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Dark Awakening (episode)

2018-08-26T23:50:27Z

Bork: /* Featured characters */

{{featured}}
{{disambig2|the Generation 1 cartoon episode|the ''Legends'' event|Dark Awakening (Legends)}}
{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|series2=2010
|ep=73
|ep2=8
|prev2=Starscream's Ghost
|next2=Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)
|image=Optimusg1zombie.jpg
|caption=Yeah, let ''this'' be how the kids remember their hero.
|title="Dark Awakening"
|production code=700-93
|airdate=[[October 1]], [[1986]]
|written by=[[Antoni Zalewski]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[AKOM]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}
'''Optimus Prime is revived as a zombie by Quintessons.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:G1-screencap darkawakening Optimus empty tomb.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Don't you hate when your stuff goes missing?]]
On the run from [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]], [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]], [[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]], [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] try the old "detonate three-quarters of the ship" trick to lose their pursuers. What's left of the ship can't support human life for long, however, so they take refuge on board the nearby [[Autobot Mausoleum]], an interstellar tomb containing many of their deceased comrades, most notably the venerated [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]].

While exploring by himself, Daniel is stuck in a dark room with robot corpses and gets appropriately creeped out... particularly when he sees what looks like the fully animated form of Optimus Prime. When he finds the others he swears he has seen Optimus Prime alive. To satisfy his curiosity and against the opinions of the other Autobots, Rodimus opens Prime's tomb, only to find it empty. However, they cannot investigate further because the Decepticons have followed them inside and attack them (turns out Galvatron has wised up to the detonate-three-quarters thing.) The fierce battle that follows appears lost for the Autobots, when suddenly they are saved by none other than Optimus Prime. With their ranks bolstered by the mighty warrior's firepower, they quickly drive the freaked out Decepticons into retreat.

[[File:OptimusMatrixAwakening.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Uh uh. Nope. Had it. Done with it.]]
The Autobots are amazed and confused at Prime's presence. Optimus can give them no explanation to his apparent resurrection, just the typical near-death experience of seeing darkness and then a light at the end of the tunnel. Rodimus Prime eagerly (too eagerly) returns the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to him, despite Prime's bizarre behavior and damaged appearance, and against the advice of Kup and Ultra Magnus. Without the Matrix inside him, Rodimus reverts to Hot Rod and declares, "Let's party!" Optimus evidently has other plans and attacks the Autobots and sets the auto-destruct sequence to the mausoleum ship. He then departs and leaves the others stranded.

After returning to Cybertron, Optimus informs the [[Autobot]]s that Rodimus and the others were killed by the Quintessons. This puts everyone in a pretty bad mood ([[Springer (G1)|Springer]] swears vengeance - particularly for Arcee - while [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] spends at least a minute stomping and thumping his tail). Optimus re-assumes command and orders an all-out attack on a supposed Quintesson base.

[[File:G1-screencap DarkAwakening Quintessons missiles.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Our budget only ran to six missiles.]]
Hot Rod and his group manage to escape, mere moments before the mausoleum ship plunges into a star and explodes. They return to Cybertron, but find nobody around but the Dinobots. Turns out most of the Autobots have left to attack the Quintessons. They pursue their friends in their own ship, but arrive to find the fleet already being decimated by Quintesson missile fire. Their frantic calls to stop the attack are dismissed by Optimus as Quintesson tricks.

Hot Rod and the others finally manage to board the lead ship, and the former Rodimus goes "Optimus hunting" after his [[zombie|zombified]] mentor. When the two meet, Optimus starts to pound on Hot Rod, but as he's kicking Hot Rod's tailpipe he begs Hot Rod to defeat him.

[[File:Zombiesmatrixmakesmetoostrong.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|And that's for getting me killed!]]
Fighting against both Hot Rod and himself, Optimus flashes back to his own reanimation at the hands of the Quintessons, who stole his corpse and reanimated it with their own evil programming to lead all Autobots into a trap.
Optimus is nothing more than a "mindless zombie", combined with "lingering remnants" of his personality and memories. Hot Rod puts up a brave fight in a moment of compassion trying to help Optimus, Hot Rod is physically overcome by Optimus, but the influence of the Matrix allows Prime to overcome the Quintessons' programming. Ending the fight, Optimus returns the Matrix to Hot Rod's chest cavity, restoring him to his status as Rodimus Prime.
As Optimus Prime takes his leave, the other Autobots find their battered leader and inform him that the equally battered ship is being evacuated.

Optimus Prime takes control of the ship, and orders the Autobot fleet away from the Quintesson trap.

As the stunned Quintessons watch, the Autobot fleet escapes. Optimus's final act is to pilot the Autobot flagship into the trigger zone of the Quintesson trap; ensuring the safety of the retreating Autobot ships and craft.
Closing the distance piloting the command ship, Optimus Prime suffers horrendous damage as the Quintessons bombard the ship with missile fire and explosions and flames erupt from various points in the command ship on top of the battle damage Optimus had incurred previously from his fight with Hot Rod; loosing an arm namely.

With a massive explosion, the solar system is destroyed.
As Kup bids his old friend farewell and the other Autobots mourn their lost leader a second time, Magnus remarks that the nova will be Optimus's memorial. Rodimus doubts he'll be the [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]] that Optimus Prime was, but vows to try.

{{note|A short narrative voiceover by [[Victor Caroli]] was tacked on to the final scene when this episode made its first re-run airing: 'But is this ''really'' the end of Optimus Prime? Find out in tomorrow's exciting episode, "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|The Return of Optimus Prime]]"!' Baffled by such an ambiguous title, children the world over were left wondering if this was in fact the end of Optimus Prime.}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] (2)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (3)
*[[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]] (9)
*[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] (11)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (14)
*[[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]] (15)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] (16)
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (17)
*[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (18)
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (19)
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (20)
*[[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (21)
*[[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] (22)
*[[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] (23)
*[[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] (24)
*[[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] (25)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] (26)
*[[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] (27)
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (28)
|c2=
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (4)
*[[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] (5)
*[[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] (6)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] (8)
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (12)
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] (13)
|c3=
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (1)
*[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] (10)
|c4=
*[[Quintesson]]s (7)
}}

==Quotes==
"Great. What'll Daniel and I do when the air runs out?" 
"Basically you'll have two choices: suffocate, or smother."
:—As '''Spike''' wonders about the limited oxygen for the first time in life in the Autobot life pod, '''Rodimus Prime''' takes "deadpan" to a whole new level.

"Hey, he's here, he's back, and who cares how!" 
"Must... complete... plan..." ''Optimus abruptly walks offscreen.'' 
"Yeah! What's the plan?"
:—'''Rodimus''' misses some critical clues from '''Optimus Prime'''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> behavior.

'''Arcee''': Sludge! Snarl! Oh, are we glad to see you. 
'''Sludge''': Me Sludge not glad to see ''you''. 
'''Snarl''': You all dead! Rarrr! 
'''Sludge''': ...Maybe ''we'' dead.
:—Arcee freaks out the Dinobots.

'''Kup''': Where is everybody? 
'''Sludge''': All go smash Quintessons. 
'''Ultra Magnus''': Quintessons? What have Quintessons got to do with any of this? 
'''Snarl''': They kill you! Optimus Prime say so! ...Uh-oh. Something not right.
:—The Dinobots start to comprehend that all is not well.

"This won't even be a war." 
"Merely an exercise in... extermination."
:—the '''Quintessons''' nonchalantly slaughter the Autobot fleet

"Not a game! ...Matrix makes me ''too strong''!" 
"Now ''there's'' a unique complaint!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' wails on '''Hot Rod''', who takes it in stride

"Monsters... they made me a weapon, to destroy the very ones I loved in life. But you will save them... Rodimus Prime."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' hands over the Matrix.

"I don't know if I'll ever be the leader that you were, but for sure... I'm gonna try. So long... Prime."
:—'''Rodimus''' gives a eulogy in his own inimitable fashion.

"Decepticons!, leave this place OR DIE!!"

"Optimus Pri-AAAGGGHH!"

—'''Optimus Prime''' to —'''Galvatron'''
Optimus Prime warns the Decepticons as Optimus opens fire upon them(Decepticons) in an ambush and starting with Galvatron soon after taking out the Decepticon leader.

==Season 5==
{{note|When this episode was rebroadcast in [[The Transformers (cartoon)#Season 5|the fifth season]] of ''The Transformers'', it contained new bookending segments with original story material.}}
[[File:TommyInterviewsPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
[[Tommy Kennedy|Tommy]] and [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] meet in the barren wasteland where Tommy, apparently a reporter for [[Autobot City News]], asks to interview Prime. Tommy asks for the inside scoop on how Prime came back from the dead. Prime recalls how it all began...

{{bigquote|Okay, what would you like me to tell you?}}
{{bigquote|Tell us the real scoop! The behind the scenes, super secret story of how '''you''' came back from the dead!}}

:''22 minutes later...''

{{bigquote|You said you were going to tell me how you were brought back to life and instead you tell me a story where you weren't ''really'' brought back to life at all! And even if you ''were'', you'd be dead again by now!}}

Tommy is furious, accusing Prime of dodging the question and not telling him how he ''really'' cheated death. Prime informs him that there's "more than meets the eye" to this story. In fact, the story has only just begun. Tommy stops him, as his recorder has run out of tape. Tommy and Prime then blast off into outer space to... go to the store to buy more tape. Okay.
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Galvatron still has some degree of alliance with the Quintessons, despite their betrayal in "Five Faces of Darkness". (Of course, it's leading to ''another'' betrayal, as the Quintessons are presumably luring him and the Autobots to zombie Optimus's trap.)
*As an episode built around the events of the animated movie, Galvatron's order to examine the debris of the destroyed Autobot ship is almost certainly a callback to the last time he blew up an Autobot vessel from afar - he's wised up to the Autobots' "detonate three quarters of the ship" trick!
*Kup alludes to the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] when Daniel asks about Optimus Prime's inclusion in the Mausoleum.
*Besides Optimus, the interred Autobots whose names are read off by Daniel are [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]], [[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]], [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]], and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]. The first three were killed off in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', all in the same scene, in fact. This is the first time we learn of Huffer's death, however. The absence of [[Brawn (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Brawn]] (also killed off in the same scene) has led to joking fandom speculation that he must have survived getting shot in the shoulder (bolstered by his and Huffer's animation-error appearance in "[[Carnage in C-Minor]]"). [[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]'s bodies weren't even mentioned, despite their offscreen deaths in the movie.
[[File:DarkAwakening dead Autobot.jpg|thumb|200px]]
*The dead Autobot that nearly squashes Daniel isn't Ironhide, but follows his general design pattern: rounded head helmet, boxy torso with a front window chest. The details are off, though, and of course he's got a totally different color scheme (mostly gray, with an olive green chest.)
*Cyclonus pulls his gun out of thin air during the fight on the mausoleum; it simply appears in his hand in a flash of light, another instance supporting the fan-theories of "subspace" and the like.
*Springer reacts pointedly to the supposed death of Arcee, continuing the romantic overtones between them that first showed up back in "Five Faces of Darkness".
*The Autobot fleet shown in this episode causes some bizarre continuity hijinks. Character models for the Aerialbots, Powerglide, and Skyfire are used to pad out the fleet's ranks (see details under Animation and/or Technical Errors), and many of these "ships" are showing getting annihilated by the Quintessons. While one might be tempted to say that Skyfire is thus shown getting killed, you'd also have to say the same for the Aerialbots and Powerglide, who all show up alive and well in later episodes. You'd also have to accept Skydive getting killed and then being alive a few seconds later, and Slingshot getting killed twice.

===Real-world references===
[[File:Autobot shuttle lifepod.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*Writer Antoni Zalewski recycled his own work for the opening scene of this episode, which is copied almost note-for-note from the 1985 "Ghost Ship" episode of ''The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians''. The parallels include a pursuit through space, launching an escape pod ("We turned the cockpit into an escape ship just in time!"), right up to Spike's verbatim quote "It's the size of... Manhattan!"
*''Star Wars'' sound effects:
**The ''Star Wars'' effects are of a much higher fidelity of sound than the rest of the episode's effects, music and voiceovers, sitting higher in the mix and sounding rather out of place. Some are mixed to the point of being unidentifiable.
**A long X-Wing whine - from the Rebel squads approaching the Death Star - is heard in the opening shot as the Autobot ship flies past camera.
**As the Decepticons launch torpedos, sounds from one of the firefights on the Death Star can be heard.
**The whine of Luke's X-Wing about to crash on Dagobah (a rare use of a sound effect from ''Empire'') plays as the Mausoleum approaches the sun; the sound of branches hitting the fighter's canopy can still be heard.
**Death Star superlaser as the Autobots escape from the Mausoleum.
**X-Wing engine whine as the Quintesson asteroid-ship moves into firing position.

