acquainted.'''

==Synopsis==

[[File:Cyb ep42 feeling run down.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2]]
Deep in the lower levels of [[Gigantion]], the four [[Autobot]] teams are making fast progress in their search for the [[Cyber Planet Key]]. [[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]], [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] and [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] have enjoyed an uneventful journey, and soon discover a large chasm that they decide to leap into to continue their mission. Elsewhere, [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s team (the [[Recon Mini-Con Team]], [[Vector Prime]] and [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]]) are having only a ''slightly'' more eventful time of it, as they find their way barred by [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] and [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]]...only to run straight over them. The two [[Decepticon]]s bemoan their fate, then encourage themselves to try even harder in spite of all their past failures... then kinda deflate again as reality sets in. Poor dumb schmucks.

Elsewhere again, the team of [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]], [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] and [[Lori Jiménez|Lori]] take an elevator to a lower level. When they hit the bottom, Override advises caution entering the new area, and Wing Saber glibly notes the perfect getting-ambushed opportunities there. [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] takes this as her cue to enter, backed up by [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]. Lori, however, immediately begins verbally browbeating Scourge for his cowardly tactics and continued association with the Decepticons, and Scourge flinches. A lot. Thunderblast eventually gets sick of it and insults the both of them, calling Lori a "mouse". Lori, her temper already frayed, challenges Thunderblast to a fight, and the [[Autobot]]s take fighting positions.

[[File:Cyb ep42 wild take.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2]]

Back with Jetfire's team, the trio finally land at the bottom of the pit, where they're attacked by [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]. Jetfire tackles the Decepticon himself, ordering the other two to go ahead without him. They hesitate for a moment, but then move to depart, realizing that, after all, "it's only Thundercracker." Furious at this disrespect, Thundercracker throws Jetfire aside and draws a bead on the retreating Autobots, but Jetfire recovers quickly and opens fire on the Decepticon, allowing his comrades to get away. Grinning wickedly, Thundercracker announces that it's time to reveal his new "forbidden attack", much to Jetfire's befuddlement.

On all three fronts, battle is the order of the day, as Optimus Prime blasts the interfering Ransack and Crumplezone far off into the distance once again.

[[File:Tcracker-SELTCP.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|Dragon Ball T]]

Thunderblast distracts Lori with a rather puerile ruse, and beats cheeks out of there. [[:File:LoriPissed.jpg|Lori's last nerve snapped]], she glowers at Wing Saber until he submits to bringing her along to chase Thunderblast down. The pair fly off on Thunderblast tail, leaving (a rather relieved) Scourge to battle Override, though Wing Saber soon realizes that she's clearly leading them into a trap. Lori is adamant, though, and they soon find out where they're being led to: a harbor area with a ''lot'' of open water.

Elsewhere, Thundercracker is charging up his "[[Super Electric Lightning Thundercrackin' Punch]]" with much pomp and grandeur. Jetfire is incredulous when the Decepticon finishes crying the attack's name and he finds out it's only a punch, but to Thundercracker's credit, his fist connects and knocks Jetfire for six. Jetfire is actually impressed, complimenting Thundercracker on finally landing a legitimately good attack, and Thundercracker grins happily.

[[File:Thundercranes.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|Wow, they weren't even using the right bait for floozies.]]

While Scourge and Override's battle continues, with plenty of trash talk, Thunderblast launches her own attack, shooting missiles at Wing Saber from underwater. Wing Saber has a rare moment of clarity and suggests a retreat, knowing he can't tackle Thunderblast like this, but Lori insists they have to outsmart her. Wing Saber drops Lori off on dry land, and she enters a control console for a ring of eight cranes in the middle of the harbor water. Wing Saber allows himself to get "shot down" and dives underwater in [[robot mode]]. Thunderblast follows and corners him... and then realizes that she herself has just been led into a trap. Lori drops the crane-claws all around Thunderblast (hitting a button on the control panel with so much force it cracks), surrounding her, and then one final one right on top of her head. Thunderblast demands to be released, and Wing Saber obliges, courtesy of pretty much every missile he's packing. The explosion sends Thunderblast flying away uncontrollably, wailing in defiance.

