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Transformers One (film)

2024-09-29T07:07:25Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Real-life references */ Makes more sense to link to the first video, which originated the joke and is an order of magnitude more well-known. Couldn't think of a replacement for the funny text though so feel free to put something else there.

{{Nav-one}}
{{movie|
|seriess=Transformers One
|prev=
|next=
|title=''Transformers One''
|image=Transformers One New Theatrical Poster.jpg
|caption=The motion picture you are about to see is an adaptation of the [[Transformers: Exodus|Exodus]] story. While artistic and historical license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for [[fandom|millions of people worldwide]].
|production companies=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura|di Bonaventura Pictures]] Bayhem Films [[Paramount Animation]] New Republic Pictures
|distributor=[[Paramount Pictures]]
|executive producer=[[Steven Spielberg]] [[Zev Foreman]] [[Olivier Dumont]] [[Brian Oliver]] [[B.J. Farmer]] [[Matt Quigg]]
|producer=[[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] [[Tom DeSanto]] [[Don Murphy]] [[Michael Bay]] [[Mark Vahradian]] [[Aaron Dem]]
|story by=[[Andrew Barrer]] [[Gabriel Ferrari]]
|screenplay by=[[Eric Pearson]] Andrew Barrer Gabriel Ferrari
|directed by=[[Josh Cooley]]
|cinematography by=
|edited by=
|music by= [[Brian Tyler]]
|release date=[[September 20]], [[2024]]
|runtime=104 minutes
|budget= $75 million
|box office=
|credits=Transformers One (film)/credits
}}

'''''Transformers One''''' is an animated film released on [[September 20]], [[2024]]. It is written by [[Andrew Barrer]] and [[Gabriel Ferrari]],<ref name="deadlinereveal">[https://deadline.com/2015/09/transformers-writers-room-akiva-goldsman-transformers-5-1201531918/ 'Transformers' Writers Room Wraps] on Deadline</ref> and directed by [[Josh Cooley]].<ref name="cooleyreveal">[https://deadline.com/2020/04/transformers-animated-movie-paramount-hasbro-toy-story-4-director-josh-cooley-1202921100/ Animated 'Transformers' Prequel Activated; 'Toy Story 4's Josh Cooley To Direct For Hasbro/eOne & Paramount]</ref> The movie is an origin story set on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] three billion years ago<ref name="collidercinemacon">[https://collider.com/transformers-one-animated-movie-title/ New ‘Transformers’ Animated Movie Rolls Out a New Title at CinemaCon] on Collider</ref><ref name="screenrantsandiegocomiccon">[https://screenrant.com/transformers-one-timeline-setting-takes-place// When Transformers One Takes Place In The Franchise Timeline] on Screen Rant</ref> in the days before the Autobot-Decepticon war, and focuses on [[Optimus Prime (One)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (One)|Megatron]] as they go from brothers-in-arms to enemies.<ref name="cooleyreveal" />

{{bigquote|The line between friend and enemy is not as clear as I once believed. Once it's crossed, there is no going back. Because some transformations are permanent...|[[Optimus Prime (One)|Optimus Prime]]}}

==Synopsis==
Long ago, the benevolent [[Primus]] sacrificed his life essence to become the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], and created the [[Thirteen|first generation of Transformers]], the [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]s. Through the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership]], [[energon]] flowed freely from the planet's core, and the Primes ruled justly for a time. However, when the alien [[Quintesson]]s began a long war of invasion, the Primes were eventually slain, and the Matrix of Leadership was lost, leaving only [[Sentinel Prime (One)|Sentinel Prime]] to rule the planet in their absence after the Cybertronians relocated to massive underground cities, abandoning the dangerous surface.

[[File:TFOne Orion caught.jpg|left|thumb|300px|She's exhausted from the day's work. Uh, not that it was too much! We-we quite enjoyed it!]]
Fifty cycles after the war, Cybertronian society now relies on an underclass of manual laborers born without [[transformation cog]]s, including a caste of miners who physically extract what few veins of usable energon remain from the tunnels beneath the subterranean [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] City, while Sentinel Prime makes periodic journeys to the surface in search of the missing Matrix. One impulsive miner named [[Optimus Prime (One)|Orion Pax]] has been searching for information regarding the Matrix, in the hopes that finding the artifact will restore Cybertron to prosperity and allow him and his fellow miners to choose their own path in life. Unfortunately, this search for information has led him to repeatedly break into the city's data archives without authorization. His latest attempt draws the unwanted attention of two [[Guard (One)|guards]] who have caught him several times in the past already, leading to a wild (and nearly lethal) chase through the skyways, through buildings, and eventually into the ground-level public transport station. Though the guards eventually catch up to Orion, the miner's friend [[Megatron (One)|D-16]] provides a distraction and sends the guards off on a wild goose chase. On the train to work, the pair discuss Orion's latest life-endangering adventure, and Orion, knowing that his friend idolizes the strongest Prime, gifts D-16 a rare first-edition decal of [[The Fallen|Megatronus Prime]]'s helmet he'd found.

[[File:TFOne Mine Explosion.jpg|right|thumb|300px|We're trying to get the funny man out of the well!]]
In the mines, D-16 and Orion work under the supervision of their go-getting captain [[Elita-1 (One)|Elita-1]], using [[jet pack]]s and deployable support poles to keep Cybertron's shifting geology stable long enough for them to extract raw energon. However, [[Wheeljack (One)|Wheeljack]] accidentally hits a vein of unstable energon, and the ensuing explosions trap [[Jazz (One)|Jazz]] under a rockfall. Orion and D-16 defy protocol and use a jet pack to save their coworker, but the chaos ends up damaging and destroying a lot of mine equipment. One of the mine's guards, [[Darkwing (One)|Darkwing]], blames Elita for the disaster, and informs her she's been demoted to waste management duty, despite Orion sticking up for her and taking the blame.

That evening, Sentinel Prime returns to Iacon to announce that he still has not found the Matrix; to take the blow off this bad news, Sentinel declares that the prestigious [[Iacon 5000]] race will be held the next day. Orion tries to persuade D-16 to join him in the race, hoping that they can prove to the rest of Cybertron that mining bots deserve respect, but D-16 has no interest in the idea. On the day of the race, Orion discreetly leads D-16 to the maintenance area inside the giant starting signal above the race's starting line; while D-16 is initially excited to watch from a perfect vantage point, Orion reveals his true intention as he straps jet packs to the two just as the race begins and they're dropped into the thick of a throng of racing robots. Using their jet packs and some quick thinking to compensate for their inability to transform, the two dodge the numerous traps and obstacles and briefly manage to take the lead, sending bots across the city into a frenzy, especially the cogless miners. The pair are just about to limp across the finish line and take first place, but end up being run down by [[Chromia (One)|Chromia]], who snags victory for herself. The pair figure they can still be proud of second place... until several dozen other racers whip by them in vehicle mode.

[[File:TFOne Sentinel visits.jpg|left|thumb|300px|I seek to build an empire, and your only goal is to amuse yourselves by tearing it down. Have I taught you nothing?]]
In Iacon's medical center, where many, many racers have ultimately ended up, Sentinel Prime meets with Orion and D-16; the pair are immediately certain they are in ''massive'' trouble, especially when they're scanned by Sentinel's creepy aide [[Airachnid (One)|Airachnid]] before his arrival, but it turns out it's quite the opposite. Sentinel ''loved'' their little stunt, and tells them that the miners' productivity after that showing was already at 150%. Sentinel offers them a chance to tour the mines and help inspire their comrades to work harder, with promises of some pampering along the way, and the pair quickly agree. However, Darkwing arrives before Airachnid can escort them to Sentinel's private quarters; infuriated that he nearly lost the race to the pair after they humiliated him, he drags them to the planet's fiftieth sub-level (ten levels below what they ''thought'' was the lowest level of the planet) and locks them in a trash incineration station.

The two bots soon meet the eccentric and exceptionally talkative [[Bumblebee (One)|B-127]], who has been trapped at the job of "look at garbage and take anything of value out before it's burned" for years, with only garbage statues for "company". When one of B's pals "[[Steve (One)|Steve]]" utters some electronic gibberish, Orion accidentally beheads the "bot", but discovers within the wreckage an old beacon from the Quintesson war, still broadcasting a set of coordinates located somewhere on the planet's surface. Orion, B-127, and D-16 decide to investigate, escaping the only way they can: by climbing up the dump chute. Ew. The trio stow away aboard an automated surface-bound garbage train but coincidentally encounter Elita-1, who now works the refuse line. She handily clobbers the three but ends up locked in the train with them as it departs. She heads for the front, intending to report them to security, a mad dash that gets all the harder as the train starts moving vertically towards its destination. She manages to pop a hatch and make it out of the train, and the trio gives chase, but all four are stopped cold as they're enveloped in light and they find themselves traveling along Cybertron's surface.

The four are stunned by the planet's natural beauty but then horrified as said natural beauty starts violently heaving upwards behind them, tearing up the self-building rail and scattering train cars. They run for it but are thrown off, waking in just enough time to completely miss another train, the rail un-building behind it. Elita is furious, but agrees to join Orion's search for the Matrix, on the conditions that 1) she's in command, 2) she holds the map, and 3) after they find the Matrix and bring it back the other three turn themselves in for their idiotic plan and sing her praises to the authorities. Orion very quickly agrees, and the four head off, confused by the weird not-metal life growing on the surface. They spy a group of robotic quadrupedal lifeforms, which suddenly snap to attention and run for it as the ground begins to tremble. It's soon apparent the cause of their panic: a massive Quintesson spaceship! As the ship scans for any lifeforms (obliterating one of the Cybertronian fauna with a massive cannon blast when it ends up in the tracking beams), the four barely evade detection and the ship moves on.

[[File:TransformersOne-AlphaTrionTransformationCogs.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66|Take the staff in your hand, Moses. With it, you shall do my wonders.]]

Soon they find themselves at the end of the map's trail, a hidden and extremely creepy cave. Inside they find a scene of absolute horror, the spot where the ancient Primes made their final stand against the Quintessons, the bodies of the thirteen lying broken and covered in overgrowth. Although the Matrix is nowhere to be found, Orion discovers that [[Alpha Trion (One)|Alpha Trion]]'s spark still pulses and uses an [[energon cube]] provided by B to revive him. The four attempts to bring Trion up to speed on recent events, but their mention of "Sentinel Prime" causes Trion to reveal the terrible truth: Sentinel is an imposter, a traitorous aide who led the Primes into a Quintesson ambush, in exchange for "ruling" Cybertron under the invaders' command. However, when Sentinel tried to claim the Matrix after prying it from [[Zeta Prime (One)|Zeta Prime]]'s corpse, the artifact judged him unworthy and disappeared. To appease his new masters, Sentinel has deliberately stolen transformation cogs from newborn Transformers to keep them producing energon in the mines; at Trion's urging, the four emerge from the cave to witness Sentinel pledging servitude to the [[Quintesson High Commander]] and learn the city's garbage trains are actually transporting Cybertron's dwindling energon supplies to Quintesson ships, leaving barely enough for the people of Cybertron. These revelations leave the bots horrified, but D-16 takes it the worst of all, having also looked up to Sentinel for years. Alpha Trion decides to give the team hope by gifting them the transformation cogs from four of the fallen Primes, as well as a recording of Sentinel's treachery. However, Airachnid spied on the four when they were watching Sentinel's meeting with the Quintessons, and a squad of Sentinel's [[Death Tracker]]s arrive. Despite his disrepair, Alpha Trion uses his leonine alternate mode to wipe out the squad, allowing Orion and the others to escape. But he is quickly incapacitated by Airachnid.

The four bots have a very rocky time learning to transform in the middle of fleeing a squad of Death Trackers, tumbling downhill with only ''parts'' of them shifting into their new vehicle modes, but desperation forces them to adapt ''very'' quickly. Each one finds new abilities and an aptitude for combat, and soon they're able to destroy their pursuers. Overjoyed at their victory, they make the plan to use the incriminating information Trion gave them by returning to Iacon and exposing Sentinel as a traitor... although D-16 snatches the evidence and takes the lead, his ever-growing intensity and openly stated desire to kill Sentinel leaving Orion more and more unnerved.

Back in Iacon, Alpha Trion is brought before Sentinel, who mocks the "old-timer" and gloats about his station, complaining to Airachnid about the Primes' stuffiness and boring speeches. Trion's word of warning that Sentinel's time will soon be over only annoys the false Prime further, and in a fit of rage he kills the ancient Prime before sending Airachnid back to the surface to hunt down the wayward miners.

[[File:TFoneStarscreamSoundwaveShockwaveInterrogation.jpg|left|thumb|300px|You're playing with the big boys now!]]
Along the path to Iacon, a series of shots ring out, and each bot slips into stasis... Orion and the others are brought back online, bound (and gagged in B's case) as prisoners of the former members of Cybertron's [[High Guard]], who have been fighting a guerrilla war against the Quintessons ever since the fall of the Primes, led by [[Starscream (One)|Starscream]]. D-16 is not impressed, and giving into his growing rage, challenges Starscream's authority, and the two quickly end up in a brawl. While Starscream plays it tough even as Megatron crushes his neck and damages his speech module, his attitude soon changes as Megatron manifests a massive cannon on his arm, aimed directly at Starscream's head. The Guard quickly rallies behind their new leader, ready to take the fight to Sentinel... but Airachnid's forces arrive and ambush them.

[[File:TFOne Airachnid attacks.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Not much of a snake-charmer, are you?]]
Orion, having been buried in the battle, awakens when Elita drags him from the rubble, to find that D-16, B-127, and much of the Guard have been taken prisoner, and the data crystal containing the evidence of Sentinel's betrayal has been shattered. Orion despairs, believing their quest to be hopeless now, but Elita won't have it. Though she's still not above taking some digs at Orion, she points out that it is the bot's endless ''optimism'' that makes him a true leader, one that can make bots do amazing (and occasionally amazingly ''stupid'') things. Orion takes the praise (and insults) and decides it's time to rally, and the two quickly formulate a plan; the Guard may be strong, but the last battle proved they aren't enough on their own, they need a true army... and Orion knows exactly where to get one. After Elita quickly shuts down any dissent from the remaining Guard (thanks to a very swift punch to [[Shockwave (One)|Shockwave's]] eye), Orion primes the warriors for the coming battle, with a cry of "''Transform and ROLL OUT!''"

The captives have been brought to Sentinel's tower, where the puppet leader gloats over them, mocking Starscream's scrambled voice and sneering at D-16. But the miner does not cower or balk at all, declaring that he is not afraid of Sentinel, as he has nothing left to lose. Noticing the worn Megatronus decal, Sentinel reveals that he took Megatronus's transformation cog when he killed him, ripping the decal from the miner's arm before slapping it back onto his chest... and then, knocking the miner on his back, using a mining tool to crudely ''carve'' the Prime's face into D-16's chest.

Orion uses his new form to rocket-glide into the depths of Iacon City, entering the miners' quarters (and bodily hurling Darkwing aside in the process). Orion reveals the truth to the miners and rallies them to join forces with the High Guard and rebel against Sentinel's regime. Meanwhile, Elita, Shockwave, and [[Soundwave (One)|Soundwave]] have commandeered a returning "garbage" train, transporting the Guard into the city in a sneak attack. But the sudden appearance of hundreds of Death Trackers makes things look very bad for the plan... until Orion and the miners leap into the fray and cut a swath through the incoming horde, armed with their jet packs and mining tools. Airachnid attempts to kill Orion, slamming him into the train engine, and revealing the ''incredibly horrifying'' array of optics hidden in the back of her head. But her multi-scanning abilities give Orion a sudden idea as the train plows towards Sentinel's tower.

Sentinel, angered as D-16 once again attempts to rise up, is just about to blow the miner's head off when the train slams into his tower. Soundwave frees the prisoners and the fight spills across the city. Sentinel transforms into combat mode, but D-16 will not be deterred, the two launch into battle. Elita leaps into action, tackling Airachnid and attempting to take her prisoner (with only ''some'' gratuitously satisfying pummeling along the way). She drags the semi-conscious bot to one of Iacon's broadcast stations, and B makes a very ''over-enthusiastic'' entrance. Airachnid's memory banks are quickly scanned, and her memories of Sentinel's most recent meeting with the Quintessons are broadcast throughout the city, leading the populace to also join the fight.

Sentinel fares badly in his fight with D-16, and seeing his cowering before the Quintessons on dozens of screens, his empire in ruins, tries to flee, and when that fails, begs D-16 to spare him, claiming they can co-rule Cybertron. D-16 insists that Sentinel must die for his crimes, but Orion tries to convince his friend that they can be better than their enemies. D-16 violently disagrees, knocking his friend aside and readying the kill shot... only for Orion to leap in the path, the cannon blast tearing through his torso and sending him tumbling over the edge. D-16 grabs Orion's one good arm, horrified... ''that Orion would stop him from killing Sentinel''. With this betrayal, he lets his dying friend fall, vowing he is ''done'' saving his friend from his mistakes, and Orion plummets into Cybertron's depths. As Orion falls, D-16, insistent that there will be no more Primes, kills Sentinel by bisecting him with his hands. He then seizes Megatronus' cog from Sentinel's chest, replacing the one gifted to him by Trion, which transforms him into an even ''more'' battle-ready form. Declaring himself "Megatron", he commands the High Guard to destroy everything Sentinel built... in other words, what's left of the city.

[[File:One-Megs-Prime-face-to-face.jpg|thumb|300px|Goodbye... brother.]]
Meanwhile, the mortally wounded Orion falls through the planetary strata, which slides and shifts out of his way, until he finally reaches Cybertron's core. There, he encounters the spirits of the Primes, who Trion announce that Primus has deemed him worthy for the future of Cybertron and to carry the Matrix of Leadership, reformatting Orion and restoring his spark to declare him the newest of the Primes: "Optimus Prime", before sent rocketing back to the surface in a blaze of blue light.

Elita and B try and fail to stop Megatron's rampage, their former friend ready to kill them too, but Optimus smashes onto the scene. Megatron is incensed at this new betrayal both by his former friend ''and'' the Matrix itself, and launches himself at Optimus. During their fight, Optimus manifests a energy battle axe to fight against Megatron along with Starscream, Soundwave, and Shockwave before using it to destroy Megatron's new cannon. Optimus ultimately triumphs in their fight, and, unwilling to kill his oldest friend, reluctantly banishes Megatron and his new allies to the surface. Megatron seethes but decides that now is not the time, and takes his new army to the surface.

With the return of the Matrix of Leadership, Cybertron is restored to life: energon flows once again from the planet's core to the surface, and ''all'' of the cogless bots receive transformation cogs, becoming fully autonomous "[[Autobot]]s" who vow to defend Cybertron from any future Quintesson incursions. However, the Quintessons are not the only looming threat—though banished from Iacon, Megatron and his followers rechristen themselves the "[[Decepticon]]s" and swear revenge.
{{-}}

==Cast==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=Miners
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (One)|Orion Pax / Optimus Prime]] ([[Chris Hemsworth]])
*[[Megatron (One)|D-16 / Megatron]] ([[Brian Tyree Henry]])
*[[Elita-1 (One)|Elita-1]] ([[Scarlett Johansson]])
*[[Bumblebee (One)|B-127]] ([[Keegan-Michael Key]])
*[[Jazz (One)|Jazz]] ([[Evan Michael Lee]])
*[[Arcee (One)|Arcee]] ([[Jinny Chung]])
*[[Bluestreak (One)|Bluestreak]]
*[[Brawn (One)|Brawn]]
*[[Hound (One)|Hound]]
*[[Huffer (One)|Huffer]]
*[[Firestar (One)|Firestar]]<ref group=note name="uncredited">Denotes a character, or unidentified members of a group, who speaks, but has no credited voice actor. The performance was likely done by an ADR voice cast member.</ref>
*[[Ironhide (One)|Ironhide]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Mirage (One)|Mirage]]
*[[Moonracer (One)|Moonracer]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Prowl (One)|Prowl]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Ratchet (One)|Ratchet]]
*[[Red Alert (One)|Red Alert]]
*[[Sideswipe (One)|Sideswipe]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Smokescreen (One)|Smokescreen]]
*[[Sunstreaker (One)|Sunstreaker]]
*[[Wheeljack (One)|Wheeljack]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Windcharger (One)|Windcharger]]

|h2=[[High Guard]]
|c2=
*[[Starscream (One)|Starscream]] ([[Steve Buscemi]])
*[[Soundwave (One)|Soundwave]] ([[Jon Bailey]])
*[[Shockwave (One)|Shockwave]] ([[Jason Konopisos-Alvarez]])
*[[Skywarp (One)|Skywarp]] (Josh Cooley)
*[[Thundercracker (One)|Thundercracker]]
*[[Dirge (One)|Dirge]]
*[[Ramjet (One)|Ramjet]]
*[[Thrust (One)|Thrust]]
*[[Slipstream (One)|Slipstream]]
*[[Redwing (One)|Redwing]]

|h3=[[Thirteen|Primes]]
|c3=
*[[Alpha Trion (One)|Alpha Trion]] ([[Laurence Fishburne]])
*[[Zeta Prime (One)|Zeta Prime]] ([[James Remar]])
*[[The Fallen|Megatronus Prime]]
*[[Alchemist Prime]]
*[[Amalgamous Prime]]
*[[Liege Maximo]]
*[[Micronus Prime]]
*[[Nexus Prime]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Onyx Prime]]
*[[Prima|Prima Prime]]
*[[Quintus Prime]]
*[[Solus Prime]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Vector Prime]]

|c4=
*[[Sentinel Prime (One)|Sentinel Prime]] ([[Jon Hamm]])
*[[Airachnid (One)|Airachnid]] ([[Vanessa Liguori]])
*[[Quintesson High Commander]]
*[[Quintesson Soldier]]s
*[[Primus]]
*[[Death Tracker|Gold Tracker]]s<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Death Tracker|Silver Tracker]]s
*[[Death Tracker]]s
*[[Guard (One)|Guards]] ([[Steve Blum]], Jason Konopisos-Alvarez)
*[[Announcer Bot]] (Steve Blum)
*[[Iacon Medic]]
'''Racers'''
*[[Darkwing (One)|Darkwing]] ([[Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.]])
*[[Chromia (One)|Chromia]] (Jinny Chung)
*[[Injured Racer]] ([[Dillon Bryan]])

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

==Quotes==
"Are you ''crazy?!''" 
"Sure feels like it!"
:—'''D-16''' and '''Orion Pax''' summing up their initial relationship.

"What do you think he's gonna do to us when he finds out that we know?!" 
"I'm not thinking about what ''he's'' going to do, I'm thinking about what ''we're'' going to do." 
"That's the whole thing! You're never thinking about anything else, just yourself. Fantastic! Another Orion Pax master plan! I can't wait to hear this!" 
"Don't you want to stop him?" 
"NO, '''I WANT TO KILL HIM!''' I wanna put Sentinel in chains and march him through the mines so everyone can see him for the '''false Prime''' that he is! I want him to suffer, and then to ''die'' in ''darkness.''"
:—The first cracks show in '''D-16''' and '''Orion Pax''''s friendship.

"They were one. ''You'' are one. '''ALL''' are one!" 
:—'''Alpha Trion''' inaugurates our heroes with the tried and true phrase.

"Uh, why is he gagged?" 
"He wouldn't stop talking." 
"Even when he was unconscious?" 
"''ESPECIALLY'' WHEN HE WAS UNCONSCIOUS!"
:—'''Elita-1''' asks '''Shockwave''' about B-127's restraints.

"Listen to me, I really want you to hear this. Are you listening? I'm better than you." 
"Yeah, okay, I'm hearing you.." 
"I'm better than you in every way, except you have hope. You always have. You went back into the mine to rescue Jazz, you snuck up to the surface to find the Matrix of Leadership!" 
"Oh, yeah, and how'd that work out?" 
"My point is that your instincts tell you to break protocol for a ''reason''. This blind optimism that you have is why you make such bold and courageous choices. That are also extremely stupid." 
"First time giving a pep-talk?"
:—'''Elita-1''' attempts to give '''Orion Pax''' a pep-talk. ''Attempts'' to.

'''Soundwave''': "What is our first move?" 
'''Orion Pax''': ''(quietly and intensely)'' "We roll out." 
'''Skywarp''': "...what?!" 
'''Elita-1''': ''(quietly)'' "Louder!" 
'''Orion Pax''': "TRANSFORM AND ROLL OUT!"
:—Orion realizes that dramatic one-liners aren't that dramatic if no one can hear them.

"What defines a Transformer is not the cog in its chest but the spark that resides in their core... a spark that gives you the will to make your world better, and that is something Sentinel can ''never'' take from us. If we want to be in control of our own destiny, we will have to fight for it. Now is the time for us to stand up. For ourselves. Stand up for this injustice! I promise you, this fight will be worth it. Follow me; nothing can stop us when we stand together! Together as '''one!'''"
:—'''Orion Pax''' delivers his first heroic speech.

"It's over, Sentinel! You can't escape the truth!" 
"What truth? That I plucked the cogs from your newborn chests? Forced you to mine so I could pay off the Quintessons and live like a king? None of that matters! Because the truth... is. ''What. I. '''Make it!'''''"
:—'''Orion Pax''' learns '''Sentinel Prime''' won't go down without a fight.

"I'm ''done'' saving you."
:—<s>D-16</s> '''Megatron''' lets his ''former'' friend fall.

"Impossible... Primus gave ''you'' the Matrix?" 
"We could have built the future ''together!"'' 
"I'll build it myself, after I tear down everyone '''''IN MY WAY!'''''"
:-'''Megatron''' and '''Optimus Prime''' set the stage for eons of conflict to come.

"We were given the power to change our world, and you chose to destroy it. Just like Sentinel. You have betrayed Cybertron and its citizens, and you betrayed... ''me.'' Go. Take the High Guard, and leave. You are... banished from Iacon. It didn't have to end this way." 
"This isn't over, ''Prime.''"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Megatron''' share one final exchange.

"This is the greatest day of my life... I get to work for the ''government''!"
:—'''B-127''' knows a good benefits package when he sees one.

"And now we stand here together as one, proving we all have the the power to transform; to become who we were destined to be; to right wrongs; to make our world better. Because here, freedom and autonomy are the right of all sentient beings. Here, all are truly ''Autobots''. This message is a warning to all Quintessons: If you dare return to Cybertron, the Autobots will be waiting. ''I'' will be waiting. I... am ''Optimus Prime''."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' gives his first dramatic ending monologue...

"Sentinel the betrayer is dead. But his death has given life to a new enemy...a stronger enemy... a ''personal'' enemy. We will not be blinded by his deception! We are the ones who are... '''DECEPTICONS! ''RISE UP!'''''"
:—...and '''Megatron''' gives the coming darkness its new name.

==Continuity notes==
The movie that would ultimately become ''Transformers One'' entered preliminary development in early 2015, when the project was first pitched as part of a writer's room that would lay out a number of sequels, prequels, and spinoff films that would turn the ongoing [[live-action film series|slate of live-action movies]] into a proper "cinematic universe", an attempt to cash in on the then-meteoric hype of the {{w|Marvel Cinematic Universe}}. Like pretty much all the other "cinematic universes" pitched at around this time, this ambitious vision was not to be: following the box-office bomb that was ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]'', most of these projects were shelved, while others were heavily reworked—perhaps most infamously, ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' was reworked into a film that contradicted with the character's [[World War II]] flashbacks in ''The Last Knight'', shifting the film into a more ambiguous timeframe with regards to the other five live-action films.

It appears that a similar conceptual drift occurred over the course of ''Transformers One'''s production. When the film entered full production in mid-2020, ''One'' was said to be "separate and apart" from the ongoing live-action films, though at the time just how distinct the film would be from its predecessors remained a mystery. <ref name="cooleyreveal" /> When later asked if the film was a prequel to the live-action films, a reboot, or its own universe, director Josh Cooley answered "yes" to all of the above. <ref>[https://comicbook.com/movies/news/transformers-one-director-confirms-new-movies-canon-status/ Transformers ONE Director Confirms New Movie's Canon Status - ComicBook.com]</ref> While a few details and visual nods—such as Bumblebee's original name of "B-127"—referenced the live-action films, the film otherwise draws heavily upon the mythology first laid down in the [[Aligned continuity family|"Aligned" continuity family]], particularly in its depiction of Orion Pax and D-16 as former allies fighting against a corrupt Cybertronian government.

As the film's release date drew closer, multiple comments from the film's creatives indicated that the filmmakers viewed the movie as something entirely separate from the ongoing live-action films. In July, Josh Cooley stated that the film was set in a "new Transformers continuity" <ref>{{citesocial|quote= "Hey little nerd in my profile picture, what if I told you someday you'll create a new Transformers continuity, that begins earlier than anything you've seen on the Transformers lore timeline, with the greatest crew and cast ever assembled?"|link= https://x.com/CooleyUrFaceOff/status/1817235351095894510?t=Oju3b9v53cYIHlH4MLEsXg |name=Josh Cooley|site=Twitter|year=2024|month=7|day=27}}</ref>; in another interview from a week before release, di Bonaventura ultimately admitted that ''One'' didn't fit into the chronology of the live-action films, and described ''One'' and the live-action films as "two universes" that would be "[kept] separate". <ref>[https://comicbook.com/movies/news/is-transformers-one-a-prequel-optimus-prime-origin-story-exclusive/ Is Transformers One a Prequel or Reboot? The Animated Movie's Origin Story Is Both, Director Says]</ref> These statements were ultimately borne out by the movie itself, which featured multiple plot points that are pretty much irreconcilable with the live-action films—early on, the film establishes that [[The Fallen|Megatronus]] is long dead, negating his appearance in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]''; additionally, the movie ends with the newly christened Megatron killing Sentinel Prime, leaving no wiggle room for the events of ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'' to occur. As a result, the wiki has opted to treat the ''One'' franchise and any potential sequels as a new [[continuity family]], entirely separate from the ongoing live-action films.

==Transformers references==
* As with pretty much every major ''Transformers'' project since 2010, ''Transformers One'' is the latest interpretation of the modernized ''Transformers'' backstory that originated with [[Binder of Revelation|Hasbro's internal design documents]] and was first laid down in ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]''—the story of [[Primus]], the [[Thirteen|thirteen original Transformers]], and the origins of Optimus Prime and Megatron as former friends who fought against inequality on pre-war Cybertron until Megatron's extremism drove them apart. Notably, this version of the story portrays both Orion and Megatron as [[energon]] miners on the bottom of Cybertron's caste system—most other interpretations have instead depicted Orion as a somewhat higher-ranking data clerk. While other tellings of the story have Orion advocating for non-violent social change, this take on the origin ends with Orion Pax working alongside the future Decepticons to directly overthrow the reigning Prime, evoking [[IDW Publishing|IDW]]'s ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'' miniseries.
* Optimus Prime's original identity of "Orion Pax" is a name taken from the ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' episode "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]". Notably, the cartoon's version of Orion Pax was also a manual laborer, although the film does seemingly pay homage to Orion Pax's other famous job by having him sneak into the Cybertronian Archives at the very beginning of the film.
* The 'bot who will one day be known as "Megatron" initially goes by the name "D-16", a moniker lifted from ''Exodus'' and itself based on the [[TakaraTomy]] ID number of the [[Megatron (G1)/toys#The Transformers|original Megatron toy]]. D-16's original body—with a black, dome-shaped helmet and yellow eyes—references Megatron's [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel Comics appearance]], which in turn was based on concept art for an unproduced prototype version of the original Takara Micro Change figure.
* B-127 is heavily based on his [[live-action film series]] [[Bumblebee (Movie)|counterpart]]: his helmet design (with its large "cheeks" and movable "antennae") bears a resemblance to his appearance in those films; additionally, his overly-talkative nature is a meta-gag about his "future" self being best known for not being able to speak. While other characters shorten his name to "Bee", he's never once referred to as "Bumblebee"—likewise taking after the [[Bumblebee (film)|''Bumblebee'' movie]], where that version of B-127 only gained the familiar name after landing on [[Earth]]. B-127's battle mask resembles his [[Bumblebee (G1)|Generation 1 counterpart's]] [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#The Transformers|original toy]]; towards the end of the film, he fights with a pair of "knife hands" seemingly based on [[Bumblebee (WFC)|"Aligned" Bumblebee]]'s melee weapons in the ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|War for Cybertron]]'' video game.
* In general, Elita-1 doesn't draw upon as many specific references as her co-stars, although her purplish-pink color scheme and motorcycle [[alternate mode]] may be a reference to the [[Elita-One (Movie)|live-action incarnation of the character]]. Notably, of the four main protagonists, Elita's the only one who ''doesn't'' have an alternate alias—especially odd given that her [[Elita One (G1)|Generation 1 counterpart]] originally went by "Ariel" in the ''The Transformers'' episode "War Dawn".
* Sentinel Prime is based on [[Sentinel Zeta Prime]], the former leader of Cybertron in the "Aligned" continuity. Like that version of the character, this take on Sentinel Prime is explicitly a "false" Prime who never carried the Matrix of Leadership, and a puppet ruler who was appointed to the position by the Quintessons. Design-wise, this take on Sentinel combines his "Aligned" counterpart's blue and gold color scheme with the cape-like wing arrangement and double-sided blade from [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|''Dark of the Moon'' Sentinel Prime]], while his battle mode is loosely inspired by Sentinel's [[Apex Armor (G1)|Apex Armor]] from [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]'' comic. He also has the knee details from his [[Sentinel Prime (G1)#Titans Return|''Titans Return'' toy]], his [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|''Animated'' counterpart]]'s glorious chin and shares some physical similiarities with [[Nominus Prime]], a comic original character from the IDW 2005 continuity who, coincidentally, was also depicted as a puppet leader and false Prime with a Cybertronian jet as alternate mode.
* Like Sentinel Prime, the Quintessons are primarily based on their depiction in [[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|''The Covenant of Primus'']], which depicted them as shadowy manipulators who ruled Cybertron and exploited its natural resources through a proxy government during the planet's [[Age of Wrath]]; notably, the Quintessons in the ''Covenant'' helped maintain their hold on Transformer civilization by withholding the power to transform from the general populace. In a notable deviation from traditional ''Transformers'' lore, the bodies and starships of the film's Quintessons appear to be partly organic in nature.
* Primus's design seen in the hologram Orion plays invokes his ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' appearance, even using a simplified version of [[Primus#Cybertron|his toy]]'s transformation scheme, but with the origins of his "Aligned" counterpart. The color scheme is drawn from his [[:File:WarWithinPrimus.jpg|Dreamwave look]].
* The Thirteen, referred to only as the Primes in the film (likely because it would contradict Sentinel's narrative painting himself as a fourteenth Prime), are based on their "Aligned" counterparts for their backstory and designs. Vector, Nexus, Megatronus, Solus, and Alchemist Prime also draw from their ''[[:File:VectorPrime dvd.jpg|Cybertron]]'', ''[[:File:NexusPrimeflankedbyotherPrimes.jpg|Timelines]]'', ''[[:File:Megatronus.jpeg|Titans Return]]'', ''[[:File:SolusPrime-PowerofthePrimes.jpg|Power of the Primes]]'', and ''[[:File:TheCitizen IaconusCitizens.jpg|Cyberverse]]'' designs, respectively. Megatronus is also inspired by his ''Revenge of the Fallen'' design, including his face being based on the Decepticon symbol (or vice versa in-universe), although it is far more obvious in this movie, coincidentally evoking [[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]]. Megatronus's face becoming the in-universe inspiration for the Decepticon symbol reflects the real life story of [[Soundwave (G1)|Generation 1 Soundwave]]'s face inspiring the iconic symbol.
* The mysterious [[Thirteenth Prime]] is replaced with Zeta Prime, who also takes [[Prima]]'s role as leader and Matrix-bearer, though Prima himself is still present. Zeta's design is also based on "Aligned" Sentinel Zeta Prime, as he appears in the ''War for Cybertron'' video game.
* Shockwave, Soundwave, Starscream's jet mode, and the cogged versions of Ironhide, Ratchet, Arcee, and Brawn have many details based on their ''Bumblebee'' designs. In particular, Ironhide and Soundwave transform into the vehicles modes designed by [[Emiliano Santalucia]] for their ''[[Studio Series]]'' toys. Soundwave's black sections on his upper thighs are based on the hinges on his [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Toys|original Generation 1 toy]].
* Shockwave's alternate mode resembles that of his [[Shockwave (WFC)|counterpart]] from the ''War for Cybertron'' games and his [[Shockwave (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' toy]].
* Many contemporary works of pre-war ''Transformers'' fiction have established that pre-war Cybertronians organized themselves under a job-based [[Functionism|caste system]], with miners and other manual laborers occupying the lowest ranks of Transformer society. ''One'' features a very simplified version of this hierarchy, where Cybertronians without transformation cogs are an oppressed underclass while other Transformers receive additional rights and job opportunities.
* With the exception of D-16—whose origins as a low-ranking miner date back to IDW's ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]''—all of the other miners shown in the film go on to join the Autobots, while the forerunners of the Decepticons are depicted as ex-members of the elite [[High Guard]]. This specific class divide dates back to the ''The Transformers'' episode "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]" and, to a lesser extent, "War Dawn", which explained the war between the Autobots and Decepticons as an entrenched conflict between civilian laborers and military robots.
* The film's themes, "Resting Place of the Primes" and "The Fall", includes a leitmotif from the main theme of ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'', which was also composed by Brian Tyler.
*"The Fall" also plays a motif lifted from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'s'' "[[Death of Optimus Prime]]" in a different key. More specifically, the motif is from when [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] flatlines and dies. Fitting, as "The Fall" plays when Orion Pax is dropped into Cybertron's core and Optimus Prime is born.
* When discussing their mining ability, Elita says Orion "[doesn't] have the touch or the power," a reference to the [[The Touch|beloved song]] from ''The Transformers: The Movie.''
* The Iacon 5000 derives from the Marvel UK ''The Transformers'' [[Source:Darn 'n' Blast#Issue 326|issue 326's "Darn 'n' Blast" letter page]]. Many of the racers in the Iacon 5000 are characters from Generation 1 and ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'', with their colors and vehicle modes next to their names on the leaderboard, though they do not correspond to specific models except for the miners, Darkwing, and Chromia.
** Racers based on their Generation 1 counterparts include [[Mirage (One)|Mirage]], [[Clampdown (One)|Clampdown]], [[Silverbolt (One)|Silverbolt]], "[[Deadend (One)|Deadend]]", [[Slingshot (One)|Slingshot]], [[Cliffjumper (One)|Cliffjumper]], [[Dragstrip (One)|Dragstrip]], [[Swerve (One)|Swerve]], [[Powerglide (One)|Powerglide]], [[Jetstorm (One)|Jetstorm]], [[Windblade (One)|Windblade]], [[Afterburner (One)|Afterburner]], [[Blurr (One)|Blurr]], [[Fireflight (One)|Fireflight]], [[Cordon (One)|Cordon]], [[Breakdown (One)|Breakdown]], [[Swindle (One)|Swindle]], [[Tailgate (One)|Tailgate]], [[Lightspeed (One)|Lightspeed]], "[[Spinout (One)|Spinout]]", [[Greasepit (One)|Greasepit]], [[Scattershot (One)|Scattershot]], [[Inferno (One)|Inferno]], [[Motormaster (One)|Motormaster]], and "[[Hotrod (One)|Hotrod]]".
** Racers based on their ''Generation 2'' counterparts include [[Blowout (One)|Blowout]], [[High Beam (One)|High Beam]], [[Double Clutch (One)|Double Clutch]], [[Meanstreak (One)|Meanstreak]], [[Motormouth (One)|Motormouth]], [[Speedstream (One)|Speedstream]], "[[Roadrocket (One)|Roadrocket]]", [[Jolt (One)|Jolt]], and [[Staxx (One)|Staxx]].
** [[Override (One)|Override]] and [[Tankor (One)|Tankor]] are based on their ''[[Override (Cybertron)|Cybertron]]'' and ''[[Tankor (BM)|Beast Machines]]'' counterparts, respectively.
**Racers that are only named through dialogue are [[Tailwind (One)|Tailwind]], [[Strafe (One)|Strafe]] (spelled "Streak" in one version of the English subtitles), [[Skyfire (One)|Skyfire]], and original characters [[Thunderglide]] and [[Behemoth]]. Phew!
* B-127 naming one of his pals 'Steve' could be a reference to [[Steve (Vehicon)|Steve the Vehicon]], a popular fandom joke during the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]] that got official recognition in the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 comic)|''Robots in Disguise'' comic]].
* After being knocked off the train and stranded on the surface, Elita-1 calls Orion, D-16 and B-127 a bunch of [[GoBots]].
* The notion of the Matrix of Leadership actively rejecting an "unworthy" candidate and disintegrating was a plot point in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)| Revenge of the Fallen]]''. When Orion Pax ''does'' find the Matrix, it is hidden in the planet's core, evoking the climax of the ''War for Cybertron'' games.
* Alpha Trion announces "All are one!" as he bequeaths the main quartet their new transformation cogs, a reference to the classic slogan "[['Til all are one]]!" originating from ''The Transformers: The Movie''.
* Megatron is the 'bot who shoots Orion and leaves him on the brink of death until he is resurrected as Optimus Prime in what is likely a reference to the ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' episode "War Dawn". However, the specific framing of the scene—in which Megatron shoots Orion and drops him into the depths of the planet, only for him to find the Matrix and return as Optimus—is, however coincidentially, nearly identical to the events of [[Transformation (issue)|issue #9]] of ''Autocracy''.
* Alpha Trion's alternate mode being a leonine beast with a unicorn-esque horn is a direct homage to his [[Alpha Trion (G1)#Titans Return|''Titans Return'' toy]], itself based on his [[Alpha Trion (G1)#Toys|cancelled BotCon toy]].
* The throne Starscream sits on is loosely based on the crown his [[Starscream (G1)|Generation 1 counterpart]] wore during his coronation in ''The Transformers: The Movie''.<ref>[https://youtu.be/fo7EwIlSNAs?si=8y1UWHCLv46WKzE7&t=190 Brian Tyree Henry & Josh Cooley Dissect The Evolution Of Megatron | Transformers One Behind The Shot]</ref>
* Shockwave's eye flickers when he speaks, just as it did on his [[Shockwave (G1)|Generation 1 counterpart]].
* Starscream has a normal-sounding voice when he first appears, but after D-16 crushes his [[voice box]] during their duel, his voice becomes shriller and scratchier in the style of [[Chris Latta]]'s portrayal of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original cartoon]]. However, his voice returns to normal before the film's end as he declares his allegiance to the newly-renamed Megatron.
* Soundwave orders the High Guard to "[[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|eject]]" when descending on Sentinel's tower.
* During the battle in Sentinel Prime's tower, Orion leaps into the air and shoots one of the Death Trackers, with his midair pose homaging Optimus Prime's famous midair shooting pose from ''The Transformers: The Movie''.
* Sentinel Prime's Death Trackers take heavy inspiration from ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'''s [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]]s, in both their design and their role as generic enemy troopers.
* Megatron disposes of Sentinel Prime in the same manner that his [[Megatron (Movie)|live-action counterpart]] killed [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]]—by bisecting the bot with his bare hands. Similarly, this is also how the [[Rainmaker]]s disposed of Sentinel in the [[2019 IDW continuity]].
* The Matrix of Leadership causing Energon to flow and 'killing' the planet when lost calls back to the [[AllSpark]].
* The fatal wounds Orion Pax sustained from D-16 before his descent into Cybertron's core strongly resemble the wounds Optimus Prime sustained at the end of the ''The Transformers'' episode "[[Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening]]".
* When both Orion Pax and Sentinel Prime die, [[aggressive depigmentation|their bodies turn grey]]. Of course, Orion doesn't stay that way for long, as he's no stranger to [[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|dying]] nor coming back to life in a more powerful form.
* "Arise, Optimus Prime", intones Alpha Trion as Orion receives the Matrix, evoking the climax of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', in which a ghostly Optimus Prime said the same to [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] as he transformed into Rodimus Prime.
* When restoring Cybertron's Energon supply, Optimus holds the Matrix in the same pose Hot Rod holds it at the end of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' when transforming into Rodimus.
* In the final scene, many miners gain details matching their Generation 1 selves after they receive their cogs. In particular, Arcee gains her pink visor from ''The Transformers: The Movie'' and Jazz obtains the door-wings from his [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Toys|original toy]].
* Optimus's concluding narration is presented as a "message" being sent into space to warn the Quintessons not to return. This continues the recurring concept of the ''Transformers'' films ending with Optimus "sending a message," introduced in the [[Transformers (film)|first live-action movie]] and repeated in most of the sequels.
* In the second post-credits scene, Megatron brands the Decepticon insignia onto his troops much like his [[Megatron (Animated)|''Animated'' counterpart]] did in "[[A Bridge Too Close, Part I]]". Megatron also orders the Decepticons to "[[Roll out#Transformers_Animated|rise up]]", quoting his ''Animated'' counterpart who originated the phrase "transform and rise up" in "[[Megatron Rising - Part 2]]".
*Starscream's newly applied insignias are upside-down on his wings, just like his Generation 1 version.
* While the newly christened Decepticons fire into the sky, the glow of the laser beams shines on Megatron's insignia in a way that homages the metallic effect of the [[:File:TF-G1-HD-Logo-Evil-Decepticon.png|original Decepticon ''The Transformers'' logo]], and many a [[scene transition]].
* Megatron's last words to Optimus are "This isn't over Prime," bookending his line "It's over Prime" from [[The Transformers: The Movie|the 86 movie.]]

==Real-life references==
* One of B-127's "friends" is named [https://youtu.be/Dd7FixvoKBw?t=104 A-A-Tron].

==Errors==
* Mirage, with the colors and land-based vehicle mode of his [[Mirage (G1)|Generation 1 counterpart]], appears on the leaderboard of the Iacon 5000, but one of the cogless miners is also clearly based on Generation 1 Mirage.
* One of the cogless miners is clearly meant to be [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], with a black crest, red pelvis, and red pips on his shoulders. However, a later scene in Iacon's medical center has a voice on the intercom paging a "Dr. Ratchet".
* The incriminating clips of Sentinel replayed from Airachnid's mind reuse clips from previous scenes of the movie instead of being from Airachnid's point of view. Most egregious is the footage where Sentinel and his entourage kneel to the Quintesson High Commander, where Airachnid herself is fully visible.

==Music==
A score album, ''[[Transformers One (Music from the Motion Picture)]]'', features the original music by composer [[Brian Tyler]] and was released concurrently with the film. It notably repurposes a leitmotif from his work on [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Transformers: Prime'']] into this film's main theme. The composer, under his electronic side project "Are We Dreaming", also produced the end credits song, "If I Fall", featuring rappers [[W:Quavo|Quavo]] (of Migos fame) and [[W:Ty Dolla $Sign|Ty Dolla $ign]].

==Development timeline==
[[File:Transformers-One-Teaser-Poster.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''There can be miracles when you believe Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill Who knows what miracles you can achieve When you believe, somehow you will You will when you believe'']]
* March 27, 2015 — As part of the development of ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|Transformers: The Last Knight]]'', [[Paramount Pictures]] negotiates with [[Akiva Goldsman]], hiring him to create a "writer's room" to build a cinematic universe.<ref name="goldsman">[https://deadline.com/2015/03/transformers-akiva-goldsman-paramount-sequels-spinoffs-1201400027/ Paramount Enlisting Akiva Goldsman To Ramp Up 'Transformers' Output] on deadline.com</ref> Among the writers hired are ''Ant-Man and the Wasp'' scribes [[Andrew Barrer]] and [[Gabriel Ferrari]], who pitch the concept of an animated ''Transformers'' prequel set in the [[Live-action film series|live-action series universe]].<ref name="barrerferrari">[https://deadline.com/2015/05/transformers-ant-man-andrew-barrer-gabriel-ferrari-cybertron-1201433402/ 'Ant-Man' Scribes Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari Join 'Transformers' Writers Room] on Deadline</ref>
* December 20, 2018 — Following the release of ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'', [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] hints in an interview that the animated prequel is still in the works.<ref>[https://www.metro.us/will-there-be-a-bumblebee-2-whats-the-future-for-the-transformers-universe-heres-what-its-producer-told-us/ Lorenzo di Bonaventura interview for Metro USA]</ref>
* April 29, 2020 — Director [[Josh Cooley]] (''Toy Story 4'') is reported to have been brought into the project to oversee a final draft, which is said to be "separate and apart" from the live-action films.<ref name="cooleyreveal" />
* May 18, 2021 — [[Allspark Pictures]] President [[Greg Mooradian]] credits the animated ''Transformers'' film on his Linkedin page with a 2023 release.<ref>[https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-mooradian-4a5062200/ Greg Mooradian's Linkedin:] "TRANSFORMERS (Animated Feature), with Oscar-winner Josh Cooley directing (2023 release)"</ref>
* May 24, 2021 — Hasbro CEO [[Brian Goldner]] confirms the animated feature is in development, and will be released at some point after ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts]]''.<ref>[https://news.tfw2005.com/2021/05/24/tfw2005-coverage-of-49th-j-p-morgan-conference-434088 TFW2005 Coverage Of 49th J.P. Morgan Conference]</ref>
* January 21, 2022 — Paramount announces an untitled animated Transformers movie will be released on July 19, 2024.<ref>[https://collider.com/new-transformers-animated-movie-release-date/ Collider: New 'Transformers' Animated Movie Release Date Set For 2024]</ref>
* April 20, 2023 — di Bonaventura reveals that the entire film takes place on Cybertron, and the setting explores how they begin to question the hierarchy of how their society has gotten stratified, and how the common man doesn't have the voice that they want to have.<ref name=collider2023>[https://collider.com/transformers-animated-movie-characters-plot-cybertron-lorenzo-di-bonaventura-comments/ Here’s What the New Animated ‘Transformers’ Movie Is About (Exclusive)]</ref>
* April 21, 2023 — A day after the previous interview, di Bonaventura confirms [[Industrial Light & Magic]]'s involvement as the film's animation studio, bringing the company back to the franchise for the first time since ''Bumblebee''.<ref>[https://collider.com/new-transformers-animated-movie-ilm-lorenzo-di-bonaventura-comments/ The New 'Transformers' Animated Movie Is Partnering With an Industry Giant for the CGI (Exclusive)]/</ref>
* April 27, 2023 — The first members of the film's voice cast are revealed, consisting of [[Chris Hemsworth]] as Optimus Prime, [[Brian Tyree Henry]] as Megatron, [[Scarlett Johansson]] as Elita, [[Keegan-Michael Key]] as Bumblebee, [[Jon Hamm]] as Sentinel Prime, and [[Laurence Fishburne]] as Alpha Trion.<ref>[https://variety.com/2023/film/news/transformers-animated-prequel-chris-hemsworth-scarlett-johansson-1235596692/ ‘Transformers’ Animated Prequel Sets Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and More Voice Cast]</ref>
* May 24, 2023 — Paramount moves the film's release date to September 13, 2024.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2023/05/transformers-one-release-date-pushed-by-paramount-1235379167/ ‘Transformers One’: Paramount Pushes Date For Animated Feature]</ref>
* June 7, 2023 — di Bonaventura teases how the film stands out from previous entries in the franchise, praises Chris Hemsworth's casting as Optimus Prime, and mentions a vocal transition from Hemsworth's voice to [[Peter Cullen]]'s as the character for audiences to witness. [[Steve Desmond]] and [[Michael Sherman]] (''Knock at the Cabin'') were revealed to be additional writers for the film, but where uncredited when the final credit came in.<ref>[https://collider.com/transformers-one-chris-hemsworth-optimus-prime-lorenzo-di-bonaventura-comments/ 'Transformers One' Producer Is Already Hyped for Chris Hemsworth's Optimus Prime]</ref>
* June 15, 2023 — Scarlett Johansson discusses the film's animation and praises Cooley as director.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWqG5mlRxzs Scarlett Johansson Says Transformers One Looks So Cool]</ref> Chris Hemsworth later brings details on voicing Optimus Prime for the film and his reasoning he joined the project through his love of the script. He confirms that he will not use his regular voice for the character.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWrsvSzWHoE Chris Hemsworth's Optimus Prime Sadly Won't Be Australian in Transformers One]</ref>
* July 20, 2023 — di Bonaventura confirms Optimus Prime and Megatron in the film will be depicted under their Orion Pax and D-16 identities.<ref>[https://onetakenews.com/2023/07/20/lorenzo-di-bonaventura-transformers-one/ Lorenzo di Bonaventura Teases Upcoming Film ‘Transformers: One’: “It’s Something I’ve Wanted To Do For A Long Time” (Exclusive)]</ref>
* December 15, 2023 — Keegan-Michael Key mentions his voice for Bumblebee is closer to his regular speaking voice.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLM71B5xmFY Transformers One: Keegan-Michael Key Reveals What Bumblebee Sounds Like in New Animated Film]</ref>
* April 11, 2024 — The cast of the movie previews the trailer and reveals a new logo for the film at Cinemacon 2024, The Hollywood Reporter also confirms [[Steve Buscemi]] has joined the cast.<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/transformers-one-animated-movie-chris-hemsworth-scarlett-johansson-1235871998/ Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and Brian Tyree Henry Debut Origin Story 'Transformers One' - The Hollywood Reporter]</ref> During the presentation, Hemsworth revealed that Cullen served as a consultant on the getting the voice down.<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/transformers-one-news-film-is-testing-very-well-and-peter-cullen-consulted-chris-hemsworth-on-voice/48127/ Transformers One News: Film is Testing Very Well and Peter Cullen Consulted Chris Hemsworth on Voice]</ref>
* April 16, 2024 — Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry announce the date of the film's first trailer being on Thursday, April 18, 2024, as it will be launched into space.<ref>[https://collider.com/transformers-one-trailer-premiered-from-space/ The 'Transformers One' Trailer Will Be Premiered From Space - Collider]</ref>
[[File:TransformersOne-weatherballoon.jpg|right|thumb|250px|''So how do you judge what a man is worth? By what he [[Toy|builds or buys]]? You can never see with your eyes on Earth Look through Heaven's eyes Look at your life. Look at your life Look at your life through Heaven's eyes'']]
* April 18, 2024 — A livestream hosted by Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry follows a small craft launched towards space, with a screen that plays the trailer once it reaches 125,000 feet. The movie's release date has been pushed back by one week, to September 20, reportedly to avoid the release conflicting with that of ''{{w|Beetlejuice Beetlejuice}}''.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2024/04/transformers-one-trailer-release-date-1235889037/ ‘Transformers One’ Launches Trailer In Space, A First For A Movie Studio; Pic Going Later In September]</ref> When asked whether the film is a fresh start, a prequel to the live-action films, or its own thing, Cooley replies "yes to all of the above".<ref>[https://comicbook.com/movies/news/transformers-one-director-confirms-new-movies-canon-status/ Transformers ONE Director Confirms New Movie's Canon Status - ComicBook.com]</ref>
* May 20, 2024 — [[Brian Tyler]] is attached as the film's composer.<ref>[https://filmmusicreporter.com/2024/05/20/brian-tyler-scoring-josh-cooleys-transformers-one/ Brian Tyler Scoring Josh Cooley’s ‘Transformers One’ - Filmmusicreporter.com]</ref>
* June 7, 2024 — Production for the film is revealed to be finished in the following month.<ref>[https://news.tfw2005.com/2024/06/07/work-on-transformers-one-animated-movie-is-set-to-wrap-up-in-july-513038 Work On Transformers: One Animated Movie Is Set To Wrap Up In July - TFW2005]</ref>
* June 10, 2024 — A work-in-progress cut of the film was screened at the {{w|Annecy International Animation Film Festival}} to a standing ovation.<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/transformers-one-chris-hemsworth-scarlett-johansson-1235918820/ Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson’s ‘Transformers One’ Draws Laughs, Cheers in Its Annecy Debut - Hollywood Reporter]</ref>
* June 18, 2024 — Production designer Jason Scheier confirms animation for the film is finished.<ref>[https://twitter.com/ScheierJason/status/1803227407404638226/ Production Designer Jason Scheier's post on Twitter]</ref>
* June 27, 2024 — Sound-mixing for the film is finished, with production finally now complete around three months in advance of release.<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/C8vPCEUS3Bs/ @CooleyYourFaceOff - Instagram]</ref>
* July 9, 2024 — A panel for the film has been announced for [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2024 on Thursday, July 25 at 11:45 am PST at Hall H.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2024/07/transformers-one-comic-con-1236004636/ Paramount Animation & Hasbro Entertainment’s ‘Transformers One’ Will Be More Than Meets The Eye At San Diego Comic-Con]</ref>
* July 13, 2024 — Chris Hemsworth, Bryan Tyree Henry, and Keegan-Michael Key reveal a new clip of the main cast transforming for the first time at the Kids' Choice Awards 2024.<ref>[https://twitter.com/transformers/status/1812285185427431646/ Post from the official Transformers account on Twitter]</ref>
* July 23, 2024 — Cooley discusses how ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' influenced ''One''.<ref>[https://ew.com/transformers-one-comic-con-preview-optimus-prime-megatron-origin-story-8676886 Transformers One director reveals how infamous 1986 animated movie influenced new prequel film]</ref> A screening of the finished film was shown at a fan-event at Paramount Studios.<ref>[https://comicbook.com/anime/news/transformers-one-review-first-reactions/ Transformers One First Reactions are Raving Over "Best Transformers Film to Date"]</ref> Hemsworth talks about voicing Optimus Prime in the film and how his depiction stands out.<ref>[https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/transformers-one-chris-hemsworth-optimus-prime-orion-pax/ Chris Hemsworth on Becoming Optimus Prime for Transformers One (Exclusive)]</ref>
* July 24, 2024 — Several new posters are released, along with the announcement of a new trailer the following day at the SDCC panel.<ref>[https://twutter.com/transformers/status/1816111093917573615/ Second trailer announcement on Twitter]</ref>
* July 25, 202.4 — Details at the SDCC panel were revealed, along with the debut of the second trailer and Bucsemi's role announced to be Starscream.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2024/07/transformers-one-chris-hemsworth-comic-con-1236022134/ ‘Transformers One’ Ignites Comic-Con With Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry & Keegan-Michael Key: How Two Best Friends Became Immortal Enemies]</ref> [[Eric Pearson]] was revealed to be an additional writer.<ref>[https://www.awn.com/news/paramount-drops-transformers-one-trailer-2 Paramount Drops ‘Transformers One’ Trailer #2]</ref>
* August 21, 2024 — A new clip of Orion Pax and D-16 competing in the Iacon 5000 race is released on Paramount's YouTube channel.<ref>[https://youtu.be/7o-bGIBZxdc?feature=shared/ TRANSFORMERS ONE Film Clip IACON Race Begins (2024)]</ref>
* August 23, 2024 — Evan Michael Lee is revealed to be voicing Jazz.<ref>[https://twitter.com/Evanmichaellee/status/1826960202920530306/ Evan Michael Lee on Twitter]</ref>
* August 24, 2024 — [[Jon Bailey]], [[Jason Konopisos-Alvarez]], [[Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.]] and [[Vanessa Liguori]] are revealed to be voicing Soundwave, Shockwave, Darkwing and Airachnid respectively, with Bailey reprising his role from ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]''.<ref>[https://punto.com.ph/paramount-pictures-our-crew-rolls-deep-meet-the-voice-cast-behind-the-characters-in-transformers-one-in-cinemas-september-18/ PARAMOUNT PICTURES : OUR CREW ROLLS DEEP: MEET THE VOICE CAST BEHIND THE CHARACTERS IN “TRANSFORMERS ONE,” IN CINEMAS SEPTEMBER 18 on Punzo.com]</ref>
*September 6, 2024 — The film's credits song, '[[If I Fall]]' by [[Quavo]], is released.<ref>[https://youtu.be/M3FCIf0HFnk?si=NB1J3bT9XNPOpKCc/ If I Fall (Music from the Motion Picture Transformers One / Lyric Video)]</ref>
*September 12, 2024 — In an interview, Lorenzo di Bonaventura clarifies that ''One'' doesn't directly connect to the live-action films, and describes them as "two universes" that will be "[kept] separate". However, he notes that ''One'' will likely have an influence on future live-action projects.<ref>[https://comicbook.com/movies/news/is-transformers-one-a-prequel-optimus-prime-origin-story-exclusive/ Is Transformers One a Prequel or Reboot? The Animated Movie's Origin Story Is Both, Director Says]</ref> The film's review embargo is also lifted, and the film debuts with an 89% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/transformers-one-critic-reviews-are-out-currently-89-on-rotten-tomatoes/48337/ Transformers One Critic Reviews are Out, Currently 89% on Rotten Tomatoes]</ref>
*September 13, 2024 — The film's main theme is released.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFnuXrOH0fs/ Brian Tyler - Transformers One Theme | Transformers One (Music from the Motion Picture)]</ref>
* September 18, 2024 — An early fan event screening is held, preceded by a seven-minute featurette consisting of interview segments with Hemsworth, Henry, and Key, footage of main cast recording their dialogue, and some [https://twitter.com/damnyouwillis/status/1836584462341054907 hilarious trivia]. Attendees receive one of four exclusive keychains and poster prints featuring Orion Pax, D-16, B-127, or Elita-1.<ref>https://bleedingcool.com/movies/transformers-one-4-new-posters-tickets-go-on-sale-fan-screenings/</ref>
* September 20, 2024 — The first 300 ticket holders at participating theaters receive a poster print of {{w|Shadow the Hedgehog}} to promote the upcoming release of ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]''.<ref>https://kotaku.com/sonic-3-shadow-print-transformers-one-theater-showtimes-1851649010</ref>

===Changes before, during, and after production===
* Although the broad story beats of ''One'' remained more or less consistent over the course of the film's development, the first draft—written before Josh Cooley's involvement—was a silly, joke-heavy script that was very different in tone from the final product. When first brought on to direct, Cooley pushed for a more serious treatment to bring the film closer in line to the usual tone of the ''Transformers'' franchise.<ref name="gizmodo">[https://gizmodo.com/transformers-one-director-interview-josh-cooley-easter-eggs-2000489187 ''Transformers One'' Director Josh Cooley Talks Lore, Easter Eggs, and Alternate Versions] </ref>
* An early draft had a scene where Orion and D-16 played an arcade game together, which would've featured an 8-bit version of "The Touch". The gag was eventually dropped, although a different reference to the song made it into the final film.<ref name="gizmodo" />
* Another draft had D-16 as a gladiator, alluding to another part of the character's standard origin story, but ultimately this concept was cut for time. <ref>[https://www.indiewire.com/features/animation/transformers-one-star-wars-old-republic-interview-1235017651/ ‘Transformers One’ Director Talks Bringing the Franchise to Its ‘Old Republic’ Era - Indiewire]</ref>
* Originally, the film would've ended on a smash cut to the film's title, accompanied by a rendition of the classic ''Transformers'' [[theme song]]. However, Cooley decided that the scene would be overly self-referential, and instead [[Brian Tyler]] scored an original composition to close out the film.<ref name="gizmodo" />

==Notes==
* Several international releases of the film are edited to cut away from Orion's "finger transformation" a few seconds earlier, as well as changing any mention of Bee's "knife hands" to refer to them as "sword hands" instead.
* The credits feature a dedication to former Hasbro CEO [[Brian Goldner]], who passed away in October 2021.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''''Transformers/One''''' (トランスフォーマー/ONE ''Toransufōmā Wan'')
*''French:'' '''''Transformers : Le Commencement''''' (France, "Transformers: The Beginning"), '''''Transformers : Un''''' (Canada, "Transformers: One")
*''Mandarin:'' '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Qǐyuán''''' (变形金刚：起源, "Transformers: The Beginning")
*''Portuguese:'' '''''Transformers: O Início''''' ("Transformers: The Beginning")
*''Korean:'' '''''Transformer ONE''''' (트랜스포머 ONE ''Teuraenseupomeo ONE'')
*''Russian:'' '''''Transformery: Nachalo''''' (Трансформеры: Начало, "Transformers: The Beginning")
*''Spanish:'' '''''Transformers One''''' (Spain), '''''Transformers : Uno''''' (Latin America, "Transformers: One")

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

[[Category:One| ]]
[[Category:Real world films]]

New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen

2023-11-09T00:08:20Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Errors */

{{Comicstory
|series=op|issueno=1
|prev=Thundercracker & Buster Save the World
|next=New Cybertron Part 2: A Lonely Pillar on the Plain
|seriesissue2=''[[Reconstruction]]''
|prev2=Valley Forge
|caption=This was going to happen sooner or later.
|image=OP1 regcvr.jpg
|title="New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[December 14]], 2016
|coverdate=November 2016
|written by=[[John Barber]]
|art by=[[Kei Zama]]
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline|Current era]]
}}
'''As Optimus Prime recalls a case of corruption from his youth, in the present day, the need for Earth to step forward and join the Council of Worlds becomes ever greater.'''

==Synopsis==
''Four million years ago, on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] finds himself investigating the troubling case of suspected gun-runner [[Hefter]], who has died in police custody. Pax promises Hefter's friend [[Tappet]] that he will investigate, but Tappet, emotional, angry, and unconvinced by Pax's assurances, believes he knows the truth already: police officer [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] killed Hefter for being a [[Decepticon]]. After Tappet leaves, Pax is met by [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]] to discuss the situation. As the pair talk about the fake [[Matrix of Leadership]] Zeta carries in his chest, and watch as a protest outside turns violent, Zeta's carefully-chosen words and presupposition of Hefter's guilt make Orion wonder if the Prime he once thought of as his friend is truly any different to the lineage of corrupt 'bots who have gone before him...''

In the present day, in [[Mexico City]], the future parallels the past as an anti-Cybertronian protest descends into a riot. [[Aileron]] and a team of new Autobot recruits from Cybertron's various colonies—[[Slide]] and [[Oiler]] from [[Devisiun (planet)|Devisiun]], [[Gimlet]] and [[Bump]] from [[Jungle Planet (colony)|Eukaris]], [[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]] from [[Velocitron]], and [[Midnight Express (RID)|Midnight Express]] from [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]]—attempt to intercede, but one rioter produces an elaborate-looking weapon and blasts Midnight Express off his feet. The others are prepared to strike back in force, but Aileron gets between them and grabs the shooter. From [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], floating in the air overhead, Optimus Prime, [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]], [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]], and [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] descend to help calm the panicking crowd; Jazz tries offering medical assistance to [[Sofía Orozco|an injured woman]], only to be rebuffed; Arcee checks on Midnight Express and finds that he is fine, but is concerned to observe that he and the colonists are all wearing [[mouthplate]]s in order to emulate the idolized Optimus; and Optimus examines the gun recovered by Aileron, which he recognizes as an [[Earth Defense Command]] weapon reverse-engineered from Cybertronian technology.

''Pax follows Outback to a bar in order to question him further on the shooting, only to have Outback pull a gun on him and start ranting about the need to defend oneself against the Decepticons. Pax quickly disarms Outback and slams him into the bar, warning him that he is not his enemy and to stop acting as if he is. As Pax leaves, Outback spits after him that the world is only getting more dangerous, and a squeaky-clean hero cop like Pax isn't up to the challenges the change will bring.''

As Autobot City relocates to [[Washington, D.C.]], the colonists all talk among themselves about how incredible Optimus is, which even the once-idealistic Aileron finds tiring. She asks [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] if Optimus used to act this way four million years ago, before the war, but Jetfire remarks that Prime didn't even act like this ''last'' year, and blames all this "True Prime" business for affecting Optimus's opinion of himself. As if on cue, [[Pyra Magna]] enters with [[D.0.C.]] to report that a large, unknown spacecraft is approaching the [[Earth]]...

Down below, outside the [[White House]], Optimus talks with the President, who prickles at his presence on American soil without permission and meets him with a [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] arsenal as backup. The President considers Optimus's hope that humanity can work together to join the [[Council of Worlds]] as one to be impossible, but Optimus tells her it ''must'' come to pass, and presents her with the recovered EDC weapon as proof. The weapon, he explains, is a breach of the [[Tyrest Accord]], and will prompt a severe political and military response from Cybertron if Earth continues to remain unaffiliated. Before a conclusion can be reached, however, Soundwave interrupts the discussion to report on the mysterious spaceship's approach.

''Off the record, Orion takes Hefter's body to the [[Ultirex]] Technoversity so it can be examined by his old friend [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]], who quickly discerns that the deceased 'bots' injuries do not match what the official report says. Ratchet is less surprised than Pax to find that the system is still corrupt under Zeta; as they talk about the state of the world, Ratchet even notes that the shadow of [[Functionism]] is still a problem, offering as proof his graduate student, Jetfire—a 'bot with an aerial alternate mode that Ratchet has faced extreme difficulty in getting assigned to scientific duties. Jetfire doesn't make a good first impression on Orion, though... as he immediately attacks him! Orion quickly subdues Jetfire and discovers the reason for the attack when he removes a plate on Jetfire's chest, revealing a certain purple [[insignia]] beneath. Jetfire is a Decepticon!''

Optimus, Soundwave, Arcee, Aileron, and the [[Torchbearer]]s gather at the spaceship's projected landing point on the [[Matterhorn]]. As they await its arrival, Optimus contemplates the drained and lifeless [[Matrix of Leadership]], and is surprised when it suddenly surges with light! The Torchbearers react with reverence and awe, save for Pyra Magna; as Optimus marvels at the Matrix with no explanation for its activity, she digs her hands in into the ground and pulls out a few shards of [[Ore-13]], explaining that the Matrix is reacting to the ore deposit in the rock below. As she none-too-subtly expresses her belief that the true Prime must ''know'' the Matrix, rather than allow themselves to be blinded by it like others, Optimus recalls Magna's belief that ''she'' should be the holder of the Matrix, and wonders if she is right. Just then, the strange corkscrew spaceship pierces the clouds... but rather than land gently, it decimates the mountain range as it burrows into the ground!

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] (3)
* ''[[Outback (G1)|Outback]]'' (4)
* ''[[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]]'' (5)
* ''[[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]?'' (16)
* [[Aileron]] (21)
* [[Oiler]] (22)
* [[Slide]] (23)
* [[Gimlet]] (24)
* [[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]] (25)
* [[Bump]] (26)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Midnight Express (RID)|Midnight Express]] (27)
* [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] (31)
* [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] (32)
* [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] (33)
* [[Pyra Magna]] (34)
* [[Rust Dust]] (38)
* [[Stormclash]] (39)
* [[Skyburst (G1)|Skyburst]] (40)
* [[Dust Up]] (41)
* [[Jumpstream]] (42)
{{!}}}

|c2=
* ''[[Hefter]]'' (1)
* [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]] (30)

|c3=
* [[Sofía Orozco]] (28)
* The [[President of the United States|President]] (36)

|c4=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* ''[[Tappet]]'' (2)
* ''[[Grotusque]]'' (6)
* ''[[Repugnus (G1)|Repugnus]]'' (7)
* ''[[Black-Out]]'' (8)
* ''[[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]]'' (9)
* ''[[Demolisher (G1)|Demolisher]]'' (10)
* ''?''  (11)
* ''[[Zaur (G1)|Zaur]]'' (12)
* ''[[Flip Sides (G1)|Flip Sides]]'' (13)
* ''[[Rosanna (KP)|Rosanna]]'' (14)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* ''[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]]'' (15)
* ''[[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]]'' (17)
* ''[[Doublecross]]'' (18)
* ''[[Hooligan (G2)|Hooligan]]'' (19)
* ''[[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]]'' (20)
* [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]] (29)
* [[D.0.C.]] (35)
* ''[[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]]'' (37)
{{!}}}
}}

==Quotes==
"Before I was '''Optimus Prime'''... I was part of the '''problem.''' Things were '''changing''' on Cybertron... too '''fast''' for some... and far too '''slowly''' for the rest." 
"I thought '''Zeta''' was different. I '''told myself''' Zeta was different." 
"Things were getting better. I told myself '''that''', too."
:—Select portions of '''Optimus Prime's''' narration

"I respect your dedication to the '''truth''', Orion... the people '''deserve''' to know the truth that '''Lifter''' was a '''Decepticon''' and a '''traitor''', who got what was coming to him. They deserve to have '''anarchy''' staved off for '''one more day'''. And '''that''', my friend... is the precise value of '''truth.'''" 
"Hefter... his name was '''Hefter'''."
:—'''Zeta Prime''' gives '''Orion Pax''' a subtle look at his true colors

"What do you do? Somebody has a '''gun'''—do you '''act''' or let them '''shoot''' you? Or your '''partner'''? That's what being a '''cop''' means. '''Decepticons''' running around—they want us all '''dead'''. You want to investigate '''me'''? Investigate '''yourself'''. Well, Mister '''Orion Pax''', Autobot-at-Large? What do you '''do'''?" 
''(Orion disarms Outback and body-slams him)'' 
"I make '''sure.''' That's my '''job.'''"
:—'''Outback''' and '''Orion Pax'''

"I don't want to sound '''crazy''', but this was all '''worth''' it. On my colony, on '''Caminus''', we were so '''cold''', so '''alone'''. The Primes so '''distant'''. To learn one is real- '''alive'''... 
"'''My''' colony's all about '''speed''', about '''forward progress'''. So it was the idea of discovering the '''lost colony''' that got me to join him. To bring this planet out of the '''dark ages''', into the '''Cybertronian Era'''....plus, for a '''truck''', the Prime is '''really fast'''. I '''admire''' that.
:—'''Midnight Express''' and '''Roulette''' have very different reasons for joining Optimus' cause.

"Aileron... (Optimus) wasn't like this '''last year''', let alone '''four million years ago.'''" 
"What '''changed?'''" 
"Someone told him he was a '''space messiah''' one too many times..." 
''(Jetfire side-eyes Pyra Magna)'' 
"...so he started to '''believe''' it."
:—'''Jetfire''' and '''Aileron'''

"Things are '''better''', aren't they? Better than under '''Nominus''' or '''Sentinel'''?" 
"'''Maybe.''' They used to put the bigotry out in the '''open.''' Now, it's under the surface and we're fanning the flames of a '''war'''." 
"So I've heard." 
"You hear if we're on the '''right side'''?"
:—'''Orion Pax''' and '''Ratchet'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* '''First appearances:''' Oiler, Slide, Gimlet, Roulette, Bump, Midnight Express, Hefter, a conspiculously unnamed Mexican woman, Blackout, Zaur, Ramhorn, Hooligan
* '''Earliest chronological appearances:''' Tappet, Grotusque, Repugnus, Warpath, Demolishor, Steeljaw, Doublecross, Sandstorm
* Tappet has had an axe to grind against Optimus Prime (whose change of name he didn't recognize, always calling him "Orion Pax") since he was first introduced in [[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|''The Death of Optimus Prime'']], and now we know why.
* Outback's vicious actions shouldn't come as too surprising; we've already witnessed him attempt to publicly assassinate a [[Drag Strip (G1)|purported Decepticon]] in [[Iron in the Blood|''Ironhide'' #2]], and that was ''before'' he became a cop with a badge to hide behind.
* Zeta references the time Orion saved the [[Primal Basilica]], as seen in [[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|''More than Meets the Eye'' #11]]. It was in that same issue that the phoney Matrix carried by [[Nominus Prime]] was destroyed; the counterfeit Zeta is carrying is a new one, presumably to keep up appearances. Though always implicit, this is the first direct in-story acknowledgement we've had of the fact Zeta's Prime-hood was a sham propped up by a fake Matrix.
* Orion refers to the time he saved Zeta's life, a reference to ''[[Spotlight: Blurr]]'', in which a unit led by Orion fended off a team of Decepticon assassins targeting Zeta.
* The appearance of female Transformers [[Flip Sides (G1)|Flip Sides]] and [[Rosanna (KP)|Rosanna]] in the crowd may raise an eyebrow, as female Transformers weren't supposed to exist on Cybertron at this point, but they are actually ''re''appearing after showing up in another crowd scene in [[Before & After|''More than Meets the Eye'' #12]]. As later outlined in [[An Axe to Break the Ice|issue #8]] of ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'', they are probably Transformers who changed their gender expression following contact with gendered alien races.
* Sandstorm appears in [[:File:LastStandoftheWreckers4-Sandstorm.jpg|his body design]] from ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'', which is chronologically correct for this era of his personal history.
* Optimus recounts the legend of the Matrix, which claims it was originally the crystal prison of [[Solomus]] (related in [[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|the ''More than Meets the Eye'' 2012 annual]]) and once rested on the hilt of [[Prima]]'s [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]] (attested in [[The Sum and Its Parts|''Windblade'' vol. 2 #1]]).
* The Earth Defense Command (or more precisely, its predecessor [[Skywatch]], which isn't mentioned here) were revealed to have acquired Cybertronian weaponry from [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] in [[Police Action Part 3: A Second Chance at Eden|issue #29]] of the [[The Transformers (IDW)|2009-2011 ongoing series]]. Optimus notes the human acquisition of this tech is a breach of the [[Tyrest Accord]], which was introduced way back in ''[[Spotlight: Ultra Magnus]]'', and which was most recently referred to in issue [[Animals|#46]] of ''More Than Meets The Eye'', when [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] (in his role as the Duly Appointed Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord) killed [[Demus]] for trafficking in Cybertronian technology to non-Cybertronians.
* Outback refers back to the deaths of the original [[Senate]] and [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], as seen in [[Megatron Origin issue 4|''Megatron Origin'' #4]].
* Though none of the soldiers who flank the president as she meets with Optimus are recognizable as members of the team, the tracked missile launchers that back them up are [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] [[Wolverine (G.I. Joe)|Wolverines]]. That's how this works now, kids!
* The technoversity of [[Ultirex]] previously appeared in [[Broadcast|''Autocracy'' #11]], in which Ratchet and Jetfire were both shown to work there. Ratchet notes that Zeta offered him the position at the university, explaining his move from the drop-in clinic he used to run in the [[Dead End (place)|Dead End]], as seen in [[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|''More than Meets the Eye'' #8]].
* Jumpstream recalls how the seemingly-lifeless Matrix glowed once before on Caminus, an event that took place in ''Windblade'' vol. 2 #1.
* Optimus notes that Pyra Magna believes ''she'' should hold the Matrix; that belief was first expressed by the Torchbearers' combined form of [[Victorion]] in [[Conquerors Part 2: Lagrange|''The Transformers'' vol. 2 #47]].

===Transformers references===
* For this series, Optimus Prime has been redesigned into a [[:File:Quidd-evergreen-Optimus Prime-robot-mode.jpg|new form]]. We wouldn't know until over half a year after the comic was released, but this new design is the "[[evergreen]]" character design created by Hasbro for use on licensed media not tied to any particular toyline or film/animation project. [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] was similarly shifted to [[:File:Quidd-evergreen-Optimus Prime-robot-mode.jpg|his "evergreen" design]] in this same month's [[Ping|issue of ''Till All Are One'']].
* Hefter's colors are based on those of [[Smokescreen (Armada)|''Armada'' Smokescreen]].<ref>{{citesocial|quote=(Totally based the dudes color scheme on Armada Smokescreen, just cuz I liked it, but the bots got a different name. I know ppl be wonderin)|link=https://twitter.com/jcburcham/status/786676459897102336|name=Josh Burcham|site=Twitter|year=2016|month=10|day=13|(defunct=)}}</ref>
** In addition, Zeta misremembering his name as "Lifter" and his forklift alt-mode are likely nods to Smokescreen's Mini-Con partner, [[Liftor]].
* The red grid with yellow sunburst that serves as a background for Hefter's picture on page 1, panel 1 is based on the classic [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1 toyline]] packaging.
* Among the recognizable Generation 1 characters in the crowd is [[Blackout (Movie)|live-action movieverse Blackout]]. Hey guy! What'cha doin' there?
* Also present in the crowd is [[Demolisher (G1)|Demolisher]], a Generation 1 analogue of the [[Demolishor (Armada)|Unicron Trilogy character]] who by coincidence previously cameoed in the IDW continuity in [[The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|''More than Meets the Eye'' #35]].
* The new colonist recruits are all pre-existing ''Transformers'' characters of varying levels of obscurity. Oiler and Slide are [[Micromaster Combiner]]s from the [[1991|final year]] of the [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1 toyline]]. Gimlet and Bump are imports from the Japanese [[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|''Beast Wars'']] series; ''[[Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers#Beast Wars II|Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers#Beast Wars Neo|Neo]]'', respectively. Roulette was a [[OTFCC 2003|2003 convention]]-exclusive toy, while Midnight Express hops continuities from the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' series]], as so many of his ''RiD'' brethren have in recent years.
** Midnight Express is an unusual case; while he's based on his RiD counterpart – notably visible in his head and shoulders – he incorporates aspects from the other two members of [[Team Bullet Train]]; his vehicle mode seems to be inspired by [[Railspike (RID)|Railspike]], while his transformation leaves his train front on his chest like that of [[Rapid Run (RID)|Rapid Run]].
** For over twenty-five years, Slide's only fictional appearance was in the pages of [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]]'s ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' profile books, which established the character as male in its biographical information. For this series, however, artist [[Kei Zama]] tweeted that the IDW incarnation of Slide would be a gal.<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://twitter.com/Golby_mkII/status/811989543322693632|name=Kei Zama|site=Twitter|year=2016|month=12|day=22|defunct=y}}</ref>
* Roulette's vehicle mode is a late-model (2013-2017) Dodge Viper, a callback to the fact that her toy is an officially licensed version of that car, though the toy is of the 1996-2002 generation of the Viper.
* The bartender is colored in homage to the [[Rhinox (BW)/toys#FKTM|Transmetal "Fox Kids" Rhinox toy]].
* Jetfire having been a Decepticon before joining the Autobots is a hallmark of the character's history, introduced in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[Fire in the Sky]]" and reflected in all major incarnations of the character (including even his [[Jetfire (Movie)|live-action movie counterpart]]). It's been notably absent from Jetfire's IDW history until now.
* The spaceship that arrives on the final page of the issue is, of course, a [[Quintesson]] [[Quintesson Cruiser|cruiser]] of the unique and memorable "corkscrew" design originally seen in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. The Quintessons have had a sparse presence in IDW continuity up to now, but perhaps things are about to change...

===Real-life references===
* As with all chapters of "New Cybertron", this issue's subtitle is taken from the lyrics to the {{w|Covenant (band)|Covenant}} song, "Babel".
* While the original incarnation of Midnight Express transformed into an {{w|E4 Series Shinkansen}}, he was given an {{w|E7 Series Shinkansen|E7 Series}} alt-mode by [[Kei Zama]] for this continuity.
* There's a little screen-faced waiter-droid in the bar Pax and Outback visit who looks to be inspired by {{w|Judge Dredd}}'s {{w|Walter the Wobot}}. Artist Kei Zama is a big ''{{w|2000 AD (comics)|2000 AD}}'' fan.
* Heh heh. Hooligan is one of the rioters. Get it? Because soccer hooligans and... oh, forget it.

===Errors===
* Supposedly, the Ript Apparel exclusive cover to this issue was planned at a point before it was decided to change the title of the series from ''The Transformers'' to ''Optimus Prime''. Thus, what ''would'' have been a funny [[homage]] to the legendary cover of [[The New Order|issue 5]] of the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|original ''Transformers'' comic series]] by [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]], "The Transformers are all one" instead of "The Transformers are all dead", becomes a grammatically-challenged "''Optimus Prime'' are all one".
* Pyra Magna has green "lipstick" on page 13, but an erroneous red on page 19. This was corrected in the trade.
* Zaur is colored green instead of his original blue, perhaps because of confusion with his partner, [[Dile]].
* Soundwave's Decepticon symbol disappears and reappears throughout the issue.
* Oiler and Slide are huge compared to other Devisen colonists. While we can't explicitly call this out as an error ''per se'' given their tanker truck altmode, it does run contrary to what we've seen so far.
* Optimus Prime has some ungrammatical Spanish: "El armamento cybertronian o no es seguro". This should translate as "The Cybertronian weaponry isn't safe", but "o" means "or". Most likely the space between "cybertronian" and "o" is a typo and the adjective should've been "cybertroniano". This was corrected in the trade.
* In the first panel on page 17, "tries to keep" is misspelled as "tries to keeps". This was corrected in the trade.

===Other trivia===
* ''Optimus Prime'' takes the place of ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|The Transformers]]'' on the IDW schedule, and remains written by John Barber, continuing on the story begun in the previous title's pages. Originally solicited for release in November, this issue arrives several weeks late, halfway through December.
* Most characters appearing in the crowd scene in the flashback are recognizable as being Autobots or Decepticons we know today, but their allegiances are not clear at the time this part of story is set, so we've put them under "Others" in our list above. The Decepticons present may be Decepticons (though they likely wouldn't flaunt it), but it's unlikely the Autobots are Autobots given they're protesting actions by the Autobot security force. Only the figure who appears to be Mirage (with a toy-accurate head, page 2, panel 2, extreme right) is shown wearing an Autobot insignia.
* Speaking of character alignments, the new colonist soldiers are not shown wearing Autobrands this issue, but a set are visible on Slide in the next issue. Adding this to their zealous following of Optimus, we're taking it as read that they are Autobots.
* Optimus is trying to show good faith by asking the President's permission to go on human soil and stop the alien ship. He also shows he hasn't really listened to her point about only being an influence on America, as he's asking that permission for ''[[Europe]]an'' soil.

===Covers (9)===
* '''Regular cover:''' The big boss 'bot himself, by [[Kei Zama]] and [[David García Cruz]]
* '''Subscription cover A:''' Optimus, Soundwave, and Arcee, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
* '''Subscription cover B:''' Optimus, Soundwave, Arcee, and Aileron, by [[Andrew Griffith]] and Joana Lafuente
* '''Subscription cover C:''' Blank cover for sketches

<gallery>
File:OP1 regcvr.jpg|Finally, my OWN comic!
File:OP1 subcvrA.jpg|The main cast
File:OP1 subcvrB.jpg|Oops, we forgot Aileron.
File:OP1 subcvrC.jpg|Fill in the blank
</gallery>

* '''Retailer incentive cover A:''' Graffiti of Optimus, Soundwave, and Aileron by [[Sara Pitre-Durocher]]; part of a series of "graffiti" variants by Pitre-Durocher which combines with covers from [[Dissolution Part 1: Some Other Cybertron|''Lost Light'' #1]], [[Crisis Intervention|''Revolutionaries'' #1]], {{i|M.A.S.K. issue 1|''M.A.S.K.'' #1}}, and [[G.I. Joe vol. 5 issue 1|''G.I. Joe'' #1]] to form a complete image.
* '''Retailer incentive cover B:''' Optimus Prime by [[Sonny Liew]]; one in a series of variants by Liew on the above-mentioned issues.
* '''Retailer incentive cover C:''' Optimus Prime by [[Paul Pope]]; one in a series of variants by Pope on the above-mentioned issues.
* '''Ript Apparel exclusive cover:''' OPTIMUS PRIME ARE ALL ONE by [[Ninjaink|Timothy Lim]], a grammatically-challenged homage to the cover of [[The New Order|Marvel's ''The Transformers'' #5]]; available exclusively from [https://www.riptapparel.com/ Ript Apparel].
* '''Diamond UK Previews exclusive cover:''' Zama and Cruz's regular cover with a Union Jack background, and new red feet for Optimus, in reference to the red-footed variant of the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#G1v1|original Generation 1 Optimus toy]] available in the UK and France. Available only to retailers who attended Diamond UK's October 2016 retailer event.

<gallery>
File:OP1 cvrRIA.jpg|Edgy wall art!
File:OP1 cvrRIB.jpg|Prime funks up someone's day.
File:OP1 cvrRIC.jpg|Cool as ice.
File:OP1 Riptcvr.jpg|Prime fills in for Shockwave.
File:OP1 PXUKcvr.jpg|Yeah, baby!
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''Optimus Prime'' #2
* ''[[The Transformers: Till All Are One|Till All Are One]]'' [[Ping|#5]]
* ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'' [[Dissolution Part 1: Some Other Cybertron|#1]]
* "Hasbro Tribune" promoting November's [[Hasbro Universe]] "[[Reconstruction]]" titles, including this issue

===Reprints===
* '''''Optimus Prime Volume 1''''' ([[June 21]], [[2017]]) ISBN 1631409697 / ISBN 978-1631409691
** Collects ''Optimus Prime'' issues #1–6.
** Bonus material includes art from most covers.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]] Volume 78: New Cybertron''''' ([[November 14]], [[2019]])
** Collects ''Optimus Prime'' issues #1–8.
** Bonus material includes a sketch gallery by [[Kei Zama]], a cover gallery and an intro by [[Simon Furman]].
** Hardcover format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Three: Volume 2]]''''' ([[April 6]], [[2022]]) ISBN 1684058775 / ISBN 978-1684058778
** Collects ''[[The Transformers: Till All Are One|Till All Are One]]'' issues [[Heavy|#9]]–[[Your First Mistake|12]], ''Optimus Prime'' issues #1–6, and ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'' issues [[Dissolution Part 1: Some Other Cybertron|#1]]–[[After Megatron (A Dissolution Epilogue)|7]].
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:OP_V1_TPB.jpg|'''''Volume 1''''' – cover art by [[Kei Zama]] and [[David García Cruz]]
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v78.jpg|'''''The Definitive G1 Collection Volume 78: New Cybertron''''' – cover art by [[Don Figueroa]] and [[Casey Coller]]
File:IDWCollectionP3V2.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Three: Volume 2''''' – cover art by [[Sara Pitre-Durocher]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.comicosity.com/preview-optimus-prime-1/ Preview]

[[Category:Optimus Prime issues]]

Titan (group)

2023-07-10T07:09:48Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* 2019 IDW continuity */ Clarifying

{{disambig3|Titan}}
[[File:MtMtEAnn2012-Metrotitans.jpg|upright=2.5|thumb|[[Solomus|Gotta catch'em all!]]]]

'''Titans''', also known as '''cityformers''', '''Metrotitans''', or '''Megamasters''', are gigantic 'bots, capable of transforming into colossal starships and even entire cities. More powerful than even the strongest [[combiner]] and capable of bringing an entire army's worth of firepower to bear, Titans are living arsenals of exotic weapons and arcane technologies that outmatch a score of lesser Cybertronians. Indeed, one of the only things capable of stopping a Titan is another Titan—the reason why both [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s across the [[multiverse]] have sought to recruit these mighty warriors into their ranks—and when Titans ''do'' clash, the fallout from their apocalyptic battles can prove devastating.

Though most Cybertronians view these awe-inspiring giants as enigmatic beings who exist on a fundamentally different scale from themselves, the tradition of "[[Cityspeaker|cityspeaking]]" allows certain Transformers to communicate with and even control the giants.

{{bigquote|Wonderful creatures, hard to shop for—almost impossible to find hats in their size.|[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]|"[[New Cybertron Part 2: A Lonely Pillar on the Plain|A Lonely Pillar on the Plain]]"}}

==Conceptual history==
[[File:Predacons-ColdWar.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]] made the decision to depict Scorponok and Fortress Maximus as "normal" Transformers.]]
Transformers who turn into cities and buildings have formed an integral part of the ''Transformers'' mythos for years, beginning in 1986 with the release of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] and continuing into the next year with the debut of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. Despite their many similarities, however, this group of Transformers did not receive an official designation and so the [[fandom]] contrived ad hoc terms such as "city-bot" or "cityformer;" these nicknames stuck, and some eventually found their way back into some official media. Early incarnations played fast and loose with [[scale]], with the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel ''Transformers'' comic]] and even the [[2005 IDW continuity]] eschewing the "giant" aspect of some of the characters completely and instead depicting Maximus and Scorponok as slightly above-average sized 'bots.

[[File:FOC-Metroplexheedsthecall.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' video game established many of the traits that would find their way into the Titans of the IDW continuity.]]

Though a number of Japanese-exclusive stories and toys would introduce other cityformers into the mix, [[redeco]]ing Metroplex and Fortress Maximus into new characters like [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]] and [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Brave Maximus]], the concept gradually fell by the wayside until [[2010]], when the [[Aligned continuity family]] brought a new version of [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]] back into the fore as one of the final bosses of the ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|War for Cybertron]]'' video game. Two years later, ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' would similarly reintroduce [[Metroplex (FOC)|Metroplex]], depicting him as an ancient Transformer from a bygone era of the planet's history.

This depiction of Metroplex would go on to inform the original IDW continuity, and the [[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|2012 ''More than Meets the Eye'' annual]] applied this concept to an entire "species" of gigantic, city-sized Transformers. Originally, author [[James Roberts]] described them as "Metrotitans", repurposing the name of the [[Metrotitan (G1)|''Zone'' Decepticon]], but this was abandoned almost immediately: in the [[Primus: All Good Things|2012 ''Robots in Disguise'' annual]], released the same month, the species were called only "Titans", and the single Titan involved in the story was referred to as "The Metrotitan"; soon after, [[The End of the Beginning of the World|''Robots in Disguise'' #11]] dropped the "The" when referring to him, using the word as an individual's name. Nobody really noticed, though, and the subject didn't come up again until Metrotitan [[All Hail Optimus Part 5: As Above...So Below|returned]] in the build-up to the 2016 ''[[Titans Return (comic)|Titans Return]]'' event, and his name being different to that of the species was clearly reiterated. In 2014, ''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade]]'' writer [[Mairghread Scott]] was the first author to introduce the idea that the Titans were capable of [[Cybertronian colonies|colonizing]] other planets, and used this when developing the culture of Windblade's home planet of [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]], introducing the concept of [[Cityspeaker|cityspeaking]]—the ability to pseudo-telepathically communicate with sleeping Titans—that would inform Windblade's early characterization.

Adopting this term from the IDW continuity, Hasbro seems to have finally settled on the "Titan" moniker for all subsequent works of fiction, beginning with [[2016]]'s ''[[Titans Return (franchise)|Titans Return]]'' franchise and even extending into retro-styled universes such as 2018's ''[[Star Trek vs. Transformers]]'' miniseries: generally, this term is now understood to describe a group of gigantic Transformers, sometimes but not always predating the modern [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s, and capable of [[Transformation|transforming]] into cities or colossal starships.

==Biology==
===Alternate modes===
[[File:G1 Autobot City.JPG|thumb|left|250px|The G1 cartoon depicted [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] as a component of the much larger [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]].]]
Almost all Titans are capable of transforming into a configuration that might charitably be called a "city." In order to maintain a credible size, their dimensions rarely match those of ''real'' cities, which can sprawl for many, many miles, their "city modes" usually resemble tightly packed clusters of buildings, generally scaled to the dimensions of "normal" Transformers and more akin to a large fortress or capitol building.

In this form, however, different continuities have depicted city-mode Titans has having the ability to combine their own infrastructure with those of ordinary, non-sentient Cybertronian cities for support; the Generation 1 cartoon, for instance, depicted Metroplex as existing within [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], {{storylink|Thief in the Night}} while the 2005 IDW continuity had Metroplex link himself into the ruins of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] to providing housing and infrastructure for the city's inhabitants. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}}

[[File:AllThatRemains-Carcer.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Vigilem]] in his starship mode.]]

Additionally, most Titans possess a secondary mode that allows for reasonably-faster travel, transforming from a static fixture into a mobile fortress of sorts. Many Titans transform into gigantic starships, granting them the ability to travel independently from planet to planet, though some, such as [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], transform into kaiju-sized [[beast mode]]s instead. While most Titans possess humanoid [[robot mode]]s, exceptions exist, such as [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] and [[Chela]].

{{-}}

===Component Transformers===
{{See|Multi-component Transformer}}

[[File:Slammer sixgun scamper.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[Slammer]], [[Scamper]], and [[Six-Gun]] can all transform into [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s towers, turrets, and other static artillery emplacements.]]

Titans are sometimes shown to have developed a quasi-symbiotic relationship with a variety of smaller Transformers, who dwell within the Titan's cavernous workings, perform maintenance on their much larger partners, and sometimes transform into the city's own components. Fictional appearances of these Transformers are rarer; when they do appear, some are depicted with individual personalities, while others appear to be mindless drones, mere extensions of the Titan's own body designed to interact with smaller lifeforms.

While the original four Titan toys came with several such smaller characters, which have infrequently found their way into associated fiction, more recently introduced Titans, such as those in the pages of the 2005 IDW continuity, lack these accessories. In the ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' toylines and associated fiction, however, ''all'' Titans are shown to share a relationship with the much smaller [[Titan Master]]s; despite this vast difference in size, these Titan Masters are capable of piloting the bodies of the much larger Titans.

{{-}}

====Metroplex====
*[[Six-Gun]]
*[[Slammer]]
*[[Scamper]]

====Trypticon====
*[[Full-Tilt (G1)|Full-Tilt]]
*[[Brunt (G1)|Brunt]]
*[[Wipe-Out]]

====Fortress Maximus====
*[[Cog (G1)|Cog]] – usually the combined form of the robotic drones Gasket and Grommet.
*[[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] – [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] unit
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]]

====Scorponok====
*[[Fasttrack (G1)|Fasttrack]]
*[[Zarak (G1)|Lord Zarak]] – [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] unit

====Grand Maximus====
*[[Cog (Masterforce)|Cog]] – the combined form of the robotic drones Onomisu and Koka
*Grand – [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] unit
*Gran – Grand's Headmaster unit

====Metrotitan====
*[[Metroshot]]
*[[Metrobomb]]
*[[Metrodash]]
*[[Metrotank]]
*The five of them are known as the [[Metrosquad]].

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 continuity family===
====Generation 1 cartoon continuity====
=====''The Transformers'' cartoon=====
[[File:FFOD5 Metroplex Trypticon.JPG|thumb|left|250px|Let them fight!]]