===Animation and technical errors===
[[File:DarkAwakening Magnus hands.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Don't look at me either. I had my shot. I'm out.]]
[[File:DarkAwakening-Springer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*An AKOM episode. Watch for off-model characters including:
**Rodimus and Galvatron are both consistently colored using outdated color models; Rodimus's shoulder indentations are red instead of white, his pelvis-windshield details are white instead of light burgundy, and his gun is red instead of black, while Galvatron has pale purple "underpants."
**Movie characters have colored mouths, such as Ultra Magnus with a red mouth, Cyclonus with purple, Blurr with blue and Springer with green.
**Optimus's running light rims are white, and the lights themselves are red, rather than vice versa; his backpack is white instead of red.
**The top part of Ultra Magnus' back is sometimes colored grey when it should be red (such as when he shoots at Galvatron).
*Coloring errors:
**In the first shot of the Decepticon mothership shooting at the Autobot shuttle, one of the two Sweeps flying alongside it is colored all white.
**"They're getting away!" - Cyclonus's jet windows are colored white instead of orange.
**As Rodimus delivers the "I'd hoped never to see it again" line, Kup's eyes are gray and the triangles below them blue, rather than the other way around.
**Rodimus's eyes flash blue-gray-blue as he details the location of Optimus's tomb.
**After driving the Decepticons off, Optimus walks up to the Autobots and the left side of his helmet is grey instead of blue.
**Right after Optimus Prime shoots Hot Rod, Kup, Arcee, Daniel and Spike, the top of his helmet is colored gray.
**As Optimus walks up to Hot Rod, his Autobot symbol is grey instead of red.
**Just before Optimus' flashback, his crotch piece and lower legs are dark grey instead of blue.
**When Rodimus tosses him, Optimus' face is entirely colored in blue. As he lands, the top of Optimus' helmet is grey.
*As the "torpedos" close in on the Autobot ship, it's suddenly no longer in the asteroid field, but in open space.
*The life pod's engine-roar sound effect flies past the camera long before the ship itself does.
*After they blow up the Autobot ship, a shot of the Decepticons flying shows their group to contain a 1984 Seeker design with Dirge's color-scheme. Thrust and Dirge are also flying alongside the ship - the first and only time they've been shown to be space flight capable. The Decepticon ship isn't all that much bigger than the Decepticons around it, either.
*As the Decepticon ship turns to intercept, the squad of Decepticons are no longer flying alongside it.
*The mausoleum first appears floating in empty open space, but as the Autobots approach it, it's suddenly got asteroids and a red sun nearby.
*As they approach the Mausoleum in their ship, the Autobots keep changing positions between shots. First Kup is up front on the right, then he's behind Rodimus on the left, then Rodimus is in the back right with Kup in front of him. Arcee moves from the front right to the back left, then back to the front right again.
**Also during the approach, the seats at the front of the ship appear and disappear between shots.
***''Also'' during the approach, the large door with the Autobot symbol has a grey frame around it (with parts that overlap the right and left sides), but when it opens, the frame is gone.
*As he walks up behind Daniel, Optimus is supposed to be obscured by darkness - but since the animation portrays the scene as not really dark at all, Optimus simply ''appears out of thin air'' when Daniel turns the lights back on.
**Also, he's covered with cobwebs, as if he's been standing immobile in one spot for ages, even though he was just walking around. Some of them even connect to the wall behind and above him! The cobwebs are gone in a closeup view in the very next shot. (Dare we even ''ask'' how there are ''spiders'' inside a Cybertronian tomb in space? What are they eating?)
*In that first closeup shot, Optimus has a much more damaged look (both his chest windows are broken, showing internal circuitry; his mouthplate is broken; and the overall look of the chest area is more worn out. For the remainder of the episode, he is drawn with the damaged look from the movie.
*After discovering Optimus's empty tomb, the Autobots are apparently supposed to be reacting to some sound, indicating the Decepticons' arrival - but there's no such sound. They just all turn at once in response to nothing.
*Rodimus is missing his spoiler after yelling "Take cover!"
*When Cyclonus shoots Arcee, the blast comes from WAY too low from the gun, coming instead from his third knuckle.
*When Optimus shoots at the Decepticons, Galvatron's Decepticon logo is missing its "eyes."
*Cyclonus steals Galvatron's cannon sound effect as he drags his wounded leader away.
*Ultra Magnus yells at the other Autobots to "Hold your fire, we've driven them off!" but they've already stopped shooting!
*After driving the Decepticons off, Spike is not in the shot, even though he was right next to Daniel earlier.
*After driving the Decepticons off, Optimus is still holding his gun, but when he asks about the Matrix, it's suddenly gone.
*Some weird shadows are drawn over Rodimus's face as he opens his chest to return the Matrix - but there's no light source shown to cause them.
*Layering problem: The flame pattern on Rodimus's chest opens sideways, leaving what ''appears'' to be a cavity in the same shape as the flame pattern - yet instead of reaching ''inside'', Rodimus's hand reaches ''behind'' it to retrieve the Matrix!
*After Optimus shoots him, Hot Rod lands on what seems to be the exterior surface of a planet, rather than the hangar bay of the Mausoleum.
*Optimus's mouthplate often doesn't move when he speaks, as when he relates the supposed fate of Rodimus and the others to the Autobots. After the Matrix overrides the Quintessons' programming, it consistently moves when he speaks. If it was an intentional effect, however, it's thrown off by the fact that it ''does'' move when he first appears and threatens the Decepticons.
*As Springer comments on going after the Quintessons, his lip flap stops a bit before his words do.
*When boarding Ultra Magnus' "little improvisation," the camera shake isn't synced with the frames of animation, so it looks like there are two Arcees, Kups and Hot Rods.
*The Autobot fleet contains all sorts of strange stuff; see also Continuity Notes, below:
**In the first pan shot: two Skydive, two Slingshots, an Air Raid, and lots of black-colored jets that may be various Aerialbot models.
**In the fly-over shot, the (much smaller) fleet is entirely light gray ships, some loosely based on Broadside's jet mode, but mostly generic science fiction style.
**As the Quintessons open fire, Skydive and two black jets are destroyed.
***On board one of those ships, a [[generic]] Autobot with Dead End's color scheme - including a purple Autobot symbol - gets blown away, followed by two more generics based on Dead End and Scamper.
**Next shot: Powerglide and Slingshot are destroyed. An all-white Skyfire, another Skyfire in Skydive's colore scheme, and a black jet are nearby.
**After the commercial break: the same shot repeats, but this time the missiles fly in and past without hitting anybody.
**Next shot: an all-white Skyfire with orange tailfins gets pummeled by missiles.
**Next shot: several generic white jets are blown up.
**Next shot: a generic white jet and Slingshot (again!) are destroyed. Two Skydives, two Air Raids, and someone in Powerglide's colors go untouched.
**A moment later, Skydive and Air Raid are seen manning laser cannons to destroy the interceptor ship.
**Four generic jets in white, gray and black are shown escaping at the end. In a second shot, two of them are loosely based on Skyfire's design.
**In the final shot, the escaping ships include generic ship/jets with Skydive and Air Raid's color schemes.
*When Perceptor shouts "They're alive!", Blaster (with a white helmet) and [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] - completely miscolored in light and dark blue - are standing in the background. The space behind Perceptor was totally empty in the previous shot.
*Not a glitch so much as a strange shortcut: the Quintessons' lines, "Perhaps we should seek some cover." and "No. Place your faith in our defense systems." are both recycled from "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]".
*As Hot Rod announces he's going "Optimus hunting," Wheelie is missing his Autobot symbol.
*"Optimus, front and center!" - Hot Rod is drawn as his Rodimus self for a couple of shots.
**After Optimus returns the Matrix to him and walks off, Rodimus is still drawn as Hot Rod for the rest of the scene.
*When he puts Rodimus in the wrestling hold, Optimus' nose isn't drawn in.
*When Rodimus tosses him, Optimus clearly hits a display monitor (which doesn't break) in its upper left corner, but when he lands, he's way over on the right side of the console.
*Whatever the burbling thing that melts through Hot Rod's torso is, it's gone in the next shot - then back again, then gone for good in the following shots.
*When Optimus gives the Matrix back to Hot Rod, Hot Rod's door is made up of the entire yellow (flame) part of his chest. In "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4," the door was split in half and opened around the center of his chest.
*When Optimus is in control of the flagship and orders the other Autobots to return, he has his left arm again... and the hand colored wrong (red).
**In the first shot of him on the bridge, the bridge design is completely different than the one shown at the start of the attack.
*As the Autobots watch the explosion, Ultra Magnus' (red) mouth is shown gaping open and not moving when he speaks; his eyes are connected together like a visor.

===Continuity errors===
[[File:DarkAwakening Mausoleum.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Just in case you weren't clear that Prowl, Ratchet, etc. are dead - this episode goes and kills them ''even more dead''.]]
*[[Revenge (G1)|Galvatron's starship]] is shown to be perfectly intact here, despite being smashed by Unicron in the movie.
*Rodimus Prime and his crew were surprised to find the Autobot Mausoleum, suggesting they forgot where it was. Why didn't the Autobots just put the Mausoleum somewhere on Cybertron?
*Why are the tomb's light controls at human child level?
*Rodimus Prime states that Optimus has been dead "for years". While it's not always wise to take the flippant Rodimus [[The Burden Hardest to Bear|at face value]], Prime has actually been dead for a year at most. (The cartoon's timeframe is rarely made explicit, but "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]" was stated in narration to take place in [[2005]], while later episodes like "[[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006]]" indicate the series has moved on into [[2006]] as time as gone on. Also, Daniel is the same age he was when Optimus died. This works a little better in Japan, though, where the series takes place in [[2010]].)
*It's never explained where Hot Rod and company obtained the ship that carries them away from the Mausoleum. Magnus just comments vaguely about "this little improvisation" in reference to the vessel.
*Optimus returns to Cybertron still beat to hell, fine. But... then he rushes everyone off into battle and ''nobody'' stops him to say, hey, get yourself to repair bay first?
*During the flashback to the Quintessons discussing Optimus Prime over his dead body, shouldn't the body still be grey (as it appeared after his death in the movie)? It's the usual colors instead.
*Kup tells Rodimus the ship is being blown to pieces, but it seems perfectly calm (until the Quintessons notice it's heading for the detonator and fire on it, of course).

===Other trivia===
*This episode originally aired early in Season 3. However, it was re-aired as the season drew to a close, as a lead-in to the latest episode, "The Return of Optimus Prime". The voiceover by Victor Caroli, described above, was added at this time, and subsequently became the more well-known ending. The original version was released on VHS by [[Rhino Entertainment|Kid Rhino]], but when the company released the episode on DVD, the altered ending was the only one included (despite the presence of no less than ''three'' audio tracks on the disc). Observing the frustration this caused among American fans, DVD consultant [[Chris McFeely]] helped ensure the restoration of the original ending for [[Metrodome]] DVD release of the episode, with the alternate ending included as an easter egg. The original ending is also the version featured on the [[Shout! Factory]] DVD sets.
*The ''Transformers 2010'' story pages would run with this story's events, having the Quintessons analyze Optimus Prime's specifications and use them to build [[Guiltaur]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010 (story page)|Transformers 2010 Part 4}}
*This is easily the most gruesome episode of the original cartoon, and perhaps the only one with a certifiable body count - even if you don't include the named character models that are shown.
*That sure is some chipper, happy, peppy, upbeat music that plays as Daniel walks about reading the names of the dead, opening tombs, and running into zombies!

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das Erwachen im Dunkeln'''" ("The Awakening in the Dark")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
*This was one of twelve episodes of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]] released as audio adventures by the [[Germany|German]] company [[Karussell|Karussell Musik und Video]].

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Fantasmi dal passato'''" (First dub, "Ghosts from the Past"), "'''Risveglio oscuro'''" (Second dub, "Dark Awakening")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' コンボイの影 (''Convoy no Kage'', "Convoy's Shadow")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 9]], [[1987]]
:*As Kup explains about the Autobot Mausoleum, he mentions the [[Unicron War]] instead of the Great War.

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' Wǔmiànguài de Guǐjì (五面怪的诡计, "Quintesson's Ruse")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[1988]] — ''Transformers'' — Dark Awakening / Grimlock's New Brain ([[Tempo Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[1990]] — ''Transformers'' — Dark Awakening ([[Tempo Video|Collins Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1990 — ''Transformers'' — Dark Awakening / Grimlock's New Brain ([[Tempo Video|Abbey Home Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[1999]] — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume 2: Revenge of the Decepticons ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] [[2001]] — ''The Transformers: 2010'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[2003]] — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 1 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 1: Vol. 2 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[2004]] — ''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 4: Series 3.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[2006]] — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — The Best of ''The Transformers'' (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[2007]] — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Episodes (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[2009]] — ''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four {{sic}} (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[2010]] — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[2011]] — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[2014]] — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/season-3/synopses/700-93.html Episode Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle]
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808822/ IMDb's page for this episode]
*[https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_CN1s80MHOZDFaY1ZWV2Y4UUk/view?usp=sharing Orignal dialogue script]

[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Dark Awakening (episode)

2018-08-26T23:49:04Z

Bork: /* Featured characters */

{{featured}}
{{disambig2|the Generation 1 cartoon episode|the ''Legends'' event|Dark Awakening (Legends)}}
{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|series2=2010
|ep=73
|ep2=8
|prev2=Starscream's Ghost
|next2=Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)
|image=Optimusg1zombie.jpg
|caption=Yeah, let ''this'' be how the kids remember their hero.
|title="Dark Awakening"
|production code=700-93
|airdate=[[October 1]], [[1986]]
|written by=[[Antoni Zalewski]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[AKOM]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}
'''Optimus Prime is revived as a zombie by Quintessons.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:G1-screencap darkawakening Optimus empty tomb.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Don't you hate when your stuff goes missing?]]
On the run from [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]], [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]], [[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]], [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] try the old "detonate three-quarters of the ship" trick to lose their pursuers. What's left of the ship can't support human life for long, however, so they take refuge on board the nearby [[Autobot Mausoleum]], an interstellar tomb containing many of their deceased comrades, most notably the venerated [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]].

While exploring by himself, Daniel is stuck in a dark room with robot corpses and gets appropriately creeped out... particularly when he sees what looks like the fully animated form of Optimus Prime. When he finds the others he swears he has seen Optimus Prime alive. To satisfy his curiosity and against the opinions of the other Autobots, Rodimus opens Prime's tomb, only to find it empty. However, they cannot investigate further because the Decepticons have followed them inside and attack them (turns out Galvatron has wised up to the detonate-three-quarters thing.) The fierce battle that follows appears lost for the Autobots, when suddenly they are saved by none other than Optimus Prime. With their ranks bolstered by the mighty warrior's firepower, they quickly drive the freaked out Decepticons into retreat.

[[File:OptimusMatrixAwakening.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Uh uh. Nope. Had it. Done with it.]]
The Autobots are amazed and confused at Prime's presence. Optimus can give them no explanation to his apparent resurrection, just the typical near-death experience of seeing darkness and then a light at the end of the tunnel. Rodimus Prime eagerly (too eagerly) returns the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to him, despite Prime's bizarre behavior and damaged appearance, and against the advice of Kup and Ultra Magnus. Without the Matrix inside him, Rodimus reverts to Hot Rod and declares, "Let's party!" Optimus evidently has other plans and attacks the Autobots and sets the auto-destruct sequence to the mausoleum ship. He then departs and leaves the others stranded.

After returning to Cybertron, Optimus informs the [[Autobot]]s that Rodimus and the others were killed by the Quintessons. This puts everyone in a pretty bad mood ([[Springer (G1)|Springer]] swears vengeance - particularly for Arcee - while [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] spends at least a minute stomping and thumping his tail). Optimus re-assumes command and orders an all-out attack on a supposed Quintesson base.

[[File:G1-screencap DarkAwakening Quintessons missiles.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Our budget only ran to six missiles.]]
Hot Rod and his group manage to escape, mere moments before the mausoleum ship plunges into a star and explodes. They return to Cybertron, but find nobody around but the Dinobots. Turns out most of the Autobots have left to attack the Quintessons. They pursue their friends in their own ship, but arrive to find the fleet already being decimated by Quintesson missile fire. Their frantic calls to stop the attack are dismissed by Optimus as Quintesson tricks.

Hot Rod and the others finally manage to board the lead ship, and the former Rodimus goes "Optimus hunting" after his [[zombie|zombified]] mentor. When the two meet, Optimus starts to pound on Hot Rod, but as he's kicking Hot Rod's tailpipe he begs Hot Rod to defeat him.

[[File:Zombiesmatrixmakesmetoostrong.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|And that's for getting me killed!]]
Fighting against both Hot Rod and himself, Optimus flashes back to his own reanimation at the hands of the Quintessons, who stole his corpse and reanimated it with their own evil programming to lead all Autobots into a trap.
Optimus is nothing more than a "mindless zombie", combined with "lingering remnants" of his personality and memories. Hot Rod puts up a brave fight in a moment of compassion trying to help Optimus, Hot Rod is physically overcome by Optimus, but the influence of the Matrix allows Prime to overcome the Quintessons' programming. Ending the fight, Optimus returns the Matrix to Hot Rod's chest cavity, restoring him to his status as Rodimus Prime.
As Optimus Prime takes his leave, the other Autobots find their battered leader and inform him that the equally battered ship is being evacuated.

Optimus Prime takes control of the ship, and orders the Autobot fleet away from the Quintesson trap.

As the stunned Quintessons watch, the Autobot fleet escapes. Optimus's final act is to pilot the Autobot flagship into the trigger zone of the Quintesson trap; ensuring the safety of the retreating Autobot ships and craft.
Closing the distance piloting the command ship, Optimus Prime suffers horrendous damage as the Quintessons bombard the ship with missile fire and explosions and flames erupt from various points in the command ship on top of the battle damage Optimus had incurred previously from his fight with Hot Rod; loosing an arm namely.

With a massive explosion, the solar system is destroyed.
As Kup bids his old friend farewell and the other Autobots mourn their lost leader a second time, Magnus remarks that the nova will be Optimus's memorial. Rodimus doubts he'll be the [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]] that Optimus Prime was, but vows to try.