[[File:MasswaysMasses.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|Buy us at only $60 a pop!]]

Elsewhere, Jetfire and Thundercracker have beaten each other silly, and both collapse, exhausted. The back-up team of [[Coby Hansen|Coby]], [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]], [[Quickmix (Cybertron)|Quickmix]] and [[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] arrive, and Coby tends to Jetfire while Quickmix keeps the gibbering Thundercracker quiet by dumping a lot of quick-drying concrete on top of him.

Scourge and Override's fight blasts a hole in the floor of a level above them, and their fight moves into this new room. Scourge hurls his axe, which misses and slams into the wall... right above the doorway that Lori then comes running through. Wing Saber dives in and saves Lori before she's crushed by the falling debris, and Scourge uses the opportunity to run for an elevator. Lori, quickly over her near-death experience, berates Scourge again, who sheepishly says he's not ''running away'' so much as making a ''strategic withdrawal''. The doors close, and Override and Lori both express their frustration by hitting the wall. But Lori finds that she has inadvertently kicked a hidden button in the wall, which causes the lights in the room to turn off, and a large device to rise out of the middle of the floor. As the device powers up, the trio realize they are looking at a planetarium-like hologram device, which begins to project images of Gigantion in ancient times. The video images show a [[Planet X (Cybertron)|huge dark sphere]] appearing above the planet, and hundreds of robots emerging from it and filling the skies of Gigantion... robots of the same design as [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]]....
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]] (1)
* [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] (2)
* [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (3)
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (4)
* [[Six-Speed (Cybertron)|Six-Speed]] (5)
* [[Reverb (Cybertron)|Reverb]] (6)
* [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (7)
* [[Vector Prime]] (8)
* [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] (9)
* [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] (12)
* [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] (13)
* [[Quickmix (Cybertron)|Quickmix]] (20)
* [[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] (21)
* [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] (22)

|c2=
* [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] (10)
* [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (11)
* [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (15)
* [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] (16)
* [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] (17)

|c3=
* [[Lori Jiménez|Lori]] (14)
* [[Bud Hansen]] (18)
* [[Coby Hansen]] (19)

|c4=
* [[Noisemaze Mass Production Type Version|Noisemazes Mass Production Type Version]] (23)
* [[Laserbeak drone]]s (24)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ah...I'm feelin' a bit rundown." 
"Don't make me laugh! It hurts!"
:—'''Crumplezone''' and '''Ransack''' after being run over by Metroplex.

"When he sees our real strength and ''feels'' our vengeance, he'll regret beating us over and over and over..."
:—'''Crumplezone'''

"What could be dangerous? It's dark with only one exit! Looks like a ''great'' place to get ambushed!"
:—'''Wing Saber'''

"What in the world are you ''thinking''?! Back on [[Animatron|Jungle Planet]], you were all about honor and rule of law, but ''now'' look at you! Skulking around in the shadows with a Decepticon floozy—" 
"HEY!" 
"—plotting ambushes and, and sneak attacks?! What's the ''matter'' with you?! Have you completely lost your honor or ''what''?!"
:—'''Lori''' browbeats Scourge (with objection by '''Thunderblast''')

"Little sister, you better check yo'self!"
:—'''Thunderblast''' (to Lori)

"We are chasing her, Wing Saber!" 
"Huh?! You're not serious." 
"I am serious." 
"Uh, but...but Lori...." 
"We're. Chas. Ing. Her." 
"Yes...ma'am...." 
:—'''Lori''' has '''Wing Saber''' totally whipped.

"Here I go! [[Super Electric Lightning Thundercrackin' Punch|SUPER 'LECTRIC LIGHTNIN' THUNDERCRACKER PUNCH]]!" 
"All that for a punch?"
:—'''Jetfire''' doesn't see the reason behind '''Thundercracker's''' build up.