By the year [[2005]], Metroplex was integrated into the structure of Autobot City; {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} in order to attack Autobot headquarters, the Decepticons created Trypticon, with the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s building him out of an ordinary human city. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} [[File:Rebirth 3 FortMax Scorponok.JPG|thumb|right|250px|This town ain't big enough for the both of us, or either of us, really.]] With Metroplex out of action due to missing his [[transformation cog]], Trypticon prepared to attack Autobot City, but the timely intervention of [[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] restored Metroplex to full functionality, allowing him to hurl his enemy into the Pacific Ocean. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

The pair next clashed in [[2006]], when Trypticon and [[Octane]] teamed up to steal various famous Earth landmarks, {{storylink|Thief in the Night}} and again after [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] stole Metroplex's transformation cog; with [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]]'s help, Metroplex was able to properly align Trypticon's stolen cog within his own body and overpower Trypticon for a third time. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

Fortress Maximus and Scorponok were first brought online not long afterwards when the war inadvertently spread to the planet [[Nebulos]]; in contrast to Metroplex and Trypticon, they were depicted as non-sentient battlestations, mere extensions of their [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] partners [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]]. The two first clashed on Cybertron, in the final battle of the Great War, where a bolt of stray [[plasma energy]] struck Scorponok's alternate mode, sending the Decepticons hurtling into deep space. Fortress Maximus was redeployed to Nebulos to oversee the dismantling of the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]]'s machines and eventually serve as the planet's guardian. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}
{{-}}

=====Japanese cartoon continuity=====
Though they wouldn't become an active part of the Transformers' war until the 20th century, cityformers were extremely ancient beings. The oldest known was [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Brave Maximus]], who was created by the Transformers' god, [[Primus]] himself, millions of years ago to be the guardian of the [[Angolmois Energy]] sealed away on prehistoric [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 5}} A subcategory of cityformer known as the "'''[[Metrotype]]'''" had also been in existence for millions of years; {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Metroplex)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}} one known as [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]] slumbered beneath the surface of [[Saturn]]'s moon [[Titan (moon)|Titan]] since ancient times, {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)#Part 7|Zone story page #7}} {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Metroplex)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}} and another, named [[Metrobase (G1)|Metrobase]] was stationed on [[Earth]] in the early 1980s, serving as the headquarters of a group of Autobot [[Micromaster]]s who were protecting the [[Ark (G1)|Autobot spacecraft]] buried on the planet. {{storylink|The Menace of Landcross's Combining Formation!}}

In the mid-1980s, the Autobots on Earth led by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] began the construction of their own "Metrotype" cityformer, Metroplex. The Decepticons responded by commencing creation of their own cityformer, Trypticon. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3}} The pair's first battle would be their last for some time; {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}} Metroplex was able to destroy Trypticon, but not before the Decepticon city tore out his transforming cog, leaving Metroplex trapped in city mode. {{storylink|LG-43 Trypticon Project Chapter}}

Around the turn of the century, Brave Maximus was uncovered and reactivated by a group of Autobots and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s who had traveled back in time from the future. {{storylink|Fortress Maximus (episode)|Arise! Cybertron City}} {{storylink|Maximus Emerges|Stolen Plasma}} After aiding [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Fire Convoy]]'s Autobots in defeating the villains, the robots who comprised Maximus's operating system, [[Cerebros (RID)|Plasma]] and [[Emissary (RID)|Brave]], were taken to Cybertron and used as the basis to develop a more powerful cityformer, "[[Neo Brave Maximus]]", who served as the mobile headquarters for [[Dimensional Patrol|Fire Convoy's team]]. {{storylink|LGEX Scourge Prologue}} The original Brave Maximus was returned to Earth, and when construction of the larger "Autobot City" began there in 2003, both he and the city-mode Metroplex were integrated into the complex. In 2007, however, Maximus was whisked away on a time-travel adventure with the human singing group, the [[Kiss Players (singing group)|Kiss Players]]. {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 1}} In the course of their travels, Brave Maximus became separated from his companions and was lost in time. He crash-landed on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]] many millions of years ago, where his remains were discovered by a group of Autobot refugees led by the diminutive [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]]. Studying Brave Maximus's technology, Fortress developed "[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]" technology, and built a giant transforming city-battleship in Brave Maximus's image to function as a body for himself, becoming "Fortress Maximus". {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 5}}

Fortress and his Autobot Headmasters went on to leave Master and join the larger Autobot/Decepticon war in 2011, whereupon his rival, Decepticon leader Scorponok, built a cityformer body for himself as well. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}} Fortress destroyed Scorponok's body, {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}} but over the next several years, the Decepticon rebuilt it in a new, smaller form; no longer city-sized, he renamed the large mode "BlackZarak". {{storylink|Master File No, 1}} A smaller version of Fortress's giant body was also constructed for use by his little brother, [[Grand Maximus|Grand]]. {{storylink|God Ginrai - Showdown on the Surface of the Moon}}

At some point in the decade between 2025 and 2035, the dormant Metrotitan was discovered on Titan by the Decepticons and reprogrammed for evil. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)#Part 7|Zone story page #7}} {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Metroplex)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}} He subsequently defeated Metroplex and Metrobase in battle, but Metroplex was then rebuilt into a new, larger, more powerful form, {{storylink|Metrowars}} and went on to defeat Metrotitan for good. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Metroplex)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}}

The Decepticons later stole the new Metroplex's transforming cog for Trypticon, who had also been reconstructed in a larger, stronger form. {{storylink|LG43 Trypticon Mobilization Chapter: Decepticon Civil War|Decepticon Civil War}} Fortress Maximus donated his own transforming cog to Metroplex so that he could transform to robot mode and defeat his old enemy once again. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 43|Bonus Edition Vol. 43}}

====Marvel Comics continuity====
{{noteukonly}}

[[File:Metroplex-UK.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

Trypticon was considered to be the most powerful Decepticon, and after [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] took control of the Decepticons, [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] petitioned him for one last use of the [[space bridge]] in the hopes that Trypticon could attack the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' and plunder its energy. Despite this, Trypticon and [[Wipe-Out]] were both defeated by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}}

''Trypticon later saw action when [[Flame (Marvel)|Flame]] threatened Cybertron with a [[zombie]] army, teaming up with [[Flywheels]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s forces.'' {{storylink|Meltdown!}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
Metroplex served as the "living core" of Autobot City, integrated into the city in [[2003]] and endowing it with the power to transform into a battle station. When the [[Quintesson]]s invaded and took control of Autobot City in [[2008]], [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] activated Metroplex, and the Titan immediately burst free from beneath the city and launched an unstoppable counterattack, seeing off the alien invaders but largely destroying Autobot City in the process. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}

=====''Transformers '84''=====
Upon seeing the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] for the first time, [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] noted that there hadn't been a ship so large since the era of the Titans. {{storylink|Transformers '84 issue 0|'84 #0}}
{{--}}

====2005 IDW continuity====
[[File:YouAreHere-KnightsOfCybertron.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

A mysterious group of ancient Transformers, the Titans were city-sized Cybertronians of unspeakable power, "living starships" who hailed from the earliest days of the Cybertronian species. Notably, they were the only Transformers to possess a built-in [[space bridge|spacebridge]], which allowed them and their occupants to instantaneously travel across vast stretches of space. All Titans possessed "super-sparks" which spanned multiple planes of existence, {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things}} and supposedly shared a degree of "interconnectedness" that linked one Titan to the rest. {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}}

Cybertronian legend venerates three particular Titans who are regarded as the original three Titans: [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], the "First Titan", [[Chela]], the "Golden Warrior", and [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]]. Those same stories hold that these three Titans joined [[Primus]] when he battled against [[Unicron/Generation 1#2005 IDW continuity|his opposite]]. {{storylink|Origin Myths}} These first three Titans were supposedly joined by many other, lesser Titans, though the exact origins of the Titans has never been specified. One such Titan was [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]; legends claimed that he had been raised by the deity Mortilus to combat the Titans of Primus during the "[[God War]]" that marked the end of the reign of the [[Guiding Hand]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Salvation|Salvation}} Ten million years ago, in the wake of this conflict the legendary Transformers known as the [[Knights of Cybertron]]—acolytes of the Guiding Hand—led their followers off Cybertron aboard a fleet of Titans in the hopes of spreading enlightenment across the universe. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}}

Over time, the Titan fleet dispersed across the galaxy, and though at least one Titan found its way to the planet [[Mederi]] along with the Knights of Cybertron, {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (3): You Are Here|You Are Here}} the rest fell into disrepair over the millennia, growing increasingly decrepit and weak from underfuelling. {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}}

[[File:OP10-Titans.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]

Those Titans that chose not to undergo this voyage remained on Cybertron for a time, lying dormant until the unification of the [[Thirteen Tribes]]. In a conflict between the forces of the [[Crystal City]] and the barbaric hordes of [[The Fallen|Megatronus]]'s [[Darklands|Darklanders]], [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Onyx Prime]] was somehow able to "summon" the first three Titans from the ground, and their arrival gave the battling warriors pause long enough for Onyx to halt the fighting, with the three Titans standing vigil over the village during the subsequent celebrations. {{storylink|Origin Myths}} As the Thirteen rose, Alpha Trion befriended Metroplex, and the pair set off to explore Cybertron before the rise of civilization changed everything. {{storylink|Omega's Conundrum}} {{storylink|Origin Myths}}

In the age that followed, each member of the Thirteen won the allegiance of at least one Titan: [[Prima]] and [[Emissary (IDW)|Emissary]], [[Vector Prime]] and [[Tempo]], [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] and [[Nemesis (BW)|Nemesis]], [[Solus Prime]] and [[Caminus (Titan)|Caminus]], [[Micronus Prime]] and [[Prion (Titan)|Prion]], [[Alchemist Prime]] and [[Metrobase (G1)|Metrobase]], [[Nexus Prime]] and [[Devisiun (Titan)|Devisiun]], Onyx Prime and Chela, [[Amalgamous Prime]] and [[Navitas]], [[Quintus Prime]] and [[Quintessa (IDW)|Quintessa]], [[Liege Maximo]] and [[Vigilem]], and Megatronus and Metroplex. The thirteenth Titan, Metrotitan himself, supposedly belonged to the mysterious figure known only as the "[[The Arisen]]". {{storylink|Ceremony}} Devout Transformers, such as [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]], sometimes prayed in the shadow of the Titans. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}}

[[File:TimeWillRust-DevisenTitan.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

As "Onyx Prime" was, in reality, a convenient alter-ego assumed by a time-travelling [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]], the Decepticon scientist saw the Titans and their abilities as one more pawn in his long game to manipulate Cybertronian history; encouraging the expansion of the [[Pax Cybertronia]], several Titans belonging to the Thirteen departed their planet on missions of colonization. {{storylink|First Contact (IDW)|First Contact}} These Titans were sent to prepare new worlds into suitable colonies, so that each Prime could rule one planet. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|Aphelion}} The first such planet targeted for colonization was the nearby world of [[Antilla]], with the Titan Nemesis taking part in the war against the native [[Antillan]]s alongside [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|Our Finest}}

When the [[First Cybertronian Civil War]] swept their world, however, the remaining Titans were forced to turn on Vigilem, whose treacherous master had helped orchestrate the conflict. After Onyx severed Vigilem's higher functions, it was decided that the pair would be cast into space, striking them from history, with Vigilem renamed "Carcer" to conceal his true identity. {{storylink|Rubicon}} {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}} Shortly thereafter, Onyx, Alpha Trion and Prima departed aboard Emissary to track down Megatronus, and during the subsequent battle on the planet [[Tsiehshi]], Prima was easily slain by Megatronus, who was in turn slain by Shockwave. In the aftermath, Shockwave sabotaged Emissary, who had voluntarily repurposed himself into a living morgue for his slain master, so that the Titan would crash land on the distant organic world of [[Elonia]]. {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}} Subsequent colonization missions lead to the settlement of other worlds such as Caminus, [[Prion (planet)|Prion]], and [[Devisiun (planet)|Devisiun]]. {{storylink|Time Will Rust}} In many cases, these colonies developed unique adaptations that set them apart from Cybertronians; the Titans themselves were often repurposed into cities and building materials. {{storylink|A 'Bot and Her City}} {{storylink|Windblade vol. 2 issue 4|Windblade vol. 2 #4}} On Caminus, the colonists developed the practice of [[Cityspeaker|cityspeaking]], a way of communicating with the Titans via interpreting the patterns of light running across their [[brain module]]s. {{storylink|A 'Bot and Her City}}

As part of a much, much longer game to ensure a future for the Cybertronian species, Shockwave had deliberately engineered events so that each of these thirteen Titans—and the [[Cybertronian colonies|colonies]] that they established—would come to be associated with the thirteen worlds his younger self had once seeded with his thirteen [[Regenesis]] ores, including [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Our Darkest}} While Chela went on to found the colony of [[Jungle Planet (colony)|Eukaris]], Shockwave himself eventually retreated to the ruins of Antilla with his inner cadre of [[Maximal]]s, adopting Nemesis as the flagship of his impromptu fleet. {{storylink|Unstopped and Unstoppable}}

[[File:ReluctantSpecialist-LeviathansOfTheSky.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5|"The bigger they are, the more you can charge."]]

By the time Cyclonus had become part of [[Nova Prime]]'s inner court, only three Titans remained on Cybertron, all in hiding. One, [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]], slumbered in secret beneath [[Crystal City]], and was guarded by [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. When Nova discovered the upper city and allied himself with Omega, the guardian hid the Metrotitan's existence from the Prime. His recalcitrance paid off when Nova fell into megalomania and departed Cybertron to conquer other worlds, at which point Omega revealed Metrotitan to Nova's more respectful former follower, [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]]. Omega explained that the Titan would only awaken in the presence of a great Cybertronian, but that it would be Dai Atlas's task to protect it until then. When the Autobot/Decepticon war subsequently broke out in the following millennia, Dai Atlas became a conscientious objector and gathered together many like-minded Transformers to form the [[Circle of Light]], and used Metrotitan's energies to power their departure from Cybertron. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}} Settling on the planet [[Theophany]], the Circle built a new Crystal City atop the still-sleeping Metrotitan, continuing to use his energies to power their new home. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}}

During [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]'s initial rise to power, then-current Prime [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], in reality a disguise assumed by the Titan Master [[Infinitus]], mused over the possibility of obtaining a Titan to quash the nascent rebellion. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}}

The second Titan on Cybertron, Metroplex, entered a deep slumber as the "[[Acropolex]]" of Nyon, until the early days of the [[Great War (G1)|Autobot/Decepticon war]] when the new [[Prime (rank)|Prime]], the former [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]], woke him with the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to aid him against [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Rise}} Megatron became obsessed with the idea of harnessing the Titans' space bridges for his own personal use, and ordered a group of Decepticons to find a Titan. {{storylink|The Hunting Party (IDW)|The Hunting Party}}

Metroplex served as Autobot headquarters for some time until he departed the planet with Alpha Trion to investigate and counteract [[Regenesis|Shockwave's star-spanning project]]. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}} One group of Decepticons, led by [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], attempted to follow, and travelled to a planet where he was refuelling, but [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]] woke him rather than inform his superior, and prompted Metroplex to teleport onward before Bludgeon discovered his presence. {{storylink|The Hunting Party (IDW)|The Hunting Party}} That same group of Decepticons would later stumble on the Titan Quintessa, and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] would inadvertently warp him to [[Gorlam Prime]]. {{storylink|Homecoming (IDW)|Homecoming}}

The last Titan on the planet was Trypticon; whom [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] awoke in the early stages of the Great War. {{storylink|Unleashed}} The bestial Titan cut a swath of destruction across Cybertron before being felled by both Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Belly of the Beast (issue)|Belly of the Beast}} Megatron then revived Trypticon and had him branded a Decepticon. {{storylink|Primacy issue 1|Primacy #1}} Trypticon's true nature as a Titan, however, would remain unknown to his fellows until after the war had ended. {{storylink|The Transformers: Salvation|Salvation}}

At some point during the space based phase of the Great War, [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] obtained Metroplex's space bridge nodes to install them in Megatron's new body, {{storylink|Spotlight: Megatron}} apparently forcing the Titan to travel physically through space thereafter.

[[File:PrimusAllGoodThings-MetrotitanEmbedded.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.7|This is why Metrotitan hates Mondays.]]

Believing that the ancient giants held the key to reaching [[Cyberutopia]], the supposed location of the Knights of Cybertron, Chief Justice [[Solomus|Tyrest]] hired [[Lockdown (G1)|Lockdown]] to hunt down and kill Titans so that he could use their parts to cobble together a space bridge, one that he hoped would lead directly to the mythical Cyberutopia. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} Lockdown and his group of [[Titan Hunter]]s tracked down the weakened Titans, killed them, and stripped them for parts before using their remains to find their next target.{{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}} The leftovers were sent to [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], Tyrest's headquarters, in a veritable elephants' graveyard of Titan corpses. {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ambus}} At one point Lockdown's hunters followed a Titan signal to the ''[[Lost Light]]'', which had a sloughed-off piece of Metroplex aboard that had recently struck the ship, and aimed to use it to detect Metroplex himself, before being forced off by [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]] without their prize. {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}}

At some point, Crystal City was razed by Tyrest's [[Legislator]]s, leaving no sign of life, save the Titan slumbering underneath. When the crew of the ''Lost Light'' arrived to investigate, a subsidence sent them tumbling into the cavern beneath the city where Metrotitan lay, and they decided to enter his body so that the their resident [[mnemosurgery|mnemosurgeon]] [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] could tap his brain and hopefully find out what had befallen the Circle of Light. Doing so, Chromedome discovered that Metrotitan was still alive and screaming in frustration—he had heard the call sent out by Cybertron upon the planet's reformatting to "come home", but having been drained by the Circle for so long, he lacked the necessary power to teleport his giant bulk across space. With Metrotitan desperate enough to separate his [[spark]] from his body in order to return to Cybertron, [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]] used miniaturization technology to shrink the giant down to a size small enough so that he now had the power reserves necessary for the journey. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}}

[[File:RID26 MetroplexPunchingNecrotitan.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.7|"NOW HERE I GO!"]]

The shrunken Metrotitan successfully quantum jumped back to Cybertron, to his old home in Crystal City, but wound up physically enmeshing his molecules into those of the city, causing a destabilization of local reality. As Autobot scientist [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] worked to contain the impending disaster, [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] and [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] got closer to the Titan. Neither were aware that Metrotitan had himself been brainwashed by "Onyx Prime," using supplies of [[Ore-10]], and in his addled state the Titan proclaimed Starscream as the mythical "Chosen One" who would unite Cybertron before he was seemingly killed by an antimatter explosion; {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}} in reality, however, "Onyx" had used a mixture of [[Ore-1]] and [[Ore-9]] to warp Metrotitan to [[Earth]], beneath the surface of [[Monument Valley]], all to further his own goals. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 5: As Above...So Below|As Above...So Below}} {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 4: The Hallowing|The Hallowing}}

When the ''Lost Light'' found its way to the Missing Miracle Moon of Luna 1 via a portal in space, [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] and the rest of the away team discovered Tyrest's Titan graveyard and unsuccessfully tried to take refuge from Lockdown and crew inside of the huge relics. {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ambus}} Tyrest was finally able to activate his Titan-made space bridge, but rather than the promised land, the portal led to the mind of [[Adaptus]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|This Calamitous Life}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 4): The Return of the King|The Return of the King}}

[[File:RID19 metrotitan & monstructor.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]

Meanwhile, on a decaying [[Gorlam Prime]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] summoned the Titan [[Quintessa (IDW)|Quintessa]] from the ground in order to fight off [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]]. However the combiner attack was a ruse, as the Decepticon scientist [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] desired to bring the [[Ore-2]] and [[space bridge]] technology the Titan contained to Shockwave. Via the marooned Titan Hunter [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] Jhiaxus took control of the Titan and teleported back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Homecoming (IDW)|Homecoming}} The Titan was brought to Shockwave's lair, the [[Crystal City]], {{storylink|Soundwaves (issue)|Soundwaves}} where its Ore-2 reacted with the [[Ore-14]] of the city, turning it into the undead "Necrotitan". {{storylink|Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Dawn}} The Necrotitan was eventually felled by a reinvigorated Metroplex. {{storylink|Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Finis Temporis}} {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}}

With the [[Dark Cybertron (prophecy)|Dark Cybertron]] crisis over, Metroplex integrated himself into the ruins of Iacon while his body recuperated from the effects of an [[alchemical virus]]. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}} {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}} {{storylink|Earthfall Part 4: Full Fathom Five|Full Fathom Five}} As he recovered, he began scanning the galaxy, searching for his lost siblings. He located Chela on Eukaris, Navitas on Velocitron, and the dead Titan on Devisiun; when [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] tapped into his brain, she too received glimpses of these other Transformer colonists. {{storylink|Windblade issue 4|Windblade vol. 1 #4}} After Metroplex's spacebridge was repaired, Cybertron reached out to its forgotten Titan colonies to form the [[Council of Worlds]]. Several Titans played key roles in the formation of the Council: Windblade hacked into Navitas's brain module to manipulate a Velocitronian racetrack, {{storylink|Race Against the Light}} while on Eukaris she and Starscream were forced to put down the berserk Chela. {{storylink|Windblade vol. 2 issue 6|Windblade vol. 2 #6}}

The reunion of Cybertron and the colonies proved beneficial for the isolated Titans. Carcer's crew was able to begin ordering parts from Cybertron to repair him while Camien cityspeakers were able to conduct therapy on Navitas. {{storylink|07:00:00}}

[[File:AsAboveSoBelow-metrotitanawakens.jpg|thumb|right|300px| “A tremendous head made of metallic protodermis rises from beneath the shattered remains of the once-beautiful island. Water, soil, and rock cascade off its face as it rises higher and higher into the sky]]

Meanwhile, on Earth, Optimus Prime and his forces combatted the machinations of [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]], and at the Autobot bivouac in [[Monument Valley]], Optimus sensed a presence. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 4: It's Beginning To And Back Again|It's Beginning To And Back Again}} Soon thereafter, Optimus realized what he had felt, and reawoke Metrotitan. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 5: As Above...So Below|As Above...So Below}} Subsequently, Metrotitan became the Cybertronian embassy on Earth, an [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. As a result of [[Circuit (G1)|Circuit]] and [[Longtooth]] capturing Metrotitan's revival on live camera, opinion among the Cybertronian public and the Council of Worlds became more positive towards Optimus's activities, Optimus seemingly having proved himself a divine true Prime. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|No Fair Fights}} Pleased by this turn of events, Metrotitan broadcasted a beacon of information across the universe immortalizing the deeds of Optimus Prime, unaware that this same broadcast would awaken [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]—in reality the diminutive and ancient [[Titan Master]] [[Infinitus]]—slumbering beneath the ruins of [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]]. Disgusted by what Cybertron had become in his absence, Sentinel cut a swathe through Cybertron and Earth as he hatched a new plan to wipe Cybertron clean and begin anew. {{storylink|The Last Autobot}}{{storylink|White Light}}

[[File:LastLight Titanarmy.jpg|thumb|left|350px|Sentinel Prime will make Cybertron great again by returning it to the [[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|neon era]].]]

Joined by his fellow Titan Master [[Sovereign]], the two travelled to Luna 1 and the Titan graveyard. Using Blackrock as an amplifier, Sentinel awoke the entire population of the graveyard and ordered the [[zombie]] army to return to Cybertron via [[space bridge]] and kill everything that moved. {{storylink|Ten to Midnight}} Though Sentinel Prime was killed by the skeleton crew of Autobots on the moon—[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], and [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]]–the vast majority of the undead Titans made it through the space bridge portal, materializing far away from Cybertron. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}}

Several months later, the Titan army arrived near Cybertron, where Carcer's long-range scanners picked them up. The [[Council of Worlds]] convened to strategize against the upcoming threat and eventually decided to stand and fight against the menace. Metroplex transformed into his robot mode once more to do battle against his undead brethren, but even though he and the population of Iacon fought hard they were unable to stave off the endless waves of building-sized zombies. {{storylink|Ping}} The zombie army was ultimately defeated only after Windblade seized control of Vigilem and used his heavily armed body to rescue Metroplex and mop up the last stragglers of the invasion; though Vigilem perished, it wasn't before he disgorged the evil [[Liege Maximo]] from his innards, who promised to avenge the death of his Titan. {{storylink|Rubicon}}

Shortly thereafter, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] was able to use a replica of the ancient [[Void Scepter]] to bring Trypticon back online, learning in the process that Trypticon was more than a mere monster; in reality, he was a bestial Titan. Thanks to the intervention of [[Slag (G1)|Slug]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s, however, Trypticon was foiled before his master could use his space bridge to conquer other worlds, and, desiring to become a force for good in the world, Trypticon absorbed the sparks created in [[Alyon]]'s hot spot, birthing a new generation of [[protoform]]s from his own [[living metal|''sentio metallico'']]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Salvation|Salvation}}

[[File:TheGround-Metrotitan.jpg|thumb|right|350px]]

In [[2018]], "Onyx Prime" returned to Cybertron aboard Nemesis, ready to enact the final stage of his plan. As his machinations plunged the planet into chaos, Nemesis was able to blow Metrotitan apart, fatally wounding him, {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 3: The Ground|The Ground}} and though his coconspirator Liege Maximo wanted to attack Metroplex and Trypticon next, Shockwave overruled him, claiming to need Metroplex and accurately predicting Trypticon's retreat from Cybertron to protect his [[protoform]]s. After sending Maximo to slay Metrotitan's crew, Shockwave confronted [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] at the Titan's head where he revealed that he'd utilized his Regenesis ores to brainwash Metrotitan into believing Starscream's divinity before slaying the wounded Titan. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 4: The Hallowing|The Hallowing}}

[[File:Unicron6_All_Out_War.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

When [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] began consuming the galaxy, Navitas perished when Velocitron was devoured while Nemesis took the Maximals to meet with the monster. {{storylink|Unstopped and Unstoppable}} When the Chaos Bringer attacked [[Elonia]] for its stockpile of [[Ore-12]], the Transformers arrived to evacuate the [[Elonian]]s via space bridge. When the device failed to activate, Optimus Prime, Arcee, and [[Rom]] discovered the paralyzed form of Emissary, partially unearthed by Unicron's attack, who was transmitting a space bridge counter-frequency. Arcee solved that problem by thrusting her swords directly into Emissary's brain module, killing him and cancelling the counter-frequency. Now familiar with the energy of the Titans, Wheeljack recognized what had happened but declined to inform [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]]. {{storylink|Our Darkest}} During the monster planet's assault on [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]], Nemesis touched down on its surface whereupon Bumblebee rammed a one-man craft through the Titan's alternate mode, seemingly killing it but clearing a path into Unicron. When Optimus, Arcee and Bumblebee ventured within the monster, they discovered the remains of the Titans it had consumed. {{storylink|Last Stand (Unicron)|Last Stand}}

Left on Unicron's surface, Nemesis's corpse was assimilated by the Chaos Bringer, who managed to access the [[transformation cog]] and gain a robot mode which Unicron used to mount an hands-on attack on Cybertron. Carcer acted as flagship of the defense fleet but was ultimately destroyed by the Chaos Bringer. {{storylink|Our Finest}} {{storylink|Road's End}}

As Unicron made his final approach over Earth, Metroplex and Trypticon joined in the fight, the latter depositing his cargo of unborn sparks planetside to do so. {{storylink|Assembly (Unicron)|Assembly}} Trypticon was slain by Unicron early into the fight, however, and when the dust settled, Metroplex was seemingly left as the last of the Titans. {{storylink|Ceremony}}
{{-}}

====''Beast Wars: Uprising''====
[[File:HeadGames-ResistanceScaleFortMaxFace.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]
The ancient Titans coexisted with a different group of artificially-built, city-sized Transformers, who called themselves '''Megamasters'''. {{storylink|Intersectionality}} One such Megamaster, the aggregate intelligence [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], mused that if he had wished to conquer Cybertron or invade other planets, few could have stood in his way other than [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] or those long since vanished Titans. {{storylink|Head Games}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
Once upon a time, a Metrotitan had [[Scanning|scanned]] a boulder as an [[alternate mode]]. Witnessing this, a passing [[Malignus (G1)|Malignus]] commented that such an alternate mode was unbecoming for a being of such power, something he demonstrated by scanning a jackhammer. Embarrassed, the Metrotitan then scanned a military bunker, the Malignus responding by scanning a missile launcher. Seeing the Rainbow City in the distance, the giant scanned it, gaining its impenetrability prompting the Malignus to try and scan entropy itself. Horrified, the Metrotitan conceded defeat and begged him not to go through with the scan but could not deter the Malignus whose [[spark]] was subsequently scattered to the winds. Deeply regretful, the Metrotitan went off, swearing to never bring harm to another of his kind. One of the [[Thirteen]] became aware of this tale and recounted it to [[Vector Prime]] who passed it on to a [[human]] curious about the upper limits of the scanning process. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Faceboook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/07/17}}

====''Titans Return'' marketing material====
[[File:TR_Titan_Force_map.jpg|thumb|left|200px|"SEEK THE THIRTEEN" is this generation's "[[:File:SENDTHEBOOKS.jpg|SEND THE BOOKS]]".]]
When the universe was still forming, before Autobots or Decepticons existed, the Titans were created and sent out to discover the powers and mysteries of the universe. Each Titan was crewed by [[Titan Master]]s, tiny robot caretakers charged with up-keeping their systems. The Titan Masters also had a greater purpose: Each had a unique superpower they could grant to other Transformers, a gift intended to forge links with other civilizations they might discover. The Titans and their crews were eventually forgotten by all but a few power-hungry and entirely unsuccessful legend hunters. Until the Titans mysteriously returned, and the Titan Masters partnered up with Autobots and Decepticons alike. {{storylink|Titans Return: The Power of the Titan Masters}}

There were at least thirteen Titans scattered throughout the universe, with possible locations including [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Unicron]], [[Master (planet)|Dominius]], [[Nebulos]], [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]], [[Antilla]], [[Paradron]], [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]], [[Earth]], [[Velocitron]], [[Jungle Planet (colony)|Biosfera]], [[Aquatron]], [[Botropolis]], [[Micro]]n, and [[Gigantion]].<ref name="TRTF">''Titans Return'' ''[[Titans Return (toyline)#Summer convention exclusives|Titan Force]] 3-pack'' bio material/instructions.</ref>

Searching for info on the mysterious return of the Titans and their crews Alpha Trion followed a trail of clues to the "Beast Planet" Eukaris. Amid jungle-covered buildings, Alpha Trion and Titan Master Clobber located a mysterious ancient artifact that was linked to the Titans and Titan Masters. Mindwipe led Astrotrain, Wolfwire, and Titan Master Apeface in an ambush to steal the artifact.

Later, back on Cybertron, Soundwave led an all-out assault. Scourge, Astrotrain, Skullsmasher, Laserbeak, Rumble, and Ravage, among others, pressed the attack while Powermaster Prime, Chromedome, Highbrow, Wheelie, Blaster, and Hardhead were among the defenders. The battle was interrupted when what first seemed like an earthquake attack by Rumble was actually the landscape itself transforming into the Legendary Titan: Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Titans Return: The Power of the Titan Masters}}

[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] was one of only a handful of Titans known to still exist. As a city, his ability to expand and grow was essentially limitless as he links up with other Transformers. Fortress Maximus himself is unique as the only Titan with the ability to link with a [[Titan Master]] partner.<ref>''Titans Return'' Fortress Maximus's on-package bio.</ref> When Fortress Maximus returned to full size and unleashed his power on the universe, the scientists [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] and [[Arcana|Teslor]] and Cityspeaker [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] fought against the rogue Autobot [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], who sought to use a loyal Titan Master to bend the Titan to his will as part of his own misguided agenda.<ref name="TRTF"/>

In the depths of space the monster Titan Trypticon and his Titan Master [[Wipe-Out|Necro]] traveled in starship mode between worlds, landing as a dark fortress or a terrible giant beast, bringing doom and ultimate destruction wherever they passed. Trypticon ever hungered for Titan Masters to devour the way another robot would Energon cubes, while the macabre Necro longs to harvest and devour the sparks of all Transformers who cross his dark path.<ref>''Titans'' Return Trypticon on-package bio</ref>

====''Prime Wars Trilogy'' cartoons====
[[File:Metropunchw.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]
Long ago, the "original" Titans spread Cybertronian life to other worlds, seeding new worlds with young Transformer civilizations and acting as their cities while laying inert. When this society had proven that they could sustain themselves, the Titan departed for another world, beginning the cycle anew. Other Titans came online during the Great War between the Autobots and Decepticons, such as Fortress Maximus and the Titan Master [[Emissary (IDW)|Emissary]], and the Decepticon battle station Trypticon. {{storylink|Our Heroes Respond}}

Upon the conclusion of the [[Combiner Wars (event)|Combiner Wars]], Windblade recruited Metroplex to help defeat [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], but declared that a new problem lay on the horizon: the Titans were returning. {{storylink|Destruction's Dawn}} Indeed, Starscream's disembodied spark was able to bring Trypticon back to life, and he rampaged through Iacon, slaying Metroplex in the process, {{storylink|At the Last Second}} while [[Victorion]] led a group of combiners in search of Fortress Maximus, the only being on Cybertron capable of defeating Starscream. {{storylink|Overlord and Emissary}} Fortress Maximus returned to action and took on Trypticon, refusing help from Emissary, until Trypticon swallowed Victorion and the [[Enigma of Combination]] to take control of the other combiners. Between attacks from the powered-up Trypticon and the now mind-controlled Combiners, Maximus found himself at a disadvantage until Trypticon swallowed [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and the [[Matrix of Leadership]], the surge of power knocking him out. {{storylink|Consumed}} Unable to control the surge of energy, Trypticon was himself killed by the Matrix, releasing Starscream and his hostages, {{storylink|All Things Must Pass}} and Fortress Maximus was gravely wounded shortly thereafter by [[The Fallen|Megatronus]]. {{storylink|Collision Course}}

In the aftermath, Fortress Maximus survived and worked with Windblade, who became the Magistrate of Cityspeakers and aided those who communicated with the Titans. {{storylink|Saga's End}}

====''Star Trek vs. Transformers''====
[[File:STvsTF3-FortressTiberious.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
When the outbreak of [[World War III]] posed an existential threat to the Transformers, the Autobots chose to flee Earth entirely aboard Fortress Maximus, with the Decepticons following behind in Trypticon. The Decepticons caught up with their foes over [[Cygnus Seven]], and when Megatron and his forces boarded the ship to do battle with the Autobots, the Titan was damaged and crashed on the barren planet, with Trypticon going dormant on a nearby moon. Centuries later, [[Federation]] miners stumbled across the inert Titan, and inadvertently brought his passengers back to life. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Two}}

The Decepticons allied with the [[Klingon Empire]], and as part of their opening moves against the Autobots, Trypticon [[Scanning|scanned]] a downed Klingon [[Warbird (Star Trek)|warbird]], launching a successful attack on the ''[[USS Enterprise|Enterprise]]''. In the meantime, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and [[James T. Kirk|Captain Kirk]] joined forces to bring Fortress Maximus back online, allowing him to transform into a copy of the ''Enterprise'' and becoming "Fortress Tiberius" in the process. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Three}}

The clash between the two Titans ended in a dead heat when Megatron ordered a retreat so that he could pursue [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] who'd ran off with a bounty of [[dilithium]]. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Four}} The two Titans clashed once again on [[Kronos]] only for Maximus to be taken out of the fight by Soundwave's audio disruptor waves. As the frequency of the weapon had no effect on [[Klingon]] biology however, they were able to call in a fleet of warbirds that overwhelmed Trypticon, defeating the Decepticons. In the aftermath, Trypticon, along with the rest of the Decepticons, was left a prisoner of the Klingons while Maximus resumed his duties as the Autobot starship. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Five}}

{{--}}

====2019 IDW continuity====
[[File:Titans-Lodestarforging.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]

Titans were a rare variety of Transformer, massive living starships who existed on an order of magnitude beyond ordinary Cybertronian life. Titans possessed unique "Titansparks" that distinguished them from ordinary Cybertronians; when one emerged from the [[Well of All Sparks]], it took a vast amount of time and, more importantly, [[energon]] and raw material to shape that newborn spark into a Titan-sized bodyframe. {{storylink|War World: Titans|Titans}} Traditionally, vast open-air celebrations accompanied the forging of a new Titan as the reigning [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] introduced the new Titan to the people of Cybertron. Like other newborn Cybertronians, the new Titan worked with a [[mentor]] to help then understand the world and find their place in it: unlike traditional Cybertronian mentorships, however, choosing to work with a Titan required a lifelong commitment and a fundamentally different approach. {{storylink|Arcee/Greenlight: Run}}

In life, Titans formed symbiotic relationships with their [[cityspeaker]]s, specialized Cybertronians who managed and maintained their internal systems, weapons, and engines. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Five}} In death, Titans could choose to go "[[immersant]]" like other Cybertronians, and peacefully merge with Cybertron's living geography. The [[Cybertronian Mountains]] that lay just beyond [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] was the largest known concentration of this phenomenon—a mass graveyard where dozens of Titans had died and merged into a geographic feature. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part One}} The devout [[Reversionist]]s worshipped Titans and viewed their resting places as holy. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part One}}

[[File:EscapePartOne-Titans.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

The Titans frontlined Cybertron's [[Expansion|Age of Expansion]] in both military and civilian roles—these included dispatching spaceborne threats like rogue comets, {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Five}} escorting [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]-class colony ships to new planets, {{storylink|Escape Part One}} and, when needed, fighting wars of expansion against other sentient species. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Five}} Spaceborne facilities like the [[Black Hub]] allowed crews of engineers and technicians to refit and repair Titans in a zero-gravity environment. {{storylink|Light/Star}} In time, other races came to both revere and fear them in equal measure, viewing them as living embodiments of Cybertronian might. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Five}} {{storylink|Escape Part Four}} The most notable of their deeds were immortalized in [[Codexa]]'s book, ''[[The Way We Were, by One Who Saw It]]''. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Five}}

When [[Exarchon]] attacked Cybertron, the Titans initially took part in the [[War of the Threefold Spark]] against him and his followers—this backfired on them, however, when Exarchon successfully usurped the Titan [[Croaton (G1)|Croaton]]. {{storylink|Wheeljack: Orbital Decay}} It took the efforts of another Titan, [[Citadel (Titan)|Citadel]], to kill Croaton and reduce him to a cloud of debris around Cybertron's star. {{storylink|Wheeljack: Orbital Decay}} After that near miss, Autobot leader [[Nominus Prime]] chose to keep the Titans in reserve for the remainder of the war and did not deploy any during the final battle for Iacon. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}}

[[File:TheWorldInYourEyes1-titan.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

After the end of the war and the ratification of his landmark [[Nominus Edict]], Nominus Prime grew to fear what would happen if another Titanspark emerged from the [[Well of All Sparks]]: forging and fuelling a Titan required resources that Cybertron and its colony worlds could not afford, and gathering those resources would mean a new wave of expansion that would potentially bring them back into conflict with other alien species. Instead, Nominus ordered the staff of the Pyramid to simply divert the Titansparks that emerged into a hidden chamber, where they would be kept in indefinite storage until some future date. {{storylink|War World: Titans|Titans}} When Nominus stepped down as Prime, he told his successor [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel]] about the Titansparks, who agreed to keep the policy going. This knowledge somehow found its way to [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] whose silence Sentinel Prime bought with the job of Head of Intelligence. Over the next two kilocycles, [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and his team stored sixteen Titansparks in this way; {{storylink|War World: Titans|Titans}} as the policy had never been made public, the people of Cybertron simply assumed that the Well had stopped producing new Titans, {{storylink|Arcee/Greenlight: Run}} which further increased the reverence the Reversionists held for the remaining Titans. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Two}}

With no wars to fight or colonies to found, the Titans no longer took an active role in Cybertronian affairs and went dormant: they now formed a reserve force that would only be roused to protect Cybertron from spaceborne threats like asteroids. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part One}} Dormant Titans were slaved to the global [[Titan Net]] where cityspeakers and technicians could autonomously carry out routine low-orbit manoeuvres. By Sentinel Prime's era, the Titan Net's ground-based infrastructure had largely dwindled to a single central hub in Iacon, {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Four}} and in the days leading up to the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] most of the Titans had not awoken for at least ten megacycles {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part One}} [[Lodestar (Titan)|Lodestar]], the sole active Titan, served as Sentinel's flagship during offworld trips. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Five}} {{storylink|Nautica: Home}}

[[File:TheChangeInYourNaturePartFive-LodestarVsVigilem.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

As part of a [[The Rise|Rise]] plot, [[Team Stream]] detonated a [[data-bomb]] that prevented the staff of the Titan Net from reactivating any of the Titans. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Four}} Using a backdoor in the system, the group coerced the cityspeaker [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] to awaken his partner [[Vigilem]] and use him to attack the [[Winged Moon]] and the [[Tether]]. Although Lodestar attempted to intercept and deter Vigilem, the old warhorse's arsenal proved too much for her, and Vigilem was able to incapacitate Lodestar, destroy the Tether, and escape into deep space. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Five}} Titan Net operators continued to try and rouse her fellows as their decaying orbits pushed them closer and closer into the atmosphere. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: Tremors|Tremors}} [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] witnessed one of the Titans skim the atmosphere with Hoist opining that the data-bomb had been terminal. {{storylink|Escape Part One}}

Moments before Sentinel Prime died following [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s takeover of the Senate, the Prime deduced that Starscream had cooperated with the Dceepticons and warned his successor Orion to kill Starscream and warn Perceptor. {{storylink|War World: Prime|Prime}} Sentinel's fears were quickly justified as Starscream quickly went to the [[Decepticon leader]] and attempted to barter information on the hidden Titansparks, only to be forced to tell what he knew for free. {{storylink|War World: Awakenings|Awakenings}} As this resulted in physical injuries from the Decepticons, Starscream made sure to have his agents point the Autobots on the same trail. {{storylink|War World: Hunt|Hunt}}

[[File:Titans-KalisDestroyed.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]

The prospect of adding a Titan to his growing Decepticon army soon became a driving goal for Megatron. However, he was disappointed to learn that the Rise's sabotage had been ''too'' effective, and it was impossible to reverse their terminal orbits. Acting on his predecessor's instruction and Starscream's tip, the newly minted Optimus Prime came to the Pyramid where Perceptor told him about the hidden sparks. Concurrently, Megatron ordered an assault on the Pyramid to seize the dormant sparks within. Having already been damaged by the increasingly frequent and powerful quakes, molten plasma flooded the pyramid and destroyed almost all of the sealed Titansparks; {{storylink|War World: Titans|Titans}} although Megatron claimed that ''all'' of the sparks had been destroyed, {{storylink|War World: We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness|We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness}} the Decepticons had in fact managed to abscond with just one Titanspark. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part Two}} Fearing that the Autobots might find some way to reactivate the Titans when he could not, Megatron ordered their orbital decay be hastened. Forcing the giants to deploy their aero-brakes, the Decepticons brought down the Titans and fatally crashed them across Cybertron. {{storylink|War World: Titans|Titans}} {{storylink|Escape Part Four}}

Off in space, Vigilem had made his way to the asteroid colony of [[Hexagon]], being welcomed and given repairs by the ambitious [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]; however, a refitted Lodestar and her team of [[Technobot (G1)|Technical Specialists]] pursued him and eventually disengaged him from his berth. With no way to talk him down, Lodestar was forced to kill him with an [[imploder]]; on her way back to the Black Hub, she learned that she was seemingly the last of her kind. {{storylink|Light/Star}}

When Exarchon returned, Mindwipe's team came up with a plan to use the caged Titanspark as bait to trap the Threefold Spark in the spark cage, though this would come at the cost of the Titanspark. {{storylink|War's End Part Two}} Agreeing to the plan, Megatron sent his technicians to the [[Sonic Canyons]] where Mindwipe hypnotized Exarchon into usurping the Titanspark before [[Pyra Magna]] destroyed it. {{storylink|War's End Part Four}}

====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' marketing material====
Located at the [[Praetorus Wharf]], an advanced, mobile, weaponized Decepticon base had been discovered by the Autobots. [[Teletraan I|Teletraan-1]]'s scanners indicated that this base was actually the Titan [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. Stationed there was also the Decepticon [[C.O.M.B.A.T. System|Weaponizer]], [[Brunt (G1)|Brunt]]. {{storylink|Source:Teletraan-1 Data Files|''Siege'' Teletraan-1 Data Files}}

====''My Little Pony/Transformers''====
[[File:TheBeautyOfCybertron-Titan.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

The Titans were an ancient breed of large-scale Cybertronians. While most had gone into slumber to serve Cybertron in their city forms or other similar functions, {{storylink|The Beauty of Cybertron}} one Titan, the monstrous [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], was buried beneath the plains of Cybertron after "the one who controlled him" was gone.

When the [[unicorn]] tyrant [[King Sombra]] was unleashed on Cybertron, he had his enthralled forces free Scorponok, possessing the Titan's body. Before Sombra could fully integrate himself into Scorponok's systems, Optimus Prime and Megatron used the power of friendship to overload them, the Titan exploding in a cloud of magical energy. {{storylink|Finale (The Magic of Cybertron)|Finale}}

{{--}}

===2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon===
[[File:Bravemax giant.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
[[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Fortress Maximus]] was a colossal, ancient Transformer believed by many to have been only a legend. He was hidden on Earth eons ago to protect the planet's energy from the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] leader [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]]. Over time, his place of rest would come to be hidden beneath the site where [[Metro City]] would exist by the early 21st Century. His fateful discovery by the modern day Autobots, Predacons, and Decepticons proved his existence to be much more than mere myth. {{storylink|Koji Gets His Wish}} He would only activate once all of the various keys to his reactivation were gathered: the [[O-Part]]s, the [[Orb of Sigma]], and his Headmaster component, [[Cerebros (RID)|Cerebros]], which had all been hidden beneath various ancient structures. {{storylink|A Friendly Contest}} {{storylink|Peril from the Past}} Fortress Maximus was notable in that he could be controlled directly by [[human]]s, with children particularly adept at controlling the giant. {{storylink|The Human Element}} Likewise, the young Autobot [[Wedge (RID)|Wedge]], through his courage and selflessness, could also stimulate Maximus's activation. {{storylink|Surprise Attack!}}

{{note|''Robots in Disguise'' "Fortress Maximus" is the American version of the Japanese "Brave Maximus" character, who technically exists in a separate continuity from his American counterpart. See "[[#Japanese cartoon continuity|Japanese cartoon continuity]]" above for more on the history of this character.}}
{{--}}

===Aligned continuity family===
====''The Covenant of Primus''====
The Titan Metroplex awakened to buy Optimus Prime time so that the Autobot leader could retrieve the Matrix of Leadership from the core of Cybertron, standing with the Autobots against the Decepticons. Despite this, he was eventually wounded, and his spark returned to the core of Cybertron to cleanse it. {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}}

====''Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe''====
Metroplex could act as a mobile fortress for his allies. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe|The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe}}

====''Rescue Bots Academy'' cartoon====
[[File:TheEmptyCity Citadel Secundus robot mode.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
An ancient breed of city-sized Cybertronians, the Titans were Cybertron's first explorers, charting the other planets and settling [[Cybertronian colonies|colonies]] in the [[Golden Age]]. Without the later advent of star charts, the Titans who left rarely returned to Cybertron. {{storylink|The Empty City}} Roughly four to five thousand years before 2020, a signal was sent out for the Titans to gather beyond a planetary nebula, an area they eventually left. {{storylink|The Lonely Titan}}

After the recruits of the Rescue Bot Academy had discovered [[Citadel Secundus]], {{storylink|The Empty City}} he followed the old Titan signal but found his kind was long gone. Though offered a spot on Earth, he sought to make another attempt to find the other Titans. {{storylink|The Lonely Titan}}

Secundus later hosted the year two anniversary graduation party for the recruits only to be struck by an asteroid that created an anti-energon field. {{storylink|Space Party}} The recruits managed to take manual control of the Titan however and landed him safely on Earth where he became a new wing for the academy. {{storylink|Crash Of The Titan}}
{{-}}

===''Cyberverse'' cartoon===
[[File:EndOfTheUniverse3-IaconusVCroaton.jpg|left|thumb|300px]]
In days past, during the Age of [[Expansion]], the Titans spearheaded the development of several [[Cybertronian colonies]], travelling to distant worlds and settling on them with a crew of colonists. One such Titan was [[Croaton (Cyberverse)|Croaton]], who settled on a red planet near the [[Sharkticon homeworld]]. Though the colony initially prospered, alien beings invaded the planet, abducting the colonists and severely damaging Croaton with an orbital bombardment. {{storylink|Ghost Town}}

A special group of Titans were known as the War Titans. These giants ferried detachments of warriors to alien planets to wage war against the inhabitants. When the Age of Expansion eventually came to an end, [[Iaconus]] was the only War Titan who lived to see Cybertron again. Unable to cope with the peacetime, Iaconus went mad and attacked his own kind, eventually being felled by the efforts of his crew. The crew's only survivor, [[Maccadam]], locked Iaconus beneath what would one day become Iacon, hiding the Titan with his own cloaking device. {{storylink|The Citizen}}

One of the Titans, known only as [[Dweller (Cyberverse)|The Dweller]], was banished to the depths of the [[Argon Sea]], locked in deep stasis and guarded by [[Hammerbyte]]. {{storylink|Dweller In The Depths (Cyberverse)|Dweller In The Depths}}

The Titans evidently had some influence in the era prior to the [[Great War (Cyberverse)|Great War]], as there existed [[cityspeaker]]s who were trained to telepathically commune with the giants. {{storylink|Memory (Cyberverse)|Memory}} {{storylink|Maccadam's}}

As the [[Ark (Cyberverse)|''Ark'']] sailed back to the Cybertron, they passed by [[Croaton's planet]]. Detecting the [[AllSpark]], the Titan had [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] bring it to him so he could be repaired. Once he was healed, he parted ways with the Autobots as he went to go find his colonists, unknowingly taking on the escaped [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream]] as a passenger. {{storylink|Ghost Town}} As the two sailed into the cosmos, they were found by the [[Quintesson]]s, {{storylink|The End Of The Universe I}} Croaton being forcibly turned into an enforcer for the aliens. {{storylink|The End Of The Universe III}}

When the Quintessons had invaded Cybertron, the resistance found Iaconus's slumbering form only for Maccadam to bar them from awakening the giant, fearful of the damage that the Titan's bloodlust would bring to Cybertron. {{storylink|The Citizen}} After Starscream revealed himself as the new Quintesson [[Judge (Cyberverse)|Judge]], Windblade activated Iaconus, {{storylink|The End Of The Universe II}} who quickly came to blows with the brainwashed Croaton. The last War Titan very nearly won the battle until Starscream killed him with some [[unspace]] goo. {{storylink|The End Of The Universe III}} Soon afterwards, Windblade freed Croaton from Quintesson control. {{storylink|The End Of The Universe IV}}

In the aftermath of the Quintessons' invasion, the alternate modes of the two Titans became the capital cities of the Autobots and Decepticons as part of a tentative truce. {{storylink|Enemy Line}}

In freeing her friend, Windblade's mind had been scattered across the planet, one of these psychic shards reactivating the Dweller who tried to assimilate all Cybertronians via Windblade only for her to be rescued and him to remain immobilized at the bottom of the sea. {{storylink|Dweller In The Depths (Cyberverse)|Dweller In The Depths}}

===IDW ''Shattered Glass'' comic===
Before the Great War, the Titan [[Metroplex (SG)|Metroplex]] had become buried beneath what would later be known as the [[Static Zone]]. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 1|Shattered Glass #1}} The scientists [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]] and [[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] came to believe that Metroplex was only in [[stasis lock]], hoping to reactivate him for the wealth of knowledge he contained about Cybertron's past. After shopping around for funds, they received them from Senator [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Orion Pax]]. When it became apparent that Pax only sought Metroplex as a weapon for his ambitions, Starscream downloaded all the data that been gleamed from Metroplex into his own spark. Over the course of the war, the Autobots tried to awaken Metroplex, {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 3|Shattered Glass #3}} and scuttled Cybertron's [[Titan Net]] to prevent the Decepticons from taking control of it and the other Titans. {{storylink|Shattered Glass II issue 4|Shattered Glass II #4}}

After the conflict ended in Autobot victory, Starscream returned to Metroplex and discovered that his spark could activate the Titan. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 3|Shattered Glass #3}}

Though Starscream had hoped that the Titan on their side would allow the Decepticons to take back Cybertron, {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 2|Shattered Glass #2}} his spark was carved out by [[Goldbug (SG)|Goldbug]]. After the fall of [[Kaon (polity)|Gold City]], Goldbug managed to use the spark to revive Metroplex. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 5|Shattered Glass #5}} [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] brought this news to Optimus Prime only to find that the Prime didn't appreciate the seriousness of the situation. {{storylink|Shattered Glass II issue 1|Shattered Glass II #1}}

When Jetfire had killed Goldbug, Metroplex fully reactivated. {{storylink|Shattered Glass II issue 4|Shattered Glass II #4}} Fuelled by Starscream's spark, Metroplex lumbered through the Static Zone before Jetfire and Soundwave managed to remove the spark, sending Metroplex back into stasis. {{storylink|Shattered Glass II issue 5|Shattered Glass II #5}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Fall of Cybertron''===
{{voiceactor|[[Fred Tatasciore]] (English)}}
Metroplex had been lying dormant in what would become Autobot City for thousands of years, and was inadvertently activated during the last days of the war between the Autobots and Decepticons, during the launch of the ''[[Ark (WFC)|Ark]]''. [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] was able to bring the giant back online, who heeded the call of the "last Prime" by spearheading the counterattack against the Decepticon forces and eventually flattening [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] in the process. Unfortunately, the [[energon]] required to fuel Metroplex depleted the reserves necessary to launch the ''Ark'', and following the loss of an Autobot energon transport Metroplex sacrificed himself to launch the ship, glad that his sacrifice would get Prime and his Autobots offworld. {{storylink|Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron}}

===''Transformers: Forged to Fight''===
When the [[Quintesson]]s dosed Windblade with [[Dark Energon]], she began to have hallucinations that the titans {{Sic}} were demanding her to destroy her comrades. {{storylink|Transformers: Forged to Fight|Voices}} Later, [[The Fallen|Megatronus]] attempted to harness the power of the Necrotitan, but their sparks were merged into one and became the powerful and unstable [[Necrotronus]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Forged to Fight|And I Saw}}

==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Metrotitan''' (メトロタイタン ''Metorotaitan''), '''Titan''' (タイタン ''Taitan'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Jīdì Jīngāng''' (China, 基地金刚, "Base {{w|Vajra}}"), '''Titan''' (China, 泰坦 ''Tàitǎn'')
*''Portuguese:'' '''Titã''' ("Titan")
*''Spanish:'' '''Titán''' ("Titan")

==See also==
*[[Metrotype]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising subgroups]]
[[Category:Cyberverse subgroups]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) legends]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) subgroups]]
[[Category:Mass-produced Transformers]]
[[Category:Titans| ]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Siege subgroups]]

War of the Threefold Spark

2023-07-10T07:05:02Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* 2019 IDW continuity */ That's an oops! A kilocycle is a year. A megacycle is a thousand years. The war ended two *thousand* years ago.

[[File:TheWorldInYourEyesPartThree-ThreefoldSparkWar.jpg|thumb|right|350px]]

The '''War of the Threefold Spark''' was a protracted conflict that saw the citizens of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] take up arms to vanquish [[Exarchon]]—an existential threat to the Cybertronian race—and his followers.

==Fiction==
===2019 IDW continuity===
[[File:StormHorizonPart1-UltraMagnusThreefoldSpark.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

The war had its roots in Cybertron's [[Expansion|Age of Expansion]]. In this prosperous era, the respected explorer [[Exarchon]] travelled to a distant region of space, where he encountered an alien "quintessence" that altered him both mentally and physically; eventually, he returned as a mad warmonger intent on conquering Cybertron. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}} {{storylink|War's End Part Two}} In response, [[Nominus Prime]], then-leader of Cybertron's ruling [[Autobot]] party, raised an army to stop him. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}}

Four "[[Great General]]s" coordinated the war against Exarchon's forces: the gung-ho [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], who led from the front and counted a young [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] among his ranks, {{storylink|Storm Horizon Part 1}}, [[Strika (BM)|Strika]], whose [[Strika's Heavies|heavy artillery battalion]] found renown as an elite team of line-breakers, {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Four}} [[Pyra Magna]], who commanded an [[Companion|honor guard]] of highly-trained warriors, {{storylink|War World: We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness|We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness}} and [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]]. {{storylink|Escape Part Three}}

The people of Cybertron found that Exarchon's spark now operated like a virus, capable of remotely extinguishing the sparks of other Transformers and turning them into new "iterations" of himself, extensions of his own tripartite mind. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}} Exarchon could only control three bodies at a time in this way, but this talent made him extremely difficult to put down for good—so long as one of his "iterations" survived, he could quickly reconstitute himself. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}} Toward the end of the conflict, scientists like [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] deduced that an unknown alien race had deliberately corrupted Exarchon and armed him with the weapons and exotic technologies required to effectively wage war against his homeworld. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}} Many Cybertronians would come to believe that Exarchon had been deliberately unleashed on Cybertron in response to their expansionism. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I|Sea of Rust I}}

[[File:EscapePartFive-DaiAtlasvsclones.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]

Some Cybertronians served Exarchon willingly. Among the most infamous would be [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], who collaborated with Exarchon and built upon his caches of alien technology to develop a revolutionary form of [[cloning]]. {{storylink|Escape Part Two}} The capricious [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] also threw his lot in with Exarchon's forces—although Exarchon and Shockwave failed to mass-produce his unique [[teleportation]] power, they created a swarm of disposable "[[Skywarp drone|clone-drone]]"s who swept across Cybertron with their clone progenitor at the helm. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}} In response, Nominus Prime authorized the creation of a massive [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] army. [[Turmoil]] melted the planet [[Neutronia]] as he returned to Cybertron and killed two-thirds of the planet's population before he joined forces with Exarchon and took numerous hostages throughout the war. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}} The amount of dead bodies the war produced allowed the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]], who'd previously only worked in Cybertron's garbage-processing industry, to gorge themselves, developing a taste for living matter. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 2}}

Exarchon's forces operated out of a network of hidden, self-sufficient bunkers scattered across the planet and protected by automatic sentry turrets. Despite the loyalty of these nominal allies, Exarchon kept his best technologies to himself, and stored them in a secret location in the planet's [[Sonic Canyons]]. {{storylink|War's End Part One}}

[[File:DarknessOnceGazedUponPart1-Cyclonus.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

The war spread across Cybertron—notable battles included the [[Tagan Heights]], the [[Hydrax Plateau]], {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}} and [[Yuss]], which saw the city completely levelled and marked the first time that Exarchon encountered Megatron. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}} At one point, Exarchon attempted to usurp one of the planet's orbiting [[Titan (group)|Titan]]s and successfully took over [[Croaton (G1)|Croaton]]. This didn't last long, however, as his fellow Titan [[Citadel (Titan)|Citadel]] used an [[imploder]] to reduce Croaton to space dust. {{storylink|War World: Titans|Titans}} {{storylink|Light/Star}} As a result, Nominus kept the remaining Titans in reserve for the rest of the war for fear that Exarchon could do it again. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}}

It was not until towards the end of the war that Cybertron learned the specific nature of Exarchon's change. By this point, Exarchon's forces had begun to lose ground; most of those who'd followed him willingly had, like Skywarp, abandoned him and left only a handful of fanatics to carry on. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}} From his hidden base in the Sonic Canyons, Exarchon began drawing up a new, last-ditch plan to win the war by infecting the [[AllSpark]] at the core of the planet itself, but the necessities of war forced his hand early before he could put it into play. {{storylink|War's End Part Two}}

[[File:DarknessOnceGazedUponPart1-Iacon.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]

The last offensive of the war took place roughly two megacycles before the outbreak of the Autobot-Decepticon conflict, on the outskirts of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. Exarchon joined the battle personally, but nearly perished amidst the carnage. Thinking quickly, Exarchon transferred the final third of his spark into [[Provoke]]'s dying body, then allowed himself to be buried and consumed by Cybertron's crust as a massive explosion wiped out the last of Exarchon's forces and effectively ended the war. {{storylink|War's End Part One}}

The conflict left Cybertron badly damaged, to the point where major cities like Iacon had been almost entirely razed by years of constant war. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 1}} In the immediate aftermath of the war, Nominus Prime implemented a system to deal with those who had served Exarchon: they would be granted amnesty for their crimes in exchange for permanent exile from Cybertron. Some would wind up on remote colonies like [[Mayalx]], where they performed menial labour for colonial workforces; others simply roamed the galaxy at random. The Insecticons, too, were exiled in fear that they would turn their appetites towards living Cybertronians. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 2}}

Not all Cybertronians agreed with Nominus's lenient policies, however—when Turmoil fled the planet with a cargo of hostages, Pyra Magna chased him down with the intent of bringing him to justice, but accidentally killed everyone aboard she'd hoped to rescue. {{storylink|War World: We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness|We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness}} Nominus's government attempted to sweep the planet and decommission every one of Exarchon's hidden fortresses; {{storylink|War's End Part One}} the Iacon crater would host a [[Memorial Crater|dedicated memorial]] to the war, inscribed with the names of everyone who'd died in battle. {{storylink|War World: Hunt}}

Nominus would go on to draft the [[Nominus Edict]], in an attempt to curtail Cybertron's expansionistic tendencies. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part One}} Megatron's experiences in the war would go on to greatly shape his worldview. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}} Dai Atlas, who'd only taken up arms reluctantly, went immersant to escape the horror he felt at what he had become. {{storylink|Escape Part Three}}
Two megacycles later, Exarchon returned in the midst of the outbreak of the Autobot-Decepticon war. {{storylink|War's End Part One}} Gathering some his old followers, he attempted to finish what he had begun by drilling into Cybertron's core and infecting it with his essence. However, a small group of Autobots and Decepticons led by Pyra Magna and [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] put their differences aside long enough to finally kill Exarchon and end the War of the Threefold Spark for good. {{storylink|War's End Part Four}}

[[Category:IDW (2019) history]]
[[Category:Wars]]

End of Time

2023-07-08T05:03:55Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Continuity notes */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' #43
|prev=Radical Time
|next=Transformers: Fate of Cybertron
|caption=
|image=TF2019 43 cvrA.jpg
|title="End of Time"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[May 18]], 2022
|coverdate=May 2022
|written by=[[Brian Ruckley]]
|art by=[[Anna Malkova]] (pg. 1-2, 6-8), [[Juan Samu]] (pg. 3-5, 15-17, 22-25, 27-30), [[Blacky Shepherd]] (pg. 9-12), [[Ed Pirrie]] (pg. 18-21, 26)
|colors=[[David García Cruz]] and [[Heather Breckel]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]], [[Tom Waltz]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
|continuity=[[2019 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Besieged by ravenous rust worms and swarming Insecticlones, the Autobots engage in some heavy-duty pest control.'''

==Synopsis==
''[[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] is a world of wonders. As the [[Thirteen]] begat the [[Firstforged]], so too did the Firstforged and their descendants tame a savage world and build a civilization steeped in glory and mythology. But, as [[Termagax]] lays out in her blistering speech before the Cybertronian [[Senate]], the [[Nominus Edict]] has forced the people of Cybertron and their wonders into stagnation and complacency—but lawmakers cannot deny history, and when change comes, for good or ill, they will be the ones responsible for what happens next.''

In the present day, [[Blades (G1)|Blades]], [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] lead the brunt of the [[Insecticon clone|Insecticlones]] on a merry chase, giving [[Firestar (G1)|Novastar]] and the rest of her insertion team the opening they need to breach the dead [[Titan (group)|Titan]] that the Insecticons have turned into their primary hive. Outside [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]], meanwhile, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Tap-Out (Universe)|Tap-Out]] and [[Road Rage (G1)|Road Rage]] try to capture one of the creatures alive, so that Prime's science team—Termagax, [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]], and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]—can reverse-engineer a [[data bomb]] to breach the Insecticon neural network and bring down the swarm from within. However, Termagax reminds the Autobots that her plan is entirely contingent on whether or not Novastar can install the receiver inside the hive: for her, whether or not Novastar ''survives'' the adventure is a secondary concern.

''Many kilocycles ago, in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]'s [[Archives]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]] speaks with [[Codexa]] about his recent tour of the Cybertronian commonwealth and his plans for the future. Orion muses that, for all that the Cybertronian race has done, the people of Cybertron still know very little about the wider universe, and Cybertron's inability to temper its infamously heavy-handed approach could lead to further conflict. Codexa, dissatisfied with Cybertron's changing political landscape, is already finalizing her preparations to go [[immersant]]... but when the time comes, it will not be Orion who takes over her position. Orion's already eyeing a new career in politics, alongside his friend [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]; no matter where his [[spark]] takes him, however, Codexa tells him that she's proud to have known such a good 'bot.''

In the present day, Optimus Prime, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], and the [[Senate Guard|Prime Guard]] struggle to hold off the ravenous tide of [[rust worm]]s, which attack not just from the front, but from ''below'', and nearly snag an Autobot before Prime intervenes. Not far away, [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] and her team accuse [[Red Wing]] of breaking their ceasefire, but the arrogant [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] insists that the Decepticons are merely conducting an operation against the rust worms and orders them to turn back. When [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] orders the group to fall back, Chromia muses that they might not make it out of this one alive; Prime grimly agrees, but hopes against hope that they might still have enough time to pull off a miracle...

In Darkmount, Tap-Out grapples with one of the Kickback-type clones, who's carried him aloft to eat him—fortunately, Road Rage intervenes, shoots the monster out of the sky, and gives Tap-Out the opportunity to put his wrestling skills to work as he piledrives another clone into the ground, knocking it unconscious just long enough for Hound to fire a netgun and capture the Insecticon. Their victory is short-lived, however: already, ''another'' swarm darkens the horizon...

Inside the Titan, [[Cromar]] and the other members of Novastar's insertion team discuss their mission: the neural network that ties all the clones together is inexorably linked to their progenitor [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], and taking him out is the only way they can hack the network. While Smokescreen and Cromar sweep ahead, Novastar and Javelin note that the tunnels seem empty, and wonder if the clones have spread themselves too thin... only to stumble across the latest batch as they swarm up toward the surface! Cromar combines with Javelin to help her hold off the clones, a sacrifice that gives Smokescreen and Novastar the opportunity to head deeper into the Titan and finish their mission.

Outside, Darkmount, Termagax and the other members of Optimus Prime's science team watch as the swarm darkens the sky. Having invested all their time and resources into repairing the comatose [[Lodestar (Titan)|Lodestar]] and the final ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''-class starship, the besieged city has nothing left to stave off this latest assault; realizing what must be done, Termgax opens a secure channel to [[House (building)|House]] and orders it into action. The sight of House striding away from the city walls baits the clone swarm into breaking off their pursuit of Hound and the other Autobots; bit by bit, the clones whittle away at House's structural integrity until the walking fortress reaches a safe distance. As the Insecticons swarm over the building, Termagax briefly thanks House for its service... then, triggers the "Endpoint" protocol that overloads House's reactor and obliterates the entire swarm, and House with it, with a single blast.

Inside the Titan, Bombshell orders the other two Insecticons to keep eating their fallen soldiers and generate the energon they need to power the [[cloning]] machines and recuperate their mounting losses. Tired and delirious from gorging themselves for cycles on end, Kickback grumbles that they're running out of stamina; when their leader slaps them into action, Kickback turns on Bombshell, and the scuffle leaves both of them distracted just long enough for Novastar to leap from a nearby access vent and slap the receiver directly into Bombshell's head. As Smokescreen, Javelin, and Cromar join the brawl, the three keep the monsters at bay just long enough for Termagax—still mourning the loss of her House—to patch her orders through the receiver and into the Insecticon net.

As Optimus and the other Autobots do what they can against the worms, another Insecticlone swarm darkens the sky... but ''these'' clones ignore the Autobots entirely and attack the worms instead! By turning the two threats against each other, Termagax has, for the moment, solved their problem, but this reprieve won't last forever. As the Autobots wade through the liquid rust back towards Darkmount, a flash of light heralds the arrival of [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], toting an [[imploder]] and a message from Megatron as the Decepticon army rolls towards them: stay where they are, or they all die...

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* ''[[Nominus Prime]]'' (8)
* ''[[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]'' (9)
* [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] (11)
* [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (12)
* [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (13)
* [[Cromar]] (14)
* [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] (15)
* [[Firestar (G1)|Novastar]] (16)
* [[Javelin]] (17)
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (18)
* [[Road Rage (G1)|Road Rage]] (19)
* [[Tap-Out (Universe)|Tap-Out]] (20)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (21)
* [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] (22)
* [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (23)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (24)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax/Optimus Prime]] (25)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (27)
* [[Subsea]] (28)
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (29)
* [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] (30)
* [[Backstreet (G1)|Backstreet]] (31)
* [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] (32)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (33)
* [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] (34)
* [[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]] (35)
* [[Vibes]] (42)
* [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] (43)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (44)
* [[Stakeout (G1)|Stakeout]] (45)

{{!}}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s/[[Decepticon|Ascenticon]]s|c2=
* [[Termagax]] (10)
* [[Red Wing]] (36)
* [[Windsweeper]] (37)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (38)
* [[Shrapnel (G1)|Skrapnel]] (39)
* [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] (40)
* [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] (41)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (46)
* [[Nova Storm (G1)|Nova Storm]] (47)
* [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]] (48)
* [[Ion Storm]] (49)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (50)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (51)
* [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] (52)
* [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (53)
* [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] (54)

|c4=
* ''[[Liege Maximo]]'' (1)
* ''[[Prima]]'' (2)
* ''[[The Fallen|Megatronus]]'' (3)
* ''[[Solus Prime]]'' (4)
* ''[[Gaidora (BWU)|Gaidora]]'' (5)
* ''[[Halonix Maximus]]'' (6)
* ''[[Big Bang (G1)|Big Bang]]'' (7)
* [[Insecticon clone|Insecticlone]]s (11)
* ''[[Codexa]]'' (26)
}}

==Quotes==
"You want to freeze into stasis the story that began with Cybertron itself, the Primes, the Firstforged. But I tell you, the flood of all those countless megacycles of time opposes you. Its weight exceeds you. The flood of our capacities, our potential. It exceeds you. There is a force and a flow to a story as ancient as us that cannot be legislated away. We will be expressed. If you close off one path, another will be carved out. For better... or for worse."
:—'''Termagax'''

"Wish I knew how I keep winding up in these situations." 
"You're a compulsive volunteer. Or a compulsive something, anyway."
:—'''Smokescreen''' and '''Novastar'''

"If it can get me in, I'll handle the rest." 
"Hmm. And of course overconfidence never tripped you up, Termagax." 
"Says Perceptor, who I hear accidentally shot a teleporter into the future. And imprisoned Titansparks. The lack of self-awareness in here makes my gears ache. No wonder the planet's coming apart. '''Literally'''."
:—'''Termagax''' and '''Perceptor'''

"We tread heavily wherever we go. Wherever we have been. We can't do otherwise, it seems. But I think we have to."
:—'''Orion Pax'''

"I'm okay. I '''choose''' to be okay."
:—'''Javelin'''

"You know, if we're not getting out of here, you should satisfy my curiosity, Smokescreen. No one seems to know, so who do you actually, '''technically''' work for now?" 
"Technically? I have absolutely no idea. Lost track ages ago, and I never really cared. But you know what? I know '''exactly''' what I actually work for. '''Cybertron'''. Corny, huh?"
:—'''Novastar''' and '''Smokescreen'''

"Well, '''hello''', Autobots!" 
"Skywarp? What are you--" 
"Hush, hush! History is trying to speak. Yes, yes, I think it's saying... this is an imploder, and I'll detonate it if you don't stay right where you are. Because someone's coming to see you... and he'll be '''very''' disappointed if you're not here to greet him."
:—'''Skywarp''' threatens '''Optimus Prime'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Termagax's creation story first shows the Firstforged emerging from an ornate pool of liquid. Given what we know about Cybertron's history, it's possible that this is, in fact, this continuity's take on the [[Well of All Sparks]], a more literal take that depicts it as an actual "well" of liquid metal. If so, then this would ''also'' mark the future site of the [[Forge Pyramid]], which was noted to have been built over the Well in [[The World In Your Eyes Part Four|issue #4]].
* The first flashback depicts a battle between [[Halonix Maximus]], [[Gaidora (BWU)|Gaidora]], and a pack of [[turbofox]]es. Dialogue in [[Rise of the Decepticons: Tremors|issue #21]] and a flashback in [[War World: Prime|#25]] noted that Halonix Maximus fought and defeated [[Preditron]] in ancient times, and later rescued [[Zarak Maximus]] from a lair of turbofoxes; the framing of ''this'' scene, however, combined with Termagax's description of a "victory over the raw world", suggests that these battles were part of a larger campaign against other Cybertronian lifeforms, including Transformers with beast modes. Perhaps, as was the case in [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW's original ''Transformers'' universe]], this has something to do with some Cybertronians displaying prejudice against beast Transformers, as briefly discussed in [[Rise of the Decepticons: We Have Deceived You|issue #23]].
* Working together, Blaster, Glyph, and Highbrow have developed a [[data-bomb]]; [[Slipstream (G1)|Slipstream]]'s [[Team Stream|unit]] used the technology in [[The Change In Your Nature Part Four|issue #16]] to incapacitate the planetary [[Titan Net]] in preparation for their assault on the [[Winged Moon]].
* While sniping at Perceptor, Termagax notes the time he secretly imprisoned [[Spark|Titanspark]]s under the terms of the [[Nominus Edict]], as revealed in [[War World: Titans|issue #29]], and his accidental invention of [[time travel]] in the two-part storyline that ran from issues [[Lord of Misrule: Test Flight I|#31]] to [[Lord of Misrule: Test Flight II|#32]].
* The issue's second flashback is set four megacycles after [[Orion Pax: Free Fall|issue #6]]'s flashback, a story that included Orion planning a tour of Cybertron's colonies, a weary Codexa preparing for retirement, and Megatron contemplating a potential career in politics. With Orion going into politics instead of following a career in the archives, Codexa reveals that she's recruited [[Proxima (G1)|Proxima]] to take over when she retires, a factoid that'd previously been discussed in [[Rise of the Decepticons: We Have Deceived You|issue #23]]. However, see "Errors" below.
* Since turning the siege of [[Crystal City]] in favor of the Autobots in [[The Landscape of Fear|issue #41]], Prime notes that [[Scattershot (G1)|Scattershot]] and the other [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s, having run low on [[energon]], have retreated to Darkmount to recuperate with other civilians and noncombatants.
* While searching for the Insecticons, Smokescreen muses that "it's not like they chose their hunger". Indeed, a flashback in ''[[Transformers: Galaxies|Galaxies]]'' [[Constructicons Rising, Part 2|#2]] showed that the Insecticons emerged from the [[Forge Pyramid]] with the ability to process and metabolize any kind of raw material. This would, presumably, put them in the same category as other unusual Transformers like [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]], [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], and [[Jumpstream]]; as per a conversation in [[Rise of the Decepticons: Swindle's|issue #20]], they appear to be called "prodigies".
* Megatron and his retinue are on their way back from the events of the ''[[Transformers: War's End|War's End]]'' miniseries, in which Megatron, Shockwave, and the three [[Rainmaker]]s came into conflict with [[Exarchon]]. As seen in [[War's End Part Four|the final issue of the miniseries]]—which, unfortunately, was delayed in release and came out a week ''after'' this issue—Skywarp's stolen the [[imploder]] Exarchon had stored in his bunker, although artist [[Juan Samu]] draws it as a cartoonish bomb rather than the rectangular weapon seen in both ''War's End'' and [[Light/Star|the 2021 annual]].

===Transformers references===
* Termagax's creation story ties together both the original [[Thirteen]] Transformers and their immediate descendants, the [[Firstforged]], by explaining that the Thirteen created the Firstforged, who in turn laid the foundations of Cybertronian civilization. As in ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]'', it ties [[Solus Prime]] to the creation of Cybertronian life; while that version of the story ended with Solus Prime dying at the hands of [[The Fallen|Megatronus]] and subsequently becoming the [[Well of All Sparks]], this version of the story—which already showed both her and [[Alchemist Prime|Alchemist]] surviving all the way to the end of the Age of Primes in [[A Dust of Crystals|issue #40]]—has her using the "[[Ur-Forge]]" to create the second generation of Transformer life.
* The second part of Termagax's story shows Halonix Maximus battling [[Gaidora (BWU)|Gaidora]], a character who debuted in the ''[[Triple Combination: Transformers Go! (cartoon)|Go!]]'' cartoon. It's likely not a coincidence that both Gaidora and Preditron fought Halonix Maximus: they appeared together in the ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'' story "[[Safe Spaces]]", as depicted in [[:File:Safe Spaces Preditron Gaidora.jpg|this illustration]].
* Fighting alongside Halonix is [[Big Bang (G1)|Big Bang]], a Japanese-original also-ran who would've originally headlined the story that eventually evolved into 1991's ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)#Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Return of Convoy|Return of Convoy]]'' franchise, but later saw use in [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Transformers: Wings Universe|Wings Universe]]'' stories. As the character never received an official color scheme, Fun Publications gave him a made-up red, white, and blue color scheme, but ''this'' incarnation of the character uses the orange, black, and red livery that originated with his [[Big Bang Prime|''Animated'' incarnation]].

===Errors===
* A bit of artistic inconsistency means that Springer is drawn in this issue to resemble his [[Springer (G1)/toys#Thrilling 30|''Thrilling 30'' toy]], instead of the [[Springer (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' body]] he's used up until this point. Similarly, Obsidian's alternate mode on the last page resembles his [[Obsidian (BM)#Toys|''Beast Machines'' body]], rather than the [[Obsidian (BM)#BotCon2013|BotCon toy]] he's used up until this point. Meanwhile, instead of the original Anna Malkova design Pipes has sported since he first appeared in this series, Blacky Shepherd draws him as the [[Pipes (G1)#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|''Kingdom'' toy design]]... but with his cab configured like [[Huffer (G1)#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Huffer's ''Kingdom'' design]]!
* Throughout the comic, [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] is drawn with two symmetrical arms, and lacks the asymmetrical replacement arm he kept as a badge of honor back in [[Lord of Misrule: Test Flight I|issue #31]].
* As per the narration, the second flashback is set 496 [[Units of time|kilocycles]] before the present day. Going by the dialogue, it's clear that it's meant to take place after the events of [[Orion Pax: Free Fall|issue #6]], which was set a mere three hundred kilocycles in the past, just after the construction of the [[Winged Moon]] and the [[Tether]]. Given that Optimus notes that he spent four kilocycles away from Cybertron, a likely guess is that it's meant to be set ''296'' kilocycles ago, and that someone made a mistake somewhere along the line.
* As the Insecticlones begin to consume the rust worms, Stakeout is mistakenly colored as Bumblebee in a single panel.
* The issue's title was accidentally left out of the finished product.<ref>{{twitter|Dang. Yes, there's a title in the script - totally missed that it wasn't there in the finished issue. 'End Of Time'. Supposed to be on Page 3, Panel 1, so everyone just go ahead and write that in with a permanent marker! :)|https://twitter.com/Brian_Ruckley/status/1527687044314570752|Brian Ruckley|2022|05|20}}</ref>

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus and Bumblebee fight rust worms, by [[Stefano Simeone]]
* '''Cover B:''' The Insecticons bear down on Darkmount, by [[Thomas Deer]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' Optimus, Prowl, and Bumblebee fight rust worms and Decepticons, by [[Geoff Senior]] and [[Nahuel Ruiz]]

<gallery>
File:TF2019 43 cvrA.jpg
File:TF2019 43 cvrB.jpg
File:TF2019 43 cvrRI.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
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* ''[[Transformers/Back to the Future]]''
* ''[[Transformers vs. The Terminator]]''
* ''Bermuda''
* ''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing]]''

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 6: War's End''''' ([[November 16]], [[2022]]) ISBN 1684059410 / ISBN 978-1684059416
** Collects ''Transformers'' (2019) issues #37–43, ''[[Transformers: War's End|War's End]]'' issues [[War's End Part One|#1]]–[[War's End Part Four|4]], and ''Fate of Cybertron''.
** Bonus material currently unknown, most likely alternate covers.
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:TF-IDW-2019v6.jpg|'''''Volume 6: War's End''''' – cover art by [[Cryssy Cheung]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://majorspoilers.com/2022/05/17/preview-transformers-43/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=preview-transformers-43 Preview]

[[Category:Transformers (2019) issues]]

End of Time

2023-07-08T05:00:54Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Synopsis */ lol

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' #43
|prev=Radical Time
|next=Transformers: Fate of Cybertron
|caption=
|image=TF2019 43 cvrA.jpg
|title="End of Time"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[May 18]], 2022
|coverdate=May 2022
|written by=[[Brian Ruckley]]
|art by=[[Anna Malkova]] (pg. 1-2, 6-8), [[Juan Samu]] (pg. 3-5, 15-17, 22-25, 27-30), [[Blacky Shepherd]] (pg. 9-12), [[Ed Pirrie]] (pg. 18-21, 26)
|colors=[[David García Cruz]] and [[Heather Breckel]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]], [[Tom Waltz]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
|continuity=[[2019 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Besieged by ravenous rust worms and swarming Insecticlones, the Autobots engage in some heavy-duty pest control.'''

==Synopsis==
''[[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] is a world of wonders. As the [[Thirteen]] begat the [[Firstforged]], so too did the Firstforged and their descendants tame a savage world and build a civilization steeped in glory and mythology. But, as [[Termagax]] lays out in her blistering speech before the Cybertronian [[Senate]], the [[Nominus Edict]] has forced the people of Cybertron and their wonders into stagnation and complacency—but lawmakers cannot deny history, and when change comes, for good or ill, they will be the ones responsible for what happens next.''

In the present day, [[Blades (G1)|Blades]], [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] lead the brunt of the [[Insecticon clone|Insecticlones]] on a merry chase, giving [[Firestar (G1)|Novastar]] and the rest of her insertion team the opening they need to breach the dead [[Titan (group)|Titan]] that the Insecticons have turned into their primary hive. Outside [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]], meanwhile, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Tap-Out (Universe)|Tap-Out]] and [[Road Rage (G1)|Road Rage]] try to capture one of the creatures alive, so that Prime's science team—Termagax, [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]], and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]—can reverse-engineer a [[data bomb]] to breach the Insecticon neural network and bring down the swarm from within. However, Termagax reminds the Autobots that her plan is entirely contingent on whether or not Novastar can install the receiver inside the hive: for her, whether or not Novastar ''survives'' the adventure is a secondary concern.

''Many kilocycles ago, in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]'s [[Archives]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]] speaks with [[Codexa]] about his recent tour of the Cybertronian commonwealth and his plans for the future. Orion muses that, for all that the Cybertronian race has done, the people of Cybertron still know very little about the wider universe, and Cybertron's inability to temper its infamously heavy-handed approach could lead to further conflict. Codexa, dissatisfied with Cybertron's changing political landscape, is already finalizing her preparations to go [[immersant]]... but when the time comes, it will not be Orion who takes over her position. Orion's already eyeing a new career in politics, alongside his friend [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]; no matter where his [[spark]] takes him, however, Codexa tells him that she's proud to have known such a good 'bot.''

In the present day, Optimus Prime, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], and the [[Senate Guard|Prime Guard]] struggle to hold off the ravenous tide of [[rust worm]]s, which attack not just from the front, but from ''below'', and nearly snag an Autobot before Prime intervenes. Not far away, [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] and her team accuse [[Red Wing]] of breaking their ceasefire, but the arrogant [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] insists that the Decepticons are merely conducting an operation against the rust worms and orders them to turn back. When [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] orders the group to fall back, Chromia muses that they might not make it out of this one alive; Prime grimly agrees, but hopes against hope that they might still have enough time to pull off a miracle...

In Darkmount, Tap-Out grapples with one of the Kickback-type clones, who's carried him aloft to eat him—fortunately, Road Rage intervenes, shoots the monster out of the sky, and gives Tap-Out the opportunity to put his wrestling skills to work as he piledrives another clone into the ground, knocking it unconscious just long enough for Hound to fire a netgun and capture the Insecticon. Their victory is short-lived, however: already, ''another'' swarm darkens the horizon...

Inside the Titan, [[Cromar]] and the other members of Novastar's insertion team discuss their mission: the neural network that ties all the clones together is inexorably linked to their progenitor [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], and taking him out is the only way they can hack the network. While Smokescreen and Cromar sweep ahead, Novastar and Javelin note that the tunnels seem empty, and wonder if the clones have spread themselves too thin... only to stumble across the latest batch as they swarm up toward the surface! Cromar combines with Javelin to help her hold off the clones, a sacrifice that gives Smokescreen and Novastar the opportunity to head deeper into the Titan and finish their mission.

Outside, Darkmount, Termagax and the other members of Optimus Prime's science team watch as the swarm darkens the sky. Having invested all their time and resources into repairing the comatose [[Lodestar (Titan)|Lodestar]] and the final ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''-class starship, the besieged city has nothing left to stave off this latest assault; realizing what must be done, Termgax opens a secure channel to [[House (building)|House]] and orders it into action. The sight of House striding away from the city walls baits the clone swarm into breaking off their pursuit of Hound and the other Autobots; bit by bit, the clones whittle away at House's structural integrity until the walking fortress reaches a safe distance. As the Insecticons swarm over the building, Termagax briefly thanks House for its service... then, triggers the "Endpoint" protocol that overloads House's reactor and obliterates the entire swarm, and House with it, with a single blast.

Inside the Titan, Bombshell orders the other two Insecticons to keep eating their fallen soldiers and generate the energon they need to power the [[cloning]] machines and recuperate their mounting losses. Tired and delirious from gorging themselves for cycles on end, Kickback grumbles that they're running out of stamina; when their leader slaps them into action, Kickback turns on Bombshell, and the scuffle leaves both of them distracted just long enough for Novastar to leap from a nearby access vent and slap the receiver directly into Bombshell's head. As Smokescreen, Javelin, and Cromar join the brawl, the three keep the monsters at bay just long enough for Termagax—still mourning the loss of her House—to patch her orders through the receiver and into the Insecticon net.

As Optimus and the other Autobots do what they can against the worms, another Insecticlone swarm darkens the sky... but ''these'' clones ignore the Autobots entirely and attack the worms instead! By turning the two threats against each other, Termagax has, for the moment, solved their problem, but this reprieve won't last forever. As the Autobots wade through the liquid rust back towards Darkmount, a flash of light heralds the arrival of [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], toting an [[imploder]] and a message from Megatron as the Decepticon army rolls towards them: stay where they are, or they all die...

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* ''[[Nominus Prime]]'' (8)
* ''[[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]'' (9)
* [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] (11)
* [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (12)
* [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (13)
* [[Cromar]] (14)
* [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] (15)
* [[Firestar (G1)|Novastar]] (16)
* [[Javelin]] (17)
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (18)
* [[Road Rage (G1)|Road Rage]] (19)
* [[Tap-Out (Universe)|Tap-Out]] (20)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (21)
* [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] (22)
* [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (23)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (24)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax/Optimus Prime]] (25)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (27)
* [[Subsea]] (28)
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (29)
* [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] (30)
* [[Backstreet (G1)|Backstreet]] (31)
* [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] (32)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (33)
* [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] (34)
* [[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]] (35)
* [[Vibes]] (42)
* [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] (43)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (44)
* [[Stakeout (G1)|Stakeout]] (45)

{{!}}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s/[[Decepticon|Ascenticon]]s|c2=
* [[Termagax]] (10)
* [[Red Wing]] (36)
* [[Windsweeper]] (37)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (38)
* [[Shrapnel (G1)|Skrapnel]] (39)
* [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] (40)
* [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] (41)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (46)
* [[Nova Storm (G1)|Nova Storm]] (47)
* [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]] (48)
* [[Ion Storm]] (49)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (50)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (51)
* [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] (52)
* [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (53)
* [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] (54)

|c4=
* ''[[Liege Maximo]]'' (1)
* ''[[Prima]]'' (2)
* ''[[The Fallen|Megatronus]]'' (3)
* ''[[Solus Prime]]'' (4)
* ''[[Gaidora (BWU)|Gaidora]]'' (5)
* ''[[Halonix Maximus]]'' (6)
* ''[[Big Bang (G1)|Big Bang]]'' (7)
* [[Insecticon clone|Insecticlone]]s (11)
* ''[[Codexa]]'' (26)
}}

==Quotes==
"You want to freeze into stasis the story that began with Cybertron itself, the Primes, the Firstforged. But I tell you, the flood of all those countless megacycles of time opposes you. Its weight exceeds you. The flood of our capacities, our potential. It exceeds you. There is a force and a flow to a story as ancient as us that cannot be legislated away. We will be expressed. If you close off one path, another will be carved out. For better... or for worse."
:—'''Termagax'''

"Wish I knew how I keep winding up in these situations." 
"You're a compulsive volunteer. Or a compulsive something, anyway."
:—'''Smokescreen''' and '''Novastar'''

"If it can get me in, I'll handle the rest." 
"Hmm. And of course overconfidence never tripped you up, Termagax." 
"Says Perceptor, who I hear accidentally shot a teleporter into the future. And imprisoned Titansparks. The lack of self-awareness in here makes my gears ache. No wonder the planet's coming apart. '''Literally'''."
:—'''Termagax''' and '''Perceptor'''

"We tread heavily wherever we go. Wherever we have been. We can't do otherwise, it seems. But I think we have to."
:—'''Orion Pax'''

"I'm okay. I '''choose''' to be okay."
:—'''Javelin'''

"You know, if we're not getting out of here, you should satisfy my curiosity, Smokescreen. No one seems to know, so who do you actually, '''technically''' work for now?" 
"Technically? I have absolutely no idea. Lost track ages ago, and I never really cared. But you know what? I know '''exactly''' what I actually work for. '''Cybertron'''. Corny, huh?"
:—'''Novastar''' and '''Smokescreen'''

"Well, '''hello''', Autobots!" 
"Skywarp? What are you--" 
"Hush, hush! History is trying to speak. Yes, yes, I think it's saying... this is an imploder, and I'll detonate it if you don't stay right where you are. Because someone's coming to see you... and he'll be '''very''' disappointed if you're not here to greet him."
:—'''Skywarp''' threatens '''Optimus Prime'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Termagax's creation story first shows the Firstforged emerging from an ornate pool of liquid. Given what we know about Cybertron's history, it's possible that this is, in fact, this continuity's take on the [[Well of All Sparks]], a more literal take that depicts it as an actual "well" of liquid metal. If so, then this would ''also'' mark the future site of the [[Forge Pyramid]], which was noted to have been built over the Well in [[The World In Your Eyes Part Four|issue #4]].
* The first flashback depicts a battle between [[Halonix Maximus]], [[Gaidora (BWU)|Gaidora]], and a pack of [[turbofox]]es. Dialogue in [[Rise of the Decepticons: Tremors|issue #21]] and a flashback in [[War World: Prime|#25]] noted that Halonix Maximus fought and defeated [[Preditron]] in ancient times, and later rescued [[Zarak Maximus]] from a lair of turbofoxes; the framing of ''this'' scene, however, combined with Termagax's description of a "victory over the raw world", suggests that these battles were part of a larger campaign against other Cybertronian lifeforms, including Transformers with beast modes. Perhaps, as was the case in [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW's original ''Transformers'' universe]], this has something to do with some Cybertronians displaying prejudice against beast Transformers, as briefly discussed in [[Rise of the Decepticons: We Have Deceived You|issue #23]].
* Working together, Blaster, Glyph, and Highbrow have developed a [[data-bomb]]; [[Slipstream (G1)|Slipstream]]'s [[Team Stream|unit]] used the technology in [[The Change In Your Nature Part Four|issue #16]] to incapacitate the planetary [[Titan Net]] in preparation for their assault on the [[Winged Moon]].
* While sniping at Perceptor, Termagax notes the time he secretly imprisoned [[Spark|Titanspark]]s under the terms of the [[Nominus Edict]], as revealed in [[War World: Titans|issue #29]], and his accidental invention of [[time travel]] in the two-part storyline that ran from issues [[Lord of Misrule: Test Flight I|#31]] to [[Lord of Misrule: Test Flight II|#32]].
* The issue's second flashback is set four megacycles after [[Orion Pax: Free Fall|issue #6]]'s flashback, a story that included Orion planning a tour of Cybertron's colonies, a weary Codexa preparing for retirement, and Megatron contemplating a potential career in politics. With Orion going into politics instead of following a career in the archives, Codexa reveals that she's recruited [[Proxima (G1)|Proxima]] to take over when she retires, a factoid that'd previously been discussed in [[Rise of the Decepticons: We Have Deceived You|issue #23]]. However, see "Errors" below.
* Since turning the siege of [[Crystal City]] in favor of the Autobots in [[The Landscape of Fear|issue #41]], Prime notes that [[Scattershot (G1)|Scattershot]] and the other [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s, having run low on [[energon]], have retreated to Darkmount to recuperate with other civilians and noncombatants.
* While searching for the Insecticons, Smokescreen muses that "it's not like they chose their hunger". Indeed, a flashback in ''[[Transformers: Galaxies|Galaxies]]'' [[Constructicons Rising, Part 2|#2]] showed that the Insecticons emerged from the [[Forge Pyramid]] with the ability to process and metabolize any kind of raw material. This would, presumably, put them in the same category as other unusual Transformers like [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]], [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], and [[Jumpstream]]; as per a conversation in [[Rise of the Decepticons: Swindle's|issue #20]], they appear to be called "prodigies".
* Megatron and his retinue are on their way back from the events of the ''[[Transformers: War's End|War's End]]'' miniseries, in which Megatron, Shockwave, and the three [[Rainmaker]]s came into conflict with [[Exarchon]]. As seen in [[War's End Part Four|the final issue of the miniseries]], Skywarp's stolen the [[imploder]] Exarchon had stored in his bunker, although artist [[Juan Samu]] draws it as a cartoonish bomb rather than the rectangular weapon seen in both ''War's End'' and [[Light/Star|the 2021 annual]].

===Transformers references===
* Termagax's creation story ties together both the original [[Thirteen]] Transformers and their immediate descendants, the [[Firstforged]], by explaining that the Thirteen created the Firstforged, who in turn laid the foundations of Cybertronian civilization. As in ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]'', it ties [[Solus Prime]] to the creation of Cybertronian life; while that version of the story ended with Solus Prime dying at the hands of [[The Fallen|Megatronus]] and subsequently becoming the [[Well of All Sparks]], this version of the story—which already showed both her and [[Alchemist Prime|Alchemist]] surviving all the way to the end of the Age of Primes in [[A Dust of Crystals|issue #40]]—has her using the "[[Ur-Forge]]" to create the second generation of Transformer life.
* The second part of Termagax's story shows Halonix Maximus battling [[Gaidora (BWU)|Gaidora]], a character who debuted in the ''[[Triple Combination: Transformers Go! (cartoon)|Go!]]'' cartoon. It's likely not a coincidence that both Gaidora and Preditron fought Halonix Maximus: they appeared together in the ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'' story "[[Safe Spaces]]", as depicted in [[:File:Safe Spaces Preditron Gaidora.jpg|this illustration]].
* Fighting alongside Halonix is [[Big Bang (G1)|Big Bang]], a Japanese-original also-ran who would've originally headlined the story that eventually evolved into 1991's ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)#Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Return of Convoy|Return of Convoy]]'' franchise, but later saw use in [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Transformers: Wings Universe|Wings Universe]]'' stories. As the character never received an official color scheme, Fun Publications gave him a made-up red, white, and blue color scheme, but ''this'' incarnation of the character uses the orange, black, and red livery that originated with his [[Big Bang Prime|''Animated'' incarnation]].

===Errors===
* A bit of artistic inconsistency means that Springer is drawn in this issue to resemble his [[Springer (G1)/toys#Thrilling 30|''Thrilling 30'' toy]], instead of the [[Springer (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' body]] he's used up until this point. Similarly, Obsidian's alternate mode on the last page resembles his [[Obsidian (BM)#Toys|''Beast Machines'' body]], rather than the [[Obsidian (BM)#BotCon2013|BotCon toy]] he's used up until this point. Meanwhile, instead of the original Anna Malkova design Pipes has sported since he first appeared in this series, Blacky Shepherd draws him as the [[Pipes (G1)#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|''Kingdom'' toy design]]... but with his cab configured like [[Huffer (G1)#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Huffer's ''Kingdom'' design]]!
* Throughout the comic, [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] is drawn with two symmetrical arms, and lacks the asymmetrical replacement arm he kept as a badge of honor back in [[Lord of Misrule: Test Flight I|issue #31]].
* As per the narration, the second flashback is set 496 [[Units of time|kilocycles]] before the present day. Going by the dialogue, it's clear that it's meant to take place after the events of [[Orion Pax: Free Fall|issue #6]], which was set a mere three hundred kilocycles in the past, just after the construction of the [[Winged Moon]] and the [[Tether]]. Given that Optimus notes that he spent four kilocycles away from Cybertron, a likely guess is that it's meant to be set ''296'' kilocycles ago, and that someone made a mistake somewhere along the line.
* As the Insecticlones begin to consume the rust worms, Stakeout is mistakenly colored as Bumblebee in a single panel.
* The issue's title was accidentally left out of the finished product.<ref>{{twitter|Dang. Yes, there's a title in the script - totally missed that it wasn't there in the finished issue. 'End Of Time'. Supposed to be on Page 3, Panel 1, so everyone just go ahead and write that in with a permanent marker! :)|https://twitter.com/Brian_Ruckley/status/1527687044314570752|Brian Ruckley|2022|05|20}}</ref>

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus and Bumblebee fight rust worms, by [[Stefano Simeone]]
* '''Cover B:''' The Insecticons bear down on Darkmount, by [[Thomas Deer]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' Optimus, Prowl, and Bumblebee fight rust worms and Decepticons, by [[Geoff Senior]] and [[Nahuel Ruiz]]

<gallery>
File:TF2019 43 cvrA.jpg
File:TF2019 43 cvrB.jpg
File:TF2019 43 cvrRI.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]''
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* ''The Girl and the Glim''
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* ''[[Transformers/Back to the Future]]''
* ''[[Transformers vs. The Terminator]]''
* ''Bermuda''
* ''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing]]''

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 6: War's End''''' ([[November 16]], [[2022]]) ISBN 1684059410 / ISBN 978-1684059416
** Collects ''Transformers'' (2019) issues #37–43, ''[[Transformers: War's End|War's End]]'' issues [[War's End Part One|#1]]–[[War's End Part Four|4]], and ''Fate of Cybertron''.
** Bonus material currently unknown, most likely alternate covers.
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:TF-IDW-2019v6.jpg|'''''Volume 6: War's End''''' – cover art by [[Cryssy Cheung]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://majorspoilers.com/2022/05/17/preview-transformers-43/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=preview-transformers-43 Preview]

[[Category:Transformers (2019) issues]]

War's End Part Two

2023-07-07T21:50:22Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Continuity notes */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: War's End|Transformers: War's End]]'' #2
|prev=War's End Part One
|next=War's End Part Three
|caption=
|image=TFWarsEnd 2 cvrA.jpg
|title="War's End Part Two"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[March 30]], 2022
|coverdate=March 2022
|written by=[[Brian Ruckley]]
|art by=[[Jack Lawrence]]
|colors by=[[John-Paul Bove]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[Riley Farmer]], [[David Mariotte]], and [[Tom Waltz]]
|continuity=[[2019 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Autobots and Decepticons combine their forces to foil Exarchon's ultimate plan—but can their united efforts prevent a dark future from coming to pass, or is the Threefold Spark destined to win?

==Synopsis==
In the halls of [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Cybertron)|Decepticon Headquarters]], [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] proposes a truce with his former rival [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], only for [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] to suddenly materialize in front of them. Having recently escaped the [[Sonic Canyons]], the ever-mercurial [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] asks if they're interested in some information about [[Exarchon]]. The three 'bots arrive in the building's primary antechamber, interrupting [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s terse negotiations with [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] with news of Skywarp's return, and a dire prediction of the future: not only has Exarchon returned, Starscream tells his leader, but he intends to finish what he started during the [[War of the Threefold Spark]]. While Megatron snarls that [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] is his and his alone, Starscream suggests that the only way to ride out whatever's coming is to call a truce and focus on the real problems. If nothing else, he points out, stalling for time will give Megatron the chance he needs to regroup and prepare for whatever comes next. To Megatron's surprise, Soundwave actually ''agrees'' with Starscream's analysis; as a result, the Decepticon leader grudgingly calls the truce and orders [[Slipstream (G1)|Slipstream]] and [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] to gather their troops, head to the Sonic Canyons, and exterminate any potential threat to Megatron's rule.

In the Sonic Canyons, Exarchon's cornered [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]] and the other members of his [[Autobot]] survey team in a narrow chasm, but his [[Deathsaurus (G1)|enormous new body]] leaves him unable to actually pursue them into the crack. As he futilely torches the canyon walls with his flame-breath, unexpected salvation comes from [[Zetar (G1)|Zetar]], who successfully drills an escape tunnel for the team that leads deeper into the bedrock.

Elsewhere, [[Pyra Magna]] and the other members of the [[Companion]]s take in the grisly sight of a [[rust worm]] swarm chewing their way through the planet's strata as their [[carrier]] floats toward the Sonic Canyons. A perturbed [[Jumpstream]] wonders what this all means—when she glimpsed Cybertron's future, the planet still existed, untouched by the rust worms. Pyra wonders if perhaps she didn't see the entire story leading up to that future... or, perhaps, it's a sign that history is not as fixed as she thinks. Since receiving the distress call in the Rust Sea, Pyra's taken an increasingly fatalistic turn: while she might've pledged loyalty to Optimus Prime and the Autobots, she's a relic from an older time, an older war... and now, those megacycles of history have finally caught up with her. Jumpstream, however, can't go with her: if she ''knows'' that her future self died in the Sonic Canyons, then they must actively work to avert this dire future from ever coming to pass. Jumpstream obediently teleports away, and reminds Pyra to call her if she needs help... but as she disappears, Pyra grimly muses that whatever happens, she'll deal with it herself.

Zetar's escape tunnel leads them straight into a long-abandoned facility, buried deep beneath the canyons: Exarchon's old base of operations, again a hive of activity as legions of freshly activated [[Skywarp drone|Skywarp clone]]s prepare what appears to be a [[Titan (group)|Titan]]-killing [[imploder]] weapon and an enormous drill-tank. Outside the bunker, Exarchon snarls that his prey has vanished, moments before [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s reinforcements arrive—a group of ex-[[The Rise|Risers]] that includes [[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]], [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], and the remaining [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s. As more clone soldiers rise from the depths of Exarchon's fortress, the conqueror gives them orders: find the intruders and prevent any further incursions while Exarchon completes his mission.

In the wilderness, Jumpstream reflects on recent events, periodically teleporting to higher ground as the rust-worms steadily devour the landscape around her. She ''saw'' how it all ended when she jumped through [[unspace]] into the future; even now, she's still subtly attuned to the ebb and flow of space-time, to the point where she wonders if she could deliberately jump forward in time ''again''... but a sudden light in the sky distracts her. Jumpstream first mistakes the shooting star for a Titan, but when she remembers that there ''are'' no Titans left anymore, she decides to investigate.
In the badlands, Slipstream informs [[Team Stream|her team]] of what's going on: when she contacted Shockwave to tell him that they were moving on Exarchon, they received an unexpected response to stand down and stay out of the fight. [[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]]'s happy to avoid helping Sixshot, but [[Blackjack (G1)|Blackjack]] and [[Tracer (Micromaster)|Tracer]] bristle at this order and break rank to join Sixshot's assault team while [[Shadow Striker (G1)|Shadow Striker]] contemplate their new orders. If stopping Exarchon once was so important, she wonders, why not now?

Inside Exarchon's base, Soundblaster watches as Exarchon prepares his final, ultimate weapon, a weapon he would've deployed had he not fallen in the final battle of the [[War of the Threefold Spark]]. His benefactors gave him the tools and weapons required to effectively wage war, but his ultimate mission is one of subjugation. His ability to steal [[spark]]s was but a stepping stone to his ''true'' destiny. All of the sparks he has seized and snuffed out are but fragments of the ''one'' spark on Cybertron, the [[AllSpark]], at the center of the planet... and Exarchon intends to make it ''his''.
On the surface of the planet, Sixshot and his troops launch a ferocious counterattack—as the clone swarm takes to the skies, [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] tackles [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]], Sixshot faces off against [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] and [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]]. The noise disturbs Exarchon himself, who rises from the hatchway... and finds himself confronted by Pyra Magna and the Companions!
In Iacon, Megatron confronts the three 'bots he's put in charge of the [[Forge Pyramid]], who've still not delivered the Titan he desired. [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]], [[Bitstream (G1)|Bitstream]], and [[Sparkstalker]] have concerns of their own: the technology required to extract and "cage" sparks didn't exist when Exarchon first invaded. If Exarchon really ''has'' returned, perhaps there's merit in using this technology against him... but that will require Megatron to make a choice between getting a Titan and stopping Exarchon.