{{note|A short narrative voiceover by [[Victor Caroli]] was tacked on to the final scene when this episode made its first re-run airing: 'But is this ''really'' the end of Optimus Prime? Find out in tomorrow's exciting episode, "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|The Return of Optimus Prime]]"!' Baffled by such an ambiguous title, children the world over were left wondering if this was in fact the end of Optimus Prime.}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] (2)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (3)
*[[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]] (9)
*[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] (11)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (14)
*[[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]] (15)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] (16)
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (17)
*[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (18)
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (19)
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (20)
*[[Slingshot (G1 Aerialbot)|Slingshot]] (21)
*[[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] (22)
*[[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] (23)
*[[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] (24)
*[[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] (25)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] (26)
*[[Air Raid (G1 Aerialbot)|Air Raid]] (27)
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (28)
|c2=
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (4)
*[[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] (5)
*[[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] (6)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] (8)
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (12)
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] (13)
|c3=
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (1)
*[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] (10)
|c4=
*[[Quintesson]]s (7)
}}

==Quotes==
"Great. What'll Daniel and I do when the air runs out?" 
"Basically you'll have two choices: suffocate, or smother."
:—As '''Spike''' wonders about the limited oxygen for the first time in life in the Autobot life pod, '''Rodimus Prime''' takes "deadpan" to a whole new level.

"Hey, he's here, he's back, and who cares how!" 
"Must... complete... plan..." ''Optimus abruptly walks offscreen.'' 
"Yeah! What's the plan?"
:—'''Rodimus''' misses some critical clues from '''Optimus Prime'''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> behavior.

'''Arcee''': Sludge! Snarl! Oh, are we glad to see you. 
'''Sludge''': Me Sludge not glad to see ''you''. 
'''Snarl''': You all dead! Rarrr! 
'''Sludge''': ...Maybe ''we'' dead.
:—Arcee freaks out the Dinobots.

'''Kup''': Where is everybody? 
'''Sludge''': All go smash Quintessons. 
'''Ultra Magnus''': Quintessons? What have Quintessons got to do with any of this? 
'''Snarl''': They kill you! Optimus Prime say so! ...Uh-oh. Something not right.
:—The Dinobots start to comprehend that all is not well.

"This won't even be a war." 
"Merely an exercise in... extermination."
:—the '''Quintessons''' nonchalantly slaughter the Autobot fleet

"Not a game! ...Matrix makes me ''too strong''!" 
"Now ''there's'' a unique complaint!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' wails on '''Hot Rod''', who takes it in stride

"Monsters... they made me a weapon, to destroy the very ones I loved in life. But you will save them... Rodimus Prime."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' hands over the Matrix.

"I don't know if I'll ever be the leader that you were, but for sure... I'm gonna try. So long... Prime."
:—'''Rodimus''' gives a eulogy in his own inimitable fashion.

"Decepticons!, leave this place OR DIE!!"

"Optimus Pri-AAAGGGHH!"

—'''Optimus Prime''' to —'''Galvatron'''
Optimus Prime warns the Decepticons as Optimus opens fire upon them(Decepticons) in an ambush and starting with Galvatron soon after taking out the Decepticon leader.

==Season 5==
{{note|When this episode was rebroadcast in [[The Transformers (cartoon)#Season 5|the fifth season]] of ''The Transformers'', it contained new bookending segments with original story material.}}
[[File:TommyInterviewsPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
[[Tommy Kennedy|Tommy]] and [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] meet in the barren wasteland where Tommy, apparently a reporter for [[Autobot City News]], asks to interview Prime. Tommy asks for the inside scoop on how Prime came back from the dead. Prime recalls how it all began...

{{bigquote|Okay, what would you like me to tell you?}}
{{bigquote|Tell us the real scoop! The behind the scenes, super secret story of how '''you''' came back from the dead!}}

:''22 minutes later...''

{{bigquote|You said you were going to tell me how you were brought back to life and instead you tell me a story where you weren't ''really'' brought back to life at all! And even if you ''were'', you'd be dead again by now!}}

Tommy is furious, accusing Prime of dodging the question and not telling him how he ''really'' cheated death. Prime informs him that there's "more than meets the eye" to this story. In fact, the story has only just begun. Tommy stops him, as his recorder has run out of tape. Tommy and Prime then blast off into outer space to... go to the store to buy more tape. Okay.
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Galvatron still has some degree of alliance with the Quintessons, despite their betrayal in "Five Faces of Darkness". (Of course, it's leading to ''another'' betrayal, as the Quintessons are presumably luring him and the Autobots to zombie Optimus's trap.)
*As an episode built around the events of the animated movie, Galvatron's order to examine the debris of the destroyed Autobot ship is almost certainly a callback to the last time he blew up an Autobot vessel from afar - he's wised up to the Autobots' "detonate three quarters of the ship" trick!
*Kup alludes to the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] when Daniel asks about Optimus Prime's inclusion in the Mausoleum.
*Besides Optimus, the interred Autobots whose names are read off by Daniel are [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]], [[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]], [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]], and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]. The first three were killed off in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', all in the same scene, in fact. This is the first time we learn of Huffer's death, however. The absence of [[Brawn (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Brawn]] (also killed off in the same scene) has led to joking fandom speculation that he must have survived getting shot in the shoulder (bolstered by his and Huffer's animation-error appearance in "[[Carnage in C-Minor]]"). [[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]'s bodies weren't even mentioned, despite their offscreen deaths in the movie.
[[File:DarkAwakening dead Autobot.jpg|thumb|200px]]
*The dead Autobot that nearly squashes Daniel isn't Ironhide, but follows his general design pattern: rounded head helmet, boxy torso with a front window chest. The details are off, though, and of course he's got a totally different color scheme (mostly gray, with an olive green chest.)
*Cyclonus pulls his gun out of thin air during the fight on the mausoleum; it simply appears in his hand in a flash of light, another instance supporting the fan-theories of "subspace" and the like.
*Springer reacts pointedly to the supposed death of Arcee, continuing the romantic overtones between them that first showed up back in "Five Faces of Darkness".
*The Autobot fleet shown in this episode causes some bizarre continuity hijinks. Character models for the Aerialbots, Powerglide, and Skyfire are used to pad out the fleet's ranks (see details under Animation and/or Technical Errors), and many of these "ships" are showing getting annihilated by the Quintessons. While one might be tempted to say that Skyfire is thus shown getting killed, you'd also have to say the same for the Aerialbots and Powerglide, who all show up alive and well in later episodes. You'd also have to accept Skydive getting killed and then being alive a few seconds later, and Slingshot getting killed twice.

===Real-world references===
[[File:Autobot shuttle lifepod.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*Writer Antoni Zalewski recycled his own work for the opening scene of this episode, which is copied almost note-for-note from the 1985 "Ghost Ship" episode of ''The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians''. The parallels include a pursuit through space, launching an escape pod ("We turned the cockpit into an escape ship just in time!"), right up to Spike's verbatim quote "It's the size of... Manhattan!"
*''Star Wars'' sound effects:
**The ''Star Wars'' effects are of a much higher fidelity of sound than the rest of the episode's effects, music and voiceovers, sitting higher in the mix and sounding rather out of place. Some are mixed to the point of being unidentifiable.
**A long X-Wing whine - from the Rebel squads approaching the Death Star - is heard in the opening shot as the Autobot ship flies past camera.
**As the Decepticons launch torpedos, sounds from one of the firefights on the Death Star can be heard.
**The whine of Luke's X-Wing about to crash on Dagobah (a rare use of a sound effect from ''Empire'') plays as the Mausoleum approaches the sun; the sound of branches hitting the fighter's canopy can still be heard.
**Death Star superlaser as the Autobots escape from the Mausoleum.
**X-Wing engine whine as the Quintesson asteroid-ship moves into firing position.

===Animation and technical errors===
[[File:DarkAwakening Magnus hands.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Don't look at me either. I had my shot. I'm out.]]
[[File:DarkAwakening-Springer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*An AKOM episode. Watch for off-model characters including:
**Rodimus and Galvatron are both consistently colored using outdated color models; Rodimus's shoulder indentations are red instead of white, his pelvis-windshield details are white instead of light burgundy, and his gun is red instead of black, while Galvatron has pale purple "underpants."
**Movie characters have colored mouths, such as Ultra Magnus with a red mouth, Cyclonus with purple, Blurr with blue and Springer with green.
**Optimus's running light rims are white, and the lights themselves are red, rather than vice versa; his backpack is white instead of red.
**The top part of Ultra Magnus' back is sometimes colored grey when it should be red (such as when he shoots at Galvatron).
*Coloring errors:
**In the first shot of the Decepticon mothership shooting at the Autobot shuttle, one of the two Sweeps flying alongside it is colored all white.
**"They're getting away!" - Cyclonus's jet windows are colored white instead of orange.
**As Rodimus delivers the "I'd hoped never to see it again" line, Kup's eyes are gray and the triangles below them blue, rather than the other way around.
**Rodimus's eyes flash blue-gray-blue as he details the location of Optimus's tomb.
**After driving the Decepticons off, Optimus walks up to the Autobots and the left side of his helmet is grey instead of blue.
**Right after Optimus Prime shoots Hot Rod, Kup, Arcee, Daniel and Spike, the top of his helmet is colored gray.
**As Optimus walks up to Hot Rod, his Autobot symbol is grey instead of red.
**Just before Optimus' flashback, his crotch piece and lower legs are dark grey instead of blue.
**When Rodimus tosses him, Optimus' face is entirely colored in blue. As he lands, the top of Optimus' helmet is grey.
*As the "torpedos" close in on the Autobot ship, it's suddenly no longer in the asteroid field, but in open space.
*The life pod's engine-roar sound effect flies past the camera long before the ship itself does.
*After they blow up the Autobot ship, a shot of the Decepticons flying shows their group to contain a 1984 Seeker design with Dirge's color-scheme. Thrust and Dirge are also flying alongside the ship - the first and only time they've been shown to be space flight capable. The Decepticon ship isn't all that much bigger than the Decepticons around it, either.
*As the Decepticon ship turns to intercept, the squad of Decepticons are no longer flying alongside it.
*The mausoleum first appears floating in empty open space, but as the Autobots approach it, it's suddenly got asteroids and a red sun nearby.
*As they approach the Mausoleum in their ship, the Autobots keep changing positions between shots. First Kup is up front on the right, then he's behind Rodimus on the left, then Rodimus is in the back right with Kup in front of him. Arcee moves from the front right to the back left, then back to the front right again.
**Also during the approach, the seats at the front of the ship appear and disappear between shots.
***''Also'' during the approach, the large door with the Autobot symbol has a grey frame around it (with parts that overlap the right and left sides), but when it opens, the frame is gone.
*As he walks up behind Daniel, Optimus is supposed to be obscured by darkness - but since the animation portrays the scene as not really dark at all, Optimus simply ''appears out of thin air'' when Daniel turns the lights back on.
**Also, he's covered with cobwebs, as if he's been standing immobile in one spot for ages, even though he was just walking around. Some of them even connect to the wall behind and above him! The cobwebs are gone in a closeup view in the very next shot. (Dare we even ''ask'' how there are ''spiders'' inside a Cybertronian tomb in space? What are they eating?)
*In that first closeup shot, Optimus has a much more damaged look (both his chest windows are broken, showing internal circuitry; his mouthplate is broken; and the overall look of the chest area is more worn out. For the remainder of the episode, he is drawn with the damaged look from the movie.
*After discovering Optimus's empty tomb, the Autobots are apparently supposed to be reacting to some sound, indicating the Decepticons' arrival - but there's no such sound. They just all turn at once in response to nothing.
*Rodimus is missing his spoiler after yelling "Take cover!"
*When Cyclonus shoots Arcee, the blast comes from WAY too low from the gun, coming instead from his third knuckle.
*When Optimus shoots at the Decepticons, Galvatron's Decepticon logo is missing its "eyes."
*Cyclonus steals Galvatron's cannon sound effect as he drags his wounded leader away.
*Ultra Magnus yells at the other Autobots to "Hold your fire, we've driven them off!" but they've already stopped shooting!
*After driving the Decepticons off, Spike is not in the shot, even though he was right next to Daniel earlier.
*After driving the Decepticons off, Optimus is still holding his gun, but when he asks about the Matrix, it's suddenly gone.
*Some weird shadows are drawn over Rodimus's face as he opens his chest to return the Matrix - but there's no light source shown to cause them.
*Layering problem: The flame pattern on Rodimus's chest opens sideways, leaving what ''appears'' to be a cavity in the same shape as the flame pattern - yet instead of reaching ''inside'', Rodimus's hand reaches ''behind'' it to retrieve the Matrix!
*After Optimus shoots him, Hot Rod lands on what seems to be the exterior surface of a planet, rather than the hangar bay of the Mausoleum.
*Optimus's mouthplate often doesn't move when he speaks, as when he relates the supposed fate of Rodimus and the others to the Autobots. After the Matrix overrides the Quintessons' programming, it consistently moves when he speaks. If it was an intentional effect, however, it's thrown off by the fact that it ''does'' move when he first appears and threatens the Decepticons.
*As Springer comments on going after the Quintessons, his lip flap stops a bit before his words do.
*When boarding Ultra Magnus' "little improvisation," the camera shake isn't synced with the frames of animation, so it looks like there are two Arcees, Kups and Hot Rods.
*The Autobot fleet contains all sorts of strange stuff; see also Continuity Notes, below:
**In the first pan shot: two Skydive, two Slingshots, an Air Raid, and lots of black-colored jets that may be various Aerialbot models.
**In the fly-over shot, the (much smaller) fleet is entirely light gray ships, some loosely based on Broadside's jet mode, but mostly generic science fiction style.
**As the Quintessons open fire, Skydive and two black jets are destroyed.
***On board one of those ships, a [[generic]] Autobot with Dead End's color scheme - including a purple Autobot symbol - gets blown away, followed by two more generics based on Dead End and Scamper.
**Next shot: Powerglide and Slingshot are destroyed. An all-white Skyfire, another Skyfire in Skydive's colore scheme, and a black jet are nearby.
**After the commercial break: the same shot repeats, but this time the missiles fly in and past without hitting anybody.
**Next shot: an all-white Skyfire with orange tailfins gets pummeled by missiles.
**Next shot: several generic white jets are blown up.
**Next shot: a generic white jet and Slingshot (again!) are destroyed. Two Skydives, two Air Raids, and someone in Powerglide's colors go untouched.
**A moment later, Skydive and Air Raid are seen manning laser cannons to destroy the interceptor ship.
**Four generic jets in white, gray and black are shown escaping at the end. In a second shot, two of them are loosely based on Skyfire's design.
**In the final shot, the escaping ships include generic ship/jets with Skydive and Air Raid's color schemes.
*When Perceptor shouts "They're alive!", Blaster (with a white helmet) and [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] - completely miscolored in light and dark blue - are standing in the background. The space behind Perceptor was totally empty in the previous shot.
*Not a glitch so much as a strange shortcut: the Quintessons' lines, "Perhaps we should seek some cover." and "No. Place your faith in our defense systems." are both recycled from "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]".
*As Hot Rod announces he's going "Optimus hunting," Wheelie is missing his Autobot symbol.
*"Optimus, front and center!" - Hot Rod is drawn as his Rodimus self for a couple of shots.
**After Optimus returns the Matrix to him and walks off, Rodimus is still drawn as Hot Rod for the rest of the scene.
*When he puts Rodimus in the wrestling hold, Optimus' nose isn't drawn in.
*When Rodimus tosses him, Optimus clearly hits a display monitor (which doesn't break) in its upper left corner, but when he lands, he's way over on the right side of the console.
*Whatever the burbling thing that melts through Hot Rod's torso is, it's gone in the next shot - then back again, then gone for good in the following shots.
*When Optimus gives the Matrix back to Hot Rod, Hot Rod's door is made up of the entire yellow (flame) part of his chest. In "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4," the door was split in half and opened around the center of his chest.
*When Optimus is in control of the flagship and orders the other Autobots to return, he has his left arm again... and the hand colored wrong (red).
**In the first shot of him on the bridge, the bridge design is completely different than the one shown at the start of the attack.
*As the Autobots watch the explosion, Ultra Magnus' (red) mouth is shown gaping open and not moving when he speaks; his eyes are connected together like a visor.

