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The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1

2019-01-03T13:27:09Z

CommanderModesty: /* Animation and technical errors */

{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|series2=2010
|ep=94
|ep2=31
|prev2=The Desperate Struggle of Justice
|next2=The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2
|image=ReturnOptimusPrime1 Optimus lives.JPG
|caption=And there was much rejoicing (yay).
|title="The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1"
|production code=700-115
|airdate=[[February 24]], [[1987]]
|written by=[[Marv Wolfman]] [[Cherie Wilkerson]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}
'''An embittered scientist uses the body of Optimus Prime to unleash a dangerous plague on the Autobots and, ultimately, the universe.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:ReturnofOptimus1 Prime rescue.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"You're right, it is athlete's foot."]]
While on a deep-space mission in the ''[[Solaris]]'' to test a new [[Impervious alloy|heat-and-radiation-resistant alloy]] that they have developed, scientists [[Jessica Morgan]] and [[Gregory Swofford]] detect a ship carrying [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s body on a collision course with a planetoid orbiting a star they are researching nearby. Despite Gregory's reservations (his face was scarred in a previous scuffle between Optimus Prime and [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]], which he blames on Optimus), he is talked into helping Jessica rescue Prime's body before the ship collides with the planetoid, the impact of which also sets off the star into a supernova and coating their ship with unusual spores.

[[File:ReturnofOptimus1 Scattershot rescues Jessica.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Don't worry, I'll help you rescue your daug-OOH LOOK, A BUNNY!]]
Upon their return to [[Earth]], [[Mark Morgan|Jessica's father]] studies the spores and learns that they are not only alive, but are an [[Hate Plague|incredibly contagious viral agent]] that induces hatred and destructive urges into whoever they contaminate. After a new scuffle between the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] and [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] over the new alloy gravely injures Jessica, her father is convinced by Gregory to try and resurrect Prime's body as a carrier of the spores against the [[Autobot]]s, a sentiment exacerbated when it's learned Jessica was paralyzed from the waist down in the accident and now needs a special [[exosuit]] to walk. However, when reviving Prime's body turns out to be impossible for them, Gregory and Jessica's father decide to use it as bait for the other Autobots. Dr. Morgan forces Jessica to lure them into a spore trap at the lab.

The trap goes off without a hitch, mostly due to [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus]]' reckless haste in recovering his predecessor's corpse in lieu of caution, and several Autobots—including [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] and [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], two of the most powerful Autobot gestalts—are infected. The [[Decepticon]]s have learned about Optimus Prime's recovery as well, and have shown up to terminate the former Autobot leader permanently, but are instead infected themselves. Fortunately, Rodimus, Jessica, and [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] manage to escape unharmed, the former two with Optimus' body; a few other Autobots manage to escape infection as well, but are badly wounded while attempting to subdue a sickened and crazed Superion.

[[File:ReturnofOptimus1 Magnus sneaks up.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Rodimus has [[Energy vampire|no reflection]]?]]
Back at Autobot City, Rodimus pleads to [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] to try and repair Prime, but Prime is too far gone even for [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]] medical experience. Desperate, Rodimus contacts [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] and orders him to locate and bring back a [[Quintesson]], remembering that they had [[Dark Awakening (episode)|once before restored Optimus to life]]. He then sets about disconnecting [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] to keep the city-former from becoming infected. However, just as he finishes the final steps to do so, an infected [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] appears. He gives chase to Rodimus before he's temporarily subdued by Wreck-Gar...who ends up becoming infected, and infecting Rodimus in return.

[[File:ReturnofOptimus1 Quintesson fixing Prime.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|You put your right arm in. You put your right arm out.]]
TV station [[KSUN]] reports that the Hate Plague, as it's now called, has spread like wildfire across the planet. Scenes of chaos and destruction unfold in [[Washington, D.C.]] and elsewhere. The plague has even made its way off-world, sending the Quintessons into hiding at the ends of the galaxy. Sky Lynx finds [[Klementia|an uninfected Quintesson]] who he saves from infected Sharkticons in exchange for reviving Optimus. The Quintesson warns that—should anything go too awry during the process — there's a good chance that Optimus will never live again. It's touch-and-go for a while, but eventually, the Quintesson manages to pull through and Optimus is restored to full life, declaring that "no force in the Universe can stop me."

[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2|To be continued]]...
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (4)
*[[Afterburner (G1)|Afterburner]] (11)
*[[Strafe (G1)|Strafe]] (12)
*[[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] (13)
*[[Scattershot (G1)|Scattershot]] (14)
*[[Nosecone (G1)|Nosecone]] (15)
*[[Computron (G1)|Computron]] (17)
*[[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (18)
*[[Blades (G1)|Blades]] (19)
*[[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] (20)
*[[Wideload (G1)|Wideload]] (21)
*[[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] (22)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (23)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] (24)
*[[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] (26)
*[[Groove (G1)|Groove]] (27)
*[[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] (28)
*[[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (29)
*[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (30)
*[[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (31)
*[[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (32)
*[[Superion (G1)|Superion]] (33)
*[[Chase (G1)|Chase]] (34)
*[[Freeway (G1)|Freeway]] (35)
*[[Searchlight (G1)|Searchlight]] (36)
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (37)
*[[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] (38)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] (39)
*[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] (40)
*[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] (51)
*[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] (52)
*[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (53)
*[[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] (54)
}}
|c2=
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (5; flashback)
*[[Cutthroat (G1)|Cutthroat]] (6)
*[[Rippersnapper (G1)|Rippersnapper]] (7)
*[[Sinnertwin (G1)|Sinnertwin]] (8)
*[[Blot (G1)|Blot]] (9)
*[[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-Gurrr]] (10)
*[[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] (16)
*[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] (25)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (41)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (42)
*[[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (43)
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (44)
*[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] (45)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] (46)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (47)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (48)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (49)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (50)
*[[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (56)
*[[Headstrong (G1)|Headstrong]] (57)
*[[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] (58)
|c3=
*[[Gregory Swofford]] (1)
*[[Jessica Morgan]] (2)
*[[Mark Morgan]] (3)
*[[Bonnie Carlson]] (55)
|c4=
*[[Klementia|Quintesson judge]] (59)
*[[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]] (60)
}}

==Notable quotes==
"Computron think too much!"
:—'''Abominus''', who subsequently shoots Computron

"Why do I keep seeing you in my dreams, Optimus? Are you telling me I'm not the leader ''you'' were? I already know that, Optimus. I always have."
:—'''Rodimus''' ponders in front of [[Optimus Prime memorial|Optimus's memorial statue]] in Metroplex.

[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime1 hate-plague Magnus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
"Where's that punk Rodimus Prime?! I want him!" 
"There you are, you puny wimp!" 
"You can't escape, Rodimus! I can track your gas fumes anywhere!"
:—Several lines from infected '''Ultra Magnus''' as he tracks down Rodimus Prime. ''In virus veritas,'' indeed.

"The Autobots are acting like madmen!" 
"It's a madness plague, Galvatron. If one of those Transformers touches you, you're infected." 
"You're lying!" 
"Fine. Whatever makes you a happy Decepticon. Just watch your rear thruster."
:—'''Galvatron''' and '''Rodimus Prime'''

"I'm a doctor, not a forklift!" 
"His engines, they cannae take the strain!" 
"He's dead, Jim." 
:—'''Wreck-Gar'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s inspired medical descriptions of Optimus Prime's condition

"It's over, kid. I've won!" 
"Don't believe it, old friend!"
:—Infected '''Ultra Magnus''' blocks '''Rodimus Prime''', who evades him.

"Like I said before, kid. It's all over. What...? ARGH!" 
"And as ''I'' said before: Don't believe it."
:—Infected '''Ultra Magnus''' corners '''Rodimus Prime''', only to be lassoed by Wreck-Gar.

"I'm a pepper! Wouldn't you like to be a pepper, too?"
:—'''Wreck-Gar''' merrily spreads the infection.

"They've all gone mad. This is no place for me!"
:—The irony is lost on '''Galvatron.'''

"The world needs a leader now!"
:—'''Sky Lynx''' on the reactivation of Optimus Prime

"I've done it! Optimus Prime lives!" 
"It's true. Our leader is back." 
"Yes, Sky Lynx, and this time, no force in the universe can stop me."
:—'''Quintesson''' and '''Sky Lynx''' as the decidedly confident '''Optimus Prime''' is revived

==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:PrimeTommyInterviewAgain.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
[[Tommy Kennedy|Tommy]] meets with [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] in the barren wasteland to continue his interview inquiring as to how Optimus came back from the dead. Tommy recaps the time Prime came back as a zombie and was blown to smithereens and is curious how Optimus escaped ''that'' one. Optimus proceeds to relate the adventures of his inanimate corpse...

Tommy wants to know the rest of the tale, but Optimus only teases the conclusion. Apparently, he promised [[Cloudburst]] that he would help him redesign his retro-rockets and the appointment can't wait. Prime sets Tommy down, but promises to return soon to transform his day into an adventure.
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime1 Chase infected.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Here begins an almost criminal legacy of scriptwriters abusing the Throttlebots.]]
*Seemingly thrown in at the last moment, the [[Throttlebot]]s make their debut. They're only visible in a handful of shots, [[Rollbar (G1)|Rollbar]] is missing, and none of them are identified by name.
*Swofford and Morgan must've spent ''one hell of a long time'' repairing Optimus Prime if they managed to retrieve him from the Quintessons' detonator all the way back to [[Dark Awakening (episode)|"Dark Awakening"]]. Either that, or Optimus died before his ship hit the detonator and his ship drifted precariously off course for the last several months.
*It's not clear what Rodimus means by "disconnecting" Metroplex; he apologizes as though it's a terrible thing, leading some fans to speculate that he was shutting him down for good - but later he says that Metroplex is "safe", implying that he's just... separated somehow.
*The Hate Plague can apparently infect any creature, both purely mechanical and biological.
*The Autobots are implied to have created the exosuit for Jessica so she can walk again. Hmm, one wonders if this technology could have been [[Chip Chase|useful before now]]…
*Even though it occurs in a flashback, this is ''technically'' the last appearance of Megatron in the original American series.

===Real-world references===
*Jessica mentions [[World War II]].
*Courtesy of Wreck-Gar:
**"Lucy, Lucy, what have you done now?" Is a reference to ''{{w|I Love Lucy}}''.
**"I'm a doctor, not a forklift!" and "He's dead, Jim," reference popular quotes from ''[[Star Trek]]'' medic [[Doctor McCoy|Dr. Leonard H. McCoy]].
**Similarly, "His engines, they cannae take the strain!" comes from another ''Star Trek'' character, namely [[Scotty|Montgomery Scott]], though this is often claimed to not be attributed to the character except for its use in parodies.
**"I'm a pepper! Wouldn't you like to be a pepper, too?" is a reference to an old {{w|Dr Pepper}} ad campaign in the late '70s to early '80s.
**"Well, excuuuuse us!" is a reference to a catchphrase of {{w|Steve Martin}}.
*A couple of the infection rioting scenes seem to portray [[Washington, D.C.]]. Humans are shown rioting at a badly-drawn Lincoln Memorial; the monument that Defensor throws ''may'' be intended to be the [[Washington Monument]], though it's awfully stumpy and shouldn't have a projecting cap on top. He throws it into a Classically styled building, another common DC element.

===Animation and technical errors===
[[File:Swindle TROOP.jpg|right|upright=1.4|thumb|"So we bought your daughter's exosuit from a Decepticon...what's so bad about that?"]]
*The first shot of Prime's ship shows it colored in orange. In all other shots, it's white with orange landing gear. And it looks totally different from its [[Dark Awakening (episode)|last appearance]].
*The first shot of Optimus Prime on Gregory's display shows him sitting in a red chair. It's yellow in other shots.
*As the duo first come upon Prime's body, he's missing the vertical line on his abs/grille.
*The animation and editing seem to conflate Prime's ship hitting the asteroid (shown using rather incongruently recycled animation from "Dark Awakening") with the star going nova at the same instant, conveying them as though they were the same event.
*If the star is going nova - shouldn't its light be visible outside the windows behind Jessica?
*In the first interior shot of Morgan's lab, the two test rats are already red before they've been infected. One is layered behind the glass box that's containing him, too.
*The screen separating the infected rats rises up out of solid table. In the same shot, the three humans' colors all change shade several times; meanwhile, the infected rats aren't glowing anymore.
*As Computron falls through the lab's ceiling, the hand that breaks through the building is colored purple like Abominus's.
*Abominus's visor is white instead of red as he stomps on the building; his helmet has some gray parts that should be purple as well.
*There's no transition between the Terrorcons being merged as they stomp on the building, and them showing up separated just a shot or two later.
*The Terrorcons grab the alloy in their beast modes, yet in the next shot they're running out with it in robot mode.
*As Jessica is being loaded into First Aid, Gregory and Mark are wearing smocks, not the suits and ties they wear in other shots.
*When Gregory and Jessica's father rush at the hospital and find the Autobots, [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] is amongst them. This does at least explain why Hot Spot is standing around in a ''hospital'' with a gun in his hand. Hot Spot's chestplate is also blue, instead of its proper red.
*Jessica grabs tops of Optimus' arm to try and save him from the incinerator (though one of her hands fails to actually connect with Prime's arm, instead floating just above it.) The next shot shows it towering over her.
*As he drives Jessica into Autobot City, Ultra Magnus is shown driving into a tunnel in one shot, but in the next he's in open air.
*Optimus' statue is missing the smoke stacks on its arms.
*The depressions on Rodimus' shoulders are white again in this episode. They were burgundy in the previous one.
*Rodimus' helmet is missing its horizontal line in this episode.
*When Rodimus is done talking to Optimus' statue, his head slides backwards. Twice.
*Rodimus' helmet is missing its horizontal line in this episode.
*When Defensor is shown after the Protectobots combine, his left arm is missing, and his forehead is colored blue instead of his eyes.
*After transforming to jet mode during Magnus's rollcall, Silverbolt sort of floats along at an angle.
*Steeljaw just pops into the frame during the Autobot rollcall.
*When Ratbat returns:
**A layering error has him in front of Soundwave's chest compartment door, instead of disappearing behind it.
**His cassette form is white instead of purple.
**Soundwave looks down after his chest closes up, but his faceplate stays in its previous position of looking upwards.
**Soundwave's vocoded voice processing (provided by [[Scott Brownlee]]) sounds higher pitched than usual. Presumably it was fed through a different synthesizer for this episode.
*When Galvatron says, "So Optimus Prime may yet live." For a second his chin turns black.
*When the Jessica exits Rodimus, she's wearing her space suit and not wearing her exoskeleton.
*When Jessica points at the lab, her neckline is layered over her hand.
*When Rodimus dispatches some of the Autobots to watch the area around the lab, Wheelie is missing his Autobot symbol.
*Before entering the lab to retrieve Prime's body, Rodimus gives orders to Defensor...though Defensor is shown as the one mouthing all of those orders. In the same shot, Chase is colored as Goldbug (who hasn't even been built yet!)
*The red glow around infected characters seemed to create all kinds of problems for the animators:
**The glow aura is frequently out of step with the animation or visible through objects in front of them
**Infected characters often become briefly transparent, allowing background objects to be seen through them.
**Often characters are just red, without the glowing aura effect, as when Superion breaks through the lab roof.
*When the Autobots get infected, several are shown clipping through each other.
*Slingshot is shown mouthing Magnus's lines about "that punk Rodimus Prime".
*Jessica's bracelet disappears from and re-appears on her right wrist throughout the episode - including during the shot when she turns to run back to the lab (when Rodimus says "We've got to get Optimus outta here!")
[[File:ROOP1 superion hateplague.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*Superion shoots a gun with the sound effect of Megatron's cannon. Defensor fires back with Optimus Prime's usual sound effect.
**Superion's still using the same sound effect later, along with a whining after-effect, when he takes out Kup and company.
**Then Ultra Magnus gets in on the act as he blasts his way into the Autobot lab with the same sound effects.
*Superion is not nearly as huge as he should be when he takes on the police officers.
*As Rodimus first makes his escape from Magnus, he drives past two [[Throttlebot]]s... with the Decepticon Wildrider standing between them. (at this point, the Decepticons have yet to arrive on the scene, let alone become infected.)
*Mark's thrown jar doesn't leave behind any pieces after it shatters.
*Galvatron's chin is gray in some shots, dark gray in others.
*As the Decepticons walk into the loading area, Bruticus is the same size as all the regular Decepticons.
*Rodimus's windshield is colored solid as he makes his escape from the lab.
*First Aid is shown brawling with the Decepticons at the lab; at this point he is out with the Protectobots, not yet infected.
*Kup's vehicle mode is drawn like a van instead of a truck as he pulls up behind Superion.
*Flying Autobots:
**Blurr sort of floats along sideways as he shoots at Superion.
*Superion manages to hit all the Autobots attacking him... without lifting his gun arm to shoot!
*Defensor's chest plates are blue instead of black as he tries to clear the bridge.
*Rodimus's mouth doesn't move as he starts talking about Quintessons.
*Sky Lynx is shown flying out of the solar system past Saturn, but it's colored white instead of yellow.
*When Rodimus notices Magnus behind him, his eyes are lined thicker than usual. He sees Magnus's reflection in the viewscreen, but not his own.
*When Wreck-Gar is about to infect Rodimus, Rodimus is all red before he's been infected.
*During Brawl's rampage, he somehow manages to infect an inanimate truck.
*As an unconscious man leans against this truck, a pair of infected people fight over both him and the truck, overlapping them as if it they weren't there.
*Headstrong bumps into Razorclaw; as Razorclaw gains the infected glow effect, a layering error causes him to jump from behind Headstrong to in front of him, and back again.
[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime1 InfectedVortex.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*Vortex, meanwhile, flies into a commercial jetliner through its passenger door! In the same shot, he's visible through the arm of a passing human. He also gets the Autobot laser sound effect when he opens fire.
*The rioting humans at the Lincoln Memorial are wielding bats which also glow infection-red.
*When Defensor picks up a stone monument to throw, the monument gains a red aura around it, but does not become red. The red aura disappears when the monument is thrown.
*Before being picked up by Sky Lynx, one of the Quintesson's faces flashes red for a moment.
*The Quintesson's death face is missing its left-side cresting as he prepares to reactivate Prime.
*The Quintesson's Egyptian-styled head is facing Optimus at the end, but one shot shows it facing backwards.
*During his famous line at the end of the episode, Optimus Prime's mouthplate isn't moving.

===Continuity errors===
[[File:Retcon.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Someone fixed Prime's body, but no one can fix the story.]]
*More or less this entire episode is a massive continuity error, as it purports to pick up at the end of Optimus Prime's last prior appearance in "[[Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening]]", yet actually presents entirely different conditions. In the prior episode, Optimus Prime lost an arm and half of his face (on top of his longstanding physical damage still left from the [[The Transformers: The Movie|animated movie]]), but was still alive as he managed to steer his ship at high speed through the heavy fire of a massed Quintesson spacefleet, deliberately ramming a detonator that caused a binary supernova and obliterated the ship and the entire solar system around it. Yet in this new episode, Optimus Prime is shown completely intact and pristine, albeit dead, as his (completely different) ship drifts, slowly and alone, through the system.
**Some of these inconsistencies can be attributed to the fact that "Dark Awakening" was animated by AKOM, and this episode by Toei.
**The original script addressed the events of "Dark Awakening," right down to his severely damaged state. It included sequences in which he was repaired by Dr. Morgan and Dr. Swofford in order to weaponize him with the spores. Interestingly enough, there were also scenes showing Rodimus Prime experiencing nightmares playing out in the celestial Autobot tomb, where he encountered his zombified predecessor. For some reason, most likely running time, these scenes didn't make it into the final episode.
*Jessica Morgan and Gregory Swofford detect life-signs aboard Optimus Prime's ship, but the Autobot is dead.
*Gregory says Prime's ship is about to collide with a planet, while the animation shows the ship approaching a small, irregular asteroid.
*Unlikely viewpoints:
**Gregory and Jessica get a shot of Prime sitting inside his ship.
*Superhuman <s>Spike</s> humans:
**Jessica Morgan and Gregory Swofford are able to lift, push and pull Optimus Prime's massive body out of his chair and onto their ship without any mechanical assistance or devices except a rope. There's no gravity in space, but objects still have mass and therefore inertia.
*Why didn't any of the Autobots notice Optimus Prime's body when they were loading Jessica into the ambulance? Sure he was half buried under rubble, but a truck-sized leader of your own faction shouldn't be ''that'' hard to notice?
*Why is Steeljaw part of the Autobot roll call when Blaster is not?
*Even though Ratbat's reconnaissance recording consists of nothing more than an ambiguous, one-line statement by Jessica Morgan - "My father has his body in the lab." - Galvatron immediately knows that she's referring to Optimus Prime.
*Why have the Protectobots merge before traveling to the lab? Did Defensor have to [[:File:Loveandsteel-runfortmaxrun.jpg|run the whole way?]]
*Doctor Morgan throws spores at Rodimus, apparently not noticing that ''his own daughter'' is inside him, even though we see her clearly through his windows in several other shots.
*When Jessica Morgan asks who built Optimus Prime in the first place, Rodimus Prime responds by saying the Quintessons did so - but it was [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] who rebuilt Orion Pax into Optimus. While the Quintessons are credited with creating the Transformer race, the timeline shown by "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]" and "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]" would have to be seriously stretched out of shape for Orion Pax to have been directly created by them - Orion's clearly meant to be a youngish 'bot in "War Dawn", long after the Quints have been driven off Cybertron.
*Why is Rodimus so desperate to bring Optimus back from the dead even after he's aware of the much more pressing concern of the Hate Plague?
*Improbable viewpoints:
**Rodimus contacts Sky Lynx and gets an exterior visual of him somehow.
*Rodimus decides to deactivate Metroplex to stop him from catching the plague, but Magnus is infected and already walking around on him well before Rodimus pushes the last switch.
*If the Quintessons really are "in hiding in the far reaches of the galaxy" as Sky Lynx claims, then how did any of the at-the-time-still-Earthbound Hate Plague carriers manage to find them, much less get all the way out there to infect them in the first place?
*For that matter, how the hell did these theoretical Hate Plague carriers manage to ''beat Sky Lynx to the Quintessons''?
*How are Sky Lynx and the Quintesson able to take the time to revive Optimus Prime without being attacked? Did all the other Autobots and humans leave Autobot City?
*And how does Sky Lynx know the Quintesson is repairing Prime back to the way he was before he died, rather than the brainwashed version from "Dark Awakening"? It's possible he stood and watched as they worked to ensure they didn't do just that.
*Sky Lynx seems to have shrunk to an average size Transformer when he was with the Quintesson repairing Optimus Prime.

===Trivia===
*The resurrection of Optimus Prime in the show was a direct result of children's reactions to his death in ''The Transformers: The Movie'' and subsequent letters, as acknowledged by a Hasbro exec in a 1986 newspaper article. He didn't even have a toy on the shelves (which changed in 1988 with the release of Powermaster Optimus Prime).
*Jessica Morgan is named after co-writer Marv Wolfman's daughter.<ref>http://www.marvwolfman.com/marv/Speaking_With_Larry_Ditillio.html</ref>
*When Rodimus wants to put together a team to pick up a dead body from a couple of humans, he doesn't mess around, does he? (Although not without [[Hate Plague|good reason]].)

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Die Rückkehr von Optimus Prime, Teil 1'''" ("The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Il ritorno di Commander, Parte 1'''" (First dub, "The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1"), "'''Il ritorno di Optimus Prime, Parte 1'''" (Second dub, "The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' コンボイの復活パート1 (''Convoy no Fukkatsu Part 1'', "The Resurrection of Convoy Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 18]], [[1987]]
:*A "[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]" segment unique to Japan was attached to the end of this episode. It focuses on the many battles between the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s and the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]]s. It replaces the original "Secret Files" segment which focused on the Autobots.

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Qíngtiānzhù Fùhuó (shàng)'''" (擎天柱复活(上),"Optimus Prime Resurrects, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 1987 — ''The Transformers'' — The Return of Optimus Prime ([[Family Home Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 1987 — ''Transformers'' — Die Rückkehr von Optimus Prime (Erster Teil) ([[Polyband]]) — German audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1988 — ''Transformers'' — The Return of Optimus Prime: Optimus Prime the Ultimate Robot ([[Tempo Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1989 — ''Transformers'' — Headmasters / The Return of Optimus Prime (Tempo Video) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1991 — ''Transformers'' — Headmasters / The Return of Optimus Prime / Cosmic Rust (Tempo Video) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2000 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume 7: The Return of Optimus Prime ([[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]] 2004 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 2 & Season 4 ([[The Original Transformers|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 5: Series 3.2 ([[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]] 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)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/season-3/synopses/700-115.html Episode Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}
[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]

The Transformers: The Movie promo

2019-01-03T12:03:17Z

CommanderModesty: /* Notable differences */

[[File:TFTM promo title card.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I'm getting all nipply...]]
Early in the production of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', a '''promotional trailer''' was made to sell the project to potential investors.

{{bigquote|A new motion picture will transform the summer of 1986 into an incredible adventure.|The promo's opening blurb.}}

This trailer features a fair bit of test footage that was either changed or cut before the movie's release, together with a few lines of unique narration by [[Victor Caroli]].

==Notable differences==
[[File:TFTMpromo-SnarlWithSwoop.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|"Hey man. How long have you been there for?"]]
*There are close-up shots of both of [[Unicron]]'s pincers piercing [[Lithone (planet)|Lithone]]'s surface.
**Unicron's inner workings have a much more organic appearance to them.
*The [[Autobot shuttle]] is a slightly different design and colour scheme.
*When [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] tells his story about the [[Ick-Yak]] to the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], they are sitting around in robot mode.
**Kup's dialogue is from a different take to that which was used in the movie.
**[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] is also prominently featured in this scene, despite being relegated to cameo status within the actual movie. However, this comes at the cost of [[Slag (G1)|Slag]], who doesn't appear at all in this scene, as per the original script's description of "the four Dinobots".
**[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] are shown travelling in the same shuttlecraft as [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]].
*What is shown of the [[Battle of Autobot City]] is a bit more energetic and violent than the final version.
**[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] is drawn in his [[Diaclone]] colours.[[File:DiacloneMagnusAnime1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Y'all know me. Still the same O.G.]]
**[[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] is mostly white.
*Rather than the [[Matrix of Leadership]], [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] wears a glowing-pink wireframe around his neck, which may be the jar holding the [[Life Spark]] of Optimus Prime, which was in early versions of the script before being replaced by the Matrix in the final film.
*Galvatron falls inside Unicron as he transforms, only to suddenly reappear outside of him.
*Unicron in robot mode has an orange mohawk and is missing his [[facial hair]].

In addition to the above points, there are a few lighting and sound effects featured that were changed for the movie's release.

Musically, the trailer is soundtracked with selections from {{w|James Horner}}'s score to ''{{w|Star Trek III: The Search for Spock}}'' (specifically, the "Return to [[Vulcan]]" and "Bird of Prey Decloaks" cues).

==Japanese version==
A slightly re-edited version of the trailer exists that features Japanese captions on screen. Apart from these captions, there is little difference between the two versions; the opening blurb has been removed (probably due to it being pointless in front of an audience that can't read English), and some of the blank footage between cuts has been trimmed down. An excerpt from an instrumental track by the legendary British metal band [[Iron Maiden]], "Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)" (from their 1984 album ''Powerslave'') is heard in this promo as well.

This version was available in Japan on the [[Transformers Hero]] Laserdisc. The laserdisc was widely bootlegged on VHS tape in the US.

==Theatrical version==
The promo was later cut down to around 90 seconds in length (from its original 4¼ minutes), re-cropped to fit a widescreen aspect ratio, and sent out to cinemas as the movie's first [[commercial|theatrical trailer]].

[[File:TFTM promo theatrical.jpg|thumb|left|225px|''The Transformers: The Migraine™'']]
This version is composed of the original opening blurb, a new flashy title card (which is so awesome that it is shown 2½ times by the time the trailer ends), a shorter version of the scene aboard the Autobot shuttle including the captions that introduce the new characters and their voice actors but omitting Kup's monologue, and the Battle of Autobot City sequence.

The theatrical version also differs from the original promo in that it is scored with [[Vince DiCola]]'s "[[Escape (song)|Escape]]", a cue taken directly from [[The Transformers: The Movie - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack|the movie's soundtrack]], together with some brand new Victor Caroli narration.

Being a trailer, it is preceded by the perennial {{w|MPAA}} green screen and the [[Dino De Laurentiis|De Laurentiis Entertainment Group]] logo, and ends with a promise that the movie will be "coming this summer to a theatre near you".

{{--}}

==Home video releases==
The different versions of the promotional trailer have been made available to the general public as a bonus feature on a few DVDs:

[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2002 — ''Transformers'' — Complete Original Series: Deluxe Edition ([[Maverick Entertainment|Sony Wonder]]) — The Japanese version. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2005 — ''Transformers: The Movie'' — Reconstructed ([[Metrodome]]) — The Japanese version. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Transformers: The Movie'' — 20th Anniversary Special Edition ([[Sony|Sony BMG]]) — The theatrical version. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Transformers: The Movie'' — 20th Anniversary Special Edition (Sony BMG) — The original version, but with commentary by [[Paul Hitchens]] in lieu of the audio track. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: The Movie'' — Ultimate Edition (Metrodome) — The Japanese version.

==External links==
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTg95728_-8 The Japanese version of the promo on YouTube]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh3wgldJxRM The theatrical version of the promo on YouTube]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers: The Movie promo}}
[[Category:Generation 1 media]]

The Transformers: The Movie promo

2019-01-03T12:00:09Z

CommanderModesty: /* Notable differences */

[[File:TFTM promo title card.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I'm getting all nipply...]]
Early in the production of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', a '''promotional trailer''' was made to sell the project to potential investors.

{{bigquote|A new motion picture will transform the summer of 1986 into an incredible adventure.|The promo's opening blurb.}}

This trailer features a fair bit of test footage that was either changed or cut before the movie's release, together with a few lines of unique narration by [[Victor Caroli]].

==Notable differences==
[[File:TFTMpromo-SnarlWithSwoop.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|"Hey man. How long have you been there for?"]]
*There are close-up shots of both of [[Unicron]]'s pincers piercing [[Lithone (planet)|Lithone]]'s surface.
**Unicron's inner workings have a much more organic appearance to them.
*The [[Autobot shuttle]] is a slightly different design and colour scheme.
*When [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] tells his story about the [[Ick-Yak]] to the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], they are sitting around in robot mode.
**Kup's dialogue is from a different take to that which was used in the movie.
**[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] is also prominently featured in this scene, despite being relegated to cameo status within the actual movie. However, this comes at the cost of [[Slag (G1)|Slag]], who doesn't appear at all in this scene, as per the original script's description of "the four Dinobots".
**[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] are shown travelling in the same shuttlecraft as [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]].
*What is shown of the [[Battle of Autobot City]] is a bit more energetic and violent than the final version.
**[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] is drawn in his [[Diaclone]] colours.[[File:DiacloneMagnusAnime1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Y'all know me. Still the same O.G.]]
**[[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] is mostly white.
*Rather than the [[Matrix of Leadership]], [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] wears a glowing-pink wireframe around his neck, which may be the jar holding the [[Life Spark]] of Optimus Prime, which was in early versions of the script before being replaced by the Matrix in the final film.
*Galvatron falls inside Unicron as he transforms, only to suddenly reappear outside of him.
*Unicron in robot mode has an orange mohawk and is missing his [[facial hair]].

In addition to the above points, there are a few lighting and sound effects featured that were changed for the movie's release.

Musically, the trailer is soundtracked with selections from {{w|James Horner}}'s score to ''{{w|Star Trek III: The Search for Spock}}'' (specifically, the "Return to [[Vulcan]]" and "Bird of Prey Decloaks" cues). The Iron Maiden track "Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)" appears during the Autobot City battle shots.

==Japanese version==
A slightly re-edited version of the trailer exists that features Japanese captions on screen. Apart from these captions, there is little difference between the two versions; the opening blurb has been removed (probably due to it being pointless in front of an audience that can't read English), and some of the blank footage between cuts has been trimmed down. An excerpt from an instrumental track by the legendary British metal band [[Iron Maiden]], "Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)" (from their 1984 album ''Powerslave'') is heard in this promo as well.

This version was available in Japan on the [[Transformers Hero]] Laserdisc. The laserdisc was widely bootlegged on VHS tape in the US.

==Theatrical version==
The promo was later cut down to around 90 seconds in length (from its original 4¼ minutes), re-cropped to fit a widescreen aspect ratio, and sent out to cinemas as the movie's first [[commercial|theatrical trailer]].

[[File:TFTM promo theatrical.jpg|thumb|left|225px|''The Transformers: The Migraine™'']]
This version is composed of the original opening blurb, a new flashy title card (which is so awesome that it is shown 2½ times by the time the trailer ends), a shorter version of the scene aboard the Autobot shuttle including the captions that introduce the new characters and their voice actors but omitting Kup's monologue, and the Battle of Autobot City sequence.

The theatrical version also differs from the original promo in that it is scored with [[Vince DiCola]]'s "[[Escape (song)|Escape]]", a cue taken directly from [[The Transformers: The Movie - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack|the movie's soundtrack]], together with some brand new Victor Caroli narration.

Being a trailer, it is preceded by the perennial {{w|MPAA}} green screen and the [[Dino De Laurentiis|De Laurentiis Entertainment Group]] logo, and ends with a promise that the movie will be "coming this summer to a theatre near you".

{{--}}

==Home video releases==
The different versions of the promotional trailer have been made available to the general public as a bonus feature on a few DVDs:

[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2002 — ''Transformers'' — Complete Original Series: Deluxe Edition ([[Maverick Entertainment|Sony Wonder]]) — The Japanese version. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2005 — ''Transformers: The Movie'' — Reconstructed ([[Metrodome]]) — The Japanese version. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Transformers: The Movie'' — 20th Anniversary Special Edition ([[Sony|Sony BMG]]) — The theatrical version. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Transformers: The Movie'' — 20th Anniversary Special Edition (Sony BMG) — The original version, but with commentary by [[Paul Hitchens]] in lieu of the audio track. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: The Movie'' — Ultimate Edition (Metrodome) — The Japanese version.

==External links==
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTg95728_-8 The Japanese version of the promo on YouTube]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh3wgldJxRM The theatrical version of the promo on YouTube]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers: The Movie promo}}
[[Category:Generation 1 media]]

Omega Supreme (G1)

2018-12-13T19:11:33Z

CommanderModesty: /* Other */

{{factions|autobot}}
{{Disambigm|Omega Supreme (disambiguation)|Omega S.P.R.E.E.M.}}
:''Omega Supreme is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:StudioOxOmegaSupreme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Favorite punctuation mark: colon.]]

'''Omega Supreme''' is one of the [[Scale|largest Autobots there is]]. He isn't much for words, preferring his massive frame and equally massive weapons to do the talking for him. Omega is the last line of defense for the Autobots, a titanic guardian robot capable of instilling fear and panic into the [[spark]]s of [[Decepticon]]s that dare face him on the field of battle.

Except [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]. Kill that little guy, it just makes him angry.

{{bigquote|Omega Supreme: always prepared.|Omega Supreme|"[[Blaster Blues]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Jack Angel]] (English), [[Tesshō Genda]] (Japanese), [[Masashi Ebara]] (Japanese, ''2010'')|[[Yang Wenyuan]] (Mandarin), [[Henry Djanik]] (French), [[Carlos Agosti]] (American Spanish), [[Gernot Duda]] (German, "The Big Broadcast of 2006"), [[Gerd Rigauer]] (German, "The Golden Lagoon" ''Generation 2'' dub), [[Garcia Neto]] (Brazilian Portuguese)}}

[[File:Omegadefendscrystalcity.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|How his base ends up on the planets his rocket flies to is just another of those eternal mysteries of life.]]

Millions of years ago, Omega Supreme was a member of the legendary [[Guardian robot]]s, and was charged with defending [[Crystal City]], the most spectacular city on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. He befriended the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], the city's creators. However, as it would happen, the Constructicons were attacked by [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s [[Robosmasher]] and converted into [[Decepticon]]s. The now-evil Constructicons convinced Omega to leave his post to help defend the capital city, and promised to look after the city in his stead. When he left, they demolished the Crystal City, to Omega Supreme's horror. He hunted them down, trapping them in a pit, and tried to reverse the reprogramming done by the Robo-Smasher. Though he appeared to be successful, the programming was irreversible, and Megatron had given the Constructicons a new combined form named [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. The treacherous Constructicons lured Omega into an ambush and in their new form attempted to use the Smasher to convert him into a Decepticon, but he destroyed the machine and they fled before he recovered from the attack.

{{Quote|I lived, but changed. Since then, I feel only hate for the Constructicons.}}

[[File:Robo-Smasher and Omega Supreme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.45|Et tu, Robo-Smasher?]]
Some time after these events transpired—after the launch of the [[Ark (G1)|Autobot]] and [[Nemesis (G1)|Decepticon starships]]—the Constructicons left Cybertron in a starship and tried to locate the missing Megatron. Omega Supreme pursued them, "for millions of years, across the galaxies"; eventually, the Constructicons rejoined Megatron on [[Earth]], and Omega Supreme followed them there, still seeking revenge. {{Storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

[[File:Omegasupreme astrotrain.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.15|A shuttle in the hand is worth two on the track.]]
For the most part, he acted as inter-planetary transport for the Autobots, as well as their last line of defense. While he was preparing for a round of target practice, Omega lost contact with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] when [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] began broadcasting the music from a concert over the Autobot communications frequencies. The interference resulted in Megatron getting away clean with the [[Voltronic Galaxer]], which necessitated a trip to the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]] to retrieve it. Omega took Optimus, [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Carly]]. There, he got to battle [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], who taunted him for being outdated technology, but changed his tune after Omega triumphed. {{Storylink|Blaster Blues}} When the Decepticons found a pool of [[electrum]], rendering them invulnerable, they attacked Omega Supreme. His weapons had no effect on them, and the titan fell. Later the Autobots got the opportunity for payback when they located the electrum pool and used it themselves, gaining the advantage as the Decepticons' electrum coating wore off. {{Storylink|The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon}}

After [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] crashed on [[Titan (moon)|Titan]], Omega carried [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] there on a rescue mission. Unfortunately he just barely had enough energy to land, and was left teetering on the edge of a cliff overhanging a lake of deadly liquid. The moon was fortunately rich in [[energy crystal]]s, and Perceptor was able to use them to repower Omega. The explosion of the crystal deposit caused the island they were on to begin to disintegrate, so Omega Supreme used his base mode to transport everyone across to safety. {{Storylink|The God Gambit}}

[[File:Secretomegachatinwoods.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Storytime: informative.]]
Omega Surpreme finally got his chance at revenge when the Constructicons started mining an asteroid that turned out to be the egg of an [[Asteroid bird alien|strange creature]]. Omega left the creature to its own devices, which would have resulted in it devouring [[San Francisco]]. However, Optimus Prime convinced Omega to lead the creature back to its asteroid, which would sustain it. Omega lost his chance at revenge, but he did his duty. {{Storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

After the energy pest [[Kremzeek (G1)|Kremzeek]] took out most of the Autobots, Omega Supreme transported the survivors of his attack to [[Japan]] in an attempt to track down the creature. When they arrived, they were immediately beset by Kremzeek, however the Autobots remembered that Omega had not been coated with the insulating compound that was protecting them. Omega took to the air, but Kremzeek managed to reach him anyway, and he quickly crashed onto the Japanese beach. [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] promised they'd fix him up as soon as possible. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

The Autobots used Omega Supreme to follow the Decepticons back to Cybertron when Megatron intended to use [[Vector Sigma]] to create a new group of Decepticon warriors. After failing to stop the Decepticons from creating the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], {{Storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} the Autobots created a new team of their own to counter the new threat, the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. As Omega Supreme escaped Cybertron, he was hit by weapons fire from the [[Centurion droid]]s, and once he safely disembarked his passengers on Earth, he catastrophically exploded.

[[File:KtVS2 Omega Supreme in pieces.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Exploding: painful.]]
[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] connected Omega Supreme's mind to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s life support unit while they set about putting the giant back together. The arrogant Aerialbots, unimpressed with both the Autobots and the humans they protected, refused to help their comrades in defeating the Decepticons until their group leader [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] showed them how Sparkplug was able to disregard his fatigue and continue repairing Omega Supreme simply because of his concern for a friend's well being. Soon afterwards, the Aerialbots were facing defeat as [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] at the hands of the Stunticon combined form, [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], when the newly repaired Omega Supreme suddenly appeared and helped them defeat the combiner and send the Decepticons packing. {{Storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[File:BigBroadcast Omega Supreme attacked in rocket mode.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Enemy fire: tickles.]]
He transported the Autobots and the Aerialbots back to Cybertron when they detected strange energy readings emanating from the planet. The trip expended his energy so he was forced to sit out the mission. While the Autobots dealt with a [[Kronosphere|time machine]] sending the Aerialbots to the past, the Decepticons reactivated one of Omega's fellow Guardian Robots. After the Aerialbots returned from their trip through time, Silverbolt handed over some power packs they had taken from the Cybertron's Golden Age to refuel Omega. {{Storylink|War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn}}

After the coming of [[Unicron]], his space transport role was fulfilled by [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], though he still carried out occasional missions. He transported several Autobots to Junkion to investigate the strange behaviour of the Junkions. He was shot down by [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] crashing the Autobots on an asteroid. After being repaired Omega quickly turned the tide of the battle. Upon arriving on Junkion, Omega again battled the Decepticons. He was knocked down by a blast from Galvatron's cannon mode, but recovered and battled the Decepticons until Blaster asked him to bring him to altitude to counter the Quintesson signals. {{Storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

He was off on an undescribed mission when [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] acquired super-intelligence. {{Storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
Omega Supreme discovered [[Protectobot (G1)|five survivors]] on the wreckage of the ancient colony world, [[Archon]]. He brought them back to Earth, where they were eventually revived by an infusion of energon from the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. They would become known as the Protectobots. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/21}}

====Madman ''The Transformers'' comic====
In the year 2001, the Decepticons had managed to conquer Cybertron completely. Omega Supreme aided in the Autobots' exodus of the planet, though he came under heavy enemy fire during this mission. {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}

====''The Animated Movie''====
[[File:TAM TPB Gestalt Fight.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]

During the [[Battle of Autobot City]] in 2005, Omega Supreme was unable to come to the aid of the stricken city, as he was defending [[Ark (G1)|Autobot Headquarters]] alongside [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] and [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] against an attack by Menasor and Bruticus. {{storylink|Transformers: The Animated Movie|The Animated Movie trade paperback}}
{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''The Battle of the Star Gate''=====
Omega Supreme (at least, his rocket component) was amongst the Autobots who accompanied Optimus into Earth orbit to stop Megatron’s take-over of the ''[[Trigger]]''. They were able to repel the Decepticons from the space station in short order. {{storylink|First Contact (Star Gate)|First Contact}}

Omega Supreme’s rocket component was amongst the Autobots who once more confronted Megatron and his Decepticons at the ''Trigger'' in Earth orbit. When Starscream combined himself with the ''Trigger'' to create a powerful new body for himself, Omega Supreme had to contend with the volley of asteroids thrown towards both Autobots and Decepticons from Starscream’s star gate. He was then almost sucked into a portal to a black hole when Starscream neared defeat, but was instead sent plummeting down to Earth when Optimus and Megatron worked together to defeat Starscream. {{storylink|The Battle of the Star Gate}}

=====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''=====
Omega Supreme was deployed alongside [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] and [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] to defend the [[Prime Energy Tower]] of planet [[Feminia]] from the Decepticons. Together, the three giant Autobots were a match for [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], and [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. Unfortunately, [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] had a trump card ready: [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]]. With a single blow from his fist, Predaking toppled Omega Supreme, Defensor, and Superion. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #5}}

=====''Unite Warriors''=====
When the Constructicons tricked [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] into helping them build a new Crystal City on Earth, Omega Supreme seemingly set aside his enmity against the team in favor of aiding in the reconstruction of his former home. {{storylink|Unite Warriors Offshot#Crystal City Reconstruction Project|Crystal City Reconstruction Project}}

=====Wars manga=====
After a devastating battle with the [[Decepticon]]s during an energy crisis, Omega Supreme was forced to use [[Guardian robot]] components as spare parts for his own body. He apologized to [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] for his failure in defending him, but the city-bot took it in stride. When [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]] and the Decepticons attacked again, the rebuilt Metroplex transformed into [[robot mode]] and Omega manned one of his cannons. After Omega Supreme pointed out that Metrotitan was reprogrammed by the [[Nine Great Demon Generals]], Metrotitan rejected the rumor, leading Metroplex to definitively banish the traitor from the Autobots. With the Autobots' combined efforts, the Decepticons were sent fleeing. {{storylink|Metrowars}}

=====''Transformers Legends'' comic=====
While recapping Metroplex's life story to [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] in the [[Legends World|Legends Universe]], [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] included the time he'd battled Metrotitan alongside Omega Supreme. {{storylink|LG14 Ultra Magnus Prologue#The Mysterious Knowledgeable Grandpa Chapter|The Mysterious Knowledgeable Grandpa Chapter}}

====''Wings Universe''====
Nine million years ago, Omega Supreme was introduced to the rest of the Constructicons by [[Hauler]], while the team was still in the process of building Crystal City. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 42|Hauler's ''Wings of Honor'' profile}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Omega comics.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|I... AM DARKWING DUCK!]]
Soon after [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] was brought online on Earth, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] had a secret project in mind for the architect: {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}} the construction of Omega Supreme. Designed to be the Autobots' last line of defense and given life by Prime's [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], Omega Supreme was unveiled in front of the Autobot rank and file. With Omega completed, they were now free to leave the base en masse to attack the Decepticons, an advantage Optimus Prime utilized immediately. As the Autobots attacked the [[Wyoming base|Decepticon headquarters]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], unaware of Omega Supreme's birth, took [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]], and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] with him to attack the Ark, which he believed to be unguarded. At first Megatron underestimated the tank and rocket ship sitting outside their target, but Omega Supreme transformed and within moments destroyed all of them one by one without pause. Laserbeak managed to escape with a wounded Megatron back to the Decepticons. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

''Early on in the first [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] encounter, the Autobots openly talked about siccing Omega Supreme on the Decepticons. And then '''never did so''', despite it being a smart idea and knowing it was an option.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} ''Later, believing that Optimus Prime was dead thanks a plan involving a [[facsimile construct]], Omega attended a funeral for the Autobot leader before Prime was returned to them from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] via the [[space bridge]].'' {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Omegasupreme-blasterandgrimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Size: indeterminate.]]
Though Omega Supreme continued to guard the Ark, he didn't seem to stay [[Scale|quite as huge]] as he used to be. He could soon fit into the Ark, where watched with other Autobots as Ratchet tried to repair Optimus Prime, who had fallen in battle. Prime was declared irreparable, and Omega Supreme helped install a remote-control system for the Ark's defenses so all Autobots could attend their leader's funeral. During the ceremony, Omega placed Optimus's body in his final resting place, a spaceship casket which they shot into space. Upon the Autobots' return to the Ark, they found that its defenses would not shut down; in their absence, a villainous [[Mechanic|human]] had infiltrated their base and disabled the newly installed remote-control system. Ratchet, who had stayed behind, managed to defeat the intruder, and promised to repair all damaged Autobots within the following couple of days. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}} The funeral motivated Omega to work even harder so as to not let Optimus Prime down. He defended the Ark against an assault by [[Cobra]] aircraft and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]]. [[Serpentor]] then blew up Dirge as a demonstration of Cobra's peaceful intent and Omega ceased fire. {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}} [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and Omega cemented their alliance with [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] and Cobra as the Decepticons took control of [[Power Station Alpha]]. {{storylink|...All Fall Down!}}

Omega entered the Ark again when he and other high-ranking Autobots assembled to nominate Prime's replacement, and he suggested courage as a valuable trait for their imaginary candidate. When [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] attacked, the Decepticon carpeted the entrance to the Ark with sonic scrambler mines, disabling Omega and the other Autobots within; Omega was thus unable to square off against the giant. Fortunately, they were rescued by [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and the other [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], a turn of events that persuaded him, along with the other Autobots, to support Grimlock as their new leader. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}} He later changed his mind and was amongst the Autobots that approached the deserter Blaster to take over the leadership. {{storylink|Spacehikers!}} To settle the issue, Omega Supreme acted as a sort of Master of Ceremonies when Blaster and Grimlock were due to fight it out for Autobot leadership on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. He had shrunk more by then, but once [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]'s Decepticons surprise-attacked them, he seemed bigger again. Omega survived the battle seemingly uninjured. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:Buzzsawyikes4.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|It: Over 9000.]]
Omega traveled with the rest of the Autobots to the [[Arctic]] to investigate a distress signal sent by [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Soon, they were ambushed by two Decepticon armies, and Buzzsaw cannon-blasted Omega Supreme—and Omega actually seemed to be getting knocked over. This was all revealed as a plot by Starscream to divert both factions away from his attempts to absorb the powers of the [[Underbase]]. Omega traveled to [[Buenos Aires]] as part of a team led jointly by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] and [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]. When Fortress Maximus was in danger, he jumped to his rescue—however, the Underbase-powered Starscream, recalling his earlier defeat at Omega's hands, gleefully killed him. {{storylink|Dark Star}} {{storylink|Fallen Star!}}

Ratchet was tormented by his inability to repair all of the Autobots under his care, to the extent that the medic started to have nightmares about Omega Supreme and various other deactivated Autobots reviving as [[zombie]]s to kill him for his failures. Ratchet's nightmares came true for a short while, when the Decepticon [[Sports Car Patrol]] managed to infiltrate the Ark and took control of the damaged Autobots' bodies to torment him. When this failed to make Ratchet snap completely, the Decepticons' plan was abandoned and Omega Supreme was shut down once more. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}}

''Omega was repaired in time for the [[Transformer]]s' [[1989]] [[Christmas]] party, where he joined [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and Grimlock behind the sofa in scowling at [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] and [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]].'' {{storylink|:File:MarvelUK-250.jpg|''The Transformers'' #250 cover}}

=====The Big Broadcast of 2006=====
{{NoteMarvelBB2006}}
[[File:Omega supreme big broadcast of 2006.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9]]
In an alternate future of [[2006]], Omega Supreme flew a group of Autobots to [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] to investigate some strange goings-on there. Several aliens had been affected by a subliminal broadcast emanating from the planet, causing them to gather in its orbit and duke it out between themselves. Omega Supreme fought off several of the alien spacecrafts that were attacking his fellow Autobots. He also battled with "[[Scourge (G1)|Sweeps]]" and helped disrupt the [[Quintesson]] hypnosis signal by flying [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] into the air to broadcast soothing music. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Omega supreme destiny.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.7]]
When [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s [[Blitz Engine]]s were unleashed on the surface of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Omega Supreme was activated by [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] to take care of the menacing pests. Soundwave ordered [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] to take him out with prejudice. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Four}} Omega proved more than capable of resisting the gestalt, however; as [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] defeated Bludgeon and the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] (under the command of Starscream) destroyed the ''[[Warworld]]'', Omega blasted Monstructor into many little bits. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Five}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:TheOmegaEffect OmegaSupreme Sunstorm Starscream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Starscream's pants: soiled]]
Some time after the departure of the Ark, Omega Supreme and [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] were part of one of the last Autobot space programs, tasked with containing the expansion of the Decepticons to other worlds and, more importantly, to find [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and the crew of the Ark. The two eventually parted ways with the other members of the operation, [[Countdown (G1)|Countdown]] and [[Groundshaker]], in order to investigate a beacon emanating from the [[Solar System|Sol System]]. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} Jetfire and Omega detected what they thought was the energy signature of the Ark, only to be attacked by [[Scourge (G1)|a mysterious, powerful assailant]] and ultimately ended up buried under Antarctica on Earth. {{Storylink|Original Sin}} Millions of years later, Jetfire remotely reactivated Omega Supreme in an attempt to defeat the powerful and insane [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]]. Though Omega Supreme managed to capture the weakened Sunstorm thanks to Ratchet's energy siphon, Starscream destroyed the device to enable his own escape, reactivating Sunstorm and truly commencing the battle between the two powerhouses. Omega was ultimately successful in overpowering Sunstorm in a straight fight, but when he retracted his damaged visor in order to examine his quarry, Sunstorm blasted him right in the face with a burst of solar radiation, instantly knocking him off line. {{Storylink|The Omega Effect}} Omega rebooted as Cliffjumper, Bumblebee, and Jetfire came upon him, and explained what had transpired in his confrontation against Sunstorm to them. {{Storylink|Original Sin}} While he was recuperating from his damage, he shared [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]]'s concerns over the danger their friends were in and how useless they felt. {{Storylink|Atonement}} Omega later recovered and helped the Autobots in building [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{Storylink|The Route of All Evil}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:ArtofWar3 OmegaSupreme Sixshot Astrotrain.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Characteristic speech pattern: averted.]]
Omega Supreme served as security during an Autobot peace ceremony on Cybertron. When [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]'s forces attacked, he transformed and shot down [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], but soon found himself surrounded by [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], [[Piranacon (G1)|Piranacon]] and [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}} The combined might of the three giants was too much for Omega, who was defeated and almost crushed a [[Optimus Prime's rescuees|civilian]] as he fell to the ground. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}}

Following the defeat of Serpent O.R. and the Decepticon army, Omega Supreme helped repair damaged buildings in [[Capitol City]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
:*''First Appearance:'' [[Stormbringer issue 1|Transformers: Stormbringer #1]] (cameo); [[Spotlight: Optimus Prime]] (full)
[[File:OmegaSupreme SpotlightPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Privacy: Requested. Discharge: Imminent.]]
Leader of the [[Guardian robot|Omega Sentinels]], Omega Supreme is an extremely ancient Transformer, hailing from the time of the [[Knights of Cybertron]] in the planet's largely-forgotten past. Following the formation of the [[Thirteen]], the bestial [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Onyx Prime]] masterminded a Cybertronian [[expansion]] across the universe. Bound by honor to follow the will of the [[Prime (rank)|Primes]], Supreme led his Sentinels in making first contact with the planet [[Antilla]], laying waste to the planet at Onyx's command and driving the [[Antillan]]s to the brink of extinction. In retaliation, the Antillans constructed the [[Talisman (G1)|a machine]] that eventually warped their lifeless world into [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] much to Omega's regret and horror. {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}} {{storylink|Stranger Eons}} {{storylink|Our Finest}}

During the [[First Cybertronian Civil War]], Omega served as the guardian of the subterranean [[Crystal City]], protecting a lone [[Titan (IDW)|Titan]] that lay slumbering beneath the city's foundations. When war erupted between the Cybertronians on the surface, Omega abstained from entering the conflict, holding true to his vigil. Eventually, a leader named [[Nova Prime]] brought the war to an end, and soon discovered Crystal City and Omega while searching for ways to bring peace and prosperity back to the planet. Approving of his goals, Omega allied with him and helped raise Crystal City back to the surface, but he did not entirely trust Nova and his plans to spread his influence to other worlds, and kept [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]]'s existence a secret. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}} During this time, Omega was an expert on metaphysics who would teach his fellow Cybertronians on the subject: [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] claimed to have studied under him, {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} and he was likely the namesake of the thought experiment known as "Omega's Conundrum". {{storylink|Omega's Conundrum}} [[File:Monstructor and Omega Supreme Primus All Good Things.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]] Eventually, Omega's caution proved warranted when [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]] alerted him to the fact that Nova Prime and his scientist [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] had created the horrific combiner, [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]]—the first step towards their goal of eliminating all free will. Omega attacked the beast and battled with it while Nova Prime and his followers departed on their mission of conquest aboard the first [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], and eventually subdued it. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}} {{storylink|Shockwaves}}

With Nova Prime's departure and the destruction of Crystal City, Omega Supreme handed the duty of guarding [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]] over to Dai Atlas, {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}} sealed Monstructor in a dimensionally-displaced prison, {{Storylink|Spotlight: Optimus Prime}} and withdrew to the remote [[Grav-Haraan glacier]] to stand watch for Nova, intending to destroy him on his return. {{storylink|Primacy issue 3|Primacy #3}} Millions of years later he was discovered by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] who, after proving to be [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] by his possession of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], told him Nova had been lost in space long ago. Relieved of his duties, Omega agreed to follow the new Matrix-bearer back to civilization. {{storylink|Primacy issue 1|Primacy #1}} He had trouble adapting to society after his years of solitary vigilance, however, and merely took on a similar role: silently guarding Optimus Prime's quarters. {{storylink|Primacy issue 2|Primacy #2}} When the Decepticons attacked Iacon, Optimus Prime ordered Omega Supreme into battle, and although he was hesitant to go to war against fellow Cybertronians, he complied after recognizing Optimus's potential for greatness and the Decepticons' similarities to Nova Prime. The Decepticons tried keep him from joining the battle with a strategic bombardment, {{storylink|Primacy issue 3|Primacy #3}} but he was saved by [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]'s force field and went on to fight them. During the battle he took out the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], preventing them from interfering with Optimus's battle with Megatron. {{storylink|Primacy issue 4|Primacy #4}}

At some point in the war, Omega Supreme left Cybertron behind and entered seclusion in a specially-shielded artificial asteroid within the [[Muta-Gaath Nebula]]. His existence remained known to the Transformers on Cybertron and he was nominally aligned with the Autobots, though in an advisory capacity, not participating in the combat itself. {{Storylink|Spotlight: Optimus Prime}} When [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] threatened to destroy the planet, however, Omega joined the allied forces of the Autobots and Decepticons to stop him, alongside Optimus Prime, [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]], and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 1|Stormbringer #1}}

[[File:Omega Supreme Spotlight Hardhead.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3]]
Centuries later, Optimus Prime came to Omega's asteroid to consult the ancient sentinel on Nova Prime. It was while Optimus was present that Monstructor attacked, having at last escaped his imprisonment and seeking revenge against Omega. Informing Optimus of his history with Nova and Monstructor, Omega provided the Autobot leader with information on Monstructor's weak spot, enabling him to defeat the gestalt, though Prime condemned him for attempting to play god by simply locking them away. {{Storylink|Spotlight: Optimus Prime}} Some time later, when the [[Dead Universe]] Transformers began attacking the Autobots, Omega confirmed the identities of [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] for Jetfire, informing him that they too were members of Nova Prime's Ark crew. {{Storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}}

[[File:Omega Arrives in AHM.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|RAAAAAIIIID?!]]
When Decepticons initiated a [[Surge (event)|galaxy-wide assault]] on all Autobot outposts, pushing their enemies to the brink of extinction, Omega Supreme was also targeted, but his power proved too much for the Decepticons to handle. Around a year after this "Surge", Omega followed a distress call sent by [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]] to Cybertron, arriving just in time to turn the tide of a battle between the Autobot survivors camped out on the planet and the feral [[Insecticon swarm]] stalking them. Apologizing for taking so long, Omega assumed his rocket mode at Optimus Prime's request, and ferried the Autobots to Earth for a confrontation with Megatron and the Decepticons. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} During the battle that followed in New York City, Omega engaged the new Decepticon combiner [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], {{Storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}} moving their fight out to Liberty Island to minimize collateral damage. Notionally, that is—Omega won the bout when he pushed Devastator against the [[Statue of Liberty]] and took him out with a blast to the midsection, which also destroyed Lady Liberty. Whoops. {{Storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}}

[[File:NewArrivalsOldEncounters OmegaSupreme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Movieverse redesign: funky]]
Omega remained on Earth with the other Autobots during the two years that followed the New York battle, hiding out in a remote canyon in base mode. When Optimus Prime surrendered to the forces of [[Skywatch]] and Autobot leadership was divided between Hot Rod and Bumblebee, the two new leaders had different plans for Omega. Hot Rod approached him with the proposal that they use his rocket mode to get off the planet, but Omega refused, both because he lacked the fuel, and because he was insistent upon staying on Earth as long as Optimus Prime remained there. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 1: "New Arrivals, Old Encounters"|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} Bumblebee then hid him from Skywatch by having him relocate to a cramped cave, which Omega—now too low on energon to even transform into base mode—found extremely uncomfortable. {{storylink|The Hanging Sword}} Omega was later present at the cave's opening when [[Gordon Horiuchi]] made a visit to repair Bumblebee's supposedly damaged killswitch board. {{storylink|The Gift Horse}} After Horiuchi's scheme to control the Autobots was thwarted with the help of [[Daniel Klonowski]], Omega Supreme was present when Bumblebee's new, more powerful body was unveiled. {{Storylink|Wings of Wax}}

A few months later after an alliance had been formed between the Autobots and Skywatch, the Decepticons returned to Earth and wrecked their headquarters, a Skywatch base. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] had the place evacuated and tried to regroup at Omega Supreme, still hiding in the desert. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 3: Woken Furies|Woken Furies}} After some trouble along the way, the Autobots reached their destination and made Omega's base mode their new headquarters. When Megatron let himself get captured, he was imprisoned inside Omega Supreme, who was ordered to transform and crush him in the process if he tried to escape. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine|Enemy Mine}}

[[File:Omega Supreme rocket Chaos Theory 1.jpg|thumb|left|upright=2.3]]
When the Autobots learned that Cybertron had become habitable once again only for Galvatron to occupy it, they elected to return to their home planet on Omega Supreme. Charged up with whatever energy Skywatch could offer and a fuel cell invented by [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], Omega's rocket mode carried most of Optimus Prime's Autobots and the captive Megatron into space, while his base mode remained on Earth with Bumblebee. {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix|Orphans of the Helix}} {{storylink|Police Action: Prologue}} When Optimus Prime wanted to have a private chat with Megatron, Omega shut off the viewscreens to the room to prevent the other Autobots from peeping, and he also cut the power to the [[variable voltage harness]] when Optimus lost patience and almost killed Megatron with it. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory #1}} {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2|Chaos Theory #2}}

[[File:Omega Supreme Kings.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|right]]
Upon arriving at Cybertron, Omega Supreme was ordered to remain in orbit while the Autobots went down to the surface. {{storylink|Chaos Part One: Lamentations|Lamentations}} With Rodimus captaining him, he participated in the battle against Galvatron's weaponized [[Kimia Facility]], but when the Autobot air forces failed to damage it, he and Rodimus agreed that their only choice was for Omega to ram it. However, just as they were about to, Kimia suddenly exploded from internal sabotage, damaging Omega's rocket mode and forcing him to land on Cybertron. {{storylink|Chaos Part Two: Numbers|Numbers}} Unable to take off, he was easy prey for a [[Deceptigod|gigantic monster]] created out of Galvatron's entire army, which attacked and ripped the rocket in half. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}} This caused pain to his other half on Earth, where he had to report to Bumblebee that their former ally [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] had fled the premises. {{storylink|Police Action Part 3: A Second Chance at Eden|A Second Chance at Eden}}

Omega's base and tank components continued to serve as the Earth-bound Autobots' headquarters. After Bumblebee managed to defeat all five Stunticons on his own, he had Ultra Magnus put his captives in one of Omega's prisoner holds. {{storylink|The Question}}

[[File:Omega Supreme on Cybertron The Autonomy Lesson.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3]]
Once the Autobots had won the battle on Cybertron and abandoned Earth, Omega Supreme's rocket was repaired and the rest of him returned home as well. He was still recharging three weeks later and thus couldn't help put down a [[NAIL]] riot, forcing the Autobots to get the Decepticons' help instead. Rodimus wanted to use Omega in the search for the [[Knights of Cybertron]], but Bumblebee wouldn't let him. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}} [[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]] broke one of Omega's walls while returning from exploring Cybertron's hostile surface, but was assured that it'd grow back. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}}

[[File:Metalhawk and Omega Supreme Primus All Good Things.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0]]
When word reached Omega that [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]]—who had long since left Cybertron along with Dai Atlas–had returned and promptly died, he spoke to Metalhawk about what the Titan had said before he perished. The titan had dubbed [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] the Cybertronian who would unite their race, calling many of Metalhawk's beliefs into question, and Omega concluded that the Titan's purpose had been to foster that sense of uncertainty to open the way for change. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}} Starscream approached him in a televised interview to ask if he had anything to add about the Titan's claims, but he refused to comment. Soon after their talk, a massive explosion struck Omega Supreme, nearly killing him and causing outrage among the public, who revered him as their ancient protector. With Omega on life support, the Autobots and neutrals blamed the Decepticons in general for the attack, while Starscream's own primary suspect was [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]]. {{storylink|The End of the Beginning of the World}} [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] drove past the defeated giant as he lay comatose in the streets where he'd fallen. {{storylink|The Verge}} The true culprit behind the attack later turned out to be a mind-controlled [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]], whose motive had been to eliminate the one Autobot capable of standing up to Megatron's new Devastator. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} Eventually, all Autobots and Decepticons were exiled from Iacon by Starscream, who promised the Autobots that the NAILs would repair Omega Supreme before giving him the choice to either renounce the Autobot cause or join the others in exile. {{storylink|Second Exodus}}

[[File:Unicron6 Spirits of the Dead.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|left]]
Six months later, Omega Supreme was still undergoing repairs in a facility alongside [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]. {{storylink|The World of Tomorrow}} He remained comatose through the [[Combiner Wars (event)|Combiner Wars]] and the ''next'' Decepticon uprising. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 2: Lagrange|Lagrange}}

When [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] attacked [[Caminus]], Bumblebee ventured inside the planet-eater and found a ruined Omega Sentinel. Convinced that the ancient guardians might have knowledge about the Chaos Bringer, the yellow minibot sought out Omega Supreme's comatose form. Though initially hoping to use [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]]'s telepathy and only having come to check on the ancient bot's state, Bumblebee somehow mind-melded with Omega Supreme. With the last of his strength, Omega imparted onto Bumblebee what knowledge he had on Unicron's past before he finally succumbed to his injuries and perished. {{storylink|Stranger Eons}}

===''Kre-O'' online comic===
[[File:KreO_OmegaSupreme.jpg|thumb|right|250px|]]
After being asked to by [[Megatron (Kre-O)|Megatron]], the [[Autobot]]s attacked the Decepticon Base and chased away [[Vortex (G1)#Kre-O|Vortex]]. In thanks, Megatron hosted a gathering in the base, which Omega Supreme attended. {{Storylink|A Reliable Warrior!? Vortex the Lookout from Hell}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
According to [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s drawing of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s exile from Cybertron, Prime departed with help from Omega Supreme. {{storylink|Form Follows Function}} He later hid himself on Earth in the form of a road called "Highway Omega", only revealing himself once some [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]] were attacked by Decepticons and [[Cobra]] while driving on him. After taking out [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and [[Viper]], Omega announced that he had heard the call to fight for his homeworld and transformed into rocket mode, returning to Cybertron and unintentionally bringing the Joes along. In space he ran into [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], and the two old rivals fought until they crashed on Cybertron's surface where Omega was able to restrain his nemesis. {{storylink|Pax Megatronus}} He went on to participate in the joint Autobot-Joe assault on the Decepticon army. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}}

==Commercial appearances==
Starscream and Thrust happened upon the "Autobots' defense base" in the middle of a desert, unaware that the installation was really Omega Supreme in disguise. Omega Supreme rectified this by transforming and counter-attacking the two Decepticon jets. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Omega Supreme|Omega Supreme commercial}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Legends''===
Omega Supreme was once friends with the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] but they had a falling out of some sort. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme (Legends)|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

Omega Supreme commanded a special escort mission tasked with protecting important cargo from a Decepticon strike force. {{storylink|Cold Delivery}} After the Decepticons coated themselves with [[Electrum]], Omega Supreme still thought he could crush them with superior firepower, but he was quickly proven wrong. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon (Legends)|The Golden Lagoon}}

In the chaos following Optimus and Megatron's clash during a battle in Autobot City, Omega Supreme arrived with reinforcements, including [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]. The newcomers were able to bring some order to the battle. {{storylink|The Omega Corps}}

Learning that the Constructicons were working on an asteroid, Omega Supreme rushed off to attack them and inadvertently released a huge space beast. After helping defend [[San Diego]] from the beast, Omega and his fellow Autobots took the surviving Constructicons into custody. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme (Legends)|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1OmegaSupreme toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Little yellow clips: misplaced.]]
*'''Omega Supreme''' (1985)
**''Accessories:'' 2 small shields, 2 medium shields, 2 large shields, 4 armour halves (A, B, C, D), 4 ankle halves (E, F, G, H), 2 feet, backpack, 4 tracks (J, K, L, M)

:Omega Supreme transforms into three individual components simultaneously: a large rocket base, a rocket and a tank. Omega Supreme's "transformation" involves very little manipulation of his moving parts, in fact, the only part that transforms is his main body/tank. Instead, it is achieved by disassembling him into his component pieces, which are then put back together in a different configuration. The tank forms his main body, the rocket forms his forearms, the track makes up most of his legs, while the gantry forms his feet and backpack, with extra track parts forming wings. The torso features a battery-operated motor which propels the tank around the track as its turret spins and flashes with orange light, or allows Omega to walk (very slowly) forward in robot mode. This motor is extremely susceptible to failure.

:Omega Supreme was one of several toys licensed by [[Hasbro]] from a company other than [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]. In this case, and in common with [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], Omega Supreme was licensed by a company called [[Toybox]]. As a consequence, Omega Supreme was never released in [[Japan]] under the ''Transformers'' brand during the original 1980s run.

:Normally it's not possible to have every part of the rails attached to him if one follows the instructions and animation model, but by arranging the "wings" into an "X" shape on his back, one can store all of his parts in robot mode.

::*''[http://www.transformerland.com/wiki/toy-info/transformers-g1-bases-omega-supreme/548/ Patent info, price guide, and further reading on Omega Supreme at Transformerland.com]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Autobot/OmegaSupreme/OmegaSupreme.htm More information on Omega Supreme at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

{{anchor|omegaspreem}}
[[File:G1-toy OmegaSpreem.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Identity: specious. Colors: [[Neon|abrasive]].]]
*'''Omega Spreem''' (Action Master Elite, 1991)
**''Accessories:'' Gun/treads

:As an [[Action Master Elite]], Omega Spreem is one of the few figures in the [[Action Master]] line that can actually transform to some extent, in this case transforming into a really awkward Cybertronian tank. A push-button on Omega's butt spins his upper body around, which in tank mode means the upper "turret" spins like a drill. Despite having a gun on the back of his head, there is not enough clearance for his head to fold down far enough to make it point forward in vehicle mode. Due to his "transformation," he is one of the most articulated Action Masters, featuring universal shoulder joints, a wrist bend, an upwards neck joint (though at the price of a sideways neck joint), and even a waist swivel, though it's pretty loose. He's also one of the few to use universal joints rather than the standard rubber bands in his hips, making him significantly more durable.

:Omega Spreem, as with the other Action Master Elites, was only released in Europe and Australasia.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1991/Autobot/OmegaSpreem/omegaspreem.htm More information on Omega Spreem at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Encore===
*'''Omega Supreme''' (2008)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''9'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 small shields, 2 medium shields, 2 large shields, 4 armour halves (A, B, C, D), 4 ankle halves (E, F, G, H), 2 feet, backpack, 4 tracks (J, K, L, M)

:In June 2008, TakaraTomy released the toy for the first time in Japan as part of their ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' line. This new release was slightly [[retool]]ed to have a face (well, the top half of one) in the tank turret which becomes his head, although this ends up looking odd in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]].

:This retooled version was later [[redeco]]ed as a [[Guardian robot]] (aka "GADEP"), available through the online [[e-HOBBY]] store.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Autobot/OmegaSupreme/OmegaSupreme.htm More information on ''Encore'' Omega Supreme at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Kre-O===
*'''Kreon Class of '85''' (Kreon figure set, 2015)
**''Set number'' '''B5152'''
**''Voted'': The Athlete
:''[[Kre-O]]'' Omega Supreme is a small brick-built [[Kreon]] figure, using the 2015-style construction with the sturdier "peg-in-peg" torso/waist connection. His body [[tampograph]]s are heavily toy-based, but he has a cartoon-based face design. While he lacks wings, he has white clip-on tank treads, plus rather than normal Kreon hands, he has a big claw and a 1x1 cone-piece to replicate the original toy's rocket-part arms.

:He was only available as part of the [[San Diego Comic-Con]]-[[exclusive]] "[[Kreon Class of '85]]" 30-Kreon set. This set was also sold online through [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] after the show.
{{-}}

===Generations===
====War for Cybertron: Siege====
*'''Omega Supreme''' (Titan Class, [[2019]])
:First shown by Hasbro as a grayscale prototype at New York Comic-Con 2018, ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege (toyline)|War for Cybertron: Siege]]'' Omega Supreme will be a new mold, coming with [[Countdown (G1)#Generations|Countdown]].
{{comingsoontoy}}
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Super Collection Figures===
[[File:HOC OmegaSupreme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Mask: Required wearing. Face: OH GOD NO]]
*'''Omega Supreme''' (2001)

:A three-inch tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Omega Supreme was available in "Act 5" of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Heroes of Cybertron|Super Collection Figure]]'' line (which, oddly, centered around ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (franchise)|Super-God Masterforce]]'', a series which Omega Supreme was not part of). Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a metallic silver "pewter" version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. Additionally, in eight out of every ten cases, the pewter version of Omega Supreme came packaged with the left leg of the [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]] collectable "build-a-figure".

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Autobot/HoCOmegaSupreme/omegasupreme.htm More information on ''Super Collection Figure'' Omega Supreme at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Cybertron/PewterOmegaSupreme/omegasupreme.htm More information on pewter Omega Supreme at TFU.info]''

===Heroes of Cybertron===
*'''Omega Supreme''' (2003)

:Omega Supreme's ''Super Collection Figure'' PVC was released two years later by [[Hasbro]] as part of their ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]'' line. Like all the figures in the series, Omega was given a [[light-piping]] gimmick by being cast entirely in translucent blue plastic then painted everywhere except on his eyes and the back of his head. Part of the fifth and final wave of ''Heroes of Cybertron'', Omega was, unlike the Japanese figure, sold on an individual blister card and came packaged with the torso of the [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] "build-a-figure".