Having teleported herself into low orbit, Jumpstream watches the mysterious shooting star arc its way toward Cybertron. Although she realizes that it's just a mere asteroid, she teleports onto the surface to discover that it's brought someone back to Cybertron: [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]! Without thinking, Jumpstream instinctively teleports toward the Sonic Canyons to warn Pyra...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
* [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]] (8)
* [[Geomotus]] (9)
* [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] (10)
* [[Pointblank]] (11)
* [[Zetar (G1)|Zetar]] (13)
* [[Jumpstream]] (14)
* [[Pyra Magna]] (15)
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (16)
* [[Rust Dust]] (17)
* [[Groundbreaker]] (18)
* [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (19)

|c2=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (1)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (2)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (3)
* [[Slipstream (G1)|Slipstream]] (4)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (6)
* [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] (7)
* [[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]] (21)
* [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (22)
* [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (23)
* [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (24)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (25)
* [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (26)
* [[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]] (27)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Blackjack (G1)|Blackjack]] (28)
* [[Hyperdrive (Micromaster)|Hyperdrive]] (29)
* [[Shadow Striker (G1)|Shadow Striker]] (30)
* [[Tracer (Micromaster)|Tracer]] (31)
* [[Swift (G1)|Swift]] (33)
* [[Roughstuff]] (34)
* [[Cindersaur (G1)|Cindersaur]] (35)
* [[Flamefeather (G1)|Flamefeather]] (36)
* [[Bitstream (G1)|Bitstream]] (37)
* [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] (38)
* [[Sparkstalker]] (39)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]? (41)
{{!}}}

|h3=Threefold Spark|c3=
* [[Exarchon]] (12)
* [[Skywarp drone]]s (20)

|c4=
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (32)
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (40)
}}

==Quotes==
"''Oof''. ''Ow''. Not going quite as gloriously as I hoped, my return. But at least it's interest-ah. Hello again. Can I interest you in some '''Exarchon'''-related information?"
:—'''Skywarp'''

"Zetar! We thought you were '''dead'''." 
"Appreciate the confidence. Anyone want to join me in an '''escape tunnel'''?"
:—'''Landmine''' and '''Zetar'''

"Perhaps Exarchon's triumph, Cybertron's death, perhaps it's all a '''singularity''', bending everything--time, events, us--toward it. But even if it is, we fight. We don't make it easy. We '''try''' to step off the path."
:—'''Pyra Magna'''

"'''Blackjack!''' Aw, but we're a '''team'''." 
"And I thought '''I''' was supposed to be the impulsive one."
:—'''Flamewar''' and '''Hyperdrive'''

"I do not remember all that happened to me after I crossed into the quintessence so long ago. But I was given the gift of taking sparks. Becoming sparks. Usurping sparks. And the deep truth, at the core of Cybertron, and of '''us'''... is that there is only '''one''' spark, if I can just '''reach''' it. The '''AllSpark'''."
:—'''Exarchon'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Starscream attempts to patch over his rocky relationship with Soundwave; they've had a bad relationship ever since [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] appointed him as the director of Cybertron's intelligence division and ousted Soundwave from the position. Starscream points out that Megatron won't allow Soundwave to kill him—in [[War World: Awakenings|''Transformers'' #26]], he lost his temper and pummeled Starscream with a sonic barrage after his theatrics got on his nerves.
* This issue takes place concurrently with the ending of ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[The Landscape of Fear|issue #41]]. That comic showed Optimus Prime opening a dialogue with Megatron in order to negotiate a ceasefire between their two sides, and this issue shows the same exchange from Megatron's point of view.
* With the newly freed [[rust worm]]s eating their way across the planet, Pyra and the other Companions take a floating [[carrier]] to the Sonic Canyons, a mode of conveyance that's been used occasionally since [[The World In Your Eyes Part Two|''Transformers'' #2]].
* Jumpstream compares the current situation to her brief [[time travel]] adventure that ran from [[Lord of Misrule: Test Flight I|''Transformers'' #31]] to [[Lord of Misrule: Test Flight II|#32]]. In a conversation with a future [[Swift (G1)|Swift]], Jumpstream learned that both she and Cyclonus died during a battle in the Sonic Canyons—apparently confirming that we're witnessing ''this'' specific battle, both Swift and Cyclonus take part in the attack on Exarchon's base, and, in an attempt to change history, Pyra's preemptively benched Jumpstream so that this future can't come to pass.
* Upon seeing a shooting star, Jumpstream initially mistakes it for a [[Titan (group)|Titan]]; her inner dialogue, "oh, I think I saw a Titan", specifically evokes [[Rubble]]'s idle stargazing back in in [[The World In Your Eyes Part Three|''Transformers'' #3]]. Moments later, however, she reminds herself that the Titans are all dead after the events of [[War World: Titans|''Transformers'' #29]], where the Decepticons forcibly de-orbited Cybertron's remaining Titans and crashed them into the planet.
* Exarchon's got himself an [[imploder]], an extremely destructive weapon primarily used to kill [[Titan (group)|Titan]]s—most recently, [[Lodestar (Titan)|Lodestar]] used it to execute [[Vigilem]] when they crossed paths in the [[Light/Star|2021 annual]].
* As he battles Onslaught, the Combaticon commander sneers that he's not fighting amateurs this time—Cyclonus has had a habit of beating up whichever rookie Decepticon's been posted to stand guard outside of Decepticon Headquarters, including [[Crasher (G1)|Crasher]] in [[War World: Hunt|''Transformers'' #28]], and [[Roughstuff]] and [[Gutcruncher (G1)|Gutcruncher]] in the previous issue.
* In [[Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part Two|''Transformers'' #38]], Megatron announced his intention to forge a new Titan to eliminate the Autobots once and for all, and ordered [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]], [[Sparkstalker]], and [[Bitstream (G1)|Bitstream]] to repair the [[Forge Pyramid]] after its destruction in ''Transformers'' #29. However, Mindwipe and Sparkstalker point out that the technology to extract and preserve a spark was not in use at the time of the War of the Threefold Spark, having been implemented by [[Nominus Prime]] and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] during the era of post-war reconstruction that followed.
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] finally returns! After laying waste to the planet [[Mayalx]] in ''[[Transformers: Galaxies|Galaxies]]'' [[Constructicons Rising, Part 4|#4]], the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s went rogue and vanished. Shockwave, the 'bot ultimately responsible for using them to further [[The Rise]]'s agenda, evidently kept in contact with the team, since then, however; [[Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I|''Transformers'' #36]] showed them surfing through space on an asteroid while Shockwave mused about summoning them back to Cybertron.

===Transformers references===
* Exarchon again mentions the "quintessence" as somehow responsible for his transformation; the same flashback panel shows him forcibly restrained by tentacles... and, well, if that ''doesn't'' scream [[Quintesson]]s to you, then we can't help you!
* The [[AllSpark|Allspark]] has come up a few times since the beginning of the [[2019 IDW continuity]] which established it as the source of all Cybertronian life in ''Transformers'' #28, with a further connection to the [[Well of All Sparks]] as the primary delivery mechanism for all sparks established as far back as [[The World In Your Eyes Part Three|''Transformers'' #3]]. The idea that the Allspark is, itself, an enormous spark rather than some kind of physical artifact that merely creates them is closer to the original interpretation of the term established in ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', where the Allspark was visualized as a collective of sparks that individual sparks emerged from and returned to.

===Errors===
* On pages eleven and twelve, Shadow Striker's three extra "eyes" are miscoloured to blend in with her helmet.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A''': Pyra Magna joins the battle, by [[Chris Panda]]
* '''Cover B''': [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]], by [[Red Powell]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover''': Soundwave and his minions, by [[Fico Ossio]]

<gallery>
File:TFWarsEnd 2 cvrA.jpg
File:TFWarsEnd 2 cvrB.jpg
File:TFWarsEnd 2 cvrRI.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
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* ''[[Godzilla]] vs. the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers''

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 6: War's End''''' ([[November 16]], [[2022]]) ISBN 1684059410 / ISBN 978-1684059416
** Collects [[Transformers (2019 comic)|''Transformers'' (2019)]] issues [[Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One|#37]]–[[End of Time|43]], ''War's End'' issues #1–4, and ''[[Transformers: Fate of Cybertron|Fate of Cybertron]]''.
** Bonus material currently unknown, most likely alternate covers.
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:TF-IDW-2019v6.jpg|'''''Volume 6: War's End''''' – cover art by [[Cryssy Cheung]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://graphicpolicy.com/2022/03/29/preview-transformers-wars-end-2-of-4/ Preview]

[[Category:War's End issues]]

A Dust of Crystals

2023-07-06T07:49:30Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Errors */ Error in recap panels.

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' #40
|prev=Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part Three
|next=The Landscape of Fear
|caption=
|image=TF2019 40 cvrRI.jpg
|title="A Dust of Crystals"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[February 16]], 2022
|coverdate=February 2022
|written by=[[Brian Ruckley]]
|art by=[[Anna Malkova]]
|colors=[[David García Cruz]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]], [[Tom Waltz]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
|continuity=[[2019 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The fate of Cybertron hangs in the balance as the Decepticons besiege Crystal City.'''

==Synopsis==
On one of [[Crystal City]]'s many balconies, a pensive [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] quietly awaits the impending [[Decepticon]] strike that will make or break his dwindling [[Autobot]] resistance. As [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] checks in with his old friend, Prime muses that although he once told [[Termagax]] that their choices define who they are, that's not entirely true. Anyone can choose a path, a course of action, a side... but the ''real'' test of character comes from how they live with the consequences of that choice. Beyond the city limits, [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] and the Decepticons who have followed her from [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] are already committed to ''their'' choice: not content with merely killing the Autobot leader, Strika orders her troops to raze Crystal City to the ground. The Autobots die today; obliteration of this final refuge will herald the birth of a new Cybertron—and, as one, the Decepticons raise their weapons and charge.

Within the city walls, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] does what he can for a wounded [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], who grimly explains what she and her team saw on the way back from Iacon: Strika has brought half of the garrison stationed in Iacon, and [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] has already supplied reinforcements from neighboring [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]]. Still a warrior at heart, Arcee remains determined to do her part in the coming fight, but [[Greenlight]] reminds her that she has ''other'' responsibilities this time—a responsibility to Greenlight, and their mentee [[Gauge]]. Arcee's never run from a fight, doesn't know what to do this time... and neither do [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]], [[Vibes]], and [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] who tersely watch from behind their improvised barricade as the cloud of dust on the horizon grows ever larger. With only a few minutes until contact, Vibes suggests a last-minute prayer to whoever's listening...

''Crystal City began with [[Solomus]]'s vision of a bright future for the Cybertronian species; at the dawn of the [[Age of the Firstforged]], with the [[Thirteen]] already in decline, he sought the counsel of [[Solus Prime|Solus]] and [[Alchemist Prime]]. Together, they raised a city of towering crystal spires, a celebration of the virtue and potential of the Cybertronian race—and although the city continued to grow after the [[Thirteen]] and their acolytes disappeared from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the builders and architects who followed in their stead never deviated those ideals.'' Now, however, it seems as though Crystal City will follow its creators into oblivion: as the opening Decepticon salvo reduces those same spires to shards, [[Pyra Magna]] and the [[Senate Guard|Prime Guard]] keep Optimus abreast of the fighting outside. [[Backstreet (G1)|Backstreet]] informs his leader that [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] wants to speak with him, while Pyra notes that most of the remaining civilians and neutrals have evacuated. All they have to do now is hold out long enough for their backup to arrive... but, as [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] reminded them before he left, there's no telling how long that might take. All the Autobots can do is dig in and return fire: although [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]'s artillery brigade send [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] and [[Roadtrap (POTP)|Roadtrap]] scrambling for cover, their shots allow [[Storm Cloud (G1)|Storm Cloud]] to pinpoint their position and transmit their coordinates to Strika, who calmly orders her [[Strika's Heavies|heavies]] into action: backed by a solid line of tanks, cannons, and artillery, the second barrage topples buildings and forces [[Big Shot|Topshot]] and his team into a retreat as defenders across the city take cover and outrun collapsing buildings as they fall back to the city center.

Amidst this bleak tableau, with the Autobots losing ground minute by minute, Optimus and Bumblebee finally sit down for a chat. Even here, secure in an underground bunker, the pair can hear the Decepticons hammering their crumbling defenses... a fact that's not lost on Bumblebee, who points out that while plenty of Cybertronians hate [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and the [[Decepticon]]s, precious few have the strength of conviction required to take up arms and fight them. Optimus grimly wonders if, perhaps, he's truly in the wrong: after so many cycles of war, he and the Autobots are no closer to victory. While there's still time, Optimus quietly apologizes to Bumblebee for everything he's put him through in the name of the greater good, but is taken aback when Bumblebee tells Prime that he's already forgiven him and that he's going topside to join the fight. Optimus warns him that they're only stalling for time so that the Crystal City refugees can reach [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]] in time... and hopefully, so that their reinforcements can arrive. No matter how Bumblebee feels, Prime warns, blind self-sacrifice won't heal his guilt: only by staying alive can he fix his mistakes.

As the Decepticons push closer and closer to the city center, [[Wingstun]] and [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] search for Autobot stragglers amidst the ruins—only for [[Sidetrack (G1)|Sidetrack]] to catch the pair off-guard and blow Wingstun's head apart. Unfortunately for him, Obsidian's too agile to hit: Kup shouts to disengage, but the nimble Decepticon leaps ''through'' Sidetrack and instantly eviscerates him with his whirring rotor-blades. Meanwhile, Sideswipe's unit open fire on the Decepticons, while, amidst the chaos, [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] catches up with a doubtful Bumblebee, who's surprised just how much his old friend has changed since they last crossed paths. At that moment, however, the Decepticons finally breach the last barricade, and the explosion sends the group flying; while [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]] and [[Heavywait]] move in to finish their prey, a defiant Sideswipe makes a final stand as his comrades transform and fall back—he doesn't last long, however, and Windblade and Bumblebee quickly haul his wounded body away to the final Autobot fallback points moments before [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] seals the gate. Inside, the assembled Autobots can do nothing but await the end: Crystal City has fallen to the Decepticons, and with it, Cybertron.

Although Ironhide insists they can still win the fight, Optimus is more pessimistic: with the Decepticons in control of the planet, all they can try to do is save what they can. At that moment, however, a distant light in the sky prompts [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] to speak up: against all the odds, help has finally arrived. Even the triumphant Decepticons take note of the phenomenon as they surge onwards; although Blitzwing initially mistakes the streak of fire for an oncoming meteorite, Strika corrects him. That's not a meteor... it's a ''[[Titan (group)|Titan]]''; badly damaged from her adventures in space, but still ready to fight, buildings shake and collapse from the impact as she touches down.

[[Lodestar (Titan)|Lodestar]] has arrived.

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (1)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
* [[Greenlight]] (20)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (21)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (22)
* [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] (23)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (24)
* [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] (25)
* [[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]] (26)
* [[Vibes]] (27)
* [[Pyra Magna]] (32)
* [[Flareup (G1)|Flareup]] (33)
* [[Backstreet (G1)|Backstreet]] (34)
* [[Sunrunner (G1)|Sunrunner]] (35)
* [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] (36)
* [[Flak (G1)|Flak]] (37)
* [[Big Shot|Topshot]] (38)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Sidetrack (G1)|Sidetrack]] (39)
* [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] (43)
* [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] (44)
* [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] (45)
* [[Firestar (G1)|Novastar]] (46)
* [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (49)
* [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (50)
* [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] (51)
* [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]] (52)
* [[Subsea]] (53)
* [[Gauge]] (54)
* [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] (55)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (56)
* [[Rust Dust]] (57)
* [[Groundbreaker]] (58)
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (59)
* [[Jumpstream]] (60)
{{!}}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s|c2=
* [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] (3)
* [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] (4)
* [[Hotlink (G1)|Hotlink]] (5)
* [[Red Wing]] (6)
* [[Wingstun]] (7)
* [[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]] (8)
* [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] (9)
* [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] (10)
* [[Crasher (G1)|Crasher]] (11)
* [[Battleslash]] (12)
* [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (13)
* [[Lugnut (TF 2010)|Lugnut]] (14)
* [[Apeface]] (15)
* [[Heavywait]] (16)
* [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]] (17)
* [[Roughstuff]] (18)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (19)
* [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] (40)
* [[Roadtrap (POTP)|Roadtrap]] (41)
* [[Storm Cloud (G1)|Storm Cloud]] (42)

|c4=
* ''[[Solomus]]'' (28)
* ''[[Solus Prime]]'' (29)
* ''[[Alchemist Prime]]'' (30)
* ''[[Halonix Maximus]]'' (31)
* [[Lodestar (Titan)|Lodestar]] (47)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (48)
}}

==Quotes==
"We like to think we are measured by our choices. We like to think that is how we pass or fail some test. But the choice is the '''easy''' part. Our righteous, noble choices. Weightless. Our merit, or otherwise, does not really live in the choice... but in its '''consequences'''."
:—'''Optimus Prime'''

"'''Crystal City'''. Last stronghold of those who would send you back into mediocrity, insignificance. The last place obstructing the rise of a new Cybertron. So you are going to tear it down. '''Shatter it'''. Crush it into '''dust'''. '''NOW'''."
:—'''Strika'''

"...miracle if '''any''' of us get out of this alive." 
"Universe don't trade in miracles, Topshot. Staying alive's about stayin' smart, stayin' stubborn and—yes—'''luck'''. You can't make miracles, but sometimes y'can make '''luck'''. Sometimes you even make it out of '''firepower'''."
:—'''Topshot''' and '''Kup'''

"Anything that has been made once can be made again. But if we're afraid to '''unmake''' anything, the future can never be different from the past. Fire."
:—'''Strika'''

"There is no penance to be found in falling. Only time gives us the chance to address our mistakes. Remember that, Bumblebee."
:—'''Optimus Prime'''

"Someone's having a bad time of it." 
"We're '''all''' having a bad time of it." 
"Well, it's important to '''share''', my mentor used to tell me. So let's share the bad times around. Here they come!"
:—'''Sideswipe''' and '''Strongarm'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* In his conversation with Ironhide, Optimus remembers his angry exchange with [[Termagax]] back in [[Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust II|#35]], in which he told her that the impending battle for the [[Enigma of Combination]] would force her to choose a side, whether she wanted to or not.
* Seen briefly in the group shot of Decepticons before the attack begins, Barricade's left arm now ends in a stump, apparently not having gotten his hand replaced after [[Charger]] melted it off in [[Lord of Misrule: Swindle's II|issue #33]].
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]], and [[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]] last appeared together in [[Lord of Misrule: Test Flight I|issue #31]]; in particular, Bumper and Sideswipe were still recuperating from the injuries they sustained in [[War World: Prime|issue #25]]. While Sideswipe’s been patched up, it seems as though Bumper has followed through on his vow to keep his mismatched replacement arm as a badge of honor from that same issue.
* [[Halonix Maximus]], a close associate of Solomus’s as per an exchange in issue #25, makes a one-panel appearance as one of the ‘bots helping to construct Crystal City.
* Civilians and neutrals fleeing the siege of Crystal City—including Perceptor and [[Termagax]]—have struck out for for [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]], which [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] turned into a refugee sanctuary after the end of ''[[Transformers: Escape|Escape]]'' [[Escape Part Five|#5]].
* Lodestar and Lightbright last appeared in the [[Light/Star|2021 ''Transformers'' annual]], in which their search for the rogue [[Vigilem]] brought them into conflict with [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] and his minions on the [[Hexagon]] asteroid colony. Their adventure ended with a severely damaged Lodestar limping back to Cybertron; neither she nor her [[Cityspeaker]] have had the chance to repair the damage she sustained, most notably the loss of her entire right arm. They're not the only reinforcements on the way, either: they've brought [[Scattershot (G1)|Scattershot]] and his [[Technobot (G1)|Technical Solutions]] team along, who gained the ability to [[combiner|combine]] into [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] after a freak accident involving [[Airachnid (G1)|Airachnid]]’s [[Combination Core]].

===Transformers references===
* The narration notes that the creation of Crystal City began around the end of the reign of the [[Thirteen]]. While it doesn't go into specific detail about what happened to them, it notes that by this time most of the Primes had either "gone" or "fallen", in an apparent reference to [[The Fallen]]. Notably, the flashback depicts [[Solus Prime]] as alive and well, so it seems that this universe has eschewed the standardized backstory which usually depicts Solus as the first, if accidental, casualty of the Fallen's temper.
* The same flashback features our first glimpse of [[Solomus]], who'd previously been namedropped in [[War World: Prime|issue #25]]; unsurprisingly, he's based on his two designs that appeared in ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'', while his body is based on his mythologised design, his colors and distinctive head are that of his true form. When he appears alongside Solus and [[Alchemist Prime]], the two are shown to be ''enormous'', easily twice as large as Solomus himself—perhaps tying back to a bit of ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' marketing-speak that described the original Thirteen as "rightfully huge".
* Alchemist Prime's shown laying the foundations for the city by morphing base materials into pure crystal, the first in-fiction display of his transmutation powers from ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]'' in action.
* IDW's [[2005 IDW continuity|first ''Transformers'' continuity]] also tied the origins of [[Crystal City]] to the Thirteen in ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' [[Origin Myths|#10]].

===Errors===
* The "story so far" recap depicts two conversations about [[Exarchon]]—one between [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] and the other between [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]—from [[War's End Part One|the first issue of War's End]], which came out a week ''after'' this issue.
* When Strika addresses the massive assembly of Decepticons in page 2, panel 2, Visper is miscolored.
* When Strongarm's group arrives at the Autobots' bunker, her vehicle mode is mis-colored yellow, presumably mistaken for Bumper.
* Lodestar is drawn with the two over-the-shoulder turrets she picked up as part of her Titan-hunting refit—however, she should only have ''one'', since Vigilem shattered the other during their climactic fight in the annual.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A:''' Bumblebee pinned down by [[rust worm]]s, by [[Angel Hernandez]] and [[Fram Gamboa]]
* '''Cover B:''' Optimus in Crystal City, by [[Nick Brokenshire]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' Bumblebee and Optimus, by [[Andrew Griffith]] and [[Thomas Deer]]

<gallery>
File:TF2019 40 cvrA.jpg
File:TF2019 40 cvrB.jpg
File:TF2019 40 cvrRI.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''[[Transformers: War's End]]''
* ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]''
* ''Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons: The Meeseeks Adventures''

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 6: War's End''''' ([[November 16]], [[2022]]) ISBN 1684059410 / ISBN 978-1684059416
** Collects ''Transformers'' (2019) issues #37–43, ''[[Transformers: War's End|War's End]]'' issues [[War's End Part One|#1]]–[[War's End Part Four|4]], and ''Fate of Cybertron''.
** Bonus material currently unknown, most likely alternate covers.
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:TF-IDW-2019v6.jpg|'''''Volume 6: War's End''''' – cover art by [[Cryssy Cheung]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://majorspoilers.com/2022/02/15/preview-transformers-40/ Preview]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dust of Crystals}}
[[Category:Transformers (2019) issues]]

Maximals Strike Back, Part 3

2023-07-06T07:35:02Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Real-world references */

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: Beast Wars]]'' #12
|prev=Maximals Strike Back, Part 2
|next=The Speedway of Central Consciousness
|title="Maximals Strike Back, Part 3"
|image=BW21 12 cvrA.jpg
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[January 26]], 2022
|coverdate=January 2022
|written by=[[Erik Burnham]]
|art by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]], [[Jazmine Joyner]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
|continuity=''[[Transformers: Beast Wars]]''
}}

'''The remaining Maximals seize the Golden Disk at the same time that Megatron springs his latest trap... but to make it off the battlefield alive, both sides might have to lose to win.'''

==Synopsis==
Outside the ''[[Darksyde (BW)|Darksyde]]'', [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] tries to keep [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s attention long enough for [[Nyx]] and [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] to complete their respective missions without drawing undue attention—while Megatron ruthlessly pummels the Maximal commander, Nyx successfully shoots out the stolen starship's [[Transwarp Drive|transwarp drive]]; when an enraged [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] pounces, Nyx incapacitates him with a custom-built taser weapon designed to keep the mad scientist at arm's length. Meanwhile, [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] finds himself caught in a difficult situation: removing the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]] from the ship's optical drive has tripped the ''Darksyde''{{'}}s defences and locked Rattrap in Megatron's private quarters. Nyx races to rescue her comrade as [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] finally gets even with [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] by baiting her into accidentally firing on [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] instead, allowing an enraged [[Skold]], still reeling from [[Razorbeast]]'s death, to grab his paralyzed body and uses it as an improvised bludgeon to hit [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] in the face. While a wounded [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] uses his [[Optic weaponry|optical lasers]] to eliminate [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] from the fight, Nyx struggles to free Rattrap and radios Primal for backup. Rescuing his comrades will clue Megatron into their ''real'' game, but there's no other way—the Maximal leader feigns weakness long enough for an overconfident Megatron to close in for the kill; when he recieves a gorilla fist in the face for his troubles, Megatron charges up his weapons moments before Optimus impales him through his [[beast mode]] head. The catastrophic explosion immolates Megatron's beast body in a fiery explosion, and knocks him unconscious just long enough for Primal to abandon the fight and break into the Predacon base.

Watching from afar, a horrified Blackarachnia realizes that her new leader ''isn't'' unbeatable: as she scuttles away to reconsider her allegiances, an enraged Skold continues pummelling Rhinox and screams at him to fight back. Despite everything that's transpired, however, Rhinox won't raise a hand against her: Rhinox has befriended and even loved Predacons, and despite everything that's transpired between their two factions on this planet he understands her loss. If hurting ''him'' helps her to come to terms with that pain, then he'll gladly take a few punches... but those words cause Skold to close her eyes and admit that she'd find no satisfaction in killing him. Furious with the Maximals, the Predacons, and herself, Skold quietly tells him to leave now, before she changes her mind.

In the ''Darksyde'', Optimus and Nyx struggle to rescue Rattrap; although they just barely manage to force the doors open long enough for Rattrap to make it out with the Golden Disk, they're not far from the exit when a force field bars their way. On the other side of the field, Tarantulas and a damaged but still-functioning Megatron bar their way, and Megatron gloats that as soon as he's out of a [[CR chamber]] he'll annihilate the three of them. Optimus, however, has a different play in mind, and calmly informs the Predacons that, if they don't walk free, then he'll destroy the disk entirely. Without a functioning transwarp drive, they'll be stuck on this planet forever... and if Megatron tries to hijack their ship, the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'', then they'll trip the self-destruct mechanism and kill everyone. Tarantulas hisses that Primal's bluffing—the ship ''has'' no automated self-destruct function—but Rattrap reminds him that the last time he broke into their computer system, Rattrap threw him out the window before he could access the ship's primary network. Optimus calmly offers a compromise: he'll return the Golden Disk, ''if'' Megatron lets him and all of the other Maximals walk freely. A furious Megatron screams in rage... but ultimately accepts their terms.

As the remaining Maximals board their improvised shuttlecraft, Nyx laments that they went through all that for nothing; they're no closer to retrieving the disk than they were when they set out. Fortunately, Rattrap has a surprise for them—before their faceoff with Megatron, Rattrap took the precaution of copying all the files on the disk! Dinobot growls that they should've taken Megatron prisoner while they had the chance, but Optimus reminds him that they're not going to jail Megatron aboard their ship until they're ''certain'' that they can fly it back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to face justice. Rattrap demands to know when Primal planned to tell the rest of them about this self-destruct mechanism... but Primal reveals that the entire ploy was a very convincing bluff.

As Tarantulas and Megatron watch them leave, Megatron growls that he's once again underestimated the Maximals, and that bad habit has cost him the best chance yet to dispose of Optimus and his crew permanently. For the moment, Megatron will put aside his dreams of galactic conquest: all that matters now, he vows, is impaling Optimus Primal's severed head on a pike. Tarantulas, meanwhile, has plans of his own: as night falls, he lays [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]]'s mangled body on a slab and gets to work, musing that death does not necessarily mark the end of one's usefulness...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
* [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] (2)
* [[Nyx]] (4)
* [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (5)
* [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (6)
* [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (9)
* [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] (11)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s|c2=
* [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (1)
* [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (3)
* [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (7)
* [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] (8)
* [[Skold]] (10)
* [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (12)
* [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]]'s corpse (13)
}}

==Quotes==
"A long time ago, there was a warrior from an alien race. He'd let his opponents hammer away at him until he had them where he wanted them, and then he fought back. I think he called the strategy '''rope-a-dope'''. No idea why."
:—'''Optimus Primal'''

"I believe that Cybertronians are more alike than different. I've befriended some Predacons, loved some. I'd be '''devastated''' to see them die, so I understand your pain. And if a few free punches help you cope...then I can take them."
:—'''Rhinox'''

"So when were you going to tell me that the ''Axalon'' had a self-destruct there, cap? I don't want someone to accidentally trip it while we rewire the bridge..." 
"Self-destruct? We don't have one of those. You should know that." 
"But you--... I am '''never''' playing cyber poker with you again."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Optimus Primal'''

"Deciphering this disk is no longer my top priority. Nor is the conquest of Cybertron. Now, more than anything else... I want Optimus Primal's '''head''' on a '''pike'''. I want to watch the '''light fade from his eyes''' and to decorate my throne room with this trophy as a warning. I will have this, Tarantulas. '''So swears Megatron'''."
:—'''Megatron'''

"There can be life '''beyond''' death, oh yes... shall we see how long it takes to get there?"
:—'''Tarantulas''' dissects Terrorsaur

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* As she battles Tarantulas, Nyx reminds him of their last confrontation back in [[Savage Landing Part 3|issue #3]]. The exchange reveals that she's added a new, electrified taser weapon as a back-up weapon, should the Predacons ever capture her again.
* When Blackarachnia pulls a [[stun beam]] on Cheetor, the Maximal notes that he suggested taking a full complement of stun guns board their ship before their fateful voyage—although it hasn't really come up since [[Savage Landing Part 1|issue #1]], that installment ''did'' show him acting as the ship's primary gunner and weapons specialist.
* While talking down an enraged Skold, Rhinox notes that he's befriended and even loved Predacons—he's spent most of the series thus far advocating a non-violent approach to their problems; in [[Savage Landing Part 4|issue #4]], he pointed out that Maximals and Predacons have cooperated for centuries.
* With Optimus Primal caged behind a force field, Megatron gloats that he got the idea from their last encounter—in the climax of [[Savage Landing Part 6|issue #6]], Optimus and his forces retreated by using the ''Axalon''{{'}}s force field to deflect enemy fire. In the same exchange, Rattrap recalls his fight against Tarantulas in the same issue, which ended when he used a [[GCMG-Five|cargo-loading exoskeleton]] to punt the Predacon out the window.
* Two issues ago, in [[Maximals Strike Back, Part 1|issue #10]], Tarantulas saved Terrorsaur from Megatron; as he reminded Terrorsaur then, however, this was simply out of a practical concern that if Megatron atomized him then there'd be nothing left for him to salvage. Now that Terrorsaur's gone, it seems as though Tarantulas will make good on that promise...

===Transformers references===
* Shocked by the sight of Megatron's defeat, Blackarachnia skitters away and grumbles that she'll have to reconsider her allegiances. That's exactly what she did in the third season of the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|original ''Beast Wars'' cartoon]], when she joined the Maximals after realizing that Megatron's attempt to change history would erase ''her'' from existence as well.
* Buoyed by Optimus's victory over Megatron, Cheetor gloats that his commander has the spark of a "big bot" after all—this was, of course, his nickname for the Maximal leader in the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon.
* Although Megatron survives the catastrophic failure of his weapons system, the explosion burns away all of the synthetic flesh on his tyrannosaur head and reduces it to a metallic endoskeleton. As it happens, the metallic head is drawn to resemble ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]'' [[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]], who began life as a rubbery theme park animatronic who later lost his outer coating. Coincidentally, both characters were voiced by [[David Kaye]].
* Megatron's fantasy features another glimpse of Cybertron's unique "gashed" moon, an astronomical feature that first appeared in the [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Machines'' cartoon]] and later appeared in [[Savage Landing Part 1|issue #1]] of this comic.

===Real-world references===
* In his battle with Megatron, Optimus feigns exhaustion, then hits back at a surprised Megatron to catch him off-guard. He notes that he got the idea from a legendary "alien warrior" who called the tactic "rope-a-dope"—he's likely referring to the [[human]] boxer {{w|Muhammad Ali}}, who popularized the strategy in his famous {{w|The Rumble in the Jungle|1974 match}} against {{w|George Foreman|George Foreman}}.
* "Alas, poor Terrorsaur", quips Tarantulas as he holds his comrade's severed head, paraphrasing the famous monologue from Dinobot's beloved ''{{w|Hamlet}}''. Ironically, Dinobot said the same thing about Tarantulas himself when the Predacons faked their deaths in the cartoon episode [[Victory (episode)|Victory]].

===Other trivia===
* Notably, this issue's "Maximal Mailbag" feature includes editor [[David Mariotte]] teasing the possibility of a crossover between IDW's ''Beast Wars'' comic and their [[Transformers (2019 comic)|2019 ''Transformers'' reboot]]. However, [[Transformers: Collision Course|the crossover miniseries that would've brought them together]], intended for release at some point late in 2022, never made it to publication.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus and Megatron do ''King Kong'', by [[John Yurcaba]]
* '''Cover B:''' Optimus and Nyx try to rescue Rattrap, by [[Philip Murphy]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' Optimus and Megatron, by [[Jamel Jones]] and [[Ronda Pattinson]]

<gallery>
File:BW21 12 cvrA.jpg
File:BW21 12 cvrB.jpg
File:BW21 12 cvrRI.jpg

</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' #125

===Reprints===
* '''''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' Volume 2''' ([[June 29]], [[2022]]) ISBN 1684059038 / ISBN 978-1684059034
** Collects ''Beast Wars'' issues #7–12.
** Bonus material includes alternate covers, and an one-page sketch by Burcham.

<gallery>
IDW-BW-vol2.jpg|'''''Beast Wars''''', Vol 2; cover art by [[John Yurcaba]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://majorspoilers.com/2022/01/25/preview-transformers-beast-wars-12/ Preview]

[[Category:Beast Wars (2021) issues]]

Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One

2023-07-06T05:45:38Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Continuity notes */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' #37
|prev=Lord of Misrule: Enigmatic
|next=Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part Two
|caption=
|image=TF2019 37 cvrA.jpg
|title="Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[November 24]], 2021
|coverdate=November 2021
|written by=[[Brian Ruckley]]
|art by=[[Winston Chan]] (pg. 1-2, 4, 11-20), [[Guido Guidi]] (pg. 3, 7-10)
|colors=[[John-Paul Bove]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]], [[Tom Waltz]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
|continuity=[[2019 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The looming threat of Exarchon forces Optimus Prime and Cyclonus to confront their pasts in search of answers.'''

==Synopsis==
In the badlands beyond [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] hauls himself free from the ground and puts in a call to [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] to report that his long, boring stakeout has finally paid off: after cycles of waiting, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] has finally returned to the outskirts of the city on a very specific mission. As [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and three additional members of the [[Senate Guard|Prime Guard]] establish a defensive perimeter, Optimus and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] head deeper into the valley of [[immersant]] Cybertronians, pass through a pair of familiar double doors, and soon find themselves before the 'bot Optimus wants to speak to: his old mentor, [[Codexa]].

''Two megacycles ago, with the [[War of the Threefold Spark]] raging, [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and his lover [[Paragon]] hold the line at the [[Tagan Heights]] with the rest of their squad: [[Grudge]], [[Gridlock]], [[Provoke]], and [[Highfire]]. Although Paragon's already planning his future with Cyclonus on [[Neutronia]], Provoke reveals that Neutronia is no more, as [[Turmoil]] destroyed the planet on his way back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Time passes, the war drags on, and as Cyclonus's squad continues to dwindle, the spectre of Turmoil looms ever larger—a battle on the [[Hydrax Plateau]] against a swarm of [[Skywarp drone]]s ends with Paragon captured and imprisoned aboard Turmoil's starship. As Turmoil's ship disappears into space, Gridlock assures him that they'll find a way to get Paragon back... moments before an unseen sniper blasts Gridlock in the head and instantly kills him.''

Ultra Magnus is impressed by the fact that they can still speak with Codexa at all after many kilocycles of immersion, but Optimus isn't quite sure that this really ''is'' Codexa. Perhaps, he wonders, they're communicating with the afterlife itself, an amalgamation of all of the many [[spark]]s who choose to abandon the material world and return to the place where all are one. Regardless of who's really controlling her body, the entity ''does'' recognize the [[Matrix of Leadership]] in his chest, but Optimus has more important problems to discuss: not only has the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]]'s recent collapse released ravenous [[rust worm]]s into the planet's strata, [[Exarchon]] is alive, hiding out somewhere on Cybertron as he rebuilds his power. Codexa recognizes the name—after all, she was present the last time Exarchon threatened Cybertron, and there when the people of Cybertron learned the truth about what he'd become...

''With victory against Exarchon on the horizon, [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] presents his final report on the enemy to [[Nominus Prime]] and the [[Great General]]s. Highbrow's conclusions are disturbing, however: although he wears a Transformer body, Exarchon has become another kind of life entirely, a kind of living virus capable of infecting other Transformers with a fragment of his own [[spark]] and assimilating them into his being. Worse yet, all evidence suggests that his metamorphosis was not accidental—someone or something ''made'' him this way, armed him with the exotic weapons and [[cloning]] technologies required to effectively wage war, and unleashed him on Cybertron. Fortunately, Exarchon has an upper limit: he can only occupy three bodies at a time, but this isn't much consolation for Nominus, who growls that their impending victory has come at too high a cost.''

''In the final battle, Provoke and Cyclonus—the last two remaining members of their original squad—join the fight to end the war for good. Provoke urges a reluctant Cyclonus into action one last time, promising him he'll soon be reunited with Paragon... but seconds after the pair charge into battle, a stray cannon blast rips a hole through Provoke's body and sends her flying. A second explosion knocks Cyclonus away from her body; damaged but still alive, Cyclonus rises to his feet, swearing to kill them all, but as Exarchon's remaining forces advance he's forcibly dragged to safety by [[Shadow Striker (G1)|Shadow Striker]] and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]. Mentally and physically exhausted, Cyclonus weakly struggles against his comrades, even as the ghosts of his fallen comrades, urge him to finish what they started together and end the war for good.''

As Codexa mourns the many sparks who were usurped and evicted from their bodies by Exarchon, Optimus asks an important question: have ''new'' sparks returned to the whole because of Exarchon? Confused and weakened by her efforts to stay tethered in the here and now, it takes a few moments for Codexa to give a coherent answer, but she eventually manages to tell him that Exarchon ''has'' snuffed out another Spark: a Spark that belonged to a 'bot named [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]].

At [[Swindle's]], Cyclonus pushes his way past [[Roughstuff]] to speak with "Ruckus" and get some straight answers regarding Provoke's situation. His unhelpful answers and vague assurances that everything is fine allow "Ruckus" to evade the questions long enough for [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] to drag him away, but Cyclonus is not convinced: something's ''very'' wrong.

As Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus leave Codexa's chamber, Optimus mourns the fact that Codexa has almost entirely slipped away from the material world, and will soon entirely rejoin the Allspark. Magnus puts through a call to Ironhide on his communicator; when he gets no response, however, Magnus transforms into his vehicle mode, rams his way through the doors... and finds a Decepticon ambush spearheaded by [[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]] and the other members of [[Team Stream]]! Magnus promptly charges into battle to rescue his fellow Autobots, but doesn't get far before the equally massive [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] wrestles him to the ground. Prime's altruism gets the better of him as he shrugs off [[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]] and Shadow Striker's electrical harpoons to rescue [[Groove (G1)|Groove]], but Magnus shouts for Prime and the others to get to safety—he'll hold off the remaining Decepticons. In the eight-on-one melee, Magnus manages to take out [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]]... but leaves himself open for a second harpoon from Flamewar, which paralyzes him just long enough for Astrotrain to get his second wind and bash Magnus unconscious. But when Slipstream contacts Shockwave to tell him that they've captured a Great General, a disappointed Shockwave gives the team their orders: Flamewar and Slipstream are to escort Ultra Magnus to Megatron in Iacon, while Soundblaster and Rumble seal Codexa's chamber away. Shockwave reminds them that he has no use for other Autobots: he needs the Matrix of Leadership if he's to accomplish what he's planning...

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] (2)
* [[Backstreet (G1)|Backstreet]] (3)
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (4)
* [[Grotusque]] (5)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (6)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (7)
* ''[[Nominus Prime]]'' (17)

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s|c2=
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (1)
* [[Shadow Striker (G1)|Shadow Striker]] (19)
* [[Tracer (Micromaster)|Tracer]] (25)
* [[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]] (26)
* [[Slipstream (G1)|Slipstream]] (27)
* [[Hyperdrive (Micromaster)|Hyperdrive]] (28)
* [[Blackjack (G1)|Blackjack]] (29)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (30)
* [[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]] (31)
* [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (32)

|h3=Threefold Spark|c3=
* ''[[Skywarp drone]]s'' (15)
* [[Exarchon]] / [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]] (23)

|c4=
* [[Codexa]] (8)
* ''[[Grudge]]'' (9)
* ''[[Paragon]]'' (10)
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (11)
* ''[[Provoke]]'' (12)
* ''[[Gridlock]]'' (13)
* ''[[Highfire]]'' (14)
* ''[[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]]'' (16)
* ''[[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]]'' (18)
* ''[[Quake (G1)|Quake]]'' (20)
* ''[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]'' (21)
* [[Roughstuff]] (22)
* [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (24)
}}

==Quotes==
"Would you two '''please''' stop planning your post-war life? You're '''asking''' for bad luck." 
"You're just suffering a chronic shortage of affection in your life, Grudge. You're jealous of me and Cyc." 
"I'm suffering a chronic shortage of peace and quiet is what I'm suffering."
:—'''Grudge''' and '''Paragon'''

"Always so frail. All things are frail now... all the scattered fragments of the Allspark turn against one another. Cybertron aches. Breaks. And is consumed."
:—'''Codexa'''

"Positive? There is nothing in any of this... we have ruined half of Cybertron. We are winning, yes. Out there the last battle is being fought, and it will be won. But the '''cost'''! The '''dead''' are '''numberless'''. The burden unbearable."
:—'''Nominus Prime'''

"No '''Titans''' here though, are there? Just us fools."
:—'''Cyclonus'''

"I guess if we've got to take this lump to Iacon, we've got to. But I am '''not''' talking to Sixshot, just so you know. Maybe not anyone else, either. I hear they're all crazy there."
:—'''Flamewar'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Optimus Prime last made the pilgrimage to Codexa's chamber back in [[The World In Your Eyes Part Three|issue #3]], passing rows of other [[immersant]] Transformers along the way. Codexa herself made a cameo in [[Lord of Misrule: Enigmatic|the previous issue]], in which the tectonic disturbance responsible for collapsing the Sea of Rust jolted her from her slumber.
* Optimus has come to Codexa to share his concerns about Exarchon's possible return—although the "Mediator" within the [[Matrix of Leadership]] told him as much in [[War World: Prime|#25]], [[Jumpstream]] recently visited an alternate timeline in which Exarchon ruled over a dystopian future Cybertron in issues [[Lord of Misrule: Test Flight I|#31]] and [[Lord of Misrule: Test Flight II|#32]]. Presumably, at some point during the time skip between the last issue and the next, news of her misadventure has made it all the way up the chain of command, and Optimus has put two and two together.
* The flashbacks in this issue all take place at different points during the [[War of the Threefold Spark]], with the first depicting a hitherto-unseen campaign in the [[Tagan Heights]], a region previously glimpsed in [[Rise of the Decepticons: Swindle's|issue #20]], at some point relatively early in the war. In a conversation before the battle, Cyclonus and Paragon discuss a postwar vacation on [[Neutronia]], only to learn that [[Turmoil]] ravaged the planet while en route to Cybertron—an atrocity recounted by [[Pyra Magna]] in [[War World: We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness|issue #30]].
* The second battle ends with Paragon getting captured by the Threefold Spark and loaded onto Turmoil's ship; although Provoke insists that they'll get him back, we know that this optimism won't last; as per #30, the ship exploded and killed everyone aboard after Pyra Magna defied orders and went rogue in an attempt to bring Turmoil to justice after the end of the war.
* The final flashback is set during the last battle of the war, in the location that will one day become the [[Memorial Crater]] that lies just outside of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. In her conversation with Cyclonus, Provoke mentions [[Croaton (G1)|Croaton]], who was euthanized by fellow [[Titan (group)|Titan]] [[Citadel (Titan)|Citadel]] after Exarchon infected him. Though it's not entirely clear when Exarchon infected Provoke, the details of her "death" more or less line up with what Cyclonus told [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] in [[Lord of Misrule: Test Flight I|issue #31]], with one notable exception: although Cyclonus told Flatline that he simply lost track of the body after the enemy drove him back, this is a bit of a face-saving half-truth: in reality, Provoke's death drove him into a grief-stricken frenzy that forced [[Shadow Striker (G1)|Shadow Striker]] and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] to physically drag him to safety.
* Way back in [[The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Two|issue #8]], Cyclonus and Shadow Striker recognized each other personally. This issue reveals they fought side-by-side in the final battle of the war, where they would eventually fight against each other, no less.
* An exchange between Nominus Prime and Highbrow reveals a disturbing truth: someone changed Exarchon into his present form, and armed him with the advanced weapons and cloning technology he required to wage war against the people of Cybertron. A narration box in [[Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I|issue #34]] had previously alluded to a conspiracy theory that he'd been deliberately modified and unleashed upon Cybertron to end their colonial expansion, although by who or what is still not clear.
* Ultra Magnus alludes to his last face-off with [[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]] in the "Storm Horizon" arc of ''[[Transformers: Galaxies|Galaxies]]'', when he and the crew of the ''[[Fist of Iacon]]'' ventured into the [[Black Sphere]] to save [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] from Soundblaster's clutches.
* Frenzy attacks Magnus with a set of hand-mounted drill weapons—the same ones he used to murder [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] offscreen shortly before the events of [[The World In Your Eyes Part One|issue #1]].
* Flamewar grouses about having to interact with Sixshot again; her intense dislike of her former boss has been a bit of a running gag since she cut ties, and she was last seen venting her spleen in [[Lord of Misrule: Test Flight I|issue #31]].

===Transformers references===
* In addition to [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] and the [[Tagan Heights]], which have both appeared elsewhere in this continuity, the second wartime flashback is set on the [[Hydrax Plateau]], a region of Cybertron first alluded to in the Dreamwave-era ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide|Ultimate Guide]]'' reference book.
* Solicits for this issue mention that the end of the War of the Threefold Spark cleared the way for a "bold new era" of Cybertronian history—between issues [[The World In Your Eyes Part One|#1]] and [[Arcee/Greenlight: Run|#18]] and the first four issues of ''Galaxies'', "A Bold New Era" was the tagline associated with the [[2019 IDW continuity]].

[[File:Exarchon vs Dia Attacker.jpg|thumb|right]]
===Diaclone references===
* Exarchon's original form, as revealed here, is based on a recolored version of the 1981 ''[[Diaclone]]'' [https://www.collectiondx.com/toy_review/1981/dai_attacker Dia-Attacker] toy, albeit with some artistic license taken — most notably the chestplate, which is considerably simpler and less impressive on Exarchon than it was on Dia-Attacker.

===Real-world references===
* This arc takes its name from a famous {{w|John Milton}} quote: "Innocence, once lost, can never be regained. Darkness, once gazed upon, can never be lost."

===Errors===
* During the flashback on page six, Ultra Magnus is shown identical to his present-day self, wearing a blocky body based on his concurrent ''[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]'' toy. However, [[Storm Horizon Part 1|''Galaxies'' #10]] previously established that Magnus used a taller body based on the [[Magnus Armor]] (and, by extension, his [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|2015 ''Combiner Wars'']] toy) from ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye| More than Meets the Eye]]''.
* On page ten, Shadow Striker is drawn without the extra "eyes" on her helmet she sports in the present day.
* Roughstuff is depicted with a Decepticon badge this issue, but he (and Swindle's operation) are still technically independents at this time. The badge disappears after this and, in [[Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part Three|issue #39]], Roughstuff joins up with Sixshot and says he's ready to get a badge now.

===Other trivia===
* Originally solicited for a November 17th release, this issue drops just one week late.
* This issue was originally solicited as "War Stories"—perhaps an attempt to maintain the ongoing "multi-part arc separated by individual spotlight issues" format of the series up till this point—but this must've been changed relatively late in development. The same solicit also mentions Pyra Magna playing a role in the story, who does not appear in the issue.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A:''' Gridlock's corpse, by [[Aline Herzspalter Baumgartner]]
* '''Cover B:''' Optimus Prime, by [[Sebastian Piriz]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' Optimus, by [[Freddie E. Williams II]] and [[Jeremy Colwell]]

<gallery>
File:TF2019 37 cvrA.jpg
File:TF2019 37 cvrB.jpg
File:TF2019 37 cvrRI.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''[[Godzilla]]'' graphic novels
* Pop Insider Holiday Gift Guide
* ''Chained to the Grave''

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 6: War's End''''' ([[November 16]], [[2022]]) ISBN 1684059410 / ISBN 978-1684059416
** Collects ''Transformers'' (2019) issues #37–43, ''[[Transformers: War's End|War's End]]'' issues [[War's End Part One|#1]]–[[War's End Part Four|4]], and ''Fate of Cybertron''.
** Bonus material currently unknown, most likely alternate covers.
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:TF-IDW-2019v6.jpg|'''''Volume 6: War's End''''' – cover art by [[Cryssy Cheung]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [http://majorspoilers.com/2021/10/26/preview-transformers-36/ Preview]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part 1}}
[[Category:Transformers (2019) issues]]

Shattered Glass issue 2

2023-07-06T02:12:06Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Errors */ Clarifying

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (IDW)|Transformers: Shattered Glass]]'' #2
|prev=Shattered Glass issue 1
|next=Shattered Glass issue 3
|caption=
|image=IDWSG 2 cvrA.jpg
|title=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[September 29]], 2021
|coverdate=September 2021
|written by=[[Danny Lore]]
|art by=[[Dan Khanna]]
|colors=[[John-Paul Bove]]
|letters by=[[Neil Uyetake]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
}}

'''A weary Megatron reflects on the history of the Great War as Starscream tries to convince his former leader to retake command.'''

==Synopsis==
Since the end of the Great War, [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] has abandoned the [[Decepticon]]s in favor of eking out a solitary existence in the deepest, least inhabitable regions of the [[Rust Sea]]—when the damaged [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]] makes a rough landing, the former Decepticon leader gruffly reminds Starscream that he asked to be left alone. When the damaged [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] falls unconscious, however, Megatron's compassion compels him to bring Starscream inside to his jury-rigged shelter and repair his former lieutenant. As soon as he regains consciousness, Starscream explains his recent run-in with [[Blurr (SG)|Blurr]] and the other [[bodyscrapper]]s, who've put a bounty on his head after somehow catching wind of his recent activities. When the conversation turns to Starscream's former ally [[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]], however, Starscream abruptly changes the conversation to Megatron's dingy living quarters. As he takes in the sight of a tattered Decepticon poster on the wall, Starscream admits that it reminds him of the first time he ever saw Megatron...

''Before the war, Starscream was a scholar; he and Jetfire visited the [[Senate]] in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] to discuss funding for their work on the same day that Megatron held an anti-[[empurata]] rally outside the building. The pair watch from the sidelines as an argument between Megatron and security officer [[Prowl (SG)|Prowl]] over their right to protest turns heated—when Prowl accuses Megatron of getting away with his rabble-rousing only because [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Orion Pax]] lets him, the crowd looks on as Megatron loses his temper and throws Prowl aside.''

Starscream admits that ''this'' was the moment that inspired him to join the Decepticons: the idea of a lowly miner taking a stand against a bloated and corrupt Senate inspired him and countless other 'bots to rise up and join the Decepticons. Megatron's memory of that day is less rosy, however; that fight ended with his first arrest, and the Senate holding him up as an example to keep the other manual workers in their place. Again, Megatron asks why Starscream came to him for assistance, and Starscream explains that, with a target on his back, he needs help recruiting others to the cause. Megatron growls that Starscream would need a ''real'' leader to inspire a new generation of Decepticons and Megatron is no leader, not anymore.

''As he stews in his holding cell, an officer abruptly tells Megatron that he's free to go; the moment he sets foot outside, he discovers that his friend [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Orion Pax]] has pulled some strings and cleared Megatron of all charges, despite an acidic comment that some jail time might've done the Decepticon leader some good. The subsequent argument marks the end of their friendship-Orion accuses Megatron of spreading chaos under the guise of "empathy", and Megatron retorts by reminding Orion of his secret police, and their role in Senator [[Shockwave (SG)|Shockwave]]'s recent arrest and subsequent torture. The disagreement escalates into a full-on brawl; when Prowl and [[Chromedome (SG)|Chromedome]] step in to break up the fight, Pax instructs them to let Megatron go; despite Orion's warning that Megatron could've stood alongside him on the winning team, Megatron retorts that a 'bot like Orion could ''never'' share his power''.

As he and Starscream step out into the Rust Sea, Megatron privately reflects on his turbulent friendship with Orion—did he allow him to pull strings out of genuine concern for the 'bots he'd be leaving behind if he went to jail, or out of his own selfish desires? Starscream snaps him back to the present; although the flier begs Megatron to take up arms and fight the good fight again, Megatron shouts that he's ''not'' Decepticon leader anymore: his bad decisions cost them everything and lost them the war.

''When Orion Pax—now Optimus Prime—turned his attention to [[Earth]], the Decepticons fought to protect the planet and its supplies of [[Rarified Energon]], and as collateral damage continued to mount, their destructive conflict came to a head when the Autobots attacked [[Los Angeles]]. In what would become Megatron's final battle on Earth, the Decepticon leader lead the charge and eventually threw himself into a duel against his old nemesis. If he could not kill Optimus, Megatron reasoned, then he could at least martyr himself for the cause—and although Optimus beat him to the brink of death before laying waste to Earth, Megatron somehow survived. Cursing himself for ever trusting Orion, Megatron eventually salvaged a ship and limped back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], only to find that the triumphant Autobots had already conquered the planet: the tyrant he'd once called a friend had destroyed everything he'd ever worked for.''

Starscream, on the other hand, remembers the battle differently. Despite overwhelming odds, Megatron courageously led his men into battle—a crack shot from his [[fusion cannon]] saved [[Thundercracker (SG)|Thundercracker]] from [[Goldbug (SG)|Bumblebee]], and the sight of their commander fighting on inspired them to redouble their efforts. Only when Optimus Prime arrived did Megatron choose to lay down his life for the cause, secure in the knowledge that his sacrifice would buy time for Starscream to coordinate the evacuation of Earth. Despite his hesitation, Starscream followed his orders to the letter... and although Megatron still thinks himself a failure, Starscream assures him that everyone who survived the battle—survived because of ''him'', and his willingness to lose to keep them alive. For too long, the Decepticons have kept to the shadows, but Starscream might have given the Decepticons a new edge. During the war, Megatron and Starscream discussed using Starscream's unique [[spark]] as an indestructible repository... and now, Starscream's found a way to ''use'' that spark to reactivate the [[Titan (group)|Titans]] and take back Cybertron!

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashback. 

{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Decepticon]]s|c1=
* [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] (1)
* [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]] (2)
* ''[[Ratbat (SG)|Ratbat]]'' (5)
* ''[[Shockwave (SG)|Shockwave]]'' (8)
* ''[[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]]'' (9)
* ''[[Reflector (SG)|Reflector]]'' (10)
* ''[[Rumble (SG)|Rumble]]'' (11)
* ''[[Thundercracker (SG)|Thundercracker]] (12)
* ''[[Skywarp (SG)|Skywarp]]'' (13)
* ''[[Kickback (SG)|Kickback]]'' (26)
* ''[[Frenzy (SG)|Frenzy]]'' (27)
* ''[[Bombshell (SG)|Bombshell]]'' (28)
* ''[[Scrapper (SG)|Scrapper]]'' (29)
* ''[[Bonecrusher (SG)|Bonecrusher]] (30)
* ''[[Ravage (SG)|Ravage]]'' (31)

|h2=[[Autobot]]s|c2=
* ''[[Prowl (SG)|Prowl]]'' (3)
* ''[[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]]'' (4)
* ''[[Chromedome (SG)|Chromedome]]'' (6)
* ''[[Optimus Prime (SG)|Orion Pax/Optimus Prime]]'' (7)
* ''[[Ratchet (SG)|Ratchet]]'' (14)
* ''[[Jazz (SG)|Jazz]]'' (15)
* ''[[Blaster (SG)|Blaster]]'' (16)
* ''[[Ironhide (SG)|Ironhide]]'' (17)
* ''[[Downshift (SG)|Downshift]]'' (18)
* ''[[Windcharger (SG)|Windcharger]]'' (19)
* ''[[Brawn (SG)|Brawn]]'' (20)
* ''[[Goldbug (SG)|Bumblebee]]'' (21)
* ''[[Sunstreaker (SG)|Sunstreaker]]'' (22)
* ''[[Sideswipe (SG)|Sideswipe]]'' (23)
* ''[[Blurr (SG)|Blurr]]'' (24)
* ''[[Rodimus (SG)|Rodimus]]'' (25)
}}

==Quotes==
"So many of the bots in this city have grown comfortable with this pathetic hierarchy you've set up. Where those of us that labor so that you don't have to are worthy of nothing but your cruelty. It is '''amusing''' to see you sputter when confronted by someone who is done with your '''bullying'''."
:—'''Megatron'''

"You could have joined me, Megatron. Been on my side. If it weren't for-" 
"—That's where you are wrong, Orion. You may have offered me a place '''at''' your side... but I could never have been '''on''' your side."
:—'''Orion Pax''' and '''Megatron'''

"To this day, I wonder about the times he pulled strings. Was I complicit in letting him do so? Did I do it because my bots needed me outside with them? Or was I masking my own selfish desires? Perhaps I've spent my time in the Rust Seas making up for the time I should have spent in other cages."
:—'''Megatron'''

"I hoped it would come to this—'''old friend!'''" 
"We are '''past''' friendships." 
"We are past '''nothing''', Megatron! Until '''I''' say we are!" 
"No! I have never followed your orders, '''Prime'''. I see no reason to start now."
:—Couples counseling with '''Optimus Prime''' and '''Megatron'''

"We spoke of how you saved Thundercracker, with a pointblank shot that led to Bumblebee needing a new body. We drank to the vision of you taking down wave upon wave of Autobots. And how '''tyrants''' fell at your feet. Perhaps '''you''' saw yourself as a '''martyr'''. But to us, you were a '''hero'''."
:—'''Starscream'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* The... um... shattered glass on Optimus Prime's right windshield has been a prominent feature since his very first appearance in the original [[Shattered Glass (issue)|"Shattered Glass]]" comic; while its prominence in the original Fun Publications stories was never explained, this issue gives it some significance by revealing that it's a scar left over from his very first fight with Megatron from before the war.
* During the battle on Earth, Megatron hits Bumblebee dead-on with his fusion cannon; going by Starscream's narration, this would be the incident that necessitated Bumblebee's complete rebuild into his present-day identity of Goldbug.
* The late Blurr makes a silhouetted appearance during the flashback to Earth; he'd previously described Earth as a key battlefield in [[Shattered Glass issue 1|issue #1]], but it wasn't clear if he'd actually gone to Earth himself with Optimus and the other Autobots.
* A [[Titan (group)|Titan]] resembling [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and colored to resemble [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]] appeared last issue, seemingly echoing the "[[immersant]]" Titans from [[Transformers (2019 comic)|IDW's ''Transformers'']] reboot, ancient figures who've merged with their homeworld's geography. Echoing a trend that's most recently surfaced in 2021's [[My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron|''My Little Pony'' crossover]], it seems that most contemporary depictions of Cybertron will feature dormant Titans in some capacity.

===Transformers references===
* The [[Shattered Glass issue 1|first issue]] of this miniseries primarily used characters who hadn't appeared in the original ''Shattered Glass'' run or had already appeared in Hasbro's new ''Generations'' subline. This issue features a huge number of characters who'd appeared in some way, shape, or form in the original ''Shattered Glass'' run; although most sport bodies based on their most recent ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' toyline, all of them are colored to resemble their original ''Shattered Glass'' selves—examples include a yellow and grey Shockwave, a black Ironhide, a Ratbat colored to resemble [[Batman]], and a... well, let's just say "aggressively technicolored" Thundercracker. One notable exception is Prowl, who's had a made-up white, blue, and lime paintjob applied to his [[Prowl (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' toy]].
* Upon discovering Megatron's underground bunker, Starscream sardonically compares him to a "[[driller]]", the giant, tunnelling kaiju from [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|''Dark of the Moon'' film]]. Additionally, Megatron's habit of skulking around the desert, clad in a tattered cape, evokes [[Megatron (Movie)|his live-action film series]] counterpart's behaviour in that same film.
* The first two flashbacks take heavy inspiration from the works of [[James Roberts]]—together, they constitute a bizarro version of Megatron's rise to power as depicted in the [[Chaos Theory Part 1|"Chaos Theory"]] duology, and feature additional story elements lifted from ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than meets the Eye]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s "[[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Shadowplay]]" arc.
** While the previous ''Shattered Glass'' universe established Optimus and Megatron as an evil librarian and a heroic university professor with no apparent connections to one another, most if not all contemporary ''Transformers'' stories have adopted some version of the ''[[Transformers: Exodus|Exodus]]'' novel as a backstory, most notably by depicting Optimus and Megatron as friends and political contemporaries during Cybertron's pre-war era. While Megatron's disenfranchised miner backstory has been a staple of the character since the days of ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]'', its depiction of Orion Pax as a police officer serving a corrupt Senate hew much closer to [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW's first ''Transformers'' universe]]. Furthering the connection, Megatron's accusations of Pax's "secret police" echo the sinister [[Institute]] from ''More than Meets the Eye''.
** [[Prowl (SG)|Prowl]] and [[Chromedome (SG)|Chromedome]] are shown to be police officers on the beat with Orion Pax, just as the "Shadowplay" trilogy depicted them as fellow investigators during the early days of the Decepticon movement.
** Megatron's anti-[[empurata]] rallies are specifically a protest in support of Senator [[Shockwave (SG)|Shockwave]], who was recently kidnapped and tortured by Orion Pax's secret police in an attempt to take away his compassion: in "Shadowplay", Shockwave voluntarily took the fall for Orion Pax and his gang of outlaws after they foiled a plot to implicate the Decepticons in an assassination, and suffered both [[empurata]] and [[shadowplay]] as a result. Given that this is a mirror universe, it's noted that, rather than turning him cold and emotionless, the procedure went wrong and left him with a hyperdeveloped sense of empathy for others, tying into how the original ''Shattered Glass'' stories depicted him as a kindly diplomat.
** Ratbat's pre-war job as a senator has its roots in the ''Megatron Origin'' miniseries, which depicted him as an arrogant, opportunistic humanoid Transformer who was forcefully changed into an animalistic cassette by the Decepticons in a bit of karmic retribution. In contrast, ''Shattered Glass'' Ratbat is shown to be pretty chummy with Megatron and the other Decepticons.
** A ''Shattered Glass'' version of [[Whirl (SG)|Whirl]], IDW's ''other'' most famous empurata victim, features on what seems to be a pro-empurata poster on page eight. ''More than Meets the Eye''{{'}}s Whirl despised the [[Functionist Council]] for taking away his original head and hands, so it makes sense that his mirror-universe self would come out in favor of the punishment.
* Jetfire and Starscream's shared background as scientists and former friends are traits inspired by the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[Fire in the Sky]]."
* The first panel on page eight features a T-shaped lamppost colored to resemble [[Soundwave (SG)|''Shattered Glass'' Soundwave]], referencing his famous disguise in "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]"—given the context of the scene, it's possible that this actually ''is'' Soundwave keeping an eye on the conversation, but the comic doesn't confirm or deny this. The same panel also features what appears to be a police model [[Watchdog (G1)|Watchdog]] drone with a lightbar.
* Cybertronians based on [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] and [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] are shown taking part in Megatron's protest. Another Decepticon who uses the [[Battlecharger]] body-type appears in the Earth flashback, but the block colors leave it ambiguous whether it's Runabout, Runamuck, or some other guy.
* In this universe, Megatron's history on Earth apparently follows his [[Megatron (Movie)|live-action]] and [[Megatron (Animated)|''Animated'' counterparts]]; his speech to the Decepticons makes note that he crashed on Earth, and that other Decepticons arrived later to help repair him. Still others came to Earth to help defend Earth's supplies of [[Rarified Energon]], a miracle substance that played a major role in the original ''Shattered Glass'' stories—the [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|evil Ultra Magnus]] used the stuff to destroy the ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' universe in 2012's "[[Invasion (issue)|Invasion]]" storyline.
* During the flashback on Earth, Starscream, Skywarp, and Thundercracker are all in bodies based on their positive-universe counterpart's ''Earthrise'' toys.
* Autobot casualties in Los Angeles include [[Rodimus (SG)|Rodimus]] and [[Sideswipe (SG)|Sideswipe]], who both played major roles in the original ''Shattered Glass'' stories. Sideswipe's body prominently displays an intact Autobot insignia, suggesting that, unlike his Fun Publications counterpart, he never changed sides.
* Bumblebee's original body never appeared in the original ''Shattered Glass'' comics or prose stories. His appearance here has him copping the white and purple color scheme from his [[Bumblebee (SG Animated)|''Shattered Glass Animated'']] counterpart, who was in turn conceived as a homage to [[BotCon 2007]]'s [[Bug Bite (GoBots)#Timelines|''Timelines'' Bug Bite]]. Here, Bumblebee is modeled on his positive counterpart's 2020 [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' Walmart toy]], not to be confused with ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' [[Bug Bite (G1)#Generations Selects|Bug Bite]], which employs the body of ''[[War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Earthrise]]'' [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Cliffjumper]] despite also homaging the BotCon toy.
* It goes without saying that Starscream describing his [[spark]] as an "indestructible safe" hearkens back to the character's traditional "indestructible spark" as one of his character traits, which was first established in the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon "[[Possession]]".

===Real-world references===
* A half-glimpsed poster on the streets of Iacon show numerous miners raising their tools into the air against a red and yellow background, underneath the slogan "MINERS UNITE", a bit of memetic signage inspired by the early days of the Soviet Union. Given that James Roberts would take heavy inspiration from the lives of both {{w|Karl Marx|Karl Marx}} and {{w|Joseph Stalin|Joseph Stalin}} while fleshing out the history of [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|IDW's original Megatron]], it's apropos that Megatron's heroic counterpart would also borrow some of their iconography.

===Errors===
* It's not ''necessarily'' an error, given that it's an alternate universe and all, but Megatron's description of Shockwave's fate notes that the empurata procedure was intended to alter Shockwave's personality, in keeping with the ''More than Meets the Eye'' riff. However, in that comic, the procedure which alters personalities is called [[shadowplay]]; empurata was purely the physical punishment of removing heads and/or hands.
* On page five, "reckless" is misspelt "wreckless".
* Prowl's line of "stop this instant!" erroneously uses "instance".
* On page seventeen, "point blank" is spelt as one word, "pointblank".
* In the final battle, a blue-and-white cassette-bot makes a cameo. This is most likely supposed to be either Frenzy or Rumble; however, both 'bots appear a few pages later, with one colored to resemble [[Eject (G1)|Eject]] and the other [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]]. Presumably, it's just a colouring error... or maybe it's meant to be a new deco for [[Enemy (SG)|Enemy]]?

===Covers (4)===
* '''Cover A''': A defeated Megatron homages [[Andrew Wildman]]'s cover for [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel US]] [[Surrender!|#71]], by [[Alex Milne]]
* '''Cover B''': Megatron the rebel, by [[Andrew Griffith]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover''': Megatron, by [[Sara Pitre-Durocher]]
* '''Hasbro Pulse exclusive cover''': Megatron leaps into action, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]. Included with orders of [[Megatron_(SG)#Shattered_Glass_Collection|Shattered Glass Megatron]].

<gallery>
IDWSG 2 cvrA.jpg
IDWSG 2 cvrB.jpg
IDWSG 2 cvrRI.jpg
IDWSG 2 cvrRE.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''[[Snake-Eyes]]: Deadgame''
* ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika II''
* ''[[I Have No Mouth And I Must Starscream|Transformers Halloween Special]]''
* ''The Last Ronin'' design archive

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers: Shattered Glass''''' ([[July 27]], [[2022]]) ISBN 168405902X / ISBN 978-1684059027
** Collects ''Shattered Glass'' issues #1–5.
** Bonus material includes alternate covers.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:ShatteredGlass-TPB.jpg|'''''Shattered Glass''''' – cover art by [[Alex Milne]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://graphicpolicy.com/2021/09/28/preview-transformers-shattered-glass-2-of-5/ Preview]

[[Category:IDW Shattered Glass issues]]

The Mightiest Dinobot

2023-07-01T09:16:16Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Transformers references */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron]]'' #4
|prev=The Beauty of Cybertron
|next=Finale (The Magic of Cybertron)
|image=MLPTFII 4 cvrB.jpg
|title="The Mightiest Dinobot"
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|published in=[[The Magic of Cybertron issue 4|''The Magic of Cybertron'' #4]]
|date=[[July 21]], [[2021]]
|coverdate=July 2021
|written by=[[Ian Flynn]]
|art by=[[Casey Coller]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[Megan Brown]] and [[David Mariotte]]
}}

'''Spike steps up to save Smolder and the Dinobots when King Sombra's newest minion attacks.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Spike (MLP)|Spike]] introduces his fellow [[dragon]] [[Smolder (MLP)|Smolder]] to the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s: since his first adventure with [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], the little dragon has become their number one fan and obsessively researched everything he can learn about the prehistoric heroes and their [[Autobot]] allies. While Smolder's confidence, strong wings, and scorching flame breath wow [[Slag (G1)|Slug]], [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]], [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], and [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]], Spike struggles to impress the group despite Grimlock's attempts to help him—as he bashfully points out, he's still just learning how to fly, and only uses his magical fire to send messages.

At that moment, however, a huge shadow blots out the sun as another voice cuts in: the voice of [[King Sombra]]'s newest and biggest servant, [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]! Spike immediately recognizes the giant [[combiner]] as one of the strongest Autobots, and while Grimlock orders Smolder to get Spike to safety, the five Dinobots swing into action. The Dinobots are powerful fighters, but Superion is more powerful still; the combiner easily gets the upper hand; as he prepares to finish off Grimlock, Smolder tries to distract the giant warrior but is contemptuously swatted aside. Spike manages to catch Smolder as she falls from the sky; the older dragon briefly despairs that they can't match Superion's power, but Spike observes that something's wrong. From his research, he knows that combiners usually have a hard time staying coordinated, and theorizes that Sombra's magic must be what's keeping the individual personalities of the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s suppressed. Spike and Smolder hit on the same solution together: break up the team!

Smolder gives Spike a lift as the pair zip through the air, dodging the combiner as they taunt each of Superion's individual components and do their best to pull the gestalt warrior apart by reminding each individual Autobot of who they really are. When faced with one mind pulling in five separate directions at the same time, Sombra's magic begins weakening; when Superion eventually collapses and falls apart into his individual Autobot components, the spell is fully lifted and the Aerialbots return to their old selves. Sludge initially thinks that Spike used a spell of his own to counter Sombra's sorcery, but the dragon admits that it was nothing quite so flashy: just a simple matter of applying his knowledge to a problem. Grimlock tells his friend that ''this'' is what makes Spike an incredible warrior, and proudly announces that from this day forward, Spike is an honorary Dinobot!

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters

|c1=
* [[Slag (G1)|Slug]] (1)
* [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (2)
* [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (3)
* [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (6)
* [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (7)
* [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] (8)
* [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (9)
* [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (10)
* [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (11)
* [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (12)
* [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] (13)

|h3=[[Equestria]]ns|c3=
* [[Spike (MLP)|Spike]] (4)
* [[Smolder (MLP)|Smolder]] (5)

}}

==Quotes==
"Do you not see wings? Friend-Spike can fly too!" 
"I'm... still learning, to be honest." 
"Him '''learning''' to fly! Him dragon! Breathe fire, too!" 
"M-mostly to send correspondence..." 
"'''Telecomm fire!''' Him do other things!" 
"N-no, that's about it." 
"...Friend-Spike. Help Grimlock out here." 
"I'm a good listener?"
:—'''Grimlock''' plays hype man for '''Spike'''

"I'd make an 'extinction' joke... but it's as far beneath me as you are."
:—'''Superion'''

"Superion is five Autobots put together. Think about the last time you and your friends tried to agree on pizza toppings, then make it '''way''' more complicated." 
"Yona and Sandbar are '''still''' arguing about the pineapple."
:—'''Spike''' and '''Smolder'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Spike befriended Grimlock during their time on [[Earth]] together in [[Inspiring|the third story]] of [[My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise!|the first crossover]]. In that story, Spike taught himself how to use [[Teletraan I]] to defeat the Constructicons; this sequel tale reveals that at some point between then and his return to [[Equestria]] in [[Finale (Friendship in Disguise!)|the final battle]], he presumably used the Autobot computer to learn more about the Dinobots and the other Autobots.
* Spike notes that he mostly uses his magic fire to "send correspondence"; in the ''Friendship is Magic'' cartoon, this fire-breath was the primary means by which [[Twilight Sparkle]] communicated with her mentor [[wikia:MLP:Princess Celestia|Princess Celestia]], mostly through [[wikia:MLP:Friendship lessons|letters]] that summarized the moral of the episode.

===Transformers references===
* As the Dinobots take on Superion, the Aerialbot combiner takes Sludge out of the fight by swinging him so hard his eyes cartoonishly bug out of his head—a homage to his famous defeat at the hands of [[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Devastator]] in the first act of [[The Transformers: The Movie|the animated movie]].
* To defeat Superion, Spike gets into the heads of each his components by pointing out one notable personality trait for each one—Silverbolt's fear of heights, Slingshot's arrogance, Air Raid's love of flying, Skydive's passion for science, and Fireflight's childlike wonder.
** This is the most characterization the individual Aerialbots have received in almost twenty years.

===Errors===
* On page three, Grimlock uses the phrase "breath fire", which should probably be "breath'''e''' fire".

[[Category:My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron issues]]

The Beauty of Cybertron

2023-07-01T09:05:31Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Transformers references */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron]]'' #3
|prev=Sick Beats
|next=The Mightiest Dinobot
|image=MLPTFII 3 cvrB.jpg
|title="The Beauty of Cybertron"
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|published in=[[The Magic of Cybertron issue 3|''The Magic of Cybertron'' #3]]
|date=[[June 30]], [[2021]]
|coverdate=June 2021
|written by=[[James Asmus]]
|art by=[[Priscilla Tramontano]]
|colors by=[[Luis Antonio Delgado]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[Megan Brown]] and [[David Mariotte]]
}}

'''Rarity and Ratchet search for a way to reverse King Sombra’s evil spell and receive some unexpected Decepticon assistance.'''

==Synopsis==
[[King Sombra]]'s [[Transformer]] slaves rampage across [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], stealing resources for their new master and pursued by [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and [[Rarity]]. Although the Autobot medic admits he's far out of his depth, Rarity urges him to do what he can—after all, as a result of her adventures with [[Twilight Sparkle]], she has ''some'' experience with magic, and together they just might be able to find a way to find a cure for the afflicted Cybertronians and break the spell for good. As the brainwashed mob strips a broken-down transport vehicle for parts, the two launch an ambush to capture a potential test subject: riding on top of Ratchet's ambulance mode, Rarity uses a high-tech net to bring down one of the Cybertronians. When the pair recovers their captive, however, Ratchet recognizes the struggling Decepticon and quickly realized that they haven't caught one of Sombra's slaves at all—they've captured [[Knock Out (G1)|Knock Out]]! Opportunistic and vain as ever, the Decepticon medic has taken advantage of the [[Equestria]]n invasion to steal some accoutrements for himself amidst the chaos. As Rarity helps him free from the net, however, Ratchet slaps a device on his shoulder and tells Knock Out that he's just been drafted into their rescue mission—one wrong move and he'll remotely detonate the bomb he's just planted on the Decepticon.

As the trio head out into the badlands, Ratchet asks if Knock Out overheard anything about where Sombra's slaves might strike next. Unfortunately, Knock Out has no clear leads for them, beyond briefly overhearing them mumble something about power supplies... and points out that he was far more interested in finding a set of suitable racing tires. Exasperated, Ratchet snaps that Knock Out is the most selfish medic he's ever met, but the Decepticon snaps that he didn't ''want'' to become a battlefield medic or some kind of martyr for the cause—he went into the business to bring beauty and refinement to Cybertronians with taste. But when Rarity innocently compliments Knock Out on his finish, pointing out that he is one of the only beautiful things she's seen on Cybertron, this provokes an unexpected reaction from the Decepticon. He'll help them track down the brainwashed Transformers... but informs them that if they want his assistance, they'll be doing things ''his'' way.

As they pursue the brainwashed Transformers across the planet, Knock Out takes time to show Rarity that Cybertron has a beauty all its own—the yearly migration of the [[radiant shrall]]s, slumbering [[Titan (group)|Titan]]s, and the natural [[energon spring]]s, a "waterfall" of pure liquid [[energon]]. That's where they catch up with Sombra's victims, who are working to tap the flow and process it into [[energon cube]]s... and Ratchet advises Knock Out to keep his head and remember who he's working for, because Knock Out's partner [[Breakdown (IDW)|Breakdown]] is part of the group! Knock Out and Rarity cause a distraction while Ratchet whips up a neural disruptor that will hopefully disrupt Sombra's mental control—but Knock Out grabs the controls before they're ready and unleashes a paralyzing electrical. While the blast successfully incapacitates Breakdown, the other 'bots take advantage of the distraction to retreat with their energon cubes, and Rarity gently tells Knock Out that it will take more than a simple electric shock to break the spell. Ratchet, fighting off more Sombra slaves, snaps that they can't just use friendship to override Sombra's spell... but Rarity points out that friendship ''was'' how they bested Sombra the last time they crossed paths. Her words give Ratchet an idea: could she do it again?

Ratchet plants his device on Rarity's head, who then channels her natural unicorn magic through the device's Cybertronian circuitry to keep Breakdown and others pinned in place. ''Her'' friendship won't free the Decepticons, however—she needs ''Knock Out'' to do that. Knock Out reaches out from his heart to try and break the spell; his impassioned speech that he couldn't bear to live in a world without his better half by his side is channelled through Rarity's magic and amplified by Ratchet's neural disruptor. After a moment, the spell is lifted as Breakdown's eyes return to normal—their plan has succeeded! Rarity suggests that Ratchet could release Knock Out as thanks, but the Autobot medic just laughs—the "detonator" was a harmless tracking device that could have been removed at any time. Now that they've discovered a way to free Sombra's victims by intensifying [[unicorn]] magic with Cybertronian technology, Ratchet wonders if [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] could somehow find a way to innovate on the principle, but hopes that Sombra won't figure out the same trick—unaware that Sombra has eyes everywhere and has already learned their secret...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters

|c1=
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (1)

|c2=
* [[Knock Out (G1)|Knock Out]] (3)
* [[Breakdown (IDW)|Breakdown]] (4)

|h3=[[Equestria]]ns|c3=
* [[Rarity]] (2)
* [[King Sombra]] (5)
}}

==Quotes==
"'''Please'''—you want to talk about theft? You should see how '''egregiously overpriced''' these designer racing tires are!" 
"Ugh! '''Tell''' me about it! I think a few couture shops in Equestria would '''literally''' charge a horn and a leg if they could."
:—'''Knock Out''' and '''Rarity'''

"I confess, Ratchet darling, this plan feels an awful lot like '''not''' having a plan." 
"'''Medical breakthroughs are trial and error!''' The plan is to '''try''' things—and '''hope''' we survive long enough to '''learn''' from the errors."
:—'''Rarity''' and '''Ratchet'''

"'''Listen''' to me, you big hunk of metal—I need you to '''snap out of it'''. Right now. Not just because I don't want to '''hurt''' you—but because you're the strongest bot I know. And if '''you''' can't break free of that spell—no one will. But also because... because you're my '''better half'''. And frankly, if I have to fight to keep this world from falling into a '''grim, unicorn dystopia'''—and we lose—I'd hate to spend eternity on a scrap heap next to anyone else."
:—'''Knock Out'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Breakdown appeared in [[The Magic of Cybertron|the first story of issue #1]] as one of the many Decepticon victims of King Sombra's opening attack.
* Rarity uses the same glowing net that [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and the other Seekers deployed against a group of brainwashed Cybertronians in [[Stunt Flying|Rainbow Dash's spotlight story]].
* Rarity remembers the last time she and her friends went up against King Sombra in "[[wikia:MLP:The Beginning of the End - Part 2|The Beginning of the End - Part 2]]"—as she notes here, they were able to trounce the evil king by using the [[wikia:MLP:Elements of Harmony|Elements of Harmony]] against him.

===Transformers references===
* [[Knock Out (G1)|Knock Out]] is, of course, based directly on the [[Knock Out (Prime)|fan-favorite Decepticon sportscar]] who debuted in the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' cartoon. In terms of characterization, however, this version of Knock Out hews closer to the version that appeared in IDW's own ''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade]]'' and ''[[The Transformers: Till All Are One|Till All Are One]]'' comics, a cosmetic surgeon in an explicitly romantic relationship with Breakdown.
* This continuity's version of Cybertron takes a few cues from [[Brian Ruckley]]'s unique interpretation of the planet from IDW's [[Transformers (2019 comic)|ongoing ''Transformers'' comic]]—notable points of commonality include the presence of organic alien lifeforms like the [[radiant shrall]]s, multiple dormant [[Titan (group)|Titan]]s, and luminescent rivers of [[energon]].
* After Knock Out snatches the neural disruptor, a frustrated Ratchet cries "I needed that!" in reference to his running gag from the ''Prime'' cartoon. Usually this was directed at other Autobots, but he said it to Knock Out in [[Predacons Rising (Prime)|the finale movie]].

===Errors===
* The "bomb" on Knock Out's right shoulder comes and goes: it's missing during his argument with Ratchet, the subsequent travel montage, and the battle against Sombra's slaves from on pages four to six, reappears when he paralyzes Breakdown, then vanishes again.
* On page five, Knock Out's right headlight is missing.

[[Category:My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron issues]]

Shockwave (G1)

2023-06-30T06:36:28Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* 2019 IDW continuity */ The Insecticons did not work for Exarchon during the war; this is an error based on misinterpreting a panel caption from Escape #2. Please see the Talk page on that issue for more details.

{{factions|decepticon|{{factions/icons|custom=CybertronGuard.png|cSize=40px|cLink=Cybertron Guard}}|decepticong2|senator|sgAutobot|{{factions/icons|custom=Autobotsecretpolice.png|cLink=Secret Police}}|autobot|onyxprime|ascenticon|exarchon|primusvanguard|hofsilver}}
{{disambigm|Shockwave (disambiguation)|Longarm (disambiguation)|Onyx (disambiguation)}}
{{suite}}
:''Shockwave is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Shockwavearealldead.jpg|thumb|upright=2|Transformers images don't get much more awesome than this. [[:File:1_blitzwing_war_within.jpg|Or]] [[:File:R0S 1 b.jpg|more]] [[:File:OP1 Riptcvr.jpg|imitated]].]]

'''Shockwave''' has been referred to as "a computer on legs." This is not far from the truth. Logic rules Shockwave's thought processes and is the source of his every inspiration. He sees emotion as a weakness and a distraction. His cold and calculating ''modus operandi'' is supported by his frightening and exceptionally powerful form.

Shockwave is possibly even more powerful than [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. Perhaps logic may one day dictate that the time to replace Megatron's flawed, emotion-fueled rule is at hand. After all, the only logical choice for [[Decepticon leader]] would be Shockwave himself.

When he is an [[Action Master]], he is [[Action Master partner|partnered]] with [[Fistfight (G1)|Fistfight]].

Pretty much everything is his fault.

{{bigquote|Ultimately, I serve only one master... pure logic.|Shockwave on his true loyalties|''[[Spotlight: Shockwave]]''}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{main|Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity}}
[[File:ShockwaveSecondGeneration1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left|Yep, that about sums him up.]]
An adherent of his twisted version of logic, Shockwave was Military Commander of the Decepticons, conceiving the original plan to assault the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. However, when the Ark crashed onto [[Earth]], Shockwave followed in [[Nemesis (G1)|the Decepticon ship]], but the planet's magnetic fields caused that ship to crash in the [[Savage Land]]. There, he was confronted by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] and their battle brought them to a tar pit that held them in stasis for millions of years. When Shockwave was reawakened in [[1984]], he immediately set out to disable the Autobots and take Decepticon leadership away from [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. Using Earth's infrastructure and resources, Shockwave sought to create powerful Decepticon soldiers, but was foiled by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] hiding the life-giving [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] in the human boy [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. At the end of this caper, Shockwave ended up in a swamp.

What followed was a struggle for Decepticon leadership between Shockwave and Megatron that finally reached a climax when both leaders were defeated in battle by the Autobots. Megatron argued that his aggressive leadership was superior to Shockwave's hesitant and slow action. Conceding to his logic, Shockwave gave him full command of the Decepticon troops on Earth. However, when Optimus Prime seemingly died, Megatron lost his sanity and, with some help from Shockwave, apparently killed himself in a [[space bridge]] explosion. With his rival completely out of the way, Shockwave took up leadership again. He would soon collude with Decepticon fuel auditor [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who was leading the Decepticons on Cybertron. Together, they conceived of the [[Club Con]] plot, but a battle with [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] in space sent Shockwave plunging through the atmosphere.

In one chain of events, Shockwave would quickly get back on his feet, and fight against Decepticons from the future whose apparent successes against him in the present and the future would make Shockwave lose his mind. He regained his sanity enough to help seal the [[time rift]] that threatened all of reality.

He would soon fully resurface and act against [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] and [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]]'s leadership of the Decepticons. The coup was interrupted when [[Unicron]] threatened all [[Transformer]]s. After Unicron was defeated and [[Primus]] destroyed, Shockwave and [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] hijacked the Ark to escape the quickly decomposing Cybertron. Unknown to him, Megatron was in stasis aboard the ship and [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] boarded it. Both fought against Shockwave while [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]], who also emerged from stasis, crashed the ship onto Earth.

In one timeline, Shockwave ended up as a head kept in Megatron's chambers. In yet another timeline, Shockwave again joined forces with Starscream after being jury-rigged into the Ark to serve as its operating system. Once restored, Shockwave was witness to a great upheaval in Cybertron's population that left Transformers an endangered species. With the Decepticon faction functionally extinct, Shockwave converted to the ways of peace, serving as emissaries along with Starscream and [[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]].
{{-}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
[[File:ShockwaveDesertionOfTheDinobots1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|left|My toy's so great, I bought one myself!]]
{{main|Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity}}

Appointed as Guardian of Cybertron by Megatron, the loyal Shockwave remained stationed on the planet for millions of years, even while his teammates slumbered on Earth. He was singlehandedly (ha) responsible for menacing the remaining Autobot resistance movements on Cybertron, and when Megatron was reactivated in 1984, assisted in the development of Space Bridge technology. In 2005, Shockwave may or may not have been killed during the [[Unicron War]], though either way he was never seen again afterward.

In a [[Transformers Legends (comic)|splinter timeline]], Shockwave was shown to have definitively survived Unicron's attack on Cybertron. Travelling to another dimension to aid Megatron, Shockwave formed a friendship with [[Cancer (G1)|Cancer]] and the two resolved to conquer the world of business and entertainment via shadowy corporate dealings and pop music.

===Kid Stuff Talking Story Books===
Shockwave constantly attempted to usurp Megatron as leader of the Decepticons. In his latest attempt at a coup, he promised Megatron's minions an abundance of oil if they were to follow him. {{storylink|Jaws of Terror}}

===Marvel coloring books===
Shockwave led an attack on a human village, intending to raze it and build a fuel plant in its place. Confident that the Autobots wouldn't learn about the attack until it would be too late for them to do anything about it, Shockwave tasked the Constructicons with building his installation. Little did he suspect that [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] was spying on them from orbit. A convoy of trucks and cars soon arrived, claiming to be hauling supplies for Shockwave and his troops. Angered and confused by this interruption, Shockwave demanded to see the supplies he was certain he had never ordered. From within the vehicles stepped out the Dinobots. Alongside the Autobots in disguise, they proceeded to trounce Shockwave's troops. Shockwave ordered Ravage and Kickback to flank the new arrivals and attack them from behind, but this tactic proved futile, as Cosmos was still spying down on the scene. Shockwave was tied up, shoved down into a hole with his troops, and had quick-drying cement poured on them to stop them from going anywhere. {{storylink|The Autobot Spy in the Sky}}

===''Big Looker'' storybooks===
Shockwave was present when the Decepticons tormented their new toy, [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]], after the architect was cerebro-shelled by [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]. {{storylink|Insecticon Attack!}}

===Find Your Fate Junior===
{{notemultipath}}
====Battle Drive====
In one possible scenario, where Megatron and his troops had tracked down Sparkplug to a cave in the mountains, Shockwave was amongst the Decepticons present, ready to pounce on the human. Then a small squadron of Autobots arrived to rescue Sparkplug. In the event that Megatron was destroyed by Swoop, Shockwave, along with the rest of the Decepticons, were easily defeated by the Autobots. In the event that Swoop retreated, Shockwave was amongst the Decepticons who remained at the cave instead of pursuing the Dinobot. Shockwave stood next to Megatron in a military formation, along with Buzzsaw, Ransack, Frenzy, Skywarp and Thundercracker, while Megatron delivered his sanction to the Autobots in the cave; "Prepare to die!" The battle that ensued lasted for two full days before the Decepticons were ready to move in for the kill. In the event that Swoop returned in time with reinforcements, Shockwave and the rest of the Decepticons were forced to retreat, but not before Shockwave got "The shock of his life!"{{storylink|Battle Drive}}

====Decepticon Poison====
In one possible sequence of events, Shockwave accompanied Megatron in order to take out the recently poisoned Autobots. They found themselves fighting against the now-cured Autobots, but gained the upper hand early in the fight nonetheless. Shockwave was downed by a hit from Optimus Prime himself when the Autobot leader led a back-up squadron of Autobots into battle.

In another possible scenario, Megatron and his Decepticon squad were tricked into thinking that the Autobots were already dead, and strode into the Autobots’ base. The Decepticons lay down their weapons in order to carry out the Autobots’ "corpses," but were ambushed once they had disarmed themselves. Shockwave and the others were then quickly defeated.

In yet another possible scenario, where the Autobots weaponized the tainted fuel and created a toxic cloud by burning it, the Decepticons were forced to retreat before their attack was fully underway. {{storylink|Decepticon Poison}}

====Project Brain Drain====
Shockwave was involved in a Decepticon plot to use a [[Brain Drain device]] on the crowd goers of a rock concert to syphon their intelligence into Decepticon fuel.

In one possible scenario, Galvatron had to recall his troops from the concert at the last minute when Ultra Magnus and his troops began a timely assault on the Decepticons’ headquarters. Shockwave participated in the battle that ensued, which ended in a loss for the Decepticons when Ultra Magnus triggered an avalanche, burying Galvatron and shattering the Brain Drain device {{storylink|Project Brain Drain}}

====The Invisibility Factor====
[[File:InvisibilityFactorGalvatronShockwaveandScavenger.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
In one possible scenario, Shockwave accompanied Galvatron on a patrol in a desert at night. Upon spotting a spaceship that flickered in-and-out of sight, the patrol investigated. Finding the Autobots Kup and Hot Rod conversing with a woman at the ship's landing site, Shockwave and the others fired upon them, causing them to scramble away. Galvatron then ordered his troops to stay and scrutinize the spaceship instead of pursuing the Autobots.

If Hot Rod and Kup decided to attack immediately, the Autobots were easily defeated and destroyed by Shockwave and the rest of the Decepticon patrol.

If the Autobots did not attack immediately, Shockwave took care of taking the Invisibility device as the Decepticons headed back to their headquarters. Hot Rod and Kup silently followed the Decepticons back to their hide-out in a nearby canyon, where they managed to tricked Shockwave and the others into thinking that they were being ambushed by a whole squadron of Autobots. Panicking, the other Decepticons attempted to retaliate by firing in all directions, while Shockwave looked around bewildered, still clutching the Invisibility Device.

If Hot Rod snuck down and snatched the device out of Shockwave's grasp, Shockwave called his fellow Decepticons to give chase to the young Autobot. They were unable to catch him before Kup fired down onto the canyon's walls, causing it to collapse and burying the Decepticons under an avalanche of earth and rocks.

In an alternate scenario, Shockwave and the other Decepticons decided to take off into space in [[Sarah Sanders]]'s ship after acquiring the Invisibility Device. Whether the Decepticons succeeded in mastering the Invisibility Device and subsequently destroyed the Autobots, or were destroyed or defeated themselves depended on what choices the Autobots made from this point on.

In another possible scenario, Shockwave and the other Decepticons happened upon Sarah Sanders's ship before any Autobots had come in contact with her. While Scavenger held the woman captive, Shockwave and the other Decepticons dragged the ship itself to a hidden location. In whichever scenario that followed, the Autobots managed to steal the Invisibility Device from the Decepticons, either dazzling Shockwave and the others with their headlights while Hot Rod took the device right out of their hands, or tricking most the other Decepticons into leaving the spaceship behind while they pursued the young Autobot on a wild goose chase. Now outnumbered, Shockwave was quick to fall to the Autobots. {{storylink|The Invisibility Factor}}
{{-}}

===Frito-Lay posters===
While fighting the Autobots to gain a powerful energy source, the sinister Shockwave decided it was time to betray Megatron and seize control. {{storylink|The Power Struggle}}

===The Official ''Transformers: Generation 2'' Annual===
Shockwave participated in the Decepticons' attack to capture a crashed spaceship from the Autobots atop [[Table Mountain]], blasting Optimus Prime with a laser. Alas, the "spaceship" was an Autobot trap that fired Shockwave and the other Decepticons randomly into space. {{storylink|Day of the Decepticons}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Shockwavedwtww1.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|Dreamwave is all his fault.]]
When Optimus Prime was first inaugurated as leader of the Autobots and bestowed the Matrix of Leadership, he was bestowed visions of the many enemies he would one day face. Among the foes he saw in these prophetic visions was Shockwave. {{storylink|The War Within issue 1|The War Within #1}} After Optimus had been goaded into seeking out Megatron, following the destruction of the [[Forum of Enlightenment]], Shockwave led the main attack on the Autobots' stronghold in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} He instructed the troops following him to give the Autobots no mercy or quarter in their assault on the Autobot stronghold. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}} Mid-battle, Shockwave contacted the [[Kolkular|Cradle]] only to find that Starscream was sitting in the command room instead of Megatron. He claimed he would rectify this after having taken Iacon, and then sent his soldiers for the final push against the Autobots. {{storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}} In this penultimate attack, Shockwave personally destroyed two [[guardian robot]]s with one blast in his alternate mode. With the Autobots' last defenses now felled, Shockwave had his troops penetrate the Autobots' stronghold, where he gunned down Prowl upon entry. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}} Unfortunately for Shockwave, at that point, a [[planetary engine]] activated under Starscream's orders caused Iacon's destruction. Shockwave ordered a hasty retreat back to [[Kolkular]] in order to avoid annihilation. {{storylink|The War Within issue 6|The War Within #6}}

[[File:Decepticonsdarkages.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|]]
After Megatron's apparent death in an early space bridge test, the Decepticon faction splintered, with [[Air Commander]] [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] creating the [[Predacon (War Within)|Predacons]] and High Auditor [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] the [[Ultracon]]s, while Shockwave led the Decepticons through the [[Dark Ages]] of Cybertron. During this period he was contacted by [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]. The Autobot had uncovered behavioral patterns in each faction, indicating that they were all being manipulated by an outside force. Shockwave's penchant for logic allowed him to put aside his differences with Jetfire, and he agreed to meet up with his fellow scientist in a neutral zone to further discuss the matter. {{storylink|Devastation (issue)|Devastation}} During their conference, the two of them were attacked by the [[Chaos Trinity]], and Shockwave was taken down by [[Bugly (G1)|Bugly]]'s [[electro-stinger]]s. {{storylink|Revelation (The Dark Ages)|Revelation}} He rebooted shortly after the three mystics and The Fallen left with both Grimlock and Jetfire in hand. {{storylink|Confrontation (issue)|Confrontation}} Recovered by the newly built [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Shockwave organized a counter strike against the three mystics that included Trypticon, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]], and the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]. Exactly how logic dictated that Shockwave bring an entire army to deal with three rogue Decepticons is unknown. Grimlock's [[Lightning Strike Coalition]] arrived, saying that they had a stake in this, and Shockwave agreed to a temporary ceasefire. After the Autobots managed to defeat The Fallen, Shockwave and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] agreed to seal the [[Well of All Sparks]] with six coded barriers for each faction. They were to remain in place until Cybertron was united. Or, as Shockwave put it, [['Til all are one|until all are one]]. {{storylink|Conflagration}}

[[File:AgeOfWrath3 ShockwaveRumbleFrenzy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|right|"Well if it's not your fault, and it's not ''my'' fault, then whose fault is it?!"]]
At some point, Ultra Magnus took command of the Autobots, and reunited them into a single faction. Under his leadership, the Autobots gained a significant hold over Cybertron's resources and territories. No longer able to hold his own against the Autobots, Shockwave was forced to sign a peace treaty, and put an end to hostilities between his own faction, the Ultracons, and the Autobots. Despite this being the most logical course of action, Shockwave made no attempt to hide his contempt for Ultra Magnus, making it clear he was only ceding to his forces out of necessity. The ceremony was interrupted by a bombing engineered by Starscream and his forces, though Shockwave was spared any harm thanks to the defensive measures put into place by the Autobots. This act of aggression only served to further unite the Autobots, Ultracons, and Decepticons... until Megatron made a dramatic return, accompanied by an army of [[Air Warrior]]s. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} Megatron easily subdued Ultra Magnus while Shockwave and Ratbat looked on, and all of the splintered Decepticon factions united under the rule of their returned ruler. Afterwards, Shockwave was tasked with reverse engineering these [[Quintesson]]-created clones Megatron had brought back to the planet with him. He ran into difficulties accomplishing this due to Megatron's refusal to divulge their origin, though he was greatly intrigued by the warrior units nonetheless. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.2|The Age of Wrath #2}} Progress wasn't helped by [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], who seemingly thrashed his whole lab after he stepped out of it for a few moments. Shockwave cooly informed the two diminutive Decepticons that Megatron would not be pleased now that his project couldn't be completed on schedule, and dismissed them. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.3|The Age of Wrath #3}}

{{Unreleased WW comic}}

Shockwave nonetheless managed to modify some drones in his possession to Megatron's requirements; they would now only obey the Decepticon leader, and not their [[Quintesson|original creators]]. After sharing his find with Megatron, Shockwave was assaulted by one of the drones, though it had become horribly mutated... for it contained the persisting essence of Grimlock! {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.4}}

[[File:DestinedForNothing ShockwaveRaceTrackPatrol.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|left]]
Shockwave was left behind on Cybertron while Megatron's forces pursued Optimus Prime and were subsequently lost on Earth for four million years, and became Decepticon leader on the planet. He began experimenting with cloning, and through studies of [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], began to conceive the idea of a Transformer with multiple [[alternate mode]]s. Cybertron, however, was steadily growing lower and lower on energy, and in an attempt to create new energy-conservative Transformers, Shockwave allied with the Autobots for a pooling of resources that created the [[Micromaster]]s. One of the Decepticon Micromasters working for Shockwave, [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]], transmitted back to Cybertron news that the Autobot [[Countdown (G1)|Countdown]] had appropriated an important artifact while on an interstellar mission. After receiving this message, Shockwave set about manipulating Micromasters on both sides to acquire the artifact for himself. {{storylink|Recipe for Hate}} After one of the Decepticons' Micromaster patrols returned from an Energon-gathering mission, [[Barricade (G1)|Barricade]] approached Shockwave, complaining that he and the other Decepticons of his size weren't getting their fair share of fuel. Instead of taking their appeal in consideration, Shockwave dismissively shooed the Micromasters away and partook in a conference with [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] and Ratbat. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} Barricade and his comrades then opted to desert the Decepticon army, and headed out for [[Little Iacon]]. Shockwave caught up with the group partway there, after the diminutive robots had narrowly avoided being devoured by some vampiric [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]. Shockwave informed them that he had taken it upon himself to check up on them as a "show of good faith," but they were otherwise free to continue on their own path if so they chose. {{storylink|The Gray Race}} At this time, Shockwave planted a transmitter on one of smaller 'bots, as he knew that the group had already been contacted by Countdown. {{storylink|Recipe for Hate}} All of the Micromasters left, save for [[Flanker]], who was convinced to return to the Decepticon army by Shockwave's gesture. With no witnesses around, Shockwave tossed Flanker to the Insecticons as a snack. In return, he asked the cannibals to complete a mission for him: invade Little Iacon. {{storylink|The Gray Race}}

[[File:VictimsOfTheRevolution CountdownVSkystalker.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2]]
Shortly thereafter, Skystalker and [[Skyhopper]] returned to Cybertron. Shockwave welcomed them back to the Decepticons' base, updating them on the progressing retrieval of the Golden Disk they coveted. Shockwave then overlooked Blitzwing, and upon his analysis, found that internal mutation in his fellow Decepticon were making him stronger. But Shockwave was unaware to what extent Skystalker had come to resent him in his absence... and how much more powerful the Micromaster had become. As he and Blitzwing were discussing the changes happening inside the latter, they were ambushed by the Skystalker, who managed to overpower both of the guzzlers. {{storylink|Recipe for Hate}} Skystalker overthrew Shockwave's command, knocking him offline and decapitating him to use in a grotesque puppet show, giving orders to the other Decepticons by holding Shockwave's severed noggin up to a video screen. {{storylink|Victims of the Revolution}} When Skystalker was defeated, Shockwave was repaired, but eventually, he and all the other Transformers on Cybertron succumbed to stasis as the planet's energy ran out, and it entered a hibernation phase known as the "[[Great Shutdown]]".

