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The PriÂ¢e of Life!

2017-02-26T03:38:32Z

DrAdamBricker: Added real world reference.

{{comicstory|seriesissue=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' (US)]] #70
|prev=Eye of the Storm
|next=Surrender!
|title="The Pri¢e of Life!"
|seriesissue2=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|''The Transformers'' (UK)]] #309–310
|prev2=Eye of the Storm
|next2=Surrender!
|image=MarvelUS-70.jpg
|caption=What if we don't feel like it?
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|date=July [[1990]]
|coverdate=September 1990
|writer=[[Simon Furman]]
|penciler=[[Andrew Wildman]]
|inker=[[Stephen Baskerville]]
|colorist=[[Nelson Yomtov|Nel Yomtov]]
|letterer=[[Rick Parker]]
|editor=[[Rob Tokar]]
|continuity=[[Marvel Comics continuity]]
}}
'''The coming of... Ratchetron! Uh, Mega-Chet? Uh...'''

==Synopsis==
Shock. With the hideous fusion of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] and [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]] having been retrieved from [[Transwarp|unspace]] and deposited before them, the only word which can describe the feelings of the assembled [[Autobot]]s is shock. The unreality of the moment ends when [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] enters the room and, seeing the Megatron side of the creature, takes aim with his laser. His distraction gives Megatron an opening to belt [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] in the face, and Kup then fires on the [[Decepticon]]. Before any more damage can be done, though, [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] disarms his fellow [[Autobot]] and forces him to take a second look—at Ratchet. As Nightbeat explains the situation, Kup has to question whether Ratchet would even WANT to go on living in his current condition. Before the discussion can heat up from there, "Megatron" rams through the Autobots, leaving them stunned.

As Kup gets up to pursue the creature, Optimus Prime picks up Nightbeat's side of the conversation and the two begin to debate the survival of Ratchet versus the danger of Megatron. As [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] security officer, Kup insists the creature is too much of a threat to everyone on board the longer it remains functional, and yet Optimus cannot choose to throw away his friend's life so wantonly after just getting him back, whatever his condition.

[[File:Grimlockpriceoflife.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
Meanwhile, on [[Hydrus Four]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] begins his search for the well of [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]]. With a [[Hydrusian guide|local mechanoid]] as his guide and comic-relief sidekick, Grimlock is forced to endure another round of blatant exposition until, mercifully, the "dumb guide" is chased off by one of the [[Nucleon guardian|Hydrusian mechanoids]] who has been driven mad by the Nucleon. The creature is rotting away, yet somehow still capable of animation, and gives Grimlock a meager fight before it is too damaged to continue struggling.

Back on the Ark, things have gotten worse. The fusion creature has damaged [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]] and sealed itself in the engine room, creating serious wreckage out of critical systems just as the Ark is beginning to make planetfall to meet the [[Decepticon]]s for the surrender. Kup lays this all on Optimus Prime's head and goes so far as to threaten to invoke the [[Crisis Act]] and relieve him of command; after this incident and Optimus's decision to surrender the Autobots to [[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]], Kup is sure many of the crew would back him in that action. Turning to look the other Autobots in the eyes, Prime realizes his security officer isn't half wrong. Without another word, he takes the gun offered to him by Kup and bashes his way into the engine room. When Prime's gone, Kup admits to Sureshot that he's not just more bothered about it than he let on, he's partly driven by the view that Ratchet's better off dead than suffering like this.

[[File:PriceofLife-Icannot.jpg|thumb|upright=2]]
The fight is short-lived; despite all its power, the Megatron fusion is in constant agony and totally off-balance. Optimus Prime quickly overwhelms the entity, but as he is staring down the barrel of the gun into its optics, Prime just can't go through with the deed. He's then shocked when the creature (clearly under Ratchet's control at this point) pulls the gun back into line with itself and begs Prime to end its life.

On Hydrus Four, Grimlock is forced to deal with the second guardian of the well the same way he did the first: brutally. Reaching [[Farooth|the island]] where the well of Nucleon sits, he finds the last of the three guardians, who is far more coherent and far less violent than his friends. He tells Grimlock that Nucleon is not the prize he thinks; it revitalizes mechanoids, sure, and truly doesn't affect any two the same way, but it also causes wasting depletion and utter madness. In order to satisfy his doubts, Grimlock exposes himself to the Nucleon first before his fallen Dinobots. He emerges from the well feeling magnificent and prepares to load his comrades into the energy post-haste. The little dying robot can only say, "Time will tell..."

