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Wasp

2026-02-19T21:39:20Z

B3astK1ng:

{{factions|autobot|decepticon|predacon|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3|Waspinator}}
:''Wasp is an [[Autobot]]-turned-[[Decepticon]] from the [[Animated continuity family]].''

[[File:WaspAnimated-botmodel.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Wasp and Bee. Obvious, with hindsight.]]

'''Wasp''' is a lot like [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]... physically, at least. Built from the same chassis and sharing many of the same specifications and subroutines, the two Autobots attended boot camp together. Wasp's pompous, smarmy personality leaves something to be desired, but he had a lot going for him as a soldier, being highly skilled in the use of his stingers and knowing just how to toe the line with the drill sergeant. In a better life, he might have been [[Elite Guard]] commander material.

''Might'' have.

These days, though, Wasp is a broken bot, mentally unstable and on the run from the Autobots who have branded him a traitor. And, thanks to [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]]'s experimentation, he's been reformatted into '''Waspinator''', a high-powered, techno-organic monstrosity. What little remains of his mind is focused on just one goal... destroying Bumblebee, the bot who ruined his life!

{{quote|Alright, you caught Wasp! But Wasp was good bot once, until Bumblebot ruin Wasp!|quote2=No, Wasp, you were always mean to me and Bumblebee. You may not be a traitor... but you were ''never'' a good bot.|[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] tells Wasp off|"[[Where Is Thy Sting?]]"}}

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
{{Idw-tfa}}
{{voiceactor|[[Tom Kenny]] (English), [[Bumper Robinson]] (English, as Bumblebee in "Where Is Thy Sting?"), [[Kenji Nojima]] (Japanese, Wasp), [[Kensō Katō]] (Japanese, Waspinator)|[[Jaron Löwenberg]] (German), [[Luca Sandri]] (Italian), [[Rodrigo Contreras]] (Latin-American Spanish, season 2), [[Daniel Lema]] (Castilian Spanish), [[Marco Aurélio Campos]] (Portuguese), [[Nelson Machado]] (Portuguese, season 3), [[Petri Hanttu]] (Finnish), [[Vincent Violette]] (French, season 2), [[Bruno Magne]] (French, season 3), [[Jin-uk Hong]] (Korean)}}

[[File:WaspAutobot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=0.85|This can't end well.]]

Wasp was a cadet in the same group as Bumblebee, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], [[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] and [[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm]]. Right away, Wasp took a dislike to Bumblebee, insulting him out of the blue as the yellow bot mused to himself about his future in the Elite Guard. He also dubbed Bulkhead a "[[Mudflap (slang)|mudflap]]," much to the amusement of his fellow cadets. The loud-mouthed drill sergeant [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Minor]] took an immediate liking to "Wasp," as he dubbed him due to being impressed with his accuracy with his stingers–it was Bumblebee "bumbling" in trying to compete with this that led to his own name being assigned. Wasp and Ironhide quickly became close friends, often competing in little tests of strength, usually involving Wasp hitting or stinging Ironhide while the latter was in armor mode.

After Bumblebee "bumbled" several more times, leading to many [[transform-up]]s for the whole group, Wasp and Ironhide decided to take matters into their own hands, unscrewing Bumblebee's lower legs and leaving them out of reach even before they dumped the rest of him in a locker.

Unbeknown to Wasp, however, the reason for Bumblebee's foul-ups was that he was trying to out a traitor in the group—and had pegged Wasp as the likely culprit after seeing him walk out of a hangar in which someone had contacted [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]. (Plus, let's face it, he was a complete jerk. And [[Decepticon]]s are jerks, [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|right?]]) At Longarm's prompting, Bumblebee eventually found evidence incriminating Wasp as a spy. Wasp was stripped of his Autobot insignia and wheeled away, protesting his innocence and swearing revenge on Bumblebee.

[[File:WaspAnimated2.jpg|thumb|Wasp was once a 'Bot...]]

Many years later, Wasp escaped from Autobot custody and apparently eluded the now-Sentinel Prime by jumping through a [[space bridge]]. What was left of Wasp hid beneath the bridge as Sentinel left, [[Waspinator (BW)|buzzing and twittering to himself]], still swearing revenge on "Bumblebot." In reality, however, the innocent bot—broken mentally by his years of imprisonment—had been set up with evidence planted by "Longarm," who had also arranged Wasp's "escape" to divert suspicion from himself. {{storylink|Autoboot Camp}}

Needless to say, when the truth was revealed to Bumblebee by his old "friend," Longarm Prime (aka the Decepticon Shockwave), he took it pretty hard. {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}

Wasp headed straight for the Autobots' base on Earth, with Sentinel Prime and [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] in pursuit. Waiting until Bumblebee was left alone on monitor duty (and actually playing ''[[Ninja Gladiator]]'' instead), he struck during a power outage, knocking Bumblebee cold and switching color schemes, helmets and even speech synthesizers with his rival. When Bumblebee came to, the others had returned and had him prisoner, with the disguised Wasp at their side. Despite Bumblebee's muffled cries, the Autobots fell for Wasp's ruse, forcing Bumblebee to flee into the night. Wasp stayed behind as the others tracked Bumblebee down, allowing him to try beating Bumblebee's video game and to search through Bumblebee's personal files.

[[File:WhereIsThySting-Bumblebeecreepilydefeated.jpg|left|thumb|Bee-st Wars!]]

When the others returned, joined by Sentinel, Jazz, [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]], Wasp was able to recount several of Bumblebee's adventures which were logged in his files to keep the Autobots confused as to which bot was which. Unfortunately for Wasp, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] proposed the two battle against each other in ''Ninja Gladiator'', so that Bumblebee's video game skills would be readily apparent and the traitor revealed. Before their video game could begin, Wasp panicked and attacked Bumblebee, holding him hostage so he could make his escape. Wasp left Bumblebee with one final indignity, turning off the [[electronic paint job]] he'd installed in Bee and stealing his helmet back... tricking Bulkhead into pummeling the real Bumblebee while Wasp fled. {{storylink|Where Is Thy Sting?}}

The Autobots continued to pursue an erratic Wasp, though for different reasons: Sentinel Prime was still commanding the Elite Guard to bring him in on suspicion of treason, while Optimus and Bumblebee just wanted to help him (or at least keep him from damaging himself and bystanders during his crazed flight). In the midst of a pursuit through the streets of Detroit, Bumblebee tried once again to convince Wasp that he was now known to be innocent and was set up by Longarm, but Wasp refused to listen. During the chase, Wasp was suddenly abducted by [[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]], who carried him to [[Dinobot Island (Animated)|Dinobot Island]].

[[File:PredaconsRising Waspinator.jpg|thumb|"Wazzpinator is back...and Wazzpinator tired of being comic relief."]]

Wasp soon found himself in [[Meltdown (Animated)|Meltdown]]'s old underground lab going ga-ga over [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]]. The spiderbot used her feminine wiles and familiar-sounding sob stories of Autobot betrayal to win Wasp's trust, and she convinced him to undergo an organic power augmentation procedure by impressing him with the ferocity of her own [[beast mode]] (while shielding him from seeing the disfigured mutant corpses left behind from her prior experiments). Wasp entered one [[unspace|transwarp]] chamber, a real organic wasp was put into another, and out came... Waspinator, three times larger than before, with more powerful energy "stings" and a deeper, heavily processed, voice. Waspinator also now sported a Decepticon insignia, indicating a final break away from the Autobots on his part.

When he was finally tracked down by Bumblebee, who apologized to him and wanted to be his friend, he decided that while "Wasp" forgave his former accuser, "Waspinator" preferred violent revenge. Talk about Jekyll and Hyde. But before Waspinator could deliver the final blow, he overheard Blackarachnia admitting to the Autobots that she only viewed her new "friend" as another experimental attempt to cure her own organic infection. Irate at yet another betrayal, Waspinator started attacking everybody—and if that wasn't scary enough, his transwarp energy became unstable. Just as Waspinator reached critical mass, Blackarachnia sealed them both within a cocoon of her energy webbing, containing the explosion of transwarp energy.

[[File:TFAni Predacons Rising Waspinator Hazz Planzzz.jpg|thumb|left|Some assembly required.]]

While only a crater was left on Dinobot Island, Waspinator and Blackarachnia were teleported by the transwarp energy to an unknown jungle. Although reduced to pieces by the explosion, Waspinator was still functional, and slowly began putting himself back together. After all, he couldn't go offline yet... because "Wazzzpinator hazz planzzz!" {{storylink|Predacons Rising (Animated)|Predacons Rising}}

''At the time of [[Cheetor (Animated)|Cheetor]]'s demotion from Transtech to Iacon Central, a wanted poster for Wasp was hung outside [[Depth Charge (Animated)|Depth Charge]]'s office.'' {{storylink|Moving Violations}}
{{--}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
In [[Malgus 508.6 Zeta]], the destruction of Dinobot Island blasted Waspinator's spark clear of his body and into [[Unspace]]. It was eventually discovered by the dimension-hopping Jhiaxus of [[Viron 903.0 Beta]], who used it to power a [[protoform]] [[blank]] who would become [[Thrust (Attacktix)|Thrust]]. Although Thrust cultivated a suave and confident persona, his subconscious memories of being an unlucky bungler continued to haunt him, manifesting as a cowardly streak in battle. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/09}}

==Toys==
===''Animated''===
[[File:Waspinatoranimateddeluxe.jpg|right|upright=1.67|thumb|Finally Blackarachnia has a pal... and by "pal", we mean "guinea pig".]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Waspinator''' (Deluxe Class, 2009 / 2010)}}</ul>
:*''Takara ID number:'' '''TA-37'''
:*''Takara release date'': [[August 28]], 2010
{{toydesigner|[[Eric Siebenaler]] (Hasbro), [[Alex Kubalsky]] (TakaraTomy)|[[Marcelo Matere]] (packaging artist)}}

: Part of the sixth wave of ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' Deluxe Class toys, Waspinator transforms from a techno-organic wasp into a techno-organic, four-armed, winged robot. In both modes, a lever on the thorax flaps his wings back and forth via spring-loaded internal gearing mechanism.

: His antennae are made of softer rubber, to allow them to be wedged within his insect head, as well as [[for safety reasons]].

: Takara also released Waspinator in the seventh wave of their [[Transformers Animated (toyline)#TakaraTomy Animated toyline|''Animated'' toyline]] years later. Waspinator is mostly the same, though the silver paint on his insect-mode head has been expanded down to his mouthparts, plus his Decepticon symbol is now colored purple with a white outline, rather than the Hasbro version's plain gold.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/Waspinator/waspinator.htm More information on Waspinator at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Fugitive}}
[[File:AnimatedFugitiveWaspinator.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Because nobody would buy "Forcefully Paint-Altered Bumblebee".]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Fugitive Waspinator''' (Deluxe Class, <s>2010</s>)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Detachable twin boosters
{{toydesigner|[[Marcelo Matere]] (packaging artist)}}

: "Fugitive Waspinator", apparently named such because of [[trademark]] issues with the name "Wasp", represents Wasp before he became a freak mutant. He is a simple [[redeco]] of [[Bumblebee (Animated)#Deluxe|Deluxe class Bumblebee]], transforming into a green sub-compact hatchback. The two halves of his stinger weapon, stored in his forearms, can be flipped out and pegged together (presumably, this mold would have used the corrected version that allows them to fully retract into his forearms). In both robot and car mode, his two booster rockets can be attached on his back. In addition, although not shown in the cartoon, both Waspinator's windows and headlights are tinted purple in order to give him a more Beast Wars-like appearance while retaining his original vehicle form.

: While he was actually unaligned at the point in the cartoon when Wasp had this [[alternate mode]], Fugitive Waspinator is a Decepticon for simple branding purposes.

: At his reveal at [[BotCon 2009]], [[Hasbro]] explained that "...either [[Ironhide (Animated)#Toys|Ironhide]] got a new head, or Wasp did." They went with the former... which turned out for the better, since Wasp was ultimately never released.
{{canceledtoy}}

===''Age of the Primes''===
[[File:AOP-Deluxe-Fugitive-Waspinator.JPG|right|thumb|300px|After 15 years, I'm finally here. Better late than never, I suppose - and I finally got the new head!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Fugitive Waspinator''' (Deluxe Class, [[2025]])}}</ul>
:*''TakaraTomy name:'' '''Waspinator (Animated)''' (ワスピネーター (アニメイテッド))
:*''TakaraTomy ID number:'' '''AOTP-03'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date:'' [[2025]] [[June 28]]
:*''Accessories:'' 2 stingers, 2 rocket boosters
{{toydesigner|[[Mark Maher]] (Hasbro), [[Yūya Ōnishi]] (TakaraTomy)}}<ref>[https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Zhi6Y6EkU/ ''Age of the Primes'' panel] with [[Hasbro]] designer [[Mark Maher]] at [[Cybertron Con 2024]] Day 1, recorded at the "Giant Peng Peng" (巨大化鹏鹏) BilliBilli channel.</ref>

: Part of the first wave of ''[[Age of the Primes]]'' Deluxes, “Fugitive Waspinator” is a redeco and retool of ''[[Transformers: Legacy#Legacy: United|Legacy: United]]'' [[Bumblebee (Animated)/toys#Legacy|Animated Universe Bumblebee]] that transforms into a green and black police hatchback. Wasp also comes with turbo boosters, which can be pegged onto his back in robot mode or the sides of his vehicle mode. He retains the name from the above cancelled release. Despite utilizing an "unaligned"-styled rub sign in the cartoon, Wasp features a Decepticon insignia, just like the previously canceled figure.

: Also included are his stinger weapons, which can be combined with the boosters mentioned above to be used as handheld weapons (or as "boost" effects), but they can also be attached to his arms by flipping the hands around. Unfortunately, the ports on his wrists are angled specifically for the combined stinger attack, so using the two stingers separately looks rather awkward.

:While the ankles can tilt inward, the circular panel inside slightly interferes with the articulation. Though the instructions tell you to flip out his rear ankle's support panels, they can be left untransformed since the figure can still stand without them.

::''[https://www.instagram.com/p/DFgsNUWMbpA/ Designer commentary on ''Age of the Primes'' Wasp from Mark Maher on Instagram]''

{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Waspinator Animated.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|]]
* The small, vestigial arms present on the Deluxe Waspinator toy's [[robot mode]] torso have their origin in an early design concept for [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]]; the bounty hunter robot's [[character model]] was subsequently altered to make his appearance less monstrous, but [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] loved the concept of the vestigial arms enough to incorporate them instead into Waspinator's design.<ref>[http://derrickjwyatt.blogspot.com/2008/05/evolution-of-lockdown.html The Evolution of Lockdown] and [http://derrickjwyatt.blogspot.com/2008/10/tfa-s3-chin-on.html TFA S3: CHIN ON!]</ref>
* The quote given to Waspinator on his toy packaging is "Waspinator rules!", one of several phrases associated with the original ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' incarnation of Waspinator. He uttered it in "[[A Better Mousetrap]]" and "[[Maximal, No More]]".
* Derrick Wyatt stated on his blog that this incarnation of Waspinator is inspired by his ''Beast Wars'' counterpart, but made more monstrous and buglike. Wyatt examined photographs of actual wasps, nature shows like ''Life in the Undergrowth'' and monster movies for inspiration. The FX studio, Audio Circus, added insectoid clicks and other background sounds for the character.<ref>[http://derrickjwyatt.blogspot.com/2009/04/oh-canada-here-i-come.html Oh Canada, here I come!]</ref>
* In technorganic mode, Waspinator is capable of firing energy blasts from his vestigial arms. This appears to be the mutated version of his original stinger attack, similar to Elita-1/Blackarachnia retaining her downloading power.
* Wasp is the only character to have shown three different bodies throughout the show (a Cybertronian race car, a green version of Bumblebee's Earthen car mode, and a giant wasp).
* Wasp wears the [[65356-9292-346]] [[body-type]].
* His last scene in the cartoon is an homage to the original ''Beast Wars'' Waspinator, who had a habit of getting blown to pieces and putting himself back together.
* As with [[Venom (G1)|Venom/Venin]], [[Firestar (G1)|Firestar/Novastar]], and [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist/Fisitron]], don't expect a toy of "Wasp" under that name anytime soon as long as [[Disney]]-[[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] is active in the multimedia business.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Wasp''' (ワスプ ''Wasupu''), '''Waspinator''' (ワスピネーター Wasupinētā)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Xiǎo Huáng Fēng''' (小黄蜂, "Little Hornet")
*''Russian:'' '''Osa''' (Оса, "Wasp")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Age of the Primes Decepticons]]
[[Category:Animated Autobots]]
[[Category:Animated Decepticons]]
[[Category:Animated Predacons]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame characters]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]

Where Is Thy Sting?

2026-02-19T21:27:48Z

B3astK1ng:

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|series2=AniJapan
|image=WhereIsThySting-reflectingface.jpg
|caption=Get out of my head!
|ep=34
|ep2=31
|prev2=Three's a Crowd (episode)
|next2=Five Servos of Doom
|title="Where Is Thy Sting?"
|airdate=[[March 28]], 2009
|season=3
|season ep=5
|production company=[[Cartoon Network|Cartoon Network Studios]]
|written by=[[Todd Casey]]
|directed by=[[Kalvin Lee]] [[Shigeharu Takahashi]]
|animation studio=[[Mook]]
|continuity=[[Animated cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrQgA6a1g3Y
|videosite=YouTube}}

'''A crazed Wasp finds his way to Earth to exact his revenge on Bumblebee... but he doesn't count on the Elite Guard following him.'''

==Synopsis==
Drawing closer to [[Earth]] in their pursuit of the presumed traitor [[Wasp]], [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] and [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] are at their stations on the bridge of the [[Elite Guard]]'s ship when [[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm Prime]] contacts them and demands to know what they are doing in Earth Sector. [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] joins the conference call to apologize for not letting Longarm know of the situation, pointing out that they couldn't risk tipping off Wasp when he stands poised to lead them to his Decepticon contact on the planet. Except, as Jazz points out, Wasp isn't headed for the [[Decepticon]]s... he's making a <s>bee</s>waspline for the [[Autobot Earth Base|Autobots' base]]!

In the Autobots' headquarters, [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] is immersed in a game of ''[[Ninja Gladiator]]'' when [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] shuts the television off and reprimands Bumblebee for neglecting his monitor duty. In mid-argument, the base computers detect a [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] signal nearby, but no other information can be obtained due to interference caused by recent torrential rain. Prime and the other [[Autobot]]s thus have to depart to investigate firsthand. Bumblebee, of course, returns to playing his video game.

The Elite Guard ship touches down in Detroit, and Sentinel and Jazz disembark. Sentinel is immediately disgusted by the notion of liquid falling from the sky, and he finds himself all but incapable of driving on the slick roads, but Jazz just rolls with it.

[[Image:WhereIsThySting-Bumblebeecreepilydefeated.jpg|left|thumb|200px|We enjoyed that together.]]
Back at the base, Bumblebee continues playing games until the base is suddenly plunged into darkness. As the red emergency lights come on, Bumblebee finds himself staring into the all-too-familiar face of Wasp, now sporting an Earth-mode body styled after Bumblebee's own. Bumblebee tries to explain that they had both been set up by Longarm, but the insane Wasp doesn't care. He downs Bumblebee with a blast of his stingers and takes off his own helmet, revealing a wound on the top of his head. Just before passing out, Bumblebee sees Wasp standing over him, holding a strange gun fitted with a glowing green canister and vowing to make Bumblebee lose everything, just like he did...

A little later, Bumblebee awakens to find the other Autobots all staring down at him, including...himself? Looking down at himself, Bumblebee is horrified to discover that Wasp has repainted his armor, swapped their helmets, and exchanged their vocal synthesizers, making each a dead ringer for the other. As Wasp stands there, with Bumblebee's [[battle mask]] "stuck" up, Bumblebee attempts to convince the other Autobots that he is himself, but they aren't sold. When [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] attempts to [[stasis cuffs|stasis cuff]] him, Bumblebee is forced to shoot out the lights and make a break for it. He zooms out of the plant, right past Sentinel Prime and Jazz, who intercept Prime and the other Autobots when they try to pursue him. Sentinel demands to know why Optimus's Autobots haven't checked in in so long, but when Optimus tries to explain, Sentinel refuses to listen, informing them he is here to bring in Wasp...who, Optimus points out, just drove right past him. Sentinel ignores Optimus when he tries to tell him that Longarm is the real traitor, and departs immediately to hunt down "Wasp". Optimus instructs his Autobots to locate Wasp first, and they head out to search, while the true Wasp tells them he will stay behind in case Bumblebee comes back.

On Cybertron, Shockwave desperately makes another attempt to contact the missing [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]. He transmits a message to him alerting him to the direness of the situation, adding that Shockwave is about to take matters into his own hands...

[[Image:WhereIsThySting-obligatorymisunderstanding.jpg|right|thumb|200px|I has logos-Autobot on my shoulders, da?]]
Back on Earth, Optimus and Ratchet are discussing how odd "Bumblebee" has been behaving when two jets suddenly come roaring by overhead. Knowing that no organic could pilot a plane the way these two crafts fly, the two Autobots assume they are dealing with Decepticons and zoom after them in hot pursuit. The two jets soon track down "Wasp", who is desperately attempting to rub his green paint off with a discarded couch cushion, and transform to robot mode to attack him with blasts of flame and roaring hurricane winds. Ratchet and Optimus arrive to hold off these apparent Decepticons, who reveal a remarkable power to combine into [[Safeguard (Animated)|one mighty robot]], but before the fighting can get too intense, Sentinel and Jazz arrive to reveal that these two are, in fact, Autobots! Sentinel introduces [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]], Elite Guard warriors created using specs from [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]], and orders the duo to resume their mission.

In the Autobots' base, Wasp is playing (and losing) ''Ninja Gladiator'', and he decides that he could get used to being Bumblebee. In order to complete the illusion, Wasp scans the Autobots' computer files, so that he can learn everything about Bumblebee and better pass himself off as his old rival.

[[Image:WhereIsThySting-hotdogbot.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Bumblebee needs a lesson in [[customizing]].]]
Racing through the city streets, Bumblebee discovers a hot dog cart and desperate tries slathering his armor in mustard to make him look more like himself. He is caught in the act by [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] and [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]], but he is finally able to convince Bulkhead of his true identity when he tells him something only he could know: namely, that he took the blame for Bulkhead knocking a tower over on Sentinel Prime at [[Autobot boot camp|boot camp]]. Jetfire and Jetstorm arrive just in time to witness this happy scene, but get the wrong end of the stick and assume that Bulkhead and Prowl are traitors as well! The twins report this to Sentinel, and he, Optimus, Jazz and Ratchet head for their position, with Sentinel obstinately refusing to listen to Optimus's attempts to explain the numerous misunderstandings that have happened. When everyone reunites, Bulkhead explains that Bumblebee is definitely Bumblebee, and Optimus orders everyone back to the plant to straighten everything out.

A little later, back at the plant, Wasp cheerily denies Bumblebee's accusations, using the information he has gleaned from the Autobots' files to "prove" he is who he claims. When interrogation yields no results, Bulkhead comes up with the best way to figure out who's who: a versus match on ''Ninja Gladiator''! Before the game even starts, Wasp chokes and grabs Bumblebee, holding his stinger to 'Bee's neck. Wasp insists that he was always a good bot, but Bulkhead says that isn't true; he might not be a traitor, but he was always mean to Bulkhead and Bumblebee and was hardly good. Wasp blasts out the lights to cover his escape, and when the emergency lights kick in, both Wasp and Bumblebee are gone.

[[Image:WhereIsThySting-UltraMagnusOffline.jpg|thumb|right|200px|If anyone inserts a "He's been dealt with" caption here, so help us...]]

The Autobots head outside, where they spot what looks like Bumblebee lying on the ground. Bulkhead assumes it is Wasp and leaps upon the prone figure, pummeling him and ripping off his helmet... only to find out that it really is Bumblebee underneath. Prowl examines Bumblebee's helmet and discovers that their colors were switched so quickly because Wasp had hit him with an [[electronic paint job]] that he could turn off with the press of a button. As things begin to calm down, the truth of the whole matter hits Jazz—if Wasp really was innocent, that means that Longarm Prime really is a Decepticon spy!

Sometime later, on Cybertron, [[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] is searching for Longarm in order to apprehend him. Entering the council chamber, Ironhide is horrified to discover the mangled, barely-alive body of Ultra Magnus. He asks the Supreme Commander where [[Magnus Hammer|his hammer]] is and who was responsible. Before collapsing, Ultra Magnus manages to choke out, "Shock...wave..."

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters

|c1=
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (1)
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] (2)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (4)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (5)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (6)
*[[Wasp]] (7)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (8)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (9)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (10)
*[[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] (11)
*[[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] (12)
*[[Safeguard (Animated)|Safeguard]] (13)
*[[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] (15)

|c2=
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave/Longarm Prime]] (3)

|c4=
*[[Hot Dog Bot]] (14)
|}}

==Quotes==
"Besides, if I'm playing ''Ninja Gladiator'', I'm at least getting valuable combat training." 
:—'''Bumblebee''' gives justification for slacking off.

"Liquid falling from the sky? What is ''wrong'' with this planet?!" 
"Crazy! It's like a planet ''and'' a car wash! You diggin' this or what?"
:—'''Sentinel Prime''' and '''Jazz''' share their thoughts on the rain.

"Wasp—I mean, Bumblebot—I mean, ''I'' will stay here in case Bumblebot—I mean, Wasp comes back." 
:—'''Wasp''' blows his cover several times, but the Autobots still don't pick it up.

'''Ratchet''': Come on! You're doing it wrong! Turn ''into'' the skid! 
'''Sentinel''': Into the skid? That's stupid! 
'''Jazz''': Just gotta go with the flow, S.P.! 
'''Optimus''': How do you put up with him? 
'''Jazz''': I just tune out half of everything he spits out. 
'''Optimus''': Only half?
:—The Autobots attempt to put up with the jerk, with no such luck.

"You're not arresting ''anyone'', Sentinel." 
"So you ''are'' in on it, Optimus." 
"No, Sentinel. I just have something you never will: respect for my teammates." 
:—'''Optimus Prime''' defines exactly ''how'' '''Sentinel Prime''' is a jerk.

"So hit me with that one more time. A robot in disguise swaps metal with a double agent, who is really on the level?" 
"Makes even less sense when you say it."
:—'''Jazz''' and '''Bulkhead''' try their best to fathom what's been going on.

"Alright, you caught Wasp! But Wasp was good bot once, until Bumblebot ruin Wasp!" 
"No, Wasp, you were always mean to me and Bumblebee. You may not be a traitor... but you were ''never'' a good bot."
:—'''Bulkhead''' has a go at the traumatised victim of a frame-job—who's holding his best friend hostage.

==Notes==

===Continuity notes===
*We last saw Wasp in "[[Autoboot Camp]]", to which this episode is essentially a sequel. A brief flashback from the episode is shown after Bumblebee says he "took the rap" for Bulkhead for what happened to Sentinel Prime. In an attempt to maintain his ruse, Wasp also mentions all the things that Bumblebee had done then which accidentally embarrassed Sentinel Prime. He also mentions the events in "[[SUV: Society of Ultimate Villainy]]".
* Optimus' Autobots discovered that Wasp wasn't guilty in "[[A Bridge Too Close, Part II]]".
* Sentinel Prime discusses the modifications made to Jetfire and Jetstorm, which took place in the "[[First (and Second) in Flight]]" comic book.
* Sentinel Prime still doesn't remember his time with Bumblebee and Bulkhead, as he did (didn't?) in "[[The Elite Guard]]".

===Transformers references===
[[Image:WhereIsThySting-Bumblebeesvideogame.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Referenciality!]]
* The background of the ''Ninja Gladiator'' video game prominently features [[TORQ III]].
* In the scene before he switches places with "Bumble-Bot", Wasp is wearing a [[rubsign]] in place of a conventional Autobot insignia. This is identical to [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]]—at this time he does not belong to either faction.
* [[Tigatron Stadium]], which will be seen in the next episode, can be seen in the background.

===Real-world references===
* The episode's title is a reference to a Bible verse: namely, [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2015:55&version=31 1 Corinthians 15:55]: "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"
* Sentinel Prime's cry of "Arrest 'em all and let Ultra Magnus sort 'em out!" is a reference to a popular English translation of a saying by Abbot {{w|Arnaud Amalric|Arnold Amaury}}, before the massacre of Béziers during the Albigensian Crusade: "Kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out." It's not the first time the phrase [[United (episode)|has been used]] in ''Transformers'' fiction.
** According to [[David Kaye]], [[Jeff Bennett]] once used this line in a recording session during the first season, causing the cast to burst into laughter and forcing them to take five.{{fact}}
* The four-armed insect from ''Ninja Gladiator'' is [[Antron]] from ''[[Micronauts (franchise)|Micronauts]]'', while the black figure the insect fights is [[Snake-Eyes]].<ref>{{citesocial|quote=@DerrickJWyatt The TFWiki ways 'Snake-Eyes' . . . is that right?|link=https://twitter.com/SentinelPrime/status/1418651506|name=Jim Sorenson|site=Twitter|year=2009|month=03|day=30|(defunct=)}} {{citesocial|quote=@SentinelPrime That's the guy.|link=https://twitter.com/DerrickJWyatt/status/1418656175|name=Derrick J. Wyatt|site=Twitter|year=2009|month=03|day=30|(defunct=)}}</ref>
* The Jet bros. combination sequence, like much else about them, is based on the stock footage sequences of the various Symmetrical Docking robots from ''[[Brave (franchise)|King Of Braves GaoGaiGar]]''.
* Bumblebee's line, 'Decepticons, why'd it have to be Decepticons?' hearkens back to the [[Indiana Jones]] film, ''Raiders of the Lost Ark''.

===Animation or technical errors===
* Optimus Prime's right arm, after he turns off the TV, is at a weird angle.
*When Bulkhead knocks Jetfire back, Jazz (who isn't even ''there'' yet), instead of Jetstorm, is standing next to Bumblebee.
*When Wasp is playing Bumblebee's video game (and liking it), the characters on screen switch sides as he loses. It's possible the characters got repositioned during a move or combo, as is a common occurrence in fighting games.
*Oddly, for a cartoon that tries to stay close to the transformation of the actual toys, Safeguard's transformation is nothing like the toy.
*When Wasp is on his own playing ''Ninja Gladiator'' and later, when he breaks character near the end, he has his original voice. How come Bumblebee couldn't do that?
*For that matter, after Wasp leaves Bumblebee behind, he has his original voice back too. Bumblebee is also still sporting a yellow version of Wasp's helmet.
*At certain points in the episode, Wasp (as Bumblebee) and Bumblebee (as Wasp) wear the design of their false identity's thighs.
*During the close up of Bumblebee (as Wasp), Jetfire and Jetstorm switch places. They're in the correct order in the next scene.

===Continuity errors===
*This isn't an ''error'' as such, but just when did Wasp get an identical Earth form to Bumblebee's? And perhaps more to the point, ''how'' did he change form - both Optimus' crew and the Elite Guard reformatted on their well-equipped ships. Wasp was last seen beside a space bridge with no ship of any kind. Though it's possible that Wasp has the ability to scan and adapt [[alternate mode]]s on his own, in the series only [[Starscream (Animated)|De]][[Blitzwing (Animated)|cepti]][[Lugnut (Animated)|cons]] have shown this capability.
*Given how close Ratchet is to [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] you'd think he'd know better than to say "no Autobot flies."
*After Jetfire is punched by Bulkhead, Jetfire lands next to what appears to be Jazz and Bumblebee. Jazz is seen in the next scene driving with Optimus and Sentinel.
*Wasp has purple eyes, which were visible even with Bumblebee's battle mask up, and retained the striped design on his thighs. Bumblebee still had his blue eyes and other retained properties. The Autobots didn't notice this because...?
*You could ask the same question regarding the Jet twins. Although their Elite Guard insignias are on their hips, Optimus and Ratchet should have seen the insignia on their shoulders when they merged into Safeguard.
*Not to mention that Optimus and Ratchet have very obvious Autobot symbols. Why didn't the twins try to introduce themselves before diving into battle with them? Of course, if Sentinel trained them, they might be bigger jerks than we realize and just assumed them traitors.
*When Bulkhead runs into the green Bumblebee in the street, Bumblebee puts his hands in the air to surrender and starts wailing that he's Bumblebee. Bulkhead ''knows'' Wasp was framed, locked up in the stockade for years, may well be traumatised, and has not as yet EVER actually hurt anybody, but he still starts swinging his wrecking ball with intent to pummel. Later on when Wasp is revealed and uses Bumblebee as a shield, Bulkhead starts telling the ''frightened and angry'' mech that he was "never a good bot." And when Wasp runs off ''without hurting anybody,'' and Bulkhead sees a yellow mech lying outside face down and motionless, he instantly attacks what he thinks is Wasp. This episode doesn't do anything for Bulkhead's rep as an Autobot ''at all.''
**None of the other Autobots seem to have a problem with his actions either.

===Trivia===
*This episode received an impromptu online debut on [[March 25]], [[2009]], when a copy loaded onto the [[Cartoon Network]] website's server, intended to go live after the episode aired a few days later, was pilfered and leaked by some ne'er-do-wells. The next episode, "[[Five Servos of Doom]]", was leaked a few days later.
*Bulkhead squeaks like a rubber ducky when he's hopping back and forth telling Optimus, Jazz and Ratchet that the green bot is Bumblebee.
*Apparently it doesn't rain on Cybertron, because Sentinel Prime was irritated that liquid falls from the sky on Earth.
*Strangely, the Autobots don't try and work out who's Wasp and who's Bumblebee by [[A Prime Problem|having a race]].
*This is the last episode to feature [[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] in a speaking role..

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Où est ton venin ?'''" ("Where is your Venom?")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???
::*Wasp is now dubbed by [[Bruno Magne]] with a high-pitch voice effect. He was dubbed by [[Vincent Violette]] in season 1. This drastic change in Wasp's voice could be attributed to the change in personality.
::*Wasp calls Angry Archer "l'Archer Furieux" ("Furious Archer"), but his name is usually "l'Archer Vengeur" ("Avenger Archer"). Let's say it could also be because it's Wasp...
::*The voice effect used on Jetstorm and Jetfire is very close to the one used on all the robots in the 4 late-dubbed episodes of the original G1 series, probably dubbed at that same period. The team could be the same, since some voice actors also voice in both projects.

'''Spanish (Latin America)'''
:*''Title:'' "'''¿Dónde está tu aguijón?'''" ("Where is your sting?")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 3|3 November]] [[2009]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Wasp no Fukushū'''" (ワスプの復讐, "Wasp's Revenge")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 30|30 October]] [[2010]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Quem é Quem?'''" ("Who is Who?")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

==Home video releases==
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2011 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Vol. 9 ([[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]]

Where Is Thy Sting?

2026-02-19T21:26:16Z

B3astK1ng:

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|series2=AniJapan
|image=WhereIsThySting-reflectingface.jpg
|caption=Get out of my head!
|ep=34
|ep2=31
|prev2=Three's a Crowd (episode)
|next2=Five Servos of Doom
|title="Where Is Thy Sting?"
|airdate=[[March 28]], 2009
|season=3
|season ep=5
|production company=[[Cartoon Network|Cartoon Network Studios]]
|written by=[[Todd Casey]]
|directed by=[[Kalvin Lee]] [[Shigeharu Takahashi]]
|animation studio=[[Mook]]
|continuity=[[Animated cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrQgA6a1g3Y
|videosite=YouTube}}

'''A crazed Wasp finds his way to Earth to exact his revenge on Bumblebee... but he doesn't count on the Elite Guard following him.'''

==Synopsis==
Drawing closer to [[Earth]] in their pursuit of the presumed traitor [[Wasp]], [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] and [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] are at their stations on the bridge of the [[Elite Guard]]'s ship when [[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm Prime]] contacts them and demands to know what they are doing in Earth Sector. [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] joins the conference call to apologize for not letting Longarm know of the situation, pointing out that they couldn't risk tipping off Wasp when he stands poised to lead them to his Decepticon contact on the planet. Except, as Jazz points out, Wasp isn't headed for the [[Decepticon]]s... he's making a <s>bee</s>waspline for the [[Autobot Earth Base|Autobots' base]]!

In the Autobots' headquarters, [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] is immersed in a game of ''[[Ninja Gladiator]]'' when [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] shuts the television off and reprimands Bumblebee for neglecting his monitor duty. In mid-argument, the base computers detect a [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] signal nearby, but no other information can be obtained due to interference caused by recent torrential rain. Prime and the other [[Autobot]]s thus have to depart to investigate firsthand. Bumblebee, of course, returns to playing his video game.

The Elite Guard ship touches down in Detroit, and Sentinel and Jazz disembark. Sentinel is immediately disgusted by the notion of liquid falling from the sky, and he finds himself all but incapable of driving on the slick roads, but Jazz just rolls with it.

[[Image:WhereIsThySting-Bumblebeecreepilydefeated.jpg|left|thumb|200px|We enjoyed that together.]]
Back at the base, Bumblebee continues playing games until the base is suddenly plunged into darkness. As the red emergency lights come on, Bumblebee finds himself staring into the all-too-familiar face of Wasp, now sporting an Earth-mode body styled after Bumblebee's own. Bumblebee tries to explain that they had both been set up by Longarm, but the insane Wasp doesn't care. He downs Bumblebee with a blast of his stingers and takes off his own helmet, revealing a wound on the top of his head. Just before passing out, Bumblebee sees Wasp standing over him, holding a strange gun fitted with a glowing green canister and vowing to make Bumblebee lose everything, just like he did...

A little later, Bumblebee awakens to find the other Autobots all staring down at him, including...himself? Looking down at himself, Bumblebee is horrified to discover that Wasp has repainted his armor, swapped their helmets, and exchanged their vocal synthesizers, making each a dead ringer for the other. As Wasp stands there, with Bumblebee's [[battle mask]] "stuck" up, Bumblebee attempts to convince the other Autobots that he is himself, but they aren't sold. When [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] attempts to [[stasis cuffs|stasis cuff]] him, Bumblebee is forced to shoot out the lights and make a break for it. He zooms out of the plant, right past Sentinel Prime and Jazz, who intercept Prime and the other Autobots when they try to pursue him. Sentinel demands to know why Optimus's Autobots haven't checked in in so long, but when Optimus tries to explain, Sentinel refuses to listen, informing them he is here to bring in Wasp...who, Optimus points out, just drove right past him. Sentinel ignores Optimus when he tries to tell him that Longarm is the real traitor, and departs immediately to hunt down "Wasp". Optimus instructs his Autobots to locate Wasp first, and they head out to search, while the true Wasp tells them he will stay behind in case Bumblebee comes back.

On Cybertron, Shockwave desperately makes another attempt to contact the missing [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]. He transmits a message to him alerting him to the direness of the situation, adding that Shockwave is about to take matters into his own hands...

[[Image:WhereIsThySting-obligatorymisunderstanding.jpg|right|thumb|200px|I has logos-Autobot on my shoulders, da?]]
Back on Earth, Optimus and Ratchet are discussing how odd "Bumblebee" has been behaving when two jets suddenly come roaring by overhead. Knowing that no organic could pilot a plane the way these two crafts fly, the two Autobots assume they are dealing with Decepticons and zoom after them in hot pursuit. The two jets soon track down "Wasp", who is desperately attempting to rub his green paint off with a discarded couch cushion, and transform to robot mode to attack him with blasts of flame and roaring hurricane winds. Ratchet and Optimus arrive to hold off these apparent Decepticons, who reveal a remarkable power to combine into [[Safeguard (Animated)|one mighty robot]], but before the fighting can get too intense, Sentinel and Jazz arrive to reveal that these two are, in fact, Autobots! Sentinel introduces [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]], Elite Guard warriors created using specs from [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]], and orders the duo to resume their mission.

In the Autobots' base, Wasp is playing (and losing) ''Ninja Gladiator'', and he decides that he could get used to being Bumblebee. In order to complete the illusion, Wasp scans the Autobots' computer files, so that he can learn everything about Bumblebee and better pass himself off as his old rival.

[[Image:WhereIsThySting-hotdogbot.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Bumblebee needs a lesson in [[customizing]].]]
Racing through the city streets, Bumblebee discovers a hot dog cart and desperate tries slathering his armor in mustard to make him look more like himself. He is caught in the act by [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] and [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]], but he is finally able to convince Bulkhead of his true identity when he tells him something only he could know: namely, that he took the blame for Bulkhead knocking a tower over on Sentinel Prime at [[Autobot boot camp|boot camp]]. Jetfire and Jetstorm arrive just in time to witness this happy scene, but get the wrong end of the stick and assume that Bulkhead and Prowl are traitors as well! The twins report this to Sentinel, and he, Optimus, Jazz and Ratchet head for their position, with Sentinel obstinately refusing to listen to Optimus's attempts to explain the numerous misunderstandings that have happened. When everyone reunites, Bulkhead explains that Bumblebee is definitely Bumblebee, and Optimus orders everyone back to the plant to straighten everything out.

A little later, back at the plant, Wasp cheerily denies Bumblebee's accusations, using the information he has gleaned from the Autobots' files to "prove" he is who he claims. When interrogation yields no results, Bulkhead comes up with the best way to figure out who's who: a versus match on ''Ninja Gladiator''! Before the game even starts, Wasp chokes and grabs Bumblebee, holding his stinger to 'Bee's neck. Wasp insists that he was always a good bot, but Bulkhead says that isn't true; he might not be a traitor, but he was always mean to Bulkhead and Bumblebee and was hardly good. Wasp blasts out the lights to cover his escape, and when the emergency lights kick in, both Wasp and Bumblebee are gone.

[[Image:WhereIsThySting-UltraMagnusOffline.jpg|thumb|right|200px|If anyone inserts a "He's been dealt with" caption here, so help us...]]

The Autobots head outside, where they spot what looks like Bumblebee lying on the ground. Bulkhead assumes it is Wasp and leaps upon the prone figure, pummeling him and ripping off his helmet... only to find out that it really is Bumblebee underneath. Prowl examines Bumblebee's helmet and discovers that their colors were switched so quickly because Wasp had hit him with an [[electronic paint job]] that he could turn off with the press of a button. As things begin to calm down, the truth of the whole matter hits Jazz—if Wasp really was innocent, that means that Longarm Prime really is a Decepticon spy!

Sometime later, on Cybertron, [[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] is searching for Longarm in order to apprehend him. Entering the council chamber, Ironhide is horrified to discover the mangled, barely-alive body of Ultra Magnus. He asks the Supreme Commander where [[Magnus Hammer|his hammer]] is and who was responsible. Before collapsing, Ultra Magnus manages to choke out, "Shock...wave..."

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters

|c1=
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (1)
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] (2)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (4)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (5)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (6)
*[[Wasp]] (7)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (8)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (9)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (10)
*[[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] (11)
*[[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] (12)
*[[Safeguard (Animated)|Safeguard]] (13)
*[[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] (15)

|c2=
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave/Longarm Prime]] (3)

|c4=
*[[Hot Dog Bot]] (14)
|}}

==Quotes==
"Besides, if I'm playing ''Ninja Gladiator'', I'm at least getting valuable combat training." 
:—'''Bumblebee''' gives justification for slacking off.

"Liquid falling from the sky? What is ''wrong'' with this planet?!" 
"Crazy! It's like a planet ''and'' a car wash! You diggin' this or what?"
:—'''Sentinel Prime''' and '''Jazz''' share their thoughts on the rain.

"Wasp—I mean, Bumblebot—I mean, ''I'' will stay here in case Bumblebot—I mean, Wasp comes back." 
:—'''Wasp''' blows his cover several times, but the Autobots still don't pick it up.

'''Ratchet''': Come on! You're doing it wrong! Turn ''into'' the skid! 
'''Sentinel''': Into the skid? That's stupid! 
'''Jazz''': Just gotta go with the flow, S.P.! 
'''Optimus''': How do you put up with him? 
'''Jazz''': I just tune out half of everything he spits out. 
'''Optimus''': Only half?
:—The Autobots attempt to put up with the jerk, with no such luck.

"You're not arresting ''anyone'', Sentinel." 
"So you ''are'' in on it, Optimus." 
"No, Sentinel. I just have something you never will: respect for my teammates." 
:—'''Optimus Prime''' defines exactly ''how'' '''Sentinel Prime''' is a jerk.

"So hit me with that one more time. A robot in disguise swaps metal with a double agent, who is really on the level?" 
"Makes even less sense when you say it."
:—'''Jazz''' and '''Bulkhead''' try their best to fathom what's been going on.

"Alright, you caught Wasp. But Wasp was good bot once, until Bumblebot runi Wasp!" 
"You were always mean to me and Bumblebee. You may not be a traitor... but you were ''never'' a good bot."
:—'''Bulkhead''' has a go at the traumatised victim of a frame-job—who's holding his best friend hostage.

==Notes==

===Continuity notes===
*We last saw Wasp in "[[Autoboot Camp]]", to which this episode is essentially a sequel. A brief flashback from the episode is shown after Bumblebee says he "took the rap" for Bulkhead for what happened to Sentinel Prime. In an attempt to maintain his ruse, Wasp also mentions all the things that Bumblebee had done then which accidentally embarrassed Sentinel Prime. He also mentions the events in "[[SUV: Society of Ultimate Villainy]]".
* Optimus' Autobots discovered that Wasp wasn't guilty in "[[A Bridge Too Close, Part II]]".
* Sentinel Prime discusses the modifications made to Jetfire and Jetstorm, which took place in the "[[First (and Second) in Flight]]" comic book.
* Sentinel Prime still doesn't remember his time with Bumblebee and Bulkhead, as he did (didn't?) in "[[The Elite Guard]]".

===Transformers references===
[[Image:WhereIsThySting-Bumblebeesvideogame.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Referenciality!]]
* The background of the ''Ninja Gladiator'' video game prominently features [[TORQ III]].
* In the scene before he switches places with "Bumble-Bot", Wasp is wearing a [[rubsign]] in place of a conventional Autobot insignia. This is identical to [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]]—at this time he does not belong to either faction.
* [[Tigatron Stadium]], which will be seen in the next episode, can be seen in the background.

===Real-world references===
* The episode's title is a reference to a Bible verse: namely, [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2015:55&version=31 1 Corinthians 15:55]: "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"
* Sentinel Prime's cry of "Arrest 'em all and let Ultra Magnus sort 'em out!" is a reference to a popular English translation of a saying by Abbot {{w|Arnaud Amalric|Arnold Amaury}}, before the massacre of Béziers during the Albigensian Crusade: "Kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out." It's not the first time the phrase [[United (episode)|has been used]] in ''Transformers'' fiction.
** According to [[David Kaye]], [[Jeff Bennett]] once used this line in a recording session during the first season, causing the cast to burst into laughter and forcing them to take five.{{fact}}
* The four-armed insect from ''Ninja Gladiator'' is [[Antron]] from ''[[Micronauts (franchise)|Micronauts]]'', while the black figure the insect fights is [[Snake-Eyes]].<ref>{{citesocial|quote=@DerrickJWyatt The TFWiki ways 'Snake-Eyes' . . . is that right?|link=https://twitter.com/SentinelPrime/status/1418651506|name=Jim Sorenson|site=Twitter|year=2009|month=03|day=30|(defunct=)}} {{citesocial|quote=@SentinelPrime That's the guy.|link=https://twitter.com/DerrickJWyatt/status/1418656175|name=Derrick J. Wyatt|site=Twitter|year=2009|month=03|day=30|(defunct=)}}</ref>
* The Jet bros. combination sequence, like much else about them, is based on the stock footage sequences of the various Symmetrical Docking robots from ''[[Brave (franchise)|King Of Braves GaoGaiGar]]''.
* Bumblebee's line, 'Decepticons, why'd it have to be Decepticons?' hearkens back to the [[Indiana Jones]] film, ''Raiders of the Lost Ark''.

===Animation or technical errors===
* Optimus Prime's right arm, after he turns off the TV, is at a weird angle.
*When Bulkhead knocks Jetfire back, Jazz (who isn't even ''there'' yet), instead of Jetstorm, is standing next to Bumblebee.
*When Wasp is playing Bumblebee's video game (and liking it), the characters on screen switch sides as he loses. It's possible the characters got repositioned during a move or combo, as is a common occurrence in fighting games.
*Oddly, for a cartoon that tries to stay close to the transformation of the actual toys, Safeguard's transformation is nothing like the toy.
*When Wasp is on his own playing ''Ninja Gladiator'' and later, when he breaks character near the end, he has his original voice. How come Bumblebee couldn't do that?
*For that matter, after Wasp leaves Bumblebee behind, he has his original voice back too. Bumblebee is also still sporting a yellow version of Wasp's helmet.
*At certain points in the episode, Wasp (as Bumblebee) and Bumblebee (as Wasp) wear the design of their false identity's thighs.
*During the close up of Bumblebee (as Wasp), Jetfire and Jetstorm switch places. They're in the correct order in the next scene.

===Continuity errors===
*This isn't an ''error'' as such, but just when did Wasp get an identical Earth form to Bumblebee's? And perhaps more to the point, ''how'' did he change form - both Optimus' crew and the Elite Guard reformatted on their well-equipped ships. Wasp was last seen beside a space bridge with no ship of any kind. Though it's possible that Wasp has the ability to scan and adapt [[alternate mode]]s on his own, in the series only [[Starscream (Animated)|De]][[Blitzwing (Animated)|cepti]][[Lugnut (Animated)|cons]] have shown this capability.
*Given how close Ratchet is to [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] you'd think he'd know better than to say "no Autobot flies."
*After Jetfire is punched by Bulkhead, Jetfire lands next to what appears to be Jazz and Bumblebee. Jazz is seen in the next scene driving with Optimus and Sentinel.
*Wasp has purple eyes, which were visible even with Bumblebee's battle mask up, and retained the striped design on his thighs. Bumblebee still had his blue eyes and other retained properties. The Autobots didn't notice this because...?
*You could ask the same question regarding the Jet twins. Although their Elite Guard insignias are on their hips, Optimus and Ratchet should have seen the insignia on their shoulders when they merged into Safeguard.
*Not to mention that Optimus and Ratchet have very obvious Autobot symbols. Why didn't the twins try to introduce themselves before diving into battle with them? Of course, if Sentinel trained them, they might be bigger jerks than we realize and just assumed them traitors.
*When Bulkhead runs into the green Bumblebee in the street, Bumblebee puts his hands in the air to surrender and starts wailing that he's Bumblebee. Bulkhead ''knows'' Wasp was framed, locked up in the stockade for years, may well be traumatised, and has not as yet EVER actually hurt anybody, but he still starts swinging his wrecking ball with intent to pummel. Later on when Wasp is revealed and uses Bumblebee as a shield, Bulkhead starts telling the ''frightened and angry'' mech that he was "never a good bot." And when Wasp runs off ''without hurting anybody,'' and Bulkhead sees a yellow mech lying outside face down and motionless, he instantly attacks what he thinks is Wasp. This episode doesn't do anything for Bulkhead's rep as an Autobot ''at all.''
**None of the other Autobots seem to have a problem with his actions either.

===Trivia===
*This episode received an impromptu online debut on [[March 25]], [[2009]], when a copy loaded onto the [[Cartoon Network]] website's server, intended to go live after the episode aired a few days later, was pilfered and leaked by some ne'er-do-wells. The next episode, "[[Five Servos of Doom]]", was leaked a few days later.
*Bulkhead squeaks like a rubber ducky when he's hopping back and forth telling Optimus, Jazz and Ratchet that the green bot is Bumblebee.
*Apparently it doesn't rain on Cybertron, because Sentinel Prime was irritated that liquid falls from the sky on Earth.
*Strangely, the Autobots don't try and work out who's Wasp and who's Bumblebee by [[A Prime Problem|having a race]].
*This is the last episode to feature [[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] in a speaking role..

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Où est ton venin ?'''" ("Where is your Venom?")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???
::*Wasp is now dubbed by [[Bruno Magne]] with a high-pitch voice effect. He was dubbed by [[Vincent Violette]] in season 1. This drastic change in Wasp's voice could be attributed to the change in personality.
::*Wasp calls Angry Archer "l'Archer Furieux" ("Furious Archer"), but his name is usually "l'Archer Vengeur" ("Avenger Archer"). Let's say it could also be because it's Wasp...
::*The voice effect used on Jetstorm and Jetfire is very close to the one used on all the robots in the 4 late-dubbed episodes of the original G1 series, probably dubbed at that same period. The team could be the same, since some voice actors also voice in both projects.

'''Spanish (Latin America)'''
:*''Title:'' "'''¿Dónde está tu aguijón?'''" ("Where is your sting?")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 3|3 November]] [[2009]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Wasp no Fukushū'''" (ワスプの復讐, "Wasp's Revenge")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 30|30 October]] [[2010]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Quem é Quem?'''" ("Who is Who?")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

==Home video releases==
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2011 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Vol. 9 ([[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]]

Transformers (2023) issue 25

2025-10-08T19:44:11Z

B3astK1ng: /* Quotes */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #25
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 24
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 26
|image=Transformers 2023 25 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[October 8]], [[2025]]
|coverdate=October 2025
|written by=[[Robert Kirkman]]
|art by=[[Jorge Corona]] (pages 1-12) [[Dan Mora]] (pages 15-34)
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|publication design=[[Andres Juarez]]
|production=[[Ashby Florence]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''A new day dawns for the Autobots! With Megatron and the Decepticons defeated (for now), Optimus Prime receives an unexpected offer of aid from humanity.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:TF2023 no. 25 - Megatron Punches Devastator.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] is not happy. Badly injured from his defeat at the hands of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and forced to retreat to the sunken ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', he berates the [[Decepticon]]s for their failure, to the point of physically hurling [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] to the ground, sending the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s flying apart. But the bot that earns the most of his scorn is [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], whose mangled body he orders thrown in with the rest of the dead Decepticons. Megatron then reminds the Decepticons that their ultimate goal is achieving peace for the good of all [[Transformer|Cybertronian]]s — peace through tyranny. Unable to return to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Megatron asks his soldiers if they will be strong enough to accomplish their goals here on [[Earth]]. Each one answers in the affirmative, and together they begin to chant, "all hail Megatron!" As the chorus rings out across the ship, Starscream's eye lights up red once more.

In [[Chicago]], the Autobots are helping clean up the damage from their battle with the Decepticons. Optimus is sorrowful at seeing the devastation his war brought to [[human]]ity until he is approached by a little girl wearing a face mask. She tells him that she was scared of him before, but isn't anymore; she knows he's not a bad robot like "those other ones." Optimus tells her he doesn't believe anything can be truly bad, only misguided. As [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] clears rubble away, [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] senses he is unwell. Much like Optimus, Magnus despairs at the destruction, believing it should have been his duty to prevent it. Arcee and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] assure him that they all did as much as they could. [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] then alerts them to a signal coming from beneath a pile of rubble. As they move to help whoever is trapped, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] bursts free! Optimus immediately moves to engage, ordering the other Autobots to evacuate and protect the humans. Soundwave asks where Megatron is, but does not believe Optimus when he says Megatron fled. The two exchange blows, but Optimus quickly finishes the fight by slamming Soundwave to the ground. He orders [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] to restrain the Decepticon and take him to their base, Magnus accompanying him. Optimus is then greeted by [[General Flagg]]. Flagg says that they've figured the Autobots must be "the good ones" and is here to offer Prime a partnership with the [[United States of America|United States government]], believing they could help each other. Prime takes full responsibility for bringing the Decepticons to Earth and that the Autobots do not need anything from the humans in exchange for fighting them. Still, Flagg insists Optimus accompany him back to his base, saying he has some things he'd like to show him.

Wheeljack, Magnus, and Jazz take Soundwave to what constitutes their "base": the cavern in the mountain where the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' used to be. Wheeljack ventures inside the cave to explore, coming across the skeleton of a ''Tyrannosaurus rex''. As he goes to examine the fossils, the cave starts to shake. In an instant, Wheeljack is inside the ''Ark'', the ship having teleported back to its exact same spot once more, much to the Autobots' confusion. Magnus and Jazz join him inside and place Soundwave in the brig. Jazz and Wheeljack wonder where the ship could have gone when they are attacked by [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]! The Decepticon [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] is panicked, desperately wanting to know where he just was, claiming to have seen [[Cobra-La|monsters like he'd never seen before]]!

Optimus Prime is airlifted to a [[United States military]] base. There, General Flagg continues his discussion with Prime, underscoring the importance of their working together to stop the Decepticons and offering Prime any resources the Autobots might need. He then leads Optimus to a secret underground facility called "[[Shadow Watch]]," where Prime discovers the deactivated bodies of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Bulkhead (G1)|Bulkhead]]. Flagg tells Optimus that both were found some decades ago and brought here to be studied, but that they were unable to revive either of them, suggesting Optimus might be able to. Optimus laments that they don't have the [[Energon]] to do so, but that's when Flagg reveals his other gift: a massive cache of Energon crystals that Shadow Watch has been stockpiling over the years. Prime and Flagg are then greeted by the head of Shadow Watch... a man named [[Miles Mayhem]].

Back on Cybertron, [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] has gathered her troops. She is still furious at [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] for sending [[Shredhead]] to Earth, but has reluctantly allowed him out of prison since they can't spare anymore troops. [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] tries to advocate for Cliff wanting to help Optimus, but Elita shuts him down. Optimus Prime abandoned them, so now Elita is done. As far as she is concerned, Optimus Prime is their enemy!

