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The Ultimate Weapon

2026-04-02T19:36:33Z

DevinM626:

{{disambig3|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"
|season=3
|season ep=19
|production code=700-104
|airdate=[[November 10]], 1986
|written by=[[Arthur Byron Cover]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]], [[Studio Look]], [[Sei Young Animation Co. Ltd.]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88jH4R7dp2k
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''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 (G1)/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 (biology)|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)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|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 (G1)/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)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|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)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|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==
===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, even showing concern as to whether using Metroplex's transformation cog in Trypticon would work.
*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.
*Vortex spotting the Autobots' and Witwickys' deception and trying to get the truth out of Daniel gives him a rare chance to fulfill his toy bio's stated function as the Decepticons' interrogator.
*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.

===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.

===Animation and technical errors===
* 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|''What mouth?'']]
*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.
* When Trypticon is trying out his "new" transformation cog, he's depicted unusually small - only about as big as a combiner, with Galvatron coming up to around his hip. This is the same citybot who had a Concorde jet flying around his insides earlier.
*"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.
*In a slight visual cheat, Metroplex instantly transforms into base mode with a flash of light, a few seconds later he transforms back to robot mode in the same way when 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.
*Trypticon came in off the coast, seeking his shot at Metroplex and, guided by Galvatron, started making his way inland towards the Autobot city, through human orchards and towns. For reasons unknown, he is next seen harassing trains along the beachfront, his previous objective of destroying the immobile Metroplex seemingly set aside for the ocean breezes.
*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?
*Rodimus Prime claims that only First Aid knows enough about Metroplex's internal construction to put the [[Transformation cog (biology)|transformation cog]] back correctly. However [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] was the one who [[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5|re-installed it most recently]]. And surely [[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]]'s smart enough to give it a good old go and figure it out?
*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)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|second-in-command]] would know who the [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|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.

===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. Trypticon, and thus the only one that doesn't make them look cartoonishly awkward.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title (European French broadcast):'' ?
:*''Title (Canadian French broadcast and European French DVD release):'' "'''L'arme ultime'''" ("The Ultimate Weapon")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*To date, and although there is probably one in existence, the European French dub of this episode is lost. The French DVD editions use the Canadian French dub instead.
::*Concerning the Canadian French dub:
:::*A distant talking voice can be heard during the shot with the gang shooting from the car.
:::*Despite a good start in which Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus say "Rodimus Primus" and "Optimus Primus", Hot Spot calls his leader "Rodimus Primo" again mid-episode.
:::*Metroplex is called by his English name instead of "Métropole".
:::*Motormaster's line "Stunticons, transform!" was dubbed by "Decepticons, transform!".

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

'''Italian'''
:*''Title (first dub):'' "'''L'arma definitiva'''" ("The Ultimate Weapon")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*Metroplex saying: «Trypticon vanquished!» is changed by having him singing (yes, "singing") the sentence "♪And Trypticon ''c'est'' defeated♪" on the tune of ''[[w:La Marseillaise|La Marseillaise]]''. This is a reference to the fact that, in this dub, Metroplex speaks using a French accent and often using French words.
:*''Title (second dub):'' "'''L'arma finale'''" ("The Final Weapon")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

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

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Zhōngjí Wǔqì '''" (终极武器, "The Ultimate Weapon")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Super Arma'''" ("The Super Weapon")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

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

'''Latin Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''El Arma Mortífera'''" ("The Deadly 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]])
;{{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 France.png|20px|France]] 2005 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 20 ([[Déclic Images]]) — Canadian French audio only. 
[[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==
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1wz_Ce7bbTa9FDFPOSY3vHn1GNCzMpGH4 Episode dialogue script]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ultimate Weapon}}
[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]
[[Category:Generation 2 episodes]]

Darkest Hour (episode)

2026-03-20T05:27:51Z

DevinM626:

{{disambig3|Darkest Hour}}

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 52
|prev=Regeneration (Prime)
|next=Darkmount, NV
|next2=Triple Combination! Swordbot - Samurai!
|image=PrimeDarkestHourOPArm.jpg
|caption=WISE FWOM YOUR GWAVE
|title="Darkest Hour"
|season=2
|season ep=26
|airdate=[[November 2]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[Steven Melching]]
|directed by=[[Vinton Heuck]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Allspark (company)|Hasbro Studios]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEl-H0ZAfFg
|videosite=YouTube
}}
'''When Megatron turns the power of the Omega Lock on Earth, Optimus is forced into making a risky decision that could have inescapable consequences for the entire Autobot team.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:DarkestHour-captives.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Jack: It's all because of us. Miko: We're so fragged. Raf: Can I go to the bathroom?]]

The two groups stand on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], locked in a face-off. While the [[Autobot]]s have the [[Omega Key]]s, the [[Decepticon]]s have [[Jack Darby|Jack]], [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] and [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]]. [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] orders [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] to get ready to expose Jack to Cybertron's toxic atmosphere. Though the kids are ready to sacrifice themselves to save the planet, [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] isn't, and the Autobots throw down their weapons. [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] hands over his key in exchange for Miko, [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] hands over his for Raf, and Megatron insists that as someone who was entrusted with the [[Matrix of Leadership]], Jack is surely worth ''two'' keys, so Arcee and Smokescreen are compelled to hand over theirs. The exchange done, a [[space bridge]] opens and the Autobots are quickly surrounded by [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]].

On [[Earth]], [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] gets a call from [[June Darby]], worried as she can't get in touch with Jack. Ratchet, unable to get in touch with Optimus and unaware that the kids are on Cybertron, is more concerned with keeping the comm lines clear, and quickly ends the call.

Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave and Knock Out each hold a key, and activate the [[Omega Lock]]. At a touch from Megatron, the lock sends out a beam of energy that recreates a nearby ruin, turning it into a pristine building. Though Optimus requests he be allowed to take the [[human]]s back to Earth, Megatron replies that they'll be safer where they are. He has Starscream open up a space bridge portal over the Omega Lock site, and unleashes a mechaforming beam through it... to Earth, just outside of [[Jasper]], [[Nevada]]. A horrified June drops her phone, and the Autobot base's systems go haywire from the energy overload.

[[Image:DarkestHour-June.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"I've been watching far too many movies."]]

Miko wonders aloud if the beam will simply restore Earth, but Optimus says that this won't be the case; the beam will instead [[cyberforming|cyberform]] the planet, turning it into another metallic world, and in the process destroying ''all'' indigenous life. Megatron revels in his victory as he, Starscream, and [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] share a professional grade evil laugh, unintentionally dropping their guard. Unable to let Earth die, Optimus leaps into action, slicing his way through the guards with his blade and lunging for the [[Star Saber (Thirteen)|Star Saber]]. Though Megatron tries to respond with the [[Dark Star Saber]], Optimus neatly cleaves the purloined Prime arm off of the Decepticon leader and sends the Dark blade flying, charging the Lock. Starscream gets his face stamped on as he tries to stop Optimus, and the other two Decepticons dive for cover as the Star Saber finds its mark, resulting in a massive explosion.

The cyberforming beam dissipates, and Ratchet's equipment clears up in time to get a transmission from Optimus requesting a space bridge. As the Decepticons pick themselves out of the rubble, the Autobots retreat through back to Earth. Knock Out tries to lighten the mood, earning a quick backhand from Starscream, snarling that he needs to attend to their wounded leader. Starscream's ranting at Optimus's actions is cut of by a burst of maniacal laughter from Megatron... "They can run, but they can never again run ''home''!"

[[Image:DarkestHour-NewKaon.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Always check the (future) neighbors out before you sign the lease.]]

Ratchet is aghast as the Autobots return carrying the children, and even more so when they tell him Optimus has destroyed the Omega Lock. He staggers, lamenting that the sheer depth of loss the war has brought has all come to naught, with Cybertron now doomed to forever be a lifeless husk. [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] snaps at Ratchet, claiming it's not his place to question Optimus's battlefield decisions, and Ratchet does not exactly react well to that. The discussion is cut short by a call from an absolutely furious [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]], suggesting they take a look outside. As the Autobots reach the mountaintop via elevator, they find a huge [[Darkmount (Earth)|Cybertronian fortress]] now stands right on their doorstep. Fowler, landing his helicopter next to them, wonders why they picked Jasper. As the ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]'' arrives, the answer becomes painfully clear: the Decepticons have found the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot base]].

Megatron, still missing his arm, rallies his air troops with a speech damning Optimus for his actions, and Starscream launches his armada of silver-toned Jet Vehicons, followed by the [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticon]] horde. The Autobots retreat into the base, but Fowler jumps back into his helicopter and flies directly through the oncoming Decepticon formations. While he's soon outgunned and being chased by Vehicons, the ''[[Jackhammer (Prime)|Jackhammer]]'' streaks into view—[[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] has come to lend a hand, much to the surprise of the Autobots, since their last parting was not exactly on friendly terms, but he affirms that they're all still Autobots at the end of the day.

[[Image:DarkestHour-thisistheplace.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Revenge of the Fallen: The Album|We're going 'til the world stops turning, while we burn it to the ground tonight!]]]]

Optimus orders the Autobots to abandon base via [[GroundBridge]], each departing to different locations in the [[United States of America|USA]] in the hopes that it will allow them to evade capture easier and regroup. Bumblebee and Raf head out first, then Bulkhead and Miko, then Arcee and Jack. Outside, Fowler avoids more Decepticons only to see the ''Nemesis'' moving into position over the Autobot base. At the same time, June is approaching the base by car in search of her son, but is stopped by a low-flying Vehicon. Fowler moves fast, gunning the Decepticon down and pulling June to safety. Though Wheeljack has bought the Autobots time, the numbers are against him, and a pair of seeking missiles from Starscream soon send the ''Jackhammer'' plummeting to Earth in a trail of smoke.

Smokescreen having departed on his own, Ratchet and Optimus are the last ones left in the base. Optimus tells Ratchet to go on, while he will make sure the Decepticons can't follow. Realizing the implications, Ratchet sadly takes his leave. Optimus moves to use the Star Saber to destroy the space bridge controls, but at that moment his task is rendered moot as the ''Nemesis'' fires a colossal cannon, destroying the Autobot base in a huge explosion.

Megatron and Starscream fly down to the remains, landing on the Autobot [[insignia]]. The two gloat over their victory... and not far, all that can be seen of Optimus is his hand sticking out from the burning rubble...
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (1)
* [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] (2)
* [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] (3)
* [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] (4)
* [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
* [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] (14)
* [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] (18)
|c2=
* [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] (6)
* [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] (9)
* [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (10)
* [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] (12)
* [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (13)
* [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticons]] (17)
|c3=
* [[Jack Darby]] (7)
* [[Raf Esquivel]] (8)
* [[Miko Nakadai]] (11)
* [[June Darby]] (15)
* [[William Fowler]] (16)
}}

==Quotes==
"I guess we should cancel the welcome home party."
:—'''Knock Out''' tries to lighten the mood

"What about '''OUR''' planet?! All of our struggles and Energon spilled and ''countless'' sacrifices! '''FOR NOTHING?!"
:—'''Ratchet''' processes what just happened

"Our opportunity to revive Cybertron has been lost, due to the treachery of Optimus Prime. But from our fortress of New Kaon, we will instead seize control of ''this'' world! [[Megatron (Animated)|'''Decepticons! Transform and rise up!''']]"
:—'''Megatron''' rallies his troops

"We're still on the same team Doc. Always will be."
:—'''Wheeljack''' affirms that there's no bad Energon between them

"And that's how you wreck a Wrecker!"
:—'''Starscream''' revels in finally winning for once

"I... never imagined it would end like this." 
"Neither did I, old friend."
:—'''Ratchet''' and '''Optimus Prime''' on the breaking of [[Team Prime]]

"This is the place, all right." 
"This ''was'' the place." 
"United we stand, divided they fall."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Megatron''' dance on the ashes of their enemies

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Megatron remembers that Jack was entrusted with the [[Matrix of Leadership]] back in "[[Orion Pax, Part 3]]". Technically, Jack was entrusted with the [[Key to Vector Sigma]], but the result is the same.
* Ratchet vaguely references the events of "[[Hurt]]" when expressing surprise at Wheeljack's arrival. This also seems to be the reason why no one enlisted his aid for the events of the previous episode.
* Optimus cuts off Megatron's Prime arm, which he acquired in "[[Alpha/Omega]]".
* Soundwave began narrowing down the location of the Autobots' base through knowledge of their human allies' residences within [[Jasper]] in "[[Hard Knocks]]", and [[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]] was in driving distance of the base when he found Smokescreen. Though considering Megatron was angrily ranting about finding the base at the end of "[[Inside Job]]", the Decepticons must've finally found it in the short span of time between then and Megatron's departure to Cybertron in the previous episode, considering Megatron decided to plant New Kaon ''right'' on the Autobots' doorstep in this episode.

===Transformers references===
* "[[Darkest hour]]", yet again.
* Megatron commands his troops to "Transform and rise up!", a phrase coined by the ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]'' [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] in "[[Megatron Rising - Part 2]]".
* Megatron plans to [[cyberforming|cyberform]] Earth.

===Real-world references===
* Optimus Prime explains that the Omega Lock will "cyberform your planet in favor of its new matrix, destroying all indigenous life in the process," a reference to the Genesis Device in ''[[Star Trek]] {{w|Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan|II: The Wrath of Khan}}''. [[Spock]], describing the effect of the Device on an inhabited world, explains that it "would destroy such life, in favor of its new matrix."

===Animation and technical errors===
* As in previous episodes, Megatron's jet mode retains the fusion cannon even though he no longer has it.
* During Ratchet's last scene before he enters the GroundBridge, part of his helmet goes through his chest.
* When Optimus transforms his arm into his regular sword, the Vehicons behind him are suddenly ground units.
* Starscream blasts the missile on his right arm at Optimus shortly before the Omega Lock's destruction. For the remainder of the scene, he is inconsistently rendered; in most shots, he correctly has no mounted missile on his right arm, but in two shots (when Optimus leaps on him immediately afterward, and when Soundwave walks up behind him surveying Omega Lock's wreckage), the missile on his right arm has returned, only to then vanish again in subsequent shots.
* When Starscream takes off with his Vehicon armada, one of the Vehicons transforms and stops mid-air mid-transformed behind Knock Out.
* The Autobots must ''really'' be in disarray after the Omega Lock's destruction if they thought it was a good idea to just stand on top of their base (which was already marked with a conspicuous helicopter pad for Fowler) when they know that Laserbeak was within driving distance of the base during "[[Hard Knocks]]". Arcee even makes a point about the gravity of the Decepticons being close enough to the base to be able to find the kids right before Fowler alerts them to New Kaon's presence.

===Trivia===
[[Image:PrimeDarkestHourStarscreamsArmadaSingle.jpg|thumb|250px|ARE YOU SARAH CONNOR?]]
* A new type of Decepticon flyer debuts, sporting a silver and grey paint job. According to the season three DVD commentary, they were an off-screen gift from Megatron to Starscream for returning to the Decepticons.
** They also possess a red Decepticon insignia just like Starscream.
* June has evidently bought a new car, her old one having been destroyed in "[[One Shall Rise, Part 1]]".
* Optimus makes use of his integrated sword for the first time since the arrival of the Star Saber.
* Fowler manages to kill four Decepticons in this episode, two of which he shoots down with the gun on his helicopter. He must have gotten an upgrade after its lackluster performance in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 3]]" and "[[Crisscross (episode)|Crisscross]]".
* Soundwave actually cackles along with Megatron, Starscream, and Knock Out during the activation of the Omega Lock on Earth. His voice is not audible, but the laughing motion of his head is noticeable.
* Optimus' "death" was added in so there would be a reason to give Optimus a new body in season three.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So it was a crazy meeting, but you know, we initially uh, I think the way season 2 ended as scripted as storyboarded it was wisping smoke from the Autobot base. Cut to black. And uh see ya next season. And what we sort of improvised in the meeting is, oh and they also wanted a new Optimus Prime to sell, a new body. So we said well look we were you know we were gonna open season 3 to show how everybody secretly escaped through secret passages that kind of thing and they on the run. But we said what if, brainstormed in the meeting with Jeff and I, oh what if we see Optimus' body lying in the rubble. He was the last one to leave, to make sure everybody else was safe and we leave him for dead. We see his eye blink out we see a destroyed hand sticking out of the rubble.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT6tvD6NyzY&t=14459s|name=Duane Capizzi|site=YouTube|year=2021|month=08|day=14}}</ref>

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le Nouveau Kaon'''" ("The New Kaon")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Die Entscheidung'''" ("The Choice")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 27|27 February]] [[2013]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kyūkyoku Henkei! Tatakae! Transformers'''" (究極変形!戦え!トランスフォーマー, "Ultimate Transformation! Fight! Transformers")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 30|30 March]] [[2013]]
:*The title is a reference to ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'', the Japanese title of the original Generation 1 franchise.
:*'''Cut:''' As the Japanese broadcast of ''Prime'' had to limit the show to only 52 episodes, "Darkest Hour" became the series finale. To accommodate this new role, the entire [[cliffhanger]] ending in which the Autobot base is destroyed was cut and the series ends on a more ambiguous tone (the final shot is of Optimus destroying the control panel). Editing like this would make 4Kids blush.

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''L'ora più buia'''" ("The darkest hour"), "'''L'Ora più Oscura'''" (2017 airing, "The Darkest Hour")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 19|19 February]] [[2013]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Hora Mais Escura'''" (The Darkest Hour")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season Two ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2013 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Vol. 26 ([[Avex Trax]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2014 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Volume 5: Advance on Cybertron ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2014 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Folge 12: Die Entscheidung ([[EDEL:kids]]) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2014 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season Two Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2014 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Saison 2 Vol. 4: Bataille épiques ([[Primal Screen]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2015 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season 2 Vol. 4: Darkest Hour (Primal Screen) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2015 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (Primal Screen) 
[[File:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2015 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Stagione 2 Vol. 4: L'ora più buia (Primal Screen) — English, Italian, Swedish, Finnish, Danish and Norwegian audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2015 — ''Transformers Prime'' — The Complete Season 2 (Primal Screen) 
[[File:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2015 — ''Transformers Prime'' — La Seconda Stagione Completa (Primal Screen) — English, Italian, Swedish, Finnish, Danish and Norwegian audio.
;Blu-ray
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season Two (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2015 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season Two Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Darkest Hour (episode)

2026-03-20T05:26:59Z

DevinM626:

{{disambig3|Darkest Hour}}

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 52
|prev=Regeneration (Prime)
|next=Darkmount, NV
|next2=Triple Combination! Swordbot - Samurai!
|image=PrimeDarkestHourOPArm.jpg
|caption=WISE FWOM YOUR GWAVE
|title="Darkest Hour"
|season=2
|season ep=26
|airdate=[[November 2]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[Steven Melching]]
|directed by=[[Vinton Heuck]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Allspark (company)|Hasbro Studios]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEl-H0ZAfFg
|videosite=YouTube
}}
'''When Megatron turns the power of the Omega Lock on Earth, Optimus is forced into making a risky decision that could have inescapable consequences for the entire Autobot team.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:DarkestHour-captives.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Jack: It's all because of us. Miko: We're so fragged. Raf: Can I go to the bathroom?]]

The two groups stand on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], locked in a face-off. While the [[Autobot]]s have the [[Omega Key]]s, the [[Decepticon]]s have [[Jack Darby|Jack]], [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] and [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]]. [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] orders [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] to get ready to expose Jack to Cybertron's toxic atmosphere. Though the kids are ready to sacrifice themselves to save the planet, [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] isn't, and the Autobots throw down their weapons. [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] hands over his key in exchange for Miko, [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] hands over his for Raf, and Megatron insists that as someone who was entrusted with the [[Matrix of Leadership]], Jack is surely worth ''two'' keys, so Arcee and Smokescreen are compelled to hand over theirs. The exchange done, a [[space bridge]] opens and the Autobots are quickly surrounded by [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]].

On [[Earth]], [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] gets a call from [[June Darby]], worried as she can't get in touch with Jack. Ratchet, unable to get in touch with Optimus and unaware that the kids are on Cybertron, is more concerned with keeping the comm lines clear, and quickly ends the call.

Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave and Knock Out each hold a key, and activate the [[Omega Lock]]. At a touch from Megatron, the lock sends out a beam of energy that recreates a nearby ruin, turning it into a pristine building. Though Optimus requests he be allowed to take the [[human]]s back to Earth, Megatron replies that they'll be safer where they are. He has Starscream open up a space bridge portal over the Omega Lock site, and unleashes a mechaforming beam through it... to Earth, just outside of [[Jasper]], [[Nevada]]. A horrified June drops her phone, and the Autobot base's systems go haywire from the energy overload.

[[Image:DarkestHour-June.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"I've been watching far too many movies."]]

Miko wonders aloud if the beam will simply restore Earth, but Optimus says that this won't be the case; the beam will instead [[cyberforming|cyberform]] the planet, turning it into another metallic world, and in the process destroying ''all'' indigenous life. Megatron revels in his victory as he, Starscream, and [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] share a professional grade evil laugh, unintentionally dropping their guard. Unable to let Earth die, Optimus leaps into action, slicing his way through the guards with his blade and lunging for the [[Star Saber (Thirteen)|Star Saber]]. Though Megatron tries to respond with the [[Dark Star Saber]], Optimus neatly cleaves the purloined Prime arm off of the Decepticon leader and sends the Dark blade flying, charging the Lock. Starscream gets his face stamped on as he tries to stop Optimus, and the other two Decepticons dive for cover as the Star Saber finds its mark, resulting in a massive explosion.

The cyberforming beam dissipates, and Ratchet's equipment clears up in time to get a transmission from Optimus requesting a space bridge. As the Decepticons pick themselves out of the rubble, the Autobots retreat through back to Earth. Knock Out tries to lighten the mood, earning a quick backhand from Starscream, snarling that he needs to attend to their wounded leader. Starscream's ranting at Optimus's actions is cut of by a burst of maniacal laughter from Megatron... "They can run, but they can never again run ''home''!"

[[Image:DarkestHour-NewKaon.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Always check the (future) neighbors out before you sign the lease.]]

Ratchet is aghast as the Autobots return carrying the children, and even more so when they tell him Optimus has destroyed the Omega Lock. He staggers, lamenting that the sheer depth of loss the war has brought has all come to naught, with Cybertron now doomed to forever be a lifeless husk. [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] snaps at Ratchet, claiming it's not his place to question Optimus's battlefield decisions, and Ratchet does not exactly react well to that. The discussion is cut short by a call from an absolutely furious [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]], suggesting they take a look outside. As the Autobots reach the mountaintop via elevator, they find a huge [[Darkmount (Earth)|Cybertronian fortress]] now stands right on their doorstep. Fowler, landing his helicopter next to them, wonders why they picked Jasper. As the ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]'' arrives, the answer becomes painfully clear: the Decepticons have found the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot base]].

Megatron, still missing his arm, rallies his air troops with a speech damning Optimus for his actions, and Starscream launches his armada of silver-toned Jet Vehicons, followed by the [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticon]] horde. The Autobots retreat into the base, but Fowler jumps back into his helicopter and flies directly through the oncoming Decepticon formations. While he's soon outgunned and being chased by Vehicons, the ''[[Jackhammer (Prime)|Jackhammer]]'' streaks into view—[[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] has come to lend a hand, much to the surprise of the Autobots, since their last parting was not exactly on friendly terms, but he affirms that they're all still Autobots at the end of the day.

[[Image:DarkestHour-thisistheplace.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Revenge of the Fallen: The Album|We're going 'til the world stops turning, while we burn it to the ground tonight!]]]]

Optimus orders the Autobots to abandon base via [[GroundBridge]], each departing to different locations in the [[United States of America|USA]] in the hopes that it will allow them to evade capture easier and regroup. Bumblebee and Raf head out first, then Bulkhead and Miko, then Arcee and Jack. Outside, Fowler avoids more Decepticons only to see the ''Nemesis'' moving into position over the Autobot base. At the same time, June is approaching the base by car in search of her son, but is stopped by a low-flying Vehicon. Fowler moves fast, gunning the Decepticon down and pulling June to safety. Though Wheeljack has bought the Autobots time, the numbers are against him, and a pair of seeking missiles from Starscream soon send the ''Jackhammer'' plummeting to Earth in a trail of smoke.

Smokescreen having departed on his own, Ratchet and Optimus are the last ones left in the base. Optimus tells Ratchet to go on, while he will make sure the Decepticons can't follow. Realizing the implications, Ratchet sadly takes his leave. Optimus moves to use the Star Saber to destroy the space bridge controls, but at that moment his task is rendered moot as the ''Nemesis'' fires a colossal cannon, destroying the Autobot base in a huge explosion.

Megatron and Starscream fly down to the remains, landing on the Autobot [[insignia]]. The two gloat over their victory... and not far, all that can be seen of Optimus is his hand sticking out from the burning rubble...
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (1)
* [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] (2)
* [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] (3)
* [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] (4)
* [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
* [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] (14)
* [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] (18)
|c2=
* [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] (6)
* [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] (9)
* [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (10)
* [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] (12)
* [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (13)
* [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticons]] (17)
|c3=
* [[Jack Darby]] (7)
* [[Raf Esquivel]] (8)
* [[Miko Nakadai]] (11)
* [[June Darby]] (15)
* [[William Fowler]] (16)
}}

==Quotes==
"I guess we should cancel the welcome home party."
:—'''Knock Out''' tries to lighten the mood

"What about '''OUR''' planet?! All of our struggles and Energon spilled and ''countless'' sacrifices! '''FOR NOTHING?!"
:—'''Ratchet''' processes what just happened

"Our opportunity to revive Cybertron has been lost, due to the treachery of Optimus Prime. But from our fortress of New Kaon, we will instead seize control of ''this'' world! [[Megatron (Animated)|'''Decepticons! Transform and rise up!''']]"
:—'''Megatron''' rallies his troops

"We're still on the same team Doc. Always will be."
:—'''Wheeljack''' affirms that there's no bad Energon between them

"And that's how you wreck a Wrecker!"
:—'''Starscream''' revels in finally winning for once

"I... never imagined it would end like this." 
"Neither did I, old friend."
:—'''Ratchet''' and '''Optimus Prime''' on the breaking of [[Team Prime]]

"This is the place, all right." 
"This ''was'' the place." 
"United we stand, divided they fall."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Megatron''' dance on the ashes of their enemies

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Megatron remembers that Jack was entrusted with the [[Matrix of Leadership]] back in "[[Orion Pax, Part 3]]". Technically, Jack was entrusted with the [[Key to Vector Sigma]], but the result is the same.
* Ratchet vaguely references the events of "[[Hurt]]" when expressing surprise at Wheeljack's arrival. This also seems to be the reason why no one enlisted his aid for the events of the previous episode.
* Optimus cuts off Megatron's Prime arm, which he acquired in "[[Alpha/Omega]]".
* Soundwave began narrowing down the location of the Autobots' base through knowledge of their human allies' residences within [[Jasper]] in "[[Hard Knocks]]", and [[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]] was in driving distance of the base when he found Smokescreen. Though considering Megatron was angrily ranting about finding the base at the end of "[[Inside Job]]", the Decepticons must've finally found it in the short span of time between then and Megatron's departure to Cybertron in the previous episode, considering Megatron decided to plant New Kaon ''right'' on the Autobots' doorstep in this episode.

===Transformers references===
* "[[Darkest hour]]", yet again.
* Megatron commands his troops to "Transform and rise up!", a phrase coined by the ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]'' [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] in "[[Megatron Rising - Part 2]]".
* Megatron plans to [[cyberforming|cyberform]] Earth.

===Real-world references===
* Optimus Prime explains that the Omega Lock will "cyberform your planet in favor of its new matrix, destroying all indigenous life in the process," a reference to the Genesis Device in ''[[Star Trek]] {{w|Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan|II: The Wrath of Khan}}''. [[Spock]], describing the effect of the Device on an inhabited world, explains that it "would destroy such life, in favor of its new matrix."

===Animation and technical errors===
* As in previous episodes, Megatron's jet mode retains the fusion cannon even though he no longer has it.
* During Ratchet's last scene before he enters the GroundBridge, part of his helmet goes through his chest.
* When Optimus transforms his arm into his regular sword, the Vehicons behind him are suddenly ground units.
* Starscream blasts the missile on his right arm at Optimus shortly before the Omega Lock's destruction. For the remainder of the scene, he is inconsistently rendered; in most shots, he correctly has no mounted missile on his right arm, but in two shots (when Optimus leaps on him immediately afterward, and when Soundwave walks up behind him surveying Omega Lock's wreckage), he has missiles on both arms, with the right-arm missile disappearing between shots.
* When Starscream takes off with his Vehicon armada, one of the Vehicons transforms and stops mid-air mid-transformed behind Knock Out.
* The Autobots must ''really'' be in disarray after the Omega Lock's destruction if they thought it was a good idea to just stand on top of their base (which was already marked with a conspicuous helicopter pad for Fowler) when they know that Laserbeak was within driving distance of the base during "[[Hard Knocks]]". Arcee even makes a point about the gravity of the Decepticons being close enough to the base to be able to find the kids right before Fowler alerts them to New Kaon's presence.

===Trivia===
[[Image:PrimeDarkestHourStarscreamsArmadaSingle.jpg|thumb|250px|ARE YOU SARAH CONNOR?]]
* A new type of Decepticon flyer debuts, sporting a silver and grey paint job. According to the season three DVD commentary, they were an off-screen gift from Megatron to Starscream for returning to the Decepticons.
** They also possess a red Decepticon insignia just like Starscream.
* June has evidently bought a new car, her old one having been destroyed in "[[One Shall Rise, Part 1]]".
* Optimus makes use of his integrated sword for the first time since the arrival of the Star Saber.
* Fowler manages to kill four Decepticons in this episode, two of which he shoots down with the gun on his helicopter. He must have gotten an upgrade after its lackluster performance in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 3]]" and "[[Crisscross (episode)|Crisscross]]".
* Soundwave actually cackles along with Megatron, Starscream, and Knock Out during the activation of the Omega Lock on Earth. His voice is not audible, but the laughing motion of his head is noticeable.
* Optimus' "death" was added in so there would be a reason to give Optimus a new body in season three.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So it was a crazy meeting, but you know, we initially uh, I think the way season 2 ended as scripted as storyboarded it was wisping smoke from the Autobot base. Cut to black. And uh see ya next season. And what we sort of improvised in the meeting is, oh and they also wanted a new Optimus Prime to sell, a new body. So we said well look we were you know we were gonna open season 3 to show how everybody secretly escaped through secret passages that kind of thing and they on the run. But we said what if, brainstormed in the meeting with Jeff and I, oh what if we see Optimus' body lying in the rubble. He was the last one to leave, to make sure everybody else was safe and we leave him for dead. We see his eye blink out we see a destroyed hand sticking out of the rubble.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT6tvD6NyzY&t=14459s|name=Duane Capizzi|site=YouTube|year=2021|month=08|day=14}}</ref>

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le Nouveau Kaon'''" ("The New Kaon")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Die Entscheidung'''" ("The Choice")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 27|27 February]] [[2013]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kyūkyoku Henkei! Tatakae! Transformers'''" (究極変形!戦え!トランスフォーマー, "Ultimate Transformation! Fight! Transformers")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 30|30 March]] [[2013]]
:*The title is a reference to ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'', the Japanese title of the original Generation 1 franchise.
:*'''Cut:''' As the Japanese broadcast of ''Prime'' had to limit the show to only 52 episodes, "Darkest Hour" became the series finale. To accommodate this new role, the entire [[cliffhanger]] ending in which the Autobot base is destroyed was cut and the series ends on a more ambiguous tone (the final shot is of Optimus destroying the control panel). Editing like this would make 4Kids blush.

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''L'ora più buia'''" ("The darkest hour"), "'''L'Ora più Oscura'''" (2017 airing, "The Darkest Hour")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 19|19 February]] [[2013]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Hora Mais Escura'''" (The Darkest Hour")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season Two ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2013 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Vol. 26 ([[Avex Trax]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2014 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Volume 5: Advance on Cybertron ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2014 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Folge 12: Die Entscheidung ([[EDEL:kids]]) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2014 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season Two Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2014 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Saison 2 Vol. 4: Bataille épiques ([[Primal Screen]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2015 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season 2 Vol. 4: Darkest Hour (Primal Screen) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2015 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (Primal Screen) 
[[File:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2015 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Stagione 2 Vol. 4: L'ora più buia (Primal Screen) — English, Italian, Swedish, Finnish, Danish and Norwegian audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2015 — ''Transformers Prime'' — The Complete Season 2 (Primal Screen) 
[[File:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2015 — ''Transformers Prime'' — La Seconda Stagione Completa (Primal Screen) — English, Italian, Swedish, Finnish, Danish and Norwegian audio.
;Blu-ray
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season Two (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2015 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season Two Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Darkest Hour (episode)

2026-03-20T05:26:25Z

DevinM626:

{{disambig3|Darkest Hour}}

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 52
|prev=Regeneration (Prime)
|next=Darkmount, NV
|next2=Triple Combination! Swordbot - Samurai!
|image=PrimeDarkestHourOPArm.jpg
|caption=WISE FWOM YOUR GWAVE
|title="Darkest Hour"
|season=2
|season ep=26
|airdate=[[November 2]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[Steven Melching]]
|directed by=[[Vinton Heuck]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Allspark (company)|Hasbro Studios]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEl-H0ZAfFg
|videosite=YouTube
}}
'''When Megatron turns the power of the Omega Lock on Earth, Optimus is forced into making a risky decision that could have inescapable consequences for the entire Autobot team.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:DarkestHour-captives.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Jack: It's all because of us. Miko: We're so fragged. Raf: Can I go to the bathroom?]]

The two groups stand on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], locked in a face-off. While the [[Autobot]]s have the [[Omega Key]]s, the [[Decepticon]]s have [[Jack Darby|Jack]], [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] and [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]]. [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] orders [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] to get ready to expose Jack to Cybertron's toxic atmosphere. Though the kids are ready to sacrifice themselves to save the planet, [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] isn't, and the Autobots throw down their weapons. [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] hands over his key in exchange for Miko, [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] hands over his for Raf, and Megatron insists that as someone who was entrusted with the [[Matrix of Leadership]], Jack is surely worth ''two'' keys, so Arcee and Smokescreen are compelled to hand over theirs. The exchange done, a [[space bridge]] opens and the Autobots are quickly surrounded by [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]].

On [[Earth]], [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] gets a call from [[June Darby]], worried as she can't get in touch with Jack. Ratchet, unable to get in touch with Optimus and unaware that the kids are on Cybertron, is more concerned with keeping the comm lines clear, and quickly ends the call.

Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave and Knock Out each hold a key, and activate the [[Omega Lock]]. At a touch from Megatron, the lock sends out a beam of energy that recreates a nearby ruin, turning it into a pristine building. Though Optimus requests he be allowed to take the [[human]]s back to Earth, Megatron replies that they'll be safer where they are. He has Starscream open up a space bridge portal over the Omega Lock site, and unleashes a mechaforming beam through it... to Earth, just outside of [[Jasper]], [[Nevada]]. A horrified June drops her phone, and the Autobot base's systems go haywire from the energy overload.

[[Image:DarkestHour-June.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"I've been watching far too many movies."]]

Miko wonders aloud if the beam will simply restore Earth, but Optimus says that this won't be the case; the beam will instead [[cyberforming|cyberform]] the planet, turning it into another metallic world, and in the process destroying ''all'' indigenous life. Megatron revels in his victory as he, Starscream, and [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] share a professional grade evil laugh, unintentionally dropping their guard. Unable to let Earth die, Optimus leaps into action, slicing his way through the guards with his blade and lunging for the [[Star Saber (Thirteen)|Star Saber]]. Though Megatron tries to respond with the [[Dark Star Saber]], Optimus neatly cleaves the purloined Prime arm off of the Decepticon leader and sends the Dark blade flying, charging the Lock. Starscream gets his face stamped on as he tries to stop Optimus, and the other two Decepticons dive for cover as the Star Saber finds its mark, resulting in a massive explosion.

The cyberforming beam dissipates, and Ratchet's equipment clears up in time to get a transmission from Optimus requesting a space bridge. As the Decepticons pick themselves out of the rubble, the Autobots retreat through back to Earth. Knock Out tries to lighten the mood, earning a quick backhand from Starscream, snarling that he needs to attend to their wounded leader. Starscream's ranting at Optimus's actions is cut of by a burst of maniacal laughter from Megatron... "They can run, but they can never again run ''home''!"

[[Image:DarkestHour-NewKaon.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Always check the (future) neighbors out before you sign the lease.]]

Ratchet is aghast as the Autobots return carrying the children, and even more so when they tell him Optimus has destroyed the Omega Lock. He staggers, lamenting that the sheer depth of loss the war has brought has all come to naught, with Cybertron now doomed to forever be a lifeless husk. [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] snaps at Ratchet, claiming it's not his place to question Optimus's battlefield decisions, and Ratchet does not exactly react well to that. The discussion is cut short by a call from an absolutely furious [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]], suggesting they take a look outside. As the Autobots reach the mountaintop via elevator, they find a huge [[Darkmount (Earth)|Cybertronian fortress]] now stands right on their doorstep. Fowler, landing his helicopter next to them, wonders why they picked Jasper. As the ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]'' arrives, the answer becomes painfully clear: the Decepticons have found the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot base]].

Megatron, still missing his arm, rallies his air troops with a speech damning Optimus for his actions, and Starscream launches his armada of silver-toned Jet Vehicons, followed by the [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticon]] horde. The Autobots retreat into the base, but Fowler jumps back into his helicopter and flies directly through the oncoming Decepticon formations. While he's soon outgunned and being chased by Vehicons, the ''[[Jackhammer (Prime)|Jackhammer]]'' streaks into view—[[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] has come to lend a hand, much to the surprise of the Autobots, since their last parting was not exactly on friendly terms, but he affirms that they're all still Autobots at the end of the day.

[[Image:DarkestHour-thisistheplace.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Revenge of the Fallen: The Album|We're going 'til the world stops turning, while we burn it to the ground tonight!]]]]

Optimus orders the Autobots to abandon base via [[GroundBridge]], each departing to different locations in the [[United States of America|USA]] in the hopes that it will allow them to evade capture easier and regroup. Bumblebee and Raf head out first, then Bulkhead and Miko, then Arcee and Jack. Outside, Fowler avoids more Decepticons only to see the ''Nemesis'' moving into position over the Autobot base. At the same time, June is approaching the base by car in search of her son, but is stopped by a low-flying Vehicon. Fowler moves fast, gunning the Decepticon down and pulling June to safety. Though Wheeljack has bought the Autobots time, the numbers are against him, and a pair of seeking missiles from Starscream soon send the ''Jackhammer'' plummeting to Earth in a trail of smoke.

Smokescreen having departed on his own, Ratchet and Optimus are the last ones left in the base. Optimus tells Ratchet to go on, while he will make sure the Decepticons can't follow. Realizing the implications, Ratchet sadly takes his leave. Optimus moves to use the Star Saber to destroy the space bridge controls, but at that moment his task is rendered moot as the ''Nemesis'' fires a colossal cannon, destroying the Autobot base in a huge explosion.

Megatron and Starscream fly down to the remains, landing on the Autobot [[insignia]]. The two gloat over their victory... and not far, all that can be seen of Optimus is his hand sticking out from the burning rubble...
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (1)
* [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] (2)
* [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] (3)
* [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] (4)
* [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
* [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] (14)
* [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] (18)
|c2=
* [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] (6)
* [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] (9)
* [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (10)
* [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] (12)
* [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (13)
* [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticons]] (17)
|c3=
* [[Jack Darby]] (7)
* [[Raf Esquivel]] (8)
* [[Miko Nakadai]] (11)
* [[June Darby]] (15)
* [[William Fowler]] (16)
}}

==Quotes==
"I guess we should cancel the welcome home party."
:—'''Knock Out''' tries to lighten the mood

"What about '''OUR''' planet?! All of our struggles and Energon spilled and ''countless'' sacrifices! '''FOR NOTHING?!"
:—'''Ratchet''' processes what just happened

"Our opportunity to revive Cybertron has been lost, due to the treachery of Optimus Prime. But from our fortress of New Kaon, we will instead seize control of ''this'' world! [[Megatron (Animated)|'''Decepticons! Transform and rise up!''']]"
:—'''Megatron''' rallies his troops

"We're still on the same team Doc. Always will be."
:—'''Wheeljack''' affirms that there's no bad Energon between them

"And that's how you wreck a Wrecker!"
:—'''Starscream''' revels in finally winning for once

"I... never imagined it would end like this." 
"Neither did I, old friend."
:—'''Ratchet''' and '''Optimus Prime''' on the breaking of [[Team Prime]]

"This is the place, all right." 
"This ''was'' the place." 
"United we stand, divided they fall."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Megatron''' dance on the ashes of their enemies

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Megatron remembers that Jack was entrusted with the [[Matrix of Leadership]] back in "[[Orion Pax, Part 3]]". Technically, Jack was entrusted with the [[Key to Vector Sigma]], but the result is the same.
* Ratchet vaguely references the events of "[[Hurt]]" when expressing surprise at Wheeljack's arrival. This also seems to be the reason why no one enlisted his aid for the events of the previous episode.
* Optimus cuts off Megatron's Prime arm, which he acquired in "[[Alpha/Omega]]".
* Soundwave began narrowing down the location of the Autobots' base through knowledge of their human allies' residences within [[Jasper]] in "[[Hard Knocks]]", and [[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]] was in driving distance of the base when he found Smokescreen. Though considering Megatron was angrily ranting about finding the base at the end of "[[Inside Job]]", the Decepticons must've finally found it in the short span of time between then and Megatron's departure to Cybertron in the previous episode, considering Megatron decided to plant New Kaon ''right'' on the Autobots' doorstep in this episode.

===Transformers references===
* "[[Darkest hour]]", yet again.
* Megatron commands his troops to "Transform and rise up!", a phrase coined by the ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]'' [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] in "[[Megatron Rising - Part 2]]".
* Megatron plans to [[cyberforming|cyberform]] Earth.

===Real-world references===
* Optimus Prime explains that the Omega Lock will "cyberform your planet in favor of its new matrix, destroying all indigenous life in the process," a reference to the Genesis Device in ''[[Star Trek]] {{w|Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan|II: The Wrath of Khan}}''. [[Spock]], describing the effect of the Device on an inhabited world, explains that it "would destroy such life, in favor of its new matrix."

===Animation and technical errors===
* As in previous episodes, Megatron's jet mode retains the fusion cannon even though he no longer has it.
* During Ratchet's last scene before he enters the GroundBridge, part of his helmet goes through his chest.
* When Optimus transforms his arm into his regular sword, the Vehicons behind him are suddenly ground units.
* Starscream blasts the missile on his right arm at Optimus shortly before the Omega Lock's destruction. Afterwards, he is inconsistently rendered; in most shots, he correctly has no mounted missile on his right arm, but in two shots (when Optimus leaps on him immediately afterward, and when Soundwave walks up behind him surveying Omega Lock's wreckage), he has missiles on both arms, with the right-arm missile disappearing between shots.
* When Starscream takes off with his Vehicon armada, one of the Vehicons transforms and stops mid-air mid-transformed behind Knock Out.
* The Autobots must ''really'' be in disarray after the Omega Lock's destruction if they thought it was a good idea to just stand on top of their base (which was already marked with a conspicuous helicopter pad for Fowler) when they know that Laserbeak was within driving distance of the base during "[[Hard Knocks]]". Arcee even makes a point about the gravity of the Decepticons being close enough to the base to be able to find the kids right before Fowler alerts them to New Kaon's presence.

===Trivia===
[[Image:PrimeDarkestHourStarscreamsArmadaSingle.jpg|thumb|250px|ARE YOU SARAH CONNOR?]]
* A new type of Decepticon flyer debuts, sporting a silver and grey paint job. According to the season three DVD commentary, they were an off-screen gift from Megatron to Starscream for returning to the Decepticons.
** They also possess a red Decepticon insignia just like Starscream.
* June has evidently bought a new car, her old one having been destroyed in "[[One Shall Rise, Part 1]]".
* Optimus makes use of his integrated sword for the first time since the arrival of the Star Saber.
* Fowler manages to kill four Decepticons in this episode, two of which he shoots down with the gun on his helicopter. He must have gotten an upgrade after its lackluster performance in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 3]]" and "[[Crisscross (episode)|Crisscross]]".
* Soundwave actually cackles along with Megatron, Starscream, and Knock Out during the activation of the Omega Lock on Earth. His voice is not audible, but the laughing motion of his head is noticeable.
* Optimus' "death" was added in so there would be a reason to give Optimus a new body in season three.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So it was a crazy meeting, but you know, we initially uh, I think the way season 2 ended as scripted as storyboarded it was wisping smoke from the Autobot base. Cut to black. And uh see ya next season. And what we sort of improvised in the meeting is, oh and they also wanted a new Optimus Prime to sell, a new body. So we said well look we were you know we were gonna open season 3 to show how everybody secretly escaped through secret passages that kind of thing and they on the run. But we said what if, brainstormed in the meeting with Jeff and I, oh what if we see Optimus' body lying in the rubble. He was the last one to leave, to make sure everybody else was safe and we leave him for dead. We see his eye blink out we see a destroyed hand sticking out of the rubble.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT6tvD6NyzY&t=14459s|name=Duane Capizzi|site=YouTube|year=2021|month=08|day=14}}</ref>

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le Nouveau Kaon'''" ("The New Kaon")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Die Entscheidung'''" ("The Choice")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 27|27 February]] [[2013]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kyūkyoku Henkei! Tatakae! Transformers'''" (究極変形!戦え!トランスフォーマー, "Ultimate Transformation! Fight! Transformers")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 30|30 March]] [[2013]]
:*The title is a reference to ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'', the Japanese title of the original Generation 1 franchise.
:*'''Cut:''' As the Japanese broadcast of ''Prime'' had to limit the show to only 52 episodes, "Darkest Hour" became the series finale. To accommodate this new role, the entire [[cliffhanger]] ending in which the Autobot base is destroyed was cut and the series ends on a more ambiguous tone (the final shot is of Optimus destroying the control panel). Editing like this would make 4Kids blush.

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''L'ora più buia'''" ("The darkest hour"), "'''L'Ora più Oscura'''" (2017 airing, "The Darkest Hour")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 19|19 February]] [[2013]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Hora Mais Escura'''" (The Darkest Hour")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season Two ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2013 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Vol. 26 ([[Avex Trax]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2014 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Volume 5: Advance on Cybertron ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2014 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Folge 12: Die Entscheidung ([[EDEL:kids]]) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2014 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season Two Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2014 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Saison 2 Vol. 4: Bataille épiques ([[Primal Screen]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2015 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season 2 Vol. 4: Darkest Hour (Primal Screen) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2015 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (Primal Screen) 
[[File:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2015 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Stagione 2 Vol. 4: L'ora più buia (Primal Screen) — English, Italian, Swedish, Finnish, Danish and Norwegian audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2015 — ''Transformers Prime'' — The Complete Season 2 (Primal Screen) 
[[File:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2015 — ''Transformers Prime'' — La Seconda Stagione Completa (Primal Screen) — English, Italian, Swedish, Finnish, Danish and Norwegian audio.
;Blu-ray
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season Two (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2015 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season Two Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity

2026-02-27T16:26:08Z

DevinM626:

{{factions|decepticon|unicron}}
{{suite}}

[[File:GalvatronDepth.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|And this was ''before'' the [[Hate Plague]].]]
Sometimes crazy doesn't work... but try telling that to '''Galvatron'''!

==''The Transformers'' cartoon==
{{voiceactor|[[Leonard Nimoy]] (English, ''The Movie''), [[Frank Welker]] (English, television series), [[Seizō Katō]] (Japanese)|[[Yang Wenyuan]] (Chinese, TV series), [[Gao Quansheng]] (Chinese, ''The Rebirth''), [[Marcel Guido]] (French, ''The Movie''), [[Serge Lhorca]] (European French, TV series), Unknown (European French, "Five Faces of Darkness" episodes & "Surprise Party"), [[Jean Claudio]] (European French, "Webworld" & "Carnage in C-Minor"), [[Philippe Roullier]] (European French, "The Dweller in the Depths" & "The Face of the Nijika"), [[Albert Augier]] (European French, "The Rebirth, Part 1"), [[Serge Bourrier]] (European French, "The Rebirth, Part 3"), [[Carl Béchard]] (Canadian French, TV series), [[Gerd Wiedenhofen]] (German, television series), [[Manfred Erdmann]] (German, ''The Movie''), [[Thomas Rauscher]] (German, ''Generation 2''), [[Achim Barrenstein]] (German, ''The Movie DVD dub''), [[Romano Malaspina]] (Italian, ''The Movie'' second dub), [[Júlio César]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' TV dub), [[José Santa Cruz]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' VHS dub), [[Daoiz Cabezudo]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' Fox Kids dub), [[Marcos Miranda]] (Portuguese, season 3), [[Jordi Varela]] (Spain-Spanish, ''The Movie''), [[Alejandro Abdalah]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Mikhail Chernyak]] (Russian)}}

[[File:Tftm1986c.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"[[Doctor (Doctor Who)|Legs! I've still got legs!]]"]]
In [[2005]], after being mortally wounded by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] during the [[Battle of Autobot City]], [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] was left to float aimlessly through space after being punted out of the overloaded [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], who decided to take advantage of his master's near-death state to finally sieze command. Megatron was then summoned by [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], who offered him a new body, a warship and new troops to command, so long as he destroyed the [[Autobot]] [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Megatron reluctantly accepted and was upgraded into '''Galvatron''', a more fearsome and powerful warrior, while his former troops were similarly [[Reformatting|reformatted]].

[[File:TFTM-strangle.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Nothing can save you, Autobot, except maybe the powerful artifact around my neck! But that'll never happen.]]
Galvatron, eager to take revenge on the one who had cast him into the void, first took his new troops to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]; upon arrival, they crashed Starscream's coronation as the Decepticon leader. Galvatron dismissed the ceremony as “bad comedy” before transforming to his new cannon mode and reducing Starscream to ash with a single blast. The [[Decepticon]]s quickly fell in line behind Galvatron, but it was not long after that he witnessed Unicron devour one of Cybertron's moons. Infuriated by this affront, Galvatron's rage was met with agony induced by Unicron. Reminded of his new place, Galvatron was forced to quell his fury for the time being. Galvatron then led the Decepticons to Earth in a second attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], hitting the few remaining Autobots in full-force. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] led him away from Earth, and Galvatron chased him to the [[Junkion (planet)|Planet of Junk]], where he defeated Magnus and took the Matrix, intending to use it against Unicron.

Galvatron could not open the Matrix, and as punishment for his treachery, Unicron transformed and began tearing Cybertron apart. Horrified, Galvatron transformed to cannon emplacement mode and opened fire on Unicron, but his shots had no effect and the dark god swallowed him whole. Inside Unicron's belly, he met up with [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]]. Though he initially suggested an alliance with the young Autobot against the mutual threat of his master, the Chaos Bringer again mentally tortured Galvatron for his attempted treachery and then forced him to attack Hot Rod. Hot Rod eventually managed to wrest the Matrix away from Galvatron and open it, leading to his transformation into Rodimus Prime. Flush with new power, Rodimus hurled Galvatron from inside Unicron and into deep space. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Galvatron’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]]."}}

But this would not be the end of Galvatron.

[[File:FFOD2 Scourge rescuing Galvatron.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|He'll never be let back into this country club ever again.]]
The weakened Decepticons were subsequently routed by the Autobots and forced off Cybertron, relocating to the burned-out world of [[Chaar]]. After eking out a living there in energy-deprived squalor for some time, they were visited by [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]], who'd finally decided to return the Decepticons to glory by seeking out the lost Galvatron.{{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

They found him sunk in a lava pit on the distant planet [[Thrull]] and managed to free him. However, the effects of the "plasma bath" irrevocably altered Galvatron's sanity chips, rendering him omnicidally insane. Upon regaining his freedom, he thrashed Cyclonus and Scourge and sundered Thrull. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} Told that the [[human]]s and Autobots had collaborated to build a space station as Earth's first line of defense, he was highly amused, and headed for the nearest [[warp gate]]. On reaching [[Outpost One]], he and his men attacked the station, quickly destroying it and coincidentally damaging the shuttle piloted by [[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]. Galvatron spotted the shuttle making a break for [[Jupiter]], and demanded the heads of the Autobots as souvenirs. With one blast, he destroyed the ship, but the two occupants had escaped and began plummeting into the planet's atmosphere. One [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]], blasted by Wheelie, cried out to Galvatron to save him, but was only told to meet his end with dignity. Galvatron then blasted a nearby storm cell, causing an implosion.

[[File:FFOD2 Galvatron sparks.JPG|thumb|upright=1.66|Plasma is the Sniffling, Sneezing, Coughing, Aching, Stuffy-head, Fever, So-You-Can-Bwaah! medicine.]]
{{bigquote|It's music! The symphony of destruction and the anthem of agony!|Galvatron loves an atmospheric implosion|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}}
Believing the Autobots to be destroyed, Galvatron ordered Cyclonus to take him to [[Chaar]]. He was shocked at the conditions that the Decepticon army were forced to live under, and was even more surprised to be told by [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] that the bulk of the Decepticon forces had left under new leadership. Incensed, he announced that he was the leader of the Decepticons, and the usurpers would pay. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} He and his loyal men swiftly found the rest of the Decepticons fighting the Autobots on [[Goo Number 8739-B]], and Galvatron swiftly ordered an attack. When Cyclonus inquired who they were attacking, Galvatron simply replied "everyone". After making [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] beg for his life, Galvatron succeeded in regaining the loyalty of his troops, and turned his attention on those who had usurped him in the first place—the [[Quintesson]]s. The Quintessons attempted to negotiate, successfully bluffing Galvatron with stories of a [[Decepticon Matrix|Decepticon Matrix of Leadership]] which they would give him if he destroyed the Autobots down on Goo. Although he tried, the Autobots were snatched from danger by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]. Still, he got to destroy Goo, and the Quintessons were subsequently able to persuade him to join forces with them to destroy both the Autobots and the humans.

[[File:FFOD5 Galvatron lever.jpg|left|thumb|Oooooh, what does this bu-tton dooo?]]
Plans were swiftly drawn to attack simultaneously on Earth and Cybertron. On Earth, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s constructed [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] from a human city, while a decoy human shuttle was crashed into the central power facility on Cybertron, knocking out the planet's defences. Galvatron himself led the attack on Cybertron, unaware that the Quintessons plotted against him. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} The battle going well, Galvatron sent Blitzwing to give a status report to their allies, but was angered when the triple-changer returned a short time later to say that not only had he not given the status report, but there was no Decepticon Matrix. Blitzwing was soon sent hurtling towards the Autobots. Galvatron soon followed the Autobots and the now-traitorous Blitzwing to a chamber deep inside Cybertron, where a [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]] had been about to pull a [[large switch|lever]]. Convinced that the switch had something to do with the Decepticon Matrix, Galvatron pulled it himself—and every [[Transformer]] in the [[galaxy]] shut down. Fortunately the human [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] destroyed the switch, returning the Transformers to life. Though Galvatron chased the Quintessons, they swiftly escaped in a pod. He was then prevented from blasting Rodimus by Blitzwing, and angrily told the [[Triple Changer]] that he was no longer welcome in the ranks of the Decepticons before ordering a retreat. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

[[File:Chaos Galvatron cannon.jpg|thumb|The Decepticon palette was out of everything but purple.]]
Informed by [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] of a new type of ammunition, [[death crystal]]s, Galvatron went to planet [[Dread (planet)|Dread]], where the crystals originated, intending to carry out a new plan—build a [[Death crystal cannon|cannon]] which would fire death crystals at Cybertron. He found a ready-made work force in [[Dread slaves|the slaves]] left behind by the [[Orb]]s, and soon had a giant cannon constructed. Just as all was ready, a group of Autobots, led to the planet by [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]], attacked the installation. [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] was able to keep them busy while he lined up for a shot at Cybertron, however Kup was also keeping busy, freeing the slaves and waking the monster [[Chaos (alien)|Chaos]]. During the confusion of the slave revolt, Kup used the death crystal cannon to destroy Chaos and causing the volcano to erupt. Galvatron was last seen fleeing the swiftly moving lava. {{storylink|Chaos (episode)|Chaos}}

While hunting an Autobot shuttle through space, Galvatron and his lieutenants managed to utterly destroy the ship. Not one to fall for the [[The Transformers: The Movie|same trick]] twice, Galvatron continued searching the area until the Decepticons detected the shuttle's lifepod flying towards an enormous structure. This "funeral barge" carried in it the deactivated bodies of the Autobots who died during the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. Galvatron and his lieutenants pursued Rodimus Prime's crew into the barge, but were driven off by the sudden arrival of Optimus Prime, seemingly back from the dead. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}}

[[File:FightOrFlee Galvatron orders.jpg|thumb|left|Galvatron strangles the Invisible Swordsman.]]
When Scourge and Cyclonus alerted him to the location of a pacifistic and energon-rich world known as [[Paradron]], Galvatron saw a perfect opportunity for conquest. The Decepticon invasion of Paradron was brief but brutal, and the populace was converted into slave labor. One Paradronian Transformer named [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] escaped and brought the Autobots back to free his people. Eventually the Autobots detonated the planet's primary energon core, destroying the planet itself and driving off Galvatron's troops. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}}

Following his defeat by [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], Trypticon had been sent to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]] for recuperation. When the Decepticon fueler [[Octane]] removed him, Galvatron went looking for the missing duo and found them consorting with humans in [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]]. He was ready to annihilate the "traitor" Octane for defying his orders, but Octane quickly explained that the purefied Carbombyan oil made for a super-energon mixture, powerful enough to recharge Trypticon (and, hopefully, make him larger than a small Combiner again). Galvatron took control of the nation by removing [[Abdul Fakkadi (G1)|Abdul Fakkadi]] (Supreme Military Commander, President-for-Life, and King of Kings of the Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya) from office and locked him and his troops up in a cage. Despite being more powerful from the Energon created from Carbombya, the Decepticons were still defeated and forced to retreat. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

[[File:GhostInTheMachine Galvatron smoking.jpg|thumb|Spontaneous combustion? What the hell is th—]]
Galvatron apparently reverted to his original assessment of Octane after this debacle, and drove him out of the Decepticons. When Octane began running cargo for the Autobots, he even sent the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] and a [[Skuxxoid|freelance thug]] out to assassinate the traitor. Eventually, Cyclonus and the Sweeps seemingly plucked Octane from the Autobots' grasp on Cybertron itself, and brought him to Chaar for Galvatron to interrogate. Using the information he "coerced" from Octane, Galvatron caught Rodimus Prime alone and engaged him in single combat. Unfortunately, the whole thing was a ruse set up by Octane and Starscream's ghost, who was possessing Cyclonus at the time. Galvatron was abandoned in the presence of Rodimus, Ultra Magnus and a full Autobot battle group. In what was surely an epic battle (that we sadly didn't see a minute of), Galvatron ultimately escaped and made his way back to Chaar, deposing the usurpers and seemingly driving off the ghost of Starscream. {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}}

Upon learning that the Autobots intended to host a first annual peace conference on Cybertron, Galvatron was dead set against letting their plans succeed. Despite several sabotage attempts by the Combaticons, Cyclonus and the Sweeps, though, the conference went through as planned. {{storylink|Surprise Party}}

[[File:Dirge AlmostDeath.jpg|thumb|left]]
Despite Galvatron's earlier attempts to be rid of him, Starscream's ghost returned to plague the Decepticons again. He partnered with Scourge against the Decepticons, kidnapped [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], and even stole one of Trypticon's eyes, leaving Galvatron even more infuriated than usual at this constant undermining of his operations. When Starscream returned once more and possessed Trypticon himself, it was the last straw, and Galvatron led a full Decepticon battle group after "Trypticon" to Cybertron. The fighting was fruitless, and eventually the Decepticons limped away, having exhausted all their weaponry. Not long thereafter, Galvatron's [[particle cannon]] had apparently recharged, because he took several parting shots at Starscream while his "ghost" tumbled uncontrollably through space. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}}

[[File:GalvatronWebworld.jpg|thumb|Well, that's all wrapped up...]]
Although Galvatron led the Decepticons on many wacky adventures against the Autobots throughout [[2006]], his insanity would usually lead to each mission ending in failure. (He loved shooting his own troops, for instance.) At one point, his derangement became so severe, the Decepticon "union officials" [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], Motormaster and [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] threatened to strike. The perpetually loyal Cyclonus was left little choice but to dupe Galvatron into taking therapy sessions (albeit by force) on [[Torkulon]], the therapy planet. After nearly murdering an attendant during a word-association session and somehow building a gun in an arts and crafts class, Galvatron was deemed incurable by conventional methods. The doctors attempted to use living extensions of the planet to give him a lobotomy (much to Cyclonus's disapproval), but Galvatron broke free and murdered the sentient organic core of Torkulon. While the planet's core was connected to Galvatron's mind the planet began to go mad, with several of the organic planets functions going out of control. After that, he razed the entire planet's civilization, leaving them so broken it would take centuries to rebuild. After his connection to the planet he appeared to have regained some of his sanity. {{storylink|Webworld}}

[[File:Carnage CMinor Galvatron Soundwave Allegra.jpg|left|thumb]]
A new plan saw the Constructicons building engines into the side of a comet, with the intention to crash it into Metroplex on Earth. Unsurprisingly the engines were destroyed by the Autobots before they could even be fired up, however the comet was set on course to a nearby world. The comet was shortly obliterated by [[Harmony|sound waves]] emanating from the planet, also causing the Transformers present to plummet to its surface. Galvatron took [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]], intending to find the source of the sonic weapon and use it against the Autobots. Although the Autobots reached the city first, meeting with the leader of [[Eurythma]], the two Decepticons eavesdropped and were able to establish that they needed to talk to [[Allegra]]. After dropping a bridge on the Autobots, Galvatron and Soundwave were able to talk Allegra into giving them her part of the harmony, and then obtained the other two parts of the harmony in quick succession. The Decepticons headed for Earth to attack Metroplex. Unfortunately Soundwave's attempt to use the destructive harmony were thwarted by the [[Eurythman]]s' use of [[anti-sound]]. The Decepticons retreated, though Galvatron raged that he hadn't ordered it. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}}

[[File:BigBroadcast Galvatron with static.jpg|thumb|I'm sure this can only be a good thing.]]
Galvatron was in one of his more obstinate moods when Astrotrain came to Chaar reporting on how the Junkions had apparently turned against the Autobots. Even when Cyclonus began advocating for intervention on the matter, Galvatron still couldn't bring himself to care. Eventually the hypnotic [[television]] signals being beamed to the Junkions to alter their behavior made their way to Galvatron, along with the rest of the galaxy. He was subliminally drawn into a massive conflict in the skies over the planet of Junk, all part of a Quintesson ploy to create a massive diversion and recover one of their lost journals from Junk. Only after [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] jammed the signal did the television stop "bewitching" Galvatron. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}} When [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] later happened across that same Quintesson journal, Galvatron joined Cyclonus and the Sweeps in an effort to steal the journal away from both the Autobots and the Quintessons. It played like a game of hot potato for a while, but ultimately the Autobots got the journal and the Decepticons just gave up. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}}

[[File:Dweller-in-the-depths-decepticons-aiming.jpg|left|thumb]]
One day, Galvatron was in the middle of a morale speech for his troops (re: right about to blast the closest Sweeps into stray particles for sheer pique), when he was interrupted by Quintesson visitors. After his last few dealings with the creatures, Galvatron was ready to blast these Quintessons all the same, but they gave him a gentle lecture about the unfairness of stereotyping which somehow convinced Galvatron to listen to the tentacled freaks. Galvatron brought Cyclonus and the five Sweeps with him to Cybertron, following the Quintessons' directions to the Autobots' new [[power core]] beneath the planet's surface. Searching for the power core, the Decepticons inadvertently let loose the monstrous [[Trans-Organic]]s and the massive energy-draining [[Dweller (G1)|Dweller]]. The Dweller began leeching the life from Galvatron's troops one by one as they tried to flee from the creature. Galvatron showed his heart-felt respect for Cyclonus by throwing all the Sweeps into the creature's path ''first''. He even paused for a moment to look back when the Dweller finally caught Cyclonus as well. Galvatron didn't actually try to ''help'' or anything, but I'm sure Cyclonus would have appreciated the thought alone. {{storylink|The Dweller in the Depths}}

[[File:G1 UltimateWeapon UltimateWeapon!.jpg|thumb|Decepticons, I have found the remote control!]]
Thanks to his plasma damage, Galvatron's sanity really had its ups and down. He was arguably on an upswing during a series of assaults on human and Autobot positions in [[Europe]]. Using the attacks as a diversion, Galvatron sent Swindle to infiltrate Metroplex and steal his [[Transformation cog (biology)|transforming cog]], leaving the city-bot helpless for a rematch with Trypticon. In addition, he began taunting the insecure leader Rodimus Prime with his so-called "[[Ultimate Weapon]]", a doomsday device just waiting to be unleashed. As well thought-out and cunning as this scheme may have been, it ultimately fell apart. The Autobots stole Galvatron's idea by taking Trypticon's transforming cog just as Swindle had stolen Metroplex's. Rodimus Prime eventually wised up about the "Ultimate Weapon" as well: he called Galvatron's bluff and forced the Decepticon leader to admit he was holding nothing more than a 7-2 off-suit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

[[File:FaceOfNijika Galvatron lock.jpg|left|thumb]]
Deep in space, Galvatron was attempting to surpass a Quintesson [[quadrant lock]] when the Quintessons and several Autobots interrupted his efforts. In one of his more manic phases at the time, Galvatron chose to stake his claim by hurling Cyclonus face-first through the lock once the Quintessons began to open it. {{storylink|The Face of the Nijika}}

Galvatron once attempted to destroy the Autobots by feeding [[anti-electron]]s into their new power generator. The initial attempt failed, so the Decepticons tried to raid Unicron's head for a new source of anti-electrons inside the planet-eater's brain. The Autobots arrived shortly after Galvatron's team, so he sent his new [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]] beasts to occupy the heroes. Galvatron was undone by his own scheming, as the anti-electrons had temporarily turned the Dinobot [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] into a super-intelligent genius. Grimlock built a new team of Autobot warriors called [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] from scratch, right inside Unicron's head. The Technobots were skilled enough to destroy Galvatron's new source of anti-electrons, and drive off the Terrorcons' combined form of [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]]. {{storylink| Grimlock's New Brain}}

[[File:CallPrimitives Galvatron and Cyclonus in space.jpg|thumb|"Okay, how the hell did I fit in you?!" "I don't know mighty Galvatron, but I wish you'd try more often."]]
In a major fight with the Autobots, a large number of Galvatron's troops began staring off into space in the middle of the battle. He lost some of his best soldiers to this effect, like Trypticon, the Predacons, the Terrorcons, Soundwave's [[Mini-Cassette]]s...okay, maybe not the Cassettes, but the rest were important. Galvatron ended the fight to go chasing after the deserters, only to be caught by the power of [[Tornedron]] and drained of all his energy. It was only thanks to the fleeing [[Primitive]]s that Tornedron's effect was eventually reversed. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

[[File:Matrix burden 1.jpg|thumb|left|Who are YOU gonna call?]]
Galvatron was very pleased when [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] returned from a scouting mission on Earth, having beaten Rodimus Prime and claimed the Matrix of Leadership itself. Galvatron tried to load the Matrix into his particle cannon as a power source, but instead of energy blasts, it summoned the [[Ancient Autobots|ghosts of departed Autobot leaders]]. They spooked Galvatron into getting rid of the Matrix, but his underling Scourge claimed the Matrix for himself and managed to magnify his powers a thousandfold. Scourge used his newfound might to overthrow Galvatron and the loyal Cyclonus, temporarily claiming control of the Decepticons. Galvatron and Cyclonus eventually recovered and came to Earth just after Scourge lost the Matrix back to Rodimus Prime. After a few quick particle blasts for emphasis, though, Galvatron soon accepted Scourge back into the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Prime Galvatron.JPG|thumb|"Just like the good old times, isn't it Prime?" "There were no good times, ya creep."]]
Galvatron and the Decepticons had arrived early to reserve their seats at a football stadium, when [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] flew in with news that Optimus Prime's body had been preserved at a nearby laboratory. Unfortunately, the Decepticons arrived just in time to be infected by the outbreak of the [[Hate Plague]]. Galvatron fled when his warriors turned crazed. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} Half-mad to begin with at the best of times, Galvatron soon learned that even the one-eyed man cannot always rule the kingdom of the blind, and found himself on the run from half the galaxy. However, despite his insanity, he teamed up with the resurrected Optimus Prime to stop the [[Hate Plague]]. Galvatron wound up becoming infected by the plague and attempted to kill an unconscious Optimus Prime with an axe. Optimus woke up in the nick of time and opened the Matrix directly in Galvatron's face. The wisdom of the Matrix not only cured the universe of the Hate Plague, it cured Galvatron's madness as well. Well, kinda. Grateful, Galvatron sanely declared, "There will be no war today, Optimus. You have earned Galvatron's respect," and called a brief truce. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

[[File:Rebirth 3 Decepticons Hive.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.3]]
In [[2007]], Galvatron called off the truce and led an assault on Autobot City, searching for the Key to the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]]. The Decepticons succeeded in stealing the key and promptly headed to Cybertron. As Galvatron lead the attack directly, Scourge was ordered to activate the chamber but the plasma energy overloaded his circuitry, leaving a group of Autobots to recover the key and promptly be spirited halfway across the galaxy as a result of the plasma energy. Coming across Scourge's inactive form, an infuriated Galvatron was inclined to kill the deactivated Decepticon but [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] and Cyclonus convinced their leader to stay his hand, if only to learn what happened to the key. After Scourge recounted what had occurred, Galvatron ignored his minion's warnings about the danger of the plasma energy and ordered him to rectify his mistake by recovering the key. Galvatron then commanded Cyclonus and about a dozen other Decepticons accompany Scourge to ensure the mission's success. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}}

Although seemingly lucid during this period, he had formulated what was perhaps his most genocidal and unbalanced scheme ever: having converted Cybertron into a galactic dreadnought, Galvatron maneuvered it into Earth's orbit, planning to release the Plasma Energy Chamber's payload into Earth's [[sun]]. The resulting supernova would wipe both Earth and Cybertron off the face of the galaxy, presumably leaving Galvatron to gain mastery over everything left. Grudgingly teamed with the Transformer-[[Nebulan]] hybrid [[Scorponok (G1)|Lord Zarak]], Galvatron was eventually defeated and sent tumbling through space, ushering Cybertron into a new [[Golden Age]]. After regaining control, Galvatron vowed to collect energy from disparate corners of the galaxy and return to Cybertron: "We will attack other planets, we will suck them dry! We will build a planet a hundred times more powerful than Cybertron, and I will rule the galaxy!" Zarak made it clear he intended it to be a "we" leadership. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}
{{--}}

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

==Madman ''The Transformers'' comic==
After briefly touching the Matrix of Leadership, the youthful Autobot [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] was given a vision. In it, he saw an older version of himself doing battle with a mysterious, powerful Decepticon (Galvatron). {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}
{{--}}

==Rodimus vs. Cyclonus==
After terminating [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] on the [[Junkion (planet)|Planet of Junk]], Galvatron ordered [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] to wipe out the rest of the Autobots. He suggested they make a game of it and whoever returned to him with the most heads won. Alas, this competition undermined his goal and Cyclonus and Scourge spent more time trying to sabotage each other than actually killing anybody.{{storylink|Rodimus vs. Cyclonus}}
{{--}}

==Japanese cartoon continuity==
{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in this timeline as above, except that the events following ''The Transformers: The Movie'' are pushed back to [[2010]] (creating a five-year gap between Galvatron's creation and his return), and the events of "The Rebirth" do not occur. The Japanese animated continuity subsequently adds several new adventures into the timeline, both during the Generation 1 cartoon and after it, as detailed below.}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
{{Main|Galvatron (G1)#Beast Wars cartoon}}

===''Kiss Players''===
After being hurled out of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] and into space by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]], Galvatron's flight path was disrupted by the [[Sparkbot]]s, a trio of Unicron's servants who were already working to resurrect their master. {{storylink|Kiss Players episode 51|Kiss Players #51}} The Decepticon leader crash-landed on the planet [[Earth]], obliterating the city of [[Tokyo]]. This catastrophic loss of life destroyed [[Human]]-[[Transformer]] relations and led to the formation of the [[Earth Defense Command]], a governmental organization which drove Transformers from the face of the planet. Appropriating Galvatron's remains, the EDC reverse-engineered a fleet of human-operated "[[Autorooper]]" Transformers to perform this task.

As 2006 settled in, Galvatron's impact was revealed to have had an even greater effect than anyone had expected: The blast caused by his impact had scattered his Unicron-empowered cells throughout the planet's atmosphere. When his cells came into contact with other objects and animals, they fused with them, creating an army of monstrous creatures referred to as "[[Legion (KP)|Legion]]". This disastrous event also created the means to defend the world against Legion, however: When Galvatron's cells came into contact with human beings, these humans gained the ability to fuse with other entities containing his cells. With their Autoroopers being the perfect candidates for this "[[Parasitech]]" fusion process, the EDC began recruiting and training these "[[Kiss Player]]s" as combat squads to battle the Legion.

Seeking to uncover the ulterior motives of EDC Commander [[Hitoshizuku Amaō]], Kiss Players [[Marissa Faireborn]], [[Shaoshao Li]] and [[Atari Hitotonari]] discovered the remains of Galvatron beneath the EDC headquarters. Amaō's plan to use the Legions to resurrect her daughter, who had died in Galvatron's impact, was foiled when all the Legions and Autoroopers fused with Galvatron's corpse, restoring his cells and reconstituting his body. Galvatron's body was shot back into space, where it went on to crash on Thrull. {{storylink|I, You, and the Spinning Earth}}

===e-HOBBY comics===
Starscream reminisced about the time Galvatron blew him into oblivion. He remarked that Galvatron was particularly bad-mannered. Oh, and insane. {{storylink|MP-3G Destron Air Commander / Starscream Ghost Ver.}}

===''The Battle of the Star Gate''===
The ghost of Starscream recounted to his younger, aliver self the events that led to his death at Galvatron's hands. {{storylink|The Battle of the Star Gate}}

===''Macrocosmic Seekers''===
[[File:United Expanded Story 8.jpg|thumb]]
Galvatron and the Decepticons intercepted a transmission about the Autobots picking up a rare treasure on [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]]. Unaware that the "treasure" was merely a lost piece of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s armor, and held only sentimental value, Galvatron launched an attack to retrieve it. {{storylink|Unending Battle}}

As the battle raged, an exiled [[Quintesson]] known as the [[Seeker (United)|Seeker]] arrived on Junk, and captured Galvatron and the other Transformers for his private collection. They were teleported aboard a massive transparent treasure ship for storage and viewing. {{Storylink|A Treasure Lost}} The Seeker wished to study the unique reformatting process undergone by Galvatron and his minions. They were placed inside stasis chamber and time itself rewound around them to the very moment that [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] transformed them into what they had become. {{storylink|Eternal Moment}}

A Junkion named [[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]] freed the captives, and Galvatron discovered his body transformed by the Seeker's manipulations, giving a new tank mode and dramatically increased power. The Transformers began their escape before their "host" could place them back in stasis. {{Storylink|Time to Move}} The Seeker himself had evolved into a state of pure information, and the more of his treasure ship was destroyed, the more information that made up his being was lost. Eventually, the Seeker winked out of existence as his ship sustained more damage than it could hold. {{storylink|Those Who Resist}}

As the Autobots and Decepticons prepared to return to their respective armies, the last of the Seeker's extra energy faded from Galvatron and the others. Although the two groups had worked side by side during the crisis, the old arguments quickly rose anew and the factions parted with only a momentary truce. {{Storylink|A Treasure's True Worth}}
{{--}}

===''Generations Selects Special Comic''===
[[File:Selects 2011.jpg|thumb|upright=2|left|[[2011]]. [[Unicron]].]]
In [[2011]], Galvatron and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] led a joint Autobot/Decepticon coalition to seal [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] within the [[Triple Z Point]] before he could resurrect using the bodies of his [[Acolyte of Unicron|disciples]]. Galvatron bade Prime use the [[Matrix of Leadership]] on the enemy, but he explained it was still recharging on [[Earth]], having been spent eradicating the [[Hate Plague]]. Optimus lamented he did not have another Matrix on hand... and then suddenly the two leaders were summoned before [[Primus]]. {{storylink|Super Megatron comic 1}}

[[File:Blue Planet Generations.jpg|thumb|310px|[[Precursor World|Not 2011]]. [[Vok|Not Unicron]].]]
Galvatron was shown his own [[The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg|imminent demise]] by Primus and then deposited in orbit around an [[Blue Planet (GS)|unfamiliar blue world]] under attack from an [[Vok|unknown enemy]] and its swarm of [[Novaroid]]s. The being gifted Prime a new [[Silver Matrix]] filled with the "[[Star Power|power of stars]]" and tasked him with "restoring this world's proper history" before disappearing. This "Star Power" accelerated Prime into the form of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#The Battlestars manga and story pages|Star Convoy]], who then soared off shouting heroic nonsense and obediently annihilating the Novaroid swarm with his newfound power. {{storylink|Star Convoy comic}}

Desiring the power of stars to avert his upcoming death, Galvatron began ripping apart the wreckage and devouring Novaroid components. He was soon rescued by a passing [[Seacon (BW)|space pirate]] [[photon sailer|ship]], and its captains, [[Halfshell]] and [[Turtler]], made him an offer: passage on their vessel and access to the same Star Power that upgraded Optimus Prime in return for his reservoir of [[Angolmois Energy]]. Indignant at these alleged [[Decepticon]]s' lack of respect for their [[Emperor of Destruction]], Galvatron nonetheless took the deal and was placed in a stasis chamber. Halfshell then siphoned the Angolmois Energy from the Galvatron to upgrade Turtler into a more formidable body. {{storylink|Seacons comic 1}}

Worrying rumbling emanated from Galvatron's chamber throughout the subsequent throwdown between Star Convoy and King Poseidon until Halfshell made the mistake of admitting they had no intention of upgrading Galvatron. {{storylink|Seacons comic 4}} In response, the chamber burst open! The rapidly reformatting Galvatron explained he no longer had need of the pirates as he had managed to "resonate" with the Star Power implanted within Optimus Prime on his own. This new being announced he had attained the power of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#The Battlestars manga and story pages|his own future]], {{storylink|Seacons comic 5}} the power of... [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Generations Selects Special Comic (1)|Super Megatron]]! {{storylink|Super Megatron comic 1}}

Many battles and many super modes later, Star Convoy managed to knock the near-omnipotent [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Generations Selects Special Comic (1)|Gold Megatron]] all the way back down to his natural state. As Galvatron nursed the hangover of two universes, the similarly depowered Optimus Prime had Primus's diminutive core form Oracle transport them back to 2011. Galvatron blearily looked on as Optimus used the little god's power to seal Unicron's physical form for good and Oracle departed, taking the duo's memories of the whole affair with him. {{storylink|Generations Selects Special Comic Finale|Finale}}
{{--}}

===''The Headmasters'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Seizō Katō]] (Japanese)|[[Rik Thomas]] (English, Omni Productions dub), [[Yu Deyuan]] (Chinese), [[Mario Zucca]] (Italian), [[Víctor Mares]] (Latin-American Spanish), [[Mikhail Chernyak]] (Russian)}}
[[File:FourWarriors Galvatron abuses Skullcruncher.jpg|thumb|left|BEG FOR MERCY!]]
In [[2011]], a side effect of releasing the Matrix's energy to cure the Hate Plague was revealed when the mega-computer [[Vector Sigma]] began to destabilize. Seeking to exploit this imbalance, Galvatron attacked Cybertron, his forces now bolstered by the addition of new [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] warriors from the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. When encountering the Dinobots, Galvatron ordered Mindwipe to use his hypno powers to put them to sleep. However Skullcruncher got in the way and fell asleep. Galvatron was peeved at Skullcruncher and abused him. Galvatron engaged Optimus Prime and Jazz in battle but was forced to run. Soon after Galvatron ordered Mindwipe to use his hypnotic powers to stop the Dinobots (again) and the Throttlebots but a [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|giant spaceship]] appeared and four Autobot Headmaster warriors came from the ship and stopped them from going any further. They introduced themselves as the Autobots Headmaster warriors [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]], [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]], and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]]. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

While the arrival of the team of Autobot Headmasters repelled the invasion, Galvatron attempted to stop Fortress Maximus after he beat four of the best Decepticon combiners but was beaten and forced to temporarily retreat. It was then revealed that the Matrix was hidden somewhere on Earth, recharging, and the race began to acquire it and use it to gain control over Vector Sigma. Soon after the race began, [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] fought and killed each other. Galvatron was not happy. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

Galvatron later visited the Decepticon base on Earth to find out what Hot Rod was after. [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] asked Galvatron if [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] was suitable to lead to troops at the base, leading Galvatron to suspect Cyclonus had a treacherous plan until Cyclonus reaffirmed his loyalty. After finding out that Hot Rod was after the Matrix, Galvatron, the Decepticon Headmasters and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] went to stop him. Galvatron got the Matrix but Chromedome knocked it out of his hand a second later. Galvatron was also attacked by [[Computron (G1)|Computron]]. Hot Rod ultimately succeeded in obtaining the Matrix and becoming Rodimus Prime again, and he and Optimus Prime joined forces to defeat Galvatron. Though beaten in battle, Galvatron did at least take solace in the fact that Optimus Prime once again met his end. Only the Autobots that were there seemed to care that he was dead. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

Later Galvatron decided to have another crack at taking control of Vector Sigma by creating the [[Madmachine]]. To aid him in this plan he revived Soundwave as Soundblaster using [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s Transtector technology. Galvatron then ordered Sixshot to test the Madmachine on Metroplex. Following the test's successful completion, he ordered Sixshot to retreat. Galvatron had the Madmachine and the Decepticon Headmasters sent to Cybertron to take control of Vector Sigma. He gave control of it to Soundblaster, however Galvatron's base on Charr was invaded by Blaster who had been revived as Twincast. The Autobot destroyed the Control in Soundblaster's chest. This allowed the Autobot Headmasters to destroy the Madmachine. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}.

[[File:HM7 Galvatron meets Scorponok.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Galvatron occupied planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] and took most of the civilians, known as [[Beastformer (species)|Beastformers]], prisoner, except for those who would follow him. Galvatron was informed by [[Alligatron]] of Fortress Maximus's arrival on Beast. Galvatron ordered the Beastformers and Decepticons to destroy the Autobots. When Rodimus arrived Galvatron showed up and battled Rodimus. Cyclonus and Scourge tried to help but damaged Galvatron instead. Galvatron continued to fight Rodimus but was forced into retreat after Fortress Maximus came and attacked him. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}.

After the failure of losing Beast, Galvatron created a meteorite nicknamed [[Metamorphose]], intended to destroy Athenia. No Transformer could approach it, as it knocked them out with electrical overload. Its first victims were the Aerialbots, who were temporarily deactivated when they approached it. Then the Throttlebots became victims. However, the Autobots had [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]], a human who was not affected by it. While Fortress and the other Autobot Headmasters distracted the Decepticons, Daniel sneaked into Metamorphose and disabled it, saving Athenia and once again foiling Galvatron's plans. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}}

[[File:Cybertonuronsword.jpg|left|thumb|Excalibur, BE MY STRENGTH!]]
Galvatron was getting unhappy about his troops' failures and was starting to lose his composure. Cyclonus tried to calm his leader down by reaffirming his loyalty how the mighty Galvatron never fails. However, this did not calm Galvatron down. When Scourge informed Galvatron that Decepticon Headmaster leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] had arrived, Galvatron started blaming the Decepticon Headmasters for his failures as well. Then, from the shadows, Scorponok explained that he had a plan to stop the Autobot Headmasters. Galvatron approved, but only after blaming him for the loss of Planet Beast. When the plan failed, Galvatron himself arrived. He and the Decepticon Headmasters almost defeated the Autobots, but Rodimus Prime, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Trainbot]]s arrived and outnumbered them, forcing Galvatron to retreat. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

Later a [[Sixshot (G1)|shadowy figure]] appeared on TV and demanded Earth's energy. Cyclonus and Scourge suggested that when the shadowy figure would get the energy, they should take it from him. After an argument between them Galvatron approved the plan. Galvatron later found out that their plan failed and that they stole Trypticon, who had been damaged in a fight with the Autobot Headmasters and [[Raiden]]. He was far from happy. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}}

[[File:Sosfromsandra magnus pwns galvy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Sanctuary!!! Sanctuary!!! Sanctuary!!!]]
After many failed attempts to control Cybertron, Galvatron set his sights on [[Cybertonuron]], a powerful new alloy being developed by Vector Sigma. The Decepticon Headmaster leader, Scorponok, advocated the destruction of the alloy to prevent the Autobots from obtaining it, but when Galvatron refused to consider the notion, Scorponok took matters into his own hands and had powerful bombs planted in Vector Sigma's chamber. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} Scorponok told Galvatron what he had done, and the enraged Decepticon leader ran into the chamber to try and stop the explosion, only to be caught in the blast. Cybertron was reduced to a burnt-out husk, and Galvatron was left missing in action. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

Galvatron was thought dead for some time, and during his absence, Scorponok proclaimed himself the new Decepticon leader, only for Galvatron to turn up alive and well during his coronation. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Under his leadership, the Decepticons attempted to stop the Autobots from assisting [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]], but failed. {{Storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}} Needing copious amounts of energy for his [[Grand Galvatron|endgame]], Galvatron first distracted the Autobots, then set off with his troops in MegaZarak, Scorponok's gigantic transtector. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} They attempted to plunder [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but the planet's natives and the Autobots were able to repel them. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} They then went to [[Twin Star|Sperity]], but were fooled into thinking it was a desolate planet. {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} At [[Daros]], they formed an alliance with the planet's corrupt upper class, allowing them to gather much energy despite being chased away by the arriving Autobots. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} They also tried to target [[Paradise]] {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} and the [[proton energy]] of the [[Pirate Planet]], but were foiled by the Autobots both times. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[File:HM25 Galvatron disappears.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"Ice! My only weakness!"]]
After Galvatron returned to Earth, [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] came up with an idea to set [[Grand Galvatron|Galvatron's plan]] into action: wipe out the Autobots. Galvatron approved and had the Combaticons, the Terrorcons, the Stunticons and the Horrorcons sent with him to Earth. This plan resulted in the death of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon, Galvatron confided to Sixshot that he intended to use the energy he gathered as part of a process that would transform Earth into a new, all-powerful, Unicron-like body for him, dubbed "[[Grand Galvatron]]". Additionally, he explained that this process would require only the best components from his most powerful warriors, making it quite clear that he intended to sacrifice Sixshot and the other Decepticons for this insane ambition. Aghast, Sixshot betrayed Galvatron to Scorponok as quickly as possible, leaving the Decepticon leader alone to battle the Autobot Headmasters in Alaska. Thankfully for the Autobots, their double-agent [[Punch (G1)|Punch]] had eavesdropped on Galvatron and Sixshot's conversation, during which Galvatron had revealed that his head was his weakest point. With this information to aid them, the Headmasters entered [[Head Formation]] and laid Galvatron low, collapsing an iceberg on top of him and entombing him in ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

After this, Scorponok took control of the Decepticons again. In a meeting with the other Decepticons, he vowed to defeat the Autobots and control Earth in Galvatron's memory. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}
{{-}}

===''Unite Warriors''===
[[File:GalvatronsGhost-GrandGalvatronChapter.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The ghost of [[Galvatron II]] impersonates the ghost of Galvatron I.]]
Ten years after Galvatron's defeat and icy entombment at the hands of the [[Autobot]]s, [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] came to visit the site of his leader's downfall. There, the specter of [[Galvatron II|another Galvatron]] was able to make contact with Cyclonus. Using an illusion of Cyclonus's fallen master, this other Galvatron was able to trick Cyclonus into believing his master's ghost was alive, and the ghost of this other Galvatron forced itself upon Cyclonus, possessing his body as its new vessel. {{storylink|Grand Galvatron Chapter}} Eventually, the truth came to light that this ghost was not that of Cyclonus's Galvatron. {{storylink|Ruination Chapter, Part One}}

===''The Battlestars''===
Galvatron would remain buried in the ice for over fifteen years, until he was resurrected by [[Dark Nova]] as the new and improved [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#The Battlestars manga and story pages|Super Megatron]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 6}}

===''15 Go! Go!''===
[[File:TGGGalvatron.jpg|thumb|left|Crazy AND toy-accurate.]]
At some point after 2025, when Optimus Prime had been restored to life once more as Star Convoy, the mobile computer [[Teletraan 15]] traveled forward in time from 2005 to this era as part of a mission gather data to rebuild [[Teletraan I]]'s damaged databanks. During her visit, as Star Convoy and Hot Rod prepared to battle Ultra Megatron, a [[unspace|transwarp]] wormhole suddenly opened above the combatants, and a massive blast shot emerged from it and struck Hot Rod. Badly damaged, Hot Rod could barely warn his commander as Galvatron, appearing from some unknown spot in space and time, descended through the portal. Tearing Teletraan 15's arm off, {{storylink|Galvatron Volume}} Galvatron gripped the limb in his [[teeth]] as he maniacally throttled Hot Rod. Teletraan 15 passed out {{storylink|Galvatron Volume 2}} and woke up some time later with the outcome of the battle unknown, though she remained haunted by images of the crazed Decepticon clutching her limp and helpless friend. {{storylink|Galvatron Volume 3}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' Generations manga===
When the ghost of Starscream began making trouble in an alternate universe by possessing that reality's [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]], the Mirage of that universe figured the only way to get Starscream to leave was to scare him off. So Mirage projected a hologram of Galvatron, the one who killed Starscream in the first place. Terrified, Starscream left Onslaught's body and fled back to his home universe. {{storylink|Starscream's New Body}}

===''Legends'' comic===
When [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] visited the [[Legends World]], [[Megatron (BW)|the resident Megatron]] had never heard of him. [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], however, was well-versed in the outsider-Megatron's history and recounted the time he was turned into Galvatron. {{storylink|LG13 Megatron}} Galvatron's role in the battles on [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] was recounted in a rundown of the planet's history, {{storylink|LG51 Doublecross Prologue}} and the Decepticon [[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]] recalled both how Galvatron had recruited them with promises of power and how he had been defeated. {{storylink|LG61 Decepticon Clones}}

[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] later tricked Megatron into forming the head of a body that amplified his inherent evil, causing him to revert to his Galvatron personality. He thus claimed to be Galvatron once more while under the body's influence, but quickly proved able to resist it and remove his head, returning to being Megatron. {{storylink|LG23 Galvatron}} While Megatron refused to use the Galvatron body again, Tarantulas and [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] had [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] hypnotize him into it. Galvatron attacked [[Tokyo]] and defeated [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] before [[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] knocked his head off again. {{storylink|LG25 Blurr}} Galvatron was also present for the introduction of the Sweeps, and was curious about [[Sweep No. 4]]'s absence. It turned out he had let No. 4 die years earlier, and the Sweep literally came back to haunt him. {{storylink|LG-26 Scourge Prologue}}

The Galvatron body later resurfaced without a head, claiming it no longer needed Megatron. After it was defeated by [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] and [[Shūta Gō]], however, it was revealed that Tarantulas had merely been piloting it from within. {{storylink|LG29 Wheelie}} After developing resistance to his mind being manipulated, {{storylink|LG34 Mindwipe}} Megatron began using the transtector without becoming Galvatron. It was ultimately destroyed in a battle with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|LG43 Trypticon}}

==''TV Magazine'' comic continuity==
===''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''===
[[File:2010manga05-title.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|Maybe your attack on the Prime Energy Tower would be more successful if at least ''one'' of your soldiers was actually ''facing'' it.]]
Galvatron had plenty of devious schemes up his sleeve throughout 2010, opening with the nutty idea of a spaceship that ate other spaceships, which Rodimus Prime promptly blew up. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 1|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #1}}

Galvatron went back to his roots for his next scheme, creating a clone army of Megatrons that he dubbed the "[[Megatron Corps]]". Galvatron disguised himself as one of the Megatrons and controlled them remotely, making them an effective fighting force that the Autobots had trouble dealing with, until his disguise was penetrated and his control over the robots broken. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 2|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #2}}

He later attacked Autobot City with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], but was forced to retreat when [[Six-Gun]] destroyed Trypticon's controls with a blast from [[Brunt (G1)|Brunt]]. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 3|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #3}}

On one notable occasion, Galvatron challenged Rodimus Prime to a one-on-one duel in order to lure him into a trap set up in partnership with the Quintessons. In the middle of the fight, the Quintessons' newest creation, an Optimus Prime/Megatron hybrid robot known as [[Gilthor]], arrived to attack Rodimus, but Galvatron was shocked when Gilthor turned on him as well. Rodimus and Galvatron called a truce long enough for them to team up and destroy Gilthor, who, it was revealed, had been possessed by Starscream's ghost. With that threat dealt with, they called off the truce. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 4|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #4}}

Next, Galvatron attempted to steal the [[Prime Energy Tower]] of the planet [[Feminia]] with an all-out assault. The Autobots defended the tower, but were overwhelmed by Galvatron's unit of [[Combiner]]s; the scales tilted in his favor thanks to the presence of [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]]. Galvatron's victory was assued until the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]] arrived and toppled the Combiners. {{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:GreatTransformerWar01cover.jpg|thumb|left]]
Later in 2010, Galvatron kidnapped Doctor [[Dalton]], a brilliant scientist from the planet [[Eran]], but Dalton refused to work with the Decepticons and lent his aid to the Autobots instead, upgrading the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] so they could defeat the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1|The Great Transformer War #1}}

One of the Terrorcons' upgrades included a sticky goo that forced the Technobots into working for the Decepticons. Through the intervention of [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] the Technobots were freed and the Terrorcons defeated. Galvatron cursed the human for interfering, but declared that his next evil scheme would be one the Autobots would never forget. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 2|The Great Transformer War #2}}

After the resurrection of Optimus Prime and the curing of the Hate Plague, Galvatron hastily broke his vow that there would be no war, and he, Cyclonus and Scourge battled Prime, Hot Rod and [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] in space, only to be defeated. Galvatron immediately returned to [[Chaar]] and dispatched [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] to retrieve the Decepticon Headmasters, as he had need of them for his assault on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

===''The Headmasters'' comic===
[[File:Galvatron abandons Alligatron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|"FOILED AGAIN!"]]
On planet [[Chaar]], Galvatron ordered his [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s to head for planet [[Athenia]] and show the Autobots their "true power". Their "true power" involved trying to blow up the Battleship Maximus with a goofy explosive and failing. Galvatron was displeased. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Later, while [[White Leo]] was abset from [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], Galvatron made a second attempt to conquer it with the united forces of his Decepticons and the Decepticon [[Beastformer (species)|Beastformers]]. With the aid of [[Kane]], the Autobots and the Autobot Beastformers were able to hold the Decepticons off long enough for White Leo to return and send them into a retreat. Galvatron callously left [[Alligatron]] and the Decepticon Beastformers behind to face justice as he and his troops escaped into space. {{storylink|The Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}}

===''Super-God Masterforce'' comic===
Galvatron, believed to be buried alive in an iceberg, would return to menace the [[Headmaster Junior]]s with an army of legendary Decepticon warriors. "Galvatron" and all his troops were eventually revealed to be nothing more than holograms created by the Decepticon [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmasters]] to fool the Autobots. {{storylink|Burn, Chokon! New Commander Super Ginrai!}}

==''Wings Universe''==
{{Wingsnote}}
[[File:G2Redux-GalvatronCyclonusScourgeZarak.jpg|thumb|left]]
Following the rebirth of Cybertron's [[Golden Age]], Galvatron and Lord [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] led their Decepticon forces away from Earth and Cybertron. They attacked Zarak's homeworld of [[Nebulos]] and many other planets in deep space, with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and his Autobots in hot pursuit of them through the cosmos. By 2010, Galvatron had become aware of a new generation of 'Cons having arisen on Earth, and sent a small group of followers back to make contact with this [[Decepticon Syndicate]]. {{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}}

In [[2012]], the Autobot [[Sizzle (G1)|Sizzle]] experienced a [[forestonite]]-based vision of [[Megaplex|three]] [[Soundwave (MW)|shadowy]] [[Starscream (MW)|figures]] standing over the broken bodies of Optimus Prime and Galvatron. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 6}} Sizzle's prophetic vision soon came to pass with the dawn of the [[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]] the next year. The [[Cybertronian (faction)|clone armies]] of [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] attacked [[Sigma Seven]] and left Optimus and Galvatron comatose as they advanced toward Cybertron. {{storylink|Termination}}

A week later, the Machine Wars concluded on Cybertron, and a week after that, the Autobots, Decepticons, and Jhiaxus's clones signed the [[Pax Cybertronia]] at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] on Earth. [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] doubted that the comatose Galvatron would be pleased to hear of the peace treaty if and when he woke up and remarked that he would make sure that [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] was the one to deliver the news to Galvatron. {{storylink|A Common Foe}}

[[Tornado]] considered [[Squadron X]] leader [[Macabre]] to possess [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s strength, [[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Shockwave]]'s firepower, and Galvatron's crazy. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur}}

==Ask Vector Prime==
In [[Primax 903.0-M Lambda]], the ghost of [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] possessed the corpse of [[Skyquake (G1)|Skyquake]] and sought his vengeance against Galvatron during [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s New [[Golden Age]], resulting in the [[Machine Wars (event)|Machine Wars]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/27}}

In a wacky hybrid universe created by [[Gong (GoBots)|Gong]] and [[Sideways (AVP)|Sideways]], Unicron created Galvatron from a dying Megatron's body as usual. In ''this'' timeline, however, his minions were [[Deadlift]] and [[Fracture (Movie)|Fracture]]. He dealt with the treacherous [[Zero]] and later launched an attack on Guardian City. At Unicron's bidding, he tracked the Guardians and Autobots to the planet [[Quartex (planet)|Quartex]], where he stole the Matrix of Leadership from [[Major Mo]].

When Unicron launched his final assault on Cybertron, Galvatron attempted to open the Guardian Matrix but was unable. He wound up battling Hot Rod within the cavernous body of Unicron. He managed to get the upper hand... when, unbeknownst to all, [[Vector Prime]] set history back on its right course, banishing the [[GoBot]]s from the timeline. Hot Rod opened the ''Autobot'' Matrix, transformed into Rodimus Prime, and cast Galvatron into deep space. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
*After Optimus Prime was requested by Hasbro to be killed off in The Transformers: The Movie, writer [[Ron Friedman]] decided to mirror this by also killing off Megatron. This led to the creation of Galvatron. His intent was that both would ultimately be able to cheat death, Optimus by living on in the Matrix and Megatron by being rebuilt into Galvatron.
*Galvatron's appearance in the [[The Transformers: The Movie (first draft)|first draft]] of the movie was.... different. In this version he was still rebuilt by Unicron, but was described as "A NEW AND LARGER BUT STILL RECOGNIZEABLE FROM OF MEGATRON". He was also coated in scales like those which covered the planet Unicron. His alt mode was still a giant laser gun.
*It's possible Galvatron was named after galvanising, the process of coating a metal in Zinc to prevent rust. That sort of corelates to how he's reborn in the early draft.
* According to [[Teletraan II]]'s [[Secret Files of Teletraan II|secret files]], Galvatron was reformed from Megatron by Unicron in an attempt to bolster the Decepticon's strength and to lead the Decepticons into a new era. The fact that this information conflicts with the events as depicted in the movie may say something about the quality of the Autobots' intelligence regarding the Decepticon cause.
* In the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (manga)|''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga]], [[Makoto (FSRL)|Makoto]] has a transforming Galvatron [[Wrist-communicator|wristwatch]] that was first available in Japan during the 1980s. However, at the time of the story, Galvatron did not yet exist in-continuity. The circumstances behind this are best not thought about.
* An unrealized ''[[Transformers: Wings Universe|Wings Universe]]'' story would have featured [[Scourge (RID)#Timelines|Scourge]], based on his TFSS toy, as one of [[Jhiaxus (G2)#Wings Universe|Jhiaxus]]'s clones, leading the takedown of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Wings Universe|Optimus Prime]] and Galvatron.<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/128200-new-tcc-prose-counterpunch-story-the-truth-we-make/?p=3229535 Post on the Allspark Forums by Pete@BotCon (Pete Sinclair), 2016/05/12]</ref><ref>[https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/135573-wings-universecannonball-loose-ends/?p=3406634 Post on the Allspark Forums by NightViper (Jesse Wittenrich), 2016/12/23]</ref>

===Character model===
[[File:Galvatron-revision-comparison.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
* Galvatron's [[character model]] design went through at least five known revisions:
# The first was by [[Floro Dery]], which looked rather "simple" and had exposed mechanical components. This version is notable for being among Dery's multicolored watercolor works done for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
# The [[:File:FriedmanAuctionGalvatronModelEdit.jpg|second iteration]] of Galvatron's design was a refined version of Dery's design by [[Marvel Productions]]. This one appears to be the inspiration for his toy, given the red shoulder parts of the [[alternate mode]]. However, due to the amount of color changing of parts happening between the robot and [[alternate mode]] models, the toy was made solely based on the alternate mode's coloration, leading to a mostly gray robot.
# After this, Galvatron's [[robot mode]] received some additional minor changes by Marvel Productions, specifically a new head. Both the robot mode and the alternate mode gained new color layouts too. This is notable as being the one [[AKOM]] would frequently use, and was also utilized for the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] comic version of [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]], just with a toy-accurate color scheme. This revision is considered to be the "pre-final model".
# During the third iteration, [[Toei Animation|Toei]] started working on an entirely new design themselves, with a head based on the Dery head design. The alternate mode was also made from scratch, though it was mostly the same detail-wise, it was just drawn from stylized-angled perspectives, a singnature for most model designs by Toei.
# For the final revision, Toei changed the head on their new design, basing it more on the Marvel revision, and changed a few of the details on the alternate mode.

* In the [[AKOM]] and [[Unknown Generation 1 animation studios|unknown studio]]-animated episodes, Galvatron is depicted in two different variants:
# In most instances, Galvatron uses the pre-final model. Due to there being no rear-view made for this model, the animators would instead use the final model's rear-view and recolor it to match the pre-final model instead.
# In very subtle instances (usually small cuts between scenes), they would use his final model, but instead colored it to match the pre-final's colors, and even sometimes go so far as to add the pre-final model's head onto the final body.

* When asked about Galvatron's design in an interview, Floro Dery's reply was, "But about Galvatron, my inspiration for him are those 'stupid people'."<ref>[http://transformersph.blogspot.com/2007/06/interview-with-floro-dery.html TransFormers Philippines: Interview With Floro Dery]</ref> ...Ooookay.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Emperors of Destruction]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations Selects Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kiss Players Decepticons]]
[[Category:Legends Decepticons]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy Decepticons]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Unicron-related characters]]
[[Category:Unite Warriors Decepticons]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity

2026-02-27T16:25:39Z

DevinM626:

{{factions|decepticon|unicron}}
{{suite}}

[[File:GalvatronDepth.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|And this was ''before'' the [[Hate Plague]].]]
Sometimes crazy doesn't work... but try telling that to '''Galvatron'''!

==''The Transformers'' cartoon==
{{voiceactor|[[Leonard Nimoy]] (English, ''The Movie''), [[Frank Welker]] (English, television series), [[Seizō Katō]] (Japanese)|[[Yang Wenyuan]] (Chinese, TV series), [[Gao Quansheng]] (Chinese, ''The Rebirth''), [[Marcel Guido]] (French, ''The Movie''), [[Serge Lhorca]] (European French, TV series), Unknown (European French, "Five Faces of Darkness" episodes & "Surprise Party"), [[Jean Claudio]] (European French, "Webworld" & "Carnage in C-Minor"), [[Philippe Roullier]] (European French, "The Dweller in the Depths" & "The Face of the Nijika"), [[Albert Augier]] (European French, "The Rebirth, Part 1"), [[Serge Bourrier]] (European French, "The Rebirth, Part 3"), [[Carl Béchard]] (Canadian French, TV series), [[Gerd Wiedenhofen]] (German, television series), [[Manfred Erdmann]] (German, ''The Movie''), [[Thomas Rauscher]] (German, ''Generation 2''), [[Achim Barrenstein]] (German, ''The Movie DVD dub''), [[Romano Malaspina]] (Italian, ''The Movie'' second dub), [[Júlio César]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' TV dub), [[José Santa Cruz]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' VHS dub), [[Daoiz Cabezudo]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' Fox Kids dub), [[Marcos Miranda]] (Portuguese, season 3), [[Jordi Varela]] (Spain-Spanish, ''The Movie''), [[Alejandro Abdalah]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Mikhail Chernyak]] (Russian)}}

[[File:Tftm1986c.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"[[Doctor (Doctor Who)|Legs! I've still got legs!]]"]]
In [[2005]], after being mortally wounded by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] during the [[Battle of Autobot City]], [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] was left to float aimlessly through space after being punted out of the overloaded [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], who decided to take advantage of his master's near-death state to finally sieze command. Megatron was then summoned by [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], who offered him a new body, a warship and new troops to command, so long as he destroyed the [[Autobot]] [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Megatron reluctantly accepted and was upgraded into '''Galvatron''', a more fearsome and powerful warrior, while his former troops were similarly [[Reformatting|reformatted]].

[[File:TFTM-strangle.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Nothing can save you, Autobot, except maybe the powerful artifact around my neck! But that'll never happen.]]
Galvatron, eager to take revenge on the one who had cast him into the void, first took his new troops to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]; upon arrival, they crashed Starscream's coronation as the Decepticon leader. Galvatron dismissed the ceremony as “bad comedy” before transforming to his new cannon mode and reducing Starscream to ash with a single blast. The [[Decepticon]]s quickly fell in line behind Galvatron, but it was not long after that he witnessed Unicron devour one of Cybertron's moons. Infuriated by this affront, Galvatron's rage was met with agony induced by Unicron. Reminded of his new place, Galvatron was forced to quell his fury for the time being. Galvatron then led the Decepticons to Earth in a second attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], hitting the few remaining Autobots in full-force. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] led him away from Earth, and Galvatron chased him to the [[Junkion (planet)|Planet of Junk]], where he defeated Magnus and took the Matrix, intending to use it against Unicron.

Galvatron could not open the Matrix, and as punishment for his treachery, Unicron transformed and began tearing Cybertron apart. Horrified, Galvatron transformed to cannon emplacement mode and opened fire on Unicron, but his shots had no effect and the dark god swallowed him whole. Inside Unicron's belly, he met up with [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]]. Though he initially suggested an alliance with the young Autobot against the mutual threat of his master, the Chaos Bringer again mentally tortured Galvatron for his attempted treachery and then forced him to attack Hot Rod. Hot Rod eventually managed to wrest the Matrix away from Galvatron and open it, leading to his transformation into Rodimus Prime. Flush with new power, Rodimus hurled Galvatron from inside Unicron and into deep space. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Galvatron’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]]."}}

But this would not be the end of Galvatron.

[[File:FFOD2 Scourge rescuing Galvatron.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|He'll never be let back into this country club ever again.]]
The weakened Decepticons were subsequently routed by the Autobots and forced off Cybertron, relocating to the burned-out world of [[Chaar]]. After eking out a living there in energy-deprived squalor for some time, they were visited by [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]], who'd finally decided to return the Decepticons to glory by seeking out the lost Galvatron.{{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

They found him sunk in a lava pit on the distant planet [[Thrull]] and managed to free him. However, the effects of the "plasma bath" irrevocably altered Galvatron's sanity chips, rendering him omnicidally insane. Upon regaining his freedom, he thrashed Cyclonus and Scourge and sundered Thrull. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} Told that the [[human]]s and Autobots had collaborated to build a space station as Earth's first line of defense, he was highly amused, and headed for the nearest [[warp gate]]. On reaching [[Outpost One]], he and his men attacked the station, quickly destroying it and coincidentally damaging the shuttle piloted by [[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]. Galvatron spotted the shuttle making a break for [[Jupiter]], and demanded the heads of the Autobots as souvenirs. With one blast, he destroyed the ship, but the two occupants had escaped and began plummeting into the planet's atmosphere. One [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]], blasted by Wheelie, cried out to Galvatron to save him, but was only told to meet his end with dignity. Galvatron then blasted a nearby storm cell, causing an implosion.

[[File:FFOD2 Galvatron sparks.JPG|thumb|upright=1.66|Plasma is the Sniffling, Sneezing, Coughing, Aching, Stuffy-head, Fever, So-You-Can-Bwaah! medicine.]]
{{bigquote|It's music! The symphony of destruction and the anthem of agony!|Galvatron loves an atmospheric implosion|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}}
Believing the Autobots to be destroyed, Galvatron ordered Cyclonus to take him to [[Chaar]]. He was shocked at the conditions that the Decepticon army were forced to live under, and was even more surprised to be told by [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] that the bulk of the Decepticon forces had left under new leadership. Incensed, he announced that he was the leader of the Decepticons, and the usurpers would pay. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} He and his loyal men swiftly found the rest of the Decepticons fighting the Autobots on [[Goo Number 8739-B]], and Galvatron swiftly ordered an attack. When Cyclonus inquired who they were attacking, Galvatron simply replied "everyone". After making [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] beg for his life, Galvatron succeeded in regaining the loyalty of his troops, and turned his attention on those who had usurped him in the first place—the [[Quintesson]]s. The Quintessons attempted to negotiate, successfully bluffing Galvatron with stories of a [[Decepticon Matrix|Decepticon Matrix of Leadership]] which they would give him if he destroyed the Autobots down on Goo. Although he tried, the Autobots were snatched from danger by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]. Still, he got to destroy Goo, and the Quintessons were subsequently able to persuade him to join forces with them to destroy both the Autobots and the humans.

[[File:FFOD5 Galvatron lever.jpg|left|thumb|Oooooh, what does this bu-tton dooo?]]
Plans were swiftly drawn to attack simultaneously on Earth and Cybertron. On Earth, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s constructed [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] from a human city, while a decoy human shuttle was crashed into the central power facility on Cybertron, knocking out the planet's defences. Galvatron himself led the attack on Cybertron, unaware that the Quintessons plotted against him. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} The battle going well, Galvatron sent Blitzwing to give a status report to their allies, but was angered when the triple-changer returned a short time later to say that not only had he not given the status report, but there was no Decepticon Matrix. Blitzwing was soon sent hurtling towards the Autobots. Galvatron soon followed the Autobots and the now-traitorous Blitzwing to a chamber deep inside Cybertron, where a [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]] had been about to pull a [[large switch|lever]]. Convinced that the switch had something to do with the Decepticon Matrix, Galvatron pulled it himself—and every [[Transformer]] in the [[galaxy]] shut down. Fortunately the human [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] destroyed the switch, returning the Transformers to life. Though Galvatron chased the Quintessons, they swiftly escaped in a pod. He was then prevented from blasting Rodimus by Blitzwing, and angrily told the [[Triple Changer]] that he was no longer welcome in the ranks of the Decepticons before ordering a retreat. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

[[File:Chaos Galvatron cannon.jpg|thumb|The Decepticon palette was out of everything but purple.]]
Informed by [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] of a new type of ammunition, [[death crystal]]s, Galvatron went to planet [[Dread (planet)|Dread]], where the crystals originated, intending to carry out a new plan—build a [[Death crystal cannon|cannon]] which would fire death crystals at Cybertron. He found a ready-made work force in [[Dread slaves|the slaves]] left behind by the [[Orb]]s, and soon had a giant cannon constructed. Just as all was ready, a group of Autobots, led to the planet by [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]], attacked the installation. [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] was able to keep them busy while he lined up for a shot at Cybertron, however Kup was also keeping busy, freeing the slaves and waking the monster [[Chaos (alien)|Chaos]]. During the confusion of the slave revolt, Kup used the death crystal cannon to destroy Chaos and causing the volcano to erupt. Galvatron was last seen fleeing the swiftly moving lava. {{storylink|Chaos (episode)|Chaos}}

While hunting an Autobot shuttle through space, Galvatron and his lieutenants managed to utterly destroy the ship. Not one to fall for the [[The Transformers: The Movie|same trick]] twice, Galvatron continued searching the area until the Decepticons detected the shuttle's lifepod flying towards an enormous structure. This "funeral barge" carried in it the deactivated bodies of the Autobots who died during the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. Galvatron and his lieutenants pursued Rodimus Prime's crew into the barge, but were driven off by the sudden arrival of Optimus Prime, seemingly back from the dead. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}}

[[File:FightOrFlee Galvatron orders.jpg|thumb|left|Galvatron strangles the Invisible Swordsman.]]
When Scourge and Cyclonus alerted him to the location of a pacifistic and energon-rich world known as [[Paradron]], Galvatron saw a perfect opportunity for conquest. The Decepticon invasion of Paradron was brief but brutal, and the populace was converted into slave labor. One Paradronian Transformer named [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] escaped and brought the Autobots back to free his people. Eventually the Autobots detonated the planet's primary energon core, destroying the planet itself and driving off Galvatron's troops. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}}

Following his defeat by [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], Trypticon had been sent to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]] for recuperation. When the Decepticon fueler [[Octane]] removed him, Galvatron went looking for the missing duo and found them consorting with humans in [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]]. He was ready to annihilate the "traitor" Octane for defying his orders, but Octane quickly explained that the purefied Carbombyan oil made for a super-energon mixture, powerful enough to recharge Trypticon (and, hopefully, make him larger than a small Combiner again). Galvatron took control of the nation by removing [[Abdul Fakkadi (G1)|Abdul Fakkadi]] (Supreme Military Commander, President-for-Life, and King of Kings of the Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya) from office and locked him and his troops up in a cage. Despite being more powerful from the Energon created from Carbombya, the Decepticons were still defeated and forced to retreat. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

[[File:GhostInTheMachine Galvatron smoking.jpg|thumb|Spontaneous combustion? What the hell is th—]]
Galvatron apparently reverted to his original assessment of Octane after this debacle, and drove him out of the Decepticons. When Octane began running cargo for the Autobots, he even sent the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] and a [[Skuxxoid|freelance thug]] out to assassinate the traitor. Eventually, Cyclonus and the Sweeps seemingly plucked Octane from the Autobots' grasp on Cybertron itself, and brought him to Chaar for Galvatron to interrogate. Using the information he "coerced" from Octane, Galvatron caught Rodimus Prime alone and engaged him in single combat. Unfortunately, the whole thing was a ruse set up by Octane and Starscream's ghost, who was possessing Cyclonus at the time. Galvatron was abandoned in the presence of Rodimus, Ultra Magnus and a full Autobot battle group. In what was surely an epic battle (that we sadly didn't see a minute of), Galvatron ultimately escaped and made his way back to Chaar, deposing the usurpers and seemingly driving off the ghost of Starscream. {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}}

Upon learning that the Autobots intended to host a first annual peace conference on Cybertron, Galvatron was dead set against letting their plans succeed. Despite several sabotage attempts by the Combaticons, Cyclonus and the Sweeps, though, the conference went through as planned. {{storylink|Surprise Party}}

[[File:Dirge AlmostDeath.jpg|thumb|left]]
Despite Galvatron's earlier attempts to be rid of him, Starscream's ghost returned to plague the Decepticons again. He partnered with Scourge against the Decepticons, kidnapped [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], and even stole one of Trypticon's eyes, leaving Galvatron even more infuriated than usual at this constant undermining of his operations. When Starscream returned once more and possessed Trypticon himself, it was the last straw, and Galvatron led a full Decepticon battle group after "Trypticon" to Cybertron. The fighting was fruitless, and eventually the Decepticons limped away, having exhausted all their weaponry. Not long thereafter, Galvatron's [[particle cannon]] had apparently recharged, because he took several parting shots at Starscream while his "ghost" tumbled uncontrollably through space. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}}

[[File:GalvatronWebworld.jpg|thumb|Well, that's all wrapped up...]]
Although Galvatron led the Decepticons on many wacky adventures against the Autobots throughout [[2006]], his insanity would usually lead to each mission ending in failure. (He loved shooting his own troops, for instance.) At one point, his derangement became so severe, the Decepticon "union officials" [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], Motormaster and [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] threatened to strike. The perpetually loyal Cyclonus was left little choice but to dupe Galvatron into taking therapy sessions (albeit by force) on [[Torkulon]], the therapy planet. After nearly murdering an attendant during a word-association session and somehow building a gun in an arts and crafts class, Galvatron was deemed incurable by conventional methods. The doctors attempted to use living extensions of the planet to give him a lobotomy (much to Cyclonus's disapproval), but Galvatron broke free and murdered the sentient organic core of Torkulon. While the planet's core was connected to Galvatron's mind the planet began to go mad, with several of the organic planets functions going out of control. After that, he razed the entire planet's civilization, leaving them so broken it would take centuries to rebuild. After his connection to the planet he appeared to have regained some of his sanity. {{storylink|Webworld}}

[[File:Carnage CMinor Galvatron Soundwave Allegra.jpg|left|thumb]]
A new plan saw the Constructicons building engines into the side of a comet, with the intention to crash it into Metroplex on Earth. Unsurprisingly the engines were destroyed by the Autobots before they could even be fired up, however the comet was set on course to a nearby world. The comet was shortly obliterated by [[Harmony|sound waves]] emanating from the planet, also causing the Transformers present to plummet to its surface. Galvatron took [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]], intending to find the source of the sonic weapon and use it against the Autobots. Although the Autobots reached the city first, meeting with the leader of [[Eurythma]], the two Decepticons eavesdropped and were able to establish that they needed to talk to [[Allegra]]. After dropping a bridge on the Autobots, Galvatron and Soundwave were able to talk Allegra into giving them her part of the harmony, and then obtained the other two parts of the harmony in quick succession. The Decepticons headed for Earth to attack Metroplex. Unfortunately Soundwave's attempt to use the destructive harmony were thwarted by the [[Eurythman]]s' use of [[anti-sound]]. The Decepticons retreated, though Galvatron raged that he hadn't ordered it. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}}

[[File:BigBroadcast Galvatron with static.jpg|thumb|I'm sure this can only be a good thing.]]
Galvatron was in one of his more obstinate moods when Astrotrain came to Chaar reporting on how the Junkions had apparently turned against the Autobots. Even when Cyclonus began advocating for intervention on the matter, Galvatron still couldn't bring himself to care. Eventually the hypnotic [[television]] signals being beamed to the Junkions to alter their behavior made their way to Galvatron, along with the rest of the galaxy. He was subliminally drawn into a massive conflict in the skies over the planet of Junk, all part of a Quintesson ploy to create a massive diversion and recover one of their lost journals from Junk. Only after [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] jammed the signal did the television stop "bewitching" Galvatron. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}} When [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] later happened across that same Quintesson journal, Galvatron joined Cyclonus and the Sweeps in an effort to steal the journal away from both the Autobots and the Quintessons. It played like a game of hot potato for a while, but ultimately the Autobots got the journal and the Decepticons just gave up. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}}

[[File:Dweller-in-the-depths-decepticons-aiming.jpg|left|thumb]]
One day, Galvatron was in the middle of a morale speech for his troops (re: right about to blast the closest Sweeps into stray particles for sheer pique), when he was interrupted by Quintesson visitors. After his last few dealings with the creatures, Galvatron was ready to blast these Quintessons all the same, but they gave him a gentle lecture about the unfairness of stereotyping which somehow convinced Galvatron to listen to the tentacled freaks. Galvatron brought Cyclonus and the five Sweeps with him to Cybertron, following the Quintessons' directions to the Autobots' new [[power core]] beneath the planet's surface. Searching for the power core, the Decepticons inadvertently let loose the monstrous [[Trans-Organic]]s and the massive energy-draining [[Dweller (G1)|Dweller]]. The Dweller began leeching the life from Galvatron's troops one by one as they tried to flee from the creature. Galvatron showed his heart-felt respect for Cyclonus by throwing all the Sweeps into the creature's path ''first''. He even paused for a moment to look back when the Dweller finally caught Cyclonus as well. Galvatron didn't actually try to ''help'' or anything, but I'm sure Cyclonus would have appreciated the thought alone. {{storylink|The Dweller in the Depths}}

[[File:G1 UltimateWeapon UltimateWeapon!.jpg|thumb|Decepticons, I have found the remote control!]]
Thanks to his plasma damage, Galvatron's sanity really had its ups and down. He was arguably on an upswing during a series of assaults on human and Autobot positions in [[Europe]]. Using the attacks as a diversion, Galvatron sent Swindle to infiltrate Metroplex and steal his [[Transformation cog (biology)|transforming cog]], leaving the city-bot helpless for a rematch with Trypticon. In addition, he began taunting the insecure leader Rodimus Prime with his so-called "[[Ultimate Weapon]]", a doomsday device just waiting to be unleashed. As well thought-out and cunning as this scheme may have been, it ultimately fell apart. The Autobots stole Galvatron's idea by taking Trypticon's transforming cog just as Swindle had stolen Metroplex's. Rodimus Prime eventually wised up about the "Ultimate Weapon" as well: he called Galvatron's bluff and forced the Decepticon leader to admit he was holding nothing more than a 7-2 off-suit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

[[File:FaceOfNijika Galvatron lock.jpg|left|thumb]]
Deep in space, Galvatron was attempting to surpass a Quintesson [[quadrant lock]] when the Quintessons and several Autobots interrupted his efforts. In one of his more manic phases at the time, Galvatron chose to stake his claim by hurling Cyclonus face-first through the lock once the Quintessons began to open it. {{storylink|The Face of the Nijika}}

Galvatron once attempted to destroy the Autobots by feeding [[anti-electron]]s into their new power generator. The initial attempt failed, so the Decepticons tried to raid Unicron's head for a new source of anti-electrons inside the planet-eater's brain. The Autobots arrived shortly after Galvatron's team, so he sent his new [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]] beasts to occupy the heroes. Galvatron was undone by his own scheming, as the anti-electrons had temporarily turned the Dinobot [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] into a super-intelligent genius. Grimlock built a new team of Autobot warriors called [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] from scratch, right inside Unicron's head. The Technobots were skilled enough to destroy Galvatron's new source of anti-electrons, and drive off the Terrorcons' combined form of [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]]. {{storylink| Grimlock's New Brain}}

[[File:CallPrimitives Galvatron and Cyclonus in space.jpg|thumb|"Okay, how the hell did I fit in you?!" "I don't know mighty Galvatron, but I wish you'd try more often."]]
In a major fight with the Autobots, a large number of Galvatron's troops began staring off into space in the middle of the battle. He lost some of his best soldiers to this effect, like Trypticon, the Predacons, the Terrorcons, Soundwave's [[Mini-Cassette]]s...okay, maybe not the Cassettes, but the rest were important. Galvatron ended the fight to go chasing after the deserters, only to be caught by the power of [[Tornedron]] and drained of all his energy. It was only thanks to the fleeing [[Primitive]]s that Tornedron's effect was eventually reversed. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

[[File:Matrix burden 1.jpg|thumb|left|Who are YOU gonna call?]]
Galvatron was very pleased when [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] returned from a scouting mission on Earth, having beaten Rodimus Prime and claimed the Matrix of Leadership itself. Galvatron tried to load the Matrix into his particle cannon as a power source, but instead of energy blasts, it summoned the [[Ancient Autobots|ghosts of departed Autobot leaders]]. They spooked Galvatron into getting rid of the Matrix, but his underling Scourge claimed the Matrix for himself and managed to magnify his powers a thousandfold. Scourge used his newfound might to overthrow Galvatron and the loyal Cyclonus, temporarily claiming control of the Decepticons. Galvatron and Cyclonus eventually recovered and came to Earth just after Scourge lost the Matrix back to Rodimus Prime. After a few quick particle blasts for emphasis, though, Galvatron soon accepted Scourge back into the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Prime Galvatron.JPG|thumb|"Just like the good old times, isn't it Prime?" "There were no good times, ya creep."]]
Galvatron and the Decepticons had arrived early to reserve their seats at a football stadium, when [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] flew in with news that Optimus Prime's body had been preserved at a nearby laboratory. Unfortunately, the Decepticons arrived just in time to be infected by the outbreak of the [[Hate Plague]]. Galvatron fled when his warriors turned crazed. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} Half-mad to begin with at the best of times, Galvatron soon learned that even the one-eyed man cannot always rule the kingdom of the blind, and found himself on the run from half the galaxy. However, despite his insanity, he teamed up with the resurrected Optimus Prime to stop the [[Hate Plague]]. Galvatron wound up becoming infected by the plague and attempted to kill an unconscious Optimus Prime with an axe. Optimus woke up in the nick of time and opened the Matrix directly in Galvatron's face. The wisdom of the Matrix not only cured the universe of the Hate Plague, it cured Galvatron's madness as well. Well, kinda. Grateful, Galvatron sanely declared, "There will be no war today, Optimus. You have earned Galvatron's respect," and called a brief truce. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

[[File:Rebirth 3 Decepticons Hive.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.3]]
In [[2007]], Galvatron called off the truce and led an assault on Autobot City, searching for the Key to the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]]. The Decepticons succeeded in stealing the key and promptly headed to Cybertron. As Galvatron lead the attack directly, Scourge was ordered to activate the chamber but the plasma energy overloaded his circuitry, leaving a group of Autobots to recover the key and promptly be spirited halfway across the galax yas a result of the plasma energy. Coming across Scourge's inactive form, an infuriated Galvatron was inclined to kill the deactivated Decepticon but [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] and Cyclonus convinced their leader to stay his hand, if only to learn what happened to the key. After Scourge recounted what had occurred, Galvatron ignored his minion's warnings about the danger of the plasma energy and ordered him to rectify his mistake by recovering the key. Galvatron then commanded Cyclonus and about a dozen other Decepticons accompany Scourge to ensure the mission's success. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}}

Although seemingly lucid during this period, he had formulated what was perhaps his most genocidal and unbalanced scheme ever: having converted Cybertron into a galactic dreadnought, Galvatron maneuvered it into Earth's orbit, planning to release the Plasma Energy Chamber's payload into Earth's [[sun]]. The resulting supernova would wipe both Earth and Cybertron off the face of the galaxy, presumably leaving Galvatron to gain mastery over everything left. Grudgingly teamed with the Transformer-[[Nebulan]] hybrid [[Scorponok (G1)|Lord Zarak]], Galvatron was eventually defeated and sent tumbling through space, ushering Cybertron into a new [[Golden Age]]. After regaining control, Galvatron vowed to collect energy from disparate corners of the galaxy and return to Cybertron: "We will attack other planets, we will suck them dry! We will build a planet a hundred times more powerful than Cybertron, and I will rule the galaxy!" Zarak made it clear he intended it to be a "we" leadership. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}
{{--}}

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

==Madman ''The Transformers'' comic==
After briefly touching the Matrix of Leadership, the youthful Autobot [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] was given a vision. In it, he saw an older version of himself doing battle with a mysterious, powerful Decepticon (Galvatron). {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}
{{--}}

==Rodimus vs. Cyclonus==
After terminating [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] on the [[Junkion (planet)|Planet of Junk]], Galvatron ordered [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] to wipe out the rest of the Autobots. He suggested they make a game of it and whoever returned to him with the most heads won. Alas, this competition undermined his goal and Cyclonus and Scourge spent more time trying to sabotage each other than actually killing anybody.{{storylink|Rodimus vs. Cyclonus}}
{{--}}

==Japanese cartoon continuity==
{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in this timeline as above, except that the events following ''The Transformers: The Movie'' are pushed back to [[2010]] (creating a five-year gap between Galvatron's creation and his return), and the events of "The Rebirth" do not occur. The Japanese animated continuity subsequently adds several new adventures into the timeline, both during the Generation 1 cartoon and after it, as detailed below.}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
{{Main|Galvatron (G1)#Beast Wars cartoon}}

===''Kiss Players''===
After being hurled out of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] and into space by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]], Galvatron's flight path was disrupted by the [[Sparkbot]]s, a trio of Unicron's servants who were already working to resurrect their master. {{storylink|Kiss Players episode 51|Kiss Players #51}} The Decepticon leader crash-landed on the planet [[Earth]], obliterating the city of [[Tokyo]]. This catastrophic loss of life destroyed [[Human]]-[[Transformer]] relations and led to the formation of the [[Earth Defense Command]], a governmental organization which drove Transformers from the face of the planet. Appropriating Galvatron's remains, the EDC reverse-engineered a fleet of human-operated "[[Autorooper]]" Transformers to perform this task.

As 2006 settled in, Galvatron's impact was revealed to have had an even greater effect than anyone had expected: The blast caused by his impact had scattered his Unicron-empowered cells throughout the planet's atmosphere. When his cells came into contact with other objects and animals, they fused with them, creating an army of monstrous creatures referred to as "[[Legion (KP)|Legion]]". This disastrous event also created the means to defend the world against Legion, however: When Galvatron's cells came into contact with human beings, these humans gained the ability to fuse with other entities containing his cells. With their Autoroopers being the perfect candidates for this "[[Parasitech]]" fusion process, the EDC began recruiting and training these "[[Kiss Player]]s" as combat squads to battle the Legion.

Seeking to uncover the ulterior motives of EDC Commander [[Hitoshizuku Amaō]], Kiss Players [[Marissa Faireborn]], [[Shaoshao Li]] and [[Atari Hitotonari]] discovered the remains of Galvatron beneath the EDC headquarters. Amaō's plan to use the Legions to resurrect her daughter, who had died in Galvatron's impact, was foiled when all the Legions and Autoroopers fused with Galvatron's corpse, restoring his cells and reconstituting his body. Galvatron's body was shot back into space, where it went on to crash on Thrull. {{storylink|I, You, and the Spinning Earth}}

===e-HOBBY comics===
Starscream reminisced about the time Galvatron blew him into oblivion. He remarked that Galvatron was particularly bad-mannered. Oh, and insane. {{storylink|MP-3G Destron Air Commander / Starscream Ghost Ver.}}

===''The Battle of the Star Gate''===
The ghost of Starscream recounted to his younger, aliver self the events that led to his death at Galvatron's hands. {{storylink|The Battle of the Star Gate}}

===''Macrocosmic Seekers''===
[[File:United Expanded Story 8.jpg|thumb]]
Galvatron and the Decepticons intercepted a transmission about the Autobots picking up a rare treasure on [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]]. Unaware that the "treasure" was merely a lost piece of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s armor, and held only sentimental value, Galvatron launched an attack to retrieve it. {{storylink|Unending Battle}}

As the battle raged, an exiled [[Quintesson]] known as the [[Seeker (United)|Seeker]] arrived on Junk, and captured Galvatron and the other Transformers for his private collection. They were teleported aboard a massive transparent treasure ship for storage and viewing. {{Storylink|A Treasure Lost}} The Seeker wished to study the unique reformatting process undergone by Galvatron and his minions. They were placed inside stasis chamber and time itself rewound around them to the very moment that [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] transformed them into what they had become. {{storylink|Eternal Moment}}

A Junkion named [[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]] freed the captives, and Galvatron discovered his body transformed by the Seeker's manipulations, giving a new tank mode and dramatically increased power. The Transformers began their escape before their "host" could place them back in stasis. {{Storylink|Time to Move}} The Seeker himself had evolved into a state of pure information, and the more of his treasure ship was destroyed, the more information that made up his being was lost. Eventually, the Seeker winked out of existence as his ship sustained more damage than it could hold. {{storylink|Those Who Resist}}

As the Autobots and Decepticons prepared to return to their respective armies, the last of the Seeker's extra energy faded from Galvatron and the others. Although the two groups had worked side by side during the crisis, the old arguments quickly rose anew and the factions parted with only a momentary truce. {{Storylink|A Treasure's True Worth}}
{{--}}

===''Generations Selects Special Comic''===
[[File:Selects 2011.jpg|thumb|upright=2|left|[[2011]]. [[Unicron]].]]
In [[2011]], Galvatron and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] led a joint Autobot/Decepticon coalition to seal [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] within the [[Triple Z Point]] before he could resurrect using the bodies of his [[Acolyte of Unicron|disciples]]. Galvatron bade Prime use the [[Matrix of Leadership]] on the enemy, but he explained it was still recharging on [[Earth]], having been spent eradicating the [[Hate Plague]]. Optimus lamented he did not have another Matrix on hand... and then suddenly the two leaders were summoned before [[Primus]]. {{storylink|Super Megatron comic 1}}

[[File:Blue Planet Generations.jpg|thumb|310px|[[Precursor World|Not 2011]]. [[Vok|Not Unicron]].]]
Galvatron was shown his own [[The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg|imminent demise]] by Primus and then deposited in orbit around an [[Blue Planet (GS)|unfamiliar blue world]] under attack from an [[Vok|unknown enemy]] and its swarm of [[Novaroid]]s. The being gifted Prime a new [[Silver Matrix]] filled with the "[[Star Power|power of stars]]" and tasked him with "restoring this world's proper history" before disappearing. This "Star Power" accelerated Prime into the form of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#The Battlestars manga and story pages|Star Convoy]], who then soared off shouting heroic nonsense and obediently annihilating the Novaroid swarm with his newfound power. {{storylink|Star Convoy comic}}

Desiring the power of stars to avert his upcoming death, Galvatron began ripping apart the wreckage and devouring Novaroid components. He was soon rescued by a passing [[Seacon (BW)|space pirate]] [[photon sailer|ship]], and its captains, [[Halfshell]] and [[Turtler]], made him an offer: passage on their vessel and access to the same Star Power that upgraded Optimus Prime in return for his reservoir of [[Angolmois Energy]]. Indignant at these alleged [[Decepticon]]s' lack of respect for their [[Emperor of Destruction]], Galvatron nonetheless took the deal and was placed in a stasis chamber. Halfshell then siphoned the Angolmois Energy from the Galvatron to upgrade Turtler into a more formidable body. {{storylink|Seacons comic 1}}

Worrying rumbling emanated from Galvatron's chamber throughout the subsequent throwdown between Star Convoy and King Poseidon until Halfshell made the mistake of admitting they had no intention of upgrading Galvatron. {{storylink|Seacons comic 4}} In response, the chamber burst open! The rapidly reformatting Galvatron explained he no longer had need of the pirates as he had managed to "resonate" with the Star Power implanted within Optimus Prime on his own. This new being announced he had attained the power of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#The Battlestars manga and story pages|his own future]], {{storylink|Seacons comic 5}} the power of... [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Generations Selects Special Comic (1)|Super Megatron]]! {{storylink|Super Megatron comic 1}}

Many battles and many super modes later, Star Convoy managed to knock the near-omnipotent [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Generations Selects Special Comic (1)|Gold Megatron]] all the way back down to his natural state. As Galvatron nursed the hangover of two universes, the similarly depowered Optimus Prime had Primus's diminutive core form Oracle transport them back to 2011. Galvatron blearily looked on as Optimus used the little god's power to seal Unicron's physical form for good and Oracle departed, taking the duo's memories of the whole affair with him. {{storylink|Generations Selects Special Comic Finale|Finale}}
{{--}}

===''The Headmasters'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Seizō Katō]] (Japanese)|[[Rik Thomas]] (English, Omni Productions dub), [[Yu Deyuan]] (Chinese), [[Mario Zucca]] (Italian), [[Víctor Mares]] (Latin-American Spanish), [[Mikhail Chernyak]] (Russian)}}
[[File:FourWarriors Galvatron abuses Skullcruncher.jpg|thumb|left|BEG FOR MERCY!]]
In [[2011]], a side effect of releasing the Matrix's energy to cure the Hate Plague was revealed when the mega-computer [[Vector Sigma]] began to destabilize. Seeking to exploit this imbalance, Galvatron attacked Cybertron, his forces now bolstered by the addition of new [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] warriors from the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. When encountering the Dinobots, Galvatron ordered Mindwipe to use his hypno powers to put them to sleep. However Skullcruncher got in the way and fell asleep. Galvatron was peeved at Skullcruncher and abused him. Galvatron engaged Optimus Prime and Jazz in battle but was forced to run. Soon after Galvatron ordered Mindwipe to use his hypnotic powers to stop the Dinobots (again) and the Throttlebots but a [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|giant spaceship]] appeared and four Autobot Headmaster warriors came from the ship and stopped them from going any further. They introduced themselves as the Autobots Headmaster warriors [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]], [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]], and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]]. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

While the arrival of the team of Autobot Headmasters repelled the invasion, Galvatron attempted to stop Fortress Maximus after he beat four of the best Decepticon combiners but was beaten and forced to temporarily retreat. It was then revealed that the Matrix was hidden somewhere on Earth, recharging, and the race began to acquire it and use it to gain control over Vector Sigma. Soon after the race began, [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] fought and killed each other. Galvatron was not happy. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

Galvatron later visited the Decepticon base on Earth to find out what Hot Rod was after. [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] asked Galvatron if [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] was suitable to lead to troops at the base, leading Galvatron to suspect Cyclonus had a treacherous plan until Cyclonus reaffirmed his loyalty. After finding out that Hot Rod was after the Matrix, Galvatron, the Decepticon Headmasters and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] went to stop him. Galvatron got the Matrix but Chromedome knocked it out of his hand a second later. Galvatron was also attacked by [[Computron (G1)|Computron]]. Hot Rod ultimately succeeded in obtaining the Matrix and becoming Rodimus Prime again, and he and Optimus Prime joined forces to defeat Galvatron. Though beaten in battle, Galvatron did at least take solace in the fact that Optimus Prime once again met his end. Only the Autobots that were there seemed to care that he was dead. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

Later Galvatron decided to have another crack at taking control of Vector Sigma by creating the [[Madmachine]]. To aid him in this plan he revived Soundwave as Soundblaster using [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s Transtector technology. Galvatron then ordered Sixshot to test the Madmachine on Metroplex. Following the test's successful completion, he ordered Sixshot to retreat. Galvatron had the Madmachine and the Decepticon Headmasters sent to Cybertron to take control of Vector Sigma. He gave control of it to Soundblaster, however Galvatron's base on Charr was invaded by Blaster who had been revived as Twincast. The Autobot destroyed the Control in Soundblaster's chest. This allowed the Autobot Headmasters to destroy the Madmachine. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}.

[[File:HM7 Galvatron meets Scorponok.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Galvatron occupied planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] and took most of the civilians, known as [[Beastformer (species)|Beastformers]], prisoner, except for those who would follow him. Galvatron was informed by [[Alligatron]] of Fortress Maximus's arrival on Beast. Galvatron ordered the Beastformers and Decepticons to destroy the Autobots. When Rodimus arrived Galvatron showed up and battled Rodimus. Cyclonus and Scourge tried to help but damaged Galvatron instead. Galvatron continued to fight Rodimus but was forced into retreat after Fortress Maximus came and attacked him. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}.