In the Ark's medi-bay, Optimus Prime receives a prognosis on the patient(s) from [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]]. The good news is, the doctor can save Ratchet's life. The bad news is, he cannot do so without also saving Megatron; the two robots have become so tightly entwined with one another that it would be impossible to do otherwise. Under the hard stares of his fellow Autobots, Optimus tells Fixit to preserve the life of both patients...
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] (2)
*[[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] (3)
*[[Waverider]] (4)
*[[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] (5)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] (6)
*[[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]] (9)
*[[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] (10)
*[[Slag (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Slag]] (11)
*[[Snarl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Snarl]] (12)
*[[Siren (G1)|Siren]] (15)
*[[Getaway]] (16)
}}
|c4=
*[[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]/[[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]] (1)
*[[Hydrusian guide]] (7)
*First [[Nucleon guardian]] (8)
*Second Nucleon guardian (13)
*Third Nucleon guardian (14)
}}

==Quotes==
"Dhhh Awabus!" 
"Nuuuh -- nuuuh!" 
"Yuuus!"
:— the fusion-slurred rantings of '''Megatron''' and '''Ratchet'''

"Thought '''Earth''' was the pits, but this place ot it beat! Me '''dirty, corroded, tired -- and very ticked-off! @$*#&!!''' Where dumb guide go now? Paid enough for him -- expect good service!" 
"Ah. There you are. For the delay, '''much sorry.''' But I... erm... '''got lost.'''" 
"Must be '''mad!''' Remind me someone, please -- '''tell why I bother!'''" 
"Oh, that is '''easy.''' You are here because up ahead is the island of Farooth, the '''Medi-Center''' and the '''nucleon'''!" 
"'''Nnn.''' Give me strength..."
:— '''Grimlock''' calls on all his strength to deal with the '''guide robot'''

"Defend the well!"
:—'''First Nucleon guardian'''. Note the double meaning in that phrase.

"*zzsk* Defend the well *zzsk* None must *zzsk* none must *zzsk* none must" 
"Must '''what?!''' Me think your '''needle stuck!'''" 
"Feed *zzsk* none must feed *zzsk* '''Defend!'''" 
"Enough! You go defend '''somewhere else!'''"
:—'''Nucleon guardian''' vs. '''Grimlock'''

"'''No.''' Be strong. Be resolute! '''Be merciless!''' ...I -- '''cannot!''' It is '''not''' my way, not '''the Autobot way!''' Matrix for give me, but I ca-- Wha--?"
:— '''Optimus Prime''' tries to coach himself into killing the Megatron-Ratchet fusion... only to find the creature begging to be killed.

==Notes==
===Artwork and technical errors===
*In the previous issue, Grimlock took [[Swoop (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Swoop]] and Snarl with him. This issue shows Snarl and Slag instead. However in "[[...All This and Civil War 2]]" Grimlock will be seen with all four Dinobots. Obviously some were just off panel this issue and the last.

===Continuity errors===
*So why didn't anyone use the Crisis Act on ''Grimlock'' back when he was being a rubbish leader?

===Continuity notes===
*Kup states there are around thirty active Autobots on the Ark, along with ''sixty'' deactivated and in stasis - almost exactly in line with the current count (see Bot Roster, below.) Since less than sixty have been confirmed as killed on-panel in events like "[[Dark Star]]", then this would seem to confirm that characters who've vanished (like the [[Monsterbot]]s) should be assumed to be offline.
*Despite the central focus of the last two issues, Ratchet and Megatron would not be addressed again until "[[The Void! (US)|The Void!]]".
*Nightbeat outlines his theory from last issue again, explaining the events from the end of "[[Skin Deep]]".
*Prime's announcement that he plans to surrender to the Decepticons also happened last issue.
*Though there are still a few glitches, this issue is the closest "turning point" where the UK [[Earthforce]] Saga could reasonably break off from the standard comic timeline. Megatron is back (sort of) as well as Shockwave building a crew, the Dinobots are going to be back due to Nucleon (and Decepticons wanting to know how they dun it is key to "[[Two Steps Back!]]"), and [[Galvatron II]] has not yet committed to attacking Cybertron. We know from "[[The Magnificent Six]]" that the attempts at allying with Scorponok, starting in the next issue, do not work out in Earthforce.

===Real-life references===
*The subplot involving the horrific fusion of Ratchet and Megatron is strongly influenced by the classic horror movies [[wikipedia:The_Fly_(1958_film)|The Fly]] and its [[wikipedia:The_Fly_(1986_film)|remake]].
**A terrible fusion accident involving teleportation is the major plot device in both movies.
**The scene where Ratchet/Megatron points Optimus' ion blaster at their head is a direct reference to the finale of the 1986 film.
**The "HELP US" on the cover is a reference to Delambe's phrase in the climax of the 1958 film.