[[File:JetCracker-punch.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2]]
"Man... I'm impressed! Good punch, mate! Fair dinkum! 'Bout time you brought some muscle to the tussle!"
:—'''Jetfire''' revises his opinion of the above punch.

"Don't worry about a thing. I aced a B+ in computers class." 
"Why not an A?" 
"Well...." 
"Just don't tell me you crashed the computer."
:—'''Lori''' and '''Wing Saber'''

"Bring me a 'get well' card..."
:—'''Thundercracker'''

"And no more squeaking from the mouse!"
:-Oh no '''Thunderblast''' didn't!

==Other Notes==
===Differences with ''Galaxy Force''===
*''Galaxy Force'' includes a "previously on" segment summarizing the events of "[[City]]".
*Immediately after the "previously" segment, before the title card appears, ''Galaxy Force'' also includes a brief original scene of Override, Wing Saber and Lori making their way down a corridor, talking about being first to their objective. In removing the "previously" segment, ''Cybertron'' also removes this short scene (perhaps unintentionally?).
* In ''Cybertron'', after Lori challenges Thunderblast to a battle, Wing Saber and Override make sounds as if they are preparing to battle. In ''Galaxy Force'', they both claim that Lori is scary.
*In ''Cybertron'', at the end of the episode, Lori berates Scourge for retreating. In ''Galaxy Force'', she is angry because she suspects he may have thrown his axe and collapsed the wall with the deliberate intention of killing her.

===Continuity errors===
* So, did Scourge get his tail-axe back or what?

===Real-world references===
* As she and Wing Saber jet off after Thunderblast, Lori cries "Hi-yo Saber!", a reference to the command western hero {{w|The Lone Ranger}} gave his horse, Silver, to begin running.
* "She can lead an Autobot to water..." Wing Saber says of Thunderblast's plan, with Lori adding, "...but can she make us drink?", paraphrasing that old saying about horses.
* While she's chasing Wing Saber underwater, Thunderblast starts singing the {{w|Jaws (film)#Music|theme from ''Jaws''}}.

===Trivia===
[[File:Override-Teeth.jpg|thumb|Override uses Crest Whitening strips.]]
* There's a noticeably greater amount of facial emoting from the CGI cast in this episode than normal. Where previously, the height of facial animation has literally been limited to the changing shape of the mouth, this episode features several characters getting "normal" [[teeth]] for certain expressions which are not present in most other sequences, more fluid lip-motions, and even eyes that change shape. It's a nice change of pace.
* On that note, the scene in which Lori is almost crushed by falling debris has one of the few instances of "precise" lip-synching in the series: a close-up of Override's face as she yells "LORI!!!" The shot of her afterwards saying her name again in a relieved tone is also synched, but no teethies. A close-up of Thunderblast just before she's crushed also has precise lip-synch, but it's synched to Japanese words, not English. Oh well.
* During his indecision on whether or not to follow Thunderblast, Wing Saber displays the comical, large {{w|Sweat drop|anime sweat drop}} on the side of his head. This means that Lori is so scary that she makes robots sweat. Also, Lori can be seen with a fang sticking out of her mouth when she's mad. O.o
* On that note, Lori is so scary, that she makes ''Wing Saber'' listen to her orders!
*Why is the multi-crane control tower (and all its workstations) the perfect size for Lori to use? Were these designed exclusively for Mini-cons?
* As Thunderblast runs across the rooftops while luring Wing Saber and Lori along, her breasts actually... ''jiggle''. Seriously, Gonzo, we despair of you.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Galaxy Force'' — Vol. 11 ([[Victor Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Ultimate Collection ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]])

[[Category:Cybertron episodes]]

Ambush (episode)

2018-09-16T20:24:31Z

AllSpark901: /* Quotes */

{{disambig2|the ''Cybertron'' episode|the G.I. Joe-aligned human|Ambush (G.I. Joe)}}
{{episode
|series=Cybertron
|ep=42
|series2=Galaxy Force
|ep2=43
|image=Cyb ep42 cowardly Scourge.jpg
|caption=SAY MY NAME.
|title="Ambush"
|japanese=対決! ローリ VS クロミア
|romaji=Taiketsu! Lori tai Chromia
|translation=Showdown! Lori VS Chromia
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Aichi]], [[We've]], [[Tōkyū Agency]]
|writer=[[Gyō Yamatoya]]
|director=[[Atsushi Nakayama]]
|animation studio=[[GONZO]]
|airdate=[[October 29]], [[2005]] (Japanese) [[September 18]], [[2006]] (English)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy cartoon timeline|Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''The Autobots split up to search the lower levels of Gigantion for its Cyber Planet Key, while the Decepticons do the same. Lori and Thunderblast get acquainted.'''