After the failure of losing Beast, Galvatron created a meteorite nicknamed [[Metamorphose]], intended to destroy Athenia. No Transformer could approach it, as it knocked them out with electrical overload. Its first victims were the Aerialbots, who were temporarily deactivated when they approached it. Then the Throttlebots became victims. However, the Autobots had [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]], a human who was not affected by it. While Fortress and the other Autobot Headmasters distracted the Decepticons, Daniel sneaked into Metamorphose and disabled it, saving Athenia and once again foiling Galvatron's plans. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}}

[[File:Cybertonuronsword.jpg|left|thumb|Excalibur, BE MY STRENGTH!]]
Galvatron was getting unhappy about his troops' failures and was starting to lose his composure. Cyclonus tried to calm his leader down by reaffirming his loyalty how the mighty Galvatron never fails. However, this did not calm Galvatron down. When Scourge informed Galvatron that Decepticon Headmaster leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] had arrived, Galvatron started blaming the Decepticon Headmasters for his failures as well. Then, from the shadows, Scorponok explained that he had a plan to stop the Autobot Headmasters. Galvatron approved, but only after blaming him for the loss of Planet Beast. When the plan failed, Galvatron himself arrived. He and the Decepticon Headmasters almost defeated the Autobots, but Rodimus Prime, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Trainbot]]s arrived and outnumbered them, forcing Galvatron to retreat. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

Later a [[Sixshot (G1)|shadowy figure]] appeared on TV and demanded Earth's energy. Cyclonus and Scourge suggested that when the shadowy figure would get the energy, they should take it from him. After an argument between them Galvatron approved the plan. Galvatron later found out that their plan failed and that they stole Trypticon, who had been damaged in a fight with the Autobot Headmasters and [[Raiden]]. He was far from happy. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}}

[[File:Sosfromsandra magnus pwns galvy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Sanctuary!!! Sanctuary!!! Sanctuary!!!]]
After many failed attempts to control Cybertron, Galvatron set his sights on [[Cybertonuron]], a powerful new alloy being developed by Vector Sigma. The Decepticon Headmaster leader, Scorponok, advocated the destruction of the alloy to prevent the Autobots from obtaining it, but when Galvatron refused to consider the notion, Scorponok took matters into his own hands and had powerful bombs planted in Vector Sigma's chamber. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} Scorponok told Galvatron what he had done, and the enraged Decepticon leader ran into the chamber to try and stop the explosion, only to be caught in the blast. Cybertron was reduced to a burnt-out husk, and Galvatron was left missing in action. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

Galvatron was thought dead for some time, and during his absence, Scorponok proclaimed himself the new Decepticon leader, only for Galvatron to turn up alive and well during his coronation. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Under his leadership, the Decepticons attempted to stop the Autobots from assisting [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]], but failed. {{Storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}} Needing copious amounts of energy for his [[Grand Galvatron|endgame]], Galvatron first distracted the Autobots, then set off with his troops in MegaZarak, Scorponok's gigantic transtector. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} They attempted to plunder [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but the planet's natives and the Autobots were able to repel them. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} They then went to [[Twin Star|Sperity]], but were fooled into thinking it was a desolate planet. {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} At [[Daros]], they formed an alliance with the planet's corrupt upper class, allowing them to gather much energy despite being chased away by the arriving Autobots. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} They also tried to target [[Paradise]] {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} and the [[proton energy]] of the [[Pirate Planet]], but were foiled by the Autobots both times. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[File:HM25 Galvatron disappears.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"Ice! My only weakness!"]]
After Galvatron returned to Earth, [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] came up with an idea to set [[Grand Galvatron|Galvatron's plan]] into action: wipe out the Autobots. Galvatron approved and had the Combaticons, the Terrorcons, the Stunticons and the Horrorcons sent with him to Earth. This plan resulted in the death of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon, Galvatron confided to Sixshot that he intended to use the energy he gathered as part of a process that would transform Earth into a new, all-powerful, Unicron-like body for him, dubbed "[[Grand Galvatron]]". Additionally, he explained that this process would require only the best components from his most powerful warriors, making it quite clear that he intended to sacrifice Sixshot and the other Decepticons for this insane ambition. Aghast, Sixshot betrayed Galvatron to Scorponok as quickly as possible, leaving the Decepticon leader alone to battle the Autobot Headmasters in Alaska. Thankfully for the Autobots, their double-agent [[Punch (G1)|Punch]] had eavesdropped on Galvatron and Sixshot's conversation, during which Galvatron had revealed that his head was his weakest point. With this information to aid them, the Headmasters entered [[Head Formation]] and laid Galvatron low, collapsing an iceberg on top of him and entombing him in ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

After this, Scorponok took control of the Decepticons again. In a meeting with the other Decepticons, he vowed to defeat the Autobots and control Earth in Galvatron's memory. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}
{{-}}

===''Unite Warriors''===
[[File:GalvatronsGhost-GrandGalvatronChapter.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The ghost of [[Galvatron II]] impersonates the ghost of Galvatron I.]]
Ten years after Galvatron's defeat and icy entombment at the hands of the [[Autobot]]s, [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] came to visit the site of his leader's downfall. There, the specter of [[Galvatron II|another Galvatron]] was able to make contact with Cyclonus. Using an illusion of Cyclonus's fallen master, this other Galvatron was able to trick Cyclonus into believing his master's ghost was alive, and the ghost of this other Galvatron forced itself upon Cyclonus, possessing his body as its new vessel. {{storylink|Grand Galvatron Chapter}} Eventually, the truth came to light that this ghost was not that of Cyclonus's Galvatron. {{storylink|Ruination Chapter, Part One}}

===''The Battlestars''===
Galvatron would remain buried in the ice for over fifteen years, until he was resurrected by [[Dark Nova]] as the new and improved [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#The Battlestars manga and story pages|Super Megatron]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 6}}

===''15 Go! Go!''===
[[File:TGGGalvatron.jpg|thumb|left|Crazy AND toy-accurate.]]
At some point after 2025, when Optimus Prime had been restored to life once more as Star Convoy, the mobile computer [[Teletraan 15]] traveled forward in time from 2005 to this era as part of a mission gather data to rebuild [[Teletraan I]]'s damaged databanks. During her visit, as Star Convoy and Hot Rod prepared to battle Ultra Megatron, a [[unspace|transwarp]] wormhole suddenly opened above the combatants, and a massive blast shot emerged from it and struck Hot Rod. Badly damaged, Hot Rod could barely warn his commander as Galvatron, appearing from some unknown spot in space and time, descended through the portal. Tearing Teletraan 15's arm off, {{storylink|Galvatron Volume}} Galvatron gripped the limb in his [[teeth]] as he maniacally throttled Hot Rod. Teletraan 15 passed out {{storylink|Galvatron Volume 2}} and woke up some time later with the outcome of the battle unknown, though she remained haunted by images of the crazed Decepticon clutching her limp and helpless friend. {{storylink|Galvatron Volume 3}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' Generations manga===
When the ghost of Starscream began making trouble in an alternate universe by possessing that reality's [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]], the Mirage of that universe figured the only way to get Starscream to leave was to scare him off. So Mirage projected a hologram of Galvatron, the one who killed Starscream in the first place. Terrified, Starscream left Onslaught's body and fled back to his home universe. {{storylink|Starscream's New Body}}

===''Legends'' comic===
When [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] visited the [[Legends World]], [[Megatron (BW)|the resident Megatron]] had never heard of him. [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], however, was well-versed in the outsider-Megatron's history and recounted the time he was turned into Galvatron. {{storylink|LG13 Megatron}} Galvatron's role in the battles on [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] was recounted in a rundown of the planet's history, {{storylink|LG51 Doublecross Prologue}} and the Decepticon [[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]] recalled both how Galvatron had recruited them with promises of power and how he had been defeated. {{storylink|LG61 Decepticon Clones}}

[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] later tricked Megatron into forming the head of a body that amplified his inherent evil, causing him to revert to his Galvatron personality. He thus claimed to be Galvatron once more while under the body's influence, but quickly proved able to resist it and remove his head, returning to being Megatron. {{storylink|LG23 Galvatron}} While Megatron refused to use the Galvatron body again, Tarantulas and [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] had [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] hypnotize him into it. Galvatron attacked [[Tokyo]] and defeated [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] before [[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] knocked his head off again. {{storylink|LG25 Blurr}} Galvatron was also present for the introduction of the Sweeps, and was curious about [[Sweep No. 4]]'s absence. It turned out he had let No. 4 die years earlier, and the Sweep literally came back to haunt him. {{storylink|LG-26 Scourge Prologue}}

The Galvatron body later resurfaced without a head, claiming it no longer needed Megatron. After it was defeated by [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] and [[Shūta Gō]], however, it was revealed that Tarantulas had merely been piloting it from within. {{storylink|LG29 Wheelie}} After developing resistance to his mind being manipulated, {{storylink|LG34 Mindwipe}} Megatron began using the transtector without becoming Galvatron. It was ultimately destroyed in a battle with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|LG43 Trypticon}}

==''TV Magazine'' comic continuity==
===''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''===
[[File:2010manga05-title.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|Maybe your attack on the Prime Energy Tower would be more successful if at least ''one'' of your soldiers was actually ''facing'' it.]]
Galvatron had plenty of devious schemes up his sleeve throughout 2010, opening with the nutty idea of a spaceship that ate other spaceships, which Rodimus Prime promptly blew up. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 1|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #1}}

Galvatron went back to his roots for his next scheme, creating a clone army of Megatrons that he dubbed the "[[Megatron Corps]]". Galvatron disguised himself as one of the Megatrons and controlled them remotely, making them an effective fighting force that the Autobots had trouble dealing with, until his disguise was penetrated and his control over the robots broken. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 2|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #2}}

He later attacked Autobot City with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], but was forced to retreat when [[Six-Gun]] destroyed Trypticon's controls with a blast from [[Brunt (G1)|Brunt]]. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 3|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #3}}

On one notable occasion, Galvatron challenged Rodimus Prime to a one-on-one duel in order to lure him into a trap set up in partnership with the Quintessons. In the middle of the fight, the Quintessons' newest creation, an Optimus Prime/Megatron hybrid robot known as [[Gilthor]], arrived to attack Rodimus, but Galvatron was shocked when Gilthor turned on him as well. Rodimus and Galvatron called a truce long enough for them to team up and destroy Gilthor, who, it was revealed, had been possessed by Starscream's ghost. With that threat dealt with, they called off the truce. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 4|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #4}}

Next, Galvatron attempted to steal the [[Prime Energy Tower]] of the planet [[Feminia]] with an all-out assault. The Autobots defended the tower, but were overwhelmed by Galvatron's unit of [[Combiner]]s; the scales tilted in his favor thanks to the presence of [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]]. Galvatron's victory was assued until the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]] arrived and toppled the Combiners. {{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:GreatTransformerWar01cover.jpg|thumb|left]]
Later in 2010, Galvatron kidnapped Doctor [[Dalton]], a brilliant scientist from the planet [[Eran]], but Dalton refused to work with the Decepticons and lent his aid to the Autobots instead, upgrading the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] so they could defeat the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1|The Great Transformer War #1}}

One of the Terrorcons' upgrades included a sticky goo that forced the Technobots into working for the Decepticons. Through the intervention of [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] the Technobots were freed and the Terrorcons defeated. Galvatron cursed the human for interfering, but declared that his next evil scheme would be one the Autobots would never forget. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 2|The Great Transformer War #2}}

After the resurrection of Optimus Prime and the curing of the Hate Plague, Galvatron hastily broke his vow that there would be no war, and he, Cyclonus and Scourge battled Prime, Hot Rod and [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] in space, only to be defeated. Galvatron immediately returned to [[Chaar]] and dispatched [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] to retrieve the Decepticon Headmasters, as he had need of them for his assault on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

===''The Headmasters'' comic===
[[File:Galvatron abandons Alligatron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|"FOILED AGAIN!"]]
On planet [[Chaar]], Galvatron ordered his [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s to head for planet [[Athenia]] and show the Autobots their "true power". Their "true power" involved trying to blow up the Battleship Maximus with a goofy explosive and failing. Galvatron was displeased. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Later, while [[White Leo]] was abset from [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], Galvatron made a second attempt to conquer it with the united forces of his Decepticons and the Decepticon [[Beastformer (species)|Beastformers]]. With the aid of [[Kane]], the Autobots and the Autobot Beastformers were able to hold the Decepticons off long enough for White Leo to return and send them into a retreat. Galvatron callously left [[Alligatron]] and the Decepticon Beastformers behind to face justice as he and his troops escaped into space. {{storylink|The Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}}

===''Super-God Masterforce'' comic===
Galvatron, believed to be buried alive in an iceberg, would return to menace the [[Headmaster Junior]]s with an army of legendary Decepticon warriors. "Galvatron" and all his troops were eventually revealed to be nothing more than holograms created by the Decepticon [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmasters]] to fool the Autobots. {{storylink|Burn, Chokon! New Commander Super Ginrai!}}

==''Wings Universe''==
{{Wingsnote}}
[[File:G2Redux-GalvatronCyclonusScourgeZarak.jpg|thumb|left]]
Following the rebirth of Cybertron's [[Golden Age]], Galvatron and Lord [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] led their Decepticon forces away from Earth and Cybertron. They attacked Zarak's homeworld of [[Nebulos]] and many other planets in deep space, with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and his Autobots in hot pursuit of them through the cosmos. By 2010, Galvatron had become aware of a new generation of 'Cons having arisen on Earth, and sent a small group of followers back to make contact with this [[Decepticon Syndicate]]. {{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}}

In [[2012]], the Autobot [[Sizzle (G1)|Sizzle]] experienced a [[forestonite]]-based vision of [[Megaplex|three]] [[Soundwave (MW)|shadowy]] [[Starscream (MW)|figures]] standing over the broken bodies of Optimus Prime and Galvatron. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 6}} Sizzle's prophetic vision soon came to pass with the dawn of the [[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]] the next year. The [[Cybertronian (faction)|clone armies]] of [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] attacked [[Sigma Seven]] and left Optimus and Galvatron comatose as they advanced toward Cybertron. {{storylink|Termination}}

A week later, the Machine Wars concluded on Cybertron, and a week after that, the Autobots, Decepticons, and Jhiaxus's clones signed the [[Pax Cybertronia]] at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] on Earth. [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] doubted that the comatose Galvatron would be pleased to hear of the peace treaty if and when he woke up and remarked that he would make sure that [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] was the one to deliver the news to Galvatron. {{storylink|A Common Foe}}

[[Tornado]] considered [[Squadron X]] leader [[Macabre]] to possess [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s strength, [[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Shockwave]]'s firepower, and Galvatron's crazy. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur}}

==Ask Vector Prime==
In [[Primax 903.0-M Lambda]], the ghost of [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] possessed the corpse of [[Skyquake (G1)|Skyquake]] and sought his vengeance against Galvatron during [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s New [[Golden Age]], resulting in the [[Machine Wars (event)|Machine Wars]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/27}}

In a wacky hybrid universe created by [[Gong (GoBots)|Gong]] and [[Sideways (AVP)|Sideways]], Unicron created Galvatron from a dying Megatron's body as usual. In ''this'' timeline, however, his minions were [[Deadlift]] and [[Fracture (Movie)|Fracture]]. He dealt with the treacherous [[Zero]] and later launched an attack on Guardian City. At Unicron's bidding, he tracked the Guardians and Autobots to the planet [[Quartex (planet)|Quartex]], where he stole the Matrix of Leadership from [[Major Mo]].

When Unicron launched his final assault on Cybertron, Galvatron attempted to open the Guardian Matrix but was unable. He wound up battling Hot Rod within the cavernous body of Unicron. He managed to get the upper hand... when, unbeknownst to all, [[Vector Prime]] set history back on its right course, banishing the [[GoBot]]s from the timeline. Hot Rod opened the ''Autobot'' Matrix, transformed into Rodimus Prime, and cast Galvatron into deep space. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
*After Optimus Prime was requested by Hasbro to be killed off in The Transformers: The Movie, writer [[Ron Friedman]] decided to mirror this by also killing off Megatron. This led to the creation of Galvatron. His intent was that both would ultimately be able to cheat death, Optimus by living on in the Matrix and Megatron by being rebuilt into Galvatron.
*Galvatron's appearance in the [[The Transformers: The Movie (first draft)|first draft]] of the movie was.... different. In this version he was still rebuilt by Unicron, but was described as "A NEW AND LARGER BUT STILL RECOGNIZEABLE FROM OF MEGATRON". He was also coated in scales like those which covered the planet Unicron. His alt mode was still a giant laser gun.
*It's possible Galvatron was named after galvanising, the process of coating a metal in Zinc to prevent rust. That sort of corelates to how he's reborn in the early draft.
* According to [[Teletraan II]]'s [[Secret Files of Teletraan II|secret files]], Galvatron was reformed from Megatron by Unicron in an attempt to bolster the Decepticon's strength and to lead the Decepticons into a new era. The fact that this information conflicts with the events as depicted in the movie may say something about the quality of the Autobots' intelligence regarding the Decepticon cause.
* In the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (manga)|''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga]], [[Makoto (FSRL)|Makoto]] has a transforming Galvatron [[Wrist-communicator|wristwatch]] that was first available in Japan during the 1980s. However, at the time of the story, Galvatron did not yet exist in-continuity. The circumstances behind this are best not thought about.
* An unrealized ''[[Transformers: Wings Universe|Wings Universe]]'' story would have featured [[Scourge (RID)#Timelines|Scourge]], based on his TFSS toy, as one of [[Jhiaxus (G2)#Wings Universe|Jhiaxus]]'s clones, leading the takedown of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Wings Universe|Optimus Prime]] and Galvatron.<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/128200-new-tcc-prose-counterpunch-story-the-truth-we-make/?p=3229535 Post on the Allspark Forums by Pete@BotCon (Pete Sinclair), 2016/05/12]</ref><ref>[https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/135573-wings-universecannonball-loose-ends/?p=3406634 Post on the Allspark Forums by NightViper (Jesse Wittenrich), 2016/12/23]</ref>

===Character model===
[[File:Galvatron-revision-comparison.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
* Galvatron's [[character model]] design went through at least five known revisions:
# The first was by [[Floro Dery]], which looked rather "simple" and had exposed mechanical components. This version is notable for being among Dery's multicolored watercolor works done for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
# The [[:File:FriedmanAuctionGalvatronModelEdit.jpg|second iteration]] of Galvatron's design was a refined version of Dery's design by [[Marvel Productions]]. This one appears to be the inspiration for his toy, given the red shoulder parts of the [[alternate mode]]. However, due to the amount of color changing of parts happening between the robot and [[alternate mode]] models, the toy was made solely based on the alternate mode's coloration, leading to a mostly gray robot.
# After this, Galvatron's [[robot mode]] received some additional minor changes by Marvel Productions, specifically a new head. Both the robot mode and the alternate mode gained new color layouts too. This is notable as being the one [[AKOM]] would frequently use, and was also utilized for the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] comic version of [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]], just with a toy-accurate color scheme. This revision is considered to be the "pre-final model".
# During the third iteration, [[Toei Animation|Toei]] started working on an entirely new design themselves, with a head based on the Dery head design. The alternate mode was also made from scratch, though it was mostly the same detail-wise, it was just drawn from stylized-angled perspectives, a singnature for most model designs by Toei.
# For the final revision, Toei changed the head on their new design, basing it more on the Marvel revision, and changed a few of the details on the alternate mode.

* In the [[AKOM]] and [[Unknown Generation 1 animation studios|unknown studio]]-animated episodes, Galvatron is depicted in two different variants:
# In most instances, Galvatron uses the pre-final model. Due to there being no rear-view made for this model, the animators would instead use the final model's rear-view and recolor it to match the pre-final model instead.
# In very subtle instances (usually small cuts between scenes), they would use his final model, but instead colored it to match the pre-final's colors, and even sometimes go so far as to add the pre-final model's head onto the final body.

* When asked about Galvatron's design in an interview, Floro Dery's reply was, "But about Galvatron, my inspiration for him are those 'stupid people'."<ref>[http://transformersph.blogspot.com/2007/06/interview-with-floro-dery.html TransFormers Philippines: Interview With Floro Dery]</ref> ...Ooookay.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Emperors of Destruction]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations Selects Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kiss Players Decepticons]]
[[Category:Legends Decepticons]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy Decepticons]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Unicron-related characters]]
[[Category:Unite Warriors Decepticons]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity

2026-02-27T16:14:07Z

DevinM626:

{{factions|decepticon|unicron}}
{{suite}}

[[File:GalvatronDepth.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|And this was ''before'' the [[Hate Plague]].]]
Sometimes crazy doesn't work... but try telling that to '''Galvatron'''!

==''The Transformers'' cartoon==
{{voiceactor|[[Leonard Nimoy]] (English, ''The Movie''), [[Frank Welker]] (English, television series), [[Seizō Katō]] (Japanese)|[[Yang Wenyuan]] (Chinese, TV series), [[Gao Quansheng]] (Chinese, ''The Rebirth''), [[Marcel Guido]] (French, ''The Movie''), [[Serge Lhorca]] (European French, TV series), Unknown (European French, "Five Faces of Darkness" episodes & "Surprise Party"), [[Jean Claudio]] (European French, "Webworld" & "Carnage in C-Minor"), [[Philippe Roullier]] (European French, "The Dweller in the Depths" & "The Face of the Nijika"), [[Albert Augier]] (European French, "The Rebirth, Part 1"), [[Serge Bourrier]] (European French, "The Rebirth, Part 3"), [[Carl Béchard]] (Canadian French, TV series), [[Gerd Wiedenhofen]] (German, television series), [[Manfred Erdmann]] (German, ''The Movie''), [[Thomas Rauscher]] (German, ''Generation 2''), [[Achim Barrenstein]] (German, ''The Movie DVD dub''), [[Romano Malaspina]] (Italian, ''The Movie'' second dub), [[Júlio César]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' TV dub), [[José Santa Cruz]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' VHS dub), [[Daoiz Cabezudo]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' Fox Kids dub), [[Marcos Miranda]] (Portuguese, season 3), [[Jordi Varela]] (Spain-Spanish, ''The Movie''), [[Alejandro Abdalah]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Mikhail Chernyak]] (Russian)}}

[[File:Tftm1986c.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"[[Doctor (Doctor Who)|Legs! I've still got legs!]]"]]
In [[2005]], after being mortally wounded by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] during the [[Battle of Autobot City]], [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] was left to float aimlessly through space after being punted out of the overloaded [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], who decided to take advantage of his master's near-death state to finally sieze command. Megatron was then summoned by [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], who offered him a new body, a warship and new troops to command, so long as he destroyed the [[Autobot]] [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Megatron reluctantly accepted and was upgraded into '''Galvatron''', a more fearsome and powerful warrior, while his former troops were similarly [[Reformatting|reformatted]].

[[File:TFTM-strangle.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Nothing can save you, Autobot, except maybe the powerful artifact around my neck! But that'll never happen.]]
Galvatron, eager to take revenge on the one who had cast him into the void, first took his new troops to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]; upon arrival, they crashed Starscream's coronation as the Decepticon leader. Galvatron dismissed the ceremony as “bad comedy” before transforming to his new cannon mode and reducing Starscream to ash with a single blast. The [[Decepticon]]s quickly fell in line behind Galvatron, but it was not long after that he witnessed Unicron devour one of Cybertron's moons. Infuriated by this affront, Galvatron's rage was met with agony induced by Unicron. Reminded of his new place, Galvatron was forced to quell his fury for the time being. Galvatron then led the Decepticons to Earth in a second attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], hitting the few remaining Autobots in full-force. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] led him away from Earth, and Galvatron chased him to the [[Junkion (planet)|Planet of Junk]], where he defeated Magnus and took the Matrix, intending to use it against Unicron.

Galvatron could not open the Matrix, and as punishment for his treachery, Unicron transformed and began tearing Cybertron apart. Horrified, Galvatron transformed to cannon emplacement mode and opened fire on Unicron, but his shots had no effect and the dark god swallowed him whole. Inside Unicron's belly, he met up with [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]]. Though he initially suggested an alliance with the young Autobot against the mutual threat of his master, the Chaos Bringer again mentally tortured Galvatron for his attempted treachery and then forced him to attack Hot Rod. Hot Rod eventually managed to wrest the Matrix away from Galvatron and open it, leading to his transformation into Rodimus Prime. Flush with new power, Rodimus hurled Galvatron from inside Unicron and into deep space. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Galvatron’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]]."}}

But this would not be the end of Galvatron.

[[File:FFOD2 Scourge rescuing Galvatron.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|He'll never be let back into this country club ever again.]]
The weakened Decepticons were subsequently routed by the Autobots and forced off Cybertron, relocating to the burned-out world of [[Chaar]]. After eking out a living there in energy-deprived squalor for some time, they were visited by [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]], who'd finally decided to return the Decepticons to glory by seeking out the lost Galvatron.{{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

They found him sunk in a lava pit on the distant planet [[Thrull]] and managed to free him. However, the effects of the "plasma bath" irrevocably altered Galvatron's sanity chips, rendering him omnicidally insane. Upon regaining his freedom, he thrashed Cyclonus and Scourge and sundered Thrull. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} Told that the [[human]]s and Autobots had collaborated to build a space station as Earth's first line of defense, he was highly amused, and headed for the nearest [[warp gate]]. On reaching [[Outpost One]], he and his men attacked the station, quickly destroying it and coincidentally damaging the shuttle piloted by [[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]. Galvatron spotted the shuttle making a break for [[Jupiter]], and demanded the heads of the Autobots as souvenirs. With one blast, he destroyed the ship, but the two occupants had escaped and began plummeting into the planet's atmosphere. One [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]], blasted by Wheelie, cried out to Galvatron to save him, but was only told to meet his end with dignity. Galvatron then blasted a nearby storm cell, causing an implosion.

[[File:FFOD2 Galvatron sparks.JPG|thumb|upright=1.66|Plasma is the Sniffling, Sneezing, Coughing, Aching, Stuffy-head, Fever, So-You-Can-Bwaah! medicine.]]
{{bigquote|It's music! The symphony of destruction and the anthem of agony!|Galvatron loves an atmospheric implosion|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}}
Believing the Autobots to be destroyed, Galvatron ordered Cyclonus to take him to [[Chaar]]. He was shocked at the conditions that the Decepticon army were forced to live under, and was even more surprised to be told by [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] that the bulk of the Decepticon forces had left under new leadership. Incensed, he announced that he was the leader of the Decepticons, and the usurpers would pay. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} He and his loyal men swiftly found the rest of the Decepticons fighting the Autobots on [[Goo Number 8739-B]], and Galvatron swiftly ordered an attack. When Cyclonus inquired who they were attacking, Galvatron simply replied "everyone". After making [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] beg for his life, Galvatron succeeded in regaining the loyalty of his troops, and turned his attention on those who had usurped him in the first place—the [[Quintesson]]s. The Quintessons attempted to negotiate, successfully bluffing Galvatron with stories of a [[Decepticon Matrix|Decepticon Matrix of Leadership]] which they would give him if he destroyed the Autobots down on Goo. Although he tried, the Autobots were snatched from danger by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]. Still, he got to destroy Goo, and the Quintessons were subsequently able to persuade him to join forces with them to destroy both the Autobots and the humans.

[[File:FFOD5 Galvatron lever.jpg|left|thumb|Oooooh, what does this bu-tton dooo?]]
Plans were swiftly drawn to attack simultaneously on Earth and Cybertron. On Earth, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s constructed [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] from a human city, while a decoy human shuttle was crashed into the central power facility on Cybertron, knocking out the planet's defences. Galvatron himself led the attack on Cybertron, unaware that the Quintessons plotted against him. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} The battle going well, Galvatron sent Blitzwing to give a status report to their allies, but was angered when the triple-changer returned a short time later to say that not only had he not given the status report, but there was no Decepticon Matrix. Blitzwing was soon sent hurtling towards the Autobots. Galvatron soon followed the Autobots and the now-traitorous Blitzwing to a chamber deep inside Cybertron, where a [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]] had been about to pull a [[large switch|lever]]. Convinced that the switch had something to do with the Decepticon Matrix, Galvatron pulled it himself—and every [[Transformer]] in the [[galaxy]] shut down. Fortunately the human [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] destroyed the switch, returning the Transformers to life. Though Galvatron chased the Quintessons, they swiftly escaped in a pod. He was then prevented from blasting Rodimus by Blitzwing, and angrily told the [[Triple Changer]] that he was no longer welcome in the ranks of the Decepticons before ordering a retreat. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

[[File:Chaos Galvatron cannon.jpg|thumb|The Decepticon palette was out of everything but purple.]]
Informed by [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] of a new type of ammunition, [[death crystal]]s, Galvatron went to planet [[Dread (planet)|Dread]], where the crystals originated, intending to carry out a new plan—build a [[Death crystal cannon|cannon]] which would fire death crystals at Cybertron. He found a ready-made work force in [[Dread slaves|the slaves]] left behind by the [[Orb]]s, and soon had a giant cannon constructed. Just as all was ready, a group of Autobots, led to the planet by [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]], attacked the installation. [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] was able to keep them busy while he lined up for a shot at Cybertron, however Kup was also keeping busy, freeing the slaves and waking the monster [[Chaos (alien)|Chaos]]. During the confusion of the slave revolt, Kup used the death crystal cannon to destroy Chaos and causing the volcano to erupt. Galvatron was last seen fleeing the swiftly moving lava. {{storylink|Chaos (episode)|Chaos}}

While hunting an Autobot shuttle through space, Galvatron and his lieutenants managed to utterly destroy the ship. Not one to fall for the [[The Transformers: The Movie|same trick]] twice, Galvatron continued searching the area until the Decepticons detected the shuttle's lifepod flying towards an enormous structure. This "funeral barge" carried in it the deactivated bodies of the Autobots who died during the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. Galvatron and his lieutenants pursued Rodimus Prime's crew into the barge, but were driven off by the sudden arrival of Optimus Prime, seemingly back from the dead. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}}

[[File:FightOrFlee Galvatron orders.jpg|thumb|left|Galvatron strangles the Invisible Swordsman.]]
When Scourge and Cyclonus alerted him to the location of a pacifistic and energon-rich world known as [[Paradron]], Galvatron saw a perfect opportunity for conquest. The Decepticon invasion of Paradron was brief but brutal, and the populace was converted into slave labor. One Paradronian Transformer named [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] escaped and brought the Autobots back to free his people. Eventually the Autobots detonated the planet's primary energon core, destroying the planet itself and driving off Galvatron's troops. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}}

Following his defeat by [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], Trypticon had been sent to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]] for recuperation. When the Decepticon fueler [[Octane]] removed him, Galvatron went looking for the missing duo and found them consorting with humans in [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]]. He was ready to annihilate the "traitor" Octane for defying his orders, but Octane quickly explained that the purefied Carbombyan oil made for a super-energon mixture, powerful enough to recharge Trypticon (and, hopefully, make him larger than a small Combiner again). Galvatron took control of the nation by removing [[Abdul Fakkadi (G1)|Abdul Fakkadi]] (Supreme Military Commander, President-for-Life, and King of Kings of the Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya) from office and locked him and his troops up in a cage. Despite being more powerful from the Energon created from Carbombya, the Decepticons were still defeated and forced to retreat. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

[[File:GhostInTheMachine Galvatron smoking.jpg|thumb|Spontaneous combustion? What the hell is th—]]
Galvatron apparently reverted to his original assessment of Octane after this debacle, and drove him out of the Decepticons. When Octane began running cargo for the Autobots, he even sent the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] and a [[Skuxxoid|freelance thug]] out to assassinate the traitor. Eventually, Cyclonus and the Sweeps seemingly plucked Octane from the Autobots' grasp on Cybertron itself, and brought him to Chaar for Galvatron to interrogate. Using the information he "coerced" from Octane, Galvatron caught Rodimus Prime alone and engaged him in single combat. Unfortunately, the whole thing was a ruse set up by Octane and Starscream's ghost, who was possessing Cyclonus at the time. Galvatron was abandoned in the presence of Rodimus, Ultra Magnus and a full Autobot battle group. In what was surely an epic battle (that we sadly didn't see a minute of), Galvatron ultimately escaped and made his way back to Chaar, deposing the usurpers and seemingly driving off the ghost of Starscream. {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}}

Upon learning that the Autobots intended to host a first annual peace conference on Cybertron, Galvatron was dead set against letting their plans succeed. Despite several sabotage attempts by the Combaticons, Cyclonus and the Sweeps, though, the conference went through as planned. {{storylink|Surprise Party}}

[[File:Dirge AlmostDeath.jpg|thumb|left]]
Despite Galvatron's earlier attempts to be rid of him, Starscream's ghost returned to plague the Decepticons again. He partnered with Scourge against the Decepticons, kidnapped [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], and even stole one of Trypticon's eyes, leaving Galvatron even more infuriated than usual at this constant undermining of his operations. When Starscream returned once more and possessed Trypticon himself, it was the last straw, and Galvatron led a full Decepticon battle group after "Trypticon" to Cybertron. The fighting was fruitless, and eventually the Decepticons limped away, having exhausted all their weaponry. Not long thereafter, Galvatron's [[particle cannon]] had apparently recharged, because he took several parting shots at Starscream while his "ghost" tumbled uncontrollably through space. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}}

[[File:GalvatronWebworld.jpg|thumb|Well, that's all wrapped up...]]
Although Galvatron led the Decepticons on many wacky adventures against the Autobots throughout [[2006]], his insanity would usually lead to each mission ending in failure. (He loved shooting his own troops, for instance.) At one point, his derangement became so severe, the Decepticon "union officials" [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], Motormaster and [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] threatened to strike. The perpetually loyal Cyclonus was left little choice but to dupe Galvatron into taking therapy sessions (albeit by force) on [[Torkulon]], the therapy planet. After nearly murdering an attendant during a word-association session and somehow building a gun in an arts and crafts class, Galvatron was deemed incurable by conventional methods. The doctors attempted to use living extensions of the planet to give him a lobotomy (much to Cyclonus's disapproval), but Galvatron broke free and murdered the sentient organic core of Torkulon. While the planet's core was connected to Galvatron's mind the planet began to go mad, with several of the organic planets functions going out of control. After that, he razed the entire planet's civilization, leaving them so broken it would take centuries to rebuild. After his connection to the planet he appeared to have regained some of his sanity. {{storylink|Webworld}}

[[File:Carnage CMinor Galvatron Soundwave Allegra.jpg|left|thumb]]
A new plan saw the Constructicons building engines into the side of a comet, with the intention to crash it into Metroplex on Earth. Unsurprisingly the engines were destroyed by the Autobots before they could even be fired up, however the comet was set on course to a nearby world. The comet was shortly obliterated by [[Harmony|sound waves]] emanating from the planet, also causing the Transformers present to plummet to its surface. Galvatron took [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]], intending to find the source of the sonic weapon and use it against the Autobots. Although the Autobots reached the city first, meeting with the leader of [[Eurythma]], the two Decepticons eavesdropped and were able to establish that they needed to talk to [[Allegra]]. After dropping a bridge on the Autobots, Galvatron and Soundwave were able to talk Allegra into giving them her part of the harmony, and then obtained the other two parts of the harmony in quick succession. The Decepticons headed for Earth to attack Metroplex. Unfortunately Soundwave's attempt to use the destructive harmony were thwarted by the [[Eurythman]]s' use of [[anti-sound]]. The Decepticons retreated, though Galvatron raged that he hadn't ordered it. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}}

[[File:BigBroadcast Galvatron with static.jpg|thumb|I'm sure this can only be a good thing.]]
Galvatron was in one of his more obstinate moods when Astrotrain came to Chaar reporting on how the Junkions had apparently turned against the Autobots. Even when Cyclonus began advocating for intervention on the matter, Galvatron still couldn't bring himself to care. Eventually the hypnotic [[television]] signals being beamed to the Junkions to alter their behavior made their way to Galvatron, along with the rest of the galaxy. He was subliminally drawn into a massive conflict in the skies over the planet of Junk, all part of a Quintesson ploy to create a massive diversion and recover one of their lost journals from Junk. Only after [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] jammed the signal did the television stop "bewitching" Galvatron. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}} When [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] later happened across that same Quintesson journal, Galvatron joined Cyclonus and the Sweeps in an effort to steal the journal away from both the Autobots and the Quintessons. It played like a game of hot potato for a while, but ultimately the Autobots got the journal and the Decepticons just gave up. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}}

[[File:Dweller-in-the-depths-decepticons-aiming.jpg|left|thumb]]
One day, Galvatron was in the middle of a morale speech for his troops (re: right about to blast the closest Sweeps into stray particles for sheer pique), when he was interrupted by Quintesson visitors. After his last few dealings with the creatures, Galvatron was ready to blast these Quintessons all the same, but they gave him a gentle lecture about the unfairness of stereotyping which somehow convinced Galvatron to listen to the tentacled freaks. Galvatron brought Cyclonus and the five Sweeps with him to Cybertron, following the Quintessons' directions to the Autobots' new [[power core]] beneath the planet's surface. Searching for the power core, the Decepticons inadvertently let loose the monstrous [[Trans-Organic]]s and the massive energy-draining [[Dweller (G1)|Dweller]]. The Dweller began leeching the life from Galvatron's troops one by one as they tried to flee from the creature. Galvatron showed his heart-felt respect for Cyclonus by throwing all the Sweeps into the creature's path ''first''. He even paused for a moment to look back when the Dweller finally caught Cyclonus as well. Galvatron didn't actually try to ''help'' or anything, but I'm sure Cyclonus would have appreciated the thought alone. {{storylink|The Dweller in the Depths}}

[[File:G1 UltimateWeapon UltimateWeapon!.jpg|thumb|Decepticons, I have found the remote control!]]
Thanks to his plasma damage, Galvatron's sanity really had its ups and down. He was arguably on an upswing during a series of assaults on human and Autobot positions in [[Europe]]. Using the attacks as a diversion, Galvatron sent Swindle to infiltrate Metroplex and steal his [[Transformation cog (biology)|transforming cog]], leaving the city-bot helpless for a rematch with Trypticon. In addition, he began taunting the insecure leader Rodimus Prime with his so-called "[[Ultimate Weapon]]", a doomsday device just waiting to be unleashed. As well thought-out and cunning as this scheme may have been, it ultimately fell apart. The Autobots stole Galvatron's idea by taking Trypticon's transforming cog just as Swindle had stolen Metroplex's. Rodimus Prime eventually wised up about the "Ultimate Weapon" as well: he called Galvatron's bluff and forced the Decepticon leader to admit he was holding nothing more than a 7-2 off-suit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

[[File:FaceOfNijika Galvatron lock.jpg|left|thumb]]
Deep in space, Galvatron was attempting to surpass a Quintesson [[quadrant lock]] when the Quintessons and several Autobots interrupted his efforts. In one of his more manic phases at the time, Galvatron chose to stake his claim by hurling Cyclonus face-first through the lock once the Quintessons began to open it. {{storylink|The Face of the Nijika}}

Galvatron once attempted to destroy the Autobots by feeding [[anti-electron]]s into their new power generator. The initial attempt failed, so the Decepticons tried to raid Unicron's head for a new source of anti-electrons inside the planet-eater's brain. The Autobots arrived shortly after Galvatron's team, so he sent his new [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]] beasts to occupy the heroes. Galvatron was undone by his own scheming, as the anti-electrons had temporarily turned the Dinobot [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] into a super-intelligent genius. Grimlock built a new team of Autobot warriors called [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] from scratch, right inside Unicron's head. The Technobots were skilled enough to destroy Galvatron's new source of anti-electrons, and drive off the Terrorcons' combined form of [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]]. {{storylink| Grimlock's New Brain}}

[[File:CallPrimitives Galvatron and Cyclonus in space.jpg|thumb|"Okay, how the hell did I fit in you?!" "I don't know mighty Galvatron, but I wish you'd try more often."]]
In a major fight with the Autobots, a large number of Galvatron's troops began staring off into space in the middle of the battle. He lost some of his best soldiers to this effect, like Trypticon, the Predacons, the Terrorcons, Soundwave's [[Mini-Cassette]]s...okay, maybe not the Cassettes, but the rest were important. Galvatron ended the fight to go chasing after the deserters, only to be caught by the power of [[Tornedron]] and drained of all his energy. It was only thanks to the fleeing [[Primitive]]s that Tornedron's effect was eventually reversed. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

[[File:Matrix burden 1.jpg|thumb|left|Who are YOU gonna call?]]
Galvatron was very pleased when [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] returned from a scouting mission on Earth, having beaten Rodimus Prime and claimed the Matrix of Leadership itself. Galvatron tried to load the Matrix into his particle cannon as a power source, but instead of energy blasts, it summoned the [[Ancient Autobots|ghosts of departed Autobot leaders]]. They spooked Galvatron into getting rid of the Matrix, but his underling Scourge claimed the Matrix for himself and managed to magnify his powers a thousandfold. Scourge used his newfound might to overthrow Galvatron and the loyal Cyclonus, temporarily claiming control of the Decepticons. Galvatron and Cyclonus eventually recovered and came to Earth just after Scourge lost the Matrix back to Rodimus Prime. After a few quick particle blasts for emphasis, though, Galvatron soon accepted Scourge back into the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Prime Galvatron.JPG|thumb|"Just like the good old times, isn't it Prime?" "There were no good times, ya creep."]]
Galvatron and the Decepticons had arrived early to reserve their seats at a football stadium, when [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] flew in with news that Optimus Prime's body had been preserved at a nearby laboratory. Unfortunately, the Decepticons arrived just in time to be infected by the outbreak of the [[Hate Plague]]. Galvatron fled when his warriors turned crazed. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} Half-mad to begin with at the best of times, Galvatron soon learned that even the one-eyed man cannot always rule the kingdom of the blind, and found himself on the run from half the galaxy. However, despite his insanity, he teamed up with the resurrected Optimus Prime to stop the [[Hate Plague]]. Galvatron wound up becoming infected by the plague and attempted to kill an unconscious Optimus Prime with an axe. Optimus woke up in the nick of time and opened the Matrix directly in Galvatron's face. The wisdom of the Matrix not only cured the universe of the Hate Plague, it cured Galvatron's madness as well. Well, kinda. Grateful, Galvatron sanely declared, "There will be no war today, Optimus. You have earned Galvatron's respect," and called a brief truce. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

[[File:Rebirth 3 Decepticons Hive.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.3]]
In [[2007]], Galvatron called off the truce and led an assault on Autobot City, searching for the Key to the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]]. The Decepticons succeeded in stealing the key and promptly headed to Cybertron. As Galvatron lead the attack directly, Scourge was ordered to activate the chamber but the Plasma Energy overloaded his circuitry, leaving a group of Autobots to recover the key and promptly be spirited halfway across the galaxy as a result of the plasma energy. Coming across Scourge's inactive form, an infuriated Galvatron was inclined to kill the deactivated Decepticon but [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] and Cyclonus convinced their leader to stay his hand, if only to learn what happened to the key. After Scourge recounted what had occurred, Galvatron ignored his minion's warnings about the danger of the Plasma Energy and ordered him to rectify his mistake by recovering the key. Galvatron then commanded Cyclonus and about a dozen other Decepticons accompany Scourge to ensure the mission's success. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}}

Although seemingly lucid during this period, he had formulated what was perhaps his most genocidal and unbalanced scheme ever: having converted Cybertron into a galactic dreadnought, Galvatron maneuvered it into Earth's orbit, planning to release the Plasma Energy Chamber's payload into Earth's [[sun]]. The resulting supernova would wipe both Earth and Cybertron off the face of the galaxy, presumably leaving Galvatron to gain mastery over everything left. Grudgingly teamed with the Transformer-[[Nebulan]] hybrid [[Scorponok (G1)|Lord Zarak]], Galvatron was eventually defeated and sent tumbling through space, ushering Cybertron into a new [[Golden Age]]. After regaining control, Galvatron vowed to collect energy from disparate corners of the galaxy and return to Cybertron: "We will attack other planets, we will suck them dry! We will build a planet a hundred times more powerful than Cybertron, and I will rule the galaxy!" Zarak made it clear he intended it to be a "we" leadership. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}
{{--}}

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

==Madman ''The Transformers'' comic==
After briefly touching the Matrix of Leadership, the youthful Autobot [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] was given a vision. In it, he saw an older version of himself doing battle with a mysterious, powerful Decepticon (Galvatron). {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}
{{--}}

==Rodimus vs. Cyclonus==
After terminating [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] on the [[Junkion (planet)|Planet of Junk]], Galvatron ordered [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] to wipe out the rest of the Autobots. He suggested they make a game of it and whoever returned to him with the most heads won. Alas, this competition undermined his goal and Cyclonus and Scourge spent more time trying to sabotage each other than actually killing anybody.{{storylink|Rodimus vs. Cyclonus}}
{{--}}

==Japanese cartoon continuity==
{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in this timeline as above, except that the events following ''The Transformers: The Movie'' are pushed back to [[2010]] (creating a five-year gap between Galvatron's creation and his return), and the events of "The Rebirth" do not occur. The Japanese animated continuity subsequently adds several new adventures into the timeline, both during the Generation 1 cartoon and after it, as detailed below.}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
{{Main|Galvatron (G1)#Beast Wars cartoon}}

===''Kiss Players''===
After being hurled out of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] and into space by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]], Galvatron's flight path was disrupted by the [[Sparkbot]]s, a trio of Unicron's servants who were already working to resurrect their master. {{storylink|Kiss Players episode 51|Kiss Players #51}} The Decepticon leader crash-landed on the planet [[Earth]], obliterating the city of [[Tokyo]]. This catastrophic loss of life destroyed [[Human]]-[[Transformer]] relations and led to the formation of the [[Earth Defense Command]], a governmental organization which drove Transformers from the face of the planet. Appropriating Galvatron's remains, the EDC reverse-engineered a fleet of human-operated "[[Autorooper]]" Transformers to perform this task.

As 2006 settled in, Galvatron's impact was revealed to have had an even greater effect than anyone had expected: The blast caused by his impact had scattered his Unicron-empowered cells throughout the planet's atmosphere. When his cells came into contact with other objects and animals, they fused with them, creating an army of monstrous creatures referred to as "[[Legion (KP)|Legion]]". This disastrous event also created the means to defend the world against Legion, however: When Galvatron's cells came into contact with human beings, these humans gained the ability to fuse with other entities containing his cells. With their Autoroopers being the perfect candidates for this "[[Parasitech]]" fusion process, the EDC began recruiting and training these "[[Kiss Player]]s" as combat squads to battle the Legion.

Seeking to uncover the ulterior motives of EDC Commander [[Hitoshizuku Amaō]], Kiss Players [[Marissa Faireborn]], [[Shaoshao Li]] and [[Atari Hitotonari]] discovered the remains of Galvatron beneath the EDC headquarters. Amaō's plan to use the Legions to resurrect her daughter, who had died in Galvatron's impact, was foiled when all the Legions and Autoroopers fused with Galvatron's corpse, restoring his cells and reconstituting his body. Galvatron's body was shot back into space, where it went on to crash on Thrull. {{storylink|I, You, and the Spinning Earth}}

===e-HOBBY comics===
Starscream reminisced about the time Galvatron blew him into oblivion. He remarked that Galvatron was particularly bad-mannered. Oh, and insane. {{storylink|MP-3G Destron Air Commander / Starscream Ghost Ver.}}

===''The Battle of the Star Gate''===
The ghost of Starscream recounted to his younger, aliver self the events that led to his death at Galvatron's hands. {{storylink|The Battle of the Star Gate}}

===''Macrocosmic Seekers''===
[[File:United Expanded Story 8.jpg|thumb]]
Galvatron and the Decepticons intercepted a transmission about the Autobots picking up a rare treasure on [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]]. Unaware that the "treasure" was merely a lost piece of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s armor, and held only sentimental value, Galvatron launched an attack to retrieve it. {{storylink|Unending Battle}}

As the battle raged, an exiled [[Quintesson]] known as the [[Seeker (United)|Seeker]] arrived on Junk, and captured Galvatron and the other Transformers for his private collection. They were teleported aboard a massive transparent treasure ship for storage and viewing. {{Storylink|A Treasure Lost}} The Seeker wished to study the unique reformatting process undergone by Galvatron and his minions. They were placed inside stasis chamber and time itself rewound around them to the very moment that [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] transformed them into what they had become. {{storylink|Eternal Moment}}

A Junkion named [[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]] freed the captives, and Galvatron discovered his body transformed by the Seeker's manipulations, giving a new tank mode and dramatically increased power. The Transformers began their escape before their "host" could place them back in stasis. {{Storylink|Time to Move}} The Seeker himself had evolved into a state of pure information, and the more of his treasure ship was destroyed, the more information that made up his being was lost. Eventually, the Seeker winked out of existence as his ship sustained more damage than it could hold. {{storylink|Those Who Resist}}

As the Autobots and Decepticons prepared to return to their respective armies, the last of the Seeker's extra energy faded from Galvatron and the others. Although the two groups had worked side by side during the crisis, the old arguments quickly rose anew and the factions parted with only a momentary truce. {{Storylink|A Treasure's True Worth}}
{{--}}

===''Generations Selects Special Comic''===
[[File:Selects 2011.jpg|thumb|upright=2|left|[[2011]]. [[Unicron]].]]
In [[2011]], Galvatron and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] led a joint Autobot/Decepticon coalition to seal [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] within the [[Triple Z Point]] before he could resurrect using the bodies of his [[Acolyte of Unicron|disciples]]. Galvatron bade Prime use the [[Matrix of Leadership]] on the enemy, but he explained it was still recharging on [[Earth]], having been spent eradicating the [[Hate Plague]]. Optimus lamented he did not have another Matrix on hand... and then suddenly the two leaders were summoned before [[Primus]]. {{storylink|Super Megatron comic 1}}

[[File:Blue Planet Generations.jpg|thumb|310px|[[Precursor World|Not 2011]]. [[Vok|Not Unicron]].]]
Galvatron was shown his own [[The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg|imminent demise]] by Primus and then deposited in orbit around an [[Blue Planet (GS)|unfamiliar blue world]] under attack from an [[Vok|unknown enemy]] and its swarm of [[Novaroid]]s. The being gifted Prime a new [[Silver Matrix]] filled with the "[[Star Power|power of stars]]" and tasked him with "restoring this world's proper history" before disappearing. This "Star Power" accelerated Prime into the form of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#The Battlestars manga and story pages|Star Convoy]], who then soared off shouting heroic nonsense and obediently annihilating the Novaroid swarm with his newfound power. {{storylink|Star Convoy comic}}

Desiring the power of stars to avert his upcoming death, Galvatron began ripping apart the wreckage and devouring Novaroid components. He was soon rescued by a passing [[Seacon (BW)|space pirate]] [[photon sailer|ship]], and its captains, [[Halfshell]] and [[Turtler]], made him an offer: passage on their vessel and access to the same Star Power that upgraded Optimus Prime in return for his reservoir of [[Angolmois Energy]]. Indignant at these alleged [[Decepticon]]s' lack of respect for their [[Emperor of Destruction]], Galvatron nonetheless took the deal and was placed in a stasis chamber. Halfshell then siphoned the Angolmois Energy from the Galvatron to upgrade Turtler into a more formidable body. {{storylink|Seacons comic 1}}

Worrying rumbling emanated from Galvatron's chamber throughout the subsequent throwdown between Star Convoy and King Poseidon until Halfshell made the mistake of admitting they had no intention of upgrading Galvatron. {{storylink|Seacons comic 4}} In response, the chamber burst open! The rapidly reformatting Galvatron explained he no longer had need of the pirates as he had managed to "resonate" with the Star Power implanted within Optimus Prime on his own. This new being announced he had attained the power of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#The Battlestars manga and story pages|his own future]], {{storylink|Seacons comic 5}} the power of... [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Generations Selects Special Comic (1)|Super Megatron]]! {{storylink|Super Megatron comic 1}}

Many battles and many super modes later, Star Convoy managed to knock the near-omnipotent [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Generations Selects Special Comic (1)|Gold Megatron]] all the way back down to his natural state. As Galvatron nursed the hangover of two universes, the similarly depowered Optimus Prime had Primus's diminutive core form Oracle transport them back to 2011. Galvatron blearily looked on as Optimus used the little god's power to seal Unicron's physical form for good and Oracle departed, taking the duo's memories of the whole affair with him. {{storylink|Generations Selects Special Comic Finale|Finale}}
{{--}}

===''The Headmasters'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Seizō Katō]] (Japanese)|[[Rik Thomas]] (English, Omni Productions dub), [[Yu Deyuan]] (Chinese), [[Mario Zucca]] (Italian), [[Víctor Mares]] (Latin-American Spanish), [[Mikhail Chernyak]] (Russian)}}
[[File:FourWarriors Galvatron abuses Skullcruncher.jpg|thumb|left|BEG FOR MERCY!]]
In [[2011]], a side effect of releasing the Matrix's energy to cure the Hate Plague was revealed when the mega-computer [[Vector Sigma]] began to destabilize. Seeking to exploit this imbalance, Galvatron attacked Cybertron, his forces now bolstered by the addition of new [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] warriors from the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. When encountering the Dinobots, Galvatron ordered Mindwipe to use his hypno powers to put them to sleep. However Skullcruncher got in the way and fell asleep. Galvatron was peeved at Skullcruncher and abused him. Galvatron engaged Optimus Prime and Jazz in battle but was forced to run. Soon after Galvatron ordered Mindwipe to use his hypnotic powers to stop the Dinobots (again) and the Throttlebots but a [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|giant spaceship]] appeared and four Autobot Headmaster warriors came from the ship and stopped them from going any further. They introduced themselves as the Autobots Headmaster warriors [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]], [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]], and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]]. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

While the arrival of the team of Autobot Headmasters repelled the invasion, Galvatron attempted to stop Fortress Maximus after he beat four of the best Decepticon combiners but was beaten and forced to temporarily retreat. It was then revealed that the Matrix was hidden somewhere on Earth, recharging, and the race began to acquire it and use it to gain control over Vector Sigma. Soon after the race began, [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] fought and killed each other. Galvatron was not happy. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

Galvatron later visited the Decepticon base on Earth to find out what Hot Rod was after. [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] asked Galvatron if [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] was suitable to lead to troops at the base, leading Galvatron to suspect Cyclonus had a treacherous plan until Cyclonus reaffirmed his loyalty. After finding out that Hot Rod was after the Matrix, Galvatron, the Decepticon Headmasters and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] went to stop him. Galvatron got the Matrix but Chromedome knocked it out of his hand a second later. Galvatron was also attacked by [[Computron (G1)|Computron]]. Hot Rod ultimately succeeded in obtaining the Matrix and becoming Rodimus Prime again, and he and Optimus Prime joined forces to defeat Galvatron. Though beaten in battle, Galvatron did at least take solace in the fact that Optimus Prime once again met his end. Only the Autobots that were there seemed to care that he was dead. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

Later Galvatron decided to have another crack at taking control of Vector Sigma by creating the [[Madmachine]]. To aid him in this plan he revived Soundwave as Soundblaster using [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s Transtector technology. Galvatron then ordered Sixshot to test the Madmachine on Metroplex. Following the test's successful completion, he ordered Sixshot to retreat. Galvatron had the Madmachine and the Decepticon Headmasters sent to Cybertron to take control of Vector Sigma. He gave control of it to Soundblaster, however Galvatron's base on Charr was invaded by Blaster who had been revived as Twincast. The Autobot destroyed the Control in Soundblaster's chest. This allowed the Autobot Headmasters to destroy the Madmachine. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}.

[[File:HM7 Galvatron meets Scorponok.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Galvatron occupied planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] and took most of the civilians, known as [[Beastformer (species)|Beastformers]], prisoner, except for those who would follow him. Galvatron was informed by [[Alligatron]] of Fortress Maximus's arrival on Beast. Galvatron ordered the Beastformers and Decepticons to destroy the Autobots. When Rodimus arrived Galvatron showed up and battled Rodimus. Cyclonus and Scourge tried to help but damaged Galvatron instead. Galvatron continued to fight Rodimus but was forced into retreat after Fortress Maximus came and attacked him. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}.

After the failure of losing Beast, Galvatron created a meteorite nicknamed [[Metamorphose]], intended to destroy Athenia. No Transformer could approach it, as it knocked them out with electrical overload. Its first victims were the Aerialbots, who were temporarily deactivated when they approached it. Then the Throttlebots became victims. However, the Autobots had [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]], a human who was not affected by it. While Fortress and the other Autobot Headmasters distracted the Decepticons, Daniel sneaked into Metamorphose and disabled it, saving Athenia and once again foiling Galvatron's plans. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}}

[[File:Cybertonuronsword.jpg|left|thumb|Excalibur, BE MY STRENGTH!]]
Galvatron was getting unhappy about his troops' failures and was starting to lose his composure. Cyclonus tried to calm his leader down by reaffirming his loyalty how the mighty Galvatron never fails. However, this did not calm Galvatron down. When Scourge informed Galvatron that Decepticon Headmaster leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] had arrived, Galvatron started blaming the Decepticon Headmasters for his failures as well. Then, from the shadows, Scorponok explained that he had a plan to stop the Autobot Headmasters. Galvatron approved, but only after blaming him for the loss of Planet Beast. When the plan failed, Galvatron himself arrived. He and the Decepticon Headmasters almost defeated the Autobots, but Rodimus Prime, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Trainbot]]s arrived and outnumbered them, forcing Galvatron to retreat. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

Later a [[Sixshot (G1)|shadowy figure]] appeared on TV and demanded Earth's energy. Cyclonus and Scourge suggested that when the shadowy figure would get the energy, they should take it from him. After an argument between them Galvatron approved the plan. Galvatron later found out that their plan failed and that they stole Trypticon, who had been damaged in a fight with the Autobot Headmasters and [[Raiden]]. He was far from happy. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}}

[[File:Sosfromsandra magnus pwns galvy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Sanctuary!!! Sanctuary!!! Sanctuary!!!]]
After many failed attempts to control Cybertron, Galvatron set his sights on [[Cybertonuron]], a powerful new alloy being developed by Vector Sigma. The Decepticon Headmaster leader, Scorponok, advocated the destruction of the alloy to prevent the Autobots from obtaining it, but when Galvatron refused to consider the notion, Scorponok took matters into his own hands and had powerful bombs planted in Vector Sigma's chamber. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} Scorponok told Galvatron what he had done, and the enraged Decepticon leader ran into the chamber to try and stop the explosion, only to be caught in the blast. Cybertron was reduced to a burnt-out husk, and Galvatron was left missing in action. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

Galvatron was thought dead for some time, and during his absence, Scorponok proclaimed himself the new Decepticon leader, only for Galvatron to turn up alive and well during his coronation. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Under his leadership, the Decepticons attempted to stop the Autobots from assisting [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]], but failed. {{Storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}} Needing copious amounts of energy for his [[Grand Galvatron|endgame]], Galvatron first distracted the Autobots, then set off with his troops in MegaZarak, Scorponok's gigantic transtector. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} They attempted to plunder [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but the planet's natives and the Autobots were able to repel them. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} They then went to [[Twin Star|Sperity]], but were fooled into thinking it was a desolate planet. {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} At [[Daros]], they formed an alliance with the planet's corrupt upper class, allowing them to gather much energy despite being chased away by the arriving Autobots. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} They also tried to target [[Paradise]] {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} and the [[proton energy]] of the [[Pirate Planet]], but were foiled by the Autobots both times. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[File:HM25 Galvatron disappears.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"Ice! My only weakness!"]]
After Galvatron returned to Earth, [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] came up with an idea to set [[Grand Galvatron|Galvatron's plan]] into action: wipe out the Autobots. Galvatron approved and had the Combaticons, the Terrorcons, the Stunticons and the Horrorcons sent with him to Earth. This plan resulted in the death of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon, Galvatron confided to Sixshot that he intended to use the energy he gathered as part of a process that would transform Earth into a new, all-powerful, Unicron-like body for him, dubbed "[[Grand Galvatron]]". Additionally, he explained that this process would require only the best components from his most powerful warriors, making it quite clear that he intended to sacrifice Sixshot and the other Decepticons for this insane ambition. Aghast, Sixshot betrayed Galvatron to Scorponok as quickly as possible, leaving the Decepticon leader alone to battle the Autobot Headmasters in Alaska. Thankfully for the Autobots, their double-agent [[Punch (G1)|Punch]] had eavesdropped on Galvatron and Sixshot's conversation, during which Galvatron had revealed that his head was his weakest point. With this information to aid them, the Headmasters entered [[Head Formation]] and laid Galvatron low, collapsing an iceberg on top of him and entombing him in ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

After this, Scorponok took control of the Decepticons again. In a meeting with the other Decepticons, he vowed to defeat the Autobots and control Earth in Galvatron's memory. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}
{{-}}

===''Unite Warriors''===
[[File:GalvatronsGhost-GrandGalvatronChapter.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The ghost of [[Galvatron II]] impersonates the ghost of Galvatron I.]]
Ten years after Galvatron's defeat and icy entombment at the hands of the [[Autobot]]s, [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] came to visit the site of his leader's downfall. There, the specter of [[Galvatron II|another Galvatron]] was able to make contact with Cyclonus. Using an illusion of Cyclonus's fallen master, this other Galvatron was able to trick Cyclonus into believing his master's ghost was alive, and the ghost of this other Galvatron forced itself upon Cyclonus, possessing his body as its new vessel. {{storylink|Grand Galvatron Chapter}} Eventually, the truth came to light that this ghost was not that of Cyclonus's Galvatron. {{storylink|Ruination Chapter, Part One}}

===''The Battlestars''===
Galvatron would remain buried in the ice for over fifteen years, until he was resurrected by [[Dark Nova]] as the new and improved [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#The Battlestars manga and story pages|Super Megatron]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 6}}

===''15 Go! Go!''===
[[File:TGGGalvatron.jpg|thumb|left|Crazy AND toy-accurate.]]
At some point after 2025, when Optimus Prime had been restored to life once more as Star Convoy, the mobile computer [[Teletraan 15]] traveled forward in time from 2005 to this era as part of a mission gather data to rebuild [[Teletraan I]]'s damaged databanks. During her visit, as Star Convoy and Hot Rod prepared to battle Ultra Megatron, a [[unspace|transwarp]] wormhole suddenly opened above the combatants, and a massive blast shot emerged from it and struck Hot Rod. Badly damaged, Hot Rod could barely warn his commander as Galvatron, appearing from some unknown spot in space and time, descended through the portal. Tearing Teletraan 15's arm off, {{storylink|Galvatron Volume}} Galvatron gripped the limb in his [[teeth]] as he maniacally throttled Hot Rod. Teletraan 15 passed out {{storylink|Galvatron Volume 2}} and woke up some time later with the outcome of the battle unknown, though she remained haunted by images of the crazed Decepticon clutching her limp and helpless friend. {{storylink|Galvatron Volume 3}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' Generations manga===
When the ghost of Starscream began making trouble in an alternate universe by possessing that reality's [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]], the Mirage of that universe figured the only way to get Starscream to leave was to scare him off. So Mirage projected a hologram of Galvatron, the one who killed Starscream in the first place. Terrified, Starscream left Onslaught's body and fled back to his home universe. {{storylink|Starscream's New Body}}

===''Legends'' comic===
When [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] visited the [[Legends World]], [[Megatron (BW)|the resident Megatron]] had never heard of him. [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], however, was well-versed in the outsider-Megatron's history and recounted the time he was turned into Galvatron. {{storylink|LG13 Megatron}} Galvatron's role in the battles on [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] was recounted in a rundown of the planet's history, {{storylink|LG51 Doublecross Prologue}} and the Decepticon [[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]] recalled both how Galvatron had recruited them with promises of power and how he had been defeated. {{storylink|LG61 Decepticon Clones}}

[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] later tricked Megatron into forming the head of a body that amplified his inherent evil, causing him to revert to his Galvatron personality. He thus claimed to be Galvatron once more while under the body's influence, but quickly proved able to resist it and remove his head, returning to being Megatron. {{storylink|LG23 Galvatron}} While Megatron refused to use the Galvatron body again, Tarantulas and [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] had [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] hypnotize him into it. Galvatron attacked [[Tokyo]] and defeated [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] before [[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] knocked his head off again. {{storylink|LG25 Blurr}} Galvatron was also present for the introduction of the Sweeps, and was curious about [[Sweep No. 4]]'s absence. It turned out he had let No. 4 die years earlier, and the Sweep literally came back to haunt him. {{storylink|LG-26 Scourge Prologue}}

The Galvatron body later resurfaced without a head, claiming it no longer needed Megatron. After it was defeated by [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] and [[Shūta Gō]], however, it was revealed that Tarantulas had merely been piloting it from within. {{storylink|LG29 Wheelie}} After developing resistance to his mind being manipulated, {{storylink|LG34 Mindwipe}} Megatron began using the transtector without becoming Galvatron. It was ultimately destroyed in a battle with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|LG43 Trypticon}}

==''TV Magazine'' comic continuity==
===''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''===
[[File:2010manga05-title.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|Maybe your attack on the Prime Energy Tower would be more successful if at least ''one'' of your soldiers was actually ''facing'' it.]]
Galvatron had plenty of devious schemes up his sleeve throughout 2010, opening with the nutty idea of a spaceship that ate other spaceships, which Rodimus Prime promptly blew up. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 1|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #1}}

Galvatron went back to his roots for his next scheme, creating a clone army of Megatrons that he dubbed the "[[Megatron Corps]]". Galvatron disguised himself as one of the Megatrons and controlled them remotely, making them an effective fighting force that the Autobots had trouble dealing with, until his disguise was penetrated and his control over the robots broken. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 2|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #2}}

He later attacked Autobot City with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], but was forced to retreat when [[Six-Gun]] destroyed Trypticon's controls with a blast from [[Brunt (G1)|Brunt]]. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 3|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #3}}

On one notable occasion, Galvatron challenged Rodimus Prime to a one-on-one duel in order to lure him into a trap set up in partnership with the Quintessons. In the middle of the fight, the Quintessons' newest creation, an Optimus Prime/Megatron hybrid robot known as [[Gilthor]], arrived to attack Rodimus, but Galvatron was shocked when Gilthor turned on him as well. Rodimus and Galvatron called a truce long enough for them to team up and destroy Gilthor, who, it was revealed, had been possessed by Starscream's ghost. With that threat dealt with, they called off the truce. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 4|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #4}}

Next, Galvatron attempted to steal the [[Prime Energy Tower]] of the planet [[Feminia]] with an all-out assault. The Autobots defended the tower, but were overwhelmed by Galvatron's unit of [[Combiner]]s; the scales tilted in his favor thanks to the presence of [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]]. Galvatron's victory was assued until the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]] arrived and toppled the Combiners. {{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:GreatTransformerWar01cover.jpg|thumb|left]]
Later in 2010, Galvatron kidnapped Doctor [[Dalton]], a brilliant scientist from the planet [[Eran]], but Dalton refused to work with the Decepticons and lent his aid to the Autobots instead, upgrading the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] so they could defeat the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1|The Great Transformer War #1}}

One of the Terrorcons' upgrades included a sticky goo that forced the Technobots into working for the Decepticons. Through the intervention of [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] the Technobots were freed and the Terrorcons defeated. Galvatron cursed the human for interfering, but declared that his next evil scheme would be one the Autobots would never forget. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 2|The Great Transformer War #2}}

After the resurrection of Optimus Prime and the curing of the Hate Plague, Galvatron hastily broke his vow that there would be no war, and he, Cyclonus and Scourge battled Prime, Hot Rod and [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] in space, only to be defeated. Galvatron immediately returned to [[Chaar]] and dispatched [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] to retrieve the Decepticon Headmasters, as he had need of them for his assault on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

===''The Headmasters'' comic===
[[File:Galvatron abandons Alligatron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|"FOILED AGAIN!"]]
On planet [[Chaar]], Galvatron ordered his [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s to head for planet [[Athenia]] and show the Autobots their "true power". Their "true power" involved trying to blow up the Battleship Maximus with a goofy explosive and failing. Galvatron was displeased. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Later, while [[White Leo]] was abset from [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], Galvatron made a second attempt to conquer it with the united forces of his Decepticons and the Decepticon [[Beastformer (species)|Beastformers]]. With the aid of [[Kane]], the Autobots and the Autobot Beastformers were able to hold the Decepticons off long enough for White Leo to return and send them into a retreat. Galvatron callously left [[Alligatron]] and the Decepticon Beastformers behind to face justice as he and his troops escaped into space. {{storylink|The Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}}

===''Super-God Masterforce'' comic===
Galvatron, believed to be buried alive in an iceberg, would return to menace the [[Headmaster Junior]]s with an army of legendary Decepticon warriors. "Galvatron" and all his troops were eventually revealed to be nothing more than holograms created by the Decepticon [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmasters]] to fool the Autobots. {{storylink|Burn, Chokon! New Commander Super Ginrai!}}

==''Wings Universe''==
{{Wingsnote}}
[[File:G2Redux-GalvatronCyclonusScourgeZarak.jpg|thumb|left]]
Following the rebirth of Cybertron's [[Golden Age]], Galvatron and Lord [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] led their Decepticon forces away from Earth and Cybertron. They attacked Zarak's homeworld of [[Nebulos]] and many other planets in deep space, with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and his Autobots in hot pursuit of them through the cosmos. By 2010, Galvatron had become aware of a new generation of 'Cons having arisen on Earth, and sent a small group of followers back to make contact with this [[Decepticon Syndicate]]. {{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}}

In [[2012]], the Autobot [[Sizzle (G1)|Sizzle]] experienced a [[forestonite]]-based vision of [[Megaplex|three]] [[Soundwave (MW)|shadowy]] [[Starscream (MW)|figures]] standing over the broken bodies of Optimus Prime and Galvatron. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 6}} Sizzle's prophetic vision soon came to pass with the dawn of the [[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]] the next year. The [[Cybertronian (faction)|clone armies]] of [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] attacked [[Sigma Seven]] and left Optimus and Galvatron comatose as they advanced toward Cybertron. {{storylink|Termination}}

A week later, the Machine Wars concluded on Cybertron, and a week after that, the Autobots, Decepticons, and Jhiaxus's clones signed the [[Pax Cybertronia]] at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] on Earth. [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] doubted that the comatose Galvatron would be pleased to hear of the peace treaty if and when he woke up and remarked that he would make sure that [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] was the one to deliver the news to Galvatron. {{storylink|A Common Foe}}

[[Tornado]] considered [[Squadron X]] leader [[Macabre]] to possess [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s strength, [[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Shockwave]]'s firepower, and Galvatron's crazy. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur}}

==Ask Vector Prime==
In [[Primax 903.0-M Lambda]], the ghost of [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] possessed the corpse of [[Skyquake (G1)|Skyquake]] and sought his vengeance against Galvatron during [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s New [[Golden Age]], resulting in the [[Machine Wars (event)|Machine Wars]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/27}}

In a wacky hybrid universe created by [[Gong (GoBots)|Gong]] and [[Sideways (AVP)|Sideways]], Unicron created Galvatron from a dying Megatron's body as usual. In ''this'' timeline, however, his minions were [[Deadlift]] and [[Fracture (Movie)|Fracture]]. He dealt with the treacherous [[Zero]] and later launched an attack on Guardian City. At Unicron's bidding, he tracked the Guardians and Autobots to the planet [[Quartex (planet)|Quartex]], where he stole the Matrix of Leadership from [[Major Mo]].

When Unicron launched his final assault on Cybertron, Galvatron attempted to open the Guardian Matrix but was unable. He wound up battling Hot Rod within the cavernous body of Unicron. He managed to get the upper hand... when, unbeknownst to all, [[Vector Prime]] set history back on its right course, banishing the [[GoBot]]s from the timeline. Hot Rod opened the ''Autobot'' Matrix, transformed into Rodimus Prime, and cast Galvatron into deep space. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
*After Optimus Prime was requested by Hasbro to be killed off in The Transformers: The Movie, writer [[Ron Friedman]] decided to mirror this by also killing off Megatron. This led to the creation of Galvatron. His intent was that both would ultimately be able to cheat death, Optimus by living on in the Matrix and Megatron by being rebuilt into Galvatron.
*Galvatron's appearance in the [[The Transformers: The Movie (first draft)|first draft]] of the movie was.... different. In this version he was still rebuilt by Unicron, but was described as "A NEW AND LARGER BUT STILL RECOGNIZEABLE FROM OF MEGATRON". He was also coated in scales like those which covered the planet Unicron. His alt mode was still a giant laser gun.
*It's possible Galvatron was named after galvanising, the process of coating a metal in Zinc to prevent rust. That sort of corelates to how he's reborn in the early draft.
* According to [[Teletraan II]]'s [[Secret Files of Teletraan II|secret files]], Galvatron was reformed from Megatron by Unicron in an attempt to bolster the Decepticon's strength and to lead the Decepticons into a new era. The fact that this information conflicts with the events as depicted in the movie may say something about the quality of the Autobots' intelligence regarding the Decepticon cause.
* In the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (manga)|''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga]], [[Makoto (FSRL)|Makoto]] has a transforming Galvatron [[Wrist-communicator|wristwatch]] that was first available in Japan during the 1980s. However, at the time of the story, Galvatron did not yet exist in-continuity. The circumstances behind this are best not thought about.
* An unrealized ''[[Transformers: Wings Universe|Wings Universe]]'' story would have featured [[Scourge (RID)#Timelines|Scourge]], based on his TFSS toy, as one of [[Jhiaxus (G2)#Wings Universe|Jhiaxus]]'s clones, leading the takedown of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Wings Universe|Optimus Prime]] and Galvatron.<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/128200-new-tcc-prose-counterpunch-story-the-truth-we-make/?p=3229535 Post on the Allspark Forums by Pete@BotCon (Pete Sinclair), 2016/05/12]</ref><ref>[https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/135573-wings-universecannonball-loose-ends/?p=3406634 Post on the Allspark Forums by NightViper (Jesse Wittenrich), 2016/12/23]</ref>

===Character model===
[[File:Galvatron-revision-comparison.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
* Galvatron's [[character model]] design went through at least five known revisions:
# The first was by [[Floro Dery]], which looked rather "simple" and had exposed mechanical components. This version is notable for being among Dery's multicolored watercolor works done for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
# The [[:File:FriedmanAuctionGalvatronModelEdit.jpg|second iteration]] of Galvatron's design was a refined version of Dery's design by [[Marvel Productions]]. This one appears to be the inspiration for his toy, given the red shoulder parts of the [[alternate mode]]. However, due to the amount of color changing of parts happening between the robot and [[alternate mode]] models, the toy was made solely based on the alternate mode's coloration, leading to a mostly gray robot.
# After this, Galvatron's [[robot mode]] received some additional minor changes by Marvel Productions, specifically a new head. Both the robot mode and the alternate mode gained new color layouts too. This is notable as being the one [[AKOM]] would frequently use, and was also utilized for the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] comic version of [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]], just with a toy-accurate color scheme. This revision is considered to be the "pre-final model".
# During the third iteration, [[Toei Animation|Toei]] started working on an entirely new design themselves, with a head based on the Dery head design. The alternate mode was also made from scratch, though it was mostly the same detail-wise, it was just drawn from stylized-angled perspectives, a singnature for most model designs by Toei.
# For the final revision, Toei changed the head on their new design, basing it more on the Marvel revision, and changed a few of the details on the alternate mode.

* In the [[AKOM]] and [[Unknown Generation 1 animation studios|unknown studio]]-animated episodes, Galvatron is depicted in two different variants:
# In most instances, Galvatron uses the pre-final model. Due to there being no rear-view made for this model, the animators would instead use the final model's rear-view and recolor it to match the pre-final model instead.
# In very subtle instances (usually small cuts between scenes), they would use his final model, but instead colored it to match the pre-final's colors, and even sometimes go so far as to add the pre-final model's head onto the final body.

* When asked about Galvatron's design in an interview, Floro Dery's reply was, "But about Galvatron, my inspiration for him are those 'stupid people'."<ref>[http://transformersph.blogspot.com/2007/06/interview-with-floro-dery.html TransFormers Philippines: Interview With Floro Dery]</ref> ...Ooookay.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Emperors of Destruction]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations Selects Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kiss Players Decepticons]]
[[Category:Legends Decepticons]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy Decepticons]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Unicron-related characters]]
[[Category:Unite Warriors Decepticons]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity

2026-02-27T16:12:51Z

DevinM626:

{{factions|decepticon|unicron}}
{{suite}}

[[File:GalvatronDepth.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|And this was ''before'' the [[Hate Plague]].]]
Sometimes crazy doesn't work... but try telling that to '''Galvatron'''!

==''The Transformers'' cartoon==
{{voiceactor|[[Leonard Nimoy]] (English, ''The Movie''), [[Frank Welker]] (English, television series), [[Seizō Katō]] (Japanese)|[[Yang Wenyuan]] (Chinese, TV series), [[Gao Quansheng]] (Chinese, ''The Rebirth''), [[Marcel Guido]] (French, ''The Movie''), [[Serge Lhorca]] (European French, TV series), Unknown (European French, "Five Faces of Darkness" episodes & "Surprise Party"), [[Jean Claudio]] (European French, "Webworld" & "Carnage in C-Minor"), [[Philippe Roullier]] (European French, "The Dweller in the Depths" & "The Face of the Nijika"), [[Albert Augier]] (European French, "The Rebirth, Part 1"), [[Serge Bourrier]] (European French, "The Rebirth, Part 3"), [[Carl Béchard]] (Canadian French, TV series), [[Gerd Wiedenhofen]] (German, television series), [[Manfred Erdmann]] (German, ''The Movie''), [[Thomas Rauscher]] (German, ''Generation 2''), [[Achim Barrenstein]] (German, ''The Movie DVD dub''), [[Romano Malaspina]] (Italian, ''The Movie'' second dub), [[Júlio César]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' TV dub), [[José Santa Cruz]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' VHS dub), [[Daoiz Cabezudo]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' Fox Kids dub), [[Marcos Miranda]] (Portuguese, season 3), [[Jordi Varela]] (Spain-Spanish, ''The Movie''), [[Alejandro Abdalah]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Mikhail Chernyak]] (Russian)}}

[[File:Tftm1986c.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"[[Doctor (Doctor Who)|Legs! I've still got legs!]]"]]
In [[2005]], after being mortally wounded by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] during the [[Battle of Autobot City]], [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] was left to float aimlessly through space after being punted out of the overloaded [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], who decided to take advantage of his master's near-death state to finally take command. Megatron was then summoned by [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], who offered him a new body, a warship and new troops to command, so long as he destroyed the [[Autobot]] [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Megatron reluctantly accepted and was upgraded into '''Galvatron''', a more fearsome and powerful warrior, while his former troops were similarly [[Reformatting|reformatted]].

[[File:TFTM-strangle.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Nothing can save you, Autobot, except maybe the powerful artifact around my neck! But that'll never happen.]]
Galvatron, eager to take revenge on the one who had cast him into the void, first took his new troops to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]; upon arrival, they crashed Starscream's coronation as the Decepticon leader. Galvatron dismissed the ceremony as “bad comedy” before transforming to his new cannon mode and reducing Starscream to ash with a single blast. The [[Decepticon]]s quickly fell in line behind Galvatron, but it was not long after that he witnessed Unicron devour one of Cybertron's moons. Infuriated by this affront, Galvatron's rage was met with agony induced by Unicron. Reminded of his new place, Galvatron was forced to quell his fury for the time being. Galvatron then led the Decepticons to Earth in a second attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], hitting the few remaining Autobots in full-force. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] led him away from Earth, and Galvatron chased him to the [[Junkion (planet)|Planet of Junk]], where he defeated Magnus and took the Matrix, intending to use it against Unicron.

Galvatron could not open the Matrix, and as punishment for his treachery, Unicron transformed and began tearing Cybertron apart. Horrified, Galvatron transformed to cannon emplacement mode and opened fire on Unicron, but his shots had no effect and the dark god swallowed him whole. Inside Unicron's belly, he met up with [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]]. Though he initially suggested an alliance with the young Autobot against the mutual threat of his master, the Chaos Bringer again mentally tortured Galvatron for his attempted treachery and then forced him to attack Hot Rod. Hot Rod eventually managed to wrest the Matrix away from Galvatron and open it, leading to his transformation into Rodimus Prime. Flush with new power, Rodimus hurled Galvatron from inside Unicron and into deep space. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Galvatron’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]]."}}

But this would not be the end of Galvatron.

[[File:FFOD2 Scourge rescuing Galvatron.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|He'll never be let back into this country club ever again.]]
The weakened Decepticons were subsequently routed by the Autobots and forced off Cybertron, relocating to the burned-out world of [[Chaar]]. After eking out a living there in energy-deprived squalor for some time, they were visited by [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]], who'd finally decided to return the Decepticons to glory by seeking out the lost Galvatron.{{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

They found him sunk in a lava pit on the distant planet [[Thrull]] and managed to free him. However, the effects of the "plasma bath" irrevocably altered Galvatron's sanity chips, rendering him omnicidally insane. Upon regaining his freedom, he thrashed Cyclonus and Scourge and sundered Thrull. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} Told that the [[human]]s and Autobots had collaborated to build a space station as Earth's first line of defense, he was highly amused, and headed for the nearest [[warp gate]]. On reaching [[Outpost One]], he and his men attacked the station, quickly destroying it and coincidentally damaging the shuttle piloted by [[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]. Galvatron spotted the shuttle making a break for [[Jupiter]], and demanded the heads of the Autobots as souvenirs. With one blast, he destroyed the ship, but the two occupants had escaped and began plummeting into the planet's atmosphere. One [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]], blasted by Wheelie, cried out to Galvatron to save him, but was only told to meet his end with dignity. Galvatron then blasted a nearby storm cell, causing an implosion.

[[File:FFOD2 Galvatron sparks.JPG|thumb|upright=1.66|Plasma is the Sniffling, Sneezing, Coughing, Aching, Stuffy-head, Fever, So-You-Can-Bwaah! medicine.]]
{{bigquote|It's music! The symphony of destruction and the anthem of agony!|Galvatron loves an atmospheric implosion|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}}
Believing the Autobots to be destroyed, Galvatron ordered Cyclonus to take him to [[Chaar]]. He was shocked at the conditions that the Decepticon army were forced to live under, and was even more surprised to be told by [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] that the bulk of the Decepticon forces had left under new leadership. Incensed, he announced that he was the leader of the Decepticons, and the usurpers would pay. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} He and his loyal men swiftly found the rest of the Decepticons fighting the Autobots on [[Goo Number 8739-B]], and Galvatron swiftly ordered an attack. When Cyclonus inquired who they were attacking, Galvatron simply replied "everyone". After making [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] beg for his life, Galvatron succeeded in regaining the loyalty of his troops, and turned his attention on those who had usurped him in the first place—the [[Quintesson]]s. The Quintessons attempted to negotiate, successfully bluffing Galvatron with stories of a [[Decepticon Matrix|Decepticon Matrix of Leadership]] which they would give him if he destroyed the Autobots down on Goo. Although he tried, the Autobots were snatched from danger by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]. Still, he got to destroy Goo, and the Quintessons were subsequently able to persuade him to join forces with them to destroy both the Autobots and the humans.

[[File:FFOD5 Galvatron lever.jpg|left|thumb|Oooooh, what does this bu-tton dooo?]]
Plans were swiftly drawn to attack simultaneously on Earth and Cybertron. On Earth, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s constructed [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] from a human city, while a decoy human shuttle was crashed into the central power facility on Cybertron, knocking out the planet's defences. Galvatron himself led the attack on Cybertron, unaware that the Quintessons plotted against him. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} The battle going well, Galvatron sent Blitzwing to give a status report to their allies, but was angered when the triple-changer returned a short time later to say that not only had he not given the status report, but there was no Decepticon Matrix. Blitzwing was soon sent hurtling towards the Autobots. Galvatron soon followed the Autobots and the now-traitorous Blitzwing to a chamber deep inside Cybertron, where a [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]] had been about to pull a [[large switch|lever]]. Convinced that the switch had something to do with the Decepticon Matrix, Galvatron pulled it himself—and every [[Transformer]] in the [[galaxy]] shut down. Fortunately the human [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] destroyed the switch, returning the Transformers to life. Though Galvatron chased the Quintessons, they swiftly escaped in a pod. He was then prevented from blasting Rodimus by Blitzwing, and angrily told the [[Triple Changer]] that he was no longer welcome in the ranks of the Decepticons before ordering a retreat. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

[[File:Chaos Galvatron cannon.jpg|thumb|The Decepticon palette was out of everything but purple.]]
Informed by [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] of a new type of ammunition, [[death crystal]]s, Galvatron went to planet [[Dread (planet)|Dread]], where the crystals originated, intending to carry out a new plan—build a [[Death crystal cannon|cannon]] which would fire death crystals at Cybertron. He found a ready-made work force in [[Dread slaves|the slaves]] left behind by the [[Orb]]s, and soon had a giant cannon constructed. Just as all was ready, a group of Autobots, led to the planet by [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]], attacked the installation. [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] was able to keep them busy while he lined up for a shot at Cybertron, however Kup was also keeping busy, freeing the slaves and waking the monster [[Chaos (alien)|Chaos]]. During the confusion of the slave revolt, Kup used the death crystal cannon to destroy Chaos and causing the volcano to erupt. Galvatron was last seen fleeing the swiftly moving lava. {{storylink|Chaos (episode)|Chaos}}

While hunting an Autobot shuttle through space, Galvatron and his lieutenants managed to utterly destroy the ship. Not one to fall for the [[The Transformers: The Movie|same trick]] twice, Galvatron continued searching the area until the Decepticons detected the shuttle's lifepod flying towards an enormous structure. This "funeral barge" carried in it the deactivated bodies of the Autobots who died during the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. Galvatron and his lieutenants pursued Rodimus Prime's crew into the barge, but were driven off by the sudden arrival of Optimus Prime, seemingly back from the dead. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}}

[[File:FightOrFlee Galvatron orders.jpg|thumb|left|Galvatron strangles the Invisible Swordsman.]]
When Scourge and Cyclonus alerted him to the location of a pacifistic and energon-rich world known as [[Paradron]], Galvatron saw a perfect opportunity for conquest. The Decepticon invasion of Paradron was brief but brutal, and the populace was converted into slave labor. One Paradronian Transformer named [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] escaped and brought the Autobots back to free his people. Eventually the Autobots detonated the planet's primary energon core, destroying the planet itself and driving off Galvatron's troops. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}}

Following his defeat by [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], Trypticon had been sent to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]] for recuperation. When the Decepticon fueler [[Octane]] removed him, Galvatron went looking for the missing duo and found them consorting with humans in [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]]. He was ready to annihilate the "traitor" Octane for defying his orders, but Octane quickly explained that the purefied Carbombyan oil made for a super-energon mixture, powerful enough to recharge Trypticon (and, hopefully, make him larger than a small Combiner again). Galvatron took control of the nation by removing [[Abdul Fakkadi (G1)|Abdul Fakkadi]] (Supreme Military Commander, President-for-Life, and King of Kings of the Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya) from office and locked him and his troops up in a cage. Despite being more powerful from the Energon created from Carbombya, the Decepticons were still defeated and forced to retreat. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

[[File:GhostInTheMachine Galvatron smoking.jpg|thumb|Spontaneous combustion? What the hell is th—]]
Galvatron apparently reverted to his original assessment of Octane after this debacle, and drove him out of the Decepticons. When Octane began running cargo for the Autobots, he even sent the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] and a [[Skuxxoid|freelance thug]] out to assassinate the traitor. Eventually, Cyclonus and the Sweeps seemingly plucked Octane from the Autobots' grasp on Cybertron itself, and brought him to Chaar for Galvatron to interrogate. Using the information he "coerced" from Octane, Galvatron caught Rodimus Prime alone and engaged him in single combat. Unfortunately, the whole thing was a ruse set up by Octane and Starscream's ghost, who was possessing Cyclonus at the time. Galvatron was abandoned in the presence of Rodimus, Ultra Magnus and a full Autobot battle group. In what was surely an epic battle (that we sadly didn't see a minute of), Galvatron ultimately escaped and made his way back to Chaar, deposing the usurpers and seemingly driving off the ghost of Starscream. {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}}

Upon learning that the Autobots intended to host a first annual peace conference on Cybertron, Galvatron was dead set against letting their plans succeed. Despite several sabotage attempts by the Combaticons, Cyclonus and the Sweeps, though, the conference went through as planned. {{storylink|Surprise Party}}

[[File:Dirge AlmostDeath.jpg|thumb|left]]
Despite Galvatron's earlier attempts to be rid of him, Starscream's ghost returned to plague the Decepticons again. He partnered with Scourge against the Decepticons, kidnapped [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], and even stole one of Trypticon's eyes, leaving Galvatron even more infuriated than usual at this constant undermining of his operations. When Starscream returned once more and possessed Trypticon himself, it was the last straw, and Galvatron led a full Decepticon battle group after "Trypticon" to Cybertron. The fighting was fruitless, and eventually the Decepticons limped away, having exhausted all their weaponry. Not long thereafter, Galvatron's [[particle cannon]] had apparently recharged, because he took several parting shots at Starscream while his "ghost" tumbled uncontrollably through space. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}}

[[File:GalvatronWebworld.jpg|thumb|Well, that's all wrapped up...]]
Although Galvatron led the Decepticons on many wacky adventures against the Autobots throughout [[2006]], his insanity would usually lead to each mission ending in failure. (He loved shooting his own troops, for instance.) At one point, his derangement became so severe, the Decepticon "union officials" [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], Motormaster and [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] threatened to strike. The perpetually loyal Cyclonus was left little choice but to dupe Galvatron into taking therapy sessions (albeit by force) on [[Torkulon]], the therapy planet. After nearly murdering an attendant during a word-association session and somehow building a gun in an arts and crafts class, Galvatron was deemed incurable by conventional methods. The doctors attempted to use living extensions of the planet to give him a lobotomy (much to Cyclonus's disapproval), but Galvatron broke free and murdered the sentient organic core of Torkulon. While the planet's core was connected to Galvatron's mind the planet began to go mad, with several of the organic planets functions going out of control. After that, he razed the entire planet's civilization, leaving them so broken it would take centuries to rebuild. After his connection to the planet he appeared to have regained some of his sanity. {{storylink|Webworld}}

[[File:Carnage CMinor Galvatron Soundwave Allegra.jpg|left|thumb]]
A new plan saw the Constructicons building engines into the side of a comet, with the intention to crash it into Metroplex on Earth. Unsurprisingly the engines were destroyed by the Autobots before they could even be fired up, however the comet was set on course to a nearby world. The comet was shortly obliterated by [[Harmony|sound waves]] emanating from the planet, also causing the Transformers present to plummet to its surface. Galvatron took [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]], intending to find the source of the sonic weapon and use it against the Autobots. Although the Autobots reached the city first, meeting with the leader of [[Eurythma]], the two Decepticons eavesdropped and were able to establish that they needed to talk to [[Allegra]]. After dropping a bridge on the Autobots, Galvatron and Soundwave were able to talk Allegra into giving them her part of the harmony, and then obtained the other two parts of the harmony in quick succession. The Decepticons headed for Earth to attack Metroplex. Unfortunately Soundwave's attempt to use the destructive harmony were thwarted by the [[Eurythman]]s' use of [[anti-sound]]. The Decepticons retreated, though Galvatron raged that he hadn't ordered it. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}}

[[File:BigBroadcast Galvatron with static.jpg|thumb|I'm sure this can only be a good thing.]]
Galvatron was in one of his more obstinate moods when Astrotrain came to Chaar reporting on how the Junkions had apparently turned against the Autobots. Even when Cyclonus began advocating for intervention on the matter, Galvatron still couldn't bring himself to care. Eventually the hypnotic [[television]] signals being beamed to the Junkions to alter their behavior made their way to Galvatron, along with the rest of the galaxy. He was subliminally drawn into a massive conflict in the skies over the planet of Junk, all part of a Quintesson ploy to create a massive diversion and recover one of their lost journals from Junk. Only after [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] jammed the signal did the television stop "bewitching" Galvatron. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}} When [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] later happened across that same Quintesson journal, Galvatron joined Cyclonus and the Sweeps in an effort to steal the journal away from both the Autobots and the Quintessons. It played like a game of hot potato for a while, but ultimately the Autobots got the journal and the Decepticons just gave up. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}}

[[File:Dweller-in-the-depths-decepticons-aiming.jpg|left|thumb]]
One day, Galvatron was in the middle of a morale speech for his troops (re: right about to blast the closest Sweeps into stray particles for sheer pique), when he was interrupted by Quintesson visitors. After his last few dealings with the creatures, Galvatron was ready to blast these Quintessons all the same, but they gave him a gentle lecture about the unfairness of stereotyping which somehow convinced Galvatron to listen to the tentacled freaks. Galvatron brought Cyclonus and the five Sweeps with him to Cybertron, following the Quintessons' directions to the Autobots' new [[power core]] beneath the planet's surface. Searching for the power core, the Decepticons inadvertently let loose the monstrous [[Trans-Organic]]s and the massive energy-draining [[Dweller (G1)|Dweller]]. The Dweller began leeching the life from Galvatron's troops one by one as they tried to flee from the creature. Galvatron showed his heart-felt respect for Cyclonus by throwing all the Sweeps into the creature's path ''first''. He even paused for a moment to look back when the Dweller finally caught Cyclonus as well. Galvatron didn't actually try to ''help'' or anything, but I'm sure Cyclonus would have appreciated the thought alone. {{storylink|The Dweller in the Depths}}

[[File:G1 UltimateWeapon UltimateWeapon!.jpg|thumb|Decepticons, I have found the remote control!]]
Thanks to his plasma damage, Galvatron's sanity really had its ups and down. He was arguably on an upswing during a series of assaults on human and Autobot positions in [[Europe]]. Using the attacks as a diversion, Galvatron sent Swindle to infiltrate Metroplex and steal his [[Transformation cog (biology)|transforming cog]], leaving the city-bot helpless for a rematch with Trypticon. In addition, he began taunting the insecure leader Rodimus Prime with his so-called "[[Ultimate Weapon]]", a doomsday device just waiting to be unleashed. As well thought-out and cunning as this scheme may have been, it ultimately fell apart. The Autobots stole Galvatron's idea by taking Trypticon's transforming cog just as Swindle had stolen Metroplex's. Rodimus Prime eventually wised up about the "Ultimate Weapon" as well: he called Galvatron's bluff and forced the Decepticon leader to admit he was holding nothing more than a 7-2 off-suit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

[[File:FaceOfNijika Galvatron lock.jpg|left|thumb]]
Deep in space, Galvatron was attempting to surpass a Quintesson [[quadrant lock]] when the Quintessons and several Autobots interrupted his efforts. In one of his more manic phases at the time, Galvatron chose to stake his claim by hurling Cyclonus face-first through the lock once the Quintessons began to open it. {{storylink|The Face of the Nijika}}

Galvatron once attempted to destroy the Autobots by feeding [[anti-electron]]s into their new power generator. The initial attempt failed, so the Decepticons tried to raid Unicron's head for a new source of anti-electrons inside the planet-eater's brain. The Autobots arrived shortly after Galvatron's team, so he sent his new [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]] beasts to occupy the heroes. Galvatron was undone by his own scheming, as the anti-electrons had temporarily turned the Dinobot [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] into a super-intelligent genius. Grimlock built a new team of Autobot warriors called [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] from scratch, right inside Unicron's head. The Technobots were skilled enough to destroy Galvatron's new source of anti-electrons, and drive off the Terrorcons' combined form of [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]]. {{storylink| Grimlock's New Brain}}

[[File:CallPrimitives Galvatron and Cyclonus in space.jpg|thumb|"Okay, how the hell did I fit in you?!" "I don't know mighty Galvatron, but I wish you'd try more often."]]
In a major fight with the Autobots, a large number of Galvatron's troops began staring off into space in the middle of the battle. He lost some of his best soldiers to this effect, like Trypticon, the Predacons, the Terrorcons, Soundwave's [[Mini-Cassette]]s...okay, maybe not the Cassettes, but the rest were important. Galvatron ended the fight to go chasing after the deserters, only to be caught by the power of [[Tornedron]] and drained of all his energy. It was only thanks to the fleeing [[Primitive]]s that Tornedron's effect was eventually reversed. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

[[File:Matrix burden 1.jpg|thumb|left|Who are YOU gonna call?]]
Galvatron was very pleased when [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] returned from a scouting mission on Earth, having beaten Rodimus Prime and claimed the Matrix of Leadership itself. Galvatron tried to load the Matrix into his particle cannon as a power source, but instead of energy blasts, it summoned the [[Ancient Autobots|ghosts of departed Autobot leaders]]. They spooked Galvatron into getting rid of the Matrix, but his underling Scourge claimed the Matrix for himself and managed to magnify his powers a thousandfold. Scourge used his newfound might to overthrow Galvatron and the loyal Cyclonus, temporarily claiming control of the Decepticons. Galvatron and Cyclonus eventually recovered and came to Earth just after Scourge lost the Matrix back to Rodimus Prime. After a few quick particle blasts for emphasis, though, Galvatron soon accepted Scourge back into the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Prime Galvatron.JPG|thumb|"Just like the good old times, isn't it Prime?" "There were no good times, ya creep."]]
Galvatron and the Decepticons had arrived early to reserve their seats at a football stadium, when [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] flew in with news that Optimus Prime's body had been preserved at a nearby laboratory. Unfortunately, the Decepticons arrived just in time to be infected by the outbreak of the [[Hate Plague]]. Galvatron fled when his warriors turned crazed. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} Half-mad to begin with at the best of times, Galvatron soon learned that even the one-eyed man cannot always rule the kingdom of the blind, and found himself on the run from half the galaxy. However, despite his insanity, he teamed up with the resurrected Optimus Prime to stop the [[Hate Plague]]. Galvatron wound up becoming infected by the plague and attempted to kill an unconscious Optimus Prime with an axe. Optimus woke up in the nick of time and opened the Matrix directly in Galvatron's face. The wisdom of the Matrix not only cured the universe of the Hate Plague, it cured Galvatron's madness as well. Well, kinda. Grateful, Galvatron sanely declared, "There will be no war today, Optimus. You have earned Galvatron's respect," and called a brief truce. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

[[File:Rebirth 3 Decepticons Hive.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.3]]
In [[2007]], Galvatron called off the truce and led an assault on Autobot City, searching for the Key to the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]]. The Decepticons succeeded in stealing the key and promptly headed to Cybertron. As Galvatron lead the attack directly, Scourge was ordered to activate the chamber but the Plasma Energy overloaded his circuitry, leaving a group of Autobots to recover the key and promptly be spirited halfway across the galaxy as a result of the plasma energy. Coming across Scourge's inactive form, an infuriated Galvatron was inclined to kill the deactivated Decepticon but [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] and Cyclonus convinced their leader to stay his hand, if only to learn what happened to the key. After Scourge recounted what had occurred, Galvatron ignored his minion's warnings about the danger of the Plasma Energy and ordered him to rectify his mistake by recovering the key. Galvatron then commanded Cyclonus and about a dozen other Decepticons accompany Scourge to ensure the mission's success. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}}

Although seemingly lucid during this period, he had formulated what was perhaps his most genocidal and unbalanced scheme ever: having converted Cybertron into a galactic dreadnought, Galvatron maneuvered it into Earth's orbit, planning to release the Plasma Energy Chamber's payload into Earth's [[sun]]. The resulting supernova would wipe both Earth and Cybertron off the face of the galaxy, presumably leaving Galvatron to gain mastery over everything left. Grudgingly teamed with the Transformer-[[Nebulan]] hybrid [[Scorponok (G1)|Lord Zarak]], Galvatron was eventually defeated and sent tumbling through space, ushering Cybertron into a new [[Golden Age]]. After regaining control, Galvatron vowed to collect energy from disparate corners of the galaxy and return to Cybertron: "We will attack other planets, we will suck them dry! We will build a planet a hundred times more powerful than Cybertron, and I will rule the galaxy!" Zarak made it clear he intended it to be a "we" leadership. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}
{{--}}

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

==Madman ''The Transformers'' comic==
After briefly touching the Matrix of Leadership, the youthful Autobot [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] was given a vision. In it, he saw an older version of himself doing battle with a mysterious, powerful Decepticon (Galvatron). {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}
{{--}}

==Rodimus vs. Cyclonus==
After terminating [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] on the [[Junkion (planet)|Planet of Junk]], Galvatron ordered [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] to wipe out the rest of the Autobots. He suggested they make a game of it and whoever returned to him with the most heads won. Alas, this competition undermined his goal and Cyclonus and Scourge spent more time trying to sabotage each other than actually killing anybody.{{storylink|Rodimus vs. Cyclonus}}
{{--}}

==Japanese cartoon continuity==
{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in this timeline as above, except that the events following ''The Transformers: The Movie'' are pushed back to [[2010]] (creating a five-year gap between Galvatron's creation and his return), and the events of "The Rebirth" do not occur. The Japanese animated continuity subsequently adds several new adventures into the timeline, both during the Generation 1 cartoon and after it, as detailed below.}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
{{Main|Galvatron (G1)#Beast Wars cartoon}}

===''Kiss Players''===
After being hurled out of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] and into space by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]], Galvatron's flight path was disrupted by the [[Sparkbot]]s, a trio of Unicron's servants who were already working to resurrect their master. {{storylink|Kiss Players episode 51|Kiss Players #51}} The Decepticon leader crash-landed on the planet [[Earth]], obliterating the city of [[Tokyo]]. This catastrophic loss of life destroyed [[Human]]-[[Transformer]] relations and led to the formation of the [[Earth Defense Command]], a governmental organization which drove Transformers from the face of the planet. Appropriating Galvatron's remains, the EDC reverse-engineered a fleet of human-operated "[[Autorooper]]" Transformers to perform this task.

As 2006 settled in, Galvatron's impact was revealed to have had an even greater effect than anyone had expected: The blast caused by his impact had scattered his Unicron-empowered cells throughout the planet's atmosphere. When his cells came into contact with other objects and animals, they fused with them, creating an army of monstrous creatures referred to as "[[Legion (KP)|Legion]]". This disastrous event also created the means to defend the world against Legion, however: When Galvatron's cells came into contact with human beings, these humans gained the ability to fuse with other entities containing his cells. With their Autoroopers being the perfect candidates for this "[[Parasitech]]" fusion process, the EDC began recruiting and training these "[[Kiss Player]]s" as combat squads to battle the Legion.

Seeking to uncover the ulterior motives of EDC Commander [[Hitoshizuku Amaō]], Kiss Players [[Marissa Faireborn]], [[Shaoshao Li]] and [[Atari Hitotonari]] discovered the remains of Galvatron beneath the EDC headquarters. Amaō's plan to use the Legions to resurrect her daughter, who had died in Galvatron's impact, was foiled when all the Legions and Autoroopers fused with Galvatron's corpse, restoring his cells and reconstituting his body. Galvatron's body was shot back into space, where it went on to crash on Thrull. {{storylink|I, You, and the Spinning Earth}}

===e-HOBBY comics===
Starscream reminisced about the time Galvatron blew him into oblivion. He remarked that Galvatron was particularly bad-mannered. Oh, and insane. {{storylink|MP-3G Destron Air Commander / Starscream Ghost Ver.}}

===''The Battle of the Star Gate''===
The ghost of Starscream recounted to his younger, aliver self the events that led to his death at Galvatron's hands. {{storylink|The Battle of the Star Gate}}

===''Macrocosmic Seekers''===
[[File:United Expanded Story 8.jpg|thumb]]
Galvatron and the Decepticons intercepted a transmission about the Autobots picking up a rare treasure on [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]]. Unaware that the "treasure" was merely a lost piece of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s armor, and held only sentimental value, Galvatron launched an attack to retrieve it. {{storylink|Unending Battle}}

As the battle raged, an exiled [[Quintesson]] known as the [[Seeker (United)|Seeker]] arrived on Junk, and captured Galvatron and the other Transformers for his private collection. They were teleported aboard a massive transparent treasure ship for storage and viewing. {{Storylink|A Treasure Lost}} The Seeker wished to study the unique reformatting process undergone by Galvatron and his minions. They were placed inside stasis chamber and time itself rewound around them to the very moment that [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] transformed them into what they had become. {{storylink|Eternal Moment}}

A Junkion named [[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]] freed the captives, and Galvatron discovered his body transformed by the Seeker's manipulations, giving a new tank mode and dramatically increased power. The Transformers began their escape before their "host" could place them back in stasis. {{Storylink|Time to Move}} The Seeker himself had evolved into a state of pure information, and the more of his treasure ship was destroyed, the more information that made up his being was lost. Eventually, the Seeker winked out of existence as his ship sustained more damage than it could hold. {{storylink|Those Who Resist}}

As the Autobots and Decepticons prepared to return to their respective armies, the last of the Seeker's extra energy faded from Galvatron and the others. Although the two groups had worked side by side during the crisis, the old arguments quickly rose anew and the factions parted with only a momentary truce. {{Storylink|A Treasure's True Worth}}
{{--}}

===''Generations Selects Special Comic''===
[[File:Selects 2011.jpg|thumb|upright=2|left|[[2011]]. [[Unicron]].]]
In [[2011]], Galvatron and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] led a joint Autobot/Decepticon coalition to seal [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] within the [[Triple Z Point]] before he could resurrect using the bodies of his [[Acolyte of Unicron|disciples]]. Galvatron bade Prime use the [[Matrix of Leadership]] on the enemy, but he explained it was still recharging on [[Earth]], having been spent eradicating the [[Hate Plague]]. Optimus lamented he did not have another Matrix on hand... and then suddenly the two leaders were summoned before [[Primus]]. {{storylink|Super Megatron comic 1}}

[[File:Blue Planet Generations.jpg|thumb|310px|[[Precursor World|Not 2011]]. [[Vok|Not Unicron]].]]
Galvatron was shown his own [[The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg|imminent demise]] by Primus and then deposited in orbit around an [[Blue Planet (GS)|unfamiliar blue world]] under attack from an [[Vok|unknown enemy]] and its swarm of [[Novaroid]]s. The being gifted Prime a new [[Silver Matrix]] filled with the "[[Star Power|power of stars]]" and tasked him with "restoring this world's proper history" before disappearing. This "Star Power" accelerated Prime into the form of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#The Battlestars manga and story pages|Star Convoy]], who then soared off shouting heroic nonsense and obediently annihilating the Novaroid swarm with his newfound power. {{storylink|Star Convoy comic}}

Desiring the power of stars to avert his upcoming death, Galvatron began ripping apart the wreckage and devouring Novaroid components. He was soon rescued by a passing [[Seacon (BW)|space pirate]] [[photon sailer|ship]], and its captains, [[Halfshell]] and [[Turtler]], made him an offer: passage on their vessel and access to the same Star Power that upgraded Optimus Prime in return for his reservoir of [[Angolmois Energy]]. Indignant at these alleged [[Decepticon]]s' lack of respect for their [[Emperor of Destruction]], Galvatron nonetheless took the deal and was placed in a stasis chamber. Halfshell then siphoned the Angolmois Energy from the Galvatron to upgrade Turtler into a more formidable body. {{storylink|Seacons comic 1}}

Worrying rumbling emanated from Galvatron's chamber throughout the subsequent throwdown between Star Convoy and King Poseidon until Halfshell made the mistake of admitting they had no intention of upgrading Galvatron. {{storylink|Seacons comic 4}} In response, the chamber burst open! The rapidly reformatting Galvatron explained he no longer had need of the pirates as he had managed to "resonate" with the Star Power implanted within Optimus Prime on his own. This new being announced he had attained the power of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#The Battlestars manga and story pages|his own future]], {{storylink|Seacons comic 5}} the power of... [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Generations Selects Special Comic (1)|Super Megatron]]! {{storylink|Super Megatron comic 1}}

Many battles and many super modes later, Star Convoy managed to knock the near-omnipotent [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Generations Selects Special Comic (1)|Gold Megatron]] all the way back down to his natural state. As Galvatron nursed the hangover of two universes, the similarly depowered Optimus Prime had Primus's diminutive core form Oracle transport them back to 2011. Galvatron blearily looked on as Optimus used the little god's power to seal Unicron's physical form for good and Oracle departed, taking the duo's memories of the whole affair with him. {{storylink|Generations Selects Special Comic Finale|Finale}}
{{--}}

===''The Headmasters'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Seizō Katō]] (Japanese)|[[Rik Thomas]] (English, Omni Productions dub), [[Yu Deyuan]] (Chinese), [[Mario Zucca]] (Italian), [[Víctor Mares]] (Latin-American Spanish), [[Mikhail Chernyak]] (Russian)}}
[[File:FourWarriors Galvatron abuses Skullcruncher.jpg|thumb|left|BEG FOR MERCY!]]
In [[2011]], a side effect of releasing the Matrix's energy to cure the Hate Plague was revealed when the mega-computer [[Vector Sigma]] began to destabilize. Seeking to exploit this imbalance, Galvatron attacked Cybertron, his forces now bolstered by the addition of new [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] warriors from the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. When encountering the Dinobots, Galvatron ordered Mindwipe to use his hypno powers to put them to sleep. However Skullcruncher got in the way and fell asleep. Galvatron was peeved at Skullcruncher and abused him. Galvatron engaged Optimus Prime and Jazz in battle but was forced to run. Soon after Galvatron ordered Mindwipe to use his hypnotic powers to stop the Dinobots (again) and the Throttlebots but a [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|giant spaceship]] appeared and four Autobot Headmaster warriors came from the ship and stopped them from going any further. They introduced themselves as the Autobots Headmaster warriors [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]], [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]], and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]]. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

While the arrival of the team of Autobot Headmasters repelled the invasion, Galvatron attempted to stop Fortress Maximus after he beat four of the best Decepticon combiners but was beaten and forced to temporarily retreat. It was then revealed that the Matrix was hidden somewhere on Earth, recharging, and the race began to acquire it and use it to gain control over Vector Sigma. Soon after the race began, [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] fought and killed each other. Galvatron was not happy. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

Galvatron later visited the Decepticon base on Earth to find out what Hot Rod was after. [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] asked Galvatron if [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] was suitable to lead to troops at the base, leading Galvatron to suspect Cyclonus had a treacherous plan until Cyclonus reaffirmed his loyalty. After finding out that Hot Rod was after the Matrix, Galvatron, the Decepticon Headmasters and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] went to stop him. Galvatron got the Matrix but Chromedome knocked it out of his hand a second later. Galvatron was also attacked by [[Computron (G1)|Computron]]. Hot Rod ultimately succeeded in obtaining the Matrix and becoming Rodimus Prime again, and he and Optimus Prime joined forces to defeat Galvatron. Though beaten in battle, Galvatron did at least take solace in the fact that Optimus Prime once again met his end. Only the Autobots that were there seemed to care that he was dead. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

Later Galvatron decided to have another crack at taking control of Vector Sigma by creating the [[Madmachine]]. To aid him in this plan he revived Soundwave as Soundblaster using [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s Transtector technology. Galvatron then ordered Sixshot to test the Madmachine on Metroplex. Following the test's successful completion, he ordered Sixshot to retreat. Galvatron had the Madmachine and the Decepticon Headmasters sent to Cybertron to take control of Vector Sigma. He gave control of it to Soundblaster, however Galvatron's base on Charr was invaded by Blaster who had been revived as Twincast. The Autobot destroyed the Control in Soundblaster's chest. This allowed the Autobot Headmasters to destroy the Madmachine. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}.

[[File:HM7 Galvatron meets Scorponok.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Galvatron occupied planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] and took most of the civilians, known as [[Beastformer (species)|Beastformers]], prisoner, except for those who would follow him. Galvatron was informed by [[Alligatron]] of Fortress Maximus's arrival on Beast. Galvatron ordered the Beastformers and Decepticons to destroy the Autobots. When Rodimus arrived Galvatron showed up and battled Rodimus. Cyclonus and Scourge tried to help but damaged Galvatron instead. Galvatron continued to fight Rodimus but was forced into retreat after Fortress Maximus came and attacked him. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}.

After the failure of losing Beast, Galvatron created a meteorite nicknamed [[Metamorphose]], intended to destroy Athenia. No Transformer could approach it, as it knocked them out with electrical overload. Its first victims were the Aerialbots, who were temporarily deactivated when they approached it. Then the Throttlebots became victims. However, the Autobots had [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]], a human who was not affected by it. While Fortress and the other Autobot Headmasters distracted the Decepticons, Daniel sneaked into Metamorphose and disabled it, saving Athenia and once again foiling Galvatron's plans. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}}

[[File:Cybertonuronsword.jpg|left|thumb|Excalibur, BE MY STRENGTH!]]
Galvatron was getting unhappy about his troops' failures and was starting to lose his composure. Cyclonus tried to calm his leader down by reaffirming his loyalty how the mighty Galvatron never fails. However, this did not calm Galvatron down. When Scourge informed Galvatron that Decepticon Headmaster leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] had arrived, Galvatron started blaming the Decepticon Headmasters for his failures as well. Then, from the shadows, Scorponok explained that he had a plan to stop the Autobot Headmasters. Galvatron approved, but only after blaming him for the loss of Planet Beast. When the plan failed, Galvatron himself arrived. He and the Decepticon Headmasters almost defeated the Autobots, but Rodimus Prime, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Trainbot]]s arrived and outnumbered them, forcing Galvatron to retreat. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

Later a [[Sixshot (G1)|shadowy figure]] appeared on TV and demanded Earth's energy. Cyclonus and Scourge suggested that when the shadowy figure would get the energy, they should take it from him. After an argument between them Galvatron approved the plan. Galvatron later found out that their plan failed and that they stole Trypticon, who had been damaged in a fight with the Autobot Headmasters and [[Raiden]]. He was far from happy. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}}

[[File:Sosfromsandra magnus pwns galvy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Sanctuary!!! Sanctuary!!! Sanctuary!!!]]
After many failed attempts to control Cybertron, Galvatron set his sights on [[Cybertonuron]], a powerful new alloy being developed by Vector Sigma. The Decepticon Headmaster leader, Scorponok, advocated the destruction of the alloy to prevent the Autobots from obtaining it, but when Galvatron refused to consider the notion, Scorponok took matters into his own hands and had powerful bombs planted in Vector Sigma's chamber. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} Scorponok told Galvatron what he had done, and the enraged Decepticon leader ran into the chamber to try and stop the explosion, only to be caught in the blast. Cybertron was reduced to a burnt-out husk, and Galvatron was left missing in action. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

Galvatron was thought dead for some time, and during his absence, Scorponok proclaimed himself the new Decepticon leader, only for Galvatron to turn up alive and well during his coronation. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Under his leadership, the Decepticons attempted to stop the Autobots from assisting [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]], but failed. {{Storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}} Needing copious amounts of energy for his [[Grand Galvatron|endgame]], Galvatron first distracted the Autobots, then set off with his troops in MegaZarak, Scorponok's gigantic transtector. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} They attempted to plunder [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but the planet's natives and the Autobots were able to repel them. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} They then went to [[Twin Star|Sperity]], but were fooled into thinking it was a desolate planet. {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} At [[Daros]], they formed an alliance with the planet's corrupt upper class, allowing them to gather much energy despite being chased away by the arriving Autobots. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} They also tried to target [[Paradise]] {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} and the [[proton energy]] of the [[Pirate Planet]], but were foiled by the Autobots both times. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[File:HM25 Galvatron disappears.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"Ice! My only weakness!"]]
After Galvatron returned to Earth, [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] came up with an idea to set [[Grand Galvatron|Galvatron's plan]] into action: wipe out the Autobots. Galvatron approved and had the Combaticons, the Terrorcons, the Stunticons and the Horrorcons sent with him to Earth. This plan resulted in the death of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon, Galvatron confided to Sixshot that he intended to use the energy he gathered as part of a process that would transform Earth into a new, all-powerful, Unicron-like body for him, dubbed "[[Grand Galvatron]]". Additionally, he explained that this process would require only the best components from his most powerful warriors, making it quite clear that he intended to sacrifice Sixshot and the other Decepticons for this insane ambition. Aghast, Sixshot betrayed Galvatron to Scorponok as quickly as possible, leaving the Decepticon leader alone to battle the Autobot Headmasters in Alaska. Thankfully for the Autobots, their double-agent [[Punch (G1)|Punch]] had eavesdropped on Galvatron and Sixshot's conversation, during which Galvatron had revealed that his head was his weakest point. With this information to aid them, the Headmasters entered [[Head Formation]] and laid Galvatron low, collapsing an iceberg on top of him and entombing him in ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

After this, Scorponok took control of the Decepticons again. In a meeting with the other Decepticons, he vowed to defeat the Autobots and control Earth in Galvatron's memory. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}
{{-}}

===''Unite Warriors''===
[[File:GalvatronsGhost-GrandGalvatronChapter.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The ghost of [[Galvatron II]] impersonates the ghost of Galvatron I.]]
Ten years after Galvatron's defeat and icy entombment at the hands of the [[Autobot]]s, [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] came to visit the site of his leader's downfall. There, the specter of [[Galvatron II|another Galvatron]] was able to make contact with Cyclonus. Using an illusion of Cyclonus's fallen master, this other Galvatron was able to trick Cyclonus into believing his master's ghost was alive, and the ghost of this other Galvatron forced itself upon Cyclonus, possessing his body as its new vessel. {{storylink|Grand Galvatron Chapter}} Eventually, the truth came to light that this ghost was not that of Cyclonus's Galvatron. {{storylink|Ruination Chapter, Part One}}

===''The Battlestars''===
Galvatron would remain buried in the ice for over fifteen years, until he was resurrected by [[Dark Nova]] as the new and improved [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#The Battlestars manga and story pages|Super Megatron]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 6}}

===''15 Go! Go!''===
[[File:TGGGalvatron.jpg|thumb|left|Crazy AND toy-accurate.]]
At some point after 2025, when Optimus Prime had been restored to life once more as Star Convoy, the mobile computer [[Teletraan 15]] traveled forward in time from 2005 to this era as part of a mission gather data to rebuild [[Teletraan I]]'s damaged databanks. During her visit, as Star Convoy and Hot Rod prepared to battle Ultra Megatron, a [[unspace|transwarp]] wormhole suddenly opened above the combatants, and a massive blast shot emerged from it and struck Hot Rod. Badly damaged, Hot Rod could barely warn his commander as Galvatron, appearing from some unknown spot in space and time, descended through the portal. Tearing Teletraan 15's arm off, {{storylink|Galvatron Volume}} Galvatron gripped the limb in his [[teeth]] as he maniacally throttled Hot Rod. Teletraan 15 passed out {{storylink|Galvatron Volume 2}} and woke up some time later with the outcome of the battle unknown, though she remained haunted by images of the crazed Decepticon clutching her limp and helpless friend. {{storylink|Galvatron Volume 3}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' Generations manga===
When the ghost of Starscream began making trouble in an alternate universe by possessing that reality's [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]], the Mirage of that universe figured the only way to get Starscream to leave was to scare him off. So Mirage projected a hologram of Galvatron, the one who killed Starscream in the first place. Terrified, Starscream left Onslaught's body and fled back to his home universe. {{storylink|Starscream's New Body}}

===''Legends'' comic===
When [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] visited the [[Legends World]], [[Megatron (BW)|the resident Megatron]] had never heard of him. [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], however, was well-versed in the outsider-Megatron's history and recounted the time he was turned into Galvatron. {{storylink|LG13 Megatron}} Galvatron's role in the battles on [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] was recounted in a rundown of the planet's history, {{storylink|LG51 Doublecross Prologue}} and the Decepticon [[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]] recalled both how Galvatron had recruited them with promises of power and how he had been defeated. {{storylink|LG61 Decepticon Clones}}

[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] later tricked Megatron into forming the head of a body that amplified his inherent evil, causing him to revert to his Galvatron personality. He thus claimed to be Galvatron once more while under the body's influence, but quickly proved able to resist it and remove his head, returning to being Megatron. {{storylink|LG23 Galvatron}} While Megatron refused to use the Galvatron body again, Tarantulas and [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] had [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] hypnotize him into it. Galvatron attacked [[Tokyo]] and defeated [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] before [[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] knocked his head off again. {{storylink|LG25 Blurr}} Galvatron was also present for the introduction of the Sweeps, and was curious about [[Sweep No. 4]]'s absence. It turned out he had let No. 4 die years earlier, and the Sweep literally came back to haunt him. {{storylink|LG-26 Scourge Prologue}}

The Galvatron body later resurfaced without a head, claiming it no longer needed Megatron. After it was defeated by [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] and [[Shūta Gō]], however, it was revealed that Tarantulas had merely been piloting it from within. {{storylink|LG29 Wheelie}} After developing resistance to his mind being manipulated, {{storylink|LG34 Mindwipe}} Megatron began using the transtector without becoming Galvatron. It was ultimately destroyed in a battle with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|LG43 Trypticon}}

==''TV Magazine'' comic continuity==
===''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''===
[[File:2010manga05-title.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|Maybe your attack on the Prime Energy Tower would be more successful if at least ''one'' of your soldiers was actually ''facing'' it.]]
Galvatron had plenty of devious schemes up his sleeve throughout 2010, opening with the nutty idea of a spaceship that ate other spaceships, which Rodimus Prime promptly blew up. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 1|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #1}}

Galvatron went back to his roots for his next scheme, creating a clone army of Megatrons that he dubbed the "[[Megatron Corps]]". Galvatron disguised himself as one of the Megatrons and controlled them remotely, making them an effective fighting force that the Autobots had trouble dealing with, until his disguise was penetrated and his control over the robots broken. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 2|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #2}}

He later attacked Autobot City with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], but was forced to retreat when [[Six-Gun]] destroyed Trypticon's controls with a blast from [[Brunt (G1)|Brunt]]. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 3|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #3}}

On one notable occasion, Galvatron challenged Rodimus Prime to a one-on-one duel in order to lure him into a trap set up in partnership with the Quintessons. In the middle of the fight, the Quintessons' newest creation, an Optimus Prime/Megatron hybrid robot known as [[Gilthor]], arrived to attack Rodimus, but Galvatron was shocked when Gilthor turned on him as well. Rodimus and Galvatron called a truce long enough for them to team up and destroy Gilthor, who, it was revealed, had been possessed by Starscream's ghost. With that threat dealt with, they called off the truce. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 4|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #4}}

Next, Galvatron attempted to steal the [[Prime Energy Tower]] of the planet [[Feminia]] with an all-out assault. The Autobots defended the tower, but were overwhelmed by Galvatron's unit of [[Combiner]]s; the scales tilted in his favor thanks to the presence of [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]]. Galvatron's victory was assued until the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]] arrived and toppled the Combiners. {{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:GreatTransformerWar01cover.jpg|thumb|left]]
Later in 2010, Galvatron kidnapped Doctor [[Dalton]], a brilliant scientist from the planet [[Eran]], but Dalton refused to work with the Decepticons and lent his aid to the Autobots instead, upgrading the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] so they could defeat the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1|The Great Transformer War #1}}

One of the Terrorcons' upgrades included a sticky goo that forced the Technobots into working for the Decepticons. Through the intervention of [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] the Technobots were freed and the Terrorcons defeated. Galvatron cursed the human for interfering, but declared that his next evil scheme would be one the Autobots would never forget. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 2|The Great Transformer War #2}}

After the resurrection of Optimus Prime and the curing of the Hate Plague, Galvatron hastily broke his vow that there would be no war, and he, Cyclonus and Scourge battled Prime, Hot Rod and [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] in space, only to be defeated. Galvatron immediately returned to [[Chaar]] and dispatched [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] to retrieve the Decepticon Headmasters, as he had need of them for his assault on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

===''The Headmasters'' comic===
[[File:Galvatron abandons Alligatron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|"FOILED AGAIN!"]]
On planet [[Chaar]], Galvatron ordered his [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s to head for planet [[Athenia]] and show the Autobots their "true power". Their "true power" involved trying to blow up the Battleship Maximus with a goofy explosive and failing. Galvatron was displeased. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Later, while [[White Leo]] was abset from [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], Galvatron made a second attempt to conquer it with the united forces of his Decepticons and the Decepticon [[Beastformer (species)|Beastformers]]. With the aid of [[Kane]], the Autobots and the Autobot Beastformers were able to hold the Decepticons off long enough for White Leo to return and send them into a retreat. Galvatron callously left [[Alligatron]] and the Decepticon Beastformers behind to face justice as he and his troops escaped into space. {{storylink|The Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}}

===''Super-God Masterforce'' comic===
Galvatron, believed to be buried alive in an iceberg, would return to menace the [[Headmaster Junior]]s with an army of legendary Decepticon warriors. "Galvatron" and all his troops were eventually revealed to be nothing more than holograms created by the Decepticon [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmasters]] to fool the Autobots. {{storylink|Burn, Chokon! New Commander Super Ginrai!}}

==''Wings Universe''==
{{Wingsnote}}
[[File:G2Redux-GalvatronCyclonusScourgeZarak.jpg|thumb|left]]
Following the rebirth of Cybertron's [[Golden Age]], Galvatron and Lord [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] led their Decepticon forces away from Earth and Cybertron. They attacked Zarak's homeworld of [[Nebulos]] and many other planets in deep space, with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and his Autobots in hot pursuit of them through the cosmos. By 2010, Galvatron had become aware of a new generation of 'Cons having arisen on Earth, and sent a small group of followers back to make contact with this [[Decepticon Syndicate]]. {{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}}

In [[2012]], the Autobot [[Sizzle (G1)|Sizzle]] experienced a [[forestonite]]-based vision of [[Megaplex|three]] [[Soundwave (MW)|shadowy]] [[Starscream (MW)|figures]] standing over the broken bodies of Optimus Prime and Galvatron. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 6}} Sizzle's prophetic vision soon came to pass with the dawn of the [[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]] the next year. The [[Cybertronian (faction)|clone armies]] of [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] attacked [[Sigma Seven]] and left Optimus and Galvatron comatose as they advanced toward Cybertron. {{storylink|Termination}}

A week later, the Machine Wars concluded on Cybertron, and a week after that, the Autobots, Decepticons, and Jhiaxus's clones signed the [[Pax Cybertronia]] at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] on Earth. [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] doubted that the comatose Galvatron would be pleased to hear of the peace treaty if and when he woke up and remarked that he would make sure that [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] was the one to deliver the news to Galvatron. {{storylink|A Common Foe}}

[[Tornado]] considered [[Squadron X]] leader [[Macabre]] to possess [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s strength, [[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Shockwave]]'s firepower, and Galvatron's crazy. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur}}

==Ask Vector Prime==
In [[Primax 903.0-M Lambda]], the ghost of [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] possessed the corpse of [[Skyquake (G1)|Skyquake]] and sought his vengeance against Galvatron during [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s New [[Golden Age]], resulting in the [[Machine Wars (event)|Machine Wars]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/27}}

In a wacky hybrid universe created by [[Gong (GoBots)|Gong]] and [[Sideways (AVP)|Sideways]], Unicron created Galvatron from a dying Megatron's body as usual. In ''this'' timeline, however, his minions were [[Deadlift]] and [[Fracture (Movie)|Fracture]]. He dealt with the treacherous [[Zero]] and later launched an attack on Guardian City. At Unicron's bidding, he tracked the Guardians and Autobots to the planet [[Quartex (planet)|Quartex]], where he stole the Matrix of Leadership from [[Major Mo]].

When Unicron launched his final assault on Cybertron, Galvatron attempted to open the Guardian Matrix but was unable. He wound up battling Hot Rod within the cavernous body of Unicron. He managed to get the upper hand... when, unbeknownst to all, [[Vector Prime]] set history back on its right course, banishing the [[GoBot]]s from the timeline. Hot Rod opened the ''Autobot'' Matrix, transformed into Rodimus Prime, and cast Galvatron into deep space. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
*After Optimus Prime was requested by Hasbro to be killed off in The Transformers: The Movie, writer [[Ron Friedman]] decided to mirror this by also killing off Megatron. This led to the creation of Galvatron. His intent was that both would ultimately be able to cheat death, Optimus by living on in the Matrix and Megatron by being rebuilt into Galvatron.
*Galvatron's appearance in the [[The Transformers: The Movie (first draft)|first draft]] of the movie was.... different. In this version he was still rebuilt by Unicron, but was described as "A NEW AND LARGER BUT STILL RECOGNIZEABLE FROM OF MEGATRON". He was also coated in scales like those which covered the planet Unicron. His alt mode was still a giant laser gun.
*It's possible Galvatron was named after galvanising, the process of coating a metal in Zinc to prevent rust. That sort of corelates to how he's reborn in the early draft.
* According to [[Teletraan II]]'s [[Secret Files of Teletraan II|secret files]], Galvatron was reformed from Megatron by Unicron in an attempt to bolster the Decepticon's strength and to lead the Decepticons into a new era. The fact that this information conflicts with the events as depicted in the movie may say something about the quality of the Autobots' intelligence regarding the Decepticon cause.
* In the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (manga)|''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga]], [[Makoto (FSRL)|Makoto]] has a transforming Galvatron [[Wrist-communicator|wristwatch]] that was first available in Japan during the 1980s. However, at the time of the story, Galvatron did not yet exist in-continuity. The circumstances behind this are best not thought about.
* An unrealized ''[[Transformers: Wings Universe|Wings Universe]]'' story would have featured [[Scourge (RID)#Timelines|Scourge]], based on his TFSS toy, as one of [[Jhiaxus (G2)#Wings Universe|Jhiaxus]]'s clones, leading the takedown of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Wings Universe|Optimus Prime]] and Galvatron.<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/128200-new-tcc-prose-counterpunch-story-the-truth-we-make/?p=3229535 Post on the Allspark Forums by Pete@BotCon (Pete Sinclair), 2016/05/12]</ref><ref>[https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/135573-wings-universecannonball-loose-ends/?p=3406634 Post on the Allspark Forums by NightViper (Jesse Wittenrich), 2016/12/23]</ref>

===Character model===
[[File:Galvatron-revision-comparison.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
* Galvatron's [[character model]] design went through at least five known revisions:
# The first was by [[Floro Dery]], which looked rather "simple" and had exposed mechanical components. This version is notable for being among Dery's multicolored watercolor works done for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
# The [[:File:FriedmanAuctionGalvatronModelEdit.jpg|second iteration]] of Galvatron's design was a refined version of Dery's design by [[Marvel Productions]]. This one appears to be the inspiration for his toy, given the red shoulder parts of the [[alternate mode]]. However, due to the amount of color changing of parts happening between the robot and [[alternate mode]] models, the toy was made solely based on the alternate mode's coloration, leading to a mostly gray robot.
# After this, Galvatron's [[robot mode]] received some additional minor changes by Marvel Productions, specifically a new head. Both the robot mode and the alternate mode gained new color layouts too. This is notable as being the one [[AKOM]] would frequently use, and was also utilized for the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] comic version of [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]], just with a toy-accurate color scheme. This revision is considered to be the "pre-final model".
# During the third iteration, [[Toei Animation|Toei]] started working on an entirely new design themselves, with a head based on the Dery head design. The alternate mode was also made from scratch, though it was mostly the same detail-wise, it was just drawn from stylized-angled perspectives, a singnature for most model designs by Toei.
# For the final revision, Toei changed the head on their new design, basing it more on the Marvel revision, and changed a few of the details on the alternate mode.

* In the [[AKOM]] and [[Unknown Generation 1 animation studios|unknown studio]]-animated episodes, Galvatron is depicted in two different variants:
# In most instances, Galvatron uses the pre-final model. Due to there being no rear-view made for this model, the animators would instead use the final model's rear-view and recolor it to match the pre-final model instead.
# In very subtle instances (usually small cuts between scenes), they would use his final model, but instead colored it to match the pre-final's colors, and even sometimes go so far as to add the pre-final model's head onto the final body.

* When asked about Galvatron's design in an interview, Floro Dery's reply was, "But about Galvatron, my inspiration for him are those 'stupid people'."<ref>[http://transformersph.blogspot.com/2007/06/interview-with-floro-dery.html TransFormers Philippines: Interview With Floro Dery]</ref> ...Ooookay.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Emperors of Destruction]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations Selects Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kiss Players Decepticons]]
[[Category:Legends Decepticons]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy Decepticons]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Unicron-related characters]]
[[Category:Unite Warriors Decepticons]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity

2026-02-27T16:12:45Z

DevinM626:

{{factions|decepticon|unicron}}
{{suite}}

[[File:GalvatronDepth.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|And this was ''before'' the [[Hate Plague]].]]
Sometimes crazy doesn't work... but try telling that to '''Galvatron'''!

==''The Transformers'' cartoon==
{{voiceactor|[[Leonard Nimoy]] (English, ''The Movie''), [[Frank Welker]] (English, television series), [[Seizō Katō]] (Japanese)|[[Yang Wenyuan]] (Chinese, TV series), [[Gao Quansheng]] (Chinese, ''The Rebirth''), [[Marcel Guido]] (French, ''The Movie''), [[Serge Lhorca]] (European French, TV series), Unknown (European French, "Five Faces of Darkness" episodes & "Surprise Party"), [[Jean Claudio]] (European French, "Webworld" & "Carnage in C-Minor"), [[Philippe Roullier]] (European French, "The Dweller in the Depths" & "The Face of the Nijika"), [[Albert Augier]] (European French, "The Rebirth, Part 1"), [[Serge Bourrier]] (European French, "The Rebirth, Part 3"), [[Carl Béchard]] (Canadian French, TV series), [[Gerd Wiedenhofen]] (German, television series), [[Manfred Erdmann]] (German, ''The Movie''), [[Thomas Rauscher]] (German, ''Generation 2''), [[Achim Barrenstein]] (German, ''The Movie DVD dub''), [[Romano Malaspina]] (Italian, ''The Movie'' second dub), [[Júlio César]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' TV dub), [[José Santa Cruz]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' VHS dub), [[Daoiz Cabezudo]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' Fox Kids dub), [[Marcos Miranda]] (Portuguese, season 3), [[Jordi Varela]] (Spain-Spanish, ''The Movie''), [[Alejandro Abdalah]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Mikhail Chernyak]] (Russian)}}

[[File:Tftm1986c.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"[[Doctor (Doctor Who)|Legs! I've still got legs!]]"]]
In [[2005]], after being mortally wounded by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] during the [[Battle of Autobot City]], [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] was left to float aimlessly through space after being punted out of the overloaded [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], who decided to take advantage of his master's near-death state to finally take command. Megatron was then summoned by [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], who offered him a new body, a warship and new troops to command, so long as he destroyed the [[Autobot]] [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Megatron reluctantly accepted and was upgraded into '''Galvatron''', a more fearsome and powerful warrior, while his former troops were similarly [[Reformatting|reformatted]].

[[File:TFTM-strangle.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Nothing can save you, Autobot, except maybe the powerful artifact around my neck! But that'll never happen.]]
alvatron, eager to take revenge on the one who had cast him into the void, first took his new troops to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]; upon arrival, they crashed Starscream's coronation as the Decepticon leader. Galvatron dismissed the ceremony as “bad comedy” before transforming to his new cannon mode and reducing Starscream to ash with a single blast. The [[Decepticon]]s quickly fell in line behind Galvatron, but it was not long after that he witnessed Unicron devour one of Cybertron's moons. Infuriated by this affront, Galvatron's rage was met with agony induced by Unicron. Reminded of his new place, Galvatron was forced to quell his fury for the time being. Galvatron then led the Decepticons to Earth in a second attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], hitting the few remaining Autobots in full-force. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] led him away from Earth, and Galvatron chased him to the [[Junkion (planet)|Planet of Junk]], where he defeated Magnus and took the Matrix, intending to use it against Unicron.

Galvatron could not open the Matrix, and as punishment for his treachery, Unicron transformed and began tearing Cybertron apart. Horrified, Galvatron transformed to cannon emplacement mode and opened fire on Unicron, but his shots had no effect and the dark god swallowed him whole. Inside Unicron's belly, he met up with [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]]. Though he initially suggested an alliance with the young Autobot against the mutual threat of his master, the Chaos Bringer again mentally tortured Galvatron for his attempted treachery and then forced him to attack Hot Rod. Hot Rod eventually managed to wrest the Matrix away from Galvatron and open it, leading to his transformation into Rodimus Prime. Flush with new power, Rodimus hurled Galvatron from inside Unicron and into deep space. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Galvatron’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]]."}}

But this would not be the end of Galvatron.

[[File:FFOD2 Scourge rescuing Galvatron.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|He'll never be let back into this country club ever again.]]
The weakened Decepticons were subsequently routed by the Autobots and forced off Cybertron, relocating to the burned-out world of [[Chaar]]. After eking out a living there in energy-deprived squalor for some time, they were visited by [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]], who'd finally decided to return the Decepticons to glory by seeking out the lost Galvatron.{{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

They found him sunk in a lava pit on the distant planet [[Thrull]] and managed to free him. However, the effects of the "plasma bath" irrevocably altered Galvatron's sanity chips, rendering him omnicidally insane. Upon regaining his freedom, he thrashed Cyclonus and Scourge and sundered Thrull. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} Told that the [[human]]s and Autobots had collaborated to build a space station as Earth's first line of defense, he was highly amused, and headed for the nearest [[warp gate]]. On reaching [[Outpost One]], he and his men attacked the station, quickly destroying it and coincidentally damaging the shuttle piloted by [[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]. Galvatron spotted the shuttle making a break for [[Jupiter]], and demanded the heads of the Autobots as souvenirs. With one blast, he destroyed the ship, but the two occupants had escaped and began plummeting into the planet's atmosphere. One [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]], blasted by Wheelie, cried out to Galvatron to save him, but was only told to meet his end with dignity. Galvatron then blasted a nearby storm cell, causing an implosion.

[[File:FFOD2 Galvatron sparks.JPG|thumb|upright=1.66|Plasma is the Sniffling, Sneezing, Coughing, Aching, Stuffy-head, Fever, So-You-Can-Bwaah! medicine.]]
{{bigquote|It's music! The symphony of destruction and the anthem of agony!|Galvatron loves an atmospheric implosion|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}}
Believing the Autobots to be destroyed, Galvatron ordered Cyclonus to take him to [[Chaar]]. He was shocked at the conditions that the Decepticon army were forced to live under, and was even more surprised to be told by [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] that the bulk of the Decepticon forces had left under new leadership. Incensed, he announced that he was the leader of the Decepticons, and the usurpers would pay. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} He and his loyal men swiftly found the rest of the Decepticons fighting the Autobots on [[Goo Number 8739-B]], and Galvatron swiftly ordered an attack. When Cyclonus inquired who they were attacking, Galvatron simply replied "everyone". After making [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] beg for his life, Galvatron succeeded in regaining the loyalty of his troops, and turned his attention on those who had usurped him in the first place—the [[Quintesson]]s. The Quintessons attempted to negotiate, successfully bluffing Galvatron with stories of a [[Decepticon Matrix|Decepticon Matrix of Leadership]] which they would give him if he destroyed the Autobots down on Goo. Although he tried, the Autobots were snatched from danger by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]. Still, he got to destroy Goo, and the Quintessons were subsequently able to persuade him to join forces with them to destroy both the Autobots and the humans.

[[File:FFOD5 Galvatron lever.jpg|left|thumb|Oooooh, what does this bu-tton dooo?]]
Plans were swiftly drawn to attack simultaneously on Earth and Cybertron. On Earth, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s constructed [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] from a human city, while a decoy human shuttle was crashed into the central power facility on Cybertron, knocking out the planet's defences. Galvatron himself led the attack on Cybertron, unaware that the Quintessons plotted against him. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} The battle going well, Galvatron sent Blitzwing to give a status report to their allies, but was angered when the triple-changer returned a short time later to say that not only had he not given the status report, but there was no Decepticon Matrix. Blitzwing was soon sent hurtling towards the Autobots. Galvatron soon followed the Autobots and the now-traitorous Blitzwing to a chamber deep inside Cybertron, where a [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]] had been about to pull a [[large switch|lever]]. Convinced that the switch had something to do with the Decepticon Matrix, Galvatron pulled it himself—and every [[Transformer]] in the [[galaxy]] shut down. Fortunately the human [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] destroyed the switch, returning the Transformers to life. Though Galvatron chased the Quintessons, they swiftly escaped in a pod. He was then prevented from blasting Rodimus by Blitzwing, and angrily told the [[Triple Changer]] that he was no longer welcome in the ranks of the Decepticons before ordering a retreat. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

[[File:Chaos Galvatron cannon.jpg|thumb|The Decepticon palette was out of everything but purple.]]
Informed by [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] of a new type of ammunition, [[death crystal]]s, Galvatron went to planet [[Dread (planet)|Dread]], where the crystals originated, intending to carry out a new plan—build a [[Death crystal cannon|cannon]] which would fire death crystals at Cybertron. He found a ready-made work force in [[Dread slaves|the slaves]] left behind by the [[Orb]]s, and soon had a giant cannon constructed. Just as all was ready, a group of Autobots, led to the planet by [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]], attacked the installation. [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] was able to keep them busy while he lined up for a shot at Cybertron, however Kup was also keeping busy, freeing the slaves and waking the monster [[Chaos (alien)|Chaos]]. During the confusion of the slave revolt, Kup used the death crystal cannon to destroy Chaos and causing the volcano to erupt. Galvatron was last seen fleeing the swiftly moving lava. {{storylink|Chaos (episode)|Chaos}}

While hunting an Autobot shuttle through space, Galvatron and his lieutenants managed to utterly destroy the ship. Not one to fall for the [[The Transformers: The Movie|same trick]] twice, Galvatron continued searching the area until the Decepticons detected the shuttle's lifepod flying towards an enormous structure. This "funeral barge" carried in it the deactivated bodies of the Autobots who died during the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. Galvatron and his lieutenants pursued Rodimus Prime's crew into the barge, but were driven off by the sudden arrival of Optimus Prime, seemingly back from the dead. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}}

[[File:FightOrFlee Galvatron orders.jpg|thumb|left|Galvatron strangles the Invisible Swordsman.]]
When Scourge and Cyclonus alerted him to the location of a pacifistic and energon-rich world known as [[Paradron]], Galvatron saw a perfect opportunity for conquest. The Decepticon invasion of Paradron was brief but brutal, and the populace was converted into slave labor. One Paradronian Transformer named [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] escaped and brought the Autobots back to free his people. Eventually the Autobots detonated the planet's primary energon core, destroying the planet itself and driving off Galvatron's troops. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}}

Following his defeat by [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], Trypticon had been sent to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]] for recuperation. When the Decepticon fueler [[Octane]] removed him, Galvatron went looking for the missing duo and found them consorting with humans in [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]]. He was ready to annihilate the "traitor" Octane for defying his orders, but Octane quickly explained that the purefied Carbombyan oil made for a super-energon mixture, powerful enough to recharge Trypticon (and, hopefully, make him larger than a small Combiner again). Galvatron took control of the nation by removing [[Abdul Fakkadi (G1)|Abdul Fakkadi]] (Supreme Military Commander, President-for-Life, and King of Kings of the Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya) from office and locked him and his troops up in a cage. Despite being more powerful from the Energon created from Carbombya, the Decepticons were still defeated and forced to retreat. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

[[File:GhostInTheMachine Galvatron smoking.jpg|thumb|Spontaneous combustion? What the hell is th—]]
Galvatron apparently reverted to his original assessment of Octane after this debacle, and drove him out of the Decepticons. When Octane began running cargo for the Autobots, he even sent the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] and a [[Skuxxoid|freelance thug]] out to assassinate the traitor. Eventually, Cyclonus and the Sweeps seemingly plucked Octane from the Autobots' grasp on Cybertron itself, and brought him to Chaar for Galvatron to interrogate. Using the information he "coerced" from Octane, Galvatron caught Rodimus Prime alone and engaged him in single combat. Unfortunately, the whole thing was a ruse set up by Octane and Starscream's ghost, who was possessing Cyclonus at the time. Galvatron was abandoned in the presence of Rodimus, Ultra Magnus and a full Autobot battle group. In what was surely an epic battle (that we sadly didn't see a minute of), Galvatron ultimately escaped and made his way back to Chaar, deposing the usurpers and seemingly driving off the ghost of Starscream. {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}}

Upon learning that the Autobots intended to host a first annual peace conference on Cybertron, Galvatron was dead set against letting their plans succeed. Despite several sabotage attempts by the Combaticons, Cyclonus and the Sweeps, though, the conference went through as planned. {{storylink|Surprise Party}}

[[File:Dirge AlmostDeath.jpg|thumb|left]]
Despite Galvatron's earlier attempts to be rid of him, Starscream's ghost returned to plague the Decepticons again. He partnered with Scourge against the Decepticons, kidnapped [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], and even stole one of Trypticon's eyes, leaving Galvatron even more infuriated than usual at this constant undermining of his operations. When Starscream returned once more and possessed Trypticon himself, it was the last straw, and Galvatron led a full Decepticon battle group after "Trypticon" to Cybertron. The fighting was fruitless, and eventually the Decepticons limped away, having exhausted all their weaponry. Not long thereafter, Galvatron's [[particle cannon]] had apparently recharged, because he took several parting shots at Starscream while his "ghost" tumbled uncontrollably through space. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}}

[[File:GalvatronWebworld.jpg|thumb|Well, that's all wrapped up...]]
Although Galvatron led the Decepticons on many wacky adventures against the Autobots throughout [[2006]], his insanity would usually lead to each mission ending in failure. (He loved shooting his own troops, for instance.) At one point, his derangement became so severe, the Decepticon "union officials" [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], Motormaster and [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] threatened to strike. The perpetually loyal Cyclonus was left little choice but to dupe Galvatron into taking therapy sessions (albeit by force) on [[Torkulon]], the therapy planet. After nearly murdering an attendant during a word-association session and somehow building a gun in an arts and crafts class, Galvatron was deemed incurable by conventional methods. The doctors attempted to use living extensions of the planet to give him a lobotomy (much to Cyclonus's disapproval), but Galvatron broke free and murdered the sentient organic core of Torkulon. While the planet's core was connected to Galvatron's mind the planet began to go mad, with several of the organic planets functions going out of control. After that, he razed the entire planet's civilization, leaving them so broken it would take centuries to rebuild. After his connection to the planet he appeared to have regained some of his sanity. {{storylink|Webworld}}

[[File:Carnage CMinor Galvatron Soundwave Allegra.jpg|left|thumb]]
A new plan saw the Constructicons building engines into the side of a comet, with the intention to crash it into Metroplex on Earth. Unsurprisingly the engines were destroyed by the Autobots before they could even be fired up, however the comet was set on course to a nearby world. The comet was shortly obliterated by [[Harmony|sound waves]] emanating from the planet, also causing the Transformers present to plummet to its surface. Galvatron took [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]], intending to find the source of the sonic weapon and use it against the Autobots. Although the Autobots reached the city first, meeting with the leader of [[Eurythma]], the two Decepticons eavesdropped and were able to establish that they needed to talk to [[Allegra]]. After dropping a bridge on the Autobots, Galvatron and Soundwave were able to talk Allegra into giving them her part of the harmony, and then obtained the other two parts of the harmony in quick succession. The Decepticons headed for Earth to attack Metroplex. Unfortunately Soundwave's attempt to use the destructive harmony were thwarted by the [[Eurythman]]s' use of [[anti-sound]]. The Decepticons retreated, though Galvatron raged that he hadn't ordered it. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}}

[[File:BigBroadcast Galvatron with static.jpg|thumb|I'm sure this can only be a good thing.]]
Galvatron was in one of his more obstinate moods when Astrotrain came to Chaar reporting on how the Junkions had apparently turned against the Autobots. Even when Cyclonus began advocating for intervention on the matter, Galvatron still couldn't bring himself to care. Eventually the hypnotic [[television]] signals being beamed to the Junkions to alter their behavior made their way to Galvatron, along with the rest of the galaxy. He was subliminally drawn into a massive conflict in the skies over the planet of Junk, all part of a Quintesson ploy to create a massive diversion and recover one of their lost journals from Junk. Only after [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] jammed the signal did the television stop "bewitching" Galvatron. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}} When [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] later happened across that same Quintesson journal, Galvatron joined Cyclonus and the Sweeps in an effort to steal the journal away from both the Autobots and the Quintessons. It played like a game of hot potato for a while, but ultimately the Autobots got the journal and the Decepticons just gave up. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}}

[[File:Dweller-in-the-depths-decepticons-aiming.jpg|left|thumb]]
One day, Galvatron was in the middle of a morale speech for his troops (re: right about to blast the closest Sweeps into stray particles for sheer pique), when he was interrupted by Quintesson visitors. After his last few dealings with the creatures, Galvatron was ready to blast these Quintessons all the same, but they gave him a gentle lecture about the unfairness of stereotyping which somehow convinced Galvatron to listen to the tentacled freaks. Galvatron brought Cyclonus and the five Sweeps with him to Cybertron, following the Quintessons' directions to the Autobots' new [[power core]] beneath the planet's surface. Searching for the power core, the Decepticons inadvertently let loose the monstrous [[Trans-Organic]]s and the massive energy-draining [[Dweller (G1)|Dweller]]. The Dweller began leeching the life from Galvatron's troops one by one as they tried to flee from the creature. Galvatron showed his heart-felt respect for Cyclonus by throwing all the Sweeps into the creature's path ''first''. He even paused for a moment to look back when the Dweller finally caught Cyclonus as well. Galvatron didn't actually try to ''help'' or anything, but I'm sure Cyclonus would have appreciated the thought alone. {{storylink|The Dweller in the Depths}}

[[File:G1 UltimateWeapon UltimateWeapon!.jpg|thumb|Decepticons, I have found the remote control!]]
Thanks to his plasma damage, Galvatron's sanity really had its ups and down. He was arguably on an upswing during a series of assaults on human and Autobot positions in [[Europe]]. Using the attacks as a diversion, Galvatron sent Swindle to infiltrate Metroplex and steal his [[Transformation cog (biology)|transforming cog]], leaving the city-bot helpless for a rematch with Trypticon. In addition, he began taunting the insecure leader Rodimus Prime with his so-called "[[Ultimate Weapon]]", a doomsday device just waiting to be unleashed. As well thought-out and cunning as this scheme may have been, it ultimately fell apart. The Autobots stole Galvatron's idea by taking Trypticon's transforming cog just as Swindle had stolen Metroplex's. Rodimus Prime eventually wised up about the "Ultimate Weapon" as well: he called Galvatron's bluff and forced the Decepticon leader to admit he was holding nothing more than a 7-2 off-suit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

[[File:FaceOfNijika Galvatron lock.jpg|left|thumb]]
Deep in space, Galvatron was attempting to surpass a Quintesson [[quadrant lock]] when the Quintessons and several Autobots interrupted his efforts. In one of his more manic phases at the time, Galvatron chose to stake his claim by hurling Cyclonus face-first through the lock once the Quintessons began to open it. {{storylink|The Face of the Nijika}}

Galvatron once attempted to destroy the Autobots by feeding [[anti-electron]]s into their new power generator. The initial attempt failed, so the Decepticons tried to raid Unicron's head for a new source of anti-electrons inside the planet-eater's brain. The Autobots arrived shortly after Galvatron's team, so he sent his new [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]] beasts to occupy the heroes. Galvatron was undone by his own scheming, as the anti-electrons had temporarily turned the Dinobot [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] into a super-intelligent genius. Grimlock built a new team of Autobot warriors called [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] from scratch, right inside Unicron's head. The Technobots were skilled enough to destroy Galvatron's new source of anti-electrons, and drive off the Terrorcons' combined form of [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]]. {{storylink| Grimlock's New Brain}}

[[File:CallPrimitives Galvatron and Cyclonus in space.jpg|thumb|"Okay, how the hell did I fit in you?!" "I don't know mighty Galvatron, but I wish you'd try more often."]]
In a major fight with the Autobots, a large number of Galvatron's troops began staring off into space in the middle of the battle. He lost some of his best soldiers to this effect, like Trypticon, the Predacons, the Terrorcons, Soundwave's [[Mini-Cassette]]s...okay, maybe not the Cassettes, but the rest were important. Galvatron ended the fight to go chasing after the deserters, only to be caught by the power of [[Tornedron]] and drained of all his energy. It was only thanks to the fleeing [[Primitive]]s that Tornedron's effect was eventually reversed. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

[[File:Matrix burden 1.jpg|thumb|left|Who are YOU gonna call?]]
Galvatron was very pleased when [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] returned from a scouting mission on Earth, having beaten Rodimus Prime and claimed the Matrix of Leadership itself. Galvatron tried to load the Matrix into his particle cannon as a power source, but instead of energy blasts, it summoned the [[Ancient Autobots|ghosts of departed Autobot leaders]]. They spooked Galvatron into getting rid of the Matrix, but his underling Scourge claimed the Matrix for himself and managed to magnify his powers a thousandfold. Scourge used his newfound might to overthrow Galvatron and the loyal Cyclonus, temporarily claiming control of the Decepticons. Galvatron and Cyclonus eventually recovered and came to Earth just after Scourge lost the Matrix back to Rodimus Prime. After a few quick particle blasts for emphasis, though, Galvatron soon accepted Scourge back into the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Prime Galvatron.JPG|thumb|"Just like the good old times, isn't it Prime?" "There were no good times, ya creep."]]
Galvatron and the Decepticons had arrived early to reserve their seats at a football stadium, when [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] flew in with news that Optimus Prime's body had been preserved at a nearby laboratory. Unfortunately, the Decepticons arrived just in time to be infected by the outbreak of the [[Hate Plague]]. Galvatron fled when his warriors turned crazed. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} Half-mad to begin with at the best of times, Galvatron soon learned that even the one-eyed man cannot always rule the kingdom of the blind, and found himself on the run from half the galaxy. However, despite his insanity, he teamed up with the resurrected Optimus Prime to stop the [[Hate Plague]]. Galvatron wound up becoming infected by the plague and attempted to kill an unconscious Optimus Prime with an axe. Optimus woke up in the nick of time and opened the Matrix directly in Galvatron's face. The wisdom of the Matrix not only cured the universe of the Hate Plague, it cured Galvatron's madness as well. Well, kinda. Grateful, Galvatron sanely declared, "There will be no war today, Optimus. You have earned Galvatron's respect," and called a brief truce. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

[[File:Rebirth 3 Decepticons Hive.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.3]]
In [[2007]], Galvatron called off the truce and led an assault on Autobot City, searching for the Key to the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]]. The Decepticons succeeded in stealing the key and promptly headed to Cybertron. As Galvatron lead the attack directly, Scourge was ordered to activate the chamber but the Plasma Energy overloaded his circuitry, leaving a group of Autobots to recover the key and promptly be spirited halfway across the galaxy as a result of the plasma energy. Coming across Scourge's inactive form, an infuriated Galvatron was inclined to kill the deactivated Decepticon but [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] and Cyclonus convinced their leader to stay his hand, if only to learn what happened to the key. After Scourge recounted what had occurred, Galvatron ignored his minion's warnings about the danger of the Plasma Energy and ordered him to rectify his mistake by recovering the key. Galvatron then commanded Cyclonus and about a dozen other Decepticons accompany Scourge to ensure the mission's success. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}}

Although seemingly lucid during this period, he had formulated what was perhaps his most genocidal and unbalanced scheme ever: having converted Cybertron into a galactic dreadnought, Galvatron maneuvered it into Earth's orbit, planning to release the Plasma Energy Chamber's payload into Earth's [[sun]]. The resulting supernova would wipe both Earth and Cybertron off the face of the galaxy, presumably leaving Galvatron to gain mastery over everything left. Grudgingly teamed with the Transformer-[[Nebulan]] hybrid [[Scorponok (G1)|Lord Zarak]], Galvatron was eventually defeated and sent tumbling through space, ushering Cybertron into a new [[Golden Age]]. After regaining control, Galvatron vowed to collect energy from disparate corners of the galaxy and return to Cybertron: "We will attack other planets, we will suck them dry! We will build a planet a hundred times more powerful than Cybertron, and I will rule the galaxy!" Zarak made it clear he intended it to be a "we" leadership. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}
{{--}}

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

==Madman ''The Transformers'' comic==
After briefly touching the Matrix of Leadership, the youthful Autobot [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] was given a vision. In it, he saw an older version of himself doing battle with a mysterious, powerful Decepticon (Galvatron). {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}
{{--}}

==Rodimus vs. Cyclonus==
After terminating [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] on the [[Junkion (planet)|Planet of Junk]], Galvatron ordered [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] to wipe out the rest of the Autobots. He suggested they make a game of it and whoever returned to him with the most heads won. Alas, this competition undermined his goal and Cyclonus and Scourge spent more time trying to sabotage each other than actually killing anybody.{{storylink|Rodimus vs. Cyclonus}}
{{--}}

==Japanese cartoon continuity==
{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in this timeline as above, except that the events following ''The Transformers: The Movie'' are pushed back to [[2010]] (creating a five-year gap between Galvatron's creation and his return), and the events of "The Rebirth" do not occur. The Japanese animated continuity subsequently adds several new adventures into the timeline, both during the Generation 1 cartoon and after it, as detailed below.}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
{{Main|Galvatron (G1)#Beast Wars cartoon}}

===''Kiss Players''===
After being hurled out of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] and into space by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]], Galvatron's flight path was disrupted by the [[Sparkbot]]s, a trio of Unicron's servants who were already working to resurrect their master. {{storylink|Kiss Players episode 51|Kiss Players #51}} The Decepticon leader crash-landed on the planet [[Earth]], obliterating the city of [[Tokyo]]. This catastrophic loss of life destroyed [[Human]]-[[Transformer]] relations and led to the formation of the [[Earth Defense Command]], a governmental organization which drove Transformers from the face of the planet. Appropriating Galvatron's remains, the EDC reverse-engineered a fleet of human-operated "[[Autorooper]]" Transformers to perform this task.