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (21)
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (22)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (23)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (24)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (25)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (26)
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (28)
* [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (33)
* [[Bulkhead (G1)|Bulkhead]] (34)
* [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] (38)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (39)
* [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (40)
* [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] (41)

|c2=
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (1)
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (2)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (3)
* [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (4)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (5)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (6)
* [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (7)
* [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (8)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (9)
* [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (10)
* [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (11)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (12)
* [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (13)
* [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (14)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (15)
* [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (16)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (17)
* [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (18)
* [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (19)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (20)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (29)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (31)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (32)

|c3=
* Masked girl (27)
* [[General Flagg]] (30)
* [[Miles Mayhem]] (35)

|h4=[[Cobra-La]]|c4=
* [[Golobulus]] (36)
* [[Royal Guard]] (37)
}}

==Quotes==
"Yes, my Decepticons. Peace... We shall one day know peace. And there is only one way to achieve it. Peace through tyranny."
:—'''Megatron'''

"You and I are the same. Recognizing that is the first step to becoming a compassionate being. Which all sentient life should strive to be."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' to the masked little girl

"We spend all our time worrying about little green men. Never even considered space trucks. It's always what you least expect."
:—'''General Flagg'''

"You '''disgust''' me." "I did it for [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Energon Universe|Optimus]]. He needed '''help'''." "'''We needed help!''' [[Shredhead]] could have turned things around for us. Are things not '''dire enough''' here?!" "He was trying to help Optimus, Elita-1." "Cliffjumper '''betrayed''' us... Don't you see?! I'd locked him away if we could spare him. We're '''desperate!''' With [[Megatron (G1)#Energon Universe|Megatron]] stranded on Earth and [[Shockwave (G1)#Energon Universe|Shockwave]] out of commission--This was our chance to '''retaliate''', to finally gain the upper hand! '''And [[Cliffjumper (G1)#Energon Universe|you]] threw it away!''' No... our fight isn't on [[Earth]]... our fight is '''[[Cybertron (planet)#Energon Universe|here]]'''. But where is our '''leader?''' He has '''abandoned''' us! There is no victory to be had here with our forces divided! Without him and the other [[Autobot|Autobots]]--'''our cause is lost'''." "What are you--?" "'''Optimus Prime''' is no longer our '''ally'''. '''He is our enemy'''."
:—'''Elita-1''', '''Cliffjumper''', and '''Bluestreak'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* The Decepticons have retreated to the safety of the sunken ''Nemesis'', last seen in [[Transformers (2023) issue 12|issue #12]]. Soundwave had claimed that the ship was "lost" in [[Transformers (2023) issue 15|issue #15]], and the last we saw any pieces of it was the [[space bridge]] portal that Shredhead came through in [[Transformers (2023) issue 23|issue #23]].
* When Megatron throws Starscream's body into the scrapheap, we see the bodies of Reflector, Frenzy (both killed by Optimus Prime in [[Transformers (2023) issue 5|issue #5]]), and Astrotrain (killed by Megatron-wielded-by-Starscream in [[Transformers (2023) issue 20|issue #21]]).
* Optimus Prime's right arm is still the unfinished replacement that Wheeljack made for him in issue #23.
* Though he goes unnamed throughout the issue, General Flagg has been a recurring presence across the Energon Universe titles, first appearing in ''[[Destro (comic)|Destro]]'' [[Destro issue 3|#3]] and then ''Transformers'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 21|issues #21]] and [[Transformers (2023) issue 22|#22]], overseeing the capture of Ultra Magnus.
** When Magnus was captured in [[Transformers (2023) issue 18|issue #18]], the soldiers doing so were seen wearing the star emblem of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], implying that the Joes were a far larger operation than simply [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]]'s team and [[Night Force]]. However, the introduction of Shadow Watch suggests the opposite: that G.I. Joe and Night Force are under the purview of Shadow Watch, with [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Colonel Hawk]] working for them. This also lines up with Hawk and the government keeping information about Starscream secret from Duke in ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' [[Duke issue 1|#1]], as that was not their first encounter with the Transformers.
* Where did the ''Ark'' go when Thundercracker activated Skywarp's teleportation ability in issue #21? [[Cobra-La]], apparently! The last time readers saw the secret snake civilization was ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 5|#5]], where Golobulus discovered the origin of the Transformers and sent [[Pythona]] into space and the pages of ''[[Void Rivals]]''.
* We last saw Elita and her team in issue #22, with her ordering Cliffjumper imprisoned after he sent Shredhead back to Earth.
* Elita briefly mentions [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], who was last seen getting his head crushed by Optimus Prime in [[Transformers (2023) issue 12|issue #12]]

===Transformers references===
* When addressing the Decepticons, Megatron calls each of them out by name, with each address being given its own word balloon. This is an homage to the classic [[introdump]] style from the original [[Marvel Comics]] ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Transformers]]'' comics by [[Bob Budiansky]].
* During his speech Megatron invokes his classic motto, "peace through tyranny," which first appeared on his original [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Megatron (G1)/toys#The_Transformers|toy]] packaging.
* The transition between the Corona-drawn pages and Mora-drawn pages is done as an homage to the iconic "symbol flip" [[scene transition]]s from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]].
* Wheeljack discovering the fossilized skeleton of a ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' in the cavern of the Ark's crash is a direct homage to a similar scene from the G1 cartoon episode "[[S.O.S. Dinobots]]," which introduced the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] to that continuity as creations of Wheeljack (and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]].)
* Bulkhead's design is based on the ''[[Transformers: Legacy]]'' [[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Prime Universe]] [[Bulkhead (Prime)#Legacy|Bulkhead figure]].

===Errors===
* In the panel where Optimus tackles Soundwave to perform the spinebuster, Soundwave's left shin has a random half-wheel sticking out of it that isn't present in any of the other scenes he appears in. (Or his corresponding right shin, for that matter.)

===Other Hasbro franchise references===
* '''MILES MAYHEM?!?!''' What's the leader of the [[V.E.N.O.M.|Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem]] doing here? This mustachioed menace marks the second character from the [[M.A.S.K. (franchise)|''M.A.S.K.'' franchise]] to be introduced to the Energon Universe after the appearance of [[Matt Trakker]] earlier this year in the [[G.I. Joe Energon Universe 2025 Special story|''G.I. Joe'' segment]] of the ''[[Energon Universe 2025 Special]]''. In that story, Trakker was shown to be exceptionally paranoid and had some familiarity with the Transformers due to reasons he couldn't share with [[Clutch (G.I. Joe)|Clutch]]. Could it be that he was also part of Shadow Watch at one point?
** Mayhem's introduction here as the head of a secret government program involved in "studying" the Transformers with a connection to a General from G.I. Joe is very similar to his introduction to [[IDW Publishing]]'s [[Hasbro Universe]] in the pages of ''[[Revolution]]'' [[Secret Raiders: A Revolution Prelude|#0]].

===Real life references===
* In what is likely a visual nod to the style of fight choreography employed by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]], Optimus defeats Soundwave using a professional wrestling technique known as a {{w|spinebuster}}.

===Other notes===
* When the Energon Universe first launched, Robert Kirkman often cited [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] as an example of a non-G1 character that he'd personally love to see introduced at some point, suggesting he would try to get him in somewhere.
* Energon Experience: Presented by Skybound Executive Editor Ben Abernathy.
** '''Character Spotlight:''' Optimus Prime
** '''Cobra-La La La La!:''' It’s a good thing Thundercracker and Skywarp survived their brief encounter with Cobra-La given what Golobulus did to Megatron in the [[Transformers Energon Universe 2024 Special story|''Transformers'' segment]] of the ''[[Energon Universe 2024 Special]]''.
** '''Creator Spotlight:''' Ben asks Dan Mora what his [[alternate mode]] would be. Mora suggests a dinosaur before settling on werewolf.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus Prime, Wheeljack, Trailbreaker, and the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s roll out into a brand new era, by [[David Nakayama]]
* '''Cover B:''' Optimus pulls the tape from Soundwave’s chest, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C:''' Connecting cover, by Jorge Corona and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover D:''' The Autobots, by [[Kael Ngu]].
* '''Cover E:''' Design for Jazz, by Dan Mora and [[Andres Juarez]].
* '''Cover F:''' Foil cover of Optimus Prime, by [[Jae Lee]] and [[June Chung]].
* '''Cover G:''' Blank sketch cover with an Autobot logo in the corner box.
* '''Cover H:''' Blank sketch cover with a Decepticon logo in the corner box.
* '''Cover I:''' Foil version of Cover A.
* '''Cover J:''' Die cut cover of Optimus Prime’s face, by [[John Amor]] and Andres Juarez.
* '''Cover K:''' Die cut cover of the Autobots behind a melting sheet of metal, by [[Eric Canete]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover F.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover G.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover H.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover I.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover J.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover K.jpg|
</gallery>

===Reprints===

==External links==

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 25

2025-10-08T19:43:50Z

B3astK1ng: /* Quotes */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #25
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 24
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 26
|image=Transformers 2023 25 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[October 8]], [[2025]]
|coverdate=October 2025
|written by=[[Robert Kirkman]]
|art by=[[Jorge Corona]] (pages 1-12) [[Dan Mora]] (pages 15-34)
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|publication design=[[Andres Juarez]]
|production=[[Ashby Florence]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''A new day dawns for the Autobots! With Megatron and the Decepticons defeated (for now), Optimus Prime receives an unexpected offer of aid from humanity.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:TF2023 no. 25 - Megatron Punches Devastator.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] is not happy. Badly injured from his defeat at the hands of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and forced to retreat to the sunken ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', he berates the [[Decepticon]]s for their failure, to the point of physically hurling [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] to the ground, sending the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s flying apart. But the bot that earns the most of his scorn is [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], whose mangled body he orders thrown in with the rest of the dead Decepticons. Megatron then reminds the Decepticons that their ultimate goal is achieving peace for the good of all [[Transformer|Cybertronian]]s — peace through tyranny. Unable to return to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Megatron asks his soldiers if they will be strong enough to accomplish their goals here on [[Earth]]. Each one answers in the affirmative, and together they begin to chant, "all hail Megatron!" As the chorus rings out across the ship, Starscream's eye lights up red once more.

In [[Chicago]], the Autobots are helping clean up the damage from their battle with the Decepticons. Optimus is sorrowful at seeing the devastation his war brought to [[human]]ity until he is approached by a little girl wearing a face mask. She tells him that she was scared of him before, but isn't anymore; she knows he's not a bad robot like "those other ones." Optimus tells her he doesn't believe anything can be truly bad, only misguided. As [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] clears rubble away, [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] senses he is unwell. Much like Optimus, Magnus despairs at the destruction, believing it should have been his duty to prevent it. Arcee and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] assure him that they all did as much as they could. [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] then alerts them to a signal coming from beneath a pile of rubble. As they move to help whoever is trapped, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] bursts free! Optimus immediately moves to engage, ordering the other Autobots to evacuate and protect the humans. Soundwave asks where Megatron is, but does not believe Optimus when he says Megatron fled. The two exchange blows, but Optimus quickly finishes the fight by slamming Soundwave to the ground. He orders [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] to restrain the Decepticon and take him to their base, Magnus accompanying him. Optimus is then greeted by [[General Flagg]]. Flagg says that they've figured the Autobots must be "the good ones" and is here to offer Prime a partnership with the [[United States of America|United States government]], believing they could help each other. Prime takes full responsibility for bringing the Decepticons to Earth and that the Autobots do not need anything from the humans in exchange for fighting them. Still, Flagg insists Optimus accompany him back to his base, saying he has some things he'd like to show him.

Wheeljack, Magnus, and Jazz take Soundwave to what constitutes their "base": the cavern in the mountain where the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' used to be. Wheeljack ventures inside the cave to explore, coming across the skeleton of a ''Tyrannosaurus rex''. As he goes to examine the fossils, the cave starts to shake. In an instant, Wheeljack is inside the ''Ark'', the ship having teleported back to its exact same spot once more, much to the Autobots' confusion. Magnus and Jazz join him inside and place Soundwave in the brig. Jazz and Wheeljack wonder where the ship could have gone when they are attacked by [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]! The Decepticon [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] is panicked, desperately wanting to know where he just was, claiming to have seen [[Cobra-La|monsters like he'd never seen before]]!

Optimus Prime is airlifted to a [[United States military]] base. There, General Flagg continues his discussion with Prime, underscoring the importance of their working together to stop the Decepticons and offering Prime any resources the Autobots might need. He then leads Optimus to a secret underground facility called "[[Shadow Watch]]," where Prime discovers the deactivated bodies of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Bulkhead (G1)|Bulkhead]]. Flagg tells Optimus that both were found some decades ago and brought here to be studied, but that they were unable to revive either of them, suggesting Optimus might be able to. Optimus laments that they don't have the [[Energon]] to do so, but that's when Flagg reveals his other gift: a massive cache of Energon crystals that Shadow Watch has been stockpiling over the years. Prime and Flagg are then greeted by the head of Shadow Watch... a man named [[Miles Mayhem]].

Back on Cybertron, [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] has gathered her troops. She is still furious at [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] for sending [[Shredhead]] to Earth, but has reluctantly allowed him out of prison since they can't spare anymore troops. [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] tries to advocate for Cliff wanting to help Optimus, but Elita shuts him down. Optimus Prime abandoned them, so now Elita is done. As far as she is concerned, Optimus Prime is their enemy!

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (21)
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (22)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (23)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (24)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (25)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (26)
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (28)
* [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (33)
* [[Bulkhead (G1)|Bulkhead]] (34)
* [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] (38)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (39)
* [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (40)
* [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] (41)

|c2=
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (1)
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (2)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (3)
* [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (4)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (5)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (6)
* [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (7)
* [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (8)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (9)
* [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (10)
* [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (11)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (12)
* [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (13)
* [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (14)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (15)
* [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (16)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (17)
* [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (18)
* [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (19)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (20)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (29)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (31)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (32)

|c3=
* Masked girl (27)
* [[General Flagg]] (30)
* [[Miles Mayhem]] (35)

|h4=[[Cobra-La]]|c4=
* [[Golobulus]] (36)
* [[Royal Guard]] (37)
}}

==Quotes==
"Yes, my Decepticons. Peace... We shall one day know peace. And there is only one way to achieve it. Peace through tyranny."
:—'''Megatron'''

"You and I are the same. Recognizing that is the first step to becoming a compassionate being. Which all sentient life should strive to be."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' to the masked little girl

"We spend all our time worrying about little green men. Never even considered space trucks. It's always what you least expect."
:—'''General Flagg'''

"You '''disgust''' me." "I did it for [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Energon Universe|Optimus]]. He needed '''help'''." "'''We needed help!''' [[Shredhead]] could have turned things around for us. Are things not '''dire enough''' here?!" "He was trying to help Optimus, Elita-1." "Cliffjumper '''betrayed''' us... Don't you see?! I'd locked him away if we could spare him. We're '''desperate!''' With [[Megatron (G1)#Energon Universe|Megatron]] stranded on Earth and [[Shockwave (G1)#Energon Universe|Shockwave]] out of commission--This was our chance to '''retaliate''', to finally gain the upper hand! '''And [[Cliffjumper (G1)#Energon Universe|you]] threw it away!''' No... our fight isn't on [[Earth]]... our fight is '''[[Cybertron (planet)#Energon Universe|here]]'''. But where is our '''leader?''' He has '''abandoned''' us! There is no victory to be had here with our forces divided! Without him and the other [[Autobot|Autobots]]--'''our cause is lost'''." "What are you--?" "'''Optimus Prime''' is no longer our '''ally'''. '''He is our enemy'''."
:-'''Elita-1''', '''Cliffjumper''', and '''Bluestreak'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* The Decepticons have retreated to the safety of the sunken ''Nemesis'', last seen in [[Transformers (2023) issue 12|issue #12]]. Soundwave had claimed that the ship was "lost" in [[Transformers (2023) issue 15|issue #15]], and the last we saw any pieces of it was the [[space bridge]] portal that Shredhead came through in [[Transformers (2023) issue 23|issue #23]].
* When Megatron throws Starscream's body into the scrapheap, we see the bodies of Reflector, Frenzy (both killed by Optimus Prime in [[Transformers (2023) issue 5|issue #5]]), and Astrotrain (killed by Megatron-wielded-by-Starscream in [[Transformers (2023) issue 20|issue #21]]).
* Optimus Prime's right arm is still the unfinished replacement that Wheeljack made for him in issue #23.
* Though he goes unnamed throughout the issue, General Flagg has been a recurring presence across the Energon Universe titles, first appearing in ''[[Destro (comic)|Destro]]'' [[Destro issue 3|#3]] and then ''Transformers'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 21|issues #21]] and [[Transformers (2023) issue 22|#22]], overseeing the capture of Ultra Magnus.
** When Magnus was captured in [[Transformers (2023) issue 18|issue #18]], the soldiers doing so were seen wearing the star emblem of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], implying that the Joes were a far larger operation than simply [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]]'s team and [[Night Force]]. However, the introduction of Shadow Watch suggests the opposite: that G.I. Joe and Night Force are under the purview of Shadow Watch, with [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Colonel Hawk]] working for them. This also lines up with Hawk and the government keeping information about Starscream secret from Duke in ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' [[Duke issue 1|#1]], as that was not their first encounter with the Transformers.
* Where did the ''Ark'' go when Thundercracker activated Skywarp's teleportation ability in issue #21? [[Cobra-La]], apparently! The last time readers saw the secret snake civilization was ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 5|#5]], where Golobulus discovered the origin of the Transformers and sent [[Pythona]] into space and the pages of ''[[Void Rivals]]''.
* We last saw Elita and her team in issue #22, with her ordering Cliffjumper imprisoned after he sent Shredhead back to Earth.
* Elita briefly mentions [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], who was last seen getting his head crushed by Optimus Prime in [[Transformers (2023) issue 12|issue #12]]

===Transformers references===
* When addressing the Decepticons, Megatron calls each of them out by name, with each address being given its own word balloon. This is an homage to the classic [[introdump]] style from the original [[Marvel Comics]] ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Transformers]]'' comics by [[Bob Budiansky]].
* During his speech Megatron invokes his classic motto, "peace through tyranny," which first appeared on his original [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Megatron (G1)/toys#The_Transformers|toy]] packaging.
* The transition between the Corona-drawn pages and Mora-drawn pages is done as an homage to the iconic "symbol flip" [[scene transition]]s from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]].
* Wheeljack discovering the fossilized skeleton of a ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' in the cavern of the Ark's crash is a direct homage to a similar scene from the G1 cartoon episode "[[S.O.S. Dinobots]]," which introduced the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] to that continuity as creations of Wheeljack (and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]].)
* Bulkhead's design is based on the ''[[Transformers: Legacy]]'' [[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Prime Universe]] [[Bulkhead (Prime)#Legacy|Bulkhead figure]].

===Errors===
* In the panel where Optimus tackles Soundwave to perform the spinebuster, Soundwave's left shin has a random half-wheel sticking out of it that isn't present in any of the other scenes he appears in. (Or his corresponding right shin, for that matter.)

===Other Hasbro franchise references===
* '''MILES MAYHEM?!?!''' What's the leader of the [[V.E.N.O.M.|Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem]] doing here? This mustachioed menace marks the second character from the [[M.A.S.K. (franchise)|''M.A.S.K.'' franchise]] to be introduced to the Energon Universe after the appearance of [[Matt Trakker]] earlier this year in the [[G.I. Joe Energon Universe 2025 Special story|''G.I. Joe'' segment]] of the ''[[Energon Universe 2025 Special]]''. In that story, Trakker was shown to be exceptionally paranoid and had some familiarity with the Transformers due to reasons he couldn't share with [[Clutch (G.I. Joe)|Clutch]]. Could it be that he was also part of Shadow Watch at one point?
** Mayhem's introduction here as the head of a secret government program involved in "studying" the Transformers with a connection to a General from G.I. Joe is very similar to his introduction to [[IDW Publishing]]'s [[Hasbro Universe]] in the pages of ''[[Revolution]]'' [[Secret Raiders: A Revolution Prelude|#0]].

===Real life references===
* In what is likely a visual nod to the style of fight choreography employed by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]], Optimus defeats Soundwave using a professional wrestling technique known as a {{w|spinebuster}}.

===Other notes===
* When the Energon Universe first launched, Robert Kirkman often cited [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] as an example of a non-G1 character that he'd personally love to see introduced at some point, suggesting he would try to get him in somewhere.
* Energon Experience: Presented by Skybound Executive Editor Ben Abernathy.
** '''Character Spotlight:''' Optimus Prime
** '''Cobra-La La La La!:''' It’s a good thing Thundercracker and Skywarp survived their brief encounter with Cobra-La given what Golobulus did to Megatron in the [[Transformers Energon Universe 2024 Special story|''Transformers'' segment]] of the ''[[Energon Universe 2024 Special]]''.
** '''Creator Spotlight:''' Ben asks Dan Mora what his [[alternate mode]] would be. Mora suggests a dinosaur before settling on werewolf.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus Prime, Wheeljack, Trailbreaker, and the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s roll out into a brand new era, by [[David Nakayama]]
* '''Cover B:''' Optimus pulls the tape from Soundwave’s chest, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C:''' Connecting cover, by Jorge Corona and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover D:''' The Autobots, by [[Kael Ngu]].
* '''Cover E:''' Design for Jazz, by Dan Mora and [[Andres Juarez]].
* '''Cover F:''' Foil cover of Optimus Prime, by [[Jae Lee]] and [[June Chung]].
* '''Cover G:''' Blank sketch cover with an Autobot logo in the corner box.
* '''Cover H:''' Blank sketch cover with a Decepticon logo in the corner box.
* '''Cover I:''' Foil version of Cover A.
* '''Cover J:''' Die cut cover of Optimus Prime’s face, by [[John Amor]] and Andres Juarez.
* '''Cover K:''' Die cut cover of the Autobots behind a melting sheet of metal, by [[Eric Canete]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover F.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover G.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover H.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover I.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover J.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover K.jpg|
</gallery>

===Reprints===

==External links==

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 25

2025-10-08T19:42:17Z

B3astK1ng: /* Quotes */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #25
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 24
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 26
|image=Transformers 2023 25 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[October 8]], [[2025]]
|coverdate=October 2025
|written by=[[Robert Kirkman]]
|art by=[[Jorge Corona]] (pages 1-12) [[Dan Mora]] (pages 15-34)
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|publication design=[[Andres Juarez]]
|production=[[Ashby Florence]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''A new day dawns for the Autobots! With Megatron and the Decepticons defeated (for now), Optimus Prime receives an unexpected offer of aid from humanity.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:TF2023 no. 25 - Megatron Punches Devastator.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] is not happy. Badly injured from his defeat at the hands of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and forced to retreat to the sunken ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', he berates the [[Decepticon]]s for their failure, to the point of physically hurling [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] to the ground, sending the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s flying apart. But the bot that earns the most of his scorn is [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], whose mangled body he orders thrown in with the rest of the dead Decepticons. Megatron then reminds the Decepticons that their ultimate goal is achieving peace for the good of all [[Transformer|Cybertronian]]s — peace through tyranny. Unable to return to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Megatron asks his soldiers if they will be strong enough to accomplish their goals here on [[Earth]]. Each one answers in the affirmative, and together they begin to chant, "all hail Megatron!" As the chorus rings out across the ship, Starscream's eye lights up red once more.

In [[Chicago]], the Autobots are helping clean up the damage from their battle with the Decepticons. Optimus is sorrowful at seeing the devastation his war brought to [[human]]ity until he is approached by a little girl wearing a face mask. She tells him that she was scared of him before, but isn't anymore; she knows he's not a bad robot like "those other ones." Optimus tells her he doesn't believe anything can be truly bad, only misguided. As [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] clears rubble away, [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] senses he is unwell. Much like Optimus, Magnus despairs at the destruction, believing it should have been his duty to prevent it. Arcee and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] assure him that they all did as much as they could. [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] then alerts them to a signal coming from beneath a pile of rubble. As they move to help whoever is trapped, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] bursts free! Optimus immediately moves to engage, ordering the other Autobots to evacuate and protect the humans. Soundwave asks where Megatron is, but does not believe Optimus when he says Megatron fled. The two exchange blows, but Optimus quickly finishes the fight by slamming Soundwave to the ground. He orders [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] to restrain the Decepticon and take him to their base, Magnus accompanying him. Optimus is then greeted by [[General Flagg]]. Flagg says that they've figured the Autobots must be "the good ones" and is here to offer Prime a partnership with the [[United States of America|United States government]], believing they could help each other. Prime takes full responsibility for bringing the Decepticons to Earth and that the Autobots do not need anything from the humans in exchange for fighting them. Still, Flagg insists Optimus accompany him back to his base, saying he has some things he'd like to show him.

Wheeljack, Magnus, and Jazz take Soundwave to what constitutes their "base": the cavern in the mountain where the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' used to be. Wheeljack ventures inside the cave to explore, coming across the skeleton of a ''Tyrannosaurus rex''. As he goes to examine the fossils, the cave starts to shake. In an instant, Wheeljack is inside the ''Ark'', the ship having teleported back to its exact same spot once more, much to the Autobots' confusion. Magnus and Jazz join him inside and place Soundwave in the brig. Jazz and Wheeljack wonder where the ship could have gone when they are attacked by [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]! The Decepticon [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] is panicked, desperately wanting to know where he just was, claiming to have seen [[Cobra-La|monsters like he'd never seen before]]!

Optimus Prime is airlifted to a [[United States military]] base. There, General Flagg continues his discussion with Prime, underscoring the importance of their working together to stop the Decepticons and offering Prime any resources the Autobots might need. He then leads Optimus to a secret underground facility called "[[Shadow Watch]]," where Prime discovers the deactivated bodies of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Bulkhead (G1)|Bulkhead]]. Flagg tells Optimus that both were found some decades ago and brought here to be studied, but that they were unable to revive either of them, suggesting Optimus might be able to. Optimus laments that they don't have the [[Energon]] to do so, but that's when Flagg reveals his other gift: a massive cache of Energon crystals that Shadow Watch has been stockpiling over the years. Prime and Flagg are then greeted by the head of Shadow Watch... a man named [[Miles Mayhem]].

Back on Cybertron, [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] has gathered her troops. She is still furious at [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] for sending [[Shredhead]] to Earth, but has reluctantly allowed him out of prison since they can't spare anymore troops. [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] tries to advocate for Cliff wanting to help Optimus, but Elita shuts him down. Optimus Prime abandoned them, so now Elita is done. As far as she is concerned, Optimus Prime is their enemy!

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (21)
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (22)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (23)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (24)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (25)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (26)
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (28)
* [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (33)
* [[Bulkhead (G1)|Bulkhead]] (34)
* [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] (38)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (39)
* [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (40)
* [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] (41)

|c2=
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (1)
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (2)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (3)
* [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (4)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (5)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (6)
* [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (7)
* [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (8)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (9)
* [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (10)
* [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (11)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (12)
* [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (13)
* [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (14)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (15)
* [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (16)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (17)
* [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (18)
* [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (19)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (20)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (29)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (31)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (32)

|c3=
* Masked girl (27)
* [[General Flagg]] (30)
* [[Miles Mayhem]] (35)

|h4=[[Cobra-La]]|c4=
* [[Golobulus]] (36)
* [[Royal Guard]] (37)
}}

==Quotes==
"Yes, my Decepticons. Peace... We shall one day know peace. And there is only one way to achieve it. Peace through tyranny."
:—'''Megatron'''

"You and I are the same. Recognizing that is the first step to becoming a compassionate being. Which all sentient life should strive to be."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' to the masked little girl

"We spend all our time worrying about little green men. Never even considered space trucks. It's always what you least expect."
:—'''General Flagg'''

"You '''disgust''' me." "I did it for [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Energon Universe|Optimus]]. He needed '''help'''." "'''We needed help!''' [[Shredhead]] could have turned things around for us. Are things not '''dire enough''' here?!" "He was trying to help Optimus, Elita-1." "Cliffjumper '''betrayed''' us... Don't you see?! I'd locked him away if we could spare him. We're '''desperate!''' With [[Megatron (G1)#Energon Universe|Megatron]] stranded on Earth and [[Shockwave (G1)#Energon Universe|Shockwave]] out of commission--This was our chance to '''retaliate''', to finally gain the upper hand! '''And [[Cliffjumper (G1)#Energon Universe|you]] threw it away!''' No... our fight isn't on [[Earth]]... our fight is '''[[Cybertron (planet)#Energon Universe|here]]'''. But where is our '''leader?''' He has '''abandoned''' us! There is no victory to be had here with our forces divided! Without him and the other [[Autobot|Autobots]]--'''our cause is lost'''." "What are you--?" "'''Optimus Prime''' is no longer our '''ally'''. '''He is our enemy'''."
:_'''Elita-1''', '''Cliffjumper''', and '''Bluestreak'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* The Decepticons have retreated to the safety of the sunken ''Nemesis'', last seen in [[Transformers (2023) issue 12|issue #12]]. Soundwave had claimed that the ship was "lost" in [[Transformers (2023) issue 15|issue #15]], and the last we saw any pieces of it was the [[space bridge]] portal that Shredhead came through in [[Transformers (2023) issue 23|issue #23]].
* When Megatron throws Starscream's body into the scrapheap, we see the bodies of Reflector, Frenzy (both killed by Optimus Prime in [[Transformers (2023) issue 5|issue #5]]), and Astrotrain (killed by Megatron-wielded-by-Starscream in [[Transformers (2023) issue 20|issue #21]]).
* Optimus Prime's right arm is still the unfinished replacement that Wheeljack made for him in issue #23.
* Though he goes unnamed throughout the issue, General Flagg has been a recurring presence across the Energon Universe titles, first appearing in ''[[Destro (comic)|Destro]]'' [[Destro issue 3|#3]] and then ''Transformers'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 21|issues #21]] and [[Transformers (2023) issue 22|#22]], overseeing the capture of Ultra Magnus.
** When Magnus was captured in [[Transformers (2023) issue 18|issue #18]], the soldiers doing so were seen wearing the star emblem of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], implying that the Joes were a far larger operation than simply [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]]'s team and [[Night Force]]. However, the introduction of Shadow Watch suggests the opposite: that G.I. Joe and Night Force are under the purview of Shadow Watch, with [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Colonel Hawk]] working for them. This also lines up with Hawk and the government keeping information about Starscream secret from Duke in ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' [[Duke issue 1|#1]], as that was not their first encounter with the Transformers.
* Where did the ''Ark'' go when Thundercracker activated Skywarp's teleportation ability in issue #21? [[Cobra-La]], apparently! The last time readers saw the secret snake civilization was ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 5|#5]], where Golobulus discovered the origin of the Transformers and sent [[Pythona]] into space and the pages of ''[[Void Rivals]]''.
* We last saw Elita and her team in issue #22, with her ordering Cliffjumper imprisoned after he sent Shredhead back to Earth.
* Elita briefly mentions [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], who was last seen getting his head crushed by Optimus Prime in [[Transformers (2023) issue 12|issue #12]]

===Transformers references===
* When addressing the Decepticons, Megatron calls each of them out by name, with each address being given its own word balloon. This is an homage to the classic [[introdump]] style from the original [[Marvel Comics]] ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Transformers]]'' comics by [[Bob Budiansky]].
* During his speech Megatron invokes his classic motto, "peace through tyranny," which first appeared on his original [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Megatron (G1)/toys#The_Transformers|toy]] packaging.
* The transition between the Corona-drawn pages and Mora-drawn pages is done as an homage to the iconic "symbol flip" [[scene transition]]s from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]].
* Wheeljack discovering the fossilized skeleton of a ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' in the cavern of the Ark's crash is a direct homage to a similar scene from the G1 cartoon episode "[[S.O.S. Dinobots]]," which introduced the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] to that continuity as creations of Wheeljack (and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]].)
* Bulkhead's design is based on the ''[[Transformers: Legacy]]'' [[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Prime Universe]] [[Bulkhead (Prime)#Legacy|Bulkhead figure]].

===Errors===
* In the panel where Optimus tackles Soundwave to perform the spinebuster, Soundwave's left shin has a random half-wheel sticking out of it that isn't present in any of the other scenes he appears in. (Or his corresponding right shin, for that matter.)

===Other Hasbro franchise references===
* '''MILES MAYHEM?!?!''' What's the leader of the [[V.E.N.O.M.|Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem]] doing here? This mustachioed menace marks the second character from the [[M.A.S.K. (franchise)|''M.A.S.K.'' franchise]] to be introduced to the Energon Universe after the appearance of [[Matt Trakker]] earlier this year in the [[G.I. Joe Energon Universe 2025 Special story|''G.I. Joe'' segment]] of the ''[[Energon Universe 2025 Special]]''. In that story, Trakker was shown to be exceptionally paranoid and had some familiarity with the Transformers due to reasons he couldn't share with [[Clutch (G.I. Joe)|Clutch]]. Could it be that he was also part of Shadow Watch at one point?
** Mayhem's introduction here as the head of a secret government program involved in "studying" the Transformers with a connection to a General from G.I. Joe is very similar to his introduction to [[IDW Publishing]]'s [[Hasbro Universe]] in the pages of ''[[Revolution]]'' [[Secret Raiders: A Revolution Prelude|#0]].

===Real life references===
* In what is likely a visual nod to the style of fight choreography employed by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]], Optimus defeats Soundwave using a professional wrestling technique known as a {{w|spinebuster}}.

===Other notes===
* When the Energon Universe first launched, Robert Kirkman often cited [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] as an example of a non-G1 character that he'd personally love to see introduced at some point, suggesting he would try to get him in somewhere.
* Energon Experience: Presented by Skybound Executive Editor Ben Abernathy.
** '''Character Spotlight:''' Optimus Prime
** '''Cobra-La La La La!:''' It’s a good thing Thundercracker and Skywarp survived their brief encounter with Cobra-La given what Golobulus did to Megatron in the [[Transformers Energon Universe 2024 Special story|''Transformers'' segment]] of the ''[[Energon Universe 2024 Special]]''.
** '''Creator Spotlight:''' Ben asks Dan Mora what his [[alternate mode]] would be. Mora suggests a dinosaur before settling on werewolf.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus Prime, Wheeljack, Trailbreaker, and the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s roll out into a brand new era, by [[David Nakayama]]
* '''Cover B:''' Optimus pulls the tape from Soundwave’s chest, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C:''' Connecting cover, by Jorge Corona and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover D:''' The Autobots, by [[Kael Ngu]].
* '''Cover E:''' Design for Jazz, by Dan Mora and [[Andres Juarez]].
* '''Cover F:''' Foil cover of Optimus Prime, by [[Jae Lee]] and [[June Chung]].
* '''Cover G:''' Blank sketch cover with an Autobot logo in the corner box.
* '''Cover H:''' Blank sketch cover with a Decepticon logo in the corner box.
* '''Cover I:''' Foil version of Cover A.
* '''Cover J:''' Die cut cover of Optimus Prime’s face, by [[John Amor]] and Andres Juarez.
* '''Cover K:''' Die cut cover of the Autobots behind a melting sheet of metal, by [[Eric Canete]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover F.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover G.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover H.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover I.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover J.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 25 Cover K.jpg|
</gallery>

===Reprints===

==External links==

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)

2024-06-09T01:35:11Z

B3astK1ng:

{{Nav-dotm}}
{{movie|
|seriess=[[Live-action film series]]
|prev=Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)
|next=Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)
|title=''Transformers: Dark of the Moon''
|image=DOTM-OPportraitposter.jpg
|caption="Of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|my friend]], I can only say this: of all the souls I have encountered, he was the most... human."
|production companies=[[Allspark (company)|Hasbro Films]] [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura|di Bonaventura Pictures]]
|distributor=[[Paramount Pictures]]
|executive producer=[[Steven Spielberg]]
|producer=[[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] [[Tom DeSanto]] [[Don Murphy]] [[Ian Bryce]]
|written by=[[Ehren Kruger]]
|directed by=[[Michael Bay]]
|cinematography by=[[Amir Mokri]]
|edited by=[[Roger Barton]] [[William Goldenberg]] [[Joel Negron]]
|music by=[[Steve Jablonsky]]
|release date=[[June 29]], [[2011]]
|continuity=[[Live-action film series]]
|runtime=154 minutes
|budget=$195 million
|box office=$1.124 billion
}}
'''''Transformers: Dark of the Moon''''' is the third film in the [[live-action film series]]. It was released in 3D and IMAX at 9PM on [[June 28]], [[2011]]<ref name="open3D">[http://michaelbay.com/2011/06/18/see-dark-of-the-moon-one-day-earlier-on-imax-3d/ See Dark Of The Moon One Day Earlier on IMAX 3D | MichaelBay]</ref> and in wide release on [[June 29]], [[2011]]<ref name="open">[http://www.deadline.com/2011/05/paramount-moving-up-transformers-3/ Paramount Moving Up ‘T’formers 3′ Release – Deadline.com]</ref> in the United States, and between [[June 29]] and July 1 for other markets.

The film is set three years after the events of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]''. The Autobots continue to work for NEST, but no longer in secret, and for the goal of keeping peace between humans by taking out volatile overseas political targets. But after discovering a strange artifact during a mission in Chernobyl, it becomes apparent to Optimus Prime that the United States government has been less than forthright with them.

And SCENE!

{{bigquote|Aw, shit, I seen this one. It's the one where [[Spock]] goes nuts.|Wheelie|''Transformers: Dark of the Moon''}}

==Synopsis==
[[File:Dotm-Arkreflection.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|"Wha... this is the finest engine room in the whole Starfleet!"]]

In the distant past, during the later days of the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] civil war, [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]] attempted to leave the planet with groundbreaking technology on board the ''[[Ark (DOTM)|Ark]]''. However, his ship was shot down by the Decepticons and, after being sent hurling through space for a while, eventually crashed on the [[Earth]]'s [[Moon (moon)|moon]] in 1961. The crash is noticed by the humans on Earth, leading to the {{w|Space Race}} under President [[John F. Kennedy]]. Landing on the Moon as part of the [[Apollo 11]] mission in 1969, astronauts [[Neil Armstrong]] and [[Buzz Aldrin]] use several minutes of [[radio]] silence to investigate the spaceship and discover that Mankind is not alone in space.

[[File:DOTM - ShockwaveDriller.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|"When I swing around, I mean to deprive you of your life."]]
In the present day, the Autobots are still part of [[NEST]], cooperating with the [[United States military|US Armed Forces]]. They have also begun to help humanity in its local conflicts, as [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]], [[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe]], [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]], and [[Dino]] destroy an illegal [[Iran]]ian nuclear facility. On a mission to the [[Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant]], a NEST team led by [[William Lennox|Lt. Col. Lennox]], [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] discovers an unknown alien fuel cell which had led to the {{w|Chernobyl disaster}}. While trying to secure the cell, they are attacked by the Decepticon [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]] and his "pet", the [[Driller]], who are eventually forced to retreat by Optimus Prime. Meanwhile, [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]] kills [[Alexi Voskhod]], who had called NEST to Chernobyl and was secretly working for him. After securing the fuel cell and identifying it as part of the ''Ark'', Optimus Prime is angry at the humans for not following through with their agreement of sharing all known information relating to Cybertron and its inhabitants. Despite this, he eventually informs his allies and [[Charlotte Mearing]], the {{w|Director of National Intelligence}}, about the space bridge technology the ''Ark'' contains. Together with Ratchet, Optimus travels to the Moon, where they find Sentinel Prime inside the ship. Retrieving him along with four pillars of the space bridge and the accompanying control pillar, they return to Earth, where Optimus uses the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to reactivate Sentinel Prime. In [[Africa]], Decepticon leader [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] (still recovering from wounds [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|suffered]] in [[Egypt]]) meets with his lieutenants [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] and [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]]. Upon learning that the Autobots have recovered Sentinel and the pillars, Megatron orders Soundwave and Laserbeak to terminate their "loose ends".

Meanwhile, [[Sam Witwicky]], the Autobots' human friend, is suffering from everyday problems. Even though President [[Barack Obama]] has awarded him a medal for saving the Earth twice, Sam has trouble finding a job. Together with his new girlfriend [[Carly Spencer]], whom he had met in the [[White House]] (after his former girlfriend [[Mikaela Banes|Mikaela]] had left him), he also gives the stranded Autobots [[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] and [[Brains]] a home. After a long search, he finally finds a position as a mail carrier at a telecommunication company named [[Accuretta Systems]]. From his colleague, [[Jerry Wang]], he learns about a conspiracy by humans who collaborate with the Decepticons. Before Jerry can tell Sam more, however, he is killed by Laserbeak.

[[File:DOTM-Sentinelendofyourworld.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|"There's a man out there I haven't seen in fifteen years who's trying to kill me."]]

Locked out of participating in the investigation by Mearing, Sam turns to [[Seymour Simmons]] for help. Simmons, who has become a millionaire as a writer, and his aide, [[Dutch (DOTM)|Dutch]], help Sam find out that the Soviets have taken photos of Decepticons removing hundreds of space bridge pillars out of the ''Ark'' even before Apollo 11 had landed on the Moon. Sam and Simmons conclude that the Decepticons had left Sentinel Prime behind on purpose, knowing that only he would be able to activate the space bridge, and only Optimus Prime could reactivate him. Sam is able to warn the Autobots in time so they can protect Sentinel from a Decepticon attack and escort him back to the NEST headquarters. Upon arriving there, however, Sentinel Prime betrays them, revealing that he made a deal with Megatron to ensure Cybertron's survival. After killing [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] and most of the NEST soldiers, Sentinel claims the remaining pillars and escapes. The other Autobots track him down to [[Washington, D.C.]], but before Optimus can stop him, Sentinel activates a space bridge to the Moon. The portal allows dozens of Decepticon troops which had remained hidden under the Moon's surface to reach Earth, forcing the Autobots to retreat.

[[File:DOTM-Moonspacebridge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55|"We are one big, happy fleet! Ah, [[James T. Kirk|Kirk]], my old friend, do you know the [[Klingon]] proverb that tells us revenge is a dish that is best served cold? It is ''very'' cold in space."]]

In the meantime, Sam is worried about Carly and searches for her. He finds her with her employer, [[Dylan Gould]], who reveals to Sam that he not only arranged for Sam to get a job with Accuretta, but is also a collaborator with the Decepticons. At their request, his father had used his influence to ensure that [[NASA]] would not conduct any more missions to the Moon. When Sam and Carly attempt to flee, they discover Carly's car is a disguise for Soundwave, who takes her captive. Dylan instructs Sam to ask Optimus Prime about the Autobots' strategy, otherwise Carly will die. To ensure that Sam will not try to warn the Autobots, he attaches a Decepticon disguised as a [[Watch-bot|watch]] on Sam's wrist, and it taps into his nervous system.

Meanwhile, Sentinel Prime has given Mankind an ultimatum to exile the Autobots from Earth, since he is only trying to save Cybertron, or so he claims. The US government promptly passes a bill to this effect. Before the Autobots leave Earth aboard their spaceship, the ''[[Xantium (DOTM)|Xantium]]'', Sam asks Optimus about his plan. Optimus replies that there is no plan, and Mankind is on its own now. With all Autobots on board, the ''Xantium'' takes off, but is promptly intercepted by Starscream, who had waited in Earth's orbit. With the ''Xantium'' destroyed, the Decepticons believe the Autobots to be dead and let Sam go.

[[File:DarkoftheMoon-Chicago.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55|left|"Let them eat static. "]]
With the Autobots out of the way, the Decepticons conquer [[Chicago]], kill most of its population and set up the control pillar for the space bridge inside the city, placing the other pillars around the world. Dylan informs Carly that the Decepticons do not intend to return to Cybertron; instead, they want to transport Cybertron into Earth's orbit, because Earth not only has the necessary resources, but also six billion slaves to rebuild the Transformers' home planet.

Sam decides to go to Chicago, where Dylan has taken Carly. Former NEST soldier [[Robert Epps]], who now works for NASA, accompanies him, together with other former NEST members. Upon arrival in Chicago, they are promptly attacked by the Decepticons, but are rescued by Optimus Prime and the other Autobots. Having never intended to leave Earth, they had hidden themselves inside a modified rocket booster that was jettisoned before Starscream destroyed the ''Xantium''.

[[File:DOTM Driller vs Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55|"From Hell's heart, I stab at thee!"]]

The Autobots and the humans soldiers make their way to the skyscraper where Dylan is located in order to destroy the space bridge's control pillar. Sam and Bumblebee rescue Carly, killing Laserbeak in the process, during which they find a damaged UAV and alert the military to the Decepticons plans. Due to another attack by a team of Decepticons led by Shockwave, the team is separated once more. While the Autobots battle the Decepticons, Epps and his team try to destroy the pillar from another skyscraper. However, they are attacked by Shockwave and the Driller, who brings the skyscraper crashing down. Optimus Prime comes to their aid and destroys the Driller, but is shot by Shockwave and becomes trapped in crane cables.

In the meantime, Lennox and the rest of NEST have managed to make their way into the city using [[wingsuit]]s, and with Lennox's help, Sam destroys Starscream using weapons provided to him by the Autobot scientist Que. Meanwhile, the Decepticons have captured several Autobots, but Dylan convinces them not to keep prisoners and kill them all. [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] executes Que, and Soundwave moves to kill Bumblebee next, but the Autobots Wheelie and Brains have managed to make one of the Decepticons' ships crash, thereby distracting Soundwave long enough for Bumblebee and the other Autobots to get free. Bumblebee overpowers and kills Soundwave. NEST soldiers and US Marines snipe the Decepticons. Autobots and Tanks roll in and ambush the Decepticons. Optimus Prime returns and massacres a large group of Decepticons. He then kills Shockwave and uses the Decepticon's arm cannon to topple over the space bridge's control pillar, deactivating the bridge.

[[File:DOTMCybertrontransit.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.55|"Earth was created in six days. Now, watch out! Here comes Genesis! We'll do it for you in six minutes!"]]

Optimus Prime then confronts Sentinel Prime and the two engage in a ferocious battle of Student vs Master. Carly stumbles across Megatron outside the main battle zone. Having previously witnessed a violent argument between Sentinel Prime and Megatron, she appeals to his pride and makes him realize that he will never be able to rule over Cybertron as long as Sentinel is alive. Meanwhile, after a long fight, Sentinel gains the upper hand over Optimus and severs his right arm. However, before he can execute his former pupil, an infuriated Megatron attacks Sentinel and severely damages him, declaring that Earth is his planet to rule. Megatron realized how far he had fallen in power within the past few years, and has decided to once again take his rightful place at the top of the command chain. Meanwhile, Dylan manages to reactivate the toppled pillar, but is attacked by Sam, who hurls him against the pillar, killing him. Subsequently, Bumblebee destroys the pillar for good, thus destroying the space bridge and, presumably, Cybertron with it. Seeing this, Megatron half-heartedly offers Optimus Prime a truce on the condition that he will remain in charge of the Decepticons, mockingly saying that they would be nothing without each other. Realizing that the offer is less than sincere, Optimus refuses and attacks Megatron, decapitating him with an axe. The weakened Sentinel Prime tries to excuse his actions, but Optimus, claiming Sentinel "betrayed himself," executes the treacherous Prime with Megatron's shotgun.

[[File:DOTM Autobots NEST victorious.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55|"Live long... and prosper..."]]

With the battle over, Sam and Carly are reunited, and Simmons takes an opportunity to kiss Mearing, who he still has feelings for, and she has him arrested. With their home planet now forever beyond reach, and the forces of the Decepticons destroyed, the remaining Autobots finally accept Earth as their new home, as Optimus Prime states that the Autobots will always be here, to protect the Earth and all who live on it.
{{--}}
==Main cast==

{{featuredcharacters|
h1=[[Autobot]]s|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
*[[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]] ([[Leonard Nimoy]])
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]
*[[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] ([[Jess Harnell]])
*[[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] ([[Robert Foxworth]])
*[[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe]] ([[James Remar]])
*[[Dino]] ([[Francesco Quinn]])<ref group=note name="credits">Mirage and Wheeljack, known by those names in the toyline and essentially all supporting media, are respectively named "Dino" and "Que" in the film. While Dino is simply credited as such, Que is listed in the credits as "Que/Wheeljack".</ref>
*[[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que/Wheeljack]] ([[George Coe]])<ref group=note name="credits"/>
*[[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] ([[Tom Kenny]])
*[[Brains]] ([[Reno Wilson]])

'''[[Twins (ROTF)|Twins]]'''
*[[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] (cameo)<ref group=note name=skidsandmudflap>Skids and Mudflap only appear during the convoy scene at the beginning of the film.</ref>
*[[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]] (cameo)<ref group=note name=skidsandmudflap/>

'''[[Wreckers]]'''
*[[Roadbuster (DOTM)|Roadbuster]] ([[Ron Bottitta]])<ref group=note>Roadbuster is listed as "Roadbuster/Amp" in the credits, a reference to his car mode's sponsor. His name is not used in the film, but he is called "Roadbuster" in the toyline and supporting media.</ref>
*[[Topspin (DOTM)|Topspin]]
*[[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]] ([[John DiMaggio]])<ref group=note>Leadfoot is listed in the film's end credits as "Leadfoot/Target", a reference to his car mode's sponsor. His name is not spoken in the film, but he is called "Leadfoot" in the toyline and the supporting media.</ref>

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s|c2=
*[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] ([[Hugo Weaving]])
*[[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] ([[Charlie Adler]])
*[[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]] ([[Frank Welker]])
**[[Driller]]
*[[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]] ([[Frank Welker]])
**[[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]] ([[Keith Szarabajka]])
*[[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] (''Frank Welker'')<ref group=note>Barricade doesn't ''technically'' speak in the movie, an editing gaffe as he kicks Que around before executing him sees Soundwave's voice (provided by Frank Welker) coming out of his mouth for the scene.</ref>
*[[Loader]]
*[[Devcon (DOTM)|Devcon]]
*[[Igor]] ([[Greg Berg]])
*[[Hatchling]]s
*[[Audi R8 Decepticon]]
*Two [[M1 Abrams Decepticon]]s
*[[Garagebot]]
*[[Lensmeter Decepticon]]s
*[[Protoform]]s
*[[Watch-bot]]<ref group=note>Repeatedly referred to as the "Watch-bot" (proper noun) in the ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: The Junior Novel]]''</ref>
*[[Pickup Decepticon]]
*[[Police car Decepticon]]

'''[[Constructicon (ROTF)|Constructicons]]'''
*[[Scrapper (ROTF)|Scrapper]] type Decepticon
*[[Long Haul (ROTF)|Long Haul]] type Decepticon

'''[[Dread (DOTM)|Dreads]]'''
*[[Crankcase (DOTM)|Crankcase]]
*[[Crowbar]] (''[[Jimmie Wood]]'')<ref group=note>During the highway battle scene where Crowbar flips over a sign, recycled screams and grunts from Jimmie Wood's [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]] performance in ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' can be heard.</ref>
*[[Hatchet (DOTM)|Hatchet]]

|h3=[[Human]]s|c3=
*[[Sam Witwicky]] ([[Shia LaBeouf]])
*[[Carly Spencer]] ([[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley]])
*[[Seymour Simmons]] ([[John Turturro]])
*[[Charlotte Mearing]] ([[Frances McDormand]])
*[[Dylan Gould]] ([[Patrick Dempsey]])
*[[Bruce Brazos]] ([[John Malkovich]])
*[[Dutch (DOTM)|Dutch]] ([[Alan Tudyk]])
*[[Ron Witwicky]] ([[Kevin Dunn]])
*[[Judy Witwicky]] ([[Julie White]])
*[[Jerry Wang]] ([[Ken Jeong]])
*[[Neil Armstrong]] ([[Don Jeanes]])
*[[Buzz Aldrin]] ([[Cory Tucker]]/himself)
*[[Walter Cronkite]]
*[[Bill O'Reilly]] (himself)
*[[Alexi Voskhod]] ([[Ravil Isyanov]])
'''[[United States Army|US Military]]/[[NEST]]'''
*[[William Lennox]] ([[Josh Duhamel]])
*[[Morshower]] ([[Glenn Morshower]])
*[[Baby Face]] ([[Markiss McFadden]])
*Former members
**[[Robert Epps]] ([[Tyrese Gibson]])
**[[Hardcore Eddie]] ([[Lester Speight]])

|nonumbering=true
}}
<references group=note/>

==Quotes==

"We were once a peaceful race of intelligent, mechanical beings. But then came the war, between the Autobots who fought for freedom and the Decepticons who dreampt of tyranny. Overmatched and outnumbered, our defeat was all but certain. But in the war's final days, one Autobot ship escaped the battle. It was carrying a secret cargo, which would have changed our planet's fate. A despearate mission. Our final hope. A hope that vanished."
:—'''Optimus Prime's''' opening narration.

'''Mission Control''': We are not alone after all, are we? 
'''Buzz Aldrin''': No, sir. We are not alone.
:—'''Buzz Aldrin''' makes history, and raises the hackles of conspiracy theorists.

'''Dino''': "He's in a bad mood. He's not talking to anybody today." 
'''Mearing''': "What is this, the silent treatment?" 
'''Ironhide''': "We've seen that and this is ''not'' that." 
'''Que''': "Definitely not." 
'''Ironhide''': "This is ''worse''. Prime! Make something of yourself! (Ironhide taps Optimus's roof) He's pissed."
:—'''Ironhide''' discusses '''Optimus Prime's''' foul mood.

"Who wants some chicken dinner now, bitch? Huh? 'Cause somebody messed with the wrong Wang today!"
:—'''Jerry Wang''', being crazy. But also awesome.

"The thing about Russians is, they never like to talk. Gonna take a little of the 'international language.'" <Doorman opens sliding hatch> "''Do svidaniya''." 
"That means 'goodbye!'" <closes hatch>
:—'''Simmons''' tries to reason with a '''Russian''', to no avail.

"It's a Cyrillic alphabet; it's like all the buttons you never push on a calculator!"
:—'''Dutch''' tries to translate Russian, also to no avail.

"Woah! Little Mexican standoff we got here!"
:-'''Sideswipe''', talking to Ironhide and the Dreads.

"Class dismissed."
:—'''Ironhide''', after dispatching the Dreads.

"What you must realize, my Autobot brothers, is that we were never going to win the war. For the sake of our planet's survival, a deal had to be made...with ''Megatron''."
:—'''Sentinel Prime''' reveals his treachery.

[[File:DOTM-MegatronLincoln.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"I'll give him this: [[Atlantis, Arise!|he]]'s [[Transformers The Game (console)|consistent]]!"]] 
"Here we are. Fight us ''now''."
:—'''Megatron''', pulling the evil overlord cliché on us while sitting atop the [[Abraham Lincoln|Lincoln Memorial]]

"If you go in this building, that's if she's even still alive, there's no way you're going to reach her!" 
"What do you suggest I do?!" 
"...it's over. I'm sorry, but it's over."
:—'''Robert Epps''' tells '''Sam Witwicky''' that they've run out of plans.

"We will kill them all."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' offers an alternative plan.

"They got my trailer. I ''need'' that flight tech!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''', valiantly [[To sell toys|selling toys]].

"I bring you Cybertron, your home! and still you choose humanity." 
"You are the one who taught me [[Bio|freedom is everyone's right]]."
:—'''Sentinel''' VS '''Optimus Prime'''.

"Your Decepticons are finally conquering this planet, and yet their leader won't be you." 
"IT WILL BE ME! It will ''always'' be me! 
"In any minute now, you'll be nothing but Sentinel's bitch."
:—'''Carly Spencer''' tells '''Megatron''' that if he's going to be the Starscream, he should ''act'' like it.

"Who would you be without me, Prime?" 
"Time to find out."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Optimus Prime''' exchange pre-fight banter one last time.

"Optimus. All I ever wanted...was the survival of our race. You must see why I had to betray you..." 
"You didn't betray me. You betrayed yourself..."
:—'''Optimus Prime''''s final exchange with '''Sentinel Prime''' before effectively ''double-tapping'' him.

"In any war, there are calms between storms. There will be days when we lose faith. Days when our allies turn against us... but the day will never come that we forsake this planet and its people."
:—'''Optimus Prime's''' closing narration, [[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|which predicts what will]] [[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|happen to them years later]].

==Continuity notes==
*Sam has since graduated from college, being three months out of school, and is currently looking for a job. Since the events of ''Revenge of the Fallen'', Sam and Mikaela had broke up (despite having to spend an entire film of Sam needing to say the L-word). Prior to the events of this film, he started a relationship with Carly Spencer.
*Megatron's camp is full of salvaged artifacts from the previous film, along with several Decepticon corpses laying around the area. While most are unrecognizable, one of them is a headless Long Haul; his head was presumably used to create Igor. Megatron's new right hand appears to be salvaged from a fallen Decepticon, as the matching left hand can be seen laying around the campsite.
*The Wreckers, according to Charlotte Mearing arrived on Earth aboard the ''Xantium'' and brought the second wave of Autobots with them. The Wreckers were not seen in ''Revenge of the Fallen'', which is given an in-universe explanation that their bloodthirsty attitudes mean they are usually confined to base.
*Barricade makes a surprising return during the final battle in Chicago, last seen driving alongside Bonecrusher on the highway before the latter engaged the Autobot Leader in the first film.
*Megatron is still critically wounded after the final battle of ''Revenge of the Fallen'', notably still missing half of his head.
*Optimus Prime's main moral compass that "freedom is the right of all sentient beings", is revealed to have been taught to him by his predecessor and mentor, Sentinel Prime.
*Introduced in the second film, Optimus uses The Matrix of Leadership to revive Sentinel Prime, having retrieved it from the remains of the Star Harvester sometime following the climax of the second film. In the same previous film, Megatron had suspected the Matrix could be used to revive Optimus and was proven right when Sam succeeded, a fact Megatron exploits in his master plan enacted this film.
*Sentinel Prime was first mentioned in the previous film, by Sam Witwicky during one of his many Allspark induced exposition dump.
*In the previous film, [[Theodore Galloway]] asked Optimus that if humanity asked the Autobots to leave whether they'd cooperate, and Optimus promised to do so. This film sees them seemingly comply with such demands, only to reveal themselves to have stayed behind anyway to defeat the Decepticons.
*Ironhide no longer has his cannons, having lost them in the final battle of the previous film.

==Errors==
===Filming, animation and technical errors===
*When Sam is holding Brains in his hand after catching him spying on him and Carly, there is a short shot in which Sam is briefly seen in the background, holding nothing in hand, Brains is missing. In the next shot, Brains is back in the hand.
*After killing Ironhide, while Sentinel Prime is storming the NEST base, Sentinel Prime, Ironhide and most likely Bumblebee are all missing in a short shot in which we see two cars projected by an explosion, supposed to be a result of one of Sentinel's gun shots.
*Ironhide in alt-form appears in a short shot among the Autobots in Chicago, riding ahead of Optimus, at 01:43:21-01:43:22, but after that he disappears completely.

===Astronomical and historical errors===
*The Moon does not rotate with respect to Earth, and Mare Tranquillitatis is near the middle of the near side. Therefore, Tranquility Base could never be described as being on the far side, and Earth is never as close to the horizon as shown in the movie.
*The Apollo 11 Command/Service Module is seen flying to the Moon without the Lunar Module. The Lunar Module is attached when the vehicle is orbiting the Moon, however.
*When the modern day site of the Apollo 11 landing is seen, the ascent module (the cabin Buzz and Neil flew back to orbit in) is still there.
*In real life, Apollo 11 did not land on the far side of the Moon. Tranquility Base is on the near side of the Moon.
*One of the directors of NASA says that all six Apollo missions recovered parts of the Ark but this not possible as the six missions all had different landing sites which were all a significant distance apart.
*Cybertron is apparently several times the size of Earth, yet the characters talk of bringing it "into Earth's atmosphere"; at that size, it would be more like bringing ''Earth'' into ''Cybertron's'' atmosphere, but see below for the problem with that.
*The Space Bridge starts to bring Cybertron amazingly close to Earth - less than one Earth-diameter away. Assuming Cybertron's mass is proportional to its size, Cybertron's gravitational field would [[The Ultimate Doom|tear the Earth apart]] at that distance.

===Geographic discontinuities===
*The [[Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant]] is shown to be located ''inside'' of, or at least right next to the abandoned city of {{w|Pripyat}}, and the human characters access it through nearby buildings. In reality, the power plant is situated on the outskirts of the city. Even worse, [[Alexi Voskhod]] ''explicitly'' says that the entrance leads through a ''school''. Who builds a ''school'' right next to a ''nuclear power plant''?
*Furthermore, Pripyat's infamous Ferris wheel as shown in the movie is not only the wrong model (the real one's passenger cabins have canopies), but the real one is also located in an open field far away from any buildings.<ref name="ferris">[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pripyat_-_Ferris_wheel.jpg Photo of the Pripyat Ferris wheel] showing the closest nearby buildings.</ref> But hey, at least it's the right color!
*Also, why exactly is the Sputnik mission case inside the Chernobyl reactor building? Did the Soviets never bother to discard the packaging of their toy after starting to play with it?
*When Megatron transforms for the first time, he's in a grassy savannah. In the next shot, he's standing in the middle of a desert... and in the establishing shot of the Decepticon camp, it's back in the savannah.
*{{w|Mount Kilimanjaro}} is seen in the background of many of the scenes in Namibia; in reality, the mountain is located in Tanzania, more than three thousand kilometers away.
[[File:DOTM-Wreckers-Prime-Cables.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Chicago's own [[knockoff]] of a prominent Chinese building.]]
*In a [[Atlantis, Arise!|fairly common cinematic contrivance]], the film depicts multiple skyscrapers in the background of many scenes set in Washington, D.C., while the real-life city has no skyscrapers.
*Also, Washington, D.C. almost entirely lacks old industrial buildings that could be converted into lofts, and likewise doesn't have the kind of densely urban streets that Sam is shown to live on.
*NEST Headquarters, supposedly in Washington, is actually Chicago's abandoned Main Post Office.
*Likewise, Dylan's auto collection museum, also set in (land-locked) Washington, is actually the Milwaukee Art Museum. [[Lake Michigan]] is even visible through the windows!
*When Optimus Prime (using his jetpack) gets himself caught in wires below an under-construction building, that building bears a striking resemblance to the {{w|China Central Television Headquarters}} in [[Beijing]], [[China]]... a far shot from [[Chicago]]. Since construction for the CCTV building was finished in 2008, long before ''Dark of the Moon'' was even ''conceived'', this appears to be an intentional instance of a "cool building" being inserted just for the sake of it.