==Synopsis==

[[File:Cyb ep42 feeling run down.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2]]
Deep in the lower levels of [[Gigantion]], the four [[Autobot]] teams are making fast progress in their search for the [[Cyber Planet Key]]. [[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]], [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] and [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] have enjoyed an uneventful journey, and soon discover a large chasm that they decide to leap into to continue their mission. Elsewhere, [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s team (the [[Recon Mini-Con Team]], [[Vector Prime]] and [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]]) are having only a ''slightly'' more eventful time of it, as they find their way barred by [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] and [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]]...only to run straight over them. The two [[Decepticon]]s bemoan their fate, then encourage themselves to try even harder in spite of all their past failures... then kinda deflate again as reality sets in. Poor dumb schmucks.

Elsewhere again, the team of [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]], [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] and [[Lori Jiménez|Lori]] take an elevator to a lower level. When they hit the bottom, Override advises caution entering the new area, and Wing Saber glibly notes the perfect getting-ambushed opportunities there. [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] takes this as her cue to enter, backed up by [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]. Lori, however, immediately begins verbally browbeating Scourge for his cowardly tactics and continued association with the Decepticons, and Scourge flinches. A lot. Thunderblast eventually gets sick of it and insults the both of them, calling Lori a "mouse". Lori, her temper already frayed, challenges Thunderblast to a fight, and the [[Autobot]]s take fighting positions.

[[File:Cyb ep42 wild take.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2]]

Back with Jetfire's team, the trio finally land at the bottom of the pit, where they're attacked by [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]. Jetfire tackles the Decepticon himself, ordering the other two to go ahead without him. They hesitate for a moment, but then move to depart, realizing that, after all, "it's only Thundercracker." Furious at this disrespect, Thundercracker throws Jetfire aside and draws a bead on the retreating Autobots, but Jetfire recovers quickly and opens fire on the Decepticon, allowing his comrades to get away. Grinning wickedly, Thundercracker announces that it's time to reveal his new "forbidden attack", much to Jetfire's befuddlement.

On all three fronts, battle is the order of the day, as Optimus Prime blasts the interfering Ransack and Crumplezone far off into the distance once again.

[[File:Tcracker-SELTCP.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|Dragon Ball T]]

Thunderblast distracts Lori with a rather puerile ruse, and beats cheeks out of there. [[:File:LoriPissed.jpg|Lori's last nerve snapped]], she glowers at Wing Saber until he submits to bringing her along to chase Thunderblast down. The pair fly off on Thunderblast tail, leaving (a rather relieved) Scourge to battle Override, though Wing Saber soon realizes that she's clearly leading them into a trap. Lori is adamant, though, and they soon find out where they're being led to: a harbor area with a ''lot'' of open water.

Elsewhere, Thundercracker is charging up his "[[Super Electric Lightning Thundercrackin' Punch]]" with much pomp and grandeur. Jetfire is incredulous when the Decepticon finishes crying the attack's name and he finds out it's only a punch, but to Thundercracker's credit, his fist connects and knocks Jetfire for six. Jetfire is actually impressed, complimenting Thundercracker on finally landing a legitimately good attack, and Thundercracker grins happily.

[[File:Thundercranes.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|Wow, they weren't even using the right bait for floozies.]]