As 2006 settled in, Galvatron's impact was revealed to have had an even greater effect than anyone had expected: The blast caused by his impact had scattered his Unicron-empowered cells throughout the planet's atmosphere. When his cells came into contact with other objects and animals, they fused with them, creating an army of monstrous creatures referred to as "[[Legion (KP)|Legion]]". This disastrous event also created the means to defend the world against Legion, however: When Galvatron's cells came into contact with human beings, these humans gained the ability to fuse with other entities containing his cells. With their Autoroopers being the perfect candidates for this "[[Parasitech]]" fusion process, the EDC began recruiting and training these "[[Kiss Player]]s" as combat squads to battle the Legion.

Seeking to uncover the ulterior motives of EDC Commander [[Hitoshizuku Amaō]], Kiss Players [[Marissa Faireborn]], [[Shaoshao Li]] and [[Atari Hitotonari]] discovered the remains of Galvatron beneath the EDC headquarters. Amaō's plan to use the Legions to resurrect her daughter, who had died in Galvatron's impact, was foiled when all the Legions and Autoroopers fused with Galvatron's corpse, restoring his cells and reconstituting his body. Galvatron's body was shot back into space, where it went on to crash on Thrull. {{storylink|I, You, and the Spinning Earth}}

===e-HOBBY comics===
Starscream reminisced about the time Galvatron blew him into oblivion. He remarked that Galvatron was particularly bad-mannered. Oh, and insane. {{storylink|MP-3G Destron Air Commander / Starscream Ghost Ver.}}

===''The Battle of the Star Gate''===
The ghost of Starscream recounted to his younger, aliver self the events that led to his death at Galvatron's hands. {{storylink|The Battle of the Star Gate}}

===''Macrocosmic Seekers''===
[[File:United Expanded Story 8.jpg|thumb]]
Galvatron and the Decepticons intercepted a transmission about the Autobots picking up a rare treasure on [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]]. Unaware that the "treasure" was merely a lost piece of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s armor, and held only sentimental value, Galvatron launched an attack to retrieve it. {{storylink|Unending Battle}}

As the battle raged, an exiled [[Quintesson]] known as the [[Seeker (United)|Seeker]] arrived on Junk, and captured Galvatron and the other Transformers for his private collection. They were teleported aboard a massive transparent treasure ship for storage and viewing. {{Storylink|A Treasure Lost}} The Seeker wished to study the unique reformatting process undergone by Galvatron and his minions. They were placed inside stasis chamber and time itself rewound around them to the very moment that [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] transformed them into what they had become. {{storylink|Eternal Moment}}

A Junkion named [[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]] freed the captives, and Galvatron discovered his body transformed by the Seeker's manipulations, giving a new tank mode and dramatically increased power. The Transformers began their escape before their "host" could place them back in stasis. {{Storylink|Time to Move}} The Seeker himself had evolved into a state of pure information, and the more of his treasure ship was destroyed, the more information that made up his being was lost. Eventually, the Seeker winked out of existence as his ship sustained more damage than it could hold. {{storylink|Those Who Resist}}

As the Autobots and Decepticons prepared to return to their respective armies, the last of the Seeker's extra energy faded from Galvatron and the others. Although the two groups had worked side by side during the crisis, the old arguments quickly rose anew and the factions parted with only a momentary truce. {{Storylink|A Treasure's True Worth}}
{{--}}

===''Generations Selects Special Comic''===
[[File:Selects 2011.jpg|thumb|upright=2|left|[[2011]]. [[Unicron]].]]
In [[2011]], Galvatron and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] led a joint Autobot/Decepticon coalition to seal [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] within the [[Triple Z Point]] before he could resurrect using the bodies of his [[Acolyte of Unicron|disciples]]. Galvatron bade Prime use the [[Matrix of Leadership]] on the enemy, but he explained it was still recharging on [[Earth]], having been spent eradicating the [[Hate Plague]]. Optimus lamented he did not have another Matrix on hand... and then suddenly the two leaders were summoned before [[Primus]]. {{storylink|Super Megatron comic 1}}

[[File:Blue Planet Generations.jpg|thumb|310px|[[Precursor World|Not 2011]]. [[Vok|Not Unicron]].]]
Galvatron was shown his own [[The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg|imminent demise]] by Primus and then deposited in orbit around an [[Blue Planet (GS)|unfamiliar blue world]] under attack from an [[Vok|unknown enemy]] and its swarm of [[Novaroid]]s. The being gifted Prime a new [[Silver Matrix]] filled with the "[[Star Power|power of stars]]" and tasked him with "restoring this world's proper history" before disappearing. This "Star Power" accelerated Prime into the form of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#The Battlestars manga and story pages|Star Convoy]], who then soared off shouting heroic nonsense and obediently annihilating the Novaroid swarm with his newfound power. {{storylink|Star Convoy comic}}

Desiring the power of stars to avert his upcoming death, Galvatron began ripping apart the wreckage and devouring Novaroid components. He was soon rescued by a passing [[Seacon (BW)|space pirate]] [[photon sailer|ship]], and its captains, [[Halfshell]] and [[Turtler]], made him an offer: passage on their vessel and access to the same Star Power that upgraded Optimus Prime in return for his reservoir of [[Angolmois Energy]]. Indignant at these alleged [[Decepticon]]s' lack of respect for their [[Emperor of Destruction]], Galvatron nonetheless took the deal and was placed in a stasis chamber. Halfshell then siphoned the Angolmois Energy from the Galvatron to upgrade Turtler into a more formidable body. {{storylink|Seacons comic 1}}

Worrying rumbling emanated from Galvatron's chamber throughout the subsequent throwdown between Star Convoy and King Poseidon until Halfshell made the mistake of admitting they had no intention of upgrading Galvatron. {{storylink|Seacons comic 4}} In response, the chamber burst open! The rapidly reformatting Galvatron explained he no longer had need of the pirates as he had managed to "resonate" with the Star Power implanted within Optimus Prime on his own. This new being announced he had attained the power of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#The Battlestars manga and story pages|his own future]], {{storylink|Seacons comic 5}} the power of... [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Generations Selects Special Comic (1)|Super Megatron]]! {{storylink|Super Megatron comic 1}}

Many battles and many super modes later, Star Convoy managed to knock the near-omnipotent [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Generations Selects Special Comic (1)|Gold Megatron]] all the way back down to his natural state. As Galvatron nursed the hangover of two universes, the similarly depowered Optimus Prime had Primus's diminutive core form Oracle transport them back to 2011. Galvatron blearily looked on as Optimus used the little god's power to seal Unicron's physical form for good and Oracle departed, taking the duo's memories of the whole affair with him. {{storylink|Generations Selects Special Comic Finale|Finale}}
{{--}}

===''The Headmasters'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Seizō Katō]] (Japanese)|[[Rik Thomas]] (English, Omni Productions dub), [[Yu Deyuan]] (Chinese), [[Mario Zucca]] (Italian), [[Víctor Mares]] (Latin-American Spanish), [[Mikhail Chernyak]] (Russian)}}
[[File:FourWarriors Galvatron abuses Skullcruncher.jpg|thumb|left|BEG FOR MERCY!]]
In [[2011]], a side effect of releasing the Matrix's energy to cure the Hate Plague was revealed when the mega-computer [[Vector Sigma]] began to destabilize. Seeking to exploit this imbalance, Galvatron attacked Cybertron, his forces now bolstered by the addition of new [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] warriors from the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. When encountering the Dinobots, Galvatron ordered Mindwipe to use his hypno powers to put them to sleep. However Skullcruncher got in the way and fell asleep. Galvatron was peeved at Skullcruncher and abused him. Galvatron engaged Optimus Prime and Jazz in battle but was forced to run. Soon after Galvatron ordered Mindwipe to use his hypnotic powers to stop the Dinobots (again) and the Throttlebots but a [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|giant spaceship]] appeared and four Autobot Headmaster warriors came from the ship and stopped them from going any further. They introduced themselves as the Autobots Headmaster warriors [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]], [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]], and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]]. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

While the arrival of the team of Autobot Headmasters repelled the invasion, Galvatron attempted to stop Fortress Maximus after he beat four of the best Decepticon combiners but was beaten and forced to temporarily retreat. It was then revealed that the Matrix was hidden somewhere on Earth, recharging, and the race began to acquire it and use it to gain control over Vector Sigma. Soon after the race began, [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] fought and killed each other. Galvatron was not happy. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

Galvatron later visited the Decepticon base on Earth to find out what Hot Rod was after. [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] asked Galvatron if [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] was suitable to lead to troops at the base, leading Galvatron to suspect Cyclonus had a treacherous plan until Cyclonus reaffirmed his loyalty. After finding out that Hot Rod was after the Matrix, Galvatron, the Decepticon Headmasters and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] went to stop him. Galvatron got the Matrix but Chromedome knocked it out of his hand a second later. Galvatron was also attacked by [[Computron (G1)|Computron]]. Hot Rod ultimately succeeded in obtaining the Matrix and becoming Rodimus Prime again, and he and Optimus Prime joined forces to defeat Galvatron. Though beaten in battle, Galvatron did at least take solace in the fact that Optimus Prime once again met his end. Only the Autobots that were there seemed to care that he was dead. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

Later Galvatron decided to have another crack at taking control of Vector Sigma by creating the [[Madmachine]]. To aid him in this plan he revived Soundwave as Soundblaster using [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s Transtector technology. Galvatron then ordered Sixshot to test the Madmachine on Metroplex. Following the test's successful completion, he ordered Sixshot to retreat. Galvatron had the Madmachine and the Decepticon Headmasters sent to Cybertron to take control of Vector Sigma. He gave control of it to Soundblaster, however Galvatron's base on Charr was invaded by Blaster who had been revived as Twincast. The Autobot destroyed the Control in Soundblaster's chest. This allowed the Autobot Headmasters to destroy the Madmachine. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}.

[[File:HM7 Galvatron meets Scorponok.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Galvatron occupied planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] and took most of the civilians, known as [[Beastformer (species)|Beastformers]], prisoner, except for those who would follow him. Galvatron was informed by [[Alligatron]] of Fortress Maximus's arrival on Beast. Galvatron ordered the Beastformers and Decepticons to destroy the Autobots. When Rodimus arrived Galvatron showed up and battled Rodimus. Cyclonus and Scourge tried to help but damaged Galvatron instead. Galvatron continued to fight Rodimus but was forced into retreat after Fortress Maximus came and attacked him. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}.

After the failure of losing Beast, Galvatron created a meteorite nicknamed [[Metamorphose]], intended to destroy Athenia. No Transformer could approach it, as it knocked them out with electrical overload. Its first victims were the Aerialbots, who were temporarily deactivated when they approached it. Then the Throttlebots became victims. However, the Autobots had [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]], a human who was not affected by it. While Fortress and the other Autobot Headmasters distracted the Decepticons, Daniel sneaked into Metamorphose and disabled it, saving Athenia and once again foiling Galvatron's plans. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}}

[[File:Cybertonuronsword.jpg|left|thumb|Excalibur, BE MY STRENGTH!]]
Galvatron was getting unhappy about his troops' failures and was starting to lose his composure. Cyclonus tried to calm his leader down by reaffirming his loyalty how the mighty Galvatron never fails. However, this did not calm Galvatron down. When Scourge informed Galvatron that Decepticon Headmaster leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] had arrived, Galvatron started blaming the Decepticon Headmasters for his failures as well. Then, from the shadows, Scorponok explained that he had a plan to stop the Autobot Headmasters. Galvatron approved, but only after blaming him for the loss of Planet Beast. When the plan failed, Galvatron himself arrived. He and the Decepticon Headmasters almost defeated the Autobots, but Rodimus Prime, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Trainbot]]s arrived and outnumbered them, forcing Galvatron to retreat. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

Later a [[Sixshot (G1)|shadowy figure]] appeared on TV and demanded Earth's energy. Cyclonus and Scourge suggested that when the shadowy figure would get the energy, they should take it from him. After an argument between them Galvatron approved the plan. Galvatron later found out that their plan failed and that they stole Trypticon, who had been damaged in a fight with the Autobot Headmasters and [[Raiden]]. He was far from happy. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}}

[[File:Sosfromsandra magnus pwns galvy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Sanctuary!!! Sanctuary!!! Sanctuary!!!]]
After many failed attempts to control Cybertron, Galvatron set his sights on [[Cybertonuron]], a powerful new alloy being developed by Vector Sigma. The Decepticon Headmaster leader, Scorponok, advocated the destruction of the alloy to prevent the Autobots from obtaining it, but when Galvatron refused to consider the notion, Scorponok took matters into his own hands and had powerful bombs planted in Vector Sigma's chamber. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} Scorponok told Galvatron what he had done, and the enraged Decepticon leader ran into the chamber to try and stop the explosion, only to be caught in the blast. Cybertron was reduced to a burnt-out husk, and Galvatron was left missing in action. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

Galvatron was thought dead for some time, and during his absence, Scorponok proclaimed himself the new Decepticon leader, only for Galvatron to turn up alive and well during his coronation. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Under his leadership, the Decepticons attempted to stop the Autobots from assisting [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]], but failed. {{Storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}} Needing copious amounts of energy for his [[Grand Galvatron|endgame]], Galvatron first distracted the Autobots, then set off with his troops in MegaZarak, Scorponok's gigantic transtector. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} They attempted to plunder [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but the planet's natives and the Autobots were able to repel them. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} They then went to [[Twin Star|Sperity]], but were fooled into thinking it was a desolate planet. {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} At [[Daros]], they formed an alliance with the planet's corrupt upper class, allowing them to gather much energy despite being chased away by the arriving Autobots. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} They also tried to target [[Paradise]] {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} and the [[proton energy]] of the [[Pirate Planet]], but were foiled by the Autobots both times. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[File:HM25 Galvatron disappears.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"Ice! My only weakness!"]]
After Galvatron returned to Earth, [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] came up with an idea to set [[Grand Galvatron|Galvatron's plan]] into action: wipe out the Autobots. Galvatron approved and had the Combaticons, the Terrorcons, the Stunticons and the Horrorcons sent with him to Earth. This plan resulted in the death of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon, Galvatron confided to Sixshot that he intended to use the energy he gathered as part of a process that would transform Earth into a new, all-powerful, Unicron-like body for him, dubbed "[[Grand Galvatron]]". Additionally, he explained that this process would require only the best components from his most powerful warriors, making it quite clear that he intended to sacrifice Sixshot and the other Decepticons for this insane ambition. Aghast, Sixshot betrayed Galvatron to Scorponok as quickly as possible, leaving the Decepticon leader alone to battle the Autobot Headmasters in Alaska. Thankfully for the Autobots, their double-agent [[Punch (G1)|Punch]] had eavesdropped on Galvatron and Sixshot's conversation, during which Galvatron had revealed that his head was his weakest point. With this information to aid them, the Headmasters entered [[Head Formation]] and laid Galvatron low, collapsing an iceberg on top of him and entombing him in ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

After this, Scorponok took control of the Decepticons again. In a meeting with the other Decepticons, he vowed to defeat the Autobots and control Earth in Galvatron's memory. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}
{{-}}

===''Unite Warriors''===
[[File:GalvatronsGhost-GrandGalvatronChapter.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The ghost of [[Galvatron II]] impersonates the ghost of Galvatron I.]]
Ten years after Galvatron's defeat and icy entombment at the hands of the [[Autobot]]s, [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] came to visit the site of his leader's downfall. There, the specter of [[Galvatron II|another Galvatron]] was able to make contact with Cyclonus. Using an illusion of Cyclonus's fallen master, this other Galvatron was able to trick Cyclonus into believing his master's ghost was alive, and the ghost of this other Galvatron forced itself upon Cyclonus, possessing his body as its new vessel. {{storylink|Grand Galvatron Chapter}} Eventually, the truth came to light that this ghost was not that of Cyclonus's Galvatron. {{storylink|Ruination Chapter, Part One}}

===''The Battlestars''===
Galvatron would remain buried in the ice for over fifteen years, until he was resurrected by [[Dark Nova]] as the new and improved [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#The Battlestars manga and story pages|Super Megatron]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 6}}

===''15 Go! Go!''===
[[File:TGGGalvatron.jpg|thumb|left|Crazy AND toy-accurate.]]
At some point after 2025, when Optimus Prime had been restored to life once more as Star Convoy, the mobile computer [[Teletraan 15]] traveled forward in time from 2005 to this era as part of a mission gather data to rebuild [[Teletraan I]]'s damaged databanks. During her visit, as Star Convoy and Hot Rod prepared to battle Ultra Megatron, a [[unspace|transwarp]] wormhole suddenly opened above the combatants, and a massive blast shot emerged from it and struck Hot Rod. Badly damaged, Hot Rod could barely warn his commander as Galvatron, appearing from some unknown spot in space and time, descended through the portal. Tearing Teletraan 15's arm off, {{storylink|Galvatron Volume}} Galvatron gripped the limb in his [[teeth]] as he maniacally throttled Hot Rod. Teletraan 15 passed out {{storylink|Galvatron Volume 2}} and woke up some time later with the outcome of the battle unknown, though she remained haunted by images of the crazed Decepticon clutching her limp and helpless friend. {{storylink|Galvatron Volume 3}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' Generations manga===
When the ghost of Starscream began making trouble in an alternate universe by possessing that reality's [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]], the Mirage of that universe figured the only way to get Starscream to leave was to scare him off. So Mirage projected a hologram of Galvatron, the one who killed Starscream in the first place. Terrified, Starscream left Onslaught's body and fled back to his home universe. {{storylink|Starscream's New Body}}

===''Legends'' comic===
When [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] visited the [[Legends World]], [[Megatron (BW)|the resident Megatron]] had never heard of him. [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], however, was well-versed in the outsider-Megatron's history and recounted the time he was turned into Galvatron. {{storylink|LG13 Megatron}} Galvatron's role in the battles on [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] was recounted in a rundown of the planet's history, {{storylink|LG51 Doublecross Prologue}} and the Decepticon [[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]] recalled both how Galvatron had recruited them with promises of power and how he had been defeated. {{storylink|LG61 Decepticon Clones}}

[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] later tricked Megatron into forming the head of a body that amplified his inherent evil, causing him to revert to his Galvatron personality. He thus claimed to be Galvatron once more while under the body's influence, but quickly proved able to resist it and remove his head, returning to being Megatron. {{storylink|LG23 Galvatron}} While Megatron refused to use the Galvatron body again, Tarantulas and [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] had [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] hypnotize him into it. Galvatron attacked [[Tokyo]] and defeated [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] before [[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] knocked his head off again. {{storylink|LG25 Blurr}} Galvatron was also present for the introduction of the Sweeps, and was curious about [[Sweep No. 4]]'s absence. It turned out he had let No. 4 die years earlier, and the Sweep literally came back to haunt him. {{storylink|LG-26 Scourge Prologue}}

The Galvatron body later resurfaced without a head, claiming it no longer needed Megatron. After it was defeated by [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] and [[Shūta Gō]], however, it was revealed that Tarantulas had merely been piloting it from within. {{storylink|LG29 Wheelie}} After developing resistance to his mind being manipulated, {{storylink|LG34 Mindwipe}} Megatron began using the transtector without becoming Galvatron. It was ultimately destroyed in a battle with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|LG43 Trypticon}}

==''TV Magazine'' comic continuity==
===''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''===
[[File:2010manga05-title.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|Maybe your attack on the Prime Energy Tower would be more successful if at least ''one'' of your soldiers was actually ''facing'' it.]]
Galvatron had plenty of devious schemes up his sleeve throughout 2010, opening with the nutty idea of a spaceship that ate other spaceships, which Rodimus Prime promptly blew up. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 1|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #1}}

Galvatron went back to his roots for his next scheme, creating a clone army of Megatrons that he dubbed the "[[Megatron Corps]]". Galvatron disguised himself as one of the Megatrons and controlled them remotely, making them an effective fighting force that the Autobots had trouble dealing with, until his disguise was penetrated and his control over the robots broken. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 2|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #2}}

He later attacked Autobot City with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], but was forced to retreat when [[Six-Gun]] destroyed Trypticon's controls with a blast from [[Brunt (G1)|Brunt]]. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 3|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #3}}

On one notable occasion, Galvatron challenged Rodimus Prime to a one-on-one duel in order to lure him into a trap set up in partnership with the Quintessons. In the middle of the fight, the Quintessons' newest creation, an Optimus Prime/Megatron hybrid robot known as [[Gilthor]], arrived to attack Rodimus, but Galvatron was shocked when Gilthor turned on him as well. Rodimus and Galvatron called a truce long enough for them to team up and destroy Gilthor, who, it was revealed, had been possessed by Starscream's ghost. With that threat dealt with, they called off the truce. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 4|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #4}}

Next, Galvatron attempted to steal the [[Prime Energy Tower]] of the planet [[Feminia]] with an all-out assault. The Autobots defended the tower, but were overwhelmed by Galvatron's unit of [[Combiner]]s; the scales tilted in his favor thanks to the presence of [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]]. Galvatron's victory was assued until the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]] arrived and toppled the Combiners. {{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:GreatTransformerWar01cover.jpg|thumb|left]]
Later in 2010, Galvatron kidnapped Doctor [[Dalton]], a brilliant scientist from the planet [[Eran]], but Dalton refused to work with the Decepticons and lent his aid to the Autobots instead, upgrading the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] so they could defeat the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1|The Great Transformer War #1}}

One of the Terrorcons' upgrades included a sticky goo that forced the Technobots into working for the Decepticons. Through the intervention of [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] the Technobots were freed and the Terrorcons defeated. Galvatron cursed the human for interfering, but declared that his next evil scheme would be one the Autobots would never forget. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 2|The Great Transformer War #2}}

After the resurrection of Optimus Prime and the curing of the Hate Plague, Galvatron hastily broke his vow that there would be no war, and he, Cyclonus and Scourge battled Prime, Hot Rod and [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] in space, only to be defeated. Galvatron immediately returned to [[Chaar]] and dispatched [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] to retrieve the Decepticon Headmasters, as he had need of them for his assault on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

===''The Headmasters'' comic===
[[File:Galvatron abandons Alligatron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|"FOILED AGAIN!"]]
On planet [[Chaar]], Galvatron ordered his [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s to head for planet [[Athenia]] and show the Autobots their "true power". Their "true power" involved trying to blow up the Battleship Maximus with a goofy explosive and failing. Galvatron was displeased. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Later, while [[White Leo]] was abset from [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], Galvatron made a second attempt to conquer it with the united forces of his Decepticons and the Decepticon [[Beastformer (species)|Beastformers]]. With the aid of [[Kane]], the Autobots and the Autobot Beastformers were able to hold the Decepticons off long enough for White Leo to return and send them into a retreat. Galvatron callously left [[Alligatron]] and the Decepticon Beastformers behind to face justice as he and his troops escaped into space. {{storylink|The Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}}

===''Super-God Masterforce'' comic===
Galvatron, believed to be buried alive in an iceberg, would return to menace the [[Headmaster Junior]]s with an army of legendary Decepticon warriors. "Galvatron" and all his troops were eventually revealed to be nothing more than holograms created by the Decepticon [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmasters]] to fool the Autobots. {{storylink|Burn, Chokon! New Commander Super Ginrai!}}

==''Wings Universe''==
{{Wingsnote}}
[[File:G2Redux-GalvatronCyclonusScourgeZarak.jpg|thumb|left]]
Following the rebirth of Cybertron's [[Golden Age]], Galvatron and Lord [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] led their Decepticon forces away from Earth and Cybertron. They attacked Zarak's homeworld of [[Nebulos]] and many other planets in deep space, with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and his Autobots in hot pursuit of them through the cosmos. By 2010, Galvatron had become aware of a new generation of 'Cons having arisen on Earth, and sent a small group of followers back to make contact with this [[Decepticon Syndicate]]. {{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}}

In [[2012]], the Autobot [[Sizzle (G1)|Sizzle]] experienced a [[forestonite]]-based vision of [[Megaplex|three]] [[Soundwave (MW)|shadowy]] [[Starscream (MW)|figures]] standing over the broken bodies of Optimus Prime and Galvatron. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 6}} Sizzle's prophetic vision soon came to pass with the dawn of the [[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]] the next year. The [[Cybertronian (faction)|clone armies]] of [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] attacked [[Sigma Seven]] and left Optimus and Galvatron comatose as they advanced toward Cybertron. {{storylink|Termination}}

A week later, the Machine Wars concluded on Cybertron, and a week after that, the Autobots, Decepticons, and Jhiaxus's clones signed the [[Pax Cybertronia]] at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] on Earth. [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] doubted that the comatose Galvatron would be pleased to hear of the peace treaty if and when he woke up and remarked that he would make sure that [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] was the one to deliver the news to Galvatron. {{storylink|A Common Foe}}

[[Tornado]] considered [[Squadron X]] leader [[Macabre]] to possess [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s strength, [[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Shockwave]]'s firepower, and Galvatron's crazy. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur}}

==Ask Vector Prime==
In [[Primax 903.0-M Lambda]], the ghost of [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] possessed the corpse of [[Skyquake (G1)|Skyquake]] and sought his vengeance against Galvatron during [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s New [[Golden Age]], resulting in the [[Machine Wars (event)|Machine Wars]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/27}}

In a wacky hybrid universe created by [[Gong (GoBots)|Gong]] and [[Sideways (AVP)|Sideways]], Unicron created Galvatron from a dying Megatron's body as usual. In ''this'' timeline, however, his minions were [[Deadlift]] and [[Fracture (Movie)|Fracture]]. He dealt with the treacherous [[Zero]] and later launched an attack on Guardian City. At Unicron's bidding, he tracked the Guardians and Autobots to the planet [[Quartex (planet)|Quartex]], where he stole the Matrix of Leadership from [[Major Mo]].

When Unicron launched his final assault on Cybertron, Galvatron attempted to open the Guardian Matrix but was unable. He wound up battling Hot Rod within the cavernous body of Unicron. He managed to get the upper hand... when, unbeknownst to all, [[Vector Prime]] set history back on its right course, banishing the [[GoBot]]s from the timeline. Hot Rod opened the ''Autobot'' Matrix, transformed into Rodimus Prime, and cast Galvatron into deep space. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
*After Optimus Prime was requested by Hasbro to be killed off in The Transformers: The Movie, writer [[Ron Friedman]] decided to mirror this by also killing off Megatron. This led to the creation of Galvatron. His intent was that both would ultimately be able to cheat death, Optimus by living on in the Matrix and Megatron by being rebuilt into Galvatron.
*Galvatron's appearance in the [[The Transformers: The Movie (first draft)|first draft]] of the movie was.... different. In this version he was still rebuilt by Unicron, but was described as "A NEW AND LARGER BUT STILL RECOGNIZEABLE FROM OF MEGATRON". He was also coated in scales like those which covered the planet Unicron. His alt mode was still a giant laser gun.
*It's possible Galvatron was named after galvanising, the process of coating a metal in Zinc to prevent rust. That sort of corelates to how he's reborn in the early draft.
* According to [[Teletraan II]]'s [[Secret Files of Teletraan II|secret files]], Galvatron was reformed from Megatron by Unicron in an attempt to bolster the Decepticon's strength and to lead the Decepticons into a new era. The fact that this information conflicts with the events as depicted in the movie may say something about the quality of the Autobots' intelligence regarding the Decepticon cause.
* In the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (manga)|''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga]], [[Makoto (FSRL)|Makoto]] has a transforming Galvatron [[Wrist-communicator|wristwatch]] that was first available in Japan during the 1980s. However, at the time of the story, Galvatron did not yet exist in-continuity. The circumstances behind this are best not thought about.
* An unrealized ''[[Transformers: Wings Universe|Wings Universe]]'' story would have featured [[Scourge (RID)#Timelines|Scourge]], based on his TFSS toy, as one of [[Jhiaxus (G2)#Wings Universe|Jhiaxus]]'s clones, leading the takedown of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Wings Universe|Optimus Prime]] and Galvatron.<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/128200-new-tcc-prose-counterpunch-story-the-truth-we-make/?p=3229535 Post on the Allspark Forums by Pete@BotCon (Pete Sinclair), 2016/05/12]</ref><ref>[https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/135573-wings-universecannonball-loose-ends/?p=3406634 Post on the Allspark Forums by NightViper (Jesse Wittenrich), 2016/12/23]</ref>

===Character model===
[[File:Galvatron-revision-comparison.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
* Galvatron's [[character model]] design went through at least five known revisions:
# The first was by [[Floro Dery]], which looked rather "simple" and had exposed mechanical components. This version is notable for being among Dery's multicolored watercolor works done for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
# The [[:File:FriedmanAuctionGalvatronModelEdit.jpg|second iteration]] of Galvatron's design was a refined version of Dery's design by [[Marvel Productions]]. This one appears to be the inspiration for his toy, given the red shoulder parts of the [[alternate mode]]. However, due to the amount of color changing of parts happening between the robot and [[alternate mode]] models, the toy was made solely based on the alternate mode's coloration, leading to a mostly gray robot.
# After this, Galvatron's [[robot mode]] received some additional minor changes by Marvel Productions, specifically a new head. Both the robot mode and the alternate mode gained new color layouts too. This is notable as being the one [[AKOM]] would frequently use, and was also utilized for the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] comic version of [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]], just with a toy-accurate color scheme. This revision is considered to be the "pre-final model".
# During the third iteration, [[Toei Animation|Toei]] started working on an entirely new design themselves, with a head based on the Dery head design. The alternate mode was also made from scratch, though it was mostly the same detail-wise, it was just drawn from stylized-angled perspectives, a singnature for most model designs by Toei.
# For the final revision, Toei changed the head on their new design, basing it more on the Marvel revision, and changed a few of the details on the alternate mode.

* In the [[AKOM]] and [[Unknown Generation 1 animation studios|unknown studio]]-animated episodes, Galvatron is depicted in two different variants:
# In most instances, Galvatron uses the pre-final model. Due to there being no rear-view made for this model, the animators would instead use the final model's rear-view and recolor it to match the pre-final model instead.
# In very subtle instances (usually small cuts between scenes), they would use his final model, but instead colored it to match the pre-final's colors, and even sometimes go so far as to add the pre-final model's head onto the final body.

* When asked about Galvatron's design in an interview, Floro Dery's reply was, "But about Galvatron, my inspiration for him are those 'stupid people'."<ref>[http://transformersph.blogspot.com/2007/06/interview-with-floro-dery.html TransFormers Philippines: Interview With Floro Dery]</ref> ...Ooookay.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Emperors of Destruction]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations Selects Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kiss Players Decepticons]]
[[Category:Legends Decepticons]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy Decepticons]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Unicron-related characters]]
[[Category:Unite Warriors Decepticons]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity

2026-02-27T16:07:26Z

DevinM626:

{{factions|decepticon|unicron}}
{{suite}}

[[File:GalvatronDepth.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|And this was ''before'' the [[Hate Plague]].]]
Sometimes crazy doesn't work... but try telling that to '''Galvatron'''!

==''The Transformers'' cartoon==
{{voiceactor|[[Leonard Nimoy]] (English, ''The Movie''), [[Frank Welker]] (English, television series), [[Seizō Katō]] (Japanese)|[[Yang Wenyuan]] (Chinese, TV series), [[Gao Quansheng]] (Chinese, ''The Rebirth''), [[Marcel Guido]] (French, ''The Movie''), [[Serge Lhorca]] (European French, TV series), Unknown (European French, "Five Faces of Darkness" episodes & "Surprise Party"), [[Jean Claudio]] (European French, "Webworld" & "Carnage in C-Minor"), [[Philippe Roullier]] (European French, "The Dweller in the Depths" & "The Face of the Nijika"), [[Albert Augier]] (European French, "The Rebirth, Part 1"), [[Serge Bourrier]] (European French, "The Rebirth, Part 3"), [[Carl Béchard]] (Canadian French, TV series), [[Gerd Wiedenhofen]] (German, television series), [[Manfred Erdmann]] (German, ''The Movie''), [[Thomas Rauscher]] (German, ''Generation 2''), [[Achim Barrenstein]] (German, ''The Movie DVD dub''), [[Romano Malaspina]] (Italian, ''The Movie'' second dub), [[Júlio César]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' TV dub), [[José Santa Cruz]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' VHS dub), [[Daoiz Cabezudo]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' Fox Kids dub), [[Marcos Miranda]] (Portuguese, season 3), [[Jordi Varela]] (Spain-Spanish, ''The Movie''), [[Alejandro Abdalah]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Mikhail Chernyak]] (Russian)}}

[[File:Tftm1986c.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"[[Doctor (Doctor Who)|Legs! I've still got legs!]]"]]
In [[2005]], after being mortally wounded by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] during the [[Battle of Autobot City]], [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] was left to float aimlessly through space after being punted out of the overloaded [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], who decided to take advantage of his master's near-death state to finally take command. Megatron was then summoned by [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], who offered him a new body, a warship and new troops to command, so long as he destroyed the [[Autobot]] [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Megatron reluctantly accepted and was upgraded into '''Galvatron''', a more fearsome and powerful warrior, while his former troops were similarly [[Reformatting|reformatted]].

[[File:TFTM-strangle.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Nothing can save you, Autobot, except maybe the powerful artifact around my neck! But that'll never happen.]]
Commanded by his new master to destroy the Matrix, Galvatron, eager to take revenge on the one who had cast him into the void, first took his new troops to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]; upon arrival, they crashed Starscream's coronation as the Decepticon leader. Galvatron dismissed the ceremony as “bad comedy” before transforming to his new cannon mode and reducing Starscream to ash with a single blast. The [[Decepticon]]s quickly fell in line behind Galvatron, but it was not long after that he witnessed Unicron devour one of Cybertron's moons. Infuriated by this affront, Galvatron's rage was met with agony induced by Unicron. Reminded of his new place, Galvatron was forced to quell his fury for the time being. Galvatron then led the Decepticons to Earth in a second attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], hitting the few remaining Autobots in full-force. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] led him away from Earth, and Galvatron chased him to the [[Junkion (planet)|Planet of Junk]], where he defeated Magnus and took the Matrix, intending to use it against Unicron.

Galvatron could not open the Matrix, and as punishment for his treachery, Unicron transformed and began tearing Cybertron apart. Horrified, Galvatron transformed to cannon emplacement mode and opened fire on Unicron, but his shots had no effect and the dark god swallowed him whole. Inside Unicron's belly, he met up with [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]]. Though he initially suggested an alliance with the young Autobot against the mutual threat of his master, the Chaos Bringer again mentally tortured Galvatron for his attempted treachery and then forced him to attack Hot Rod. Hot Rod eventually managed to wrest the Matrix away from Galvatron and open it, leading to his transformation into Rodimus Prime. Flush with new power, Rodimus hurled Galvatron from inside Unicron and into deep space. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Galvatron’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]]."}}

But this would not be the end of Galvatron.

[[File:FFOD2 Scourge rescuing Galvatron.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|He'll never be let back into this country club ever again.]]
The weakened Decepticons were subsequently routed by the Autobots and forced off Cybertron, relocating to the burned-out world of [[Chaar]]. After eking out a living there in energy-deprived squalor for some time, they were visited by [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]], who'd finally decided to return the Decepticons to glory by seeking out the lost Galvatron.{{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

They found him sunk in a lava pit on the distant planet [[Thrull]] and managed to free him. However, the effects of the "plasma bath" irrevocably altered Galvatron's sanity chips, rendering him omnicidally insane. Upon regaining his freedom, he thrashed Cyclonus and Scourge and sundered Thrull. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} Told that the [[human]]s and Autobots had collaborated to build a space station as Earth's first line of defense, he was highly amused, and headed for the nearest [[warp gate]]. On reaching [[Outpost One]], he and his men attacked the station, quickly destroying it and coincidentally damaging the shuttle piloted by [[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]. Galvatron spotted the shuttle making a break for [[Jupiter]], and demanded the heads of the Autobots as souvenirs. With one blast, he destroyed the ship, but the two occupants had escaped and began plummeting into the planet's atmosphere. One [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]], blasted by Wheelie, cried out to Galvatron to save him, but was only told to meet his end with dignity. Galvatron then blasted a nearby storm cell, causing an implosion.

[[File:FFOD2 Galvatron sparks.JPG|thumb|upright=1.66|Plasma is the Sniffling, Sneezing, Coughing, Aching, Stuffy-head, Fever, So-You-Can-Bwaah! medicine.]]
{{bigquote|It's music! The symphony of destruction and the anthem of agony!|Galvatron loves an atmospheric implosion|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}}
Believing the Autobots to be destroyed, Galvatron ordered Cyclonus to take him to [[Chaar]]. He was shocked at the conditions that the Decepticon army were forced to live under, and was even more surprised to be told by [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] that the bulk of the Decepticon forces had left under new leadership. Incensed, he announced that he was the leader of the Decepticons, and the usurpers would pay. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} He and his loyal men swiftly found the rest of the Decepticons fighting the Autobots on [[Goo Number 8739-B]], and Galvatron swiftly ordered an attack. When Cyclonus inquired who they were attacking, Galvatron simply replied "everyone". After making [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] beg for his life, Galvatron succeeded in regaining the loyalty of his troops, and turned his attention on those who had usurped him in the first place—the [[Quintesson]]s. The Quintessons attempted to negotiate, successfully bluffing Galvatron with stories of a [[Decepticon Matrix|Decepticon Matrix of Leadership]] which they would give him if he destroyed the Autobots down on Goo. Although he tried, the Autobots were snatched from danger by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]. Still, he got to destroy Goo, and the Quintessons were subsequently able to persuade him to join forces with them to destroy both the Autobots and the humans.

[[File:FFOD5 Galvatron lever.jpg|left|thumb|Oooooh, what does this bu-tton dooo?]]
Plans were swiftly drawn to attack simultaneously on Earth and Cybertron. On Earth, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s constructed [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] from a human city, while a decoy human shuttle was crashed into the central power facility on Cybertron, knocking out the planet's defences. Galvatron himself led the attack on Cybertron, unaware that the Quintessons plotted against him. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} The battle going well, Galvatron sent Blitzwing to give a status report to their allies, but was angered when the triple-changer returned a short time later to say that not only had he not given the status report, but there was no Decepticon Matrix. Blitzwing was soon sent hurtling towards the Autobots. Galvatron soon followed the Autobots and the now-traitorous Blitzwing to a chamber deep inside Cybertron, where a [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]] had been about to pull a [[large switch|lever]]. Convinced that the switch had something to do with the Decepticon Matrix, Galvatron pulled it himself—and every [[Transformer]] in the [[galaxy]] shut down. Fortunately the human [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] destroyed the switch, returning the Transformers to life. Though Galvatron chased the Quintessons, they swiftly escaped in a pod. He was then prevented from blasting Rodimus by Blitzwing, and angrily told the [[Triple Changer]] that he was no longer welcome in the ranks of the Decepticons before ordering a retreat. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

[[File:Chaos Galvatron cannon.jpg|thumb|The Decepticon palette was out of everything but purple.]]
Informed by [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] of a new type of ammunition, [[death crystal]]s, Galvatron went to planet [[Dread (planet)|Dread]], where the crystals originated, intending to carry out a new plan—build a [[Death crystal cannon|cannon]] which would fire death crystals at Cybertron. He found a ready-made work force in [[Dread slaves|the slaves]] left behind by the [[Orb]]s, and soon had a giant cannon constructed. Just as all was ready, a group of Autobots, led to the planet by [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]], attacked the installation. [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] was able to keep them busy while he lined up for a shot at Cybertron, however Kup was also keeping busy, freeing the slaves and waking the monster [[Chaos (alien)|Chaos]]. During the confusion of the slave revolt, Kup used the death crystal cannon to destroy Chaos and causing the volcano to erupt. Galvatron was last seen fleeing the swiftly moving lava. {{storylink|Chaos (episode)|Chaos}}

While hunting an Autobot shuttle through space, Galvatron and his lieutenants managed to utterly destroy the ship. Not one to fall for the [[The Transformers: The Movie|same trick]] twice, Galvatron continued searching the area until the Decepticons detected the shuttle's lifepod flying towards an enormous structure. This "funeral barge" carried in it the deactivated bodies of the Autobots who died during the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. Galvatron and his lieutenants pursued Rodimus Prime's crew into the barge, but were driven off by the sudden arrival of Optimus Prime, seemingly back from the dead. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}}

[[File:FightOrFlee Galvatron orders.jpg|thumb|left|Galvatron strangles the Invisible Swordsman.]]
When Scourge and Cyclonus alerted him to the location of a pacifistic and energon-rich world known as [[Paradron]], Galvatron saw a perfect opportunity for conquest. The Decepticon invasion of Paradron was brief but brutal, and the populace was converted into slave labor. One Paradronian Transformer named [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] escaped and brought the Autobots back to free his people. Eventually the Autobots detonated the planet's primary energon core, destroying the planet itself and driving off Galvatron's troops. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}}

Following his defeat by [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], Trypticon had been sent to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]] for recuperation. When the Decepticon fueler [[Octane]] removed him, Galvatron went looking for the missing duo and found them consorting with humans in [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]]. He was ready to annihilate the "traitor" Octane for defying his orders, but Octane quickly explained that the purefied Carbombyan oil made for a super-energon mixture, powerful enough to recharge Trypticon (and, hopefully, make him larger than a small Combiner again). Galvatron took control of the nation by removing [[Abdul Fakkadi (G1)|Abdul Fakkadi]] (Supreme Military Commander, President-for-Life, and King of Kings of the Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya) from office and locked him and his troops up in a cage. Despite being more powerful from the Energon created from Carbombya, the Decepticons were still defeated and forced to retreat. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

[[File:GhostInTheMachine Galvatron smoking.jpg|thumb|Spontaneous combustion? What the hell is th—]]
Galvatron apparently reverted to his original assessment of Octane after this debacle, and drove him out of the Decepticons. When Octane began running cargo for the Autobots, he even sent the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] and a [[Skuxxoid|freelance thug]] out to assassinate the traitor. Eventually, Cyclonus and the Sweeps seemingly plucked Octane from the Autobots' grasp on Cybertron itself, and brought him to Chaar for Galvatron to interrogate. Using the information he "coerced" from Octane, Galvatron caught Rodimus Prime alone and engaged him in single combat. Unfortunately, the whole thing was a ruse set up by Octane and Starscream's ghost, who was possessing Cyclonus at the time. Galvatron was abandoned in the presence of Rodimus, Ultra Magnus and a full Autobot battle group. In what was surely an epic battle (that we sadly didn't see a minute of), Galvatron ultimately escaped and made his way back to Chaar, deposing the usurpers and seemingly driving off the ghost of Starscream. {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}}

Upon learning that the Autobots intended to host a first annual peace conference on Cybertron, Galvatron was dead set against letting their plans succeed. Despite several sabotage attempts by the Combaticons, Cyclonus and the Sweeps, though, the conference went through as planned. {{storylink|Surprise Party}}

[[File:Dirge AlmostDeath.jpg|thumb|left]]
Despite Galvatron's earlier attempts to be rid of him, Starscream's ghost returned to plague the Decepticons again. He partnered with Scourge against the Decepticons, kidnapped [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], and even stole one of Trypticon's eyes, leaving Galvatron even more infuriated than usual at this constant undermining of his operations. When Starscream returned once more and possessed Trypticon himself, it was the last straw, and Galvatron led a full Decepticon battle group after "Trypticon" to Cybertron. The fighting was fruitless, and eventually the Decepticons limped away, having exhausted all their weaponry. Not long thereafter, Galvatron's [[particle cannon]] had apparently recharged, because he took several parting shots at Starscream while his "ghost" tumbled uncontrollably through space. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}}

[[File:GalvatronWebworld.jpg|thumb|Well, that's all wrapped up...]]
Although Galvatron led the Decepticons on many wacky adventures against the Autobots throughout [[2006]], his insanity would usually lead to each mission ending in failure. (He loved shooting his own troops, for instance.) At one point, his derangement became so severe, the Decepticon "union officials" [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], Motormaster and [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] threatened to strike. The perpetually loyal Cyclonus was left little choice but to dupe Galvatron into taking therapy sessions (albeit by force) on [[Torkulon]], the therapy planet. After nearly murdering an attendant during a word-association session and somehow building a gun in an arts and crafts class, Galvatron was deemed incurable by conventional methods. The doctors attempted to use living extensions of the planet to give him a lobotomy (much to Cyclonus's disapproval), but Galvatron broke free and murdered the sentient organic core of Torkulon. While the planet's core was connected to Galvatron's mind the planet began to go mad, with several of the organic planets functions going out of control. After that, he razed the entire planet's civilization, leaving them so broken it would take centuries to rebuild. After his connection to the planet he appeared to have regained some of his sanity. {{storylink|Webworld}}

[[File:Carnage CMinor Galvatron Soundwave Allegra.jpg|left|thumb]]
A new plan saw the Constructicons building engines into the side of a comet, with the intention to crash it into Metroplex on Earth. Unsurprisingly the engines were destroyed by the Autobots before they could even be fired up, however the comet was set on course to a nearby world. The comet was shortly obliterated by [[Harmony|sound waves]] emanating from the planet, also causing the Transformers present to plummet to its surface. Galvatron took [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]], intending to find the source of the sonic weapon and use it against the Autobots. Although the Autobots reached the city first, meeting with the leader of [[Eurythma]], the two Decepticons eavesdropped and were able to establish that they needed to talk to [[Allegra]]. After dropping a bridge on the Autobots, Galvatron and Soundwave were able to talk Allegra into giving them her part of the harmony, and then obtained the other two parts of the harmony in quick succession. The Decepticons headed for Earth to attack Metroplex. Unfortunately Soundwave's attempt to use the destructive harmony were thwarted by the [[Eurythman]]s' use of [[anti-sound]]. The Decepticons retreated, though Galvatron raged that he hadn't ordered it. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}}

[[File:BigBroadcast Galvatron with static.jpg|thumb|I'm sure this can only be a good thing.]]
Galvatron was in one of his more obstinate moods when Astrotrain came to Chaar reporting on how the Junkions had apparently turned against the Autobots. Even when Cyclonus began advocating for intervention on the matter, Galvatron still couldn't bring himself to care. Eventually the hypnotic [[television]] signals being beamed to the Junkions to alter their behavior made their way to Galvatron, along with the rest of the galaxy. He was subliminally drawn into a massive conflict in the skies over the planet of Junk, all part of a Quintesson ploy to create a massive diversion and recover one of their lost journals from Junk. Only after [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] jammed the signal did the television stop "bewitching" Galvatron. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}} When [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] later happened across that same Quintesson journal, Galvatron joined Cyclonus and the Sweeps in an effort to steal the journal away from both the Autobots and the Quintessons. It played like a game of hot potato for a while, but ultimately the Autobots got the journal and the Decepticons just gave up. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}}

[[File:Dweller-in-the-depths-decepticons-aiming.jpg|left|thumb]]
One day, Galvatron was in the middle of a morale speech for his troops (re: right about to blast the closest Sweeps into stray particles for sheer pique), when he was interrupted by Quintesson visitors. After his last few dealings with the creatures, Galvatron was ready to blast these Quintessons all the same, but they gave him a gentle lecture about the unfairness of stereotyping which somehow convinced Galvatron to listen to the tentacled freaks. Galvatron brought Cyclonus and the five Sweeps with him to Cybertron, following the Quintessons' directions to the Autobots' new [[power core]] beneath the planet's surface. Searching for the power core, the Decepticons inadvertently let loose the monstrous [[Trans-Organic]]s and the massive energy-draining [[Dweller (G1)|Dweller]]. The Dweller began leeching the life from Galvatron's troops one by one as they tried to flee from the creature. Galvatron showed his heart-felt respect for Cyclonus by throwing all the Sweeps into the creature's path ''first''. He even paused for a moment to look back when the Dweller finally caught Cyclonus as well. Galvatron didn't actually try to ''help'' or anything, but I'm sure Cyclonus would have appreciated the thought alone. {{storylink|The Dweller in the Depths}}

[[File:G1 UltimateWeapon UltimateWeapon!.jpg|thumb|Decepticons, I have found the remote control!]]
Thanks to his plasma damage, Galvatron's sanity really had its ups and down. He was arguably on an upswing during a series of assaults on human and Autobot positions in [[Europe]]. Using the attacks as a diversion, Galvatron sent Swindle to infiltrate Metroplex and steal his [[Transformation cog (biology)|transforming cog]], leaving the city-bot helpless for a rematch with Trypticon. In addition, he began taunting the insecure leader Rodimus Prime with his so-called "[[Ultimate Weapon]]", a doomsday device just waiting to be unleashed. As well thought-out and cunning as this scheme may have been, it ultimately fell apart. The Autobots stole Galvatron's idea by taking Trypticon's transforming cog just as Swindle had stolen Metroplex's. Rodimus Prime eventually wised up about the "Ultimate Weapon" as well: he called Galvatron's bluff and forced the Decepticon leader to admit he was holding nothing more than a 7-2 off-suit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

[[File:FaceOfNijika Galvatron lock.jpg|left|thumb]]
Deep in space, Galvatron was attempting to surpass a Quintesson [[quadrant lock]] when the Quintessons and several Autobots interrupted his efforts. In one of his more manic phases at the time, Galvatron chose to stake his claim by hurling Cyclonus face-first through the lock once the Quintessons began to open it. {{storylink|The Face of the Nijika}}

Galvatron once attempted to destroy the Autobots by feeding [[anti-electron]]s into their new power generator. The initial attempt failed, so the Decepticons tried to raid Unicron's head for a new source of anti-electrons inside the planet-eater's brain. The Autobots arrived shortly after Galvatron's team, so he sent his new [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]] beasts to occupy the heroes. Galvatron was undone by his own scheming, as the anti-electrons had temporarily turned the Dinobot [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] into a super-intelligent genius. Grimlock built a new team of Autobot warriors called [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] from scratch, right inside Unicron's head. The Technobots were skilled enough to destroy Galvatron's new source of anti-electrons, and drive off the Terrorcons' combined form of [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]]. {{storylink| Grimlock's New Brain}}

[[File:CallPrimitives Galvatron and Cyclonus in space.jpg|thumb|"Okay, how the hell did I fit in you?!" "I don't know mighty Galvatron, but I wish you'd try more often."]]
In a major fight with the Autobots, a large number of Galvatron's troops began staring off into space in the middle of the battle. He lost some of his best soldiers to this effect, like Trypticon, the Predacons, the Terrorcons, Soundwave's [[Mini-Cassette]]s...okay, maybe not the Cassettes, but the rest were important. Galvatron ended the fight to go chasing after the deserters, only to be caught by the power of [[Tornedron]] and drained of all his energy. It was only thanks to the fleeing [[Primitive]]s that Tornedron's effect was eventually reversed. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

[[File:Matrix burden 1.jpg|thumb|left|Who are YOU gonna call?]]
Galvatron was very pleased when [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] returned from a scouting mission on Earth, having beaten Rodimus Prime and claimed the Matrix of Leadership itself. Galvatron tried to load the Matrix into his particle cannon as a power source, but instead of energy blasts, it summoned the [[Ancient Autobots|ghosts of departed Autobot leaders]]. They spooked Galvatron into getting rid of the Matrix, but his underling Scourge claimed the Matrix for himself and managed to magnify his powers a thousandfold. Scourge used his newfound might to overthrow Galvatron and the loyal Cyclonus, temporarily claiming control of the Decepticons. Galvatron and Cyclonus eventually recovered and came to Earth just after Scourge lost the Matrix back to Rodimus Prime. After a few quick particle blasts for emphasis, though, Galvatron soon accepted Scourge back into the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Prime Galvatron.JPG|thumb|"Just like the good old times, isn't it Prime?" "There were no good times, ya creep."]]
Galvatron and the Decepticons had arrived early to reserve their seats at a football stadium, when [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] flew in with news that Optimus Prime's body had been preserved at a nearby laboratory. Unfortunately, the Decepticons arrived just in time to be infected by the outbreak of the [[Hate Plague]]. Galvatron fled when his warriors turned crazed. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} Half-mad to begin with at the best of times, Galvatron soon learned that even the one-eyed man cannot always rule the kingdom of the blind, and found himself on the run from half the galaxy. However, despite his insanity, he teamed up with the resurrected Optimus Prime to stop the [[Hate Plague]]. Galvatron wound up becoming infected by the plague and attempted to kill an unconscious Optimus Prime with an axe. Optimus woke up in the nick of time and opened the Matrix directly in Galvatron's face. The wisdom of the Matrix not only cured the universe of the Hate Plague, it cured Galvatron's madness as well. Well, kinda. Grateful, Galvatron sanely declared, "There will be no war today, Optimus. You have earned Galvatron's respect," and called a brief truce. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

[[File:Rebirth 3 Decepticons Hive.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.3]]
In [[2007]], Galvatron called off the truce and led an assault on Autobot City, searching for the Key to the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]]. The Decepticons succeeded in stealing the key and promptly headed to Cybertron. As Galvatron lead the attack directly, Scourge was ordered to activate the chamber but the Plasma Energy overloaded his circuitry, leaving a group of Autobots to recover the key and promptly be spirited halfway across the galaxy as a result of the plasma energy. Coming across Scourge's inactive form, an infuriated Galvatron was inclined to kill the deactivated Decepticon but [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] and Cyclonus convinced their leader to stay his hand, if only to learn what happened to the key. After Scourge recounted what had occurred, Galvatron ignored his minion's warnings about the danger of the Plasma Energy and ordered him to rectify his mistake by recovering the key. Galvatron then commanded Cyclonus and about a dozen other Decepticons accompany Scourge to ensure the mission's success. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}}

Although seemingly lucid during this period, he had formulated what was perhaps his most genocidal and unbalanced scheme ever: having converted Cybertron into a galactic dreadnought, Galvatron maneuvered it into Earth's orbit, planning to release the Plasma Energy Chamber's payload into Earth's [[sun]]. The resulting supernova would wipe both Earth and Cybertron off the face of the galaxy, presumably leaving Galvatron to gain mastery over everything left. Grudgingly teamed with the Transformer-[[Nebulan]] hybrid [[Scorponok (G1)|Lord Zarak]], Galvatron was eventually defeated and sent tumbling through space, ushering Cybertron into a new [[Golden Age]]. After regaining control, Galvatron vowed to collect energy from disparate corners of the galaxy and return to Cybertron: "We will attack other planets, we will suck them dry! We will build a planet a hundred times more powerful than Cybertron, and I will rule the galaxy!" Zarak made it clear he intended it to be a "we" leadership. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}
{{--}}

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

==Madman ''The Transformers'' comic==
After briefly touching the Matrix of Leadership, the youthful Autobot [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] was given a vision. In it, he saw an older version of himself doing battle with a mysterious, powerful Decepticon (Galvatron). {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}
{{--}}

==Rodimus vs. Cyclonus==
After terminating [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] on the [[Junkion (planet)|Planet of Junk]], Galvatron ordered [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] to wipe out the rest of the Autobots. He suggested they make a game of it and whoever returned to him with the most heads won. Alas, this competition undermined his goal and Cyclonus and Scourge spent more time trying to sabotage each other than actually killing anybody.{{storylink|Rodimus vs. Cyclonus}}
{{--}}

==Japanese cartoon continuity==
{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in this timeline as above, except that the events following ''The Transformers: The Movie'' are pushed back to [[2010]] (creating a five-year gap between Galvatron's creation and his return), and the events of "The Rebirth" do not occur. The Japanese animated continuity subsequently adds several new adventures into the timeline, both during the Generation 1 cartoon and after it, as detailed below.}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
{{Main|Galvatron (G1)#Beast Wars cartoon}}

===''Kiss Players''===
After being hurled out of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] and into space by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]], Galvatron's flight path was disrupted by the [[Sparkbot]]s, a trio of Unicron's servants who were already working to resurrect their master. {{storylink|Kiss Players episode 51|Kiss Players #51}} The Decepticon leader crash-landed on the planet [[Earth]], obliterating the city of [[Tokyo]]. This catastrophic loss of life destroyed [[Human]]-[[Transformer]] relations and led to the formation of the [[Earth Defense Command]], a governmental organization which drove Transformers from the face of the planet. Appropriating Galvatron's remains, the EDC reverse-engineered a fleet of human-operated "[[Autorooper]]" Transformers to perform this task.

As 2006 settled in, Galvatron's impact was revealed to have had an even greater effect than anyone had expected: The blast caused by his impact had scattered his Unicron-empowered cells throughout the planet's atmosphere. When his cells came into contact with other objects and animals, they fused with them, creating an army of monstrous creatures referred to as "[[Legion (KP)|Legion]]". This disastrous event also created the means to defend the world against Legion, however: When Galvatron's cells came into contact with human beings, these humans gained the ability to fuse with other entities containing his cells. With their Autoroopers being the perfect candidates for this "[[Parasitech]]" fusion process, the EDC began recruiting and training these "[[Kiss Player]]s" as combat squads to battle the Legion.

Seeking to uncover the ulterior motives of EDC Commander [[Hitoshizuku Amaō]], Kiss Players [[Marissa Faireborn]], [[Shaoshao Li]] and [[Atari Hitotonari]] discovered the remains of Galvatron beneath the EDC headquarters. Amaō's plan to use the Legions to resurrect her daughter, who had died in Galvatron's impact, was foiled when all the Legions and Autoroopers fused with Galvatron's corpse, restoring his cells and reconstituting his body. Galvatron's body was shot back into space, where it went on to crash on Thrull. {{storylink|I, You, and the Spinning Earth}}

===e-HOBBY comics===
Starscream reminisced about the time Galvatron blew him into oblivion. He remarked that Galvatron was particularly bad-mannered. Oh, and insane. {{storylink|MP-3G Destron Air Commander / Starscream Ghost Ver.}}

===''The Battle of the Star Gate''===
The ghost of Starscream recounted to his younger, aliver self the events that led to his death at Galvatron's hands. {{storylink|The Battle of the Star Gate}}

===''Macrocosmic Seekers''===
[[File:United Expanded Story 8.jpg|thumb]]
Galvatron and the Decepticons intercepted a transmission about the Autobots picking up a rare treasure on [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]]. Unaware that the "treasure" was merely a lost piece of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s armor, and held only sentimental value, Galvatron launched an attack to retrieve it. {{storylink|Unending Battle}}

As the battle raged, an exiled [[Quintesson]] known as the [[Seeker (United)|Seeker]] arrived on Junk, and captured Galvatron and the other Transformers for his private collection. They were teleported aboard a massive transparent treasure ship for storage and viewing. {{Storylink|A Treasure Lost}} The Seeker wished to study the unique reformatting process undergone by Galvatron and his minions. They were placed inside stasis chamber and time itself rewound around them to the very moment that [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] transformed them into what they had become. {{storylink|Eternal Moment}}

A Junkion named [[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]] freed the captives, and Galvatron discovered his body transformed by the Seeker's manipulations, giving a new tank mode and dramatically increased power. The Transformers began their escape before their "host" could place them back in stasis. {{Storylink|Time to Move}} The Seeker himself had evolved into a state of pure information, and the more of his treasure ship was destroyed, the more information that made up his being was lost. Eventually, the Seeker winked out of existence as his ship sustained more damage than it could hold. {{storylink|Those Who Resist}}

As the Autobots and Decepticons prepared to return to their respective armies, the last of the Seeker's extra energy faded from Galvatron and the others. Although the two groups had worked side by side during the crisis, the old arguments quickly rose anew and the factions parted with only a momentary truce. {{Storylink|A Treasure's True Worth}}
{{--}}

===''Generations Selects Special Comic''===
[[File:Selects 2011.jpg|thumb|upright=2|left|[[2011]]. [[Unicron]].]]
In [[2011]], Galvatron and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] led a joint Autobot/Decepticon coalition to seal [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] within the [[Triple Z Point]] before he could resurrect using the bodies of his [[Acolyte of Unicron|disciples]]. Galvatron bade Prime use the [[Matrix of Leadership]] on the enemy, but he explained it was still recharging on [[Earth]], having been spent eradicating the [[Hate Plague]]. Optimus lamented he did not have another Matrix on hand... and then suddenly the two leaders were summoned before [[Primus]]. {{storylink|Super Megatron comic 1}}

[[File:Blue Planet Generations.jpg|thumb|310px|[[Precursor World|Not 2011]]. [[Vok|Not Unicron]].]]
Galvatron was shown his own [[The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg|imminent demise]] by Primus and then deposited in orbit around an [[Blue Planet (GS)|unfamiliar blue world]] under attack from an [[Vok|unknown enemy]] and its swarm of [[Novaroid]]s. The being gifted Prime a new [[Silver Matrix]] filled with the "[[Star Power|power of stars]]" and tasked him with "restoring this world's proper history" before disappearing. This "Star Power" accelerated Prime into the form of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#The Battlestars manga and story pages|Star Convoy]], who then soared off shouting heroic nonsense and obediently annihilating the Novaroid swarm with his newfound power. {{storylink|Star Convoy comic}}

Desiring the power of stars to avert his upcoming death, Galvatron began ripping apart the wreckage and devouring Novaroid components. He was soon rescued by a passing [[Seacon (BW)|space pirate]] [[photon sailer|ship]], and its captains, [[Halfshell]] and [[Turtler]], made him an offer: passage on their vessel and access to the same Star Power that upgraded Optimus Prime in return for his reservoir of [[Angolmois Energy]]. Indignant at these alleged [[Decepticon]]s' lack of respect for their [[Emperor of Destruction]], Galvatron nonetheless took the deal and was placed in a stasis chamber. Halfshell then siphoned the Angolmois Energy from the Galvatron to upgrade Turtler into a more formidable body. {{storylink|Seacons comic 1}}

Worrying rumbling emanated from Galvatron's chamber throughout the subsequent throwdown between Star Convoy and King Poseidon until Halfshell made the mistake of admitting they had no intention of upgrading Galvatron. {{storylink|Seacons comic 4}} In response, the chamber burst open! The rapidly reformatting Galvatron explained he no longer had need of the pirates as he had managed to "resonate" with the Star Power implanted within Optimus Prime on his own. This new being announced he had attained the power of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#The Battlestars manga and story pages|his own future]], {{storylink|Seacons comic 5}} the power of... [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Generations Selects Special Comic (1)|Super Megatron]]! {{storylink|Super Megatron comic 1}}

Many battles and many super modes later, Star Convoy managed to knock the near-omnipotent [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Generations Selects Special Comic (1)|Gold Megatron]] all the way back down to his natural state. As Galvatron nursed the hangover of two universes, the similarly depowered Optimus Prime had Primus's diminutive core form Oracle transport them back to 2011. Galvatron blearily looked on as Optimus used the little god's power to seal Unicron's physical form for good and Oracle departed, taking the duo's memories of the whole affair with him. {{storylink|Generations Selects Special Comic Finale|Finale}}
{{--}}

===''The Headmasters'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Seizō Katō]] (Japanese)|[[Rik Thomas]] (English, Omni Productions dub), [[Yu Deyuan]] (Chinese), [[Mario Zucca]] (Italian), [[Víctor Mares]] (Latin-American Spanish), [[Mikhail Chernyak]] (Russian)}}
[[File:FourWarriors Galvatron abuses Skullcruncher.jpg|thumb|left|BEG FOR MERCY!]]
In [[2011]], a side effect of releasing the Matrix's energy to cure the Hate Plague was revealed when the mega-computer [[Vector Sigma]] began to destabilize. Seeking to exploit this imbalance, Galvatron attacked Cybertron, his forces now bolstered by the addition of new [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] warriors from the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. When encountering the Dinobots, Galvatron ordered Mindwipe to use his hypno powers to put them to sleep. However Skullcruncher got in the way and fell asleep. Galvatron was peeved at Skullcruncher and abused him. Galvatron engaged Optimus Prime and Jazz in battle but was forced to run. Soon after Galvatron ordered Mindwipe to use his hypnotic powers to stop the Dinobots (again) and the Throttlebots but a [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|giant spaceship]] appeared and four Autobot Headmaster warriors came from the ship and stopped them from going any further. They introduced themselves as the Autobots Headmaster warriors [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]], [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]], and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]]. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

While the arrival of the team of Autobot Headmasters repelled the invasion, Galvatron attempted to stop Fortress Maximus after he beat four of the best Decepticon combiners but was beaten and forced to temporarily retreat. It was then revealed that the Matrix was hidden somewhere on Earth, recharging, and the race began to acquire it and use it to gain control over Vector Sigma. Soon after the race began, [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] fought and killed each other. Galvatron was not happy. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

Galvatron later visited the Decepticon base on Earth to find out what Hot Rod was after. [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] asked Galvatron if [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] was suitable to lead to troops at the base, leading Galvatron to suspect Cyclonus had a treacherous plan until Cyclonus reaffirmed his loyalty. After finding out that Hot Rod was after the Matrix, Galvatron, the Decepticon Headmasters and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] went to stop him. Galvatron got the Matrix but Chromedome knocked it out of his hand a second later. Galvatron was also attacked by [[Computron (G1)|Computron]]. Hot Rod ultimately succeeded in obtaining the Matrix and becoming Rodimus Prime again, and he and Optimus Prime joined forces to defeat Galvatron. Though beaten in battle, Galvatron did at least take solace in the fact that Optimus Prime once again met his end. Only the Autobots that were there seemed to care that he was dead. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

Later Galvatron decided to have another crack at taking control of Vector Sigma by creating the [[Madmachine]]. To aid him in this plan he revived Soundwave as Soundblaster using [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s Transtector technology. Galvatron then ordered Sixshot to test the Madmachine on Metroplex. Following the test's successful completion, he ordered Sixshot to retreat. Galvatron had the Madmachine and the Decepticon Headmasters sent to Cybertron to take control of Vector Sigma. He gave control of it to Soundblaster, however Galvatron's base on Charr was invaded by Blaster who had been revived as Twincast. The Autobot destroyed the Control in Soundblaster's chest. This allowed the Autobot Headmasters to destroy the Madmachine. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}.

[[File:HM7 Galvatron meets Scorponok.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Galvatron occupied planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] and took most of the civilians, known as [[Beastformer (species)|Beastformers]], prisoner, except for those who would follow him. Galvatron was informed by [[Alligatron]] of Fortress Maximus's arrival on Beast. Galvatron ordered the Beastformers and Decepticons to destroy the Autobots. When Rodimus arrived Galvatron showed up and battled Rodimus. Cyclonus and Scourge tried to help but damaged Galvatron instead. Galvatron continued to fight Rodimus but was forced into retreat after Fortress Maximus came and attacked him. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}.

After the failure of losing Beast, Galvatron created a meteorite nicknamed [[Metamorphose]], intended to destroy Athenia. No Transformer could approach it, as it knocked them out with electrical overload. Its first victims were the Aerialbots, who were temporarily deactivated when they approached it. Then the Throttlebots became victims. However, the Autobots had [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]], a human who was not affected by it. While Fortress and the other Autobot Headmasters distracted the Decepticons, Daniel sneaked into Metamorphose and disabled it, saving Athenia and once again foiling Galvatron's plans. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}}

[[File:Cybertonuronsword.jpg|left|thumb|Excalibur, BE MY STRENGTH!]]
Galvatron was getting unhappy about his troops' failures and was starting to lose his composure. Cyclonus tried to calm his leader down by reaffirming his loyalty how the mighty Galvatron never fails. However, this did not calm Galvatron down. When Scourge informed Galvatron that Decepticon Headmaster leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] had arrived, Galvatron started blaming the Decepticon Headmasters for his failures as well. Then, from the shadows, Scorponok explained that he had a plan to stop the Autobot Headmasters. Galvatron approved, but only after blaming him for the loss of Planet Beast. When the plan failed, Galvatron himself arrived. He and the Decepticon Headmasters almost defeated the Autobots, but Rodimus Prime, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Trainbot]]s arrived and outnumbered them, forcing Galvatron to retreat. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

Later a [[Sixshot (G1)|shadowy figure]] appeared on TV and demanded Earth's energy. Cyclonus and Scourge suggested that when the shadowy figure would get the energy, they should take it from him. After an argument between them Galvatron approved the plan. Galvatron later found out that their plan failed and that they stole Trypticon, who had been damaged in a fight with the Autobot Headmasters and [[Raiden]]. He was far from happy. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}}

[[File:Sosfromsandra magnus pwns galvy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Sanctuary!!! Sanctuary!!! Sanctuary!!!]]
After many failed attempts to control Cybertron, Galvatron set his sights on [[Cybertonuron]], a powerful new alloy being developed by Vector Sigma. The Decepticon Headmaster leader, Scorponok, advocated the destruction of the alloy to prevent the Autobots from obtaining it, but when Galvatron refused to consider the notion, Scorponok took matters into his own hands and had powerful bombs planted in Vector Sigma's chamber. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} Scorponok told Galvatron what he had done, and the enraged Decepticon leader ran into the chamber to try and stop the explosion, only to be caught in the blast. Cybertron was reduced to a burnt-out husk, and Galvatron was left missing in action. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

Galvatron was thought dead for some time, and during his absence, Scorponok proclaimed himself the new Decepticon leader, only for Galvatron to turn up alive and well during his coronation. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Under his leadership, the Decepticons attempted to stop the Autobots from assisting [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]], but failed. {{Storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}} Needing copious amounts of energy for his [[Grand Galvatron|endgame]], Galvatron first distracted the Autobots, then set off with his troops in MegaZarak, Scorponok's gigantic transtector. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} They attempted to plunder [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but the planet's natives and the Autobots were able to repel them. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} They then went to [[Twin Star|Sperity]], but were fooled into thinking it was a desolate planet. {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} At [[Daros]], they formed an alliance with the planet's corrupt upper class, allowing them to gather much energy despite being chased away by the arriving Autobots. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} They also tried to target [[Paradise]] {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} and the [[proton energy]] of the [[Pirate Planet]], but were foiled by the Autobots both times. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[File:HM25 Galvatron disappears.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"Ice! My only weakness!"]]
After Galvatron returned to Earth, [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] came up with an idea to set [[Grand Galvatron|Galvatron's plan]] into action: wipe out the Autobots. Galvatron approved and had the Combaticons, the Terrorcons, the Stunticons and the Horrorcons sent with him to Earth. This plan resulted in the death of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon, Galvatron confided to Sixshot that he intended to use the energy he gathered as part of a process that would transform Earth into a new, all-powerful, Unicron-like body for him, dubbed "[[Grand Galvatron]]". Additionally, he explained that this process would require only the best components from his most powerful warriors, making it quite clear that he intended to sacrifice Sixshot and the other Decepticons for this insane ambition. Aghast, Sixshot betrayed Galvatron to Scorponok as quickly as possible, leaving the Decepticon leader alone to battle the Autobot Headmasters in Alaska. Thankfully for the Autobots, their double-agent [[Punch (G1)|Punch]] had eavesdropped on Galvatron and Sixshot's conversation, during which Galvatron had revealed that his head was his weakest point. With this information to aid them, the Headmasters entered [[Head Formation]] and laid Galvatron low, collapsing an iceberg on top of him and entombing him in ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

After this, Scorponok took control of the Decepticons again. In a meeting with the other Decepticons, he vowed to defeat the Autobots and control Earth in Galvatron's memory. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}
{{-}}

===''Unite Warriors''===
[[File:GalvatronsGhost-GrandGalvatronChapter.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The ghost of [[Galvatron II]] impersonates the ghost of Galvatron I.]]
Ten years after Galvatron's defeat and icy entombment at the hands of the [[Autobot]]s, [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] came to visit the site of his leader's downfall. There, the specter of [[Galvatron II|another Galvatron]] was able to make contact with Cyclonus. Using an illusion of Cyclonus's fallen master, this other Galvatron was able to trick Cyclonus into believing his master's ghost was alive, and the ghost of this other Galvatron forced itself upon Cyclonus, possessing his body as its new vessel. {{storylink|Grand Galvatron Chapter}} Eventually, the truth came to light that this ghost was not that of Cyclonus's Galvatron. {{storylink|Ruination Chapter, Part One}}

===''The Battlestars''===
Galvatron would remain buried in the ice for over fifteen years, until he was resurrected by [[Dark Nova]] as the new and improved [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#The Battlestars manga and story pages|Super Megatron]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 6}}

===''15 Go! Go!''===
[[File:TGGGalvatron.jpg|thumb|left|Crazy AND toy-accurate.]]
At some point after 2025, when Optimus Prime had been restored to life once more as Star Convoy, the mobile computer [[Teletraan 15]] traveled forward in time from 2005 to this era as part of a mission gather data to rebuild [[Teletraan I]]'s damaged databanks. During her visit, as Star Convoy and Hot Rod prepared to battle Ultra Megatron, a [[unspace|transwarp]] wormhole suddenly opened above the combatants, and a massive blast shot emerged from it and struck Hot Rod. Badly damaged, Hot Rod could barely warn his commander as Galvatron, appearing from some unknown spot in space and time, descended through the portal. Tearing Teletraan 15's arm off, {{storylink|Galvatron Volume}} Galvatron gripped the limb in his [[teeth]] as he maniacally throttled Hot Rod. Teletraan 15 passed out {{storylink|Galvatron Volume 2}} and woke up some time later with the outcome of the battle unknown, though she remained haunted by images of the crazed Decepticon clutching her limp and helpless friend. {{storylink|Galvatron Volume 3}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' Generations manga===
When the ghost of Starscream began making trouble in an alternate universe by possessing that reality's [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]], the Mirage of that universe figured the only way to get Starscream to leave was to scare him off. So Mirage projected a hologram of Galvatron, the one who killed Starscream in the first place. Terrified, Starscream left Onslaught's body and fled back to his home universe. {{storylink|Starscream's New Body}}

===''Legends'' comic===
When [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] visited the [[Legends World]], [[Megatron (BW)|the resident Megatron]] had never heard of him. [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], however, was well-versed in the outsider-Megatron's history and recounted the time he was turned into Galvatron. {{storylink|LG13 Megatron}} Galvatron's role in the battles on [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] was recounted in a rundown of the planet's history, {{storylink|LG51 Doublecross Prologue}} and the Decepticon [[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]] recalled both how Galvatron had recruited them with promises of power and how he had been defeated. {{storylink|LG61 Decepticon Clones}}

[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] later tricked Megatron into forming the head of a body that amplified his inherent evil, causing him to revert to his Galvatron personality. He thus claimed to be Galvatron once more while under the body's influence, but quickly proved able to resist it and remove his head, returning to being Megatron. {{storylink|LG23 Galvatron}} While Megatron refused to use the Galvatron body again, Tarantulas and [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] had [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] hypnotize him into it. Galvatron attacked [[Tokyo]] and defeated [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] before [[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] knocked his head off again. {{storylink|LG25 Blurr}} Galvatron was also present for the introduction of the Sweeps, and was curious about [[Sweep No. 4]]'s absence. It turned out he had let No. 4 die years earlier, and the Sweep literally came back to haunt him. {{storylink|LG-26 Scourge Prologue}}

The Galvatron body later resurfaced without a head, claiming it no longer needed Megatron. After it was defeated by [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] and [[Shūta Gō]], however, it was revealed that Tarantulas had merely been piloting it from within. {{storylink|LG29 Wheelie}} After developing resistance to his mind being manipulated, {{storylink|LG34 Mindwipe}} Megatron began using the transtector without becoming Galvatron. It was ultimately destroyed in a battle with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|LG43 Trypticon}}

==''TV Magazine'' comic continuity==
===''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''===
[[File:2010manga05-title.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|Maybe your attack on the Prime Energy Tower would be more successful if at least ''one'' of your soldiers was actually ''facing'' it.]]
Galvatron had plenty of devious schemes up his sleeve throughout 2010, opening with the nutty idea of a spaceship that ate other spaceships, which Rodimus Prime promptly blew up. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 1|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #1}}

Galvatron went back to his roots for his next scheme, creating a clone army of Megatrons that he dubbed the "[[Megatron Corps]]". Galvatron disguised himself as one of the Megatrons and controlled them remotely, making them an effective fighting force that the Autobots had trouble dealing with, until his disguise was penetrated and his control over the robots broken. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 2|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #2}}

He later attacked Autobot City with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], but was forced to retreat when [[Six-Gun]] destroyed Trypticon's controls with a blast from [[Brunt (G1)|Brunt]]. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 3|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #3}}

On one notable occasion, Galvatron challenged Rodimus Prime to a one-on-one duel in order to lure him into a trap set up in partnership with the Quintessons. In the middle of the fight, the Quintessons' newest creation, an Optimus Prime/Megatron hybrid robot known as [[Gilthor]], arrived to attack Rodimus, but Galvatron was shocked when Gilthor turned on him as well. Rodimus and Galvatron called a truce long enough for them to team up and destroy Gilthor, who, it was revealed, had been possessed by Starscream's ghost. With that threat dealt with, they called off the truce. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 4|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #4}}

Next, Galvatron attempted to steal the [[Prime Energy Tower]] of the planet [[Feminia]] with an all-out assault. The Autobots defended the tower, but were overwhelmed by Galvatron's unit of [[Combiner]]s; the scales tilted in his favor thanks to the presence of [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]]. Galvatron's victory was assued until the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]] arrived and toppled the Combiners. {{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:GreatTransformerWar01cover.jpg|thumb|left]]
Later in 2010, Galvatron kidnapped Doctor [[Dalton]], a brilliant scientist from the planet [[Eran]], but Dalton refused to work with the Decepticons and lent his aid to the Autobots instead, upgrading the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] so they could defeat the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1|The Great Transformer War #1}}

One of the Terrorcons' upgrades included a sticky goo that forced the Technobots into working for the Decepticons. Through the intervention of [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] the Technobots were freed and the Terrorcons defeated. Galvatron cursed the human for interfering, but declared that his next evil scheme would be one the Autobots would never forget. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 2|The Great Transformer War #2}}

After the resurrection of Optimus Prime and the curing of the Hate Plague, Galvatron hastily broke his vow that there would be no war, and he, Cyclonus and Scourge battled Prime, Hot Rod and [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] in space, only to be defeated. Galvatron immediately returned to [[Chaar]] and dispatched [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] to retrieve the Decepticon Headmasters, as he had need of them for his assault on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

===''The Headmasters'' comic===
[[File:Galvatron abandons Alligatron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|"FOILED AGAIN!"]]
On planet [[Chaar]], Galvatron ordered his [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s to head for planet [[Athenia]] and show the Autobots their "true power". Their "true power" involved trying to blow up the Battleship Maximus with a goofy explosive and failing. Galvatron was displeased. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Later, while [[White Leo]] was abset from [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], Galvatron made a second attempt to conquer it with the united forces of his Decepticons and the Decepticon [[Beastformer (species)|Beastformers]]. With the aid of [[Kane]], the Autobots and the Autobot Beastformers were able to hold the Decepticons off long enough for White Leo to return and send them into a retreat. Galvatron callously left [[Alligatron]] and the Decepticon Beastformers behind to face justice as he and his troops escaped into space. {{storylink|The Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}}

===''Super-God Masterforce'' comic===
Galvatron, believed to be buried alive in an iceberg, would return to menace the [[Headmaster Junior]]s with an army of legendary Decepticon warriors. "Galvatron" and all his troops were eventually revealed to be nothing more than holograms created by the Decepticon [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmasters]] to fool the Autobots. {{storylink|Burn, Chokon! New Commander Super Ginrai!}}

==''Wings Universe''==
{{Wingsnote}}
[[File:G2Redux-GalvatronCyclonusScourgeZarak.jpg|thumb|left]]
Following the rebirth of Cybertron's [[Golden Age]], Galvatron and Lord [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] led their Decepticon forces away from Earth and Cybertron. They attacked Zarak's homeworld of [[Nebulos]] and many other planets in deep space, with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and his Autobots in hot pursuit of them through the cosmos. By 2010, Galvatron had become aware of a new generation of 'Cons having arisen on Earth, and sent a small group of followers back to make contact with this [[Decepticon Syndicate]]. {{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}}

In [[2012]], the Autobot [[Sizzle (G1)|Sizzle]] experienced a [[forestonite]]-based vision of [[Megaplex|three]] [[Soundwave (MW)|shadowy]] [[Starscream (MW)|figures]] standing over the broken bodies of Optimus Prime and Galvatron. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 6}} Sizzle's prophetic vision soon came to pass with the dawn of the [[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]] the next year. The [[Cybertronian (faction)|clone armies]] of [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] attacked [[Sigma Seven]] and left Optimus and Galvatron comatose as they advanced toward Cybertron. {{storylink|Termination}}

A week later, the Machine Wars concluded on Cybertron, and a week after that, the Autobots, Decepticons, and Jhiaxus's clones signed the [[Pax Cybertronia]] at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] on Earth. [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] doubted that the comatose Galvatron would be pleased to hear of the peace treaty if and when he woke up and remarked that he would make sure that [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] was the one to deliver the news to Galvatron. {{storylink|A Common Foe}}

[[Tornado]] considered [[Squadron X]] leader [[Macabre]] to possess [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s strength, [[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Shockwave]]'s firepower, and Galvatron's crazy. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur}}

==Ask Vector Prime==
In [[Primax 903.0-M Lambda]], the ghost of [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] possessed the corpse of [[Skyquake (G1)|Skyquake]] and sought his vengeance against Galvatron during [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s New [[Golden Age]], resulting in the [[Machine Wars (event)|Machine Wars]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/27}}

In a wacky hybrid universe created by [[Gong (GoBots)|Gong]] and [[Sideways (AVP)|Sideways]], Unicron created Galvatron from a dying Megatron's body as usual. In ''this'' timeline, however, his minions were [[Deadlift]] and [[Fracture (Movie)|Fracture]]. He dealt with the treacherous [[Zero]] and later launched an attack on Guardian City. At Unicron's bidding, he tracked the Guardians and Autobots to the planet [[Quartex (planet)|Quartex]], where he stole the Matrix of Leadership from [[Major Mo]].

When Unicron launched his final assault on Cybertron, Galvatron attempted to open the Guardian Matrix but was unable. He wound up battling Hot Rod within the cavernous body of Unicron. He managed to get the upper hand... when, unbeknownst to all, [[Vector Prime]] set history back on its right course, banishing the [[GoBot]]s from the timeline. Hot Rod opened the ''Autobot'' Matrix, transformed into Rodimus Prime, and cast Galvatron into deep space. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
*After Optimus Prime was requested by Hasbro to be killed off in The Transformers: The Movie, writer [[Ron Friedman]] decided to mirror this by also killing off Megatron. This led to the creation of Galvatron. His intent was that both would ultimately be able to cheat death, Optimus by living on in the Matrix and Megatron by being rebuilt into Galvatron.
*Galvatron's appearance in the [[The Transformers: The Movie (first draft)|first draft]] of the movie was.... different. In this version he was still rebuilt by Unicron, but was described as "A NEW AND LARGER BUT STILL RECOGNIZEABLE FROM OF MEGATRON". He was also coated in scales like those which covered the planet Unicron. His alt mode was still a giant laser gun.
*It's possible Galvatron was named after galvanising, the process of coating a metal in Zinc to prevent rust. That sort of corelates to how he's reborn in the early draft.
* According to [[Teletraan II]]'s [[Secret Files of Teletraan II|secret files]], Galvatron was reformed from Megatron by Unicron in an attempt to bolster the Decepticon's strength and to lead the Decepticons into a new era. The fact that this information conflicts with the events as depicted in the movie may say something about the quality of the Autobots' intelligence regarding the Decepticon cause.
* In the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (manga)|''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga]], [[Makoto (FSRL)|Makoto]] has a transforming Galvatron [[Wrist-communicator|wristwatch]] that was first available in Japan during the 1980s. However, at the time of the story, Galvatron did not yet exist in-continuity. The circumstances behind this are best not thought about.
* An unrealized ''[[Transformers: Wings Universe|Wings Universe]]'' story would have featured [[Scourge (RID)#Timelines|Scourge]], based on his TFSS toy, as one of [[Jhiaxus (G2)#Wings Universe|Jhiaxus]]'s clones, leading the takedown of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Wings Universe|Optimus Prime]] and Galvatron.<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/128200-new-tcc-prose-counterpunch-story-the-truth-we-make/?p=3229535 Post on the Allspark Forums by Pete@BotCon (Pete Sinclair), 2016/05/12]</ref><ref>[https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/135573-wings-universecannonball-loose-ends/?p=3406634 Post on the Allspark Forums by NightViper (Jesse Wittenrich), 2016/12/23]</ref>

===Character model===
[[File:Galvatron-revision-comparison.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
* Galvatron's [[character model]] design went through at least five known revisions:
# The first was by [[Floro Dery]], which looked rather "simple" and had exposed mechanical components. This version is notable for being among Dery's multicolored watercolor works done for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
# The [[:File:FriedmanAuctionGalvatronModelEdit.jpg|second iteration]] of Galvatron's design was a refined version of Dery's design by [[Marvel Productions]]. This one appears to be the inspiration for his toy, given the red shoulder parts of the [[alternate mode]]. However, due to the amount of color changing of parts happening between the robot and [[alternate mode]] models, the toy was made solely based on the alternate mode's coloration, leading to a mostly gray robot.
# After this, Galvatron's [[robot mode]] received some additional minor changes by Marvel Productions, specifically a new head. Both the robot mode and the alternate mode gained new color layouts too. This is notable as being the one [[AKOM]] would frequently use, and was also utilized for the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] comic version of [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]], just with a toy-accurate color scheme. This revision is considered to be the "pre-final model".
# During the third iteration, [[Toei Animation|Toei]] started working on an entirely new design themselves, with a head based on the Dery head design. The alternate mode was also made from scratch, though it was mostly the same detail-wise, it was just drawn from stylized-angled perspectives, a singnature for most model designs by Toei.
# For the final revision, Toei changed the head on their new design, basing it more on the Marvel revision, and changed a few of the details on the alternate mode.

* In the [[AKOM]] and [[Unknown Generation 1 animation studios|unknown studio]]-animated episodes, Galvatron is depicted in two different variants:
# In most instances, Galvatron uses the pre-final model. Due to there being no rear-view made for this model, the animators would instead use the final model's rear-view and recolor it to match the pre-final model instead.
# In very subtle instances (usually small cuts between scenes), they would use his final model, but instead colored it to match the pre-final's colors, and even sometimes go so far as to add the pre-final model's head onto the final body.

* When asked about Galvatron's design in an interview, Floro Dery's reply was, "But about Galvatron, my inspiration for him are those 'stupid people'."<ref>[http://transformersph.blogspot.com/2007/06/interview-with-floro-dery.html TransFormers Philippines: Interview With Floro Dery]</ref> ...Ooookay.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Emperors of Destruction]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations Selects Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kiss Players Decepticons]]
[[Category:Legends Decepticons]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy Decepticons]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Unicron-related characters]]
[[Category:Unite Warriors Decepticons]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2

2026-02-27T06:52:00Z

DevinM626:

{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|series2=2010
|ep=95
|ep2=32
|prev2=The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1
|next2=Four Warriors Come out of the Sky
|image=ReturnOptimusPrime2 Matrix open.JPG
|caption=Hmm, this looks familiar...
|title="The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2"
|season=3
|season ep=30
|production code=700-116
|airdate=[[February 25]], 1987
|teleplay by=[[Michael Charles Hill]]
|story by=[[Cherie Wilkerson]] and [[Marv Wolfman]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]], [[Studio Look]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEr_OK8xD1c
|videosite=YouTube
}}
'''Optimus and a handful of Autobots make a desperate bid to recover the Matrix, in the hopes that a cure for the Hate Plague can be found.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Primeandjessicamorgan.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Chip Chase, is that you?]]
Within [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] has been fully restored to life by [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] and [[Klementia|a Quintesson survivor]] of the rampant [[Hate Plague]] that's infecting the universe. Prime demands to know what has happened during his time on the [[Transformer afterlife|other side]]. Sky Lynx recaps the events that had conspired to bring him back, including [[Jessica Morgan]]'s valiant play to save him from total destruction, the discovery of the Hate Plague spores, and the trap laid out by [[Mark Morgan|Jessica's father]] and her partner [[Gregory Swofford]] to infect the [[Autobot]]s with the spores in revenge, which ultimately spiraled out of control. It was thought by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus]], before his infection, that Prime would know what it would take to stop the plague. Prime asks who is available, and learns of the Autobots injured battling [[Superion (G1)|Superion]].

The survivors are brought back to Autobot City, where the [[Quintesson]] manages to reactivate them, completely rebuilding [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] into Goldbug. When Goldbug asks what the plan is, Prime admits that he doesn't have a plan. Without the accumulated wisdom within the [[Matrix of Leadership]] (which now resides in Rodimus), he doesn't have a clue as to where to start. That is, until Jessica comes forward with the experimental alloy that she, her father, and Gregory had worked on, which proved strong enough to block the spores. Theoretically, coating Optimus with this alloy would protect himself from the spores' infection and allow him to get close enough to Rodimus to extract the Matrix from him. However, all remaining alloy samples were stolen by the Decepticons. The Autobots decide to retrieve the metal.

[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime2 crazycons.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|Cyclonus and Scourge each spent 2,000 XP to create the Level 7 Flame Barrier spell. Unfortunately, Galvatron has Protection from Fire with Permanency effect.]]
Meanwhile, on [[Chaar]], [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] is pinned down by his own mutinously diseased soldiers, unable to fight back against their maddening ferocity... until Optimus and his team arrive to save the day, convincing Galvatron that it would be in his best interest to join in an alliance with them. As is his way, however, the Decepticon leader is suspicious of Optimus's motives, especially when he learns they need the alloy he stole, but cannot get a reason for it out of them. He agrees to join in and leads Optimus and his gang down a series of boobytrapped tunnels, their numbers dwindling from the tunnel's natural hazards and the infected Decepticon mob behind them, until only Optimus, Galvatron, Sky Lynx, and Jessica arrive at the alloy's hiding place. Unfortunately, Jessie accidentally lets slip their plan to coat Optimus with the metal after confirming there would be enough of it to do the job, prompting Galvatron to turn on Optimus in hopes of using the process on himself, but he is soon subdued by Sky Lynx. Under coercion, Galvatron loads the alloy onto Prime's trailer but doesn't notice that an infected [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] has managed to sneak in, infecting Jessica in the process. Jessica, in turn, infects Galvatron, forcing Sky Lynx and Optimus to flee back to Earth.

[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Primes duel.JPG|left|upright=1.1|thumb|So I guess Rodimus is a bottom... to Ultra Magnus?]]
Once on Earth, Optimus is coated with the alloy, and sets out to find Rodimus. He finds him taking down infected Transformers with reckless glee, and attempts to reason with him, which fails. Unwilling to hurt his successor, Prime lures Rodimus to a nearby auto shop, attempting to peacefully subdue and talk Rodimus into helping him, but the Hate Plague is overriding any effort to do so, forcing Optimus to knock Rodimus out and take the Matrix back by force.

Back at Autobot City, Optimus dives into the Matrix to question the elders of the past in reverse chronological order (of their history) to try and find out any information on the spores. The spirit of [[Alpha Trion]] warns him that if he travels too far, he risks becoming lost within the Matrix itself. During Prime's journey, the Quintesson that revived him notices a troop of infected Transformers attempting to get in, and manages to temporarily shut them out, giving Optimus the time he needs to finally find his answer. He learns that, in a period of pre-Cybertronian history, the Plague ''has'' visited the planet before, but was contained and sealed inside the star Jessica and Gregory found it in using sheer wisdom, though even back then, no one had the wisdom to destroy the spores, and now that it has spread so much throughout the galaxy, it's doubtful that anyone has the wisdom to even contain them again. Optimus then realizes that a source of raw wisdom may be available to destroy the infection once and for all: the accumulated wisdom within the Matrix of Leadership.

The infected Transformers finally break into the base, and corner the Quintesson, who begs them to stop. Galvatron grabs a metal pole, intending to impale Prime. However, Prime's chest opens to reveal a glowing Matrix, surprising the Transformers. Asking it to "light our [[darkest hour]]", Optimus Prime releases the energy of the Matrix of Leadership, which spreads across the world and across the universe, and totally eradicates the Plague.

Some while later, in Autobot City, a remorseful Gregory and Jessica's father offer deep apologies to the Autobots, while Galvatron, in a rare moment of calm, shakes his old enemy's hand, proclaiming that Prime has earned his respect and that "there will be no war today." Rodimus (now once more Hot Rod, without the Matrix within him) notes that the Matrix is now empty, its wisdom supposedly lost in order to stop the plague. Optimus, however, disagrees; they have all become a little wiser, now, and although the Matrix is indeed empty of wisdom, it is up to them from then on to fill it again with their knowledge and experience. Optimus, once again the Autobot leader, orders his troops to "Transform and [[roll out]]".

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (2)
*[[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (6)
*[[Chase (G1)|Chase]] (7)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (8)
*[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] (10)
*[[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] (11)
*[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] (12)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee/Goldbug]] (13)
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (14)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] (15)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime/Hot Rod]] (26)
*[[Searchlight (G1)|Searchlight]] (27)
*[[Freeway (G1)|Freeway]] (28)
*[[Alpha Trion]] (29)
*[[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (31)
*[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (32)
*[[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (33)
|c2=
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (16)
*[[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] (17)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] (18)
*[[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] (19)
*[[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] (20)
*[[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] (21)
*[[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] (22)
*[[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] (23)
*[[Headstrong (G1)|Headstrong]] (24)
*[[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]] (25)
|c3=
*[[Jessica Morgan]] (4)
*[[Gregory Swofford]] (5)
*[[Mark Morgan]] (34)
|c4=
*[[Klementia|Quintesson judge]] (3)
*[[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]] (9)
*[[It]] (30)
}}

==Quotes==
"We need a plan! Okay, Optimus, what's the plan?" 
"I... have no plan."
:—'''Goldbug''' and '''Optimus Prime''', the latter of whom is not exactly inspiring confidence

"[[Roll out|Autobots, transform and roll out]]!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''', getting back into the swing of things.

"Fools, I am your leader! ... It's no use. You're all crazed!"
:—'''Galvatron''' fighting his infected and insane troops. The irony fairy just had a coronary.

"Have I no friends left?!" 
"Well, well, what have we here?" 
"Looks like something the cat dragged in."
:—'''Galvatron''' is no longer so impressive to '''Cyclonus''' and '''Predaking'''

[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Prime Galvatron.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|"Come on, Optimus, why can't we be friends?"
 "When we first met, you shot me and my girlfriend. You make a bad first impression."]]

[[File:Roop2 prime vs prime.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|"NO ONE is innocent!" ...especially not after this series of screencaps.]]

"Come on, Optimus, tell me! Why do you want this metal? How will it be used? Why is it so precious?" 
"I've explained it to you." 
"You told me it was important, but you didn't tell me why!" 
"That's because I know you too well, Galvatron."
:—'''Galvatron''' and '''Optimus Prime''' resuming their same old song and dance

"I don't need you anymore, Optimus. So much for your resurrection!"
:—'''Galvatron''', same song, different tune

"I don't want to hurt you, Rodimus!" 
"Don't worry, Optimus, you won't! HAHAHAHAH!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Rodimus Prime''' throw down.

"No more games, Rodimus! Innocent lives are at stake!" 
"''No one'' is innocent!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Rodimus Prime''' throw down some more... right before Optimus clocks him.

"Now, light our darkest hour!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''', proving that destiny and Chosen Ones mean nothing when pitted against letters from angry kids and parents.

"There will be no war today, Optimus Prime. You have earned Galvatron's respect."
:—'''Galvatron''', totally sane for the first time since... ever

"The wisdom of the ages! It's lost!" 
"No, not lost. We're all a little wiser now." 
"But the Matrix is empty!" 
"It's up to all of us to fill it again—with the wisdom we accumulate from this moment on. Autobots, transform and roll out!"
:—'''Hot Rod''' and '''Optimus Prime'''

==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:GetThatMicrophoneOuttaMyFace.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4]]
[[Tommy Kennedy|Tommy]] meets with [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] ("The greatest fighter in the galaxy") in the barren wasteland to continue their interview for the [[Autobot City News]]. Optimus takes exception to being called a "fighter", as he doesn't agree that fighting is always the solution. In fact, in order to cure the galaxy of the [[Hate Plague]], he had to find a solution ''other'' than fighting...

With the tale concluded, Optimus asks Tommy if he'd like to help him refuel [[Sky High (Pretender)|Sky High]]. Tommy is psyched to participate in such a "privilege" and signs off his report. He then clings to Prime's head as they blast off into space.
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Production information===
* Final script: 24th November 1986

===Continuity notes===
[[File:It wireframe.gif|thumb|right|upright=1.1|"Excuse me sir! Do you have Prince Albert in a can? You do?? Well, you better let the poor guy out! WUHAH! WUHAH!
WUHAH!"]]
*Prime says of Galvatron: "That's because I know you too well..." As this is the first time Optimus has really met Galvatron (apart from a brief firefight while being a half-alive quasi-zombie in "[[Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening]]"), it seems that he's able to recognize his [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|old foe]], despite the change in name and appearance. Optimus' disembodied spirit had also seen Galvatron attempting to use the Matrix as a weapon in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]".
*Furthering the sense that the Throttlebots were thrown into this two-parter at the last minute, the only dialogue they receive comes in this episode: a collection of generic barely-on-screen shouts delivered by [[Frank Welker]] ("Smash Rodimus!") and [[Jack Angel]] ("After him!") that aren't attributed to any individual members of the group. Dedicated performers would later be cast to play the individual Throttlebots in "[[The Rebirth, Part 1]]".
*Optimus's journey through the Matrix gives us a look at some of its early bearers. It almost goes without saying that these robots don't resemble any of the ones we saw back in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]". Moving backward in time, they include:
**A broad-faced 'bot with prominent cheek guards
**A slimmer, decrepit-looking 'bot in similar colors - the ancient rhyming Autobot from "[[Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust]]".
**A heavily-bearded 'bot - the original "military hardware" (pre-'''Decepticon'''!) design from "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]".
**A wireframe-style entity referred to in the script as "[[It]]", bearing a strong resemblance to a Quintesson Judge's Death head. A version of this design appeared previously in Rodimus Prime's dream sequence in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]".
*Upon entering the Matrix of Leadership, the first Autobot that Optimus Prime encounters is Rodimus Prime; then he converses with Alpha Trion. The latter's appearance there is somewhat puzzling, as it was [[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2|previously established]] (and [[The Rebirth, Part 2|later reiterated]]) that he had merged with Vector Sigma. Alpha Trion's presence makes even ''less'' sense considering that it was clearly stated in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]" that he had never taken the Matrix for himself, thus eliminating the possibility that a "backup copy" of himself had somehow been "uploaded" into it. A variety of later fiction would, indirectly, offer explanations centering around the connection between the [[Transformer afterlife|Allspark]], the Matrix, Vector Sigma and Primus. In Alpha Trion's case he's in the afterlife, which one can communicate with through both the Matrix and Vector Sigma. Rodimus's presence is more murky, but can be accounted for by the notion of the Matrix as a gateway to the Allspark.
*Optimus using the Matrix to cure the Hate Plague bears more than a passing resemblance to when Rodimus Prime used the Matrix to destroy [[Unicron]] in [[The Transformers: The Movie|''The Movie'']]. They've even got "[[The Touch]]" playing in the background.
*In Japanese continuity, the events of [[The Great Transformer War issue 3|issue 3]] of ''[[The Great Transformer War]]'' take place shortly after this episode, helping to bridge the gap between it and "[[Four Warriors Come out of the Sky]]", the first episode of ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]''.

===Real-world references===
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
**A mix of [[TIE Fighter]] and [[X-wing Fighter|X-Wing]] engines as Sky Lynx rescues the Quintesson during the recap.
**The sound of the darting [[Wikia:Starwars:Marksman-H training remote|Marksman-H training remote]] can briefly be heard as Prime's chest pops open to unleash the Matrix's power.

===Animation and technical errors===
[[File:Goldbugtroop1.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.85|Goldbug Prime.]]
*The chair Optimus was sitting on is missing at the beginning of the episode.
*Optimus's fog lights are entirely red, even at the bulbs, which should be yellow or white.
*The recap animation shows Prime's body being pulled out of his ship with several cables. While this idea makes perfect sense, no cables were used during the actual event last episode.
*As Sky Lynx recaps last episode's events, the animation shows the exploding detonator/asteroid/planet/whatever-else-the-script-has-retconned-it-into-being... while he describes the ''star'' going nova. Granted, it's repeating the same goof as the previous ep.
*When the small group of Autobots is restored, Steeljaw's paws are over the side of the table in one shot and beside him in the next shot.
*In his first full body shot, Goldbug's head is drawn off-model, with pointier horns, smaller eyes and a much simpler mouthplate that looks more like Optimus Prime's than Goldbug's zigzag-shaped plate.
*As he speaks with the group, the closeups of Optimus's face from the side have the panel on the left side of his head in gray instead of blue. The long shots don't show his mouth plate moving as he speaks.
*During Blurr's "let's go!" rambling, the Quintesson wobbles around a bit.
*After Kup suggests the Autobots steal the metal back, Steeljaw (who's very close to the camera) is Rampage colored like Steeljaw.
*When Optimus Prime kneels down to talk to Jessica Morgan, Goldbug's feet (in the background) are colored gray instead of gold, even though his shins are still gold.
[[File:Roop kup and prime.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*When the small group of Autobots is restored, Optimus suddenly has his rifle back, though he wasn't holding it in the previous shots.
*As the group "rolls out," Kup is shown driving backward (unless he turns around after the scene transition...).
*The red squares are missing from the tops of Galvatron's shoulders in several shots. His chin is gray in some and dark gray in others as well.
*The Autobots on Charr transform to robot mode with the descending-pitch transformation noise, rather than the ascending-pitch version that usually goes with car-to-robot transformations.
*Optimus's rifle has the basic Autobot gun sound effect rather than its usual sound effect.

*As Optimus drives through the cave, his trailer is missing its Autobot symbol.
*Just before he transforms inside the cave, Optimus' bumper and grille are red instead of gray.

*In the distant shot of the Autobots, just before the [[Chaarantula|spider]] approaches them, Blaster appears to have Blast Off's colors.
*Some shots show the crest on Optimus's helmet framed in gray, while others (such as during his "know you too well" line) have it framed in blue.
*A close-up of Jessica reacting to the spider's approach shows her without her exo-suit, which she is shown wearing immediately before and after.
*Blaster's forehead is red instead of white in the following shot.
*As the energy leeches drop on Optimus, his fog lights are long cylinders rather than short triangles.
*Just before getting infected, Blaster has no lines on his switch plate.
*"We have to get out of here!" - Optimus's faceplate is misaligned with his helmet.
*When Galvatron shoots the top of the cave the second time, some of the rocks stay in mid-air.
*When they enter the Decepticon lab, Galvatron is taller than Optimus. In most other shots, he's shorter than Optimus.
*As Jessica discovers the alloy in the lab, Optimus is missing the Autobot symbol on his shoulder.
*After she makes the discovery, a shot shows the sides of Optimus' midsection in white instead of red.
*When Galvatron is threatening Optimus after they find the heat-resistant metal, Galvatron's cannon has a trigger on it.
*When escaping after Galvatron is infected, Optimus and his cab are colored entirely white (as if already coated in the resistant metal!)
*The establishing shot of Autobot City shows it more off-model than ever: It's colored entirely white or gray instead of the usual gold or maroon color, all the tall towers seem unusually short, the turret is either facing inward or missing its barrel, and all the ramps as well as the river that should be right in front of it are missing.
*Searchlight and Chase fire their first few laser shots at Rodimus without any sound effects. Their first shots are purple, but in the next shot they're firing orange lasers.
*During the subsequent fighting, nobody gets the right sound effect; the Throttlebots and Rodimus all use a non-standard laser sound.
*When he first meets Optimus, Rodimus is missing his Autobot symbol.
*The subsequent shots show Rodimus as semi-transparent.
*As Rodimus drives out of the junkyard a few moments later, he floats above the ground.
[[File:Hate Plague Rodimus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right|]]
*Rodimus's gun fires yellow shots at times and purple shots in others. And what happened to his rifle?
*As Optimus grapples with Rodimus, Rodimus's Autobot logo disappears in a few frames.
*The inside of Rodimus' mouth is gray as he delivers the "no one is innocent!" line.
[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Alpha Trion miscolored.jpg‎|thumb|upright=1.4|Trust the Gorton's fisherbot!]]
*The close-up of Optimus aboard the newly infected Sky Lynx shows a standard non-infected coloration behind him.
*The ceiling of the junkyard plant has beams framing the glass, yet the beams disappear when Sky Lynx crashes through them.
*Sky Lynx ''also'' disappears after crashing through the glass.
*As Optimus struggles with Rodimus the second time, Optimus's Autobot logo is framed in white in some shots, black in others.
*When Optimus takes the Matrix from Rodimus, the "glow" from the Matrix lags behind the Matrix itself when he raises it up. Rodimus's chest cavity is also a huge chasm, rather than the usual Matrix-sized compartment.
*In the next shot, Rodimus is laying there with his chest suddenly closed again.
*When Optimus is talking to Alpha Trion, Alpha Trion is miscolored. He's grey, slate blue and orange when shown from the front, and entirely orange when shown from the side. He should be grey, dark red and dark blue. It seems the colorists confused him with the Custodiobot from "[[Surprise Party]]".
*When Headstrong and Tantrum get smushed by the doors, they cry out in generic, distinctly non-Predacon voices.
*When Optimus activates the Matrix, its handles disappear. They're back again in the next shot.
*Jessica's facial appearance in this episode is different than it was in Part 1.
*"The wisdom of the ages... lost." - Hot Rod has a Decepticon symbol on his chest.
*In the same shot, Optimus Prime's thigh is miscolored.
*"But the Matrix is empty!" - Hot Rod has the extra lines on his face that accompany his incarnation as Rodimus.
*As Optimus is explaining that the Matrix must be refilled with the future wisdom, he is colored as if he still has the heat-resistant metal on him.
*In the same shot, Hot Rod looks bigger than Optimus even though he should be much smaller (especially now that he's not Rodimus anymore).
*In the last shot of the episode, Optimus is missing his smoke stacks, the front of his cab has the gray stripes but the sides do not, and his trailer is again missing its Autobot logo; meanwhile, Blurr clips into Kup and his front end disappears from the frame.

===Continuity errors===
*Optimus's last line in Part 1 was "This time, no force in the universe can stop me." His first line here is "''Now'', no force in the universe ''will'' stop me."
*Sky Lynx is in two parts at the beginning. He was the full walking bird at the end of the last episode.
*After Sky Lynx's recap, Optimus is seen getting up from a table and walking over to where he was a minute earlier. There was no table behind him in previous shots, and no reason for him to lay down for a moment.
*So....how ''exactly'' does Sky Lynx know every single detail of what happened in the previous episode? He wasn't even there when half of those recapped events took place!
*Given that the Autobots are in a rush to save the galaxy, why did the Quintessons take the time to retool Bumblebee into Goldbug?
*How did Kup know that Rodimus had been contaminated? He was deactivated by Superion before that happened, and wasn't around for Sky Lynx's recap.
* Wouldn’t the Autobots and Decepticons have to worry about Trypticon getting infected?
*The alloy is heat-resistant to the point of surviving a supernova in the [[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|previous episode]]. Yet it now can be melted down to coat Optimus Prime with it.
*A machine is used to coat Optimus Prime with this superheated alloy. What was ''it'' made out of, and why wasn't that material used?
*And did anyone manage to explain how heat resistance works against spores? What exactly do the writers think {{w|spore}}s are?
*Appearing/disappearing Autobots:
**The Transformers wounded by [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] (and listed by Sky Lynx) included Steeljaw and Wheelie. At the Autobot lab, Wheelie is replaced by Blaster.
**Steeljaw is revived at the Autobot City lab, but not seen afterwards.
*Continuing the confusion started by the combiners last episode, the infected Decepticons work ''together'' to fight Galvatron and the others, instead of attacking each other. This carries on into later in the episode, where Galvatron and the infected Decepticons work together to hunt down Optimus. Even more confusingly, it seems like the infected Autobots and Decepticons are working together, given a few Aerialbots are seen with Galvatron, Cyclonus, Scourge, and the Predacons when Optimus opens the Matrix. You'd think a ''Hate'' Plague would only enflame ''hatred'' between two groups of mortal enemies.
*Worse, when outnumbered by the Autobots, Cyclonus orders the other Decepticons to retreat, and they follow his command.
*Sky Lynx doesn't help during the spider attack, even though he ''can'' fly.
*Where's the trailer go?
**Optimus is coated in the alloy in robot mode. How does his trailer get coated?
**For that matter, where's the trailer been hanging out for the past couple of years since Optimus died, and how did he get back together with it? It just kinda rolls in as usual when he first transforms.
*Goldbug, Kup and Blaster get infected without being touched; in fact they don't even try to avoid it. Sky Lynx was right next to them but doesn't get infected. Huh?
[[File:Rodimus Matrix Chamber FFOD DA TROOP.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|One toy, four variants.]]
*Sky Lynx suddenly grows a pair of hands to pick up Galvatron's [[particle cannon]] with. Even if they're supposed to be his bird-mode legs (which they appear to be based on), what is he standing on?
*Shouldn't Jessica's full-body exo-suit protect her from direct contact and infection?
*After Jessica Morgan and Galvatron are infected, Optimus and Sky Lynx speed off. Jessica makes a jump for Sky Lynx and briefly clings onto his tail before losing her grip, yet Sky Lynx ''still'' doesn't get infected.
*Come to think of it, how do Optimus and Sky Lynx escape Charr? They're in a cave with only one way out. Aren't there partial cave-ins in their path? Wouldn't the other infected Autobots and Decepticons be directly in their path?
*How do the support beams in the junkyard plant hold Optimus and Rodimus' weight?
*Rodimus's Matrix chamber opens via a pair of rectangular swing-out doors much like Optimus' chamber. In "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4," the door opened in the middle of the flame on his chest. In "Dark Awakening", it hinged across the left side of the flame, and the whole design opened to reveal the chamber.
*When Optimus puts the Matrix into his chest, he puts it in ''lengthwise''. Surely his months of deactivation haven't made him forget how the thing sat in his chest for ''millions of years''?
*"It" tells Prime that "a wise man was able to contain the spores, but...no one had the wisdom to [destroy them]." The implication seems to be that a smart dude figured out a way to control the spores. Yet Prime - and the plot - proceed to interpret this as meaning that "wisdom" is like some kind of laser beam spore-cleaning agent - just point it at the spores and pull the trigger!
*In the movie, the Matrix took up the top half of Optimus' chest compartment and was behind a flip-up panel. Here, it fills in the whole (now hollow) cavity with no panel or other electronics to be seen.
*How exactly did Jessica get off [[Chaar]]?
[[File:Swafford&morganG1.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|"Take our hands! Please!" "Make it your faces and we'll talk."]]
*And what are she and Gregory Swofford doing in [[Moscow]] by the time they're cured of the Hate Plague? It's not just a case of an accidentally recycled background from the previous shot (which did depict actual Russians being cured of the Hate Plague)—even though both shots feature onion domes reminiscent of Saint Basil's Cathedral, they're definitely different background paintings. So... what gives?
*How did they get the alloy ''off'' Optimus Prime? And why would they want to, if it's so resilient? (Unless... they just painted over the alloy?)
*The timing of the last scene is odd. It's long enough after the cure is unleashed for Optimus to have the metal removed or painted over, and for Kup, Hot Rod, Ultra Magnus, and the three humans to arrive at Autobot City. Yet Galvatron is still hanging around, and both he and Hot Rod speak as though the previous scene's events just happened.
**Interestingly, Galvatron is consistently portrayed without his cannon in this scene.
*Does anyone else think that Dr. Swofford and Morgan get off waaaaay too easy at the end of the episode? They ''willingly'' unleash the hate plague that causes widespread devastation (and probably death) across not just the world but the entire galaxy, just to spite the Autobots, and they get off by just saying "sorry"? (Then again, we don't actually ''see'' Optimus shaking their hands. Burn!)

===Trivia===
[[File:DialogueScriptTROOPOrionPax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|So this is odd.]]
*Following the average-for-[[Toei Animation]] Part 1, this episode's artwork quality is among the series' best, with loads of detailed shading, the same pink-glowing-smoke-explosions seen in ''Transformers: The Movie'', and characters generally on-model and well-drawn.
*The portion of "The Touch" that plays includes the line about "Hell breaking loose," an unusually strong word for an American '80s TV cartoon. Guess the censors were looking elsewhere that day. (Amusing timing as a bamboozled Galvatron says "What is this?", seemingly in reaction to the song replacing the show's usual background music!)
*The [[Sunbow Productions]] cast list entry for this episode lists Orion Pax as appearing. A flashback to Optimus Prime's early days that was removed for time constraints, you might think? No. According to the [[dialogue script]] for the episode, Orion Pax was originally going to be the one to ask Prime why he had returned to the Matrix! Presumably, someone on staff caught the error early enough, as Pax's line in the final cut went to Alpha Trion. (The dialogue script also misspells "Trion" as "Tion", for that matter.)
*[[Jack Angel]] takes over as the voice for Cyclonus following the death of [[Roger C. Carmel]].
*This is the final episode of the original American G1 cartoon to be animated by Toei; the remaining episodes would be animated by [[AKOM]]. Toei would later return to animate all the Japanese-exclusive G1 sequel series.
*Prime's appearance in the alloy coat gives him a strong resemblance to Ultra Magnus's unused unarmored form.
*The Quintesson's voice changes from the first episode. It's still the same voice actor, but in the first part, his voice is higher-pitched and whiny, in Part 2, he sounds like a gravelly old man.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title (European French broadcast and DVD release):'' "'''Le retour d'Optimus Prime, partie 2'''" ("The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2")
:*''Title (Canadian French broadcast):'' "'''Le retour d'Optimus, partie 2'''" ("The Return of Optimus, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*Concerning the European French dub:
:::*This episode was most likely dubbed later than the first part, the dubbing team being slightly different. Guests characters like Jessica and Gregory do not keep their voice actors from the first part, which reinforces the idea that the episode was not dubbed on the same day.
:::*The [[Déclic Images]] edition of this episode modified the introduction. They used the last scenes from previous episodes and put Sky Lynx's line on the shot with Optimus' silhouette, and Optimus' answer on his close-up. Then the flash-back narrated by Sky Lynx starts. The [[UFG Junior]] edition used the original broadcast version, with the correct images. However, the first lines are removed and replaced by the narrator giving us the title of the episode.
:::*This is the last time we hear [[Henry Djanik]] in the show. He has been present since ''[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]'', but will not be present for the 4th season. The same goes for [[François Leccia]], who joined the team during early season 2.
:::*Sky Lynx misses the part about the ship during his storytelling, he goes from the saving by Jessica and Swofford to them testing the spores.
:::*New made-up names are created this episode. While in the original version, Sky Lynx names Kup, Wheelie, Blurr, Steeljaw and Bumblebee, the French dub says "Baril" (most likely Kup), "Villa" (Wheelie?), "Blurro" (Blurr) and "Balbee" (the regular name of Bumblebee in seasons 1-2). Steeljaw is not named.
:::*The annoyed grunts from the Quintesson being told that he will be helping are dubbed by an enthusiastic "Count on me!".
:::*Goldbug's line "I've gone beyond being just plain old Bumblebee, I'm a gold bug!" is dubbed by "I'm not the little Bumblebee anymore! Not only do I have a heart of gold, but I'm made of gold!". As a result, Optimus Prime's line "From now on, that's exactly who you'll be, Goldbug!" is replaced by "From now on, we will call you another way! Why not ''Dorédic''?".
:::*Optimus Prime firstly says ''le'' Matrix, but for the rest of the episode it will be ''la'' Matrix.
:::*Kup calls the exosuit an "exotanic suit".
:::*Optimus Prime's line "I've got you!" when he catches Galvatron are dubbed by Optimus making some effort grunts and someone with the voice of [[Georges Atlas]] (who dubs Kup and a Quintesson in this episode) saying "And here we go!".
:::*Galvatron's laugh after saying that the Autobots can't fly are dubbed by a strange "Ooooooooh".
:::*Like Optimus Prime did in ''[[Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction]]'', Galvatron's laugh after the web incident are replaced by some weird noises from [[Serge Lhorca]], making it sound like Galvatron is in great pain or struggles to do something. Again, the actors probably didn't watch the original version before recording, went straight to it, misinterpreted the "Ah"s in the text and didn't bother to do another take.
:::*Optimus Prime does not name Kup and Sky Lynx.
:::*When Optimus Prime tells Rodimus Prime that "Madness has infected the entire galaxy, the Autobots, the Decepticons, the humans", instead of saying "the humans", he says "the humanus", whatever that means.
:::*[[Olivier Destrez]], who was the voice of Spike in season 1 before leaving the team, and who made a cameo in ''[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]'' as Slingshot, comes back to dub the few lines of Gregory Swofford, despite not dubbing him in the first part.
:::*"Light our darkest hour" had already been translated in three different ways in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|The Movie]]'', but a ''fourth'' version is created here, maybe the most ridiculous one: while opening the Matrix, Optimus Prime says "And now, it's time to cheer ourselves up!".

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' '''Die Rückkehr von Optimus Prime, Teil 2''' ("The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 21]], [[1989]]
::*Because this was one of the first few episodes ever to be dubbed into German, there are countless translation errors, mispronounced names and just outright ''confusion'' regarding established characters and concepts:
:::*Instead of asking Sky Lynx if any Autobots have ''avoided'' contamination, Optimus now asks how many of the Autobots have been ''infected''. However, Sky Lynx's answer was translated ''without'' change, which results in him incorrectly claiming that "just a few" have been infected. Even more nonsensical is his next line, which claims that "those few" have been damaged in the fight with Superion, thus implying that it was those who have been infected that got damaged, rather than those who ''avoided'' infection.
:::*When Sky Lynx names the injured Autobots, he mispronounces Steeljaw's name as "Steel''joe''".
:::*When Goldbug says "Chill out, Blurr, we need a plan!", in the German version, he mispronounces his name as either "Blarr" or "Blaab".
:::*Since this was the first episode to be dubbed that featured the Matrix of Leadership, it appears that the translator had no idea just what exactly the Matrix ''was'', and thus, the name "Matrix" is avoided entirely. For example, in the original version, Optimus says that without the Matrix, he no longer possesses the accumulated wisdom of the Autobots' ancient leaders. By contrast, in the German version, he says that when he was "sick", "they" removed his "program" on which the experience of all the previous "chiefs" was "stored".
:::*The term "exosuit" is translated as "Kampfanzug" ("battle suit").
:::*When Optimus Prime opens the Matrix at the end, his line, "Now, light our darkest hour!", gets misinterpreted as him directly addressing the infected Galvatron, saying "This right here is now your weakest hour!"
:::*After Rodimus is turned back into Hot Rod, in the German version, he gains a different voice actor. Quite likely, nobody on the dubbing team had any idea that Rodimus Prime and Hot Rod were supposed to be the same individual. After all, this was only the second episode ever to be dubbed into German!
:::*While in the original version, Hot Rod and Optimus talk about the fact that the wisdom of the ages is lost and the Matrix is empty, in the German version, Hot Rod says (with very clunky wording) that the wisdom of the millennia is "burned up", and "the program" is "deleted".
::*In the VHS version, the first eight seconds of the title sequence oddly only feature a still blue screen while the season 3 [[theme song]] is playing. After that, the title sequence continues playing normally. For the broadcast of the episode on German TV, the full title sequence was shown.
::*Like "[[Nightmare Planet]]" and "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]" all commercial break fade-outs were removed for the VHS release. These were, however, reinstated for the broadcast version of the episode.

'''Italian'''
:*''Title (first dub):'' "'''Il ritorno di Commander, Parte 2'''" ("The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*Optimus's line: "I must travel into the Matrix" is not dubbed, so you can see him moving his mouthplate without saying anything.
:*''Title (second dub):'' "'''Il ritorno di Optimus Prime, Parte 2'''" ("The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' コンボイの復活パート2 (''Convoy no Fukkatsu Part 2'', "The Resurrection of Convoy Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 25]], [[1987]]
::*The Japanese version of this episode has an alternate ending. After Optimus Prime and the Autobots ride off into the sunset and "The Touch" ends, the music changes to "[[Transformer 2010|TRANSFORMER 2010]]" by [[Shō Hirose]] and the scene shifts to a montage of all the major characters from the series.
::*This montage replaces the "[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]" segment focusing on [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] used in the US broadcast. The Ultra Magnus "Secret Files" segment was never used in the Japanese broadcast of the series.
::*Following this episode, Japanese cartoon continuity diverges from the Western continuity. Rather than lead into "[[The Rebirth]]" three-parter, Japanese continuity instead continues in their domestically produced series, ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|Transformers: The Headmasters]]''.

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Qíngtiānzhù Fùhuó (Xià)'''" (擎天柱复活(下),"Optimus Prime Resurrects, Part 2")
:*''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 (Zweiter 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 France.png|20px|France]] 2005 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 23 ([[Déclic Images]]) — European French audio only. 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2005 — ''Transformers'' — Le Retour d'Optimus Prime ([[UFG Junior]]) — European French audio only. 
[[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==
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1gwsuGqt1c_-0NWqiEB4ufvzbVZHatnrK Episode script, finalised 24th November 1986]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}
[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]

The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2

2026-02-27T06:49:08Z

DevinM626:

{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|series2=2010
|ep=95
|ep2=32
|prev2=The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1
|next2=Four Warriors Come out of the Sky
|image=ReturnOptimusPrime2 Matrix open.JPG
|caption=Hmm, this looks familiar...
|title="The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2"
|season=3
|season ep=30
|production code=700-116
|airdate=[[February 25]], 1987
|teleplay by=[[Michael Charles Hill]]
|story by=[[Cherie Wilkerson]] and [[Marv Wolfman]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]], [[Studio Look]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEr_OK8xD1c
|videosite=YouTube
}}
'''Optimus and a handful of Autobots make a desperate bid to recover the Matrix, in the hopes that a cure for the Hate Plague can be found.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Primeandjessicamorgan.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Chip Chase, is that you?]]
Within [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] has been fully restored to life by [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] and [[Klementia|a Quintesson survivor]] of the rampant [[Hate Plague]] that's infecting the universe. Prime demands to know what has happened during his time on the [[Transformer afterlife|other side]]. Sky Lynx recaps the events that had conspired to bring him back, including [[Jessica Morgan]]'s valiant play to save him from total destruction, the discovery of the Hate Plague spores, and the trap laid out by [[Mark Morgan|Jessica's father]] and her partner [[Gregory Swofford]] to infect the [[Autobot]]s with the spores in revenge, which ultimately spiraled out of control. It was thought by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus]], before his infection, that Prime would know what it would take to stop the plague. Prime asks who is available, and learns of the Autobots injured battling [[Superion (G1)|Superion]].

The survivors are brought back to Autobot City, where the [[Quintesson]] manages to reactivate them, completely rebuilding [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] into Goldbug. When Goldbug asks what the plan is, Prime admits that he doesn't have a plan. Without the accumulated wisdom within the [[Matrix of Leadership]] (which now resides in Rodimus), he doesn't have a clue as to where to start. That is, until Jessica comes forward with the experimental alloy that she, her father, and Gregory had worked on, which proved strong enough to block the spores. Theoretically, coating Optimus with this alloy would protect himself from the spores' infection and allow him to get close enough to Rodimus to extract the Matrix from him. However, all remaining alloy samples were stolen by the Decepticons. The Autobots decide to retrieve the metal.

[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime2 crazycons.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|Cyclonus and Scourge each spent 2,000 XP to create the Level 7 Flame Barrier spell. Unfortunately, Galvatron has Protection from Fire with Permanency effect.]]
Meanwhile, on [[Chaar]], [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] is pinned down by his own mutinously diseased soldiers, unable to fight back against their maddening ferocity... until Optimus and his team arrive to save the day, convincing Galvatron that it would be in his best interest to join in an alliance with them. As is his way, however, the Decepticon leader is suspicious of Optimus's motives, especially when he learns they need the alloy he stole, but cannot get a reason for it out of them. He agrees to join in and leads Optimus and his gang down a series of boobytrapped tunnels, their numbers dwindling from the tunnel's natural hazards and the infected Decepticon mob behind them, until only Optimus, Galvatron, Sky Lynx, and Jessica arrive at the alloy's hiding place. Unfortunately, Jessie accidentally lets slip their plan to coat Optimus with the metal after confirming there would be enough of it to do the job, prompting Galvatron to turn on Optimus in hopes of using the process on himself, but he is soon subdued by Sky Lynx. Under coercion, Galvatron loads the alloy onto Prime's trailer but doesn't notice that an infected [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] has managed to sneak in, infecting Jessica in the process. Jessica, in turn, infects Galvatron, forcing Sky Lynx and Optimus to flee back to Earth.

[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Primes duel.JPG|left|upright=1.1|thumb|So I guess Rodimus is a bottom... to Ultra Magnus?]]
Once on Earth, Optimus is coated with the alloy, and sets out to find Rodimus. He finds him taking down infected Transformers with reckless glee, and attempts to reason with him, which fails. Unwilling to hurt his successor, Prime lures Rodimus to a nearby auto shop, attempting to peacefully subdue and talk Rodimus into helping him, but the Hate Plague is overriding any effort to do so, forcing Optimus to knock Rodimus out and take the Matrix back by force.

Back at Autobot City, Optimus dives into the Matrix to question the elders of the past in reverse chronological order (of their history) to try and find out any information on the spores. The spirit of [[Alpha Trion]] warns him that if he travels too far, he risks becoming lost within the Matrix itself. During Prime's journey, the Quintesson that revived him notices a troop of infected Transformers attempting to get in, and manages to temporarily shut them out, giving Optimus the time he needs to finally find his answer. He learns that, in a period of pre-Cybertronian history, the Plague ''has'' visited the planet before, but was contained and sealed inside the star Jessica and Gregory found it in using sheer wisdom, though even back then, no one had the wisdom to destroy the spores, and now that it has spread so much throughout the galaxy, it's doubtful that anyone has the wisdom to even contain them again. Optimus then realizes that a source of raw wisdom may be available to destroy the infection once and for all: the accumulated wisdom within the Matrix of Leadership.

The infected Transformers finally break into the base, and corner the Quintesson, who begs them to stop. Galvatron grabs a metal pole, intending to impale Prime. However, Prime's chest opens to reveal a glowing Matrix, surprising the Transformers. Asking it to "light our [[darkest hour]]", Optimus Prime releases the energy of the Matrix of Leadership, which spreads across the world and across the universe, and totally eradicates the Plague.

Some while later, in Autobot City, a remorseful Gregory and Jessica's father offer deep apologies to the Autobots, while Galvatron, in a rare moment of calm, shakes his old enemy's hand, proclaiming that Prime has earned his respect and that "there will be no war today." Rodimus (now once more Hot Rod, without the Matrix within him) notes that the Matrix is now empty, its wisdom supposedly lost in order to stop the plague. Optimus, however, disagrees; they have all become a little wiser, now, and although the Matrix is indeed empty of wisdom, it is up to them from then on to fill it again with their knowledge and experience. Optimus, once again the Autobot leader, orders his troops to "Transform and [[roll out]]".

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (2)
*[[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (6)
*[[Chase (G1)|Chase]] (7)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (8)
*[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] (10)
*[[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] (11)
*[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] (12)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee/Goldbug]] (13)
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (14)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] (15)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime/Hot Rod]] (26)
*[[Searchlight (G1)|Searchlight]] (27)
*[[Freeway (G1)|Freeway]] (28)
*[[Alpha Trion]] (29)
*[[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (31)
*[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (32)
*[[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (33)
|c2=
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (16)
*[[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] (17)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] (18)
*[[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] (19)
*[[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] (20)
*[[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] (21)
*[[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] (22)
*[[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] (23)
*[[Headstrong (G1)|Headstrong]] (24)
*[[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]] (25)
|c3=
*[[Jessica Morgan]] (4)
*[[Gregory Swofford]] (5)
*[[Mark Morgan]] (34)
|c4=
*[[Klementia|Quintesson judge]] (3)
*[[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]] (9)
*[[It]] (30)
}}

==Quotes==
"We need a plan! Okay, Optimus, what's the plan?" 
"I... have no plan."
:—'''Goldbug''' and '''Optimus Prime''', the latter of whom is not exactly inspiring confidence

"[[Roll out|Autobots, transform and roll out]]!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''', getting back into the swing of things.

"Fools, I am your leader! ... It's no use. You're all crazed!"
:—'''Galvatron''' fighting his infected and insane troops. The irony fairy just had a coronary.

"Have I no friends left?!" 
"Well, well, what have we here?" 
"Looks like something the cat dragged in."
:—'''Galvatron''' is no longer so impressive to '''Cyclonus''' and '''Predaking'''

[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Prime Galvatron.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|"Come on, Optimus, why can't we be friends?"
 "When we first met, you shot me and my girlfriend. You make a bad first impression."]]

[[File:Roop2 prime vs prime.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|"NO ONE is innocent!" ...especially not after this series of screencaps.]]

"Come on, Optimus, tell me! Why do you want this metal? How will it be used? Why is it so precious?" 
"I've explained it to you." 
"You told me it was important, but you didn't tell me why!" 
"That's because I know you too well, Galvatron."
:—'''Galvatron''' and '''Optimus Prime''' resuming their same old song and dance

"I don't need you anymore, Optimus. So much for your resurrection!"
:—'''Galvatron''', same song, different tune

"I don't want to hurt you, Rodimus!" 
"Don't worry, Optimus, you won't! HAHAHAHAH!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Rodimus Prime''' throw down.

"No more games, Rodimus! Innocent lives are at stake!" 
"''No one'' is innocent!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Rodimus Prime''' throw down some more... right before Optimus clocks him.

"Now, light our darkest hour!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''', proving that destiny and Chosen Ones mean nothing when pitted against letters from angry kids and parents.

"There will be no war today, Optimus Prime. You have earned Galvatron's respect."
:—'''Galvatron''', totally sane for the first time since... ever

"The wisdom of the ages! It's lost!" 
"No, not lost. We're all a little wiser now." 
"But the Matrix is empty!" 
"It's up to all of us to fill it again—with the wisdom we accumulate from this moment on. Autobots, transform and roll out!"
:—'''Hot Rod''' and '''Optimus Prime'''

==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:GetThatMicrophoneOuttaMyFace.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4]]
[[Tommy Kennedy|Tommy]] meets with [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] ("The greatest fighter in the galaxy") in the barren wasteland to continue their interview for the [[Autobot City News]]. Optimus takes exception to being called a "fighter", as he doesn't agree that fighting is always the solution. In fact, in order to cure the galaxy of the [[Hate Plague]], he had to find a solution ''other'' than fighting...

With the tale concluded, Optimus asks Tommy if he'd like to help him refuel [[Sky High (Pretender)|Sky High]]. Tommy is psyched to participate in such a "privilege" and signs off his report. He then clings to Prime's head as they blast off into space.
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Production information===
* Final script: 24th November 1986

===Continuity notes===
[[File:It wireframe.gif|thumb|right|upright=1.1|"Excuse me sir! Do you have Prince Albert in a can? You do?? Well, you better let the poor guy out! WUHAH! WUHAH!
WUHAH!"]]
*Prime says of Galvatron: "That's because I know you too well..." As this is the first time Optimus has really met Galvatron (apart from a brief firefight while being a half-alive quasi-zombie in "[[Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening]]"), it seems that he's able to recognize his [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|old foe]], despite the change in name and appearance. Optimus' disembodied spirit had also seen Galvatron attempting to use the Matrix as a weapon in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]".
*Furthering the sense that the Throttlebots were thrown into this two-parter at the last minute, the only dialogue they receive comes in this episode: a collection of generic barely-on-screen shouts delivered by [[Frank Welker]] ("Smash Rodimus!") and [[Jack Angel]] ("After him!") that aren't attributed to any individual members of the group. Dedicated performers would later be cast to play the individual Throttlebots in "[[The Rebirth, Part 1]]".
*Optimus's journey through the Matrix gives us a look at some of its early bearers. It almost goes without saying that these robots don't resemble any of the ones we saw back in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]". Moving backward in time, they include:
**A broad-faced 'bot with prominent cheek guards
**A slimmer, decrepit-looking 'bot in similar colors - the ancient rhyming Autobot from "[[Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust]]".
**A heavily-bearded 'bot - the original "military hardware" (pre-'''Decepticon'''!) design from "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]".
**A wireframe-style entity referred to in the script as "[[It]]", bearing a strong resemblance to a Quintesson Judge's Death head. A version of this design appeared previously in Rodimus Prime's dream sequence in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]".
*Upon entering the Matrix of Leadership, the first Autobot that Optimus Prime encounters is Rodimus Prime; then he converses with Alpha Trion. The latter's appearance there is somewhat puzzling, as it was [[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2|previously established]] (and [[The Rebirth, Part 2|later reiterated]]) that he had merged with Vector Sigma. Alpha Trion's presence makes even ''less'' sense considering that it was clearly stated in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]" that he had never taken the Matrix for himself, thus eliminating the possibility that a "backup copy" of himself had somehow been "uploaded" into it. A variety of later fiction would, indirectly, offer explanations centering around the connection between the [[Transformer afterlife|Allspark]], the Matrix, Vector Sigma and Primus. In Alpha Trion's case he's in the afterlife, which one can communicate with through both the Matrix and Vector Sigma. Rodimus's presence is more murky, but can be accounted for by the notion of the Matrix as a gateway to the Allspark.
*Optimus using the Matrix to cure the Hate Plague bears more than a passing resemblance to when Rodimus Prime used the Matrix to destroy [[Unicron]] in [[The Transformers: The Movie|''The Movie'']]. They've even got "[[The Touch]]" playing in the background.
*In Japanese continuity, the events of [[The Great Transformer War issue 3|issue 3]] of ''[[The Great Transformer War]]'' take place shortly after this episode, helping to bridge the gap between it and "[[Four Warriors Come out of the Sky]]", the first episode of ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]''.

===Real-world references===
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
**A mix of [[TIE Fighter]] and [[X-wing Fighter|X-Wing]] engines as Sky Lynx rescues the Quintesson during the recap.
**The sound of the darting [[Wikia:Starwars:Marksman-H training remote|Marksman-H training remote]] can briefly be heard as Prime's chest pops open to unleash the Matrix's power.

===Animation and technical errors===
[[File:Goldbugtroop1.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.85|Goldbug Prime.]]
*The chair Optimus was sitting on is missing at the beginning of the episode.
*Optimus's fog lights are entirely red, even at the bulbs, which should be yellow or white.
*The recap animation shows Prime's body being pulled out of his ship with several cables. While this idea makes perfect sense, no cables were used during the actual event last episode.
*As Sky Lynx recaps last episode's events, the animation shows the exploding detonator/asteroid/planet/whatever-else-the-script-has-retconned-it-into-being... while he describes the ''star'' going nova. Granted, it's repeating the same goof as the previous ep.
*When the small group of Autobots is restored, Steeljaw's paws are over the side of the table in one shot and beside him in the next shot.
*In his first full body shot, Goldbug's head is drawn off-model, with pointier horns, smaller eyes and a much simpler mouthplate that looks more like Optimus Prime's than Goldbug's zigzag-shaped plate.
*As he speaks with the group, the closeups of Optimus's face from the side have the panel on the left side of his head in gray instead of blue. The long shots don't show his mouth plate moving as he speaks.
*During Blurr's "let's go!" rambling, the Quintesson wobbles around a bit.
*After Kup suggests the Autobots steal the metal back, Steeljaw (who's very close to the camera) is Rampage colored like Steeljaw.
*When Optimus Prime kneels down to talk to Jessica Morgan, Goldbug's feet (in the background) are colored gray instead of gold, even though his shins are still gold.
[[File:Roop kup and prime.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*When the small group of Autobots is restored, Optimus suddenly has his rifle back, though he wasn't holding it in the previous shots.
*As the group "rolls out," Kup is shown driving backward (unless he turns around after the scene transition...).
*The red squares are missing from the tops of Galvatron's shoulders in several shots. His chin is gray in some and dark gray in others as well.
*The Autobots on Charr transform to robot mode with the descending-pitch transformation noise, rather than the ascending-pitch version that usually goes with car-to-robot transformations.
*Optimus's rifle has the basic Autobot gun sound effect rather than its usual sound effect.

*As Optimus drives through the cave, his trailer is missing its Autobot symbol.
*Just before he transforms inside the cave, Optimus' bumper and grille are red instead of gray.

*In the distant shot of the Autobots, just before the [[Chaarantula|spider]] approaches them, Blaster appears to have Blast Off's colors.
*Some shots show the crest on Optimus's helmet framed in gray, while others (such as during his "know you too well" line) have it framed in blue.
*A close-up of Jessica reacting to the spider's approach shows her without her exo-suit, which she is shown wearing immediately before and after.
*Blaster's forehead is red instead of white in the following shot.
*As the energy leeches drop on Optimus, his fog lights are long cylinders rather than short triangles.
*Just before getting infected, Blaster has no lines on his switch plate.
*"We have to get out of here!" - Optimus's faceplate is misaligned with his helmet.
*When Galvatron shoots the top of the cave the second time, some of the rocks stay in mid-air.
*When they enter the Decepticon lab, Galvatron is taller than Optimus. In most other shots, he's shorter than Optimus.
*As Jessica discovers the alloy in the lab, Optimus is missing the Autobot symbol on his shoulder.
*After she makes the discovery, a shot shows the sides of Optimus' midsection in white instead of red.
*When Galvatron is threatening Optimus after they find the heat-resistant metal, Galvatron's cannon has a trigger on it.
*When escaping after Galvatron is infected, Optimus and his cab are colored entirely white (as if already coated in the resistant metal!)
*The establishing shot of Autobot City shows it more off-model than ever: It's colored entirely white or gray instead of the usual gold or maroon color, all the tall towers seem unusually short, the turret is either facing inward or missing its barrel, and all the ramps as well as the river that should be right in front of it are missing.
*Searchlight and Chase fire their first few laser shots at Rodimus without any sound effects. Their first shots are purple, but in the next shot they're firing orange lasers.
*During the subsequent fighting, nobody gets the right sound effect; the Throttlebots and Rodimus all use a non-standard laser sound.
*When he first meets Optimus, Rodimus is missing his Autobot symbol.
*The subsequent shots show Rodimus as semi-transparent.
*As Rodimus drives out of the junkyard a few moments later, he floats above the ground.
[[File:Hate Plague Rodimus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right|]]
*Rodimus's gun fires yellow shots at times and purple shots in others. And what happened to his rifle?
*As Optimus grapples with Rodimus, Rodimus's Autobot logo disappears in a few frames.
*The inside of Rodimus' mouth is gray as he delivers the "no one is innocent!" line.
[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Alpha Trion miscolored.jpg‎|thumb|upright=1.4|Trust the Gorton's fisherbot!]]
*The close-up of Optimus aboard the newly infected Sky Lynx shows a standard non-infected coloration behind him.
*The ceiling of the junkyard plant has beams framing the glass, yet the beams disappear when Sky Lynx crashes through them.
*Sky Lynx ''also'' disappears after crashing through the glass.
*As Optimus struggles with Rodimus the second time, Optimus's Autobot logo is framed in white in some shots, black in others.
*When Optimus takes the Matrix from Rodimus, the "glow" from the Matrix lags behind the Matrix itself when he raises it up. Rodimus's chest cavity is also a huge chasm, rather than the usual Matrix-sized compartment.
*In the next shot, Rodimus is laying there with his chest suddenly closed again.
*When Optimus is talking to Alpha Trion, Alpha Trion is miscolored. He's grey, slate blue and orange when shown from the front, and entirely orange when shown from the side. He should be grey, dark red and dark blue. It seems the colorists confused him with the Custodiobot from "[[Surprise Party]]".
*When Headstrong and Tantrum get smushed by the doors, they cry out in generic, distinctly non-Predacon voices.
*When Optimus activates the Matrix, its handles disappear. They're back again in the next shot.
*Jessica's facial appearance in this episode is different than it was in Part 1.
*"The wisdom of the ages... lost." - Hot Rod has a Decepticon symbol on his chest.
*In the same shot, Optimus Prime's thigh is miscolored.
*"But the Matrix is empty!" - Hot Rod has the extra lines on his face that accompany his incarnation as Rodimus.
*As Optimus is explaining that the Matrix must be refilled with the future wisdom, he is colored as if he still has the heat-resistant metal on him.
*In the same shot, Hot Rod looks bigger than Optimus even though he should be much smaller (especially now that he's not Rodimus anymore).
*In the last shot of the episode, Optimus is missing his smoke stacks, the front of his cab has the gray stripes but the sides do not, and his trailer is again missing its Autobot logo; meanwhile, Blurr clips into Kup and his front end disappears from the frame.