===Bot Roster===
*Autobots: 30 active, plus 1 fused with Megatron; 8 rogue Micromasters; 1 in storage, 31 offline, 24 presumed offline.
*Decepticons: 21 active, 5 gone rogue; 25 offline, 25 presumed offline, 2 offline/missing. (78 total)

===Other trivia===
*In the credits, over the merged Transformers, editor Rob Tokar and editor-in-chief [[Tom DeFalco]] are said to "Share One Brain".
*The running theme in all of this is whether characters should be euthanised or live in suffering. While most of the ''Ark'' cast believe Ratchet and Megatron should be dead (and so do Megatron and Ratchet), Grimlock thinks this about the Nucleon victims, and the third guardian thinks it about himself, both subplots end with a character (Prime and Grimlock) rejecting the idea. Both decide they were right to do so as they can, in fact, save their comrades but have to deal with consequences as a result (saving Megatron and the later [[Action Master|loss of transformation]]).
*A ''[[The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe]]'' profile for [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Powermaster Prime]] is found after the main story.
*Note in the quotes that Megatron and Ratchet can both think and talk independently to each other.

===UK printing===
'''Issue #309:'''
*'''Reprint ''Transformers'' story:''' "[[The Enemy Within]]"
*'''Other strips:''' ''Machine Man'' - "He Lives Again" and ''[[Combat Colin]]''
*'''[[Transformers AtoZ|AtoZ]]:''' [[Thundercracker (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Thundercracker]] and [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] - a full colour reprint of the AtoZ from issue [[Manoeuvres!|#283]]
*'''Free gift:''' A Megatron/Ratchet hybrid bookmark.
*The UK #309 cover tagline is derived from "{{w|21st Century Schizoid Man}}", the opening song of {{w|King Crimson}}'s 1969 prog rock opus ''{{w|In the Court of the Crimson King}}''.
*With this issue the UK comic changed from a weekly to fortnightly schedule. The remaining 24 UK issues would return to the old format used on most of the UK run (from [[Repeat Performance!|issue #27]] until [[Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?|issue #213]]) of a single Transformers story and a backup strip. The remaining 24 UK issues would each contain half a US issue.
*The Machine Man story was previously printed, starting way back in [[Repeat Performance!|Issue #27]]

'''Issue #310:'''
*'''Reprint ''Transformers'' story:''' "The Enemy Within"
*'''Other strips:''' ''Machine Man'' - "He Lives Again" and ''Combat Colin''
*'''AtoZ:''' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] (updated)
*'''Free gift:''' An A2 poster by Jeff Anderson, featuring a group of Autobots and Decepticons facing up

===Covers (10)===
<gallery>
File:MarvelUS-70.jpg|'''US issue #70''' - Ouch.
File:MarvelUK-309.jpg|'''UK issue #309''' - AND he won't stop dribbling!
File:MarvelUK-310.jpg|'''UK issue #310''' - Tough love from Grimlock.
File:All_fall_down_tpb_cover.jpg|'''''All Fall Down'' TPB'''
</gallery>
*'''US issue #70 cover:''' Ratchet/Megatron fusion, by [[Andrew Wildman]].
*'''UK issue #309 cover:''' Ratchet/Megatron fusion, by [[Frances Farmer]].
*'''UK issue #310 cover:''' Grimlock tests out the nucleon, by [[Staz|Stewart Johnson]] and [[Robin Bouttell]].
* '''''All Fall Down'' TPB cover:''' Powermaster Optimus Prime, Megatron/Ratchet, Starscream, Shockwave and half of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], by [[Andrew Wildman]].
<gallery>
File:All_fall_down_hb_cover.jpg|'''''All Fall Down'' hardback standard cover'''
File:All_fall_down_botcon_cover.jpg|'''''All Fall Down'' hardback Botcon exclusive cover'''
File:BestofSimon.jpg|'''''The Best of Simon Furman'''''
File:Best of Transformers.jpg|'''''Best of Transformers: Eye of the Storm'''''
</gallery>
* '''''All Fall Down'' hardback cover:''' [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], by [[Howard Chaykin]] & [[Chris Blythe]].
* '''''All Fall Down'' [[BotCon]] exclusive cover:''' Powermaster Optimus Prime and Unicron, by [[Geoff Senior]] & [[Oliver Harud]].
*'''''The Best of Simon Furman'' cover:''' Cybertron, by [[Don Figueroa]].
*'''''Best of Transformers: Eye of the Storm'' cover:''' Optimus Prime, [[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]] and [[Skywarp (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Skywarp]], by Andrew Wildman.
<gallery>
File:Classic Transformers Vol5.jpg|'''''Classic Transformers'' Volume 5'''
File:TFClassicsVol6.jpg|'''''The Transformers Classics'', Vol. 6'''
</gallery>
*'''''Classic Transformers'' Volume 5 cover:''' panels from "[[Eye of the Storm]]", "[[Deadly Obsession]]", "[[All Fall Down]]", and "[[...All This and Civil War 2]]".
*'''''The Transformers Classics'', Vol. 6 cover:''' [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], by [[Guido Guidi]].