[[File:RevelationWaP ShockwaveAwakens.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left]]
3000 years ago, Unicron's herald [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] located the dead planet, and reactivated Shockwave for study purposes. {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 #0}} However, when Shockwave was attacked by a swarm of [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]], Scourge intervened and saved him, {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}} only to be shot in the back by the Decepticon and captured. Dissecting and studying Scourge, Shockwave learned many secrets about the function and purpose of Transformers and Cybertron from the secrets hidden within him. Using that knowledge, Shockwave steadily worked to restore Cybertron, reactivating its population and solving their energy needs, ending the war and unifying the planet. He also continued his experiments into multiple transformations, yielding the unstable [[Duocon]]s, and then successfully mastering the process with [[Triple Changer]]s. Capturing [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], Shockwave sought to unlock the full secrets of [[Vector Sigma]], having already learned of the mysterious significance of Earth to the Transformer race. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}} In preparation for the invasion of the planet, Shockwave subliminally influenced the population of Cybertron to become more violent, {{storylink|Passive Aggression}} and prevented the return of Optimus Prime and Megatron aboard the ''[[Ark II]]'' by having a [[Robert Hallo|human agent]] blow it up. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

{{note|''[[The Transformers Trilogy]]'' novel ''[[Transformers: Hardwired|Hardwired]]'' made a brief reference to Shockwave being part of the Decepticons on Earth, but having been incommunicado for months prior to the disappearance of Megatron in [[Tokyo]]. This statement is at odds with continuity established in [[War and Peace|''Transformers: Generation 1'' vol. 2: War and Peace]], after the novels' publication.}}

[[File:Shockwavedwwarandpeace.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.6|Déjà vu all over again.]]
In [[2003]], Shockwave made his move, heading to Earth with his Triple Changer troops and capturing Megatron and Optimus's forces, planning to try the two leaders as war criminals. Megatron was jettisoned into space by Starscream, {{storylink|New World Order}} provoking Shockwave in disciplining the Seeker. After making it clear he would not tolerate further insubordination, Shockwave presented his new recruits to a unified Iacon, cementing his claims that Cybertron was finally at peace. To better assimilate the Decepticons into his new society, Shockwave told them of a new device he had devised to render them more energy-efficient, but his presentation was interrupted by a report from Perceptor. Shockwave dismissed his audience to speak with Perceptor in private. Afterwards, he approached Soundwave, claiming that his plans for Cybertron was moving at a faster pace than anticipated, and offered him a position as his lieutenant. He left Soundwave to ruminate on his options, and next contacted Ultra Magnus, ordering to deactivate the Autobots in his custody, Optimus among them, once they made planet-fall. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} Ultra Magnus refused the order outright and Shockwave's plans were now meeting resistance on multiple fronts, with the Autobot's insubordination and the captive Alpha Trion's continued resistance to his probing. In a bid to deal with at least one of these problems, Shockwave had Rumble and Frenzy free the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] from prison, hoping the chaos they'd generate would be distraction enough for Ultra Magnus to be out of the picture while Optimus was dealt with. Shockwave also broadcasted footage of the Autobots' battles on Earth all around Cybertron, to turn public opinion against Optimus Prime's troops. But more unforeseen interference propped up; between the Dinobots arriving to sow their own brand of havoc, and Sandstorm and Broadside turning traitor, Prime managed escape from Shockwave's clutches and fell in with a rebel group. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}}

[[File:RevelationWaP ShockwaveDidIt.jpg|thumb|upright=1.9|left|''How I Did It'' by Shockwave.]]
Shockwave was next forced to deal with Grimlock personally, but even with the help of [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], found himself being overpowered by his opponent. Ultra Magnus's timely arrival helped tip the scales in Shockwave's favor, and Shockwave then unleashed the [[Guardian robot|Omega Sentinels]] to quell further insurrections. {{storylink|Passive Aggression}}

Mobilizing the planet's Autobots, Prime led an attack on [[Shockwave's Tower]]. As news of the insurrection reached Shockwave, he finished supercharging himself in anticipation to an inevitable confrontation against the rebels. He was first met by Ultra Magnus in his throne room, but after declaring that he no longer had a use for him, shot Magnus in the back. Shockwave was next confronted Shockwave by Optimus himself, whom he defeated with ease. He then proceeded to rip the Matrix free from Optimus's chest compartment. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (issue)|Countdown to Extinction}} Using the Matrix to activate Vector Sigma, Shockwave downloaded the compressed contents of the mega-computer into his network, but before he had an opportunity to view the data, he was pulled into a battle with the returned [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. In the course of the fight, the fuel line to his cannon was severed, and the resulting explosion destroyed his citadel and knocked him into a chasm. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

[[File:LostAndFound MegatronShockwave.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Megatron '''IS'''.]]
While the rest of Cybertron believed Shockwave to be deceased, he had actually survived the explosion and gone underground in the wastelands of Cybertron. {{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}} In addition to re-establishing communications with the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] on Earth (who had been operating there as an advance squad preparing the way for his invasion), {{storylink|Extermination}} Shockwave continued his experimentation, resulting in the creation of [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]. Soon after, however, Megatron returned to Cybertron and bested Shockwave, crippled his offensive capabilities, and took control of his troops. {{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}} Shockwave was then taken to Earth, where Megatron similarly overpowered Starscream. But now, the three players were assembled, each knowing certain dark secrets of Cybertron's past... {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

{{Unreleased DW G1 comic}}
During his reign over Cybertron, Shockwave had discovered the Well of All Sparks, and broken the [[Seal of Primus]] itself to siphon from within it the power needed to create life. Little did he know that he had loosened the essence of The Fallen in the process, a consciousness which had gone on to take root inside Sunstorm. {{storylink|The Enemy Within}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
[[File:Shockwave Trenches TF GI Joe.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1]]
As one of the Decepticons who crashed to [[Earth]] in the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' millions of years ago, Shockwave was retrieved by [[Cobra]] and pressed into service, taking on the alternate form of a massive artillery cannon. Chafing under the leadership of [[Cobra Commander]], he was ordered to transform and destroy the [[Autobot]] [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]. {{storylink|Trenches}}
[[File:Shockwavetfjoetrenches.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.55|First guy to call him "Big Bertha" gets it in the face.]]
Although he did so, he was forced to fire sixteen consecutive times, despite needing to repair himself after every shot. The resulting strain on his structure irrevocably damaged him, and Cobra Commander refused to allow [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] to use the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] to restore him. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}
{{-}}

===''The Beast Within''===
Shockwave participated in a savage all-out Decepticon offensive against the Autobots. With the Decepticons maintaining the advantage throughout the battle, Shockwave was amongst those who approached a crippled Optimus Prime, ready to dispatch the Autobot leader. {{storylink|The Beast Within}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:Shockwave-ddp2-2b1.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8|There are so many ways to make him look awesome.]]
In the absence of Megatron, Shockwave had assumed command of the Decepticons on Cybertron, and had successfully driven the Autobots into an underground resistance movement. When a number of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] and [[Cobra]] troops, along with the captive Starscream, accidentally arrived on Cybertron via an overloaded wormhole gate, Shockwave and his troops immediately surrounded them. The same wormhole malfunction blasted a number of Transformers away from Cybertron and into random points of Earth's past, a temporal anomaly that threatened to scour the Earth's face with fire if the Transformers were not brought back.

Ultra Magnus and Perceptor arrived and were able to hold off the Decepticons for a time with a force field, while teams of humans were time-ported away to retrieve the missing Transformers and end the anomaly. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1}} Magnus's force field power ran out before all the teams had returned, and Shockwave had his troops capture the Autobots. He took personal pleasure in blasting Ratchet when he was returned through the gate.

[[File:Shockwave and Starscream GIJoevsTFsII4.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0]]
Revealing that he had intended all along for the humans to discover the wormhole gate technology, Shockwave set the gate to continue operating but blocked the last remaining group from returning—thus condemning Earth to destruction, easy pickings for conquest. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3}} Fortunately for Earth, two members of the G.I. Joe team were able to reactivate the gate, allowing the newly created Dinobots to return to Cybertron. The Dinobots' power quickly drove Shockwave's Decepticons into retreat.

Regrouping on the other side of the planet, Shockwave had the long-missing Starscream brought before him. As Starscream attempted to explain his way out of being seen as a traitor, a recording of Cobra Commander's voice suddenly began to play, explaining that he had lined Starscream's hull with explosives. Shockwave leapt to try and stop the process, but the entire building exploded, apparently taking the two Decepticons with it. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4}}

With Shockwave's defeat, peace returned to Cybertron, and the Decepticons were driven back to a region known as the [[Gladiator Zone]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 1|The Art of War #1}} One of the mish-mash of robot parts known as the [[cannibalizer]]s had Shockwave's blaster hand grafted onto its arm. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}}

In an [[Hell Day|erased future]], Shockwave would've led a Decepticon conquest of Earth. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3}}

===''Transformers Legends'' anthology===
In one reality, Shockwave fought under the command of [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] in the war over control of the [[Mini-Con]]s. {{storylink|Lonesome Diesel}}

During a gladiatorial match in the depths of Cybertron, Shockwave detected incoming security forces and raised the alarm. When Megatron mused that perhaps it was time to start their rebellion by destroying the incoming forces, Shockwave suggested they wait and build up their numbers. Megatron agreed and the pair departed. {{storylink|Parts}}

===''Q-Robo Transformer''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Q-Robo Transformer}}}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{main|Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity}}
[[File:Spotlight Shockwave cvrB.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|IDW is so much [[Regenesis|his]] [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity#Onyx Prime|fault]], it might be a record.]]
Once a right-hearted [[Senate|senator]] of the corrupt pre-[[Great War (G1)|Great War]] [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Shockwave ran the [[Jhiaxian Academy of Advanced Technology|Academy of Advanced Technology]], protecting "[[Outlier (group)|outliers]]" from the [[functionism|functionists]] who held sway and secretly retrofitting several 'Bots who he felt were of good character, including [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]], to carry [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] chambers. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2|Chaos Theory}} With his influence waning and the ruling caste unhappy with such activities, he was sent to the [[Institute]] to undergo [[Empurata]] and a "[[shadowplay|total personality inversion]]", leaving him a faceless, handless, and emotionless mech. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Shadowplay}} Later, he became a [[Decepticon]] and helped [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] to overthrow the corrupt government. {{storylink|The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy}}

Millions of years later, he predicted the demise on Cybertron due to the energy consumption of the Autobot/Decepticon war. Knowing that control of resources would be crucial, he initiated a project he called [[Regenesis]] to "seed" several planets with potent [[Energon]] distillates, generating "crops" for him to harvest. Deserting when the time came to stabilise the planets, he was stymied on [[Earth]] by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobot]]s—out for revenge on an unrelated matter—and fell into stasis-lock, {{storylink|Spotlight: Shockwave}} but not before reconditioning a crew of lost [[Maximal]]s into re-enacting the Great War in miniature. {{storylink|Strange Visitors}}

10,000 years later, his body was discovered and he was reawakened by [[Skywatch]]. Forming an alliance with [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]] to disable the bomb they placed in his head, he fought [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], and [[Grimlock (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Grimlock]] until the blue Decepticon managed to disable it, but was stopped from leaving by the Dynobot leader's bomb. Subsequently, they were taken to [[Garrus-9]] by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Maximum Dinobots}}

Freed from the prison by [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]], Shockwave ultimately chose to rejoin his fellow Decepticons and returned to Earth. During [[D-Void]] war, he was summoned to Cybertron by Megatron. Once [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] was defeated, the weakened Shockwave was captured by [[Autobot]]s along with other Decepticons. {{storylink|Chaos (IDW)|Chaos}}

Forming a surreptitious alliance with his old master [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and their student [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] to aid them in a quest for the remains of his Regenesis program while remaining on Cybertron himself, he was convinced to act on the planet by [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], but was illegally rendered into [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]]'s custody by [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]]. {{storylink|The End of the Beginning of the World}} His capture was part of a charade, however, as Prowl was being controlled by [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] at the behest of Megatron, who would use the Autobot strategist as a component in a newly recreated [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|The Verge}} {{storylink|Before the Dawn}}

Shockwave ultimately opted out of Megatron's latest insurrection, however, and retreated to the site of the previously destroyed [[Crystal City]]. Shockwave found that the city had been restored by the Energon ore he had seeded there long before, which he now dubbed [[Ore-14]]. Shockwave successfully tested Ore-14's restorative properties on [[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]]. {{storylink|Shockwaves}} In light of recent events, Soundwave confronted Shockwave over the latter's abandonment of Megatron and betrayal of the Decepticon leader's ideals, but to no avail. {{storylink|Shockpoint}} {{storylink|Soundwaves (issue)|Soundwaves}}

Shockwave's endgame was now in motion. Gathering the various Ores together would give him the power to manipulate reality itself. With the aid of Jhiaxus' [[chronal drive]], and harnessing the energy of the [[Dead Universe]] itself, Shockwave intended to collapse all of reality into a singularity, save for Cybertron itself, which would be eternally powered by the singularity. Shockwave nearly succeeded, thanks in part to the distractions of his [[Quintessa (IDW)|Necrotitan]] and the [[Ammonite]] legions he set loose upon Cybertron, but there was one thing he did not anticipate: Megatron having a change of heart, and befriending [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] in the process. After Shockwave killed Bumblebee, Megatron took the fallen Autobot's [[insignia]] for himself, renouncing the Decepticon cause; this distraction allowed Optimus Prime to reach Shockwave and cause the former Senator to recall his pre-Shadowplay self. Horrified at what he had become, but unable to shut down the drive himself, Shockwave allowed Optimus and Megatron to save reality by destroying the drive, and him along with it. {{storylink|Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron}}

Or so it was believed. In truth, the Ore-1 within the drive allowed the singularity to manipulate time as well as space, the gravity dragging Shockwave's broken body to twelve million years in the past, in the era following the departure of the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. Aimlessly wandering the Sea of Rust for years, Shockwave chanced upon the shepherd Onyx, slaying him and taking on the identity of "[[Onyx Prime]]" so as to engineer a perpetual [[Decepticon Empire]]. Masterminding a war to bring together the [[Thirteen]] Primes, then using the failed conquest on [[Antilla]] to trigger the [[First Cybertronian Civil War]] that tore them apart, Shockwave fled Cybertron and returned to the dead Antilla with his [[Maximal]] army. There, Shockwave found that the planet had been refashioned into a dormant anti-Cybertronian superweapon, making plans to use it. Recovering the core of the transmutation device, Shockwave dubbed it the "[[Talisman (G1)|Talisman]]" and sent it to Earth while he and the majority remained on Antilla.

In late [[2017]], Antilla was activated, dubbed [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] by the Talisman. Putting the final phases of his plan into motion, Shockwave reunited with [[Liege Maximo]], the two returning to Cybertron atop [[Nemesis (BW)|Nemesis]]. After sowing chaos across the planet, Shockwave revealed his true identity to the populace, revealing that the Primes and the Chosen One prophecy were nothing but fictions, as was all of Cybertron's religion. Though taken prisoner, Shockwave was unconcerned as Unicron was already consuming the [[Cybertronian colonies]]. When the Chaos Bringer arrived at Cybertron, Shockwave teleported himself to Earth so he could begin building his new empire only for Unicron to follow. Deducing that the Talisman had been brought to Earth, Shockwave quickly located it, ordering his servants to retrieve and use it against Unicron only to find that his grand plan had shattered ''their'' faith in him as well. Taken prisoner by [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] and [[Stardrive]], Shockwave played a brief role in Optimus's plan to defeat Unicron before his limbs were taken from him and he was chained up in the [[Nemesis (G1)|''Lemuria'']]. Suffering an identity crisis after wearing so many faces, Shockwave confessed to Prowl that he did not know which persona was the "real" him. With little sympathy, Prowl said that they'd all been him.

What Shockwave had always failed to realize was that people were judged, and defined, by their actions, not the intentions that they'd set out with. {{storylink|Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|Transformers: Unicron|Unicron}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[File:ShockwaveVictorianbody-HOS2.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|"There's a giant cyclops who guards the outskirts of the city and preys on innocent sea creatures."]]
After awakening in 19th century America, Shockwave took on the form of an ironclad warship and recruited inventor [[Tobias Muldoon]] to the Decepticon side (by pretending to be a friend to humanity). {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1|Hearts of Steel #1}} He took Muldoon to his Decepticon comrades underwater, where he was questioned by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2|Hearts of Steel #2}}

Years later in [[1888]], the surviving Decepticons came under the influence of the invading [[Elder God]]s. Shockwave was among those who accepted the beings as their new masters and defended [[Port Cenotaph]] on their behalf from intruders. {{storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 1|Infestation 2: The Transformers #1}} He soon defended the town against an international fleet, but was shot down. {{Storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 2|Infestation 2: The Transformers #2}}

{{note|"[[Strange Visitors]]" establishes that events identical to those of ''Hearts of Steel'' and ''Infestation 2'' occurred in the [[2005 IDW continuity]]; however, they happened to [[Maximal]] explorers brainwashed by the IDW Shockwave into believing they were the Autobots and Decepticons of the Great War. Shockwave reconstructed [[Maximal Shockwave|one of these Maximals]] into a duplicate of himself.}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon continuity===
====''Timelines''====
[[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] alternatively served the Decepticon cause on Cybertron under Shockwave's command or on Earth during the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. {{storylink|Buzzsaw (G1)#Timelines|BotCon 2006 Buzzsaw profile card}}

====2006 IDW ''Beast Wars'' continuity====
Early in the Great War, the nonaligned Cicadacon was gravely wounded. Shutting off his emotional processes, he was able to successfully self-repair, but he lost much of his memory. Joining the Decepticons, he served as one for centuries until [[The Transformers: The Movie|Unicron's attack on Cybertron in 2005]] reawakened his true self. {{storylink|Cicadacon#Combiner Wars|General Cicadacon profile card}}

{{note|Cicadacon's profile card does not specify his Decepticon identity, but who else does this description match?}}

===''Mini Mayhem!''===
Shockwave participated in an infiltration of [[BotCon]] to track down next year's toy designs, and use them to conquer the Autobots once and for all! Unfortunately, Shockwave forgot to mention to Megatron that their main target, [[Eric Siebenaler]] wouldn't be in attendance, and the plot wound up falling apart.

After being nominated two years in a row, Shockwave was sure he'd be a shoe-in for [[2011]]'s [[Transformers Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]]. He discussed the topic with Jazz and Grimlock until [[Erector (G1)|Erector]] and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] came along. The trio mistook Erector for Bumblebee, and so spared him any ridicule, but verbally tore into Waspinator. After insisting that the Predacon would never stand a chance against them, Shockwave and the others walked off in a huff. {{storylink|Mini Mayhem!}}

===Robot Heroes===
Shockwave was one of the Decepticons who helped Megatron start trouble on Earth, though he only fought for himself. When they ran into the Autobots, Shockwave was beaten up by Prowl. {{storylink|I Am Optimus Prime (Robot Heroes)|I Am Optimus Prime}}

===''Kre-O'' cartoon===
[[File:BotStars-Shockwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|"Algebra? Really?"]]
During a robot dance competition, Shockwave was among the three judges, all of whom were Decepticons. Despite [[Bumblebee (Kre-O)|Bumblebee]]'s phenomenal performance, he scored the Autobot at 1/2. For [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], despite awful technique and a nasty fall, he scored the Decepticon a 10². The commentator was skeptical. {{storylink|Bot Stars}}

He was present in the audience during Optimus, Bumblebee, and Megatron's boxing match. He also cheered when Megatron lost... {{storylink|Last Bot Standing}}

Shockwave, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] enjoyed a picnic by the side of a road. When Bumblebee and Megatron raced by them, the picnickers waved at them. {{storylink|The Big Race}}

He was among the minions who passed Megatron his presents during the holiday season. {{storylink|A Gift For Megatron}}

Shockwave helped Megatron get back into shape after a string of humiliating defeats by standing on top of him while the Decepticon leader did some push-ups, and holding on to his weights while he did some reps. {{storylink|Megatron's Revenge}}

===San Diego Comic Con tech specs===
Shockwave ran through all the variables and decided that if he was going to further his goals of conquest, it would be rational to work with the human weaponeer [[Destro]]. He now sports a snazzy [[HISS tank]] [[alternate mode]] with his astroblaster integrated into the design <ref>[http://www.yojoe.com/vehicles/12/shockwavehiss/ Shockwave H.I.S.S. page at yojoe.com]</ref> and in return, he gives Destro loads of money. When Shockwave and Destro's goals no longer mesh, Destro will 'deal' with the Decepticon himself (yeah, good luck with that, mate).<ref>[http://www.yojoe.com/action/12/destro28.shtml Destro v.28 page at yojoe.com]</ref>

===''Transformers: All Spark''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Another Episode, Part 1}} {{storylink|Revenge (All Spark)|Revenge}} {{storylink|Ray of Hope}} {{storylink|Great Aspirations}}}}

===Starscream's New Power===
[[File:Starscream's New Power Starscream vs. Decepticons.jpg|thumb|100px|left]]
Shockwave attempted to apprehend Starscream as the latter infiltrated his [[Shockwave's Tower|personal lab]] on Cybertron. He was driven back once Starscream got his hands on some of his weapons. {{storylink|Starscream's New Power}}

===''Kre-O'' online manga===
Shockwave 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''===
[[File:ISawThreeShips-shockwavealtmode.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Together with Starscream and his [[Relatives|brother]] Soundwave, Shockwave traveled from Cybertron to Earth to demand the humans surrender to Megatron. They were met with resistance from their welcomers, [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], leading to a battle that ended with their defeat. {{storylink|I Saw Three Ships}} Retreating and forming an alliance with [[Cobra]], Shockwave and Starscream attacked the aircraft carrier [[USS Flagg|U.S.S. ''Flagg'']], which supposedly contained the body of Soundwave killed during the last battle. Enraged by his brother's death, Shockwave immolated many a Joe with an eye beam before tearing into the ship to retrieve his remains, but retreated with the others when they found no trace of Soundwave. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend}}

[[File:ExpelledFromTheGarden-unattack.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66]]

Shockwave, Starscream, and Cobra next attacked the [[United Nations]] headquarters, arriving at the same time as a vengeful Optimus Prime attacked G.I. Joe and was met with [[Doctor Venom]], who had [[Binary bonding|binary bonded]] with Soundwave's body to control it as a weapon. Shocked and disgusted by this desecration, Shockwave began grappling with Prime over his brother's reanimated remains, shouting that he'd take Soundwave home where Megatron could make him whole again. After Venom had been separated from Soundwave, Shockwave calmed down and declared that he wouldn't let such sentimental emotions get to him again. {{storylink|Expelled from the Garden}}

In spite of his emotionless façade, Shockwave couldn't help but feel somewhat remorseful for the death of his brother. Shockwave, Rumble, and Laserbeak collected what they could of Soundwave and travelled to the city of Kalis. There, they presented Soundwave's remains to the Autobot apostate [[Flame (Marvel)|Flame]], who used his knowledge to bring the spymaster back to life. However, Soundwave returned as a mere shell of his former self, an emotionless machine who could no longer recognize his brother. Watching Soundwave coldly defeat [[Snake-Eyes]] and seize Ravage for reprogramming, Shockwave sadly mused that ''he'' was now the compassionate one of the duo. {{storylink|Black Cybertron}}

===''Angry Birds'' comic===
[[File:ABTF1 Optimus+HeatwavevsShockwave.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5]]
Shockwave was among the Decepticon troops who attacked the Autobot vessel carrying the [[AllSpark]], but they were blasted into space by [[Heatwave (G1)|Heatwave]]'s water cannon and the Autobots escaped via [[Quantum generator|quantum jump]]. {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers issue 1|Angry Birds Transformers #1}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
Shockwave developed the [[infiltration protocol]], {{storylink|A Brush With Infamy–Prologue}} and was recorded as having posed a challenge to Megatron's leadership position. {{storylink|Not All Megatrons}}

[[Eject (G1)|Eject]] lamented that all the great and famous Cybertronians, including Shockwave, were long gone by the time Cybertron was controlled by the [[Builder Assembly]]. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}}

Shockwave had a secret lab in [[Ultrix]]. A year after the [[Grand Uprising]], [[Deluge (G2)|Deluge]] had based himself in the lab where he operated on [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]. He was tracked down by [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] who killed the scientist and destroyed the lab. {{storylink|The Inexorable March}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
When [[Violengiguar|Bio Ranger Iga]] formed the [[Thirteen Great Demon Generals#Ask Vector Prime|Thirteen Great Demon Generals]], he summoned Shockwave to join. He declined and sent his brother, [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], in his stead. {{storylink|Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#June 27, 2015|Ask Vector Prime, 27/06/2015}}

===''Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Kaito Ishikawa]] (Japanese)}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Road to More Popularity than Autobots}}}}

===''Of Masters and Mayhem''===
[[File:Of Masters and Mayhem flashback.jpeg|thumb|300px|]]
In one universe, Shockwave fought alongside his fellow Decepticons against [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s Autobots. {{storylink|History}}

As scientific research supervisor for the Decepticons, Shockwave monitored an experiment by [[Loudpedal]] and [[Oil Slick (G1)|Oil Slick]] that engineered a test subject resembling a twisted version of Optimus Prime. Although initially designed as a potential new [[Combiner]] component, the test subject somehow developed an entirely unexpected ability to produce toxic sludge. This "[[Toxitron (Universe)|Toxitron]]" subject was overseen for a time, until he escaped and murdered his creators, causing Shockwave to abandon the project. {{storylink|The Toxic Transformer}}
[[File:KnockOutShockwave TheToxicTransformer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|left|"I was built by a group of mad scientists, looking to make everything their fault. But it seems ''they failed!''"]]

Earlier, however, experiments with Toxitron had used whatever connection he had to Optimus Prime to grow the "shell" of a Matrix inside his body. Shockwave acquired this shell before the research bunker was destroyed, and used it to contain the mutated spark of the scientist known as [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]. This creation, later known as the [[Matrix of Malice]], became the centerpiece of the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]]'s new combination form as [[Thunder Mayhem]], much to the horror of all of Cybertron. {{storylink|Foundation and Wreckage Part 1: Deadly Aim|Deadly Aim}}{{-}}

===''Prime Wars Trilogy'' marketing material===
[[File:POTP vote Shockwave.jpeg|thumb|right|upright=0.5]]
{{quote|The rashness of action has led us here. Now is the time that clarity of thought shall rule.}}

Shockwave created [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. {{storylink|Shockwave (G1)/toys#CombinerWars|Combiner Wars Shockwave toy bio}}

Shockwave was a potential bearer of the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. As a force for order, Shockwave planned to create a new, strict civilisation to save Cybertron, declaring himself to be the only bot with the technical prowess to mastermind it. Instead, the Matrix went to [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]]. {{storylink|Source:Power of the Primes Fan Vote|''Power of the Primes'' fan poll}}
{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' continuity===
====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' marketing material====
[[File:Siege-Shockwave-art.jpg|thumb|100px]]
During the war for Cybertron, Shockwave was a [[Cybertronian military insignia|Space Force Applied Sciences Major]], whose function was a scientist. {{storylink|War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' webpage}}<ref name=Siege>[https://transformers.hasbro.com/en-us/brands/siege ''Siege'' website]</ref> Being one of the most secure and heavily fortified zones on Cybertron, Shockwave would spend most of his time in the Decepticon-conquered city of [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]]. {{storylink|Source:Teletraan-1 Data Files|''Siege'' Teletraan-1 Data Files}}<ref name=Siege/>

Shockwave was also known to make and upgrade Decepticon weapons during the war. He designed both [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s "D50-R35 Fusion Cannon" and "HPR Telescopic Laserstrike Launcher". Both of these could combine and modlock into the "NFM Particle Beam Megalauncher" using the [[C.O.M.B.A.T. System]]. {{storylink|Source:Teletraan-1 Data Files#Weapons database|Decepticon weapons database on Hasbro Pulse}}<ref>[https://hasbropulse.com/blogs/unboxed/transformers-wfc-siege-megatron-combat-weapons-guide "''Siege'' Megatron C.O.M.B.A.T. Weapons Guide" on Hasbro Pulse]</ref>

====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Todd Haberkorn]] (English), [[Chafūrin]] (Japanese)|[[Hercules Fernando]] (Portuguese), [[Jérémy Prévost]] (French), [[Nicolai Tegeler]] (German), [[Txema Moscoso]] (Castilian Spanish), [[Eduardo Tejedo]] (Latin-American Spanish)}}
[[File:WFC-Siege-Ep2-Shockwave-proposes-a-plan.jpg|thumb|300px|left]]
A scientist, Shockwave deleted his emotions to improve his capacity for logically processing data. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 1}} During the era of the Great War, Shockwave joined with the Decepticons, becoming the faction's chief scientist. For cycles, Shockwave had been researching the ancient secrets of Cybertron. By the time that Ultra Magnus had surrendered himself to Megatron, Shockwave had confirmed using [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]]'s studies that the Allspark, the mystic source of all Cybertronian life, was real. Convinced that he could manipulate the Allspark's creation powers into a reformation wave to turn all Autobots into Decepticons, Shockwave brought this information to Megatron. Uneasy about such a drastic measure, Megatron took the idea under consideration.

Soon afterward, Soundwave detected Magnus passing information about the Allspark onto the Autobots. After a failed attempt to bait the Autobots, Megatron gave Shockwave the approval to enact his plan. {{storylink|Siege episode 2}}

Until the Allspark could be found, Shockwave was tasked with interrogating Ultra Magnus for the location of [[Autobot High Command]]. Despite Shockwave's best efforts, the Autobot commander remained steadfast, even breaking free at one point. When Magnus was recaptured, Shockwave increased the torture's intensity until the Autobot finally gave in, revealing the location of Autobot Command. {{storylink|Siege episode 3}}

In short order, however, Magnus lied and Megatron executed him outright. When Magnus' death unleashed the [[Alpha Trion Protocols]], Megatron had his corpse delivered back to Shockwave so the scientist could determine how to counter them. Shockwave was later present when Megatron promoted [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] to the command of the Seekers, fearing that such an act would not bode well. {{storylink|Siege episode 4}}

[[File:WFC-Earthrise-Ep1-Shockwave-hologram.jpg|thumb|300px]]
When Soundwave and Shockwave understood how the Alpha Trion Protocols functioned, the latter proposed using a special virus to destroy the Protocols, even as Soundwave warned that such an act could adversely affect a large portion of the planetary infrastructure. Granted permission to proceed, Shockwave used Ultra Magnus' corpse as a transmitter and unleashed his virus. As the virus disabled Autobot systems, Shockwave and Soundwave rushed to tell Megatron that it had uncloaked the ''Ark'' and the Autobots. {{storylink|Siege episode 5}}

In the aftermath of the Battle of the Space Bridge, which saw both the ''Ark'' and the Allspark leave Cybertron, Shockwave was tasked with Project: Nemesis, designing a star cruiser capable of carrying the Decepticons to a new world. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 2}} With Cybertron dying, however, the Decepticons began harvesting the remaining population, Autobot and Decepticon, to fuel their escape ship. At Shockwave's request, Megatron inspected Sector 12, which had fallen behind on production, and gave Shockwave the authority to shut it down and harvest its resources. As Shockwave brought Sector 12's staff to the gladiatorial arena to be harvested, Megatron brought Elita-1's Autobots to bear witness, declaring that they would be Shockwave's next victims. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 1}}

[[File:WFC-Earthrise-Ep6-Shockwave-vs-Elita-1.jpg|thumb|300px|left]]
Before Shockwave could harvest the Autobots, a power outage caused by [[Scrapface]] allowed them to escape. Though Shockwave noted that another Sector would have to be harvested, Soundwave soon discovered that the ''Ark'' still functioned. At Megatron's command, Shockwave then activated the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' ahead of schedule. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 2}}

Shockwave did not board the ''Nemesis'' however, remaining behind to maintain order on Cybertron. He called for all Decepticons to present themselves to [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]] arena under the guise of helping them, but in actuality, so he could harvest their sparks to power himself and his guards. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 3}}

By the time that Elita-1's forces returned to sabotage the arena, Shockwave had developed cloaking technology for himself. Having bolstered himself on the harvested sparks, Shockwave was quickly able to overpower Elita and restrained her for experimentation. Before he could do anything, however, he was called away to oversee the capture of the other rebels before the explosives that they had planted detonated, consuming the arena and killing all present. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 6}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers/Ghostbusters''===
[[File:GhostsOFCybertronPart4-youstillfunction.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]

After the Decepticons won the Great War, the malevolent entity known as [[Gozer]] appeared on Cybertron to Decepticon High Command. Though Shockwave advocated caution, especially given that Gozer's power was beyond his sensors' ability to categorize, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] fired his [[null-ray]] at the entity who reflected its power back at the Decepticons. When [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] approached the invader, it offered him the choice of which form it would assume to destroy Cybertron before it disappeared, declaring that the choice had been made. It was then that a guilty Starscream spoke up, his mind having drifted to his first conception of a being capable of destroying Cybertron which was revealed to be himself as Gozer rematerialized as a titanic version of the Seeker. After an enraged Megatron shot Starscream, Shockwave tended to the Seeker as the Decepticons fought back against the extradimensional menace. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 1}} Even with their mightiest [[combiner]]s however, the Decepticons could not match Gozer's power, before [[Decepticon High Command]] was approached by [[Kremzeek]] the Scavenger who turned the quartet into [[ghost]]s. In return for this however, Kremzeek wanted their aid in finding and absorbing the [[AllSpark]]. Along with Megatron and Soundwave, Shockwave refused, resulting the trio being absorbed into Kremzeek's being. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 2}} {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 4}}

Roughly a thousand years later on Earth, Kremzeek's physical body was destroyed when the Scavenger made physical contact with [[Killerwatt|an electricity consuming ghost]], freeing Shockwave's spirit. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 4}} Though Shockwave, along with Soundwave, was initially willing to work with the Autobots to get his physical body back, the conflict quickly escalated and the scientist opened fire on the [[Ghostbusters]]. Being retained by an overeager [[Ectotron]], Shockwave fired his cannon, declaring that he no longer wished to owe his life to such a cretin. While his stray shots broke [[Peter Venkman]]'s focus and allowed Starscream to flee the planet, Shockwave himself was soon sealed within a [[ghost trap]]. Once the battle ended, Optimus Prime took Shockwave's trap, along with Megatron and Soundwave's, hoping to one day rehabilitate the three and use the [[AllSpark]] to revive them. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 5}}

{{--}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Four|''Transformers'' #10]]}}

[[File:Escape-3-Skywarp cloning procedure.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|"Time to make everything my fault again!"]]
During the [[War of the Threefold Spark]], Shockwave voluntarily collaborated with the evil [[Exarchon]] as the mad tyrant waged war against Cybertron, with the promise of Shockwave being allowed to indulge his every scientific curiosity. Together, the pair experimented with [[cloning]], with one of their early results being [[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]]. {{storylink|Escape Part Two}} {{storylink|War's End Part One}} In an effort to mass-produce an army of teleporting warriors Shockwave attempted to clone his fellow collaborator [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]. The resulting [[Skywarp drone|clone army]] lacked Skywarp's teleportation powers, but proved valuable warriors all the same. {{storylink|Escape Part Three}}

After the end of the war, Exarchon vanished and his co-conspirators were banished from Cybertron by [[Nominus Prime]]. Eventually, however, [[Decepticon|Ascenticon]] senator [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] contacted Shockwave and put him in control of the radical group known as "[[the Rise]]", in the hopes that Shockwave's logic would rein in their worst impulses while stoking preexisting societal tensions so as to legitimize the [[Decepticon|Ascenticons]] in the optics of the public. Eventually, Megatron was able to smuggle Shockwave back to Cybertron, who set up shop in one of Exarchon's abandoned bunkers in the deepest reaches of the badlands. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Four}}

[[File:ConstructiconsRisingPart2 ShockwaveBombshellChat.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.2|"Status report! What percentage of stuff is my fault so far??"]]
While coordinating the activities of the Rise on Cybertron, Shockwave also began reaching out to other Cybertronians who'd been banished from the planet. These included the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s, with whom he struck a bargain: in exchange for their service, he'd clone them so that they could eat as much as they desired. A battery of experiments revealed that the trio were ideal candidates for cloning; although he obtained all the necessary data required to clone an army of Insecticons, Shockwave chose to keep this information to himself out of fear that the ambitious Insecticons were more powerful than anyone, including themselves, realized. {{storylink|Escape Part Two}} To accomplish this plan, he reunited with his old minion [[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]], who recruited [[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] and a group of mercenaries to establish a profitable "splice-thieving" operation on the planet [[Kworia]], an organ-harvesting scheme that stripped Cybertronian victims for parts and shipped them back to Cybertron for use in Shockwave's experiments. Eventually, Shockwave constructed a number of Insecticon clones, but chose to keep this knowledge a secret for the time being. {{storylink|Storm Horizon Part 3}} {{storylink|Escape Part Two}}

In the meantime, Shockwave had the original three Insecticons recruit the exiled [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] into assisting his goals. Shockwave contacted their leader [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] when progress on that front was taking too long, but Bombshell shrugged off his concerns. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 2}} Bombshell eventually convinced the group to rebel against the [[Senate]], and Shockwave sent the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] to extract them from Mayalx along with a stockpile of [[Energon]] they had harvested. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 4}} Shockwave allowed the Constructicons to go off on their own, but planned to one day bring them back to Cybertron when the time was right in the belief that [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]'s loyalty gave him a monopoly on [[combiner]] power. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 4}}

After [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] had been murdered, [[Security Operations]] officer and Ascenticon sympathizer [[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]] discovered that a [[Voin]] scavenger might have witnessed the murder. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Three}} Reporting this to Soundwave, Barricade was instructed to inform Shockwave who dispatched [[Quake (G1)|Quake]] to tie up the loose end. Though Quake killed the Voin, this gruesome act was witnessed by [[Rubble]], the zealous veteran killing the newborn to prevent his crime from being reported. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Five}} {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Five}}

[[File:TheChangeInYourNaturePartThree MegatronBeatsShockwave.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|"Awww, c'mon. I had barely even started..."]]
Following a Senate meeting, Megatron visited Shockwave and told him to get the Rise under control lest the Ascenticon deliver him to the authorities. As Megatron drove off, Shockwave mused on other ideas. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Four}} When Megatron found that Soundwave had given Barricade sanctuary, he sent a message to Shockwave to come collect the rogue Security officer, but to do it neatly. Shockwave sent [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], [[Whisper (G1)|Visper]], and [[Storm Cloud (G1)|Storm Cloud]] to retrieve Barricade, the trio performing to Megatron's expectations. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Five}}

Still, Shockwave continued to assert the Rise independently of Megatron's control. The evacuation of the memorial crater left the Rise's energon reserves dangerous low. Shockwave sent out Ruckus and three others to acquire fresh supplies, but they were spotted by Security and got caught up in a stand-off at an [[immersant]] Titan. After Soundwave surreptitiously killed the Risers to keep them from talking, Megatron made another personal appearance at Shockwave's hideout. After summoning the Rise lieutenants Sixshot and [[Slipstream (G1)|Slipstream]], Megatron brutally beat down Shockwave in a show of dominance. The Ascenticon senator made it abundantly clear to Shockwave and his officers that the Rise was NOT a separate organization in league with the Ascenticons. They were all, unquestioningly, under Megatron's control and Megatron's alone. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}} Shockwave began to recover from his injuries thanks to [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]]'s services. He was enraged when Sixshot informed him that [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] had requisitioned troops and left the base without permission. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: All Fall Down|All Fall Down}} Mindwipe later called in to report that their base was compromised by Storm Cloud. Shockwave began evacuations and swore to rip Mindwipe's wings off. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: Swindle's|Swindle's}}

[[File:StormHorizonPart3-InsecticonClones.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.6|"Okay, back on track!"]]
At some point after Shockwave relocated his base of operations to another of Exarchon's hidden bunkers, Soundblaster returned from deep space after his defeat at the hands of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. Though Soundblaster did not perform to Shockwave's high standards, he had brought back enough materials for the scientist to create an army of [[Insecticon clone]]s, a performance that Shockwave found acceptable. {{storylink|Storm Horizon Part 3}}

As Shockwave tended to his machines, the original three Insecticons entered and demanded an audience, only for the cyclops to wave them off. As the three left, Shockwave confided in Soundblaster that the project no longer needed the Insecticons and that they would have to keep an eye on Bombshell. {{storylink|Escape Part Two}} After learning that the Insecticons had betrayed him, stolen some of his old cloning equipment, and gone rogue, Shockwave dispatched [[Rage (G1)|Rage]] and [[Hydradread]] to hunt them down. {{storylink|Escape Part Three}}

[[File:SeaOfRustII-Shockwave.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Shockwave Rebake Full City.]]
Despite his best efforts to exterminate the traitors, the Insecticons and their new clone army proved too numerous to exterminate and as a result Shockwave was forced to admit defeat and leave the three to their own devices, under the stipulation that they'd obey his commands when ordered. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I|Sea of Rust I}} After Slipstream's [[Team Stream|team]] returned from the [[Winged Moon]], Shockwave took custody of the radioactive and insane [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] and spent time analyzing his growing abilities. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Test Flight I|Test Flight I}} Shockwave contacted Bombshell and ordered his Insecticon swarm into action to take out [[Termagax]]'s walking [[House (building)|House]] and seize the [[Enigma of Combination]], a battle that would assuredly leave their clone army weakened. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I|Sea of Rust I}} When a recently returned Skywarp arrived, Shockwave adopted a powerful new suit of armor to confront his old partner, but upon hearing about the Enigma, Skywarp teleported away once more. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust II|Sea of Rust II}}

[[File:DarknessOnceGazedUponPart3 ShockwaveExarchon.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.9|SHOCKWAVE'S SUSSY-SENSE TINGLING!]]
Following Skywarp being grievously injured in his attempt to retrieve the Enigma, Shockwave tended to him, mainly just to see if he could, before Flatline arrived. Though initially dismissing the medic's strange speech pattern, Shockwave quickly realized that Exarchon had returned, the warlord declaring that they had unfinished business to complete. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part Three}} After sufficiently repairing Skywarp, Shockwave spoke with Exarchon enough to confirm his identity. When Skywarp awoke, Exarchon attempted to win back his subordinates, promising Shockwave to reveal more arcane sciences when the scientist noted that the Decepticons were offering the same deal. Following the arrival of the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] and Skywarp teleporting away, Exarchon identified a hidden base of his in the [[Sonic Canyons]], where he was already dealing with the Autobot interlopers. {{storylink|War's End Part One}} As Shockwave sent his forces to reinforce Exarchon, Skywarp informed the Decepticons that the scientist had betrayed them. When Team Stream attempted to confirm this by informing him of their mission against Exarchon, Shockwave told them to stand down, the unusual order dividing the team. {{storylink|War's End Part Two}}

On Shockwave's order, Devastator returned to Cybertron, being given the instructions to find Soundblaster. As the combiner made his way to the Sonic Canyons, Shockwave showed Exarchon around the bunker, though he adamantly refused the Threefold Spark's request to release Sunstorm so that Exarchon could usurp him. When Megatron arrived, Shockwave was sent to collect him, bringing the Decepticon leader to Exarchon. Returning, Shockwave demanded that Exarchon return Sunstorm to his tube, though he was largely ignored as the warlords talked. After Megatron had shot Exarchon into Sunstorm's arms, killing that iteration of the Threefold Spark, the Decepticon ordered Shockwave to tell him all that had been transpiring. {{storylink|War's End Part Three}} Subordinate to Megatron once again, Shockwave was part of the Decepticon leader's entourage as he made to meet with Optimus Prime. {{storylink|End of Time}}

[[File:FateOfCybertron ShockwavePlatform.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.9|He's something of a scientist himself.]]
After the Decepticons were forced to allow the Autobots to reach [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]], a frustrated Megatron reminded Shockwave that he'd only overlook the scientist's past uncertain loyalties if the Constructicons arrived to serve him. Shockwave assured the Decepticon leader that he still had Megatron's interests foremost in his mind. Soon, after rendezvousing with the Constructicons, the entire Decepticon army arrived at Darkmount's gates and launched an attack to prevent the Autobots from leaving the planet. Shockwave joined a concentrated attack on [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] after the combiner made a last stand to buy time for his comrades to blast off. Computron was defeated, but the Autobots managed to escape Cybertron, and in the aftermath Shockwave offered his congratulations to Megatron on what seemed an incomplete victory. {{storylink|Transformers: Fate of Cybertron|Fate of Cybertron}}

====Alternate future====
In an alternate future where Exarchon returned to Cybertron and conquered the planet, Exarchon killed Shockwave and stole his body to become one-third of his latest iteration, alongside Megatron and Onslaught. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Test Flight I|Test Flight I}}
{{-}}

===Precursor World===

A [[Primus Vanguard|Warrior of the Seven Lights]] resembling a particularly bricky Shockwave was a member of the [[Purple Order]]. He oversaw the containment of Megatron and his turncoat [[Straxus (G1)#Precursor World|Straxus]] followers by the Order's [[Pretender Monster]] creations such that Wicked could propose an alliance. {{storylink|God Neptune comic 1}}

{{--}}

===''My Little Pony/Transformers''===
[[File:TheyEatPoniesDontThey-Shockwave.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]

During a battle, Shockwave briefed Megatron that a malfunctioning [[Space bridge|spacebridge]] was reaching into another reality, instead of other planets. The portal eventually connected with the [[magic]] of [[Queen Chrysalis]] in the realm of [[Equestria]], the combination of energies dragging all combatants, Shockwave included, to the magical realm. {{storylink|Transformation Is Magic}}

Still able to use the space bridge to teleport around Equestria, Shockwave crashed the set of ''[[Preppin' with Pinkie]]'' to determine how many equines it took to make [[energon cube]]s only for [[Gauge]] and [[Pinkie Pie]] to chaotically force him back through the portal using a variety of kitchen appliances. {{storylink|They Eat Ponies, Don't They?}}

[[File:Finale-Shockwave.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"If anyone gets to do a TRON reference it should be me, dammit!"]]

The Decepticons and changelings eventually launched an attack on the [[Crystal Empire]], the Autobots and ponies coming to its defense. At Megatron's order, Shockwave attempted to procure samples of the arcane from the castle but found his firepower outmatched by the power of friendship. When the Decepticons eventually returned to Cybertron, Shockwave revealed that they had not managed to claim any magic but that he had saved Equestria's coordinates. Rather than return to the realm, however, he proposed bringing magic to Cybertron. {{storylink|Finale (Friendship in Disguise!)|Finale}}

Some time later, Shockwave and the other Decepticons constructed a second spacebridge and used it to return to Equestria. However, their activities in the magic realm provoked [[Twilight Sparkle]] and the other ponies into chasing them through the portal and back to Cybertron; the brief battle freed the evil [[King Sombra]] from his prison, who set about mind-controlling as many Decepticons as he could find. By the time that Optimus Prime arrived to investigate, [[Applejack]] and [[Rarity]] told Shockwave and Optimus that the only way to survive what came next was to team up. {{storylink|The Magic of Cybertron}}

In the final battle against King Sombra, who'd stolen the body of [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], Shockwave and Rarity worked together to restrain Pinkie Pie and [[Fluttershy]]. After attuning the pony's emotion-powered [[exosuit]]s to match Scorponok's natural frequencies, the pair helped battle and eventually vanquish the brainwashed [[Titan (group)|Titan]]. {{storylink|Finale (The Magic of Cybertron)|Finale}}

{{--}}

===''Transformers/Back to the Future''===
Shockwave was one of the Decepticons who boarded the ''Ark'', winding up in stasis-lock when the ship crashed on Earth. {{storylink|Transformers/Back to the Future issue 2|Transformers/Back to the Future #2}}

===''Transformers Go! Go!''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Villains' Strategy Conference, Indeed!}} {{storylink|The Transformers' Explosive New Years' Battle!}}}}
{{--}}

==Commercial appearances==
*When the Autobots unleashed their newest super-warrior [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], the Decepticons retaliated by revealing their own secret weapon, Shockwave! {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Jetfire and Shockwave|Jetfire and Shockwave commercial}}
*Shockwave created a "continuum transmorpher" for Megatron, a device capable of breaching dimension barriers. He then showed Megatron around his lab, pointing out all the upgrades he made for the place. {{storylink|Who is the Greatest Starscream Of All Time?}}

==Games==
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
{{voiceactor|[[Barry Gjerde]] (English)}}

[[File:Ps2tatakai shockwave1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Absolute Power, etc., etc.]]

{{bigquote|Megatron's personal watchdog. With the ability to transform into a laser gun, Shockwave boasts a powerful attack!|The [[narrator]]|''[[The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers]]''}}

In an alternate future, the Shockwave of that time grew frustrated with [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s increasingly abusive leadership, and when he discovered the [[Zel Quartz]], which could vastly boost the power of a Transformer, he implanted it into himself and staged a one-robot mutiny. Unfortunately, the power proved too much for Shockwave's systems and he ran wild. Neither the Autobots nor the Decepticons could stop him and they took massive casualties in the attempt. Shockwave eventually destroyed Cybertron, then set out on a quest to destroy all planets with life. Elite teams of Autobots and Decepticons traveled to the past to prevent these events by either destroying or seizing the Zel Quartz years before Shockwave would find it.

[[File:Ps2tatakai shockwave2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|left|{{w|Dynasty Warriors 3|Feel the power of my magic!}}]]
In the Autobot story, the present-day Shockwave was the main boss in the geothermal power plant, protecting the main turbine of the plant. When Optimus Prime and his team reached the main turbine, Shockwave slowly descended from the ceiling in his alternate form. He then changed to his robot form and dropped to the floor, announcing that he was collecting energy for Megatron. He warned the Autobots that anyone who stood in his way should not expect any mercy from him. When Optimus Prime stated that the Autobots were going to stop the Decepticon's plundering of [[Zel Samine]]'s energy, Shockwave suggested that they should settle this feud, by fighting. Eventually, the Autobots over-powered the Decepticon, and a battered Shockwave warned Optimus that he would remember the outcome of the fight before disengaging and fleeing the power plant. Later, Shockwave appeared in the valley where the Autobots detected an SOS signal and had a rematch with the Autobots, but was defeated again.

During the Decepticon storyline, Shockwave 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, Shockwave and the others scattered across Zel, with Shockwave himself eventually finding his way to the Atalstan gem mine. When the Galvatron of the alternate timeline told the Megatron of the present the "truth" about the Zel Quartz, he asked his past self if Shockwave was around before telling it.

Once the main Decepticon forces arrived at the Atalstan gem mine and found the giant ore that they suspected to be the Zel Quartz, Shockwave analyzed the group and when he concluded that they were Decepticons. He hovered downward in his handgun mode. Transforming into [[robot mode]], he made a short drop to the floor and announced that he had finally achieved rendezvous with his fellow warriors. When Megatron expressed partial surprise in the fact that Shockwave had survived, Shockwave confirmed him and announced that he was awaiting Megatron's orders.

For the remainder of the game, Shockwave remained ignorant of the circumstances that prompted their arrival. What's more, despite which side won, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] accidentally negated the quartz's powers, and Shockwave's reign of terror in the future was averted. {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

===''Transformers G1: Awakening''===
[[File:Gluawakening shockwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Doctor (Doctor Who)|Logic allows me to be wrong with authority]].]]
When the Autobots and Decepticons left Cybertron, Shockwave remained on the planet and enslaved every Autobot left behind. He ruled for four million years before the Transformers on Earth revived. He planned a "welcome party" for the returning Autobots when they arrived through the space bridge, captured them, confiscated their weapons, and put them in a prison which used to be a field hospital. The Autobots then escaped back to Earth, but later returned to assault the Decepticon fortress. Shockwave defeated Optimus Prime and Bumblebee in combat, but they were saved by the arrival of Grimlock, who beat Shockwave, freeing the Autobots. {{storylink|Transformers G1: Awakening|Awakening}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
Shockwave experimented on the Lightning Strike Coalition, transforming them into the monstrous Dinobots. This backfired against the Decepticon Scientist when the Dinobots used their newfound power to rise up against Shockwave and thrash his lab. Shockwave escaped, swearing revenge against Grimlock and his team {{storylink|Rescue the King}}

Shockwave uncovered ancient [[CNA]] and used it to clone [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-Gurrr]] and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]. The beasts promptly escaped, and Shockwave had to recapture them with the help of [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] and [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] before Megatron found out. {{storylink|Unleash the Beasts}} When the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] marched on the Decepticon base, Shockwave spotted them approaching and grabbed [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]. This fearsome Decepticon team was able to stop the Dinobots in their tracks. {{storylink|Day of the Dinobots - Part 2}} Shockwave and [[Deluge (G2)|Deluge]] were dispatched to rein in the Constructicons when the team started getting friendly with the Autobots. {{storylink|The Master Builders (Legends)|The Master Builders}} When the Decepticons used [[Chronogon]] portals to send the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] back in time, Shockwave was part of an operation to try and prevent Orion Pax's recreation as [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|Golden Age (Legends)|Golden Age}}

Megatron and Shockwave slyly suggested to Grimlock that he should be leader of the Autobots, believing that if he took over, it would make their job of overcoming the Autobots easier. As it happened, once Grimlock took over, the two Decepticons were instead captured by his forces, and only escaped once he turned the reins back over to Optimus. {{storylink|Me, Grimlock, King}}

Shockwave took part in an all-out assault on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|One Shall Fall...}} He later aided [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] when the planet-eater attacked [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|'Til All Are One (Legends)|'Til All Are One}} Shockwave was among a handful of Decepticons who ventured inside Unicron to search for [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. After encountering [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]], then falling foul of Unicron's internal defenses, the Decepticons resumed their search. {{storylink|Belly of the Beast (Legends)|Belly of the Beast}}

===''Angry Birds Transformers''===
{{main|King Pig#As Shockwave}}
Shockwave appears as a character unlockable in Challenge Events. He is portrayed by King Pig. He also appears as [[King Pig#As Energon Shockwave|Energon]] and [[King Pig#As Major Shockwave|Major]] versions. {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)|Angry Birds Transformers}}

===''Transformers: Devastation''===
[[File:Devastation-Shockwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Technodrome: The Final Shell-Shock!]]
{{voiceactor|[[Darryl Kurylo]]}}
Shockwave assisted Megatron in his efforts to control the [[Plasma Core]] and use it to cyberform Earth. He later confronted the Autobots after they reached Cybertron. Finding the logic in their arguments about the dangers of the Plasma Core to be flawed, Shockwave attacked them, claiming that the Decepticons would not only control the Plasma Core, but also use it to save Cybertron. During the fight, he demonstrated the ability to create clones of himself that fought for him. He also could open portals to redirect the beams from his gun mode, allowing him to cover much of the arena. He was ultimately defeated, but revealed to the Autobots that [[Nova Prime]] was the one who originally conceived the idea of cyberforming populated worlds with the Plasma Core, which Optimus refused to believe. After his defeat, the "Shockwave Blaster" weapon became unlocked as a new weapon that could be found. {{storylink|Transformers: Devastation}}

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

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[file:ShockwaveEarthWars.jpg|thumb|All Medical terminology and processing is logical.]]

Shockwave came to Earth after Megatron found the Enigma of Combination, although he kept in contact with Megatron during the hunt for the [[Fractal Map]].

He then advised Megatron it would be logical to create Devastator as soon as possible. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Combiner Wars Campaign}}

At some point, he created [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] via cloning.

*'''Class''': Medic
*'''Lowest star rating''': 3 star
*'''Weapons''': Shockwave shoots a heal beam to heal other friendly units. He also uses his signature arm cannon to neutralize targets where there are no other allies.
*'''Ability: Combat Stimulants'''- Amplify the movement speed and attack speed of friendly Cons for 8 seconds!
**'''Cost''': 3 ability points +2 points for reuses.

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:shockwave Shockwave at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]

===''Transformers: Forged to Fight''===
[[File:Shockwave-Forged to Fight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|It is logical to use my mini-me-gun for ranged attacks.]]

Shockwave was one of the Decepticons pulled from [[The Transformers (franchise)|his universe]] by the [[Quintesson]]s. He seemingly didn't fall under their influence, however, and began plotting to unite the Decepticons and take over [[New Quintessa]]. He was working on two devices: one which would allow him to harness Unstable Energon, and an Aim Enhancer, though the Commander and his party became a problem. He sent [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] to keep them busy, though they ultimately failed, resulting in Shockwave being forced to face the Commander's party himself. {{storylink|Transformers: Forged to Fight|A Shocking Revelation - Chapter 1: Here All Along}}

There are at least a few of him running around, some of which join the Commander! As a Tech bot, He absorbs energy attacks as Energy Charges which he can then shoot back at enemies to Shock them and drain their Power. In addition, he Repair Blocks and sometimes Undo damage on him. He also gets some Synergy Bonus from literally every Tech bot. {{storylink|Transformers: Forged to Fight}}

{{chargamestub}}

===''Transformers: Heavy Metal''===
Shockwave was one of the Decepticons under Starscream's command during an invasion of Earth. He could be found overseeing the Decepticons' mining efforts, forcing the Autobots to fight through his underlings before he could be confronted. {{storylink|Transformers: Heavy Metal}}

{{-}}

===''Transformers Roleplaying Game''===
Shockwave was a cold and logical engineer, one of Megatron’s most trusted compatriots and a powerful combatant in his own right. However, his over-reliance on logic could leave him blindsided when events didn’t go to plan. During the war on Cybertron, Shockwave compiled a report to Megatron explaining their deteriorating Energon stores, and concluded that they would need to seek out more energon on other worlds.

At some point after reactivating on Earth, Shockwave conducted research on the cathedral in the human city of [[Mérida]]. He found that some of the bricks possessed a unique energon signature, which led him to discover a mysterious underwater pyramid in the Gulf of Mexico which had somehow absorbed energon raditation from the crash of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] and ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. {{storylink|Transformers Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook|Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook}}

==Toys==
{{main|Shockwave (G1)/toys}}

==Merchandise==
{{main|Shockwave (G1)/toys#Merchandise}}

==Notes==
* [[Bob Budiansky]] said Shockwave was "my attempt to take [[Spock]] from ''[[Star Trek]]'' and make him into a Decepticon".<ref>[http://rustingcarcass.yuku.com/topic/954/t/Bob-Budiansky.html Rusting Carcass interview]</ref>
[[File:StudioOxCybertronBattleCons.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|It's not easy being grey. It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things.]]
* Shockwave's cartoon portrayal is highly inconsistent with his appearances in all other fictional media. Instead of a coldly logical, power hungry rival to Megatron, in the cartoon Shockwave is consistently loyal and subservient. In a [[Shout! Factory|2009 retrospective documentary about the brand]], [[Hasbro]] staff said this disparity was a simple—though extreme—result of there not having been enough time during the production of the Generation 1 cartoon and comic to get all the story basics firmly and consistently established from the outset. The character descriptions in the cartoon's [[production bible]] are mostly abridged versions of [[Bob Budiansky]]'s original character writeups, which went on to become the toys' [[Tech Spec|tech specs]]... yet Shockwave's show bible description is entirely different from his tech spec [[bio]]. At [[BotCon]] 2022, Bob Budiansky confirmed that as far as he recalls, the published bio for Shockwave was his original version, and he has no knowledge of a different bio. Later versions of the character would split the difference between the two interpretations.
* According to early drafts of the script for the series's [[More than Meets the Eye (mini-series)|pilot episode]], Shockwave was at one point to be called "'''Flash Beam'''". At TFcon Los Angeles in [[2019]], [[Jim Sorenson]] and [[Bill Forster]] displayed an early model sheet labeled "Decepticon's Flash Beam", using a preliminary color scheme inspired by Astro Magnum/Galactic Man.<ref>https://twitter.com/JesseWittenrich/status/1107973728179290112 Tweet by @JesseWittenrich, 19 March 2019</ref>
* A Cybertronian battle scene illustrated circa [[1985]] by [[Studio OX]] for ''[[TV Magazine]]'' (reprinted in the [[2001]] guidebook ''[[Transformers Generations (guidebook)|Transformers Generations]]'' and ''[[Transformers Visualworks]]'') depicts Shockwave not in purple, but in the original grey color scheme of the Astro Magnum/Galactic Man toy.
* Shockwave has been periodically drawn with two hands in various media. He first shows up this way in "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]", and the condition briefly reappears in "[[Divide and Conquer]]". He also wound up this way on the cover of [[Ashes, Ashes...|''G.I. Joe and the Transformers'' #3]].
* Voice actor Corey Burton based Shockwave's voice on that of actor {{w|David Warner (actor)|David Warner}}, specifically his role as evil computer thingy {{w|Sark (Tron)|Sark}} in ''{{w|Tron (film)|Tron}}''.<ref>[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/60-astrominutes/corey-burton/corey-burton-1.html Corey Burton interview on the Cybertron Chronicle]</ref> Burton even provided the voice of Sark in the video game ''{{w|Kingdom Hearts II}}''.
* In the Japanese dub of the Generation 1 cartoon, Shockwave's personality was altered from the American interpretation—he was presented like a grizzled old man with a loud, raspy voice and a very short temper.
* A company named Lanard Toys held the "Shockwave" [[trademark]] in the "toys" field for several years. For that reason, the ''Energon'' character was given the substitute name "[[Shockblast]]". The same name was later given to the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' version of Shockwave for the same reason. However, by that point Lanard had abandoned their "Shockwave" trademark, making it available to Hasbro again. Unfortunately, the packaging for ''Alternators'' Shockwave had already been printed by that point, so Hasbro decided to go with the substitute name. They then slapped the name "Shockwave" onto the [[Shockwave (Cybertron)|next available]] [[Mini-Con]] just so they could reclaim the trademark. Subsequently, all new toys of Shockwave, as well as [[Shockwave (Animated)|homage]] [[Shockwave (Movie)|characters]], were released under the name "Shockwave" again. (Ironically, [[Hasbro]] later used the name "[http://www.yojoe.com/action/08/shockblast.shtml Shockblast]" for new toys of a ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' character originally also named "[http://www.yojoe.com/action/88/shockwave.shtml Shockwave]", possibly in order to avoid brand confusion; apparently, Hasbro view the name "Shockwave" as more iconic for the ''Transformers'' character than his ''G.I. Joe'' namesake.)

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Laserwave''' (レーザーウェーブ ''Rēzāwēbu''), '''Shockwave''' (ショックウェーブ ''Shokkuwēbu'')
*''Czech:'' '''Razič'''
*''French:'' '''Onde de Choc''' (Canada, "Shockwave"), '''Clignotant''' (Canada, ''More than Meets the Eye, Part 1'', "Blinker"), '''Choc''' (France, "Shock")
*''Hebrew:'' '''Gal Hellem''' (גל הלם, "Shock Wave")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Sokkoló''' ("Shocker")
*''Italian:'' '''Brutal'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Zhènbō''' (Taiwan, 震波, "Shockwave"), '''Zhèndàngbō''' (China, 震荡波, "Shockwave"), '''Zhèndàngbō''' (Taiwan, ''Siege'', 震盪波, "Shockwave")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Onda-Choque''' (Portugal comic, "Shock-Wave"), '''Onda de Choque''' (Brazil comic, "Shock Wave")
*''Russian:'' '''Vzryvala''' (Взрывала, "Blaster")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Shokun''' (Шокун, "Shocker")

==See also==
{{OtherVersions
|charname=Shockwave
|disambig=Shockwave (disambiguation)
|body=
*[[Shockblast]], the murderous Decepticon berserker from [[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|''Energon'']].
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]], the loyal Decepticon spy from [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|''Animated'']].
*[[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]], the Decepticon beastmaster and killing machine from [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|''Dark of the Moon'']].
*[[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]], the logical Decepticon scientist from the [[Aligned continuity family]].
*[[Shockwave (Cyberverse)|Shockwave]], the Decepticon mad scientist from [[Transformers: Cyberverse (franchise)|''Cyberverse'']].}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Decepticons]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Ghosts]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame characters]]
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Exarchon

2023-06-30T06:34:32Z

DuplexBeGreat: The Insecticons did not work for Exarchon during the war; this is an error based on misinterpreting a panel caption from Escape #2. Please see the Talk page on that issue for more details.

{{factions|exarchon}}

:''Exarchon is a [[Transformer]] from the [[2019 IDW continuity|2019 IDW portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[File:TheChangeInYourNaturePartThree-Exarchon.jpg|thumb||400px|Ex, Exx, n' Exxy]]

Once a leading figure in Cybertronian society, '''Exarchon''' was corrupted by forces unknown, sent back to his home as a weapon to curtail their [[expansion]], and in response unleashed the [[War of the Threefold Spark]] on his own people. Whatever kind of bot he was before, he has been twisted by his experience into something only barely recognizable as [[Transformer|Cybertronian]]. Arrogant and uncaring, he despises his fellow Cybertronians, referring to them with disdain as "stubborn machines" and viewing them only as potential assets. Totally divorced from his own species, Exarchon's only concerned with his vision of a [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] under his complete control. He hoards exotic technology, cosmic secrets, and what allies he has are few and far between, promised power and riches in exchange for their service. Though one must wonder if even his "chosen few" are safe from becoming potential victims when the chips are down...

After all, Exarchon ''must'' succeed. His twisted sense of destiny demands it.

Exarchon's most dangerous ability is the one that earned him the moniker the '''Threefold Spark''': a corrupted [[spark]] capable of possessing and "usurping" the bodies of other Cybertronians, stealing them for his own personal use. The only limitation to this ability is he can only inhabit up to three bodies at a time; regardless if one is a [[Titan (group)|Titan]] or a [[Micromaster]], three is his limit, forcing him to leave behind an empty, dead husk as he jumps from body to body (which he tends to do a lot). Exarchon is always seeking more powerful or interesting shells to inhabit, or to replace a fallen iteration, as he loathes to be limited to just one, which leaves him as vulnerable to destruction as any other Cybertronian. While this ability grants him access to a range of bodies and opportunities, Exarchon does ''not'' inherit their memories, and if forced to assume the identity of one of his victims, is reliant on secondhand data to maintain his cover.

{{quote|The future has no room for any but '''me''' and those I elevate. Those '''few'''. This planet, this entire civilization... I am its '''destiny'''.|Exarchon|"[[War's End Part One]]"}}

==Fiction==
===2019 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part One|''Transformers'' #7]] (mentioned); [[The Change In Your Nature Part Three|''Transformers'' #15]] (full appearance)}}
[[File:WarsEndPartTwo ExarchonOrigin.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8|"Freak?! I'm merely the victim of an accident. And ''anyone'' can have an 'accident'."]]
Once a trusted and respected figure in Cybertronian society, {{storylink|Orion Pax: Free Fall}} at some point during the [[Expansion|Age of Expansion]], Exarchon left Cybertronian space, returning as a mad warmonger intent on destroying Cybertron. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}} Parties that existed "behind the barrier of quintessence" abducted and overpowered Exarchon, altering his very [[spark]] into something akin to a biological virus, capable of "usurping" another Cybertronian's body, consuming their sparks and minds. The only mercy was that Exarchon was unable to maintain more than three bodies at any one time. However, this proved barely an obstacle to him, as he swapped bodies repeatedly. While he would not recall all of what befell him, Exarchon was shown and promised a vision of the future where Cybertron would be his to rule, prompting him to turn to conquest. Seeking to silence Cybertron's expansion into the larger galaxy, Exarchon's benefactors provided him with exotic weapons and technology to turn loose on his home planet and make his vision a reality. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}} {{storylink|War's End Part One}} {{storylink|War's End Part Three}} To bring this about, Exarchon's ultimate ambition was to usurp the [[AllSpark|Allspark]] itself, the massive spark from which all other sparks originated. {{storylink|War's End Part Two}}

When Exarchon returned to Cybertron, he allied with the amoral [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], offering him the chance to indulge his every scientific curiosity, and the mercurial [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], who was offered every Cybertronian colony world he conquered as playthings. However, despite his promises there were some secrets Exarchon kept from his supposed allies. {{storylink|War's End Part One}} In time, some Cybertronians deduced that Exarchon had been deliberately corrupted and unleashed upon his homeworld as a weapon to curtail their species' rampant expansionism. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Test Flight I|Test Flight I}} {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I|Sea of Rust I}}

[[File:Escape-3-Skywarp cloning procedure.jpg|thumb|right|300px|]]
With the technology at their disposal, Exarchon and Shockwave developed a revolutionary form of [[cloning]] that allowed Cybertronians to raise an army of copies from the planet's [[living metal]]—the earliest such experiments yielded [[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]], who later became a loyal servant of Shockwave's. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I|Sea of Rust I}} Although the pair had hoped that cloning the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] would give them an army of teleporting warriors, the [[Skywarp drone|Skywarp clone]]s did not inherit this ability. {{storylink|Escape Part Three}} Exarchon soon made his presence known to Cybertron, and the battle to stop him became known as the [[War of the Threefold Spark]]. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}}

In battle, Exarchon proved cautious; he rarely put himself in danger by exposing all three of his bodies on the field at any one time. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}} His prudence didn't prevent [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] from assassinating at least one of his bodies, although this setback was ultimately temporary. {{storylink|Arcee/Greenlight: Run}} At some point during the war, Exarchon attempted to usurp the [[Titan (group)|Titans]]; he succeeded with [[Croaton (G1)|Croaton]], but this was short-lived, as the Titan [[Citadel (Titan)|Citadel]] obliterated Croaton with an [[imploder]] weapon. {{storylink|Wheeljack: Orbital Decay}} {{storylink|War World: Titans|Titans}} {{storylink|Light/Star}} Cybertron as a whole would not learn the truth of Exarchon's changed nature until towards the end of the war. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}}

Other Cybertronians fought for Exarchon voluntarily. Of all of Exarchon's soldiers, [[Turmoil]] established a reputation for himself as a cruel and ruthless warrior. {{storylink|War World: We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness|We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness}}

At one point during the war, when [[Yuss]] was leveled, and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]'s assault force had fallen back, Exarchon felt confident that the battle was over, and began inspecting the battlefield with all three of his bodies. He found a damaged [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], and noted that while the miner was his enemy, he could have been of use. Whatever Exarchon was planning, he didn't have a chance to implement it, as [[Strika (BM)|Strika]]'s heavies attacked him and destroyed one of his bodies before Skywarp's clone army saved him. Eventually, Megatron would come to realize that it was Exarchon's ''will'', not his weapons or deeds, that came to truly define his fearsome reputation. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}}

The final battle of the War of the Threefold Spark was fought approximately two megacycles before the rise of the [[Decepticon]]s, just beyond the city of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. By that time, much of Exarchon's forces had been defeated, captured or killed, leaving only the fanatics. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}} The last of his current bodies critically damaged, Exarchon, seconds before he was buried by the shelling, jumped into [[Provoke]]'s near-failing shell, doing what he could to sustain it and retreating into [[stasis lock]] until the time was right. {{storylink|War's End Part One}} Sandwiched between the layers of Cybertron's strata, Exarchon became buried beneath the [[Memorial Crater]] that commemorated his defeat. {{storylink|War World: Titans|Titans}} Most Cybertronians believed that Exarchon had perished, though it was noted that they'd never found his body. Unconvinced that the Threefold Spark was truly gone, the war veteran [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] maintained a solitary vigil at the Memorial Crater that marked Exarchon's final defeat. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part One}}

[[File:Enigmatic-Exarchon.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|"And now it is your darkness that shall be the ark that sustains me!"]]
When Senator [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]] wondered whether he could still trust Megatron, Orion's mentor [[Codexa]] reminded him that Cybertron had once trusted Exarchon before he'd led them to ruin. {{storylink|Orion Pax: Free Fall}} After accepting the [[Matrix of Leadership]], its [[Mediator]] program informed Orion that Exarchon's [[spark]] had not yet joined the [[Transformer afterlife|afterlife]]. {{storylink|War World: Prime|Prime}}

During Megatron's attempted military takeover, he had the Titan [[Cargohold]] crash into the Memorial Crater. In the aftermath, the rubble was explored by [[Gutcruncher (G1)|Gutcruncher]] and [[Roadtrap (POTP)|Roadtrap]], who found Exarchon in Provoke's body. {{storylink|War World: Titans|Titans}} They brought 'her' to the Iacon medical center, where [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] attended to Provoke while Cyclonus held vigil. The medic felt that it was unlikely 'Provoke' would ever wake up. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Test Flight I|Test Flight I}} However, this prognosis proved incorrect. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Test Flight II|Test Flight II}} In the guise of Provoke, Exarchon began studying what had happened in his absence, brushing off Cyclonus's attempts to reconnect with his supposed friend. Meanwhile, he usurped the body of [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]], and tried to pass the otherwise completely dead mechanoid's revival as a miracle. When Flatline became curious, a frustrated Exarchon - feeling the need to be three once more - usurped him as well. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Enigmatic|Enigmatic}} The Decepticons took no notice of Ruckus's revival, or his strange behaviour, with Swindle shooing Cyclonus off when he tried asking him. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}}

[[File:DarknessOnceGazedUponPart3 FlatlineExarchon.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4|]]
When brought before Megatron, Ultra Magnus tried to warn the [[Decepticon leader]] about Exarchon's threat while Exarchon himself consulted the archives regarding what he had missed in Provoke's body. His failure to completely mimic Provoke's mannerisms further roused Cyclonus' suspicions. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part Two}}

[[File:DarknessOnceGazedUponPart3 ExarchonDeathsaurus.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|]]
In Provoke's body, Exarchon continued to consult the archives before Cyclonus confronted him again. Unable to put off Cyclonus any longer, Exarchon attacked with the intent to usurp him only for Cyclonus to cut out Provoke's spark chamber, though not before the warlord had confirmed his identity to Cyclonus. In Flatline's body, Exarchon approached Shockwave and Skywarp, eager to conclude their old work. In Ruckus' body, Exarchon discovered the [[Simultronic|multiworld simulation]] chambers beneath [[Swindle's]] and a sleeping [[Deathsaurus (G1)|Deathsaurus]]. Opening the chamber, Exarchon abandoned Ruckus' form and usurped Deathsaurus' body, dramatically erupting out of the building in dragon mode. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part Three}}

In Deathsaurus' form, Exarchon fled to one his hidden bases in the [[Sonic Canyons]], {{storylink|War's End Part One}} bringing its store of technology and clones online {{storylink|War's End Part Two}} while Cyclonus warned [[Decepticon High Command]] of his return. In Shockwave's base, Exarchon summoned Soundblaster and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], whereupon he informed his minions of his secret caches. After Skywarp teleported out, Exarchon emerged from the base in Deathsaurus' body to confront the Autobot scouts who had been sent to find his hideout. {{storylink|War's End Part One}}

[[File:WarsEndPartTwo ExarchonDrill.jpg|thumb|right|upright=2.2|Exarchon's master plan is straight from [[Megatron_(G1)#Kid Stuff Talking Story Books continuity|Kid Stuff Megatron]]'s playbook.]]
With Deathsaurus' body proving too large to pursue the Autobots through the Sonic Canyons, Exarchon instead delegated the task of protecting the sanctum and finding the Autobots to Soundblaster's infiltration troopers and the Combaticons. Within the base, Exarchon revealed the massive drill tank he planned to use to burrow down into the core of Cybertron and monologued to Soundblaster of his plan to absorb the AllSpark before the Decepticons arrived. Overpowering [[Tracer (Micromaster)|Tracer]], Exarchon flew back to the surface only to be met by [[Pyra Magna]] and her [[Companion]]s. {{storylink|War's End Part Two}}

Though initially managing to overpower Pyra Magna, Exarchon was caught off-guard by [[Jumpstream]] teleporting onto his head, the distraction allowing Pyra to clip his talon. Wounded, Exarchon retreated back into his sanctum, confirming that the drill tank still functioned, before the Autobots and Decepticons fell back when [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] approached. In Flatline's body, Exarchon was shown the bound [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]], whose irradiated body he desired, despite Shockwave's warnings before the two were informed that Megatron had arrived, Exarchon ordering the [[Decepticon leader]] to be brought to him. With Shockwave gone, Exarchon freed Sunstorm with the intent to usurp him before Megatron arrived. After a few words, Megatron fired on Exarchon, sending him stumbling back into Sunstorm, whose touch melted Flatline's body. In the Sonic Canyons, just as he was being shown Devastator, Exarchon cursed the Decepticons before he made to usurp the [[combiner]]. {{storylink|War's End Part Three}}

[[File:WarsEndPartFour CyclonusVExarchon.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|]]
However, being made up of six individual minds, Devastator was able to resist Exarchon's touch, though at the cost of decombining into the dazed [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]. Furious, Exarchon turned on [[Team Stream]], making to usurp [[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]] before Soundblaster reminded him of their exposed position and nearby enemies. Tossing the Decepticon aside, Exarchon returned to his fortress and inserted a third of his spark into the drill tank. After he had sent it down to the planet's core to usurp the AllSpark, he made for the surface to confront his returned foes. Leading his forces into battle, Exarchon was attacked by [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]]'s hypnotic gaze, giving him an overwhelming desire to consume a contained [[Titan (group)|Titanspark]]. When Cyclonus opened the cage, Exarchon made to usurp the spark, the cage's technology drawing him out of Deathsaurus' body and sealing him. Though Sixshot was ready to take the Threefold Spark to Megatron, Pyra Magna destroyed the cage and two-thirds of Exarchon's spark.

In his last iteration, Exarchon continued to drill through the layers of Cybertron, being followed by [[Zetar (G1)|Zetar]]'s team of Autobots. When the Autobots caught up to the drill tank, Soundblaster and his minions caught up to them, their fighting stalling the tank. Before it could recover, [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]] frantically ordered Zetar to drill through the machine, the Autobot rupturing the tank's systems, finally destroying the Threefold Spark in a mighty explosion. {{storylink|War's End Part Four}}

====Alternate future====
[[File:TestFlightI FutureExarchon.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3|''Things have gotten out of hand...'']]
While experimenting with her teleportation abilities, [[Jumpstream]] found herself teleporting out of control, and somehow travelled through time into a future where Exarchon had returned from hiding, stolen the bodies of Megatron, Shockwave, and [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]], and conquered the planet. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Test Flight I}} As the ''de facto'' ruler of Cybertron, Exarchon held court in the ruined [[Senate]] building as his minions—Cybertronian, [[Thraal]], and [[Voin]] alike—drained Cybertron's [[energon]] and sold Transformers into slavery. When his Skywarp clones found Jumpstream, she was brought before the ruler of Cybertron; unaware that she'd travelled through time, Exarchon mistook her for a rebel guerilla and ordered his minions to give her to the Thraal mercenaries as a gift. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Test Flight II|Test Flight II}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Exarchon vs Dia Attacker.jpg|thumb|250px|right|True story: No relationship to Exar Kun]]
*The name "Exarchon" is a portmanteau of the Ancient Greek words "{{w|archon}}" (ἄρχων ''árchōn'') and "{{w|exarch}}" (ἔξαρχος ''éxarchos'').<ref>{{twitter|And, not that I imagine anyone actually wantss this much info (!), later an Exarch was an official in Byzantine empire - so I mashed exarch and archon together. And that's the story of how Exarchon, the Threefold Spark, got his name ...|https://twitter.com/Brian_Ruckley/status/1133848034213867520|Brian Ruckley|2019|05|29}}</ref> Both originally referred to rulers or other individuals in positions of authority, but in modern English usage have come to be used specifically for religious leaders within the Eastern Orthodox Church.
*Exarchon's original form is based on a recolored version of the 1981 ''[[Diaclone]]'' toy '''Dia-Attacker''' (ダイアアタッカー) (also released by Grandstand in the United Kingdom in the [http://www.toyarchive.com/Convertors/Convertors.html ''Convertors''] toyline as "Zetanoid"), albeit with some artistic license taken—most notably the breastplate, which is considerably simpler and less impressive on Exarchon than it is on Dia-Attacker. Meanwhile, Exarchon's controlled bodies [[:File:Transformers-2019-Exarchon bodies.jpg|as seen]] in [[The Change In Your Nature Part Three|''Transformers'' #15]] include designs based on ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' [[Twin Twist (G1)#Titans Return|Twin Twist]] and [[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|''Prime'']] [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]].
*While the identities of Exarchon's benefactors went unrevealed before the end of the 2019 IDW continuity, they would have been revealed as the [[Quintesson]]s had the story continued.<ref>Brian Ruckley at TFNation 2022</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.collectiondx.com/toy_review/1981/dai_attacker Dia-Attacker photo review at CollectionDX]

[[Category:Comic-only Transformers]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Transformers]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]

War of the Threefold Spark

2023-06-30T06:33:52Z

[[File:TheWorldInYourEyesPartThree-ThreefoldSparkWar.jpg|thumb|right|350px]]

The '''War of the Threefold Spark''' was a protracted conflict that saw the citizens of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] take up arms to vanquish [[Exarchon]]—an existential threat to the Cybertronian race—and his followers.

==Fiction==
===2019 IDW continuity===
[[File:StormHorizonPart1-UltraMagnusThreefoldSpark.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

The war had its roots in Cybertron's [[Expansion|Age of Expansion]]. In this prosperous era, the respected explorer [[Exarchon]] travelled to a distant region of space, where he encountered an alien "quintessence" that altered him both mentally and physically; eventually, he returned as a mad warmonger intent on conquering Cybertron. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}} {{storylink|War's End Part Two}} In response, [[Nominus Prime]], then-leader of Cybertron's ruling [[Autobot]] party, raised an army to stop him. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}}

Four "[[Great General]]s" coordinated the war against Exarchon's forces: the gung-ho [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], who led from the front and counted a young [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] among his ranks, {{storylink|Storm Horizon Part 1}}, [[Strika (BM)|Strika]], whose [[Strika's Heavies|heavy artillery battalion]] found renown as an elite team of line-breakers, {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Four}} [[Pyra Magna]], who commanded an [[Companion|honor guard]] of highly-trained warriors, {{storylink|War World: We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness|We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness}} and [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]]. {{storylink|Escape Part Three}}

The people of Cybertron found that Exarchon's spark now operated like a virus, capable of remotely extinguishing the sparks of other Transformers and turning them into new "iterations" of himself, extensions of his own tripartite mind. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}} Exarchon could only control three bodies at a time in this way, but this talent made him extremely difficult to put down for good—so long as one of his "iterations" survived, he could quickly reconstitute himself. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}} Toward the end of the conflict, scientists like [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] deduced that an unknown alien race had deliberately corrupted Exarchon and armed him with the weapons and exotic technologies required to effectively wage war against his homeworld. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}} Many Cybertronians would come to believe that Exarchon had been deliberately unleashed on Cybertron in response to their expansionism. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I|Sea of Rust I}}

[[File:EscapePartFive-DaiAtlasvsclones.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]

Some Cybertronians served Exarchon willingly. Among the most infamous would be [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], who collaborated with Exarchon and built upon his caches of alien technology to develop a revolutionary form of [[cloning]]. {{storylink|Escape Part Two}} The capricious [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] also threw his lot in with Exarchon's forces—although Exarchon and Shockwave failed to mass-produce his unique [[teleportation]] power, they created a swarm of disposable "[[Skywarp drone|clone-drone]]"s who swept across Cybertron with their clone progenitor at the helm. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}} In response, Nominus Prime authorized the creation of a massive [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] army. [[Turmoil]] melted the planet [[Neutronia]] as he returned to Cybertron and killed two-thirds of the planet's population before he joined forces with Exarchon and took numerous hostages throughout the war. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}} The amount of dead bodies the war produced allowed the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]], who'd previously only worked in Cybertron's garbage-processing industry, to gorge themselves, developing a taste for living matter. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 2}}

Exarchon's forces operated out of a network of hidden, self-sufficient bunkers scattered across the planet and protected by automatic sentry turrets. Despite the loyalty of these nominal allies, Exarchon kept his best technologies to himself, and stored them in a secret location in the planet's [[Sonic Canyons]]. {{storylink|War's End Part One}}

[[File:DarknessOnceGazedUponPart1-Cyclonus.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

The war spread across Cybertron—notable battles included the [[Tagan Heights]], the [[Hydrax Plateau]], {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}} and [[Yuss]], which saw the city completely levelled and marked the first time that Exarchon encountered Megatron. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}} At one point, Exarchon attempted to usurp one of the planet's orbiting [[Titan (group)|Titan]]s and successfully took over [[Croaton (G1)|Croaton]]. This didn't last long, however, as his fellow Titan [[Citadel (Titan)|Citadel]] used an [[imploder]] to reduce Croaton to space dust. {{storylink|War World: Titans|Titans}} {{storylink|Light/Star}} As a result, Nominus kept the remaining Titans in reserve for the rest of the war for fear that Exarchon could do it again. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}}

It was not until towards the end of the war that Cybertron learned the specific nature of Exarchon's change. By this point, Exarchon's forces had begun to lose ground; most of those who'd followed him willingly had, like Skywarp, abandoned him and left only a handful of fanatics to carry on. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}} From his hidden base in the Sonic Canyons, Exarchon began drawing up a new, last-ditch plan to win the war by infecting the [[AllSpark]] at the core of the planet itself, but the necessities of war forced his hand early before he could put it into play. {{storylink|War's End Part Two}}

[[File:DarknessOnceGazedUponPart1-Iacon.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]

The last offensive of the war took place roughly two kilocycles before the outbreak of the Autobot-Decepticon conflict, on the outskirts of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. Exarchon joined the battle personally, but nearly perished amidst the carnage. Thinking quickly, Exarchon transferred the final third of his spark into [[Provoke]]'s dying body, then allowed himself to be buried and consumed by Cybertron's crust as a massive explosion wiped out the last of Exarchon's forces and effectively ended the war. {{storylink|War's End Part One}}

The conflict left Cybertron badly damaged, to the point where major cities like Iacon had been almost entirely razed by years of constant war. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 1}} In the immediate aftermath of the war, Nominus Prime implemented a system to deal with those who had served Exarchon: they would be granted amnesty for their crimes in exchange for permanent exile from Cybertron. Some would wind up on remote colonies like [[Mayalx]], where they performed menial labour for colonial workforces; others simply roamed the galaxy at random. The Insecticons, too, were exiled in fear that they would turn their appetites towards living Cybertronians. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 2}}

Not all Cybertronians agreed with Nominus's lenient policies, however—when Turmoil fled the planet with a cargo of hostages, Pyra Magna chased him down with the intent of bringing him to justice, but accidentally killed everyone aboard she'd hoped to rescue. {{storylink|War World: We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness|We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness}} Nominus's government attempted to sweep the planet and decommission every one of Exarchon's hidden fortresses; {{storylink|War's End Part One}} the Iacon crater would host a [[Memorial Crater|dedicated memorial]] to the war, inscribed with the names of everyone who'd died in battle. {{storylink|War World: Hunt}}

Nominus would go on to draft the [[Nominus Edict]], in an attempt to curtail Cybertron's expansionistic tendencies. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part One}} Megatron's experiences in the war would go on to greatly shape his worldview. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}} Dai Atlas, who'd only taken up arms reluctantly, went immersant to escape the horror he felt at what he had become. {{storylink|Escape Part Three}}
Two megacycles later, Exarchon returned in the midst of the outbreak of the Autobot-Decepticon war. {{storylink|War's End Part One}} Gathering some his old followers, he attempted to finish what he had begun by drilling into Cybertron's core and infecting it with his essence. However, a small group of Autobots and Decepticons led by Pyra Magna and [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] put their differences aside long enough to finally kill Exarchon and end the War of the Threefold Spark for good. {{storylink|War's End Part Four}}

[[Category:IDW (2019) history]]
[[Category:Wars]]

Insecticon (G1)

2023-06-30T06:30:44Z

{{factions|decepticon}}
{{disambig3|Insecticon}}
:''The Insecticons are a [[Decepticon]] [[subgroup]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Insecticons.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|Just another bug hunt.]]
The '''Insecticons''' are a group of insectoid troublemakers that [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] trusts as far as he can throw [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. The Insecticons also display a wide array of unique abilities including eating both organic and inorganic matter for energy, creating [[Insecticon clone|clones of themselves]], weather control, and [[cerebro-shell]]s.

*The most commonly-seen group of Insecticons includes:
**[[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] (usually the trio's leader)
**[[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]
**[[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]]

:Named clones of this group include [[Salvo (G1)|Salvo]], [[Shothole]], and [[Zaptrap]].

*A second Insecticon team includes:
**[[Venom (G1)|Venom]] (team leader)
**[[Barrage (Insecticon)|Barrage]]
**[[Chop Shop (G1)|Chop Shop]]
**[[Ransack (G1)|Ransack]]

*Another group of Insecticons includes:
**[[Buzzclaw (G1)|Buzzclaw]]
**[[Dirge (Timelines)|Dirge]]
**the [[Virulent Clone]]s

A failed batch of Insecticons became known as [[Insecticon swarm|the Swarm]]. A lone member of the Swarm was domesticated and given the name [[Bob (IDW)|Bob]].

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
[[File:PlagueInsecticons Insecticon lair.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Now I passed up all the chain franchise joints on Hamburger Row, and stopped at a little greasy spoon place I always eat at, called EAT.]]
Individualistic, greedy, and arrogant, the Insecticons consider themselves a species unto themselves and have only a tentative on-again/off-again alliance with the main Decepticon forces, mainly when [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] can bribe them with the [[energon]] they need to maintain their [[Insecticon clone|clone hordes]].

Shrapnel, Kickback, and Bombshell arrived on Earth in an escape pod millions of years ago. Landing in [[Demon Swamp|a swamp]], their [[idento-computer]]s gave them new [[alternate mode]]s based on local insects. Eventually their food-raiding activities attracted the attention of both the Autobots and Decepticons, the latter approaching them with offers of alliance and shared purpose.

Reunited with their Decepticon comrades, the three warriors happily accepted an alliance, driving off the Autobots and participating in a raid on an oil refinery. They displayed the full range of their powers... as well as their willingness to clear out as soon as the tide of battle turned against the Decepticons. Devouring a batch of [[energon cube]]s, they abandoned the fight, prompting Megatron to pursue them into the distance, swearing vengeance. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

[[File:G1 Traitor Bombshell captures Mirage.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|You wanna know where paradise lies, I call it two triple cheeseburger, side order fries.]]
The Insecticons somehow survived, and were in the area when Megatron decided to pursue the [[electro-cell]]s. The Insecticons aided the Decepticons in battle... and received a measly three energon cubes as a reward. The Autobot [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] took advantage of their discontent, stealing the cubes and leaving a Decepticon insignia in their place. Soon, the Insecticons attacked the Decepticons in retribution. Mirage was injured in the battle, and cerebro-shelled into being an Insecticon slave. Megatron and Bombshell eventually worked out Mirage's deception, and used him to lure several Autobots into a trap. When the battle turned against them, Megatron destroyed the electro-cells, resulting in massive explosions which convinced the Insecticons to flee into the distance. {{storylink|Traitor (episode)|Traitor}}

In an unusual instance of an Insecticon working solo, Bombshell joined Megatron's forces after they had captured the human-made [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]] robot. He performed brain work on the robot to turn it into a Decepticon ally, and was quite impressed with its abilities. He later participated in a battle with the Autobots over the [[World Energy Chip]]. When Starscream disabled Nightbird with an energy blast to the back, Bombshell joined Megatron and the Decepticons in pursuing Starscream into the distance. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

[[File:QuestForSurvival Insecticon swarm.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Well don't you know that other kids are starving in Japan, so EAT IT, just EAT IT.]]
The Insecticons had been devouring trees in a National Park, prompting the Autobots to investigate. Megatron and his troops arrived in time to observe as the trio defeated [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]. Megatron approached them and proposed a temporary alliance to capture the data storage facility at [[Iron Mountain]]. As a reward, the Insecticons were first allowed to feast on the [[Nova Power Core]], which allowed them to grow to great size and power. Quickly seizing the initiative, they cerebro-shelled [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]], taking control of him. Through him they learned of Megatron's plan to dispose of them after Iron Mountain's data was secure. Thus they covertly cerebro-shelled the rest of the Decepticons; when Megatron emerged from Iron Mountain, he found himself facing the guns of his own troops. The Autobots, meanwhile, had discovered that the Nova Power Core was unstable and would eventually cause the Insecticons to explode. They developed an antidote, and allied with Megatron to deliver it into the Insecticons. Bombshell and Kickback were cured and returned to their normal size, but Shrapnel exploded before the antidote could take full effect. The explosion also released the Decepticons from Bombshell's control. Bombshell was able to instantly reconstruct Shrapnel's shattered pieces. With an infuriated Megatron in hot pursuit, the Insecticons fled into the distance. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}}

[[File:QuestForSurvival Insecticons.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|I'm a hungry man, till somebody feeds me / my appetite is large, 'cause me so hungry!]]
The Insecticons went on a cloning spree, creating thousands of clones and raiding farmland to harvest energy. After driving off an Autobot attack led by [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], the Insecticons and their clone hordes flew to [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Earth)|Decepticon Headquarters]] for energy processing. Megatron gave them their cut, consisting of three ''tiny'' energon cubes, while privately processing scads of full-sized cubes behind the scenes.

{{quote|Our friend Megatron's in trouble.}}
{{quote|If I weren't so ''hungry'' I'd stop to help him out! Haww haw haw!|Kickback and Bombshell}}

[[File:G1 QuestforSurvival Bombshell Kickback.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Kickback drags Bombshell home after a trip to an all-you-can-eat buffet]]
When the Autobots acquired a [[robotic insecticide]] to deal with the swarm, Megatron sent [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] to warn his erstwhile allies, but the Insecticons suspected that they were being deceived, and instead flew directly to the valley where the insecticide (along with the Autobot [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]]), lay stranded. They gleefully ignored Megatron's Decepticons, who were being overwhelmed by the Autobots, and instead turned their attention to a delicious-looking forest, which Megatron was ''clearly'' trying to hoard for himself. Flying into the "forest", the Insecticons quickly discovered that it consisted of ravenous [[Morphobot]]s, which promptly devoured the entire Insecticon army. Only the three originals escaped unharmed, though just barely; they fled, flying away into the distance. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}}

Another horde of Insecticon clones was ravaging a city when the Autobots rolled into town. After the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] evacuated the city, the Autobots blasted the clones to scrap. When the Autobots attempted to seize control of the [[space bridge]], Megatron had the Insecticons steal the bridge's control module. Later, faced with an Earth-destroying crisis that required cooperation with the Autobots as well as a trip to Cybertron, the Autobots and Decepticons tracked the Insecticons down to a parking garage. Shrapnel panicked at the sight of Megatron; the trio transformed and burrowed into the ground, leaving the control module behind and fleeing into the... ground. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

[[File:TFTM RundownShrapnel.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Sometimes you're the windshield, baby. Sometimes you're the bug.]]
At some point, the Insecticons appeared to have joined Megatron's regular forces; they were on Cybertron after he conquered the planet, and joined in the raid on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], where they ate a lot of doors and armor, and got bashed around and run over quite a bit.

[[File:TFTM Insecticons dumped.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Jettison Weight, Step 1: Remove those who eat the most]]
After the [[Battle of Autobot City]], the three Insecticons found themselves battered and broken, and on the wrong end of the "weight" jettisoned from [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]. All three appeared to be reformatted by [[Unicron]] into new bodies, though Shrapnel later menaced [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] on the planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

Kickback and Shrapnel were among the Decepticons seen struggling for energon on Chaar after the destruction of Unicron. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} Later, all three Insecticons were among the Decepticons on Earth who assisted [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] in his assault on [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. They got flattened by [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}
{{-}}

====Japanese Generation 1 continuity family====
=====''Story of Binaltech''=====
Bombshell's cerebro-shell technology was combined with [[Doctor Arkeville]]'s [[hypno-chip]] to create a new form of brainwashing. Using this technique, Starscream's Decepticons and their human allies the [[Concurrence]] infiltrated the Binaltech Project to steal the advanced bodies planned for the Autobots for themselves. {{storylink|Arise! Evil Binaltechs}}

=====Wars manga=====
Somewhere beyond the year [[2025]], Kickback piloted the ''[[Thunder Arrow]]'' to extract [[Metrobomb]] after he'd stolen vital secrets from [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. Before he and Metrobomb could escape, however, a manipulator arm from Metroplex caught the ship and used an energy surge to fry the stolen data. {{storylink|Metrowars 2}}

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic====
The Insecticons took part in an attack on [[Kyushu]] that attracted the attention of the Autobots. The [[Four-Wheel Drive Corps]] responded, but the attack turned out to be an ambush as the Insecticons trapped the Autobots in a volcanic crater. Luckily, the Four-Wheel Drive Corps was able to "combine" and perform the fearsome "Four-Wheel Drive Robo Combination Scrumbuster" attack. The blast of energy was so powerful that it sent the Insecticons fleeing in terror. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3|issue #3}}

====''Mars Attacks: The Transformers''====
[[File:Mars attacks the insecticons.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"...If there's anyone here who can beat the Martians at a pie-eating contest, it's us, us..."]]
Shrapnel, Kickback, and Bombshell were among the Decepticon forces who formed an alliance with the Autobots during a [[Martian]] invasion. They saved [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] and [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] from some of the Martians' giant ants. {{storylink|Mars Attacks: The Transformers}}
{{-}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
In [[Primax 1185.04 Alpha]], the Insecticons were among the few allies [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] found in his campaign against [[Cobra]]-controlled Earth. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/13}}

In a strange 'amalgam' universe created by the machinations of [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]] and [[Gong (GoBots)|Gong]], the Insecticons were replaced by several [[Renegade]]s during the events of the [[Unicron War]]. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Straxusholdscourt.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
The Decepticon warriors Bombshell, Shrapnel, Kickback, [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]], and [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] were seemingly high-ranking officers under the command of Lord [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]], Lord High Governor of [[Polyhex]]. Shrapnel served as Straxus's Executive Officer, and was presented as a cruel, sadistic being, with no notable sign of a speech impediment. It was he that supervised the technicians who received—and eventually decoded—a transmission from [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] on [[Earth]], and later he who was given the distinctly thankless task of assisting Straxus in the management of the [[space bridge]] project.

The six appeared to serve as [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]]'s security in some fashion, since Shrapnel personally captured the [[Autobot]] [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]] and brought him to Straxus—and, later, after [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] had been deliberately taken prisoner, it was Shrapnel who brought him before the tyrant in the space bridge construction hangar—only to be assaulted by a less-than-grateful Decepticon leader. Later, all six were observed flying into battle against Autobot intruders. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}} {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}}

[[File:Kickback target 2006.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.9]]
At this point, the Insecticon trio transformed into forms which appeared to very closely resemble their later Earthen modes—albeit without any visible shifting of mass (i.e. Shrapnel is still the same size as in his robotic mode, as evidenced when he seizes hold of Scrounge). ''Later, during the attempt to assassinate [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]] (itself in reality bait for the [[Wreckers]]' [[Operation: Volcano]]), Kickback does apparently reduce in size, so it's possible that the Insecticons already have this ability, but that it is optional, in the same way that Soundwave appears able to decide on a whim what size he wishes his alt mode to be on any given day.''

''After the fall of Darkmount and the crippling of Straxus, the trio continued to be influential figures in the Cybertronian Decepticon Army, and were part of a battle unit regarded by the Autobots as being some of the Decepticons' [[Ten Deadliest Killers]]—specifically, Bombshell, Shrapnel, Kickback, Dirge, Thrust, Ramjet, [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], [[Octane]], and [[Macabre]]—so much so, in fact, that Emirate Xaaron planned the dangerous Operation: Volcano to lure them into a deadly trap, believing that the extermination of this group would deliver a great psychological blow for the Resistance.''

''Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on one's allegiance, after [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] had tricked a doomed [[Autobot traitor]] into passing on fake information to a typically murderous Shrapnel, Operation: Volcano began to fall apart as a result of events on Earth. First, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] was removed from the Wreckers' strike force to travel to Earth, and second, after Kickback had completed reconnaissance, [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] himself contacted the Decepticon attack group and ordered the Insecticons to report to Earth—immediately. Unwilling to risk disobeying Megatron, everyone but Macabre returned to Polyhex.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

''Significantly, during these events, the trio are twice referred to as Insecticons by name, suggesting both that Cybertron does possess insect life, and that their forms are indeed already based upon it—an implication absent in the US strip.''

[[File:Bombshell marvel-21.jpg|upright=0.95|thumb]]
The three Insecticons were sent to Earth via a repaired or rebuilt space bridge, where they fell under the command of Megatron, who altered them ''making minor modifications'' in order to allow them to transform into the likenesses of ''Earthside'' insects. Megatron intended to make use of the space bridge to revitalise Cybertron, by connecting a vast drilling pipe transdimensionally between Earth and a massive turbine and generator complex constructed on Cybertron, and drilling through Hoover Dam to do it. To this end, he utilised the Insecticons' unique talents—Bombshell used one of his Cerebro-shells to take the mind of one of the Dam's technical staff, [[Ricky Vasquez]], Shrapnel's electrical powers were used to remote-operate the Dam's electrical machinery, and Kickback... kicked a door down.