===Continuity errors===
*Optimus's last line in Part 1 was "This time, no force in the universe can stop me." His first line here is "''Now'', no force in the universe ''will'' stop me."
*Sky Lynx is in two parts at the beginning. He was the full walking bird at the end of the last episode.
*After Sky Lynx's recap, Optimus is seen getting up from a table and walking over to where he was a minute earlier. There was no table behind him in previous shots, and no reason for him to lay down for a moment.
*So....how ''exactly'' does Sky Lynx know every single detail of what happened in the previous episode? He wasn't even there when half of those recapped events took place!
*Given that the Autobots are in a rush to save the galaxy, why did the Quintessons take the time to retool Bumblebee into Goldbug?
*How did Kup know that Rodimus had been contaminated? He was deactivated by Superion before that happened, and wasn't around for Sky Lynx's recap.
* Wouldn’t the Autobots and Decepticons have to worry about Trypticon getting infected?
*The alloy is heat-resistant to the point of surviving a supernova in the [[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|previous episode]]. Yet it now can be melted down to coat Optimus Prime with it.
*A machine is used to coat Optimus Prime with this superheated alloy. What was ''it'' made out of, and why wasn't that material used?
*And did anyone manage to explain how heat resistance works against spores? What exactly do the writers think {{w|spore}}s are?
*Appearing/disappearing Autobots:
**The Transformers wounded by [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] (and listed by Sky Lynx) included Steeljaw and Wheelie. At the Autobot lab, Wheelie is replaced by Blaster.
**Steeljaw is revived at the Autobot City lab, but not seen afterwards.
*Continuing the confusion started by the combiners last episode, the infected Decepticons work ''together'' to fight Galvatron and the others, instead of attacking each other. This carries on into later in the episode, where Galvatron and the infected Decepticons work together to hunt down Optimus. Even more confusingly, it seems like the infected Autobots and Decepticons are working together, given a few Aerialbots are seen with Galvatron, Cyclonus, Scourge, and the Predacons when Optimus opens the Matrix, even though logically the Hate Plague would only inflame tensions between the two groups.
*Worse, when outnumbered by the Autobots, Cyclonus orders the other Decepticons to retreat, and they follow his command.
*Sky Lynx doesn't help during the spider attack, even though he ''can'' fly.
*Where's the trailer go?
**Optimus is coated in the alloy in robot mode. How does his trailer get coated?
**For that matter, where's the trailer been hanging out for the past couple of years since Optimus died, and how did he get back together with it? It just kinda rolls in as usual when he first transforms.
*Goldbug, Kup and Blaster get infected without being touched; in fact they don't even try to avoid it. Sky Lynx was right next to them but doesn't get infected. Huh?
[[File:Rodimus Matrix Chamber FFOD DA TROOP.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|One toy, four variants.]]
*Sky Lynx suddenly grows a pair of hands to pick up Galvatron's [[particle cannon]] with. Even if they're supposed to be his bird-mode legs (which they appear to be based on), what is he standing on?
*Shouldn't Jessica's full-body exo-suit protect her from direct contact and infection?
*After Jessica Morgan and Galvatron are infected, Optimus and Sky Lynx speed off. Jessica makes a jump for Sky Lynx and briefly clings onto his tail before losing her grip, yet Sky Lynx ''still'' doesn't get infected.
*Come to think of it, how do Optimus and Sky Lynx escape Charr? They're in a cave with only one way out. Aren't there partial cave-ins in their path? Wouldn't the other infected Autobots and Decepticons be directly in their path?
*How do the support beams in the junkyard plant hold Optimus and Rodimus' weight?
*Rodimus's Matrix chamber opens via a pair of rectangular swing-out doors much like Optimus' chamber. In "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4," the door opened in the middle of the flame on his chest. In "Dark Awakening", it hinged across the left side of the flame, and the whole design opened to reveal the chamber.
*When Optimus puts the Matrix into his chest, he puts it in ''lengthwise''. Surely his months of deactivation haven't made him forget how the thing sat in his chest for ''millions of years''?
*"It" tells Prime that "a wise man was able to contain the spores, but...no one had the wisdom to [destroy them]." The implication seems to be that a smart dude figured out a way to control the spores. Yet Prime - and the plot - proceed to interpret this as meaning that "wisdom" is like some kind of laser beam spore-cleaning agent - just point it at the spores and pull the trigger!
*In the movie, the Matrix took up the top half of Optimus' chest compartment and was behind a flip-up panel. Here, it fills in the whole (now hollow) cavity with no panel or other electronics to be seen.
*How exactly did Jessica get off [[Chaar]]?
[[File:Swafford&morganG1.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|"Take our hands! Please!" "Make it your faces and we'll talk."]]
*And what are she and Gregory Swofford doing in [[Moscow]] by the time they're cured of the Hate Plague? It's not just a case of an accidentally recycled background from the previous shot (which did depict actual Russians being cured of the Hate Plague)—even though both shots feature onion domes reminiscent of Saint Basil's Cathedral, they're definitely different background paintings. So... what gives?
*How did they get the alloy ''off'' Optimus Prime? And why would they want to, if it's so resilient? (Unless... they just painted over the alloy?)
*The timing of the last scene is odd. It's long enough after the cure is unleashed for Optimus to have the metal removed or painted over, and for Kup, Hot Rod, Ultra Magnus, and the three humans to arrive at Autobot City. Yet Galvatron is still hanging around, and both he and Hot Rod speak as though the previous scene's events just happened.
**Interestingly, Galvatron is consistently portrayed without his cannon in this scene.
*Does anyone else think that Dr. Swofford and Morgan get off waaaaay too easy at the end of the episode? They ''willingly'' unleash the hate plague that causes widespread devastation (and probably death) across not just the world but the entire galaxy, just to spite the Autobots, and they get off by just saying "sorry"? (Then again, we don't actually ''see'' Optimus shaking their hands. Burn!)

===Trivia===
[[File:DialogueScriptTROOPOrionPax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|So this is odd.]]
*Following the average-for-[[Toei Animation]] Part 1, this episode's artwork quality is among the series' best, with loads of detailed shading, the same pink-glowing-smoke-explosions seen in ''Transformers: The Movie'', and characters generally on-model and well-drawn.
*The portion of "The Touch" that plays includes the line about "Hell breaking loose," an unusually strong word for an American '80s TV cartoon. Guess the censors were looking elsewhere that day. (Amusing timing as a bamboozled Galvatron says "What is this?", seemingly in reaction to the song replacing the show's usual background music!)
*The [[Sunbow Productions]] cast list entry for this episode lists Orion Pax as appearing. A flashback to Optimus Prime's early days that was removed for time constraints, you might think? No. According to the [[dialogue script]] for the episode, Orion Pax was originally going to be the one to ask Prime why he had returned to the Matrix! Presumably, someone on staff caught the error early enough, as Pax's line in the final cut went to Alpha Trion. (The dialogue script also misspells "Trion" as "Tion", for that matter.)
*[[Jack Angel]] takes over as the voice for Cyclonus following the death of [[Roger C. Carmel]].
*This is the final episode of the original American G1 cartoon to be animated by Toei; the remaining episodes would be animated by [[AKOM]]. Toei would later return to animate all the Japanese-exclusive G1 sequel series.
*Prime's appearance in the alloy coat gives him a strong resemblance to Ultra Magnus's unused unarmored form.
*The Quintesson's voice changes from the first episode. It's still the same voice actor, but in the first part, his voice is higher-pitched and whiny, in Part 2, he sounds like a gravelly old man.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title (European French broadcast and DVD release):'' "'''Le retour d'Optimus Prime, partie 2'''" ("The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2")
:*''Title (Canadian French broadcast):'' "'''Le retour d'Optimus, partie 2'''" ("The Return of Optimus, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*Concerning the European French dub:
:::*This episode was most likely dubbed later than the first part, the dubbing team being slightly different. Guests characters like Jessica and Gregory do not keep their voice actors from the first part, which reinforces the idea that the episode was not dubbed on the same day.
:::*The [[Déclic Images]] edition of this episode modified the introduction. They used the last scenes from previous episodes and put Sky Lynx's line on the shot with Optimus' silhouette, and Optimus' answer on his close-up. Then the flash-back narrated by Sky Lynx starts. The [[UFG Junior]] edition used the original broadcast version, with the correct images. However, the first lines are removed and replaced by the narrator giving us the title of the episode.
:::*This is the last time we hear [[Henry Djanik]] in the show. He has been present since ''[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]'', but will not be present for the 4th season. The same goes for [[François Leccia]], who joined the team during early season 2.
:::*Sky Lynx misses the part about the ship during his storytelling, he goes from the saving by Jessica and Swofford to them testing the spores.
:::*New made-up names are created this episode. While in the original version, Sky Lynx names Kup, Wheelie, Blurr, Steeljaw and Bumblebee, the French dub says "Baril" (most likely Kup), "Villa" (Wheelie?), "Blurro" (Blurr) and "Balbee" (the regular name of Bumblebee in seasons 1-2). Steeljaw is not named.
:::*The annoyed grunts from the Quintesson being told that he will be helping are dubbed by an enthusiastic "Count on me!".
:::*Goldbug's line "I've gone beyond being just plain old Bumblebee, I'm a gold bug!" is dubbed by "I'm not the little Bumblebee anymore! Not only do I have a heart of gold, but I'm made of gold!". As a result, Optimus Prime's line "From now on, that's exactly who you'll be, Goldbug!" is replaced by "From now on, we will call you another way! Why not ''Dorédic''?".
:::*Optimus Prime firstly says ''le'' Matrix, but for the rest of the episode it will be ''la'' Matrix.
:::*Kup calls the exosuit an "exotanic suit".
:::*Optimus Prime's line "I've got you!" when he catches Galvatron are dubbed by Optimus making some effort grunts and someone with the voice of [[Georges Atlas]] (who dubs Kup and a Quintesson in this episode) saying "And here we go!".
:::*Galvatron's laugh after saying that the Autobots can't fly are dubbed by a strange "Ooooooooh".
:::*Like Optimus Prime did in ''[[Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction]]'', Galvatron's laugh after the web incident are replaced by some weird noises from [[Serge Lhorca]], making it sound like Galvatron is in great pain or struggles to do something. Again, the actors probably didn't watch the original version before recording, went straight to it, misinterpreted the "Ah"s in the text and didn't bother to do another take.
:::*Optimus Prime does not name Kup and Sky Lynx.
:::*When Optimus Prime tells Rodimus Prime that "Madness has infected the entire galaxy, the Autobots, the Decepticons, the humans", instead of saying "the humans", he says "the humanus", whatever that means.
:::*[[Olivier Destrez]], who was the voice of Spike in season 1 before leaving the team, and who made a cameo in ''[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]'' as Slingshot, comes back to dub the few lines of Gregory Swofford, despite not dubbing him in the first part.
:::*"Light our darkest hour" had already been translated in three different ways in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|The Movie]]'', but a ''fourth'' version is created here, maybe the most ridiculous one: while opening the Matrix, Optimus Prime says "And now, it's time to cheer ourselves up!".

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' '''Die Rückkehr von Optimus Prime, Teil 2''' ("The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 21]], [[1989]]
::*Because this was one of the first few episodes ever to be dubbed into German, there are countless translation errors, mispronounced names and just outright ''confusion'' regarding established characters and concepts:
:::*Instead of asking Sky Lynx if any Autobots have ''avoided'' contamination, Optimus now asks how many of the Autobots have been ''infected''. However, Sky Lynx's answer was translated ''without'' change, which results in him incorrectly claiming that "just a few" have been infected. Even more nonsensical is his next line, which claims that "those few" have been damaged in the fight with Superion, thus implying that it was those who have been infected that got damaged, rather than those who ''avoided'' infection.
:::*When Sky Lynx names the injured Autobots, he mispronounces Steeljaw's name as "Steel''joe''".
:::*When Goldbug says "Chill out, Blurr, we need a plan!", in the German version, he mispronounces his name as either "Blarr" or "Blaab".
:::*Since this was the first episode to be dubbed that featured the Matrix of Leadership, it appears that the translator had no idea just what exactly the Matrix ''was'', and thus, the name "Matrix" is avoided entirely. For example, in the original version, Optimus says that without the Matrix, he no longer possesses the accumulated wisdom of the Autobots' ancient leaders. By contrast, in the German version, he says that when he was "sick", "they" removed his "program" on which the experience of all the previous "chiefs" was "stored".
:::*The term "exosuit" is translated as "Kampfanzug" ("battle suit").
:::*When Optimus Prime opens the Matrix at the end, his line, "Now, light our darkest hour!", gets misinterpreted as him directly addressing the infected Galvatron, saying "This right here is now your weakest hour!"
:::*After Rodimus is turned back into Hot Rod, in the German version, he gains a different voice actor. Quite likely, nobody on the dubbing team had any idea that Rodimus Prime and Hot Rod were supposed to be the same individual. After all, this was only the second episode ever to be dubbed into German!
:::*While in the original version, Hot Rod and Optimus talk about the fact that the wisdom of the ages is lost and the Matrix is empty, in the German version, Hot Rod says (with very clunky wording) that the wisdom of the millennia is "burned up", and "the program" is "deleted".
::*In the VHS version, the first eight seconds of the title sequence oddly only feature a still blue screen while the season 3 [[theme song]] is playing. After that, the title sequence continues playing normally. For the broadcast of the episode on German TV, the full title sequence was shown.
::*Like "[[Nightmare Planet]]" and "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]" all commercial break fade-outs were removed for the VHS release. These were, however, reinstated for the broadcast version of the episode.

'''Italian'''
:*''Title (first dub):'' "'''Il ritorno di Commander, Parte 2'''" ("The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*Optimus's line: "I must travel into the Matrix" is not dubbed, so you can see him moving his mouthplate without saying anything.
:*''Title (second dub):'' "'''Il ritorno di Optimus Prime, Parte 2'''" ("The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' コンボイの復活パート2 (''Convoy no Fukkatsu Part 2'', "The Resurrection of Convoy Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 25]], [[1987]]
::*The Japanese version of this episode has an alternate ending. After Optimus Prime and the Autobots ride off into the sunset and "The Touch" ends, the music changes to "[[Transformer 2010|TRANSFORMER 2010]]" by [[Shō Hirose]] and the scene shifts to a montage of all the major characters from the series.
::*This montage replaces the "[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]" segment focusing on [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] used in the US broadcast. The Ultra Magnus "Secret Files" segment was never used in the Japanese broadcast of the series.
::*Following this episode, Japanese cartoon continuity diverges from the Western continuity. Rather than lead into "[[The Rebirth]]" three-parter, Japanese continuity instead continues in their domestically produced series, ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|Transformers: The Headmasters]]''.

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Qíngtiānzhù Fùhuó (Xià)'''" (擎天柱复活(下),"Optimus Prime Resurrects, Part 2")
:*''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 (Zweiter 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 France.png|20px|France]] 2005 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 23 ([[Déclic Images]]) — European French audio only. 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2005 — ''Transformers'' — Le Retour d'Optimus Prime ([[UFG Junior]]) — European French audio only. 
[[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==
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1gwsuGqt1c_-0NWqiEB4ufvzbVZHatnrK Episode script, finalised 24th November 1986]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}
[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]

The Transformers: The Movie

2026-02-20T21:57:56Z

DevinM626:

{{disambig3|Transformers: The Movie}}
{{nav-tftm}}
{{movie|
|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 companies=[[Sunbow Productions]] [[Marvel Productions]]
|distributor=[[Dino De Laurentiis|De Laurentiis Entertainment Group]]
|executive producer=[[Tom Griffin]] [[Joe Bacal]]
|screenplay by=[[Ron Friedman]]
|directed by=[[Nelson Shin]]
|cinematography by=[[Masatoshi Fukui]]
|edited by=[[David Hankins]]
|music by=[[Vince DiCola]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|release date=[[August 8]], [[1986]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|runtime=85 minutes
|budget=$5–6 million
|box office=$2.6–5.8 million
|credits=The Transformers: The Movie/credits
}}
{{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|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|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 of Autobot City|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.

[[File:Tftm1986b.jpg|left|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, including the mortally wounded Megatron. Too injured to save himself, Megatron is tossed out into space by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], who claims leadership of the Decepticon army.

[[File:TFTM Starscream chucks Megatron.jpg|thumb|Into the garbage chute, flyboy.]]
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. After some coercion on the planetoid's part, 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)|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|left|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 battle a [[Sea squid|giant squid]], are captured by a pack 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 (species)|Sharkticons]]. The tide is turned, and the Autobots commandeer a [[Quintesson Cruiser]].

[[File:Tftm1986d.jpg|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)|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|left|Rebel base in range. You may fire when ready.]]
Galvatron attempts to open the Matrix to use its power against Unicron and force his master into submission, but is unable to open it. 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)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|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|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)|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)|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)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]]
*[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]
*[[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]]
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]
*[[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]]
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]
*[[Hound (G1)|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)|Scourge]] ([[Stan Jones]])
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (Frank Welker)
*[[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|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)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|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)<ref group="fc" name="appearnocredit">Appeared and had speaking lines, but not credited.</ref>
*[[Ravage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ravage]] (Frank Welker)<ref group="fc" name="appearnocredit">Appeared and had speaking lines, but not credited.</ref>
*[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]
*[[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 (G1)|Cyclonus's Armada]]
|h3=[[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]|c3=
*[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] ([[Eric Idle]])
*[[Junkyard (G1)|Junkyard]] (Bell)
*[[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]] (Welker)
*[[Rubbish]]
*[[Re-Cycle]]
*[[Trashbin]]
*[[HAZMAT]]
*[[Ashtray]]
*[[Wasteoid Gamma]]
*[[Greasestain]]
|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 Prosecutor|Quintesson leader]] (Roger C. Carmel)
*[[Quintesson Judge (G1)|Quintesson Judge]] ([[Regis Cordic]])
*[[Quintesson Executioner (G1)|Quintesson Executioner]]
*[[Quintesson Bailiff]]
*[[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]
*[[Allicon]]s

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

==Quotes==
[[File:TFTM European intro.jpeg|thumb|upright=1.4|It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.]]
"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.

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

"Kup and Hot Rod just bought it!" 
"I can't deal with that now!"
:—'''Springer''' and '''Ultra Magnus''' assess the situation.

"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 a reference to the tagline from the "Roach Motel." commercials

"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]]...for now.

==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 of 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 (species)|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!!!]]
{{--}}

==Production timeline==
* First script outline by Ron Friedman: revisions from 15th August 1984 to 19th September 1984
* [[The Transformers: The Movie (first draft)|First draft script]] by Ron Friedman: submitted November 12th 1984. Revised February 13th 1985.
* Reference photos of Powered Convoy toy designated as Ultra Magnus, provided to Ron Friedman: Taken 18th March 1985
* Second script outline by Ron Friedman: revised 28th March 1985
* [[The Transformers: The Movie (second draft)|Second draft script]] by Ron Friedman: completed 27th April 1985. Revised 2nd May 1985
* Model sheets approved 14th June 1985: Cyclonus, Galvatron (Marvel model with revised head), Hot Rod, Kranix (the pre-final model, can be seen with Granix name on it), Quintesson Judge (colour approved on 18th November 1985 by J. Bacal), Rodimus Prime, Scourge/Sweep, Sharkticon, Unicron robot mode, Wheelie, Wreck-gar
* Model sheets approved 24th June 1985: Ultra Magnus robot mode(first Powered Convoy version)
* Model sheets approved 2nd July 1985: Ultra Magnus (Initial Toei design. Colour revised on 20th July 1985)
* Model sheets approved 19th July 1985: Arblus robot mode, Spike (final model), Ultra Magnus vehicle mode(first Powered Convoy version)
* Model sheets approved 29th July 1985: Quintesson Prosecutor (a.k.a Quintesson leader. Approved by J. Bacal on 18th December 1985)
* Model sheets approved 31st July 1985: Arblus spaceship mode
* Voice actor auditions for Wheelie: 4th September 1985
* Model sheets approved 6th September 1985: Rewind flip side of the cassette mode
* Dialogue recording (main sessions): 10th and 11th September 1985
* Model sheets approved 3rd October 1985: Rewind and Eject
* Model sheets approved 8th October 1985: Lithonian Scientist, Lithonian Woman no.1

* Storyboard sequence 1 (Attack on Lithone): Final 31st October 1985
* Storyboard sequence 2 (Title sequence): Final 31st December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 3 (2005): Final 31st October 1985
* Storyboard sequence 4 (More Than You Imagine): Final 31st October 1985. Revised Final 14th November 1985.
* Storyboard sequence 5 (Attack On The Shuttle): Final 31st October 1985
* Storyboard sequence 6 (Gone Fishin'/Dare): Final 4th November 1985. Revised Final 14th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 7 (Battle Of Autobot City, part 1): Final 14th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 8 (Battle Of Autobot City, part 2): Final 31st October 1985. Revised Final 14th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 9 (Death Of Optimus Prime): Final 7th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 10 (Witness To A Funeral): Final 7th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 11 (Contest For Leadership): Final 4th November 1985. Revised Final 13th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 12 (Transformation): Final 11th November 1985. Revised Final 26th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 13 (Coronation): Final 10th December 1985. Revised Final 18th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 14 (Destruction Of Moonbase One): Final 10th December 1985. Revised Final 19th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 15 (Escape): Final 16th December 1985. Revised Final 24th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 16 (Pursuit): Final 12th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 17 (Nothin's Gonna Stand In Our Way): Final 11th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 18 (Arrival On Junk): Final 12th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 19 (Unwelcome Visitors): Final November 14th 1985. Revised Final 27th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 20 (The Matrix Survives): Final 12th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 21 (An Unexpected Friend): Final 18th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 22 (Destruction Of Moonbase Two): Final 17th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 23 (Ambush): Final 11th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 24 (Judgement/Rescue): Final 12th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 25 (Another Leader Dies): Final 9th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 26 (Unusual Allies): Final 19th December 1985. Revised Final 31st December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 27 (The Enemy Revealed): Final 12th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 28 (Confrontation): Final 19th November 1985. Revised Final 6th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 29 (United Against The Enemy): Final 20th November 1985. Revised 4th December 1985. Revised Final 6th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 30 (In The Belly Of The Monster): Final 20th November 1985. Revised 3rd December 1985. Revised Final 6th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 31 (Their Darkest Hour): Final 2nd December 1985. Revised 19th December 1985. Revised Final 31st December 1985
* Editing of United Kingdom version of the movie completed at [[Magno Sound %26 Video]]: 3rd December 1986

==Animation errors==
[[File:TFTM Unicron Small.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|We’re doomed.]]
*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.
**In the shot of Decepticons running in Autobot City prior to them being crashed through by Optimus, Ramjet can be seen sporting Dirge's wings, albeit in red just like Ramjet's. Or maybe this is Dirge incorrectly painted in Ramjet's colours. Who knows?
**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.
**After Megatron asks, "Why throw away your life so recklessly?", Optimus's left hand is colored red instead of blue when he replies "That's a question you should ask yourself, Megatron".
**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.
**In the shot of the Decepticons jettisoning Thundercracker, Skywarp and the Insecticons from Astrotrain, Ramjet and Dirge have their colours swapped.
**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 Starscream)
**Starscream's cockpit shell nearest his head is colored like a canopy rather than gray, as he nominates himself for leadership. Man, even the A-list animation team couldn't keep this straight.
**The red stripes on Starscream's wings are noticeably absent during most of the Coronation scene, the shiny gold stripes on his shoulder pauldrons also being purple until after he's blasted the Constructicons' trumpets.
**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 colored 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's 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 moves back to avoid the Autobots' fire, and a ''second'' Starscream is in front of the Constructicons without Megatron and is firing one of his arm rifles (this was probably meant to be Skywarp, as he flies into the shuttle and takes a seat at the controls once the Autobots are defeated). 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.
*When Brawn is shot, it can be seen for one frame that he is initially hit in the top of his chest. As he falls, the wound has moved to the front rounded part of his chest. Additionally, the wound changes from black to red for one frame.
*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 Hot Rod begins to shoot at the hijacked Autobot shuttle, the yellow light on his forehead is misaligned.
*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 gray and black colors.
*Hound and Sunstreaker appear in Kup's group at the foot of Lookout Mountain 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.
**In the movie's storyboard, only Hound is shown present with Kup during the roadblock scene. Sunstreaker's only appearance in the storyboard is when he exits the shuttle, meaning that his presence during the roadblock scene is purely an animation addition. Hound being in both places ''is'', however, an error in both the movie and the storyboard—''unless'', Optimus Prime and the Dinobots picked up Hound and Sunstreaker from Lookout Mountain enroute to Autobot City? Now there's an idea for the old [[Personal canon|headcanon]]!
**In a deleted scene from the storyboard that would've shown Hot Rod and Kup meeting up with Ultra Magnus inside Autobot City, Sideswipe is shown running alongside Wheeljack in the background. However, Sideswipe is mistakenly referred to as "Sunstreaker" in the script (how ''[[Sideswipe (G1)#Notes|ironic]]''). Whether this mislabelling had any bearing over Sunstreaker being present with the roadblock crew is anyone's guess.
[[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.
*When Shrapnel and Kickback are eating the door, Shrapnel only has one antenna.
*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.]]
*In what may be the most well-known mistake in the film, when [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] sends out his cassette troops, [[FIRRIB|Rumble is the same color as Frenzy]]. This was not known to have been fixed in any re-releases.
*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.
**If one listens ''very'' closely, the back half of one of the faster transformation sounds can be heard as his trailer disconnects from his body.
*The gun Megatron fires uses the same sound effect as his fusion cannon.
*"It's over, Prime...", with Megatron's days of being able to brag about thinking he's handsome also being over as he suddenly gains a ''crapton'' of damage that was not reflected in any of the prior close-ups during his duel with Optimus, or even a hint of the various cracks and fluid leaks from his eyes in the shot right before this. Conversely, the scene immediately following of Optimus slamming Megatron off the ledge has all of the Autobot leader's damages disappear before returning when he collapses.
*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 colored gray 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 gray 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, 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 Galvatron says "Decepticons, to Earth!", aside from his mouth being partially open, his mouth doesn't move. I guess being reformatted by Unicron gives you the ability to talk without moving your mouth?
*In the scene where Bumblebee and Spike are in the [[Autobot frigate]] and escaping Moonbase Two's destruction, when the two are cheering after believing that Unicron has been destroyed, Bumblebee's on the left side of Spike's seat. However, after Spike expresses his "colorful" reaction to Unicron remaining completely unscathed, and when the frigate is about to get sucked into Unicron, Bumblebee is on the right side of Spike's seat.
*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.
*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 colors 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.
*In the first close-up of Unicron's face firing beams out of his right eye, the hole in his destroyed left eye is misplaced such that it overlaps with his cheek.
*As the Dinobots fly around Unicron, both his eyes are intact. (The left one had at this point been shattered.)
*Grimlock and Slag are shown to create decently-sized holes in Unicron's butt, where the shots immediately following their feats change the damage Grimlock inflicted into mere scratches and erases Slag's progress entirely.
*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.]]
[[File:TFTMPromovsmovieSnarl.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Look, Jabba, even I get boarded sometimes.]]

*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]] (who was shot in the back by the Constructicons; his gun is the one Megatron uses against Optimus), and Smokescreen (who was supposed to be the corpse in place of Wheeljack next to Windcharger, Wheeljack instead surviving the battle and being part of a scrapped Earth-based subplot) 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.)
*Possibly the biggest example of the film's tonal shift from the cartoon, shots from firearms that would previously knock another character down at best have since become lethal, best demonstrated when Brawn and Prowl are each killed with a single shot by the Decepticons during the movie's first act.
[[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. Perhaps he continued expanding when transforming from train to shuttle mode?
*Speaking of which, Astrotrain's 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.
*The damage suffered by Skywarp, Thundercracker, and Bombshell basically appears out of nowhere when it's time for them to be jettisoned. (Shrapnel and Kickback are shown taking a beating early on, though, and later have to be carried to the fleeing Astrotrain by Thrust and Long Haul, respectively. Conversely, the two Seekers explicitly run to Astrotrain on their own and look no worse for wear during the Decepticons' escape.)
*Soundwave is loyal enough to pick up a wounded Megatron and save him, but then votes "aye" to jettisoning the wounded Decepticons, and 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 (G1)|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.
*Given his relative position, Starscream's single shot through the trumpets defies all geometry.
[[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|Let me see your identification.]]
*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.
*Springer escapes from Unicron's eye by transforming into helicopter mode and flying through outer space, where there shouldn't be an atmosphere for his rotors to provide lift. Maybe Unicron was still within Cybertron's atmosphere?

==Continuity notes==
*''The Transformers: 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 brand|Transformers]]'' are:
**The notion that [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] has moons.
**The [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] as a physical object, rather than the computer program previously depicted in the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|comics]]. Even the Marvel comics would eventually shoehorn this one in.
**[[Autobot City (disambiguation)|Autobot City]].
**[[Unicron]].
**The notion of [[Megatron (disambiguation)|Megatron]] becoming [[Galvatron (disambiguation)|Galvatron]].
**The idea of "[[Prime (rank)|Prime]]" being a rank rather than simply a given name.
**[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|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.
**Megatron uses an "[[Lightsaber|Energy Dagger]]"<ref>[https://twitter.com/walruslaw/status/1204860124898181123 Reference sheets for various weapons used or planned for use in ''The Transformers: The Movie''] - TFRaw.com on Twitter</ref> during his one-on-one battle with Optimus Prime.
**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]].
*In a nice moment of attention to detail, Hook is seen running and attending to the critically damaged Megatron alongside Soundwave and Starscream. This tracks—as a surgeon [[Microbots|he's operated on Megatron]]; [[The Core|repaired other Transformers]]; and [[City of Steel (episode)|has even dissected them]].
*'''[[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.
[[File:TFTM Sludge Devastator.jpg|thumb|Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them.]]
*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.
**"Breep, drit, aw rootie!" - part of {{w|Tutti Frutti (song)|"Tutti Frutti, aw rooty!"}}, from the 1955 song.
**"Happy motoring!" - the slogan of gas company [[Esso]].
**"Kill the Grand Poobah!" - a {{w|Grand Poobah|satirical term}} originating from {{w|Gilbert and Sullivan}}'s ''{{w|The Mikado}}'', likely referencing its use as the title of leaders of pseudo-Masonic lodges in ''{{w|The Flintstones}}'' and ''{{w|Happy Days}}''.
[[File:Tftm rosencrantz-and-guildenstern.jpg|thumb|Easy? You call that ''easy!?'']]
*For the German dub, the Junkion quotes have not been translated word for word, but rather replaced with then-current commercial quotes from German TV, including from Toyota ("Nichts ist unmöööööglich!" / "Nothing's impossible").
*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 whir of an AT-AT's leg hydraulics can be heard part way through Unicron's transformation.
*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 (Marvel)|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.
*[[Ziploc]] sandwich bags featuring an iron-on patch in boxed to advertise the movie. Each box contained one of eight potential characters.

==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 (TM2)|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. Ironically, the DEG logo at the beginning uses the "Gongman" sounds, rather than its own fanfare, possibly due to a plastering mistake.

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.<ref>https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/B0ZMv7tdDMk?hl=en#8aee0b30765b2b4a</ref> 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 62% "fresh" rating based on 25 professional reviews at online review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.<ref>http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_the_the_movie/</ref> In response to the film's cult following, several reviewers have compared the film in a favourable light to the [[Live-action film series|live-action film]]s (prior to the unprecedented critical success of ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]''), stating that they lack the heart or nostalgia of the '86 movie.<ref>https://www.inverse.com/article/7309-6-enduring-legacies-of-1986-s-animated-the-transformers-the-movie</ref><ref>https://slate.com/culture/2007/07/transformers-why-the-original-animated-movie-is-still-the-best.html</ref><ref>https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Sorry-Michael-Bay-Why-1986-Transformers-Movie-Best-43582.html</ref>

===Box office===
An [[August 30]]th, 1987 ''Los Angeles Times'' article on the decline and fall of the DeLaurentiis Entertainment Group listed ''The Transformers: The Movie'' as grossing $2.6 million in the United States on a $5 million budget.<ref>https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-08-30-fi-5144-story.html</ref> Both it and ''My Little Pony: The Movie'' (which earned $2.8 million on a $5.5 million budget per that same article) were financial failures, together losing Hasbro about $10 million in an otherwise profitable year.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=... we just accidentally found the budget for The Transformers: The Movie while skimming a book about My Little Pony. Thanks, @sherilyn! https://t.co/epw3GW83lE|link=https://twitter.com/tfwiki/status/895169922678042625|name=TFWiki|site=Twitter|year=2017|month=08|day=09|(defunct=)}}</ref>

Confusingly, in comparison to the ''Los Angeles Times'' article, modern 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> list ''The Transformers: The Movie'' as having made $5,849,647 in domestic (e.g., United States) theaters. Comparing this with the other online box office takes from 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)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] gave us perhaps one of the most meta comeback lines in franchise history. When [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW 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 [[The Transformers (cartoon)/cast|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 Optimus Prime's possession all along (even though Prime's open-chested repair scene in "[[Divide and Conquer]]" and his X-ray scene in "[[A Prime Problem]]" show 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.]]
[[File:Movie86 storyboard butprime.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The movie's [[storyboard|storyboards]] used dotted guidelines to show where the final 4:3 animation would be matted to widescreen.]]
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]], 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. Just days before, on [[September 14]], 1987<ref>https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003579/19870910/016/0016</ref>, 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, [[Sohbi Kikaku|Hill Crane]] 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 [[PlayStation|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, a looped version of the Lion ''Transformers'' theme on the main menu, 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.
[[File:ShoutFactory TFTM BluDVD.jpg|thumb|Shout! Factory's 2016 Blu-ray cover.]]
*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 12, 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.
*For the 35th anniversary, Shout! Factory produced the first 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of the movie — presented in widescreen only — and a remastered fullscreen 1080p Blu-ray. Feature-length storyboards and the Stan Bush featurette from the 2018 Fathom Events screening were added as new bonus features. The two discs were first made available in a limited edition SteelBook with four art cards on [[August 3]], [[2021]]<ref>[https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/the-transformers-the-movie-35th-anniversary-limited-edition-steelbook?product_id=7636 The Transformers: The Movie [35th Anniversary Limited Edition Steelbook]]</ref>; a wide release in standard packaging followed on [[September 28]]<ref>[https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/the-transformers-the-movie-35th-anniversary-edition?product_id=7668 The Transformers: The Movie [35th Anniversary Edition]]</ref>, as did a third set comprised of the new fullscreen Blu-ray and a widescreen DVD<ref>[https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/the-transformers-the-movie-35th-anniversary-edition-1?product_id=7667 The Transformers: The Movie [35th Anniversary Edition]]</ref>. Cover art for the new releases was created by [[Matt Ferguson]].
**Region B versions of the Shout! Factory 35th Anniversary discs were distributed by Funimation and released on [[October 25]], and an additional collector's edition set was made exclusive to Zavvi, packaging the 4K and Blu-ray discs with an art book, poster and six art cards.<ref>[https://www.zavvi.com/blu-ray/the-transformers-the-movie-35th-anniversary-zavvi-exclusive-4k-ultra-hd-limited-collectors-edition-includes-blu-ray/13169855.html The Transformers: The Movie 35th Anniversary - Zavvi Exclusive 4K Ultra HD Limited Collectors Edition (Includes Blu-ray)]</ref> Zavvi also partnered with Ferguson to release a line of art prints and apparel featuring his cover art.
*Fathom Events once again returned the film to select theaters on [[September 26]]–[[September 27|27]], 2021, accompanied by a set of [[The Transformers: The Movie 35th Anniversary Stop Motions|stop-motion comedy videos]] inspired by the film.

==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>https://web.archive.org/web/20151215034944/http://www.joeheadquarters.com/interviews_dixon.shtml</ref> The heavy backlash resulting from Optimus's death would in turn affect Duke's fate in the G.I. Joe film, with the character being written as falling into a coma rather than dying.

*After reading [[Ron Friedman]]'s [[The Transformers: The Movie (first draft)|first draft]] of the movie's script, [[Flint Dille]] and [[Jay Bacal]] hastily wrote and proposed a script of their own, "[[The Secret of Cybertron]]", which later informed the cartoon five-parter "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]". Elements of this script also supposedly made it into the finished film, but no copy of the script has ever surfaced.

*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. Regardless, Shockwave was originally intended to appear in the immediate post-movie story "Five Faces of Darkness", serving in the role that was ultimately given to Blitzwing, before an internal [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]] memo clarified that his character had been dropped from the series.<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bid3TK_q2HxH7NR5MDAlGsKe5AlcbBnU/view Partial outline of "Five Faces of Darkness", covering Parts 3 to 5]</ref> Shockwave 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.

*The Dinobots spend the majority of the film in their dinosaur modes, 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. Additionally, despite his constant presence among the Dinobots, Sludge has no lines in the film at all.

*Unicron's roars in the movie were stock vocalizations originally created for Marvel Productions's 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].
*The shot of Unicron slamming his hand onto the surface of Cybertron would later be used for the toy commercial of his Armada self.
{{--}}

===Foreign names===
*''German:'' '''''Transformers: Der Kampf um Cybertron''''' ("Transformers: The Battle for Cybertron", TV airings only)
*''French:'' '''''La Guerre des Robots''''' ("The War of the Robots")
*''Japanese:'' '''''トランスフォーマーザ・ムービー''''' ("Transformers: The Movie")

==External links==
*[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3212281345/weekend/ ''The Transformers: The Movie''{{'}}s box office domestic gross]
*[https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-4034-transformers-movie-sunbow.html ''The Transformers: The Movie'' outlines, scripts, storyboards, concept art and model sheets]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20211021062746/http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/movie/movie.html ''The Transformers: The Movie'' Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20080426020409/http://www.tftm.net/ ''The Transformers: The Movie'' "Unofficial Fansite", an extremely thorough site about the movie] (archived)
*[http://zobovor.tripod.com/transformers_the_movie_bloopers.html ''The Transformers: The Movie'' bloopers]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers: The Movie}}

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

The Transformers: The Movie

2026-02-18T06:13:21Z

DevinM626:

{{disambig3|Transformers: The Movie}}
{{nav-tftm}}
{{movie|
|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 companies=[[Sunbow Productions]] [[Marvel Productions]]
|distributor=[[Dino De Laurentiis|De Laurentiis Entertainment Group]]
|executive producer=[[Tom Griffin]] [[Joe Bacal]]
|screenplay by=[[Ron Friedman]]
|directed by=[[Nelson Shin]]
|cinematography by=[[Masatoshi Fukui]]
|edited by=[[David Hankins]]
|music by=[[Vince DiCola]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|release date=[[August 8]], [[1986]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|runtime=85 minutes
|budget=$5–6 million
|box office=$2.6–5.8 million
|credits=The Transformers: The Movie/credits
}}
{{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|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|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 of Autobot City|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.

[[File:Tftm1986b.jpg|left|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, including the mortally wounded Megatron. Too injured to save himself, Megatron is tossed out into space by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], who claims leadership of the Decepticon army.

[[File:TFTM Starscream chucks Megatron.jpg|thumb|Into the garbage chute, flyboy.]]
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. After some coercion on the planetoid's part, 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)|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|left|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 battle a [[Sea squid|giant squid]], are captured by a pack 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 (species)|Sharkticons]]. The tide is turned, and the Autobots commandeer a [[Quintesson Cruiser]].

[[File:Tftm1986d.jpg|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)|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|left|Rebel base in range. You may fire when ready.]]
Galvatron attempts to open the Matrix to use its power against Unicron and force his master into submission, but is unable to open it. 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)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|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|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)|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)|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)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]]
*[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]
*[[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]]
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]
*[[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]]
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]
*[[Hound (G1)|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)|Scourge]] ([[Stan Jones]])
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (Frank Welker)
*[[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|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)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|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)<ref group="fc" name="appearnocredit">Appeared and had speaking lines, but not credited.</ref>
*[[Ravage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ravage]] (Frank Welker)<ref group="fc" name="appearnocredit">Appeared and had speaking lines, but not credited.</ref>
*[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]
*[[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 (G1)|Cyclonus's Armada]]
|h3=[[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]|c3=
*[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] ([[Eric Idle]])
*[[Junkyard (G1)|Junkyard]] (Bell)
*[[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]] (Welker)
*[[Rubbish]]
*[[Re-Cycle]]
*[[Trashbin]]
*[[HAZMAT]]
*[[Ashtray]]
*[[Wasteoid Gamma]]
*[[Greasestain]]
|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 Prosecutor|Quintesson leader]] (Roger C. Carmel)
*[[Quintesson Judge (G1)|Quintesson Judge]] ([[Regis Cordic]])
*[[Quintesson Executioner (G1)|Quintesson Executioner]]
*[[Quintesson Bailiff]]
*[[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]
*[[Allicon]]s

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

==Quotes==
[[File:TFTM European intro.jpeg|thumb|upright=1.4|It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.]]
"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.

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

"Kup and Hot Rod just bought it!" 
"I can't deal with that now!"
:—'''Springer''' and '''Ultra Magnus''' assess the situation.

"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 a reference to the tagline from the "Roach Motel." commercials

"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]]...for now.

==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 of 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 (species)|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!!!]]
{{--}}

==Production timeline==
* First script outline by Ron Friedman: revisions from 15th August 1984 to 19th September 1984
* [[The Transformers: The Movie (first draft)|First draft script]] by Ron Friedman: submitted November 12th 1984. Revised February 13th 1985.
* Reference photos of Powered Convoy toy designated as Ultra Magnus, provided to Ron Friedman: Taken 18th March 1985
* Second script outline by Ron Friedman: revised 28th March 1985
* [[The Transformers: The Movie (second draft)|Second draft script]] by Ron Friedman: completed 27th April 1985. Revised 2nd May 1985
* Model sheets approved 14th June 1985: Cyclonus, Galvatron (Marvel model with revised head), Hot Rod, Kranix (the pre-final model, can be seen with Granix name on it), Quintesson Judge (colour approved on 18th November 1985 by J. Bacal), Rodimus Prime, Scourge/Sweep, Sharkticon, Unicron robot mode, Wheelie, Wreck-gar
* Model sheets approved 24th June 1985: Ultra Magnus robot mode(first Powered Convoy version)
* Model sheets approved 2nd July 1985: Ultra Magnus (Initial Toei design. Colour revised on 20th July 1985)
* Model sheets approved 19th July 1985: Arblus robot mode, Spike (final model), Ultra Magnus vehicle mode(first Powered Convoy version)
* Model sheets approved 29th July 1985: Quintesson Prosecutor (a.k.a Quintesson leader. Approved by J. Bacal on 18th December 1985)
* Model sheets approved 31st July 1985: Arblus spaceship mode
* Voice actor auditions for Wheelie: 4th September 1985
* Model sheets approved 6th September 1985: Rewind flip side of the cassette mode
* Dialogue recording (main sessions): 10th and 11th September 1985
* Model sheets approved 3rd October 1985: Rewind and Eject
* Model sheets approved 8th October 1985: Lithonian Scientist, Lithonian Woman no.1

* Storyboard sequence 1 (Attack on Lithone): Final 31st October 1985
* Storyboard sequence 2 (Title sequence): Final 31st December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 3 (2005): Final 31st October 1985
* Storyboard sequence 4 (More Than You Imagine): Final 31st October 1985. Revised Final 14th November 1985.
* Storyboard sequence 5 (Attack On The Shuttle): Final 31st October 1985
* Storyboard sequence 6 (Gone Fishin'/Dare): Final 4th November 1985. Revised Final 14th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 7 (Battle Of Autobot City, part 1): Final 14th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 8 (Battle Of Autobot City, part 2): Final 31st October 1985. Revised Final 14th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 9 (Death Of Optimus Prime): Final 7th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 10 (Witness To A Funeral): Final 7th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 11 (Contest For Leadership): Final 4th November 1985. Revised Final 13th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 12 (Transformation): Final 11th November 1985. Revised Final 26th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 13 (Coronation): Final 10th December 1985. Revised Final 18th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 14 (Destruction Of Moonbase One): Final 10th December 1985. Revised Final 19th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 15 (Escape): Final 16th December 1985. Revised Final 24th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 16 (Pursuit): Final 12th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 17 (Nothin's Gonna Stand In Our Way): Final 11th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 18 (Arrival On Junk): Final 12th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 19 (Unwelcome Visitors): Final November 14th 1985. Revised Final 27th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 20 (The Matrix Survives): Final 12th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 21 (An Unexpected Friend): Final 18th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 22 (Destruction Of Moonbase Two): Final 17th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 23 (Ambush): Final 11th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 24 (Judgement/Rescue): Final 12th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 25 (Another Leader Dies): Final 9th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 26 (Unusual Allies): Final 19th December 1985. Revised Final 31st December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 27 (The Enemy Revealed): Final 12th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 28 (Confrontation): Final 19th November 1985. Revised Final 6th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 29 (United Against The Enemy): Final 20th November 1985. Revised 4th December 1985. Revised Final 6th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 30 (In The Belly Of The Monster): Final 20th November 1985. Revised 3rd December 1985. Revised Final 6th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 31 (Their Darkest Hour): Final 2nd December 1985. Revised 19th December 1985. Revised Final 31st December 1985
* Editing of United Kingdom version of the movie completed at [[Magno Sound %26 Video]]: 3rd December 1986

==Animation errors==
[[File:TFTM Unicron Small.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|We’re doomed.]]
*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.
**In the shot of Decepticons running in Autobot City prior to them being crashed through by Optimus, Ramjet can be seen sporting Dirge's wings, albeit in red just like Ramjet's. Or maybe this is Dirge incorrectly painted in Ramjet's colours. Who knows?
**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.
**After Megatron asks, "Why throw away your life so recklessly?", Optimus's left hand is colored red instead of blue when he replies "That's a question you should ask yourself, Megatron".
**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.
**In the shot of the Decepticons jettisoning Thundercracker, Skywarp and the Insecticons from Astrotrain, Ramjet and Dirge have their colours swapped.
**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 Starscream)
**Starscream's cockpit shell nearest his head is colored like a canopy rather than gray, as he nominates himself for leadership. Man, even the A-list animation team couldn't keep this straight.
**The red stripes on Starscream's wings are noticeably absent during most of the Coronation scene, the shiny gold stripes on his shoulder pauldrons also being purple until after he's blasted the Constructicons' trumpets.
**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 colored 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's 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 moves back to avoid the Autobots' fire, and a ''second'' Starscream is in front of the Constructicons without Megatron and is firing one of his arm rifles (this was probably meant to be Skywarp, as he flies into the shuttle and takes a seat at the controls once the Autobots are defeated). 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.
*When Brawn is shot, it can be seen for one frame that he is initially hit in the top of his chest. As he falls, the wound has moved to the front rounded part of his chest. Additionally, the wound changes from black to red for one frame.
*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 Hot Rod begins to shoot at the hijacked Autobot shuttle, the yellow light on his forehead is misaligned.
*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 gray and black colors.
*Hound and Sunstreaker appear in Kup's group at the foot of Lookout Mountain 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.
**In the movie's storyboard, only Hound is shown present with Kup during the roadblock scene. Sunstreaker's only appearance in the storyboard is when he exits the shuttle, meaning that his presence during the roadblock scene is purely an animation addition. Hound being in both places ''is'', however, an error in both the movie and the storyboard—''unless'', Optimus Prime and the Dinobots picked up Hound and Sunstreaker from Lookout Mountain enroute to Autobot City? Now there's an idea for the old [[Personal canon|headcanon]]!
**In a deleted scene from the storyboard that would've shown Hot Rod and Kup meeting up with Ultra Magnus inside Autobot City, Sideswipe is shown running alongside Wheeljack in the background. However, Sideswipe is mistakenly referred to as "Sunstreaker" in the script (how ''[[Sideswipe (G1)#Notes|ironic]]''). Whether this mislabelling had any bearing over Sunstreaker being present with the roadblock crew is anyone's guess.
[[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.
*When Shrapnel and Kickback are eating the door, Shrapnel only has one antenna.
*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.]]
*In what may be the most well-known mistake in the film, when [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] sends out his cassette troops, [[FIRRIB|Rumble is the same color as Frenzy]]. This was not known to have been fixed in any re-releases.
*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.
**If one listens ''very'' closely, the back half of one of the faster transformation sounds can be heard as his trailer disconnects from his body.
*The gun Megatron fires uses the same sound effect as his fusion cannon.
*"It's over, Prime...", with Megatron's days of being able to brag about thinking he's handsome also being over as he suddenly gains a ''crapton'' of damage that was not reflected in any of the prior close-ups during his duel with Optimus, or even a hint of the various cracks and fluid leaks from his eyes in the shot right before this. Conversely, the scene immediately following of Optimus slamming Megatron off the ledge has all of the Autobot leader's damages disappear before returning when he collapses.
*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 colored gray 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 gray 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, 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 Galvatron says "Decepticons, to Earth!", aside from his mouth being partially open, his mouth doesn't move. I guess being reformatted by Unicron gives you the ability to talk without moving your mouth?
*In the scene where Bumblebee and Spike are in the [[Autobot frigate]] and escaping Moonbase Two's destruction, when the two are cheering after believing that Unicron has been destroyed, Bumblebee's on the left side of Spike's seat. However, after Spike expresses his "colorful" reaction to Unicron remaining completely unscathed, and when the frigate is about to get sucked into Unicron, Bumblebee is on the right side of Spike's seat.
*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.
*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 colors 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.
*In the first close-up of Unicron's face firing beams out of his right eye, the hole in his destroyed left eye is misplaced such that it overlaps with his cheek.
*As the Dinobots fly around Unicron, both his eyes are intact. (The left one had at this point been shattered.)
*Grimlock and Slag are shown to create decently-sized holes in Unicron's butt, where the shots immediately following their feats change the damage Grimlock inflicted into mere scratches and erases Slag's progress entirely.
*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.]]
[[File:TFTMPromovsmovieSnarl.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Look, Jabba, even I get boarded sometimes.]]

*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]] (who was shot in the back by the Constructicons; his gun is the one Megatron uses against Optimus), and Smokescreen (who was supposed to be the corpse in place of Wheeljack next to Windcharger, Wheeljack instead surviving the battle and being part of a scrapped Earth-based subplot) 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.)
*Possibly the biggest example of the film's tonal shift from the cartoon, shots from firearms that would previously knock another character down at best have since become lethal, best demonstrated when Brawn and Prowl are each killed with a single shot by the Decepticons during the movie's first act.
[[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. Perhaps he continued expanding when transforming from train to shuttle mode?
*Speaking of which, Astrotrain's 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.
*The damage suffered by the Skywarp, Thundercracker, and Bombshell basically appears out of nowhere when it's time for them to be jettisoned. (Shrapnel and Kickback are shown taking a beating early on, and later have to be carried to the fleeing Astrotrain by Thrust and Long Haul, respectively. Conversely, the two Seekers explicitly run to Astrotrain on their own and look no worse for wear during the Decepticons' escape.)
*Soundwave is loyal enough to pick up a wounded Megatron and save him, but then votes "aye" to jettisoning the wounded Decepticons, and 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 (G1)|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.
*Given his relative position, Starscream's single shot through the trumpets defies all geometry.
[[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|Let me see your identification.]]
*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.
*Springer escapes from Unicron's eye by transforming into helicopter mode and flying through outer space, where there shouldn't be an atmosphere for his rotors to provide lift. Maybe Unicron was still within Cybertron's atmosphere?

==Continuity notes==
*''The Transformers: 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 brand|Transformers]]'' are:
**The notion that [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] has moons.
**The [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] as a physical object, rather than the computer program previously depicted in the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|comics]]. Even the Marvel comics would eventually shoehorn this one in.
**[[Autobot City (disambiguation)|Autobot City]].
**[[Unicron]].
**The notion of [[Megatron (disambiguation)|Megatron]] becoming [[Galvatron (disambiguation)|Galvatron]].
**The idea of "[[Prime (rank)|Prime]]" being a rank rather than simply a given name.
**[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|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.
**Megatron uses an "[[Lightsaber|Energy Dagger]]"<ref>[https://twitter.com/walruslaw/status/1204860124898181123 Reference sheets for various weapons used or planned for use in ''The Transformers: The Movie''] - TFRaw.com on Twitter</ref> during his one-on-one battle with Optimus Prime.
**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]].
*In a nice moment of attention to detail, Hook is seen running and attending to the critically damaged Megatron alongside Soundwave and Starscream. This tracks—as a surgeon [[Microbots|he's operated on Megatron]]; [[The Core|repaired other Transformers]]; and [[City of Steel (episode)|has even dissected them]].
*'''[[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.
[[File:TFTM Sludge Devastator.jpg|thumb|Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them.]]
*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.
**"Breep, drit, aw rootie!" - part of {{w|Tutti Frutti (song)|"Tutti Frutti, aw rooty!"}}, from the 1955 song.
**"Happy motoring!" - the slogan of gas company [[Esso]].
**"Kill the Grand Poobah!" - a {{w|Grand Poobah|satirical term}} originating from {{w|Gilbert and Sullivan}}'s ''{{w|The Mikado}}'', likely referencing its use as the title of leaders of pseudo-Masonic lodges in ''{{w|The Flintstones}}'' and ''{{w|Happy Days}}''.
[[File:Tftm rosencrantz-and-guildenstern.jpg|thumb|Easy? You call that ''easy!?'']]
*For the German dub, the Junkion quotes have not been translated word for word, but rather replaced with then-current commercial quotes from German TV, including from Toyota ("Nichts ist unmöööööglich!" / "Nothing's impossible").
*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 whir of an AT-AT's leg hydraulics can be heard part way through Unicron's transformation.
*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 (Marvel)|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.
*[[Ziploc]] sandwich bags featuring an iron-on patch in boxed to advertise the movie. Each box contained one of eight potential characters.

==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 (TM2)|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. Ironically, the DEG logo at the beginning uses the "Gongman" sounds, rather than its own fanfare, possibly due to a plastering mistake.

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.<ref>https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/B0ZMv7tdDMk?hl=en#8aee0b30765b2b4a</ref> 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 62% "fresh" rating based on 25 professional reviews at online review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.<ref>http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_the_the_movie/</ref> In response to the film's cult following, several reviewers have compared the film in a favourable light to the [[Live-action film series|live-action film]]s (prior to the unprecedented critical success of ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]''), stating that they lack the heart or nostalgia of the '86 movie.<ref>https://www.inverse.com/article/7309-6-enduring-legacies-of-1986-s-animated-the-transformers-the-movie</ref><ref>https://slate.com/culture/2007/07/transformers-why-the-original-animated-movie-is-still-the-best.html</ref><ref>https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Sorry-Michael-Bay-Why-1986-Transformers-Movie-Best-43582.html</ref>

===Box office===
An [[August 30]]th, 1987 ''Los Angeles Times'' article on the decline and fall of the DeLaurentiis Entertainment Group listed ''The Transformers: The Movie'' as grossing $2.6 million in the United States on a $5 million budget.<ref>https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-08-30-fi-5144-story.html</ref> Both it and ''My Little Pony: The Movie'' (which earned $2.8 million on a $5.5 million budget per that same article) were financial failures, together losing Hasbro about $10 million in an otherwise profitable year.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=... we just accidentally found the budget for The Transformers: The Movie while skimming a book about My Little Pony. Thanks, @sherilyn! https://t.co/epw3GW83lE|link=https://twitter.com/tfwiki/status/895169922678042625|name=TFWiki|site=Twitter|year=2017|month=08|day=09|(defunct=)}}</ref>

Confusingly, in comparison to the ''Los Angeles Times'' article, modern 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> list ''The Transformers: The Movie'' as having made $5,849,647 in domestic (e.g., United States) theaters. Comparing this with the other online box office takes from 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)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] gave us perhaps one of the most meta comeback lines in franchise history. When [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW 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 [[The Transformers (cartoon)/cast|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 Optimus Prime's possession all along (even though Prime's open-chested repair scene in "[[Divide and Conquer]]" and his X-ray scene in "[[A Prime Problem]]" show 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.]]
[[File:Movie86 storyboard butprime.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The movie's [[storyboard|storyboards]] used dotted guidelines to show where the final 4:3 animation would be matted to widescreen.]]
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]], 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. Just days before, on [[September 14]], 1987<ref>https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003579/19870910/016/0016</ref>, 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, [[Sohbi Kikaku|Hill Crane]] 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 [[PlayStation|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, a looped version of the Lion ''Transformers'' theme on the main menu, 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.
[[File:ShoutFactory TFTM BluDVD.jpg|thumb|Shout! Factory's 2016 Blu-ray cover.]]
*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 12, 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.
*For the 35th anniversary, Shout! Factory produced the first 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of the movie — presented in widescreen only — and a remastered fullscreen 1080p Blu-ray. Feature-length storyboards and the Stan Bush featurette from the 2018 Fathom Events screening were added as new bonus features. The two discs were first made available in a limited edition SteelBook with four art cards on [[August 3]], [[2021]]<ref>[https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/the-transformers-the-movie-35th-anniversary-limited-edition-steelbook?product_id=7636 The Transformers: The Movie [35th Anniversary Limited Edition Steelbook]]</ref>; a wide release in standard packaging followed on [[September 28]]<ref>[https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/the-transformers-the-movie-35th-anniversary-edition?product_id=7668 The Transformers: The Movie [35th Anniversary Edition]]</ref>, as did a third set comprised of the new fullscreen Blu-ray and a widescreen DVD<ref>[https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/the-transformers-the-movie-35th-anniversary-edition-1?product_id=7667 The Transformers: The Movie [35th Anniversary Edition]]</ref>. Cover art for the new releases was created by [[Matt Ferguson]].
**Region B versions of the Shout! Factory 35th Anniversary discs were distributed by Funimation and released on [[October 25]], and an additional collector's edition set was made exclusive to Zavvi, packaging the 4K and Blu-ray discs with an art book, poster and six art cards.<ref>[https://www.zavvi.com/blu-ray/the-transformers-the-movie-35th-anniversary-zavvi-exclusive-4k-ultra-hd-limited-collectors-edition-includes-blu-ray/13169855.html The Transformers: The Movie 35th Anniversary - Zavvi Exclusive 4K Ultra HD Limited Collectors Edition (Includes Blu-ray)]</ref> Zavvi also partnered with Ferguson to release a line of art prints and apparel featuring his cover art.
*Fathom Events once again returned the film to select theaters on [[September 26]]–[[September 27|27]], 2021, accompanied by a set of [[The Transformers: The Movie 35th Anniversary Stop Motions|stop-motion comedy videos]] inspired by the film.

==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>https://web.archive.org/web/20151215034944/http://www.joeheadquarters.com/interviews_dixon.shtml</ref> The heavy backlash resulting from Optimus's death would in turn affect Duke's fate in the G.I. Joe film, with the character being written as falling into a coma rather than dying.

*After reading [[Ron Friedman]]'s [[The Transformers: The Movie (first draft)|first draft]] of the movie's script, [[Flint Dille]] and [[Jay Bacal]] hastily wrote and proposed a script of their own, "[[The Secret of Cybertron]]", which later informed the cartoon five-parter "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]". Elements of this script also supposedly made it into the finished film, but no copy of the script has ever surfaced.

*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. Regardless, Shockwave was originally intended to appear in the immediate post-movie story "Five Faces of Darkness", serving in the role that was ultimately given to Blitzwing, before an internal [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]] memo clarified that his character had been dropped from the series.<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bid3TK_q2HxH7NR5MDAlGsKe5AlcbBnU/view Partial outline of "Five Faces of Darkness", covering Parts 3 to 5]</ref> Shockwave 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.

*The Dinobots spend the majority of the film in their dinosaur modes, 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. Additionally, despite his constant presence among the Dinobots, Sludge has no lines in the film at all.

*Unicron's roars in the movie were stock vocalizations originally created for Marvel Productions's 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].
*The shot of Unicron slamming his hand onto the surface of Cybertron would later be used for the toy commercial of his Armada self.
{{--}}

===Foreign names===
*''German:'' '''''Transformers: Der Kampf um Cybertron''''' ("Transformers: The Battle for Cybertron", TV airings only)
*''French:'' '''''La Guerre des Robots''''' ("The War of the Robots")
*''Japanese:'' '''''トランスフォーマーザ・ムービー''''' ("Transformers: The Movie")

==External links==
*[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3212281345/weekend/ ''The Transformers: The Movie''{{'}}s box office domestic gross]
*[https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-4034-transformers-movie-sunbow.html ''The Transformers: The Movie'' outlines, scripts, storyboards, concept art and model sheets]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20211021062746/http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/movie/movie.html ''The Transformers: The Movie'' Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20080426020409/http://www.tftm.net/ ''The Transformers: The Movie'' "Unofficial Fansite", an extremely thorough site about the movie] (archived)
*[http://zobovor.tripod.com/transformers_the_movie_bloopers.html ''The Transformers: The Movie'' bloopers]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers: The Movie}}

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

The Transformers: The Movie

2026-02-18T06:09:39Z

DevinM626:

{{disambig3|Transformers: The Movie}}
{{nav-tftm}}
{{movie|
|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 companies=[[Sunbow Productions]] [[Marvel Productions]]
|distributor=[[Dino De Laurentiis|De Laurentiis Entertainment Group]]
|executive producer=[[Tom Griffin]] [[Joe Bacal]]
|screenplay by=[[Ron Friedman]]
|directed by=[[Nelson Shin]]
|cinematography by=[[Masatoshi Fukui]]
|edited by=[[David Hankins]]
|music by=[[Vince DiCola]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|release date=[[August 8]], [[1986]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|runtime=85 minutes
|budget=$5–6 million
|box office=$2.6–5.8 million
|credits=The Transformers: The Movie/credits
}}
{{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|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|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 of Autobot City|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.

[[File:Tftm1986b.jpg|left|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, including the mortally wounded Megatron. Too injured to save himself, Megatron is tossed out into space by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], who claims leadership of the Decepticon army.

[[File:TFTM Starscream chucks Megatron.jpg|thumb|Into the garbage chute, flyboy.]]
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. After some coercion on the planetoid's part, 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)|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|left|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 battle a [[Sea squid|giant squid]], are captured by a pack 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 (species)|Sharkticons]]. The tide is turned, and the Autobots commandeer a [[Quintesson Cruiser]].

[[File:Tftm1986d.jpg|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)|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|left|Rebel base in range. You may fire when ready.]]
Galvatron attempts to open the Matrix to use its power against Unicron and force his master into submission, but is unable to open it. 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)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|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|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)|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)|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)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]]
*[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]
*[[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]]
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]
*[[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]]
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]
*[[Hound (G1)|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)|Scourge]] ([[Stan Jones]])
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (Frank Welker)
*[[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|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)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|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)<ref group="fc" name="appearnocredit">Appeared and had speaking lines, but not credited.</ref>
*[[Ravage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ravage]] (Frank Welker)<ref group="fc" name="appearnocredit">Appeared and had speaking lines, but not credited.</ref>
*[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]
*[[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 (G1)|Cyclonus's Armada]]
|h3=[[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]|c3=
*[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] ([[Eric Idle]])
*[[Junkyard (G1)|Junkyard]] (Bell)
*[[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]] (Welker)
*[[Rubbish]]
*[[Re-Cycle]]
*[[Trashbin]]
*[[HAZMAT]]
*[[Ashtray]]
*[[Wasteoid Gamma]]
*[[Greasestain]]
|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 Prosecutor|Quintesson leader]] (Roger C. Carmel)
*[[Quintesson Judge (G1)|Quintesson Judge]] ([[Regis Cordic]])
*[[Quintesson Executioner (G1)|Quintesson Executioner]]
*[[Quintesson Bailiff]]
*[[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]
*[[Allicon]]s

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

==Quotes==
[[File:TFTM European intro.jpeg|thumb|upright=1.4|It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.]]
"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.

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

"Kup and Hot Rod just bought it!" 
"I can't deal with that now!"
:—'''Springer''' and '''Ultra Magnus''' assess the situation.

"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 a reference to the tagline from the "Roach Motel." commercials

"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]]...for now.

==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 of 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 (species)|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!!!]]
{{--}}

==Production timeline==
* First script outline by Ron Friedman: revisions from 15th August 1984 to 19th September 1984
* [[The Transformers: The Movie (first draft)|First draft script]] by Ron Friedman: submitted November 12th 1984. Revised February 13th 1985.
* Reference photos of Powered Convoy toy designated as Ultra Magnus, provided to Ron Friedman: Taken 18th March 1985
* Second script outline by Ron Friedman: revised 28th March 1985
* [[The Transformers: The Movie (second draft)|Second draft script]] by Ron Friedman: completed 27th April 1985. Revised 2nd May 1985
* Model sheets approved 14th June 1985: Cyclonus, Galvatron (Marvel model with revised head), Hot Rod, Kranix (the pre-final model, can be seen with Granix name on it), Quintesson Judge (colour approved on 18th November 1985 by J. Bacal), Rodimus Prime, Scourge/Sweep, Sharkticon, Unicron robot mode, Wheelie, Wreck-gar
* Model sheets approved 24th June 1985: Ultra Magnus robot mode(first Powered Convoy version)
* Model sheets approved 2nd July 1985: Ultra Magnus (Initial Toei design. Colour revised on 20th July 1985)
* Model sheets approved 19th July 1985: Arblus robot mode, Spike (final model), Ultra Magnus vehicle mode(first Powered Convoy version)
* Model sheets approved 29th July 1985: Quintesson Prosecutor (a.k.a Quintesson leader. Approved by J. Bacal on 18th December 1985)
* Model sheets approved 31st July 1985: Arblus spaceship mode
* Voice actor auditions for Wheelie: 4th September 1985
* Model sheets approved 6th September 1985: Rewind flip side of the cassette mode
* Dialogue recording (main sessions): 10th and 11th September 1985
* Model sheets approved 3rd October 1985: Rewind and Eject
* Model sheets approved 8th October 1985: Lithonian Scientist, Lithonian Woman no.1

* Storyboard sequence 1 (Attack on Lithone): Final 31st October 1985
* Storyboard sequence 2 (Title sequence): Final 31st December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 3 (2005): Final 31st October 1985
* Storyboard sequence 4 (More Than You Imagine): Final 31st October 1985. Revised Final 14th November 1985.
* Storyboard sequence 5 (Attack On The Shuttle): Final 31st October 1985
* Storyboard sequence 6 (Gone Fishin'/Dare): Final 4th November 1985. Revised Final 14th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 7 (Battle Of Autobot City, part 1): Final 14th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 8 (Battle Of Autobot City, part 2): Final 31st October 1985. Revised Final 14th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 9 (Death Of Optimus Prime): Final 7th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 10 (Witness To A Funeral): Final 7th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 11 (Contest For Leadership): Final 4th November 1985. Revised Final 13th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 12 (Transformation): Final 11th November 1985. Revised Final 26th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 13 (Coronation): Final 10th December 1985. Revised Final 18th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 14 (Destruction Of Moonbase One): Final 10th December 1985. Revised Final 19th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 15 (Escape): Final 16th December 1985. Revised Final 24th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 16 (Pursuit): Final 12th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 17 (Nothin's Gonna Stand In Our Way): Final 11th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 18 (Arrival On Junk): Final 12th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 19 (Unwelcome Visitors): Final November 14th 1985. Revised Final 27th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 20 (The Matrix Survives): Final 12th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 21 (An Unexpected Friend): Final 18th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 22 (Destruction Of Moonbase Two): Final 17th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 23 (Ambush): Final 11th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 24 (Judgement/Rescue): Final 12th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 25 (Another Leader Dies): Final 9th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 26 (Unusual Allies): Final 19th December 1985. Revised Final 31st December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 27 (The Enemy Revealed): Final 12th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 28 (Confrontation): Final 19th November 1985. Revised Final 6th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 29 (United Against The Enemy): Final 20th November 1985. Revised 4th December 1985. Revised Final 6th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 30 (In The Belly Of The Monster): Final 20th November 1985. Revised 3rd December 1985. Revised Final 6th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 31 (Their Darkest Hour): Final 2nd December 1985. Revised 19th December 1985. Revised Final 31st December 1985
* Editing of United Kingdom version of the movie completed at [[Magno Sound %26 Video]]: 3rd December 1986

==Animation errors==
[[File:TFTM Unicron Small.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|We’re doomed.]]
*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.
**In the shot of Decepticons running in Autobot City prior to them being crashed through by Optimus, Ramjet can be seen sporting Dirge's wings, albeit in red just like Ramjet's. Or maybe this is Dirge incorrectly painted in Ramjet's colours. Who knows?
**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.
**After Megatron asks, "Why throw away your life so recklessly?", Optimus's left hand is colored red instead of blue when he replies "That's a question you should ask yourself, Megatron".
**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.
**In the shot of the Decepticons jettisoning Thundercracker, Skywarp and the Insecticons from Astrotrain, Ramjet and Dirge have their colours swapped.
**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 Starscream)
**Starscream's cockpit shell nearest his head is colored like a canopy rather than gray, as he nominates himself for leadership. Man, even the A-list animation team couldn't keep this straight.
**The red stripes on Starscream's wings are noticeably absent during most of the Coronation scene, the shiny gold stripes on his shoulder pauldrons also being purple until after he's blasted the Constructicons' trumpets.
**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 colored 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's 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 moves back to avoid the Autobots' fire, and a ''second'' Starscream is in front of the Constructicons without Megatron and is firing one of his arm rifles (this was probably meant to be Skywarp, as he flies into the shuttle and takes a seat at the controls once the Autobots are defeated). 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.
*When Brawn is shot, it can be seen for one frame that he is initially hit in the top of his chest. As he falls, the wound has moved to the front rounded part of his chest. Additionally, the wound changes from black to red for one frame.
*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 Hot Rod begins to shoot at the hijacked Autobot shuttle, the yellow light on his forehead is misaligned.
*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 gray and black colors.
*Hound and Sunstreaker appear in Kup's group at the foot of Lookout Mountain 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.
**In the movie's storyboard, only Hound is shown present with Kup during the roadblock scene. Sunstreaker's only appearance in the storyboard is when he exits the shuttle, meaning that his presence during the roadblock scene is purely an animation addition. Hound being in both places ''is'', however, an error in both the movie and the storyboard—''unless'', Optimus Prime and the Dinobots picked up Hound and Sunstreaker from Lookout Mountain enroute to Autobot City? Now there's an idea for the old [[Personal canon|headcanon]]!
**In a deleted scene from the storyboard that would've shown Hot Rod and Kup meeting up with Ultra Magnus inside Autobot City, Sideswipe is shown running alongside Wheeljack in the background. However, Sideswipe is mistakenly referred to as "Sunstreaker" in the script (how ''[[Sideswipe (G1)#Notes|ironic]]''). Whether this mislabelling had any bearing over Sunstreaker being present with the roadblock crew is anyone's guess.
[[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.
*When Shrapnel and Kickback are eating the door, Shrapnel only has one antenna.
*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.]]
*In what may be the most well-known mistake in the film, when [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] sends out his cassette troops, [[FIRRIB|Rumble is the same color as Frenzy]]. This was not known to have been fixed in any re-releases.
*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.
**If one listens ''very'' closely, the back half of one of the faster transformation sounds can be heard as his trailer disconnects from his body.
*The gun Megatron fires uses the same sound effect as his fusion cannon.
*"It's over, Prime...", with Megatron's days of being able to brag about thinking he's handsome also being over as he suddenly gains a ''crapton'' of damage that was not reflected in any of the prior close-ups during his duel with Optimus, or even a hint of the various cracks and fluid leaks from his eyes in the shot right before this. Conversely, the scene immediately following of Optimus slamming Megatron off the ledge has all of the Autobot leader's damages disappear before returning when he collapses.
*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 colored gray 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 gray 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, 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 Galvatron says "Decepticons, to Earth!", aside from his mouth being partially open, his mouth doesn't move. I guess being reformatted by Unicron gives you the ability to talk without moving your mouth?
*In the scene where Bumblebee and Spike are in the [[Autobot frigate]] and escaping Moonbase Two's destruction, when the two are cheering after believing that Unicron has been destroyed, Bumblebee's on the left side of Spike's seat. However, after Spike expresses his "colorful" reaction to Unicron remaining completely unscathed, and when the frigate is about to get sucked into Unicron, Bumblebee is on the right side of Spike's seat.
*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.
*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 colors 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.
*In the first close-up of Unicron's face firing beams out of his right eye, the hole in his destroyed left eye is misplaced such that it overlaps with his cheek.
*As the Dinobots fly around Unicron, both his eyes are intact. (The left one had at this point been shattered.)
*Grimlock and Slag are shown to create decently-sized holes in Unicron's butt, where the shots immediately following their feats change the damage Grimlock inflicted into mere scratches and erases Slag's progress entirely.
*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.]]
[[File:TFTMPromovsmovieSnarl.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Look, Jabba, even I get boarded sometimes.]]

*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]] (who was shot in the back by the Constructicons; his gun is the one Megatron uses against Optimus), and Smokescreen (who was supposed to be the corpse in place of Wheeljack next to Windcharger, Wheeljack instead surviving the battle and being part of a scrapped Earth-based subplot) 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.)
*Possibly the biggest example of the film's tonal shift from the cartoon, shots from firearms that would previously knock another character down at best have since become lethal, best demonstrated when Brawn and Prowl are each killed with a single shot by the Decepticons during the movie's first act.
[[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. Perhaps he continued expanding when transforming from train to shuttle mode?
*Speaking of which, Astrotrain's 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.
*The damage suffered by the Skywarp, Thundercracker, and Bombshell basically appears out of nowhere when it's time for them to be jettisoned. ( Shrapnel and Kickback are shown taking a beating early on, and later have to be carried to the fleeing Astrotrain by Thrust and Long Haul, respectively. Conversely, the two Seekers explicitly run to Astrotrain on their own and look no worse for wear during the Decepticons' escape.)
*Soundwave is loyal enough to pick up a wounded Megatron and save him, but then votes "aye" to jettisoning the wounded Decepticons, and 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 (G1)|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.
*Given his relative position, Starscream's single shot through the trumpets defies all geometry.
[[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|Let me see your identification.]]
*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.
*Springer escapes from Unicron's eye by transforming into helicopter mode and flying through outer space, where there shouldn't be an atmosphere for his rotors to provide lift. Maybe Unicron was still within Cybertron's atmosphere?

==Continuity notes==
*''The Transformers: 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 brand|Transformers]]'' are:
**The notion that [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] has moons.
**The [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] as a physical object, rather than the computer program previously depicted in the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|comics]]. Even the Marvel comics would eventually shoehorn this one in.
**[[Autobot City (disambiguation)|Autobot City]].
**[[Unicron]].
**The notion of [[Megatron (disambiguation)|Megatron]] becoming [[Galvatron (disambiguation)|Galvatron]].
**The idea of "[[Prime (rank)|Prime]]" being a rank rather than simply a given name.
**[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|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.
**Megatron uses an "[[Lightsaber|Energy Dagger]]"<ref>[https://twitter.com/walruslaw/status/1204860124898181123 Reference sheets for various weapons used or planned for use in ''The Transformers: The Movie''] - TFRaw.com on Twitter</ref> during his one-on-one battle with Optimus Prime.
**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]].
*In a nice moment of attention to detail, Hook is seen running and attending to the critically damaged Megatron alongside Soundwave and Starscream. This tracks—as a surgeon [[Microbots|he's operated on Megatron]]; [[The Core|repaired other Transformers]]; and [[City of Steel (episode)|has even dissected them]].
*'''[[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.
[[File:TFTM Sludge Devastator.jpg|thumb|Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them.]]
*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.
**"Breep, drit, aw rootie!" - part of {{w|Tutti Frutti (song)|"Tutti Frutti, aw rooty!"}}, from the 1955 song.
**"Happy motoring!" - the slogan of gas company [[Esso]].
**"Kill the Grand Poobah!" - a {{w|Grand Poobah|satirical term}} originating from {{w|Gilbert and Sullivan}}'s ''{{w|The Mikado}}'', likely referencing its use as the title of leaders of pseudo-Masonic lodges in ''{{w|The Flintstones}}'' and ''{{w|Happy Days}}''.
[[File:Tftm rosencrantz-and-guildenstern.jpg|thumb|Easy? You call that ''easy!?'']]
*For the German dub, the Junkion quotes have not been translated word for word, but rather replaced with then-current commercial quotes from German TV, including from Toyota ("Nichts ist unmöööööglich!" / "Nothing's impossible").
*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 whir of an AT-AT's leg hydraulics can be heard part way through Unicron's transformation.
*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 (Marvel)|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.
*[[Ziploc]] sandwich bags featuring an iron-on patch in boxed to advertise the movie. Each box contained one of eight potential characters.

==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 (TM2)|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. Ironically, the DEG logo at the beginning uses the "Gongman" sounds, rather than its own fanfare, possibly due to a plastering mistake.

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.<ref>https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/B0ZMv7tdDMk?hl=en#8aee0b30765b2b4a</ref> 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 62% "fresh" rating based on 25 professional reviews at online review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.<ref>http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_the_the_movie/</ref> In response to the film's cult following, several reviewers have compared the film in a favourable light to the [[Live-action film series|live-action film]]s (prior to the unprecedented critical success of ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]''), stating that they lack the heart or nostalgia of the '86 movie.<ref>https://www.inverse.com/article/7309-6-enduring-legacies-of-1986-s-animated-the-transformers-the-movie</ref><ref>https://slate.com/culture/2007/07/transformers-why-the-original-animated-movie-is-still-the-best.html</ref><ref>https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Sorry-Michael-Bay-Why-1986-Transformers-Movie-Best-43582.html</ref>

===Box office===
An [[August 30]]th, 1987 ''Los Angeles Times'' article on the decline and fall of the DeLaurentiis Entertainment Group listed ''The Transformers: The Movie'' as grossing $2.6 million in the United States on a $5 million budget.<ref>https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-08-30-fi-5144-story.html</ref> Both it and ''My Little Pony: The Movie'' (which earned $2.8 million on a $5.5 million budget per that same article) were financial failures, together losing Hasbro about $10 million in an otherwise profitable year.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=... we just accidentally found the budget for The Transformers: The Movie while skimming a book about My Little Pony. Thanks, @sherilyn! https://t.co/epw3GW83lE|link=https://twitter.com/tfwiki/status/895169922678042625|name=TFWiki|site=Twitter|year=2017|month=08|day=09|(defunct=)}}</ref>

Confusingly, in comparison to the ''Los Angeles Times'' article, modern 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> list ''The Transformers: The Movie'' as having made $5,849,647 in domestic (e.g., United States) theaters. Comparing this with the other online box office takes from 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)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] gave us perhaps one of the most meta comeback lines in franchise history. When [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW 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 [[The Transformers (cartoon)/cast|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 Optimus Prime's possession all along (even though Prime's open-chested repair scene in "[[Divide and Conquer]]" and his X-ray scene in "[[A Prime Problem]]" show 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.]]
[[File:Movie86 storyboard butprime.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The movie's [[storyboard|storyboards]] used dotted guidelines to show where the final 4:3 animation would be matted to widescreen.]]
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]], 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. Just days before, on [[September 14]], 1987<ref>https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003579/19870910/016/0016</ref>, 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, [[Sohbi Kikaku|Hill Crane]] 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 [[PlayStation|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, a looped version of the Lion ''Transformers'' theme on the main menu, 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.
[[File:ShoutFactory TFTM BluDVD.jpg|thumb|Shout! Factory's 2016 Blu-ray cover.]]
*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 12, 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.
*For the 35th anniversary, Shout! Factory produced the first 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of the movie — presented in widescreen only — and a remastered fullscreen 1080p Blu-ray. Feature-length storyboards and the Stan Bush featurette from the 2018 Fathom Events screening were added as new bonus features. The two discs were first made available in a limited edition SteelBook with four art cards on [[August 3]], [[2021]]<ref>[https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/the-transformers-the-movie-35th-anniversary-limited-edition-steelbook?product_id=7636 The Transformers: The Movie [35th Anniversary Limited Edition Steelbook]]</ref>; a wide release in standard packaging followed on [[September 28]]<ref>[https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/the-transformers-the-movie-35th-anniversary-edition?product_id=7668 The Transformers: The Movie [35th Anniversary Edition]]</ref>, as did a third set comprised of the new fullscreen Blu-ray and a widescreen DVD<ref>[https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/the-transformers-the-movie-35th-anniversary-edition-1?product_id=7667 The Transformers: The Movie [35th Anniversary Edition]]</ref>. Cover art for the new releases was created by [[Matt Ferguson]].
**Region B versions of the Shout! Factory 35th Anniversary discs were distributed by Funimation and released on [[October 25]], and an additional collector's edition set was made exclusive to Zavvi, packaging the 4K and Blu-ray discs with an art book, poster and six art cards.<ref>[https://www.zavvi.com/blu-ray/the-transformers-the-movie-35th-anniversary-zavvi-exclusive-4k-ultra-hd-limited-collectors-edition-includes-blu-ray/13169855.html The Transformers: The Movie 35th Anniversary - Zavvi Exclusive 4K Ultra HD Limited Collectors Edition (Includes Blu-ray)]</ref> Zavvi also partnered with Ferguson to release a line of art prints and apparel featuring his cover art.
*Fathom Events once again returned the film to select theaters on [[September 26]]–[[September 27|27]], 2021, accompanied by a set of [[The Transformers: The Movie 35th Anniversary Stop Motions|stop-motion comedy videos]] inspired by the film.

==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>https://web.archive.org/web/20151215034944/http://www.joeheadquarters.com/interviews_dixon.shtml</ref> The heavy backlash resulting from Optimus's death would in turn affect Duke's fate in the G.I. Joe film, with the character being written as falling into a coma rather than dying.

*After reading [[Ron Friedman]]'s [[The Transformers: The Movie (first draft)|first draft]] of the movie's script, [[Flint Dille]] and [[Jay Bacal]] hastily wrote and proposed a script of their own, "[[The Secret of Cybertron]]", which later informed the cartoon five-parter "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]". Elements of this script also supposedly made it into the finished film, but no copy of the script has ever surfaced.

*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. Regardless, Shockwave was originally intended to appear in the immediate post-movie story "Five Faces of Darkness", serving in the role that was ultimately given to Blitzwing, before an internal [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]] memo clarified that his character had been dropped from the series.<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bid3TK_q2HxH7NR5MDAlGsKe5AlcbBnU/view Partial outline of "Five Faces of Darkness", covering Parts 3 to 5]</ref> Shockwave 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.

*The Dinobots spend the majority of the film in their dinosaur modes, 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. Additionally, despite his constant presence among the Dinobots, Sludge has no lines in the film at all.

*Unicron's roars in the movie were stock vocalizations originally created for Marvel Productions's 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].
*The shot of Unicron slamming his hand onto the surface of Cybertron would later be used for the toy commercial of his Armada self.
{{--}}

===Foreign names===
*''German:'' '''''Transformers: Der Kampf um Cybertron''''' ("Transformers: The Battle for Cybertron", TV airings only)
*''French:'' '''''La Guerre des Robots''''' ("The War of the Robots")
*''Japanese:'' '''''トランスフォーマーザ・ムービー''''' ("Transformers: The Movie")

==External links==
*[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3212281345/weekend/ ''The Transformers: The Movie''{{'}}s box office domestic gross]
*[https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-4034-transformers-movie-sunbow.html ''The Transformers: The Movie'' outlines, scripts, storyboards, concept art and model sheets]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20211021062746/http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/movie/movie.html ''The Transformers: The Movie'' Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20080426020409/http://www.tftm.net/ ''The Transformers: The Movie'' "Unofficial Fansite", an extremely thorough site about the movie] (archived)
*[http://zobovor.tripod.com/transformers_the_movie_bloopers.html ''The Transformers: The Movie'' bloopers]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers: The Movie}}

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

The Transformers: The Movie

2026-02-18T06:07:34Z

DevinM626: The Insecticons being carried to Astrotrain sets up their damage, I'd argue

{{disambig3|Transformers: The Movie}}
{{nav-tftm}}
{{movie|
|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 companies=[[Sunbow Productions]] [[Marvel Productions]]
|distributor=[[Dino De Laurentiis|De Laurentiis Entertainment Group]]
|executive producer=[[Tom Griffin]] [[Joe Bacal]]
|screenplay by=[[Ron Friedman]]
|directed by=[[Nelson Shin]]
|cinematography by=[[Masatoshi Fukui]]
|edited by=[[David Hankins]]
|music by=[[Vince DiCola]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|release date=[[August 8]], [[1986]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|runtime=85 minutes
|budget=$5–6 million
|box office=$2.6–5.8 million
|credits=The Transformers: The Movie/credits
}}
{{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|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|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 of Autobot City|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.

[[File:Tftm1986b.jpg|left|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, including the mortally wounded Megatron. Too injured to save himself, Megatron is tossed out into space by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], who claims leadership of the Decepticon army.

[[File:TFTM Starscream chucks Megatron.jpg|thumb|Into the garbage chute, flyboy.]]
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. After some coercion on the planetoid's part, 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)|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|left|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 battle a [[Sea squid|giant squid]], are captured by a pack 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 (species)|Sharkticons]]. The tide is turned, and the Autobots commandeer a [[Quintesson Cruiser]].

[[File:Tftm1986d.jpg|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)|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|left|Rebel base in range. You may fire when ready.]]
Galvatron attempts to open the Matrix to use its power against Unicron and force his master into submission, but is unable to open it. 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)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|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|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)|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)|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)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]]
*[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]
*[[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]]
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]
*[[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]]
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]
*[[Hound (G1)|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)|Scourge]] ([[Stan Jones]])
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (Frank Welker)
*[[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|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)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|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)<ref group="fc" name="appearnocredit">Appeared and had speaking lines, but not credited.</ref>
*[[Ravage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ravage]] (Frank Welker)<ref group="fc" name="appearnocredit">Appeared and had speaking lines, but not credited.</ref>
*[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]
*[[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 (G1)|Cyclonus's Armada]]
|h3=[[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]|c3=
*[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] ([[Eric Idle]])
*[[Junkyard (G1)|Junkyard]] (Bell)
*[[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]] (Welker)
*[[Rubbish]]
*[[Re-Cycle]]
*[[Trashbin]]
*[[HAZMAT]]
*[[Ashtray]]
*[[Wasteoid Gamma]]
*[[Greasestain]]
|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 Prosecutor|Quintesson leader]] (Roger C. Carmel)
*[[Quintesson Judge (G1)|Quintesson Judge]] ([[Regis Cordic]])
*[[Quintesson Executioner (G1)|Quintesson Executioner]]
*[[Quintesson Bailiff]]
*[[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]
*[[Allicon]]s

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

==Quotes==
[[File:TFTM European intro.jpeg|thumb|upright=1.4|It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.]]
"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.

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

"Kup and Hot Rod just bought it!" 
"I can't deal with that now!"
:—'''Springer''' and '''Ultra Magnus''' assess the situation.

"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 a reference to the tagline from the "Roach Motel." commercials

"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]]...for now.

==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 of 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 (species)|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!!!]]
{{--}}

==Production timeline==
* First script outline by Ron Friedman: revisions from 15th August 1984 to 19th September 1984
* [[The Transformers: The Movie (first draft)|First draft script]] by Ron Friedman: submitted November 12th 1984. Revised February 13th 1985.
* Reference photos of Powered Convoy toy designated as Ultra Magnus, provided to Ron Friedman: Taken 18th March 1985
* Second script outline by Ron Friedman: revised 28th March 1985
* [[The Transformers: The Movie (second draft)|Second draft script]] by Ron Friedman: completed 27th April 1985. Revised 2nd May 1985
* Model sheets approved 14th June 1985: Cyclonus, Galvatron (Marvel model with revised head), Hot Rod, Kranix (the pre-final model, can be seen with Granix name on it), Quintesson Judge (colour approved on 18th November 1985 by J. Bacal), Rodimus Prime, Scourge/Sweep, Sharkticon, Unicron robot mode, Wheelie, Wreck-gar
* Model sheets approved 24th June 1985: Ultra Magnus robot mode(first Powered Convoy version)
* Model sheets approved 2nd July 1985: Ultra Magnus (Initial Toei design. Colour revised on 20th July 1985)
* Model sheets approved 19th July 1985: Arblus robot mode, Spike (final model), Ultra Magnus vehicle mode(first Powered Convoy version)
* Model sheets approved 29th July 1985: Quintesson Prosecutor (a.k.a Quintesson leader. Approved by J. Bacal on 18th December 1985)
* Model sheets approved 31st July 1985: Arblus spaceship mode
* Voice actor auditions for Wheelie: 4th September 1985
* Model sheets approved 6th September 1985: Rewind flip side of the cassette mode
* Dialogue recording (main sessions): 10th and 11th September 1985
* Model sheets approved 3rd October 1985: Rewind and Eject
* Model sheets approved 8th October 1985: Lithonian Scientist, Lithonian Woman no.1

* Storyboard sequence 1 (Attack on Lithone): Final 31st October 1985
* Storyboard sequence 2 (Title sequence): Final 31st December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 3 (2005): Final 31st October 1985
* Storyboard sequence 4 (More Than You Imagine): Final 31st October 1985. Revised Final 14th November 1985.
* Storyboard sequence 5 (Attack On The Shuttle): Final 31st October 1985
* Storyboard sequence 6 (Gone Fishin'/Dare): Final 4th November 1985. Revised Final 14th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 7 (Battle Of Autobot City, part 1): Final 14th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 8 (Battle Of Autobot City, part 2): Final 31st October 1985. Revised Final 14th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 9 (Death Of Optimus Prime): Final 7th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 10 (Witness To A Funeral): Final 7th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 11 (Contest For Leadership): Final 4th November 1985. Revised Final 13th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 12 (Transformation): Final 11th November 1985. Revised Final 26th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 13 (Coronation): Final 10th December 1985. Revised Final 18th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 14 (Destruction Of Moonbase One): Final 10th December 1985. Revised Final 19th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 15 (Escape): Final 16th December 1985. Revised Final 24th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 16 (Pursuit): Final 12th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 17 (Nothin's Gonna Stand In Our Way): Final 11th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 18 (Arrival On Junk): Final 12th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 19 (Unwelcome Visitors): Final November 14th 1985. Revised Final 27th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 20 (The Matrix Survives): Final 12th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 21 (An Unexpected Friend): Final 18th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 22 (Destruction Of Moonbase Two): Final 17th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 23 (Ambush): Final 11th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 24 (Judgement/Rescue): Final 12th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 25 (Another Leader Dies): Final 9th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 26 (Unusual Allies): Final 19th December 1985. Revised Final 31st December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 27 (The Enemy Revealed): Final 12th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 28 (Confrontation): Final 19th November 1985. Revised Final 6th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 29 (United Against The Enemy): Final 20th November 1985. Revised 4th December 1985. Revised Final 6th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 30 (In The Belly Of The Monster): Final 20th November 1985. Revised 3rd December 1985. Revised Final 6th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 31 (Their Darkest Hour): Final 2nd December 1985. Revised 19th December 1985. Revised Final 31st December 1985
* Editing of United Kingdom version of the movie completed at [[Magno Sound %26 Video]]: 3rd December 1986

==Animation errors==
[[File:TFTM Unicron Small.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|We’re doomed.]]
*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.
**In the shot of Decepticons running in Autobot City prior to them being crashed through by Optimus, Ramjet can be seen sporting Dirge's wings, albeit in red just like Ramjet's. Or maybe this is Dirge incorrectly painted in Ramjet's colours. Who knows?
**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.
**After Megatron asks, "Why throw away your life so recklessly?", Optimus's left hand is colored red instead of blue when he replies "That's a question you should ask yourself, Megatron".
**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.
**In the shot of the Decepticons jettisoning Thundercracker, Skywarp and the Insecticons from Astrotrain, Ramjet and Dirge have their colours swapped.
**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 Starscream)
**Starscream's cockpit shell nearest his head is colored like a canopy rather than gray, as he nominates himself for leadership. Man, even the A-list animation team couldn't keep this straight.
**The red stripes on Starscream's wings are noticeably absent during most of the Coronation scene, the shiny gold stripes on his shoulder pauldrons also being purple until after he's blasted the Constructicons' trumpets.
**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 colored 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's 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 moves back to avoid the Autobots' fire, and a ''second'' Starscream is in front of the Constructicons without Megatron and is firing one of his arm rifles (this was probably meant to be Skywarp, as he flies into the shuttle and takes a seat at the controls once the Autobots are defeated). 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.
*When Brawn is shot, it can be seen for one frame that he is initially hit in the top of his chest. As he falls, the wound has moved to the front rounded part of his chest. Additionally, the wound changes from black to red for one frame.
*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 Hot Rod begins to shoot at the hijacked Autobot shuttle, the yellow light on his forehead is misaligned.
*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 gray and black colors.
*Hound and Sunstreaker appear in Kup's group at the foot of Lookout Mountain 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.
**In the movie's storyboard, only Hound is shown present with Kup during the roadblock scene. Sunstreaker's only appearance in the storyboard is when he exits the shuttle, meaning that his presence during the roadblock scene is purely an animation addition. Hound being in both places ''is'', however, an error in both the movie and the storyboard—''unless'', Optimus Prime and the Dinobots picked up Hound and Sunstreaker from Lookout Mountain enroute to Autobot City? Now there's an idea for the old [[Personal canon|headcanon]]!
**In a deleted scene from the storyboard that would've shown Hot Rod and Kup meeting up with Ultra Magnus inside Autobot City, Sideswipe is shown running alongside Wheeljack in the background. However, Sideswipe is mistakenly referred to as "Sunstreaker" in the script (how ''[[Sideswipe (G1)#Notes|ironic]]''). Whether this mislabelling had any bearing over Sunstreaker being present with the roadblock crew is anyone's guess.
[[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.
*When Shrapnel and Kickback are eating the door, Shrapnel only has one antenna.
*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.]]
*In what may be the most well-known mistake in the film, when [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] sends out his cassette troops, [[FIRRIB|Rumble is the same color as Frenzy]]. This was not known to have been fixed in any re-releases.
*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.
**If one listens ''very'' closely, the back half of one of the faster transformation sounds can be heard as his trailer disconnects from his body.
*The gun Megatron fires uses the same sound effect as his fusion cannon.
*"It's over, Prime...", with Megatron's days of being able to brag about thinking he's handsome also being over as he suddenly gains a ''crapton'' of damage that was not reflected in any of the prior close-ups during his duel with Optimus, or even a hint of the various cracks and fluid leaks from his eyes in the shot right before this. Conversely, the scene immediately following of Optimus slamming Megatron off the ledge has all of the Autobot leader's damages disappear before returning when he collapses.
*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 colored gray 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 gray 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, 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 Galvatron says "Decepticons, to Earth!", aside from his mouth being partially open, his mouth doesn't move. I guess being reformatted by Unicron gives you the ability to talk without moving your mouth?
*In the scene where Bumblebee and Spike are in the [[Autobot frigate]] and escaping Moonbase Two's destruction, when the two are cheering after believing that Unicron has been destroyed, Bumblebee's on the left side of Spike's seat. However, after Spike expresses his "colorful" reaction to Unicron remaining completely unscathed, and when the frigate is about to get sucked into Unicron, Bumblebee is on the right side of Spike's seat.
*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.
*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 colors 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.
*In the first close-up of Unicron's face firing beams out of his right eye, the hole in his destroyed left eye is misplaced such that it overlaps with his cheek.
*As the Dinobots fly around Unicron, both his eyes are intact. (The left one had at this point been shattered.)
*Grimlock and Slag are shown to create decently-sized holes in Unicron's butt, where the shots immediately following their feats change the damage Grimlock inflicted into mere scratches and erases Slag's progress entirely.
*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.]]
[[File:TFTMPromovsmovieSnarl.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Look, Jabba, even I get boarded sometimes.]]

*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]] (who was shot in the back by the Constructicons; his gun is the one Megatron uses against Optimus), and Smokescreen (who was supposed to be the corpse in place of Wheeljack next to Windcharger, Wheeljack instead surviving the battle and being part of a scrapped Earth-based subplot) 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.)
*Possibly the biggest example of the film's tonal shift from the cartoon, shots from firearms that would previously knock another character down at best have since become lethal, best demonstrated when Brawn and Prowl are each killed with a single shot by the Decepticons during the movie's first act.
[[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. Perhaps he continued expanding when transforming from train to shuttle mode?
*Speaking of which, Astrotrain's 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.
*The damage suffered by the Skywarp, Thundercracker, and Bombshell basically appears out of nowhere when it's time for them to be jettisoned. (Conversely, Shrapnel and Kickback are shown taking a beating early on, and later have to be carried to the fleeing Astrotrain by Thrust and Long Haul, respectively.)
*Soundwave is loyal enough to pick up a wounded Megatron and save him, but then votes "aye" to jettisoning the wounded Decepticons, and 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 (G1)|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.
*Given his relative position, Starscream's single shot through the trumpets defies all geometry.
[[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|Let me see your identification.]]
*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.
*Springer escapes from Unicron's eye by transforming into helicopter mode and flying through outer space, where there shouldn't be an atmosphere for his rotors to provide lift. Maybe Unicron was still within Cybertron's atmosphere?

==Continuity notes==
*''The Transformers: 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 brand|Transformers]]'' are:
**The notion that [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] has moons.
**The [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] as a physical object, rather than the computer program previously depicted in the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|comics]]. Even the Marvel comics would eventually shoehorn this one in.
**[[Autobot City (disambiguation)|Autobot City]].
**[[Unicron]].
**The notion of [[Megatron (disambiguation)|Megatron]] becoming [[Galvatron (disambiguation)|Galvatron]].
**The idea of "[[Prime (rank)|Prime]]" being a rank rather than simply a given name.
**[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|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.
**Megatron uses an "[[Lightsaber|Energy Dagger]]"<ref>[https://twitter.com/walruslaw/status/1204860124898181123 Reference sheets for various weapons used or planned for use in ''The Transformers: The Movie''] - TFRaw.com on Twitter</ref> during his one-on-one battle with Optimus Prime.
**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]].
*In a nice moment of attention to detail, Hook is seen running and attending to the critically damaged Megatron alongside Soundwave and Starscream. This tracks—as a surgeon [[Microbots|he's operated on Megatron]]; [[The Core|repaired other Transformers]]; and [[City of Steel (episode)|has even dissected them]].
*'''[[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.
[[File:TFTM Sludge Devastator.jpg|thumb|Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them.]]
*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.
**"Breep, drit, aw rootie!" - part of {{w|Tutti Frutti (song)|"Tutti Frutti, aw rooty!"}}, from the 1955 song.
**"Happy motoring!" - the slogan of gas company [[Esso]].
**"Kill the Grand Poobah!" - a {{w|Grand Poobah|satirical term}} originating from {{w|Gilbert and Sullivan}}'s ''{{w|The Mikado}}'', likely referencing its use as the title of leaders of pseudo-Masonic lodges in ''{{w|The Flintstones}}'' and ''{{w|Happy Days}}''.
[[File:Tftm rosencrantz-and-guildenstern.jpg|thumb|Easy? You call that ''easy!?'']]
*For the German dub, the Junkion quotes have not been translated word for word, but rather replaced with then-current commercial quotes from German TV, including from Toyota ("Nichts ist unmöööööglich!" / "Nothing's impossible").
*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 whir of an AT-AT's leg hydraulics can be heard part way through Unicron's transformation.
*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 (Marvel)|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.
*[[Ziploc]] sandwich bags featuring an iron-on patch in boxed to advertise the movie. Each box contained one of eight potential characters.

==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 (TM2)|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. Ironically, the DEG logo at the beginning uses the "Gongman" sounds, rather than its own fanfare, possibly due to a plastering mistake.

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.<ref>https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/B0ZMv7tdDMk?hl=en#8aee0b30765b2b4a</ref> 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 62% "fresh" rating based on 25 professional reviews at online review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.<ref>http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_the_the_movie/</ref> In response to the film's cult following, several reviewers have compared the film in a favourable light to the [[Live-action film series|live-action film]]s (prior to the unprecedented critical success of ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]''), stating that they lack the heart or nostalgia of the '86 movie.<ref>https://www.inverse.com/article/7309-6-enduring-legacies-of-1986-s-animated-the-transformers-the-movie</ref><ref>https://slate.com/culture/2007/07/transformers-why-the-original-animated-movie-is-still-the-best.html</ref><ref>https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Sorry-Michael-Bay-Why-1986-Transformers-Movie-Best-43582.html</ref>

===Box office===
An [[August 30]]th, 1987 ''Los Angeles Times'' article on the decline and fall of the DeLaurentiis Entertainment Group listed ''The Transformers: The Movie'' as grossing $2.6 million in the United States on a $5 million budget.<ref>https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-08-30-fi-5144-story.html</ref> Both it and ''My Little Pony: The Movie'' (which earned $2.8 million on a $5.5 million budget per that same article) were financial failures, together losing Hasbro about $10 million in an otherwise profitable year.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=... we just accidentally found the budget for The Transformers: The Movie while skimming a book about My Little Pony. Thanks, @sherilyn! https://t.co/epw3GW83lE|link=https://twitter.com/tfwiki/status/895169922678042625|name=TFWiki|site=Twitter|year=2017|month=08|day=09|(defunct=)}}</ref>

Confusingly, in comparison to the ''Los Angeles Times'' article, modern 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> list ''The Transformers: The Movie'' as having made $5,849,647 in domestic (e.g., United States) theaters. Comparing this with the other online box office takes from 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)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] gave us perhaps one of the most meta comeback lines in franchise history. When [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW 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 [[The Transformers (cartoon)/cast|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 Optimus Prime's possession all along (even though Prime's open-chested repair scene in "[[Divide and Conquer]]" and his X-ray scene in "[[A Prime Problem]]" show 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.]]
[[File:Movie86 storyboard butprime.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The movie's [[storyboard|storyboards]] used dotted guidelines to show where the final 4:3 animation would be matted to widescreen.]]
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]], 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. Just days before, on [[September 14]], 1987<ref>https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003579/19870910/016/0016</ref>, 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, [[Sohbi Kikaku|Hill Crane]] 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 [[PlayStation|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, a looped version of the Lion ''Transformers'' theme on the main menu, 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.
[[File:ShoutFactory TFTM BluDVD.jpg|thumb|Shout! Factory's 2016 Blu-ray cover.]]
*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 12, 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.
*For the 35th anniversary, Shout! Factory produced the first 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of the movie — presented in widescreen only — and a remastered fullscreen 1080p Blu-ray. Feature-length storyboards and the Stan Bush featurette from the 2018 Fathom Events screening were added as new bonus features. The two discs were first made available in a limited edition SteelBook with four art cards on [[August 3]], [[2021]]<ref>[https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/the-transformers-the-movie-35th-anniversary-limited-edition-steelbook?product_id=7636 The Transformers: The Movie [35th Anniversary Limited Edition Steelbook]]</ref>; a wide release in standard packaging followed on [[September 28]]<ref>[https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/the-transformers-the-movie-35th-anniversary-edition?product_id=7668 The Transformers: The Movie [35th Anniversary Edition]]</ref>, as did a third set comprised of the new fullscreen Blu-ray and a widescreen DVD<ref>[https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/the-transformers-the-movie-35th-anniversary-edition-1?product_id=7667 The Transformers: The Movie [35th Anniversary Edition]]</ref>. Cover art for the new releases was created by [[Matt Ferguson]].
**Region B versions of the Shout! Factory 35th Anniversary discs were distributed by Funimation and released on [[October 25]], and an additional collector's edition set was made exclusive to Zavvi, packaging the 4K and Blu-ray discs with an art book, poster and six art cards.<ref>[https://www.zavvi.com/blu-ray/the-transformers-the-movie-35th-anniversary-zavvi-exclusive-4k-ultra-hd-limited-collectors-edition-includes-blu-ray/13169855.html The Transformers: The Movie 35th Anniversary - Zavvi Exclusive 4K Ultra HD Limited Collectors Edition (Includes Blu-ray)]</ref> Zavvi also partnered with Ferguson to release a line of art prints and apparel featuring his cover art.
*Fathom Events once again returned the film to select theaters on [[September 26]]–[[September 27|27]], 2021, accompanied by a set of [[The Transformers: The Movie 35th Anniversary Stop Motions|stop-motion comedy videos]] inspired by the film.

==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>https://web.archive.org/web/20151215034944/http://www.joeheadquarters.com/interviews_dixon.shtml</ref> The heavy backlash resulting from Optimus's death would in turn affect Duke's fate in the G.I. Joe film, with the character being written as falling into a coma rather than dying.

*After reading [[Ron Friedman]]'s [[The Transformers: The Movie (first draft)|first draft]] of the movie's script, [[Flint Dille]] and [[Jay Bacal]] hastily wrote and proposed a script of their own, "[[The Secret of Cybertron]]", which later informed the cartoon five-parter "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]". Elements of this script also supposedly made it into the finished film, but no copy of the script has ever surfaced.

*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. Regardless, Shockwave was originally intended to appear in the immediate post-movie story "Five Faces of Darkness", serving in the role that was ultimately given to Blitzwing, before an internal [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]] memo clarified that his character had been dropped from the series.<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bid3TK_q2HxH7NR5MDAlGsKe5AlcbBnU/view Partial outline of "Five Faces of Darkness", covering Parts 3 to 5]</ref> Shockwave 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.

*The Dinobots spend the majority of the film in their dinosaur modes, 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. Additionally, despite his constant presence among the Dinobots, Sludge has no lines in the film at all.

*Unicron's roars in the movie were stock vocalizations originally created for Marvel Productions's 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].
*The shot of Unicron slamming his hand onto the surface of Cybertron would later be used for the toy commercial of his Armada self.
{{--}}

===Foreign names===
*''German:'' '''''Transformers: Der Kampf um Cybertron''''' ("Transformers: The Battle for Cybertron", TV airings only)
*''French:'' '''''La Guerre des Robots''''' ("The War of the Robots")
*''Japanese:'' '''''トランスフォーマーザ・ムービー''''' ("Transformers: The Movie")

==External links==
*[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3212281345/weekend/ ''The Transformers: The Movie''{{'}}s box office domestic gross]
*[https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-4034-transformers-movie-sunbow.html ''The Transformers: The Movie'' outlines, scripts, storyboards, concept art and model sheets]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20211021062746/http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/movie/movie.html ''The Transformers: The Movie'' Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20080426020409/http://www.tftm.net/ ''The Transformers: The Movie'' "Unofficial Fansite", an extremely thorough site about the movie] (archived)
*[http://zobovor.tripod.com/transformers_the_movie_bloopers.html ''The Transformers: The Movie'' bloopers]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers: The Movie}}

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

Transformers (2023) issue 27

2025-12-12T01:01:31Z

DevinM626:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #27
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 26
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 28
|image=Transformers 2023 27 Cover B.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[December 10]], [[2025]]
|coverdate=December 2025
|written by=[[Robert Kirkman]]
|art by=[[Dan Mora]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|publication design=[[Andres Juarez]]
|production=[[Ashby Florence]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''With Teletraan back up and running, the long-dormant Autobots are reawakening and have to adjust to this new world... and their new teammates!'''

==Synopsis==
With [[Teletraan I]] repaired, the [[Autobot]]s have begun repairing more of their fallen warriors. However, some such as [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] are still far beyond repair. Outside the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] talk about taking some time to repair themselves with a dinner away from the whirlwind of action their lives have been lately with the [[Transformer]]s. However, their conversation is interrupted by [[General Flagg]], who attempts to apologize to Carly for capturing and interrogating her, but is halted by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. Magnus tells Flagg that it is only out of appreciation for his recent aid that Magnus hasn't told [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] about his capture and torture at Flagg's hands. However, Flagg defends his actions as the necessary precautions to defend his people against a hostile alien threat, ending with a veiled threat that Optimus Prime would understand. Magnus is left speechless.

At the [[Hoover Dam]], the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s cause terror, blasting at fleeing humans while [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] siphons their electricity into [[Energon]] cubes. Suddenly, [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] teleports in and joins them in their carnage.

[[File:TF2023 no. 27 - Thundercracker Joins Autobots.jpg|thumb|left|Everything's turned upside-down now.|200px]]
Optimus Prime sits with [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], who contemplates the cruelty with which his fellow [[Decepticon]]s have conducted themselves. Prime is heartened to know that Thundercracker shares his distaste for how their violence affects the innocents of [[Earth]], and admits that even the Autobots sometimes see the planet as beneath them. Thundercracker agrees, saying he would choose Skywarp over the humans, a mindset Prime does not begrudge.

At the [[Shadow Watch]] Underground Base, General Flagg meets with [[Miles Mayhem]], asking if Mayhem got everything he needs to complete his “little project” from the Transformers. Mayhem is indignant at this assessment, blustering that his technology is far more advanced than anything else on the planet, all thanks to ''his'' brilliance. When Flagg reminds him that [[Matt Trakker]] helped him with the project, Mayhem attacks him. However, Flagg easily dispenses with him, and due to the fact that Mayhem hasn't produced a single prototype, he sees no reason to keep him around as Director of Shadow Watch, ordering a group of soldiers to arrest him.

Back on the Ark, [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] pleads with Optimus to let himself get repaired, but Prime continues to put the needs of others before himself, suggesting they begin searching for the rest of the Autobots thrown from the Ark when it crashed. He also considers repairing the remaining Decepticons, but Thundercracker objects, fearing the harm that would come from his reawakened brothers and sisters. Prime agrees and finally decides to be repaired. Outside, Ultra Magnus meets with [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and confesses to her that, after everything that has happened to him, he wishes to pass the title of Magnus to her. Inside, with Thundercracker having now replaced his Decepticon insignia with an Autobrand, the fully-repaired Optimus Prime tells his Autobots that they have a new mission: ridding the planet of all Decepticons once and for all!

On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] sneaks through Decepticon territory with a handful of recovered pieces of equipment. However, while he can avoid the patrols of Decepticons on foot, he has no idea that his every movement is being watched from above… by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], still alive and atop one of the towers!

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (1)
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (2)
* [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (3)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (4)
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (5)
* [[Bulkhead (G1)|Bulkhead]] (6)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (10)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (17)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (18)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (20)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (24)
* [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (25)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (26)
* [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (27)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (28)

|c2=
* [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (11)
* [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (12)
* [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (13)
* [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (14)
* [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (15)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (16)
* [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (21)
* [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (22)
* [[Slipstream (G1)|Slipstream]] (23)
* [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] (29)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (30)

|c3=
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (7)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (8)
* [[General Flagg]] (9)
* [[Miles Mayhem]] (19)
}}

==Quotes==
"There are those among my Autobots who see my actions on this world as folly. Even they, though good of heart, see this world as '''beneath''' us. '''Unworthy''' of our notice." 
"Is it okay to admit there's a part of me that agrees with them? If I had to choose between Skywarp and a hundred of these creatures, I would choose Skywarp. But that doesn't mean I '''want''' them to die."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Thundercracker'''

"Man! You spend a few million years out cold and the standards sure do change around here! What’s next? [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] joining up?"
:—'''Bulkhead''', upon seeing Thundercracker with the Autobrand

"Run, run, little Autobot. I'll peel the steel from your frame soon enough. So swears... '''SHOCKWAVE.'''"
:—'''Shockwave''' returns.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Brawn and Blaster both had hi-and-bye cameos earlier in the series before appearing revived here (in the [[Transformers Energon Universe 2024 Special story| Free Comic Book Day 2024 story]] [[Transformers (2023) issue 5|and issue #5]], respectively).
* Jetfire has been fully repaired after being near-fatally wounded by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] in [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue #1]] and revived but mode locked in [[Transformers (2023) issue 8|issue #8]].
* Jetfire remarks that there was good in Starscream once, something we saw — along with their friendship — in the flashbacks of [[Transformers (2023) issue 13|issues #13]] and [[Transformers (2023) issue 14|#14]].
* Carly and Ultra Magnus were captured by [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]/Shadow Watch in [[Transformers (2023) issue 18|issue #18]].
* As Optimus and Thundercracker talk, we see a fully grown buck in a callback to the infamous deer scene from issue #2.
* Ratchet and [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] are the two who have been most critical towards Optimus for his prioritizing of Earth and the humans.
* General Flagg namedrops [[Matt Trakker]] as having worked with Mayhem on his "[[M.A.S.K.|little project]]". Readers were introduced to Trakker in [[G.I. Joe Energon Universe 2025 Special story|the ''G.I. Joe'' segment]] of the ''[[Energon Universe 2025 Special]]'', wherein he alluded to being on the run and involved in a dangerous secret project and showed awareness of the Transformers.
* Ultra Magnus has been dealing with post-traumatic stress ever since his capture and torture at the hands of Shockwave, as seen in [[Transformers (2023) issue 9|issue #9]].
* Wheeljack says that they've revived everyone who was accounted for in the ship, and that any other missing Autobots are expected to have been thrown from the ship when the Ark crashed. One of those Autobots is [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], who has been keeping busy in the pages of ''[[G.I. Joe (2024 comic)|G.I. Joe]]''.
* Shockwave was believed dead when Optimus Prime crushed his head with his bare hands in [[Transformers (2023) issue 12|issue #12]]. It seems he wasn't quite as dead as believed, but his body and head are still in a state of disrepair.

===Transformers references===
* This issue reveals that the "Magnus" part of Ultra Magnus's name is actually a title. While typically "Ultra Magnus" is simply the character's name, there have been instances where this is not the case. ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'' used "[[Magnus (rank)|Magnus]]" as the highest rank within the Autobots above [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] in a subversion of the usual pattern. The [[2005 IDW continuity]] featured "[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]]" as a pseudonym used by a variety of Autobot lawmen after the originator of the name (for whom it was simply his given name) was killed.
* Among the deactivated Decepticons in the Ark are classic Decepticons Blitzwing, Dirge (officially completing the appearances of the [[Conehead]]s in the Energon Universe), and female [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] Slipstream, a character who – like Bulkhead – began life in ''Transformers: Animated'' before making the jump to other iterations.
* While watching Thundercracker display his new Autobot symbols, Bulkhead jokingly wonders if Megatron is next to join them, an obvious reference to [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|the time Megatron ''did'' join the Autobots]].
* Optimus acknowledging that his flaw is projecting kindness onto those who have none, harkens back to his original character bio written by [[Bob Budiansky]] which lists Optimus being too compassionate as a major weakness of his.

===Real life references===
* The Hoover Dam is a real location that has appeared in Transformers fiction before, most notably in the [[2007]] ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' film, as well as the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Transformers]]'' issue "[[Aerialbots over America!]]"

===Errors===
* The page after Thundercracker shows off his Autobrand colors his eyes as blue instead of red. We're not sure if this is intentional or not since previous pages, including the page revealing him sporting the Autobot insignia, still had his eyes in red hues. However, we've seen Starscream's eyes change blue to red and back multiple times in this series, as well as Optimus' optics when he was under the influence of Megatron's arm.
* Not an out-and-out error per se... but this issue reveals that several inactive Decepticons, including at least Dirge, Slipstream, and Blitzwing, were left on the Ark. So, um...why didn't Starscream, Megatron, or Soundwave, who would have been in need of numbers on their side, bring them up at any point? And why didn't Starscream and Soundwave try to reactivate them during [[Transformers (2023) issue 5|Issue #5]]?

===Other notes===
* Miles says that his full name is "Miles McKane Mayhem."
* This issue's letters page includes a tribute to the late [[Ron Friedman]].
* Energon Experience: Presented by Skybound Executive Editor Ben Abernathy.
** '''Character Spotlight:''' Brawn
** '''Oh, Deer:''' Callback to the deer scene from issue #2.
** '''Creator Spotlight:''' Ben asks Robert Kirkman what his alt-mode would be. Kirkman would love to turn into a jet or spacecraft and fly around, but would probably actually turn into a keyboard or couch. Or his bed.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Soundwave, by [[David Nakayama]]
* '''Cover B:''' Optimus and Thundercracker sit together as the sun sets, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C:''' Connecting cover, by [[Jorge Corona]] and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover D:''' Thundercracker wears his new Autobot insignias, by [[Lorenzo De Felici]].
* '''Cover E:''' Design for Soundwave, by Dan Mora and [[Andres Juarez]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 27 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 27 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 27 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 27 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 27 Cover E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 27 Big Time Collectibles Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 27 The 616 Comics Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 27 The 616 Comics Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 27 The Iron Lion Cover.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisement===
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''[[G.I. Joe (2024 comic)|G.I. Joe]]'' [[G.I. Joe (2024) issue 16|#16]] and [[G.I. Joe (2024) issue 17|#17]] and ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 25|#25]].
* 3-page preview of the Quintesson War coming to ''Void Rivals'' #25!

===Reprints===

==External links==

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 24

2025-09-15T01:58:11Z

DevinM626: Tweaked this to be a little more ambiguous since we don't know for sure what happened to Brawl yet

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #24
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 23
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 25
|image=Transformers 2023 24 Cover A.jpg
|caption=''Fearless and undefined, this is what it sounds like'' 
''Truth after all this time, our voices all combined''
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[September 10]], [[2025]]
|coverdate=September 2025
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jorge Corona]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|publication design=[[Andres Juarez]]
|production=[[Ashby Florence]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''One shall stand. One shall fall.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:TF2023 no. 24 - Optimus Defeats Megatron.jpg|thumb|150px|left|''When darkness meets the light'' '''''This is what it sounds like!''''']]
[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] clash in a furious exchange of unrelenting blows. Optimus affirms that even though he cares for the innocent, that won't stop him from giving Megatron the beating he deserves. However, Megatron quickly turns that around on him and begins targeting the civilians in the area, taunting Prime that he's never been able to make the hard choices that were necessary to save [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. He whales on Prime all the while, rendering him nearly unconscious. [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] congratulates the [[Decepticon]] leader on his victory, but Megatron is not yet finished. Megatron transforms into gun mode and orders Starscream to drop Optimus onto a set of antennae atop a skyscraper, impaling Prime and keeping him stationary as Megatron prepares his final lesson. Starscream then collects [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], [[Carly (G1)|Carly]], and [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] and brings them before Optimus. Megatron presents his mortal enemy with an ultimatum: choose which he will execute, his human friends or the pure-hearted [[Autobot]]. Optimus refuses to play this sick game, but Megatron says that if he doesn't choose, he will simply kill them both! Beachcomber begs Optimus to choose him, but still Prime rejects the idea. Under the influence of Megatron, Starscream aims at Spike and Carly, ready to pull Megatron's trigger...

But he hesitates, as [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] glides silently overhead. Optimus and Starscream both look up in awe at the ancient Transformer, who looks down and waves at Starscream — [[Transformers (2023) issue 13|just as he did millennia ago]]. Starscream, speechless, waves back. As Omega flies off, Megatron orders Starscream to obey his will. However, seeing Omega has reminded the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] of his true name: Ulchtar.

A beam of energy fires into the sky from Megatron's [[fusion cannon]], blasting off Ulchtar's face as the Decepticon leader returns to robot mode. As Ulchtar's body falls to the ground below, Megatron turns his fusion cannon on Carly and Spike, who are saved by the timely intervention of [[Shredhead]], who tells Carly — noticeably surprised to see her van is now a [[Transformer]] — that [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] says hello, before slicing through the antenna that pins Optimus in place. Megatron begs Optimus to stop, but the Autobot leader has lost any patience with his enemy, pulling the remaining antenna from his torso and using it to knock Megatron off the skyscraper. His body is caught by [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], and he orders the Decepticons to retreat.

Still reeling from the battle, Optimus holds Spike in his hands, relieved to see that the boy is okay. As Optimus, Spike, Carly, and Beachcomber collect themselves in the aftermath, Carly notices that the light in the [[Matrix of Leadership]] has returned, with Prime realizing that he has been cured of Megatron's infection. Carly remarks on how small the light is... but as Optimus looks over the dark and destroyed remnants of [[Chicago]], he tells her that it is small, but still mighty.

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (8)
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (9)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (10)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (11)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (12)
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (16)
* [[Shredhead]] (18)

|c2=
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (1)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (3)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (4)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (5)
* [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] (6)
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (7)

|c3=
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (13)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (14)
* ''[[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparky Witwicky]]'' (19)
* ''Nurse'' (20)

|h4=Others|c4=
* [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] (17)
}}

==Quotes==
"You think I am weak. But just because I care for the innocent... doesn't mean I can't beat you into submission!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' to Megatron

"If I beat you, [[Human|their]] whole planet will be worse off won't it?!! But no! You can't make the hard choices! You can't lead this way! '''YOU CAN'T SAVE CYBERTRON THIS WAY!!!!'''"
:—'''Megatron''' chastises Optimus Prime's concern for humans

"Who are you?" 
"A new friend. Sent by [[Cliffjumper (G1)|an old friend]]."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' meets '''Shredhead'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Bruticus is missing his left leg throughout this issue; it's unclear if the leg was destroyed outright or merely blown off, leaving Brawl's fate uncertain for now.
* Omega Supreme was first seen in the flashback story in [[Transformers (2023) issue 13|issue #13]], the same story that revealed Starscream's origins as Ulchtar. How are they here on [[Earth]]? We'll just have to wait and find out. But it might have something to do with the signal being sent out from the shard of Cybertron on earth, mentioned by Megatron in issue 20.
* Shredhead was sent to Earth by Cliffjumper in [[Transformers (2023) issue 22|issue #22]] to protect Carly.
* The flashback of Sparky holding little baby Spike for the first time has been glimpsed before in the visions Optimus had after Sparky entered the Matrix.
* The final line of the issue calls back to what Prime said to Sparky in [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|issue #4]].

===Transformers references===
* Optimus drops a [[Furmanism]] after he is impaled by Megatron ("I cannot, I will not!").
* Optimus pulls a Sears Tower spire out of his left side, evoking a similar action from his climatic battle with Megatron in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
* Following up on the previous issue ending with a ''The Transformers: The Movie'' quote, Optimus delivers a “I thought you were made of sterner stuff” to a pleading Megatron.

===Errors===
* On page 8, where Optimus is impaled, the three small rectangles on his thigh are colored yellow instead of white.
* On page 14, where Starscream stars his name, the triangle shape on his shoulder thing is painted like the background as opposed to red.
* The three rectangle on Prime's right thigh are colored yellow.
* Ultra Magnus’s antennas are once again colored blue in this issue.

===Other notes===
* Prime’s trailer appears out of thin air when he transforms.
* Energon Experience: Presented by Skybound Brand VP [[Arune Singh]].
** '''Character Spotlight:''' Beachcomber.
** '''You've Got [[The Touch]]:''' Spotlight on the F cover homaging ''The Transformers: The Movie'' (see below).
** '''Creator Q&A:''' Arune asks [[Sean Mackiewicz]] what his favorite memory from Daniel Warren Johnson's run was. Sean shares that he visited Johnson's home before [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2023 and was blown away seeing the physical copies of the pages Johnson drew for the first issue of the series.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus stands over a defeated Megatron, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Megatron stands over a beaten Optimus Prime, by Jorge Corona and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C:''' Connecting cover by [[David Nakayama]].
* '''Cover D:''' Optimus Prime versus Megatron, by [[Jeff Spokes]].
* '''Cover E:''' Optimus in truck mode drives over a chalk drawing of Megatron, by [[Simon Parr]].
* '''Cover F:''' Wraparound cover of Optimus transforming and leaping into the air to fire his [[ion blaster]] at Megatron in an homage to his famous intro in ''The Transformers: The Movie'', by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 24 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 24 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 24 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 24 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 24 Cover E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 24 Cover F.jpg|
</gallery>

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 4: Conquer and Control''''' ([[November 25]], [[2025]]) ISBN 1534332588 / ISBN 978-1534332584 
** Collects ''Transformers'' issues #19–24 and the [[Transformers Energon Universe 2025 Special story|''Transformers'' story]] from ''[[Energon Universe 2025 Special]]''.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V4.jpg|'''''Volume 4: Conquer and Control''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Starscream's Brigade

2025-08-23T16:42:54Z

DevinM626: Think the original was a misreading of the script, which only describes Starscream getting recharged. Brawl is the one who complains he can't wait for an energy absorber but I don't think the script is implying he was the odd man out https://docs.goo

{{episode
|image=Starscreamsbrigade2.jpg
|caption=Surely, this will be his moment to shine...or not.
|series=G1toon
|ep=62
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=53
|prev2=Auto-Bop
|next2=The Revenge of Bruticus
|series3=''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (cartoon)|Transformers: Generation 2]]''
|ep3=19
|prev3=Triple Takeover
|next3=The Revenge of Bruticus
|title="Starscream's Brigade"
|season=2
|season ep=46
|written by=[[Michael Charles Hill]]
|production code=700-61
|airdate=[[January 7]], 1986
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]], [[Nakamura Production]], [[Sei Young Animation Co. Ltd.]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdeazdZCDfg
|videosite=YouTube
}}
'''After his latest attempt to overthrow Megatron's rule of the Decepticons, Starscream is banished from HQ, but this time, he hatches a plan...'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Starscreamsbrigade1.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|YOU'RE FIRED!]]
In [[1943]], at the height of [[World War II]], [[human]]s waged war on one another on the island of [[Guadalcanal]] in the south Pacific. Their wrecked and useless vehicles lay there untouched through the decades, until the present time—[[1985]].

Within [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Earth)|Decepticon Headquarters]], [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] are having a spat over the fact Megatron favors [[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Shockwave]]. Predictably, it ends with Starscream shooting Megatron in the back and proclaiming himself the new leader. Megatron recovers after a few seconds, knocking Starscream to the ground. The rest of the Decepticons refuse to obey Starscream's order to kill Megatron, so he attempts to flee, only to be shot down by Megatron. At the Decepticon leader's order, [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] carries Starscream away and dumps him on Guadalcanal.

Humiliated and infuriated, Starscream stumbles upon the remnants of some old World War II vehicles, which inspire him to create an army of his own. He forces his way past [[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]] and [[Skywarp (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Skywarp]], who are guarding the [[space bridge]], and travels to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. There he breaks into a [[Decepticon Detention Center]] and liberates the [[personality component]]s of five [[Renegade Decepticon]]s. Returning to Guadalcanal, he installs them into the wrecked vehicles, which transform into the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]. The quarrelsome warriors are not happy with their new bodies and threaten simply to beat Starscream to a pulp, until he reveals that their new bodies do not contain [[energy absorber]]s, without which they cannot refuel: "No energy, no life." In exchange for the needed equipment, the Combaticons agree to obey Starscream's orders for the moment.

[[File:StarscreamsBrigade Vortex capture.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|It was a whirlwind romance.]]
[[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cliffjumper]] are making a public appearance at the unveiling of the [[Optimus Prime memorial]] when Starscream and the Combaticons attack. The two [[Autobot]]s are badly outnumbered. The statue is soon in ruins, and pair are abducted in [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]]'s cargo bay. The Decepticons return to Guadalcanal, where Starscream celebrates triumphantly and the Combaticons squabble over who was responsible for the victory. He tells them to settle down and informs them that until they obtain five energy absorbers, no one is getting one.

At the Decepticon base, Shockwave informs Megatron that the Combaticons' personality components are missing. Assuming the Autobots are responsible, Megatron launches an attack on the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. The Autobots, meanwhile, have learned of the attack on the memorial and the abduction of Jazz and Cliffjumper, and they have assumed Megatron is responsible. When the Decepticon forces attack, the Autobots are confused by Megatron's demand for the personality components, and Optimus Prime's demand to turn over Jazz and Cliffjumper causes Megatron to suspect Starscream. Before he can complete his thought, a hit from Optimus knocks him to the ground and, realising that he and his men are low on energy, he orders a retreat. The Autobots consult [[Teletraan I]] again for the scoop on the personality components.

Starscream and the Combaticons attack the Decepticons while they're attempting to refuel at a train station. With the refueling incomplete, Megatron and his forces are compelled to retreat, allowing Starscream to capture Dirge and Ramjet as well. The energy absorber count is now four, and Starscream and his men retire to the [[Amalgamated Water and Power Plant]] to recharge.

[[File:Starscreams brigade 7 SSrideshoulder.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"Aren't I supposed to have an evil ''and'' a good angel?"]]
Megatron, meanwhile, rallies his troops (except the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], who are "busy"), and moves against Starscream and his army. In the ensuing battle, Megatron pulls out his trump card: [[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Devastator]]. Unfortunately for him, Starscream pulls out ''his'' trump card when he reveals that the Combaticons can likewise combine into a single titan: [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]! Bruticus makes short work of Devastator, laying out the combined [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]. The massive combiner then scoops up Megatron in one hand and forces him to acknowledge Starscream as the new Decepticon leader.

The Autobots use the battle's distraction to rescue Jazz and Cliffjumper; meanwhile, the late-arriving Stunticons look over the situation and decide that Starscream is too likely to continue his rampage. Merging into Menasor, they defeat the unsuspecting Bruticus with one massive punch.

From the resultant crater, Megatron emerges; grabbing Starscream by the throat, he decrees that Starscream and his army are banished from Earth. The usurpers are hauled away by [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and left stranded on a distant asteroid in deep space... from which Starscream swears vengeance.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] (18)
*[[Cliffjumper (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cliffjumper]] (19)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (21)
*[[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] (22)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] (23)
*[[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] (24)
*[[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (25)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (28)
*[[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] (39)
*[[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]] (40)
*[[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] (41)
*[[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] (44)
*[[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]] (45)
|c2=
{{collist|3|
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (2)
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (3)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (4)
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (5)
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (6)
*[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] (7)
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] (8)
*[[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] (9)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]] (10)
*[[Skywarp (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Skywarp]] (11)
*[[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (12)
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (13)
*[[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (14)
*[[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (15)
*[[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (16)
*[[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Shockwave]] (20)
*"[[Blast (G1)|Black Thrust]]" (26)
*[[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (27)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (29)
*[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (30)
*[[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (31)
*[[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (32)
*[[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (33)
*[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (34)
*[[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (35)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] (36)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (37)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (38)
*[[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Devastator]] (42)
*[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] (43)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (46)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (47)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (48)
}}
|c3=
*World War II soldiers (1)
*[[Marty Minkler]] (17)
}}

==Quotes==
"NOBODY TURNS HIS BACK ON ME!"
:—'''Starscream''', as Megatron turns his back on him.

"You are a fool, Starscream, if you think that anyone would ever follow your orders." 
"Just wait, Megatron. One of these days, I will have my revenge." 
"You and what army?"
:—'''Megatron''' inadvertently giving '''Starscream''' his scheme of the week.

"Who are you? And what are we doing in these crude carcasses?" 
"Yes, I wouldn't want to be seen by anyone I know in ''this'' getup."
:—'''Onslaught''' and '''Blast Off''', fashion critics.

"Hey Swindle! Listen to this! ...My sonic blaster blows 'em away!" 
"That's hip, Brawl. But check this out! Instant air conditioning!" 
"''Really.'' My ionic blaster is more sophisticated than any of ''your'' crude weapons." 
"Hang on to your hats! It's gonna get a little windy! Heheheheh!" 
"Thanks, Vortex. I could use a little ''target practice''!"
:—the '''Combaticons''' do a little bit of [[introdump]]ing toy salesmanship.

"I see incompetence breeds even more incompetence. HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
:—'''Megatron''' to Starscream, after the latter fails in his attempt to destroy the Decepticon leader.

"Now, Megatron: who is the new Decepticon leader?" 
"Enough! Uhm...you are." 
"I can't hear you!" 
"You are!" 
"I am now the leader of all Decepticons!"
:—'''Starscream''' has '''Megatron''' in the grip of Bruticus, literally.

'''Motormaster''': Megatron's in trouble. 
'''Dead End''': Who cares? 
'''Wildrider''': It looks like Starscream's defeated him. 
'''Dead End''': So? 
'''Motormaster''': So, you think Starscream's going to stop here? 
'''Dead End''': Good point. He never knows when to quit. 
'''Motormaster''': Stunticons, unite to form Menasor!
:—The Stunticons survey Starscream's victory.

"Bruticus?" 
"No, Starscream, ''not'' Bruticus. It's Megatron—your ''leader''!" 
"Megatron, don't, please!" 
"This time, it really is 'goodbye', Starscream! Astrotrain, get him and his giant ally off this planet! They are banished from Earth...forever!" 
"You'll regret that you did not destroy me, Megatron! I shall have my revenge!"
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Megatron''' after the Decepticon leader survives Starscream's latest mutiny.

==Notes==
===Production information===
* First draft script: 16th September 1985
* Dialogue recording: 2nd October 1985

===Continuity notes===
[[File:StarscreamsBrigade Optimus Memorial.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|We shall remember you, Optimus. In case you happen to die.]]
[[File:Starscreamsbrigade megatron grabbed.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|This morning Megatron chipped a nail, causing his lieutenant Starscream to declare himself Decepticon leader.]]
*The Combaticons' creation is pretty crazy. Starscream puts the "personality components" - which actually just look like tiny energon cubes - into 5 old wrecked vehicles. The vehicles then "transform" into a state of full repair, then transform again into the Combaticons' new modern [[alternate mode]]s. And ''somehow'' through this rather organic process, Starscream manages to exclude energy absorbers in their bodies.
*Earth builds a [[Optimus Prime memorial|memorial]] to [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] before he's even dead... [[The Transformers: The Movie|Ominous]].
*Gadgets and powers:
**The Combaticons pontificate on their weapons and abilities, as quoted above.
**Jazz pulls his gun out of his aft. Seriously - he reaches behind his lower back, we hear a panel-sliding noise, and he brings his gun into view.
*Powerglide reports the location of the Decepticons' firefight as "on the north side" without mentioning any particular city. Another "appearance" of [[Central City (Earth)|Central City]]?
*As they transform into Bruticus's limbs, the Combaticons make groaning noises in Bruticus's voice, like they're having a really painful bowel movement. This was ''so amazingly cool'' that it would be [[The Route of All Evil|replicated in print form]] by Dreamwave two decades later.
*"Personality components" are shown to be small, glowing pink cubes.
*''Timelines'' would revisit the history of the Combaticons, as alluded to in this episode, in its [[Transformers: Wings Universe|''Wings'' universe]].
*'''[[Triple Takeover|< <]]''' What makes Starscream the leader? Megatron said so! Well, hard to argue with that, huh? '''[[The Revenge of Bruticus|> >]]'''

===Real-world references===
*The episode opens with a sepia-toned flashback to the battle of Guadalcanal, 1943, with a variety of vehicles shown fighting, including a battle ship, a pillbox, a gun emplacement, and several amphibious landing ships. Several are shown abandoned in the present day and become the Combaticons:
**An M4 Sherman tank, which becomes Brawl (drawn a bit generically.)
**A (yellow and purple!) Jeep which becomes Swindle
**A (purple!) B-17 Flying Fortress, the 4-engine bomber which becomes Blast Off.
**An F4U Corsair - the single-engine fighter which becomes Vortex. (The pilot who ejects when the plane is shot down has his goggles pushed up onto his helmet.)
**A half-track transport which becomes Onslaught.
*Speaking of which, this is the one and only time we get a confirmed date for the cartoon's events. Unsurprisingly enough, they are set in 1985, when this season of the show aired.
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
**Clashing lightsabers as Devastator opens fire

===Animation and technical errors===
[[File:StarscreamsBrigade Soundwave eyes.JPG|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Maybe Megatron isn't the one Starscream should be worried about...]]
*The art in this episode is noticeably sub-par. Characters are more often than not poorly rendered with odd proportions and really rough or incomplete linework (oftentimes both at the same time) in addition to the typical errors.
**Additionally, Starscream's head shape often switches (as in, sometimes between ''cuts'') between the one from Season 1 with the elongated chin and rounded helmet and his updated Season 2 design with the blockier features.
*In the opening shot of the Decepticons in their base, Thrust, Dirge and Ramjet are all missing their wings. Astrotrain's head is too big, and he's missing the red bits of detailing on his chest.
*In the shot of Soundwave, Thrust and Astrotrain watching Megs and Screamer squabble, Soundwave's visor is incorrectly drawn as two separate (and rather creepy) optics, and his tape door has the wrong shape. Thrust's cockpit is drawn incorrectly and sort of bleeds into his chest, and he's drawn with a super-huge chin strap that shouldn't be there at all. And Astrotrain's still missing his red details, as well as the Decepticon insignia on his wings - which suddenly appear when he and the others react to Megatron getting shot (The other errors from the earlier shot are retained however).
*Starscream's missing one of his wing insignia as he walks over to the downed Megatron.
*Coloring errors:
**When Megatron kicks him away, Starscream's cockpit is all yellow instead of yellow with gray stripes.
**As he looms over Starscream, Megatron's abdominal section is uncolored (a few shots later, he has the red and blue buttons back).
**When Megatron jams his fusion cannon in Starscream's face, Starscream's mouth is the same medium gray as the rest of his face.
**As Starscream brushes off the tank's hatch, his red coloration bleeds into his helmet and face.
**Starscream has blue eyes as he orders Skywarp and Thundercracker to stand aside.
**While Starscream tells the Combaticons he wants them to defeat Megatron, he's got blue eyes again, his cockpit cowling is colored yellow, and his wings are missing for a moment - then they're drawn smaller than usual. They change in size and shape throughout the episode.
**As Vortex creates wind in helicopter mode, Cliffjumper is colored like Bumblebee.
**As he listens to Teletraan's report, Gears's back is colored the same light blue as his windshield.
**When Megatron says "This is your last chance, Optimus!", a black Thrust is standing to his left. (This animation error would become [[Blast (G1)|a recurring background character]] in later Japanese media.) The camera cuts to Prime and then back to Megatron, who now has a properly decoed Thrust standing to his right. In the latter shot, the barrel of Megatron's fusion cannon is too short.
**In the first shot of the Combaticons recharging, Vortex's forehead is colored red, instead of his visor.
**As Starscream says it will not be long before Megatron launches an assault, his hands and lower arms are red instead of blue.
**When Powerglide flies over the Decepticons, his plane mode is not only [[Bad Boy|white]], but a different model. It's back to normal when the scene cuts back to the Autobots.
**When the Autobots arrive at the battle and transform, Optimus' waist is uncolored for a moment.
**As Menasor flies towards him, Starscream's face is dark gray instead of light gray, and his eyes are blue - and triangular instead of rectangular.
**Blue eyes on Starscream again as Megatron throttles him.
**As he lies face-down on the asteroid, Onslaught seems to have some of Prowl's color scheme.
*As Starscream orders "his" troops to attack Megatron, Soundwave, Thrust and Astrotrain are again shown watching, in the same positions but totally re-drawn, seemingly by the A-list illustrators this time. The only thing they got wrong is Thrust's cockpit, which is way too wide.
*When Megatron shoots Starscream at the beginning of the episode, a plume of fire appears at the aft end of his cannon, a phenomena not usually seen ([[Power Play!|in the cartoon, at least.]])
*Starscream's wing stripes and insignia appear out of nothing when Laserbeak picks him up.
[[File:StarscreamsBrigade Guadalcanal.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|No wing insignia, and he's missing the red striping on his wings as well.]]
*Throughout the episode, the animators can't seem to decide which way up to have Starscream's Decepticon [[insignia]] (or that he has them at all).
*As Starscream stands and marvels at the tank he just dug up, the cels of both the Seeker and the tank jitter when the camera zooms out.
*Thundercracker's cockpit lines disappear as he turns to see Starscream's arrival.
*As the Space Bridge activates, the control panel that Skywarp just used is no longer there.
[[File:Decepticon Detention Center.jpg|thumb|right| No, ''you'' run like a girl! |upright=1.1]]
*The Decepticon detention center sure looks like something you'd find on Earth, eh? The doors are labeled with Arabic numerals and personality components are kept in file cabinets!
*When he's in the Decepticon Detention Center, Starscream's audio is out of synch with the animation; he's still counting off room numbers well after he's already passed them and is standing in front of his destination.
*Starscream's vents are quite a bit higher than the door frame, but he miraculously manages to run into the room without them getting in the way.
*A couple of layering errors as Starscream inserts the personality cubes into the wrecked vehicles.
*Even disregarding the size of their original Earth vehicles and their final [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]s, the Combaticons have a lot of scale issues throughout the episode. Generally, Onslaught should be the tallest, Swindle the shortest, with Brawl, Blast Off and Vortex somewhere in between.
*And like the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]]s before them, the Combaticons don't seem to have detailed transformation schemes worked out for the animators to use. The animators often show no understanding of what [[robot mode]] parts correspond to which vehicle mode parts. In his first transformation, for example, Vortex's helicopter mode morphs into an egg-shaped blob, which his robot form grows and morphs out of. And when Onslaught transforms during their first battle, the wheels on his arms disappear, and are replaced by ''other'' wheels that fold out from under him.
[[File:StarscreamsBrigade Starscream Brawl.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*Onslaught's backpack guns are missing when he and Brawl react to the energy absorber news. And hey, wasn't Brawl over by Starscream, threatening his life, just one shot ago?
*In the first shot of the covered-up "memorial", it's actually floating above the pedestal. Jazz and Cliffjumper are in the shot, but in the next shot of the memorial, they're gone.
*In the first shot of the memorial, Cliffjumper is on Jazz's right; in subsequent shots, he's on Jazz's left. Also in the second shot, Jazz has a vertical line through his face instead of a mouth.
*When Blast Off pontificates about his ionic blaster, only the center part of his faceplate moves. The whole thing should be animated.
*Jazz starts reacting to being sucked into the air before it actually happens.
*Vortex is a hundred feet or so in the air when he pulls in the two Autobots... then only a few feet off the ground in the next shot.
[[File:StarscreamsBrigade OnslaughtVortex.jpg|thumb|right|So many possible captions, so little space.|upright=1.1]]
*Onslaught has two separate eyes as he helps Vortex to his feet. During the same scene, the background music seems to be off-pitch.
*Megatron's head seems a little small when he's chatting to Shockwave over the comm. Also, he's missing his cannon.
*As he reacts to this the news, Optimus Prime's fog lights are drawn too long (they extend all the way to his back!).
*Prime's trailer has none of its detailing as he rolls out of Autobot Headquarters; it's just a plain gray box.
*In the shot after Optimus fires at Megatron, Thrust is shown at the latter's side in his full normal colour scheme. In the next shot showing him, his red is replaced with the same grey in the rest of his colour scheme. And then in the next shot featuring him after ''that'', he's shown standing at the opposite side of Megatron than in the previous shots!
*Megatron and three jets are consistently shown to be attacking Autobot HQ... but as the 'bots watch them fly off, 8 Decepticons are shown.
*As Optimus watches the Decepticons retreat, a blue blemish appears at the upper left edge of the animation cel.
*During the same shot, Optimus turns towards the camera and his chest grille is triangular instead of rectangular. Also, as he leaves the frame it suddenly loses all of its detail (the lines disappear, leaving a white blob). His arms, meanwhile, have some extra rectangles on them.
*The plot point that Megatron and company are running low on energy is pretty easy to miss. It's only alluded to by a shot that briefly shows the Decepticons standing around at a train station, with cables connecting them to the trains - but the cables are barely visible. A later line by Soundwave spells it out more clearly. (Fans have also interpreted Megatron's aborted fusion cannon blast as a symptom of low energy; see the Trivia notes below for more.)
*Gears is about as tall as Tracks when Optimus asks about the stolen personality components after the battle. The extra rectangles on Optimus's arms are also present in a shot during the scene. A few seconds later when Optimus orders the other Autobots to transform, Gears and Bumblebee now become smaller than Tracks while Powerglide grows to Tracks's height.
*When Starscream jumps over the subway car, he's missing his feet!
*Starscream's wings reach almost to his knees as he introduces Megatron to the Combaticons.
[[File:StarscreamsBrigade CombaticonsMegs.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*When Swindle says "Bye bye, Megatron!", Onslaught is shorter than him and Vortex, and his face looks rather... smooshed.
*When Starscream says, "Don't think that it hasn't been fun," when he confronts Megatron, his wings are missing.
*There is no transformation noise for Thundercracker as the Decepticons bust out of the station.
*Just before Starscream points at Dirge and Ramjet, his mouth disappears for a moment.
*Ramjet fell on his back, but is laying face-down when Starscream points to him.
[[File:Combaticons group.jpg|thumb|right|upright=2.2]]
*In the pan across the debating Combaticons, Blast Off is tallest, instead of Onslaught.
*The scene transition music warbles in the subsequent cut to Autobot Headquarters.
*When Megatron rallies the Decepticons before going after Starscream, Shockwave is consistently shown with the group, even though he's supposed to be on Cybertron. A wingless Dirge is also seen in the group, despite the fact that he's supposed to be a prisoner of the Combaticons at that point. (It could be Thrust, miscolored.) Towards the end of the scene as Megatron orders the call for the Stunticons, Soundwave jitters back to his position in the group for a couple of frames as he walks towards the computer console.
*Swindle and Starscream have little residual half-rings left on their chests when they detach the energy cables, but they're gone in the next shot.
*Thundercracker (again!) has no transformation sound effect as he lands to attack. Despite being in robot mode in the previous shot!
*Starscream doesn't get the usual Decepticon laser effect as he opens fire.
*Improbable viewpoints:
**When Powerglide reports in, Teletraan provides the Autobots with a view of him flying along. Why not show them what he's actually looking at, instead?
*Ironhide has a sudden case of [[Dull surprise]] as Optimus issues the order to "Roll out" to the power plant.
*As usual, Devastator's transformation sequence is all kinds of screwy. This time, Hook transforms not only into his own portion of Devastator, but also most of Long Haul's and much of Bonecrusher and Scavenger's as well, including their cabs. A second later, Bonecrusher and Scavenger transform into their usual Devastator components—including the parts that Hook already formed! Long Haul and Mixmaster's transformations are left out of the animation entirely.
*Devastator's voice is missing its usual reverb echo.
*When Devastator's head pops out, he has two eyes. When he starts firing, he has his more usual visor.
*In addition to their ridiculous grunting in Bruticus's voice, Blast Off and Vortex somehow ''walk'' over to Bruticus after transforming into his arms.
*Bruticus's first line is "You make Bruticus angry!" The first two words are ''really'' easy to miss, however.
*Devastator goes back to two eyes when Bruticus knocks him down, and as he stands back up.
*Ironhide and Warpath were part of the team at Autobot HQ, but they're replaced by Ratchet and Grapple at the power plant.
*As the Decepticons fight alongside the fallen Devastator, Huffer is standing and shooting with them!
*In the shot with the Decepticons looking up at Bruticus holding Megatron while the Stunticons arrive, there are two more Decepticons than have been established being led by Megatron in the battle; including what looks like Shockwave.
[[File:StarscreamsBrigade Stunticon lineup.jpg|thumb|right|upright=2.2]]
*Dead End's missing the line in the middle of his visor, and has a huge neck (to compensate for his over-long helmet.)
*Once again, just like Devastator, Menasor's transformation is rather odd - Wildrider and Breakdown are shown attaching to the outside of Motormaster's legs, but in the next shot, they ''are'' his legs as they should be.