===Continuity errors===
*Like in ''Revenge of the Fallen'', Ironhide sports his [[license plate]] from the [[Transformers (film)|first movie]], "4PCI382", on his robot mode chest, but doesn't have a license plate in vehicle mode. (According to set photos, his license plate in vehicle mode is mostly black, with a NEST logo on it.)
*Speaking of inconsistencies between robot and vehicle mode: Bumblebee's updated Chevrolet Camaro alternate mode no longer has pinstripes bordering his black racing stripes, but the CG robot model still has the pinstripes.
[[Image:DOTM-SoundwaveMercedesStar.jpg|thumb|upright=1.9|right|Is this the reverse of hidden faction insignias in vehicle mode?]]
*Soundwave has [[kibble]] from his [[Mercedes-Benz|Mercedes]] alternate mode while he is in Africa, but his chest has only a blank grille. The Mercedes star is only added to his chest from the scene where he reveals himself to be Carly's car onward. This is most likely a deliberate choice made to avoid spoiling the plot twist.
*After Megatron pulls out his shotgun for the first time, he holsters it on the right side of his back. In the next scene it is on his left side.
*In the highway battle scene with the [[Dread (DOTM)|Dreads]], Crowbar smashes into some traffic signs and knocks them over. In the next shot when the other two Dreads use them as ramps, the angle at which the signs fell has changed. After Hatchet and Crankcase transform, the signs revert into their original position.
*Also in the highway battle, Bumblebee enhances only his front wheels to evade Hatchet, yet in the next shot he's fully in Stealth Force mode.
*When Hatchet is killed by Bumblebee and Dino, the last shot shows him being thrown onto a car (using footage recycled from Michael Bay's 2005 film ''{{w|The Island (2005 film)|The Island}}'', as elaborated on below), with Dino's grappling hook cables still attached to Hatchet, which would imply that Dino is still in robot mode at this point. However, the very next shot shows Dino in the far background, driving behind Bumblebee in vehicle mode.
*Immediately after crashing into Ironhide, two of Crowbar's hair strands fall to the ground, but he has all six strands from the next shot onwards.
*During Ironhide and Sideswipe's "Mexican standoff" with Crankcase and Crowbar, all combatants drop their firearms, but when Ironhide is speared, his guns are on his back again. They disappear in subsequent shots.
*In addition, the spear impaled in Ironhide disappears when he shoots Crowbar, only to reappear in subsequent shots.
*Despite being captured by Soundwave in her evening gown, Carly is somehow able to change into more convenient clothes (but still wearing high heels!) after arriving at Dylan's place, and has yet another outfit following the attack on Chicago the following day. Not only that, she changes her earrings, too!
*When the Autobots are boarding the ''Xantium,'' Simmons mentions that nine Autobots are leaving. Former Decepticons Wheelie and Brains apparently don't count. Poor little guys!
*The Wreckers claim they had been hiding inside a rocket booster that was jettisoned from the ''Xantium'' before Starscream destroyed it. The boosters are only seen to be detached after Starscream destroys the ship, after it has barely taken off from the ground.
*Though it's a standard action movie contrivance, it sure is convenient that the glass windows inside skyscrapers are extremely fragile when needed, and glass shards are as dangerous as bread crumbs so nobody suffers a single cut from sliding across them.
*Shortly after everyone jumps through the window and starts sliding down, a downwards shot of the building shows all of the windows behind them are intact.
*As everyone tumbles through a lower floor of the building, [[Stone]] is shown to fall right through and out the other side with a collection of office furniture, but not long after is back with Epps's squad.
*Despite the Decepticons taking over Chicago and killing a whole bunch of people, there seem to be a lot of people continuing to go about their daily lives. The skyscraper Epps's team goes into to launch a rocket from still seems to have plenty of office workers in it when the Driller attacks it. When Sam's being thrown around on the end of the grapple glove rope while fighting Starscream, he crashes through a wall into a dry-cleaning business where a woman appears to be calmly hanging up a shirt. Did they all just not get the memo?
*The sequence beginning with Sam, Carly, Epps and the rest of the soldiers jumping out of the windows of the tilted skyscraper is one giant continuity headache: First they jump out of the windows, then slide down several stories, then the camera angle changes and they're sliding down several more stories, and ''then'' a wide shot shows the top of the skyscraper from an angle where the characters cannot be seen, then slowly pans around and eventually shows them all sliding down from one of the topmosts floors all over again! Eventually, they crash back into one of the lowest floors near the break. After the Driller has toppled the top portion of the skyscraper over, the group is ''again'' shown to escape from one one of the topmost floors to the neighboring building!
*Though it is Barricade who kicks and shoves Que along before executing him, the voice heard is Soundwave's. Presumably, this was an artifact of the early alternate version of the scene, in which Soundwave was to kill Dino, and they just re-used the audio.
*While fighting the Autobots at the end of the film, Sentinel Prime's cape disappears for a brief scene before reappearing on his back when the camera angle changes.
*When Sam and Dylan are fighting, the clock behind them changes to different times every shot. It starts at 00:40, then 02:25, 00:15 and 11:00 in the following shots.
*When Sam and Carly are reunited after the final battle, Carly's hands keep changing the position on every cut, sometimes on Sam's neck, sometimes on his shoulders.
*Not intentional: Skids and Mudflap appear for a brief few seconds in the film in their vehicle modes. This leaves questions as to what happened to them. They weren't seen departing from Earth or taking part in the Chicago battle.
*It's said that four Autobots were captured by the Decepticons in Chicago, but actually five Autobots were captured. (Unless this observation was made ''before'' Bumblebee arrived after saving Sam and Lennox), possibly a leftover from an earlier draft of the script in where [[Dino]] and/or [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]] were supposed to already be dead by this point.
*When Que is about to be executed, the "cardboard head on a stick" prop used for Dino during the shooting of the movie (a common method used for the movies to give the actors ''something'' to react to) can be spotted in the final edit of the film,<ref name="headprop">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-movie-discussion/494618-movies-errors-mirage-prop-final-movie-edit.html "Movies Errors - Mirage prop in final movie edit"] at TFW2005</ref> as noted above possibly a leftover from an earlier draft of the script where Soundwave mocked Bumblebee with Dino's disembodied head.

==Transformers references==
In addition to recurring elements from the previous films, ''Dark of the Moon'' bases a number of elements on previous versions of the ''Transformers'' mythos, including plot elements based on older stories, something fairly rare in the other two movies:
*New characters [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] are heavily based upon their Generation 1 counterparts. [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]] is derived from G1 character [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]. [[Sentinel Prime (disambiguation)|Sentinel Prime]] is the name of Optimus's predecessor in many continuities, and in this instance, he continues his [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|predecessor]]'s [[Sentinel Prime (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|legacy]] of being a giant jerk.

*"Carly" was the name of [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]]'s [[Carly|girlfriend and eventual wife]] in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original cartoon]].

*The ''[[Ark (DOTM)|Ark]]'' gets its name from the Autobots' crashed spaceship in the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''Transformers'' comics]].

*The ''[[Xantium (G1)|Xantium]]'' is the name of the [[Wreckers]]' spaceship in the [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''Transformers'' comics.

*[[Roadbuster (DOTM)|Roadbuster]] and [[Topspin (DOTM)|Topspin]] being members of the Wreckers recalls their original G1 counterparts being likewise part of the Wreckers.

*Optimus's new trailer is based on the trailer that [[Optimus Prime (G1)|his Generation 1 counterpart]] hauled around, including its ability to open up into a weapons base.

*Optimus now carries the Matrix around in his chest as he has in past incarnations.

*The corrosive end met by Ironhide comes at the hands of [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]], the oxidizing pathogen that first appeared in the Generation 1 cartoon episode [[Cosmic Rust (episode)|of the same name]]. Though not named in the film, its identity is made clear by production artwork by [[Josh Nizzi]] which labels Sentinel Prime's gun a "Cosmic Rust gun".

*Megatron removing [[Abraham Lincoln]] from his chair at the {{w|Lincoln Memorial}} and then sitting in it is a scene taken directly from the Generation 1 cartoon episode, "[[Atlantis, Arise!]]", and the Decepticon ending for ''[[Transformers The Game]]'' (sort of).

*The idea of bringing Cybertron to Earth via space bridge and enslaving humans was the plot of the Generation 1 multi-part episode "[[The Ultimate Doom]]".

*Likewise, the idea of an influential and powerful human joining forces with the Decepticons, resulting in the Autobots being exiled from Earth by the government via a spacecraft, only for that spacecraft to be destroyed, was the plot behind another Generation 1 cartoon multi-part episode, "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1|Megatron's Master Plan]]."

*Megatron's first line - a weary "[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All hail Megatron]]" - is the title of IDW's direction-changing comic maxi-series, which had just wrapped up when production on the film was beginning.

*When the worker at Accureta Systems is trying to make the [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|photocopier]] work, it beeps the "more than meets the eye" refrain from the original cartoon's [[theme song]].

*The [[Transformation#The noise|transformation noise]] can be heard at the end of the film when Bumblebee transforms to robot mode, the final onscreen transformation, just as it was heard during [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]]'s transformation, which was also the first onscreen transformation in the first film.

*The technique of shooting at a skyscraper until it breaks in half and the top falls horizontally on other buildings has been done by [[Megatron (BW)|another Megatron]] in [[Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future|another city]].

==Real-world references==
*When Brains and Wheelie are watching ''{{w|Star Trek: The Original Series}}'', the screen features [[Spock|Mr. Spock]], portrayed by Leonard Nimoy—who voices Sentinel Prime. Wheelie comments that it is "the one where Spock goes nuts," which foreshadows Sentinel's heel turn. The episode itself is the famous ''TOS'' episode "{{w|Amok Time}}", although for some inexplicable reason, the first of the two clips shown on-screen is mirrored.
*Sentinel Prime says "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." The voice actor said the same line in the 1982 film ''{{w|Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan}}'' as Mr. Spock. However, in that movie, Nimoy's character dies a hero.
*To finish the Spock trifecta, when Bumblebee says his goodbyes to Sam, he uses a clip of Leonard Nimoy, as Spock, saying "I will always be your friend," another line from ''Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan''.
*[[Dutch (DOTM)|Dutch]] and his fake girlfriend's name, "India", are a reference to {{w|Dutch India}}.
*[[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]]'s name is a reference to {{w|Q (James Bond)|Q}} from ''{{w|James Bond}}'' novels and films. Que also gives weapons to NEST soldiers while explaining the advantages and abilities for the weapons much like Q does for James Bond.
*When Bumblebee brings forth "rings" for Sam and Carly, he "hums" the {{w|Wedding March}} (or, more correctly, the {{w|Bridal Chorus}} from {{w|Richard Wagner}}'s 1850 opera ''{{w|Lohengrin (opera)|Lohengrin}}'').
*Before Sentinel gets attacked by Megatron, he says "There can only be one", a popular misquote of the line "There can be only one" from the film Highlander. Sentinel is also modeled after one of the film's lead stars Sean Connery.

==Other editions==
*The version of the film available for streaming on Star+ cuts all scenes where humans are desintegrated to the bone by the Decepticons. As a result, the initial invasion of Chicago is cut significantly short.
{{stub}}
{{--}}

==Prequel material==
*''[[Transformers: Sector 7]]''
A five-issue limited mini-series chronicling the foundation of [[Sector Seven|Sector 7]] leading up to ''[[Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday|Ghosts of Yesterday]]''.
*''[[Transformers: Foundation]]''
A four-issue limited mini-series set during the events of ''[[Transformers: Defiance|Defiance]]'' telling the events that lead-up to the original ''[[Transformers: Movie Prequel|Movie Prequel]]''.
*''[[Transformers: Rising Storm]]''
A four-issue limited mini-series set after ''[[Transformers: Nefarious|Nefarious]]'' cronicling Shockwave's arrival and the task given to him by Megatron.
*''[[Cyberglyphics pack-in comics]]''
A six-issue miniseries by IDW, produced in cooperation with [[Target]], available only in printed form as [[pack-in material]] with a small Target-[[exclusive]] [[Target#Dark of the Moon|range of toys]], following [[Space Case (DOTM)|Space Case]]'s encounters with the Autobots and the Decepticons and leads up to ''Rising Storm''.
*''[[Transformers: Convergence]]''
A four-part prose story exclusive to the individual issues of IDW Publishing's ''Dark of the Moon comic adaptation'', chronicles both the Simmons lineage in the aftermath of ''Sector 7'' and Soundwave's activites on Earth, tying the remaining loose ends and setting the stage for ''Dark of the Moon''.
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Xbox 360/PS3)]]''
A video game developed by [[High Moon Studios]] for [[Xbox 360]] & [[PlayStation|PS3]].
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Stealth Force Edition]]''
A [[Wii]] & [[Nintendo 3DS|3DS]] port of the game developed by [[Behaviour Interactive]] focusing only on [[Stealth Force]].
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Autobots/Decepticons]]''
A [[Nintendo DS]] port of the game also developed by Behaviour Interactive, with each factions separated in two titles.
*''[[Transformers (Titan Magazine)#Dark of the Moon|Transformers (Titan Magazine)]]''
A monthly title by Titan in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] (another rebranding of their existing comic).
*''[[Transformers Classified]]''
A prequel novel trilogy in the same vein as ''Ghosts of Yesterday'' and ''[[Transformers: The Veiled Threat|The veiled Threat]]'' that was published after the movie, composed by ''[[Transformers Classified: Switching Gears|Switching Gears]]'', ''[[Transformers Classified: Battle Mountain|Battle Mountain]]'' & ''[[Transformers Classified: Satellite of Doom|Satellite of Doom]]'', later published together as ''[[Transformers Classified: The Complete Mission]]'' it cronicles how the Autobots & Decepticons fight against each other on Earth in the aftermath of [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|The Fallen's death]].

==Adaptations==
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (novel)|Transformers: Dark of the Moon]]''
The novelization of the film by [[Peter David]].
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon Movie Adaptation]]''
IDW Publishing's comic adaptation of the movie.

'''Children's adaptations'''
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: The Junior Novel]]''
The movie novelization for kids.

==Sequels==
{{main|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|Bumblebee (film)}}

==Soundtrack==
{{main|Dark of the Moon: The Album}}

==Score==
{{main|Dark of the Moon: The Score}}

==Home video releases==
{{main|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)/home video}}
''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' was released on DVD, Blu-Ray, and Digital Download on September 30, 2011, followed by the 2-Disc Special Edition in December.<ref>[TFW2005 - Official Transformers Movie Website Updated With Transformers 3 Home Release Info http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-just-movie-31/official-transformers-movie-website-updated-with-transformers-3-home-release-info-173245/]</ref>

===Additional Information===
*Close Captions in English
*Audio Description as Audio Description in English <ref>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B005G4TJUC/audiodescriin-20</ref>

==Theatrical posters==
<center>
<gallery perrow="3">
DOTM-OPbillboardposter.jpg
DOTM-Bumblebeebanner.jpg
DOTM-Shockwavebanner.jpg
DOTM-OPportraitposter.jpg
</gallery>
</center>

==Reception==
{{quote|Time will tell whether Transformers: Dark of the Moon really is the final Transformers film for both director Michael Bay and star Shia LaBeouf, but it's certainly the best one in this hugely successful, but widely loathed franchise.|[https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/06/27/transformers-dark-of-the-moon-review They've Fallen, but can the Transformers get up?], Jim Vejvoda|[https://www.ign.com ign.com] [[June 27]] [[2011]]}}

{{quote|Rarely has a movie had less of a soul and less interesting characters.|Richard Roeper, [http://www.richardroeper.com/reviews/transformersdarkofthemoon.aspx richardroeper.com] [[June 28]], [[2011]]}}

On June 23, 2011, the world premiere of ''Dark of the Moon'' was held in [[Moscow]], [[Russia]], with band [[Linkin Park]] performing a concert that included their title song for the movie, "Iridescent".

The official release date was moved up from July 1 to June 29 to allow breathing room between its release and ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2}}''. On June 28, 2011, the film was released in 3D and IMAX in the US.

The film received mixed reviews from the critical reception, who praised the visual effects, action sequences, musical score, voice acting, and use of 3D, while criticizing the runtime, storyline, the performances of [[Shia LaBeouf]] and [[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley]], and screenplay. ''Dark of the Moon'' was considered at least an improvement from ''Revenge of the Fallen'', receiving a tomatometer score of 35% and an audience score of 55% on Rotten Tomatoes.<ref>https://rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_dark_of_the_moon</ref>

''Dark of the Moon'' launched with nearly 10,000 copies in 4011 theaters nationwide. On its opening day, the movie earned $37.3 million, making not only for the best opening day of 2011 up to that point, but also ranking as the sixth most successful opening on a Wednesday ever, while at the same time ranking well behind ''Revenge of the Fallen'', with $60 million on its opening day (also a Wednesday).<ref name="openingday">[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3197&p=.htm "'Transformers' Suboptimal on Wednesday"], Box Office Mojo, June 2011.</ref> (Of course, a lot of the print material still listed the release date as [[July 1]]st, the following Friday.)

On [[August 2]], it crossed the $1 billion mark in worldwide gross, just under 5 weeks after its release, landing it in the #9 spot for worldwide gross of all time.<ref>http://www.deadline.com/2011/08/transformers-dark-of-the-moon-crosses-1-billion-worldwide-mark-for-paramount/ Deadline Hollywood</ref> Of that, $338 million came from the US. It is currently one of two Paramount pictures to have made the $1 billion mark, the other being [[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|its sequel]]. (While ''Titanic'' also made over $1 billion worldwide, it was only a Paramount movie ''domestically'', where it made "only" $620 million.)

''Dark of the Moon'' ended its theatrical run in the #4 spot for highest worldwide gross of all time.

Upon its' release, the ''Transformers'' fanbase generally had a warmer reception to the film over its' predecessor, with praise going to the action, score, and particularly [[Leonard Nimoy]]'s performance and role as [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]]. Several moments in the film caused no shortage of discussion, with Optimus Prime's more ruthless, violent actions ([[Peter Cullen]] himself disliked the "we will kill them all" line) and the handling of the deaths of major franchise characters being notable sore spots for the film's detractors. Over a decade since its' release, ''Dark of the Moon'' still retains the warmest reception to a Bay film outside of the first film, though those more ambivalent towards the series don't consider it that different from the lesser films.

===Awards and recognition===
''Dark of the Moon'' was nominated for three Academy Awards, in the categories of Best Visual Effects, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing, losing all to ''{{w|Hugo (film)|Hugo}}''.<ref>[http://oscar.go.com/nominees#t Official 2012 Oscar nominees page]</ref>

On February 25, 2012, it was announced that ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' was nominated for eight {{w|Golden Raspberry Award}}s. Unlike ''Revenge of the Fallen'', however, it did not receive the awards for Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay, & Worst Director, losing all of its nominations to ''{{w|Jack & Jill (film)|Jack & Jill}}''.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-just-movie-31/transformers-dark-of-the-moon-is-safe-from-razzies-174726/]</ref>

==Technical details==
'''Length:''' 154 minutes
'''Audio:''' Dolby Digital / DTS / SDDS 
'''Content Rating:'''
{{collist|4|
*PG-13 (USA/MPAA)
*G (Japan)
*12A (United Kingdom)
*PG (Canada; Ontario)
*G (Canada; Quebec)
*PG-12 (Taiwan)
*PG13 (Singapore)
*PG-13 (Philippines/MTRCB)
*IIA (China)
*PG-13 (Malaysia)
*M (Australia)
*M (New Zealand)
*12 (Brazil)
*K-11 (Finland)
*12 (Germany)
*12A (Ireland)
*12 (Netherlands)
*M/12 (Portugal)
*12 (South Korea)
*B (Mexico)
*12+ (Russia)}}

==Production staff==
{{stub}}

===Visual effects===
{{stub}}

===Locations department===
{{quote|The Decepticons' decision to attack Chicago<ref>http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-471495</ref> seems inexplicable, until you take into consideration the generous tax credits offered by the Illinois Film Office.|film critic Roger Ebert|[http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2011/07/on_the_origin_of_transformers.html On the Origin of Transformers]}}

==Development details==
===Cast and crew signing on===
[[File:TF3-licensingPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Featuring a surprise appearance by Optimus Prime!]]
On May 30, 2007, a month before the official release of ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'', [[DreamWorks]] announced that two sequels were already being planned.<ref name="spy">[http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/a58430/two-transformers-sequels-in-pipeline.html Digital Spy article from May 2007, confirming that two sequels were being planned]</ref> On March 16, 2009, over three months before the premiere of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]] announced the third movie for July 1, 2011.<ref name="3release">Pamela McClintock: [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118001280?refCatId=13 Variety article from March 2009], confirming Transformers 3 for July 2011.</ref> Director [[Michael Bay]] promptly backpedaled, as he had intended for the third ''Transformers'' movie to be released in 2012.<ref name="baywait">[http://www.shootfortheedit.com/forum/showthread.php?3947-Wait-a-minute! Michael Bay's reaction to Paramount's July 2011 date for ''Transformers 3''], March 2009.</ref> He officially changed his mind in October 2009, agreeing to the release date set by Paramount.<ref name="bay3-2011">[http://michaelbay.com/2009/10/01/transformers-3-july-1st-2011/ Michael Bay officially confirms the 2011 release date], October 2009.</ref>

[[Roberto Orci]] and [[Alex Kurtzman]], two of the previous two movies' screenwriters, had already announced in March 2009 that they would not return for a third part.<ref name="noorcikurtz">[http://www.slashfilm.com/orci-and-kurtzman-not-returning-for-transformers-3-will-leonard-nimoy-voice-the-fallen/ Slashfilm quoting Roberto Orci that he and Kurtzman would not return for a third movie], March 2009. (Original post on Don Murphy's message board appears to no longer exist.)</ref> In September 2009, their ''Revenge'' co-writer [[Ehren Kruger]] was confirmed as the screenwriter of ''Transformers 3''.<ref name="krugernelson">[http://michaelbay.com/2009/09/14/transformers-3-pain-gain-bad-boys-3/ Michael Bay's website admin Nelson Lauren sorta-confirms Ehren Kruger as TF3's screenwriter], September 2009.</ref> Kruger had already impressed both director Michael Bay and [[Hasbro]] CEO [[Brian Goldner]] with his knowledge of ''Transformers'' mythology prior to working on ''Revenge''.<ref name="writersr">[http://www.zap2it.com/movies/news/zap-transformers2writers,0,1938976.story Zap2it story about the ROTF writers]</ref>

In an interview with ''Wonderland'' magazine in September 2009, [[Megan Fox]], the main female star of the previous two movies, discussed the harsh conditions on the sets and compared director Michael Bay to [[Adolf Hitler]].<ref name="latimesfox">[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2009/09/megan-fox-on-michael-bay-he-wants-to-be-hitler.html Los Angeles Times article about Megan Fox's fatal interview with ''Wonderland'' magazine], September 2009.</ref> Bay initially played down the affair and still welcomed Fox back for the third installment a month later.<ref name="bay3-2011"/> Even though Fox was still spotted on the ''Transformers 3'' set in May 2010,<ref name="foxonset">[http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/100786-megan-fox-on-set-for-transformers-3-previz Megan Fox on the DOTM set], May 2010.</ref> Paramount announced a few weeks later that she wouldn't return for a third movie after all.<ref name="nomorefox">[http://www.deadline.com/2010/05/michael-bays-revenge-no-more-megan/ Deadline article confirming that Megan Fox had been dropped off ''Transformers 3''], May 2010.</ref> Still that same month, [[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley]] was confirmed to replace her as the lead female actress.<ref name="rosierepl">[http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1640047/model-rosie-huntingtonwhiteley-cast-transformers-3.jhtml MTV.com article confirming Rosie Huntington-Whiteley as the new female star of ''Transformers ''], May 2010.</ref> Her character's name was confirmed as "[[Carly Spencer|Carly]]" by Nelson Lauren, the webmaster of Michael Bay's official website, in July 2010.<ref name="nelsonchicagojul">[http://www.shootfortheedit.com/forum/showthread.php?7566-Transformers-3-Chicago-Set-Photos Nelson posts about his visit to the Chicago set at shootfortheedit.com's forums], July 2010.</ref> In 2011, Michael Bay finally confirmed in an interview with ''GQ'' magazine that it had been [[Steven Spielberg]], executive producer of the ''Transformers'' movies, who had urged him to fire Fox following the Hitler comparison.<ref name="baygq">[http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/201107/michael-bay-steven-spielberg-fired-megan-fox-transformers GQ interview with Michael Bay], June 2011.</ref> In a later interview, however, he claimed this statement had been taken out of context.<ref name="baych">[http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/kultur/kino/Diese-Autos-muessen-zerstoert-werden--und-da-bin-ich-der-richtige-Mann/story/23997460 Interview with Michael Bay from Switzerland] (German language), July 2011.</ref>

In March 2010, Oscar winners [[John Malkovich]] and [[Frances McDormand]] as well as comedian [[Ken Jeong]] were confirmed having signed on for supporting roles.<ref name="malkomcdor">[http://michaelbay.com/2010/03/22/transformers-3-update-from-michael-bay/ Michael Bay confirming John Malkovich, Frances McDormand and Ken Jeong for ''Transformers 3''], March 2010.</ref>

In April 2010, [[Kevin Dunn]] and [[Julie White]] were confirmed to return as Sam Witwicky's parents.<ref name="varietydunnwhite">[http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118017329.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1 'Dunn, White sign on for 'Transformers 3''], Variety, April 2010.</ref>

In May 2010, Paramount confirmed that [[Patrick Dempsey]] was cast in ''Transformers 3'' to play Mikaela Banes' boss (this was before Megan Fox was fired from the production).<ref name="dempsey">[http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2010/05/04/patrick-dempsey-confirmed-for-transformers-3/ "Patrick Dempsey confirmed for Transformers 3"], Hollywood Insider, May 2010.</ref>

In July 2010, Nelson Lauren confirmed that former American footballer [[Lester Speight]] would play a soldier in the movie.<ref name="nelsonchicagophotos">[http://michaelbay.com/2010/07/20/transformers-3-chicago-set-photos/ Photos of the Chicago set by michaelbay.com webmaster Nelson Lauren], July 2010.</ref>

[[Leonard Nimoy]] was confirmed as the voice actor for [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]] in March 2011.<ref name="nimoysent">[http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/03/31/leonard-nimoy-transformers-dark-of-the-moon Entertainment Weekly announces Leonard Nimoy's involvement], March 2011]</ref> Nimoy, who had previously voiced [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] in 1986's ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' and was married to Michael Bay's cousin Susan, had previously been under consideration for [[The Fallen]]'s voice in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', but Bay had been hesitant for fear of offending his relative with the relatively low pay allotted to voice actors.<ref name="nimoy1">[http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/04/21/michael-bay-afraid-to-offend-leonard-nimoy-with-transformers-family-reunion-offer/ ''Michael Bay Afraid To Offend Leonard Nimoy With ‘Transformers’ Family Reunion Offer''], MTV.com Movies blog, April 2009.</ref> Even though Nimoy openly asked Bay to simply give him a call,<ref name="nimoy2">[http://www.latinoreview.com/news/leonard-nimoy-to-michael-bay-call-me-6682 Leonard Nimoy To Michael Bay: "Call Me!"], Latino Review, April 2009.</ref> it ultimately never worked out, and The Fallen was voiced by [[Tony Todd]] instead. For ''Dark of the Moon'', Bay finally overcame his anxiety and hired Nimoy, who accepted the offer.<ref name="nimoy3">[http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/03/31/leonard-nimoy-transformers-dark-of-the-moon/ "Leonard Nimoy joins 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' voice cast -- EXCLUSIVE"], Entertainment Weekly, March 2011.</ref> In return, screenwriter Ehren Kruger included several nods to Nimoy's well-known character as Mr. Spock from ''[[Star Trek]]'' in the movie.<ref name="nimoystartrek">[http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666643/transformers-dark-of-the-moon-star-trek-references.jhtml "'Transformers: Dark Of The Moon': Behind The 'Star Trek' Nods"], MTV.com, July 2011.</ref> ''Dark of the Moon'' would be Nimoy's final performance in the ''Transformers'' franchise before his death in early 2015.

===Writing and production===
After having defended the almost universally critically panned ''Revenge of the Fallen'' for a long time, Michael Bay finally acknowledged flaws of the script, but blamed the {{w|2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike}} prior to the movie for many problems. As a definite error, he singled out the "dork comedy", which he promised to avoid with ''Dark of the Moon''.<ref name="bayvisit">[http://collider.com/michael-bay-interview-transformers-dark-moon-edit-bay-visit/63824/ Collider.com article about DOTM], December 2010.</ref>

Principal shooting began in May 2010. Shooting locations included [[Chicago]] (and nearby East Chicago and Gary Indiana), Moscow,<ref name="locations">[http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=63682 "Transformers 3 Headed to Chicago and Moscow"], Comingsoon.net, February 2010.</ref> the [[Kennedy Space Center]] in Florida,<ref name="kennedyspace">[http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/101114-the-transformers-3-shoot-at-kennedy-space-center "The Transformers 3 Shoot at Kennedy Space Center"], SuperHeroHype.com, May 2010.</ref> Milwaukee (Wisconsin),<ref name="milwaukee">[http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/movies/98266574.html "'Transformers 3' takes over Milwaukee Art Museum"], Journal Sentinel Online, July 2010.</ref> Detroit,<ref name="detroit">[http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/107775-photos-from-the-detroit-transformers-3-set "Photos From the Detroit Transformers 3 Set"], SuperHeroHype.com, September 2010.</ref> [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref name="militaryextras">[http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=473674758199&id=114648515718 US Department of Defense casting call for ''Dark of the Moon''], October 2010.</ref> and Angkor Wat in Cambodia.<ref name="angkor">[http://www.akp.gov.kh/?p=1184 "'Transformers 3' To Be Shot in Cambodia"], Agence Kampuchea Presse, January 2011.</ref>

For the scene where Lennox and his soldier jump out of a V-22 Osprey using wingsuits, Michael Bay used real parachutists and thus avoided unnecessary CG effects. In fact, he had been inspired for this scene in the first place by watching the parachutists in their wingsuits on television<ref name="wingsuits">[http://blog.movies.yahoo.com/blog/1498-transformers-wingsuits-no-cgi-required Yahoo! Movies article on the wingsuit parachutists], June 2011.</ref> and wrote the scene with the intention of using the parachutists in the movie.<ref name="bayvisit"/>

For the Apollo 11 moon landing mission in the flashback sequence at the beginning of the movie, astronauts [[Neil Armstrong]] and [[Buzz Aldrin]] are played by actors Don Jeanes and Cory Tucker, respectively. In the present day timeline, Aldrin himself appears briefly as his own older self.<ref name="aldrin">[http://movies.yahoo.com/news/yahoo-contributor-network/astronaut-buzz-aldrin-hangs-out-with-optimus-prime-transformers-dark-moon Yahoo! Movies article on Buzz Aldrin's appearance in DOTM], July 2011.</ref>

Over 500 cars were destroyed in the making of ''Dark of the Moon'', all of them damaged property from insurance companies intended for destruction.<ref name="baych"/>
[[Image:ROTFvsDOTMUSNavyHollenbeck.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|right|Wherever General Morshower goes, I go.]]

Two accidents happened during shooting: In September 2010, while shooting in East Chicago, Indiana, a female extra was severely injured when a stunt scene went wrong, leaving her with permanent brain damage, the left side of her body paralyzed and her left eye stitched shut. Paramount was subsequently sued for damages by the victim's family.<ref name="extrastunt">[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-10-05/news/ct-met-transformers-lawsuit-20101005_1_gabriela-cedillo-stunt-welding Chicago tibune article on the injured extra and the subsequent lawsuit], October 2010.</ref> She was eventually granted an $18.5 million settlement in May 2012.<ref name="settlement">[http://www.tmz.com/2012/05/23/transfomers-3-injured-extra-gets-18-million-settlement/ TMZ story about Gabriela Cedillo's settlement]</ref> As a consequence, part of the scene of the car chase battle in Washington, D.C. (which would have included the shoot that had led to the accident) was instead "[[Stock footage|borrowed]]" from Michael Bay's 2005 film ''{{w|The Island (2005 film)|The Island}}''.<ref name="island1">[https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/07/04/transformers-3-re-uses-car-crash-from-the-island "Transformers 3 Re-Uses Car Crash From The Island"], IGN Movies, July 2011.</ref> While shooting in Washington, D.C., in October 2010, one of the Chevrolet Camaro prop cars that served as Bumblebee's [[alternate mode]] crashed into a {{w|Metropolitan Police}} SUV. Nobody was seriously injured this time, though Bumblebee sustained severe front-end damage.<ref name="camarocrash">[http://jalopnik.com/5661321/bumblebee-smashes-cop-car-in-yet-another-transformers-3-accident Jalopnik article on the Camaro crash], October 2010.</ref> Hasbro would later "commemorate" this latter event with the [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]] [[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]] "Cybertronian Warriors Pack". Fans, meanwhile, joked that the SUV was Barricade getting revenge.

Another (brief) instance of recycled footage occurs during the Chicago battle: When the Navy fires several Tomahawks at the Decepticons, the mission control room scene was previously used to depict the interior of the [[USS Kidd]] in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]''. The most obvious similarity is the [[Hollenbeck|same operator]] saying "Target acquired" both times.<ref name="recycled">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=6tSMdR8vH0s YouTube video] featuring brief clips from ''Dark of the Moon'' and ''Revenge of the Fallen'', highlighting the recycled footage.</ref>

''Dark of the Moon'' is the first of the ''Transformers'' movies to be released in 3D. Despite early considerations to shoot the movie in 2D and convert it into 3D later, Michael Bay ultimately shot 60% of the film in native 3D, another 15% were done digitally, and the rest was shot in 2D and converted later. [[James Cameron]] assisted Michael Bay with the 3D effects. The movie's budget amounted to $195 million, which is about the same budget ''Revenge of the Fallen'' had. About $30 million went into the 3D effects.<ref name="cameron">[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/michael-bay-reveals-james-camerons-191774 "Michael Bay Reveals James Cameron's Secret Role in the Making of 'Transformers'"], The Hollywood Reporter, May 2011.</ref>

===Sponsors and partners===
====Hasbro====
Hasbro, licensor of the [[Transformers brand]], hoped that the third movie would once again boost toy sales, after profits had dropped in the first quarter of 2011.<ref name="hasbroq12011">[http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Hasbro-1Q-profit-drops-71-pct-apf-664090076.html?x=0&.v=11 Yahoo! Finance article about weak Hasbro toy sales in 2011's first quarter], April 2011.</ref> For the second quarter of 2011, Hasbro reported a net revenue growth of 23 percent to $908.5 million, citing brands such as ''Transformers'' and ''[[Beyblade]]'' as the main sources of the increased income.<ref name="hasbro2nsq">[http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Hasbro-Reports-Revenue-and-bw-4063497156.html?x=0&.v=1 "Hasbro Reports Revenue and Earnings Growth for the Second Quarter 2011"], Yahoo! Finance, July 2011.</ref>

====US military and NASA====
Like the previous two movies, ''Dark of the Moon'' featured real military personnel as extras, supported by the [[United States Department of Defense]].<ref name="militaryextras"/> Shooting locations were Hurlburt Field and [[Edwards Air Force Base]].<ref name="hurlburt">[http://www.shadowspear.com/special-operations-entertainment/105725-transformers-filmed-at-hurlburt.html "'Transformers 3 Filmed at Hurlburt, 1SOW Included as 'Extras'"], ShadowSpear Special Operations, July 2011.</ref>

In addition, ''Dark of the Moon'' was also supported by NASA, and NASA employees appear as extras in the movie as well.<ref name="nasa">[http://www.space.com/12142-transformers-film-nasa-space-program-touches.html "'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' Has Real-Life NASA Touches"], Space.com, July 2011.</ref>

====General Motors and other car manufacturers====
[[General Motors]] once again provided several vehicles. All recurring Autobots retain their [[alternate mode]]s from ''Revenge of the Fallen'' despite some minor tweaks, such as Sideswipe now being a convertible, and Bumblebee now sporting a rear spoiler. Once again, the cooperation was mutual, with General Motors using Bumblebee for TV commercials. The first of those, aired during the 2011 Super Bowl, also revealed some minor tweaks to Bumblebee's robot mode.<ref name="bumblebeead1">[http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2011/02/-bumblebee-appears-in-a-chevrolet-camaro-super-bowl-ad/1 "'Bumblebee' appears in Chevrolet's Super Bowl ad"], USA Today, February 2011.</ref><ref name="bumblebeead2">[http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/06/chevy-drops-new-ad-touting-transformers-3-tie-in/ "Video: Chevy drops new ad touting Transformers 3 tie-in"], Autoblog.com, June 2011.</ref> According to Chevrolet, the ''Transformers'' movies notably affect car sales, as about ten percent of all Camaros sold in the preceding year were yellow, twice as many as with other models.<ref name="carstarscast">[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/transformers-dark-moon-how-sequels-204557 "'Transformers: Dark of the Moon': How the Sequel's Star Cars Were Cast"], The Hollywood Reporter, June 2011.</ref>

New additions for ''Dark of the Moon'' are a Ferrari 458 Italia and a Mercedes-Benz E550 as Autobots ([[Dino]] and [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]], respectively) and a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG as a Decepticon ([[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]]). In the movie, both Autobots sport names which aren't recycled from existing Hasbro toys. In the Ferrari's case, the reason for this is that Hasbro's greatest competitor, Mattel, has an exclusive license for Ferrari toys.<ref name="ferrarimattel">[http://www.ferrari.com/English/Pages/Mattel.aspx Mattel license information], Ferrari.com.</ref><ref name="nelsonnomirage">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/409844-mirage-no-longer-name-red-italia-dotm-3.html#post6103423 Michael Bay's website admin, Nelson Lauren, explaining why the Ferrari isn't named "Mirage"], TFW2005, May 2011.</ref> "Dino" is named in reference to {{w|Alfredo Ferrari|Alfredo "Dino" Ferrari}}, as per Ferrari's request. The Mercedes-Benz E550, meanwhile, was specifically customized for the movie.<ref name="e550tuning">[http://www.eurotuner.com/news/eurp_1102_mercedes_benz_e550_for_next_transformers_movie/index.html "Mercedes-Benz E550 for Next Transformers Movie - Web Exclusive"], Eurotuner.com, February 2011.</ref> "Que" is named in homage to {{w|Q (James Bond)|Q}} from ''{{w|James Bond}}''. A Maybach 62S Landaulet is also featured in the movie, albeit not as a Transformer, but merely as a regular car used by [[Seymour Simmons]] and his assistant [[Dutch (DOTM)|Dutch]].

Unlike Optimus Prime, whose alternate mode was not licensed for any of the three movies, the Rosenbauer Panther 6x6 airport fire truck used for [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]] was officially provided by the Rosenbauer International AG and entirely repainted specifically for the film, at a cost of thousands of dollars, as real-world aircraft fire-fighting vehicles are required by FAA regulations to have a much lighter color scheme, which didn't appeal to director [[Michael Bay]].<ref name="rosenbauer">[http://www.rosenbaueramerica.com/press/2011/06/rosenbauer-panther-6x6-to-be-f/ Rosenbauer America press release, June 28, 2011]</ref>

Since the heavily armed Chevrolet Impalas that serve as the [[Wreckers]]' alternate modes are directly based on existing NASCAR race cars, the prop versions of [[Roadbuster (DOTM)|Roadbuster]], [[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]], and [[Topspin (DOTM)|Topspin]] made an appearance at [[2011]] Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on [[February 20]], four month before the movie's release, appearing both off the track as display cars, and on the track, participating in the ceremonial first lap.<ref name="daytona">[http://www.hendrickmotorsports.com/news/photos/2011/02/18/TRANSFORMERS-cars-on-display-at-Daytona "'TRANSFORMERS' cars on display at Daytona"], Hendrick Motorsports, February 2011.</ref> Director Michael Bay, actor [[Josh Duhamel]] and actress [[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley]] also attended the event, and during the television broadcast of the race, a new ''Dark of the Moon'' television spot was aired.

====Other product placement====
As always, various companies have their products and names prominently displayed throughout the movie, such as {{w|Northrop Grumman}}, [[CNN]], [[Fox News Channel|Fox News]], {{w|Cisco}} and {{w|Superfund}}.<ref name="brands1">[http://www.brandchannel.com/brandcameo_films.asp?movie_year_az=2011 "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"] at brandchannel.com.</ref> Paper manufacturer Double A also cooperated with Paramount and even had Michael Bay direct a commercial that features scenes from ''Dark of the Moon'', notably [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]].<ref name="paper">[http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/167497-transformers-featured-in-double-a-paper-ad "Transformers Featured in Double A Paper Ad"] at SuperHeroHype, June 2011.</ref> Of particular note is the large number of Chinese brands such as {{w|Lenovo}}, {{w|Yili Group|Yili}} Shuhua Milk, {{w|Metersbonwe Group|Metersbonwe}} Mtee shirts and {{w|TCL Corporation|TCL}} HDTV screens.<ref name="chinesebrands">[http://advertising.chinasmack.com/2011/transformers-the-rise-of-chinese-product-placement.html "Transformers: The Rise Of Chinese Product Placement"] at Chinasmack.</ref><ref name="brands2">[http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2011/07/05/Brandcameo-070411-Transformers-3.aspx "Transformers 3 Product Placement: If Tom Hanks Gets a Pass, Michael Bay Does Not"] at brandchannel, July 2011.</ref>

For [[Nokia]], the product placement turned out to be dated by the time the movie came out, as a mobile phone featured in the movie ran on {{w|Symbian}}, despite Nokia mostly dropping Symbian as an operating system due to their recent partnership with {{w|Microsoft}}.<ref name="nokiaobit">[http://www.thenoisecast.com/2011/07/nokia-x7-product-placement-in-transformers-3-feels-like-an-obituary/ "Nokia X7 Product Placement In Transformers 3 Feels Like An Obituary"], Noisecast, July 2011.</ref>

===Changes before, during and after production===
[[File:DOTM Skids, Mudflap, Que and Sideswipe.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|Eat this, Megan Fox.]]
*In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in June 2009, Michael Bay suggested that [[Ramon Rodriguez]] would reprise his role as [[Leo Spitz]] from ''Revenge of the Fallen'' for the third movie.<ref name="bayramon">[http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2009/06/30/ramon-rodriguez-will-have-bigger-role-in-third-transformers-movie-bay-hints/ "Ramon Rodriguez will have bigger role in third ‘Transformers’ movie, Bay hints"], Los Angeles Times, June 2009.</ref>

*As stated above, [[Megan Fox]] was originally intended to reprise her role as [[Mikaela Banes]] from the previous two movies. She was still spotted on the ''Dark of the Moon'' set during the previsualization stage in May 2010,<ref name="foxonset"/> but was fired from the production shortly afterwards due to a falling out with director [[Michael Bay]]. [[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley]]'s character of [[Carly Spencer]] was written in as a replacement, though the fact that her part was originally written for Mikaela still shows in some parts: For example, Carly is overseeing [[Dylan Gould|Dylan]]'s car collection, which could be viewed as an extension of Mikaela's history with working with cars. Furthermore, Sam and Carly not only have [[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] (who had been previously "domesticated" by Mikaela) as a "pet", but also her dog [[Bonecrusher (dog)|Bonecrusher]] (played by Michael Bay's eponymous real-life dog).

*In January 2010, actor James Avery claimed in an interview that he would be playing a new Autobot named "Silverbolt".<ref name="avery">[http://web.archive.org/web/20120401095240/http://unscripted.ca/episodes/show/136 James Avery interview on Unscripted], January 2010</ref> In June 2010, representatives of James Avery, responding to a bizarre rumor that he had passed away, confirmed that the actor was indeed alive and would be playing Silverbolt in ''Transformers 3''.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20151107012047/http://www.examiner.com/article/uncle-phil-james-avery-isn-t-dead-after-all James Avery isn't dead after all], The Examiner, June 2010.</ref> Despite this, neither Avery nor Silverbolt ultimately appear in ''Dark of the Moon''.

*In January 2011, an Idaho newspaper<ref>[http://magicvalley.com/news/local/article_d4f374a4-d960-5589-8d0c-be37df66fc40.html?mode=story "Rupert's Fagerbakke finds a voice that is truly golden"]</ref> announced voice actor [[Bill Fagerbakke]] as the voice of a "Chevy Impala stock car" that would appear in ''Dark of the Moon'' (presumably meaning one of the three [[Wreckers]], who share that base altmode). Why Fagerbakke did not end up voicing any of the Wreckers in the final cut of the film is unknown.

[[File:DOTM-SentinelPrimetrailer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Colour me your colour, baby Colour me your car Colour me your colour, darling I know who you are]]
*Shockwave's original voice actor, [[Corey Burton]], expressed that he had no interest in voicing him for ''Dark of the Moon'', explaining "[I] have practically no interest in that kind of mega-budget movie enterprise involvement" and that the inspiration for his Shockwave voice, {{w|David Warner (actor)|David Warner}}, was rumored to have been considered.<ref>[http://www.coreyburton.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=2707&highlight=#2707 Corey Burton's message board post.]</ref> In the end, Shockwave's almost-entirely-wordless-snarl-based role would have been something of a waste of Warner; the role ultimately went to Frank Welker. There's a nice touch of symmetry in the casting, with Welker taking over a Burton-originated role not long after Burton took on a Welker-originated character in [[Megatron (Animated)|''Animated'' Megatron]].

*In an earlier draft of the movie's script, Megatron is sincere when he offers Optimus Prime a truce at the end. Optimus accepts, and Megatron and the remaining Decepticons leave Earth to rebuild Cybertron. This ending is used for the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (novel)|novelization]] and the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon Movie Adaptation|comic adaptation]]. According to Michael Bay's website administrator Nelson, the ending was changed because the studio didn't want the adaptations to share the same ending with the film.<ref>http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/members/nelson-47919.html#vmessage284191</ref>

*Furthermore, it was originally supposed to be [[Dino|Mirage/"Dino"]] rather than [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Wheeljack/"Que"]] who would have been executed by [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]] in Chicago. This version made it into the comic adaptation and the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: The Junior Novel|junior novelization]].

*Another scrapped death for Mirage is seen in the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (novel)|novelization]], in which he's decapitated by [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]. His severed head is subsequently used by Soundwave to mock the Autobots before they are executed.

*A scrapped death for Wheeljack/"Que" involved the Autobot being run off of a Chicago street and into a river by the [[Driller]], where he would have been torn to pieces by Decepticon troopers lying in wait in the river.

*The [[Twins (ROTF)|Twins]], [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]], were originally supposed to return for ''Dark of the Moon'', and to die at the hands of Sentinel Prime shortly after Ironhide. Even though [[General Motors]] provided two Chevrolet Sparks to serve as their alternate modes<ref name="chevyspark">[http://www.leftlanenews.com/chevrolet-spark-transformers-3.html Left Lane News article on two Chevrolet Sparks spotted on the DOTM set], May 2010.</ref> which were still spotted on the set as late as October 2010,<ref name="dcparking">[http://transformerslive.blogspot.com/2010/10/transformers-3-dc-parking-lot-gallery.html "Transformers 3 DC Parking Lot Gallery"], Transformers Live Action Movie Blog, October 2010.</ref> the two were mostly edited out of the final movie (their vehicle modes can barely be glimpsed in a few brief shots). Michael Bay even went so far as to offer a $25,000 reward for anyone who would see the Twins "perform" in the movie.<ref name="reward">[http://collider.com/transformers-3-twins-skids-mudflap-michael-bay/91104/ Collider.com article on Michael Bay's "reward" for spotting Skids and Mudflap "perform" in DOTM], May 2011.</ref> In the novelization and the comic adaptation, Skids and Mudflap still appear.

[[File:DOTMSuperBowlvsTrailer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|So does this qualify as a retcon?]]
*Another plot point that was apparently dropped was an anti-Autobot sentiment among the human populace. Graffiti with a crossed out Autobot [[insignia|logo]] with the words "go home" below it showed up in several set photos.<ref name="gohome1">[http://transformerslive.blogspot.com/2010/05/transformers-3-filming-with-twins.html Photos from the set in Sherman Oaks, California] at the Transformers Live Action Movie Blog, May 2010.</ref><ref name="gohome2">[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/possible-tf3-plot-point-revealed-autobots-go-home/19188/ Photos from the Chicago set] at Seibertron.com, July 2010.</ref> In the movie, Congress instantly passes a law exiling the Autobots from Earth following Sentinel Prime's ultimatum.

*Early working names included "[[Ultra Magnus (disambiguation)|Ultra Magnus]]" for [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]],<ref name="chicagocall">[http://transformerslive.blogspot.com/2011/06/chicgo-call-sheet-for-ultra-magnus.html "Chicago Call Sheet For Ultra Magnus"], Transformers Live Action Movie Blog, June 2011.</ref> "Enzo" (after {{w|Enzo Ferrari}})<ref name="callsheet2">[http://tilallaremine.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/dark-of-the-moon-call-sheets/ Dark of the Moon Call Sheets!] at Til All Are Mine blog, July 2011.</ref> and "Rush" for Mirage/"Dino", "[[Warpath (disambiguation)|Warpath]]" for both [[Roadbuster (DOTM)|Roadbuster]] and [[Topspin (DOTM)|Topspin]], "Tempest" for Topspin, "[[Flash (disambiguation)|Flash]]" for [[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]], "[[Dreadwind (disambiguation)|Dreadwind]]" for [[Crankcase (DOTM)|Crankcase]], "[[Hooligan (disambiguation)|Hooligan]]" for [[Crowbar]], "[[Dirtbag]]" for [[Hatchet (DOTM)|Hatchet]], "[[Blitzwing (disambiguation)|Blitzwing]]" for [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]], "[[Breakdown (disambiguation)|Breakdown]]" for Soundwave's new vehicular design, "[[Clench (G1)|Colossus]]" for the [[Driller]],<ref name="nizzi">[http://www.joshnizzi.com/TF3.htm Josh Nizzi DOTM concepts.]</ref> "Buzzard" for [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]], "[[Undermine (Cybertron)|Undermine]]" for [[Igor]] and "[[Steeljaw (disambiguation)|Steeljaw]]" for Wheeljack/"Que". However, it's quite possible a few of these were code names used to keep character identities a secret during production as images of Megatron's new cloak obscured face refer to the character as "[[Cyclonus (disambiguation)|Cyclonus]]".<ref name="wburt">[http://conceptartworld.com/?p=8388 Wesley Burt DOTM concepts.]</ref>

*Roadbuster was originally intended to have {{w|Jeff Gordon}}'s #24 {{w|DuPont}}-sponsored Chevrolet Impala as his alternate mode, rather than {{w|Dale Earnhardt, Jr.}}'s #88 Impala sponsored by {{w|AMP Energy}}.<ref name="nizzi"/>

*Que/Wheeljack's head was once considered to be based on {{w|Christopher Lloyd}}'s [[Doc Brown]] from ''[[Back to the Future]]'', rather than [[Albert Einstein]].<ref name="wburt"/>

*The Wreckers were originally intended to have a robot pet dog, whose working names also included "Warpath".<ref name="nizzi"/> Hasbro released a toy of the dog with the [[Human Alliance]] version of Leadfoot, named "[[Steeljaw (DOTM)|Steeljaw]]".

*Megatron was originally supposed to appear in his ''Revenge of the Fallen'' form.<ref>http://joshnizzi.com/images/TF3/JoshNizzi_TF3_56.jpg</ref>

*In an interview with MTV.com, actors [[Shia LaBeouf]] and [[John Malkovich]] hinted at some smaller scenes that were cut from the final edit of the movie. In addition to some ad-libbing by the actors, one scene would have featured Malkovich's character, [[Bruce Brazos]], attempting to get Carly's phone number.<ref name="deletedmtv">[http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666772/transformers-dark-of-the-moon-dvd-deleted-scenes.jhtml MTV.com on deleted scenes], July 2011.</ref>

*In the original announcement trailer for ''Dark of the Moon'' that was released in December 2010, the opening scene that featured [[Neil Armstrong]] and [[Buzz Aldrin]] investigate the ''[[Ark (DOTM)|Ark]]'' on the moon had Sentinel Prime sport a gold and silver color scheme. For the final movie, his base color was changed to red, his left shoulder was lowered, his facial expression was changed to look more droopy, and the whole scene was given a considerable blue tint.

*Similar to the announcement trailer, the Super Bowl spot also features footage that contains unfinished CG effects. Most notably, the shot that depicts Optimus Prime, equipped with his flight pack, swooping down on the Decepticons before starting his epic rampage on the ground was changed by the time the first full trailer was released: Optimus himself and the first [[M1 Abrams Decepticon]] are both rescaled and moved to different positions on-screen; a Decepticon using the same [[body-type]] as [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] and [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]] is removed entirely; and a Decepticon using the same body-type as Long Haul, as well as other [[generic]]s, are added. The final movie uses pretty much the same version as seen in the trailer.
{{-}}

===Leaks and disinformation===
[[File:DOTMgameSoundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|What you're about to see is totally classified.]]
The movie's title, then "Transformers: ''The'' Dark of the Moon", was first discovered on October 6, 2010 via listings for childrens' books on [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]]. The title was further confirmed by a whois check for "www.transformersdarkofthemoonmovie.com".<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-just-movie-31/transformers-3-title-revealed-170697/ Transformers 3 Title Revealed?] @ TFW2005.com</ref> On October 31, the official website for all three movies, [http://www.transformersmovie.com/ transformersmovie.com], was updated to show the ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' logo as well as international release dates.

[[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]] was heavily touted as the new main villain, no doubt in an attempt to conceal [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]]'s unexpected betrayal halfway through the movie. A piece of information that commonly popped up in media coverage was the claim that Shockwave was the ruler of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] while the other Autobots and Decepticons were duking it out on Earth.<ref name="pushpops">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-just-movie-31/transformers-3-plot-summary-revealed-170756/ "Transformers 3 Plot Summary Revealed"], TFW2005, October 2010.</ref> The last bit could be written off as a case of {{w|Chinese whispers}}: Shockwave got announced as the villain for ''Dark of the Moon'', mainstream media (such as USA Today<ref name="usatodayswitch">[http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2010-06-11-Transformers11_ST_N.htm "Next 'Transformers' is due for a switch"], USA Today, June 2010.</ref>) who aren't versed in Transformers lore looked up the character, found out about his ''[[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]]'' [[Shockwave (G1)|namesake]]'s role in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]], included it as a piece of trivia to show they did their research, and then the trivia note got picked up as gospel by other media. Nevertheless, it was included in the ''official plot summary'' by Paramount's German branch (which also claimed that ''Shockwave'' was the robot discovered inside the ''[[Ark (DOTM)|Ark]]'' as seen in the trailer).<ref name="germansite">[http://www.transformers3-film.de/ Official German DOTM site] including faulty plot summary.</ref>

[[File:TF3HasbroSoundwaveBio.JPG|thumb|upright=1.66|left|If you breathe a word of what you see in here, you will do time for treason.]]Michael Bay and other official parties tried ''really'' hard to suppress the plot twist of the silver Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG given to [[Carly Spencer|Carly]] by [[Dylan Gould|Dylan]] turning out to be the new [[alternate mode]] of [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]]. After the Mercedes had been spotted on the set, with [[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley]] exiting it,<ref name="mercedesset">[http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=67518 DOTM Set Photos], ComingSoon.net, July 2010.</ref> the first hint that it was more than meets the eye came with the trailer for the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Xbox 360/PS3)|video game]], which showed Soundwave's robot mode with car [[kibble]] such as wheels that heavily resembled those of the Mercedes. In addition, [[Rising Storm issue 2|issue 2]] of ''[[Transformers: Rising Storm]]'' depicted Soundwave's robot mode not only with car kibble, but with a Mercedes star on his chest, yet in [[Rising Storm issue 3|issue 3]], he appeared in his ''Revenge of the Fallen'' design again. Despite this, director Michael Bay insisted that the Mercedes was simply Carly's car, claiming that "Mercedes would never let us make their car into a bad Decepticon. Car company's {{sic}} really frown on that. I can't say what the game company and comics do that's their own thing. They don't have the same constraints movies do. It's Carly's car."<ref name="baynomerc">[http://www.shootfortheedit.com/forum/showthread.php?8724-Update-Is-Soundwave-the-silver-Mercedes-on-set-of-DOTM&p=169598&viewfull=1#post169598 Michael Bay's response to the fan theory that Soundwave is the Silver Mercedes.], April 2011.</ref> On April 19, 2011, an event for promoting the ''Spider-Man: Edge of Time'' and ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' video games was held in London. As part of this, [[High Moon Studios]] released promotional stills from the ''Dark of the Moon'' game, one of which depicted Soundwave's new robot mode, again with Mercedes parts. However, a news embargo was enforced on the attending press, which was broken by South African video game site [http://egamer.co.za egamer].<ref name="egamera">[http://egamer.co.za/2011/05/exclusive-hands-on-transformers-dark-of-the-moon/ egamer's preview of the ''Dark of the Moon'' video game]</ref> The site was soon asked to take down the article and images, as were various ''Transformers'' fan sites that had reported on the article and mirrored the images. On May 2, 2011, Hasbro's [http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/ official Transformers website] was given a massive overhaul, including the addition of the new [http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/discover/cybertronian-database.cfm Vector Sigma database]. The entry for Soundwave initially identified his alternate mode as a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, but was soon changed to "satellite". On May 3, 2011, the embargo for the video game article and promotional stills was finally lifted, allowing sites to freely show the image of Soundwave's new robot mode.

On May 5, 2011, six days before the trade paperback collection's official release, preview pages from [[IDW Publishing|IDW]]'s [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon Movie Adaptation|''Dark of the Moon'' comic adaptation]] were discovered at [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]]. Through some bizarre system error, ''several dozen pages'' were made available, which included the major plot twist of Sentinel Prime showing his true colors and killing [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]]. Unsurprisingly, this discovery was quickly posted on several major Transformers [[fandom|fan sites]], often without a spoiler warning. The fact that, even without this leak, the trade paperback of the comic adaptation was released well over a month before the film's theatrical release probably didn't help matters either.