===Continuity errors===
[[File:DarkAwakening Mausoleum.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Just in case you weren't clear that Prowl, Ratchet, etc. are dead - this episode goes and kills them ''even more dead''.]]
*[[Revenge (G1)|Galvatron's starship]] is shown to be perfectly intact here, despite being smashed by Unicron in the movie.
*Rodimus Prime and his crew were surprised to find the Autobot Mausoleum, suggesting they forgot where it was. Why didn't the Autobots just put the Mausoleum somewhere on Cybertron?
*Why are the tomb's light controls at human child level?
*Rodimus Prime states that Optimus has been dead "for years". While it's not always wise to take the flippant Rodimus [[The Burden Hardest to Bear|at face value]], Prime has actually been dead for a year at most. (The cartoon's timeframe is rarely made explicit, but "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]" was stated in narration to take place in [[2005]], while later episodes like "[[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006]]" indicate the series has moved on into [[2006]] as time as gone on. Also, Daniel is the same age he was when Optimus died. This works a little better in Japan, though, where the series takes place in [[2010]].)
*It's never explained where Hot Rod and company obtained the ship that carries them away from the Mausoleum. Magnus just comments vaguely about "this little improvisation" in reference to the vessel.
*Optimus returns to Cybertron still beat to hell, fine. But... then he rushes everyone off into battle and ''nobody'' stops him to say, hey, get yourself to repair bay first?
*During the flashback to the Quintessons discussing Optimus Prime over his dead body, shouldn't the body still be grey (as it appeared after his death in the movie)? It's the usual colors instead.
*Kup tells Rodimus the ship is being blown to pieces, but it seems perfectly calm (until the Quintessons notice it's heading for the detonator and fire on it, of course).

===Other trivia===
*This episode originally aired early in Season 3. However, it was re-aired as the season drew to a close, as a lead-in to the latest episode, "The Return of Optimus Prime". The voiceover by Victor Caroli, described above, was added at this time, and subsequently became the more well-known ending. The original version was released on VHS by [[Rhino Entertainment|Kid Rhino]], but when the company released the episode on DVD, the altered ending was the only one included (despite the presence of no less than ''three'' audio tracks on the disc). Observing the frustration this caused among American fans, DVD consultant [[Chris McFeely]] helped ensure the restoration of the original ending for [[Metrodome]] DVD release of the episode, with the alternate ending included as an easter egg. The original ending is also the version featured on the [[Shout! Factory]] DVD sets.
*The ''Transformers 2010'' story pages would run with this story's events, having the Quintessons analyze Optimus Prime's specifications and use them to build [[Guiltaur]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010 (story page)|Transformers 2010 Part 4}}
*This is easily the most gruesome episode of the original cartoon, and perhaps the only one with a certifiable body count - even if you don't include the named character models that are shown.
*That sure is some chipper, happy, peppy, upbeat music that plays as Daniel walks about reading the names of the dead, opening tombs, and running into zombies!

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das Erwachen im Dunkeln'''" ("The Awakening in the Dark")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
*This was one of twelve episodes of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]] released as audio adventures by the [[Germany|German]] company [[Karussell|Karussell Musik und Video]].

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Fantasmi dal passato'''" (First dub, "Ghosts from the Past"), "'''Risveglio oscuro'''" (Second dub, "Dark Awakening")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' コンボイの影 (''Convoy no Kage'', "Convoy's Shadow")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 9]], [[1987]]
:*As Kup explains about the Autobot Mausoleum, he mentions the [[Unicron War]] instead of the Great War.

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' Wǔmiànguài de Guǐjì (五面怪的诡计, "Quintesson's Ruse")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[1988]] — ''Transformers'' — Dark Awakening / Grimlock's New Brain ([[Tempo Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[1990]] — ''Transformers'' — Dark Awakening ([[Tempo Video|Collins Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1990 — ''Transformers'' — Dark Awakening / Grimlock's New Brain ([[Tempo Video|Abbey Home Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[1999]] — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume 2: Revenge of the Decepticons ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] [[2001]] — ''The Transformers: 2010'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[2003]] — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 1 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 1: Vol. 2 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[2004]] — ''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 4: Series 3.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[2006]] — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — The Best of ''The Transformers'' (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[2007]] — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Episodes (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[2009]] — ''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four {{sic}} (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[2010]] — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[2011]] — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[2014]] — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/season-3/synopses/700-93.html Episode Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle]
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808822/ IMDb's page for this episode]
*[https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_CN1s80MHOZDFaY1ZWV2Y4UUk/view?usp=sharing Orignal dialogue script]

[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Dark Awakening (episode)

2018-08-26T23:48:03Z

Bork: /* Featured characters */

{{featured}}
{{disambig2|the Generation 1 cartoon episode|the ''Legends'' event|Dark Awakening (Legends)}}
{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|series2=2010
|ep=73
|ep2=8
|prev2=Starscream's Ghost
|next2=Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)
|image=Optimusg1zombie.jpg
|caption=Yeah, let ''this'' be how the kids remember their hero.
|title="Dark Awakening"
|production code=700-93
|airdate=[[October 1]], [[1986]]
|written by=[[Antoni Zalewski]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[AKOM]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}
'''Optimus Prime is revived as a zombie by Quintessons.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:G1-screencap darkawakening Optimus empty tomb.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Don't you hate when your stuff goes missing?]]
On the run from [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]], [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]], [[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]], [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] try the old "detonate three-quarters of the ship" trick to lose their pursuers. What's left of the ship can't support human life for long, however, so they take refuge on board the nearby [[Autobot Mausoleum]], an interstellar tomb containing many of their deceased comrades, most notably the venerated [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]].

While exploring by himself, Daniel is stuck in a dark room with robot corpses and gets appropriately creeped out... particularly when he sees what looks like the fully animated form of Optimus Prime. When he finds the others he swears he has seen Optimus Prime alive. To satisfy his curiosity and against the opinions of the other Autobots, Rodimus opens Prime's tomb, only to find it empty. However, they cannot investigate further because the Decepticons have followed them inside and attack them (turns out Galvatron has wised up to the detonate-three-quarters thing.) The fierce battle that follows appears lost for the Autobots, when suddenly they are saved by none other than Optimus Prime. With their ranks bolstered by the mighty warrior's firepower, they quickly drive the freaked out Decepticons into retreat.

[[File:OptimusMatrixAwakening.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Uh uh. Nope. Had it. Done with it.]]
The Autobots are amazed and confused at Prime's presence. Optimus can give them no explanation to his apparent resurrection, just the typical near-death experience of seeing darkness and then a light at the end of the tunnel. Rodimus Prime eagerly (too eagerly) returns the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to him, despite Prime's bizarre behavior and damaged appearance, and against the advice of Kup and Ultra Magnus. Without the Matrix inside him, Rodimus reverts to Hot Rod and declares, "Let's party!" Optimus evidently has other plans and attacks the Autobots and sets the auto-destruct sequence to the mausoleum ship. He then departs and leaves the others stranded.

After returning to Cybertron, Optimus informs the [[Autobot]]s that Rodimus and the others were killed by the Quintessons. This puts everyone in a pretty bad mood ([[Springer (G1)|Springer]] swears vengeance - particularly for Arcee - while [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] spends at least a minute stomping and thumping his tail). Optimus re-assumes command and orders an all-out attack on a supposed Quintesson base.

[[File:G1-screencap DarkAwakening Quintessons missiles.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Our budget only ran to six missiles.]]
Hot Rod and his group manage to escape, mere moments before the mausoleum ship plunges into a star and explodes. They return to Cybertron, but find nobody around but the Dinobots. Turns out most of the Autobots have left to attack the Quintessons. They pursue their friends in their own ship, but arrive to find the fleet already being decimated by Quintesson missile fire. Their frantic calls to stop the attack are dismissed by Optimus as Quintesson tricks.

Hot Rod and the others finally manage to board the lead ship, and the former Rodimus goes "Optimus hunting" after his [[zombie|zombified]] mentor. When the two meet, Optimus starts to pound on Hot Rod, but as he's kicking Hot Rod's tailpipe he begs Hot Rod to defeat him.

[[File:Zombiesmatrixmakesmetoostrong.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|And that's for getting me killed!]]
Fighting against both Hot Rod and himself, Optimus flashes back to his own reanimation at the hands of the Quintessons, who stole his corpse and reanimated it with their own evil programming to lead all Autobots into a trap.
Optimus is nothing more than a "mindless zombie", combined with "lingering remnants" of his personality and memories. Hot Rod puts up a brave fight in a moment of compassion trying to help Optimus, Hot Rod is physically overcome by Optimus, but the influence of the Matrix allows Prime to overcome the Quintessons' programming. Ending the fight, Optimus returns the Matrix to Hot Rod's chest cavity, restoring him to his status as Rodimus Prime.
As Optimus Prime takes his leave, the other Autobots find their battered leader and inform him that the equally battered ship is being evacuated.

Optimus Prime takes control of the ship, and orders the Autobot fleet away from the Quintesson trap.

As the stunned Quintessons watch, the Autobot fleet escapes. Optimus's final act is to pilot the Autobot flagship into the trigger zone of the Quintesson trap; ensuring the safety of the retreating Autobot ships and craft.
Closing the distance piloting the command ship, Optimus Prime suffers horrendous damage as the Quintessons bombard the ship with missile fire and explosions and flames erupt from various points in the command ship on top of the battle damage Optimus had incurred previously from his fight with Hot Rod; loosing an arm namely.

With a massive explosion, the solar system is destroyed.
As Kup bids his old friend farewell and the other Autobots mourn their lost leader a second time, Magnus remarks that the nova will be Optimus's memorial. Rodimus doubts he'll be the [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]] that Optimus Prime was, but vows to try.

{{note|A short narrative voiceover by [[Victor Caroli]] was tacked on to the final scene when this episode made its first re-run airing: 'But is this ''really'' the end of Optimus Prime? Find out in tomorrow's exciting episode, "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|The Return of Optimus Prime]]"!' Baffled by such an ambiguous title, children the world over were left wondering if this was in fact the end of Optimus Prime.}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] (2)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (3)
*[[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]] (9)
*[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] (11)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (14)
*[[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]] (15)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] (16)
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (17)
*[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (18)
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (19)
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (20)
*[[Slingshot (G1 Aerialbot)|Slingshot]] (21)
*[[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] (22)
*[[Jerfire (G1)|Skyfire]] (23)
*[[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] (24)
*[[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] (25)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] (26)
*[[Air Raid (G1 Aerialbot)|Air Raid]] (27)
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (28)
|c2=
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (4)
*[[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] (5)
*[[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] (6)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] (8)
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (12)
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] (13)
|c3=
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (1)
*[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] (10)
|c4=
*[[Quintesson]]s (7)
}}

==Quotes==
"Great. What'll Daniel and I do when the air runs out?" 
"Basically you'll have two choices: suffocate, or smother."
:—As '''Spike''' wonders about the limited oxygen for the first time in life in the Autobot life pod, '''Rodimus Prime''' takes "deadpan" to a whole new level.

"Hey, he's here, he's back, and who cares how!" 
"Must... complete... plan..." ''Optimus abruptly walks offscreen.'' 
"Yeah! What's the plan?"
:—'''Rodimus''' misses some critical clues from '''Optimus Prime'''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> behavior.

'''Arcee''': Sludge! Snarl! Oh, are we glad to see you. 
'''Sludge''': Me Sludge not glad to see ''you''. 
'''Snarl''': You all dead! Rarrr! 
'''Sludge''': ...Maybe ''we'' dead.
:—Arcee freaks out the Dinobots.

'''Kup''': Where is everybody? 
'''Sludge''': All go smash Quintessons. 
'''Ultra Magnus''': Quintessons? What have Quintessons got to do with any of this? 
'''Snarl''': They kill you! Optimus Prime say so! ...Uh-oh. Something not right.
:—The Dinobots start to comprehend that all is not well.

"This won't even be a war." 
"Merely an exercise in... extermination."
:—the '''Quintessons''' nonchalantly slaughter the Autobot fleet

"Not a game! ...Matrix makes me ''too strong''!" 
"Now ''there's'' a unique complaint!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' wails on '''Hot Rod''', who takes it in stride

"Monsters... they made me a weapon, to destroy the very ones I loved in life. But you will save them... Rodimus Prime."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' hands over the Matrix.

"I don't know if I'll ever be the leader that you were, but for sure... I'm gonna try. So long... Prime."
:—'''Rodimus''' gives a eulogy in his own inimitable fashion.

"Decepticons!, leave this place OR DIE!!"

"Optimus Pri-AAAGGGHH!"

—'''Optimus Prime''' to —'''Galvatron'''
Optimus Prime warns the Decepticons as Optimus opens fire upon them(Decepticons) in an ambush and starting with Galvatron soon after taking out the Decepticon leader.

==Season 5==
{{note|When this episode was rebroadcast in [[The Transformers (cartoon)#Season 5|the fifth season]] of ''The Transformers'', it contained new bookending segments with original story material.}}
[[File:TommyInterviewsPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
[[Tommy Kennedy|Tommy]] and [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] meet in the barren wasteland where Tommy, apparently a reporter for [[Autobot City News]], asks to interview Prime. Tommy asks for the inside scoop on how Prime came back from the dead. Prime recalls how it all began...

{{bigquote|Okay, what would you like me to tell you?}}
{{bigquote|Tell us the real scoop! The behind the scenes, super secret story of how '''you''' came back from the dead!}}

:''22 minutes later...''