While Scourge and Override's battle continues, with plenty of trash talk, Thunderblast launches her own attack, shooting missiles at Wing Saber from underwater. Wing Saber has a rare moment of clarity and suggests a retreat, knowing he can't tackle Thunderblast like this, but Lori insists they have to outsmart her. Wing Saber drops Lori off on dry land, and she enters a control console for a ring of eight cranes in the middle of the harbor water. Wing Saber allows himself to get "shot down" and dives underwater in [[robot mode]]. Thunderblast follows and corners him... and then realizes that she herself has just been led into a trap. Lori drops the crane-claws all around Thunderblast (hitting a button on the control panel with so much force it cracks), surrounding her, and then one final one right on top of her head. Thunderblast demands to be released, and Wing Saber obliges, courtesy of pretty much every missile he's packing. The explosion sends Thunderblast flying away uncontrollably, wailing in defiance.

[[File:MasswaysMasses.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|Buy us at only $60 a pop!]]

Elsewhere, Jetfire and Thundercracker have beaten each other silly, and both collapse, exhausted. The back-up team of [[Coby Hansen|Coby]], [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]], [[Quickmix (Cybertron)|Quickmix]] and [[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] arrive, and Coby tends to Jetfire while Quickmix keeps the gibbering Thundercracker quiet by dumping a lot of quick-drying concrete on top of him.

Scourge and Override's fight blasts a hole in the floor of a level above them, and their fight moves into this new room. Scourge hurls his axe, which misses and slams into the wall... right above the doorway that Lori then comes running through. Wing Saber dives in and saves Lori before she's crushed by the falling debris, and Scourge uses the opportunity to run for an elevator. Lori, quickly over her near-death experience, berates Scourge again, who sheepishly says he's not ''running away'' so much as making a ''strategic withdrawal''. The doors close, and Override and Lori both express their frustration by hitting the wall. But Lori finds that she has inadvertently kicked a hidden button in the wall, which causes the lights in the room to turn off, and a large device to rise out of the middle of the floor. As the device powers up, the trio realize they are looking at a planetarium-like hologram device, which begins to project images of Gigantion in ancient times. The video images show a [[Planet X (Cybertron)|huge dark sphere]] appearing above the planet, and hundreds of robots emerging from it and filling the skies of Gigantion... robots of the same design as [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]]....
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]] (1)
* [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] (2)
* [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (3)
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (4)
* [[Six-Speed (Cybertron)|Six-Speed]] (5)
* [[Reverb (Cybertron)|Reverb]] (6)
* [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (7)
* [[Vector Prime]] (8)
* [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] (9)
* [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] (12)
* [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] (13)
* [[Quickmix (Cybertron)|Quickmix]] (20)
* [[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] (21)
* [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] (22)

|c2=
* [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] (10)
* [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (11)
* [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (15)
* [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] (16)
* [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] (17)

|c3=
* [[Lori Jiménez|Lori]] (14)
* [[Bud Hansen]] (18)
* [[Coby Hansen]] (19)

|c4=
* [[Noisemaze Mass Production Type Version|Noisemazes Mass Production Type Version]] (23)
* [[Laserbeak drone]]s (24)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ah...I'm feelin' a bit rundown." 
"Don't make me laugh! It hurts!"
:—'''Crumplezone''' and '''Ransack''' after being run over by Metroplex.

"When he sees our real strength and ''feels'' our vengeance, he'll regret beating us over and over and over..."
:—'''Crumplezone'''

"What could be dangerous? It's dark with only one exit! Looks like a ''great'' place to get ambushed!"
:—'''Wing Saber'''

"What in the world are you ''thinking''?! Back on [[Animatron|Jungle Planet]], you were all about honor and rule of law, but ''now'' look at you! Skulking around in the shadows with a Decepticon floozy—" 
"HEY!" 
"—plotting ambushes and, and sneak attacks?! What's the ''matter'' with you?! Have you completely lost your honor or ''what''?!"
:—'''Lori''' browbeats Scourge (with objection by '''Thunderblast''')

"Little sister, you better check yo'self!"
:—'''Thunderblast''' (to Lori)

"And no more squeaking from the mouse!"
:-Oh no '''Thunderblast''' didn't!
"We are chasing her, Wing Saber!" 
"Huh?! You're not serious." 
"I am serious." 
"Uh, but...but Lori...." 
"We're. Chas. Ing. Her." 
"Yes...ma'am...." 
:—'''Lori''' has '''Wing Saber''' totally whipped.