==Notes==
*A 126-page script for the movie was leaked in December 2009,<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/content/view/6435/20/ The Allspark: Transformers News Movie Comics Animated - Script Treatment for Transformers 3? Bogus or Not, Here You Go!]</ref> causing much discussion among the fandom. It was later confirmed as fake.<ref>[http://shootfortheedit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6532 Script]</ref>
*When word hit that [[Megan Fox]] was off the picture, [https://youtube.com/watch?v=3VTs5ESycpY Heidi Montag] put an "audition" for her part on YouTube. [http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/114ce28ddd/sir-ben-kingsley-shows-up-heidi-montag Sir Ben Kingsley] and [https://youtube.com/watch?v=N4FZeucBO0c Ashton Kutcher] made fun of her, because life is rad.
*Several concepts that had been established by the [[Transformers (film)|first movie]] were (more or less) dropped with ''Dark of the Moon'' in favor for a more traditional, ''[[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]]''-esque approach:
**In the 2007 movie, the Autobots arrive on Earth in "[[Protoform]]" entry modes (which was subsequently used as the basis for the Decepticons' arrival in [[Planetfall (Movie)|Planetfall]]). Prior to the release of the movie, screenwriter [[Roberto Orci]] defended this choice over the use of a spaceship such as the ''Ark'' by asking why "aliens who moonlight as vehicles need other vehicles to travel".<ref name="orcitravel">[http://tformers.com/Ark-Not-Making-An-Appearance-In-the-Movie/6513/news.html TFormers quoting Roberto Orci], because Don Murphy's board can only be read by registered members.</ref> He somewhat changed his mind after the movie had been released, however.<ref name="orciship">[http://boards.transformersmovie.com/showpost.php?p=388596&postcount=271 Roberto Orci on the Transformers Live Action Movie Boards], July 2007.</ref> After the Decepticons' ship, the ''[[Nemesis (ROTF)|Nemesis]]'', had made an appearance in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', ''Dark of the Moon'' not only introduces the movieverse version of the ''[[Ark (DOTM)|Ark]]'', but also reveals that all the new Autobots who have been on Earth since before ''Revenge of the Fallen'' had arrived in their own spaceship, the ''[[Xantium (DOTM)|Xantium]]'', making the notion of individual Transformers traveling through space as "comets" an exception rather than the rule. ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]'' would also later depict the Autobots as stranded on Earth after the destruction of the ''Xantium'' in this film, further pointing towards the "comet" transportation as an abandoned concept. ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]'' would also show this idea when the Autobots again declare themselves stranded, as they don't know where the [[Knight Ship]] is, only being able to finally go home after they acquired it.
**Furthermore, ''Dark of the Moon'' largely abandons the idea of Transformers having all their weapons integrated into their bodies in favor of more traditional, separate weapons. For example, [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]], who had blades and hooks emerging from his forearms in the previous two movies now stores all his weapons (including an axe) as accessories inside his trailer (though he still carries some on his person). Also, Ironhide, whose cannons were previously affixed to his arms, now sports handheld firearms instead. Even Megatron, whose [[fusion cannon]] previously grew out of his arms, now has a hand-held shotgun. Though it can be argued that Optimus still has his swords in his arms during the Chicago battle, and both Ironhide and Megatron lost their integrated weapons in the previous film, the general change is still noticeable. The only ones who still seem to have the same converting arm cannons as in the previous movies are Bumblebee, Ratchet, and Starscream.
*Another change from the previous movies (though not rooted in ''Generation 1'') is that Transformers that take damage in battle now spill a red liquid that is very obviously meant to resemble human blood.
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] finally achieves a certain consistency between his two primary modes: Ever since his upgrade to a modern Camaro in ''Transformers'' (2007), his [[license plate]] had alternated between "900 STRA" in vehicle mode and "4NZZ 454" in robot mode. ''Dark of the Moon'' finally uses "900 STRA" for the robot mode as well. Hasbro's toys, which had previously favored the CG robot model's "4NZZ 454" (barring the occasional "4NZZ'''Z''' 454" flub), follow suit.
*Speaking of license plates: [[Dutch (DOTM)|Dutch]]'s Maybach 62S Landaulet sports a German license plate, "'''S MM 6201'''", registered in the city of Stuttgart. In reality, that plate is registered to the manufacturer and used for promotional photos.<ref name="maybach">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-just-movie-31/update--transformers-3-rumor--who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire-170533/ Set photos and promo photos of the Maybach 62S Landaulet] at TFW2005.</ref>
*Michael Bay's private Gulfstream Aerospace G-1159A jet (registration number N4500X) has a cameo in the movie as [[Charlotte Mearing]]'s plane.
*For eleven years, ''Dark of the Moon'' held the record for the biggest Independence Day opening weekend at $115.9 million. And then, {{w|Minions: The Rise of Gru|an animated movie starring Steve Carell with yellow henchmen on his side}} beat it by earning $128 million.<ref>[https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2022/07/03/box-office-minions-the-rise-of-gru-breaks-records-with-128-million-holiday-weekend/ Box Office: ‘Minions 2’ Breaks Records With $128 Million Holiday Weekend - Forbes]</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''''Transformers/Darkside Moon''''' (トランスフォーマー/ダークサイド・ムーン ''Toransufōmā Dākusaido Mūn'')
*''Arabic:'' '''''Almtahawilun: Aljanib Almuzlim Lilqamar''''' (المتحولون: الجانب المظلم للقمر, "Transformers: The Dark Side of the Moon")
*''Cantonese:'' (變形金剛: 黑月降臨, "Transformers: The Arrival of the Black Moon")
*''Croatian:'' '''''Transformeri: Tamna strana Mjeseca''''' ("Transformers: The Dark Side of the Moon")
*''Czech:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Finnish:'' '''''Transformers: Kuun pimeä puoli''''' ("Transformers: The Dark Side of the Moon")
*''French:'' '''''Transformers 3 : La Face cachée de la Lune''''' ("Transformers 3: The Hidden Side of the Moon")
*''German:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Greek:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Hebrew:'' '''''Rvvvtrkm 3. Flt hrch''''' (רובוטריקים 3: אפלת הירח, "Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon")
*''Hindi:'' '''''Traansaphormars: Chaand ka Andhera''''' (ट्राँसफॉर्मर्स: चांद का अंधेरा, "Transformers: Darkness of the Moon")
*''Hungarian:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Italian:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Korean:'' '''''Teulaenseupomeo 3''''' (트랜스포머 3, "Transformers 3")
*''Latvian:'' '''''Transformeri 3: Mēness no otras puses''''' ("Transformers 3: The Moon on the Other Side")
*''Lithuanian:'' '''''Transformeriai: tamsioji Mėnulio pusė''''' ("Transformers: The Dark Side of the Moon")
*''Mandarin:'' '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng 3''''' (Taiwan, 變形金剛３, "Transformers 3"), '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Yuè Hēi zhī Shí''''' (China, 变形金刚：月黑之时, "Transformers: When the Moon Becomes Black")
*''Polish:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Portuguese:'' '''''Transformers: O Lado Oculto da Lua''''' (Brazil, "Transformers: The Hidden Side of the Moon"), '''''Transformers 3''''' (Portugal)
*''Romanian:'' '''''Transformers: Fața ascunsă a Lunii''''' ("Transformers: The Hidden Face of the Moon")
*''Russian:'' '''''Transformery 3: Tjomnaja storona Luny''''' (Трансформеры 3: Тёмная сторона Луны, "Transformers 3: The Dark Side of the Moon")
*''Serbian:'' '''''Transformers 3: Tama Meseca''''' ("Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon")
*''Spanish:'' '''''Transformers: El Lado Oscuro de la Luna''''' (Latin American, "Transformers: The Dark Side of the Moon"), '''''Transformers 3''''' (Spain)
*''Swedish:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Tamil:'' '''''Ṭirāṉsḥpārmas: Ṭārk op ti mūṉ''''' (டிரான்ஸ்ஃபார்மஸ்: டார்க் ஒப் தி மூன், "Transformers: Dark of the Moon")
*''Thai:'' '''''Thrāns̄̒ fxr̒m me xr̒s̄ 3''''' (ทรานส์ฟอร์มเมอร์ส 3, "Transformers 3")
*''Turkish:'' '''''Transformers: Ayın Karanlık Yüzü''''' ("Transformers: The Dark Side of the Moon")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''''Transformery: Temnyy bik Misyatsya''''' (Трансформери: Темний бік Місяця, "Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon")

==External links==
*[http://www.transformersmovie.com/ Transformersmovie.com]
*[http://www.imdb.com/tt1399103/ ''Dark of the Moon'' at IMDB.com]
*{{w|Transformers: Dark of the Moon|''Dark of the Moon'' film on Wikipedia}}
*[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_dark_of_the_moon/ ''Dark of the Moon'' on RottenTomatoes.com]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.transformersmovie.com/ Official ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' website]
*[http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/transformersdarkofthemoon/ Trailers.Apple.com ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' page]
*Designer portfolios: [http://www.joshnizzi.com/TF3.htm Josh Nizzi], [http://www.warrenmanser.com/WarrenManser.com/PORTFOLIO_M/Pages/TRANSFORMERS_3.html Warren Manser], [http://www.joelchang.com/index.php?/projects/transformers-dark-of-the-moon/ Joel Chang], [http://conceptartworld.com/?p=8293 The Aaron Sims Company] (at Concept Art World), [http://conceptartworld.com/?p=8388 Wesley Burt] (at Concept Art World), [http://massiveblack.com/MBwebolution/blog/?p=301 Massive Black], [http://www.ghull.com/#/125195 George Hull]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dark of the Moon (film)}}
[[Category:Dark of the Moon| Dark of the Moon (film)]]
[[Category:Dark of the Moon media| ]]
[[Category:Real world films]]

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)

2024-06-08T22:16:00Z

B3astK1ng:

{{Nav-dotm}}
{{movie|
|seriess=[[Live-action film series]]
|prev=Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)
|next=Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)
|title=''Transformers: Dark of the Moon''
|image=DOTM-OPportraitposter.jpg
|caption="Of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|my friend]], I can only say this: of all the souls I have encountered, he was the most... human."
|production companies=[[Allspark (company)|Hasbro Films]] [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura|di Bonaventura Pictures]]
|distributor=[[Paramount Pictures]]
|executive producer=[[Steven Spielberg]]
|producer=[[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] [[Tom DeSanto]] [[Don Murphy]] [[Ian Bryce]]
|written by=[[Ehren Kruger]]
|directed by=[[Michael Bay]]
|cinematography by=[[Amir Mokri]]
|edited by=[[Roger Barton]] [[William Goldenberg]] [[Joel Negron]]
|music by=[[Steve Jablonsky]]
|release date=[[June 29]], [[2011]]
|continuity=[[Live-action film series]]
|runtime=154 minutes
|budget=$195 million
|box office=$1.124 billion
}}
'''''Transformers: Dark of the Moon''''' is the third film in the [[live-action film series]]. It was released in 3D and IMAX at 9PM on [[June 28]], [[2011]]<ref name="open3D">[http://michaelbay.com/2011/06/18/see-dark-of-the-moon-one-day-earlier-on-imax-3d/ See Dark Of The Moon One Day Earlier on IMAX 3D | MichaelBay]</ref> and in wide release on [[June 29]], [[2011]]<ref name="open">[http://www.deadline.com/2011/05/paramount-moving-up-transformers-3/ Paramount Moving Up ‘T’formers 3′ Release – Deadline.com]</ref> in the United States, and between [[June 29]] and July 1 for other markets.

The film is set three years after the events of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]''. The Autobots continue to work for NEST, but no longer in secret, and for the goal of keeping peace between humans by taking out volatile overseas political targets. But after discovering a strange artifact during a mission in Chernobyl, it becomes apparent to Optimus Prime that the United States government has been less than forthright with them.

And SCENE!

{{bigquote|Aw, shit, I seen this one. It's the one where [[Spock]] goes nuts.|Wheelie|''Transformers: Dark of the Moon''}}

==Synopsis==
[[File:Dotm-Arkreflection.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|"Wha... this is the finest engine room in the whole Starfleet!"]]

In the distant past, during the later days of the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] civil war, [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]] attempted to leave the planet with groundbreaking technology on board the ''[[Ark (DOTM)|Ark]]''. However, his ship was shot down by the Decepticons and, after being sent hurling through space for a while, eventually crashed on the [[Earth]]'s [[Moon (moon)|moon]] in 1961. The crash is noticed by the humans on Earth, leading to the {{w|Space Race}} under President [[John F. Kennedy]]. Landing on the Moon as part of the [[Apollo 11]] mission in 1969, astronauts [[Neil Armstrong]] and [[Buzz Aldrin]] use several minutes of [[radio]] silence to investigate the spaceship and discover that Mankind is not alone in space.

[[File:DOTM - ShockwaveDriller.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|"When I swing around, I mean to deprive you of your life."]]
In the present day, the Autobots are still part of [[NEST]], cooperating with the [[United States military|US Armed Forces]]. They have also begun to help humanity in its local conflicts, as [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]], [[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe]], [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]], and [[Dino]] destroy an illegal [[Iran]]ian nuclear facility. On a mission to the [[Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant]], a NEST team led by [[William Lennox|Lt. Col. Lennox]], [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] discovers an unknown alien fuel cell which had led to the {{w|Chernobyl disaster}}. While trying to secure the cell, they are attacked by the Decepticon [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]] and his "pet", the [[Driller]], who are eventually forced to retreat by Optimus Prime. Meanwhile, [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]] kills [[Alexi Voskhod]], who had called NEST to Chernobyl and was secretly working for him. After securing the fuel cell and identifying it as part of the ''Ark'', Optimus Prime is angry at the humans for not following through with their agreement of sharing all known information relating to Cybertron and its inhabitants. Despite this, he eventually informs his allies and [[Charlotte Mearing]], the {{w|Director of National Intelligence}}, about the space bridge technology the ''Ark'' contains. Together with Ratchet, Optimus travels to the Moon, where they find Sentinel Prime inside the ship. Retrieving him along with four pillars of the space bridge and the accompanying control pillar, they return to Earth, where Optimus uses the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to reactivate Sentinel Prime. In [[Africa]], Decepticon leader [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] (still recovering from wounds [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|suffered]] in [[Egypt]]) meets with his lieutenants [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] and [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]]. Upon learning that the Autobots have recovered Sentinel and the pillars, Megatron orders Soundwave and Laserbeak to terminate their "loose ends".

Meanwhile, [[Sam Witwicky]], the Autobots' human friend, is suffering from everyday problems. Even though President [[Barack Obama]] has awarded him a medal for saving the Earth twice, Sam has trouble finding a job. Together with his new girlfriend [[Carly Spencer]], whom he had met in the [[White House]] (after his former girlfriend [[Mikaela Banes|Mikaela]] had left him), he also gives the stranded Autobots [[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] and [[Brains]] a home. After a long search, he finally finds a position as a mail carrier at a telecommunication company named [[Accuretta Systems]]. From his colleague, [[Jerry Wang]], he learns about a conspiracy by humans who collaborate with the Decepticons. Before Jerry can tell Sam more, however, he is killed by Laserbeak.

[[File:DOTM-Sentinelendofyourworld.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|"There's a man out there I haven't seen in fifteen years who's trying to kill me."]]

Locked out of participating in the investigation by Mearing, Sam turns to [[Seymour Simmons]] for help. Simmons, who has become a millionaire as a writer, and his aide, [[Dutch (DOTM)|Dutch]], help Sam find out that the Soviets have taken photos of Decepticons removing hundreds of space bridge pillars out of the ''Ark'' even before Apollo 11 had landed on the Moon. Sam and Simmons conclude that the Decepticons had left Sentinel Prime behind on purpose, knowing that only he would be able to activate the space bridge, and only Optimus Prime could reactivate him. Sam is able to warn the Autobots in time so they can protect Sentinel from a Decepticon attack and escort him back to the NEST headquarters. Upon arriving there, however, Sentinel Prime betrays them, revealing that he made a deal with Megatron to ensure Cybertron's survival. After killing [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] and most of the NEST soldiers, Sentinel claims the remaining pillars and escapes. The other Autobots track him down to [[Washington, D.C.]], but before Optimus can stop him, Sentinel activates a space bridge to the Moon. The portal allows dozens of Decepticon troops which had remained hidden under the Moon's surface to reach Earth, forcing the Autobots to retreat.

[[File:DOTM-Moonspacebridge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55|"We are one big, happy fleet! Ah, [[James T. Kirk|Kirk]], my old friend, do you know the [[Klingon]] proverb that tells us revenge is a dish that is best served cold? It is ''very'' cold in space."]]

In the meantime, Sam is worried about Carly and searches for her. He finds her with her employer, [[Dylan Gould]], who reveals to Sam that he not only arranged for Sam to get a job with Accuretta, but is also a collaborator with the Decepticons. At their request, his father had used his influence to ensure that [[NASA]] would not conduct any more missions to the Moon. When Sam and Carly attempt to flee, they discover Carly's car is a disguise for Soundwave, who takes her captive. Dylan instructs Sam to ask Optimus Prime about the Autobots' strategy, otherwise Carly will die. To ensure that Sam will not try to warn the Autobots, he attaches a Decepticon disguised as a [[Watch-bot|watch]] on Sam's wrist, and it taps into his nervous system.

Meanwhile, Sentinel Prime has given Mankind an ultimatum to exile the Autobots from Earth, since he is only trying to save Cybertron, or so he claims. The US government promptly passes a bill to this effect. Before the Autobots leave Earth aboard their spaceship, the ''[[Xantium (DOTM)|Xantium]]'', Sam asks Optimus about his plan. Optimus replies that there is no plan, and Mankind is on its own now. With all Autobots on board, the ''Xantium'' takes off, but is promptly intercepted by Starscream, who had waited in Earth's orbit. With the ''Xantium'' destroyed, the Decepticons believe the Autobots to be dead and let Sam go.

[[File:DarkoftheMoon-Chicago.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55|left|"Let them eat static. "]]
With the Autobots out of the way, the Decepticons conquer [[Chicago]], kill most of its population and set up the control pillar for the space bridge inside the city, placing the other pillars around the world. Dylan informs Carly that the Decepticons do not intend to return to Cybertron; instead, they want to transport Cybertron into Earth's orbit, because Earth not only has the necessary resources, but also six billion slaves to rebuild the Transformers' home planet.

Sam decides to go to Chicago, where Dylan has taken Carly. Former NEST soldier [[Robert Epps]], who now works for NASA, accompanies him, together with other former NEST members. Upon arrival in Chicago, they are promptly attacked by the Decepticons, but are rescued by Optimus Prime and the other Autobots. Having never intended to leave Earth, they had hidden themselves inside a modified rocket booster that was jettisoned before Starscream destroyed the ''Xantium''.

[[File:DOTM Driller vs Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55|"From Hell's heart, I stab at thee!"]]

The Autobots and the humans soldiers make their way to the skyscraper where Dylan is located in order to destroy the space bridge's control pillar. Sam and Bumblebee rescue Carly, killing Laserbeak in the process, during which they find a damaged UAV and alert the military to the Decepticons plans. Due to another attack by a team of Decepticons led by Shockwave, the team is separated once more. While the Autobots battle the Decepticons, Epps and his team try to destroy the pillar from another skyscraper. However, they are attacked by Shockwave and the Driller, who brings the skyscraper crashing down. Optimus Prime comes to their aid and destroys the Driller, but is shot by Shockwave and becomes trapped in crane cables.

In the meantime, Lennox and the rest of NEST have managed to make their way into the city using [[wingsuit]]s, and with Lennox's help, Sam destroys Starscream using weapons provided to him by the Autobot scientist Que. Meanwhile, the Decepticons have captured several Autobots, but Dylan convinces them not to keep prisoners and kill them all. [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] executes Que, and Soundwave moves to kill Bumblebee next, but the Autobots Wheelie and Brains have managed to make one of the Decepticons' ships crash, thereby distracting Soundwave long enough for Bumblebee and the other Autobots to get free. Bumblebee overpowers and kills Soundwave. NEST soldiers and US Marines snipe the Decepticons. Autobots and Tanks roll in and ambush the Decepticons. Optimus Prime returns and massacres a large group of Decepticons. He then kills Shockwave and uses the Decepticon's arm cannon to topple over the space bridge's control pillar, deactivating the bridge.

[[File:DOTMCybertrontransit.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.55|"Earth was created in six days. Now, watch out! Here comes Genesis! We'll do it for you in six minutes!"]]

Optimus Prime then confronts Sentinel Prime and the two engage in a ferocious battle of Student vs Master. Carly stumbles across Megatron outside the main battle zone. Having previously witnessed a violent argument between Sentinel Prime and Megatron, she appeals to his pride and makes him realize that he will never be able to rule over Cybertron as long as Sentinel is alive. Meanwhile, after a long fight, Sentinel gains the upper hand over Optimus and severs his right arm. However, before he can execute his former pupil, an infuriated Megatron attacks Sentinel and severely damages him, declaring that Earth is his planet to rule. Megatron realized how far he had fallen in power within the past few years, and has decided to once again take his rightful place at the top of the command chain. Meanwhile, Dylan manages to reactivate the toppled pillar, but is attacked by Sam, who hurls him against the pillar, killing him. Subsequently, Bumblebee destroys the pillar for good, thus destroying the space bridge and, presumably, Cybertron with it. Seeing this, Megatron half-heartedly offers Optimus Prime a truce on the condition that he will remain in charge of the Decepticons, mockingly saying that they would be nothing without each other. Realizing that the offer is less than sincere, Optimus refuses and attacks Megatron, decapitating him with an axe. The weakened Sentinel Prime tries to excuse his actions, but Optimus, claiming Sentinel "betrayed himself," executes the treacherous Prime with Megatron's shotgun.

[[File:DOTM Autobots NEST victorious.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55|"Live long... and prosper..."]]

With the battle over, Sam and Carly are reunited, and Simmons takes an opportunity to kiss Mearing, who he still has feelings for, and she has him arrested. With their home planet now forever beyond reach, and the forces of the Decepticons destroyed, the remaining Autobots finally accept Earth as their new home, as Optimus Prime states that the Autobots will always be here, to protect the Earth and all who live on it.
{{--}}
==Main cast==

{{featuredcharacters|
h1=[[Autobot]]s|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
*[[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]] ([[Leonard Nimoy]])
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]
*[[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] ([[Jess Harnell]])
*[[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] ([[Robert Foxworth]])
*[[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe]] ([[James Remar]])
*[[Dino]] ([[Francesco Quinn]])<ref group=note name="credits">Mirage and Wheeljack, known by those names in the toyline and essentially all supporting media, are respectively named "Dino" and "Que" in the film. While Dino is simply credited as such, Que is listed in the credits as "Que/Wheeljack".</ref>
*[[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que/Wheeljack]] ([[George Coe]])<ref group=note name="credits"/>
*[[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] ([[Tom Kenny]])
*[[Brains]] ([[Reno Wilson]])

'''[[Twins (ROTF)|Twins]]'''
*[[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] (cameo)<ref group=note name=skidsandmudflap>Skids and Mudflap only appear during the convoy scene at the beginning of the film.</ref>
*[[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]] (cameo)<ref group=note name=skidsandmudflap/>

'''[[Wreckers]]'''
*[[Roadbuster (DOTM)|Roadbuster]] ([[Ron Bottitta]])<ref group=note>Roadbuster is listed as "Roadbuster/Amp" in the credits, a reference to his car mode's sponsor. His name is not used in the film, but he is called "Roadbuster" in the toyline and supporting media.</ref>
*[[Topspin (DOTM)|Topspin]]
*[[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]] ([[John DiMaggio]])<ref group=note>Leadfoot is listed in the film's end credits as "Leadfoot/Target", a reference to his car mode's sponsor. His name is not spoken in the film, but he is called "Leadfoot" in the toyline and the supporting media.</ref>

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s|c2=
*[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] ([[Hugo Weaving]])
*[[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] ([[Charlie Adler]])
*[[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]] ([[Frank Welker]])
**[[Driller]]
*[[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]] ([[Frank Welker]])
**[[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]] ([[Keith Szarabajka]])
*[[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] (''Frank Welker'')<ref group=note>Barricade doesn't ''technically'' speak in the movie, an editing gaffe as he kicks Que around before executing him sees Soundwave's voice (provided by Frank Welker) coming out of his mouth for the scene.</ref>
*[[Loader]]
*[[Devcon (DOTM)|Devcon]]
*[[Igor]] ([[Greg Berg]])
*[[Hatchling]]s
*[[Audi R8 Decepticon]]
*Two [[M1 Abrams Decepticon]]s
*[[Garagebot]]
*[[Lensmeter Decepticon]]s
*[[Protoform]]s
*[[Watch-bot]]<ref group=note>Repeatedly referred to as the "Watch-bot" (proper noun) in the ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: The Junior Novel]]''</ref>
*[[Pickup Decepticon]]
*[[Police car Decepticon]]

'''[[Constructicon (ROTF)|Constructicons]]'''
*[[Scrapper (ROTF)|Scrapper]] type Decepticon
*[[Long Haul (ROTF)|Long Haul]] type Decepticon

'''[[Dread (DOTM)|Dreads]]'''
*[[Crankcase (DOTM)|Crankcase]]
*[[Crowbar]] (''[[Jimmie Wood]]'')<ref group=note>During the highway battle scene where Crowbar flips over a sign, recycled screams and grunts from Jimmie Wood's [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]] performance in ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' can be heard.</ref>
*[[Hatchet (DOTM)|Hatchet]]

|h3=[[Human]]s|c3=
*[[Sam Witwicky]] ([[Shia LaBeouf]])
*[[Carly Spencer]] ([[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley]])
*[[Seymour Simmons]] ([[John Turturro]])
*[[Charlotte Mearing]] ([[Frances McDormand]])
*[[Dylan Gould]] ([[Patrick Dempsey]])
*[[Bruce Brazos]] ([[John Malkovich]])
*[[Dutch (DOTM)|Dutch]] ([[Alan Tudyk]])
*[[Ron Witwicky]] ([[Kevin Dunn]])
*[[Judy Witwicky]] ([[Julie White]])
*[[Jerry Wang]] ([[Ken Jeong]])
*[[Neil Armstrong]] ([[Don Jeanes]])
*[[Buzz Aldrin]] ([[Cory Tucker]]/himself)
*[[Walter Cronkite]]
*[[Bill O'Reilly]] (himself)
*[[Alexi Voskhod]] ([[Ravil Isyanov]])
'''[[United States Army|US Military]]/[[NEST]]'''
*[[William Lennox]] ([[Josh Duhamel]])
*[[Morshower]] ([[Glenn Morshower]])
*[[Baby Face]] ([[Markiss McFadden]])
*Former members
**[[Robert Epps]] ([[Tyrese Gibson]])
**[[Hardcore Eddie]] ([[Lester Speight]])

|nonumbering=true
}}
<references group=note/>

==Quotes==

"We were once a peaceful race of intelligent, mechanical beings. But then came the war, Between the Autobots who fought for freedom and the Decepticons who dreampt of tyranny. Overmatched and outnumbered, our defeat was all but certain. But in the war's final days, one Autobot ship escaped the battle. It was carrying a secret cargo, which would have changed our planet's fate. A despearate mission. Our final hope. A hope that vanished."
:—'''Optimus Prime's''' opening narration.

'''Mission Control''': We are not alone after all, are we? 
'''Buzz Aldrin''': No, sir. We are not alone.
:—'''Buzz Aldrin''' makes history, and raises the hackles of conspiracy theorists.

'''Dino''': "He's in a bad mood. He's not talking to anybody today." 
'''Mearing''': "What is this, the silent treatment?" 
'''Ironhide''': "We've seen that and this is ''not'' that." 
'''Que''': "Definitely not." 
'''Ironhide''': "This is ''worse''. Prime! Make something of yourself! (Ironhide taps Optimus's roof) He's pissed."
:—'''Ironhide''' discusses '''Optimus Prime's''' foul mood.

"Who wants some chicken dinner now, bitch? Huh? 'Cause somebody messed with the wrong Wang today!"
:—'''Jerry Wang''', being crazy. But also awesome.

"The thing about Russians is, they never like to talk. Gonna take a little of the 'international language.'" <Doorman opens sliding hatch> "''Do svidaniya''." 
"That means 'goodbye!'" <closes hatch>
:—'''Simmons''' tries to reason with a '''Russian''', to no avail.

"It's a Cyrillic alphabet; it's like all the buttons you never push on a calculator!"
:—'''Dutch''' tries to translate Russian, also to no avail.

"Woah! Little Mexican standoff we got here!"
:-'''Sideswipe''', talking to Ironhide and the Dreads.

"Class dismissed."
:—'''Ironhide''', after dispatching the Dreads.

"What you must realize, my Autobot brothers, is that we were never going to win the war. For the sake of our planet's survival, a deal had to be made...with ''Megatron''."
:—'''Sentinel Prime''' reveals his treachery.

[[File:DOTM-MegatronLincoln.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"I'll give him this: [[Atlantis, Arise!|he]]'s [[Transformers The Game (console)|consistent]]!"]] 
"Here we are. Fight us ''now''."
:—'''Megatron''', pulling the evil overlord cliché on us while sitting atop the [[Abraham Lincoln|Lincoln Memorial]]

"If you go in this building, that's if she's even still alive, there's no way you're going to reach her!" 
"What do you suggest I do?!" 
"...it's over. I'm sorry, but it's over."
:—'''Robert Epps''' tells '''Sam Witwicky''' that they've run out of plans.

"We will kill them all."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' offers an alternative plan.

"They got my trailer. I ''need'' that flight tech!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''', valiantly [[To sell toys|selling toys]].

"I bring you Cybertron, your home! and still you choose humanity." 
"You are the one who taught me [[Bio|freedom is everyone's right]]."
:—'''Sentinel''' VS '''Optimus Prime'''.

"Your Decepticons are finally conquering this planet, and yet their leader won't be you." 
"IT WILL BE ME! It will ''always'' be me! 
"In any minute now, you'll be nothing but Sentinel's bitch."
:—'''Carly Spencer''' tells '''Megatron''' that if he's going to be the Starscream, he should ''act'' like it.

"Who would you be without me, Prime?" 
"Time to find out."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Optimus Prime''' exchange pre-fight banter one last time.

"Optimus. All I ever wanted...was the survival of our race. You must see why I had to betray you..." 
"You didn't betray me. You betrayed yourself..."
:—'''Optimus Prime''''s final exchange with '''Sentinel Prime''' before effectively ''double-tapping'' him.

"In any war, there are calms between storms. There will be days when we lose faith. Days when our allies turn against us... but the day will never come that we forsake this planet and its people."
:—'''Optimus Prime's''' closing narration, [[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|which predicts what will]] [[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|happen to them years later]].

==Continuity notes==
*Sam has since graduated from college, being three months out of school, and is currently looking for a job. Since the events of ''Revenge of the Fallen'', Sam and Mikaela had broke up (despite having to spend an entire film of Sam needing to say the L-word). Prior to the events of this film, he started a relationship with Carly Spencer.
*Megatron's camp is full of salvaged artifacts from the previous film, along with several Decepticon corpses laying around the area. While most are unrecognizable, one of them is a headless Long Haul; his head was presumably used to create Igor. Megatron's new right hand appears to be salvaged from a fallen Decepticon, as the matching left hand can be seen laying around the campsite.
*The Wreckers, according to Charlotte Mearing arrived on Earth aboard the ''Xantium'' and brought the second wave of Autobots with them. The Wreckers were not seen in ''Revenge of the Fallen'', which is given an in-universe explanation that their bloodthirsty attitudes mean they are usually confined to base.
*Barricade makes a surprising return during the final battle in Chicago, last seen driving alongside Bonecrusher on the highway before the latter engaged the Autobot Leader in the first film.
*Megatron is still critically wounded after the final battle of ''Revenge of the Fallen'', notably still missing half of his head.
*Optimus Prime's main moral compass that "freedom is the right of all sentient beings", is revealed to have been taught to him by his predecessor and mentor, Sentinel Prime.
*Introduced in the second film, Optimus uses The Matrix of Leadership to revive Sentinel Prime, having retrieved it from the remains of the Star Harvester sometime following the climax of the second film. In the same previous film, Megatron had suspected the Matrix could be used to revive Optimus and was proven right when Sam succeeded, a fact Megatron exploits in his master plan enacted this film.
*Sentinel Prime was first mentioned in the previous film, by Sam Witwicky during one of his many Allspark induced exposition dump.
*In the previous film, [[Theodore Galloway]] asked Optimus that if humanity asked the Autobots to leave whether they'd cooperate, and Optimus promised to do so. This film sees them seemingly comply with such demands, only to reveal themselves to have stayed behind anyway to defeat the Decepticons.
*Ironhide no longer has his cannons, having lost them in the final battle of the previous film.

==Errors==
===Filming, animation and technical errors===
*When Sam is holding Brains in his hand after catching him spying on him and Carly, there is a short shot in which Sam is briefly seen in the background, holding nothing in hand, Brains is missing. In the next shot, Brains is back in the hand.
*After killing Ironhide, while Sentinel Prime is storming the NEST base, Sentinel Prime, Ironhide and most likely Bumblebee are all missing in a short shot in which we see two cars projected by an explosion, supposed to be a result of one of Sentinel's gun shots.
*Ironhide in alt-form appears in a short shot among the Autobots in Chicago, riding ahead of Optimus, at 01:43:21-01:43:22, but after that he disappears completely.

===Astronomical and historical errors===
*The Moon does not rotate with respect to Earth, and Mare Tranquillitatis is near the middle of the near side. Therefore, Tranquility Base could never be described as being on the far side, and Earth is never as close to the horizon as shown in the movie.
*The Apollo 11 Command/Service Module is seen flying to the Moon without the Lunar Module. The Lunar Module is attached when the vehicle is orbiting the Moon, however.
*When the modern day site of the Apollo 11 landing is seen, the ascent module (the cabin Buzz and Neil flew back to orbit in) is still there.
*In real life, Apollo 11 did not land on the far side of the Moon. Tranquility Base is on the near side of the Moon.
*One of the directors of NASA says that all six Apollo missions recovered parts of the Ark but this not possible as the six missions all had different landing sites which were all a significant distance apart.
*Cybertron is apparently several times the size of Earth, yet the characters talk of bringing it "into Earth's atmosphere"; at that size, it would be more like bringing ''Earth'' into ''Cybertron's'' atmosphere, but see below for the problem with that.
*The Space Bridge starts to bring Cybertron amazingly close to Earth - less than one Earth-diameter away. Assuming Cybertron's mass is proportional to its size, Cybertron's gravitational field would [[The Ultimate Doom|tear the Earth apart]] at that distance.

===Geographic discontinuities===
*The [[Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant]] is shown to be located ''inside'' of, or at least right next to the abandoned city of {{w|Pripyat}}, and the human characters access it through nearby buildings. In reality, the power plant is situated on the outskirts of the city. Even worse, [[Alexi Voskhod]] ''explicitly'' says that the entrance leads through a ''school''. Who builds a ''school'' right next to a ''nuclear power plant''?
*Furthermore, Pripyat's infamous Ferris wheel as shown in the movie is not only the wrong model (the real one's passenger cabins have canopies), but the real one is also located in an open field far away from any buildings.<ref name="ferris">[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pripyat_-_Ferris_wheel.jpg Photo of the Pripyat Ferris wheel] showing the closest nearby buildings.</ref> But hey, at least it's the right color!
*Also, why exactly is the Sputnik mission case inside the Chernobyl reactor building? Did the Soviets never bother to discard the packaging of their toy after starting to play with it?
*When Megatron transforms for the first time, he's in a grassy savannah. In the next shot, he's standing in the middle of a desert... and in the establishing shot of the Decepticon camp, it's back in the savannah.
*{{w|Mount Kilimanjaro}} is seen in the background of many of the scenes in Namibia; in reality, the mountain is located in Tanzania, more than three thousand kilometers away.
[[File:DOTM-Wreckers-Prime-Cables.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Chicago's own [[knockoff]] of a prominent Chinese building.]]
*In a [[Atlantis, Arise!|fairly common cinematic contrivance]], the film depicts multiple skyscrapers in the background of many scenes set in Washington, D.C., while the real-life city has no skyscrapers.
*Also, Washington, D.C. almost entirely lacks old industrial buildings that could be converted into lofts, and likewise doesn't have the kind of densely urban streets that Sam is shown to live on.
*NEST Headquarters, supposedly in Washington, is actually Chicago's abandoned Main Post Office.
*Likewise, Dylan's auto collection museum, also set in (land-locked) Washington, is actually the Milwaukee Art Museum. [[Lake Michigan]] is even visible through the windows!
*When Optimus Prime (using his jetpack) gets himself caught in wires below an under-construction building, that building bears a striking resemblance to the {{w|China Central Television Headquarters}} in [[Beijing]], [[China]]... a far shot from [[Chicago]]. Since construction for the CCTV building was finished in 2008, long before ''Dark of the Moon'' was even ''conceived'', this appears to be an intentional instance of a "cool building" being inserted just for the sake of it.

===Continuity errors===
*Like in ''Revenge of the Fallen'', Ironhide sports his [[license plate]] from the [[Transformers (film)|first movie]], "4PCI382", on his robot mode chest, but doesn't have a license plate in vehicle mode. (According to set photos, his license plate in vehicle mode is mostly black, with a NEST logo on it.)
*Speaking of inconsistencies between robot and vehicle mode: Bumblebee's updated Chevrolet Camaro alternate mode no longer has pinstripes bordering his black racing stripes, but the CG robot model still has the pinstripes.
[[Image:DOTM-SoundwaveMercedesStar.jpg|thumb|upright=1.9|right|Is this the reverse of hidden faction insignias in vehicle mode?]]
*Soundwave has [[kibble]] from his [[Mercedes-Benz|Mercedes]] alternate mode while he is in Africa, but his chest has only a blank grille. The Mercedes star is only added to his chest from the scene where he reveals himself to be Carly's car onward. This is most likely a deliberate choice made to avoid spoiling the plot twist.
*After Megatron pulls out his shotgun for the first time, he holsters it on the right side of his back. In the next scene it is on his left side.
*In the highway battle scene with the [[Dread (DOTM)|Dreads]], Crowbar smashes into some traffic signs and knocks them over. In the next shot when the other two Dreads use them as ramps, the angle at which the signs fell has changed. After Hatchet and Crankcase transform, the signs revert into their original position.
*Also in the highway battle, Bumblebee enhances only his front wheels to evade Hatchet, yet in the next shot he's fully in Stealth Force mode.
*When Hatchet is killed by Bumblebee and Dino, the last shot shows him being thrown onto a car (using footage recycled from Michael Bay's 2005 film ''{{w|The Island (2005 film)|The Island}}'', as elaborated on below), with Dino's grappling hook cables still attached to Hatchet, which would imply that Dino is still in robot mode at this point. However, the very next shot shows Dino in the far background, driving behind Bumblebee in vehicle mode.
*Immediately after crashing into Ironhide, two of Crowbar's hair strands fall to the ground, but he has all six strands from the next shot onwards.
*During Ironhide and Sideswipe's "Mexican standoff" with Crankcase and Crowbar, all combatants drop their firearms, but when Ironhide is speared, his guns are on his back again. They disappear in subsequent shots.
*In addition, the spear impaled in Ironhide disappears when he shoots Crowbar, only to reappear in subsequent shots.
*Despite being captured by Soundwave in her evening gown, Carly is somehow able to change into more convenient clothes (but still wearing high heels!) after arriving at Dylan's place, and has yet another outfit following the attack on Chicago the following day. Not only that, she changes her earrings, too!
*When the Autobots are boarding the ''Xantium,'' Simmons mentions that nine Autobots are leaving. Former Decepticons Wheelie and Brains apparently don't count. Poor little guys!
*The Wreckers claim they had been hiding inside a rocket booster that was jettisoned from the ''Xantium'' before Starscream destroyed it. The boosters are only seen to be detached after Starscream destroys the ship, after it has barely taken off from the ground.
*Though it's a standard action movie contrivance, it sure is convenient that the glass windows inside skyscrapers are extremely fragile when needed, and glass shards are as dangerous as bread crumbs so nobody suffers a single cut from sliding across them.
*Shortly after everyone jumps through the window and starts sliding down, a downwards shot of the building shows all of the windows behind them are intact.
*As everyone tumbles through a lower floor of the building, [[Stone]] is shown to fall right through and out the other side with a collection of office furniture, but not long after is back with Epps's squad.
*Despite the Decepticons taking over Chicago and killing a whole bunch of people, there seem to be a lot of people continuing to go about their daily lives. The skyscraper Epps's team goes into to launch a rocket from still seems to have plenty of office workers in it when the Driller attacks it. When Sam's being thrown around on the end of the grapple glove rope while fighting Starscream, he crashes through a wall into a dry-cleaning business where a woman appears to be calmly hanging up a shirt. Did they all just not get the memo?
*The sequence beginning with Sam, Carly, Epps and the rest of the soldiers jumping out of the windows of the tilted skyscraper is one giant continuity headache: First they jump out of the windows, then slide down several stories, then the camera angle changes and they're sliding down several more stories, and ''then'' a wide shot shows the top of the skyscraper from an angle where the characters cannot be seen, then slowly pans around and eventually shows them all sliding down from one of the topmosts floors all over again! Eventually, they crash back into one of the lowest floors near the break. After the Driller has toppled the top portion of the skyscraper over, the group is ''again'' shown to escape from one one of the topmost floors to the neighboring building!
*Though it is Barricade who kicks and shoves Que along before executing him, the voice heard is Soundwave's. Presumably, this was an artifact of the early alternate version of the scene, in which Soundwave was to kill Dino, and they just re-used the audio.
*While fighting the Autobots at the end of the film, Sentinel Prime's cape disappears for a brief scene before reappearing on his back when the camera angle changes.
*When Sam and Dylan are fighting, the clock behind them changes to different times every shot. It starts at 00:40, then 02:25, 00:15 and 11:00 in the following shots.
*When Sam and Carly are reunited after the final battle, Carly's hands keep changing the position on every cut, sometimes on Sam's neck, sometimes on his shoulders.
*Not intentional: Skids and Mudflap appear for a brief few seconds in the film in their vehicle modes. This leaves questions as to what happened to them. They weren't seen departing from Earth or taking part in the Chicago battle.
*It's said that four Autobots were captured by the Decepticons in Chicago, but actually five Autobots were captured. (Unless this observation was made ''before'' Bumblebee arrived after saving Sam and Lennox), possibly a leftover from an earlier draft of the script in where [[Dino]] and/or [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]] were supposed to already be dead by this point.
*When Que is about to be executed, the "cardboard head on a stick" prop used for Dino during the shooting of the movie (a common method used for the movies to give the actors ''something'' to react to) can be spotted in the final edit of the film,<ref name="headprop">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-movie-discussion/494618-movies-errors-mirage-prop-final-movie-edit.html "Movies Errors - Mirage prop in final movie edit"] at TFW2005</ref> as noted above possibly a leftover from an earlier draft of the script where Soundwave mocked Bumblebee with Dino's disembodied head.

==Transformers references==
In addition to recurring elements from the previous films, ''Dark of the Moon'' bases a number of elements on previous versions of the ''Transformers'' mythos, including plot elements based on older stories, something fairly rare in the other two movies:
*New characters [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] are heavily based upon their Generation 1 counterparts. [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]] is derived from G1 character [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]. [[Sentinel Prime (disambiguation)|Sentinel Prime]] is the name of Optimus's predecessor in many continuities, and in this instance, he continues his [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|predecessor]]'s [[Sentinel Prime (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|legacy]] of being a giant jerk.

*"Carly" was the name of [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]]'s [[Carly|girlfriend and eventual wife]] in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original cartoon]].

*The ''[[Ark (DOTM)|Ark]]'' gets its name from the Autobots' crashed spaceship in the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''Transformers'' comics]].

*The ''[[Xantium (G1)|Xantium]]'' is the name of the [[Wreckers]]' spaceship in the [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''Transformers'' comics.

*[[Roadbuster (DOTM)|Roadbuster]] and [[Topspin (DOTM)|Topspin]] being members of the Wreckers recalls their original G1 counterparts being likewise part of the Wreckers.

*Optimus's new trailer is based on the trailer that [[Optimus Prime (G1)|his Generation 1 counterpart]] hauled around, including its ability to open up into a weapons base.

*Optimus now carries the Matrix around in his chest as he has in past incarnations.

*The corrosive end met by Ironhide comes at the hands of [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]], the oxidizing pathogen that first appeared in the Generation 1 cartoon episode [[Cosmic Rust (episode)|of the same name]]. Though not named in the film, its identity is made clear by production artwork by [[Josh Nizzi]] which labels Sentinel Prime's gun a "Cosmic Rust gun".

*Megatron removing [[Abraham Lincoln]] from his chair at the {{w|Lincoln Memorial}} and then sitting in it is a scene taken directly from the Generation 1 cartoon episode, "[[Atlantis, Arise!]]", and the Decepticon ending for ''[[Transformers The Game]]'' (sort of).

*The idea of bringing Cybertron to Earth via space bridge and enslaving humans was the plot of the Generation 1 multi-part episode "[[The Ultimate Doom]]".

*Likewise, the idea of an influential and powerful human joining forces with the Decepticons, resulting in the Autobots being exiled from Earth by the government via a spacecraft, only for that spacecraft to be destroyed, was the plot behind another Generation 1 cartoon multi-part episode, "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1|Megatron's Master Plan]]."

*Megatron's first line - a weary "[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All hail Megatron]]" - is the title of IDW's direction-changing comic maxi-series, which had just wrapped up when production on the film was beginning.

*When the worker at Accureta Systems is trying to make the [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|photocopier]] work, it beeps the "more than meets the eye" refrain from the original cartoon's [[theme song]].

*The [[Transformation#The noise|transformation noise]] can be heard at the end of the film when Bumblebee transforms to robot mode, the final onscreen transformation, just as it was heard during [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]]'s transformation, which was also the first onscreen transformation in the first film.

*The technique of shooting at a skyscraper until it breaks in half and the top falls horizontally on other buildings has been done by [[Megatron (BW)|another Megatron]] in [[Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future|another city]].

==Real-world references==
*When Brains and Wheelie are watching ''{{w|Star Trek: The Original Series}}'', the screen features [[Spock|Mr. Spock]], portrayed by Leonard Nimoy—who voices Sentinel Prime. Wheelie comments that it is "the one where Spock goes nuts," which foreshadows Sentinel's heel turn. The episode itself is the famous ''TOS'' episode "{{w|Amok Time}}", although for some inexplicable reason, the first of the two clips shown on-screen is mirrored.
*Sentinel Prime says "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." The voice actor said the same line in the 1982 film ''{{w|Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan}}'' as Mr. Spock. However, in that movie, Nimoy's character dies a hero.
*To finish the Spock trifecta, when Bumblebee says his goodbyes to Sam, he uses a clip of Leonard Nimoy, as Spock, saying "I will always be your friend," another line from ''Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan''.
*[[Dutch (DOTM)|Dutch]] and his fake girlfriend's name, "India", are a reference to {{w|Dutch India}}.
*[[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]]'s name is a reference to {{w|Q (James Bond)|Q}} from ''{{w|James Bond}}'' novels and films. Que also gives weapons to NEST soldiers while explaining the advantages and abilities for the weapons much like Q does for James Bond.
*When Bumblebee brings forth "rings" for Sam and Carly, he "hums" the {{w|Wedding March}} (or, more correctly, the {{w|Bridal Chorus}} from {{w|Richard Wagner}}'s 1850 opera ''{{w|Lohengrin (opera)|Lohengrin}}'').
*Before Sentinel gets attacked by Megatron, he says "There can only be one", a popular misquote of the line "There can be only one" from the film Highlander. Sentinel is also modeled after one of the film's lead stars Sean Connery.

==Other editions==
*The version of the film available for streaming on Star+ cuts all scenes where humans are desintegrated to the bone by the Decepticons. As a result, the initial invasion of Chicago is cut significantly short.
{{stub}}
{{--}}

==Prequel material==
*''[[Transformers: Sector 7]]''
A five-issue limited mini-series chronicling the foundation of [[Sector Seven|Sector 7]] leading up to ''[[Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday|Ghosts of Yesterday]]''.
*''[[Transformers: Foundation]]''
A four-issue limited mini-series set during the events of ''[[Transformers: Defiance|Defiance]]'' telling the events that lead-up to the original ''[[Transformers: Movie Prequel|Movie Prequel]]''.
*''[[Transformers: Rising Storm]]''
A four-issue limited mini-series set after ''[[Transformers: Nefarious|Nefarious]]'' cronicling Shockwave's arrival and the task given to him by Megatron.
*''[[Cyberglyphics pack-in comics]]''
A six-issue miniseries by IDW, produced in cooperation with [[Target]], available only in printed form as [[pack-in material]] with a small Target-[[exclusive]] [[Target#Dark of the Moon|range of toys]], following [[Space Case (DOTM)|Space Case]]'s encounters with the Autobots and the Decepticons and leads up to ''Rising Storm''.
*''[[Transformers: Convergence]]''
A four-part prose story exclusive to the individual issues of IDW Publishing's ''Dark of the Moon comic adaptation'', chronicles both the Simmons lineage in the aftermath of ''Sector 7'' and Soundwave's activites on Earth, tying the remaining loose ends and setting the stage for ''Dark of the Moon''.
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Xbox 360/PS3)]]''
A video game developed by [[High Moon Studios]] for [[Xbox 360]] & [[PlayStation|PS3]].
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Stealth Force Edition]]''
A [[Wii]] & [[Nintendo 3DS|3DS]] port of the game developed by [[Behaviour Interactive]] focusing only on [[Stealth Force]].
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Autobots/Decepticons]]''
A [[Nintendo DS]] port of the game also developed by Behaviour Interactive, with each factions separated in two titles.
*''[[Transformers (Titan Magazine)#Dark of the Moon|Transformers (Titan Magazine)]]''
A monthly title by Titan in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] (another rebranding of their existing comic).
*''[[Transformers Classified]]''
A prequel novel trilogy in the same vein as ''Ghosts of Yesterday'' and ''[[Transformers: The Veiled Threat|The veiled Threat]]'' that was published after the movie, composed by ''[[Transformers Classified: Switching Gears|Switching Gears]]'', ''[[Transformers Classified: Battle Mountain|Battle Mountain]]'' & ''[[Transformers Classified: Satellite of Doom|Satellite of Doom]]'', later published together as ''[[Transformers Classified: The Complete Mission]]'' it cronicles how the Autobots & Decepticons fight against each other on Earth in the aftermath of [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|The Fallen's death]].

==Adaptations==
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (novel)|Transformers: Dark of the Moon]]''
The novelization of the film by [[Peter David]].
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon Movie Adaptation]]''
IDW Publishing's comic adaptation of the movie.

'''Children's adaptations'''
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: The Junior Novel]]''
The movie novelization for kids.

==Sequels==
{{main|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|Bumblebee (film)}}

==Soundtrack==
{{main|Dark of the Moon: The Album}}

==Score==
{{main|Dark of the Moon: The Score}}

==Home video releases==
{{main|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)/home video}}
''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' was released on DVD, Blu-Ray, and Digital Download on September 30, 2011, followed by the 2-Disc Special Edition in December.<ref>[TFW2005 - Official Transformers Movie Website Updated With Transformers 3 Home Release Info http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-just-movie-31/official-transformers-movie-website-updated-with-transformers-3-home-release-info-173245/]</ref>

===Additional Information===
*Close Captions in English
*Audio Description as Audio Description in English <ref>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B005G4TJUC/audiodescriin-20</ref>

==Theatrical posters==
<center>
<gallery perrow="3">
DOTM-OPbillboardposter.jpg
DOTM-Bumblebeebanner.jpg
DOTM-Shockwavebanner.jpg
DOTM-OPportraitposter.jpg
</gallery>
</center>

==Reception==
{{quote|Time will tell whether Transformers: Dark of the Moon really is the final Transformers film for both director Michael Bay and star Shia LaBeouf, but it's certainly the best one in this hugely successful, but widely loathed franchise.|[https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/06/27/transformers-dark-of-the-moon-review They've Fallen, but can the Transformers get up?], Jim Vejvoda|[https://www.ign.com ign.com] [[June 27]] [[2011]]}}

{{quote|Rarely has a movie had less of a soul and less interesting characters.|Richard Roeper, [http://www.richardroeper.com/reviews/transformersdarkofthemoon.aspx richardroeper.com] [[June 28]], [[2011]]}}

On June 23, 2011, the world premiere of ''Dark of the Moon'' was held in [[Moscow]], [[Russia]], with band [[Linkin Park]] performing a concert that included their title song for the movie, "Iridescent".

The official release date was moved up from July 1 to June 29 to allow breathing room between its release and ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2}}''. On June 28, 2011, the film was released in 3D and IMAX in the US.

The film received mixed reviews from the critical reception, who praised the visual effects, action sequences, musical score, voice acting, and use of 3D, while criticizing the runtime, storyline, the performances of [[Shia LaBeouf]] and [[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley]], and screenplay. ''Dark of the Moon'' was considered at least an improvement from ''Revenge of the Fallen'', receiving a tomatometer score of 35% and an audience score of 55% on Rotten Tomatoes.<ref>https://rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_dark_of_the_moon</ref>

''Dark of the Moon'' launched with nearly 10,000 copies in 4011 theaters nationwide. On its opening day, the movie earned $37.3 million, making not only for the best opening day of 2011 up to that point, but also ranking as the sixth most successful opening on a Wednesday ever, while at the same time ranking well behind ''Revenge of the Fallen'', with $60 million on its opening day (also a Wednesday).<ref name="openingday">[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3197&p=.htm "'Transformers' Suboptimal on Wednesday"], Box Office Mojo, June 2011.</ref> (Of course, a lot of the print material still listed the release date as [[July 1]]st, the following Friday.)

On [[August 2]], it crossed the $1 billion mark in worldwide gross, just under 5 weeks after its release, landing it in the #9 spot for worldwide gross of all time.<ref>http://www.deadline.com/2011/08/transformers-dark-of-the-moon-crosses-1-billion-worldwide-mark-for-paramount/ Deadline Hollywood</ref> Of that, $338 million came from the US. It is currently one of two Paramount pictures to have made the $1 billion mark, the other being [[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|its sequel]]. (While ''Titanic'' also made over $1 billion worldwide, it was only a Paramount movie ''domestically'', where it made "only" $620 million.)

''Dark of the Moon'' ended its theatrical run in the #4 spot for highest worldwide gross of all time.

Upon its' release, the ''Transformers'' fanbase generally had a warmer reception to the film over its' predecessor, with praise going to the action, score, and particularly [[Leonard Nimoy]]'s performance and role as [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]]. Several moments in the film caused no shortage of discussion, with Optimus Prime's more ruthless, violent actions ([[Peter Cullen]] himself disliked the "we will kill them all" line) and the handling of the deaths of major franchise characters being notable sore spots for the film's detractors. Over a decade since its' release, ''Dark of the Moon'' still retains the warmest reception to a Bay film outside of the first film, though those more ambivalent towards the series don't consider it that different from the lesser films.

===Awards and recognition===
''Dark of the Moon'' was nominated for three Academy Awards, in the categories of Best Visual Effects, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing, losing all to ''{{w|Hugo (film)|Hugo}}''.<ref>[http://oscar.go.com/nominees#t Official 2012 Oscar nominees page]</ref>

On February 25, 2012, it was announced that ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' was nominated for eight {{w|Golden Raspberry Award}}s. Unlike ''Revenge of the Fallen'', however, it did not receive the awards for Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay, & Worst Director, losing all of its nominations to ''{{w|Jack & Jill (film)|Jack & Jill}}''.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-just-movie-31/transformers-dark-of-the-moon-is-safe-from-razzies-174726/]</ref>

==Technical details==
'''Length:''' 154 minutes
'''Audio:''' Dolby Digital / DTS / SDDS 
'''Content Rating:'''
{{collist|4|
*PG-13 (USA/MPAA)
*G (Japan)
*12A (United Kingdom)
*PG (Canada; Ontario)
*G (Canada; Quebec)
*PG-12 (Taiwan)
*PG13 (Singapore)
*PG-13 (Philippines/MTRCB)
*IIA (China)
*PG-13 (Malaysia)
*M (Australia)
*M (New Zealand)
*12 (Brazil)
*K-11 (Finland)
*12 (Germany)
*12A (Ireland)
*12 (Netherlands)
*M/12 (Portugal)
*12 (South Korea)
*B (Mexico)
*12+ (Russia)}}

==Production staff==
{{stub}}

===Visual effects===
{{stub}}

===Locations department===
{{quote|The Decepticons' decision to attack Chicago<ref>http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-471495</ref> seems inexplicable, until you take into consideration the generous tax credits offered by the Illinois Film Office.|film critic Roger Ebert|[http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2011/07/on_the_origin_of_transformers.html On the Origin of Transformers]}}

==Development details==
===Cast and crew signing on===
[[File:TF3-licensingPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Featuring a surprise appearance by Optimus Prime!]]
On May 30, 2007, a month before the official release of ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'', [[DreamWorks]] announced that two sequels were already being planned.<ref name="spy">[http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/a58430/two-transformers-sequels-in-pipeline.html Digital Spy article from May 2007, confirming that two sequels were being planned]</ref> On March 16, 2009, over three months before the premiere of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]] announced the third movie for July 1, 2011.<ref name="3release">Pamela McClintock: [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118001280?refCatId=13 Variety article from March 2009], confirming Transformers 3 for July 2011.</ref> Director [[Michael Bay]] promptly backpedaled, as he had intended for the third ''Transformers'' movie to be released in 2012.<ref name="baywait">[http://www.shootfortheedit.com/forum/showthread.php?3947-Wait-a-minute! Michael Bay's reaction to Paramount's July 2011 date for ''Transformers 3''], March 2009.</ref> He officially changed his mind in October 2009, agreeing to the release date set by Paramount.<ref name="bay3-2011">[http://michaelbay.com/2009/10/01/transformers-3-july-1st-2011/ Michael Bay officially confirms the 2011 release date], October 2009.</ref>

[[Roberto Orci]] and [[Alex Kurtzman]], two of the previous two movies' screenwriters, had already announced in March 2009 that they would not return for a third part.<ref name="noorcikurtz">[http://www.slashfilm.com/orci-and-kurtzman-not-returning-for-transformers-3-will-leonard-nimoy-voice-the-fallen/ Slashfilm quoting Roberto Orci that he and Kurtzman would not return for a third movie], March 2009. (Original post on Don Murphy's message board appears to no longer exist.)</ref> In September 2009, their ''Revenge'' co-writer [[Ehren Kruger]] was confirmed as the screenwriter of ''Transformers 3''.<ref name="krugernelson">[http://michaelbay.com/2009/09/14/transformers-3-pain-gain-bad-boys-3/ Michael Bay's website admin Nelson Lauren sorta-confirms Ehren Kruger as TF3's screenwriter], September 2009.</ref> Kruger had already impressed both director Michael Bay and [[Hasbro]] CEO [[Brian Goldner]] with his knowledge of ''Transformers'' mythology prior to working on ''Revenge''.<ref name="writersr">[http://www.zap2it.com/movies/news/zap-transformers2writers,0,1938976.story Zap2it story about the ROTF writers]</ref>

In an interview with ''Wonderland'' magazine in September 2009, [[Megan Fox]], the main female star of the previous two movies, discussed the harsh conditions on the sets and compared director Michael Bay to [[Adolf Hitler]].<ref name="latimesfox">[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2009/09/megan-fox-on-michael-bay-he-wants-to-be-hitler.html Los Angeles Times article about Megan Fox's fatal interview with ''Wonderland'' magazine], September 2009.</ref> Bay initially played down the affair and still welcomed Fox back for the third installment a month later.<ref name="bay3-2011"/> Even though Fox was still spotted on the ''Transformers 3'' set in May 2010,<ref name="foxonset">[http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/100786-megan-fox-on-set-for-transformers-3-previz Megan Fox on the DOTM set], May 2010.</ref> Paramount announced a few weeks later that she wouldn't return for a third movie after all.<ref name="nomorefox">[http://www.deadline.com/2010/05/michael-bays-revenge-no-more-megan/ Deadline article confirming that Megan Fox had been dropped off ''Transformers 3''], May 2010.</ref> Still that same month, [[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley]] was confirmed to replace her as the lead female actress.<ref name="rosierepl">[http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1640047/model-rosie-huntingtonwhiteley-cast-transformers-3.jhtml MTV.com article confirming Rosie Huntington-Whiteley as the new female star of ''Transformers ''], May 2010.</ref> Her character's name was confirmed as "[[Carly Spencer|Carly]]" by Nelson Lauren, the webmaster of Michael Bay's official website, in July 2010.<ref name="nelsonchicagojul">[http://www.shootfortheedit.com/forum/showthread.php?7566-Transformers-3-Chicago-Set-Photos Nelson posts about his visit to the Chicago set at shootfortheedit.com's forums], July 2010.</ref> In 2011, Michael Bay finally confirmed in an interview with ''GQ'' magazine that it had been [[Steven Spielberg]], executive producer of the ''Transformers'' movies, who had urged him to fire Fox following the Hitler comparison.<ref name="baygq">[http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/201107/michael-bay-steven-spielberg-fired-megan-fox-transformers GQ interview with Michael Bay], June 2011.</ref> In a later interview, however, he claimed this statement had been taken out of context.<ref name="baych">[http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/kultur/kino/Diese-Autos-muessen-zerstoert-werden--und-da-bin-ich-der-richtige-Mann/story/23997460 Interview with Michael Bay from Switzerland] (German language), July 2011.</ref>

In March 2010, Oscar winners [[John Malkovich]] and [[Frances McDormand]] as well as comedian [[Ken Jeong]] were confirmed having signed on for supporting roles.<ref name="malkomcdor">[http://michaelbay.com/2010/03/22/transformers-3-update-from-michael-bay/ Michael Bay confirming John Malkovich, Frances McDormand and Ken Jeong for ''Transformers 3''], March 2010.</ref>

In April 2010, [[Kevin Dunn]] and [[Julie White]] were confirmed to return as Sam Witwicky's parents.<ref name="varietydunnwhite">[http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118017329.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1 'Dunn, White sign on for 'Transformers 3''], Variety, April 2010.</ref>

In May 2010, Paramount confirmed that [[Patrick Dempsey]] was cast in ''Transformers 3'' to play Mikaela Banes' boss (this was before Megan Fox was fired from the production).<ref name="dempsey">[http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2010/05/04/patrick-dempsey-confirmed-for-transformers-3/ "Patrick Dempsey confirmed for Transformers 3"], Hollywood Insider, May 2010.</ref>

In July 2010, Nelson Lauren confirmed that former American footballer [[Lester Speight]] would play a soldier in the movie.<ref name="nelsonchicagophotos">[http://michaelbay.com/2010/07/20/transformers-3-chicago-set-photos/ Photos of the Chicago set by michaelbay.com webmaster Nelson Lauren], July 2010.</ref>

[[Leonard Nimoy]] was confirmed as the voice actor for [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]] in March 2011.<ref name="nimoysent">[http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/03/31/leonard-nimoy-transformers-dark-of-the-moon Entertainment Weekly announces Leonard Nimoy's involvement], March 2011]</ref> Nimoy, who had previously voiced [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] in 1986's ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' and was married to Michael Bay's cousin Susan, had previously been under consideration for [[The Fallen]]'s voice in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', but Bay had been hesitant for fear of offending his relative with the relatively low pay allotted to voice actors.<ref name="nimoy1">[http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/04/21/michael-bay-afraid-to-offend-leonard-nimoy-with-transformers-family-reunion-offer/ ''Michael Bay Afraid To Offend Leonard Nimoy With ‘Transformers’ Family Reunion Offer''], MTV.com Movies blog, April 2009.</ref> Even though Nimoy openly asked Bay to simply give him a call,<ref name="nimoy2">[http://www.latinoreview.com/news/leonard-nimoy-to-michael-bay-call-me-6682 Leonard Nimoy To Michael Bay: "Call Me!"], Latino Review, April 2009.</ref> it ultimately never worked out, and The Fallen was voiced by [[Tony Todd]] instead. For ''Dark of the Moon'', Bay finally overcame his anxiety and hired Nimoy, who accepted the offer.<ref name="nimoy3">[http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/03/31/leonard-nimoy-transformers-dark-of-the-moon/ "Leonard Nimoy joins 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' voice cast -- EXCLUSIVE"], Entertainment Weekly, March 2011.</ref> In return, screenwriter Ehren Kruger included several nods to Nimoy's well-known character as Mr. Spock from ''[[Star Trek]]'' in the movie.<ref name="nimoystartrek">[http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666643/transformers-dark-of-the-moon-star-trek-references.jhtml "'Transformers: Dark Of The Moon': Behind The 'Star Trek' Nods"], MTV.com, July 2011.</ref> ''Dark of the Moon'' would be Nimoy's final performance in the ''Transformers'' franchise before his death in early 2015.