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Autobot/HoCOmegaSupreme/omegasupreme.htm More information on ''Heroes of Cybertron'' Omega Supreme at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Diamond Select===
[[File:Ark Globe.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Appearance: cameo. Residuals: minimal.]]
*'''Autobot Snow Globe''' (2007)

:Omega Supreme appears as part of the base of this snow globe, sculpted by [[Art Asylum]] and sold by [[Diamond Select Toys]].
{{-}}

[[File:Omega statue.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Pose: [[Pat Lee#Transformers by Dreamwave|Dreamwave]]. Knees: buckling.]]
*'''Omega Supreme Statue''' (2008)

:Omega Supreme was released as a statue in 2008 by Diamond Select Toys. He was sculpted by Mark Wong of Art Asylum and limited to 1,000 pieces.
{{-}}

==Notes==
===Toy origins===
[[File:ToyboxMechabot-1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Repaint: [[Black repaint|black]].]]
*Unlike the bulk of early Transformers that drew their molds from [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'' toys, Omega Supreme's original form was "[http://1501bc.com/pretf/mechabot.html Super Change Robo Mechabot-1]", produced by a company called [[Toybox]]. Toybox did not actually design Omega Supreme, instead commissioning his design, along with [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], from Takara's then-rival Tomy. As mentioned above, he was not released in [[Japan]] under the ''Transformers'' brand during the original 1980s run. As a result of the merger of Takara and Tomy in 2006, the merged company was able to release the figure under the ''Transformers'' brand for the first time in Japan, as part of the ''Encore'' line.
*Similar to [[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Notes|Shockwave]] and his [[pre-Transformer]] predecessor "Astro Magnum", Omega Supreme/Mechabot-1 also saw a plethora of licensed versions released in various international (in his case, all of them European) markets concurrently with Hasbro's Transformers version, during a weird transitional phase when different companies' versions were influencing each other. Overall, there are two main color variants: Toybox's Mechabot-1 colors and Hasbro's Omega Supreme colors.<ref name="mechabot-1">[http://soundwavesoblivion.blogspot.de/2015/03/grandstand-convertors-omegatron.html "Grandstand Convertors: Omegatron, Mechabot-1 & Omega Supreme"] at the Soundwave's Oblivion blog.</ref> Due to these licensed releases, Omega Supreme was not released as part of Hasbro's ''Transformers'' line in these markets.
**In the United Kingdom, a company named Grandstand released the figure in its original "Mechabot-1" colors as part of its ''Convertors'' line, under the name "Omegatron".
**In Germany, a company named GAMA releasd the figure in its original "Mechabot-1" colors under the name "Trans Robot". The overall packaging design was the same one also used for Grandstand's "Omegatron" (down to the photos used), but the "Trans Robot" logo took some very obvious cues from Hasbro's "Transformers" logo. Additionally, the tank's long barrel was crudely cut off and replaced by a new radar dish accessory, presumably because German kids at the time weren't supposed to play with war toys.
**In Italy, [[GiG]] released the figure in its Hasbro colors as part of their ''[[Trasformer]]'' {{sic}} line, under the name "Megarobot". The packaging design was directly based on Hasbro's packaging for Omega Supreme, the only GiG ''Trasformer'' release without the official ''Transformers'' branding to do so.
**Lastly, in France, a company named [[Orli Jouet]] released the figure in its Hasbro colors as part of a line named "Robotrack", under the name "Mecabot". Like with GiG's "Megarobot", the packaging design was directly based on Hasbro's packaging for Omega Supreme; what's more, the toy was actually manufactured in Italy, possibly as part of a partnership with GiG, and on top of that, the official TV commercial for the figure actually ''used footage from Hasbro's ''Transformers'' commercial for Omega Supreme!''<ref name="robotrack">[http://www.ina.fr/pub/culture-et-loisirs/video/PUB3784054071/robotrack-orli-jouets-jeu.fr.html Robotrack Mecabot commercial]</ref>

===Other===
*According to [[Bob Budiansky]]'s notes at [[BotCon 2010]],<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/index.php?full=1&set_albumName=BotCon_2010_Sat_Panels&id=DSC05237&option=com_gallery&Itemid=4&include=view_photo.php Bob Budiansky's notes at BotCon 2010]</ref> Omega Supreme was originally going to be named '''[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'''. Why the name changed is uncertain, but since it was later applied to [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] in the [[The Planet-Eater!|Marvel adaptation]] of the ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|Transformers]]'' movie before being used on the Headmaster, it seems someone ''really'' wanted to use it.
*Omega Supreme's name could be translated as "Last of the Best"; given his role as the "last line of defense", this is appropriate.
*In the cartoon, Omega Supreme can launch his rocket into space, leaving the remaining parts behind at his launch base, and then transform fully back to [[robot mode]] even though the majority of his body parts are separated from the rocket by a good planetary diameter or two (if not several light years). Indeed, sometimes his base mode is seen to be inexplicably awaiting his rocket mode at his destination, leading some to speculate that Omega (rather implausibly) has duplicate body parts on some other planets, "just in case". Some [[fanon]] alternatively holds that in cases such as these, Omega's non-rocket parts actually use [[Size changing|size-changing technology]] to shrink down and travel as cargo inside his rocket mode, which are then disgorged and enlarged before landing. Another theory is that the base is transported to [[Transwarp|subspace]], as some believe happens with Optimus Prime's trailer. Whatever helps you sleep at night...
*Although over half of the episodes from the Generation 1 cartoon featuring Omega were written by [[David Wise]] (including his showcase episode, "The Secret of Omega Supreme"), don't let that fool you into thinking Wise had a soft spot for Omega—he really didn't like him! In fact, the uncharacteristic eloquence displayed by Omega in "Secret" was actually a script error by Wise, who was unaware of Omega's trademark speech pattern and wrote the episode with normal dialogue. Script editors had to add in lines about Omega being able to talk normally when he wanted to make it work without a wholesale rewrite.<ref>[http://moonbase2.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=553015 Moonbase 2 interview with David Wise]</ref>
[[File:JoemegaSupreme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Declarative: YO JOE!]]
*At JoeCon 2011, Hasbro's [[Rik Alvarez]] hosted a "Treasures from the Hasbro Archives" panel, where he revealed that he had then-recently found a box in the company archives containing an assortment of artwork, concept boards, and proposals for what "could have been" in a series of Transformers/[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]] crossovers. Of these concepts, the only one shown at the panel were parts of an Omega Supreme that had been redecoed and intended for release in the G.I. Joe toyline (this was later shown again at [[BotCon 2011]], though no photos were allowed then). Whether these redecoed parts were intended for use as a "crossover" G.I. Joe/Transformers character or as a non-living G.I. Joe vehicle was unsaid.
*According to the [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|letters page]] of Marvel UK issue #285, "[[External Forces!]]", Omega is tougher than a "block of triple-strength [[durabyllium]] steel."
*"Omega Spreem" (the name of Omega Supreme's Action Master Elite form) is actually one possible transliteration of the Katakana (a Japanese syllabary used for foreign words and names) spelling of "Omega Supreme", suggesting that the name could possibly have resulted from the name "Omega Supreme" [[Engrish|going from English to Japanese, and then back to English again]]. ''Why'' it would have gone through this rigmarole, however, is unknown. The ''[[Transformers Vault]]'' book reveals more details for how this might have happened, without really ''explaining'' it: The design artwork for an unreleased standard (i.e. not Elite) [[Action Master]] version of Omega Supreme has his name (correctly spelled) written quite large on the top of the sheet in big black marker. However, there's also an illustrator's note written in very small pen/pencil next to the toy's design artwork, which misspells the character's name as "Omega Spreem", despite the correct spelling being in giant text directly above it (though to be fair, it's possible that the black marker text was added after the fact). When the toy was released, for ''some'' reason Hasbro used the "Omega Spreem" spelling. Hasbro UK moves in mysterious ways indeed.
* Like all non-toy robot Kreons in these ''Kre-O'' online manga, Omega Supreme is made from existing Kre-O parts. His exact construction is mostly concealed, but like [[Strika (BM)|''Kre-O'' Strika]] he uses the diver helmet from ''Kre-O'' Battleship.
*In [[2015]], Hasbro started a poll on their Facebook page on which of [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], and Omega Supreme fans would want as the next Titan Class figure in the Generations line. [[Trypticon (G1)#Generations|Trypticon]] won.
*Omega Supreme's voice in the cartoon is a combination of a downwards pitch shift and short delay, the echo effect in particular making his voice more "cavernous" sounding. Well, he is big.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Omega Supreme''' (オメガ・スプリーム ''Omega Supurīmu'')
*''Hungarian:'' '''Szuper Omega'''
*''Italian:'' '''Megarobot'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Omega''' (Taiwan, 奧米加 ''Àomǐjiā''), '''Dàlì Jīngāng''' (China, 大力金刚, "Powerful Vajra")
*''Russian:'' '''Omegator''' (Омегатор)
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Omega Velychnyi''' (Омега Величний "Omega Grand")

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/classics-11/japanese-hobby-magazine-scans-for-january-2008-164116/ Interview with Junichi Ishikawa, who was in charge of designing Omega Supreme and Sky Lynx at Tomy, detailing the story of how their Encore reissues came to be.]

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Autobot bases]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Kre-O Autobots]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:SDCC exclusives]]
[[Category:Unite Warriors Autobots]]
[[Category:Zombies]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Siege]]

The Transformers: The Movie

2018-12-10T19:20:08Z

CommanderModesty: /* Real-world references and Easter eggs */

{{disambig3|Transformers: The Movie}}
{{episode|
|seriess=[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]
|prev=B.O.T. (episode)
|next=Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1
|seriess2=[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]
|prev2=Scramble City: Mobilization
|next2=Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1
|title=''The Transformers: The Movie''
|image=Transformersanimatedfilmposter.jpg
|caption=A long time ago in a galaxy far far away....
|production code=4034
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|writer=[[Ron Friedman]]
|directed by=[[Nelson Shin]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|release date=[[August 8]], [[1986]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}
{{quote|Conceived in the epic tradition of ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]''...|[[Victor Caroli]] ain't just whistling Dixie|[[The Transformers: The Movie promo|''The Transformers: The Movie'' promo]]}}

'''''The Transformers: The Movie''''' is an animated feature film based on the original ''Transformers'' toyline. It was released in the United States on Friday, August 8, 1986.

The film's storyline follows the same continuity as the ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|Transformers]]'' cartoon. It introduces a [[Scale|planet-sized Transformer]] called [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] who eats other planets, and is approaching [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. As part of their continuing wars, the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s have a [[Battle of Autobot City|fierce battle]] on [[Earth]] which sees both [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] mortally wounded. Prime passes the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and dies, and Megatron is transformed by Unicron into [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (briefly) assumes leadership of the Decepticons, but is killed when Galvatron arrives at Cybertron. Galvatron then chases the surviving Autobots on Earth across space, splitting them up and taking the Matrix. The Autobots find their way back to each other, and follow Galvatron to Cybertron just as Unicron transforms into [[robot mode]] and begins to eat their world. Travelling inside Unicron, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] recovers the Matrix, transforms into Rodimus Prime, and uses the Matrix to destroy Unicron.

Often referred to by fans simply as "the movie" or "TFTM", the movie was a step up in almost every area from the television series, with a more sophisticated plot, more serious treatment of war and violence, a hugely ambitious scope and a greatly increased animation budget with well-known celebrities providing voice work. For these reasons the film remains very popular with children of the 1980s.

The film opens with characters who had been featured in the first two years of the toyline and associated media (cartoons, comic books, etc.), but quickly introduces new characters and kills many of the old ones to make room. Of particular note, Optimus Prime and Starscream are both destroyed during the course of the film.

{{quote|The Japanese have funded a full-length animated cartoon about the doings of these toys, which is all bad outer-space stuff. I play a planet. I menace somebody called Something-or-other. Then I'm destroyed. My plan to destroy Whoever-it-is is thwarted and I tear myself apart on the screen.|Orson Welles<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=KlqsYy512WIC&source=gbs_navlinks_s "Orson Welles: A Biography"] page 522</ref>}}

==Synopsis==
[[File:TFTM Unicron Lithone.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|That's no moon.]]
[[Unicron/Generation 1|A mechanical planet]] travels through the depths of space, attacking [[Lithone (planet)|a metal planet]] which has [[Lithone (species)|robotic inhabitants]]. Robots, vehicles, buildings, and even large chunks of rock are sucked off the surface and devoured by the monstrous planet.

It is the year [[2005]], and the [[Decepticon]]s are now in control of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. The [[Autobot]]s are preparing to launch an assault to retake the planet from hidden bases on two of Cybertron's moons. The Autobots launch a [[Autobot shuttle|shuttle]] to pick up a final shipment of [[energon]] from [[Earth]] before they strike.

[[File:Tftm1986a.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Commander, tear this ship apart until you've found those plans. And bring me the passengers; I want them alive!]]
Plans for the attack are overheard by [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]], who reports back to [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. The Decepticons attack the Autobot shuttle en route to Earth, wiping out its crew (including [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]], [[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]], [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]] and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]). Using the Autobots' own shuttle, the Decepticons are able to get very close to the Autobots' base on Earth, [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], before they are detected, and begin a devastating surprise attack on the unprepared city.

During the battle at Autobot City, both [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and Megatron suffer mortal injuries, and a number of others are also killed. Eventually the Decepticons retreat, but the damage suffered by the Autobots is severe.

{{note|For an extensive synopsis of the battle, see [[Battle of Autobot City]].}}

[[File:Tftm1986b.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.]]
Shortly after the battle, Prime lies on his deathbed. He passes the reins of leadership to [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and gives him the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. (Though [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] actually touches the Matrix before Magnus does.) Prime relates a prophecy: "One day, an Autobot shall rise from our ranks, and use the power of the Matrix to light our [[darkest hour]]." He then gives the oath, "[['Til all are one]]", and [[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|dies]]. This sequence of events is observed remotely by Unicron, the monstrous planet, who appears unusually concerned by the survival of the Matrix.

The Decepticons are making their escape aboard [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], but are too heavy for him to get them all home under his own power. After putting the matter to a fair vote, the Decepticons decide to throw their injured members off the ship to better the chance of survival for the rest. One of the most severely injured Decepticons is Megatron. [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] tosses him out and claims leadership of the Decepticon army.

{{note|For an extensive synopsis of the battle’s aftermath, see [[Unicron War]].}}

Megatron and the other adrift Decepticons then encounter Unicron in interstellar space. Unicron offers to rebuild Megatron and his minions in exchange for their service. Megatron agrees, and is [[Reformatting|reformatted]] into [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. The other Decepticons are turned into [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]], [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]], and the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]]. Unicron provides them with a [[Revenge (G1)|ship]], and sends them to kill Ultra Magnus and destroy the Matrix, stating that the Matrix is the only thing which can stand in his way.

[[File:Tftm1986c.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed.]]
Galvatron first stops at Cybertron to take his revenge by killing Starscream and reclaiming leadership of the Decepticons. Almost immediately afterwards, Unicron arrives in Cybertron's vicinity and devours at least two moons—both of the Autobots' moon bases are destroyed. Under coercion by Unicron, Galvatron finally heads to Earth to kill Ultra Magnus, but Magnus and the other surviving Autobots flee in a pair of shuttles. Eventually Galvatron manages to cause one shuttle to crash on yet another metal planet ([[Quintessa (planet)|Quintessa]]), and detonates the other with a volley of missiles. However, the Autobots in the second shuttle escape unnoticed by separating the front portion of their shuttle just before impact.

The Autobots in the crashed shuttle, Hot Rod, [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]], and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], find themselves separated and in a hostile environment. Hot Rod and Kup are captured by a squad of [[Allicon]]s and taken before a [[Quintesson]] [[Quintesson#Judges|judge]] and his court. While being held there, they learn the name and nature of Unicron from [[Kranix (G1)|Kranix]], a survivor of the planet destroyed in the opening of the film, which he calls [[Lithone (planet)|Lithone]]. Meanwhile, the Dinobots encounter and befriend a young, wild Autobot named [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] who has been living alone on Quintessa. Together, they crash the trial just as Hot Rod and Kup are fighting losing odds against the Quintessons' [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]]. The tide is turned, and the Autobots commandeer a [[Quintesson Cruiser]].

[[File:Tftm1986d.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|What an incredible smell you've discovered!]]
The other group of Autobots has landed on the planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] to make repairs, but are attacked yet again by Galvatron, who was tipped off to their survival by Unicron. During the battle, Ultra Magnus tries to open the Matrix to use its power, but is unable to do so, and instead is killed. Galvatron absconds with the Matrix, taking it away to Unicron. The remaining Autobots—[[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]], [[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]], [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], [[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]], and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]]'s son [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]]—are then ambushed by [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], the eponymous natives of Junkion, who are also giant transforming robots. This battle is cut short, however, by the arrival of Hot Rod's group in their Quintesson ship. After exchanging the [[universal greeting]] they all make friends, and the Junkions restore Ultra Magnus to life. Together, the whole group travels to Cybertron to try to recover the Matrix and destroy Unicron.

[[File:TFTM Unicron smashes cybertron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Rebel base in range. You may fire when ready.]]
Galvatron attempts to open the Matrix to use its power against Unicron, but is also unable to get it open. Unicron, not pleased with this attempted treachery, shocks Galvatron by transforming from a planet into a [[Scale|planet-sized robot]]. Unicron plucks Galvatron off his chest and swallows him, Matrix and all, and then begins attacking Cybertron itself. [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] scrambles the Decepticon forces to defend the planet, but they are ineffective against so large an enemy. Shortly the Autobots arrive from Junkion, and fly the Quintesson ship straight through Unicron's eye. This impact destroys the ship, and the Autobots fall out inside Unicron. Hot Rod, separated from the others, eventually runs into Galvatron. During their fight, Hot Rod gets his hands on the Matrix and hears Optimus's voice speak the words, "Arise, Rodimus Prime." Hot Rod grows in stature, adopts a much sterner demeanor, and quickly dispatches Galvatron by tossing him through Unicron's hull out into space. He then opens the Matrix, which fills Unicron with light and begins destroying him.

[[File:Tftm1986e.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Use the Force, Luke.]]
In the meantime, the other Autobots inside Unicron have located some of their comrades from the moon bases who had been presumed dead, including [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] and Daniel's father, Spike. The Autobots, including Rodimus, escape through Unicron's remaining eye just as he begins to fall apart and explode. The scene then immediately shifts to the surface of Cybertron, where—for unclear reasons—the Autobots seem to be in charge again. Rodimus predicts an era of peace and prosperity, and the film closes with a shot of Unicron's severed head still floating in orbit around Cybertron.

[['Til all are one]].
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime]] ([[Judd Nelson]])
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] ([[Robert Stack]])
*[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] ([[Lionel Stander]])
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] ([[Neil Ross]])
*[[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]] ([[Susan Blu]])
*[[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] ([[John Moschitta]])
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] ([[Gregg Berger]])
*[[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]] ([[Paul Eiding]])
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] ([[Buster Jones]])
*[[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] ([[Michael Bell]])
*[[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (Neil Ross)
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]]
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] (Peter Cullen)
*[[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]] (Michael Bell)<ref group="fc" name="crednolines">Credited and appeared, but had no speaking lines.</ref>
*[[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] ([[Scatman Crothers]])
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] ([[Dan Gilvezan]])
*[[Cliffjumper (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cliffjumper]] ([[Casey Kasem]])
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] ([[Corey Burton]])
*[[Gears (G1)|Gears]] ([[Don Messick]])<ref group="fc" name="creduncertain">Credited, but may or may not have appeared through an animation error.</ref>
*[[Auto-combatant]] (Frank Welker)
*[[Eject (G1)|Eject]]
*[[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]]
*[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]]
*[[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]]
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]
*[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]
*[[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]]
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]
*[[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]]
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]
*[[Hound (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hound]]
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Sunstreaker]]
*[[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]]
*[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]]<ref group="fc" name="crednoapp">Credited, but did not appear.</ref> ([[Walker Edmiston]])
|c2=
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (Frank Welker)
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] ([[Leonard Nimoy]])
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] ([[Chris Latta]])
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] ([[Roger C. Carmel]])
*[[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] ([[Stan Jones]])
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (Frank Welker)
*[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] ([[Arthur Burghardt]])
*[[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (Michael Bell)
*[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (Neil Ross)
*[[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (Neil Ross)
*[[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (Don Messick)<ref group="fc" name="appearnocredit">Appeared and had speaking lines, but not credited.</ref>
*[[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]]
*[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]]
*[[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] ([[Hal Rayle]])
*[[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] ([[Clive Revill]])
*[[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] ([[Jack Angel]])
*[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (Corey Burton)
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] ([[Bud Davis]])<ref group="fc" name="crednolines"/>
*[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] ([[Ed Gilbert]])
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (Frank Welker)
*[[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (Frank Welker)
*[[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] (Chris Latta)
*[[Ravage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ravage]] (Frank Welker)
*[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] (Frank Welker)
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]
*[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]
*[[Skywarp (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Skywarp]]
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]]
*[[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]]
*[[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]]
*[[Cyclonus's Armada]]
|h3=[[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]|c3=
*[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] ([[Eric Idle]])
*[[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]] (Bell and/or Welker)
*[[Rubbish]] (Bell and/or Welker)
*[[Re-Cycle]] (Bell and/or Welker)
*[[Trashbin]] (Bell and/or Welker)
*[[Junkyard (G1)|Junkyard]] (Bell and/or Welker)
*[[HAZMAT]] (Bell and/or Welker)
*[[Ashtray]] (Bell and/or Welker)
*[[Wasteoid Gamma]] (Bell and/or Welker)
*[[Greasestain]] (Bell and/or Welker)
|h4=Others|c4=
'''[[Human]]s'''
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (Corey Burton)
*[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] ([[David Mendenhall]])

'''[[Lithone (species)|Lithones]]'''
*[[Kranix (G1)|Kranix]] ([[Norman Alden|Norm Alden]])
*[[Arblus]]

'''[[Quintesson]]s'''
*[[Quintesson]] leader (Roger C. Carmel)
*[[Quintesson#Judges|Quintesson judge]] ([[Regis Cordic]])
*[[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]]
*[[Allicon]]s

'''Other'''
*[[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] ([[Orson Welles]])
*Unnamed Red Alien in Tribunal Quintessa
|nonumbering=true
}}
<references group="fc"/>

==Quotes==
"Now all we need is a little energon and a lot of luck." 
"More than you imagine, Optimus Prime."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Megatron''' tempt fate.

"Such heroic nonsense."
:—'''Megatron''' coldly finishes off Ironhide. The 'Cons always get the best lines.

"First, we crack the shell... then we crack the nuts inside."
:—'''Rumble''' bravely raids Autobot City.

"I've got better things to do tonight than die!"
:—'''Springer''', telling it like it is.

"One shall stand. One shall fall."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' uttering the most quoted line of the Movie. An ass kicker cometh.

"Why throw your life away so recklessly?" 
"That's a question you should ask yourself, Megatron." 
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Optimus Prime''', about to engage in one last battle to the death.

"You, who are without mercy, now plead for it? I thought you were made of '''''sterner stuff'''''."
:—'''Optimus Prime''''s trash talk is actually [http://www.enotes.com/shakespeare-quotes/sterner-stuff a lot cooler than it sounds].

"I would have waited an eternity for this! It's over, Prime." 
"'''''NEVER!'''''"
:—'''Megatron''' is about to learn that a wounded '''Optimus Prime''' has enough strength left for one good hit.

"Until that day...'til all are one..."
:—'''Optimus Prime''''s final words.

"Oh, how it ''pains'' me to do this." 
"Wait! I still function!" 
"Wanna ''bet''?"
:—'''Starscream''' fights back the tears as he throws '''Megatron''' out of Astrotrain.

"Soundwave superior, Constructicons inferior."
:—'''Soundwave''' insults the combiner team.

"I have summoned you here for a purpose." 
"Nobody summons Megatron!" 
"Then it pleases me to be the first."
:—'''Unicron''' shows '''Megatron''' who's the boss.

"Who disrupts my coronation?" 
"Coronation, Starscream? This is bad comedy." 
"Megatron? Is that you?" 
"Here's a hint!"
:—'''Galvatron''' drops "hints" for '''Starscream''' like others drop anvils.

"What did he say his name was?" 
"Galvatron!" 
"Long live Galvatron! Galvatron!"
:—'''Rumble''' clamors for '''Galvatron''' and the cronies follow suit.

"Oh shit! What are we gonna do now!"
:—'''Spike''' says the movie’s most infamous line.

"Did we ''have'' to let them detonate three quarters of the ship?" 
"Seeing as how they would have detonated ''four'' quarters, I think it was a good choice."
:—'''Arcee''' and '''Springer''', debating the launch of their emergency shuttle.

"Spare me this mockery of justice!"
:—'''Kranix''' is upset at being found innocent.

"You check in, but you don't check out."
:—'''Wreck-Gar''' making pop culture references.

"For a time... I considered ''sparing'' your wretched little planet Cybertron. But now... you shall witness... its ''dismemberment''!"
:—'''Unicron''' really needs to work on his anger management skills...

"Destiny... You cannot... destroy... my... destiny!"
:—'''Unicron''''s final words.

"Let this mark the end of the Cybertronian Wars as we march forward into a new era of peace and happiness! 'Til all are one!" 
:—'''Rodimus Prime''' announces the end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]...yeah, right.

==Season 5==
When ''The Movie'' was broadcast in [[The Transformers (cartoon)#Season 5|the fifth season]] of ''The Transformers'', it was broken into 5 parts (designated "Days") and given new bookending segments with original story material.

===Day One===
[[File:TommyPrimeSeason5BumperMovie.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|You just watch yourself. We're wanted men. I have the death sentence on twelve systems.]]
[[Tommy Kennedy|Tommy]] meets up with [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] in the barren wasteland and Prime is concerned with the black eye and many bruises Tommy is sporting. Tommy explains that some "big guys" at school tried to rough him up (and by all visual evidence, succeeded). Tommy asks Prime if he'd ever faced any "big guys" in his many adventures and Prime decides to tell him about the time he faced the "biggest guy" of them all, [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]...

Optimus leaves off at the point during the [[Battle of Autobot City]] when Megatron broke their defenses to let the slaughter begin. Optimus gruesomely teases his own death scene to a very confused and concerned Tommy, but reassures him that until he can be revived as a Powermaster, the Matrix must be passed on to someone else who is worthy. Tommy wants to hear all about it, but Optimus doesn't have the time. Apparently, he needs to meet up with [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]] and help him [[Space bridge technician|repair]] the [[Space bridge]]. Tommy asks if he can tag along and Optimus tells him that if he can lift one of their two-ton screwdrivers, he can even help. They summarily blast off into space.
{{-}}

===Day Two===
[[File:PrimeExplodingMemoryChip.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|I've lost R2!]]
Tommy and Optimus meet up in the barren wasteland, though Prime isn't sure what Tommy wants. Tommy reminds him that he promised to tell him more about Unicron and Prime concedes that he's been having trouble with his memory chip, lately. Tommy tells him all about the Battle of Autobot City, but none if it rings a bell for Optimus. Prime asks Tommy to open up an access panel in the back of his head and check the circuit. Tommy repairs the circuit, jogging Prime's memory...

Prime leaves off at the point where [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cliffjumper]] are eaten by Unicron. Tommy demands to hear more of the story, but Prime's memory chip explodes and smoke pours from the side of his head. All he sees are brief flashes of the further adventures of [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] and the rest. The furthest he can see, though, is the "death" of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] when his shuttle is blown up by [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. Tommy expresses discontent, citing that the Autobots are "too cool to die". Prime says he knows there's more to the story, but with his faulty memory chip, he can't access the details. Tommy insists they get his chip fixed and so they blast off into space to do just that.
{{-}}

===Day Three===
[[File:TommyKennedyTraumatized.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|I can't even see. How am I supposed to fight?]]
Tommy finishes the repairs on Prime's memory chip, much to Prime's relief. Tommy asks Prime to test it out by continuing his story about the battle against Unicron. Prime indulges Tommy's request...

Prime leaves off at the point where [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] and Hot Rod are taken to the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]] pits and watch as the survivors of [[Lithone (planet)|Lithone]] are executed. Tommy begs Prime to stop, claiming that the story thus far is too intense and depressing for him to handle. Prime asks if he wants to hear about how Kup and Hot Rod are fed to the Sharkticons, how the Autobots are menaced by "aliens made of junk" or how Ultra Magnus is blown to pieces by [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. Tommy suddenly changes his mind and demands to hear all the gory, macabre details. Prime sets Tommy back down in the barren wasteland and promises to return soon to transform his day into an adventure. He then blasts off into space.
{{-}}

===Day Four===
[[File:PrimeTommyStopMotion.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|If there's a bright center to the universe, you're on the planet it's farthest from.]]
Tommy and Optimus meet up once again in the barren wasteland. Tommy asks why Prime is so late for their appointment and Prime confesses that [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] took a wrong turn on the way over. Prime wishes he hadn't let the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] fly the shuttle. Tommy asks if Prime has enough time to tell him more of the story and Prime assures him there's time enough...

Prime leaves off at the point where the Autobots team up with the [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]]s to battle Unicron. Tommy is incredulous, wondering what a bunch of aliens made of junk could possibly contribute to the battle against Unicron. Prime informs him that great adversities often bring out the best in people, citing Hot Rod as an example. Tommy begs to hear how the story ends, but Prime says that he must first take Grimlock to have his "brain circuits" upgraded. Setting Tommy down, Prime promises to be back soon to transform his day into an adventure. Then he blasts off into space.
{{-}}

===Day Five===
[[File:StanBushTheTouchMusicVideoRecordLabelNotes.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|He made a fair move. Screaming about it won't help you.]]
Meeting again in the barren wasteland, Optimus asks Tommy if he's ready to hear the end of the story. Contrary to all the enthusiasm Tommy has shown during past storytimes, the human child laments that he's forgotten most of the tale thus far (offering the flimsy excuse that his lack of an electronic brain makes remembering so many details impossible). Prime gives him "a quick rundown" (that takes ''four minutes'') and then proceeds to finish the epic yarn...

Prime finishes the story with the destruction of Unicron, the ascension of Rodimus Prime and the exile of the Decepticons. Prime asks Tommy if he's satisfied, but Tommy just has more questions. Like what was up with the [[Quintesson]]s? Did they drop Grimlock on his head when he was a kid? And how did they ever bring Prime back to life? Prime tells Tommy to slow down. He has to attend an interstellar peace conference, but until he returns, he leaves Tommy with... [[The Touch|THE TOUCH!!!]]
{{-}}

==Animation errors==
*When Unicron is approaching Lithone at the start of the movie, at the line "Look, it's Unicron!", a [[Animation error#Sizing errors|cel stacking error]] results in Unicron's ring appearing in front of a building arch, [[Distribution|making Unicron look very tiny]] in that shot. In the next shot, it is clear that Unicron is several times larger than the entire planet of Lithone.
*The inside of one of the Lithonian ships being devoured by Unicron is visible for a couple of frames. The pilot of the ship appears to be Kranix, even though he apparently screams out Kranix's name, and Kranix appears later in the Quintesson prison.
*When Optimus Prime asks Jazz to report security status, it shows both Jazz and Cliffjumper. Cliffjumper is seen twiddling knobs above the actual drawn computer, as if a section was supposed to be present.
*Coloring errors:
**When the closeup of Cliffjumper doing his countdown is shown, his shoulders are blue (like his windows) instead of red.
**Scavenger's head is white instead of black as he ducks from Prowl's shot aboard the shuttle.
**Blaster's forehead is red instead of white after his "look out and shout!" line, and again after he returns to [[robot mode]].
**In the big lineup of firing Decepticons in Autobot City, Soundwave's cheek guards are blue instead of white.
**When Blaster asks Perceptor "What's shakin'?", a Dirge-colored Seeker flies by the window. However, it appears to be the standard Starscream/Thundercracker/Skywarp design, instead of having Dirge's unique wings.
**As Devastator lays into the walls, Shrapnel is white where he should be black.
**Megatron's pelvis is white instead of black as he gives the "let the slaughter begin!" order.
**When the Dinobots jump out of Optimus Prime's Shuttle, the shuttle is colored like the first shuttle, which Megatron boarded, instead of red-highlighted scheme of Prime's shuttle.
**When Prime says "No matter the cost", the shuttle is painted completely orange, when the front should have red and white highlights.
**When Prime drives up behind the Decepticons, Blitzwing's helmet is purple instead of yellow. Prime's trailer is missing its Autobot symbol as well.
**The gun Megatron uses to fatally injure Optimus is blue and white for most of the shots it is seen in, but when Megatron screams "Fall! FALL!" while shooting Prime again, it is black.
**Prime's antennae are white as he tries to stand after knocking Megatron off the ledge.
**Starscream's whole nosecone, rather than just the canopy, is yellow as he looms over the fallen Megatron.
**As Starscream prepares to toss Megatron out the door, Soundwave's eyes are painted white like his mask rather than red. (Maybe he was sleeping, his excuse for not stopping Starsceam)
**Starscream's cockpit shell nearest his head is colored like a canopy rather than grey, as he nominates himself for leadership. Man, even the A-list animation team couldn't keep this straight.
**When dragging Arcee into the shuttle and two shots later when flying into space Magnus's Shuttle has Blue highlights instead of Red.
**After Springer runs past him, Perceptor's gun changes from red to white for a few frames.
**When Cyclonus is strafing what appears via editing to be Hot Rod's shuttle, it has red highlights instead of blue.
**When Hot Rod's ship is being watched by Galvatron trailing smoke it has red highlights instead of blue.
**In the shot after Magnus announces that he cannot deal with that now, his ship has blue highlights instead of red.
**Shrapnel's lower legs are white when he lands on Junk, instead of black. Must be a side effect of being dead.
**When Hot Rod tells the Junkions the universal greeting, the Autobot insignia on his chest is coloured black.
**After transforming, Unicron has all-white hands (instead of white with gold knuckles) and a white, rectangular chin (instead of the double-triangular chin with a goatee) he has later.
**As the Autobots fly through space after exiting Unicron's eye, Rodimus is painted in Ultra Magnus' colors (inverted).
*When the Decepticons blow a hole through the Autobot shuttle to get in, it is a clean break. However, Megatron is still shown ripping through random ship components to get in.
*When the Decepticons are killing the Autobot shuttle crew, there is one of the common Starscream/Skywarp/Thundercracker miscolors. Megatron transforms into gun mode and Starscream catches him, killing Brawn. When they cut back to the Decepticons, Starscream is in front of the Constructicons without Megatron and is firing one of his arm rifles (this probably should have been Skywarp or Thundercracker). When they cut back to the Decepticons for the third time, Starscream has Megatron again and is finishing off the rest of the Autobots. In the shot of Starscream firing his own lasers, his wings are red instead of gray. Later when Hot Rod zooms in on the hole in the shuttle, the Seeker he sees is Thundercracker, but as he fires, the one standing in that spot falling on his face, is colored as Starscream.
*Per his standard cartoon appearance, Ratchet should have a [[Red Cross]] symbol on each shoulder. When he turns in his seat as Brawn is shot down, we can see one on his right shoulder, but when he stands to return fire on the Decepticons, the right shoulder's cross has vanished, and he's only got one on his left shoulder. Then, when he falls, the cross is missing from ''both'' shoulders.
*When the Decepticons fly to the shuttle's controls:
**All of the Autobots have changed positions from when they fell—Brawn is now on his back, for example, while Prowl is now face-down.
**Ironhide's chest is completely intact, despite having a bunch of holes blown in it.
**Prowl, who turned gray as he fell (evidently dead before he even hit the floor) seems to be back in his normal colors.
*The reflections of Hot Rod and Daniel in the lake rarely line up with where they should be.
*When Hot Rod catches a fish, it is barely the size of his finger. When he releases it, it's [[Scale|suddenly huge]].
*Hot Rod has at least two totally different transformation schemes during the course of the film.
*When Kup and several Autobots at the roadblock react to Hot Rod's attack on the hijacked Autobot shuttle, Bluestreak is represented by Prowl's [[Character model|animation model]], in Bluestreak's grey and black colous.
*Sunstreaker appears with Kup's group on Earth as they observe Hot Rod firing on Ironhide's shuttle. Sunstreaker later appears as Optimus Prime's co-pilot when they arrive on Earth with the Dinobots, and is seen disembarking the shuttle along with Optimus Prime and Hound.
[[File:ShockwaveBattleAutobotcity.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|We've picked up a new group of signals... enemy fighters heading your way.]]
*In a wide aerial shot of the city under attack, a Reflector flies by in Ironhide's color scheme. Shockwave also makes his only appearance in the battle; considering both his role as Cybertron's guardian and his absence from any other scenes during the battle, his presence is probably an animation error. Rumble also flies past, despite being inside Soundwave at this point.
*A laser blast that should be behind Blaster is instead layered in front of him as he acknowledges Perceptor's orders.
[[File:TFTMRumbleFrenzytwored.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|[[FIRRIB|What]] about that [[R2-D2|blue one]]? We'll take that one.]]
*When [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] sends out his cassette troops, [[FIRRIB|Rumble is the same color as Frenzy]].
*Blaster first ejects what looks like Eject, who stays blue up until he gets to the edge of the screen. He then turns black like Rewind. Then Blaster ejects another blue cassette, which after about a second turns black. This one gets through half his transformation colored black, then turns blue for a split second then turns black again. Then, when the cassettes are fighting each other, Eject runs in from the left and jumps over Perceptor. And then he runs in from the left ''again'' to shoot Ravage.
*As Springer runs up to the launcher, Wheeljack's body is visible, but he's in the red, white and blue color scheme of Smokescreen - who, in the storyboards of this sequence, was intended to be the one lying there dead.
*While Springer and Arcee are trying to move the launcher into place, Springer's face is the same color as his helmet.
*During Devastator's combination sequence in Autobot City, his chest plate, portions of his pelvis, his forearms, and Bonecrusher's treads are all green. The chestplate and pelvis should be purple, as should Bonecrusher's treads (they're ''normally'' green when Bonecrusher is separate, but they turn purple when he combines), and his forearms should be black.
*For almost the entirety of his screen time during the battle in Autobot City, the "jet engine" on top of Devastator's chest plate is misinterpreted as a trapezoidal block. The only time it appears in its proper shape is when he high-kicks Grimlock. It appears as it should during the scuffle on Astrotrain.
*While Perceptor and Grapple are shooting, Swoop's lower half runs by in the foreground, long before the rest of him gets there.
*Prime's dramatic transformation sequence far outlasts the transformation sound that's supposed to go with it. It's also the wrong sound (ascending pitch) for his robot-to-vehicle transformation. His trailer is also missing the Autobot logo, which reappears for the rest of the scene.
*Prime is missing the transformation sound as he blasts back to robot mode.
*The gun Megatron fires uses the same sound effect as his fusion cannon.
*When Optimus Prime takes the Matrix out of his chest to give to Ultra Magnus, the animators forgot to remove the cel of the Matrix inside his chest, as it's still in there even as he's holding it in his hands. Since it's not supposed to be there, the luminous effect for the Matrix's core is missing from the duplicate in his chest, creating a visual trick that makes it look like Optimus might just have removed the core itself. (The [[Matrix of Leadership#Universe|''Universe'' comic]] would later use this error as a springboard to reconcile the visuals of Optimus's chest interior with their depiction in ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]''.)
*When Ultra Magnus accepts the Matrix, he's seen inserting it into his chest twice, or at best readjusting its "fit".
*As the other Decepticons prepare to push him out, Bombshell's chest is rendered as a shapeless gray mass, rather than with its yellow canopy.
*The voice that says, "Brothers! Don't!" is nowhere close to the voices of any of the five Decepticons shown getting thrown out of Astrotrain.
*When Megatron says "Nobody summons Megatron" his chest emblem is coloured grey like his chest. It looks like it should have been painted as a darker shade of purple, as it's the shadowed section. But was painted grey instead.
[[File:TFTMStarscreamCoronationErrors.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4| *''trumpet fanfare''*]]
*Even after the [[Battle of Autobot City]], characters who are supposedly dead continue to appear in crowd shots and battles. Shrapnel's role in the fight on [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]] is the most noticeable (and he was called for by name in the original script), but Thundercracker, Skywarp and Kickback can all be seen at Starscream's coronation. The two jets are later seen again, flying into Unicron's mouth.
*In the establishing shot of Starscream's coronation, the there are only five Constructicons (Bonecrusher had better things to do tonight) and they are miscolored as purple and white rather than their usual purple and green color scheme.
*Hook has two eyes instead of his normal visor as he looks around in confusion during the trumpet scene.
*An early establishing shot clearly shows Cybertron with two and ''only'' two moons in low orbit. Yet a third moon is visible right after Unicron finishes eating the two Autobot bases.
*When Galvatron introduces himself to the Coronation party, Soundwave's chest window is drawn far too small.
*When Cyclonus is strafing the Autobot shuttle in space, he briefly flies offscreen, and during that time his laser blasts come from a point that in no way matches his flight path.
*During the wide shot of the Autobots in the crashed ship on Junk, Blurr's entire head is white. Also so is Daniels head, which is drawn as an indistinct incomplete circle.
*Arcee's arm moves to behind Daniel being lifting off.
*Daniel's lips don't purse when he whistles.
*Wreck-Gar's mouth doesn't move at all during his first lines, despite the camera pushing in all close on his face.
*The pistol Ultra Magnus fires uses the same sound effect as Optimus Prime's rifle.
*During the Junkion chase scene, Trashbin attacks Arcee. When she fights him off his motorcycle, his model is switched for Junkyard's when he falls down. And his head then flickers between colours when mounting Junkyard.
*When Grimlock gets kissed, his eyes are round instead of triangular.(Probably intentional expression)
*As Hot Rod falls off one of Unicron's inner spikes, his lower body isn't drawn in. It looks like it should be blocked by our view of the spike, but is layered above it instead.
*Hot Rod's missing his Autobot symbol as he regains his footing inside Unicron.
*As the Dinobots fly around Unicron, both his eyes are intact. (The left one had at this point been shattered.)
*The third smelting victim (who looks a lot like another Bumblebee) doesn't fall from the conveyor belt; he simply vanishes.

== Continuity errors ==
[[File:G1TFTM Snarl cameo.JPG|thumb|upright=1.4|He used to bulls-eye womp-rats in his T16 back home.]]

*The Dinobot [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] is mysteriously absent from almost the entire movie, even though the Dinobots as a group are featured prominently. Copies of the script which have come into fans' hands repeatedly list the Dinobots, but never make mention of Snarl by name. In fact, at one point the script refers to "the four Dinobots". Despite this, Snarl does appear in three very brief shots—in which at least one other Dinobot (Swoop in one, Sludge in another) is entirely absent. Hmm.
** On the other hand, the original production ''storyboards'' for the scene where Snarl first appears in the movie only mentions "the Dinobots", not a specific amount of them. Additionally, Snarl also seems to have been in the scene with Kup telling the Dinobots a story in at least ''one'' version of the film; the Japanese trailer for the movie has finished footage of this scene...but it's very different from the one in the film; the Dinobots are all in their robot modes, and Snarl is present in the scene instead of Slag. It's completely unknown why Snarl's appearance in this scene was cut.
*Also curiously absent are the 1985 Autobot cars and Mini-Vehicles, such as Inferno, Smokescreen, Cosmos, Warpath, etc. It would seem that these characters were available at the time of the movie:
**Perceptor and Blaster both debuted at the same time in the cartoon as the 1985 cars, and both play prominent roles in the movie.
**Grapple is [[:File:BattleAutobotCity.jpg|seen ''very'' briefly]] during the battle for Autobot City. Or maybe it's [[Hauler]].
**The 1985 Decepticons (Astrotrain, Dirge, etc.) appear in the film.
**[[:File:TFTM-SideswipeRedAlertTracks.jpg|Tracks]], [[:File:TFTM-RedAlertDown.jpg|Red Alert]] and Smokescreen (who was supposed to be the corpse in place of Wheeljack next to Windcharger) all appeared in storyboards but not the finished film.
*Devastator is treated as ''the'' ultimate threat, while in the cartoon, his role (and apparent power) was already being [[Starscream's Brigade|severely diminished]], presumably because several other combiners had been introduced. In story terms, the absence of these newer combiners, not to mention the mighty Omega Supreme, is inexplicable. In real-life terms, those characters didn't exist when the film commenced production. (The ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'' adaptation shows Omega Supreme, Superion and Defensor guarding the Ark against an attack by Bruticus and Menasor, attempting to [[retcon]] the problem away.)
[[File:Cyclonus armada tftf.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|We'll be safe enough once we make the jump into lightspeed.]]
*The existence of Cybertron's moons is contentious ''at best''.
**On the one hand, in numerous close and distant shots of the planet throughout the first two seasons, not a single moon was seen. Ever. Even after it got knocked out of Earth's orbit.
**On the other hand, Megatron ''does'' refer to Cybertron as "land of the metal moon" (note the singular) during "[[Microbots]]", suggesting otherwise. The fact that he was overenergized at the time and lost consciousness in mid-sentence - just before he ''might'' have specified a plural number of moons, (in)conveniently enough - makes it unclear just how much credence we should lend this statement.
**The movie promptly introduces two (possibly three) moons over the planet. In continuity terms, they must either have highly elliptical orbits with periapsides (points in their orbits that bring them closest to the planet) that just happened to coincide with the timeframe of the movie or they were constructed sometime after 1986.
*During the Battle of Autobot City, Starscream gets his leg caught. He shoots downward and gets away while screaming "My foot!", but it's his shin that's smoking while his foot looks fine. Later he kicks Megatron with the same foot. Shouldn't that hurt, according to him?
*So Ultra Magnus just happens to have a ready-made Matrix chamber installed in his chest cavity? Is this standard issue for all Autobots?
*The cartoon had already established that Astrotrain increases his size when he transforms to shuttle mode, being large enough to carry a pair of Decepticons in his cockpit. However, within the movie itself, his size is [[scale|noticeably inconsistent]]: When he leaves Autobot City, he's just large enough for the Decepticon army to cram themselves in; later, he's so huge that the Constructicons can quite comfortably form Devastator inside him.
*Speaking of Astrotrain, his entire body flips over when he transforms from train to space shuttle to escape from Autobot City. While ''we'' applaud the [[Show-accuracy|toy-accuracy]], the Decepticons inside probably didn't.
*Soundwave is loyal enough to pick up a wounded Megatron and save him, but when Starscream goes to throw Megatron out, Soundwave doesn't try to intervene. He even tries to steal the leadership once Megatron is gone. The "loyalty" attribute that has pertained so strongly to Soundwave seems to be alienated from the character in this scene.
*The number of minions created by Unicron changes throughout the film, with more Sweeps appearing as the story progresses. A second Cyclonus ("Cyclonus, the warrior, and [[Cyclonus's Armada|his armada]]") is shown being created but disappears shortly thereafter. At least ''seven'' new characters are shown at one point, created from only ''six'' Decepticons thrown from the shuttle.
*How can the Constructicons blow on those trumpets? Only [[Hook (G1)|three]] [[Bonecrusher (G1)|of]] [[Mixmaster (G1)|them]] have mouths.
[[File:SSBQ.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"I've been looking forward to this for a long time." "Yes, I bet you have."]]
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] is capable of reducing [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] to ashes with a single shot from his cannon mode. Though in later episodes Galvatron is shown blowing up even small ''[[Thrull|planets]]'' and being able to take down [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] with one shot from his cannon, his extraordinary killing power seems to be gone—like when he scores a direct hit in cannon mode on Ultra Magnus in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]" and Magnus isn't especially hurt at all, or how a similar blast against Scourge in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]" only leaves the latter temporarily incapacitated. [[Marvel Comics]] bios explain this by suggesting that Galvatron had nearly limitless power through Unicron... but then again, Galvatron himself claims to be "more powerful than ever" after Unicron is dead in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]". [[To sell toys|Who knows.]]
*Why didn't the Autobots notice Unicron until he was within devouring distance of Cybertron's moons? Why doesn't Shockwave, who is ''on Cybertron,'' react until after Unicron has eaten these moons, transformed into a giant robot, and ''smashed his hand into the planet's surface?''
*Despite running out of energon goodies on Quintessa, Hot Rod has at least one to offer to the Junkions.
*How did Hot Rod and Kup know to fly from Quintessa to Junk?
[[File:TFTMStarscreamVsUnicron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|This is either Starscream or his stunt double; hard to tell.]]
*When the Decepticons on Cybertron launch a counterattack on Unicron, all three of the first-year Seekers are seen fighting alongside the Coneheads. Given that all three were either explicitly killed earlier in the movie (Starscream) or have been turned into Galvatron's troops by this point (Thundercracker and Skywarp), they're obviously not supposed to be ''around'' in these forms anymore; of course, they could also just be [[generic]]s reusing their colors...but, as noted above, Thundercracker and Skywarp ''also'' appear at Starscream's coronation.
*Daniel, who was just learning how to use his exo-suit, had to knock down the acid cover inside Unicron to save his loved ones. Why couldn't the more experienced Spike do the same with his suit from above? He had both of his arms free and a clear shot at the cover.
*It's not clear how Rodimus Prime (carrying two humans) and the other Autobots survived their jump out of Unicron's eye and their plunge towards the surface of Cybertron.
*It's also unclear just how the dozen or so Autobots (and one shipload of Junkions) managed to retake the whole planet of Cybertron. Did Unicron really wipe out ''that'' many Decepticons?
* Unicron's invincibility is extremely inconsistent; Moments before becoming Galvatron, Megatron creates visible damage to Unicron's horns simply by attempting to hold into something. Later, he doesn't suffer even a dent when one of Cybertron's moons is detonated in his mouth. Near the end, the Dinobots are capable of punching their way through his "skin", and Rodimus Prime just casually throws Galvatron into space through Unicron's side. Even without the Matrix, the small group of Autobots did pretty well against him.

===Not necessarily errors===
*Fans have noted throughout the years that Astrotrain, in his flight through zero-gravity space, should not have needed to "jettison some weight" in the literal sense. However, since the ejected Decepticons quickly fall behind Astrotrain instead of floating alongside him, he must still have been accelerating and thus would have needed to burn a greater amount of fuel in order to push a larger payload. Perhaps he should have said "jettison some ''mass''", but then again, just being a spaceship doesn't make him a rocket scientist.
*The Dinobots spend the majority of the film in Dino Mode, a practice that would eventually carry into season 3 of the cartoon. Swoop is the only one to spend extended amounts of time in robot mode, due to the anatomical issues of walking in a flight-based mode. However, there are some instances where they're briefly shown in robot mode for blink-and-you-miss-it moments, for no reason whatsoever.
*Starscream is shown just inside Astrotrain's cargo bay when he commands him to take off, but in the next shot (Astrotrain's door closing as his rocket engines ignite), Starscream is nowhere to be seen. It's possible that he walked further in, but he should still be at least partially visible.

==Continuity notes==
*The Movie has had a huge effect in shaping the mythos. Among the elements and characters which would reappear in many other iterations of Transformers are:
**The notion that Cybertron has moons
**The Matrix as a physical object, rather than the computer program previously depicted in the Marvel Comics. Even the Marvel Comics would eventually shoehorn this one in.
**Autobot City
**Unicron
**The notion of Megatron becoming Galvatron
**And it killed off Optimus Prime before it was cool!
*Cybertron's appearance in the post-titles establishing shot shows some major changes to the planet since our last look at it in Season 2. Many of the same buildings from the cartoon's stock image of the planet are there, but the giant pit near the planet's equator is mostly covered over, and the shredded portion of its southern hemisphere has been completely rebuilt.
*Gadgets and powers:
**Springer deploys a small flip-out twin laser from his wrist during the Autobot City battle.
**Arcee and Hot Rod both activate a long-distance scanner of some sort by lowering a red visor from under their helmets over their eyes.
**Hot Rod uses a saw blade that extends from his retracted wrist.
**Blurr has the same kind of hooked welding tip used by various Autobots as far back as "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]".
**Arcee unleashes a nasty barbed post from her fender to fend off a Junkion.
**Grimlock shows the never-before seen ability to [[GoBots|shoot lasers from his fists]].
*'''[[The Revenge of Bruticus|< <]]''' What makes Starscream the leader? Megatron's <s>dead</s> almost dead!

==Real-world references and Easter eggs==
[[File:TFTMUnicronSkyscrapers.jpg|thumb|I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.]]
*When the inside of Unicron is shown after he devours Lithone, the "blinking energy" effect of Unicron's innards shows, for a split second, what appear to be several images of post-apocalyptic buildings. These images look to be recycled background paintings from ''{{w|Fist of the North Star (1986 film)|Fist of the North Star}}'', a film [[Toei Animation|Toei]] had animated the same year. Regardless of animation efficiency/corner-cutting, the flashing images of ruined civilizations are eerily appropriate for Unicron.
*Optimus Prime instructs Cliffjumper to "commence countdown" much like Cliffjumper's voice actor, [[Casey Kasem]] hosting ''American Top 40''.
*When Sludge gets haymakered by Devastator, his eyes pop out of their sockets in ''{{w|Looney Tunes}}'' fashion.
*Kup's storytelling sequence aboard the shuttle is drawn from the novel ''{{w|Of Mice and Men}}'', complete with Grimlock in the Lenny role asking Kup to "tell Grimlock about petrorabbits again".
*The Junkions speak almost entirely in pop culture quotes and pastiches. Littered among the generic phrases like "operators are standing by!", "Film at eleven" and "eliminate even the toughest stains" are more specific references, such as:
**"Don't look behind door #2, Monty!" - a reference to the game show ''[[Let's Make a Deal]]'' and its host, [[Monty]] Hall.
**"Ger-ronny-doo-ron-ron-ronny-mo!" - both the famous "{{w|Geronimo (exclamation)|Geronimo!}}" war cry, and the 1963 hit "{{w|Da Doo Ron Ron}}".
**"You check in, but you don't check out" - a parody of the tagline for {{w|Roach Motel (insect trap)|Roach Motel}} insect traps.
**"Happy motoring!" - the slogan of gas company [[Esso]].
[[File:Tftm rosencrantz-and-guildenstern.jpg|thumb|Easy? You call that ''easy!?'']]
*The Quintesson jail cell includes robot debris ''strongly'' resembling [[:File:Tftm rosencrantz-and-guildenstern.jpg#parts|several mobile suits]] from 1985 Japanese animation ''{{w|Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam}}''.
*''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects (yes, even the high-budget Movie uses them):
**The ''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' engine burst noise is used extensively throughout the film, over and over and over, almost any time a Decepticon takes flight.

**[[Luke Skywalker]]'s deactivating [[lightsaber]] is used as the sound of the Quintesson ship's ramp extending.
**Clashing lightsabers are used as Unicron fires eye-blasts at the attacking Transformers.

**An igniting lightsaber is used as Rodimus opens the Matrix.
**An AT-AT foot stomp sound is heard as the Autobot shuttle crash lands on Junk.
*The ''[[Star Trek]]'' sliding door sound is used as Wreck-Gar pulls out his <s>iPhone</s> mini-TV.
*The sound used for the communicators on ''Star Trek'' is used when Daniel activates his blaster to save Spike

==Adaptations==
*[[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|A comic adaptation of the movie]] was published by [[Marvel Comics]] in 1986, concurrently with the movie's theater run. It was based off a non-finalized version of the script, and differs in many details from the final film. Additionally, most of the major character models (and possibly their unedited original character write-ups) appear in issue #4 of the ''[[The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe]]'' series.
*[[Transformers the Movie (Ladybird adaptation)|A storybook adaptation]] was released in the UK by [[Ladybird Books]].
*A four-part adaptation was released in 2006/2007 by [[IDW Publishing]], as part of the film's 20th anniversary celebration. It was titled ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'' to differentiate it from the [[Michael Bay]] [[Transformers (film)|live-action film]]. Unlike its predecessor, it adheres rigidly to the script and plot of the finished movie.

==Soundtrack==
{{main|The Transformers: The Movie - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack}}

==Promotions==
*Early in the movie's production, a [[The Transformers: The Movie promo|promotional trailer]] was made to sell the project to potential investors.
*The movie was advertised on related 1986 toy packages via the [[Decipher the Decepticon]] Sweepstakes, which included a pack-in poster and contest.
*The movie was heavily advertised directly by TV [[commercial]]s, and tail-end segments on Transformer toy ads. Portions of its story were also retold in altered fashion by animation segments of commercials for the movie character toys, such as a spot showing Springer doing battle with Wreck-Gar.

==In the comic continuity==
The [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel UK comic]] made extensive use of the Movie as the basis for a series of stories involving the Transformers in the future. However, there are several differences between the events seen on screen and those referenced in the comic:

*The comic always dates the movie to [[2006]], following the date given in a treatment that was all [[Simon Furman]] had when he wrote "[[Target: 2006]]".
*In "Target: 2006", [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] states that he was previously "[[Life Spark]]".
*The Matrix is always called the "Creation Matrix" in the comic, a name that predates the "Matrix of Leadership" but which is now used for the same physical object.
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Wheeljack]] both survive the events, both later appearing in "[[Space Pirates!]]" (set in [[2008]]).

In addition, [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] definitely survives the attack by Unicron.

The US comic almost completely ignored the events of the Movie, though later in the run an alternative future is briefly shown in "[[Rhythms of Darkness!]]" and "[[A Savage Circle]]". In this timeline at least some of the events of the Movie took place such as the creation of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] from [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], which is dated to 2005, though [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]]'s death was overlooked. [[Prowl II|Wouldn't be the first time. Or the last.]]
*The US version of the future story "[[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006]]" implicitly has the events of the movie as part of its backstory. However, since the rest of the US series ignored the movie, this issue's place in the continuity is questionable.

==Edits==
Several English-language versions of the film exist, with the following differences in content from the American theatrical run:

*In some versions (notably the European version) the opening credits are replaced with a scrolling text ("''Star Wars'' style") which provides backstory.
*In some versions (notably the European version) the film ends with [[Victor Caroli|a narrator]] reassuring the audience that Optimus Prime will return.
*Instances of swearing in the film (there are two) were edited out; sometimes one, sometimes both. Those instances are: Spike yelling, "Oh shit, what are we gonna do now?" after the self-destructing Moon Base 2 fails to scratch Unicron, and Ultra Magnus growling, "Open, damn it, open!" while trying to open the Matrix to fend off Galvatron and the Sweeps on Junkion. The United Kingdom cinema version had the swearing included but, when it was released on VHS in the United Kingdom, Spike's line was cut ("damn" not being considered especially offensive in the UK). However it has been restored on all United Kingdom DVD releases.
*In some early FHE video releases, the shot of the Matrix falling out of Optimus Prime's hand and being caught by Hot Rod is edited so that it appears that Ultra Magnus simply takes the Matrix from Prime. Why this was done is not known, and the replay of the Hot Rod catch on Unicron's monitors was left intact.
*The original FHE video release of the film painted out all instances of Megatron's green-colored "bleeding" from the end of the battle of Autobot City up to his meeting with Unicron.
*Instead of DEG, the {{w|Rank Organisation|Rank Film}} "{{w|Gongman}}" appears before the British release of the film, as Rank were the United Kingdom distributors.

None of these edits significantly affect the story. They should not be confused with various other sequences which were changed before the film's final release:

*Originally, Ultra Magnus's "death sequence" on Junkion called for him to be lassoed and drawn and quartered by the Sweeps' energy beams, but this was deemed too graphic for audiences, hence the less disturbing "shot to death" sequence seen instead. There is evidence that the original sequence had been fully animated when the decision was made, however; the Sweeps still kept their solid energy lassos when they fire upon Magnus, and Magnus is seen visibly straining against what appears to be said lassos (edited out and replaced with laser fire) before exploding. This also explains why the Junkions only have to put his limbs back on to repair him.
*A number of other sequences were illustrated as [[storyboard]]s but dropped, presumably without ever being animated. Among them were:
**A short scene showing Ironhide piloting the Autobot shuttle through ''huge chunks of ice'' from the tail of a passing comet, explaining how the Decepticons caught them unawares. In response to a reprimand by Prowl who prickishly disapproves of Ironhide's piloting shenanigans, Ironhide exclaims, "I can sure as shootin' dodge a couple of ice chunks". When the Autobots are suddenly jolted by the Decepticon strike force as Megatron and his troops attempt to enter the shuttle, Ironhide tells the others on board, "That was no ice chunk...". Heroic nonsense ensues...
**An extended sequence with Hot Rod and Daniel outside the city.
**A sequence of Mirage blasting Bombshell and being fired on by Megatron.
**The Autobots finally bringing down Devastator with a barrage of missiles (and the Constructicons subsequently shooting Red Alert in the back).
**The Decepticons dogpiling Optimus Prime, explaining why he seems to be standing up just before his fight with Megatron, and no longer holding his rifle. According to storyboards, Prime gets bum-rushed by Blitzwing (who causes Prime to drop his gun), Starscream, Astrotrain, and Skywarp. While it is not clear how Prime defeated the first four hand-to-hand combatants, Dirge is later shown attempting one final sneak attack (and gets his can handed back to him) as Prime is talking to Megatron before the two leaders' final fight.
**Trailbreaker is shown dead among the wreckage of Autobot City as the Decepticons begin their retreat.
:Some of these concepts were in earlier versions of the script, and hence made it into the comic adaptation.
*Rumors have occasionally circulated in the fandom of additional animated footage that was dropped from the film, such as ultra-violent battle scenes. No evidence has ever surfaced to back these claims; the only known edits of any storyline or character importance are those listed in this section.
:{{see|Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers#The Transformers: The Movie|Urban legends about ''The Transformers: The Movie''}}

==Reception and box office==
{{quote|''The Transformers'', in which Orson Welles plays a planet, is pure headache material. Target audience of cartoon-watchers also will probably find the film unintelligible, noisy and unoriginal. Boxoffice prospects are dismal.|2=[http://books.google.com/books?id=DHNZAAAAMAAJ&q=Hasbro+Transformers&dq=Hasbro+Transformers&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=1&as_miny_is=1983&as_maxm_is=12&as_maxy_is=2005&num=50&as_brr=0&cd=69 Variety's Film Reviews 1985-1986, Volume 19]}}

{{quote|Obnoxious animated feature about the title good guys, who defend the universe against an evil planet (which has a voice of its own... provided by Orson Welles.) That deafening rock score certainly doesn't help. Little more than a feature-length toy commercial.|Leonard Maltin, ''1987 Movie & Video Guide''}}

{{quote|While all this action may captivate young children, the animation is not spectacular enough to dazzle adults, and the Transformers have few truly human elements to lure parents along, even when their voices are supplied by well-known actors. |2=[http://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/09/movies/screen-transformers-animation-for-children.html The New York Times]}}

{{quote|Transformers -- The Movie, a feature-length animated film inspired by the syndicated TV cartoon series inspired by the Hasbro toy imported from Japan, is utterly uninspired entertainment. |2=[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DM&p_theme=dm&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0ED3CE8EA8D40CCA&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM The Dallas Morning News]}}

{{quote|If you can swallow, without gagging, a large measure of sentimental and offensive religiosity - lines like "Do not grieve. Soon I will be one with the Matrix," whispered by a failing hunk of Autobot metal - then you have a better than even chance of leaving the theatre on your own two feet. |2=[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=01kiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=W6gFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2445,1286000&dq=transformers&hl=en The Montreal Gazette]}}

{{quote|Everything is poorly drawn and - when it's in focus - one dimensional. It is terribly hard to separate the robots from the backgrounds, and there is no easy way to tell the good guys from the bad guys. In an earlier movie based on the same sort of robot toys - "Go-Bots: The Battle of the Rock Lords" - the good guys were either white or colorful and the bad guys were dreary, and they had distinct personalities. Not this movie; everyone looks and sounds alike, except one pink robot who is a female good guy. Her tin voluptuousness makes her stand out. |2=[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kw4wAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OgMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6957,6334152&dq=transformers&hl=en The Toledo Blade]}}

{{quote|Even with an all-star cast doing the voice overs... and a rock music score, this is still nothing more than a ripoff of a successful toy line. |2=[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AYckAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dtsFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4192,1494652&dq=transformers&hl=en The Palm Beach Post]}}

{{quote|The great animated villains, like the Wicked Queen in Disney's "Snow White," had motivations as compelling as any live-action character. Unicron apparently destroys entire worlds because it has nothing else to do. |2=[http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/57996397.html?dids=57996397:57996397&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+8%2C+1986&author=CHARLES+SOLOMON&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&edition=&startpage=8&desc=%60THE+TRANSFORMERS%27%3A+STRETCHING+A+POINT The LA Times]}}

{{quote|A surprisingly dark, emotional, and almost excessively cynical experience for Transformers fans.|2=[http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_the_the_movie/ Rotten Tomatoes]}}

''The Transformers: The Movie'' was almost universally panned by professional critics upon its release.

Well-known film critic and animation enthusiast, Leonard Maltin, gave it a rating below 1 1/2 stars in his ''1987 Movie & Video Guide'', regarding it as a "bomb", then proceeded to write an unflattering blurb denouncing the film as a "feature-length toy commercial".

Caryn James of the ''New York Times'' admitted in the [[August 9]], 1986, edition of the paper that the film was intended for young children, pointing out that the kids in the audience were having a grand ole time with the ''Transformer'' toys and comics they brought with them to the theater, but derided the film as having little to no appeal to adults.

''Variety's Film Reviews 1985-1986, Volume 19 '' was far less even-handed in their review, claiming the film had no appeal to adults ''or'' children. They predicted the film would perform poorly in the box office (and were correct, in that regard).

Carrie Rickey of the ''Dallas Morning News'' chided the film in the [[August 13]], 1986, issue of the paper, describing it as "essentially a cartoon ''Star Wars'' about robots from a toybox galaxy far, far away". She then went on to say that the film "never takes off" and derided it as "uninspired".

Janice Kennedy of the ''Montreal Gazette'' verbally disemboweled the film in the [[August 23]], 1986, edition of the paper, criticizing it as overly commercial, profane, loud, violent, humorless, heavy-handed in its religious messages and chaulk-full of gratuitous celebrity voice-overs. Her only compliment: "But ''The Transformers: The Movie'' does have at least one good thing going for it, a howlingly appropriate song by [["Weird Al" Yankovic]]. It's title? ''Dare to be Stupid''." ''Ouch''.

Nanciann Cherry in the August 13, 1986, edition of the ''Toledo Blade'' claimed the robots in the movie had little personality and faded into the background. She even went on to say that ''[[GoBots]]: {{gb|GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords|Battle of the Rock Lords}}'' was a superior film! Her review was filled with inaccuracies, however, citing characters such as "Unicon" and claiming that the destruction of Cybertron's moons by "Unicon" is what caused the Autobots to travel to Autobot City, at which point Megatron attacked. To be fair, she readily admits, "About 20 minutes into the film, I gave up on the plot and tried to count all the ideas that were stolen from other sources. Now that kept me busy." So she wasn't really paying attention, anyway.

Kathryn Buxton in the [[August 22]], 1986, edition of the ''Palm Beach Post'' gave the film a whopping ''one'' star, calling it "a ripoff of a successful toyline", whatever ''that'' means. In the same article, she also gave David Cronenberg's ''[[Fly|The Fly]]'' one star, just for reference.

In the August 8, 1986, edition of the ''LA Times'', critic Charles Solomon made clear his dislike for the film centered primarily on the fact that none of the characters had interesting or believable motivation. He stated, "Not even the best actor can create a character out of nothing. Not one of the robots has a reason for doing what he does." Solomon then pointed to Unicron specifically as an example of the lack of deep, multi-dimensional motivations in the characters.

Over time, however, the movie has acquired something of a cult following beyond the core base of [[fandom|Transformers fans]], particularly among children of the 80s. It is sometimes screened as a midnight movie at colleges. Online, it is not hard to find amateur reviews lauding everything about it as utterly awesome, from the premise to the soundtrack, and dismissing more critical views out of hand. ''The Transformers: The Movie'' currently holds a 55% "rotten" rating based on 22 professional reviews at online review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.<ref>http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_the_the_movie/</ref>

===Box office===

To date, the budget of the film has not been disclosed—at least, not in any place the [[fandom]] has found. According to most box office tracking sites,<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=transformers.htm</ref><ref>http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1986/0TRTM.php</ref> ''The Transformers: The Movie'' made $5,849,647 in domestic (e.g., United States) theaters. Comparing this with other animated films of 1986, the results are not particularly charitable; while it did better financially than ''{{gb|GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords}}''<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=gobots.htm</ref> ($1,338,264) and ''Heathcliff: The Movie''<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=heathcliff.htm</ref> ($2,610,686), it performed worse than the 1986 ''[[My Little Pony]]'' movie<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mylittlepony.htm</ref> ($5,958,456) and the '''second''' ''Care Bears'' movie<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=carebearsmovie2.htm</ref> ($8,540,346). Bringing up ''The Great Mouse Detective''<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=greatmousedetective.htm</ref> ($25,336,794) and ''An American Tail''<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=americantail.htm</ref> ($47,483,002) would really just be overkill.

==Significance in Transfandom==
''The Transformers: The Movie'' remains one of the most important elements of the entire Transformers brand, both within the fiction and from the perspective of the brand's popularity and "mindshare".

Fictionally, it established several story concepts that have been used repeatedly in the years since 1986, some of which—such as Unicron and the Matrix—are now central to the entire Transformers mythos. The movie is also the centerpiece of the most well-known Transformers continuity: the Generation 1 animated universe. The ''Transformers'' cartoon is split into "pre-movie" and "post-movie" sections which feature different characters and settings, and even somewhat different visual styles. (Most pre-movie episodes were animated by the studio [[Toei Animation|Toei]], while most post-movie episodes were animated by [[AKOM]].)

On a practical note, it was widely available on videotape, and remained so long after the ''The Transformers'' cartoon had gone off the air. Only a [[Family Home Entertainment|handful of series episodes]] were available on video, making ''The Transformers: The Movie'' the logical choice for someone looking to pick up a ''Transformers'' cartoon; this made it far more well-known among fans than any particular cartoon episode.

To an entire generation of young fans, the movie was the most visually spectacular and narratively epic ''Transformers'' experience of their entire youth. Events such as the death of Optimus Prime are widely reported to have reduced many kids to tears. It is hardly a surprise that these emotional experiences embedded themselves deeply in many fans' memories.

Latter-day ''Transformers'' stories have made uncountable references (though [[The Transformers: The Movie/references|we're trying]]) to the movie, lifting or borrowing elements of its [[Minus One|dialogue]], [[The Transformers: Autocracy|fight sequences]], [[A Flash Forward|subplots]], [[Heavy Is the Head|details]], [[Less Than Zero|settings]] and more, as writers have discovered that a shout-out to the movie is a quick and easy way to win cheers from [[GEEWUN|some segments]] of [[Fandom|their audience]]. Even Hasbro and Takara themselves have gotten in on the act, producing a variety of toys based on the minutia of the film: [[Starscream (Armada)#Cybertron|Starscream's crown]], [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#United|Galvatron's creation]], the awakening of [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Rodimus Prime]], and more. The fandom, for their part, pores over new ''Transformers'' fiction, often latching on to even the most tangential of details as a [[The Search for Alpha Trion#Quotes|"reference"]] to the movie, [[The Burden Hardest to Bear|coincidental or not]]. Call-outs, real or perceived, were once a rare treat - but now are so common that many fans are more likely to groan than cheer whenever some version of Optimus Prime declares that "[[One Shall Fall|One shall stand...]]" or a damaged character states that "[[Unfinished|I still function]]" or a vengeful blast is preceded by "[[The Illusion of Control|Here's a hint]]" or yet another Soundwave says yet another variation of "[[Human Error, Part II|Soundwave superior]]", or... well... this:

<center><gallery>
File:Transformersanimatedfilmposter.jpg|'86
File:TFTM1.jpg|'86 again
File:Botcon2000-movieposter.jpg|2000
File:TFvol1 31cvrRI.jpg|2010
File:Timelines10 diamonded.jpg|2014
File:Echoes and Fragments cover.jpg|2016
File:LL1 Riptcvr.jpg|2018
</gallery></center>

In 2016, thirty years after the release of the film, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] gave us perhaps one of the most meta comeback lines in franchise history. When [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]] declares that "Today — one shall stand, and two shall fall!", Optimus simply punches him in the face with a flat "No cliches, Galvatron", voicing once and for all just how sick we've gotten of '86 quotes. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|No Fair Fights}}

{{quote|...wait, I only just noticed something. Did they actually manage to go the entire episode without quoting the 86 movie?|[http://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/94625-episode-65-beast-hunters-episode-13/page-4#entry2360303 Allspark poster Unit Eleven]}}

==Criticisms==
[[File:TFTM Ratchet dies.jpg|left|thumb|Only [[Stormtrooper (SW)|Imperial Stormtroopers]] are so precise.]]
All this is not all to say that the movie is a "masterpiece", exactly. The film met with extremely harsh critical reviews on its release, and some of those criticisms still ring true today.

The film displays an arguably cynical attitude towards itself as [[To sell toys|a vehicle for advertising toys]], especially in the way beloved characters are killed—sometimes gratuitously—for sake of justifying the story's focus on a new group of toys. (Note that with the exception of Laserbeak and possibly Buzzsaw the poster at the top of this article features ''only'' new characters.)

Further, the two primary plot devices—[[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] and the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]—have no prior establishment in the fiction. Unicron is given no backstory ([[Call of the Primitives|until season 3]]) or justification; he simply exists, is very dangerous, and is afraid of the Matrix, all for no adequately explained reason. The introduction of the Matrix itself is a heavy [[retcon]]. The story asks the audience to accept that this cosmically powerful artifact has been in Prime's possession all along (even though an X-ray of Optimus Prime's innards in the second season episode "[[A Prime Problem]]" shows absolutely no signs of said Matrix), but has somehow never been relevant before. In fact, this lack of prior establishment is what led [[Simon Furman]] to develop the divinity backstory of Unicron and [[Primus]] in the UK comics run.