{{bigquote|You said you were going to tell me how you were brought back to life and instead you tell me a story where you weren't ''really'' brought back to life at all! And even if you ''were'', you'd be dead again by now!}}

Tommy is furious, accusing Prime of dodging the question and not telling him how he ''really'' cheated death. Prime informs him that there's "more than meets the eye" to this story. In fact, the story has only just begun. Tommy stops him, as his recorder has run out of tape. Tommy and Prime then blast off into outer space to... go to the store to buy more tape. Okay.
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Galvatron still has some degree of alliance with the Quintessons, despite their betrayal in "Five Faces of Darkness". (Of course, it's leading to ''another'' betrayal, as the Quintessons are presumably luring him and the Autobots to zombie Optimus's trap.)
*As an episode built around the events of the animated movie, Galvatron's order to examine the debris of the destroyed Autobot ship is almost certainly a callback to the last time he blew up an Autobot vessel from afar - he's wised up to the Autobots' "detonate three quarters of the ship" trick!
*Kup alludes to the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] when Daniel asks about Optimus Prime's inclusion in the Mausoleum.
*Besides Optimus, the interred Autobots whose names are read off by Daniel are [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]], [[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]], [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]], and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]. The first three were killed off in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', all in the same scene, in fact. This is the first time we learn of Huffer's death, however. The absence of [[Brawn (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Brawn]] (also killed off in the same scene) has led to joking fandom speculation that he must have survived getting shot in the shoulder (bolstered by his and Huffer's animation-error appearance in "[[Carnage in C-Minor]]"). [[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]'s bodies weren't even mentioned, despite their offscreen deaths in the movie.
[[File:DarkAwakening dead Autobot.jpg|thumb|200px]]
*The dead Autobot that nearly squashes Daniel isn't Ironhide, but follows his general design pattern: rounded head helmet, boxy torso with a front window chest. The details are off, though, and of course he's got a totally different color scheme (mostly gray, with an olive green chest.)
*Cyclonus pulls his gun out of thin air during the fight on the mausoleum; it simply appears in his hand in a flash of light, another instance supporting the fan-theories of "subspace" and the like.
*Springer reacts pointedly to the supposed death of Arcee, continuing the romantic overtones between them that first showed up back in "Five Faces of Darkness".
*The Autobot fleet shown in this episode causes some bizarre continuity hijinks. Character models for the Aerialbots, Powerglide, and Skyfire are used to pad out the fleet's ranks (see details under Animation and/or Technical Errors), and many of these "ships" are showing getting annihilated by the Quintessons. While one might be tempted to say that Skyfire is thus shown getting killed, you'd also have to say the same for the Aerialbots and Powerglide, who all show up alive and well in later episodes. You'd also have to accept Skydive getting killed and then being alive a few seconds later, and Slingshot getting killed twice.

===Real-world references===
[[File:Autobot shuttle lifepod.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*Writer Antoni Zalewski recycled his own work for the opening scene of this episode, which is copied almost note-for-note from the 1985 "Ghost Ship" episode of ''The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians''. The parallels include a pursuit through space, launching an escape pod ("We turned the cockpit into an escape ship just in time!"), right up to Spike's verbatim quote "It's the size of... Manhattan!"
*''Star Wars'' sound effects:
**The ''Star Wars'' effects are of a much higher fidelity of sound than the rest of the episode's effects, music and voiceovers, sitting higher in the mix and sounding rather out of place. Some are mixed to the point of being unidentifiable.
**A long X-Wing whine - from the Rebel squads approaching the Death Star - is heard in the opening shot as the Autobot ship flies past camera.
**As the Decepticons launch torpedos, sounds from one of the firefights on the Death Star can be heard.
**The whine of Luke's X-Wing about to crash on Dagobah (a rare use of a sound effect from ''Empire'') plays as the Mausoleum approaches the sun; the sound of branches hitting the fighter's canopy can still be heard.
**Death Star superlaser as the Autobots escape from the Mausoleum.
**X-Wing engine whine as the Quintesson asteroid-ship moves into firing position.

===Animation and technical errors===
[[File:DarkAwakening Magnus hands.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Don't look at me either. I had my shot. I'm out.]]
[[File:DarkAwakening-Springer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*An AKOM episode. Watch for off-model characters including:
**Rodimus and Galvatron are both consistently colored using outdated color models; Rodimus's shoulder indentations are red instead of white, his pelvis-windshield details are white instead of light burgundy, and his gun is red instead of black, while Galvatron has pale purple "underpants."
**Movie characters have colored mouths, such as Ultra Magnus with a red mouth, Cyclonus with purple, Blurr with blue and Springer with green.
**Optimus's running light rims are white, and the lights themselves are red, rather than vice versa; his backpack is white instead of red.
**The top part of Ultra Magnus' back is sometimes colored grey when it should be red (such as when he shoots at Galvatron).
*Coloring errors:
**In the first shot of the Decepticon mothership shooting at the Autobot shuttle, one of the two Sweeps flying alongside it is colored all white.
**"They're getting away!" - Cyclonus's jet windows are colored white instead of orange.
**As Rodimus delivers the "I'd hoped never to see it again" line, Kup's eyes are gray and the triangles below them blue, rather than the other way around.
**Rodimus's eyes flash blue-gray-blue as he details the location of Optimus's tomb.
**After driving the Decepticons off, Optimus walks up to the Autobots and the left side of his helmet is grey instead of blue.
**Right after Optimus Prime shoots Hot Rod, Kup, Arcee, Daniel and Spike, the top of his helmet is colored gray.
**As Optimus walks up to Hot Rod, his Autobot symbol is grey instead of red.
**Just before Optimus' flashback, his crotch piece and lower legs are dark grey instead of blue.
**When Rodimus tosses him, Optimus' face is entirely colored in blue. As he lands, the top of Optimus' helmet is grey.
*As the "torpedos" close in on the Autobot ship, it's suddenly no longer in the asteroid field, but in open space.
*The life pod's engine-roar sound effect flies past the camera long before the ship itself does.
*After they blow up the Autobot ship, a shot of the Decepticons flying shows their group to contain a 1984 Seeker design with Dirge's color-scheme. Thrust and Dirge are also flying alongside the ship - the first and only time they've been shown to be space flight capable. The Decepticon ship isn't all that much bigger than the Decepticons around it, either.
*As the Decepticon ship turns to intercept, the squad of Decepticons are no longer flying alongside it.
*The mausoleum first appears floating in empty open space, but as the Autobots approach it, it's suddenly got asteroids and a red sun nearby.
*As they approach the Mausoleum in their ship, the Autobots keep changing positions between shots. First Kup is up front on the right, then he's behind Rodimus on the left, then Rodimus is in the back right with Kup in front of him. Arcee moves from the front right to the back left, then back to the front right again.
**Also during the approach, the seats at the front of the ship appear and disappear between shots.
***''Also'' during the approach, the large door with the Autobot symbol has a grey frame around it (with parts that overlap the right and left sides), but when it opens, the frame is gone.
*As he walks up behind Daniel, Optimus is supposed to be obscured by darkness - but since the animation portrays the scene as not really dark at all, Optimus simply ''appears out of thin air'' when Daniel turns the lights back on.
**Also, he's covered with cobwebs, as if he's been standing immobile in one spot for ages, even though he was just walking around. Some of them even connect to the wall behind and above him! The cobwebs are gone in a closeup view in the very next shot. (Dare we even ''ask'' how there are ''spiders'' inside a Cybertronian tomb in space? What are they eating?)
*In that first closeup shot, Optimus has a much more damaged look (both his chest windows are broken, showing internal circuitry; his mouthplate is broken; and the overall look of the chest area is more worn out. For the remainder of the episode, he is drawn with the damaged look from the movie.
*After discovering Optimus's empty tomb, the Autobots are apparently supposed to be reacting to some sound, indicating the Decepticons' arrival - but there's no such sound. They just all turn at once in response to nothing.
*Rodimus is missing his spoiler after yelling "Take cover!"
*When Cyclonus shoots Arcee, the blast comes from WAY too low from the gun, coming instead from his third knuckle.
*When Optimus shoots at the Decepticons, Galvatron's Decepticon logo is missing its "eyes."
*Cyclonus steals Galvatron's cannon sound effect as he drags his wounded leader away.
*Ultra Magnus yells at the other Autobots to "Hold your fire, we've driven them off!" but they've already stopped shooting!
*After driving the Decepticons off, Spike is not in the shot, even though he was right next to Daniel earlier.
*After driving the Decepticons off, Optimus is still holding his gun, but when he asks about the Matrix, it's suddenly gone.
*Some weird shadows are drawn over Rodimus's face as he opens his chest to return the Matrix - but there's no light source shown to cause them.
*Layering problem: The flame pattern on Rodimus's chest opens sideways, leaving what ''appears'' to be a cavity in the same shape as the flame pattern - yet instead of reaching ''inside'', Rodimus's hand reaches ''behind'' it to retrieve the Matrix!
*After Optimus shoots him, Hot Rod lands on what seems to be the exterior surface of a planet, rather than the hangar bay of the Mausoleum.
*Optimus's mouthplate often doesn't move when he speaks, as when he relates the supposed fate of Rodimus and the others to the Autobots. After the Matrix overrides the Quintessons' programming, it consistently moves when he speaks. If it was an intentional effect, however, it's thrown off by the fact that it ''does'' move when he first appears and threatens the Decepticons.
*As Springer comments on going after the Quintessons, his lip flap stops a bit before his words do.
*When boarding Ultra Magnus' "little improvisation," the camera shake isn't synced with the frames of animation, so it looks like there are two Arcees, Kups and Hot Rods.
*The Autobot fleet contains all sorts of strange stuff; see also Continuity Notes, below:
**In the first pan shot: two Skydive, two Slingshots, an Air Raid, and lots of black-colored jets that may be various Aerialbot models.
**In the fly-over shot, the (much smaller) fleet is entirely light gray ships, some loosely based on Broadside's jet mode, but mostly generic science fiction style.
**As the Quintessons open fire, Skydive and two black jets are destroyed.
***On board one of those ships, a [[generic]] Autobot with Dead End's color scheme - including a purple Autobot symbol - gets blown away, followed by two more generics based on Dead End and Scamper.
**Next shot: Powerglide and Slingshot are destroyed. An all-white Skyfire, another Skyfire in Skydive's colore scheme, and a black jet are nearby.
**After the commercial break: the same shot repeats, but this time the missiles fly in and past without hitting anybody.
**Next shot: an all-white Skyfire with orange tailfins gets pummeled by missiles.
**Next shot: several generic white jets are blown up.
**Next shot: a generic white jet and Slingshot (again!) are destroyed. Two Skydives, two Air Raids, and someone in Powerglide's colors go untouched.
**A moment later, Skydive and Air Raid are seen manning laser cannons to destroy the interceptor ship.
**Four generic jets in white, gray and black are shown escaping at the end. In a second shot, two of them are loosely based on Skyfire's design.
**In the final shot, the escaping ships include generic ship/jets with Skydive and Air Raid's color schemes.
*When Perceptor shouts "They're alive!", Blaster (with a white helmet) and [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] - completely miscolored in light and dark blue - are standing in the background. The space behind Perceptor was totally empty in the previous shot.
*Not a glitch so much as a strange shortcut: the Quintessons' lines, "Perhaps we should seek some cover." and "No. Place your faith in our defense systems." are both recycled from "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]".
*As Hot Rod announces he's going "Optimus hunting," Wheelie is missing his Autobot symbol.
*"Optimus, front and center!" - Hot Rod is drawn as his Rodimus self for a couple of shots.
**After Optimus returns the Matrix to him and walks off, Rodimus is still drawn as Hot Rod for the rest of the scene.
*When he puts Rodimus in the wrestling hold, Optimus' nose isn't drawn in.
*When Rodimus tosses him, Optimus clearly hits a display monitor (which doesn't break) in its upper left corner, but when he lands, he's way over on the right side of the console.
*Whatever the burbling thing that melts through Hot Rod's torso is, it's gone in the next shot - then back again, then gone for good in the following shots.
*When Optimus gives the Matrix back to Hot Rod, Hot Rod's door is made up of the entire yellow (flame) part of his chest. In "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4," the door was split in half and opened around the center of his chest.
*When Optimus is in control of the flagship and orders the other Autobots to return, he has his left arm again... and the hand colored wrong (red).
**In the first shot of him on the bridge, the bridge design is completely different than the one shown at the start of the attack.
*As the Autobots watch the explosion, Ultra Magnus' (red) mouth is shown gaping open and not moving when he speaks; his eyes are connected together like a visor.

===Continuity errors===
[[File:DarkAwakening Mausoleum.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Just in case you weren't clear that Prowl, Ratchet, etc. are dead - this episode goes and kills them ''even more dead''.]]
*[[Revenge (G1)|Galvatron's starship]] is shown to be perfectly intact here, despite being smashed by Unicron in the movie.
*Rodimus Prime and his crew were surprised to find the Autobot Mausoleum, suggesting they forgot where it was. Why didn't the Autobots just put the Mausoleum somewhere on Cybertron?
*Why are the tomb's light controls at human child level?
*Rodimus Prime states that Optimus has been dead "for years". While it's not always wise to take the flippant Rodimus [[The Burden Hardest to Bear|at face value]], Prime has actually been dead for a year at most. (The cartoon's timeframe is rarely made explicit, but "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]" was stated in narration to take place in [[2005]], while later episodes like "[[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006]]" indicate the series has moved on into [[2006]] as time as gone on. Also, Daniel is the same age he was when Optimus died. This works a little better in Japan, though, where the series takes place in [[2010]].)
*It's never explained where Hot Rod and company obtained the ship that carries them away from the Mausoleum. Magnus just comments vaguely about "this little improvisation" in reference to the vessel.
*Optimus returns to Cybertron still beat to hell, fine. But... then he rushes everyone off into battle and ''nobody'' stops him to say, hey, get yourself to repair bay first?
*During the flashback to the Quintessons discussing Optimus Prime over his dead body, shouldn't the body still be grey (as it appeared after his death in the movie)? It's the usual colors instead.
*Kup tells Rodimus the ship is being blown to pieces, but it seems perfectly calm (until the Quintessons notice it's heading for the detonator and fire on it, of course).

===Other trivia===
*This episode originally aired early in Season 3. However, it was re-aired as the season drew to a close, as a lead-in to the latest episode, "The Return of Optimus Prime". The voiceover by Victor Caroli, described above, was added at this time, and subsequently became the more well-known ending. The original version was released on VHS by [[Rhino Entertainment|Kid Rhino]], but when the company released the episode on DVD, the altered ending was the only one included (despite the presence of no less than ''three'' audio tracks on the disc). Observing the frustration this caused among American fans, DVD consultant [[Chris McFeely]] helped ensure the restoration of the original ending for [[Metrodome]] DVD release of the episode, with the alternate ending included as an easter egg. The original ending is also the version featured on the [[Shout! Factory]] DVD sets.
*The ''Transformers 2010'' story pages would run with this story's events, having the Quintessons analyze Optimus Prime's specifications and use them to build [[Guiltaur]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010 (story page)|Transformers 2010 Part 4}}
*This is easily the most gruesome episode of the original cartoon, and perhaps the only one with a certifiable body count - even if you don't include the named character models that are shown.
*That sure is some chipper, happy, peppy, upbeat music that plays as Daniel walks about reading the names of the dead, opening tombs, and running into zombies!

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das Erwachen im Dunkeln'''" ("The Awakening in the Dark")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
*This was one of twelve episodes of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]] released as audio adventures by the [[Germany|German]] company [[Karussell|Karussell Musik und Video]].

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Fantasmi dal passato'''" (First dub, "Ghosts from the Past"), "'''Risveglio oscuro'''" (Second dub, "Dark Awakening")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' コンボイの影 (''Convoy no Kage'', "Convoy's Shadow")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 9]], [[1987]]
:*As Kup explains about the Autobot Mausoleum, he mentions the [[Unicron War]] instead of the Great War.