===Continuity errors===
*This episode was aired ''after'' "[[Aerial Assault]]", which also featured the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]].
*Thanks to the show's general reluctance to depict real-life firearms, the World War II soldiers are all fighting with laser guns.
*Starscream cannot seriously be so stupid as to think one shot is going to take out Megatron...[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 3|can he?]]
*How exactly did Megatron not inform either Skywarp or Thundercracker about Starscream's exile from the Decepticons? Skywarp doesn't seem to notice or care that this turn of events happened when Starscream threatens him at the space bridge.
*Starscream maintains control of the Combaticons by not installing [[energy absorber]]s into them, thereby preventing them from re-energising, and a repeated point is made that they must capture five Transformers in order to take their energy absorbers for the Combaticons. Yet the Combaticons are somehow able to recharge after capturing only four Transformers.
*Teletraan One has an odd habit of not telling the Autobots stuff it knows about! This time out, it doesn't inform them about the renegade Decepticon thefts until explicitly asked, even though five new Decepticons just showed up on Earth.
*After the Autobots figure out what's happening with Starscream and Megatron, Optimus dramatically orders his troops to "Transform and [[roll out]]!" But it seems they forgot to figure out where they were going; they're never shown arriving anywhere! The next time we see the Autobots, Optimus and Powerglide are once again standing in front of [[Teletraan I]], and Optimus orders Powerglide to search for Starscream. Who says Prime doesn't learn from his mistakes?
*As Megatron leads the attack on Starscream and the Combaticons; Thundercracker is shown firing at him in robot mode with the rest of the Decepticons. However, as he then lands with Megatron and Soundwave, he is shown transforming from Vehicle Mode into Robot Mode.
*Quite a few Decepticons are missing in the final battle, including Blitzwing, Skywarp, Thrust, Reflector, Ravage, Laserbeak, Buzzsaw and Frenzy.
*Considering how dangerous a battle involving a large number of Decepticons, including five new Decepticons the Autobots don't fully know the capabilities of; Prime's decision to just bring along Bumblebee, Prowl, Ratchet and Grapple out of the by now very large Autobot roster seems... odd, especially when no Autobots were shown to be damaged in the previous battle.
*So Astrotrain, in his space shuttle mode, can transport Starscream and the Combaticons to an asteroid in deep space, but Blast Off, a space shuttle himself, can't fly them back to Earth?

===Trivia===
[[File:StarscreamsBrigade Jazz Cliffjumper chained.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|right|Hey look! It's Jazz and Cliffjumper! Have we mentioned that lately?]]
*Notes from the original script [https://drive.google.com/open?id=16AFu-sJetMcZeKUIsbc_I-bacSYVC57p] :
**According to the cover, this episode was titled "30 Seconds over Megatron" before broadcast - a reference to the 1944 war movie ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_Seconds_Over_Tokyo 30 Seconds over Tokyo]''. The final title is a reference to the film ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil%27s_Brigade_(film) The Devil's Brigade]. <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20250303210745/https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/an-interview-with-transformers-g1-cartoon-writer-michael-charles-hill-by-todd-matthy/48522/ An Interview with Transformers G1 cartoon writer Michael Charles Hill by Todd Matthy]</ref>
**The script dictates specific, historically-accurate World War II vehicles for each one (as listed above), and then it describes them as their modern, toy-based forms, but no explanation is given for the transition. The WWII element of the Combaticons' origin is a strange choice since none of their toys are actually WWII-era vehicles. However, they can be shown going through a reconfiguration upon taking new bodies, causing the vehicles to "upgrade" into more advanced ones. Exactly how the Combaticons update their vehicular forms is not explained.
**The original script also calls for them to still be rusty and battered upon activation (hence their displeasure with their new bodies); some off-screen repairs then get them into fighting shape.
**Megatron's fusion cannon troubles are expanded upon in the original script (the reason for its original malfunction, during the attack on Autobot Headquarters, is not made clear - though the blast from Optimus that hits him might be a reasonable guess.) Later he's shown repairing it while the Decepticons re-energize in the train station, but it continues to give him trouble, giving him another reason to withdraw.
**Megatron says "Where is that fool Starscream?", as if to imply that they came to the train station to look for him. A cut script line from Soundwave makes it clear that Megatron has totally forgotten that he ousted his lieutenant and is just idly wondering where he is. It would appear Starscream's "I'm right here, Megatron" after Megatron asks the question was meant to (rather unsuccessfully) cover up this gap in the episode proper.
**The Aerialbots were slated to go scouting alongside Powerglide.
**A brief flashback, narrated by Megatron, was supposed to show the imprisoned Combaticons having their personality components removed back on Cybertron.
**Prime waits for a more opportune moment before sending his troops to rescue the prisoners.
**The script accounts for the energy absorber discrepancy, and makes it central to the outcome of the story. In the script, the Combaticons ''don't'' get to recharge since they only have four energy absorbers, with Brawl explicitly bemoaning how starved he is before the Combaticon/Decepticon battle. As a result, instead of being defeated by Menasor, Bruticus runs out of power at the end of the battle. The Stunticons are not included in the script; it seems likely they were shoehorned in at the last minute by the same sort of corporate dictate that wedged the Protectobots into the last few episodes of the season, pretty severely fouling up the story the episode was trying to tell.
*Starscream blows up the Decepticon detention center after raiding it. Did he just kill a bajillion disembodied Decepticons? ''Cold''.
*Number of times that somebody says "Jazz and Cliffjumper": 7
*In a record for the series, Megatron calls for a retreat three times... all within 8 minutes.
*Devastator got his tail kicked. Can you tell he's no longer a new toy, folks?
*The plot of this episode is reused in a simplified form in "[[The Special Teams]]".

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title (Canadian and European French broadcasts):'' "'''La mutinerie'''" ("The Mutiny")
:*''Title (European French DVD release):'' "'''La brigade de Starscream'''" ("Starscream's Brigade")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*All the logo transitions were cut. It is unknown if it was that way for the original broadcast or if the episode was chopped for the DVD release.
::*The intro conversation is not about Shockwave in the dub. Megatron explains that to be a worthy Decepticon, one has to be respectful towards their leader. Starscream answers that the leader should then be able to defeat the Autobots in order to be respected.
::*When we see Astrotrain, Thrust and Soundwave shocked by Starscream shooting Megatron, one of the voice actors adds an over-dramatic shocked reaction, but very late (next shot actually), probably as a joke.
::*When seeing the old tank, Starscream says "It kinda reminds me of the clumsy look of the big Blitzy!". Blitzwing was called by his full name previous episode, so maybe Starscream just uses a cute nickname for him.
::*Starscream's line "I know you're in here somewhere." got its "you" translated by "tu", making it sound like he's looking for one person or one object instead of five.
::*Teletraan-1 says that Soundwave was the one that removed the personality components from the Decepticons, instead of Shockwave.
::*When looking at Dirge and Ramjet, Starscream's line "Two more transformers to add to our collection" is mistakenly translated by "Two more Autobots to add to our collection".
::*Megatron's speech to his troops is sympathetically translated by "He is not capable of defeating us. He behaves as if he was only a few hundred years old!".
::*[[Francis Lax]] makes an auto-reference by making Drag Strip say "Tell Megatron he can take his little shovel and his bucket and go play around!". Lax often used that expression in his dubbing roles, notably as Hutch in ''Starsky & Hutch'' or as Han Solo in the original ''Star Wars'' film, when the latter says to Luke "Stay calm kid, take your shovel and your bucket and go play around!" during the Millenium Falcon pursuit.
::*Motormaster tells the Stunticons to form "Megachor" for some reason.
::*Name-dodging:
:::*Difficult challenge, but they managed to not pronounce Starscream's name a single time in the episode. He is called "that moron" by Powerglide, "Megatron's second" by Optimus Prime, "the one who thinks he can take my place" by Megatron, "the insane" by Motormaster, or simply "he" several times.
:::*As usual, Soundwave never pronounces Laserbeak's name. When ejecting him, he says "To work, and quickly!".
:::*Instead of saying the names of Jazz and Cliffjumper, Marty says "You already recognized them!". Cliffjumper then says "We are here incognito!", and Marty answers "Huh... Yes, okay".
:::*Teletraan-1 says that "two Autobots" were captured. Later, Optimus Prime asks Megatron to release "the two Autobots".
:::*Powerglide does not call Optimus Prime, it's the latter who just says "Show me what's happening there".
:::*Optimus Prime's lines "Jazz and Cliffjumper appear to be safe. Grapple, Ratchet, now go get Jazz and Cliffjumper!" are replaced by "They are in good shape. Go get them, and hurry up!".
::*Missing lines:
:::*Starscream's line "This thing must be huge!" is absent.
:::*Starscream's counting "214... 215... 216..." is absent.
:::*When about to shoot Megatron, Starscream does not precise "and there is nothing you can do to stop me!", creating a strange silence.
:::*Megatron's "Noooooo!" is missing.
:::*Brawl's line is missing as Dirge and Ramjet join the battle.
:::*Soundwave's line "Re-energization of troops incomplete. Must withdraw." is absent.
:::*Drag Strip does not precise that they are having a demolition derby, despite his mouth moving on screen.

'''German'''
:*''Title (Generation 2 dub):'' "'''Starscreams großer Kampf'''" ("Starscream's Big Fight")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 3]], [[1994]]

'''Italian'''
:*''Title (dub 1):'' "'''I Combacticons'''" ("The Combaticons")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*When he reaches room 217, Starscream's line: «Ah ah! 217!» is changed to: «It should be somewhere...», making it look line he wasn't really sure the personality components were there. And... yes... he used a singular verb...
::*Since Cliffjumper is known in Italy as "Grillo", meaning "cricket", the name "Cliffjump" is changed to "Saltapicchio", which is another (more dialectal) way of saying "cricket".
::*Teletraan I says that Starscream was the one that removed the personality components from the Decepticons, instead of Shockwave.
:*''Title (dub 2):'' "'''La brigata di Starscream'''" ("The Brigade of Starscream")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*The dub adds a fandom in-joke, as Marty's misnaming of Cliffjumper is changed to "[[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]]".

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Starscream Gundan'''" (スタースクリーム軍団, "Starscream's Brigade")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 18]], [[1986]]

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hóngzhīzhū de Pànbiàn '''" (红蜘蛛的叛变, "Starscream's Mutiny")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''O Motim do Starscream'''" ("Starscream's Mutiny")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Russian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Otryad Skandalista'''" (Отряд Скандалиста, "Starscream's Brigade")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[1988]] — The Action Adventure Collection ([[Tempo Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[1989]] — ''Transformers'' — Starscream's Brigade (Tempo Video) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[1993]] — The Biggest Ever Saturday Morning Heroes (Tempo Video) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[1999]] — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume 3: Programmed for Evil ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] [[1995]] — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Megatron Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers'' — Decepticon Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] [[2001]] — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[2003]] — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 2 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 2: Vol. 8 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[2004]] — ''Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 2 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 3: Series 2.2 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 14 ([[Déclic Images]]) — European French audio only. 
[[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 Italy.png|20px|Italy]] [[2009]] — ''Transformers'' — Volume 06: Stagione Due Parte Quarta ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season Two: Part Two (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]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume Two: 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'' — Season Two, Volume Two: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

==External links==
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=16AFu-sJetMcZeKUIsbc_I-bacSYVC57p First draft script, submitted on 16th September 1985]
*[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lunHa9XGhEPOezyCzCn1oXbg4YlHVJeh/view?usp=drive_link Episode model sheets]

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

Cramp

2025-06-22T13:36:46Z

DevinM626:

{{episode|
|series=Armada
|ep=48
|prev=Portent
|next=Alliance
|title="Cramp"
|furigana=しんねん
|japanese=決死
|romaji=Shinnen
|translation=Prepared for Death: Conviction
|image=Starscreamheroicdeath.jpg
|caption="Tell my tale to those who ask. Tell it truly, the ill deeds along with the good, and let me be judged accordingly..."
|production code=TF: A-48
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]]
|writer=[[Akira Okeya]]
|englishadaptation=[[Terry Klassen]]
|director=[[Osamu Kamijō]], [[Mitsuru Kawasaki]] (asst. dir.)
|animation studio=[[Actas Inc.]]
|airdate=[[September 29]], [[2003]] (English, United Kingdom) [[November 28|28 November]] 2003 (Japanese) [[December 8]], [[2003]] (English, United States)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy]]
}}
'''Starscream prepares to do whatever it takes to convince Galvatron the threat of Unicron is real.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Starsmack.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Galvatron blasts Starscream with his rarely seen armpit-laser.]]
[[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] pleads to [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] that [[Unicron]]'s threat is real (as Starscream has first-hand experience in the beast's bowels); hoping to convince his leader that perhaps an [[Autobot]] and [[Decepticon]] alliance is the safest course to ensure [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s survival. When Starscream refuses to stop pleading, Galvatron slaps his subordinate into a wall to silence him. The Decepticon leader is confident his military can overcome both the Autobots and Unicron. Starscream continues to stress the danger of Unicron, and Galvatron starts to swing his [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]].

[[File:Cramp-Starscreamdies.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|[[Code of Hero|The rest is... silence]]. Well, [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|not really]], but don't you kinda wish it was?]]
The Autobots are still optimistic, believing there's a chance a diplomatic conference could lead to a truce between the two sides, meaning they can't take aggressive action against the Decepticons, only defensive. Nevertheless, Galvatron, armed with the Star Saber and [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]], flies into battle, ready to negotiate with [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] using firepower. Prime responds by combining with [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] and [[Overload (Armada)|Overload]] and heading away from the thick of the fight.

By a [[Megatron statue|monolithic statue of Megatron]], Starscream wonders what he needs to do, and [[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]]'s words of encouragement run through his head.

Away from the armies, Galvatron and Optimus Prime send their men away, leaving the two leaders to battle one on one. Through the struggle, Galvatron admits that he still considers Unicron an Autobot hoax, and with the Star Saber, he has the upper hand against Prime. However, as soon as Galvatron breaks Prime's metal, an explosion disturbs the showdown. Starscream walks from the smoke.

The rest of the Autobots struggle to hold their ground, unable to cause any real damage to the Decepticons. Alexis has faith that things will be okay. Meanwhile, Unicron's lunar shell peels off thousands of miles away, and the behemoth attacks the assembled Mini-Con cluster.

[[File:Cramp-Swindleejects.jpg|left|thumb|I'm not crying! I just have something in my eyes.]]
Starscream quits the Decepticons and challenges Galvatron to one-on-one combat. The two clash, quickly cutting into each other. However, Starscream displays skill beyond the last time he battled Megatron. Lightning from Unicron carves into the landscape around them. The two warriors ignore it and continue their struggle, but in an instant, the Star Saber plunges into Starscream's torso, and the impaled Decepticon falls.

Lying with the blade sticking out of him, Starscream speaks earnestly to Galvatron, pointing out that Galvatron's arrogance drove the situation to be what it is. Despite his injury, Starscream stands up and reiterates his wishes for a truce between the two Cybertronian factions against Unicron. With his final desire said, Starscream joins with his [[Mini-Con]] to fire his [[Proton cannon]]s upwards at Unicron. Unicron fires back, disintegrating Starscream, much to Galvatron and Optimus's shock. Aboard the ''[[Axalon (Armada)|Axalon]]'', Alexis's [[Good Luck Necklace|luck charm]] breaks, and she runs outside to look out the window and sees Starscream's laser blast fade away.

[[File:Cramp-AlexismournsStarscream.jpg|left|thumb|I never got to tell Starscream that I loved him!]]
Realizing Starscream was right about Unicron's threat, Galvatron remembers their shared experiences and ''finally'' decides to join forces with Optimus Prime. He starts by offering the Star Saber to Optimus... But from the crater Starscream died in, a dark cloud emerges and grabs the Star Saber! The cloud forms into [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]], who escapes the two leaders through the underground portal, collapsing the tunnels so the Autobots and Decepticons can't follow him. Upon witnessing Sideways's escape, Optimus and Galvatron fear for the worst to come.

After Optimus tells them about Starscream's death over the monitor, the kids are devastated, especially Alexis, who begins crying. She then bolts from the room and slams her fist on the window that displays Unicron in grief. When [[Rad White|Rad]] appears behind her, she smacks his shoulders, asking why Starscream would do that to himself, and Rad does his best to console her.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (8)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (9)
*[[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]] (10)
*[[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]] (14)
*[[Smokescreen (Armada)|Hoist]] (15)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] (16)
*[[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]] (17)
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (18)
*[[Overload (Armada)|Overload]] (21)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (1)
*[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (2)
*[[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] (3)
*[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] (4)
*[[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] (5)
*[[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] (20)

|c3=
*[[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] (6)
*[[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] (7)
*[[Carlos Lopez|Carlos]] (11)
*[[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]] (12)
*[[Rad White|Rad]] (13)

|h4=[[Mini-Con]]s|c4=
*[[Leader-1 (Armada)|Leader-1]] (19) (Powerlinxed with Galvatron)
*[[Sureshock (Armada)|Sureshock]] (23)
*[[Grindor (Armada)|Grindor]] (24)
*[[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]] (25)
*[[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]] (26)

|h5=Other|c5=
*[[Unicron]] (22)
*[[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] (27)
}}

==Quotes==
[[File:Cramp-Galvatronregrets.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|You'll miss me when I'm gone!]]
"How long have we been adversaries, Optimus? It seems like since the beginning of time. And I suppose I do have a certain respect for you, but I digress, you might have fooled Starscream with your little Truce ploy, but I am nobody's fool. Now let's end this charade, shall we?"
:—'''Galvatron''' faces off against Optimus Prime in the 'negotiations.'

"May I suggest that you have lost your mind?!"
:—'''Galvatron''' to Starscream, who has just challenged him to a duel.

"I tried to gain favor from you. But nothing was ever good enough. No matter how many battles I fought, you always found fault. Then I saw how Optimus treated his men, and I realized he was a leader of integrity. Unlike you." 
"You were too weak to ever gain my respect." 
"None of that matters now. You must listen — do as Optimus says and join forces with the Autobots, or else every last one of us is doomed! Please sir... do it for me..."
:—'''Starscream''' pours his spark out to '''Galvatron''' after being impaled by the Star Saber

"It's time to finish this once and for all! Activate Proton Cannon! YOU'RE ALL MINE, UNICRON!!!"
:—'''Starscream's''' heroic last words before shooting at Unicron.
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Legends of the Microns''===
*Starscream asks why Megatron wants to cling to his rivalry with Optimus and says that the universe will soon be no more after witnessing Unicron's power. Galvatron says he's now aware of Unicron's existence and understands the need to destroy him but still refuses to work with Optimus. ''Armada'' rephrases the rivalry as a "petty argument" and changes Galvatron and Starscream's dialogue to Galvatron, warning Starscream not to test his patience or contemplate betraying him again.
*Cyclonus and Demolishor's lines to Starscream are changed to the former calling Starscream a coward and the latter asking what there is to worry about since Unicron is "just some planet that became our moon." Then Starscream calls them idiots for not understanding Unicron's true horror.
*In ''Armada'', Galvatron says Optimus will be sorry and that he'll also deal with Unicron. However, as he believes there can't be two supreme commanders, he's more focused on eliminating his competition before facing Unicron. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron says he never said the two factions couldn't join forces, but he'll have to deal with Prime first. He plans to kill Optimus and merge the Autobots into the Decepticon army, claiming Optimus is his sworn enemy and there's no tomorrow if he doesn't defeat Prime.
*Galvatron offers Starscream command over the Autobots after defeating Optimus. ''Armada'' has Galvatron requesting Starscream's complete loyalty.
*Before the episode title appears, Cyclonus says Starscream can wait there at HQ since their "Autobot Commander" only needs to sit on his throne.
*The kids discuss if they and the Autobots can trust Galvatron or believe anything he says, as Carlos says that Galvatron is constantly manipulating things. Alexis states that's why they need to negotiate. Then Optimus says that she's right, and Galvatron should understand the need for the Autobots and Decepticons to combine forces to combat Unicron. Rad worries about another fight breaking out, but Billy assures him that Optimus won't lose, and Optimus says he will try to avoid a clash with Galvatron.
*Afterward, an anxious Smokescreen demands the 'Cons to show themselves. Then Blurr reminds him the 'Cons are additional strength to help take down Unicron so they can't be too rough with them; Hot Shot tells Smokescreen they're counting on him, and Smokescreen answers, "I know! Use our heads, right?"
*Unlike ''Armada'', Demolishor explicitly says "Hot Shot and the others" are with Optimus. Then Galvatron entrusts Demolishor with handling them, but in ''Armada'', Galvatron tells Demolishor to "spare me [him] the details."
*Hot Shot is surprised when the Decepticons start firing. Blurr and Side Swipe's dialogue is changed to the former saying that the Autobots are now in the thick of things and the latter saying the Decepticons seemingly don't want to negotiate.
*In ''Armada'', Red Alert has a cynical outlook while talking about Wheeljack. Like Carlos, he truly believed Wheeljack changed sides before insisting that one will always be a Decepticon after becoming one. Then Carlos gripes that it's now hard distinguishing who's friend or foe, and Fred agrees. Red Alert says they should focus on their side more than the Decepticons, and Carlos agrees they should support their comrades. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Red Alert is less pessimistic, saying Wheeljack made a temporary truce to track down Thrust but will become a trustworthy Autobot ally if Optimus successfully negotiates with Galvatron. Carlos asks if that's like Scavenger, and Fred thinks it would. Then Red Alert says Hot Shot and Wheeljack's dynamic is similar to that between Optimus and Scavenger, making Carlos say that in that case, they should hope that Prime pulls off the negotiation.
*When Optimus combines with Jetfire and Overload and later breaks from them, ''Armada'' plays the ''Transformers'' theme and spams the transformation sound effect. In contrast, ''Legends of the Microns'' plays Prime's Super Mode theme, "Super Convoy," during the Powerlinx sequence. The Japanese dub later plays "[[The Transformers Legends of the Microns: Sound of Evolution Vol. 2|Theme of Megatron - Attack by Villains]]," fitting the tense situation better.
*''Armada'' has awkward silence after Jetfire's line as he forces away Tidal Wave because Jetfire says his lines without pausing. ''Legends of the Microns'' has a second-long pause between the lines, so there's no silence at the end of the shot.
*Optimus and Galvatron's dialogue differs significantly between the dubs:
**''Armada'' portrays Galvatron as very gung-ho about fighting Optimus as though it's how they'll "negotiate." He remains cynical about the reality of Unicron's threat and only cares about eliminating Optimus so he can be the universe's sole ruler. Optimus offers to talk once Galvatron cools off and later says the generic line about Galvatron's lust for power disgusting him. ''Legends of the Microns'' changes Galvatron's quip about needing to shut Optimus down to his offering to show Prime his "true incompetence." It continues his string of thoughts from earlier and the prior episode about believing two Supreme Commanders are too many and unnecessary to defeat Unicron. Thinking negotiating is needless, Galvatron wants to show he's the superior leader and orders Optimus to fight him. Optimus is silent until he calls Jetfire. After Optimus Powerlinx with Jetfire and Overload and flies off, Galvatron is confused about why Prime won't fight. Optimus asks Galvatron why he can't understand that they should make peace. When Optimus offers Galvatron command, Galvatron thinks Prime is mocking him and says Prime's presence will disrupt "the command structure" even if he steps down and demands Prime to show his power.
**After Tidal Wave and Jetfire leave, ''Armada'' has Galvatron suggest he and Optimus "cut to the chase" now that they're alone. He admits to respecting Prime somewhat but isn't falling for his "truce ploy" charade like Starscream did (as quoted above), still focusing on who will rule the universe. He later mocks Optimus for waiting for the Mini-Cons to rescue him, saying that won't happen. The Japanese version makes their exchange more philosophical: Galvatron mentions what Smokescreen told him about trust among the Autobots, remarking how it's pathetic, and calls Optimus a fool to bind himself with such vague notions. He says Starscream is no different and has had the same silly ideas after returning from the Autobots; Optimus says Starscream awakened to his true self as a Transformer after spending time on both sides. There is some silence after Galvatron demands Optimus to stop feeding him lies in ''Armada'' because the English dub shortens Optimus's line about Starscream, making Galvatron's reply come sooner than it does in ''Legends of the Microns''. Galvatron claims Starscream might be a worse traitor than Thrust. He insists that trust is nonsense, saying that one's power is something worth believing in; power is everything, and justice without it means nothing. Then Galvatron mocks Prime, asking if he's frustrated and sad since the Mini-Cons Optimus fought to save are now under his control and itching to dish out the killing blow.
*The Japanese dub uses the mid-episode [[commercial bumper]]s, while ''Armada'' uses the Autobot and Decepticon logos from the [[scene transition]]s with the transformation sound effect.
*Starscream says he won't hesitate to betray Galvatron because he must stand by his beliefs. Optimus says this isn't Starscream's fight, but the latter asserts otherwise. Galvatron says Starscream has become "a boring person" and asks if working with the Autobots is necessary; Starscream answers it is for "the future of the Transformers" and not just defeating Unicron and declares he will take command of the Decepticons after besting Galvatron. Galvatron dismisses it as wishful thinking and says Starscream will never beat him, but Starscream states he won't know until he tries.
*Carlos, Billy, and Fred's conversation in the Japanese dub shows them confused by how the negotiation looks no different than a regular Autobot and Decepticon encounter; Billy concludes it's something they'd expect when the factions meet. Then Alexis says things will be fine as she's sure something will change.
*Galvatron questions if Starscream infused his wingblade with his spark's power, to which Starscream answers that he's put every bit of his energy into it to defeat him. Then Optimus says there's no point trying to stop them since Starscream is so determined; Optimus has only one line during the scene in ''Armada'', so there's some silence afterward.
*When Unicron changes form again, Alexis says to look instead of asking what's happening, and Rad sounds more shocked. After Alexis's line about the Mini-Cons approaching Unicron, Billy has a line begging them to stop before Fred says Unicron is attacking the Mini-Cons. After stopping High Wire, Rad urges him to tell the other Mini-Cons to hide somewhere rather than stay put.
* ''Armada'' reduces Galvatron's dialogue to chalking up that Starscream's actions are due to his programming going haywire and offering to put him out of his misery. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Starscream scolds Galvatron for believing nobody could be his equal since he's so overconfident in his strength and declares that he will show him the power of a warrior willing to risk his life for his beliefs. Galvatron admits Starscream's newfound convictions deserve some respect, to which Starscream says the same for Galvatron's stubbornness. Galvatron wonders when the change started since Starscream never escaped his influence when he had ambition. Galvatron says something else is driving Starscream now, asking if the Autobots or the children are compelling him. Not understanding why Starscream would face him over something trivial, Galvatron asks if Starscream is betraying him for real this time before deciding that Starscream will never beat him as he keeps believing in things like trust and kindness.
*After the lightning strike from Unicron, the Japanese dub adds screaming to the shot after Demolishor and Wheeljack. Then Galvatron admits being surprised by Starscream's increased strength and that maybe trust isn't a fleeting concept. Starscream internally says Galvatron's name during his close-up, and Galvatron says never to drop his guard until the fight is over.
*Just before Galvatron impales Starscream, the animation is tweaked to clarify that the latter "switched off" his sword with no intention of blocking the fatal blow. The two don't exchange jibes here; they only say the other's name, and Galvatron kneels, realizing what Starscream has done and acknowledging the latter's power, while Starscream says he's still not as strong as Galvatron.
*Starscream's final moments are subtly different between the two versions:
**''Legends of the Microns'' has Starscream admire Megatron as an ultimate warrior he could never hope to beat and say he wanted Megatron to notice him. Megatron gently tells Starscream to stop speaking, later calling him a fool for persisting. Starscream says he'd never gotten the chance to talk to him like this without laying his life on the line first and calls Optimus a leader worthy of trust. After imploring both factions to team up, Starscream says a lot has happened. When unleashing his final attack, Starscream says, "SPARK OF MY SOUL...UNLEASH EVERY BIT OF YOUR POWER! NULL RAY CANNON!" The following scenes of his demise are silent except for Megatron gasping.
**In ''Armada'', Starscream says that he could never break the oath he swore to Galvatron as a Decepticon. He talks about his desperation to please Galvatron and that if Galvatron had given him the respect he wanted their fight could've been avoided, while comparing him to Optimus as an unintegral leader (a monologue played again during the montage). Galvatron is much more verbally hostile towards Starscream, acting infuriated rather than shocked when he realizes Starscream planned to die, and calling him too weak to be worthy of respect. Instead of remarking on all that has happened, Starscream reiterates his plea for the Autobots and Decepticons to unite: "Please sir, do it for me." Starscream's last words are not simply calling on his power, but defiantly saying, "You're all mine, Unicron!" When Starscream is then obliterated, his death wail can be heard, unlike the Japanese version.
*After Starscream's last moments in ''Legends of the Microns'', Optimus tells Swindle to come with him since his partner isn't here anymore. ''Armada'' has Optimus claim that Starscream was a brave soldier until the end.
*Galvatron's memories of Starscream replays his final monologue in ''Armada'', but ''Legends of the Microns'' instead has the montage feature moments of Starscream boasting, pleading, and wanting Megatron's recognition throughout the series.
*When Sideways steals the Star Saber, he declares that he now has all the keys. He says Unicron is the only one worthy of it and congratulates Galvatron and Optimus for their "good work." After Sideways escapes, Galvatron exclaims how this nightmare could worsen in ''Armada'' but remarks on Sideways fleeing underground in ''Legends of the Microns''.
*The scene of Sideways destroying the underground tunnel now has an effect added to his maniacal laughter to make it sound disembodied. After this, the scene of the kids' reactions upon learning of Starscream's death is silent, whereas their responses are heard in ''Armada''.
*In ''Armada'', Rad's closing narration is that Starscream was gone, and his demise seemed to be in vain. Then he says, like everything in life, everyone would have to wait to learn the purpose of Starscream's actions; for now, all they had were too many unanswered questions. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Alexis gives the narration, which contains a small glimmer of hope, unlike the English version. She says Starscream has died, but perhaps someday, the tears of sorrow over his death will become ones of determination, swearing that his efforts won't be wasted.

===Animation and technical errors===
*In the opening scene, Demolishor has four fingers and one thumb on each hand.
*Galvatron's hands are small stubs after swinging the Star Saber at Starscream in the opening.
*In the shots where Hoist warns Blurr not to fire upon the Decepticons except in self-defense, and after the others promise to cover Hot Shot, Blurr's entire gun is colored one solid orange shade.
*Scavenger's chest is partially off-model after the Decepticons begin firing upon the Autobots.
*Galvatron's mouth doesn't move when he says, "Let the negotiations begin!"
*Before Optimus calls for Jetfire, Galvatron's turret is partially miscolored dark gray.
*Galvatron's eyes are seemingly closed after Optimus Powerlinx with Jetfire and Overload.
*Jetfire shoots Tidal Wave in the eye...with the back of his rifle? The Japanese dub fixes this error.
*After Galvatron slashes Optimus with the Star Saber, one can hear the sound of crackling electricity from a wound, but Optimus looks unscathed until his next shot.
*Galvatron says, "What?" too soon in two scenes: first, before the explosion goes off behind him, seemingly out of surprise about gaining the upper hand when the Star Saber cuts Optimus's shoulder, and later when Sideways steals the Star Saber. ''Legends of the Microns'' fixes the timing by having Galvatron say it the first time while turning around ''after'' the explosion and later a second after Sideways takes the sword from him and Optimus.
*Starscream's mouth doesn't move when he speaks after appearing out of the smoke.
*As Starscream descends after catching his wing blade, Galvatron exclaims fearfully despite his brash overconfidence a moment ago. In ''Legends of the Microns'', he appropriately shouts "What?!" in shock instead.
*As Galvatron slaps Starscream during their duel, his right hand is drawn as a standard hand instead of its traditional claw-looking design.
*As Starscream fires on Unicron, his canopy is shown to be intact, despite being shattered by the Star Saber earlier. This may not be an error, however, given Powerlinx has been shown to heal wounds before.
*Starscream calls his Powerlinx weapon a "Proton Cannon." The Japanese version keeps the cannons' previous name, the Null-Laser Cannon, suggesting a translation error.
*Wheeljack says, "What's happening?" in Demolishor's voice. The Japanese version doesn't have this mistake.
*When Alexis goes to the window to see Starscream's Photon Cannon fail to reach Unicron, the Autobot symbol on the back of her suit changes from red to blue.
*When Galvatron raises the Star Saber before his memory montage, the inner part of his right shoulder is detached from the rest, already in its later position, before he lifts his arm.

===Continuity notes===
*In ''Legends of the Microns'', Billy refers to Galvatron as "stag beetle head," the nickname Thrust previously used in "[[Crisis (Armada)|Crisis]]."
*In ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron references what Smokescreen said to him in "[[Sacrifice]]" about trust binding the Autobots together.
*Galvatron refers to the time when Sparkplug saved Optimus in "[[Decisive Battle]]"; he might also mean when the Mini-Cons turned against him to save Optimus in "[[Vow]]."
*In the Japanese dub, Galvatron remarks about Starscream's ambition, which he previously did in "[[Rebellion (Armada)|Rebellion]]."
*''[[Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003]]'' calls this episode the last of the show's Starscream saga.
*Prepare yourself for when [[Megatron Raid|Starscream returns]] in ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' since his compelling character arc in ''Armada'' goes out the window like it never happened.
*Gadgets and powers:
**This is the first time Optimus combines with Overload while in his Jet Optimus configuration with Jetfire, with bonus stock transformation footage. However, Optimus combines with Jetfire first, only to fly a relatively short distance, making the combination with Overload pretty pointless other than [[To sell toys| to show they can.]]
**Starscream uses his wing blade against Galvatron.
*Powerlinx forms:
**Galvatron Powerlinx with the Star Saber for the last time.
**Starscream Powerlinx with Swindle to unleash his Null Laser Cannon against Unicron. The ''Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003'' deems it the last time a Transformer Powerlinx with a Mini-Con in the series.

===Continuity errors===
*At Megatron's statue, Starscream determines that he must protect the humans, but why would he defend all the kids when Alexis is the only one he knows well enough? Alexis is also who he thinks of at that moment. The Japanese dub correctly has Starscream resolving not to let ''Alexis'' die.
*How does Tidal Wave know to Powerlinx with Galvatron when Galvatron never gives the order and only says they're leaving to face Optimus? ''Legends of the Microns'' has Galvatron tell Tidal Wave to combine with him.
*Why would Red Alert believe there's no turning back once a Transformer becomes a Decepticon? Did he completely forget that Scavenger is an ex-Decepticon? There also must've been other rare cases of Decepticons becoming Autobots, and vice versa.
*Galvatron tells Tidal Wave to attack Optimus when they split up, but Tidal Wave does nothing until later. Galvatron only commands Tidal Wave to uncombine with him in the Japanese dub since Optimus just split from Jetfire and Overload, and Galvatron wishes to even things out.
*Tidal Wave is significantly smaller and weaker than previously depicted. Jetfire, shown not much smaller than Tidal Wave, shoulder-blocks and lifts off with him in a single movement.
*Alexis's pendant cracks upon Starscream's death; it somehow connected to his spark, but previous episodes never really built up that detail or alluded to it. Since the necklace has only appeared in two episodes, this feature almost seems like an afterthought for drama's sake.
**In the same scene, why does Rad ask Alexis what's happening outside when she doesn't know more than he does? He correctly asks her if something is wrong in ''Legends of the Microns''.
*Why does Rad give the closing narration when Alexis had the bond with Starscream, and his death devastates her more than anyone else? The Japanese dub rightly has Alexis deliver the narration.

===Transformers references===
*Starscream's death by crumbling into a pile of debris resembles [[Generation 1 cartoon continuity|G1]] [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream's]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
*Many parts of Galvatron and Starscream's speeches quote lyrics from ''[[The Touch]]'', like 'I'm nobody's fool' (see above) or Starscream's 'after all is said and done.'

===Real-world references===
*Fred's "The horror! The horror!" line is from ''{{w|Heart of Darkness}}'', the novel adapted into the film ''{{w|Apocalypse Now}}''.
*Galvatron gives Starscream one last chance not to fight, and when Starscream declines, Galvatron's "Is that your final answer?" line might be a reference to ''{{w|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?}}''.
*Galvatron tells Optimus the Autobots and Decepticons could never work together since they're like oil and water. It refers to the proverb about oil and water, as oil always tries to stay separate from water whenever combined; it explains how beings with specific traits can never mix, no matter what anyone does.

===Trivia===
[[File:Cramp - no ML title card.JPG|thumb|upright=1.4|Foreshadowing? Why, no!]]
*The episode's English version first aired in the United Kingdom on the {{w|Sky One}} channel when the network ran an around-the-clock promotion of American magician/"endurance artist" {{w|David Blaine}}'s controversial London stunt, complete with an obnoxious '''DAVID BLAINE''' onscreen overlay. It aired in the United States on [[December 8]], 2003.
*There's no title card in ''Legends of the Microns''; the title appears over Starscream. This way of showing the episode titles was only done previously in "[[Linkup]]."
*Optimus calls Starscream's Mini-Con Swindle instead of Zapmaster. So logically, Swindle received a color change like Starscream did (instead of him exchanging his Mini-Con for a new one in different colors).
*Starscream's proton cannon blasts don't even touch Unicron. You can see them dissipate before Alexis's eyes before they reach him. Most heartwrenching suicide ever?
*Starscream's sword is surprisingly powerful in this episode, durable enough to clash with Star Saber without any visible damage. Due to his upgrade after Nemesis Prime kicked his skidplate? Nah.
*This episode is one of few without an opening narration.
*This is the second time in the Japanese dub that a Transformer says, "Spark of my soul..." The last time was by Optimus Prime in "[[Crisis (Armada)|Crisis]]."
*''Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003'' reveals the following:
**The episode's highlights include Magna Jet Convoy's debut and the first half of the climactic fight: Optimus vs. Galvatron, which serves as a prelude to their final battle. The main highlight is the battle's second half with Starscream and Galvatron's last fight.
**[[Hidehito Ueda]] says that Galvatron expressing his feelings about Starscream wasn't in the scenario initially, but he wanted Galvatron to tell them.
**Ueda jokes about wanting Starscream to return as a ghost in ''Super Link'' before becoming a [[Pretender]] and marrying Alexis.
**The first moments for this episode that appeared in Ueda's mind when reading the scenario were Starscream's Null Laser Cannons not reaching Unicron, Alexis watching them stop short, and the silent scene of the children's reactions to Starscream's death at the end.
**Starscream died not as a Decepticon but as a Transformer.

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das Friedensangebot'''" ("Peace-Offering")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 12|12 January]] [[2004]]

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Párbaj'''" ("Duel")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La morsa'''" ("The Grip")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Obstáculo'''" ("Obstacle")

[[Category: Armada episodes]]

One Shall Rise, Part 3

2025-06-17T03:00:32Z

DevinM626:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 26
|prev=One Shall Rise, Part 2
|next=Orion Pax, Part 1
|image=OneShallRise3-together.jpg
|caption=Why can't we be friends? Why can't we be friends?
|title="One Shall Rise, Part 3"
|season=1
|season ep=26
|airdate=[[October 4]], [[2011]] (Singapore) [[October 15]], 2011 (USA)
|written by=[[Steven Melching]]
|directed by=[[Vinton Heuck]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Allspark (company)|Hasbro Studios]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSSkRCnoBKA
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''Jack learns more about Optimus Prime's history on Cybertron while the Autobots continue their battle at the Earth's core.'''

==Synopsis==

As he leads the [[Autobot]]s further toward [[Earth]]'s core, [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] is again seized by a vision of the planet exploding. He notes how [[Unicron]]'s strength grows ever greater and continues on. [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] and [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] both voice their mistrust of the [[Decepticon]] leader, though they have no choice but to follow him. Unbeknownst to them, several [[Unicron's antibodies|strange, mechanical creatures]] observe the intruders into their dark domain.

Back at [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|base]], [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] and the [[human]]s watch a report that outlines how the planet's chaotic weather continues to spiral out of control. Despite [[June Darby|June]]'s efforts to lighten the mood, [[William Fowler|Fowler]] insists that something must be done—even if it means contacting his associates at the [[Pentagon]]. Fowler makes known his uneasiness about teaming up with Megatron, but Ratchet surprises the humans by explaining how such a situation has happened before. Ratchet relates how Optimus Prime and Megatron were once close friends, in the twilight hours of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s [[Golden Age]].

[[File:OneShallRise3-corresponding.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|''Once, I called you "Brother".'' 
''Once, I thought the chance to make you laugh'' 
''Was all I ever wanted...'' 
''And even now,'' 
''I wish that [[Primus|God]] had chose another.'' 
''Serving as your foe on His behalf'' 
''Is the last thing that I wanted...!'']]
''The great Autobot leader was once named Orion Pax, a simple clerk in the [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] Hall of Records. Learning of Cybertron's past, Orion grew concerned about the corruption affecting high places and the [[Caste system|state of inequity]] in society. He became inspired by the revolutionary words of Megatronus, a gladiator who took his name from [[The Fallen|one]] of the [[Thirteen|thirteen original Primes]]. Megatronus gained a loyal following through his radical and innovative actions, [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] chief among their number. Over time, Megatronus became a mentor figure to Orion Pax and chose to shorten his name as he left the gladiatorial arena for the political one. Megatron appeared before the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]], now showing his true colors and voicing his ideas for shaping a new Cybertron by violent means, demanding to be named the next [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]. Orion protested against Megatron's warlike suggestions before the Council, moving their [[spark]]s and minds as he unknowingly revealed himself to be the one worthy of the title. Megatron severed his ties to Orion and the Council, taking his "Decepticon" followers to begin the [[Great War (Prime)|war]] that consumed Cybertron and vowing to claim the legendary [[Matrix of Leadership]] for himself. Hoping to reverse the [[Dark Energon|damage]] that had poisoned the planet, Orion journeyed to Cybertron's [[Core]], where he found himself before the spark of [[Primus]], the creator of all [[Transformer|Cybertronians]]. Primus sensed the purity of Orion's own spark and bestowed upon him the legendary Matrix, transforming him into Optimus Prime.''

In the present, [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] and [[Jack Darby|Jack]] question Optimus's plan to give the Matrix to the [[Earth's core]], asking what could possibly stop Megatron from attempting to claim it for himself now. Ratchet darkly replies that Megatron only intends to save the Earth so that he may conquer it at a later date.

As they near Unicron's spark, [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] begins to feel the draining effects of the [[Dark Energon]]. [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] and Arcee help him a short way across the catwalks, but Megatron soon comes to a halt ahead with the realization that Unicron is preparing to expel them. A huge number of Unicron's drones suddenly swarm into view, surrounding Megatron and the Autobots. They engage the drones in a fierce battle, blasting and slashing through their attackers. Arcee is knocked to a lower level, not long before the Dark Energon clouds Bulkhead's vision. He stumbles from the catwalk but manages to grab hold of the edge, and is seized by Bumblebee before he can tumble to his death. Optimus and Megatron fight back-to-back, managing to hold their own against the drones in a spectacular display of effective—if uneasy—teamwork. Bumblebee struggles to hold onto Bulkhead, who insists that the scout lets him go. Optimus seizes Bulkhead just as Bumblebee loses his grip, and hauls him up to safety. As the group quickly becomes overwhelmed, Arcee hitches a ride on one of the drones to catch up with the others and beat a swift retreat with them.

[[File:OneShallRise3-SoundwaveAirachnid.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67|Maybe Megatron should stop having seconds-in-command and just skip straight to thirds-in-command.]]
Aboard the [[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]], [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] outlines the questionable nature of their leader's recent behavior. [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] asks whether she is suggesting that they abandon Lord Megatron. Airachnid explains how Megatron's undetectable signal implies that he is either offline or at the mercy of Unicron—neither scenario being in the best interests of the Decepticons. She suggests an exodus from Earth and receives no protests from the surrounding [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]]. However, her order to retreat to [[Regulon Four]] is denied by Soundwave, who silently challenges her authority. When he refuses her demand to step aside, she leaps to attack him. Soundwave easily blocks every one of her blows, before lifting her clean into the air. He hurls her back, deploying [[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]] to stun Airachnid in a sudden sneak attack. Pinned under Soundwave's foot, much to Knock Out's amusement, Airachnid relinquishes command to the intelligence officer.

Back in the Autobot base, Ratchet notes he has lost the others' communication links and life signals, most likely caused by interference from the electromagnetic anomalies. Miko asks how they are supposed to know when the others are ready for pickup if contact is impossible, but Ratchet is prevented from responding by the sound of Jack tapping the [[GroundBridge]] key against a railing. Ratchet reveals that the object is actually the [[Key to Vector Sigma]]—one of Cybertron's most precious relics. Ratchet then realizes that Optimus entrusted the key to Jack because he did not plan on returning from the planet's core.

Megatron is gripped by yet another painful vision of Unicron whilst he and the Autobots are backed into an enclosed chamber by the attacking drones. Unicron orders him to destroy Optimus. Instead, Megatron saves the Autobot leader by blasting an oncoming drone. He then indicates a closed doorway nearby, stating that Unicron's spark lies just beyond. He explains that to pass through, they must fool Unicron into believing that they pose no danger, and moves his Dark Energon-infused chest up to the door. It opens in response, and Optimus orders the others to remain outside and provide cover fire while he and Megatron advance.

The passageway beyond leads directly into Unicron's spark chamber, where Optimus prepares to expose the Matrix within his chest. Unicron's spark reacts, striking both invaders with its energy. Unicron again orders Megatron to kill Optimus, forcing him to unsheathe his blade and approach the weakened Prime. Megatron struggles against him, declaring himself to be under the command of no-one. His resistance provokes only an onslaught of pain and a furious reaction from the Chaos Bringer.

The volcano outside erupts violently, and the ground enclosing the Autobot base begins to quake. Ratchet tells the humans to take cover, and he moves to shield them from falling debris.

[[File:OneShallRise3-unleash.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.67|Care Bear Stare!]]
Unicron's spark adopts the appearance of a face as Megatron is seemingly freed from his control. Optimus calls upon the power of the Matrix of Leadership but hesitates as Unicron possesses Megatron's body in a veil of purple flame and declares his own invincibility. Optimus cuts short Unicron's desire to pull the Earth into chaos, and he rises to his feet as he becomes surrounded by a brilliant blue light. Optimus fires the power of the Matrix from his chest directly into Unicron's spark, the resulting wave of energy knocking Megatron back off his feet. His energy drained, Optimus falls to his knees, and Unicron's spark emits a final wail of pain before vanishing into oblivion.

The drones outside suddenly fall from the air, lifeless. The volcano, along with all of the Earth's other natural phenomena, subside back to normality. Ratchet and the humans watch as the monitors flicker online, rejoicing as their team's life signals are all safely re-established. Aboard the Nemesis, however, Soundwave also detects the signature of the Decepticon leader.

[[File:OneShallRise3-hug.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67|"You smell like my mom." "I smell like ''his'' mom!"]]
Megatron rights himself in Unicron's now-empty spark chamber, inspecting Optimus's steaming body for a moment before unsheathing his blade. Optimus gazes blearily up at the approaching Decepticon, then addresses him as "Megatronus" and asks where they are. Surprised, Megatron retracts his weapon and helps the Autobot to his feet. Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Arcee soon burst through the wall to assist, but Optimus does not recognise them. A GroundBridge suddenly opens nearby; Megatron claims that the Autobots are their sworn enemies and provides cover fire as Optimus heads for the vortex. Optimus blankly meets Bumblebee's devastated gaze for a split second before disappearing through the Bridge. Megatron follows, leaving the shocked Autobots alone in the empty chamber.

[[File:Megatroncamehome.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.67|Honey, I'm home!]]

Ratchet GroundBridges the team back to base, but is anxious to see that Optimus is not with them. They explain that Optimus is still alive, but did not even know his own name. Ratchet realizes that surrendering the Matrix of Leadership caused their leader to lose not only the wisdom of the Primes but his own memories as well.

Knock Out and the other Decepticons, minus Airachnid, welcome Megatron back aboard the Nemesis. Megatron steps aside to allow Optimus through, and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] automatically moves to attack. Megatron halts him, insisting that this is no way to treat a "long-lost comrade", and declares that Orion Pax is one of them.

[[Cliffhanger|To be continued…]]

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
*[[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] (3)
*[[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] (5)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (6)
*[[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] (9)
*[[Autobot High Council|High Council]] (14–16)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] (1)
*[[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] (13)
*[[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] (18)
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] (19)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (20)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (21)
*[[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]] (22)

|c3=
*[[June Darby]] (7)
*[[William Fowler]] (8)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (10)
*[[Jack Darby]] (11)
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (12)

|c4=
*[[Unicron/Aligned|Unicron]] (4)
*[[Core]] (17)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Raf:''' Megatron was an Autobot? 
'''Miko:''' Optimus was a 'Con?! 
'''Ratchet:''' No, on either count.
:—The kids get confused while Ratchet gets ready to tell a tale.

"You have something to say, Soundwave?"
:—'''Airachnid''' asking a rather ironic question to the silent bot.

"Watch out for the quiet ones…"
:—'''Knock Out''' after witnessing Soundwave "veto" Airachnid's motion to leave Earth.

"'''''Megatron! Destroy the Prime! I command you!'''''" 
"Megatron is commanded by NO ONE!"
:—'''Unicron''' and '''Megatron'''. [[The Transformers: The Movie|Déjà vu.]]

"'''''You cannot defeat me, disciple of Primus! I have transcended physical being! By my will alone, all upon this world shall fall into chaos!'''''" 
"Not while I still function, Unicron! The power of the Matrix shall light our darkest hour!" 
"'''''NOOOOO!'''''"
:—'''Unicron''' (possessing Megatron's body) is too late to stop '''Optimus Prime''' from using the Matrix on him.

"Where are we, Megatronus?" 
"Don't you remember, old friend?"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Megatron''' with an unexpected twist.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* The entire backstory given by Ratchet is an adaptation of the first half of ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]''. Plot elements were changed, such as Orion Pax becoming Optimus when he found the Matrix of Leadership, as opposed to when he was assigned the position by the Cybertron High Council. Notably, although the Dark Energon infection of Cybertron's core as seen in ''Exodus'' and ''War for Cybertron'' is made clear to have happened, the episode only refers to it as "poison", probably to avoid highlighting the incongruity this creates with the characters' lack of familiarity with the substance back at the start of the series.
* Ratchet's statement that Megatron started the war after not being made Prime contradicts the history given in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 1]]", where Megatron is said to have split from Optimus ''during'' the war. Optimus could have believed that the war began with the initial movement of Megatronus, or Ratchet could be bringing continuity closer to ''Exodus''.
* A point is also made that Megatron "arrogantly demanded to be named Prime." However, in the context of the novel, Megatron viewed Orion being named Prime as a betrayal of his trust.
* Optimus's blade is still broken after the episode "[[One Shall Fall]]".
* The tail end of Unicron's final speech (while controlling Megatron's body) echoes Megatron's own words at the end of ''War for Cybertron'' Chapter 1: "By my will alone shall Cybertron be restored!"

===Transformers references===
* Optimus Prime was originally known as Orion Pax, much like [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|his namesake]] in the episode "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]",
* The [[Key to Vector Sigma]] first appeared in ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' episode "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]" and later featured prominently in the first season of ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]''.
* Optimus calls upon the Matrix to "[[Darkest hour|light our darkest hour]]".
* For once, Optimus is the one who gets to say he "still functions", rather than Megatron.
* Airachnid wishes to "set course for [[Regulon Four]]".
* Unicron's mind-control on Megatron to destroy Optimus Prime is similar to how Unicron kept torturing [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] into destroying [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
* When Unicron finally succeeds in possessing Megatron, the latter's body is enveloped in a purple, flame-like aura. This hearkens back to [[The Fallen|another of Unicron's servants]], as well as the power-up sequence of [[Megatron (Armada)#Cybertron|a different Megatron]].

===Animation and technical errors===
* The close up of Optimus firing at Unicron's antibodies shows his upper arms clipping through his chest.

===Continuity errors===
* All of the natural disasters around the world abruptly stop when Unicron is beaten. While it might make sense for the earthquakes to stop, tidal waves wouldn't just suddenly fall apart. Forward momentum doesn't just vanish. Similar problems occur with the tornadoes dissipating and the sky clearing.
* At the [[Earth's core]], the Autobots should experience very little gravity, as the total mass of Earth would be reasonably equally distributed around them and therefore the pull of gravity would be cancelled out. It's ''possible'' that they "gravitised" themselves to Unicron as they did to the Spacebridge in [[Darkness Rising, Part 5]], but the episode gives no indication that that's the case.
* Despite entering the tunnel to Unicron's spark chamber only a few seconds before Optimus, Megatron still manages a very hefty lead. By the time Optimus navigates the tunnel that leads into the spark chamber, Megatron is already inside, standing in front of Unicron's spark.
* After defeating Unicron, both Megatron and Optimus are knocked unconscious: Megatron on his back and Optimus on the ground facing away from the other. However, when we see them wake up later, Megatron is on his stomach and Optimus is facing him now.
* Bulkhead is the only Autobot visibly affected by the Dark Energon; previously, Arcee felt dizzy from even a tiny amount on her arm. It could be that she, Bumblebee, and Optimus have built up a level of resistance to the stuff due to their prior exposure, as Bulkhead is the only member of the quartet has hasn't fought zombie-cons or or made direct contact with Dark Energon.

===Trivia===
* This episode aired in Singapore on [[October 4]], 2011, again preceding its American showing.
* Jack is clearly taking very good care of that Key Optimus gave him... by idly tapping it against a railing.
* This is the first time we've seen Soundwave "get his hands dirty". With how easily he trounces Airachnid, that's probably a good thing for the Autobots.
** Well, that really explains why Starscream has always been so wary of and deferential to Soundwave, huh?
* According to the flashbacks, Megatron's optics are blue, his fingers, eyebrows, and shoulders less pointy, and his feet are also rather flat until he is rejected by the Council and storms out angrily, obtaining the sharp teeth and red eyes.
* Fowler hugs June. Make of that what you will.
* Once more, the Thirteen Original Primes make an appearance, this time as statue busts in the walls of the High Council's chamber.
* Unlike all other Autobots thus far in the cartoon, Optimus has a distinct Cybertronian robot form, with different kibble, in the flashbacks.
* The same goes for Soundwave - in the image of him standing by Megatronus at the beginning of the latter's movement, he has bulkier limbs and a more simplified torso than his modern form.
* A behind-scenes Internet video released by The Hub featured the voice actors recording the "Megatron was an Autobot? Optimus was a 'Con?" exchange, leading many (surprised) fans to believe this was indeed the case.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Um Deverá Subir, Terceira Parte''''" ("One Shall Rise, Part 3")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 30|30 April]] [[2012]]

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Dans le cœur d'Unicron'''" ("In Unicron's Core")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 30|30 December]] [[2011]]

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Die Prophezeiung erfüllt sich, Teil 3'''" ("The Prophecy Fulfilled, Part 3")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 2|2 March]] [[2012]]

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Egyikünk állva marad, 3. rész'''" ("One of Us Remains Standing, Part 3")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 13|13 February]] [[2012]]

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Satu Harus Bertahan: Kejatuhan Kegelapan'''" ("One Shall Stand: The Fall of Darkness")
:*''Original airdate:'' 4 October [[2012]]

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Il risveglio - Terza parte'''" ("The Awakening - Part Three"), "'''Uno di loro ascenderà - Parte 3'''" ("One of them will ascend - Part 3", 2017 airing)
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 24|24 December]] [[2011]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Fūin Henkei! Orion Pax no Nazo'''" (封印変形!オライオンパックスの謎, "Sealed Transformation! The Mystery of Orion Pax")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 29|29 September]] [[2012]]

'''Korean'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Optimeosu ui Gwageo'''" (옵티머스의 과거, "Optimus's Past")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 22|22 November]] [[2011]]

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' ?
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 9|9 January]] [[2012]]

'''Spanish (Spain)'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Uno se alzará, tercera parte'''" ("One Shall Rise, Part 3")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[August 11|11 August]] [[2012]]

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season One ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season One Collection ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — One Shall Stand (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Volume 5: One Shall Fall, One Shall Rise (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Folge 6: Die Prophezeiung ([[EDEL:kids]]) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Staffel 1 - Das Bündnis (EDEL:kids) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2013 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Vol. 13 ([[Avex Trax]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2013 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Vol. 5: One Shall Stand ([[Universal|Universal Pictures IT]]) — English, Italian, Dutch, French and Spanish audio. 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2014 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Saison 1 Vol. 5: Un seul vaincra ([[Universal|Universal Pictures France]]) — English, French, Italian, Dutch and Spanish audio. 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2014 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Saison 1: L'intégrale (Universal Pictures France) — English, French, Italian, Dutch and Spanish audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season One: One Shall Stand ([[Universal|Universal Pictures UK]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2015 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season One (Universal Pictures UK)
;Blu-ray
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season One (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season One Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Staffel 1 - Das Bündnis (EDEL:kids) — English and German audio. 

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Cramp

2025-05-26T22:05:26Z

DevinM626:

{{episode|
|series=Armada
|ep=48
|prev=Portent
|next=Alliance
|title="Cramp"
|furigana=しんねん
|japanese=決死
|romaji=Shinnen
|translation=Prepared for Death: Conviction
|image=Starscreamheroicdeath.jpg
|caption="Tell my tale to those who ask. Tell it truly, the ill deeds along with the good, and let me be judged accordingly..."
|production code=TF: A-48
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]]
|writer=[[Akira Okeya]]
|englishadaptation=[[Terry Klassen]]
|director=[[Osamu Kamijō]], [[Mitsuru Kawasaki]] (asst. dir.)
|animation studio=[[Actas Inc.]]
|airdate=[[September 29]], [[2003]] (English, United Kingdom) [[November 28|28 November]] 2003 (Japanese) [[December 8]], [[2003]] (English, United States)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy]]
}}
'''Starscream prepares to do whatever it takes to convince Galvatron the threat of Unicron is real.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Starsmack.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Galvatron blasts Starscream with his rarely seen armpit-laser.]]
[[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] pleads to [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] that [[Unicron]]'s threat is real (as Starscream has first-hand experience in the beast's bowels); hoping to convince his leader that perhaps an [[Autobot]] and [[Decepticon]] alliance is the safest course to ensure [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s survival. When Starscream refuses to stop pleading, Galvatron slaps his subordinate into a wall to silence him. The Decepticon leader is confident his military can overcome both the Autobots and Unicron. Starscream continues to stress the danger of Unicron, and Galvatron starts to swing his [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]].

[[File:Cramp-Starscreamdies.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|[[Code of Hero|The rest is... silence]]. Well, [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|not really]], but don't you kinda wish it was?]]
The Autobots are still optimistic, believing there's a chance a diplomatic conference could lead to a truce between the two sides, meaning they can't take aggressive action against the Decepticons, only defensive. Nevertheless, Galvatron, armed with the Star Saber and [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]], flies into battle, ready to negotiate with [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] using firepower. Prime responds by combining with [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] and [[Overload (Armada)|Overload]] and heading away from the thick of the fight.

By a [[Megatron statue|monolithic statue of Megatron]], Starscream wonders what he needs to do, and [[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]]'s words of encouragement run through his head.

Away from the armies, Galvatron and Optimus Prime send their men away, leaving the two leaders to battle one on one. Through the struggle, Galvatron admits that he still considers Unicron an Autobot hoax, and with the Star Saber, he has the upper hand against Prime. However, as soon as Galvatron breaks Prime's metal, an explosion disturbs the showdown. Starscream walks from the smoke.

The rest of the Autobots struggle to hold their ground, unable to cause any real damage to the Decepticons. Alexis has faith that things will be okay. Meanwhile, Unicron's lunar shell peels off thousands of miles away, and the behemoth attacks the assembled Mini-Con cluster.

[[File:Cramp-Swindleejects.jpg|left|thumb|I'm not crying! I just have something in my eyes.]]
Starscream quits the Decepticons and challenges Galvatron to one-on-one combat. The two clash, quickly cutting into each other. However, Starscream displays skill beyond the last time he battled Megatron. Lightning from Unicron carves into the landscape around them. The two warriors ignore it and continue their struggle, but in an instant, the Star Saber plunges into Starscream's torso, and the impaled Decepticon falls.

Lying with the blade sticking out of him, Starscream speaks earnestly to Galvatron, pointing out that Galvatron's arrogance drove the situation to be what it is. Despite his injury, Starscream stands up and reiterates his wishes for a truce between the two Cybertronian factions against Unicron. With his final desire said, Starscream joins with his [[Mini-Con]] to fire his [[Proton cannon]]s upwards at Unicron. Unicron fires back, disintegrating Starscream, much to Galvatron and Optimus's shock. Aboard the ''[[Axalon (Armada)|Axalon]]'', Alexis's [[Good Luck Necklace|luck charm]] breaks, and she runs outside to look out the window and sees Starscream's laser blast fade away.

[[File:Cramp-AlexismournsStarscream.jpg|left|thumb|I never got to tell Starscream that I loved him!]]
Realizing Starscream was right about Unicron's threat, Galvatron remembers their shared experiences and ''finally'' decides to join forces with Optimus Prime. He starts by offering the Star Saber to Optimus... But from the crater Starscream died in, a dark cloud emerges and grabs the Star Saber! The cloud forms into [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]], who escapes the two leaders through the underground portal, collapsing the tunnels so the Autobots and Decepticons can't follow him. Upon witnessing Sideways's escape, Optimus and Galvatron fear for the worst to come.

After Optimus tells them about Starscream's death over the monitor, the kids are devastated, especially Alexis, who begins crying. She then bolts from the room and slams her fist on the window that displays Unicron in grief. When [[Rad White|Rad]] appears behind her, she smacks his shoulders, asking why Starscream would do that to himself, and Rad does his best to console her.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (8)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (9)
*[[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]] (10)
*[[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]] (14)
*[[Smokescreen (Armada)|Hoist]] (15)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] (16)
*[[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]] (17)
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (18)
*[[Overload (Armada)|Overload]] (21)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (1)
*[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (2)
*[[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] (3)
*[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] (4)
*[[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] (5)
*[[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] (20)

|c3=
*[[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] (6)
*[[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] (7)
*[[Carlos Lopez|Carlos]] (11)
*[[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]] (12)
*[[Rad White|Rad]] (13)

|h4=[[Mini-Con]]s|c4=
*[[Leader-1 (Armada)|Leader-1]] (19) (Powerlinxed with Galvatron)
*[[Sureshock (Armada)|Sureshock]] (23)
*[[Grindor (Armada)|Grindor]] (24)
*[[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]] (25)
*[[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]] (26)

|h5=Other|c5=
*[[Unicron]] (22)
*[[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] (27)
}}

==Quotes==
[[File:Cramp-Galvatronregrets.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|You'll miss me when I'm gone!]]
"How long have we been adversaries, Optimus? It seems like since the beginning of time. And I suppose I do have a certain respect for you, but I digress, you might have fooled Starscream with your little Truce ploy, but I am nobody's fool. Now let's end this charade, shall we?"
:—'''Galvatron''' faces off against Optimus Prime in the 'negotiations.'

"May I suggest that you have lost your mind?!"
:—'''Galvatron''' to Starscream, who has just challenged him to a duel.

"I tried to gain favor from you. But nothing was ever good enough. No matter how many battles I fought, you always found fault. Then I saw how Optimus treated his men, and I realized he was a leader of integrity. Unlike you." 
"You were too weak to ever gain my respect." 
"None of that matters now. You must listen — do as Optimus says and join forces with the Autobots, or else every last one of us is doomed! Please sir... do it for me..."
:—'''Starscream''' pours his spark out to '''Galvatron''' after being impaled by the Star Saber

"It's time to finish this once and for all! Activate Proton Cannon! YOU'RE ALL MINE, UNICRON!!!"
:—'''Starscream's''' heroic last words before shooting at Unicron.
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Legends of the Microns''===
*Starscream asks why Megatron wants to cling to his rivalry with Optimus and says that the universe will soon be no more after witnessing Unicron's power. Galvatron says he's now aware of Unicron's existence and understands the need to destroy him but still refuses to work with Optimus. ''Armada'' rephrases the rivalry as a "petty argument" and changes Galvatron and Starscream's dialogue to Galvatron, warning Starscream not to test his patience or contemplate betraying him again.
*Cyclonus and Demolishor's lines to Starscream are changed to the former calling Starscream a coward and the latter asking what there is to worry about since Unicron is "just some planet that became our moon." Then Starscream calls them idiots for not understanding Unicron's true horror.
*In ''Armada'', Galvatron says Optimus will be sorry and that he'll also deal with Unicron. However, as he believes there can't be two supreme commanders, he's more focused on eliminating his competition before facing Unicron. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron says he never said the two factions couldn't join forces, but he'll have to deal with Prime first. He plans to kill Optimus and merge the Autobots into the Decepticon army, claiming Optimus is his sworn enemy and there's no tomorrow if he doesn't defeat Prime.
*Galvatron offers Starscream command over the Autobots after defeating Optimus. ''Armada'' has Galvatron requesting Starscream's complete loyalty.
*Before the episode title appears, Cyclonus says Starscream can wait there at HQ since their "Autobot Commander" only needs to sit on his throne.
*The kids discuss if they and the Autobots can trust Galvatron or believe anything he says, as Carlos says that Galvatron is constantly manipulating things. Alexis states that's why they need to negotiate. Then Optimus says that she's right, and Galvatron should understand the need for the Autobots and Decepticons to combine forces to combat Unicron. Rad worries about another fight breaking out, but Billy assures him that Optimus won't lose, and Optimus says he will try to avoid a clash with Galvatron.
*Afterward, an anxious Smokescreen demands the 'Cons to show themselves. Then Blurr reminds him the 'Cons are additional strength to help take down Unicron so they can't be too rough with them; Hot Shot tells Smokescreen they're counting on him, and Smokescreen answers, "I know! Use our heads, right?"
*Unlike ''Armada'', Demolishor explicitly says "Hot Shot and the others" are with Optimus. Then Galvatron entrusts Demolishor with handling them, but in ''Armada'', Galvatron tells Demolishor to "spare me [him] the details."
*Hot Shot is surprised when the Decepticons start firing. Blurr and Side Swipe's dialogue is changed to the former saying that the Autobots are now in the thick of things and the latter saying the Decepticons seemingly don't want to negotiate.
*In ''Armada'', Red Alert has a cynical outlook while talking about Wheeljack. Like Carlos, he truly believed Wheeljack changed sides before insisting that one will always be a Decepticon after becoming one. Then Carlos gripes that it's now hard distinguishing who's friend or foe, and Fred agrees. Red Alert says they should focus on their side more than the Decepticons, and Carlos agrees they should support their comrades. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Red Alert is less pessimistic, saying Wheeljack made a temporary truce to track down Thrust but will become a trustworthy Autobot ally if Optimus successfully negotiates with Galvatron. Carlos asks if that's like Scavenger, and Fred thinks it would. Then Red Alert says Hot Shot and Wheeljack's dynamic is similar to that between Optimus and Scavenger, making Carlos say that in that case, they should hope that Prime pulls off the negotiation.
*When Optimus combines with Jetfire and Overload and later breaks from them, ''Armada'' plays the ''Transformers'' theme and spams the transformation sound effect. In contrast, ''Legends of the Microns'' plays Prime's Super Mode theme, "Super Convoy," during the Powerlinx sequence. The Japanese dub later plays "[[The Transformers Legends of the Microns: Sound of Evolution Vol. 2|Theme of Megatron - Attack by Villains]]," fitting the tense situation better.
*''Armada'' has awkward silence after Jetfire's line as he forces away Tidal Wave because Jetfire says his lines without pausing. ''Legends of the Microns'' has a second-long pause between the lines, so there's no silence at the end of the shot.
*Optimus and Galvatron's dialogue differs significantly between the dubs:
**''Armada'' portrays Galvatron as very gung-ho about fighting Optimus as though it's how they'll "negotiate." He remains cynical about the reality of Unicron's threat and only cares about eliminating Optimus so he can be the universe's sole ruler. Optimus offers to talk once Galvatron cools off and later says the generic line about Galvatron's lust for power disgusting him. ''Legends of the Microns'' changes Galvatron's quip about needing to shut Optimus down to his offering to show Prime his "true incompetence." It continues his string of thoughts from earlier and the prior episode about believing two Supreme Commanders are too many and unnecessary to defeat Unicron. Thinking negotiating is needless, Galvatron wants to show he's the superior leader and orders Optimus to fight him. Optimus is silent until he calls Jetfire. After Optimus Powerlinx with Jetfire and Overload and flies off, Galvatron is confused about why Prime won't fight. Optimus asks Galvatron why he can't understand that they should make peace. When Optimus offers Galvatron command, Galvatron thinks Prime is mocking him and says Prime's presence will disrupt "the command structure" even if he steps down and demands Prime to show his power.
**After Tidal Wave and Jetfire leave, ''Armada'' has Galvatron suggest he and Optimus "cut to the chase" now that they're alone. He admits to respecting Prime somewhat but isn't falling for his "truce ploy" charade like Starscream did (as quoted above), still focusing on who will rule the universe. He later mocks Optimus for waiting for the Mini-Cons to rescue him, saying that won't happen. The Japanese version makes their exchange more philosophical: Galvatron mentions what Smokescreen told him about trust among the Autobots, remarking how it's pathetic, and calls Optimus a fool to bind himself with such vague notions. He says Starscream is no different and has had the same silly ideas after returning from the Autobots; Optimus says Starscream awakened to his true self as a Transformer after spending time on both sides. There is some silence after Galvatron demands Optimus to stop feeding him lies in ''Armada'' because the English dub shortens Optimus's line about Starscream, making Galvatron's reply come sooner than it does in ''Legends of the Microns''. Galvatron claims Starscream might be a worse traitor than Thrust. He insists that trust is nonsense, saying that one's power is something worth believing in; power is everything, and justice without it means nothing. Then Galvatron mocks Prime, asking if he's frustrated and sad since the Mini-Cons Optimus fought to save are now under his control and itching to dish out the killing blow.
*The Japanese dub uses the mid-episode [[commercial bumper]]s, while ''Armada'' uses the Autobot and Decepticon logos from the [[scene transition]]s with the transformation sound effect.
*Starscream says he won't hesitate to betray Galvatron because he must stand by his beliefs. Optimus says this isn't Starscream's fight, but the latter asserts otherwise. Galvatron says Starscream has become "a boring person" and asks if working with the Autobots is necessary; Starscream answers it is for "the future of the Transformers" and not just defeating Unicron and declares he will take command of the Decepticons after besting Galvatron. Galvatron dismisses it as wishful thinking and says Starscream will never beat him, but Starscream states he won't know until he tries.
*Carlos, Billy, and Fred's conversation in the Japanese dub shows them confused by how the negotiation looks no different than a regular Autobot and Decepticon encounter; Billy concludes it's something they'd expect when the factions meet. Then Alexis says things will be fine as she's sure something will change.
*Galvatron questions if Starscream infused his wingblade with his spark's power, to which Starscream answers that he's put every bit of his energy into it to defeat him. Then Optimus says there's no point trying to stop them since Starscream is so determined; Optimus has only one line during the scene in ''Armada'', so there's some silence afterward.
*When Unicron changes form again, Alexis says to look instead of asking what's happening, and Rad sounds more shocked. After Alexis's line about the Mini-Cons approaching Unicron, Billy has a line begging them to stop before Fred says Unicron is attacking the Mini-Cons. After stopping High Wire, Rad urges him to tell the other Mini-Cons to hide somewhere rather than stay put.
* ''Armada'' reduces Galvatron's dialogue to chalking up that Starscream's actions are due to his programming going haywire and offering to put him out of his misery. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Starscream scolds Galvatron for believing nobody could be his equal since he's so overconfident in his strength and declares that he will show him the power of a warrior willing to risk his life for his beliefs. Galvatron admits Starscream's newfound convictions deserve some respect, to which Starscream says the same for Galvatron's stubbornness. Galvatron wonders when the change started since Starscream never escaped his influence when he had ambition. Galvatron says something else is driving Starscream now, asking if the Autobots or the children are compelling him. Not understanding why Starscream would face him over something trivial, Galvatron asks if Starscream is betraying him for real this time before deciding that Starscream will never beat him as he keeps believing in things like trust and kindness.
*After the lightning strike from Unicron, the Japanese dub adds screaming to the shot after Demolishor and Wheeljack. Then Galvatron admits being surprised by Starscream's increased strength and that maybe trust isn't a fleeting concept. Starscream internally says Galvatron's name during his close-up, and Galvatron says never to drop his guard until the fight is over.
*Just before Galvatron impales Starscream, the animation is tweaked to clarify that the latter "switched off" his sword with no intention of blocking the fatal blow. The two don't exchange jibes here; they only say the other's name, and Galvatron kneels, realizing what Starscream has done and acknowledging the latter's power, while Starscream says he's still not as strong as Galvatron.
*Starscream's final moments are subtly different between the two versions:
**''Legends of the Microns'' has Starscream admire Megatron as an ultimate warrior he could never hope to beat and say he wanted Megatron to notice him. Megatron gently tells Starscream to stop speaking, later calling him a fool for persisting. Starscream says he'd never gotten the chance to talk to him like this without laying his life on the line first and calls Optimus a leader worthy of trust. After imploring both factions to team up, Starscream says a lot has happened. When unleashing his final attack, Starscream says, "SPARK OF MY SOUL...UNLEASH EVERY BIT OF YOUR POWER! NULL RAY CANNON!" The following scenes of his demise are silent except for Megatron gasping.
**In ''Armada'', Starscream says that he could never break the oath he swore to Galvatron as a Decepticon. He talks about his desperation to please Galvatron and that if Galvatron had given him the respect he wanted their fight could've been avoided, while comparing him to Optimus as an unintegral leader (a monologue played again during the montage). Galvatron is much more verbally hostile towards Starscream, acting infuriated rather than shocked when he realizes Starscream planned to die, and calling him too weak to be worthy of respect. Instead of remarking on all that has happened, Starscream reiterates his plea for the Autobots and Decepticons to unite: "Please sir, do it for me." Starscream's last words are not simply calling own his power, but defiantly saying, "You're all mine, Unicron!" When Starscream is then obliterated, his death wail can be heard, unlike the Japanese version.
*After Starscream's last moments in ''Legends of the Microns'', Optimus tells Swindle to come with him since his partner isn't here anymore. ''Armada'' has Optimus claim that Starscream was a brave soldier until the end.
*Galvatron's memories of Starscream replays his final monologue in ''Armada'', but ''Legends of the Microns'' instead has the montage feature moments of Starscream boasting, pleading, and wanting Megatron's recognition throughout the series.
*When Sideways steals the Star Saber, he declares that he now has all the keys. He says Unicron is the only one worthy of it and congratulates Galvatron and Optimus for their "good work." After Sideways escapes, Galvatron exclaims how this nightmare could worsen in ''Armada'' but remarks on Sideways fleeing underground in ''Legends of the Microns''.
*The scene of Sideways destroying the underground tunnel now has an effect added to his maniacal laughter to make it sound disembodied. After this, the scene of the kids' reactions upon learning of Starscream's death is silent, whereas their responses are heard in ''Armada''.
*In ''Armada'', Rad's closing narration is that Starscream was gone, and his demise seemed to be in vain. Then he says, like everything in life, everyone would have to wait to learn the purpose of Starscream's actions; for now, all they had were too many unanswered questions. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Alexis gives the narration, which contains a small glimmer of hope, unlike the English version. She says Starscream has died, but perhaps someday, the tears of sorrow over his death will become ones of determination, swearing that his efforts won't be wasted.

===Animation and technical errors===
*In the opening scene, Demolishor has four fingers and one thumb on each hand.
*Galvatron's hands are small stubs after swinging the Star Saber at Starscream in the opening.
*In the shots where Hoist warns Blurr not to fire upon the Decepticons except in self-defense, and after the others promise to cover Hot Shot, Blurr's entire gun is colored one solid orange shade.
*Scavenger's chest is partially off-model after the Decepticons begin firing upon the Autobots.
*Galvatron's mouth doesn't move when he says, "Let the negotiations begin!"
*Before Optimus calls for Jetfire, Galvatron's turret is partially miscolored dark gray.
*Galvatron's eyes are seemingly closed after Optimus Powerlinx with Jetfire and Overload.
*Jetfire shoots Tidal Wave in the eye...with the back of his rifle? The Japanese dub fixes this error.
*After Galvatron slashes Optimus with the Star Saber, one can hear the sound of crackling electricity from a wound, but Optimus looks unscathed until his next shot.
*Galvatron says, "What?" too soon in two scenes: first, before the explosion goes off behind him, seemingly out of surprise about gaining the upper hand when the Star Saber cuts Optimus's shoulder, and later when Sideways steals the Star Saber. ''Legends of the Microns'' fixes the timing by having Galvatron say it the first time while turning around ''after'' the explosion and later a second after Sideways takes the sword from him and Optimus.
*Starscream's mouth doesn't move when he speaks after appearing out of the smoke.
*As Starscream descends after catching his wing blade, Galvatron exclaims fearfully despite his brash overconfidence a moment ago. In ''Legends of the Microns'', he appropriately shouts "What?!" in shock instead.
*As Galvatron slaps Starscream during their duel, his right hand is drawn as a standard hand instead of its traditional claw-looking design.
*As Starscream fires on Unicron, his canopy is shown to be intact, despite being shattered by the Star Saber earlier. This may not be an error, however, given Powerlinx has been shown to heal wounds before.
*Starscream calls his Powerlinx weapon a "Proton Cannon." The Japanese version keeps the cannons' previous name, the Null-Laser Cannon, suggesting a translation error.
*Wheeljack says, "What's happening?" in Demolishor's voice. The Japanese version doesn't have this mistake.
*When Alexis goes to the window to see Starscream's Photon Cannon fail to reach Unicron, the Autobot symbol on the back of her suit changes from red to blue.
*When Galvatron raises the Star Saber before his memory montage, the inner part of his right shoulder is detached from the rest, already in its later position, before he lifts his arm.

===Continuity notes===
*In ''Legends of the Microns'', Billy refers to Galvatron as "stag beetle head," the nickname Thrust previously used in "[[Crisis (Armada)|Crisis]]."
*In ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron references what Smokescreen said to him in "[[Sacrifice]]" about trust binding the Autobots together.
*Galvatron refers to the time when Sparkplug saved Optimus in "[[Decisive Battle]]"; he might also mean when the Mini-Cons turned against him to save Optimus in "[[Vow]]."
*In the Japanese dub, Galvatron remarks about Starscream's ambition, which he previously did in "[[Rebellion (Armada)|Rebellion]]."
*''[[Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003]]'' calls this episode the last of the show's Starscream saga.
*Prepare yourself for when [[Megatron Raid|Starscream returns]] in ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' since his compelling character arc in ''Armada'' goes out the window like it never happened.
*Gadgets and powers:
**This is the first time Optimus combines with Overload while in his Jet Optimus configuration with Jetfire, with bonus stock transformation footage. However, Optimus combines with Jetfire first, only to fly a relatively short distance, making the combination with Overload pretty pointless other than [[To sell toys| to show they can.]]
**Starscream uses his wing blade against Galvatron.
*Powerlinx forms:
**Galvatron Powerlinx with the Star Saber for the last time.
**Starscream Powerlinx with Swindle to unleash his Null Laser Cannon against Unicron. The ''Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003'' deems it the last time a Transformer Powerlinx with a Mini-Con in the series.

===Continuity errors===
*At Megatron's statue, Starscream determines that he must protect the humans, but why would he defend all the kids when Alexis is the only one he knows well enough? Alexis is also who he thinks of at that moment. The Japanese dub correctly has Starscream resolving not to let ''Alexis'' die.
*How does Tidal Wave know to Powerlinx with Galvatron when Galvatron never gives the order and only says they're leaving to face Optimus? ''Legends of the Microns'' has Galvatron tell Tidal Wave to combine with him.
*Why would Red Alert believe there's no turning back once a Transformer becomes a Decepticon? Did he completely forget that Scavenger is an ex-Decepticon? There also must've been other rare cases of Decepticons becoming Autobots, and vice versa.
*Galvatron tells Tidal Wave to attack Optimus when they split up, but Tidal Wave does nothing until later. Galvatron only commands Tidal Wave to uncombine with him in the Japanese dub since Optimus just split from Jetfire and Overload, and Galvatron wishes to even things out.
*Tidal Wave is significantly smaller and weaker than previously depicted. Jetfire, shown not much smaller than Tidal Wave, shoulder-blocks and lifts off with him in a single movement.
*Alexis's pendant cracks upon Starscream's death; it somehow connected to his spark, but previous episodes never really built up that detail or alluded to it. Since the necklace has only appeared in two episodes, this feature almost seems like an afterthought for drama's sake.
**In the same scene, why does Rad ask Alexis what's happening outside when she doesn't know more than he does? He correctly asks her if something is wrong in ''Legends of the Microns''.
*Why does Rad give the closing narration when Alexis had the bond with Starscream, and his death devastates her more than anyone else? The Japanese dub rightly has Alexis deliver the narration.

===Transformers references===
*Starscream's death by crumbling into a pile of debris resembles [[Generation 1 cartoon continuity|G1]] [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream's]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
*Many parts of Galvatron and Starscream's speeches quote lyrics from ''[[The Touch]]'', like 'I'm nobody's fool' (see above) or Starscream's 'after all is said and done.'

===Real-world references===
*Fred's "The horror! The horror!" line is from ''{{w|Heart of Darkness}}'', the novel adapted into the film ''{{w|Apocalypse Now}}''.
*Galvatron gives Starscream one last chance not to fight, and when Starscream declines, Galvatron's "Is that your final answer?" line might be a reference to ''{{w|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?}}''.
*Galvatron tells Optimus the Autobots and Decepticons could never work together since they're like oil and water. It refers to the proverb about oil and water, as oil always tries to stay separate from water whenever combined; it explains how beings with specific traits can never mix, no matter what anyone does.

===Trivia===
[[File:Cramp - no ML title card.JPG|thumb|upright=1.4|Foreshadowing? Why, no!]]
*The episode's English version first aired in the United Kingdom on the {{w|Sky One}} channel when the network ran an around-the-clock promotion of American magician/"endurance artist" {{w|David Blaine}}'s controversial London stunt, complete with an obnoxious '''DAVID BLAINE''' onscreen overlay. It aired in the United States on [[December 8]], 2003.
*There's no title card in ''Legends of the Microns''; the title appears over Starscream. This way of showing the episode titles was only done previously in "[[Linkup]]."
*Optimus calls Starscream's Mini-Con Swindle instead of Zapmaster. So logically, Swindle received a color change like Starscream did (instead of him exchanging his Mini-Con for a new one in different colors).
*Starscream's proton cannon blasts don't even touch Unicron. You can see them dissipate before Alexis's eyes before they reach him. Most heartwrenching suicide ever?
*Starscream's sword is surprisingly powerful in this episode, durable enough to clash with Star Saber without any visible damage. Due to his upgrade after Nemesis Prime kicked his skidplate? Nah.
*This episode is one of few without an opening narration.
*This is the second time in the Japanese dub that a Transformer says, "Spark of my soul..." The last time was by Optimus Prime in "[[Crisis (Armada)|Crisis]]."
*''Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003'' reveals the following:
**The episode's highlights include Magna Jet Convoy's debut and the first half of the climactic fight: Optimus vs. Galvatron, which serves as a prelude to their final battle. The main highlight is the battle's second half with Starscream and Galvatron's last fight.
**[[Hidehito Ueda]] says that Galvatron expressing his feelings about Starscream wasn't in the scenario initially, but he wanted Galvatron to tell them.
**Ueda jokes about wanting Starscream to return as a ghost in ''Super Link'' before becoming a [[Pretender]] and marrying Alexis.
**The first moments for this episode that appeared in Ueda's mind when reading the scenario were Starscream's Null Laser Cannons not reaching Unicron, Alexis watching them stop short, and the silent scene of the children's reactions to Starscream's death at the end.
**Starscream died not as a Decepticon but as a Transformer.

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das Friedensangebot'''" ("Peace-Offering")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 12|12 January]] [[2004]]

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Párbaj'''" ("Duel")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La morsa'''" ("The Grip")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Obstáculo'''" ("Obstacle")

[[Category: Armada episodes]]

Cramp

2025-05-26T22:02:52Z

DevinM626:

{{episode|
|series=Armada
|ep=48
|prev=Portent
|next=Alliance
|title="Cramp"
|furigana=しんねん
|japanese=決死
|romaji=Shinnen
|translation=Prepared for Death: Conviction
|image=Starscreamheroicdeath.jpg
|caption="Tell my tale to those who ask. Tell it truly, the ill deeds along with the good, and let me be judged accordingly..."
|production code=TF: A-48
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]]
|writer=[[Akira Okeya]]
|englishadaptation=[[Terry Klassen]]
|director=[[Osamu Kamijō]], [[Mitsuru Kawasaki]] (asst. dir.)
|animation studio=[[Actas Inc.]]
|airdate=[[September 29]], [[2003]] (English, United Kingdom) [[November 28|28 November]] 2003 (Japanese) [[December 8]], [[2003]] (English, United States)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy]]
}}
'''Starscream prepares to do whatever it takes to convince Galvatron the threat of Unicron is real.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Starsmack.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Galvatron blasts Starscream with his rarely seen armpit-laser.]]
[[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] pleads to [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] that [[Unicron]]'s threat is real (as Starscream has first-hand experience in the beast's bowels); hoping to convince his leader that perhaps an [[Autobot]] and [[Decepticon]] alliance is the safest course to ensure [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s survival. When Starscream refuses to stop pleading, Galvatron slaps his subordinate into a wall to silence him. The Decepticon leader is confident his military can overcome both the Autobots and Unicron. Starscream continues to stress the danger of Unicron, and Galvatron starts to swing his [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]].

[[File:Cramp-Starscreamdies.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|[[Code of Hero|The rest is... silence]]. Well, [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|not really]], but don't you kinda wish it was?]]
The Autobots are still optimistic, believing there's a chance a diplomatic conference could lead to a truce between the two sides, meaning they can't take aggressive action against the Decepticons, only defensive. Nevertheless, Galvatron, armed with the Star Saber and [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]], flies into battle, ready to negotiate with [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] using firepower. Prime responds by combining with [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] and [[Overload (Armada)|Overload]] and heading away from the thick of the fight.

By a [[Megatron statue|monolithic statue of Megatron]], Starscream wonders what he needs to do, and [[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]]'s words of encouragement run through his head.

Away from the armies, Galvatron and Optimus Prime send their men away, leaving the two leaders to battle one on one. Through the struggle, Galvatron admits that he still considers Unicron an Autobot hoax, and with the Star Saber, he has the upper hand against Prime. However, as soon as Galvatron breaks Prime's metal, an explosion disturbs the showdown. Starscream walks from the smoke.

The rest of the Autobots struggle to hold their ground, unable to cause any real damage to the Decepticons. Alexis has faith that things will be okay. Meanwhile, Unicron's lunar shell peels off thousands of miles away, and the behemoth attacks the assembled Mini-Con cluster.

[[File:Cramp-Swindleejects.jpg|left|thumb|I'm not crying! I just have something in my eyes.]]
Starscream quits the Decepticons and challenges Galvatron to one-on-one combat. The two clash, quickly cutting into each other. However, Starscream displays skill beyond the last time he battled Megatron. Lightning from Unicron carves into the landscape around them. The two warriors ignore it and continue their struggle, but in an instant, the Star Saber plunges into Starscream's torso, and the impaled Decepticon falls.

Lying with the blade sticking out of him, Starscream speaks earnestly to Galvatron, pointing out that Galvatron's arrogance drove the situation to be what it is. Despite his injury, Starscream stands up and reiterates his wishes for a truce between the two Cybertronian factions against Unicron. With his final desire said, Starscream joins with his [[Mini-Con]] to fire his [[Proton cannon]]s upwards at Unicron. Unicron fires back, disintegrating Starscream, much to Galvatron and Optimus's shock. Aboard the ''[[Axalon (Armada)|Axalon]]'', Alexis's [[Good Luck Necklace|luck charm]] breaks, and she runs outside to look out the window and sees Starscream's laser blast fade away.

[[File:Cramp-AlexismournsStarscream.jpg|left|thumb|I never got to tell Starscream that I loved him!]]
Realizing Starscream was right about Unicron's threat, Galvatron remembers their shared experiences and ''finally'' decides to join forces with Optimus Prime. He starts by offering the Star Saber to Optimus... But from the crater Starscream died in, a dark cloud emerges and grabs the Star Saber! The cloud forms into [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]], who escapes the two leaders through the underground portal, collapsing the tunnels so the Autobots and Decepticons can't follow him. Upon witnessing Sideways's escape, Optimus and Galvatron fear for the worst to come.

After Optimus tells them about Starscream's death over the monitor, the kids are devastated, especially Alexis, who begins crying. She then bolts from the room and slams her fist on the window that displays Unicron in grief. When [[Rad White|Rad]] appears behind her, she smacks his shoulders, asking why Starscream would do that to himself, and Rad does his best to console her.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (8)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (9)
*[[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]] (10)
*[[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]] (14)
*[[Smokescreen (Armada)|Hoist]] (15)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] (16)
*[[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]] (17)
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (18)
*[[Overload (Armada)|Overload]] (21)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (1)
*[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (2)
*[[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] (3)
*[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] (4)
*[[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] (5)
*[[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] (20)

|c3=
*[[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] (6)
*[[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] (7)
*[[Carlos Lopez|Carlos]] (11)
*[[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]] (12)
*[[Rad White|Rad]] (13)

|h4=[[Mini-Con]]s|c4=
*[[Leader-1 (Armada)|Leader-1]] (19) (Powerlinxed with Galvatron)
*[[Sureshock (Armada)|Sureshock]] (23)
*[[Grindor (Armada)|Grindor]] (24)
*[[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]] (25)
*[[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]] (26)

|h5=Other|c5=
*[[Unicron]] (22)
*[[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] (27)
}}

==Quotes==
[[File:Cramp-Galvatronregrets.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|You'll miss me when I'm gone!]]
"How long have we been adversaries, Optimus? It seems like since the beginning of time. And I suppose I do have a certain respect for you, but I digress, you might have fooled Starscream with your little Truce ploy, but I am nobody's fool. Now let's end this charade, shall we?"
:—'''Galvatron''' faces off against Optimus Prime in the 'negotiations.'

"May I suggest that you have lost your mind?!"
:—'''Galvatron''' to Starscream, who has just challenged him to a duel.

"I tried to gain favor from you. But nothing was ever good enough. No matter how many battles I fought, you always found fault. Then I saw how Optimus treated his men, and I realized he was a leader of integrity. Unlike you." 
"You were too weak to ever gain my respect." 
"None of that matters now. You must listen — do as Optimus says and join forces with the Autobots, or else every last one of us is doomed! Please sir... do it for me..."
:—'''Starscream''' pours his spark out to '''Galvatron''' after being impaled by the Star Saber

"It's time to finish this once and for all! Activate Proton Cannon! YOU'RE ALL MINE, UNICRON!!!"
:—'''Starscream's''' heroic last words before shooting at Unicron.
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Legends of the Microns''===
*Starscream asks why Megatron wants to cling to his rivalry with Optimus and says that the universe will soon be no more after witnessing Unicron's power. Galvatron says he's now aware of Unicron's existence and understands the need to destroy him but still refuses to work with Optimus. ''Armada'' rephrases the rivalry as a "petty argument" and changes Galvatron and Starscream's dialogue to Galvatron, warning Starscream not to test his patience or contemplate betraying him again.
*Cyclonus and Demolishor's lines to Starscream are changed to the former calling Starscream a coward and the latter asking what there is to worry about since Unicron is "just some planet that became our moon." Then Starscream calls them idiots for not understanding Unicron's true horror.
*In ''Armada'', Galvatron says Optimus will be sorry and that he'll also deal with Unicron. However, as he believes there can't be two supreme commanders, he's more focused on eliminating his competition before facing Unicron. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron says he never said the two factions couldn't join forces, but he'll have to deal with Prime first. He plans to kill Optimus and merge the Autobots into the Decepticon army, claiming Optimus is his sworn enemy and there's no tomorrow if he doesn't defeat Prime.
*Galvatron offers Starscream command over the Autobots after defeating Optimus. ''Armada'' has Galvatron requesting Starscream's complete loyalty.
*Before the episode title appears, Cyclonus says Starscream can wait there at HQ since their "Autobot Commander" only needs to sit on his throne.
*The kids discuss if they and the Autobots can trust Galvatron or believe anything he says, as Carlos says that Galvatron is constantly manipulating things. Alexis states that's why they need to negotiate. Then Optimus says that she's right, and Galvatron should understand the need for the Autobots and Decepticons to combine forces to combat Unicron. Rad worries about another fight breaking out, but Billy assures him that Optimus won't lose, and Optimus says he will try to avoid a clash with Galvatron.
*Afterward, an anxious Smokescreen demands the 'Cons to show themselves. Then Blurr reminds him the 'Cons are additional strength to help take down Unicron so they can't be too rough with them; Hot Shot tells Smokescreen they're counting on him, and Smokescreen answers, "I know! Use our heads, right?"
*Unlike ''Armada'', Demolishor explicitly says "Hot Shot and the others" are with Optimus. Then Galvatron entrusts Demolishor with handling them, but in ''Armada'', Galvatron tells Demolishor to "spare me [him] the details."
*Hot Shot is surprised when the Decepticons start firing. Blurr and Side Swipe's dialogue is changed to the former saying that the Autobots are now in the thick of things and the latter saying the Decepticons seemingly don't want to negotiate.
*In ''Armada'', Red Alert has a cynical outlook while talking about Wheeljack. Like Carlos, he truly believed Wheeljack changed sides before insisting that one will always be a Decepticon after becoming one. Then Carlos gripes that it's now hard distinguishing who's friend or foe, and Fred agrees. Red Alert says they should focus on their side more than the Decepticons, and Carlos agrees they should support their comrades. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Red Alert is less pessimistic, saying Wheeljack made a temporary truce to track down Thrust but will become a trustworthy Autobot ally if Optimus successfully negotiates with Galvatron. Carlos asks if that's like Scavenger, and Fred thinks it would. Then Red Alert says Hot Shot and Wheeljack's dynamic is similar to that between Optimus and Scavenger, making Carlos say that in that case, they should hope that Prime pulls off the negotiation.
*When Optimus combines with Jetfire and Overload and later breaks from them, ''Armada'' plays the ''Transformers'' theme and spams the transformation sound effect. In contrast, ''Legends of the Microns'' plays Prime's Super Mode theme, "Super Convoy," during the Powerlinx sequence. The Japanese dub later plays "[[The Transformers Legends of the Microns: Sound of Evolution Vol. 2|Theme of Megatron - Attack by Villains]]," fitting the tense situation better.
*''Armada'' has awkward silence after Jetfire's line as he forces away Tidal Wave because Jetfire says his lines without pausing. ''Legends of the Microns'' has a second-long pause between the lines, so there's no silence at the end of the shot.
*Optimus and Galvatron's dialogue differs significantly between the dubs:
**''Armada'' portrays Galvatron as very gung-ho about fighting Optimus as though it's how they'll "negotiate." He remains cynical about the reality of Unicron's threat and only cares about eliminating Optimus so he can be the universe's sole ruler. Optimus offers to talk once Galvatron cools off and later says the generic line about Galvatron's lust for power disgusting him. ''Legends of the Microns'' changes Galvatron's quip about needing to shut Optimus down to his offering to show Prime his "true incompetence." It continues his string of thoughts from earlier and the prior episode about believing two Supreme Commanders are too many and unnecessary to defeat Unicron. Thinking negotiating is needless, Galvatron wants to show he's the superior leader and orders Optimus to fight him. Optimus is silent until he calls Jetfire. After Optimus Powerlinx with Jetfire and Overload and flies off, Galvatron is confused about why Prime won't fight. Optimus asks Galvatron why he can't understand that they should make peace. When Optimus offers Galvatron command, Galvatron thinks Prime is mocking him and says Prime's presence will disrupt "the command structure" even if he steps down and demands Prime to show his power.
**After Tidal Wave and Jetfire leave, ''Armada'' has Galvatron suggest he and Optimus "cut to the chase" now that they're alone. He admits to respecting Prime somewhat but isn't falling for his "truce ploy" charade like Starscream did (as quoted above), still focusing on who will rule the universe. He later mocks Optimus for waiting for the Mini-Cons to rescue him, saying that won't happen. The Japanese version makes their exchange more philosophical: Galvatron mentions what Smokescreen told him about trust among the Autobots, remarking how it's pathetic, and calls Optimus a fool to bind himself with such vague notions. He says Starscream is no different and has had the same silly ideas after returning from the Autobots; Optimus says Starscream awakened to his true self as a Transformer after spending time on both sides. There is some silence after Galvatron demands Optimus to stop feeding him lies in ''Armada'' because the English dub shortens Optimus's line about Starscream, making Galvatron's reply come sooner than it does in ''Legends of the Microns''. Galvatron claims Starscream might be a worse traitor than Thrust. He insists that trust is nonsense, saying that one's power is something worth believing in; power is everything, and justice without it means nothing. Then Galvatron mocks Prime, asking if he's frustrated and sad since the Mini-Cons Optimus fought to save are now under his control and itching to dish out the killing blow.
*The Japanese dub uses the mid-episode [[commercial bumper]]s, while ''Armada'' uses the Autobot and Decepticon logos from the [[scene transition]]s with the transformation sound effect.
*Starscream says he won't hesitate to betray Galvatron because he must stand by his beliefs. Optimus says this isn't Starscream's fight, but the latter asserts otherwise. Galvatron says Starscream has become "a boring person" and asks if working with the Autobots is necessary; Starscream answers it is for "the future of the Transformers" and not just defeating Unicron and declares he will take command of the Decepticons after besting Galvatron. Galvatron dismisses it as wishful thinking and says Starscream will never beat him, but Starscream states he won't know until he tries.
*Carlos, Billy, and Fred's conversation in the Japanese dub shows them confused by how the negotiation looks no different than a regular Autobot and Decepticon encounter; Billy concludes it's something they'd expect when the factions meet. Then Alexis says things will be fine as she's sure something will change.
*Galvatron questions if Starscream infused his wingblade with his spark's power, to which Starscream answers that he's put every bit of his energy into it to defeat him. Then Optimus says there's no point trying to stop them since Starscream is so determined; Optimus has only one line during the scene in ''Armada'', so there's some silence afterward.
*When Unicron changes form again, Alexis says to look instead of asking what's happening, and Rad sounds more shocked. After Alexis's line about the Mini-Cons approaching Unicron, Billy has a line begging them to stop before Fred says Unicron is attacking the Mini-Cons. After stopping High Wire, Rad urges him to tell the other Mini-Cons to hide somewhere rather than stay put.
* ''Armada'' reduces Galvatron's dialogue to chalking up that Starscream's actions are due to his programming going haywire and offering to put him out of his misery. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Starscream scolds Galvatron for believing nobody could be his equal since he's so overconfident in his strength and declares that he will show him the power of a warrior willing to risk his life for his beliefs. Galvatron admits Starscream's newfound convictions deserve some respect, to which Starscream says the same for Galvatron's stubbornness. Galvatron wonders when the change started since Starscream never escaped his influence when he had ambition. Galvatron says something else is driving Starscream now, asking if the Autobots or the children are compelling him. Not understanding why Starscream would face him over something trivial, Galvatron asks if Starscream is betraying him for real this time before deciding that Starscream will never beat him as he keeps believing in things like trust and kindness.
*After the lightning strike from Unicron, the Japanese dub adds screaming to the shot after Demolishor and Wheeljack. Then Galvatron admits being surprised by Starscream's increased strength and that maybe trust isn't a fleeting concept. Starscream internally says Galvatron's name during his close-up, and Galvatron says never to drop his guard until the fight is over.
*Just before Galvatron impales Starscream, the animation is tweaked to clarify that the latter "switched off" his sword with no intention of blocking the fatal blow. The two don't exchange jibes here; they only say the other's name, and Galvatron kneels, realizing what Starscream has done and acknowledging the latter's power, while Starscream says he's still not as strong as Galvatron.
*Starscream's final moments are subtly different between the two versions:
**''Legends of the Microns'' has Starscream admire Megatron as an ultimate warrior he could never hope to beat and say he wanted Megatron to notice him. Megatron gently tells Starscream to stop speaking, later calling him a fool for persisting. Starscream says he'd never gotten the chance to talk to him like this without laying his life on the line first and calls Optimus a leader worthy of trust. After imploring both factions to team up, Starscream says a lot has happened. When unleashing his final attack, Starscream says, "SPARK OF MY SOUL...UNLEASH EVERY BIT OF YOUR POWER! NULL RAY CANNON!" The following scenes of his demise are silent except for Megatron gasping.
**In ''Armada'', Starscream says that he could never break the oath he swore to Galvatron as a Decepticon. He talks about his desperation to please Galvatron and that if Galvatron had given him the respect he wanted their fight could've been avoided, while comparing him to Optimus as an unintegral leader (a monologue played again during the montage). Instead of remarking on all that has happened, Starscream reiterates his plea for the Autobots and Decepticons to unite: "Please sir, do it for me." Galvatron is much more verbally hostile towards Starscream, acting infuriated rather than shocked when he realizes Starscream planned to die, and calling him too weak to be worthy of respect. When Starscream is obliterated by Unicron, his final scream can be heard.
*After Starscream's last moments in ''Legends of the Microns'', Optimus tells Swindle to come with him since his partner isn't here anymore. ''Armada'' has Optimus claim that Starscream was a brave soldier until the end.
*Galvatron's memories of Starscream replays his final monologue in ''Armada'', but ''Legends of the Microns'' instead has the montage feature moments of Starscream boasting, pleading, and wanting Megatron's recognition throughout the series.
*When Sideways steals the Star Saber, he declares that he now has all the keys. He says Unicron is the only one worthy of it and congratulates Galvatron and Optimus for their "good work." After Sideways escapes, Galvatron exclaims how this nightmare could worsen in ''Armada'' but remarks on Sideways fleeing underground in ''Legends of the Microns''.
*The scene of Sideways destroying the underground tunnel now has an effect added to his maniacal laughter to make it sound disembodied. After this, the scene of the kids' reactions upon learning of Starscream's death is silent, whereas their responses are heard in ''Armada''.
*In ''Armada'', Rad's closing narration is that Starscream was gone, and his demise seemed to be in vain. Then he says, like everything in life, everyone would have to wait to learn the purpose of Starscream's actions; for now, all they had were too many unanswered questions. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Alexis gives the narration, which contains a small glimmer of hope, unlike the English version. She says Starscream has died, but perhaps someday, the tears of sorrow over his death will become ones of determination, swearing that his efforts won't be wasted.

===Animation and technical errors===
*In the opening scene, Demolishor has four fingers and one thumb on each hand.
*Galvatron's hands are small stubs after swinging the Star Saber at Starscream in the opening.
*In the shots where Hoist warns Blurr not to fire upon the Decepticons except in self-defense, and after the others promise to cover Hot Shot, Blurr's entire gun is colored one solid orange shade.
*Scavenger's chest is partially off-model after the Decepticons begin firing upon the Autobots.
*Galvatron's mouth doesn't move when he says, "Let the negotiations begin!"
*Before Optimus calls for Jetfire, Galvatron's turret is partially miscolored dark gray.
*Galvatron's eyes are seemingly closed after Optimus Powerlinx with Jetfire and Overload.
*Jetfire shoots Tidal Wave in the eye...with the back of his rifle? The Japanese dub fixes this error.
*After Galvatron slashes Optimus with the Star Saber, one can hear the sound of crackling electricity from a wound, but Optimus looks unscathed until his next shot.
*Galvatron says, "What?" too soon in two scenes: first, before the explosion goes off behind him, seemingly out of surprise about gaining the upper hand when the Star Saber cuts Optimus's shoulder, and later when Sideways steals the Star Saber. ''Legends of the Microns'' fixes the timing by having Galvatron say it the first time while turning around ''after'' the explosion and later a second after Sideways takes the sword from him and Optimus.
*Starscream's mouth doesn't move when he speaks after appearing out of the smoke.
*As Starscream descends after catching his wing blade, Galvatron exclaims fearfully despite his brash overconfidence a moment ago. In ''Legends of the Microns'', he appropriately shouts "What?!" in shock instead.
*As Galvatron slaps Starscream during their duel, his right hand is drawn as a standard hand instead of its traditional claw-looking design.
*As Starscream fires on Unicron, his canopy is shown to be intact, despite being shattered by the Star Saber earlier. This may not be an error, however, given Powerlinx has been shown to heal wounds before.
*Starscream calls his Powerlinx weapon a "Proton Cannon." The Japanese version keeps the cannons' previous name, the Null-Laser Cannon, suggesting a translation error.
*Wheeljack says, "What's happening?" in Demolishor's voice. The Japanese version doesn't have this mistake.
*When Alexis goes to the window to see Starscream's Photon Cannon fail to reach Unicron, the Autobot symbol on the back of her suit changes from red to blue.
*When Galvatron raises the Star Saber before his memory montage, the inner part of his right shoulder is detached from the rest, already in its later position, before he lifts his arm.

===Continuity notes===
*In ''Legends of the Microns'', Billy refers to Galvatron as "stag beetle head," the nickname Thrust previously used in "[[Crisis (Armada)|Crisis]]."
*In ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron references what Smokescreen said to him in "[[Sacrifice]]" about trust binding the Autobots together.
*Galvatron refers to the time when Sparkplug saved Optimus in "[[Decisive Battle]]"; he might also mean when the Mini-Cons turned against him to save Optimus in "[[Vow]]."
*In the Japanese dub, Galvatron remarks about Starscream's ambition, which he previously did in "[[Rebellion (Armada)|Rebellion]]."
*''[[Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003]]'' calls this episode the last of the show's Starscream saga.
*Prepare yourself for when [[Megatron Raid|Starscream returns]] in ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' since his compelling character arc in ''Armada'' goes out the window like it never happened.
*Gadgets and powers:
**This is the first time Optimus combines with Overload while in his Jet Optimus configuration with Jetfire, with bonus stock transformation footage. However, Optimus combines with Jetfire first, only to fly a relatively short distance, making the combination with Overload pretty pointless other than [[To sell toys| to show they can.]]
**Starscream uses his wing blade against Galvatron.
*Powerlinx forms:
**Galvatron Powerlinx with the Star Saber for the last time.
**Starscream Powerlinx with Swindle to unleash his Null Laser Cannon against Unicron. The ''Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003'' deems it the last time a Transformer Powerlinx with a Mini-Con in the series.

===Continuity errors===
*At Megatron's statue, Starscream determines that he must protect the humans, but why would he defend all the kids when Alexis is the only one he knows well enough? Alexis is also who he thinks of at that moment. The Japanese dub correctly has Starscream resolving not to let ''Alexis'' die.
*How does Tidal Wave know to Powerlinx with Galvatron when Galvatron never gives the order and only says they're leaving to face Optimus? ''Legends of the Microns'' has Galvatron tell Tidal Wave to combine with him.
*Why would Red Alert believe there's no turning back once a Transformer becomes a Decepticon? Did he completely forget that Scavenger is an ex-Decepticon? There also must've been other rare cases of Decepticons becoming Autobots, and vice versa.
*Galvatron tells Tidal Wave to attack Optimus when they split up, but Tidal Wave does nothing until later. Galvatron only commands Tidal Wave to uncombine with him in the Japanese dub since Optimus just split from Jetfire and Overload, and Galvatron wishes to even things out.
*Tidal Wave is significantly smaller and weaker than previously depicted. Jetfire, shown not much smaller than Tidal Wave, shoulder-blocks and lifts off with him in a single movement.
*Alexis's pendant cracks upon Starscream's death; it somehow connected to his spark, but previous episodes never really built up that detail or alluded to it. Since the necklace has only appeared in two episodes, this feature almost seems like an afterthought for drama's sake.
**In the same scene, why does Rad ask Alexis what's happening outside when she doesn't know more than he does? He correctly asks her if something is wrong in ''Legends of the Microns''.
*Why does Rad give the closing narration when Alexis had the bond with Starscream, and his death devastates her more than anyone else? The Japanese dub rightly has Alexis deliver the narration.

===Transformers references===
*Starscream's death by crumbling into a pile of debris resembles [[Generation 1 cartoon continuity|G1]] [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream's]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
*Many parts of Galvatron and Starscream's speeches quote lyrics from ''[[The Touch]]'', like 'I'm nobody's fool' (see above) or Starscream's 'after all is said and done.'

===Real-world references===
*Fred's "The horror! The horror!" line is from ''{{w|Heart of Darkness}}'', the novel adapted into the film ''{{w|Apocalypse Now}}''.
*Galvatron gives Starscream one last chance not to fight, and when Starscream declines, Galvatron's "Is that your final answer?" line might be a reference to ''{{w|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?}}''.
*Galvatron tells Optimus the Autobots and Decepticons could never work together since they're like oil and water. It refers to the proverb about oil and water, as oil always tries to stay separate from water whenever combined; it explains how beings with specific traits can never mix, no matter what anyone does.

===Trivia===
[[File:Cramp - no ML title card.JPG|thumb|upright=1.4|Foreshadowing? Why, no!]]
*The episode's English version first aired in the United Kingdom on the {{w|Sky One}} channel when the network ran an around-the-clock promotion of American magician/"endurance artist" {{w|David Blaine}}'s controversial London stunt, complete with an obnoxious '''DAVID BLAINE''' onscreen overlay. It aired in the United States on [[December 8]], 2003.
*There's no title card in ''Legends of the Microns''; the title appears over Starscream. This way of showing the episode titles was only done previously in "[[Linkup]]."
*Optimus calls Starscream's Mini-Con Swindle instead of Zapmaster. So logically, Swindle received a color change like Starscream did (instead of him exchanging his Mini-Con for a new one in different colors).
*Starscream's proton cannon blasts don't even touch Unicron. You can see them dissipate before Alexis's eyes before they reach him. Most heartwrenching suicide ever?
*Starscream's sword is surprisingly powerful in this episode, durable enough to clash with Star Saber without any visible damage. Due to his upgrade after Nemesis Prime kicked his skidplate? Nah.
*This episode is one of few without an opening narration.
*This is the second time in the Japanese dub that a Transformer says, "Spark of my soul..." The last time was by Optimus Prime in "[[Crisis (Armada)|Crisis]]."
*''Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003'' reveals the following:
**The episode's highlights include Magna Jet Convoy's debut and the first half of the climactic fight: Optimus vs. Galvatron, which serves as a prelude to their final battle. The main highlight is the battle's second half with Starscream and Galvatron's last fight.
**[[Hidehito Ueda]] says that Galvatron expressing his feelings about Starscream wasn't in the scenario initially, but he wanted Galvatron to tell them.
**Ueda jokes about wanting Starscream to return as a ghost in ''Super Link'' before becoming a [[Pretender]] and marrying Alexis.
**The first moments for this episode that appeared in Ueda's mind when reading the scenario were Starscream's Null Laser Cannons not reaching Unicron, Alexis watching them stop short, and the silent scene of the children's reactions to Starscream's death at the end.
**Starscream died not as a Decepticon but as a Transformer.

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das Friedensangebot'''" ("Peace-Offering")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 12|12 January]] [[2004]]

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Párbaj'''" ("Duel")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La morsa'''" ("The Grip")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Obstáculo'''" ("Obstacle")

[[Category: Armada episodes]]

Transformers (2023) issue 20

2025-05-26T15:07:58Z

DevinM626:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #20
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 19
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 21
|image=Transformers 2023 20 Cover A.jpg
|caption=Daddy's home.
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[May 14]], [[2025]]
|coverdate=May 2025
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jorge Corona]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|publication design=[[Andres Juarez]]
|production=[[Ashby Florence]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The Autobots revive allies old and new following the return of Megatron, who has his own scores to settle.'''

==Synopsis==
In the ruins of [[Seattle]], now reunited with the [[Decepticon]]s, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] prepares to pursue the fleeing [[Autobot]]s. However, he is interrupted by a challenge from [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], as the furious [[Triple Changer]] finally confronts the object of his hatred. Megatron welcomes the challenge and, even in his injured state, savagely beats Astrotrain and tosses him off a building, mocking him. Astrotrain begs Megatron to go ahead and kill him, but Megatron assures him he still has plans for him.

Elsewhere, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] has been taken to a secret [[United States military]] site to be studied, though progress is slow as they barely know what they're dealing with. [[Doc (G.I. Joe)|Doc]] talks with a private about having recently seen action while the private mentions that he hasn't heard from his brother, who was serving onboard the [[USS Henry Harrison|USS ''Henry Harrison'']]. He asks Doc if he'll pray for him, but Doc simply states that he doesn't do that anymore.

At the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] convenes with [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. Optimus is worried: their forces are spread too thin, and he knows that Megatron will be coming after them as soon as he's reunited the disparate factions of Decepticons. Spike asks Optimus more about the [[Matrix of Leadership]], wondering if [[Sparkplug Witwicky|his dad]] might still be in there somewhere, but Prime confirms that he does not hear the voices of any of the Primes who now reside within it. Optimus confesses that he is worried about a darkness inside him that once overtook him at the start of the war, and fears that he won't be able to find the light; however, Spike reassures him that the light always comes back, just like a sunrise.

The pair's bonding moment is then interrupted by the arrival of [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] and the newly-repaired [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], who have returned from their mission to recover [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]. Optimus thanks Silverbolt and welcomes him into the ''Ark'', where the rest of the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s are finished being repaired. As they come online, the Aerialbots excitedly embrace Optimus. [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] then informs Optimus that he's set up a diagnostic table to examine Prime's visions, as [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] observes them from behind [[Teletraan I|Teletraan-1]].

[[File:TF2023 no. 20 - Megatron Punishes Starscream.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Some things never change.]]
On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Shredhead]] talks with [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], who is worried about [[Carly (G1)|Carly]]. Cliffjumper asks Shredhead if they recognize him, and Shredhead says that while their memories are hazy, they do feel a connection from the [[spark]]s that made them. When Cliffjumper tells Shredhead about his concerns for the human that painted the mural on the side of Shredhead's alternate mode, they enthusiastically transform and suggest the pair go rescue her.

Meanwhile, the Decepticons have reconvened on the fragment of Cybertron that fell into the [[Pacific Ocean]]. Megatron reveals that this particular part of their world housed the Beacon of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|The Ancient]], and that he hid raw materials here during the war. He orders [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] brought before him and, using the technology available, fully restores the damaged [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]. Starscream grovels before Megatron in thanks before Megatron proceeds to beat him once more within an inch of his life. He then orders Astrotrain be brought in and transforms into his gun mode. Though Starscream tries to resist, Megatron's will overpowers him and he blasts Astrotrain to smithereens, though this task requires Starscream to unload shot after shot, as Megatron's incomplete state means his gun mode lacks its usual firepower. After transforming back into robot mode, Megatron tells the Autobots to prepare themselves, because he's coming to make himself whole again...

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (8)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (10)
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (11)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (12)
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (13)
* [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (14)
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (15)
* [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (16)
* [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (17)
* [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (18)
* [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (19)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (20)
* [[Shredhead]] (23)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (24)

|c2=
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (1)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (2)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (3)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (4)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (5)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (21)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (22)
* [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (25)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (26)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (28)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (29)
* [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (30)
* [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (31)
* [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]](?) (32)<ref>Seen only from behind and in silhouette. Based on who’s present on Earth and the lack of helicopter rotors, it’s either Swindle or one of the other Constructicons.</ref>

||c3=
* [[Doc (G.I. Joe)|Doc]] (6)
* Private (7)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (9)

|h4=Others|c4=
* ''[[Omega Supreme (G1)|The Ancient]]'' (27)
}}

==Quotes==
"You are weak, Astrotrain. Weak and naive. Naive to think that there is justice in this life. But there's no justice here. Only '''strength'''. And I am the '''definition''' of strength." 
"Ungh..." 
"You were pathetic then. You're pathetic now. A stain on what it means to be a Decepticon." 
"Please... let it end. Just kill me now." 
"Not yet. I still have use for you."
:-'''Megatron''' gives '''Astrotrain''' a dressing-down.

"There is a darkness inside me, Spike. I can't quite tell what it is. No matter how dire our cause has gotten I have always been able to find...'''light'''. Where is it now?" 
"Optimus, look. I know there's not organic life on your planet. But...there are suns all over the galaxy, aren't there? Cybertron must have a sunset. Just like Earth?" 
"I...yes. You are correct." 
"Then there's gotta be a '''sunrise''' at some point."
:-'''Spike Witwicky''' lifts '''Optimus''' out of his funk.

"We must be our own saviors. We must look out for each other. Isn't that right '''Starscream'''?"
:—'''Megatron''' to '''Starscream'''

"Prepare yourselves, Autobots -- I am coming to make myself whole."
:—'''Megatron'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Astrotrain has been on the warpath for Megatron ever since being freed from the brig of the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 8|issue #8]].
* Though it isn't officially stated, the military site where Ultra Magnus is being kept is most likely a [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]-run site given the presence of Doc. What relation this site has to [[Pit (G.I. Joe)|the Pit]] and [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]]'s team is still unclear.
* The private states that he hasn't heard from his brother serving aboard the USS ''Henry Harrison'', indicating that he doesn't know about the destruction of the aircraft carrier by the Decepticons in issue #8.
* Though it wasn't immediately clear when we last saw him in [[Transformers (2023) issue 18|issue #18]], Spike's appearance here confirms that he's more-or-less fully recovered from being shot in [[Transformers (2023) issue 3|issue #3]], as he's able to walk without any form of assistance.
* We've had winks and nods here and there, but this issue is the first to really broach the topic of the Primes that preceded Optimus. As Optimus doesn't go into much detail about them besides acknowledging their spirits' presence within the Matrix, however, the Energon Universe's incarnation of the Prime lineage remains an enigma.
* While Optimus may not hear the voices of the previous Primes in the Matrix, Sparky entering it has clearly had some effect, as he has been experiencing visions of Sparky's life since issue #8. Optimus also notes that he's having trouble "finding the light", just as Sparky admitted he couldn't in [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|issue #4]], furthering the strengthening connection between the two.
* Jetfire was believed lost after being blasted by the [[space bridge]]'s energy in [[Transformers (2023) issue 9|issue #9]].
* The arrival of the Aerialbots has been ''long'' anticipated, as Daniel Warren Johnson regularly teased their then-forthcoming debut in the letters pages of previous issues.
* Skywarp has been fused with Teletraan-1 after being torn apart by Starscream and Soundwave since [[Transformers (2023) issue 5|issue #5]]. Thundercracker, after abandoning the Decepticons in [[Transformers (2023) issue 16|issue #16]], arrived at the ''Ark'' to try and separate Skywarp from the Autobot computer in [[Transformers (2023) issue 17|issue #17]].
* The Ancient, which fans know to be Omega Supreme, was first seen in the flashbacks of [[Transformers (2023) issue 13|issue #13]], and is once again referred to with gender-neutral pronouns. Prior to that, we had also seen a [[Guardian robot]] in a recording from Megatron in ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 1|#1]].
* Off-panel, Starscream's torso has been separated from the [[H.I.S.S. tank]] it was grafted to in [[Transformers (2023) issue 14|issue #14]].
* We first saw Megatron's gun mode and his ability to impose his will on those who wield it in issues #13 and #14. Just last issue, we learned that these abilities were granted to Megatron by a dark counterpart to the Matrix bestowed upon him by a group of [[Quintesson]]s.

===''Transformers'' references===
* The concept of the Matrix containing the spirits of past Autobot leaders (or Primes, in this case) was first introduced in "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]", the five-part opening arc of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Sunbow cartoon]]'s third season. Notably, Optimus' remark about not being able to commune with the Primes' contained spirits runs in direct contrast with the cartoon, where that ''was'' possible, indicating that the Matrix isn't as well-understood as Optimus thinks it is...
* Silverbolt's fear of flying is a trait that goes back to his original [[Bob Budiansky]]-penned tech specs.
* Just as in the [[Marvel Comics continuity]], the Aerialbots were built as a direct counter to the Decepticons' air superiority.

===''G.I. Joe'' references===
* This issue introduces G.I. Joe medic [[Doc (G.I. Joe)|Carl “Doc” Greer]] to the Energon Universe. In addition to being a medical doctor, Doc's original filecard listed his secondary military specialty as "chaplain's assistant." Here, however, the private refers to him as "chaplain" (see "Errors" below).

===Real life references===
* Beachcomber quotes [[Maverick (Collaborative)|Pete "Maverick" Mitchell]]'s iconic line from ''{{w|Top Gun}}''. This is not the first time that line has [[Perspective|appeared in ''Transformers'' fiction]].

===Errors===
* While it is not uncommon for chaplains to also have some medical training, chaplains are specifically noncombatants, which clashes with Doc having been described as seeing action recently.
*Ultra Magnus's antenna are once again colored Blue, instead of white.

===Other trivia===
* The panel of Optimus comforting Spike is visually similar to Starscream and Thundercracker attacking [[Davey]] and the ''Harrison'' captain in [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue 1]] and issue 8, respectively.
* Strangely, Starscream's new legs are blue.
* Daniel Warren Johnson and editor Ben Abernathy again take to the letters pages to tease what's to come and answer some pressing questions:
**Both hint at the appearence of [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] in future issues.
** When asked if Optimus' visions and violent outbursts are related to Megatron's [[fusion cannon]] arm and the mind-dominating ability of his pistol mode, Johnson responds with a smiling emoji. When that same reader asks if Shredhead will either stick around with Elita's team, form their own Autobot crew, or go it solo, Johnson responds with ''three''.
** One reader goes ''really'' deep and asks if [[Fusion (Marvel)|Fusion]], an incredibly obscure Autobot from the [[Transformers Annual 1985]] story "[[And There Shall Come...a Leader!]]", might appear in the comic. Johnson, likely not knowledgeable about the U.K. comic, remarks that the reader's probably farther ahead in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel run]] than he is, since he only made to ''roughly'' [[Pretender to the Throne!|issue #40]]. This marker gives us a rough, but still helpful idea of how far Johnson's knowledge of classic Generation 1 lore extends, or that he potentially misinterpreted "back in 85" as meaning issue #85, rather than the year 1985.
** Another reader brings up a salient point: if Megatron had the power to repair [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] in issue #18, why didn't he just use that power to fix himself? Johnson states that Megatron, in addition to being the cold-and-calculating type, has a very particular code he abides by, one that puts the well-being of his troops over his own... to an ''extent'', anyway.
** When one reader finds it odd that [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] was able to talk in issue #17, despite Ravage and Laserbeak seemingly being unable to, Johnson responds, "who said Laserbeak and Ravage can't talk? ;)"

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Megatron looms over Starscream, by Daniel Warren Johnson and [[Mike Spicer]].
* '''Cover B:''' The Aerialbots, by [[Jorge Corona]] and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C:''' Connecting cover by [[David Nakayama]].
* '''Cover D:''' Megatron fights Astrotrain, by [[Howard Porter]] and [[Romulo Fajardo Jr.]].
* '''Cover E:''' Jazz, by [[Simon Parr]].
* '''The 616 Comics Cover A:''' Connecting cover by [[Tiago da Silva]].
* '''The 616 Comics Cover B:''' The other half of Tiago da Silva's connecting cover.
* '''Big Time Collectibles Cover:''' Chibi-fied versions of various Autobots and Decepticons pose in front of a silhouetted Cybertron, by [[Freely Abrigo]].
* '''Clayton Crain Cover:''' The Autobots vs the Decepticons, by [[Clayton Crain]].
* '''East Side Comics Cover:''' Optimus Prime, by [[Raymund Bermudez]].
<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 20 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 20 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 20 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 20 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 20 Cover E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 20 The 616 Comics Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 20 The 616 Comics Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 20 Big Time Collectibles Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 20 Clayton Crain Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 20 East Side Comics Cover.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Energon Universe hardcovers (release dates on all three are a month early)
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''[[G.I. Joe (2024 comic)|G.I. Joe]]'' [[G.I. Joe (2024) issue 7|#7]], ''Void Rivals'' [[Void Rivals issue 19|#19]], and ''Transformers'' #21.
* Meet Your New Favorite Decepticon in ''[[Transformers: Worst Bot Ever]]''
* ''Ghost Pepper''

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 4: Conquer and Control''''' ([[November 25]], [[2025]]) ISBN 1534332588 / ISBN 978-1534332584 
** Collects ''Transformers'' issues #19–24 and the [[Transformers Energon Universe 2025 Special story|''Transformers'' story]] from ''[[Energon Universe 2025 Special]]''.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V4.jpg|'''''Volume 4: Conquer and Control''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 20

2025-05-26T15:06:21Z

DevinM626:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #20
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 19
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 21
|image=Transformers 2023 20 Cover A.jpg
|caption=Daddy's home.
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[May 14]], [[2025]]
|coverdate=May 2025
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jorge Corona]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|publication design=[[Andres Juarez]]
|production=[[Ashby Florence]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The Autobots revive allies old and new following the return of Megatron, who has his own scores to settle.'''

==Synopsis==
In the ruins of [[Seattle]], now reunited with the [[Decepticon]]s, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] prepares to pursue the fleeing [[Autobot]]s. However, he is interrupted by a challenge from [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], as the furious [[Triple Changer]] finally confronts the object of his hatred. Megatron welcomes the challenge and, even in his injured state, savagely beats Astrotrain and tosses him off a building, mocking him. Astrotrain begs Megatron to go ahead and kill him, but Megatron assures him he still has plans for him.

Elsewhere, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] has been taken to a secret [[United States military]] site to be studied, though progress is slow as they barely know what they're dealing with. [[Doc (G.I. Joe)|Doc]] talks with a private about having recently seen action while the private mentions that he hasn't heard from his brother, who was serving onboard the [[USS Henry Harrison|USS ''Henry Harrison'']]. He asks Doc if he'll pray for him, but Doc simply states that he doesn't do that anymore.

At the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] convenes with [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. Optimus is worried: their forces are spread too thin, and he knows that Megatron will be coming after them as soon as he's reunited the disparate factions of Decepticons. Spike asks Optimus more about the [[Matrix of Leadership]], wondering if [[Sparkplug Witwicky|his dad]] might still be in there somewhere, but Prime confirms that he does not hear the voices of any of the Primes who now reside within it. Optimus confesses that he is worried about a darkness inside him that once overtook him at the start of the war, and fears that he won't be able to find the light; however, Spike reassures him that the light always comes back, just like a sunrise.

The pair's bonding moment is then interrupted by the arrival of [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] and the newly-repaired [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], who have returned from their mission to recover [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]. Optimus thanks Silverbolt and welcomes him into the ''Ark'', where the rest of the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s are finished being repaired. As they come online, the Aerialbots excitedly embrace Optimus. [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] then informs Optimus that he's set up a diagnostic table to examine Prime's visions, as [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] observes them from behind [[Teletraan I|Teletraan-1]].

[[File:TF2023 no. 20 - Megatron Punishes Starscream.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Some things never change.]]
On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Shredhead]] talks with [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], who is worried about [[Carly (G1)|Carly]]. Cliffjumper asks Shredhead if they recognize him, and Shredhead says that while their memories are hazy, they do feel a connection from the [[spark]]s that made them. When Cliffjumper tells Shredhead about his concerns for the human that painted the mural on the side of Shredhead's alternate mode, they enthusiastically transform and suggest the pair go rescue her.

Meanwhile, the Decepticons have reconvened on the fragment of Cybertron that fell into the [[Pacific Ocean]]. Megatron reveals that this particular part of their world housed the Beacon of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|The Ancient]], and that he hid raw materials here during the war. He orders [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] brought before him and, using the technology available, fully restores the damaged [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]. Starscream grovels before Megatron in thanks before Megatron proceeds to beat him once more within an inch of his life. He then orders Astrotrain be brought in and transforms into his gun mode. Though Starscream tries to resist, Megatron's will overpowers him and he blasts Astrotrain to smithereens, though this task requires Starscream to unload shot after shot, as Megatron's incomplete state means his gun mode lacks its usual firepower. After transforming back into robot mode, Megatron tells the Autobots to prepare themselves, because he's coming to make himself whole again...

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (8)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (10)
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (11)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (12)
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (13)
* [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (14)
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (15)
* [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (16)
* [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (17)
* [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (18)
* [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (19)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (20)
* [[Shredhead]] (23)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (24)

|c2=
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (1)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (2)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (3)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (4)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (5)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (21)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (22)
* [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (25)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (26)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (28)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (29)
* [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (30)
* [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (31)
* [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]](?) (32)<ref>Seen only from behind and in silhouette. Based on who’s present on Earth and the lack of helicopter rotors, it’s either Swindle or one of the other Constructicons.</ref>

||c3=
* [[Doc (G.I. Joe)|Doc]] (6)
* Private (7)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (9)

|h4=Others|c4=
* ''[[Omega Supreme (G1)|The Ancient]]'' (27)
}}

==Quotes==
"You are weak, Astrotrain. Weak and naive. Naive to think that there is justice in this life. But there's no justice here. Only '''strength'''. And I am the '''definition''' of strength." 
"Ungh..." 
"You were pathetic then. You're pathetic now. A stain on what it means to be a Decepticon." 
"Please... let it end. Just kill me now." 
"Not yet. I still have use for you."
:-'''Megatron''' gives '''Astrotrain''' a dressing-down.

"There is a darkness inside me, Spike. I can't quite tell what it is. No matter how dire our cause has gotten I have always been able to find...'''light'''. Where is it now?" 
"Optimus, look. I know there's not organic life on your planet. But...there are suns all over the galaxy, aren't there? Cybertron must have a sunset. Just like Earth?" 
"I...yes. You are correct." 
"Then there's gotta be a '''sunrise''' at some point."
:-'''Spike Witwicky''' lifts '''Optimus''' out of his funk.

"We must be our own saviors. We must look out for each other. Isn't that right '''Starscream'''?"
:—'''Megatron''' to '''Starscream'''

"Prepare yourself Autobots -- I am coming to make myself whole."
:—'''Megatron'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Astrotrain has been on the warpath for Megatron ever since being freed from the brig of the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 8|issue #8]].
* Though it isn't officially stated, the military site where Ultra Magnus is being kept is most likely a [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]-run site given the presence of Doc. What relation this site has to [[Pit (G.I. Joe)|the Pit]] and [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]]'s team is still unclear.
* The private states that he hasn't heard from his brother serving aboard the USS ''Henry Harrison'', indicating that he doesn't know about the destruction of the aircraft carrier by the Decepticons in issue #8.
* Though it wasn't immediately clear when we last saw him in [[Transformers (2023) issue 18|issue #18]], Spike's appearance here confirms that he's more-or-less fully recovered from being shot in [[Transformers (2023) issue 3|issue #3]], as he's able to walk without any form of assistance.
* We've had winks and nods here and there, but this issue is the first to really broach the topic of the Primes that preceded Optimus. As Optimus doesn't go into much detail about them besides acknowledging their spirits' presence within the Matrix, however, the Energon Universe's incarnation of the Prime lineage remains an enigma.
* While Optimus may not hear the voices of the previous Primes in the Matrix, Sparky entering it has clearly had some effect, as he has been experiencing visions of Sparky's life since issue #8. Optimus also notes that he's having trouble "finding the light", just as Sparky admitted he couldn't in [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|issue #4]], furthering the strengthening connection between the two.
* Jetfire was believed lost after being blasted by the [[space bridge]]'s energy in [[Transformers (2023) issue 9|issue #9]].
* The arrival of the Aerialbots has been ''long'' anticipated, as Daniel Warren Johnson regularly teased their then-forthcoming debut in the letters pages of previous issues.
* Skywarp has been fused with Teletraan-1 after being torn apart by Starscream and Soundwave since [[Transformers (2023) issue 5|issue #5]]. Thundercracker, after abandoning the Decepticons in [[Transformers (2023) issue 16|issue #16]], arrived at the ''Ark'' to try and separate Skywarp from the Autobot computer in [[Transformers (2023) issue 17|issue #17]].
* The Ancient, which fans know to be Omega Supreme, was first seen in the flashbacks of [[Transformers (2023) issue 13|issue #13]], and is once again referred to with gender-neutral pronouns. Prior to that, we had also seen a [[Guardian robot]] in a recording from Megatron in ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 1|#1]].
* Off-panel, Starscream's torso has been separated from the [[H.I.S.S. tank]] it was grafted to in [[Transformers (2023) issue 14|issue #14]].
* We first saw Megatron's gun mode and his ability to impose his will on those who wield it in issues #13 and #14. Just last issue, we learned that these abilities were granted to Megatron by a dark counterpart to the Matrix bestowed upon him by a group of [[Quintesson]]s.

===''Transformers'' references===
* The concept of the Matrix containing the spirits of past Autobot leaders (or Primes, in this case) was first introduced in "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]", the five-part opening arc of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Sunbow cartoon]]'s third season. Notably, Optimus' remark about not being able to commune with the Primes' contained spirits runs in direct contrast with the cartoon, where that ''was'' possible, indicating that the Matrix isn't as well-understood as Optimus thinks it is...
* Silverbolt's fear of flying is a trait that goes back to his original [[Bob Budiansky]]-penned tech specs.
* Just as in the [[Marvel Comics continuity]], the Aerialbots were built as a direct counter to the Decepticons' air superiority.

===''G.I. Joe'' references===
* This issue introduces G.I. Joe medic [[Doc (G.I. Joe)|Carl “Doc” Greer]] to the Energon Universe. In addition to being a medical doctor, Doc's original filecard listed his secondary military specialty as "chaplain's assistant." Here, however, the private refers to him as "chaplain" (see "Errors" below).

===Real life references===
* Beachcomber quotes [[Maverick (Collaborative)|Pete "Maverick" Mitchell]]'s iconic line from ''{{w|Top Gun}}''. This is not the first time that line has [[Perspective|appeared in ''Transformers'' fiction]].

===Errors===
* While it is not uncommon for chaplains to also have some medical training, chaplains are specifically noncombatants, which clashes with Doc having been described as seeing action recently.
*Ultra Magnus's antenna are once again colored Blue, instead of white.

===Other trivia===
* The panel of Optimus comforting Spike is visually similar to Starscream and Thundercracker attacking [[Davey]] and the ''Harrison'' captain in [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue 1]] and issue 8, respectively.
* Strangely, Starscream's new legs are blue.
* Daniel Warren Johnson and editor Ben Abernathy again take to the letters pages to tease what's to come and answer some pressing questions:
**Both hint at the appearence of [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] in future issues.
** When asked if Optimus' visions and violent outbursts are related to Megatron's [[fusion cannon]] arm and the mind-dominating ability of his pistol mode, Johnson responds with a smiling emoji. When that same reader asks if Shredhead will either stick around with Elita's team, form their own Autobot crew, or go it solo, Johnson responds with ''three''.
** One reader goes ''really'' deep and asks if [[Fusion (Marvel)|Fusion]], an incredibly obscure Autobot from the [[Transformers Annual 1985]] story "[[And There Shall Come...a Leader!]]", might appear in the comic. Johnson, likely not knowledgeable about the U.K. comic, remarks that the reader's probably farther ahead in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel run]] than he is, since he only made to ''roughly'' [[Pretender to the Throne!|issue #40]]. This marker gives us a rough, but still helpful idea of how far Johnson's knowledge of classic Generation 1 lore extends, or that he potentially misinterpreted "back in 85" as meaning issue #85, rather than the year 1985.
** Another reader brings up a salient point: if Megatron had the power to repair [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] in issue #18, why didn't he just use that power to fix himself? Johnson states that Megatron, in addition to being the cold-and-calculating type, has a very particular code he abides by, one that puts the well-being of his troops over his own... to an ''extent'', anyway.
** When one reader finds it odd that [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] was able to talk in issue #17, despite Ravage and Laserbeak seemingly being unable to, Johnson responds, "who said Laserbeak and Ravage can't talk? ;)"

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Megatron looms over Starscream, by Daniel Warren Johnson and [[Mike Spicer]].
* '''Cover B:''' The Aerialbots, by [[Jorge Corona]] and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C:''' Connecting cover by [[David Nakayama]].
* '''Cover D:''' Megatron fights Astrotrain, by [[Howard Porter]] and [[Romulo Fajardo Jr.]].
* '''Cover E:''' Jazz, by [[Simon Parr]].
* '''The 616 Comics Cover A:''' Connecting cover by [[Tiago da Silva]].
* '''The 616 Comics Cover B:''' The other half of Tiago da Silva's connecting cover.
* '''Big Time Collectibles Cover:''' Chibi-fied versions of various Autobots and Decepticons pose in front of a silhouetted Cybertron, by [[Freely Abrigo]].
* '''Clayton Crain Cover:''' The Autobots vs the Decepticons, by [[Clayton Crain]].
* '''East Side Comics Cover:''' Optimus Prime, by [[Raymund Bermudez]].
<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 20 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 20 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 20 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 20 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 20 Cover E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 20 The 616 Comics Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 20 The 616 Comics Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 20 Big Time Collectibles Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 20 Clayton Crain Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 20 East Side Comics Cover.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Energon Universe hardcovers (release dates on all three are a month early)
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''[[G.I. Joe (2024 comic)|G.I. Joe]]'' [[G.I. Joe (2024) issue 7|#7]], ''Void Rivals'' [[Void Rivals issue 19|#19]], and ''Transformers'' #21.
* Meet Your New Favorite Decepticon in ''[[Transformers: Worst Bot Ever]]''
* ''Ghost Pepper''

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 4: Conquer and Control''''' ([[November 25]], [[2025]]) ISBN 1534332588 / ISBN 978-1534332584 
** Collects ''Transformers'' issues #19–24 and the [[Transformers Energon Universe 2025 Special story|''Transformers'' story]] from ''[[Energon Universe 2025 Special]]''.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V4.jpg|'''''Volume 4: Conquer and Control''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Cramp

2025-01-06T05:25:05Z

DevinM626:

{{episode|
|series=Armada
|ep=48
|prev=Portent
|next=Alliance
|title="Cramp"
|furigana=しんねん
|japanese=決死
|romaji=Shinnen
|translation=Prepared for Death: Conviction
|image=Starscreamheroicdeath.jpg
|caption="Tell my tale to those who ask. Tell it truly, the ill deeds along with the good, and let me be judged accordingly..."
|production code=TF: A-48
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]]
|writer=[[Akira Okeya]]
|englishadaptation=[[Terry Klassen]]
|director=[[Osamu Kamijō]], [[Mitsuru Kawasaki]] (asst. dir.)
|animation studio=[[Actas Inc.]]
|airdate=[[September 29]], [[2003]] (English, United Kingdom) [[November 28|28 November]] 2003 (Japanese) [[December 8]], [[2003]] (English, United States)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy]]
}}
'''Starscream prepares to do whatever it takes to convince Galvatron the threat of Unicron is real.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Starsmack.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Galvatron blasts Starscream with his rarely seen armpit-laser.]]
[[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] pleads to [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] that [[Unicron]]'s threat is real (as Starscream has first-hand experience in the beast's bowels); hoping to convince his leader that perhaps an [[Autobot]] and [[Decepticon]] alliance is the safest course to ensure [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s survival. When Starscream refuses to stop pleading, Galvatron slaps his subordinate into a wall to silence him. The Decepticon leader is confident his military can overcome both the Autobots and Unicron. Starscream continues to stress the danger of Unicron, and Galvatron starts to swing his [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]].

[[File:Cramp-Starscreamdies.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|[[Code of Hero|The rest is... silence]]. Well, [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|not really]], but don't you kinda wish it was?]]
The Autobots are still optimistic, believing there's a chance a diplomatic conference could lead to a truce between the two sides, meaning they can't take aggressive action against the Decepticons, only defensive. Nevertheless, Galvatron, armed with the Star Saber and [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]], flies into battle, ready to negotiate with [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] using firepower. Prime responds by combining with [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] and [[Overload (Armada)|Overload]] and heading away from the thick of the fight.

By a [[Megatron statue|monolithic statue of Megatron]], Starscream wonders what he needs to do, and [[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]]'s words of encouragement run through his head.

Away from the armies, Galvatron and Optimus Prime send their men away, leaving the two leaders to battle one on one. Through the struggle, Galvatron admits that he still considers Unicron an Autobot hoax, and with the Star Saber, he has the upper hand against Prime. However, as soon as Galvatron breaks Prime's metal, an explosion disturbs the showdown. Starscream walks from the smoke.

The rest of the Autobots struggle to hold their ground, unable to cause any real damage to the Decepticons. Alexis has faith that things will be okay. Meanwhile, Unicron's lunar shell peels off thousands of miles away, and the behemoth attacks the assembled Mini-Con cluster.

[[File:Cramp-Swindleejects.jpg|left|thumb|I'm not crying! I just have something in my eyes.]]
Starscream quits the Decepticons and challenges Galvatron to one-on-one combat. The two clash, quickly cutting into each other. However, Starscream displays skill beyond the last time he battled Megatron. Lightning from Unicron carves into the landscape around them. The two warriors ignore it and continue their struggle, but in an instant, the Star Saber plunges into Starscream's torso, and the impaled Decepticon falls.

Lying with the blade sticking out of him, Starscream speaks earnestly to Galvatron, pointing out that Galvatron's arrogance drove the situation to be what it is. Despite his injury, Starscream stands up and reiterates his wishes for a truce between the two Cybertronian factions against Unicron. With his final desire said, Starscream joins with his [[Mini-Con]] to fire his [[Proton cannon]]s upwards at Unicron. Unicron fires back, disintegrating Starscream, much to Galvatron and Optimus's shock. Aboard the ''[[Axalon (Armada)|Axalon]]'', Alexis's [[Good Luck Necklace|luck charm]] breaks, and she runs outside to look out the window and sees Starscream's laser blast fade away.

[[File:Cramp-AlexismournsStarscream.jpg|left|thumb|I never got to tell Starscream that I loved him!]]
Realizing Starscream was right about Unicron's threat, Galvatron remembers their shared experiences and ''finally'' decides to join forces with Optimus Prime. He starts by offering the Star Saber to Optimus... But from the crater Starscream died in, a dark cloud emerges and grabs the Star Saber! The cloud forms into [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]], who escapes the two leaders through the underground portal, collapsing the tunnels so the Autobots and Decepticons can't follow him. Upon witnessing Sideways's escape, Optimus and Galvatron fear for the worst to come.