[[File:Megatronlightsaber.jpg|thumb|Your powers are weak, old man!]]
The movie bears many similarities to ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'': There are several character-parallels ([[Springer (G1)|Springer]] is a [[Han Solo]]-type and [[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]] even has Princess Leia's hairdo!), the primary threat is similar (it's the [[Death Star]]... [[Unicron/Generation 1|but it transforms!]]), and both feature a climactic battle where the [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|young hero]] hears the voice of his [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|dead, wise mentor]] one last time before saving the day.

To be a bit more fair to ''The Transformers: The Movie'', however, most of these similarities are either superficial (Arcee's Leia-hair; Megatron's "lightsaber" he briefly uses in his duel against Optimus Prime) or can be seen as elements common to thousands of years worth of epic storytelling through human history, not just common to ''Star Wars''. As a simple example, the phenomenon of two charismatic leaders dealing each other mortal injuries in battle hearkens back to some versions of the "[[King Arthur]]" myth; in their final battle, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arthur]] and his arch-enemy [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Sir Mordred]] deal one another lethal injuries and both apparently expire—though Arthur according to the legend will [[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|return]] when [[Cybertron (planet)|England's]] need [[Darkest hour|is greatest]].
{{--}}

==Formatting==
[[File:Tftm widescreenesque.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|The "widescreen" picture (left) actually ''cuts off'' the top and bottom of the fullscreen picture (right). Your eyes can deceive you; don't trust them.]]
Although it was billed in some advertisements before its theatrical release as being "widescreen", the movie was in fact animated in a 4:3 (fullscreen) aspect ratio. For its theatrical screenings, the film was matted down in the projector by the projectionist to a 16:9 aspect ratio (widescreen), chopping the top and bottom off the picture, but all video transfers of the movie were done without mattes, meaning that there was actually more picture visible in the fullscreen video and DVD releases than there would have been in theaters. Across 2006 and 2007, new editions of the DVD of the film were released by Sony BMG and [[Metrodome]] which applied the mattes in order to replicate the original theatrical presentation of the film for the first time in home entertainment. Some fans, however, didn't realize that the film wasn't actually ''animated'' in widescreen, and, hearing that the DVD was to be in widescreen, expected to see the fullscreen image with additional footage at the sides, causing them to complain that the top and bottom were cut off, thereby totally missing the point.
{{--}}

==International versions==
{{main|The Transformers: The Movie/dubs}}

==Commercial releases==
[[File:TFTM LaserDisc cover.jpg|thumb|The cover image from the original Japanese home media release of the movie.]]
*The movie was originally released in North America on VHS and Beta on [[September 17]]th, 1987<ref>http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1964&dat=19870911&id=YhAuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Ls8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3198,2881581</ref> by [[Family Home Entertainment]], minus Spike's swear. Not long after, it was released in the UK by [[Video Gems]]. This version featured the opening text crawl and closing narration inherent to the UK version of the film. In Australia, the film was released on video by RCA/Columbia Pictures/Hoyts. In Japan, Hillcrane released a {{w|LaserDisc}} version alongside a VHS copy, both sporting a gorgeous painted cover that decorated many a fan's desktop back in the day.
*The movie was released spottily in the '90s, beginning with a budget VHS by Avid Home Entertainment in 1991. [[Malofilm]] released a VHS in Canada in 1995, notable for being the first home entertainment version to include Spike's swear. In 1998, Japanese company Pioneer produced another pair of LaserDisc and VHS releases. In 1999, things kicked off when American company [[Rhino Entertainment|Kid Rhino]] secured the Transformers license and released the film on VHS once again.
*The 21st century's flirtation with ''The Transformers: The Movie'' started with a UK budget VHS release of that country's version by [[Sony|Sony Wonder]], distributed by [[Maverick Entertainment]]. A Japanese company called CatCo followed this up with a VideoCD, and Malofilm—now Seville—were the first to release a DVD version of the film, though it was just a dump of their VHS version.
*In November 2000, ''The Transformers: The Movie'' got its first, full professional DVD release from Kid Rhino. This edition, labelled a "Special Collector's Edition", is the first to feature remastered video and audio, and several special features, including storyboards and an interview with [[Vince DiCola]]. Rhino concurrently released this version on VHS, sans extras.
*In 2001 in the UK, Sony Wonder released their own much-delayed DVD version of the film. It was the UK version of the film, but included Spike's swear. However, the release was burdened by badly interlaced video, though it notably included the [[Omni Productions]] dub version of the ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|Headmasters]]'' episode "[[Four Warriors Come out of the Sky]]" as an extra. This version (including the ''Headmasters'' episode) was simultaneously released on VHS.
*The movie was released on DVD in Australia in 2003 by [[Madman Entertainment]], using the same video as the Maverick version, but distinguished by some nifty new cover art by [[Don Figueroa]], and special features not seen on other editions, such as ''[[Stan Bush|The Touch]]'' music video and 80s TV spots.
[[File:Tftm uk covers.jpg|thumb|The UK poster art (left) has been the most common DVD and VHS cover in its home country, but the Ultimate Edition featured new art by Andy Wildman (right).]]
*After acquiring the license to release ''Transformers'' DVDs in the UK, [[Metrodome]] focused on completing their run of series box sets before turning their attention to the movie properly, releasing only a cheap budget DVD of the UK version through Prism Leisure with no extras, and a UMD of the same version.
*In 2005, Metrodome released ''Transformers: The Movie - Reconstructed'', a new version of the film designed to expose as much of the animated picture as possible. This, however, only resulted in exposing the rough, unfinished edges of the animation, and an overly pale remaster was compounded by excessive interlacing due to an unnecessary NTSC to PAL transfer. This, coupled with a 5.1 remix from [[Magno Sound & Video]], featuring the same extra sound effects that they added to Rhino's season box sets, made this release both controversial and disappointing to many. This was the first time that the US version of the movie was released in the UK, and the first to feature the US poster art as a cover (although a Silverscreen store exclusive version of the disc included a reversible cover with the UK poster art as well). Extras include trailers, TV spots, the character biographies from the Madman release, and a subtitled version of "[[Four Warriors Come out of the Sky]]".
[[File:Tftm sony covers.jpg|thumb|Sony's covers, by Don Figueroa.]]
*For the movie's 20th anniversary in 2006, new license holder [[Sony|Sony BMG]] released a two-disc special edition of the film, featuring both a high-quality widescreen remaster and the original fullscreen version, audio commentaries from crew and fans, several new featurettes interviewing those involved in the movie's production, storyboards, TV spots, American and Japanese commercials and more. Most notably, this version included the first Western release of "[[Scramble City: Mobilization]]", albeit silent and unsubtitled, featuring only audio commentary. Also very notable is that this version includes an actual deleted scene from the animated film as an extra, though it is more of interest as a curiosity than anything it actually contains, being an approximately 2-second-long aerial view of the Autobots running towards the critically damaged Optimus Prime. This release featured two covers by Don Figueroa: one is of the '84-'85 cast that appear in the movie, and one is of the movie's new characters, available either as a lenticular hologram that switches between the two, or as a reversible sleeve with the images printed on either side.
[[File:Tftm madman covers.jpg|thumb|Madman's 2003 DVD cover (left), and their 2007 Special Edition cover (right).]]
*Delayed a bit to coincide with the hype for the 2007 [[Transformers (film)|live-action movie]], Metrodome also released a two-disc "Ultimate Edition" with a different widescreen master. Like "Reconstructed", this version used the US edition of the film, but this time, the UK version was also included, in fullscreen, on the second disc. Extras include TV spots, commercials, the Madman biographies, storyboards, commentary, "Scramble City" (with audio and subtitles), featurettes with [[Flint Dille]] and [[Peter Cullen]], and more. The double-disc edition was sold in a steel case featuring new art by [[Andrew Wildman]], with the UK poster art adorning the standard case inside. Various store exclusives were available, including postcards from Play.Com, a reversible cover with the US poster art from HMV, art cards from Virgin Megastore and [[posters]] from Woolworths and [[Toys"R"Us]]. It was also available in an extra-less single-disc version. This version was premiered at the Mid Ulster Film Festival in Ireland which was the only cinema showing of the remastered version of the film to date.
*The film was released in Full HD 1080p on Blu-ray in the UK in October 2007. The Blu-ray is not region-locked, so it will play anywhere in the world. It features a 2.0 soundtrack, 5.1 Dolby Digital track, and a full bitrate DTS 5.1 track. The master used was the same used by Sony for their US DVD. Sadly, there are no extras on the DVD. The version of the film on the Blu-ray is the US one, complete with curse words.
*Madman produced their two-disc special edition through some collaboration with Metrodome, and consequently it features much of the same content, with additional extras taking the form of The Touch music video and a bonus episode of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]''. This release again features cover artwork by Don Figueroa, specifically the cover of [[IDW Publishing|IDW]]'s ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'' adaptation.
*For the film's 30th Anniversary, and after being out of print in the US for 10 years, the film was rereleased on Region 1 DVD and given its first Region A Blu-ray release on [[September 13]], [[2016]] by [[Shout! Factory]]. Both versions are sourced from a brand-new 4K transfer which underwent extensive color-correction and remastering, and a Steelbook packaging variant of the Blu-ray was also made available.<ref>[https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/action-adventure/the-transformers-the-movie-limited-edition-30th-anniversary-steelbook The Transformers: The Movie Limited Edition 30th Anniversary Steelbook]</ref> The Steelbook Blu-ray was released in the UK by [[Manga Entertainment]] as a limited edition on December 12th, 2016, followed by a standard edition release a year later.
*On September 27, 2018, Fathom Events screened the movie at select theaters in the United States. The movie was preceded by an interview with [[Travis Knight]] and [[Hailee Steinfeld]] and a preview of a scene from ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'', and followed by a short featurette of Stan Bush discussing the music he contributed to the movie and performing acoustic versions of ''The Touch'' and ''Dare''.<ref>[http://news.tfw2005.com/2018/08/01/1986-transformers-movie-hitting-theaters-one-night-only-369314 1986 Transformers Movie Hitting Theaters One Night Only!]</ref> Cineplex would later show the movie in Canadian theaters on October 4.

==Television broadcasts==
Following a segmented, five-part broadcast during [[The Transformers (cartoon)#Season 5|the fifth season of ''The Transformers'']], the complete feature film was aired on American television in 1989 via Fox stations. Air dates and times were June 17 at Noon, July 30 at 11 A.M. and September 2 at 10 A.M. Of course, this was the language-edited video release from Family Home Entertainment.

The movie was aired on [[Hub Network|The Hub]] on February 18, 2012, following [[Orion Pax, Part 1|the Season 2 premiere]] of ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' on what was called "Transformers Mega Saturday". Uniquely, this version combined the European opening narration with the US scrawl-free opening credits, muted the two swear words (rendering the lines as "It isn't even dented! ...What do we do now?!" and "Open... ''Open!''"), used the European closing narration at the end, and sped up the scroll of the end credits to cut it down for time, ending the lyrics of the [[theme song]] around the beginning of its second verse ("Strong enough to break the bravest heart..."). Subsequent re-airings on The Hub aired this version of the movie.

The American television airing of the feature film adds one extra sound effect, and it has never been heard in any other release. During the scene when Arcee is racing to jump aboard the departing Autobot shuttle, there is a distinctive sound effect when she jumps. In all other releases there is no sound effect.

A July 4, 2014 Hub broadcast of the movie markets it as ''Transformers: The Animated Movie'', distinguishing it from that computer animation/live action [[Transformers (film)|hybrid film]] with the similar title made two decades and one year later.

==Notes==
*According to [[Buzz Dixon]], Hasbro's decision to kill off Optimus Prime was actually an attempt to maintain some brand-storytelling parity with ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'', as Dixon had just convinced them to allow the death of [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] in ''{{w|G.I. Joe: The Movie}}'' and both films were in production at the same time.<ref>http://www.joeheadquarters.com/interviews_dixon.shtml</ref>

*This film was the last professional performance by [[Orson Welles]], who died only a month later. According to production materials shown at [[BotCon 2000]] by Tim Finn, the voice recording sessions for ''The Transformers: The Movie'' were done on [[September 10]] and [[September 11|11]] of 1985. Welles died on [[October 10]] of that same year. It has often been speculated that Unicron's last line ("Destiny… you cannot destroy my destiny!") was recorded by another actor—possibly [[Leonard Nimoy|Nimoy]]—because it sounds different than the other lines. This speculation has been quashed by statements by Transformers voice director [[Wally Burr]].<ref>http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/60-astrominutes/wally-burr/wally-burr-3.html</ref>
[[File:Windcharger wheeljack otp.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Uncle Owen! Aunt Beru!!]]

*With the exception of Starscream and possibly Shockwave, only the Autobots suffered fatalities in the movie. All of the other "dead" Decepticons from the Autobot City battle were rebuilt into Galvatron's new troops, and although more Decepticons were shown taking heavy damage and suffering huge casualties while fighting Unicron, their identities and their final condition are uncertain. Additionally, both Starscream and Unicron survived in the post-movie series in some form or another. Shockwave's death in the finished film is highly uncertain, although in the script it is fairly strongly implied. He does make some miscolored appearances in crowd shots in later cartoon episodes, but these are probably examples of the fairly common animation errors in those episodes.

*Somewhat ironically, though only three of the original eighteen Autobots - [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cliffjumper]], and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] - are definitively shown to have survived the movie, two would quite literally never be heard from again: [[Scatman Crothers]] passed away (though this didn't stop Jazz from making any number of background cameos) while Casey Kasem [[Casey Kasem#Notes|quit the show early in the third season]]. Fate's finger is fickle indeed.

*Unicron's roars in the movie were stock vocalizations originally created for Marvel Productions' 1982 ''The Incredible Hulk'' animated series and performed by voice actor Bob Holt, who voiced the [[Hulk]] in that show. Holt otherwise never voiced a character in the Marvel/Sunbow Transformers series (although he was a regular member of the ''{{gb|Challenge of the GoBots (cartoon)|Challenge of the GoBots}}'' cast as the original voice of [[Cop-Tur (GoBots)|Cop-Tur]]), and had passed away the year before ''The Transformers: The Movie'' was released in 1986. Thus, Unicron has the distinction of featuring ''two'' posthumous performances for the same Transformers character in a single production.

*[[:File:TFTM-MaybeBeachcomber.jpg|A robot resembling Beachcomber]] appears alongside Spike and the Autobots inside Unicron seconds before Daniel blasts the acid cover. Whether this was actually meant to be Beachcomber or just coincidental coloring is unknown, but regardless, Beachcomber shows up alive and well in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]".

*Pieces of music from the movie would later be used in the Commodore 64 version of ''Turrican''. For instance, basically unaltered bits of "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWFx-Go6Y6A Escape]" make up [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6jjpwpDVNY Subsong Two of the game's title theme].

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/movie/movie.html ''The Transformers: The Movie'' Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle]
*[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=transformers.htm ''The Transformers: The Movie'''s box office domestic gross.]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20080426020409/http://www.tftm.net/ ''The Transformers: The Movie'' "Unofficial Fansite", an extremely thorough site about the movie]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20110718075138/http://www.wombatking.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=4 ''The Transformers: The Movie'' deleted storyboards] (archive link)
*[http://zobovor.tripod.com/transformers_the_movie_bloopers.html The Transformers: The Movie Bloopers]

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers: The Movie}}

[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]
[[Category:Generation 1 media]]
[[Category:MSTF]]
[[Category:Real world films]]

War of the Dinobots

2018-12-05T22:16:26Z

CommanderModesty: /* Trivia */

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=10
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=8
|prev2=S.O.S. Dinobots
|next2=Countdown to Extinction (episode)
|series3=''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (cartoon)|Transformers: Generation 2]]''
|ep3=14
|prev3=Prime Target (episode)
|next3=Atlantis, Arise!
|image=Wotd wheeljack meteorite.jpg
|caption=
|title="War of the Dinobots"
|production code=#700-07
|airdate=[[November 24]], 1984
|written by=[[Donald F. Glut]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}
'''Snarl and Swoop are added to the Dinobot roster... and just in time!'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:WaroftheDinos Meteorite.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Meteorini Chipper—ah, forget it.]]
At an observatory, [[Chip Chase]] and his colleague [[Jeff (astronomer)|Jeff]] spot an [[Meteorini Chipperoni|unidentified meteor]] through the telescope. Its strange readings cause Chip to call in the [[Autobot]]s, who soon arrive. Chip's already calculated when and where the meteor will land, and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] decides that the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] will be useful backup when it does.

At Decepticon headquarters, [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] is watching video footage of the Dinobots and raging about how the dim-witted robots have defeated his warriors. Though [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] protests that the Dinobots are brilliant as warriors, Megatron insists they must have weaknesses and orders [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] to find them.

Soundwave finds the Autobots in a derelict area waiting for the meteor to arrive. The Autobots take cover as the meteor crashes down. Once it has crash-landed, Optimus announces that they must analyze it, and blasts a clunk off for [[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]] to take back to [[Ark (G1)|headquarters]]. Leaving the Dinobots to guard the meteorite, the Autobots roll out for home. As they drive, Optimus announces that he's decided to get [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]] and Wheeljack to build two more Dinobots, and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]] and Chip offer to help. Back at base, Chip selects a ''Stegosaurus'' and a ''Pteranodon'' for the [[alternate mode]]s of the new Dinobots.

[[File:War of the dinos 1.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Me Grimlock say "Pull!"]]
At the meteor site, Soundwave scans the Dinobots' brains while in hiding and reports back to Megatron. The Decepticon leader declares [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] is arrogant, [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] is hostile, and [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] is stupid. He vows to use those weaknesses against the Dinobots.

Megatron's forces arrive at the meteorite's location, and after the Dinobots trash the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], Megatron comes forth and feigns humility. He wonders aloud why the Dinobots, as powerful as they are, follow a weaker leader such as Optimus Prime. The Dinobots debate Megatron's logic and conclude that Grimlock should be leader and they need to destroy Optimus Prime. The three seekers spirit away the meteorite, and Megatron suggests a plan to the Dinobots which will help them eliminate Optimus.

[[File:WaroftheDinos construction.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Dinobots—built to rule!]]
At the Autobot base, Prime and Ratchet oversee construction of two new Dinobots: [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] and [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]]. During this, Wheeljack discovers the meteorite's energy is highly unstable. [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] manages to encase the fragment in a force field just before it detonates. Fearing a huge explosion, Optimus Prime rushes out alone to warn the Dinobots.

At the base, Ratchet and Wheeljack have Snarl and Swoop do a test run of their powers. [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]], [[Sideswipe (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Sideswipe]] and [[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]] attempt to stop the new Dinobots, but get their cans soundly kicked, though Bluestreak claims the Autobots would have won if the fight was for real.

Prime arrives at the crash site to find the meteorite gone. As he attempts to contact headquarters, the Dinobots attack him and he reluctantly fights back. Though he puts up a good fight, Optimus is unable to defeat the Dinobots by himself. Despite his pleas that they're friends, the Dinobots blast him unconscious, however, Grimlock stops Slag from finishing their former leader off, a restraint that Prime attributes to their Autobot training. The Dinobots instead take Prime to the Decepticons. In a nearby canyon, the Decepticons are draining energy from the meteorite, though Starscream's warning that the energy appears unstable is dismissed by Megatron. The Decepticon leader is outraged when the Dinobots turn up with Optimus. When Starscream asserts that Grimlock won't destroy Optimus because he's soft, the Dinobot leader shoots Starscream. Optimus attempts to warn Megatron about the unstable nature of the meteorite, but Megatron believes he's lying.

[[File:Grimlockapologize.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Um... please let go. That hurts." "yOu MiNe NoW..."]]
At Autobot headquarters, [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]] and Chip are concerned because Optimus hasn't reported in. [[Teletraan I]] alerts Wheeljack that the meteorite has been moved and is about ready to blow. Snarl and Swoop are sent to stop it.

Megatron finally notices that the energon cubes they've been filling are unstable, moments before the pile of cubes explodes, throwing the nearby Decepticons aside. Starscream is in mid "I told you so" when Swoop and Snarl arrive. A vicious battle ensues, during which the two new Dinobots appear to be equal to the three original Dinobots and the evenly-match fight shows no sign of abating. A blow from Snarl sends Grimlock dangerously near the destabilized meteorite, and as the Decepticons flee, Prime pushes Grimlock to safety, shielding his body as the meteorite explodes.

Realizing that Prime is both strong and has concern for his troops, Grimlock orders the Dinobots to attack Megatron. The Decepticons retreat, and Grimlock asks for Prime's forgiveness as the other Autobots arrive. However, Optimus Prime merely declares that the meteorite menace is over and they should go home.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (3)
*[[Hound (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hound]] (4)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]] (5)
*[[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] (6)
*[[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]] (7)
*[[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (14)
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (15)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] (16)
*[[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]] (19)
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (20)
*[[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (21)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (22)
*[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (23)
*[[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] (24)
*[[Sideswipe (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Sideswipe]] (25)
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (26)
*[[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (27)
}}
|c2=
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (8)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (9)
*[[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (10)
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (11)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]] (12)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (13)
*[[Skywarp (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Skywarp]] (18)
|c3=
*[[Chip Chase]] (1)
*[[Jeff (astronomer)|Jeff]] (2)
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (7)
*[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] (17)
}}

==Quotes==
"Well, meteor or no meteor, Optimus Prime, it's great not worrying about the Decepticons for a change." 
"I always worry about the Decepticons, Spike."
:—'''Spike Witwicky''' learns that '''Optimus Prime''' ''really'' needs a vacation.

"I’ve seen enough! My finest warriors defeated by those primitive, pea-brained beasts. Revolting!"
:—'''Megatron''' on the Decepticons' failure to defeat the Dinobots.

"No matter how many times I see it, it's always outrageous."
:—'''Chip Chase''', wondering if they are [[Jem|truly truly outrageous]].

'''Grimlock''': "We destroy Optimus Prime!" 
'''Slag''': "And him, Grimlock, be new leader!" 
'''Sludge''': "Hail him, Grimlock!"
:—The Dinobots plan their coup.

"Great! I'm finally gonna get in a fight!"
:—'''Sideswipe''', finally seeing some action after being largely ignored for several episodes.

"In a ''real'' fight, we'd've creamed 'em! ...mmm, maybe."
:—'''Bluestreak''', after getting pummeled by the new Dinobots

"I do not want to fight you, but you leave me no choice."
:—'''Optimus Prime''''s warning to the Dinobots.

"You, Megatron, tricked us! Make us fight good leader, Optimus Prime. Prime risk own life to save us. Bad Megatron!" 
"Decepticons, retreat now, quick, at once!"
:—'''Grimlock''' switches allegiances again and puts the fear of God into '''Megatron'''.

"Optimus Prime, can you forgive? Me Grimlock was jealous of you."
:—'''Grimlock''', actually showing humility for once.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical glitches===
*During the scene in Decepticon headquarters when Megatron is watching footage of the Dinobots, there's a short line above and below his fist as if to make it appear to be shaking in anger. Perhaps a shortcut note for the animators that never got carried out?
*Coloring errors:
**Reflector's center bot is missing his green coloration as he turns toward the deactivated viewscreen.
**Soundwave is missing his yellow stripes as he lands in the city.
**Soundwave's cheek guards are blue instead of white as he edges toward the Autobots.
**In our first shot of the Dinobots, Slag's chest plate is red instead of white.
**In the first shot of the Autobots awaiting the meteorite, Hound is colored as [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]].[[File:GrimSlagSludge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Okay, sure, Slag's cheekguards are the wrong color, but it's still a totally sweet shot.]]
**Slag's head is miscolored (as it so frequently is):
***As Optimus prepares to blast off a fragment of the meteorite (gray).
***As he transforms to listen to Megatron, and again as he points out that Prime will resist Grimlock (white sides).
***As the Dinobots turn around after the first commercial break (starts red, turns gray).
***As Megatron humbly offers a strategy (red helmet, white face).
***As the three Dinobots form up to confront Optimus Prime (gray with red forehead).
***When the Dinobots investigate Prime's body after blasting him (gray with a red dot - he's a Hindu!).
***As Slag proposes melting down Optimus (white sides, red face, a combo that happens so frequently it might be an alternate color model.)
***As the Dinobots land at the new meteorite site (gray).
***In the shot after Grimlock shoots Starscream.
***At the beginning of the battle between old and new Dinobots, as Slag and Sludge transform to their dino mode (and again when this clip is replayed in reverse, minus Grimlock, after the meteorite exploded).
**Grimlock and Sludge's heads are light gray instead of black after Prime blasts the meteorite fragment.
**After the Seekers' second pass over the Dinobots, two Thundercrackers fly over the Dinobots, both with wrongly-colored air intakes.
**Thundercracker still has blue air intakes in the diving shot after the Dinobots transform.
**"You are stronger than ''all'' the Autobots!" Megatron's waist-sides are gray instead of red, and one of his buttons is blue instead of red.
**"Optimus Prime is leader now. He will ''fight'' if Grimlock lead!" - in addition to his miscolored helmet, Slag has somehow acquired Sludge's already inexplicable glowing orange mouth interior.
**Grimlock's hands are yellow as the Dinobots watch the Decepticons haul the meteorite off.
**The Ark is silver-gray instead of orange in the first establishing shot of Autobot Headquarters.
**As the Autobots are finalizing construction of Snarl and Swoop, Brawn (who is working on Swoop) is colored with a yellow back, a light blue side, and gray limbs.
**Bluestreak's center head crest is red instead of gray at two points during his fight with the Dinobots.
**As the Dinobots prepare to unleash their final attack on Optimus Prime, Grimlock's torso is colored gray instead of yellow.
**Sludge's helmet-sides are once again light gray as the Dinobots carry Optimus toward Megatron.
**As Grimlock tells Megatron that he'll terminate Optimus at his discretion, only the center of Grimlock's visor eyes was colored.
**Soundwave's visor is blue, and his forehead is visor-red, as he recoils from the about-to-explode energon cubes.
**As Grimlock transforms to start the battle, the end of Prime's rifle is colored gold, as if it were one of Grimlock's claws.
**Slag's horns are yellow instead of red as Swoop drops his tail.
**Optimus has a blue square around his neck as he runs to save Grimlock.
**Thundercracker is shown crashing alongside Megatron as the meteorite explodes. As Thundercracker hasn't been shown in this scene at all, and Starscream was last seen taking off alongside Megatron, it probably should have been Starscream.
*As he acknowledges Megatron's order, Soundwave's visor splits into two separate eyes, then reforms. Throughout the shot, he's missing his eject button and waist belt control buttons.
*When Spike "sees" the meteoroid, it's streaking across the sky as if heading somewhere else entirely, yet somehow it lands almost right on top of them.
*Optimus blasts a fragment off of the meteor at night, transforms during the day (courtesy of a shot recycled, unaltered, from "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]"), leaves the scene around dawn, and drives off into the dead of night.
*In the first shot of the Dinobots guarding the meteorite, Slag's eyes are the same red as the rest of his face, and Sludge's helmet is largely white instead of black.
[[File:WaroftheDinobots Sparkplug with plans.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|" 'Down the breast by the arrow direction' ?"]]
[[File:WarDinobots Chip warning Autobots.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|He ''does'' have some buttons on the arm rest, but nothing for them to control.]]
*As Megatron rants about the Dinobots' weakenesses, Soundwave is missing his insignia.
*As usual, the stock animation of the docking tower of Decepticon Headquarters emerging from the water makes it look like it's tilted about 30 degrees from vertical.
*As the Dinobots prepare to fend off the Decepticon attack, Slag's Autobot insignia is missing as he exults about getting to fight.
*As Megatron starts to talk down the Dinobots from fighting, Grimlock and Sludge's flame breath is layered behind Megatron, despite their being in the background.
*An oddly edited shot has Sludge's face filling the frame, just as Slag answers Grimlock's question about liking to fight.
*"Hail him Grimlock!" - the Dinobot cel layers shift back and forth making them appear to be shaking. Or perhaps highly caffeinated. Just prior to this, Grimlock's back/dino mode head is black. As Slag starts to speak, his face turns white.
*No wonder Sparkplug is puzzled by the blueprints. They're labeled with a rather [[Engrish]]y title of "Out Line Plan Desge".
*After his bizarre force field use, Trailbreaker is nowhere to be seen in Wheeljack's workshop.
*When Snarl first introduces himself, his chest is missing the Autobot insignia. When Swoop lands next to Snarl to make his introduction, Snarl's insignia is present.
*When Grimlock fires Prime's rifle at Starscream, it gets the normal Autobot sound effect, instead of its own unique sound.
*Chip doesn't appear to be doing anything to roll his wheelchair as he and Sparkplug run through Autobot Headquarters.
*Only one of Wheeljack's "ears" flashes as he reports the meteorite's location.
*Improbable viewpoints:
**The meteorite is on-screen ''before'' Chip has asked Wheeljack to "get a fix on it".
**Teletraan then provides a ground shot of the valley (minus the Decepticons, Dinobots, energon cubes, etc.)
*Megatron's gun barrel is bigger than his head as he gets to his feet after the explosion.

===Rhino DVD release===
*When Wheeljack says "I can't wait to get to work on this", his side light things do not flash.
*When the Dinobots talk of rebelling against Prime, Slag's face is miscolored, Sludge's mouth moves to Slag's line, and after Grimlock raises his arm there is a zoom take on Slag.
*As Snarl is introduced, Swoop is entirely too dark.
*The energon cubes are miscolored in one scene.
*When the Dinobots carry Optimus, Slag is miscolored again.
*When Starscream says Grimlock will never betray Prime, he is colored as Thundercracker.
*At two points, Starscream's fingers are colored grey instead of blue.
*As Swoop carries Snarl, Snarl's torso is colored like Swoop's body.
*When Megatron and Starscream land, Starscream is miscolored again.
*When Slag and Sludge transform back to [[robot mode]], their transformations are reversed. They start in robot mode but transform into dinosaur mode.
*As Grimlock confronts Megatron and Starscream, Starscream is once again colored as Thundercracker.
*When the Dinobots take Optimus to Megatron, Starscream is in Thundercracker's colors.
*When asking for forgiveness from Optimus, Grimlock's eyes are not colored.

===Continuity errors===
*Chip calls the Autobots, because "they're the only ones who can save the Earth". Despite being charged with this awesome responsibility, the Autobots don't actually ''do'' anything to ward off or contain the meteorite. It's okay, though, because its actual explosion isn't even enough to damage Optimus and Grimlock, who are maybe fifty feet away when it goes up.
*Optimus Prime is amazingly cavalier about blasting the supposedly dangerous, glowing, energy-laden meteorite with his laser rifle.
*In the long shot of the Autobots standing on the mountain about to test the new Dinobots, Optimus can be seen in the distance driving away from Autobot HQ, despite the implication that some time has passed since he left.
*Slag can be clearly seen wearing a [[jet pack]] on his back when the Dinobots leave to deliver Optimus Prime to Megatron, despite it being previously established that the Dinobots can fly without such equipment. The jet pack appears to be based on Skyfire, complete with a blue "cockpit", white body and red thruster modules!

===Astronomical errors===
[[File:WaroftheDinos Meteorite.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|It's Pizza the Hut's home planet!]]

*A ''meteor'' is a chunk of rock that's in the process of burning up in Earth's atmosphere, a process that rarely takes more than a few seconds. As Chip has plenty of time to observe the incoming projectile, it's clearly still a ''meteoroid'', a chunk of rock that's just floating around in space.
*Despite this, the meteor(oid) is trailing a flaming tail, as if it were already entering Earth's atmosphere. To the writers' credit, Prime refers to it as a ''meteorite'' once it's landed.
*Assuming our first view of the meteor/oid is meant to represent what Chip sees (there is a barely-visible telescopic outline around it), the object would have to be ''huge'' to be so highly detailed in a distant view from Earth. Such a huge object would be catastrophic for humankind if it hit Earth.
*We later learn that the thing is only about 30 feet across, though, which makes it way too small to be such a regular round body.
*Chip's telescope is apparently so sophisticated it can pick up the ''sound'' of the meteorite from across the vacuum of space, including its jet engines.
*A celestial impactor on Earth typically leaves a crater about 10 times its own diameter and annihilates both itself and pretty much everything in a much larger radius around it. Our meteorite here smacks into the middle of an urban downtown area, remains completely intact, and leaves no damage more substantial than a flattened Quonset hut and a largeish pothole.

===Continuity notes===
*The footage of the Dinobots that the Decepticons watch doesn't match up with any scene from their previous appearance ("[[S.O.S. Dinobots]]"), implying that the Decepticons have had at least one more run-in with the Dinobots since then.
*Gadgets and powers:
**Prime can... make his fist crackle with energy??
**Soundwave can snake out a long tentacle-like listening bud, to cover whatever distances between him and his subject he can't cover.
**He can also (in accord with his [[bio]]) remotely mind-read other Transformers, this time by means of a little widget that pops out of his head with a doofy-sounding ''DOING!'' noise.
**The Seekers can deploy grappling claws at the end of long cables.
**Ironhide creates metal by spraying it out of his fingertips onto the floor.
**Prowl uses a laser fired from his retracted wrist to slice the metal into smaller pieces.
**This may be the most bizarre implementation of Trailbreaker's force field ever. To contain the meteorite fragment's explosion, he starts ''spinning'', disappearing into a black blur. One might presume that this is done to invert the force field, keeping the damaging forces inside instead of outside. (Using this ability causes him to vanish from the animation!)
**When he first appears Snarl is seen holding his sword, the first of the very rare times ''any'' of the Dinobots' swords appear.
**Swoop can extend his robot arms in dino mode if he needs to give somebody a good shove.
*The derelict area where the meteor lands is shown to be across the river from a somewhat largish city which goes unidentified during the course of the episode.
*Huffer has evidently changed his tune about the Dinobots, as he helps build Snarl and Swoop in this episode.
[[File:WarOfDinobots SnarlDebut.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85]]
*Snarl, in a rare move for a Dinobot, actually uses the word "I". All the others always say "me", with the exceptions of Sludge from "[[S.O.S. Dinobots]]", and that time Grimlock [[Grimlock's New Brain|was a genius]].
*The energon cube that Soundwave fills is a bit odd; after he creates it, it just floats in mid-air. He then fires his gun into the meteorite, which obligingly sends a stream of energy into the cube. How the heck does that work, exactly?

===Real-world references===
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
**[[Luke Skywalker|Luke]] deflecting seeker ball bolts is repurposed as Slag powering up his horn lasers to fire on Optimus. A [[lightsaber]] ignition is used in the same sequence as Prime loses his laser rifle, followed by [[Darth Vader]] and [[Obi-Wan Kenobi]] cutting into some machinery during their duel on the Death Star.
**[[Death Star]] firing/Alderaan exploding, + [[X-wing Fighter|X-Wings]] diving, as the Dinobots take off to return to Megatron.
**''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' engine burst as Snarl and Swoop take off from Autobot HQ.

===Trivia===
[[File:Grimhead.JPG|thumb|"Me Grimlock before, me Grimlock after. Head no matter, always sexpot."]]
*Grimlock's head has been redesigned, though the old version still crops up in a few future episodes. However, the old design remained predominant in the comics all the way until Grimlock evolved into an [[Action Master]] in "[[Still Life!]]". The second head design would be used in all incarnations from then on.
*In an earlier draft of this episode's script, it was not Chip who discovered the meteorite, but an original character named Doctor Lynn Hyashi. In a deleted subplot, Sparkplug's jealousy of her technical expertise would have paralleled Grimlock's jealousy of Prime's leadership.
*When Megatron orders the footage of the Decepticons' defeat by the Dinobots turned off, there's a lingering shot of Reflector looking a little alarmed; this is an artifact of the original script for the episode, in which the footage was supposed to be showing a rather detailed, gruesome battering the three-in-one Decepticon received from the Dinobots.
*This episode marks the only occasion in the entire series that a normally functioning Autobot willingly battles a normally functioning Optimus Prime ("[[Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening]]" and "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|The Return of Optimus Prime]]" don't count, as Prime was a zombie in the former and Rodimus was infected with the Hate Plague in the latter). The Dinobots have quite a bit of success, too...I know [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|somebody]] who could have used some lessons from them.
*This was one of the six episodes featured on the ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (video games)|Revenge of the Fallen]] [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)|console game]]'', and the three on the [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (PSP)|PSP game]]. However, it was erroneously named "War '''on''' the Dinobots". It was also, unfortunately, the Kid Rhino remaster.
*Seriously, Optimus Prime does not forgive Grimlock at all.
*This episode makes a cameo in Eric Serra's 1994 film Léon, as Natalie Portman's character fights with her sister over the television, shortly before Gary Oldman turns up and murders pretty much everyone. Fun times.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Guerra dos Dinobots'''" ("War of the Dinobots")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''German'''
:*''Title (Generation 2 dub):'' "'''Krieg der Dinobots'''" ("War of the Dinobots")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 30]], [[1994]]

'''Italian'''
:*''Title (dub 1):'' "'''Il meteorite'''" ("The Meteor")
:*''Title (dub 2):'' "'''La guerra dei Dinobots'''" ("War of the Dinobots")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Nazo no Kyodai Inseki'''" (謎の巨大隕石, "The Mysterious Giant Meteorite")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[August 24]], [[1985]]

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Dàzhàn Jīqì Kǒnglóng'''" (大战机器恐龙, "Fight against Dinobots")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Serbian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Rat Dinobota'''" (Рат Динобота, "War of the Dinobots")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 1985 — ''The Transformers'' — Volume 9: "War of the Dinobots" ([[Family Home Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1997 — ''The Transformers'' — War of the Dinobots ([[Malofilm]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1994 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Convoy Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''The Transformers'' — Autobot Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 1 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2002 — ''Transformers'' — Original Series: Volume One ([[Maverick Entertainment|Sony Wonder]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2002 — ''Transformers'' — Complete Original Series: Deluxe Edition (Sony Wonder) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — First Season Collector's Edition ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume Two (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2003 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 1: Series 1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Classic Transformers'' — Series One: Part Two (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2008 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 02: Stagione Uno Parte Seconda ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season One (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 First Season: 25th Anniversary Edition ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[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]] 2011 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete First Season: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''The Transformers'' — Roar of the Dinobots (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-1/synopses/700-07.html Episode Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle]

[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]
[[Category:Generation 2 episodes]]

Call of the Primitives

2018-11-13T20:25:17Z

CommanderModesty:

{{disambig2|the cartoon episode|the ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Legends]]'' event|Call of the Primitives (Legends)}}
{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=91
|series2=2010
|ep2=26
|prev2=Grimlock's New Brain
|next2=The Face of the Nijika
|image=PrimitiveCall.jpg
|caption=Prim and Proper
|title="Call of the Primitives"
|production code=700-112
|airdate=[[November 18]], 1986
|written by=[[Donald F. Glut]]
|directed by=[[Eiji Suganuma]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Unknown Generation 1 animation studios|Unknown]] (See [[Call of the Primitives#Trivia|''Notes'']])
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}
'''All Transformers with animal modes are summoned to battle a being called Tornedron, the little brother of Unicron.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:AutobotsCall.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|They're not dead! Dead is gray. This is white.]]
In an ancient-looking laboratory, a sinister voice describes the process of creation as he brings an energy creature into being: first feeding off flame, then an [[energon cube]], growing in size and power. "[[Tornedron]]" is more than his creator could have hoped; he flies forth into the universe, as his creator gloats that he will succeed where "the other" failed. Touching a comet, Tornedron leaves it dark and bereft of energy. Soon, it attacks [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. The [[Autobot]]s attack it, but it simply drains their energy from them. The creature's creator is pleased with him, saying he's done better than his predecessor, [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]].

[[File:Ejectcall.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Ravage, why are you running away?]]
On [[Earth]]'s [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] is leading a rather badly outnumbered group of Autobots against the [[Decepticon]]s. However, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]], [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], and the animal-form [[Mini-Cassette]]s are all summoned by a mysterious voice. They stop fighting and board Trypticon, who—with Sky Lynx alongside him—rockets off into space, leaving behind a puzzled Rodimus and an infuriated [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. As the Decepticons take off in pursuit, Tornedron arrives and drains the energy from the Moon - and the remaining Autobots along with it. Galvatron's Decepticons in space are next, followed by the entire planet Earth.

Aboard Trypticon, it doesn't take long for tempers to flare after [[Headstrong (G1)|Headstrong]] picks a fight with the Dinobots by insulting [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]]. [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] suggests they stomp him. The Preds stick with their teammate and fight the Dinobots, and the Terrorcons decide to fight everyone. At Sky Lynx's suggestion, Trypticon shakes his passengers up a bit to put an end to the squabbling. The group arrives on [[Methuselah|an ancient planet]] near the center of the galaxy. After touching down, Sky Lynx assumes command of the group, despite the objections of [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] and [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-Gurrr]]. Finding a cave, they encounter [[Oracle (G1)|a strange entity]]. He explains that he summoned the [[Primitive]]s, all animal-based Transformers, to come to fight [[Tornedron]], the energy being who was created by [[Primacron]]. The entity, who was once Primacron's assistant, explains how Primacron created Unicron but was nearly destroyed by his creation. After Unicron's defeat, Primacron created Tornedron as a replacement. Primacron's assistant hopes that the Primitives' simple instincts will allow them to defeat Primacon's complex plans.

[[File:Terrorconcall.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|How bright are all these guys? Well, the freaking ''Terrorcons'' were the first and only ones to figure out that shooting the energy creature doesn't work and try something else. So, not real bright.]]
Suddenly, Tornedron arrives and drains Trypticon of his energy. Trypticon crashes, and Grimlock is believed destroyed. Sky Lynx attacks, only to have his energy drained as well. [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] leads the Dinobots in retreat, while the other Primitives split up, believing that Tornedron can't catch up to all of them if they go separate ways. Unfortunately, they prove to be wrong, as Tornedron separates into four parts to track them all down. He easily dispatches the Mini-Cassettes, chewing on [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] in the process. Headstrong declares that it would be better to [[Furmanism|fight and die]], and the Predacons form [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], only to have their energy sucked away as well. The Terrorcons try to fight back, but are also drained. The Dinobots ambush Tornedron, but they too are dispatched. Declaring victory against the Primitives, Primacron orders Tornedron to return [[Protos|home back to his lab]]. Unknown to Tornedron and Primacron, however, Grimlock has survived his impact from Trypticon, and he secretly follows them.

[[File:Tornedroncall.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Two scoops of raisins]]
At his base, Primacron is having trouble controlling Tornedron, ordering him to stop. Tornedron refuses to take any more orders and declares that he intends to feed on Primacron, and that all of Primacron's failsafes have failed, realizing that Tornedron is rebelling against him. Grimlock breaks into Primacron's lab to find that Primacron is a tiny little monkey-like alien...thing. Grimlock grabs Primacron and orders him to reverse his damage, but Primacron declares that he's tried everything. Grimlock fixes things easily: He throws the reverse switch, which reverses Tornedron's energy polarity, destroying Tornedron and restoring the life energy to the drained Transformers and planets of the galaxy. In celebration, Grimlock destroys Primacron's lab, declaring it the "smartest" thing he's ever done.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (15)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (16)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] (17)
*[[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (19)
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (20)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] (21)
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (22)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] (23)
*[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] (25)
*[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (26)
*[[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] (27)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] (28)
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (29)
*[[Blades (G1)|Blades]] (30)
*[[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (31)
*[[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (32)
*[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (36)
*[[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]] (42)
*[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] (43)
}}
|c2=
{{collist|2|
*[[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] (3)
*[[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] (4)
*[[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] (5)
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (6)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (7)
*[[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (8)
*[[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-Gurrr]] (9)
*[[Rippersnapper (G1)|Rippersnapper]] (10)
*[[Sinnertwin (G1)|Sinnertwin]] (11)
*[[Blot (G1)|Blot]] (12)
*[[Cutthroat (G1)|Cutthroat]] (13)
*[[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] (14)
*[[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]] (18)
*[[Headstrong (G1)|Headstrong]] (24)
*[[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] (33)
*[[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] (34)
*[[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] (35)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (37)
*[[Ravage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ravage]] (38)
*[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] (39)
*[[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] (40)
*[[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] (41)
}}
|c4=
*[[Primacron]] (1)
*[[Tornedron]] (2)
*[[Oracle (G1)|The Oracle]] (44)
*[[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] (45)
}}

==Quotes==
[[File:CotP-BlasterEject.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Whoops, my barn door's open.]]
"What's with the Dinobots?" 
"I'd say they're losing their minds... ''if'' they had any to lose!"
:—'''Rodimus Prime''' and '''Springer'''

"Save your ammunition, Autobots! Superior forces are taking over." 
"Well, well, Commander Modesty's here!"
:—'''Sky Lynx''' and '''Springer''', as Sky Lynx arrives to save the day.

"This is becoming a very bad experience!"
:—'''Rodimus Prime''', as '''Abominus''' and '''Predaking''' unload liberal amounts of firepower on the Autobots from above.

'''Sky Lynx:''' "I'm tracking the waves to the center of the galaxy. Even my advanced technology can't pinpoint the exact destination." 
'''Grimlock:''' "Me Grimlock not know where ''I'' go!" 
'''Headstrong:''' "That's not surprisin'. Grimlock don't know nothin'!"
:— With this crew, it doesn't take much to get a brawl going.

"Now remember, before you do anything, think, 'Is this what Sky Lynx would do in my position?', and you will not go far wrong."
:—'''Sky Lynx's''' sensible instructions to the rest of the Primitives.

[[File:CallofthePrimitives SkyLynx ruetheday.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|So how's that whole 'rue the day' thing workin' out for ya there, Sky Lynx?]]
"Suffer my rage, monster! I will show you no mercy! You will rue the day you crossed Sky—aaahhh!"
:—'''Sky Lynx'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s righteous fury at the deaths of Trypticon and Grimlock.

'''Ramhorn''': Sky Lynx is destroyed! Who will lead us now? 
'''Slag''': I, Slag, lead Dinobots away, till I get better idea. 
'''Hun-Gurrr''': Best idea yet! We run too!
:—Strategy is not their strong suit.

[[File:Predaking primatives.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|He is power. He is fear. He is awe-inspiring might. He is... dead in about 5 seconds.]]
'''Headstrong''': I detest fleeing! I would rather die fighting! 
'''Razorclaw''': He is right! Predacons, unite! 
''[The Predacons combine.]'' 
'''Predaking''': Tornedron... face Predaking! ''To the end!''
:—The Predacons decide that [[Furmanism|it is better to fight and die than live with the knowledge that they ran]].

'''The Oracle''': Only you can save the world now, Grimlock. 
'''Grimlock''': Mm. Me Grimlock feel important.
:—Grimlock discovers it's good to feel needed.

"Grimlock here to save universe!"
:—'''Grimlock''' has an elegantly simple mission statement

"''[chuckles]'' "''You'' are creator?" 
"Unfortunately....yes." 
"Grimlock laugh at little wimp who cause big trouble!"
:—'''Grimlock''', about to give '''Primacron''' a wedgie.

[[File:CallofthePrimitives Grimlock Primacron.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Give me Grimlock your lunch money.]]
'''Grimlock''': Grimlock saved universe! Oh, Grimlock hero!! [Grimlock stomps in victory, causing the place to begin to collapse] 
'''Primacron''': Stop it! You stupid—! 
'''Grimlock''': Why you call Grimlock stupid? 
'''Primacron''': You've ruined my lab! 
'''Grimlock''': Me Grimlock think that is smartest thing I ever done!
:—You know, that probably ''is'' the smartest thing he's ever done.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
[[File:Primacron.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Grimlock laugh at little wimp who cause big trouble! Unfortunately, so did the audience.]]
[[File:Firecall.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Me Grimlock like 'cons Cajun style!]]
*We get our first official origin story for Unicron, painting him as the creation of an obsessive scientist guy. It's... a bit lackluster, especially considering the demi-god nature of the character depicted in the contemporaneous Marvel UK comics. That god-style origin would carry over into the Marvel US comics in 1989, and later media would use it almost exclusively, quietly ignoring poor Primacron.
*[[Oracle (G1)|Primacron's assistant]] is an enigma. What is supposed to be his essence leaving his body is rather inexplicably portrayed looking just like the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. (This ''might'' be explained as the artist recognizing and replicating the object that killed Unicron at the end of the [[The Transformers: The Movie|movie]], but not knowing it had any deeper connection to the Autobots.)
*"Sweeps 6 and 7" identify themselves at the start of the moon battle, the only time any Sweeps had any sort of individual designation. Fun Publications would later produce toys of these characters.
*The rollcall of known Primitives isn't quite complete, omitting [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]. Instead, Soundwave unleashes two new cassette Decepticons: [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]]...who are then never seen again. Gee.
*When Grimlock uses his [[flame breath]] on the Predacons and Terrorcons, they start to ''[[Humanization#Coughing|cough]]''...cause that's what you do when you're being hit with fire reaching several hundred degrees.
*This is the first and only time in the cartoon Swoop fires his wing blasters.
*This episode seems to resolidify the Dinobots' position as freakishly powerful (which took a beating in Season 3), as Grimlock alone seems to be a match for three Terrorcons and two Predacons, and the only Autobot sent flying is Swoop, who takes a blast to the chest early on.
*Gadgets and powers:
**Grimlock can fly in ''T. rex'' mode! All his past flying has been done in robot mode, apart from some falling-with-style back in ''Transformers: The Movie''.
**Trypticon fires a laser from his head-mounted gun at Tornedron that takes the form of a series of energy rings. This MIGHT be a visual reference to the "hypno-beam" his [[bio]] traditionally claims he wields, however if it is meant to hypnotize Tornedron, it fails miserably.
*This episode marks the last appearance of the Dinobots, Trypticon, Ravage, [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] (he is seen running by in the background during the red alert on Cybertron), and [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] in the western cartoon...bummer.
*Neither the Moon nor Earth are mentioned by name. Nor do we see anything to suggest what happens when the entire planet - and every human being on it - is drained of energy; we may surmise that it's non-fatal.

===Real-world references===
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
**''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' engine burst as Trypticon launches into the moon battle, then again as Sky Lynx takes off to answer the call.
**[[Death Star]] superlaser as Galvatron & co. take off after Trypticon.
**[[Lightsaber]] ignition as Tornedron takes off from Earth.
**Seeker ball bolts as Tornedron starts his attack on Trypticon.
**[[TIE Fighter]] roar from Swoop as the Dinobots flee.
**Lightsabers slashing equipment and sparking as Tornedron takes down the cassette crew, and as he approaches the Terrorcons and Dinobots.

===Animation and technical errors===
"Call of the Primitives" is reknowned for its highly stylized and often very detailed artwork. Many fans regard it as head and shoulders above every other episode in the series (admittedly not a terribly high bar). More objectively, it is one of the least error-prone episodes of the entire show:
*Rodimus's gun doesn't have the usual Prime rifle sound effect.
*In the second overhead shot of the Autobots during the opening battle, Rodimus is missing his (freakin' huge) spoiler.
*When we first see him, Wheelie is missing his Autobot logo.
*When Blades, Slingshot and Wheelie open fire on Tornedron, the first shots are fired before they even raise their weapons.
*As Tornedron in the form of a giant bug steps over the bodies of Blades, Slingshot and Wheelie, its glowing aura is on a lower cel than their bodies, making it appear to pass under them, despite the fact they're lying on the ground.
[[File:Windcharger-COTP01.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|"Look alive, people! Uh, no offense, Windcharger."]]
*[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] is seen running around on Cybertron, despite having been killed in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. But hey, that [[Carnage in C-Minor|happens]] [[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|all]] [[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|the]] [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|time]].
*When the Dinobots are being summoned, [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] is referred to as [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]]. In the script, Sweep #6 is given dialogue indicating he hears the call, too: Sweep #6: Someone from -- "up there"! It is unknown whether Donald F. Glut assumed that Sweep(s) would hear the call because they're "Primitives" due to being mostly recycled Insecticons, or because they're creations of Unicron (and thus by extension, creations of Primacron). The animation paired with this line focuses on Swoop and when Galvatron later pursues the "deserters" only Cyclonus and Soundwave are with him. No word on why the Oracle (as it's called in the script), or the writer for that matter, forgot to mention Sludge specifically.
*Galvatron's sporting a red Decepticon [[insignia]] when he calls in Trypticon.
*When Ravage and the other animal Mini-Cassettes eject from Soundwave, Cyclonus is shown several heads taller than Galvatron and Soundwave. While some scale guides ''do'' show him as larger than the average Transformer (reflecting his original role as Galvatron's transport), the cartoon generally shows him about the same height as Galvatron.
*Grimlock's whole neck is supposed to be gold, but the back of it is gray in several shots.
*As Sky Lynx tracks the signal, we see waves of energy expanding out towards him. In the next shot, they're flowing out'' from'' him.
*As the Predacons start firing on the Dinobots while inside Trypticon, one of the glowing effects doesn't quite match up with Headstrong's horn as it should (he moves his horn to the right position a moment later).
[[File:Calloftheprimitives trypticon vs tornedron.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Pictured: wrong sound effect.]]
*Some of the Decepticon Primitives' lasers have the sound effect of Galvatron's cannon. So does Trypticon's laser later on.
*When the Primitives rush to peer over the cliff that Grimlock falls off of, they slide statically into the frame.
*When Sky Lynx tells the Dinobots to find the "alien" a star can be seen on his leg.
*When Tornedron drains Predaking's power and fall over, the Predacons transform back to [[robot mode]]... but the image of Predaking is still there, layered beneath them.
*When Grimlock gets out from under Trypticon, his forearms are huge and his chest looks more boxy than usual.
*Restoring the energy to the Moon also appears to rearrange all the craters.
*When Rodimus' team is restored, Rodimus is lying face up (he was face down), Ultra Magnus' shins are blue instead of white, and Blaster's chest is missing its detailing, switches and Autobot logo.

===Continuity errors===
*Sky Lynx asks Grimlock if he's all right ''as he's falling down a cliff.''

===Trivia===
[[File:Unicroncall.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Where am I from?]]
*The art style in this episode is very different from all others in the Generation 1 series, with highly stylized "anime-like" [[character model]]s and proportions. Although popularly claimed to be, the models are most assuredly ''not'' those designed by [[Studio OX]]; they're simply more stylized versions of the standard animation models, lacking the additional toyetic touches and copious mecha-greeblies found in the OX designs. Since the 1990s, it has widely been believed that this lone episode was animated by [[Tokyo Movie Shinsha]], though no evidence has ever been found to actually confirm this. [[Masami Ōbari]] was popularly cited as the animation director.<ref>{{w|lang=ja|大張正己|Masami Ōbari's Japanese Wikipedia article}}</ref> However, Ōbari was asked on Twitter regarding the episode and he himself did not know! This led to animator [[Eiji Suganuma]] chiming in<ref>https://twitter.com/LandSoda/status/487278887332638721</ref> to say that in fact he was the animation director for the episode and to explain that the money shot of the combined Predaking was animated by [[Shin Matsuo]], who ''was'' a member of Studio OX, and brought much of their artistic aesthetic to the standard animation models, accounting for the widespread assumption that the actual Studio OX character models were used in this episode.

===Foreign localization===
[[File:TVMagazineOverkill.jpg|right|upright=0.85|thumb|"Eject—operation: Understudy."]]

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das geheimnisvolle Orakel'''" ("The Mysterious Oracle")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tornedron'''" (First dub), "'''La chiamata dei primitivi'''" (Second dub, "Call of the Primitives")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' 原始の呼び声 (''Genshi no Yobigoe'', "Primeval Call")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 5]], [[1987]]
:*Episode preview art published in [[TV Magazine]] inexplicably displays [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] as if they were the stars of the episode.
:*In Japanese continuity, the scene where the Primitives encounter the [[Oracle (G1)|Oracle]] is set in the past; apparently, the Primitives arrived there via time travel. This is done to accommodate the idea that the Oracle later evolved into [[Vector Sigma]] and later [[Primus]].
:*A "[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]" segment unique to Japan was attached to the end of this episode. The segment focuses on the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s. It replaces the original "Secret Files" segment focusing on the [[Mini-Cassette]]s used in the Western broadcast. That segment was never used in the Japanese broadcast of the series.

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Zhìzūn Tàijūn'''" (至尊太君, "Supreme Great Lord")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1988 — ''Transformers'' — Call of the Primitives / The Girl Who Loved Powerglide ([[Tempo Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1989 — ''Transformers'' — Fight or Flee / Call of the Primitives (Tempo Video) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1992 — ''Transformers'' — Super Video (Tempo Video)
;{{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]] 2004 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 2 & Season 4 ([[The Original Transformers|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 5: Series 3.2 ([[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/700-112.html Episode Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]

Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity

2018-11-13T20:14:37Z

CommanderModesty:

{{factions|decepticon}}
{{suite}}
[[File:Soundwave and company.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|Can't touch this.]]
If you only remember two things from the ''Transformers'' cartoon, odds are one of them is Optimus Prime, and the other is '''that tape guy with the cool voice'''.

==''The Transformers'' cartoon==
{{voiceactor|[[Frank Welker]] (English), [[Issei Masamune]] (Japanese)|[[Lin Dongfu]] (Chinese), [[Albert Augier]] (French), [[Toni Orlandi]] (Italian, second movie dub), [[Alejandro Abdalah]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Miroslav Bijelić]] (Serbian), [[Michael Rüth]] (German, Season 1 & 2), [[Ulf Jürgen Söhmisch]] (German, ''Roll For It'' & Generation 2 Dub of ''Fight or Flee''), [[Bernd Simon]] (German, Most of Season 3), [[Gerhard Acktun]] (German, ''Webworld''), [[Thomas Rauscher]] (German, The Movie TV Dub & Generation 2 Season 1), [[Christoph Jablonka]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''War of the Dinobots'', ''Atlantis, Arise!'' & ''Auto Berserk''), [[Christoph Lindert]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''Kremzeek!''), [[Gerd Rigauer]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''Starscreams Brigade''), [[János Bácskai]] (Hungarian, second movie dub)}}

[[File:Cybertronsoundwave.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Before the tape recorder, he was a lamppost. It's hard to take him seriously sometimes.]]
Nine million years ago, during the [[Golden Age]] of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Soundwave was one of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s first [[Decepticon]]s and was seen flying through the planet's skies alongside his leader and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Orion Pax]]. {{storylink|War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn}} When the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] with the [[Autobot]]s erupted not long after, Soundwave served as Megatron's intelligence officer and most loyal subordinate, and as keeper of the [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette]]s, diminutive robots designed for espionage. While Soundwave was a nigh-constant battlefield presence, he would himself often play no major role in combat, more regularly being present merely to deploy his cassette minions, and, off the field of battle, to replay for his fellow Decepticons the information they would gather for him.

After five million years of war, Cybertron found itself in the throes of an energy crisis, and Soundwave was charged with spying on the Autobots to learn how they were dealing with it. Using his unconventional [[alternate mode]] as a space-age "lamp-post" to position himself on the street outside [[Great Dome|Iacon]], Soundwave was able to deploy [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] to snoop even closer. Laserbeak discovered that the Autobots were preparing to depart Cybertron to search for new sources of energy on other planets, and Soundwave quickly took this news back to Megatron, prompting the Decepticons to pursue the Autobots' [[Ark (G1)|spacecraft]] when it left the planet. After navigating a treacherous meteor shower, the Decepticons intercepted and boarded the Autobots' ship, and battle erupted between the two factions, during which Soundwave displayed his prowess by holding his own against [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]], [[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]], [[Sideswipe (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Sideswipe]], [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] ''and'' [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]]. However, the fighting was soon cut short when the Autobot spacecraft was caught in the gravity of the nearby prehistoric planet [[Earth]] and crash-landed. The ship impacted with the side of a [[Mount St. Hilary|volcano]] in a collision so violent that all the Transformers on board, Soundwave included, were knocked off line.

[[File:Mtmte1 prepare the energon cubes.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Soundwave auditions for a guest spot on Baywatch as Mitch's hot sister.]]
Four million years later, in the Earth year [[1984]], a volcanic eruption jarred the ship's computer, [[Teletraan I]] back on-line, and it reactivated and repaired the Transformers indiscriminately, reformatting Soundwave with the Earthly alternate mode of a portable cassette player. Before the Autobots were restored, the Decepticons pulled out of the ruined hulk of the ship, and Megatron immediately charged Soundwave with drawing up plans for a new [[Victory (G1)|space cruiser]] to return the Decepticons to Cybertron. Soundwave then deployed [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] to help [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] ransack a power plant to gather materials for construction, sent [[Ravage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ravage]] to scare off humans who came to investigate, and dispatched Laserbeak to search the planet for sources of energy. Laserbeak soon returned to report his discovery of an offshore oil platform, which the Decepticons promptly attacked, gathering oil and storing it in the [[energon cube]]s Soundwave generated from his chest. The Autobots soon arrived to stop the Decepticons, but Megatron collapsed the rig, forcing the Autobots to save the human workers and allowing the Decepticons to escape. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

[[File:Mtmte2 soundwave and teletraan.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Ugh Megatron, there's no one here...they just left the TV on. Hello? Anyone?]]
Seeking to exploit the data that Teletraan I had gathered on Earth in its short time on the planet, Soundwave positioned himself close to the Autobots' base, where he transformed into his cassette player mode and allowed himself to be found by the Autobots' new human friend, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]]. Unaware of the true nature of the unassuming tape player he had found, Spike brought Soundwave into the Autobot ship and then left him unattended, allowing the Decepticon communicator to release Ravage. The feline felon interfaced with Teletraan I and located the computer's data on energy sources, which Soundwave then recorded. Soundwave was soon caught in the act by Spike, but managed to escape to report to Megatron. Using the information Soundwave obtained, Megatron decided to attack [[Sherman Dam]], where Soundwave instructed Rumble to use his earthquake-generating powers to create a tidal wave that maximized the plant's energy output. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}}

The Decepticons' raids continued apace, until only one more theft was necessary. As Megatron put his plan to attack an Air Force base together, Starscream attempted another of his infamous coups by trying to shoot him in the back, but Soundwave proved his loyalty to Megatron by warning his leader of the attack. The subsequent raid on the [[Cape Carlson|Air Force base]] went smoothly, and the Decepticons were at last poised to return to Cybertron when the Autobots made one last-ditch attack on their launch site. Soundwave and his tapes went into action, but Megatron soon called the battle off and ordered the Decepticons to board the completed space cruiser. Soundwave served as the ship's helmsman as it blasted off from Earth, but the flight proved a short one, as Soundwave discovered that the Autobot spy [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] has used his invisibility powers to stow away. Before the Decepticons could react, Mirage had sabotaged the ship and sent it plummeting back towards Earth. With Soundwave unable to stop its descent, the ship crashed into the ocean, and the Autobots believed the Decepticons destroyed. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

[[File:RollForIt SoundwavescansChip.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Soundwave performs telepathy for children's birthday parties]]
In truth, however, Soundwave and the other Decepticons had survived the crash, and after months of working in secret, reconstructed their spaceship into a [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Earth)|undersea headquarters]]. The villains revealed their continued existence to the world when Soundwave again used his inconspicuous tape player form to infiltrate a solar power plant and proceeded to take control of it, allowing the Decepticons to harvest its energy that they planned to send back to Cybertron over their new intergalactic "[[space bridge]]" transport system. Soundwave repelled an Autobot counterattack by wielding Megatron in pistol mode, but ultimately, the plan backfired when Megatron himself was caught in the space bridge's pull and believed destroyed, leaving Starscream to take control of the Decepticons. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion (episode)|Transport to Oblivion}} Soundwave chafed under Starscream's inept leadership, and their first sortie with the air commander in charge ended in a comical defeat that saw Soundwave bowled over by Prowl as he ran away. Thankfully, Megatron soon returned, with a scheme to steal [[Alcazar|Doctor Alcazar]]'s [[antimatter]] formula, and Soundwave happily latched back onto his master. After Alcazar deleted the formula from his own computer, Soundwave used his mind-reading talents to acquire the formula from the brain of [[Chip Chase]]. {{storylink|Roll for It}}

[[File:FireontheMountain SoundwaveMegsgun.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|Soundwave was actually Starscream's understudy.]]
Soundwave participated in a Decepticon attack on Autobot Headquarters when Optimus Prime was mistakenly believed to be fatally wounded. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}} Soon after, during a scheme to drain heat energy from the [[Earth's core]], the Decepticons unearthed the frozen body of Starscream's old friend [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] in the North Pole. Soundwave helped reactivate him by delivering a million-volt shock to his systems, but Skyfire ultimately sided with the Autobots to stop the Decepticons' plan. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}} Later, Soundwave and [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] were sent on a data-gathering mission, acquiring information about the [[Great Falls]] to facilitate a Decepticon attack on the hydro-electric plant there. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

[[File:Fireonthemountain soundwave vs brawn round1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Soundwave's conscience is his guide, and he's not taking no crap offa nobody.]]
On a mission to the Peruvian Andes, Soundwave successfully proved that the legend of the Incan [[Crystal of Power]] was true when he deduced that the pyramid containing the fabled gemstone rested on a shaft leading to the Earth's core. On a mission to gather steel for a weapon frame to channel the crystal's power, Soundwave and Reflector were ambushed by [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] in mid-air, and Soundwave found himself driven face-first into a mountain by the small Autobot in the first of several clashes that they would engage in over the years. Soundwave tried to fight back with his own rifle, and even tried blasting Brawn with Megatron in pistol mode, but the little Autobot took everything he had to give and escaped in one piece. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain (episode)|Fire on the Mountain}} Later, Soundwave's mind-reading abilities came into use again when he scanned the brains of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s, [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]], [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] and [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]], in order to determine their weaknesses. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

[[File:Tud2 audio disruptor waves.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Come to me, jungle friends.]]
When Megatron schemed to use the space bridge to transport Cybertron into Earth's orbit, he required human slaves to gather the energy that would result from the massive natural catastrophes such an action would cause. Soundwave and his cassettes were dispatched to capture [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], who served as a guinea pig for the mind-controlling [[hypno-chip]]s created by the Decepticons' new ally, [[Doctor Arkeville]]. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} The plan to transport Cybertron was subsequently accomplished despite Autobot interference, and Soundwave ensured that energy collection could begin quickly by forcing the Autobots to flee with a barrage of painful audio disruptor waves. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} Soundwave later transported a cache of energon cubes to the orbiting Cybertron, and was still there when a group of Autobots arrived, searching for the hypno-chip master control. In another encounter with Brawn, Soundwave was taken down by a single blast from his undersized rival, and then alerted the Decepticon forces on the planet to the Autobots' escape. It did little good, as the heroes were able to evade capture, find the hypno-chip control, free the slaves and blast Cybertron out of orbit.{{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}}

Megatron was briefly thought destroyed by the explosion that pushed Cybertron out of orbit, by the Decepticon leader soon returned to Earth, where Soundwave immediately informed him of Starscream's latest play for leadership. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}} Soundwave later accompanied Megatron and [[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]] to [[Bali]], where they met the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}} Later still, when Megatron challenged Optimus Prime to a one-on-one duel, Soundwave and the other Decepticons contributed their [[power chip rectifier]]s to a machine built by the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] that would transfer all their powers into Megatron, so that he could win the fight with ease. While Megatron never used Soundwave's powers in the duel,<ref>In the finished episode, that is. A scene deleted from "Heavy Metal War" saw Megatron use Soundwave's mind-reading abilities to deduce Prime's next attack move.</ref> he still claimed victory, but when his breach of the rules was revealed, he, Soundwave and all the Decepticons were sent tumbling into a river of lava by the fighting-mad Autobots.{{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

[[File:Cityofsteel console destroyed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|God, I hate Vista so much!]]
As [[1985]] rolled in, Soundwave participated in a Decepticon attack on an Air Force base, {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} and helped in the construction of the [[Solar Needle]] in the jungles of [[South America]]. {{storylink|Changing Gears}} When Megatron sought to conquer [[New York City]], Soundwave, Rumble and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] battled a group of Autobots in [[Central Park]], and Soundwave was later put in charge of the weapons systems of the so-called "[[New Cybertron]]" that New York was being turned into. That control was soon lost, unfortunately, when a stray blast from an irate Megatron destroyed Soundwave's console. {{storylink|City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel}}

Soundwave and his cassettes were next sent on a distraction mission, keeping the Autobots occupied while Megatron and Starscream snuck inside their base and sabotaged their [[recharging chamber]]s with a [[Personality destabilizer device]], narrowly avoiding another pounding from Brawn in the process. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots (episode)|Attack of the Autobots}} After helping to steal [[electro-cell]]s {{storylink|Traitor (episode)|Traitor}} and the Autobots' new [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]] invention, {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} Soundwave was appointed to guard the captive Autobots after Megatron succeeded in trapping them in vehicle mode with the [[Transfixatron]]. The communications officer put his skills to work disabling the Autobots' communicators, but neglected to disable [[Hound (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hound]]'s hologram projector, which the Autobot was able to use to summon the small number of his comrades who had not been affected by the Transfixatron. [[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]] and Ratchet developed a grenade to undo the device's effects, and together, Spike and [[Chip Chase]] outran Soundwave and Ravage to detonate it and restore the Autobots. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

[[File:Dayofthemachines espionage.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Let's see. Guitar, sound system and suspiciously plain brown box.]]
When Laserbeak and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] stumbled upon the subaquatic city of [[Sub-Atlantica]], Soundwave immediately summoned Megatron to view their findings. Megatron and the Decepticons set out for the city at once, and forged an alliance with its leader, the boastful telepathic [[Nergill|King Nergill]], in order to conquer [[Washington, D.C.]] Starscream, however, did not trust the fish-man, and had Soundwave put his own telepathic powers to use to decrypt the scrambled messages Nergill repeatedly gave to his underlings. Soundwave discovered that Nergill was planning to betray the Decepticons, leading to the breakdown of their alliance. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}}

Soundwave and Megatron used their [[size changing|diminutive]] alternate modes to infiltrate [[Quantum Laboratories]] as part of a plan to take over the computer [[TORQ III]]. {{storylink|Day of the Machines}} Later, Soundwave helped steal the human-made robot ninja [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]] (finally getting one over on Brawn in the process by collapsing a balcony out from under him), and aided [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] in reprogramming the femme-bot to serve the Decepticons.{{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

[[File:Insecticonsyndrome soundwave cerebroshelled.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|He bears the mark!]]
When the Decepticons discovered strange energy emanations coming from a crevice, Soundwave dispatched the [[Autoscout]] to investigate, discovering the crevice was filled with [[Korlonium crystal]]s. Megatron schemed to create a [[Optimus Prime clone|clone of Optimus Prime]] as part of a plan to harness the crystals' power, and while the plan failed, the clone was at least impressive enough to completely fool Soundwave, and he was in on it! {{storylink|A Prime Problem}} Subsequently, Soundwave took part in the Decepticons' plan to drill to the Earth's core, {{storylink|The Core}} and was then made a mind-controlled pawn of the Insecticons, who used him to download data from the human military defense computer at [[Iron Mountain]]. Megatron and Optimus Prime were forced to team up to stop the Insecticons and destroy the [[cerebro-shell]] controlling Soundwave, erasing the data he had gathered in the process. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}}

While spying on Autobot Headquarters, Soundwave learned of the existence of the mysterious prehistoric [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], and sent Laserbeak to follow the Dinobots as they travelled there. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Soundwave proceeded to join the Decepticons in raiding the island's energy sources, before the Autobots, Dinobots and the island's native [[dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaurs]] saw them off. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

Using his alternate mode to infiltrate a military testing site, Soundwave and his cassettes made a hard-fought but ultimately failed attempt to steal the Autobots' new [[Negavator]] weapon. {{storylink|Auto Berserk}} Later, when human archaeologists uncovered the wreckage of the Decepticons' old space cruiser in South America, Soundwave alerted Megatron to the news report about their findings, then accompanied him to the wreckage, where they removed the ship's power source, the [[Heart of Cybertron]]. Celebrating the new power that the Heart bestowed upon Megatron, Soundwave joined his fellow Decepticons in over-energizing on energon, leaving him too inebriated to do much of anything.{{storylink|Microbots}}

[[File:Masterplan2 disco dolly.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|All the ladies love Soundwave!]]
When Megatron framed the Autobots for energy theft and had them exiled from Earth, Soundwave took part in the Decepticons' pretense of being heroes. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} Soundwave was quite popular among the humans: a young child was heard cheering for him by name, and when he and his cassettes attended a disco, he acquired many female admirers. After Megatron revealed his deception, however, Soundwave was made the slave-master of the work camp that [[Central City (Earth)|Central City]] was turned into. Thankfully, the Autobots soon returned to Earth to clear their names and rout the Decepticons. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

[[File:Dotd1 sneakiest soundwave.jpg‎|thumb|upright=1.2|He's ''good''.]]
In one of his most impressible displays of sneakitude, Soundwave was able to position himself, in tape player mode, ''inside'' Ironhide's vehicle mode, ''right next'' to [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]], and spy on the test run of the [[Ultra Plane]], with neither Autobot noticing until he deployed Ravage. While Blaster wrestled with Ravage, Soundwave escaped to report to Megatron, after which he and Starscream joined their leader in attacking the lab containing the blueprints for the plane. The Autobots saw them off, but during their flight away, the Decepticons' systems began to malfunction as a result of [[cybertonium]] degradation. Soundwave's cassettes began ejecting without his command, and his flight powers gave out, sending him crashing to the ground. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} Once repaired with fresh cybertonium from Cybertron, Soundwave joined the Decepticons on a mission to [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]]. {{storylink|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court}}

Soundwave was among the Decepticons who were granted invincible [[electrum]] coating by the "Golden Lagoon". With their new power, the Decepticons captured [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] and [[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]], but when Starscream attempted to have the two Autobots fight each other for the villains' amusement, Soundwave immediately ran off and tattled on him to Megatron. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon}}

[[File:Child's Play Nitro Soundwave.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Soundwave forever regretted wearing the novelty cat pheromone spray.]]
Following the Decepticons' alliance with the [[Geddis brothers]], {{storylink|Make Tracks}} Soundwave joined in the Decepticon attempt to create a space bridge in a baseball stadium, where he wickedly delighted in playing catch with one of the players (literally!). The Autobots soon arrived, and another brawl between Soundwave and Brawn erupted, ending when the small Autobot threw Soundwave into the space bridge. When a stray blast then activated the bridge, Soundwave and a small group of Autobots and Decepticons were inadvertently hurled to a world of alien giants. After being menaced by the huge cat [[Nitro]] and trapped in a toybox by Nitro's owner [[Aron (G1)|Aron]], Soundwave was taken with the other Transformers to the planet's authorities for study and dissection. Ravage succeeded in freeing them, and the Decepticons all escaped back to Earth through a mock space bridge Perceptor created out of a telescope. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} Upon his return, Soundwave was caught up in the menace of the [[Morphobot]]s, {{storylink|Quest for Survival}} analyzed the energy of an alien asteroid, {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)|The Secret of Omega Supreme}} and helped operate the Decepticons' new [[energy magnet]]. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

[[File:Autobop soundwave vs blaster.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|That's not sound, it's Darkseid popping up in the wrong universe.]]
After joining Megatron on a mission to the planet of the [[Tlalakan]]s, {{storylink|Sea Change}} Soundwave embarked on one of his most notable misadventures when, under the command of Starscream, he set about brainwashing humans with ultrasonic vibrations inside the Decepticon-built nightclub [[Dancitron]] in New York City. This led to his first major confrontation with his Autobot communications officer counterpart, Blaster, with whom he engaged in a sonic duel. Soundwave had the upper hand in the violent jam session, until Blaster used the club's sound system to magnify his own sonic attacks and win the fight. {{storylink|Auto-Bop}}

When the Decepticons captured [[Hybrid Technologies]] heiress [[Astoria Carlton-Ritz]], Soundwave tried to use the [[psycho-probe]] to read her mind, but her innate ability to jinx machines made it a challenge, and eventually led to Soundwave and Rumble being electrocuted. When [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] subsequently caused the Decepticons' new sub-orbital base to crash, it fell to Soundwave to inform Megatron that the base didn't have any forcefields. Whoops! {{storylink|The Girl Who Loved Powerglide}}

[[File:Ktvs2 see you next fall.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Doesn't have the heart to tell Megatron it's just chocolate wrapped in gold foil.]]
On a mission to recover some incriminating footage taken by a movie studio of their activities, Soundwave showed up Starscream by pointing out that while the air commander had recovered the film reel, he had not destroyed the negative. Soundwave then helped Megatron track the negative down, but they were tricked into thinking it was destroyed by [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]]. {{storylink|Hoist Goes Hollywood (episode)|Hoist Goes Hollywood}} Soon after, Soundwave accompanied Megatron to Cybertron to give life to his new [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], helping him locate the [[Key to Vector Sigma|key]] to [[Vector Sigma]] and unlocking the door to the mega-computer's chamber. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} Upon their return to Earth with the now-living Stuncticons, Soundwave aided Megatron in analyzing the key to discover what other powers it possessed. By happenstance, its power to de-energize matter and turn it into metal was only discovered when Soundwave tripped and dropped it. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[File:TransEuropeExpress Galata Valley.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|"Soundwave, why always rings? I demand a parallelogram or two!"]]
Soundwave soon returned to Cybertron to take part in Megatron's plan to trap the newest addition to the Autobot ranks, the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s, in the distant past, {{storylink|War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn}} then went back to Earth and used his scanning powers to help Megatron locate the [[Pearl of Bahoudin]]. {{storylink|Trans-Europe Express}} Soundwave later had Laserbeak monitor the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] infection spreading through the Autobot ranks, {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}, and had the cassette remove Starscream from Decepticon Headquarters after Megatron finally banished the perennial traitor from the Decepticon ranks. When Starscream returned with his own army, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], Soundwave was almost able to shoot the traitor in the back until [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] caused his shot to go wild. Soundwave tried to summon the Stunticons to help, and while they initially rebuffed him, they eventually arrived to tip the scales in Megatron's favor. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

Suspecting the Autobots had tampered with Megatron's new ruby laser cannon, Soundwave advised his leader to abandon the weapon, but Megatron was caught up in a battle-frenzy and ignored him. Predictably, the weapon promptly exploded. {{storylink|Masquerade}} For his final recorded adventure in the 20th century, Soundwave invented a device to control the flow of Earth's tides. Before the Decepticons could use it, however, it was necessary to blast the moon out of orbit to remove its controlling influence, so they developed an [[orbit disruptor cannon]] to do the job. Unfortunately, the cannon would only be operated by [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], and all the Combaticons save Swindle had been destroyed, so Soundwave installed a bomb in Swindle's head to give him the incentive to gather up their parts and rebuild them. Bruticus was restored, and Soundwave participated in the Decepticon attack upon Autobot Headquarters that served as a test run for the disruptor cannon, but the complex plot was foiled when three college students used [[B.O.T. (G1)|makeshift robot]] to destroy the cannon. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

[[File:Tftm dont leave me soundwave.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Do you think I'd leave you dying, when there's room on my horse for two?]]
Over the course of the following twenty years, the Decepticons withdrew from Earth and focused all their efforts on conquering Cybertron entirely. By the year 2005, they had accomplished this goal, and the Autobots were consigned to their new "[[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]" on Earth, and to bases on two of Cybertron's moon. Thanks to Laserbeak and Soundwave, Megatron learned of an upcoming Autobot strike against Cybertron, and resolved to cripple their war effort by destroying Autobot City. During [[Battle of Autobot City|the subsequent battle]], Soundwave was instructed to jam a distress call to Optimus Prime from Blaster, so he sent Ravage, Rumble, Frenzy and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] to dismantle the communications array being used to broadcast it. Blaster's own team of cassettes fended Soundwave's off, and the call made it through, summoning Optimus Prime and a support team to aid the stricken city. A fateful final battle between Prime and Megatron ensued, which ended with Prime's death and Megatron mortally wounded. As the other Decepticons beat a hasty retreat, Soundwave demonstrated his loyalty to his leader by recovering his damaged body and carrying him aboard [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], but when it became necessary to jettison excess weight so that the Decepticons could safely make it back to Cybertron, Soundwave made no move to stop Starscream from setting Megatron adrift in space. In fact, with Megatron gone, Soundwave himself made a bid for leadership, declaring himself a superior choice to the Constructicons and deploying his cassettes to fight for his honor. Starscream ultimately emerged victorious in the fight for leadership, but during his coronation ceremony, Megatron returned, having been recreated by the giant transforming god-planet [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] into [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. Galvatron promptly killed Starscream, and Soundwave started cheering for his returned leader.