"Here I go! [[Super Electric Lightning Thundercrackin' Punch|SUPER 'LECTRIC LIGHTNIN' THUNDERCRACKER PUNCH]]!" 
"All that for a punch?"
:—'''Jetfire''' doesn't see the reason behind '''Thundercracker's''' build up.

[[File:JetCracker-punch.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2]]
"Man... I'm impressed! Good punch, mate! Fair dinkum! 'Bout time you brought some muscle to the tussle!"
:—'''Jetfire''' revises his opinion of the above punch.

"Don't worry about a thing. I aced a B+ in computers class." 
"Why not an A?" 
"Well...." 
"Just don't tell me you crashed the computer."
:—'''Lori''' and '''Wing Saber'''

"Bring me a 'get well' card..."
:—'''Thundercracker'''

==Other Notes==
===Differences with ''Galaxy Force''===
*''Galaxy Force'' includes a "previously on" segment summarizing the events of "[[City]]".
*Immediately after the "previously" segment, before the title card appears, ''Galaxy Force'' also includes a brief original scene of Override, Wing Saber and Lori making their way down a corridor, talking about being first to their objective. In removing the "previously" segment, ''Cybertron'' also removes this short scene (perhaps unintentionally?).
* In ''Cybertron'', after Lori challenges Thunderblast to a battle, Wing Saber and Override make sounds as if they are preparing to battle. In ''Galaxy Force'', they both claim that Lori is scary.
*In ''Cybertron'', at the end of the episode, Lori berates Scourge for retreating. In ''Galaxy Force'', she is angry because she suspects he may have thrown his axe and collapsed the wall with the deliberate intention of killing her.

===Continuity errors===
* So, did Scourge get his tail-axe back or what?

===Real-world references===
* As she and Wing Saber jet off after Thunderblast, Lori cries "Hi-yo Saber!", a reference to the command western hero {{w|The Lone Ranger}} gave his horse, Silver, to begin running.
* "She can lead an Autobot to water..." Wing Saber says of Thunderblast's plan, with Lori adding, "...but can she make us drink?", paraphrasing that old saying about horses.
* While she's chasing Wing Saber underwater, Thunderblast starts singing the {{w|Jaws (film)#Music|theme from ''Jaws''}}.

===Trivia===
[[File:Override-Teeth.jpg|thumb|Override uses Crest Whitening strips.]]
* There's a noticeably greater amount of facial emoting from the CGI cast in this episode than normal. Where previously, the height of facial animation has literally been limited to the changing shape of the mouth, this episode features several characters getting "normal" [[teeth]] for certain expressions which are not present in most other sequences, more fluid lip-motions, and even eyes that change shape. It's a nice change of pace.
* On that note, the scene in which Lori is almost crushed by falling debris has one of the few instances of "precise" lip-synching in the series: a close-up of Override's face as she yells "LORI!!!" The shot of her afterwards saying her name again in a relieved tone is also synched, but no teethies. A close-up of Thunderblast just before she's crushed also has precise lip-synch, but it's synched to Japanese words, not English. Oh well.
* During his indecision on whether or not to follow Thunderblast, Wing Saber displays the comical, large {{w|Sweat drop|anime sweat drop}} on the side of his head. This means that Lori is so scary that she makes robots sweat. Also, Lori can be seen with a fang sticking out of her mouth when she's mad. O.o
* On that note, Lori is so scary, that she makes ''Wing Saber'' listen to her orders!
*Why is the multi-crane control tower (and all its workstations) the perfect size for Lori to use? Were these designed exclusively for Mini-cons?
* As Thunderblast runs across the rooftops while luring Wing Saber and Lori along, her breasts actually... ''jiggle''. Seriously, Gonzo, we despair of you.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Galaxy Force'' — Vol. 11 ([[Victor Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Ultimate Collection ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]])