===Writing and production===
After having defended the almost universally critically panned ''Revenge of the Fallen'' for a long time, Michael Bay finally acknowledged flaws of the script, but blamed the {{w|2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike}} prior to the movie for many problems. As a definite error, he singled out the "dork comedy", which he promised to avoid with ''Dark of the Moon''.<ref name="bayvisit">[http://collider.com/michael-bay-interview-transformers-dark-moon-edit-bay-visit/63824/ Collider.com article about DOTM], December 2010.</ref>

Principal shooting began in May 2010. Shooting locations included [[Chicago]] (and nearby East Chicago and Gary Indiana), Moscow,<ref name="locations">[http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=63682 "Transformers 3 Headed to Chicago and Moscow"], Comingsoon.net, February 2010.</ref> the [[Kennedy Space Center]] in Florida,<ref name="kennedyspace">[http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/101114-the-transformers-3-shoot-at-kennedy-space-center "The Transformers 3 Shoot at Kennedy Space Center"], SuperHeroHype.com, May 2010.</ref> Milwaukee (Wisconsin),<ref name="milwaukee">[http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/movies/98266574.html "'Transformers 3' takes over Milwaukee Art Museum"], Journal Sentinel Online, July 2010.</ref> Detroit,<ref name="detroit">[http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/107775-photos-from-the-detroit-transformers-3-set "Photos From the Detroit Transformers 3 Set"], SuperHeroHype.com, September 2010.</ref> [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref name="militaryextras">[http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=473674758199&id=114648515718 US Department of Defense casting call for ''Dark of the Moon''], October 2010.</ref> and Angkor Wat in Cambodia.<ref name="angkor">[http://www.akp.gov.kh/?p=1184 "'Transformers 3' To Be Shot in Cambodia"], Agence Kampuchea Presse, January 2011.</ref>

For the scene where Lennox and his soldier jump out of a V-22 Osprey using wingsuits, Michael Bay used real parachutists and thus avoided unnecessary CG effects. In fact, he had been inspired for this scene in the first place by watching the parachutists in their wingsuits on television<ref name="wingsuits">[http://blog.movies.yahoo.com/blog/1498-transformers-wingsuits-no-cgi-required Yahoo! Movies article on the wingsuit parachutists], June 2011.</ref> and wrote the scene with the intention of using the parachutists in the movie.<ref name="bayvisit"/>

For the Apollo 11 moon landing mission in the flashback sequence at the beginning of the movie, astronauts [[Neil Armstrong]] and [[Buzz Aldrin]] are played by actors Don Jeanes and Cory Tucker, respectively. In the present day timeline, Aldrin himself appears briefly as his own older self.<ref name="aldrin">[http://movies.yahoo.com/news/yahoo-contributor-network/astronaut-buzz-aldrin-hangs-out-with-optimus-prime-transformers-dark-moon Yahoo! Movies article on Buzz Aldrin's appearance in DOTM], July 2011.</ref>

Over 500 cars were destroyed in the making of ''Dark of the Moon'', all of them damaged property from insurance companies intended for destruction.<ref name="baych"/>
[[Image:ROTFvsDOTMUSNavyHollenbeck.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|right|Wherever General Morshower goes, I go.]]

Two accidents happened during shooting: In September 2010, while shooting in East Chicago, Indiana, a female extra was severely injured when a stunt scene went wrong, leaving her with permanent brain damage, the left side of her body paralyzed and her left eye stitched shut. Paramount was subsequently sued for damages by the victim's family.<ref name="extrastunt">[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-10-05/news/ct-met-transformers-lawsuit-20101005_1_gabriela-cedillo-stunt-welding Chicago tibune article on the injured extra and the subsequent lawsuit], October 2010.</ref> She was eventually granted an $18.5 million settlement in May 2012.<ref name="settlement">[http://www.tmz.com/2012/05/23/transfomers-3-injured-extra-gets-18-million-settlement/ TMZ story about Gabriela Cedillo's settlement]</ref> As a consequence, part of the scene of the car chase battle in Washington, D.C. (which would have included the shoot that had led to the accident) was instead "[[Stock footage|borrowed]]" from Michael Bay's 2005 film ''{{w|The Island (2005 film)|The Island}}''.<ref name="island1">[https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/07/04/transformers-3-re-uses-car-crash-from-the-island "Transformers 3 Re-Uses Car Crash From The Island"], IGN Movies, July 2011.</ref> While shooting in Washington, D.C., in October 2010, one of the Chevrolet Camaro prop cars that served as Bumblebee's [[alternate mode]] crashed into a {{w|Metropolitan Police}} SUV. Nobody was seriously injured this time, though Bumblebee sustained severe front-end damage.<ref name="camarocrash">[http://jalopnik.com/5661321/bumblebee-smashes-cop-car-in-yet-another-transformers-3-accident Jalopnik article on the Camaro crash], October 2010.</ref> Hasbro would later "commemorate" this latter event with the [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]] [[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]] "Cybertronian Warriors Pack". Fans, meanwhile, joked that the SUV was Barricade getting revenge.

Another (brief) instance of recycled footage occurs during the Chicago battle: When the Navy fires several Tomahawks at the Decepticons, the mission control room scene was previously used to depict the interior of the [[USS Kidd]] in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]''. The most obvious similarity is the [[Hollenbeck|same operator]] saying "Target acquired" both times.<ref name="recycled">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=6tSMdR8vH0s YouTube video] featuring brief clips from ''Dark of the Moon'' and ''Revenge of the Fallen'', highlighting the recycled footage.</ref>

''Dark of the Moon'' is the first of the ''Transformers'' movies to be released in 3D. Despite early considerations to shoot the movie in 2D and convert it into 3D later, Michael Bay ultimately shot 60% of the film in native 3D, another 15% were done digitally, and the rest was shot in 2D and converted later. [[James Cameron]] assisted Michael Bay with the 3D effects. The movie's budget amounted to $195 million, which is about the same budget ''Revenge of the Fallen'' had. About $30 million went into the 3D effects.<ref name="cameron">[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/michael-bay-reveals-james-camerons-191774 "Michael Bay Reveals James Cameron's Secret Role in the Making of 'Transformers'"], The Hollywood Reporter, May 2011.</ref>

===Sponsors and partners===
====Hasbro====
Hasbro, licensor of the [[Transformers brand]], hoped that the third movie would once again boost toy sales, after profits had dropped in the first quarter of 2011.<ref name="hasbroq12011">[http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Hasbro-1Q-profit-drops-71-pct-apf-664090076.html?x=0&.v=11 Yahoo! Finance article about weak Hasbro toy sales in 2011's first quarter], April 2011.</ref> For the second quarter of 2011, Hasbro reported a net revenue growth of 23 percent to $908.5 million, citing brands such as ''Transformers'' and ''[[Beyblade]]'' as the main sources of the increased income.<ref name="hasbro2nsq">[http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Hasbro-Reports-Revenue-and-bw-4063497156.html?x=0&.v=1 "Hasbro Reports Revenue and Earnings Growth for the Second Quarter 2011"], Yahoo! Finance, July 2011.</ref>

====US military and NASA====
Like the previous two movies, ''Dark of the Moon'' featured real military personnel as extras, supported by the [[United States Department of Defense]].<ref name="militaryextras"/> Shooting locations were Hurlburt Field and [[Edwards Air Force Base]].<ref name="hurlburt">[http://www.shadowspear.com/special-operations-entertainment/105725-transformers-filmed-at-hurlburt.html "'Transformers 3 Filmed at Hurlburt, 1SOW Included as 'Extras'"], ShadowSpear Special Operations, July 2011.</ref>

In addition, ''Dark of the Moon'' was also supported by NASA, and NASA employees appear as extras in the movie as well.<ref name="nasa">[http://www.space.com/12142-transformers-film-nasa-space-program-touches.html "'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' Has Real-Life NASA Touches"], Space.com, July 2011.</ref>

====General Motors and other car manufacturers====
[[General Motors]] once again provided several vehicles. All recurring Autobots retain their [[alternate mode]]s from ''Revenge of the Fallen'' despite some minor tweaks, such as Sideswipe now being a convertible, and Bumblebee now sporting a rear spoiler. Once again, the cooperation was mutual, with General Motors using Bumblebee for TV commercials. The first of those, aired during the 2011 Super Bowl, also revealed some minor tweaks to Bumblebee's robot mode.<ref name="bumblebeead1">[http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2011/02/-bumblebee-appears-in-a-chevrolet-camaro-super-bowl-ad/1 "'Bumblebee' appears in Chevrolet's Super Bowl ad"], USA Today, February 2011.</ref><ref name="bumblebeead2">[http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/06/chevy-drops-new-ad-touting-transformers-3-tie-in/ "Video: Chevy drops new ad touting Transformers 3 tie-in"], Autoblog.com, June 2011.</ref> According to Chevrolet, the ''Transformers'' movies notably affect car sales, as about ten percent of all Camaros sold in the preceding year were yellow, twice as many as with other models.<ref name="carstarscast">[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/transformers-dark-moon-how-sequels-204557 "'Transformers: Dark of the Moon': How the Sequel's Star Cars Were Cast"], The Hollywood Reporter, June 2011.</ref>

New additions for ''Dark of the Moon'' are a Ferrari 458 Italia and a Mercedes-Benz E550 as Autobots ([[Dino]] and [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]], respectively) and a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG as a Decepticon ([[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]]). In the movie, both Autobots sport names which aren't recycled from existing Hasbro toys. In the Ferrari's case, the reason for this is that Hasbro's greatest competitor, Mattel, has an exclusive license for Ferrari toys.<ref name="ferrarimattel">[http://www.ferrari.com/English/Pages/Mattel.aspx Mattel license information], Ferrari.com.</ref><ref name="nelsonnomirage">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/409844-mirage-no-longer-name-red-italia-dotm-3.html#post6103423 Michael Bay's website admin, Nelson Lauren, explaining why the Ferrari isn't named "Mirage"], TFW2005, May 2011.</ref> "Dino" is named in reference to {{w|Alfredo Ferrari|Alfredo "Dino" Ferrari}}, as per Ferrari's request. The Mercedes-Benz E550, meanwhile, was specifically customized for the movie.<ref name="e550tuning">[http://www.eurotuner.com/news/eurp_1102_mercedes_benz_e550_for_next_transformers_movie/index.html "Mercedes-Benz E550 for Next Transformers Movie - Web Exclusive"], Eurotuner.com, February 2011.</ref> "Que" is named in homage to {{w|Q (James Bond)|Q}} from ''{{w|James Bond}}''. A Maybach 62S Landaulet is also featured in the movie, albeit not as a Transformer, but merely as a regular car used by [[Seymour Simmons]] and his assistant [[Dutch (DOTM)|Dutch]].

Unlike Optimus Prime, whose alternate mode was not licensed for any of the three movies, the Rosenbauer Panther 6x6 airport fire truck used for [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]] was officially provided by the Rosenbauer International AG and entirely repainted specifically for the film, at a cost of thousands of dollars, as real-world aircraft fire-fighting vehicles are required by FAA regulations to have a much lighter color scheme, which didn't appeal to director [[Michael Bay]].<ref name="rosenbauer">[http://www.rosenbaueramerica.com/press/2011/06/rosenbauer-panther-6x6-to-be-f/ Rosenbauer America press release, June 28, 2011]</ref>

Since the heavily armed Chevrolet Impalas that serve as the [[Wreckers]]' alternate modes are directly based on existing NASCAR race cars, the prop versions of [[Roadbuster (DOTM)|Roadbuster]], [[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]], and [[Topspin (DOTM)|Topspin]] made an appearance at [[2011]] Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on [[February 20]], four month before the movie's release, appearing both off the track as display cars, and on the track, participating in the ceremonial first lap.<ref name="daytona">[http://www.hendrickmotorsports.com/news/photos/2011/02/18/TRANSFORMERS-cars-on-display-at-Daytona "'TRANSFORMERS' cars on display at Daytona"], Hendrick Motorsports, February 2011.</ref> Director Michael Bay, actor [[Josh Duhamel]] and actress [[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley]] also attended the event, and during the television broadcast of the race, a new ''Dark of the Moon'' television spot was aired.

====Other product placement====
As always, various companies have their products and names prominently displayed throughout the movie, such as {{w|Northrop Grumman}}, [[CNN]], [[Fox News Channel|Fox News]], {{w|Cisco}} and {{w|Superfund}}.<ref name="brands1">[http://www.brandchannel.com/brandcameo_films.asp?movie_year_az=2011 "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"] at brandchannel.com.</ref> Paper manufacturer Double A also cooperated with Paramount and even had Michael Bay direct a commercial that features scenes from ''Dark of the Moon'', notably [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]].<ref name="paper">[http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/167497-transformers-featured-in-double-a-paper-ad "Transformers Featured in Double A Paper Ad"] at SuperHeroHype, June 2011.</ref> Of particular note is the large number of Chinese brands such as {{w|Lenovo}}, {{w|Yili Group|Yili}} Shuhua Milk, {{w|Metersbonwe Group|Metersbonwe}} Mtee shirts and {{w|TCL Corporation|TCL}} HDTV screens.<ref name="chinesebrands">[http://advertising.chinasmack.com/2011/transformers-the-rise-of-chinese-product-placement.html "Transformers: The Rise Of Chinese Product Placement"] at Chinasmack.</ref><ref name="brands2">[http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2011/07/05/Brandcameo-070411-Transformers-3.aspx "Transformers 3 Product Placement: If Tom Hanks Gets a Pass, Michael Bay Does Not"] at brandchannel, July 2011.</ref>

For [[Nokia]], the product placement turned out to be dated by the time the movie came out, as a mobile phone featured in the movie ran on {{w|Symbian}}, despite Nokia mostly dropping Symbian as an operating system due to their recent partnership with {{w|Microsoft}}.<ref name="nokiaobit">[http://www.thenoisecast.com/2011/07/nokia-x7-product-placement-in-transformers-3-feels-like-an-obituary/ "Nokia X7 Product Placement In Transformers 3 Feels Like An Obituary"], Noisecast, July 2011.</ref>

===Changes before, during and after production===
[[File:DOTM Skids, Mudflap, Que and Sideswipe.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|Eat this, Megan Fox.]]
*In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in June 2009, Michael Bay suggested that [[Ramon Rodriguez]] would reprise his role as [[Leo Spitz]] from ''Revenge of the Fallen'' for the third movie.<ref name="bayramon">[http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2009/06/30/ramon-rodriguez-will-have-bigger-role-in-third-transformers-movie-bay-hints/ "Ramon Rodriguez will have bigger role in third ‘Transformers’ movie, Bay hints"], Los Angeles Times, June 2009.</ref>

*As stated above, [[Megan Fox]] was originally intended to reprise her role as [[Mikaela Banes]] from the previous two movies. She was still spotted on the ''Dark of the Moon'' set during the previsualization stage in May 2010,<ref name="foxonset"/> but was fired from the production shortly afterwards due to a falling out with director [[Michael Bay]]. [[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley]]'s character of [[Carly Spencer]] was written in as a replacement, though the fact that her part was originally written for Mikaela still shows in some parts: For example, Carly is overseeing [[Dylan Gould|Dylan]]'s car collection, which could be viewed as an extension of Mikaela's history with working with cars. Furthermore, Sam and Carly not only have [[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] (who had been previously "domesticated" by Mikaela) as a "pet", but also her dog [[Bonecrusher (dog)|Bonecrusher]] (played by Michael Bay's eponymous real-life dog).

*In January 2010, actor James Avery claimed in an interview that he would be playing a new Autobot named "Silverbolt".<ref name="avery">[http://web.archive.org/web/20120401095240/http://unscripted.ca/episodes/show/136 James Avery interview on Unscripted], January 2010</ref> In June 2010, representatives of James Avery, responding to a bizarre rumor that he had passed away, confirmed that the actor was indeed alive and would be playing Silverbolt in ''Transformers 3''.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20151107012047/http://www.examiner.com/article/uncle-phil-james-avery-isn-t-dead-after-all James Avery isn't dead after all], The Examiner, June 2010.</ref> Despite this, neither Avery nor Silverbolt ultimately appear in ''Dark of the Moon''.

*In January 2011, an Idaho newspaper<ref>[http://magicvalley.com/news/local/article_d4f374a4-d960-5589-8d0c-be37df66fc40.html?mode=story "Rupert's Fagerbakke finds a voice that is truly golden"]</ref> announced voice actor [[Bill Fagerbakke]] as the voice of a "Chevy Impala stock car" that would appear in ''Dark of the Moon'' (presumably meaning one of the three [[Wreckers]], who share that base altmode). Why Fagerbakke did not end up voicing any of the Wreckers in the final cut of the film is unknown.

[[File:DOTM-SentinelPrimetrailer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Colour me your colour, baby Colour me your car Colour me your colour, darling I know who you are]]
*Shockwave's original voice actor, [[Corey Burton]], expressed that he had no interest in voicing him for ''Dark of the Moon'', explaining "[I] have practically no interest in that kind of mega-budget movie enterprise involvement" and that the inspiration for his Shockwave voice, {{w|David Warner (actor)|David Warner}}, was rumored to have been considered.<ref>[http://www.coreyburton.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=2707&highlight=#2707 Corey Burton's message board post.]</ref> In the end, Shockwave's almost-entirely-wordless-snarl-based role would have been something of a waste of Warner; the role ultimately went to Frank Welker. There's a nice touch of symmetry in the casting, with Welker taking over a Burton-originated role not long after Burton took on a Welker-originated character in [[Megatron (Animated)|''Animated'' Megatron]].

*In an earlier draft of the movie's script, Megatron is sincere when he offers Optimus Prime a truce at the end. Optimus accepts, and Megatron and the remaining Decepticons leave Earth to rebuild Cybertron. This ending is used for the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (novel)|novelization]] and the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon Movie Adaptation|comic adaptation]]. According to Michael Bay's website administrator Nelson, the ending was changed because the studio didn't want the adaptations to share the same ending with the film.<ref>http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/members/nelson-47919.html#vmessage284191</ref>

*Furthermore, it was originally supposed to be [[Dino|Mirage/"Dino"]] rather than [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Wheeljack/"Que"]] who would have been executed by [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]] in Chicago. This version made it into the comic adaptation and the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: The Junior Novel|junior novelization]].

*Another scrapped death for Mirage is seen in the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (novel)|novelization]], in which he's decapitated by [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]. His severed head is subsequently used by Soundwave to mock the Autobots before they are executed.

*A scrapped death for Wheeljack/"Que" involved the Autobot being run off of a Chicago street and into a river by the [[Driller]], where he would have been torn to pieces by Decepticon troopers lying in wait in the river.

*The [[Twins (ROTF)|Twins]], [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]], were originally supposed to return for ''Dark of the Moon'', and to die at the hands of Sentinel Prime shortly after Ironhide. Even though [[General Motors]] provided two Chevrolet Sparks to serve as their alternate modes<ref name="chevyspark">[http://www.leftlanenews.com/chevrolet-spark-transformers-3.html Left Lane News article on two Chevrolet Sparks spotted on the DOTM set], May 2010.</ref> which were still spotted on the set as late as October 2010,<ref name="dcparking">[http://transformerslive.blogspot.com/2010/10/transformers-3-dc-parking-lot-gallery.html "Transformers 3 DC Parking Lot Gallery"], Transformers Live Action Movie Blog, October 2010.</ref> the two were mostly edited out of the final movie (their vehicle modes can barely be glimpsed in a few brief shots). Michael Bay even went so far as to offer a $25,000 reward for anyone who would see the Twins "perform" in the movie.<ref name="reward">[http://collider.com/transformers-3-twins-skids-mudflap-michael-bay/91104/ Collider.com article on Michael Bay's "reward" for spotting Skids and Mudflap "perform" in DOTM], May 2011.</ref> In the novelization and the comic adaptation, Skids and Mudflap still appear.

[[File:DOTMSuperBowlvsTrailer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|So does this qualify as a retcon?]]
*Another plot point that was apparently dropped was an anti-Autobot sentiment among the human populace. Graffiti with a crossed out Autobot [[insignia|logo]] with the words "go home" below it showed up in several set photos.<ref name="gohome1">[http://transformerslive.blogspot.com/2010/05/transformers-3-filming-with-twins.html Photos from the set in Sherman Oaks, California] at the Transformers Live Action Movie Blog, May 2010.</ref><ref name="gohome2">[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/possible-tf3-plot-point-revealed-autobots-go-home/19188/ Photos from the Chicago set] at Seibertron.com, July 2010.</ref> In the movie, Congress instantly passes a law exiling the Autobots from Earth following Sentinel Prime's ultimatum.

*Early working names included "[[Ultra Magnus (disambiguation)|Ultra Magnus]]" for [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]],<ref name="chicagocall">[http://transformerslive.blogspot.com/2011/06/chicgo-call-sheet-for-ultra-magnus.html "Chicago Call Sheet For Ultra Magnus"], Transformers Live Action Movie Blog, June 2011.</ref> "Enzo" (after {{w|Enzo Ferrari}})<ref name="callsheet2">[http://tilallaremine.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/dark-of-the-moon-call-sheets/ Dark of the Moon Call Sheets!] at Til All Are Mine blog, July 2011.</ref> and "Rush" for Mirage/"Dino", "[[Warpath (disambiguation)|Warpath]]" for both [[Roadbuster (DOTM)|Roadbuster]] and [[Topspin (DOTM)|Topspin]], "Tempest" for Topspin, "[[Flash (disambiguation)|Flash]]" for [[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]], "[[Dreadwind (disambiguation)|Dreadwind]]" for [[Crankcase (DOTM)|Crankcase]], "[[Hooligan (disambiguation)|Hooligan]]" for [[Crowbar]], "[[Dirtbag]]" for [[Hatchet (DOTM)|Hatchet]], "[[Blitzwing (disambiguation)|Blitzwing]]" for [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]], "[[Breakdown (disambiguation)|Breakdown]]" for Soundwave's new vehicular design, "[[Clench (G1)|Colossus]]" for the [[Driller]],<ref name="nizzi">[http://www.joshnizzi.com/TF3.htm Josh Nizzi DOTM concepts.]</ref> "Buzzard" for [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]], "[[Undermine (Cybertron)|Undermine]]" for [[Igor]] and "[[Steeljaw (disambiguation)|Steeljaw]]" for Wheeljack/"Que". However, it's quite possible a few of these were code names used to keep character identities a secret during production as images of Megatron's new cloak obscured face refer to the character as "[[Cyclonus (disambiguation)|Cyclonus]]".<ref name="wburt">[http://conceptartworld.com/?p=8388 Wesley Burt DOTM concepts.]</ref>

*Roadbuster was originally intended to have {{w|Jeff Gordon}}'s #24 {{w|DuPont}}-sponsored Chevrolet Impala as his alternate mode, rather than {{w|Dale Earnhardt, Jr.}}'s #88 Impala sponsored by {{w|AMP Energy}}.<ref name="nizzi"/>

*Que/Wheeljack's head was once considered to be based on {{w|Christopher Lloyd}}'s [[Doc Brown]] from ''[[Back to the Future]]'', rather than [[Albert Einstein]].<ref name="wburt"/>

*The Wreckers were originally intended to have a robot pet dog, whose working names also included "Warpath".<ref name="nizzi"/> Hasbro released a toy of the dog with the [[Human Alliance]] version of Leadfoot, named "[[Steeljaw (DOTM)|Steeljaw]]".

*Megatron was originally supposed to appear in his ''Revenge of the Fallen'' form.<ref>http://joshnizzi.com/images/TF3/JoshNizzi_TF3_56.jpg</ref>

*In an interview with MTV.com, actors [[Shia LaBeouf]] and [[John Malkovich]] hinted at some smaller scenes that were cut from the final edit of the movie. In addition to some ad-libbing by the actors, one scene would have featured Malkovich's character, [[Bruce Brazos]], attempting to get Carly's phone number.<ref name="deletedmtv">[http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666772/transformers-dark-of-the-moon-dvd-deleted-scenes.jhtml MTV.com on deleted scenes], July 2011.</ref>

*In the original announcement trailer for ''Dark of the Moon'' that was released in December 2010, the opening scene that featured [[Neil Armstrong]] and [[Buzz Aldrin]] investigate the ''[[Ark (DOTM)|Ark]]'' on the moon had Sentinel Prime sport a gold and silver color scheme. For the final movie, his base color was changed to red, his left shoulder was lowered, his facial expression was changed to look more droopy, and the whole scene was given a considerable blue tint.

*Similar to the announcement trailer, the Super Bowl spot also features footage that contains unfinished CG effects. Most notably, the shot that depicts Optimus Prime, equipped with his flight pack, swooping down on the Decepticons before starting his epic rampage on the ground was changed by the time the first full trailer was released: Optimus himself and the first [[M1 Abrams Decepticon]] are both rescaled and moved to different positions on-screen; a Decepticon using the same [[body-type]] as [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] and [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]] is removed entirely; and a Decepticon using the same body-type as Long Haul, as well as other [[generic]]s, are added. The final movie uses pretty much the same version as seen in the trailer.
{{-}}

===Leaks and disinformation===
[[File:DOTMgameSoundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|What you're about to see is totally classified.]]
The movie's title, then "Transformers: ''The'' Dark of the Moon", was first discovered on October 6, 2010 via listings for childrens' books on [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]]. The title was further confirmed by a whois check for "www.transformersdarkofthemoonmovie.com".<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-just-movie-31/transformers-3-title-revealed-170697/ Transformers 3 Title Revealed?] @ TFW2005.com</ref> On October 31, the official website for all three movies, [http://www.transformersmovie.com/ transformersmovie.com], was updated to show the ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' logo as well as international release dates.

[[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]] was heavily touted as the new main villain, no doubt in an attempt to conceal [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]]'s unexpected betrayal halfway through the movie. A piece of information that commonly popped up in media coverage was the claim that Shockwave was the ruler of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] while the other Autobots and Decepticons were duking it out on Earth.<ref name="pushpops">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-just-movie-31/transformers-3-plot-summary-revealed-170756/ "Transformers 3 Plot Summary Revealed"], TFW2005, October 2010.</ref> The last bit could be written off as a case of {{w|Chinese whispers}}: Shockwave got announced as the villain for ''Dark of the Moon'', mainstream media (such as USA Today<ref name="usatodayswitch">[http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2010-06-11-Transformers11_ST_N.htm "Next 'Transformers' is due for a switch"], USA Today, June 2010.</ref>) who aren't versed in Transformers lore looked up the character, found out about his ''[[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]]'' [[Shockwave (G1)|namesake]]'s role in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]], included it as a piece of trivia to show they did their research, and then the trivia note got picked up as gospel by other media. Nevertheless, it was included in the ''official plot summary'' by Paramount's German branch (which also claimed that ''Shockwave'' was the robot discovered inside the ''[[Ark (DOTM)|Ark]]'' as seen in the trailer).<ref name="germansite">[http://www.transformers3-film.de/ Official German DOTM site] including faulty plot summary.</ref>

[[File:TF3HasbroSoundwaveBio.JPG|thumb|upright=1.66|left|If you breathe a word of what you see in here, you will do time for treason.]]Michael Bay and other official parties tried ''really'' hard to suppress the plot twist of the silver Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG given to [[Carly Spencer|Carly]] by [[Dylan Gould|Dylan]] turning out to be the new [[alternate mode]] of [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]]. After the Mercedes had been spotted on the set, with [[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley]] exiting it,<ref name="mercedesset">[http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=67518 DOTM Set Photos], ComingSoon.net, July 2010.</ref> the first hint that it was more than meets the eye came with the trailer for the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Xbox 360/PS3)|video game]], which showed Soundwave's robot mode with car [[kibble]] such as wheels that heavily resembled those of the Mercedes. In addition, [[Rising Storm issue 2|issue 2]] of ''[[Transformers: Rising Storm]]'' depicted Soundwave's robot mode not only with car kibble, but with a Mercedes star on his chest, yet in [[Rising Storm issue 3|issue 3]], he appeared in his ''Revenge of the Fallen'' design again. Despite this, director Michael Bay insisted that the Mercedes was simply Carly's car, claiming that "Mercedes would never let us make their car into a bad Decepticon. Car company's {{sic}} really frown on that. I can't say what the game company and comics do that's their own thing. They don't have the same constraints movies do. It's Carly's car."<ref name="baynomerc">[http://www.shootfortheedit.com/forum/showthread.php?8724-Update-Is-Soundwave-the-silver-Mercedes-on-set-of-DOTM&p=169598&viewfull=1#post169598 Michael Bay's response to the fan theory that Soundwave is the Silver Mercedes.], April 2011.</ref> On April 19, 2011, an event for promoting the ''Spider-Man: Edge of Time'' and ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' video games was held in London. As part of this, [[High Moon Studios]] released promotional stills from the ''Dark of the Moon'' game, one of which depicted Soundwave's new robot mode, again with Mercedes parts. However, a news embargo was enforced on the attending press, which was broken by South African video game site [http://egamer.co.za egamer].<ref name="egamera">[http://egamer.co.za/2011/05/exclusive-hands-on-transformers-dark-of-the-moon/ egamer's preview of the ''Dark of the Moon'' video game]</ref> The site was soon asked to take down the article and images, as were various ''Transformers'' fan sites that had reported on the article and mirrored the images. On May 2, 2011, Hasbro's [http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/ official Transformers website] was given a massive overhaul, including the addition of the new [http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/discover/cybertronian-database.cfm Vector Sigma database]. The entry for Soundwave initially identified his alternate mode as a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, but was soon changed to "satellite". On May 3, 2011, the embargo for the video game article and promotional stills was finally lifted, allowing sites to freely show the image of Soundwave's new robot mode.

On May 5, 2011, six days before the trade paperback collection's official release, preview pages from [[IDW Publishing|IDW]]'s [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon Movie Adaptation|''Dark of the Moon'' comic adaptation]] were discovered at [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]]. Through some bizarre system error, ''several dozen pages'' were made available, which included the major plot twist of Sentinel Prime showing his true colors and killing [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]]. Unsurprisingly, this discovery was quickly posted on several major Transformers [[fandom|fan sites]], often without a spoiler warning. The fact that, even without this leak, the trade paperback of the comic adaptation was released well over a month before the film's theatrical release probably didn't help matters either.

==Notes==
*A 126-page script for the movie was leaked in December 2009,<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/content/view/6435/20/ The Allspark: Transformers News Movie Comics Animated - Script Treatment for Transformers 3? Bogus or Not, Here You Go!]</ref> causing much discussion among the fandom. It was later confirmed as fake.<ref>[http://shootfortheedit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6532 Script]</ref>
*When word hit that [[Megan Fox]] was off the picture, [https://youtube.com/watch?v=3VTs5ESycpY Heidi Montag] put an "audition" for her part on YouTube. [http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/114ce28ddd/sir-ben-kingsley-shows-up-heidi-montag Sir Ben Kingsley] and [https://youtube.com/watch?v=N4FZeucBO0c Ashton Kutcher] made fun of her, because life is rad.
*Several concepts that had been established by the [[Transformers (film)|first movie]] were (more or less) dropped with ''Dark of the Moon'' in favor for a more traditional, ''[[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]]''-esque approach:
**In the 2007 movie, the Autobots arrive on Earth in "[[Protoform]]" entry modes (which was subsequently used as the basis for the Decepticons' arrival in [[Planetfall (Movie)|Planetfall]]). Prior to the release of the movie, screenwriter [[Roberto Orci]] defended this choice over the use of a spaceship such as the ''Ark'' by asking why "aliens who moonlight as vehicles need other vehicles to travel".<ref name="orcitravel">[http://tformers.com/Ark-Not-Making-An-Appearance-In-the-Movie/6513/news.html TFormers quoting Roberto Orci], because Don Murphy's board can only be read by registered members.</ref> He somewhat changed his mind after the movie had been released, however.<ref name="orciship">[http://boards.transformersmovie.com/showpost.php?p=388596&postcount=271 Roberto Orci on the Transformers Live Action Movie Boards], July 2007.</ref> After the Decepticons' ship, the ''[[Nemesis (ROTF)|Nemesis]]'', had made an appearance in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', ''Dark of the Moon'' not only introduces the movieverse version of the ''[[Ark (DOTM)|Ark]]'', but also reveals that all the new Autobots who have been on Earth since before ''Revenge of the Fallen'' had arrived in their own spaceship, the ''[[Xantium (DOTM)|Xantium]]'', making the notion of individual Transformers traveling through space as "comets" an exception rather than the rule. ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]'' would also later depict the Autobots as stranded on Earth after the destruction of the ''Xantium'' in this film, further pointing towards the "comet" transportation as an abandoned concept. ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]'' would also show this idea when the Autobots again declare themselves stranded, as they don't know where the [[Knight Ship]] is, only being able to finally go home after they acquired it.
**Furthermore, ''Dark of the Moon'' largely abandons the idea of Transformers having all their weapons integrated into their bodies in favor of more traditional, separate weapons. For example, [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]], who had blades and hooks emerging from his forearms in the previous two movies now stores all his weapons (including an axe) as accessories inside his trailer (though he still carries some on his person). Also, Ironhide, whose cannons were previously affixed to his arms, now sports handheld firearms instead. Even Megatron, whose [[fusion cannon]] previously grew out of his arms, now has a hand-held shotgun. Though it can be argued that Optimus still has his swords in his arms during the Chicago battle, and both Ironhide and Megatron lost their integrated weapons in the previous film, the general change is still noticeable. The only ones who still seem to have the same converting arm cannons as in the previous movies are Bumblebee, Ratchet, and Starscream.
*Another change from the previous movies (though not rooted in ''Generation 1'') is that Transformers that take damage in battle now spill a red liquid that is very obviously meant to resemble human blood.
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] finally achieves a certain consistency between his two primary modes: Ever since his upgrade to a modern Camaro in ''Transformers'' (2007), his [[license plate]] had alternated between "900 STRA" in vehicle mode and "4NZZ 454" in robot mode. ''Dark of the Moon'' finally uses "900 STRA" for the robot mode as well. Hasbro's toys, which had previously favored the CG robot model's "4NZZ 454" (barring the occasional "4NZZ'''Z''' 454" flub), follow suit.
*Speaking of license plates: [[Dutch (DOTM)|Dutch]]'s Maybach 62S Landaulet sports a German license plate, "'''S MM 6201'''", registered in the city of Stuttgart. In reality, that plate is registered to the manufacturer and used for promotional photos.<ref name="maybach">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-just-movie-31/update--transformers-3-rumor--who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire-170533/ Set photos and promo photos of the Maybach 62S Landaulet] at TFW2005.</ref>
*Michael Bay's private Gulfstream Aerospace G-1159A jet (registration number N4500X) has a cameo in the movie as [[Charlotte Mearing]]'s plane.
*For eleven years, ''Dark of the Moon'' held the record for the biggest Independence Day opening weekend at $115.9 million. And then, {{w|Minions: The Rise of Gru|an animated movie starring Steve Carell with yellow henchmen on his side}} beat it by earning $128 million.<ref>[https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2022/07/03/box-office-minions-the-rise-of-gru-breaks-records-with-128-million-holiday-weekend/ Box Office: ‘Minions 2’ Breaks Records With $128 Million Holiday Weekend - Forbes]</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''''Transformers/Darkside Moon''''' (トランスフォーマー/ダークサイド・ムーン ''Toransufōmā Dākusaido Mūn'')
*''Arabic:'' '''''Almtahawilun: Aljanib Almuzlim Lilqamar''''' (المتحولون: الجانب المظلم للقمر, "Transformers: The Dark Side of the Moon")
*''Cantonese:'' (變形金剛: 黑月降臨, "Transformers: The Arrival of the Black Moon")
*''Croatian:'' '''''Transformeri: Tamna strana Mjeseca''''' ("Transformers: The Dark Side of the Moon")
*''Czech:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Finnish:'' '''''Transformers: Kuun pimeä puoli''''' ("Transformers: The Dark Side of the Moon")
*''French:'' '''''Transformers 3 : La Face cachée de la Lune''''' ("Transformers 3: The Hidden Side of the Moon")
*''German:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Greek:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Hebrew:'' '''''Rvvvtrkm 3. Flt hrch''''' (רובוטריקים 3: אפלת הירח, "Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon")
*''Hindi:'' '''''Traansaphormars: Chaand ka Andhera''''' (ट्राँसफॉर्मर्स: चांद का अंधेरा, "Transformers: Darkness of the Moon")
*''Hungarian:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Italian:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Korean:'' '''''Teulaenseupomeo 3''''' (트랜스포머 3, "Transformers 3")
*''Latvian:'' '''''Transformeri 3: Mēness no otras puses''''' ("Transformers 3: The Moon on the Other Side")
*''Lithuanian:'' '''''Transformeriai: tamsioji Mėnulio pusė''''' ("Transformers: The Dark Side of the Moon")
*''Mandarin:'' '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng 3''''' (Taiwan, 變形金剛３, "Transformers 3"), '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Yuè Hēi zhī Shí''''' (China, 变形金刚：月黑之时, "Transformers: When the Moon Becomes Black")
*''Polish:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Portuguese:'' '''''Transformers: O Lado Oculto da Lua''''' (Brazil, "Transformers: The Hidden Side of the Moon"), '''''Transformers 3''''' (Portugal)
*''Romanian:'' '''''Transformers: Fața ascunsă a Lunii''''' ("Transformers: The Hidden Face of the Moon")
*''Russian:'' '''''Transformery 3: Tjomnaja storona Luny''''' (Трансформеры 3: Тёмная сторона Луны, "Transformers 3: The Dark Side of the Moon")
*''Serbian:'' '''''Transformers 3: Tama Meseca''''' ("Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon")
*''Spanish:'' '''''Transformers: El Lado Oscuro de la Luna''''' (Latin American, "Transformers: The Dark Side of the Moon"), '''''Transformers 3''''' (Spain)
*''Swedish:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Tamil:'' '''''Ṭirāṉsḥpārmas: Ṭārk op ti mūṉ''''' (டிரான்ஸ்ஃபார்மஸ்: டார்க் ஒப் தி மூன், "Transformers: Dark of the Moon")
*''Thai:'' '''''Thrāns̄̒ fxr̒m me xr̒s̄ 3''''' (ทรานส์ฟอร์มเมอร์ส 3, "Transformers 3")
*''Turkish:'' '''''Transformers: Ayın Karanlık Yüzü''''' ("Transformers: The Dark Side of the Moon")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''''Transformery: Temnyy bik Misyatsya''''' (Трансформери: Темний бік Місяця, "Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon")

==External links==
*[http://www.transformersmovie.com/ Transformersmovie.com]
*[http://www.imdb.com/tt1399103/ ''Dark of the Moon'' at IMDB.com]
*{{w|Transformers: Dark of the Moon|''Dark of the Moon'' film on Wikipedia}}
*[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_dark_of_the_moon/ ''Dark of the Moon'' on RottenTomatoes.com]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.transformersmovie.com/ Official ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' website]
*[http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/transformersdarkofthemoon/ Trailers.Apple.com ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' page]
*Designer portfolios: [http://www.joshnizzi.com/TF3.htm Josh Nizzi], [http://www.warrenmanser.com/WarrenManser.com/PORTFOLIO_M/Pages/TRANSFORMERS_3.html Warren Manser], [http://www.joelchang.com/index.php?/projects/transformers-dark-of-the-moon/ Joel Chang], [http://conceptartworld.com/?p=8293 The Aaron Sims Company] (at Concept Art World), [http://conceptartworld.com/?p=8388 Wesley Burt] (at Concept Art World), [http://massiveblack.com/MBwebolution/blog/?p=301 Massive Black], [http://www.ghull.com/#/125195 George Hull]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dark of the Moon (film)}}
[[Category:Dark of the Moon| Dark of the Moon (film)]]
[[Category:Dark of the Moon media| ]]
[[Category:Real world films]]

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)

2024-06-08T22:14:55Z

B3astK1ng:

{{Nav-dotm}}
{{movie|
|seriess=[[Live-action film series]]
|prev=Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)
|next=Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)
|title=''Transformers: Dark of the Moon''
|image=DOTM-OPportraitposter.jpg
|caption="Of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|my friend]], I can only say this: of all the souls I have encountered, he was the most... human."
|production companies=[[Allspark (company)|Hasbro Films]] [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura|di Bonaventura Pictures]]
|distributor=[[Paramount Pictures]]
|executive producer=[[Steven Spielberg]]
|producer=[[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] [[Tom DeSanto]] [[Don Murphy]] [[Ian Bryce]]
|written by=[[Ehren Kruger]]
|directed by=[[Michael Bay]]
|cinematography by=[[Amir Mokri]]
|edited by=[[Roger Barton]] [[William Goldenberg]] [[Joel Negron]]
|music by=[[Steve Jablonsky]]
|release date=[[June 29]], [[2011]]
|continuity=[[Live-action film series]]
|runtime=154 minutes
|budget=$195 million
|box office=$1.124 billion
}}
'''''Transformers: Dark of the Moon''''' is the third film in the [[live-action film series]]. It was released in 3D and IMAX at 9PM on [[June 28]], [[2011]]<ref name="open3D">[http://michaelbay.com/2011/06/18/see-dark-of-the-moon-one-day-earlier-on-imax-3d/ See Dark Of The Moon One Day Earlier on IMAX 3D | MichaelBay]</ref> and in wide release on [[June 29]], [[2011]]<ref name="open">[http://www.deadline.com/2011/05/paramount-moving-up-transformers-3/ Paramount Moving Up ‘T’formers 3′ Release – Deadline.com]</ref> in the United States, and between [[June 29]] and July 1 for other markets.

The film is set three years after the events of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]''. The Autobots continue to work for NEST, but no longer in secret, and for the goal of keeping peace between humans by taking out volatile overseas political targets. But after discovering a strange artifact during a mission in Chernobyl, it becomes apparent to Optimus Prime that the United States government has been less than forthright with them.

And SCENE!

{{bigquote|Aw, shit, I seen this one. It's the one where [[Spock]] goes nuts.|Wheelie|''Transformers: Dark of the Moon''}}

==Synopsis==
[[File:Dotm-Arkreflection.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|"Wha... this is the finest engine room in the whole Starfleet!"]]

In the distant past, during the later days of the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] civil war, [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]] attempted to leave the planet with groundbreaking technology on board the ''[[Ark (DOTM)|Ark]]''. However, his ship was shot down by the Decepticons and, after being sent hurling through space for a while, eventually crashed on the [[Earth]]'s [[Moon (moon)|moon]] in 1961. The crash is noticed by the humans on Earth, leading to the {{w|Space Race}} under President [[John F. Kennedy]]. Landing on the Moon as part of the [[Apollo 11]] mission in 1969, astronauts [[Neil Armstrong]] and [[Buzz Aldrin]] use several minutes of [[radio]] silence to investigate the spaceship and discover that Mankind is not alone in space.

[[File:DOTM - ShockwaveDriller.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|"When I swing around, I mean to deprive you of your life."]]
In the present day, the Autobots are still part of [[NEST]], cooperating with the [[United States military|US Armed Forces]]. They have also begun to help humanity in its local conflicts, as [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]], [[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe]], [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]], and [[Dino]] destroy an illegal [[Iran]]ian nuclear facility. On a mission to the [[Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant]], a NEST team led by [[William Lennox|Lt. Col. Lennox]], [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] discovers an unknown alien fuel cell which had led to the {{w|Chernobyl disaster}}. While trying to secure the cell, they are attacked by the Decepticon [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]] and his "pet", the [[Driller]], who are eventually forced to retreat by Optimus Prime. Meanwhile, [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]] kills [[Alexi Voskhod]], who had called NEST to Chernobyl and was secretly working for him. After securing the fuel cell and identifying it as part of the ''Ark'', Optimus Prime is angry at the humans for not following through with their agreement of sharing all known information relating to Cybertron and its inhabitants. Despite this, he eventually informs his allies and [[Charlotte Mearing]], the {{w|Director of National Intelligence}}, about the space bridge technology the ''Ark'' contains. Together with Ratchet, Optimus travels to the Moon, where they find Sentinel Prime inside the ship. Retrieving him along with four pillars of the space bridge and the accompanying control pillar, they return to Earth, where Optimus uses the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to reactivate Sentinel Prime. In [[Africa]], Decepticon leader [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] (still recovering from wounds [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|suffered]] in [[Egypt]]) meets with his lieutenants [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] and [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]]. Upon learning that the Autobots have recovered Sentinel and the pillars, Megatron orders Soundwave and Laserbeak to terminate their "loose ends".

Meanwhile, [[Sam Witwicky]], the Autobots' human friend, is suffering from everyday problems. Even though President [[Barack Obama]] has awarded him a medal for saving the Earth twice, Sam has trouble finding a job. Together with his new girlfriend [[Carly Spencer]], whom he had met in the [[White House]] (after his former girlfriend [[Mikaela Banes|Mikaela]] had left him), he also gives the stranded Autobots [[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] and [[Brains]] a home. After a long search, he finally finds a position as a mail carrier at a telecommunication company named [[Accuretta Systems]]. From his colleague, [[Jerry Wang]], he learns about a conspiracy by humans who collaborate with the Decepticons. Before Jerry can tell Sam more, however, he is killed by Laserbeak.

[[File:DOTM-Sentinelendofyourworld.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|"There's a man out there I haven't seen in fifteen years who's trying to kill me."]]

Locked out of participating in the investigation by Mearing, Sam turns to [[Seymour Simmons]] for help. Simmons, who has become a millionaire as a writer, and his aide, [[Dutch (DOTM)|Dutch]], help Sam find out that the Soviets have taken photos of Decepticons removing hundreds of space bridge pillars out of the ''Ark'' even before Apollo 11 had landed on the Moon. Sam and Simmons conclude that the Decepticons had left Sentinel Prime behind on purpose, knowing that only he would be able to activate the space bridge, and only Optimus Prime could reactivate him. Sam is able to warn the Autobots in time so they can protect Sentinel from a Decepticon attack and escort him back to the NEST headquarters. Upon arriving there, however, Sentinel Prime betrays them, revealing that he made a deal with Megatron to ensure Cybertron's survival. After killing [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] and most of the NEST soldiers, Sentinel claims the remaining pillars and escapes. The other Autobots track him down to [[Washington, D.C.]], but before Optimus can stop him, Sentinel activates a space bridge to the Moon. The portal allows dozens of Decepticon troops which had remained hidden under the Moon's surface to reach Earth, forcing the Autobots to retreat.

[[File:DOTM-Moonspacebridge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55|"We are one big, happy fleet! Ah, [[James T. Kirk|Kirk]], my old friend, do you know the [[Klingon]] proverb that tells us revenge is a dish that is best served cold? It is ''very'' cold in space."]]

In the meantime, Sam is worried about Carly and searches for her. He finds her with her employer, [[Dylan Gould]], who reveals to Sam that he not only arranged for Sam to get a job with Accuretta, but is also a collaborator with the Decepticons. At their request, his father had used his influence to ensure that [[NASA]] would not conduct any more missions to the Moon. When Sam and Carly attempt to flee, they discover Carly's car is a disguise for Soundwave, who takes her captive. Dylan instructs Sam to ask Optimus Prime about the Autobots' strategy, otherwise Carly will die. To ensure that Sam will not try to warn the Autobots, he attaches a Decepticon disguised as a [[Watch-bot|watch]] on Sam's wrist, and it taps into his nervous system.

Meanwhile, Sentinel Prime has given Mankind an ultimatum to exile the Autobots from Earth, since he is only trying to save Cybertron, or so he claims. The US government promptly passes a bill to this effect. Before the Autobots leave Earth aboard their spaceship, the ''[[Xantium (DOTM)|Xantium]]'', Sam asks Optimus about his plan. Optimus replies that there is no plan, and Mankind is on its own now. With all Autobots on board, the ''Xantium'' takes off, but is promptly intercepted by Starscream, who had waited in Earth's orbit. With the ''Xantium'' destroyed, the Decepticons believe the Autobots to be dead and let Sam go.

[[File:DarkoftheMoon-Chicago.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55|left|"Let them eat static. "]]
With the Autobots out of the way, the Decepticons conquer [[Chicago]], kill most of its population and set up the control pillar for the space bridge inside the city, placing the other pillars around the world. Dylan informs Carly that the Decepticons do not intend to return to Cybertron; instead, they want to transport Cybertron into Earth's orbit, because Earth not only has the necessary resources, but also six billion slaves to rebuild the Transformers' home planet.

Sam decides to go to Chicago, where Dylan has taken Carly. Former NEST soldier [[Robert Epps]], who now works for NASA, accompanies him, together with other former NEST members. Upon arrival in Chicago, they are promptly attacked by the Decepticons, but are rescued by Optimus Prime and the other Autobots. Having never intended to leave Earth, they had hidden themselves inside a modified rocket booster that was jettisoned before Starscream destroyed the ''Xantium''.

[[File:DOTM Driller vs Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55|"From Hell's heart, I stab at thee!"]]

The Autobots and the humans soldiers make their way to the skyscraper where Dylan is located in order to destroy the space bridge's control pillar. Sam and Bumblebee rescue Carly, killing Laserbeak in the process, during which they find a damaged UAV and alert the military to the Decepticons plans. Due to another attack by a team of Decepticons led by Shockwave, the team is separated once more. While the Autobots battle the Decepticons, Epps and his team try to destroy the pillar from another skyscraper. However, they are attacked by Shockwave and the Driller, who brings the skyscraper crashing down. Optimus Prime comes to their aid and destroys the Driller, but is shot by Shockwave and becomes trapped in crane cables.

In the meantime, Lennox and the rest of NEST have managed to make their way into the city using [[wingsuit]]s, and with Lennox's help, Sam destroys Starscream using weapons provided to him by the Autobot scientist Que. Meanwhile, the Decepticons have captured several Autobots, but Dylan convinces them not to keep prisoners and kill them all. [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] executes Que, and Soundwave moves to kill Bumblebee next, but the Autobots Wheelie and Brains have managed to make one of the Decepticons' ships crash, thereby distracting Soundwave long enough for Bumblebee and the other Autobots to get free. Bumblebee overpowers and kills Soundwave. NEST soldiers and US Marines snipe the Decepticons. Autobots and Tanks roll in and ambush the Decepticons. Optimus Prime returns and massacres a large group of Decepticons. He then kills Shockwave and uses the Decepticon's arm cannon to topple over the space bridge's control pillar, deactivating the bridge.

[[File:DOTMCybertrontransit.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.55|"Earth was created in six days. Now, watch out! Here comes Genesis! We'll do it for you in six minutes!"]]

Optimus Prime then confronts Sentinel Prime and the two engage in a ferocious battle of Student vs Master. Carly stumbles across Megatron outside the main battle zone. Having previously witnessed a violent argument between Sentinel Prime and Megatron, she appeals to his pride and makes him realize that he will never be able to rule over Cybertron as long as Sentinel is alive. Meanwhile, after a long fight, Sentinel gains the upper hand over Optimus and severs his right arm. However, before he can execute his former pupil, an infuriated Megatron attacks Sentinel and severely damages him, declaring that Earth is his planet to rule. Megatron realized how far he had fallen in power within the past few years, and has decided to once again take his rightful place at the top of the command chain. Meanwhile, Dylan manages to reactivate the toppled pillar, but is attacked by Sam, who hurls him against the pillar, killing him. Subsequently, Bumblebee destroys the pillar for good, thus destroying the space bridge and, presumably, Cybertron with it. Seeing this, Megatron half-heartedly offers Optimus Prime a truce on the condition that he will remain in charge of the Decepticons, mockingly saying that they would be nothing without each other. Realizing that the offer is less than sincere, Optimus refuses and attacks Megatron, decapitating him with an axe. The weakened Sentinel Prime tries to excuse his actions, but Optimus, claiming Sentinel "betrayed himself," executes the treacherous Prime with Megatron's shotgun.

[[File:DOTM Autobots NEST victorious.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55|"Live long... and prosper..."]]

With the battle over, Sam and Carly are reunited, and Simmons takes an opportunity to kiss Mearing, who he still has feelings for, and she has him arrested. With their home planet now forever beyond reach, and the forces of the Decepticons destroyed, the remaining Autobots finally accept Earth as their new home, as Optimus Prime states that the Autobots will always be here, to protect the Earth and all who live on it.
{{--}}
==Main cast==

{{featuredcharacters|
h1=[[Autobot]]s|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
*[[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]] ([[Leonard Nimoy]])
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]
*[[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] ([[Jess Harnell]])
*[[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] ([[Robert Foxworth]])
*[[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe]] ([[James Remar]])
*[[Dino]] ([[Francesco Quinn]])<ref group=note name="credits">Mirage and Wheeljack, known by those names in the toyline and essentially all supporting media, are respectively named "Dino" and "Que" in the film. While Dino is simply credited as such, Que is listed in the credits as "Que/Wheeljack".</ref>
*[[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que/Wheeljack]] ([[George Coe]])<ref group=note name="credits"/>
*[[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] ([[Tom Kenny]])
*[[Brains]] ([[Reno Wilson]])

'''[[Twins (ROTF)|Twins]]'''
*[[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] (cameo)<ref group=note name=skidsandmudflap>Skids and Mudflap only appear during the convoy scene at the beginning of the film.</ref>
*[[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]] (cameo)<ref group=note name=skidsandmudflap/>

'''[[Wreckers]]'''
*[[Roadbuster (DOTM)|Roadbuster]] ([[Ron Bottitta]])<ref group=note>Roadbuster is listed as "Roadbuster/Amp" in the credits, a reference to his car mode's sponsor. His name is not used in the film, but he is called "Roadbuster" in the toyline and supporting media.</ref>
*[[Topspin (DOTM)|Topspin]]
*[[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]] ([[John DiMaggio]])<ref group=note>Leadfoot is listed in the film's end credits as "Leadfoot/Target", a reference to his car mode's sponsor. His name is not spoken in the film, but he is called "Leadfoot" in the toyline and the supporting media.</ref>

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s|c2=
*[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] ([[Hugo Weaving]])
*[[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] ([[Charlie Adler]])
*[[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]] ([[Frank Welker]])
**[[Driller]]
*[[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]] ([[Frank Welker]])
**[[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]] ([[Keith Szarabajka]])
*[[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] (''Frank Welker'')<ref group=note>Barricade doesn't ''technically'' speak in the movie, an editing gaffe as he kicks Que around before executing him sees Soundwave's voice (provided by Frank Welker) coming out of his mouth for the scene.</ref>
*[[Loader]]
*[[Devcon (DOTM)|Devcon]]
*[[Igor]] ([[Greg Berg]])
*[[Hatchling]]s
*[[Audi R8 Decepticon]]
*Two [[M1 Abrams Decepticon]]s
*[[Garagebot]]
*[[Lensmeter Decepticon]]s
*[[Protoform]]s
*[[Watch-bot]]<ref group=note>Repeatedly referred to as the "Watch-bot" (proper noun) in the ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: The Junior Novel]]''</ref>
*[[Pickup Decepticon]]
*[[Police car Decepticon]]

'''[[Constructicon (ROTF)|Constructicons]]'''
*[[Scrapper (ROTF)|Scrapper]] type Decepticon
*[[Long Haul (ROTF)|Long Haul]] type Decepticon

'''[[Dread (DOTM)|Dreads]]'''
*[[Crankcase (DOTM)|Crankcase]]
*[[Crowbar]] (''[[Jimmie Wood]]'')<ref group=note>During the highway battle scene where Crowbar flips over a sign, recycled screams and grunts from Jimmie Wood's [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]] performance in ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' can be heard.</ref>
*[[Hatchet (DOTM)|Hatchet]]

|h3=[[Human]]s|c3=
*[[Sam Witwicky]] ([[Shia LaBeouf]])
*[[Carly Spencer]] ([[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley]])
*[[Seymour Simmons]] ([[John Turturro]])
*[[Charlotte Mearing]] ([[Frances McDormand]])
*[[Dylan Gould]] ([[Patrick Dempsey]])
*[[Bruce Brazos]] ([[John Malkovich]])
*[[Dutch (DOTM)|Dutch]] ([[Alan Tudyk]])
*[[Ron Witwicky]] ([[Kevin Dunn]])
*[[Judy Witwicky]] ([[Julie White]])
*[[Jerry Wang]] ([[Ken Jeong]])
*[[Neil Armstrong]] ([[Don Jeanes]])
*[[Buzz Aldrin]] ([[Cory Tucker]]/himself)
*[[Walter Cronkite]]
*[[Bill O'Reilly]] (himself)
*[[Alexi Voskhod]] ([[Ravil Isyanov]])
'''[[United States Army|US Military]]/[[NEST]]'''
*[[William Lennox]] ([[Josh Duhamel]])
*[[Morshower]] ([[Glenn Morshower]])
*[[Baby Face]] ([[Markiss McFadden]])
*Former members
**[[Robert Epps]] ([[Tyrese Gibson]])
**[[Hardcore Eddie]] ([[Lester Speight]])

|nonumbering=true
}}
<references group=note/>

==Quotes==

"We were once a peaceful race of intelligent, mechanical beings. But then came the war, Between the Autobots who fought for freedom and the Decepticons who dreampt of tyranny. Overmatched and outnumbered, our defeat was all but certain. But in the war's final days, one Autobot ship escaped the battle. It was carrying a secret cargo, which would have changed our planet's fate. A despearate mission. Our final hope. A hope that vanished."
:—'''Optimus Prime's''' narration.