After Optimus tells them about Starscream's death over the monitor, the kids are devastated, especially Alexis, who begins crying. She then bolts from the room and slams her fist on the window that displays Unicron in grief. When [[Rad White|Rad]] appears behind her, she smacks his shoulders, asking why Starscream would do that to himself, and Rad does his best to console her.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (8)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (9)
*[[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]] (10)
*[[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]] (14)
*[[Smokescreen (Armada)|Hoist]] (15)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] (16)
*[[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]] (17)
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (18)
*[[Overload (Armada)|Overload]] (21)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (1)
*[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (2)
*[[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] (3)
*[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] (4)
*[[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] (5)
*[[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] (20)

|c3=
*[[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] (6)
*[[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] (7)
*[[Carlos Lopez|Carlos]] (11)
*[[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]] (12)
*[[Rad White|Rad]] (13)

|h4=[[Mini-Con]]s|c4=
*[[Leader-1 (Armada)|Leader-1]] (19) (Powerlinxed with Galvatron)
*[[Sureshock (Armada)|Sureshock]] (23)
*[[Grindor (Armada)|Grindor]] (24)
*[[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]] (25)
*[[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]] (26)

|h5=Other|c5=
*[[Unicron]] (22)
*[[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] (27)
}}

==Quotes==
[[File:Cramp-Galvatronregrets.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|You'll miss me when I'm gone!]]
"How long have we been adversaries, Optimus? It seems like since the beginning of time. And I suppose I do have a certain respect for you, but I digress, you might have fooled Starscream with your little Truce ploy, but I am nobody's fool. Now let's end this charade, shall we?"
:—'''Galvatron''' faces off against Optimus Prime in the 'negotiations.'

"May I suggest that you have lost your mind?!"
:—'''Galvatron''' to Starscream, who has just challenged him to a duel.

"I tried to gain favor from you. But nothing was ever good enough. No matter how many battles I fought, you always found fault. Then I saw how Optimus treated his men, and I realized he was a leader of integrity. Unlike you." 
"You were too weak to ever gain my respect." 
"None of that matters now. You must listen — do as Optimus says and join forces with the Autobots, or else every last one of us is doomed! Please sir... do it for me..."
:—'''Starscream''' pours his spark out to '''Galvatron''' after being impaled by the Star Saber

"It's time to finish this once and for all! Activate Proton Cannon! YOU'RE ALL MINE, UNICRON!!!"
:—'''Starscream's''' heroic last words before shooting at Unicron.
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Legends of the Microns''===
*Starscream asks why Megatron wants to cling to his rivalry with Optimus and says that the universe will soon be no more after witnessing Unicron's power. Galvatron says he's now aware of Unicron's existence and understands the need to destroy him but still refuses to work with Optimus. ''Armada'' rephrases the rivalry as a "petty argument" and changes Galvatron and Starscream's dialogue to Galvatron, warning Starscream not to test his patience or contemplate betraying him again.
*Cyclonus and Demolishor's lines to Starscream are changed to the former calling Starscream a coward and the latter asking what there is to worry about since Unicron is "just some planet that became our moon." Then Starscream calls them idiots for not understanding Unicron's true horror.
*In ''Armada'', Galvatron says Optimus will be sorry and that he'll also deal with Unicron. However, as he believes there can't be two supreme commanders, he's more focused on eliminating his competition before facing Unicron. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron says he never said the two factions couldn't join forces, but he'll have to deal with Prime first. He plans to kill Optimus and merge the Autobots into the Decepticon army, claiming Optimus is his sworn enemy and there's no tomorrow if he doesn't defeat Prime.
*Galvatron offers Starscream command over the Autobots after defeating Optimus. ''Armada'' has Galvatron requesting Starscream's complete loyalty.
*Before the episode title appears, Cyclonus says Starscream can wait there at HQ since their "Autobot Commander" only needs to sit on his throne.
*The kids discuss if they and the Autobots can trust Galvatron or believe anything he says, as Carlos says that Galvatron is constantly manipulating things. Alexis states that's why they need to negotiate. Then Optimus says that she's right, and Galvatron should understand the need for the Autobots and Decepticons to combine forces to combat Unicron. Rad worries about another fight breaking out, but Billy assures him that Optimus won't lose, and Optimus says he will try to avoid a clash with Galvatron.
*Afterward, an anxious Smokescreen demands the 'Cons to show themselves. Then Blurr reminds him the 'Cons are additional strength to help take down Unicron so they can't be too rough with them; Hot Shot tells Smokescreen they're counting on him, and Smokescreen answers, "I know! Use our heads, right?"
*Unlike ''Armada'', Demolishor explicitly says "Hot Shot and the others" are with Optimus. Then Galvatron entrusts Demolishor with handling them, but in ''Armada'', Galvatron tells Demolishor to "spare me [him] the details."
*Hot Shot is surprised when the Decepticons start firing. Blurr and Side Swipe's dialogue is changed to the former saying that the Autobots are now in the thick of things and the latter saying the Decepticons seemingly don't want to negotiate.
*In ''Armada'', Red Alert has a cynical outlook while talking about Wheeljack. Like Carlos, he truly believed Wheeljack changed sides before insisting that one will always be a Decepticon after becoming one. Then Carlos gripes that it's now hard distinguishing who's friend or foe, and Fred agrees. Red Alert says they should focus on their side more than the Decepticons, and Carlos agrees they should support their comrades. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Red Alert is less pessimistic, saying Wheeljack made a temporary truce to track down Thrust but will become a trustworthy Autobot ally if Optimus successfully negotiates with Galvatron. Carlos asks if that's like Scavenger, and Fred thinks it would. Then Red Alert says Hot Shot and Wheeljack's dynamic is similar to that between Optimus and Scavenger, making Carlos say that in that case, they should hope that Prime pulls off the negotiation.
*When Optimus combines with Jetfire and Overload and later breaks from them, ''Armada'' plays the ''Transformers'' theme and spams the transformation sound effect. In contrast, ''Legends of the Microns'' plays Prime's Super Mode theme, "Super Convoy," during the Powerlinx sequence. The Japanese dub later plays "[[The Transformers Legends of the Microns: Sound of Evolution Vol. 2|Theme of Megatron - Attack by Villains]]," fitting the tense situation better.
*''Armada'' has awkward silence after Jetfire's line as he forces away Tidal Wave because Jetfire says his lines without pausing. ''Legends of the Microns'' has a second-long pause between the lines, so there's no silence at the end of the shot.
*Optimus and Galvatron's dialogue differs significantly between the dubs:
**''Armada'' portrays Galvatron as very gung-ho about fighting Optimus as though it's how they'll "negotiate." He remains cynical about the reality of Unicron's threat and only cares about eliminating Optimus so he can be the universe's sole ruler. Optimus offers to talk once Galvatron cools off and later says the generic line about Galvatron's lust for power disgusting him. ''Legends of the Microns'' changes Galvatron's quip about needing to shut Optimus down to his offering to show Prime his "true incompetence." It continues his string of thoughts from earlier and the prior episode about believing two Supreme Commanders are too many and unnecessary to defeat Unicron. Thinking negotiating is needless, Galvatron wants to show he's the superior leader and orders Optimus to fight him. Optimus is silent until he calls Jetfire. After Optimus Powerlinx with Jetfire and Overload and flies off, Galvatron is confused about why Prime won't fight. Optimus asks Galvatron why he can't understand that they should make peace. When Optimus offers Galvatron command, Galvatron thinks Prime is mocking him and says Prime's presence will disrupt "the command structure" even if he steps down and demands Prime to show his power.
**After Tidal Wave and Jetfire leave, ''Armada'' has Galvatron suggest he and Optimus "cut to the chase" now that they're alone. He admits to respecting Prime somewhat but isn't falling for his "truce ploy" charade like Starscream did (as quoted above), still focusing on who will rule the universe. He later mocks Optimus for waiting for the Mini-Cons to rescue him, saying that won't happen. The Japanese version makes their exchange more philosophical: Galvatron mentions what Smokescreen told him about trust among the Autobots, remarking how it's pathetic, and calls Optimus a fool to bind himself with such vague notions. He says Starscream is no different and has had the same silly ideas after returning from the Autobots; Optimus says Starscream awakened to his true self as a Transformer after spending time on both sides. There is some silence after Galvatron demands Optimus to stop feeding him lies in ''Armada'' because the English dub shortens Optimus's line about Starscream, making Galvatron's reply come sooner than it does in ''Legends of the Microns''. Galvatron claims Starscream might be a worse traitor than Thrust. He insists that trust is nonsense, saying that one's power is something worth believing in; power is everything, and justice without it means nothing. Then Galvatron mocks Prime, asking if he's frustrated and sad since the Mini-Cons Optimus fought to save are now under his control and itching to dish out the killing blow.
*The Japanese dub uses the mid-episode [[commercial bumper]]s, while ''Armada'' uses the Autobot and Decepticon logos from the [[scene transition]]s with the transformation sound effect.
*Starscream says he won't hesitate to betray Galvatron because he must stand by his beliefs. Optimus says this isn't Starscream's fight, but the latter asserts otherwise. Galvatron says Starscream has become "a boring person" and asks if working with the Autobots is necessary; Starscream answers it is for "the future of the Transformers" and not just defeating Unicron and declares he will take command of the Decepticons after besting Galvatron. Galvatron dismisses it as wishful thinking and says Starscream will never beat him, but Starscream states he won't know until he tries.
*Carlos, Billy, and Fred's conversation in the Japanese dub shows them confused by how the negotiation looks no different than a regular Autobot and Decepticon encounter; Billy concludes it's something they'd expect when the factions meet. Then Alexis says things will be fine as she's sure something will change.
*Galvatron questions if Starscream infused his wingblade with his spark's power, to which Starscream answers that he's put every bit of his energy into it to defeat him. Then Optimus says there's no point trying to stop them since Starscream is so determined; Optimus has only one line during the scene in ''Armada'', so there's some silence afterward.
*When Unicron changes form again, Alexis says to look instead of asking what's happening, and Rad sounds more shocked. After Alexis's line about the Mini-Cons approaching Unicron, Billy has a line begging them to stop before Fred says Unicron is attacking the Mini-Cons. After stopping High Wire, Rad urges him to tell the other Mini-Cons to hide somewhere rather than stay put.
* ''Armada'' reduces Galvatron's dialogue to chalking up that Starscream's actions are due to his programming going haywire and offering to put him out of his misery. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Starscream scolds Galvatron for believing nobody could be his equal since he's so overconfident in his strength and declares that he will show him the power of a warrior willing to risk his life for his beliefs. Galvatron admits Starscream's newfound convictions deserve some respect, to which Starscream says the same for Galvatron's stubbornness. Galvatron wonders when the change started since Starscream never escaped his influence when he had ambition. Galvatron says something else is driving Starscream now, asking if the Autobots or the children are compelling him. Not understanding why Starscream would face him over something trivial, Galvatron asks if Starscream is betraying him for real this time before deciding that Starscream will never beat him as he keeps believing in things like trust and kindness.
*After the lightning strike from Unicron, the Japanese dub adds screaming to the shot after Demolishor and Wheeljack. Then Galvatron admits being surprised by Starscream's increased strength and that maybe trust isn't a fleeting concept. Starscream internally says Galvatron's name during his close-up, and Galvatron says never to drop his guard until the fight is over.
*Just before Galvatron impales Starscream, the animation is tweaked to clarify that the latter "switched off" his sword with no intention of blocking the fatal blow. The two don't exchange jibes here; they only say the other's name, and Galvatron kneels, realizing what Starscream has done and acknowledging the latter's power, while Starscream says he's still not as strong as Galvatron.
*Starscream's final moments are subtly different between the two versions:
**''Legends of the Microns'' has Starscream admire Megatron as an ultimate warrior he could never hope to beat and say he wanted Megatron to notice him. Megatron gently tells Starscream to stop speaking, later calling him a fool for persisting. Starscream says he'd never gotten the chance to talk to him like this without laying his life on the line first and calls Optimus a leader worthy of trust. After imploring both factions to team up, Starscream says a lot has happened. When unleashing his final attack, Starscream says, "SPARK OF MY SOUL...UNLEASH EVERY BIT OF YOUR POWER! NULL RAY CANNON!" The following scenes of his demise are silent except for Megatron gasping.
**In ''Armada'', Starscream says that he could never break the oath he swore to Galvatron as a Decepticon. He talks about his desperation to please Galvatron and that if Galvatron had given him the respect he wanted their fight could've been avoided, while comparing him to Optimus as an unintegral leader (a monologue played again during the montage). Instead of remarking on all that has happened, Starscream reiterates his plea for the Autobots and Decepticons to unite: "Please sir, do it for me." Galvatron is much more verbally hostile towards Starscream, acting infuriated rather than shocked when he realizes Starscream planned to die, and calling him too weak to be worthy of respect. When Starscream is obliterated by Unicron, his final scream can be heard.
*After Starscream's last moments in ''Legends of the Microns'', Optimus tells Swindle to come with him since his partner isn't here anymore. ''Armada'' has Optimus claim that Starscream was a brave soldier until the end.
*Galvatron's memories of Starscream replays his final monologue in ''Armada'', but ''Legends of the Microns'' instead has the montage feature moments of Starscream boasting, pleading, and wanting Megatron's recognition throughout the series.
*When Sideways steals the Star Saber, he declares that he now has all the keys. He says Unicron is the only one worthy of it and congratulates Galvatron and Optimus for their "good work." After Sideways escapes, Galvatron exclaims how this nightmare could worsen in ''Armada'' but remarks on Sideways fleeing underground in ''Legends of the Microns''.
*The scene of Sideways destroying the underground tunnel now has an effect added to his maniacal laughter to make it sound disembodied. After this, the scene of the kids' reactions upon learning of Starscream's death is silent, whereas their responses are heard in ''Armada''.
*In ''Armada'', Rad's closing narration is that Starscream was gone, and his demise seemed to be in vain. Then he says, like everything in life, everyone would have to wait to learn the purpose of Starscream's actions; for now, all they had were too many unanswered questions. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Alexis gives the narration, which contains a small glimmer of hope, unlike the English version. She says Starscream has died, but perhaps someday, the tears of sorrow over his death will become ones of determination, swearing that his efforts won't be wasted.

===Animation and technical errors===
*In the opening scene, Demolishor has four fingers and one thumb on each hand.
*Galvatron's hands are small stubs after swinging the Star Saber at Starscream in the opening.
*In the shots where Hoist warns Blurr not to fire upon the Decepticons except in self-defense, and after the others promise to cover Hot Shot, Blurr's entire gun is colored one solid orange shade.
*Scavenger's chest is partially off-model after the Decepticons begin firing upon the Autobots.
*Galvatron's mouth doesn't move when he says, "Let the negotiations begin!"
*Before Optimus calls for Jetfire, Galvatron's turret is partially miscolored dark gray.
*Galvatron's eyes are seemingly closed after Optimus Powerlinx with Jetfire and Overload.
*Jetfire shoots Tidal Wave in the eye...with the back of his rifle? The Japanese dub fixes this error.
*After Galvatron slashes Optimus with the Star Saber, one can hear the sound of crackling electricity from a wound, but Optimus looks unscathed until his next shot.
*Galvatron says, "What?" too soon in two scenes: first, before the explosion goes off behind him, seemingly out of surprise about gaining the upper hand when the Star Saber cuts Optimus's shoulder, and later when Sideways steals the Star Saber. ''Legends of the Microns'' fixes the timing by having Galvatron say it the first time while turning around ''after'' the explosion and later a second after Sideways takes the sword from him and Optimus.
*Starscream's mouth doesn't move when he speaks after appearing out of the smoke.
*As Starscream descends after catching his wing blade, Galvatron exclaims fearfully despite his brash overconfidence a moment ago. In ''Legends of the Microns'', he appropriately shouts "What?!" in shock instead.
*As Galvatron slaps Starscream during their duel, his right hand is drawn as a standard hand instead of its traditional claw-looking design.
*Wheeljack says, "What's happening?" in Demolishor's voice. The Japanese version doesn't have this mistake.
*When Alexis goes to the window to see Starscream's Photon Cannon fail to reach Unicron, the Autobot symbol on the back of her suit changes from red to blue.
*When Galvatron raises the Star Saber before his memory montage, the inner part of his right shoulder is detached from the rest, already in its later position, before he lifts his arm.

===Continuity notes===
*In ''Legends of the Microns'', Billy refers to Galvatron as "stag beetle head," the nickname Thrust previously used in "[[Crisis (Armada)|Crisis]]."
*In ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron references what Smokescreen said to him in "[[Sacrifice]]" about trust binding the Autobots together.
*Galvatron refers to the time when Sparkplug saved Optimus in "[[Decisive Battle]]"; he might also mean when the Mini-Cons turned against him to save Optimus in "[[Vow]]."
*In the Japanese dub, Galvatron remarks about Starscream's ambition, which he previously did in "[[Rebellion (Armada)|Rebellion]]."
*''[[Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003]]'' calls this episode the last of the show's Starscream saga.
*Prepare yourself for when [[Megatron Raid|Starscream returns]] in ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' since his compelling character arc in ''Armada'' goes out the window like it never happened.
*Gadgets and powers:
**This is the first time Optimus combines with Overload while in his Jet Optimus configuration with Jetfire, with bonus stock transformation footage. However, Optimus combines with Jetfire first, only to fly a relatively short distance, making the combination with Overload pretty pointless other than [[To sell toys| to show they can.]]
**Starscream uses his wing blade against Galvatron.
*Powerlinx forms:
**Galvatron Powerlinx with the Star Saber for the last time.
**Starscream Powerlinx with Swindle to unleash his Null Laser Cannon against Unicron. The ''Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003'' deems it the last time a Transformer Powerlinx with a Mini-Con in the series.

===Continuity errors===
*At Megatron's statue, Starscream determines that he must protect the humans, but why would he defend all the kids when Alexis is the only one he knows well enough? Alexis is also who he thinks of at that moment. The Japanese dub correctly has Starscream resolving not to let ''Alexis'' die.
*How does Tidal Wave know to Powerlinx with Galvatron when Galvatron never gives the order and only says they're leaving to face Optimus? ''Legends of the Microns'' has Galvatron tell Tidal Wave to combine with him.
*Why would Red Alert believe there's no turning back once a Transformer becomes a Decepticon? Did he completely forget that Scavenger is an ex-Decepticon? There also must've been other rare cases of Decepticons becoming Autobots, and vice versa.
*Galvatron tells Tidal Wave to attack Optimus when they split up, but Tidal Wave does nothing until later. Galvatron only commands Tidal Wave to uncombine with him in the Japanese dub since Optimus just split from Jetfire and Overload, and Galvatron wishes to even things out.
*Tidal Wave is significantly smaller and weaker than previously depicted. Jetfire, shown not much smaller than Tidal Wave, shoulder-blocks and lifts off with him in a single movement.
*Alexis's pendant cracks upon Starscream's death; it somehow connected to his spark, but previous episodes never really built up that detail or alluded to it. Since the necklace has only appeared in two episodes, this feature almost seems like an afterthought for drama's sake.
**In the same scene, why does Rad ask Alexis what's happening outside when she doesn't know more than he does? He correctly asks her if something is wrong in ''Legends of the Microns''.
*Why does Rad give the closing narration when Alexis had the bond with Starscream, and his death devastates her more than anyone else? The Japanese dub rightly has Alexis deliver the narration.

===Transformers references===
*Starscream's death by crumbling into a pile of debris resembles [[Generation 1 cartoon continuity|G1]] [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream's]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
*Many parts of Galvatron and Starscream's speeches quote lyrics from ''[[The Touch]]'', like 'I'm nobody's fool' (see above) or Starscream's 'after all is said and done.'

===Real-world references===
*Fred's "The horror! The horror!" line is from ''{{w|Heart of Darkness}}'', the novel adapted into the film ''{{w|Apocalypse Now}}''.
*Galvatron gives Starscream one last chance not to fight, and when Starscream declines, Galvatron's "Is that your final answer?" line might be a reference to ''{{w|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?}}''.
*Galvatron tells Optimus the Autobots and Decepticons could never work together since they're like oil and water. It refers to the proverb about oil and water, as oil always tries to stay separate from water whenever combined; it explains how beings with specific traits can never mix, no matter what anyone does.

===Trivia===
[[File:Cramp - no ML title card.JPG|thumb|upright=1.4|Foreshadowing? Why, no!]]
*The episode's English version first aired in the United Kingdom on the {{w|Sky One}} channel when the network ran an around-the-clock promotion of American magician/"endurance artist" {{w|David Blaine}}'s controversial London stunt, complete with an obnoxious '''DAVID BLAINE''' onscreen overlay. It aired in the United States on [[December 8]], 2003.
*There's no title card in ''Legends of the Microns''; the title appears over Starscream. This way of showing the episode titles was only done previously in "[[Linkup]]."
*Optimus calls Starscream's Mini-Con Swindle instead of Zapmaster. So logically, Swindle received a color change like Starscream did (instead of him exchanging his Mini-Con for a new one in different colors).
*Starscream's proton cannon blasts don't even touch Unicron. You can see them dissipate before Alexis's eyes before they reach him. Most heartwrenching suicide ever?
*Starscream's sword is surprisingly powerful in this episode, durable enough to clash with Star Saber without any visible damage. Due to his upgrade after Nemesis Prime kicked his skidplate? Nah.
*This episode is one of few without an opening narration.
*This is the second time in the Japanese dub that a Transformer says, "Spark of my soul..." The last time was by Optimus Prime in "[[Crisis (Armada)|Crisis]]."
*''Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003'' reveals the following:
**The episode's highlights include Magna Jet Convoy's debut and the first half of the climactic fight: Optimus vs. Galvatron, which serves as a prelude to their final battle. The main highlight is the battle's second half with Starscream and Galvatron's last fight.
**[[Hidehito Ueda]] says that Galvatron expressing his feelings about Starscream wasn't in the scenario initially, but he wanted Galvatron to tell them.
**Ueda jokes about wanting Starscream to return as a ghost in ''Super Link'' before becoming a [[Pretender]] and marrying Alexis.
**The first moments for this episode that appeared in Ueda's mind when reading the scenario were Starscream's Null Laser Cannons not reaching Unicron, Alexis watching them stop short, and the silent scene of the children's reactions to Starscream's death at the end.
**Starscream died not as a Decepticon but as a Transformer.

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das Friedensangebot'''" ("Peace-Offering")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 12|12 January]] [[2004]]

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Párbaj'''" ("Duel")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La morsa'''" ("The Grip")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Obstáculo'''" ("Obstacle")

[[Category: Armada episodes]]

Cramp

2025-01-06T05:24:24Z

DevinM626:

{{episode|
|series=Armada
|ep=48
|prev=Portent
|next=Alliance
|title="Cramp"
|furigana=しんねん
|japanese=決死
|romaji=Shinnen
|translation=Prepared for Death: Conviction
|image=Starscreamheroicdeath.jpg
|caption="Tell my tale to those who ask. Tell it truly, the ill deeds along with the good, and let me be judged accordingly..."
|production code=TF: A-48
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]]
|writer=[[Akira Okeya]]
|englishadaptation=[[Terry Klassen]]
|director=[[Osamu Kamijō]], [[Mitsuru Kawasaki]] (asst. dir.)
|animation studio=[[Actas Inc.]]
|airdate=[[September 29]], [[2003]] (English, United Kingdom) [[November 28|28 November]] 2003 (Japanese) [[December 8]], [[2003]] (English, United States)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy]]
}}
'''Starscream prepares to do whatever it takes to convince Galvatron the threat of Unicron is real.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Starsmack.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Galvatron blasts Starscream with his rarely seen armpit-laser.]]
[[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] pleads to [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] that [[Unicron]]'s threat is real (as Starscream has first-hand experience in the beast's bowels); hoping to convince his leader that perhaps an [[Autobot]] and [[Decepticon]] alliance is the safest course to ensure [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s survival. When Starscream refuses to stop pleading, Galvatron slaps his subordinate into a wall to silence him. The Decepticon leader is confident his military can overcome both the Autobots and Unicron. Starscream continues to stress the danger of Unicron, and Galvatron starts to swing his [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]].

[[File:Cramp-Starscreamdies.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|[[Code of Hero|The rest is... silence]]. Well, [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|not really]], but don't you kinda wish it was?]]
The Autobots are still optimistic, believing there's a chance a diplomatic conference could lead to a truce between the two sides, meaning they can't take aggressive action against the Decepticons, only defensive. Nevertheless, Galvatron, armed with the Star Saber and [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]], flies into battle, ready to negotiate with [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] using firepower. Prime responds by combining with [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] and [[Overload (Armada)|Overload]] and heading away from the thick of the fight.

By a [[Megatron statue|monolithic statue of Megatron]], Starscream wonders what he needs to do, and [[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]]'s words of encouragement run through his head.

Away from the armies, Galvatron and Optimus Prime send their men away, leaving the two leaders to battle one on one. Through the struggle, Galvatron admits that he still considers Unicron an Autobot hoax, and with the Star Saber, he has the upper hand against Prime. However, as soon as Galvatron breaks Prime's metal, an explosion disturbs the showdown. Starscream walks from the smoke.

The rest of the Autobots struggle to hold their ground, unable to cause any real damage to the Decepticons. Alexis has faith that things will be okay. Meanwhile, Unicron's lunar shell peels off thousands of miles away, and the behemoth attacks the assembled Mini-Con cluster.

[[File:Cramp-Swindleejects.jpg|left|thumb|I'm not crying! I just have something in my eyes.]]
Starscream quits the Decepticons and challenges Galvatron to one-on-one combat. The two clash, quickly cutting into each other. However, Starscream displays skill beyond the last time he battled Megatron. Lightning from Unicron carves into the landscape around them. The two warriors ignore it and continue their struggle, but in an instant, the Star Saber plunges into Starscream's torso, and the impaled Decepticon falls.

Lying with the blade sticking out of him, Starscream speaks earnestly to Galvatron, pointing out that Galvatron's arrogance drove the situation to be what it is. Despite his injury, Starscream stands up and reiterates his wishes for a truce between the two Cybertronian factions against Unicron. With his final desire said, Starscream joins with his [[Mini-Con]] to fire his [[Proton cannon]]s upwards at Unicron. Unicron fires back, disintegrating Starscream, much to Galvatron and Optimus's shock. Aboard the ''[[Axalon (Armada)|Axalon]]'', Alexis's [[Good Luck Necklace|luck charm]] breaks, and she runs outside to look out the window and sees Starscream's laser blast fade away.

[[File:Cramp-AlexismournsStarscream.jpg|left|thumb|I never got to tell Starscream that I loved him!]]
Realizing Starscream was right about Unicron's threat, Galvatron remembers their shared experiences and ''finally'' decides to join forces with Optimus Prime. He starts by offering the Star Saber to Optimus... But from the crater Starscream died in, a dark cloud emerges and grabs the Star Saber! The cloud forms into [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]], who escapes the two leaders through the underground portal, collapsing the tunnels so the Autobots and Decepticons can't follow him. Upon witnessing Sideways's escape, Optimus and Galvatron fear for the worst to come.

After Optimus tells them about Starscream's death over the monitor, the kids are devastated, especially Alexis, who begins crying. She then bolts from the room and slams her fist on the window that displays Unicron in grief. When [[Rad White|Rad]] appears behind her, she smacks his shoulders, asking why Starscream would do that to himself, and Rad does his best to console her.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (8)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (9)
*[[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]] (10)
*[[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]] (14)
*[[Smokescreen (Armada)|Hoist]] (15)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] (16)
*[[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]] (17)
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (18)
*[[Overload (Armada)|Overload]] (21)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (1)
*[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (2)
*[[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] (3)
*[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] (4)
*[[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] (5)
*[[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] (20)

|c3=
*[[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] (6)
*[[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] (7)
*[[Carlos Lopez|Carlos]] (11)
*[[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]] (12)
*[[Rad White|Rad]] (13)

|h4=[[Mini-Con]]s|c4=
*[[Leader-1 (Armada)|Leader-1]] (19) (Powerlinxed with Galvatron)
*[[Sureshock (Armada)|Sureshock]] (23)
*[[Grindor (Armada)|Grindor]] (24)
*[[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]] (25)
*[[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]] (26)

|h5=Other|c5=
*[[Unicron]] (22)
*[[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] (27)
}}

==Quotes==
[[File:Cramp-Galvatronregrets.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|You'll miss me when I'm gone!]]
"How long have we been adversaries, Optimus? It seems like since the beginning of time. And I suppose I do have a certain respect for you, but I digress, you might have fooled Starscream with your little Truce ploy, but I am nobody's fool. Now let's end this charade, shall we?"
:—'''Galvatron''' faces off against Optimus Prime in the 'negotiations.'

"May I suggest that you have lost your mind?!"
:—'''Galvatron''' to Starscream, who has just challenged him to a duel.

"I tried to gain favor from you. But nothing was ever good enough. No matter how many battles I fought, you always found fault. Then I saw how Optimus treated his men, and I realized he was a leader of integrity. Unlike you." 
"You were too weak to ever gain my respect." 
"None of that matters now. You must listen — do as Optimus says and join forces with the Autobots, or else every last one of us is doomed! Please sir... do it for me..."
:—'''Starscream''' pours his spark out to '''Galvatron''' after being impaled by the Star Saber

"It's time to finish this once and for all! Activate Proton Cannon! YOU'RE ALL MINE, UNICRON!!!"
:—'''Starscream's''' heroic last words before shooting at Unicron.
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Legends of the Microns''===
*Starscream asks why Megatron wants to cling to his rivalry with Optimus and says that the universe will soon be no more after witnessing Unicron's power. Galvatron says he's now aware of Unicron's existence and understands the need to destroy him but still refuses to work with Optimus. ''Armada'' rephrases the rivalry as a "petty argument" and changes Galvatron and Starscream's dialogue to Galvatron, warning Starscream not to test his patience or contemplate betraying him again.
*Cyclonus and Demolishor's lines to Starscream are changed to the former calling Starscream a coward and the latter asking what there is to worry about since Unicron is "just some planet that became our moon." Then Starscream calls them idiots for not understanding Unicron's true horror.
*In ''Armada'', Galvatron says Optimus will be sorry and that he'll also deal with Unicron. However, as he believes there can't be two supreme commanders, he's more focused on eliminating his competition before facing Unicron. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron says he never said the two factions couldn't join forces, but he'll have to deal with Prime first. He plans to kill Optimus and merge the Autobots into the Decepticon army, claiming Optimus is his sworn enemy and there's no tomorrow if he doesn't defeat Prime.
*Galvatron offers Starscream command over the Autobots after defeating Optimus. ''Armada'' has Galvatron requesting Starscream's complete loyalty.
*Before the episode title appears, Cyclonus says Starscream can wait there at HQ since their "Autobot Commander" only needs to sit on his throne.
*The kids discuss if they and the Autobots can trust Galvatron or believe anything he says, as Carlos says that Galvatron is constantly manipulating things. Alexis states that's why they need to negotiate. Then Optimus says that she's right, and Galvatron should understand the need for the Autobots and Decepticons to combine forces to combat Unicron. Rad worries about another fight breaking out, but Billy assures him that Optimus won't lose, and Optimus says he will try to avoid a clash with Galvatron.
*Afterward, an anxious Smokescreen demands the 'Cons to show themselves. Then Blurr reminds him the 'Cons are additional strength to help take down Unicron so they can't be too rough with them; Hot Shot tells Smokescreen they're counting on him, and Smokescreen answers, "I know! Use our heads, right?"
*Unlike ''Armada'', Demolishor explicitly says "Hot Shot and the others" are with Optimus. Then Galvatron entrusts Demolishor with handling them, but in ''Armada'', Galvatron tells Demolishor to "spare me [him] the details."
*Hot Shot is surprised when the Decepticons start firing. Blurr and Side Swipe's dialogue is changed to the former saying that the Autobots are now in the thick of things and the latter saying the Decepticons seemingly don't want to negotiate.
*In ''Armada'', Red Alert has a cynical outlook while talking about Wheeljack. Like Carlos, he truly believed Wheeljack changed sides before insisting that one will always be a Decepticon after becoming one. Then Carlos gripes that it's now hard distinguishing who's friend or foe, and Fred agrees. Red Alert says they should focus on their side more than the Decepticons, and Carlos agrees they should support their comrades. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Red Alert is less pessimistic, saying Wheeljack made a temporary truce to track down Thrust but will become a trustworthy Autobot ally if Optimus successfully negotiates with Galvatron. Carlos asks if that's like Scavenger, and Fred thinks it would. Then Red Alert says Hot Shot and Wheeljack's dynamic is similar to that between Optimus and Scavenger, making Carlos say that in that case, they should hope that Prime pulls off the negotiation.
*When Optimus combines with Jetfire and Overload and later breaks from them, ''Armada'' plays the ''Transformers'' theme and spams the transformation sound effect. In contrast, ''Legends of the Microns'' plays Prime's Super Mode theme, "Super Convoy," during the Powerlinx sequence. The Japanese dub later plays "[[The Transformers Legends of the Microns: Sound of Evolution Vol. 2|Theme of Megatron - Attack by Villains]]," fitting the tense situation better.
*''Armada'' has awkward silence after Jetfire's line as he forces away Tidal Wave because Jetfire says his lines without pausing. ''Legends of the Microns'' has a second-long pause between the lines, so there's no silence at the end of the shot.
*Optimus and Galvatron's dialogue differs significantly between the dubs:
**''Armada'' portrays Galvatron as very gung-ho about fighting Optimus as though it's how they'll "negotiate." He remains cynical about the reality of Unicron's threat and only cares about eliminating Optimus so he can be the universe's sole ruler. Optimus offers to talk once Galvatron cools off and later says the generic line about Galvatron's lust for power disgusting him. ''Legends of the Microns'' changes Galvatron's quip about needing to shut Optimus down to his offering to show Prime his "true incompetence." It continues his string of thoughts from earlier and the prior episode about believing two Supreme Commanders are too many and unnecessary to defeat Unicron. Thinking negotiating is needless, Galvatron wants to show he's the superior leader and orders Optimus to fight him. Optimus is silent until he calls Jetfire. After Optimus Powerlinx with Jetfire and Overload and flies off, Galvatron is confused about why Prime won't fight. Optimus asks Galvatron why he can't understand that they should make peace. When Optimus offers Galvatron command, Galvatron thinks Prime is mocking him and says Prime's presence will disrupt "the command structure" even if he steps down and demands Prime to show his power.
**After Tidal Wave and Jetfire leave, ''Armada'' has Galvatron suggest he and Optimus "cut to the chase" now that they're alone. He admits to respecting Prime somewhat but isn't falling for his "truce ploy" charade like Starscream did (as quoted above), still focusing on who will rule the universe. He later mocks Optimus for waiting for the Mini-Cons to rescue him, saying that won't happen. The Japanese version makes their exchange more philosophical: Galvatron mentions what Smokescreen told him about trust among the Autobots, remarking how it's pathetic, and calls Optimus a fool to bind himself with such vague notions. He says Starscream is no different and has had the same silly ideas after returning from the Autobots; Optimus says Starscream awakened to his true self as a Transformer after spending time on both sides. There is some silence after Galvatron demands Optimus to stop feeding him lies in ''Armada'' because the English dub shortens Optimus's line about Starscream, making Galvatron's reply come sooner than it does in ''Legends of the Microns''. Galvatron claims Starscream might be a worse traitor than Thrust. He insists that trust is nonsense, saying that one's power is something worth believing in; power is everything, and justice without it means nothing. Then Galvatron mocks Prime, asking if he's frustrated and sad since the Mini-Cons Optimus fought to save are now under his control and itching to dish out the killing blow.
*The Japanese dub uses the mid-episode [[commercial bumper]]s, while ''Armada'' uses the Autobot and Decepticon logos from the [[scene transition]]s with the transformation sound effect.
*Starscream says he won't hesitate to betray Galvatron because he must stand by his beliefs. Optimus says this isn't Starscream's fight, but the latter asserts otherwise. Galvatron says Starscream has become "a boring person" and asks if working with the Autobots is necessary; Starscream answers it is for "the future of the Transformers" and not just defeating Unicron and declares he will take command of the Decepticons after besting Galvatron. Galvatron dismisses it as wishful thinking and says Starscream will never beat him, but Starscream states he won't know until he tries.
*Carlos, Billy, and Fred's conversation in the Japanese dub shows them confused by how the negotiation looks no different than a regular Autobot and Decepticon encounter; Billy concludes it's something they'd expect when the factions meet. Then Alexis says things will be fine as she's sure something will change.
*Galvatron questions if Starscream infused his wingblade with his spark's power, to which Starscream answers that he's put every bit of his energy into it to defeat him. Then Optimus says there's no point trying to stop them since Starscream is so determined; Optimus has only one line during the scene in ''Armada'', so there's some silence afterward.
*When Unicron changes form again, Alexis says to look instead of asking what's happening, and Rad sounds more shocked. After Alexis's line about the Mini-Cons approaching Unicron, Billy has a line begging them to stop before Fred says Unicron is attacking the Mini-Cons. After stopping High Wire, Rad urges him to tell the other Mini-Cons to hide somewhere rather than stay put.
* ''Armada'' reduces Galvatron's dialogue to chalking up that Starscream's actions are due to his programming going haywire and offering to put him out of his misery. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Starscream scolds Galvatron for believing nobody could be his equal since he's so overconfident in his strength and declares that he will show him the power of a warrior willing to risk his life for his beliefs. Galvatron admits Starscream's newfound convictions deserve some respect, to which Starscream says the same for Galvatron's stubbornness. Galvatron wonders when the change started since Starscream never escaped his influence when he had ambition. Galvatron says something else is driving Starscream now, asking if the Autobots or the children are compelling him. Not understanding why Starscream would face him over something trivial, Galvatron asks if Starscream is betraying him for real this time before deciding that Starscream will never beat him as he keeps believing in things like trust and kindness.
*After the lightning strike from Unicron, the Japanese dub adds screaming to the shot after Demolishor and Wheeljack. Then Galvatron admits being surprised by Starscream's increased strength and that maybe trust isn't a fleeting concept. Starscream internally says Galvatron's name during his close-up, and Galvatron says never to drop his guard until the fight is over.
*Just before Galvatron impales Starscream, the animation is tweaked to clarify that the latter "switched off" his sword with no intention of blocking the fatal blow. The two don't exchange jibes here; they only say the other's name, and Galvatron kneels, realizing what Starscream has done and acknowledging the latter's power, while Starscream says he's still not as strong as Galvatron.
*Starscream's final moments are subtly different between the two versions:
**''Legends of the Microns'' has Starscream admire Megatron as an ultimate warrior he could never hope to beat and say he wanted Megatron to notice him. Megatron gently tells Starscream to stop speaking, later calling him a fool for persisting. Starscream says he'd never gotten the chance to talk to him like this without laying his life on the line first and calls Optimus a leader worthy of trust. After imploring both factions to team up, Starscream says a lot has happened. When unleashing his final attack, Starscream says, "SPARK OF MY SOUL...UNLEASH EVERY BIT OF YOUR POWER! NULL RAY CANNON!" The following scenes of his demise are silent except for Galvatron gasping.
**In ''Armada'', Starscream says that he could never break the oath he swore to Galvatron as a Decepticon. He talks about his desperation to please Galvatron and that if Galvatron had given him the respect he wanted their fight could've been avoided, while comparing him to Optimus as an unintegral leader (a monologue played again during the montage). Instead of remarking on all that has happened, Starscream reiterates his plea for the Autobots and Decepticons to unite: "Please sir, do it for me." Galvatron is much more verbally hostile towards Starscream, acting infuriated rather than shocked when he realizes Starscream planned to die, and calling him too weak to be worthy of respect.
*After Starscream's last moments in ''Legends of the Microns'', Optimus tells Swindle to come with him since his partner isn't here anymore. ''Armada'' has Optimus claim that Starscream was a brave soldier until the end.
*Galvatron's memories of Starscream replays his final monologue in ''Armada'', but ''Legends of the Microns'' instead has the montage feature moments of Starscream boasting, pleading, and wanting Megatron's recognition throughout the series.
*When Sideways steals the Star Saber, he declares that he now has all the keys. He says Unicron is the only one worthy of it and congratulates Galvatron and Optimus for their "good work." After Sideways escapes, Galvatron exclaims how this nightmare could worsen in ''Armada'' but remarks on Sideways fleeing underground in ''Legends of the Microns''.
*The scene of Sideways destroying the underground tunnel now has an effect added to his maniacal laughter to make it sound disembodied. After this, the scene of the kids' reactions upon learning of Starscream's death is silent, whereas their responses are heard in ''Armada''.
*In ''Armada'', Rad's closing narration is that Starscream was gone, and his demise seemed to be in vain. Then he says, like everything in life, everyone would have to wait to learn the purpose of Starscream's actions; for now, all they had were too many unanswered questions. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Alexis gives the narration, which contains a small glimmer of hope, unlike the English version. She says Starscream has died, but perhaps someday, the tears of sorrow over his death will become ones of determination, swearing that his efforts won't be wasted.

===Animation and technical errors===
*In the opening scene, Demolishor has four fingers and one thumb on each hand.
*Galvatron's hands are small stubs after swinging the Star Saber at Starscream in the opening.
*In the shots where Hoist warns Blurr not to fire upon the Decepticons except in self-defense, and after the others promise to cover Hot Shot, Blurr's entire gun is colored one solid orange shade.
*Scavenger's chest is partially off-model after the Decepticons begin firing upon the Autobots.
*Galvatron's mouth doesn't move when he says, "Let the negotiations begin!"
*Before Optimus calls for Jetfire, Galvatron's turret is partially miscolored dark gray.
*Galvatron's eyes are seemingly closed after Optimus Powerlinx with Jetfire and Overload.
*Jetfire shoots Tidal Wave in the eye...with the back of his rifle? The Japanese dub fixes this error.
*After Galvatron slashes Optimus with the Star Saber, one can hear the sound of crackling electricity from a wound, but Optimus looks unscathed until his next shot.
*Galvatron says, "What?" too soon in two scenes: first, before the explosion goes off behind him, seemingly out of surprise about gaining the upper hand when the Star Saber cuts Optimus's shoulder, and later when Sideways steals the Star Saber. ''Legends of the Microns'' fixes the timing by having Galvatron say it the first time while turning around ''after'' the explosion and later a second after Sideways takes the sword from him and Optimus.
*Starscream's mouth doesn't move when he speaks after appearing out of the smoke.
*As Starscream descends after catching his wing blade, Galvatron exclaims fearfully despite his brash overconfidence a moment ago. In ''Legends of the Microns'', he appropriately shouts "What?!" in shock instead.
*As Galvatron slaps Starscream during their duel, his right hand is drawn as a standard hand instead of its traditional claw-looking design.
*Wheeljack says, "What's happening?" in Demolishor's voice. The Japanese version doesn't have this mistake.
*When Alexis goes to the window to see Starscream's Photon Cannon fail to reach Unicron, the Autobot symbol on the back of her suit changes from red to blue.
*When Galvatron raises the Star Saber before his memory montage, the inner part of his right shoulder is detached from the rest, already in its later position, before he lifts his arm.

===Continuity notes===
*In ''Legends of the Microns'', Billy refers to Galvatron as "stag beetle head," the nickname Thrust previously used in "[[Crisis (Armada)|Crisis]]."
*In ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron references what Smokescreen said to him in "[[Sacrifice]]" about trust binding the Autobots together.
*Galvatron refers to the time when Sparkplug saved Optimus in "[[Decisive Battle]]"; he might also mean when the Mini-Cons turned against him to save Optimus in "[[Vow]]."
*In the Japanese dub, Galvatron remarks about Starscream's ambition, which he previously did in "[[Rebellion (Armada)|Rebellion]]."
*''[[Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003]]'' calls this episode the last of the show's Starscream saga.
*Prepare yourself for when [[Megatron Raid|Starscream returns]] in ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' since his compelling character arc in ''Armada'' goes out the window like it never happened.
*Gadgets and powers:
**This is the first time Optimus combines with Overload while in his Jet Optimus configuration with Jetfire, with bonus stock transformation footage. However, Optimus combines with Jetfire first, only to fly a relatively short distance, making the combination with Overload pretty pointless other than [[To sell toys| to show they can.]]
**Starscream uses his wing blade against Galvatron.
*Powerlinx forms:
**Galvatron Powerlinx with the Star Saber for the last time.
**Starscream Powerlinx with Swindle to unleash his Null Laser Cannon against Unicron. The ''Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003'' deems it the last time a Transformer Powerlinx with a Mini-Con in the series.

===Continuity errors===
*At Megatron's statue, Starscream determines that he must protect the humans, but why would he defend all the kids when Alexis is the only one he knows well enough? Alexis is also who he thinks of at that moment. The Japanese dub correctly has Starscream resolving not to let ''Alexis'' die.
*How does Tidal Wave know to Powerlinx with Galvatron when Galvatron never gives the order and only says they're leaving to face Optimus? ''Legends of the Microns'' has Galvatron tell Tidal Wave to combine with him.
*Why would Red Alert believe there's no turning back once a Transformer becomes a Decepticon? Did he completely forget that Scavenger is an ex-Decepticon? There also must've been other rare cases of Decepticons becoming Autobots, and vice versa.
*Galvatron tells Tidal Wave to attack Optimus when they split up, but Tidal Wave does nothing until later. Galvatron only commands Tidal Wave to uncombine with him in the Japanese dub since Optimus just split from Jetfire and Overload, and Galvatron wishes to even things out.
*Tidal Wave is significantly smaller and weaker than previously depicted. Jetfire, shown not much smaller than Tidal Wave, shoulder-blocks and lifts off with him in a single movement.
*Alexis's pendant cracks upon Starscream's death; it somehow connected to his spark, but previous episodes never really built up that detail or alluded to it. Since the necklace has only appeared in two episodes, this feature almost seems like an afterthought for drama's sake.
**In the same scene, why does Rad ask Alexis what's happening outside when she doesn't know more than he does? He correctly asks her if something is wrong in ''Legends of the Microns''.
*Why does Rad give the closing narration when Alexis had the bond with Starscream, and his death devastates her more than anyone else? The Japanese dub rightly has Alexis deliver the narration.

===Transformers references===
*Starscream's death by crumbling into a pile of debris resembles [[Generation 1 cartoon continuity|G1]] [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream's]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
*Many parts of Galvatron and Starscream's speeches quote lyrics from ''[[The Touch]]'', like 'I'm nobody's fool' (see above) or Starscream's 'after all is said and done.'

===Real-world references===
*Fred's "The horror! The horror!" line is from ''{{w|Heart of Darkness}}'', the novel adapted into the film ''{{w|Apocalypse Now}}''.
*Galvatron gives Starscream one last chance not to fight, and when Starscream declines, Galvatron's "Is that your final answer?" line might be a reference to ''{{w|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?}}''.
*Galvatron tells Optimus the Autobots and Decepticons could never work together since they're like oil and water. It refers to the proverb about oil and water, as oil always tries to stay separate from water whenever combined; it explains how beings with specific traits can never mix, no matter what anyone does.

===Trivia===
[[File:Cramp - no ML title card.JPG|thumb|upright=1.4|Foreshadowing? Why, no!]]
*The episode's English version first aired in the United Kingdom on the {{w|Sky One}} channel when the network ran an around-the-clock promotion of American magician/"endurance artist" {{w|David Blaine}}'s controversial London stunt, complete with an obnoxious '''DAVID BLAINE''' onscreen overlay. It aired in the United States on [[December 8]], 2003.
*There's no title card in ''Legends of the Microns''; the title appears over Starscream. This way of showing the episode titles was only done previously in "[[Linkup]]."
*Optimus calls Starscream's Mini-Con Swindle instead of Zapmaster. So logically, Swindle received a color change like Starscream did (instead of him exchanging his Mini-Con for a new one in different colors).
*Starscream's proton cannon blasts don't even touch Unicron. You can see them dissipate before Alexis's eyes before they reach him. Most heartwrenching suicide ever?
*Starscream's sword is surprisingly powerful in this episode, durable enough to clash with Star Saber without any visible damage. Due to his upgrade after Nemesis Prime kicked his skidplate? Nah.
*This episode is one of few without an opening narration.
*This is the second time in the Japanese dub that a Transformer says, "Spark of my soul..." The last time was by Optimus Prime in "[[Crisis (Armada)|Crisis]]."
*''Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003'' reveals the following:
**The episode's highlights include Magna Jet Convoy's debut and the first half of the climactic fight: Optimus vs. Galvatron, which serves as a prelude to their final battle. The main highlight is the battle's second half with Starscream and Galvatron's last fight.
**[[Hidehito Ueda]] says that Galvatron expressing his feelings about Starscream wasn't in the scenario initially, but he wanted Galvatron to tell them.
**Ueda jokes about wanting Starscream to return as a ghost in ''Super Link'' before becoming a [[Pretender]] and marrying Alexis.
**The first moments for this episode that appeared in Ueda's mind when reading the scenario were Starscream's Null Laser Cannons not reaching Unicron, Alexis watching them stop short, and the silent scene of the children's reactions to Starscream's death at the end.
**Starscream died not as a Decepticon but as a Transformer.

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das Friedensangebot'''" ("Peace-Offering")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 12|12 January]] [[2004]]

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Párbaj'''" ("Duel")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La morsa'''" ("The Grip")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Obstáculo'''" ("Obstacle")

[[Category: Armada episodes]]

Cramp

2025-01-05T16:11:13Z

DevinM626:

{{episode|
|series=Armada
|ep=48
|prev=Portent
|next=Alliance
|title="Cramp"
|furigana=しんねん
|japanese=決死
|romaji=Shinnen
|translation=Prepared for Death: Conviction
|image=Starscreamheroicdeath.jpg
|caption="Tell my tale to those who ask. Tell it truly, the ill deeds along with the good, and let me be judged accordingly..."
|production code=TF: A-48
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]]
|writer=[[Akira Okeya]]
|englishadaptation=[[Terry Klassen]]
|director=[[Osamu Kamijō]], [[Mitsuru Kawasaki]] (asst. dir.)
|animation studio=[[Actas Inc.]]
|airdate=[[September 29]], [[2003]] (English, United Kingdom) [[November 28|28 November]] 2003 (Japanese) [[December 8]], [[2003]] (English, United States)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy]]
}}
'''Starscream prepares to do whatever it takes to convince Galvatron the threat of Unicron is real.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Starsmack.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Galvatron blasts Starscream with his rarely seen armpit-laser.]]
[[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] pleads to [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] that [[Unicron]]'s threat is real (as Starscream has first-hand experience in the beast's bowels); hoping to convince his leader that perhaps an [[Autobot]] and [[Decepticon]] alliance is the safest course to ensure [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s survival. When Starscream refuses to stop pleading, Galvatron slaps his subordinate into a wall to silence him. The Decepticon leader is confident his military can overcome both the Autobots and Unicron. Starscream continues to stress the danger of Unicron, and Galvatron starts to swing his [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]].

[[File:Cramp-Starscreamdies.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|[[Code of Hero|The rest is... silence]]. Well, [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|not really]], but don't you kinda wish it was?]]
The Autobots are still optimistic, believing there's a chance a diplomatic conference could lead to a truce between the two sides, meaning they can't take aggressive action against the Decepticons, only defensive. Nevertheless, Galvatron, armed with the Star Saber and [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]], flies into battle, ready to negotiate with [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] using firepower. Prime responds by combining with [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] and [[Overload (Armada)|Overload]] and heading away from the thick of the fight.

By a [[Megatron statue|monolithic statue of Megatron]], Starscream wonders what he needs to do, and [[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]]'s words of encouragement run through his head.

Away from the armies, Galvatron and Optimus Prime send their men away, leaving the two leaders to battle one on one. Through the struggle, Galvatron admits that he still considers Unicron an Autobot hoax, and with the Star Saber, he has the upper hand against Prime. However, as soon as Galvatron breaks Prime's metal, an explosion disturbs the showdown. Starscream walks from the smoke.

The rest of the Autobots struggle to hold their ground, unable to cause any real damage to the Decepticons. Alexis has faith that things will be okay. Meanwhile, Unicron's lunar shell peels off thousands of miles away, and the behemoth attacks the assembled Mini-Con cluster.

[[File:Cramp-Swindleejects.jpg|left|thumb|I'm not crying! I just have something in my eyes.]]
Starscream quits the Decepticons and challenges Galvatron to one-on-one combat. The two clash, quickly cutting into each other. However, Starscream displays skill beyond the last time he battled Megatron. Lightning from Unicron carves into the landscape around them. The two warriors ignore it and continue their struggle, but in an instant, the Star Saber plunges into Starscream's torso, and the impaled Decepticon falls.

Lying with the blade sticking out of him, Starscream speaks earnestly to Galvatron, pointing out that Galvatron's arrogance drove the situation to be what it is. Despite his injury, Starscream stands up and reiterates his wishes for a truce between the two Cybertronian factions against Unicron. With his final desire said, Starscream joins with his [[Mini-Con]] to fire his [[Proton cannon]]s upwards at Unicron. Unicron fires back, disintegrating Starscream, much to Galvatron and Optimus's shock. Aboard the ''[[Axalon (Armada)|Axalon]]'', Alexis's [[Good Luck Necklace|luck charm]] breaks, and she runs outside to look out the window and sees Starscream's laser blast fade away.

[[File:Cramp-AlexismournsStarscream.jpg|left|thumb|I never got to tell Starscream that I loved him!]]
Realizing Starscream was right about Unicron's threat, Galvatron remembers their shared experiences and ''finally'' decides to join forces with Optimus Prime. He starts by offering the Star Saber to Optimus... But from the crater Starscream died in, a dark cloud emerges and grabs the Star Saber! The cloud forms into [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]], who escapes the two leaders through the underground portal, collapsing the tunnels so the Autobots and Decepticons can't follow him. Upon witnessing Sideways's escape, Optimus and Galvatron fear for the worst to come.

After Optimus tells them about Starscream's death over the monitor, the kids are devastated, especially Alexis, who begins crying. She then bolts from the room and slams her fist on the window that displays Unicron in grief. When [[Rad White|Rad]] appears behind her, she smacks his shoulders, asking why Starscream would do that to himself, and Rad does his best to console her.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (8)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (9)
*[[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]] (10)
*[[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]] (14)
*[[Smokescreen (Armada)|Hoist]] (15)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] (16)
*[[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]] (17)
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (18)
*[[Overload (Armada)|Overload]] (21)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (1)
*[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (2)
*[[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] (3)
*[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] (4)
*[[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] (5)
*[[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] (20)

|c3=
*[[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] (6)
*[[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] (7)
*[[Carlos Lopez|Carlos]] (11)
*[[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]] (12)
*[[Rad White|Rad]] (13)

|h4=[[Mini-Con]]s|c4=
*[[Leader-1 (Armada)|Leader-1]] (19) (Powerlinxed with Galvatron)
*[[Sureshock (Armada)|Sureshock]] (23)
*[[Grindor (Armada)|Grindor]] (24)
*[[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]] (25)
*[[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]] (26)

|h5=Other|c5=
*[[Unicron]] (22)
*[[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] (27)
}}

==Quotes==
[[File:Cramp-Galvatronregrets.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|You'll miss me when I'm gone!]]
"How long have we been adversaries, Optimus? It seems like since the beginning of time. And I suppose I do have a certain respect for you, but I digress, you might have fooled Starscream with your little Truce ploy, but I am nobody's fool. Now let's end this charade, shall we?"
:—'''Galvatron''' faces off against Optimus Prime in the 'negotiations.'

"May I suggest that you have lost your mind?!"
:—'''Galvatron''' to Starscream, who has just challenged him to a duel.

"I tried to gain favor from you. But nothing was ever good enough. No matter how many battles I fought, you always found fault. Then I saw how Optimus treated his men, and I realized he was a leader of integrity. Unlike you." 
"You were too weak to ever gain my respect." 
"None of that matters now. You must listen — do as Optimus says and join forces with the Autobots, or else every last one of us is doomed! Please sir... do it for me..."
:—'''Starscream''' pours his spark out to '''Galvatron''' after being impaled by the Star Saber

"It's time to finish this once and for all! Activate Proton Cannon! YOU'RE ALL MINE, UNICRON!!!"
:—'''Starscream's''' heroic last words before shooting at Unicron.
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Legends of the Microns''===
*Starscream asks why Megatron wants to cling to his rivalry with Optimus and says that the universe will soon be no more after witnessing Unicron's power. Galvatron says he's now aware of Unicron's existence and understands the need to destroy him but still refuses to work with Optimus. ''Armada'' rephrases the rivalry as a "petty argument" and changes Galvatron and Starscream's dialogue to Galvatron, warning Starscream not to test his patience or contemplate betraying him again.
*Cyclonus and Demolishor's lines to Starscream are changed to the former calling Starscream a coward and the latter asking what there is to worry about since Unicron is "just some planet that became our moon." Then Starscream calls them idiots for not understanding Unicron's true horror.
*In ''Armada'', Galvatron says Optimus will be sorry and that he'll also deal with Unicron. However, as he believes there can't be two supreme commanders, he's more focused on eliminating his competition before facing Unicron. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron says he never said the two factions couldn't join forces, but he'll have to deal with Prime first. He plans to kill Optimus and merge the Autobots into the Decepticon army, claiming Optimus is his sworn enemy and there's no tomorrow if he doesn't defeat Prime.
*Galvatron offers Starscream command over the Autobots after defeating Optimus. ''Armada'' has Galvatron requesting Starscream's complete loyalty.
*Before the episode title appears, Cyclonus says Starscream can wait there at HQ since their "Autobot Commander" only needs to sit on his throne.
*The kids discuss if they and the Autobots can trust Galvatron or believe anything he says, as Carlos says that Galvatron is constantly manipulating things. Alexis states that's why they need to negotiate. Then Optimus says that she's right, and Galvatron should understand the need for the Autobots and Decepticons to combine forces to combat Unicron. Rad worries about another fight breaking out, but Billy assures him that Optimus won't lose, and Optimus says he will try to avoid a clash with Galvatron.
*Afterward, an anxious Smokescreen demands the 'Cons to show themselves. Then Blurr reminds him the 'Cons are additional strength to help take down Unicron so they can't be too rough with them; Hot Shot tells Smokescreen they're counting on him, and Smokescreen answers, "I know! Use our heads, right?"
*Unlike ''Armada'', Demolishor explicitly says "Hot Shot and the others" are with Optimus. Then Galvatron entrusts Demolishor with handling them, but in ''Armada'', Galvatron tells Demolishor to "spare me [him] the details."
*Hot Shot is surprised when the Decepticons start firing. Blurr and Side Swipe's dialogue is changed to the former saying that the Autobots are now in the thick of things and the latter saying the Decepticons seemingly don't want to negotiate.
*In ''Armada'', Red Alert has a cynical outlook while talking about Wheeljack. Like Carlos, he truly believed Wheeljack changed sides before insisting that one will always be a Decepticon after becoming one. Then Carlos gripes that it's now hard distinguishing who's friend or foe, and Fred agrees. Red Alert says they should focus on their side more than the Decepticons, and Carlos agrees they should support their comrades. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Red Alert is less pessimistic, saying Wheeljack made a temporary truce to track down Thrust but will become a trustworthy Autobot ally if Optimus successfully negotiates with Galvatron. Carlos asks if that's like Scavenger, and Fred thinks it would. Then Red Alert says Hot Shot and Wheeljack's dynamic is similar to that between Optimus and Scavenger, making Carlos say that in that case, they should hope that Prime pulls off the negotiation.
*When Optimus combines with Jetfire and Overload and later breaks from them, ''Armada'' plays the ''Transformers'' theme and spams the transformation sound effect. In contrast, ''Legends of the Microns'' plays Prime's Super Mode theme, "Super Convoy," during the Powerlinx sequence. The Japanese dub later plays "[[The Transformers Legends of the Microns: Sound of Evolution Vol. 2|Theme of Megatron - Attack by Villains]]," fitting the tense situation better.
*''Armada'' has awkward silence after Jetfire's line as he forces away Tidal Wave because Jetfire says his lines without pausing. ''Legends of the Microns'' has a second-long pause between the lines, so there's no silence at the end of the shot.
*Optimus and Galvatron's dialogue differs significantly between the dubs:
**''Armada'' portrays Galvatron as very gung-ho about fighting Optimus as though it's how they'll "negotiate." He remains cynical about the reality of Unicron's threat and only cares about eliminating Optimus so he can be the universe's sole ruler. Optimus offers to talk once Galvatron cools off and later says the generic line about Galvatron's lust for power disgusting him. ''Legends of the Microns'' changes Galvatron's quip about needing to shut Optimus down to his offering to show Prime his "true incompetence." It continues his string of thoughts from earlier and the prior episode about believing two Supreme Commanders are too many and unnecessary to defeat Unicron. Thinking negotiating is needless, Galvatron wants to show he's the superior leader and orders Optimus to fight him. Optimus is silent until he calls Jetfire. After Optimus Powerlinx with Jetfire and Overload and flies off, Galvatron is confused about why Prime won't fight. Optimus asks Galvatron why he can't understand that they should make peace. When Optimus offers Galvatron command, Galvatron thinks Prime is mocking him and says Prime's presence will disrupt "the command structure" even if he steps down and demands Prime to show his power.
**After Tidal Wave and Jetfire leave, ''Armada'' has Galvatron suggest he and Optimus "cut to the chase" now that they're alone. He admits to respecting Prime somewhat but isn't falling for his "truce ploy" charade like Starscream did (as quoted above), still focusing on who will rule the universe. He later mocks Optimus for waiting for the Mini-Cons to rescue him, saying that won't happen. The Japanese version makes their exchange more philosophical: Galvatron mentions what Smokescreen told him about trust among the Autobots, remarking how it's pathetic, and calls Optimus a fool to bind himself with such vague notions. He says Starscream is no different and has had the same silly ideas after returning from the Autobots; Optimus says Starscream awakened to his true self as a Transformer after spending time on both sides. There is some silence after Galvatron demands Optimus to stop feeding him lies in ''Armada'' because the English dub shortens Optimus's line about Starscream, making Galvatron's reply come sooner than it does in ''Legends of the Microns''. Galvatron claims Starscream might be a worse traitor than Thrust. He insists that trust is nonsense, saying that one's power is something worth believing in; power is everything, and justice without it means nothing. Then Galvatron mocks Prime, asking if he's frustrated and sad since the Mini-Cons Optimus fought to save are now under his control and itching to dish out the killing blow.
*The Japanese dub uses the mid-episode [[commercial bumper]]s, while ''Armada'' uses the Autobot and Decepticon logos from the [[scene transition]]s with the transformation sound effect.
*Starscream says he won't hesitate to betray Galvatron because he must stand by his beliefs. Optimus says this isn't Starscream's fight, but the latter asserts otherwise. Galvatron says Starscream has become "a boring person" and asks if working with the Autobots is necessary; Starscream answers it is for "the future of the Transformers" and not just defeating Unicron and declares he will take command of the Decepticons after besting Galvatron. Galvatron dismisses it as wishful thinking and says Starscream will never beat him, but Starscream states he won't know until he tries.
*Carlos, Billy, and Fred's conversation in the Japanese dub shows them confused by how the negotiation looks no different than a regular Autobot and Decepticon encounter; Billy concludes it's something they'd expect when the factions meet. Then Alexis says things will be fine as she's sure something will change.
*Galvatron questions if Starscream infused his wingblade with his spark's power, to which Starscream answers that he's put every bit of his energy into it to defeat him. Then Optimus says there's no point trying to stop them since Starscream is so determined; Optimus has only one line during the scene in ''Armada'', so there's some silence afterward.
*When Unicron changes form again, Alexis says to look instead of asking what's happening, and Rad sounds more shocked. After Alexis's line about the Mini-Cons approaching Unicron, Billy has a line begging them to stop before Fred says Unicron is attacking the Mini-Cons. After stopping High Wire, Rad urges him to tell the other Mini-Cons to hide somewhere rather than stay put.
* ''Armada'' reduces Galvatron's dialogue to chalking up that Starscream's actions are due to his programming going haywire and offering to put him out of his misery. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Starscream scolds Galvatron for believing nobody could be his equal since he's so overconfident in his strength and declares that he will show him the power of a warrior willing to risk his life for his beliefs. Galvatron admits Starscream's newfound convictions deserve some respect, to which Starscream says the same for Galvatron's stubbornness. Galvatron wonders when the change started since Starscream never escaped his influence when he had ambition. Galvatron says something else is driving Starscream now, asking if the Autobots or the children are compelling him. Not understanding why Starscream would face him over something trivial, Galvatron asks if Starscream is betraying him for real this time before deciding that Starscream will never beat him as he keeps believing in things like trust and kindness.
*After the lightning strike from Unicron, the Japanese dub adds screaming to the shot after Demolishor and Wheeljack. Then Galvatron admits being surprised by Starscream's increased strength and that maybe trust isn't a fleeting concept. Starscream internally says Galvatron's name during his close-up, and Galvatron says never to drop his guard until the fight is over.
*Just before Galvatron impales Starscream, the animation is tweaked to clarify that the latter "switched off" his sword with no intention of blocking the fatal blow. The two don't exchange jibes here; they only say the other's name, and Galvatron kneels, realizing what Starscream has done and acknowledging the latter's power, while Starscream says he's still not as strong as Galvatron.
*Starscream's final moments are subtly different between the two versions:
**''Legends of the Microns'' has Starscream admire Galvatron as an ultimate warrior he could never hope to beat and say he wanted Galvatron to notice him. Galvatron gently tells Starscream to stop speaking, later calling him a fool for persisting. Starscream says he'd never gotten the chance to talk to him like this without laying his life on the line first and calls Optimus a leader worthy of trust. After imploring both factions to team up, Starscream says a lot has happened. When unleashing his final attack, Starscream says, "SPARK OF MY SOUL...UNLEASH EVERY BIT OF YOUR POWER! NULL RAY CANNON!" The following scenes of his demise are silent except for Galvatron gasping.
**In ''Armada'', Starscream talks about his desperation to gain Galvatron's favor while comparing him to Optimus as an unintegral leader (a monologue played again during the montage). Galvatron is more verbally hostile towards Starscream, calling him too weak to be worthy of respect.
*After Starscream's last moments in ''Legends of the Microns'', Optimus tells Swindle to come with him since his partner isn't here anymore. ''Armada'' has Optimus claim that Starscream was a brave soldier until the end.
*The replay of Starscream's memories repeats what he said about Optimus having integrity in ''Armada'', but ''Legends of the Microns'' instead has the montage feature moments of Starscream boasting, pleading, and wanting Galvatron's recognition throughout the series.
*When Sideways steals the Star Saber, he declares that he now has all the keys. He says Unicron is the only one worthy of it and congratulates Galvatron and Optimus for their "good work." After Sideways escapes, Galvatron exclaims how this nightmare could worsen in ''Armada'' but remarks on Sideways fleeing underground in ''Legends of the Microns''.
*The scene of Sideways destroying the underground tunnel now has an effect added to his maniacal laughter to make it sound disembodied. After this, the scene of the kids' reactions upon learning of Starscream's death is silent, whereas their responses are heard in ''Armada''.
*In ''Armada'', Rad's closing narration is that Starscream was gone, and his demise seemed to be in vain. Then he says, like everything in life, everyone would have to wait to learn the purpose of Starscream's actions; for now, all they had were too many unanswered questions. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Alexis gives the narration, which contains a small glimmer of hope, unlike the English version. She says Starscream has died, but perhaps someday, the tears of sorrow over his death will become ones of determination, swearing that his efforts won't be wasted.

===Animation and technical errors===
*In the opening scene, Demolishor has four fingers and one thumb on each hand.
*Galvatron's hands are small stubs after swinging the Star Saber at Starscream in the opening.
*In the shots where Hoist warns Blurr not to fire upon the Decepticons except in self-defense, and after the others promise to cover Hot Shot, Blurr's entire gun is colored one solid orange shade.
*Scavenger's chest is partially off-model after the Decepticons begin firing upon the Autobots.
*Galvatron's mouth doesn't move when he says, "Let the negotiations begin!"
*Before Optimus calls for Jetfire, Galvatron's turret is partially miscolored dark gray.
*Galvatron's eyes are seemingly closed after Optimus Powerlinx with Jetfire and Overload.
*Jetfire shoots Tidal Wave in the eye...with the back of his rifle? The Japanese dub fixes this error.
*After Galvatron slashes Optimus with the Star Saber, one can hear the sound of crackling electricity from a wound, but Optimus looks unscathed until his next shot.
*Galvatron says, "What?" too soon in two scenes: first, before the explosion goes off behind him, seemingly out of surprise about gaining the upper hand when the Star Saber cuts Optimus's shoulder, and later when Sideways steals the Star Saber. ''Legends of the Microns'' fixes the timing by having Galvatron say it the first time while turning around ''after'' the explosion and later a second after Sideways takes the sword from him and Optimus.
*Starscream's mouth doesn't move when he speaks after appearing out of the smoke.
*As Starscream descends after catching his wing blade, Galvatron exclaims fearfully despite his brash overconfidence a moment ago. In ''Legends of the Microns'', he appropriately shouts "What?!" in shock instead.
*As Galvatron slaps Starscream during their duel, his right hand is drawn as a standard hand instead of its traditional claw-looking design.
*Wheeljack says, "What's happening?" in Demolishor's voice. The Japanese version doesn't have this mistake.
*When Alexis goes to the window to see Starscream's Photon Cannon fail to reach Unicron, the Autobot symbol on the back of her suit changes from red to blue.
*When Galvatron raises the Star Saber before his memory montage, the inner part of his right shoulder is detached from the rest, already in its later position, before he lifts his arm.

===Continuity notes===
*In ''Legends of the Microns'', Billy refers to Galvatron as "stag beetle head," the nickname Thrust previously used in "[[Crisis (Armada)|Crisis]]."
*In ''Legends of the Microns'', Galvatron references what Smokescreen said to him in "[[Sacrifice]]" about trust binding the Autobots together.
*Galvatron refers to the time when Sparkplug saved Optimus in "[[Decisive Battle]]"; he might also mean when the Mini-Cons turned against him to save Optimus in "[[Vow]]."
*In the Japanese dub, Galvatron remarks about Starscream's ambition, which he previously did in "[[Rebellion (Armada)|Rebellion]]."
*''[[Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003]]'' calls this episode the last of the show's Starscream saga.
*Prepare yourself for when [[Megatron Raid|Starscream returns]] in ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' since his compelling character arc in ''Armada'' goes out the window like it never happened.
*Gadgets and powers:
**This is the first time Optimus combines with Overload while in his Jet Optimus configuration with Jetfire, with bonus stock transformation footage. However, Optimus combines with Jetfire first, only to fly a relatively short distance, making the combination with Overload pretty pointless other than [[To sell toys| to show they can.]]
**Starscream uses his wing blade against Galvatron.
*Powerlinx forms:
**Galvatron Powerlinx with the Star Saber for the last time.
**Starscream Powerlinx with Swindle to unleash his Null Laser Cannon against Unicron. The ''Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003'' deems it the last time a Transformer Powerlinx with a Mini-Con in the series.

===Continuity errors===
*At Megatron's statue, Starscream determines that he must protect the humans, but why would he defend all the kids when Alexis is the only one he knows well enough? Alexis is also who he thinks of at that moment. The Japanese dub correctly has Starscream resolving not to let ''Alexis'' die.
*How does Tidal Wave know to Powerlinx with Galvatron when Galvatron never gives the order and only says they're leaving to face Optimus? ''Legends of the Microns'' has Galvatron tell Tidal Wave to combine with him.
*Why would Red Alert believe there's no turning back once a Transformer becomes a Decepticon? Did he completely forget that Scavenger is an ex-Decepticon? There also must've been other rare cases of Decepticons becoming Autobots, and vice versa.
*Galvatron tells Tidal Wave to attack Optimus when they split up, but Tidal Wave does nothing until later. Galvatron only commands Tidal Wave to uncombine with him in the Japanese dub since Optimus just split from Jetfire and Overload, and Galvatron wishes to even things out.
*Tidal Wave is significantly smaller and weaker than previously depicted. Jetfire, shown not much smaller than Tidal Wave, shoulder-blocks and lifts off with him in a single movement.
*Alexis's pendant cracks upon Starscream's death; it somehow connected to his spark, but previous episodes never really built up that detail or alluded to it. Since the necklace has only appeared in two episodes, this feature almost seems like an afterthought for drama's sake.
**In the same scene, why does Rad ask Alexis what's happening outside when she doesn't know more than he does? He correctly asks her if something is wrong in ''Legends of the Microns''.
*Why does Rad give the closing narration when Alexis had the bond with Starscream, and his death devastates her more than anyone else? The Japanese dub rightly has Alexis deliver the narration.

===Transformers references===
*Starscream's death by crumbling into a pile of debris resembles [[Generation 1 cartoon continuity|G1]] [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream's]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
*Many parts of Galvatron and Starscream's speeches quote lyrics from ''[[The Touch]]'', like 'I'm nobody's fool' (see above) or Starscream's 'after all is said and done.'

===Real-world references===
*Fred's "The horror! The horror!" line is from ''{{w|Heart of Darkness}}'', the novel adapted into the film ''{{w|Apocalypse Now}}''.
*Galvatron gives Starscream one last chance not to fight, and when Starscream declines, Galvatron's "Is that your final answer?" line might be a reference to ''{{w|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?}}''.
*Galvatron tells Optimus the Autobots and Decepticons could never work together since they're like oil and water. It refers to the proverb about oil and water, as oil always tries to stay separate from water whenever combined; it explains how beings with specific traits can never mix, no matter what anyone does.

===Trivia===
[[File:Cramp - no ML title card.JPG|thumb|upright=1.4|Foreshadowing? Why, no!]]
*The episode's English version first aired in the United Kingdom on the {{w|Sky One}} channel when the network ran an around-the-clock promotion of American magician/"endurance artist" {{w|David Blaine}}'s controversial London stunt, complete with an obnoxious '''DAVID BLAINE''' onscreen overlay. It aired in the United States on [[December 8]], 2003.
*There's no title card in ''Legends of the Microns''; the title appears over Starscream. This way of showing the episode titles was only done previously in "[[Linkup]]."
*Optimus calls Starscream's Mini-Con Swindle instead of Zapmaster. So logically, Swindle received a color change like Starscream did (instead of him exchanging his Mini-Con for a new one in different colors).
*Starscream's proton cannon blasts don't even touch Unicron. You can see them dissipate before Alexis's eyes before they reach him. Most heartwrenching suicide ever?
*Starscream's sword is surprisingly powerful in this episode, durable enough to clash with Star Saber without any visible damage. Due to his upgrade after Nemesis Prime kicked his skidplate? Nah.
*This episode is one of few without an opening narration.
*This is the second time in the Japanese dub that a Transformer says, "Spark of my soul..." The last time was by Optimus Prime in "[[Crisis (Armada)|Crisis]]."
*''Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003'' reveals the following:
**The episode's highlights include Magna Jet Convoy's debut and the first half of the climactic fight: Optimus vs. Galvatron, which serves as a prelude to their final battle. The main highlight is the battle's second half with Starscream and Galvatron's last fight.
**[[Hidehito Ueda]] says that Galvatron expressing his feelings about Starscream wasn't in the scenario initially, but he wanted Galvatron to tell them.
**Ueda jokes about wanting Starscream to return as a ghost in ''Super Link'' before becoming a [[Pretender]] and marrying Alexis.
**The first moments for this episode that appeared in Ueda's mind when reading the scenario were Starscream's Null Laser Cannons not reaching Unicron, Alexis watching them stop short, and the silent scene of the children's reactions to Starscream's death at the end.
**Starscream died not as a Decepticon but as a Transformer.

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das Friedensangebot'''" ("Peace-Offering")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 12|12 January]] [[2004]]

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Párbaj'''" ("Duel")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La morsa'''" ("The Grip")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Obstáculo'''" ("Obstacle")

[[Category: Armada episodes]]

Stronger, Faster

2025-01-01T07:07:03Z

DevinM626:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 22
|prev=T.M.I.
|next=One Shall Fall
|image=StrongerFaster-peekaboo.jpg
|caption=More alive.
|title="Stronger, Faster"
|airdate=[[August 14]], [[2011]] (Canada) [[September 17]], 2011 (USA)
|season=1
|season ep=22
|written by=[[Mairghread Scott]]
|directed by=[[Shaunt Nigoghossian]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Allspark (company)|Hasbro Studios]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Psx88IBpLi4
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''Ratchet 'finalizes' the synthetic energon formula and uses himself as a test subject, but it ends up having some negative side effects.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] checks out a sample of [[Synthetic Energon|synthetic energon]] he's created, watched by [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]]. Approving the stability of the energon, Ratchet tries it on a test engine, and it works fine. Raf's keen to try it on [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]], but Ratchet says it'll require more testing first. Meanwhile, the base sensors pick up [[energon]] movement, but before [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] gives the order to roll out, Ratchet warns him about the depleted state of their energon reserves. Once Prime's team departs, Ratchet has the idea to try the synthetic energon on himself. The injection causes him to lose consciousness, and Raf rouses him from lying on the floor shortly afterward. The synthetic energon appears to be a success, giving him more fuel efficiency and better motor functions.

[[Image:StrongerFaster-surrounded.jpg|left|thumb|300px|That that that that that don't kill me, can only make me stronger.]]

Meanwhile, Prime's team chases [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] through an icy canyon. The Decepticons aren't in any hurry to bridge out, as they're trying to "help" the [[Autobot]]s run out of energon. Some [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]]s flying overhead blast the sheer sides of canyon, causing a rock fall that blocks off the Autobots' path. [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] manages to drive over it in her motorcycle mode, despite Prime's warnings, and races after the two Decepticons, only to be hit by missiles from the Vehicons. She is swiftly surrounded by Decepticons, and things look grim until Ratchet comes flying through the GroundBridge and begins laying into them with gusto. Knock Out and Breakdown assume that the Ratchet's a new Autobot, but are forced to retreat as Optimus, [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] and Bumblebee come into view, firing at them. Ratchet finishes off the last of the Vehicons, to stunned looks from his teammates.

Back at base, Ratchet reveals his secret to the other Autobots, but Optimus doesn't think it's a good idea to test the synthetic energon on Autobots, and he underlines the importance of Ratchet's job as medic. Some time later, Ratchet's retelling his fight to Bulkhead, and in demonstrating a move, manages to throw his fellow Autobot through a nearby wall. The other Autobots are startled at his new personality. Ratchet goes and injects more of the synthetic energon into himself. When the sensors light up once more, Prime prepares to roll out again, but Ratchet volunteers to go along.

[[Image:StrongerFaster-crouchbehindrock.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Work it make it do it makes us.]]

As they head through a mountainous area, Ratchet moves ninja-style at the front of the team. They soon find some Vehicons and a [[Decepticon Miner|miner]] drilling into a rock face, and Ratchet immediately moves in. When the miner makes a run for it, Ratchet gives chase and knocks him down with a well-thrown rock. The other Autobots find Ratchet forcibly interrogating the miner with his blowtorch. Optimus stops him from finishing off the prisoner and begins to lecture him on doing harm where none is necessary, but Ratchet is agitated, believing they should be more proactive. As the argument heats up, Ratchet even manages to antagonize Arcee by bringing up [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]], and calls Prime out for his many missed opportunities to kill [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]. Prime decides to confine Ratchet to base. Though Ratchet appears to go calmly through the GroundBridge, moments later, he charges back out, flattening Bulkhead and racing off. Prime's team returns to base, but is unable to get a fix on Ratchet's signal.

In a Decepticon energon mine, Breakdown is chatting with a miner when Ratchet walks into the cavern. Elsewhere, Megatron shouts at Knock Out for not finding a new energon source, but they're interrupted by Ratchet dropping Breakdown on the floor. Megatron scoffs at the newcomer, until a punch from Ratchet sends him flying. However, Megatron is made of sterner stuff, and he gives Ratchet a savage injury, telling Knock Out to take a sample of the resultant leaking fluids so they can find out how Ratchet got so amped up.

[[Image:StrongerFaster-KnockOutMegatronRatchet.jpg|left|thumb|300px|I need you to hurry up now, 'cause I can't wait much longer.]]

On the bright side, as the synthetic energon drains out, Ratchet is rendered visible to the sensors in the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot base]], and Optimus, Arcee and Bulkhead use the GroundBridge to attack the mine.

Knock Out completes taking his sample and moves in to finish Ratchet off with his circular saw. When the sound of approaching fighting distracts the Decepticon, Ratchet takes the opportunity to fight back, resulting in Knock Out's saw getting stuck in the wall. Ratchet promptly grabs the synthetic energon sample and smashes it. Knock Out is outraged, but once more has to retreat as the other Autobots arrive.

Ratchet is hooked up to a drip back at base, and he apologizes for his behavior. Optimus points out the new supply of energon they got from the mine, and Ratchet promises to do more testing on the synthetic stuff before using it on Autobots again. Optimus is just thankful they destroyed Knock Out's sample, unaware of the fact that back at the mine, Knock Out has found a single drop of synthetic energon.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] (1)
*[[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] (3)
*[[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] (4)
*[[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] (5)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (6)
*''[[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]]'' (8)
|c2=
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (7)
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] (9)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (10)
*[[Decepticon Miner]] (11)
*[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] (12)
|c3=
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (2)

}}

==Quotes==
"HOOAAH!"
:—'''Ratchet''' gets a new catchphrase. He needed that.

'''Ratchet:''' (''clicks as he walks by'') How's it hummin'? 
'''Arcee:''' ...Did he just? 
'''Bulkhead:''' Stronger, faster, studlier.
:—Yeah, he did.

"It's all right! I'm an emergency vehicle!"
:—'''Ratchet''', engaging the Decepticons.

"Get melted, wheel-grinder!" 
"''Melted''? Now '''there's''' a concept. (''activates blowtorch'') I won't ask you a second time! ''Where? Is? Megatron?''"
:—A '''Vehicon Miner''''s insult to '''Ratchet''' backfires horribly.

"A direct assault on the Decepticons would only provoke retaliation...and lead to incalculable losses. I will not endanger innocent human lives." 
"Yet you seem to have no problem endangering ours! Just ask Cliffjumper! Oh, I forgot! He couldn't be here today!" 
''"That's it!"''
:— '''Optimus'''' principles don't sit well with '''Ratchet''', who pisses off '''Arcee''' while making his point.

"Yeah, she's kinda domineering and the extra arms are weird, but... I find myself intrigued by her."
:—'''Breakdown''' chats to a miner about his thoughts on [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]].

(''to Knock Out'') "''That'' is your fearsome new adversary? (''Chuckles'') He's Optimus Prime's medic!" 
(''to Megatron'') "Oh no, Megatron, I am your doctor of doom!" 
:—'''Megatron''' is unimpressed by '''Ratchet'''.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* The synthetic energon created in the episode is derived from the formula transcribed by Bulkhead in [[T.M.I.|the previous episode]].
* Ratchet's description of the Autobots having fought numerous battles recently is accompanied by flashbacks to various battles from the "[[Darkness Rising]]" five-part pilot among others, including "[[Operation: Breakdown]]" and "[[Partners (Prime)|Partners]]".
* The engine Ratchet uses to test the synthetic energon is a larger version of the device Ratchet built for [[Jack Darby|Jack's]] science project in "[[Masters & Students]]". Thankfully, it doesn't flip out like Jack's did.
* Knock Out confuses Ratchet for a "new" Autobot. Which makes sense, since he hasn't encountered him before. Ratchet ''was'' with the other Autobots when they charged in to rescue Bulkhead from Starscream and Breakdown in "[[Operation: Breakdown]]", but it's entirely possible that Breakdown simply didn't see him, since he was focused on escaping and missing an eye at the time.
* While Ratchet concedes that Synthetic Energon needs more refining, it would not be mentioned again until "[[Project Predacon]]", over a year and a half later.

===Real-world references===
* Given that the plot centers on the idea of artificial enhancement, this episode's title is almost certainly a reference to the opening of the 1974 series ''{{w|The Six Million Dollar Man}}'', which promised a cybernetic secret agent who was "Better, stronger, faster."
**That said, there's also the possibility it could be a reference to the original [[Action Master]]s [[commercial/Generation 1#1990|commercial]], in which [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] described the new breed of Transformer as "Stronger, faster, more alive!"
* It's also the same plot as about a billion after-school specials on the dangers of drugs.
* Ratchet referred to himself as Megatron's "[[Doctor Doom|Doctor of Doom]]." This goes without saying.
* Ratchet dabbling with a green liquid 'enhancement' is reminiscent of his voice actor, [[Jeffrey Combs]], in the movie ''Re-Animator''.
* Ratchet's short-lived new catchphrase, "hooah", is the battle cry/general term of acknowledgement of the [[United States Army]].

===Errors===
* After Arcee continues to chase down Knock Out and Breakdown, air support arrives. However, when they shoot Arcee, Knock Out and Breakdown have vanished from in front of her. Furthermore, when the other Autobots finally climb over the rock pile to help Arcee, she is only a few yards from the pile, whereas she should be several miles away.
* When Arcee is hurt, she obviously couldn't move her leg, but when she walks through the GroundBridge she is magically healed.
* When Ratchet first injects himself, he drops the glass cylinder and it shatters on the ground. Later, when Knock Out collects a sample of the synthetic energon in a nearly identical cylinder, and Ratchet kicks it out of his hands, the cylinder flies ''across the entire room'' and lands without breaking. Then Ratchet throws it against a rock wall in the same room and it breaks instantly.
* Ratchet jumps onto and leaps off of a tree branch which seems totally capable of supporting all the weight of an SUV landing on top of it with all that force, then leaping off. Not so much as a wood chip or crack to be seen - though it does creak audibly.
* During his first fight with the Vehicons, Ratchet slices the arm off one and throws it to the ground, where it stays. When Ratchet moves on to his next opponent, the arm simply blinks out of existence.
* When Ratchet rears back to kill the Decepticon miner, his optics are colored with their normal blue light, rather than the green Synth-En infused color they have before and after.
* Bumblebee is shown returning with the other Autobots despite staying at base to operate the GroundBridge.
* The sample of synthetic energon Knock Out was holding was only about half full, but when Ratchet picked it up, it was completely full.
* Just before destroying the cylinder of synthetic energon, Ratchet's wound is not shown to be leaking. Mere moments after he's hit the ground, another puddle of energon has formed beneath him.
* Breakdown is knocked out by Ratchet just before he engages Megatron. When the Autobots show up at the end, however, Breakdown has vanished and he isn't shown fleeing with Knock Out.
* During Ratchet's first fight with the Vehicons, his shoulder pads clip into him several times.

===Trivia===
* The episode was first broadcast on Canada's Teletoon channel. It later first aired in the United States on [[September 17]], [[2011]].
* When Ratchet transforms to attack the Decepticon miners, his [[license plate]] reads "'''449·EPQ'''".
* Even though Optimus said they don't harm servant class, upon entering the Decepticon mines, it would appear that he '''knocks the total mess out of a miner.''' He must really care about Ratchet. Though it may have also been in fact because the miners attacked them first.
* This was the last stand-alone episode until "[[Loose Cannons]]" in Season 2. It was followed by a seven-part story arc, a two-parter, and massive delays between episode airings.
* According to [[Mairghread Scott]], during the first draft of this episode there was a line, during the scene where Ratchet berates Optimus for his perceived inaction against Megatron, which implied [[Elita One (COP)|Elita One]] had died during the war and he was blaming Optimus for it, leading Prime to punch Ratchet. The line and punch were cut as the story editor didn't want Optimus to lose his cool during the scene.<ref>[http://mscottwrites.tumblr.com/post/159927821476/ms-scott-so-i-have-a-really-important-question Shotgun Mermaid on Tumblr]</ref>

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Mais Forte, Mais Rápido'''" ("Stronger, Faster")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 2|2 April]] [[2012]]

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La Métamorphose de Ratchet'''" ("Ratchet's Metamorphosis")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Gegen die Vorschrift'''" ("Against the Rules")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 17|17 February]] [[2012]]

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Erősebb, gyorsabb'''" ("Stronger, Faster")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 7|7 February]] [[2012]]

'''Indonesian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Lebih Cepat, Lebih Kuat'''" ("Stronger, Faster")
:*''Original airdate:'' 28 September [[2012]]

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Più forte, più veloce'''" ("Stronger, Faster")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 10|10 December]] [[2011]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kindan Henkei!? Ratchet Saikyō Densetsu?'''" (禁断変形!?ラチェット最強伝説?, "Forbidden Transformation!? Ratchet's Strongest Legend?")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 1|1 September]] [[2012]]

'''Korean'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hapseong Eneojon'''" (합성 에너존, "Synthetic Energon")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 8|8 November]] [[2011]]

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Silniejszy, szybszy"''' ("Stronger Faster")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 3|3 January]] [[2012]]

'''Spanish (Spain)'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Más fuerte, más rápido'''" ("Stronger, Faster")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 14|14 July]] [[2012]]

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season One ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season One Collection ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Volume 5: One Shall Fall, One Shall Rise (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Folge 6: Die Prophezeiung ([[EDEL:kids]]) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Staffel 1 - Das Bündnis (EDEL:kids) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Vol. 11 ([[Avex Trax]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2013 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Vol. 5: One Shall Stand ([[Universal|Universal Pictures IT]]) — English, Italian, Dutch, French and Spanish audio. 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2014 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Saison 1 Vol. 5: Un seul vaincra ([[Universal|Universal Pictures France]]) — English, French, Italian, Dutch and Spanish audio. 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2014 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Saison 1: L'intégrale (Universal Pictures France) — English, French, Italian, Dutch and Spanish audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season One: One Shall Stand ([[Universal|Universal Pictures UK]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Ultimate Autobots (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2015 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season One (Universal Pictures UK)
;Blu-ray
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season One (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Season One Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2012 — ''Transformers Prime'' — Staffel 1 - Das Bündnis (EDEL:kids) — English and German audio. 

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Slipstream (One)

2024-11-17T14:40:58Z

DevinM626:

{{factions|decepticon}}
{{disambig3|Slipstream}}
:''Slipstream is a [[Decepticon]] from [[Transformers One (franchise)|One]].''
[[File:One-Slipstream-concept.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]

'''Slipstream''' is a member of the [[High Guard]].

==Fiction==
===''One'' film===
[[File:SlipstreamOneCaptured.jpg|left|thumb]]

Slipstream was a member of the Cybertronian [[High Guard]]. Upon bearing witness to [[Sentinel Prime (One)|Sentinel Prime]]'s betrayal of the Primes, she and the rest of the High Guard resolved to hide away from the rest of Cybertronian society and delegate resources towards sabotaging Sentinel's rule.

Slipstream stood in attendance as Starscream interrogated [[Optimus Prime (One)|a]] [[Megatron (One)|quartet]] [[Bumblebee (One)|of]] [[Elita-1 (One)|trespassers]] and bore witness to a duel between D-16 and Starscream, in which D-16 was victorious. Shortly afterwards, a swarm of [[Tracker|Death Trackers]] led by [[Airachnid (One)|Airachnid]] descended upon them. Slipstream was among those captured by Sentinel's forces. She was kept captive in Sentinel's tower in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], held behind Starscream, until Orion Pax's plan to retake the city started, and [[Soundwave (One)|Soundwave]] released the prisoners.

Slipstream was among those was among those who witnessed the battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron. After the newly christened Prime defeated Megatron in battle, he banished him and the High Guard from the city, with Slipstream among those following him into exile.

In the High Guard's exile, Megatron rechristened them as [[Decepticons]], and the faction's [[insignia]] based on the face of [[The Fallen|Megatronus Prime]] was branded onto Slipstream's wings. Slipstream joined her fellow seekers in echoing Megatron's 'rise up' and blasted her weapons in support of her leader.{{storylink|Transformers One (film)|One}}
==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Mandarin:'' '''Huá Liú''' (滑流, "Slipstream")

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:One-Slipstrem-jet-concept.jpg|Jet mode
</gallery>

[[Category:Female Transformers]]
[[Category:One Decepticons]]

Slipstream (One)

2024-11-17T14:40:22Z

DevinM626:

{{factions|decepticon}}
{{disambig3|Slipstream}}
:''Slipstream is a [[Decepticon]] from [[Transformers One (franchise)|One]].''
[[File:One-Slipstream-concept.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]

'''Slipstream''' is a member of the [[High Guard]].

==Fiction==
===''One'' film===
[[File:SlipstreamOneCaptured.jpg|left|thumb]]

Slipstream was a member of the Cybertronian [[High Guard]]. Upon bearing witness to [[Sentinel Prime (One)|Sentinel Prime]]'s betrayal of the Primes, she and the rest of the High Guard resolved to hide away from the rest of Cybertronian society and delegate resources towards sabotaging Sentinel's rule.

Slipstream stood in attendance as Starscream interrogated [[Optimus Prime (One)|a]] [[Megatron (One)|quartet]] [[Bumblebee (One)|of]] [[Elita-1 (One)|trespassers]] and bore witness to a duel between D-16 and Starscream, in which D-16 was victorious. Shortly afterwards, a swarm of [[Tracker|Death Trackers]] led by [[Airachnid (One)|Airachnid]] descended upon them. Slipstream was among those captured by Sentinel's force. She was kept captive in Sentinel's tower in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], held behind Starscream, until Orion Pax's plan to retake the city started, and [[Soundwave (One)|Soundwave]] released the prisoners.

Slipstream was among those was among those who witnessed the battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron. After the newly christened Prime defeated Megatron in battle, he banished him and the High Guard from the city, with Slipstream among those following him into exile.

In the High Guard's exile, Megatron rechristened them as [[Decepticons]], and the faction's [[insignia]] based on the face of [[The Fallen|Megatronus Prime]] was branded onto Slipstream's wings. Slipstream joined her fellow seekers in echoing Megatron's 'rise up' and blasted her weapons in support of her leader.{{storylink|Transformers One (film)|One}}
==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Mandarin:'' '''Huá Liú''' (滑流, "Slipstream")

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:One-Slipstrem-jet-concept.jpg|Jet mode
</gallery>

[[Category:Female Transformers]]
[[Category:One Decepticons]]

Astrotrain (G1)

2024-11-05T23:37:56Z

DevinM626:

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|ascenticon}}
{{disambig3|Astrotrain}}
{{suite}}
: ''Astrotrain is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:TransformersCollectionAstrotrainDatafile.jpg|upright=2.3|thumb|Choo Choo Rocket]]

'''Astrotrain''' loves to sow confusion. To this end, his [[Triple Changer]] abilities serve him well. Nothing pleases him more than confronting an Autobot in a dark corner and making him wonder if he's up against one Decepticon or two. He craves having this power over others. Single-minded, you may say, but when most of your time is spent transporting troops around, you have to take your jollies where you can. He wants more from life, but it's either fly the other Decepticons around, or get scrapped by them.

He also craves having power over a massive [[Astroforce|army of train drones]]. Follow your dreams, Astrotrain. Follow your dreams.

{{bigquote|It's always the same thing. I fly them to points unknown, exhaust all my fuel, and they get to have all the fun.|Astrotrain on his eternal role as the Decepticons' ride|"[[The Gambler]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Jack Angel]] (English), [[Takurō Kitagawa]] (Japanese)|[[Zhang Mingyu]] (Chinese), [[Jorge García]] (Latin American), [[Gerd Wiedenhofen]] (German, "Hoist Goes Hollywood", ''The Movie''), [[Reinhard Brock]] (German, "The Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1"), [[Christoph Lindert]] (German, "The Killing Jar" Generation 1 and "Triple Takeover" ''Generation 2''), [[Walter von Hauff]] (German, "Ghost in the Machine"), [[Gernot Duda]] (German, "The Big Broadcast of 2006"), [[Holger Schwiers]] (German, "The Burden Hardest to Bear"), [[Gerd Rigauer]] (German, "Prime Target" ''Generation 2''), [[Tonio von der Meden]] (German, "Ghost in the Machine" ''Generation 2''), [[Hélio Ribeiro]] (Portuguese), [[Júlio César]] (Portuguese, "Hoist Goes Hollywood"), [[José Sant'anna]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' TV dub), [[Ronaldo Artinic]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' Fox Kids dub), [[François Leccia]] (European French, "Blaster Blues" & "Cosmic Rust"), [[Pierre Garin]] (European French, "The God Gambit"), Unknown actors (European French, "The Secret of Omega Supreme", "Hoist goes Hollywood" & "Chaos"), [[Albert Augier]] (European French, "The Gambler"), [[Serge Lhorca]] (European French, "Sea Change" & "Prime Target"), [[Georges Atlas]] (European French, "Triple Takeover")}}

[[File:AstrotrainTakeover.jpg|left|thumb|It doesn't matter if you're grey or white... if you're a boy or a girl...]]
Astrotrain arrived on [[Earth]] during the second year of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s campaign to conquer the planet and its energy resources. His activities prior to that point remain unclear, but he was first seen guarding human slaves in an energy mine following the Decepticon takeover of [[Central City (Earth)|Central City]]. When the Autobots returned from a brief exile in space, Astrotrain and his comrades were defeated and sent packing. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

He once transported Megatron to the [[Moon (moon)|moon]] where he and the Decepticons' leader attempted to jam Earth's radio waves. The attempt was interrupted by the arrival of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], [[Carly (G1)|Carly]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Astrotrain engaged in a bad pun, accused Omega Supreme of being too outdated to catch him, and then was the victim of a Cybertronian's impression of a sandworm (see image) before being thrown a few planetary diameters. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}}

[[File:Omegasupreme astrotrain.jpg|thumb|Behold my mighty hand!]]
Typically one of the more easy-going among the Decepticons, even Astrotrain isn't above letting a little power go to his head. While tracking [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], he shot down the Autobot, who had been on a fuel scouting mission, and managed to trick the [[Titan (species)|people]] of [[Titan (moon)|Titan]] into believing that he was one of their [[Sky God]]s, so that they would mine [[energy crystal]]s for him and the Decepticons. Astrotrain used [[Jero]], a corrupt High Priest who was as fanatical as he was ruthless, to further his ends. However, the Autobots [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] arrived aboard Omega Supreme looking for Cosmos. Omega Supreme was virtually out of fuel after the trip, but the Autobots soon managed to refuel him using the energy crystals. Knowing that he, [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] and [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] alone couldn't beat Omega Supreme, Astrotrain destroyed the crystals in a fit of pique before flying off, leaving Jero to die like the worm he was. Harsh, Astrotrain, harsh. {{storylink|The God Gambit}}

Astrotrain was used by Megatron to transport energy rich asteroid ore being mined by the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] in high orbit. Astrotrain maintained his shuttle mode so that [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] could load him with cargo. He apparently did not have very keen sensors in that form, as the Autobot Cosmos was able to very clumsily swipe some ore from his open cargo bay, then loudly fell over Astrotrain's side without the Decepticon even reacting. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

Astrotrain later transported [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] to the planet [[Monacus]] to check up on Decepticon sympathizer [[Gyconi|Lord Gyconi]]. When they learned that Gyconi had captured a number of Autobots and brainwashed them into mindless slaves, the Decepticons tried to stow them aboard Astrotrain to take them back to Megatron. However, their plan was stopped by [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], [[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]] and [[Slizardo]], and the latter two followed Astrotrain into space as he escaped with his comrades. {{storylink|The Gambler}}

[[File:TripleTakeover-ThrustAndAstrotrain.jpg|thumb|left|]]

When [[Deceptitran]] sent word for assistance in overcoming [[Tlalakan (species)|Tlalakan]] rebels, Astrotrain transported Megatron and his warriors to that distant world to protect their energon horde. The rebellion gained Transformer aid of their own, though, and [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] and friends drove off the Decepticons and led the Tlalakans to freedom. {{storylink|Sea Change}}

However, the incident on Titan had given Astrotrain a taste of power, and he decided he liked it. With the help of [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], Astrotrain froze Megatron and Starscream in a sewer system in order to take over the Decepticons. He then created an army of trains to help him rule, thinking it was a good idea. Although he managed to amass a surprisingly large amount of [[energon cube]]s, the productive day ended with him flooding the entire city after bursting a water main. Worse, Megatron thawed out. The embarrassment of these incidents forced Astrotrain to creep back into the Decepticon ranks quietly... at [[fusion cannon]] point. {{storylink|Triple Takeover}}

[[File:Search4atelitakicks.jpg|thumb|Boot to the head]]
[[Chumley|Lord Chumley]] used Astrotrain's likeness as a lure to capture [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]]. Megatron later sent the real Astrotrain (as well as Blitzwing) to go negotiate with Chumley so they could team up to annihilate the Autobots. The Triple Changers arrived in time to see Optimus refuse to rescue a distressed young woman. Astrotrain was curious, but Blitzwing fell for the ruse and got stuck, so Astrotrain was left with no other option but going to the castle to free him. On his way there, Astrotrain found Chumley using a [[Chumley's arachnoid drones|robotic scorpion]] to fight Optimus Prime, and proposed Megatron's deal. Chumley responded by flinging the Decepticon away, hanging him up to the walls, and defusing his weapons. Astrotrain was frustrated and explained himself, but Chumley rejected the notion and claimed he'd rather have the help of an aardvark. But as Prime inched closer, Chumley panicked and freed the Decepticons, who promptly made their getaway. He learned that day, to never trust Decepticons. {{storylink|Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target}}

[[File:HoistGoesHollywood-AstrotrainClaws.jpg|thumb|left|No razors here, folks.]]
Megatron dispatched Astrotrain, Starscream, Ramjet, and [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] in order to catch the [[Female Autobots]], making up for Shockwave's failure. Running into their leader, [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]], Astrotrain and Ramjet grabbed her and took her prisoner. When Optimus Prime arrived to rescue Elita, she kicked Astrotrain in the face, forcing him to lose his grip. He recovered and was able to celebrate Prime's apparent disintegration, later got zapped by the duo of [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] and [[Firestar (G1)|Firestar]], and in shuttle mode he transported the retreating Decepticons away. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}} Megatron's next mission for Astrotrain was to go with Thrust and Ramjet to salvage Dirge and his cargo, who crashed in a swamp near a movie set. When they arrived, Astrotrain deployed a pair of claws to haul Dirge back, while a nearby [[Attack of the Alien Robots director|director]] filmed them. Once they returned to headquarters, Astrotrain informed Megatron of the film crew that was watching them as they carted the device, and the enraged Megatron set out to destroy the film. {{storylink|Hoist Goes Hollywood (episode)|Hoist Goes Hollywood}}

Astrotrain transported Megatron, Starscream and Rumble to the lost Autobot colony of [[Antilla]], where they discovered the entire civilization had been wiped out by the deadly [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]]. Not heeding a holographic warning from the Autobots, Megatron ventured further into the colony and seized an [[Lightning Bug|advanced heat ray weapon]] from its storage chamber. As they left Antilla, a Cosmic Rust spore-filled asteroid appeared to chase after Astrotrain, prompting Megatron to test out of the power of the 'Lightning Bug' weapon on the space rock. The blast obliterated the asteroid, but the shrapnel from the explosion pierced Astrotrain's hull and punctured Megatron's chest plate, infecting him with Cosmic Rust. The damage put Astrotrain out of commission for weeks, though it's unclear if he too was infected like his leader. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[File:TFTM-AstrotrainCoronation.jpg|thumb|I guess you could say it's his... ''crowning moment''! Gah ha ha ha!]]
Astrotrain witnessed Starscream throw a fit over Megatron's obsession with Shockwave, and was surprised as everyone else when the Seeker shot Megatron in the back. But when Megatron overpowered his subordinate, Astrotrain was disgusted and allowed Starscream to be humiliated. He was then present for a battle with Starscream's new team of [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], but didn't contribute anything in particular. At the end of the day, Megatron ordered Astrotrain to take the traitorous Starscream and the Combaticons to an asteroid floating through space, where they would be banished forever. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}} Astrotrain could be glimpsed on the simulation of Megatron's [[orbit disruptor cannon]], but did not get to actually see it in person. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

In the year [[2005]], he transported the Decepticons away after getting their aft-sections [[Battle of Autobot City|handed to them]] at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. He couldn't make it back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] with the amount of weight on board, so they tossed [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|some]] [[Insecticon (G1)|dead]] [[Thundercracker (G1)|weight]] overboard. After that, Astrotrain served as the ring for the subsequent fight among the Decepticons to replace the ejected Megatron, where the Constructicons formed [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] inside him (slag, Astrotrain is big!) and Rumble and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] used their piledrivers (slag, Astrotrain is sturdy!) Apparently, they all made it back fine, and Astrotrain was the one to crown Starscream during his coronation as the new [[Decepticon leader]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

{{note|Astrotrain's involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'' and the storybook "[[Transformers the Movie (Ladybird adaptation)|Transformers the Movie]]".}}

[[File:FFOD1 Cyclonus Astrotrain energon.jpg|thumb|left]]
When the Decepticons lost their hold on Cybertron, Astrotrain went with the rest of them to [[Chaar]], where he was seen trying to deliver Energon cubes to the starving army. When he tried to take a cube for himself while the Constructicons were fighting amongst themselves for the energy, they merged into Devastator and kicked him aside. Devastator was then distracted by [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], and Astrotrain made another move for the cube, only to be shot by [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]. Such is life. When Cyclonus insulted the Decepticons for their behavior, Astrotrain somewhat notably mentioned that he knew [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] and Megatron "were the same guy". Cyclonus later stated that he needed energon as it was needed to revive Galvatron, and Astrotrain gave him the rest of his supplies. He got an inspirational speech in return. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

When the Quintessons offered the Decepticons energon, Astrotrain joined his cohorts in the feasting, and when the Quintessons made a proposition, he agreed to go with it and went to battle the Autobots with everyone else. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} He later participated in a battle in space under unknown circumstances. {{storylink|The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar}}

[[File:Chaos-astrotrain-swisscheese.jpg|thumb]]
Astrotrain then helped Galvatron and the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] with the plan to destroy Cybertron with a [[death crystal cannon]], supervising the loading of the cannon with the deadly crystals. {{storylink|Chaos (episode)|Chaos}}

Later on, when [[Scourge (G1)|intruders]] found their way inside [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Astrotrain responded to the alarm but ended up being possessed by Starscream's [[Spark|ghost]] because of his useful cargo space. Starscream flew his body most of the way to [[Unicron]]'s head, then left it when he closed in on Cybertron, leaving Astrotrain to be shot down by the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]]. Astrotrain was then captured and interrogated by the Autobots, but was as confused as they were about why he had been flying so close to Cybertron all by himself. He was later released as a way of thanking Scourge for revealing Unicron's plans to them. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}}

Later, Astrotrain stumbled upon [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] in space and battled him until the two were suddenly interrupted by a laser barrage from the nearby [[Junkion (planet)|Planet of Junk]] and retreated. Astrotrain returned to Chaar to report this to Galvatron, who punched him in the face, insulted him and stated that he didn't care. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

Astrotrain was later seen participating in a Decepticon attack on Japan, trying to ram a bullet train head-on, before being driven off by the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}
{{--}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''The Battle of the Star Gate''=====
[[File:SGB1 giant astrotrain.jpg|thumb|left|275px]]
In the mid-1990s, Astrotrain ferried the Decepticons through space for their attack on the orbital interstellar teleportation platform known as the ''[[Trigger]]'', created as part of a joint effort between the Autobots and the American government. His shuttle mode serving as the perfect disguise to allow the villains to draw in close before striking, he raised brief suspicion by not matching any known Earthly spacecraft, but when Starscream and [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] deployed from within him and flew on ahead, the impossible sight of jets flying in outer space led the ''Trigger''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew to believe Astrotrain and his passengers were Autobots. This fatal mistake led to the deaths of three of the four-man crew at the Decepticons' hands before the Autobots arrived to rout the villains. Astrotrain transformed for battle ''without'' changing size and entered the fray as a gigantic robot, but even his huge size couldn't win the day, and the Decepticons withdrew. {{storylink|First Contact (Star Gate)|First Contact}}

Several months later, Astrotrain was employed by Starscream to carry the large payload of energon cubes he had gathered through a deal with the [[Prime Minister of Japan]] back to [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Earth)|Decepticon Headquarters]]. When the Decepticons came under attack by the Autobots, Astrotrain took flight, but his escape was barricaded by the time-displaced ghost of Starscream from the future (yes, really), {{storylink|Activation}} who spirited the present-day Starscream and the energon cubes away to the ''Trigger''. Astrotrain nervously reported this baffling turn of events to his leader, then joined with all the other Decepticons and Autobots in attacking the twin Starscreams, who had fused their body with the ''Trigger''. The battle ended when Optimus Prime and Megatron combined their power to destroy Starscream's new body, but the backwash from the explosion was so powerful that Astrotrain and all the other Transformers were sent hurtling down to Earth in uncontrolled re-entry, and were not heard from again for many months. {{storylink|The Battle of the Star Gate}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
[[File:FMYOVM Astrotrain.jpg|thumb]]
Astrotrain, Blitzwing, and [[Octane]] were amongst the troops serving under [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] in Trypticon on Earth in the year 2011. Together, they helped Sixshot distract [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and his warriors from assisting the Autobots' forces on Cybertron when Galvatron staged a major attack on the planet. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} The three were later dispatched to protect Trypticon from an attack by the Autobot Triple Changers [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]], unaware that it was just a distraction to allow [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Twincast]] to infiltrate the base. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}} He also served as Galvatron's personal transport to the planet [[Praum]], where the Decepticons had set a trap for the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} He also transported Galvatron and [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundblaster]] to Earth from Chaar, where they prepared their strike on Cybertron. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} Astrotrain then went into Earth's orbit to help steal the energy-gathering satellite known as [[Sol 1]], {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} and much later he witnessed [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] reveal his gigantic [[transtector]] at [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

Astrotrain joined the rest of the Decepticon forces in the [[Arctic]] for [[Scorponok (G1)|MegaZarak]]'s final assault on the Earth. When the Autobots proved victorious, he and the rest of the Decepticons were driven from the Earth and into the reaches of space. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

=====''Legends'' comic=====
When [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] attempted to overthrow Megatron in the 1980s, he blasted Astrotrain and some other Decepticons to establish dominance. {{storylink|Slugslinger's Ambition}} Astrotrain was part of a group of Decepticons who fell in a pitfall trap prepared by [[Twin Twist (G1)|Twin Twist]], but being Decepticons, they simply flew back out. {{storylink|Jumpstarter Chapter#Operation: Destroy the Decepticons|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

Under Scorponok's command, Astrotrain was battling [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s forces in space when Scorponok detonated a nearby [[black hole]], infecting Autobots and Decepticons alike with [[Black ball|miniature black holes]] that doomed their bodies to shrink into nothingness. They only survived by giving up their bodies and converting their heads into small [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] forms. {{storylink|Headmaster Chapter Prologue}} Astrotrain traveled to the [[Legends World]] and worked for [[Tera-Kura Co.|Decepticon Tera-Kura Co.]], but was hard pressed to transport much of anything in his tiny new form and ended up losing his job as cargo transporter to [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Fortunately, he encountered roboticist and fugitive [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] and blackmailed him into building him a [[transtector]] in exchange for protection from the police, after which his ambition grew and he made plans to conquer the world. By forming the [[Astrotrain Transport Company]] and promising new employees free copies of his transtector, he lured in other bodiless Headmasters, then used restrain devices in the transtectors to enslave them and make them his personal army. The plan failed when his egotistical refusal to share energon with his soldiers led to the deactivation of the restraint devices, and he was buried in trains as the freed Headmasters sent their transtectors crashing into him. In the end, Astrotrain settled for using his train mode to run a commuter service instead. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 40|Bonus Edition Vol. 40}}

During [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s rampage across [[Akihabara]], he picked up Astrotrain's train and swallowed all its occupants whole, including Astrotrain. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 43|Bonus Edition Vol. 43}} His train was later seen traveling across a bridge over the rebuilt "Neo Akihabara City", {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Prologue}} and he was among the victims of [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]]'s [[anti-electron]] assault. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 55|Bonus Edition Vol. 55}} After an evening of drinking with Blitzwing and putting up with his boasting, Astrotrain was caught up in a Quintesson attack on the Legends World and used his transtector to shoot down one of the attacking [[Overcharge (G1)|Overcharges]], allowing Blitzwing to modify it into a body for himself. He was surprised to learn that another Overcharge had been Blitzwing himself from the distant past, but the novelty quickly wore off and he was soon getting sick of his buddy's stories again. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 59|Bonus Edition Vol. 59}}

When the Legends World was threatened by plasma energy bombs, Astrotrain was one of many transports used to evacuate the population back to the OG World. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Finale: Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two|Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two}} Arriving first in [[2023]], Astrotrain joined the Autobots and Decepticons on the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]]. He helped their old allies the [[Beastformer (species)|Beastformers]] in their conflicts against the [[Laser Beast]]s. {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 1}}

=====''Generations Selects Special Comic''=====
In [[2050]], Astrotrain was one of the Decepticons supporting the [[Selector]] revolt at [[Neo Scramble City]]. {{storylink|Volcanicus comic 1}} He later helped humans and Selectors flee from the [[Angolmois Energy]] eruptions plaguing the Earth. {{storylink|Abominus comic 2}}

====''TV Magazine'' comic continuity====
[[File:SRLF4 astrotrain snaps metroplex.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
Astrotrain joined the rest of the Decepticon forces in an assault on Autobot HQ in [[Arizona]]. This acted as a cover for Soundwave's covert operations in [[Japan]] (which were ultimately foiled).{{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2}}

Later, when the Autobots began construction of the battle fortress [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]], Astrotrain was assigned to carry out surveillance of the project with [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]]. Using Reflector's camera mode to capture images of Scramble City's transformations, Astrotrain brought the images back to Megatron so he could deduce whether or not it was powerful enough to stand up to their own near-complete battle station, [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3}}

=====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic=====
"Astrotrain" joined several legendary Decepticons in battle against [[Ginrai (human)|Super Ginrai]]. "Astrotrain" was ultimately revealed to be nothing more than a holographic illusion created by [[Giga]]. {{storylink|Burn, Chokon! New Commander Super Ginrai!}}
{{--}}

====Madman ''The Transformers'' comic====
In the year [[2001]], the Decepticons had managed to conquer Cybertron completely. As the Autobots evacuated off-planet, Astrotrain was one of the many space-worthy Decepticons who pursued them into orbit and attacked. {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}

====''Mars Attacks: The Transformers''====
[[File:Mars Attacks The Transformers - Prowl and Astrotrain.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb]]
Astrotrain was among the Decepticons who were defeated by the Autobots after a battle in a city. When the city was subsequently invaded by [[Martian]]s, the Decepticons attempted to team up with them, only to be double-crossed. The Decepticons instead formed an alliance with the Autobots to see off the Martians, and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] even saved Astrotrain from one of the Martian war robots, though they agreed to continue hating each other. {{storylink|Mars Attacks: The Transformers}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
When [[Gong (GoBots)|Gong]] and [[Sideways (AVP)|Sideways]] got together for a little mischief, they spiced up the [[Battle of Autobot City]] with some [[GoBot]]s. In this new timeline, Astrotrain participated in the assault on [[Guardian (GoBots)|Guardian]] City and killed [[Apollo (GoBots)|Apollo]]. Megatron battled [[Leader-1 (GoBots)|Leader-1]] and fell in battle, and the Decepticons retreated aboard Astrotrain.

Then reality changed again, and the Decepticons now co-existed with the [[Renegade]]s. Astrotrain ordered his passengers to jettison weight, and they promptly did so. The group then turned their attention to nominating the next leader of the Renegade-Decepticon alliance, which quickly turned into a free-for-all. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}

====''Deviations''====
In a universe where Megatron didn't survive his duel with Optimus, Astrotrain ferried the defeated Decepticons off of Earth and back to Cybertron, pausing only to jettison the casualties of the battle. Unsurprisingly, Starscream seized the title of Decepticon leader, and Astrotrain was present for his coronation on Cybertron... a coronation that was interrupted by Unicron. When Starscream pledged allegiance to Unicron and became "Megascream", Astrotrain was one of the Decepticons who received an upgrade as part of the deal.

During Unicron's final attack on Cybertron, Astrotrain accompanied Megascream when the Decepticon leader tried to steal the Matrix. Astrotrain's new upgrade allowed him to merge with his leader, and the five Decepticons transformed into a massive combiner that flattened Optimus. Astrotrain was presumably killed when Hot Rod opened the Matrix shortly afterwards. {{storylink|Transformers: Deviations|Deviations}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}

[[File:Ratbatcratercritters.jpg|left|thumb|"Thus, my new fuel economy plan will increase fuel efficiency. Any other questions, Astrotrain?" "Yeah. What the hell did you just say, Ratbat?"]]

''Astrotrain was one of Lord [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]'s warriors on Cybertron, operating out of [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]] in [[Polyhex]]. At [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s demand, he [[Communicube|called]] a group of Decepticons back from a planned assassination attempt on [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]] and the Autobot leaders, leaving all the Decepticons unaware that it was actually a ploy by the Autobots to wipe them out.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

''Some time later, Megatron was teleported to Cybertron alongside [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Straxus came to see Megatron as a liability and sought to take control of his more powerful body. Astrotrain witnessed the mind-swapping process, unaware that it had gone awry upon its completion, leaving both Megatron and Straxus trapped within the same frame.''{{storylink|Resurrection!}}

Later still, Astrotrain and his fellow Triple Changers were commissioned by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] to investigate the loss of his [[Wash and Roll|priceless cargo]] that had arrived on Earth via a low-cost freighter, but hadn't checked in as scheduled. Additionally, while on Earth, the trio were tasked with enlisting the aid of a human with access to many "bucks" and connections to the automotive industry, to further help the Decepticons acquire fuel. Upon making contact with the crashed ship, Astrotrain and his companions were infected with [[Scraplet]]s, and began to slowly waste away. The Autobots [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]] came upon the site as well, and the Decepticons reveled at the chance at some destructive fun before their demise. Though Goldbug escaped, Astrotrain, Blitzwing, and Octane cornered Blaster {{storylink|Crater Critters}} and took him prisoner. The group then holed up inside the ship, and Astrotrain updated Ratbat on their situation, urging him to send them a cure for the Scraplets. Instead, Ratbat sent over the captured [[Throttlebot]]s with canisters of acid, instructing them to eliminate all of the infected. Lucky for them, Blaster's friends had managed to re-discover the [[Water|strange and wondrous chemical]] that acted as a cure for Scraplets, and prepared to use said cure instead. But Blaster, who had gotten himself infected as well during his fight with the Triple Changers, instructed the Autobots not to use the cure: he would rather die than be instrumental in allowing a Decepticon to live. Goldbug's hand was forced against Blaster's wishes when thousands of Scraplets combined to form a monster, and the only ones with enough firepower to take it down were the Decepticons. All those within the crater were doused with water, and the Triple Changers made short work of the remaining Scraplets. Following their victory, Astrotrain showed quick thinking when he identified a nearby [[G.B. Blackrock]] as a useful asset and [[stroboscopic opticon|hypnotically gained control of him]], thus ensuring the viability of [[Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom|Ratbat's greatest plan]]. The Triple Changers then beat a hasty retreat, hauling away Ratbat's cargo. {{storylink|The Cure!}}

[[File:Astrotrain space pirates.jpg|thumb|You can't stop the Train, baby!]]

After delivering the [[Wash and Roll|cargo]] to its intended destination, the Triple Changers linked up with Shockwave's Decepticons on Earth, {{storylink|Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom}} who soon fell under Ratbat's command. Astrotrain joined the Decepticons in an assault on the Autobot crews of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] and [[Steelhaven (G1)|Steelhaven]] on Earth's moon. {{storylink|Totaled!}} Relocated to the [[Arctic]], Astrotrain was among the Decepticons who rushed to defend themselves from an apparently hostile [[Semper Tyrannis|ship]] before it was revealed that the ship also contained Decepticons. When Ratbat and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s armies temporarily came to blows thanks to [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] manipulating both sides, Astrotrain was seen rolling over [[Snapdragon (G1)|Snapdragon]] and [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] in the melee. {{storylink|Cold War!}} Once the Decepticons united against a nearby Autobot regiment, Astrotrain again saw action when he ionically disrupted the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]], [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]]. Both factions quickly learned they were both victims of Starscream's manipulations, and united to stop the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] from attaining the power of the legendary [[Underbase]]. Through their efforts, Starscream was prevented from taking in all but a tiny fraction of the Underbase's energies. Unfortunately, this was still enough to endow the Seeker with unimaginable might. Three squads were formed to tackle Starscream as he attacked three different Earth cities, with Astrotrain being assigned to look over [[Buenos Aires]], Argentina. He was destroyed, alongside the other Decepticon triple changers, in a blast of cosmic power. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
[[File:Astrotrain the planet-eater.jpg|thumb|left]]

When [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] was completed in [[2004]], Astrotrain was one of several Decepticons brought by Shockwave to attack the opening day festivities. {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

In [[2005]], after the [[Battle of Autobot City]] went pear-shaped, Astrotrain acted as emergency escape transport for the Decepticons. However, he wasn't properly fueled for such a flight, and requested his passengers jettison some weight for the flight home. {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}} He was present when Megatron returned as [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] to overthrow the usurper, Starscream, and joined the returning Decepticon leader in another attack against the Autobots on Earth. {{storylink|Judgment Day!}}

In [[2008]], the Decepticons were tipped by the [[Quintesson]]s to an opportunity for wiping the Autobots off the face of Cybertron. Astrotrain acted as point-man for the invasion, not only leading the air force of flying [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], Triple Changers and [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], but also acting as transport for [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Commander Soundwave]] and the legion of ground troopers in his cargo hold. Things turned sour when the Quintessons ambushed the Decepticons on their way to [[Autobase]], though: Astrotrain was forced to dump the soldiers in his hold and quickly transform in order to greet their adversaries. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}

=====The Big Broadcast of 2006=====
{{NoteMarvelBB2006}}
In an alternate future of [[2006]], Astrotrain discovered that the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] appeared to all be hypnotized. He flew to [[Chaar]] and timidly approached [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] with his report. Galvatron angrily hit him into a rock face and declared that he cared nothing about what the Junkions were up to. He told Astrotrain he should leave, so he did. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

=====Rhythms of Darkness!=====
In [[Primax 490.0 Gamma|an alternate version]] of [[2009]], Unicron had destroyed Cybertron and the Decepticons (under [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]]'s command) controlled America. Astrotrain and Octane were seen defending the [[Decepticon Powerbase]] from one last, desperate Autobot assault. They shot down the [[Pretender]] [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]], when he was disrupting the base's [[Force field|energy field]]. {{storylink|Rhythms of Darkness!}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Triple changers shockwave secrets.jpg|thumb]]
Astrotrain happily worked for Shockwave's faction in the [[Decepticon Civil War]], along with his fellow Triple Changers. He took the time to slug it out with [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] after the [[Enclave]] between Shockwave and Megatron went sour. {{storylink|The Bad Guy's Ball!}} Thanks to an inside informant, Astrotrain and the other Triple Changers joined Shockwave in surprising Megatron at an energon shipment rendez-vous point, overpowering him with blaster fire until the Decepticon leader fell off the side of a cliff. {{storylink|Secrets (G1)|Secrets}}

With [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] in command, Astrotrain joined a massive Decepticon offensive against the Autobot [[Earthbase]]. Their goal was to kill some Autobots, while also distracting them as [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] looted a human [[oil tanker]] in the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. Both goals proved fruitless, and the Decepticons were driven off. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}} Later, Astrotrain and Blitzwing received an SOS from their fellow Triple Changer, Octane, who had somehow driven himself into the middle of a military testing range. After they fended off some live ammunition that threatened to set off their tanker truck comrade, Astrotrain and Blitzwing learned that Octane had been "playing" again, attacking human vehicles for sport, when [[Jazz (G1)|one of them]] led him on a merry chase right into his current predicament. Infuriated by the idiot's antics, Astrotrain happily buggered off and left him. {{storylink|Manoeuvres!}}

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
Astrotrain showed up among a crowd of Decepticons all fired up to tackle the [[Cybertronian (faction)|armies]] of [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], just before they pretty much got slaughtered. {{storylink|New Dawn}}

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Astrotraincrossingovershuttle.jpg|left|thumb|Astrotrain is relieved he only has to carry five Constructicons now.]]
Astrotrain's carcass lay undiscovered at the bottom of the sea for ten years until [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] managed to find him. His remains were excavated piece by piece by enslaved [[human]]s and transported to Megatron's base of operations within the wrecked [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] in northern [[Canada]]. Using incomplete schematics and Megatron's memories of Astrotrain's old body, Astrotrain was finally reconstructed. Astrotrain was immediately put in charge of finding the remnants of the rest of the Decepticons who fell at the hands of the [[Underbase]]-powered Starscream, plus the unpleasant task of carting them back to their headquarters. This morbid job took its toll on Astrotrain, who yearned for real battle. He at one point snapped upon discovering a human space station in Earth's orbit, his last refuge from the organic vermin, and went on a two-day long rampage, sending several satellites raining down onto the planet's surface. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14|Astrotrain's profile in Club magazine #14}}

[[File:Devastatormegatronastrotraincrossingover.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Clearly, Astrotrain's interior is bigger than it looks.]]

After the appearance of the mysterious crossdimensional Decepticon [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]], Astrotrain and the other rebuilt Decepticons under Megatron's command traveled to [[South America]] to investigate an equally mysterious power source that seemed to share traits with Landquake. En route, they were attacked by [[Walter Barnett (G1)|Walter Barnett]]'s [[Armored Robot Hunters|RUNT]] squad. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 2}} Astrotrain managed to shake off these interlopers just before [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] and his Autobots arrived in search of this same power source, and a new battle between the factions began in the jungles surrounding the power source. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3}} As the battle escalated, Astrotrain joined with some of his peers in surrounding [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus]], {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 5}} but ultimately, Megatron was forced to call for a withdrawal. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 6}}

Megatron soon granted the mysterious [[Bug Bite (GoBots)|Bug Bite]] and his rogue group of Decepticons an audience. However, Astrotrain and the other Decepticons under Megatron's command were forcibly implanted with reverse-engineered [[cerebro-shell]]s. Bug Bite's plan was cut short when a jammer activated by [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] disabled the shells, and a fight soon erupted between Megatron's Decepticons, Bug Bite's Decepticons, and the Autobots under [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]]' command. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

When Megatron ended the [[Decepticon Civil War]] with [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], Astrotrain was stationed aboard Starscream's warship. He informed his captain when the fortress below began powering down their weapons, thanks to the [[Seacon (G1)|traitors]] in Bludgeon's ranks eliminating the [[Pretender]]. {{storylink|At Fight's End}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{NoteRG1}}
[[File:Megatrons zombie army loose ends 2.jpg|thumb|left|Ohh, for God's sake! He's got an arm off!]]
Years after being killed by an Underbase-powered Starscream, Astrotrain was reanimated by Megatron and further lobotomized so that he would unquestioningly follow orders. Pressed into service as part of Megatron's [[zombie]] army in [[2012]], Astrotrain was part of a detachment ordered to chase down [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] and the [[Wreckers]]. When [[Skywarp (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Skywarp]] managed to subdue Kup, Astrotrain was ordered by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] to return him to Megatron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}} He and the other zombified Cybertronians were offlined permanently once [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Regeneration One|Circuit Smasher]] frizzle-fried the Ark's computer, [[Aunty|Auntie]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}} After Megatron's defeat, all of the deactivated zombies were piled into a large pit by the Autobots and obliterated from orbit. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

====''Transformers '84''====
As the [[Great War (G1)|war]] raged on Cybertron, Astrotrain was one of many Autobots and Decepticons seen in battle with one another. {{storylink|Transformers '84 issue 0|'84 #0}}
{{--}}

===''Find Your Fate Junior''===
{{notemultipath}}

====Autobot Alert!====
[[File:AutobotAlertAstrotrain.jpg|thumb|"You win this round, squirrel!"]]
Astrotrain took part in a Decepticon ploy to take over Earth's communication satellites. Ferrying troops and weapons from Earth to the Decepticons’ ships in orbit, Astrotrain may have unknowingly been infiltrated by Hot Rod and Bumblebee. If so, Hot Rod may have commandeered Astrotrain's military controls to fire upon Cyclonus.

In another possible scenario, Astrotrain was sent into a wild spin out into space when the Autobots successfully sabotaged the Decepticons’ computer systems. {{storylink|Autobot Alert!}}

====Project Brain Drain====
Astrotrain was stationed at the Decepticons’ lab, charged with guarding the [[Brain Drain device]], with which the Decepticons planned to syphon away the Earthlings’ intelligence and transmute it into energy. In one possible scenario, he was one of the few Decepticons too afraid of Galvatron to desert his post when a squad of Autobots stormed the lab. He was unsuccessful in fending them off. {{storylink|Project Brain Drain}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Astrotrain warwithin.jpg|thumb|left|Finally, I get to fight instead of carry people.]]
When [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] needed a major distraction to infiltrate the subsectors of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] and establish Cybertron as a living war world, he sent Shockwave to command a full frontal assault against the Autobot capital. Astrotrain was among the many Decepticons who aided Shockwave in this siege {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} and aided several of his fellow airborne Decepticons in destroying bridges leading out of the Autobot stronghold. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}} As the Decepticons managed to breach the Autobots' final defenses, Astrotrain came down to the ground to help in mopping up the last of the enemy soldiers. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}} The Decepticons evacuated the area when [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] destroyed the place. {{storylink|The War Within issue 6|The War Within #6}}

Later on, after Megatron's disappearance led to a factioning of the Decepticon army, Astrotrain began serving with Starscream's [[Predacon (War Within)|Predacons]]. One of the group's attempt to secure a plenty of energon was foiled by the [[Lightning Strike Coalition]], led by Grimlock, who managed to distract Astrotrain and his teammates long enough to swipe their goods and make a quick getaway with them. {{storylink|Fragmentation (G1)|Fragmentation}}

The Predacons remained the only major hold out among the factions when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] negotiated a great peace between the Autobots and Decepticons due to low energon reserves planet-wide. Astrotrain and the Predacons attempted to prevent the peace treaty and the consolidation of their opponents, but their efforts were in vain until the surprise return of Megatron with his new [[Air Warrior|Aerospace Extermination Squadron]], thousands of super-charged warriors grown from [[Quintesson]] cloning technology. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}}

The Decepticons managed to establish an [[Age of Internment]] until [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] finally returned to free the Autobots and equalize the sides once more. After the disappearance of the [[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]] and its crew, Astrotrain and his fellow future Triple Changers, Octane and Blitzwing, began serving directly under Shockwave's command. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} Some time into Shockwave's reign, [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] took over the Decepticons and posed as Shockwave to retain command over the other full-sized Transformers in the ranks. Astrotrain was among the troops duped by the diminutive 'bot into launching an all-out offensive, despite their resources being at an all-time low. {{storylink|Recipe for Hate}} During what was meant to be a suicide mission, the Decepticons nearly claimed victory against the Autobots... until both factions' Micromasters turned up to put an end to the conflict. After the miniature 'bots began brandishing about Shockwave's decapitated head, the Decepticon forces got spooked and fled the battlefield. {{storylink|Victims of the Revolution}}

[[File:LostAndFound AstrotrainTransforms.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6]]
When Shockwave learned how to perfect his Triple Changer process after the [[Great Shutdown]], due to [[Unicron]]ian technology he pilfered from [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], Astrotrain was one of the first to benefit from the procedure.

In 2003, Astrotrain, along with [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], Blitzwing, [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] and Octane arrived with Shockwave on [[Earth]] to place the Earth-bound Transformers under arrest for war crimes and take them back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|New World Order}} {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 #0}} They took Optimus Prime and most of his troops into custody, ferrying them back to the homeworld. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} But Optimus and his followers were soon freed from their cells, leading to an Autobot insurrection of Shockwave's regime. Astrotrain guarded Shockwave's tower during the uprising, keeping Kup, Prowl, and Arcee from breaching its perimeter. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (issue)|Countdown to Extinction}} Despite his best efforts, the Autobots were victorious, and the bulk of the Decepticon forces were taken prisoners. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

Despite Shockwave's defeat, Astrotrain and Blitzwing remained his loyal servants, and helped him set up a base of operations in Cybertron's wastelands. While on monitor duty, the pair spotted what appeared to be a derelict wandering about their perimeter. Shockwave sent out both triple-changers to investigate, and they made short work of the [[Air Warrior]] they found. While they were puzzling over what it was doing on Cybertron, they were ambushed by [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]], who informed them that Megatron had returned to retake control of his troops! This news caused Astrotrain to switch loyalties, while Blitzwing was destroyed. {{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:ArtofWar3 OmegaSupreme Sixshot Astrotrain.jpg|thumb|I choo choo choom you! And there's a picture of a trai...er, space shuttle]]
As part of [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]'s forces on Cybertron, Astrotrain attacked an Autobot peace ceremony alongside [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], Blitzwing and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]. The Autobots responded by activating [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], who blasted Astrotrain out of the air. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}} When he opted to fight on ground level instead and wounded a [[Optimus Prime's rescuees|civilian]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] landed on top of him after falling from the sky, then proceeded to pummel the Triple Changer into the ground. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}}

===''The Beast Within''===
Astrotrain participated in an all-out Decepticon offensive against the Autobots. During its initial stages, the battle swayed in the Decepticons’ favour, and Astrotrain fired away at Powerglide as the Decepticon triple-changer stood atop the defeated Red Alert. {{storylink|The Beast Within}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{First|[[Infiltration issue 5|''Infiltration'' #5]]}}
[[File:Overthrown Astrotrain dropoff.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left]]

When [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] wanted to have a peaceful chat with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] in the early days of the Decepticon revolt, Astrotrain and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] held [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] hostage to make sure Orion didn't get any funny ideas. {{storylink|The Hunt for Soundwave}} This went well until Autobot reinforcements arrived, at which point Astrotrain was punched out by [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]]. {{storylink|Cause and Effect}} He later transported the Decepticons back to [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]] after they saved Orion Pax from [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]]'s attack on [[Nyon]]. {{storylink|Choices}} Astrotrain later dropped Orion Pax and Megatron into Zeta Prime's citadel and after Zeta Prime's death, Megatron broke the alliance between him and Orion's unit. {{storylink|Overthrown}} When Megatron was defeated in combat with Orion-turned-Optimus Prime, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] brought him to safety him by flying past on Astrotrain and grabbing him off the ground. {{storylink|Endgame}}

Looking to punish Megatron for leading the Decepticons into defeat, [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] had Astrotrain carry his damaged leader into space and drop him off near [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]]. {{storylink|Derelicts}} Following a failed attack on [[Starsreach Spaceport]], [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]]'s troops retreated on board Astrotrain, who brought them to the [[Toraxxis mega-refinery|Toraxxis crater]] on Scorponok's orders. {{storylink|Unleashed}} Astrotrain then took [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] to the planet of [[Canis Tor]] in order to recruit the wayward [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] back into the Decepticon fold. {{storylink|Primacy issue 2|Primacy #2}}

[[File:ShiningArmor1-woops.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]

In the wake of [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]'s world-ending rampage, {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 1|Stormbringer #1}}, Cybertron left was unable to support life and as the Cybertronian race fled to the stars Astrotrain fell under Starscream's command. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 5|Infiltration #5}} In the mid-19th century, Starscream formed a brief alliance with a swarm of [[Dire Wraith]]s led by [[Vekktral]] in the hopes of stealing an [[energon synthesizer]] that had been developed by the [[Solstar Order]] to nourish their Cybertronian recruit [[Stardrive]]. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 2|Shining Armor #2}}

Astrotrain adopted a new [[alternate mode]] based off a [[Galactic Council]] shuttle and used it to ferry the Wraiths, disguised as Council representatives, to the Solstar Order station ''[[Orchid Crossing]]'' over the icy world of [[Xetaxxis]]. Vekktral soon revealed himself as a Wraith imposter and Astrotrain transformed into robot mode and opened fire on the [[Space Knight]]s, killing [[Auxin]], before he himself was pinned down by [[Sata]]. The situation quickly worsened when the Autobots arrived, {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 1|Shining Armor #1}} and an attempt by the Dire Wraiths to assimilate [[Sky Blast (G1)|Sky Blast]] turned him into an uncontrollable monster. Deciding to use the chaos to his advantage, Starscream told Astrotrain to aid him in retrieving the synthesizer, which was cut short when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] sabotaged the station and sent it tumbling towards the planet below. Starscream ordered Astrotrain to evacuate the Dire Wraiths in his shuttle mode; as the Decepticons and Wraiths regrouped, Vekktral used Astrotrain's sensors to deduce that the Wraith/Cybertronian hybrid had survived reentry.
{{storylink|Shining Armor issue 2|Shining Armor #2}}

[[File:ShiningArmor3-AstrotrainAndVekktral.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|[[Vekktral|He]]'s goin' off the rails on a crazy train.]]
The Decepticons caught up with the monster as it rampaged through a [[Xetaxxan|Xetaxxian]] village and eventually burned itself out, though Vekktral was enthusiastic about trying again, Starscream made it clear that it wouldn't be his men that Vekktral sacrificed. While Starscream and the [[Conehead]]s headed off to retrieve the synthesizer from the wreckage, Astrotrain hung back with Vekktral and his Wraiths to spring a trap for the Autobots. When a group of Xetaxxans — preying on [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] 's sympathy for the natives — revealed themselves as Wraiths, Astrotrain crashed through a wall to ferry Vekktral into battle, forcing Magnus to fight a rearguard action while Bumblebee and Sata made a beeline for the station. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 3|Shining Armor #3}}

In the ensuing melee, Astrotrain wisely stuck to the sidelines and merely watched as Magnus battled — and eventually succumbed to — the swarm of Wraiths, observing with some discomfort as Vekktral used his [[magic]] to merge with the Autobot into another monstrous fusion. Astrotrain rejoined the other Decepticons as the Wraith-Magnus led the charge against the Autobot-Knight alliance... but was unprepared for Vekktral to backstab his mechanical allies, intending to turn them into more Wraith hybrids. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 4|Shining Armor #4}} Ensnared by Wraiths, Astrotrain was rescued by Blitzwing; the two Triple Changers joined Starscream as he announced a new plan: to grab the synthesizer and get off world as fast as possible. Stardrive tailed them and managed to rip off Starscream's wings, forcing Astrotrain to carry their humiliated leader offworld as the Seeker detonated the energon synthesizer so that the Autobots couldn't have it either. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 5|Shining Armor #5}}

[[File:Infiltration5 AstrotrainImwaiting.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|Not even alien invasions can stop Astrotrain from updating his blog.]]

A century later, Astrotrain was still a part of Starscream's squad, now operating under the [[infiltration protocol]]. They arrived and worked covertly on [[Earth]] for at least four years, working to destabilize Earth's governing organizations and create global anarchy. Astrotrain oversaw the extraction and refinement of the mysterious, Energon-like substance, [[Ore-13]], {{storylink|Infiltration issue 5|Infiltration #5}} but despite having sampled its power, he was unwilling to stand alongside Starscream against Megatron. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6|Infiltration #6}}

Later on, he took Starscream's place as the Earthbound Decepticon Infiltration Unit's second-in-command under Megatron, and continued to oversee the Ore-13 research. {{storylink|Escalation issue 1|Escalation #1}} During Megatron's scheme to escalate the tensions between [[Brasnya]] and [[Russia]], Astrotrain served as air cover for their ground forces, but was severely damaged by [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] {{storylink|Escalation issue 4|Escalation #4}} {{storylink|Escalation issue 5|Escalation #5}} and later retreated.

After being humiliated in battle with Optimus Prime, Megatron ordered [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] to come to Earth several phases before his presence is normally requested. Upon hearing this, the wire in Astrotrain's forehead nearly exploded, but Megatron told him to shut up. {{storylink|Escalation issue 6|Escalation #6}}

[[File:Man&Machine3 Uselesshumans.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left]]
Astrotrain was involved in Megatron's plot in the country of Latveria. He helped supercharge his fellow Decepticons with energy siphoned from [[Spider-Man]] as part of the Decepticons' "[[Mirror response mode]]." {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Two}} While other Decepticons helped fend off the combined forces of the Autobots and the Avengers, Astrotrain remained within the Decepticons' Latverian installation at Megatron's side. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Three}} When Megatron headed outside to deal with the opposition personally, Spider-Man broke free of his restraints, and Astrotrain attempted to subdue the super-hero once more. Unexpectedly, he was stunned by [[Doctor Doom]], the human villain being spiteful over Megatron's recent betrayal. After Earth's heroes managed to destroy the "Psycho-Prism" integral to Megatron's scheme, the Decepticon leader recognized that the current mission no longer served a purpose. Megatron warped Astrotrain and the rest of his troops away from the battlefield before retreating himself. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Four}}

Witnessing his leader straying further from protocol every nano-klik but knowing none of them would dare tell Megatron he was wrong, Astrotrain decided to do the unthinkable, something no sane Transformer would ever do except as a very last resort: deliberately reactivate Starscream so he could do it ''for'' them. {{storylink|Devastation issue 1|Devastation #1}} {{storylink|Devastation issue 2|Devastation #2}}

[[File:Devastation6 shownomercy.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|Don't cross the streams, Astrotrain!]]
When the alien [[Reaper]]s suddenly attacked their headquarters, {{storylink|Devastation issue 4|Devastation #4}} Astrotrain left his post (forcing Blitzwing to cover for him) to plot how to exploit the situation with Starscream (though he was openly concerned if the plan failed they'd be dead). The plan worked: Starscream successfully removed Sixshot from the board and attacked the Reapers, at which point Astrotrain popped up in the command bunker to go "look at how brave Starscream is bravely attacking the Reapers by himself!". Megatron deduced what was going on behind his back, but instead of punishment, led the Decepticons into battle. {{storylink|Devastation issue 5|Devastation #5}} After the destruction of the Reapers, Astrotrain expressed surprise at their victory and callously declared that the deaths of [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] and [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] were acceptable losses. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devastation #6}}

[[File:AHM3 Astrotrain.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|left|Somebody didn't mind the gap.]]
A year later, the Decepticons on Earth, including Astrotrain, defeated the Autobots on the planet in a mighty battle. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} As the Decepticons subsequently began conquering the planet, Astrotrain carried on being by-the-book and tactically minded in the attack on [[New York City]], suggesting they send the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] to handle ground forces to avoid ballistic attacks. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 2|All Hail Megatron #2}} [[Marissa Faireborn]] would watch as Astrotrain and his fellow Decepticons went on a rampage through the city. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 2: Detonation Boulevard|Detonation Boulevard}}

He also took to the subway lines in locomotive form to eradicate the humans hiding in the subway stations. Inexplicably, his train mode was seen to resemble an outdated steam locomotive instead of the diesel freight engine it had been a year earlier. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 3|All Hail Megatron #3}} Astrotrain was one of many Decepticons to listen to Megatron's speech about conquest. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}} He later watched Starscream try to take control of the Decepticons using [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], although the revolt was interrupted by the arrival of human jets from [[Europe]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} This was soon followed by the return of the exiled Autobots, at which point Astrotrain wrestled with [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] and laughed at the Autobots when they were seemingly retreating (in reality, they were just [[Omega Supreme (G1)|making room]]). Astrotrain was then tackled into a building by Roadbuster, who commented that the Decepticon was a "lightweight". {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}} Megatron and his army were defeated, {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}} and Astrotrain served as their escape vehicle as they fled Earth. {{storylink|Uneasy Lies the Head}}

[[File:HeartlikeawheelAstrotrain.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]

Three years later, Astrotrain was stationed on the desolate asteroid base where Starscream was in charge. He responded to [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]]'s infiltration of the base, but ended up running straight past the intruder without noticing. {{storylink|Heart Like a Wheel}} When Megatron finally returned to take back command, Astrotrain and the other Decepticons watched him brutally punish Starscream for his actions. {{storylink|Spotlight: Megatron}} They then followed Megatron back to Earth for revenge. There, Astrotrain was present when Megatron was approached by a lone Optimus Prime, and was ordered to stop the Autobot when he apparently tried to escape. As it turned out, Prime was only getting some distance away from the imminent impact of a satellite he had arranged to be dropped on the Decepticons from space. Astrotrain and his comrades were blown sky high from the ensuing explosion. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine|Enemy Mine}}

Megatron then let himself be captured by the Autobots and taken to Cybertron, where he used the [[space bridge]] technology built into in his new body to summon Astrotrain and the other Decepticons who were waiting on Earth. {{storylink|The Question}} At first they did battle with the Autobots, but were soon mind-controlled by [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] into combining with his [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]] army and forming a huge monster. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}} After the war, Astrotrain was among a Cybertronian crowd recruited by Starscream to pressure [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] into revealing one of his secret discoveries below ground on Cybertron. After following Starscream underground, they witnessed [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]], a dying [[Titan (group)|Titan]], declare that Starscream was the Cybertronian destined to unite their whole race. Astrotrain and the other Cybertronians celebrated by carrying Starscream on their shoulders through Iacon. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}}

[[File:BeforeTheDawn AstrotrainSkracratssh.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5]]
In spite of his support of Starscream, Astrotrain's true loyalty lay with Shockwave and Soundwave, who were secretly in contact with Megatron. As part of Megatron's plan, he and the other loyalists were captured by a mind-controlled Prowl and taken to the [[Black Room]], {{storylink|The End of the Beginning of the World}} where they were upgraded into new forms in preparation of their leader's return. {{storylink|The Verge}} Astrotrain then proceeded to aid Blitzwing in capturing a mixed group of Autobots and [[NAIL|neutrals]] sent to investigate Prowl, running over [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] and breaking off his arm in the process. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} While it looked like the Decepticons had the upper hand, Astrotrain was taken off guard along with the others when [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] revealed her true loyalties to the Autobots and killed [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]. In the Decepticons' resulting escape from the Black Room, Astrotrain helped provide covering fire. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}} The Decepticons went on to fight the Autobots over control of Iacon, but the battle ended with Megatron defeated and Starscream rising to leadership of the neutrals. Starscream's first action was to exile all Autobots and Decepticons who refused to abandon their factions, including Astrotrain. {{storylink|Heavy Is the Head}}

[[File:Winners&Losers-Astrotrain.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Astrotrain lost his caboose.]]