===Advertisements===
*None yet identified.

===Reprints===
*[[2001]] — ''[[Transformers: All Fall Down]]''
*[[2007]] — ''[[The Transformers: The Best of Simon Furman]]''
*[[2008]] — ''[[Best of Transformers: Eye of the Storm]]''
*[[2009]] — [[Classic Transformers Volume 5|''Classic Transformers'' Volume 5]]
*[[2013]] — [[The Transformers Classics, Vol. 6|''The Transformers Classics'', Vol. 6]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Price of Life!}}
[[Category:Marvel US issues]]
[[Category:Marvel UK issues]]

The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1

2017-02-18T14:47:48Z

DrAdamBricker: Added Wreck-Gar reference.

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

'''An embittered scientist uses the body of Optimus Prime to unleash a dangerous plague on the Autobots and, ultimately, the universe.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:ReturnofOptimus1 Prime rescue.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"You're right, it is athlete's foot."]]

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

[[File:ReturnofOptimus1 Scattershot rescues Jessica.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Don't worry, I'll help you rescue your daug-OOH LOOK, A BUNNY!]]

Upon return to Earth, Jessica's father studies the spores and learns that they are not only alive, but are an [[Hate Plague|incredibly contagious viral agent]] that induces hatred and destructive urges into whoever they contaminate. After a new scuffle between the Technobots and Terrorcons over the new alloy gravely injures Jessica, her father is convinced by Gregory to try and resurrect Prime's body as a carrier of the spores against the Autobots, a sentiment exacerbated when it's learned Jessica was paralyzed from the waist down in the accident and now needs a special exosuit to walk. However, when reviving Prime's body turns out to be impossible for them, Gregory and Jessica's father decide to use it as bait for the other Autobots. Dr. Morgan forces Jessica to lure them into a spore trap at the lab.

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

[[File:ReturnofOptimus1 Magnus sneaks up.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Rodimus has [[Energy vampire|no reflection]]?]]

Back at Autobot City, Rodimus pleads to Wreck-Gar to try and repair Prime, but Prime is too far gone even for Junkion medical experience. Desperate, Rodimus contacts Sky Lynx and orders him to locate and bring back a Quintesson, remembering that they had [[Dark Awakening (episode)|once before restored Optimus to life]]. He then sets about disconnecting Metroplex to keep the city-former from becoming infected. However, just as he finishes the final steps to do so, an infected Ultra Magnus appears. He gives chase to Rodimus before he's temporarily subdued by Wreck-Gar...who ends up becoming infected, and infecting Rodimus in return.

[[File:ReturnofOptimus1 Quintesson fixing Prime.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|You put your right arm in. You put your right arm out.]]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==Season 5==
{{note|When this episode was rebroadcast in [[The Transformers (cartoon)#Season 5|the fifth season]] of ''The Transformers'', it contained new bookending segments with original story material.}}

[[File:PrimeTommyInterviewAgain.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right]]

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

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

{{--}}

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

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

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

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

===Trivia===
*The resurrection of Optimus Prime in the show was a direct result of children's reactions to his death in ''The Transformers: The Movie'' and subsequent letters, as acknowledged by a Hasbro exec in a 1986 newspaper article. He didn't even have a toy on the shelves (which changed in 1988 with the release of Powermaster Optimus Prime).
*Jessica Morgan is named after co-writer Marv Wolfman's daughter.<ref>http://www.marvwolfman.com/marv/Speaking_With_Larry_Ditillio.html</ref>
*When Rodimus wants to put together a team to pick up a dead body from a couple of humans, he doesn't mess around, does he?

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

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

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 1987 — ''The Transformers'' — The Return of Optimus Prime ([[Family Home Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 1987 — ''Transformers'' — Die Rückkehr von Optimus Prime (Erster Teil) ([[Polyband]]) — German audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1988 — ''Transformers'' — The Return of Optimus Prime: Optimus Prime the Ultimate Robot ([[Tempo Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1989 — ''Transformers'' — Headmasters / The Return of Optimus Prime (Tempo Video) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1991 — ''Transformers'' — Headmasters / The Return of Optimus Prime / Cosmic Rust (Tempo Video) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2000 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume 7: The Return of Optimus Prime ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]])
;[[Wikipedia:LaserDisc|LaserDisc]]
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 2 & Season 4 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 5: Series 3.2 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four {{sic}} (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2010 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

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