[[File:Shrapnel aerialbots over america.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85]]
When the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] on their first mission intervened, both the Insecticons and their three Strike Plane comrades, also having travelled to Earth, fared badly against them. Shrapnel's antennae were twisted, courtesy of [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]]'s torque rifle, and ultimately Ricky Vasquez's free will and love of his daughter were enough to allow him to overcome Bombshell's cerebro-shell entirely, pulling Megatron's trigger and destroying the drill. Battered, Shrapnel and Kickback somewhat unceremoniously carried a still fulminating Megatron off into the distance. Meanwhile, however, Bombshell, having seen an opportunity in his small insect-size, attached himself to the Aerialbot leader [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], and returned with him to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] in secret. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}}

Bombshell planted a cerebro-shell in the head of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], current head of the Earthbound Autobots. The shell failed to take full effect for unknown reasons, but ''did'' permit Megatron and Soundwave to tap into and monitor Optimus' thoughts—including the Creation Matrix. Thus, Bombshell was indirectly responsible for Megatron being able to give life to the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], and presumably (though it is never stated) the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] as well. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

The point at which he left the Ark is unknown, but the trio continued to make sporadic appearances amongst the Decepticon forces until the [[Underbase Saga]]. Shrapnel notably used his electrical powers to remote-control the bridge of a cargo ship at one point, but beyond that, the trio seem to have faded into the background. Although not shown being deactivated or destroyed by [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] during this conflict, they were still never seen again. They may have been taken out of action at this point, or possibly during the preceding inter-faction fighting. It is also possible that they simply chose to lie low for a while.

''The Insecticons Chop Shop and Venom, although not specifically identified as Insecticons at any point in this continuity, were part of the Decepticons' original [[Mayhem Attack Squad]], which was sent to Earth in fragile alliance with the Wreckers to hunt down and destroy [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] in late 1988-early 1989. Predictably, few of either group survived the encounter with the future Decepticon, and these Insecticons were apparently slaughtered—either by Galvatron or by the [[Straxus (G1)|clone of Megatron]] with whom he had formed an alliance. As the story never presents a full roster of the Mayhem Attack Squad, it is possible that Ransack and Barrage were also members, but the numbers given make it impossible for them to have been also present and killed off-panel.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

During one alternate future, Shrapnel and [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] attempted to kill [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] on the planet of [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]] in the year [[2006]],{{storylink|The Final Battle!}} ''but this particular timeline was rewritten when Galvatron time-travelled back to 1987 to escape [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]].'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

====Earthforce====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Earthforce insecticons.jpg|upright=0.95|thumb|Om nom nom.]]
The three original Insecticons were among the Decepticons recruited—and possibly reactivated—by Megatron on Earth during the [[Decepticon Civil War]] there, while Optimus Prime was focused on the approaching threat of Unicron. Although initially loyal to Megatron, they were bested in combat by Starscream—then theoretically under [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]]'s command—when he infiltrated Megatron's base. Starscream subdued the trio using an electrically charged flyswat known as a [[rustbug hoop]]—thereby proving the existence of [[Rustbug|Cybertronian insect life]]—and more or less blackmailed them into joining forces with himself and Soundwave in their plans to reunite both Earthbound Decepticon factions by disposing of Megatron and Shockwave and taking their place. {{storylink|Bugged!}}

Bombshell's cerebro-shells, now apparently grown somewhat more reliable, were used at least twice during this period—once to drive the Aerialbot gestalt [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] into running amok, {{storylink|Inside Story!}} and later to rewrite the memories of journalist [[Irwin Spoon]], ensuring the continued success of Soundwave and Starscream's smear campaign against the Autobots. {{storylink|End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road!}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{NoteRG1}}
[[File:LooseEnds1 Soundwave Insecticons.jpg|upright=0.9|thumb|left|Soundwave should really spray in there.]]
Twenty-one years after the regeneration of Cybertron, Soundwave ordered [[Venom (G1)|Venom]], [[Ransack (G1)|Ransack]] and [[Chop Shop (G1)|Chop Shop]] to assassinate the insurgents [[Windrazor (G2)|Windrazor]], [[Afterburner (G2)|Afterburner]], [[Terradive (G2)|Terradive]] and [[Eagle Eye (G2)|Eagle Eye]], who were holed up in a [[Kalis]] weapons-decommissioning depot, threatening to detonate a clutch of reclaimed warheads. The Insecticons executed their mission with ease but were surprised in turn by the arrival of the "all-new, all-cuddly" [[Wreckers]], who quickly restrained them inside a [[detention-sphere]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1}}
{{-}}

====''Transformers '84''====
[[File:Decepticons purge secrets and lies 1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6]]
In the early days of the [[Great War (G1)|war]] on Cybertron, the Insecticons fell under the command of Lord [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]. Chop Shop was seen participating in a Decepticon assault alongside Barrage, Ransack, and Venom {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 1|Secrets & Lies #1}} and later took part in attacking an Autobot fort in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]'s [[Border Regions]] alongside Bombshell, Shrapnel, and Kickback. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 2|Secrets & Lies #2}} The latter three subsequently joined Straxus in watching Autobot prisoners being executed in Darkmount's [[smelting pool]]. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 3|Secrets & Lies #3}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Bombshell kickback shrapnel soundwave ravage war within 1-2.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb]]
Shrapnel, Bombshell, and Kickback, along with Soundwave and Ravage, were sent by Megatron to assassinate the new Autobot leader, Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} They failed when Optimus royally kicked their asses. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}} In their Cybertronian modes, Shrapnel transformed into a jet, and while the others were not seen to transform, Bombshell appeared to have the parts to become a tank while Kickback looked to possibly transform into a type of dragster. The remaining Insecticons caused terror throughout Cybertron and joined Shockwave's attack on [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. Chop Shop was seen to transform into a wheeled vehicle (with pincers) while Venom became a jet. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}} {{storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}} {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}}

[[File:DestinedforNothing DeluxeInsecticons.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth.]]
During the [[Dark Ages]], the Insecticons split among the Decepticon splinter groups. Venom, Chop Shop, Ransack and Barrage joined the [[Ultracon]]s, {{storylink|Escalation}} while Shrapnel, Bombshell, and Kickback remained with the Decepticons under [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. {{storylink|Conflagration}} Although the Decepticon forces were eventually reunited, {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} the former Ultracon Insecticons were reduced to vampirism, capturing [[Micromaster]]s and draining them of [[energon]]. By this point, they looked to transform into their Earthen modes somehow. {{storylink|Recipe for Hate}} {{storylink|Victims of the Revolution}}

Meanwhile, Shrapnel, Bombshell, and Kickback sent to [[Earth]] by Shockwave after the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] crash-landed on the planet. They were to guide Earth's development and prepare it for conquest (real logical choice there, Shockwave) but were followed by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]]. We're not entirely sure of the sequence of events, but it appears that the Insecticons played dead until [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] got bored and wandered off. It's assumed they gained their insect forms around this time. {{storylink|Extermination}}

In the present day, after the fall of Shockwave's regime on Cybertron, {{storylink|War and Peace}} the Earthen Insecticons resurfaced in [[San Desto]], taking control of the town and growing an army of Insecticon clones. {{storylink|Infestation (Dreamwave)|Infestation}} A team of Autobots assisted by the [[Earth Defense Command]] managed to defeat them. {{storylink|Extermination}}

===Descent into Evil===
The remnants of the Insecticons had been widely dispersed, apparently lacking access to their cloning abilities. The Decepticon general [[Deathsaurus (G1)|Deathsaurus]], seeking to provide the [[Decepticon/Predacon Alliance]] with the means to return the balance of power to their favor, established a research facility on [[Ceti Alpha Seven]]. In this lab, the surviving Insecticons Buzzclaw and Dirge were analyzed, and their genetic cloning ability unlocked once more. The resultant [[Virulent Clone]]s fought against an Autobot team sent to destroy the base, but were ultimately destroyed along with their base, and possibly Buzzclaw. {{storylink|Descent into Evil}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
Kickback was seen among [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s troops as they waited for [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]'s force field to run out of power so they could capture the Autobots. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2}}

When a team of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]] and [[Cobra]] members were sent to a dark future where the Decepticons had conquered Earth, they were attacked by a swarm of Insecticon clones. [[Torch (G.I. Joe)|Torch]] managed to deactivate them using an [[Electromagnetic pulse|EMP]] grenade. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3}}

Later in the normal timeline, Shrapnel, Venom, Ransack and Barrage were seen under [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]'s command, fighting back against a combined Autobot/G.I. Joe assault. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
[[File:AllHailMegatron8-Insecticons.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|"We've got to get organized. We should not be losing to grasshoppers, people."]]
The first Insecticons dwelt deep beneath Cybertron, a mindless "[[Insecticon swarm|swarm]]" that defended the core of the planet from subterranean threats. {{storylink|First Strike issue 5|First Strike #5}} {{storylink|Transformers: Historia|Historia}} An erroneous account places [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] during the early days of the Decepticon movement, while [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] later used a thing called "Bombshell" to brainwash [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}} Venom, Barrage, Chop Shop, and Ransack do not appear to have any connections to this swarm; the first three members of the group hunted for the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] under [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s command, {{storylink|The Hunting Party (IDW)|The Hunting Party}} while Ransack was stationed elsewhere. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sixshot}}

In the years leading up to the [[Surge (event)|Surge]], a group of Decepticon scientists launched an ambitious campaign to [[cloning|clone]] the primitive creatures in great numbers. {{storylink|Transformers: Historia|Historia}} However, the inefficient process yielded only three successes—Bombshell, Kickback, and Shrapnel—and approximately three thousand of mutant failures. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} These three Insecticons joined the Decepticon force on Earth, taking part in both the defeat and banishment of the Autobot forces there, {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} the conquest of New York, {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}} and having to listen to [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] waffle. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}} Assaulting [[Beijing]] with Skywarp and Thundercracker, they quickly agitated Skywarp by telling him the Seekers were no longer the elite warriors of the Decepticons, replaced by newer warriors, like the Constructicons. This nearly caused Skywarp, and by proxy Thundercracker, to attack them. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}} The Decepticons left the [[Insecticon swarm|mutant swarm]] behind on the dead planet; {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}} they menaced the exiled Autobots there for some time until [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] eventually returned and destroyed the majority of their forces. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}}

In New York, Starscream recruited the Insecticons to help overthrow Megatron. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8|All Hail Megatron #8}} When they acted on this betrayal, however, Megatron defeated all three of them with little effort. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} The Insecticons battled the European military and the newly returned Autobots, {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}} but fled the planet along with Starscream and his troops when [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] defeated Megatron. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}} {{storylink|Uneasy Lies the Head}}

[[File:Needlenose kickback shrapnel all his engines.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Man, Kickback and Shrapnel are letting just anybody join the Insecticons these days.]]
Over the next few years, [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] and [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]]—with [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s assistance—exterminated the remainder of mutant clones on Cybertron, save for a friendly member of the swarm that Sunstreaker named "[[Bob (IDW)|Bob]]". By that point, the three main Insecticons had set up residence on a desolate asteroid base along with Starscream's Decepticon remnant; while their leader did nothing, his followers cannibalized each other for fuel and parts, and Shrapnel and Kickback killed [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] for this reason. {{storylink|All His Engines}} Bombshell and Shrapnel later unsuccessfully tried to defend the base from [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]]'s infiltration. {{storylink|Heart Like a Wheel}} [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]]'s return to the planet caused whatever remained of the mutant swarm to transform into [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]]s. {{storylink|Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook issue 1|Buster, Bob, and D.0.C. profiles}} Once Megatron was back in command, he summoned the Insecticons and his other troops to Cybertron, where [[D-Void]] brainwashed them into serving as components of the "[[Deceptigod]]". {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}}

[[File:Prowl Bombshell Devisive.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]

The defeat of the Deceptigod also marked the end of the war; as the postwar world took shape, Shrapnel, Bombshell, and Ransack, ended up having to work for the Autobots. {{storylink|Stick Together}} {{storylink|City on Fire}} Bombshell became a major player in Megatron's new plan to conquer Cybertron and used his cerebro-shells to take control of [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] as part of a bid to create a new version of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]; {{storylink|Devisive}} {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} however, during the subsequent battle for [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] stabbed him through the head and killed him. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}} By this point, Venom, Barrage, and Chop Shop had become members of [[Lockdown (G1)|Lockdown]]'s [[Titan Hunter]]s, {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}} and were later joined by Ransack. {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}}

Many years later, the terrorists of the [[Iron Ring]] briefly encountered a swarm of subterranean Insecticons during their attack on Cybertron, but quickly outran the monsters as they pushed deeper towards the planet's core. {{storylink|First Strike issue 5|First Strike #5}}
{{-}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[File:HeartsofSteel2 Insecticons.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb]]
Kickback, Bombshell and Shrapnel fought the Autobots on Earth in ancient times, then went into stasis to avoid an Ice Age and didn't wake up until the 19th century. They fell under the command of [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1|Hearts of Steel #1}} In order to get [[Tobias Muldoon]] the funding he needed to build the Decepticons a base, Starscream sent the Insecticons to rob a train carrying cash and bullion from the Denver Mint. Taking on a [[Insectrain|combined train mode]], they knocked the train off the rails and stole the money, although they didn't see the value in [[Gold|weak metal]] and sheets of paper. They delivered the stolen property to Starscream and Muldoon the following morning. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2|Hearts of Steel #2}} The Insecticons were later seen aiding in the construction of more Decepticons, including the [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], in preparation of the Decepticons' master plan. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 3|Hearts of Steel #3}}
{{IDW HOS}}

===''Transformers: All Spark''===
{{groupstub}}
{{storylink|Another Episode, Part 1}} {{storylink|The False Power}} {{storylink|Ray of Hope}} {{storylink|Great Aspirations}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
[[File:Targetmasters-Insecticons.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6]]
The Insecticon trio of Bombshell, Kickback, and Shrapnel worked for Megatron as bounty hunters, and captured some of the recently arrived [[human]]s of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]. {{storylink|Targetmasters (issue)|Targetmasters}} Other Insecticons lived underground; when Cybertron transformed into [[Primus]], they fled the sub-levels in a mass migration. {{storylink|Escape from Primus}}
{{-}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
[[File:ConstructiconsRisingPart2-Insecticons.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|YUM YUM EAT EM UP]]
Bombshell, Skrapnel and Kickback emerged from the [[Pyramid (Cybertron)|Pyramid]] with a unique hunger for materials that could never be sated. Shortly after their first meal, it transpired they could metabolize what they ate into an ultra-powerful form of energon, dubbed [[Ore-13|Ultra-Energon]]. The trio were studied extensively, and painfully, by the scientific elite of Cybertron, who failed to glean the secrets of their biology. With no answers to be found, the three were set to work, consuming the waste of Cybertron to turn it into energon, receiving great, though irrelevant to them, praise for their contributions. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 2}}

When the [[War of the Threefold Spark]] broke out, the trio, free from oversight, took the battlefields and began consuming the dead and the dying. Once the war ended the new postwar government came to fear the trio, wondering if they would one day consume the living; unable to contain them, and finding them too useful to kill, the government rebranded the trio as the "Insecticons" and reassigned them to work on the remote colony of [[Mayalx]]. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 2}}

[[File:ConstructiconsRisingPart2-InsecticonsMetabolizing.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5]]
Growing increasingly resentful of the Cybertronian government that had used and abandoned them, the Insecticons came into contact with [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. The trio sought a way to feed their hunger by creating a swarm of clones which would strip Cybertron clean, and had Shockwave study whether it was possible to clone them. Shockwave did so, and found that they were more than suitable for the cloning process, though he declined to tell them this. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 2}} {{storylink|Escape Part Two}} As members of [[the Rise]], the three worked to recruit disaffected Cybertronians from the colonies to the [[Decepticon|Ascenticon]] movement. When the team discovered the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s on Mayalx, Bombshell saw a valuable set of catspaws that could be manipulated to help the Insecticons gather energon for the cause. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 1}} After first feasting on a dead worker [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] killed by accident, the Insecticons confronted the builders during one of [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]]'s regular sparring matches. Bombshell had explained their own history and encouraged [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] and his friends to embrace their full potential by taking revenge on the society that had scorned their talents. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 2}}

After the Constructicons had agreed to attack, using their [[Devastator (G1)|combined form]], the Insecticons consumed three workers, their living [[spark]]s giving the Insecticons the extra juice to produce a particularly volatile variety of energon. Once the Constructicons had over-fuelled on their energon cubes and ravaged the colony as the newly christened Devastator, Bombshell delivered a grisly, ironic toast to [[Nominus Prime]]: the bot who'd made this all possible. Many cycles later, after the Insecticons had devoured and processed everything—and ''everyone''—Devastator had destroyed, [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]]'s unit arrived to pick up their energon cube shipment to take back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 4}}

Following the fall of the [[Tether]], the Insecticons had returned to Cybertron, feasting on the inhabitants of the [[A'ovan habitat]] before [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] and [[Road Rage (G1)|Road Rage]] chased them out. As they flew off, Bombshell noted that they needed more life to sustain themselves, knowing where they could find a supplier. {{storylink|Escape Part One}} That supplier was Shockwave. The Insecticons confronted him inside one of his bases, angry at the mere handouts they had been given, and regarding his promises as empty. Shockwave assuaged them that the clone army they sought would take time, and the three stormed off. Unwilling to wait on their ally any longer, they set their own plan in motion. Using Bombshell's cerebro-shells, they made Skystalker their inside man, an agent to 'procure' cloning machinery while they acquired the fuel. Namely, living Cybertronians. Setting out, they attacked a caravan of Autobots protecting a convoy of organics. {{storylink|Escape Part Two}} The Autobots fought back, and ultimately the Insecticons made off with only one of them, but this was enough for their needs. Returning to their base, an immersant Titan, they began the process, vowing to show everyone on Cybertron what they were capable of. {{storylink|Escape Part Three}} Their swarm of clones soon broke free and swarmed to Darkmount, devouring two Arks in the process. On return to the Titan, the Insecticons promptly devoured their progeny, so they could use the resultant Ultra Energon to make more clones, and continue their cycle of feeding. {{storylink|Escape Part Five}}

Over the next forty cycles, swarms of feral Insecticon clones continued to menace Darkmount and the surrounding regions. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Test Flight I|Test Flight I}} The clones became a regular nuisance to the remaining defenders of Darkmount and the organic refugees they protected, and the city's Autobot defenders continually repelled their assaults upon the city as their reserves dwindled. {{storylink|The Landscape of Fear}}

[[File:SeaOfRustI-Insecticonhive.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]

Eventually, Shockwave and the Insecticons agreed to a truce; as a result, when the Decepticons caught wind of [[Termagax]]'s [[House (building)|mobile fortress]] near the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]], Shockwave contacted Bombshell and ordered him to take out the fortress—safe in the knowledge that the task would significantly weaken Bombshell's clone army. The full might of the Insecticon swarm exhausted Termagax's ammunition reserves, but the clones could not penetrate the walls of the building before Autobot reinforcements arrived and eliminated the swarm. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust II|Sea of Rust II}}

Still eager to feast on Darkmount, the Insecticons continued to attack the settlement but were consistently pushed back. With their reserves dwindling, [[Termagax]] observed an Insecticon carrying a [[rust worm]], which gave her an idea on how to defeat them {{storylink|The Landscape of Fear}} While [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and [[Glyph (Universe)|Glyph]] worked to create a high-density [[data-bomb]], [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] secured a specimen while [[Firestar (G1)|Novastar]]'s team tracked the Insecticons to their primary nest in the Cybertronian Mountains. {{storylink|Radical Time}} After taking out the majority of the swarm by sacrificing House, Termagax and the Autobots were able to reprogram the Insecticons to feast on the rust worms and end two threats to the planet at once. {{storylink|End of Time}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers vs. The Terminator''===
[[File:EnemyOfMyEnemyPart2-Insecticons.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]
Awakening aboard the ''Ark'' in 1984, the Insecticons took part in the Decepticon conquest of [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Two}} In the year [[2029]], they reinforced the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]' attack on [[Skynet]]'s [[Omega Base]] and emerged triumphant, failing to notice that their enemy had sent a [[T-800]] back in time to prevent this future from ever coming to pass. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part One}}

In the new timeline, the T-800 arrived at the ''Ark'' just before the Insecticons could be revived by the other Decepticons. The interference of the Terminator, along with its unwilling companion [[Sarah Connor]], caused the repair beams meant for the Insecticons to revive Optimus Prime and Bumblebee instead. Despite this setback, the Insecticons were soon brought back online and retreated with the other Decepticons. Megatron sent them and [[Reflector (G1)|Refraktor]] to scout the surrounding regions for energy sources; they found a [[Cyberdyne Systems]] facility and directed Megatron and the other Decepticons to attack the building for its nuclear reactor. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Two}}

[[File:EnemyOfMyEnemyPart3-Insecticons.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6]]
The Decepticons deduced a connection between the robotics lab and the Terminator which had attacked them; however, they did not realize that the robot hailed from the ''future'', and so Megatron ordered the trio to tear the building apart in search of more Terminator robots before the Autobots arrived. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Three}}

The Insecticons took part in the ensuing battle that would ultimately mark the end of the war; though [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] killed Kickback, Bumblebee and [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] were able to incapacitate Skrapnel and Bombshell by tricking them into shooting each other. The Autobots took the pair prisoner after Megatron perished, but when the Autobots returned to Mount St. Hillary they discovered that the T-800 had destroyed the ship. Bombshell suggested that he and Skrapnel could leave no trace of the ''Ark'' or its occupants, but Optimus decided against it until the lava had cooled. Instead, he proposed a truce between all the remaining Cybertronians on Earth, one that the four remaining Decepticons agreed to. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Four}}
{{-}}

===''My Little Pony/Transformers''===
[[File:StrengthInNumbers-Insecticons.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|These bloody things are everywhere. They're in the lift, in the lorry, in the bond wizard, and all over the malonga gilderchuck!]]
The Insecticons were among the many Transformers teleported to [[Equestria]], and frightened some rabbits when they arrived. {{storylink|Transformation Is Magic}} The rapacious trio and their clones soon invaded the neighboring [[Sweet Apple Acres]] farm and devoured their way through [[Applejack]]'s apple orchard. Although Applejack's initial attempts to shoo them away proved ineffective, she and her many family members were eventually able to see them off. {{storylink|Strength in Numbers}} The three original Insecticons joined Megatron during their attack on the [[Crystal Empire]] but were eventually banished back to Cybertron along with all of the other defeated Decepticons. {{storylink|Finale (Friendship in Disguise!)|Finale}}
{{-}}

==Commercial appearances==
Shrapnel, Bombshell and Kickback led an enormous swarm of Insecticons to attack a farm. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Insecticons|Insecticons commercial}}

==Games==
===Transformers Legends===
Kickback, Hardshell, and Sharpshot rebelled from Megatron's rule and began consuming GM crops. Their imminent clone army threatened to spell doom for Earth until their plan was foiled by an alliance of Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Harvest of the Insecticons}} Venom, Barrage, and Chop Shop attempted to thwart the secret Autobot commando unit known as the [[Bee Team (G1)|Bee Team]]. {{storylink|The Bee Team}} Sharpshot, Hardshell, and Kickback attacked [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] after the Autobot commander brought [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] to Earth. {{storylink|Junkion Reunion}}

===''Transformers: Devastation''===
[[File:Devastation-Cyberforming.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5]]
The ancient starship ''[[Proudstar]]'' contained a swarm of Insecticons as part of its [[cyberforming|terraforming]] system. Upon encountering a potential world, the swarm would work in concert with the ship's [[plasma energy]] to transform the world into one capable of supporting mechanical life. While [[Nova Prime]] initially only terraformed barren worlds, after a stop on a [[Unicron|strangely sinister planet]], a dark influence led him to begin wiping out populated worlds to reshape into copies of Cybertron.

When [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] activated the ''Proudstar's'' systems, he unleashed the swarm upon the Earth, who spread out and . The Autobots were forced to venture into the crashed ship, where they defeated [[Shrapnel (G1)|three]] [[Bombshell (G1)|large]] [[Kickback (G1)|Insecticons]] and accessed the ship's systems to shut down the swarm.
{{-}}

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
[[File:G1-toy Shrapnel.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Shrapnel, Shrapnel]]
*'''Insecticons''' ([[1985]])
**[[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]
**[[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]]
**[[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]]
{{toydesigner|[[Takashi Matsuda]] (TakaraTomy)}}

:The Insecticons were sold in small boxed packages at the $6 price point in 1985 and 1986. They are [[Diaclone]]-origin toys, retaining the vestigial "cockpits" common to such toys. They are decorated in a standard color scheme dominated by black, with purple, yellow, and silver chrome hightlights.

{{anchor|Deluxe}}
[[File:G1 barrage toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Barrage]]
*'''Deluxe Insecticons''' (1985)
**[[Barrage (Insecticon)|Barrage]]
**[[Chop Shop (G1)|Chop Shop]]
**[[Ransack (G1)|Ransack]]
**[[Venom (G1)|Venom]]
{{toydesigner|[[Shinji Aramaki]] (concept artist)}}
:The four Deluxe Insecticons were originally designed by [[Artmic]] and released in the ''Armored Insect Battalion Beetras'' (機甲虫隊ビートラス) toyline by [[Takatoku Toys]], likely explaining their near-total absence from vintage Generation 1 fiction. They feature larger size and greater complexity than the standard Insecticons. Their color scheme is not unified.

*'''Decoys''' ([[1987]])
**Bombshell
**Kickback
**Shrapnel

*'''Action Masters''' ([[1990]])
**Bombshell
{{toydesigner|[[Takio Ejima]] (TakaraTomy)}}

*'''e-HOBBY''' ([[2004]])
**[[Salvo (G1)|Salvo]]
**[[Shothole]]
**[[Zaptrap]]

:[[e-HOBBY]] [[exclusive]] [[redeco]]s of Bombshell, Kickback, and Shrapnel, respectively.
{{-}}

===''The Transformers Collection''===
*'''Insectrons''' (2004)

:Kickback, Shrapnel, and Bombshell were offered as a [[giftset]] in the "[[The Transformers Collection|book-box]]" line of [[reissue]]s. This set design would be the basis of multiple further reissues listed below.
{{-}}

===''Timelines''===
[[File:TL-toy Virulent Clone.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|A Virulent Clone]]
*'''Descent into Evil''' ([[2005]])
**[[Buzzclaw (G1)|Buzzclaw]]
**[[Dirge (Timelines)|Dirge]]

*'''Convention attendee bonus toys''' (2005)
**[[Virulent Clone]]
:All the Timelines Insecticons are redecos of the ''Beast Wars'' [[Buzzclaw (BW)#Toys|Buzzclaw]] mold, manufactured for [[BotCon 2005]].
{{-}}

===''Universe'' (2008)===
*'''Insecticons''' (Commemorative Edition three-pack, [[2009]])
:Includes the Insecticons Hardshell, Kickback, and Sharpshot. These are reissues of the original Insecticons Bombshell, Kickback, and Shrapnel.
{{-}}

===''Generations''===
Notably, all three of the original Insecticons received new toys under the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' branding, all of them as part of the Legends Class [[size class|price point]]. However, each of them was released under a different [[subline imprint]], each incorporating that subline's [[gimmick]] for the Legends Class. In addition, one of the Deluxe Insecticons received two different toys as well.

====''Thrilling 30''====
[[File:Generationstoy-SkrapnelReflector.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|One letter away from his original name, name.]]
*'''Megatron & Chop Shop''' (Legends Class two-pack, [[2013]])
{{toydesigner|[[Joe Kyde]] (Hasbro)}}
:A small companion figure for the Legends Class figure of [[Megatron (G1)/toys#GenerationsLegends|Megatron]] released under the ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' subline imprint, [[Chop Shop (G1)#Generations|Chop Shop]] features a minimal transformation (he basically transforms into a stag beetle by lying down on the ground). He also features a [[5 mm post|5 mm handle]] in his chest that allows Megatron (or any other figure with hands supporting 5mm handles) to hold him in insect mode and use him as a claw. On top of that, he can be transformed into a mine plow that can be attached to the front end of Megatron's tank mode.

*'''Skrapnel & Reflector''' (Legends Class two-pack, [[2014]])
{{toydesigner|[[Joe Kyde]] and [[John Warden]] (Hasbro)}}
:A Legends Class figure of "[[Shrapnel (G1)#Generations|Skrapnel]]" (so named for [[trademark]] purposes, just like the figure from the ''Platinum Edition'' set listed below) released under the ''Thrilling 30'' subline imprint, including a small figure of [[Reflector (G1)#Generations|Reflector]] that can be used by Skrapnel (or any other figure with hands supporting 5mm handles) not only in camera mode, but also in an additional weapon mode. Additionally, Reflector can also be mounted on Skrapnel's back in insect mode.
{{-}}

===''Platinum Edition''===
*'''Insecticons''' (Platinum Edition three-pack, [[2015]])
:The original Insecticons were once again reissued for the ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' 3-pack, under the ''Generations'' line. Each figure comes with an extra Energon Cube accessory. Shrapnel is now named "Skrapnel", whereas Bombshell got his original name back, albeit with an "Insecticon" prefix.

:This set was releaed as a [[Kmart]] exclusive in the United States. However, it was also stocked by US-based online retailers [[BigBadToyStore]] and TFSource, who supposedly obtained it as an import from Asia. It was available in several of Hasbro's Asian markets (namely Singapore, the Philippines and China; it's currently unknown whether it was exclusive to any particular stores there or not). In Canada and Australia, it was sold at [[Toys"R"Us]] stores, whereas in the United Kingdom, it was officially available via the UK division of [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] and A1Toys. In Germany, it was originally available via Bankroft, an online retailer that otherwise specializes in [[Nerf]] blasters and accessories, as part of a special "Fan Edition" arrangement through Hasbro Germany, with the help of several German [[fandom|fan]] sites. Due to low sales, the unsold stock was later sold to Actionfiguren24, a German online retailer that specializes in imported toys, who was able to lower its price for its existing stock of imported Insecticon sets as a result.
{{-}}

===''Combiner Wars''===
[[File:TF-Generations-Combiner-Wars-Legends-Class-Bombshell.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Bombshell, featuring an "abandoned" gun mode.]]
*'''Bombshell''' (Legends Class, [[2014]])
{{toydesigner|[[John Warden]] (Hasbro)}}
:A Legends Class figure of [[Bombshell (G1)#Generations|Bombshell]] (simply named "Bombshell" again, without a prefix unlike the figure from the ''Platinum Edition'' set listed above) released under the ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' subline imprint. In addition to his robot and insect modes, he also sports additional [[5 mm post|5 mm handles]] that allow him to be held by [[combiner]] figures (or any other figure with hands supporting 5mm handles) in what's presumed to be a third "weapon mode", although such a mode is not officially depicted in the [[instructions]] or any of the [[stock photography|stock photo]]s for the figure. Bombshell's purple plastic color does not match up with Skrapnel's, and on top of that, he features orange instead of yellow [[paint operation]]s.

*'''Chop Shop''' (Legends Class, 2015)
: A redeco (and minor retool) of ''Thrilling 30'' Skrapnel sporting a new head sculpt, resembling the Deluxe Insecticon [[Chop Shop (G1)#CombinerWars|Chop Shop]]. Unlike with Skrapnel, no companion figure was included.
{{-}}

===''Titans Return''===
[[File:TF-Generations-Titans-Return-Legends-Kickback.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Completing the set.]]
*'''Kickback''' (Legends Class, 2016)
{{toydesigner|[[John Warden]] (Hasbro)}}
: A Legends Class figure of [[Kickback (G1)#Generations|Kickback]] released under the ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' subline imprint. He features a cockpit that can house a [[Titan Master]] figure, similar to the original ''Generation 1'' figure's cockpit originally designed for ''[[Diaclone]]'' pilots. Kickback's colors are once again different from ''Thrilling 30'' Skrapnel and ''Combiner Wars'' Bombshell; notably, his yellow parts are made out of translucent plastic.
{{-}}

===''Power of the Primes''===
*'''Skrapnel''' (Legends Class, [[2017]])
{{toydesigner|[[John Warden]] (Hasbro)}}
:''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' [[Shrapnel (G1)#Power of the Primes|Skrapnel]] is a slight redeco of ''Thrilling 30'' Skrapnel without [[Reflector (G1)#Generations|Reflector]], sporting darker purple plastic, slightly lighter yellow paint, and a barely different paint application pattern on the legs. This means he features no retooling, which also means [[Prime Master]]s can't interact with him the same way they can with other Legends Class figures.
{{-}}

===''Legacy''===
[[File:TF-Legacy-Deluxe-Class-Kickback.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|A Deluxe Insecticon, but not a [[Deluxe Insecticon]].]]
*'''Kickback''' (Deluxe Class, [[2022]])
*'''Shrapnel''' (Deluxe Class, [[2023]])
*'''Bombshell''' (Deluxe Class, 2023)
{{toydesigner|[[Mark Maher]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] (TakaraTomy)|[[Ken Christiansen]] and [[Emiliano Santalucia]] (concept art)}}<ref>Transformers Panel at [[Hasbro Pulse Con 2021]]</ref>

:After several years of being confined to the Legends Class scale, ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' [[Kickback (G1)#Legacy|Kickback]] is the first ''Generations'' Insecticon made at the Deluxe Class scale. ''[[Transformers: Legacy#Evolution (2023)|Legacy: Evolution]]'', the second year branding of ''Legacy'', would complete the trio with [[Shrapnel (G1)#Legacy|Shrapnel]] and [[Bombshell (G1)#Legacy|Bombshell]]'s addition to the line.
{{--}}

===''Buzzworthy Bumblebee''===
[[File:Buzzworthy Creatures Collide Ransack.JPG|upright=1.67|thumb|A Deluxe [[Deluxe Insecticon]].]]
*'''Creatures Collide''' (4-pack, [[2022]])
{{toydesigner|[[Mark Maher]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] (TakaraTomy)|[[Ken Christiansen]] and [[Emiliano Santalucia]] (concept art)}}

A new toy of [[Ransack (G1)#BuzzworthyBumblebee|Ransack]],retooled from the Kickback figure mentioned above, was included in a ''Buzzworthy Bumblebee'' box set alongside [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#CreaturesCollide|Goldbug]],[[Skywasp#BuzzworthyBumblebee|Skywasp]] and [[Scorponok (BW)#BuzzworthyBumblebee|Predacon Scorponok]].
As with other products under the line, it was a Target Exclusive, though this set in particular was stocked by In Demand Toys in the UK before any official announcement by Hasbro.
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===''Robot Heroes''===
[[File:Robotheroesperceptorhardshell.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|The mind is his playpen, and now he's IN the playpen.]]
*'''[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys|Rodimus]] vs. Insecticon''' (Shrapnel, renamed due to trademark issues) ([[2007]])
*'''[[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] vs. Kickback''' ([[2008]])
*'''Perceptor vs. Hardshell''' (Bombshell, renamed due to trademark issues) (2008)
{{-}}

==Notes==
*The command structure of the Insecticons is a little fraught.
**Per the original [[profile]]s written by [[Bob Budiansky]], Venom was intended to be the group's leader. His [[bio]] notes that he fears his position as leader being usurped, and he has the highest "rank" number on his [[Tech Spec]]s out of all seven original Insecticon toys.
**However, because Venom and the other deluxe Insecticons did not appear in the animated series, he was not able to fulfil that role for the cartoon. Generally speaking, the cartoon tended to present the three Insecticons who did appear—Shrapnel, Bombshell, and Kickback—as being fairly equal to one another, but when circumstances demanded, Shrapnel served as the leader of the group, speaking for the others and generally issuing instructions.
**But it was Bombshell who received the most ''attention'' on the show, his creepy personality and mind-control powers holding more story potential. This, along with the occasional instance where he uttered the "attack" order for the group, led to the belief in early online fandom that ''he'' was in charge of the team. That, in turn, has influenced some official media; it was implied he was seeking to usurp command of the Insecticons from Shrapnel in Dreamwave's comics books, and he is definitely the spokesperson for the team in the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005]] and [[2019 IDW continuity|2019]] IDW continuities.
**But the fact is, going purely on Tech Spec numbers, it's ''Kickback'' who should actually be the leader of the trio, as he's got a "7" rank in comparison to Bombshell and Shrapnel's "6"! Though the original Kickback never displayed leadership skills, his [[Kickback (FOC)|counterpart from the Aligned continuity]] would be depicted as the leader of his universe's version of the Insecticons in his toy bio, and that bio would in turn be recycled for the original Kickback by the ''Transformers Legends'' mobile game. It's still influencing things years later, as, during [[Hasbro Pulse Con 2021]], ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' [[Kickback (G1)#Legacy|Kickback]] was referred to as being the Insecticon leader!
*The Insecticons' insect modes are generally depicted as about the size of cars, clearly not "in disguise" in any meaningful way. But in some continuities they have also shrunk to various sizes - either small relative to other [[Transformer]]s, or even as small as actual [[Earth]] insects. The latter is possibly the most extreme [[size changing]] capability any characters have been shown to have.
*The exact meaning of the scene explaining the Insecticons' origin in the cartoon is not clear. Megatron says that the Insecticons' escape pod was launched "before [[Nemesis (G1)|our own ship]] crashed here millions of years ago". One might reasonably take this to mean that the Insecticons were aboard Megatron's ship; however, upon meeting Megatron a few scenes later, Shrapnel says to him "I don't know you", implying that they weren't aboard Megatron's ship. The summary of the episode in the [[production bible]] clarifies this, saying the pod "... was originally part of the Decepticon spacecraft that jettisoned away just before the Autobots and Decepticons crash landed on Earth".<ref>[http://tfarchive.com/cartoons/bible/#072 Transformers Production Bible at Tfarchive.com]</ref> Guess Shrapnel was feeling conveniently forgetful-forgetful that day.
*The Insecticons' appearances in both ''The Movie'' and season 3 are the subject of much fan debate. In most cases, the Insecticons were specifically called for, by name, in the episode scripts, while conversely, the script for the movie did ''not'' specifically call for them to be recreated by Unicron, indicating that in actuality, it is the movie, rather than all subsequent material, that was at fault in its depiction of the fates of the characters. In an attempt to make some sense of things, many fans turn to the Insecticons' cloning abilities for a possible explanation, suggesting it was either clones that were transformed, or clones that were seen later. Neither theory really works: only the original three Insecticons were seen during the battle at Autobot City, and the Insecticon clones had never before displayed any sentience (as did the Insecticons on Astrotrain prior to being jettisoned, and the Insecticons that were shown later on). The idea does provide a cute [[fanon]] explanation for the seemingly-endless supply of [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]]s, though.
[[File:Beet-Papil.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Kickback would totally mack that.]]
*According to the data unlocked with their [[Cyber Key Codes|Cyber Key Code]], the [[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcon]] [[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] have a connection to the Insecticons. What this connection is, however, is unknown.
*A fifth transforming robot insect, a ladybug called Beet-Papil (ビートパピル) or Beet-Lady (ビートレイデ), depending on the source, was featured in the fiction surrounding [[Takatoku Toys|Takatoku]]'s ''Beetras'' toyline. Whether Takatoku ever meant to make Beet-Papil as a toy is uncertain, particularly since the line came out shortly before the company's demise. In addition to her, a transforming butterfly, who took the name Beet-Papil when the ladybug wasn't using it, and firefly, Beet-Bigal (ビートビガル), can be seen in some of the Beetras merchandise<ref>[http://diaclone.net/gattaioh/beet/beet7/index.html Beetras butterfly and firefly.]</ref> and designs for a transforming bee figure were found among a cache of Beetras concept art.<ref>[http://toyboxdx.com/phorum/read.php?1,163228 Beetras concept art.]</ref> Whether these would also have gotten toys had the company not bankrupted is unknown.
*In the commentary for ''[[You Can Draw Transformers]]'', [[Simon Furman]] notes that the Insecticons have acid-secreting powers. This has yet to show up in any fiction.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Insectron''' (インセクトロン ''Insekutoron''), '''Insecticon''' (インセクティコン ''Insekutikon'')
*''Hebrew:'' '''Ḥereknikim''' (חרקניקים, "Insectniks")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Álcarovarok''' ("Decepticon-insects"), '''Rovarángok''' ("Insectarangs", animated movie's 1st dub)
*''Italian:'' '''Mini-Insector'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Jīqì Kūnchóng''' (机器昆虫, "Machine Insects")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Insecticus''' (Brazil comic), '''Inseticons''' (Brazil comic)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://diaclone.net/gattaioh/beet/ Armored Insect Batallion Beetras at Diaclone.net]
*[http://www.toyboxdx.com/datafiles/data/takatoku2/beetras.php Armored Insect Batallion Beetras at Toyboxdx.com]

[[Category:Combiner teams]]
[[Category:Decepticon subgroups]]
[[Category:Generation 1 subgroups]]
[[Category:Insecticons| Insecticon (G1)]]
[[Category:Timelines]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Shrapnel (G1)

2023-06-30T06:26:52Z

{{factions|decepticon|ascenticon}}
{{disambig3|Shrapnel}}
:''Shrapnel is a [[Decepticon]] [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]], family.''
[[File:Shrapnelg1.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|My kingdom for better electrical insulation... insulation.]]
The eccentric way in which '''Shrapnel''' (aka '''Sharpshot''' and '''Skrapnel''') phrases his dialogue may seem endearing at first, first. Others are soon to discover that his seemingly benign tic is merely the gateway to a frighteningly twisted and perverse mind, even for a Decepticon, Decepticon. A master of electricity, his dark desires put this skill to use on his victims, victims. Nothing delights him more than to see how they squirm from his touch, touch.

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Hal Rayle]] (English), [[Masashi Ebara]] (Japanese), [[Show Hayami]] (Japanese, "Traitor"), [[Yoku Shioya]], (Japanese, "The Revenge of Bruticus"), [[Toshio Ishii]] (Japanese, ''The Movie'')|[[Gu Guoyi]] (Chinese), [[Galina Kristenskaya]] (Russian), [[Edgar Wald]] (American Spanish), [[Tonio von der Meden]] (German, ''The Movie'' TV dub and ''Generation 2''), [[Olivier Destrez]] (European French), [[François Leccia]] (European French, "Traitor"), [[Henry Djanik]] (European French, "The Insecticon Syndrome" & "Quest for Survival"), [[Francis Lax]] (European French, "The Revenge of Bruticus"), [[Marie Vergracht|Marie-Martine]] (French, ''The Movie''), [[Orlando Prado]] (Portuguese, "A Plague of Insecticons"), [[Marcos Miranda]] (Portuguese, "Traitor"), [[Older Cazarré]] (Portuguese, "The Insecticon Syndrome"), [[Hélio Ribeiro]] (Portuguese, "The Revenge of Bruticus"), [[Amaury Costa]] (Portuguese, "The Movie" TV dub)}}

[[File:ShrapnelG1.jpg|thumb|Flash before my eyes, now it's time to die, die!]]
The mercenary Insecticons landed on [[Earth]] in their own space pod before the Ark crashed into [[Mount St. Hilary]]. ''(It is unclear whether this pod was launched from the [[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]] or not, as the dialogue seems to suggest maybe it was, but the Insecticons and [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s Decepticons do not seem to know each other.)'' Their pod crashed into the region that would become known as "[[Demon Swamp]]" and their [[idento-computer]]s adapted them to transform into insects and eat organic food to survive. Though they were largely communal, Shrapnel was a leader among then, usually alternating with [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] ([[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] was out of luck). The "Insecticons" apparently lived in the swamp for millions of years until discovered by Megatron's Decepticons. They formed an uneasy alliance with Megatron, never coming fully under his command but working with the Decepticons when they could be convinced there was something (usually food) in it for them. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

When the Autobots were attacking the Decepticons, the Insecticons were conveniently in the same area, and helped the Decepticon cause during the battle. Shrapnel fought [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], but failed to hit him and instead damaged the buffer where Megatron was keeping the [[electro-cell]]s. Still, they were given a reward of [[energon cube]]s... a grand total of ''two'', being exact. Though Kickback was optimistic, Shrapnel and Bombshell were understandably disappointed considering Megatron had so many more. They were even ''more'' enraged when [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] stole the cubes and framed the Decepticons for it. When [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] showed up and got in a fight with Cliffjumper (who was spying on Mirage nearby), Shrapnel thought that the Decepticons had ambushed them and a huge fight broke out, with Shrapnel grazing and exposing the invisible Mirage. Shrapnel wanted to kill Mirage, but Bombshell decided it'd be better if they made the Autobot into their slave. When Megatron saw Bombshell controlling Mirage, he revealed to the Insecticons that no Decepticon stole the cubes; it was Mirage after all. During an Autobot attack, Megatron destroyed the electro-cells in frustration, and Shrapnel commanded the Insecticons to retreat. {{storylink|Traitor (episode)|Traitor}}

[[File:InsecticonSyndrome Shrapnel explode.jpg|thumb|left|Frustration will blow you up, up!]]
Even after the Insecticons devoured a huge forest, they discovered they were hungry again. Bombshell announced that it was snack time, and Shrapnel decided that they should eat the redwoods next. A park ranger, [[Mike]] spotted the Insecticons and reported it to fellow park ranger [[Jeff (ranger)|Jeff]]. When Jeff, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]], [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]], and [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] arrived, Shrapnel used his [[grenade launcher]] to scatter them, but they recovered and Bumblebee knocked Shrapnel down. The Insecticons got rid of their enemies by sending a huge tree down the river, sending them down the waterfall (or so they thought; their "demise" was actually one of Hound's holograms). After that, Megatron arrived and struck a deal with the Insecticons, taking them to the [[Nova Power Plant]], a place rife with energy. Shrapnel commended Megatron's taste in appetizers and the Insecticons feasted, but the [[Nova Power Core]] within the plant caused them to grow rapidly. Shrapnel decided that the Insecticons would use their new size to seize control of the Decepticons from Megatron, hypnotizing [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] to do their bidding. Defeating the [[Autobot]] opposition, the Insecticons had become invincible and were now vital to Megatron's plan to control the world, but the Autobots discovered that the Nova Power Core, incompatible with the Insecticons' [[Trilithium stomach|stomachs]], would soon destroy them from within. Later Shrapnel infiltrated [[Iron Mountain]] using the humans' defense system against them, and helped himself to the data Soundwave took from the computer. However, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] arrived with an antidote for the Nova Power Core, and using Megatron's gun mode blasted it at Kickback and Bombshell, curing and resizing them. Shrapnel, however, was not so lucky, as despite Spike's warnings (and jamming the cure into him), he was blown to pieces. Luckily, Bombshell was able to repair Shrapnel and the Insecticons made their escape. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}}

Shrapnel was later among Megatron's forces parading through the streets on "Decepticon Day". {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}} The Insecticons later created a new army of clones which nearly devastated the planet Earth. Luckily, they were destroyed by the [[Morphobot]]s and the Insecticons barely escaped uneaten, uneaten. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}}

[[File:TFTM RundownShrapnel.jpg|thumb|Great, now there's bug guts all over his windshield, windshield.]]
During the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]' attempt at destroying Earth by sending it into the sun, the Insecticons were seen in large numbers, numbers, again and Shrapnel was responsible for taking apart the [[space bridge]] controls. He would later be tracked, tracked, by the combined Autobots and Decepticons after which he relinquished the controls. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

20 years later, Shrapnel took part in the [[Battle of Autobot City]] on Earth, where he took severe damage; he was accidentally shot from the sky by [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] in tank mode, bashed by Kup, and run over by Optimus Prime. The damage proved critical enough that when the Decepticons retreated, Shrapnel was unable to make it to [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] under his own power, and needed to be carried by [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]. When the time came for the Decepticons to lighten Astrotrain's burden, the damaged Shrapnel was unable to mount resistance and was summarily dumped into space along with his Insecticon colleagues. His floating body would be reformatted by [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] into one of [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]'s minions. But that didn't stop him from showing up later on [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] and threatening [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Shrapnel’s involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic mini-series "[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]."}}

He also somehow appeared on [[Chaar]] after the Decepticons' defeat to nibble on some energon cubes {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}. Shrapnel was seen assisting the Quintesson-planned attack on the Autobots on [[Goo Number 8739-B|Goo]] {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} and he later tried to stop [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] from returning [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s [[transformation cog]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}} Much later, [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] briefly spoke using Shrapnel's voice and speech pattern for no reason. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}}

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic====
Shrapnel was among the Decepticons forces that attacked the Autobot Headquarters in [[Arizona]]. The attack was nothing more than a diversion so [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] could go do unspecified ''stuff'' in Japan and the Decepticons were eventually defeated and driven off. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2}}

Shrapnel, along with the other Insecticons, took part in an attack on [[Kyushu]] that attracted the attention of the Autobots. The [[Four-Wheel Drive Corps]] responded, but the attack turned out to be an ambush as the Insecticons trapped the Autobots in a volcanic crater. Luckily, the Four-Wheel Drive Corps was able to "combine" and perform the fearsome "Four-Wheel Drive Robo Combination Scrumbuster" attack. The blast of energy was so powerful that it sent the Insecticons fleeing in terror. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3}}

====Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity====
=====''Legacy VS500 Collection Special Comic''=====
Shrapnel was a spectator of the second week of the [[Speedia 500]] on [[Velocitron]]. {{storylink|Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 3}}

=====''Generations Selects Special Comic''=====
In [[2050]], Shrapnel and the Decepticons lent their support to the Earth-born [[Selector]]s, robots eager to rebel against their human makers who enslaved them. {{storylink|Volcanicus comic 2}}

====''Mars Attacks: The Transformers''====
[[File:Mars attacks the insecticons.jpg|thumb|left]]
The three Insecticons were among Decepticon forces who formed an alliance with the Autobots during a [[Martian]] invasion. They saved [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] and [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] from some of the Martians' giant ants. {{storylink|Mars Attacks: The Transformers}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
In [[Primax 1185.04 Alpha]], the Insecticons were among the few allies [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] found in his campaign against [[Cobra]]-controlled Earth. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/13}}

In an unstable amalgam universe created by the machinations of [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]] and [[Gong (GoBots)|Gong]], Shrapnel was one of the many Decepticons who assaulted [[Autobot City (G1)|Guardian City]] in the year 2005. He was soon shot down by [[Leader-1 (GoBots)|Leader-1]] when the [[Guardian (GoBots)|Guardian]] leader arrived. After history blipped again to include ''both'' Decepticons and [[Renegade]]s, the Shrapnel and Kickback dumped out of Astrotrain were replaced by [[Screw Head]] and [[Crain Brain]] as the wounded villains reformatted by Unicron into the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]]. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}

====''Deviations''====
In an alternate timeline where [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] killed [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] in the [[Battle of Autobot City]], Shrapnel was damaged during the conflict and was thrown out of [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] with other weakened Decepticons in the aftermath of the battle. They drifted through space till they were consumed by [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]].

"Another" Shrapnel was still around to witness [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s coronation and the approach of Unicron. {{Storylink|Transformers: Deviations|Deviations}}
{{--}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Straxusholdscourt.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Why don't I get a caption, caption?]]
Shrapnel was one of the top lieutenants of Lord [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] at [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]] on Cybertron, acting as his Executive Officer and supervising both the technicians that translated [[The Next Best Thing to Being There!|Soundwave's message from Earth]] and assisting on the Space Bridge project. He was also was responsible for capturing Autobot spy [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]] before he could report back on the whereabouts of [[Spanner (G1)|Spanner]], a neutral whose expertise on Space Bridge travel was sought out by the Decepticons. Despite his rank, Straxus used Shrapnel's face as a stress ball when things went wrong {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}} and was willing to send him on a suicidal janitorial mission during the initial tests of his Space Bridge. Shrapnel managed to talk his way out of it by contacting Spanner instead, and found that the Space Bridge had a faulty fuel line without endangering himself in the process. After the bridge was made operational, an Autobot attack came to Darkmount. Shrapnel was quick to discover that this offensive was only a distraction from another on the Space Bridge itself. He warned Straxus of this, and joined him in defending the inter-planetary teleportation device. Though the bridge wasn't destroyed, it was left inoperable for a time, and the Autobots managed to pass through it to Earth, leaving the Decepticons stranded on Cybertron. {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}}

[[File:Shrapnel aerialbots over america.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85|ANTENNAE!]]
''In addition to his high rank, Shrapnel was one of the [[Ten Deadliest Killers|most feared and dangerous killers]] on Cybertron, a key target for the Autobot resistance. The rebel plan [[Operation: Volcano]] was kicked off when Shrapnel tortured the information of a (fake) rebel meeting out of an [[Autobot traitor|informant]], but was ruined by Megatron calling the Insecticons to Earth.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} Shrapnel arrived on Earth to play a key role in Megatron's plot to take control of the [[Hoover Dam]]. Using a mind-controlled [[Ricky Vasquez|dam employee]], the Decepticons held several humans hostage within the structure, allowing Shrapnel time to link up to its computer systems and begin systematically shutting it down. A massive drill was then brought over from Cybertron, which the Decepticons planed to use in funneling the dam's water to their homeworld, where it would provide a plenty of energy. Interference came in the shape of the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], and the Insecticons were sent out to deal with the do-gooders. Shrapnel fell victim to [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]]'s [[torque rifle]] during the battle, which twisted his <s>antennae</s> pincers all out of shape. Afterwards, the Insecticons' mind-slave managed to break free of his [[cerebro-shell]]'s control, and used Megatron's gun mode to destroy the drill. The plan a failure, Shrapnel grabbed Megatron and retreated. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}}

''Having usurped Megatron as Decepticon leader, [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] detected the sounds of conflict near the [[Wyoming base]] and believing it to be Megatron, he mustered his troops, including Shrapnel, to meet this threat to his command. However, when they discovered a [[Cybertron Seven|group of Autobots]] and [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] fighting [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] instead, Shockwave ordered Shrapnel and the others to attack the [[time travel]]er and, unwilling to kill his fellow Decepticons, Galvatron retreated.'' {{storylink|Fallen Angel}}

[[File:Insecticons carwash of doom.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2]]
Shrapnel then he served under [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], participating in a raid on an [[oil tanker]]. After Bombshell located the vessel's control room, Shrapnel used his mastery of electricity to take command of the ship's systems and piloted it to the Decepticons' island headquarters. Though the heist was successful, the Decepticons discovered afterwards that the ship had already dispensed its cargo, leaving them with no fuel for their efforts. {{storylink|Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom}}

When the Autobots launched an attack on the Decepticons' island headquarters to rescue a recently captured Buster Witwicky, Shockwave converted the landmass into its rocket-ship mode and had it blast off into space. Shrapnel was standing at the ready, within the ship's control room, as this took place. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}} He was soon deployed into action when both the ''[[Steelhaven (G1)|Steelhaven]]'' and the Ark were detected on the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], prompting Ratbat to attempt to eradicate all of his foes in one fell swoop. However, upon taking notice that the Decepticon spaceship had taken severe damage in the attack, Shrapnel and his teammates retreated. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

=====Transformers Annual 1985=====
{{note|Due to being published early in the franchise, these stories are out of continuity with the above.<ref>"Plague of the Insecticons!" was later designated as [[universal stream]] [[Primax 1285.0 Gamma]] by [[Vector Prime]].</ref>}}

[[File:Plague of the insecticons.jpg|thumb|left]]
Upon learning that the Autobots were secretly planning to open a dialogue with the [[Ronald Reagan|President of the United States]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] awakened the Insecticons to undermine the potential alliance. The trio were still too new to be in full control of themselves, and needed to be remote-controlled to be of any use on the battlefield. To this end, [[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]] was selected to guide them on their test-run.

The Insecticons interrupted the peace talk, Shrapnel using an Earth-shaking screech to make his presence known. He then proclaimed himself an Autobot, and began to attack the humans, leading them to believe [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] had always planned on betraying them. Having put on enough of a show for the President himself, Shrapnel and his teammates then zoomed off to unleash their firepower on downtown [[Washington, D.C.]]. [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] and [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]] both tried to put an end to the Insecticons' rampage, but Shrapnel used one of his [[Shrapnel grenade|splinter grenades]] to take out the latter, and managed to evade every shot the former sent in his direction. Shrapnel was finally taken out of the fight when Optimus dispatched his [[Roller (G1)|Roller]] drone to the front lines, and managed to land a single shot on Shrapnel. {{storylink|Plague of the Insecticons!}}

=====Movie future timeline=====
[[File:Scavenger shrapnel daniel the final battle.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7]]
When Megatron ordered a major offensive against [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] in the year [[2005]], Shrapnel was among the troops who besieged the fortress. He was spectator to Megatron and Optimus having a fateful duel, which left both faction leaders badly damaged. The Decepticons then opted to retreat back to Cybertron, boarding Astrotrain for the return journey to their homeworld. {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}

Megatron was deposed en route, and Starscream took over as leader of the Decepticons. Shrapnel was among a gathered crowd who looked on as Starscream was being coronated for the occasion, when three new Transformers stormed the ceremony. One of the trio, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], reduced Starscream to scrap and took over as head-honcho of the Decepticons himself. There were no objections to this hostile take-over. {{storylink|Judgment Day!}}

Shrapnel and [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] accompanied Galvatron when he traveled to the [[Junkion (planet)|planet of Junk]] to snatch away the [[Matrix of Leadership]] from [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. They went after an easy target in Magnus's group, attacking the young human [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]]. The boy managed to outpace the pair by converting his [[exosuit]] into its vehicular mode and driving off. {{storylink|The Final Battle!}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Earthforce insecticons.jpg|upright=0.95|thumb|left|This page is basically colorless, colorless]]
Shrapnel and his Insecticon buddies served under [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in the [[Decepticon Civil War]], but their spying mission against Shockwave was foiled by Starscream. Shrapnel got in a good electrified shot at Starscream's bum first, but then he caught them in a [[rustbug hoop]]. The treacherous [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] then drafted them into helping him set up a clash between the two leaders. {{storylink|Bugged!}}

====''Transformers '84''====
[[File:Border regions battle secrets and lies.jpg|thumb]]
In the early days of the [[Great War (G1)|war]] on Cybertron, Shrapnel was part of [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]'s forces assaulting an Autobot fort in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]'s [[Border Regions]]. When Autobots led by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] arrived to defend the fort, Straxus ordered his troops to seize as many prisoners as they could and retreat. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 2|Secrets & Lies #2}} Upon returning to [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]], Shrapnel was among those who joined Straxus to watch those same Autobot prisoners being tortured to death in the [[smelting pool]]. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 3|Secrets & Lies #3}}
{{--}}

===Attack of the Insecticons===
{{notemultipath}}
[[File:AttackoftheInsecticonstheSunPak.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|By the power of Grayskull, Grayskull!]]
Shrapnel was stationed at the Insecticons' nest, an underground cavern located near to another cavern the Autobots used to test the Sun-Pak, an energy device that could power a Cybertronian for twenty-four hours after being charged for only an hour in sunlight.

If the Autobots flee their testing site after having been discovered by the Decepticons and confused their escape route for a tunnel that led them deeper underground instead of towards the surface, they would come upon Shrapnel and his Electro-Disrupter, which all-but paralyzed the Autobots. After taking the time to mock his captives, Shrapnel briefly left the Autobots unattended in order to contact Megatron. If the Autobots attempt to use the Sun-Pak as a bargaining chip for their release, Shrapnel informs them that once his fellow Insecticon Bombshell arrives on their coordinates, the Insecticons will use Cerebro-Shells to mentally enslave all of the Autobots, rendering any attempt at negotiations moot. Before the Insecticons are able to follow through with their plan, however, the human Buster is able to sneak up on the pair and turn the Insecticons' Electro-Disrupter on them, allowing the Autobots to escape.

If the Autobots flee their testing site and choose the correct path to the surface, Shrapnel encounters the convoy nonetheless and is able to sneak up on [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and snatch away the Sun-Pak while the Autobot struggles with the tunnel's cramped confines. Once the Sun-Pak's absence is discovered, if the Autobots decide to send Mirage and Buster as advanced scouts to go after the Insecticons immediately, the pair find Shrapnel, Bombshell and Kickback hiding out in a rotting forest. The Sun-Pak having given him delusions of grandeur, Shrapnel gloats that he will use its power to take control of the Decepticons from Megatron, unaware that Ravage is nearby, reporting the Insecticon's boasts to his master.

If Mirage and Buster act quickly and decide to take on the Insecticon trio in light of this situation, Mirage successfully confuses all three Insecticons with his holographic powers, while Buster snatches the Sun-Pak, leaving the Insecticons empty handed for all the scheming.

If Mirage and Buster call for reinforcements before confronting the Decepticons, Megatron arrives on-scene and berates Shrapnel for keeping the Sun-Pak from him. Shrapnel attempts weasel his way out of being punished by denying the Sun-Pak's existence, only for Megatron to blast him for his duplicity. When Megatron hears the approaching Autobot convoy, he orders Shrapnel along with the rest of his troops to hide in order to ambush their enemies. This leads to nothing more for the Decepticons but being sprayed by Ironhide's acid-dispenser, forcing the lot of them to retreat. {{storylink|Attack of the Insecticons}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
Shrapnel was once one of the many Decepticons who fought in the Great War long before the rise of [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]. Three centuries later, while temporarily out of his mind (well, more than usual, anyway), the Predacon [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] believed himself to actually be Shrapnel, and adopted his mannerisms and speech pattern, pattern. {{storylink|Dark Designs}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Bombshell kickback shrapnel soundwave ravage war within 1-2.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Oy with the speechifying, ing! When do we get to shoot someone, one??]]
After [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]'s death, Shrapnel participated in the destruction of [[Altihex]]. {{storylink|The War Within issue 1|The War Within #1}} He was part of an assassination unit alongside Kickback, Bombshell, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] shortly after the rise of Optimus Prime. He and his partners were assigned to eliminate the new Prime, steal the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], and bring it to Megatron so that he could turn Cybertron into a cosmic dreadnought and conquer the universe. {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} But Optimus proved to be more formidable than any of the Decepticons had initially anticipated. Optimus quickly lost his pursuers in Cybertron's labyrinthine underground, then used its environment to his advantage to ambush Shrapnel and the rest of his team. Shrapnel was the first to be disabled, as Optimus grabbed him from behind, and pummeled him hard enough to expose his spark-casing through his chest. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}} Shrapnel was still unconscious when Megatron stumbled upon him after himself being defeated by Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The War Within issue 6|The War Within #6}}

[[File:Conflagration SlagSuckerPunch.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|left|Slag punched him so hard his colors went wrong.]]
During the Dark Ages after Megatron's disappearance, Shrapnel served with the main Decepticon faction under [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s command. He was part of the reinforcements called in to halt [[The Fallen]]'s plans and allied with the [[Lightning Strike Coalition]] at Shockwave's order. Despite the temporary truce, Shrapnel got sucker-punched by [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] after everyone had assembled. {{storylink|Conflagration}} Shrapnel was also present at [[Tyger Pax]] during the aborted peace treaty between the Autobots, Decepticons, and [[Ultracon]]s. Megatron's sudden arrival with the [[Air Warrior|Aerospace Extermination Squadron]] put a quick stop to those peace talks. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}}

Shrapnel was part of a unit sent to Earth by Shockwave to guide the planet's development and prepare it for invasion. He and his team changed their [[alternate mode]]s to giant insects (from his original "jet with antennae" mode). They were beaten up by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] on arrival, then played dead until [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] got bored and wandered off. {{storylink|Extermination}}

{{note|Shrapnel and the Insecticons made a brief appearance in the second ''[[The Transformers Trilogy|Transformers Trilogy]]'' novel, ''[[Transformers: Annihilation|Annihilation]]'', as troops under Starscream's command on Earth. This appearance is contradicted by later Dreamwave stories. Also, in the novel the Insecticons shrink down to insect-size as they did in Marvel Comics, whereas later Dreamwave issues showed them retaining their full size, like their cartoon versions.}}

[[File:Shrapnel extermination.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7]]
Millions of years later, they were discovered by both the [[Earth Defense Command|EDC]] and Autobots after kidnapping an entire town. Over the preceding few thousand vorns, Shrapnel had apparently lost control of the Insecticons unit, with Bombshell gathering more and more power for himself without Shrapnel even recognizing it. Kickback pointed this out, but the Autobot incursion prevented the conversation from going any farther. Shrapnel got a building dropped on him by [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] {{storylink|Extermination}} before being taken into Autobot custody. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

===The Beast Within===
Shrapnel participated in a brutal battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons. His corpse would be one of many that littered the battlefield as Autobot survivors tried to escape [[Beast (G1)|The Beast]]. {{storylink|The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:Bad Future Insecticons GIJoevsTFsII3.jpg|thumb|left]]
In an alternate future where the Decepticons had conquered Earth, swarms of Insecticons, including Shrapnel-type ones, was a constant menace. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3}}

In the regular timeline, the Decepticons fell into disarray after Megatron's defeat. They were reorganized when [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]] came to Cybertron and took up leadership of the rudderless faction. Under his orders, Shrapnel participated in an attack on an Autobot peace celebration. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}} Shrapnel defended the newly unified Decepticon army's base against a combined Autobot/[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] strike force, though they were defeated eventually nonetheless. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}
{{--}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[All Hail Megatron issue 1|''All Hail Megatron'' #1]]}}

[[File:AllHailMegatron8-Insecticons.jpg|thumb|Yeah, well you're the ones sitting on a pile of manure, manure.]]
Shrapnel, Bombshell, and Kickback were created by [[Deluge (G2)|Deluge]], under supervision by [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]. The Insecticons joined Megatron's forces on Earth, where they helped defeat and capture the local Autobots. The Decepticons then shipped their prisoners off to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] via [[space bridge]], intending to feed them to the failed Insecticon creations known as the [[Insecticon swarm|swarm]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}}

The Insecticons then participated in the attack on [[New York City]], during which Shrapnel took part in destroying some human jets. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}} One of the humans caught in the devastation was [[Marissa Faireborn]], who witnessed the Insecticons' battle with the jets. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 2: Detonation Boulevard|Detonation Boulevard}} After listening to Megatron's victory speech {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}}, the Insecticons traveled to [[China]] and helped wreck [[Beijing]]. There, Shrapnel and Kickback sided with Bombshell when he picked a fight with [[Skywarp (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Skywarp]] and [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]], but the three bugs decided to drop the subject and run away when faced with Skywarp's [[teleportation]] ability. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}} After returning to New York, the Insecticons were approached by [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]], and Shrapnel demanded to know what the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] wanted with them, so Starscream chastised him for being rude to a superior officer. Starscream apologized to the three for their treatment at Skywarp and Thundercracker's hands, then decided it was time to tell them about his vision of the future. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8|All Hail Megatron #8}}

[[File:UneasyLiesTheHead-Shrapnel.jpg|thumb|left]]
The Insecticons subsequently joined Starscream as he rebelled against Megatron, and Shrapnel blasted his former leader with lightning. Unfortunately, this did minimal damage to Megatron, who responded by shooting Shrapnel with his [[fusion cannon]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} The revolt was cut short when human jets from [[Europe]] attacked and the Autobots returned from Cybertron unharmed, {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}} leading to the Decepticons' defeat. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}} As they fled the planet aboard [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], Shrapnel showed Starscream that Megatron was still functioning, which did not please the Seeker in the least. Shrapnel volunteered to stealthily kill Megatron by siphoning his energon, but Starscream felt assassination wouldn't work in his favor. When he saw that Starscream was going to throw the Autobot [[Matrix of Leadership]] down a garbage chute, Shrapnel was shocked and convinced him to keep the artifact as a symbol of leadership. {{storylink|Uneasy Lies the Head}}

[[File:Needlenose kickback shrapnel all his engines.jpg|thumb]]
Unfortunately, Starscream turned out to be a less-than-competent leader, stranding his troops on a desolate asteroid where they had to resort to strict rations or even cannibalism to survive. Upon learning that [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] had been stealing precious fuel for himself, Shrapnel, Kickback and [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]] hunted him down and executed him for his crime. As they proceeded to loot their victim's corpse, Shrapnel was particularly interested in getting his hands on an afterburner. {{storylink|All His Engines}} [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] watched their behavior with curiosity from a nearby building. {{storylink|Shockpoint}}

Shrapnel was controlling the base's defenses with [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]] when the latter detected an incoming Autobot vessel. While Acid Storm was busy panicking, Shrapnel calmly fired missiles at the intruder... not realizing that the wreckage of the ship would come crashing down on top of them afterward. After getting to safety, he returned to scavenge the remains of the ship, and found a weapons locker. An ''empty'' weapons locker. Then [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] shot him in the back with its contents. {{storylink|Heart Like a Wheel}} He survived and was present when a repaired Megatron took back control of the Decepticons. {{storylink|Spotlight: Megatron}}

Megatron would later use [[Space bridge|spacebridge]] technology built into in his new body to summon Shrapnel and the rest of the Decepticons to him on Cybertron. 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 [[Deceptigod|huge monster]]. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}} Following Galvatron's defeat and the reformatting of Cybertron, Shrapnel and the other Decepticons had their fair share of trouble integrating into post-war society. Thankfully Megatron finally showed up, giving them an excuse to riot and cause chaos once more. {{storylink|City on Fire}} He and a group of other Decepticons immediately marched on the Autobot prison and freed Megatron so that he could lead them again. {{storylink|The Verge}}
{{--}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[File:HeartsofSteel2 Shrapnel safes.jpg|thumb|Where the scrap have my colors gone, gone?]]
The Decepticons, including Shrapnel, fought against the Autobots in Earth's distant past until an Ice Age forced them to shut down and wait it out. They awoke in the late 19th century when a failed human submarine crashed onto their submerged ship. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1|Hearts of Steel #1}} As the Decepticons' [[Tobias Muldoon|human ally]] required money to help them, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] ordered the Insecticons to provide some. Shrapnel disguised himself as one end of the "[[Insectrain]]", providing the combined mode with a pair of giant scissor blades to destroy other trains on the railway. The Insecticons robbed a train carrying cash and bullion from the Denver Mint, and despite not seeing the value in human currency, they stuffed Shrapnel's chest cavity full of money and [[gold]]. They delivered the stolen property to Starscream and Tobias Muldoon the following morning. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2|Hearts of Steel #2}} Shrapnel was later present when Starscream announced to his troops that the Autobots had awakened as well. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 3|Hearts of Steel #3}}
{{IDW HOS}}

===''Mini Mayhem!''===
Shrapnel participated in an infiltration of [[BotCon]] to track down next year's toy designs, and use them to conquer the Autobots once and for all! {{storylink|Mini Mayhem!}}

===''Kre-O'' online comic===
[[File:KreO-webcomic-5-Shrapnel.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.5]]
Shrapnel 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''===
[[File:Targetmasters-Insecticons.jpg|thumb|Retro artwork, work.]]
Shrapnel, Bombshell, and Kickback acted as bounty hunters for Megatron. The Insecticon trio brought their king four of the human invaders that had recently been pestering him, after picking them up in the middle of a firefight between G.I. Joe and the Decepticons. The fleshlings escaped, along with a couple of Autobot captives, when [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] tricked Megatron with a holographic projection of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Targetmasters (issue)|Targetmasters}}

Later, after Optimus truly had resurfaced on Cybertron, Shrapnel was in attendance as Megatron dueled against the Autobot leader. When Optimus attempted to deal a killing blow to his opponent, Shrapnel was among the Decepticons to dogpile him, allowing Megatron to blast a hole through Optimus's chest. {{storylink|Pax Megatronus}} The Insecticons were among the Decepticons who gathered under [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] for the final battle with the Autobots and G.I. Joe. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}}

===''Power of the Primes'' marketing material===
The merciless Insecticon Skrapnel could wield powers of the [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]s by linking with [[Prime Master]]s. {{storylink|#Power of the Primes|''Power of the Primes'' Skrapnel packaging bio}}
{{note|For a list of powers manifested by Skrapnel, see [[Prime Master/Combinations|this chart]].}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[Constructicons Rising, Part 2|''Galaxies'' #2]]}}
[[File:ConstructiconsRisingPart2-InsecticonsMetabolizing.jpg|thumb]]
Skrapnel, Bombshell, and Kickback emerged from the [[Forge Pyramid|Pyramid]] in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] as highly aberrant mutants, with the ability to consume any kind of raw material and metabolize it into a highly-efficient form of [[energon]]. Scientists of the time tried and failed to understand their abilities, and eventually turned them loose on Cybertron's waste processing facilities. The three 'bots became a highly efficient recycling team until the [[War of the Threefold Spark]] ravaged the plaent and demanded a different kind of "recycling"—the three joined the war as battlefield cleanup specialists who devoured the dead and dying. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 2}} By the end of the conflict, Autobot leader [[Nominus Prime]] and his new postwar regime grew fearful of what would happen should they develop a taste for the living, rebranded them as the lowly "Insecticons", and reassigned them to the remote colony of [[Mayalx]] to continue their recycling duties.

The three continued their work on Mayalx for some time, but eventually fell in with [[The Rise]], a terrorist cell backed by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. The three worked to recruit disaffected Cybertronians from the colonies to the [[Decepticon|Ascenticon]] movement; when the team discovered the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s, who had also been reassigned to Mayalx, Bombshell saw a valuable set of catspaws that could be manipulated to help the Insecticons gather energon for the cause. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 1}} After first feasting on a dead worker [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] killed by accident, the three Insecticons confronted the Constructicons during one of [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]]'s regular sparring matches and convinced them to turn against the society that had scorned their talents. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 2}} Killing living Cybertronians and eating them alive allowed the three to produce a particularly volatile form of energon that allowed Scrapper's group to combine into [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and massacre the entire colony. The Insecticons gorged themselves senseless on the destruction; by the time that [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast-Off]] arrived to pick them up they'd metabolized a vast bounty of energon for Shockwave. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 4}}

[[File:EscapePartOne-Skrapnel.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|left]]
As part of Shockwave's long-term schemes, the Insecticons returned to Cybertron with Blast-Off under strict orders to stay hidden while he worked on mass-producing a [[Insecticon clone|clone]] army. {{storylink|Escape Part Two}} However, the Insecticons developed a taste for organic matter, and in the chaotic period following [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s takeover of Iacon the three rampaged through the city's [[Xeno-Quarter]] and ransacked the [[A'ovan habitat]] until [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Road Rage (G1)|Road Rage]] drove them off. Realising that they'd need an army to consume everything on Cybertron, the trio returned to Shockwave's bunker to confront the scientist over his delay—unaware that the deceptive scientist didn't actually ''need'' them to finish the process—and Skrapnel warned him that he could not stall them forever. Indeed, Bombshell began his own scheme, and had Skrapnel distract the Decepticon [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] long enough for Bombshell to implant a [[cerebro-shell]] into him. The three set about gathering more energon for their own scheme, and ambushed the Autobots as they guided a refugee convoy out of Iacon's city limits. {{storylink|Escape Part Two}}

Hound's security forces managed to drive them off again. The Insecticons only managed to capture two organic and an Autobot to devour. Still, Skystalker did his work, and soon they had a lair inside an [[immersant]] Titan with fully functional cloning equipment. {{storylink|Escape Part Three}} Their efforts were successful, and soon an entire swarm of Insecticons rose to hunt and devour for them. {{storylink|Escape Part Four}} Kickback and the Insecticons now had a cycle at work, sending out clones to consume raw materials for them, then consuming the clones themselves to make their ultra-energon and power the machines to make more clones, ad infinitum. {{storylink|Escape Part Five}}

Shockwave initially tried taking his equipment back by force, but soon realized the Insecticons had become formidable in their own right. Instead, he negotiated neutrality in exchange for occasionally asking for their services. When [[Termagax]] was detected with the [[Enigma of Combination]] near the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]], Shockwave asked the Insecticons to dispatch their clone swarm on his behalf. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I|Sea of Rust I}}

In time, the Insecticons gave in to their appetites like never before, experiencing exponential predatory growth. The Insecticlones became an existential threat to the very fabric of Cybertron. {{storylink|The Landscape of Fear}} Bombshell even began to turn on Kickback and Skrapnel, badgering them to eat even more to feed his cloning machines. A plan was concocted by Termagax to remove the Insecticons as a threat. A strike team of Autobots infiltrated the Insecticons' hive, and planted a receiver on Bombshell. A complex data bomb was implanted in a captive Insecticlone at Darkmount, fed back to the receiver on Bombshell and, through him, transmitted to the entire swarm. The Insecticlones were reprogrammed to eat only the rust worms, two major threats to Cybertron repurposed to eliminate each other. {{storylink|End of Time}}

===''Transformers vs. the Terminator''===
[[File:EnemyOfMyEnemyPart2-Insecticons.jpg|thumb]]
In 1984, Bombshell, Kickback, and Skrapnel reactivated aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' and took part in the conquest of [[Earth]] after [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] killed the still-dormant [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. By [[2029]], the Decepticons had driven humanity extinct and subjugated the [[Skynet]] defense network, unaware of the machine's plan to build a time machine and retroactively win the war. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Two}} When the Decepticons learned of this betrayal, the three Insecticons joined [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s as they rooted out [[Omega Base]] and eliminated the resistance within—but not before Skynet sent a [[T-800]] Terminator back in time. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part One}}

[[File:EnemyOfMyEnemyPart3-Insecticons.jpg|thumb|left|Remodelling crew, crew.]]
In this new timeline, the T-800 and [[Sarah Connor]] broke into [[Mount St. Hilary]], inadvertently, reactivated Optimus Prime and forced the Decepticons to flee. Once they'd regrouped on Oregon's eastern cost, [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] and [[Reflector (G1)|Refraktor]] returned from a scout mission bringing news of a [[Cyberdyne Systems|nearby robotics factory]], which they promptly besieged. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Two}} The three Insecticons tore the factory apart, looking for any clues related to the mysterious cyborg who'd attacked them, but broke off when the Autobots and their new allies attacked. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Three}} In the ensuing battle, the three Insecticons took on [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]], and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], but the Autobots wound up killing Kickback and incapacitating the other two. Once the Terminator sacrificed himself to kill Megatron, the Autobots brought Skrapnel and the remaining Decepticons into custody... but when they returned to the ''Ark'', they found that the Terminator had double-crossed them and buried their ship beneath a layer of molten magma, killing most of the other Autobots and stranding the rest on Earth. With nowhere else to go, Optimus suggested a truce that the Decepticons accepted. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Four}}
{{--}}

===''My Little Pony/Transformers''===
[[File:StrengthInNumbers-SkrapnelVenom.jpg|thumb]]
While battling the Autobots for control of a malfunctioning [[space bridge|spacebridge]], a magic spell sent Skrapnel and the other Decepticons through to the magical land of [[Equestria]], and the three Insecticons crash-landed on the edge of [[Ponyville]]. {{storylink|Transformation Is Magic}} Once they had [[Insecticon clone|cloned]] themselves, the Insecticons attacked [[Sweet Apple Acres]] and ate their way through [[Applejack]]'s crops until Applejack's many family members drove them off. {{storylink|Strength in Numbers}} Skrapnel regrouped with Megatron as the Decepticon leader launched an attack upon the [[Crystal Empire]]. In the ensuing battle, [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and [[Rarity]] ran him over, and he was soon banished back to Cybertron with the other villains. {{storylink|Finale (Friendship in Disguise!)|Finale}}
{{--}}

==Commercial appearances==
Shrapnel, Bombshell, and Kickback led an enormous swarm of Insecticons to attack a farm. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Insecticons|Insecticons commercial}}

==Games==
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
{{Note|Shrapnel is a non-playable character. He appears among the legion of Decepticon duplicates in the Autobot campaign.}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)}}

===Transformers Legends===
Sharpshot and [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] helped [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] defeat [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]. {{storylink|The War Within}}

Chafing under Megatron's rule, Sharpshot and his fellow Insecticons began raiding energy storage and high-energy research facilities worldwide. The energy gave them increased size and power, and it was only when the Autobots and Decepticons formed an alliance that they were able to be stopped. {{storylink|Harvest of the Insecticons}} When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] returned to Earth with new troops in the form of [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], the Insecticons managed to ambush them. {{storylink|Junkion Reunion}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsSkrapnel.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8]]
Skrapnel participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Super Rare character who could be recruited by collecting 250 units of Cybermetal, 75 units of Transmetal, and 10 cores of this character. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers: Devastation''===
{{charstubgames|{{storylink|Transformers: Devastation}}}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:Skrapnel-Earth-Wars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75| The only game where I do not have a speech quirk, quirk.]]
To say Skrapnel enjoys his work is an understatement. Relishes it maybe. Or revels in it. The agonized screams of his victims as their circuits pop and fry is all the reward Skrapnel needs. It's akin to an actor and applause.

When super-charged electrical bolts burst out of his antennae and scramble the microchips of an opponent, Skrapnel opens his audio receptors to the max, and his corresponding victory cry can be heard for miles around. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Skrapnel character bio}}

Skrapnel was summoned and brought to Earth after the final battle for the [[Codex Key]]. He helped retrieve the completed map the Decepticons needed by stealing it from an Autobot outpost. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars| Transformers: Earth Wars - The Codex Showdown Campaign}}

Skrapnel was assigned by Straxus to capture the Dinobot Slog. He and the other insecticons fled when the [[Torchbearer]]s showed up, but not before making a clever pun. {{storylink| Transformers: Earth Wars/Events|Dark Deeds}}

*'''Class:''' Special
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 2 star
*'''Weapons:''' Skrapnel uses an electrical beam that stuns and damages its target. Doesn't do that much damage though. He can also backflip to dodge Auto Cannon and Mortar shots.
*'''Ability: EMP Grenade''' - Skrapnel fires off an EMP grenade in a short range that explodes, dealing 33% damage over time, and stunning all buildings in the given area over 6 seconds (level 1)
**'''Cost''': 2 ability points +2 for reuses.

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:skrapnel Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki Skrapnel Page]
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
[[File:G1-toy Shrapnel.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|The extra fins make my gun shoot better, better.]]
*'''Shrapnel''' (Insecticon, [[1985]])
**''Takara ID number:'' '''42'''
**''Accessories'': [[Gamma ray detonator]]
{{toydesigner|[[Takashi Matsuda]] (TakaraTomy)}}

:Released early in the second year of [[Hasbro]]'s ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|The Transformers]]'' toyline, Shrapnel is a [[redeco]] of the ''[[Diaclone]]'' Waruder Insecter Robo "[[Kuwagatrer]]" toy, transforming into a robotic [[Popular beast alternate modes#Stag beetles (family Lucanidae)|stag beetle]]. As a ''Diaclone'' mold he has a "pilot compartment" revealed by opening his clear-yellow chest, but on its own there's not much you can do with it.

: Like the other Insecticons, he has a variation on his chromed parts, but this one is on his gun. Some Shrapnels have "fins" on the very back-end of the rifle and a more detailed main barrel, while others (obviously) lack those details. The extra-detail versions appear to be a later run.

: In Japan, Shrapnel and the other "Insectrons" were part of the first year of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'' series, with the original simpler gun style. The trio were subsequently "re-released" as mail-order items from 1987 through 1990, a the cost of 880 yen (their normal retail price) and two [[Robot Point]]s; it seems (but has not been confirmed) that the Insecticons offered through mail-away offers were Hasbro-packaged releases, thus it's possible the later extra-details-gun version might have been made available in Japan that way.

: Shrapnel's [[package art]] depicts him with two left arms.

: This mold was used to make the [[Zaptrap#Toys|Zaptrap]] drones.

::*''[http://www.transformerland.com/wiki/toy-info/transformers-insecticons-shrapnel/878/ Patent info, price guide, and further reading on Shrapnel at Transformerland.com]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Decepticon/Shrapnel/shrapnel.htm More information on Shrapnel at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===''The Transformers Collection''===
*'''Insectrons''' (Multi-pack, [[2004]])
**''ID number'': '''16'''
**''Accessories'': [[gamma ray detonator]]

: Shrapnel was released as part of the Japanese ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' series in a set with [[Bombshell (G1)#The Transformers Collection|Bombshell]] and [[Kickback (G1)#The Transformers Collection|Kickback]]. This set also included three [[energon cube]] accessories that fit inside their chest compartments.

: The Shrapnel in this set has the lower-detail rifle, presumably in order to keep it closer to the original-original release, especially considering the accompanying [[Zaptrap#Toys|''Diaclone''-colors redeco]].

{{-}}
===''Universe'' (2008)===
*'''Insecticons''' (Multi-pack, [[2009]])
**''Accessories'': [[gamma ray detonator]]

: Shrapnel was re-released as a [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]] in the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' line, in a set with his Insecticon pals. Like with his 2007 ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' incarnation (see below), Shrapnel has been renamed for [[trademark]] reasons, this time to "Sharpshot". Likewise, [[Bombshell (G1)#Universe (2008)|Bombshell]]'s name has been changed to "Hardshell", a name previously used for his Robot Hero.

: This version uses the more detailed version of the gun.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/CSSharpshot/sharpshot.htm More information on ''Universe'' Sharpshot at TFU.info.]''

{{-}}
===''Generations''===
[[File:Generationstoy-SkrapnelReflector.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Shutterbug, bug.]]
*'''Skrapnel & Reflector''' (Legends Class, [[2014]])
**''Series / Number'': '''02 / #007'''
{{toydesigner|[[Joe Kyde]] and [[John Warden]] (Hasbro)}}

:Part of the sixth wave of 2012-onwards ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' Legends Class toys, ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' "Skrapnel" (so renamed for trademark reasons... again) is a new mold that is roughly the size of a ''[[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]]'' Commander Class toy, and is thus roughly the same size as his original toy. He draws both from his original G1 character model and from his ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' artwork,<ref>[https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/96686-generations-legends-targetmaster-moulds/page-2#entry2424550 Designer Joe Kyde on "The Allspark" messageboard, 2013/11/11]</ref> once again transforming into a robotic interpretation of a stag beetle. Similar to his original toy, the red visor seen in the cartoon is left painted silver like the rest of his face. He is partnered with [[Reflector (G1)#Generations|Reflector]], a smaller robot that mixes elements of [[Viewfinder]]'s character model with his toy. Reflector can transform into a camera or a weapon modeled after Shrapnel's grenade launcher, both of which Skrapnel can wield via its [[5 mm post|5mm post]], or mount onto Skrapnel's back in insect mode.

:While initially announced under the name "Sharpshot" at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2013<ref name="sdcc13">[https://news.tfw2005.com/2013/07/18/transformers-prime-and-30th-panels-sdcc-2013-live-178032 San Diego Comic-Con 2013 report] and [https://news.tfw2005.com/2013/07/18/sdcc-2013-generations-legends-official-images-178044 stock photos] at TFW2005.</ref>, it eventually turned out that Hasbro had found a better trademark-friendly alternative that was much closer to the character's original name (differing by only one letter) when packaging stock photos were revealed four months later.<ref name="official">[https://news.tfw2005.com/2013/11/08/generations-legends-cosmos-with-payload-and-skrapnel-with-reflector-official-in-package-images-178741 Thrilling 30 Legends Skrapnel & Reflector stock photos revealed].</ref>

:Skrapnel was redecoed into [[BotCon 2015]] [[Zaptrap#Timelines|Zaptrap]] and ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|Adventure]]'' [[Shrapnel (RID)#Adventure|Shrapnel]] and retooled into [[Chop Shop (G1)#Combiner Wars|Chop Shop]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2014/Decepticon/GenSkrapnel/skrapnel.htm More information on ''Generations'' Skrapnel at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Kre-O''===
[[File:KreO-Toy Skrapnel.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|Zapskrap, skrap.]]
*'''Skrapnel''' (Kreon Micro-Changer, 2014)
**''Bag number'': '''*****45'''
**''Accessories'': stand brick, scoped pistol

:Part of the fifth assortment of [[blindpacking|blind-bagged]] [[Kreon]] [[Micro-Changer]]s, Skrapnel can be rebuilt from robot mode into a stag beetle. His design uses the original toy as a base, but the detailing is ''very'' much in line with the then-current ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Prime]]'' styling.

:His coloration is a lot closer to the original Shrapnel toy's ''[[Diaclone]]'' release (which was later turned into the Insecticon clone [[Zaptrap]]).

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2014/Decepticon/Kre-OSkrapnel/skrapnel.htm More information on Skrapnel at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|SDCC2014}}
[[File:KreO-Toy SkrapnelC84.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|My [[Bombshell (G1)|Insecticon]] [[Kickback (G1)|buddies]] don't appear until next year, next year.]]
*'''Kreon Class of 1984''' (Kreon figure set, 2014)
**''Set number'': '''B0090'''
**''Voted'': Most Repetitive, Repetitive
**''Accessories'': [[Klingon]] disruptor

:This version of Skrapnel is based on the original toy, featuring extensive toy-based [[tampograph]]s. His blaster originally hails from the ''Kre-O [[Star Trek]]'' line.

:He was only available in a [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2014 [[exclusive]] pack of 30 Kreons dubbed the "[[Kreon Class of 1984]]". Remaining stock was to be sold at [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] online, only there ''was'' no remaining stock after the show.

:Though the original Shrapnel toy was not released until 1985, Shrapnel-the-character first appeared in the first season of the cartoon in 1984 (only just barely), so his inclusion in the set is fairly justifiable. His teammates [[Bombshell (G1)#SDCC2015|Bombshell]] and [[Kickback (G1)#SDCC2015|Kickback]], however, would not appear in this format until the "[[Kreon Class of '85]]" set the following year.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2014/Decepticon/SDCCKre-OSkrapnel/skrapnel.htm More information on Class of 1984 Skrapnel at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Platinum Edition''===
[[File:TF-Platinum-Edition-Shrapnel.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Insecticons''' (Platinum Edition 3-pack, [[2015]])
**''Accessories'': gamma ray detonator, energon cube

:Part of the ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' Insecticon 3-pack along with Bombshell and Kickback, this figure (named "Skrapnel" due to [[trademark]] reasons) is yet another reissue of the Generation 1 toy. He also includes an Energon cube accessory from ''The Transformers Collection'' release. Like his ''The Transformers Collection'' & unlike the ''Universe (2008)'' release, this Shrapnel doesn't use the detailed gun.

:Unfortunately, ''Platinum Edition'' Skrapnel has shown signs of mold deterioration on his right foot.

:This set was releaed as a [[Kmart]] exclusive in the United States. However, it was also stocked by US-based online retailers [[BigBadToyStore]] and TFSource, who supposedly obtained it as an import from Asia. It was available in several of Hasbro's Asian markets (namely Singapore, the Philippines and China; it's currently unknown whether it was exclusive to any particular stores there or not). In Canada and Australia, it was sold at [[Toys"R"Us]] stores, whereas in the United Kingdom, it was officially available via the UK division of [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] and A1Toys. In Germany, it was originally available via Bankroft, an online retailer that otherwise specializes in [[Nerf]] blasters and accessories, as part of a special "Fan Edition" arrangement through Hasbro Germany, with the help of several German [[fandom|fan]] sites. Due to low sales, the unsold stock was later sold to Actionfiguren24, a German online retailer that specializes in imported toys, who was able to lower its price for its existing stock of imported Insecticon sets as a result.
{{--}}

===''Power of the Primes''===
[[File:TF-POTP-Legends-Class-Skrapnel.jpg|upright=1.6|thumb|I'm missing an accessory, accessory. Buy me, me!]]
*'''Skrapnel''' (Legends Class, [[2018]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''PP-33'''
**''Japanese release date'': '''[[October 27]], 2018'''
{{toydesigner|[[John Warden]] (Hasbro)}}

:''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' Skrapnel is a slight redeco of ''Thrilling 30'' Skrapnel without [[Reflector (G1)#Generations|Reflector]], sporting darker purple plastic, slightly lighter yellow paint, and a barely different paint application pattern on the legs. Unfortunately, as is the case with his previous release, his visor remains silver rather than red.

:As a straight re-release of a figure from a line predating ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'', this means he features no retooling. Therefore, unlike other Legends Class figures in the line, he features no integrated means for [[Prime Master]]s to interact with him. However, one can make use of the port on the back of his insect mode, which was originally meant for Reflector, to mount a decoy armor in weapon mode with a Prime Master attached.

:The instruction booklet omits the fact that, when you rotate his arms around to his back to transform him, there are a pair of small tabs on his back that the little slots on top of his arms fit onto. This makes his alternate mode more solid, and less likely to come apart. [[Prime Master/Combinations|All variants]] of the trading cards included with Skrapnel erroneously have an Autobot symbol next to his name on the bottom. This does not affect the packaging and the figure itself, which still correctly have Decepticon symbols.

:Though designated for a first quarter 2018 release, Skrapnel's wave reached U.S. store shelves in November 2017.

:Perhaps owing to basically being a rerelease, Skrapnel turned out to be a fairly reliable [[shelfwarmer]], even throughout future waves of the line.
{{--}}

===''Legacy''===
[[File:TF-Legacy-Deluxe-Class-Shrapnel.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|I got my name back, back!]]
*'''Shrapnel''' (Deluxe Class, [[2023]])
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''TL-32'''
**''TakaraTomy release date'': [[August 26]], 2023
**''Accessories'': [[gamma ray detonator]], 2 insect back legs/blasters
{{toydesigner|[[Mark Maher]] (Hasbro)<ref>[[January 31]], [[2023]]'s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l33J9hIaQm8 Hasbro Pulse Transformers Fanstream] on YouTube, with [[Delaney Norris]], [[Evan Brooks]], [[Mark Maher]] and [[Ben MacCrae]].</ref>, [[Shuhei Umezu]] (TakaraTomy)<ref>[[June 20]], [[2023]]'s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjLY0uamTKM Hasbro Pulse Transformers Fanstream] on YouTube, with [[Ben MacCrae]], [[Mark Maher]], [[Evan Brooks]], and [[Rich Pellegrino]]</ref>}}

: Part of the second wave of ''[[Transformers: Legacy#Evolution (2023)|Legacy: Evolution]]'' Deluxe Class toys, Shrapnel (he got his name back!) is a cartoon-accurate version of the character with painted details akin to his original toy, and transforms into a robotic stag beetle in 11 steps. This version of the character features back legs for the insect mode, which can detach and become blasters in robot mode. As part of his [[Evo-Fusion]] capability, these two smaller weapons can also combine with the gamma ray detonator to form a larger rifle. The detonator rifle itself, cast in purple and painted over with silver paint, is based on the extra-detail version of the original toy's rifle. In an undocumented feature, it can be attached to the underside of his stag beetle mode for a more symmetrical appearance than storing it on his beetle abdomen as depicted in his instructions.

: Reports from customers suggest that many copies mistakenly come with two identical back leg/blasters, instead of two that mirror each other. Additionally, the gray plastic has been reported on a few scant copies to be a bronzish color instead, most prominently on the mandibles and head covers for his insect mode. Whether this is an accidental usage of a different plastic or rapid [[Unpaintable_plastic#Photodegradation|yellowing]] on a few samples remains to be seen.

:Shrapnel was later retooled into his fellow Insecticon [[Bombshell (G1)#Legacy|Bombshell]].

{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Decoy===
*'''Shrapnel''' (Decoy, [[1987]])
:Shrapnel was one of the Decepticon [[Decoy]]s packed in with smaller carded ''Transformers'' toys. While the normal purple version could be included with any Decepticon toy, the rarer red version was available ''only'' on [[Throttlebot]] cards and only for a short while before the switch to purple.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Decoys/Shrapnel/shrapnel.htm More information on Decoy Shrapnel at TFU.info.]''

*'''Destron Hero Collection-22 Set''' (Decoy multi-pack, 1987)

:The entire run of twenty-two Decepticon Decoys were sold as a single boxed set in Japan, only in purple.

===Hard Hero===
[[File:HardHero Shrapnel statue.JPG|upright=0.85|thumb|Stop! In the name of love, love.]]
*'''Shrapnel''' ([[2003]])
:The second installment of [[Hard Hero]]'s "Insecticon Series", Shrapnel is a 9-inch cold-cast porcelain statue sculpted by [[Jason Ray]]. Only 1000 pieces of the statue were produced.
{{--}}

===''Robot Heroes''===
[[File:G1 RobotHeroes RodimusVsInsecticon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.22|The world's cutest psycho, psycho.]]
*'''Rodimus & Insecticon''' (Two-pack, [[2007]])
{{toydesigner|[[Bill Rawley]] (Hasbro)|[[Marcelo Matere]] (concept artist)}}
:As part of the ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' line of PVC figurines, "Insecticon" (so named because Hasbro was unable to acquire the [[trademark]] to "Shrapnel") is a two-inch tall soft-plastic figurine in an adorable "super-deformed" style. He has swivels at the shoulders and neck.

:"Insecticon" was available in a two-pack with fellow trademark-loss refugee, [[Hot Rod (G1)/merchandise#Robot Heroes|Rodimus]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Decepticon/RHInsecticon/insecticon.htm More information on ''Robot Heroes'' Insecticon at TFU.info.]''

{{anchor|RHBlindpack}}
*'''Insecticon''' (Single-pack, 2008)
:In some countries outside of North America, "Insecticon" was released individually in a blindpack with no notable changes.
{{--}}

===''The Loyal Subjects''===
*'''Shrapnel''' (2014)
{{charstubtoys}}

{{anchor|The Loyal Subjects Gamestop}}
*'''Shrapnel''' (Gamestop exclusive, 2014)
{{charstubtoys}}

===Transformers Trading Card Game===
[[File:W1Skrapnel.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Insecticon Skrapnel, Insecticon Leader''' (2018)
**'''Wave 1'''
**''Rarity: '''''RT'''
**''Card Number: '''''T23/T40'''
**''Stars: ''7
:'''Insecticon Skrapnel, Insecticon Leader''' is one of forty double-sided character cards available in Wave 1 of the [[Transformers Trading Card Game]].

:The artwork on the card is reused from the ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' mobile card game, with line-art for both Bot and Alt-mode by [[Dan Khanna]].
{{-}}

[[File:W3SergeantSkrapnel.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Sergeant Skrapnel, Infantry-Electronic Warfare''' (2019)
**'''Wave 3: War for Cybertron: Siege I'''
**''Rarity: '''''CT'''
**''Card Number: '''''T44/T48'''
**''Stars: ''9
:Sergeant Skrapnel, Infantry-Electronic Warfare is one of forty-eight double-sided character cards available in Wave 3 of the [[Transformers Trading Card Game]], War for Cybertron: Siege I.

:The card uses reused line-art from the ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' mobile game, with new colors by [[Harvey Bunda]] to match the aesthetic of the ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]'' toyline's packaging art.
{{--}}

===''Keshi Surprise''===
*'''Decepticons''' (2018)
:The ''[[Keshi Surprise]]'' series by [[Super7]] consisted of 1.75" soft rubber figures in a style deliberately resembling the 1980s [[Decoy]]s. These [[blind-packed]] figures were sold individually or in cases depicting only their faction. Shrapnel was available in red, orange, blue, and purple and included a foil trading sticker.

===ReAction===
*'''Shrapnel''' (2020)
**''Accessories'': [[ion blaster]]
:Released in the second wave of [[Super7]]'s line of multi-property 3.75-inch "retro" action figures, ''[[ReAction]]'' Shrapnel is a non-converting 3 3/4-inch action figure based on his appearance in the original cartoon, with 5 points of articulation (swivel neck, shoulders, hips) and holes in his feet for use with some variety of stand. He comes with a blaster which can only be held in his left hand, an oddity in the line as most figures can only hold weapons in their right hands.

:As with all releases in the ''ReAction'' toyline, Shrapnel comes packaged on a small cardback that emulates the nostalgic packaging style of [[Kenner]]'s ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' action figures from the late 1970s to early '80s.

===Eaglemoss===
*'''Transformers Gen-1 Chess Set''' (<s>2021</s>)
:In the planned [[Chess#Eaglemoss|Transformers Chess Set]] by [[Eaglemoss]], a relatively large and very well detailed statue of Shrapnel was slated to be one of the Pawn pieces on the Decepticon side.

:A Kickstarter campaign to raise the necessary funds for this project was launched, but failed to meet its goal by September 24, 2021 and the whole thing was canceled.
{{canceledtoy}}

==Notes==
*Shrapnel, along with [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], had his gender switched from male to female in the French dub of ''The Transformers: The Movie''. It is unknown why this change was effected, but it's most likely because of the character's high-pitched voice. The change did not happen in the cartoon, as it had used a different dubbing team from the movie. The change is especially ironic, given that only male stag beetles have the large pincers of Shrapnel's alt-mode.
**His gender was also switched in the Russian dub, mainly because Shrapnel is a feminine noun in Russian.
*In the Japanese dub of ''The Transformers'', Shrapnel retained his speech quirk of repeating words and phrases (as well as his gender). However, the dub was less consistent with the quirk and he only repeated himself from time to time. Also, Shrapnel's lightning blasting abilities were given a name, the "Thunder Attack", in true anime special move fashion.
*Shrapnel's [[package art]] for his Hasbro and [[Milton Bradley]] releases hilariously depicts him with two left hands. For Takara's Japanese release, this error was corrected.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Sharpnel''' (シャープネル ''Shāpuneru''), '''Shrapnel''' (シュラプネル ''Shurapuneru''), '''Skrapnel''' (スクラプネル ''Sukurapuneru'')
*''French:'' '''Éclats D'Obus''' (Canada, "Shrapnel")
*''Hebrew:'' '''Mitsrár''' (מצרר, "Cluster Bomb")
*''Italian:'' '''Rantrox'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Dànpiàn''' (弹片, "Shrapnel")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Estilhaço''' (Portugal comic), '''Metralha''' (Brazil comic), '''Estilhaço''' (Brazil comic), '''Granada''' (Brazil Beast Wars)
*''Russian:'' '''Shrapnel''' (Шрапнель ''Shrapnel<nowiki>'</nowiki>'')
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Shrapnel''' (ICTV, Шрапнель ''Shrapnel<nowiki>'</nowiki>'')

===Gallery===
<gallery>
File:PowerOfThePrimes-Skrapnel-CardArt.jpg|''Power of the Primes''
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Generations Selects Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Decepticons]]
[[Category:Insecticons]]
[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legacy Decepticons]]
[[Category:Mail order items]]
[[Category:Platinum Edition]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Second Cybertron Alliance]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Variable gender characters]]

Kickback (G1)

2023-06-30T06:25:59Z

{{factions|decepticon|ascenticon}}
{{disambig3|Kickback}}
:''Kickback is a [[Decepticon]] [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:GenesisKickback.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|So Bombshell controls minds, Shrapnel controls electricity, and... I kick things? I call do-over!]]
'''Kickback''' is one of the most charming, likable beings you're ever likely to meet. He collects friends the way others do [[energon cube]]s. Scratch the surface, though, and you find a manipulative blackmailer that loves digging up dirt on his new "pals" to force them to work for him. Humans are particularly likely to fall prey to his honeyed words. In [[beast mode|insect mode]] his super-charged legs allow him to jump great distances and kick through solid steel, though he's vulnerable in that mode when attempting to fly through high winds.