[[Category:Cybertron episodes]]

Mercenary Pursuits

2018-09-16T20:22:05Z

AllSpark901: /* Quotes */

{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=4
|image=Mercenary Pursuits Rattrap 2heads.jpg
|caption=So which one is Rosie Greer?
|title="Mercenary Pursuits"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[October 9]], [[1999]]
|written by=[[Michael Reaves]]
|directed by=[[Raul Sanchez Inglis]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''The Maximals have a second run-in with the Vehicon generals, and sense the presence of a familiar spark.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] rebukes his [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]] generals for failing to destroy the [[Maximal]]s, refusing to accept failure; he sends them forth with promises of rewards to whichever one captures the Maximals.

[[File:Mercenary Pursuits Optimus Primal holograms.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb]]
[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] contemplates the images of [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and vows to find them. His meditation is interrupted when he senses the presence of a [[spark]]; the team goes out to find it. During the search, [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] beaks into a secure laboratory and discovers the transformation inhibitor virus which Megatron used... and a counter-virus as well, a transformation enhancer. Rattrap swipes the enhancer while [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]]'s back is turned.

[[File:Mercenary Pursuits Tankor search.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb]]
While [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] and [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] squabble, [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] manages to find the Maximals, who elude him by reverting to [[beast mode]]... until Rattrap shows up, able to transform at last thanks to the enhancer. This alerts Tankor, of course, who attacks the team. Rattrap finds he's unable to control his transformations, as he continually changes between [[robot mode|robot]] and beast mode, passing through strange intermediate forms.

Tankor manages to trap the Maximals under a metal dome. Thrust and Jetstorm arrive and fight Tankor for the right to bring in the captive Maximals; the distraction allows the Maximals escape from the dome, but an explosion knocks out all the Transformers present, leaving only the durable Tankor standing.

[[File:Mercenary Pursuits Megatron Optimus bound.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Now tell me, Maximal... how did you like my poem?]]
At the Citadel, Megatron gloats to the captured Maximals, while Tankor demands his reward: "freedom" via the removal of his spark. Rattrap's continual transformations strain his bonds to the breaking point, freeing him; he quickly releases the others. During the ensuing fight, Megatron loses control and breaks free of his control harness; Primal talks directly to Tankor's spark, compelling him to do what is right. After a moment of confusion, Tankor blasts open the door so the Maximals can escape, and leaves with them.

[[File:Mercenary Pursuits Tankor maximals.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|One of these things is not like the other]]
Restored to his harness, Megatron interfaces directly with Tankor's CPU, deleting the last 20 cycles of his memory. Thus Tankor suddenly attacks the Maximals again as they travel underground; Megatron blocks Primal's attempts to speak to Tankor's Spark again. The Maximals trip up Tankor as he's preparing to fire; the cannon backblast sends him flying upwards through Cybertron's sublevels, only to crash back down to the surface atop a startled Thrust and Jetstorm.

Optimus Primal explains to the other Maximals that he sensed something familiar about Tankor's spark... but then it was gone.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (5)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (6)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (7)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (8)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]
|c2=
*[[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] (1)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (2)
*[[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] (3)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (4)
}}

==Quotes==
"An interesting tale. Now here are some meaningful words. I am your creator. Please me and I shall reward you. Disappoint me and you shall suffer. A difficult choice?"
:—'''Megatron''' attempts to raise his troops' morale.

'''Cheetor:''' Use me for target practice?! THAT'S IT!! I Am Trans... 
'''Optimus Primal:''' Negative. These storage bins may contain explosives. 
'''Blackarachnia:''' [''scoffs''] Aren't you being just a ''little'' overcautious? 
[''Tankor blows up a storage bin, triggering the explosion of other storage bins in the vicinity.''] 
'''Optimus Primal:''' Next question?
:—'''Optimus Primal''', showing the other Maximals why he's the big banana.

"Transform back before Tankor locks in on you." 
"But..but...I am ''transformed!''"
:—'''Optimus Primal''' talks sense to '''Rattrap''' who appears to be having an off-day.