[[File:Ffod1 cons on chaar.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|"I used to have [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|that guy's]] job ya know". "Suuure, gramps, suuuuure".]]
Galvatron's leadership did not get off to a great start, however: Unicron soon attacked Cybertron, and while he was destroyed by the Autobot [[Matrix of Leadership]], Galvatron was lost to the depths of space, and the leaderless Decepticons, in a state of disarray after Unicron's attack, were easily routed and forced off Cybertron by the Autobots and their new leader, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Soundwave’s involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic mini-series “[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]” and the storybook “[[Transformers the Movie (Ladybird adaptation)|Transformers the Movie]]."}}

Low on energy, Soundwave and the other Decepticons were forced to relocate to the burned-out planet [[Chaar]], where they eked out a miserable existence on the brink of death. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} When Rodimus Prime and Grimlock came to Chaar to investigate a mysterious attack on the [[Galactic Olympics]], Soundwave and the Decepticons attacked them, {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} and were then later approached by the true instigators of the Olympics attack, the alien [[Quintesson]]s, with the prospect of an alliance. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} Under the Quintessons' instructions, Soundwave and the other Decepticons launched an attack on the Autobots on the planet [[Goo 8739B]], during which Galvatron returned, having been found by [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} With Galvatron back in charge, Soundwave was amongst the Decepticons who were sent to Earth to try and stop [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s [[Transformation cog|transforming cog]] from being delivered. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

[[File:Cminor soundwave white noise.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Disco! Disco!]]
In 2006, Soundwave went with Galvatron, Cyclonus, Scourge and the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] to search for [[isidrite]] in an asteroid belt. Soundwave dispatched Ratbat to search for the mineral, only for the cassette to discover that the Autobots were already mining it. {{storylink|Webworld}} Soon after, Soundwave accompanied Galvatron to the planet [[Eurythma]] to investigate a mysterious sonic weapon. They discovered that sound and music were the way of life on the planet, and Soundwave was entranced by the planet's perfect melodies, specifically the destructive [[harmony]] weapon, which was shared by three Eurythmans. One by one, Soundwave coerced from them each piece of the harmony, recording and combing them with the intention of turning the musical maelstrom upon Autobot City. He was defeated, however, when the Eurythmans countered the harmony with [[anti-sound]], and Blaster erased his recordings. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}}

[[File:Ejectcall.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.2]]
Soundwave was among those transfixed by a hypnotic Quintesson signal {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}, then later aided in the Decepticon conquest of the peaceful planet [[Paradron]]. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}} Later still, during a battle on Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]], Soundwave was shocked when his ejection system activated on its own, releasing Ravage, Ratbat, [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]], who departed with all the other "[[Primitive]]" Transformers present to follow a mysterious [[Oracle (G1)|voice]]. Mere moments later, the threat these Primitives had been summoned to fight, [[Tornedron]], arrived on the moon and drained the energy from all the Transformers present, Soundwave included. Thankfully, the Primitives succeeded in defeating Tornedron and restoring everyone's energy. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

For his final appearance, Soundwave was seen playing back the latest piece of information gathered by Ratbat: two human scientists had discovered the body of Optimus Prime, which Galvatron resolved to destroy once and for all. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}

==Madman ''The Transformers'' comic==
[[File:Madman comic Soundwave ejects tapes.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|He's a good guy. Animals like him.]]
In 2001, Soundwave and his squad of cassettes were deployed to the construction site of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] while the balance of the Autobot forces were engaged in an evacuation of Cybertron. He managed to record a secret conversation between Optimus Prime and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] where the Autobot leaders discussed hiding the Autobot [[Matrix of Leadership]] in a bunker at the build site, against the chance Prime would be captured or destroyed while off-world. Soundwave returned to the not-so-secret bunker and deployed his minions to dig up the Matrix. Just as the artifact had been secured and Soundwave was about to call for retrieval, the young Autobot [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] took the Matrix and defeated Soundwave's team. {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}
{{--}}

==Japanese cartoon continuity==
{{note|The events of American cartoon continuity, as detailed above, occur in the Japanese timeline, except the events of 2006 are pushed back to 2010. The Japanese continuity proceeds to insert many new storylines and events in, around, before and after the events of the Generation 1 cartoon, as covered below.}}

[[File:Soundwave srlf manga.jpg|thumb|It's like if Power Rangers had really cheap zords.]]

===e-HOBBY comics===
Early during Megatron's attempted conquest of Cybertron, Soundwave was among his troops of [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s and the [[Silver Company]], raiding Autobot energy warehouses. Their attack was cut short by the unexpected arrival of a [[Guardian robot]], who quickly trounced everybody. {{storylink|64 Cybertron Urban Defense Robot GADEP}}

===''Unite Warriors''===
[[Moonheart]] trained under Soundwave as a medic. {{storylink|Moonheart#Unite Warriors 2|''Unite Warriors'' Moonheart bio}}

===''Cloud''===
Soundwave was one of several Decepticons who wound up on the receiving end of a beating from a [[Megatron (G1)#Cloud|Megatron from another universe]], as he fought his way through them to get to [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Cloud|his world's Optimus]] and the super-powerful robot entity [[SARA]]. {{storylink|TFC-A01}}

===''Beast Wars Metals'' cartoon===
{{main|Soundwave (G1)#Beast Wars cartoon}}

===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga===
In the late 1980s, while Megatron and the Decepticons engaged the Autobots in battle in Arizona, Soundwave and his cassettes were dispatched to do something unspecified (but likely ''evil'') in [[Tokyo]]. Optimus Prime dispatched a unit of Autobots led by [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] and [[Kenji]] to track them down. He was ultimately defeated when Bumblebee got the drop on him with a patented "Bumble-Kick" and shattered his chest. This made it impossible for his cassette forces to return to him, leaving them to be captured as well. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2}} When he next appeared, Soundwave hadn't quite got over his injuries, and was seen with bandages stuck to his chest-window. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3}}

===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' story pages===
Soundwave was one of the Decepticons who attacked New York City early in their conflict with the Autobots on Earth. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 1|Broadcasting on TV! Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers}}

When Soundwave learned that the Autobots were keeping themselves in shape by having a friendly race, he set up a trap within a narrow canyon, walling the Autobots in and opening fire on them. Luckily, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] arrived on the scene and delivered a powerful punch to Soundwave's chest, shattering his tape door once again. Soundwave immediately fled. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)|Anime Theater 2: Sic' Em, Hound!}}

Blaster battled Soundwave in what seemed to be the foothills of the Alps, while Perceptor kept the Decepticon communicator's cassettes busy. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 5|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers story page #5}}
{{-}}

===Scramble City: Mobilization===
{{voiceactor|[[Issei Masamune]] (Japanese)}}
[[File:Soundwave scramblecity.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|"Soundwave...you do know there are laws against exposing yourself, right?"]]
Before the 1980s were over, the Decepticons detected some unusual magnetic field fluctuations, and Megatron ordered Soundwave to send Ratbat, Laserbeak and Ravage to investigate. The cassettes discovered a hidden cavern where the Autobots were constructing a mighty battle fortress named "[[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]]", and Soundwave promptly took this information to Megatron. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}
{{-}}

===Full Throttle Scramble Power!===
[[File:Fullthrottle tape fight.jpg|right|thumb|My buddy!]]
Soundwave was present when the Decepticons terrorized the Earth with their new "[[Omega Whip]]" cannon and captured the Autobots' human allies [[Toru]] and [[Jenny (G1)|Jenny]]. When the two humans tried to escape, Soundwave released Ravage to stop them, but Blaster then appeared to dispatch the cassette. Blaster and Soundwave proceeded to grapple as more Autobots arrived and the battle grew bigger and bigger, and when Metroplex arrived, he actually collided with Soundwave and knocked the Decepticon for a loop. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}
{{-}}

===''The Battle of the Star Gate''===
[[File:Soundwave stargate battles.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Fear his [[Mickey Mouse]] ears.]]
In the 1990s, continued Autobot/human interaction led to a formal alliance being forged between the heroic robots and the American government and the construction of an interstellar teleport system called the ''[[Trigger]]''. Naturally, the ''Trigger'' space station was a prime target for the Decepticons, and Soundwave was instrumental in taking over the device, as he hacked into its systems and placed it under Decepticon control. Unfortunately for the Decepticons, the sole surviving member of the ''Trigger''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew, [[Makoto (Star Gate)|Makoto]], activated the system and blasted them into space before they could take control of it, and the Autobots soon arrived to send the Decepticons packing. {{storylink|First Contact (Star Gate)|First Contact}}

[[File:Stargatebattles soundwave and megs.jpg|right|thumb|275px|"You ever feel the magic has gone out of our relationship?" "Shut up, Soundwave".]]
Three months later, while the ''Trigger'' was still undergoing repairs after the damage the previous battle had caused, Soundwave patched through a transmission from Laserbeak, who was spying on a test run of the new human-built [[C-X]] battle droid. When the droid ran amok during the test and tried to kill Optimus Prime, the amused Megatron thought Soundwave was responsible for hacking the robot's systems, but Soundwave denied it. {{storylink|Divided Views}} In truth, the drone had been possessed by the time-displaced ghost of Starscream from the future, and he was not yet through making mischief in the past. Starscream's ghost teamed up with his present day counterpart, and together, the two Starscreams took control of the repaired ''Trigger'' and possessed it, transforming it into a giant, twisted robot form. Soundwave was among the massive armada of Decepticons and Autobots who battled the giant Starscream-thing, which was ultimately defeated when Prime and Megatron combined their power to destroy the traitor's new body. Soundwave and all the other Transformers were caught in the backwash of the explosion and sent tumbling towards Earth in uncontrolled re-entry, not to be heard from again for many months. {{storylink|The Battle of the Star Gate}}
{{-}}

===''Music Label''===
In 2007, Soundwave created a series of diminutive clones of himself, disguised as portable MP3 players, and disseminated them among the populace of Earth as part of a plan to brainwash the youth of the world with hypnotic music.

{{note|While the [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|2007 Takara timeline]] placed the events of the ''[[Transformers Music Label]]'' storyline in the Generation 1 cartoon continuity, this is not without confusion. According to the ''Music Label'' story, Soundwave was foiled in this plan by Optimus Prime, who added a pair of speakers to his trailer that broadcast a frequency to stop the Decepticon's brainwashing. As Prime was ''dead'' at this point in the timeline, this can't have been how things went down in this version of events. However, [[Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 36|"Bonus Edition Vol. 36" of ''Legends'']] made reference to this event, so...it did happen somehow?}}

===Controverse===
At the trial of [[Primacron]], Soundwave and the Decepticons interrupted the proceedings for their own gain. Soundwave battled [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] outside the Galactic Courts while sending his cassettes inside. {{storylink|Controverse}}

===''The Headmasters'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Issei Masamune]] (Japanese)|[[John Culkin]] (English, Omni Productions dub), [[Jesús Brock]] (Latin-American Spanish)}}

[[File:MysteryPlanetMaster BlasterVsSoundwave.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|"Stop! I'm unarmed!"]]
The Decepticons went off the radar for the year that followed Optimus Prime's resurrection, but in 2011, they returned in full force. When Vector Sigma began to destabilize as a consequence of Optimus Prime releasing the energy of the Matrix, Galvatron led the Decepticons' newest troops, the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]], in an attack on Cybertron in an attempt to secure the computer and restore a Decepticon power balance to the planet. To prevent Autobot reinforcements from Earth reaching Cybertron, Soundwave and a legion of other Decepticons under the command of the faction's new Earth commander, [[Sixshot]], kept the Autobots on the planet busy in a large battle. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} In an attempt to learn the Autobots' plan of action, Soundwave and his cassettes infiltrated Autobot City, and although they were discovered by Blaster and his own cassettes, they were able to escape with the knowledge that the Matrix was hidden somewhere on Earth, and that the Autobots were preparing to search for it. Blaster and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] subsequently embarked on a search mission to the [[Arctic]], where Soundwave and his cassettes attacked them. Blaster covered Hot Rod's escape, and he and Soundwave engaged in a one-on-one battle, with shattered chests and severed limbs aplenty. It momentarily appeared that Soundwave had won the battle when Blaster collapsed, but seconds later, the fatal damage Blaster had inflicted upon him made itself apparent, as Soundwave's body exploded. His cassettes scooped up as much of his remains as they could and beat a retreat, but Soundwave was triumphant in death, as Blaster too died seconds later. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

[[File:ReturnImmortal Emperor Soundblaster.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|He's gone black. Will he go back?]]
Soundwave's remains were brought back to Chaar by his cassettes, where the Decepticon Headmaster leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] was able to use the super-science of planet [[Master (planet)|Master]] to restore him to life. Reborn in a new black body, Soundwave was rechristened '''Soundblaster''', and following a reunion with his delighted cassettes, immediately went straight back to working for the Decepticon cause. Soundblaster was, in fact, instrumental to the Decepticons' newest plan, as he used his broadcasting powers to send signals from a sonic control device implanted in his chest to direct the actions of the villains' newest weapon, the [[Madmachine]], in another attack on Cybertron. As coincidence would have it, Autobot Headmaster leader [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] had also used the science of Master to restore Blaster to life as "Twincast", and the two rivals clashed for the first time in their new lives when the Autobot destroyed Soundblaster's sonic control and foiled the Decepticons' plot. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

Soundblaster was among the Decepticons who invaded and enslaved the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]]. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} Later, he dispatched Ratbat to spy on the Autobots and learn more about a mysterious blackmailer holding six countries to ransom, reporting his findings to Cyclonus and Scourge. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}} Later still, Soundblaster and his cassette force were able to infiltrate Cybertron's lowest levels and spy on Vector Sigma, discovering that the mega-computer had developed a powerful new alloy named [[cybertonuron]]. Acting on Soundblaster's information, Galvatron staged a massive attack on Cybertron, {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} but Scorponok plotted treachery, planting a bomb in Vector Sigma's chamber in order to destroy the alloy, rather than let Galvatron gain its power. When Galvatron discovered this, Soundblaster attempted to stop him from going to Vector Sigma's chamber, but Galvatron ignored him, and paid for his hubris when the bomb detonated in his face, destroying the cybertonuron and reducing Cybertron to a burnt out husk. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[File:Hm11 reporting to scorponok.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Will the undead please stand up?]]
With Galvatron having disappeared in the destruction of Cybertron, Soundblaster met with the other senior Decepticons to discuss what should be done next. During their meeting, the shadowed figure of Galvatron appeared in the room, but Soundblaster quickly analyzed the newcomer's voice pattern, and realized it was not Galvatron, but Scorponok engaging in a bout of gallows humor. Shedding his disguise, Scorponok claimed that Galvatron was still alive, and that while he could not reveal where he was, he had commanded Scorponok to lead in his absence. None of the Decepticons were entirely convinced (in truth, it was a bold-faced lie), but Soundblaster, in need of a leader to follow, chose to accept it as truth, and followed Scorponok's command to send Ratbat to spy on the Autobot/human launch of the [[Sol 1]] satellite. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Soon after, when Scorponok began scheming to keep the Autobots occupied on Earth with various threads, Soundblaster and his cassettes kept an eye on the Autobots' movements and were able to inform their leader that his plans were working. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}}{{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[File:Hm14 soundblaster triggers bombs.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Hey diddle diddle, what's there in the middle?]]
Following Scorponok's instructions, Soundwave directed the planting of [[plasma energy]] bombs beneath the surface of [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], in order to destroy the planet and harvest even more of the energy. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} At Scorponok's command, Soundblaster then recalled all available Decepticons to Chaar, where they all witnessed their leader's dramatic unveiling of his gigantic new Transtector. With this powerful new body, Scorponok kept the Autobots occupied while Soundblaster himself pressed the fateful button that detonated the plasma bombs and destroyed Mars. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

Soundblaster and his cassettes did not take kindly to the arrival of Scorponok's new intelligence officer, [[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]], who irked Soundblaster with his remarkable ability to dig up information that Soundblaster couldn't. Of course, Soundblaster had no idea that Counterpunch was able to do this because he was really the Autobot spy, Punch, and so he and his cassettes set out to prove themselves by going to Earth to see what Autobots secrets they could unearth. Unable to find any information, Soundblaster was moping around the Decepticon Earth base when a story suddenly dropped itself right into his lap: a glowing UFO descended from the sky and abducted Sixshot right before his eyes! Soundblaster attempted to report his findings to Scorponok during a battle with the Autobots on Earth's moon, but there and then, the UFO reappeared, and its owner was revealed to be Galvatron, who had survived his appeared destruction and retook leadership of the Decepticons. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}}

[[File:Hm23 soundblaster draws.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Sound doesn't travel in space, moron.]]
Soundblaster and the Decepticon Headmasters were manning the scanners at the Decepticon base on Chaar when the [[Horrorcon]]s arrived to join up with Galvatron's forces. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} Soon after, Soundblaster joined the Decepticons on a series of interplanetary energy raids, helping to scan the spaceways and communications channels to keep his leader appraised of Autobot and alien activity as they went from planet [[Hive (planet)|Hive]] {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} to [[Twin Star]] {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} to [[Daros]]. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} The Decepticons' quest eventually brought them to [[Pirate Planet]], where they were stymied in their pursuit of the planet's fabled energy by their inability to enter the pyramid that held it. Soundblaster observed [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] departing for the field of debris near the planet, and, suspecting they knew something he didn't, followed them. Soundblaster proceeded to ambush the two heroes and demand they share their information, but Daniel was able to get the drop on the Decepticon with his video game light gun, which Highbrow had amped up into a real weapon. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

When the Decepticons returned to Earth, Sixshot proceeded to lead a series of major attacks upon the Autobot forces. Soundblaster reported to Galvatron on the departure of Fortress Maximus from Athenia, and suggested sending Scorponok to keep him busy. Galvatron was wary, knowing Scorponok had his own agenda, but Soundblaster vowed to follow him and keep an eye on him, and Galvatron agreed. However, Soundblaster was surprisingly lax in his duty, as Scorponok didn't bother engaging Fortress, and Soundblaster didn't report this at all! {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}}

[[File:Hm30 soundblaster in hiding.jpg||left|thumb|upright=1.2|Grand Cybertron Hide N'Seek Champion, 7 million years running.]]
Following Galvatron's death at the hands of the Headmasters and Scorponok's subsequent re-assumption of Decepticon leadership, Soundblaster was among the Decepticons who travelled with his new leader to the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}} When the Autobots followed them there, Soundblaster boldly infiltrated their spaceship, the ''Maximus'', and spied on them with Ratbat. When he was discovered, however, he leapt overboard and flew back to the surface of Master, inadvertently leading the Autobot [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]] to the Decepticons' hidden subterranean base. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}} Soundblaster was able to repay them in kind after a later battle, though, when he stealthily followed the retreating Targetmasters and discovered that the Autobots had started working with the young warriors of Master. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

After Scorponok successfully completed construction of his new [[Zarak Shield]] weapon, the Decepticons headed back to Earth, but as they were passing through the asteroid belt, Soundblaster noticed a malfunction in their propulsion system that required them to set down for repairs. While they were resting there, Soundblaster detected the approach of an object, which turned out to be Sixshot, who had become separated from the Decepticons on an earlier leg of their journey. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

Finally, once the Decepticons returned to Earth, Scorponok began raising "[[Death Tower]]s" of [[crysmagnetal]] at strategic points around the Earth, intending to use them to tear the planet apart. While on patrol in the Alps, Soundblaster observed the passage of the Autobots' battleship, and radioed the Decepticons in Egypt to let them know of their enemies' approach. Subsequently, with all the Death Towers in place, Soundblaster participated in the climactic battle between the Autobot and Decepticons armies at the South Pole, which ended when Fortress Maximus destroyed Scorponok's Transtector and saved the planet. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

===''The Headmasters'' manga===
[[File:Hm manga8 master chrome hurricane.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2]]
After their defeat at the North Pole, the Decepticons were preparing to retreat from Earth entirely when Scorponok instructed Soundblaster to remain on the planet in secret to act as a spy for the Decepticons. Soundblaster proved that he wasn't up to the challenge by making his presence and intentions known almost instantly when he kicked [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] square in the face and took the [[Witwicky]] family hostage. [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] was left powerless to do anything but surrender, as [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] brutalized [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]] and threatened [[Carly]]. Daniel was propelled into action by his family's peril, leaped onto Slugfest, and tricked him into charging into Overkill. This left Soundblaster open to Chromedome's poorly named "Master-Chrome Hurricane Throw to the End of Hell!" Chromedome chucked Soundblaster over the horizon, and when he recovered from his fall, he found Sixshot staring down at him. Demanding to know what Sixshot wanted, Soundblaster was informed that the six-changer was no longer affiliated with the Decepticons, and wanted to travel from planet to planet, learning new transformations. One day, Sixshot told him, he wanted to learn how to transform into a human! Soundblaster was left absolutely dumbfounded by this, unable to even compute such a concept, and wagering it would be a few million years before he could. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 8|The Headmasters #8}}

===''Legends'' comic===
In a flashback to the early days of the Transformers' war on Earth sometime between 1985 and 2004, Soundwave could be seen among Megatron's Decepticons, waging war against the Autobots. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 6|Bonus Edition Vol. 6}} During an attack on the Autobots to steal their [[Transform Super Cog]] in the late 1980s, Soundwave sent [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] and [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] to take out the Autobots' intruder alarm before deploying [[Enemy (G1)|Enemy]], [[Wingthing (G1)|Wingthing]], [[Howlback (G1)|Howlback]], [[Garboil (G1)|Garboil]] and [[Glit (KP)|Glit]] to join the battle. {{storylink|Slugslinger's Ambition}} He was part of a group of Decepticons who fell in a pitfall trap prepared by [[Twin Twist]], but being Decepticons, they simply flew back out. {{storylink|Jumpstarter Chapter#Operation: Destroy the Decepticons|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

In the year 2021, Soundblaster joined the revived Scorponok in a scheme to use a [[black hole]] to create plasma energy. The scheme backfired thanks to the interference of Fortress Maximus and his Autobots, causing the black hole to release smaller black holes called "[[Blackball]]s". Soundblaster was among the Decepticons struck by a Blackball, which began causing his body to shrink. To avoid destruction, the afflicted Autobots and Decepticons traveled to the Legends Universe to receive new Headmaster upgrades. Soundblaster and the other Decepticons sought their upgrades from [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], who gladly cooperated, though he seemed to have ulterior motives. {{storylink|Headmaster Chapter Prologue}} {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Prologue}}

The Decepticons joined forces with Tarantulas's employer, [[Tera-Kura Co.]], creating a "Decepticon Tera-Kura Co." in which Soundblaster once more served as communications officer. He had Laserbeak spy on their rivals, the Autobot [[Axalon Trading Company]], and steal data the Decepticons could use to build [[transtector]]s. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 22|Bonus Edition Vol. 22}} After [[Skullcruncher (G1)|Skullcruncher]] went on a rampage in his new body, Soundblaster attended a meeting during which the company's chairman, Megatron from another time period, chewed them out for resorting to violence. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 23|Bonus Edition Vol. 23}}

Soundblaster continued his rivalry with Twincast in his universe, but fell behind when the Autobot acquired a transtector that let him become Blaster again. Noting that the [[Zodiac]] had let Blaster reshape his body into a base mode, Soundblaster established a new [[Dancitron]] and hypnotized the guests into attacking Blaster, distracting him while Soundblaster stole the Zodiac and used its powers in reverse to transform the Dancitron into a transtector based on his original body. Reclaiming the name of Soundwave, he revealed that since Blaster had left the Autobot army to become an artist, he saw no value in besting him in battle and vowed to defeat him on the battlefield of his choice—the music industry. [[Devil Z]] disapproved of his resignation from Decepticon Tera-Kura Co. and attacked him using a transtector powered by a captive Megatron, but Soundwave freed his leader and bested Devil Z with help from Blaster, who shared data on the [[harmony]] with him. Their alliance was temporary, however, as Soundwave was enraged to learn that Blaster had made the harmony playable only once. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 36|Bonus Edition Vol. 36}}

Upon learning from Laserbeak that the Decepticons loyal to Scorponok were trying to overthrow Megatron by rebuilding [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Soundwave reported his findings to Megatron. He fought with Megatron's troops to defend [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s [[transformation cog]] from the rival Decepticon faction, but they failed. {{storylink|LG43 Trypticon Mobilization Chapter: Decepticon Civil War|Decepticon Civil War}} He was then knocked out during [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] [[anti-electron]] attack on all all Transformers in the city. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 55|Bonus Edition Vol. 55}} When [[Quintesson]]s invaded the Legends World in spite of having been defeated by 2021, Soundblaster theorized that they were likely time travelers from the past. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 59|Bonus Edition Vol. 59}} During a [[Concurrence]] attack, he also explained how the attackers had used [[synthoid]] technology to turn [[Megatron (BW)|Beast Megatron]] purely robotic. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 63|Bonus Edition Vol. 63}} Soundblaster later witnessed the [[Twin Twist]] remove the Zodiac from his transtector. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 65|Bonus Edition Vol. 65}}

Soundwave was among the Decepticons who defended the city from [[Majin Zarak]]'s attack, {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Finale: Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part One|Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part One}} and stood by as Megatron ordered the evacuation of the doomed Legends World. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Finale: Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two|Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two}} Soundwave and the other Transformers from the Headmaster era returned to their own dimension in the year [[2023]], appearing on the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] and assisting its [[Beastformer]]s in their war with the [[Laser Beast]]s. {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 1}} At some point returning to not being a Headmaster and as Soundwave instead of Soundblaster, he then waited until Megatron's own return in [[2038]], keeping mum about already having met his leader's future self in order to avoid causing a time paradox. {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 2}}

===''Super-God Masterforce'' manga===
Years later, the image of Soundwave was among the holograms of older Decepticons projected by [[King Poseidon]] to deceive and confuse the Autobots under [[Ginrai (human)|Ginrai]]'s command. {{storylink|Burn, Super Soul! The New Commander Super Ginrai!}}

==''Wings Universe''==
{{Wingsnote}}
When [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] captured [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s base, Soundwave was by his side. After defeating Deathsaurus in single combat, Megatron ordered Soundwave to check the computers for information on [[Combiner]] technology, and sent [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] with him. A week later, Soundwave was part of the Decepticon forces who entered [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] after [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] breached the city walls. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 5}} He was still by Megatron's side when Devastator fell, and took part in the subsequent retreat. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}

In [[2012]], Soundwave's face was on a computer screen in [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s laboratory as Jhiaxus was creating [[Soundwave (G2)|a clone of him]]. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 2}}

Circa [[2013]], Jhiaxus cloned Soundwave yet again to create [[Soundwave (MW)|a clone commander]] of him. {{storylink|Termination}}

[[Tornado]] disliked [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] because as Soundwave considered himself superior, they considered themselves superior by extension. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur, 2015/01/07}}

==''Mars Attacks: The Transformers''==
[[File:Mars Attacks The Transformers - Get him off me!.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
Following a defeat at the hands of the Autobots, the Decepticons were [[stasis cuffs|stasis cuffed]] and taken away by humans. A [[Martian]] invasion gave them the opportunity to slip their bonds and attempt to form an alliance with the invasion, but when the Martians trapped them in a [[force field]], the Decepticons were forced to align with the Autobots instead. Soundwave and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] combined their power to bring the force field down. When Megatron was later reduced to the size of a toy by the Martians, Soundwave successfully reversed the effects of the shrink ray. {{storylink|Mars Attacks: The Transformers}}
{{--}}

==Ask Vector Prime==
In one iteration of the battle of Autobot City, those dimensional hoodlums [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]] and [[gbwiki:Gong|Gong]] decided to spice things up by throwing some [[GoBot]]s into the mix. Accordingly, the usual war for Autobot City became a contest for ''[[Guardian (GoBots)|Guardian]]'' City instead; in this version of the battle, Soundwave and his cassettes were responsible for offlining [[gbwiki:Hi-Way|Hi-Way]] and [[gbwiki:Street Heat|Street Heat]]. When Megatron fell in his duel against [[Leader-1 (GoBots)|Leader-1]], Soundwave, loyal as ever, carried him to safety. After history blipped again, Soundwave was replaced by [[Doctor Go|Dr. Go]] and [[gbwiki:Warpath|Warpath]] in the combined Decepticon-Renegade force. Thus aboard Astrotrain, it was Dr. Go who mocked [[gbwiki:Tic Tac|Tic Tac]]'s declaration of leadership, neutralized the gestalt [[Puzzler]], and was tackled by [[gbwiki:Snoop|Snoop]]. Later, after Galvatron killed the upstart [[Zero]], Warpath was asked by [[gbwiki:Clutch|Clutch]] what the new arrival called himself. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}

==''Deviations''==
In an alternate universe where Megatron died at Autobot City, Soundwave was one of the many Decepticons who were forced to retreat aboard Astrotrain.
Back on Cybertron, Soundwave was present to witness Starscream’s coronation. The ceremony was interrupted by Unicron, who chose to reformat Starscream into his new servant “Megascream.” As part of Starscream's bargain, Soundwave was one of the warriors who received enhancements.

During Unicron’s final attack on Cybertron, Soundwave accompanied Megascream when the Decepticon leader attacked Optimus, and merged with Megascream to form a massive combiner. Soundwave was presumably killed when Hot Rod opened the Matrix shortly afterwards. {{storylink|Transformers: Deviations|Deviations}}

==Notes==
[[File:SoundwaveButtonUD3.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"When I think about you, I touch myself."]]
*The G1 cartoon almost always depicted him as having to press all his own controls to eject minions or perform other functions, even though these are actually part of him. This resulted in many, many shots of Soundwave touching his crotch. What will the children think?
*According to the original script<ref>http://boltax.blogspot.com/2011/02/ron-friedman-auctions-scripts-part-3-of.html</ref> for "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]", "Sound Wave" transformed into "a LIGHT STANDARD - identical to the one that exists a short distance away, the perfect camouflage". So... yes, he really ''did'' turn into a lamppost on Cybertron.
*Soundwave's distinctive voice proved to be one of Generation 1's most memorable aspects. The {{w|Vocoder|highly processed voice}} (processed by [[Scott Brownlee]]) began with [[Frank Welker]] basically doing his "Dr. Claw" voice from ''{{w|Inspector Gadget}}''. Whether due to variations in the performance or the processing, the final result varied quite a bit across Soundwave's three seasons on the show. Occasionally, as in the episodes "[[Roll for It]]", "[[Carnage in C-Minor]]" and "[[Webworld]]", the processing was left out and Welker's actual voice can be heard. This Dr. Claw version of Soundwave's voice made a return when Welker reprised the [[Soundwave (ROTF)|role]] for ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'' as the processing was, again, left out.
*Similarly, he often emphasizes words at random, such as his well-known "RavAAAAAGE", or "LAAZABEEK". This may be a side effect of the voice doctoring in the cartoon.
*In the Mandarin dub from China, Soundwave had a glorious, operatic voice.
[[File:Soundwave fly.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Hey, wait for me!"]]
*The typically emotionally-barren Soundwave actually ''laughs'' on two separate occasions in the Generation 1 cartoon ("[[Quest for Survival]]" and "[[Auto-Bop]]"), while he is heard screaming only once ("[[Roll for It]]"). In "[[Call of the Primitives]]" he is heard to groan in pain as Tornedron attacks the Decepticons as they pursue Trypticon.
*Soundwave has flown in his [[alternate mode|alt mode]] one time, in the episode "[[Masquerade]]." In [[Atlus]]'s ''[[The Transformers (PS2)|Transformers]]'' game, Soundwave can transform to tape deck mode and kind of bounces around to move in that form. No, really.
*In the Japanese dub of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]], as well as the supporting [[manga]], all of Soundwave's cassette forces which could talk referred to him as "Anikii" (兄貴い) or "Big Brother." This is a fairly common way to refer to others you admire and such in Japanese. It's also a term that gang members use toward older, more experienced members who aren't actual gang bosses. Take it as you will. Whatever it says about his relationship with them, it does give new meaning to the phrase "{{w|Big Brother (Nineteen Eighty-Four)|Big Brother is watching over you}}".
{{--}}

===Foreign names===
*''Czech:'' '''Kyber'''

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Legends Decepticons]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Spies]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity

2018-11-13T20:13:49Z

CommanderModesty:

{{factions|decepticon}}
{{suite}}
[[File:Soundwave and company.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|Can't touch this.]]
If you only remember two things from the ''Transformers'' cartoon, odds are one of them is Optimus Prime, and the other is '''that tape guy with the cool voice'''.

==''The Transformers'' cartoon==
{{voiceactor|[[Frank Welker]] (English), [[Issei Masamune]] (Japanese)|[[Lin Dongfu]] (Chinese), [[Albert Augier]] (French), [[Toni Orlandi]] (Italian, second movie dub), [[Alejandro Abdalah]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Miroslav Bijelić]] (Serbian), [[Michael Rüth]] (German, Season 1 & 2), [[Ulf Jürgen Söhmisch]] (German, ''Roll For It'' & Generation 2 Dub of ''Fight or Flee''), [[Bernd Simon]] (German, Most of Season 3), [[Gerhard Acktun]] (German, ''Webworld''), [[Thomas Rauscher]] (German, The Movie TV Dub & Generation 2 Season 1), [[Christoph Jablonka]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''War of the Dinobots'', ''Atlantis, Arise!'' & ''Auto Berserk''), [[Christoph Lindert]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''Kremzeek!''), [[Gerd Rigauer]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''Starscreams Brigade''), [[János Bácskai]] (Hungarian, second movie dub)}}

[[File:Cybertronsoundwave.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Before the tape recorder, he was a lamppost. It's hard to take him seriously sometimes.]]
Nine million years ago, during the [[Golden Age]] of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Soundwave was one of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s first [[Decepticon]]s and was seen flying through the planet's skies alongside his leader and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Orion Pax]]. {{storylink|War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn}} When the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] with the [[Autobot]]s erupted not long after, Soundwave served as Megatron's intelligence officer and most loyal subordinate, and as keeper of the [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette]]s, diminutive robots designed for espionage. While Soundwave was a nigh-constant battlefield presence, he would himself often play no major role in combat, more regularly being present merely to deploy his cassette minions, and, off the field of battle, to replay for his fellow Decepticons the information they would gather for him.

After five million years of war, Cybertron found itself in the throes of an energy crisis, and Soundwave was charged with spying on the Autobots to learn how they were dealing with it. Using his unconventional [[alternate mode]] as a space-age "lamp-post" to position himself on the street outside [[Great Dome|Iacon]], Soundwave was able to deploy [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] to snoop even closer. Laserbeak discovered that the Autobots were preparing to depart Cybertron to search for new sources of energy on other planets, and Soundwave quickly took this news back to Megatron, prompting the Decepticons to pursue the Autobots' [[Ark (G1)|spacecraft]] when it left the planet. After navigating a treacherous meteor shower, the Decepticons intercepted and boarded the Autobots' ship, and battle erupted between the two factions, during which Soundwave displayed his prowess by holding his own against [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]], [[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]], [[Sideswipe (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Sideswipe]], [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] ''and'' [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]]. However, the fighting was soon cut short when the Autobot spacecraft was caught in the gravity of the nearby prehistoric planet [[Earth]] and crash-landed. The ship impacted with the side of a [[Mount St. Hilary|volcano]] in a collision so violent that all the Transformers on board, Soundwave included, were knocked off line.

[[File:Mtmte1 prepare the energon cubes.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Soundwave auditions for a guest spot on Baywatch as Mitch's hot sister.]]
Four million years later, in the Earth year [[1984]], a volcanic eruption jarred the ship's computer, [[Teletraan I]] back on-line, and it reactivated and repaired the Transformers indiscriminately, reformatting Soundwave with the Earthly alternate mode of a portable cassette player. Before the Autobots were restored, the Decepticons pulled out of the ruined hulk of the ship, and Megatron immediately charged Soundwave with drawing up plans for a new [[Victory (G1)|space cruiser]] to return the Decepticons to Cybertron. Soundwave then deployed [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] to help [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] ransack a power plant to gather materials for construction, sent [[Ravage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ravage]] to scare off humans who came to investigate, and dispatched Laserbeak to search the planet for sources of energy. Laserbeak soon returned to report his discovery of an offshore oil platform, which the Decepticons promptly attacked, gathering oil and storing it in the [[energon cube]]s Soundwave generated from his chest. The Autobots soon arrived to stop the Decepticons, but Megatron collapsed the rig, forcing the Autobots to save the human workers and allowing the Decepticons to escape. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

[[File:Mtmte2 soundwave and teletraan.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Ugh Megatron, there's no one here...they just left the TV on. Hello? Anyone?]]
Seeking to exploit the data that Teletraan I had gathered on Earth in its short time on the planet, Soundwave positioned himself close to the Autobots' base, where he transformed into his cassette player mode and allowed himself to be found by the Autobots' new human friend, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]]. Unaware of the true nature of the unassuming tape player he had found, Spike brought Soundwave into the Autobot ship and then left him unattended, allowing the Decepticon communicator to release Ravage. The feline felon interfaced with Teletraan I and located the computer's data on energy sources, which Soundwave then recorded. Soundwave was soon caught in the act by Spike, but managed to escape to report to Megatron. Using the information Soundwave obtained, Megatron decided to attack [[Sherman Dam]], where Soundwave instructed Rumble to use his earthquake-generating powers to create a tidal wave that maximized the plant's energy output. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}}

The Decepticons' raids continued apace, until only one more theft was necessary. As Megatron put his plan to attack an Air Force base together, Starscream attempted another of his infamous coups by trying to shoot him in the back, but Soundwave proved his loyalty to Megatron by warning his leader of the attack. The subsequent raid on the [[Cape Carlson|Air Force base]] went smoothly, and the Decepticons were at last poised to return to Cybertron when the Autobots made one last-ditch attack on their launch site. Soundwave and his tapes went into action, but Megatron soon called the battle off and ordered the Decepticons to board the completed space cruiser. Soundwave served as the ship's helmsman as it blasted off from Earth, but the flight proved a short one, as Soundwave discovered that the Autobot spy [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] has used his invisibility powers to stow away. Before the Decepticons could react, Mirage had sabotaged the ship and sent it plummeting back towards Earth. With Soundwave unable to stop its descent, the ship crashed into the ocean, and the Autobots believed the Decepticons destroyed. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

[[File:RollForIt SoundwavescansChip.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Soundwave performs telepathy for children's birthday parties]]
In truth, however, Soundwave and the other Decepticons had survived the crash, and after months of working in secret, reconstructed their spaceship into a [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Earth)|undersea headquarters]]. The villains revealed their continued existence to the world when Soundwave again used his inconspicuous tape player form to infiltrate a solar power plant and proceeded to take control of it, allowing the Decepticons to harvest its energy that they planned to send back to Cybertron over their new intergalactic "[[space bridge]]" transport system. Soundwave repelled an Autobot counterattack by wielding Megatron in pistol mode, but ultimately, the plan backfired when Megatron himself was caught in the space bridge's pull and believed destroyed, leaving Starscream to take control of the Decepticons. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion (episode)|Transport to Oblivion}} Soundwave chafed under Starscream's inept leadership, and their first sortie with the air commander in charge ended in a comical defeat that saw Soundwave bowled over by Prowl as he ran away. Thankfully, Megatron soon returned, with a scheme to steal [[Alcazar|Doctor Alcazar]]'s [[antimatter]] formula, and Soundwave happily latched back onto his master. After Alcazar deleted the formula from his own computer, Soundwave used his mind-reading talents to acquire the formula from the brain of [[Chip Chase]]. {{storylink|Roll for It}}

[[File:FireontheMountain SoundwaveMegsgun.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|Soundwave was actually Starscream's understudy.]]
Soundwave participated in a Decepticon attack on Autobot Headquarters when Optimus Prime was mistakenly believed to be fatally wounded. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}} Soon after, during a scheme to drain heat energy from the [[Earth's core]], the Decepticons unearthed the frozen body of Starscream's old friend [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] in the North Pole. Soundwave helped reactivate him by delivering a million-volt shock to his systems, but Skyfire ultimately sided with the Autobots to stop the Decepticons' plan. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}} Later, Soundwave and [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] were sent on a data-gathering mission, acquiring information about the [[Great Falls]] to facilitate a Decepticon attack on the hydro-electric plant there. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

[[File:Fireonthemountain soundwave vs brawn round1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Soundwave's conscience is his guide, and he's not taking no crap offa nobody.]]
On a mission to the Peruvian Andes, Soundwave successfully proved that the legend of the Incan [[Crystal of Power]] was true when he deduced that the pyramid containing the fabled gemstone rested on a shaft leading to the Earth's core. On a mission to gather steel for a weapon frame to channel the crystal's power, Soundwave and Reflector were ambushed by [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] in mid-air, and Soundwave found himself driven face-first into a mountain by the small Autobot in the first of several clashes that they would engage in over the years. Soundwave tried to fight back with his own rifle, and even tried blasting Brawn with Megatron in pistol mode, but the little Autobot took everything he had to give and escaped in one piece. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain (episode)|Fire on the Mountain}} Later, Soundwave's mind-reading abilities came into use again when he scanned the brains of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s, [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]], [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] and [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]], in order to determine their weaknesses. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

[[File:Tud2 audio disruptor waves.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Come to me, jungle friends.]]
When Megatron schemed to use the space bridge to transport Cybertron into Earth's orbit, he required human slaves to gather the energy that would result from the massive natural catastrophes such an action would cause. Soundwave and his cassettes were dispatched to capture [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], who served as a guinea pig for the mind-controlling [[hypno-chip]]s created by the Decepticons' new ally, [[Doctor Arkeville]]. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} The plan to transport Cybertron was subsequently accomplished despite Autobot interference, and Soundwave ensured that energy collection could begin quickly by forcing the Autobots to flee with a barrage of painful audio disruptor waves. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} Soundwave later transported a cache of energon cubes to the orbiting Cybertron, and was still there when a group of Autobots arrived, searching for the hypno-chip master control. In another encounter with Brawn, Soundwave was taken down by a single blast from his undersized rival, and then alerted the Decepticon forces on the planet to the Autobots' escape. It did little good, as the heroes were able to evade capture, find the hypno-chip control, free the slaves and blast Cybertron out of orbit.{{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}}

Megatron was briefly thought destroyed by the explosion that pushed Cybertron out of orbit, by the Decepticon leader soon returned to Earth, where Soundwave immediately informed him of Starscream's latest play for leadership. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}} Soundwave later accompanied Megatron and [[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]] to [[Bali]], where they met the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}} Later still, when Megatron challenged Optimus Prime to a one-on-one duel, Soundwave and the other Decepticons contributed their [[power chip rectifier]]s to a machine built by the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] that would transfer all their powers into Megatron, so that he could win the fight with ease. While Megatron never used Soundwave's powers in the duel,<ref>In the finished episode, that is. A scene deleted from "Heavy Metal War" saw Megatron use Soundwave's mind-reading abilities to deduce Prime's next attack move.</ref> he still claimed victory, but when his breach of the rules was revealed, he, Soundwave and all the Decepticons were sent tumbling into a river of lava by the fighting-mad Autobots.{{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

[[File:Cityofsteel console destroyed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|God, I hate Vista so much!]]
As [[1985]] rolled in, Soundwave participated in a Decepticon attack on an Air Force base, {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} and helped in the construction of the [[Solar Needle]] in the jungles of [[South America]]. {{storylink|Changing Gears}} When Megatron sought to conquer [[New York City]], Soundwave, Rumble and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] battled a group of Autobots in [[Central Park]], and Soundwave was later put in charge of the weapons systems of the so-called "[[New Cybertron]]" that New York was being turned into. That control was soon lost, unfortunately, when a stray blast from an irate Megatron destroyed Soundwave's console. {{storylink|City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel}}

Soundwave and his cassettes were next sent on a distraction mission, keeping the Autobots occupied while Megatron and Starscream snuck inside their base and sabotaged their [[recharging chamber]]s with a [[Personality destabilizer device]], narrowly avoiding another pounding from Brawn in the process. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots (episode)|Attack of the Autobots}} After helping to steal [[electro-cell]]s {{storylink|Traitor (episode)|Traitor}} and the Autobots' new [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]] invention, {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} Soundwave was appointed to guard the captive Autobots after Megatron succeeded in trapping them in vehicle mode with the [[Transfixatron]]. The communications officer put his skills to work disabling the Autobots' communicators, but neglected to disable [[Hound (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hound]]'s hologram projector, which the Autobot was able to use to summon the small number of his comrades who had not been affected by the Transfixatron. [[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]] and Ratchet developed a grenade to undo the device's effects, and together, Spike and [[Chip Chase]] outran Soundwave and Ravage to detonate it and restore the Autobots. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

[[File:Dayofthemachines espionage.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Let's see. Guitar, sound system and suspiciously plain brown box.]]
When Laserbeak and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] stumbled upon the subaquatic city of [[Sub-Atlantica]], Soundwave immediately summoned Megatron to view their findings. Megatron and the Decepticons set out for the city at once, and forged an alliance with its leader, the boastful telepathic [[Nergill|King Nergill]], in order to conquer [[Washington, D.C.]] Starscream, however, did not trust the fish-man, and had Soundwave put his own telepathic powers to use to decrypt the scrambled messages Nergill repeatedly gave to his underlings. Soundwave discovered that Nergill was planning to betray the Decepticons, leading to the breakdown of their alliance. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}}

Soundwave and Megatron used their [[size changing|diminutive]] alternate modes to infiltrate [[Quantum Laboratories]] as part of a plan to take over the computer [[TORQ III]]. {{storylink|Day of the Machines}} Later, Soundwave helped steal the human-made robot ninja [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]] (finally getting one over on Brawn in the process by collapsing a balcony out from under him), and aided [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] in reprogramming the femme-bot to serve the Decepticons.{{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

[[File:Insecticonsyndrome soundwave cerebroshelled.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|He bears the mark!]]
When the Decepticons discovered strange energy emanations coming from a crevice, Soundwave dispatched the [[Autoscout]] to investigate, discovering the crevice was filled with [[Korlonium crystal]]s. Megatron schemed to create a [[Optimus Prime clone|clone of Optimus Prime]] as part of a plan to harness the crystals' power, and while the plan failed, the clone was at least impressive enough to completely fool Soundwave, and he was in on it! {{storylink|A Prime Problem}} Subsequently, Soundwave took part in the Decepticons' plan to drill to the Earth's core, {{storylink|The Core}} and was then made a mind-controlled pawn of the Insecticons, who used him to download data from the human military defense computer at [[Iron Mountain]]. Megatron and Optimus Prime were forced to team up to stop the Insecticons and destroy the [[cerebro-shell]] controlling Soundwave, erasing the data he had gathered in the process. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}}

While spying on Autobot Headquarters, Soundwave learned of the existence of the mysterious prehistoric [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], and sent Laserbeak to follow the Dinobots as they travelled there. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Soundwave proceeded to join the Decepticons in raiding the island's energy sources, before the Autobots, Dinobots and the island's native [[dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaurs]] saw them off. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

Using his alternate mode to infiltrate a military testing site, Soundwave and his cassettes made a hard-fought but ultimately failed attempt to steal the Autobots' new [[Negavator]] weapon. {{storylink|Auto Berserk}} Later, when human archaeologists uncovered the wreckage of the Decepticons' old space cruiser in South America, Soundwave alerted Megatron to the news report about their findings, then accompanied him to the wreckage, where they removed the ship's power source, the [[Heart of Cybertron]]. Celebrating the new power that the Heart bestowed upon Megatron, Soundwave joined his fellow Decepticons in over-energizing on energon, leaving him too inebriated to do much of anything.{{storylink|Microbots}}

[[File:Masterplan2 disco dolly.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|All the ladies love Soundwave!]]
When Megatron framed the Autobots for energy theft and had them exiled from Earth, Soundwave took part in the Decepticons' pretense of being heroes. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} Soundwave was quite popular among the humans: a young child was heard cheering for him by name, and when he and his cassettes attended a disco, he acquired many female admirers. After Megatron revealed his deception, however, Soundwave was made the slave-master of the work camp that [[Central City (Earth)|Central City]] was turned into. Thankfully, the Autobots soon returned to Earth to clear their names and rout the Decepticons. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

[[File:Dotd1 sneakiest soundwave.jpg‎|thumb|upright=1.2|He's ''good''.]]
In one of his most impressible displays of sneakitude, Soundwave was able to position himself, in tape player mode, ''inside'' Ironhide's vehicle mode, ''right next'' to [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]], and spy on the test run of the [[Ultra Plane]], with neither Autobot noticing until he deployed Ravage. While Blaster wrestled with Ravage, Soundwave escaped to report to Megatron, after which he and Starscream joined their leader in attacking the lab containing the blueprints for the plane. The Autobots saw them off, but during their flight away, the Decepticons' systems began to malfunction as a result of [[cybertonium]] degradation. Soundwave's cassettes began ejecting without his command, and his flight powers gave out, sending him crashing to the ground. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} Once repaired with fresh cybertonium from Cybertron, Soundwave joined the Decepticons on a mission to [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]]. {{storylink|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court}}

Soundwave was among the Decepticons who were granted invincible [[electrum]] coating by the "Golden Lagoon". With their new power, the Decepticons captured [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] and [[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]], but when Starscream attempted to have the two Autobots fight each other for the villains' amusement, Soundwave immediately ran off and tattled on him to Megatron. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon}}

[[File:Child's Play Nitro Soundwave.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Soundwave forever regretted wearing the novelty cat pheromone spray.]]
Following the Decepticons' alliance with the [[Geddis brothers]], {{storylink|Make Tracks}} Soundwave joined in the Decepticon attempt to create a space bridge in a baseball stadium, where he wickedly delighted in playing catch with one of the players (literally!). The Autobots soon arrived, and another brawl between Soundwave and Brawn erupted, ending when the small Autobot threw Soundwave into the space bridge. When a stray blast then activated the bridge, Soundwave and a small group of Autobots and Decepticons were inadvertently hurled to a world of alien giants. After being menaced by the huge cat [[Nitro]] and trapped in a toybox by Nitro's owner [[Aron (G1)|Aron]], Soundwave was taken with the other Transformers to the planet's authorities for study and dissection. Ravage succeeded in freeing them, and the Decepticons all escaped back to Earth through a mock space bridge Perceptor created out of a telescope. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} Upon his return, Soundwave was caught up in the menace of the [[Morphobot]]s, {{storylink|Quest for Survival}} analyzed the energy of an alien asteroid, {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)|The Secret of Omega Supreme}} and helped operate the Decepticons' new [[energy magnet]]. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

[[File:Autobop soundwave vs blaster.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|That's not sound, it's Darkseid popping up in the wrong universe.]]
After joining Megatron on a mission to the planet of the [[Tlalakan]]s, {{storylink|Sea Change}} Soundwave embarked on one of his most notable misadventures when, under the command of Starscream, he set about brainwashing humans with ultrasonic vibrations inside the Decepticon-built nightclub [[Dancitron]] in New York City. This led to his first major confrontation with his Autobot communications officer counterpart, Blaster, with whom he engaged in a sonic duel. Soundwave had the upper hand in the violent jam session, until Blaster used the club's sound system to magnify his own sonic attacks and win the fight. {{storylink|Auto-Bop}}

When the Decepticons captured [[Hybrid Technologies]] heiress [[Astoria Carlton-Ritz]], Soundwave tried to use the [[psycho-probe]] to read her mind, but her innate ability to jinx machines made it a challenge, and eventually led to Soundwave and Rumble being electrocuted. When [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] subsequently caused the Decepticons' new sub-orbital base to crash, it fell to Soundwave to inform Megatron that the base didn't have any forcefields. Whoops! {{storylink|The Girl Who Loved Powerglide}}

[[File:Ktvs2 see you next fall.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Doesn't have the heart to tell Megatron it's just chocolate wrapped in gold foil.]]
On a mission to recover some incriminating footage taken by a movie studio of their activities, Soundwave showed up Starscream by pointing out that while the air commander had recovered the film reel, he had not destroyed the negative. Soundwave then helped Megatron track the negative down, but they were tricked into thinking it was destroyed by [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]]. {{storylink|Hoist Goes Hollywood (episode)|Hoist Goes Hollywood}} Soon after, Soundwave accompanied Megatron to Cybertron to give life to his new [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], helping him locate the [[Key to Vector Sigma|key]] to [[Vector Sigma]] and unlocking the door to the mega-computer's chamber. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} Upon their return to Earth with the now-living Stuncticons, Soundwave aided Megatron in analyzing the key to discover what other powers it possessed. By happenstance, its power to de-energize matter and turn it into metal was only discovered when Soundwave tripped and dropped it. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[File:TransEuropeExpress Galata Valley.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|"Soundwave, why always rings? I demand a parallelogram or two!"]]
Soundwave soon returned to Cybertron to take part in Megatron's plan to trap the newest addition to the Autobot ranks, the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s, in the distant past, {{storylink|War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn}} then went back to Earth and used his scanning powers to help Megatron locate the [[Pearl of Bahoudin]]. {{storylink|Trans-Europe Express}} Soundwave later had Laserbeak monitor the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] infection spreading through the Autobot ranks, {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}, and had the cassette remove Starscream from Decepticon Headquarters after Megatron finally banished the perennial traitor from the Decepticon ranks. When Starscream returned with his own army, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], Soundwave was almost able to shoot the traitor in the back until [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] caused his shot to go wild. Soundwave tried to summon the Stunticons to help, and while they initially rebuffed him, they eventually arrived to tip the scales in Megatron's favor. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

Suspecting the Autobots had tampered with Megatron's new ruby laser cannon, Soundwave advised his leader to abandon the weapon, but Megatron was caught up in a battle-frenzy and ignored him. Predictably, the weapon promptly exploded. {{storylink|Masquerade}} For his final recorded adventure in the 20th century, Soundwave invented a device to control the flow of Earth's tides. Before the Decepticons could use it, however, it was necessary to blast the moon out of orbit to remove its controlling influence, so they developed an [[orbit disruptor cannon]] to do the job. Unfortunately, the cannon would only be operated by [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], and all the Combaticons save Swindle had been destroyed, so Soundwave installed a bomb in Swindle's head to give him the incentive to gather up their parts and rebuild them. Bruticus was restored, and Soundwave participated in the Decepticon attack upon Autobot Headquarters that served as a test run for the disruptor cannon, but the complex plot was foiled when three college students used [[B.O.T. (G1)|makeshift robot]] to destroy the cannon. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

[[File:Tftm dont leave me soundwave.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Do you think I'd leave you dying, when there's room on my horse for two?]]
Over the course of the following twenty years, the Decepticons withdrew from Earth and focused all their efforts on conquering Cybertron entirely. By the year 2005, they had accomplished this goal, and the Autobots were consigned to their new "[[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]" on Earth, and to bases on two of Cybertron's moon. Thanks to Laserbeak and Soundwave, Megatron learned of an upcoming Autobot strike against Cybertron, and resolved to cripple their war effort by destroying Autobot City. During [[Battle of Autobot City|the subsequent battle]], Soundwave was instructed to jam a distress call to Optimus Prime from Blaster, so he sent Ravage, Rumble, Frenzy and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] to dismantle the communications array being used to broadcast it. Blaster's own team of cassettes fended Soundwave's off, and the call made it through, summoning Optimus Prime and a support team to aid the stricken city. A fateful final battle between Prime and Megatron ensued, which ended with Prime's death and Megatron mortally wounded. As the other Decepticons beat a hasty retreat, Soundwave demonstrated his loyalty to his leader by recovering his damaged body and carrying him aboard [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], but when it became necessary to jettison excess weight so that the Decepticons could safely make it back to Cybertron, Soundwave made no move to stop Starscream from setting Megatron adrift in space. In fact, with Megatron gone, Soundwave himself made a bid for leadership, declaring himself a superior choice to the Constructicons and deploying his cassettes to fight for his honor. Starscream ultimately emerged victorious in the fight for leadership, but during his coronation ceremony, Megatron returned, having been recreated by the giant transforming god-planet [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] into [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. Galvatron promptly killed Starscream, and Soundwave started cheering for his returned leader.

[[File:Ffod1 cons on chaar.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|"I used to have [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|that guy's]] job ya know". "Suuure, gramps, suuuuure".]]
Galvatron's leadership did not get off to a great start, however: Unicron soon attacked Cybertron, and while he was destroyed by the Autobot [[Matrix of Leadership]], Galvatron was lost to the depths of space, and the leaderless Decepticons, in a state of disarray after Unicron's attack, were easily routed and forced off Cybertron by the Autobots and their new leader, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Soundwave’s involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic mini-series “[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]” and the storybook “[[Transformers the Movie (Ladybird adaptation)|Transformers the Movie]]."}}

Low on energy, Soundwave and the other Decepticons were forced to relocate to the burned-out planet [[Chaar]], where they eked out a miserable existence on the brink of death. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} When Rodimus Prime and Grimlock came to Chaar to investigate a mysterious attack on the [[Galactic Olympics]], Soundwave and the Decepticons attacked them, {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} and were then later approached by the true instigators of the Olympics attack, the alien [[Quintesson]]s, with the prospect of an alliance. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} Under the Quintessons' instructions, Soundwave and the other Decepticons launched an attack on the Autobots on the planet [[Goo 8739B]], during which Galvatron returned, having been found by [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} With Galvatron back in charge, Soundwave was amongst the Decepticons who were sent to Earth to try and stop [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s [[Transformation cog|transforming cog]] from being delivered. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

[[File:Cminor soundwave white noise.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Disco! Disco!]]
In 2006, Soundwave went with Galvatron, Cyclonus, Scourge and the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] to search for [[isidrite]] in an asteroid belt. Soundwave dispatched Ratbat to search for the mineral, only for the cassette to discover that the Autobots were already mining it. {{storylink|Webworld}} Soon after, Soundwave accompanied Galvatron to the planet [[Eurythma]] to investigate a mysterious sonic weapon. They discovered that sound and music were the way of life on the planet, and Soundwave was entranced by the planet's perfect melodies, specifically the destructive [[harmony]] weapon, which was shared by three Eurythmans. One by one, Soundwave coerced from them each piece of the harmony, recording and combing them with the intention of turning the musical maelstrom upon Autobot City. He was defeated, however, when the Eurythmans countered the harmony with [[anti-sound]], and Blaster erased his recordings. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}}

[[File:Ejectcall.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.2]]
Soundwave was among those transfixed by a hypnotic Quintesson signal {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}, then later aided in the Decepticon conquest of the peaceful planet [[Paradron]]. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}} Later still, during a battle on Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]], Soundwave was shocked when his ejection system activated on its own, releasing Ravage, Ratbat, [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]], who departed with all the other "[[Primitive]]" Transformers present to follow a mysterious [[Oracle (G1)|voice]]. Mere moments later, the threat these Primitives had been summoned to fight, [[Tornedron]], arrived on the moon and drained the energy from all the Transformers present, Soundwave included. Thankfully, the Primitives succeeded in defeating Tornedron and restoring everyone's energy. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

For his final appearance, Soundwave was seen playing back the latest piece of information gathered by Ratbat: two human scientists had discovered the body of Optimus Prime, which Galvatron resolved to destroy once and for all. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}

==Madman ''The Transformers'' comic==
[[File:Madman comic Soundwave ejects tapes.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|He's a good guy. Animals like him.]]
In 2001, Soundwave and his squad of cassettes were deployed to the construction site of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] while the balance of the Autobot forces were engaged in an evacuation of Cybertron. He managed to record a secret conversation between Optimus Prime and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] where the Autobot leaders discussed hiding the Autobot [[Matrix of Leadership]] in a bunker at the build site, against the chance Prime would be captured or destroyed while off-world. Soundwave returned to the not-so-secret bunker and deployed his minions to dig up the Matrix. Just as the artifact had been secured and Soundwave was about to call for retrieval, the young Autobot [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] took the Matrix and defeated Soundwave's team. {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}
{{--}}

==Japanese cartoon continuity==
{{note|The events of American cartoon continuity, as detailed above, occur in the Japanese timeline, except the events of 2006 are pushed back to 2010. The Japanese continuity proceeds to insert many new storylines and events in, around, before and after the events of the Generation 1 cartoon, as covered below.}}

[[File:Soundwave srlf manga.jpg|thumb|It's like if Power Rangers had really cheap zords.]]

===e-HOBBY comics===
Early during Megatron's attempted conquest of Cybertron, Soundwave was among his troops of [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s and the [[Silver Company]], raiding Autobot energy warehouses. Their attack was cut short by the unexpected arrival of a [[Guardian robot]], who quickly trounced everybody. {{storylink|64 Cybertron Urban Defense Robot GADEP}}

===''Unite Warriors''===
[[Moonheart]] trained under Soundwave as a medic. {{storylink|Moonheart#Unite Warriors 2|''Unite Warriors'' Moonheart bio}}

===''Cloud''===
Soundwave was one of several Decepticons who wound up on the receiving end of a beating from a [[Megatron (G1)#Cloud|Megatron from another universe]], as he fought his way through them to get to [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Cloud|his world's Optimus]] and the super-powerful robot entity [[SARA]]. {{storylink|TFC-A01}}

===''Beast Wars Metals'' cartoon===
{{main|Soundwave (G1)#Beast Wars cartoon}}

===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga===
In the late 1980s, while Megatron and the Decepticons engaged the Autobots in battle in Arizona, Soundwave and his cassettes were dispatched to do something unspecified (but likely ''evil'') in [[Tokyo]]. Optimus Prime dispatched a unit of Autobots led by [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] and [[Kenji]] to track them down. He was ultimately defeated when Bumblebee got the drop on him with a patented "Bumble-Kick" and shattered his chest. This made it impossible for his cassette forces to return to him, leaving them to be captured as well. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2}} When he next appeared, Soundwave hadn't quite got over his injuries, and was seen with bandages stuck to his chest-window. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3}}

===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' story pages===
Soundwave was one of the Decepticons who attacked New York City early in their conflict with the Autobots on Earth. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 1|Broadcasting on TV! Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers}}

When Soundwave learned that the Autobots were keeping themselves in shape by having a friendly race, he set up a trap within a narrow canyon, walling the Autobots in and opening fire on them. Luckily, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] arrived on the scene and delivered a powerful punch to Soundwave's chest, shattering his tape door once again. Soundwave immediately fled. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)|Anime Theater 2: Sic' Em, Hound!}}

Blaster battled Soundwave in what seemed to be the foothills of the Alps, while Perceptor kept the Decepticon communicator's cassettes busy. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 5|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers story page #5}}
{{-}}

===Scramble City: Mobilization===
{{voiceactor|[[Issei Masamune]] (Japanese)}}
[[File:Soundwave scramblecity.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|"Soundwave...you do know there are laws against exposing yourself, right?"]]
Before the 1980s were over, the Decepticons detected some unusual magnetic field fluctuations, and Megatron ordered Soundwave to send Ratbat, Laserbeak and Ravage to investigate. The cassettes discovered a hidden cavern where the Autobots were constructing a mighty battle fortress named "[[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]]", and Soundwave promptly took this information to Megatron. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}
{{-}}

===Full Throttle Scramble Power!===
[[File:Fullthrottle tape fight.jpg|right|thumb|My buddy!]]
Soundwave was present when the Decepticons terrorized the Earth with their new "[[Omega Whip]]" cannon and captured the Autobots' human allies [[Toru]] and [[Jenny (G1)|Jenny]]. When the two humans tried to escape, Soundwave released Ravage to stop them, but Blaster then appeared to dispatch the cassette. Blaster and Soundwave proceeded to grapple as more Autobots arrived and the battle grew bigger and bigger, and when Metroplex arrived, he actually collided with Soundwave and knocked the Decepticon for a loop. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}
{{-}}

===''The Battle of the Star Gate''===
[[File:Soundwave stargate battles.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Fear his [[Mickey Mouse]] ears.]]
In the 1990s, continued Autobot/human interaction led to a formal alliance being forged between the heroic robots and the American government and the construction of an interstellar teleport system called the ''[[Trigger]]''. Naturally, the ''Trigger'' space station was a prime target for the Decepticons, and Soundwave was instrumental in taking over the device, as he hacked into its systems and placed it under Decepticon control. Unfortunately for the Decepticons, the sole surviving member of the ''Trigger''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew, [[Makoto (Star Gate)|Makoto]], activated the system and blasted them into space before they could take control of it, and the Autobots soon arrived to send the Decepticons packing. {{storylink|First Contact (Star Gate)|First Contact}}

[[File:Stargatebattles soundwave and megs.jpg|right|thumb|275px|"You ever feel the magic has gone out of our relationship?" "Shut up, Soundwave".]]
Three months later, while the ''Trigger'' was still undergoing repairs after the damage the previous battle had caused, Soundwave patched through a transmission from Laserbeak, who was spying on a test run of the new human-built [[C-X]] battle droid. When the droid ran amok during the test and tried to kill Optimus Prime, the amused Megatron thought Soundwave was responsible for hacking the robot's systems, but Soundwave denied it. {{storylink|Divided Views}} In truth, the drone had been possessed by the time-displaced ghost of Starscream from the future, and he was not yet through making mischief in the past. Starscream's ghost teamed up with his present day counterpart, and together, the two Starscreams took control of the repaired ''Trigger'' and possessed it, transforming it into a giant, twisted robot form. Soundwave was among the massive armada of Decepticons and Autobots who battled the giant Starscream-thing, which was ultimately defeated when Prime and Megatron combined their power to destroy the traitor's new body. Soundwave and all the other Transformers were caught in the backwash of the explosion and sent tumbling towards Earth in uncontrolled re-entry, not to be heard from again for many months. {{storylink|The Battle of the Star Gate}}
{{-}}

===''Music Label''===
In 2007, Soundwave created a series of diminutive clones of himself, disguised as portable MP3 players, and disseminated them among the populace of Earth as part of a plan to brainwash the youth of the world with hypnotic music.