Out in the wilderness, Soundwave declared that he would lead the Decepticons to hunt down the deserted Shockwave, but Astrotrain and Blitzwing were sick of listening to him after their recent failure and rebelled. They attacked the communications expert and fought his cassettes until the fight was broken up by [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]] and Soundwave left to confront Shockwave alone. {{storylink|Shockpoint}} He soon returned and tried to rally Astrotrain and the other Decepticons again, claiming they had to save all Cybertron from Shockwave's machinations. {{storylink|Soundwaves (issue)|Soundwaves}} As the Decepticon forces converged on Shockwave's newly arrived [[Quintessa (IDW)|Necrotitan]], they ran into the exiled Autobots and a battle broke out. {{storylink|Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|Black Metal}} They were rudely interrupted when the Necrotitan suddenly unleashed an energy wave that gravely wounded soldiers on both sides, among them Astrotrain. {{storylink|Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|Winners & Losers}}

Having lost his legs and an arm to the death wave, Astrotrain was carried to safety and guarded by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. He let his defenders borrow his binoculars, explaining he had bad eyes but kept this secret so Megatron wouldn't consider him a liability. {{storylink|No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|No Exit}} Astrotrain wound up at the Autobots' wasteland camp, and when the Necrotitan was defeated by [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], he and the other death wave victims were cured from its corruption. He also got his limbs back somehow. {{storylink|Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Finis Temporis}} He celebrated the victory by going to [[Swerve's]] to drink and sing alongside both Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}} The celebrations came to an end when Shockwave put his final plan into action and summoned an army of [[Ammonite]]s to Cybertron, forcing all Autobots and Decepticons to fight back. {{storylink|Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Black Planet}}

[[File:TheMindBomb-SpaceBus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|In case that "Astrotrain" trademark falls through.]]
Following Shockwave's defeat, Astrotrain fell under the command of new Decepticon leader Galvatron, who took his troops to Earth under Soundwave's advice of starting a new approach to peace there. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 4: Full Fathom Five|Full Fathom Five}} When an enraged Galvatron went on a rampage in their ship, the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', Astrotrain tried to calm him down only to end up redirecting the rage at himself. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 3: The Mind Bomb|The Mind Bomb}} When the ''Nemesis'' was brought down by Prowl during the Autobots' attack on the [[Earth Defense Command]]'s [[Marshall Islands|Bikini Atoll]] base, Astrotrain was injured and had to be pulled out of the wreckage by Blitzwing. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 5: I Dream of Wires|I Dream of Wires}}

[[File:SouthOfHeaven-Astrotrain.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]
Astrotrain then ended up taking Galvatron to a swamp for a secret meeting with Arcee. Astrotrain was a little stupefied when Galvatron offered to kill him after Arcee expressed annoyance at his not coming alone, and was also not happy about the bugs infesting the area; his intake manifolds got full of them, and a rather large one startled him when it flew up to his face. {{storylink|Now and On Earth}} Astrotrain next transported some tanks of oxygen, along with a group of Decepticons and humans, to the Decepticons' [[Jupiter]] commune, which was in the midst of being constructed (and which he considered to be a much better place to visit than a swamp). He thought the docking process could have been a little gentler, but didn't hold any ill feelings against the [[Stockbridge|human crew member]] responsible. {{storylink|South of Heaven}}

As the Decepticons made preparations to board the Autobots' [[Ark-7|ship]] and seize its space bridge, Astrotrain wondered how long it would be before the craft's power ran out and the force field surrounding it was gone. He also expressed confusion at the idea that Galvatron had ever been young. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|Aphelion}}

Soon after, Astrotrain and the Decepticon elite were summoned to Shanghai, China by Galvatron, as the Decepticon invasion of Earth was to begin. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 4: Perihelion|Perihelion}}. When Optimus Prime and his forces arrived in Shanghai, Astrotrain and the rest of the Decepticons present engaged with them. He was one of the Decepticons teleported away from the battle when the [[People's Liberation Army Mecha Force]] attacked the battling Cybertronians. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|Once Upon a Time on Earth}} He dropped Galvatron off at the Copahua volcano for his "appointment" with Arcee, then later picked him up. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message|The Medium and the Message}}

[[File:ItsBeginningToAndBackAgain TeamGalvatronus.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5]]
He was once again among Galvatron's Decepticons fighting forces defending the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' at the bottom of the ocean. When Galvatron turned the Earth into a giant [[Enigma of Combination]], Astrotrain was forcibly combined with [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]], [[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]], and [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] into [[Galvatronus (CW)|Galvatronus]] (Astrotrain formed the left leg). Galvatronus punched [[Victorion]] and grappled with [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] with support from two [[Seeker clone]]s. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 4: It's Beginning To And Back Again|It's Beginning To And Back Again}} After Superion disabled the Earth Enigma, Galvatronus was disassembled into his components. Galvatron ordered Astrotrain to carry him away from the battle while under fire from [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], leaving the rest of the Decepticons behind. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 5: As Above...So Below|As Above...So Below}}

[[File:NoFairFight-AstrotrainDies.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|"Then there was trouble..."]]
The two fled in the direction of [[Sanctuary Station]], but were pursued into space by [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] and Arcee. Galvatron shot and disabled Cosmos, who was then able to shoot Astrotrain in the engine, forcing him to enter Jupiter's atmosphere. They were pursued further into Jupiter's atmosphere, but could not land due to Jupiter being a gas giant. Astrotrain tried to convince Galvatron to let him retreat to the space station, claiming he would be able to get free somehow, but Galvatron told him he was not yet through serving the Decepticon cause. Galvatron sacrificed Astrotrain by flinging him in his disabled shuttle mode at Arcee, who trisected him with her swords. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|No Fair Fights}}

His divided body was subsequently infected by an alien organism that altered his physiology, keeping his [[brain module]] alive, and seemingly moved him back to Earth where the three pieces crashed in different locations. They were targeted by [[V.E.N.O.M.]] and [[Destro]], who sought to use the organism as a genetic weapon, but [[M.A.S.K.]] and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] put a stop to their plan by retrieving them first. {{storylink|The Deathstone}}

====Spotlight: Mirage====
With the Autobots reduced to a small rag-tag rabble, Astrotrain accompanied Starscream's small strike team to the [[Pegasus Star Cluster]]. Astrotrain and Blitzwing both attacked Optimus Prime after the mercenary [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] destroyed the Autobot bunker's security system, allowing the Decepticons in. Astrotrain avoided death when Mirage forced Prime to lower his weapon in exchange for [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]'s life. He could barely hold Prime back as Mirage executed [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], losing his grip when the furious Autobot leader attacked the mercenary.

But it was all Mirage's dream... or was it? {{storylink|Spotlight: Mirage}}
{{--}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[File:Astrotrain HOS.jpg|left|thumb|That's Mister The Astrotrain.]]
Referred to as ''the'' Astrotrain, he was a black-and-purple locomotive, with a retracted propeller on the front and batwings along the side.

The Decepticons built (or modified) the Astrotrain to be the locomotive engine pulling their battle train to [[New York City]]. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 3|Hearts of Steel #3}} En route he rammed through an Army blockade undamaged, but ended up driving off a cliff thanks to [[John Henry]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], and apparently falling to his destruction... despite having wings. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4|Hearts of Steel #4}}

{{IDW HOS}}
{{--}}

===''Lil Formers''===
Astrotrain loaned out his right hand to serve as a prop for [[BotCon 2006]]. Though he hoped to get it right back after the convention, it didn't seem that would be the case. {{storylink|Lil Formers}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in manga===
[[File:Henkei astrotrain pack in.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Astrotrain was one of the Decepticons who accompanied Megatron in his attacks on Earth in the 21st century. He was first seen going on a rampage in the Japanese district of [[Shinjuku]], forcibly pushing a train along from behind while in his own train mode, threatening to derail it. [[Mirage (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga|Mirage]] and [[Grimlock (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga|Grimlock]] arrived to save the train, prompting Astrotrain to switch to shuttle mode and take off through the city, shattering windows and forcing [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga|Optimus Prime]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga|Bumblebee]] to shield human bystanders from the rain of glass with their own bodies. He then transformed into [[robot mode]] and began battling the Autobots, who were unaware he was merely staging a diversion so the other Decepticons could raid a power plant. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 2}} The powerful Triple-Changer had the Autobots on the ropes until their newest ally, [[Hot Rod (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga|Rodimus]], arrived to join the fight. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 3}}

===''Henkei! Henkei! Generations'' manga===
When the [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] of another universe attempted to attack [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], Astrotrain and [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] defended their leader. However, Starscream possessed Onslaught and used his body to knock out Astrotrain. {{storylink|Starscream's New Body}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' Bun Bun manga===
Astrotrain was among the small group of Decepticons serving under [[Megatron (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun comic|Megatron]] who departed Cybertron in pursuit of the [[Energon cube#Henkei! Henkei! Comic Bun Bun pack-in manga|Energon Cube]]. When the Cube crash-landed on Earth and shattered into fragments, Astrotrain and the other Decepticons took on the forms of local vehicles and machinery to remain hidden while searching for the shards.

Eleven years after the crash of the Cube, when [[Ramjet (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Ramjet]] and [[Starscream (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun comic|Starscream]] found themselves battling the Autobots in the Japanese town of [[Hoshinochō]], Ramjet put in the call to Astrotrain. Astrotrain passed the message on to Megatron, who departed the Decepticons' warehouse base to join the fight. {{storylink|Enter! The Transformers}}

Some time later, Astrotrain joined Starscream and Ramjet in attacking a hydroelectric power plant, and easily fended off the leaderless Autobots who resisted them, as [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Optimus Prime]] was incapacitated at the time. Astrotrain took down [[Bumblebee (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Bumblebee]] and [[Mirage (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Mirage]] single-handedly, then transformed to shuttle mode so the other Decepticons could load the [[energon cube]]s they had gathered. When the revived Optimus Prime came speeding onto the scene soon after, Astrotrain quickly took off in a bid for escape, but was struck by a powered-up blast from Prime's [[ion blaster]] and disappeared in a colossal explosion. However, he was barely able to make it back to the Decepticons' undersea base to deliver the stolen energon cubes, but was denied any usage by [[Cyclonus (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|Time of Resurrection}} Astrotrain did not reappear again throughout the Transformers' battles on Earth.

===''Henkei! Henkei! Transformers -Visualize-''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Visualize Shot 2}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 3}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 4}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 5}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 9}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 14}}}}

===''Transformers: All Spark''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Fated Rival, Once Again...}} {{storylink|Plans of the Emperor of Destruction}} {{storylink|Great Aspirations}}}}

===''Kre-O'' comic===
[[File:KreO-webcomic-5-Astrotrain.jpg|left|thumb|upright=0.5]]
Astrotrain was part of a massive Decepticon invasion force intended to ruin the Autobots' picnic. However, [[Optimus Prime (Kre-O)|Optimus Prime]] plowed through them with his truck and left them scattered... and then left. Returning to the scene after.. ''ahem'', taking care of some pressing business, Optimus gathered up the still-wiped-out Kreons, bound them up on a flatbed trailer, and took them to the picnic. {{storylink|Emergency! Hurry to the Base, Optimus!}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
[[Image:tfvsgi the astrotrain.jpg|thumb|350px]]
The Astrotrain, "the Hell Ride", was an old foe of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] {{storylink|Pax Megatronus}} and shuttled captured prisoners to the [[Polyhex Killway]] and the horrifying [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. These passengers included some squishy humans, [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] and [[Scarlett]], who sneaked aboard him. {{storylink|Expelled from the Garden}} Shortly after, just before the destruction of Earth, Astrotrain engaged Omega once more and was soundly trounced. {{storylink|Pax Megatronus}}

===''Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe''===
Astrotrain was one of the many Decepticons who pursued the [[AllSpark]] to Earth. He participated in an enormous battle against the Autobots in a human settlement. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe|The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe}}

===''Prime Wars Trilogy'' marketing material===
Partnered with the [[Titan Master]] [[Darkmoon]], who granted him cloaking ability, {{storylink|Astrotrain (G1)/toys#Titans Return|''Titans Return'' Darkmoon/Astrotrain toy bio}} Astrotrain was part of a group of Decepticons dispatched to [[Jungle Planet (colony)|Eukaris]] in the hopes of intercepting [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] and [[Grimlock (G1)|Clobber]]. While the other Decepticons set up an ultimately bungled ambush, Astrotrain swooped down to try and capture the two Autobots. Later, Astrotrain was present for a Decepticon attack led by [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] on Cybertron. {{storylink|Titans Return: The Power of the Titan Masters}}

===''Win If You Dare''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers: Bumblebee - Go For the Gold|Go for the Gold}}}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' continuity===
====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' marketing material====
[[File:Siege-Astrotrain-art.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|left|Much like my cartoon appearance [[#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|below]], I show up to places and do nothing.]]

{{bigquote|In confusion there is opportunity.}}

On Cybertron, Astrotrain was a [[Cybertronian military insignia|Space Force Transport Captain]], whose function was transport. {{storylink|War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' webpage}}<ref>[https://transformers.hasbro.com/en-us/brands/siege ''Siege'' website]</ref> During the war for Cybertron, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] was dispatched to [[Protihex]] as part of his patrol. While there, he detected the presence of Astrotrain and reported to [[Teletraan I|Teletraan-1]] that the superhighway's waypoint had been compromised. {{storylink|Source:Teletraan-1 Data Files|''Siege'' Teletraan-1 Data Files}}

With Cybertron's fate sealed and the Autobots gone, the Decepticons followed them closely through space aboard the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' in pursuit of the [[AllSpark]]. During this period, Astrotrain's primary objective on this mission was creating confusion and his primary weapon was the "Ionic Displacer Blaster". {{storylink|War for Cybertron: Earthrise|''Earthrise'' webpage}}<ref>[https://transformers.hasbro.com/en-us/brands/earthrise ''Earthrise'' website]</ref>

====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Marcus Clark-Oliver]] (English), [[Taichi Takeda]] (Japanese)|[[Kevin Kraus]] (German), [[Sergio Becerril]] (Latin-American Spanish), [[Mike Fédée]] (French)}}
[[File:WFC-Kingdom-Ep1-Astrotrain-prepared.jpg|thumb|250px|]]

Astrotrain was among the Decepticon troops that attacked the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' after its location had been discovered. {{storylink|Siege episode 6}} When the ship managed to escape through a space bridge, Astrotrain joined Megatron's crew to pursue it aboard the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. However, their subsequent battle with the ''Ark'' resulted in a team of Autobots led by [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] taking control of the bridge. Astrotrain and the other Decepticons present surrendered in response. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 6}}

Following the ''Nemesis''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crash on [[Earth]], Astrotrain was among the Decepticons attending to the ship's damage. He later accompanied Megatron outside to check a perimeter breach reported by Soundwave, where they encountered the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]], one of which identifying himself as [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 1}}

Patrolling the halls of the ''Nemesis'', Astrotrain encountered [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], who was supposed to be guarding their prisoner, the [[Maximal]] scout [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], and was put on edge. However, he saw nothing out of the ordinary, missing [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] due to him clinging to a ceiling. He eventually caught Rattrap outside Airazor's cell and closed in on the little Maximal only to be sent flying by [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], took advantage of his unconscious state to impersonate him. Though he quickly awakened, he was overpowered by the disguised Mirage and trapped in a prison cell along with [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] while Mirage, Rattrap, and Airazor escaped. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 2}}

Having been freed from his earlier predicament, Astrotrain participated in another assault on the ''Ark''. This time, the Autobots gained the upper hand on account of the ''Ark'' assuming a massive robot mode. Astrotrain and the other Decepticons were captured and imprisoned aboard the ''Ark'' as the ship returned to Cybertron. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 5}} Astrotrain was locked in a stasis field until he was freed to partake in a climactic showdown against [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]], which ended with the arrival of spark spirits. After [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]]'s spirit bought a swift end to the threat, Astrotrain and the other Decepticons came together with the Autobots to mark a tentative end to the Great War before departing under Megatron's command. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 6}}
{{--}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[The Change In Your Nature Part Four|''Transformers'' #16]]}}

[[File:TheChangeInYourNaturePart4-Astrotrain.jpg|thumb|left|300px|I'm the last of the good ol' puffer trains. I'm the last of the soot and scum brigade. And all this peaceful living is drivin' me insane.]]

Astrotrain was a member of [[The Rise]], acting as transport for [[Slipstream (G1)|Slipstream]] and "[[Team Stream]]" as they attacked a [[Titan Net]] subsidiary hub thanks to his large-scale size. The Rise injected a [[data-bomb]] into the hub to disable all the orbiting [[Titan (group)|Titans]] save [[Vigilem]] whom [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] imparted new orders on. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Four}} Once Vigilem moved into action, Slipstream ordered her team to depart before [[Security Operations]] arrived. Though Astrotrain was confident he could defeat anything Security threw at them, Slipstream deemed a confrontation unnecessary and reiterated her command. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Five}}

[[File:Transformers-2019-17-Team Stream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|right]]
Later, Astrotrain brought Team Stream to the [[Winged Moon]] on a mission to claim its energon. {{storylink|Wheeljack: Orbital Decay}} However, an engineering team on the moon fortified the control center with barricades and booby traps that kept the Rise out. Worse, Astrotrain detected an incoming threat -- [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] of [[Colonial Security]]. Astrotrain engaged him, but Sky Lynx's other section landed Security forces on the moon for Team Stream to deal with. In the end, the energon stockpile was destroyed. Astrotrain evacuated the Rise and returned them to Cybertron. {{storylink|War World: Moon|Moon}}

Astrotrain and Team Stream ambushed [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] when he visited the [[immersant]] site of his mentor, [[Codexa]]. His [[Senate Guard|Guard]] got the Prime to safety, though, with the sacrifice of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. Astrotrain personally delivered the final blow bringing down the [[Great General]]. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}}

At the direction of Shockwave, Astrotrain intercepted a meteor passing by Cybertron. It carried the lost combiner, [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], whom Astrotrain safely transported to the surface of Cybertron. {{storylink|War's End Part Two}}

===Energon Universe===
[[File:TF2023 no. 8 – Astrotrain Stomps Thundercracker.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.25|"I'm going to start beating you now. I don't know when I'll stop."]]
Long ago, Astrotrain had been sealed within the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' by Megatron, being aboard when it launched after the ''Ark''. When the ship crashed, Astrotrain remained in his prison for a century before being released at [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s orders when [[Decepticon High Command]] returned to claim the ship. Exiting his prison, Astrotrain began beating up [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], demanding to know where Megatron was. Unable to provide that information, Soundwave simply promised that whenever the Decepticon leader was found, he would be given over to Astrotrain for justice. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 8|Transformers #8}}
[[File:TF2023 no. 9 – Astrotrain Captures Spike.jpg|right|''"We're going on a trip, in our favorite rocket ship!"''|thumb|upright=1.25]]
At Soundwave's order, Astrotrain went to collect [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], intended as a peace offering to [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. Astrotrain found the boy at [[Farmingham Hosptial]]. Though he stated he did not wish to hurt lesser beings, Astrotrain threatened to kill everyone in the building if Spike was not handed over per his leader's orders. Hoping to save the people's lives, Spike surrendered himself. Impressed by the boy's bravery, Astrotrain transformed to space shuttle mode and took off back to the ''Nemesis'' with Spike. On the way, he explained to Spike the dire situation Cybertron was in and that Earth's resources were needed to sustain it. He also explained that Shockwave would no doubt want to torture Spike to find out more about the human species. Just then, Astrotrain's engines shut off, sending him crashing to the ground. He was then broken into by [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], who had come to save Spike. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 9|Transformers #9}}

Beachcomber subsequently tied up Astrotrain in chains as he and Spike got acquainted. Beachcomber offered Astrotrain some [[energon]] only for the [[Triple Changer]] to promise to kill Beachcomber, slowly, if he was let free. When the light from the [[space bridge]] flared, [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] itself passed through the portal, Astrotrain recognizing the planet's arrival as Shockwave's doing. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 10|Transformers #10}}

{{ongoing}}
{{--}}

==Commercial appearances==
* Astrotrain battles against both [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus]] and [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]. As more Autobots joined the fray, Astrotrain feigned a retreat in his locomotive mode, only to take to the air and double back in his shuttle mode as the busted rails came to an end. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Triple Changers and Perceptor|Triple Changers and Perceptor commercial}}
* Astrotrain and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] had the Autobots [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] and [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] pinned down, until [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] arrived to turn the tide of battle. Though the Decepticon triple-changers attempted to flee, their Autobot counterparts were able to keep pace by rapidly shifting through all three of their modes. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Sandstorm, Broadside, Octane|Sandstorm, Broadside, and Octane commercial}}

==Games==
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
[[File:TF PS2 Astrotrain.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
{{bigquote|Astrotrain, the triplechanger! With space shuttle and train engine forms, this is the ultimate transporter. He carries the logistical burden of the Decepticons' evil plans!|The [[narrator]]|''[[The Transformers (G1 PS2)|The Transformers]]''}}
{{voiceactor|[[Russ Veillard]] (English)}}

====Autobot story====
Megatron sent Astrotrain to collect the energy they had drained from the [[Monogan Hydroelectric Power Station]]. When Astrotrain was almost at the generator, he had caught up to a squad of Autobots who had come to stop the Decepticons. Astrotrain got the Autobots' attention by blowing his train whistle and approached them in his train form. When he reached the Autobots, he transformed to robot form and announced that all the energy at the power station belonged to the Decepticons. He told the Autobot squad his orders, warned them that he would destroy the Autobots if they got in his way, and threatened to show them the true power of a triple changer. Optimus Prime requested that Astrotrain leave, but the locomotive/space shuttle Transformer brushed this off with a "whatever", and engaged the Autobots. Despite his best efforts, Astrotrain was defeated. Optimus told the triple changer to fly back on his prized wings, back to Megatron. Realizing that he was defeated, Astrotrain decided to retreat, transforming to his space shuttle form and blasted off. He faced off the Autobots once again outside ELTA. Despite having already fought Snapdragon, Apeface, and countless Decepticon foot soldiers in between them all, the Autobots managed to overcome the triple changer once again.

====Decepticon story====
Astrotrain was a member of a team that Megatron sent to investigate a mysterious UFO that was spotted in the area of [[Zel Samine]]. Something caused the team to lose contact with the main Decepticon forces, and they found out that they could not leave the planet, as Zel's sun, [[Paradius]], emitted electromagnetic rays that was harmful to them. Unable to contact Megatron and with no way to leave the planet safely, Astrotrain and the others scattered across Zel.

The Decepticon forces went to Zel in order to investigate, and Astrotrain found the Decepticons while they were at the hydroelectric power station. He called out to them in his train mode and blew his whistle. He rolled up to them and transformed to robot mode once he was close enough, expressing relief for finding them as his energon supplies had been getting low. When Megatron announced that he was sure Astrotrain would be useful, Astrotrain assured him that he was great in fighting, not just for transporting. {{storylink|The Transformers (G1 PS2)|The Transformers}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Battle Circuit''===
Astrotrain, one of the "greatest Transformers of all time," was part of a Decepticon team that participated in a tournament on Cybertron. He faced off against a team of Autobots in a series of one-on-one matches. If he managed to defeat Bumblebee, Rodimus, Grimlock, Jetfire, and Optimus Prime, Astrotrain was declared to be the tournament's champion! {{storylink|Transformers Battle Circuit}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
After [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] crashed into a movie set, [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]], [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]], and Astrotrain were sent to retrieve him and the weapon he was transporting. Unfortunately they got into an altercation with the Autobots and failed to destroy the film evidence of the crash, which subsequently made it into a blockbuster film. {{storylink|Hoist Goes Hollywood (Legends)|Hoist Goes Hollywood}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Astrotrain.jpg|thumb|400px]]
Astrotrain 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 100 units of Cybermetal, 50 units of Transmetal, and 30 exclusive cores. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

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

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:Astrotrain-EarthWars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
Astrotrain was sent to the [[Enigma of Combination|Enigma]] battlefield to grab the Enigma so the Decepticons could make combiners. But he ran into [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]. The two had some banter, until Astrotrain left, saying they would settle it later, Triple-changer to Triple-changer. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars}}

* '''Class''': Triple Changer
* '''Weapons''': Astrotrain dual wields large laser rifles to deal damage to whatever he targets.
* Abilities: Being a triple changer Astrotrain is available to two abilities!
** '''Defensive Perimeter''': Bombard all nearby targets with 8 missiles that deal 27 damage. Also puts up a defensive shield that attracts defensives!
** '''Aerial Support''': Rush to a friendly bot healing heath in a wide area when landing.
{{--}}

===''Transformers Roleplaying Game''===
Astrotrain was happy to serve as Megatron's primary troop transport, but his true desire was to create an army of loyal train drones. {{storylink|Transformers Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook|Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook}} Astrotrain picked up rumors that the Autobots were moving a large shipment of energon cubes to the East Coast via rail. However, the Autobot defense grid detected his movements, forcing him to lay low and call in a group of new Decepticon recruits to steal the energon for him. After providing some assistance to the rookies throughout their adventure, Astrotrain helped take down [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and successfully claimed the energon for the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Great Energon Robbery}}

==Toys and merchandise==
{{main|Astrotrain (G1)/toys}}

==Notes==
[[File:TheTransformerTheMovie-Astrotrainexcaping.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|Not shown: Thomas and the stationmaster's house.]]
* Astrotrain's peculiar mix of space shuttle and steam train may have been influenced by ''{{w|Night on the Galactic Railroad}}'', a seminal Japanese children's story about a train traveling through the Milky Way whose iconography inspired many later pieces of fiction in Japan.
* In an early Japanese sales catalog from 1985, the black and white Astrotrain was listed as an '''Autobot''' with the [[List of Japanese ID numbers|ID number]] 16, with [[Megatron (G1)/toys|Megatron]] being #17 (when released, Megatron was #16, while Astrotrain was #48). In fact, the more realistic black and white deco ''does'' look more like an Autobot...
* Paperwork from 8/15/1984 shown off by Bob Budiansky lists the then unnamed toys that would become Astrotrain and Blitzwing as Autobots, which is crossed off in pencil with "Decepticons" penciled in next to it.
*The opening battle of the [[The Transformers: The Movie (first draft)|original 1984 draft]] of Transformers the Movie features Rails, a giant fire breathing Autobot snake which turns into an old fashioned freight train and a flying "ULTRA TECH FUTURE TRAIN." Now based on the previous points it seems likely that this guy was intended to be the early Autobot version of the character. Writer [[Ron Friedman]] may have been told to include something like an "Autobot triple changer train" in his script and based on that limited description created Rails.
**In his autobiography Friedman seems to confirm this theory by recounting the opening sequence and Rails role in it referring to him as Astrotrain. He also dubiously claims to have created him. Expanding on the character's creation he states that he intended to surprise both the characters and the audience. Mission accomplished there, Ron.
* Astrotrain, along with Cosmos and Omega Supreme, was one of three space-faring characters added to the cartoon in 1985. In addition to the usual voice flanging given to the show's robotic characters, all three had an echoing reverberation applied to their voices, presumably to play up the "outer space" aspect.
* Astrotrain's voice in the Generation 1 cartoon contained a peculiarly-modulated flange effect, mixing a normal voice with a higher-pitched version of the same recording.
* While Astrotrain does not appear in the [[The Transformers: Stormbringer|''Stormbringer'' comic series]] (due in part to him being on Earth at the time), the trade paperback includes a design sketch for a Triple Changer which appears to be intended as Astrotrain's pre-Earth Cybertronian form.
* In the [[2005 IDW continuity]] during [[Simon Furman]] and [[E. J. Su]]'s run, Astrotrain's flight mode was originally depicted as a realistically rendered space vehicle, while his train mode was a modern diesel-electric locomotive akin to a {{w|GE U28C|General Electric U28C model}}... with a decidedly non-standard giant cannon mounted on the engine cowling. From ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' onward, however, Astrotrain's robot mode was reworked to better resemble his ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' toy... but rather than transforming into that toy's bullet train form, he instead becomes a purple D62 steam locomotive like his original toy.
*According to [[Daniel Warren Johnson]], Astrotrain's depiction in the Energon Universe is modelled on Donny "the Bear Jew" Donowitz from ''{{w|Inglourious Basterds}}''.
{{--}}

===Character models===
[[File:AstrotrainCharacterModel.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|That ass be fly, yo. (''Final robot mode models pictured'')]]
* Astrotrain has at least three robot mode [[character model]]s that are known to exist:
** The first is a design that features a lot of extra lines and details on his arms, torso and legs. This model has a gray helmet and mostly gray wings.
** The second is the same model design, just with a purple helmet, which can be seen off and on throughout episodes animated by [[AKOM]] and the [[unknown Generation 1 animation studios]]. This could easily be written off as an [[animation error]], but given the rather large frequency it appears in the cartoon in non-[[Toei Animation|Toei]]-animated episodes, it would seem a variant like this existed.
** The third is his final model, which removes a lot of the details and redesigns the way his lower legs merge with his feet. The colors of this model follow a similar guideline to the second one, however; the wings have more purple covering them than gray.
* Astrotrain's [[robot mode]] models were based on an early prototype of his toy, with a different head design and color scheme. However, like most of the new season 2 characters, it is apparent that his character model was created with only a front-facing photo of the toy for reference—a mistransformed photo in Astrotrain's case, which did not have his shuttle tailfin unfolded into its chestplate form, leading to it being left out from future revisions of his models and by extension, his cartoon and comic book appearances. Additionally, the train mode panels on the sides of his legs were left folded into the train mode positions, leaving the two protruding wheels exposed, thus giving Astrotrain a pair of random gray wheels jutting off of his otherwise detail-less legs in his character models.
* With the lack of any rear-view toy references, the animation model artist(s) designed two entirely distinct rear-view robot mode models for Astrotrain:
** The first design features detailed wings that incorporates circular shapes which are reminiscent of either the toy's space shuttle thrusters or the train wheels—though it's not entirely certain if that was the intention by the artist/s or whether they were just made up greebles. This model was used in the [[Commercial/Generation 1|toy commercial]] advertising the [[1985]] [[Triple Changer]]s and a few scenes in the episode "[[Triple Takeover]]". This model so far, has yet to surface to the wider public.
** The second design (aka the final design) places the shuttle mode tailfin on his back (see right).
* Astrotrain's pre-final front-facing model was published in [[The Ark series|''The Ark'' series]] books alongside his final rear-view robot mode model and final vehicle mode models. This is down to the availability of animation models [[Jim Sorenson]] owned or had access to at the time of the book's creation.
* Due to the prominence of his Generation 1 cartoon animation model, Astrotrain is typically depicted without a chestplate in fiction and most toys. Both his pre-final and final models also feature two eyes, even though the original toy has a visor. The separate eyes were also used for subsequent depictions of the character in fiction, as well as his subsequent toys.

===Foreign names===
* ''Japanese:'' '''Astrotrain''' (アストロトレイン ''Asutorotorein'')
* ''Hungarian:'' '''Űrvonat''' ("Space Train"), '''Űrmozdony''' ("Space Engine", first ''The Movie'' dub)
* ''Italian:'' '''Triplex Uno''' ("Triplex One")
* ''Mandarin:'' '''Tàikōng Huǒchē''' (Taiwan, 太空火車, "Space Train"), '''Dà Huǒchē''' (China, 大火车, "Big Train")
* ''Portuguese:'' '''Astro-Comboio''' (Portugal, "Astro-Train")
* ''Russian:'' '''Astropoyezd''' (Астропоезд, "Astrotrain")
* ''Ukrainian:'' '''Astrotyag''' (Астротяг, "Astrohauler")

==External links==
* [https://www.tf-1.com/articles/reissue/Astrotrain_template.html Original Hasbro Astrotrain, original Takara Astrotrain and Takara reissue Astrotrain at TF-1.com]
* [https://www.tf-1.com/articles/reissue/Animeastro_template.html e-Hobby Astrotrain and original Astrotrain at TF-1.com]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Classics Decepticons]]
[[Category:Decepticon starships]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Energon Universe Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 combiners]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 gods]]
[[Category:Generation 1 starships]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations Selects Decepticons]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Decepticons]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Decepticons]]
[[Category:Regeneration One zombies]]
[[Category:Second Cybertron Alliance]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Titans Return Decepticons]]
[[Category:Transformers Roleplaying Game Decepticons]]
[[Category:Triple Changers]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Earthrise Decepticons]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Kingdom Decepticons]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Siege Decepticons]]
[[Category:War Within Predacons]]

Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1

2024-11-03T23:45:36Z

DevinM626: Link to script here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12M1KqmPdsyaZ49J_orbYY-16yM6pGCNb/view

{{disambig3.5|the cartoon episode|the mobile game event|Five Faces of Darkness: Part 1|Five Faces of Darkness}}
{{episode
|series=G1toon
|prev=The Transformers: The Movie
|ep=66
|series2=2010
|ep2=1
|prev2=The Transformers: The Movie
|next2=Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2
|image=Ffod1.jpg
|caption=Cyclonus and the gang get REALLY into paintball at the company picnics.
|title="Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1"
|season=3
|season ep=1
|production code=#700-86
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[AKOM]]
|airdate=[[September 15]], 1986
|written by=[[Flint Dille]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp7qxd3c31s
|videosite=YouTube
}}
'''In the wake of Unicron's defeat, the battered Decepticons struggle to survive, and the Autobots enjoy a period of peace and celebration. But peace never lasts...'''

==Synopsis==
''The closing scenes of [[The Transformers: The Movie]] show us the destruction of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] and the [[Autobot]]s' escape, along with their victory celebration on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].''

It is the year [[2005]]. Autobots have reclaimed Cybertron while the [[Decepticon]]s, now squabbling with each other for [[energon]], retreated to the planet [[Chaar]]. [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] returns to the planet with a pitiful number of [[energon cube]]s, resulting in a tussle as the Decepticons fight for their share. [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] realizes that to return the Decepticons to fighting form, they need drastic measures.

[[File:Blurr watching jazz.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Blurr would have that not-Jazz eat his vapor trails... instead he gets a date with rhyming boy.]]
Somewhere else, the first [[Galactic Olympics]] are being held. [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] is griping about being stuck in a mission with [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] when he wants to join the events. But [[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]] wants them to go to [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] on Earth, to deliver the new [[transformation cog]] for [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], as his old one was damaged during the [[Battle of Autobot City|battle]] the [[The Transformers: The Movie|year before]].

Meanwhile, the Galactic Olympics are being sabotaged. A [[Skuxxoid]] detonates the Olympic flame, raining smoke down on the area and allowing a group of [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]] to land. The Autobots fight back, but in the confusion, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]], [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] are kidnapped. Rodimus Prime immediately suspects Decepticon shenanigans and orders the planet quarantined, but they are unable to prevent the Skuxxoid's spaceship from taking off. [[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]] and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] set off to find a spacecraft of their own so they can pursue it.

[[File:FFOD1 Cyclonus in Unicron.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Cyclonus is looking for free porn.]]
Cyclonus, [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] sneak into Unicron’s head, still orbiting Cybertron. They're able to access Unicron's memory banks and watch footage of [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus]]'s battle with [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]], culminating in the Decepticon leader being flung into space. Cyclonus then does some fast calculations and works out that Galvatron would eventually have reached the planet [[Thrull]]. There they see their leader soaking in the hot lava pools.

On Earth, [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] and [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] go to the [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Federated Republic of Carbombya]] to investigate [[Earth Defense Command|EDC]] reports of Decepticons in that country. Despite the country's ruler, [[Abdul Fakkadi (G1)|Abdul Fakkadi]], claiming that they would never harbour such criminals, the Autobots land. Outback, equipped with a "[[Decepticon detector]]", then flushes out [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] and [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]. The two Autobots get the coordinates of Chaar from them... which they report to Rodimus Prime who wants to go there to investigate.

[[File:FFOD1 Springer Arcee threaten Skuxxoid.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Oh, boy, kill'em! Kill'em all!]]
Arcee and Springer, meanwhile, have pursued the Skuxxoid to an asteroid, which he ducks behind. The Autobots follow, only for their ship to be seized by a huge claw. They evacuate the ship, only to find that the "asteroid" is actually a [[Rockeroid|disguised spacecraft]]. Springer hijacks it from the Skuxxoid, who escapes in his smaller ship and then calls his benefactor to confirm that the Autobots indeed suspect the Decepticons to be behind the disruption. The [[Quintesson|tentacled, egg-shaped benefactor]] listens to the report and then tunes out as he sees their prisoners, Spike, Kup and Ultra Magnus, being led by a Sharkticon.

[[File:FFOD1 Cyclonus Astrotrain energon.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"It's probably just the Energon talking... but I love you, man."]]
Cyclonus, Scourge and the Sweeps return to Chaar, where the rest of the Decepticons are convinced that the solution to their problems is to have a strong leader again. They cheer when they hear that Galvatron lives, and are desperate enough that they give their remaining scraps of energon for reviving him. Rodimus Prime and [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] are spying nearby. Rodimus almost pities them, while Grimlock finds it funny (giving a rather possessed-sounding chuckle). Rodimus realizes that the Decepticons are too down on their luck to be the ones responsible for the kidnappings. Their cover suddenly gets blown and the Decepticons attack.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] (2)
*[[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]] (3)
*[[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] (4)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] (5)
*[[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (6)
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (7)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (11)
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (12)
*[[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]] (13)
*[[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (14)
*[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] (15)
*[[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] (24)
*[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (25)
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (26)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] (29)
*[[Outback (G1)|Outback]] (30)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] (34)
|c2=
{{collist|2|
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (16)
*[[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (17)
*[[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (17)
*[[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (17)
*[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (17)
*[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (17)
*[[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Devastator]] (17)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (18)
*[[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] (19)
*[[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] (20)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] (21)
*[[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (22)
*[[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] (23)
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (28)
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (32)
*[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] (33)
*[[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (35)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (36)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (37)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (38)
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] (39)
*[[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (40)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] (41)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (42)
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (43)
*[[Octane]] (44)
*[[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]] (45)
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (46)
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (47)
}}
|c3=
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (9)
*[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] (10)
*[[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (28)
*[[Abdul Fakkadi (G1)|Abdul Fakkadi]] (31)
|c4=
*[[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]'s head (8)
*[[Skuxxoid]] (27)
*[[Quintesson]]s (34)
}}

==Quotes==
"Let's do it!" 
"Didn’t you want to say something about concord and tranquility in the galaxy?" 
"Aww, give me a break. ''Start the games!''"
:—'''Rodimus Prime''' and '''Ultra Magnus''' open the Galactic Olympics

"Ah, Rodimus is missing a few chips." 
"Nah, I was the same way until I got blown apart a few times."
:—'''Ultra Magnus''' and '''Kup'''

[[File:Grimlock happy.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Perceptor and Rodimus watch as Grimlock does a jaunty jig on the enemies' heads.]]
'''Cyclonus''': There’s nothing to fear; Unicron is dead. 
''[They hear a groan]'' 
'''Cyclonus''': Must be the wind. 
'''Scourge''': There ''is'' no wind in space. 
'''Cyclonus''': Quiet!
:—Cyclonus and Scourge learn that [[Unicron/Generation 1|daddy]]'s still home.

"Our charts don’t show any planets in that sector—no, wait. Here it is. I thought it was a smudge on the screen." 
"Yeah, that fits their description of Chaar."
:—'''Rodimus Prime''' and '''Outback'''

"Ah, the old hyperdrive-past-the-asteroid trick." 
"You'd think he'd do something more original!" 
''[A giant claw grabs and crushes their ship.] 
"You got any snappy last words?"
:—'''Springer''' and '''Arcee''' are suddenly and dramatically broken out of their cynicism.

"I say we pulverowderize the Autobots! I say we powderulverize 'em!"
:—'''Rumble'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s inspirational rally.

"If we surrender our energon, we're doomed." 
"If we don't, we're doomed, too." 
"Face it. We're doomed."
:—'''Dead End''' and '''Breakdown''' realize they're screwed.

"These guys are hurtin'. I never thought I’d feel sorry for the Decepticons." 
"Me Grimlock, not feel sorry. Me Grimlock laugh!" ''[snickers]''
:—'''Rodimus Prime''' pities the Decepticons, while '''Grimlock''' mocks them with a disturbing chuckle.

==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:TommySurprisesPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"Gettin' real sicka yer shit, Tommy."]]
[[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] arrives in the barren wasteland looking for [[Tommy Kennedy|Tommy]], but he's nowhere to be found. Suddenly, Tommy climbs up on Prime's shoulder and screams, surprising the Autobot. Optimus is not happy with the joke, warning Tommy that he could have mistaken him for a Decepticon. Tommy doesn't understand Prime's attitude and asks if he's ever been surprised before. Prime says that few have ever ''tried'' to surprise him. However, he does recall "a time when the Autobots faced surprises at every turn". It was shortly after [[Unicron War|the war with Unicron]]...

Tommy finds the [[cliffhanger]] distressing and Optimus does nothing to calm his fears, promising that Rodimus and Grimlock were going "to get the electrons knocked out of them". Even worse, he warns Tommy that soon Rodimus would learn the startling identities of those who kidnapped Kup, Ultra Magnus and the others. Tommy begs Prime not to leave him hanging in suspense, eliciting satisfaction from the Autobot, who says he thought Tommy ''liked'' surprises. Prime then promises to tell him the next chapter of the story tomorrow, when he returns to transform Tommy's day into an adventure. He then sets Tommy back down in the barren wasteland and rocket-boots away into outer space.
{{--}}

==Notes==

===Production information===
* Miniseries outline revised: 18th February 1986 (edited by [[Steve Gerber]])
* First draft script submitted: 4th March 1986
* [[John Moschitta]] pickup session: 24th March 1986
* Main dialogue recording: 25th March 1986
* [[David Mendenhall]] pickup session: 9th April 1986
* [[Ted Schwartz]]' Rodimus Prime dialogue replaced by [[Dick Gautier]] ADR: 24th April 1986
* Additional dialogue pickup session: 28th August 1986

===Continuity notes===
[[File:FFOD1 Dirge and Ramjet shot down.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*Cyclonus laments the Decepticons "scrap like [[slaarg]]s" over a few Energon cubes. The [[Arcadroid]]s represent the [[Nalva System]] in the [[Galactic Olympics]]. [[Thrull]] circles the red giant star [[Hydran]].
*This episode picks up an unspecified amount of time after ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' (which had played in theaters during the summer preceding this episode's debut), and draws directly on many of its events. References include the [[Battle of Autobot City]], Unicron's head orbiting Cybertron, the loss of Optimus Prime, the rise of Galvatron and his lieutenants, the defeat of the Decepticons, and the Autobots regaining control of Cybertron.
*The episode even opens with some of the closing scenes from the movie. The scenes were re-soundtracked with the cartoon's standard background music for television airing. A second movie excerpt, also re-soundtracked, is used to show the end of Rodimus's battle with Galvatron.
*First appearances: Outback, Octane, Tantrum (who probably shouldn't be here yet) and Abdul Fakkadi.
* This episode also introduces the [[transformation cog]], which would become a recurring element of Transformers physiology in modern-day stories.
*Dirge's "Death comes to he who crosses me," line is a slight paraphrase of a line cut from the original ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|Transformers: The Movie]]'' script, "[http://www.camphortree.net/tf/tidbits/tftm_script.txt Death comes to anyone who crosses me.]" It was to be delivered aboard [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] as the Decepticons squabbled over leadership. Another iteration comes in the later episode "[[Starscream's Ghost]]" ("I know, I know - 'Death comes to anyone who hides behind my marker!'"), though Dirge is not mentioned by name.

===Real-world references===
[[File:FiveFaces1 Athenia stadium.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*The [[Galactic Olympics]] are, obviously, based on the modern Olympic Games, including the opening parade of "nations" and the Olympic torch presiding over the events.
*Middle East tensions in the 1980s resulted in the extremely racist spoof called [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]].
*In one scene, Blurr asks why Metroplex's new [[transformation cog]] wasn't shipped via [[Galactic Express]], an allusion to the fact that [[John Moschitta]] had previously appeared in a series of Federal Express commercials.
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
**Kickback and Shrapnel fly in with ''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' engine whine, and take off with the ship's engine burst noise.
**Ramjet and Dirge get the [[TIE Fighter]] engine sound as they lose control amid Outback's explosive. Some ''Millennium Falcon'' engine whine can be heard as well.

===Animation and technical errors===
Animated by the low-budget animation house of AKOM (with assistance from fellow Korean contractor [[Sam Young Studio]]), "Five Faces of Darkness" features a lot of substandard artwork, which becomes even more obvious against the interspersed scenes from the Movie; it is one (five) of the most notoriously error-plagued episodes in the entire series. Brace yourself...
*Continuing their grand tradition, AKOM somehow wound up with incorrect color models for a variety of characters, which appear across the entire 3rd season. Among them are:
**Most of the new characters introduced in the Movie have the inside of their mouths colored based on their exterior colors: the inside of Magnus's mouth is blue (or red), Wheelie's is dark orange, Blurr's is blue, Arcee's is pink, Springer's is green, and Cyclonus's is purple.
**Cyclonus (sometimes) has dark purple eyebrows.
**Rodimus Prime carries a red gun, which should be black. The indentations on his shoulders are colored the same burgundy-red as his arms, when they should be white. The "windshield" details on his pelvis are white, when they should be a lighter burgundy, and there should be a trapezoid of the same color in the centre of his pelvis.
**Many Movie-based characters are intermittently drawn with their discarded preliminary character models instead of the correct "second-round" revisions. The Sweeps, for example, show up with their [[robot mode]] heads sticking out of the top of their [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]s. This will be a standard feature of AKOM episodes for the rest of the season; in particular, Rodimus Prime will constantly switch designs at random, from scene to scene.
*Quite a few Transformer voices appear to be processed with a very heavy bass end in this episode, including Rodimus, Arcee, Outback, and Springer.
[[File:FFOD1 Chaar landscape.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*Chaar's moon and sun are bizarre. If the opening animation is to be believed, the moon takes about 20 seconds to orbit the planet (with the sun going in the opposite direction!), yet when we see it again later, it's just sitting there. The moon also appears to set with the red dusk sky ''behind'' it. The sky is a red dusk despite the sun having passed overhead in the opposite direction. The red dusk sky is also visible along the horizon in all directions. Maybe Chaar sits in a nebula?
*Long Haul is missing when the Constructicons combine.
*After he knocks Astrotrain away from the energon cube, Devastator's mouth does some lip-flapping, but there's no dialog to go with it.
*Menasor's "hi-yah!" sword grunts aren't in his voice. He sounds more like an unprocessed Astrotrain or Bonecrusher. When he finally speaks a non-grunt line, he suddenly goes to his own voice, right after a generic-voice grunt.
[[File:FFoD1 devastator nomnom.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*Devastator goes from his usual eyeband, to two large separate eyes as he grabs the energon cube, to two small separate eyes as Menasor whacks him apart.
*Menasor's first sword strike clearly knocks Devastator into his components (well, ''some'' components, anyway; none of them look like actual pieces of Devastator.) Devastator then re-forms with no transformation noise.
*When Menasor smashes Devastator apart the second time, only Bonecrusher, Scavenger, Hook and Long Haul are shown. Bonecrusher shouldn't be there (he didn't "have the energy to hang on"), and Scrapper and Mixmaster are totally unaccounted for.
*As a shot hits the energon cube next to him, Kickback grunts with the same generic voice that Menasor had earlier.
*Kickback is drawn with the more toy-centric version of his insect mode, wherein his robot face is clearly visible on the bottom of his insect head; he even visibly emotes and looks around with it. Most episodes portray him with his robot face concealed in his insect mode.
*As Cyclonus and company approach, Astrotrain finally completes his transformation to robot mode, but with no transformation noise.
*The first Sweep to transform and land is also missing his transformation sound.
*Coloring errors:
**As Warpath and Bumblebee watch Ultra Magnus on-screen, Magnus's microphones are colored as part of his chest.
**As Jazz races towards the finish line, the Autobot symbol on his hood is colored in reverse (it's white with red inlays).
**The center piece of Rodimus's spoiler is yellow instead of orange as he watches Springer and Arcee leave the stadium.
**As Perceptor tells Rodimus to take Grimlock with him to Chaar, his Autobot symbol is all-gray (it's usually red with a slim gray outline).
**The Skuxxoid's ship is white when it leaves the Olympics planetoid, but light orange as Arcee and Springer pursue it through space.
**Drag Strip has a gray optic visor during the "I'll think of something" line. It should be red.
**The final shot has Soundwave colored mostly in purple instead of blue. Also, his chest door disappears for a moment.
[[File:Munka Spanka hurdles.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*Jazz is shown winning the first race in the Galactic Olympics, but a few seconds later an announcer declares that "the winner is [[Munka Spanka]] of the [[Orgenon Cluster]]." It's possible a generic character was intended for use in the scene and Jazz was mistakenly picked at random; however, given Jazz's prominent survival of the movie, it seems more likely that an editing mistake failed to portray the passage of time (and other races) after Jazz's win. Fans also have speculated that this was an intentional name change, prompted by the fact that [[Scatman Crothers]], Jazz's voice actor, had recently passed away, though why this would be necessary for a non-speaking part is unclear.
*The Quintesson monitor shows Magnus and company against a blue sky, when they'd been standing against an orange wall a second earlier.
*Improbable viewpoints:
**How did the Quintessons get that footage of the Autobots, anyway?
**Okay, ''maybe'' Unicron can monitor and record events within his own body. But does he really have a camera ''outside'' himself to show things like Galvatron flying out of him and off into the distance?
*In addition to lighting up, the button that the Quintesson pushes changes shape when pushed.
*One of the scrambling Olympians walks right through a column during the torch attack.
*Arcee and Springer's "cooking my sensors" lines carry an echo that shouldn't be there, as if they were in a soundproof room.
*When Rodimus starts shooting, he gets the second half of Optimus Prime's laser rifle sound effect. A second later, he gets the whole sound effect. Later, his rifle has the standard Autobot laser sound. Later episodes would generally give his rifle the full Optimus Prime sound effect, though not very consistently.
*How are the Sharkticons so consistently in shadow when ''everyone'' else is not?
*Rodimus is missing the "age lines" on his face as he threatens to trash the Decepticons, which basically makes him Hot Rod.
*Cybertron's appearance has changed a LOT since the movie. The first shot shows it looking like one of its own moons, with almost no detailing. The second shows it with much more detailing, but still very different than its previous appearance.
*Cyclonus is far too large as he stands on Unicron's face, taller than Unicron's eyes. He should be a speck at that distance.
*One of Scourge's helmet rims is white instead of blue as he says the "no wind in space" line.
*Unicron's snoozing groan is recycled as Scourge spots Galvatron's hand on Thrull. Is Scourge supposed to be hearing Galvatron snore from across millions of miles of space?
*The first time we see Blaster, his left eye has a line through it.
*The helmet rim around Outback's eyes is consistently colored blue instead of light gray. This could be an alternate model sheet, given its consistency. Later episodes would show him with his eyes the same color as the rest of his face.
*Rodimus's "smudge on the screen" is a sharp, glowing, blinking dot. He's also shown wiping it, but is too far away from it in the subsequent shot to have been able to reach it.
*In an odd moment of [[Humanization|humanizing]], Springer and Arcee clench their eyes shut when their ship is grabbed by the claw.
*Springer and Arcee's ship is clearly shown facing to the left of the claw before the commercial break, but afterward it's facing to the right.
*A repeat of the establishing shot of Chaar includes its moon (which, by the by, is a recycled Cybertron moon design.) This time, instead of warping around the planet, the moon is hanging in the sky, stationary.
*Two different pans across the assembled Decepticons show quite a few robots that don't correspond to any actual character. The characters are distant enough that the animators probably figured we wouldn't notice.
[[File:Ffod1 cons on chaar.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*Dirge is with the Decepticons on Chaar as they debate leadership. How'd he get back there from Earth? In the same shot, Soundwave's shoulder button is blue instead of white, and Blast Off's forehead is colored as though it were an optic visor.
*Cyclonus has consistently had three Sweeps up to this point, but as they return to Chaar there's suddenly half a dozen of them.
*The subsequent shots of cheering Decepticons are infamously screwed up. The first one features:
**Tantrum well before the Predacons have actually been introduced to the series. To be fair, the Predacons' later introduction is so ambiguous that it might not be a genuine screwup to have one of them present.
**An off-model non-conehead Seeker in Dirge's colors
**Octane also makes his inauspicious debut here, without any sort of explanation or introduction, though it doesn't actually contradict anything to have him there.
*The second cheering shot has Soundwave with a malformed, half-colored visor.
*When Motormaster throws down his energon, Hook and Long Haul are standing nearby. When he falls over in the subsequent shot, they've both been replaced by generics in the same pose. Also, after the Energon is thrown, Motormaster's mouth moves without us hearing any dialog.
[[File:Decepticons w galvatron.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Yeah! We're going to save that guy on the left from the deadly lava pools of Thrull!]]
*The third cheering shot ("Giiiiive till it hurrrrts!") features two more made-up Seeker models, a random blue guy, and ''Galvatron himself'' cheering for his own imminent rescue.
*As the Decepticons rally to attack Rodimus and Grimlock, two Motormasters run past the camera.
*When Cyclonus fires on the rock outcrop, some guy in Fireflight's colors is behind him. The subsequent shot of charging Decepticons includes several made-up guys.
*The line of charging Decepticons at the end includes a Seeker in Silverbolt's colors.

===Continuity errors===
[[File:KickbackShrapnelFFOD1.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*Most of the character screwups on Chaar are probably just cheap/lazy/screwed up animation; in fact, all the off-model and made-up designs could really be excused as generic Decepticons we've never met before, if one is so inclined (and one is prepared to accept that for some reason, we never see them again, either.) However, Kickback and Shrapnel have a whole sequence dedicated to them landing, trying to munch an energon cube, and then fleeing, which is far too long and explicit not to be a scripted appearance. Both characters were supposedly reformatted into Sweeps during ''Transformers: The Movie''.
*Why does Astrotrain wait until he's landed to gobble some of the energon he's struggling to reach?
*So why didn't Menasor grab and eat the energon cube he just fought so hard for?
*Perceptor's description of the transforming cog is rather confusing. He introduces it as ''Autobot City's'' transformation cog, but then says "it controls ''Metroplex''{{'}}s ability to transform". This begins an ongoing trend of the cartoon dialog treating the two as if they were one and the same, despite the animation showing them as two distinct (though [[:File:G1 Autobot City.JPG|sometimes related]]) entities.
*"How we gonna find the Decepticons? It's like looking for a needle in a haystack!" It would be, Blaster, except that they conveniently left their Decepticon insignias in place for you to see.
*How do Arcee and Springer hear the Skuxxoid's voice? He's inside a ''space ship'', and they're on the outside. Does the ship have its own external atmosphere?
[[File:FFoD1 DamagedOnslaught.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"What is our chance of defeating the Autobots, when we can barely remember what our own voices sound like?"]]
*Voice consistency for the show's more obscure characters took a nosedive after the movie, starting with this episode:
**Ramjet has nearly the right voice, but it lacks the clipped mannerism that characterized his speech throughout the second season. Instead of sounding like an enforcer, he sounds... cheerful. In fairness, he occasionally lost that mannerism during Season 2.
**Onslaught's lines, beginning with "I admire your passion, my friend...", are provided by [[Terry McGovern]] in this episode, as opposed to his regular actor, [[S. Marc Jordan]]. Jordan would later be replaced again by [[Steve Bulen]] for Onslaught's final line of the series in "[[The Rebirth, Part 3]]".
**Terry McGovern tries on a brand new voice for Wildrider's two lines. He'll also develop a hick accent that he didn't have before in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]".
*We never do find out why Cyclonus is carrying around a big black box, but the script reveals it's meant to be a *literal* black box salvaged from Unicron's head, with records of Galvatron's continued existence. Regardless, it's not present in the next episode.

===Trivia===
*In an interview with Flint Dille, he said that the Quintesson origin story came from "[[The Secret of Cybertron]]," an aborted script for the movie by him and his fellow writer, [[Jay Bacal]].<ref>[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/60-astrominutes/flint-dille/flint-dille-2.html Flint Dille interview on the Cybertron Chronicle]</ref>
*This episode establishes Grimlock's new role as a prominent recurring character in the cast, complete with a friendlier, goofier personality whereas he had previously been depicted as a slow-witted but fierce warrior.
*[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] is mentioned in the [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]] [[:File:FFoD01CastSparkplug.jpg|cast list for this episode]]—and the relevant [[dialogue script]] reveals that he was indeed supposed to make an appearance! He would have been with [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] aboard the [[Earth Defense Command|E.D.C.]] shuttle sent to investigate reports of Decepticon activity in [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]]. His one line—"How're we gonna find the Decepticons? It's like a needle in a haystack."—was reassigned to Blaster in the final cut of the episode.
*When originally aired, this and the other four parts of the story all had a unique set of opening credits. Unfortunately, the DVD release of the mini-series only includes this opening on parts 3 and 5.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Les cinq visages du mal, partie 1'''" ("The Fives Faces of Evil, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*This episode is one of those that has never been released on DVD in French.
::*Concerning the European French dub:
:::*For the beginning of that new season, [[Francis Lax]] is the only member of the classic team to be back for now. He is joined by new temporary members including [[Éric Etcheverry]], [[Michel Barbey]] and several unidentified actors.
:::*The opening dialogue between the Decepticons during Astrotrain's crash is absent from the dub.
:::*For some reason, Cyclonus' line "Land, Sweeps! And beware of treachery!" is replaced by "Look! I think we arrive in time!".
:::*Cyclonus' shot saying "We must take desperate measures" was cut.
:::*For the commentator of the Galactic Olympics, Francis Lax provided some pig noises between the phrases.
:::*The dialogue between Bumblebee and Warpath during Jazz's performance is missing.
:::*The Quintesson's line "We must learn what makes these humans live and what makes them perish" is missing.
:::*Arcee's line "Wait! You'll need a gunner!" is replaced by "Wait! You'll need a navigator!"...
:::*Cyclonus' phrase "Show me the last visual appearance of Galvatron" was translated in the wrong way, kinda meaning "Show me how Galvatron looked, last we knew", which sounds pretty strange.
:::*When Springer's and Arcee's ship is seized by the claw, Springer says "C'est ce qui s'appelle se faire pincer !" ("That's what's called getting pinched!"), a French idiomatic expression meaning "To get busted".
:::*Cyclonus' line "He shall lead us again!" was cut.

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Die fünf Gesichter der Finsternis, Teil 1'''" ("The Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 26]], [[1990]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Arata Naru Tatakai'''" (新たなる戦い, "The New War")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 14]], [[1986]]
:*In Japan, season 3 was rebranded as a new series titled ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)#Fight.21 Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010]]''. As the title implies, the year was changed from 2005 to 2010.
:*''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' was not released in Japan until 1989. In order to keep the kids at home up to date, the events of the movie were summarized in the pages of ''[[TV Magazine]]''.

'''Italian'''
:*''Title (first dub):'' "'''I cinque volti del male, Parte 1'''" ("The Five Faces of Evil, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
:*''Title (second dub):'' "'''Le cinque facce dell'oscurità, Parte 1'''" ("The Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Wǔmiànguài (1)'''" (五面怪 (一), "Five-Faced Monsters (1)")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Desforra, Primeira Parte'''" ("The Rematch, First Part")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Russian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Pyatj likov tjmy (Chastj 1)'''" (Пять ликов тьмы (Часть 1), "Five Faces of Darkness (Part 1)")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
[[File:FHE-FFoD.jpg|thumb|Boy, I sure did love that part in "Five Faces of Darkness" where [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Powermaster Optimus Prime]], [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]], [[Cloudburst]] and [[Rev]] fought a giant floating Quintesson head.]]
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 1990 — ''The Transformers'' — Five Faces of Darkness ([[Family Home Entertainment]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 1990 — ''The Transformers'' — Five Faces of Darkness (Family Home Entertainment) 
[[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 UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2002 — ''Transformers'' — Complete Original Series: Deluxe Edition ([[Maverick Entertainment|Sony Wonder]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2002 — ''Transformers'' — Five Faces of Darkness: Parts 1-5 (Sony Wonder) 
[[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. 1 (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==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20230305021906/http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/season-3/synopses/700-86.html Episode Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle]
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482022/ IMDb's page for this episode]
*[https://drive.google.com/file/d/12M1KqmPdsyaZ49J_orbYY-16yM6pGCNb/view?usp=sharing Full episode script]

[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]

Possession

2024-11-02T04:26:55Z

DevinM626:

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=21
|series2=BWJtoon
|ep2=21
|prev2=Dark Voyage
|next2=The Low Road
|image=Starscream ghost BW.jpg
|caption="Look, I'm a ghost, okay? Quit being such a jerk."
|title="Possession"
|season=1
|season ep=21
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[February 3]], [[1997]]
|packaged with=[[Waspinator (BW)#Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|Waspinator]], [[Megatron (BW)/toys#Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|Optimus Primal vs. Megatron]], [[Motorarm (BW)#Beast Wars Telemocha Series|Motorarm]]
|written by=[[Ian Weir]]
|directed by=[[Owen Hurley]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY82SDnpewc
|videosite=YouTube
}}
'''Waspinator finds himself possessed by none other than the original Decepticon traitor, Starscream!'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Possession Waspinator.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Haunter used Hypnosis!]]
A violent [[energon storm]] rages, causing significant damage and knocking out power to both the [[Axalon (BW)|Maximal]] and [[Darksyde (BW)|Predacon bases]]. While the [[Maximal]]s stash their extra ammo deeper in their ship's hold to prevent undue accidents, [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] attempts to get one of the Predacon base's computer consoles online...only to be greeted by a ghostly, shrill voice from it. A power surge hits the bug-bot soon afterwards, and when the other Predacons begin to wonder what has happened to him, in he comes, announcing his return "at long last" in the same eerie voice.

The voice belongs to [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], Air Commander of the [[Decepticon]] forces and [[second-in-command]] to the original [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], whose [[spark]] had been tumbling through time and space for an unknown number of years before settling within Waspinator. As he puts it, he was destroyed defending [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] from the Chaos Bringer [[Unicron]], but his [[spark]] endured. As a show of his good faith, he pledges his loyalty to the Predacon [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]], revealing vital information about the state of the Maximal base due to the storm, intelligence Megatron could use to plan a sneak attack. Intrigued by the idea, Megatron accepts Starscream into his ranks.

[[File:Possession Megatron victorious.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"B-3" "BINGO!!!"]]
The next day, as the Maximals are making repairs to their base, they are suddenly attacked by the Preds, and Starscream's intel proves very useful in catching them off-guard. In the ensuing firefight, [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] is injured and the Decepticon Air Commander flies rings round [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], forcing the Maximals to abandon ship and regroup outside. Happy with their victory, Megatron puts Starscream in charge of holding the ''Axalon'', with Scorponok and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] under his command, while the rest of the Predacons return to their base, in case the Maximals decide to go for a sneak attack of their own. However, despite being pleased with Starscream's help, Megatron warns [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] in private to watch their new ally closely. Once they're alone, though, Blackarachnia shows off her knack for history by correctly pointing out to Starscream that he was [[The Transformers: The Movie|murdered by Galvatron after he betrayed the Decepticon commander]]. She's willing to keep this a secret, though, if she's let in on his real plans: to destabilize Megatron's control and rule both factions.

Deep in the forest, as the Maximals recover, Optimus Primal voices his confusion and concern over Waspinator's new personality. He isn't entirely convinced Waspinator is possessed by the spark of Starscream, but as the [[Maximal Elder]]s had long since sealed the Decepticon's records, they're not able to confirm or deny it, either. Fortunately, Dinobot's as much of a military history buff as Blackarachnia is, commenting on how ''Webster's Cybertronian Dictionary'' has pretty much replaced all definitions of "traitor" with Starscream's name.

[[File:Possession Starscream point.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|I want YOU for Predacon Army]]
Realizing Starscream's tendencies, Optimus Primal leads the Maximals in returning to the ''Axalon'' and calling Starscream out to announce their surrender, citing the need to use the ship's [[CR chamber]] to repair Dinobot's (now exaggerated) wounds. Feeling generous, the Decepticon Air Commander allows Optimus and Dinobot to come on board, but as predictably as night follows day, betrays them and strips Optimus of his weapons and locks him up in the hold as soon as he steps on deck. With their leader now his prisoner, Starscream orders the other Maximals to attack the Predacon base, over the token objections of Scorponok, who is then blasted away by Starscream and Blackarachnia. They comply, and the trap is set.

[[File:Possession Starscream gunpoint.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|I'm azzz mad azzz hell, and I'm not going to take thizzz anymore!]]
Unbeknown to the Air Commander, he's been duped by the oldest trick in the book; by allowing himself to be betrayed, Optimus Primal has put himself and Dinobot in the perfect position to retake their base, which they do in a dazzling display that forces Starscream and Blackarachnia to retreat back to Predacon territory. Upon hearing of the Maximal attack that is ordered by Starscream, Megatron angrily swears to finish both Starscream and Blackarachnia off to himself. Optimus pursues and manages to best the Decepticon in an aerial dogfight, leaving him grovelling at the Maximal's feet...until Blackarachnia shows up, prompting Starscream to plead for her aid, believing they can still complete their coup. No dice; this new generation is much less gullible than [[Autobot|their]] [[Decepticon|ancestors]], and Blackarachnia has skillfully pulled off a double-cross on the double-crosser, igniting a small energon cache underneath Starscream to "exorcise" the Decepticon's spark from Waspinator's body.

At the end of the day, Megatron gets done fixing the back-to-normal Waspinator as Blackarachnia explains her betrayal; if she hadn't done it, she maintains, she wouldn't have been able to sniff out Starscream's true motives. Megatron reluctantly accepts this excuse, but warns her that it still doesn't invoke confidence in her loyalties. Back at the ''Axalon'', the Maximals are finishing up repairs of their own...everyone but Cheetor, who's slacking off with a bout of stargazing, quipping "Twinkle, twinkle, little Starscream," as the camera pans up to beyond the planet's orbit, showing Starscream's spark screaming mech fluid-drenched vengeance on all within the Beast Wars as he drifts away into the void.

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (2)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (3)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (4)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (8)
*[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] (13)
*[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] (14)
*[[Tigatron]] (15)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s
|c2=
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (5)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (6)
*[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] (7)
*[[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] (9)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (10)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (11)

|h3=[[Decepticon]]s
|c3=
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (1)

|c4=
*''[[Unicron]]'' (12)
}}

==Quotes==
"What is this? Program does not respond! Waszzpinator does not understand!" 
"I'll bet Waspinator seldom ''does!'' But try not to let it depress you, bug-face."
:—'''Waspinator''', about to be possessed by '''Starscream'''

"Starscream, perhaps the centuries of weightlessness have taken a toll on your neurological circuitry."
:—'''Megatron''' seems to forget that free-floating sparks don't ''have'' circuitry.

"Lie still! And GROAN, for cryin' out loud! You're supposed to be half-dead!" 
"If you don't shut up, vermin, ''you'' will be my role model!"
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Dinobot'''. 'Nuff said.

"You're nothin' but a schemin' snake in the grass!" 
"Ehh, flattery will get you flattened, vermin."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Starscream'''

"Ugh! Starscream and Blackarachnia! I'll have both their treacherous hides! Yeeessss...I'll-I'll melt them down and use them for aluminum siding! Oh, yes, indeed!"
:—'''Megatron''' finally learning of Starscream's traitorous nature. Odd...

"Oh, Waszzpinator has a headache in his ''whole'' body."
:—Poor '''Waspinator''' needs some medication.

"I'll be back! Even if it takes a thousand years, ''I'LL BE REVENGED ON YOU ALL!''"
:—'''Starscream''', as he drifts through space

==Notes==
===Script timeline===
* First draft: 4 September 1996
* Second draft: 16 September 1996
* Finalised: 20 September 1996
* As Air: 7 February 1997

===Animation and technical errors===
*As is customary in many episodes, Scorponok's visor shifts from yellow to red throughout his appearance.
*When Megatron "checks up" on Waspinator, his dino head inexplicably switches from his right hand to his left hand, and his thighs are clipping through his seat.
*Waspinator is all kinds of messed up when he's looking at the monitor screen, as if parts of his model have only been partially rendered. His neck, his antennae and portions of his back are half-missing, as are the insect-leg [[kibble]] on his arm in their entirety.
*Unicron's "ring" is not connected to his body.
*As Blackarachnia is explaining Starscream, the computer screen she's pointing at has an image of a stasis pod on it, likely a reused asset.
*When Starscream points to the unguarded side of the ''Axalon'', he seems to have a finger pointing on both sides of his hand, as though the animators were unsure of which hand he was using to point at the screen. (From the looks of the previous scenes, it should be his left hand.)
*When Cheetor opens fire on the [[Cyberbee]], the shiny reflection textures on his metal bits and his gun keep blinking on and off.
*A Primal realizes he's been tricked, the textures on his jet flames are moving the wrong way: instead of flowing downward, they're animated moving sideways, toward Primal's body.
*Cheetor's reflections partially vanish again when he starts shooting at Starscream. The same happens to Primal and Dinobot just before Primal lifts off at the end of the fight.
*As Starscream weaves around Cheetor's gunfire during the battle in the ''Axalon'', he is missing the yellow details on the outside of his mouth.
*Rattrap's gun clips through the ''Axalon''{{'}}s wall as he fires it before retreating.
*Some of the leaves are clearly floating in the air as the "camera" pans down at the recuperating Maximals in the forest.
*As Blackarachnia winks at Starscream, the right side of her "helmet" is sunken into her head.
*In the closeup of Rhinox lowering and shaking his head, the area in the background seems completely different than in other shots.
*When the ''Axalon'' elevator begins descending, the Maximals are standing a few meters forward than in the previous shot. A fallen tree resting on a rock is farther behind them, and a rock that wasn't there before appears next to Rhinox.
*A portion of Blackarachnia's face again clips through her helmet when Starscream begins addressing the Maximals. Also, she appears to have no neck, with her head resting directly upon her shoulders.
*Not to be outdone, Optimus' head is likewise hideously deformed in the following shot, with the sides stretched down to the base of his neck, and his head sitting far too high. Additionally, his mouth doesn't move while he's speaking. ''Argh...''
*When Starscream is standing on top of the ''Axalon'' and instructing the Maximals to attack the Predacon base, his right foot clips straight through one of the autocannons. A few moments later when he blasts Scorponok, he's standing nowhere near the cannon.
*Just before he shoots Scorponok, Starscream's gun sinks into his pelvis for a moment.
*When Primal gets the drop on Starscream and Blackarachnia, both villains are missing kibble in various shots: Starscream his (well, Waspinator's) wings and Blackarachnia her spider legs. Starscream's wings briefly show up, only to vanish again when he takes off, leading to the rather awkward sight of him flying around with no sort of propulsion.
*In the same shot, as Starscream flees the ''Axalon'', Blackarachnia isn't visible.
*Despite Primal's blasts being strong enough to knock over a chair, free Dinobot from the CR chamber and send his foes fleeing, none of his other shots inflict any damage on the command center. For that matter, when he shoots the CR chamber's locks off, they simply vanish between frames.
*At one point, Cheetor and Rattrap are commando crawling towards the Predacon base when spotlights are turned on. Both Maximals appear to be outside the spotlight border, and yet when the shot changes to a close-up, they're suddenly brightly lit up as if they're in the centre of the spotlight beam. (Also, why on earth is Rattrap crawling along on his belly in robot mode, rather than using his much smaller beast mode? Didn't we just have [[Call of the Wild|an episode]] on practical uses of alt-modes?)
*As the Maximals pull back from their assault on the Pred base, the shells coming out of Rhinox's guns clip right through the boulder on his right, while the ones flying to his left simply disappear midair.
*In the same shot, Tigatron's gun lacks any sort of firing effect. Also, his left ankle is painfully twisted.
*When Starscream arrives at the battle scene at the end, he remains airborne despite not flapping his wings.
*Perhaps deliberate, as it might make animating the scene too difficult, but Starscream's insect abdomen is completely absent during his final defeat. It's also missing as Megatron puts Waspinator back together.
*Just before he reconnects Waspinator's head, Megatron's left arm clips into Tarantulas' thigh.
*When Cheetor is staring out towards space, the stars appear to be in front of the two moons.

===Continuity notes===
*Inferno is strangely missing from the Predacon roster, making it unclear if he was simply elsewhere or the timeline of the episode was intended to be before his introduction. If the latter, it could theoretically fit best coming right before "[[The Trigger, Part 1]]" since Megatron is suspicious of Blackarachnia's treacherous and ambitious side that she, up until that episode, gave no reason for Megatron to be suspicious of beforehand. Whereas in this episode, her brief teaming up with Starscream ''would'' be enough reason for Megatron to be wary of her loyalty in "The Trigger" were this episode to precede that one.
*Previous episodes had strongly implied the connection, but this is the first episode to explicitly confirm that the Maximals and Predacons are descendants of the original [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s.
*The [[Maximal Elder]]s receive a mention for the first time, providing us a glimpse at post-war Maximal society. Notably, they have apparently sealed off some records of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]].
*Starscream mentions that his spark can travel through space ''and'' time, providing us with another hint about the true nature of the planet.

===Continuity errors===
[[Image:Possession_BWPlanet.jpg|thumb|200px|right|"Okay, who got drunk last night and moved the continents about?"]]
*Looking at the intro sequence with Starscream's spark, he appears to touch down on a continent that resembles North America, somewhere in the southwest United States (apparently Arizona). The terrain and creatures in ''Beast Wars'' suggest that it takes place in Africa and the presence of the standing stones, though not necessarily Stonehenge, suggest Britain. The shots from space in "[[Chain of Command (BW)|Chain of Command]]" also show continents that don't match North America. On the other hand, it makes sense, since "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]" puts the ''Axalon'' and the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] within commuting distance. It's not too wild to assume that the spark kept commuting for an unknown distance even after touching down either. The fact that Starscream admits later to have seen the damage inflicted to the Maximal base "before acquiring this body" also alludes to this scenario, that he commuted after touching down. (When we see the planet at the end of the episode, it looks like the same model that we've seen before, with continents that resemble North and South America right next to two other large land masses in a formation that doesn't match present-day Earth.)
*While free-floating sparks are usually depicted as spheres, Starscream's spark has the twiddly bits which are usually only present to attach a spark to a protoform. It *has* been stated that Starscream's spark is not normal, though, so this may have been a conscious alteration?
*Megatron knew a great deal about Cybertronian history, yet apparently did not know the real nature of Starscream and his demise. Granted, the Maximal Elders had a large portion of his records sealed ''due'' to his history. Then again, Megatron may have been playing dumb to lure Starscream into being bolder with his actions, since he DID tell Scorponok to watch Starscream...
**On that same note, both Blackarachnia and Dinobot knew about Starscream, even though Primal stated that his records were sealed. It's possible that the records were sealed only to the Maximals (as Primal notes it was the Maximal Elders who sealed them), but given what we'll learn of the state of Maximal/Predacon relations on Cybertron and the Maximal Elders' dirty little secrets, that explanation is rather hard to believe.
*Despite being born from a Maximal Protoform, Blackarachnia refers to the Decepticons as "our" (the Predacons') ancestors. On the other hand, this is neither the first nor the last time she will identify herself as a Predacon, shunning her Maximal origin.
*Back in "[[Beast Wars (Part 2)]]", when facing the ''Axalon'' as it points slightly to his left, Rattrap noted that the direction to his right was east, meaning that the ''Axalon'' faces a southwestern direction in its crashed position. In this episode, however, Starscream and Megatron claim that the ''Axalon''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s damaged left side (which would be facing southeast according the aforementioned earlier episode) is its southwest side, and that the ship's right side faces northeast, which would thus mean that the ''Axalon'' instead faces northwest, in contrast to the pilot episode.
*Starscream apparently imprisons Optimus in shackles that he can break out of in about five seconds flat. However, in the episode commentary on [[Madman Entertainment]]'s ''Beast Wars Season 1'' DVDs, story editor [[Bob Forward]] states that Primal originally had a very complex way of breaking free involving tools and the dexterity of his [[beast mode]] appendages, but the animators changed this to just him "busting out", possibly due to time and monetary constraints.
*The later episodes "[[Optimal Situation]]" and "[[Master Blaster]]" will show that a Maximal or Predacon body containing two sparks (their own and one from an Autobot or Decepticon) undergoes dramatic changes, taking on a new, larger appearance and gaining incredible might. Waspinator, however, undergoes only minor physical changes and gains no obvious power apart from somewhat enhanced speed.
**Megatron does infer that the "power" of the second spark has an effect on this, but this also seems strange, as Starscream's spark, due to its immortality, would be presumably better than the average. On the other hand, Starscream's spark will later be described as "mutant" in "[[Bad Spark]]", so perhaps this prevents the dramatic changes seen in other characters. There is also the fact that both Primal and Megatron were [[Transmetal]]s when they took onboard second sparks, which might have also had an effect. (From an out-of-universe perspective, the producers likely forgot this instance when the other mergings occurred. Waspinator does have the ability to recover from constantly being almost destroyed, so your [[fanon]] might want to chalk that up to Starscream's influence.)

===Transformers references===
[[File:Waspinator with decepticon insignia.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|]]
*Obviously, Starscream himself firmly ties ''Beast Wars'' to established Generation 1 history, though you could argue that Waspinator thinking he was [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] already did this.
* Starscream's spark—or "[[ghost]]", as it was then called, had already possessed several Decepticons in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 episodes]] "[[Starscream's Ghost]]" and "[[Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine]]". His [[Trypticon (G1)|actions]] [[Atari Hitotonari|won't]] [[Angel|stop]] [[Teletraan 15|there]].
* We get a few, very fleeting glances at Starscream's original body. His head is white and his face is blue, making him resemble his appearance in [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel Comics]] instead of his [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] [[character model]].
* Starscream introduces himself to Megatron as "[[Air Commander]]", referencing his original [[function]].
* While lying about the circumstances of his death, Starscream name-drops [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and [[Unicron]].
*The Predacon insignias on the side of Waspinator's cranium change into Decepticon insignias while Starscream's spark is inhabiting his superstructure (seen at right). The only other physical change is the addition of a yellow stripe along the upper edges of his "mandibles", similar to their inner edges.
* Blackarachnia reveals to Starscream that she knows the ''real'' circumstances behind Starscream's demise: he was blasted by Galvatron, as seen in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

===Real-world references===
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] says "Hasta la vista, Starscream", paraphrasing {{w|Hasta la vista, baby|a famous line}} from the film ''{{w|Terminator 2: Judgment Day}}''. As he flies away immediately after saying this, Optimus Primal is seen wearing a pair of sunglasses, aping (ahem) [[Arnie|Arnold Schwarzenegger]]'s trademark look from the movie.
*Rhinox's line "It's tramplin' time" could be an homage to "It's clobberin' time!", the catchphrase of the [[Thing]] of the [[Fantastic Four]].

===Trivia===
*[[Doug Parker]] performs both [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (standing in for the late [[Chris Latta]]), and the very Starscreamy [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]]. In fact, Parker's Starscream is basically Terrorsaur with a metallic distortion a la G1 [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]], and Terrorsaur's voice is made much deeper than normal to avoid confusion. Perhaps Starscream should have possessed Terrorsaur instead — of course, nobody would notice the difference.
*According to fan consultant [[Ben Yee]] and story editor Bob Forward on the Madman DVD commentary track, the original idea for this episode was to have the spark of an Autobot possess one of the characters. This idea was abandoned early on because a model of Starscream had already been made for "[[The Web]]". Besides, Starscream had the experience.
*Also according to Forward, the angles used for Waspinator (when he is possessed by Starscream) are much more "heroic" than normal (views from slightly below him, extreme closeups, etc.), to reflect Starscream's personality.
*Additionally, Yee provided all of the original Starscream's [[Tech Spec]] [[bio]]graphies to writer Ian Weir as a reference for Starscream's character and personality. Yee was pleased that Weir incorporated Starscream's original "Air Commander" [[function]] as the character's rank and title.
*This is the [[Victory (episode)|second time]] Optimus airlifts an injured Dinobot out of a battlefield, only for Terrorsaur to get in the way. This time, however, Terrorsaur doesn't get a chance to fire before Optimus punches him out of the way.
*After Blackarachnia convinces Starscream to take her on as his protégée, as they're walking away Starscream's hand is at her shoulder but then starts moving down towards her um... butt. Perv.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Possession'''"

:*''Title:'' "'''Possession'''" (Canada)

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Besessenheit'''" ("Possession")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[August 22|22 August]] [[1998]]
::*Starscream is given a ''very'' deep voice in this dub, perhaps to clearly differentiate him from Waspinator and the Starscream-like Terrorsaur, who were both dubbed by the same actor, [[Holger Potzern]].

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Il traditore'''" ("The Traitor")
::*Waspinator and Starscream's voices sound exactly the same, making quite weird the fact that Megatron asks what happened to Waspinator's voice.
::*In this episode, Autobots are strangely called "Biocombat", which in the Italian dub of this series should refer to all Transformers.
::*Starscream saying that Unicron is a Transformer makes this episode a rare occasion in which the word "Transformer" is used in the Italian dub of ''Beast Wars''.
::*Optimus's: «Hasta la vista, Starscream» became: «See you soon, Starscream», losing the ''Terminator 2'' reference.

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Fujimi no Starscream'''" (不死身のスタースクリーム, "The Immortal Starscream")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 18|18 February]] [[1998]]
::*After Waspinator tells Megatron that he's okay, Megatron yells that he wasn't asking Waspinator if he was alright, he was asking about [[Predacon computer|Navi-ko]].
::*[[Kazuki Yao]] plays Starscream in this episode and, of course, makes an attempt to impersonate [[Hirotaka Suzuoki]]. Starscream's Japanese characterization was rather different from his American one; being younger, vainer, and more charismatic. To match all the manic close-ups and weird angles, as well as Waspinator/Starscream's flamboyant body language, Yao winds up playing a far more ''intense'' Starscream than Suzuoki ever did. If anything, it sounds like Yao impersonating Suzuoki ''impersonating Latta''.
::*Blackarachnia's brief history lesson about the Decepticons' war with the Autobots, and both being the ancient ancestors of the Predacons and Maximals, respectively, is completely rewritten to be entirely about Starscream being a "legendary warrior of Destron history.". This is because, in the Japanese version, there is little distinction between the Decepticon and Predacon factions (besides their sizes and [[insignia]], of course), with both referred to as simply the "Destron" faction (the same is true of the Autobots and Maximals both being called "Cybertrons"). Moreover, it is made even more explicit in this version of the scene that Megatron has never heard of Starscream before first meeting him in this episode, with him flat-out expressing an unfamiliarity with him.
::*Blackarachnia's mentioning the [[Chronicles of Cybertron]] is changed to merely "the history books of the universe."
::*After Airazor delivers his vague news report to Tigatron, as he flies away, Tigatron shouts after him, "Thank you ''de gozaru''!"
::*Optimus's mentioning the Maximal Elders is omitted, with Optimus instead saying "Starscream is a mysterious robot."
::*When Optimus leaves Starscream to his doom, he bids a blander, "Farewell, Starscream", losing the ''Terminator 2'' reference.

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Possessão'''" ("Possession")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Posesión'''" ("Possession")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Èlíng Fùtǐ '''" (恶灵附体, "The Evil Within")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars'' — Warning from Space ([[Alliance Atlantis|Alliance Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1998 — ''Robots-Bêtes'' — Alert Dans L'Espace (Alliance Video) — French audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Starscream's Invulnerability ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars'' / ''Robots-Bêtes'' Three pack (Alliance Video) — Available in English or French audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2001 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 4 ([[Universal]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Predacon Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — English and Japanese audio.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete First Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes: Volume 3 — The Battle Rages On! ([[Alliance Atlantis]]) — English and French audio. 
[[File:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — The Complete First Season (Alliance Atlantis) — English and French audio. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]
[[Category:Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:Pack-in material]]

Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)

2024-10-15T19:49:15Z

DevinM626:

{{Nav-earthspark}}
[[File:Transformers-EarthSpark-Poster-Nick.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|[[Nick Roche|By Nick,]] [[Nickelodeon|for Nick]].]]
'''''Transformers: EarthSpark'' ''' is an animated series that made its debut in November [[2022]] in support of the [[franchises|franchise]] of [[Transformers: EarthSpark (franchise)|the same name]]. First announced on [[February 25]], [[2021]], alongside ''[[Transformers: BotBots (cartoon)|Transformers: BotBots]]'',<ref>[https://deadline.com/2021/02/nickelodeon-orders-transformers-animated-comedy-series-hasbro-franchise-1234700661/ Nickelodeon Orders 'Transformers' Animated Series Based On Hasbro Franchise — Deadline]</ref> the series was co-produced by [[Entertainment One]], [[Hasbro Entertainment]] and [[Nickelodeon Animation Studio]]. In the U.S., the series premiered on [[Paramount+]] on [[November 11]], 2022 with the first 10 episodes of the season. The series also airs on [[Nickelodeon]], with the first two episodes premiering on the same date as a special preview, and the rest of the series premiering on [[February 10]], 2023; a Japanese release followed in October 2023. Following a normal-length first season, the series split its second season into smaller ones [[Netflix]]-style for the remainder of its run, with the second and third "seasons" premiering in June and October 2024 respectively.

{{bigquote|What you are doesn't define who you are. We are all -- MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE!|Tagline}}

==Premise==
Fifteen years after the end of the [[Great War (ES)|war]] between the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s, young [[human]]s [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and [[Mo Malto]] are struggling to adapt after moving from [[Philadelphia]] to the small town of [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]], [[Pennsylvania]]. When they find a [[Emberstone|strange object]] in a cave, it grants them mysterious robotic [[cyber-sleeve]]s and gives life to [[Twitch]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]]—the first ever [[Transformer]]s to be born on [[Earth]]. Bonded to them through their cyber-sleeves, the Maltos adopt the two [[Terran]]s into their family. The Autobots, now working with [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] and the secret human organization [[G.H.O.S.T.]] to protect Earth from the remaining rogue Decepticons, reach out to the Maltos and offer the Terrans the chance to be mentored by [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]]. With new threats on the horizon, such as the mad scientist [[Mandroid]] and the various Decepticons still at large, the Maltos work together to keep each other safe and learn more about each other, including what it truly means to be a family.

==Characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] ([[Danny Pudi]])
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Alan Tudyk]])
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] ([[Cissy Jones]])
*[[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] ([[Michael T. Downey]])
*[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] ([[Keith David]])
*[[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]] ([[Martha Marion]])
*[[Cosmos (ES)|Cosmos]] ([["Weird Al" Yankovic]])
*[[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] ([[Eric Bauza]])
|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] ([[Rory McCann]])
*[[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] ([[Steve Blum]])
*[[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] ([[Nolan North]])
*[[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] (Nolan North)
*[[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] ([[Nicole Dubuc]])
*[[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] (Nicole Dubuc)
*[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] ([[Sean Kenin Reyes]])
**[[Frenzy (ES)|Frenzy]] ([[Tiana Camacho]])
**[[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]] ([[Jake Green]])
**[[Ravage (ES)|Ravage]]
*[[Breakdown (ES)|Breakdown]] ([[Roger Craig Smith]])
*[[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]] ([[Troy Baker]])
*[[Tarantulas (ES)|Tarantulas]] ([[Alfie Allen]])
*[[Bombshell (ES)|Bombshell]]
*[[Shrapnel (ES)|Shrapnel]]
*[[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]]
*[[Brawl (ES)|Brawl]]
|h3=[[Terran]]s||c3=
;Malto family
*[[Twitch]] ([[Kathreen Khavari]])
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] ([[Zeno Robinson]])
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] ([[Stephanie Lemelin]])
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] ([[Cyrus Arnold]])
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] ([[Z Infante]])
;Chaos Terrans
*[[Aftermath (ES)|Aftermath]] ([[Flea]])
*[[Spitfire (ES)|Spitfire]] ([[Zelda Williams]])
;Titans
*[[Terratronus]] ([[Claudia Black]])
|h4=[[Human]]s||c4=
;Malto family
*[[Robby Malto]] ([[Sydney Mikayla]])
*[[Mo Malto]] ([[Zion Broadnax]])
*[[Dot Malto]] ([[Benni Latham]])
*[[Alex Malto]] ([[Jon Jon Briones]])
;[[G.H.O.S.T.]]
*[[Karen Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] ([[Kari Wahlgren]])
*[[Mandroid]] ([[Diedrich Bader]])
*[[Jon Schloder|Agent Schloder]] ([[Marc Evan Jackson]])
*[[Bala|Agent Bala]] ([[Krizia Bajos]])
*[[Bagheri|Agent Bagheri]] (Kathreen Khavari)
*[[Kwan|Cadet Kwan]] ([[Sherry Cola]])
*[[Conway|Cadet Conway]] ([[Jason Marsden]])
*[[Rosato|Cadet Rosato]] ([[Kaitlyn Robrock]])
;Others
*[[Fairmaestro]] ([[Richard Ayoade]])
*[[Izzy (ES)|Izzy]] ([[Siena Agudong]])
*[[Smelt|Mr. Smelt]] ([[Daran Norris]])
*[[Mischa]] ([[Grace Lu]])
*[[Bruno Lowe]] ([[Dasan Turner]])
*[[Stevie]] ([[Luca Diaz]])
*[[Sam (ES)|Sam]] ([[Alisha Mullally]])
*[[Taylor (ES)|Taylor]] (Kaitlyn Robrock)
|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Quintus Prime]] ([[Clancy Brown]])
*[[Quintesson Executioner (ES)|Quintesson Executioner]] ([[Fred Tatasciore]])
*[[V.A.L.]] (Cissy Jones)
*[[Arachnamech]]s
*[[Fluffy Ears]]
*[[Dweller (ES)|The Dweller]]
*[[Ghoid]]s
;[[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]
*[[Blitzwave]] (Nolan North)
*[[Razor-Fin]] (Steve Blum)
|nonumbering=true}}

==Episodes==
{{main|List of EarthSpark episodes}}

===Season 1===
{{collist|4|
# [[Secret Legacy, Part 1]]
# [[Secret Legacy, Part 2]]
# [[Moo-ving In]]
# [[House Rules]]
# [[Classified]]
# [[Traditions]]
# [[Friends and Family]]
# [[Decoy (episode)|Decoy]]
# [[Age of Evolution, Part 1]]
# [[Age of Evolution, Part 2]]
# [[Hashtag: Oops]]
# [[Outtakes]]
# [[Missed Connection]]
# [[Security Protocols]]
# [[Bear Necessities]]
# [[Warzone]]
# [[Home, Part 1]]
# [[Home, Part 2]]
# [[A Stygi Situation]]
# [[Disarmed]]
# [[What Dwells Within]]
# [[Prime Time (episode)|Prime Time]]
# [[Stowed Away, Stowaways]]
# [[The Battle of Witwicky]]
# [[The Last Hope, Part 1]]
# [[The Last Hope, Part 2]]
}}
===Season 2===
{{collist|4|
#[[Aftermath (ES episode)|Aftermath]]
#[[In Ruins]]
#[[Control Alt Delete]]
#[[The Butterfly Effect]]
#[[Togetherness]]
#[[Spitfire (episode)|Spitfire]]
#[[The Imposters]]
#[[Dude, Where's My Trailer?]]
#[[Witwicky, Part 1]]
#[[Witwicky, Part 2]]

}}

==Creative team==
The series was developed for television by [[Dale Malinowski]], [[Nicole Dubuc]], and [[Ant Ward]], who all served as executive producers; [[Ciro Nieli]] joined them in executive-producing the first two-parter, but stepped back to the role of "consulting producer" for the rest of the season. Dubuc also served as story editor for the first season, being joined in the role by [[Mae Catt]] partway through production. Other staff include supervising director [[Glen Murakami]]; storyboard directors [[J.J. Conway]], [[Matthew Humphreys]], [[Alex Kwan]], [[Sebastian Montes]], and [[Jordan Rosato]]; staff writers [[Bernard Badion]], [[Isabel Galupo]], and [[Maasai Singleton]]; character designers [[Nick Roche]] and [[Angelo Vilar]]; voice director [[Kristi Reed]]; and series composers [[Crush Effect]]. The season featured 3D [[computer-generated imagery|CG animation]] by Canadian production house [[Icon Creative Studio]].

''EarthSpark'' underwent a notable shakeup in production for its second season. Dubuc officially departed as executive producer and story editor, having already stepped away from the series halfway through the first season to work on a new project. Mae Catt also did not return as story editor, and was succeeded in the position by [[Amy Wolfram]]. The entire stable of storyboard directors and staff writers were also replaced: taking their places are directors [[Vinton Heuck|Vinton T. Heuck]], [[Will Ruzicka]], [[Scooter Tidwell]], and [[Sheldon Vella]], and writers [[Ian Busch]] and [[Matt Wayne]]. Animation duties were transferred to Indian animation studio [[88 Pictures]]; series CG Supervisor [[Michael Launder]] explained that the change of studio was due to the fact that the stresses of production during season one had caused "the mental health and well being" of the Icon and Nick teams to suffer.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Some background: hasbro and nick decided to switch to a new studio as the mental health and well being of icon and the nick team was suffering during S1.|link=https://twitter.com/mtlaunder/status/1799443950358692082|name=Michael Launder|site=Twitter|title=|year=2024|month=06|day=08}}</ref>

==Home video releases==
{{main|Paramount Pictures#EarthSpark}}
;United States
*''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 1-10 (2023)
*''Transformers: EarthSpark'' - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 (2024)

==Notes==
* The series was originally planned to premiere on Nickelodeon first, with international releases to follow. At Nickelodeon's upfront in March 2022, a newer announcement clarified that the series would premiere globally on Paramount+ in November 2022.<ref>[https://www.theilluminerdi.com/2022/03/30/transformers-earthspark-november/ Transformers: EarthSpark Rolls Out on Paramount+ This November]</ref> While its presence on the channel itself remained unclear leading up to release, the first two episodes also premiered on Nick the same day, both in the US and most international markets.
* Early in its development, the show was titled "''Transformers: Home World''".

===Foreign names===
*''Mandarin:'' '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Dìqiú Huǒzhǒng''''' (变形金刚：地球火种, "Transformers: EarthSpark")
*''Portuguese:'' '''''Transformers: A Centelha da Terra''''' ("Transformers: EarthSpark")
*''Spanish:'' '''''Transformers: La Chispa de la Tierra''''' ('Transformers: Earth Spark")

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/transformers-earthspark/ ''Transformers: EarthSpark'' on Paramount+]
* [https://www.nick.com/shows/transformers-earthspark/ EarthSpark on Nick.com]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Earthspark}}
[[Category:EarthSpark| ]]
[[Category:Television series]]

Transformers (2023) issue 13

2024-10-10T22:21:41Z

DevinM626:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #13
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 12
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 14
|image=Transformers 2023 13 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[October 9]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=October 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jason Howard]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''As he lays dying from Soundwave's attack, Starscream's mind flashes back to an earlier time in his life, just before he joined the Decepticons...'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:TF2023 no.13 - OmegaFliesOver.jpg|200px|thumb|left]]
[[Transformers (2023) issue 7|At a meeting of the Decepticons]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] rips out [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s guts and sends him tumbling over a nearby cliff. Beaten, weary, and delirious, Starscream lands on the ground below, narrowly avoiding a nearby pool of lava, and memories of his past start bubbling up...

''On the dying world of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], a bot named Ulchtar is doing some work when his friend [[Genvo]] urges him to come see something that happens only once every two hundred years. Though initially insistent on completing his job, Ulchtar relents when his other friend [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] insists that they make his last night on Cybertron one to remember. The trio head to [[Moonbase Two]] to get the best view, and begin discussing the [[Great War (G1)|fighting]] that's been happening on the planet of late: though his brothers have refused to join a side, Ulchtar himself hasn't heard much of anything; Genvo insists that Ulchtar join [[Decepticon|his side]], citing their [[Megatron (G1)|one-of-a-kind leader]] and the fact that him and Ulchtar would make an incredible team; and Jetfire states that his path is already decided — using maps laid out by Ulchtar, he'll be traveling the stars in search of a conflict-free solution to their planet's issues. Genvo starts questioning if there even ''is'' anything to find out there before he notices some [[Turbosects]] and begins squashing them before Ulchtar, who considers them to be beautiful, harmless creatures, intervenes. Just then, the moment they were waiting for arrives: a [[Omega Supreme (G1)|titanic robot]] flies overhead, and Ulchtar suddenly gets an idea. Wanting the large robot to see them, he breaks into an ammunition depot for the Cybertronian Defense Force and uses one of their grenades to hopefully create enough commotion for the robot to take notice. Ulchtar succeeds, and the giant robot reciprocates the group's wave of "hello" before the depot's [[Kup (G1)|cranky old guard]] chases them off. Soon after, Jetfire wishes his friends farewell, and flies off to begin his mission. Ulchtar is sad to see him go, but he thankfully still has Genvo around...''

''Some time later, Ulchtar heads outside to find a battle involving Genvo's faction has erupted, and a stray missile destroys his lab. Before Ulchtar can get any answers, Genvo grabs his friend and runs... but gets shot for his trouble. Genvo praises Ulchtar for "screaming the stars into seeing us", and dies in his friend's arms. While in grief over the loss of his friend, Genvo looks up to see the apparent culprits: a [[Optimus Prime (G1)|red-and-blue robot]] and [[Autobot|his followers]]...''

The shock of this memory awakens Starscream from his trance long enough for him to pull himself away from the lava, his legs having been melted in his stupor, before he falls unconscious. Seizing the opportunity, [[M.A.R.S.|a group of humans]] that had been observing Starscream begin hoisting his body onto their [[H.I.S.S. tank|tank]]. The group's commanding officer remarks to [[Private Martin]] that his father was a genuine American hero, with [[Private Razz]] chiming in that that was ''before'' being recruited by M.A.R.S. Unfortunately, the third private loses hold of Starscream's body, setting the commanding officer off: despite how celebrated and worshipped his father was in both life and death, he's been given command of this lowly, good-for-nothing salvage unit for his troubles... but with the power of Starscream now at his disposal, that's about to change.

''With his work destroyed and his only planet-side friend dead, Ulchtar ponders his future. Just then, a silver robot bearing the insignia of Genvo's faction approaches him, offering revenge for his friend and clan as a Decepticon warrior. The robot transforms into a tank-like pistol small enough for Ulchtar to hold, and asks what his brothers called him. Inspired by his friend's dying words, he gives his answer: his name is'' '''''Starscream.'''''

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (11)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (12)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (13)

|c2=
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (1)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (2)
* Various Decepticons (3)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream/Ulchtar]] (4)
* [[Genvo]] (5)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (9)
* [[Overcharge (G1)|Overcharge]](?) (10)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (18)

|h3=Others|c3=

* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (6)
* [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] (7)
* [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] (8)
* [[M.A.R.S.|M.A.R.S. Industries]] salvage commander (14)
* [[Private Martin]] (15)
* [[Private Razz]] (16)
* Unnamed private (17)
}}

==Quotes==
"Dumbass techno pups!"
:—'''Kup''' harshly insults the rambunctious Ulchtar and his friends as they make their getaway.

"Y-you did it, Ulchtar-- you yelled at the gods." 
"What...?" 
"You screamed the stars into seeing us."
:—'''Genvo''' praises his friend '''Ulchtar''' as he dies in his arms.

"My father was a legend. Celebrated, remembered, worshipped, even in death-- And what do I get?? Command of this piece of crap unit! Relegated to '''SALVAGE???!!!''' With these nincompoops!" 
"Sir, we--" 
"This is an embarrassment. I should be at the top! All that changes now. Look at all this power at my feet."
:—The commanding officer of the M.A.R.S. salvage team rants to his privates about how he's been mistreated... and how he's going to turn his fortunes around.

"What's left for me now? What am I going to do?" 
"You can join us. You can avenge your friend and your clan. You can be a warrior of the new Decepticon order. Tell me, young one. What did your friends call you?" 
"My name— is Starscream."
:—<strike>Ulchtar</strike> '''Starscream''' is conscripted by '''Megatron''' into the Decepticon ranks.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* This issue opens with the very end of Soundwave and Starscream's duel in [[Transformers (2023) issue 7|issue #7]], revealing that Starscream didn't fall to his death as it initially seemed. Most of the issue's actual story, meanwhile, takes the form of a flashback to the burgeoning days of the war on Cybertron, with a few pages towards the end returning to the present day an indeterminate amount of time after the Decepticons left Starscream for dead.
* Being the first substantial flashback to before the Ark crashed on Earth that we've seen, this issue suggests a fair amount of information about the war without stating any of it outright. Specifically, it reinforces the general implication in prior issues that Cybertron had been slowly dying, and that the conflict had broken out over the ideological conflict on how to address it.
* Ulchtar mentions his "brothers" when discussing the growing conflict with Genvo and Jetfire. Whether or not he's referring to his fellow [[Seeker (body-type)|seekers]] isn't immediately clear, but if he ''is'' referring to them, then that makes Starscream and Soundwave tearing [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] apart in [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|issue #4]] even ''more'' disturbing than it already was.
* Jetfire's mission to find a way to save Cybertron was established all the way back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue #1]]. As we know from both that issue and the [[Void Rivals issue 1|first issue]] of ''[[Void Rivals]]'', he'll eventually crash land on an unknown planetoid and enter stasis before being reawakened by [[Darak]] and [[Solila]] millions of years later, then eventually find his old friend among a number of his kind aboard the crashed ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' on Earth.
* Omega Supreme's appearance gives us our first real good look at what the [[Guardian robot|Guardian]]s look like in this continuity. A far-away shot of the war on Cybertron extracted from Megatron's memories in ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 1|issue #1]] previously depicted one of the generic blue-and-white Guardians, but here we get to see just how ''big'' they are in this iteration, easily the largest in the franchise's history. Intriguingly, Ulchtar and his friends exclusively refer to Omega using the gender-neutral pronoun "they", raising a ''million'' different questions about this Omega's gender identity and how they fit into this version of the lore.
* Kup and Bumblebee's present-day selves previously appear in issue #7 and issue #1, respectively. Kup as a member of [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]]'s squad on war-ravaged Cybertron, and Bumblebee as one of the ''Ark'''s dormant crew members. Considering that both also ''die'' in those issues, flashbacks like these are probably the only way we're ever seeing them again.
* Similarly, the [[Transformers (2023) issue 12|recently-wrecked]] Shockwave appears alongside Genvo and a robot clearly modeled after (but with slightly different colors from) Overcharge. Whether this robot is meant to actually be Overcharge or is simply a "Cybertronian mode" version of [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] remains to be seen.
* This issue gives us a look at Optimus Prime leading the Autobot war effort on Cybertron, with him fighting alongside Bumblebee (appearing for the first time since he was killed back in issue #1) and a robot who we're assuming is a "Cybertronian mode" version of Jazz, given his visor, chest headlights, and what appears to be a toy-inspired over-the-shoulder cannon (though the comic's version looks nothing like the toy's cannon).
** Considering the framing of the artwork and how early in the war these flashbacks have to take place, this depiction of Optimus seems to be meant to line up with Elita's description of him last issue as having been "ruthless" at an earlier point in his life.
* While the perception of the Autobots as "evil" has been shown as a general viewpoint amongst the Decepticons, the first arc showed Starscream to have been especially aggressive on this point, to the point of prioritizing fighting them over survival. Genvo's death provides us with the reason why this is.
* The ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' side of the Energon Universe finally rears its head eleven issues after [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]]'s unfortunate encounter with Starscream in [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|issue #2]], with a crew of heretofore-unheard-of M.A.R.S. Industries salvage workers recovering Starscream's body. Seems [[Destro]] was finally able to track down that "robot that turned into a jet" that led to [[Duke (comic)|Duke giving him so much trouble]]...
* Megatron finally makes his first proper, alive-and-fully-active appearance in the main ''Transformers'' book. He initially appeared as a shadowy figure in a flashback in issue #2, he was seen frozen in ice in issue #4, he was revealed to be in [[Cobra-La]] captivity in ''Cobra Commander'' issue #1, and we finally learned of what befell him in the [[Transformers Energon Universe Special story|''Transformers'' segment]] of the 2024 ''[[Energon Universe Special 2024|Energon Universe Special]].

===''Transformers'' references===
* The idea of Starscream as a scientist-type who was close friends with Jetfire before the war broke out is taken wholesale from the Generation 1 [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] episode "[[Fire in the Sky]]".
* In one of the deepest cuts this series has done so far, Starscream's original, pre-Decepticon name is revealed to be "Ulchtar", taken directly from [[Jim Shooter]] and [[Denny O'Neil]]'s original ''Transformers'' treatment.
* Moonbase Two debuted in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
* The group Ulchtar and his friends raid is referred to as the "Cybertronian Defense Force", who are ''possibly'' named after the similarly-named [[Cybertron Defense Team (Cybertron)|Cybertron Defense Force]] from ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Transformers: Cybertron]]''.
* Kup refers to Ulchtar and his friends as "dumbass techno pups", a deliberately-crude twist on his classic "turbo-revving young punk" remark from the 1986 movie.
* Megatron's [[Alternate mode|alt-mode]] rather tongue-in-cheekily hybridizes its classic and modern depictions, being a pistol with a tank-shaped body (complete with ''totally unnecessary'' treads!).

===''G.I. Joe'' references===
* The tank the M.A.R.S. salvage crew are using is, of course, a H.I.S.S. tank, Cobra's signature vehicle. It doesn't appear to be based on any particular version of the vehicle, and has been modified from the traditional look by replacing the turret section with a radar dish and the crane the crew are using to try and haul away Starscream.
* While the captain of the M.A.R.S. crew goes conspicuously unnamed, he alludes to the fact that his father was “a genuine American hero” before being recruited by M.A.R.S, a clear evocation of the ''G.I. Joe'' franchise’s usual “A Real American Hero” tagline. Though the captain is not immediately recognizable as an existing ''Joe'' character, he (or at least his father) may have some sort of connection to [[G.I. Joe (team)|America’s daring, highly-trained special mission force]].

===Errors===
* On Page 9, Ulchtar's eyes are briefly shown as red well before he's joined the Decepticons.
* Ulchtar renaming himself "Starscream" at the end of this issue raises a minor quibble regarding issue #1: how did Jetfire know to call him that when he reactivated him? He still went by "Ulchtar" when Jetfire left Cybertron, and there's no indication the two ''ever'' made contact with each other after that!

===Other trivia===
* The topic of "mass conversion" comes up again at the end of this issue's letters page, just as it did in [[Transformers (2023) issue 9|issue #9]]... and said description is copied nearly ''word-for-word'' from what was printed in that issue, meaning that [[Skybound Entertainment|Skybound]] once again uses this wiki's ''own'' description of how the process was explained by [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave's]] [[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|''More than Meets the Eye]]. Once was already weird, but ''twice'', with basically the exact same wording, just ''four months'' after the first instance of it happening? Good grief.
* The M.A.R.S. officers would probably not be able to survive standing that close to lava inside what appears to be an active volcano, especially with no protective gear.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' The wrecked, barely-standing body of Starscream, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Genvo, Ulchtar, and Jetfire watch as Omega Supreme flies overhead, by [[Jorge Corona]] and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C:''' Connecting cover by [[Viktor Bogdanovic]].
* '''Cover D:''' A very '80s inspired Soundwave, by [[Jorge Fornés]].
* '''Cover E:''' Megatron with some [[energon cube]]s. Credited to [[Francesco Mattina]], but ''very likely'' created using generative AI tools, given his then-recent controversy with [[DC Comics]].<ref>[https://www.cbr.com/dc-pulls-francesco-mattina-variant-covers-allegations-ai-art/ DC Pulls Francesco Mattina Variant Covers Following A.I. Art Allegations]</ref>
* '''Cover F:''' Optimus Prime, by [[Homare]].
* '''Cover G:''' Blank sketch cover.
* '''Cover H:''' Genvo charges into battle, by [[Ludo Lullabi]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover F.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover G.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover H.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* 5-page preview of ''[[G.I. Joe (2024 comic)|G.I. Joe]]'' [[G.I. Joe (2024) issue 1|issue #1]].

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 3: Combiner Chaos''''' ([[May 28]], [[2025]]) ISBN 153432559X / ISBN 978-1534325593 
** Collects issues #13–18 and the [[Transformers Energon Universe Special story|''Transformers'' story]] from ''[[Energon Universe Special 2024]]''.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V3.jpg|'''''Volume 3: Combiner Chaos''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 12

2024-09-24T05:22:47Z

DevinM626:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #12
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 11
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 13
|image=Transformers 2023 12 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[September 11]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=September 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jorge Corona]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Optimus Prime faces a choice. And he makes one.'''

==Synopsis==
On the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] watches as the [[Decepticon]]s surround the [[Autobot]]s. Realizing she needs to help them, she gets in her van and drives through the [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] generated portal, ramming a [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]-wielding [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and saving [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]]. Carly apologizes for not being there when Cliff needed her, but their heartwarming reunion is cut short by [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] smashing her van. Cliffjumper manages to rescue Carly but is flung by Devastator through the portal to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], crashing into the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] uses this opportunity to rally the rest of the Autobots against Devastator, blasting him until he falls and crushes Shockwave's energon harvester. This disconnects the [[space bridge]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] reports to Optimus that Cybertron is returning to its original place. While the portal is still active, Shockwave retreats to summon reinforcements, but Optimus chases after him to stop the Decepticon leader and rescue Cliffjumper.

Bursting through the portal, he swiftly and savagely attacks the Combaticons, forcing them to retreat, much to the irritation of Shockwave. Shockwave threatens Cliffjumper as Optimus approaches, but Prime simply blasts his arm off with his [[Ion blaster|ion blaster]]. Dropping his weapon as he continues toward the Decepticon, he decries Shockwave's irreverence for life, savagely beating him into the ground and grabbing his cyclopean head. As he does, he once again sees a vision of himself holding the small human baby... before the vision changes to a nightmarish version, his hands as claws and the baby surrounded by wire. The vision overtakes Prime and he crushes Shockwave's head with his bare hands. As he regains his senses, he is horrified at what he's done, but [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] is happy to see that he's regained his ruthlessness.
[[File:TF2023 no.12 - Elita Pleads with Optimus.jpg|200px|thumb|left]]
With Cybertron returning to its proper place in the galaxy, Optimus picks up Cliffjumper and prepares to head back to Earth, but they are halted by Elita blowing up the portal. She tells Optimus that the Autobots need him here on Cybertron, and that with the [[Energon]] Shockwave collected with the harvester, they can use it to strike back against the Decepticons and revive their planet. Optimus refuses to use Energon taken from the life and resources on Earth and activates the charges to destroy the harvester, but nothing happens. Elita reveals she never set the charges; Earth has so much to give to Cybertron. This could save their world! But Optimus can't allow that. He won't save his world with the blood of another. He aims his fusion cannon at the Energon. Elita pleads with him, saying that they need him. He apologizes to her and fires.

The Energon explodes, creating a blast that severs the connection between the Energon harvesters, closing the portal and blasting off a huge chunk of Cybertron, which begins falling into the Earth's atmosphere… along with Optimus Prime. As he begins to burn upon reentry, he wonders if he's about to die and marvels at Earth's beauty. His sentiment is shared by [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], rocketing up to Prime on his rocket surfboard. He grabs the Autobot leader's hand and the pair shred down to the surface. Optimus looks in horror at what he's done as the piece of Cybertron falls into the ocean.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (3)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (4)
* [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] (5)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (9)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (12)
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (16)

|c2=
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (1)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (7)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (8)
* [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (10)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (11)
* [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (13)
* [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (14)
* [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (15)

|c3=
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (6)
}}

==Quotes==
"Is this all you do, Shockwave??? Ratchet! Magnus? '''LIFE??? ALL YOU DO IS TAKE AWAY WHAT IS GOOD!'''"
:—'''Optimus''' confronts Shockwave

"Welcome back to the war, Optimus Prime. I finally see your old self returning."
:—'''Elita''', after watching Optimus gouge out Shockwave's eye.

"Earth needs me. Earth needs us." 
"Please! Your people need you!!! I need you!!!" 
"I'm sorry, Elita." 
"DON'T ABANDON US AGAIN!!!"
:—'''Optimus''' and '''Elita'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Carly and Cliffjumper's relationship had been on the rocks since Cliffjumper chose not to execute [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] in [[Transformers (2023) issue 6|issue #6]].
* Cybertron's energon shortage was first made known back in ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 4|#4]], and expanded upon in [[Transformers (2023) issue 7|issue #7]].
* Optimus' prioritizing the needs of Earth above the Autobots' own has been a recurring theme in this series, first appearing in [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|issue #2]].
* Shockwave had been portrayed as startlingly, uncharacteristically emotional in issues [[Transformers (2023) issue 9|#9]] and [[Transformers (2023) issue 11|#11]]. Perhaps getting his head pulverized into tinfoil will be used to explain a switch to his more "expected" behavior.

===''Transformers'' references===
* Elita One's motorcycle alt-mode is based on that of her ''[[Transformers One (film)|Transformers One]]'' counterpart.
===Roll Call===
* Shockwave bites it, having his crushed in by an enraged Optimus.
* '''Autobots:''' 9. '''Decepticons:''' 13.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' by Jorge Corona and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover, by [[Karen S. Darboe]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' by [[Chris Stevens]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Optimus & Elita, by [[Cory Walker]].
* '''The Comic Mint Cover:''' by [[Skan Srisuwan]].
* '''TopShelfComic Cover A:''' by [[Livio Ramondelli]].
* '''TopShelfComic Cover B:''' by Livio Ramondelli.
* '''Big Time Collectibles Cover A:''' by [[John Giang]].
* '''Big Time Collectibles Cover B:''' by [[Mel Milton]].
* '''High Horse Comics / Heavy Mental / Joey from Pico Cover:''' by [[Juan Gedeon]] and [[Carlos Cabrera]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 12 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 12 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 12 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 12 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 12 Cover E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 12 The Comic Mint Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 12 TopShelfComic Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 12 TopShelfComic Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 12 Big Time Collectibles Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 12 Big Time Collectibles Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 12 Juan Gedeon Cover.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''Ultramega''
* '''''[[G.I. Joe (2024 comic)|G.I. Joe]]'''''
* '''''G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra'''''
* Experience the Energon Universe in the trade paperbacks for ''Transformers'', ''[[Void Rivals]]'', ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'', and ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]''

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' ([[November 13]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534345272 / ISBN 978-1534345270 
** Collects issues #7–12 and the [[Transformers Energon Universe Special story|''Transformers'' story]] from ''[[Energon Universe Special 2024]]''.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V2.jpg|'''''Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==

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

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 6

2024-09-24T05:20:49Z

DevinM626:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #6
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 5
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 7
|image=Transformers 2023 6 Cover A.jpg
|caption=''[[Iridescent|When you were standing in the wake of devastation'' ''When you were waiting on the edge of the unknown...]]''
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[March 13]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=March 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=Daniel Warren Johnson
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The Autobots face total devastation! And the loss of one of their bravest soldiers...'''

==Synopsis==
The [[Autobot]]s and [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparky Witwicky]] attempt to take cover inside the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] as [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] attacks. Having fallen behind, [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] attempts to assist, but [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] advises him instead to look for an alternate way into the Ark so that they can find more firepower. [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] cackles in delight at the destruction wrought by the [[Decepticon]] [[combiner]], only to be summarily kicked in the face by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. Devastator grabs Prime and tosses him around, severely injuring the Autobot leader. [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] drags him into the Ark while [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] lays down suppressive fire. Devastator then grabs [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and attempts to drag him out, forcing the Autobots to close the Ark’s bay doors and cutting off Ratchet’s leg in the process. Devastator tries to punch through the door, but [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] orders him to stop as to not damage their sanctuary, instead suggesting getting into the Ark by digging through the mountain; Devastator complies. Cliffjumper and Carly scale the side of the mountain and reach the access port on the back of the ship, however they are soon confronted by Starscream.

[[File:SparkyIsOneWithTheMatrix.jpg|thumb|left|''Remember all the sadness and frustration?'' ''And let it go, let it go''.]]
The other Autobots get Optimus onto a table, but Ratchet tells them that his wounds are too severe for him to fix. As he starts to succumb to his injuries, Optimus apologizes to his friends for leading them on false hope. He takes the [[Matrix of Leadership]] from his chest and attempts to give it to one of them, but is so weakened he drops it on the floor. Sparky approaches it, contemplating that every-time something bad has happened to the people he cares about, he’s always wondered if he could have somehow taken their place. He places his hand inside the Matrix and asks Optimus to tell [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] how proud he is of him before entering the Matrix completely, renewing its energy and repairing Prime in the process. Revitalized, Prime says Sparky will not be forgotten and promises to protect Spike and the whole world. At that moment, Devastator breaks through the ceiling of the ship, but a resolute Prime simply grabs him by the finger and rips it off! He then grabs his [[ion blaster]] and uses it in tandem with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]’s fusion cannon to unleash hell on the giant gestalt.

[[File:TF2023 no. 6 – Soundwave Rejects Prime's Olive Branch.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3|''You felt the gravity of tempered grace, falling into empty space'' ''No one there to catch you in their arms'']]
Meanwhile, Starscream has Cliffjumper pinned down and gloats about how he massacred the Autobot's clan. As the two grapple, Carly aims one of the Transformers' guns at Starscream and fires. Cliffjumper then takes the gun and aims it directly at Starscream's head. He tells the Seeker that he's always wondered what this moment would feel like, ready to pull the trigger... but he can't do it. Carly angrily reminds Cliff of everything Starscream has done, but Cliff is simply too tired of all the fighting and death. However, his hesitation gives Starscream the chance to recover and he grabs Carly and begins to squeeze. Outside, Optimus leads Devastator to the edge of a cliff, goading him to follow him. As Devastator attempts to rush Optimus, Prime maneuvers under the giant and pushes him over the edge, where he falls right on top of Starscream and frees Carly from the Decepticon's grip. With their leader damaged, the Decepticons decide to retreat, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] hauling Starscream away. Optimus attempts to make peace with Soundwave so that the two sides can work together to save [[Cybertron (planet)|their home]], but Soundwave rejects the parlay and flies off with Thundercracker.

Back at the [[Farmingham]] Hospital, Spike wakes up. The Doctor tells him not to speak, so on a nearby piece of paper Spike writes just one thing: "Where's my dad?"

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (3)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (4)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (6)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (7)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (8)

|c2=
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (5)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (10)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (11)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (12)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (13)
* [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (14)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (15)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (16)
* [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (17)
* [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (18)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (19)

|c3=
* ''[[Jimmy Witwicky]]'' (1)
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparky Witwicky]] (2)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (9)
* Nurse (20)
* Doctor (21)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (22)
}}

==Quotes==
"My men. Jimmy. Spike. Whenever something bad happened to them... I'd always think... ''"If only I could have taken their place. If only it was me instead of them."'' Maybe now is my chance. I know you're going to care for this world like I care for my boys." 
"Sparky..." 
"Watch over them for me? And when Spike wakes... Tell my son I'm proud of him." 
"You will not be forgotten, Sparky. And I promise, I will protect your son. I will protect the whole Earth."
:—'''Sparky''' gives his life to energize the Matrix as '''Optimus Prime''' swears to protect humanity.

"Make no mistake, Soundwave... I desire '''peace'''. But I am no fool."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' gives Soundwave a warning.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Ratchet is missing most of his left leg when we first see him, reflecting the injury inflicted upon him by Scavenger at the end of [[Transformers (2023) issue 5|last issue]]. He loses the other leg to Devastator later in the issue... which cruelly, ironically recalls his buddy [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], who was working as only his top half back at the dam.
* Thundercracker continues to believe that the Autobots are to blame for what Starscream and Soundwave did to [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] at the end of [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|issue #4]].
* The opening Carly and Cliffjumper (and later Starscream) climb into is the exact same hexagonal opening to Teletraan One's room that's been shown in nearly every issue up to this point, beginning ''all'' the way back with [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] flying in through it in [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue #1]].
* Cybertronians were shown to not have the concept of “father” in [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|issue #2]]. To be fair to Starscream, even ''we'' weren't aware the guy named "[[Davey]]" he crushed was Carly's dad until the end of that same issue!
* Starscream was established to have wiped out Cliffjumper’s clan in [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|issue #4]].
* As he's dying, Optimus recalls [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]'s dying words from [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue #1]].
* Though it is shaped near-identically, the Cybertronian pistol Carly fires at Starscream isn't actually the one Cliffjumper was using – we can see Carly running towards it at the very start of the fight.
* Optimus finds a new way to use the fusion cannon in his vehicle mode other than the oversized smokestack seen in the previous issue: it mounts backwards on his truck roof to serve as a powerful rocket booster he uses to race ahead of Devastator as he lures him to the cliff's edge.

===Transformers references===
* Optimus' near death is an homage to his death in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', with panels even recreating specific shots from the scene.
* As Optimus unleashes his firepower on Devastator and leaps to kick the combiner in the face, the sound effects of those two panels spell out "AW YEAH" and “YOU KNOW THE SONG,” cueing the reader to hear "[[The Touch]]" by [[Stan Bush]], the song from ''The Transformers: The Movie'' used whenever Optimus does something insanely awesome. According to Daniel Warren Johnson, initially he planned on using the actual lyrics to the song, but Hasbro vetoed it because they would have had to get permission from Stan Bush first.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gf3prR5PK0]</ref>
* This isn’t [[Optimus Prime (comic)|the first time]] Optimus has asked Soundwave to put their conflict behind him.

===Real-world references===
* Starscream raises "{{w|Sign of the horns|the horns}}" with both hands as he watches Devastator stomp across the battlefield.
* Jazz's musical references continue, as he says that Optimus "might be coming up on that final encore..."
* Continuing the pro-wrestling moves from previous issues, Optimus performs a {{w|Dropkick#Missile dropkick|missile dropkick}} on Devastator's face. The missile dropkick is a favorite move of Kazuchika Okada, who DWJ previously stated to be one of his favorite pro wrestlers.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This is a wrestling move, this is one of my favorite wrestlers, Kazuchika Okada from New Japan Pro Wrestling.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2508s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsAown0-sio Kazuchika Okada dropkick compilation]</ref>
* Optimus' license plate, as seen when he drives away from Devastator, reads "MF." As amusing as it might be to consider the possibility of a hard swear sneaking its way into a ''Transformers'' comic, this is almost certainly short for "[https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/murder-falcon Murder Falcon]", continuing the gag of DWJ using license plates to reference his previous work with Skybound.
* This issue ends with a dedication thanking [[Peter Cullen]] for the inspiration for the story from Daniel Warren Johnson.

===Errors===
* In the fourth panel on page one, Jazz is miscolored as Cliffjumper.
* In the fifth panel on page one, Jazz and Sparky have seemingly teleported to the opposite side of Optimus.
* On page eleven, when Optimus tears off Devastator’s finger, the leaking Energon is blue, when it should be yellow.
* In the second panel on page sixteen, Devastator has all of his fingers. Optimus had torn one off by that point.
** Two panels later, the error is seemingly fixed, and Devastator is drawn missing a finger…but it’s the wrong one. Optimus tore off the right ring finger, not the middle.
* * On page twenty, panel five, Scrapper’s helmet is colored green, when it should be black.

===Other trivia===
* In the physical release, the moment where Optimus tosses Devastator onto Starscream is a vertical double-page spread, requiring the reader to turn the comic in a way that mimics the motion of Optimus’ action, as well as acting as a callback to a similar moment from issue #1 when Optimus and Ratchet transformed for the first time.

==Roll Call==
* Optimus ''nearly'' [[The Many Deaths Of Optimus Prime|bites it]], but ends up being saved through the sacrifice of Sparky. The long-term ramifications of this will become apparent soon.
* '''Autobots:''' 6. '''Decepticons:''' 11.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Sparky stands over a defeated Optimus Prime, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Optimus lies before Devastator, by [[André Lima Araújo]] and [[Chris O’Halloran]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover by [[Orlando Arocena]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Devastator winds up a massive punch, by [[Eric Canete]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' The Autobots standing their ground inside the ''Ark'' as seen from Devastator's perspective, by [[Joe Quinones]] and [[Stacey Lee]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 6 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 6 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 6 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 6 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 6 Cover E.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''Extremity'' Signature Edition by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]] [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/skyboundent/extremity-signature-edition on Kickstarter]
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 3|#3]], ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' [[Duke issue 4|#4]], and [[Void Rivals]] [[Void Rivals issue 8|#8]].
* Daniel Warren Johnson original art and commissions at [https://www.felixcomicart.com Felix Comic Art]

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398171 / ISBN 978-1534398177 
** Collects issues #1–6.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) 
** Variant cover version of the above trade paperback, exclusively sold through the comic book direct market.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' – cover art by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]]
File:Transformers 2023 V1 DM Variant.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' – cover art by [[Jonboy Meyers]]
</gallery>

==External links==
*

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

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 5

2024-09-24T05:20:17Z

DevinM626:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #5
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 4
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 6
|image=Transformers 2023 5 Cover A.jpg
|caption=''Now this... is PEAK.''
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[February 14]], [[2024]] (physical) [[February 21]], [[2024]] (digital)
|coverdate=February 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=Daniel Warren Johnson
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]] & [[Jonathan Manning]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The ranks of Autobots and Decepticons grow as each side prepares to mount an offensive against their enemies.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparky]] each reflect and share their experiences in their respective wars. Sparky asks Optimus, who has seen so much more than he ever will, why it has to be like this, but Prime solemnly laments that even he isn't sure. Staring at his reflection, with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s arm replacing his missing one, Prime wonders aloud if he's becoming the very thing he fights against.

[[File:TF2023 no. 5 – Starscream chews out Reflector.jpg|left|thumb]]
In the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', the [[Decepticon]]s use [[Teletraan I]], now rebuilt using parts from [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]'s body, to rebuild their fellow soldiers. Upon revival, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] is horrified to see what's become of Skywarp, but [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] reassures him that Skywarp sacrificed himself for the greater good of the Decepticons. [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] alerts [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] that the [[Autobot]]s have discovered their source of energy, so Starscream decides to lead Soundwave, Thundercracker, and the newly-revived [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] and [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] to attack.

At the local dam, Sparky helps [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and a newly revived [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (currently using only half his body due to their limited resources) to turn the water from the dam to power an [[energon]]-generating turbine. Wheeljack offers to repair Optimus, but Optimus insists on using their energy supply to help restore their fellow warriors, reviving [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] next. Arcee is happy to be back, but the Decepticons' attack interrupts the joyous occasion. [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] tries to attack Optimus, but is swiftly obliterated by his [[fusion cannon]]. Starscream rails at Prime for taking something "precious" to the Decepticons, but Optimus balks at this, taunting that Starscream fears the cannon as he feared its previous wielder. An enraged Starscream turns his [[null-ray]]s on the water turbine and destroys it, but is ultimately forced to retreat when Prime blasts him with the fusion cannon.

With their number bolstered and the Decepticons retreating, Prime decides now to retake the ''Ark''. Sparky decides to join them and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] asks to go as well, but both Optimus and Sparky refuse, not wanting her to get hurt like [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]. Optimus orders the Autobots to roll out, but Cliffjumper decides to sneak Carly into his driver's seat, feeling she deserves to be there when they finally stop the Decepticons for good. Night falls as the Autobots arrive at the ''Ark'', but as they approach the ship, they are beset by a convoy of green construction vehicles. A repaired Starscream appears and gloats that he knew the Autobots would follow them back to the ship. He then orders the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to do what they do best: merge and form [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]!

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* ''[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]'' (2)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (3)
* ''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'' (4)
* ''[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'' (5) (see “errors” below)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (13)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (14)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (15)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (17)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (19)
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (21)

|c2=
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (6)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (7)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (8)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (9)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (10)
* [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (11)
* [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (12)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (18)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (20)
* [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (23)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (24)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (25)
* [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (26)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (27)
* [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (28)
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (29)

|c3=
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky|"Sparky" Witwicky]] (1)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (16)
* ''[[Jimmy Witwicky]]'' (22)
}}

==Quotes==
"It is good to be back in focus, Starscream! Where is Meg--" 
"Stay focused on the ''enemy'', Reflector! These filthy Autobots want to take what makes our pistons move freely!"
:—'''Reflector''' accidentally gets on '''Starscream''''s nerves.

"How many of [[Seeker (body-type)| those planes]] '''are''' there?" 
"Too many--"
:—'''Carly''' and '''Cliffjumper''' are tired of all the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] [[redeco]]s.

"I don't know who you are, but if ''Optimus'' cares about you-- then ''I'' care, too."
:—'''Arcee''', rescuing Carly

"Prepare yourselves for '''ISO''', Autobots!!! '''I'''nstant '''S'''uffering and '''O'''blitera- Oh- ''Oh dear.''"
:—'''Reflector''' realizes how fragged he is.

"'''YOU!''' Taking something so precious and using it for your own evil purpose!" 
"'Precious'? Are you sure this doesn't make you quake in your jets, Starscream? Last I remember, you were cowering in front of this very weapon. A constant reminder of what you'll ''never'' be."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Optimus''', on Megatron's fusion cannon

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* We once again get flashbacks to Sparky's experiences in the war and the death of Jimmy Witwicky, both of which we saw in the opening pages of [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue #1]]. This issue also gives us our first proper look at Jimmy in a flashback panel to right before his launch.
* Optimus lost his arm back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 3|issue #3]] during his fight with Skywarp, with Ratchet replacing it with Megatron's in the last issue after taking it from the ''Ark'' back in issue #1. This also affects his vehicle mode, with one corner of the truck cab being grey and the fusion cannon replacing the smokestack.
* Ravage was shot by Optimus back in issue #1. At the time, it was not confirmed if he survived, but here it's revealed that he was only injured.
* We get more hints about what happened to Megatron before the crash of the ''Ark'', with Optimus saying he last saw Starscream cowering before Megatron’s fusion cannon.
* Optimus still seems to be reluctant to use Megatron's fusion cannon - he can be seen wielding his traditional [[ion blaster]] in the early parts of the dam fight. He drops it to obliterate Reflector with the cannon.

===Transformers references===
* Arcee and Ratchet are shown to have a close relationship, not unlike their [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|''Animated'']] counterparts.
* Long Haul has the same vehicle form as his [[Long Haul (ROTF)|movie iteration.]]

===Real-world references===
* Jazz continues his use of musical references in his speech.
* Almost all of Reflector's speech is comprised of photography puns, including a fun new meaning for the abbreviation 'ISO'. (Which actually stands for International Organization for Standardization and relates to the sensitivity of a camera's sensor.)
* Reflector and Long Haul are each branded with logos saying Zony and Kat respectively. An obvious play on words for the real-life companies The Sony Corporation and Caterpillar Inc.
* Instead of a nondescript futuristic car, Arcee's alternate mode resembles a 2023 {{w|Lamborghini Revuelto}}.

===Errors===
* In a flashback to the war on Cybertron, Optimus is seen cradling a bot with details that mark him as being [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]. However, he is miscolored white and red.
* In the same flashback, Bumblebee is shown alongside Optimus, but while he retains his yellow color scheme, his character model is Cliffjumper's.
* As the Decepticons attack the dam, an offline Trailbreaker lies ready to be reactivated, but he's colored like [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]].

===Other trivia===
* The digital release of this issue was delayed by a week, meaning that physical customers got it a week early.

===Roll Call===
* After being seen previously amongst the deactivated bodies aboard the Ark, Thundercracker, Reflector, and Frenzy are all revived. Not for very long, though, as Reflector and Frenzy are both killed by Optimus in the subsequent raid on the dam.
* After being seen being repaired back in Issue #2, Wheeljack is fully revived sans his legs. Optimus then revives Arcee as well.
* Right as the Autobots come out to take back the Ark, Starscream whips out the Constructicons.
* '''Autobots:''' 6. '''Decepticons:''' 11.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus sees his reflection in Megatron’s fusion cannon, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Teletraan-1 reactivates the Decepticons, by [[James Stokoe]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover by [[Orlando Arocena]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Cliffjumper and Carly stand in Starscream’s shadow, by [[Natacha Bustos]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Optimus wields the might of Megatron’s arm and cannon, by [[Karl Kerschl]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 5 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 5 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 5 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 5 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 5 Cover E.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* The [[Cobra]] threat begins in ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 1|#1]]!
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''Cobra Commander'' [[Cobra Commander issue 2|#2]], ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' [[Duke issue 3|#3]], and ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 7|#7]].
* [[Renegade Game Studios]]' ''[[Transformers Deck-Building Game]]'', ''[[Transformers Roleplaying Game]]'', ''G.I. Joe Deck-Building Game'', and ''G.I. Joe Roleplaying Game''
* ''Invincible: Escape From Mars''
* Skybound Insiders

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398171 / ISBN 978-1534398177 
** Collects issues #1–6.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) 
** Variant cover version of the above trade paperback, exclusively sold through the comic book direct market.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' – cover art by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]]
File:Transformers 2023 V1 DM Variant.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' – cover art by [[Jonboy Meyers]]
</gallery>

==External links==
*

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

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 4

2024-09-24T05:19:29Z

DevinM626:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #4
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 3
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 5
|image=Transformers04A Cover.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[January 10]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=January 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=Daniel Warren Johnson
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]] & [[Jonathan Manning]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The Autobots put everything on the line to fend off a Decepticon onslaught and save Spike.'''

==Synopsis==
With the smoke from the battle in [[Farmingham]] still fresh, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] arrives to confront the severely-damaged [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] about the whereabouts of the [[Autobot]]s. Skywarp directs Starscream east, after which the [[Decepticon]] leader departs, promising to return for Skywarp.

[[File:TF2023 no. 4 – Prime Runs Over Starscream.jpg|left|thumb]]
At the quarry, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] is working on [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] when he receives a call for aid from [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], who is driving [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparky]] and the mortally-wounded [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] through the woods with Starscream hot on his tail. A blast from Starscream damages Optimus and cuts off the transmission, and Ratchet bemoans that his buddy's gonna have to wait... the Autobots need firepower. Back with the chase, Starscream lands in front of Optimus, only for [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] to emerge from hiding and knock the Decepticon off his feet, allowing Optimus to run over Starscream and escape with Cliff. Enraged, Starscream calls [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] for backup.

Our heroes soon arrive at the Farmingham Hospital, only for [[Laserbeak (G1)| Laserbeak]] to swoop in and barrage the group. Optimus and Cliff cover Sparky, Carly, and the medical staff as they rush Spike inside, but the Autobots are quickly caught off-guard by [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and Soundwave. The latter prepares to execute Optimus, only for the arriving Starscream to tell him to wait — he's just realized, to his amusement, that this place is where the "squishy ones" go to get fixed, and has decided to make Optimus' death even more painful by blasting his precious humans' only hope of survival to smithereens. Inside, the doctors barely get Spike intubated before Starscream's assault begins, knocking the power offline. As Starscream relishes in the destruction he's causing, Soundwave alerts him to the impending approach of Ratchet and the "firepower" he's managed to bring back online — [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]! The Decepticons focus their firepower on the new arrival as he drifts into action, but Jazz proves too slippery for them, and he quickly takes them down. Now outnumbered, Starscream orders Soundwave and the cassettes to retreat. Carly returns as the battle concludes, and Optimus asks her about Spike…

[[File:TF2023 4 – Prime Uses the Matrix.jpg|right|thumb]]
The Autobots look on through a hole in the hospital as the doctors inform Sparky that although Spike has been stabilized, the hospital's backup generator was evidently a casualty of the battle, and without power, Spike — along with the hospital's other life support patients — are all but guaranteed to die. Just as Sparky begins to mourn the loss of another son, however, a bright blue glow begins emanating from Optimus' opened chest compartment. Ratchet attempts to dissuade Optimus, but he won't have any of it — he's determined to prevent more deaths at any cost, removing the [[Matrix of Leadership]] from his chest and opening it up, the energy within re-powering the hospital. Relieved and in awe, the doctors hurry to get Spike to the I.C.U..

Meanwhile, the Decepticons, including Skywarp, return to the ''Ark''. Soundwave berates Starscream for another failure, criticizing his shortsightedness and lust for destruction, and Starscream swiftly snaps back, upset that Soundwave hasn't been able to repair [[Teletraan I|Teletraan One]] so they can finally bring their brothers back online and facilitate repairs. Soundwave reiterates that they don't have the materials they need to do so, as they only exist in Cybertronian technology. As he says this, the two turn to Skywarp... and then, despite his protests, begin tearing him apart.

Back at the hospital, Sparky talks to the comatose Spike about his desire to restart the family's lives and protect Spike from a world that he's lost the ability to see the good in. His attention soon turns outside to Optimus, who's obliging a young patient's interest in his ability to transform. Sparky then talks with Optimus about the Matrix: it was a gift Optimus had received many years ago, and he had used every last bit of its energy to re-power the hospital, leaving Spike's fate in the hands of the Great Spark. Sparky is confused at the idea of Optimus having a "god", since Optimus seems to fit the bill himself, a notion that amuses Optimus — Sparky is underestimating his own might.

[[File:TF2023 no. 4 – Ratchet and Prime go over their options.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5]]
In the generator room, Optimus reunites with Jazz and Ratchet, who's finished fixing the hospital's generators. Ratchet berates his leader for his dangerous use of the Matrix, suggesting that he should've instead used it to fix himself — an idea Optimus finds abhorrent, given that the alternative would be letting the innocent humans die. Ratchet fires back that the humans aren't innocent; they're prone to anger and destruction... which, as Optimus muses, makes them just like Cybertronians. Just then, Jazz collapses — Ratchet had used up all the [[energon]] from the rest of their Autobot comrades' bodies to bring Jazz back online, but it was only ''just'' enough. Ratchet tells Optimus that they need to start thinking about themselves, as without a way to get more energon, the Autobots may as well be on death's door. However, Ratchet has something stashed in Optimus' trailer that might help the Autobots regain the initiative... which Optimus finds too disgusting to consider using. As Ratchet claims that they don't have much of a choice, Sparky interrupts them: he might have an idea regarding their energy problem...

Meanwhile, in a wrecked hospital room, Cliffjumper attempts to comfort the grief-stricken Carly, as he can relate to how she's feeling: long before the Autobots and Decepticons arrived on Earth, Starscream killed his entire clan (i.e. "family"), and he joined the war the very next day. Optimus then approaches, now equipped with a new arm that has a [[fusion cannon|large cannon]] mounted on the side, and asks Cliff if he's interested in going on the offensive. At the ''Ark'', Starscream's work of salvaging the still-living Skywarp for materials continues, as he triumphantly proclaims that he will forever be Decepticon leader... while in an Arctic region, an offline [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], badly damaged and conspicuously missing his right arm, remains partially embedded in ice.

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (2)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (2)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (3)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (4)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (9)

|c2=
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (2)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (2)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (6)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (7)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (7)
* [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (22)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (23)

|c3=
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky|"Sparky" Witwicky]] (3)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (3)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (4)
* Hospital staff (6)
* Bed-ridden patient (7)
* Kid patient (16)
}}

==Quotes==
"'''Optimus: inferior.'''"
:-'''Soundwave''' insults the Autobot leader as he kicks him in the face.

"This... this is where they... '''fix''' the squishy ones. Is that right? You're so pathetic I can't even '''believe it!''' You bring these ants to a place to get '''repaired?'''"
:-'''Starscream''' has a sudden realization.

"What happens now... Is up to the Great Spark." 
"You mean... gods? Don't '''you''' fall into that category?" 
"Ha! Because of my size? I could say the same of you, human." 
"What, me? I'm nothing like--come on, look at me, compared to you!" 
"True. Small. But still mighty."
:-'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Sparky''' discuss the notion of humans vs Transformers.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Both Wheeljack and Jazz were revealed to be among the Autobots brought to Earth back in issue 1. Likewise, Reflector was nearly brought back online before Optimus destroyed Teletraan One in the same issue... and it seems that Starscream and Soundwave were able to finish what Teletraan started, if the end of this issue is any indication.
* Though we got a ''very'' brief look at him in cassette form in issue 2, we finally get to see Rumble's full robot mode in action this issue, equipped with cartoon-style piledrivers.
* DWJ continues to place importance on Prime's trailer: it was left behind at the quarry when Optimus left to combat the Decepticons in issue 2, so Ratchet has to tow it to the hospital in this issue.
* After a couple teases in issues 1 and 2, Optimus uses the Matrix of Leadership for the first time this issue. Ratchet's berating of Optimus later on reiterates what we already know: that the Matrix is directly connected to Optimus' lifeforce, and that using it could risk him killing himself. It's currently unclear whether the Matrix being "empty" means it can never be used again, or if further use requires an amount of Optimus' energy that makes it too risky.
* Optimus mentions some sort of God-like entity referred to as the "Great Spark". It's ''possible'' he's talking about [[Primus]], with "Great Spark" essentially being a title, but it's unclear at this point if Primus as either a concept or an actual, physical entity exists in the Energon Universe continuity or not.
* The theme of families pops up again this issue, as Cliffjumper equates his now-deceased "clan" to humans' concept of "family".
* Megatron's current status is finally revealed: he's offline somewhere in an Arctic-esque region, partially trapped in ice and missing his fusion cannon arm... because the Autobots have it and have grafted it to Optimus, replacing the one he tore off last issue. This implies that Megatron and his arm were separated sometime before Megatron departed the Ark. While we don't know ''how'' he got there, it's worth noting that the preview pages for ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' seem to indicate it takes place in an area with lots of snow. ''Hmm...''
*It's not clear whether Skywarp is properly dead, or merely deactivated until his salvaged parts can be replaced. Either way, it's not made clear why they used him instead of one of the stasis-locked Decepticons aboard the Ark.

===Transformers references===
* Rumble's iconic piledrivers first debuted in the premiere episode of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]], "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]".
* Soundwave insults Optimus with the line "'''Optimus: inferior.'''" He may not have said "Soundwave: superior," but we all know what [[The Transformers: The Movie|he's quoting]].
* Optimus previously wielded Megatron’s fusion cannon in [[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 6|issue #6]] of the [[Devil's Due Press]] ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers]]'' series.
* Megatron being stuck offline and trapped in ice recalls the [[Megatron (Movie)|live-action movie version]], who was similarly frozen in ice before the events of the [[Transformers (film)|first live-action movie]].

===Real-world references===
* During Jazz's attack on the Decepticons, he shouts "Two! Five! One!", which is a reference to the {{w|ii–V–I progression|2-5-1 chord progression}}, appropriately common in jazz music.
* As the Decepticons retreat from battle, Cliffjumper is drawn giving them "{{w|The finger|the finger}}."

===Storytelling notes===

===Errors===
* On page 18, Ratchet's right hand unlocking the trailer is miscolored blue as Optimus' hand instead of red. If it was Optimus opening it, then it would have been a left hand since he's missing an arm.

===Other trivia===
* This issue contains the same four-page preview for ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 1|#1]] that was printed last issue.
* At the end of the letters section, Daniel Warren Johnson officially plugs the "director's commentary" livestreams he's been doing on his YouTube channel.

===Roll Call===
* After being previously seen amongst the pile of deactivated Autobots, Jazz is revived just in time to help save Prime and the others from the Decepticons.
* Skywarp, wounded badly from his prior fight with Optimus, ends up being brutally torn apart by Starscream and Soundwave as they use his body to repair Teletraan One. [[Transformers_(2023)_issue_8|Subsequent issues]] confirm that his consciousness still partially survives inside the computer, but for all intents in purposes he's out of the action.
* '''Autobots:''' 4. '''Decepticons:''' 4.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus, Cliffjumper, and Wheeljack stand ready for battle, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Optimus leaps out of the frying pan and into the fire, by [[Jonboy Meyers]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover by [[Orlando Arocena]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Soundwave fires on a group of airborne Autobots, by [[Sanford Greene]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Megatron's damaged, deactivated body partially trapped in ice, by [[Andrea Milana]] and [[Annalisa Leoni]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers04A Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 4 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 4 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 4 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 4 Cover E.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* The [[Cobra]] threat begins in ''Cobra Commander'' #1!