'''Mission Control''': We are not alone after all, are we? 
'''Buzz Aldrin''': No, sir. We are not alone.
:—'''Buzz Aldrin''' makes history, and raises the hackles of conspiracy theorists.

'''Dino''': "He's in a bad mood. He's not talking to anybody today." 
'''Mearing''': "What is this, the silent treatment?" 
'''Ironhide''': "We've seen that and this is ''not'' that." 
'''Que''': "Definitely not." 
'''Ironhide''': "This is ''worse''. Prime! Make something of yourself! (Ironhide taps Optimus's roof) He's pissed."
:—'''Ironhide''' discusses '''Optimus Prime's''' foul mood.

"Who wants some chicken dinner now, bitch? Huh? 'Cause somebody messed with the wrong Wang today!"
:—'''Jerry Wang''', being crazy. But also awesome.

"The thing about Russians is, they never like to talk. Gonna take a little of the 'international language.'" <Doorman opens sliding hatch> "''Do svidaniya''." 
"That means 'goodbye!'" <closes hatch>
:—'''Simmons''' tries to reason with a '''Russian''', to no avail.

"It's a Cyrillic alphabet; it's like all the buttons you never push on a calculator!"
:—'''Dutch''' tries to translate Russian, also to no avail.

"Woah! Little Mexican standoff we got here!"
:-'''Sideswipe''', talking to Ironhide and the Dreads.

"Class dismissed."
:—'''Ironhide''', after dispatching the Dreads.

"What you must realize, my Autobot brothers, is that we were never going to win the war. For the sake of our planet's survival, a deal had to be made...with ''Megatron''."
:—'''Sentinel Prime''' reveals his treachery.

[[File:DOTM-MegatronLincoln.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"I'll give him this: [[Atlantis, Arise!|he]]'s [[Transformers The Game (console)|consistent]]!"]] 
"Here we are. Fight us ''now''."
:—'''Megatron''', pulling the evil overlord cliché on us while sitting atop the [[Abraham Lincoln|Lincoln Memorial]]

"If you go in this building, that's if she's even still alive, there's no way you're going to reach her!" 
"What do you suggest I do?!" 
"...it's over. I'm sorry, but it's over."
:—'''Robert Epps''' tells '''Sam Witwicky''' that they've run out of plans.

"We will kill them all."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' offers an alternative plan.

"They got my trailer. I ''need'' that flight tech!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''', valiantly [[To sell toys|selling toys]].

"I bring you Cybertron, your home! and still you choose humanity." 
"You are the one who taught me [[Bio|freedom is everyone's right]]."
:—'''Sentinel''' VS '''Optimus Prime'''.

"Your Decepticons are finally conquering this planet, and yet their leader won't be you." 
"IT WILL BE ME! It will ''always'' be me! 
"In any minute now, you'll be nothing but Sentinel's bitch."
:—'''Carly Spencer''' tells '''Megatron''' that if he's going to be the Starscream, he should ''act'' like it.

"Who would you be without me, Prime?" 
"Time to find out."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Optimus Prime''' exchange pre-fight banter one last time.

"Optimus. All I ever wanted...was the survival of our race. You must see why I had to betray you..." 
"You didn't betray me. You betrayed yourself..."
:—'''Optimus Prime''''s final exchange with '''Sentinel Prime''' before effectively ''double-tapping'' him.

"In any war, there are calms between storms. There will be days when we lose faith. Days when our allies turn against us... but the day will never come that we forsake this planet and its people."
:—'''Optimus Prime's''' closing narration, [[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|which predicts what will]] [[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|happen to them years later]].

==Continuity notes==
*Sam has since graduated from college, being three months out of school, and is currently looking for a job. Since the events of ''Revenge of the Fallen'', Sam and Mikaela had broke up (despite having to spend an entire film of Sam needing to say the L-word). Prior to the events of this film, he started a relationship with Carly Spencer.
*Megatron's camp is full of salvaged artifacts from the previous film, along with several Decepticon corpses laying around the area. While most are unrecognizable, one of them is a headless Long Haul; his head was presumably used to create Igor. Megatron's new right hand appears to be salvaged from a fallen Decepticon, as the matching left hand can be seen laying around the campsite.
*The Wreckers, according to Charlotte Mearing arrived on Earth aboard the ''Xantium'' and brought the second wave of Autobots with them. The Wreckers were not seen in ''Revenge of the Fallen'', which is given an in-universe explanation that their bloodthirsty attitudes mean they are usually confined to base.
*Barricade makes a surprising return during the final battle in Chicago, last seen driving alongside Bonecrusher on the highway before the latter engaged the Autobot Leader in the first film.
*Megatron is still critically wounded after the final battle of ''Revenge of the Fallen'', notably still missing half of his head.
*Optimus Prime's main moral compass that "freedom is the right of all sentient beings", is revealed to have been taught to him by his predecessor and mentor, Sentinel Prime.
*Introduced in the second film, Optimus uses The Matrix of Leadership to revive Sentinel Prime, having retrieved it from the remains of the Star Harvester sometime following the climax of the second film. In the same previous film, Megatron had suspected the Matrix could be used to revive Optimus and was proven right when Sam succeeded, a fact Megatron exploits in his master plan enacted this film.
*Sentinel Prime was first mentioned in the previous film, by Sam Witwicky during one of his many Allspark induced exposition dump.
*In the previous film, [[Theodore Galloway]] asked Optimus that if humanity asked the Autobots to leave whether they'd cooperate, and Optimus promised to do so. This film sees them seemingly comply with such demands, only to reveal themselves to have stayed behind anyway to defeat the Decepticons.
*Ironhide no longer has his cannons, having lost them in the final battle of the previous film.

==Errors==
===Filming, animation and technical errors===
*When Sam is holding Brains in his hand after catching him spying on him and Carly, there is a short shot in which Sam is briefly seen in the background, holding nothing in hand, Brains is missing. In the next shot, Brains is back in the hand.
*After killing Ironhide, while Sentinel Prime is storming the NEST base, Sentinel Prime, Ironhide and most likely Bumblebee are all missing in a short shot in which we see two cars projected by an explosion, supposed to be a result of one of Sentinel's gun shots.
*Ironhide in alt-form appears in a short shot among the Autobots in Chicago, riding ahead of Optimus, at 01:43:21-01:43:22, but after that he disappears completely.

===Astronomical and historical errors===
*The Moon does not rotate with respect to Earth, and Mare Tranquillitatis is near the middle of the near side. Therefore, Tranquility Base could never be described as being on the far side, and Earth is never as close to the horizon as shown in the movie.
*The Apollo 11 Command/Service Module is seen flying to the Moon without the Lunar Module. The Lunar Module is attached when the vehicle is orbiting the Moon, however.
*When the modern day site of the Apollo 11 landing is seen, the ascent module (the cabin Buzz and Neil flew back to orbit in) is still there.
*In real life, Apollo 11 did not land on the far side of the Moon. Tranquility Base is on the near side of the Moon.
*One of the directors of NASA says that all six Apollo missions recovered parts of the Ark but this not possible as the six missions all had different landing sites which were all a significant distance apart.
*Cybertron is apparently several times the size of Earth, yet the characters talk of bringing it "into Earth's atmosphere"; at that size, it would be more like bringing ''Earth'' into ''Cybertron's'' atmosphere, but see below for the problem with that.
*The Space Bridge starts to bring Cybertron amazingly close to Earth - less than one Earth-diameter away. Assuming Cybertron's mass is proportional to its size, Cybertron's gravitational field would [[The Ultimate Doom|tear the Earth apart]] at that distance.

===Geographic discontinuities===
*The [[Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant]] is shown to be located ''inside'' of, or at least right next to the abandoned city of {{w|Pripyat}}, and the human characters access it through nearby buildings. In reality, the power plant is situated on the outskirts of the city. Even worse, [[Alexi Voskhod]] ''explicitly'' says that the entrance leads through a ''school''. Who builds a ''school'' right next to a ''nuclear power plant''?
*Furthermore, Pripyat's infamous Ferris wheel as shown in the movie is not only the wrong model (the real one's passenger cabins have canopies), but the real one is also located in an open field far away from any buildings.<ref name="ferris">[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pripyat_-_Ferris_wheel.jpg Photo of the Pripyat Ferris wheel] showing the closest nearby buildings.</ref> But hey, at least it's the right color!
*Also, why exactly is the Sputnik mission case inside the Chernobyl reactor building? Did the Soviets never bother to discard the packaging of their toy after starting to play with it?
*When Megatron transforms for the first time, he's in a grassy savannah. In the next shot, he's standing in the middle of a desert... and in the establishing shot of the Decepticon camp, it's back in the savannah.
*{{w|Mount Kilimanjaro}} is seen in the background of many of the scenes in Namibia; in reality, the mountain is located in Tanzania, more than three thousand kilometers away.
[[File:DOTM-Wreckers-Prime-Cables.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Chicago's own [[knockoff]] of a prominent Chinese building.]]
*In a [[Atlantis, Arise!|fairly common cinematic contrivance]], the film depicts multiple skyscrapers in the background of many scenes set in Washington, D.C., while the real-life city has no skyscrapers.
*Also, Washington, D.C. almost entirely lacks old industrial buildings that could be converted into lofts, and likewise doesn't have the kind of densely urban streets that Sam is shown to live on.
*NEST Headquarters, supposedly in Washington, is actually Chicago's abandoned Main Post Office.
*Likewise, Dylan's auto collection museum, also set in (land-locked) Washington, is actually the Milwaukee Art Museum. [[Lake Michigan]] is even visible through the windows!
*When Optimus Prime (using his jetpack) gets himself caught in wires below an under-construction building, that building bears a striking resemblance to the {{w|China Central Television Headquarters}} in [[Beijing]], [[China]]... a far shot from [[Chicago]]. Since construction for the CCTV building was finished in 2008, long before ''Dark of the Moon'' was even ''conceived'', this appears to be an intentional instance of a "cool building" being inserted just for the sake of it.

===Continuity errors===
*Like in ''Revenge of the Fallen'', Ironhide sports his [[license plate]] from the [[Transformers (film)|first movie]], "4PCI382", on his robot mode chest, but doesn't have a license plate in vehicle mode. (According to set photos, his license plate in vehicle mode is mostly black, with a NEST logo on it.)
*Speaking of inconsistencies between robot and vehicle mode: Bumblebee's updated Chevrolet Camaro alternate mode no longer has pinstripes bordering his black racing stripes, but the CG robot model still has the pinstripes.
[[Image:DOTM-SoundwaveMercedesStar.jpg|thumb|upright=1.9|right|Is this the reverse of hidden faction insignias in vehicle mode?]]
*Soundwave has [[kibble]] from his [[Mercedes-Benz|Mercedes]] alternate mode while he is in Africa, but his chest has only a blank grille. The Mercedes star is only added to his chest from the scene where he reveals himself to be Carly's car onward. This is most likely a deliberate choice made to avoid spoiling the plot twist.
*After Megatron pulls out his shotgun for the first time, he holsters it on the right side of his back. In the next scene it is on his left side.
*In the highway battle scene with the [[Dread (DOTM)|Dreads]], Crowbar smashes into some traffic signs and knocks them over. In the next shot when the other two Dreads use them as ramps, the angle at which the signs fell has changed. After Hatchet and Crankcase transform, the signs revert into their original position.
*Also in the highway battle, Bumblebee enhances only his front wheels to evade Hatchet, yet in the next shot he's fully in Stealth Force mode.
*When Hatchet is killed by Bumblebee and Dino, the last shot shows him being thrown onto a car (using footage recycled from Michael Bay's 2005 film ''{{w|The Island (2005 film)|The Island}}'', as elaborated on below), with Dino's grappling hook cables still attached to Hatchet, which would imply that Dino is still in robot mode at this point. However, the very next shot shows Dino in the far background, driving behind Bumblebee in vehicle mode.
*Immediately after crashing into Ironhide, two of Crowbar's hair strands fall to the ground, but he has all six strands from the next shot onwards.
*During Ironhide and Sideswipe's "Mexican standoff" with Crankcase and Crowbar, all combatants drop their firearms, but when Ironhide is speared, his guns are on his back again. They disappear in subsequent shots.
*In addition, the spear impaled in Ironhide disappears when he shoots Crowbar, only to reappear in subsequent shots.
*Despite being captured by Soundwave in her evening gown, Carly is somehow able to change into more convenient clothes (but still wearing high heels!) after arriving at Dylan's place, and has yet another outfit following the attack on Chicago the following day. Not only that, she changes her earrings, too!
*When the Autobots are boarding the ''Xantium,'' Simmons mentions that nine Autobots are leaving. Former Decepticons Wheelie and Brains apparently don't count. Poor little guys!
*The Wreckers claim they had been hiding inside a rocket booster that was jettisoned from the ''Xantium'' before Starscream destroyed it. The boosters are only seen to be detached after Starscream destroys the ship, after it has barely taken off from the ground.
*Though it's a standard action movie contrivance, it sure is convenient that the glass windows inside skyscrapers are extremely fragile when needed, and glass shards are as dangerous as bread crumbs so nobody suffers a single cut from sliding across them.
*Shortly after everyone jumps through the window and starts sliding down, a downwards shot of the building shows all of the windows behind them are intact.
*As everyone tumbles through a lower floor of the building, [[Stone]] is shown to fall right through and out the other side with a collection of office furniture, but not long after is back with Epps's squad.
*Despite the Decepticons taking over Chicago and killing a whole bunch of people, there seem to be a lot of people continuing to go about their daily lives. The skyscraper Epps's team goes into to launch a rocket from still seems to have plenty of office workers in it when the Driller attacks it. When Sam's being thrown around on the end of the grapple glove rope while fighting Starscream, he crashes through a wall into a dry-cleaning business where a woman appears to be calmly hanging up a shirt. Did they all just not get the memo?
*The sequence beginning with Sam, Carly, Epps and the rest of the soldiers jumping out of the windows of the tilted skyscraper is one giant continuity headache: First they jump out of the windows, then slide down several stories, then the camera angle changes and they're sliding down several more stories, and ''then'' a wide shot shows the top of the skyscraper from an angle where the characters cannot be seen, then slowly pans around and eventually shows them all sliding down from one of the topmosts floors all over again! Eventually, they crash back into one of the lowest floors near the break. After the Driller has toppled the top portion of the skyscraper over, the group is ''again'' shown to escape from one one of the topmost floors to the neighboring building!
*Though it is Barricade who kicks and shoves Que along before executing him, the voice heard is Soundwave's. Presumably, this was an artifact of the early alternate version of the scene, in which Soundwave was to kill Dino, and they just re-used the audio.
*While fighting the Autobots at the end of the film, Sentinel Prime's cape disappears for a brief scene before reappearing on his back when the camera angle changes.
*When Sam and Dylan are fighting, the clock behind them changes to different times every shot. It starts at 00:40, then 02:25, 00:15 and 11:00 in the following shots.
*When Sam and Carly are reunited after the final battle, Carly's hands keep changing the position on every cut, sometimes on Sam's neck, sometimes on his shoulders.
*Not intentional: Skids and Mudflap appear for a brief few seconds in the film in their vehicle modes. This leaves questions as to what happened to them. They weren't seen departing from Earth or taking part in the Chicago battle.
*It's said that four Autobots were captured by the Decepticons in Chicago, but actually five Autobots were captured. (Unless this observation was made ''before'' Bumblebee arrived after saving Sam and Lennox), possibly a leftover from an earlier draft of the script in where [[Dino]] and/or [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]] were supposed to already be dead by this point.
*When Que is about to be executed, the "cardboard head on a stick" prop used for Dino during the shooting of the movie (a common method used for the movies to give the actors ''something'' to react to) can be spotted in the final edit of the film,<ref name="headprop">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-movie-discussion/494618-movies-errors-mirage-prop-final-movie-edit.html "Movies Errors - Mirage prop in final movie edit"] at TFW2005</ref> as noted above possibly a leftover from an earlier draft of the script where Soundwave mocked Bumblebee with Dino's disembodied head.

==Transformers references==
In addition to recurring elements from the previous films, ''Dark of the Moon'' bases a number of elements on previous versions of the ''Transformers'' mythos, including plot elements based on older stories, something fairly rare in the other two movies:
*New characters [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] are heavily based upon their Generation 1 counterparts. [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]] is derived from G1 character [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]. [[Sentinel Prime (disambiguation)|Sentinel Prime]] is the name of Optimus's predecessor in many continuities, and in this instance, he continues his [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|predecessor]]'s [[Sentinel Prime (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|legacy]] of being a giant jerk.

*"Carly" was the name of [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]]'s [[Carly|girlfriend and eventual wife]] in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original cartoon]].

*The ''[[Ark (DOTM)|Ark]]'' gets its name from the Autobots' crashed spaceship in the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''Transformers'' comics]].

*The ''[[Xantium (G1)|Xantium]]'' is the name of the [[Wreckers]]' spaceship in the [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''Transformers'' comics.

*[[Roadbuster (DOTM)|Roadbuster]] and [[Topspin (DOTM)|Topspin]] being members of the Wreckers recalls their original G1 counterparts being likewise part of the Wreckers.

*Optimus's new trailer is based on the trailer that [[Optimus Prime (G1)|his Generation 1 counterpart]] hauled around, including its ability to open up into a weapons base.

*Optimus now carries the Matrix around in his chest as he has in past incarnations.

*The corrosive end met by Ironhide comes at the hands of [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]], the oxidizing pathogen that first appeared in the Generation 1 cartoon episode [[Cosmic Rust (episode)|of the same name]]. Though not named in the film, its identity is made clear by production artwork by [[Josh Nizzi]] which labels Sentinel Prime's gun a "Cosmic Rust gun".

*Megatron removing [[Abraham Lincoln]] from his chair at the {{w|Lincoln Memorial}} and then sitting in it is a scene taken directly from the Generation 1 cartoon episode, "[[Atlantis, Arise!]]", and the Decepticon ending for ''[[Transformers The Game]]'' (sort of).

*The idea of bringing Cybertron to Earth via space bridge and enslaving humans was the plot of the Generation 1 multi-part episode "[[The Ultimate Doom]]".

*Likewise, the idea of an influential and powerful human joining forces with the Decepticons, resulting in the Autobots being exiled from Earth by the government via a spacecraft, only for that spacecraft to be destroyed, was the plot behind another Generation 1 cartoon multi-part episode, "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1|Megatron's Master Plan]]."

*Megatron's first line - a weary "[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All hail Megatron]]" - is the title of IDW's direction-changing comic maxi-series, which had just wrapped up when production on the film was beginning.

*When the worker at Accureta Systems is trying to make the [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|photocopier]] work, it beeps the "more than meets the eye" refrain from the original cartoon's [[theme song]].

*The [[Transformation#The noise|transformation noise]] can be heard at the end of the film when Bumblebee transforms to robot mode, the final onscreen transformation, just as it was heard during [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]]'s transformation, which was also the first onscreen transformation in the first film.

*The technique of shooting at a skyscraper until it breaks in half and the top falls horizontally on other buildings has been done by [[Megatron (BW)|another Megatron]] in [[Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future|another city]].

==Real-world references==
*When Brains and Wheelie are watching ''{{w|Star Trek: The Original Series}}'', the screen features [[Spock|Mr. Spock]], portrayed by Leonard Nimoy—who voices Sentinel Prime. Wheelie comments that it is "the one where Spock goes nuts," which foreshadows Sentinel's heel turn. The episode itself is the famous ''TOS'' episode "{{w|Amok Time}}", although for some inexplicable reason, the first of the two clips shown on-screen is mirrored.
*Sentinel Prime says "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." The voice actor said the same line in the 1982 film ''{{w|Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan}}'' as Mr. Spock. However, in that movie, Nimoy's character dies a hero.
*To finish the Spock trifecta, when Bumblebee says his goodbyes to Sam, he uses a clip of Leonard Nimoy, as Spock, saying "I will always be your friend," another line from ''Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan''.
*[[Dutch (DOTM)|Dutch]] and his fake girlfriend's name, "India", are a reference to {{w|Dutch India}}.
*[[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]]'s name is a reference to {{w|Q (James Bond)|Q}} from ''{{w|James Bond}}'' novels and films. Que also gives weapons to NEST soldiers while explaining the advantages and abilities for the weapons much like Q does for James Bond.
*When Bumblebee brings forth "rings" for Sam and Carly, he "hums" the {{w|Wedding March}} (or, more correctly, the {{w|Bridal Chorus}} from {{w|Richard Wagner}}'s 1850 opera ''{{w|Lohengrin (opera)|Lohengrin}}'').
*Before Sentinel gets attacked by Megatron, he says "There can only be one", a popular misquote of the line "There can be only one" from the film Highlander. Sentinel is also modeled after one of the film's lead stars Sean Connery.

==Other editions==
*The version of the film available for streaming on Star+ cuts all scenes where humans are desintegrated to the bone by the Decepticons. As a result, the initial invasion of Chicago is cut significantly short.
{{stub}}
{{--}}

==Prequel material==
*''[[Transformers: Sector 7]]''
A five-issue limited mini-series chronicling the foundation of [[Sector Seven|Sector 7]] leading up to ''[[Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday|Ghosts of Yesterday]]''.
*''[[Transformers: Foundation]]''
A four-issue limited mini-series set during the events of ''[[Transformers: Defiance|Defiance]]'' telling the events that lead-up to the original ''[[Transformers: Movie Prequel|Movie Prequel]]''.
*''[[Transformers: Rising Storm]]''
A four-issue limited mini-series set after ''[[Transformers: Nefarious|Nefarious]]'' cronicling Shockwave's arrival and the task given to him by Megatron.
*''[[Cyberglyphics pack-in comics]]''
A six-issue miniseries by IDW, produced in cooperation with [[Target]], available only in printed form as [[pack-in material]] with a small Target-[[exclusive]] [[Target#Dark of the Moon|range of toys]], following [[Space Case (DOTM)|Space Case]]'s encounters with the Autobots and the Decepticons and leads up to ''Rising Storm''.
*''[[Transformers: Convergence]]''
A four-part prose story exclusive to the individual issues of IDW Publishing's ''Dark of the Moon comic adaptation'', chronicles both the Simmons lineage in the aftermath of ''Sector 7'' and Soundwave's activites on Earth, tying the remaining loose ends and setting the stage for ''Dark of the Moon''.
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Xbox 360/PS3)]]''
A video game developed by [[High Moon Studios]] for [[Xbox 360]] & [[PlayStation|PS3]].
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Stealth Force Edition]]''
A [[Wii]] & [[Nintendo 3DS|3DS]] port of the game developed by [[Behaviour Interactive]] focusing only on [[Stealth Force]].
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Autobots/Decepticons]]''
A [[Nintendo DS]] port of the game also developed by Behaviour Interactive, with each factions separated in two titles.
*''[[Transformers (Titan Magazine)#Dark of the Moon|Transformers (Titan Magazine)]]''
A monthly title by Titan in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] (another rebranding of their existing comic).
*''[[Transformers Classified]]''
A prequel novel trilogy in the same vein as ''Ghosts of Yesterday'' and ''[[Transformers: The Veiled Threat|The veiled Threat]]'' that was published after the movie, composed by ''[[Transformers Classified: Switching Gears|Switching Gears]]'', ''[[Transformers Classified: Battle Mountain|Battle Mountain]]'' & ''[[Transformers Classified: Satellite of Doom|Satellite of Doom]]'', later published together as ''[[Transformers Classified: The Complete Mission]]'' it cronicles how the Autobots & Decepticons fight against each other on Earth in the aftermath of [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|The Fallen's death]].

==Adaptations==
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (novel)|Transformers: Dark of the Moon]]''
The novelization of the film by [[Peter David]].
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon Movie Adaptation]]''
IDW Publishing's comic adaptation of the movie.

'''Children's adaptations'''
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: The Junior Novel]]''
The movie novelization for kids.

==Sequels==
{{main|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|Bumblebee (film)}}

==Soundtrack==
{{main|Dark of the Moon: The Album}}

==Score==
{{main|Dark of the Moon: The Score}}

==Home video releases==
{{main|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)/home video}}
''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' was released on DVD, Blu-Ray, and Digital Download on September 30, 2011, followed by the 2-Disc Special Edition in December.<ref>[TFW2005 - Official Transformers Movie Website Updated With Transformers 3 Home Release Info http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-just-movie-31/official-transformers-movie-website-updated-with-transformers-3-home-release-info-173245/]</ref>

===Additional Information===
*Close Captions in English
*Audio Description as Audio Description in English <ref>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B005G4TJUC/audiodescriin-20</ref>

==Theatrical posters==
<center>
<gallery perrow="3">
DOTM-OPbillboardposter.jpg
DOTM-Bumblebeebanner.jpg
DOTM-Shockwavebanner.jpg
DOTM-OPportraitposter.jpg
</gallery>
</center>

==Reception==
{{quote|Time will tell whether Transformers: Dark of the Moon really is the final Transformers film for both director Michael Bay and star Shia LaBeouf, but it's certainly the best one in this hugely successful, but widely loathed franchise.|[https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/06/27/transformers-dark-of-the-moon-review They've Fallen, but can the Transformers get up?], Jim Vejvoda|[https://www.ign.com ign.com] [[June 27]] [[2011]]}}

{{quote|Rarely has a movie had less of a soul and less interesting characters.|Richard Roeper, [http://www.richardroeper.com/reviews/transformersdarkofthemoon.aspx richardroeper.com] [[June 28]], [[2011]]}}

On June 23, 2011, the world premiere of ''Dark of the Moon'' was held in [[Moscow]], [[Russia]], with band [[Linkin Park]] performing a concert that included their title song for the movie, "Iridescent".

The official release date was moved up from July 1 to June 29 to allow breathing room between its release and ''{{w|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2}}''. On June 28, 2011, the film was released in 3D and IMAX in the US.

The film received mixed reviews from the critical reception, who praised the visual effects, action sequences, musical score, voice acting, and use of 3D, while criticizing the runtime, storyline, the performances of [[Shia LaBeouf]] and [[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley]], and screenplay. ''Dark of the Moon'' was considered at least an improvement from ''Revenge of the Fallen'', receiving a tomatometer score of 35% and an audience score of 55% on Rotten Tomatoes.<ref>https://rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_dark_of_the_moon</ref>

''Dark of the Moon'' launched with nearly 10,000 copies in 4011 theaters nationwide. On its opening day, the movie earned $37.3 million, making not only for the best opening day of 2011 up to that point, but also ranking as the sixth most successful opening on a Wednesday ever, while at the same time ranking well behind ''Revenge of the Fallen'', with $60 million on its opening day (also a Wednesday).<ref name="openingday">[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3197&p=.htm "'Transformers' Suboptimal on Wednesday"], Box Office Mojo, June 2011.</ref> (Of course, a lot of the print material still listed the release date as [[July 1]]st, the following Friday.)

On [[August 2]], it crossed the $1 billion mark in worldwide gross, just under 5 weeks after its release, landing it in the #9 spot for worldwide gross of all time.<ref>http://www.deadline.com/2011/08/transformers-dark-of-the-moon-crosses-1-billion-worldwide-mark-for-paramount/ Deadline Hollywood</ref> Of that, $338 million came from the US. It is currently one of two Paramount pictures to have made the $1 billion mark, the other being [[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|its sequel]]. (While ''Titanic'' also made over $1 billion worldwide, it was only a Paramount movie ''domestically'', where it made "only" $620 million.)

''Dark of the Moon'' ended its theatrical run in the #4 spot for highest worldwide gross of all time.

Upon its' release, the ''Transformers'' fanbase generally had a warmer reception to the film over its' predecessor, with praise going to the action, score, and particularly [[Leonard Nimoy]]'s performance and role as [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]]. Several moments in the film caused no shortage of discussion, with Optimus Prime's more ruthless, violent actions ([[Peter Cullen]] himself disliked the "we will kill them all" line) and the handling of the deaths of major franchise characters being notable sore spots for the film's detractors. Over a decade since its' release, ''Dark of the Moon'' still retains the warmest reception to a Bay film outside of the first film, though those more ambivalent towards the series don't consider it that different from the lesser films.

===Awards and recognition===
''Dark of the Moon'' was nominated for three Academy Awards, in the categories of Best Visual Effects, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing, losing all to ''{{w|Hugo (film)|Hugo}}''.<ref>[http://oscar.go.com/nominees#t Official 2012 Oscar nominees page]</ref>

On February 25, 2012, it was announced that ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' was nominated for eight {{w|Golden Raspberry Award}}s. Unlike ''Revenge of the Fallen'', however, it did not receive the awards for Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay, & Worst Director, losing all of its nominations to ''{{w|Jack & Jill (film)|Jack & Jill}}''.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-just-movie-31/transformers-dark-of-the-moon-is-safe-from-razzies-174726/]</ref>

==Technical details==
'''Length:''' 154 minutes
'''Audio:''' Dolby Digital / DTS / SDDS 
'''Content Rating:'''
{{collist|4|
*PG-13 (USA/MPAA)
*G (Japan)
*12A (United Kingdom)
*PG (Canada; Ontario)
*G (Canada; Quebec)
*PG-12 (Taiwan)
*PG13 (Singapore)
*PG-13 (Philippines/MTRCB)
*IIA (China)
*PG-13 (Malaysia)
*M (Australia)
*M (New Zealand)
*12 (Brazil)
*K-11 (Finland)
*12 (Germany)
*12A (Ireland)
*12 (Netherlands)
*M/12 (Portugal)
*12 (South Korea)
*B (Mexico)
*12+ (Russia)}}

==Production staff==
{{stub}}

===Visual effects===
{{stub}}

===Locations department===
{{quote|The Decepticons' decision to attack Chicago<ref>http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-471495</ref> seems inexplicable, until you take into consideration the generous tax credits offered by the Illinois Film Office.|film critic Roger Ebert|[http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2011/07/on_the_origin_of_transformers.html On the Origin of Transformers]}}

==Development details==
===Cast and crew signing on===
[[File:TF3-licensingPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Featuring a surprise appearance by Optimus Prime!]]
On May 30, 2007, a month before the official release of ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'', [[DreamWorks]] announced that two sequels were already being planned.<ref name="spy">[http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/a58430/two-transformers-sequels-in-pipeline.html Digital Spy article from May 2007, confirming that two sequels were being planned]</ref> On March 16, 2009, over three months before the premiere of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]] announced the third movie for July 1, 2011.<ref name="3release">Pamela McClintock: [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118001280?refCatId=13 Variety article from March 2009], confirming Transformers 3 for July 2011.</ref> Director [[Michael Bay]] promptly backpedaled, as he had intended for the third ''Transformers'' movie to be released in 2012.<ref name="baywait">[http://www.shootfortheedit.com/forum/showthread.php?3947-Wait-a-minute! Michael Bay's reaction to Paramount's July 2011 date for ''Transformers 3''], March 2009.</ref> He officially changed his mind in October 2009, agreeing to the release date set by Paramount.<ref name="bay3-2011">[http://michaelbay.com/2009/10/01/transformers-3-july-1st-2011/ Michael Bay officially confirms the 2011 release date], October 2009.</ref>

[[Roberto Orci]] and [[Alex Kurtzman]], two of the previous two movies' screenwriters, had already announced in March 2009 that they would not return for a third part.<ref name="noorcikurtz">[http://www.slashfilm.com/orci-and-kurtzman-not-returning-for-transformers-3-will-leonard-nimoy-voice-the-fallen/ Slashfilm quoting Roberto Orci that he and Kurtzman would not return for a third movie], March 2009. (Original post on Don Murphy's message board appears to no longer exist.)</ref> In September 2009, their ''Revenge'' co-writer [[Ehren Kruger]] was confirmed as the screenwriter of ''Transformers 3''.<ref name="krugernelson">[http://michaelbay.com/2009/09/14/transformers-3-pain-gain-bad-boys-3/ Michael Bay's website admin Nelson Lauren sorta-confirms Ehren Kruger as TF3's screenwriter], September 2009.</ref> Kruger had already impressed both director Michael Bay and [[Hasbro]] CEO [[Brian Goldner]] with his knowledge of ''Transformers'' mythology prior to working on ''Revenge''.<ref name="writersr">[http://www.zap2it.com/movies/news/zap-transformers2writers,0,1938976.story Zap2it story about the ROTF writers]</ref>

In an interview with ''Wonderland'' magazine in September 2009, [[Megan Fox]], the main female star of the previous two movies, discussed the harsh conditions on the sets and compared director Michael Bay to [[Adolf Hitler]].<ref name="latimesfox">[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2009/09/megan-fox-on-michael-bay-he-wants-to-be-hitler.html Los Angeles Times article about Megan Fox's fatal interview with ''Wonderland'' magazine], September 2009.</ref> Bay initially played down the affair and still welcomed Fox back for the third installment a month later.<ref name="bay3-2011"/> Even though Fox was still spotted on the ''Transformers 3'' set in May 2010,<ref name="foxonset">[http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/100786-megan-fox-on-set-for-transformers-3-previz Megan Fox on the DOTM set], May 2010.</ref> Paramount announced a few weeks later that she wouldn't return for a third movie after all.<ref name="nomorefox">[http://www.deadline.com/2010/05/michael-bays-revenge-no-more-megan/ Deadline article confirming that Megan Fox had been dropped off ''Transformers 3''], May 2010.</ref> Still that same month, [[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley]] was confirmed to replace her as the lead female actress.<ref name="rosierepl">[http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1640047/model-rosie-huntingtonwhiteley-cast-transformers-3.jhtml MTV.com article confirming Rosie Huntington-Whiteley as the new female star of ''Transformers ''], May 2010.</ref> Her character's name was confirmed as "[[Carly Spencer|Carly]]" by Nelson Lauren, the webmaster of Michael Bay's official website, in July 2010.<ref name="nelsonchicagojul">[http://www.shootfortheedit.com/forum/showthread.php?7566-Transformers-3-Chicago-Set-Photos Nelson posts about his visit to the Chicago set at shootfortheedit.com's forums], July 2010.</ref> In 2011, Michael Bay finally confirmed in an interview with ''GQ'' magazine that it had been [[Steven Spielberg]], executive producer of the ''Transformers'' movies, who had urged him to fire Fox following the Hitler comparison.<ref name="baygq">[http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/201107/michael-bay-steven-spielberg-fired-megan-fox-transformers GQ interview with Michael Bay], June 2011.</ref> In a later interview, however, he claimed this statement had been taken out of context.<ref name="baych">[http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/kultur/kino/Diese-Autos-muessen-zerstoert-werden--und-da-bin-ich-der-richtige-Mann/story/23997460 Interview with Michael Bay from Switzerland] (German language), July 2011.</ref>

In March 2010, Oscar winners [[John Malkovich]] and [[Frances McDormand]] as well as comedian [[Ken Jeong]] were confirmed having signed on for supporting roles.<ref name="malkomcdor">[http://michaelbay.com/2010/03/22/transformers-3-update-from-michael-bay/ Michael Bay confirming John Malkovich, Frances McDormand and Ken Jeong for ''Transformers 3''], March 2010.</ref>

In April 2010, [[Kevin Dunn]] and [[Julie White]] were confirmed to return as Sam Witwicky's parents.<ref name="varietydunnwhite">[http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118017329.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1 'Dunn, White sign on for 'Transformers 3''], Variety, April 2010.</ref>

In May 2010, Paramount confirmed that [[Patrick Dempsey]] was cast in ''Transformers 3'' to play Mikaela Banes' boss (this was before Megan Fox was fired from the production).<ref name="dempsey">[http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2010/05/04/patrick-dempsey-confirmed-for-transformers-3/ "Patrick Dempsey confirmed for Transformers 3"], Hollywood Insider, May 2010.</ref>

In July 2010, Nelson Lauren confirmed that former American footballer [[Lester Speight]] would play a soldier in the movie.<ref name="nelsonchicagophotos">[http://michaelbay.com/2010/07/20/transformers-3-chicago-set-photos/ Photos of the Chicago set by michaelbay.com webmaster Nelson Lauren], July 2010.</ref>

[[Leonard Nimoy]] was confirmed as the voice actor for [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]] in March 2011.<ref name="nimoysent">[http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/03/31/leonard-nimoy-transformers-dark-of-the-moon Entertainment Weekly announces Leonard Nimoy's involvement], March 2011]</ref> Nimoy, who had previously voiced [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] in 1986's ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' and was married to Michael Bay's cousin Susan, had previously been under consideration for [[The Fallen]]'s voice in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', but Bay had been hesitant for fear of offending his relative with the relatively low pay allotted to voice actors.<ref name="nimoy1">[http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/04/21/michael-bay-afraid-to-offend-leonard-nimoy-with-transformers-family-reunion-offer/ ''Michael Bay Afraid To Offend Leonard Nimoy With ‘Transformers’ Family Reunion Offer''], MTV.com Movies blog, April 2009.</ref> Even though Nimoy openly asked Bay to simply give him a call,<ref name="nimoy2">[http://www.latinoreview.com/news/leonard-nimoy-to-michael-bay-call-me-6682 Leonard Nimoy To Michael Bay: "Call Me!"], Latino Review, April 2009.</ref> it ultimately never worked out, and The Fallen was voiced by [[Tony Todd]] instead. For ''Dark of the Moon'', Bay finally overcame his anxiety and hired Nimoy, who accepted the offer.<ref name="nimoy3">[http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/03/31/leonard-nimoy-transformers-dark-of-the-moon/ "Leonard Nimoy joins 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' voice cast -- EXCLUSIVE"], Entertainment Weekly, March 2011.</ref> In return, screenwriter Ehren Kruger included several nods to Nimoy's well-known character as Mr. Spock from ''[[Star Trek]]'' in the movie.<ref name="nimoystartrek">[http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666643/transformers-dark-of-the-moon-star-trek-references.jhtml "'Transformers: Dark Of The Moon': Behind The 'Star Trek' Nods"], MTV.com, July 2011.</ref> ''Dark of the Moon'' would be Nimoy's final performance in the ''Transformers'' franchise before his death in early 2015.

===Writing and production===
After having defended the almost universally critically panned ''Revenge of the Fallen'' for a long time, Michael Bay finally acknowledged flaws of the script, but blamed the {{w|2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike}} prior to the movie for many problems. As a definite error, he singled out the "dork comedy", which he promised to avoid with ''Dark of the Moon''.<ref name="bayvisit">[http://collider.com/michael-bay-interview-transformers-dark-moon-edit-bay-visit/63824/ Collider.com article about DOTM], December 2010.</ref>

Principal shooting began in May 2010. Shooting locations included [[Chicago]] (and nearby East Chicago and Gary Indiana), Moscow,<ref name="locations">[http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=63682 "Transformers 3 Headed to Chicago and Moscow"], Comingsoon.net, February 2010.</ref> the [[Kennedy Space Center]] in Florida,<ref name="kennedyspace">[http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/101114-the-transformers-3-shoot-at-kennedy-space-center "The Transformers 3 Shoot at Kennedy Space Center"], SuperHeroHype.com, May 2010.</ref> Milwaukee (Wisconsin),<ref name="milwaukee">[http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/movies/98266574.html "'Transformers 3' takes over Milwaukee Art Museum"], Journal Sentinel Online, July 2010.</ref> Detroit,<ref name="detroit">[http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/107775-photos-from-the-detroit-transformers-3-set "Photos From the Detroit Transformers 3 Set"], SuperHeroHype.com, September 2010.</ref> [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref name="militaryextras">[http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=473674758199&id=114648515718 US Department of Defense casting call for ''Dark of the Moon''], October 2010.</ref> and Angkor Wat in Cambodia.<ref name="angkor">[http://www.akp.gov.kh/?p=1184 "'Transformers 3' To Be Shot in Cambodia"], Agence Kampuchea Presse, January 2011.</ref>

For the scene where Lennox and his soldier jump out of a V-22 Osprey using wingsuits, Michael Bay used real parachutists and thus avoided unnecessary CG effects. In fact, he had been inspired for this scene in the first place by watching the parachutists in their wingsuits on television<ref name="wingsuits">[http://blog.movies.yahoo.com/blog/1498-transformers-wingsuits-no-cgi-required Yahoo! Movies article on the wingsuit parachutists], June 2011.</ref> and wrote the scene with the intention of using the parachutists in the movie.<ref name="bayvisit"/>

For the Apollo 11 moon landing mission in the flashback sequence at the beginning of the movie, astronauts [[Neil Armstrong]] and [[Buzz Aldrin]] are played by actors Don Jeanes and Cory Tucker, respectively. In the present day timeline, Aldrin himself appears briefly as his own older self.<ref name="aldrin">[http://movies.yahoo.com/news/yahoo-contributor-network/astronaut-buzz-aldrin-hangs-out-with-optimus-prime-transformers-dark-moon Yahoo! Movies article on Buzz Aldrin's appearance in DOTM], July 2011.</ref>

Over 500 cars were destroyed in the making of ''Dark of the Moon'', all of them damaged property from insurance companies intended for destruction.<ref name="baych"/>
[[Image:ROTFvsDOTMUSNavyHollenbeck.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|right|Wherever General Morshower goes, I go.]]

Two accidents happened during shooting: In September 2010, while shooting in East Chicago, Indiana, a female extra was severely injured when a stunt scene went wrong, leaving her with permanent brain damage, the left side of her body paralyzed and her left eye stitched shut. Paramount was subsequently sued for damages by the victim's family.<ref name="extrastunt">[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-10-05/news/ct-met-transformers-lawsuit-20101005_1_gabriela-cedillo-stunt-welding Chicago tibune article on the injured extra and the subsequent lawsuit], October 2010.</ref> She was eventually granted an $18.5 million settlement in May 2012.<ref name="settlement">[http://www.tmz.com/2012/05/23/transfomers-3-injured-extra-gets-18-million-settlement/ TMZ story about Gabriela Cedillo's settlement]</ref> As a consequence, part of the scene of the car chase battle in Washington, D.C. (which would have included the shoot that had led to the accident) was instead "[[Stock footage|borrowed]]" from Michael Bay's 2005 film ''{{w|The Island (2005 film)|The Island}}''.<ref name="island1">[https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/07/04/transformers-3-re-uses-car-crash-from-the-island "Transformers 3 Re-Uses Car Crash From The Island"], IGN Movies, July 2011.</ref> While shooting in Washington, D.C., in October 2010, one of the Chevrolet Camaro prop cars that served as Bumblebee's [[alternate mode]] crashed into a {{w|Metropolitan Police}} SUV. Nobody was seriously injured this time, though Bumblebee sustained severe front-end damage.<ref name="camarocrash">[http://jalopnik.com/5661321/bumblebee-smashes-cop-car-in-yet-another-transformers-3-accident Jalopnik article on the Camaro crash], October 2010.</ref> Hasbro would later "commemorate" this latter event with the [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]] [[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]] "Cybertronian Warriors Pack". Fans, meanwhile, joked that the SUV was Barricade getting revenge.

Another (brief) instance of recycled footage occurs during the Chicago battle: When the Navy fires several Tomahawks at the Decepticons, the mission control room scene was previously used to depict the interior of the [[USS Kidd]] in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]''. The most obvious similarity is the [[Hollenbeck|same operator]] saying "Target acquired" both times.<ref name="recycled">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=6tSMdR8vH0s YouTube video] featuring brief clips from ''Dark of the Moon'' and ''Revenge of the Fallen'', highlighting the recycled footage.</ref>

''Dark of the Moon'' is the first of the ''Transformers'' movies to be released in 3D. Despite early considerations to shoot the movie in 2D and convert it into 3D later, Michael Bay ultimately shot 60% of the film in native 3D, another 15% were done digitally, and the rest was shot in 2D and converted later. [[James Cameron]] assisted Michael Bay with the 3D effects. The movie's budget amounted to $195 million, which is about the same budget ''Revenge of the Fallen'' had. About $30 million went into the 3D effects.<ref name="cameron">[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/michael-bay-reveals-james-camerons-191774 "Michael Bay Reveals James Cameron's Secret Role in the Making of 'Transformers'"], The Hollywood Reporter, May 2011.</ref>

===Sponsors and partners===
====Hasbro====
Hasbro, licensor of the [[Transformers brand]], hoped that the third movie would once again boost toy sales, after profits had dropped in the first quarter of 2011.<ref name="hasbroq12011">[http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Hasbro-1Q-profit-drops-71-pct-apf-664090076.html?x=0&.v=11 Yahoo! Finance article about weak Hasbro toy sales in 2011's first quarter], April 2011.</ref> For the second quarter of 2011, Hasbro reported a net revenue growth of 23 percent to $908.5 million, citing brands such as ''Transformers'' and ''[[Beyblade]]'' as the main sources of the increased income.<ref name="hasbro2nsq">[http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Hasbro-Reports-Revenue-and-bw-4063497156.html?x=0&.v=1 "Hasbro Reports Revenue and Earnings Growth for the Second Quarter 2011"], Yahoo! Finance, July 2011.</ref>

====US military and NASA====
Like the previous two movies, ''Dark of the Moon'' featured real military personnel as extras, supported by the [[United States Department of Defense]].<ref name="militaryextras"/> Shooting locations were Hurlburt Field and [[Edwards Air Force Base]].<ref name="hurlburt">[http://www.shadowspear.com/special-operations-entertainment/105725-transformers-filmed-at-hurlburt.html "'Transformers 3 Filmed at Hurlburt, 1SOW Included as 'Extras'"], ShadowSpear Special Operations, July 2011.</ref>

In addition, ''Dark of the Moon'' was also supported by NASA, and NASA employees appear as extras in the movie as well.<ref name="nasa">[http://www.space.com/12142-transformers-film-nasa-space-program-touches.html "'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' Has Real-Life NASA Touches"], Space.com, July 2011.</ref>

====General Motors and other car manufacturers====
[[General Motors]] once again provided several vehicles. All recurring Autobots retain their [[alternate mode]]s from ''Revenge of the Fallen'' despite some minor tweaks, such as Sideswipe now being a convertible, and Bumblebee now sporting a rear spoiler. Once again, the cooperation was mutual, with General Motors using Bumblebee for TV commercials. The first of those, aired during the 2011 Super Bowl, also revealed some minor tweaks to Bumblebee's robot mode.<ref name="bumblebeead1">[http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2011/02/-bumblebee-appears-in-a-chevrolet-camaro-super-bowl-ad/1 "'Bumblebee' appears in Chevrolet's Super Bowl ad"], USA Today, February 2011.</ref><ref name="bumblebeead2">[http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/06/chevy-drops-new-ad-touting-transformers-3-tie-in/ "Video: Chevy drops new ad touting Transformers 3 tie-in"], Autoblog.com, June 2011.</ref> According to Chevrolet, the ''Transformers'' movies notably affect car sales, as about ten percent of all Camaros sold in the preceding year were yellow, twice as many as with other models.<ref name="carstarscast">[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/transformers-dark-moon-how-sequels-204557 "'Transformers: Dark of the Moon': How the Sequel's Star Cars Were Cast"], The Hollywood Reporter, June 2011.</ref>

New additions for ''Dark of the Moon'' are a Ferrari 458 Italia and a Mercedes-Benz E550 as Autobots ([[Dino]] and [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]], respectively) and a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG as a Decepticon ([[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]]). In the movie, both Autobots sport names which aren't recycled from existing Hasbro toys. In the Ferrari's case, the reason for this is that Hasbro's greatest competitor, Mattel, has an exclusive license for Ferrari toys.<ref name="ferrarimattel">[http://www.ferrari.com/English/Pages/Mattel.aspx Mattel license information], Ferrari.com.</ref><ref name="nelsonnomirage">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/409844-mirage-no-longer-name-red-italia-dotm-3.html#post6103423 Michael Bay's website admin, Nelson Lauren, explaining why the Ferrari isn't named "Mirage"], TFW2005, May 2011.</ref> "Dino" is named in reference to {{w|Alfredo Ferrari|Alfredo "Dino" Ferrari}}, as per Ferrari's request. The Mercedes-Benz E550, meanwhile, was specifically customized for the movie.<ref name="e550tuning">[http://www.eurotuner.com/news/eurp_1102_mercedes_benz_e550_for_next_transformers_movie/index.html "Mercedes-Benz E550 for Next Transformers Movie - Web Exclusive"], Eurotuner.com, February 2011.</ref> "Que" is named in homage to {{w|Q (James Bond)|Q}} from ''{{w|James Bond}}''. A Maybach 62S Landaulet is also featured in the movie, albeit not as a Transformer, but merely as a regular car used by [[Seymour Simmons]] and his assistant [[Dutch (DOTM)|Dutch]].

Unlike Optimus Prime, whose alternate mode was not licensed for any of the three movies, the Rosenbauer Panther 6x6 airport fire truck used for [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]] was officially provided by the Rosenbauer International AG and entirely repainted specifically for the film, at a cost of thousands of dollars, as real-world aircraft fire-fighting vehicles are required by FAA regulations to have a much lighter color scheme, which didn't appeal to director [[Michael Bay]].<ref name="rosenbauer">[http://www.rosenbaueramerica.com/press/2011/06/rosenbauer-panther-6x6-to-be-f/ Rosenbauer America press release, June 28, 2011]</ref>

Since the heavily armed Chevrolet Impalas that serve as the [[Wreckers]]' alternate modes are directly based on existing NASCAR race cars, the prop versions of [[Roadbuster (DOTM)|Roadbuster]], [[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]], and [[Topspin (DOTM)|Topspin]] made an appearance at [[2011]] Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on [[February 20]], four month before the movie's release, appearing both off the track as display cars, and on the track, participating in the ceremonial first lap.<ref name="daytona">[http://www.hendrickmotorsports.com/news/photos/2011/02/18/TRANSFORMERS-cars-on-display-at-Daytona "'TRANSFORMERS' cars on display at Daytona"], Hendrick Motorsports, February 2011.</ref> Director Michael Bay, actor [[Josh Duhamel]] and actress [[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley]] also attended the event, and during the television broadcast of the race, a new ''Dark of the Moon'' television spot was aired.

====Other product placement====
As always, various companies have their products and names prominently displayed throughout the movie, such as {{w|Northrop Grumman}}, [[CNN]], [[Fox News Channel|Fox News]], {{w|Cisco}} and {{w|Superfund}}.<ref name="brands1">[http://www.brandchannel.com/brandcameo_films.asp?movie_year_az=2011 "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"] at brandchannel.com.</ref> Paper manufacturer Double A also cooperated with Paramount and even had Michael Bay direct a commercial that features scenes from ''Dark of the Moon'', notably [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]].<ref name="paper">[http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/167497-transformers-featured-in-double-a-paper-ad "Transformers Featured in Double A Paper Ad"] at SuperHeroHype, June 2011.</ref> Of particular note is the large number of Chinese brands such as {{w|Lenovo}}, {{w|Yili Group|Yili}} Shuhua Milk, {{w|Metersbonwe Group|Metersbonwe}} Mtee shirts and {{w|TCL Corporation|TCL}} HDTV screens.<ref name="chinesebrands">[http://advertising.chinasmack.com/2011/transformers-the-rise-of-chinese-product-placement.html "Transformers: The Rise Of Chinese Product Placement"] at Chinasmack.</ref><ref name="brands2">[http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2011/07/05/Brandcameo-070411-Transformers-3.aspx "Transformers 3 Product Placement: If Tom Hanks Gets a Pass, Michael Bay Does Not"] at brandchannel, July 2011.</ref>

For [[Nokia]], the product placement turned out to be dated by the time the movie came out, as a mobile phone featured in the movie ran on {{w|Symbian}}, despite Nokia mostly dropping Symbian as an operating system due to their recent partnership with {{w|Microsoft}}.<ref name="nokiaobit">[http://www.thenoisecast.com/2011/07/nokia-x7-product-placement-in-transformers-3-feels-like-an-obituary/ "Nokia X7 Product Placement In Transformers 3 Feels Like An Obituary"], Noisecast, July 2011.</ref>

===Changes before, during and after production===
[[File:DOTM Skids, Mudflap, Que and Sideswipe.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|Eat this, Megan Fox.]]
*In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in June 2009, Michael Bay suggested that [[Ramon Rodriguez]] would reprise his role as [[Leo Spitz]] from ''Revenge of the Fallen'' for the third movie.<ref name="bayramon">[http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2009/06/30/ramon-rodriguez-will-have-bigger-role-in-third-transformers-movie-bay-hints/ "Ramon Rodriguez will have bigger role in third ‘Transformers’ movie, Bay hints"], Los Angeles Times, June 2009.</ref>

*As stated above, [[Megan Fox]] was originally intended to reprise her role as [[Mikaela Banes]] from the previous two movies. She was still spotted on the ''Dark of the Moon'' set during the previsualization stage in May 2010,<ref name="foxonset"/> but was fired from the production shortly afterwards due to a falling out with director [[Michael Bay]]. [[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley]]'s character of [[Carly Spencer]] was written in as a replacement, though the fact that her part was originally written for Mikaela still shows in some parts: For example, Carly is overseeing [[Dylan Gould|Dylan]]'s car collection, which could be viewed as an extension of Mikaela's history with working with cars. Furthermore, Sam and Carly not only have [[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] (who had been previously "domesticated" by Mikaela) as a "pet", but also her dog [[Bonecrusher (dog)|Bonecrusher]] (played by Michael Bay's eponymous real-life dog).

*In January 2010, actor James Avery claimed in an interview that he would be playing a new Autobot named "Silverbolt".<ref name="avery">[http://web.archive.org/web/20120401095240/http://unscripted.ca/episodes/show/136 James Avery interview on Unscripted], January 2010</ref> In June 2010, representatives of James Avery, responding to a bizarre rumor that he had passed away, confirmed that the actor was indeed alive and would be playing Silverbolt in ''Transformers 3''.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20151107012047/http://www.examiner.com/article/uncle-phil-james-avery-isn-t-dead-after-all James Avery isn't dead after all], The Examiner, June 2010.</ref> Despite this, neither Avery nor Silverbolt ultimately appear in ''Dark of the Moon''.

*In January 2011, an Idaho newspaper<ref>[http://magicvalley.com/news/local/article_d4f374a4-d960-5589-8d0c-be37df66fc40.html?mode=story "Rupert's Fagerbakke finds a voice that is truly golden"]</ref> announced voice actor [[Bill Fagerbakke]] as the voice of a "Chevy Impala stock car" that would appear in ''Dark of the Moon'' (presumably meaning one of the three [[Wreckers]], who share that base altmode). Why Fagerbakke did not end up voicing any of the Wreckers in the final cut of the film is unknown.

[[File:DOTM-SentinelPrimetrailer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Colour me your colour, baby Colour me your car Colour me your colour, darling I know who you are]]
*Shockwave's original voice actor, [[Corey Burton]], expressed that he had no interest in voicing him for ''Dark of the Moon'', explaining "[I] have practically no interest in that kind of mega-budget movie enterprise involvement" and that the inspiration for his Shockwave voice, {{w|David Warner (actor)|David Warner}}, was rumored to have been considered.<ref>[http://www.coreyburton.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=2707&highlight=#2707 Corey Burton's message board post.]</ref> In the end, Shockwave's almost-entirely-wordless-snarl-based role would have been something of a waste of Warner; the role ultimately went to Frank Welker. There's a nice touch of symmetry in the casting, with Welker taking over a Burton-originated role not long after Burton took on a Welker-originated character in [[Megatron (Animated)|''Animated'' Megatron]].

*In an earlier draft of the movie's script, Megatron is sincere when he offers Optimus Prime a truce at the end. Optimus accepts, and Megatron and the remaining Decepticons leave Earth to rebuild Cybertron. This ending is used for the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (novel)|novelization]] and the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon Movie Adaptation|comic adaptation]]. According to Michael Bay's website administrator Nelson, the ending was changed because the studio didn't want the adaptations to share the same ending with the film.<ref>http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/members/nelson-47919.html#vmessage284191</ref>

*Furthermore, it was originally supposed to be [[Dino|Mirage/"Dino"]] rather than [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Wheeljack/"Que"]] who would have been executed by [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]] in Chicago. This version made it into the comic adaptation and the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon: The Junior Novel|junior novelization]].

*Another scrapped death for Mirage is seen in the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (novel)|novelization]], in which he's decapitated by [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]. His severed head is subsequently used by Soundwave to mock the Autobots before they are executed.

*A scrapped death for Wheeljack/"Que" involved the Autobot being run off of a Chicago street and into a river by the [[Driller]], where he would have been torn to pieces by Decepticon troopers lying in wait in the river.

*The [[Twins (ROTF)|Twins]], [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]], were originally supposed to return for ''Dark of the Moon'', and to die at the hands of Sentinel Prime shortly after Ironhide. Even though [[General Motors]] provided two Chevrolet Sparks to serve as their alternate modes<ref name="chevyspark">[http://www.leftlanenews.com/chevrolet-spark-transformers-3.html Left Lane News article on two Chevrolet Sparks spotted on the DOTM set], May 2010.</ref> which were still spotted on the set as late as October 2010,<ref name="dcparking">[http://transformerslive.blogspot.com/2010/10/transformers-3-dc-parking-lot-gallery.html "Transformers 3 DC Parking Lot Gallery"], Transformers Live Action Movie Blog, October 2010.</ref> the two were mostly edited out of the final movie (their vehicle modes can barely be glimpsed in a few brief shots). Michael Bay even went so far as to offer a $25,000 reward for anyone who would see the Twins "perform" in the movie.<ref name="reward">[http://collider.com/transformers-3-twins-skids-mudflap-michael-bay/91104/ Collider.com article on Michael Bay's "reward" for spotting Skids and Mudflap "perform" in DOTM], May 2011.</ref> In the novelization and the comic adaptation, Skids and Mudflap still appear.

[[File:DOTMSuperBowlvsTrailer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|So does this qualify as a retcon?]]
*Another plot point that was apparently dropped was an anti-Autobot sentiment among the human populace. Graffiti with a crossed out Autobot [[insignia|logo]] with the words "go home" below it showed up in several set photos.<ref name="gohome1">[http://transformerslive.blogspot.com/2010/05/transformers-3-filming-with-twins.html Photos from the set in Sherman Oaks, California] at the Transformers Live Action Movie Blog, May 2010.</ref><ref name="gohome2">[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/possible-tf3-plot-point-revealed-autobots-go-home/19188/ Photos from the Chicago set] at Seibertron.com, July 2010.</ref> In the movie, Congress instantly passes a law exiling the Autobots from Earth following Sentinel Prime's ultimatum.