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' Wǔmiànguài de Guǐjì (五面怪的诡计, "Quintesson's Ruse")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[1988]] — ''Transformers'' — Dark Awakening / Grimlock's New Brain ([[Tempo Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[1990]] — ''Transformers'' — Dark Awakening ([[Tempo Video|Collins Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1990 — ''Transformers'' — Dark Awakening / Grimlock's New Brain ([[Tempo Video|Abbey Home Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[1999]] — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume 2: Revenge of the Decepticons ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] [[2001]] — ''The Transformers: 2010'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[2003]] — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 1 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 1: Vol. 2 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[2004]] — ''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 4: Series 3.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[2006]] — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — The Best of ''The Transformers'' (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[2007]] — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Episodes (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[2009]] — ''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four {{sic}} (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[2010]] — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[2011]] — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[2014]] — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/season-3/synopses/700-93.html Episode Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle]
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808822/ IMDb's page for this episode]
*[https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_CN1s80MHOZDFaY1ZWV2Y4UUk/view?usp=sharing Orignal dialogue script]

[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Hot Spot (G1)

2018-08-16T17:05:22Z

Bork: Hot Spot in The Rebirth Part 3

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{picsneeded|Toys, appearances in fiction.}}
{{disambig3|Hot Spot}}
:''Hot Spot is an [[Autobot]] [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:TFU Hotspot.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|Unfortunately, for a serious [[primus apotheosis]] subject, an Optimus Prime-like head isn't enough. Fake windscreens on the chest are common.]]

'''Hot Spot''' (aka '''Hot Zone''') leads by example. Whether it's a raging battle or a raging fire, he's right in the thick of things—and that's where he's happiest. While many Autobots get into trouble by not thinking in combat, Hot Spot is a natural warrior who excels at fighting on instinct alone. His fellow Protectobots find his endless energy inspiring (though a bit exhausting), letting Hot Spot command even the most philosophically different of robots like [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] and [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] as a tight and effective unit. He's a tough fighter to boot—strong, well-armed and well-armored.

Hot Spot can combine with his fellow [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] to form [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] or [[God Guardian]].

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====Ask Vector Prime====
The Protectobots once lived on the colony world of [[Archon]], but as the colony slowly began to fail they succumbed to [[stasis lock]]. They remained that way until [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] chanced across the ruins of the planet and brought them back to Earth. The only way to revive them was through an [[energon]] infusion; the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s volunteered for the process. The Protectobots made a complete recovery and then some: the transfusion had given them the ability to combine! Optimus Prime gave them [[Protectobots' headquarters|their own headquarters]] in [[Central City (Earth)|Central City]], hoping that city life would help them acclimatize to life on Earth while also providing the metropolis with an extra degree of protection. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/21}}

====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Dan Gilvezan]] (English), [[Kenyū Horiuchi]] (Japanese), [[Takurō Kitagawa]] (Japanese, "The Ultimate Weapon", "The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1")|[[Roberto Alexander]] (American Spanish), [[Gerhard Acktun]] (German, "Carnage in C-Minor"), [[Reinhard Brock]] (German, "Ghost in the Machine"), [[Imo Heite]] (German, "The Ultimate Weapon"), [[Hans-Rainer Müller]] (German, "The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1"), [[Claus Brockmeyer]] (German, ''Generation 2'' "The Revenge of Bruticus")}}

[[File:G1 RevengeofBruticus HotSpotfightfire.jpg|left|upright=0.95|thumb|It's one of 'em newfangled drivin' by 'emselves fire trucks, huyuck!]]
When the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] attacked an inhabited city on [[Earth]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] called upon the Protectobots to evacuate the civilians caught in the crossfire. Later, as Earth's orbit was diverted to the [[sun]] by the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], Hot Spot extinguished the flames engulfing the bone-dry crops of a farmer before quickly driving off to the next fire. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

[[File:Bot-episode-hotspot-guns.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|He fights fire with firearms.]]
Hot Spot, as part of Defensor, totally blew up [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. Afterwards, he was with the Protectobots when they saved some window-washers from a burning skyscraper, helping [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] extinguish the flames with liquid nitrogen. Later still, Hot Spot and the other Protectobots were ordered to help defend [[Ark (G1)|Autobot Headquarters]] from a Decepticon attack. They merged into Defensor and activated his useless force field, which almost immediately deactivated, allowing the Decepticons to blast Defensor back into his component parts. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

By [[2006]], the Protectobots had risen to become a major presence in the Autobot army. Hot Spot participated in the liberation of [[Paradron]]. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}} He, [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] were among a group of Autobots who battled the Decepticons on [[Eurythma]]. You read that right. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}} On Cybertron, Hot Spot and Groove manned the Autobots' defensive laser batteries when [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s ghost launched [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] into their range. Realizing that this "invasion" and the recent assault on [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] were connected with [[Unicron]] getting his eyes back, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] sent Hot Spot, Groove, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] up to Unicron to investigate. They were repulsed, violently, by Unicron's internal defenses. When Unicron and Starscream enlisted [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] to move the Planet-Eater's head to Cybertron to make it his new body, though, Hot Spot and his team were ready with energon explosives to blast Unicron back out into space. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}}

[[File:G1 UltimateWeapon HotSpotStreetwise covering FirstAid.jpg|left|upright=0.95|thumb|He regrets the moments he got his arm extensions.]]
One day, the Autobots were asked to help the Dutch authorities deal with French rebels. After dispersing the human aggressors, Hot Spot was concerned about how they could protect the human civilians from the Decepticons and cover First Aid, who was helping the downed [[Blades (G1)|Blades]]. Later, as it turned out the battle was only a diversion to allow [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] to steal Metroplex's [[transformation cog]], Hot Spot, Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus tried to reassure First Aid of his value to the Autobots when the pacifist medic failed to stop Swindle. Unfortunately, just as First Aid left, the Autobots were called upon to deal with a rampaging Trypticon. Hot Spot ordered the remaining Protectobots to combine into Defensor even without First Aid to save a train full of civilians. After successfully saving them, Hot Spot tracked down First Aid to a junk yard and convinced the latter of his value to the Autobots. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

Later in 2006, the Protectobots arrived at the aftermath of the battle between the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] and [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] at [[Mark Morgan]]'s laboratory. They transported the injured [[Jessica Morgan]] to county general hospital and watched over her as the doctors restored her ability to walk with an exo-skeletal structure, enraging the robo-phobic senior Morgan. When Hot Spot tried to explain that they only wanted to help, Morgan shot back that they were only turning her into one of ''them''. This had [[Hate Plague|negative consequences]]. What a jerkface. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}
{{-}}
Hot Spot, under Ultra Magnus’ command, joined the other Protectobots in a surprise attack on Galvatron. They would have destroyed him if not for the sudden arrival of [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga=====
When the Stunticons went on a rampage, attacking a human baseball stadium, the Autobots' human friend [[Kenji]] radioed for help. Hot Spot and the other combiner warriors answered his summons. After Hot Spot extinguished the blaze caused by the Decepticon attack, he joined his fellow warriors in forming Defensor and Superion. The sides evened up with the arrival of Bruticus, however, and a critical blow to Defensor's chest damaged Hot Spot, forcing the Protectobots to disengage. Through sheer cunning, the other Protectobots managed to drive off the Decepticons, and Hot Spot survived long enough to receive the proper repairs. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 5|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #5}}

Later, the Decepticons tried to drive a rift between the humans and Autobots by using their ground-bound members to pose as crazed Autobot attackers. Hot Spot and [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] arrived on the scene and used their water sprays to wash off the fake Autobot symbols, revealing the Decepticons underneath. Not beaten yet, Onslaught and Motormaster unleashed a combiner whirlwind attack, but Hot Spot and Inferno whipped their ladders around, sending the Decepticon sub-commanders flying straight into a double kick by Optimus Prime and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 7|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #7}}

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' story pages=====
{{charstubfiction}}

=====Scramble City=====
Hot Spot and the Protectobots participated in the Scramble City project under Ultra Magnus's direction, working towards the construction of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. After the Decepticons uncovered their secret building site, the Protectobots rode into battle alongside the newly completed Metroplex. Hot Spot and his comrades arrived and formed Defensor just in time to act as the harbinger of Metroplex and his really big gun. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

=====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''=====
On the planet [[Feminia]], the Autobots had constructed a massive energy tower, so naturally the Decepticons wanted to plunder it. Hot Spot and the Protectobots were present to defend the tower as Defensor, but were easily taken down by [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]]. They had to be rescued by the mysterious and powerful [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]]. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #5}}

=====''The Great Transformer War'' manga=====
When [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] kidnapped the famous scientist, Doctor [[Dalton]], Hot Spot and the Protectobots joined the Aerialbots in speeding to his rescue. They were harshly rebuffed at [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s gate, however, by the Combaticons and Stunticons. Superion was torn to shreds, and Hot Spot converted to repair bay mode in order to bring the fallen Aerialbots back on line. His teammates held the line, fending off Bruticus and Menasor while Hot Spot hurried to finish his work, and Blades snuck inside Trypticon to retrieve Dalton. With the Aerialbots repaired and Dalton freed, the Autobots retreated back to Metroplex. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1|The Great Transformer War #1}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
{{voiceactor|[[Kōji Totani]] (Japanese), [[Hōchū Ōtsuka]] (ep 12), [[Kazuo Oka]] (ep 25), [[Ken Yamaguchi]] (ep 27), [[Hirohiko Kakegawa]] (ep 34)}}
In [[2011]], [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] attacked Cybertron looking to take control of [[Vector Sigma]]. Hot Spot and [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] were on the front lines defending Cybertron against the Combaticons. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} As Defensor, Hot Spot's team continued battling on Cybertron for some time. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Later, Hot Spot and the Protectobots assembled on Earth at [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s command. Their mission was to stop the Decepticons from interfering with [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] and the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]], who were searching for the hidden location of the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. On a security sweep, the Protectobots ran across their old foes, the Combaticons, and went into battle. The two teams quickly assumed their combined forms as Bruticus and Defensor, as the fighting escalated. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

When Galvatron made another strike on Cybertron, this time to steal the super-metal [[Cybertonuron]], Hot Spot and the Protectobots assembled before the [[space bridge]] on Earth to be transported into battle. Seeking out the Combaticons on the battlefield, the Protectobots soon formed Defensor and fought once more with Bruticus. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} Defensor and Bruticus's battle continued as Defensor delivered a devastating smash to Bruticus's back. For at least part of the battle, the two teams disassembled again, as Hot Spot and Blades were seen firing upon the aerial Combaticons again. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

Hot Spot and the Protectobots were dispatched to [[Peru]] with the [[Trainbot]]s when a volcano erupted, leaving a mountainside village in dire peril. Their rescue mission was blocked by the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]. Hot Spot was ready to tear into the enemy, but [[Shouki]] insisted the Protectobots proceed on to the village to protect the innocent lives. Hot Spot relented, but the Protectobots nevertheless failed to reach the village. They were intercepted by the Decepticons' second wave, the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]. Although they formed Defensor, the Protectobots were taken out of action by [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]]'s paralysis ray, which was strong enough to leave them completely immobilized. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}}

Hot Spot and the Protectobots were part of a strike team that flew to the [[Moon (moon)|moon]] to disrupt Scorponok's gathering of Decepticons. They immediately formed Defensor upon entering the battle. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} When the planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]] sent out a distress call asking for energy, the Autobots of Earth responded. While they were loading the Trainbots full of supplies, however, Galvatron and the Decepticons arrived to take the energy for themselves. Hot Spot and the Protectobots fought back against the enemy, and formed Defensor to counter Devastator on the battlefield. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

After the death of Ultra Magnus, the Autobots were desperately trying to pick up the slack during Sixshot's campaign of destruction around the globe. Hot Spot and the Protectobots assembled as Defensor to go out and confront Sixshot at one of the attack sites, but they apparently didn't fare too well. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}} When the Decepticons seemingly abandoned Earth, Hot Spot and the Protectobots assisted Spike in rebuilding the planet after the enemy's departure. On one occasion, they located Sixshot's old command base. By combining into Defensor, the Protectobots helped Raiden and Computron obliterate the base, wiping out all trace of the Decepticons' presence. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}}

Following a lengthy period of inactivity, the Decepticons renewed their attacks on Earth. With Fortress still off in space, Spike Witwicky dispatched Hot Spot and the Protectobots to attend to the threats. In Canberra, [[Australia]], the Protectobots confronted Bruticus at one of Scorponok's new Death Towers. As Defensor, the Protectobots were beaten severely by Bruticus. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} As part of Defensor, Hot Spot participated in the Autobots final battle with Scorponok's Decepticons at the North Pole. He lent his energies to the Headmasters' [[Head Formation]] to revitalize Fortress Maximus at the critical moment. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

=====''Unite Warriors''=====
Hot Spot and the other Protectobots played a game of baseball in celebration of First Aid's friend [[NUL-A]]'s birthday. {{storylink|Unite Warriors Offshot#Today Is First Aid's Close Friend NUL-A's Birthday!|Today Is First Aid's Close Friend NUL-A's Birthday!}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Unite Warriors Offshot#Invitation to the Dress Rehearsal!|Invitation to the Dress Rehearsal!}}}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:SecondGeneration protectobots.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]
''Hot Spot's coming was first foretold in a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-induced vision shared between [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. In this prophetic vision, the Protectobots were tasked by Optimus Prime to look after the [[Pullen Power Plant]], only for it to come under attack from both the Combaticons and the Stunticons. By merging into Defensor, and with the help of [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], the Protectobots were able to safeguard the plant.'' {{storylink|The Special Teams Have Arrived}} {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

Hot Spot and the other Protectobots were then created on Earth by [[Wheeljack (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Wheeljack]] and the Autobots after they stole a recording of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]'s combiner transformation sequence and modified it. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

[[File:Protectobots-marvel24.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.67]]
Hot Spot accompanied Optimus Prime and his fellow Protectobots to [[Energy Futures Industries]], where they squared off against [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] and the Combaticons to prevent them from stealing the [[hydrothermocline]], a potentially limitless supply of energy. To prevent property damage and potential civilian casualties, the Autobots agreed to be uploaded into a virtual fantasy world in EFI's computer systems by [[Ethan Zachary]], a [[human]] programmer on site. Similarly, the Decepticons agreed so that the hydrothermocline would remain intact. The game scenario was arranged so that the "death" of either Optimus or Megatron would end the game. Once inside "[[Multi-World]]", Hot Spot convinced Optimus Prime to remain behind while the Protectobots eliminated the potential threats. Hot Spot himself did battle with his opposite number, [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]], in the region known as the Slimepit. Despite the hindrance the bog caused, Hot Spot still held true to Autobot ideals and threw himself in harm's way to protect the virtual inhabitants of Multi-World. In turn, they carried him to safety away from Onslaught, giving him the advantage he needed to defeat the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]. Despite their efforts, though, Optimus Prime ended up dying on this mission, and the Protectobots brought his body back to the Ark. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}} Back at the [[Wyoming base]], the increasingly insane Megatron would obsessively relive these events, {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} ''as would the [[time travel]]ling [[Dicet Alpha-zero]].'' {{storylink|The Quest!}}

[[File:Democracykingofthehill.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Hot Spot lets the others know how he feels about these meetings with his "wanking" gesture.]]
Hot Spot was one of the several Autobots who watched through a window as [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]] futilely tried to repair Optimus Prime's body. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}} After the funeral, Hot Spot and other high-ranking Autobots assembled to nominate a new leader. Hot Spot suggested their nominee possess wisdom just like Optimus Prime, since their late leader knew how and how not to fight. After the Autobots were rescued by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] from an attack by [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Hot Spot and the others chose [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] to be their new leader. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}}