{{note|While the [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|2007 Takara timeline]] placed the events of the ''[[Transformers Music Label]]'' storyline in the Generation 1 cartoon continuity, this is not without confusion. According to the ''Music Label'' story, Soundwave was foiled in this plan by Optimus Prime, who added a pair of speakers to his trailer that broadcast a frequency to stop the Decepticon's brainwashing. As Prime was ''dead'' at this point in the timeline, this can't have been how things went down in this version of events. However, [[Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 36|"Bonus Edition Vol. 36" of ''Legends'']] made reference to this event, so...it did happen somehow?}}

===Controverse===
At the trial of [[Primacron]], Soundwave and the Decepticons interrupted the proceedings for their own gain. Soundwave battled [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] outside the Galactic Courts while sending his cassettes inside. {{storylink|Controverse}}

===''The Headmasters'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Issei Masamune]] (Japanese)|[[John Culkin]] (English, Omni Productions dub), [[Jesús Brock]] (Latin-American Spanish)}}

[[File:MysteryPlanetMaster BlasterVsSoundwave.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|"Stop! I'm unarmed!"]]
The Decepticons went off the radar for the year that followed Optimus Prime's resurrection, but in 2011, they returned in full force. When Vector Sigma began to destabilize as a consequence of Optimus Prime releasing the energy of the Matrix, Galvatron led the Decepticons' newest troops, the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]], in an attack on Cybertron in an attempt to secure the computer and restore a Decepticon power balance to the planet. To prevent Autobot reinforcements from Earth reaching Cybertron, Soundwave and a legion of other Decepticons under the command of the faction's new Earth commander, [[Sixshot]], kept the Autobots on the planet busy in a large battle. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} In an attempt to learn the Autobots' plan of action, Soundwave and his cassettes infiltrated Autobot City, and although they were discovered by Blaster and his own cassettes, they were able to escape with the knowledge that the Matrix was hidden somewhere on Earth, and that the Autobots were preparing to search for it. Blaster and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] subsequently embarked on a search mission to the [[Arctic]], where Soundwave and his cassettes attacked them. Blaster covered Hot Rod's escape, and he and Soundwave engaged in a one-on-one battle, with shattered chests and severed limbs aplenty. It momentarily appeared that Soundwave had won the battle when Blaster collapsed, but seconds later, the fatal damage Blaster had inflicted upon him made itself apparent, as Soundwave's body exploded. His cassettes scooped up as much of his remains as they could and beat a retreat, but Soundwave was triumphant in death, as Blaster too died seconds later. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

[[File:ReturnImmortal Emperor Soundblaster.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|He's gone black. Will he go back?]]
Soundwave's remains were brought back to Chaar by his cassettes, where the Decepticon Headmaster leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] was able to use the super-science of planet [[Master (planet)|Master]] to restore him to life. Reborn in a new black body, Soundwave was rechristened '''Soundblaster''', and following a reunion with his delighted cassettes, immediately went straight back to working for the Decepticon cause. Soundblaster was, in fact, instrumental to the Decepticons' newest plan, as he used his broadcasting powers to send signals from a sonic control device implanted in his chest to direct the actions of the villains' newest weapon, the [[Madmachine]], in another attack on Cybertron. As coincidence would have it, Autobot Headmaster leader [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] had also used the science of Master to restore Blaster to life as "Twincast", and the two rivals clashed for the first time in their new lives when the Autobot destroyed Soundblaster's sonic control and foiled the Decepticons' plot. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

Soundblaster was among the Decepticons who invaded and enslaved the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]]. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} Later, he dispatched Ratbat to spy on the Autobots and learn more about a mysterious blackmailer holding six countries to ransom, reporting his findings to Cyclonus and Scourge. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}} Later still, Soundblaster and his cassette force were able to infiltrate Cybertron's lowest levels and spy on Vector Sigma, discovering that the mega-computer had developed a powerful new alloy named [[cybertonuron]]. Acting on Soundblaster's information, Galvatron staged a massive attack on Cybertron, {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} but Scorponok plotted treachery, planting a bomb in Vector Sigma's chamber in order to destroy the alloy, rather than let Galvatron gain its power. When Galvatron discovered this, Soundblaster attempted to stop him from going to Vector Sigma's chamber, but Galvatron ignored him, and paid for his hubris when the bomb detonated in his face, destroying the cybertonuron and reducing Cybertron to a burnt out husk. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[File:Hm11 reporting to scorponok.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Will the undead please stand up?]]
With Galvatron having disappeared in the destruction of Cybertron, Soundblaster met with the other senior Decepticons to discuss what should be done next. During their meeting, the shadowed figure of Galvatron appeared in the room, but Soundblaster quickly analyzed the newcomer's voice pattern, and realized it was not Galvatron, but Scorponok engaging in a bout of gallows humor. Shedding his disguise, Scorponok claimed that Galvatron was still alive, and that while he could not reveal where he was, he had commanded Scorponok to lead in his absence. None of the Decepticons were entirely convinced (in truth, it was a bold-faced lie), but Soundblaster, in need of a leader to follow, chose to accept it as truth, and followed Scorponok's command to send Ratbat to spy on the Autobot/human launch of the [[Sol 1]] satellite. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Soon after, when Scorponok began scheming to keep the Autobots occupied on Earth with various threads, Soundblaster and his cassettes kept an eye on the Autobots' movements and were able to inform their leader that his plans were working. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}}{{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[File:Hm14 soundblaster triggers bombs.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Hey diddle diddle, what's there in the middle?]]
Following Scorponok's instructions, Soundwave directed the planting of [[plasma energy]] bombs beneath the surface of [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], in order to destroy the planet and harvest even more of the energy. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} At Scorponok's command, Soundblaster then recalled all available Decepticons to Chaar, where they all witnessed their leader's dramatic unveiling of his gigantic new Transtector. With this powerful new body, Scorponok kept the Autobots occupied while Soundblaster himself pressed the fateful button that detonated the plasma bombs and destroyed Mars. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

Soundblaster and his cassettes did not take kindly to the arrival of Scorponok's new intelligence officer, [[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]], who irked Soundblaster with his remarkable ability to dig up information that Soundblaster couldn't. Of course, Soundblaster had no idea that Counterpunch was able to do this because he was really the Autobot spy, Punch, and so he and his cassettes set out to prove themselves by going to Earth to see what Autobots secrets they could unearth. Unable to find any information, Soundblaster was moping around the Decepticon Earth base when a story suddenly dropped itself right into his lap: a glowing UFO descended from the sky and abducted Sixshot right before his eyes! Soundblaster attempted to report his findings to Scorponok during a battle with the Autobots on Earth's moon, but there and then, the UFO reappeared, and its owner was revealed to be Galvatron, who had survived his appeared destruction and retook leadership of the Decepticons. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}}

[[File:Hm23 soundblaster draws.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Sound doesn't travel in space, moron.]]
Soundblaster and the Decepticon Headmasters were manning the scanners at the Decepticon base on Chaar when the [[Horrorcon]]s arrived to join up with Galvatron's forces. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} Soon after, Soundblaster joined the Decepticons on a series of interplanetary energy raids, helping to scan the spaceways and communications channels to keep his leader appraised of Autobot and alien activity as they went from planet [[Hive (planet)|Hive]] {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} to [[Twin Star]] {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} to [[Daros]]. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} The Decepticons' quest eventually brought them to [[Pirate Planet]], where they were stymied in their pursuit of the planet's fabled energy by their inability to enter the pyramid that held it. Soundblaster observed [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] departing for the field of debris near the planet, and, suspecting they knew something he didn't, followed them. Soundblaster proceeded to ambush the two heroes and demand they share their information, but Daniel was able to get the drop on the Decepticon with his video game light gun, which Highbrow had amped up into a real weapon. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

When the Decepticons returned to Earth, Sixshot proceeded to lead a series of major attacks upon the Autobot forces. Soundblaster reported to Galvatron on the departure of Fortress Maximus from Athenia, and suggested sending Scorponok to keep him busy. Galvatron was wary, knowing Scorponok had his own agenda, but Soundblaster vowed to follow him and keep an eye on him, and Galvatron agreed. However, Soundblaster was surprisingly lax in his duty, as Scorponok didn't bother engaging Fortress, and Soundblaster didn't report this at all! {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}}

[[File:Hm30 soundblaster in hiding.jpg||left|thumb|upright=1.2|Grand Cybertron Hide N'Seek Champion, 7 million years running.]]
Following Galvatron's death at the hands of the Headmasters and Scorponok's subsequent re-assumption of Decepticon leadership, Soundblaster was among the Decepticons who travelled with his new leader to the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}} When the Autobots followed them there, Soundblaster boldly infiltrated their spaceship, the ''Maximus'', and spied on them with Ratbat. When he was discovered, however, he leapt overboard and flew back to the surface of Master, inadvertently leading the Autobot [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]] to the Decepticons' hidden subterranean base. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}} Soundblaster was able to repay them in kind after a later battle, though, when he stealthily followed the retreating Targetmasters and discovered that the Autobots had started working with the young warriors of Master. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

After Scorponok successfully completed construction of his new [[Zarak Shield]] weapon, the Decepticons headed back to Earth, but as they were passing through the asteroid belt, Soundblaster noticed a malfunction in their propulsion system that required them to set down for repairs. While they were resting there, Soundblaster detected the approach of an object, which turned out to be Sixshot, who had become separated from the Decepticons on an earlier leg of their journey. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

Finally, once the Decepticons returned to Earth, Scorponok began raising "[[Death Tower]]s" of [[crysmagnetal]] at strategic points around the Earth, intending to use them to tear the planet apart. While on patrol in the Alps, Soundblaster observed the passage of the Autobots' battleship, and radioed the Decepticons in Egypt to let them know of their enemies' approach. Subsequently, with all the Death Towers in place, Soundblaster participated in the climactic battle between the Autobot and Decepticons armies at the South Pole, which ended when Fortress Maximus destroyed Scorponok's Transtector and saved the planet. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

===''The Headmasters'' manga===
[[File:Hm manga8 master chrome hurricane.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2]]
After their defeat at the North Pole, the Decepticons were preparing to retreat from Earth entirely when Scorponok instructed Soundblaster to remain on the planet in secret to act as a spy for the Decepticons. Soundblaster proved that he wasn't up to the challenge by making his presence and intentions known almost instantly when he kicked [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] square in the face and took the [[Witwicky]] family hostage. [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] was left powerless to do anything but surrender, as [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] brutalized [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]] and threatened [[Carly]]. Daniel was propelled into action by his family's peril, leaped onto Slugfest, and tricked him into charging into Overkill. This left Soundblaster open to Chromedome's poorly named "Master-Chrome Hurricane Throw to the End of Hell!" Chromedome chucked Soundblaster over the horizon, and when he recovered from his fall, he found Sixshot staring down at him. Demanding to know what Sixshot wanted, Soundblaster was informed that the six-changer was no longer affiliated with the Decepticons, and wanted to travel from planet to planet, learning new transformations. One day, Sixshot told him, he wanted to learn how to transform into a human! Soundblaster was left absolutely dumbfounded by this, unable to even compute such a concept, and wagering it would be a few million years before he could. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 8|The Headmasters #8}}

===''Legends'' comic===
In a flashback to the early days of the Transformers' war on Earth sometime between 1985 and 2004, Soundwave could be seen among Megatron's Decepticons, waging war against the Autobots. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 6|Bonus Edition Vol. 6}} During an attack on the Autobots to steal their [[Transform Super Cog]] in the late 1980s, Soundwave sent [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] and [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] to take out the Autobots' intruder alarm before deploying [[Enemy (G1)|Enemy]], [[Wingthing (G1)|Wingthing]], [[Howlback (G1)|Howlback]], [[Garboil (G1)|Garboil]] and [[Glit (KP)|Glit]] to join the battle. {{storylink|Slugslinger's Ambition}} He was part of a group of Decepticons who fell in a pitfall trap prepared by [[Twin Twist]], but being Decepticons, they simply flew back out. {{storylink|Jumpstarter Chapter#Operation: Destroy the Decepticons|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

In the year 2021, Soundblaster joined the revived Scorponok in a scheme to use a [[black hole]] to create plasma energy. The scheme backfired thanks to the interference of Fortress Maximus and his Autobots, causing the black hole to release smaller black holes called "[[Blackball]]s". Soundblaster was among the Decepticons struck by a Blackball, which began causing his body to shrink. To avoid destruction, the afflicted Autobots and Decepticons traveled to the Legends Universe to receive new Headmaster upgrades. Soundblaster and the other Decepticons sought their upgrades from [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], who gladly cooperated, though he seemed to have ulterior motives. {{storylink|Headmaster Chapter Prologue}} {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Prologue}}

The Decepticons joined forces with Tarantulas's employer, [[Tera-Kura Co.]], creating a "Decepticon Tera-Kura Co." in which Soundblaster once more served as communications officer. He had Laserbeak spy on their rivals, the Autobot [[Axalon Trading Company]], and steal data the Decepticons could use to build [[transtector]]s. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 22|Bonus Edition Vol. 22}} After [[Skullcruncher (G1)|Skullcruncher]] went on a rampage in his new body, Soundblaster attended a meeting during which the company's chairman, Megatron from another time period, chewed them out for resorting to violence. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 23|Bonus Edition Vol. 23}}

Soundblaster continued his rivalry with Twincast in his universe, but fell behind when the Autobot acquired a transtector that let him become Blaster again. Noting that the [[Zodiac]] had let Blaster reshape his body into a base mode, Soundblaster established a new [[Dancitron]] and hypnotized the guests into attacking Blaster, distracting him while Soundblaster stole the Zodiac and used its powers in reverse to transform the Dancitron into a transtector based on his original body. Reclaiming the name of Soundwave, he revealed that since Blaster had left the Autobot army to become an artist, he saw no value in besting him in battle and vowed to defeat him on the battlefield of his choice—the music industry. [[Devil Z]] disapproved of his resignation from Decepticon Tera-Kura Co. and attacked him using a transtector powered by a captive Megatron, but Soundwave freed his leader and bested Devil Z with help from Blaster, who shared data on the [[harmony]] with him. Their alliance was temporary, however, as Soundwave was enraged to learn that Blaster had made the harmony playable only once. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 36|Bonus Edition Vol. 36}}

Upon learning from Laserbeak that the Decepticons loyal to Scorponok were trying to overthrow Megatron by rebuilding [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Soundwave reported his findings to Megatron. He fought with Megatron's troops to defend [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s [[transformation cog]] from the rival Decepticon faction, but they failed. {{storylink|LG43 Trypticon Mobilization Chapter: Decepticon Civil War|Decepticon Civil War}} He was then knocked out during [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] [[anti-electron]] attack on all all Transformers in the city. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 55|Bonus Edition Vol. 55}} When [[Quintesson]]s invaded the Legends World in spite of having been defeated by 2021, Soundblaster theorized that they were likely time travelers from the past. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 59|Bonus Edition Vol. 59}} During a [[Concurrence]] attack, he also explained how the attackers had used [[synthoid]] technology to turn [[Megatron (BW)|Beast Megatron]] purely robotic. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 63|Bonus Edition Vol. 63}} Soundblaster later witnessed the [[Twin Twist]] remove the Zodiac from his transtector. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 65|Bonus Edition Vol. 65}}

Soundwave was among the Decepticons who defended the city from [[Majin Zarak]]'s attack, {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Finale: Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part One|Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part One}} and stood by as Megatron ordered the evacuation of the doomed Legends World. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Finale: Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two|Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two}} Soundwave and the other Transformers from the Headmaster era returned to their own dimension in the year [[2023]], appearing on the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] and assisting its [[Beastformer]]s in their war with the [[Laser Beast]]s. {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 1}} At some point returning to not being a Headmaster and as Soundwave instead of Soundblaster, he then waited until Megatron's own return in [[2038]], keeping mum about already having met his leader's future self in order to avoid causing a time paradox. {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 2}}

===''Super-God Masterforce'' manga===
Years later, the image of Soundwave was among the holograms of older Decepticons projected by [[King Poseidon]] to deceive and confuse the Autobots under [[Ginrai (human)|Ginrai]]'s command. {{storylink|Burn, Super Soul! The New Commander Super Ginrai!}}

==''Wings Universe''==
{{Wingsnote}}
When [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] captured [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s base, Soundwave was by his side. After defeating Deathsaurus in single combat, Megatron ordered Soundwave to check the computers for information on [[Combiner]] technology, and sent [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] with him. A week later, Soundwave was part of the Decepticon forces who entered [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] after [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] breached the city walls. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 5}} He was still by Megatron's side when Devastator fell, and took part in the subsequent retreat. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}

In [[2012]], Soundwave's face was on a computer screen in [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s laboratory as Jhiaxus was creating [[Soundwave (G2)|a clone of him]]. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 2}}

Circa [[2013]], Jhiaxus cloned Soundwave yet again to create [[Soundwave (MW)|a clone commander]] of him. {{storylink|Termination}}

[[Tornado]] disliked [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] because as Soundwave considered himself superior, they considered themselves superior by extension. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur, 2015/01/07}}

==''Mars Attacks: The Transformers''==
[[File:Mars Attacks The Transformers - Get him off me!.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
Following a defeat at the hands of the Autobots, the Decepticons were [[stasis cuffs|stasis cuffed]] and taken away by humans. A [[Martian]] invasion gave them the opportunity to slip their bonds and attempt to form an alliance with the invasion, but when the Martians trapped them in a [[force field]], the Decepticons were forced to align with the Autobots instead. Soundwave and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] combined their power to bring the force field down. When Megatron was later reduced to the size of a toy by the Martians, Soundwave successfully reversed the effects of the shrink ray. {{storylink|Mars Attacks: The Transformers}}
{{--}}

==Ask Vector Prime==
In one iteration of the battle of Autobot City, those dimensional hoodlums [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]] and [[gbwiki:Gong|Gong]] decided to spice things up by throwing some [[GoBot]]s into the mix. Accordingly, the usual war for Autobot City became a contest for ''[[Guardian (GoBots)|Guardian]]'' City instead; in this version of the battle, Soundwave and his cassettes were responsible for offlining [[gbwiki:Hi-Way|Hi-Way]] and [[gbwiki:Street Heat|Street Heat]]. When Megatron fell in his duel against [[Leader-1 (GoBots)|Leader-1]], Soundwave, loyal as ever, carried him to safety. After history blipped again, Soundwave was replaced by [[Doctor Go|Dr. Go]] and [[gbwiki:Warpath|Warpath]] in the combined Decepticon-Renegade force. Thus aboard Astrotrain, it was Dr. Go who mocked [[gbwiki:Tic Tac|Tic Tac]]'s declaration of leadership, neutralized the gestalt [[Puzzler]], and was tackled by [[gbwiki:Snoop|Snoop]]. Later, after Galvatron killed the upstart [[Zero]], Warpath was asked by [[gbwiki:Clutch|Clutch]] what the new arrival called himself. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}

==''Deviations''==
In an alternate universe where Megatron died at Autobot City, Soundwave was one of the many Decepticons who were forced to retreat aboard Astrotrain.
Back on Cybertron, Soundwave was present to witness Starscream’s coronation. The ceremony was interrupted by Unicron, who chose to reformat Starscream into his new servant “Megascream.” As part of Starscream's bargain, Soundwave was one of the warriors who received enhancements.

During Unicron’s final attack on Cybertron, Soundwave accompanied Megascream when the Decepticon leader attacked Optimus, and merged with Megascream to form a massive combiner. Soundwave was presumably killed when Hot Rod opened the Matrix shortly afterwards. {{storylink|Transformers: Deviations|Deviations}}

==Notes==
[[File:SoundwaveButtonUD3.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"When I think about you, I touch myself."]]
*The G1 cartoon almost always depicted him as having to press all his own controls to eject minions or perform other functions, even though these are actually part of him. This resulted in many, many shots of Soundwave touching his crotch. What will the children think?
*According to the original script<ref>http://boltax.blogspot.com/2011/02/ron-friedman-auctions-scripts-part-3-of.html</ref> for "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]", "Sound Wave" transformed into "a LIGHT STANDARD - identical to the one that exists a short distance away, the perfect camouflage". So... yes, he really ''did'' turn into a lamppost on Cybertron.
*Soundwave's distinctive voice proved to be one of Generation 1's most memorable aspects. The {{w|Vocoder|highly processed voice}} (processed by [[Scott Brownlee]]) began with [[Frank Welker]] basically doing his "Dr. Claw" voice from ''{{w|Inspector Gadget}}''. Whether due to variations in the performance or the processing, the final result varied quite a bit across Soundwave's three seasons on the show. Occasionally, as in the episodes "[[Roll for It]]", "[[Carnage in C-Minor]]" and "[[Webworld]]", the processing was left out and Welker's actual voice can be heard. This Dr. Claw version of Soundwave's voice made a return when Welker reprised the [[Soundwave (ROTF)|role]] for ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'' as the processing was, again, left out.
*Similarly, he often emphasizes words at random, such as his well-known "RavAAAAAGE", or "LAAZABEEK". This may be a side effect of the voice doctoring in the cartoon.
*In the Mandarin dub from China, Soundwave had a glorious, operatic voice.
[[File:Soundwave fly.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Hey, wait for me!"]]
*The typically emotionally-barren Soundwave actually ''laughs'' on two separate occasions in the Generation 1 cartoon ("[[Quest for Survival]]" and "[[Auto-Bop]]"), while he is heard screaming only once ("[[Roll for It]]"). In ("[[Call of the Primitives]]") he is heard to groan in pain as Tornedron attacks the Decepticons as they pursue Trypticon.
*Soundwave has flown in his [[alternate mode|alt mode]] one time, in the episode "[[Masquerade]]." In [[Atlus]]'s ''[[The Transformers (PS2)|Transformers]]'' game, Soundwave can transform to tape deck mode and kind of bounces around to move in that form. No, really.
*In the Japanese dub of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]], as well as the supporting [[manga]], all of Soundwave's cassette forces which could talk referred to him as "Anikii" (兄貴い) or "Big Brother." This is a fairly common way to refer to others you admire and such in Japanese. It's also a term that gang members use toward older, more experienced members who aren't actual gang bosses. Take it as you will. Whatever it says about his relationship with them, it does give new meaning to the phrase "{{w|Big Brother (Nineteen Eighty-Four)|Big Brother is watching over you}}".
{{--}}

===Foreign names===
*''Czech:'' '''Kyber'''

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Legends Decepticons]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Spies]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

The Ultimate Weapon

2016-08-07T19:06:52Z

CommanderModesty: /* Continuity notes */

{{disambig2|the episode|the eponymous device|Ultimate Weapon}}
{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|series2=2010
|ep=84
|ep2=20
|prev2=The Quintesson Journal
|next2=The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)
|series3=''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (cartoon)|Transformers: Generation 2]]''
|ep3=23
|prev3=Ghost in the Machine (G1)
|next3=Fight or Flee (episode)
|image=G1 UltimateWeapon Oldlady.jpg
|caption=Rejected from Hell's Grannies.
|title="The Ultimate Weapon"
|production code=700-104
|airdate=[[November 10]], 1986
|written by=[[Arthur Byron Cover]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''While Galvatron threatens the Autobots with a vague and mysterious "ultimate weapon", First Aid leaves the Autobots.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:G1 UltimateWeapon civilunrest.jpg|left|upright=0.95|thumb|The stripes are to help them blend into the herd.]]

In the far-flung future of 2006, the [[Netherlands]] is the most violent nation on Earth. Bands of roving French street gangs throw grenades into windmills for no obvious reason. Unable to rely on the police, old ladies begin arming themselves in their gardens. Desperate, the police turn to the Autobots, who seek to stem the fighting. The [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]], after some harshing on the part of [[Hot Rod/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]], roll out to stop the violence. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] tries to calm Rodimus, saying he's just as good a commander as [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] was. Rodimus, however, feels that he will never live up to the legendary [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]]'s legacy. Who could?

Arriving in the city, the [[Decepticon]]s attack, and [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] is injured. [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] takes him to Metroplex to get repairs, while Galvatron attacks. Retreating, [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] taunts Rodimus with the threat of the [[Ultimate Weapon]]. At [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] breaks in and manages to steal Metroplex's [[transformation cog]]. First Aid tries to reason with Swindle, but the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] merely shoots the Autobot medic, then leaves. Amid a fleet of naval destroyers, [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] rises from the sea and eats a ship before destroying the rest. Galvatron tells Trypticon to hurry to Metroplex, but realizes when and when not to push the dinosaur. Swindle arrives and attempts to haggle for the cog. Galvatron offers him a limited-time deal: Hand over the cog, or see his life get ended.

[[File:G1 UltimateWeapon Defensorcatchestrain.jpg|right|upright=0.95|thumb|It's just a flesh wound—er, armor wound.]]

At Metroplex, First Aid is feeling guilty over his pacifism. While Rodimus maintains that he would never force First Aid to violate his beliefs, First Aid decides to leave to clear his head. Learning that Trypticon is coming, the Autobots roll out. Reaching a nearby city, Trypticon menaces a train, but [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] manages to save it, even with only one arm. The [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] move in to attack. [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] gets shot down, while [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] flies into Trypticon's stomach through his mouth, firing all the while. Injured, Trypticon is forced to retreat. However, it's only bought them time, as Metroplex is still the only one who can fight Trypticon, and he's locked in city mode. Even with the cog, First Aid is the only one who understands Metroplex's systems enough to fix him. [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] decides to track down his AWOL teammate.

[[File:G1 UltimateWeapon TrypticontacklesMetroplex.jpg|left|upright=0.95|thumb|City rivalry takes on a whole new meaning.]]

Rodimus and Magnus head for Trypticon's hiding place, with [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] posing as repairmen. [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]], nearly duped, realizes that the cars are Autobots due to the pollution-free fuel that they are using. Daniel is thrown off a cliff, but Magnus saves him. Rodimus and Magnus distract the Decepticons while Spike and Daniel steal Trypticon's cog. Returning to Metroplex, they install Trypticon's cog in Metroplex, while the Decepticons install Metroplex's cog in Trypticon. (It's easy to get lost, but just pay attention and it will make sense.) Convinced that he "can still smash", Trypticon heads for battle. Metroplex [[Transformation|transforms]] from [[Alternate mode|city mode]], but both cities are suffering problems.

[[File:G1 UltimateWeapon UltimateWeapon!.jpg|right|upright=0.95|thumb|Behold: the label gun of DOOM!]]

At a junkyard, First Aid is keeping [[NUL-A]], a junkyard robot, company while fixing abandoned refrigerators in an effort to think about something other than the Autobots. Hot Spot finds him and informs him of Metroplex's problem. Though still unsure of rejoining the Autobots, First Aid realizes that Metroplex's danger is more important. Meanwhile, Trypticon has gained the advantage and thrown Metroplex into a nearby lake. (Talk about irony.) Heading for Metroplex, First Aid manages to get inside and properly align the transformation cog, allowing Metroplex to transform fully. Metroplex throws Trypticon deeper into the lake, and the dinosaur sinks. Galvatron threatens to use the Ultimate Weapon, but Rodimus realizes that the weapon is a bluff. Out of options, Galvatron retreats. First Aid's faith in his work is restored, and Rodimus's confidence is emboldened, at least until the next time he has a crisis of faith.

{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (1)
*[[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] (2)
*[[Hot Rod/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] (3)
*[[Groove (G1)|Groove]] (4)
*[[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] (5)
*[[Blades (G1)|Blades]] (6)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (7)
*[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] (14)
*[[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]] (15)
*[[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] (16)
*[[Scamper]] (18)
*[[Slammer]] (19)
*[[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] (22)
*[[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (29)
*[[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] (30)
*[[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (31)
*[[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (32)
*[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (33)
|c2=
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (8)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (9)
*[[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (10)
*[[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] (11)
*[[Octane]] (12)
*[[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (13)
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (17)
*[[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] (20)
*[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (21)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (23)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] (24)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (25)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (26)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (27)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (28)
|c3=
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (34)
*[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] (35)
|c4=
*[[NUL-A]] (36)
}}

==Quotes==
'''First Aid''': I'm taking him back to Metroplex for emergency repairs! 
'''Galvatron''': Better get ''used'' to the trip, Autobot. 
'''Rodimus''': Why don't you get used to ''losing'', Galvatron? It's all you ever do!
:—Rodimus Prime hits the Decepticons where it hurts: in the war record.

"Hey! Wait a second! Who are you? Where'd you come from? How'd you get in?!?" 
''[Swindle shoots the floor from under Scamper and Slammer, causing the Autobots to crash]'' 
"No time to answer stupid questions!"
:—'''Scamper''', the world's worst security guard, is blasted by '''Swindle'''.

[[File:UltimateWeapon FirstAid Swindle.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
"I heard you were a pacifist, but I don't believe there's a Transformer who won't fight for his life!" 
"I don't believe in fighting. I'm a medic, not a warrior." 
"Then you'll ''die'' for your beliefs!"
:—'''Swindle''' taunts '''First Aid'''.

[[File:Ultimate Weapon Trypticon hungry.JPG|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Never play Battleship with Trypticon]]

'''Trypticon''': Best humans can do? 
''[Trypticon tosses battleship halves at attacking ships]'' 
'''Galvatron''': Come, Trypticon, stop trifling with that! Metroplex awaits. 
'''Trypticon''': Trypticon hungry!
:—Trypticon finds that naval destroyers taste great ''and'' are less filling.

"Crush the human toy! Destroy it! ....Crush Aerialbots!! ...Grrr - raugh - arrg -- stand still so Trypticon can crush!!"
:—'''Trypticon''' sees the world in simple terms.

''[Spike runs into Cyclonus]'' 
'''Cyclonus:''' ''Humans...'' 
'''Spike:''' Uh, everything's fine in there. Uh, the problem must be somewhere else. 
'''Cyclonus:''' Then don't dawdle, human. Trypticon must be repaired at once... for the greater glory of Galvatron! 
'''Spike:''' You got it, you got it... sheesh, I ain't ever worked for such a bunch of grumpy employers.
:— A rather clueless Cyclonus lets Spike and Daniel get away with Trypticon's transformation cog.

"Hey, keep it down! This is a residential area!" 
"Trypticon turn Metroplex into slum!"
:—'''Metroplex''' and '''Trypticon''' discuss urban renewal in a whole new way.

'''Galvatron''': I still have my ultimate weapon, Rodimus! Surrender now, or I'll unleash its force upon you all! 
'''Rodimus Prime''': ''[to Ultra Magnus]'' You know, I think I've finally started to wise up. If such a weapon existed, he'd have used it a long time ago! 
'''Galvatron''': I tell you for the last time, Rodimus. Surrender, or there won't be an Earth left to protect! Surrender! This is your last chance, or— 
'''Rodimus Prime''': You're bluffing, Galvatron. 
'''Galvatron''': I tell you this is the end! 
'''Rodimus Prime:''' You're right. It is, because I used the real 'ultimate weapon'...my ''mind''! 
'''Galvatron''': Stay back! 
''[Rodimus Prime continues walking towards Galvatron]'' 
'''Galvatron''': I said stay back! 
''[Rodimus Prime continues walking; Galvatron throws the "ultimate weapon" control device on the ground]'' 
'''Galvatron''': Aarh! There will be another day, Rodimus! 
''[Galvatron retreats]'' 
'''Rodimus Prime''': And we'll be ready.
:—Galvatron's less-than-impressive bluff is called by Rodimus Prime.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical glitches===
Despite a lot of little flubs, this is one of the better-looking episodes of the series, particularly among all the AKOM crap surrounding it:
[[File:UltimateWeapon-Rodimuspoint.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Missing line on his forehead, right. And we get art like this in return? Yeah, we'll take it.]]
*In the opening shot, the Netherlands looks a lot like Miami Beach, complete with palm trees.
*The guns carried by the rebels disappear when they run up to the windmill and throw their grenades, and reappear as they run away.
*[[Nightmare Planet|Once again]], Rodimus is missing the line on his head crest in many shots.
*The laser beam the old woman fires from her pistol is red, but the laser beam that actually hits the car tires is blue.
*Coloring errors:
**"And in time you'll realize you're every bit as good..." The central spine of Rodimus's spoiler is light gray; it should be orange.
**When Blades flies ahead and gets shot down by the Decepticons, the front part of his [[Alternate mode|altmode]] is colored white instead of the usual red.
**First Aid's amublance mode is entirely white as he carries Blades toward Metroplex; at very least, he should have red text reading EMERGENCY on his sides.
**"Can you transform, Blades?" - First Aid's visor flashes white several times.
**As Defensor forms, his feet are colored Groove-gold and Streetwise-light gray, rather than the correct black.
**As the Decepticons retreat, Galvatron's shoulders are missing the red squares on top.
**As Rodimus talks to Magnus about needing First Aid back, his Autobot logo's "eyes" are red.
**Spike's eyebrows are brown in this episode. They were black in "Nightmare Planet."
**"I don't believe you" - Vortex's blades are gray instead of black.
**When Spike and Daniel run into Cyclonus, he's missing the orange rectangle on his chest. It reappears two shots later. He's also "clean shaven"; when he notices Trypticon's missing cog, he's got the purple chin again.
**When Hot Spot is trying to convince First Aid to come back into the Autobots, the visible wheels on First Aid are colored as white, not black.
**Metroplex's face is briefly colored black as he and Trypticon wrestle.
**First Aid's visor is colored black as he finishes modifying Metroplex's new cog.
**"Sometimes it just takes a while to realize" - Rodimus' spoiler is burgundy in the middle instead of orange.
*When Galvatron transforms after shooting Blades, his cannon mode seems awfully thin, and he's missing his Decepticon logo.
*In the first pan over the massed Decepticons, Predaking's face isn't really drawn in, making it look like his helmet sank into his shoulders and took his face with it.
*When Ultra Magnus orders Steeljaw and Ramhorn to attack, he wields a completely different gun than the one he normally uses. His normal gun reappears in subsequent shots.
*Ramhorn has [[José Delbo|little eyeballs]].
[[File:G1 UltimateWeapon HotSpotStreetwise covering FirstAid.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Hot Spot's having such a good time he didn't even realize that the humans and the building have been utterly obliterated.]]
*Hot Spot is shown kneeling by a building to shelter some humans with his hand. When First Aid drives off a moment later, he's still kneeling and holding out his hand, but the building and the people are missing.
*Metroplex actually opens his outer wall ''before'' he's asked to by First Aid. First Aid is also drawn at toy scale relative to Metroplex; he should really be much smaller than shown.
*Appearing/disappearing 'bots:
**Predaking shows up for two shots at the start of the battle, and is not seen again.
**Steeljaw and Ramhorn appear out of nowhere, bash Galvatron, and are never seen again.
**In the wide overhead shot of the battle, Octane has also vanished; when the Decepticons retreat, only Galvatron, Cyclonus, Vortex and Brawl are shown.
*"Give it up, Galvatron" - Rodimus and Magnus are ''huge'' compared to the ruined buildings in front of them, 50 or 75 feet tall or more.
[[File:G1HotSpotHeads.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*Mouthing off:
**When Galvatron responds to Rodimus Prime's question during the village battle, Cyclonus's mouth is missing.
**When First Aid declares he's leaving the Autobots, Hot Spot is depicted as actually ''having'' a mouth in several shots, including close-ups and speaking lines, despite the fact that normally he is shown with an Optimus Prime-like moving [[mouthplate]] - including earlier in this very episode!
**When First Aid declares his return to the Autobots, Rodimus' mouth is missing, too, but reappears when he starts talking.
*"So, Galvatron has an ultimate weapon..." Rodimus's spoiler is missing.
*Swindle's gun uses the Galvatron cannon sound effect, rather than the standard Decepticon laser noise.
*As Swindle rejoins the Decepticons, Blitzwing's helmet is purple instead of yellow.
*The basket of oranges the farmer drops disappears in subsequent shots.
*As Trypticon stomps across the landscape, Galvatron flies along side him. But in two shots, Galvatron's forward motion stops and starts in perfect synch with Trypticon's steps!
*Trypticon's line "Nothing can stand in my way" is slightly cut off by the scene transition.
*Trypticon grabs a monorail and tosses it in the air, yet an interior shot shows the people sitting perfectly calmly!
[[File:UltimateWeapon Netherlands.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*The Autobots are huge compared to the scenery around them as they drive up to Trypticon; they're also not driving on the road (probably because it's too small to hold them!)
*Thanks to Roger C. Carmel's inconsistency with his characters, we have a Motormaster with a weak voice that actually sounds a lot like Regis Cordic's Menasor, making it difficult to compare.
*As Silverbolt exits Trypticon's mouth, he's coloured like Air Raid.
*As the separated Protectobots observe the wounded Trypticon, First Aid is among their number.
**Then Defensor lands and separates into the Protectobots!
*Flying Autobots:
**Defensor drops into the shot as though he was flying around somewhere.
**Magnus gets a rocket sound effect as he leaps up the cliff.
[[File:UltimateWeapon Vortex interrogation.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Vortex has [[light-piping]]!]]
*Daniel's distinctive scream is recycled three times in a row - as he reacts in fear, as Vortex shakes him, and as he plummets off a cliff - and a ''fourth'' time after the commercial break.
*Daniel is unusually tall and buff in this episode. When he and Spike are involved in the clandestine operation to steal Trypticon's transformation cog, he is almost as tall as his dad.
*When Spike tells Daniel that they'll be just in time for their rendezvous, Spike is not carrying the toolbox containing the transforming cog. It reappears when they exit Trypticon.
*"Man, I hope I'm doing the right thing" - Rodimus's face his small and squished, relative to his helmet. It regains its normal proportions as he turns to look at Magnus.
*Just before a scene transition, Metroplex spontaneously transforms into base mode, then after a flash of light he's suddenly in robot mode again as Trypticon kicks him.
*Trypticon completely misses Metroplex when they fire on each other, yet Metroplex falls down.
*Hot Spot's transformation is completely backwards as he and First Aid drive up during the citybots' battle - his cab should become his arms, but instead he sprouts arms from the back of his vehicle form, while his cab morphs into his legs.
*After the cog is modified, Metroplex is mouthing something but Trypticon is talking.
*When Galvatron declares that while Trypticon may have been defeated he still lives, his laser cannon is enormous (and again, his shoulders are missing the red squares...until Rodimus is next to him).
*As Rodimus Prime tells Ultra Magnus that he has finally wised-up to Galvatron's bluff, Ultra Magnus' left shoulder overlaps Rodimus' rear wing, even though Rodimus is standing closest to the viewer and should instead overlap Ultra Magnus.
*In one shot of Galvatron, the "Ultimate Weapon" remote is missing (we see only Galvatron's closed fist). In another, the remote is blue instead of grey.
*"I guess I do belong with the Autobots" - Rodimus's mouth and chin lines are missing; they appear as he starts to speak.

===Continuity errors===
*During their initial assault in the village, [[Octane]] is seen among the firing Decepticons in several shots, even though Galvatron had placed a price on his head in "[[Starscream's Ghost]]". (Curiously, Onslaught is missing, even though the other Combaticons are present; it's tempting to speculate that the wrong character was called for by the script or pulled by the animators.)
*[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] is hovering next to Galvatron during Trypticon's attack on the naval fleet, even though he was banished from the Decepticons following "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]". He put in a similarly short appearance in "[[Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee]]". It's unclear if any of these appearances were scripted, or if Octane and Blitzwing were simply chosen by the animation team as crowd filler.
*When the monorail train was endangered during Trypticon's initial rampage, wouldn't it have been a hell of a lot easier to have a ''two-armed'' [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] catch it rather than a ''one-armed'' Defensor?
*Vortex almost finds out about Spike and Daniel's plan merely from the clean Autobot fumes of Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus' exhaust, but does not seem to notice that the highly distinctive vehicles are quite obviously the two Autobot leaders (complete with Autobot insignia) nor the fact that Daniel is way too young to drive.
*On the same note, you'd think that Galvatron's [[Cyclonus (G1)|second-in-command]] would know who the [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|two]] [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|humans]] that are always with the Autobots are. He even held Daniel hostage, and communicated directly with Spike, back in "[[Surprise Party]]"!
*Considering how often Decepticons tend to attack Autobot bases, isn't positioning Metroplex near a human residential area a ''really'' bad idea?
*As he watches Trypticon sink, Metroplex has a Dinobot moment, announcing: "TRYPTICON VANQUISHED." Come on, 'plex, you had verbs just like one scene ago.

===Continuity notes===
*The interior of Metroplex looks ''really'' dilapidated. Every shot when the Autobots are inside shows broken pipes, cracks in the walls and other defects. It looked fine [[Starscream's Ghost|the last time we saw him]].
*Galvatron actually seems to have his crazy under control in this episode.
*It is unclear what species of robot [[NUL-A]] is, as his speech and mannerisms clearly demonstrate him to be sentient rather than some kind of human-built drone. Somehow, he knows who [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] is.
*[[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] seems ''really'' upbeat in this episode, for some reason.
*Much like the Autobots in "[[Masquerade]]", Magnus and Rodimus employ some kind of camouflage coloration that just switches right off when they're done with it.
*How the mighty have fallen part 1: This episode suggests that the Decepticons operating on Earth now hire legitimate human workers for repair duties, instead of just enslaving them as they would have done in the past.
*How the mighty have fallen part 2: the once-formidable Menasor [[To sell toys|is defeated by a couple of blasts]] from the Autobots. Later, the entire Stunticon team are soundly and totally defeated (off-camera) by Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus, despite previous outings depicting them as a serious threat to the Autobots.
*Metroplex's voice is inconsistent in this episode. He goes from speaking "normally" ("Keep it Down! This is a residential area!) to talking more like a "primitive" at the end ("Trypticon vanquished").

===Real world references===
[[File:UltimateWeapon Dutch village.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*The episode is set in the Netherlands; though not named, distinctive features include several windmills in the opening sequence, a lot of (trashed and burning) traditional Dutch half-timbered houses, and a cluster of Modernist A-frame vacation cabins (stomped by Trypticon).
*Nul-A appears to be a New York Yankees fan, wearing a brown baseball cap bearing their logo.
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
**''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' engine burst as the Aerialbots launch.
**[[X-wing Fighter|X-Wing]] diving whine and TIE roar as Magnus jumps after Daniel.
**''Falcon'' engine burst as Magnus leaps up the cliff.

===Trivia===
[[File:Ultimateweapon metroplex hefts trypticon.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Bonus image! We're just throwing you a bone, here, folks. Sure, it may seem like it came from out of left field, but there's no harm in tossing it out there, right?]]
*The animation quality takes a particular leap forward when Trypticon attacks Metroplex. In fact, this is the only non-AKOM episode featuring Metroplex vs. Tryticon, and thus the only one that doesn't make them look cartoonishly awkward.

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das Transformationsmodul'''" ("The Transformation-Modul")
:*''Title (Generation 2 dub):'' "'''Der große Bluff'''" ("The big Bluff")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' 究極の武器 (''Kyūkyoku no Buki'', "The Ultimate Weapon")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 24]], [[1987]]

'''Latin American'''
:*''Title:'' "'''El Arma Mortífera'''" ("The Deadly Weapon")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Russian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Glavnoye orujiye'''" (''Главное оружие'', "The Main Weapon")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1989 — ''Transformers'' — Carnage in C Minor / The Ultimate Weapon ([[Tempo Video]])
;[[Wikipedia:LaserDisc|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]] 2004 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 2 & Season 4 ([[The Original Transformers|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 5: Series 3.2 ([[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]] 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.com/cartoon-dossier/season-3/synopses/700-104.html Episode Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ultimate Weapon}}
[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]
[[Category:Generation 2 episodes]]

Starscream's Ghost

2016-08-07T18:36:56Z

CommanderModesty: /* Quotes */

{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|series2=2010
|ep=75
|ep2=7
|prev2=Thief in the Night
|next2=Dark Awakening (episode)
|image=G1 StarscreamsGhost AHHHHH.jpg
|caption="Ebenezer Ooooctaaaane! You must pick a mode and stick to it!"
|title="Starscream's Ghost"
|production code=700-95
|airdate=[[October 2]], 1986
|written by=[[Megeen McLaughlin]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Unknown Generation 1 animation studios|Unknown]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''On the run from the Decepticons, Octane seeks asylum on Cybertron, where he encounters the ghost of Starscream, who is still scheming in death.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:G1 StarscreamsGhost SpaceDynamite.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Clearly, Homeland Security is earning its budget.]]

Exiled from the Decepticons, the former Decepticon Octane now makes a living freighting scrap metal from planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] for the Autobots. However, his past catches up to him when a vengeful Galvatron hires an alien bounty hunter, the [[Skuxxoid]], to assassinate Octane. Just after he leaves Junk, Octane's cargo ship is destroyed by a bomb planted by his would-be assassin. Fortunately Octane is merely blown away from the explosion and is rescued by a passing transport ship.

[[File:G1 StarscreamsGhost Combaticonstalkers.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Who would have thought [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] could keep quiet?]]

Enraged by this failure, Galvatron dispatches the Combaticons to track and eliminate the exile. Fearing for his life, Octane takes refuge with the Autobots on [[Earth]] and seeks the advice of his friend Sandstorm, who at first doesn't believe him. When they are ambushed and the Combaticons concentrate on Octane while leaving Sandstorm alone, however, the Autobot is convinced and the pair escape Earth in an Autobot shuttle.

[[File:G1 StarscreamsGhost Diningout.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"Why'd you take me here, man? This bar has the ugliest hookers in space."]]

The two [[Triple Changer]]s stop and refuel at a neutral alien space station and use the time to discuss the situation at the adjoining diner. The Skuxxoid, having either tracked them there or anticipated their arrival, poses as the host and ushers them into the diner. As they enter, some seated customers get in a fight, knocking their own table over. Octane and Sandstorm nonchalantly right the table and have a seat, and soon a waitress delivers a plate of [[energon]] appetizers. As they eat, Octane tells Sandstorm that Galvatron wants him dead because he had stolen [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] and tried to become the most powerful Decepticon. Meanwhile, the Skuxxoid tries several times to kill Octane but is thwarted by a farcical series of mishaps. In frustration, he finally charges at his target from behind and jumps onto his shoulders, pounding his head repeatedly to little effect. Octane grabs the alien and demands to know who hired him. When the Skuxxoid says he was hired by Galvatron, Octane decides to go deeper into hiding.

[[File:StarscreamCryptMarker1.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Octane's a leg man.]]

He is followed to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] by Cyclonus, Scourge, and the Sweeps. When the attacking Decepticons pin him down, he seeks shelter in what appears to be a large drainage pipe, but turns out to be the secret entrance to a [[Decepticon Crypt]]. While there, he encounters the [[ghost]] of [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], who conspires with Octane to take control of Cyclonus. Successful, Starscream then proceeds to "capture" the runaway Octane. However, they are pursued by the Autobots, intent on protecting Octane. Rodimus confronts "Cyclonus", and when he hears his voice, he recognizes him as Starscream instantly. Starscream promises Rodimus a "bonus" if he lets them go, and Rodimus agrees, to the other Autobots' confusion.

When "Cyclonus" brings the cowering Octane back to [[Chaar]], Galvatron is initially furious that the exile was not destroyed. But "Cyclonus" convinces Galvatron that the traitor should be interrogated for any information he might have learned amongst the Autobots. "Cyclonus" puts on a show of torturing Octane, who eventually relents and volunteers a "secret". The two conspirators take Galvatron to a location where Rodimus Prime appears to be alone and vulnerable. Galvatron attacks him and a short battle ensues, but he pauses when he realizes that several more Autobots have come out of hiding and all have their guns trained on him. Rodimus Prime waves to "Cyclonus" and Octane as they abandon Galvatron and fly away.

[[File:G1 StarscreamsGhost Cyclonuswrecked.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"DAMN YOU, TACO BELL!"]]

"Cyclonus" and Octane return to Chaar and lounge on Galvatron's throne, gloating about their successful ambush. But their mood is quickly spoiled by the appearance of a battered and vengeful Galvatron. Starscream reveals his identity to the Decepticon leader, who fires at him just as he exits Cyclonus's body. The gut-shot Cyclonus mumbles that the last thing he remembers is being in the Decepticon Crypt. Galvatron orders Cyclonus to be repaired, and Scourge acknowledges the command... then giggles with Starscream's voice as an image of the ghost becomes slightly visible over him.
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|c1=
*[[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] (5)
*[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] (15)
*[[Hot Rod/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] (16)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (17)
*[[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (18)
*[[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] (19)
*[[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (20)
*[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (21)
*[[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (22)
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (23)
|c2=
*[[Octane]] (2)
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (3)
*[[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (6)
*[[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (7)
*[[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (8)
*[[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (11)
*[[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] (12)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (13)
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (14)
|h3=Others|c3=
*[[Junkyard (G1)|Junkyard]] (1)
*[[Skuxxoid]] (4)
*Alien serving wench (9)
*Alien tentacle guy (10)
}}

==Quotes==
"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Head on up and moooove 'em out! Come on down to Cybertron! A day without scrap metal is like a breakfast without sunshine!"
:—'''Junkyard'''

"Ehh, I'd probably be a jerk too if I was made of junk."
:—'''Octane''', apparently having forgotten that he ''is'' a jerk.

[''Taps Octane on the shoulder''.]"It's your old buddy, ''Starscream''! AHAHAHAHAHA!" 
"Just a shadow of my former self. Don't you think?" 
"STAAARRRRRSCCCRRREEEEAAAAAMMMM!"
:—'''Ghost Starscream''' and '''Octane''' have a less than warm reunion.

[''Autobots shoot at Decepticons in air''.] 
"They've spotted us!" 
[''muttering''] "Whatever would we do without a powerful intellectual like ''you'' along?" 
:—'''Octane''' to '''Cyclonus/Starscream''' who is thrilled by the remark.

"Okay, that's it!" 
"I'm still hungry!" 
"Oh, this? I picked it up on Mars." 
"Ahaha, you mean without a paddle?" 
"Well, I ''thought'' the water was safe to drink." 
"Is he with us? We gotta get movin'!" 
:—A group of diner patrons have the most nonsensical conversation ever while unintentionally thwarting one of the Skuxxoid's assassination attempts.

[[File:Starscream'sGhost Skuxxoid.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
"Take THAT, you overgrown tin can, and that, and THAT, and—I didn't WANT this job, I HAD to take it! I've got a wife and kids! I HAVE to deactivate you! Look, a guy's got to make a living, don't you understand?!"
:—'''Skuxxoid''', easy lizard, we don't want to hear your life story!

"He must be hiding in the crypt." 
"Good. Then we won't have to take him anywhere when we're done."
:—'''Cyclonus''' and '''Scourge'''

[[File:StarscreamsGhost Sweeps.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
'''Scourge''': You! Go down that shaft! 
'''Whining Sweep''': How come I gotta do the dirty work? 
'''Scourge''': You! See if the traitor is hiding down there! 
'''Cowardly Sweep''': No way! If you're so fired up to know what's going on, ''you'' go down there! 
'''Scourge''': YOU LEAD! 
'''Politely Declining Sweep''': I wouldn't want anyone thinking that I question you as a leader, but sorry. 
'''Cyclonus''': ''I'' question your leadership skills, Scourge. The last one in there will face ''me''! 
''[The Sweeps jump into the shaft.]'' 
'''Cyclonus''': You have much to learn. 
'''Scourge''': Yes, that is true. 
'''Cyclonus''': Now, ''DIVE!'' 
:—'''Scourge''', the Sweeps and '''Cyclonus''' debate entering the Crypt.

"Come out and die like a warrior! How dare you disgrace your ancestors by cowering like a pocket computer! He's worse than the Sweeps! Come out and face your fate like the powerful Decepticon you once were, not like the miserable excuse for a Decepticon you have become!"
:—'''Cyclonus''', after spotting Octane hiding behind somebody's marker

"Yes...we will interrogate him. Even if it's not informative, it will be ''fun''!"
:—'''Galvatron'''

"I'll never tell! (Hey, you got pretty close that time.)" 
''[Snicker]'' "You'd better before they discover your bad acting!"
:—'''Octane''' and '''Cyclonus/Starscream''' during their faux interrogation

==Notes==
===Animation or technical glitches===
[[File:Cyclonus alt.jpg|thumb|right|200px|We could also criticize the all-over-the-map vocal performance of Roger Carmel, but he actually sounds pretty awesome.]]
*Though this isn't an AKOM episode, it does make consistent use of Rodimus Prime's outdated color model, giving him red shoulder indentations and white windscreen hip-details, like all AKOM episodes do.
*Everybody gets big sexy lips - first Octane, then Sandstorm, then Cyclonus as the episode rolls on.
*Cyclonus appears in his original discarded character model for the entire episode, save for one shot when he is "interrogating" Octane.
*Cyclonus has ''huge'' eyebrows in the crypt scenes. His eyebrows and chin are also colored dark purple, rather than the normal pale purple.
*Cyclonus and Rodimus both have colored mouths, to match their helmets: purple and red, respectively.
*When first seen, [[Junkyard (G1)|Junkyard]] is drawn in [[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]]'s colors.
*When Galvatron is shown giving orders to have Octane destroyed, he's missing from the shot - so the Skuxxoid is quaking in fear before an empty throne!
*As the Skuxxoid approaches the scrap conveyor, robots colored like Ultra Magnus, Kup and Sandstorm are shown where Octane and the Junkion should be.
*The thruster-glows on Octane's ship disappear after takeoff. Technically correct, since the ship shouldn't need to keep thrusting once it's in space, but not consistent with the way ships usually operate in the cartoon.
*Octane's robot pinup girl appears on a small monitor that wasn't there when we saw the full console a couple of shots earlier.
*While Octane is walking with Sandstorm outside Autobot City, he trips and falls over a rock. The rock actually jumps in front of Octane's foot causing him to fall down. Can't this guy catch a break?
*Coloring errors:
**Blast Off's forehead is colored as though it were an optic visor.
**Brawl's mouthplate is colored gray instead of brown as the smoke engulfs him.
**Starscream's back cowling is colored cockpit yellow as he walks up behind Cyclonus.
**Silverbolt has a red cockpit as he dives to attack.
**Rodimus's helmet rims are orange instead of red as he orders the Decepticons to be encircled.
**The center of Rodimus's spoiler is yellow instead of orange during and after the fight with Galvatron.
*Sudden starry night:
**After Octane gets up and the pair begin to walk again, the background is of deep space, even though they are on Earth.
*Wrong lasers:
**The standard Autobot and Decepticon lasers sound effects are MIA for this episode. The Combaticon lasers use one sound effect; Cyclonus and the Sweeps - and later the Autobots - use a variety of old science fiction stock sound effects for their weapons, some of which were standard sound effects on ''Challenge of the Go-Bots''. (See also Real World References, below.)
*Autobot City's wall is very, very low—low enough for Octane and Sandstorm merely to jump over when the Combaticons fire upon them.
*The commercial bumpers have a few extra seconds' worth of music in this episode.
*The Skuxxoid's laser pistol has a sight as he arms it, but is sightless when he aims it at Octane. The sight reappears in subsequent shots.
*Octane reacts to the attacking Decepticons long before they actually emerge from the smoke cloud.
*When the Decepticons attack Octane on Cybertron, some of the laser fire coming towards Octane is coloured gold, like Autobot lasers.
*After smacking Scourge, Cyclonus returns to jet mode with no transformation sound.
*The back of Starscream's legs are colored light blue as he creeps up behind Cyclonus in the Crypt.
*Cyclonus destroys the bars in the grate, causing Octane to fall down the chute. Later, as Cyclonus and the Sweeps approach the damaged grate, its bars are fully intact.
*The fleeing Decepticons simply appear out of thin air on the monitor, while the background behind them remains unchanged.
*A layering error has the Aerialbots shooting at Sandstorm!
[[File:G1 StarscreamsGhost BackwardsKup.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|"Kup, there's something wrong with your optics!" "They're fine, Magnus; [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] fixed 'em yesterday." "...Ratchet's dead, Kup."]]
*Silverbolt is drawn with four engines when the Aerialbots go after Cyclonus/Starscream's group.
*When the Autobots counter-attack in an attempt to rescue Octane, Kup is shown arriving at the battle driving ''backwards''.
*One of the Sweeps just hangs around behind Rodimus while Starscream and Octane take off.
*During Octane's "interrogation," Octane mouths Starscream's laugh.
*When Octane and the possessed Cyclonus are sitting around Decepticon headquarters discussing Galvatron's fate, Octane is shown mouthing Starscream's question, and Cyclonus is drawn mouthing Octane's response.

===Continuity errors===
*For some reason Autobot City appears to be deserted, as nobody comes out to investigate the battle with the Combaticons.
*The "energon" served on board the alien space station/space trucker rest stop is drawn and coloured as small orange wedges, rather than the traditional glowing purple cubes.

*Humanizing:
**The Combaticons cough when they're surrounded by Sandstorm's dust clouds... even though none of them have mouths!
**As Octane stuffs his face with "energon", he makes repeated "gulping" sound effects.
*The Autobot freighter leaves a cloud of smoke... in space. (It suddenly appears when the Decepticons need to use it for cover.)
*As Octane wanders through the crypt, he looks at the statue of a generic robot and paraphrases Dirge's catchphrase about "Death comes to he who crosses me" (a cut line from ''The Transformers: The Movie'', actually used in "Five Faces of Darkness"). Only problem is, Dirge isn't dead! Despite being eaten by Unicron in the movie, and blowing up in "Five Faces", he shows up in several subsequent episodes. Even if he ''were'' killed in one or the other of these instances, when would the Decepticons have had a chance to build a memorial to him, as they didn't control Cybertron after the Unicron battle? And why doesn't the statue look like him in the first place?
*A Sweep comments that Cyclonus "sounds like Starscream", to which Scourge replies "No need to be insulting." Starscream mutters "You will suffer for that!" in response... but it's several shots and lines of dialog afterwards, breaking the flow and making it seem like he's addressing Sandstorm, who he just shot down. It's even more unfortunate since this one line seems to be setting up Starscream's later possession of Scourge - at the end of this episode and again in its sequel.
*A script glitch has Galvatron asking "You mean WHAT, old friend?" and Starscream replying "Who do you think I mean?" In keeping with the previous lines, Galvatron should have asked ''who''.

===Continuity notes===
[[File:ThundercrackerCryptMarker1.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*This episode is the first appearance of Starscream's ghost. He'll reappear in the follow-up episode "[[Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine]]" (though the details don't quite line up).
**Outside the original cartoon, ghost Starscream would also appear in [[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 4|the 4th issue]] of [[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers|the 2010 manga]] and in the ''[[Transformers: The Battle of the Star Gate|The Battle of the Star Gate]]'' manga, and a decade later in the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' episode "[[Possession]]". He's also put in more recent appearances in issues of the ''[[Information Administration Teletraan 15 Go! Go!]]'' comics, [[Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)|''Kiss Players'' radio drama]], and the Facebook blog "[[Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur]]".
**The ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' episode "[[Bad Spark]]" would explain Starscream's "ghost": the [[spark]] of Starscream possesses a mutation which has rendered it indestructible.
*The creature that eats the Skuxxoid's gun paraphrases an old favorite line of the Insecticons: "A little heavy on the photons."
*The Decepticons have a dark sense of humor. Starscream's marker in the Decepticon crypt consists of nothing but his boots, in apparent "homage" to his death in ''The Transformers: The Movie'', wherein his legs were the only part of him not seen crumbling to ash.
**Other markers in the crypt include [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], and, apparently, [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (or [[Prophetic dead Decepticon|someone with similar mannerisms]].)
**For some reason, the Decepticon Crypt is accessed via a drainage grate.
*The freighter Octane uses at the start of this episode is apparently a common Autobot design, as one is seen entering Cybertron as the Decepticons make their second attempt on Octane's life.
[[File:G1 StarscreamsGhost PRON.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Grab your dipstick and double-click...]]
*The [[Cheesecake robot|female robot]] Octane ogles on his internets looks surprisingly like [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]...but with much larger...shoulder pads. Yes.
*This is the first and the last time Cyclonus is seen serving as Galvatron's personal transport after Transformers the Movie
*Powers and gadgets:
**When Octane and Sandstorm transform and go off joyriding, for some reason Sandstorm constantly emits huge clouds of exhaust fumes. It's presumably a skewed interpretation of his bio ability to whip up "blinding sandstorms", which he actually uses correctly to evade the Combaticons.
**Sandstorm's cockpit is evidently large enough for Octane to operate him in robot mode. (In animation terms, Octane basically shrinks to fit inside him.)
*In the year 2006, the Skuxxoid uses the high-tech explosive dynamite.

===Real world references===
*The unnamed Junkion offers up a few pop culture references:
**"Head 'em up and move 'em out" is a common reference to cowboy culture; it was made particularly famous as part of the theme to ''Rawhide''.
**"A day without scrapmetal is like a breakfast without sunshine" plays on an old ad campaign for orange juice: "Breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sunshine."
**"Best to you each morning" is likewise an old Kellogg's cereal ad slogan.
*The famous ''Star Trek'' door slide sound can be heard as the hatch on Octane's ship closes behind him.
*Sandstorm borrows the same helicopter blade sound effect used for Cop-Tur in ''Challenge of the Go-Bots''.
**Likewise, Cyclonus and the Sweeps use the two most common Go-Bot laser sound effects as they first open fire on Octane.
*''Star Wars'' sound effects:
**When Cyclonus/Starscream on Sandstorm (and again when Galvatron blasts Cyclonus), the laser sound is sampled from ''[[Star Wars (film)|The Empire Strikes Back]],'' when C-3PO is shot to pieces by a Stormtrooper. The sample fails to cut out 3PO's cry of "No!", and his voice can heard in this episode and each time the sound effect is used again, in "[[Only Human]]" and "[[The Rebirth, Part 1]]".<ref>[http://zobovor.tripod.com/starscreams_ghost_bloopers.html Starscream's Ghost bloopers] on Zobovor's site.</ref>

===Trivia===
[[File:TVMagazineStarscreamsGhost1.jpg|right|upright=0.85|thumb|Hey, remember that episode where Blitzwing fought Starscream's ghost? That was awesome.]]
*Several clues indicate that this episode was originally scripted to feature [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] in Octane's role, following on from the conclusion of "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]", in which Blitzwing was banished from the Decepticons and offered a place among the Autobots by Rodimus Prime (though he declined):
**When Octane relates the reasons for his banishment, he quotes verbatim Galvatron's words to Blitzwing, that he would "never be welcome in the ranks of the Decepticons again".
**The events of "[[Thief in the Night]]" are used to provide a reason for Octane's own banishment, but when he recounts them in this episode, actor [[Beau Weaver]]'s lines sound noticeably rushed, as if they were being fitted into a pre-existing framework that did not originally contain them. Also, "Thief in the Night" was actually broadcast ''after'' this episode.
**Also, "Thief" didn't end with Galvatron and Octane on bad terms.
**A piece of artwork in Japan's ''[[TV Magazine]]'' shows Blitzwing being accosted by the specter of Starscream.
**When Octane first sees Starscream, he is paralyzed in terror halfway between truck and robot mode. Starscream even remarks that he needs to be "straightened up". This reflects Blitzwing's on-package [[bio]], which states that he "often gets stuck in mid-transformation."<ref>Blitzwing's on-package bio, [http://www.botchthecrab.com/archive/decoder.asp?CharName=Blitzwing&ImgURL=/archive/techspecs/decepticon/1985/ts_blitzwing.jpg scan at botchthecrab.com]</ref>
**Though Blitzwing's toy was still being sold at this point, Octane's was newer, which has always been [[to sell toys|a good enough reason]] for anything that happens in ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' media.
**Sandstorm refers to Octane as an 'older model', which Octane isn't happy with. While it could be Octane is just an older model, Blitzwing's toy was out for a year longer (it was last years model, not the current years) and was even introduced much earlier in the show (series 2, not series 3), the line would fit Blitzwing much better. Similarly, Starscream refers to Octane as "old friend", despite Octane not having appeared before Starscream's death.
*This episode's [[dialogue script]] ascribes all of Sandstorm's dialogue to [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]. While it's tempting to think that, like Octane, his character was consciously switched, this script seems to have been written up using the ''finished episode'', rather than the actual recording script, so it's probably just a transcription error.<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/38be154a237a9aa3?pli=1 Alt.toys.transformers post about script errors]</ref>
*Two of the alien patrons of the diner were originally for the episode "[[Chaos (episode)|Chaos]]", though due to script changes, they were not used until "Starscream's Ghost".
*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]].
*This episode has an especially humorous tone, with quippy dialogue and wacky events such as Octane tuning into robo-porn and the Skuxxoid clumsily failing to kill him multiple times.

===Foreign localization===

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Der Geist von Starscream'''" ("The Ghost of Starscream")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' スタースクリームの幽霊 (''Starscream no Yūrei'', "Starscream's Ghost")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 26]], [[1986]]

'''Russian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Prizrak Skandalista'''" (''Призрак Скандалиста'', "Starscream's Ghost")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1987 — ''Transformers'' — Starscream's Ghost / The Nightmare Planet / The Ghost in the Machine ([[St. Michael Video Library]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1991 — ''Transformers'' — Starscream's Ghost / Fight or Flee ([[Tempo Video]])
;[[Wikipedia:LaserDisc|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]] 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)

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.com/cartoon-dossier/season-3/synopses/700-95.html Episode Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle]

[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]

Cyclonus (G1)

2016-07-31T15:43:33Z

CommanderModesty:

{{factions|decepticon|unicron|wreckers}}
{{disambig3|Cyclonus}}{{suite}}
:''Cyclonus is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:CyclonusPioneerDVD1.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Darling one, read my words and hear my heart speak of a love soft and undying: a love that will be with you always.]]
Among the Decepticons, finding a genuinely loyal and competent [[second-in-command]] is a near impossibility. '''Cyclonus''' is the exception to that rule. Created by [[Unicron]], Cyclonus is a being whose loyalty to [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and the Decepticon cause is so intense as to exclude most other emotions and interests from his mind. He is dedicated to destruction in his leader's name.

He also has brains to back up that dedication, power to enforce Galvatron's will, and the initiative to form plans and get them done. Cyclonus could easily rule the Decepticons himself if he so desired, either as a power behind the throne or directly overthrowing his psychotic master. His responses to any suggestions that he do so? "All hail Galvatron!"

It's really amazing that he's so loyal, when one considers that he alternates with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] as Galvatron's personal punching bag. His [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]] partner is [[Nightstick (Cyclonus)|Nightstick]].

In some universes Cyclonus is a [[combiner]], but the details vary by universe. Sometimes he uses mind-control to force Autobots and Decepticons alike to combine with him to form [[Galvatronus]]. Other times he is possessed by Galvatron's ghost and can combine with others to form [[Grand Galvatron]].

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Roger C. Carmel]] (English), [[Jack Angel]] (English), [[Minoru Inaba]] (Japanese), [[Fumihiko Tachiki]] (Japanese, "The Rebirth")|[[Hans-Rainer Müller]] (German), [[Gerd Rigauer]] (German, ''The Movie'' TV dub), [[Willy Schäfer]] (German, ''Generation 2''), [[Carlos Agosti]] (Spanish)}}

In the year [[2005]], after an abortive attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], the evil [[Decepticon]]s found it necessary to jettison excess weight from their craft to make it back to their homeworld of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. The injured and dying Decepticons were chosen to be ejected into the void of space, including the commander, [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]], but when their bodies were recovered by the world-eater, [[Unicron]], they were reborn as deadly new warriors in the service of the recreated Megatron, now known as [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. Immediately following his creation, Cyclonus served as little more than Galvatron's personal ship and attack dog, carrying his leader to [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s coronation, into the battle in Autobot City and to the [[Junkion (planet)|planet of Junk]]. He was also involved in attacking and crippling the shuttle of [[Hot Rod/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] and [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] over [[Quintessa]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Cyclonus’s involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic mini-series “[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]],” the storybook “[[Transformers the Movie (Ladybird adaptation)|Transformers the Movie]]" and the "Special Edition The Transformers: The Movie extra page" of "[[Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe]]."}}

[[File:Cyclonus toon.jpg|left|thumb|An actually loyal soldier.]]
By [[2006]], Galvatron was believed dead and the Decepticons had retreated to the barren world of [[Chaar]]. Although Cyclonus and the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]]s' Unicronian physiology kept them in relatively good condition, the other Decepticons degenerated quickly in the absence of regular energon. Disgusted with how far the leaderless Decepticons had fallen as they eked out this miserable existence, Cyclonus resolved to locate Galvatron, daring even to enter Unicron’s deactivated, disembodied head. By replaying the planet-eater's memory banks, Cyclonus traced Galvatron to the world of [[Thrull]]. [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]'s accelerated sight peeled back light-years of space and confirmed their fallen leader's presence. Returning to Chaar, Cyclonus asked his fellow Decepticons to give of their meager energon supplies in support of a quest to retrieve and revive Galvatron. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

The Decepticons' need for a strong leader was driven home when two Autobots invaded Chaar, and the entire Decepticon army couldn't muster up enough energon or firepower to put up a decent fight. Cyclonus and the Sweeps made their way to Thrull after that to retrieve Galvatron. Unfortunately, once extricated from a pool of the planet's plasma-lava, Galvatron proved to have been driven insane from exposure to it and brutalized Cyclonus and the Sweeps before being talked down and returned to his position as leader. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} Despite his lunacy, Galvatron was effective enough to destroy an entire space platform for Earth's defense system. Cyclonus brought him back to Chaar, only to find the Decepticons were missing, having forged an alliance with the [[Quintesson]]s in their absence. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} With Galvatron's permission, the alliance continued, and the Decepticons and Quintessons launched an all-out assault on Cybertron and Earth both. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} The assault failed, and Cyclonus and the Decepticon were driven back to Chaar. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

[[File:Cyclonus jet.jpg|thumb|Never realized he'd sprung a leak.]]
As 2006 settled in, Cyclonus was captured by a [[Quintesson]] scientist for study, along with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]], [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and [[Marissa Faireborn]], but when the entire group was sucked through a [[black hole]] into a [[negative universe]], they were forced to work together to escape; Cyclonus and Magnus developed a grudging respect for each other as warriors, but vowed that when they met again on the battlefield, it would be as enemies. {{storylink|The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar}}

Chasing the Autobots through space, Cyclonus and his great leader ran them down on an abandoned funeral barge floating in the void. The Decepticons pursued the Autobots into the vessel, but were taken completely by surprise by the sudden appearance of the dead Autobot leader, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Galvatron was injured in battle, and Cyclonus had to provide him with support. The loyal lieutenant was willing to fight on against Prime, but when the Sweeps abandoned the barge in fear, Cyclonus was forced to choose the better part of valor and leave as well, carrying Galvatron with him. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}}

Some time later, outnumbered and fleeing from the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], Cyclonus and Scourge took refuge inside a vortex, which transported them to the pacifistic, energy-rich planet of [[Paradron]], which had been settled by Cybertronian refugees. Naturally, the duo immediately conquered the planet and summoned Galvatron and the other Decepticons there; the plan was ultimately foiled by the Autobots, but at the cost of Paradron itself, which was destroyed. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}}

[[File:Cyclonus alt.jpg|left|thumb|Cyclonus's alternate [[robot mode]] design, as seen in "Starscream's Ghost". Compare to the previous robot mode pic, above.]]
Cyclonus and Galvatron met up with [[Octane]] in [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]], where they briefly adapted the local oil into a more powerful form of energon before the Autobots chased them out of the country. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}} After Octane fled the Decepticons and started working as a free trader with the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] and even the Autobots, Cyclonus and the Sweeps infiltrated Cybertronian air space to deal with the traitor. They chased him into the abandoned Decepticon mausoleum below the planet's surface. Cyclonus marveled at Scourge's pathetic leadership ability when he couldn't even order ONE Sweep to enter the mausoleum ahead of them. He borrowed half a page from Galvatron's book and only ''threatened'' to kill a Sweep if they didn't get moving. Cyclonus's hunt was interrupted by the arrival of Starscream's ghost, who possessed the Decepticon saboteur for his own ends. The next thing Cyclonus knew, it was hours later and he was at the base of Galvatron's throne, having just been blasted by his leader. {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}}

On another occasion, Cyclonus clashed with Ultra Magnus aboard the Autobot records asteroid with the fate of [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] in the balance. {{storylink|Surprise Party}}

Sometime later, Starscream's ghost returned and possessed Scourge, causing him to fire wildly. Cyclonus tried to convince Galvatron his fellow warrior was not a traitor, but only malfunctioning. Then Scourge/Starscream shot Galvatron dead center in the chest, and chaos ensued. The Decepticons were a step behind Starscream over the next few hours as he stole one of [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s (invisible) eyes, then Astrotrain, then finally Trypticon himself in a mad scavenger hunt orchestrated by Unicron. Their weapons temporarily neutralized after trying to recover Trypticon, Cyclonus and the Decepticons began limping away from Cybertron when they saw Starscream tumbling uncontrollably through space. Cyclonus rightly questioned how a ghost could tumble uncontrollably ''anywhere'', but Galvatron was just glad his [[particle cannon]] was working again, and he started taking potshots at the flying figure. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}}

When Astrotrain reported to Galvatron that the Junkions were shooting at anyone in their airspace, even Autobots, Cyclonus saw opportunity. Although Galvatron couldn't care less about Junkions, Cyclonus investigated further for the good of the Decepticon cause, for the Autobots would lose a valuable ally if the Junkions had indeed turned against them. His personal analysis, however, did nothing to raise Galvatron's interest, only his rage. Cyclonus followed orders and ceased bothering his leader with the details, but still chose to pursue the matter with the Sweeps. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

Cyclonus was alerted to a mysterious Quintesson signal by [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]]. He and the Sweeps rendezvoused with Predaking at the source, only to find [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] and the Autobots competing with them in their pursuit. They managed to recover the Quintesson journal that was the source of the signal, and they learned it had key information that would be beneficial to peace talks the Autobots were overseeing. Cyclonus and the Decepticons tried to stop the Autobots from orchestrating a cease fire between the warring worlds, but failed. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}}

Later, Cyclonus was among the Transformers turned into an energy vampire by the [[Trans-Organic]] [[Dweller]], thrown to the beast by Galvatron to delay his own fate—though at least with Cyclonus he hesitated for a moment before fleeing, almost repentant for his action. Hours later, after the Autobots saved him from an eternal unlife as an energy vampire, Cyclonus reconnected with Galvatron. Out of all the Decepticons in history, only Cyclonus could deliver his relief at Galvatron's safety with such genuine feeling and without a trace of sarcasm. {{storylink|The Dweller in the Depths}}

[[File:GalvatronCyclonusWebworld.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Cyclonus misses the days when Galvatron would be inside him.]]
When a group of Decepticons, tired of being beaten and abused by the deranged Galvatron, confronted Cyclonus and demanded that he do something about the situation, Cyclonus was so short on options that he accepted the advice of a Quintesson and tricked Galvatron into accompanying him to the therapeutic mental institution on planet [[Torkulon]]. It pained Cyclonus to see his leader so demented as each attempted therapy met with failure, but when the Torkuli attempted to cure Galvatron by removing the damaged part of his mind, thereby leaving him a vegetable, Cyclonus sprang into action, only to be restrained. Patched into the sentient network of the planet, rather than be cured, Galvatron infected the world itself with his madness and freed himself, decimating the planet, and decided to turn his attention back to fighting the Autobots, rather than dwell on Cyclonus's deception. {{storylink|Webworld}}

While in Europe, Cyclonus and the Decepticons made contact with several human terrorists and unscrupulous mercenaries. They even hired out human mechanics to work on Trypticon and oversee his repairs. Okay, fine. But when Cyclonus ran across [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] wandering around inside Trypticon, shouldn't he have recognized ''them?!'' Apparently, all flesh-creatures DO look alike to the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

In a scheme to utilize [[anti-electron]]s against the Autobots, the Decepticons were forced to raid Unicron's head for an additional supply of the substance. Scourge and Cyclonus performed the recovery operation while Galvatron and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] kept their Autobot pursuers busy. They had only just returned with the flask, however, when [[Scattershot (G1)|Scattershot]] and the new [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] arrived, destroying the anti-electrons and routing the Decepticon invaders. {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}}

[[File:Ejectcall.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|I'm big because Galvatron rides me.]]
Cyclonus and [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] were at Galvatron's side during a heavy battle with the Autobots, along with Trypticon, the Sweeps, and an assortment of Predacons and Terrorcons. The battle was going relatively well until more than half of Galvatron's forces suddenly responded to a mysterious call that only [[Primitive]]s could hear. Enraged at Trypticon and the others for abandoning the field of battle, Galvatron took off after them with Cyclonus and Soundwave in tow. They didn't get far, however, before the energy-absorbing [[Tornedron]] struck them down in the middle of space. Only after the Primitives defeated Tornedron's creator were Cyclonus and the others restored to life. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

Later still, he, along with a group of Autobots and Quintessons, was transported into a region of space cordoned off by the Quintessons, landing on the planet [[Zamojin (planet)|Zamojin]]. There, Cyclonus aided the Quintessons in acquiring [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s [[universal emulator]] in order to repair their systems and return to normal space. He demonstrated a working knowledge of psychology and mob mentality when he prodded the Zamojins into trying to execute their prisoner, the Autobot [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]]. {{storylink|The Face of the Nijika}}

Cyclonus participated in a major Decepticon attack on Japan. When they were repulsed by the Autobots, he returned to Chaar with Galvatron. The rear guard, [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], miraculously managed to steal the Matrix of Leadership from an unconscious Rodimus Prime. After Galvatron was unable to unleash its power himself, he tossed the bauble away as if it were nothing. Scourge seized the opportunity to take the Matrix's power for himself and attempted to take over the Decepticons. Cyclonus refused to bow to anyone but Galvatron, and so was blasted down along with his leader. They eventually recovered and traveled to Earth after Scourge and the Decepticon army. They found Scourge shortly after Hot Rod reclaimed the Matrix from him. Galvatron was... not happy. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

When the [[Hate Plague]] swept the universe, Cyclonus was infected and took leadership of the afflicted Decepticons, hunting down Galvatron, tracking him and a group of Autobots into the depths of Chaar and infecting scientist [[Jessica Morgan]]. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

[[File:Cyclonus tm.jpg|thumb|See this? This...is my NIGHTSTICK!]]
In [[2007]], Cyclonus participated in the massive Decepticon attack on Autobot City, which culminated in the theft of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber|key]] to the [[Plasma Energy Chamber]]. When the chamber was then opened, the energy released blasted the key and a group of Autobots across the galaxy to the planet [[Nebulos]], and Cyclonus and Scourge led a team of Decepticons in pursuit, attacking and capturing several of the Autobots. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}} To battle them, the remaining Autobots combined with a group of Nebulan rebels into "[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]" and bested them in combat. Having learned of this fusion of Transformer and Nebulan, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], the evil ruling council of Nebulos, approached the Decepticons to repeat the process, but Cyclonus argued them down to taking the heads of only the animal mode Decepticons, and merely the weapons of the others.