*Early working names included "[[Ultra Magnus (disambiguation)|Ultra Magnus]]" for [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]],<ref name="chicagocall">[http://transformerslive.blogspot.com/2011/06/chicgo-call-sheet-for-ultra-magnus.html "Chicago Call Sheet For Ultra Magnus"], Transformers Live Action Movie Blog, June 2011.</ref> "Enzo" (after {{w|Enzo Ferrari}})<ref name="callsheet2">[http://tilallaremine.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/dark-of-the-moon-call-sheets/ Dark of the Moon Call Sheets!] at Til All Are Mine blog, July 2011.</ref> and "Rush" for Mirage/"Dino", "[[Warpath (disambiguation)|Warpath]]" for both [[Roadbuster (DOTM)|Roadbuster]] and [[Topspin (DOTM)|Topspin]], "Tempest" for Topspin, "[[Flash (disambiguation)|Flash]]" for [[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]], "[[Dreadwind (disambiguation)|Dreadwind]]" for [[Crankcase (DOTM)|Crankcase]], "[[Hooligan (disambiguation)|Hooligan]]" for [[Crowbar]], "[[Dirtbag]]" for [[Hatchet (DOTM)|Hatchet]], "[[Blitzwing (disambiguation)|Blitzwing]]" for [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]], "[[Breakdown (disambiguation)|Breakdown]]" for Soundwave's new vehicular design, "[[Clench (G1)|Colossus]]" for the [[Driller]],<ref name="nizzi">[http://www.joshnizzi.com/TF3.htm Josh Nizzi DOTM concepts.]</ref> "Buzzard" for [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]], "[[Undermine (Cybertron)|Undermine]]" for [[Igor]] and "[[Steeljaw (disambiguation)|Steeljaw]]" for Wheeljack/"Que". However, it's quite possible a few of these were code names used to keep character identities a secret during production as images of Megatron's new cloak obscured face refer to the character as "[[Cyclonus (disambiguation)|Cyclonus]]".<ref name="wburt">[http://conceptartworld.com/?p=8388 Wesley Burt DOTM concepts.]</ref>

*Roadbuster was originally intended to have {{w|Jeff Gordon}}'s #24 {{w|DuPont}}-sponsored Chevrolet Impala as his alternate mode, rather than {{w|Dale Earnhardt, Jr.}}'s #88 Impala sponsored by {{w|AMP Energy}}.<ref name="nizzi"/>

*Que/Wheeljack's head was once considered to be based on {{w|Christopher Lloyd}}'s [[Doc Brown]] from ''[[Back to the Future]]'', rather than [[Albert Einstein]].<ref name="wburt"/>

*The Wreckers were originally intended to have a robot pet dog, whose working names also included "Warpath".<ref name="nizzi"/> Hasbro released a toy of the dog with the [[Human Alliance]] version of Leadfoot, named "[[Steeljaw (DOTM)|Steeljaw]]".

*Megatron was originally supposed to appear in his ''Revenge of the Fallen'' form.<ref>http://joshnizzi.com/images/TF3/JoshNizzi_TF3_56.jpg</ref>

*In an interview with MTV.com, actors [[Shia LaBeouf]] and [[John Malkovich]] hinted at some smaller scenes that were cut from the final edit of the movie. In addition to some ad-libbing by the actors, one scene would have featured Malkovich's character, [[Bruce Brazos]], attempting to get Carly's phone number.<ref name="deletedmtv">[http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666772/transformers-dark-of-the-moon-dvd-deleted-scenes.jhtml MTV.com on deleted scenes], July 2011.</ref>

*In the original announcement trailer for ''Dark of the Moon'' that was released in December 2010, the opening scene that featured [[Neil Armstrong]] and [[Buzz Aldrin]] investigate the ''[[Ark (DOTM)|Ark]]'' on the moon had Sentinel Prime sport a gold and silver color scheme. For the final movie, his base color was changed to red, his left shoulder was lowered, his facial expression was changed to look more droopy, and the whole scene was given a considerable blue tint.

*Similar to the announcement trailer, the Super Bowl spot also features footage that contains unfinished CG effects. Most notably, the shot that depicts Optimus Prime, equipped with his flight pack, swooping down on the Decepticons before starting his epic rampage on the ground was changed by the time the first full trailer was released: Optimus himself and the first [[M1 Abrams Decepticon]] are both rescaled and moved to different positions on-screen; a Decepticon using the same [[body-type]] as [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] and [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]] is removed entirely; and a Decepticon using the same body-type as Long Haul, as well as other [[generic]]s, are added. The final movie uses pretty much the same version as seen in the trailer.
{{-}}

===Leaks and disinformation===
[[File:DOTMgameSoundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|What you're about to see is totally classified.]]
The movie's title, then "Transformers: ''The'' Dark of the Moon", was first discovered on October 6, 2010 via listings for childrens' books on [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]]. The title was further confirmed by a whois check for "www.transformersdarkofthemoonmovie.com".<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-just-movie-31/transformers-3-title-revealed-170697/ Transformers 3 Title Revealed?] @ TFW2005.com</ref> On October 31, the official website for all three movies, [http://www.transformersmovie.com/ transformersmovie.com], was updated to show the ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' logo as well as international release dates.

[[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]] was heavily touted as the new main villain, no doubt in an attempt to conceal [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]]'s unexpected betrayal halfway through the movie. A piece of information that commonly popped up in media coverage was the claim that Shockwave was the ruler of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] while the other Autobots and Decepticons were duking it out on Earth.<ref name="pushpops">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-just-movie-31/transformers-3-plot-summary-revealed-170756/ "Transformers 3 Plot Summary Revealed"], TFW2005, October 2010.</ref> The last bit could be written off as a case of {{w|Chinese whispers}}: Shockwave got announced as the villain for ''Dark of the Moon'', mainstream media (such as USA Today<ref name="usatodayswitch">[http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2010-06-11-Transformers11_ST_N.htm "Next 'Transformers' is due for a switch"], USA Today, June 2010.</ref>) who aren't versed in Transformers lore looked up the character, found out about his ''[[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]]'' [[Shockwave (G1)|namesake]]'s role in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]], included it as a piece of trivia to show they did their research, and then the trivia note got picked up as gospel by other media. Nevertheless, it was included in the ''official plot summary'' by Paramount's German branch (which also claimed that ''Shockwave'' was the robot discovered inside the ''[[Ark (DOTM)|Ark]]'' as seen in the trailer).<ref name="germansite">[http://www.transformers3-film.de/ Official German DOTM site] including faulty plot summary.</ref>

[[File:TF3HasbroSoundwaveBio.JPG|thumb|upright=1.66|left|If you breathe a word of what you see in here, you will do time for treason.]]Michael Bay and other official parties tried ''really'' hard to suppress the plot twist of the silver Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG given to [[Carly Spencer|Carly]] by [[Dylan Gould|Dylan]] turning out to be the new [[alternate mode]] of [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]]. After the Mercedes had been spotted on the set, with [[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley]] exiting it,<ref name="mercedesset">[http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=67518 DOTM Set Photos], ComingSoon.net, July 2010.</ref> the first hint that it was more than meets the eye came with the trailer for the [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Xbox 360/PS3)|video game]], which showed Soundwave's robot mode with car [[kibble]] such as wheels that heavily resembled those of the Mercedes. In addition, [[Rising Storm issue 2|issue 2]] of ''[[Transformers: Rising Storm]]'' depicted Soundwave's robot mode not only with car kibble, but with a Mercedes star on his chest, yet in [[Rising Storm issue 3|issue 3]], he appeared in his ''Revenge of the Fallen'' design again. Despite this, director Michael Bay insisted that the Mercedes was simply Carly's car, claiming that "Mercedes would never let us make their car into a bad Decepticon. Car company's {{sic}} really frown on that. I can't say what the game company and comics do that's their own thing. They don't have the same constraints movies do. It's Carly's car."<ref name="baynomerc">[http://www.shootfortheedit.com/forum/showthread.php?8724-Update-Is-Soundwave-the-silver-Mercedes-on-set-of-DOTM&p=169598&viewfull=1#post169598 Michael Bay's response to the fan theory that Soundwave is the Silver Mercedes.], April 2011.</ref> On April 19, 2011, an event for promoting the ''Spider-Man: Edge of Time'' and ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' video games was held in London. As part of this, [[High Moon Studios]] released promotional stills from the ''Dark of the Moon'' game, one of which depicted Soundwave's new robot mode, again with Mercedes parts. However, a news embargo was enforced on the attending press, which was broken by South African video game site [http://egamer.co.za egamer].<ref name="egamera">[http://egamer.co.za/2011/05/exclusive-hands-on-transformers-dark-of-the-moon/ egamer's preview of the ''Dark of the Moon'' video game]</ref> The site was soon asked to take down the article and images, as were various ''Transformers'' fan sites that had reported on the article and mirrored the images. On May 2, 2011, Hasbro's [http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/ official Transformers website] was given a massive overhaul, including the addition of the new [http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/discover/cybertronian-database.cfm Vector Sigma database]. The entry for Soundwave initially identified his alternate mode as a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, but was soon changed to "satellite". On May 3, 2011, the embargo for the video game article and promotional stills was finally lifted, allowing sites to freely show the image of Soundwave's new robot mode.

On May 5, 2011, six days before the trade paperback collection's official release, preview pages from [[IDW Publishing|IDW]]'s [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon Movie Adaptation|''Dark of the Moon'' comic adaptation]] were discovered at [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]]. Through some bizarre system error, ''several dozen pages'' were made available, which included the major plot twist of Sentinel Prime showing his true colors and killing [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]]. Unsurprisingly, this discovery was quickly posted on several major Transformers [[fandom|fan sites]], often without a spoiler warning. The fact that, even without this leak, the trade paperback of the comic adaptation was released well over a month before the film's theatrical release probably didn't help matters either.

==Notes==
*A 126-page script for the movie was leaked in December 2009,<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/content/view/6435/20/ The Allspark: Transformers News Movie Comics Animated - Script Treatment for Transformers 3? Bogus or Not, Here You Go!]</ref> causing much discussion among the fandom. It was later confirmed as fake.<ref>[http://shootfortheedit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6532 Script]</ref>
*When word hit that [[Megan Fox]] was off the picture, [https://youtube.com/watch?v=3VTs5ESycpY Heidi Montag] put an "audition" for her part on YouTube. [http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/114ce28ddd/sir-ben-kingsley-shows-up-heidi-montag Sir Ben Kingsley] and [https://youtube.com/watch?v=N4FZeucBO0c Ashton Kutcher] made fun of her, because life is rad.
*Several concepts that had been established by the [[Transformers (film)|first movie]] were (more or less) dropped with ''Dark of the Moon'' in favor for a more traditional, ''[[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]]''-esque approach:
**In the 2007 movie, the Autobots arrive on Earth in "[[Protoform]]" entry modes (which was subsequently used as the basis for the Decepticons' arrival in [[Planetfall (Movie)|Planetfall]]). Prior to the release of the movie, screenwriter [[Roberto Orci]] defended this choice over the use of a spaceship such as the ''Ark'' by asking why "aliens who moonlight as vehicles need other vehicles to travel".<ref name="orcitravel">[http://tformers.com/Ark-Not-Making-An-Appearance-In-the-Movie/6513/news.html TFormers quoting Roberto Orci], because Don Murphy's board can only be read by registered members.</ref> He somewhat changed his mind after the movie had been released, however.<ref name="orciship">[http://boards.transformersmovie.com/showpost.php?p=388596&postcount=271 Roberto Orci on the Transformers Live Action Movie Boards], July 2007.</ref> After the Decepticons' ship, the ''[[Nemesis (ROTF)|Nemesis]]'', had made an appearance in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', ''Dark of the Moon'' not only introduces the movieverse version of the ''[[Ark (DOTM)|Ark]]'', but also reveals that all the new Autobots who have been on Earth since before ''Revenge of the Fallen'' had arrived in their own spaceship, the ''[[Xantium (DOTM)|Xantium]]'', making the notion of individual Transformers traveling through space as "comets" an exception rather than the rule. ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]'' would also later depict the Autobots as stranded on Earth after the destruction of the ''Xantium'' in this film, further pointing towards the "comet" transportation as an abandoned concept. ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]'' would also show this idea when the Autobots again declare themselves stranded, as they don't know where the [[Knight Ship]] is, only being able to finally go home after they acquired it.
**Furthermore, ''Dark of the Moon'' largely abandons the idea of Transformers having all their weapons integrated into their bodies in favor of more traditional, separate weapons. For example, [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]], who had blades and hooks emerging from his forearms in the previous two movies now stores all his weapons (including an axe) as accessories inside his trailer (though he still carries some on his person). Also, Ironhide, whose cannons were previously affixed to his arms, now sports handheld firearms instead. Even Megatron, whose [[fusion cannon]] previously grew out of his arms, now has a hand-held shotgun. Though it can be argued that Optimus still has his swords in his arms during the Chicago battle, and both Ironhide and Megatron lost their integrated weapons in the previous film, the general change is still noticeable. The only ones who still seem to have the same converting arm cannons as in the previous movies are Bumblebee, Ratchet, and Starscream.
*Another change from the previous movies (though not rooted in ''Generation 1'') is that Transformers that take damage in battle now spill a red liquid that is very obviously meant to resemble human blood.
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] finally achieves a certain consistency between his two primary modes: Ever since his upgrade to a modern Camaro in ''Transformers'' (2007), his [[license plate]] had alternated between "900 STRA" in vehicle mode and "4NZZ 454" in robot mode. ''Dark of the Moon'' finally uses "900 STRA" for the robot mode as well. Hasbro's toys, which had previously favored the CG robot model's "4NZZ 454" (barring the occasional "4NZZ'''Z''' 454" flub), follow suit.
*Speaking of license plates: [[Dutch (DOTM)|Dutch]]'s Maybach 62S Landaulet sports a German license plate, "'''S MM 6201'''", registered in the city of Stuttgart. In reality, that plate is registered to the manufacturer and used for promotional photos.<ref name="maybach">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-just-movie-31/update--transformers-3-rumor--who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire-170533/ Set photos and promo photos of the Maybach 62S Landaulet] at TFW2005.</ref>
*Michael Bay's private Gulfstream Aerospace G-1159A jet (registration number N4500X) has a cameo in the movie as [[Charlotte Mearing]]'s plane.
*For eleven years, ''Dark of the Moon'' held the record for the biggest Independence Day opening weekend at $115.9 million. And then, {{w|Minions: The Rise of Gru|an animated movie starring Steve Carell with yellow henchmen on his side}} beat it by earning $128 million.<ref>[https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2022/07/03/box-office-minions-the-rise-of-gru-breaks-records-with-128-million-holiday-weekend/ Box Office: ‘Minions 2’ Breaks Records With $128 Million Holiday Weekend - Forbes]</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''''Transformers/Darkside Moon''''' (トランスフォーマー/ダークサイド・ムーン ''Toransufōmā Dākusaido Mūn'')
*''Arabic:'' '''''Almtahawilun: Aljanib Almuzlim Lilqamar''''' (المتحولون: الجانب المظلم للقمر, "Transformers: The Dark Side of the Moon")
*''Cantonese:'' (變形金剛: 黑月降臨, "Transformers: The Arrival of the Black Moon")
*''Croatian:'' '''''Transformeri: Tamna strana Mjeseca''''' ("Transformers: The Dark Side of the Moon")
*''Czech:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Finnish:'' '''''Transformers: Kuun pimeä puoli''''' ("Transformers: The Dark Side of the Moon")
*''French:'' '''''Transformers 3 : La Face cachée de la Lune''''' ("Transformers 3: The Hidden Side of the Moon")
*''German:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Greek:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Hebrew:'' '''''Rvvvtrkm 3. Flt hrch''''' (רובוטריקים 3: אפלת הירח, "Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon")
*''Hindi:'' '''''Traansaphormars: Chaand ka Andhera''''' (ट्राँसफॉर्मर्स: चांद का अंधेरा, "Transformers: Darkness of the Moon")
*''Hungarian:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Italian:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Korean:'' '''''Teulaenseupomeo 3''''' (트랜스포머 3, "Transformers 3")
*''Latvian:'' '''''Transformeri 3: Mēness no otras puses''''' ("Transformers 3: The Moon on the Other Side")
*''Lithuanian:'' '''''Transformeriai: tamsioji Mėnulio pusė''''' ("Transformers: The Dark Side of the Moon")
*''Mandarin:'' '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng 3''''' (Taiwan, 變形金剛３, "Transformers 3"), '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Yuè Hēi zhī Shí''''' (China, 变形金刚：月黑之时, "Transformers: When the Moon Becomes Black")
*''Polish:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Portuguese:'' '''''Transformers: O Lado Oculto da Lua''''' (Brazil, "Transformers: The Hidden Side of the Moon"), '''''Transformers 3''''' (Portugal)
*''Romanian:'' '''''Transformers: Fața ascunsă a Lunii''''' ("Transformers: The Hidden Face of the Moon")
*''Russian:'' '''''Transformery 3: Tjomnaja storona Luny''''' (Трансформеры 3: Тёмная сторона Луны, "Transformers 3: The Dark Side of the Moon")
*''Serbian:'' '''''Transformers 3: Tama Meseca''''' ("Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon")
*''Spanish:'' '''''Transformers: El Lado Oscuro de la Luna''''' (Latin American, "Transformers: The Dark Side of the Moon"), '''''Transformers 3''''' (Spain)
*''Swedish:'' '''''Transformers 3'''''
*''Tamil:'' '''''Ṭirāṉsḥpārmas: Ṭārk op ti mūṉ''''' (டிரான்ஸ்ஃபார்மஸ்: டார்க் ஒப் தி மூன், "Transformers: Dark of the Moon")
*''Thai:'' '''''Thrāns̄̒ fxr̒m me xr̒s̄ 3''''' (ทรานส์ฟอร์มเมอร์ส 3, "Transformers 3")
*''Turkish:'' '''''Transformers: Ayın Karanlık Yüzü''''' ("Transformers: The Dark Side of the Moon")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''''Transformery: Temnyy bik Misyatsya''''' (Трансформери: Темний бік Місяця, "Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon")

==External links==
*[http://www.transformersmovie.com/ Transformersmovie.com]
*[http://www.imdb.com/tt1399103/ ''Dark of the Moon'' at IMDB.com]
*{{w|Transformers: Dark of the Moon|''Dark of the Moon'' film on Wikipedia}}
*[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_dark_of_the_moon/ ''Dark of the Moon'' on RottenTomatoes.com]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.transformersmovie.com/ Official ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' website]
*[http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/transformersdarkofthemoon/ Trailers.Apple.com ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' page]
*Designer portfolios: [http://www.joshnizzi.com/TF3.htm Josh Nizzi], [http://www.warrenmanser.com/WarrenManser.com/PORTFOLIO_M/Pages/TRANSFORMERS_3.html Warren Manser], [http://www.joelchang.com/index.php?/projects/transformers-dark-of-the-moon/ Joel Chang], [http://conceptartworld.com/?p=8293 The Aaron Sims Company] (at Concept Art World), [http://conceptartworld.com/?p=8388 Wesley Burt] (at Concept Art World), [http://massiveblack.com/MBwebolution/blog/?p=301 Massive Black], [http://www.ghull.com/#/125195 George Hull]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dark of the Moon (film)}}
[[Category:Dark of the Moon| Dark of the Moon (film)]]
[[Category:Dark of the Moon media| ]]
[[Category:Real world films]]

The Agenda (Part 2)

2024-06-05T16:44:15Z

B3astK1ng:

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=38
|series2=Metals
|ep2=11
|prev2=The Agenda (Part 1)
|next2=The Agenda (Part III)
|image=Agenda 2 Megatron Ravage.jpg
|caption=In Soviet Russia, Megatron is captured by you.
|title="The Agenda" (Part 2)
|season=2
|season ep=12
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[March 12]], 1998 ([[Toonami]]), [[May 16]], 1998 (syndication)
|written by=[[Bob Forward]]
|directed by=[[Owen Hurley]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2U9pLPgAMM
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''Captured by Ravage, Megatron lets the former Decepticon warrior in on the secret of the Golden Disk and gets him to switch sides.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Agenda 2 Silverbolt Optimus.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|What's it like to have a munky on your back... er in your face?]]
With [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] a prisoner and the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] scattered, the [[Maximal]]s prepare to wrap things up. [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] summons [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]] to his office and comes down on him about [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]. Silverbolt points out that she was originally a Maximal protoform and that he himself was a Predacon once, but Primal counters that Blackarachnia is evil to the core, whereas Silverbolt just didn't know any better. He confines Silverbolt to quarters and dispatches [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] to deal with Blackarachnia, despite Silverbolt's request to be sent, if only to protect Cheetor.

In his cell, Megatron berates [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] for siding with the Maximals, to which Ravage responds that Megatron is an inferior leader when compared to his [[Megatron (G1)|namesake]]. Megatron also points out that Ravage's [[Transwarp cruiser|ship]] is depleted of [[energon]]. He offers a stash of [[Energon cube|cubes]] for his freedom, but Ravage reveals he already knows the stash's location, as [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] is a Lieutenant in the [[Predacon Secret Police]].

Cheetor prepares to go out for Blackarachnia, but first apologizes to Silverbolt, who also apologizes—for the punch he gives Cheetor right afterward. The pair are interrupted by [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]], who raises the alarm, forcing Silverbolt to flee the base. Heading out to retrieve the energon cubes, Cheetor complains to Optimus about the rough treatment Silverbolt gave him. They arrive at the cave Tarantulas had indicated, carefully venturing inside, only to find that the energon is in the form of [[Energon crystal|unstable crystals]] and [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] is waiting to ambush them.

[[File:Agenda 2 Silverbolt Blackarachnia.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Did you ever know that you were my hero? The wind beneath my wings?]]
Silverbolt locates Blackarachnia following [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] to [[Mount St. Hilary|a mountain]]. Silverbolt begs her to come in, but Blackarachnia claims to have no feelings for him at all. To prove her point, she shoots him. But as Silverbolt points out, it was non-fatal, saying she does care for him and won't simply kill him. While they are [[Kiss|distracted]], the hoverpod they're in rams into Waspinator, shattering both, but Silverbolt saves Blackarachnia. (Waspinator is out of luck, as usual.)

Back at the cave, [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] is beginning to suffer from energon buildup. Cackling madly, he ignites the crystals in an attempt to destroy Optimus and Cheetor. The chain reaction destroys the mountain and seemingly incinerates Inferno, but the two Maximals manage to escape. Once they're safe, Optimus informs Ravage of what happened.

[[File:G1Megatron Disc Agenda part2.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|Amazing how much data recovery can restore.]]
At his ship, Ravage confronts Megatron over his treachery. Megatron points out that Ravage intends to kill them all, Maximal and Predacon. Ravage admits to this and arms the vessel's internal [[autogun]]s. Desperate, Megatron reveals he had ulterior motives for stealing the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]], something which could affect the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. Ravage doubts him, pointing out the Disk's destruction, but allows Megatron to convince him. Released from his [[power bond]]s, the Predacon commander reveals that he still has a fragment of the Disk, and it holds proof that Ravage will believe—a message from [[Megatron (G1)|the original Megatron]], [[Decepticon leader|leader]] of the [[Decepticon]]s. Noting his potential defeat, Megatron left instructions for the descendants of the Decepticons to use [[unspace|transwarp]] technology to travel back in time to Ancient [[Earth]]. Although the message cuts out partway through, the Predacon's gambit succeeds: Ravage, moved by the sight of his former leader, releases Megatron.

[[File:Agenda 2 Optimus Cheetor betrayed.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|You should've listened to Rattrap. Never trust a Decepticon.]]
At the mountain, Blackarachnia and Silverbolt discover that Megatron was already there, having dug a tunnel and then sealed it. Despite Blackarachnia's constant demands that Silverbolt leave, he refuses, and she reluctantly accepts his help in dispensing of one of the larger rocks.

As Optimus and Cheetor return to the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'', Optimus radios ahead for a status report and is warned by Rattrap that they no longer need to be subordinate to Ravage—he's switched sides! The warning is just a little too late, as the transwarp cruiser, with Megatron riding atop, shifts into view behind the pair. As Ravage [[Transformation|transforms]] to interface with his ship, the Predacons launch an attack.

[[The Agenda (Part III)|To be continued...]]
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only as recordings. 
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (1)
*[[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]] (2)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (6)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (7)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s
|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (3)
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (4)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (5)
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (8)
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (9)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (10)

|h4=[[Decepticon]]s
|c4=
*''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'' (11)
}}

==Quotes==
"I served under the ''original'' Megatron. You have his name, but not his army."
:—'''Ravage'''

"Ahhh...I useta be young like that." 
"...What?!" 
"D'yah, I mean, we got trouble. Ohhhh, yeah, trouble with a capital B."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Optimus Primal''' on Silverbolt's escape to find Blackarachnia

"I know how you're feeling. You don't know whether to kiss me or... kill me." 
"I'm a ''black widow spider'', you idiot! ...I can do both."
:—'''Silverbolt''' and '''Blackarachnia'''

'''Blackarachnia''': Oh no. You're not saving my life again? Even after I ''shot you''? 
'''Silverbolt''': It's my duty, ma'am, as a Maximal and as a heroic character. 
'''Blackarachnia''': You know I like 'em big and stupid, but you're ''really'' pushing it.
:—Love not only makes you crazy, it makes you break the fourth wall.

"This is Megatron, leader of the Decepticons. And if you're hearing this, it means I've failed...''this'' time." 
:—'''Megatron''', causing the fandom to rejoice at his appearance, yet complain that Frank Welker didn't provide the voice

"Not fair. Waszzpinator minding own business when '''''BANG'''''—gets whole stasis pod right up the kazooty."
:—'''Waspinator'''

"Decepticons forever!"
:—'''Ravage''', before transforming with the traditional noise into a (humongous) mini-cassette, causing the fandom to rejoice without any complaints

==Notes==
===Script timeline===
* First draft: 10th October 1997
* Second draft: 22nd October 1997
* Finalised: 24th October 1997
* As Air: 17th February 1998

===Animation and technical errors===
* After Silverbolt punches through the door and knocks Cheetor out, the outward-curling edges of the jagged hole clip through the door frame as it retracts into the wall.

===Continuity errors===
*Megatron is allowed to wear his tail-cannon whilst in prison. Huh. (Yes, he's in manacles, but it still seems an unnecessary risk. Especially as he wasn't wearing it when he was captured. That means at some point after having the energy manacles thrown on him he was released, given his cannon, and then chained up again. Just... don't let him have it?)
*Tarantulas heads the recovery mission for Megatron's energon stash, yet it's been established that his new base is loaded with stable energon. Why don't he and Ravage simply use ''that'' to repower the stealth cruiser? Tarantulas said in "[[Tangled Web]]" that there was enough energon in [[Tarantulas's lair|his lair]] "to sustain a frugal Predacon for quite some time," which might not amount to enough to repower the cruiser.

===Continuity notes===
* Silverbolt recalls his very brief stint as a Predacon, in the "Coming of the Fuzors" two-parter.

===Transformers references===
*When Megatron shows the recording from the remains of the Golden Disk, we see a portion of a recording left by [[Megatron (G1)|his namesake]]. Garry Chalk does a passable Welker (see Trivia, below).
*When Ravage transforms, the sound effect is the one used by all Transformers in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original series]].
*Originally, when Ravage transformed and inserted his cassette mode into the control console, the original cartoon's [[theme song]] was going to play during his first cry of "Decepticons Forever!" and subsequent attack on the ''Axalon''. However, due to copyright constraints, this plan was dropped, and a more generic song was put in its place.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=There was a scene from the episode where Ravage turns into a cassette and slots into the dash of the ship. All through the animatic, we had the original transformers theme blasting there, and it was AWESOME. But we _somehow_ couldn't get the rights, so we ended up leaning hard on our music dept who always delivered. But it wasn't the same.|link=https://www.reddit.com/r/ReBoot/comments/xg95gk/comment/ior5egl/|name=Owen Hurley|site=Reddit|year=2022|month=09|day=16}}</ref>

===Real-world references===
*Rattrap refers to "trouble with a capital B", a paraphrased line from ''{{w|The Music Man}}''.
*Silverbolt makes a howling noise to simulate a siren and asks Blackarachnia to "pull this vehicle over".
*When Waspinator is smashed to pieces by the [[stasis pod]] ship, a toilet is seen falling down among the wreckage.
*After the crash with Waspinator, when Blackarachnia is saved by Silverbolt, he either breaks the fourth-wall or is genre savvy when he tells her that he's "a heroic character."
*Silverbolt's words about "kiss me or kill me" may be a reference to {{w|The Evil Dead|Ash Williams}}.
*Ravage uses {{w|Dr. Evil}}'s raised-pinkie gesture on Megatron.

===Trivia===
* Megatron's history lesson has some rather glaring errors, both in real life and in G1 continuity. Megatron describes the Voyager probe as having been launched from Earth just as the secret war between the Autobots and Decepticons began. The Voyager probes were launched in 1977, seven years before the ''Ark'' was disturbed and its passengers awakened (though it does accurately depict it as having passed Saturn by the time the original Megatron gets to it). The war had also been going on long before then, though one could assume he is referring to the conflict on Earth (Blackarachnia makes this same error in the following episode). His description of it as a secret war is also wrong; the Autobots and Decepticons were anything but covert in their interactions with humans (although it was so initially in the Marvel comics). Finally, one wonders why the original Megatron would think a primitive human probe would ever be considered so valuable that the Decepticons/Predacons to come would seek it out, especially since he obviously never told them of its significance.
*Inferno's apparent death from the resulting explosion of Energon clearly portrays him being reduced to nothing, implying his death was for good this time. This is seemingly in line with the other Predacons suffering similar fates in the following episode, due to the uncertainty of a third season. Inferno's demise is contradicted later at the start of season 3, where he appears still in one piece, though badly damaged.
*Megatron laments he had a mole in his crew... but the way he says "and I never suspected" (and looks into the camera) implies he did, in fact, suspect it. Certainly he was setting a trap up with the information Tarantulas 'hacked'!
*Optimus Primal has a tiny trophy of a gorilla on his desk. Which he manages to break during his scolding of Silverbolt.
*Efforts were made to get [[Frank Welker]] to provide the voice for Megatron's message, but financial and scheduling conflicts precluded this from happening. [[Garry Chalk]] voiced him instead—ironic, as he originally auditioned for the part of ''this'' series' Megatron before being cast as Optimus Primal.
*This is the closest Silverbolt ever came to directly taking down Waspinator in the entire series. (Silverbolt was the backseat driver here.)

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le Programme 2'''" (Canada, "The Program 2")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Il coraggio di Grifo - Seconda parte'''" ("The Courage of Silverbolt - Second Part")
::*While, in English, G1 Megatron has a different voice compared to previous appearances, the Italian dub somehow managed to give him an old voice since he's voiced by [[Mario Zucca]], who previously voiced [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] in ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]''. Still, this is probably just a coincidence since Zucca was already part of the series cast (as [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]'s voice) and since he's well known for voicing "big evil" characters, thus making him a likely choice for dubbing Megatron.

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Suki Desu!'''" (すきですっ!, "I Do Love You!")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 15]] [[1999]]
::*The protracted use of the overly polite phrase "desu" was the verbal tic associated with [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]] in the Japanese dub of ''Beast Wars'', indicating he is the one speaking the title.

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Jīnpán Shēnshì '''" (金盘身世, "The Information of the Golden Disk")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Os Planos Parte 2'''" ("The Plans Part 2")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''El Agente (Parte 2)'''" ("The Agent (Part 2)")

:*''Title:'' "'''El Programa Segunda Parte'''" ("The Agenda Second Part")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Series 2 / Volume 4 ({{w|Siren Visual|Siren Entertainment}}) 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — I Do Love You! ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2001 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 8 ([[Universal]])
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD Box 1 (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Second Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Seasons 2 & 3 ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 1 (Universal) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 2 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)
==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Agenda part 2}}
[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Sins of the Wreckers issue 4

2024-01-17T01:08:50Z

B3astK1ng:

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers|The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers]]'' #4
|prev=Sins of the Wreckers issue 3
|next=Sins of the Wreckers issue 5
|image=SOTW4_regcvr.jpg
|caption=You can practically hear the ''DOOM'' soundtrack playing already.
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[April 27]], [[2016]]
|coverdate=April 2016
|written by=[[Nick Roche]]
|art by=Nick Roche
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline|Current era (2016)]]
}}
'''The enemy within the Wreckers' own ranks is revealed, but a change of heart soon turns the tables on Tarantulas.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:The Roadbuster affair.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6]]
[[Impetus]] forces [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] to relive a horrifying moment from his past: the time he murdered his own cadets and offered them up to the death-god [[Mortilus]], whose voice he believed he could hear instructing him. The voice disappeared when Roadbuster was caught and incarcerated for his crimes... but as [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] now reveals, Roadbuster was ''not'' insane. The voice was, in fact, Tarantulas himself, his [[Chimeracon]] body [[size changing|shrunk]] to unnoticeable size, whispering into Roadbuster's ear. Furthermore, it is revealed that [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]] was the sole survivor among Roadbuster's cadets, and that he later learned that [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] had released Roadbuster from custody after minimum rehab as a favour to [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]]. Disgusted and furious, Hubcap was approached by Tarantulas, who had him put his [[Outlier (group)|outlier]] signal-manipulating abilities to work digging up dirt on Prowl, in return for the promise of a new and powerful body. Prowl tries to reason with Hubcap, but Hubcap won't hear it; Prowl is dirty, and it takes brave people like him and [[Verity Carlo|Verity]] to do something about it. At the mention of her name, Verity emits a hollow laugh, and admits that "bravery" had nothing to do with her blackmailing Prowl: she is not merely ill, but ''dying'', and used the blackmail threat merely as a way to get his attention in hopes of obtaining help. Tarantulas explains that her condition is the result of exposure to Cybertronian energy—specifically, as revealed by his own studies of her body, that of the [[Aequitas]] computer. Prowl wishes that the girl had simply asked him, but Verity says that she did what she did to maintain a measure of control and dignity, unable as she was to live up to [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]'s noble ideals.

Tarantulas tries to forcibly connect Prowl to Impetus, but Prowl fights back. He offers to tell Tarantulas the truth about what happened to his creation [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ostaros]], claiming to have actually killed him himself that day in the lab, but even this is not enough to rob Tarantulas of his perverse need to have Prowl by his side. As Prowl is beaten by the spider-'bot, however, [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]]'s voice suddenly echoes in his head via their mind-link, alerting him to the fact that the other [[Wreckers]] are coming to the rescue—but only, he viciously adds, because Prowl is an ''valuable asset'', not because they think he deserves saving. With that, an alert begins sounding inside the [[Tor]], as Kup, Impactor, and [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] use their recovered gateway to teleport ''[[Debris]]'' itself, the Wreckers' space station, inside the [[Noisemaze (dimension)|Noisemaze]], threatening to collapse its unstable structure entirely! Tarantulas contacts [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] and orders the forces of [[Mayhem Attack Squad|Mayhem]] to come to his aid via the Noisemaze gate inside [[Tidal Wave (G1)|Tidal Wave]], then orders Hubcap to prepare to transmit the Aequitas data across the galaxy. Prowl begs Hubcap not to, warning of the consequences, and Hubcap—finally struck by second thoughts—instead releases [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Springer]], Roadbuster, Verity, [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] from Impetus. Eager for revenge, they gang up on Tarantulas, while Springer urges Prowl and Hubcap to escape. The team fares poorly against the powerful spider, however, so Roadbuster makes a sacrifice play, transforming to vehicle mode and slamming into Tarantulas, sending them both crashing through a window and down to the rocks below.

As Carnivac and his fellow Chimeracons arrive in the Noisemaze, they are immediately confronted by Impactor, Guzzle, and Kup. A much larger problem soon presents itself, however, when the stroppy Tidal Wave—incensed at being left out of the action—ignores Carnivac's every order and literally turns himself inside out so that he can force himself through his own Noisemaze gate and join the fight. Tidal Wave's sheer size further threatens the maze's collapse, and making matters worse for the villains, he kicks Impactor straight into the Tor—exactly where Impactor wants to be.

[[File:Sotw4 hubcap's fall.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8]]
Hubcap leads Prowl through the Tor, aware that prison is in his future but happy to be free of the emotional burden he has carried for so long. Happy, that is, until he turns and sees Prowl aiming a gun right at him. Hubcap is too dangerous to live, Prowl reasons; loaded with harmful classified data, all it will take is one bad day for him to snap and release it all. Hubcap pleads for his life, arguing that killing him is only a continuation of the cycle of violence and secrecy that has ''resulted'' in their current situation, and that together, they can prevent such a thing from happening again. Prowl is swayed by Hubcap's logic and lowers his gun... but Impactor has other ideas, suddenly appearing behind Prowl and blasting Hubcap dead centre, sending his body toppling off the walkway and into the black depths below. Impactor has no guilt for his actions—he lost good 'bots on the mission to recover the Aequitas data, and the danger Hubcap posed threatened to make their sacrifice meaningless.

[[File:K-PLUTCH.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
Outside, Roadbuster has survived his plunge, but Tarantulas has apparently disappeared. But then, a familiar voice begins speaking to Roadbuster once again. The shrunken Tarantulas has climbed within his head for one last, traumatizing whisper... before suddenly expanding to full size, exploding Roadbuster's brain from the inside out. Climbing out of the Wrecker's limp corpse, Tarantulas observes Tidal Wave attacking ''Debris'' nearby, and concludes that it is time to "close up shop."

Back inside the Tor, Springer's group catch up to Impactor and Prowl. They are keen to flee, Prowl insists that they must destroy all of Tarantulas's work—first by detonating explosives to destroy the [[Obtenteum]] and the Tor, then by having Carnivac to use his forced-conversion powers on Tidal Wave, causing a gravitational shift that will trigger the Noisemaze's complete collapse. They head for the Obtenteum chamber, but as they start setting explosives, Springer orders Prowl to get Verity to safety. Verity disagrees, announcing that she feels fine—which in turn causes her to realize that Tarantulas has done "something weird" to her while he was studying her. At that point, Tarantulas himself returns, and threatens to do "something weird" to ''everyone''...
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Springer]] (1)
* [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] (2)
* [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] (3)
* ''[[Roadbuster's cadets]]'' (4)
* ''[[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]]'' (5)
* ''[[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]]'' (6)
* [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] (7)
* [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]] (9)
* ''[[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]'' (11)
* [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] (12)
* [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] (13)
* [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] (14)

|h2=[[Mayhem Attack Squad|Mayhem]]|c2=
* Various Chimeracons (15)
* [[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]] (16)
* [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] (17)
* [[Stampy (BW)|Stampy]] (18)
* [[Tidal Wave (G1)|Tidal Wave]] (19)

|c3=
* [[Verity Carlo]] (10)

|c4=
* [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (8)
}}

==Quotes==
"'''Hubcap?!''' You were one of '''my cadets?''' I don't '''remember''' you. 
"No one '''does'''. You barely remember I live on the same '''[[Debris#2005 IDW continuity|space station]]''' as you. I'm the sort of 'bot people '''don't''' remember. Don't '''notice'''."
:—'''Roadbuster''' and '''Hubcap'''

"Right then, I needed some '''control.''' Some '''dignity.''' Me and '''Ironfist''' had '''big plans''' for that data. '''Truth; justice:''' all the '''good stuff.''' But then I got sicker... and '''sicker'''. And Aequitas was all I had to '''buy''' my way out. Ironfist was dying that '''whole time,''' and he just stuck with the plan. Be a good '''Autobot'''—the '''best''' Autobot—and put '''saving the day''' ahead of your '''own''' butt. But I couldn't do that. I don't know what it's like for '''you guys,''' but on '''Earth''', life is '''short''' and it '''feels it.''' I'm '''sorry,''' Ironfist."
:—'''Verity'''

"We're coming to '''get you''', Prowl. [...]But be '''certain''' to your '''spark''' that no one is doing this 'cos they want you to be okay... all you are to '''us'''—to '''anyone'''— is a '''valuable asset''' that needs to be secured. And what's what we do. We're '''only''' saving you because of '''what''' you are, not '''who''' you are."
:—'''Kup'''

"Excuse me, I was wondering if you could '''help''' us... we've got '''violent tendencies''' and serious issues with '''guilt.''' Is this is the '''right room?'''"
:—'''Arcee'''

"No factions, just truth. Imagine that scenario, and tell me why it can't be ours?" 
"You don't '''know me''' well enough to start referring to things as '''"ours,"''' pal. Maybe '''buy me an engex''' first."
:—'''Carnivac''' and '''Impactor'''

"I don't want all that stuff that '''came out''' back there—the '''voices,''' the '''cadets,''' the... '''bad things'''—I don't want '''that''' to be how '''you remember me.''' When you '''think of me,''' all I want you to remember is... I was '''your friend.'''"
:—'''Roadbuster''', to Springer

"Will it '''stop''' with '''me?''' Will '''my death''' be the end of small robots '''dying''' in '''dark corridors,''' erased from '''existence?''' After this '''one last horrible act,''' you flip the '''switch''' and '''tomorrow''' you're a '''heroic Autobot?'''" 
"Why would you say that?" 
"Because if you allow this cycle to '''continue,''' it won't be long before someone tries to '''tell the world about it.''' And '''succeeds.''' 'Bots like '''me''' are only this way—'''broken; scared; abused'''—because of 'bots like '''you.''' The '''weak''' can't change until the '''strong''' do. I'm '''scared,''' and I'm '''sorry.''' This '''huge mess''' has happened, and we can't do anything about it '''now'''... but can't we '''prevent it''' from happening '''again?'''"
:—'''Hubcap''' and '''Prowl'''

"There'll always be '''guys like me''' who come along and '''pull the trigger''' when '''guys like you''' find they '''can't.'''"
:—'''Impactor''', to Prowl

"You guys playing '''nice''' together is '''way''' scary."
:—'''Verity'''

"By the time this is '''over''', I'll have done something '''weird''' to '''everyone'''."
:—'''Tarantulas''', we missed you.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Roadbuster mentioned his cadets back in [[Sins of the Wreckers issue 1|issue #1]], comparing the "connection" he made with them to Impactor's incarceration of Guzzle, believing that both were ways of expressing how they "cared" for those they worked with. Oof.
* In that same issue, Impactor worried that Roadbuster might have been hearing the unconscious Springer "talk back" to him, a fear that makes more sense now that we know Roadbuster has a known history of "hearing voices."
* The murder of his cadets might be what Roadbuster was talking about at the end of last issue, when he talked about ending a group of young lives. Though he did say that he did that while they were sleeping, though...
* Tarantulas identifies Roadbuster's murder of his cadets as the "[[Roadbuster affair]]," an event originally mentioned in [[Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|''Last Stand of the Wreckers'' #1]]. (we'd previously believed this was his drug-fuelled massacre in [[Animals|''More than Meets the Eye'' #46]], but that was only done through implication and word-choice, while this is ''explicit'', so, there ya go.) Since Ironfist refers to it in ''Last Stand'' as merely an interesting event and not a horrorshow, the real nature of the affair was probably hushed up.
* Note too that Roadbuster says this is how "I was trained" while he brutalises cadets and that he thinks this isn't so bad. Someone taught him bad lessons indeed before Tarantulas got anywhere near him.
* Verity was exposed to the energies of Aequitas when Ironfist downloaded its contents in [[Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4|''Last Stand of the Wreckers'' #4]]. She's been visibly sick since issue #1 of this series, but did you spot the clues that indicated her illness was related to Cybertronian energy? In addition to comments made by [[Stakeout (G1)|Stakeout]] about how his presence near her was endangering her, she would have "attacks" every time a new Transformer appeared in her vicinity.
* Guzzle refers to [[Carpessa]], the neutral city we learned about the destruction of last issue.
* The beginning of the message Kup uses when he contacts Prowl is word for word the same message Springer sent to Kup every night during the rescue missions in ''[[Spotlight: Kup]]''.

===Errors===
* On page 8, Guzzle says that he, Kup, and Impactor have "enough explosives to make Carpessa feel like wax-job." That ought to be "''a'' wax-job."
* On page 19, "thought" is misspelled "though." This is fixed in the trade paperback.

===Other notes===
* Following the January 2016 release of issue #3, family issues for Roche led to a two-month delay of issue #4. As the delay was known about in advance, the issue was not solicited for February (nor was #5 for March), only appearing in the solicitations for April, when it was then released on-time.

===Soundtrack===
* "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slmU0C1NbQw Waters of Nazareth]" by {{w|Justice (band)|Justice}}<ref>{{citesocial|quote=#SongsOfTheWreckers #4: Justice - Waters Of Nazereth https://t.co/HtZjtI3Hpg|link=https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/725812403678617600|name=Nick Roche|site=Twitter|year=2016|month=04|day=28|(defunct=)}}</ref>
* "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgA_DlR8WsM No Distance Left To Run]" by {{w|Blur (band)|Blur}}<ref>{{citesocial|quote=#SongsOfTheWreckers #4: Blur - No Distance Left To Run https://t.co/PxMmgPLcr7|link=https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/725812615998509056|name=Nick Roche|site=Twitter|year=2016|month=04|day=28|(defunct=)}}</ref>
* "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICHIbP-4VQU The Last Supper]" from {{w|Jesus Christ Superstar}} (1996 recording)<ref>{{citesocial|quote=#SongsOfTheWreckers #4: Okay, here we go... 1996 Jesus Christ Superstar Cast Recording - The Last Supper https://t.co/XdGGKlZEvW|link=https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/725813225854517248|name=Nick Roche|site=Twitter|year=2016|month=04|day=28|(defunct=)}}</ref>

===Covers (3)===
* '''Regular cover:''' Hubcap reflected in Roadbuster's glowering visor, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
* '''Subscription cover:''' Our heroes, by [[Jack Lawrence]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' Prowl the chessmaster, with a ''Last Stand''-era chessboard, by [[Josh Burcham]]

<gallery>
File:SOTW4_regcvr.jpg|
File:SOTW4_subcvr.jpg|
File:SOTW4_cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''Sins of the Wreckers'' #5
* ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|The Transformers]]'' [[All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message|#52]]
* ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' [[The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|#52]]
* IDW ''Transformers'' reading guide
* IDW ''Transformers'' graphic novel library
* [[Free Comic Book Day]] 2016

===Reprints===
Other than [[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers#Collections|reprints of the full series]]
* N/A

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.newsarama.com/28978-roadbuster-cracks-heads-in-transformers-sins-of-the-wreckers-4-preview.html Preview]

[[Category:Sins of the Wreckers issues]]

Sins of the Wreckers issue 4

2024-01-17T01:00:11Z

B3astK1ng:

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers|The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers]]'' #4
|prev=Sins of the Wreckers issue 3
|next=Sins of the Wreckers issue 5
|image=SOTW4_regcvr.jpg
|caption=You can practically hear the ''DOOM'' soundtrack playing already.
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[April 27]], [[2016]]
|coverdate=April 2016
|written by=[[Nick Roche]]
|art by=Nick Roche
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline|Current era (2016)]]
}}
'''The enemy within the Wreckers' own ranks is revealed, but a change of heart soon turns the tables on Tarantulas.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:The Roadbuster affair.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6]]
[[Impetus]] forces [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] to relive a horrifying moment from his past: the time he murdered his own cadets and offered them up to the death-god [[Mortilus]], whose voice he believed he could hear instructing him. The voice disappeared when Roadbuster was caught and incarcerated for his crimes... but as [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] now reveals, Roadbuster was ''not'' insane. The voice was, in fact, Tarantulas himself, his [[Chimeracon]] body [[size changing|shrunk]] to unnoticeable size, whispering into Roadbuster's ear. Furthermore, it is revealed that [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]] was the sole survivor among Roadbuster's cadets, and that he later learned that [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] had released Roadbuster from custody after minimum rehab as a favour to [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]]. Disgusted and furious, Hubcap was approached by Tarantulas, who had him put his [[Outlier (group)|outlier]] signal-manipulating abilities to work digging up dirt on Prowl, in return for the promise of a new and powerful body. Prowl tries to reason with Hubcap, but Hubcap won't hear it; Prowl is dirty, and it takes brave people like him and [[Verity Carlo|Verity]] to do something about it. At the mention of her name, Verity emits a hollow laugh, and admits that "bravery" had nothing to do with her blackmailing Prowl: she is not merely ill, but ''dying'', and used the blackmail threat merely as a way to get his attention in hopes of obtaining help. Tarantulas explains that her condition is the result of exposure to Cybertronian energy—specifically, as revealed by his own studies of her body, that of the [[Aequitas]] computer. Prowl wishes that the girl had simply asked him, but Verity says that she did what she did to maintain a measure of control and dignity, unable as she was to live up to [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]'s noble ideals.

Tarantulas tries to forcibly connect Prowl to Impetus, but Prowl fights back. He offers to tell Tarantulas the truth about what happened to his creation [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ostaros]], claiming to have actually killed him himself that day in the lab, but even this is not enough to rob Tarantulas of his perverse need to have Prowl by his side. As Prowl is beaten by the spider-'bot, however, [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]]'s voice suddenly echoes in his head via their mind-link, alerting him to the fact that the other [[Wreckers]] are coming to the rescue—but only, he viciously adds, because Prowl is an ''valuable asset'', not because they think he deserves saving. With that, an alert begins sounding inside the [[Tor]], as Kup, Impactor, and [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] use their recovered gateway to teleport ''[[Debris]]'' itself, the Wreckers' space station, inside the [[Noisemaze (dimension)|Noisemaze]], threatening to collapse its unstable structure entirely! Tarantulas contacts [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] and orders the forces of [[Mayhem Attack Squad|Mayhem]] to come to his aid via the Noisemaze gate inside [[Tidal Wave (G1)|Tidal Wave]], then orders Hubcap to prepare to transmit the Aequitas data across the galaxy. Prowl begs Hubcap not to, warning of the consequences, and Hubcap—finally struck by second thoughts—instead releases [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Springer]], Roadbuster, Verity, [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] from Impetus. Eager for revenge, they gang up on Tarantulas, while Springer urges Prowl and Hubcap to escape. The team fares poorly against the powerful spider, however, so Roadbuster makes a sacrifice play, transforming to vehicle mode and slamming into Tarantulas, sending them both crashing through a window and down to the rocks below.

As Carnivac and his fellow Chimeracons arrive in the Noisemaze, they are immediately confronted by Impactor, Guzzle, and Kup. A much larger problem soon presents itself, however, when the stroppy Tidal Wave—incensed at being left out of the action—ignores Carnivac's every order and literally turns himself inside out so that he can force himself through his own Noisemaze gate and join the fight. Tidal Wave's sheer size further threatens the maze's collapse, and making matters worse for the villains, he kicks Impactor straight into the Tor—exactly where Impactor wants to be.

[[File:Sotw4 hubcap's fall.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8]]
Hubcap leads Prowl through the Tor, aware that prison is in his future but happy to be free of the emotional burden he has carried for so long. Happy, that is, until he turns and sees Prowl aiming a gun right at him. Hubcap is too dangerous to live, Prowl reasons; loaded with harmful classified data, all it will take is one bad day for him to snap and release it all. Hubcap pleads for his life, arguing that killing him is only a continuation of the cycle of violence and secrecy that has ''resulted'' in their current situation, and that together, they can prevent such a thing from happening again. Prowl is swayed by Hubcap's logic and lowers his gun... but Impactor has other ideas, suddenly appearing behind Prowl and blasting Hubcap dead centre, sending his body toppling off the walkway and into the black depths below. Impactor has no guilt for his actions—he lost good 'bots on the mission to recover the Aequitas data, and the danger Hubcap posed threatened to make their sacrifice meaningless.

[[File:K-PLUTCH.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
Outside, Roadbuster has survived his plunge, but Tarantulas has apparently disappeared. But then, a familiar voice begins speaking to Roadbuster once again. The shrunken Tarantulas has climbed within his head for one last, traumatizing whisper... before suddenly expanding to full size, exploding Roadbuster's brain from the inside out. Climbing out of the Wrecker's limp corpse, Tarantulas observes Tidal Wave attacking ''Debris'' nearby, and concludes that it is time to "close up shop."

Back inside the Tor, Springer's group catch up to Impactor and Prowl. They are keen to flee, Prowl insists that they must destroy all of Tarantulas's work—first by detonating explosives to destroy the [[Obtenteum]] and the Tor, then by having Carnivac to use his forced-conversion powers on Tidal Wave, causing a gravitational shift that will trigger the Noisemaze's complete collapse. They head for the Obtenteum chamber, but as they start setting explosives, Springer orders Prowl to get Verity to safety. Verity disagrees, announcing that she feels fine—which in turn causes her to realize that Tarantulas has done "something weird" to her while he was studying her. At that point, Tarantulas himself returns, and threatens to do "something weird" to ''everyone''...
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Springer]] (1)
* [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] (2)
* [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] (3)
* ''[[Roadbuster's cadets]]'' (4)
* ''[[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]]'' (5)
* ''[[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]]'' (6)
* [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] (7)
* [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]] (9)
* ''[[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]'' (11)
* [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] (12)
* [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] (13)
* [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] (14)

|h2=[[Mayhem Attack Squad|Mayhem]]|c2=
* Various Chimeracons (15)
* [[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]] (16)
* [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] (17)
* [[Stampy (BW)|Stampy]] (18)
* [[Tidal Wave (G1)|Tidal Wave]] (19)

|c3=
* [[Verity Carlo]] (10)

|c4=
* [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (8)
}}

==Quotes==
"'''Hubcap?!''' You were one of '''my cadets?''' I don't '''remember''' you. 
"No one '''does'''. You barely remember I live on the same '''[[Debris|space station]]''' as you. I'm the sort of 'bot people '''don't''' remember. Don't '''notice'''."
:—'''Roadbuster''' and '''Hubcap'''

"Right then, I needed some '''control.''' Some '''dignity.''' Me and '''Ironfist''' had '''big plans''' for that data. '''Truth; justice:''' all the '''good stuff.''' But then I got sicker... and '''sicker'''. And Aequitas was all I had to '''buy''' my way out. Ironfist was dying that '''whole time,''' and he just stuck with the plan. Be a good '''Autobot'''—the '''best''' Autobot—and put '''saving the day''' ahead of your '''own''' butt. But I couldn't do that. I don't know what it's like for '''you guys,''' but on '''Earth''', life is '''short''' and it '''feels it.''' I'm '''sorry,''' Ironfist."
:—'''Verity'''

"We're coming to '''get you''', Prowl. [...]But be '''certain''' to your '''spark''' that no one is doing this 'cos they want you to be okay... all you are to '''us'''—to '''anyone'''— is a '''valuable asset''' that needs to be secured. And what's what we do. We're '''only''' saving you because of '''what''' you are, not '''who''' you are."
:—'''Kup'''

"Excuse me, I was wondering if you could '''help''' us... we've got '''violent tendencies''' and serious issues with '''guilt.''' Is this is the '''right room?'''"
:—'''Arcee'''

"No factions, just truth. Imagine that scenario, and tell me why it can't be ours?" 
"You don't '''know me''' well enough to start referring to things as '''"ours,"''' pal. Maybe '''buy me an engex''' first."
:—'''Carnivac''' and '''Impactor'''

"I don't want all that stuff that '''came out''' back there—the '''voices,''' the '''cadets,''' the... '''bad things'''—I don't want '''that''' to be how '''you remember me.''' When you '''think of me,''' all I want you to remember is... I was '''your friend.'''"
:—'''Roadbuster''', to Springer

"Will it '''stop''' with '''me?''' Will '''my death''' be the end of small robots '''dying''' in '''dark corridors,''' erased from '''existence?''' After this '''one last horrible act,''' you flip the '''switch''' and '''tomorrow''' you're a '''heroic Autobot?'''" 
"Why would you say that?" 
"Because if you allow this cycle to '''continue,''' it won't be long before someone tries to '''tell the world about it.''' And '''succeeds.''' 'Bots like '''me''' are only this way—'''broken; scared; abused'''—because of 'bots like '''you.''' The '''weak''' can't change until the '''strong''' do. I'm '''scared,''' and I'm '''sorry.''' This '''huge mess''' has happened, and we can't do anything about it '''now'''... but can't we '''prevent it''' from happening '''again?'''"
:—'''Hubcap''' and '''Prowl'''

"There'll always be '''guys like me''' who come along and '''pull the trigger''' when '''guys like you''' find they '''can't.'''"
:—'''Impactor''', to Prowl

"You guys playing '''nice''' together is '''way''' scary."
:—'''Verity'''

"By the time this is '''over''', I'll have done something '''weird''' to '''everyone'''."
:—'''Tarantulas''', we missed you.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Roadbuster mentioned his cadets back in [[Sins of the Wreckers issue 1|issue #1]], comparing the "connection" he made with them to Impactor's incarceration of Guzzle, believing that both were ways of expressing how they "cared" for those they worked with. Oof.
* In that same issue, Impactor worried that Roadbuster might have been hearing the unconscious Springer "talk back" to him, a fear that makes more sense now that we know Roadbuster has a known history of "hearing voices."
* The murder of his cadets might be what Roadbuster was talking about at the end of last issue, when he talked about ending a group of young lives. Though he did say that he did that while they were sleeping, though...
* Tarantulas identifies Roadbuster's murder of his cadets as the "[[Roadbuster affair]]," an event originally mentioned in [[Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|''Last Stand of the Wreckers'' #1]]. (we'd previously believed this was his drug-fuelled massacre in [[Animals|''More than Meets the Eye'' #46]], but that was only done through implication and word-choice, while this is ''explicit'', so, there ya go.) Since Ironfist refers to it in ''Last Stand'' as merely an interesting event and not a horrorshow, the real nature of the affair was probably hushed up.
* Note too that Roadbuster says this is how "I was trained" while he brutalises cadets and that he thinks this isn't so bad. Someone taught him bad lessons indeed before Tarantulas got anywhere near him.
* Verity was exposed to the energies of Aequitas when Ironfist downloaded its contents in [[Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4|''Last Stand of the Wreckers'' #4]]. She's been visibly sick since issue #1 of this series, but did you spot the clues that indicated her illness was related to Cybertronian energy? In addition to comments made by [[Stakeout (G1)|Stakeout]] about how his presence near her was endangering her, she would have "attacks" every time a new Transformer appeared in her vicinity.
* Guzzle refers to [[Carpessa]], the neutral city we learned about the destruction of last issue.
* The beginning of the message Kup uses when he contacts Prowl is word for word the same message Springer sent to Kup every night during the rescue missions in ''[[Spotlight: Kup]]''.

===Errors===
* On page 8, Guzzle says that he, Kup, and Impactor have "enough explosives to make Carpessa feel like wax-job." That ought to be "''a'' wax-job."
* On page 19, "thought" is misspelled "though." This is fixed in the trade paperback.

===Other notes===
* Following the January 2016 release of issue #3, family issues for Roche led to a two-month delay of issue #4. As the delay was known about in advance, the issue was not solicited for February (nor was #5 for March), only appearing in the solicitations for April, when it was then released on-time.