"Now, if there are no further interruptions." 
"I'm afraid there will be."
:—'''Megatron''' is clued in by '''Optimus'''.

"Tankor! Tankor!" 
"I'm sorry, Tankor is not available at the present time. Would you like to leave a message?"
:—'''Optimus Primal''' tries to contact Tankor's spark again and gets '''Megatron''' instead.

[''After escaping Tankor, parts of Rattrap's body changes uncontrollably from beast to robot mode''] 
'''Blackarachnia:''' Rattrap, what are you doing? 
'''Rattrap:''' The hokey-pokey! What's it look like? I can't...stop! 
'''Blackarachnia:''' The transformation enhancers. Tell me you didn't! 
'''Rattrap:''' Can we.. [''twitches once, robot mode head pops out and speaks simultaneously with his beast mode head''] discuss this...later? 
:—Two heads are ''not'' better than one with '''Rattrap'''.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*As Optimus says "I'm closing in on the spark," the colored bands on his beast mode arms are turned sideways.
* When Jetstorm throws Thrust at the building, Thrust looks exactly the same as the Cycle Drones, but then at the just before he transforms, he is back to normal.
* When Blackarachnia tells Rattrap to transform back into beast mode, one of her legs clips through her abdomen.
* As Rattrap comes to a halt while he and his team are fleeing from the generals, his tails keeps clipping into the ground.
* When Optimus confronts Tankor, and then as the latter drops the dome the Maximals, Optimus' hand is clipping through his forearm-guards – not an uncommon error, due to his design.
*When Jetstorm and Thrust stand off against Tankor, in the shot from underneath Thrust as he rolls backward towards the camera, Tankor in the distance has a solid blue Tank Drone chestplate instead of his red-banded chestplate.
* When Megatron glares at the Maximals after they simultaneously transform, his scar is over his left eye instead of his right.
* As the Maximals react to Megatron closing the gate, Cheetor's legs clip through each other.
* The sparks shooting out of Tankor when Megatron electrocutes him cast shadows – another common error in the show.
* When Optimus calls out to Tankor to follow them, and he twists around, a piece in the middle of Tankor's back doesn't turn with him.

===Continuity errors===
* At the end of the previous episode, Rattrap was excited to inform Optimus about the missing Rhinox and Silverbolt. But in this episode, he is instead annoyed about Optimus having been told about them.
* If the Maximals are immune to the debilitating effects of the transformation virus, shouldn't the counter-virus have no effect on them either?

===Continuity notes===
* Optimus is mourning the missing-in-action [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] at the start of the episode. Clearly, Blackarachnia opted to tell her leader about her discoveries in "[[Fires of the Past]]".
* Blackarachnia mentions to her trip to [[Central Spaceport]] and Megatron almost hacking into her memories, which occurred in the same episode.
* Rattrap's inability to transform has been an issue since "[[Master of the House]]".
* Some more hints about the state of Cybertron: the transformation virus that prevented the Maximals from transforming in "[[The Reformatting]]" is finally identified.
* Gadgets and powers:
** Optimus Primal displays his burgeoning spiritual side as he telepathically contacts Tankor.

===Real-world references===
* As Rattrap finds the transformation enhancer, he exclaims "Good-bye fur coat; hello full metal jacket!" A ''full metal jacket'' is a copper bullet casing commonly used by infantrymen, as well as the {{w|Full Metal Jacket|title of a Stanley Kubrick film}}.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Poursuite'''" ("Pursuit")

:*''Title:'' "'''Le Mercenaire'''" (Canada, "The Mercenary")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Die Jagd'''" ("The Hunt")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 6]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Higan no Henshin'''" (悲願の変身, "The Dearly Wished Transformation")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 14]], [[2004]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Persecuciones Mercenarias'''" ("Mercenary Pursuits")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Shúxī de Huǒzhǒng '''" (熟悉的火种, "Familliar Sparks")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2004 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 1 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One — Reformatting (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season One (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 1 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]