{{quote|Friend is another word for fool.|Kickback's [[bio]] quote.}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Clive Revill]] (English), [[Toshio Ishii]] (Japanese), [[Yū Shimaka]] (Japanese, "Traitor" & "The Insecticon Syndrome"), [[Masashi Ebara]] (Japanese, "The Revenge of Bruticus"), [[Yoku Shioya]] (Japanese, "The Movie") |[[Gu Guoyi]] (Chinese), [[Edgar Wald]] (Latin American), [[Thomas Albus]] (German, "The Movie" TV dub), [[Ulf-Jürgen Wagner]] (German, ''Generation 2'' dub), [[Jacques Ferrière]] (European French), [[Francis Lax]] (European French, "Traitor"), [[Carlos Seidl]] (Portuguese, "A Plague of Insecticons" & "Traitor"), [[Hélio Ribeiro]] (Portuguese, "The Insecticon Syndrome"), [[Márcio Simões]] (Portuguese, "Quest for Survival"), [[Roberto Pirillo]] (Portuguese, "The Revenge of Bruticus"), [[Dario Lourenço]] (Portuguese, "The Movie" TV dub), [[Jorge Pires]] (Portuguese, "The Movie" Fox Kids dub), [[Zoltán F. Nagy]] (Hungarian, "The Movie", 2nd dub)}}
[[File:PlagueInsecticons Kickback harvester.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|GRASSHOPPER KICK!]]
Kickback, [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], and [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] landed on [[Earth]] in their own space pod before the [[Ark (G1)|Autobot ship]] arrived on Earth. Their pod crashed into the region of [[Bali]] that would become known as "[[Demon Swamp]]" and their [[idento-computer]]s adapted them to transform into giant robot insects and eat organic food to survive.

The existence of the "Insecticons" became known to both the Autobots and Decepticons after they began attacking villagers rowing though, and Megatron formed an alliance with them. The Insecticons’ unique powers proved an asset. Kickback, in particular was able to disable [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]]'s transform circuit with a well-placed blow, and knock both [[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]] and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] back down when they tried aerial assaults (he also made short work of a combine, though that was more about goofing off). Later, the three rejoined Megatron at a nearby refinery, dining on the tasty oil. They aided the Decepticons in trying to drive off the attacking Autobots, but when the tide turned in the Autobot's favor, Kickback and the others decided instead to simply eat all the [[energon cube]]s the Decepticons had been harvesting and scram, with Megatron angrily in pursuit. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

[[File:KickbackLavaIntro.JPG|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Kickback emerges from the Tang.]]
Megatron didn't hold his grudge against the Insecticons for long. When the Autobots invaded the canyon when Megatron was working with stolen electro-cells, he had the trio summoned to provide additional support in return for a reward. Kickback even scored a successful, though ultimately non-fatal, shot against Optimus Prime. Kickback thought the two energon cubes given as payment was pretty good though his companions disagreed, calling it "measly" when compared to the haul Megatron was pulling in. The trio only grew more agitated when the cubes went missing with a Decepticon insignia in its place. The Insecticons went back to the canyon, confronting the Decepticons, but Megatron was able to calm them when he figured out it was [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] framing him. The threesome partook in a Decepticon trap using Mirage. However, they retreated once the electro-cells were destroyed in the battle which knocked the Decepticons out. {{storylink|Traitor (episode)|Traitor}}

[[File:InsecticonsCaveInsectionSyndrome.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|"Don't worry, buddy, buddy. If Blackarachnia doesn't want to go out with you, that's her loss, loss."]]
On one occasion, the Insecticons were chowing down on redwoods in a national forest when [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] arrived on the scene and attempted to stop them. Despite the equal odds, the Insecticons managed to overpower their Autobot opponents and send them into retreat after launching a massive fallen tree trunk at the heroes (naturally, Kickback used his legs to push the tree instead of his arms like the others). Megatron then arrived and offered a deal: if he led the Insecticons to a fresh new source of energy, they would aid him in acquiring some useful data from the heavily guarded [[Iron Mountain]] installation. Agreeing, the Insecticons accompanied the Decepticons to the [[Nova Power Core]], an energy source of considerable power. Consuming it, the Insecticons found themselves more than doubling in size and strength.

Naturally, both groups of 'Cons planned to eliminate each other at the most opportune opportunity, but the Insecticons got the upper hand by secretly placing all of Megatron's troops under the control of Bombshell's [[cerebro-shell]]s. Kickback and the others planned to use [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] to acquire Iron Mountain's data for themselves, but little did they know that the Nova Power in their systems was explosively unstable. With the help of the Megatron, the Autobots attempted to forcibly administer an antidote to the Insecticons which would reverse their invincibility and self-destruct cycles. Kickback tried to escape with Soundwave, but was felled with a blast of antidote. With Shrapnel and Bombshell also returned to normal, the three fled to fight another day. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}}

[[File:QuestForSurvival Insecticons.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Kicking it old school.]]
Again, the Decepticons and the Insecticons buried the hatchet. The Insecticons built up a massive [[Insecticon clone|clone army]], and were using them to provide energy to the Decepticons. Again, Megatron was shortchanging them on their reward. Their clone forces allowed them to easily repel Autobot attacks and made them too threatening to the world's food supply. When [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] had crashed in a valley, carrying a batch of new [[robotic insecticide]], [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] was sent to warn the Insecticons to stay clear of that area. Not surprisingly, they didn't believe the sincerity of the warning. And, yes, Kickback gave Thrust a good kick for some laughs. After dodging some missiles from the angry [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]], they went straight to the crash site to investigate. There, Insecticons found a field of [[Morphobot]]s, plants that eat robotic matter. Not realizing the danger, they took their clone army right into the field to feed and instead had their entire group devoured with only Kickback, Bombshell, and Shrapnel escaping.{{storylink|Quest for Survival}}

Eventually, Kickback and company built up another clone army and went back to their usual tricks, now ravaging cities for energy, with the Autobots rushing to drive them out. When there was trouble on Cybertron, Optimus Prime tried to highjack the Decepticon [[space bridge]], but The Insecticons ran off with the bridge's control panel. They apparently couldn't resist nibbling on the thing, because when Megatron later found them in a parking garage they had chewed it up. They dropped the panel and ran before they were chewed out themselves. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

[[File:TFTM SquashedKickback.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Well, it was inevitable that he of all people would kick the bucket.]]
When the Decepticons invaded [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] on Earth in [[2005]], a keen-eyed [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] spotted their hijacked shuttle before they were able to penetrate the city's defenses. As a result, the Autobots had time to activate the base's heavily armored transformation sequence, and the Decepticons were forced to physically breach the defenses. Kickback and Shrapnel attempted to eat their way into the city, but kept their eyes on their stomachs and were caught off guard by the returning Hot Rod and [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]]. Kup used Kickback's head as a ramp to jump his way into the closing city, flattening the Insecticon's head in the process.

Heavily damaged, Kickback was carried by [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] back to [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] as the Decepticons bolted. He proved too weak to resist when the 'Cons tossed him and several other weakened warriors out of the shuttle to lighten the load. His body was then used by [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] to create a [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]] drone, to serve under [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Kickback’s involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic mini-series "[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]."}}

[[File:KickbackShrapnelFFOD1.JPG|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Still kickin'?]]
Either he got better or that was an identical clone, because when the Decepticons were running extremely low on energon, he and Shrapnel were with the others on [[Chaar]] to scrap over what little energon the Decepticons had left. They were shot at by [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and the Sweeps before flying away. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

All three Insecticons, along with the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] and Soundwave, were then seen on Earth trying to stop [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], [[Marissa Faireborn]], and [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] from delivering the [[Transformation cog]] to [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. They were trampled by Sky Lynx. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}
{{-}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}}}}

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic====
[[File:Manga3 Outback Kickback.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Punch back, Kickback!]]
Along with the other Insecticons, Kickback took part in an attack on [[Kyushu]]. The [[Four-Wheel Drive Corps]] responded, but the attack turned out to be an ambush as the Insecticons trapped the Autobots in a volcanic crater. Luckily, the Four-Wheel Drive Corps was able to "combine" and perform the fearsome "Four-Wheel Drive Combination Scrumbuster" attack. The blast of energy was so powerful that it sent the Insecticons fleeing in terror (also, Kickback got decked in the jaw by [[Outback (G1)|Outback]]). {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Legacy VS500 Collection Special Comic''=====
Kickback was a spectator of the second week of the [[Speedia 500]] on [[Velocitron]]. {{storylink|Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 3}}

=====Metrowars=====
In the mid-2030s, Kickback piloted the ''[[Thunder Arrow]]'' to extract [[Metrobomb]] after he'd stolen vital secrets from [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. Before he and Metrobomb could escape, however, a manipulator arm from Metroplex caught the ship and used an energy surge to fry the stolen data. {{storylink|Metrowars 2}}

=====Train Wars=====
On a later attempt, Kickback managed to get a hold of another copy of the data and was about to rendezvous with the ''[[Thunder Arrow]]'' when it was revealed to be actually [[Shouki]] in disguise! With his partner [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]]'s electric bow mode, Shouki was able to destroy the data and send Kickback blasting away. {{storylink|Train Wars}}

=====''Legends'' comic=====
At one time the Insecticons attempted to use their clones to eat their way across the universe, but they were foiled by [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] and the clones were destroyed. Kickback later learned that [[Blowpipe (G1)|Blowpipe]] had the ability to mass-produce clones and, deciding to try again, traveled to the [[Legends World]] and stole away the Targetmaster. Blowpipe let him create miniature clones of himself as well as convert other people into clones, granting him a clone army that he set loose upon the Legends World to devour materials and convert them into energon for him. He was defeated by [[Clouder]], who froze him with an [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]] before taking care of the clones. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 47|Bonus Edition Vol. 47}}

====''Mars Attacks: The Transformers''====
[[File:Mars attacks the insecticons.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
The three Insecticons were among Decepticon forces who formed an alliance with the Autobots during a [[Martian]] invasion. They saved [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] and [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] from some of the Martians' giant ants. {{storylink|Mars Attacks: The Transformers}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
In an unstable amalgam universe created by the machinations of [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]] and [[Gong (GoBots)|Gong]], Kickback was one of the many Decepticons who assaulted [[Autobot City (G1)|Guardian City]] in the year 2005. He was soon shot down by [[Leader-1 (GoBots)|Leader-1]] when the [[Guardian (GoBots)|Guardian]] leader arrived. After history blipped again to include ''both'' Decepticons and Renegades, the Kickback and Shrapnel aboard Astrotrain were replaced by [[Screw Head]] and [[Crain Brain]] as the wounded villains reformatted by Unicron into the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]]. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}

====''Deviations''====
In an alternate timeline where [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] killed [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] in the [[Battle of Autobot City]], Kickback was damaged during the conflict and was thrown out of [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] with other weakened Decepticons in the aftermath of the battle. They drifted through space till they were consumed by [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]].

"Another" Kickback was still around to witness [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s coronation and the approach of Unicron. {{Storylink|Transformers: Deviations|Deviations}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Straxusholdscourt.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Kickback was one of Lord [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]'s warriors operating out of [[Polyhex]]. Along with his fellow Insecticons and the [[conehead]]s, he pursued another sextet of Autobots who had just carried out some sort of raid on the [[smelting pool]], only to be forced to retreat by a torrent of liquid metal that had just been siphoned off of it. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}} Later, he was present for the testing of the testing of the new [[space bridge]] and when an [[Cybertron Seven|Autobot resistance cell]] destroyed [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]], he was sent flying in the subsequent explosion. {{Storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}}

[[File:Kickback target 2006.jpg|thumb|left]]
''Identified as one of the Decepticons' [[Ten Deadliest Killers]], Kickback was targeted by the [[Wreckers]] in [[Operation: Volcano]] and they trained against a [[facsimile construct]] of him. Scouting ahead of the rest of the Decepticons on information [[Autobot traitor|acquired]] by Shrapnel, he was fooled into believing that [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]] was meeting with the [[Autobot resistance chief]]s at the [[Imperial Amphitheatre]], though in reality these too were facsimile constructs. Just as Kickback and the other Decepticons were about to walk into the trap, they were inadvertently saved by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], who called them to Earth.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

[[File:Kickback aerialbots over america.jpg|thumb|Kickback gets to use his special power!]]
Upon arriving on Earth, Kickback and his fellow Insecticons infiltrated [[Hoover Dam]] alongside Megatron, with Kickback using his special power to kick down a door. They summoned the [[Conehead]]s and an enormous drill across the space bridge in an attempt to drain the dam, using the [[water]] to drive massive turbines on Cybertron and when the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] arrived to stop them, Kickback again used his special power to kick [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] off the dam. Ultimately their plan was foiled when the human [[Ricky Vasquez]] broke Megatron's mental control over him and the Insecticons helped their leader to retreat. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}}

''Kickback, [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], and [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] took control of a [[NASA]] space monitoring facility near [[Mount St. Hilary]]. [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] engaged the Decepticons but Jetfire made the mistake of going after Kickback, who promptly transformed, shrinking to insect size and effectively disappearing. This gave Dirge the opportunity to knock Trailbreaker down and escape with Soundwave.'' {{storylink|The Gift}}

Under [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]]'s command, Kickback participated in a raid on an [[oil tanker]] alongside the [[conehead]]s and his fellow Insecticons. Though he was eager to put his "legendary" talent of persuasion to use on the ship's crew, Bombshell instead used one of his cerebro-shells to locate the vessel's control room, as they were pressed for time. Though the Decepticons were successful in securing the ship, they discovered after the fact that it had already dispensed its cargo, leaving them with no fuel for their efforts. {{storylink|Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom}} When the Autobots launched an attack on the Decepticons' island headquarters to rescue a recently captured Buster Witwicky, Shockwave converted the landmass into its rocket-ship mode and had it blast off into space. Kickback was standing at the ready within the ship's control room as this took place. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}} After [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] took command of Earth's Decepticons, Kickback followed as [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] led a massed assault on the Autobots on the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]]. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

=====Transformers Annual 1985=====
{{note|Due to being published early in the franchise, these stories are out of continuity with the above.<ref>"Plague of the Insecticons!" was later designated as [[universal stream]] [[Primax 1285.0 Gamma]] by [[Vector Prime]].</ref>}}
[[File:Plague of the insecticons.jpg|thumb|left]]

Upon learning that the Autobots were secretly planning to open a dialogue with the [[Ronald Reagan|President of the United States]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] awakened the Insecticons to undermine the potential alliance. The trio were too new to be in full control of themselves, and needed to be remote-controlled to be of any use on the battlefield. To this end, [[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]] was selected to guide them on their test-run.

The Insecticons interrupted the peace talk, Kickback making his presence known by gunning down a jeep upon arrival. The Insecticons then proclaimed themselves to be Autobots, and began to attack the humans, leading them to believe Optimus had always planned on betraying them. Having put on enough of a show for the President himself, Kickback and his teammates then zoomed off to unleash their firepower on downtown [[Washington, D.C.]]. Warpath and Prowl both tried to put an end to the Insecticons' rampage, and the latter managed to bring Kickback down first, temporarily removing him from the conflict. When he came to again, Kickback trained his sights on Optimus's [[Roller (G1)|Roller]] drone and destroyed it... unwittingly bringing about the Decepticons' defeat; Roller's destruction caused Optimus to keel over in pain at the exact right moment, causing a [[cerebro-shell]] launched by Bombshell to miss its intended target, and instead lodge itself into Ravage. The cat was left unable to continue issuing orders, leaving the Insecticons directionless. {{storylink|Plague of the Insecticons!}}

=====Movie future timeline=====
When Megatron ordered a massive offensive against [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] in the year [[2005]], Kickback was among the troops who besieged the fortress. Megatron was badly wounded during a showdown with Optimus Prime, forcing the Decepticons to retreat aboard of [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]. Kickback himself had sustained several injuries in battle, and so when Astrotrain called on his passengers to alleviate his load, Kickback was cast out into the void of space. He and the other wounded were then drawn to [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], who remade the Decepticons into his heralds. {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Earthforce insecticons.jpg|thumb]]
Kickback and the Insecticons worked under Megatron's command during the [[Decepticon Civil War]]. When Megatron and Shockwave called for an [[Enclave]], a traditional Decepticon peace-talk, Kickback was seen talking to [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] during the festivities. The Autobots sabotaged the event by faking an assassination attempt on Megatron, and the in-fighting among the Decepticons was renewed with added fervor. {{storylink|The Bad Guy's Ball!}} Later, he joined his fellow Insecticons in infiltrating [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]]'s base to spy on their activities. They ate their way through the wall next to the war room, and planned to pick a nice, cozy spot for eavesdropping, but [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] caught the little pests in a [[rustbug hoop]]. He then fed them false information to lead Megatron and Shockwave into a confrontation with each other, giving him a chance to consolidate control over the Decepticons. {{storylink|Bugged!}} After the coup, Kickback was part of the attack on Autobot Earthbase led by Soundwave. Though the base's defenses being offline at the time, the Decepticons were nonetheless driven off in short order. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}}

====''Transformers '84''====
[[File:Border regions battle secrets and lies.jpg|thumb|left]]
Near the start of the [[Great War (G1)|war]] on Cybertron, Kickback was a member of [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]'s forces that assaulted an Autobot fort in the [[Border Regions]] of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. When Autobots led by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] arrived to defend the fort, Straxus ordered his troops to seize as many prisoners as they could and retreat. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 2|Secrets & Lies #2}} Upon returning to [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]], Kickback was allowed to join Straxus in watching those same Autobot prisoners being tortured to death in the [[smelting pool]]. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 3|Secrets & Lies #3}}

===Kid Stuff Talking Story Books===
Kickback and the rest of the Insecticons had enslaved the people of the island of [[Buru]] when the Decepticons had discovered that within the island was a plentiful supply of oil. He and the other Insecticons were eventually beaten back by the Dinobots. {{storylink|Slaves of the Insecticons}}

===Marvel coloring books===
Under Shockwave's orders, Kickback, Laserbeak, Ravage, and the Constructicons attacked a human village, planning to raze the town and build a new fuel plant in its place. Little did they suspect that Cosmos was spying down on them from orbit, and called the rest of the Autobots to intervene. When the Autobots' attack started, Shockwave sent Kickback and Ravage to sneak up on their opponents and catch them off-guard. Once more, Cosmos spotted them, and warned Grapple and Gears of the Decepticons' intentions. The Autobots beat up the Decepticons, threw them into a pit, and held them there by pouring some quick-drying cement atop of them. {{storylink|The Autobot Spy in the Sky}}

===''Big Looker'' storybooks===
Kickback and [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] went brainstorming ways to help [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] seize power and become his right-hand Decepticon when they chanced upon the Autobot architect, [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]]. Kickback told Bombshell Grapple would be a useful tool for Megatron's quest for power. Somehow he talked Bombshell into staying behind to do the work while Kickback flew ahead to take credit for the idea with Megatron. Well done, Kickback. {{storylink|Insecticon Attack!}}

===Find Your Fate Junior===
{{notemultipath}}

====Dinobots Strike Back====
Kickback accompanied Bombshell on a mission to [[Hidden Valley]], where the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s were lax in their lookout duty, failing to see the two Insecticons approach. After Bombshell knocked out and planted [[cerebro-shell]]s on four of them, Kickback reported their triumph back to Megatron. Since this occurs before [[you]] have to make even the first decision in this multipath adventure, Kickback is the one character whose actions are constant throughout this entire micro-continuity-nexus. {{storylink|Dinobots Strike Back}}

====Attack of the Insecticons====
[[File:AttackoftheInsecticonstheSunPak.jpg|thumb]]
Discovering an underground cave filled with Autobots, Kickback spied on what he discovered to be the testing site for the Sun-Pak, a device invented by the Autobots' human ally Sparkplug. Recognizing how valuable to the Decepticon cause the device would be, Kickback radioed Decepticon headquarters, gleeful at the notion of being rewarded by Megatron for his findings. When answered by Starscream instead of Megatron, Kickback reluctantly informed the Seeker of his discovery nonetheless. Kickback was then lead alongside a number of other Decepticons into the underground cavern by Starscream in order to seize the Sun-Pak by force.

If the Autobots flee the battle and accidentally travel farther underground by confusing their escape route with another tunnel, they become prey to the Electro-Disrupter located at the Insecticons' nest, and must decide whether to secretly send one Autobot away to recharge the Sun-Pak or use the device as a bargaining chip. If Beachcomber is sent away with the Sun-Pak and chooses an underwater route to the surface, he is met with Kickback who easily overpowers the Autobot. But Kickback is in turn defeated by a shot from a blaster courtesy of the humans Sparkplug and Buster, who were unaffected by the Electro-Disrupter, and found a quicker road to the surface than their Autobot comrade. {{storylink|Attack of the Insecticons}}

===Frito-Lay posters===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Power Struggle}}}}

===Toy pack-in material===
Kickback participated in a tumultuous battle on a moon base, battling alongside the likes of [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] and [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] against the Autobots. {{storylink|Decipher the Decepticon}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
{{note|Kickback makes a [[:File:4 blitzwing prime directive.jpg|cameo]] in [[Prime Directive|''Transformers: Generation 1'' vol. 1: Prime Directive]] issue [[Prime Directive issue 1|#1]] as a prisoner aboard the ''[[Ark II]]''. His appearance there would be [[retcon]]ned by later stories, though as always with the Insecticons, [[Personal canon|one could make the case]] that it is just a [[Shothole|clone]].}}
[[File:Bombshell kickback shrapnel soundwave ravage war within 1-2.jpg|thumb]]
Sporting a Cybertronian dragster mode, Kickback and the pre-Insecticons joined [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] in making an assassination attempt on the recently-risen [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], hoping to extract the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] from the green Autobot leader. {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} Optimus turned out to be more formidable than any of the Decepticons initially thought, and they quickly lost track of him in Cybertron's labyrinthine underground. Using the environment to his advantage, Optimus took out his pursuers one-by-one. He grappled Kickback, and forced him to blast Ravage before slamming him into a nearby wall, knocking him out. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}}

During the Dark Ages after Megatron's disappearance, Kickback and his fellow Decepticons served in the main Decepticon forces under [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. They assaulted a base in [[Altihex]] to stop [[The Fallen]] unleashing chaos on the planet. {{storylink|Conflagration}}

At some point after the disappearance of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] and ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', Shockwave managed to track the ships to the planet Earth, and dispatched Kickback, [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]], and [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] to the planet as part of some longterm machinations which were never made clear. Shortly after landing, they were confronted by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] who followed them to the planet, but somehow managed to give them the slip. {{storylink|Unreleased Dreamwave issues#Rules of Extinction|Rules of Extinction}}

{{note|Kickback and the Insecticons made a brief appearance in the second ''[[The Transformers Trilogy|Transformers Trilogy]]'' novel, [[Transformers: Annihilation|Annihilation]], as troops under Starscream's command on Earth. This appearance is contradicted by later Dreamwave stories. Also, in the novel the Insecticons shrink down to insect-size as they did in Marvel Comics, whereas later Dreamwave issues showed them retaining their full size, like their cartoon versions.}}

[[File:Kickback extermination.jpg|thumb|left]]
The Insecticons were supposed to remain in hiding on Earth until an unknown time, and managed to keep their presence on the planet secret even after the Autobot and Decepticon spaceship crews awoke and began regularly battling it out on Earth. However, Bombshell began instituting plans of his own, mutilating cattle, kidnapping fleshlings, and growing techno-organic "Insecticlones", among other things. Kickback noticed a minor power struggle between Shrapnel and Bombshell, and enjoyed stirring things up between his partners. Bombshell's antics drew the attention of the Autobots and [[Earth Defense Command]], and the Insecticons were forced into the spotlight to do battle. Kickback was personally taken down in combat with [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]. {{storylink|Extermination}}

The Insecticons were taken into custody by [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and his Autobots after the encounter. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:Bad Future Insecticons GIJoevsTFsII3.jpg|thumb]]
Kickback was part of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s army as it waited for [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]'s force field around [[Teletran 3]] to expire so that they could run in and capture the Autobots. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2}}

In a dark alternate future in which the Decepticons had conquered Earth, Kickback-type Insecticons were a common sight as part of Insecticon swarms. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3}}

===The Beast Within===
During an all-out Decepticon offensive against the Autobots, Kickback was one of the first victims to fall to [[Beast (G1)|The Beast]], the Dinobots’ monstrous combined form. {{storylink|The Beast Within}} His corpse would later be one of many that littered the battlefield as Autobot survivors tried to escape the Beast. {{storylink|The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[Megatron Origin issue 4|''Megatron Origin'' #4]]}}

[[File:AllHailMegatron8-Insecticons.jpg|thumb|left]]

Kickback was among the newly formed Decepticons as they left [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]]'s jail and began laying waste to the city-state. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}}

Millions of years later, Kickback was newly created by [[Deluge (G2)|Deluge]] alongside Shrapnel, Bombshell and [[Insecticon swarm|three thousand mindless monsters]]. He soon joined [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]'s forces on Earth, and helped defeat the local Autobots after they were led into a trap. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} As the Decepticons started conquering the mostly defenseless planet, Kickback listened to Megatron hold a speech in the ruins of [[New York City]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}} The Insecticons later traveled to [[China]] and wrecked [[Beijing]], where [[Skywarp (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Skywarp]] started picking a fight with Bombshell. Kickback and Shrapnel came to his aid, but found themselves outclassed by Skywarp's [[teleportation]] skills and fled the scene. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}}

[[File:Needlenose kickback shrapnel all his engines.jpg|thumb|Cold.]]

After returning to New York, the Insecticons were approached by [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]], who apologized for Skywarp's behavior and told them about his ambitions for the future. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8|All Hail Megatron #8}} When Starscream rebelled against Megatron shortly afterwards, the Insecticons joined him in attacking their former leader. Kickback attempted to jump-kick Megatron, who simply grabbed him out of mid-air and tossed him at Bombshell. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} The revolt was cut short by the arrival of European jets and the return of the exiled Autobots. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}} In the ensuing battle, Kickback was swatted aside by [[Sideswipe (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sideswipe]] wielding a broken streetlight, and the Decepticons were eventually defeated. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}} Kickback and the others fled Earth aboard [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]. {{storylink|Uneasy Lies the Head}}

Several years later, the Decepticons found themselves living on a resourceless asteroid under their great leader, Starscream. The troops were restless, and Kickback was seen picking fights with [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] before learning that [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] had been taking more fuel rations than he was entitled to. Alongside Shrapnel and [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]], Kickback hunted the criminal down, executed him on the spot, and scavenged his body for parts. {{storylink|All His Engines}} [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] observed their killing of Dreadwind from a nearby building. {{storylink|Shockpoint}} Unsurprisingly, the run-down Decepticons were quick to abandon Starscream when Megatron returned to lead them. {{storylink|Spotlight: Megatron}}

Megatron would later use [[space bridge]] technology built into in his new body to summon Kickback and the rest of the Decepticons to him on Cybertron. At first they did battle with the Autobots, but were soon mind-controlled by [[D-Void]] into combining with [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]]'s [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]] army and forming a huge monster. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}}
{{--}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[File:HeartsofSteel2 Kickback money.jpg|thumb]]
Along with many other Decepticons, Kickback awoke in the late 19th century when a sunken human submarine crashed onto their submerged ship. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1|Hearts of Steel #1}} After [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] allied himself with [[Tobias Muldoon]], he learned that the humans required money to work, and sent Kickback, Bombshell and Shrapnel to retrieve some. The trio took on the form of an "[[Insectrain]]", with Kickback forming the piledriver-equipped front of the train. Using these piledrivers, the Insecticons attacked and robbed a train carrying cash and bullion from the Denver Mint, although Kickback sneered at the concept of "sheets of inert plant matter" being valuable. The following morning, the Insecticons delivered the stolen property to Starscream and Tobias Muldoon. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2|Hearts of Steel #2}} Kickback was later present when Starscream announced to his troops that the Autobots had awakened as well. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 3|Hearts of Steel #3}}

{{IDW HOS}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
[[File:Targetmasters-Insecticons.jpg|thumb|left]]
Kickback, Shrapnel, and Bombshell acted as bounty hunters for Megatron. The Insecticon trio brought their king four of the human invaders that had recently been pestering him, after picking them up in the middle of a firefight between G.I. Joe and the Decepticons. The fleshlings escaped, along with a couple of Autobot captives, when [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] tricked Megatron with a holographic projection of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Targetmasters (issue)|Targetmasters}} The Insecticons were among the Decepticons who gathered under [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] for the final battle with the Autobots and G.I. Joe. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}}
{{--}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[Constructicons Rising, Part 2|''Galaxies'' #2]]}}

Kickback emerged from the [[Forge Pyramid]] as part of a trio of new sparks, alongside Skrapnel and Bombshell. These three were born with a unique appetite, and eventually discovered a gift for material hyper-metabolization. Kickback and his comrades could consume raw materials and refine it to produce an ultra-powerful energon as waste product of their actions. They became a living waste recycling station, producing a viable power source from nothing but scrap, and were highly sought after and praised by the people of Cybertron.

When the [[War of the Threefold Spark]] began, battlefields were filled with fallen soldiers. Kickback and the others began to devour the bodies of the dead, and they developed a taste for it. Once their appetites were discovered, they were condemned as "Insecticons", pests to be squashed and feared, in case they ever turned their hunger towards the bodies of the living. After the amnesty ended the war, many undesirables were dispatched to distant colonies or simply deep space itself. The Insecticons were exiled from Cybertron along with all the others. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 2}}

Around two kilocycles after the war, they were contacted by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], who was running a terrorist cell known as the [[Rise]]. Shockwave made a deal with the Insecticons to prime a group known as the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s for eventual recruitment into the Rise. The Constructicons had the unique ability to combine into a massive, singular form. Fear of their power led them to be unofficially exiled from Cybertron after the war as well. On the colony [[Mayalx]], Bombshell worked his magic convincing them to rebel against the government's control. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 2}} Kickback and the Insecticons consumed several colonists to produce enough energon to fully recharge the Constructicons. After that, they went wild as their Combiner form, [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], destroying the colony and leaving plenty of scraps for the Insecticons. Shockwave sent his [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s to Mayalx and—in exchange for the energon they metabolized from consuming the colony—the Insecticons secured a ride home to Cybertron. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 4}}

On Cybertron, Shockwave's patron Megatron soon led the Ascenticon faction in overthrowing the seated government, claiming the world for his Decepticon army. One of the casualties of the fighting was the [[A'voan]] biosphere, a sanctuary for the alien people who had nearly been wiped out ninety kilocycles ago. The Insecticons saw weakened prey and tried to feed off of the organics, but were driven back by [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]], and [[Road Rage (G1)|Road Rage]]. They developed a taste for organic life, though, and they vowed to taste it again. {{storylink|Escape Part One}}

They tried to barter with Shockwave, offering him the chance to finally make the clone army he once intended to forge from them during the war. Shockwave rejected them, as the Insecticons were unaware he already had what he needed to produce his clones without them. Left to their own devices, the Insecticons injected [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] with a cerebro-shell, turning him into their spy. Skystalker was left at the Rise with instructions to gather Shockwave's cloning machines for them, while Kickback and the Insecticons left to gather raw materials for the energon they would need. They attack Hound's convoy of organic refugees being led out of Iacon towards [[Darkmount]]. {{storylink|Escape Part Two}}

Hound's security forces managed to drive them off again. The Insecticons only managed to capture two organic and an Autobot to devour. Still, Skystalker did his work, and soon they had a lair inside an [[immersant]] Titan with fully functional cloning equipment. {{storylink|Escape Part Three}} Their efforts were successful, and soon an entire swarm of Insecticons rose to hunt and devour for them. {{storylink|Escape Part Four}} Kickback and the Insecticons now had a cycle at work, sending out clones to consume raw materials for them, then consuming the clones themselves to make their ultra-energon and power the machines to make more clones, ad infinitum. {{storylink|Escape Part Five}}

Shockwave initially tried taking his equipment back by force, but soon realized the Insecticons had become formidable in their own right. Instead, he negotiated neutrality in exchange for occasionally asking for their services. When [[Termagax]] was detected with the [[Enigma of Combination]] near the [[Sea of Rust]], Shockwave asked the Insecticons to dispatch their clone swarm on his behalf. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I|Sea of Rust I}}

In time, the Insecticons gave in to their appetites like never before, experiencing exponential predatory growth. The Insecticlones became an existential threat to the very fabric of Cybertron. {{storylink|The Landscape of Fear}} Bombshell even began to turn on Kickback and Skrapnel, badgering them to eat even more to feed his cloning machines. A plan was concocted by Termagax to remove the Insecticons as a threat. A strike team of Autobots infiltrated the Insecticons' hive, and planted a receiver on Bombshell. A complex data bomb was implanted in a captive Insecticlone at Darkmount, fed back to the receiver on Bombshell and, through him, transmitted to the entire swarm. The Insecticlones were reprogrammed to eat only the rust worms, two major threats to Cybertron repurposed to eliminate each other. {{storylink|End of Time}}

===''My Little Pony/Transformers''===
Kickback was among the many Transformers transported to [[Equestria]] through a malfunctioning [[space bridge|spacebridge]]. {{storylink|Transformation Is Magic}} The Insecticons set about [[Insecticon clone|cloning]] themselves, and the combined swarm attacked the [[Sweet Apple Acres]] farm and began devouring everything in sight. A horrified [[Applejack]] managed to oust the invaders from her farm with the assistance of [[Discord (MLP)|Discord]] and her extended family. {{storylink|Strength in Numbers}} Kickback joined the attack on the [[Crystal Empire]] but was eventually banished back to Cybertron with the other Decepticons. {{storylink|Finale (Friendship in Disguise!)|Finale}}

===Velocitron Speedia 500===
Kickback was one of many spectators for the [[Speedia 500]] race on [[Velocitron]]. {{Storylink|Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 2}}

==Commercial appearances==
Kickback, Bombshell, and Shrapnel led an enormous swarm of Insecticons to attack a farm. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Insecticons|Insecticons commercial}}

==Games==
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
{{Note|Kickback is a non-playable character. He appears among the legion of Decepticon duplicates in the Autobot campaign.}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)}}

===Sector Seven alternate reality game===
[[File:NBE 125.JPG|thumb|125px|NBE 125]]
Video footage was taken of a small mechanical grasshopper on a tree branch. The grasshopper then flew towards the camera changing into a robot and proceeded to attack the camera, breaking the lens. It was sightings like this and others that prompted the secret government organization known as [[Sector Seven]] to launch a disinformation campaign called [[Hungry Dragon]]. A key part of this was the Takara Agreement, a collaboration with a Japanese toy manufacturer [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]. The goal of the agreement was to portray non-biological extraterrestrials as kids' toys, cartoons, and fiction. Any claims of actual sightings of giant robots would be seen as fanciful nonsense.

It was a great success. You don't believe alien robots actually visited the Earth, do you?

The original footage of the grasshopper was eventually leaked to the public through [http://www.sectorseven.org/ the internet]. {{storylink|Sector Seven (game)}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
Kickback and [[Shrapnel (G1)|Sharpshot]] helped [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] defeat [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]. {{storylink|The War Within}}

Chafing under Megatron's rule, Kickback and his fellow Insecticons began raiding energy storage and high-energy research facilities worldwide. The energy gave them increased size and power, and it was only when the Autobots and Decepticons formed an alliance that they were able to be stopped. {{storylink|Harvest of the Insecticons}} When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] returned to Earth with new troops in the form of [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], the Insecticons managed to ambush them. {{storylink|Junkion Reunion}} After [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] crashed into a movie set, Kickback, [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]], and [[Astrotrain (G1)|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}}

Kickback took part in the battle of Autobot City, but was forced to retreat after Megatron's defeat at the hands of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Battle for Autobot City}} At some point he was reformatted into a [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]]. {{storylink|The Coronation of Starscream}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsKickback.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Delicious, eh?]]
Kickback 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 by collecting 160 units of Cybermetal, 95 units of Transmetal, and 20 event cores. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Devastation''===
{{charstubgames|{{storylink|Transformers: Devastation}}}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[file:KickbackEarthwars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75|Now not only do I kick, I kick with PUNCH!!!]]
Kickback was summoned to Earth along with the other Insecticons, and at the same time with [[Cliffjumper (G1)#Transformers: Earth Wars|Cliffjumper]]. He didn't really do much in the final battle for the Codex Key, but he did get to witness the almighty power of Devastator. {{storylink| Transformers: Earth Wars| Combiner Wars Campaign}}

*'''Class''': Gunner
*'''Lowest star rating''': 2 star
*'''Weapons''': He uses a standard issue [[grenade launcher]].
*'''Ability: Glass Gas Rockets:''' Shoot 4 rockets at the designated area dealing damage and layering Glass gas around the area. All buildings affected take 40% more damage for 6 seconds.
**'''Cost''': 4 ability points + 3 for reuses.

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:kickback Kickback at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
{{--}}

===''Transformers: Forged to Fight''===
[[File:ForgedToFight-Kickback.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4| THE HUNGER. AHHHH THE HUNGER. THE HUNGER NEVER STOPS. MUST KEEP EATING. MUST CONSUME.]]
Kickback was one of many bots pulled from his universe to fight for or against the Quintessons. There are at least a few of him running around-round! As a power-hungry Scout, he inflicts Power Leaks on every critical hit, and in locust mode he consumes Power debuffs on him and Power buffs on enemies, sometimes clogging their T-Cog.
{{charstubgames|{{storylink|Transformers: Forged to Fight}}}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers Roleplaying Game''===
Kickback was one of the original Insecticons, an “alpha copy” capable of controlling his [[Insecticon clone|clones]]. {{storylink|Transformers Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook|Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook}}

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
[[File:G1-toy Kickback.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|I'll transform into a giant mechanical grasshopper and no one will notice me.]]
*'''Kickback''' (Insecticon, 1985)
**''Takara ID number:'' '''40'''
**''Accessories'': "Electrothermic Blast Tube"
{{toydesigner|[[Takashi Matsuda]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: Released early in the second year of [[Hasbro]]'s ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|The Transformers]]'' toyline, Kickback is a [[redeco]] and slight [[retool]]ing of the ''[[Diaclone]]'' [[Waruder]] Insecter Robo "Battas" toy, transforming into a robotic grasshopper. As a ''Diaclone'' mold he has a "pilot compartment" revealed by opening his clear-yellow chest, but on its own there's not much you can do with it. His wings were given rounded-off tips [[for safety reasons]], plus has a new indent for a [[rubsign]].

: The mold has a couple of variations in the chromed-silver wings. Original versions only had a single rubsign indent, on the outer right-[[robot mode]] wing. Later versions not only added indents to all four faces of the wings (for symmetry, apparently, but still only one rubsign), but ''shortened'' the wings as well, for reasons unknown.

: In Japan, Kickback and the other "Insectrons" were part of the first year of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'' series, using the original one-indent Hasbro-retooled wings. The trio were subsequently "re-released" as mail-order items from 1987 through 1990, a the cost of 880 yen (their normal retail price) and two [[Robot Point]]s; it seems (but has not been confirmed) that the Insecticons offered through mail-away offers were Hasbro-packaged releases, thus it's possible the later 4-indent-shorter-wings version might have been made available in Japan that way.

: This mold was used to make the [[Shothole#Toys|Shothole]] drones.

::*''[http://www.transformerland.com/wiki/toy-info/transformers-insecticons-kickback/867/ Patent info, price guide, and further reading on Kickback at Transformerland.com]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Decepticon/Kickback/kickback.htm More information on Kickback at TFU.info.]''
{{--}}

===''The Transformers Collection''===
*'''Insectrons''' (multi-pack, 2004)
**''ID number'': '''16'''
**''Accessories'': "Electrothermic Blast Tube"

:Kickback was re-released as part of the Japanese ''[[The Transformers Collection|Transformers Collection]]'' series in a set with [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] and [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]]. This set also included three [[energon cube]] accessories that fit inside their chest compartments.

:The Kickback in this set has ''another'' change to the wings; this time, the "[[For safety reasons|safety circles]]" at the wing-tips added by [[Hasbro]] back in the day are no longer present, giving them pointed tips. The wings also go back to having a single rubsign indent.

{{-}}
===''Universe'' (2008)===
*'''Insecticons''' (Toys"R"Us exclusive multi-pack, 2009)
**''Accessories'': "Electrothermic Blast Tube"

: Kickback was released as part of the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' line, as a [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]], in a set with his Insecticon pals. Unlike his teammates, Kickback keeps his original name, although Shrapnel is mistakenly identified as "Kickback" on the [[instructions|instruction manual]].

: Amazingly enough, Kickback keeps the pointy wings of the ''Transformers Collection'' reissue.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/CSKickback/kickback.htm More information on ''Universe'' Kickback at tfu.info.]''

{{-}}
===''Generations''===
[[File:Kickback foc toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|''(Hasbro version pictured)'']]
*'''Kickback''' (Deluxe Class, 2012)
**''Series / number'': '''01 / #009'''
**''Accessories:'' "Disc launcher", disc projectile, insect wings/twin battle blades

{{note|''Fall of Cybertron'' [[Kickback (FOC)|Kickback]] was repurposed as Generation 1 Kickback by ''Transformers Legends''.}}
: Part of the third wave of 2012 ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' Deluxe Class toys, ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' Kickback transforms into a Cybertronian insect. His wings are attached in insect mode via [[C joint]], and can be removed and used as "battle blades" that are held by his hands via [[5 mm post|5mm post]]. He also comes with a disc launcher that fires its disc via pressure-launch, and is based on the [[Gear Shredder]] from ''Fall of Cybertron''. The wing-blades can peg into any of the launcher's four 5mm ports, although the [[instructions]] nominally peg them on the front sides, making the launcher look a bit like a crossbow. Aside from his hands, Kickback features additional 5mm ports for mounting, such as on his thighs, legs, and clawed appendages.

:In an undocumented feature, the launcher can mount/store on his back in either mode by sliding it into grooves found on top of each of the clawed appendages that hold his wing-blades, and pegging the wing-blades in this configuration while in robot mode will give him a spiffy winged backpack. His [[instructions]] also forget to mention that his gold-and-purple chest panels have to be angled up for robot mode.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/FOCKickback/kickback.htm More information on Kickback at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Kre-O''===
[[File:KreO-Toy KickbackKreon.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Kickback''' (Kreon Micro-Changer, 2013)
**''Collection'': '''Collection 3'''
**''Bag number'': '''***** 55'''
**''Accessories'': Logo brick, buildable rifle
{{toydesigner|[[Ed Masiello]] (Hasbro)}}

:As part of the third wave of [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] ''[[Kre-O]]'' [[Micro-Changer]]s, Kickback is a [[Kreon]] that can be "rebuilt" into a grasshopper... though really all you're doing is laying him face-down and attaching the bits that build up his gun to his legs. He reuses [[Megatron (Kre-O)|Megatron]]'s helmet.

: This Micro-Changer assortment was the last one to appear at [[Target]], with later waves showing up only at [[Toys"R"Us]] or drug/discount stores.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/Kre-OKickback/kickback.htm More information on Kickback at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|SDCC2015}}
*'''Kreon Class of 1985''' (Kreon figure set, [[2015]])
**''Set number'': '''B5152'''
**''Voted'': Best Break Dancer
**''Accessories'': Small pistol
:[[Kreon Class of '85]] Kickback's deco is more detailed than the Micro-Changer, plus he uses the [[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Sideswipe]] helmet to give him head-antennae. Like the rest of the set, he uses the almost-totally-[[retool]]ed 2015 style of Kreon body (making most parts incompatible with older Kreons).

:This box set of thirty Kreons was a [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2015 [[exclusive]], with leftovers being sold on [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] online after the show.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Decepticon/SDCCKre-OKickback/kickback.htm More information on Class of '85 Kickback at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|2015Kreon}}
*'''Kickback''' (Kreon Micro-Changer, [[2017]])
**''Collection'': '''Collection 3'''
**''Accessories'': Logo plate, buildable rifle

:In 2017, the Collection 3 Micro-Changers were re-released in a whole new production run, first appearing at [[Walgreens]] stores in the US. These releases use the almost-entirely-retooled 2015 Kreon, with slightly-differently-hued plastics than the originals. Kickback's [[tampograph]]s are slightly altered, changing the lower part of his leg tampos to red, and adding a white highlight to his chest.

:Sadly, this release has no individual-identification code on the bag, requiring you to use the feel-through-the-bag method or just buy blind and hope.
{{--}}

===''Platinum Edition''===
[[File:TF-Platinum-Edition-Kickback.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Insecticons''' (Platinum Edition 3-pack, 2015)
**''Accessories'': "Electrothermic Blast Tube", Energon cube
:Part of the ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' Insecticon 3-pack along with Shrapnel and Bombshell, this Kickback figure is yet another reissue of the Generation 1 toy, once again retaining the pointy wings. He also includes an Energon cube accessory from ''The Transformers Collection'' release.

:This set was releaed as a [[Kmart]] exclusive in the United States. However, it was also stocked by US-based online retailers [[BigBadToyStore]] and TFSource, who supposedly obtained it as an import from Asia. It was available in several of Hasbro's Asian markets (namely Singapore, the Philippines, and China; it's currently unknown whether it was exclusive to any particular stores there or not). In Canada and Australia, it was sold at [[Toys"R"Us]] stores, whereas in the United Kingdom, it was officially available via the UK division of [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] and A1Toys. In Germany, it was originally available via Bankroft, an online retailer that otherwise specializes in [[Nerf]] blasters and accessories, as part of a special "Fan Edition" arrangement through Hasbro Germany, with the help of several German [[fandom|fan]] sites. Due to low sales, the unsold stock was later sold to Actionfiguren24, a German online retailer that specializes in imported toys, who was able to lower its price for its existing stock of imported Insecticon sets as a result.
{{--}}

===''Titans Return''===
[[File:TF-Generations-Titans-Return-Legends-Kickback.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Kickback''' (Legends Class, 2016)
{{toydesigner|[[John Warden]] (Hasbro)}}

:''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' Kickback is a Legends Class mold based on the G1 toy that transforms from robot to mechanical grasshopper. [[Titan Master]]s can ride in a seat on his back in grasshopper mode, emulating his ''Diaclone'' origins. He features 5 mm hand holes, allowing him to wield compatible accessories such as the vehicle weapons used by the single-pack Titan Master figures. The antennas on his head are molded with softer plastic [[for safety reasons]]. Due to the small printing size of the images used for his [[instructions]], combined with the dark background, the steps for transforming his arms end up rather unclear, making the tab-to-body procedure difficult to figure out.

:Like most figures in the ''Titans Return'' toyline, Kickback has a peg hole on the back of his pelvis that is compatible with a number of generic action figure stands.
{{--}}

===''Legends''===
[[File:LG47-Kickback.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Over time, the wings will [[Photodegradation|yellow]] and become the Titans Return version.]]
*'''Kickback & Clouder''' ('''Kickback & Double-Dealer''') ([[October 28]], [[2017]])
**''ID number:'' '''LG47'''

:''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' Kickback is a redeco of [[#Titans Return|''Titans Return'' Legends Class Kickback]] with black upper arms and clear plastic wings and chest piece (with the latter being smoked yellow), as well as some new paint details such as toy-inspired red stripes on his feet and a cartoon-inspired red visor. His Decepticon insignia has been moved to the center of his chest, and he has an additional one on his grasshopper head. Kickback was sold in a two-pack with [[Clouder#Legends|Clouder]], and comes with the pack-in mini-comic [[Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 47|''Legends'' Bonus Edition Vol. 47]].

:The toy's instruction manual, despite using the same line-art or renders as the Hasbro version's, is printed in a considerably larger format and uses a white rather than dark gray background, resulting in a much clearer depiction of the transformation steps for his robot arms. (Then again, ''Legends'' Kickback is packaged in insect rather than robot mode, which means the owner starts out with a properly transformed insect mode to begin with. As a result, the instructions only depict the transformation into robot mode.)
{{--}}

===''Legacy''===
[[File:TF-Legacy-Deluxe-Class-Kickback.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|A jump to the sky turns to a Rider Kick... back.]]
[[File:Buzzworthy Creatures Collide Kickback head.JPG|upright=0.8|thumb|(Sold separately.)]]
*'''Kickback''' (Deluxe Class, [[2022]])
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''TL-04'''
**''TakaraTomy release date'': [[August 27]], [[2022]]
**''Accessories:'' 2 [[Energon]] blades, "Electrothermic Blast Tube"
{{toydesigner|[[Mark Maher]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] and [[Shuhei Umezu]] (TakaraTomy)|[[Ken Christiansen]] and [[Emiliano Santalucia]] (concept art)}}<ref>Transformers Panel at [[Hasbro Pulse Con 2021]]</ref>

: Part of the first wave of ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' Deluxe Class toys, Kickback is a cartoon-accurate version of the character which transforms into a robotic grasshopper in 14 steps, in a nearly identical fashion to his Generation 1 toy. His accessories include an "Electrothermic Blast Tube" gun, compatible with [[Fire Blast effect]] pieces, which can mount under his beast mode, and two Energon blades that resemble those included with the toy of [[Kickback (FOC)#Generations|another Kickback]]. The blades can either mount on the wings or, in an undocumented feature, combine together and peg into a normally unused [[5 mm post|5 mm hole]] between the insect mode's rear legs, forming an approximation of a real-life grasshopper's abdomen. Designer Mark Maher [https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci-_nEROYXk/ later revealed] that this "secret feature" was included for Kickback's future retool Ransack (see below).

:His instructions omit bending his legs forward at the knees for insect mode.

:Similar to ''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Kingdom]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s more realistic beast modes, the inner surfaces of Kickback's wings have an organic texture.

:While his transparent yellow chest panel may look like it can open to reveal a compartment like his Generation 1 and ''Titans Return'' predecessors, and ''has a hinge'', the panel is sealed shut by tabs that are permanently locked in place due to how the torso is assembled. If one ''does'' break it open, however, it reveals a whole lot of Generation 1 toy-accurate… nothing.

:This figure was retooled into ''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' [[Ransack (G1)#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Ransack]], who also includes a copy of ''Legacy'' Kickback's head painted to resemble the original [[1985]] Kickback toy. This head is not actually mentioned in Ransack's instructions, implying the intent is that it can be swapped onto ''Legacy'' Kickback to give him a more toy-accurate look.
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Decoy===
*'''Kickback''' (Decoy, 1987)
:Kickback was one of the Decepticon [[Decoy]]s packed in with smaller carded ''Transformers'' toys. While the normal purple version could come on any Decepticon toy, the rarer red version was available ''only'' on [[Throttlebot]] cards and only for a short while before the switch to purple.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Decoys/Kickback/kickback.htm More information on Decoy Kickback at tfu.info.]''

*'''Destron Hero Collection-22 Set''' (Decoy multi-pack, 1987)

:The entire run of twenty-two Decepticon Decoys were sold as a single boxed set in Japan, only in purple.

===Hard Hero===
[[File:HardHero Kickback statue.JPG|thumb|upright=0.66|You have learned well, young grasshopper.]]
*'''Kickback''' (2003)
:The first of [[Hard Hero]]'s "Insecticon Series", Kickback is a 9-inch cold-cast porcelain statue sculpted by [[Jason Ray]]. Only 1000 pieces of the statue were produced.
{{--}}

===Sota Toys===
*'''Transformers Chess Set''' (<s>2007</s>)
:Eight identical Kickback pieces were to be the Decepticon-side Pawns on a [[Chess#Sota Toys|chess set]] based on Generation 1, but the set apparently never saw release.
{{canceledtoy}}

===''Robot Heroes''===
[[File:Robotheroesironhidekickback.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|They're taking this show on the road!]]
*'''Ironhide & Kickback''' (Two-pack, 2008)
{{toydesigner|[[Bill Rawley]] (Hasbro)|[[Marcelo Matere]] (concept artist)}}

:Part of the "Generation 1 Series" of the ''Universe''-branded ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'', Kickback is a small [[super deformed]] figurine with swivel joints in his neck and shoulders. His colors are based on those of his toy rather than his less detailed cartoon [[character model]]. Kickback was only available in a two-pack with [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Robot Heroes|Ironhide]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/RHKickback/kickback.htm More information on ''Robot Heroes'' Kickback at tfu.info.]''
{{--}}

===''Tiny Titans''===
[[File:TinyTitans Kickback.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Close, but [[Kickback (RID)|not quite]]....]]
*'''Kickback''' (Tiny Titans, 2015)
**''Series'': '''4'''
**''Number'': '''12/12'''

: Part of the fourth assortment of ''[[Tiny Titans]]'' [[blindpacking|blindpacks]], this version of Kickback is a very small, soft-plastic figure of him in robot mode.

: He includes a collectible card that renders him in the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 franchise)|2015 ''Robots in Disguise'']] styling. The card includes a scan-badge for the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (mobile game)|''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game]], which unlocks a random amount of Energon "currency" and a randomized bonus power-up item.

: This wave saw fairly minimal release at "big box" retailers, but unlike other waves, was ''not'' picked up by drug stores and the like later, making them particularly hard to find.
{{--}}

===Transformers Trading Card Game===
[[File:W1Kickback.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Kickback, Cunning Insecticon''' (2018)
**'''Wave 1'''
**''Rarity: '''''UT'''
**''Card Number: '''''T25/T40'''
**''Stars: ''5
:'''Kickback, Cunning Insecticon''' is one of forty double-sided character cards available in Wave 1 of the [[Transformers Trading Card Game]].

:The artwork on the card is reused from the ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' mobile card game.
{{-}}
[[File:W4RaiderKickback.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Raider Kickback, Infantry-Soldier''' (2019)
**'''Wave 4: War for Cybertron: Siege II'''
**''Rarity: '''''UT'''
**''Card Number: '''''T33/T52'''
**''Stars: ''6

:Raider Kickback, Infantry-Soldier is one of 52 character cards released in Wave 4 of the [[Transformers Trading Card Game]], War for Cybertron: Siege II.

:The card features original artwork for both modes, with line-art drawn by [[Sara Pitre-Durocher]] and colors by [[Alex Tarca]].
{{--}}

==Notes==
*During [[Hasbro PulseCon 2021]], ''[[Transformers: Legacy (toyline)|Legacy]]'' [[Kickback (G1)#Legacy|Kickback]] was described as the leader of the Insecticons. [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] is often portrayed as the leader of the Insecticons, but because of Kickback's higher Tech Spec number for "rank" than his teammates, it's more fitting in a technical sense for him to lead.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Kickback''' (キックバック ''Kikkubakku'')
*''French:'' '''La Ruade''' (Canada, "The Kick")
*''Italian:'' '''Atrox'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Fǎnchōng''' (反冲, "Kickback")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Maquia''' (Portugal comic), '''Pula-Pula''' (Brazil comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Prygun''' (Прыгун, "Jumper")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Stusan''' (ICTV, Стусан, "Punch")

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Decepticons]]
[[Category:Insecticons]]
[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legacy Decepticons]]
[[Category:Legends Decepticons]]
[[Category:Live-action film ARG characters]]
[[Category:Mail order items]]
[[Category:Platinum Edition]]
[[Category:Repurposed toys]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:SDCC exclusives]]
[[Category:Titans Return Decepticons]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Bombshell (G1)

2023-06-30T06:22:14Z

{{factions|decepticon|ascenticon}}
{{Disambigm|Bombshell (disambiguation)|Hardshell}}
:''Bombshell is a [[Decepticon]] [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:GenesisBombshell.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Not a hot blonde like the name implies.]]
A master of mind-controlling "[[cerebro-shell]]s", the twisted '''Bombshell''' (aka '''Hardshell''') plays with the minds of others as a child would a new toy, enthusiastically and recklessly. But there is nothing childlike about the gleeful malice he exposes in forcing his victims into more and more humiliating and destructive acts. Bombshell takes such sadistic joy in the destruction of his victims that even the other Decepticons can be put off, wondering if he wouldn't be just as pleased to play those same "games" with them...

{{quote|I love warping minds for you, Megatron...love it!|Bombshell|"[[Enter the Nightbird]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Michael Bell]] (English), [[Ken Shiroyama]] (Japanese)|[[Gu Guoyi]] (Chinese), [[Edgar Wald]] (American Spanish), [[Gianluca Crisafi]] (Italian, second dub), [[Georges Atlas]] (European French), [[Henry Djanik]] (European French, "Enter the Nightbird"), [[Francis Lax]] (European French, "The Insecticon Syndrome"), [[Carlos Marques]] (Portuguese), [[Paulo Flores]] (Portuguese, "Enter the Nightbird"), [[Francisco José]] (Portuguese, "The Insecticon Syndrome"), [[Hélio Ribeiro]] (Portuguese, "Quest for Survival")}}
[[File:G1 PlagueofInsecticons Bombshell blast.jpg|left|upright=0.95|thumb|Whoa, that usually doesn't happen to me, I swear.]]
Bombshell and the rest of the Insecticons jettisoned themselves out the [[Nemesis (G1)|Decepticon cruiser]] when it and the [[Ark (G1)|Autobot ship]] crashed on [[Earth|Prehistoric Earth]]. Landing in what would become modern [[Bali]] off of [[Indonesia]], the Insecticons were altered by their [[idento-computer]]s to possess insectoid [[beast mode]]s, and had the ability to convert organic matter into [[energon]]. The Insecticons were largely communal in nature, though Bombshell often alternated leadership with [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] ([[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] was out of luck).

Reactivating around the same time as those aboard the Ark, the Insecticons formed a small nest for themselves in [[Demon Swamp]] before being tracked down by [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] and the Decepticons. They formed an alliance for the purpose of collecting energon and vanquishing the Autobots. In their first encounter with the enemy, Bombshell demonstrated one of the most unique of the trio's abilities—after firing an "insecti-shell" at a farming machine to blow it into pieces, he and the other Insecticons used "clone beams" to somehow convert those fragments of metal into [[Insecticon clone|duplicates of the Insecticons]] in their insect modes, a virtual swarm of Insecticlones created nearly out of thin air.

The initial alliance between Decepticons and Insecticons broke down after the greedy insects attempted to gorge themselves on the cache of energon cubes Megatron had created, and then abandoned the Decepticons to the Autobots. After that, the two groups operated independently, only joining forces as a matter on convenience on rare occasions. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

[[File:G1 Traitor Bombshell captures Mirage.jpg|upright=0.95|thumb|Bombshell approaching with something long and pointy. Mirage's exhaust port was sore for a month after they did this scene.]]
Bombshell and the Insecticons next hired out their services to Megatron during his experimentation with the [[electro-cell]]s as on-call guards, in exchange for a share of the profits. The Autobot [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] attempted to turn them against each other, however, by stealing the Insecticons' reward and framing the Decepticons for it. Bombshell and the others staged an assault on the electro cell station and their Decepticon "comrades". During a spray of one of Shrapnel's grenades, Mirage was inadvertently caught in the blast while invisible. Bombshell seized upon the opportunity to implant one of his cerebro-shells in the fallen Autobot and turn him into a slave. What he DIDN'T do, however, is question what an Autobot counter-intelligence agent was doing sneaking around Decepticon camp just then. Megatron had to force Bombshell to think at gunpoint before he realized that Megatron wouldn't rob them while [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and the Autobots still lived. Maybe after, but not before. The united Decepticons then attempted to set a trap for the Autobots using Mirage, but ultimately Mirage was set free and the electro-cells were destroyed. {{storylink|Traitor (episode)|Traitor}}

[[File:G1 EntertheNightbird Bombshell Nightbird.jpg|left|upright=0.95|thumb|Bombshell is disappointed with Nightbird's neck articulation.]]
Next, Bombshell's aid was commissioned to upgrade the human-built female ninja robot known as [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]] for Megatron, converting her into a functional assassin. His engineering skills shown here were rather remarkable for someone with no table manners. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

On their next joint venture, Megatron arranged for Bombshell and the Insecticons to have access to the [[Nova Power Core]], a meal that filled them with raw energy and caused them to increase in size dramatically. In exchange, they aided the Decepticons in raiding the armored installation known as [[Iron Mountain]] to gain control of the defense computer being housed there. Their new power went to their heads, however, and the Insecticons were overheard plotting against Megatron by his spy [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]]. Soundwave didn't get far, however, before Bombshell captured the Decepticon and turned him with the help of a cerebro-shell.

[[File:G1 InsecticonSyndrome Bombshell Soundwave.jpg|upright=0.95|thumb|A communications officer with a stethoscope... and he didn't hear THAT!?!?]]
He then systematically "bugged" the rest of Megatron's troops; by the time Iron Mountain was successfully infiltrated, Megatron was the only Decepticon left. The nova power proved to be too unstable for the Insecticons to synthesize, however, and an antidote was administered to rob Bombshell and Kickback of their additional mass and power. Shrapnel, however, exploded into pieces before the antidote could be properly administered. Somehow, though, Bombshell was able to completely reconstruct his fallen comrade in a matter of seconds, using a special shell to reunify the pieces and the Insecticons fled the scene with the Decepticons in hot pursuit. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}} They eventually patched things up, as Bombshell marched in the "[[Decepticon Day]]" parade. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

[[File:G1 QuestforSurvival Bombshell Kickback.jpg|left|upright=0.95|thumb|Seriously, tell me what isn't wrong with this picture.]]
In another scheme, Megatron convinced the Insecticons that he had a new energon processing system that could draw power from their organic-conversion process far more efficiently than their bodies normally could. The Insecticons would gather vast amounts of power through their clone armies, and then return to Decepticon headquarters to refine their amassed energies into energon cubes. Little did they know that the refinement process was far more effective than Megatron presented—Bombshell and the others were given scraps while dozens of cubes were being produced by their efforts. They slowly began to wise up to Megatron's duplicity and, when his henchman [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] attempted to warn them away from a certain valley, the Insecticons took it as a sign there was something valuable there. In fact there was: a can of [[robotic insecticide]] the Autobots had planned to use against the Insecticlones, and an ever-growing number of [[Morphobot]]s, techno-organic plants that fed on robot insects. Bombshell and the Insecticons attempted to feed on the plants, only to have their food "bite back" and their entire clone army destroyed in a matter of minutes. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}}

During the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]' attempt at destroying Earth by sending it into the sun, the Insecticons were seen in large numbers again and were responsible for taking apart the [[space bridge|Space Bridge]] controls. They would later be tracked by the combined Autobots and Decepticons after which they relinquished the controls. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

Bombshell would ultimately be mortally wounded during the battle of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] and was ejected alongside many other fallen Decepticon warriors (Megatron included) into deep space. This would not be the final note of Bombshell's story, however; his body was used by [[Unicron]] to create either [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] or [[Cyclonus's Armada|the other guy]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Bombshell’s involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic mini-series "[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]."}}

Either he got better or that was an identical clone, because all three Insecticons, along with the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] and [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]], were later seen on Earth trying to stop [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], [[Marissa Faireborn]] and [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] from delivering the [[Transformation cog]] to [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. They were trampled by Sky Lynx. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic====
Bombshell along with the other Insecticons took part in an attack on [[Kyushu]] that attracted the attention of the Autobots. The [[Four-Wheel Drive Corps]] responded, but the attack turned out to be an ambush as the Insecticons trapped the Autobots in a volcanic crater. Luckily, the Four-Wheel Drive Corps was able to "combine" and perform the fearsome "Four-Wheel Drive Robo Combination Scrumbuster" attack. The blast of energy was so powerful that it sent the Insecticons fleeing in terror. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3}}

====''Story of Binaltech''====
Bombshell's cerebro-shell technology was combined with [[Doctor Arkeville]]'s [[hypno-chip]] to create a new form of brainwashing. Using this technique, Starscream's Decepticons and their human allies the [[Concurrence]] infiltrated the Binaltech Project to steal the advanced bodies planned for the Autobots for themselves. {{storylink|Arise! Evil Binaltechs}}

====''Mars Attacks: The Transformers''====
[[File:Mars attacks the insecticons.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|It takes a bug to catch a bug.]]
The three Insecticons were among Decepticon forces who formed an alliance with the Autobots during a [[Martian]] invasion. They saved [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] and [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] from some of the Martians' giant ants. {{storylink|Mars Attacks: The Transformers}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
In [[Primax 1185.04 Alpha]], the Insecticons were among the few allies [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] found in his campaign against [[Cobra]]-controlled Earth. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/13}}

In an unstable [[Iocus]] reality engineered by the machinations of [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]] and [[Gong (GoBots)|Gong]], Bombshell and Skywarp were replaced by [[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] and [[Slicks]] as the villains thrown out of Astrotrain and reformatted by Unicron into [[Fracture (Movie)|a warrior]] and [[Cyclonus's Armada#Ask Vector Prime|her armada]]. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}

====''Deviations''====
In an alternate timeline where [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] killed [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] in the [[Battle of Autobot City]], Bombshell was thrown out of [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] with other weakened Decepticons in the aftermath of the battle. They drifted through space till they were consumed by [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]. {{Storylink|Transformers: Deviations|Deviations}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Straxusholdscourt.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left]]
Bombshell was one of Lord [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]'s warriors operating out of [[Polyhex]]. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}} At some point during the war, he encountered [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] in battle, but he was unable to get the better of his opponent. {{storylink|Spacehikers!}} Along with his fellow Insecticons and the [[conehead]]s, he pursued another sextet of Autobots who had just carried out some sort of raid on the [[smelting pool]], only to be forced to retreat by a torrent of liquid metal that had just been siphoned off of it. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}} He later attended Straxus's trial run of his newly constructed Space Bridge. {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}}

''Bombshell was one of the [[Ten Deadliest Killers|Decepticon warriors]] targeted for termination by the [[Wreckers]] in [[Operation: Volcano]]. A last minute change in orders prevented Bombshell and his cronies from walking into the Autobot trap, though.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} After Straxus began an alliance with [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] and the Decepticons of Earth, Bombshell was transported to our solar system by way of the [[space bridge]]. He, Kickback, and Shrapnel were then reformatted into the Insecticons, and granted impressive [[Size changing|mass shifting]] powers that enabled them to shrink down to the size of actual insects when transforming.

[[File:Bombshell marvel-21.jpg|upright=0.95|thumb|All he's missing is a leather halter top and a whip.]]
The Insecticons' first mission on Earth was to set up a conduit between Cybertron and Hoover Dam, stealing the hydro-electrical power. Bombshell tracked down the assistant chief engineer, [[Ricky Vasquez]], and implanted him with a cerebro-shell so that the Decepticons could infiltrate the plant clandestinely. With Megatron and the Insecticons riding shotgun, Vasquez snuck them into the control room where Shrapnel was able to take electronic control of the dam. Vasquez eventually managed to reassert his free will however and, with the interference of the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], the Decepticon operation proved ineffective.

Still, Bombshell took advantage of the opportunity to infiltrate the Ark by riding atop Silverbolt back to the Autobot base. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} While inside, he seized a chance to fire one of his cerebro-shell inside [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] during a medical exam where Ratchet was cleaning a recent wound. He was unable to actually control Prime, but managed something almost as good—by piping in a radio connection to Megatron through Soundwave, Bombshell's implant was able to divert some of the Creation Matrix to the Decepticons, bringing life to the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] just as Prime was finalizing the life-sparks of the Aerialbots. Bombshell's implant was eventually discovered, but the damage was done. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

''Just before [[Christmas]] [[1986]], Bombshell accompanied [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] in a raid on a [[Blackrock Enterprises|Blackrock]] [[Blackrock's chemical plant|chemical plant]] as [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and [[Jazz (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Jazz]] were taking delivery of a consignment of [[Transformer fuel|fuel]]. Though Bombshell managed to incapacitate Jazz easily, Thrust did not do such a good job with Jetfire as the Autobot quickly recovered and shot Bombshell down. Only the threat of an impending explosion allowed the Decepticons to retreat.'' {{storylink|The Gift}}

{{GIJoeTransformersfiction}}
[[File:Bombshell marvel-41.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|left|Bombshell learns that you don't have to be in the background to be block-colored by Nel Yomtov.]]
Later, Megatron commissioned Bombshell and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] to take control of the human creation known as [[Power Station Alpha]]. Sighting [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] casing the installation, Bombshell blasted a human boy with a cerebro-shell as a distraction, sending him off into danger while the Decepticon infiltrated Alpha and placed a specially-modified shell inside. {{storylink|Blood on the Tracks}} Things were too hot to retrieve it then, with the [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] team taking hostile action against Bumblebee and then being confronted themselves by [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], but later that night the remote control was triggered and Power Station Alpha sprung to life. Surprisingly for the Decepticons, though, it did NOT come to their base as programmed—[[Doctor Mindbender]] of [[Cobra]] was able to lock onto the electronic frequency of Bombshell's shell and bring Alpha to [[Cobra Island]] instead. Dirge and Bombshell were therefore forced into the position of emissaries for the Decepticon cause, proposing an alliance between them and Cobra in order to share Power Station Alpha's potential. {{storylink|Power Struggle}}

Bombshell was privy to Shockwave's plan of using Command Station Alpha to syphon tremendous amount of energy from the Earth, effectively destroying the planet in the process. When Serpentor and his troops arrived at the Decepticon base to deliver the device, Bombshell and his fellow Cybertronians maintained a facade of camaraderie with their human "allies." While Mindbender was acting as Cobra's "ambassador", he uncovered the severity of their plans for Alpha, and the devastating effect it would have on the Earth. As Bombshell was giving the doctor a tour of the Decepticons' base, the Decepticon suddenly began to convulse and transform involuntarily... the result of one of his Cerebro-Shells being probed elsewhere. Bombshell excused himself to check his systems over. {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}}

[[File:Insecticons carwash of doom.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]
Once Cobra switched sides and joined in an alliance with the Joes and the Autobots, Mindbender was deemed "surplus parts" and Bombshell attempted to execute him. Instead, the Insecticon was disabled by a blast from one of the [[Baroness]]'s cannon weapons. As the two Cobra agents left to join [[Serpentor]] in conference with their new "friends", Mindbender scooped up the unconscious Bombshell (who had reverted to his tiny insect mode) in the hopes of dissecting his circuitry later. Only after arriving at the Joe base did they discover the connection between Bombshell and his cerebro-shells, as the Joe technical expert [[Mainframe (G.I. Joe)|Mainframe]] prodded the shell which had been surgically retrieved from the boy Bombshell blasted days earlier, causing the still-inactive Insecticon to spontaneously transform out of his own control. {{storylink|...All Fall Down!}}

How Bombshell eventually regained control of his systems and returned to the Decepticons is unknown, but he did and was later seen participating in a raid on an [[oil tanker]]. He used his cerebro-shells to quickly locate the vessel's control room. Unfortunately, the tanker turned out to be dry. {{storylink|Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom}} When Decepticon leadership eventually passed to [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], Bombshell was seen among his troops, and participated on an attack against the crews of both the ''[[Steelhaven (G1)|Steelhaven]]'' and the Ark, at the time parked on Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. Bombshell was blasted by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] early in the assault. {{storylink|Totaled!}}
{{--}}

=====Transformers Annual 1985=====
{{note|Due to being published early in the franchise, these stories are out of continuity with the above.}}
[[File:Plague of the insecticons.jpg|thumb|left]]
Upon learning that the Autobots were secretly planning to open a dialogue with the [[Ronald Reagan|President of the United States]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] awakened the Insecticons to undermine the potential alliance. The trio were too new to be in full control of themselves, and needed to be remote-controlled to be of any use on the battlefield. To this end, [[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]] was selected to guide them on their test-run.

The Insecticons interrupted the peace talk, Bombshell making his presence known by ordering his teammates to "'''KILL THE HUMANS!'''" The Insecticons then proclaimed themselves to be Autobots working under Optimus, and blasted their surroundings with abandon, leading the humans to believe the Autobots had always planned on betraying them. Having put on enough of a show for the President himself, Bombshell and his teammates then zoomed off to unleash further firepower on downtown [[Washington, D.C.]]. Warpath and Prowl both tried to put an end to the Insecticons' rampage, but found it difficult to get a bead on their flying opponents. Optimus, however, had deduced that the Insecticons were being controlled by someone else, and tracked down Ravage in short order. The cat ordered Bombshell to double back and come to his aid. Bombshell launched a [[cerebro-shell]] towards the Autobot leader, just as [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] destroyed his [[Roller (G1)|Roller]] drone. The drone's destruction caused Optimus to keel over in pain at just the right moment, making the cerebro-shell miss its mark and imbed itself into Ravage instead. Bombshell gained control of Ravage mind, but since Ravage was already in control of Bombshell's mind, the result was two Decepticons left mindless and immobile. {{storylink|Plague of the Insecticons!}}

=====Movie future timeline=====
When Megatron launched a major offensive against [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] in the year [[2005]], Bombshell was among the troops who attacked the fortress. {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Earthforce insecticons.jpg|upright=0.95|thumb|Dinner and a show, huh?]]
Bombshell and the Insecticons were allied with Megatron during the [[Decepticon Civil War]] against Shockwave. He attended the [[Enclave]] held by the two factions, but it didn't go well and Bombshell was later seen among the massive melee between the Decepticon armies. {{storylink|The Bad Guy's Ball!}} Bombshell and the Insecticons were later tasked by Megatron to infiltrate Shockwave's base and spy on his war room to gain secret intelligence. Bombshell had tapped into the room with a listening prong right before [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] arrived, and caught the tiny intruders with a [[rustbug hoop]]. Forced to submit, the Insecticons were surprised that Starscream wasn't going to torture or kill them: instead, he offered them a juicy bit of gossip that Shockwave would be off alone on a mission soon. Bombshell realized that Starscream was setting his leader up for a fall, arranging for both Megatron and Shockwave to be disposed of in one felt swoop. He seemed okay with it. {{storylink|Bugged!}}

[[File:End of the Road! Bombshell report.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2]]
Sure enough, Megatron and Shockwave were soon excommunicated from their respective armies, and the Decepticons united under the command of Starscream and [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]. Bombshell was present at the latter two's public announcement of their takeover, {{storylink|Internal Affairs!}} and for the united Decepticons' first major military action, an attack on Autobot Earthbase. The Decepticons' goal was to kill some Autobots, while also distracting them as 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!}}

Soon, however, Bombshell turned his talents to less overt and more deceitful activities. At his leaders' request, Bombshell implanted the mighty warrior [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] with one of his cerebro-shells, turning the giant against the human populace in order to smear the Autobots' image. A human reporter named [[Irwin Spoon]] managed to get inside Superion at the Autobots' request, however, and remove the shell before any permanent damage was done. {{storylink|Inside Story!}} Bombshell's follow-up surveillance revealed that the Autobots had offered the reporter an exclusive interview in exchange for his assistance. Such a positive "puff-piece" would go a long way towards improving the Autobots' image among the humans, and could not be allowed by the Decepticons. So, Soundwave and Starscream arranged for the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] to kidnap Spoon. {{storylink|Front Line! (issue)|Front Line!}} Trapping him inside [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]'s cabin, the Stunticons led the Autobots on a merry chase through the highways until they finally forced Motormaster off the road and recovered Spoon. The damage had been done, however; unknown to the Autobots, Bombshell had been hiding inside Motormaster's cab, and implanted the reporter with a cerebro-shell before losing custody of the human. Irwin Spoon therefore wrote exactly the piece the Decepticons wanted, painting the Autobots as evil kidnappers set to destroy mankind. {{storylink|End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road!}}

====''Transformers '84''====
[[File:Border regions battle secrets and lies.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]
In the early days of the [[Great War (G1)|war]] on Cybertron, Bombshell was part of [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]'s forces who assaulted an Autobot fort in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]'s [[Border Regions]]. When Autobots led by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] arrived to defend the fort, Straxus ordered his troops to seize as many prisoners as they could and retreat. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 2|Secrets & Lies #2}} Upon returning to [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]], Bombshell was privileged to join Straxus as he watched those Autobot prisoners being tortured to death in the [[smelting pool]]. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 3|Secrets & Lies #3}}

===Kid Stuff Talking Story Books===
Bombshell and the rest of the Insecticons had enslaved the people of the island of [[Buru]] when the Decepticons had discovered that within the island was a plentiful supply of oil. He and the other Insecticons were eventually beaten back by the Dinobots. {{storylink|Slaves of the Insecticons}}

===Marvel coloring books===
[[File:InvasionOfTheDecepticonCamp BombshellTrashBag.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|left]]
Bombshell implanted a cerebro-shell in [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] and made him cause havoc in [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. Bombshell gloated about his achievement to his fellow Decepticons but was bashed by Galvatron for drawing the Autobots' attention to them. In the ensuing battle, [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] trapped Bombshell in a [[giant super-strong trash bag]] and the Autobots forced him to remove the shell from Springer. {{storylink|The Invasion of the Decepticon Camp}}

===''Big Looker'' storybooks===
Megatron's plan to steal an oil truck involved Bombshell using cerebro-shells on the drivers. However, the Autobots interrupted the plan, foiling the theft. {{storylink|Decepticon Hijack}}

[[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] and Bombshell were looking for a way to gain favor with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] when they came across [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]], the Autobots' architect. Bombshell infected him with a cerebro-shell to use the Autobots for his own evil deeds. After the mind-controlled Grapple chased off his friend [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], Bombshell brought his new toy back to Megatron. When the Autobots attacked Decepticon headquarters to get Grapple back, the diminutive Bombshell was too frazzled by the explosions to keep focus on Grapple, and the Autobots managed to rescue him. {{storylink|Insecticon Attack!}}

===Listen 'n Play audiobooks continuity===
{{voiceactor|? (English)}}
Bombshell aided Starscream in enacting Megatron's plan to abduct humans for ransom. When they reached [[Phoenix International]], they found the airport deserted, so instead went to check on the already-obtained hostages. Unfortunately the Autobots had found the warehouse already and liberated the prisoners, so Starscream's squad instead found an Autobot welcoming committee. With Starscream unable to transform and Bombshell injured, the Decepticons retreated. {{storylink|Sun Raid (Listen 'n Play)}}

===Peril from the Stars===
{{notemultipath}}
[[File:Bombshell starscream uncle jack aunt sue peril from the stars.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6]]
Bombshell was recruited by Starscream, behind the backs of the other Decepticons, to help him capture the [[Los Palmos observatory]] and its staff [[Jack Richards|Jack]] and [[Sue Richards]] in order to track a weapons pod that had been launched from Cybertron. After implanting Sue Richards with a cerebro-shell and tangling with [[you]] and the Autobot [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], Bombshell ultimately retreated after Starscream left him to face Jazz alone. {{storylink|Peril from the Stars}}

{{note|As "Peril from the Stars" is a [[multipath adventure]], Bombshell doesn't necessarily implant Sue with a cerebro-shell. Depending on the choices you make, at that point in the book he could be blowing you and Jazz to pieces with an explosive shell instead.}}

===Find Your Fate Junior===
{{notemultipath}}
====Dinobots Strike Back====
With his buddy Kickback, Bombshell snuck into [[Hidden Valley]], where the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] were supposed to be on lookout duty. Seeing their inattentiveness, he was able to get close enough to launch a [[Mortar cannon|mortar]] which knocked them all out except Swoop, who dodged but got a wing injured in the explosion. Bombshell quickly transformed into insect mode and injected the four unconscious Dinobots with cerebro-shells, ordered them to transform, and sent Kickback back to Megatron to report his triumph. {{note|The preceding actions hold true for every path of this micro-continuity-nexus.}}

What happened next depended on Swoop's actions: if Swoop stayed and fought Bombshell, the Insecticon responded by hovering over the other Dinobots, making it too risky for him to take a shot from his position. If Swoop flew below him, it opened up two paths with basically the same result for Bombshell: hit with a missile, then threatened until he removed the four cerebro-shells. He flew off in defeat, apparently not damaged too badly in either outcome.

If Swoop tried to lure him higher, Bombshell ordered the other Dinobots to attack the Ark and level everything in their path, raising a dust cloud that obscured Swoop's vision. Bombshell saw his opportunity to sneak up on Swoop, and injected him with a poison that shrank him down to the size of a hummingbird, then flew off and left the Dinobot bombardier to his fate. The poison eventually wore off, allowing Swoop to go down the same path as if he'd just flown back to the Ark instead of trying to fight Bombshell in the first place.

Either way, Bombshell never figured back into this micro-continuity-nexus save for one path in which Windcharger popped the cerebro-shells off with his magnetism, allowing [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] to remember picking up a careless thought from Bombshell about his actions merely being a distraction from Operation Black Coral, spurring the Autobots to investigate [[Dolphin's Bay]]. One possible subsequent outcome involved the Dinobots foiling this plan by pretending to still be under the cerebro-shells' influence, indicating that Bombshell wasn't actively controlling their actions at all after giving the initial order, and that the mind-link with his victims is only one-way. {{storylink|Dinobots Strike Back}}

====Battle Drive====
[[File:Battledrivefightingatthebridge.jpg|thumb|left]]
In one possible scenario, when Starscream believed himself ambushed by a whole squadron of Autobots, he radioed Bombshell for back-up. Upon his arrival, the Decepticons realized they were only up against Bumblebee, and the pair ganged up on the little Autobot. If Bumblebee attempted to flee from this battle through a nearby cornfield, Bombshell would put the little Autobot out of commission by puncturing his tires after Starscream used his [[null-ray]]s on Bumblebee. In another possible sequence of events, Bumblebee is able to lose Bombshell through a smokescreen produced by a nearby burning field.

In another possible version of these events, Bombshell was amongst a squadron of Decepticons attacking Sparkplug as the human attempted to hide in a cave in the mountains. Bombshell and the rest of the Decepticons were defeated if Swoop managed to take out Megatron subsequently. Otherwise, he was amongst the Decepticons who stayed at the cave entrance after Swoop headed back to Autobot headquarters after the Dinobot's initial assault. In one of the possible following events, Bombshell has his wings blasted off when Prowl makes a mad dash back for Autobot headquarters, leaving him unable to pursue.

In a completely different version of these events, Bombshell is amongst the fleet of Decepticons who attack Optimus Prime and his small squad of Autobots when they are lured out in the open farmland. Whether or not the Decepticons triumphed depended on which decisions Optimus Prime made from that point on. In one possible scenario, Bombshell was scorched by Jazz's flamethrower after he and at least nine other Decepticons attempted to gang up on Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Battle Drive}}

====Attack of the Insecticons====
[[File:AttackoftheInsecticonstheSunPak.jpg|thumb]]
In one possible adventure, Bombshell was complicit in one of Starscream's schemes of overthrowing Megatron. Holding the recently kidnapped Sparkplug in his custody for the Seeker, Bombshell was instructed to use his Cerebro-Shells on the human in order to force him into creating a Sun-Pak for them, a device that would provide them with great energy reserves. Unknown to the duo, Buster and Blaster were hiding nearby.

If the two of them decided to contact Megatron, two possible outcomes were possible. First, if Buster provided Megatron proof that Starscream was planning to usurp the Decepticon leader, Megatron would arrive shortly and threaten Starscream for his duplicity. Not wanting to share Starscream's fate, Bombshell refused to collaborate Starscream's lies to Megatron. Though Bombshell managed to avoid punishment, this came at the cost of having to release Sparkplug, and keeping the existence of the Sun-Pak a secret. Second, if Buster refused to provide Megatron with proof of Starscream's treachery, Megatron turned up anyways, but allowed Bombshell to use his mind control device on Sparkplug. Unfrotunately for the Decepticons, the device caused memory damage in the human, rendering Sparkplug unable to create more Sun-Paks for the Decepticons.

If Blaster and Buster decided to seek Bumblebee's aid in confronting the Decepticons, the three of them would hatch a plan, which ultimately led to Bombshell accidentally hitting Starscream with his Cerebro-Shell in-lieu of Sparkplug. A fuming Bombshell was then forced to deal with the Seeker who was convinced by the Autobots that they were his masters, and was prevented from stopping both humans and both Autobots from escaping by the newly brainwashed Starscream.

In another possible adventure, the Autobots had become Bombshell and Shrapnel's prisoners, thanks to the Insecticons' Electro-Disrupter. While the Autobots are paralyzed by the device, Bombshell prepared Cerebro-Shell to make slaves of all do-gooders present. Little did the Decepticons know that the disrupter left the humans unaffected, giving them the opportunity to turn the device on the Insecticons, allowing the Autobots to escape.

In yet another possible adventure, Bombshell and Kickback were present when Shrapnel, in possession of the Sun-Pak, gloated that using the device's power they would overthrow Megatron as leader of the Decepticons. However, nearby hid Buster and Mirage spying on the trio. If Buster and Mirage decided to confront the Insecticons themselves, Mirage used his holographic powers to disorient the Insecticons, allowing Buster the opening to steal the device from the Insecticons. If Buster and Mirage decided to call for reinforcements, Bombshell and the other two Insecticons would be around long enough for Megatron, himself having found out about Shrapnel's ploy, to arrive in the rotting forest where the Insecticons were hiding, and blast Shrapnel for his treachery, warning the other two Insecticons that a similar punish would await them should they try to betray him as well. Bombshell was subsequently sprayed by [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]'s acid spray, alongside the other Decepticons, when Megatron's plan to ambush the Autobot reinforcements backfired. {{storylink|Attack of the Insecticons}}

====The Invisibility Factor====
Bombshell was stationed in the Decepticons' secret desert base. In one possible scenario, the Decepticons captured [[Sarah Sanders]], a scientist who had discovered a way to make machinery invisible with her [[Invisibility Device]]. When she would not give up her secrets willingly, Galvatron ordered Bombshell to use his Cerebro-Shells to control her mind. Bombshell stepped forth from the shadows and greedily anticipated taking over a fresh mind. In one possible scenario, Bombshell succeeded despite the Autobots’ brief interference, and the Decepticons conquered the Earth. In another possible scenario, Bombshell was dazzled at the last second by a series of holographic projections, giving the Autobots the time to scoop up Sarah and run. Whether Bombshell recaptured Sarah or if she escaped the Insecticon's clutches was a matter of chance from this point forward. {{storylink|The Invisibility Factor}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Bombshell kickback shrapnel soundwave ravage war within 1-2.jpg|left|upright=0.95|thumb|Oh, shut up.]]
Bombshell, sporting a spiffy tank mode, was on Cybertron millions of years ago as part of a commando group being directed by Soundwave, sent to track down Optimus while the bulk of the Decepticon forces participated in a raid on [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} But the newly inaugurated Prime proved to be more trouble that Bombshell's team initially anticipated. The Autobot leader lost his pursuers in Cybertron's labyrinthine underground, and then ambushed them by using the environment to his advantage. Optimus knocked out Bombshell after delivering a solid right-hook to his face. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}} [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] came across Bombshell's sputtering, sparking body while on his own search for the Prime. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}}

During the Dark Ages, Bombshell and his fellow future Insecticons served under [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] as part of the primary Decepticon faction. At one point, they assaulted [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and the [[Chaos Trinity]] in [[Altihex]] to stop the chaos unleashed by [[the Fallen]]. {{storylink|Conflagration}} Bombshell was also present at [[Tyger Pax]] during the aborted peace treaty between the Autobots, Decepticons and [[Ultracon]]s. Megatron's sudden arrival with the [[Air Warrior|Aerospace Extermination Squadron]] put a quick stop to those peace talks. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} After Megatron took control of the planet, Bombshell got to guard Autobot prisoners within [[Internment Camp Pi]]. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.2|The Age of Wrath #2}}

Prior to the [[Great Shutdown]], Shockwave uncovered the crash location of the missing ships the Ark and ''Nemesis'': Earth. He sent Kickback, Shrapnel and Bombshell to the planet as part of some vast, incomprehensible scheme he'd been perfecting for millennia. They initially encountered resistance from the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]], but gave them the slip and went undercover on Earth for 48 thousand [[Units of time|vorns]]. {{storylink|Unreleased Dreamwave issues|The Rules of Extinction}} {{storylink|Extermination}}

{{note|Bombshell and the Insecticons made a brief appearance in the second ''[[The Transformers Trilogy|Transformers Trilogy]]'' novel, ''[[Transformers: Annihilation|Annihilation]]'', as troops under Starscream's command on Earth. This appearance is contradicted by later Dreamwave stories. Also, in the novel the Insecticons shrink down to insect-size as they did in Marvel Comics, whereas later Dreamwave issues showed them retaining their full size, like their cartoon versions.}}

[[File:Extermination BombshellBumperShockwave.jpg|thumb]]
In modern times, however, Bombshell seemed to have developed a few loose screws and begun operating outside his mission parameters. Having taken over a small town in rural America, Bombshell had begun mass production of techno-organic Insecticlones being grown from special pods. {{storylink|Infestation (Dreamwave)|Infestation}} He also went about abducting cattle and their human handlers in order to feed his larvae and build a mind-controlled army. His actions drew the attention of [[Earth Defense Command]] and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]'s Autobot faction, leading to an investigation of the town. Shockwave contacted the Insecticons, berating them for allowing to be found out, though Bombshell thought the Autobots to be of little concern; he had already captured one of them, [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]], and begun tinkering about with the Autobot's head. He ended Shockwave's call, and his experiment, to go feed his hatchlings... only to find Sunstreaker and Sideswipe already running amok in the hatchery. These two were captured as well, only for Bumper to turn up missing by the time the brothers were brought back to Bombshell's lab. Heading up to the surface in the hopes of finding him, Bombshell observed from a distance as the rest of his squad took on Jazz and his troops. As the Autobots gained the advantage on the battlefield, Bombshell sent the mind-controlled townspeople against them, knowing they would hesitate to harm the fleshlings. While his attentions was focused on this, Bumper managed to sneak up on Bombshell and took him out, signaling an Autobot victory... though this victory seemed to have come about easily. Perhaps, too much so...? {{storylink|Extermination}} In any case, Bombshell was taken into Autobot custody after his defeat. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:Bad Future Insecticons GIJoevsTFsII3.jpg|thumb|left]]
Bombshell-type Insecticons were part of the dreaded Insecticon swarms on an alternate future Earth ruled by the Decepticons. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3}}

===The Beast Within===
Bombshell participated in a savage all-out Decepticon offensive against the Autobots. With the Decepticons maintaining the advantage throughout the battle, Bombshell was amongst those who approached a crippled Optimus Prime, ready to dispatch the Autobot leader. Before they could deliver the finishing blow, the Dinobots combined into [[Beast (G1)|The Beast]], shifting the Decepticons’ priorities. {{storylink|The Beast Within}}
{{--}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[All Hail Megatron issue 1|''All Hail Megatron'' #1]]}}

[[File:Bombshell beachcomber spotlight blaster.jpg|upright=0.95|thumb|Cybertronian creature feature.]]
Shortly after [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]'s apocalyptic assault across Cybertron, a tiny mechanoid insect called Bombshell injected a cerebro-shell into [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] on [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]]'s behalf. The shell enabled Soundwave to make Beachcomber into an assassin, sending him after [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], the inspirational broadcaster for the Autobots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

Several hundred years later, Bombshell was created on Cybertron as the first [[Insecticon swarm|non-insane]] Insecticon. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} Soundwave would later refer to him as a "different Bombshell", separate from the one he had used against Blaster. One of this new Bombshell's first tasks was to finish [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]]'s research on [[combiner]]s, resulting in the creation of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|Shockpoint}} {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} After Devastator had defeated the Autobots on [[Earth]], Bombshell constructed a [[space bridge]] between Cybertron and Earth, which the Decepticons used to dump their defeated enemies in. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} After using the bridge to get rid of the Autobots on Earth, the Decepticons attacked [[New York City]]. During the assault, Bombshell tore apart [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] jets in his giant beetle mode. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}} [[Marissa Faireborn]] watched this in horror. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 2: Detonation Boulevard|Detonation Boulevard}} He later attended [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]'s glorious victory speech in the ruins of the city, but the line about the Decepticons being "united in our cause" clearly wasn't quite true. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 3|All Hail Megatron #3}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}}

[[File:AllHailMegatron8-Insecticons.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left]]
Battle lines started being drawn between the Insecticons and the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]. In [[Beijing]], Bombshell began openly mocking [[Skywarp (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Skywarp]] and the Seekers as "Yesterday's news", ignored by their flight commander and cast aside by Megatron in favor of the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]. Despite his mind games, though, Bombshell and the united Insecticons quickly scurried off when both Skywarp and [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]] stood up against them. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}} After returning to New York, Bombshell was approached by [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]], who apologized for the behavior of his fellow Seekers, and told the Insecticons about how he envisioned the future of the Decepticon Empire—a vision which incidentally included Starscream as the leader. At some point during the conquest of Earth, Bombshell also captured former [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] [[Hunter O'Nion]] and started performing twisted experiments on him. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8|All Hail Megatron #8}}

Bombshell would go on to create another space bridge in New York and use Hunter to create a "hub" of some sort, which the Decepticons used to find Autobots all across the galaxy and deactivate their defenses. When Megatron complimented his work, Bombshell explained that human minds intrigued him, and that he found experimenting on them to be quite "delicious". He then promptly betrayed Megatron, as he had been sucked in by Starscream's words earlier and took the Seeker's side in his rebellion. In response, Megatron threw Kickback at him. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} Not long afterwards, the Autobots returned to Earth, and a massive battle broke out in New York. Bombshell jumped [[Sideswipe (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sideswipe]] and taunted the Autobot by claiming to have toyed with [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|his brother]]'s mind with information he had extracted from Hunter. He was punched out by [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] before he could kill Sideswipe, however, and the Decepticons soon found themselves defeated. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}} As the Decepticons fled the planet aboard [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], Bombshell cheered for Starscream when he revealed that he was in possession of the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. {{storylink|Uneasy Lies the Head}}

[[File:Bombshell All His Engines.jpg|thumb]]
Despite Starscream's "ascension", however, the Decepticon army began to crumble without clear direction. Bombshell and the rest of Starscream's followers eventually retreated to a lifeless planetoid in a distant solar system. Refugees from the broken Decepticon war machine began to trickle in over the next three years until nearly 100 were cowering together in the dark. Starscream ordered Bombshell to find some way to strengthen their meager energon reserves and keep what remained of the army properly fueled. Bombshell regarded this as a fool's errand, and left the Decepticons to reach "population saturation" on their own, as the strong cannibalized the weak for resources. Instead, he chose to work on perfecting cerebro-shell technology, and cobbled together a prototype to present to Starscream. It proved highly effective against the dissident [[Quake (G1)|Quake]], who attacked Starscream at that moment for reasons of his own. Bombshell's little toy incapacitated Quake long enough for Starscream to eliminate the mutineer. Intrigued, Starscream requested Bombshell begin production of ''more'' cerebro-shells. {{storylink|All His Engines}} Later, Bombshell reported to an uninterested Starscream that an approaching Autobot ship had crashed into their defenses. Tempted by the Matrix, he made an offer to take care of the relic, but Starscream violently repulsed him. Together with Shrapnel and [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]], he went to scavenge the ship's wreckage for anything useful, only to be attacked by the pilot, [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]]. Bombshell tried to fire one of his new cerebro-shells at the intruder, who blocked it with a piece of metal and defeated him. {{storylink|Heart Like a Wheel}}

Megatron would later use space bridge technology built into in his new body to summon Bombshell and the rest of the Decepticons to him on Cybertron. At first they did battle with the Autobots, but were soon mind-controlled by [[D-Void]] into combining with [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]]'s [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]] army and forming a [[Deceptigod|huge monster]]. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}} Once this monster was defeated, all Decepticons but Megatron were left weakened and easily captured by the Autobots, but Bombshell, Soundwave and Shockwave secretly remained in contact with their leader in preparation for his return. Bombshell's task was to perfect combiner technology, granting Megatron a warrior powerful enough to conquer the newly restored Cybertron. {{storylink|Shockpoint}} After three weeks in captivity, the Decepticons were released to help the Autobots beat down a [[NAIL]] riot, though with [[Inhibitor/deterrence chip|I/D chip]] implants to keep them from going overboard. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}}

[[File:Needlenose Autonomy Lesson.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8]]
[[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]], unaware of their machinations and fed up with working as an enforcer for the Autobots, accused Bombshell, Soundwave and Shockwave of just sitting around instead of doing something about the Decepticons' situation. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}} The three aided [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]'s plan to take control of the I/D chips, assassinate the [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Autobot leader]] and rise up against their captors, but only because it served as a good distraction from their own activities. {{storylink|Shockpoint}} {{storylink|The World & Everything in It}} When Ratbat was then mysteriously found dead, the Autobots claimed it was suicide, but Bombshell and the other Decepticons didn't believe them. {{storylink|Stick Together}}

[[File:Prowl Bombshell Devisive.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Ha! Didn't work!]]
Following Ratbat's death, Bombshell began experimenting with using cerebro-shells to repress the wills of individuals and turn them into components of the perfect combiner, a concept he referred to as "[['Til all are one|all-who-are-one]]". Among his test subjects were [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] and [[Skydive (Predator)|Skydive]], but he was forced to murder the latter after he proved "divisive" and unsuitable for the experiments. As [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] found the body, Bombshell placed another cerebro-shell on him to prevent him from telling anyone he was responsible, but [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] found the device and tracked him back to his lair. Ordering Sunstorm to keep Prowl and [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] busy, he fled into the [[reclamation tunnel]]s and recruited the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]' help, but it was all in vain as Prowl eventually cornered him and demanded to know what he was doing and who he was working with. When Bombshell refused to answer, Prowl prepared to execute him on the spot by shooting him in the head. {{storylink|Devisive}} However, using a tiny cerebro-shell masked by the larger one Prowl had found, Bombshell took control of his mind and made him miss at the last second. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}}

[[File:PlanForEverything BombshellDies.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|Okay that one did.]]
Now believed dead, Bombshell was able to go into hiding and use Prowl to manipulate events in anticipation of Megatron's return. This way, he was able to spirit away the Constructicons and modify them into a new Devastator, as well as take out [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], the only Autobot capable of defeating a combiner. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} Starscream expressed great shock at seeing Bombshell and other believed dead Decepticons alive when he was taken into the [[Black Room]]. {{storylink|The Verge}} When Megatron finally returned, they enacted the final part of their plan by having Prowl form Devastator's head, causing the giant to be completely under Bombshell's control. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} However, the Decepticons were betrayed by Arcee who, knowing the only way of defeating the new Devastator would be to take out one controlling him, killed Bombshell by stabbing him in the head. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}}
{{--}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[File:HeartsofSteel2 Insecticons.jpg|thumb]]
Along with several other Decepticons, Bombshell awoke in the late 19th century when a sunken human submarine crashed onto their submerged ship. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1|Hearts of Steel #1}} He spent some time helping his comrades construct things underwater before being ordered by [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] to obtain "money" for their human ally, [[Tobias Muldoon]]. Taking on a new [[alternate mode]] alongside Kickback and Shrapnel, Bombshell transformed into the middle portion of the "[[Insectrain]]", which used his head-mounted cannon as a turret. The Insecticons attacked a train carrying money and gold from the Denver Mint, shrugging off the primitive weaponry of its human guards. Although he didn't see the value in tiny sheets of paper, Bombshell followed orders and delivered the loot to Starscream and Muldoon by the next morning. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2|Hearts of Steel #2}} He was later present when Starscream announced to his troops that the Autobots had awakened as well. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 3|Hearts of Steel #3}}
{{IDW HOS}}
{{--}}

===''Lil Formers''===
Bombshell was interviewed and claimed, to put all debates to rest, that it was indeed him who became Cyclonus after being reformatted by Unicron. Skywarp made exactly the same claim. {{storylink|Lil Formers}}

===''Mini Mayhem!''===
Bombshell asked [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] what was the point of his [[Pretender]] shell, since he couldn't blend in human society as a skeleton. Bludgeon explained that his Pretender shell once looked human, but its face was melted off after witnessing [[w:Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade|the opening of the Ark of the Covenant]]. {{storylink|Mini Mayhem!}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
[[File:Targetmasters-Insecticons.jpg|thumb]]
Bombshell, Shrapnel, and Kickback acted as bounty hunters for Megatron. The Insecticon trio brought their king four of the human invaders that had recently been pestering him, after picking them up in the middle of a firefight between G.I. Joe and the Decepticons. The fleshlings escaped, along with a couple of Autobot captives, when [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] tricked Megatron with a holographic projection of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Targetmasters (issue)|Targetmasters}} The Insecticons were among the Decepticons who gathered under [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] for the final battle with the Autobots and G.I. Joe. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}}
{{--}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[Constructicons Rising, Part 1|''Galaxies'' #1]]}}
[[File:ConstructiconsRisingPart2-Bombshell.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Allow me to introduce myself. I'm a bug of wealth and taste.]]