===Soundtrack===
* "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slmU0C1NbQw Waters of Nazareth]" by {{w|Justice (band)|Justice}}<ref>{{citesocial|quote=#SongsOfTheWreckers #4: Justice - Waters Of Nazereth https://t.co/HtZjtI3Hpg|link=https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/725812403678617600|name=Nick Roche|site=Twitter|year=2016|month=04|day=28|(defunct=)}}</ref>
* "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgA_DlR8WsM No Distance Left To Run]" by {{w|Blur (band)|Blur}}<ref>{{citesocial|quote=#SongsOfTheWreckers #4: Blur - No Distance Left To Run https://t.co/PxMmgPLcr7|link=https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/725812615998509056|name=Nick Roche|site=Twitter|year=2016|month=04|day=28|(defunct=)}}</ref>
* "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICHIbP-4VQU The Last Supper]" from {{w|Jesus Christ Superstar}} (1996 recording)<ref>{{citesocial|quote=#SongsOfTheWreckers #4: Okay, here we go... 1996 Jesus Christ Superstar Cast Recording - The Last Supper https://t.co/XdGGKlZEvW|link=https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/725813225854517248|name=Nick Roche|site=Twitter|year=2016|month=04|day=28|(defunct=)}}</ref>

===Covers (3)===
* '''Regular cover:''' Hubcap reflected in Roadbuster's glowering visor, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
* '''Subscription cover:''' Our heroes, by [[Jack Lawrence]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' Prowl the chessmaster, with a ''Last Stand''-era chessboard, by [[Josh Burcham]]

<gallery>
File:SOTW4_regcvr.jpg|
File:SOTW4_subcvr.jpg|
File:SOTW4_cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''Sins of the Wreckers'' #5
* ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|The Transformers]]'' [[All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message|#52]]
* ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' [[The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|#52]]
* IDW ''Transformers'' reading guide
* IDW ''Transformers'' graphic novel library
* [[Free Comic Book Day]] 2016

===Reprints===
Other than [[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers#Collections|reprints of the full series]]
* N/A

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.newsarama.com/28978-roadbuster-cracks-heads-in-transformers-sins-of-the-wreckers-4-preview.html Preview]

[[Category:Sins of the Wreckers issues]]

Ceremony

2023-12-27T00:00:41Z

B3astK1ng:

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: Unicron]]'' #6
|prev=Assembly (Unicron)
|next=Post
|image=TFUnicron6_cvrA.jpg
|caption="What did it cost?" "''Everything.''"
|title="Ceremony"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[November 14]], [[2018]]
|coverdate=October, 2018
|written by=[[John Barber]]
|art by=[[Sara Pitre-Durocher]] (pg 1-10), [[Andrew Griffith]] (pg 11-14, 17, 32, 36) [[Alex Milne]] (pg 15-16, 20, 26-29, 33-35, 37-40), [[Kei Zama]] (pg 18-19, 21-25, 30-31)
|colors by=[[David García Cruz]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline|Current era]]
}}

'''In the final battle against Unicron and his servants, many of our heroes are called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to prove that faith and compassion can triumph over the fear and chaos born from the legacy of the Primes.'''

==Synopsis==

[[Mount Rushmore]] has become the new home of all the [[spark]]s that were being nurtured within [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], having been removed from the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] to keep them safe during the battle that now rages in [[Earth]] orbit. As [[Marissa Faireborn]] comforts [[Buster (IDW)|Buster]], [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] and [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] arrive with the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], who have been brought at the request of [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]] to help with a plan that may yet save the day...

Chaos reigns above the Earth as an army of [[Autobot]]s, [[Decepticon]]s, and everyone in-between—transported into space by Trypticon and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]—attack [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] and its servants, keeping them occupied in order to allow [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]], [[Skywarp (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Skywarp]], and [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]] to transport [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]], and the [[Talisman (G1)|Talisman]] down to Unicron's surface. The stubborn [[Slide]] is reluctant to join the battle, unwilling to fight and die in the name of Optimus Prime. Punctuating her words, Trypticon becomes the first to fall, slain by one of Unicron's eye-beams.

Down below, all across the Earth, from [[Venice]] to [[São Paulo]], the planet's heroes and villains fight alongside their alien allies to defend their world against Unicron's [[Maximal]]s. In [[Toronto]], [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] watch from the [[CN Tower]] as [[Stardrive]] and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] battle the Maximals in the streets below. Shockwave deems the fight a lost cause, and contacts [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], ordering him to bring his [[Worldsweeper]] down from orbit to collect Shockwave and Rhinox so that they may leave the Earth to its fate, and deal with Unicron another day. Bludgeon, however, refuses; always a servant of chaos, he has thrown in his lot with Unicron, rapturous at the notion that he will be able to watch the entire universe be uncreated at the planet-eater's hands. Shockwave is dumbfounded at the very idea, but barely has time to process Bludgeon's betrayal before he is attacked from behind by Rhinox; this once-loyal Maximal has also decided to side with Unicron after learning that the divine "Onyx Prime" whom he once believed in was nothing but a trick played by Shockwave. Shockwave attempts to fire on Rhinox, only to discover that the new cannon-arm the Maximal provided him with will not work on the Maximals. Rhinox overpowers Shockwave and tears the cannon-arm off, preparing to turn it on his former master... only for his head to suddenly be blown off by a blast from behind, fired by [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]]!

[[File:Unicron6 Starscream's Sacrifice.jpg|thumb|250px|left|"You will ''never'' be a god."]]

Up in orbit, Thundercracker is hit by Maximal fire and falls behind the rest of his group, finding himself surrounded by enemy forces. After depositing Arcee on Unicron with Starscream and Optimus, Skywarp reluctantly goes to his fellow [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]'s aid, teleporting into the path of a Maximal blade to save Thundercracker's life so that he can get the Talisman to the others. Refusing to leave Skywarp behind, Thundercracker tosses the Talisman to Starscream down on Unicron's surface and dives into the fight. It doesn't seem possible that the two can survive, and that poses a problem to the rest of the group: without Skywarp's teleporting powers, they can't get through Unicron's miles-thick armor. Starscream hits upon a solution and implements it before anyone can object; with one last egotistical grin born of the knowledge that he was the one to save the day, he asks Prime and Arcee to give Windblade his best, then activates the Talisman, sacrificing his life as its magical energies consume him and begin burning their way down into Unicron.

Watching from the battlefield, [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] and [[Aileron]] are stunned by Starscream's sacrifice, but [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] always knew he had it in him. [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] isn't interested in debating Starscream's merits right now, as the Maximals continue to attack; a moment later, [[Icebird|one of the beasts]] pounces on Ironhide and tears him in half. As Bumblebee fends the Maximal off, Jazz rushes to Ironhide's side, assuring him that he will make it through—but Ironhide is too far gone, and dies in peace in his friend's arms, feeling that he finally understands the meaning of the phrase "[['Til all are one|'til all are one.]]"

Nearby, Slide continues to find other things to complain and argue about rather than the actual threat at hand when the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] approach her. She and [[Slag (G1)|Slug]] immediately start fighting over the tragic outcome of [[Time Will Rust|their recent clash on Earth]], but [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] interrupts them, motioning toward Bludgeon's Worldsweeper as it heads down to Earth to rain devastation on the planet. Slide relents, and she, the colonists, and the Dinobots head down to the planet to lend their aid.

[[File:Unicron6 Optimus Into The Void.jpg|thumb|250px|right|"A soul... for a soul."]]
Following the path the Talisman is burning through Unicron, Optimus Prime and Arcee venture into the depths of the planet-eater once more, fighting their way through its [[Unicron's antibodies|antibody monsters]]. Arcee proposes that Prime leave the mission to her, that she may make amends for her part in the devastation of [[Antilla]] that began this nightmare, but Prime refuses; as "[[The Arisen]]," one of the [[Thirteen|Thirteen Primes]], he ultimately traces all their misfortunes to the failures of himself and his lineage. Arcee is confused; she ''knew'' the Thirteen, and ''knows'' that Optimus wasn't one of them, but before she can press the issue, the pair arrive at Unicron's heart, where the supermassive black hole around which the monster planet once orbited now rests. As they watch, the Talisman disappears into the singularity... and a moment later, Optimus bids Arcee farewell and leaps in after it. His physical body is compressed to pure information, and Prime once again finds himself in [[Infraspace]], the transitional limbo between life and death, with the Talisman at his feet. But he is not alone in this twilight realm: from out of the darkness appears the form of the [[Unicron's creator|Antillan scientist]] who created the Talisman, whose rage and desire for vengeance is what is driving Unicron from beyond the veil. Prime attempts to talk to the scientist, telling him that his anger toward the Cybertronians is justified, but the alien is not interested in words and lashes out at him.

Prowl drags Shockwave out into the street, where Stardrive stands ready to play her part in the complex plan Prowl and Soundwave have assembled. While Stardrive uses her Wraith magicks to invade Shockwave's body and mind, across the continent, Jetfire follows Soundwave's instructions, remotely linking Stardrive into the [[Enigma of Combination]]—saved from Cybertron by Soundwave—via their communications systems. Next, the Aerialbots combine into [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] for the first time since absorbing the duplicate Enigma created by [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] out of Earth's communications network years ago. The energies of the Earth Enigma fill the air—but they're not ''all'' that are in the air, as Bludgeon's Worldsweeper appears overhead, and [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] leaps out to attack Superion! As the two combiners clash, [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] arrives with the Dinobots and colonists. The Dinobots all leap aboard the Worldsweeper, intent on taking the ship down, while Slide and the colonists argue about what to do. Some unexpected help arrives in the form of [[Pyra Magna]] and the surviving [[Torchbearer]]s, who have been clinging to the hull of Bludgeon's ship, and who now boldly attempt to form [[Victorion]], despite the loss of [[Stormclash]], to buy the Dinobots the time need to enter the ship and defeat Bludgeon. As a partial combiner herself, Slide feels the energies of the Earth Enigma running wild around her, and embraces them, joining with the Torchbearers as they merge, becoming the new leg of Victorion. Together, Victorion and Superion overpower and finally destroy Monstructor.

Meanwhile, the Dinobots fight their way onto the Worldsweeper's bridge and seize the [[Void Scepter]] Bludgeon is using to control the vessel, sending the ship flying away in the direction of [[Washington, D.C.]], in order to give Soundwave time to execute his plan. [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] and [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] are slain in the subsequent fight; as Bludgeon and Slug grapple, the Decepticon tells Slug that their deaths mean nothing, as Unicron will still destroy them all. Slug disagrees; he has faith that Unicron will be stopped, and moreover, he knows the Dinobots are relics of the war, unable to let go of their old hatred, and so they ''must'' die if the Cybertronian race is to move forward unburdened by them. With that, both Bludgeon and Slug die as the Worldsweeper crashes into the [[White House]]. Some of the Maximals aboard survive and emerge to menace the [[President of the United States|President]] and her G.I. Joe bodyguards [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]] and [[Chameleon (G.I. Joe)|Chameleon]], but at the last minute, [[Rum-Maj]] and [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] arrive with their [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]] to finish off the beasts and save the humans.

Back at Mount Rushmore, Soundwave senses that the time is right to execute the final step of his plan. The Enigma of Combination has always had the power to combine not just ''bodies'', but hearts, minds, and ''spirits''—and now, by the power of ''two'' Enigmas, using his own faith as an anchor, Soundwave is able to make contact with and unite the spirits of all those who have died in the war against Unicron, and more. In Toronto, via Stardrive, Shockwave can feel what is happening and begs Prowl to convince Soundwave the plan will not work—that "faith" is a fabrication invented by Shockwave himself millions of years ago, incapable of accomplishing anything. But Prowl disagrees; "faith," he says, is just another name for having the strength to conquer the fears within yourself. And Shockwave... the original false Prime, progenitor of a corrupt lineage that has loomed over Optimus Prime all his life and been the root cause of every conflict that has brought Cybertronian history to this climactic moment... Shockwave represents everything that Optimus Prime has ever feared. Soundwave disintegrates as the combined spirits of the dead are united with Shockwave's thoughts via Stardrive, and sent by her Wraith magicks, linked to the Talisman, to Optimus Prime.

[[File:Unicron6 The Last Hug.jpg|thumb|200px|left|"He is in anguish... he mourns!"]]
In Infraspace, all this wonder and terror floods into Optimus; every fear he has ever known, embodied in Shockwave's thoughts, and the memory of everyone who has ever stood behind him, which gives him the strength to face those fears and overcome them. As the Talisman surges back to life and the landscape of Infraspace begins to crumble away under its power, Prime now knows what he must do: rather than attempting to ''defeat'' the spirit of Unicron's creator, he instead extends a hand toward him in peace. Casting aside his assumed title one last time, the Autobot introduces himself as Orion Pax, and asks for the alien's own name. Confused and in pain, the scientist admits that he can no longer remember... but he does remember the name of his daughter, who died during Antilla's war with Cybertron, setting him on this path of death and revenge. Pax pulls the alien into an embrace, and calls upon him to remember that name now, at the end. Thus do they die in peace together, the last of the Primes overcoming the legacy of his ancestors by showing compassion to the monster birthed by their crimes, as the power of the Talisman collapses Unicron's body into the black hole at its own heart.

As Unicron collapses, all the combatants in Earth orbit make for the planet's surface, save for Bumblebee and Aileron, who fly through the maelstrom to rescue Arcee before she is sucked into the singularity. The trio set down on Earth's moon, where Aileron and Arcee joyously reunite, and they are presently joined by [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]], revealed to have survived Bludgeon's attack on [[Sanctuary Station]]. At Mount Rushmore, Marissa believes Thundercracker must surely have perished, but Buster thinks otherwise, and is proven right seconds later when Thundercracker descends from the sky, carrying the damaged but also-still-living Skywarp with him. As Thundercracker is welcomed by his friends, Skywarp laughs at the ridiculousness of the situation, but recognizes his brother-in-arms as a true Seeker. Prowl and Stardrive take a despondent Shockwave into custody; [[Rom]] and [[Livia]] console a young [[Elonian]] orphan; [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]] thinks of [[Sideswipe (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|his brother]] as he watches Buster, [[D.0.C.]], and [[Bob (IDW)|Bob]] play; Windblade and [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] discuss Windblade's future as the leader of Cybertron on Earth; [[Swift (G1)|Swift]] digs the lone surviving Dinobots, Swoop and [[Strafe (IDW)|Strafe]], from the wreckage of the Worldsweeper; and with the survivors of Cybertron and its colonies now destined to be permanent residents of Earth, the President starts making plans for their future together.

Pyra Magna recovers the [[Mistress of Flame]]'s [[Forgehammer]] from where she left it, wedged in Metroplex's armor, and realizes now that "faith" is not what ''others'' tell you to believe, but what you believe in your own heart. Pyra takes the mantle of Mistress of Flame upon herself, and invites Slide to join the Torchbearers full-time; Slide, overjoyed to know belonging once again, and realizing that she and Pyra were wrong about Optimus Prime all along—that he never wanted to ''rule'' them, but to build a better world for them to live in—tearfully accepts.

With Earth now lit by twin stars of light and darkness—the [[sun]] and Unicron's black hole in perfect balance—the Transformers enter a new era on a new homeworld, an era without Primes, without Autobots or Decepticons, without even the distinction between Cybertronian, colonist, or Earthling. Thanks to Optimus Prime, his sacrifice, and his belief in those who followed him...

[['Til all are one|...all are one.]]
[[File:Unicron6 Peace At Last.jpg|thumb|300px|center|"Where to, Cap?" "... ''home.''"]]
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic'' text appear only in spirit form. 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]]? (4)
* [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] (5)
* [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]]? (6)
* [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] (7)
* [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (8)
* [[Alpha Bravo]] (9)
* [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]? (10)
* [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] (12)
* [[Aileron]] (13)
* [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] (15)
* [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] (16)
* [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] (19)
* [[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock]] (20)
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]] (23)
* [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] (25)
* ? (27)
* [[Slide]] (28)
* [[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]] (29)
* [[Bump]] (30)
* [[Midnight Express (RID)|Midnight Express]] (31)
* [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] (33)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] (34)
* [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (36)
* [[Slag (G1)|Slug]] (37)
* [[Strafe (IDW)|Strafe]] (38)
* [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (39)
* [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (40)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] (44)
* [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] (46)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (47)
* [[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]] (62)
* [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] (80)
* [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] (89)
* [[Dust Up]] (91)
* [[Jumpstream]] (92)
* [[Pyra Magna]] (93)
* [[Skyburst (G1)|Skyburst]] (94)
* [[Rust Dust]] (95)
* [[Victorion]] (98)
* ''[[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'' (97)
* ''[[Ambulon]]'' (100)
* ''[[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]]'' (102)
* ''[[Skids (G1)|Skids]]'' (104)
* ''[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]]'' (105)
* ''[[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]]'' (106)
* ''[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]]'' (107)
* ''[[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]]'' (109)
* ''[[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]]'' (110)
* ''[[Rung (G1)|Rung]]'' (111)
* ''[[Fastlane]]'' (112)
* ''[[Scattershot (G1)|Scattershot]]'' (113)
* ''[[Cloudraker (G1)|Cloudraker]]'' (114)
* ''[[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]]'' (121)
* ''[[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]]'' (122)
* ''[[Sideswipe (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sideswipe]]'' (123)
* ''[[Gimlet]]'' (124)
* [[Goldbug (IDW)|Goldbug]] (134)
* [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (135)
{{!}}}

|c2=
* [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]] (3)
* [[Tankor (BM)|Fat Tankor]] (21)
* [[Octane|Tall Tankor]] (22)
* [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]] (26)
* [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] (43)
* [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] (52)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (63)
* [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (64)
* [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] (70)
* [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] (72)
* [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] (73)
* [[Broadside (Classics)|Broadside]] (74)
* ''[[Horri-Bull]]'' (100)
* ''[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]]'' (108)
* ''[[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]]'' (115)
* ''[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]'' (116)
* ''[[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]]'' (117)
* [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] (132)

|c3=
'''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'''
* [[Scarlett]] (56)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Spike]] (58)
* [[Zilong Qian|Talon]] (59)
* [[Ayana Jones|Mayday]] (65)
* [[Snake-Eyes|Snake Eyes]] (67)
* [[Agent Helix]] (69)
* [[Cover Girl]] (85)
* ''[[Mainframe (G.I. Joe)|Mainframe]]'' (120)
* [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]] (126)
* [[Chameleon (G.I. Joe)|Chameleon]] (127)

'''[[M.A.S.K.]]'''
* [[Matt Trakker]] (57)

'''[[Cobra]]'''
* [[Red Shadows]] (51)
* [[Tempest (G.I. Joe)|Tempest]] (68)

'''[[V.E.N.O.M.]]'''
* [[Miles Mayhem]] (48)
* [[Sly Rax]] (53)

'''[[Action Man Programme|AMP]]'''
* [[Action Man|Ian Noble]] (54)
* [[Terrence Salmons]] (55)

'''Others'''
* [[Marissa Faireborn]] (1)
* [[Iron Klaw]] (49)
* [[Doctor X]] (50)
* [[President of the United States|President of the United States]] (125)

|h4=Other Cybertronians|c4=
'''[[Maximal]]s'''
* [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] (66)
* [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (71)
* [[Shokaract]] (75)
* [[Airraptor]] (76)
* [[Icebird]] (see "Errors", 77)
* [[Antagony (BW)|Antagony]] (see "Errors", 78)
* [[B'Boom]] (79)
* [[Transquito]] (see "Errors", 82)
* [[Soundwave (BW)|Soundwave]] (see "Errors", 83)
* [[Skydive (BM)|Skydive]] (84)
* [[Snarl (BW)|Snarl]] (see "Errors", 86)
* [[Coelagon]] (128)

'''Others'''
* [[Sideswipe (G2)|Sideswipe]] (11)
* [[Swift (G1)|Swift]] (14)
* [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] (35)
* [[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]] (41)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]] (42)
* [[Skywarp (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Skywarp]] (45)
* [[Stardrive]] (87)
* ''[[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]]'' (98)
* ''[[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]]'' (101)
* ''[[Mistress of Flame]]'' (103)

|h5=Others|c5=
'''Space Knights'''
* [[Rom]] (17)
* [[Livia]] (18)
* ''[[Maur]]'' (118)
* ''[[Prim]]'' (119)

'''Dire Wraiths'''
* [[Dire Wraith|Wraith]]s (60)
* [[Countdown (G.I. Joe)|Countdown]] (61)

'''[[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]'''
* [[Rum-Maj]] (130)
* [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] (131)

'''Others'''
* [[Buster (IDW)|Buster]] (2)
* [[Bob (IDW)|Bob]] (24)
* [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] (32)
* [[Unicron's antibodies|Unicron's immune system]] (81)
* [[D.0.C.]] (88)
* [[Unicron's creator]] (90)
* [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]] (129)
* [[Garnak]] (133)
* [[Elonian]] girl (136)
* Pet [[Mutt (IDW)|mutt]] (137)
}}

==Quotes==
"Faith. The last refuge of those '''left behind.'''"
:—'''Marissa Faireborn'''

"Never before have I thought this... but that is a big one." 
"Imagine how '''I''' feel. You're the size of a '''city'''—I'm only '''six feet tall.'''" 
"You are 5'10<nowiki>''</nowiki>, Garrison."
:—'''Metroplex''' and '''Garrison Blackrock''' discuss the size of Unicron

"I never imagined the fate of '''everything''' would end up in '''your''' hands, Starscream." 
"That's funny, because '''I''' always knew it '''would.'''"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Starscream'''

"Tell '''Windblade''' to take good care of '''Earth''', will you? Aw, who am I kidding? She probably won't even '''try''' to conquer the place."
:—'''Starscream''''s last words

"[Orion] thinks the '''shadowplay''' that stripped me of emotion changed me '''fundamentally.''' But as Rhinox said, I was '''always''' pulling strings. '''I''' gave Orion the capacity to carry a '''Matrix.''' I '''made''' him into '''Optimus Prime'''. He was the one who changed... when he stopped viewing my actions as '''just.'''"
:—'''Shockwave'''

"Slug—you won't last a '''minute.'''" 
"Then we'll get this done in '''forty-five seconds.'''"
:—'''Pyra Magna''' gives '''Slug''' some "encouragement", who takes it in stride

"Faith is a '''lie!''' I '''invented''' it! '''Faith''' will not stop the '''uncreator!'''" 
"You '''still''' don't see. Soundwave believes in a '''higher power''', sure. But guys like '''you''' and '''me'''—we don't '''have''' to. All we need to believe in is the inherent '''good''' of '''doing good'''... and that someday, '''ultimately,''' that will be enough to stop '''evil.'''" 
"'''Logic''' is neither good '''nor''' evil. '''None''' of us are. We contain the capacity for '''both.'''" 
"Faith is just '''one path''' to the '''ultimate trick:''' '''confronting''' the evil in '''ourselves'''... and defeating '''that.'''"
:—'''Shockwave''' and '''Prowl''' discuss belief

"Operation: '''Absolution.'''"
:—'''Soundwave''''s last words

"I am '''not''' a piece of '''your''' history... I am the '''end''' of my '''own!'''"
:—'''Unicron's creator'''

"We will cut off the head of your '''forces!''' Your final moments are wasted, killing the '''already dead!''' You ensure '''hate wins!'''" "Nope. Cause this '''ain't''' the end. An' if we're gonna get past '''right now''', we gotta let go of '''hate'''. An' that means lettin' go of '''both''' of us."
:—'''Bludgeon''' and '''Slug'''

"I was forged '''Orion Pax.''' As war began, I was called '''Optimus Prime.''' Now some call me The '''Arisen''', the Thirteenth Prime. But the '''masks''' are gone now. I am '''Orion Pax'''. Before this... who were '''you?'''" 
"So long ago... I can't '''remember.''' But I know the name of my '''daughter''', who your kind '''murdered'''..." 
"Then that shall be the '''word.''' Rather than the fire of '''hatred'''... let her name—her '''memory'''—[[Darkest hour|'''light''' this dark hour]]."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' allows '''Unicron's creator''' to die knowing compassion

"I thought... I would make us '''strong...'''" 
"Take it from me: strong doesn't mean '''right.'''"
:—A defeated '''Shockwave''' is carted away by '''Stardrive'''

"'''Optimus Prime''' is gone... and with him ends the era of Autobot and Decepticon, Cybertronian and colonist, human and machine. What survives is his '''faith.''' Perhaps he never believed in any '''higher power''' guiding our hands... but he believed in '''us.''' I am '''Pyra Magna'''... the '''Mistress of Flame'''. '''Spiritual leader''' of my people; defender of my homeworld... '''Earth.''' And we will light our way against '''all''' our '''darkest hours'''... as '''one.'''"
:—'''Pyra Magna''''s closing monologue

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
[[File:Unicron6 Predaking.jpg|thumb|250px|right|"We have a combiner."]]
* In the montage of heroes and villains fighting around the Earth, Predaking is seen in the service of Iron Klaw. The Predacons have been under his control since before the events of [[The Iron Klaw|''Revolutionaries'' #4]]; it seems he's managed to repair [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] after Kup blew his head off in that story.
* Action Man declares "This is for Kup" as he blasts a Maximal; the pair were buddies in ''Revolutionaries'', until Kup's death in [[Schismatic|''Transformers vs. Visionaries'' #1]].
* Terrence Salmons is now wearing the Action Man uniform too. As seen in the {{i|''Action Man'' comic}}, he was considered next-in-line for the position until Ian Noble, the current Action Man, slipped in ahead of him, but it looks like extenuating circumstances have seen him take up the mantle alongside Ian.
* Scarlett has joined Matt Trakker in Detroit, where his team were located when we last saw them in [[Our Finest|issue #3]]'s {{i|back-up strip}}.
* Last issue, as the battle with the Maximals concluded, it was abruptly noted that Mayday was now in command of the human forces, despite the fact that nothing had been shown to happen to previously established leaders Spike and Talon on-panel. This issue shows that Spike got shot down by the Maximals, and unintentionally took Talon down with him, but both men have survived and are stranded in a jungle somewhere. Spike notes that he "always figured [he'd] have a bigger role" in the final battle; while most IDW readers are no doubt glad he doesn't, this hearkens back to the fact Spike leads his life like he's "the star of an action movie," as originally observed in [[Police Action Part 2: Only Forward|''The Transformers'' vol. 1 #27]].
* Pressed into fighting alongside Strongarm in defense of Earth, Rumble and Frenzy grumble that they "shoulda unionized," a joking reference to the recent success the pair have found in Hollywood, as seen in [[Starscream: The Movie (comic)|the 2018 ''Optimus Prime'' annual]].
* Starscream uses the Talisman to burrow through Unicron's surface, in the same manner as it burrowed its way down through Cybertron in ''[[Transformers vs. Visionaries]]''.
* Slug and the Dinobots continue to clash with Slide following the events of [[Time Will Rust|''Optimus Prime'' #23]]-[[A Sunrise Dark|24]], which included the death of her fellow colonist soldier [[Gimlet]].
* Rhinox provided Shockwave with his new gun-arm in [[Road's End|issue #4]]. He evidently built it himself, indicating this Rhinox shares the engineering abilities of his counterpart in the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]].
* Shockwave notes that he didn't simply become evil when subjected to Shadowplay, having always been a manipulator with dodgy leanings. He illustrates this with the specific example that he was the one who gave Optimus a Matrix chamber (which we learned in [[Chaos Theory Part 2|''The Transformers'' vol. 1 #23]]), but the darker side of his pre-Shadowplay life was previously emphasized in [[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|''More than Meets the Eye'' #11]] when [[Roller (IDW)|Roller]] and [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] dug up some intel on him and learned about the various covert projects he was investing in, which he was keeping secret from his allies.
* Ironhide's dying realization that he now knows the meaning of [[Pax Cybertronia]] references his vision of a peaceful future Cybertron, as seen in ''The Transformers'' [[Pax Cybertronia (issue)|#31]], and his search for the meaning of this vision formed a significant portion of Ironhide's character development during the final years of "Phase 2."
* Soundwave got the Enigma of Combination out of storage in issue #3.
* Galvatron turned Earth into a large-scale Enigma of Combination in [[All Hail Optimus Part 4: It's Beginning To And Back Again|''The Transformers'' vol. 2 #53]]. Superion absorbed the Earth Enigma code to prevent it from working in [[All Hail Optimus Part 5: As Above...So Below|''The Transformers'' vol. 2 #54]]; this is the first time the team have combined since then.
* Optimus Prime returns to Infraspace by entering the black hole at the heart of Unicron, the same way he did by entering the singularity in Crystal City in [[The Falling, Chapter 4: The Hallowing|''Optimus Prime'' #19]].
* The Dinobots settle their recurring rivalry with Bludgeon, begun in ''[[The Transformers: Redemption|Redemption]]'' and continuing through ''[[The Transformers: Salvation|Salvation]]'' and [[The Dead Come Home, Part 1 (of 2)|''Optimus Prime'' #13]]-[[The Dead Come Home, Part 2 (of 2)|14]].
* Bludgeon previously used his Void Scepter to control Trypticon in ''Salvation''.
* The ability of the Enigma to combine not just bodies, but hearts and minds, has always been implicit in the way combiners work, with a gestalt personality emerging as Transformers' bodies are merged. However, it was previously established that it was possible for it to work in a more spiritual way, combining minds ''without'' combining bodies, back in [[Onyx Interface Part Three: ONoffON|''The Transformers'' vol. 2 #37]], when it was credited with subtly uniting the thoughts and ideas of early humans, leading to the development of human cities and civilizations.
[[File:Unicron6 Spirits of the Dead.jpg|thumb|250px|right|"Allfathers, let the dark magic flow through me one last time!"]]
* The spirits who appear before Soundwave specifically include all those notables who have died throughout the ''Unicron'' mini-series itself (Wheeljack, Cliffjumper, and the Solstar Knights from [[Our Darkest|issue #0]], Dirge and the Mistress of Flame from [[Last Stand (Unicron)|issue #1]], Omega Supreme from [[Stranger Eons|issue #2]], Scattershot, Fastlane, and Cloudraker from [[Our Finest|issue #3]], Blurr, Elita One, Cosmos, Sky-Byte, and Laserbeak from [[Road's End|issue #4]], and Ironhide from this issue) and its tie-in issues in ''Optimus Prime'' (Mainframe and Gimlet), along with other significant characters who have died during "Phase 2" of the IDW Universe: Alpha Trion ([[The Falling, Chapter 2: Another Mine|''Optimus Prime'' #16]]), Ambulon ([[Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|''More than Meets the Eye'' #19]]), Horri-Bull ([[The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|''Robots in Disguise'' #1]]), Kup ([[Schismatic|''Transformers vs. Visionaries'' #1]]), Metalhawk ([[Heavy Is the Head|''Robots in Disguise'' #16]]), Pipes ([[Under Cold Blue Stars|''More than Meets the Eye'' #15]]), Ravage ([[The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|''More than Meets the Eye'' #55]]), Rung ([[Crucible (Part 6): A Spark Among Embers|''Lost Light'' #24]]), Sideswipe ([[The Life of Sideswipe|''Optimus Prime'' #10]]), Skids ([[The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|''More than Meets the Eye'' #54]]), and Trailcutter ([[Births, Deaths, and Interventions|''More than Meets the Eye'' #34]]).
* The president notes that the White House has been reinforced since the "last attack," referring to the [[Dire Wraith]] attack in ''[[Thundercracker & Buster Save the World|The Transformers: Revolution]]'' one-shot.
* Optimus Prime had a vision of a Worldsweeper crashing into the White House in [[All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|''The Transformers'' vol. 2 #50]].
* Buzzsaw was implied to have perished in issue #4, but is here revealed to have survived his brush with death.
* The Elonian girl and her [[Mutt (IDW)|pet creature]] are presumably the same ones that appeared in [[Our Darkest|''Unicron'' #0]], and on the last page they're drawn posed as they were on the first page of issue #0.
* The 'reality shards' surrounding Unicron on Cover A depict notable moments of the 2005 IDW continuity thus far; non-'portrait' sections include [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] [[:File:LastStandoftheWreckers5 Guzzle Overlord.jpg|tearing]] [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] in half ([[Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|''Last Stand of the Wreckers'' #5]]), [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] collapsing the tunnels of New York ([[All Hail Megatron issue 2|''All Hail Megatron'' #2]]), Optimus Prime [[:File:AHO-earthannexed.jpg|annexing Earth]] ([[All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|''The Transformers'' vol. 2 #50]]), [[Virulina]] [[:File:Schismatic-KupDies.jpg|killing Kup]] ([[Schismatic|''Transformers vs Visionaries'' #1]]), and the [[Vekktral]]-possessed [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] ([[Shining Armor issue 4|''Shining Armor'' #4]]). Of note is that the scenes have not been copied from their respective issues; they were entirely redrawn by Alex Milne.
* It's the end of ''Transformers: Unicron'', but not quite the end of the universe; the story continues into [[Post|''Optimus Prime'' #25]], the final issue and epilogue to the entire [[2005 IDW continuity]].

===Transformers references===
* The Maximal who kills Ironhide is [[Icebird]], one of the [[Mutant (BW)|''Beast Wars'' Mutants]], who had two beast modes, but no robot mode, save for a robot head hidden inside their bodies. Icebird is here drawn with his robot head deployed; notably, the character's head is red per the toy's prototype, rather than the blue of the mass-market release. But, see "Errors" below.
* Sky Lynx recalls an adventure on [[Regulon Four|Regulon IV]], a planet with several previous mentions in Transformers media, originating in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[The Rebirth, Part 1]]."
* After Ironhide's death, Aileron rallies the others with a variation on a well-used [[Furmanism#CAN I DO LESS.3F|Furmanism]].
* After his destruction, Unicron is reduced to a massive black hole, similar to what happened in the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]]. Though this one seems considerably less apocalyptic.
===Real world references===
* Wreck-Gar's classic habit of peppering his speech with snippets of pop culture continues:
** He greets the humans in the White House with the cry of "Hi-ho, True Believers and Believerettes," the blusterous term {{w|Stan Lee}} regularly used to refer to faithful fans of [[Marvel Comics]].
** He quotes the opening theme to ''{{w|Mister Rogers' Neighborhood}}'', declaring it a "beautiful day in the neighborhood," and hoping they'll "be [the Junkions'] neighbors."
** He paraphrases the title of the 1987 movie ''{{w|Good Morning, Vietnam}}'' with a whoop of "Goooood Morning, Planet Earth!"
* The Action Men are fighting Maximals outside {{w|London King's Cross railway station|King's Cross station}}, one of London's major train stations.
* Beneath his signature on the final page (pictured above), artist Alex Milne bids the reader farewell with a handwritten note of "So long and thanks for all the fish", the dolphins' famed final message to humanity in ''{{w|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy}}''.

===Errors===
* The name caption for a certain white-clad ninja identifies her as "Storm Shadow"—which she ''used'' to go by in the IDW continuity. However, in [[Scarlett's Strike Force issue 3|''Scarlett's Strike Force'' #3]], it was established that—following the return of the ''original'' Storm Shadow—she had taken up the name of "Tempest".
* As a helicopter, Alpha Bravo is easily identifiable among the Aerialbots arrived on page 1, panel 3, and Air Raid appears roughly-on model as well, but the other Aerialbots don't seem to match their ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' designs, and aren't really recognizable as any particular members of the group, hence the "?"s in our list above.
* On page 3, Trypticon is credited as a "Decepticon Titan," but he hasn't been a Decepticon for ages.
* Rumble and Frenzy's ID captions (or colors!) are [[FIRRIB|swapped]].
* Shockwave's conversation with Bludgeon almost beat-for-beat repeats their exchange from the prior issue: Shockwave observes the deteriorating situation, concludes that alternative measures must be taken to destroy Unicron, and then commands Bludgeon to help carry out this plan, whereupon Bludgeon refuses, stating that his true allegiance is to Unicron rather than to Shockwave himself. It's not at all clear why Shockwave is in this issue surprised at Bludgeon's disobedience, or why he issued those same orders a second time, given Bludgeon's statements in the last issue. We will point out, however, that the framing of that issue makes it possible that Bludgeon's line simply came ''after'' Shockwave cut the transmission, and Bludgeon is just now ''openly'' revealing his true colors.
** Additionally, Bludgeon's claim that he serves the science of chaos rather than Shockwave's science of order seems rather ignorant of Shockwave's explicit statements during "The Falling" storyline that ''he'' now serves "the higher order that is chaos."
* On page 9, panel 1, Thundercracker states "''I'm'' think I'm in trouble."
* Unfortunately, it seems that no one supplied Andrew Griffith a roster of Maximals who died in previous issues.
** On page 11, the orbital Maximal team includes [[Icebird]],<ref name="Griffith lineart">Andrew Griffith's lineart for page 11</ref> drawn with his distinctive "robot mode" head. However, Icebird was among the dead Maximals (single-handedly ''annihilated'' by Arcee) seen in [[The Falling, Chapter 5: Endless Forever|''Optimus Prime'' #20]].
** Also in page 11, panel 1 is Antagony,<ref name="Griffith lineart"/> who pivotally appeared and died as a non-Maximal in ''[[First Strike]]''!
** [[Transquito]]<ref name="Griffith tweet">{{citesocial|quote=As far as the battle yeah that's full of nods to certain characters. Some of the BW characters I used for reference in panel 1 are BW Snarl (foreground), Transquito (center left), Soundwave (bat), and Skydive (mid-right.)|link=https://twitter.com/glovestudios/status/1063207113193742336|name=Andrew Griffith|site=Twitter|year=2018|month=11|day=15|(defunct=)}}</ref> appears in page 17, panel 1. While the block-coloring used in the pages of ''Optimus Prime'' made identifying Maximals and discerning between American and Japanese characters tricky, in this case, ''both'' Transquito and [[Bigmos]] should be dead, with the remains of one appearing in ''Optimus Prime'' #20, and the other dying on-panel in [[The Falling, Chapter 6: Unforgivable|''Optimus Prime'' #21]].
** Likewise, [[Soundwave (BW)|Soundwave]] (the Mutant bat)<ref name="Griffith tweet"/> appears in the same panel despite Soundwave's severed wing appearing in ''Optimus Prime'' #20 among Arcee's failed captors.
** And finally, [[Snarl (BW)|Snarl]]<ref name="Griffith tweet"/> appears in the same panel. This body-type is also accounted for; one was also among dead remains seen in ''Optimus Prime'' #20, and his Japanese counterpart [[Tasmania Kid]] is a native Eukarian, not a Maximal, who was seen in ''Optimus Prime'' #23.
* As Optimus and Arcee follow the Talisman to the centre of Unicron, Prime tells her "I need you to hold off the Maximals", which she later repeats, when the two are in fact facing off against [[Unicron's antibodies]].
* Starscream's absence from the spirits of the dead is so pronounced it ''can't'' be an error, but the fact that ''Stormclash'' isn't among them (given the inclusion of nobodies like Fastlane, Cloudraker, and the dead Space Knights) feels like an oversight.
* In the panel where Sunstreaker watches Bob and the other "pets" play, his chestplate is colored black instead of yellow. It COULD be intended as battle damage, but it's probably an error.
* One last time, the chart at the end of the issue misspells "[[Devisiun (planet)|Devisiun]]" as "Divisiun." This is corrected for the planet in the trade, but not [[Devisiun (Titan)|the Titan]].
* The bonus material refers to [[Prion (planet)|Prion]] as having been devastated by the Black Box Consortia, which should be the [[Black Block Consortia|Black ''Block'' Consortia]]. It isn't a complete error, though—the Black Box Consortia was the equivalent organisation in the [[Functionist Universe]], as seen over in [[The Transformers: Lost Light|''Lost Light'']].
* That same bonus material lists the [[Regenesis]] [[Ore-10|ore of deception]] as growing on "[[Vigilem|Carcer]]". This seems implausible: Firstly, the young Shockwave was aiming his Regenesis missiles at planets for the Energon ore to spread out while growing. Even if a Regenesis missile somehow impacted a mobile spacefaring Titan, it seems incredibly unlikely that a subsequent Maximal invasion to harvest ore from Carcer would have gone unnoticed by the incumbent Carcerian First or that this major historical event would never have been mentioned again. Whether this incredibly convoluted chain of events really happened, we couldn't tell you. Then again, Shockwave is the original "Wizard who did it".
* The trade actually creates an error with the bonus material, wherein “Metrobase (deceased)” is changed to “metrobased”.

===Deathlist===
[[File:Rhinox SKROOM.jpg|thumb|250px|right|"Kill away."]]
* Trypticon; killed by one of Unicron's eye-beams
* Starscream; sacrifices himself activating the Talisman
* Ironhide; torn in half by Icebird
* Rhinox; killed by Prowl
* Optimus Primal; finished off by Stardrive and Snake Eyes
* Monstructor; killed by Victorion and Superion
* Broadside; roasted by Strafe
* Sledge; decapitated by Strafe
* Soundwave; gives up his life to combine the spirits of the dead with the Enigma of Combination
* Sludge and Snarl; die in the battle aboard the Worldsweeper
* Slug and Bludgeon; die in the crash of the Worldsweeper
* Unicron; consumed by the black hole at its own heart
* Optimus Prime; sacrifices himself to destroy Unicron

===Other trivia===
* Intended for release in October, this issue arrived late in the middle of November. ''Optimus Prime'' #25 was consequently pushed back to ensure it was released afterward.
* This super-sized final issue is 48 pages in length, with 40 pages of story. In addition to the sixth and final installment in a series of interviews with creators from IDW history, this time with ''Unicron'' writer and artist [[John Barber]] and [[Alex Milne]], backmatter for this issue also includes a complete listing of all thirteen [[Cybertronian colonies]], complete with Prime, [[Regenesis]] ore, Titan, current status, and (if applicable) representative on the [[Council of Worlds]], filling in several pieces of information that have never been revealed on-panel (like which Prime goes with which planet, and the names of previously unidentified ores and Titans). Of note is the confirmation that Carcer did somehow possess an ore, despite not being based on a planet... though see "Errors" above.

===The Lost Colonies of Cybertron===
Part of this issue's backmatter is a graphic detailing all of the Cybertronian colony worlds that fills out any previously unconfirmed information such as their [[Regenesis]] ores and connected Primes.
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|
* [[LV-117|Lenocinium Velnero-117]]
** Ore: [[Ore-1|Time]]
** Prime: [[Vector Prime]]
** Titan: [[Tempo]]
** CoW rep: None
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
* [[Gorlam Prime]]
** Ore: [[Ore-2|Death]]
** Prime: [[Quintus Prime]]
** Titan: [[Quintessa (IDW)|Quintessa]]
** CoW rep: None
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
* [[Prion (planet)|Prion]]
** Ore: [[Ore-3|Size]]
** Prime: [[Micronus Prime]]
** Titan: [[Prion (Titan)|Prion]]
** CoW rep: None
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
* [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]]
** Ore: [[Ore-4|Gravity]]
** Prime: [[Solus Prime]]
** Titan: [[Caminus (Titan)|Caminus]]
** CoW rep: [[Mistress of Flame]]
|}
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|
* [[Devisiun (planet)|Devisiun]]
** Ore: [[Ore-5|Combination]]
** Prime: [[Nexus Prime]]
** Titan: [[Devisiun (Titan)|Devisiun]]
** CoW rep: [[Vanquish]] and [[Fireshot]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
* [[Arduria]]
** Ore: [[Ore-6|Cold]]
** Prime: [[Alchemist Prime]]
** Titan: [[Metrobase (G1)|Metrobase]]
** CoW rep: None
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
* [[Antilla]]
** Ore: [[Ore-7|Change]]
** Prime: [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]]
** Titan: [[Nemesis (BW)|Nemesis]]
** CoW rep: None
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
* [[Tsiehshi]]
** Ore: [[Ore-8|Destruction]]
** Prime: [[The Fallen|Megatronus]]
** Titan: [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]
** CoW rep: None
|}
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|
* [[Velocitron]]
** Ore: [[Ore-9|Space]]
** Prime: [[Amalgamous Prime]]
** Titan: [[Navitas]]
** CoW rep: [[Knock Out (G1)|Knock Out]] and [[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
* [[Vigilem|Carcer]]
** Ore: [[Ore-10|Deception]]
** Prime: [[Liege Maximo]]
** Titan: Vigilem
** CoW rep: [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] and [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
* [[Jungle Planet (colony)|Eukaris]]
** Ore: [[Ore-11|Evolution]]
** Prime: [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Onyx Prime]]
** Titan: [[Chela]]
** CoW rep: [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] and [[Tigatron]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
* [[Elonia]]
** Ore: [[Ore-12|Protection]]
** Prime: [[Prima]]
** Titan: [[Emissary (IDW)|Emissary]]
** CoW rep: None
|}
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|
* [[Earth]]
** Ore: [[Ore-13|Power]]
** Prime: [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]]
** Titan: [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]]
** CoW rep: [[Marissa Faireborn]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
* [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]
** Ore: [[Ore-14|Resurrection]]
** Prime: ?
** Titan: [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]
** CoW rep: [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|}

===Covers (6)===
* '''Cover A:''' Unicron surrounded by shards of reality depicting images from throughout IDW history, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Sebastian Cheng]]
* '''Cover B:''' Optimus Prime, Prowl, Ironhide, Doctor X, and [[Baroness|Cobra Commander]], by [[James Raiz]] and [[David García Cruz]]; connects to Raiz's other covers for the series to form [[:File:Unicron-Bcovers-JamesRaiz.jpg|a larger image]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover A:''' Optimus Prime, Starscream, Bumblebee, Soundwave, Windblade, and Unicron, by [[E. J. Su]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover B:''' Jetfire by [[Francesco Francavilla]]; connects to Francavilla's other covers for the series to form a larger image
* '''KRS Comics exclusive cover A:''' Unicron takes the place of Thanos in an homage to the cover of [[wikia:marvel:Infinity Gauntlet Vol 1 4|''The Infinity Gauntlet'' #4]], beckoning unseen parties toward him and declaring "You belong to me!" (a line from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'') by [[John Paras]]
* '''KRS Comics exclusive cover B:''' Paras's ''Infinity Gauntlet'' homage, but with a blank white background and a blank speech bubble

<gallery>
File:TFUnicron6_cvrA.jpg|An entire universe, once and for all.
File:TFUnicron6_cvrB.jpg|Yibambe!
File:TFUnicron6_cvrRIA.jpg|Bring me Unicron!
File:TFUnicron6_cvrRIB.jpg|DOC, give me some juice!
File:TFUnicron6_cvrREA.jpg|We’re in the endgame now.
File:TFUnicron6_cvrREB.jpg|I finally rest; watch the sun rise on a grateful universe.
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* [[Post|''Optimus Prime'' #25]] and [[How To Say Goodbye And Mean It: Part 2|''Lost Light'' #25]], with a tagline that reads: "THE TRANSFORMERS WILL RETURN IN 2019."
* ''[[Go-Bots (comic)|Go-Bots]]'' [[Go-Bots issue 1|#1]]
* ''Unicron'' checklist

===Reprints===
Other than [[Transformers: Unicron#Collections|reprints of the full series]]
* N/A

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.comiccrusaders.com/exclusive-preview-transformers-unicron-6-of-6/ Preview]

[[Category:Unicron issues]]

Cheetor (ROTB)

2023-09-25T23:17:48Z

B3astK1ng:

{{disambig3|Cheetor}}
{{factions|maximal}}
:''Cheetor is a [[Maximal]] from the [[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]] portion of the [[Movie continuity family]].''

[[File:ROTB Cheetor concept art.jpg|right|thumb|250px|All grown up!]]

'''Cheetor''' is a speedy Maximal, both in mind and in body. Athletic and graceful despite being the size of a small truck, this cheetah ‘bot runs faster than most of his enemies can process. This speed is, indeed, his greatest strength, but it is also his most substantial weakness. Cheetor’s agility breeds overconfidence, and he occasionally is too quick to act without considering the potential repercussions of his actions. Even still, he is a reliable Maximal warrior who provides invaluable assistance in the war against the [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcons]].

{{bigquote|Sorry about scaring you, brother.|Cheetor}} {{bigquote|Scared? Pft, please, I'm not scared. That's just engine oil.|[[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]]|"[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]"}}

==Fiction==
===''Rise of the Beasts'' film===
{{Voiceactor|[[Tongayi Chirisa]] (English), [[Wataru Takagi]] (Japanese)|[[Eko Fresh]] (German), [[Sylvain Agaësse]] (European French), [[Duda Ribeiro]] (Brazilian Portuguese), [[Carlos Monroy]] (Latin American Spanish)}}

Somewhere in time and space, Cheetor was among the Maximals left on their homeworld when [[Unicron]] attacked. Making their way through enemy hordes, he and [[Rhinox (ROTB)|Rhinox]] met up with their leader [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]], and fellow Maximals [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]] and [[Airazor (ROTB)|Airazor]], and expressed concern over several hostile new [[Scorponok (ROTB)|arrivals]] on their planet. As the situation grew dire, he witnessed Apelinq transfer leadership of the Maximals to Primal, as the former ordered them to retreat with the [[Transwarp Key]]. All Cheetor and the other Maximals could do was watch from their ship as [[Scourge (ROTB)|Scourge]] overpowered Apelinq, as they entered the Transwarp bridge towards a prehistoric Earth.

[[File:ROTB Cheetor and Mirage.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

By the year [[1994]], Cheetor and the other Maximals had settled in the jungles of [[Peru]]. When [[Noah Díaz]] and [[Elena Wallace]] arrived searching for the other half of the Transwarp Key, Optimus Primal mobilized the Maximals, including Cheetor, to intercept them. As Primal had them cornered, the Autobot [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] arrived in an attempt to attack Primal. This prompted Cheetor to pounce and tackle the Autobot as he screamed for his life. Before the situation could escalate any further, Airazor flew in and eased the tension, with Cheetor kindly apologizing to Mirage for scaring him.

Later, Cheetor and the other Maximals led the Autobots to meet the human tribe that had kept the Maximals safe on Earth, present the Autobots the other half of the Transwarp Key. The next day, the Autobots and Maximals were alerted to a battle on top of a mountain, only to find a distraught Primal and an offline Airazor, who was forced to be deactivated after Scourge's corruption rendered her mad. Cheetor was visibly distraught at the sight. They did not have time to mourn their fallen comrade, however, as Scourge had already activated the Transwarp Key from the nearby volcano, ready to bring Unicron in. Optimus Prime and Noah were not ready to give up, and convinced Primal to fight back, with the Maximal leader explaining how the Transwarp Key worked. In order to stop the process, the key would have to be shut down from the control panel, but someone would have sneak through the underground tunnels to avoid Scourge. Cheetor then corroborated that while the tunnels may be too small for Maximals, they would be big enough for humans, which meant Noah and Elena were the only ones who can shut the Key down.

[[File:ROTB Cheetor in battle.jpg|left|thumb|250px]]

Hoping to distract their enemies, Prime and Primal led their respective teams to face the [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]] army head on, hoping to lead them away from Noah, Elena and Mirage working their way towards the control panel. As the Autobots and Maximals approached the Terrorcon army, Primal ordered Cheetor and Rhinox to [[Activation code|maximize]], making swift work of the Terrorcon drones. Eventually, the endless hordes of drones exhausted both the Autobots and Maximals. At one point, Cheetor was overwhelmed by several [[Sweep (ROTB)|Sweep]]s, but not before he spotted Noah being whisked away by [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]]. He threw his spear at the Terrorcon, releasing Noah. As a second wave of Sweeps entered the battlefield, along with Unicron's [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Scorponok (ROTB)|reinforcements]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] swooped in, turning the tide of the battle, and giving them a boost in morale. As Elena finally reached the control panel, and with Scourge being handled by Optimus, Cheetor and the rest of the Autobots and Maximals held back the army that was diverted towards the control panel, with Cheetor pouncing on a few Scorponok drones. Eventually, the control panel was destroyed, forcing Optimus to sacrifice himself to destroy it. Cheetor and the rest of the Maximals were then ordered to retreat.

[[File:ROTBcap Cheetor and Bumblebee.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Now we only need Hot Shot to show up.]]

Fortunately, Primal saved Prime and they escaped the ensuing fallout. Cheetor and the others then regrouped at a valley overlooking the volcano. They acknowledged that Unicron had definitely survived the collapse of the Transwarp bridge, and he may return to destroy them. Despite this, Cheetor and the others remained steadfast, as they now had a newfound alliance between their factions, ready to take on Unicron, whenever he may return. {{storylink|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts}}
{{note|Cheetor's involvement in the preceding events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the book "[[The Search Is On]]".}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Studio Series''===
[[File:TF-Studio-Series-SS-98-Voyager-ROTB-Cheetor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Wakanda forever!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-m1|'''Cheetor''' (Voyager Class, [[2023]])}}</ul>
:*''Movie'': '''''Rise of the Beasts'''''
:*''Hasbro ID number'': '''98'''
:*''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''SS-108'''
:*''Accessories'': 2 spears, "Peruvian Jungle Discovery" backdrop

:Released as part of the 19th wave of ''[[Studio Series]]'' Voyager Class figures, Cheetor transforms into a mechanical cheetah in 24 steps. The toy comes with two spear accessories that can be held separately, combine into a long staff, or store on his back.

:Strangely, his box renders show him in a much darker color scheme than what is present on the final figure.

:Hasbro revealed the figure on [[January 24]], 2023.
{{--}}

===''Buzzworthy Bumblebee''===
[[File:TF-ROTB-Mainline-Deluxe-Class-Cheetor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|We finally know how a cat would wear pants.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Cheetor / Nightbird / Wheeljack''' (Jungle Mission 3-pack, 2023)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Tail weapon, blaster
{{toydesigner|[[Tomoki Tatsumi]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: Released in a [[Target]]-exclusive ''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' "Jungle Mission 3-pack", this Deluxe Class version of Cheetor converts into a mechanical cheetah. His transformation scheme is somewhat patterned on [[Cheetor (BW)/toys#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|''Kingdom'' Cheetor]], while his overall appearance is based on a non-final movie design, so his robot mode differs greatly from his ''Studio Series'' figure listed above. He is armed with a small blaster, which, in a nod to the original Cheetor toy's "gut gun", stores in his cheetah mode abdomen, along with a bladed whip weapon formed from his beast mode tail. In an undocumented feature, the gun can store on Cheetor's robot mode back via a rectangular slot; however, no such storage exists for the tail weapon, which he's left to hold at all times.

:His stock renders omit the tip of his tail that covers its blade in beast mode, though the hinge it attaches to is plainly visible. The renders also depict differences in deco from the final toy, such as blue shoulders and overall a more vibrant shade of blue than the duller shade used on the actual toy.

:This set also includes [[Nightbird (ROTB)#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Nightbird]] and [[Wheeljack (ROTB)#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Wheeljack]].
{{--}}

===''Rise of the Beasts''===
[[File:TF-ROTB-Deluxe-Cheetor-Single.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|“I am NOT a kid… and maybe I’m not so nice either.”]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-m1|'''Cheetor''' (Deluxe Class, 2023)}}</ul>
:*''TakaraTomy name'': '''Deluxe Class Cheetor'''
:*''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''BD-02'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date'': April 15, 2023
:*''Accessories'': Tail weapon, blaster
{{toydesigner|[[Tomoki Tatsumi]] (TakaraTomy)}}

:The Cheetor from the ''Buzzworthy Bumblebee'' Jungle Mission 3-pack was also available individually at general retail under ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (toyline)|Rise of the Beasts]]'' packaging. It was first sighted at Australian retail.

{{-}}{{anchor|FlexChangers}}
[[File:TF-ROTB-Flex-Changer-Cheetor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|''Why'' would you give the cat a rubber band!?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-m1|'''Cheetor''' (Flex Changers, 2023)}}</ul>
:*''TakaraTomy name'': '''Kurutto Change Cheetor'''
:*''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''BKC-03'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date'': [[June 24]], 2023

:Released as part of the "Flex Changers" line for the ''Rise of the Beasts'' toyline, this Cheetor transforms from beast to robot with the use of a flexible plastic band.

:He first appeared at Mexican retail without any announcement, unlike his wavemates.

{{-}}{{anchor|TitanChanger}}
[[File:TF-Authentic-Titan-Changers-Cheetor.jpeg|thumb|upright=1.66|Uh, meow?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-m1|'''Cheetor''' (Titan Changer, 2023)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Tail-whip
:Part of the first wave of ''Rise of the Beasts'' Titan Changers, Cheetor is a repackaging of ''[[Transformers Authentics|Authentics]]'' Titan Changer [[Cheetor_(BW)/toys#Authentics|Cheetor]] without any changes to the figure, and transforms from a thin robot to a mechanical cheetah. The tail comes off to become a whip. Considering the great design similarities with the above Cheetor toys, it's possible this toy was meant to be released here first before the delay of the movie and toyline.
{{-}}

====''Beast Alliance''====
[[File:TF-ROTB-Battlemaster-Cheetor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Wee Booties]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-m1|'''Cheetor''' (Beast Battle Masters, [[2023]])}}</ul>
:*''TakaraTomy name'': '''Kakusei Weapon Cheetor'''
:*''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''BW-01'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date'': [[April 15]], 2023
{{toydesigner|[[Shogo Hasui]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: Battle Master Cheetor is a very small, slender cheetah cast in creamy yellow and silvery grey plastic. He converts into a triple claw weapon which can be held by or mounted on the forearm of a larger figure via a 5mm post. The paint on his yellow parts is fairly extensive, with black cheetah spots and silver musculature highlighted on all 4 legs, plus spots on his head and bright red eyes. However, he has none on his grey parts due to being cast in what appears to be [[unpaintable plastic]]. He has ball joints at the shoulders, hips, and front paws, the last of which are cast in silver grey. This allows for some small range of posing but is limited due to lacking knees or elbows.

{{-}}{{anchor|BeastWeaponizer}}
[[File:TF-ROTB-Weaponizer-Arcee.jpg||thumb|300px|Part of the “cool scenes that should have happened in the movie but didn’t” range.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1m1|'''Arcee & Cheetor''' (Beast Weaponizers, 2023)}}</ul>
{{toydesigner|[[Shogo Hasui]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: This redeco of Battle Master Cheetor comes with the "Beast Weaponizer" [[Arcee (Movie)#BeastWeaponizer|Arcee]] toy. It swaps out the silvery plastic with light gray and removes all paint on his legs.

: This figure was first found listed on Canadian store kidtoy.ca's website, prior to any announcement by Hasbro.

{{-}}{{anchor|Burning}}
[[File:ROTBToy-BurningCheetor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|[[CatSCAN]], is that you?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-m1|'''Burning Cheetor''' (Kakusei Weapon, 2023)}}</ul>
:*''Release date'' [[July 15]], 2023

: "Burning Cheetor" (バーニングチーター) is a redeco of the Battle Master, cast in red and clear red plastics.

: He was available as a [[campaign item]] through [[TakaraTomy Mall]], free with the pre-order of [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)#Ultimate|Ultimate Optimus Primal]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BeastMode|BP-01 Beast Power Bumblebee]], or [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#BeastMode|BP-01 Beast Power Optimus Prime]]. Pre-orders opened on [[June 7]], with delivery by [[July 15]]. He was also made available at brick and stores with any purchase of over 5000 yen.

{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Figural Bag Clip===
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-m1|'''Cheetor''' (2023)}}</ul>
:Released by Monogram, this 2.5" 3D foam bag clip takes the form of a chibi ''Rise of the Beasts'' Cheetor in cheetah mode.

:It was available only as part of a [[Blindpacking|mystery blind bag]] collection.
{{--}}

==Notes==
*Much like [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]], at some point during the development of ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]'', Cheetor was considered to appear in the movie. A few designs were conceptualized during the film's production (see [[#Gallery]]).

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Cheetor''' (チーター ''Chītā'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Huáng Bào''' (黃豹, "Yellow Leopard")

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Live-Action-Cheetor-concept-1.jpg|''The Last Knight'' concept
File:TLK-Cheetor-1.jpg|''The Last Knight'' concept
</gallery>

[[Category:Battle Masters]]
[[Category:Japanese promotion exclusives]]
[[Category:Rise of the Beasts Maximals]]
[[Category:Studio Series Maximals]]