[[File:Hotspot-g1issue35.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"Now I've set the timer to ten seconds, so I'll just get in between you guys and—dammit! Not again!"]]
Under Grimlock's leadership, Hot Spot and the Protectobots were ordered to hunt down and apprehend the AWOL Autobots [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]]. They caught up with the deserters at a used car lot run by [[Big Steve Ludwig (G1)|Big Steve]], but a four-way skirmish developed between Blaster, the Protectobots, the Combaticons, and the human-led robot hunters, [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team|RAAT]]. In the end, Hot Spot and his crew only managed to capture Blaster. {{storylink|Used Autobots}} When a second encounter with the Combaticons endangered the lives of several [[Spacehikers|young humans]], Blaster not only saved the children and defeated [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] where [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] failed, but then willingly resubmitted himself to Protectobot custody rather than trying to escape. Impressed with Blaster's actions, Hot Spot decided to defy Grimlock's orders and let him go free along with the children aboard a [[mode lock]]ed [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]]. {{storylink|Child's Play (issue)|Child's Play}} Grimlock subsequently captured the Decepticon shuttle and brought it on board the Ark. Finding that Blaster had escaped, he nevertheless tried the human children before an [[Autobot Multi-Circuit Court]] and sentenced them to death as Hot Spot and the other Autobots looked on. {{storylink|Spacehikers!}}

At [[Alternate Reality, Inc.]] back on Earth, the human [[Ethan Zachary]] replayed some of Optimus Prime's memories of Hot Spot in an attempt to convince the former Autobot leader that he was more than just a computer program. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}}

''Following Optimus Prime's return to life, Hot Spot and the Protectobots were assigned to guard the backup copy of the [[floppy disk]] that had enabled his resurrection, stored at an [[Alternate Reality, Inc.]] warehouse. Alerted to Combaticon activity at [[Rutter U.S. Military Base]], the team was relieved by the Autobot [[Powermaster]]s so they could go and deal with their old rivals. Unfortunately, they were too late to stop the Combaticons' theft of military technology; worse yet, upon their return to the warehouse, they discovered that the Decepticon Powermasters had stolen the disk in their absence. Combining into Defensor, they tried to stop the villains from escaping, but a barrage of fire from the underhanded Combaticons knocked the giant over.'' {{storylink|Prime Bomb!}}
{{-}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
In [[2008]], Hot Spot was seen beating the stuffing out of a Decepticon during a major offensive on Cybertron. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
[[File:Hotspot-g2issue2.jpg|left|thumb|He's a Fahrenheit 451 truck: his job is to start fires.]]
Hot Spot led a team of Autobots sent to [[Earth]] by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] to counter the threat of a [[Cobra]]-rebuilt [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. Megatron's new form was more than a match for them, however, and nearly all of his team were destroyed. Only Hot Spot and [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] survived the encounter. {{storylink|Final Transformations}}

As the last survivor still on Earth, Hot Spot observed Cobra hauling a trailer of Transformers technology salvaged from the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], and noted that his orders included keeping Autobot tech out of the humans' hands. He single-handedly attacked the convoy, drawing fire from numerous Cobra tanks, until he managed to destroy the trailer by ramming it off the side of an embankment. Weary and on the brink of shut-down, Hot Spot self-destructed to keep Cobra from using his own body as a replacement source of technology. {{storylink|All or Nothing!}}
{{-}}

====''Transformers Comic-Magazin''====
Hot Spot and the Protectobots formed Defensor, battling Menasor in defense of Earth's energy resources. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 11|Transformers in Action: He Who Laughs Last ...}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
Following the assault of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s [[Blitz Engine]]s on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Hot Spot was seen clearing up the mess, putting out fires alongside [[Hosehead (G1)|Hosehead]] and [[Blades (G1)|Blades]]. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}}

===The Special Teams===
Hot Spot and the rest of the Protectobots were posted at the [[Pullen Power Plant]] to defend it while its human workers had been evacuated due to the possibility of a landslide in the area. Blades soon spotted the Stunticons heading towards their position. Racing to meet their incoming foes, Hot Spot was surprised to witness these newcomers combine into Menasor.To combat this new threat, the Protectobots merged once more into Defensor. The Decepticons soon found himself losing the battle and disperse, though the storm around them had gotten too bad for the Autobots to give chase. Hot Spot admittedly felt he had too much work to do at the plant to bother going after the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Special Teams}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Hotspot-warwithin.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|My invisible partner already has this dance—]]
After the signing of the [[Crisis Intervention Accord]], many of the special teams went into hiding or broke up to continue fighting on different factions. Hot Spot maintained the Protectobots, one of the late model specials teams, in secret. The group watched the battles rage around them, continuing to help when possible, intervening to uphold CIA where necessary, and trying to overcome the shortcomings of the combination process.

Upon learning that [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] had persuaded the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to join his [[Ultracon]]s, Hot Spot led his team to the [[Tagan Heights]] to counter the threat of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] by using Defensor. {{storylink|Escalation}} Unfortunately the plan backfired as Defensor became too focus on beating Devastator and not enough on safeguarding his surroundings. After being talked down by Springer, the team divided and quickly concocted a plan to defeated Devastator; Hot Spot lifted First Aid to reach a port on Devastator's leg and plug a cable into it, while the other end of the line was plugged into Tagan Heights' power grid by Groove and Streetwise. The overload of electricity fried Devastator, knocking him unconscious and forcing him to separate into his component 'bots. {{storylink|Devastation}}

Hot Spot subsequently became obsessed with overcoming the problem with their combined form. The team's analysis was interrupted by an attack by the [[Chaos Trinity]], as Hot Spot was one of the [[Unbinding|Four Angles of Dissolution]] [[The Fallen]] needed to awaken [[Primus]] and draw [[Unicron]] to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. After the previous failure against Devastator, Hot Spot was unwilling to risk using Defensor again, and his team was defeated by the [[Dark science|enhanced powers]] of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and his allies, [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] and [[Bugly (G1)|Bugly]]. {{storylink|Confrontation (issue)|Confrontation}} Hot Spot was taken to a [[Well of All Sparks|subterranean chamber]], where energy from his and three others' Sparks served to unlock the seal of Primus. [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], another of the Four, eventually freed himself and rescued Hot Spot in what might have been an embarrassing role reversal... if he'd been awake for it. {{storylink|Conflagration}}

During [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s reign over [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], he was sent to stop [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]'s rampage. Despite merging with his fellow [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] into [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], he was defeated even with the aid of the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]]. {{storylink|Passive Aggression}}

Once they had recovered, Hot Spot and the Protectobots followed an anomalous energy signal to the remains of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s lab, where they found the offline [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] and [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]]. They called it in to [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], who asked to be kept notified of any developments. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}}

===3H comics===
[[File:Hotspot-wreckers.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Leave it to [[Dan Khanna|a fan]] to actually show, for the first time ever, his weapons doing what they're supposed to do.]]
In the not-too-distant future, Hot Spot led a team of [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]] aboard [[Sky Garry (ROC)|Sky Garry]] to back up [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] during an outbreak of [[Nightbird (G1)|crazed female cyber ninjas]]. Fighting a losing battle, Hot Spot personally had to drag Arcee to safety, leaving Wheelie and Daniel behind to grenade themselves to death. Fortunately, their murder-suicide pact also took out the remaining Nightbirds. {{storylink|Departure}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{first|''[[Spotlight: Wheelie]]''; [[Things Fall Apart, Part 1: "New Arrivals, Old Encounters"|''The Transformers'' vol. 1 #2]] (modern era)}}

[[File:LonelyPillarOnThePlain-forgottenskirmish.jpg|left|thumb|300px|]]
Early in the war, Hot Spot battled on [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] during the [[Battle of Junkion]]. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 2: A Lonely Pillar on the Plain|A Lonely Pillar on the Plain}}

[[File:SPotlightWheelie-HotSpot.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1|Because Browning wasn't available.]]
Sometime before Cybertron was abandoned, Hot Spot was a dispatch officer, searching for viable soldiers to fill out the ranks. When he needed a volunteer for a deep space exploration mission, he reluctantly chose the tiny supply-bot known as [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] for the assignment. {{storylink|Spotlight: Wheelie}}

[[File:NewArrivalsOldEncounters-HotSpot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.67|That's him back there, trust us.]]
Two years after the fall of [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] in [[New York City]], Hot Spot was among the surviving Autobots stranded on Earth. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 1: "New Arrivals, Old Encounters"|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} He was present when [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] returned from space and told them Cybertron was restored. {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix|Orphans of the Helix}} While most Autobots returned to Cybertron, Hot Spot was one of those chosen by [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] to remain on Earth. He and [[Kyle Pennington]] agreed that the Autobots, despised by humanity as they were, really needed better PR. Pennington suggested that he and fellow fire truck [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] do stuff like extinguish fires and save cats from trees, which Hot Spot thought was a great idea. Nobody else did. {{storylink|Police Action: Part 1}} He went on to aid in the search for the Decepticon forces hiding on Earth, but their lack of success and the fact that nobody really saw him as a leader got Bumblebee down. Hot Spot tried to cheer him back up, but was left behind when Bumblebee chose to deal with things on his own. {{storylink|The Question}}

[[File:WordsHangInTheAir-Pallbearers.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67|Always a pallbearer, never a pall.]]
After returning to Cybertron, Hot Spot helped extinguish fires and look for survivors in the wakes of several mysterious explosions. {{storylink|Stick Together}} He later brought an injured [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] to [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]]'s medbay for treatment. {{storylink|City on Fire}}

Hot Spot joined the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' following its return to Cybertron. When the ship encountered a coffin floating in outer space, Hot Spot, [[Mirage (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Mirage]], [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] and [[Grotusque]] carried it in, under the command of Megatron. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|Words Hang in the Air}} After the coffin was opened and the ''Lost Light'' began vanishing, Hot Spot fled with the rest of the ship's crew to an escape craft. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}}

Despite having transferred to the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew, Hot Spot and Streetwise were seen extinguishing a fire at [[Gutcruncher (G1)|Gutcruncher]]'s bar back on Cybertron. {{storylink|Quest for Fire}}

[[File:MistakesAndMayhem-Protectobotssortof.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.67|So in sync with each other that they keep calling Mainframe and Grotusque "Blades" and "Streetwise."]]
After the ''Lost Light'' was restored, its crew attended [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]]'s "pre-wake" on board the ''[[Vis Vitalis]]''. Hot Spot, Streetwise, Blades, and Groove all busted a serious move on the dance floor. {{storylink|The Sensuous Frame}}

Hot Spot was one of four other crewmembers chosen to escort Mirage back to Cybertron after he started seeing apocalyptic visions. Streetwise joked that the five of them were "Protectobots." {{storylink|The Possible Light}} Once they arrived, Mirage led them hurriedly to [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] to tell them about his vision, when suddenly [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]]'s [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] attacked, who was hoping to destroy the [[space bridge]] to Cybertronian colonies. [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] countered him, but [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] feared the Autobot combiner wouldn't be enough, so he used the [[Enigma of Combination]] to create another. Hot Spot, the other four "Protectobots," and [[Rook (Generations)|Rook]], who had wandered into the group, were all combined into the mighty [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], who managed to defeat Devastator. {{storylink|Mistakes and Mayhem}} With the Constructicons temporarily contained, Optimus Prime worried that none of Defensor's components had reverted to their normal forms since becoming a combiner; Prowl noted that it was difficult for combiner teams to stay separate for long. {{storylink|You, Me, and the Universe}}

Hot Spot and the Protectobots later departed Cybertron, apparently intending to return to the ''Lost Light''. {{storylink|The Transgressors}} It took several months, but they finally caught up with the ''Lost Light'' on its quest for Cyberutopia. Much had changed. [[Getaway]] was now captain of the ship, and held strict rules about socializing and helping other races on their journey full-pace towards Cyberutopia. Asking around, the Protectobots learned most of the senior staff, including co-captains Rodimus and Megatron, had apparently abandoned the ''Light'' in order to make faster progress on their own. In fact, the regretful [[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]] informed them Getaway had led a mutiny against the captains, abandoning them on [[Necroworld]] to the [[Galactic Council]] and [[Decepticon Justice Division]], then used mnemosurgery to reprogram the crew into believing otherwise. Hot Spot and the others attempted to flee before Getaway did the same to them, but were captured by the security team and placed in an infinite memory loop by [[Sunder (G1)|Sunder]]. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 1): Full Circle|Full Circle}}

Riptide managed to survive Getaway's attempt to dispose of him, hiding away in the ship until he could rescue the Protectobots. Rook had been killed by Getaway and [[Atomizer]] while they slept, so First Aid suggested they un-entomb [[Ambulon]]'s corpse as a replacement leg for Defensor. At the shuttle bay, Defensor and Thunderclash tried to fight their way through the security team, but Getaway had hired [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]] as the new head of security. He blasted Thunderclash and broke apart the unstable combiner with a single swipe of his blade. Hot Spot, Blades, Groove, and Streetwise were dazed enough for Getaway and the others to bring them down with a hail of gunfire. Only First Aid, Riptide, and the seriously injured Thunderclash managed to escape the ship. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 3): Journey's End|Journey's End}}

{{-}}

===''Kre-O'' online manga===
After being injured in a fight while protecting humans, First Aid doubted his effectiveness in combat. Hot Spot tried to cheer him up by insisting on how valuable First Aid was to the Protectobots. Sure enough, First Aid soon had the opportunity to lead the Protectobots in a search for Swindle and Metroplex's stolen transforming cog. {{storylink|Bad at Fighting? Rescue Team Protectobots, Dispatch!}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
Hot Spot was presumably present as part of Defensor during the Battle for [[Sherman Dam]] in [[Primax 096.0 Beta]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/06}}

===IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics===
By the tail-end of the Great War, Hot Spot had earned himself a place on the [[Autobot High Council]]. He was away from their base of operation when news came in that both Optimus Prime and Galvatron had fallen in combat, and so attended a meeting via holographic-projection. After rebranding themselves the "[[Primal Council]]", the group discussed their intent to broker an armistice with their enemies in the hopes of ending the war without further bloodshed. {{storylink|Dawn of the Predacus}}

===''Combiner Wars'' cartoon===
Hot Spot was among the Autobot troops who bore witness to a pivotal duel between Optimus Prime and Megatron, one meant to end the war before the never-ending arms race between the two factions spiralled further out of control. {{storylink|Prelude to Transformers: Combiner Wars - Optimus Prime}}

==Commercial appearances==
*Hot Spot and the rest of the Protectobots rushed the Decepticon fortress [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], undaunted by its enormous size. When Trypticon assumed its battle station mode, the Protectobots merged into [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] to better fight back. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Defensor and Trypticon|Defensor and Trypticon commercial}}
*Hot Spot and the Protectobots received a message from Optimus Prime alerting them that [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] was wreaking havoc in a human city, and that the threat was "bigger than ever." The Protectobots combined into Defensor to better combat the Decepticon. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#2015|Transformers Generations: Combiner Wars commercials}}

==Games==
===''Transformers Legends''===
During a Decepticon attack on a major human city, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]], and the Protectobots launched rescue operations. Unfortunately their efforts were hampered by [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], who unleashed all manner of sonic attacks on them. {{storylink|To the Rescue}}

Hot Spot, alongside [[Blades (G1)|Blades]], [[Groove (G1)|Groove]], and [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]], responded to an emergency call that was in actuality a trap set by the Decepticons [[Skullcruncher (G1)|Skullcruncher]] and [[Snapdragon (G1)|Snapdragon]]. Despite the duo's schemes, the Autobots were able to send the Decepticons packing. {{storylink|False Alarm}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Hot-Spot.jpg|thumb|400px]]
Hot Spot participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was an Epic character available as a reward in the "Defensor Safeguard" event. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[file:HotspotEarthWars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75| Yes! Rise, my Protectobots!]]
Hot Spot came to Earth in response to an endeavor by [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] to set all of Earth's jungles on fire to fuel the Decepticon cause with energon.