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398171 / ISBN 978-1534398177 
** Collects issues #1–6.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) 
** Variant cover version of the above trade paperback, exclusively sold through the comic book direct market.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' – cover art by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]]
File:Transformers 2023 V1 DM Variant.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' – cover art by [[Jonboy Meyers]]
</gallery>

==External links==
*

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

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 3

2024-09-24T05:19:03Z

DevinM626:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #3
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 2
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 4
|image=Transformers03A Cover.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[December 6]], [[2023]]
|coverdate=December 2023
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=Daniel Warren Johnson
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]] & [[Jonathan Manning]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''It's Optimus Prime versus Skywarp in a vicious battle, with humankind caught in the crossfire.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:TF2023 – Sparky threatens Cliffjumper.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Learning [[Davey|her father]] has been killed, [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] asks [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparky]] how it happened, and Sparky tells her he was crushed by a giant robot. Carly realizes it must have been [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and begins to tell Sparky about her and Spike's discovery of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. Sparky desperately asks where [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] is when they are attacked by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]. Sparky fires at the robot bird, only to get tossed around the room for his efforts. Laserbeak then corners Carly, but she is rescued by the timely arrival of [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], who delivers a swift kick to Laserbeak's face. As Cliff approaches Carly, however, Sparky yells at him to get away before firing a shotgun at the [[Autobot]]'s face. Carly tries to get him to stop, but Sparky pulls her into the police car he commandeered and they drive off.

In the ''Ark'', an irritated Starscream berates [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] for not fixing [[Teletraan I|Teletraan 1]]. Soundwave tells him that while they have enough [[energon]], the raw materials they gathered aren’t advanced enough to repair the computer. When Soundwave begins to mention what [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] would do, Starscream slaps him, repeating his order to not say his name. Soundwave receives an alert from Laserbeak and Starscream orders [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] to deal with it.

Sparky takes Carly to the veterans' bar. Carly asks why they’re there and Sparky tells her that the [[Decepticon]]s are jamming all phone, radio, and internet signals, so they need reinforcements from somewhere. Inside, [[Danny]] and a group of other veterans have heard the explosions and already formed a small militia to defend themselves. Carly tries to tell Sparky that they aren't all bad, but Sparky says that he's been in war: when the shooting starts, people die. At that moment, Cliffjumper appears in the doorway and Sparky unloads a machine gun on him. Skywarp then arrives, which the humans mistake for Cliffjumper having called in reinforcements, and they begin firing on both. On the outskirts of town, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus]] and Spike see smoke coming from the battle and Optimus quickly heads in to intervene. With Skywarp shaking off the humans' bullets like they're nothing, Danny decides they need something bigger: he and Sparky pull out a bazooka before the bar caves in on itself. Skywarp approaches Cliffjumper for the kill, but Carly tries to step in and defend him, much to Skywarp's amusement. The pair are saved by the timely intervention of Optimus, who rams into Skywarp in his truck mode. Optimus transforms and tells Spike to take cover while he deals with the Decepticon.

[[File:TF2023 – Spike tries to intervene.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1]]
The two fight, Skywarp using his teleportation and Optimus using his [[energon-axe]]. Optimus pins Skywarp down and asks him to surrender, but their fight is interrupted by Sparky and Danny firing the bazooka at Optimus, severely damaging his right arm. This allows Skywarp to regain his footing and blast Optimus back. Sparky tells the militia to pour their fire on both of the Cybertronians as Spike runs towards the wounded Optimus… getting caught in the crossfire. Skywarp taunts Optimus as he moves to crush Spike, but Optimus tackles him to the ground. In a moment of desperation, Prime tears off his injured arm, using it as a club to beat Skywarp down. He then picks up Spike, now bleeding profusely from his injury. Sparky runs towards Prime, tears streaking his face and a handgun pointed at the Autobot leader, screaming at him to get away from his son. Optimus transforms and tells Sparky to come with him; he’s going to save his boy.

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (4)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (12)

|c2=
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (3)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (5)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (6)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (7)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (8)

|c3=
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky|"Sparky" Witwicky]] (1)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (2)
* [[Danny]] (9)
* [[Jerry (G1)|Jerry]] (10)
* Militia (11)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
"I've been in '''war''', Carly. It doesn't matter whose team they're on or what glorious cause they fight for. When the shooting starts, people die."
:—'''Sparky'''

"Damn, Starscream was right! This is a blast!"
:—'''Skywarp'''

"Your kind have played with this planet '''enough'''. '''''I WILL HAVE NO MORE OF IT!'''''"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' right before ripping his own arm off.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* One of the citizens' militia, [[Jerry (G1)|Jerry]], was the same man raving about seeing [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] in the [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|first issue]].
* Sparky notes the internet is down, throwing the implied setting of the 1980s into question.
* While talking to Starscream, Soundwave can be seen cradling [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] in his arms. Shot by Optimus in the first issue, it's still unclear if Ravage is in [[Stasis lock|stasis]] or dead.
* When Optimus sees Spike on the ground, he is reminded of the [[deer]] he accidentally stepped on in the [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|previous issue]].

===Transformers references===
* Optimus's iconic [[energon-axe]] first debuted in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]".
* Skywarp swears "by the soul of [[the Fallen]]".

===Real-world references===
* Daniel Warren Johnson hides little references on the license plates of the vehicles and characters' alt-modes:
** The license plate of the police car Sparky commandeered has changed, now reading "[https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/murder-falcon Murder Falcon]", the title of one of Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer’s previous Skybound comics.
** As Optimus drives into town, his front license plate reads "DAP", which stands for ''[https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/do-a-powerbomb Do A Powerbomb]'', another Johnson/Spicer Image title.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Oh- what's this? ''Do a Powerbomb!'' DAP!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=937s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
** When Optimus transforms at the end, his license plate also serves as Johnson's signature, with a small "DWJ '23".
* The wrestling influence on the action in this comic continues with Optimus Prime performing {{w|Kenta Kobashi}}'s iconic {{w|Professional wrestling throws#Inverted Death Valley driver|Burning Hammer}} on Skywarp, hoisting the Decepticon over his shoulders before slamming him into the ground head-first.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So this probably is my favorite page in the book, in issue #3. This is of course Optimus hitting a Burning Hammer! All you have to do is Google Kenta Kobashi, Burning Hammer, that's all I'm going to say about that. If you know, you know. There's this like [...] BREEEEE! I can feel like the pistons locking in, and like pushing, as he raises Skywarp above his head.|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* There are two references to the ''{{w|Gundam}}'' franchise:
** When Spike charges into the battle between Optimus Prime and Skywarp, the panel is framed to resemble the famous shot at the climax of ''{{w|Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket}}'' where Alfred Izuhara tries to intervene in the battle between Christina McKenzie's Gundam ALEX and Bernard Wiseman's Zaku II.
** Similarly, the scene where Optimus rips off his arm and uses it as a flail against Skywarp brings to mind Shiro Amada's Gundam Ez8 doing the same against Norris Packard's Gouf Custom in ''{{w|Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team}}''. Daniel Warren Johnson also shared a gif of the original scene on his Twitter<ref>{{citesocial|link= https://twitter.com/danielwarrenart/status/1732514531631374599|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=Twitter|year=2023|month=12|day=7}}</ref> and called the scene a homage to "one of [his] favorite anime shows of all time" in the letter column of the following issue.

===Storytelling notes===
* DWJ apparently struggled with the opening of this issue,<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This whole first part of this issue was brutal for me to get through. Maybe it doesn't show, but I was having a really hard time. And I'll show you when I made a breakthrough, but it's not for a bit.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=346s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref> only feeling that he had hit his stride with the page where the militia first appear.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Okay, so here! Here's where I started getting my mojo back. It took a while!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=613s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* Skywarp sips Energon from a canister using a straw, as DWJ wanted to come up with a different way for Transformers to drink Energon, rather than drinking from cubes as they did in the original cartoon.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=We do get a standout moment here, which which is Skywarp of course, sipping Energon. I wanted to figure out a better way to have them consume Energon, that wasn't them like drinking out of those cubes from the TV show. So yeah, he's drinking from the scream canister—sorry, accidentally copying Pixar a little bit—but yeah sipping, sipping canister, in true skywarp fashion.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=566s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* Initially, DWJ drew himself into the militia, but ultimately he chickened out and revised the drawing!<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I was scared of drawing this panel here, with all the soldiers, but it just worked out really well. I changed the design, I drew myself in here! I almost put myself in the militia, but I don't even own a gun, so I felt a little bit too much like a poser. And yeah, this is... I really really love this. I just, I... And this panel's great, her like pulling on the shirt, and... it's just... I got my, I got my groove back in this page. And it was, I was off to the races after this page, [...] page seven?|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=705s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* DWJ had originally wanted a mid-transformation panel as Skywarp touches down amidst the militia; this was removed for space reasons, particularly as it was visually similar to a panel from the previous issue.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I forgot to get rid of this page. This was going to be a mid-transforming page of Skywarp coming down. So instead of him being here, already kind of landed, he was going to be ''landing''. But I felt it was a little too similar to the panel that you saw in issue #2 of Skywarp crushing everybody at the electrical plant. And this has a more, a little bit of like a calm kind of like flowing-down, whereas I just kind of wanted him to be established. There were going to be too many storytelling beats between [the panel where Skywarp is landing] and [the panel where he's being shot], it just... You know, it's not a huge deal, it wouldn't have really mattered, but... And this is like a little bit more of an intense angle. I pulled out a little bit here, I also really wanted to have room for Cliffjumper. It's just the storytelling worked a little better, with all- I needed to include all of these, like, militia guys, at the same time, while also having Skywarp land, and be a threat. So I have all these things that I'm juggling at once, and I don't like having to make compromises, 'cause honestly if I had another page or another few- if I had just a little more room, this would have been the panel. But maybe I'll ink it up someday, that'll be cool.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=828s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* Easy to miss in the panel where Skywarp slaps a van aside, there's the ''lower half'' of one of the militia members!<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Notice that this guy's getting cut in half here, by this van! Not Carly's van, it's not there, but I just wanted to draw a van again.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=953s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
** The sound effect from this panel was added at a late stage in the artwork, to unambiguously guide the reader's eye through the action of the panel.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I love this panel. This is awesome. I added the BREEEEEEEOOOOOO after a bit, it's not here on the thumbnail. But I really like, you know, this is the first person that's talking, the bartender going to Sparky... then you're kind of following it around. It kind of goes like this: left to right, but then you know you follow the letters, and it zooms around to him flying here, and circle is completed. So this is an intentional thing on my part, sometimes my compositions are unintentional, this one was definitely intentional, trying to ca- you through the entire reading experience in a way that is fun and dynamic.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=963s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* When depicting characters laughing—such as when Skywarp laughs at Carly—DWJ tries to draw the laughter as SFX into the panel, rather than deferring it to the letterer.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I don't like when in letters you have like little HAHAHAs in balloons. I like having really loud onomatopoeia HAHAs, so whenever someone's laughing, I try and include it in the background as an SFX. And then I will remove it from the letters. I'm sure Russ is very capable of drawing very great HAHAs, I just- it's a personal preference.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1052s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* DWJ was influenced by ''{{w|Pacific Rim (film)|Pacific Rim}}'' for the beat where Skywarp is rammed through buildings and cars by Prime.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Getting a lot done here, transforming and tossing Spike to the side, get to safety, this car and the- [Skywarp] was just kind of falling in a parking lot before, and I really wanted Skywarp to be having some serious damage, really getting pounded and slammed into something. And that's a bit of a nod to ''Pacific Ram'' where they just get knocked into ''all'' of the buildings. And I don't have the time to draw them [...] crashing into every building, and it is a small town, but you know, you could be smushing some cars, and you know, rocking some bricks, so.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1147s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* DWJ was keen on including Skywarp's teleportation ability. As Optimus fights Skywarp, DWJ wanted to build similar tension to that of a wrestler trying to tag in their partner—he keeps trying to ready his Energon axe, but never quite manages.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Teleport! Done on the page! Of course wanted to add that in, because I do love Skywarp and that is one of his most fun abilities. And through this entire sequence I was trying to do this kind of like hot tag thing, like you see in wrestling, where [...] somebody on a tag team's getting worked over by the other team, put in a submission, or... you know, they can't make this tag, to try and get that rescue partner. And in my mind it was like, in this scene, Optimus has got this energy ax, that everybody knows- everybody knows he's got an Energon axe! Even the people that aren't super fans of ''Transformers'', and... they're like, when is this guy... get... you know, BZOW, BZOW. Because I hint at it, I show, okay, this is a thing, he's activating it, ''nope'' just kidding. Okay, not going to happen...|link=https://youtu.be/MxfnknSUY4w?si=O4RC_XE6NmoidDFz&t=1263|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref> When it's finally fully activated, Prime's arm is destroyed before it can be used!<ref>{{citesocial|quote=And then, again, we got- we're hinting, we're saying, "this is when the Energon ax is going to come out." And we get this glorious, just like, KRSHHHHH. I can just, I can see it in my head, you know? The scene was clear as day. Everybody's getting excited about this moment. He's finally got the Energon ax. We are going to wreck face. Let's do it. JUST. KIDDING. Ohhh man.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1407s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* The panel where Spike runs to intervene between Skywarp and Optimus is deliberately composed so Spike appears the same size as the Transformers, to highlight his heroism.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So then we have Spike being a silly human, and running... Added a little step panel there, not sure why, just felt right! You know, I don't know if this works, but one of my goals was to have Spike be about the same size—compositionally—as Skywarp and Optimus, so that his actions are like, so heroic that he's like kind of now elevated to their stature, physicality wise.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1509s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* As Sparky runs in to check on Spike, the reactions of his comrades on the left side of the panel were intended to amplify the motion across the page.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I really wanted Sparky to have like forward motion, so left to right. We see the reaction of his fellow bar goers—militia, whatever—he's moving through them, and you see the reactions before you necessarily see Sparky, who's like at the forefront, who's most forward, and he's dropping his gun here... Did I tell you that I'm a pacifist?|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1588s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* DWJ liked the idea of a Transformer killing a human by flicking them, as Skywarp threatens to do to Spike here.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=You know I'm a big fan of flicking- robots flicking humans, and so I like this a lot. This makes me very happy. I don't know, the like... almost impact of, you know, getting his innards flung out by a middle finger.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1621s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* The two-page spread of Prime ripping his own arm off was originally meant to be a single page, but DWJ felt it needed to span a whole spread.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So here's here's the infamous- of course, going back to one of my favorite anime series of all time, ''Gundam: The 08th MS Team''. This is a total little shout out to that, of a robot ripping off its own arm and using it as a weapon. Not really sure what I was- So originally, this double page spread was not a double page spread, it was just going to be one page, until I made the call myself—without asking anybody over at Skybound for permission—to make this a double page spread. 'Cause I was like, you know what, we need this. So we're going to have a few less ads in the back of the ''Transformers'' comic, and he's going to be able to rip off his arm in full glory. The only problem is, the arm rip was indeed an addition, because it was a double page spread, and I did not have a lot of time. So I had to do this in an afternoon— or a few different afternoons, like tacking it on to other pages after those were done. [...] I like how he's got like kind of subtle Angry Eyes, I just kind of added that, just as a... artistic license.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1704s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* Sparky's hatred of Prime, even as the Autobot tries to save his son, was inspired by a similar emotion in a scene from ''{{w|All Star Superman}}''.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This makes me think of [...] ''All-Star Superman'', Frank Quietly and Grant Morrison, when the two Kryptonians are- they get sick and Superman rescues them. They start by being kind of bad guys, kind of mean, and then they need help. And Superman rescues this Kryptonian's wife, and he's running towards Superman, being like, "Don't you touch her!" Like, "How dare you even lay hands on her?" Even though he's trying to help her. So that was kind of the vibe I was going for here—that's one of my favorite scenes in all of comics, is Superman rescuing that Kryptonian couple. Just a little subtle thing I was thinking about. Thank you Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly, wouldn't be here without you guys. Standing on the shoulders of giants as always.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1867s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>

===Errors===
* On pages 4 and 5, Cliffjumper's feet are occasionally colored grey like the rest of his legs when they should be red.

===Other trivia===
* This issue contains a four page preview for ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 1|#1]].
* While it is likely not intentional, the scene of Optimus ripping off his damaged arm and using it as a weapon is similar to a moment where [[Apeface]] does the same in [[Cold War!|issue #49]] of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|the Marvel series]].

===Roll Call===
* '''Autobots:''' 3. '''Decepticons:''' 5.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus Prime vs Soundwave and his cassettes, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' People cower beneath Optimus Prime as Skywarp rains fire upon him, by [[Taurin Clarke]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover by [[Orlando Arocena]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Optimus and Skywarp square off, by [[Matías Bergara]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' A defeated Optimus sits in the shadow of Starscream, by [[Nick Dragotta]] and [[Patricio Delpeche]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover A:''' Ratchet, by [[Jason Howard]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover B:''' Skywarp, by Jason Howard.

<gallery>
File:Transformers03A Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers03B Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers03C Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers03D Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers03E Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 3 2nd Ptg Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 3 2nd Ptg Cover B.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* The [[Cobra]] threat begins in ''Cobra Commander'' #1!

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398171 / ISBN 978-1534398177 
** Collects issues #1–6.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) 
** Variant cover version of the above trade paperback, exclusively sold through the comic book direct market.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' – cover art by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]]
File:Transformers 2023 V1 DM Variant.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' – cover art by [[Jonboy Meyers]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w Director's commentary by Daniel Warren Johnson]

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

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 2

2024-09-24T05:18:52Z

DevinM626:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #2
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 1
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 3
|next2=Duke issue 1
|image=Transformers02A Cover.jpg
|caption=Once you pop, you can’t stop.
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[November 7]], [[2023]]
|coverdate=November 2023
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=Daniel Warren Johnson
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]] & [[Jonathan Manning]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The Autobots must learn to adapt to Earth with scant resources, while the Decepticons gather more energon to rebuild their army.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] walks through a wood, marveling at the natural beauty of Earth. The plants, the animals, the scenery; he finds it all breathtaking. However, his serenity is interrupted upon hearing a crunch underneath his foot: he's stepped on a small [[deer]], killing it. Optimus leans down, cradling the creature with remorse. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] emerges from the woods and reassures Optimus that it was an accident. Optimus tells Spike that this world is so fragile compared to his own. Seeing the [[Autobot]] leader's despair, Spike decides to change the subject of the conversation and asks Optimus about his name. Optimus tells him that the [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] title denotes him as leader of the Autobots and was passed to him by the previous leader of their kind. Optimus in turn inquires about Spike's name, who reveals that [[Mrs. Witwicky|his mom]] used to call him "Spikey" before she passed away due to his hair always sticking up as a child. Optimus is confused; he’s never heard the terms "mom" or "dad" before, though he does know the concept of "family." Spike then asks Optimus about where he comes from, prompting Optimus to tell him about [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and the war between the Autobots and [[Decepticon]]s that has raged for the past two centuries. The Autobots' forces eventually dwindled from the Decepticons' relentless onslaught to the point where they were forced to flee the planet aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. However, their escape was attacked by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and the Decepticons. The last thing Optimus saw before they crashed into the mountain was Earth. Optimus thanks Spike for assisting him during the battle, saying that he's not sure they would have escaped without him. Spike in turn offers condolences for [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]].

[[File:TF2023 – Cliffjumper freaks out.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.35|Sorry Cliff, but with Bumblebee gone, you're the closest thing we got to a [[kid-appeal character]].]]
Their somber heart-to-heart is soon interrupted by the newly reactivated [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], whom [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] was able to successfully repair. Optimus warmly greets his old friend, but Cliffjumper is not nearly as taken with Earth as his commander, freaking out upon seeing Spike and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] and bumping into the trees. Carly tells him to calm down. After all, if anyone should be freaking out about the giant robots from space, it's her. This gets Cliffjumper to calm down and the two shake hands. Inside the quarry, Ratchet has set about trying to revive the other Autobots, but has used up the last of their energon reserves fixing Cliffjumper. Optimus considers using the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to replenish their energon, but Ratchet says they can't. The Matrix is connected to Prime's own life force and if they lose him, they lose everything. Cliffjumper remarks that if they're running out of energon, the Decepticons will hopefully have the same problem.

Meanwhile, at the power plant [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparky]] and [[Davey]] work at, a police officer is surveying the damage caused by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s attack and taking statements, not believing [[Jordie|the plant manager]]'s story about a giant robot. The officer says they'll get some detectives out here to investigate, but a panicked Sparky insists they need to call in the Army. As the officer tries to reassure Sparky, [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] drops from the sky, destroying his patrol car. Behind him descend Starscream and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] carrying an energy transfer module stolen from the ''Ark'', which will allow them to more efficiently convert energon from the plant. The police officer tries to shoot at Starscream, much to Sparky's protests, only for Starscream to step on him. As the Decepticons begin to drain the plant of its energy, Soundwave intercepts a transmission from the U.S. military asking a nearby pilot under the callsign "[[Frosting]]" to intercept their attack. Amused at the idea of the "squishies" trying to fight them, Starscream goes to intercept the fighter. He dogfights with them for a bit before transforming and smacking the jet down. The pilot and his ride-along eject, but Starscream catches up to Frosting and squashes him between his hands. The other soldier activates a button on his parachute, converting it into a winged jetpack. As Starscream advances, he pulls out his flare gun and fires at the Decepticon, getting a lucky shot at his eye before retreating. Starscream opts to give up on the minor annoyance and [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] flies away to fight another day.

Back at the plant, Sparky takes one of the patrol cars as he is chased down by Skywarp. Before he can catch the human, however, Frosting's F-18 comes crashing down on top of him and Soundwave, allowing Sparky to slip away. The resulting explosion is seen by the Autobots and Carly and Spike realize that the plant is under attack. Feeling responsible for bringing their war to this planet, Optimus opts to face the Decepticons, despite Ratchet's protest about their need to find their own energy sources. Optimus assigns Cliffjumper to stay with Ratchet and protect their sleeping comrades. Spike decides to come along to help his dad, which Optimus reluctantly allows. Carly tries to stop him, saying they need to get back home to their parents, but Spike insists. She decides to leave for home alone. As she drives back towards town, she is spotted by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], who identifies the image of Optimus Prime Carly drew on her van earlier that day. She arrives home to find Sparky already there, dressed in his old Army fatigues and carrying several guns. Carly asks where her dad is, and Sparky answers that "they" killed him; Davey is dead.

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
* ''[[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]'' (5)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (7)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (9)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (10)
* [[Roller (G1)|Roller]] (11)
* [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (12)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (13)
* [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] or [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] (14) (See "Errors" below)
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (15)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (16) (See "Errors" below)

|c2=
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (3)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (4)
* ''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'' (6)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (20)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (21)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (24)

|c3=
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (2)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (8)
* Police officer (17)
* [[Jordie]] (18)
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky|"Sparky" Witwicky]] (19)
* [[Frosting]] (22)
* [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] (23)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Spike:''' "Um... Hi... Nice to meet y--" 
'''Cliffjumper:''' "Ah, we're not there yet, my man. Yeeesh... You're like a [[turborat]]-- creepy, little--" 
'''Carly:''' "Oh, please." 
'''Cliffjumper:''' "Yeow! How many of you '''are''' there?" 

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Spike identifies the town he and Carly live in as [[Farmingham]].
* Having been merely hinted at in the last issue, the flashback to the war on Cybertron gives us our first look at Megatron, though his whereabouts are still unknown. ([[Cobra Commander (comic)|#WhereIsMegatron]])
* While mentioned but not seen last issue, this issue gives us our first appearance of Laserbeak, still out scouting for new sources of energy.
* This issue confirms what Jetfire alluded to last issue, that unlike most incarnations of the ''G1'' story, the war has only been raging for two centuries instead of the more traditional four million years.
* Ratchet refers to deactivated brothers ''and sisters''. While [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] has previously been seen on the cover of the last issue (which confirms [[Female Transformer|female transformers]] exist in this continuity), this issue implies she's not the only female Autobot aboard the Ark... though exactly who these other female Autobots are is currently unknown.

===Transformers references===
[[File:TF2023_issue_2_Prowl_erased_his_name.jpg|thumb|right|200px|I'm not Kiryu. My name is Joryu.]]
* Cliffjumper compares Spike to a [[turborat]], a form of Cybertronian wildlife that first appeared in [[Form Follows Function|the fourth issue]] of [[Tom Scioli]] and [[John Barber]]'s ''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]''.
* The police cars of the FPD are quite clearly based on [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], retaining his Japanese police car color layout, twin red siren lights (as opposed to red and blue) and the “highway patrol” markings on the back (none of which really make sense on an American city patrol car, but we'll let that slide.)
* Furthering the reference, in Daniel Warren Johnson's Director's Commentary for this issue, prior to Mike Spicer coloring the pages it is seen that DWJ had given a "PROWL" license plate to the police car Sparky steals to escape Skywarp and Soundwave. The car's license plate is blank in the final release.

===G.I. Joe references===
* First Sergeant Conrad S. Hauser, codename '''DUKE''', makes his debut in the [[Energon Universe]] in this issue ahead of [[Duke (comic)|his own title]] debuting next month.
* While [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] doesn’t exist yet in this continuity, it seems the U.S. military has been developing some hi-tech tools, such as the jetpack Duke uses. This could be a new take on Jet Mobile Propulsion Unit (J.U.M.P.) jetpack from the ''G.I. Joe'' toyline, which Duke famously used in the opening sequence of ''G.I. Joe: The Movie''.

===Real-world references===
* Frosting’s name is painted on the side of his jet’s cockpit, a real practice common on United States fighter aircraft. It’s worth noting, however, that the formatting is slightly off. His rank and full name should be on one line, with his callsign printed below. Instead, it lists simply his rank, first name, and callsign on the same line.

===Storytelling notes===
* Apparently, DWJ at one point considered modelling Spike on photos of himself as a kid—but he quickly decided it felt weird.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I did play with one design of Spike which kind of looked like me as a kid, but it just felt a little weird. So I was like, "I'm not going to do that." But I did think about it!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=809s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref> For Spike's final design, DWJ wanted to give him big ears, and make him appear "racially ambiguous". His [[Marty McFly]] jacket wasn't particularly a reference, just an aesthetic preference of DWJ's.<ref>{{citesocial|quote="How did I decide on drawing Spike?" How did I draw... I was trying to draw somebody- I really like drawing characters with like really large ears, 'cause I love drawing ears, so there was one excuse. And I wanted to try and make him look kind of like... racially ambiguous? So there was that. Other than that, you know, I was, with that kind of jacket- like the- people say like the Marty McFly jacket, I just really like drawing those kinds of jackets. I'm not necessarily trying to go for an 80s vibe, but it just felt right. So I was trying to just come up with something that felt natural, and that's kind of what you got there, was the design of Spike.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=1328s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
* On the first page, DWJ drew close-up panels of an {{w|American goldfinch}} and a {{w|Rhododendron macrophyllum|coast rhododendron}}—the {{w|List of U.S. state birds|state bird}} and {{w|List of U.S. state and territory flowers|state flower}} of {{w|Washington (state)|Washington}}.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This—I forget what bird this is, but it is the [state] bird of Washington. This is the state flower. [...] And this is just a toad that has no relevance to the state of Washington.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=454s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref> Colorist Mike Spicer evidently was not told which specific species had been drawn, so they're just in random colors.
* The issue's opening scene, where Optimus Prime accidentally steps on a deer, was one that Hasbro got cold feet about. DWJ's editor suggested changing the animal for a squirrel, but DWJ was able to fight for the scene as he'd envisioned it. Following on from last issue, the scene draws further inspiration from ''{{w|The Iron Giant}}'', in which the Iron Giant sees a deer get killed.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Starting off with the [...] deer scene, which I wrote in the outline of the issue one outline to kind of give to everybody involved—Hasbro, Skybound—an idea of where I'm taking the story, and some of the beats. And this was initially totally fine, but, you know, I think maybe Hasbro read it a second time, and they were ''very'' nervous about Optimus stepping on a deer. So I definitely had to fight for this one. And to be fair to Hasbro, you know, I don't think they necessarily knew like the vibe that I was going to try and give this scene. In no way was I trying to do this for laughs, or to like... you know, be cheeky, or... in any way like disrespectful to the character of Optimus Prime. I honestly felt like this is the perfect 180 contrast to Starscream in issue one, squishing a dude. This just felt right. It felt like the perfect one-two of Starcream squishing and then Optimus accidentally hurting, not even a human but an innocent deer, and being completely wrecked. I've seen on Twitter, people are having a really hard time with the fact that Optimus Prime would accidentally step on a deer when a deer would run away... I don't know, what can I say, you know? A writer can't think of everything! So, yes, I remember one of my editors was like, "maybe he could step on a squirrel instead of a deer, to keep Hasbro happy?" and I was like, "Nope! Has to be a deer. Nobody feels the way they feel when they see a dead squirrel on the side of the road, versus a deer." This is also a subtle nod to one of my favorite films, ''The Iron Giant''—it is a bit different, because Optimus is directly responsible for hurting the deer, whereas the Iron Giant in the movie just sees the deer get killed. And I didn't really... with ''The Iron Giant'', it's very much that the robot in ''The Iron Giant'' is a little bit more of a baby, whereas Optimus Prime is of course way more like brainy, and able to process things in a more advanced way, that the Iron Giant was still just kind of grasping. So it is a different tone, but it is a little subtle homage to one of my favorite robot movies. So yeah, but anyway, so I definitely had to fight for this scene. And again, Hasbro I think had a right to be nervous, but I remember like writing, like in the conversation, about whether or not to do this scene, I was like, "Hey, I'm going to treat this with the utmost respect, and I think that this scene will be talked about as an Optimus Prime moment for a very long time to come, and I know I can pull it off." It's not like me stroking my back or whatever, inflating my own ego, I was just so confident, this scene ''screamed'' out to me as one of the absolute necessary scenes in the entire series. It just had to be in there. [...] I really did try and make this something to, you know, you could like ruminate over.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=201s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
* For the planet Cybertron, DWJ looked to ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' for reference.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=You can see this is loosely modeled after the Cybertron that we see in the 1986 movie, surprise, surprise. You know, I didn't know how much I wanted to show of Cybertron [...] for story reasons, but I figured, you know, get a nice big shot. I used a dinner plate to draw this large sphere, and then just kind of riffed for the rest of it. And this is all screen tone [...] with a little bit of highlights, call these the ''Akira'' highlights, you know that video of the lady dotting the background of the ''Akira'' cells. So definitely doing that here.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=874s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
* Beachcomber, seen getting shot in flashback, is one of DWJ's favorite Autobots.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So we got one of my favorite Autobots here, Beachcomber, who is seemingly dying. Mmm, can't say more about that.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=939s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
* Prime's [[trailer]] being established as the Autobots' makeshift base stemmed from a feeling that previous ''Transformers'' media had underutilised the trailer, or downplayed its significance relative to Prime himself.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I never thought that Optimus's trailer was used enough in all the fiction—TF fiction, TF stories—that I saw. I always love that trailer, it's like- this is like a direct shoutout to the toy, of like this little robot that we don't really see that often in the show, in the cartoon, in the movie, in the comics (at least in the Marvel Comics that I'm most familiar with). So just definitely wanted to show that- and this like tiny little race car, you know? All secondary stuff when it comes to the toy—I mean like, we're really here for Optimus—but since they kind of are escaping from the Ark, it was kind of important to me that they have a new base, with still some Cybertronian tech, that's why this is here.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=1410s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
* Carly is seen adding Optimus Prime to her van's mural, following on from the previous issue, where she remarked that the painting was missing something. According to DWJ, this was primarily a mercenary bit of plotting to give Laserbeak a reason to follow her at the end of the issue<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So here, I was trying to give Carly some personality, and also later on in the issue it's important storywise that Laserbeak finds Carly—otherwise, you know, the story has trouble progressing. And this matters an issue #3, which I will not give away. But Laserbeak somehow needed to follow Carly, and I was like racking my head, I was like, "Why would he follow Carly from the Ottawa base?" Like, what would give him a reason to follow this heavy metal van, where he would probably just like leave it and go look at something else. So I was like, "Well, what if Carly was like, an artist, and she painted on her heavy metal van a picture of Optimus Prime, which like, would obviously attract the attention of an evil Decepticon." So that was written in- this, right here, her working with the airbrush, was directly just so that I would have a fun way for Carly to be followed by a bad guy. And I drew the heck out of this airbrush—you know, I do love airbrushes—drawing Optimus here. It's a very subtle detail, but of course, it's important, you know?|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=1543s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>—from Laserbeak's POV, we can see him zooming in on the drawing of Prime, with his heads-up-display reading "!!".
* The police car seen this issue is drawn as Prowl as a way of deliberately playing with readers' expectations.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I know what you're all thinking: "Is this actually Prowl?" And... I have no comment, okay? Maybe it'll transform into Prowl in like issue #20, maybe it won't, okay? Who knows! I'm not going to pretend that this ''isn't'' the car that is Prowl, but that's all I can say about that, so... maybe I'm just swerving you, you know? You have no idea. This is what I really like about ''Transformers'', I'm playing with your expectations. You have no idea truly what's coming.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=1652s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
* The Energon converter is another plot device, as DWJ needed a quick-and-dirty way of solving the Decepticons' fuel problem. After the fact, he realised they resembled the scream canisters from ''{{w|Monsters, Inc.}}''!<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Talk about a McGuffin! Having to draw like this technological thing that can, like, harvest energy... You know, we're all doing our best here, you know? I'm writing genre fiction, I'm writing ''The Transformers'', we got to find a way to get Energon, I got to figure out a way to make this work, I'm under a deadline, I'm writing a script, you got some great ideas, you got some whatever ideas... Here we've got this, like, Energon harvester, that just is like totally random! And I was like, "Yeah, this is in the Autobots' Ark, so." You know, don't want to give away the trade secrets too much, but what can I say, uh... This is like a bit of a way to get me out of trouble, 'cause I was like, "I'm not sure how they're going to get Energon. I guess I'll draw something that looks relatively cool." Definitely did not realize that these look like the scream canisters from ''Monsters, Inc.!'' You know, there is no origin originality anymore, I don't know. I'm doing my best here.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=1783s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
* The Seeker who stomps on the cop was originally intended as Skywarp, not Starscream! After spotting the coloring error, DWJ decided it didn't actually matter, so it remains that way in the final issue.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This was meant to be Skywarp that was smooshing this cop, but Mike accidentally colored it Starcream, and I was like, "Eh, it actually doesn't matter!" So I didn't make him change it.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=1882s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref> In the previous panel, Starscream is standing on the other side of the Energon converter from the cop.
* Unsurprisingly, the confrontation between Duke and Starscream, which serves to set up Duke's own miniseries, was mandated by Skybound, but DWJ had a lot of freedom over the specifics.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I love this scene. You know, it was requested to me by Skybound that I include a... some sort of interaction between which we now—spoiler alert—know is Duke and Starscream.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=2365s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
** DWJ came up with Frosting's callsign after seeing his wife's leftover cupcake frosting in the freezer!<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I had to come up- you know, when you're writing, you know these scenes like this, where it's like a character like Frosting that you know is not going to be around for that long... you're just kind of riffing, you know? And I was like, "Oh, what would be a cool call sign?" And I just was like, I saw, I was like looking in my freezer, and my wife makes a lot of cupcakes—thanks be to God—and so she makes so many cupcakes, she actually makes a bunch of frosting at a time, and she'll freeze what she doesn't use. And I saw that frosting in the freezer and I was like, "Frosting would be a great, great call sign." And thus we have Frosting.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=2387s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
** The {{w|McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet|F-18}} is specifically drawn as the older model, as seen in ''{{w|Independence Day}}'', instead of the revised F-18D.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This is the F-18—let me see if I can remember... there's two, the F-18D—this is the old F-18 from ''Independence Day''. The F-18D has a square exhaust opening, and I wanted to go old school. So... I am a nerd!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=2451s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
** DWJ improvised the design for Duke's high-tech jetpack, and at [[Robert Kirkman]]'s prompting, came up with the story beat where he shoots Starscream with a flare gun.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This is fun, I had to come up with a jetpack design on the fly—I literally designed on the fly. And I remember Robert- so Robert was like, had kind of some oversight over this scene, and he said like, "Hey, it's really important that Duke seems cool, like he can handle himself in a fight. Even though he's like, just a regular pilot, he needs to like seem really badass." And so I was like, "Well, what if he like shot Starscream in the face with a flare gun? You know, and thinking on his feet." And I do like this a lot.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=2631s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
* Optimus Prime is drawn mid-transformation in remarkable detail. DWJ was never satisfied by on-panel depictions of transformation in the Marvel or IDW comics.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Here we have Optimus transforming. And this is the first time I really tried to make it intentional, like... I don't know, like, I really wanted this to be cool, so I just drew the heck out of it. I gotta be honest, I was never a fan of either the- I was not a fan of like, in the Marvel Comics, when it would be like, either Optimus in robot form having just transformed, with a bunch of lines—just like random, like, you know, parallel lines against his body, implying that he just finished transforming—or the opposite where he's like a truck, and there's just a bunch of lines. And I was just like, "Ah... it just feels so... just feels like a missed opportunity!" Or in some of the, like, IDW comics, where it's like, they don't really draw transforming much at all. So I was like, "Well, it's a huge part of the vibe, I want to like... draw it!" And it's also really fun to get like, really out there with it, you know like? Just make things look weird in passing, and like an opportunity to show some really fun tech, that's a little messier than what the G1 designs are really known for.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=2954s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>

===Errors===
* As mentioned above, the wildlife on the first page is miscolored; the Goldfinch is colored blue, while the pink rhododendron is skewed towards red.
* On page 4, 'millennia' is mis-spelled as 'millenia'.
* Amongst the deactivated Autobots in the quarry is Sideswipe who appears to be miscolored as [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], and a bot who appears to be either Inferno or Grapple (with their wheels on the side of their legs rather than their foot) in the colors of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]].
* On page 11, when Duke is alerting Frosting about an incoming bogey on their radar, his flight helmet is miscolored pink as if he were Frosting. Duke is sitting in the weapon systems officer's seat behind Frosting's pilot seat, therefore he would be the one to see Starscream on the radar screen, and not Frosting telling his passenger of an unidentified aircraft.
* On page 12, the round speech bubble is mistakenly pointed to Starscream instead of Frosting's F-18. If it were Starscream saying the line, then the speech bubble would be angular and boxy, plus Starscream was the one taking shots the previous panel, not Frosting.

===Other trivia===
* This issue contains a four page preview for ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' [[Duke issue 1|#1]].

===Roll Call===
* Cliffjumper is the first Autobot successfully revived, joining the main cast.
* '''Autobots:''' 3. '''Decepticons:''' 5.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Starscream attacks Frosting, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Optimus Prime transforms as he drives off a cliff, by [[Afu Chan]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover by [[Orlando Arocena]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Autobots wage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons, by [[Bryan Hitch]] and [[Alex Sinclair]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Duke uses his jetpack against Starscream, by [[Tom Reilly]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover A:''' Duke, by [[Jason Howard]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover B:''' Soundwave, by Jason Howard.
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover C:''' Cliffjumper, by Jason Howard.
* '''Third Printing Variant Cover:''' by [[Gerald Parel]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers02A Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers02B Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers02C Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers02D Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers02E Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers02 2nd Ptg Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers02 2nd Ptg Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers02 2nd Ptg Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 2 3rd Ptg Cover.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Codename: G.I. Joe starts in ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' [[Duke issue 1|#1]].
* A new era for G.I. Joe starts in ''[[G.I. Joe (comic)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'' #301.
* ''[[Universal]] Monsters [[Dracula]]''

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398171 / ISBN 978-1534398177 
** Collects issues #1–6.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) 
** Variant cover version of the above trade paperback, exclusively sold through the comic book direct market.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' – cover art by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]]
File:Transformers 2023 V1 DM Variant.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' – cover art by [[Jonboy Meyers]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg Director's commentary by Daniel Warren Johnson]

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

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 1

2024-09-24T05:18:39Z

DevinM626:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #1
|prev=Void Rivals issue 1
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 2
|prev2=
|image=Transformers 2023 1 cvr.jpg
|caption=Alright, let’s do this one more time.
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[October 4]], [[2023]]
|coverdate=October 2023
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=Daniel Warren Johnson
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Sean Mackiewicz]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''After centuries of slumber, the Autobots and Decepticons awaken on a strange new world.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] finds his father, [[Sparkplug Witwicky|"Sparky" Witwicky]], asleep in a bar. Spike asks his father how long he’s been there, to which [[Danny]] the bartender answers since noon. Sparky notices that Spike has his brother [[Jimmy Witwicky|Jimmy]]'s telescope with him. Spike tells him that he and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] were planning to go up to [[Hanger's Rock]] to look at the full moon. He says it helps him remember Jimmy, to which Sparky grouses that it's better to just forget. Spike fires back at his father, telling him he won't end up like Jimmy. Meanwhile, [[Jerry (G1)|another patron]] is drunkenly ranting about how he saw a giant boxy jet fly down from space. Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Sparky's co-worker, [[Davey]], here to pick him up for their shifts. Sparky tells Spike that he has to grow up eventually, to which Spike angrily asks if he means being like him. As the adults drive off, Carly arrives to pick Spike up in her van. Carly consoles a dejected Spike by suggesting they go "pretend they're on another planet."

At Hanger's Rock, the pair climb the mountain in search of a better view and discuss their future ambitions. Spike has recently been accepted to the [[University of California, Berkeley]], where he wishes to follow in Jimmy's footsteps and become an astronaut, though he's reluctant to actually tell his father about it since Jimmy's death. Carly, meanwhile, has been looking at art schools, but she and her father are struggling to make it work financially. Carly takes Spike's hand in hers, telling him how sorry she is about what’s going on with his family. As the two teenagers lean in closer, an earthquake shakes the ground, causing the mountain to split open and sending the two plummeting into the depths below. Recovering, they find themselves inside a giant circular structure — the booster of [[Ark (G1)|a giant spacecraft]]. Spike ventures further inside the spacecraft and finds the main control room, littered with the mangled bodies of what appears to be some sort of giant robots.

[[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] flies into the ''Ark'' and transforms, grateful to have found his fallen friends. He activates [[Teletraan I|Teletraan One]] to repair and reconstruct his fellow Cybertronians, granting them new forms he found on [[Earth]]. The first to be reactivated is [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]. Jetfire warmly greets his old friend, having not seen him in centuries. Starscream thanks Jetfire for waking him and says that he's glad he "picked the right side" before immediately turning to the nearby [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and blasting his head off. The stunned Jetfire, unaware that their people have been at war for the past hundred years, tries to stop him, but Starscream turns his weapons on his old friend for showing weakness. Starscream aims his weapon at [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] next, but he is stopped by a reconstructed [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]!

As the [[Autobot]] leader and [[Decepticon]] warrior fight, Prime notices the humans and instinctively dives to protect them from Starscream’s fire. Starscream's attack is halted by the intervention of [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], right as Teletraan One reconstructs [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]. Realizing the computer is reconstructing them randomly, Starscream tells Skywarp to bring their fellow Decepticons closer. Optimus realizes that the Decepticons will outnumber them and orders a retreat, telling Ratchet to load their fellow Autobots into his new form's trailer while he fends off their opponents. He reaches for his [[ion blaster]] but is intercepted by cannon fire from a revived [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]. As he recovers, he sees Bumblebee's remains, cradling him in despair before being beset by Starscream and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]. Seeing this, Spike and Carly run out and push Prime's blaster to him, allowing him to fight back.

[[File:TF2023 – Prime & Ratchet vehicle modes.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
Left with no choice, Optimus fires at Teletraan One, destroying the computer and preventing the remaining Decepticons from being reconstructed. As Teletraan explodes, Optimus grabs Carly and Spike. He and Ratchet transform and drive out of the ''Ark'' into the mountains below, Starscream and Skywarp in hot pursuit despite their low [[energon]] levels. Jetfire regains consciousness and follows after them, firing on Starscream much to his regret. Starscream volleys back, critically wounding Jetfire. Fortunately for the Autobots, Skywarp begins to run out of energy and the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] are forced to retreat.

Needing to recuperate, Spike leads the Autobots to an abandoned quarry. As he succumbs to his injuries, Jetfire apologizes to Optimus; so much has changed since he left Cybertron in hopes of saving it. Optimus tries to use the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to heal Jetfire, but Ratchet tells him that his injuries are too great. Optimus grips his old friend's hand as he passes, still lamenting his failure.

Back in the ''Ark'', Soundwave reports to Starscream that he is unable to fix Teletraan One, as they lack both the energon and the raw materials necessary. Until it is repaired, they are the only Decepticons left. Soundwave has already sent [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] to scout for possible energon sources, but the job of harvesting it falls to Starscream since he has the most energon reserved. Begrudgingly, Starscream accepts. After all, he is leader of the Decepticons now.

As Davey and Sparky end their shift at the nearby power plant, Davey tries to talk to Sparky about his recent troubles, but they are interrupted by the arrival of Starscream, irritated he has to be the one doing all the work. The pair try to escape, but Starscream notices them. Sparky hides inside the plant, while Davey is snatched up by the giant alien. Starscream smiles to himself as he crushes Davey in his hand, amused at how fragile, squishy, and pathetic the humans are.

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (11)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (12)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (13)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (14)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (15)
* [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (16)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (18)
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]’s arm (19)

|c2=
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (8)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (9)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (10)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (20)
* [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (21)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (22)

|c3=
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky|"Sparky" Witwicky]] (1)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (3)
* [[Danny]] (4)
* [[Jerry (G1)|Jerry]] (5)
* [[Davey]] (6)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (7)

|c4=
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (17)
}}

==Quotes==
"Where are you going? Isn't that... Jimmy's?" 
"Yeah. Carly and I were going to check out the full moon tonight, remember? On top of Hanger's Rock?" 
"Looking at '''stars''' again, huh?" 
"Doing this kind of thing... it reminds me of him." 
"Why would you want to remember? It's best to '''forget''' all that." 
"Is that how you're gonna '''live''' now? Just pretending he didn't '''exist?'''" 
:—'''Sparky''' and '''Spike''' touch on their trauma

"You must forgive me. I have been away for centuries. I did not know about the war. I did not know you were the new Prime..." 
"I remember the day you left our home to find a way to save it." 
"And you... were so young then." 
"Much has changed since you left our planet. All for the worse." 
:—'''Jetfire''' and '''Optimus Prime''' rekindle their friendship

"Why are you all looking at '''me?'''" 
"You have the most energon reserved. Thus the harvesting is up to '''you.''' It's what Meg---" 
"'''Do not''' say his name. '''I''' am the leader of the Decepticons now."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Soundwave'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Jetfire's arrival on Earth follows from his awakening in [[Void Rivals issue 1|the first issue]] of ''[[Void Rivals]]''. How long he was asleep exactly is a little unclear. In ''Void Rivals'', he mentions being stranded for millions of years, but here he says he was away for merely centuries. Due to the syntax used, it could be that Jetfire was ''searching'' for centuries but ''asleep'' for millions of years. The following issue confirms the centuries time frame, making ''Void Rivals'' use of millions of years the outlier.
* Cybertron's energon shortage was hinted at by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] in ''Void Rivals'' [[Void Rivals issue 4|#4]].
* After being attacked by Starscream, Jetfire is seen leaking yellow fluid. This would appear to confirm that the yellow fuel used by [[Darak]] and [[Solila]] to reactivate him was indeed energon.
* Soundwave and Starscream allude to the absence of the usual Decepticon leader, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. Hmm... [[Cobra Commander (comic)|where could he be]]?
* Yes, Bumblebee's really dead, having been destroyed by Starscream. The other Transformers, including those like Thundercracker whose reassembly is interrupted, are just offline.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Thundercracker's not killed, he just was not fully built. [...] S'not like I shot him in the heart or something. Just FYI.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=3774s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>

===Transformers references===
* Like with ''Void Rivals'', this new series draws heavy influence from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]]:
** The character designs all pull directly from Generation 1.
** The ''Ark'' crashing into a mountain and the Autobots and Decepticons being repaired by Teletraan One is lifted from the premiere episode, "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]", right down to one of the Decepticons being reactivated first. The "error" of the Transformers having their Earth-inspired designs before they receive their Earth alternate modes is also carried over.
** Spike, Sparkplug, and Carly were all major characters in the Generation 1 cartoon, though they have been heavily reimagined, especially Carly. Sparkplug's name is shortened to just "Sparky".
** Starscream and Jetfire/Skyfire being old friends, Jetfire helping Starscream out of ignorance to the war, as well as Jetfire dying after dogfighting Starscream, brings to mind "[[Fire in the Sky]]."
* Optimus Prime gains the upper hand over Starscream with a fist and a resounding "never", similar to ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

===Real-world references===
* Sparky's flashbacks on the first page of the issue features imagery of Sparky in a conflict much like the [[Vietnam War]] and the explosion of a space shuttle reminiscent of the {{w|Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster}}; based on the context, it seems likely that Jimmy was one of the victims in the latter. Whether these are meant to literally be those events (which would suggest the comic is actually supposed to be set in the 1980s) or merely stylistic renderings of purely fictional events remains to be seen.
* Appropriately, Sparky is drinking at a {{w|Veterans of Foreign Wars|VFW}} bar.
* Carly's van art features several staples of van murals, such as a wizard inspired by {{w|Gandalf}} from ''{{w|The Lord of the Rings}}'', a barbarian resembling {{w|Conan the Barbarian|Conan}}, and a fantasy castle and dragon.
* Optimus Prime enters the scene by ''clotheslining'' Starscream—this being the signature move of "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada, one of DWJ's favorite wrestlers.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=And of course, next we have a rainmaker clothesline, as one does. This is a wrestling move, this is one of my favorite wrestlers, Kazuchika Okada from New Japan Pro Wrestling. Of course, you know, the rainmaker, the lariat, is not new in professional wrestling, and by the end of this series it will not be new to Transformers.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2508s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref><ref>[https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x34jfv6 Kazuchika Okada's Finisher- Rainmaker on Dailymotion]</ref>

===Storytelling notes===
As both writer and artist on this ''Transformers'' series, Daniel Warren Johnson has a rare level of creative freedom while composing the issue and using the art to tell the story. Some of these creative choices were covered in a "director's commentary" livestream on his YouTube channel; key insights are reproduced here alongside our own analysis of the issue.
* DWJ keeps a copy of [[IP infringement|Magic Square]]'s "Light of Peace" figure close at hand, which influences his take on Optimus Prime.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This is the Optimus Prime figure that Magic Square put out this past year in 2023. It's an update, so it has a new head sculpt, it looks just like the movie, the '86 movie which of course has been my bible. He looks so good that you can actually like, kind of pose him, and he looks pretty dynamic. And I knew that, man, if the toy looks this cool in real life, then I can make him look really cool... like look at this, it looks great, he looks kind of alive.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=798s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> He notes that he specifically avoids having Prime's "boots" flare out at all; he tries to draw them perfectly straight.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Another thing that I'll notice, that I'll give you a little preview of things to come artwise: you'll see Optimus's legs, you know, traditionally, you know, he's got kind of the 1970s design aesthetic here, which I think the Marvel Comics did, where, you know, the leg kind of comes out... like so it makes kind of like a boot cut kind of style for his like lower half of his leg. And I hate drawing that. I hate drawing that. Look how straight these legs are. As this series goes on you're going to see these legs get straighter and straighter. It's a stylistic thing something that I've been kind of like- it's been bugging me about drawing Optimus Prime, and it's just, I cannot stand drawing those legs widening out at the bottom. It's like, something about it, it just like, makes my eyes hurt. I've never liked it in the comics, it always read weird to me that they got wider. Some characters- like I remember when practicing, I was drawing Jazz. Jazz gets really wide, and if it's like, if it's really confident, like big and chunky, or Cliffjumper, big, chunky, no big deal. This? Like, Optimus's legs going wider? It just like, is it going wider is it not going w- anyway these are the ramblings of a crazy lunatic comic book artist.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2699s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* His primary ''Transformers'' comics influence comes from [[Marvel Comics]] and [[Dreamwave Productions]].<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I wanted to just highlight this poster that I had in my bedroom when I was like 16, when Pat Lee made this imagery. You know, I was a huge ''Transformers'' fan of course when I was growing up, and I read mostly the Marvel Comics, 'cause that was the only thing that was available at the time, and here we have the Pat Lee comics of course that Dreamwave put out. I was so excited, I thought it looked awesome. I still do appreciate its blockiness now. So this is another reason why I wanted to do the project, 'cause like I just remember these feelings, and these like super bright colors that like were so awesome... and just being excited with like every cover, and I just felt like a kid. [...] And of course this image, like this is very satisfying, I knew I didn't want to get this bulbous with the designs, but you know I can't say I wasn't influenced by the absolutely outlandishness of these kind of like larger-than-life characters, so.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=997s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> In the case of the latter, we'll note that [[Prime Directive|their opening miniseries]] prominently featured the ''[[Ark II]]'' disaster which drew heavily from the real-world Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster.
* The first page of the story consists of five vertically-stacked cinematic landscape panels, with Sparky's flashbacks interspersed by a panel of the Ark crashing and of Prime's deactivated body. This gives us an idea of what's been going through Sparky's mind at the bar. In particular, the panel of Optimus Prime is bookended by Spike's offscreen dialogue getting his dad's attention; Prime is often positioned as something of a father figure in wider pop culture.
** At Hasbro's request, DWJ avoided being too specific as to the conflict being shown.<ref name=HasbroMandates>{{citesocial|quote=So here we've got the first page, and you can kind of see here, Hasbro wanted me to be be very like... don't show what kind of war it is... which is fine, and I did have to change these engines from three engines, which I just thought was a little cleaner, to five engines, like the Ark is, so I didn't think they'd care that much about being on model when it came to the Ark but they did!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0?t=1316s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
** DWJ wanted to streamline the Ark's design to have just three rear thrusters, but Hasbro insisted on it having five,<ref name=HasbroMandates /> necessitating the digital addition of two more to the later splash page of the ship's engines.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So again, I had to make a bit of an edit. The original art has just three engines, so I had to add these digitally—which I did not want to do, but Hasbro wanted it, so, okay, you know? It's okay, it's okay, it's all right, it is what it is...|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=1845s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* The second page aims to bring the story into reality,<ref name=Page2>{{citesocial|quote=I really wanted to go all in on the first half of this page, and like really sell to you how lived in this world is. Even though it's a ''Transformers'' book it was very important to me that we got a vibe and a sense of where the human characters come from. And there's nothing more fun, than drawing the heck out of, than like a crappy VW hall. [...] It was a hard thing to draw, but it was also fun. I had to kind of photobash a bunch of different VFW bars—obviously didn't want to take from any one specifically, or any one bar specifically, just kind of taking the best of everything and kind of combining it into one. And this bartender, Danny the bartender, I'm a big fan of, he just kind of stands there. And of course the old guy that maybe has seen something crazy... total shout out to—even his like haircut is the same as, and the hat, as—''{{w|The Iron Giant}}'', so a little shout out there. [...] It doesn't really [take place in a specific time period like the '80s or '90s] in my opinion, there might be other people in the Energon Universe that have a different time, we don't really have a time period in place. I find time periods in comics like ''Transformers'' to be completely unnecessary. If I'm trying to make historical fiction then of course it is important, but when it comes to making things like the Transformers I have just never cared. JFK is not getting assassinated in the background on television here, so it's just not part of the story. But you will notice there's no cell phones, so. But that's cuz I hate writing stories with cell phones in them.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=1406s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> with much more detailed panels of varying shapes and sizes, and a muted earthen color palette.
** DWJ took reference from several different {{w|Veterans of Foreign Wars|VFW}} bars to arrive at the location seen in the comic.<ref name=Page2 />
** As Spike and Sparky exit, the cluttered interior gives way to the orange evening sky, with the generous negative space often physically separating Spike from his distant father.
** DWJ notes that the final panel of this spread is technically wrong; based on the perspective of the scene, Spike should be sinking into the ground. This was necessary so as not to obscure Carly's van,<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I have a bit of a goof, a bit of a mistake [...] if you actually like do the perspective here, the way it should be done, it makes no sense. He would be sinking into the ground, he's like in quicksand right now, but I could not figure out a better dynamic shot choice that would show Carly and her artistic ability with this van. Like I tried to do it like this way, and it didn't really work, because it covered up too much of the van, and I realized just how big he would have to be, like his whole face would have to be like over here and it just didn't work. I wanted him to be in the middle, but then it also didn't make sense. So I was just like beating my head against the wall like, I hope this is okay, I hope people don't notice.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0?si=QxISYwvu5QpUEbhw&t=1516s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> which is the same model of vehicle that appears in DWJ's previous original comic series ''[https://www.skybound.com/murder-falcon Murder Falcon]''.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Of course the dragon wagon, the van used in ''Murder Falcon''.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=1578s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> Mike Spicer has coloured the van using blue-pink tones, strongly contrasting with the orange otherwise dominating the spread. As we turn the page, these nighttime hues take over the story, marking the beginning of a transition towards the unreal.
* The mountain landscape was drawn to resemble that of an alien planet, to highlight the feeling of "otherworldliness".<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This also is one of my favorite panels in the book. I wanted to start getting a little crazy, a little more intense with the shot choices, to kind of start getting us into the vibe of otherworldliness. This looks a little bit like they're exploring Mars, that was the goal, completely clear sky, really pushing the envelope when it comes to dynamic composition.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=1635s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* As the earthquake begins, we get the first instance of hand-lettered sound effects, drawn into the lineart by DWJ. These appear more prominently and frequently as we transition towards comic-book action.
[[File:TF2023 1 Splash pages composition.jpg|thumb|right|upright=2|Diagram illustrating DWJ's intended flow for the back-to-back splash pages.]]
* The reveal of the Ark is paired across the two-page spread with another splash page of the deactivated Autobots. DWJ hoped to create a seamless transition, with the reader's gaze travelling down towards the inset panels at the bottom left, then following Spike and Carly across to the right, before travelling up into the scene.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This was a goal, this was the goal: to have these pages be bleeding into each other. [...] You know I don't like to do this very often, you have like two splash pages back-to-back, because they kind of like... it gets a little messy here. But you know I usually like- if I have a big splash here [on the left], I'll usually have something a little more reserved over here [on the right], and I won't have it bleed over to the left side of the page. But with here, you'll actually notice that I was trying to get people to read from... obviously you're reading here, then you go down, left to right, into this bottom part of the page, and have your eye trail up instead of going over here [diagonally across the center fold] to the top. So I was using these kind of inset panels to kind of get you to read that way.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=1985s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> Mike Spicer's coloring (exaggerated in the diagram on the right) again reinforces this intent, with the blue shade of the rocks at the bottom of the right-hand page carrying over from the left-hand page.
** Meanwhile, all of the lines of perspective inside the room point outside, where a tiny Jetfire can be seen approaching.
* Jetfire is one of Robert Kirkman's favorite Transformers, and his role in this series came entirely from Robert Kirkman's broad-strokes outline.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So, full disclosure: Robert Kirkman came up with the Jetfire idea. Jetfire is one of Robert's favorite Transformers, and that's why he was chosen. He's also like part of the lore and it was kind of like in this big outline that Jetfire was the one that comes in and finds the Autobots on Earth in the Ark- Autobots and Decepticons. But he doesn't have knowledge about the war. So you know I can't give away too much, but that was a Robert Kirkman call, and I was happy to do it. I was a little afraid about drawing Jetfire at first, but I'm actually- of course I write the script first where he dies, because it's just what the story needed, but then as I got to drawing him I was like, "I really like drawing this guy, I'm so sad I have to kill him!"|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=3301s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* The shock death of Bumblebee was a deliberate choice, as DWJ felt like audiences would be getting a little tired of seeing Bumblebee everywhere. Surprisingly, Hasbro felt the same way, and themselves asked if there was a way to write Bumblebee out of the series! DWJ also apparently doesn't enjoy drawing Bumblebee, which informed the decision,<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Let me be totally honest about the Bumblebee page, let me address this. I do really- I do like Bumblebee. I don't like drawing Bumblebee, I don't like those rivets in his arms. That's not the only reason why he had to go, I just honestly wanted to change things up. I just wanted to change things up, and I had seen a lot of Bumblebee, I think we all have, in a lot of ''Transformers'' media, and I just thought it would be a fun little swerve. And this is actually funny, our contact over at Hasbro was also a little tired of seeing Bumblebee everywhere, and he actually asked, before he saw my script, he's like, "is there any way we can not use Bumblebee in the main line?" And I told him, I was like, "I got good news for you!" He had to go, he had to go. Sorry Bumblebee fans, sorry to let you down like that, I am so sorry. They are Transformers, maybe they'll come back... but not for a long time. It's Cliff's time baby! You said it!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2545s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> which perhaps doesn't bode too well for Cliffjumper!
* When Starscream turns on Jetfire, DWJ struggled to get the composition exactly right, as he was limited by the need to make it explicitly clear that Jetfire was gravely wounded.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I wanted to make sure that everybody knew that Jetfire was gravely injured by this blast, which means I couldn't really white it out, had to be clear.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2498s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* Prime uses several wrestling moves on Starscream; DWJ had previously created the original comic series ''[https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/do-a-powerbomb Do A Powerbomb!]'', which had a central theme of loss—a motif which recurs throughout this first ''Transformers'' issue.
* As Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker look identical in black-and-white, DWJ labels them in his lineart so colorist Mike Spicer can easily distinguish.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Also notice the color notes I had to leave for Mike, because Skywarp and Starcream look exactly alike in black and white.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2839s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* Prime instinctively knowing about his trailer, and its sudden appearance in the story, is a riff on classic media where Prime's trailer would often appear and disappear out of nowhere per the needs of the story.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This is a little shoutout to like, the not-making-any-sense of ''Transformers'', where you know, very conveniently, this trailer just shows up out of nowhere. So you know, Prime's like, "What are we going to do?" and he's like, "We could use my trailer!" Look sometimes you just have to have fun and not think too much about the story.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=3131s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* As Prime's face is uniquely inexpressive, DWJ had to get creative to show his emotions to the reader, relying a lot on the character's eyes. Additionally, he tries to channel Prime's feelings through Spike.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Optimus is a character that does not emote—less so than even the rest of the cast, because of the face shield, because so much of his face is taken up, and he's really only got those eyes to work with. And I found that I was needing a way to channel Optimus through something, and I'm kind of trying to channel that through Spike, if you can't tell. I have a tendency to not be subtle, so... in life and in comics.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=3516s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> When Spike sees Prime kneeling over Bumblebee's body, it seems that he recognises the grief this alien robot is experiencing.
* Amongst the many creative sound effects in this sequence, we have highlights like "GRAPPLE" and "ROLL" accompanying the action. Clicks and buzzes fill the air together with the floating components as the Transformers are reassembled.
* DWJ contrived the situation where Spike and Carly need to push Prime's gun into his reach as a way of giving the human characters agency during the action sequence.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Sliding the gun! Super fun! I rewrote this scene a few times because the humans were just sitting, screaming, you know? Spike and Carly like, "Oh my god, what's happening!?" behind some rocks, and I was like, "They need to have some agency, they need to get involved somehow." And so that is why I had them push the gun, and it forces action, it just forces movement in a story, it gives Spike personality and like bravery, and I'm very happy with this moment. It's very hard to not just write fight scenes where it's just like fight fight fight fight fight, and finding new ways to tie everybody together, and I wish I had more time to do this but of course we work in genre fiction where there are deadlines, and sometimes that can't happen, but I was glad that I was able to figure this one out.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=3543s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> The "SKRKK" sound effect of the gun scraping along the floor is drawn to follow the lines of action.
* When Prime gives the order to "Transform and roll out!", the ''entire comic'' shifts to a landscape orientation, requiring you to physically turn the comic in your hands. This is awesome.
* Ratchet's updated alternate mode came simply from a dissatisfaction with his classic Nissan look.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Any reason you went with a more modern style van, a Ford Transit rather than the traditional Nissan Vanette for Ratchet? You know what, I just didn't like the way the Nissan looked, so I just, I really wanted something different. I just wanted something different, so.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2966s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* DWJ was keen to develop the Decepticons beyond their classic cartoonishly-evil characterisation, with a key example in this issue being Soundwave's clear concern for the injured Ravage.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=It's all about this, baby. It's all about trying to give some... you know... something other than... "The Decepticons are all evil, raah!" Like, Soundwave is a bad dude—but man, he loves his tapes, and one of these tapes is hurting bad and he's feeling real bad about it.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=4410s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* For Davey's gruesome death at the hand of Starscream, Hasbro requested it occur off-panel. The beat was intended to clearly set the stakes of the comic without being egregiously gory,<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Hasbro asked for Davey to be killed offscreen, which I was totally fine with. Did want to get kind of messy with it, though, because I did want to kind of make a little bit of a statement. You know, it's a book that your kids can read, but you know, not everybody's going to make it, so.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=4593s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> and seems to mark a major turning point for Sparky.

===Errors===
* Bumblebee's body is seen near Optimus Prime’s trailer, despite him being across the ship near Teletraan One when Starscream blew his head open.
* When Starscream is forced to break off his pursuit of the Autobots, his speech balloon is pointing to Skywarp.

===Other trivia===
* Prior to its official release, an ashcan copy of this issue was available exclusively at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2023. The ashcan had certain pages taken out to prevent spoilers, as well as featuring concept art and designs for various characters.
* In early solicitations for this issue, the cover had an original logo with blue text broken over two lines;<ref>[https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/AUG230407 ''Transformers'' #1 CVR A JOHNSON on PREVIEWSworld]</ref> the final cover uses the standard modern logo, leaving some unsightly negative space above Prime's head. This was changed at the request of Hasbro.
* This issue sold out at the distributor level before it was even officially released, prompting Skybound to announce a second printing the day before it hit retailer shelves.
* ''Transformers'' #1 was the best-selling comic issue of 2023, according to ICv2 industry sales estimates.<ref>[https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/56290/top-50-comics-full-year-2023 ICv2: Top 50 Comics - Full Year 2023]</ref>

===Roll Call===
* After being reactivated by Jetfire, Teletraan-1 in short order reactivates Starscream, Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Skywarp, Soundwave, Laserbeak, Rumble, and Ravage. Starscream almost immediately after coming online executes Bumblebee, taking the little guy out before he could even be part of the action.
* During the subsequent battle, Prime shoots Ravage, knocking him offline. Soundwave's desire to revive him becomes a recurring plot point in subsequent issues.
* After helping the Autobots escape, Jetfire succumbs to the wound inflicted on him by Starscream. [[Transformers_(2023)_issue_8|Issue 8]] reveals that he was able to be partially saved, albeit not in a means that he probably wanted...
* '''Autobots:''' 2. '''Decepticons:''' 5.

===Covers===
With over 50 to choose from, ''Transformers'' #1 features more variant covers than any other single ''Transformers'' comic issue ''by a long shot''.
{{comicstub|50/75 covers documented}}
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus Prime emerges from an explosion, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' The Autobots, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C:''' The Decepticons, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover D:''' Optimus Prime destroys Starscream, by [[Ryan Ottley]] and [[Annalisa Leoni]].
* '''Cover E (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover, by [[Orlando Arocena]].
* '''Cover F (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Optimus leaps on Starscream to save Carly's van as Laserbeak and Ravage attack, by [[Cliff Chiang]].
* '''Cover G (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Optimus Prime, by [[Francis Manapul]].
* '''Cover H (1:100 Copy Incentive Foil):''' Starscream holds Bumblebee’s head, by [[Ian Bertram]] and [[Gus Storms]].
* '''Cover I:''' Blank sketch cover.
* '''San Diego Comic-Con Ashcan cover A:''' Spike atop Optimus Prime, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''San Diego Comic-Con Ashcan cover B:''' Black-and-white version, only available at Skybound's Energon Universe convention panel.
* '''Big Clutch/[[eBay]] exclusive:''' Foil variant of main cover A. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Felix Comic Art exclusive A:''' Wraparound variant of Optimus Prime playing basketball against the Decepticons, by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Felix Comic Art exclusive B:''' Black-and-white virgin variant. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Stadium Comics exclusive:''' by [[Santa Fung]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Comic Grail Vault exclusive A:''' by [[Von Randal]] and [[Alex Guimarães]]. Limited to 800 copies.
* '''Comic Grail Vault exclusive B:''' Foil variant.
* '''Alan Quah exclusive:''' by [[Alan Quah]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Hector Trunnec New York Comic Con exclusive:''' by [[Hector Trunnec]]. Limited to 400 copies.
* '''East Side Comics exclusive:''' by [[DarlsDraws]]. Limited to 300 copies.
* '''Whatnot exclusive A:''' by [[Siya Oum]].
* '''Whatnot exclusive B:''' Foil variant.
* '''TransMissions Podcast exclusive:''' by [[E. J. Su]].
* '''MFKiG exclusive:''' by [[Ainsworth Lin]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Forbidden Planet exclusive A:''' by [[Flaviano]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Forbidden Planet exclusive B:''' Virgin variant. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Memory Lane Comics exclusive:''' by [[Hayden Sherman]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Rod Reis New York Comic Con exclusive:''' by [[Rod Reis]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Carnivore Comics exclusive A:''' by [[Rafael Grassetti]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Carnivore Comics exclusive B:''' Virgin variant. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Carnivore Comics exclusive C:''' Foil variant. Limited to 1,000 copies, exclusively at New York Comic Con 2023.
* '''Matthew Roberts exclusive:''' by [[Matthew Roberts]].
* '''Mike Bowden New York Comic Con exclusive:''' by [[Mike Bowden]] and [[Pez Fred]]. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Big Time Collectibles exclusive A:''' by [[John Giang]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Big Time Collectibles exclusive B:''' Foil variant. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Wanted Comix / Rupps Comics / JJ's Comics & Art / Big Clutch exclusive A:''' by [[Maria Wolf]] & Mike Spicer. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Wanted Comix / Rupps Comics / JJ's Comics & Art / Big Clutch exclusive B:''' Virgin variant. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Wanted Comix / Rupps Comics / JJ's Comics & Art / Big Clutch exclusive C:''' Foil variant. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Juni Ba exclusive A:''' by [[Juni Ba]]. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Juni Ba exclusive B:''' Foil variant. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Seibertron.com exclusive:''' by [[Marco Ferrari]].
* '''The 616 Comics exclusive:''' by [[Vincenzo Federici]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Francesco Tomaselli New York Comic Con exclusive:''' by [[Francesco Tomaselli]]. Limited to 900 copies.
* '''Condemned Comics exclusive:''' by [[Christopher Mitten]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Skottie Young exclusive:''' by [[Skottie Young]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Skottie Young exclusive second printing:''' Virgin foil variant. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Ryan Barry exclusive A:''' by [[Ryan Barry]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Ryan Barry exclusive B:''' Foil variant. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Things From Another World exclusive:''' by [[Frédéric Pham Chuong]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover A:''' Optimus Prime, by [[Jason Howard]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover B:''' Starscream, by Jason Howard.
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover C:''' The 'Bots, by [[Lewis LaRosa]] and [[Rico Renzi]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover D:''' The 'Cons, by Lewis LaRosa and Rico Renzi.
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover E:''' Bumblebee's fate, by [[Greg Tocchini]].
* '''Third Printing Variant Cover:''' by [[Gerald Parel]].
* '''Fourth Printing Variant Cover:''' by [[Clayton Henry]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 1 cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers01B Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers01C Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers01D Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers01E Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers01F Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers01G Cover.jpg|

File:Transformers01I Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 SDCC AC cvr.jpg|

File:Transformers 2023 1 Big Clutch-eBay cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers01-FelixComicArtA Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Felix Comic Art cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Stadium Comics cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Comic Grail Vault cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Alan Quah cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Hector Trunnec NYCC cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 DarlsDraws cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Whatnot cvr A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 TransMissions Podcast cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 MFKiG cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 ForbiddenPlanet cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 ForbiddenPlanet cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Memory Lane Comics cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Rod Reis NYCC cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Carnivore Comics cvr A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Carnivore Comics cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Carnivore Comics cvr C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Mike Bowden NYCC cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Big Time Collectibles cvr A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Big Time Collectibles cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Maria The Wolf cvr A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Maria The Wolf cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Maria The Wolf cvr C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Juni Ba cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Juni Ba cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Seibertron.com cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 The 616 Comics cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Francesco Tomaselli NYCC cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Condemned Comics cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Skottie Young cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Ryan Barry cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Ryan Barry cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Things From Another World cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 2nd ptg cvr A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 2nd ptg cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 2nd ptg cvr C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 2nd ptg cvr D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 2nd ptg cvr E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 3nd ptg cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 4th Ptg Cover.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Explore the [[Energon Universe]] in ''Void Rivals''
* Codename: G.I. Joe starts in ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' #1
* The rise of [[Cobra]] starts in ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' #1
* A new era for G.I. Joe starts in ''[[G.I. Joe (comic)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'' #301
* ''Murder Falcon'' Deluxe Hardcover available now

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398171 / ISBN 978-1534398177 
** Collects issues #1–6.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) 
** Variant cover version of the above trade paperback, exclusively sold through the comic book direct market.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' – cover art by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]]
File:Transformers 2023 V1 DM Variant.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' – cover art by [[Jonboy Meyers]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0 Director's commentary by Daniel Warren Johnson]

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

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 9

2024-06-14T01:37:17Z

DevinM626:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #9
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 8
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 10
|image=Transformers 2023 9 Cover A.jpg
|caption=Someone ought to get him a chiropractor.
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[June 12]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=June 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jorge Corona]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The battles on Earth and Cybertron finally collide, with horrifying consequences for Optimus and his allies.'''

==Synopsis==
As the [[Autobot]]s near the [[Decepticon]]s' location in the [[Pacific Ocean]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] activates a device from the bridge of the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. From an antenna atop the ship, a whirlpool begins to form and a beam of pink energy fires into the sky which grazes [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], sending the Autobot jet careening to the bottom of the ocean floor. As the Autobots are thrown from their companion, they are confronted by the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s as they work on the device — a [[space bridge]], through which [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] steps through! The Autobots scramble to fight back as the Decepticons converge on them. [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] is cornered by Soundwave, wielding Shockwave in his gun mode, but is saved from execution by [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] taking the blast for him and allowing [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] to intervene. Shockwave quickly engages the Autobot leader, eager to pay him back after their last encounter.

In [[Farmingham]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] make their way back to the dam, hoping to repair their [[energon]] turbine with supplies from the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. Carly is eager to learn how to fight, but Arcee informs her that being linked is more about looking out for each other than it is fighting. However, a mile out from the dam, they are confronted by the [[Farmingham milita]]. Carly rushes out in front of the militia and urges them to stand down, telling them the Autobots are the good guys. Meanwhile, at [[Farmingham Hosptial]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] learns from the doctor that his spine was grazed by the bullet when the militia accidentally shot him. Spike asks if he'll ever walk again, but the doctor's words of reassurance are interrupted by the sound of [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], who has come looking for Spike. Though he doesn't wish to to harm any "lesser beings", he threatens to destroy the hospital if Spike doesn't come with him; Spike agrees without hesitation.

[[File:TF2023 no 9 - Beachcomber Rescues Spike.jpg|left|thumb|"Aren't you a little short for—Oh wait [[Star Wars (franchise)|wrong franchise]]".]]
On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] are cornered by the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s. Unable to find an escape, Elita follows a pink glow at the end of a corridor, discovering the portal Shockwave used to come to Earth, arriving on the alien world in the midst of Optimus and Shockwave's battle. The Combaticons begin to follow them through, with [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] giving the order to merge. Without missing a beat, Elita grabs Prime's [[ion blaster]] and fires at the space bridge. Onslaught leaps through, but [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] is caught in between the portal and is bisected as it closes. Soundwave orders the Decepticons to eliminate the rest of the Autobots and they open fire on Cliffjumper and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. Elita insists that she and Optimus retreat, dragging both him and Magnus away from the combat. Soundwave prepares to go after them, but Shockwave tells him to focus on repairing the space bridge. The cyclopean Decepticon then discovers the abandoned Cliffjumper and Jazz, eager to have new subjects to "experiment" with.

As Astrotrain approaches the Pacific, he tells Spike about how Cybertron has been plagued with disease, but that the resources of Earth will help the Decepticons save their world, even at the cost to the humans. Spike protests, but Astrotrain nonchalantly says that it is simply the way for "a weaker species." Astrotrain also reveals that he will be delivered to Shockwave as an offering from Soundwave to experiment with the native lifeform. As they approach the coastline, a blue-and-white machine attaches to the Decepticon, shutting off his engines and sending him crashing to the shore. The side of Astrotrain is torn open by [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], who's here to rescue Spike!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (1)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (2)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (3)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (6)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (7)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (14)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (15)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (24)
* [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] (25)
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (29)

|c2=
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (4)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (5)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (8)
* [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (9)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (10)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (11)
* [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (12)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (13)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (21)
* [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (22)
* [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (23)
* [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (26)
* [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (27)
* [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (28)

|c3=
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (16)
* Militia (17)
* Doctor (18)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (19)
* Hospital security (20)
}}

==Quotes==
"Still sniveling. Still slimy. Still '''weak'''." 
"'''Weak?''' Did you forget our last meeting, Shockwave? Shall I make you cry for mercy a '''second''' time?"
:—'''Shockwave''' and '''Optimus'''

"You fought dirty last time, Optimus. But I have learned much since that day. '''''Your ending shall be slow and brutal.'''''"
:—'''Shockwave''' drives home how he's changed.

"It must be surprising to you, seeing us standing in front of you, in all our metallic glory. But where we hail from is a shell of its former self. Our home is in need of sustenance. And look at the land you live in. Your resources are immeasurable and ripe for the taking." 
"But... this is our ''home!''" 
"Such is the way for a weaker species. I feel sorry for you, human."
:—'''Astrotrain''' teaches '''Spike''' how colonization works.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Jetfire is now sporting an [[Insignia|Autobrand]], something which must have occurred in between panels [[Transformers (2023) issue 8|last issue]].
* The Decepticons who fired on Elita's team in [[Transformers (2023) issue 7|issue #7]] are confirmed to have been the Combaticons. In their previous appearance, only their shadowed silhouettes were seen.
* Spike was shot by one of [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparky]]'s militia in [[Transformers (2023) issue 3|issue #3]].
* So we weren't crazy, that ''was'' Beachcomber hiding in the shadows [[Transformers (2023) issue 8|last issue]]. He didn't appear to be part of the resurrected Ark crew and he didn't come through with Elita and Magnus, so how the heck did he get to Earth?

===''Transformers'' references===
* The Combaticons are colored in their [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] colors.

===Real-world references===
* Shockwave paraphrases the human idiom "tickled pink," replacing "pink" with his own "purple."
* As noted in the opening blurb of the letters page, Daniel Warren Johnson is ecstatic that Jorge Corona didn't bat an eye at the direction of drawing Shockwave performing {{w|The Undertaker}}'s signature {{w|Piledriver (professional wrestling)#Kneeling reverse_piledriver|Tombstone Piledriver}} finishing move on Optimus.

===Errors===
* Shockwave uses the word "welp" as an insult. It should be spelled "[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/whelp whelp]"; the word "[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/welp welp]" is a corruption of "well", typically used to express helpless exasperation.

===Other trivia===

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus holds the world on his shoulders ala {{w|Atlas (mythology)|Atlas}}, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Shockwave and his victims, by Jorge Corona and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover, by [[Karen S. Darboe]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Shockwave, by [[Jonathan Wayshak]] and [[David Baron]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' The Combaticons, by [[David Baldeón]] and [[Rex Lokus]].
* '''Cover F:''' Energon Universe Anniversary connecting cover, by [[Jason Howard]] and [[Annalisa Leoni]].
* '''Cover G:''' Energon Universe Anniversary connecting cover (black and white), by Jason Howard.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover F.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover G.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/skyboundent/gi-joe-a-real-american-hero-compendium-set Kickstarter for the ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' Hardcover Compendiums]]
* 5-page preview of ''[[Destro (comic)|Destro]]'' [[Destro issue 1|#1]].

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' ([[November 27]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534345272 / ISBN 978-1534345270 
** Collects issues #7–12.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V2.jpg|'''''Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==
*

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

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 9

2024-06-14T01:37:03Z

DevinM626:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #9
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 8
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 10
|image=Transformers 2023 9 Cover A.jpg
|caption=Someone ought to get him a chiropractor.
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[June 12]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=June 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jorge Corona]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The battles on Earth and Cybertron finally collide, with horrifying consequences for Optimus and his allies.'''

==Synopsis==
As the [[Autobot]]s near the [[Decepticon]]s' location in the [[Pacific Ocean]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] activates a device from the bridge of the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. From an antenna atop the ship, a whirlpool begins to form and a beam of pink energy fires into the sky which grazes [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], sending the Autobot jet careening to the bottom of the ocean floor. As the Autobots are thrown from their companion, they are confronted by the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s as they work on the device — a [[space bridge]], through which [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] steps through! The Autobots scramble to fight back as the Decepticons converge on them. [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] is cornered by Soundwave, wielding Shockwave in his gun mode, but is saved from execution by [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] taking the blast for him and allowing [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] to intervene. Shockwave quickly engages the Autobot leader, eager to pay him back after their last encounter.

In [[Farmingham]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] make their way back to the dam, hoping to repair their [[energon]] turbine with supplies from the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. Carly is eager to learn how to fight, but Arcee informs her that being linked is more about looking out for each other than it is fighting. However, a mile out from the dam, they are confronted by the [[Farmingham milita]]. Carly rushes out in front of the militia and urges them to stand down, telling them the Autobots are the good guys. Meanwhile, at [[Farmingham Hosptial]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] learns from the doctor that his spine was grazed by the bullet when the militia accidentally shot him. Spike asks if he'll ever walk again, but the doctor's words of reassurance are interrupted by the sound of [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], who has come looking for Spike. Though he doesn't wish to to harm any "lesser beings", he threatens to destroy the hospital if Spike doesn't come with him; Spike agrees without hesitation.

[[File:TF2023 no 9 - Beachcomber Rescues Spike.jpg|left|thumb|"Aren't you a little short for—Oh wait [[Star Wars (franchise)|wrong franchise]]".]]
On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] are cornered by the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s. Unable to find an escape, Elita follows a pink glow at the end of a corridor, discovering the portal Shockwave used to come to Earth, arriving on the alien world in the midst of Optimus and Shockwave's battle. The Combaticons begin to follow them through, with [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] giving the order to merge. Without missing a beat, Elita grabs Prime's [[ion blaster]] and fires at the space bridge. Onslaught leaps through, but [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] is caught in between the portal and is bisected as it closes. Soundwave orders the Decepticons to eliminate the rest of the Autobots and they open fire on Cliffjumper and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. Elita insists that she and Optimus retreat, dragging both him and Magnus away from the combat. Soundwave prepares to go after them, but Shockwave tells him to focus on repairing the space bridge. The cyclopean Decepticon then discovers the abandoned Cliffjumper and Jazz, eager to have new subjects to "experiment" with.

As Astrotrain approaches the Pacific, he tells Spike about how Cybertron has been plagued with disease, but that the resources of Earth will help the Decepticons save their world, even at the cost to the humans. Spike protests, but Astrotrain nonchalantly says that it is simply the way for "a weaker species." Astrotrain also reveals that he will be delivered to Shockwave as an offering from Soundwave to experiment with the native lifeform. As they approach the coastline, a blue-and-white machine attaches to the Decepticon, shutting off his engines and sending him crashing to the shore. The side of Astrotrain is torn open by [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], who's here to rescue Spike!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (1)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (2)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (3)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (6)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (7)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (14)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (15)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (24)
* [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] (25)
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (29)

|c2=
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (4)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (5)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (8)
* [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (9)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (10)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (11)
* [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (12)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (13)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (21)
* [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (22)
* [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (23)
* [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (26)
* [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (27)
* [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (28)

|c3=
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (16)
* Militia (17)
* Doctor (18)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (19)
* Hospital security (20)
}}

==Quotes==
"Still sniveling. Still slimy. Still '''weak'''." 
"'''Weak?''' Did you forget our last meeting, Shockwave? Shall I make you cry for mercy a '''second''' time?"
:—'''Shockwave''' and '''Optimus'''

"You fought dirty last time, Optimus. But I have learned much since that day. '''''Your ending shall be slow and brutal.'''''"
:—'''Shockwave''' drives home how he's changed.

"It must be surprising to you, seeing us standing in front of you, in all our metallic glory. But where we hail from is a shell of its former self. Our home is in need of sustenance. And look at the land you live in. Your resources are immeasurable and ripe for the taking." 
"But... this is our ''home!''" 
"Such is the way for a weaker species. I feel sorry for you, human."
:—'''Astrotrain''' teaches '''Spike''' how colonization works.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Jetfire is now sporting an [[Insignia|Autobrand]], something which must have occurred in between panels [[Transformers (2023) issue 8|last issue]].
* The Decepticons who fired on Elita's team in [Transformers (2023) issue 7|issue #7]] are confirmed to have been the Combaticons. In their previous appearance, only their shadowed silhouettes were seen.
* Spike was shot by one of [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparky]]'s militia in [[Transformers (2023) issue 3|issue #3]].
* So we weren't crazy, that ''was'' Beachcomber hiding in the shadows [[Transformers (2023) issue 8|last issue]]. He didn't appear to be part of the resurrected Ark crew and he didn't come through with Elita and Magnus, so how the heck did he get to Earth?

===''Transformers'' references===
* The Combaticons are colored in their [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] colors.

===Real-world references===
* Shockwave paraphrases the human idiom "tickled pink," replacing "pink" with his own "purple."
* As noted in the opening blurb of the letters page, Daniel Warren Johnson is ecstatic that Jorge Corona didn't bat an eye at the direction of drawing Shockwave performing {{w|The Undertaker}}'s signature {{w|Piledriver (professional wrestling)#Kneeling reverse_piledriver|Tombstone Piledriver}} finishing move on Optimus.

===Errors===
* Shockwave uses the word "welp" as an insult. It should be spelled "[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/whelp whelp]"; the word "[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/welp welp]" is a corruption of "well", typically used to express helpless exasperation.

===Other trivia===

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus holds the world on his shoulders ala {{w|Atlas (mythology)|Atlas}}, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Shockwave and his victims, by Jorge Corona and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover, by [[Karen S. Darboe]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Shockwave, by [[Jonathan Wayshak]] and [[David Baron]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' The Combaticons, by [[David Baldeón]] and [[Rex Lokus]].
* '''Cover F:''' Energon Universe Anniversary connecting cover, by [[Jason Howard]] and [[Annalisa Leoni]].
* '''Cover G:''' Energon Universe Anniversary connecting cover (black and white), by Jason Howard.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover F.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover G.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/skyboundent/gi-joe-a-real-american-hero-compendium-set Kickstarter for the ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' Hardcover Compendiums]]
* 5-page preview of ''[[Destro (comic)|Destro]]'' [[Destro issue 1|#1]].

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' ([[November 27]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534345272 / ISBN 978-1534345270 
** Collects issues #7–12.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V2.jpg|'''''Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==
*

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

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Scourge (ROTB)

2023-07-05T21:21:00Z

DevinM626:

{{disambig3|Scourge}}
{{factions|terrorcon}}
:''Scourge is a [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]] from the [[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]] portion of the [[Movie continuity family]].''

[[File:Scourge Render.jpg|Right|thumb|250px|I'm here to see MF DOOM.]]

'''Scourge''' is the most fearsome hunter in the universe and the ruthless leader of the Terrorcons. Scourge commands his Terrorcons to pillage and leave chaos in their wake, to continue their mission to conquer thousands of worlds under [[Unicron]]'s command. He is a ferocious but patient killer who makes sure that all who oppose him or his master will die, and his body is covered with insignias claimed as grisly trophies of his many kills. However, make no mistake, Scourge is Unicron's servant, and any failure on his part is immediately punished with extreme pain. It is a testament to Scourge's skill that he rarely fails.

As part of his servitude to the dark god, Scourge has been imbued with a dark energy that gives him power beyond the measure of most ordinary Transformers, making him all but invulnerable. In the event any would-be victim attempts to escape his grasp, he is capable of infecting them, slowly and painfully corrupting them into a puppet for his will. On occasions when he is unable or unwilling to reach his targets, he is able to deploy a pair of fearsome [[Freezer]]s from within his body to sniff out his prey for him.

{{bigquote|I enjoy that look of confusion when [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|an inferior being]] meets a higher power.|Scourge|''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]''}}

==Fiction==
===''Rise of the Beasts'' film===
{{Spoiler|Rise of the Beasts|July 9}}

{{voiceactor|[[Peter Dinklage]] (English), [[Nobuo Tobita]] (Japanese)|[[Idzi Dutkiewicz Sánchez]] (Latin American-Spanish), [[Jérémie Covillault]] (European French), [[Thiéry Dubé]] (Canadian French), [[Gianluca Iacono]] (Italian), [[Wellington Lima]] (Brazilian Portuguese), [[Claus-Peter Damitz]] (German)}}

[[File:ROTB-ScourgeBumblebee.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|When this ends, I’ll have a cheetah skin hanging on my wall. I don’t care ''whose.'']]

Scourge hailed from a [[Cybertronian colonies|world]] that was destroyed by [[Unicron]], perhaps in a time beyond the modern era, leaving him as the only survivor. He sold his [[spark|soul]] to the monster planet and became his most terrifying hunter, becoming known throughout the universe.

As Unicron approached the homeworld of the [[Maximal]]s, Scourge, accompanied by several [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Scorponok (ROTB)|Scorponoks]], was sent ahead to retrieve their [[Transwarp Key]], so his master might feed on planets across space and time. He confronted the Maximal leader [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]], taunting that their planet would make a savory meal for Unicron, yet the dark god would spare their home if they surrendered the Key. When the noble Maximal refused, Scourge welcomed the fight, easily besting him and tearing away his [[insignia]] to add to his collection. But Apelinq's sacrifice had bought enough time for the other Maximals to escape with the key, foiling Scourge's mission. He was then ordered by his master to scour the universe until the Key was found.

[[File:ROTB-ScourgeCommunicatesUnicron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I've come to enlighten you to the Great Darkness!]]
In the year [[1994]], Scourge was drawn to [[Earth]] by the recently activated Transwarp Key, landing in the Hudson River in [[New York City]] with his loyal [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]] accomplices [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]] and [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]]. As they emerged from the water, he promptly ordered Nightbird to search the island, confirming the Transwarp Key's signature emanated from a museum on Ellis Island. After instructing his drone-like [[Freezer]] drones to sniff out [[Elena Wallace|two]] [[Noah Diaz|humans]] who were in possession of the Key, Scourge would engage with [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and his Autobot forces alongside Battletrap and Nightbird. Despite the Autobots' valiant efforts, Scourge managed to outperform Optimus in combat. Scourge killed [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] when he tried to intervene in the battle, but before he could finish Prime, the Maximal Airazor arrived and the Terrorcons departed, having got what they came for.

Scourge reported back to Unicron with the retrieved key, only to discover that the Terrorcons only had half of the actual key; split by the Maximals as a last resort against Unicron's servants. Unicron mentally tortured the Terrorcon leader as punishment, demanding that his followers return with the completed key.

Eventually, the Terrorcons arrived in [[Peru]] to track down the Autobots and their human allies, with Scourge deploying two Freezers to capture the humans. The Terrorcons chased the Autobots on the Peruvian highway, culminating in Scourge tackling Prime down the mountain. Before the Autobots escaped Scourge's advances, he infected Airazor with Unicron's foul energy, which eventually corrupted and brainwashed her into Scourge's minion. Following Noah's reluctant attempt to destroy the other half of the Transwarp Key, Scourge stole it and ordered Airazor to kill her former comrades, forcing her leader, [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]], to kill her. Relocating with his minions to a nearby volcano, he used the complete key's power to create the Transwarp tower capable of allowing Unicron to access Earth.

The Autobots and Maximals soon staged an assault and he ordered his cohorts to defend the tower. After summoning a giant army of Freezer troops, Scourge stood his guard at the tower's control panel. He was attacked by [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] alone to keep his attention away from Noah and Elena's efforts to deactivate the beam, but despite his mask being kicked from his face, he was able to defeat the two, near-killing Mirage and leaving Noah for dead under his comatose body. He then dispatched a Freezer to eliminate Elena and inadvertently contributed to Nightbird's death in his attempts to fire on the revived Bumblebee. Noah restarted the fight minutes later, now wearing an [[Exosuit|exo-suit]] courtesy of Mirage, and was joined by Optimus Prime. Scourge fought on fiercely but would eventually be overpowered by the combined forces of Noah and Prime after suffering a stab to the back of the leg from the human. Beginning to lose the fight, he begged Unicron for reinforcements before spitefully destroying the control panel to ensure his master's victory. A furious Prime then forced him into an open lava flow, cleaved off both his arms and finally decapitated him.

As his body sunk into the lava, Prime forcefully removed Bumblebee's stolen Autobot insignia from his frame. Scourge's efforts failed as the key and tower were destroyed, with his remains pulled into the collapsing portal.{{storylink|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts}}
{{note|Scourge's involvement in the preceding events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the books "[[Mission at the Museum]]" and "[[The Search Is On]]".}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Studio Series''===
[[File:StudioSeriestoy-ScourgeLeader.jpg|thumb|300px|Never skip neck day. Well, skip it a little.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Leader Class, [[2023]])
**''Movie'': '''''Rise of the Beasts'''''
**''Hasbro ID number'': '''101'''
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''SS-109'''
**''Accessories'': Cannon, left arm
{{toydesigner|[[Sam Smith]] and [[Evan Brooks]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] (TakaraTomy)}}<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFmIPhOUO2/ Design notes on ''Studio Series'' Scourge] from Hasbro designer [[Sam Smith]] on Instagram</ref>

:Released as part of the eleventh wave of ''[[Studio Series]]'' Leader Class figures, Scourge transforms into a frightening truck in 31 steps. Scourge is compatible with the [[Freezer|Core Class Freezer]] figure as a blaster for his hand and in his truck bed. His left arm can detach at the elbow so it can be replaced by his gun attachment.

:Like the majority of ''Studio Series'' figures from ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]'', Scourge is based on early concept art, evident by his neck, shoulders, mouth, and the inaccurate chest section/truck grill.

:The hexagonal hinges required for transformation, added with the fact that Scourge's truck cab is entirely clear plastic, can cause the plastic to crack. As there are no known fixes at this time (if any even exist), exercise caution when transforming the figure.

:Hasbro revealed the figure on [[January 30]], 2023.
::*''[https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFmIPhOUO2/ Designer commentary on Scourge from Sam Smith on Instagram]''

===''Buzzworthy Bumblebee''===
[[File:TF-ROTB-Smash-Changers-Scourge.jpg|thumb|300px|Fan theory fuel.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Smash Changers, 2023)
**''TakaraTomy name'': '''Papapatto Change Scourge '''
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''BPC-EX'''
**''TakaraTomy release date'': April 15, 2023

:''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' Smash Changers Scourge is a retool of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#SmashChangers|Smash Changers Optimus Prime]], changing from a cab-over Mad Max-esque truck to robot in three kinetic auto-transforming steps. Manually converting the toy back into truck mode takes eleven steps. He features limited articulation on the elbows.

:In Japan, this toy was released as a Toys"R"Us Japan Exclusive.
{{--}}

===''Rise of the Beasts''===
[[File:TF-ROTB-Beast-Alliance-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Green is the new black.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Battle Changers, 2023)
{{toydesigner|[[Koki Yamada]] (TakaraTomy)}}

:Released as part of the "Beast Alliance" subline for ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (toyline)|Rise of the Beasts]]'', Battle Changers Scourge is a simplified 5 inch toy that converts from robot to truck in 7 steps.
{{comingsoontoy}}

{{-}}{{anchor|BeastCombiner}}
[[File:TF-ROTB-Beast-Combiner-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|]]
*'''Scourge & Predacon Scorponok''' (Beast Combiners, 2023)
**''TakaraTomy name'': '''Kakusei Change Armor Set Scourge & Scorponok'''
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''BCAS-04'''
**''TakaraTomy release date'': July 15, 2023
{{toydesigner|[[Koki Yamada]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: Released in the second wave of "Beast Combiners", Scourge converts from robot to post-apocalyptic truck mode in 7 steps, and is packaged with [[Scorponok (ROTB)#Beast Alliance|Scorponok]], who combines with Scourge to form his armor in 6 steps. Scorponok's tail section detaches to form a weapon for Scourge to wield. Scourge is also compatible with any other Beast Combiners beast-partner.

{{-}}{{anchor|TitanChanger}}
[[File:TF-ROTB-Titan-Changer-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|More fuel for the fire.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Titan Changer, 2022)

: ''Titan Changer'' Scourge is an extensive retool of ''The Last Knight'' Titan Changer [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Titan Changers|Optimus Prime]], turning from a robot to a truck in 4 steps.
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Figural Bag Clip===
*'''Scourge (Exclusive A)''' (2023)
:Released by Monogram, this 2.5" 3D foam bag clip takes the form of a chibi ''Rise of the Beasts'' Scourge.

:It was available only as part of a [[Blindpacking|mystery blind bag]] collection as one of two chase items.
{{-}}

===''Pop!''===
*'''Scourge''' (2023)
**''ID number:'' '''1377'''

:Released as part of a ''Rise of the Beasts''-themed batch of the ''Pop! Movies'' segment, [[Funko Pop!|Funko]]'s ''Pop!'' Scourge is a super deformed vinyl figure molded in an "intimidating" pose.
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Stevencaplejr terrorcon cast.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Wednesday Addams called dibs when she’s ready for her first car.]]
*Scourge's alt-mode was first revealed via [[Steven Caple Jr.]]'s Instagram account on [[October 6|6 October]] [[2021]], along with the other two senior Terrorcons, [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]] and [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]].
*Scourge's design as a large evil semi-truck evokes the [[Scourge (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'' holder of the name]]. It's also worth noting that [[Megatron (Movie)|this series's Megatron]] also adopted a similarly ''Mad Max''-esque truck form during the events of ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]''.
*Scourge's grill is decorated with insignia "trophies" taken from his slain enemies, which transform into his arms and shoulders in robot mode. Looking closely, one can identify [[Autobot]], [[Decepticon]], [[Maximal]], [[Mercenary]], [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]], [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]], and [[Wreckers|Wrecker]] (specifically the two-hammer symbol used in the [[:File:Wreckeridw.png|''2019 IDW'' design]]) insignias. This may be a reference to the 1971 film ''Duel'' (directed by [[Steven Spielberg]]), which featured a [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067023/mediaviewer/rm1887906560?ref_=ttmi_mi_all_sf_18 similar evil truck with "trophies" along the grill] in the form of license plates (and ''Duel'' has been [[Nemesis Prime (episode)|referenced in Transformers before]]).

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Scourge''' (スカージ ''Sukāji'')

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Rise of the Beasts Terrorcons]]
[[Category:Studio Series Terrorcons]]

Scourge (ROTB)

2023-07-05T21:20:45Z

DevinM626:

{{disambig3|Scourge}}
{{factions|terrorcon}}
:''Scourge is a [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]] from the [[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]] portion of the [[Movie continuity family]].''

[[File:Scourge Render.jpg|Right|thumb|250px|I'm here to see MF DOOM.]]

'''Scourge''' is the most fearsome hunter in the universe and the ruthless leader of the Terrorcons. Scourge commands his Terrorcons to pillage and leave chaos in their wake, to continue their mission to conquer thousands of worlds under [[Unicron]]'s command. He is a ferocious but patient killer who makes sure that all who oppose him or his master will die, and his body is covered with insignias claimed as grisly trophies of his many kills. However, make no mistake, Scourge is Unicron's servant, and any failure on his part is immediately punished with extreme pain. It is a testament to Scourge's skill that he rarely fails.

As part of his servitude to the dark god, Scourge has been imbued with a dark energy that gives him power beyond the measure of most ordinary Transformers, making him all but invulnerable. In the event any would-be victim attempts to escape his grasp, he is capable of infecting them, slowly and painfully corrupting them into a puppet for his will. On occasions when he is unable or unwilling to reach his targets, he is able to deploy a pair of fearsome [[Freezer]]s from within his body to sniff out his prey for him.

{{bigquote|I enjoy that look of confusion when [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|an inferior being]] meets a higher power.|Scourge|''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]''}}

==Fiction==
===''Rise of the Beasts'' film===
{{Spoiler|Rise of the Beasts|July 9}}

{{voiceactor|[[Peter Dinklage]] (English), [[Nobuo Tobita]] (Japanese)|[[Idzi Dutkiewicz Sánchez]] (Latin American-Spanish), [[Jérémie Covillault]] (European French), [[Thiéry Dubé]] (Canadian French), [[Gianluca Iacono]] (Italian), [[Wellington Lima]] (Brazilian Portuguese), [[Claus-Peter Damitz]] (German)}}

[[File:ROTB-ScourgeBumblebee.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|When this ends, I’ll have a cheetah skin hanging on my wall. I don’t care ''whose.'']]

Scourge hailed from a [[Cybertronian colonies|world]] that was destroyed by [[Unicron]], perhaps in a time beyond the modern era, leaving him as the only survivor. He sold his [[spark|soul]] to the monster planet and became his most terrifying hunter, becoming known throughout the universe.

As Unicron approached the homeworld of the [[Maximal]]s, Scourge, accompanied by several [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Scorponok (ROTB)|Scorponoks]], was sent ahead to retrieve their [[Transwarp Key]], so his master might feed on planets across space and time. He confronted the Maximal leader [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]], taunting that their planet would make a savory meal for Unicron, yet the dark god would spare their home if they surrendered the Key. When the noble Maximal refused, Scourge welcomed the fight, easily besting him and tearing away his [[insignia]] to add to his collection. But Apelinq's sacrifice had bought enough time for the other Maximals to escape with the key, foiling Scourge's mission. He was then ordered by his master to scour the universe until the Key was found.

[[File:ROTB-ScourgeCommunicatesUnicron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"I've come to enlighten you to the Great Darkness!"]]
In the year [[1994]], Scourge was drawn to [[Earth]] by the recently activated Transwarp Key, landing in the Hudson River in [[New York City]] with his loyal [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]] accomplices [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]] and [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]]. As they emerged from the water, he promptly ordered Nightbird to search the island, confirming the Transwarp Key's signature emanated from a museum on Ellis Island. After instructing his drone-like [[Freezer]] drones to sniff out [[Elena Wallace|two]] [[Noah Diaz|humans]] who were in possession of the Key, Scourge would engage with [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and his Autobot forces alongside Battletrap and Nightbird. Despite the Autobots' valiant efforts, Scourge managed to outperform Optimus in combat. Scourge killed [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] when he tried to intervene in the battle, but before he could finish Prime, the Maximal Airazor arrived and the Terrorcons departed, having got what they came for.

Scourge reported back to Unicron with the retrieved key, only to discover that the Terrorcons only had half of the actual key; split by the Maximals as a last resort against Unicron's servants. Unicron mentally tortured the Terrorcon leader as punishment, demanding that his followers return with the completed key.

Eventually, the Terrorcons arrived in [[Peru]] to track down the Autobots and their human allies, with Scourge deploying two Freezers to capture the humans. The Terrorcons chased the Autobots on the Peruvian highway, culminating in Scourge tackling Prime down the mountain. Before the Autobots escaped Scourge's advances, he infected Airazor with Unicron's foul energy, which eventually corrupted and brainwashed her into Scourge's minion. Following Noah's reluctant attempt to destroy the other half of the Transwarp Key, Scourge stole it and ordered Airazor to kill her former comrades, forcing her leader, [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]], to kill her. Relocating with his minions to a nearby volcano, he used the complete key's power to create the Transwarp tower capable of allowing Unicron to access Earth.

The Autobots and Maximals soon staged an assault and he ordered his cohorts to defend the tower. After summoning a giant army of Freezer troops, Scourge stood his guard at the tower's control panel. He was attacked by [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] alone to keep his attention away from Noah and Elena's efforts to deactivate the beam, but despite his mask being kicked from his face, he was able to defeat the two, near-killing Mirage and leaving Noah for dead under his comatose body. He then dispatched a Freezer to eliminate Elena and inadvertently contributed to Nightbird's death in his attempts to fire on the revived Bumblebee. Noah restarted the fight minutes later, now wearing an [[Exosuit|exo-suit]] courtesy of Mirage, and was joined by Optimus Prime. Scourge fought on fiercely but would eventually be overpowered by the combined forces of Noah and Prime after suffering a stab to the back of the leg from the human. Beginning to lose the fight, he begged Unicron for reinforcements before spitefully destroying the control panel to ensure his master's victory. A furious Prime then forced him into an open lava flow, cleaved off both his arms and finally decapitated him.

As his body sunk into the lava, Prime forcefully removed Bumblebee's stolen Autobot insignia from his frame. Scourge's efforts failed as the key and tower were destroyed, with his remains pulled into the collapsing portal.{{storylink|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts}}
{{note|Scourge's involvement in the preceding events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the books "[[Mission at the Museum]]" and "[[The Search Is On]]".}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Studio Series''===
[[File:StudioSeriestoy-ScourgeLeader.jpg|thumb|300px|Never skip neck day. Well, skip it a little.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Leader Class, [[2023]])
**''Movie'': '''''Rise of the Beasts'''''
**''Hasbro ID number'': '''101'''
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''SS-109'''
**''Accessories'': Cannon, left arm
{{toydesigner|[[Sam Smith]] and [[Evan Brooks]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] (TakaraTomy)}}<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFmIPhOUO2/ Design notes on ''Studio Series'' Scourge] from Hasbro designer [[Sam Smith]] on Instagram</ref>

:Released as part of the eleventh wave of ''[[Studio Series]]'' Leader Class figures, Scourge transforms into a frightening truck in 31 steps. Scourge is compatible with the [[Freezer|Core Class Freezer]] figure as a blaster for his hand and in his truck bed. His left arm can detach at the elbow so it can be replaced by his gun attachment.

:Like the majority of ''Studio Series'' figures from ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]'', Scourge is based on early concept art, evident by his neck, shoulders, mouth, and the inaccurate chest section/truck grill.

:The hexagonal hinges required for transformation, added with the fact that Scourge's truck cab is entirely clear plastic, can cause the plastic to crack. As there are no known fixes at this time (if any even exist), exercise caution when transforming the figure.

:Hasbro revealed the figure on [[January 30]], 2023.
::*''[https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFmIPhOUO2/ Designer commentary on Scourge from Sam Smith on Instagram]''

===''Buzzworthy Bumblebee''===
[[File:TF-ROTB-Smash-Changers-Scourge.jpg|thumb|300px|Fan theory fuel.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Smash Changers, 2023)
**''TakaraTomy name'': '''Papapatto Change Scourge '''
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''BPC-EX'''
**''TakaraTomy release date'': April 15, 2023

:''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' Smash Changers Scourge is a retool of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#SmashChangers|Smash Changers Optimus Prime]], changing from a cab-over Mad Max-esque truck to robot in three kinetic auto-transforming steps. Manually converting the toy back into truck mode takes eleven steps. He features limited articulation on the elbows.

:In Japan, this toy was released as a Toys"R"Us Japan Exclusive.
{{--}}

===''Rise of the Beasts''===
[[File:TF-ROTB-Beast-Alliance-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Green is the new black.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Battle Changers, 2023)
{{toydesigner|[[Koki Yamada]] (TakaraTomy)}}

:Released as part of the "Beast Alliance" subline for ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (toyline)|Rise of the Beasts]]'', Battle Changers Scourge is a simplified 5 inch toy that converts from robot to truck in 7 steps.
{{comingsoontoy}}

{{-}}{{anchor|BeastCombiner}}
[[File:TF-ROTB-Beast-Combiner-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|]]
*'''Scourge & Predacon Scorponok''' (Beast Combiners, 2023)
**''TakaraTomy name'': '''Kakusei Change Armor Set Scourge & Scorponok'''
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''BCAS-04'''
**''TakaraTomy release date'': July 15, 2023
{{toydesigner|[[Koki Yamada]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: Released in the second wave of "Beast Combiners", Scourge converts from robot to post-apocalyptic truck mode in 7 steps, and is packaged with [[Scorponok (ROTB)#Beast Alliance|Scorponok]], who combines with Scourge to form his armor in 6 steps. Scorponok's tail section detaches to form a weapon for Scourge to wield. Scourge is also compatible with any other Beast Combiners beast-partner.

{{-}}{{anchor|TitanChanger}}
[[File:TF-ROTB-Titan-Changer-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|More fuel for the fire.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Titan Changer, 2022)

: ''Titan Changer'' Scourge is an extensive retool of ''The Last Knight'' Titan Changer [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Titan Changers|Optimus Prime]], turning from a robot to a truck in 4 steps.
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Figural Bag Clip===
*'''Scourge (Exclusive A)''' (2023)
:Released by Monogram, this 2.5" 3D foam bag clip takes the form of a chibi ''Rise of the Beasts'' Scourge.

:It was available only as part of a [[Blindpacking|mystery blind bag]] collection as one of two chase items.
{{-}}

===''Pop!''===
*'''Scourge''' (2023)
**''ID number:'' '''1377'''

:Released as part of a ''Rise of the Beasts''-themed batch of the ''Pop! Movies'' segment, [[Funko Pop!|Funko]]'s ''Pop!'' Scourge is a super deformed vinyl figure molded in an "intimidating" pose.
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Stevencaplejr terrorcon cast.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Wednesday Addams called dibs when she’s ready for her first car.]]
*Scourge's alt-mode was first revealed via [[Steven Caple Jr.]]'s Instagram account on [[October 6|6 October]] [[2021]], along with the other two senior Terrorcons, [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]] and [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]].
*Scourge's design as a large evil semi-truck evokes the [[Scourge (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'' holder of the name]]. It's also worth noting that [[Megatron (Movie)|this series's Megatron]] also adopted a similarly ''Mad Max''-esque truck form during the events of ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]''.
*Scourge's grill is decorated with insignia "trophies" taken from his slain enemies, which transform into his arms and shoulders in robot mode. Looking closely, one can identify [[Autobot]], [[Decepticon]], [[Maximal]], [[Mercenary]], [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]], [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]], and [[Wreckers|Wrecker]] (specifically the two-hammer symbol used in the [[:File:Wreckeridw.png|''2019 IDW'' design]]) insignias. This may be a reference to the 1971 film ''Duel'' (directed by [[Steven Spielberg]]), which featured a [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067023/mediaviewer/rm1887906560?ref_=ttmi_mi_all_sf_18 similar evil truck with "trophies" along the grill] in the form of license plates (and ''Duel'' has been [[Nemesis Prime (episode)|referenced in Transformers before]]).

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Scourge''' (スカージ ''Sukāji'')

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Rise of the Beasts Terrorcons]]
[[Category:Studio Series Terrorcons]]

Scourge (ROTB)

2023-07-05T21:15:32Z

DevinM626:

{{disambig3|Scourge}}
{{factions|terrorcon}}
:''Scourge is a [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]] from the [[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]] portion of the [[Movie continuity family]].''

[[File:Scourge Render.jpg|Right|thumb|250px|I'm here to see MF DOOM.]]

'''Scourge''' is the most fearsome hunter in the universe and the ruthless leader of the Terrorcons. Scourge commands his Terrorcons to pillage and leave chaos in their wake, to continue their mission to conquer thousands of worlds under [[Unicron]]'s command. He is a ferocious but patient killer who makes sure that all who oppose him or his master will die, and his body is covered with insignias claimed as grisly trophies of his many kills. However, make no mistake, Scourge is Unicron's servant, and any failure on his part is immediately punished with extreme pain. It is a testament to Scourge's skill that he rarely fails.

As part of his servitude to the dark god, Scourge has been imbued with a dark energy that gives him power beyond the measure of most ordinary Transformers, making him all but invulnerable. In the event any would-be victim attempts to escape his grasp, he is capable of infecting them, slowly and painfully corrupting them into a puppet for his will. On occasions when he is unable or unwilling to reach his targets, he is able to deploy a pair of fearsome [[Freezer]]s from within his body to sniff out his prey for him.

{{bigquote|I enjoy that look of confusion when [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|an inferior being]] meets a higher power.|Scourge|''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]''}}

==Fiction==
===''Rise of the Beasts'' film===
{{Spoiler|Rise of the Beasts|July 9}}

{{voiceactor|[[Peter Dinklage]] (English), [[Nobuo Tobita]] (Japanese)|[[Idzi Dutkiewicz Sánchez]] (Latin American-Spanish), [[Jérémie Covillault]] (European French), [[Thiéry Dubé]] (Canadian French), [[Gianluca Iacono]] (Italian), [[Wellington Lima]] (Brazilian Portuguese), [[Claus-Peter Damitz]] (German)}}

[[File:ROTB-ScourgeBumblebee.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|When this ends, I’ll have a cheetah skin hanging on my wall. I don’t care ''whose.'']]

Scourge hailed from a [[Cybertronian colonies|world]] that was destroyed by [[Unicron]], perhaps in a time beyond the modern era, leaving him as the only survivor. He sold his [[spark|soul]] to the monster planet and became his most terrifying hunter, becoming known throughout the universe.

As Unicron approached the homeworld of the [[Maximal]]s, Scourge, accompanied by several [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Scorponok (ROTB)|Scorponoks]], was sent ahead to retrieve their [[Transwarp Key]], so his master might feed on planets across space and time. He confronted the Maximal leader [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]], taunting that their planet would make a savory meal for Unicron, yet the dark god would spare their home if they surrendered the Key. When the noble Maximal refused, Scourge welcomed the fight, easily besting him and tearing away his [[insignia]] to add to his collection. But Apelinq's sacrifice had bought enough time for the other Maximals to escape with the key, foiling Scourge's mission. He was then ordered by his master to scour the universe until the Key was found.

[[File:ROTB-ScourgeCommunicatesUnicron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Desaad, Desaad, I call to thee.]]
In the year [[1994]], Scourge was drawn to [[Earth]] by the recently activated Transwarp Key, landing in the Hudson River in [[New York City]] with his loyal [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]] accomplices [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]] and [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]]. As they emerged from the water, he promptly ordered Nightbird to search the island, confirming the Transwarp Key's signature emanated from a museum on Ellis Island. After instructing his drone-like [[Freezer]] drones to sniff out [[Elena Wallace|two]] [[Noah Diaz|humans]] who were in possession of the Key, Scourge would engage with [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and his Autobot forces alongside Battletrap and Nightbird. Despite the Autobots' valiant efforts, Scourge managed to outperform Optimus in combat. Scourge killed [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] when he tried to intervene in the battle, but before he could finish Prime, the Maximal Airazor arrived and the Terrorcons departed, having got what they came for.

Scourge reported back to Unicron with the retrieved key, only to discover that the Terrorcons only had half of the actual key; split by the Maximals as a last resort against Unicron's servants. Unicron mentally tortured the Terrorcon leader as punishment, demanding that his followers return with the completed key.

Eventually, the Terrorcons arrived in [[Peru]] to track down the Autobots and their human allies, with Scourge deploying two Freezers to capture the humans. The Terrorcons chased the Autobots on the Peruvian highway, culminating in Scourge tackling Prime down the mountain. Before the Autobots escaped Scourge's advances, he infected Airazor with Unicron's foul energy, which eventually corrupted and brainwashed her into Scourge's minion. Following Noah's reluctant attempt to destroy the other half of the Transwarp Key, Scourge stole it and ordered Airazor to kill her former comrades, forcing her leader, [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]], to kill her. Relocating with his minions to a nearby volcano, he used the complete key's power to create the Transwarp tower capable of allowing Unicron to access Earth.

The Autobots and Maximals soon staged an assault and he ordered his cohorts to defend the tower. After summoning a giant army of Freezer troops, Scourge stood his guard at the tower's control panel. He was attacked by [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] alone to keep his attention away from Noah and Elena's efforts to deactivate the beam, but despite his mask being kicked from his face, he was able to defeat the two, near-killing Mirage and leaving Noah for dead under his comatose body. He then dispatched a Freezer to eliminate Elena and inadvertently contributed to Nightbird's death in his attempts to fire on the revived Bumblebee. Noah restarted the fight minutes later, now wearing an [[Exosuit|exo-suit]] courtesy of Mirage, and was joined by Optimus Prime. Scourge fought on fiercely but would eventually be overpowered by the combined forces of Noah and Prime after suffering a stab to the back of the leg from the human. Beginning to lose the fight, he begged Unicron for reinforcements before spitefully destroying the control panel to ensure his master's victory. A furious Prime then forced him into an open lava flow, cleaved off both his arms and finally decapitated him.

As his body sunk into the lava, Prime forcefully removed Bumblebee's stolen Autobot insignia from his frame. Scourge's efforts failed as the key and tower were destroyed, with his remains pulled into the collapsing portal.{{storylink|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts}}
{{note|Scourge's involvement in the preceding events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the books "[[Mission at the Museum]]" and "[[The Search Is On]]".}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Studio Series''===
[[File:StudioSeriestoy-ScourgeLeader.jpg|thumb|300px|Never skip neck day. Well, skip it a little.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Leader Class, [[2023]])
**''Movie'': '''''Rise of the Beasts'''''
**''Hasbro ID number'': '''101'''
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''SS-109'''
**''Accessories'': Cannon, left arm
{{toydesigner|[[Sam Smith]] and [[Evan Brooks]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] (TakaraTomy)}}<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFmIPhOUO2/ Design notes on ''Studio Series'' Scourge] from Hasbro designer [[Sam Smith]] on Instagram</ref>

:Released as part of the eleventh wave of ''[[Studio Series]]'' Leader Class figures, Scourge transforms into a frightening truck in 31 steps. Scourge is compatible with the [[Freezer|Core Class Freezer]] figure as a blaster for his hand and in his truck bed. His left arm can detach at the elbow so it can be replaced by his gun attachment.

:Like the majority of ''Studio Series'' figures from ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]'', Scourge is based on early concept art, evident by his neck, shoulders, mouth, and the inaccurate chest section/truck grill.

:The hexagonal hinges required for transformation, added with the fact that Scourge's truck cab is entirely clear plastic, can cause the plastic to crack. As there are no known fixes at this time (if any even exist), exercise caution when transforming the figure.

:Hasbro revealed the figure on [[January 30]], 2023.
::*''[https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFmIPhOUO2/ Designer commentary on Scourge from Sam Smith on Instagram]''

===''Buzzworthy Bumblebee''===
[[File:TF-ROTB-Smash-Changers-Scourge.jpg|thumb|300px|Fan theory fuel.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Smash Changers, 2023)
**''TakaraTomy name'': '''Papapatto Change Scourge '''
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''BPC-EX'''
**''TakaraTomy release date'': April 15, 2023

:''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' Smash Changers Scourge is a retool of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#SmashChangers|Smash Changers Optimus Prime]], changing from a cab-over Mad Max-esque truck to robot in three kinetic auto-transforming steps. Manually converting the toy back into truck mode takes eleven steps. He features limited articulation on the elbows.

:In Japan, this toy was released as a Toys"R"Us Japan Exclusive.
{{--}}

===''Rise of the Beasts''===
[[File:TF-ROTB-Beast-Alliance-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Green is the new black.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Battle Changers, 2023)
{{toydesigner|[[Koki Yamada]] (TakaraTomy)}}

:Released as part of the "Beast Alliance" subline for ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (toyline)|Rise of the Beasts]]'', Battle Changers Scourge is a simplified 5 inch toy that converts from robot to truck in 7 steps.
{{comingsoontoy}}

{{-}}{{anchor|BeastCombiner}}
[[File:TF-ROTB-Beast-Combiner-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|]]
*'''Scourge & Predacon Scorponok''' (Beast Combiners, 2023)
**''TakaraTomy name'': '''Kakusei Change Armor Set Scourge & Scorponok'''
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''BCAS-04'''
**''TakaraTomy release date'': July 15, 2023
{{toydesigner|[[Koki Yamada]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: Released in the second wave of "Beast Combiners", Scourge converts from robot to post-apocalyptic truck mode in 7 steps, and is packaged with [[Scorponok (ROTB)#Beast Alliance|Scorponok]], who combines with Scourge to form his armor in 6 steps. Scorponok's tail section detaches to form a weapon for Scourge to wield. Scourge is also compatible with any other Beast Combiners beast-partner.

{{-}}{{anchor|TitanChanger}}
[[File:TF-ROTB-Titan-Changer-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|More fuel for the fire.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Titan Changer, 2022)

: ''Titan Changer'' Scourge is an extensive retool of ''The Last Knight'' Titan Changer [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Titan Changers|Optimus Prime]], turning from a robot to a truck in 4 steps.
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Figural Bag Clip===
*'''Scourge (Exclusive A)''' (2023)
:Released by Monogram, this 2.5" 3D foam bag clip takes the form of a chibi ''Rise of the Beasts'' Scourge.

:It was available only as part of a [[Blindpacking|mystery blind bag]] collection as one of two chase items.
{{-}}

===''Pop!''===
*'''Scourge''' (2023)
**''ID number:'' '''1377'''

:Released as part of a ''Rise of the Beasts''-themed batch of the ''Pop! Movies'' segment, [[Funko Pop!|Funko]]'s ''Pop!'' Scourge is a super deformed vinyl figure molded in an "intimidating" pose.
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Stevencaplejr terrorcon cast.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Wednesday Addams called dibs when she’s ready for her first car.]]
*Scourge's alt-mode was first revealed via [[Steven Caple Jr.]]'s Instagram account on [[October 6|6 October]] [[2021]], along with the other two senior Terrorcons, [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]] and [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]].
*Scourge's design as a large evil semi-truck evokes the [[Scourge (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'' holder of the name]]. It's also worth noting that [[Megatron (Movie)|this series's Megatron]] also adopted a similarly ''Mad Max''-esque truck form during the events of ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]''.
*Scourge's grill is decorated with insignia "trophies" taken from his slain enemies, which transform into his arms and shoulders in robot mode. Looking closely, one can identify [[Autobot]], [[Decepticon]], [[Maximal]], [[Mercenary]], [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]], [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]], and [[Wreckers|Wrecker]] (specifically the two-hammer symbol used in the [[:File:Wreckeridw.png|''2019 IDW'' design]]) insignias. This may be a reference to the 1971 film ''Duel'' (directed by [[Steven Spielberg]]), which featured a [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067023/mediaviewer/rm1887906560?ref_=ttmi_mi_all_sf_18 similar evil truck with "trophies" along the grill] in the form of license plates (and ''Duel'' has been [[Nemesis Prime (episode)|referenced in Transformers before]]).

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Scourge''' (スカージ ''Sukāji'')

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Rise of the Beasts Terrorcons]]
[[Category:Studio Series Terrorcons]]

Past

2022-12-09T15:59:37Z

DevinM626:

{{episode|
|series=Armada
|ep=31
|prev=Runaway
|next=Past II
|title="Past"
|furigana=いんねん
|japanese=過去前編
|romaji=Innen
|translation=Past, Part 1: Pretext
|image=past.jpg
|caption=
|production code=TF: A-31
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]]
|writer=[[Shōji Tonoike]]
|englishadaptation=[[Jono Howard]]
|director=[[Masayuki Motsumoto]]
|animation studio=[[Actas Inc.]], Click Ani
|airdate=[[March 29]], [[2003]] (English) [[August 8|8 August]] [[2003]] (Japanese)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy]]
}}
'''An Autobot and a Decepticon arrive from Cybertron, each with histories tied to the Autobot crew.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:AWheeljack-Fire.jpg|left|thumb|BURN in the FIRES of Inferno! Maxi—err, Autobot.]]
''Surrounded by flames, [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] tries to lift off a large piece of debris holding down [[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]]'s legs. Over Wheeljack's protest, Hot Shot runs to get additional assistance, leaving his friend waiting. Outside of the flames, Hot Shot's superior refuses to let Hot Shot endanger himself by entering the flames again.''

On [[Earth]], the kids mock [[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]]'s self-introduction. Side Swipe greets [[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]], but Blurr is embarrassed and denies knowing Side Swipe. After coming inside, Side Swipe stands on his head and calls for help to jog Blurr's memory of the two's meeting.

[[File:Past Part 1 Side Swipe caught.jpg|200px|thumb|Meanwhile, in Robots in Disguise...]]
''On a sunny [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Side Swipe has been suspended upside down (possibly due to a poor attempt at a parachute landing). After a brief name exchange, Blurr blasts the rope holding Side Swipe in place.''

Seeking his savior, Side Swipe followed Blurr to Earth. But Blurr has no interest in the enthusiastic wannabe and walks away. When Side Swipe tries to follow, he stumbles and disturbs Blurr's work. Blurr, [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], and Hot Shot meet and decide that Hot Shot is best suited to become Side Swipe's mentor.

[[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] and [[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] play [[Fighter Machine|a video game]]. Billy wins, but they get scolded by [[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]].

Hot Shot walks out into the rain to take Side Swipe under his wing. After the two get introduced, they go to the target range. Side Swipe manages to destroy his target, but without anything close to precision. Outside, Side Swipe displays that he can't transform very fast either.

''Wheeljack, stranded inside the burning terrain, calls out for help. While Hot Shot doesn't answer, [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] marches from the flames.''

By a pretty lake, Side Swipe and Hot Shot have a heart-to-heart. Side Swipe explains how he idolizes Blurr's dedication, but Hot Shot instead suggests Side Swipe set more reasonable goals to find his own identity. A black car monitors the two in secret.

[[File:ArmadaHotShot Wheeljack sunset.jpg|left|thumb|"Sure would suck if I was trapped in a fire and rescued by Megatron, owing my life to him, forcing us to be on opposite sides."]]
Alexis enjoys Fred and Billy's video game.

The black car cruises on a highway and aggressively approaches the two [[Autobot]]s. They attempt to ignore him (assuming he's domestic to the planet), but Wheeljack knocks away Side Swipe and shows his defaced Autobot logo to Hot Shot. Side Swipe connects with his [[Mini-Con]] and accelerates to fight back, while Hot Shot remembers:

''On Cybertron, years ago, Hot Shot was appointed the supervisor of an enthusiastic younger bot. In-person, Wheeljack's idolization matches Side Swipe's idolization of Blurr. Wheeljack then cryptically mentions the possibility of battle separating them.''

The use of holograms, vanishing, and aggressive driving allow Wheeljack to easily knock Side Swipe off a cliff on one side of the road. With the younger Autobot out of the way, Hot Shot and Wheeljack are formally reintroduced. Wheeljack disregards Hot Shot's apology for abandoning him on Cybertron and explains how Megatron saved and recruited him. Now the two stand on opposite sides and Wheeljack faces down Hot Shot with his weapon drawn... and fires.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] (1)
*[[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] (2)
*[[Sentinel Minor]] (3)
*[[Endo]] (4)
*[[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]] (5)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (6)
*[[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]] (7)
*[[Peritus Maximus]] (14)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (11)

|c3=
*[[Carlos Lopez]] (7)
*[[Rad White]] (8)
*[[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]] (9)
*[[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] (10)
*[[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] (11)

|h4=[[Mini-Con]]s|c4=
*[[Nightbeat (Armada)|Nightbeat]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Side Swipe:''' "...maybe this'll help you." 
''(Side Swipe steps away from Blurr and does a handstand)'' 
'''Carlos and Rad:''' "Huh?" 
'''Hot Shot:''' "Hey, what is this..? The circus?" 
'''Side Swipe:''' "''Ahem''... HEEELP! WILL SOMEBODY HELP MEEEEE?!"
:—'''Side Swipe''' tries his hardest to make Blurr remember him.

"Attention soldier! Side Swipe, as this moment, you will be working under the supervision and guidance of Hot Shot." 
"Under Hot Shot?" 
"That's right kid." 
"Well, who's that?" 
"I am! I'm Hot Shot, you idiot!"
:—'''Hot Shot''' assigns '''Side Swipe''' to himself.

"Prepare yourself, Hot Shot. You're about to get a little surprise from your past. You may have forgotten what you did to me but I will ''never'' forget."
:—'''Wheeljack''' expositing as he drives toward Hot Shot and Side Swipe.

"I think you're mistaken, Hot Shot. I didn't come here for revenge. I'm no longer the Wheeljack you knew. Like I said, I've been reborn. I've become... a Decepticon!" 
"No! It's... not true!" 
"Sorry, but it is. Our friendship's over. Let's forget the past and get on with our lives so we can battle as enemies, understand? There's nothing I can do to change the past."
:—'''Wheeljack''' oddly, claiming he isn't here for revenge when he's here for revenge.
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Legends of the Microns''===
*Hot Shot's opening narration over the flashback is ''Armada''-exclusive. He thinks to himself that he can't move the metal before telling Wheeljack to wait while he gets help in the Japanese dub.
*After punching Hot Shot to the ground, the blue bot tells him to consider the whole unit over a single soldier in ''Armada''. In ''Legends of the Microns'', he says they can't afford to lose Hot Shot and tells him to think about what's important to the Autobots.
*Side Swipe's arrival to the Autobot base is silent. After Side Swipe introduces himself, Hot Shot asks who he is before Side Swipe calls for Blurr. ''Armada'' adds Optimus reacting in surprise.
*Blurr doesn't say anything after Alexis tells him to take another look at Side Swipe. Hot Shot says they should let Side Swipe in since he's a loudmouth, and they'll be in trouble if anyone from Earth sees him.
*Blurr is silent in his flashback until the first time Side Swipe asks him to wait.
*In ''Armada'', Side Swipe says he made up an excuse to get transferred to Earth after asking around about Blurr, and Hot Shot sarcastically says Blurr is a hero to him too. Then Side Swipe promises not to get in Blurr's way before Blurr says he's already in his way. In ''Legends of the Microns'', Side Swipe offered himself for deployment to the front lines after tracking Blurr's whereabouts, and Hot Shot understands that Side Swipe sees Blurr as his hero. Then Side Swipe says he knows it might cause some trouble for Blurr, and Blurr says it's a lot of trouble.
*''Armada'' gives Billy and Fred some filler dialogue whenever their video game is onscreen; they only speak or react whenever the shot cuts to them in ''Legends of the Microns''. Billy tells Alexis the game helps them "strategize for future attacks" in the Japanese dub.
*It's unclear if the changes came from mistranslation or a conscious simplification, but ''Armada'' omits a crucial detail about Hot Shot and Wheeljack's backstory that reframes the whole situation. It shows Hot Shot leaving Wheeljack in the fire and promising to get help at face value, so Wheeljack's hatred of Hot Shot looks like wrongful resentment. However, ''Legends of the Microns'' makes it clear that Hot Shot ''did'' abandon Wheeljack out of cowardice; his promise to get help was an excuse and his attempt to rush back into the fire was guilt-ridden second thoughts. This detail makes both Wheeljack's grudge and Hot Shot's guilt considerably less misplaced.

===Animation and technical errors===
*During the opening flashback, it sounds like Hot Shot says he needs to go back for "her" instead of "him."
*Connecting with his Mini-Con changes Side Swipe's appearance, but they reuse his artwork from before he [[Powerlinx]]ed in the next overhead shot.
*In the shot with multiple Wheeljacks, they are all missing their damaged Autobot symbols.
*Additionally, Blurr is missing the Autobot symbol on his chest in Side Swipe's flashback and again in the following scene back at the base. ''Legends of the Microns'' adds Blurr's Autobot symbol in the flashback just before he shoots down Side Swipe and in the following scene in the base.
*Blurr and Side Swipe are drawn in their Earth [[character model|animation model]]s in the flashback, despite having Cybertronian models in the ''[[Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003]]''.
*In an error introduced in the ''Legends of the Microns'' version of the episode shows Wheeljack's car mode interior briefly flashing the color scheme seen in the American version during the crossfade before changing over to a different coloration for the rest of his introduction on Earth.
*While Wheeljack is chasing Hot Shot and Side Swipe, his small Decepticon symbol is missing in one shot.
*When Wheeljack first pulls his weapon out, it's colored grey. In the next shot, it's the proper color of yellow.
*Hot Shot and Wheeljack are drawn without the details indicating having terrestrial alternate modes. But Megatron is animated in his Earth animation model, instead of the Cybertronian mode animation model he had in "[[First Encounter]]." This mistake also happens in the Japanese version.

===Continuity notes===
[[File:OfficerOfficer.jpg|thumb|200px|Merry Primus, everyone!]]
*Side Swipe and Wheeljack debut in this episode.
*This episode introduces three original characters that use [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]] designs. While all of these "[[generic]]s" went unnamed during the original release of the show, they were later given names in [[2015]] by [[Ask Vector Prime]]:
**[[Peritus Maximus]], uses ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]'' [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s model, and is much, ''much'' smaller.
**[[Sentinel Minor]], uses ''The Headmasters'' [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]]'s model.
**[[Endo]], uses Generation 1 [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]'s model, only... much larger.
*According to ''Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003'', Hot Shot's advice about understanding the difference between yourself and someone else is a continuation of what he learned from Scavenger back in "[[Conspiracy]]."
*How and where Side Swipe picked up Nightbeat goes unexplained.
*[[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] has clouds and an [[Earth]]-like atmosphere during its daylight scenes, something that carries over into ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]''.
*Gadgets and powers:
**Side Swipe uses his pistol without its bayonet.
**It's not entirely clear, but Wheeljack can either teleport or use light manipulation.
**Wheeljack can also make copies/holograms of himself.
**Wheeljack uses one of his weird guns; these are the yellow missiles on his toy.
*Powerlinx forms:
**Side Swipe Powerlinx with Nightbeat for the only time in the cartoon, making his vehicle mode drive faster.
***As an impressive piece of toy accuracy, Nightbeat leaps out of Side Swipe's trunk compartment and activates the button on his hood, extending the front end of his vehicle mode. Once that occurs, Nightbeat transforms back to motorcycle mode and Powerlinx onto Side Swipe's Mini-Con port.

===Continuity errors===
*Why would Billy call Side Swipe the weakest Transformers he's ever seen when he hasn't even seen the guy in battle yet? He might mean Side Swipe has a weak personality, but still. The Japanese dub changes Billy's line to say Side Swipe doesn't look like the most reliable guy instead.
*Wheeljack claims he's not here for revenge, yet the rest of the episode clearly shows him obsessed with the past. He intentionally targets Hot Shot, drives Side Swipe off of a cliff in front of him, attempting to damage his psyche just before finishing him off, or so he thought. The Japanese version has identical/similar dialogue and plot point inconsistencies. Strangely, Wheeljack says that he was out for revenge in the [[Past II|next episode]]'s English dub.
**''Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003'' mentions that the episode plays Wheeljack having a grudge on Hot Shot due to what happened in the past as a mystery, so this may not exactly be an error.

===Transformers references===
*Autobot Wheeljack is colored white, similar to his Generation 1 [[Wheeljack (G1)|namesake]].
*In the Japanese dub, Blurr and Hot Shot utter, "By the Matrix..."

===Real-world references===
*The Fighter Machine game controllers Billy and Fred use resemble [[Nintendo 64]] controllers.

===Trivia===
*The kanji 過去 would be ''kako'' and 前編 would be pronounced as ''zenpen'', while ''innen'' is used for 因縁.
*This episode has no narration from Rad or [[Jim Conrad]] in the [[title sequence]] at all and is the only one to do so.
*This episode ends on a [[cliffhanger]], with the screen fading to black as Wheeljack points his weapon at Hot Shot before a gunshot goes off.
*''Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003'' reveals the following tidbits:
**This episode is the only one where flashbacks tell half of the current story, going in a back-and-forth way.
**Side Swipe's introduction brings more comedy to the episode, as he even throws the calm and collected Blurr off his game.
**[[Takeshi Sano]] likens Wheeljack to a ninja, including his design.
**Sano was particularly worried about showing Hot Shot's relationship with Side Swipe and Wheeljack, but he thinks he managed to give each one legitimacy.
**The Fighter Machine game Billy and Fred play is something of a combo of Transformers and {{w|Beyblade}}. The producers hoped to extend ''Armada''{{'}}s success into hobbyist toys and commercialize Fighter Machines, so they tried forcing it into the story. However, the problem was that no one had ever seen a Fighter Machine toy before.
**Aside from one moment in "[[Cramp]]," this episode is the last one to feature a Powerlinx with a Mini-Con as the showrunners wanted to work more on the story. The gimmick was also not as impressive as it could've been in the show like it was with the prototype toys.
*This is the show's only two-part episode.
*This is the second episode in the series where both factions gain a new member, after "[[Tactician]]."

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Der Überläufer, Teil 1'''" ("The Renegade, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' This episode was never shown on TV but dubbed in 2003. The dub premiered in 2009 with the German DVD release of the show.

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A múlt árnyai, 1. rész'''" ("Shadows of the Past, part 1")

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Przeszłość'''" ("Past")

'''Korean'''
:*''Title:'' "'''돌아온 프레디'''" ("Returning Freddy")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Passado'''" ("Past")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2003 — ''Transformers: Legends of the Microns'' — Volume 8 ([[Columbia Music Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2003 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Vol:10 ([[Warner Bros.|Warner Music Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Flashbacks ([[Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Season One: Part Two (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — The Collector's Edition ([[Universal]]) 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Volume Two ([[New KSM]]) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]])

[[Category:Armada episodes]]

Past II

2022-12-09T15:58:07Z

DevinM626:

{{picsneeded}}

{{episode|
|series=Armada
|ep=32
|prev=Past
|next=Sacrifice
|title="Past II"
|furigana=けっちゃく
|japanese=過去後編
|romaji=Ketchaku
|translation=Past, Part 2: Conclusion
|image=pasttwo.jpg
|caption=
|production code=TF: A-32
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]]
|writer=[[Shōji Tonoike]]
|englishadaptation=[[Ward Perry]]
|director=[[Shigenori Awai]]
|animation studio=[[Actas Inc.]]
|airdate=[[April 5]], [[2003]] (English) [[August 15|15 August]] [[2003]] (Japanese)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy]]
}}

'''Hot Shot refuses to do to Side Swipe what he didn't to Wheeljack.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] fires a shot into [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]]'s chest at close range, to finalize his switch to the [[Decepticon]]s. His business for the day concluded, Wheeljack vanishes, leaving an injured Hot Shot wondering how his friend could have made such a dramatic turn for the worse. Unable to cope with the trauma, he blacks out.

Hot Shot wakes up in the [[Autobot]]s' infirmary, having been brought back to the Autobots' base by [[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]]. Wondering how he could have been so betrayed, Hot Shot tries to recall the last time he saw Wheeljack.

''On a fiery battlefield on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Wheeljack is left held down while Hot Shot runs to get some help to help lift the debris. But after getting out of the blaze, Hot Shot's superior refuses to allow Hot Shot to return. Ignoring his superior's orders and threats, Hot Shot runs back into the fire, but passes out from the heat. Later, he wakes up alone''.

[[File:Screenshot-arm-32-1.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Guys, I think you're both using the wrong expression.]]
[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] reveals to [[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]] that he knew about Hot Shot losing his friend, which is why Hot Shot was one of the troops chosen to come to [[Earth]]. Back in the infirmary, Side Swipe tries to convince Hot Shot to forgive himself, even if Wheeljack won't. Trying to collect his thoughts, Hot Shot drives out on his own, and runs into [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]].

[[File:PastII thrust injured.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Anybody ever tell you that you look like Mojo Jojo?"]]
Wheeljack and Hot Shot meet up at an abandoned industrial station. Wheeljack relates the [[Transformer]]s' obsession with wars to the humans' own tendency to wage wars. The two battle, but Hot Shot shows an initial reluctance to fight back. When Wheeljack draws his weapon, Hot Shot offers to let Wheeljack execute him with no resistance. Side Swipe interferes, and a failed attempt to save Hot Shot sets the industrial complex on fire. Wheeljack laughs and takes advantage of the situation by abducting Side Swipe. As Wheeljack carries Side Swipe into the inferno, he mockingly suggests Hot Shot save his sidekick.

Hot Shot crawls through the burning factory looking for his friend. Thrust tries to play a part in Wheeljack's grudge match, but Wheeljack blasts the Decepticon jet away—revealing his own location to Hot Shot. Working his way through the flames and metal, Hot Shot locates and frees Side Swipe. The two barely manage to get away as the container Side Swipe was set on explodes. Meanwhile, Wheeljack encounters Megatron.

On the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], Wheeljack pledges his loyalty to the Decepticons.

At the Autobot base, Side Swipe declares himself "like family" to Hot Shot and chases Hot Shot for hugs. The other kids have a laugh at Alexis becoming too attached to [[Fighter Machine|the video game]] she learned to play from Billy and Fred.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] (2)
*[[Side Swipe (Armada)|Side Swipe]] (4)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (5)
*[[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]] (6)
*[[Sentinel Minor]] (7)
*[[Endo]] (8)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (1)
*[[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] (3)
*[[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] (9)
*[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] (15)
*[[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] (16)
*[[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (17)

|c3=
*[[Carlos Lopez]] (10)
*[[Rad White]] (11)
*[[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] (12)
*[[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]] (13)
*[[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] (14)
}}

==Quotes==
"I've come to get my revenge."
:—'''Wheeljack''', who isn't out for revenge, no sir.

"I wonder what's clogging up his tailpipe. Boy, those Autobots sure are a moody bunch."
:—'''Thrust'''

"Side Swipe, I'm on my way to help you! Sit tight!" 
"No, don't come up here, it's too dangerous! Would ya get out of here? This tank is gonna explode!" 
"No chance pal, I'm coming to save ya?" 
"Then would ya hurry up?"
:—'''Hot Shot''' and '''Side Swipe'''

"I think somebody needs a hug!"
:—'''Side Swipe''', chasing Hot Shot.
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Legends of the Microns''===
*Hot Shot and Side Swipe's conversation of the former's past at the base is subtly different between dubs, with ''Armada'' continuing the need to make Hot Shot's promise to Wheeljack played at face value.
**Sideswipe claims to Hot Shot in Armada that he didn't abandon anyone and was trying to follow orders, in which the latter disagrees and says that he should've stayed with Wheeljack since Autobots always stay together. Hot Shot also guesses that he was only thinking about himself during the incident.
**Side Swipe tells Hot Shot he didn't abandon Wheeljack and that Sentinel Minor blocked him off from going back to him in ''Legends of the Microns''. Hot Shot then admits he really ''did'' abandon Wheeljack due to his cowardice, and by using that promise as an excuse, no one could blame him for what happened to Wheeljack. Hot Shot only went back to the flames because he felt last second guilt, thus him saying that he's fighting his darker side feels more natural than in the English dub.
*''Armada'' omits a conclusion drawn by Optimus and Blurr during their conversation: Wheeljack "missed" his shot because he didn't want to kill Hot Shot, he wanted to give him the chance to forget the past and fight him just as another Decepticon without holding back.
*''Armada'' has Rad and Carlos refer to the [[Fighter Machine]]s in the video game they're playing as "Mini-Cons", suggesting the humans are forcing the Mini-Cons to fight to the death for entertainment. In ''Legends of the Microns'', the pair discuss the logicstics of learning fighting moves from a game.

===Animation and technical errors===
[[File:TF-Armada-Past-II-Decepticon-Hot-Shot.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|In [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]], Hot Shot is still a good guy.]]
*Hot Shot is briefly drawn with a Decepticon logo. ''Legends of the Microns'' changes this to the correct Autobot logo.
*After catching Side Swipe, Wheeljack is drawn with an obvious Autobot logo on his forearm for several shots.

===Continuity notes===
*As stated above, ''Legends of the Microns'' concludes Optimus and Blurr's conversation with Wheeljack purposely missing Hot Shot's spark in hopes that he can forget about the past since he got what he deserved. This implies that Wheeljack had forgiven Hot Shot before entering [[Earth]], and confronted him so he can move on from the guilt.
*Hot Shot feeling remorse over his past actions gets revisited in [[Crisis (Armada)|later]] [[Remorse|episodes]].
*Gadgets and powers:
**Side Swipe uses his pistol with the bayonet attached this time.

===Continuity errors===
*In the previous episode, Wheeljack claimed that he had not come for revenge; however, in the recap of this episode, he says that he HAS come for revenge. The "I've come for revenge" line is not present in ''Legends of the Microns'', but Wheeljack's actions in both this episode and the previous one make it clear the he ''does'' want revenge.
*Unless Side Swipe was somehow a bystander during the flashback, why would he tell Hot Shot to remember what happened when he hasn't heard about it nor Wheeljack up until this point? ''Legends of the Microns'' removes this line, so it’s a non-issue.
*How did Hot Shot know to meet Wheeljack where he did? Who knows! Both versions of the show never explain this.
*In the flashback, Megatron is shown in his current Earth form.

===Transformers references===
*At one point when playing the game, Alexis hums the [[Theme song|opening theme]].

===Trivia===
[[File:Megatron-look-a-like-Fighter-Machine.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Little did anyone know, this was actually Megatron's estranged son.]]
*The kanji 過去 would be ''kako'' and 後編 would be pronounced as ''kōhen'', while "''ketchaku''" is used for either 決着 or 結着 (決着 is usually seen).
*When Alexis realizes she's playing the game too much, you see a [[Fighter Machine]] that resembles Megatron on the screen.

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Der Überläufer, Teil 2'''" ("The Renegade, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' This episode was never shown on TV, but was dubbed in 2003. The dub premiered in 2009 with the German DVD release of the show.

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A múlt árnyai, 2. rész'''" ("Shadows of the Past, Part 2")

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Przeszłość'''" ("Past")

'''Korean'''
:*''Title:'' "'''적이 된 친구'''" ("Friend turned Enemy")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Passado II'''" ("Past II")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2003 — ''Transformers: Legends of the Microns'' — Volume 8 ([[Columbia Music Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2003 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Vol:10 ([[Warner Bros.|Warner Music Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Flashbacks ([[Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Season One: Part Two (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — The Collector's Edition ([[Universal]]) 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Volume Two ([[New KSM]]) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]])

[[Category:Armada episodes]]