Consequently, Cyclonus became a [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]], as his handgun was converted into an exo-suit for the Hive member [[Nightstick (Cyclonus)|Nightstick]], giving them enhanced targeting abilities and firepower. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 2}} Reclaiming the chamber key with their superior powers, the Decepticons headed back to Cybertron aboard the giant robot [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], where Cyclonus attempted to convince the disgusted Galvatron of the benefits of being bonded to the Nebulans. The Autobots soon arrived back on Cybertron and invaded Scorponok, only to be captured by the Decepticons and almost executed by Cyclonus before being saved by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. The Decepticons’ plan was subsequently thwarted by Spike and the Nebulans, and they were sent spiraling off through space aboard Scorponok by a tendril of plasma energy. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}
{{-}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}}}}

=====Who is Cyclonus?=====
[[File:Cyclonus armada tftf.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|"Cyclonus the warrior... ''and'' his stunt double."]]
{{bigquote|Even when you were a ''bug'', I hated your stinkin’ circuits.|[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] on Cyclonus's origins|[[Wreckers: Finale Part II]]}}

{{bigquote|I don't know who you are, or even who you used to be... and I don't care!|[[Hot Rod/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] on Cyclonus's origins|[[Rodimus vs. Cyclonus]]}}

When Unicron creates Cyclonus in ''The Transformers: The Movie'', we actually see ''two'' Cyclonuses: In the foreground, the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] (or perhaps [[Insecticon clone|a clone]]) becomes one, while in the background, the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] becomes another. While this is happening, Unicron declares, "Cyclonus—the warrior... and his [[Cyclonus's Armada|armada]]." But clearly, one warrior does not an armada make. The reasoning behind the line can be seen in the script, which states that Cyclonus is supposed to have multiple identical duplicates like Scourge's Sweeps.<ref>[http://www.camphortree.net/tf/tidbits/tftm_script.txt Final version of the ''Transformers: The Movie'' script]</ref> However, the idea didn't even survive the next cut; as the group boards [[Revenge (G1)|their ship]] moments later, the second Cyclonus has been replaced with a third Sweep. And while the number of Sweeps would fluctuate constantly throughout the film and the rest of the series, Cyclonus was depicted as a unique individual (barring some animation errors in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]" and "[[The Quintesson Journal]]"). It was, essentially, as if the armada had never existed in the first place.

So which robot actually became Cyclonus? Bombshell or Skywarp? Bombshell is the most straightforward interpretation, as he is shown more prominently in the shot. This would mean Skywarp "really" became a Sweep. But some fans dislike that asymmetry; they believe that if [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], the blue jet from 1984, becomes Galvatron's blue spaceship lieutenant, then Skywarp, the purple(-accented) jet from 1984, "ought to" become Galvatron's purple spaceship lieutenant. (The [[cross-sell]] [[catalog]]s included with 1986 toys even replace Thundercracker and Skywarp with Cyclonus and Scourge in the "[[Decepticon Planes]]" section.) Moreover, the Sweeps' portrayal as inexplicably-endless cannon fodder jibes with the Insecticons' cloning ability, so it seems thematically appropriate for Bombshell to end up a Sweep alongside the established [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] and [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]]. On the other hand, the fact that they were all intended to be dead at that point makes their former attributes questionably relevant.
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[[File:TFTM Coronation Cyclonus and Skywarp.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Skywarp suddenly wishes he '''were''' Cyclonus for the hilarity of jabbing people in the butt with a really pointy nosecone.]]
[[File:Bombshell-to-cyclonus-storyboard.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|What are you going to believe: [[fanon]] or your lying eyes?]]
Unhelpfully, Thundercracker, Skywarp, and the Insecticons all ''continue to appear'' in the film, with Shrapnel even being called for by name in a later scene of the finalized script. This seems to be a vestige of the early draft that did not feature Megatron being cast into space with other contemporary Decepticons; instead, a brawl in the Decepticon [[Hall of Heroes]] results in his body being destroyed and his "[[Life Spark]]" floating off into space. Several shrines in the Hall are broken, releasing the sparks in them as well; it is ''these'' sparks of long-dead Decepticons who are recreated by Unicron as Cyclonus and the rest.<ref>[http://boltax.blogspot.com/2010/12/heritaage-auctions-transformers-movie.html Early draft of the ''Transformers: The Movie'' script on Jim Sorenson's blog]</ref>

The final script only states that "other Decepticons" are turned into Galvatron's troops, but the storyboard of the scene is slightly more definitive: It shows Bombshell alone (labeled with his name!) being re-created, then a shot of Cyclonus with some unidentified, vaguely Cyclonus-like robots behind him. Cyclonus's ''[[The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe]]'' [[bio]], the only other contemporary source, states that he is made from "parts of dead Decepticons" (note plural).<ref>Cyclonus's ''[[The Transformers Universe]]'' entry</ref> This would later be echoed in his [[Heroes of Cybertron]] and [[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|2008 ''Universe'']] bios.<ref>[http://www.seibertron.com/images/toys/files/84/cyclonus020.jpg Cyclonus's ''Universe Generation 1 Series'' bio]</ref>

[[File:Idwwhoiscyclonus.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Not to be confused with [[Cyclonus (Armada)|''Armada'' Cyclonus]].]]
[[File:Tftm sony covers.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|By the same logic, Rodimus is actually Optimus. Well, hey, if it's [[Time Wars|good enough for Furman]]...]]

Some more modern attempts have been made to [[Retcon|clear the matter up]], with conflicting results. As mentioned [[#3H comics|elsewhere]], in 2001 the [[Departure|''Universe: Featuring the Wreckers'' comic]] stars Cyclonus and Skywarp side-by-side in the future. [[Wreckers: Finale Part II|The 2007 conclusion of that storyline]] contains an exchange between the two wherein Cyclonus says that Skywarp had once been his "Armada". Skywarp retorts that he had always disliked Cyclonus, even when Cyclonus had been "a bug". Also, in 2006 [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] published [[Transformers: The Animated Movie|a comic-book adaptation of the movie]] that puts Unicron's "Cyclonus—the warrior" speech-bubble on top of the Bombshell-Cyclonus, while "and his armada!" is seen over the Skywarp-Cyclonus.

Meanwhile, the 2003, [[Madman Entertainment]]'s Australian DVD release of the movie contained character bios that declare Cyclonus to have been Skywarp. These bios were also included in the 2005 [[Metrodome]] UK DVD release. Then in 2006, the Sony edition of the DVD featured a [[Wikipedia:Lenticular printing|lenticular]] cover showing Skywarp being replaced with Cyclonus, next to Megatron being replaced with Galvatron. And most recently, in 2011, [[TakaraTomy]]'s ''[[Transformers United|United]]'' toys featured pack-in fiction called "[[Macrocosmic Seekers]]" that tells of several characters regressing to a state somewhere between their post-movie forms and their original bodies. This restores old powers, such as Scourge being able to produce Thundercracker-like sonic booms... and Cyclonus being able to [[Teleportation|teleport]] like Skywarp.

''[[The AllSpark Almanac Addendum]]'' has a piece of [[Cybertronix]] that is an [[Ask Vector Prime]] question asking who Cyclonus was created from. [[Vector Prime]] gives the answer that it "varies by universe".
{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''=====
{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in Japanese continuity as noted above, except that season 3, which takes place across 2005 and 2006 in America, is set in 2010 in Japan, and "The Rebirth" does not occur. Japanese continuity inserts several new stories into the timeline, as described below.}}
[[File:CyclonusFlopsyManga01.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Silly robot! Trix are for kids!]]
Cyclonus took part in many of Galvatron's wacky schemes, including one involving a giant toothy spaceship that ate ''other'' spaceships and stole their energy. When Rodimus Prime infiltrated the ship, Cyclonus, Scourge and Galvatron swiftly ganged up on him. Rodimus, however, was clever enough to trick Galvatron into blasting a hole in the side of the ship, providing him with an escape. As Rodimus left, he dropped off a little "gift" for Cyclonus. Cyclonus was unable to recognize it as a bomb until it was too late. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 1|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #1}}

He was also involved in the Decepticon siege on [[Feminia]]. He was forced to retreat with the rest of the Decepticons after [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] was defeated by the [[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''=====
[[File:Galvatron Goes Bwa.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
Cyclonus stood by Galvatron's side as he commanded the captive scientist Doctor [[Dalton (G1)|Dalton]] to improve Trypticon and their combiner warriors. However, when the Autobots came to rescue Dalton, Cyclonus was distracted watching the Combiners fight outside, allowing [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] to sneak in and free him. Cyclonus was then left with the unenviable task of breaking the news to Galvatron (and Galvatron didn't take it well).{{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1|The Great Transformer War #1}}

After the resurrection of Optimus Prime, Cyclonus was seen getting trounced by Hot Rod in outer space. He and the other Decepticons fled, but it all turned out to be a diversionary tactic to divide the Autobot forces, making way for Galvatron's invasion of Cybertron.{{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}
{{-}}

=====''Macrocosmic Seekers''=====
[[File:United Expanded Story 7.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67]]
When the Decepticons intercepted an Autobot transmission detailing the acquisition of a "great treasure," Galvatron led Cyclonus and Scourge on a raid to intercept Rodimus Prime's ship. The Autobot vessel was brought down, and under heavy weapons-fire, Kup, [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and [[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]] fled the battleground. Cyclonus and Scourge pursued them, but were unable to hault the Junkions' progress as they would swap places as vehicle and rider every time they took a hit. {{storylink|Unending Battle}} The battle was interrupted by the appearance of the [[Seeker (United)|Seeker]], who abducted all of the combatants into his crystalline spaceship. Cyclonus, alongside Scourge, Galvatron and Rodimus, were put into suspended animation by the Seeker. {{storylink|A Treasure Lost}} These four transformers intrigued the Seeker, as they had undergone "miraculous" reformattings; Rodimus due to the Matrix of Leadership, and the three Decepticons due to the power of Unicron. Using his advanced technology, the Seeker turned back his captives' internal clocks, and held them in time at the very moment of their reformatting, intending to perpetually keep them in this state as items in his collection. {{storylink|Eternal Moment}} Rodimus was rescued by Junkheap, and in the conflict that followed, stray shots freed Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge from their stasis as well. However, all three were caught in between their former and current identities, leaving them quite confused. Despite his transitional state, Galvatron managed to put a halt to the Seeker's attacks. The group then mobilized to make their escape. {{storylink|Time to Move}} Though the Seeker resumed his assault in short order, Cyclonus found out that he and the others trapped in a transitional state benefited from increased strength and firepower. Additionally, the teleportation powers he had as Skywarp were restored. He put it to good use fighting back against their captor alongside the Autobots. The Seeker's ship sustained enough damage that Cyclonus was able to spot the Decepticons' and Autobots' ship outside. The Seeker went offline soon afterwards. {{storylink|Those Who Resist}} With the energy of the Seeker's experiment depleted, Cyclonus reverted to his normal state. Upon discovering that the Autobots' treasure was an old piece of armor of Optimus Prime, purely sentimental in value, Galvatron sounded a retreat. The Decepticons left without provoking further conflict. {{Storylink|A Treasure's True Worth}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
{{voiceactor|[[Tomomichi Nishimura]] (Japanese)|[[John Culkin]] (English, Omni Productions dub)}}
[[File:MysteryofPlanetMaster-ScourgeCyclonus.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Omega Supreme gets smaller and we get dumber!]]
Cyclonus and Scourge continued to make token appearances when the new [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] warriors arrived to dominate the Cybertronian war. Cyclonus fought alongside Galvatron on Cybertron against [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]], and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Cyclonus seemed rather threatened by the arrival of Galvatron's new lieutenant, [[Sixshot]]. Cyclonus and Scourge somehow managed to beat Optimus Prime to the [[Vector Sigma]] supercomputer, and battled him at the planet's core. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

[[File:CyclonusBoulderHeadmasters01.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|His credentials for the position of Second in Command were impeccable.]] During the attack on the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], Cyclonus attempted to drop a rock on Rodimus Prime, but accidentally clobbered Galvatron ''in the face'' instead, and ran away yelping in fear. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

Cyclonus felt discouraged when Galvatron declared all his troops were bumbling incompetents, without making a special exception for Cyclonus. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Later, when Sixshot attempted to extort energy from six countries using each of his six modes, Scourge and Cyclonus completely botched his scheme when they failed to realize that he was behind it and attacked him with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}} After Galvatron vanished during Cybertron's destruction, and the unfamiliar [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] took over as Emperor of Destruction, Cyclonus and Scourge felt even less secure in their positions. When [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundblaster]] proudly sucked up to Scorponok, reporting on a new energy-absorbing satellite named [[Sol 1]] set for launch, Cyclonus vowed to steal the satellite in order to gain favor in Scorponok's eyes. Joined by Scourge and [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], he attacked the launch pad, but was repelled by [[Raiden]] and the Headmasters. [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] did some aerial dogfighting with Cyclonus, and the Decepticons were forced to leave empty-handed. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}}

Scourge and Cyclonus were concerned that Scorponok's latest series of attacks on Earth were more likely to destroy the planet than allow the Decepticons to gather energy. Scorponok told to them that the awe-inspiring [[plasma energy]] was released from Cybertron in its destruction. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} In his next scheme, Scorponok explained to the duo that he planned to detonate a series of bombs to destroy the planet [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], and harvest the plasma energy its destruction would surely generate. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Cyclonus was present for the unveiling of Scorponok's new super [[transtector]] on Mars. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

Later, Cyclonus and Scourge made arrangements for Scorponok's official society debut as leader of the Decepticons. The Autobots attacked during the proceedings on Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]], but all combatants were interrupted by the triumphant return of Galvatron. Cyclonus was quick to redirect his boot-licking towards his old commander, as Scorponok's leadership was immediately overruled. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Cyclonus and Scourge would later field an SOS call from the planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]], and reported their findings to Galvatron. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

Presumably left behind on Earth while Galvatron plundered the cosmos for energon, Cyclonus and Scourge were not seen for many months. After he returned, Galvatron heaped praise on Sixshot, telling Cyclonus and Scourge that they could learn a thing or two from the Ninja Commander. Grumbling to themselves, the duo noticed [[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]] acting shifty, but were too caught up in their own problems to think too much about it. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}} {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}}}}

=====''Unite Warriors''=====
[[File:CyclonusNewBody-GrandGalvatronChapter.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|right]]
Ten years after [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]'s defeat and icy entombment, Cyclonus visited the site of his leader's downfall. There, he began to posit that Galvatron's "[[Grand Galvatron]]" body might be what the Decepticons needed to turn the tide of war. Galvatron's ghost came in contact with his underling, and channeled the power of his vengeful thoughts to reformat Cyclonus into a new body. Cyclonus's new form housed Galvatron's soul, which conversed with his underling via a head housed in his torso. Cyclonus ventured out [[Triple Z Point|into deep space]] to [[Unicron]]'s remains, which Galvatron explained they would use to finally implement his "Grand Galvatron" scheme. But the crippled god objected to being used towards this purpose, and instead offered to summon vengeful 'bots from across the [[multiverse]] to join and become Galvatron's new body. Galvatron accepted, and Cyclonus combined with [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]], [[Roller (IDW)|Roller]], [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] and a partially re-materialized [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] into Galvatron's new body. {{storylink|Grand Galvatron Chapter}}

Cyclonus brought the group to [[Thrull]], where he had them bathe in lava to train their bodies while telling them of a plan to properly resurrect Galvatron. {{storylink|Unite Warriors Offshot#Special Training in the Lava Baths of Planet Thrull!|Special Training in the Lava Baths of Planet Thrull!}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Lynxmaster Chapter}}}}

=====''Transformers Legends'' comic=====
After Megatron crossed over into the [[Legends Universe]], the local [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] filled [[Megatron (BW)|his own Megatron]] on this new Megatron's life so far, including the time he was turned into Galvatron and gained Cyclonus as a soldier. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 13|Bonus Edition Vol. 13}}

====''Cybertron'' comic====
[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] opening the [[Matrix of Leadership]] on a [[Hate Plague]]-infected Cyclonus, [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]], and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] was a highlight of [[Vector Prime]]'s career as the guardian of spacetime. {{storylink|Vector Prime: In the Beginning}}

====''Rodimus vs. Cyclonus'' comic====
Immediately upon his creation, Cyclonus felt shafted by both Unicron and the universe at large; he remembered that he had never been able to amount to anything in his past life, and noted that although his dark master had promised him an army to match Scourge's Sweeps, it never materialized. As such, as soon as Galvatron blew apart Ultra Magnus on the planet of Junk and acquired the Matrix, Cyclonus immediately pledged his allegiance to him, rather than maintain his loyalties to the Chaos Bringer.

Galvatron sent out his two minions to slaughter as many Autobots as they could, promising whichever one amassed the highest body-count a position as his second-in-command. To ensure he would win, Cyclonus planted a false trail for Scourge to follow into the [[Rayzor Nebula]]. He then happened upon a Quintesson ship carrying Hot Rod and his allies, and struck at the vessel. Though Cyclonus was making short work of the ship's defences, he was goaded into halting his assault when Hot Rod invoked the [[Challenge of Aria-Bellum]]; a one-on-one trial by combat. The two opponents met inside the ship's anterior propulsion silo and begun their duel in earnest. Cyclonus quickly gained the upper hand, until Hot Rod started playing into the Decepticon's insecurities, and tricked him into punching into a hot fuel rod, dazing him and allowing Hot Rod to knock his opponent away.

But Cyclonus then revealed he had no intentions of honoring the Challenger of Aria-Bellum, and prepared to resume his attack on the ship... only for Scourge to turn up, miffed at having been led astray. As the two Decepticons squabbled, the Autobots made their escape, disallowing either from scoring any kills whatsoever. {{storylink|Rodimus vs. Cyclonus}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}
[[File:G2Redux-GalvatronCyclonusScourgeZarak.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|right]]
Following the rebirth of Cybertron's [[Golden Age]], Galvatron led Cyclonus and the majority of his troops out into deep space, leaving behind their home planet. The Autobots gave chase, and the Cybertronian Civil War moved to new frontiers. {{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}}

In 2010, Cyclonus and Scourge led the Sweeps in an attack on an Autobot shuttle. Unfortunately, they neglected to plan for the raw fury that accompanied interrupting the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]' story time. {{storylink|Wings of Honor}}

At the signing of the [[Pax Cybertronia]] in 2013, [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] noted that the currently offline Galvatron would probably not be happy to learn of the treaty; Scourge planned to have Cyclonus inform Galvatron if Galvatron ever recovered. {{storylink|A Common Foe}}
{{-}}

===Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics===
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Cyclonustarget2006.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|What once had been a misread movie script was now dumb-sounding canon!]]
In ''the 2006 of'' a future timeline, Cyclonus was a creation of Unicron, {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}} ''remade from the body of the dispatched Decepticon [[Life Spark]]'', shortly before the planet-sized Transformer consumed Cybertron's moons. {{storylink|Judgment Day!}} ''Following this, Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge [[Time travel|traveled back in time]] to [[1986]] as part of a plan to free themselves from Unicron's control by constructing a massive cannon that would destroy him upon their return to the future. The three Unicronian Decepticons proved themselves almost invincible in the face of the Autobots' attacks, but were finally defeated when Galvatron was duped into believing he was trapped in a temporal paradox, and returned to his own time to live out the remaining events of Unicron's design.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

[[File:Cyclonuspullsthebeardy.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Sure, yanking Scourge's beard is funny, but wait till you see what they do with Cyclonus's ears.]]
However, those events resolved in the destruction of Unicron at the hands of Rodimus Prime and the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. {{storylink|The Final Battle!}} ''After this, Galvatron transported himself back in time to [[1987]], leaving Cyclonus and Scourge in the future, under [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]]’s command. The duo were attacked by the freelance peace-keeping agent, [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], who was seeking the bounty on Galvatron’s head, and Cyclonus revealed Galvatron’s whereabouts to him.'' {{storylink|Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!}} ''Later, Shockwave hired Death’s Head to kill Rodimus Prime, but Cyclonus and Scourge interfered with the job as they sought to kill Rodimus first, in order to reclaim their lost standing amongst the Decepticons.'' {{storylink|Headhunt}} ''This did not please Death’s Head, and consequently, he willingly accepted a contract from Rodimus to hunt down Cyclonus and Scourge, eventually tracking them down to the planet of Junk as [[2008]] dawned. Before he could finish the job, however, all three of them fell under the mind-controlling influence of Unicron, whose disembodied head had survived the destruction of his body and had landed on the planet, where he was having the native Junkions construct a new body for him.''

''Under Unicron's control, Cyclonus and Scourge killed Shockwave and became Decepticon leaders, reigniting the stalemated Cybertronian war to a furious degree to cover Unicron's actions. Death's Head, however, was able to fight the mind control and work with the Autobots long enough to stop the chaos-bringer's plan. As explosions destroyed Unicron, Death's Head tackled Cyclonus and Scourge, pushing them through a time portal Unicron had built, promising to kill them another time. Cyclonus and Scourge were hurled into the past of Cybertron by the portal, where they came under the command of Scorponok.'' {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}

[[File:Scourge scorponok cyclonus marvel uk 151.jpg|left|thumb|He's from the future and knows a lot about history.]]
Cyclonus and Scourge traveled with Scorponok and several other Decepticons to the peaceful planet [[Nebulos]] in pursuit of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s Autobots. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}} After Scorponok and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] were defeated by the new Autobot [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]], the Nebulan [[Vorath]] attempted to duplicate the technology on the Decepticons. Cyclonus was partnered with [[Nightstick (Cyclonus)|Nightstick]], a Nebulan recruit who had been bio-mechanically engineered to be able to transform into his weapon. Cyclonus was soon presented with an opportunity to test his new Targetmaster abilities when some Autobot Headmaster prisoners escaped. The fury of the battle destroyed the city of [[Koraja]], culminating in Fortress Maximus knocking down Cyclonus and the other Decepticon Targetmasters with part of a beloved fountain. Ultimately, Cyclonus and Scorponok's Decepticons followed the Autobots off Nebulos to [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

[[File:Cyclonuskronk.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Back-seat driver!]]
''Once there, Cyclonus and Scourge sought out Galvatron, and, no longer willing to serve him, instead demanded that he hand over his [[Time-jump trigger device|time travel device]] so that they could return to the future and their position as Decepticon leaders. The confrontation was disrupted by the sudden appearance of the Autobot commando squad, the [[Wrecker]]s, who drew the ensuing battle away from the human settlement it was taking place in by professing to have stolen Galvatron's time jump mechanism, when in reality, the Decepticon no longer even had it for them to take. {{storylink|Wrecking Havoc}} Having met with failure again, Cyclonus and Scourge decided to cut their losses and team up with Shockwave's present-day Earth-based Decepticon forces.''

[[File:Cyclonus death.jpg|left|thumb|"Handles on your head are the latest thing," Unicron says to me. "You'll look so trendy with head-handles."]]
''Unfortunately, Cyclonus accidentally let slip that they would kill Shockwave in the future. Naturally wanting to ensure his continued existence, Shockwave unleashed a brainwashed [[Straxus (G1)|Megatron clone]] upon the two. Seized by the clone, Cyclonus’s Targetmaster partner, Nightstick, was crushed, and as Cyclonus begged Scourge for help, his companion fled to save his own life and Cyclonus’s head was torn from his body, killing him outright.'' {{storylink|Dry Run!}}

''Cyclonus and Scourge’s displacement into the past had circumvented the normal mass-replacement method used by time travel, and had hence unbalanced the space-time continuum, causing a rift to appear in the fabric of space and time. Cyclonus's death, twenty years before he was even created, proved to be the final straw, accelerating the rift, which soon threatened to consume Earth and Cybertron. Realizing that the only way to stop it was to return himself, Galvatron and Cyclonus to their original time, Scourge attempted to recover Cyclonus’s body from Shockwave, only to be attacked by the deranged Decepticon, who had lost his mind due to the illogical nature of the situation, and had strung Cyclonus’s remains up like a twisted trophy. [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], however, was able to bring Shockwave back to sanity enough for him to deposit Cyclonus’s remains after Galvatron and Scourge, and then seal it with an x-ray blast.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Worlds Apart!}} {{storylink|The Quest!}}}}

====The Big Broadcast of 2006====
{{NoteMarvelBB2006}}
In an alternate future of 2006, Cyclonus was on the Decepticon planet [[Chaar]] when [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] arrived and gave a report to [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] about the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] being hypnotized by a television. Galvatron angrily declared he didn't care anything about the news. Cyclonus pleaded with him to reconsider how the information could be used against the Autobots, but Galvatron would not change his mind. On his own initiative, Cyclonus took [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] along to investigate and discovered the [[Quintesson]]s were involved.

Back on Chaar, a hypnotized Galvatron suddenly took off without telling Cyclonus where he was going, so Cyclonus and Scourge followed him to [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]]. They were soon met there by a group of Autobots where they engaged them in battle. When the Autobots succeeded in disrupting the Quintessons' hypnosis signal the Junkions added their strength to the Autobots' which caused Galvatron to retreat so fast he nearly left Cyclonus behind. Cyclonus decided to ask Galvatron to make Junkion off-limits to Decepticons. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

====Rhythms of Darkness!====
[[File:Cyclonusrod.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Those ears are never not useful and/or hilarious in these death scenes.]]
Another alternate version of Cyclonus inhabited an alternate future world. Cyclonus, along with Scourge, had pursued Rodimus Prime and his crew to Junkion. After his [[Autobot shuttle|shuttle]] had been destroyed and his crew deactivated, Rodimus defiantly stood against the attacking Decepticons, but a sudden distraction gave Cyclonus and Scourge the opening they needed to shoot the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] away from him, allowing Galvatron to finish him off. The Decepticons likely failed to notice that another Hot Rod from [[Primax 512.5 Gamma|a parallel timeline]] had observed these events, or that the Matrix had landed at his feet before he disappeared back into his own time. {{storylink|Less Than Zero}}

By 2009, Cybertron had been destroyed and [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] ruled Earth. Cyclonus failed to stop an Autobot/human rebel invasion of the main Decepticon base, and was destroyed by an enraged Galvatron for his failure. {{storylink|Rhythms of Darkness!}}

===Sticker Adventures books===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Galvatron Attacks}}}}
{{-}}
===Marvel coloring books===
Cyclonus was one of the Decepticon troops Galvatron called upon during his battle against the Dinobots in [[Oil Valley]]. The Decepticons still lost the fight, as even more Autobot reinforcements arrived shortly after. As they retreated, Cyclonus carried Galvatron away in his ship mode, though not before receiving a hit from Grimlock. {{storylink|Battle at Oil Valley}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Invasion of the Decepticon Camp}}}}

Cyclonus's alternate mode looked a lot like Scourge's. He acted as Galvatron's ship and base of operation in Earth orbit. {{storylink|The Lost Treasure of Cybertron}}
{{-}}

===Ladybird Books continuity===
[[File:CyclonusandMisfire-ASO.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0]]
Cyclonus worked for [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] during the 1980s. He participated in an attack on a group of Autobots scavenging for parts. Despite their best efforts, the Decepticons were unable to fell a single opponent. Cyclonus reported back to Galvatron, who was less than thrilled about his troops' failure. {{storylink|Galvatron's Air Attack}} Later, he rose to leadership of the Decepticons at a time when the war was entrenched on [[Nebulos]]. Now a very evil and gloat-happy chap, he matched wits against [[Hot Rod]], his opposite number in the Autobots. His schemes included trying to absorb a burst of cosmic radiation, unconcerned that it could kill the rest of the planet, {{storylink|Decepticons at the Pole}} and a substantially less evil plot of trying to stop the Autobots lubricating their joints. {{storylink|Autobots Strike Oil}}

At some point, the Decepticon base [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] became a sentient Transformer and leader of the Decepticons, and Cyclonus was ''never seen again''...
{{-}}

===Toy pack-in material===
Cyclonus participated in a tumultuous battle on a moon base. He managed to dodge a blast from [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] in order to punch [[Hot Rod]] in the face! {{storylink|Decipher the Decepticon}}

The Decepticons having recently captured the Creation Matrix, Cyclonus was one of the soldiers posted at a high security base to prevent the Autobots from retrieving it. Cyclonus was fooled by the Autobots army of [[decoy]]s, and the Decepticons lost control of the relic. {{storylink|Start Your Own Decoy Collection}}
{{-}}

===Swamp of the Scorpion===
{{notemultipath}}
Highbrow once used an electronic circuit jammer to prevent Cyclonus from taking flight and battling both Highbrow and Brainstorm. {{storylink|Swamp of the Scorpion}}
{{-}}

===Find Your Fate Junior===
{{notemultipath}}
====Autobot Alert!====
[[File:AutobotAlertCyclonusonscreen.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Who was Cyclonus originally? For Skywarp, turn to page 23. For Bombshell, turn to page 31.]]
Cyclonus is a gargantuan Decepticon soldier, able to comfortably house most of Galvatron’s troops within his spaceship mode. He was involved in the Decepticon’s ploy to take over the Earth’s communication satellites, looming ominously in Earth orbit, ready to blast into oblivion any Autobots who attempted to interfere. He also acted as the Decepticons’ signal jamming device, preventing any signal other than Galvatron’s from get through to Earth.

In one possible scenario, he was shot by Astrotrain, as the later’s military control had been taken over by Hot Rod.

In another possible scenario, he blow apart by Hot Rod, who was using one of Perceptor’s latest inventions, a “rapid-fire, high-intesity rifle cannon.”

In yet another possible scenario, Cyclonus was immobilized in Earth orbit when the Autobots successfully sabotaged the Decepticons’ computer systems.

In yet another possible scenario, Ultra Magnus and his crew opened fire onto Cyclonus from their space shuttle in orbit. Galvatron and his multiwing jet fighter Decepticons emerged from Cyclonus in order to engage the Autobots. Galvatron and Cyclonus had a good maniacal laugh together as they watched the Autobots drift helplessly into the void of space after the Decepticons tore their shuttle to pieces.

In another possible scenario, Powerglide and Swoop worked in conjunction to distract Cyclonus, and destroy the Decepticons’ transmit ion device. After the Autobots’ plan had succeeded, Cyclonus was still left too confused to understand what had just transpired. {{storylink|Autobot Alert!}}
{{-}}

====The Invisibility Factor====
Cyclonus was stationed in the Decepticons’ secret desert base. In one possible scenario, he failed to recapture the human [[Sarah Sanders]] after she had been snatched up by the Autobots from the Decepticons’ grasp. Though he fired upon Sarah’s spaceship as she and the Autobots within began to fly away, Cyclonus was unable to hit his target once the ship became invisible.{{storylink|The Invisibility Factor}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Cyclonus grew increasingly discontent with Galvatron after the Decepticon leader took to talking to [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] more than him, and began openly discussing mutiny with [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. He was sent out on a mission to locate a new [[energon]] source which had been detected on an asteroid, and found that the source was a strange [[Observer|small alien]]. Following more abuse heaped on him by Galvatron, Cyclonus was able to study the creature, and discovered that it regurgitated its food in the form of Energon. Galvatron was pleased, but while Ratbat was out searching for more of the creatures, an Autobot was detected spying on the Decepticons, and the situation soon escalated into a pitched battle. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

Along with [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] and Octane, Cyclonus intercepted [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], as the Autobot was heading for [[Andellor]]. Though Cyclonus initially disbelieved Cosmos's story, he insisted that Cosmos lead them to his destination. It was there that Cyclonus was able to recall the history of Andellor and the existence of the [[Prism of Power]]. Down on the planet, the three Decepticons ventured into a cave and were attacked, first by some tentacles from a pool, and finally by [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], who defeated them. {{storylink|Transformers in 3-D issue 2|Transformers in 3-D #2}}

Cyclonus took part in the attack on [[Tau-Ursa]] which saw Galvatron acquire a component for his latest weapon. Galvatron ordered the city destroyed. Cyclonus subsequently took part in a diversionary attack led by [[Sixshot]] while Galvatron used his new weapon, the [[Nullification Cannon]], to destroy Cybertron's Energon stocks. The Autobots began searching for the planet [[Metascan Alpha]], location of a vast store of energy, and Cyclonus took the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]]s to find them, eventually encountering [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] on a desolate moon. The Autobots quickly retreated, preferring to concentrate on their goal, but inadvertently ended up leading the [[Destructon]]s to the moon. Cyclonus and the Terrorcons were outmatched against this new foe, and Cyclonus reluctantly agreed to cooperate with the Autobots against the Destructons. {{storylink|The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3}}

{{note|Unfortunately at this point [[Blackthorne Publishing]] went bankrupt, so the outcome of this alliance may never be known.}}

===St. Michael ''The Transformers'' Sticker Book===
{{notemultipath}}
Cyclonus served under [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] on a Decepticon ship, when they managed to shoot down the ship being captained by Ultra Magnus. After the Autobots crash-landed on planet [[Barrenikon]], the Decepticons landed their ship nearby to finish off their enemies. In the many possible adventures that followed, Cyclonus usually remained aboard the ship, while the Combaticons went out in the field to deal with the Autobots. He nonetheless encountered [[you]] and your Autobot friends when you had to sneak aboard to steal the Decepticon ship's power pack. {{storylink|The Transformers Sticker Book (St. Michael)|The Transformers Sticker Book}}

===3H comics===
{{quote|But ''I'' grew up! ''You're'' still kissing the skidplate of a 'con with more vision than you! Only now it's a two-bit crime boss with delusions of grandeur instead of the psychotic leftovers of Megatron's legacy!|Rodimus trash talks Cyclonus|"[[Wreckers: Finale Part II]]"}}

[[File:Cryotekcyclonusseries.jpg|left|upright=2.8|thumb|Cryotek looks like a Megatron and hits Cyclonus only about half as much.]]
When [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] was reformatted by [[Unicron]] into Cyclonus, and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] into [[Cyclonus's Armada]], Cyclonus was given a mental link to his Armada that gave him control over him. This link persisted even when Skywarp's personality resurfaced years later. When Galvatron failed the Decepticons and the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] ended, Cyclonus turned his allegiance towards the gangster [[Cryotek (Universe)|Cryotek]]. {{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}

Centuries later, Cyclonus was caught up in the Predacon [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s attack on all Cybertron. Despite Megatron's attempts to implant his spark within a [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]] body, Cyclonus retained his own mind and managed to escape. Wishing to restore the glorious Decepticon empire, Cyclonus had already been seduced by Cryotek's ambitions when he, alongside other renegade "bad guys" Skywarp and [[Rotorbolt (Universe)|Rotorbolt]], joined the [[Wrecker]]s. In the aftermath of Megatron's [[transformation virus]], the Wreckers and a few other small groups were the only Transformers left active on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].

[[File:Wreckersskywarpcyclonus.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Looks like Cyclonus was Bombshell after all!]]
Soon, the legendary entity called the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] gathered these groups together and gave them each a task. The Wreckers were summoned to a far-off planet, and so the team fought their way through scores of Vehicons to secure a shuttle. Cyclonus and Skywarp's arrival helped seal the Wreckers' victory, and the group managed to leave Cybertron towards their destination. {{storylink|Departure}}

After some difficulties with [[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]], a stowaway, Cyclonus and the other Wreckers landed on [[Akalo|Archa Nine]], where they learned of a mysterious energy-generating crystal named the "[[Divine Light]]". Cyclonus killed the [[Maximal]] [[Packrat]], nearly killed Rotorbolt, and stole the Divine Light, and after taunting his deceived "comrades," fled home to deliver the artifact to his true master. {{storylink|Betrayal}}

[[File:WreckersFinaleII-RodimusCyclonus.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Any possible caption for this image is already taken by the in-story banter.]]
As Cryotek siphoned the power of [[Primus]] by using the Divine Light, his ascension to borrowed godhood was guarded by Cyclonus. At first, Cyclonus seemed to have the upper hand when he appeared to be able to command Skywarp. Skywarp's complicity was just a ruse, however, and Cyclonus found himself doublecrossed. With the rest of the Wreckers busy, Cyclonus faced his old rival, Rodimus, in a very personal battle. After trading barbs both physical and verbal, the two ended their duel in a messy, violent stalemate. This stalemate lasted until Rotorbolt arrived and ended Cyclonus, avenging his near-deadly encounter on Archa Nine. Cryotek briefly resurrected him as one of many [[zombie]]s, but his subsequent defeat at the hands of Rodimus, [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], [[Sentinel Maximus]], [[Al-Badur]], and [[Ramulus]] ended Cyclonus's life again. {{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}

Cyclonus was apparently a [[Minion of Unicron]], though it is unknown if or when he participated in the [[Universe War]]. {{storylink|Betrayal|Cyclonus's ''Universe'' profile}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Cyclonusdreamwave.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Neither Skywarp nor Bombshell? This is madness!]]
After [[Unicron]] consumed the planet [[Lithone (planet)|Lithone]] in the wake of his reactivation, the Cyclonus series of drone was built within pods inside the chaos-bringer's body, constructed from the remnants Lithone's matter and captured inhabitants. The second in a series of Unicron's drone fleets, the Cyclonus model was considered by the [[Quintesson]]s to be more powerful, more efficient and more of a threat. One of these drones broke out of his incubation pod as [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] was having some difficulties on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 #0}}

{{note|Future stories would have brought Cyclonus to the fore, but due to [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]]'s plunge into insolvency, these stories were never published.}}

Cyclonus attacked the base of the Earth Defense Command in order to retrieve Scourge, who was being held there. {{storylink|Unreleased Dreamwave issues#Issue 13|Generation 1 #13}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:Cyclonus GIJoevsTFsII3.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|left]]
Cyclonus was serving Shockwave when the latter was running the Cybertronian Decepticons in Megatron's absence. After failing to capture a group of [[energon cube]]-stealing Autobots, he was part of a unit standing by to seize several Autobots and [[G.I. Joe (team)|Joes]] as they used [[Teletran 3]] to prevent damage to the time-stream. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1}} When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] put up a force field around the computer, Cyclonus reported to Shockwave that the field would soon fall, and was pleased when Shockwave told him his life was ensured for another [[Units of time|cycle]]. When the field came down, Cyclonus helped capture the Autobots and shoot [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] in the back when he arrived from the future. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3}}

Following their victory, Cyclonus listened to Shockwave's intentions of dissecting the humans, only for the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] to arrive from the past and attack the Decepticons. It is unknown if Cyclonus survived the battle. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{note|IDW Cyclonus is an ancient Transformer who is not a Decepticon and has no connection to Unicron, Bombshell or Skywarp.}}
{{main|Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity}}
[[File:Cyclonusunleashed.jpg|upright=1.8|thumb]]
After being a religious youth, Cyclonus ultimately became a senior officer on [[Nova Prime]]'s ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', which plunged into the [[Benzuli Expanse]] millions of [[Units of time|meta-cycles]] ago and hence continued to serve [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]]. He had a fierce love of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and wanted to see it bring about an ordered universe, bringing structure to a chaotic universe and hoped ordering the universe might order him. After the failure of [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]]'s [[Expansion]] plans {{storylink|Revelation (IDW)|Revelation}}, he settled down to die for good on [[Gorlam Prime]], until [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]] healed him with the [[Darkness (G1)|Heart of Darkness]] and "suborned him to its will". He followed Galvatron on his quest to stop [[D-Void]], despite misgivings on the truth of D-Void's existence {{storylink|The Transformers: Heart of Darkness|Heart of Darkness}}, until he realised at the last, after an assault on Cybertron that left many Autobots dead, that Galvatron had forced him to hurt Cybertron, giving [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] an opening to heal [[Vector Sigma]] at the cost of the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. {{storylink|Chaos (IDW)|Chaos}}

Afterward, healed of his undead state by Vector Sigma but having been mistaken for a Decepticon by the Autobots, he was initially penned up with the Decepticons until a deal with [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]], who had been there when he turned on Galvatron, allowed him to join the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]''. Rooming with fellow ancient [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], who he swings between contempt and affection for, and mourning the loss of "his" Cybertron (occasionally in song) he mostly keeps himself to himself. And hates [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye}}
{{-}}

===''Universe'' toy bio===
Cyclonus was constructed from the cast-off chassis of deactivated Decepticons, programmed by Unicron to be loyal only to Galvatron. {{storylink|Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Universe (2008)|''Universe'' Cyclonus toy bio}}

===''Universe'' cartoon===
[[File:FfE Cyclonus.JPG|thumb|upright=1.4|left|Red Eyes Insanity!]]
Cyclonus was helping Megatron mine Energon from a gas station, mostly by taking pot-shots at [[bunny rabbit|bunnies]]. This ended shortly after he was El Kabong'd by [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[energon-axe|axed]] by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Prime]]. {{storylink|Fight for Energon}}
{{-}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in manga===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 9|Henkei! Henkei! #9}} {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 12|Henkei! Henkei! #12}}}}

===''Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun'' manga===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Time of Resurrection}} {{storylink|Creation! The New Emperor of Destruction!!}} {{storylink|The Threat of Galvatron}} {{storylink|Revenge (Henkei)|Revenge}} {{storylink|A Nightmare, Once Again}} {{storylink|To the Sea of Stars}}}}

===''Henkei! Henkei! Transformers -Visualize-''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Visualize Shot 11}}}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
Cyclonus led a group of Decepticons deployed to capture the [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]] who were invading Megatron's Cybertron, though to Megatron's displeasure all they returned with was a couple of Autobots. {{storylink|Targetmasters (issue)|Targetmasters}} He later reported [[Destro]]'s imminent arrival via [[M.A.S.S. Device]] to Megatron. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
The [[Cyclonus Memorial Tower]], also known as the Cortex, was presumably named in honor of Cyclonus. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}}

===''Generations'' toy bio===
Cyclonus used mind control to combine with other Autobots or Decepticons into [[Galvatronus]]. {{storylink|Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Generations|''Generations Combiner Wars'' Cyclonus toy bio}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
In one [[universal stream]] which [[Unicron]] destroyed, Unicron created Cyclonus from the remains of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s deceased subordinates while Megatron himself was reformatted into [[Galvatron (G1)#Dreamwave Armada continuity|Galvatron]]. Galvatron, Cyclonus, and [[Scourge (G1)#Dreamwave Armada comic|Scourge]] served Unicron in preparing universes for destruction, but Cyclonus eventually met his end when one Primax Megatron, unhappy at the prospect of his universe being destroyed, ripped his head off. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/19}}

==Commercial appearances==
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], Cyclonus, and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] faced off against [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] until Autobot reinforcements showed up in the form of [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and [[Hot Rod]]. With the appearance of these new arrivals, Cyclonus declared that he was itching for a fight. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Cyclonus, Scourge, Rodimus Prime|Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Cyclonus, Scourge, and Rodimus Prime commercial}}
*When Galvatron, Cyclonus, and Scourge were joined by [[Sixshot]] in battle, he counted off the new Decepticon's modes while Galvatron named them all. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Sixshot|Sixshot commercial}}
*Galvatron and Cyclonus met with their Decepticon agent [[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]] in an isloated spot. There, Counterpunch handed them an Autobot device, and declared that Galvatron could definitely trust him... {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Punch and Clones|Punch/Counterpunch and Clones commercial}}
*Cyclonus, [[Octane]], and Scourge launched an attack on the Autobots' base, only to be met with the [[Monsterbot]]s, who gave them a good trouncing. Cyclonus was shaken about by [[Doublecross]]. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Monsterbots|Monsterbots commercial}}

==Games==
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
[[File:TF PS2 Cyclonus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
{{voiceactor|[[Barry Gjerde]] (English)}}
====Decepticon story====
As one of the elite troops sent back in time to prevent Shockwave's unstoppable rampage, Cyclonus acted as Galvatron's second in command. When they joined forces with Megatron and his troops, Cyclonus worked with Soundwave in identifying possible targets. At one point, the pair disagreed with one another over one of these targets and Cyclonus threatened Soundwave into accepting all blame if the lead didn't pan out. Soundwave agreed, but ominously warned that he charged a high price for being spoken to in such a manner.

Sure enough, the operation was a dud and Cyclonus attempted to deflect the blame to Soundwave, who promptly played back a recording of the entire conversation. Unluckily for Cyclonus, that conversation included him insulting Megatron and referring to him as obsolete scrap. Soundwave next had the pleasure of recording Cyclonus's screams as Megatron used him for target practice.

Cyclonus also had the unusual experience of being impressed with Starscream when the normally-treacherous Air Commander successfully defused a potentially lethal fight between Megatron and Galvatron. {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

====Autobot story====
Cyclonus attacked the Autobots inside the Atalstan gem mine with Octane for support. Deciding to skip the usual pre-fight banter, Cyclonus got right to the fighting. After a fierce battle, the Autobots managed to take down Cyclonus and Octane. Defeated, Cyclonus stated that he had underestimated the Autobots' power and that he needed to retreat and rest. He bid the Autobots goodbye and transformed into his fighter craft form, retreating from the mine. Rodimus Prime expressed disappointment about how Cyclonus got away, and Optimus acknowledged that Cyclonus was a tough opponent.

Later, Cyclonus joined up with Scourge while the latter was fighting the Autobots on their way to the ELTA. Both were eventually defeated, and Cyclonus decided to fall back, almost leaving Scourge behind! {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

===''Transformers: Legends''===
[[File:TFLegendsApp-Cyclonus.jpg|thumb|left]]
[[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] was reformatted into Cyclonus at some point. He served [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] as second-in-command. {{storylink|The Coronation of Starscream}} Cyclonus and Scourge were tasked with leading raids on an Autobot supply convoy and managed to deal the Autobots a heavy blow. {{storylink|Cold Delivery}} Following Megatron's demise, the pair opposed [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s bid for leadership. {{storylink|The Coronation of Starscream}} They later aided [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] after his rebirth in [[Unicron]]'s maw, but their might was insufficient and they were defeated by Rodimus's forces. {{storylink|All Hail Galvatron}} Cyclonus was among a handful of Decepticons who ventured inside Unicron to search for [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. After encountering [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]], then falling foul of Unicron's internal defenses, the Decepticons resumed their search. {{storylink|Belly of the Beast (Legends)|Belly of the Beast}} Following the destruction of Unicron, Cyclonus tracked down Galvatron on the planet [[Krull]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness: Part 1}}

Cyclonus and Scourge both fell under Starscream's control as the Air Commander attempted to supply Unicron with a new body in the form of [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. They were intercepted by Autobots and defeated, forcing Starscream to relinquish control, however the pair had no memory of the events, and returned bewildered to base. {{storylink|Unicron Returns}}

At some point Cyclonus teamed up with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] to combat [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] and his allies. {{storylink|Fan Favorite}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsCyclonus.jpg|thumb|right|400px|"NOW I get my armada!"]]
Cyclonus participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Rare character who could be recruited after collecting 175 units of Cybermetal, 110 units of Transmetal, and 70 soldier cores. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Frontiers''===
{{charstubgame|{{storylink|Transformers: Frontiers}}}}

==Toys==
{{main|Cyclonus (G1)/toys}}
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:FriedmanAuctionCyclonusModelEdit.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Wait, how do his ears shift from pink to lavender in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]?]]
[[File:Cyclonusscale.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|He's big!]]
*When asked about Cyclonus's design in an online interview, [[Floro Dery]]'s reply was, "Cyclonus was a small time demon."<ref>[http://transformersph.blogspot.com/2007/06/interview-with-floro-dery.html TransFormers Philippines: Interview With Floro Dery]</ref>
*In 2010, a set of Cyclonus's original color models from ''The Transformers: The Movie'' went up for sale on Heritage Auctions, sold from [[Ron Friedman|Ron Friedman's]] collection of [[Sunbow Productions]] materials. In contrast to his final model and toys, this early color model depicted him with pink, magenta, and cyan parts... and luscious, kissable lips. Odd.
*During ''The Transformers: The Movie'', Cyclonus is shown to be [[:File:Cyclonuscoronation.jpg|''huge'' in vehicle form]], serving as a personal attack ship for Galvatron, despite being a normal-sized robot. In the cartoon's subsequent third season, however, Galvatron uses the ''[[Revenge (G1)|Revenge]]'' and his own flight capabilities as his primary means of transport, and Cyclonus never shows such size-changing abilities again except in the episode "Starscream's Ghost".
*In two scenes in the US edition of [[Broken Glass!|''Headmasters'' #2]], where Cyclonus was supposed to appear, artist [[Frank Springer]] [[The Transformers: Headmasters|accidentally drew]] a giant-sized version of [[Nightstick (Cyclonus)|Nightstick]] (though it's actually [[Fracas]], but those two's character models got swapped and... oy), who was then colored like Cyclonus. For the UK printing of the story, since audiences were already very familiar with Cyclonus from exclusive stories in that comic, the giant Nightstick was renamed "[[Krunix (G1)|Krunix]]".
*Cyclonus's unique origin in the UK comics is a result of Simon Furman's misinterpretation of the movie summary he had read (having not yet actually seen the feature), which referenced the fading "life spark" of a Decepticon. This led to Cyclonus actually claiming he had been rebuilt from a Decepticon named "[[Life Spark]]".
*Cyclonus's voice in the Generation One cartoon is noticeably inconsistent. In some episodes (e.g "The Big Broadcast of 2006") he speaks with a sinister, purring baritone. In others (the "Five Faces of Darkness" episodes) his voice takes on a comical, overly dramatic thespian quality. Sometimes he changed between the two within the same episode.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Cyclonus''' (サイクロナス ''Saikuronasu'')
*''Italian:'' '''Ciclone''' ("Cyclone")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Hsuèn-fōng''' (Taiwan, 旋風, "Cyclone"), '''Kuáng Biāo''' (China, 狂飙, "Mad Whirlwind")
*''Russian:'' '''Ciklon''' (Циклон, "Cyclone")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Machines characters]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising characters]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Decepticons]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Minions of Unicron]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Decepticons]]
[[Category:Saboteurs]]
[[Category:Seekers]]
[[Category:Targetmasters]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Unicron-related characters]]
[[Category:Unite Warriors Decepticons]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Universe Decepticons]]
[[Category:Vehicons]]
[[Category:Wreckers]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

The Face of the Nijika

2016-07-31T15:42:11Z

CommanderModesty:

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=92
|series2=2010
|ep2=27
|prev2=Call of the Primitives
|next2=The Burden Hardest to Bear
|image=FaceOfNijika Katsu Don Nijika.jpg
|caption=Usually, women don't need help putting their face on.
|title="The Face of the Nijika"
|production code=700-113
|airdate=[[November 20]], 1986
|written by=[[Mary Skrenes]] and [[Steve Skeates]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[AKOM]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''The Autobots discover a race of aliens who have also experienced persecution from the Quintessons.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:FaceOfNijika Galvatron lock.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Little pig, little pig, let me in!]]

[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], who is carrying [[Hot Rod/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]], [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], detects a disturbance nearby and discovers [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] bashing on some strange disk. They also detect a [[Quintesson]] [[Quintesson spacecraft|ship]] heading for that same location. Perceptor speculates that the Quintessons don't want Galvatron meddling with the disk, so Rodimus decides to meddle with the [[Decepticon]]s and the Quintessons.

At the disk, Galvatron continues bashing away, taking a moment to bash [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] when he warns the [[Decepticon leader]] that the Quintessons are approaching. The Quintessons fire at Galvatron and are thankful that the [[quadrant lock]] is not damaged. However, the [[Autobot]]s then arrive. The Quintessons refuse to let the Autobots learn anything about the lock...unless, say, they learn from the other side. Opening the lock, the Quintessons drive their ship through, taking Rodimus, Magnus, Blurr, and Perceptor with them. Unwilling to let the Autobots learn its secrets, Galvatron throws Cyclonus at them so he is also drawn through the lock, which closes. Unfortunately for the Quintessons, their [[isolator key]] has been damaged, and it is the only thing that can open the quadrant lock. However, Perceptor has a [[universal emulator]], which could serve as a replacement.

Falling into the gravity well of the nearby planet [[Zamojin (planet)|Zamojin]], Perceptor announces that he is suffering from [[transformation]] [[Transformation paralysis|paralysis]], and is stuck in [[Alternate mode|microscope mode]]. However, the other Autobots do not respond. On the planet, members of a primitive, humanoid civilization see their descent. One man declares that the "[[Quintesson|devils]]" have returned, leading an angry mob out of [[Tozin|their city]]. However, a blacksmith outside the city sees them and goes to investigate astride his mount, [[Brutalo]], and recovers Perceptor. Meanwhile, the Autobots are not doing so well after their crash-landing. Rodimus and Magnus hit the trees, which are as hard as rocks, while Blurr hit an actual rock and is so injured he cannot walk. Rodimus tells him to lean on "fearless [[Prime (rank)|leader]]", while Magnus wonders where Perceptor crashed.

At his hut, the blacksmith removes Perceptor's [[insignia]], which also contains his universal emulator. Having tracked Perceptor's descent, the Quintessons dispatch a pair of [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]] to retrieve the scientist, but someone follows them. The blacksmith places Perceptor's insignia on a small, female robot called [[Nijika]]. The Sharkticons arrive, but the blacksmith fights them off, damaging their armor with his bare hands. (Holy [[Slag (slang)|slag]]!) Meanwhile, Perceptor, having taken control of Nijika, asks the blacksmith, named [[Katsu Don]], what is going on. Perceptor learns that the [[Zamojin (species)|Zamojin]] were once advanced and that they had developed interstellar travel, protected by the guardian [[Kodu Ri]]. Katsu Don's ancestor, [[Niko Don]], built Nijika as an exploration drone, hoping to make contact with other races. However, the Quintessons attacked, damaging Kodu Ri and Nijika, then sealed them with the quadrant lock, which blacked out the stars. The Zamojin were reduced from technologically advanced to primitive within a very short amount of time and have been that way since. Perceptor concludes that something about the Zamojin terrified the Quintessons so much that they locked them in this part of space, and now he and Katsu Don need to warn the latter's people that the Quintessons have returned.

[[File:FaceOfNijika Magnus Rodimus.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Damn it, I can't find any sign of the Quints, Rodimus!" "Uh, Magnus...never mind."]]

Elsewhere, Rodimus, Magnus, and Blurr are moving, but Blurr is slowing them down. (That's a turnaround.) Blurr tells them to leave him and find Perceptor, as only he can repair Blurr. Though not happy, they agree. This proves a mistake, for moments later, a band of warriors finds Blurr. On the Quintesson ship, the Quintessons are debating what to do. One of them will have to go to the surface, but if a single Zamojin damaged two Sharkticons, [[Furmanism|what chance do they have?]] Cyclonus appears and offers them a deal: Give Galvatron the secrets of the quadrant lock, and he will go with one of them to retrieve Perceptor. Looking for Perceptor, Rodimus and Magnus are attacked by a group of warriors but are able to drive them off. They locate Perceptor's body, but without the emulator, he is offline. Rodimus and Magnus decide to search the city.

[[File:FaceOfNijika Blurr dangling.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Now, now, now what did I do to this time? This is not right, not right, not right I tell you! Let me down, down, down from here! I’ve heard of hanging around, but is ridiculous! Not that I mind hanging, hanging is great, great, great fun, but I never, never, never meant it literally! Hello? Help me, help me, help me anyone? I’ve done nothing, nothing, nothing to deserve this!!]]

At the city of [[Tozin]], the Zamojin are preparing to melt Blurr, but he is not that worried. Cyclonus shouts out "burn him", inciting the Zamojin to lower him in. For a Con who shows no emotion, Cyclonus has apparently studied mob psychology. However, the [[Zamojin Empress]] commands them to stop. She reveals Perceptor/Nijika, who tries to explain the situation. However, the Quintesson shouts that the doll is malfunctioning, but Cyclonus grabs Perceptor and orders the Quintesson to bring their ship.

[[File:FaceOfNijika Quintesson Nijika.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Not now, I'm watching the game!]]

Katsu Don grabs Cyclonus's legs, and is carried into the Quintesson ship, where the remaining Quintesson traps him with some electrified headgear. The Quintesson orders Perceptor to hand over the emulator, or Katsu Don will die. Perceptor complies, while the other Quintesson shoots Blurr's rope, causing him to fall into the molten liquid...which he describes as a nice soak that is repairing his injuries. Blurr jumps out, with Rodimus and Magnus following. Blurr frees Katsu Don, while Magnus takes on Cyclonus. Rodimus throws Katsu Don out, while Blurr grabs the emulator and Magnus takes Cyclonus, who follows after the Quintessons.

The Zamojin Empress fears what the Quintessons will take, but Perceptor, now in his real body, says that the Quintessons are about to give the Zamojin something. The Quintesson ship passes through the quadrant lock...and it fades, revealing the stars. Perceptor sabotaged the lock, and the Autobots realize the Zamojin's technology is telepathic in nature and powered by starlight. The intelligence of the Zamojin advances rapidly, and they repair Kodu Ri. As Sky Lynx lands, Perceptor asks Katsu Don if he will continue his ancestor's research. Katsu Don vows that Perceptor will meet Nijika again...out among the stars.
{{-}}

==Featured Characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (1)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (2)
* [[Hot Rod/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] (3)
* [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (4)
* [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (5)

|c2=
* [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (6)
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (7)

|c4=
* [[Quintesson]]s (8)
* [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]] (9)
* [[Katsu Don]] (10)
* [[Zamojin Empress]] (past) (11)
* [[Niko Don]] (12)
* [[Brutalo]] (13)
* [[Nijika]] (14)
* [[Zamojin Empress]] (present) (15)
}}

==Notable quotes==
"Put yourself in idle, Blurr."
:—'''Rodimus Prime''', saying what we're all thinking.

"It's mine! I found it! Don't let them steal it!" 
"Mighty Galvatron, you-" 
"STOP THEM!" ''[throws Cyclonus]''
:—'''Galvatron''' demonstrates his leadership skills on '''Cyclonus'''.

"Great, so leave, beat it, amscray, split, depart, vamos, evaporate, move it, sayonara, do svidanya, goodbye! ...hel-lo?"
:—'''Blurr''' encourages Rodimus and Magnus to get moving... then meets some of the locals.

"We will be back, demons! You will not live to see the dawn!!!" 
"Yeah yeah, sure sure."
:— the '''Zamojins''' just don't impress '''Rodimus''' at all.

'''Cyclonus''': Burn him now! 
'''Quintesson''': Be silent! Don't call attention to us! 
'''Cyclonus''': VEEENNGEANNNNCE NOOOOOOOW! 
''[The crowd starts to cheer]'' 
'''Female Zamojin''': Yes! The devils must pay! They stole the stars in the sky! 
'''Male Zamojin''': They stole the light from our minds! 
'''Cyclonus''': Hahahaha. You've never understood mob psychology, have you?
:—Cyclonus must be an [[Wikipedia:Bedivere#Modern depictions|Bedivere]] on dealing with witches.

"Hood in place, wheels in place, bumpers in place, engine hot, I'M OUTTA HERE!"
:—'''Blurr''' feels much better after a bath. Also, he seems to think he has wheels?

==Notes==
===Animation or technical glitches===
* An AKOM episode, so watch for color model oddities, 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."
** The inside of Magnus' mouth is red.
** The inside of Blurr's mouth is blue.
** Cyclonus has purple eyebrows and a purple neck.
* In the first shot of Sky Lynx's display, the bottom of the image is clipped over the frame of the screen.
[[File:FaceNijika-Rodimustruck.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
* Coloring errors:
** Perceptor's face is light blue instead of light gray as Blurr reacts to Galvatron's first appearance.
** When the Quintesson ship arrives in the flashback, its front section is grey instead of green.
** After the flashback, when Nijika walks towards Brutalo, her face is all white.
** When Rodimus and Magnus halt before the crowd of natives, Rodimus's roof is colored windshield-blue, and his windshield is colored red.
** "You will not live to see the dawn!!" - Rodimus's side windows are orange and yellow.
** More than once, Rodimus's burgundy is so dark it's verging on black.
* Cyclonus mouths Galvatron's first "GRRAHHH!" just before Galvatron slugs him.
* Galvatron is supposed to tumble away after being shot by the Quintesson ship, but freezes on the edge of the screen.
* When he exits Sky Lynx, Magnus is missing his Autobot logo.
* The red squares on Galvatron's shoulders are missing in many shots.
* Sky Lynx gets a non-standard laser sound as he blasts Galvatron and the Quintesson ship.
* "Except, perhaps, from the inside!" - the Quintesson rotates his head as if to bring the speaking face into view, but none of his mouths move.
* When the Quintesson ship moves past the Autobots into the quadrant lock, it seems mighty small.
* Magnus explains for the viewer that the lock passageway is shrinking... but the animation doesn't actually show it. In fact it's not clear at all why the Quintessons think the passage would be harmful to them at all.
* The first Zamojin to speak sees the falling Autobots and declares "Behold! Fire in the sky!" But the Autobots aren't showing any heating or burning effects at all - in fact they're floating rather gently to the ground.
* There is, somewhat obviously, no room in Nijika's head for the universal emulator to fit — but it does anyway. The universal emulator is elongated horizontally when first removed from Perceptor, but later shots show it as just a few inches thick.
* During the flashback to the original Nijika's launch, the stars show through the heads of the crowd as they cheer her along.
* Despite the culminating point of Katsu Don's story being the disappearance of the stars after the quadrant lock is activated... they don't actually disappear.
* Where's the trailer go?:
** Rodimus's trailer slides out of the frame when he transforms while rolling out-of-control down the hill. At the bottom, when he changes back, it's already down there waiting for him! It just rolls in from off-screen.
[[File:FaceOfNijika Cyclonus Quintesson crowd.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|See, we didn't need those fake mustaches after all!]]
* A crowd of Zamojins gathered to watch Blurr's execution is apparently supposed to feature some of their number costumed as the hated five-faced demons and their robot servants, thus explaining why Cyclonus and the Quintesson can just stand around in the middle of the crowd that hates their kind. The animation, however, almost totally fails to convey this, having the Cybertronians tower over the largely un-costumed Zamojins, who are mostly just wearing some little face masks. Furthermore, the animation mistakenly colors the masks flesh-toned, almost completely hiding the fact they're wearing them at all.
* The crowd member's line "they stole the light from our minds" is delivered in Perceptor/Nijika's voice.
* "Your life is over, Autobot!" yells Cyclonus - but rather than shooting at Blurr, he just stands there for a moment, making some strange, faint grumbling noises. Then finally Magnus tackles him.
* Cyclonus is missing the orange shape below his chest when Magnus tackles him, and when flying back towards the Quintesson ship.
* Sky Lynx is tiny when he lands on the planet, only a tad taller than the other Autobots.

===Continuity errors===
[[File:FaceOfNijika Quint ship over Zamojin.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Is it a Quintesson ship? Or is it a ship belonging to the We Fly Ships That Look Just Like Quintesson Ships civilization?]]
* "Perceptor, is that a Quintesson ship?" Just how Rodimus Prime could mistake the Quintessons' unique corkscrew ships for anything else is a bit hard to understand.
* Flying Autobots:
** Sky Lynx advises his crew to "don your [[Jet pack|rocket pack]]s", and the Autobots subsequently fly out into space - however, they aren't shown actually wearing any rocket packs. Tiny invisible micro-rocket-pack technology, or pure animation oversight? [[Personal canon|You be the judge!]]
* It's an amazing coincidence that the part the Quintessons need happens to be inside Perceptor, ''and'' that it's located right behind the one part the blacksmith removes, ''and'' that it just happens to fit Nijika's face.
* If the quadrant lock blocks out the light from stars, shouldn't the planet be pitch black during the episode?
* Rodimus, Magnus and Blurr all decide that the injured Blurr should be left behind rather than carried along in robot mode. Doesn't anyone remember that Magnus turns into a car carrier?
** They finally ''do'' use Magnus's carrier mode to transport Perceptor's inert form.
* Rodimus and Magnus apparently don't hear Blurr being jumped by a group of angry Zamojin, even though they left him 5 seconds ago.
* In a subtle bit of storytelling, the Quintesson picks up on Cyclonus's "mob psychology" notions and riles the crowd up against Perceptor/Nijika. Cyclonus immediately realizes that this is a huge mistake, because it endangers the universal emulator that they've gone through so much trouble to recover. However, we're never actually shown that the two erstwhile allies have figured out that Nijika has the emulator, making Cyclonus's reaction a bit confusing.
* As noted above, Blurr mentions having wheels in vehicle mode... despite clearly being a wheeless hovercar. Bumblebee had the same problem [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|many episodes ago]].
* It's not clear ''why'' the quadrant lock ceases to function. Did Perceptor work some sabotage? Could it not be re-activated without the emulator? Compounding the problem, the Quintesson ship isn't actually shown passing back through the lock - the ship simply fades off into the distance, and then the stars appear.

===Continuity notes===
[[File:FaceOfNijika Autobots exit Sky-Lynx.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|URRRRRRRRRP]]
* Sky Lynx transforms to robot mode and the Autobots exit by flying out through his mouth!
* Perceptor is equipped with a "[[universal emulator]]", which can, at the very least, mimic the function of the Quintessons' isolator key. It is presumably responsible for letting Perceptor take control of the Nijika construct and maybe the reason why his Autobot insignia morphs into Nijika's face.
* Perceptor reacts to his predicament with a "What in the name of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]]?"
* Blurr speaks at more-or-less normal speed several times in this episode.
* This episode marks the last appearance of Perceptor in the western cartoon.
* The "laughing" Quintesson face's voice is especially nasal and humorously over exaggerated in this episode.

===Real-world references===
[[File:FaceOfNijika Katsu don.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
[[File:FaceOfNijika Kodu Ri.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
* The character and set designs of the Zamojins are loosely based on some aspects of ancient Chinese cultures - from their clothes, architecture, and Buddah-esque guardian to their harsh mountain climate. Katsu Don is generically patterned after a Chinese warrior, while Nijika is similarly clad and face-painted as a noblewoman, complete with hand fan.
* ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' references:
** [[TIE Fighter]] roar as Blurr flies up to the Quintesson ship.

===Trivia===
* The entrance to Kodu Ri is shown in a glowing pattern similar to that of [[Oracle (G1)|The Oracle]] from [[Call of the Primitives|a few episodes ago]].

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' '''Nijika, die Himmelstänzerin''' ("Nijika, the Heaven-dancer")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' テレパシー惑星を救え (''Telepathy Wakusei o Sukue'', "Save the Planet of Telepathy")
:*''Original airdate:'' ''see below''
:*Much like "[[The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon]]", this episode was not broadcast in all regions in Japan and thus has no official airdate. While what day and what regions it ''was'' broadcast in are not currently known, official episode guides list it between [[June 5]] and [[June 11]], [[1987]].
:* A "[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]" segment unique to Japan was attached to the end of this episode. It focuses on the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s. It is different from the segment attached to "[[Money Is Everything (episode)|Money Is Everything]]" which ''also'' focuses on the Aerialbots. This new "Secret Files" segment replaces the original US version which focused on the [[Mini-Cassette]]s. The US segment was never used in the Japanese broadcast of the series.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;[[Wikipedia:LaserDisc|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]] 2004 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 2 & Season 4 ([[The Original Transformers|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 5: Series 3.2 ([[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]] 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.com/cartoon-dossier/season-3/synopses/700-113.html Episode Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Face of the Nijika}}
[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]

Cyclonus (G1)

2016-06-27T07:18:08Z

CommanderModesty:

{{factions|decepticon|unicron|wreckers}}
{{disambig3|Cyclonus}}{{suite}}
:''Cyclonus is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:CyclonusPioneerDVD1.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Darling one, read my words and hear my heart speak of a love soft and undying: a love that will be with you always.]]
Among the Decepticons, finding a genuinely loyal and competent [[second-in-command]] is a near impossibility. '''Cyclonus''' is the exception to that rule. Created by [[Unicron]], Cyclonus is a being whose loyalty to [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and the Decepticon cause is so intense as to exclude most other emotions and interests from his mind. He is dedicated to destruction in his leader's name.

He also has brains to back up that dedication, power to enforce Galvatron's will, and the initiative to form plans and get them done. Cyclonus could easily rule the Decepticons himself if he so desired, either as a power behind the throne or directly overthrowing his psychotic master. His responses to any suggestions that he do so? "All hail Galvatron!"

It's really amazing that he's so loyal, when one considers that he alternates with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] as Galvatron's personal punching bag. His [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]] partner is [[Nightstick (Cyclonus)|Nightstick]].

In some universes Cyclonus is a [[combiner]], but the details vary by universe. Sometimes he uses mind-control to force Autobots and Decepticons alike to combine with him to form [[Galvatronus]]. Other times he is possessed by Galvatron's ghost and can combine with others to form [[Grand Galvatron]].