Bombshell, Kickback, and Skrapnel emerged from the [[Forge Pyramid]] in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] at the same time. The trio were born with a ravenous, nigh-insatiable hunger; when they consumed raw materials, they found that they could metabolize whatever they consumed into a particularly powerful form of "ultra-[[energon]]". Scientists at the time tried to understand this strange mutation, but when they proved unable to crack the secret behind this miraculous ability the three were turned loose on Cybertron's waste processing industry to recycle garbage and industrial waste into cheap, efficient fuel. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 2}}

When the [[War of the Threefold Spark]] swept the planet, the war forced the [[Autobot]] government to focus on other priorities, leaving Bombshell and his compatriots without any oversight. The trio eventually joined the war itself as scavengers who picked off the dead and dying. After the end of the war, the trio were banished from Cybertron—in a conversation with [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]], he claimed that [[Nominus Prime]] and the other members of Cybertron's government were afraid of them, and worried that they'd develop a taste for the living. The trio were rebranded as the "Insecticons" and reassigned to the remote colony of [[Mayalx]] to continue their work. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 2}}

[[File:ConstructiconsRisingPart4-cerebroshells.jpg|thumb|250px]]

In the years before the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], the Insecticons joined [[The Rise]], a radical splinter group led by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], and worked to recruit disaffected Cybertronians from the colonies to the [[Decepticon|Ascenticon]] movement. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 2}} Bombshell eventually discovered the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s, and realized that they could be manipulated to help the Insecticons gather energon for the cause. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 1}} After first feasting on a dead worker [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] killed by accident, Bombshell and the other three Insecticons confronted the builders during one of [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]]'s regular sparring matches; Bombshell explained their own history and encouraged [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] and his friends to embrace their full potential by taking revenge on the society that had scorned their talents. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 2}}

The Constructicons eventually agreed to attack, using their [[Devastator (G1)|combined form]]; to overcharge the Constructicons, the Insecticons killed and ate three workers, their living [[spark]]s giving the Insecticons the extra juice to produce a particularly volatile variety of energon. Once the Constructicons had over-fuelled on their energon cubes and ravaged the colony as the newly christened Devastator, Bombshell delivered a grisly, ironic toast to Nominus Prime: the bot who'd made this all possible. Many cycles later, after the Insecticons had devoured and processed everything—and ''everyone''—Devastator had destroyed, [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]]'s unit arrived to take them and their harvest back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 4}} While Bombshell and the others were in exile, Shockwave began working on a legion of [[cloning|clones]] in their image. {{storylink|Storm Horizon Part 3}} {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I|Sea of Rust I}}

[[File:EscapePartOne-Insecticons.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

At some point during their exile, the three Insecticons had developed a taste for organic life, and not long after Megatron finally staged a coup instituted martial law across [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], the three got the chance to sate their hunger by rampaging through the city's [[Xeno-Quarter]] and attacking the [[A'ovan habitat]]. The three killed many of the endangered animals inside the facility before [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]], and [[Road Rage (G1)|Road Rage]] arrived and successfully chased them off. As the three retreated back to Shockwave's base, Bombshell told his subordinates it was time to make Shockwave deliver on his promises. {{storylink|Escape Part One}} Upon arriving, however, Shockwave informed them that the cloning process would take more time before dismissing them. Unwilling to wait, Bombshell used his cerebro-shells to enthrall his fellow Riser [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]], then set out with his fellows to ambush a refugee convoy heading to [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]]. {{storylink|Escape Part Two}}

In the ensuing battle, the Insecticons made off with a pair of [[A'ovan]] refugees and the Autobot [[Scrambler]]; after they'd eaten their victims, they reunited with their mind-controlled minion Skystalker as he flew the stolen shuttle ''[[Thunder Arrow]]'' and a load of Shockwave's stolen equipment to a remote location in the [[Cybertronian Mountains]]. The three soon set up a crude cloning lab and powered Shockwave's stolen machinery with their own energon. Using the Cybertronian strata as raw material, the trio began mass-producing an army of mindless, sparkless [[Insecticon clone|clones]]; {{storylink|Escape Part Four}} after Shockwave unsuccessfully tried to assassinate the three, their clones swarmed over the city of Darkmount and caused mass destruction before they were finally repelled. {{storylink|Escape Part Four}} As the wounded remnants of the swarm returned to Darkmount, Bombshell explained the glorious simplicity of his plan: by "harvesting" the swarm and turning them into energon, they could power up the machine to create even more clones. {{storylink|Escape Part Five}}

[[File:EndOfTime BombshellSmaksKickback.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|right|]]
Over the next forty cycles, Bombshell and the other Insecticons agreed to a truce with Shockwave under the stipulation that they would cooperate with the new Decepticon regime and send their soldiers when needed. As such, Shockwave contacted Bombshell and ordered him to send his clones to eliminate [[Termagax]]'s [[House (building)|House]]. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I}}

In time, the Insecticons gave in to their appetites like never before, experiencing exponential predatory growth. The Insecticlones became an existential threat to the very fabric of Cybertron. {{storylink|The Landscape of Fear}} Bombshell even began to turn on Kickback and Skrapnel, badgering them to eat even more to feed his cloning machines. A plan was concocted by Termagax to remove the Insecticons as a threat. A strike team of Autobots infiltrated the Insecticons' hive, and planted a receiver on Bombshell. A complex [[data bomb]] was implanted in a captive Insecticlone at Darkmount, fed back to the receiver on Bombshell and, through him, transmitted to the entire swarm. The Insecticlones were reprogrammed to eat only the [[rust worm]]s, two major threats to Cybertron repurposed to eliminate each other. {{storylink|End of Time}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers vs. The Terminator''===
[[File:EnemyOfMyEnemyPart2-Bombshell.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
Bombshell and the other two Insecticons awoke aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' in 1984 once Megatron had killed the still-dormant Optimus Prime; without the Autobots to stop them, the Decepticons began a destructive campaign against humanity that ended with mankind's extinction and the apparent subjugation of their [[Skynet]] defense network. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Two}} In the year [[2029]], the Insecticons joined [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s in an attack on Skynet's [[Omega Base]] and emerged triumphant, failing to notice that their enemy had sent a [[T-800|T-800 Terminator]] back in time to stop this future from ever coming to pass. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part One}}

In the altered timeline created as a result of the Terminator's interference, the remaining Decepticons reactivated the Insecticons moments before Optimus himself awoke, and fled with Megatron once [[Sarah Connor]] brought [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] back online. While the villains regrouped on the Oregon coastline, Megatron sent [[Reflector (G1)|Refraktor]] and the Insecticons to search for potential energy sources. The group returned shortly afterwards, bringing news of a robotics company with an apparent connection to their mysterious cybernetic attacker. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Two}} After successfully invading the headquarters of [[Cyberdyne Systems]], Megatron ordered the three Insecticons to tear the building apart to find any information relating to the Terminator, but they didn't get far before Optimus Prime and the other Autobots intervened. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Three}} In the ensuing battle, the Insecticons teamed up against Bumblebee, [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]], and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]; the pink Autobot killed Kickback, however, and the remaining pair found themselves outmaneuvered and incapacitated by their foes. The battle ended with the deaths of both Megatron and the T-800, but when the Autobots took their new prisoners back to the ''Ark'' they discovered that the time-travelling cyborg had double-crossed the aliens by destroying [[Mount St. Hilary]] and their only way home. With no clear way back to Cybertron, Prime suggested a truce, one which Bombshell and the other remaining Decepticons agreed to. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Four}}

===''My Little Pony/Transformers''===
[[File:StrengthInNumbers-Bombshell.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3|Rock 'n' roll pest control!]]

Bombshell was among the many Transformers transported to [[Equestria]] through a malfunctioning [[space bridge|spacebridge]]. {{storylink|Transformation Is Magic}} The Insecticons set about [[Insecticon clone|cloning]] themselves, and the combined swarm attacked the [[Sweet Apple Acres]] farm and began devouring everything in sight. A horrified [[Applejack]] managed to oust the invaders from her farm with the assistance of [[Discord (MLP)|Discord]] and her extended family. {{storylink|Strength in Numbers}} Bombshell joined the attack on the [[Crystal Empire]] but was eventually banished back to Cybertron with the other Decepticons. {{storylink|Finale (Friendship in Disguise!)|Finale}}

Later, Bombshell was one of the many Cybertronians mind-controlled by [[King Sombra]], and helped excavate [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] before Optimus Prime and his Autobots attacked. After Sombra's defeat, Bombshell and the others were returned to normal. {{storylink|Finale (The Magic of Cybertron)|Finale}}
{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' marketing material===
Bombshell, [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], both, or [[Life Spark|neither]] of them were reformatted into the [[Herald of Unicron]] [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|Cyclonus_(G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|''Kingdom'' Cyclonus product description}}<ref>[[Hasbro Pulse]] [https://hasbropulse.com/products/transformers-generations-war-for-cybertron-kingdom-voyager-wfc-k9-cyclonus product description] states "Cyclonus, a Herald of Unicron, first appears in the 1986 movie when Bombshell/Skywarp/both/neither was reformatted into the second-in-command of Galvatron."</ref>

==Commercial appearances==
Bombshell, Shrapnel, and Kickback led an enormous swarm of Insecticons to attack a farm. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Insecticons|Insecticons commercial}}

==Games==
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
{{Note|Bombshell is a non-playable character. He appears among the legion of Decepticon duplicates in the Autobot campaign.}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
Hardshell and his Insecticons once captured [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] and [[Slag (G1)|Slug]] of the Lightning Strike Coalition, and delivered the prisoners to [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s lab, for the Decepticon scientist to experiment on them. {{storylink|Rescue the King}}

Chafing under Megatron's rule, Hardshell and his fellow Insecticons began raiding energy storage and high-energy research facilities worldwide. The energy gave them increased size and power, and it was only when the Autobots and Decepticons formed an alliance that they were able to be stopped. {{storylink|Harvest of the Insecticons}} When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] returned to Earth with new troops in the form of [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], the Insecticons managed to ambush them. {{storylink|Junkion Reunion}} The Decepticons managed to steal [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]], and Megatron had Hardshell reprogram her to serve the Decepticon cause. Though she succeeded in stealing the [[World Energy Chip]] from Autobot HQ, the Decepticons were forced to come to her aid and failed to prevent her falling back into Autobot hands. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird (Legends)|Enter the Nightbird}} Bombshell was among the Decepticons who attacked Cybertron during an alliance with the Quintessons. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness: Part 3}}

At some point he was reformatted into [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|The Coronation of Starscream}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsBombshell.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8]]
Bombshell participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Super Rare character who could be acquired as a reward in the "Insecticons HUNGER!" event. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Devastation''===
{{charstubgames|{{storylink|Transformers: Devastation}}}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:BombshellEarthWars.jpg|thumb|upright=2|OBEEEYYY THE OVERMIIINND]]
Bombshell is one of the more elite warriors that arrived on Earth at the same time with [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Transformers: Earth Wars}}

*'''Class:''' Special
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 2 star (was 3 star)
* '''Weapons:''' Bombshell dual wields plasma-emitting pistols. Like Skrapnel, he can also dodge cannon and mortar fire.
*'''Ability: Defense Attack'''- Bombshell can hack enemy defense for a given amount of time (depending on upgraded ability) making it attack other defenses at double speed but at 75% damage.
**'''Cost:'''4 ability points +3 reuses.
**'''Range:''' 16

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com:character:bombshell Bombshell at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
[[File:G1-toy Bombshell.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|One not-so-big, bad, beetle 'borg]]
*'''Bombshell ''' (Insecticon, [[1985]])
**''Takara ID number'': '''41'''
**''Accessories'': [[Ion impulse blaster|Twin ion impulse blaster]]
{{toydesigner|[[Takashi Matsuda]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: Released early in the second year of [[Hasbro]]'s ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|The Transformers]]'' toyline, Bombshell is a redeco of the ''[[Diaclone]]'' Waruder Insecter Robo "Kabutron" toy, transforming into a robotic rhinoceros beetle. As a ''Diaclone'' mold he has a "pilot compartment" revealed by opening his clear-yellow chest, but on its own there's not much you can do with it.

: There is a variation on the mold's insect mode horn; some versions have a rounded indent on the chromed part near the base-joint, allowing it to fold down further in [[robot mode]] (pictured at right).

: In Japan, Bombshell and the other "Insectrons" were part of the first year of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'' series. The trio were subsequently "re-released" as mail-order items from 1987 through 1990, a the cost of 880 yen (their normal retail price) and two [[Robot Point]]s; it seems (but has not been confirmed) that the Insecticons offered through mail-away offers were Hasbro-packaged releases, thus it's possible the later indented-horn version might have been made available in Japan that way.

: This mold was used to make the [[Salvo (G1)#Toys|Salvo]] drones.

::*''[http://www.transformerland.com/wiki/toy-info/transformers-insecticons-bombshell/856/ Patent info, price guide, and further reading on Bombshell at Transformerland.com]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Decepticon/Bombshell/bombshell.htm More information on Bombshell at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{Anchor|ActionMaster}}
[[File:G1-toy BombshellAM.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"We don't rent, we don't borrow, we don't share—we TAKE the mind."]]
*'''Bombshell with Needler''' ([[Action Master]], [[1991]])
**''Accessories'': Needler partner, [[Stinger rifle|short burst stinger rifle]]
{{toydesigner|[[Takio Ejima]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: [[Action Master]] Bombshell is a non-transforming 3¾-inch action figure that combines the cartoon model with a few toy-based elements. Interestingly enough, his distinctive head-cannon is no longer on his skull, but his hand-held blaster bears a similar design. He is designed to be compatible with any other Action Master vehicle or accessory.

: He comes with his robot scarab [[Action Master partner|partner]] [[Needler (G1)#Toys|Needler]], who forms a backpack/battle helmet for Bombshell.

: Bombshell was part of the fourth assortment of individually-carded Action Masters, which was only available in European markets. As such, he commands a pretty hefty price tag on the secondary market (as do all the European-exclusive Action Masters).

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1991/Decepticon/Bombshell/bombshell.htm More information on Action Master Bombshell at tfu.info.]''
{{-}}

===''The Transformers Collection''===
*'''Insectrons''' (multi-pack, [[2004]])
**''ID number'': '''16'''
:Bombshell was released as part of ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' in a set with [[Kickback (G1)#The Transformers Collection|Kickback]] and [[Shrapnel (G1)#The Transformers Collection|Shrapnel]]. This set also included three [[energon cube]] accessories that fit inside their chest compartments.

:The Bombshell in this set not only lacks the horn-indent of later variations, but has a couple other minor mold-differences to boot, with the horn lacking the "bumps" near the tip and base.

===''Universe'' (2008)===
*'''Insecticons''' (Toys"R"Us exclusive multi-pack, [[2009]])
:Bombshell was released as part of the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' line, as a [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]], in a set with his Insecticon pals. Like with his 2008 ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' incarnation ([[#Robot Heroes|see below]]), Bombshell has been renamed "Hardshell" for [[trademark]] reasons. Likewise [[Shrapnel (G1)#Universe (2008)|Shrapnel]] has had his name changed to "Sharpshot".

:This Bombshell uses the slightly [[retool]]ed ''Transformers Collection'' version of the horn. The tiny insect mode legs on the middle of his arms have also been retooled to be detachable, owing to breakage issues.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/CSHardshell/hardshell.htm More information on Hardshell at TFU.info.]''
{{-}}

===''Kre-O''===
[[File:KreO-Toy HardshellKreon.jpg|upright=1.6|thumb|Maybe a [[cerebro-shell]] from him will turn you into the ''Kre-O'' maniac.]]
*'''Hardshell''' (Kreon Micro-Changer, [[2013]])
**''Collection'': '''2'''
**''Bag number'': '''***** 67'''
**''Accessories'': Logo brick, large rifle
{{toydesigner|[[Ed Masiello]] (Hasbro)}}

:As part of the second Collection of [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] ''[[Kre-O]]'' [[Micro-Changer]]s, Hardshell is a Kreon that can be rebuilt from robot mode into a rhinoceros beetle of some sort. He uses the [[Megatron (Kre-O)|Megatron]] style helmet.

:This Collection was still in circulation at "dollar" stores and drug stores up through 2015. They eventually lost the individual-identifying bag codes, but other changes were hidden inside the bag. The 2015 releases replaced the 2x4 logo stand-brick with a new 3x4 logo plate. The Kreon was also given the slight [[retool]]ing to the arm seen in the 2014 Kreons, making the "cuff" parts more sharp-cornered and better adapted to being used as studs. Some of the add-on pieces may also be slightly off-color, possibly due to a change in factories in mid-production.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/Kre-OHardshell/hardshell.htm More information on Hardshell at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
{{anchor|SDCC2015}}
*'''Kreon Class of 1985''' (Kreon figure set, [[2015]])
**''Set number'' '''B5152'''
**''Voted'': Best at Convincing Someone Else to Do His Homework
**''Accessories'': blaster
:[[Kreon Class of '85]] "Insecticon Bombshell" has a deco much more heavily based on the [[#Generation 1|original Bombshell toy]]. Like the rest of the set, he uses the almost-totally-[[retool]]ed 2015 style of Kreon body.

:This box set of thirty Kreons was a [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2015 [[exclusive]], with leftovers being sold on [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] online after the show.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Decepticon/SDCCKre-OBombshell/bombshell.htm More information on Class of 1985 Bombshell at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
{{Anchor|2016}}
*'''Hardshell''' (Kreon Micro-Changer, [[2016]])
**''Collection'': '''2'''
**''Accessories'': logo plate, large rifle
:In 2016, Collection 2 was re-released in a whole new production run for Dollar General stores in the U.S. as part of a large collection of re-released ''Kre-O'' sets. But where most of these releases are nigh-identical to the originals, the re-released Micro-Changer blind-bags use the almost-entirely-retooled 2015 Kreon, with slightly-differently-hued plastics than the originals. (It is possible for some of the add-on pieces to be in the older hues.) Hardshell's [[tampograph]]s are almost totally unchanged, basically his Decepticon symbol now has a white outline and that's it.

:Sadly, this release has no individual-identification code on the bag, requiring you to use the feel-through-the-bag method or just buy blind and hope.
{{-}}

===''Combiner Wars''===
[[File:TF-Generations-Combiner-Wars-Legends-Class-Bombshell.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Well, The Mind Taker, it seems that you have me tied up!]]
*'''Bombshell''' (Legends Class, [[2015]])
{{toydesigner|[[John Warden]] (Hasbro)}}

:''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' Bombshell is based on his Generation 1 character model, still transforming into a robotic rhinoceros beetle. Plus he got his name back! Bombshell includes a collector card featuring art from the "[[Junkion Reunion]]" episode of ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]''. His hand holes are sized for 5mm accessories. The lower pair of arthropod legs mounted on his robot-mode legs can fold in further than the upper pair, but this causes them to interfere and prevents him from standing fully.

:Bombshell was ''probably'' meant to have a third "weapon" mode like the rest of the new-mold ''Combiner Wars'' Legends Class figures, but instructions for this mode have never been released. There's nothing stopping you from working it out for yourself- a stable configuration probably involves pegging his arms together to form the barrels of the gun, then rotating his waist and flipping one of his knee pegs to form a handle.

:Though Bombshell's wave was scheduled for a first quarter 2015 release, it arrived on U.S. store shelves in late 2014.

:Bombshell was redecoed into ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|Adventure]]'' [[Bombshell (RID)#Adventure|Bombshell]] and served as the model for [[Bombshell (SG)|''Shattered Glass'' Bombshell]] in "[[Epilogue Two]]".

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Decepticon/CWLegBombshell/bombshell.htm More information on ''Generations'' Bombshell at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Platinum Edition''===
[[File:TF-Platinum-Edition-Bombshell.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Insecticons''' (Platinum Edition 3-pack, 2015)
**''Accessories'': twin ion impulse blaster, Energon cube
:Part of the ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' Insecticon 3-pack along with Shrapnel and Kickback, this Bombshell figure is yet another reissue of the Generation 1 toy. He also includes an Energon cube accessory from ''The Transformers Collection'' release.

:This set was released as a [[Kmart]] exclusive in the United States. However, it was also stocked by US-based online retailers [[BigBadToyStore]] and TFSource, who supposedly obtained it as an import from Asia. It was available in several of Hasbro's Asian markets (namely Singapore, the Philippines and China; it's currently unknown whether it was exclusive to any particular stores there or not). In Canada and Australia, it was sold at [[Toys"R"Us]] stores, whereas in the United Kingdom, it was officially available via the UK division of [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] and A1Toys. In Germany, it was originally available via Bankroft, an online retailer that otherwise specializes in [[Nerf]] blasters and accessories, as part of a special "Fan Edition" arrangement through Hasbro Germany, with the help of several German [[fandom|fan]] sites. Due to low sales, the unsold stock was later sold to Actionfiguren24, a German online retailer that specializes in imported toys, who was able to lower its price for its existing stock of imported Insecticon sets as a result.
{{--}}

===''Legacy''===
[[File:TF-Legacy-Deluxe-Bombshell.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|[[Pokeformers|Paradox Heracross]] looks ''weird''.]]
*'''Bombshell''' (Deluxe Class, 2023)
**''Accessories'': [[Ion impulse blaster|Twin ion impulse blaster]], 2 insect back legs/blasters
{{toydesigner|[[Mark Maher]] (Hasbro), [[Shuhei Umezu]] (TakaraTomy)}}<ref>[[June 20]], [[2023]]'s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjLY0uamTKM Hasbro Pulse Transformers Fanstream] on YouTube, with [[Ben MacCrae]], [[Mark Maher]], [[Evan Brooks]], and [[Rich Pellegrino]]</ref>

: Released in the seventh wave of ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' Deluxes, Bombshell is a partial retool of the line's [[Shrapnel (G1)#Legacy|Shrapnel]], with everything from the waist up being totally new. He includes his impulse blaster, and his rear insect legs are removable and serve as hand-held guns.

{{comingsoontoy}}
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Decoy===
*'''Bombshell''' (Decoy, [[1987]])
:Bombshell was one of the Decepticon [[Decoy]]s packed in with smaller carded ''Transformers'' toys. While the normal purple version could come on any Decepticon toy, the rarer red version was available ''only'' on [[Throttlebot]] cards and only for a short while before the switch to purple.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Decoys/Bombshell/bombshell.htm More information on Decoy Bombshell at TFU.info.]''

*'''Destron Hero Collection-22 Set''' (Decoy multi-pack, 1987)
:The entire run of twenty-two Decepticon Decoys were sold as a single boxed set in Japan, only in purple.

===Hard Hero===
[[File:HardHero Bombshell statue.JPG|upright=0.85|thumb]]
*'''Bombshell''' (Hard Hero statue, [[2003]])
:Number 3 in [[Hard Hero]]'s "Insecticon Series", Bombshell is a 9-inch cold-cast porcelain statue sculpted by [[Jason Ray]]. Only a thousand pieces of the statue were produced.
{{--}}

===''Robot Heroes''===
*'''Perceptor & Hardshell''' (Two-pack, [[2008]])
{{toydesigner|[[Bill Rawley]] (Hasbro)|[[Marcelo Matere]] (concept artist)}}
[[File:Robotheroesperceptorhardshell.jpg|upright=1.22|thumb]]
:Another victim of trademark losses, Bombshell's ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' figurine goes by the name "Hardshell". Part of the fourth wave of ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]] Robot Heroes'', he's packed versus [[Perceptor (G1)/toys#Robot Heroes|Perceptor]] as part of the "Generation 1 Series". His sculpt and colors are based mostly on his [[character model]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/RHHardshell/hardshell.htm More information on Robot Heroes Hardshell at tfu.info.]''
{{--}}

===Transformers Trading Card Game===
[[File:W1Bombshell.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Bombshell, Insecticon Mind-Controller''' (2018)
**'''Wave 1'''
**''Rarity: '''''CT'''
**''Card Number: '''''T07/T40'''
**''Stars: ''8
:Bombshell, Insecticon Mind-Controller is one of forty double-sided character cards available in Wave 1 of the [[Transformers Trading Card Game]].

:The artwork for the card is reused from the ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' mobile game.
{{-}}

[[File:W2Bombshell.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Bombshell, Decepticon Psy Ops''' (2019)
**'''Wave 2: Rise of the Combiners'''
**''Rarity: '''''RT'''
**''Card Number: '''''T12/T46'''
**''Stars: ''11
:Bombshell, Decepticon Psy Ops is one of forty-six character cards released in Wave 2 of the [[Transformers Trading Card Game]], Rise of the Combiners.

:The artwork for the card is reused from the ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' mobile game.
{{--}}

===ULTIMATES!===
*'''Bombshell''' (ULTIMATES!, 2021)
**''Accessories'': "Twin ion impulse blaster", "short burst stinger rifle", Needler partner, closed fists (L & R), gripping hands (L & R), open hands (L & R)

:Part of the first wave of ''[[Super7#Transformers ULTIMATES!|Transformers ULTIMATES!]]'' from [[Super7]], Bombshell is a 7-inch-tall action figure based on his Action Master toy. Despite his retro look, he has ''way'' more articulation than the original, including multi-directional joints at the neck, shoulders (though the outward swivel is heavily restricted by the shoulder armor), wrists, hips, and ankles; plus swivel biceps, elbows, knees, and a bit of ab crunch. His hands pop out at the wrists so they can be replaced with his additional spare hands in different poses; however, the "gripping" hands are actually too small to hold either of his blasters (one based on the Action Master's accessory, one based on the original toy's) by their very thick, cylindrical handles, leaving that job to the open hands, which are not the most secure grip.

:He also comes with his Action Master partner [[Needler (G1)#ULTIMATES!|Needler]]. Needler's "head" can pop off and replace Bombshell's, emulating the Action Master's "mask" gimmick.

:Preorders for Bombshell (and the rest of Wave 1) opened on [[January 29]] 2021, and closed on [[February 28]]. The wave was originally scheduled for shipping in winter of that year, but due to ongoing worldwide shipping delays, did not reach US shores until May of 2022, properly reaching buyers in early June.
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Bombshell_ambushed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|I'll be back!]]
*Bombshell was initially to have been shot from behind by Mirage in the Battle of Autobot City, and would have been shown as dead before being thrown out of the shuttle in the movie; early storyboards show Thundercracker carrying Bombshell's corpse into Astrotrain, explaining why Bombshell was one of the ones thrown out of Astrotrain.
*A proposed [[Fun Publications]] [[BotCon]] [[exclusive]] was a redeco of ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' Deluxe Class [[Straxus (G1)#Generations|Darkmount]] into Generation 1 Bombshell/Hardshell.<ref>[http://www.toycollectors.com.au/bc14/bc14br.html BotCon 2014 attendee report by griffin]</ref>
*''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' Legends Class [[#Combiner Wars|Bombshell]] had an alternate "pretooled" head designed by Hasbro for [[Venom (G1)|Venom]] (presumably for the trademark-friendly modern name "Venin"), but this tooling was never used.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Bombshell''' (ボンブシェル ''Bonbusheru'', ボムシェル ''Bomusheru'')
*''Hungarian:'' '''Szilánk''' (Marvel Comics, "Shard")
*''French:'' '''Obus''' (Canada)
*''Italian:'' '''Prudox'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Zhàdàn''' (炸弹, "Bomb")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Granada''' (Portugal comic), '''Bomba''' (Brazil comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Bombomjot''' (cartoon, Бомбомёт, "Bomber")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Hranata''' (ICTV, Граната, "Grenade")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators Decepticons]]
[[Category:Combiner Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 combiners]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Decepticons]]
[[Category:Insecticons]]
[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legacy Decepticons]]
[[Category:Mail order items]]
[[Category:Platinum Edition]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:SDCC exclusives]]
[[Category:ULTIMATES!]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Escape Part Two

2023-06-30T06:16:57Z

DuplexBeGreat: The Insecticons did not work for Exarchon during the war; this is an error based on misinterpreting a panel caption. Please see the Talk page for more details.

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: Escape]]'' #2
|prev=Escape Part One
|next=Escape Part Three
|caption=
|image=TFEscape 2 cvrA.jpg
|title="Escape Part Two"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[February 10]], 2021
|coverdate=January 2021
|written by=[[Brian Ruckley]]
|art by=[[Beth McGuire-Smith]]
|colors by=[[Priscilla Tramontano]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]], [[Tom Waltz]], and [[Riley Farmer]]
|continuity=[[2019 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The Autobot refugee convoy encounters dangerous enemies and an ancient ally in the wilderness, while the Insecticons go behind Shockwave's back to raise an army.'''

==Synopsis==
The [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s enter [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s hidden bunker—one which previously served as a stronghold of [[Exarchon]]'s during the [[War of the Threefold Spark]]. Pushing past [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]], they demand an audience with their would-be benefactor. A displeased Shockwave pointedly reminds them that he told them to keep a low profile, and their antics in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] have only jeopardised his efforts further and put them all at risk of discovery. [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] demands to know the status of his [[cloning]] project, but the scientist waves them off by telling them that he'll contact them when the time is right. As they go, Shockwave's minion [[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]] asks if he's told the Insecticons that he doesn't actually ''need'' the trio to finish his project. Shockwave answers: the Insecticons are dangerous, unknown quantities, and even ''they'' do not yet understand the full scope of their power... though he resolves to keep a close eye on Bombshell, the cleverest of the three, who's already probing the limits of his abilities.

[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]], and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] have scraped together a [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]]-bound evacuation convoy consisting of [[A'ovan]] refugees, former inhabitants of the [[Xeno-Quarter]], injured Cybertronians, and [[Autobot]] guards. As they trundle out of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], Wheeljack wonders aloud why Hound cares so deeply for the A'ovans, and Hound explains that his time out among the colonies broadened his horizons, and opened his eyes to the value of all life. Long ago, he once visited the [[Na'conda|A'ovan homeworld]] with [[Crosscut (G1)|Crosscut]] and [[Meteorfire (G1)|Meteorfire]], who introduced him to the planet's delicate beauty... and when the [[Thraal]] attacked, that beauty was almost lost forever. Hound sees it as his duty to preserve whatever remains of that world and Wheeljack agrees, but reminds his friend that their plan hinges on whether [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] and his compatriots can persuade Darkmount's notoriously temperamental senator to turn over the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]s.

In [[Crystal City]]'s [[Academy of Research]], Highbrow and his associates [[Geomotus]], [[Azimuth (G1)|Azimuth]], and [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] put through a call to Highbrow's old colleague, the reclusive Senator [[Straxus (G1)|Straxxus]]. Haughty and arrogant as ever, the theoretician-turned-senator is far more interested in discussing his latest scientific findings regarding the planet's geology than the Arks. Geomotus, on the other hand, has read his recent papers and is quite interested in what he has to say—if Straxxus's calculations are correct, he postulates, then the increasing tremors could very well fracture the impermeable layer that surrounds the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]]. The idea horrifies his compatriots, but Straxxus finds these postulations intriguing—if these trends continue, he predicts then the planet could very well shake itself apart. That's why he's already hauled one of the Arks out of storage, and begun the process of refitting it into an escape vessel for the citizens of Darkmount should this prediction come to pass: he's quite happy to let Highbrow have the ''other'' three vessels, however... and an exasperated Highbrow groans that it would've been ''much'' easier if Straxxus had simply been upfront with them from the beginning.

As the Autobot convoy makes its way through a winding canyon road, they don't see [[Flywheels|Skytread]] and his [[Decepticon]]s camped out on the ridge above them. [[Roadtrap (POTP)|Roadtrap]] points out that these civilians pose no threat, but Skytread points out that these refugees are Decepticon subjects now. Not only are they being abetted by known enemies of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], they also don't have ''permission'' to leave, and Skytread orders his detachment to open fire on the caravan below. The ambush catches the Autobots off-guard, and Hound shouts for everyone to get to cover while he calls in [[Road Rage (G1)|Road Rage]]. Nautica's bodyguard obligingly takes to the sky and draws [[Airwave (facility)|Airwave]]'s artillery fire, but warns Hound that she can't win this fight alone. Just as Hound calls in reinforcements, however, the ground shakes, heralding the arrival of [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]], whose very presence sends the four Decepticons running!

In Shockwave's laboratory, [[Shrapnel (G1)|Skrapnel]] wants a word with Skystalker; although the little Decepticon thinks that the Insecticon is just there to bully him some more, he's surprised when Skrapnel tells him that he's there to sympathise with his loss. Believing that he's found a sympathetic ear, Skystalker vents his emotions as he laments the disappearance of his friend [[Vigilem]] and so lost is he in self-pity that he doesn't see Bombshell creeping up behind him -until Skrapnel and [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] suddenly pin him down while Bombshell jams a [[cerebro-shell]] into his neck! The Insecticons aren't interested in waiting for Shockwave: their new slave can procure the machinery they'll need, while the three Insecticons harvest the fuel to run them...

While Nautica and [[Mudslinger (G1)|Mudslinger]] chat with the A'ovan [[Pra'jak]], Wheeljack and Hound catch up with Dai Atlas. No Cybertronian in history has ''ever'' returned from [[Immersant|immersion]], but Dai Atlas explains as best he can: this body holds only a portion of his old self, while another part of him still continues his spiritual journey onwards to the [[Transformer afterlife|place where immersant Sparks go]]. Hound is just relieved that he showed up when he did to see the Decepticons off, but Dai Atlas corrects him—he ''renounced'' violence long ago, and specifically went immersant to find a place without conflict. Road Rage demands to know why he's come if not to help them fight their way through the trials to come... but before she can get a real answer to her question, the group receives a distress call from Nautica: the rearguard is under attack! Skrapnel attacks Nautica and [[Tote]], and though Road Rage arrives just in time to prevent Skrapnel from killing Nautica, Kickback and Skrapnel incapacitate her. Hound warns the Insecticons to back off, but the trio only mock his affection for the fragile organics. Determined to uphold his promise, the taunts only galvanize his resolve, and he squares up to take them ''all'' on by himself!

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashback.) 

{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (7)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (8)
* [[Road Rage (G1)|Road Rage]] (20)
* [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] (22)
* [[Highjump (G1)|Highjump]] (23)
* [[Mudslinger (G1)|Mudslinger]] (24)
* [[Tote]] (26)

|c2=
* [[Shrapnel (G1)|Skrapnel]] (1)
* [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] (2)
* [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] (3)
* [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] (4)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (5)
* [[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]] (6)
* [[Roadtrap (POTP)|Roadtrap]] (16)
* [[Flywheels|Skytread]] (17)
* [[Gutcruncher (G1)|Gutcruncher]] (18)
* [[Airwave (facility)|Airwave]] (19)

|c4=
* ''[[Meteorfire (G1)|Meteorfire]]'' (9)
* ''[[Crosscut (G1)|Crosscut]]'' (10)
* [[Geomotus]] (11)
* [[Azimuth (G1)|Azimuth]] (12)
* [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] (13)
* [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] (14)
* [[Straxus (G1)|Straxxus]] (15)
* [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] (21)
* [[Pra'jak]] (25)
}}

==Quotes==
"There were these creatures that lived in the soil. And they transformed and became lighter-than-air. On a single night, they all rose into the sky and mated and died and disintegrated and fell back into the ground. Like snow. It was beautiful and terrible, fragile and ancient. That's how Meteorfire described it. It was... kind of '''glorious''', I suppose. It was all lost when that world was destroyed. The universe got smaller and less interesting. Turns out, I prefer my universe '''big'''."
:—'''Hound'''

"We save what we can, of the organic and the inorganic. The injured, the innocent, and the alien."
:—'''Wheeljack'''

"Shockwave thinks we can't do anything without him. He never did respect us. None of them ever did. But they feared us. Now we'll show them they never feared us '''enough'''."
:—'''Bombshell'''

"Ambidextrous. Huh. Is that a real word, Nautica?" 
"Yes, Mudslinger." 
"'''Hey, Tote!''' Did you know that there's a thing called ambidextrous? And that these organics aren't?"
:—'''Mudslinger''' and '''Nautica'''

"You're not '''seriously''' going to fight for all these soft creatures, are you?" 
"Yes, I am." 
"'''Why?''' They don't '''last''' anyway! They'll all be dead before long. Dying's what they '''do'''!" 
"There you go, making it even easier. Now I'd be fighting against '''you''', even if there was '''no one''' to defend."
: —'''Bombshell''' and '''Hound'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] last appeared in ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Rise of the Decepticons: All Fall Down|issue #19]], where he was distraught over [[Vigilem]]'s disappearance after his [[Titan (group)|Titan]] partner destroyed the [[Tether]]. He's still camped out in Shockwave's bunker where the Decepticon scientist ran [[the Rise]] before Megatron cleaned house in [[The Change In Your Nature Part Three|issue #15]]; indeed, Skrapnel mocks him for this prior defeat.
* [[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]] last appeared in the [[Storm Horizon Part 3|final issue]] of ''[[Transformers: Galaxies|Galaxies]]'', which ended with him returning to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] well before [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and the other 'bots aboard the ''[[Fist of Iacon]]''. That issue didn't ''entirely'' lay out what his deal was, but this one clarifies that he'd been sent out into space to gather the necessary parts to jumpstart Shockwave's cloning operations... though it's still not clear if Soundblaster himself is a clone of [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]].
* [[Crosscut (G1)|Crosscut]] previously appeared as a diplomat during a flashback in [[Nautica: Home|''Transformers'' issue #11]], where he and Nautica helped negotiate a peace treaty between the Thraal and the [[Occulted Dremden]].
* The geologists [[Geomotus]] and [[Azimuth (G1)|Azimuth]] last appeared in [[Rise of the Decepticons: Tremors|''Transformers'' #21]], where they were investigating tectonic anomalies out in the badlands for [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]].
* [[Highjump (G1)|Highjump]] appeared in a crowd scene with several other new Autobots in [[War World: Awakenings|''Transformers'' #26]]. He makes a cameo here along with fellow [[Off Road Patrol]] members [[Mudslinger (G1)|Mudslinger]] and [[Tote]]—traditional team leader [[Powertrain]] is conspicuously absent, however, perhaps because [[Storm Horizon Part 1|''Galaxies'' #9]] already depicted him as a crew member aboard Ultra Magnus's ship.

===Transformers references===
* [[Meteorfire (G1)|Meteorfire]] is based on the [[Meteorfire (Cyberverse)|the ''Cyberverse'' character of the same name.]] In that continuity, Meteorfire was an explorer who hosted the television program ''[[Alien Hunt!]]''; appropriately enough, this universe features him as a member of Cybertron's xenobiology division.
* The refugee convoy includes several injured Transformers recuperating inside [[stasis pod]]s, based on how they appeared in the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|2015 ''Robots in Disguise'']] cartoon.
* Skytread swears by the [[Void]] upon seeing Dai Atlas, just as [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] did in [[The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Five|''Transformers'' #11]].

===Errors===
* Gutcruncher's drawn with a visor, instead of the two optics he's usually got.
* On page ten, panel four, Airwave is coloured black.
* As he gloats on page thirteen, [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s insect legs are mistakenly coloured purple rather than silver.

===Other trivia===
* Originally solicited for January 20, this issue arrives three weeks late.
* Cybertronians are apparently naturally ambidextrous.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A''': Hound, Wheeljack, and a Cybertron in jeopardy, by [[Beth McGuire-Smith]]
* '''Cover B''': Dai Atlas goes immersant, by [[Anna Malkova]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover''': Mirrored art of Bombshell, by [[Nicole Goux]]

<gallery>
File:TFEscape 2 cvrA.jpg
File:TFEscape 2 cvrB.jpg
File:TFEscape 2 cvrRI.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]''
* ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles''
* ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars]]''

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 4: Declaration of War''''' ([[January 19]], [[2022]]) ISBN 1684058066 / ISBN 978-1684058068
** Collects [[Transformers (2019 comic)|''Transformers'' (2019)]] issues [[War World: Prime|#25]]–[[War World: We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness|30]], ''[[Transformers Valentine's Day Special]]'', and ''Escape'' issues #1–5.
** Bonus material includes alternate covers.
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:TF-IDW-2019v4.jpg|'''''Volume 4: Declaration of War''''' – cover art by [[Cryssy Cheung]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://tformers.com/transformers-escape-2-comic-book-preview/40199/news.html Preview]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Escape Part 2}}
[[Category:Escape issues]]

Talk:Escape Part Two

2023-06-30T06:06:15Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* First panel */

==First panel==
I'm a bit confused by the Synopsis and the Continuity notes interpreting the first panel as a "one-panel flashback". Wouldn't the straightforward reading be that all the panels are taking place in the present, and the narration (over the course of three panels) is recapping the three places that this location has been over time? --[[User:Flicky1991|flicky]][[User talk:Flicky1991|1991]] 15:30, 8 March 2022 (EST)
:Seconding this idea -- that first page is indicating that the base has served three functions over time, not that any kind of flashback is taking place. Accordingly, there is actually no indication the Insecticons worked with Shockwave or Exarchon during the war; I believe the wiki has accidentally promulgated a significant error here. We've seen the Insecticons' backstory, and it never mentions them fighting for Exarchon, which would have been significant. I'm going to be fixing mentions of this on all affected pages. [[User:DuplexBeGreat|DuplexBeGreat]] ([[User talk:DuplexBeGreat|talk]]) 02:06, 30 June 2023 (EDT)

Red Wing (G1)

2023-06-10T00:18:23Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Generations Selects */ Fixed link lol

{{factions|decepticon}}
:''Red Wing is a [[Decepticon]] [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Red Wing profile image.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|We swear, if he throws [[Octopunch (G1)|Octopunch]] ''one more time''...]]

'''Red Wing''' has a "devil may care" attitude and some powerful guns, so what more do you need?<ref>''Legends'' mobile game bio</ref> This bravado of his hides a more cautious side; Red Wing knows when to pick his fights...and when to make a tactical advance to the rear.

==Fiction==
===''Wings Universe''===
Red Wing was part of a joint [[Autobot]]/[[Decepticon]] assault on the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian]] clone army. In the ensuing battle, Red Wing was shot in the back by [[Skywarp (MW)|a Skywarp clone]]. {{storylink|Termination}}

===''Kre-O'' online manga===
[[File:Red_Wing_Kre-O_Character_Image.jpg|thumb|left|"Sorry, you're too hot to know me, babe!"]]

Red Wing was among [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s troops as they discovered the [[Red Bucket]]. {{storylink|Treasure Competition! Defeat with Block Power!}}

===''TransTech''===
Red Wing was one of many [[lowtech|Offworlder]]s in [[Axiom Nexus]]'s Under City. Red Wing was part of a crowd in [[Seeker-Shinai]] that [[Megatron (Movie)|C-81]] attempted to disperse through intimidation. Unfortunately, all the Seekers present were too stunned to see a "Megatron" in Axiom Nexus to budge. {{storylink|Cybertron's Most Wanted}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
'''Redwing''' was one of the Decepticons who joined [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]] and [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] for [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]]'s ill-fated assault on [[Shanghai]], [[China]]. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|Once Upon a Time on Earth}}

Flying to engage [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], [[Skywarp (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Skywarp]] disdainfully listed Redwing among the Seekers not under [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]'s command. {{storylink|Assembly (Unicron)|Assembly}}

===''Generations Selects Special Comic''===
In [[2050]], Red Wing and the Decepticons lent their support to the Earth-born [[Selector]]s, robots eager to rebel against their human makers who enslaved them. {{storylink|Volcanicus comic 2}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[War World: Hunt|''Transformers'' #28]]}}
[[File:Enigmatic RedWingWoomph.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|]]
Red Wing was part of a squad led by [[Flywheels|Skytread]] sent to liberate prisoners from a lightly-guarded detention center. {{storylink|War World: Hunt|Hunt}} He took part in an assassination attempt on [[Pyra Magna]] alongside fellow Seekers [[Nacelle (G1)|Nacelle]] and [[Hooligan (G2)|Hooligan]]. They didn't expect to come up against Pyra's [[Companion]]s and once Red Wing realized that [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] was present, he bugged out, advising Nacelle (too late) to do the same. {{storylink|War World: We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness|We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness}}

When the Decepticons were sent to hunt for [[Termagax]], Red Wing flew with [[Wingstun]] and [[Space Case (G2)|Space Case]]. When the three found her, Red Wing decided to fall back and return to communications radius, doing so alone when his fellows charged into battle. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I|Sea of Rust I}} After the Autobots and Decepticons clashed in front of Termagax's [[House (building)|home]] over the [[Enigma of Combination]], she unleashed her entire stock of [[spectrosynth drone|spectrosynth drones]] to defend her. Red Wing opened fire on the horde of drones, but was run down by [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] in the chaos. When the Enigma appeared lost, Red Wing joined his fellow Decepticons in a retreat. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Enigmatic|Enigmatic}}

Red Wing participated in the siege of [[Crystal City]] under [[Strika (BM)|Strika]]'s command with numerous other Seekers. {{storylink|A Dust of Crystals}} Later on, despite the truce with the Autobots, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] directed Red Wing's Seekers to box the Autobots in, keeping them trapped between an advancing horde of [[rust worm]]s and an artillery bombardment. {{storylink|Radical Time}} Red Wing personally stopped [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] and her scouts from moving beyond this allowed zone. {{storylink|End of Time}} He flew with the other Seekers against [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] in the battle of [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Fate of Cybertron|Fate of Cybertron}}
{{--}}

==Games==
===''Transformers Legends''===
When the Decepticons used [[Chronogon]] portals to send the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] back in time, Red Wing took part in an operation to try and prevent Orion Pax's recreation as [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|Golden Age (Legends)|Golden Age}}

==Toys==
===''Generations Selects''===
{{anchor|Generations}}
[[File:GS-toy RedWing.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Living proof that Hasbro will make a toy out of ''any'' character.]]
*'''Decepticon Red Wing''' (Voyager Class, [[2019]]/[[2020]])
**''Series'': '''''War for Cybertron: Siege'''''
**''ID number'': '''WFC-GS02'''
**''Accessories'': 2 "HPI Null-Ray Laser Launchers"
{{toydesigner|[[AJ Piejko-Brown]] (packaging)}}

:A ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' accompaniment to ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]'', "Decepticon Red Wing" is a redeco of [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Thundercracker]], himself a head retool of [[Starscream (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Starscream]]. Red Wing transforms from a heavily G1-inspired robot to a Cybertronian "tetrajet" based on the Seekers' appearance in "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]" and back. Red Wing includes two "HPI Null-Ray Laser Launchers," which can mount on his upper arms, or under the wings in jet mode. Said jet mode prominently has the robot legs sticking out from the undercarriage.

:Fitting with the rest of ''Siege'', Red Wing has [[5 mm post]]s on his biceps, forearms, shins, under his feet (thrusters), and wings. The 3 mm pegs on his shins, forearms, left bicep, and the tips of his Null-Rays can accommodate effects parts sold separately. Like the rest of ''Siege'', his robot mode focuses on articulation, with double-jointed elbows, knees that bend at nearly 180 degrees, ankle rockers, and waist articulation, being notable articulation points for a Seeker toy. Being a rather heavy shellformer, Red Wing can be separated into both a wingless robot mode and a nearly complete tetrajet easily, via a friction hinge.

:Amusingly, Red Wing's existence was leaked on [[February 16]], 2019 when orders went live for [[Megatron (G1)/Generations_toys#Generations_Selects|Combat Megatron]] on [[Hasbro Pulse]], including a typo of Red Wing's name.<ref>[https://www.allspark.com/2019/02/generations-selects-g2-combat-megatron-listed-on-hasbro-pulse-leaks-voyager-red-wing-toy/ The Allspark news post, 16 February 2019]</ref> Ultimately, Red Wing received an early limited release from Hasbro Asia on [[June 1]], 2019, ahead of being released as a [[Target]] REDcard exclusive in the United States. It was later released as a Toys"R"Us exclusive in Canada and remaining units were sold at [[Entertainment Earth]] and [[BigBadToyStore]] in the United States in 2020.
{{WFCSiegeStarscreamMold}}
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Jada Toys===
[[File:JadaNanoMetalfigsSeries2G1BW-18pack.jpg|upright=1.44|thumb]]
*'''Transformers Series 2 18-pack''' (4cm Die Cast Figure Multipack, 2022)
:Released by [[Jada Toys]], ''Nano Metalfigs'' Series 2 Redwing is a redeco of Series 1 [[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Jada Toys|Skywarp]], an incredibly small die-cast figurine molded doing an action pose. He has a little base attached to his feet for balancing reasons.

:He comes in an impressive multipack with [[Jada Toys#Nano Metalfigs|seventeen other figurines]].
{{--}}

==Notes==
* Red Wing's name pays homage to the {{w|Detroit Red Wings}}, the favorite ice hockey team of another ''Transformers'' fan; as well as the animal partner of [[Falcon (Marvel)|Falcon]].
* Red Wing received his first bit of characterization when he was given a short bio by the ''Transformers Legends'' mobile game.
* ''Kre-O'' Red Wing is made from existing ''Kre-O'' parts, like all non-toy robot Kreons in these comics. As per usual, he uses the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] Kreon parts consisting of the [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Starscream]] helmet, jet wings, and Seeker arm rifles.
* In the Japanese dub of ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'', [[Thrust (Cyberverse)|Thrust]] (who is not a [[Conehead]]) is renamed as "Red Wing".

===Origins===
Red Wing owes his entire existence to a series of miscommunications between [[Hasbro]], [[TakaraTomy]], [[e-HOBBY]], and [[Fun Publications]], coupled with a slight coloring error: FunPub's original plans for the [[BotCon 2013]] exclusive toys were to have a souvenir three-pack featuring redecos of ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Classics|Starscream]] with color schemes based on the "welcoming committee" from the [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|Generation 1 cartoon's first episode]].

At the time, FunPub had just entered a partnership with e-HOBBY in Japan, and since e-HOBBY were the ones who had originally turned the generic orange [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] into an actual character and given him the name "[[Sunstorm (G1)#Toys|Sunstorm]]", and e-HOBBY had plans to release their own Sunstorm redeco of the mold, FunPub decided to exclude Sunstorm from the set, and instead replace him with a new character named "Hotlink" (at that time, the purple Seeker would have been named "Nacelle") that would have sported a more red-ish orange color scheme, with the [[Termination|BotCon 2013 exclusive comic]] intended to feature both Sunstorm and "Hotlink". However, TakaraTomy subsequently denied e-HOBBY the permission to release their version of Sunstorm, because according to their information, Hasbro themselves were planning to release a new Sunstorm toy.

After a while, FunPub realized that Takara might have very well been referring to their own (since shelved) BotCon exclusive figure... so they eventually decided to go ahead and change the figure to be included in the set back to Sunstorm, while the name "[[Hotlink (G1)|Hotlink]]" was reassigned to the purple Seeker (the name "Nacelle" was later given to [[Nacelle (G1)|yet ''another'' Seeker]]). Because that change was made at the last moment, the comic still ended up featuring both the more yellow-ish orange Sunstorm and the more red-ish orange Seeker... however, in the final printed comic, that latter Seeker ended up looking ''very'' red and not much orange due to the lighting effects and contrast with the background.<ref name="bc13seekers">[https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/156054-generations-selects-brown-box-revealed-pg-7/page-9#entry3834842 Post by Fun Publications' Jesse Wittenrich on The Allspark Forums, 15 January 2019]</ref><ref name="whois">[https://twitter.com/JesseWittenrich/status/1096940990424854528 Series of tweets by Jesse Wittenrich, 16 February 2019]</ref>

Following the convention, [[Randy Para|one fan]] kept persistently inquiring about the identity of the mysterious "red" Seeker both online and offline, and thus Fun Publications finally ended up naming the character "Red Wing" via Twitter. Prior to this, [[Pete Sinclair]] wasn't even aware (or at least feigned ignorance) of his existence in "Termination" due to his extremely minor role and the number of other Seekers present within the story.
{{--}}

===Foreign names===
*''Mandarin:'' '''Hóng Yì''' (Taiwan, 紅翼, "Red Wing")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Convention-original characters]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Seekers]]
[[Category:Generations Selects Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations Selects toy Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Machine Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Second Cybertron Alliance]]
[[Category:Target exclusives]]
[[Category:TransTech Decepticons]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Siege Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

Primeval Dawn Part 1

2021-06-04T19:08:58Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Continuity notes */

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Primeval Dawn]]''
|title="Primeval Dawn Part 1"
|next=Primeval Dawn II
|story=[[Bob Forward]]
|script=Bob Forward
|art=[[Dan Khanna]]
|lettering=[[Richard Starkings]] and [[Comicraft]]
|editors=[[Rob Gerbracht]], [[Jon Hartman]], Dan Khanna
|date=[[July 13]], [[2001]] ([[BotCon 2001]])
|continuity=''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]]''
}}

'''The Vok return to Earth to continue the battle against Tarantulas's evil.'''

==Synopsis==
On prehistoric [[Earth]], the [[Vok]] return to find the Beast Warriors departed, only remnants of their war left behind. They use the [[Matrix of Leadership]] from [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], the [[Transmetal driver]], and the [[Master Blaster|control suit]] to create [[Primal Prime]], then recreate [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] and [[Tigatron]] as [[Transmetal]]s. Meanwhile, [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] have both been revived from the dead and are making a new army of [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]].

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s/[[Autobot]]s|c1=
*[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (3)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (4}
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
*[[Primal Prime]] (6)
*[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] (7)
*[[Tigatron]] (8)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]/[[Decepticon]]s|c2=
*[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (2)
*[[Arachnoid]] (9)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (10)
*[[Razorclaw (BW)|Razorclaw]] (11)
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (12)
*[[Iguanus (BW)|Iguanus]] (13)

|c4=
*[[Vok]] (1)
}}

==Notes==
*Characters mentioned but not seen include: [[The One]] and [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]].

===Continuity notes===
*Following on from the events of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, this comic aims to complete the Vok subplot. Tarantulas had been thought destroyed in "[[Other Victories]]", in which Tigerhawk first appeared—he would go on to die in the last episode of the series, paving the way for the Vok to revive Airazor and Tigatron in this comic.
*The "datasphere" is the [[Transmetal driver]], last seen when Blackarachnia was converted to a Transmetal 2.
*Primal Prime's frame is the made from the exo-suit used by Quickstrike in "[[Master Blaster]]". Apparently, the Maximals just left it lying around the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] to mess with the timeline.
*This comic corrects an error seen in "[[Optimal Situation]]", albeit in a somewhat odd way—Optimus Prime's spark holder, which was mistakenly based on the Matrix, hides the true Matrix underneath.
*Also in "Optimal Situation", Ravage's head was seen to tumble down a canyon into a river, letting Tigatron's spark being infused into it. Ravage himself, meanwhile, seems to have been recreated by Tarantulas.

===Transformers references===
*The Vok are revealed to be the guardians the One—later chapters would explain the One to be connected to the sentient core mentioned in issue [[The Void! (US)|#74]] of the original Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics.
*Tigatron is in his BotCon body, of course. Airazor has been given her ''Beast Wars'' [[Transmetal]] form, while Tarantulas gains his the colors of his [[Fox Kids]] Transmetal toy. Ravage, meanwhile, is in his Transmetal 2 Tripredacus Agent toy body—Tarantulas lampshades the fact that his toy couldn't be called Ravage in dialogue, by referring to him as "Tripredacus Agent".
*Behind Ravage on the last page are tubes that appear to be... growing what the next chapter would show to be Iguanus and Razorclaw. How exactly they were created is unclear—perhaps they were leftover protoforms, or Tarantulas used his new abilities to make them.

===Other notes===
*There isn't really a reason given for why the Vok split Airazor and Tigatron back into separate sparks instead of just bringing Tigerhawk back.
*Tarantulas claims his death was a ruse. This is an odd retcon as (so far as Tarantulas knew) nobody was watching him except Tigerhawk, and it didn't help his plans to destroy the ''Ark'' to sit by and watch others pilfer his refurbished ''Nemesis''.

==External links==
*[http://www.botconarchives.com/archive/story/2001/index.html Primeval Dawn part 1 at Botcon.com]

[[Category:Universe issues]]

Spark of Darkness

2021-05-27T06:03:26Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Trivia */

{{episode|
|series=BMtoon
|ep=23
|title="Spark of Darkness"
|image=SparkDarkness.jpg
|caption=Beauty is in the optic of the beholder
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[April 12]], 2000 (Canada) [[October 28]], 2000 (USA)
|writer=[[Nick Dubois]]
|director=[[Greg Donis]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''Megatron has been defeated, but strange creatures keep attacking the Maximals all over Cybertropolis.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:SparkDarkness Celebrating maximals.jpg|left|thumb|200px|It's Miller time!]]
The [[Maximal]]s celebrate the defeat of [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] inside the now-dormant [[Grand Mal]]. But while most of the group high-five each other, [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] mourns the loss of his pet, [[Noble (BM)|Savage/Noble]]. [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] wonders if Megatron is truly defeated, but [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Primal]] assures his team that he knows Megatron is dead, thanks to their mutual connection to the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]]. When [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] mentions there's still business to be taken care of, [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] responds she feels there's another evil on Cybertron.

Cheetor and Nightscream are sent to find the [[Vehicon general]]s. Silverbolt and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] are sent to assess the dormant Transformer bodies to start the process of getting the sparks Megatron kidnapped to function again. Rattrap and Botanica are assigned to attend the techno-organic orchard. [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]], of course, whines about this. As he does this, he moans that he feels his talents are being wasted and he'll be stuck with embarrassing stories to tell his grandkids. Botanica argues that tending the garden is important. The debate between the two heats up, and in their rage, the two Maximals accidentally touch lips. The two quickly agree to completely disregard, forget, and ignore their contact and get to work. Optimus stays in the Grand Mal.

[[Image:SparkDarkness Blackarachnia zombie.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Supreme Class kitbashing gone horribly, horribly wrong.]]
At the shell yard, Blackarachnia tries to put the moves on Silverbolt, but without confirmation that Megatron is truly really dead, he's extremely hesitant to respond to her advances. At this, Blackarachnia finally loses patience, and begins berating Silverbolt for his obsessiveness. She's so focused on Silverbolt that only he notices the [[Zombie|large, lumbering monster]] emerge behind her. The two Maximals run away (cowardly) from the giant, but when the monster hits Silverbolt with gunfire, Blackarachnia fights back with her electric sting. The monster knocks her over, but Silverbolt has had time to recover and attacks the monster with his throwing blades. Eventually, Blackarachnia has the idea to attack the monster using an explosive component from one of the nearby Transformer bodies. The behemoth steps out of the explosion, and the two Transformers watch a strange red spark emerge from the monster as it falls over in defeat. The red glow races away.

In the orchard, while Botanica works, Rattrap scavenges parts of a [[Cycle Drone]] to see if anything can be made into a useful tool. But suddenly, the deactivated Cycle Drone comes to life and begins to blast the orchard. Botanica, upset about the carnage, transforms and uses her bolts to bring heavy wreckage crashing down upon the possessed drone. The drone flails its body one last time before falling over, no longer inhabited by the glowing red spark.

Cheetor and Nightscream meet with [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] and [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and invite the two generals to join the Maximals. As the two generals debate, [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] stops by to make it clear that he has no interest in joining with the Maximals and that he believes that Megatron, "The Big M," will soon return. After Thrust leaves, the remaining four are attacked by a damaged but resilient [[Aero Drone]]. Nightscream sucks the energy from the drone, but the monster still tries to pull Cheetor over the edge of a nearby cliff. Cheetor is saved by Nightscream and the drone falls, but before it makes impact with the water below, the glowing red spark leaves the body.

[[Image:SparkDarkness Rattrap repolarising.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Rattrap's audition for the new [[Ghostbusters]] movie went surprisingly well.]]
The group returns to meet with the other Maximals (sans Botanica) inside the Grand Mal, and Optimus welcomes Strika and Obsidian to the team. The two new recruits leave to fortify the base—just in time for Rattrap to detect the haunting red spark heading right towards them all. Inside, the spark passes by the two generals and briefly encounters Cheetor and Blackarachnia. Next, the spark uses a [[Tank Drone]] body to attack Optimus and Botanica. While Rattrap tracks the movement of the Spark, he deduces a way to neutralize its rampage.

Rattrap uses a Spark Extractor on the Tank Drone to draw out the spark. Once the red spark is contained, he "re-polarizes" his captive, but the Spark Extractor flies alive, trying to break free of Rattrap's grip. After escaping the spark extractor, the spark flies into a [[Diagnostic Drone]] and, finally coherent, exclaims "I live!" But Rattrap has the next laugh: The spark, who is clearly Megatron, is now trapped inside of the diminutive body.

[[Image:SparkDarkness Megadrone Optimus.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Oh, don't look at me like that. There are [[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)|far worse]] things that I could be doing to you right now.]]
The Maximals meet Megatron, but he laughs at them. Even in his tiny form, he's able to reactivate the Grand Mal's internal defenses to evict the Maximals. As the Maximals struggle against the tentacles that have begun to bind them, Primal has an Oracle moment, but the Maximals are all captured anyway. Megatron starts to reformat Primal's spark, but Rattrap gets Botanica to destroy the control panel, freeing the team from Megatron's grip.

Obsidian arrives at the fight scene and is forced to choose: Be loyal to Primal's or Megatron's side. The two generals grab Megatron and fall out of sight. Out of immediate danger, Optimus explains that Nightscream didn't kill Megatron, but only turned Megatron into the monster that he was but no longer is.

Away from the battle, Strika, Obsidian and Megatron meet up with Thrust. Enraged that he was pulled out of battle and refusing to accept a withdrawal was sensible, Megatron growls that at least Obsidian and Strika weren't "''useless''" like Thrust; Obsidian admits that it was Thrust who reminded them that their true loyalties lay with Megatron. No longer in control of the Sparks, Megatron declares, "The time for action is now."

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (1)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (2)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (3)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (4)
*[[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] (5)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (6)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (7)
|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Evil Red Spark]] (8)
*[[Copter Drone]]s (9)
*[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] (10)
*[[Strika (BM)|Strika]] (11)
*[[Artillery Drone]]s (12)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
"So, eh, whatcha got for me and Miss Twiggy? A "teak and destroy" mission? Or maybe some "oak and dagger" work?"
:—'''Rattrap''' comes up with some evil puns.

Little girl voice: And what'd you do in the war, Daddy? 
Rattrap voice: Well, honey, I made ''gardening equipment'' to help the troops plant petunias! 
Little girl voice: ''Really'', Daddy?! 
:—'''Rattrap''' expresses how much he hates his job and Scott McNeil gets to talk to himself. Uh... [[Dinobot (BW)|Some]] [[Silverbolt (BW)|more]].

"What would you rather be doing, sticking your tail into a computer circuit?" 
"Heh, beats the heck outta plowing ''your'' little field of dreams."
:—"Innuendo 101" with '''Botanica''' and '''Rattrap'''

"You shall not pass!" 
[''Red spark passes without pause'']
:—'''Strika''' makes a very poor Gandalf.

"Aw man, I can't believe I'm stuck here while a really honked-off ball of electrons is making mince-meat outta my buddies."
:—'''Rattrap''' complaining again.

"I live! I live! I—...what kind of puny body is this?!" 
:—'''Megatron''' discovers he's in a diagnostic drone. Now that's karma.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*In the overhead shot of the Maximals in the beginning, Optimus is floating, as evidenced by his shadow not touching his feet.
*The Cycle Drone parts in the orchid are rendered in a lower resolution in certain shots. Granted, they're scrap, but it's noticeable and inconsistent with the pieces that do remain smooth.
*When Cheetor and Nightscream approach Obsidian and Strika, an Artillery Drone in the background floats into view over the waterfall.
*Strika's CG model also turns low-res in certain shots, like when looking over the ledge when Megatron tries to pull Cheetor down with him, or just before meeting Megatron's Spark in the hallway.
*As Primal is welcoming Obsidian and Strika to the team, Obsidian is rendered with flat colors instead of textures.

===Continuity errors===
*Not an error, per se, but the Maximals are rather quick to heroically eulogize Noble when they've treated him as nothing but a nuisance!
*If Cheetor and Nightscream are trying to sneak up on Obsidian and Strika, shouldn't they be in their beast modes?
*Rattrap gets from the Oracle chamber to the Grand Mal in a surprisingly short amount of time, when [[The Reformatting|previous episodes]] have highlighted the lengthy trip to and from the surface.

===Continuity notes===
*"So many times we thought we were rid of him, and yet he reappears", muses Silverbolt as the Maximals ponder Megatron's "death". Silverbolt seems to be referencing numerous near-victories for the Maximals—[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]'s bungled arrest in "[[The Agenda (Part 2)]]" springs to mind, as does his escape from the Autobot shuttle in the interim period between ''Beast Wars'' and ''Machines''. There's also the time [[Victory (episode)|Megatron faked his own death]], but Silverbolt wasn't around for that.
* Blackarachnia notes that she first realized [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] was Silverbolt in one of the Maximal shell yards, referring to the events of "[[The Catalyst]]".
* Gadgets and powers:
** Rattrap's face mask doubles as a sort of holo-projector phone.
** Blackarachnia can shoot electricity through the air, as opposed to her usual ground-based attack.

===Transformers references===
*When Silverbolt trips over battling the mutant, Blackarachnia proceeds to rip out the power core from what appears to be [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]'s body.

===Real-world references===
*This episode's title is a play on {{w|Joseph Conrad}}'s novella ''{{w|Heart of Darkness}}''.
*Rattrap nicknames Botanica "[[w:Miss Piggy|Miss Twiggy]]".
*When Cheetor asks Thrust what he's rebelling against now that Megatron is gone, Thrust replies "What've you got?", the reply given by Marlon Brando's character in ''{{w|The Wild One}}''. Fitting.
*The sequence where Optimus Primal and Botanica are first ambushed is also a visual quote from the original ''{{w|Alien (film)|Alien}}''.
*Similarly, the scene where Blackarachnia and Silverbolt draw together in the foreground for a moment of intimacy after they think they have destroyed the junkyard mutant, only for it to emerge from the wall of fire in the background is an homage to the penultimate sequence from ''The [[Terminator]]''.
*When Obsidian and Strika attempt to intercept the red spark, Strika exclaims "You shall not pass!", a possible reference to Gandalf's words in ''{{w|The Lord of the Rings}}''.
*Botanica refers to the technorganic orchard as her "{{w|Field of Dreams}}".
*A young child asking dad what ''he'' did in the war was the subject of an iconic [[United Kingdom|British]] [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Daddy,_what_did_You_do_in_the_Great_War%3F.jpg propaganda poster], while the specific wording Rattrap uses is the title for a {{w|What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?|1966 Blake Edwards film}}.

===Trivia===
*The shell that attacks Silverbolt and Blackarachnia is composed of parts from [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] combatants. The feet, torso, and right arm belong to the [[Transmetal]] [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] while the helmet resembles a modified version of [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]'s helmet in [[Dinobot II|Transmetal 2 Dinobot]]'s colors, along with [[Tigerhawk]]'s face.
*Precisely 5 minutes and 3 seconds into the episode, immediately after Blackarachnia says, "Whoever you are, THAT was a big mistake!", one can see the severed head of [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] lying behind her.
*The short story "[[Singularity Ablyss]]" by [[Bob Skir]], published in the ''[[Transformers Legends (book)|Transformers Legends]]'' anthology, is set between-the-scenes of this episode. It doesn't change the events of the episode, but it does illuminate what Megatron may have been thinking in the midst of all that body-jumping; also, he kills [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]].
*Once Megatron's spark enters the [[Diagnostic Drone]] body, the optics resemble that of his [[Grand Mal]] vessel.
*"I will brook no failure—not from anyone, not for any reason" appears to be a motto of Megatron's.
* The events of this episode are strongly reminiscent of "[[Savage Noble]]" and "[[Prometheus Unbound]]". In both cases, Megatron has apparently been defeated, the Maximals go recruiting among the Vehicons, a strange beastie starts attacking all and sundry, and—surprise—it turns out to be Megatron in a new body. (The similarity is even ''commented upon'' by Thrust.) It's especially annoying that "Prometheus Unbound" was only seven episodes before this one.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Obscurité'''" ("Obscurity")

:*''Title:'' "'''La Sombre Étincelle'''" ("The Dark Spark")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Fluch der Dunkelheit'''" ("Curse of Darkness")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 24]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kyōfu no Akai Tama'''" (恐怖の赤い玉, "The Terrifying Red Sphere")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 22]], [[2005]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Chispa de Oscuridad'''" ("Spark of Darkness")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hēi'àn de Huǒzhǒng '''" (黑暗的火种, "The Dark Spark")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 6 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season Two (Sony) 
[[Image:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

Spark of Darkness

2021-05-27T06:01:48Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Continuity notes */

{{episode|
|series=BMtoon
|ep=23
|title="Spark of Darkness"
|image=SparkDarkness.jpg
|caption=Beauty is in the optic of the beholder
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[April 12]], 2000 (Canada) [[October 28]], 2000 (USA)
|writer=[[Nick Dubois]]
|director=[[Greg Donis]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''Megatron has been defeated, but strange creatures keep attacking the Maximals all over Cybertropolis.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:SparkDarkness Celebrating maximals.jpg|left|thumb|200px|It's Miller time!]]
The [[Maximal]]s celebrate the defeat of [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] inside the now-dormant [[Grand Mal]]. But while most of the group high-five each other, [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] mourns the loss of his pet, [[Noble (BM)|Savage/Noble]]. [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] wonders if Megatron is truly defeated, but [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Primal]] assures his team that he knows Megatron is dead, thanks to their mutual connection to the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]]. When [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] mentions there's still business to be taken care of, [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] responds she feels there's another evil on Cybertron.

Cheetor and Nightscream are sent to find the [[Vehicon general]]s. Silverbolt and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] are sent to assess the dormant Transformer bodies to start the process of getting the sparks Megatron kidnapped to function again. Rattrap and Botanica are assigned to attend the techno-organic orchard. [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]], of course, whines about this. As he does this, he moans that he feels his talents are being wasted and he'll be stuck with embarrassing stories to tell his grandkids. Botanica argues that tending the garden is important. The debate between the two heats up, and in their rage, the two Maximals accidentally touch lips. The two quickly agree to completely disregard, forget, and ignore their contact and get to work. Optimus stays in the Grand Mal.

[[Image:SparkDarkness Blackarachnia zombie.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Supreme Class kitbashing gone horribly, horribly wrong.]]
At the shell yard, Blackarachnia tries to put the moves on Silverbolt, but without confirmation that Megatron is truly really dead, he's extremely hesitant to respond to her advances. At this, Blackarachnia finally loses patience, and begins berating Silverbolt for his obsessiveness. She's so focused on Silverbolt that only he notices the [[Zombie|large, lumbering monster]] emerge behind her. The two Maximals run away (cowardly) from the giant, but when the monster hits Silverbolt with gunfire, Blackarachnia fights back with her electric sting. The monster knocks her over, but Silverbolt has had time to recover and attacks the monster with his throwing blades. Eventually, Blackarachnia has the idea to attack the monster using an explosive component from one of the nearby Transformer bodies. The behemoth steps out of the explosion, and the two Transformers watch a strange red spark emerge from the monster as it falls over in defeat. The red glow races away.

In the orchard, while Botanica works, Rattrap scavenges parts of a [[Cycle Drone]] to see if anything can be made into a useful tool. But suddenly, the deactivated Cycle Drone comes to life and begins to blast the orchard. Botanica, upset about the carnage, transforms and uses her bolts to bring heavy wreckage crashing down upon the possessed drone. The drone flails its body one last time before falling over, no longer inhabited by the glowing red spark.

Cheetor and Nightscream meet with [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] and [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and invite the two generals to join the Maximals. As the two generals debate, [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] stops by to make it clear that he has no interest in joining with the Maximals and that he believes that Megatron, "The Big M," will soon return. After Thrust leaves, the remaining four are attacked by a damaged but resilient [[Aero Drone]]. Nightscream sucks the energy from the drone, but the monster still tries to pull Cheetor over the edge of a nearby cliff. Cheetor is saved by Nightscream and the drone falls, but before it makes impact with the water below, the glowing red spark leaves the body.

[[Image:SparkDarkness Rattrap repolarising.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Rattrap's audition for the new [[Ghostbusters]] movie went surprisingly well.]]
The group returns to meet with the other Maximals (sans Botanica) inside the Grand Mal, and Optimus welcomes Strika and Obsidian to the team. The two new recruits leave to fortify the base—just in time for Rattrap to detect the haunting red spark heading right towards them all. Inside, the spark passes by the two generals and briefly encounters Cheetor and Blackarachnia. Next, the spark uses a [[Tank Drone]] body to attack Optimus and Botanica. While Rattrap tracks the movement of the Spark, he deduces a way to neutralize its rampage.

Rattrap uses a Spark Extractor on the Tank Drone to draw out the spark. Once the red spark is contained, he "re-polarizes" his captive, but the Spark Extractor flies alive, trying to break free of Rattrap's grip. After escaping the spark extractor, the spark flies into a [[Diagnostic Drone]] and, finally coherent, exclaims "I live!" But Rattrap has the next laugh: The spark, who is clearly Megatron, is now trapped inside of the diminutive body.

[[Image:SparkDarkness Megadrone Optimus.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Oh, don't look at me like that. There are [[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)|far worse]] things that I could be doing to you right now.]]
The Maximals meet Megatron, but he laughs at them. Even in his tiny form, he's able to reactivate the Grand Mal's internal defenses to evict the Maximals. As the Maximals struggle against the tentacles that have begun to bind them, Primal has an Oracle moment, but the Maximals are all captured anyway. Megatron starts to reformat Primal's spark, but Rattrap gets Botanica to destroy the control panel, freeing the team from Megatron's grip.

Obsidian arrives at the fight scene and is forced to choose: Be loyal to Primal's or Megatron's side. The two generals grab Megatron and fall out of sight. Out of immediate danger, Optimus explains that Nightscream didn't kill Megatron, but only turned Megatron into the monster that he was but no longer is.

Away from the battle, Strika, Obsidian and Megatron meet up with Thrust. Enraged that he was pulled out of battle and refusing to accept a withdrawal was sensible, Megatron growls that at least Obsidian and Strika weren't "''useless''" like Thrust; Obsidian admits that it was Thrust who reminded them that their true loyalties lay with Megatron. No longer in control of the Sparks, Megatron declares, "The time for action is now."

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (1)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (2)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (3)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (4)
*[[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] (5)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (6)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (7)
|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Evil Red Spark]] (8)
*[[Copter Drone]]s (9)
*[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] (10)
*[[Strika (BM)|Strika]] (11)
*[[Artillery Drone]]s (12)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
"So, eh, whatcha got for me and Miss Twiggy? A "teak and destroy" mission? Or maybe some "oak and dagger" work?"
:—'''Rattrap''' comes up with some evil puns.

Little girl voice: And what'd you do in the war, Daddy? 
Rattrap voice: Well, honey, I made ''gardening equipment'' to help the troops plant petunias! 
Little girl voice: ''Really'', Daddy?! 
:—'''Rattrap''' expresses how much he hates his job and Scott McNeil gets to talk to himself. Uh... [[Dinobot (BW)|Some]] [[Silverbolt (BW)|more]].

"What would you rather be doing, sticking your tail into a computer circuit?" 
"Heh, beats the heck outta plowing ''your'' little field of dreams."
:—"Innuendo 101" with '''Botanica''' and '''Rattrap'''

"You shall not pass!" 
[''Red spark passes without pause'']
:—'''Strika''' makes a very poor Gandalf.

"Aw man, I can't believe I'm stuck here while a really honked-off ball of electrons is making mince-meat outta my buddies."
:—'''Rattrap''' complaining again.

"I live! I live! I—...what kind of puny body is this?!" 
:—'''Megatron''' discovers he's in a diagnostic drone. Now that's karma.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*In the overhead shot of the Maximals in the beginning, Optimus is floating, as evidenced by his shadow not touching his feet.
*The Cycle Drone parts in the orchid are rendered in a lower resolution in certain shots. Granted, they're scrap, but it's noticeable and inconsistent with the pieces that do remain smooth.
*When Cheetor and Nightscream approach Obsidian and Strika, an Artillery Drone in the background floats into view over the waterfall.
*Strika's CG model also turns low-res in certain shots, like when looking over the ledge when Megatron tries to pull Cheetor down with him, or just before meeting Megatron's Spark in the hallway.
*As Primal is welcoming Obsidian and Strika to the team, Obsidian is rendered with flat colors instead of textures.

===Continuity errors===
*Not an error, per se, but the Maximals are rather quick to heroically eulogize Noble when they've treated him as nothing but a nuisance!
*If Cheetor and Nightscream are trying to sneak up on Obsidian and Strika, shouldn't they be in their beast modes?
*Rattrap gets from the Oracle chamber to the Grand Mal in a surprisingly short amount of time, when [[The Reformatting|previous episodes]] have highlighted the lengthy trip to and from the surface.

===Continuity notes===
*"So many times we thought we were rid of him, and yet he reappears", muses Silverbolt as the Maximals ponder Megatron's "death". Silverbolt seems to be referencing numerous near-victories for the Maximals—[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]'s bungled arrest in "[[The Agenda (Part 2)]]" springs to mind, as does his escape from the Autobot shuttle in the interim period between ''Beast Wars'' and ''Machines''. There's also the time [[Victory (episode)|Megatron faked his own death]], but Silverbolt wasn't around for that.
* Blackarachnia notes that she first realized [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] was Silverbolt in one of the Maximal shell yards, referring to the events of "[[The Catalyst]]".
* Gadgets and powers:
** Rattrap's face mask doubles as a sort of holo-projector phone.
** Blackarachnia can shoot electricity through the air, as opposed to her usual ground-based attack.

===Transformers references===
*When Silverbolt trips over battling the mutant, Blackarachnia proceeds to rip out the power core from what appears to be [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]'s body.

===Real-world references===
*This episode's title is a play on {{w|Joseph Conrad}}'s novella ''{{w|Heart of Darkness}}''.
*Rattrap nicknames Botanica "[[w:Miss Piggy|Miss Twiggy]]".
*When Cheetor asks Thrust what he's rebelling against now that Megatron is gone, Thrust replies "What've you got?", the reply given by Marlon Brando's character in ''{{w|The Wild One}}''. Fitting.
*The sequence where Optimus Primal and Botanica are first ambushed is also a visual quote from the original ''{{w|Alien (film)|Alien}}''.
*Similarly, the scene where Blackarachnia and Silverbolt draw together in the foreground for a moment of intimacy after they think they have destroyed the junkyard mutant, only for it to emerge from the wall of fire in the background is an homage to the penultimate sequence from ''The [[Terminator]]''.
*When Obsidian and Strika attempt to intercept the red spark, Strika exclaims "You shall not pass!", a possible reference to Gandalf's words in ''{{w|The Lord of the Rings}}''.
*Botanica refers to the technorganic orchard as her "{{w|Field of Dreams}}".
*A young child asking dad what ''he'' did in the war was the subject of an iconic [[United Kingdom|British]] [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Daddy,_what_did_You_do_in_the_Great_War%3F.jpg propaganda poster], while the specific wording Rattrap uses is the title for a {{w|What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?|1966 Blake Edwards film}}.

===Trivia===
*The shell that attacks Silverbolt and Blackarachnia is composed of parts from [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] combatants. The feet, torso, and right arm belong to the [[Transmetal]] [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] while the helmet resembles a modified version of [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]'s helmet in [[Dinobot II|Transmetal 2 Dinobot]]'s colors, along with [[Tigerhawk]]'s face.
*Precisely 5 minutes and 3 seconds into the episode, immediately after Blackarachnia says, "Whoever you are, THAT was a big mistake!", one can see the severed head of [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] lying behind her.
*The short story "[[Singularity Ablyss]]" by [[Bob Skir]], published in the ''[[Transformers Legends (book)|Transformers Legends]]'' anthology, is set between-the-scenes of this episode. It doesn't change the events of the episode, but it does illuminate what Megatron may have been thinking in the midst of all that body-jumping; also, he kills [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]].
*Once Megatron's spark enters the [[Diagnostic Drone]] body, the optics resemble that of his [[Grand Mal]] vessel.
*"I will brook no failure — not from anyone not for any reason" appears to be a motto of Megatron's.
* The events of this episode are strongly reminiscent of "[[Savage Noble]]" and "[[Prometheus Unbound]]". In both cases, Megatron has apparently been defeated, the Maximals go recruiting among the Vehicons, a strange beastie starts attacking all and sundry, and—surprise—it turns out to be Megatron in a new body. (The similarity is even ''commented upon'' by Thrust.) It's especially annoying that "Prometheus Unbound" was only seven episodes before this one.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Obscurité'''" ("Obscurity")

:*''Title:'' "'''La Sombre Étincelle'''" ("The Dark Spark")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Fluch der Dunkelheit'''" ("Curse of Darkness")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 24]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kyōfu no Akai Tama'''" (恐怖の赤い玉, "The Terrifying Red Sphere")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 22]], [[2005]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Chispa de Oscuridad'''" ("Spark of Darkness")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hēi'àn de Huǒzhǒng '''" (黑暗的火种, "The Dark Spark")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 6 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season Two (Sony) 
[[Image:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege

2021-05-27T05:07:40Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Continuity errors */

{{disambig3|Siege}}

{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=22
|image=Spark consumption.jpg
|caption=Om nom nom nom
|title="Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege"
|airdate=[[April 5]], 2000 (Canada) [[October 7]], 2000 (USA)
|written by=[[Steven Melching]]
|directed by=[[Luke Carroll]]
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuty=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''Having found the imprisoned sparks, the Maximals have to race against time to stop Megatron from consuming them and becoming a god.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] flaps along beneath a Cybertronian moon, evading hordes of drones. He meets up with [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]. [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s [[Grand Mal|big floating head]] is hovering over the central spaceport, and the Maximals wonder how they can put a stop to whatever Megatron is re-supplying for.

[[Image:Sparkwar3 Noble Nightscream.jpg|left|thumb|200px|You can turn away and scowl all you want, but it's still bath time, ''mister.'']]
[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] are nearby, ordering troop movements, when a familiar howl sounds. It's [[Noble (BM)|Noble]], who obliviously strolls up to the Maximals' hiding spot in plain sight, leading the drones right to them. Cheetor orders a retreat, as they're on recon; the group disposes of their attackers and begins to leave. But despite Nightscream's pleadings, Noble continues fighting. Nightscream finally fires off a sonic burst that destroys Noble's attackers, and the beast retreats along with them.

Cheetor admonishes Nightscream over his "little pet" nearly getting them killed, and orders him to cut the creature loose. Nightscream reluctantly heads in the other direction, with Noble following like a puppy.

Later, [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus]] reminds Cheetor and [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] of their upcoming mission's importance. Rattrap wonders if they could get away with a Trojan horse gimmick. The others, and the audience, look at him like he's nuts.

Cheetor, Nightscream, and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] are to distract the Vehicons; the rest go to infiltrate the big head and free the Sparks. Rattrap offers up his disks again, new and improved this time. As the group heads out, Cheetor coughs meaningfully and nods in Noble's direction. Optimus responds with a look to Nightscream, who reluctantly shoos him away. Noble departs with a puppy-like whimper, and the group moves out.

Thrust reports to Megatron, who manifests himself in the form of his glowing red Spark. Megatron opens the Spark containment grid, releasing a pair of drifting Sparks. Energy shoots out from Megatron... and the Sparks are consumed, absorbed into his own, as Thrust watches dumbfounded. Megatron testily demands [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]]'s report, while gobbling up a couple more Sparks. The Maximals no longer concern him, he tells his General; he's mastered the secrets of the Oracle, and nothing can stop his grand ascension now.

[[Image:Sparkwar3 Obsidian drones.jpg|right|thumb|200px|I'm not cleaning this up.]]
On the surface, Nightscream and company initiate their "noisy distraction". Optimus's group tries out Rattrap's scramblers, which seem to work, and leap aboard a hovertransport that's heading for the big head. The distraction group, elsewhere, plays a game of cat and mouse with the drones. Cheetor slaps a disk on one of the drones, causing the others to read it as a Maximal, and blast it to scrap. Silverbolt is impressed.

The generals examine the wrecked drones, and find one of the disks. Primal and company, meanwhile, have infiltrated the big head. Primal listens to the voices in his head — literally — which direct him toward the Sparks.

Strika figures out how to reconfigure the device's harmonics, causing feedback to overloading all of the other disks. A moment later, the Maximals are picked up by the big head's sensors. Thrust soon arrives to attack. The distraction team soon finds themselves similarly occupied.

Rattrap gets the Maximals through a doorway, then seals it before Thrust can follow. The group finds themselves in a large round chamber with a seal at the bottom... a seal which opens to reveal a [[spark containment unit|huge canister full of glowing, seething Sparks]]. The canister rises to meet the orange-red form of Megatron above. He's pleased to see the team; tentacles lash out and snare the group.

Megatron initiates his trans-ascension, chomping down on a few more Sparks. He intends to unite every Spark on Cybertron into one, perfect being — himself. The containment unit opens, and the Sparks drift upwards. Optimus entreats them to resist, but Megatron just laughs.

[[Image:Giant megatron spark.jpg|left|thumb|200px]]
On the surface, all the combatants stop and stare as Megatron's ultra-Spark rises out from the big head. Megatron lashes out with energy beams that suspend the Maximals in mid-air and begin to draw out their Sparks. Nightscream manages to evade the beams momentarily, till he trips on a fallen drone. But as the beam begins to drag him away, he sees Noble lurching towards him. Strika sees him too, and orders her drones to attack. But the mighty beast is too much for the drones. Obsidian and Strika are bested as well. Noble reverts to Savage and blasts the beam holding Nightscream, freeing him. Savage launches, heading for Megatron, but Megatron zaps him, knocking him out of the sky. Savage falls and hits the ground hard. He reverts to Noble, and dies cradled in Nightscream's arms.

[[Image:Sparkwar3 Dead noble.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Oh, no. Don't think playing dead's going to save you from the tub, either!]]
Nightscream, infuriated, blasts Megatron with his sonic weapon. The blast disrupts Megatron's hold on the Maximals, the captive Sparks, and himself, too, as he howls in agony. The Sparks begin falling back into the containment unit, and the big head begins to plummet. The Maximals quickly work to gain control of the vessel; Rattrap extends a bridge to a control center, and finds the manual control system. The head falls from view... then rises again. Cheetor and Silverbolt are briefly exultant, till they turn back to Nightscream, still kneeling beside Noble.

The group gathers around a holo-image of the slain beast, as Optimus eulogizes the creature who bought them their victory with his life. But elsewhere on the empty streets of Cybertron, Megatron's orange-red Spark can be seen flitting through the shadows.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (1)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (4)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (5)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (10)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (11)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (13)
*[[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] (14)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (2)
*[[Artillery Drone]]s (3)
*[[Copter Drone]]s (6)
*[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] (7)
*[[Strika (BM)|Strika]] (8)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (12)
*[[Cycle Drone]]s (15)

|c4=
*[[Noble (BM)|Noble]] (9)

}}
==Quotes==
"The Maximals no longer concern me. I have mastered the secrets of the Oracle and now no force in the universe can prevent my ascension!"
:—'''Megatron''' enters his megalomaniacal phase. Again.

"If anyone knows how to cause confusion, it's our little Rattrap."
:—'''Silverbolt''' sums up Rattrap's character in one sentence.

"The sparks! What are you doing?!" 
"Fulfilling my destiny, Optimus Primal. Uniting every spark on Cybertron into one perfect being — me."
:—'''Optimus''' and '''Megatron'''

"Abandon head!!!"
:—'''Rattrap''' keeps in mind his location in times of crisis.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*Blackarachnia pulls an impressive stunt: when attacking the Artillery Drones, she somersaults forward, but her right leg spins backwards, clipping through her entire body.

===Continuity errors===
*How can Megatron speak as just a spark?
*When Rattrap, Optimus, and Cheetor reach the top of the elevator in the Oracle's chamber, the Oracle's portal-like structure is shown in the background to be active with a starry display for the third time this season, when it should be inactive after the Oracle itself had hid itself away inside Optimus's body back in "[[Fallout (episode)|Fallout]]".
*The technorganic Maximal sparks are depicted in their usual light blue, when "[[Revelations Part II: Descent]]" established that they have unique colours.
*Why does Megatron's body ''have'' a manual control system in the first place? Or a control system at all?
**For that matter, why does the Mal begin to fall when Megatron is defeated? He had already been separated from it for several minutes by that point, so he couldn't have been controlling it. At the start of the season it hovered in the air just fine without Megatron's spark at all.

===Continuity notes===
*Gadgets and powers:
** Cheetor can throw his swords like boomerangs.

===Transformers references===
*When calling the sparks to him, Megatron says "[['Til all are one|let us all become one]]!"

===Real-world references===
* Strika and Obsidian direct their troops through the {{w|NATO phonetic alphabet}}.
* Rattrap at one point suggests pulling the {{w|Trojan Horse}} trick on Megatron.

===Trivia===
* A Copter Drone shows a lot of emotion as it pleads for its life.
* In spite of the numerous editorial decisions to remove firearms and other examples of overt violence from ''Beast Machines'', this episode features Megatron implicitly killing a whole ton of Maximals by literally eating their souls. Dark.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La Guerre des Étincelles (Partie 3)'''" ("The War of the Sparks (Part 3)")

:*''Title:'' "'''Guerre des Étincelles p3: La Finale'''" (Canada, "War of the Sparks Pt.3: The Finale")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Der Held'''" ("The Hero")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 23]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Eien no Yūjō'''" (永遠の友情, "Eternal Friendship")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 16]], [[2005]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Guerra de Chispas Parte 3: El Asedio'''" ("Sparkwar Part 3: The Siege")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Huǒzhǒng Dàzhàn '''" (火种大战, "Spark War")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 6 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season Two (Sony) 
[[Image:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege

2021-05-27T04:51:57Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Continuity errors */

{{disambig3|Siege}}

{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=22
|image=Spark consumption.jpg
|caption=Om nom nom nom
|title="Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege"
|airdate=[[April 5]], 2000 (Canada) [[October 7]], 2000 (USA)
|written by=[[Steven Melching]]
|directed by=[[Luke Carroll]]
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuty=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''Having found the imprisoned sparks, the Maximals have to race against time to stop Megatron from consuming them and becoming a god.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] flaps along beneath a Cybertronian moon, evading hordes of drones. He meets up with [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]. [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s [[Grand Mal|big floating head]] is hovering over the central spaceport, and the Maximals wonder how they can put a stop to whatever Megatron is re-supplying for.

[[Image:Sparkwar3 Noble Nightscream.jpg|left|thumb|200px|You can turn away and scowl all you want, but it's still bath time, ''mister.'']]
[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] are nearby, ordering troop movements, when a familiar howl sounds. It's [[Noble (BM)|Noble]], who obliviously strolls up to the Maximals' hiding spot in plain sight, leading the drones right to them. Cheetor orders a retreat, as they're on recon; the group disposes of their attackers and begins to leave. But despite Nightscream's pleadings, Noble continues fighting. Nightscream finally fires off a sonic burst that destroys Noble's attackers, and the beast retreats along with them.

Cheetor admonishes Nightscream over his "little pet" nearly getting them killed, and orders him to cut the creature loose. Nightscream reluctantly heads in the other direction, with Noble following like a puppy.

Later, [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus]] reminds Cheetor and [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] of their upcoming mission's importance. Rattrap wonders if they could get away with a Trojan horse gimmick. The others, and the audience, look at him like he's nuts.

Cheetor, Nightscream, and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] are to distract the Vehicons; the rest go to infiltrate the big head and free the Sparks. Rattrap offers up his disks again, new and improved this time. As the group heads out, Cheetor coughs meaningfully and nods in Noble's direction. Optimus responds with a look to Nightscream, who reluctantly shoos him away. Noble departs with a puppy-like whimper, and the group moves out.

Thrust reports to Megatron, who manifests himself in the form of his glowing red Spark. Megatron opens the Spark containment grid, releasing a pair of drifting Sparks. Energy shoots out from Megatron... and the Sparks are consumed, absorbed into his own, as Thrust watches dumbfounded. Megatron testily demands [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]]'s report, while gobbling up a couple more Sparks. The Maximals no longer concern him, he tells his General; he's mastered the secrets of the Oracle, and nothing can stop his grand ascension now.

[[Image:Sparkwar3 Obsidian drones.jpg|right|thumb|200px|I'm not cleaning this up.]]
On the surface, Nightscream and company initiate their "noisy distraction". Optimus's group tries out Rattrap's scramblers, which seem to work, and leap aboard a hovertransport that's heading for the big head. The distraction group, elsewhere, plays a game of cat and mouse with the drones. Cheetor slaps a disk on one of the drones, causing the others to read it as a Maximal, and blast it to scrap. Silverbolt is impressed.

The generals examine the wrecked drones, and find one of the disks. Primal and company, meanwhile, have infiltrated the big head. Primal listens to the voices in his head — literally — which direct him toward the Sparks.

Strika figures out how to reconfigure the device's harmonics, causing feedback to overloading all of the other disks. A moment later, the Maximals are picked up by the big head's sensors. Thrust soon arrives to attack. The distraction team soon finds themselves similarly occupied.

Rattrap gets the Maximals through a doorway, then seals it before Thrust can follow. The group finds themselves in a large round chamber with a seal at the bottom... a seal which opens to reveal a [[spark containment unit|huge canister full of glowing, seething Sparks]]. The canister rises to meet the orange-red form of Megatron above. He's pleased to see the team; tentacles lash out and snare the group.

Megatron initiates his trans-ascension, chomping down on a few more Sparks. He intends to unite every Spark on Cybertron into one, perfect being — himself. The containment unit opens, and the Sparks drift upwards. Optimus entreats them to resist, but Megatron just laughs.

[[Image:Giant megatron spark.jpg|left|thumb|200px]]
On the surface, all the combatants stop and stare as Megatron's ultra-Spark rises out from the big head. Megatron lashes out with energy beams that suspend the Maximals in mid-air and begin to draw out their Sparks. Nightscream manages to evade the beams momentarily, till he trips on a fallen drone. But as the beam begins to drag him away, he sees Noble lurching towards him. Strika sees him too, and orders her drones to attack. But the mighty beast is too much for the drones. Obsidian and Strika are bested as well. Noble reverts to Savage and blasts the beam holding Nightscream, freeing him. Savage launches, heading for Megatron, but Megatron zaps him, knocking him out of the sky. Savage falls and hits the ground hard. He reverts to Noble, and dies cradled in Nightscream's arms.

[[Image:Sparkwar3 Dead noble.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Oh, no. Don't think playing dead's going to save you from the tub, either!]]
Nightscream, infuriated, blasts Megatron with his sonic weapon. The blast disrupts Megatron's hold on the Maximals, the captive Sparks, and himself, too, as he howls in agony. The Sparks begin falling back into the containment unit, and the big head begins to plummet. The Maximals quickly work to gain control of the vessel; Rattrap extends a bridge to a control center, and finds the manual control system. The head falls from view... then rises again. Cheetor and Silverbolt are briefly exultant, till they turn back to Nightscream, still kneeling beside Noble.

The group gathers around a holo-image of the slain beast, as Optimus eulogizes the creature who bought them their victory with his life. But elsewhere on the empty streets of Cybertron, Megatron's orange-red Spark can be seen flitting through the shadows.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (1)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (4)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (5)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (10)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (11)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (13)
*[[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] (14)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (2)
*[[Artillery Drone]]s (3)
*[[Copter Drone]]s (6)
*[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] (7)
*[[Strika (BM)|Strika]] (8)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (12)
*[[Cycle Drone]]s (15)

|c4=
*[[Noble (BM)|Noble]] (9)

}}
==Quotes==
"The Maximals no longer concern me. I have mastered the secrets of the Oracle and now no force in the universe can prevent my ascension!"
:—'''Megatron''' enters his megalomaniacal phase. Again.

"If anyone knows how to cause confusion, it's our little Rattrap."
:—'''Silverbolt''' sums up Rattrap's character in one sentence.

"The sparks! What are you doing?!" 
"Fulfilling my destiny, Optimus Primal. Uniting every spark on Cybertron into one perfect being — me."
:—'''Optimus''' and '''Megatron'''

"Abandon head!!!"
:—'''Rattrap''' keeps in mind his location in times of crisis.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*Blackarachnia pulls an impressive stunt: when attacking the Artillery Drones, she somersaults forward, but her right leg spins backwards, clipping through her entire body.

===Continuity errors===
*How can Megatron speak as just a spark?
*When Rattrap, Optimus, and Cheetor reach the top of the elevator in the Oracle's chamber, the Oracle's portal-like structure is shown in the background to be active with a starry display for the third time this season, when it should be inactive after the Oracle itself had hid itself away inside Optimus's body back in "[[Fallout (episode)|Fallout]]".
*The technorganic Maximal sparks are depicted in their usual light blue, when "[[Revelations Part II: Descent]]" established that they have unique colours.
*Why does Megatron's body ''have'' a manual control system in the first place? Or a control system at all?

===Continuity notes===
*Gadgets and powers:
** Cheetor can throw his swords like boomerangs.

===Transformers references===
*When calling the sparks to him, Megatron says "[['Til all are one|let us all become one]]!"

===Real-world references===
* Strika and Obsidian direct their troops through the {{w|NATO phonetic alphabet}}.
* Rattrap at one point suggests pulling the {{w|Trojan Horse}} trick on Megatron.

===Trivia===
* A Copter Drone shows a lot of emotion as it pleads for its life.
* In spite of the numerous editorial decisions to remove firearms and other examples of overt violence from ''Beast Machines'', this episode features Megatron implicitly killing a whole ton of Maximals by literally eating their souls. Dark.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La Guerre des Étincelles (Partie 3)'''" ("The War of the Sparks (Part 3)")

:*''Title:'' "'''Guerre des Étincelles p3: La Finale'''" (Canada, "War of the Sparks Pt.3: The Finale")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Der Held'''" ("The Hero")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 23]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Eien no Yūjō'''" (永遠の友情, "Eternal Friendship")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 16]], [[2005]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Guerra de Chispas Parte 3: El Asedio'''" ("Sparkwar Part 3: The Siege")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Huǒzhǒng Dàzhàn '''" (火种大战, "Spark War")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 6 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season Two (Sony) 
[[Image:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search

2021-05-27T04:38:01Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Continuity notes */

{{disambig3|Search}}

{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=21
|image=Sparkwar2 Optimus hologram primal.jpg
|caption="Wait, if you're Optimus Prime, why do you have a mouth?" "All the better to eat you with, my dear Primal!"
|title="Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search"
|airdate=[[March 29]], 2000 (Canada) [[September 30]], 2000 (USA)
|written by=[[Michael Reaves]]
|directed by=[[Gino Nichele]]
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuty=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''The Maximals continue their search for the missing sparks.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s fascist planet is being patrolled by legions of the new drones as the [[Maximal]]s, in [[beast mode]], make their way along the lower levels of the surface. They observe that Megatron is fortifying his position. [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus]] has a jolting vision of the drifting [[Spark]]s, apparently the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] contacting him about the Sparks, which have been moved.

Within the [[Grand Mal|big floating head]], Megatron speaks to his three generals, directing them to locations where the Maximals will be, and instructing them to capture Optimus alive.

[[File:Sparkwar2 Rattrap generators.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|"I nicked this out of [[Iron Man|Tony Stark]]'s chest."]]
[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] introduces the team to his [[scrambled field generator]] devices, small disks intended to befuddle the Vehicons' sensors. Rattrap's not ''quite'' sure they'll work, but the team figures it's better than nothing. The group tries them out, changing to [[robot mode]]s... then dives for cover as [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] passes by overhead. But the general doesn't notice them, instead moving to carry out his orders along with [[Strika (BM)|Strika]].

Optimus tells the group that his flashes were of familiar places, and splits them up into three teams to go investigate. Rattrap and [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] aren't too happy at being paired up, but the group deploys as ordered.

At the Maximal shell yard just outside processing plant #57, [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]], and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] move in. Silverbolt is not interested in taking orders from Cheetor, despite Blackarachnia's assurance that a ''lot'' has changed since they were parted. Obsidian, watching from concealment, prepares his strike force.

As Optimus and [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] walk below the surface, Nightscream finds a familiar claw slash in the wall. Nightscream wants to find [[Noble (BM)|Noble]], but Primal gently persuades him to take one job at a time. They run into a cave-in around the corner; Op's eyes flash with white light, and, glancing at a floor hatch, he says they're heading down...

Rattrap and Botanica arrive outside the Citadel, still squabbling. Rattrap detects a massive positronic residual charge, but inside they find piles and piles of Spark canisters... empty. They've arrived here too late. They depart, only to be ambushed by Strika. Botanica is chagrined that Rattrap's scramblers didn't work very long; they fall back.

Obsidian observes from high above as the Maximals explore the shell complex. Silverbolt and Cheetor argue over the latter's leadership capabilities, till Obsidian attacks. Surrounded, Silverbolt decides a berserker head-on attack is the only option.

[[File:Sparkwar2 Maximals over iacon.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1|"The decaying ruins of Old New York... This place brings back a lot of memories-" "Keep 'em to yourself, Pops."]]
Optimus and Nightscream, meanwhile, have found a stunning ruin below the surface, a great city that was replaced after the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] between the Autobots and the Decepticons, during the [[Great Upgrade]]: [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. The two apparently trigger a ghostly spector, a holographic [[Optimus Prime memorial|tribute]] to the original [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]].