When Hot Spot came to Earth, he immediately got on good measures with [[Pyra Magna]] as they said they had similar body styles and thinking. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars}}

*'''Class''': Warrior
*'''Lowest star rating''': 2 stars
*'''Weapons''': He uses a pistol to shot at the designated target, and then closes in and smashes it with his fists.
*'''Ability: Reflective Shield''': Put on a protective shield that reflects 50% damage back to the attackers for several seconds, then charge the target. Attracts defenses!
**'''Cost''': 4 ability points +2 for every reuse.

[http://www.wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:hot-spot| Hot Spot at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1HotSpotToy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Finally we see the G1 Hotspot mold in all his... well, glory works for me.]]
*'''Hot Spot''' (Protectobot, [[1986]]/[[1991]])
**''Team ID number:'' '''P5'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-71'''
**''Accessories'': 2 "Fireball Cannons", 2 mechanical arms, left & right "blast shields", Defensor hip shield, left & right Defensor fists, left & right Defensor footplates

:Hot Spot transforms into a blue Mitsubishi Fuso Great fire engine. As a [[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]-style combiner torso, he has a third mode as a "repair bay", somewhat remeniscent of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Powermaster Optimus Prime]]'s combat deck. In this form, he is equipped with waldo arms to "repair" other vehicles. Hot Spot can connect with [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s city mode in this form as well. Another alternate mode allows him to function as an armored car carrier, by extending his legs in vehicle mode and attaching his guns and Defensor's chest plates; he has deck space to carry a single small vehicle in this form. Unusually for G1, Defensor's head is an integrated part of Hot Spot rather than separate combiner kibble.

:Hot Spot's chest plate was initially made of painted [[die-cast]] metal. However, later runs replaced this with colored plastic and also had some paint application changes on his headlights. A plastic-chest yellow-eyed version (as opposed to the red eyes on the other releases) has been reported but not confirmed. Subsequent releases of him in the "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" line in 1991 omitted the rub sign gimmick.

:This mold was also used to make [[Fire Chief]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Hotspot/hotspot.htm More information on Hot Spot at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.transformers-universe.com/include.php?path=content/ToyDB_Info.php&Toy_ID=252&Sprache=0 More information on Hot Spot at Transformers-Universe.com]''

{{-}}
[[File:G1toy defensor giftset.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!]]
*'''Defensor''' (giftset, 1986)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-76'''
**''Accessories'': 2 "Fireball Cannons", 2 mechanical arms, left & right "blast shields", Defensor hip shield, left & right Defensor fists, left & right Defensor footplates

:Hot Spot was also available as part of the Defensor giftset, unchanged from his individual release. It is currently unknown which construction variants came in the set.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Defensor/defensor.htm More information on Defensor at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generation 2===
[[File:G2-Hotspot.jpg|thumb|Outferyes?]]
*'''Hot Spot''' ([[1994]])
**''Team ID number:'' '''P1'''
**''Accessories'': 2 "Fireball Cannons", 2 mechanical arms, left & right "blast shields", Defensor hip shield, left & right Defensor fists, left & right Defensor footplates

:Hot Spot and the other Protectobots were to be [[redeco]]ed for ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'', but were ultimately canceled. No packaged samples of Hot Spot (or his similarly-unreleased Decepticon counterpart [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]) have surfaced, and only a handful of test-shots are known to exist. He would have been red and orange with a teal chestplate. If you've seen this, you may in fact be glowing with an inner light. Or you're [[Shortround (Cybertron)|Shortround]].

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[File:TF-Universe-2008-Hot-Zone.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Special Team Leaders''' (Legends multi-pack, [[2008]])
**''Series'': '''Classic Series'''

:"Autobot Hot Zone" (renamed for [[trademark]] reasons) is a redeco of the [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends]]-class [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys|''Cybertron'' Optimus Prime]], transforming into a futuristic fire truck cab. He was only available in a Target-[[exclusive]] box set with [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-Grrr]], [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]], [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], and [[Scattershot (G1)|Scattorshot]].

:This mold was also used to make ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TFUHotZone/hotzone.htm More information on Hot Zone at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

====Titanium Series====
[[File:TitaniumSeries-HotZone.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|No, I don't fight [[Megazarak (Universe)|Megazarak]]. Or [[Defensor (OTFCC)|do I???]]]]
*'''Hot Zone''' (6-inch Cybertron Heroes, [[2009]])

:''[[Titanium Series]]'' Hot Zone (now lacking the "Autobot" prefix) is a redeco of the 6-inch [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'']] [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]], an idea which thematically calls back to the unreleased [[BotCon|OTFCC]] ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Defensor (OTFCC)|Defensor]], but otherwise doesn't resemble its deco. (Hot Zone is the super robot decoed like Hot Spot, while OTFCC Defensor's super robot was decoed like Defensor.) Like other Titanium Series toys, Hot Zone is partially constructed of [[die-cast]] metal. His vehicle mode has a ladder which rotates at its base, and two nozzles flip out of the end of the ladder.

:Unlike previous ''Titanium Series'' toys which were subtitled by the fictional universe/continuity they came from, Hot Zone and the other 2009 ''Titanium Series'' redecos are marketed under the 2008-2009 [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|''Universe'' line]]. Hot Zone also lacks the display stand that previous ''Titanium Series'' toys included.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2009/Autobot/TitHotZone/hotzone.htm More information on ''Titanium'' Hot Zone at TFU.info.]''
{{-}}

===Generations===
====GDO====
[[File:Transformers china hot spot.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|The ''Universe'' Inferno mold: perfect for every fire truck Transformer. ''Ever''.]]
*'''Protectobot Hot Spot''' (Voyager, [[2012]])
**''Accessories'': "Water Blast" projectile

:''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' Hot Spot is an Asian market and [[Toys"R"Us]]-exclusive redeco and [[retool]] of ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Inferno (G1)/toys#Universe (2008)|Inferno]] with a new head, transforming into a fictional firetruck based on the 2002–2007 {{w|Pierce Manufacturing#Gallery of Pierce Apparatus|Pierce Contender}} series of trucks. He is armed with a non-removable arm cannon with a spring-loaded "water blast" projectile. As with [[Grapple (G1)#Transformers (2010)|Solar Storm Grappel]], the bars on top of his shoulders have been enlarged so that they work with [[C joint|3mm clips]]. The vehicle panels on Hot Spot's forearms can rotate 180° in order to get them more out of the way. This is a feature not documented in the instructions or shown in the image to the right, but it is shown in the [[packaging|package]] [[stock photography]].

:This figure was the model for the non-toy ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' incarnation of [[Hosehead (SG)|Hosehead]]. The original version of this sculpt was also used to make ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Pyro (G1)#Timelines|Spark]], and it was separately retooled to make ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers]]'' Solar Storm Grappel. It was then redecoed into ''[[Transformers United|United]]'' [[Artfire#United 2|Artfire]], using tooling from both the original Inferno version and the newer Grappel version of this sculpt.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2012/Autobot/GDOHotSpot/hotspot.htm More information on ''Generations'' Hot Spot at TFU.info]''
{{UniverseInfernoMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|CombinerWars}}

====Combiner Wars====
[[File:GenerationsCWHotSpot.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|29 years later, he can finally combine again!]]
*'''Protectobot Hot Spot''' (Voyager, [[2015]])
**'''3 of 5: [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]'''
**''Accessories:'' Two rifles
:Part of the third wave of ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' Voyager Class toys, ''Generations'' Hot Spot transforms from a firetruck resembling a modified [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Rosenbauer Panther 6x6]] to a robot resembling his original design. He can combine with the Deluxe Class [[Blades (G1)#Generations|Blades]], [[First Aid (G1)#Generations|First Aid]], [[Streetwise (G1)#Generations|Streetwise]], and [[Rook (Generations)#Generations|Rook]] and Legends Class [[Groove (G1)#Generations|Groove]] to form [[Defensor (G1)#Generations|Defensor]]. Like the other ''Combiner Wars'' Voyager Class toys, Defensor's head and torso kibble is incorporated into the toy itself, rather than being add-on parts. Hot Spot's two rifles combine into a longer rifle for the combined robot. In an undocumented feature, Defensor's head can be opened while Hot Spot is in Firetruck mode, revealing a bucket and sprayer.

:Contrary to his instructions, stock photography, and even how he is packaged, Hot Spot is not intended to have double knee joints. Each knee link should be rotated back 90° at its lower hinge and snapped forward into the lower leg behind the siren, making the legs far more stable.

:This mold was later retooled to make ''Combiner Wars'' [[Onslaught (G1)#CombinerWars|Onslaught]] and [[Transformers Figure Subscription Service#Version 4.0|Transformers Figure Subscription Service]] [[Bludgeon (G1)#CombinerWars|Bludgeon]], and retooled from the original mold into ''Generations'' [[Pyra Magna#Generations|Pyra Magna]] and into ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' [[Inferno (G1)/toys#Generations|Inferno]].

{{CWHotSpotMold}}
{{-}}

===Bot Shots===
[[Image:BotShots HotSpot.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Bot Shot Hot Spot? Bot Shot ''Protectobot'' Hot Spot.]]
*'''Protectobots''' (Multi-pack, 2013?)
**''Number'': '''T0??'''
***''Fist strength'': '''296'''
***''Blaster strength'':
***''Sword strength'':
:A redeco of ''[[Bot Shots (toyline)|Bot Shots]]'' [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)#Bot Shots|Sentinel Prime]], "Protectobot Hot Spot" automatically transforms from fire engine to robot when a sharp impact is applied to his front end. He was to be sold in a five-pack with [[Blades (G1)#Bot Shots|Protectobot Blades]], [[First Aid (G1)#Bot Shots|Protectobot First Aid]], [[Groove (G1)#Bot Shots|Protectobot Groove]], and [[Streetwise (G1)#Bot Shots|Protectobot Streetsmart]], but this never saw release.

:This mold also served as the main body for ''BeCool'' [[Ganoh#BeCool|Ganoh]].

{{canceledtoy}}

===Kre-O===
[[Image:KreO-Toy Hot Spot.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Hey, guys! Get over here! He's got free wi-fi!]]
*'''Defensor''' (Micro-Changer Combiner, 2013)
**''Set number'': '''A4474'''
**''Pieces'': '''85'''
**''Accessories'': 2 guns

:''[[Kre-O]]'' Hot Spot comes as part of the Defensor [[Micro-Changer]] combiner set, and can be rebuilt from his robot mode into a fire engine. He comes with fellow [[Kreon]]s [[Blades (G1)#Kre-O|Blades]], [[First Aid (G1)#Kre-O|First Aid]] and [[Streetwise (G1)#Kre-O|Streetsmart]] and can contribute his bricks to form Defensor with them. His helmet was originally used for [[Sentinel Prime (Kre-O)|Sentinel Prime]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Autobot/Kre-OHotSpot/hotspot.htm More information on Hot Spot at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Transformers (2014)===
{{anchor|TF2014Protectobots}}
[[File:Transformers-2014-Protectobots-Evac-Squad-Hot-Spot.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Looks like Hot Spot is going to have a ''very'' hard time at saving people without his fire hose.]]
*'''Protectobots Evac Squad''' (two-pack, [[2014]])
:This "Protectobot Hot Spot" is a predominantly red redeco of [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'']]/''[[Reveal the Shield]]'' Solar Storm Grappel, but it kept the Inferno mold's original arms and fists. His colors ''might'' be vaguely based on [[Fire Chief]] or the unreleased ''Generation 2'' Hot Spot, but in the end, he simply looks like Grapple in Inferno's colors.

:Hot Spot is only available in a two-pack with [[Blades (G1)#Transformers (2014)|Protectobot Blades]], which was released as a [[Toys"R"Us]] exclusive in Hasbro's Asian markets, while in the United States, it was officially an [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] exclusive that was later also flipped by other online retailers such as [[BigBadToyStore]] for a hefty markup.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2014/Autobot/AKDHotSpot/hotspot.htm More information on Evac Squad Hot Spot on TFU.info]''
{{UniverseInfernoMold}}
{{-}}

===Unite Warriors===
[[File:TF-Unite-Warriors-UW-03-Hot-Spot.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|But where's his third mode?]]
*'''Guardian''' ('''Defensor''') (Multi-pack, 2015-[[December 12|12-12]])
**''ID number:'' '''UW-03'''
**''Accessories:'' Two rifles
:Takara's iteration of ''Combiner Wars'' Defensor is sold in a gift set including the five original Protectobots, with Groove (as a new deluxe-sized mold) included instead of [[Rook (Generations)#Toys|Rook]]. He features some differences in deco that make him closer to his cartoon character model, such as a blue line down his chest and a black pelvis.

:''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' Guardian is released as a [[TakaraTomy Mall]] exclusive, rather than being a regular release. Preorders were open from May 25 to July 6, and it was shipped December 2015.
{{CWHotSpotMold}}
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Gum===
[[File:Kabaya_hotspot_robot&altmode.jpg‎|thumb|300px|Hot Spot,[[Partformer|PARTSFORM!]]]]

Part of [[Kabaya]]'s revived ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' series, Hot Spot is a model kit that comes with a piece of gum. He can combine with various members of Kabaya's [[Gaia Guardian|G Guardian]] series to form [[God Guardian]].

Hot Spot is packaged with [[Eaglebreast#Transformers Gum|Eaglebreast]], who interacts with Hot Spot's wave-mate, [[Deathsaurus (Victory)#2012|Deszaras]].
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:G1HotSpotHeads.jpg|thumb|Sometimes you feel like a mouth. Sometimes you don't.]]
*Like [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]'s ever disappearing-and-reappearing visor, Hot Spot would occasionally switch between having a [[mouthplate]] or having a mouth drawn '''on''' his faceplate in his appearances on the original ''Transformers'' cartoon. The two most prominent instances of him having a mouth occur in "[[Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine]]" and "[[The Ultimate Weapon]]"—episodes that seem to have been animated by two different animation companies, suggesting that Hot Spot's mouth may have come from an alternate [[character model]]. Or, at least, a recurring [[José Delbo|artist mistake]].
*Hot Spot was one of the few Autobots (like Metroplex) in the G1 cartoon to have red eyes instead of blue.
*Hot Spot was given an [[homage]] in the ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' line; [[Firebot (Armada)|Firebot]] (a crash-response truck) was redecoed in light blue with red-and-white warning stripes.
*Hot Spot's original vehicle mode is rendered quite differently from his toy in both animation and comic books. Whereas the Mitsubishi Fuso has four front wheels and two in the rear, the opposite is shown in media depictions.
*Despite having his own robot mode stock photography on the box of his first ''Generations'' toy, the instructions use the stock photograph of Inferno with Hot Spot's newly sculpted head photoshopped (and over-sized) over the top.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Hot Spot''' (ホットスポット ''Hotto Supotto'')
*''French:'' '''Calorifêro''' (Canada)
*''Italian:'' '''Drago'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Rèdiǎn''' (热点, "Hot Spot")
*''Russian:'' '''Compote''' (Компот ''Kompot'')

[[Category:Beast Machines Autobots]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiner Wars]]
[[Category:Firefighters]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Kre-O Autobots]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Lost Light crew]]
[[Category:Protectobots]]
[[Category:Target exclusives]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers with multiple modes]]
[[Category:Unite Warriors Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Universe Transformers]]