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Roger C. Carmel]] (English), [[Jack Angel]] (English), [[Minoru Inaba]] (Japanese), [[Fumihiko Tachiki]] (Japanese, "The Rebirth")|[[Hans-Rainer Müller]] (German), [[Gerd Rigauer]] (German, ''The Movie'' TV dub), [[Willy Schäfer]] (German, ''Generation 2''), [[Carlos Agosti]] (Spanish)}}

In the year [[2005]], after an abortive attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], the evil [[Decepticon]]s found it necessary to jettison excess weight from their craft to make it back to their homeworld of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. The injured and dying Decepticons were chosen to be ejected into the void of space, including the commander, [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]], but when their bodies were recovered by the world-eater, [[Unicron]], they were reborn as deadly new warriors in the service of the recreated Megatron, now known as [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. Immediately following his creation, Cyclonus served as little more than Galvatron's personal ship and attack dog, carrying his leader to [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s coronation, into the battle in Autobot City and to the [[Junkion (planet)|planet of Junk]]. He was also involved in attacking and crippling the shuttle of [[Hot Rod/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] and [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] over [[Quintessa]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Cyclonus’s involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic mini-series “[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]],” the storybook “[[Transformers the Movie (Ladybird adaptation)|Transformers the Movie]]" and the "Special Edition The Transformers: The Movie extra page" of "[[Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe]]."}}

[[File:Cyclonus toon.jpg|left|thumb|An actually loyal soldier.]]
By [[2006]], Galvatron was believed dead and the Decepticons had retreated to the barren world of [[Chaar]]. Although Cyclonus and the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]]s' Unicronian physiology kept them in relatively good condition, the other Decepticons degenerated quickly in the absence of regular energon. Disgusted with how far the leaderless Decepticons had fallen as they eked out this miserable existence, Cyclonus resolved to locate Galvatron, daring even to enter Unicron’s deactivated, disembodied head. By replaying the planet-eater's memory banks, Cyclonus traced Galvatron to the world of [[Thrull]]. [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]'s accelerated sight peeled back light-years of space and confirmed their fallen leader's presence. Returning to Chaar, Cyclonus asked his fellow Decepticons to give of their meager energon supplies in support of a quest to retrieve and revive Galvatron. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

The Decepticons' need for a strong leader was driven home when two Autobots invaded Chaar, and the entire Decepticon army couldn't muster up enough energon or firepower to put up a decent fight. Cyclonus and the Sweeps made their way to Thrull after that to retrieve Galvatron. Unfortunately, once extricated from a pool of the planet's plasma-lava, Galvatron proved to have been driven insane from exposure to it and brutalized Cyclonus and the Sweeps before being talked down and returned to his position as leader. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} Despite his lunacy, Galvatron was effective enough to destroy an entire space platform for Earth's defense system. Cyclonus brought him back to Chaar, only to find the Decepticons were missing, having forged an alliance with the [[Quintesson]]s in their absence. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} With Galvatron's permission, the alliance continued, and the Decepticons and Quintessons launched an all-out assault on Cybertron and Earth both. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} The assault failed, and Cyclonus and the Decepticon were driven back to Chaar. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

[[File:Cyclonus jet.jpg|thumb|Never realized he'd sprung a leak.]]
As 2006 settled in, Cyclonus was captured by a [[Quintesson]] scientist for study, along with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]], [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and [[Marissa Faireborn]], but when the entire group was sucked through a [[black hole]] into a [[negative universe]], they were forced to work together to escape; Cyclonus and Magnus developed a grudging respect for each other as warriors, but vowed that when they met again on the battlefield, it would be as enemies. {{storylink|The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar}}

Chasing the Autobots through space, Cyclonus and his great leader ran them down on an abandoned funeral barge floating in the void. The Decepticons pursued the Autobots into the vessel, but were taken completely by surprise by the sudden appearance of the dead Autobot leader, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Galvatron was injured in battle, and Cyclonus had to provide him with support. The loyal lieutenant was willing to fight on against Prime, but when the Sweeps abandoned the barge in fear, Cyclonus was forced to choose the better part of valor and leave as well, carrying Galvatron with him. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}}

Some time later, outnumbered and fleeing from the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], Cyclonus and Scourge took refuge inside a vortex, which transported them to the pacifistic, energy-rich planet of [[Paradron]], which had been settled by Cybertronian refugees. Naturally, the duo immediately conquered the planet and summoned Galvatron and the other Decepticons there; the plan was ultimately foiled by the Autobots, but at the cost of Paradron itself, which was destroyed. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}}

[[File:Cyclonus alt.jpg|left|thumb|Cyclonus's alternate [[robot mode]] design, as seen in "Starscream's Ghost". Compare to the previous robot mode pic, above.]]
Cyclonus and Galvatron met up with [[Octane]] in [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]], where they briefly adapted the local oil into a more powerful form of energon before the Autobots chased them out of the country. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}} After Octane fled the Decepticons and started working as a free trader with the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] and even the Autobots, Cyclonus and the Sweeps infiltrated Cybertronian air space to deal with the traitor. They chased him into the abandoned Decepticon mausoleum below the planet's surface. Cyclonus marveled at Scourge's pathetic leadership ability when he couldn't even order ONE Sweep to enter the mausoleum ahead of them. He borrowed half a page from Galvatron's book and only ''threatened'' to kill a Sweep if they didn't get moving. Cyclonus's hunt was interrupted by the arrival of Starscream's ghost, who possessed the Decepticon saboteur for his own ends. The next thing Cyclonus knew, it was hours later and he was at the base of Galvatron's throne, having just been blasted by his leader. {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}}

On another occasion, Cyclonus clashed with Ultra Magnus aboard the Autobot records asteroid with the fate of [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] in the balance. {{storylink|Surprise Party}}

Sometime later, Starscream's ghost returned and possessed Scourge, causing him to fire wildly. Cyclonus tried to convince Galvatron his fellow warrior was not a traitor, but only malfunctioning. Then Scourge/Starscream shot Galvatron dead center in the chest, and chaos ensued. The Decepticons were a step behind Starscream over the next few hours as he stole one of [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s (invisible) eyes, then Astrotrain, then finally Trypticon himself in a mad scavenger hunt orchestrated by Unicron. Their weapons temporarily neutralized after trying to recover Trypticon, Cyclonus and the Decepticons began limping away from Cybertron when they saw Starscream tumbling uncontrollably through space. Cyclonus rightly questioned how a ghost could tumble uncontrollably ''anywhere'', but Galvatron was just glad his [[particle cannon]] was working again, and he started taking potshots at the flying figure. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}}

When Astrotrain reported to Galvatron that the Junkions were shooting at anyone in their airspace, even Autobots, Cyclonus saw opportunity. Although Galvatron couldn't care less about Junkions, Cyclonus investigated further for the good of the Decepticon cause, for the Autobots would lose a valuable ally if the Junkions had indeed turned against them. His personal analysis, however, did nothing to raise Galvatron's interest, only his rage. Cyclonus followed orders and ceased bothering his leader with the details, but still chose to pursue the matter with the Sweeps. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

Cyclonus was alerted to a mysterious Quintesson signal by [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]]. He and the Sweeps rendezvoused with Predaking at the source, only to find [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] and the Autobots competing with them in their pursuit. They managed to recover the Quintesson journal that was the source of the signal, and they learned it had key information that would be beneficial to peace talks the Autobots were overseeing. Cyclonus and the Decepticons tried to stop the Autobots from orchestrating a cease fire between the warring worlds, but failed. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}}

Later, Cyclonus was among the Transformers turned into an energy vampire by the [[Trans-Organic]] [[Dweller]], thrown to the beast by Galvatron to delay his own fate—though at least with Cyclonus he hesitated for a moment before fleeing, almost repentant for his action. Hours later, after the Autobots saved him from an eternal unlife as an energy vampire, Cyclonus reconnected with Galvatron. Out of all the Decepticons in history, only Cyclonus could deliver his relief at Galvatron's safety with such genuine feeling and without a trace of sarcasm. {{storylink|The Dweller in the Depths}}

[[File:GalvatronCyclonusWebworld.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Cyclonus misses the days when Galvatron would be inside him.]]
When a group of Decepticons, tired of being beaten and abused by the deranged Galvatron, confronted Cyclonus and demanded that he do something about the situation, Cyclonus was so short on options that he accepted the advice of a Quintesson and tricked Galvatron into accompanying him to the therapeutic mental institution on planet [[Torkulon]]. It pained Cyclonus to see his leader so demented as each attempted therapy met with failure, but when the Torkuli attempted to cure Galvatron by removing the damaged part of his mind, thereby leaving him a vegetable, Cyclonus sprang into action, only to be restrained. Patched into the sentient network of the planet, rather than be cured, Galvatron infected the world itself with his madness and freed himself, decimating the planet, and decided to turn his attention back to fighting the Autobots, rather than dwell on Cyclonus's deception. {{storylink|Webworld}}

While in Europe, Cyclonus and the Decepticons made contact with several human terrorists and unscrupulous mercenaries. They even hired out human mechanics to work on Trypticon and oversee his repairs. Okay, fine. But when Cyclonus ran across [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] wandering around inside Trypticon, shouldn't he have recognized ''them?!'' Apparently, all flesh-creatures DO look alike to the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

In a scheme to utilize [[anti-electron]]s against the Autobots, the Decepticons were forced to raid Unicron's head for an additional supply of the substance. Scourge and Cyclonus performed the recovery operation while Galvatron and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] kept their Autobot pursuers busy. They had only just returned with the flask, however, when [[Scattershot (G1)|Scattershot]] and the new [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] arrived, destroying the anti-electrons and routing the Decepticon invaders. {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}}

[[File:Ejectcall.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|I'm big because Galvatron rides me.]]
Cyclonus and [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] were at Galvatron's side during a heavy battle with the Autobots, along with Trypticon, the Sweeps, and an assortment of Predacons and Terrorcons. The battle was going relatively well until more than half of Galvatron's forces suddenly responded to a mysterious call that only [[Primitive]]s could hear. Enraged at Trypticon and the others for abandoning the field of battle, Galvatron took off after them with Cyclonus and Soundwave in tow. They didn't get far, however, before the energy-absorbing [[Tornedron]] struck them down in the middle of space. Only after the Primitives defeated Tornedron's creator were Cyclonus and the others restored to life. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

Later still, he, along with a group of Autobots and Quintessons, was transported into a region of space cordoned off by the Quintessons, landing on the planet [[Zamojin (planet)|Zamojin]]. There, Cyclonus aided the Quintessons in acquiring [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s [[universal emulator]] in order to repair their systems and return to normal space. He demonstrated a working knowledge of psychology and mob mentality when he prodded the Zamojins into trying to execute their prisoner, the Autobot [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]]. {{storylink|The Face of the Nijika}}

Cyclonus participated in a major Decepticon attack on Japan. When they were repulsed by the Autobots, he returned to Chaar with Galvatron. The rear guard, [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], miraculously managed to steal the Matrix of Leadership from an unconscious Rodimus Prime. After Galvatron was unable to unleash its power himself, he tossed the bauble away as if it were nothing. Scourge seized the opportunity to take the Matrix's power for himself and attempted to take over the Decepticons. Cyclonus refused to bow to anyone but Galvatron, and so was blasted down along with his leader. They eventually recovered and traveled to Earth after Scourge and the Decepticon army. They found Scourge shortly after Hot Rod reclaimed the Matrix from him. Galvatron was... not happy. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

When the [[Hate Plague]] swept the universe, Cyclonus was infected and took leadership of the afflicted Decepticons, hunting down Galvatron, tracking him and a group of Autobots into the depths of Chaar and infecting scientist [[Jessica Morgan]]. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

[[File:Cyclonus tm.jpg|thumb|See this? This...is my NIGHTSTICK!]]
In [[2007]], Cyclonus participated in the massive Decepticon attack on Autobot City, which culminated in the theft of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber|key]] to the [[Plasma Energy Chamber]]. When the chamber was then opened, the energy released blasted the key and a group of Autobots across the galaxy to the planet [[Nebulos]], and Cyclonus and Scourge led a team of Decepticons in pursuit, attacking and capturing several of the Autobots. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}} To battle them, the remaining Autobots combined with a group of Nebulan rebels into "[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]" and bested them in combat. Having learned of this fusion of Transformer and Nebulan, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], the evil ruling council of Nebulos, approached the Decepticons to repeat the process, but Cyclonus argued them down to taking the heads of only the animal mode Decepticons, and merely the weapons of the others.

Consequently, Cyclonus became a [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]], as his handgun was converted into an exo-suit for the Hive member [[Nightstick (Cyclonus)|Nightstick]], giving them enhanced targeting abilities and firepower. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 2}} Reclaiming the chamber key with their superior powers, the Decepticons headed back to Cybertron aboard the giant robot [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], where Cyclonus attempted to convince the disgusted Galvatron of the benefits of being bonded to the Nebulans. The Autobots soon arrived back on Cybertron and invaded Scorponok, only to be captured by the Decepticons and almost executed by Cyclonus before being saved by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. The Decepticons’ plan was subsequently thwarted by Spike and the Nebulans, and they were sent spiraling off through space aboard Scorponok by a tendril of plasma energy. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}
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{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}}}}

=====Who is Cyclonus?=====
[[File:Cyclonus armada tftf.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|"Cyclonus the warrior... ''and'' his stunt double."]]
{{bigquote|Even when you were a ''bug'', I hated your stinkin’ circuits.|[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] on Cyclonus's origins|[[Wreckers: Finale Part II]]}}

{{bigquote|I don't know who you are, or even who you used to be... and I don't care!|[[Hot Rod/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] on Cyclonus's origins|[[Rodimus vs. Cyclonus]]}}

When Unicron creates Cyclonus in ''The Transformers: The Movie'', we actually see ''two'' Cyclonuses: In the foreground, the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] (or perhaps [[Insecticon clone|a clone]]) becomes one, while in the background, the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] becomes another. While this is happening, Unicron declares, "Cyclonus—the warrior... and his [[Cyclonus's Armada|armada]]." But clearly, one warrior does not an armada make. The reasoning behind the line can be seen in the script, which states that Cyclonus is supposed to have multiple identical duplicates like Scourge's Sweeps.<ref>[http://www.camphortree.net/tf/tidbits/tftm_script.txt Final version of the ''Transformers: The Movie'' script]</ref> However, the idea didn't even survive the next cut; as the group boards [[Revenge (G1)|their ship]] moments later, the second Cyclonus has been replaced with a third Sweep. And while the number of Sweeps would fluctuate constantly throughout the film and the rest of the series, Cyclonus was depicted as a unique individual (barring some animation errors in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]" and "[[The Quintesson Journal]]"). It was, essentially, as if the armada had never existed in the first place.

So which robot actually became Cyclonus? Bombshell or Skywarp? Bombshell is the most straightforward interpretation, as he is shown more prominently in the shot. This would mean Skywarp "really" became a Sweep. But some fans dislike that asymmetry; they believe that if [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], the blue jet from 1984, becomes Galvatron's blue spaceship lieutenant, then Skywarp, the purple(-accented) jet from 1984, "ought to" become Galvatron's purple spaceship lieutenant. (The [[cross-sell]] [[catalog]]s included with 1986 toys even replace Thundercracker and Skywarp with Cyclonus and Scourge in the "[[Decepticon Planes]]" section.) Moreover, the Sweeps' portrayal as inexplicably-endless cannon fodder jibes with the Insecticons' cloning ability, so it seems thematically appropriate for Bombshell to end up a Sweep alongside the established [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] and [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]]. On the other hand, the fact that they were all intended to be dead at that point makes their former attributes questionably relevant.
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[[File:TFTM Coronation Cyclonus and Skywarp.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Skywarp suddenly wishes he '''were''' Cyclonus for the hilarity of jabbing people in the butt with a really pointy nosecone.]]
[[File:Bombshell-to-cyclonus-storyboard.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|What are you going to believe: [[fanon]] or your lying eyes?]]
Unhelpfully, Thundercracker, Skywarp, and the Insecticons all ''continue to appear'' in the film, with Shrapnel even being called for by name in a later scene of the finalized script. This seems to be a vestige of the early draft that did not feature Megatron being cast into space with other contemporary Decepticons; instead, a brawl in the Decepticon [[Hall of Heroes]] results in his body being destroyed and his "[[Life Spark]]" floating off into space. Several shrines in the Hall are broken, releasing the sparks in them as well; it is ''these'' sparks of long-dead Decepticons who are recreated by Unicron as Cyclonus and the rest.<ref>[http://boltax.blogspot.com/2010/12/heritaage-auctions-transformers-movie.html Early draft of the ''Transformers: The Movie'' script on Jim Sorenson's blog]</ref>

The final script only states that "other Decepticons" are turned into Galvatron's troops, but the storyboard of the scene is slightly more definitive: It shows Bombshell alone (labeled with his name!) being re-created, then a shot of Cyclonus with some unidentified, vaguely Cyclonus-like robots behind him. Cyclonus's ''[[The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe]]'' [[bio]], the only other contemporary source, states that he is made from "parts of dead Decepticons" (note plural).<ref>Cyclonus's ''[[The Transformers Universe]]'' entry</ref> This would later be echoed in his [[Heroes of Cybertron]] and [[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|2008 ''Universe'']] bios.<ref>[http://www.seibertron.com/images/toys/files/84/cyclonus020.jpg Cyclonus's ''Universe Generation 1 Series'' bio]</ref>

[[File:Idwwhoiscyclonus.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Not to be confused with [[Cyclonus (Armada)|''Armada'' Cyclonus]].]]
[[File:Tftm sony covers.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|By the same logic, Rodimus is actually Optimus. Well, hey, if it's [[Time Wars|good enough for Furman]]...]]

Some more modern attempts have been made to [[Retcon|clear the matter up]], with conflicting results. As mentioned [[#3H comics|elsewhere]], in 2001 the [[Departure|''Universe: Featuring the Wreckers'' comic]] stars Cyclonus and Skywarp side-by-side in the future. [[Wreckers: Finale Part II|The 2007 conclusion of that storyline]] contains an exchange between the two wherein Cyclonus says that Skywarp had once been his "Armada". Skywarp retorts that he had always disliked Cyclonus, even when Cyclonus had been "a bug". Also, in 2006 [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] published [[Transformers: The Animated Movie|a comic-book adaptation of the movie]] that puts Unicron's "Cyclonus—the warrior" speech-bubble on top of the Bombshell-Cyclonus, while "and his armada!" is seen over the Skywarp-Cyclonus.

Meanwhile, the 2003, [[Madman Entertainment]]'s Australian DVD release of the movie contained character bios that declare Cyclonus to have been Skywarp. These bios were also included in the 2005 [[Metrodome]] UK DVD release. Then in 2006, the Sony edition of the DVD featured a [[Wikipedia:Lenticular printing|lenticular]] cover showing Skywarp being replaced with Cyclonus, next to Megatron being replaced with Galvatron. And most recently, in 2011, [[TakaraTomy]]'s ''[[Transformers United|United]]'' toys featured pack-in fiction called "[[Macrocosmic Seekers]]" that tells of several characters regressing to a state somewhere between their post-movie forms and their original bodies. This restores old powers, such as Scourge being able to produce Thundercracker-like sonic booms... and Cyclonus being able to [[Teleportation|teleport]] like Skywarp.

''[[The AllSpark Almanac Addendum]]'' has a piece of [[Cybertronix]] that is an [[Ask Vector Prime]] question asking who Cyclonus was created from. [[Vector Prime]] gives the answer that it "varies by universe".
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====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''=====
{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in Japanese continuity as noted above, except that season 3, which takes place across 2005 and 2006 in America, is set in 2010 in Japan, and "The Rebirth" does not occur. Japanese continuity inserts several new stories into the timeline, as described below.}}
[[File:CyclonusFlopsyManga01.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Silly robot! Trix are for kids!]]
Cyclonus took part in many of Galvatron's wacky schemes, including one involving a giant toothy spaceship that ate ''other'' spaceships and stole their energy. When Rodimus Prime infiltrated the ship, Cyclonus, Scourge and Galvatron swiftly ganged up on him. Rodimus, however, was clever enough to trick Galvatron into blasting a hole in the side of the ship, providing him with an escape. As Rodimus left, he dropped off a little "gift" for Cyclonus. Cyclonus was unable to recognize it as a bomb until it was too late. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 1|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #1}}

He was also involved in the Decepticon siege on [[Feminia]]. He was forced to retreat with the rest of the Decepticons after [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] was defeated by the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]]. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #5}}
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=====''The Great Transformer War''=====
[[File:Galvatron Goes Bwa.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
Cyclonus stood by Galvatron's side as he commanded the captive scientist Doctor [[Dalton (G1)|Dalton]] to improve Trypticon and their combiner warriors. However, when the Autobots came to rescue Dalton, Cyclonus was distracted watching the Combiners fight outside, allowing [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] to sneak in and free him. Cyclonus was then left with the unenviable task of breaking the news to Galvatron (and Galvatron didn't take it well).{{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1|The Great Transformer War #1}}

After the resurrection of Optimus Prime, Cyclonus was seen getting trounced by Hot Rod in outer space. He and the other Decepticons fled, but it all turned out to be a diversionary tactic to divide the Autobot forces, making way for Galvatron's invasion of Cybertron.{{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}
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=====''Macrocosmic Seekers''=====
[[File:United Expanded Story 7.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67]]
When the Decepticons intercepted an Autobot transmission detailing the acquisition of a "great treasure," Galvatron led Cyclonus and Scourge on a raid to intercept Rodimus Prime's ship. The Autobot vessel was brought down, and under heavy weapons-fire, Kup, [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and [[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]] fled the battleground. Cyclonus and Scourge pursued them, but were unable to hault the Junkions' progress as they would swap places as vehicle and rider every time they took a hit. {{storylink|Unending Battle}} The battle was interrupted by the appearance of the [[Seeker (United)|Seeker]], who abducted all of the combatants into his crystalline spaceship. Cyclonus, alongside Scourge, Galvatron and Rodimus, were put into suspended animation by the Seeker. {{storylink|A Treasure Lost}} These four transformers intrigued the Seeker, as they had undergone "miraculous" reformattings; Rodimus due to the Matrix of Leadership, and the three Decepticons due to the power of Unicron. Using his advanced technology, the Seeker turned back his captives' internal clocks, and held them in time at the very moment of their reformatting, intending to perpetually keep them in this state as items in his collection. {{storylink|Eternal Moment}} Rodimus was rescued by Junkheap, and in the conflict that followed, stray shots freed Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge from their stasis as well. However, all three were caught in between their former and current identities, leaving them quite confused. Despite his transitional state, Galvatron managed to put a halt to the Seeker's attacks. The group then mobilized to make their escape. {{storylink|Time to Move}} Though the Seeker resumed his assault in short order, Cyclonus found out that he and the others trapped in a transitional state benefited from increased strength and firepower. Additionally, the teleportation powers he had as Skywarp were restored. He put it to good use fighting back against their captor alongside the Autobots. The Seeker's ship sustained enough damage that Cyclonus was able to spot the Decepticons' and Autobots' ship outside. The Seeker went offline soon afterwards. {{storylink|Those Who Resist}} With the energy of the Seeker's experiment depleted, Cyclonus reverted to his normal state. Upon discovering that the Autobots' treasure was an old piece of armor of Optimus Prime, purely sentimental in value, Galvatron sounded a retreat. The Decepticons left without provoking further conflict. {{Storylink|A Treasure's True Worth}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
{{voiceactor|[[Tomomichi Nishimura]] (Japanese)|[[John Culkin]] (English, Omni Productions dub)}}
[[File:MysteryofPlanetMaster-ScourgeCyclonus.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Omega Supreme gets smaller and we get dumber!]]
Cyclonus and Scourge continued to make token appearances when the new [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] warriors arrived to dominate the Cybertronian war. Cyclonus fought alongside Galvatron on Cybertron against [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]], and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Cyclonus seemed rather threatened by the arrival of Galvatron's new lieutenant, [[Sixshot]]. Cyclonus and Scourge somehow managed to beat Optimus Prime to the [[Vector Sigma]] supercomputer, and battled him at the planet's core. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

[[File:CyclonusBoulderHeadmasters01.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|His credentials for the position of Second in Command were impeccable.]] During the attack on the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], Cyclonus attempted to drop a rock on Rodimus Prime, but accidentally clobbered Galvatron ''in the face'' instead, and ran away yelping in fear. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

Cyclonus felt discouraged when Galvatron declared all his troops were bumbling incompetents, without making a special exception for Cyclonus. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Later, when Sixshot attempted to extort energy from six countries using each of his six modes, Scourge and Cyclonus completely botched his scheme when they failed to realize that he was behind it and attacked him with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}} After Galvatron vanished during Cybertron's destruction, and the unfamiliar [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] took over as Emperor of Destruction, Cyclonus and Scourge felt even less secure in their positions. When [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundblaster]] proudly sucked up to Scorponok, reporting on a new energy-absorbing satellite named [[Sol 1]] set for launch, Cyclonus vowed to steal the satellite in order to gain favor in Scorponok's eyes. Joined by Scourge and [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], he attacked the launch pad, but was repelled by [[Raiden]] and the Headmasters. [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] did some aerial dogfighting with Cyclonus, and the Decepticons were forced to leave empty-handed. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}}

Scourge and Cyclonus were concerned that Scorponok's latest series of attacks on Earth were more likely to destroy the planet than allow the Decepticons to gather energy. Scorponok told to them that the awe-inspiring [[plasma energy]] was released from Cybertron in its destruction. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} In his next scheme, Scorponok explained to the duo that he planned to detonate a series of bombs to destroy the planet [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], and harvest the plasma energy its destruction would surely generate. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Cyclonus was present for the unveiling of Scorponok's new super [[transtector]] on Mars. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

Later, Cyclonus and Scourge made arrangements for Scorponok's official society debut as leader of the Decepticons. The Autobots attacked during the proceedings on Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]], but all combatants were interrupted by the triumphant return of Galvatron. Cyclonus was quick to redirect his boot-licking towards his old commander, as Scorponok's leadership was immediately overruled. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Cyclonus and Scourge would later field an SOS call from the planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]], and reported their findings to Galvatron. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

Presumably left behind on Earth while Galvatron plundered the cosmos for energon, Cyclonus and Scourge were not seen for many months. After he returned, Galvatron heaped praise on Sixshot, telling Cyclonus and Scourge that they could learn a thing or two from the Ninja Commander. Grumbling to themselves, the duo noticed [[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]] acting shifty, but were too caught up in their own problems to think too much about it. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}} {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}}}}

=====''Unite Warriors''=====
[[File:Cyclonusnewbody-GrandGalvatroncomic.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|right]]
Ten years after [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]'s defeat and icy entombment, Cyclonus visited the site of his leader's downfall. There, he began to posit that Galvatron's "[[Grand Galvatron]]" body might be what the Decepticons needed to turn the tide of war. Galvatron's ghost came in contact with his underling, and channeled the power of his vengeful thoughts to reformat Cyclonus into a new body. Cyclonus's new form housed Galvatron's soul, which conversed with his underling via a head housed in his torso. Cyclonus ventured out [[Triple Z Point|into deep space]] to [[Unicron]]'s remains, which Galvatron explained they would use to finally implement his "Grand Galvatron" scheme. But the crippled god objected to being used towards this purpose, and instead offered to summon vengeful 'bots from across the [[multiverse]] to join and become Galvatron's new body. Galvatron accepted, and Cyclonus combined with [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]], [[Roller (IDW)|Roller]], [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] and a partially re-materialized [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] into Galvatron's new body. {{storylink|Grand Galvatron comic}}

Cyclonus brought the group to [[Thrull]], where he had them bathe in lava to train their bodies while telling them of a plan to properly resurrect Galvatron. {{storylink|Unite Warriors Offshot#Special Training in the Lava Baths of Planet Thrull!|Special Training in the Lava Baths of Planet Thrull!}}

=====''Transformers Legends'' comic=====
After Megatron crossed over into the [[Legends Universe]], the local [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] filled [[Megatron (BW)|his own Megatron]] on this new Megatron's life so far, including the time he was turned into Galvatron and gained Cyclonus as a soldier. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 13|Bonus Edition Vol. 13}}

====''Cybertron'' comic====
[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] opening the [[Matrix of Leadership]] on a [[Hate Plague]]-infected Cyclonus, [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]], and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] was a highlight of [[Vector Prime]]'s career as the guardian of spacetime. {{storylink|Vector Prime: In the Beginning}}

====''Rodimus vs. Cyclonus'' comic====
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Rodimus vs. Cyclonus}}}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}
[[File:G2Redux-GalvatronCyclonusScourgeZarak.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|right]]
Following the rebirth of Cybertron's [[Golden Age]], Galvatron led Cyclonus and the majority of his troops out into deep space, leaving behind their home planet. The Autobots gave chase, and the Cybertronian Civil War moved to new frontiers. {{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}}

In 2010, Cyclonus and Scourge led the Sweeps in an attack on an Autobot shuttle. Unfortunately, they neglected to plan for the raw fury that accompanied interrupting the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]' story time. {{storylink|Wings of Honor}}

At the signing of the [[Pax Cybertronia]] in 2013, [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] noted that the currently offline Galvatron would probably not be happy to learn of the treaty; Scourge planned to have Cyclonus inform Galvatron if Galvatron ever recovered. {{storylink|A Common Foe}}
{{-}}

===Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics===
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Cyclonustarget2006.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|What once had been a misread movie script was now dumb-sounding canon!]]
In ''the 2006 of'' a future timeline, Cyclonus was a creation of Unicron, {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}} ''remade from the body of the dispatched Decepticon [[Life Spark]]'', shortly before the planet-sized Transformer consumed Cybertron's moons. {{storylink|Judgment Day!}} ''Following this, Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge [[Time travel|traveled back in time]] to [[1986]] as part of a plan to free themselves from Unicron's control by constructing a massive cannon that would destroy him upon their return to the future. The three Unicronian Decepticons proved themselves almost invincible in the face of the Autobots' attacks, but were finally defeated when Galvatron was duped into believing he was trapped in a temporal paradox, and returned to his own time to live out the remaining events of Unicron's design.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

[[File:Cyclonuspullsthebeardy.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Sure, yanking Scourge's beard is funny, but wait till you see what they do with Cyclonus's ears.]]
However, those events resolved in the destruction of Unicron at the hands of Rodimus Prime and the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. {{storylink|The Final Battle!}} ''After this, Galvatron transported himself back in time to [[1987]], leaving Cyclonus and Scourge in the future, under [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]]’s command. The duo were attacked by the freelance peace-keeping agent, [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], who was seeking the bounty on Galvatron’s head, and Cyclonus revealed Galvatron’s whereabouts to him.'' {{storylink|Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!}} ''Later, Shockwave hired Death’s Head to kill Rodimus Prime, but Cyclonus and Scourge interfered with the job as they sought to kill Rodimus first, in order to reclaim their lost standing amongst the Decepticons.'' {{storylink|Headhunt}} ''This did not please Death’s Head, and consequently, he willingly accepted a contract from Rodimus to hunt down Cyclonus and Scourge, eventually tracking them down to the planet of Junk as [[2008]] dawned. Before he could finish the job, however, all three of them fell under the mind-controlling influence of Unicron, whose disembodied head had survived the destruction of his body and had landed on the planet, where he was having the native Junkions construct a new body for him.''

''Under Unicron's control, Cyclonus and Scourge killed Shockwave and became Decepticon leaders, reigniting the stalemated Cybertronian war to a furious degree to cover Unicron's actions. Death's Head, however, was able to fight the mind control and work with the Autobots long enough to stop the chaos-bringer's plan. As explosions destroyed Unicron, Death's Head tackled Cyclonus and Scourge, pushing them through a time portal Unicron had built, promising to kill them another time. Cyclonus and Scourge were hurled into the past of Cybertron by the portal, where they came under the command of Scorponok.'' {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}

[[File:Scourge scorponok cyclonus marvel uk 151.jpg|left|thumb|He's from the future and knows a lot about history.]]
Cyclonus and Scourge traveled with Scorponok and several other Decepticons to the peaceful planet [[Nebulos]] in pursuit of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s Autobots. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}} After Scorponok and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] were defeated by the new Autobot [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]], the Nebulan [[Vorath]] attempted to duplicate the technology on the Decepticons. Cyclonus was partnered with [[Nightstick (Cyclonus)|Nightstick]], a Nebulan recruit who had been bio-mechanically engineered to be able to transform into his weapon. Cyclonus was soon presented with an opportunity to test his new Targetmaster abilities when some Autobot Headmaster prisoners escaped. The fury of the battle destroyed the city of [[Koraja]], culminating in Fortress Maximus knocking down Cyclonus and the other Decepticon Targetmasters with part of a beloved fountain. Ultimately, Cyclonus and Scorponok's Decepticons followed the Autobots off Nebulos to [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

[[File:Cyclonuskronk.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Back-seat driver!]]
''Once there, Cyclonus and Scourge sought out Galvatron, and, no longer willing to serve him, instead demanded that he hand over his [[Time-jump trigger device|time travel device]] so that they could return to the future and their position as Decepticon leaders. The confrontation was disrupted by the sudden appearance of the Autobot commando squad, the [[Wrecker]]s, who drew the ensuing battle away from the human settlement it was taking place in by professing to have stolen Galvatron's time jump mechanism, when in reality, the Decepticon no longer even had it for them to take. {{storylink|Wrecking Havoc}} Having met with failure again, Cyclonus and Scourge decided to cut their losses and team up with Shockwave's present-day Earth-based Decepticon forces.''

[[File:Cyclonus death.jpg|left|thumb|"Handles on your head are the latest thing," Unicron says to me. "You'll look so trendy with head-handles."]]
''Unfortunately, Cyclonus accidentally let slip that they would kill Shockwave in the future. Naturally wanting to ensure his continued existence, Shockwave unleashed a brainwashed [[Straxus (G1)|Megatron clone]] upon the two. Seized by the clone, Cyclonus’s Targetmaster partner, Nightstick, was crushed, and as Cyclonus begged Scourge for help, his companion fled to save his own life and Cyclonus’s head was torn from his body, killing him outright.'' {{storylink|Dry Run!}}

''Cyclonus and Scourge’s displacement into the past had circumvented the normal mass-replacement method used by time travel, and had hence unbalanced the space-time continuum, causing a rift to appear in the fabric of space and time. Cyclonus's death, twenty years before he was even created, proved to be the final straw, accelerating the rift, which soon threatened to consume Earth and Cybertron. Realizing that the only way to stop it was to return himself, Galvatron and Cyclonus to their original time, Scourge attempted to recover Cyclonus’s body from Shockwave, only to be attacked by the deranged Decepticon, who had lost his mind due to the illogical nature of the situation, and had strung Cyclonus’s remains up like a twisted trophy. [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], however, was able to bring Shockwave back to sanity enough for him to deposit Cyclonus’s remains after Galvatron and Scourge, and then seal it with an x-ray blast.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Worlds Apart!}} {{storylink|The Quest!}}}}

====The Big Broadcast of 2006====
{{NoteMarvelBB2006}}
In an alternate future of 2006, Cyclonus was on the Decepticon planet [[Chaar]] when [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] arrived and gave a report to [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] about the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] being hypnotized by a television. Galvatron angrily declared he didn't care anything about the news. Cyclonus pleaded with him to reconsider how the information could be used against the Autobots, but Galvatron would not change his mind. On his own initiative, Cyclonus took [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] along to investigate and discovered the [[Quintesson]]s were involved.

Back on Chaar, a hypnotized Galvatron suddenly took off without telling Cyclonus where he was going, so Cyclonus and Scourge followed him to [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]]. They were soon met there by a group of Autobots where they engaged them in battle. When the Autobots succeeded in disrupting the Quintessons' hypnosis signal the Junkions added their strength to the Autobots' which caused Galvatron to retreat so fast he nearly left Cyclonus behind. Cyclonus decided to ask Galvatron to make Junkion off-limits to Decepticons. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

====Rhythms of Darkness!====
[[File:Cyclonusrod.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Those ears are never not useful and/or hilarious in these death scenes.]]
Another alternate version of Cyclonus inhabited an alternate future world. Cyclonus, along with Scourge, had pursued Rodimus Prime and his crew to Junkion. After his [[Autobot shuttle|shuttle]] had been destroyed and his crew deactivated, Rodimus defiantly stood against the attacking Decepticons, but a sudden distraction gave Cyclonus and Scourge the opening they needed to shoot the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] away from him, allowing Galvatron to finish him off. The Decepticons likely failed to notice that another Hot Rod from [[Primax 512.5 Gamma|a parallel timeline]] had observed these events, or that the Matrix had landed at his feet before he disappeared back into his own time. {{storylink|Less Than Zero}}

By 2009, Cybertron had been destroyed and [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] ruled Earth. Cyclonus failed to stop an Autobot/human rebel invasion of the main Decepticon base, and was destroyed by an enraged Galvatron for his failure. {{storylink|Rhythms of Darkness!}}

===Sticker Adventures books===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Galvatron Attacks}}}}
{{-}}
===Marvel coloring books===
Cyclonus was one of the Decepticon troops Galvatron called upon during his battle against the Dinobots in [[Oil Valley]]. The Decepticons still lost the fight, as even more Autobot reinforcements arrived shortly after. As they retreated, Cyclonus carried Galvatron away in his ship mode, though not vefore receiving a hit from Grimlock. {{storylink|Battle at Oil Valley}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Invasion of the Decepticon Camp}}}}

Cyclonus's alternate mode looks a lot like Scourge's. He acted as Galvatron's ship and base of operation in Earth orbit. {{storylink|The Lost Treasure of Cybertron}}
{{-}}

===Ladybird Books continuity===
[[File:CyclonusandMisfire-ASO.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0]]
Cyclonus worked for [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] during the 1980s. He participated in an attack on a group of Autobots scavenging for parts. Despite their best efforts, the Decepticons were unable to fell a single opponent. Cyclonus reported back to Galvatron, who was less than thrilled about his troops' failure. {{storylink|Galvatron's Air Attack}} Later, he rose to leadership of the Decepticons at a time when the war was entrenched on [[Nebulos]]. Now a very evil and gloat-happy chap, he matched wits against [[Hot Rod]], his opposite number in the Autobots. His schemes included trying to absorb a burst of cosmic radiation, unconcerned that it could kill the rest of the planet, {{storylink|Decepticons at the Pole}} and a substantially less evil plot of trying to stop the Autobots lubricating their joints. {{storylink|Autobots Strike Oil}}

At some point, the Decepticon base [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] became a sentient Transformer and leader of the Decepticons, and Cyclonus was ''never seen again''...
{{-}}

===Toy pack-in material===
Cyclonus participated in a tumultuous battle on a moon base. He managed to dodge a blast from [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] in order to punch [[Hot Rod]] in the face! {{storylink|Decipher the Decepticon}}

The Decepticons having recently captured the Creation Matrix, Cyclonus was one of the soldiers posted at a high security base to prevent the Autobots from retrieving it. Cyclonus was fooled by the Autobots army of [[decoy]]s, and the Decepticons lost control of the relic. {{storylink|Start Your Own Decoy Collection}}
{{-}}

===Swamp of the Scorpion===
{{notemultipath}}
Highbrow once used an electronic circuit jammer to prevent Cyclonus from taking flight and battling both Highbrow and Brainstorm. {{storylink|Swamp of the Scorpion}}
{{-}}

===Find Your Fate Junior===
{{notemultipath}}
====Autobot Alert!====
[[File:AutobotAlertCyclonusonscreen.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Who was Cyclonus originally? For Skywarp, turn to page 23. For Bombshell, turn to page 31.]]
Cyclonus is a gargantuan Decepticon soldier, able to comfortably house most of Galvatron’s troops within his spaceship mode. He was involved in the Decepticon’s ploy to take over the Earth’s communication satellites, looming ominously in Earth orbit, ready to blast into oblivion any Autobots who attempted to interfere. He also acted as the Decepticons’ signal jamming device, preventing any signal other than Galvatron’s from get through to Earth.

In one possible scenario, he was shot by Astrotrain, as the later’s military control had been taken over by Hot Rod.

In another possible scenario, he blow apart by Hot Rod, who was using one of Perceptor’s latest inventions, a “rapid-fire, high-intesity rifle cannon.”

In yet another possible scenario, Cyclonus was immobilized in Earth orbit when the Autobots successfully sabotaged the Decepticons’ computer systems.

In yet another possible scenario, Ultra Magnus and his crew opened fire onto Cyclonus from their space shuttle in orbit. Galvatron and his multiwing jet fighter Decepticons emerged from Cyclonus in order to engage the Autobots. Galvatron and Cyclonus had a good maniacal laugh together as they watched the Autobots drift helplessly into the void of space after the Decepticons tore their shuttle to pieces.

In another possible scenario, Powerglide and Swoop worked in conjunction to distract Cyclonus, and destroy the Decepticons’ transmit ion device. After the Autobots’ plan had succeeded, Cyclonus was still left too confused to understand what had just transpired. {{storylink|Autobot Alert!}}
{{-}}

====The Invisibility Factor====
Cyclonus was stationed in the Decepticons’ secret desert base. In one possible scenario, he failed to recapture the human [[Sarah Sanders]] after she had been snatched up by the Autobots from the Decepticons’ grasp. Though he fired upon Sarah’s spaceship as she and the Autobots within began to fly away, Cyclonus was unable to hit his target once the ship became invisible.{{storylink|The Invisibility Factor}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Cyclonus grew increasingly discontent with Galvatron after the Decepticon leader took to talking to [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] more than him, and began openly discussing mutiny with [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. He was sent out on a mission to locate a new [[energon]] source which had been detected on an asteroid, and found that the source was a strange [[Observer|small alien]]. Following more abuse heaped on him by Galvatron, Cyclonus was able to study the creature, and discovered that it regurgitated its food in the form of Energon. Galvatron was pleased, but while Ratbat was out searching for more of the creatures, an Autobot was detected spying on the Decepticons, and the situation soon escalated into a pitched battle. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

Along with [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] and Octane, Cyclonus intercepted [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], as the Autobot was heading for [[Andellor]]. Though Cyclonus initially disbelieved Cosmos's story, he insisted that Cosmos lead them to his destination. It was there that Cyclonus was able to recall the history of Andellor and the existence of the [[Prism of Power]]. Down on the planet, the three Decepticons ventured into a cave and were attacked, first by some tentacles from a pool, and finally by [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], who defeated them. {{storylink|Transformers in 3-D issue 2|Transformers in 3-D #2}}

Cyclonus took part in the attack on [[Tau-Ursa]] which saw Galvatron acquire a component for his latest weapon. Galvatron ordered the city destroyed. Cyclonus subsequently took part in a diversionary attack led by [[Sixshot]] while Galvatron used his new weapon, the [[Nullification Cannon]], to destroy Cybertron's Energon stocks. The Autobots began searching for the planet [[Metascan Alpha]], location of a vast store of energy, and Cyclonus took the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]]s to find them, eventually encountering [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] on a desolate moon. The Autobots quickly retreated, preferring to concentrate on their goal, but inadvertently ended up leading the [[Destructon]]s to the moon. Cyclonus and the Terrorcons were outmatched against this new foe, and Cyclonus reluctantly agreed to cooperate with the Autobots against the Destructons. {{storylink|The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3}}

{{note|Unfortunately at this point [[Blackthorne Publishing]] went bankrupt, so the outcome of this alliance may never be known.}}

===St. Michael ''The Transformers'' Sticker Book===
{{notemultipath}}
Cyclonus served under [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] on a Decepticon ship, when they managed to shoot down the ship being captained by Ultra Magnus. After the Autobots crash-landed on planet [[Barrenikon]], the Decepticons landed their ship nearby to finish off their enemies. In the many possible adventures that followed, Cyclonus usually remained aboard the ship, while the Combaticons went out in the field to deal with the Autobots. He nonetheless encountered [[you]] and your Autobot friends when you had to sneak aboard to steal the Decepticon ship's power pack. {{storylink|The Transformers Sticker Book (St. Michael)|The Transformers Sticker Book}}

===3H comics===
{{quote|But ''I'' grew up! ''You're'' still kissing the skidplate of a 'con with more vision than you! Only now it's a two-bit crime boss with delusions of grandeur instead of the psychotic leftovers of Megatron's legacy!|Rodimus trash talks Cyclonus|"[[Wreckers: Finale Part II]]"}}

[[File:Cryotekcyclonusseries.jpg|left|upright=2.8|thumb|Cryotek looks like a Megatron and hits Cyclonus only about half as much.]]
When [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] was reformatted by [[Unicron]] into Cyclonus, and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] into [[Cyclonus's Armada]], Cyclonus was given a mental link to his Armada that gave him control over him. This link persisted even when Skywarp's personality resurfaced years later. When Galvatron failed the Decepticons and the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] ended, Cyclonus turned his allegiance towards the gangster [[Cryotek (Universe)|Cryotek]]. {{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}

Centuries later, Cyclonus was caught up in the Predacon [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s attack on all Cybertron. Despite Megatron's attempts to implant his spark within a [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]] body, Cyclonus retained his own mind and managed to escape. Wishing to restore the glorious Decepticon empire, Cyclonus had already been seduced by Cryotek's ambitions when he, alongside other renegade "bad guys" Skywarp and [[Rotorbolt (Universe)|Rotorbolt]], joined the [[Wrecker]]s. In the aftermath of Megatron's [[transformation virus]], the Wreckers and a few other small groups were the only Transformers left active on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].

[[File:Wreckersskywarpcyclonus.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Looks like Cyclonus was Bombshell after all!]]
Soon, the legendary entity called the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] gathered these groups together and gave them each a task. The Wreckers were summoned to a far-off planet, and so the team fought their way through scores of Vehicons to secure a shuttle. Cyclonus and Skywarp's arrival helped seal the Wreckers' victory, and the group managed to leave Cybertron towards their destination. {{storylink|Departure}}

After some difficulties with [[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]], a stowaway, Cyclonus and the other Wreckers landed on [[Akalo|Archa Nine]], where they learned of a mysterious energy-generating crystal named the "[[Divine Light]]". Cyclonus killed the [[Maximal]] [[Packrat]], nearly killed Rotorbolt, and stole the Divine Light, and after taunting his deceived "comrades," fled home to deliver the artifact to his true master. {{storylink|Betrayal}}

[[File:WreckersFinaleII-RodimusCyclonus.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Any possible caption for this image is already taken by the in-story banter.]]
As Cryotek siphoned the power of [[Primus]] by using the Divine Light, his ascension to borrowed godhood was guarded by Cyclonus. At first, Cyclonus seemed to have the upper hand when he appeared to be able to command Skywarp. Skywarp's complicity was just a ruse, however, and Cyclonus found himself doublecrossed. With the rest of the Wreckers busy, Cyclonus faced his old rival, Rodimus, in a very personal battle. After trading barbs both physical and verbal, the two ended their duel in a messy, violent stalemate. This stalemate lasted until Rotorbolt arrived and ended Cyclonus, avenging his near-deadly encounter on Archa Nine. Cryotek briefly resurrected him as one of many [[zombie]]s, but his subsequent defeat at the hands of Rodimus, [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], [[Sentinel Maximus]], [[Al-Badur]], and [[Ramulus]] ended Cyclonus's life again. {{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}

Cyclonus was apparently a [[Minion of Unicron]], though it is unknown if or when he participated in the [[Universe War]]. {{storylink|Betrayal|Cyclonus's ''Universe'' profile}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Cyclonusdreamwave.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Neither Skywarp nor Bombshell? This is madness!]]
After [[Unicron]] consumed the planet [[Lithone (planet)|Lithone]] in the wake of his reactivation, the Cyclonus series of drone was built within pods inside the chaos-bringer's body, constructed from the remnants Lithone's matter and captured inhabitants. The second in a series of Unicron's drone fleets, the Cyclonus model was considered by the [[Quintesson]]s to be more powerful, more efficient and more of a threat. One of these drones broke out of his incubation pod as [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] was having some difficulties on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 #0}}

{{note|Future stories would have brought Cyclonus to the fore, but due to [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]]'s plunge into insolvency, these stories were never published.}}

Cyclonus attacked the base of the Earth Defense Command in order to retrieve Scourge, who was being held there. {{storylink|Unreleased Dreamwave issues#Issue 13|Generation 1 #13}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:Cyclonus GIJoevsTFsII3.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|left]]
Cyclonus was serving Shockwave when the latter was running the Cybertronian Decepticons in Megatron's absence. After failing to capture a group of [[energon cube]]-stealing Autobots, he was part of a unit standing by to seize several Autobots and [[G.I. Joe (team)|Joes]] as they used [[Teletran 3]] to prevent damage to the time-stream. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1}} When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] put up a force field around the computer, Cyclonus reported to Shockwave that the field would soon fall, and was pleased when Shockwave told him his life was ensured for another [[Units of time|cycle]]. When the field came down, Cyclonus helped capture the Autobots and shoot [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] in the back when he arrived from the future. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3}}

Following their victory, Cyclonus listened to Shockwave's intentions of dissecting the humans, only for the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] to arrive from the past and attack the Decepticons. It is unknown if Cyclonus survived the battle. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{note|IDW Cyclonus is an ancient Transformer who is not a Decepticon and has no connection to Unicron, Bombshell or Skywarp.}}
{{main|Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity}}
[[File:Cyclonusunleashed.jpg|upright=1.8|thumb]]
After being a religious youth, Cyclonus ultimately became a senior officer on [[Nova Prime]]'s ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', which plunged into the [[Benzuli Expanse]] millions of [[Units of time|meta-cycles]] ago and hence continued to serve [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]]. He had a fierce love of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and wanted to see it bring about an ordered universe, bringing structure to a chaotic universe and hoped ordering the universe might order him. After the failure of [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]]'s [[Expansion]] plans {{storylink|Revelation (IDW)|Revelation}}, he settled down to die for good on [[Gorlam Prime]], until [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]] healed him with the [[Darkness (G1)|Heart of Darkness]] and "suborned him to its will". He followed Galvatron on his quest to stop [[D-Void]], despite misgivings on the truth of D-Void's existence {{storylink|The Transformers: Heart of Darkness|Heart of Darkness}}, until he realised at the last, after an assault on Cybertron that left many Autobots dead, that Galvatron had forced him to hurt Cybertron, giving [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] an opening to heal [[Vector Sigma]] at the cost of the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. {{storylink|Chaos (IDW)|Chaos}}

Afterward, healed of his undead state by Vector Sigma but having been mistaken for a Decepticon by the Autobots, he was initially penned up with the Decepticons until a deal with [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]], who had been there when he turned on Galvatron, allowed him to join the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]''. Rooming with fellow ancient [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], who he swings between contempt and affection for, and mourning the loss of "his" Cybertron (occasionally in song) he mostly keeps himself to himself. And hates [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye}}
{{-}}

===''Universe'' toy bio===
Cyclonus was constructed from the cast-off chassis of deactivated Decepticons, programmed by Unicron to be loyal only to Galvatron. {{storylink|Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Universe (2008)|''Universe'' Cyclonus toy bio}}

===''Universe'' cartoon===
[[File:FfE Cyclonus.JPG|thumb|upright=1.4|left|Red Eyes Insanity!]]
Cyclonus was helping Megatron mine Energon from a gas station, mostly by taking pot-shots at [[bunny rabbit|bunnies]]. This ended shortly after he was El Kabong'd by [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[energon-axe|axed]] by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Prime]]. {{storylink|Fight for Energon}}
{{-}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in manga===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 9|Henkei! Henkei! #9}} {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 12|Henkei! Henkei! #12}}}}

===''Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun'' manga===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Time of Resurrection}} {{storylink|Creation! The New Emperor of Destruction!!}} {{storylink|The Threat of Galvatron}} {{storylink|Revenge (Henkei)|Revenge}} {{storylink|A Nightmare, Once Again}} {{storylink|To the Sea of Stars}}}}

===''Henkei! Henkei! Transformers -Visualize-''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Visualize Shot 11}}}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
{{ongoing}}
Cyclonus led a group of Decepticons deployed to capture the [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]] who were invading Megatron's Cybertron, though to Megatron's displeasure all they returned with was a couple of Autobots. {{storylink|Targetmasters (issue)|Targetmasters}} He later reported [[Destro]]'s imminent arrival via [[M.A.S.S. Device]] to Megatron. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
The [[Cyclonus Memorial Tower]], also known as the Cortex, was presumably named in honor of Cyclonus. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
In one universal stream which [[Unicron]] destroyed, Unicron created Cyclonus from the remains of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s deceased subordinates while Megatron himself was reformatted into [[Galvatron (G1)#Dreamwave Armada comic|Galvatron]]. Galvatron, Cyclonus, and [[Scourge (G1)#Dreamwave Armada comic|Scourge]] served Unicron in preparing universes for destruction, but Cyclonus eventually met his end when one Primax Megatron, unhappy at the prospect of his universe being destroyed, ripped his head off. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 19/9/2015}}

==Commercial appearances==
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], Cyclonus, and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] faced off against [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] until Autobot reinforcements showed up in the form of [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and [[Hot Rod]]. With the appearance of these new arrivals, Cyclonus declared that he was itching for a fight. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Cyclonus, Scourge, Rodimus Prime|Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Cyclonus, Scourge, and Rodimus Prime commercial}}
*When Galvatron, Cyclonus, and Scourge were joined by [[Sixshot]] in battle, he counted off the new Decepticon's modes while Galvatron named them all. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Sixshot|Sixshot commercial}}
*Galvatron and Cyclonus met with their Decepticon agent [[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]] in an isloated spot. There, Counterpunch handed them an Autobot device, and declared that Galvatron could definitely trust him... {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Punch and Clones|Punch/Counterpunch and Clones commercial}}
*Cyclonus, [[Octane]], and Scourge launched an attack on the Autobots' base, only to be met with the [[Monsterbot]]s, who gave them a good trouncing. Cyclonus was shaken about by [[Doublecross]]. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Monsterbots|Monsterbots commercial}}

==Games==
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
[[File:TF PS2 Cyclonus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
{{voiceactor|[[Barry Gjerde]] (English)}}
====Decepticon story====
As one of the elite troops sent back in time to prevent Shockwave's unstoppable rampage, Cyclonus acted as Galvatron's second in command. When they joined forces with Megatron and his troops, Cyclonus worked with Soundwave in identifying possible targets. At one point, the pair disagreed with one another over one of these targets and Cyclonus threatened Soundwave into accepting all blame if the lead didn't pan out. Soundwave agreed, but ominously warned that he charged a high price for being spoken to in such a manner.

Sure enough, the operation was a dud and Cyclonus attempted to deflect the blame to Soundwave, who promptly played back a recording of the entire conversation. Unluckily for Cyclonus, that conversation included him insulting Megatron and referring to him as obsolete scrap. Soundwave next had the pleasure of recording Cyclonus's screams as Megatron used him for target practice.

Cyclonus also had the unusual experience of being impressed with Starscream when the normally-treacherous Air Commander successfully defused a potentially lethal fight between Megatron and Galvatron. {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

====Autobot story====
Cyclonus attacked the Autobots inside the Atalstan gem mine with Octane for support. Deciding to skip the usual pre-fight banter, Cyclonus got right to the fighting. After a fierce battle, the Autobots managed to take down Cyclonus and Octane. Defeated, Cyclonus stated that he had underestimated the Autobots' power and that he needed to retreat and rest. He bid the Autobots goodbye and transformed into his fighter craft form, retreating from the mine. Rodimus Prime expressed disappointment about how Cyclonus got away, and Optimus acknowledged that Cyclonus was a tough opponent.

Later, Cyclonus joined up with Scourge while the latter was fighting the Autobots on their way to the ELTA. Both were eventually defeated, and Cyclonus decided to fall back, almost leaving Scourge behind! {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

===''Transformers: Legends''===
[[File:TFLegendsApp-Cyclonus.jpg|thumb|left]]
[[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] was reformatted into Cyclonus at some point. He served [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] as second-in-command. {{storylink|The Coronation of Starscream}} Cyclonus and Scourge were tasked with leading raids on an Autobot supply convoy and managed to deal the Autobots a heavy blow. {{storylink|Cold Delivery}} Following Megatron's demise, the pair opposed [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s bid for leadership. {{storylink|The Coronation of Starscream}} They later aided [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] after his rebirth in [[Unicron]]'s maw, but their might was insufficient and they were defeated by Rodimus's forces. {{storylink|All Hail Galvatron}} Cyclonus was among a handful of Decepticons who ventured inside Unicron to search for [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. After encountering [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]], then falling foul of Unicron's internal defenses, the Decepticons resumed their search. {{storylink|Belly of the Beast (Legends)|Belly of the Beast}} Following the destruction of Unicron, Cyclonus tracked down Galvatron on the planet [[Krull]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness: Part 1}}

Cyclonus and Scourge both fell under Starscream's control as the Air Commander attempted to supply Unicron with a new body in the form of [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. They were intercepted by Autobots and defeated, forcing Starscream to relinquish control, however the pair had no memory of the events, and returned bewildered to base. {{storylink|Unicron Returns}}

At some point Cyclonus teamed up with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] to combat [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] and his allies. {{storylink|Fan Favorite}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsCyclonus.jpg|thumb|right|400px|"NOW I get my armada!"]]
Cyclonus participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Rare character who could be recruited after collecting 175 units of Cybermetal, 110 units of Transmetal, and 70 soldier cores. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Frontiers''===
{{charstubgame|{{storylink|Transformers: Frontiers}}}}

==Toys==
{{main|Cyclonus (G1)/toys}}
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:FriedmanAuctionCyclonusModelEdit.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Wait, how do his ears shift from pink to lavender in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]?]]
[[File:Cyclonusscale.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|He's big!]]
*When asked about Cyclonus's design in an online interview, [[Floro Dery]]'s reply was, "Cyclonus was a small time demon."<ref>[http://transformersph.blogspot.com/2007/06/interview-with-floro-dery.html TransFormers Philippines: Interview With Floro Dery]</ref>
*In 2010, a set of Cyclonus's original color models from ''The Transformers: The Movie'' went up for sale on Heritage Auctions, sold from [[Ron Friedman|Ron Friedman's]] collection of [[Sunbow Productions]] materials. In contrast to his final model and toys, this early color model depicted him with pink, magenta, and cyan parts... and luscious, kissable lips. Odd.
*During ''The Transformers: The Movie'', Cyclonus is shown to be [[:File:Cyclonuscoronation.jpg|''huge'' in vehicle form]], serving as a personal attack ship for Galvatron, despite being a normal-sized robot. In the cartoon's subsequent third season, however, Galvatron uses the ''[[Revenge (G1)|Revenge]]'' and his own flight capabilities as his primary means of transport, and Cyclonus never shows such size-changing abilities again except in the episode "Starscream's Ghost".
*In two scenes in the US edition of [[Broken Glass!|''Headmasters'' #2]], where Cyclonus was supposed to appear, artist [[Frank Springer]] [[The Transformers: Headmasters|accidentally drew]] a giant-sized version of [[Nightstick (Cyclonus)|Nightstick]] (though it's actually [[Fracas]], but those two's character models got swapped and... oy), who was then colored like Cyclonus. For the UK printing of the story, since audiences were already very familiar with Cyclonus from exclusive stories in that comic, the giant Nightstick was renamed "[[Krunix (G1)|Krunix]]".
*Cyclonus's unique origin in the UK comics is a result of Simon Furman's misinterpretation of the movie summary he had read (having not yet actually seen the feature), which referenced the fading "life spark" of a Decepticon. This led to Cyclonus actually claiming he had been rebuilt from a Decepticon named "[[Life Spark]]".
*Cyclonus's voice in the Generation One cartoon is noticeably inconsistent. In some episodes (e.g "The Big Broadcast of 2006") he speaks with a sinister, purring baritone. In others (the "Five Faces of Darkness" episodes) his voice takes on a comical, overly dramatic thespian quality.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Cyclonus''' (サイクロナス ''Saikuronasu'')
*''Italian:'' '''Ciclone''' ("Cyclone")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Hsuèn-fōng''' (Taiwan, 旋風, "Cyclone"), '''Kuáng Biāo''' (China, 狂飙, "Mad Whirlwind")
*''Russian:'' '''Ciklon''' (Циклон, "Cyclone")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Machines characters]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising characters]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Decepticons]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Minions of Unicron]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Decepticons]]
[[Category:Saboteurs]]
[[Category:Seekers]]
[[Category:Targetmasters]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Unicron-related characters]]
[[Category:Unite Warriors Decepticons]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Universe Decepticons]]
[[Category:Vehicons]]
[[Category:Wreckers]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

Fire in the Sky

2013-07-20T19:45:24Z

CommanderModesty: /* Animation or technical glitches */

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=7
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=62
|prev2=Masquerade
|next2=Fire on the Mountain
|image=Fire in the sky.jpg
|caption="If I talk to you for two minutes, I consider you my friend."
|title="Fire in the Sky"
|production code=#700-04
|airdate=[[December 8]], 1984
|written by=[[Alfred A. Pegal]]
|animation studio=[[Toei]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''While siphoning the Earth of its energy, the Decepticons uncover a long-lost colleague of Starscream.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:FireintheSky snowball.jpg|left|150px|thumb|This snow isn't as fun as Spike said it was!]]

What’s this? A blanket of snow over the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s volcano? The Autobots and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] engaged in a snowball fight? In July? In the middle of the desert? Something is amiss with the world’s weather. According to [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]'s scans, temperatures are 40 degrees below normal and falling rapidly.

[[Image:FireintheSky Reflector draincrystal.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Im in ur ice cave, steamcleanin ur crystal]]

Somewhere in the [[Arctic Circle]], the Decepticons have tapped a crystal shaft leading directly to the [[Earth's core]] to siphon the planet's heat energy into [[energon cube]]s. While excavating the icy caverns surrounding the crystal, [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] uncovers a Transformer frozen in the ice. [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] recognizes it as his old colleague [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]].

The Autobots finally pinpoint the source of the Earth’s energy drain, and Teletraan I confirms Decepticon activity surrounding a crystal outgrowth in the Arctic Circle. [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] hastily assembles an assault team, and they [[roll out]], with Spike and [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]] accompanying.

[[Image:FireintheSky DecepticonsrepairingSkyfire.jpg|left|150px|thumb|I don't care if he is a fat bastard, Thundercracker. You don't weld a bot in the pills. It's just not cricket.]]

The Decepticons have hauled the frozen titan out of the ice and proceed to repair it. Starscream explains his past: [[MYA|millions of years ago]], before the final falling out between the Autobots and Decepticons, Starscream and Skyfire were both explorers. They were charting an unknown planet, Earth, when a storm separated the two and Skyfire was lost.

Skyfire awakens and [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] welcomes him to the Decepticon cause. Though Skyfire is grateful for having been thawed out, he shows doubts about being a warrior rather than a scientist. He commits to the cause out of loyalty to Starscream. When the Autobots arrive in the Arctic, Skyfire targets them for destruction.

[[Image:FireintheSky Skyfire peers in.jpg|right|150px|thumb|I see you.]]

Skyfire opens fire, scattering the Autobots. Spike tumbles through the ice into the arctic waters. Sparkplug pulls him out, but they are trapped on an ice floe. They cry out for help. Skyfire is intrigued by the new lifeforms and tries to befriend them, not realizing that they are terrified by Decepticons. Spike and Sparkplug try to explain that it’s the Decepticons that are the true monsters. The naïve Skyfire takes the humans to Megatron to prove the Decepticons' good intentions. Megatron and Starscream promptly imprison Spike and Sparkplug behind bars of ice, and plan their execution, leaving Skyfire troubled.

[[Image:FireintheSky pileofparts.jpg|left|150px|thumb|They got better.]]

Optimus leads his Autobot team into the icy caverns, but a cave-in splits the team in two. Prime's group finds the humans and frees them, while the other team—including [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Gears (G1)|Gears]]—find the crystal shaft tap. Megatron discovers this second group and has his soldiers capture them. To test Skyfire's loyalty, Starscream orders Skyfire to execute the captives. Skyfire refuses, and in a fit of rage, Starscream blasts his old friend. Starscream then blasts the prisoners to pieces.

[[Image:FireintheSky Skyfires magicAutobotsymbol.jpg|right|150px|thumb|A changing faction symbol? It's Sideways! Get him!]]

Well, not really. Once again, one of Hound's holograms has saved the day, creating the illusion of blasted Autobot parts. When Starscream departs, Hound drops the illusion. An ailing Skyfire awakens and is pleased to see the Autobots functioning. The disparate Autobot teams unite as Ratchet repairs the fallen titan. [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] spies Ratchet's work and reports to Megatron. The Decepticon leader chews out Starscream for failing to kill the prisoners. Megatron orders his soldiers to attack.

[[Image:FireintheSky Memorial.jpg|left|150px|thumb|"Rest in peace, Skyfire." "[[Fire on the Mountain|I'm not dead!]]" "I can still hear his voice on the wind... *sniff*"]]

As the battle progresses, Prime and Megatron each grab shards of crystals and engage in a duel. Skyfire appears on the battlefield, and Megatron orders him to attack Prime. Skyfire refuses, and proudly declares himself an Autobot, attacking Megatron and his Decepticons instead.

The battle takes to the air as Starscream and Skyfire engage in an aerial dogfight. A midair collision sends Skyfire out of control. In a last ditch effort, his blasts bury the crystal, but Skyfire crashes into the ice. The Autobots mourn Skyfire’s heroic sacrifice.

{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] (2)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] (3)
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (4)
*[[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (5)
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (6)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (7)
*[[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (8)
*[[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] (14)
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (15)

|c2=
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (9)
*[[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (10)
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (11)
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (12)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (13)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (17)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (18)
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (19)
*[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (20)

|c3=
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (1)
*[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] (16)
}}

==Quotes==
"Not snowman, Spike. Snowbot! There's a flurry in a hurry!"
:—A snow-covered '''Jazz''', surprising Spike

"Okay, Spike. You rat on me, I'll splat on you!"
:—'''Bumblebee''', after Spike warns Ratchet about Bumblebee's incoming snowball

[[Image:FireintheSky Gears crashes through ice.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Ironically, Gears is the one with the junk in his trunk. Well, truck bed, anyway.]]
"Ironhide's carrying too much lead in his caboose!"
:—'''Gears''', predating the "junk in the trunk" standard after they all fall through an ice sheet

"Lucky for you my laser has a defrost cycle."
:—'''Cliffjumper''' breaks Spike and Sparkplug out of an ice prison.

"Well, I'll be reprogrammed with a rivet roller."
:—'''Ironhide''' reveals yet another unusual piece of Cybertronian technology.

"I'm a scientist, not an executioner!"
:—'''Skyfire''' objecting to Starscream's demand that he execute the captives.

"He won't be forgotten, Spike. He will live forever... so long as freedom exists. We shall remember you, Skyfire."
:—'''Optimus Prime'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s eulogy for Skyfire

==Notes==
===Animation or technical glitches===
[[Image:FireintheSky Gears AninconvienientTruth.jpg|right|200px|thumb|ManBearPig - I'm serial!]]
* Jazz laughs at Spike's "I get the drift" line in Cliffjumper's voice.
* His voice apparently stolen by Jazz, Cliffjumper oophs and grunts in a Don Messick voice as he bangs into a tree. It's similar to the "What does it instantly immobilize?" flub from the later episode "[[The Immobilizer]]".
* As Optimus Prime muses about how the heat from the Earth's core is being drained away, Gears can be seen in the background sitting in front of a console with a very small screen. But during the closeup of Gears, the screen is ''much'' larger. The screen also makes a mechanical whirring noise as the view pans across a native village, as if the screen itself were moving.
* While Megatron and Starscream are talking at the energon cube-filler machine, Reflector places an already-filled energon cube at the machine, seemingly to have it filled. In the same shot, another Reflector bot's chest is all gray.
* Rumble's mouth moves after Skywarp taunts him, but rather uncharacteristically, he doesn't actually say anything.
* As Starscream berates Skywarp and Rumble for standing around, Skywarp's cockpit fringe is gray instead of black, and Rumble's eyeband is gray.
* In fact, they're sitting, not standing. They did both just get bowled over by a ton of ice, after all.
* The first bit of Skyfire that's sticking out of the ice doesn't correspond to any actual part on his body.
* After Starscream melts away more of the ice, that first part of Skyfire is no longer sticking out.
* While watching the Sky Spy's footage, Spike describes a "weird light", but the screen shows nothing of the sort. The big, green, not-a-light crystal is plain as day, though.
* When the Autobots roll out, the background is moving far too quickly, making them appear to be sliding across frame while transforming. It doesn't help that they aren't drawn very well, either.
* Appearing / disappearing Autobots:
** Only Prime, Jazz, Ironhide and Hound are shown rolling out. Gears shows up in the convoy on the way to the north pole. Cliffjumper, Ratchet and Bumblebee finally show up when the group transforms in front of Skyfire.
* "Give him 50,000 volts" - Starscream's "collar" is red instead of gray.
* As Soundwave deploys the electrical device, his face is misdrawn with a strangely pointy faceplate, and his eyeband is colored gray instead of red.
* "I knew him once" - the tip of Starscream's gun turns the same blue as his glove as he gestures.
* In Skyfire's memory monitor, a distant shot shows Starscream looking like a short, dumpy version of [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]].
* When Skyfire first wakes up and asks where he is, Starscream's mouth appears to be moving, but he isn't actually saying anything. In the same shot, the back of Thundercracker's head is white instead of black.
* The base of Megatron's fusion cannon is the same silver as his arm, as he introduces himself to Skyfire.
* "Hail Cybertron!" - Skyfire's face is white instead of gray.
* As Skyfire first takes aim at the Autobots, his Decepticon symbol is red.
* As the Autobots roll toward Skyfire in profile, Jazz's fenders are colored windshield blue.
* When the Autobots stop in front of Skyfire, they're ''tiny'' - maybe as tall as his feet.
* When Spike yells for help, one of Hound's laser blasts comes out of mid-air instead of his gun.
[[Image:Skyfire-Valkyrie-Arm-FitS.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Gotta admit it...that boy has really gotten a lot better.]]
* When Skyfire picks up Spike and Sparkplug, his entire right arm, including his gun, is drawn as the Macross Valkyrie-styled arm from his [[Jetfire_(G1)#Notes|original animation model]].
* "I'll take you to Megatron, my leader" - red Decepticon symbol on Skyfire again.
* Spike and Sparkplug's fur hats are beige instead of brown as they look at each other in fear.
* In a rather odd shot set up, Skyfire is too big to fit into a cave that Megatron and Starscream stand in. He’s forced to peer through the cave’s opening.
* After Starscream shoots his hand, Skyfire has an extra line on his face that makes him look like an old man (the same trick later used to distinguish [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] from his Rodimus Prime persona.) His arm jointing seems oddly drawn, as well.
* When Bumblebee tells Optimus that he can't find Ironhide and the others, the animation makes him look like he's floating a foot or two above the ground.
* Prime clearly drives into the caves without his trailer. When Bumblebee reports in, Prime does have his trailer. In the next shot, he lacks the trailer again. His smokestacks are rendered as thin red lines, too.

** Later, during the big fight at the end, Prime's trailer appears again so he can use its weapons.
* Gears is missing his forearm as he and the others peer at the green crystal.
* "We'd better find Optimus and the others before..." Ironhide's backside is entirely dark gray; there should be some red and light gray.
* "With pleasure, Megatron!" The bridge of Starscream's nose is light gray; it should be dark gray.
* As Hound gets to his feet, he leaves a copy of his missile launcher behind, briefly giving him ''two'' launchers. In the same shot, Ratchet's mouth goes missing.
* In the wide shot of Ratchet repairing Skyfire, Skyfire's got a red Decepticon symbol yet again.
* Skywarp's nosecone is all orange as he transforms and takes off.
* Prime's bumper is yellow as he spins around to transform his trailer.
* Megatron's missing his back gun barrel as he spins 180 at the waist.
* Optimus is shown mouthing Megatron’s order to Skyfire (to destroy Optimus Prime!)
* Starscream fires strange cross-hatch lasers at Skyfire. As he swoops in, a purple Autobot symbol is briefly visible on his wing.
* Spike and Sparkplug are both shown mouthing Spike's "Belt him in the burners" line.
* As the Autobots cheer for Skyfire's apparent victory, Optimus Prime's whole torso is colored blue.
* Skyfire's thruster nozzles are white as he approaches the crystal.

===Continuity errors===

* This episode's basic premise is one of the most bizarre and scientifically ludicrous conceits ever created by the cartoon - namely, the idea that draining the energy of the Earth's core would somehow severely and instantly affect its climate, causing plummeting temperatures world wide. If internal heat generates the planet's climate, why would there be big frozen zones at the poles? Doesn't Earth actually have a big [[Sun|external heat source]] that would offset the devastating loss of this (infinitesimal) heat source?

* Teletraan I says the global average temperature has dropped by 40 degrees. To put that in context, the average temperature was about 8 degrees less than the present day ''during the last ice age.''
* What exactly do green crystals have to do with the Earth's core?
* Superhuman Spike:
** Spike not only survives (without bruising, or bleeding) a watermelon-sized snowball headshot (to the face) powerful enough to knock him off a cliff, but also rolling down said cliff with enough velocity to knock over several full-sized Autobots without so much as breaking a bone. In fact, he just gets up and is *smiling*!
**Spike falls and nearly drowns in Arctic water, and somehow is not overcome by hypothermia. It probably helps that both he and his clothes dry out about five seconds after being pulled out.
** Both Spike and Sparkplug seem none the worse for wear after being casually tossed onto solid ice by Starscream.
* Someone forgot that the Seekers have a pre-Earth design; in a flashback to millions of years ago, Starscream is shown transforming into his F-15 jet mode (millions of years before his arrival on Earth, or the invention of jets.) The script for the episode ''did'' call for a Cybertronian alternate mode, but evidently the animators didn't get the message.
* Skyfire/Starscream's little excursion occurred before the Cybertronian civil war even began. Yet when they fly to earth, the geography of the Americas reflects what it is today.
*The Autobots can apparently drive from the United States to the Arctic in a fairly short amount of time.
* Just where did Skyfire get this whole "evil Autobots" notion, anyway? Did he miss that whole "conquer the universe" bit in Megatron's speech?
* Gears says that his group had better go find Optimus before they're discovered by the Decepticons. The group then stands around doing nothing until, sure enough, they're discovered by the Decepticons.
[[Image:FireintheSky Reflector formation.jpg|200px|right|thumb|And then there's this. Did the script call for this? What the hell?]]
* Couldn't four Autobot prisoners overpower their captors (Starscream and Skyfire) with relative ease? Heck, Hound's still got his missile sitting there, ready to go!
* Starscream is apparently dumb enough to think that 2 piddly little null ray blasts are enough to reduce four Autobots to scrap.
* It's never adequately explained where Skyfire got an Autobot badge from. And he tears the old one off like it's made of paper.
* Why was Skyfire's whole sacrifice even necessary? Couldn't the Autobots have buried the crystal from the ground?

===Rhino DVD release===
[[Image:G1toon starscream and skyfire.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"Are you happier having a [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|red symbol]] [[Starscream (WFC)|than a purple one]], Starscream?" "Yes! It is far more exciting! And it goes so well with my red highlights!"]]

* At the beginning of the episode, the snow falls upwards and many snow effects are missing.
* In many instances Skyfire's symbol is miscolored.
* Right after he wakes up, Skyfire has a red Decepticon insignia in his chest in one shot, before they actually imprint the symbol on him.
* When Starscream blasts Skyfire, the laser blast is missing.
* The chapter stops for this episode on the Rhino DVD are Opening / Snowbot / At the Arctic Circle / "Destruction to Autobots" / An Illusion / Skyfire is Gone

===Continuity notes===
* Aside from astroseconds, Transformers also use astrominutes as units of time.
* Gadgets and powers:
** Soundwave can transform his right forearm into a cylindrical electricity firing module capable of generating a million volts.
** Ratchet uses the same forearm-mounted laser scalpel that he had in "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]".
** Laserbeak uses his forehead-mounted microphone... to broadcast a signal.
** Megatron receives that signal with a flashing of his pectoral rectangle things, a trope that will show up again in "Countdown to Extinction".
** Megatron can rotate his lower torso 180 degrees, which makes for some cool hand-to-hand combat maneuvers.
[[Image:Combat deck.jpg|thumb|right|200px| ]]
* Prime’s [[Combat Deck (G1)|Combat Deck]] cannons make a rare appearance in this episode, emerging from a non-transformed trailer.
* The first appearance of Skyfire, obviously.
* "We shall remember you, Skyfire!" Optimus solemnly vows. Yeah, especially [[Fire on the Mountain|next time we need a ride somewhere]].

===Real-world references===
* "It's educational, kids!" - we get an appearance of the Aurora Borealis.
* ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
** ''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' engine burst as the Seekers transform and take off.
** [[Death Star]] super laser as they launch their attack a second later.
** Exploding [[X-wing Fighter]] (or an explosion aboard the Death Star) as the Autobots flee from Decepticon bombs.
** Clashing [[lightsaber]]s as Ratchet gets blasted away from Skyfire.
** [[TIE Fighter]] roar as Skywarp and Thundercracker crash.
** Clashing lightsabers again as Prime knocks Megatron's cannon away.
** ''Falcon'' engine burst as Skyfire takes off.
** X-wings and TIE Fighter as Skyfire aims for the crystal.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Fogo no Céu'''" ("Fire in the Sky")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Italian'''
:*''Title (dub 1):'' "'''Sfida tra i ghiacci'''" ("Challenge in the Ice")
:*''Title (dub 2):'' "'''Fiamme nei cieli'''" ("Flames in the Skies")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Skyfire no Saisei'''" (スカイファイヤーの再生, "Skyfire's Resurrection")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 26]], [[1986]]
:*The Japanese ordering of this episode places it toward the end of the series. This was done as it featured Skyfire prominently and with his toy being of [[Bandai]] design (and not sold in Japan as a Transformer), that caused some legal concerns amongst Takara (many of Skyfire's smaller scenes in other episodes were cut entirely). Though the episodes featuring him as a main characters were eventually shown, the scripts were not reworked to adjust to the new chronological placement, simply being more or less direct translations of the original English versions.
:*'''Cut:''' After Jazz makes his "snow fair" joke, the pan across to Bumblebee has been cut.
:*'''Cut:''' After Cliffjumper crashes ino the snow-covered tree, the scene of him shaking his head, Hound sliding by and crashing into a cactus have been cut.
:*'''Cut:''' The scene of Gears pointing to his monitor and blaming the snow on the Decepticons and Prime walking up and bending forward have been cut.
:*'''Cut:''' After Megatron makes his speech about gathering enough Energon cubes to conquer the universe, the pan across the ice cave toward Rumble has been cut.
:*'''Cut:''' Following Teletraan-1's line, "Abnormally large energy expenditure in the Artic Circle", the scene of the monitor panning across the frozen tundra toward the large green crystal cone has been cut.
:*'''Cut:''' After the Autobots all transform and leave the Ark, the scene of Prime driving next to the cliffside and Spike's line, "Arctic Circle, here we come" have been cut.
:*'''Cut:''' After Starscream tosses Spike and Sparkplug to the ground, the following scene of him pointing his arm gun toward them and the humans reacting in horror have been cut. The sequence resumes as his firing on the roof of the ice cave to create the ice bars.
:*'''Cut:''' Once Soundwave ejects Ravage at Megatron's command, the scene of Megatron pointing Ravage in a certain direction and Ravage charging down the cave have been cut. The sequence resumes at the inward pan of the empty cave and Jazz's line about "searching these tunnels for astro-minutes".
:*Additional narration is added describing the scene where all the Autobots are standing over the injured Skyfire and Laserbeak sneakily observing them.
:*'''Cut:''' Immediately following ''that'' scene, the scene of Megatron sitting down and spinning an Energon cube in his hand has been cut. The sequence resumes at his blinking chest.
:*Additional narration, "and then...", is added to the scene of Megatron receiving the message from Laserbeak.

'''Russian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ogonj v nebe'''" (Огонь в небе, "Fire in the Sky")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Serbian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Vatra na nebu'''" (Ватра на небу, "Fire in the Sky")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

===Notes===
* This episode was produced as the seventh in the season, though it aired after the eighth-produced episode, "[[S.O.S. Dinobots]]".
* This episode contains the first time that Prime gives the famous "Transform and roll out" order.
*Strangely, the official [[Sunbow Productions]] cast list entry for "Fire in the Sky" names "Decepticon Workers" who "resemble Skywarp" as silent characters ("no dialogue") appearing in the episode. No such legion of Skywarps actually appears.
* Spike and Sparkplug have fashionable fur-lined cold-weather hardhats with ear flaps.
* Skyfire gets what may be the only internal monologue in the entire series, as he reflects unhappily on the Decepticons ethos.
* If you don't get a laugh out of Megatron nonchalantly beaning Starscream with an energon cube, there's no hope for you.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 1985 — ''The Transformers'' — Volume 4: "Fire in the Sky" ([[Family Home Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1995 — ''The Transformers'' — The Autobots vs. The Decepticons ([[Malofilm]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1995 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Megatron Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers'' — Decepticon Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2002 — ''Transformers'' — Original Series: Volume Three ([[Maverick Entertainment|Sony Wonder]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2002 — ''Transformers'' — Complete Original Series: Deluxe Edition (Sony Wonder) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — First Season Collector's Edition ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume Two (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2003 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 1: Series 1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Classic Transformers'' — Series One: Part One (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2008 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 01: Stagione Uno Parte Prima ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season One (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete First Season: 25th Anniversary Edition ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory)

==External links==
* [http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/fire_in_the_sky.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]

Hot Rod (G1)/toys

2013-06-21T18:31:55Z

CommanderModesty:

{{suite}}
'''[[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]''' is a bot of many toys!

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1toy hot rod.jpg|300px|thumb|This is totally what cars will look like in the far-flung future of 2005.]]
* '''Hot Rod''' (Autobot Car, 1986)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-78'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 Photon Lasers

: Hot Rod transforms into a red, orange and yellow futuristic race car. He is armed with two "Photon Laser" weapons, each with their own distinct sculpt, which fit in both his fists; only one gun can be equipped in vehicle mode, in the port in his engine block. Upon his original release, Hot Rod had unpainted [[die-cast]] metal feet, while later editions of the figure used black plastic.

: Hot Rod was one of the first toys designed specifically for the ''Transformers'' toyline, as opposed to being an imported pre-existing toy. In further contrast to the common design process for ''Transformers'' toys, he (like most of the cast of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'') was created for animation first, and had his toy created based on [[Floro Dery]]'s designs (though said animation designs would be further modified after the toy was completed). Before final production, Hot Rod was originally cast in a [[:Image:Pinkrod.jpg|pinker plastic]] to match the color of his animation model (as seen in catalogs at the time, and the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]] [[commercial]]), but oddly, he was changed to a less [[Show-accuracy|animation-accurate]] red before release. This change evidently came too late to modify the factory-applied [[sticker]]s the toy bears: the small decals on either side of Hot Rod's vehicle mode feature a pink background that would have matched the toy's original color scheme. In another, even more baffling change, an extra plastic tab was added to Hot Rod's legs before final production to keep them from fully extending and revealing his sculpted knee detail.

:Hot Rod has been retooled, reissued and redecoed several times down the years; this article strives to list each distinct edition of the figure under its own heading.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/HotRod/hotrod.htm More information on Hot Rod at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
{{anchor|G1RodimusPrime}}
[[File:G1 RodimusPrime toy.jpg|300px|thumb|As you're enjoying your retirement in 2006, tour the country in ''this!'']]
* '''Rodimus Prime''' (Autobot Hero, 1986)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-77'''
**''Accessories:'' Trailer/[[Mobile Defense Bay]], Photon Eliminator, spoiler, 2 gun shields (left & right)

: Rodimus Prime was designed in much the same way as Hot Rod, albeit with much less articulation. Rodimus transforms from a robot and [[Mobile Defense Bay]] into a futuristic truck. The toy comes with a "Photon eliminator" rifle and two blast shields to attach to either side of his battle platform's cannon. (The yellow spoiler was also to be removed and replaced during transformation.) Like Hot Rod, there are materials variations; initial releases have metal toes and rubber tires, while latter shipments replaced both with black plastic.

: This mold was later redecoed as a lucky draw prize [[Primus]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/RodimusPrime/rodimusprime.htm More information on Rodimus Prime at TFU.info]
{{-}}

{{anchor|Targetmaster}}
[[File:G1 TMHotRod toy.jpg|300px|thumb|In 2007, hood-cannons will become a standard feature.]]
* '''Hot Rod''' (Targetmaster, 1987)
**Accessories: Firebolt Targetmaster partner

: Hot Rod was re-released with his new [[Nebulan]] [[Targetmaster]] partner [[Firebolt (G1)#Generation 1|Firebolt]] a year after the original release. The toy was [[retool]]ed to have larger pegholes in his fists and his engine block so the Targetmaster gun would fit. As the original large stickers applied to Hot Rod's thighs were frequently scraped away by the friction of moving his legs up and down during transformation, the Targetmaster version sported smaller decals that avoided this problem. Unlike the original figure, Targetmaster Hot Rod only ever featured black plastic feet.

: Not originally released in Japan, the Targetmaster version of Hot Rod was later reissued by Takara as part of their ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' series in 2004 (see below). 

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Autobot/HotRod/hotrod.htm More information on Targetmaster Hot Rod at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

[[File:G1toy takara 2001 hotrod reissue.jpg|thumb|300px]]
* '''Hot Rodimus''' (2000)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-78'''
**Accessories: 2 Photon Lasers

:The original Hot Rod toy was reissued by Takara in later December 2000, as part of a small line of reissues that celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the ''Transformers'' toyline in Japan. The figure was retro-retooled from the Targetmaster version of the toy to fill the enlarged holes back in so that they could once again snugly accommodate his Photon Lasers. This version of the figure also reinstates the die-cast metal feet of its earliest release, and finally recolors the stickers on either side of the vehicle mode so that they now feature an accurate red background to match to the rest of the figure. The toy's packaging featured a metallic golden sticker advertising the anniversary.

:This version of the Hot Rod mold was also used to create the simultaneously-available exclusives "Crystal Rodimus" (see below) and the evil clone, [[Dark Hot Rod|Black Rodimus]].

{{-}}
[[File:G1toy crystal rodimus.jpg|thumb|300px]]
*'''Crystal Rodimus''' (Autobot Car, 2001)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-78C'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 Photon Lasers

: "Crystal Rodimus" uses the reissue Hot Rod mold, but cast almost entirely in translucent plastics. Limited to 1500 pieces and packaged in a monochrome blue version of Hot Rod's normal packaging, Crystal Rodimus was only available at Tokyo Toy Festival, with the joint purchase of the evil clone [[Dark Hot Rod|Black Rodimus]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2001/Autobot/HotRodClear/hotrod.htm More information on Crystal Rodimus at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

[[File:G1toy takara rodimus prime reissue.jpg|300px|thumb]]
*'''Rodimus Convoy''' (2001)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-77'''
**''Accessories:'' Trailer/Mobile Defense Bay, Photon Eliminator, spoiler, 2 gun shields (left & right)

:The original Rodimus Prime toy was reissued by Takara in mid-December 2001. It featured no notable changes from the original Generation 1 release of the figure, but it did reinstate the rubber tires and metal feet that were phased out of the original toy's production run.

{{-}}

[[File:2010 sons of cybertron rodimus.jpg|300px|thumb]]
*'''Sons of Cybertron''' (2010)
**''Accessories:'' Rocket engine/missile launcher, flame missile

:Released as part of [[TakaraTomy]]'s Welcome to ''Transformers 2010'' campaign, this redeco of ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' Rodimus is cast in translucent plastic and features the ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' release's paint applications. He is packed with a similarly translucent Deluxe class [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Classics (2006)|Optimus Prime]] from the ''Classics'' "Ultimate Battle" pack and [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|''Universe'' (2008)]] Special Edition.

:This ''Classics''/''Henkei''-based Sons of Cybertron set is a counterpart to TakaraTomy's ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]'' Sons of Cybertron set, which also features translucent versions of Deluxe (''Animated'') [[Optimus Prime (Animated)/toys|Optimus Prime]] and [[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Rodimus]].

:The ''Classics''/''Henkei'' Sons of Cybertron set was intended for the Japanese Chara Hobby 2010 festival, but was also initially offered as a raffle prize at the Cybertron Philippines, Toy Kingdom and SM Makati and [[Hasbro]]-partnered Autobot Alliance/Cybertron Con event that launched the ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'', [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|''Transformers'' (2010)]] and [[Power Core Combiners]] toylines in the Philippines.,<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/classics-11/sons-of-cybertron-crystal-classics-optimus-prime-and-rodimus-set-images-169977/ TFW2005.com reports on the Philippines Autobot Alliance/Cybertron Con event. June 18, 2010]</ref> and was available for purchase at the [[Cybertron Con 2010]] [[Shanghai]] convention as well as various online toy retailers.

{{-}}

===Transform Jr===
[[File:Tfjr rodimus prime.jpg|thumb|300px]]
* '''Rodimus Convoy''' (1986)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-77'''
**''Accessories:'' Photon eliminator, cardboard trailer

:''[[Transform Jr]]'' Rodimus Prime is a downsized version of the standard toy, far less simplified than most figures in the ''Jr'' line (on account of how simple the regular toy is in the first place). Made of only red and yellow plastic, he is armed with his Photon Eliminator, and comes with a non-transforming version of his trailer made partially out of cardboard. He also came packaged with a small die-cast metal figurine of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]].

::*''[http://www.vega.or.jp/~butto/tftcollejr-03.htm More information on Transform Jr Rodimus Convoy at Butto's Transformers Collection.]
{{-}}

===Return of Convoy===
[[File:Hotrodmicromaster.jpg|300px|thumb|2011: The year the Shriners will take over the automotive industry.]]
* '''Star Convoy w/ Hot Rodimus''' (Autobot, 1991/2005)
** ''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-372'''

: Available only with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Star Convoy]], Hot Rod's [[Micromaster]] form is a simplified version of his original toy, transforming into the same futuristic race car. Like all Micromasters, he features a notch in the base of his feet that allows him to peg inside Star Convoy's chest and stand on his base mode's rotating turret.

:In 2005, Star Convoy was re-released with several deco changes; in Hot Rod's case, his stickers were replaced with [[paint operation|paint applications]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1991/Cybertron/HotRodimus/hotrodimus.htm More information on Return of Convoy Hot Rodimus at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Choro-Q===
[[File:Choro Q Rodimus.jpg|300px|thumb|The average car of 2022 will have expanded to fit the average American driver.]]
*'''Rodimus Convoy TV Version''' (2001)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''Q/05'''
**''Accessories:'' Photon Eliminator rifle

: Transforming super deformed version of Rodimus Convoy containing a pull back motor. He came with a small version of his Photon Eliminator rifle that can be held in his hand or attached to the top of the truck when in [[Choro-Q]] (vehicle) mode.

*'''Rodimus Convoy Metallic Version''' (2001)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''Q/06'''
**''Accessories:'' Photon Eliminator rifle

: This metallic version featured metallic flake paint for the body and gold paint for the wings on Rodimus's back. Otherwise, the toy is the same.

{{-}}

===Commemorative Series===

[[File:Commemorative series rodimus toys.jpg|thumb|300px]]

*'''Rodimus Major''' (2002)
**''Accessories:'' 2 Photon Lasers

:Hasbro's first and, to date, only reissue of the Hot Rod toy used the re-modified mold from Takara's 2001 edition, with smaller peg-holes for his Photon Lasers, and die-cast metal feet. As part of the first wave of "[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]]" figures, Hot Rod had to undergo a name change due to Hasbro's inability to trademark his old name, but the "Major" suffix failed to stick and was only ever used on this edition of the toy.
:This version of the mold removes the pins in his arms and instead the arms stay in via very small pegs. This is likely due to the part being prone to breakage. Subsequent uses of this mold also shared this retool.

*'''Rodimus Prime''' (2004)
**''Accessories:'' Trailer/Mobile Defense Bay, Photon Eliminator, spoiler, 2 gun shields (left & right)

:Part of the seventh wave of the Commemorative Series, Hasbro's reissue of Rodimus Prime was identical to Takara's 2001 reissue of the figure, featuring metal feet and rubber tires, and no other notable changes from the original figure. The toy did, however, feature an [[misassembly|assembly error]] that saw a portion of the chest being assembled backwards.

{{-}}

===The Transformers Collection===

[[File:Tfc hot rod.jpg|thumb|300px]]

*'''Hot Rodimus''' (2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''13'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 Photon Lasers, Firebolt Targetmaster partner

:The most recent reissue of Hot Rod followed the trend begun by earlier reissues of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)/toys|Megatron]], and offered the most "complete" version of the toy available by including all the accessories that had come with the different releases of the figure through the years. His peg holes were modified for the third time, enlarged once again to accommodate [[Firebolt (G1)#The Transformers Collection|Firebolt]], and his Photon Lasers' pegs were similarly widened to fit comfortably in the newly-sized ports. Additionally, this version of Hot Rod replaced the factory-applied stickers on his chest and sides with [[tampograph]]s, completely redesigning the flame design on the latter decals. His chest decoration was modified to resemble the cartoon coloration more accurately. It is quite surprising though that the set still retained the original Hot Rodimus decal sheet, especially the non corrected longer thigh decals (which tended to get scrapped when transformed into vehicle mode).

:This set included a [[Tech Spec]] card that retroactively gave the Targetmaster version of Hot Rod the Japanese ID number "C-110", as the toy had never been released in Japan before this point.

::*''[http://www.tf-1.com/articles/reissue/TMhotrod_template.html More information on Transformers Collection Targetmaster Hot Rod at TF-1.com]
{{-}}

===Smallest Transforming Transformers===
[[File:Wstf hot rod.jpg|thumb|300px]]
*'''Hot Rodimus''' (2004/2006)
**''Accessories:'' 2 Photon Lasers

:Initially intended for release in the cancelled third wave of Takara's ''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'' line of diminutive ''Transformers'' figures, Hot Rod eventually saw the light of day as the 1-in-24 [[shortpacking|shortpacked]] "chase" figure in wave "2.5" of the series, which was already of comparatively limited availability. He came with tiny versions of his original Photon Lasers (which were attached to a plastic sprue and had to be removed by the buyer), and was [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] like all ''Smallest Transforming'' figures.

:Hot Rod was later made available again as a [[Toys"R"Us]] exclusive in 2006, in a unique monochrome red box, available only with purchase of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|''Hybrid Style'' Optimus Prime]].

::*''[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/toys/smallest-transformers/hot-rod/1704/ More information on Smallest Transforming Hot Rodimus at Seibertron.com]''

{{-}}

===Classics (2006)===
[[File:Rodimusclassics.jpg|300px|thumb|And in 2026, the future predicted in 1978 will finally come to pass. Perfect for a road trip to Sanctuary!]]
*'''Rodimus''' (Deluxe, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Rocket engine/missile launcher, flame missile

: ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' Rodimus is a sleeker, more streamlined version of the original, now transforming into a heavily-altered [[Wikipedia:Dome Zero|Dome Zero]]. His rear-mounted thruster engine becomes a hand-held weapon in robot mode, launching a spring-loaded missile, or can remain attached to his back to become some kind of jet pack. His left arm also hides a flip-out "comm unit" that is clearly supposed to be the buzzsaw he used for a brief period in [[The Transformers: The Movie|the Movie]]. As with all ''Classics'' toys, Rodimus has a heat-sensitive [[rubsign]].

: In a twist of delicious buttery fandom irony, ''Classics'' Rodimus has elements that were introduced in [[Rodimus (Energon)|''Energon'' Rodimus]], making him a somewhat backwards-[[homage]]. His face also appears to take visual cues from how he was drawn by [[Derek Yaniger]] in the [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|''Generation 2'' comic book]].

: This mold was used to make the evil "[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (toyline)|Shattered Glass]]" [[Rodimus (SG)|Rodimus]], ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Gentei! Gentei!]]'' [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] and ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Side Burn (G1)|Side Burn]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/ClassicsRodimus/rodimus.htm More information on Classic Rodimus at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Titanium Series===
[[File:TitaniumHeroRodimus toy.jpg|300px|thumb|Winnebago... ''of the '''future'''!!!'']]
*'''Rodimus Prime''' (6-inch Cybertron Heroes, 2007)
**''Accessories:'' Photon Eliminator rifle

: ''Titanium Cybertron Heroes'' Rodimus Prime is a mostly die-cast metal transforming toy based loosely upon the original ''Generation 1'' Rodimus Prime toy. He features much greater articulation and bulkier body proportions.

: Unlike the original toy which separated into a robot and a battle station, the entire vehicle mode of the 6-inch ''Titanium'' version transforms into the robot mode. As with ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' Rodimus, ''Titanium'' Rodimus Prime takes some visual cues from the ''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' version of the character in addition to the original toy and the animation model... ''and'' the actual ''Classics'' Rodimus toy, such as the engine-block dickie.

: This mold was [[redeco]]ed into ''Titanium'' [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Autobot/TitRodimusPrime/rodimus.htm More information on Titanium Rodimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
===Kiss Players===
[[File:KPHotRodimus.jpg|300px|thumb|The fishing rod turns into arm blasters. The girl eats dumplings.]]
*'''Hot Rodimus X SyaoSyao''' (2006)
**''Accessories:'' Engine/tonfa weapons, fishing rod/Exhaust Eliminator, ShaoShao Li figurine with steamer

: ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (toyline)|Kiss Players]]'' Hot Rodimus is a retool and redeco of the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] toy, transforming into a red Ford GT. His engine becomes a pair of pistols that double as tonfa weapons, and his fishing rod can be taken apart and reassembled to create a triple-barreled arm-mounted blaster reminiscent of the original Hot Rod's exhaust pipe weapons. His new head sculpt includes a retractable visor patterned after the one used in the movie.

:The toy also included a PVC figurine of the character's "Kiss Player" partner [[Shaoshao Li]] and a bamboo dumpling steamer, as well as a CD including episodes 11-20 of the [[Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)|''Kiss Players'' radio drama]] and the exclusive 10-minute audio adventure, "A Big Catch Tonight?!".

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Autobot/AltRodimus/rodimus.htm More information on Kiss Players Hot Rodimus at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Alternators===
[[File:Alternators Rodimus toy.jpg|300px|thumb|He wants to go fishing too...]]
*'''Rodimus''' (2007)
**''Accessories:'' Engine/tonfa weapons

: ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' Rodimus is an exclusive figure, released at the [[San Diego Comic-Con]] and [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] in July 2007. It is a repaint of Kiss Players Hot Rodimus, which itself is a retool of Alternators [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]. The figure uses the same head mold introduced in the Kiss Players figure, retaining the original's visor gimmick. The deco has been altered by changing the side striping from white to yellow, while the stripes over the hood, roof and trunk have been eliminated altogether, replaced by a Hot Rod-style flame graphic on the hood and front guards. Most of the Kiss Player deco remains in robot mode, including the yellow hands and flame graphics on the forearms; however, the license plates (located at the knees in robot mode) have been changed to read "TOO HOT".

:Rodimus's weapons are the dual pistols/tonfa seen with both Mirage and Hot Rodimus, however his Kiss Player counterpart's fishing rod/eliminator and dumpling steamer weapons were not included in the Alternators release. They left [[Shaoshao Li|the girl]] out too.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Autobot/AltRodimus/rodimus.htm More information on Alternators Rodimus at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[File:Henkei HotRodimus toy.jpg|300px|thumb|"They dipped my headlights in chrome. Now I don't drive at night."]]
*'''Hot Rodimus''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-05'''
**''Accessories:'' Rocket engine/missile launcher, flame missile

: In 2008, ''Classics'' Rodimus was released in Japan as part of the ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]] Transformers'' line by [[TakaraTomy]]. Now called Hot Rodimus, he features several significant deco differences, such as a large orange and yellow flame tampograph on his hood to better resemble the ''Generation 1'' cartoon model's appearance. The other flame tampographs have also been redesigned, his forehead crest is a more subtle colour to distance itself from the ''Energon'' Rodimus homage Hasbro introduced. The only other addition in terms of deco is orange paint on the cuffs of his lower arms. Curiously eschewing the slavish accuracy to the original cartoon's animation models that shaped the coloration of most other ''Henkei! Henkei!'' figures, Hot Rodimus is ''not'' rendered in Hot Rod's classic magenta cartoon color scheme, featuring instead a shade of red that is even darker than that used by the ''Classics'' version, as well as a lighter shade of orange. The clear violet on the ''Classics'' version is clear blue on the Hot Rodimus. All ''Henkei! Henkei!'' toys feature a somewhat randomly [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metallized]] part somewhere upon them, his headlights are painted chrome gold paint, while his entire spoiler is vacuum-metallized gold.

: A re-release of the figure in the Fall of 2011 featured a significantly lighter shade of red roof than the original version.

{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
{{anchor|2008legend}}[[File:Hotrodlegendsuniverse.jpg|300px|thumb|He's a Hot Rod without a hot rod.]]
*'''Rodimus''' (Legends Class, 2008)
: Legends Class Rodimus transforms into a generic sports car with a giant rice-tastic spoiler. This toy's design was the basis for Hot Rod's look in the [[Wings of Honor]] comic book.

: This mold was [[redeco]]ed into ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Smokescreen (Movie)|Smokescreen]] and ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Rodimus (DOTM)|Rodimus]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Autobot/TFURodimus/rodimus.htm More information on Universe Rodimus at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

[[File:Universe2008toy-ChallengeatCybertronRodimus.jpg|thumb|300px|HasTak: pretending Hot Rod was red and not magenta in the movie since 1986.]]
*'''Challenge at Cybertron''' (Deluxe Class figure 3-pack, 2010)
**''Accessories:'' Rocket engine/missile launcher, flame missile
: A redeco of ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' Rodimus was released in the "[[Challenge at Cybertron]]" multi-pack along with redecoes of [[Cyclonus (G1)/toys|Cyclonus]] and [[Galvatron (G1)/toys|Galvatron]]. This version of Rodimus, like the ''Henkei! Henkei!'' figure, is intended to be accurate to the cartoon's colors, though it attempts the idea much more literally, to the point of having solid blue rather than translucent windows.

: The set was exclusively released in South-East Asian markets by Hasbro Malaysia, but the included version of Rodimus was later released in the [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|"gold box" ''Transformers'' line]] as a two-pack with the Cyclonus from the set.
{{-}}

===Masterpiece===
{{anchor|masterpiece}}[[File:Takara Masterpiece Rodimus.jpg|thumb|400px|You hated him when you were ten, and now you'll pay $200 to own him.]]
*'''Rodimus Convoy''' (2011)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-9'''
**''Accessories:'' Trailer/[[Mobile Defense Bay]], Photon Eliminator/Photon Lasers Alpha & Beta, [[Matrix of Leadership]], buzzsaw, welding torch

:The central feature of TakaraTomy's ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' incarnation of good ol' Roddy is its ability to transform from Hot Rod to Rodimus Prime in both robot and vehicle modes. Extensions in the figure's hips give Rodimus some slight extra height over Hot Rod, while a spring-loaded pop-out second face, revealed when the figure's helmet is tilted back, gives him his older, lined features; this face is somewhat narrower than Hot Rod's, combining with a slight elevation of the back-mounted spoiler to further create the illusion of a larger figure. Contrary to expectations, creating Rodimus Prime's vehicle mode does not simply involve slotting Hot Rod's car mode into the larger trailer section; in fact, Hot Rod fits into the trailer ''backwards'', and an entirely new vehicle-front—featuring Rodimus's shorter hood and smaller canopy and lacking an exposed engine block—fips out from beneath the trailer and wraps around his rear end. Both vehicles feature opening canopies, though only Hot Rod has any sculpted interior detail of note. As with most Masterpiece figures, the toy attempts to reproduce Hot Rod's cartoon appearance as faithfully as possible; consequently, this is the first toy to actually render Hot Rod in his cartoon-accurate magenta coloration. Of course, there was no way to make the figure switch to burgundy for Rodimus mode, but in compensation, the front of the cab features the two tone coloration Rodimus Prime featured in the animation.

:As with his original toy, Rodimus Prime's trailer opens up into the Mobile Defense Bay, now through a spring-loaded transformation activated by pressing a button on the trailer's roof. Furthering his armament, the figure comes with Hot Rod's two twin Photon Lasers, which can combine and extend through a spring-loaded [[Automorph Technology|automorph-style]] process into Rodimus Prime's larger Photon Eliminator. The guns can store within his trailer, and mount on any one of six different ports in Defense Bay mode for additional firepower. Like the original Hot Rod toy, a single Photon Laser can mount in the vehicle mode's engine block. ''The Transformers: The Movie'' is the source of inspiration for the rest of his additional gadgets and features, including a built-in version of the retractable visor from the [[Lookout Mountain]] scene, (dropped over the figure's eyes by rotating the circular "ears" on its helmet), the buzzsaw he used in battle on [[Quintessa]], and the welding torch he used to repair [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]. Both saw and torch store inside his trailer while not in use, and attach to universal clips which rotate out of his forearms. Lastly, and naturally, he also comes with a Matrix of Leadership accessory which stores within his chest, much smaller than the one included with ''Masterpiece'' Optimus Prime, to the extent that Rodimus cannot even hold it by its handles. He can, however, grip Prime's Matrix in his hands.

:Unfortunately, ''Masterpiece'' Rodimus has suffered from numerous quality control issues, which vary from figure to figure. Commonly reported problems include fragile leg panels which break off with ease, the inability of the figure to hold its guns due to shallow peg-holes which conflict with the bending angle of his hands, the springs within the figure's ankles becoming unwound, and the spoiler/backpack assembly refusing to clip into place. Mostly infamously, the slot on the trailer into which the spoiler slips is ''extremely'' narrow as a consequence of its interior being painted; as a result, paint is invariably scraped off the inside and leaves disfiguring marks on the spoiler when the figure is transformed to Rodimus Prime vehicle mode. A second production run, done shortly after Hasbro's release of the figure in a different deco ([[#HasbroMasterpiece|see below]]), amended these issues and also featured some slight changes in paint colors, although the forked chest tab not quite locking properly still seems to be an issue. Some of the second production run retain the original elbows from the first production run while the others feature the retooled elbows from the Hasbro version. The second release also features the retooled crotch plate from the Hasbro release.

:In addition to the Hasbro version, this figure was also redecoed into [[Black Rodimus Convoy]].
{{-}}

===''Transformers'' (2010)===
[[File:TF2010toy rod vs cyc.jpg|thumb|300px|We didn't feel like taking a picture of the same toy just with a rubsign, so here's the box.]]
*'''Battle in Space''' (Deluxe figure 2-pack, 2010)
**''Accessories:'' Rocket engine/missile launcher, flame missile

:This release of the ''Classics'' Rodimus is a modified version from the Asia market-exclusive "Challenge at Cybertron" 3-pack, replacing Rodimus' Autobot sigil with a heat-sensitive [[rubsign]]. The only other change from the "Challenge at Cybertron" version is the contrast between the chest flame and the orange backdrop is greater, making the flame deco stand out more. The set also comes with a similarly modified ''Universe'' Cyclonus (with [[Nightstick (Cyclonus)|Nightstick]]) from the "Challenge at Cybertron" set, the Autobot [[Matrix of Leadership]] accessory from the 2002 [[Optimus_Prime_(G1)/toys#NewYearConvoy|New Year Special Convoy]] reissue of Generation 1 Optimus Prime, and "[[Rodimus vs. Cyclonus]]", a new comic book created specifically for this set by [[IDW Publishing]].

{{-}}{{anchor|HasbroMasterpiece}}
[[File:TF2010toy masterpiece rodimus.jpg|thumb|300px|They labeled me as "Rodimus Prime", but [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#20th Anniversary/Masterpiece|I don't have the trailer]]?]]
*'''Masterpiece Rodimus Prime''' (2011)
**''Accessories:'' Photon Eliminator/Photon Lasers Alpha & Beta, small [[Matrix of Leadership]], large Matrix of Leadership, buzzsaw, welding torch, Offshoot

:The Hasbro version of ''Masterpiece'' Rodimus Prime is a Toys"R"Us exclusive. Redecoed from the Takara version to appear more like the original toy, this version omits the trailer preventing him from transforming into Rodimus Prime's futuristic truck mode. He does however include [[Firebolt (G1)#Transformers (2010)|Offshoot]], a Targetmaster figure, as well as all the other accessories from the Takara release.

:Every plastic color is changed and many painted details are added, changed, and downright omitted from the TakaraTomy version in an effort to make him appear more toy accurate. The light gray plastic is a more metallic darker gray, the magenta is now maroon, the orange is a darker shade, and the clear blue window is a darker blue. Other changes include the hip joints and rear end, which are now black instead of magenta, the boots, which are now maroon instead of gray, and the feet, which are now black (to mimic the plastic toe variation rather than the metal toe variation from the original figure). His accessories have also changed in plastic color, with his welding tool now being maroon instead of gray, his buzz saw being smoky transparent blue instead of smoky colorless transparent plastic, and the Photon Lasers being cast in a different color. Notable paint omissions include the arm cuffs, collar, brake-lights, headlights, and the rear exhaust. His head also lacks the cartoon specific coloration, instead leaving it mostly unpainted like the original figure. Paint operation differences include the fins of the spoiler being a more subdued glossy yellow and the flame detail on his chest being a new pattern (different from the TakaraTomy version). His paint additions include the waist, which is entirely painted over rather than letting some of the transparency show through, and the center portion of the spoiler, which is now painted over yellow instead of unpainted orange plastic. His Autobot symbol is a different size and without any additional outline color, and his Photon Lasers feature some additional painted details as well. Additional details mimicking the original toy's stickers are now also present on the shins and he includes an optional sticker sheet featuring stickers similar to the original arm stickers of the Hot Rod toy, with stickers of both the [[Autobot]] and [[Decepticon]] [[insignia]]s as well. Another difference is the rims, which are un[[Vacuum metallizing|chromed]], showing the gray plastic underneath. In fact, the only things remaining the same are the chrome exhaust and the color of the rubber tires.

:This version of Rodimus features the same Matrix of Leadership included with the TakaraTomy version (minus the silver and gold chrome, replaced with unpainted gray and gold painted sections), but also an additional new mold matrix similar to the one included with the original Masterpiece Optimus.

:The Hasbro version of Rodimus featured retooled elbow joints that, when separated, make it difficult for him to hold a pose with his arms. The crotch plate was retooled on its underside to help prevent it from hitting the ground while in car mode.
{{-}}

===Chronicle===
[[File:EZCollectionHotRodimusToy.jpg|thumb|300px|]]
*'''Hot Rodimus''' (EZ Collection, 2011)

:''[[Transformers Chronicle|Chronicle]]'' Hot Rodimus is redeco of the ''[[Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Legends Class]] Rodimus. Like other ''Chronicle'' Legends toys, he is sold in a blindpacked box.

{{-}}

===United===
[[File:Unitedtoy-RodimuseHobby.jpg|thumb|300px|The blue makes him look edible, but the green stops you.]]
*'''Autobot Set''' (3-pack, 2011)
**''Accessories:'' Rocket engine/missile launcher, flame missile

: Dubbed "Hot Rod Blue Clear Version", this [[redeco]] of the oft-used ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' Rodimus mold is cast in transparent blue plastics, emulating the scene in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' where Hot Rod catches the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to keep it from hitting the floor after a dying [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] dropped it. Of interest is the fact that '''all''' the plastic parts are translucent, even the usually "softer"/unpaintable/never-clear nylon parts - a trend not seen on any other "clear" toys produced before.

: This version was only available in an [[e-HOBBY]] [[exclusive]] 3-pack with a [[Kup (G1)#UnitedDamage|battle-damaged Kup]] and [[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]]. Preorders for the set were opened on [[December 13]] of 2010 and closed on [[January 11]] of 2011, and shipped in April.

: This figure was available with a Hot Rod pin and [[Macrocosmic Seekers]] booklet directly from e-HOBBY, he was also released in Asian countries outside of Japan without said pin and booklet.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2011/Cybertron/HotRod/hotrod.htm More information on e-HOBBY ''United'' Hot Rod at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

[[File:UnitedToyRodimusPrime.jpg|thumb|300px|]]
*'''Rodimus Prime''' (Deluxe, January 2012)
**''ID number:'' '''UN-23'''
**''Accessories:'' Rocket engine/missile launcher, flame missile

: Released in early 2012 as part of the United toy line, this marks the first [[retool]] of the ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' Rodimus mold. To help the mold fit the character of [[Rodimus Prime (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], [[TakaraTomy]] chose a color scheme that homaged his original ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]]'' cartoon color scheme and altered the mold to improve compatibility with [[Mini-Con]]s released around the same time. This release features new Generation One toy-inspired flame decos on the car's hood and sides, several sections (notably the roof and the area around the headlights) painted a sparkly dark maroon color (to mimic the two toned coloration of the front of Rodimus Prime's truck mode in the animation), as well as a white face and hands and an orange hood. [[TakaraTomy]] also retooled the toy's engine block to add a 5mm peg and added a 5mm hole underneath the toy's right hand to allow the toy to use the recent [[Arms Micron]] Mini-Cons.

:Both the maroon and orange plastic of the figure vary from any other release. Also notable is this is the first version of this mold to have the spoiler molded in an entirely different plastic color than the thighs (a good number of the other versions of this mold paint the spoiler a different color to achieve a certain look).

==Merchandise==
===Generation 1===
* '''Decipher the Decepticons Sweepstakes prize''' (1986)
:5 motorized Hot Rod go-carts were advertised as the grand prizes for the [[Decipher the Decepticon]] promotional contest. Sadly, no images of these rarities have surfaced on the Internet to date. If you know where we can find one ''we will give you a baby.'' A '''real''' baby.

===Transformers Choco===
[[File:Tfchoco rodimuses.jpg|thumb|300px]]
*'''Hot Rodimus''' (1986)

:Released as part of [[Kabaya]]'s line of ''[[Transformers Choco]]'' [[candy toy]]s, this version of Hot Rod is a small, transformable model kit, cast in solid red plastic. As with all the ''Transformers Choco'' figures, he came with "Chocolate Dots", small candies similar to M&Ms.

*'''Rodimus Convoy''' (1986)

:''Transformers Choco'' Rodimus Prime was also a small, solid-red transforming model kit packaged with Chocolate Dots. Its trailer, however, was a solid removable piece, which did not open into a battle station like the larger figure.
{{-}}

===Transformers Gum===
[[File:Tfgum rodimus convoy.jpg|thumb|300px|[[To sell toys|Hasbro: "Yes, a new color scheme for another repaint!"]]]]

*'''Rodimus Convoy''' (1986)
**''Accessories:'' Trailer/Mobile Defense Bay, Photon Eliminator, spoiler, left and right blast shields

:Rodimus Prime also had a presence in Kabaya's line of larger ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' model kits. Released as part of the line's fifth wave, Rodimus is molded in red, silver and black plastic, lacking in paint applications but featuring stickers for detail. Like many other ''Transformers Gum'' model kits, Rodimus is very much a downsized version of the regular toy, featuring all its accessories, features and (lack of) articulation. As the name suggests, rather than chocolate, Rodimus came with a stick of gum.
{{-}}
[[File:TFGum2011 hotrod.jpg|thumb|300px]]
*'''Hot Rodimus''' (2011)
**''ID number:'' '''1'''
:Released in the fourth wave of the revived ''Transformers Gum'' series in 2011, this transforming model kit of Hot Rod is made from red, orange and black plastic, and decorated with quite a few stickers to add his familiar details. Taking its cues from [[#masterpiece|''Masterpiece'' Rodimus Convoy]], the figure features an alternate Rodimus Prime head (well, a head with an alternate ''sticker''), and can combine with his fully-transformable Mobile Defense Bay to form Rodimus's vehicle mode. The Defense Bay is assembled by collecting several additional parts available with the three different kits in the wave; its base comes with [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]], its sides and Rodimus's Photon Eliminator come with Hot Rod himself, and its central turret comes with [[Victory Leo]]. The vehicle mode replicates the approach used by the ''Masterpiece'' figure, with Hot Rod slotting into the trailer backwards, and an alternate piece featuring Rodimus's shorter hood flips up from underneath the trailer and clips over the car's rear end.
[[File:Kabaya-Rodimus-Prime.jpg|thumb|300px]]
*'''Rodimus Convoy''' (2011)
:This is the pieced together Rodimus Prime from the ''Transformers Gum'' series in 2011, with its parts from across the wave.
{{-}}

===Transformers Milk Caramel===
[[File:Caramel rodimus.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Rodimus Convoy''' (1986)

:A small glow-in-the-dark rubber figurine of Rodimus—known in Japan as a ''keshigomu''—was released as part of Kabaya's ''Transformers 2010''-themed assortment of ''[[Transformers Milk Caramel]]'' candy toys. Rodimus came with chocolate-covered caramel candies, and was available in red, yellow, blue and green.
{{-}}

===Transformers Ramune===
[[File:Rodimus keshigomu.jpg|thumb|300px]]
*'''Rodimus Convoy''' (1986)

:Another ''keshigomu'' of Rodimums Rodimus Prime was available in the ''[[Transformers Ramune]]'' line by [[Kabaya]], scaled to be reminiscent of the earlier line of figures that had been imported by [[Hasbro]] as [[Decoy]]s. Like the other figures in this series, Rodimus came with fizzy "Ramune" candy, and was available in red, blue and yellow.

===Forms Robo===
*'''Rodimus Convoy''' (1987)

:Rodimus was also part of the small Japanese-exclusive ''[[Forms Robo]]'' collection of larger "Decoy"-style figures, with this version of the character standing at around twice the height of a regular Decoy. Like the other figures in this wave, Rodimus was packaged in an individual baggie and was available in red, blue, green and yellow.
{{-}}

===Seven===
[[File:Tfjr rodimus vinyl figure.jpg|300px|thumb]]

*'''Rodimus Convoy vs Galvatron''' (multi-pack, 1986)

:One of several vinyl action figures produced by the Takara subsidiary [[Seven]], Rodimus Prime was sold in a two-pack with a similar figure of [[Galvatron (G1)/toys|Galvatron]] on a blister card. He featured articulation in his shoulders.

::*''[http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/yagyujaguar10/29049366.html More information on Rodimus Convoy vs Galvatron at a Japanese fan-blog]''

*'''Cybertron Leader Set''' (multi-pack, 1987)

:The Rodimus Prime figurine was also later made available in a two-pack with the ''Transform Jr'' [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] figure. The set also came with a small die-cast metal figurine of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]].

::*''[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/featured-ebay-auctions-32/featured-ebay-auction---tf-junior-rodimus-convoy-and-chromedome-170935/ More information on the Cybertron Leader Set at TFW2005]''
{{-}}

===Talkformers===
[[File:Talkformers rodimus.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Rodimus Convoy''' (1986)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''T-01'''
:This vinyl figurine of Rodimus Prime was one of two entries in the ''[[Talkformers]]'' line. Featuring only two points of articulation in the shoulders, it spoke four pullstring-activated Japanese phrases, spoken by Rodimus's Japanese voice actor, [[Hiroya Ishimaru]].
{{-}}

===MC Axis===
[[File:Hybrid model rodimus.jpg|thumb|300px]]
*'''Rodimus Convoy''' (Super Hybrid Model, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''H-01'''

:Rodimus Prime was one of three non-transforming ''[[Super Hybrid Model]]'' vinyl figurines created in 1987 by Japanese collectables company [[MC Axis]]. Standing at about eight inches tall and featuring articulation in the head and neck, Rodimus and his fellows ([[Galvatron (G1)/toys|Galvatron]] and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]) were based on their [[Studio OX]] character models, featuring much more anime-styled proportions and detailing.

:For reasons unknown, the retail release of Rodimus and the other ''Super Hybrid Model'' figures was canceled. While Galvatron was eventually released as an exclusive at [[BotCon Japan 1997]], Rodimus and Arcee have never been officially released, though they do occasionally pop up on the secondary market, commanding prices in excess of $600.
 
{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}
[[File:Mcaxis hot rod.jpg|thumb|300px]]
*'''Hot Rod''' (model kit, 1996)
**''Accessories:'' Matrix of Leadership, buzzsaw, welding torch, alternate head, alternate hands-holding-Matrix

:This Japanese "garage kit", an unpainted resin model, was made by MC Axis and came with a [[The Transformers (MC Axis manga)|comic strip]] starring Hot Rod. It included several interchangeable parts based on Hot Rod's antics in ''The Transformers: The Movie'', including an alternate head featuring the telescopic visor from the [[Lookout Mountain]] scene, the welding torch he used to repair [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and the buzzsaw from his battles on [[Quintessa]], and two versions of the Matrix of Leadership—one standard, fairly useless one, since his clenched fists are unable to hold it, and one sculpted with a pair of alternate hands holding its handles, allowing Roddy to hoist it aloft.

:The kit is not known for its exceptional quality control - numerous unsightly air bubbles in the plastic are not an uncommon thing to encounter.

:* ''[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/4512c7fd76f8e8ee Fan review of the Hot Rod and Elita One model kits]''
:*''[http://heroicdecepticon.blogspot.com/2012/02/takara-mc-axis-hot-rod-resin-model-kit.html Photos and review of unpainted and unused complete Hot Rod kit at HeroicDecepticon.com]
{{-}}

===Parody Deformed===
*'''Rodimus Convoy''' (1990)
**''Accessories:'' Photon Eliminator
[[File:Pdtype rodimus.jpg|thumb|300px]]
:A small white and red, non-transforming super deformed model kit of Rodimus Prime was available as part of Kabaya's "[[Parody Deformed]]" line of candy toys. The first figure of the third wave (the eleventh figure overall), he came with a "[[Transformers PD Type]]" comic about himself, "Take A Stand!! Rodimus Convoy", and more gum.

*'''Rodimus Convoy's Photon Eliminator''' (1990)

: The first toy released in the fifth and final wave of the ''Parody Deformed'' line (and the twenty-first toy overall), this model kit replica of Rodimus's Photon Eliminator comes with a number of small plastic BBs, which it can shoot via a spring-loaded firing mechanism. It came with a "PD Type" comic centering on it, and yet more gum.
{{-}}
===Super Collection Figure===
*'''Rodimus Convoy''' (2002)
[[File:HOC-figure Rodimus.JPG|300px|thumb|]]
: A three-inch tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Rodimus Prime was available in the second wave of Takara's ''[[Heroes of Cybertron|Super Collection Figure]]'' line. Like all the figures in the "act", it was available as both a standard full color figure and a colorless translucent version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures.

*'''Rodimus Convoy with Matrix''' (2002)

:A rare [[chase figure]] of Rodimus Prime was also available in the second ''SCF'' act, molded in translucent colored plastic and holding the Matrix of Leadership in both hands, in the process of opening it.

*'''Rodimus Convoy with Matrix''' (2003)

:The Matrix-bearing Rodimus chase figure was re-released as a standard figure for the fourth ''Super Collection Figure'' wave, this time as both a standard, solid-color figure and a metallic silver "pewter" version, both available at one each per standard case of twelve. In eight out of every ten cases, the pewter figure came with the right leg of the wave's collectable [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] "build-a-figure".

*'''Hot Rodimus''' (2003)

:Hot Rod made his ''Super Collection Figure'' debut in the sixth wave of the series, sporting the telescopic visor he employed during on [[Lookout Mountain]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. Hot Rod was available in both full-color and pewter versions, but the color figure sported the burgundy paint job of Rodimus Prime, rather than Hot Rod's lighter magenta. In eight out of every ten cases, the pewter Hot Rod came with the torso of the wave's [[Grand Maximus]] collectable figure.

===Heroes of Cybertron===

*'''Rodimus Prime''' (2003)

:When Hasbro released the ''Super Collection Figure'' line as ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]'', the original Rodimus Prime figure was released as part of the fourth wave, now featuring a [[light-piping]] gimmick in the character's eyes, accomplished by casting the figure in translucent blue plastic and then painting over it. Rather than come blindpacked like the ''SCF'' figure, Rodimus came on a blister card with a profile card included.
{{-}}

===Mega Super Collection Figure===
*'''Hot Rodimus''' (2002) [[File:MegaSCFRodimus.jpg|300px|thumb|]]
** ''Japanese ID number:'' '''Mega SCF-04'''
** ''Accessories:'' Left and right open hands, left and right fists, head w/ visor, Matrix of Leadership, buzzsaw, welding torch
:A five-inch tall, non-transforming highly-articulated PVC figure of Hot Rod was the fourth entry in Takara's ''Mega Super Collection Figure''. Based closely on Hot Rod's cartoon character model (albeit sporting the character's red and orange toy color scheme, rather than the cartoon's magenta), Hot Rod came with numerous interchangeable accessories. In addition to the Matrix of Leadership and two sets of hands—two clenched fists and two open palms—he includes several gadgets seen in ''The Transformers: The Movie'': the buzzsaw used in battle on [[Quintessa]], the welding torch he used to repair [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and an alternate head featuring an open-mouthed expression and the telescopic visor he used on Lookout Mountain.

*'''Rodimus Convoy''' (2002)
** ''Japanese ID number:'' '''Mega SCF-06'''
** ''Accessories:'' Left and right open hands, left and right fists, pointing left hand, right hand w/ Photon Eliminator, Matrix of Leadership

:Rodimus Prime also made an appearance in the ''Mega Super Collection Figure'' line, standing a little taller than Hot Rod. He too features his red and orange toy-based coloration, instead of the burgundy shade featured in the cartoon. He shares both the Matrix and two sets of hands with Hot Rod, but rather than Hot Rod's other tools, comes instead with a third set of hands, one pointing, and one clutching his Photon Eliminator rifle.

===MyClone===
[[File:Myclone rodimus.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Rodimus Convoy''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MTF007'''
**''Accessories:'' Orange display stand

:Released in the second wave of the ''[[MyClone]]'' line of Transformers PVC figures, this adorable widdle Wodimus Pwime comes with a hexagonal orange display stand, which can link up with the identical stands included with other MyClone figures. His modular design allows his parts to be mixed and matched with those of any other MyClone figure.
{{-}}
===Hard Hero===
[[File:HardHero HotRod bust.JPG|thumb|]]
* '''Hotrod''' (2003)

:Number 7 in [[Hard Hero]]'s main ''Transformers'' series, "Hotrod" is a six inches tall cold-cast porcelain bust. The bust was limited to 4000 pieces, with an additional 100 being specially signed by sculptor [[Jason Ray]], and is a vanishingly rare example of a piece of Hot Rod merchandise that actually colors the character in his original magenta hue.

{{-}}
===Generation 1 Figure-Collection===

[[File:Bottlecap rodimus.JPG|thumb|]]

*'''Rodimus Convoy''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-6'''
**''Accessories:'' Display base

:At only one inch in height, this Rodimus "bottlecap" figurine (so named because its display base is the size of a bottlecap) was one of fourteen blindpacked figures available in Kabaya's Transformers [[Generation 1 Figure-Collection]]. The figure was rendered in a "retro" black and white color scheme, and came with a leaflet, personalized with cartoon screen captures.

::*''[http://snakas.web.fc2.com/misc_item/kabaya_bottle.htm More information on the Bottlecap Collection at Autobase Aichi]''
{{--}}

===Titanium Series===
[[File:TitaniumRM Rodimus.jpg|thumb|"Three-inch Rod" is its own joke.]]
*'''Rodimus''' (3-inch Robot Masters, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Firebolt gun, Autobot insignia display base

: ''Titanium'' Rodimus is a 3 inch tall, non-transforming, die-cast metal figurine. He has limited articulation, localized in his head, shoulders and waist. His gun (which looks an ''awful'' lot like Firebolt) is also removable. Excitement! Like all the figures in the line, he came packaged with a clear plastic display base, sculpted in the shape of, and decorated with, his faction's insignia.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/TitRodimus/rodimus.htm More information on Titanium Robot Heroes Rodimus at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Metalverse Collection===
[[File:Hot Rod mv.jpg|300px|thumb|I'm a little bit expensive.]]

*'''Hot Rodimus''' (Metalverse Collection MVC-01, 2007)

:Large, rather expensive PVC statue with a sculpted base released by [http://www4.big.or.jp/~cyclone/DAIKI/index.html Daiki Industry]. Designed by [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]] and sculpted by Yuho Koike, it was originally conceived as a clock-statue (the clock would have gone in the nameplate/sigil section of the base) and proposed as a [[BotCon]] exclusive by Mr. Koike and [[Fumihiko Akiyama]].

::*''[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_frm/thread/2faa2eeb4000724f/48a6e4867e425257?lnk=st&q=#48a6e4867e425257 More details on Metalverse Collection Hot Rodimus at alt.toys.transformers]
{{-}}

===Art Asylum===
[[File:AAUnicron statue.jpg|300px|thumb|]]
* '''Unicron Movie Statue''' (Diamond Select, 2007)

: This [[Diamond Select Toys|Diamond Select]] statue of Hot Rod and [[Unicron/toys|Unicron]] stands 8 ½” tall and was limited to 1,986 pieces (as in 1986, the year the original animated ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|Transformers]]'' movie was released). Hot Rod stands in the center of the piece, holding the [[Matrix of Leadership]] aloft, as Unicron looms behind him. Despite this scene being based on the movie, Hot Rod is colored red like his toy instead of magenta.
{{-}}
[[File:Diamond rodimus bust.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Rodimus Prime head bust''' (Diamond Select, 2008)

:After the Unicron diorama, Rodimus got a statue all to himself with this Art Asylum mini-bust. It was roughly five inches tall and limited to 1500 pieces.
{{-}}

===Robot Heroes===
[[File:G1 RobotHeroes RodimusVsInsecticon.jpg|300px|thumb|Light our cutest hour.]]
*'''Rodimus Vs Insecticon''' (2007)

:''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' Rodimus is a two inch tall figure sculpted in [[super deformed]] style with articulation at the shoulders. Sporting the color scheme of, and details based on the stickers of, the original Generation 1 Hot Rod toy, he came in a two-pack with "[[Shrapnel (G1)|Insecticon]]".

:Rodimus was also one of the ''Robot Heroes'' figures released in single-packed, blindpacked form in other countries such as Malaysia and the United Kingdom. Notably, for this release, the character card included with the figure actually used his original name, Hot Rod!

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Autobot/RHRodimus/rodimus.htm More information on ''Robot Heroes'' Rodimus at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Revoltech===
[[File:Revoltech Rodimus toy.jpg|300px|thumb|"Bang Bang... I shot you down, Bang Bang..."]]
* '''Hot Rodimus''' (2008)
** ''Yamaguchi Series number:'' '''047'''
** ''Accessories:'' Photon laser 1, Photon laser 2, 4 x hands (left & right gun holding hands, right pointing hand and thumbs-up right hand)

:A non-transforming but ''highly'' articulated Hot Rod action figure, ''[[Revoltech]]'' Hot Rodimus uses the ''Revoltech'' "revolver joints" for maximum poseability. It comes with his twin handguns, an extra head with deployed visor and a more neutral expression, a posing stand, and four extra hands (two hands for holding the guns, a pointing right hand, and a thumbs-up left hand).<ref>[http://bakaneko.way-nifty.com/revoltech/2008/01/post_909a.html Photos of the set contents at Revoltech's official blog site.]</ref><ref>[http://www.amiami.com/shop/?vgForm=ProductInfo&sku=TOY-RBT-0149&template=review.html Large images of the figure and its accessories at the online store Amiami.]</ref>

{{-}}

===3D Battle-Card Game===
[[File:3dbattlecardgame hotrod.jpg|thumb|300px]]
*'''Hot Rod''' (2007)

: A 28-point "uncommon" character in the [[3D Battle-Card Game]]'s "Energon Wars" expansion, Hot Rod "transforms" into a red sports car that vaguely resembles a Ford GT 40. He uses the same parts layout as [[Movie (toyline)|Movie]] [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]], [[Smokescreen (Movie)|Smokescreen]] and [[Cliffjumper (Movie)|Cliffjumper]], along with fellow "Energon Wars" addition ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]].
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:Pinkrod.jpg|thumb|200px|I was pink once.]]

* Miscommunication between Hasbro and Takara that neglected to mention the fact that Rodimus Prime was supposed to be the new Autobot leader and the upgrade of Hot Rod led to Takara creating the original [[prototype]] for the G1 Hot Rod toy in three times the final size, about as tall as ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]]. When Hasbro corrected Takara about those details, Takara's designers were disappointed because they had to make Rodimus Prime's toy larger than Hot Rod's.<ref>[http://www.tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=522 Information provided by Fumihiko Akiyama, incorporated in essay about "Ten popular but incorrect rumors about Japanese Transformers" at TF Archive]</ref>
* In an odd intra-Hasbro design move, Hot Rod's larger original handgun was remolded slightly and reused as the nosecone cannon on the [[Cobra]] [http://www.yojoe.com/vehicles/88/stellarstiletto/ Stellar Stiletto] in 1988. Hey, Hot Rod was occupied with [[Firebolt (G1)|Firebolt]] at the time anyway, right?
[[File:TFGRodimus.jpg|200px|thumb|New Rodimus, not to be confused with New Coke.]]
* '''New Rodimus''' was the tentative name for an unused Rodimus Prime design revealed in the Japanese book ''[[Transformers Generations]]''. Unlike his predecessors, he would have transformed into a fire engine. According to the caption in the book, New Rodimus would have come out after [[Optimus_Prime_(G1)/Generation_1_cartoon_continuity#The_Battlestars_story_pages_and_comic|Star Convoy]], and his transformation would involve splitting at the waist. The idea for New Rodimus's transformation was eventually used by the ''[[Brave (franchise)|Brave]]'' toy '''[http://youtu.be/xGFHTcC5tlo Duke Fire]''', which is also a fire engine that splits at the waist in order to transform. Unlike New Rodimus, however, Duke Fire is also composed of an ambulance that becomes his arms. Some have speculated that New Rodimus was intended to become power-up parts to Star Convoy similar to how [[Godbomber]] and [[Victory Leo]] upgrade [[Ginrai]] and [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]], respectively. This is supported by several pieces of evidence:
** ''Generation 1'' Transformers made by Takara generally do not split apart as part of their transformation, and when they do, it is usually for the purpose of combining with another robot.
** Duke Fire, who inherited New Rodimus's transformation, combines with '''[http://youtu.be/9-Pfo3MZmMI J-Decker]''', a robot similar in general shape to Star Convoy, to form a larger robot called '''[http://youtu.be/SxHv-AZ8qe0 Fire J-Decker]'''.
** Fire J-Decker's chest piece (formed from Duke Fire's chest) successfully clips onto Star Convoy's chest (albeit not as securely as on J-Decker's chest).
[[File:HyperHobbyRodimusTestshot.jpg|thumb|200px|]]
* An image of a black Rodimus Prime toy appeared in [[Hyper Hobby]] magazine #38 in 2002. For years, it was thought that this was an unreleased [[Lucky Draw figure]] (which an [http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/transformers/news/story/lucky+draw+transformers/Unreleased+Lucky+Draw+Black+Rodimus+Convoy/7581 unscrupulous Ebay seller] reinforced by repeatedly calling it that in his auctions). However, it was eventually found — [http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=62831&st=0&p=1347844&#entry1347844 seven years later] — when a Japanese speaker read the text of the magazine, that it was nothing more than a test shot that was intended to tease the release of the normal-colored reissue.
* For a short time, Takara contemplated releasing a Hot Rodimus (Hot Rod) remold of the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] toy as the next ''Binaltech'' release after [[Ginrai]], but that plan became obsolete when Takara decided to cancel the Binaltech line as a mass retail line altogether. Instead, Hot Rodimus also ended up as part of the [[Transformers: Kiss Players (toyline)|''Kiss Players'' line]], after "Ginrai" had previously become Kiss Players [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Convoy]].
* One of the first concepts for ''Classics'' Rodimus was based around the [[wikipedia:Pagani Zonda|Pagani Zonda]] super car, before the [[Wikipedia:Dome Zero|Dome Zero]] design was decided upon.
* [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'s powered up form has a color scheme which resembles Hot Rod's.
* Aside from the ''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' [[Rodimus (Energon)|namesake character]], Hot Rod has also been [[homage]]d twice (or possibly thrice depending on how you look at it) in the [[Unicron Trilogy]]. For ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'', the "[[Powerlinx]]" upgrade of [[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys|Hot Shot]] was given a very Hot-Rod-inspired deco. In ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'', [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] made a redeco of Hot Shot (well, "Exillion"), who already had some Hot Rod homage elements in his toy design, with Hot Rod deco as a DVD-pack-in [[exclusive]]. [[Hasbro]] then took this deco, altered it, and released it in the US line at mass retail as the new character [[Excellion (Cybertron)|Excellion]].

==Reference==
<references />

[[Category:3D Battle-Cards]]
[[Category:Alternators Autobots]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:E-Hobby]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:Kiss Players Autobots]]
[[Category:Masterpiece]]
[[Category:Micromasters]]
[[Category:MyClone]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy Autobots]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Targetmasters]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]
[[Category:Transformers (2010) Autobots]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Transformers with multiple modes]]

Webworld

2013-06-21T00:11:44Z

CommanderModesty:

{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|image=Webworld Galvatron psychiatrist.jpg
|caption="So, Galvatron, tell me about your mother". "She was delicious".
|ep=81
|series2=2010
|ep2=17
|prev2=Ghost in the Machine
|next2=The Dweller in the Depths
|title="Webworld"
|production code=700-101
|airdate=[[October 20]], 1986
|written by=[[Len Wein]] [[Diane Duane]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''In an attempt to cure Galvatron's madness, Cyclonus takes him to the medical planet Torkulon.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:GalvatronUltraWebworld.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Help! He's touching my special area!]]

The Decepticons approach an asteroid belt in deep space, searching for a material known as [[isidrite]]. As Galvatron rants about crushing his enemies and everyone else, Ratbat finds an isidrite deposit — already being mined by the Autobots. A battle ensues, during which Galvatron spends nearly as much time bashing his own troops aside as he does firing at the Autobots. With his "help", the bemused Autobots make a clean escape aboard Sky Lynx.

Back on Chaar, Motormaster and Swindle have words with Cyclonus: either do something about Galvatron's madness, or face rebellion. A holographic image of a Quintesson appears to Cyclonus, and advises him that there are planets which specialize in repairing damaged minds, such as [[Torkulon]]. Not knowing what else to do, Cyclonus considers the idea, while the Quintessons gloat among themselves that shortly they will have several less Transformers to deal with — including the "most dangerously unpredictable of them all."

[[Image:GalvatronWebworld.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Planet of the Psychiatrist Apes]]
Cyclonus lies to Galvatron, informing him that the Autobots are resting on Torkulon after their most recent skirmish; the deranged leader eagerly takes the bait, flying to the planet with Cyclonus and the Sweeps. Upon landing, Galvatron threatens several alien flesh creatures, demanding that they hand over Ultra Magnus. The intelligent Torkuli arrive shortly; when Galvatron predictably refuses their orders for non-violence, they restrain him. Galvatron quickly realizes Cyclonus has deceived him. Galvatron is carried away to begin his therapy, while Cyclonus fills out a small ream of paperwork.

As the therapy proceeds, Scourge has his doubts — "This is stupid! Let's get him out of here!" Cyclonus says to at least give it a chance. The Torkuli are unsuccessful in getting Galvatron to talk about his problems, and even less successful when they have him put together external objects to repair his damaged psyche: Galvatron builds himself a blaster and tries to escape. Finally they attempt "exo-drama" where patients act out their problems but a bouncing alien screaming at Galvatron finally causes him to snap further, shouting back that "I'll give you something to scream about!!" Galvatron becomes immune to the electromagnetic restraints of the Torkuli; they throw everything they have at him, restraining him for their last resort — the Alya solution.

The chief therapist reveals that Torkulon itself is a living planet, and can manifest itself in the form of insectoid creatures that consume the damaged portions of those who cannot be helped, in effect lobotomizing the planet's victims and leaving them mindless. Cyclonus protests and demands Galvatron's release, but he and Scourge are also restrained by the Torkuli.

[[Image:GalvatronAliaWebworld.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Should've chosen a BUPA home.]]

The Alya begin to feed on Galvatron who continues to resist: "You have no right to change what I am!" The Torkuli doctor informs him [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|"You've]] already been [[Unicron|changed]]; that's the problem." Cyclonus can barely watch as his leader's mind is invaded by Torkulon — but something goes wrong. The madness of Galvatron proves to be too strong for the living planet, causing it to malfunction. In the chaos, Galvatron, Scourge and Cyclonus are released from the planet's grasp. After taking a few shots at Cyclonus for getting him in this mess, Galvatron fights to the center of the planet, having seen into its mind while it was inside his. The planet fears Galvatron's madness and destructive potential and attempts to restrain him, but Galvatron powers his way through to its living-computer core. Several cannon mode blasts render the entire planet inoperable. Galvatron informs Cyclonus he will now destroy whatever is left, and warns Cyclonus against stopping him.

After the planet is reduced to smoke and rubble, Galvatron gloats over the beauty of "devastation wrought with precision and care," seemingly just a little more sane... until Cyclonus informs Galvatron that it will take the Torkuli centuries to rebuild. Galvatron decides his work isn't done if it's going to take "only centuries", but a weary Cyclonus suggests that the Autobots might be a more pressing concern. Galvatron smiles at the prospect of killing Ultra Magnus; the Decepticons flee the planet, leaving the Torkuli at the mercy of their former insane patients.
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (7)
* [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (8)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (9)
* [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (10)
* [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (11)

|c2=
* [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (1)
* [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (2)
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (3)
* [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (4)
* [[Sweep]]s (5)
* [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] (6)
* [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (12)
* [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (13)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (14)

|c4=
* [[Quintesson]]s (15)
* [[Torkuli]] (16)
* [[Alya]] (17)
* [[Torkulon]] (18)
}}

==Quotes==
[[Image:GalvatronCyclonusWebworld.jpg|right|200px|thumb|We never talk anymore.]]

"Eyes aloft, gentlemen! A rival geological survey has arrived!" 
:—'''Sky Lynx''' notes the arrival of the Decepticons in typical fashion

"Remarkable. Galvatron is doing most of the work for us." 
:—'''Perceptor''' watches Galvatron bash his way through his own troops

"I have no head...I have no head...I have no head...!"
:—A three-headed '''patient'''

"Just say whatever comes to mind." 
"Kill...smash...destroy!" 
"Err...yes...go on." 
"Rend...MANGLE...DISTORT!"
:—A '''therapist''' starts '''Galvatron''' on word association

"I'll destroy everything here—everything! And THEN, I'll destroy the Autobots!" 
"Yes...tell me about the Autobots." 
"I ''hate'' Autobots! I hate ''Cyclonus''! And I'm not very fond of ''you'', either!"
:—'''Galvatron''' ends word association, and attempts to end his '''therapist'''

"You cannot stop me! I am ''Galvatron!'' I am your ''destruction!''" 
"He ''is'' crazy."
:—'''Galvatron''' and '''Cyclonus'''. It took him long enough to notice it.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical glitches===
* Soundwave is missing all his yellow stripes as he looms up to eject Ratbat.
* Ratbat is given a high-pitched series of squeaks as he ejects...and another, lower-pitched caw at the same time, layered on top of the squeaks.
* Perhaps the script called for Galvatron's forehead to blaze with energies, as it's been seen to do on occasion. Instead, two random spots on his temples are animated lighting up like console buttons.
* As Ratbat flaps over the horizon, his wings are layered behind the planet's limb instead of above it.
*Soundwave's only line in this episode once again lacks the trademark harmonics processed by [[Scott Brownlee]], meaning it once again sounds like [[wikipedia:Dr. Claw|Dr. Claw]]. This marks [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|the]] [[Roll for It|fourth]] [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|time]] it is known to have happened.
* As he speaks that line, he's missing his yellow stripes again.
*The laser blasts' colors in this episode are...odd. When the Decepticons attack the Autobots on the asteroid, their blasts are yellow (usually an Autobot blast color), orange and red. Perceptor fires a blue laser blast at Galvatron, who fires blue lasers back at him! This is a trademark element seen in the ''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'' cartoon, which is animated by the [[Toei|same company]]: The Joes' kid-friendly lasers are red while [[Cobra Commander|Cobra]] has blue kid-friendly lasers.
* After the Sweeps miss colliding with Springer, Sky Lynx is back on the ground and takes off a second time. He rather oddly leaves his lower half just standing there, rather than converting to lynx form. When he lands at the battle's end, he's once again combined with his lower portion.
* Scourge and his accompanying Sweeps are at least partially animated based on their older, "incorrect" [[character model]]s. Their heads are visible in their vehicle modes:
** when Sky Lynx grabs one of them in his claws.
** when they transform to leave Torkulon.
* Just before Galvatron jumps him, Magnus's shoulder superstructure is blue instead of white.
* Magnus has a white missile as he grapples with Galvatron.
* The last time he grapples with Galvatron, the top of Magnus's back is red instead of grey.
* Galvatron's gun mode is mostly purple instead of its usual gray as Sludge bashes him aside.
* As the Autobots flee, [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] can be seen among the damaged Sweeps, despite not being seen approaching the asteroid.
* In the wide shot of Cyclonus and company walking, they are sliding across the screen far more rapidly than the speed of their walk.
* Cyclonus's gun is white instead of gray as he points it at Swindle.
* Roger C. Carmel's inconsistency with the voice of Cyclonus starts to affect Motormaster. In this episode and "[[The Ultimate Weapon]]" (Motormaster's last speaking role in the series) his voice for Motormaster sounds weaker than before. The voice lacks most of its usual heavy flanging.
* In the second wide shot of Cyclonus speaking with the Quintesson, he's not quite standing flat on the ground.
* In the closeup of the Quintesson hologram, his mouth isn't animated as he speaks.
* Soundwave is missing his stripes and insignia as he watches Galvatron being repaired.
* Galvatron has a "goatee" in most shots, but is "clean-shaven" in others (his chin is sometimes dark grey, sometimes just grey).
* As Galvatron struggles against the inhibitor blast, the Sweeps behind him are set too low on the landscape, making them look like they only come up to Galvatron's knees.
* In the shot before Galvatron is sent to Advanced Treatment, the rectangle on Cyclonus's chest isn't colored orange. In the shot after, the "eyes" on his Decepticon symbol are colored in (purple) instead of blue.
* As he vows to destroy the planet, then the Autobots, Galvatron's shoulder pieces are dark grey. In the next shot, they're back to having light grey tops with red squares. A few shots later (as he shoots the gun he built), the red squares are missing.
* After he's immobilized on the arena floor, a few shots show Galvatron floating in mid-air above the steps.
* During the Torkuli's line, "That's why your friend brought you here," the rectangle on Cyclonus's chest is yellow instead of orange. A few shots later (just before the commercial break), it's not colored in at all.
* An odd edit cuts off the head therapist: "We cannot allow you to interfere. Besides."
* As he yells, "Free me!" a closeup shows outer space behind Galvatron's face instead of the ground (or the purple webbing that surrounds him).
* As he says, "He'll be nothing at all!" Cyclonus's eyebrows are white instead of grey.
* While Galvatron is being lobotomized, while begging Cyclonus to help him, he's completely light grey, missing the purple of his armour entirely.
* Cyclonus's eyes are black instead of red as he observes that the planet has become infected with Galvatron's madness.
* The Sweep that transforms after the planetary overload is inexplicably given an energy glow as he does so.
* In a closeup shot, Galvatron has two ragged holes in his forehead, but they're not seen in any other view.
* The white rectangle near Galvatron's elbow flashes between white and purple as he struggles with the web stuff in mid-air.
* Glavatron's emblem is missing just before he leaps into the crevasse.
* When Cyclonus says "He IS crazy," part of the Autobot symbol is on his chest.
* As he picks up the last Torkulon, the red squares on Galvatron's shoulders are missing.

===Continuity errors===
* Despite appearing in the group approaching the asteroid, Soundwave promptly disappears and doesn't play any part in the following battle.
* Galvatron is grappling with Magnus when the Sweep offers to help; when he bashes the Sweep aside in the very next shot, Magnus is nowhere to be seen.
* A wide shot shows Galvatron, Cyclonus, and three Sweeps arriving on Torqulon. The rest of the episode shows only two Sweeps, however.

===Continuity notes===
[[Image:LaserbeakWebworld.jpg|right|180px|thumb|He wants to know why Soundwave doesn't return his calls.]]

* Some allusion is made to Galvatron's former life as Megatron. While the Torkulons attempt to lobotomize the Decepticon leader, he states that they have "no right" to change what he is, to which the Torkulon doctor replies, "You have already been changed, that's the problem." On the other hand, this could also be taken to mean the change away from his saner personality from the movie. Speaking of which...
* The Torkuli diagnose Galvatron's madness as being caused by a plasma accident, presumably his plasma bath in "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]".
* This is the final appearance of [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] in the (US) Generation 1 cartoon continuity, and one of only two appearances in Season 3 (the first was a brief cameo in "The Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5"). No, he doesn't perch on Galvatron's shoulder.

===Real-world references===
* A classic Looney Tunes sound effect (used for the Road Runner) shows up as the Decepticons fly across the title screen.
* ''Star Wars'' sound effects:
** ''Millennium Falcon'' engine burst: when Sky Lynx launches at the start of the battle; when he launches a second time during the battle; when he launches a third time to leave the battle; when Laserbeak flies off with Motormaster and Swindle; as Galvatron takes off to destroy the planetary core
** X-Wing diving whine: as Cyclonus follows Galvatron toward the core.

* Large portions of the episode, especially the therapy sessions, seem to parody real psychological treatment methods such as [[wikipedia:word association|word association]] and [[wikipedia:dramatherapy|dramatherapy]]. The intentions of the Alya to consume Galvatron's mind could also be taken as a reference to a [[wikipedia:lobotomy|lobotomy]], a process that can "cure" certain mental illnesses but removes significant parts of the patient's personality.

===Foreign localization===

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Galvatron dreht durch'''" ("Galvatron goes Crazy")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' クモの巣惑星 (''Kumo no Su Wakusei'', "The Planet of Spider's Nest")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 20]], [[1987]]

'''Russian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Mir pawootiny'''" (''Мир паутины'', "Webworld")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

===Trivia===
* This is by far the most Decepticon-centric episode of the series; the Autobots are only onscreen for part of the first act.
* Twice in this episode (when Cyclonus takes him to Torkulon to look for the Autobots, and when leaving the planet in search of the Autobots), Galvatron says "Ultra Magnus", as if Magnus is the [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|leader of the Autobots]].
* It is ironic that [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] is the one to declare an ultimatum of rebellion against Galvatron to Cylonus, considering he was the first Decepticon to loyally donate Energon to help find Galvatron in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]".

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2000 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume 8: Evil Experiments ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 2 & Season 4 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 4: Series 3.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four {{sic}} (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2010 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/webworld.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]