Rattrap and Botanica get out of robot mode to escape detection, and duck into a convenient building; Strika drives by without finding them. Rattrap taps his scrambler disk uncertainly, only to get snapped at by Botanica. But Rattrap's attention is suddenly distracted by the contents of the building they're in: [[Holo-chip|holographic pleasure chips]]. He loads several of said chips into his backpack, then spots some sort of player for the chips just then. He plugs into it, becoming enthralled with a vision of a peaceful metallic world. Just then Strika enters and attacks.

At the shell plant, Silverbolt finally gets blasted back to the ground, and rebuked by Cheetor for his recklessness.

Optimus and Nightscream are about to move on, when the virtual Prime reaches down and scoops Optimus up, bringing him up to face level. From Nightscream's point of view, the hologram disappears, though Optimus continues to float in mid-air. Thrust arrives just then and attacks, but Optimus is seemingly in a trance.

[[File:Sparkwar2 Rattrap holoenviron.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|A wondrous robotic world and no civil war destroying everything? That's disgusting.]]
Rattrap is still lost in his fantasy world, till Botanica pulls the machine's plug. A blast scatters the Maximals as well as Rattrap's precious chips, which he scrambles to scoop up. He tells Botanica to keep Strika occupied.

As leader, Cheetor decides on a strategic advance to the rear.

Nightscream is dodging [[Cycle Drone]] shots, while Optimus talks with Optimus on some other plane. The Prime hologram tells him that the Oracle lies within him, and he has but to summon it. Primal does so, and is surrounded by a white, Oracle-style hoola-hoop. The hologram of Optimus Prime chuckles... then laughs... a laugh which quickly deepens into that of Megatron, whose face suddenly replaces the figure of Prime.

Strika is posed to deliver a killing blow to Botanica, when Rattrap notices that one of her feet is on the activation pad of the holo-player he was using earlier. He leaps, landing on her shoulders and plugging one of the chips into her head, ensnaring her with the same vision that he was having before. He's pretty pleased with himself; Botanica drags him off.

In the shell yard, Cheetor has a bit of inspiration. The Maximals use a discarded power core to defeat their tormentors, blowing it up in their faces.

Megatron gloats to Optimus; he used the Spark vision to have the Maximals sent off on fools' errands, so Optimus would access the Oracle for his benefit. Megatron has studied and mastered most of the Oracle's secrets, but there's still some pieces missing... till now. And a fast, forceful download commences.

[[File:Sparkwar2 Megatron primal.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1|'''IGNORE THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN.''']]
Megatron gloats again; all the pieces are in place, and now he can complete his ultimate plan for the Sparks. The hologram fades away, and Optimus finds himself in the middle of Nightscream's Cycle Drone battle.

Nightscream, meanwhile, has been brought down by weight of numbers, when a bolt out of the blue hits his attackers. It's Savage, lumbering onto the scene and prompting the Cycle Drones into a frantic retreat. Savage morphs to Noble and jogs after them, out of sight. A second later the drones go flying through the air. Optimus recovers, and immediately orders Nightscream to follow him to a rendezvous with the others.

The Maximals are shocked that Megatron has the full power of the Oracle, but Primal tells him that he gave Megatron access to the Oracle on purpose. While Megatron was downloading it, Primal accessed information from ''him'' as well, and learned the location of the Sparks. They have but a short window of opportunity to act, to free the Sparks from the location where they're being held: within the big floating head.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (3)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (4)
*[[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] (5)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (7)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (8)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (9)
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (10)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]|c2=
*[[Copter Drone]]s (1)
*[[Artillery Drone]]s (2)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (6)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (11)
*[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] (12)
*[[Strika (BM)|Strika]] (13)
*[[Cycle Drone]]s (14)

|c4=
*[[Noble (BM)|Noble]] (15)

}}

==Quotes==
"No offense, kitten, but I don't take orders from children." 
"Silverbolt, a lot's happened since you've been gone." 
"Not that much."
:—'''Silverbolt''' isn't impressed with Cheetor, despite '''Blackarachnia''' sticking up for him.

"This calls for a strategic advance to the rear." 
"Meaning?" 
"RUN AWAY!"
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Botanica''' encounter Strika.

"Looks like we've been spotted." [sarcastically] "Thank you very much, ''Rattrap''."
:—'''Blackarachnia''' after being spotted by Obsidian.

"Ugh, everyone else gets a partner, I get a flea-ridden travel agent."
:—'''Botanica'''

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* When Obsidian reacts to Silverbolt's feather-bombing solo action, the drone next to him is firing its guns with its fingers deployed at the same time.
** At the end of said shot, the camera clips into Obsidian's head for a handful of frames.
* Nightscream's hands pass through his leg-wings several times.
* Thrust pronounces Iacon as "Iocon".
* The textures on Thrust's left gun-barrel are glitching out throughout his scenes.
* When Botanica picks up the metal plate to use as a shield, the connectors between her torso and arms are missing, so her arms are just floating beside her.
* Strika's mouth movements are really out of sync with her "What a pretty little plant..." line.
* When Nightscream warns the entranced Optimus that they should be going, he's flying without flapping his wings.
* With its curved antennae, the head of the Optimus Prime hologram sure looks like Primal's original ''Beast Wars'' head, doesn't it? Further, when he reaches down to pick up Primal, Prime has a ''mouth.'' (It's gone by the next shot.) Apparently, Mainframe had lost the model for Prime's head, and had to use a faceplated Primal head as a "good enough" replacement.
* "Its... beautiful!" – Strika's "eyelids" apparently disagree, because they remain in place when she raises her brows (the front part of her helmet, actually), causing an odd gap to appear between them.
* Just before Blackarachnia throws the Prowl-lookalike torso off herself, a nearby Soundwave leg is partially floating in the air.
* Savage/Noble lacks a shadow when he begins and is done transforming (he casts one in the in-between shot).

===Continuity errors===
* Isn't Silverbolt ''younger'' than Cheetor? Then again, Transformer aging is weird, so...

===Continuity notes===
* Megatron notes that the "Oracle lies within you"—Optimus has notably spent less time relying on the computer this season, especially since "[[Fallout (episode)|Fallout]]" ended with the Oracle concluding that there was nothing more to teach, and apparently vanishing. This episode shows that the Oracle merely transferred itself (or part of itself) into Optimus.
* Megatron also mentions the Optimus's "previous visit" to the [[Grand Mal]], as seen in "[[In Darkest Knight]]".
* Optimus Primal alludes to the "[[Great Upgrade]]", an event, or period of time, where the old Autobot faction transitioned into a postwar Maximal society.
* Gadgets and powers:
** Strika can lob explosive blasts from her palms. Additionally, her forearm armor (forearmor)? can deploy into a sort of close combat weapon.
** Rattrap's multi-purpose facemask comes equipped with a pair of headlamps.

===Transformers references===
*While traveling through the sublevels of Cybertron, Optimus Primal and Nightscream stumble upon the ruins of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]].
*After that, they encounter a hologram of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. Interestingly, Optimus (Primal) describes Optimus (Prime) as "his ancestor". He might just be speaking metaphorically, as the Autobots are collectively the "ancestors" of the Maximals, but the comment seems to imply a deeper relation beyond their shared names.
*The hologram claims to be Optimus Prime's "essence, stored here these many years after [[The Final Battle (disambiguation)|The Final Battle]]". Sure, it was a ruse by Megatron, but there had to be enough truth in it to attempt to fool Optimus Primal. It seems likely there was some sort of Final Battle, or a legend of a Final Battle in [[Beast Era]] lore, where it would be believable that Prime's essence would get stored away afterwards. The implication is also that Optimus Prime ''died'' in this battle.
**2016's "[[Dawn of the Predacus]]" kicked off its take on the Final Battle with Optimus Prime having fallen in a final duel with [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], so make of that what you will.
*The Maximals stumble on the remains of more Transformers, reusing [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s character models again.

===Real-world references===
* As the [[Grand Mal|Big Floating Head]] hovers into view, Rattrap mutters "Talk about yer bad moon risin'," in tribute to the classic {{w|Creedence Clearwater Revival}} {{w|Bad Moon Rising (song)|song}}.

===Trivia===
* Megatron breaks out one of his classic "yesses" as he describes his plan to the Vehicon generals.
* Rattrap breaks the fourth wall as he describes a "virtual, but not virtu''ous''" pleasure disc, wiggling his eyebrows knowingly at the camera. (Rattrap, you perv.)
* Some of the Cycle Drones perform wild takes in response to Noble transforming, during which they bounce and stretch like rubber, and momentarily break apart.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La Guerre des Étincelles (Partie 2)'''" ("The War of the Sparks (Part 2)")

:*''Title:'' "'''Guerre des Étincelles p2: La Recherche'''" ("War of the Sparks Pt.2: The Search")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das Hologramm'''" ("The Hologram")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 22]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kyozō no Michibiki'''" (虚像の導き, "The Illusion's Guidance")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 15]], [[2005]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Guerra de Chispas Parte 2: La Búsqueda'''" ("Sparkwar Part 2: The Search")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Sōuxún Xíngdòng '''" (搜寻行动, "The Search Action")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 6 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season Two (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

Panther

2021-05-27T03:48:16Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Notes */

{{factions|maximal}}
:''Panther is a [[Maximal]] from the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:General jaguar.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|I stand up!]]

'''Panther''' turns into... a panther! Yeah.
{{TOCclear}}

==Fiction==
===''Beast Wars Perfect Book''===
Panther is a Maximal ground soldier. Very fast on his feet, he showcases this ability by using his speed for reconnaissance. {{Storylink|Beast Wars Perfect Book}}

===2006 IDW ''Beast Wars'' continuity===
Panther is somewhat of an oddball... On top of constantly talking to himself, in strange third-person narratives no less, he believes even the most mundane of missions to be of the utmost importance. Though he is stealthy, his tendency to make his monologues out loud tend to give his position away. {{Storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook #3}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
Panther was on the Maximal team in the fateful 1924th match of the [[Games (competition)|Games]], which was interrupted by [[Lio Convoy]]'s assassination of [[Supersonic]] and call for an uprising against the [[Builder of Cybertron|Builder]]s. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}}

==Toys==
===''Beast Wars''===
[[File:BWtoy mcdonalds jaguar.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Panther''' (McDonald's Happy Meal toy, 1996)

: Part of the first [[McDonald's]] ''Beast Wars'' promotion, Panther transforms into a heavily-armed Humvee with electronic lights and sounds, plus a spring-loaded missile.

: No, just kidding, he transforms into a panther with no other gimmicks. In keeping with most Transformers fast-food premiums, he features an extremely simple [[transformation scheme]], mostly just standing him up in [[beast mode]], making the mechanical detail on the inside of his arms, legs and underbelly visible, and flipping back his beast mode head to reveal his [[robot mode]] head. His panther tail is a molded detailing in his back, unlike what his promotional art suggests. His head bears a resemblance to [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]]'s.

: Panther was [[Repurposing|repurposed]] to be [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] in the ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals (manga)|Beast Wars Metals]]'' manga.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Maximal/Panther/panther.htm More information on Panther at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:PantherBWSourcebook.jpg|thumb|right|[[X-Men|It's a mutation. It's a very groovy mutation.]]]]
*Panther was developed from the original concept of [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], where he was a black panther (or cougar) version of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]. The initial toy design underwent many simplifications before reaching the final product as Panther.<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CJC-i7cgfHR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Hasbro concept presentation for McDonald's collaboration]</ref>
*Jake Isenberg's artwork for Panther in the IDW ''Beast Wars Sourcebook'' depicts the Maximal with a sort of robotic equivalent for {{w|heterochromia iridum}}. One of his eyes is yellow, the other green in [[robot mode]]. Another character, [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]], exhibits hetechromia iridum in her plant form, but not her robot form.

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

[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Maximals]]
[[Category:McDonald's exclusives]]

Home Soil

2021-05-27T03:38:29Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Continuity errors */

{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=19
|image=HomeSoil Maximal plant attack.jpg
|caption="I'm just a mean green mother from outer space, and I'm bad!"
|title="Home Soil"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[March 15]], 2000 (Canada) [[September 16]], 2000 (USA)
|written by=[[Megeen McLaughlin|Meg McLaughlin]]
|directed by=[[Dennis Heaton]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''A spaceship crash-lands on Cybertron, and the Maximals encounter a mysterious alien.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:HomeSoil Silverbolt shipcrash.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|My god, Bones. What have I done.]]
High above the planet of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], a mysterious spaceship and a cluster of asteroids prepare to make planetfall. But the automated space-cannons manage to destroy the asteroids and badly damage the ship, sending it plummeting towards the planet. Flying above the city streets, [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] sends word of the crash to base.

Underground, a worried [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus]] examines the wilting [[technorganic]] trees and ponders their survival and the future of Cybertron should they die. [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] tries to console him, but to no avail. Suddenly, [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] bursts in, telling the [[Maximal]]s about the ship's crash. [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] has also found out about the arrival of the ship and orders [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] to destroy any survivors of the crash. Thrust obediently heads towards the site, turning the mission into a race against time.

[[File:HomeSoil Maximals head towards crash.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1|Not running ''away'' from something for once.]]
As the Maximals head towards the crash site, Thrust and his troops whiz by them. Several of the drones peel from the squadron and about-face, turning to fight the Maximals. Transforming into [[robot mode]], the Maximals make short work of the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s, but they have lost time. Primal splits them into three teams: he and Cheetor will travel on the surface, Rattrap and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] will go underground, and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] will take to the sky.

In the air, Nightscream and Silverbolt destroy a squadron of Aero-Drones, but Nightscream still treats newcomer Silverbolt rudely, even after the latter compliments their teamwork together.

In the sewers of Cybertron, Blackarachnia is upset that Silverbolt still hasn't forgiven himself for his days as [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]], even after she freed him from his Jetstorm slave form and reformatted him into his present condor form. However, the conversation is cut short as two [[Mole Drone]]s burst in from the sides. Blackarachnia destroys one and Rattrap commandeers another, and the duo head towards the site much quicker.

On the surface, Cheetor and Primal are surrounded by a group of drones. The two flying Maximals arrive to help them, and together they destroy the drones.

Eventually, the Maximals arrive at the ship. Stepping inside, they discover that the walls are covered with plant matter. They are suddenly attacked by a tentacled plant beast. The monster runs wildly through the ship, forcing the Maximals to split up to try and corner it. Ultimately, the creature turns tail and heads underground. The Maximals give chase; Optimus intuits that the beast is headed for the organic core, and fears that the fast-growing seeds the alien leaves in its wake will contaminate and destroy the orchard along the way.

[[File:HomeSoil Optimus prebotanica.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Of course, if this Transformer is ''normally'' a ravenous psychotic, they'll now be more dangerous, but hey, who dares wins!]]
However, he has a plan: Tapping the power of the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]], he attempts to reformat the monster. Cheetor is skeptical, but Optimus goes ahead with his idea, blasting it with a white light. The organic components of the creature begin to merge with the technological, and a technorganic, plant emerges. The creature explains that she is also a [[Maximal]]. Several years ago, she and her crew left Cybertron on a mission of exploration. Reaching a [[Regalis V|planet]] covered with mobile plants (in other words, "talking trees"), she and her crew took the natives' forms to study them and avoid predation. The plant says that Megatron's attack had shorted out both her ship and her higher mental functions, so she was merely acting out of self-preservation.

The plant-bot is cut short as a phalanx of Tank Drones attack, beginning to ravage the orchard. The newest member of the Maximals takes action, transforming into her robot mode and disintegrates the entire platoon with an electrical attack. Thrust retreats, but not without warning the newcomer that she's just made a big mistake.

[[File:HomeSoil Optimus botanica plant.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1|Do you still have that baggy I gave you?]]
Examining the poor state of the plants, the robot adjusts the lighting with a gizmo of her own. She observes that different plants need different lighting. As the technorganic plants flourish, the new Maximal introduces herself as [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]].

Above, Megatron (encompassed within the [[Grand Mal]]) notes the newest arrival and transforms into a "spaceship mode", destroying the remains of Botanica's ship and the rampant plant growth around it. As Thrust gripes about the ever-increasing odds against him, Megatron declares that it is time to put an end to the Maximal "infestation" for good.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (1)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (2)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (3)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (4)
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (5)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (6)
*[[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] (13)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]|c2=
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (7)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (8)
*[[Cycle Drone]]s (9)
*[[Aero Drone]]s (10)
*[[Mole Drone]]s (11)
*[[Tank Drone]]s (12)
}}

==Quotes==
"Don't worry, legs, I know the drill."
:—'''Rattrap''', about to take out a Mole Drone.

"''Real'' fair. One of me, six of them." 
"''Seven''! ... now. As we remain static, the organics grow yet stronger. Clearly this infestation must be exterminated, once and for all."
:—'''Thrust''' groans about unfair odds, while '''Megatron''' makes with the foreshadowing.

==Notes==

===Animation and technical errors===
*At the very beginning of the episode, the sun (seen peering from behind Cybertron) has a shadow. And the white light glowing around the sun is much brighter than the sun's yellow surface.
*The Maximals are missing from the background when Thrust orders his drones to turn back and attack them.
*When Optimus chucks the tank drone away, the shot is mirrored – the drone's cannon and chest detailing are on the wrong side.
*When Nightscream jumps onto the tank drone, his fingers clip through its shoulder-cannon.
*Not a big goof, but when the Mole Drone bursts out of the ground in front of Thrust, one puff of dust on the right doesn't dissolve completely like the rest.
*As the Maximals are walking toward the bridge, some of them appear as lower resolution models. This happens again during their first clash with the plant being.
*After Optimus pries open the door, Rattrap's head makes a sudden jerk to the side.
*When Rattrap hides behind Nightscream after being spooked by the plant creature, he's clipping through Nightscream's leg-wing.
*Nightscream's hand passes through his leg-wing too when he berates Silverbolt for letting the plant thing go.
*When the Maximals arrive in the orchid, Cheetor somehow overlaps the glow of a light on top of a pole, despite him being behind and under it.
*When the seed lands between Rattrap's wheels, the lower pistons attaching to said wheels detach for a moment.
*As Cheetor slashes about with his swords during the fight with the tank drones, his right sword first clips into his right thigh, and before he jumps away, his entire left arm clips through his left leg.
*Silverbolt's upper torso gets all distorted for a moment when he twists Nightscream around.
*In the closeup of the Tank Drone driving over the plants, one leaf on the ground pops into existence between frames.
*Nightscream's left hand clips through his leg-wing when he waves at Silverbolt.

===Continuity errors===
*Primal doesn't suffer any weakness post-reformatting, as he did with Nightscream in "[[Forbidden Fruit]]". Then again, Cheetor mentioned that Optimus wasn't strong "enough" when he tried to reformat Nightscream, so maybe he's improved?
*Like Nightscream, Botanica is able to transform to [[robot mode]] immediately after being reformatted. Then again, like Nightscream, she was reformatted by Optimus Primal directly, instead of the Oracle, which might be a deciding factor in the new transformation process. Although that still doesn't explain it with Silverbolt.
*Rattrap usually transforms into robot mode in order to interface with computers. In this episode, he transforms ''out'' of robot mode to do it.
*It apparently doesn't occur to Optimus to use his jet boosters to reach the downed spacecraft first. Plus, even if they have to stay in [[beast mode]], why do they stick together rather than sending Cheetor out on ahead? Or are they seriously suggesting that every Maximal has the same top speed? (This isn't the [[Fallen Comrades|first]] [[Code of Hero|time]] this has happened.)
*None of the Maximals apparently notice Thrust as they race through the tunnels, even though his engine is audibly roaring and he's approximately ten feet behind them.
*Why does a Maximal shuttle look exactly like a four million year old Autobot shuttle, instead of, say, the Axalon, one of its contemporaries? It also has a very inconsistent size. Botanica fills the exit door when she leaves the ship in the flashback, whereas Thrust and the Maximals were all tiny against it when trying to break in.
*Botanica was apparently experiencing symptoms of Megatron's [[Transformation virus|virus]], at least according to Optimus. The Maximals in "[[The Reformatting]]" were visibly sparking and alluded to severe internal damage, whereas Botanica appears physically unscathed.
*By this point in the series, the Maximals are based in the Oracle's chamber. In this episode, Thrust follows the Maximals into this chamber and even attacks them in there with Tank Drones. Yet, later episodes will raise the notion of the Vehicons discovering the Maximals' base as a point of concern for them, despite Thrust having already found it in this episode (and a few Cycle Drones having already found it all the way back in the [[The Reformatting|first episode]]).
*How does Botanica know who Megatron is? Depending on when she left Cybertron, Megatron was either a petty crook or presumed dead.
*Botanica also refers to Optimus Primal by name without ever having been told his name.
*An overhead shot of the Oracle's chamber seen during the fight with the Tank Drones showed the drone to have run over the entire orchard of technorganic trees. Yet, at a point after the battle, Optimus and Botanica walk over to a bunch of still-upright (but withering) trees that weren't in that spot in the earlier overhead shot.
*So, er, what happened to Botanica's crew, then? There's a lot of dead plant matter inside the ship, which doesn't inspire a lot of confidence...

===Continuity notes===
* Cybertron apparently has an asteroid ring.
* Megatron's orbital defense system was alluded to in "[[Revelations Part II: Descent|Descent]]", where it shot the [[Autobot]] shuttle out of the sky.
* Nightscream wonders aloud if the new arrivals might "spread some sort of virus" while glaring at Silverbolt, a reference to the events of [[A Wolf in the Fold|last episode]].
* Optimus insists that rather than overrun the technological with the organic (as Botanica threatens to do), their mission is to achieve balance, showing that he's learned from his mistakes in "[[Fallout (episode)|Fallout]]".
* In this episode, we learn that Optimus and his crew weren't the only Transformers on an exploration mission. Later ancillary fiction would refer the "[[Maximal Imperium]]" as Cybertron's dominant governing state, suggesting that these missions were the precursors to a colonization program that never came to fruition.
* Cheetor mentions that Megatron was responsible for nixing their original scientific mission, referring to the events of "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]"
*Apparently Botanica (or at least one of her crew) can change her alt mode just from receiving information from a DNA scanner, without the need for a CR Chamber. This does tie into Nightscream's statement that [[stasis pod]]s, and presumably other external scanning devices, were rendered obsolete in "[[Survivor]]".
*Gadgets and powers:
** Silverbolt's throwing knives are curved in this episode, compared to their straight-bladed appearance in "[[In Darkest Knight]]".
** Botanica uses an ''absurdly'' powerful electric attack at the end of this episode, that literally ''disintegrates'' an entire legion of Tank Drones. One wonders why the other Maximals don't just send her to blow up the Grand Mal.
** Botanica deploys a little portable lamp to help the sick technorganic plants.

===Transformers references===
* Botanica exclaims "Thank the [[Transformer afterlife|Matrix]]", a phrase occasionally used by [[Tigatron]] in ''Beast Wars''.

===Real-world references===
* Nightscream and Silverbolt declare "Do not pass 'Go!' Do not collect $200!", a clear reference to the popular board game [[Monopoly]].
* Nightscream at one point refers to Silverbolt as "Typhoid Mary", a reference to both the previous episode and the infamous real-life carrier of the Typhoid virus.

===Trivia===
* The planet that Botanica and her crew were sent to explore is apparently Planet Jungle from Mainframe Entertainment's other toyline-based cartoon ''{{w|Shadow Raiders|Shadow Raiders/War Planets}}''. Whether this is an intentional crossover or simply due to the recycling of backgrounds and animation models for budget reasons is unclear.
* This is the only episode where Grand Mal Megatron transforms.
* The destruction of Botanica's ship in the last scene is reminiscent of [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]]'s destruction of [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]]'s [[starhopper]] in the last scene of "[[Deep Metal]]". In both cases, the writers were cleaning up a loose end, since giving the heroes access to a working spaceship would've derailed the story.
* Botanica's pre-plant form, seen only in shadow, is another reuse of the Giant Robot model from ''ReBoot'', which was previously used for [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s pre-beast form and in a number of other places during ''Beast Wars''. As used here, it has what looks like [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]]'s head.
* For some reason, Blackarachnia checks herself out after Botanica gets reformatted. Jealous at no longer being the only girl, Legs? (She also has the most over-the-top look of shock on her face imaginable.)
* When Thrust's drones surround the Maximals, Thrust extends one of his fingers and holds his hand up, as if he's flipping Optimus the bird. This marks the ''second time'' Thrust has displayed obscene hand gestures to his enemies. Optimus is not amused.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Terre Natale'''" ("Native Land")

:*''Title:'' "'''Provenance'''" (Canada, "Source")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Botanica'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 20]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Shokubutsu no Hanran'''" (植物の反乱, "The Plant's Rebellion")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 8]], [[2005]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Su Tierra Natal'''" ("Her Native Soil")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Chóng Fǎn Gùtǔ '''" (重返故土, "Back to the Homeland")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 5 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season Two (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

Home Soil

2021-05-27T03:36:53Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Synopsis */

{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=19
|image=HomeSoil Maximal plant attack.jpg
|caption="I'm just a mean green mother from outer space, and I'm bad!"
|title="Home Soil"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[March 15]], 2000 (Canada) [[September 16]], 2000 (USA)
|written by=[[Megeen McLaughlin|Meg McLaughlin]]
|directed by=[[Dennis Heaton]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''A spaceship crash-lands on Cybertron, and the Maximals encounter a mysterious alien.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:HomeSoil Silverbolt shipcrash.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|My god, Bones. What have I done.]]
High above the planet of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], a mysterious spaceship and a cluster of asteroids prepare to make planetfall. But the automated space-cannons manage to destroy the asteroids and badly damage the ship, sending it plummeting towards the planet. Flying above the city streets, [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] sends word of the crash to base.

Underground, a worried [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus]] examines the wilting [[technorganic]] trees and ponders their survival and the future of Cybertron should they die. [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] tries to console him, but to no avail. Suddenly, [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] bursts in, telling the [[Maximal]]s about the ship's crash. [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] has also found out about the arrival of the ship and orders [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] to destroy any survivors of the crash. Thrust obediently heads towards the site, turning the mission into a race against time.

[[File:HomeSoil Maximals head towards crash.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1|Not running ''away'' from something for once.]]
As the Maximals head towards the crash site, Thrust and his troops whiz by them. Several of the drones peel from the squadron and about-face, turning to fight the Maximals. Transforming into [[robot mode]], the Maximals make short work of the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s, but they have lost time. Primal splits them into three teams: he and Cheetor will travel on the surface, Rattrap and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] will go underground, and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] will take to the sky.

In the air, Nightscream and Silverbolt destroy a squadron of Aero-Drones, but Nightscream still treats newcomer Silverbolt rudely, even after the latter compliments their teamwork together.

In the sewers of Cybertron, Blackarachnia is upset that Silverbolt still hasn't forgiven himself for his days as [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]], even after she freed him from his Jetstorm slave form and reformatted him into his present condor form. However, the conversation is cut short as two [[Mole Drone]]s burst in from the sides. Blackarachnia destroys one and Rattrap commandeers another, and the duo head towards the site much quicker.

On the surface, Cheetor and Primal are surrounded by a group of drones. The two flying Maximals arrive to help them, and together they destroy the drones.

Eventually, the Maximals arrive at the ship. Stepping inside, they discover that the walls are covered with plant matter. They are suddenly attacked by a tentacled plant beast. The monster runs wildly through the ship, forcing the Maximals to split up to try and corner it. Ultimately, the creature turns tail and heads underground. The Maximals give chase; Optimus intuits that the beast is headed for the organic core, and fears that the fast-growing seeds the alien leaves in its wake will contaminate and destroy the orchard along the way.

[[File:HomeSoil Optimus prebotanica.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Of course, if this Transformer is ''normally'' a ravenous psychotic, they'll now be more dangerous, but hey, who dares wins!]]
However, he has a plan: Tapping the power of the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]], he attempts to reformat the monster. Cheetor is skeptical, but Optimus goes ahead with his idea, blasting it with a white light. The organic components of the creature begin to merge with the technological, and a technorganic, plant emerges. The creature explains that she is also a [[Maximal]]. Several years ago, she and her crew left Cybertron on a mission of exploration. Reaching a [[Regalis V|planet]] covered with mobile plants (in other words, "talking trees"), she and her crew took the natives' forms to study them and avoid predation. The plant says that Megatron's attack had shorted out both her ship and her higher mental functions, so she was merely acting out of self-preservation.

The plant-bot is cut short as a phalanx of Tank Drones attack, beginning to ravage the orchard. The newest member of the Maximals takes action, transforming into her robot mode and disintegrates the entire platoon with an electrical attack. Thrust retreats, but not without warning the newcomer that she's just made a big mistake.

[[File:HomeSoil Optimus botanica plant.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1|Do you still have that baggy I gave you?]]
Examining the poor state of the plants, the robot adjusts the lighting with a gizmo of her own. She observes that different plants need different lighting. As the technorganic plants flourish, the new Maximal introduces herself as [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]].

Above, Megatron (encompassed within the [[Grand Mal]]) notes the newest arrival and transforms into a "spaceship mode", destroying the remains of Botanica's ship and the rampant plant growth around it. As Thrust gripes about the ever-increasing odds against him, Megatron declares that it is time to put an end to the Maximal "infestation" for good.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (1)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (2)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (3)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (4)
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (5)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (6)
*[[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] (13)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]|c2=
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (7)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (8)
*[[Cycle Drone]]s (9)
*[[Aero Drone]]s (10)
*[[Mole Drone]]s (11)
*[[Tank Drone]]s (12)
}}

==Quotes==
"Don't worry, legs, I know the drill."
:—'''Rattrap''', about to take out a Mole Drone.

"''Real'' fair. One of me, six of them." 
"''Seven''! ... now. As we remain static, the organics grow yet stronger. Clearly this infestation must be exterminated, once and for all."
:—'''Thrust''' groans about unfair odds, while '''Megatron''' makes with the foreshadowing.

==Notes==

===Animation and technical errors===
*At the very beginning of the episode, the sun (seen peering from behind Cybertron) has a shadow. And the white light glowing around the sun is much brighter than the sun's yellow surface.
*The Maximals are missing from the background when Thrust orders his drones to turn back and attack them.
*When Optimus chucks the tank drone away, the shot is mirrored – the drone's cannon and chest detailing are on the wrong side.
*When Nightscream jumps onto the tank drone, his fingers clip through its shoulder-cannon.
*Not a big goof, but when the Mole Drone bursts out of the ground in front of Thrust, one puff of dust on the right doesn't dissolve completely like the rest.
*As the Maximals are walking toward the bridge, some of them appear as lower resolution models. This happens again during their first clash with the plant being.
*After Optimus pries open the door, Rattrap's head makes a sudden jerk to the side.
*When Rattrap hides behind Nightscream after being spooked by the plant creature, he's clipping through Nightscream's leg-wing.
*Nightscream's hand passes through his leg-wing too when he berates Silverbolt for letting the plant thing go.
*When the Maximals arrive in the orchid, Cheetor somehow overlaps the glow of a light on top of a pole, despite him being behind and under it.
*When the seed lands between Rattrap's wheels, the lower pistons attaching to said wheels detach for a moment.
*As Cheetor slashes about with his swords during the fight with the tank drones, his right sword first clips into his right thigh, and before he jumps away, his entire left arm clips through his left leg.
*Silverbolt's upper torso gets all distorted for a moment when he twists Nightscream around.
*In the closeup of the Tank Drone driving over the plants, one leaf on the ground pops into existence between frames.
*Nightscream's left hand clips through his leg-wing when he waves at Silverbolt.

===Continuity errors===
*Primal doesn't suffer any weakness post-reformatting, as he did with Nightscream in "[[Forbidden Fruit]]". Then again, Cheetor mentioned that Optimus wasn't strong "enough" when he tried to reformat Nightscream, so maybe he's improved?
*Like Nightscream, Botanica is able to transform to [[robot mode]] immediately after being reformatted. Then again, like Nightscream, she was reformatted by Optimus Primal directly, instead of the Oracle, which might be a deciding factor in the new transformation process. Although that still doesn't explain it with Silverbolt.
*Rattrap usually transforms into robot mode in order to interface with computers. In this episode, he transforms ''out'' of robot mode to do it.
*It apparently doesn't occur to Optimus to use his jet boosters to reach the downed spacecraft first. Plus, even if they have to stay in [[beast mode]], why do they stick together rather than sending Cheetor out on ahead? Or are they seriously suggesting that every Maximal has the same top speed? (This isn't the [[Fallen Comrades|first]] [[Code of Hero|time]] this has happened.)
*None of the Maximals apparently notice Thrust as they race through the tunnels, even though his engine is audibly roaring and he's approximately ten feet behind them.
*Why does a Maximal shuttle look exactly like a four million year old Autobot shuttle, instead of, say, the Axalon, one of its contemporaries? It also has a very inconsistent size. Botanica fills the exit door when she leaves the ship in the flashback, whereas Thrust and the Maximals were all tiny against it when trying to break in.
*Botanica was apparently experiencing symptoms of Megatron's [[Transformation virus|virus]], at least according to Optimus. The Maximals in "[[The Reformatting]]" were visibly sparking and alluded to severe internal damage, whereas Botanica appears physically unscathed.
*By this point in the series, the Maximals are based in the Oracle's chamber. In this episode, Thrust follows the Maximals into this chamber and even attacks them in there with Tank Drones. Yet, later episodes will raise the notion of the Vehicons discovering the Maximals' base as a point of concern for them, despite Thrust having already found it in this episode (and a few Cycle Drones having already found it all the way back in the [[The Reformatting|first episode]]).
*How does Botanica know who Megatron is? Depending on when she left Cybertron, Megatron was either a petty crook or presumed dead.
*Botanica also refers to Optimus Primal by name without ever having been told his name.
*An overhead shot of the Oracle's chamber seen during the fight with the Tank Drones showed the drone to have run over the entire orchard of technorganic trees. Yet, at a point after the battle, Optimus and Botanica walk over to a bunch of still-upright (but withering) trees that weren't in that spot in the earlier overhead shot.
*So, er, what happened to Botanica's crew then? There's a lot of dead plant matter inside the ship, which doesn't inspire a lot of confidence...

===Continuity notes===
* Cybertron apparently has an asteroid ring.
* Megatron's orbital defense system was alluded to in "[[Revelations Part II: Descent|Descent]]", where it shot the [[Autobot]] shuttle out of the sky.
* Nightscream wonders aloud if the new arrivals might "spread some sort of virus" while glaring at Silverbolt, a reference to the events of [[A Wolf in the Fold|last episode]].
* Optimus insists that rather than overrun the technological with the organic (as Botanica threatens to do), their mission is to achieve balance, showing that he's learned from his mistakes in "[[Fallout (episode)|Fallout]]".
* In this episode, we learn that Optimus and his crew weren't the only Transformers on an exploration mission. Later ancillary fiction would refer the "[[Maximal Imperium]]" as Cybertron's dominant governing state, suggesting that these missions were the precursors to a colonization program that never came to fruition.
* Cheetor mentions that Megatron was responsible for nixing their original scientific mission, referring to the events of "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]"
*Apparently Botanica (or at least one of her crew) can change her alt mode just from receiving information from a DNA scanner, without the need for a CR Chamber. This does tie into Nightscream's statement that [[stasis pod]]s, and presumably other external scanning devices, were rendered obsolete in "[[Survivor]]".
*Gadgets and powers:
** Silverbolt's throwing knives are curved in this episode, compared to their straight-bladed appearance in "[[In Darkest Knight]]".
** Botanica uses an ''absurdly'' powerful electric attack at the end of this episode, that literally ''disintegrates'' an entire legion of Tank Drones. One wonders why the other Maximals don't just send her to blow up the Grand Mal.
** Botanica deploys a little portable lamp to help the sick technorganic plants.

===Transformers references===
* Botanica exclaims "Thank the [[Transformer afterlife|Matrix]]", a phrase occasionally used by [[Tigatron]] in ''Beast Wars''.

===Real-world references===
* Nightscream and Silverbolt declare "Do not pass 'Go!' Do not collect $200!", a clear reference to the popular board game [[Monopoly]].
* Nightscream at one point refers to Silverbolt as "Typhoid Mary", a reference to both the previous episode and the infamous real-life carrier of the Typhoid virus.

===Trivia===
* The planet that Botanica and her crew were sent to explore is apparently Planet Jungle from Mainframe Entertainment's other toyline-based cartoon ''{{w|Shadow Raiders|Shadow Raiders/War Planets}}''. Whether this is an intentional crossover or simply due to the recycling of backgrounds and animation models for budget reasons is unclear.
* This is the only episode where Grand Mal Megatron transforms.
* The destruction of Botanica's ship in the last scene is reminiscent of [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]]'s destruction of [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]]'s [[starhopper]] in the last scene of "[[Deep Metal]]". In both cases, the writers were cleaning up a loose end, since giving the heroes access to a working spaceship would've derailed the story.
* Botanica's pre-plant form, seen only in shadow, is another reuse of the Giant Robot model from ''ReBoot'', which was previously used for [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s pre-beast form and in a number of other places during ''Beast Wars''. As used here, it has what looks like [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]]'s head.
* For some reason, Blackarachnia checks herself out after Botanica gets reformatted. Jealous at no longer being the only girl, Legs? (She also has the most over-the-top look of shock on her face imaginable.)
* When Thrust's drones surround the Maximals, Thrust extends one of his fingers and holds his hand up, as if he's flipping Optimus the bird. This marks the ''second time'' Thrust has displayed obscene hand gestures to his enemies. Optimus is not amused.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Terre Natale'''" ("Native Land")

:*''Title:'' "'''Provenance'''" (Canada, "Source")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Botanica'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 20]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Shokubutsu no Hanran'''" (植物の反乱, "The Plant's Rebellion")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 8]], [[2005]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Su Tierra Natal'''" ("Her Native Soil")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Chóng Fǎn Gùtǔ '''" (重返故土, "Back to the Homeland")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 5 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season Two (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

A Wolf in the Fold

2021-05-26T22:26:23Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Trivia */

{{disambig2|the Beast machines episode|the Marvel UK comic|Wolf in the Fold!}}
{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=18
|image=Wolf in the Fold Cheetor Rattrap fight.jpg
|caption="Is it safe?"
|title="A Wolf in the Fold"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[March 8]], 2000 (Canada) [[September 9]], 2000 (USA)
|written by=[[Brynne Chandler Reaves]]
|directed by=[[William Lau]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''Megatron unleashes a new virus that turns the Maximals into <strike>jerks</strike> their own worst enemies.'''

==Synopsis==
Far beneath the abandoned underground civilizations of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the [[Maximal]]s are hanging out, enjoying a breather, happy to have Silverbolt back. Even in their victory, they can't forget the lost [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], however. [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] can't share in the joy; for him, things are not the same. [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] assures him he'll adjust, now that they've got a moment to relax. Naturally, the entire planet begins shaking just then.

[[Image:Wolf in the Fold Silverbolt infected.jpg|left|thumb|200px|'''DO NOT WANT''']]

On the surface, a number of gigantic claw-ended tentacles are coming out of the [[Grand Mal]], and smashing their way into the planet's surface. The Maximals head for the surface, as green pulses of energy pass from the tentacles and along the corridors. One passes through Silverbolt's foot as he runs, and activates some sort of spider-disk-device thing that seems to burrow out of his back. The device immediately shoots him full of some nasty-looking red stuff, causing his eyes to twitch and glow red. [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] stops to check on him, resting a hand on his shoulder, and promptly receives a dose of the same red stuff.

As the Maximals arrive at the base of one of the tentacles, the red stuff is quickly passed along: Cheetor steps on [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]]'s tail; Rattrap high-fives [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] with a suggestion to attack the big floating head; Silverbolt puts his arm around Blackarachnia.

[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus]] hands out attack orders to the group, only to be met with increasingly argumentative comments in response. Within seconds a furious, senseless argument is underway. Optimus's attempts to calm the group are met with rebukes; unable to reason with the group, Primal finally rockets off alone.

A laser blast scatters the Maximals, as [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] arrives with [[Cycle Drone]]s. Optimus sees the battle below, and turns to help — but one of Cheetor's reflected bolts severs a tentacle. Optimus takes the flailing thing head-on and falls, till another of the gigantic tentacle scoops him up.

Thrust and company, meanwhile, head underground. Cheetor says they have to stop them before they find their base; the others disagree, of course, but Cheetor shouts them all down.

[[Image:Wolf in the Fold Optimus MatrixMegatron.jpg|right|thumb|200px|I don't think this is what Optimus meant when he said, "Soon, I shall be one with the Matrix," Megatron.]]
Inside the Grand Mal, the disembodied [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] greets Optimus. He's invited him here for a little chat, with the ground attack merely a way to get Primal's attention. Megatron materializes as a ghost data head, telling Primal that they both want the same thing: harmony.

The Maximals, meanwhile, run down the Cycle Drones and trash them, then quickly resume arguing. During a brief lapse, Silverbolt soberly concludes that he should never have returned. He flies off, and Blackarachnia mocks him for running away from his problems. And the arguing resumes, as does the fighting: Thrust arrives with more drones.

Optimus and Megatron continue to argue the merits of free will versus chaos, harmony versus individuality. Primal is distracted by the image of the Maximals fighting, however, and leaves.

[[Image:Wolf in the Fold Maximals argue.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Grumpy cat.]]
The Maximals, meanwhile, are fighting the drones less and less, and increasingly fighting each other. Cheetor has a moment of clarity, realizing something's amiss. But it's for naught, as the infighting continues and sucks him back in as well. Thrust sits back to enjoy the show.

On the surface, Silverbolt approaches one of the giant tentacles, and discovers the spider-thing on his back, which he plucks off with fury.

Primal arrives, and knocks out Thrust with one punch. He orders his troops to stop, but they attack instead, and in short order Primal is infected with the red stuff as well. He joins in the fighting, till Silverbolt arrives. He tells them they're infected with a virus, and somehow manages to calm the group.

Rattrap examines one of the giant tentacles, and finds they're sending an activation signal to trigger a pre-planted virus hidden in Silverbolt. It has "an adrenalin booster, a neocortex suppressor, and a shut-off on the self-diagnostic! And it's contagious." It's apparently a variant on the old [[Hate Plague]], and it can't be counteracted.

[[Image:Wolf in the Fold Maximals united.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Admitting defeat.]]
Megatron makes his move. Waves of energy pour down the tentacles, rattling the ground and alarming the Maximals. Primal has an epiphany, that they can somehow "work together" to rebuild their neural pathways. Megatron's energies, meanwhile, are sending huge seismic disruptions through the tunnels, collapsing the ground out from under the Maximals. Falling, the group manages to latch onto one another, and one after the next they cured. Optimus lifts the oddball chain to the surface, where they land.

Rattrap's happy to be a team again, but Silverbolt is more angsty than ever over his role in the whole affair. The Maximals hold no grudges, however. The tentacles retract into the Grand Mal just then, the immediate threat concluded. Blackarachnia laments that they were turned against each other. Primal muses that Megatron didn't create the conflicts, only magnified them, and wonders disbelievingly if Megatron might be right. Far above, Megatron has a good chuckle at this thought.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (1)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (2)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (3)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (4)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (5)
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (6)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s
|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (7)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (8)
*[[Cycle Drone]]s (9)

}}
==Quotes==
'''Optimus Primal:''' "Silverbolt, Nightscream, aerial recon. Rattrap, Cheetor, ground survey. Blackarachnia, you're base com and backup." 
'''Blackarachnia:''' "Oh ''yeah''? And what are ''you'' going to do, ''[[Trukk not munky|monkey]]''?" 
'''Cheetor''': "Yeah! Who died and made ''you'' King Kong?"
:—The Maximals start squabbling

"Did the little sheep get caught without their shepherd?"
:—'''Thrust''''s first one-liner in the series.

"Your version of harmony is nothing more than slavery. How can you have harmony without free will?" 
"How can you have harmony amidst the chaos of disagreeing minds?" 
"True harmony only prevails when all voices are heard. You only want to stifle them." 
"Your way only leads to chaos, or are these the voices of harmony?"
:—'''Optimus''' and '''Megatron''''s philosophical debate

"You want a piece of me?!" 
"I want a lot of pieces!"
:—'''Cheetor''' and '''Rattrap''' scrap.

"Yep, that's him! Bawk-bawk-baaaaaawk!" 
"When I get my hands on you, there won't be enough to barbecue!"
:—'''Nightscream''' unleashes his best Tommy Wiseau impression, and '''Blackarachnia''' isn't happy about it.

"Forget the seeds of the future; I'M BURYING YOU IN THE PAST!"
:—'''Optimus Primal''', upon being infected with the hate plague-like virus.

"So how do we counteract it?" 
"In two words: im-possible."
:—'''Cheetor''' and '''Rattrap''', who can't count.

"That's it! We've got to work together to reform our neural pathways! That's the only way to destroy the virus and cure us!"
:—'''Optimus Primal''' pulls a solution out of his monkey butt.

"-He didn't create the conflicts; he only magnified them. The fundamental disharmony, we provided that ourselves. Could it be that Megatron is right after all?"
:—'''Optimus Primal'''

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*As Optimus walks out of the tunnel, judging by his shadow, he's floating a few inches above the ground.
*When we pan up towards Megatron's floating head, a strange black line flashes up twice on the side of the tentacle that's closest to view.
*Rattrap's right arm clips into Nightscream as they start squabbling.
*After the first commercial break, as Primal's falling down, his left arm is weirdly deformed and slowly starts to twist back into shape before the shot cuts.
*When the Maximals start arguing inside the building, Blackarachnia's shoulder pads keep disappearing between shots.
*At one point, while Blackarachnia is dangling from Nightscream, her head clips through her webbing.

===Continuity errors===
*At the beginning of the episode, the Oracle's portal-like structure is active, filled with a starry background. Yet, as of "[[Fallout (episode)|Fallout]]", the structure is supposed to be inactive, with the Oracle later revealed to have hidden itself inside Optimus Primal's body.

===Continuity notes===
* Optimus Primal taps Thrust on the shoulder and decks him when he turns around, which might be a reference to his fight with [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] in "[[A Better Mousetrap]]".

===Transformers references===
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] compares the infection they're suffering to the [[Hate Plague]].

===Real-world references===
* Cheetor refers to Optimus Primal as "[[King Kong]]" when he's infected by the Hate Plague.
* Rattrap berates Cheetor with an irritated "Another fine mess you've gotten us into", quoting {{w|Oliver Hardy}}'s catchphrase.

===Trivia===
* Don't worry too much about Optimus's moral question about Megatron's ideology at the end of the episode, as the subject is never addressed in the series again.
* This episode was lampooned in [[MSTF]] fashion along with "[[Forbidden Fruit]]".
* Interestingly, Silverbolt is presented as the titular 'Wolf in the Fold' (being the first carrier of Megatron's virus) despite losing the wolf-like attributes of his Fuzor form. Though, Silverbolt could be considered a lone wolf, a person who prefers to be alone despite being in a group or society, at this point.
* The infected Maximals are utter assholes to one another, to the point of hilarity.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Un Loup dans la Bergerie'''" ("A Wolf in the Sheep-Fold")

:*''Title:'' "'''Un Loup Divisé'''" (Canada, "A Divided Wolf")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Jeder gegen jeden'''" ("All Against All")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 19]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Nikushimi no Rasen'''" (憎しみの螺旋, "The Spiral of Hatred")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 2]], [[2005]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Un Lobo en el Redil'''" ("A Wolf in the Fold")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tiǎobō Líjiàn'''" (挑拨离间, "Sowing Dissension")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 5 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season Two (Sony) 
[[Image:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (Sony) — French audio only.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wolf in the Fold}}
[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

A Wolf in the Fold

2021-05-26T22:26:03Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Trivia */

{{disambig2|the Beast machines episode|the Marvel UK comic|Wolf in the Fold!}}
{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=18
|image=Wolf in the Fold Cheetor Rattrap fight.jpg
|caption="Is it safe?"
|title="A Wolf in the Fold"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[March 8]], 2000 (Canada) [[September 9]], 2000 (USA)
|written by=[[Brynne Chandler Reaves]]
|directed by=[[William Lau]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''Megatron unleashes a new virus that turns the Maximals into <strike>jerks</strike> their own worst enemies.'''

==Synopsis==
Far beneath the abandoned underground civilizations of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the [[Maximal]]s are hanging out, enjoying a breather, happy to have Silverbolt back. Even in their victory, they can't forget the lost [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], however. [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] can't share in the joy; for him, things are not the same. [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] assures him he'll adjust, now that they've got a moment to relax. Naturally, the entire planet begins shaking just then.

[[Image:Wolf in the Fold Silverbolt infected.jpg|left|thumb|200px|'''DO NOT WANT''']]

On the surface, a number of gigantic claw-ended tentacles are coming out of the [[Grand Mal]], and smashing their way into the planet's surface. The Maximals head for the surface, as green pulses of energy pass from the tentacles and along the corridors. One passes through Silverbolt's foot as he runs, and activates some sort of spider-disk-device thing that seems to burrow out of his back. The device immediately shoots him full of some nasty-looking red stuff, causing his eyes to twitch and glow red. [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] stops to check on him, resting a hand on his shoulder, and promptly receives a dose of the same red stuff.

As the Maximals arrive at the base of one of the tentacles, the red stuff is quickly passed along: Cheetor steps on [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]]'s tail; Rattrap high-fives [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] with a suggestion to attack the big floating head; Silverbolt puts his arm around Blackarachnia.

[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus]] hands out attack orders to the group, only to be met with increasingly argumentative comments in response. Within seconds a furious, senseless argument is underway. Optimus's attempts to calm the group are met with rebukes; unable to reason with the group, Primal finally rockets off alone.

A laser blast scatters the Maximals, as [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] arrives with [[Cycle Drone]]s. Optimus sees the battle below, and turns to help — but one of Cheetor's reflected bolts severs a tentacle. Optimus takes the flailing thing head-on and falls, till another of the gigantic tentacle scoops him up.

Thrust and company, meanwhile, head underground. Cheetor says they have to stop them before they find their base; the others disagree, of course, but Cheetor shouts them all down.

[[Image:Wolf in the Fold Optimus MatrixMegatron.jpg|right|thumb|200px|I don't think this is what Optimus meant when he said, "Soon, I shall be one with the Matrix," Megatron.]]
Inside the Grand Mal, the disembodied [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] greets Optimus. He's invited him here for a little chat, with the ground attack merely a way to get Primal's attention. Megatron materializes as a ghost data head, telling Primal that they both want the same thing: harmony.

The Maximals, meanwhile, run down the Cycle Drones and trash them, then quickly resume arguing. During a brief lapse, Silverbolt soberly concludes that he should never have returned. He flies off, and Blackarachnia mocks him for running away from his problems. And the arguing resumes, as does the fighting: Thrust arrives with more drones.

Optimus and Megatron continue to argue the merits of free will versus chaos, harmony versus individuality. Primal is distracted by the image of the Maximals fighting, however, and leaves.

[[Image:Wolf in the Fold Maximals argue.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Grumpy cat.]]
The Maximals, meanwhile, are fighting the drones less and less, and increasingly fighting each other. Cheetor has a moment of clarity, realizing something's amiss. But it's for naught, as the infighting continues and sucks him back in as well. Thrust sits back to enjoy the show.

On the surface, Silverbolt approaches one of the giant tentacles, and discovers the spider-thing on his back, which he plucks off with fury.

Primal arrives, and knocks out Thrust with one punch. He orders his troops to stop, but they attack instead, and in short order Primal is infected with the red stuff as well. He joins in the fighting, till Silverbolt arrives. He tells them they're infected with a virus, and somehow manages to calm the group.

Rattrap examines one of the giant tentacles, and finds they're sending an activation signal to trigger a pre-planted virus hidden in Silverbolt. It has "an adrenalin booster, a neocortex suppressor, and a shut-off on the self-diagnostic! And it's contagious." It's apparently a variant on the old [[Hate Plague]], and it can't be counteracted.

[[Image:Wolf in the Fold Maximals united.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Admitting defeat.]]
Megatron makes his move. Waves of energy pour down the tentacles, rattling the ground and alarming the Maximals. Primal has an epiphany, that they can somehow "work together" to rebuild their neural pathways. Megatron's energies, meanwhile, are sending huge seismic disruptions through the tunnels, collapsing the ground out from under the Maximals. Falling, the group manages to latch onto one another, and one after the next they cured. Optimus lifts the oddball chain to the surface, where they land.

Rattrap's happy to be a team again, but Silverbolt is more angsty than ever over his role in the whole affair. The Maximals hold no grudges, however. The tentacles retract into the Grand Mal just then, the immediate threat concluded. Blackarachnia laments that they were turned against each other. Primal muses that Megatron didn't create the conflicts, only magnified them, and wonders disbelievingly if Megatron might be right. Far above, Megatron has a good chuckle at this thought.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (1)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (2)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (3)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (4)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (5)
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (6)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s
|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (7)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (8)
*[[Cycle Drone]]s (9)

}}
==Quotes==
'''Optimus Primal:''' "Silverbolt, Nightscream, aerial recon. Rattrap, Cheetor, ground survey. Blackarachnia, you're base com and backup." 
'''Blackarachnia:''' "Oh ''yeah''? And what are ''you'' going to do, ''[[Trukk not munky|monkey]]''?" 
'''Cheetor''': "Yeah! Who died and made ''you'' King Kong?"
:—The Maximals start squabbling

"Did the little sheep get caught without their shepherd?"
:—'''Thrust''''s first one-liner in the series.

"Your version of harmony is nothing more than slavery. How can you have harmony without free will?" 
"How can you have harmony amidst the chaos of disagreeing minds?" 
"True harmony only prevails when all voices are heard. You only want to stifle them." 
"Your way only leads to chaos, or are these the voices of harmony?"
:—'''Optimus''' and '''Megatron''''s philosophical debate

"You want a piece of me?!" 
"I want a lot of pieces!"
:—'''Cheetor''' and '''Rattrap''' scrap.

"Yep, that's him! Bawk-bawk-baaaaaawk!" 
"When I get my hands on you, there won't be enough to barbecue!"
:—'''Nightscream''' unleashes his best Tommy Wiseau impression, and '''Blackarachnia''' isn't happy about it.

"Forget the seeds of the future; I'M BURYING YOU IN THE PAST!"
:—'''Optimus Primal''', upon being infected with the hate plague-like virus.

"So how do we counteract it?" 
"In two words: im-possible."
:—'''Cheetor''' and '''Rattrap''', who can't count.

"That's it! We've got to work together to reform our neural pathways! That's the only way to destroy the virus and cure us!"
:—'''Optimus Primal''' pulls a solution out of his monkey butt.

"-He didn't create the conflicts; he only magnified them. The fundamental disharmony, we provided that ourselves. Could it be that Megatron is right after all?"
:—'''Optimus Primal'''

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*As Optimus walks out of the tunnel, judging by his shadow, he's floating a few inches above the ground.
*When we pan up towards Megatron's floating head, a strange black line flashes up twice on the side of the tentacle that's closest to view.
*Rattrap's right arm clips into Nightscream as they start squabbling.
*After the first commercial break, as Primal's falling down, his left arm is weirdly deformed and slowly starts to twist back into shape before the shot cuts.
*When the Maximals start arguing inside the building, Blackarachnia's shoulder pads keep disappearing between shots.
*At one point, while Blackarachnia is dangling from Nightscream, her head clips through her webbing.

===Continuity errors===
*At the beginning of the episode, the Oracle's portal-like structure is active, filled with a starry background. Yet, as of "[[Fallout (episode)|Fallout]]", the structure is supposed to be inactive, with the Oracle later revealed to have hidden itself inside Optimus Primal's body.

===Continuity notes===
* Optimus Primal taps Thrust on the shoulder and decks him when he turns around, which might be a reference to his fight with [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] in "[[A Better Mousetrap]]".

===Transformers references===
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] compares the infection they're suffering to the [[Hate Plague]].

===Real-world references===
* Cheetor refers to Optimus Primal as "[[King Kong]]" when he's infected by the Hate Plague.
* Rattrap berates Cheetor with an irritated "Another fine mess you've gotten us into", quoting {{w|Oliver Hardy}}'s catchphrase.

===Trivia===
* Don't worry too much about Optimus's ethical realization about Megatron's methods at the end of the episode, as the subject is never addressed in the series again.
* This episode was lampooned in [[MSTF]] fashion along with "[[Forbidden Fruit]]".
* Interestingly, Silverbolt is presented as the titular 'Wolf in the Fold' (being the first carrier of Megatron's virus) despite losing the wolf-like attributes of his Fuzor form. Though, Silverbolt could be considered a lone wolf, a person who prefers to be alone despite being in a group or society, at this point.
* The infected Maximals are utter assholes to one another, to the point of hilarity.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Un Loup dans la Bergerie'''" ("A Wolf in the Sheep-Fold")

:*''Title:'' "'''Un Loup Divisé'''" (Canada, "A Divided Wolf")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Jeder gegen jeden'''" ("All Against All")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 19]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Nikushimi no Rasen'''" (憎しみの螺旋, "The Spiral of Hatred")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 2]], [[2005]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Un Lobo en el Redil'''" ("A Wolf in the Fold")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tiǎobō Líjiàn'''" (挑拨离间, "Sowing Dissension")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 5 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season Two (Sony) 
[[Image:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (Sony) — French audio only.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wolf in the Fold}}
[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Prometheus Unbound

2021-05-26T19:22:54Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Notes */

{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=16
|image=PrometheusUnbound title.jpg
|caption="Oh no. Promotheus." "''Prom'''e'''theus!"
|title="Prometheus Unbound"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[February 23]], 2000 (Canada) [[August 26]], 2000 (USA)
|written by=[[Marv Wolfman]]
|directed by=[[Sebastian Brodin]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''The Maximals infiltrate Megatron's fortress, but are betrayed by their new friend.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:PrometheusUnbound Noble moon.jpg|left|thumb|200px|''Even a bot who is pure of spark and says his prayers by night may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the metal moon is bright.'']]
A giant Cybertronian moon passes (rumbles, actually) overhead. [[Noble (BM)|Noble]] howls at it, much to the consternation of the distant [[Maximal]]s—their new friend has run off yet again. [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] blames the team's treatment of the newcomer. [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] gently defends their actions as being for Noble's own good. "And ours," [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] adds.

[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] is vaguely unsettled by Noble; Rattrap is freaked out. Nightscream doesn't take this well, and he storms off with [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus]] in pursuit. Rattrap and Blackarachnia note unhappily that Noble is probably heading for "the same place as the last five nights".

[[Image:PrometheusUnbound Nightscream Savage bound.jpg|right|thumb|200px|''Invasion of the Metal Pod People'']]
Noble is furiously banging on the doors to [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s [[Council Citadel|citadel]] when Nightscream and Optimus arrive. He transforms to Savage form when they confront him, then continues trying to claw his way in. A bunch of snaking cables worm out to attack Nightscream when he tries again to stop Savage—and Savage knocks him out of their way. The cables envelop and constrain him, and the Maximals peel him free to find him back in Noble form.

Noble seems confused about how he got there and says the Maximals should lock him away. But Optimus defends him, saying he saved Nightscream even in his Savage guise. Rattrap isn't buying it. Nightscream nastily puts Rattrap back in his place, saying he knows what it's like to be alone.

As usual, Optimus calms things down, focusing the team on finding the missing Sparks. The group prepares to infiltrate the citadel to look for clues. Noble wants to help, saying he's been drawn here for a reason, but Optimus refuses—they're going to have enough to worry about. Nightscream supports Noble, but Optimus doesn't budge, and Nightscream storms off.

Rattrap plugs in and the doors slide open. He's then restrained from rushing in by Blackarachnia, as Optimus reveals a destructive force field across the entryway. A quick shot to the control panel takes it out. Too easy—this was the trap they were ''meant'' to find. The group enters...and Noble, some distance away, turns and sprints through the doorway. A pursuing Nightscream follows just as it closes.

Optimus is ticked off, but Noble says he couldn't help himself and seems to be having trouble controlling himself.

As Rattrap begins a search for the security shut-off, Noble takes off running for the throne room...and promptly steps on a floor sensor, activating a field of floating mines. The Maximals freeze, but just then Noble's eyes glow red and he morphs back into Savage, setting off a string of the mines. KaBOOM!

The group groaningly gets to its feet, and Rattrap chews out Nightscream for dragging Noble along. They hear distant roaring, and split up—Nightscream and Optimus hunt for Savage, while Rattrap heads for the throne room with Cheetor and Blackarachnia as backup. As the two groups proceed, both Savage and Noble watch from the shadows.

[[Image:PrometheusUnbound Rattrap harness.jpg|left|thumb|200px|What you all look like in your Oculus Rift.]]
Nightscream hears Savage's roaring and takes off after him. Meanwhile, Savage changes back to Noble and opens the doors to Megatron's throne room. "Success!" he says blissfully, as he sees Megatron's empty command harness. Noble begins leaping across the floating jigsaw puzzle bridge, but loses his grip on one section and falls. Nightscream and Optimus arrive and go after him.

Rattrap and company arrive a moment later and stare at the drifting pieces of floating bridge. Cheetor and Blackarachnia go first and offer the less-mobile Rattrap assistance in getting to the harness. He plugs in, and the bridge assembles itself under their feet. Screens of data assemble before Rattrap. He begins searching, but everything's encrypted. Optimus encourages haste as he arrives with Nightscream and Noble—and the latter's gentle meekness abruptly disappears.

[[Image:PrometheusUnbound Noble holds rattrap.jpg|right|thumb|200px|"VICTORY THROUGH PROGRESS, COMRADES!"]]
Noble exults in being in the throne room, then spots Rattrap in the harness and immediately morphs to Savage. The Maximals realize he can control his changes. Savage blasts Rattrap out of the harness. Immediately, the bridge deconstructs and alarms go off. Tentacled [[Spark extractor]]s slither out of the walls. The group (including Savage) makes quick work of them, and Rattrap gets back into the harness as Savage morphs back to Noble, standing next to the harness. Rattrap starts to show gratitude for Noble being back in control—but Noble yanks him out by the tail and, in a dramatically backlit scene, tosses him away. He enters the harness himself, but nothing happens.

Noble realizes he can't interface while in an organic body. He leaps clear, grabs two Spark extractors, and applies them to...himself. A furiously burning orange Spark emerges, and the body collapses. The Spark enters the command harness and shoots up the wires as Megatron's voice cackles: "Free...at last. Free at last!"

[[Image:PrometheusUnbound Grand Mal awakens.jpg|left|thumb|200px|T minus 2-and-a-half years until the toy comes out.]]
The Maximals charge outside to see the [[Grand Mal|giant Megatron head]] now fully animated. Megatron delightedly explains that "Noble" was just a ruse, his gigantic eyes glowing in synch with his words. Nightscream is crushed as a gloating Megatron details how easily the young Maximal had been duped into helping his worst enemy.

The big floating head fires a beam into the planet, and all systems come back on-line—including the drone army, which storms to the attack. As the others fight them off, Rattrap opens up a panel, and Optimus orders a retreat. Nobody objects as the badly outnumbered group scurries underground.

The Maximals lament their faux victory. Nightscream is still shattered, and Rattrap offers his sincere sympathy.

Back in the empty citadel, Noble's eye opens, and he stirs with a growl...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (2)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (3)
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (4)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (5)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (6)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]
|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (7)
*[[Tank Drone]]s (8)
*[[Aero Drone]]s (9)
*[[Cycle Drone]]s (10)

|c4=
*[[Noble (BM)|Noble]] (1)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Rattrap''': Oh, again we gotta play dogcatcher? 
'''Nightscream''': Maybe if we try treating him less like an animal and more like a person, he wouldn't want to escape. 
'''Cheetor''': Maybe so, Nightscream. But until Noble learns to control his Savage side, we have to restrain him for his own good. 
'''Rattrap''': ''(to Blackarachnia)'' Not to mention ours.
:—The Maximals discussing '''Noble's''' nightly escapes.

"I can't say why, but something about him gives me the creeps." 
"Well, let me see. Is it his eyes? The hair? Or maybe it's his little tendency to keep turning into a giant, wigged-out, flesh-eating ''gila monster''!"
:—'''Blackarachnia''' and '''Rattrap''' on Noble.

'''Rattrap''': Eh, where do you think Fido's going this time? 
'''Blackarachnia''': Gee, let me think...''the same place as the last five nights?''
:—Rattrap's not the only one who's talented at sarcasm.

"Are we unclear on the concept of 'no'?"
:—'''Optimus Primal'''

"Told you draggin' along the dragon was a mistake, but did you listen? ''Noooo!''"
"Just shut your trap, rat, and get out of my face!"
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Nightscream''' chide each other with wordplay.

''(After Savage has escaped into Megatron's citadel).'' 
'''Cheetor''': We better find him before he destroys the whole place, along with any hope of finding those sparks. 
'''Optimus Primal''': We'll split up. Nightscream, you and I will hunt for Savage. Rattrap, head for the throne room and tap into the mainframe. Cheetor and Blackarachnia, watch his tail. 
'''Blackarachnia''': Oh, the glamorous assignment.
:—'''Blackarachnia''' continues to display her razor-sharp wit.

'''Cheetor:''' "Something's following us." 
'''Rattrap:''' "Aw, man, I sure hope it ain't Savage." 
'''Blackarachnia:''' "You better hope it is. Anything else is bound to be worse." 
'''Rattrap:''' "Oh, brighten my day."
:—The good news just keeps coming for Rattrap

"Must be the maid's day off."
:—'''Rattrap''' regarding the state of the citadel

"Hey guys, how do you like the new housecoat?" 
"Frumpy, but functional."
:—'''Rattrap''' tries on Megatron's command harness and '''Blackarachnia''' gives her opinion.

'''Rattrap''': ''(using Megatron's command harness)'' Nyeah, okay, let's see, uh hehe, got it, got it, get it, got it... 
'''Cheetor''': You searching for those missing sparks? 
'''Rattrap''': No, I'm reading the Sunday funnies... ''What do you think I'm doing?!''
:—'''Rattrap''' hacking '''Megatron's''' database.

"Ok, who ordered the charbroiled rat?"
:—'''Rattrap''' after being blasted out of Megatron's command harness by Savage.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" 
"Past experience?"
:—'''Blackarachnia''' and '''Cheetor'''

"For an eternity, I slaved to free myself from the organic material contaminating my otherwise perfect technological body. I finally succeeded in separating the two, but my Spark remained with the wrong half—the organic half. I knew that the answer to curing myself lay inside my citadel—but as an organic beast, I could never hope to enter it and survive. Which is why I needed you…Nightscream. Naive. Headstrong. And utterly malleable. You proved the perfect pawn." 
"NOOO!" 
"And now in gratitude, I will free you from ''your organic bodies!''" 
:—'''Megatron''' adds insult to injury for '''Nightscream''' and prepares to add further injury to the Maximals.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*A handful of noticeable clipping errors:
**Blackarachnia's finger into her left boob as she says "something about him gives me the creeps".
**Rattrap's hand through his ear as he makes a hair-stroking motion.
**Rattrap's helmet into his tail after Savage knocks him over to Primal's feet.
**Noble's claws through his left thigh upon entering the citadel.
**And after donning it, the back of Megatron's helmet and its cables through Noble's entire backside.
* Blackarachnia is shown zapping two of the spark extractors… although they don’t appear to be touching the platform that she’s electrifying.

===Continuity errors===
*Blackarachnia says that Noble has been going to the Citadel for "the last five nights". In the next scene, Cheetor states that Noble's latest attempt to break into the Citadel, at the beginning of the episode, is "the fifth time" he's tried to do so. If we're to accept Blackarachnia's statement as true, then what Cheetor states is the fifth time should instead be the sixth time.
*The Maximals don't revert to their beast forms as usual after being knocked out by the mines.
*The Maximals are shocked that Savage/Noble possesses a spark because he's completely organic, but they believed him to be an ordinary Maximal who somehow wound up with an unusual organic body. The mystery here is why he turns from one organic form to another, but, being a Transformer, there was no reason to believe he didn't have a spark—without one, he couldn't have memories of his prior life.
*Megatron's spark is depicted as bright orange, compared to the usual electric blue of (non-[[technorganic]]) sparks.
*Quite a few things are amiss with Megatron's efforts to purge his organic side:
**When exactly did he have time to do this? All his attempts to remove his beast mode in season 1 met with complete failure, and he certainly didn't have an opportunity from "[[End of the Line]]" onward, during which he still clearly possessed a beast mode.
**We saw Megatron's body completely disintegrate in "[[Fallout (episode)|Fallout]]". Yet now the organic side of that body has become Savage/Noble?
**Where ''did'' the wolf form come from?

===Continuity notes===
*Optimus mentions that it's been at least five days since the events of the previous episode.

===Transformers references===
*Rattrap describes Megatron's [[Grand Mal|big floating head]] as a tribute to [[Unicron]].

===Real-world references===
*''Prometheus Unbound'' is the title of {{w|Prometheus Unbound (Aeschylus)|an incomplete play}} by Aeschylus, which inspired a play {{w|Prometheus Unbound (Shelley)|of the same name}} by Percy Shelley. Both concern Prometheus, a character in Greek mythology who stole fire from Mount Olympus and gave it to humans; as punishment, he was cast into Hades and tied to a rock, where an eagle ate his liver every day. Megatron in ''Beast Machines'' seems to see himself as a figure akin to Prometheus, bringing the 'gifts' of freedom from organic matter, individuality, and consciousness; as well as technological perfection, to all of Cybertron. Up until now, he has been going to increasing lengths to purge himself of his own organic components, which he sees as a contamination of his mechanical purity; being trapped in a purely organic body as a result thus mirrors Prometheus's torment in Hades. The act of freeing his spark from Noble's body and bringing it to a purely technological existence is compared to Prometheus breaking free from his bond in order to confront Zeus. In Aeschylus's play, Prometheus and Zeus eventually reconcile; in Shelley's, Zeus is cast down, freeing humans and gods from his tyranny. Both of the endings foreshadow [[Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future|the final episode]]. Pretty deep for a cartoon about toy robots, huh?
*Noble kicks off the episode by howling at the moon, befitting his werewolf-ish appearance.
*Rattrap accompanies his access into Megatron's citadel with a jovial "Open, says me," a play on "{{w|Open Sesame}}".
*Rattrap refers to the "{{w|Sunday comics|Sunday funnies}}".
*Cheetor makes a few jokes about sushi as he chops up the spark extractor.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Prométhée'''" ("Prometheus")

:*''Title:'' "'''Promethéus'''" ("Prometheus")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Die Täuschung'''" ("The Deception")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 17]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kaibutsu no o Mezame'''" (怪物のお目覚め, "The Monster's Awakening")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 26]], [[2004]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Prometeo Liberado'''" ("Prometheus Unbound")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Zhēnxiàng Dà Bái'''" (真相大白, "The Truth Comes Out")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 4 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season Two (Sony) 
[[Image:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

Savage Noble

2021-05-26T08:38:50Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Trivia */

{{disambig2|the ''Beast Machines'' episode|the organic Transformer|Noble (BM)}}
{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=15
|image=SavageNoble title.jpg
|caption=''Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea...''
|title="Savage Noble"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[February 16]], 2000 (Canada) [[August 19]], 2000 (USA)
|written by=[[Len Wein]]
|directed by=[[Greg Donis]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''The Maximals discover two strange new organic creatures, but what secrets do they hide?'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:SavageNoble Maximals Grand Mal.jpg|left|thumb|200px|[[To sell toys]].... wait, no? Seriously?]]
The [[Maximal]]s stare up at the [[Grand Mal|giant floating head]] of [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] despairs, waiting for the hammer to drop, then is shocked when nothing happens. [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Primal]] suspects that, for some reason, Megatron ''can't'' do anything.

[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] hauls [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] up for a closer look; both are repelled by an energy field, but Primal again suspects it's purely automated.

Optimus sends the others to find [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] and [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]], while he attempts to contact Megatron's [[Spark]]. Nightscream leads the group to one of his old hangouts, a big, generator-filled room with a waterfall. Blast-marks on the walls show that the [[Vehicon general|Vehicon Generals]] were fighting someone or something recently. The [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s themselves attack just then, with Thrust vowing vengeance for the ambush.

[[Image:SavageNoble Savage approaches.jpg|right|thumb|200px|"Ah, hello! I'm trying to start a book club, and I was wondering if you'd...hey, where are you going?"]]
The two teams exchange words, with Blackarachnia still trying to reach [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] within Jetstorm. A fight is about to break out, when an eerie howling distracts the group and finally convinces the Vehicons that the Maximals didn't attack them. [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] leads the others off in a hasty retreat. The Vehicons follow as something massive, spiky, scaly, and four-legged lumbers in the shadows behind them. The group pauses a moment later to observe the beast, a dragon-like creature with spikes on its wings, lips, nose, claws, legs, torso, you name it. They retreat as it begins a firebolt-spewing advance.

Elsewhere, Optimus goes on a spiritual hunt. He enters the Spark/astral/whatever plane, calling out to his old foe. He's answered by Megatron's bellowing voice; insubstantial visions of Megatron's head surround him, laughing, mocking, screaming....and the vision ends. Primal suspects that whatever he just contacted wasn't a sentient mind.

Cheetor, meanwhile, orders the group to stand down, not wanting to destroy the creature before they can figure out what it is. Jetstorm isn't happy about taking orders from Cheets, but the creature easily repels his and Thrust's attacks, knocking them out. A random shot buries the Maximals long enough for the creature to escape.

[[Image:SavageNoble Noble cowers.jpg|left|thumb|200px|David Kaye's "Noble" voice was almost unrecognizable, because for the first time in years it ''wasn't'' bass amplified.]]
The Maximals track the creature to higher levels in the generator plant, and there discover a wolf-like creature hiding shyly in the shadows. Nightscream suspects the beast is another survivor, like him. The Maximals offer friendship, and the creature introduces himself as [[Noble (BM)|Noble]] and recounts (in [[Forbidden Fruit|a very familiar fashion]]) the story of the Vehicon invasion. Noble fell into a pit and awoke in his current form.

Further pleasantries are interrupted by a strafing attack by Jetstorm and Thrust, hunting for the dragon, Savage. But before the Maximals can even worry about defending their new friend, he disappears while their backs are turned.

Cheetor contacts Optimus, who still hasn't found any trace of Megatron. The group goes hunting for Noble. They find the dragon-creature, growling ferociously. Nightscream is convinced the beast has done away with Noble and leaps to attack. Only Blackarachnia's quick thinking keeps him from getting blasted with fire-breath. The group follows as the creature flies off, since they can't leave it loose in [[Cybertropolis]].

[[Image:SavageNoble Noble with wings.jpg|right|thumb|200px|START --> CHANGE --> FINISH]]
Primal arrives and orders the group to split up to cover more ground. Rattrap eventually finds the beast, which has him cornered and petrified. To his relief, it chooses to ignore him. Cheetor hems the beast in by chopping down a bridge, and the others stop it from the other direction. Primal begins to approach the beast, offering understanding and compassion. The Vehicon generals arrive and find the beast surrounded, but the dragon bats them away with a tail-slash, sending them over the horizon. After a long moment of carefully approaching the beast, Nightscream touches Savage and calms him enough for him to transform...into Noble. The two creatures are one, a beast-to-beast [[Transformer]].

Primal vows to help Noble, even as Noble warns that he can't control his other half. Nightscream reassures him, and Noble smiles to himself—just a bit ominously, yesss...

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (2)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (3)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (4)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (5)
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (6)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s
|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (1)
*[[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] (7)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (8)

|c4=
*[[Noble (BM)|Noble]] (9)

}}

==Quotes==
"I'm going in for a closer look." 
"Isn't he ugly enough from here?"
:—'''Blackarachnia''' and '''Nightscream''' discuss Megatron's giant head.

"Get it through your CPU! That program has been deleted. I'm Jetstorm. PERIOD!"
:—'''Jetstorm''' shouts at Blackarachnia. Meanwhile, the wire in his forehead is about to explode.

"We don't know what this thing is or where it came from - We're not going to find out by destroying it." 
"Tell you what, pussycat, we'll bring you back the biggest pieces and you can ask 'em anything you want."
:—'''Cheetor''' and '''Jetstorm''', shortly before the Vehicons get their butts kicked.

"Nice teamwork, Maximals! You catch 'em, we fillet 'em!"
:—'''Jetstorm''', shortly before getting his butt kicked ''again''.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*When the two Vehicon generals approach the Maximals, Thrust clasps his fingers together, causing them to clip into the barrel of his built-in blaster.
*Nightscream's ankle-wings occasionally clip through his hands as he hovers toward the surrounded Savage.

===Continuity errors===
*Noble's "story" about his origin seems to be deliberately based on Nightscream's own account of how he became a bat, to play on his sympathy. Later episodes will reveal that Megatron is in control of Noble... but how did Megatron learn about Nightscream's origin?
*As the Vehicons rush headlong towards Savage, Thrust and Jetstorm address him by name... almost ''immediately'' after Cheetor declares that "we don't know what this thing is." It seems, however, that Jetstorm and Thrust have come up with the name for the dragon, as a means of taunting it. Noble picks up on this when he names himself, as the diametrically opposed Dr. Jekyll to Savage's Mr. Hyde, an opposition that isn't entirely [[Prometheus Unbound|true]].
*Cybertron apparently has waterfalls, which is at odds with Blackarachnia's statement that there is no water on Cybertron in "[[The Key]]". Granted, it ''could'' be a different fluid like Energon or liquid coolant.

===Continuity notes===
*This is the first episode of the whole series to take place entirely and unquestionably in the daytime, as all previous episodes (possibly save for "[[Forbidden Fruit]]", which never showed a view of the sky) were set only at night.
*When Optimus attempts to make contact with Megatron's spark, he is tormented by numerous heads modelled on Megatron's original and Transmetal designs from [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]].
*Nightscream shows a lot of character development here; compared to the sullen, withdrawn kid from Season 1, Nightscream is the first character to try and welcome Noble into the Maximal fold.
*Stock footage from "[[Survivor]]" is used to illustrate Noble's story.
*Gadgets and powers:
** Blackarachnia uses a web-parachute in beast mode. Don't think too hard about the physics here.
** Rattrap has invented some communications devices. It is rather odd that he's never thought to use these before, especially since their old bodies were equipped with built-in radio networks.
** Blackarachnia's usual web-discs are shown to have explosive properties.

===Real-world references===
* The title "Savage Noble" is a play on the "{{w|noble savage}}" of the eighteenth-century cult of primitivism, in which New World "savages" were seen as innocent and unsullied, the core goodness of their humanity free of the chains of civilization and technology. The "savage noble" inversion might suggest the opposite oxymoron: someone so civilized he has become a monster. Not only is that literally true in this episode, where the cogent Noble is prone to turning into the animalistic Savage, but [[Prometheus Unbound|the next episode]] would reveal him to be secretly Megatron trapped in a hated organic form, yearning for access to the technology that would set him free.

===Trivia===
* Unusually, this episode starts off with a cliffhanger - Blackarachnia falling off the Grand Mal- before the episode titles.
* This marks the first time we see a Cybertronian use an obscene hand gesture, in which Thrust actually flips Cheetor {{w|Finger (gesture)|the bird}}. Granted, Thrust only has three-fingered claws for hands. It was still a shocker nonetheless.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Noble Sauvage'''" ("Savage Noble")

:*''Title:'' "'''Noble et Sauvage'''" ("Noble and Savage")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Der Drache'''" ("The Dragon")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 16]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kaibutsu no Nayami'''" (怪物の悩み, "The Monster's Anguish")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 25]], [[2004]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''El Buen Salvaje'''" ("The Noble Savage")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Shuāng Lóng Yī Tǐ '''" (双龙一体, "Two Dragons in One Body")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 4 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season Two (Sony) 
[[Image:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

Fallout (episode)

2021-05-26T06:51:43Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Continuity notes */

{{disambig3|Fallout}}
{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=14
|image=Fallout title.jpg
|caption=[[Ron Perlman|War. War never changes.]]
|title="Fallout"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[February 9]], 2000 (Canada) [[August 5]], 2000 (USA)
|written by=[[Bob Skir|Robert N. Skir]] [[Marty Isenberg]]
|directed by=[[Raul Sanchez Inglis]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''After releasing a doomsday weapon, Optimus Primal must face the consequences of his actions.'''

==Synopsis==
The storm continues to rage, as [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (controlling the lethal [[Plasma Energy Chamber]]) and [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (wielding the deadly [[Key to Vector Sigma]]) fight, pushing their energies back and forth.

[[Image:Fallout Primal void.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Open the pod bay doors, Teletraan.]]
Optimus dissolves and finds himself in the [[Transformer afterlife|Matrix]] again, seeing a vision of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] destroyed. He lashes out and blames Megatron, who takes no credit. Cybertron is doomed not because of Megatron's actions, but because of ''Primal''. Suddenly, Optimus finds himself back on prehistoric [[Earth]], where he's attacked by a green-eyed copy of himself. The doppelgänger scolds Primal for his fanatical behavior and pushes him off a cliff, sending him plummeting back into space.

Faces come and go, and he finds himself being blamed by his [[Maximal]]s, who tell him that he's failed them. Primal realizes that ''he'' must make his own decisions, not merely follow the commands of the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]]. The Oracle acknowledges this fact, but tells him that his fate still lies with him.

The arrival of another old friend, [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], comforts him. Rhinox acknowledges his misdeeds as Tankor, and tells his old friend that he chooses to stay in the Matrix. Primal shoots through another tunnel where the faces of [[Transformer]]s he has yet to encounter flash before him and finds himself back in the heated battle. Taking control of both energies, he redirects them back into the Matrix itself. The remaining Maximals reawaken, back in their techno-organic bodies and free of the Key's energies.

[[Image:Fallout Megatron disintegrates.jpg|right|thumb|200px|[[Gold Plastic Syndrome]] claims another victim.]]
With Megatron gone and the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s rendered inert, the Maximals are the only active Cybertronians on the planet. Finding one another, the surviving Maximals head to the throne room in the Citadel, only to find the bodies of their former friends—and foes. Megatron's body crumbles to dust, leaving only his control-shell. When [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] touches the inert body of [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]], it falls to pieces. Cheetor looks at Optimus Primal's flattened body, lamenting the fallen "Big Bot". Unsympathetic, [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] says that [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] only ever wanted him out of the way. Cheetor tells Nightscream off, but reluctantly takes control anyway.

Outside, Rattrap plugs into Cybertron's system, only to find that the planet is, in fact, brain-dead. But things change when [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] and [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] show up, and the Maximals and Vehicons prepare for another fight. Cheetor comes between them, telling them that the war is over, while [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] invites Jetstorm onto their side. It's not a suggestion that the two generals take kindly to, and another brief fight breaks out before Blackarachnia puts a stop to it. The two [[Vehicon general]]s leave.

[[Image:Fallout Optimus in Oracle.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Finally justification for a supreme-class Primal.]]
Hoping to consult the Oracle like Optimus once had, the Maximals make the trip underground to the Oracle's chamber. However, the foursome find Optimus Primal inside the Oracle. Communicating with them via the supercomputer, he asks that the Maximals forgive his zealotry and near-genocidal actions. Rattrap protests, as "there is nothing to forgive". Back in the void, Optimus sees the collective [[spark]]s of Cybertron past, present, and future, inviting him into the Transformer afterlife: the Matrix. As he floats, Optimus has an epiphany: the Oracle never intended to have organic life ''replace'' Cybertron's technology, but to create a [[technorganic]] balance of organic and machine, just as the Oracle did when it [[Reformatting|reformatted]] the Maximals. Optimus happily acknowledges that he is ready to join the Matrix... but not today.

[[Image:Fallout Maximals orchid.jpg|right|thumb|200px|"It looks like the cameraman needs a hug."]]
Optimus Primal steps out into real-space again, and the Oracle tells him that it has taught him everything, and that he must make his own way in his mission. A new orchard of technorganic plants grows around them as Optimus explains their new quest to the Maximals.

The Maximals head above ground, hoping to find and liberate Megatron's stockpile of [[spark]]s... only to find themselves face-to-giant-face with [[Grand Mal|an enormous vessel bearing the likeness of Megatron]]!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (1)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (2)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (5)
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (6)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (7)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (8)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s
|c2=
*[[Tank Drone]]s (3)
*[[Aero Drone]]s (4)
*[[Cycle Drone]]s (10)
*[[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] (11)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (12)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (13)

|c4=
*[[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] (9)

}}
==Quotes==
"My spark has rejoined the Matrix. I paid the price for my misguided deeds, but it is not too late for you. Embrace the true nature of your spark."
:—'''Rhinox''' dispenses advice.

"If I had to guess, I'd say we won't be getting any holiday cards from him for a while."
:—'''Rattrap''''s own special way of saying "He's dead, Jim."

"Ah, y'know, this place just ain't gonna be the same without Megatron's toys to play with. Wha?" 
"Be careful what you wish for, cheddar-breath!"
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Jetstorm'''

"Why is she so hung up on getting her old boyfriend's spark outta that guy?" 
"Eh, you're young. You'll learn."
:—'''Nightscream''' and '''Rattrap'''

"Forget it, spider-lady! I just lost my boss, everything is falling apart. I'm not losing my only friend as well!" 
"We're friends?" 
"Why not?"
:—'''Thrust''' and '''Jetstorm''', you can feel the bromance between the two

'''Optimus:''' "All I ask is you forgive me my transgressions so I can move on from this plane." 
'''Rattrap:''' "There's... nothing to forgive, Optimus." 
'''Nightscream:''' "You gave me a family when I lost everyone." 
'''Blackarachnia:''' "You lead us to victory at the cost of your own life." 
'''Cheetor:''' "I can forgive you for your mistakes, but not for giving up. Without your leadership, we'd have all gone offline when we first hit this planet. Without your guidance, we'd would've never mastered transforming in these technorganic bodies. And without your vision, Cybertron will never truly be restored."
:—The Maximals try to convince Optimus to return from the Matrix.

"But the Matrix never intended for the organic to replace the technological. It didn't want us to fight a war, but to create a balance. the technorganic balance between the machine and the organic. Yes, I am ready to join the Matrix, but not today."
:—'''Optimus''' realises he does actually have something to live for.

"Congratulations, Optimus Primal. You have passed your greatest test by asserting your own free will, the very thing that makes you more than a mere machine. Clearly there is nothing left to teach you. The time has come for you to seize your own destiny."
:—The '''Oracle''' gives Optimus a passing grade.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical errors===
* Optimus's dead body is... strange-looking. Presumably, it's supposed to look as if his body has crumbled to ash, but the model quality means that it looks like it's been cartoonishly flattened.
* During the skirmish between the Generals and the Maximals, Rattrap laughs nervously without moving his face.

===Continuity errors===
* The recap at the start of this episode concludes with Optimus Primal's hand disintegrating and him insisting that "if this is the will of the Matrix, then so be it". However, the [[cliffhanger]] simply ended with Optimus Primal looking on as his hand disintegrated.
* Just as in "[[Revelations Part III: Apocalypse|Apocalypse]]", Optimus claims that the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] on [[Earth]] were the Matrix's way of obtaining organic material. Since it was Megatron who decided to go there, then either Optimus is reading too much into it or the Matrix has been giving Megatron some nudges...

===Continuity notes===
* Among Optimus's visions are the heads of the Maximals in Beast Mode, who cycle through all of their previous bodies that appeared in ''Beast Wars'' (albeit, using the miscolored versions of Cheetor's, Rattrap's, and Blackarachnia's pre-Transmetal forms that were used in "[[The Reformatting]]"). Nightscream also briefly flashes into his brown, pre-Technorganic Beast Mode.
* There's a lot of blink-and-you'll miss it foreshadowing in Optimus Primal's vision! As he returns to Megatron's chamber, he experiences visions of [[Noble (BM)|characters]] [[Botanica (BM)|who]] [[Obsidian (BM)|will]] [[Strika (BM)|appear]] in season two.
* When Optimus redirects the dueling energies into the Oracle, you can briefly see Nightscream's old hiding place. The fruit tree has apparently regrown.
* As the four surviving Maximals climb down to the Oracle, the sequence is deliberately set up to evoke their original trip to the Oracle, as seen in "The Reformatting".
* Similarly, Optimus's re-emergence from the Oracle is framed to resemble his original emergence from the Matrix in the same episode, complete with a disbelieving "Big Bot?" from Cheetor.
* Optimus experiences a vision of a flower during his trip, the same kind that appeared in "The Reformatting".
* There are a lot of clips from previous episodes interspersed throughout the episode. As the Maximals recount how Optimus has helped them over the course of the [[Spark War]], there are clips from "The Reformatting", "[[Forbidden Fruit]]", and "[[The Weak Component]]". Later, as Optimus remembers the Beast Wars, his memories are represented by clips from the ''Beast Wars'' episodes "[[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)]]", "[[Cutting Edge]]", "[[Feral Scream Part 1]]", "[[Feral Scream Part 2]]", and "[[Nemesis Part 2|''Nemesis'' Part 2]]".

===Transformers references===

===Real-world references===
* Jetstorm mentions that they just got rid of the "old boss" and aren't keen on working for "the new boss", riffing on lyrics from [[w:The Who|The Who]]'s "[[w:Won't Get Fooled Again|Won't Get Fooled Again]]".

===Trivia===
*Season 2 sees the Maximals drop the "I am transformed" mantra that usually accompanied their transformations.
*Rhinox must remain in the Matrix forever. [[Homecoming (Universe)|Until he doesn't]]. Except [[Singularity Ablyss|when he gets killed even deader]]. (Multiple continuities are fun, kids!) Either way, in-show, this is the last appearance of Rhinox/Tankor.
*Blackarachnia tells Jetstorm right in his face, "You don't want to be Silverbolt again? Fine. I won't force you." [[In Darkest Knight|Oh, really]]?

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Retombées'''" ("Fallout")

:*''Title:'' "'''La Chute'''" (Canada, "The Fall")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Off-Line'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 15]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Shōri no Daishō'''" (勝利の代償, "The Cost of Victory")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 19]], [[2004]]
:** During [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUQs2CgZ8oE the opening chat of the episode], each Maximal pronounces their names in reverse, resulting in Yvonco for Convoy. Cheetor finds that hilarious as it sounds like 疣ん子 (''ibonko'', literally meaning "son o' wart"), and all the Maximals burst into laughter while Optimus shouts loudly for his narration at the beginning of the episode.
:** Instead of "You failed us", the Maximals blame Optimus by yelling "eyyyyy Yvonco" in the most dramatic scene.
:** When the Maximals find that Optimus became flat, Rattrap says "Yvonco is flat!", followed by "Yay!"
:*** The chant "Yvonco pettanko, yay!" continues until the first commercial bumper ends, while Optimus says that he's going to knock all of them down if they don't stop.
:** After the second commercial bumper, Cheetor yells "Yvonco!" while dashing to him. Optimus responds with "That won't work! Get serious!"
:** According to [[Yoshikazu Iwanami]] in a commentary track in Japanese DVD release, they got called and scolded by their [[TakaraTomy|sponsor]] after this.
:** In the [https://youtu.be/xUQs2CgZ8oE?t=215 opening chat] of [[Prometheus Unbound|an other episode]], they rap "Yvonco pettanko, yay!" to [[Phat Planet]] during the whole opening.

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Lluvia Radiactiva'''" ("Radioactive Fallout")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Jié Hòu Yú Shēng '''" (劫后余生, "After the Doom")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 4 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season Two (Sony) 
[[Image:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

Survivor

2021-05-26T05:10:00Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Continuity errors */

{{disambig3|Survivor}}
{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=10
|image=Survivor Nightscream chamber.jpg
|caption=We're sorry, Nightscream, but the tribe has spoken.
|title="Survivor"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[November 27]], 1999
|written by=[[Brynne Chandler Reaves]]
|directed by=[[Dennis Heaton]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''Megatron targets Nightscream for capture, so he can learn more about how the Maximal was able to survive the virus.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Survivor Megatron breath.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Megatron enjoys a good curry]]
In the [[Council Citadel]], [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] rages at yet another setback in purging his organic form. He [[transformation|changes]] to [[beast mode|dragon mode]] and unleashes a fireball at the [[Diagnostic Drone]], who suggests an easier method would be to simply transplant Megatron's [[spark]] to a new body. Megatron is not keen on leaving his spark unprotected, so the Drone suggests another course of action: the [[Maximal]] [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] seems to have scanned an organic body, so if they could capture him, study the process and reverse it... Megatron orders his [[Vehicon general]]s to take the Diagnostic Drone to the catacombs and capture Nightscream.

[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] and [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] are trying to help Nightscream unlock his memories. To their surprise, they find that the young Maximal has a built-in [[DNA scanner]], to which he responds that everyone junked the [[stasis pod]]s in favour of inbuilt scanners in the [[Quantum Cycle Upgrade]]. After Rattrap mentions they'd been off-planet fighting the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]], he resoundingly mocks them for losing said wars and is reminded that the Maximals lost friends during it. As Optimus stresses the importance of finding out where Nightscream scanned organic [[DNA]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Rattrap drops a seed from the tree they found earlier into his hand. [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] reminds Primal of what happened last time they ate fruit from that tree, but Optimus merely says that the seed is what the Oracle was referring to when it mentioned "the seeds of the future".

[[File:Survivor Nightscream sonic.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Do re MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]]
The Maximals return to the chamber where they originally found the tree, only to discover it's been sealed off. Nightscream begins to use his sonic attack to break through. Unfortunately, the soundwaves gain the attention of the Diagnostic Drone, and the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]] interrupt Nightscream before the barrier is breached. [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] buries Optimus beneath some rubble, while [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] immobilises [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] in a web and then confronts Thrust. The pair freeze, waiting to see who will make the first move, until a recovered Jetstorm fires on Blackarachnia. The other three Maximals are reluctantly fighting [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] with the knowledge he contains [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]]'s spark, until he blasts them all. The Maximals recover to find that Nightscream is gone.

Elsewhere in the catacombs, their friend is being spirited away by the Vehicons. The Diagnostic Drone observes that the [[CR chamber|regeneration chamber]] they've put Nightscream in doesn't seem to be doing anything for him. The chamber is opened, and the young Maximal transforms, much to the fascination of the Drone who says that his [[technorganic]] body is repairing itself and they will be able to use the same process to purge Megatron's beast form. The Drone closes itself in the regeneration chamber with Nightscream, who promises to tell the secret of his ability—and then unleashes a sonic attack at point blank range. Thrust and Jetstorm pursue the boy while Tankor digs out the Diagnostic Drone. Nightscream manages to lose the two Vehicons with some fancy flying.

[[File:Survivor Diagnostic Drone junk.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|He always wanted to get into video games, but Tetris may have been a bad idea.]]
Tankor digs out the Drone, but hides it under some rubble as the other four Maximals pass, searching for their friend. He again pulls out the Diagnostic Drone, who is surprised at Tankor's change of personality. Tankor explains that his time as both a Maximal and Vehicon has given him a greater perspective and though Megatron's plan has merit, it has one problem—Megatron himself. Tankor intends to personally become ruler of Cybertron. The Diagnostic Drone says it's programmed to serve only Megatron, and so Tankor begins the reprogramming.

Meanwhile, Nightscream has reached a dead end with Jetstorm and Thrust once again closing in behind him. He uses his sonic attack to escape through a tunnel, and the two Vehicons are cut off by the other four Maximals. Optimus pursues Nightscream while Rattrap, Cheetor and Blackarachnia fight the Vehicons, swiftly defeating them. Blackarachnia hesitates in slagging Thrust, which give the Vehicons ample recovery time to take off after Optimus and Nightscream.

Tankor completes his reprogramming job and gives his new loyal servant the task of tracking down a particular energy signature.

[[File:Survivor Nightscream batskeleton.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|"My parents are DEEEAAAAD!"]]
Elsewhere, Nightscream finds himself in a [[fossil chamber|cave]] staring at the skeleton of a bat. Optimus arrives as the young Maximal realises that the fossil was picked up by his DNA scanners, allowing him to reformat into his bat mode and survive Megatron's purge. While he's still wrought over why he survived and no one else, Jetstorm and Thrust pop up in time to be blasted by his sonic cry. The blast reveals more bones, and Optimus realises that Cybertron once had organic life. Nightscream angsts that if he hadn't been so self-absorbed, perhaps he could have saved other Transformers. Optimus commiserates and they plant the seed Rattrap found.

Back at the Citadel, the Diagnostic Drone can give no excuse for yet another failed purge and suggests the problem is Megatron himself. After the Drone is dismissed, it contacts Tankor to report. Tankor thanks the Drone for the accurate information on the energy signature—he has found the Oracle.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (6)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (7)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (8)
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (9)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (10)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s
|c2=
*[[Diagnostic Drone]] (1)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (2)
*[[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] (3)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (4)
*[[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]]/[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (5)

|c4=
*[[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] (11)

}}
==Quotes==
"I'm tired of suffering your "temporary setbacks"! Every moment I waste on your ineffectual treatment, the organics grow stronger!!!"
:-'''Megatron''' vents his rage at the Diagnostic Drone.

"You tend to be a little out of the loop when you're on a distant planet fightin' the Beast Wars." 
"And you did a fine job winning it. Oh, I forgot, you fumbled the ball at the very last nano-click."
:—'''Rattrap''' name-checks the previous show and '''Nightscream''' demonstrates why he has few fans.

"Fascinating. His [[robot mode]] is implementing biologically-enhanced nanosurgical capabilities. It seems to accelerate the [[beast mode]]'s natural healing abilities."
:—'''Diagnostic Drone''' makes with the technobabble.

"Tankor, protect me! That's an order." 
"I think it's time we come to an understanding about who gives the orders." 
"You?!" 
"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you happier when my vocabulary was limited to "TANKOR SMASH"? Poetic, perhaps, yet somehow it isn't me anymore."
:—'''Diagnostic Drone''' is surprised at the latest revelation that '''Tankor''' is Rhinox.

"Step into my parlour, said the spider to the flyboy." 
"Missed me! Missed me! Now you gotta kiss me!"
:—'''Blackarachnia''' and '''Jetstorm''' have somewhat unique fight banter.

"They deserved to live as much as me, more even! Why did ''I'' get to live? WHY?" 
"Beats me, kid, but I'll be happy to put you out of your misery!"
:—'''Nightscream''' asks the question many of us wonder about him while '''Jetstorm''' offers a practical solution.

"According to my data, failure to purge your DNA contamination may actually stem from your own subconscious desire to maintain your beast mode."
:—'''Diagnostic Drone''' to Megatron.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* When Megatron calls out for the Vehicon generals, not only is Tankor missing his headlights, the background pattern of his split-screen segment is visible through his mouth.
* Though Thrust bowing before Megatron is a deliberate piece of animation, his "hand" really wasn't designed to rotate separately from his lower arm like that, clipping through his gun barrel.
* As the Maximals walk towards the sealed-off chamber, Nightscream doesn't seem to have a shadow – or he was just accidentally animated walking in the air.
* When Blackarachnia first faces off against Thrust, the latter's body, apart from his head, is very blocky.
* The animators also forgot to turn on the subdivisions on Nightscream's model just before he lunges at Tankor, causing him to look crude and blocky as well.
* As the Diagnostic Drone emerges from the rubble, one of the fingers on his left hand briefly clips through some debris.
* After Jetstorm transforms while speeding towards the cornered Nightscream, bits of his [[robot mode]] remain poking through the underside of his jet mode.
* Just before Optimus jumps into the hole after Nigthscream, Cheetor pokes the tip of one of his blades through his own shoulder.
* Cheetor's blade is rendered over his body when he and Rattrap face Thrust. Even though it's meant to be on his back, it looks like it's floating in front of his chest, then miraculously jumps into his hand, with its grip floating over his closed fist.
* Nightscream spends a good chunk of the episode flying in robot mode without the aid of his usual heel-wings.

===Continuity errors===
*Both Nightscream and Optimus are very insistent in this episode that Optimus "lost" the Beast Wars. This idea has been brought up in previous episodes, but mostly as Megatron taunting Optimus. Here, our heroes treat it as accepted fact—and after they've learned that Megatron's domination of Cybertron was in spite of his rather decided defeat in the Beast Wars, and that Optimus could not in any way have prevented it.
*When chasing after the escaped Nightscream, [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] uses the transformation code "accelerate", instead of his usual "overdrive".
*Cheetor's telling Blackarachnia to take Thrust out is odd considering they've already established the Vehicons contain Maximal sparks, and Cheetor's pledge not to hurt Rhinox/Tankor.
*We get a lot of backstory about Nightscream's survival, but it's not really clear ''why'' scanning a new beast form protected him from the virus. Rhinox, for instance, possessed a similar organic beast mode, but he was paralyzed nonetheless. It might be that Nightscream was so deep down that the virus couldn't reach him, or that the Cybertronian nature of his beast mode was somehow more resilient to its effects.
* Many of the fossils in this episode are rather obviously recycled from "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]", leading to the strange implication that there were [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaurs]] and other Earth creatures running around on prehistoric Cybertron.
*How ''do'' you get DNA from fossils anyway?

===Continuity notes===
*Nightscream notes that Maximal society has evolved since Optimus's crew left the planet. Notably, [[stasis pod]]s, a major component of the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]], have been rendered obsolete, and [[DNA scanner]]s have been directly integrated into Cybertronians. No information is given about the storage or activation of new [[protoform]]s.
*When Nightscream chastises the [[Maximal]]s for losing the Beast Wars, [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] angrily replies "You watch your mouth, junior. I lost friends in that war." This is most likely a reference to [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], and to lesser degrees [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], [[Tigatron]] and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], as well as [[Tigerhawk]], the combined form of the latter two.
*When the Diagnostic Drone suggests the transfer of Megatron's spark, in one of the monitors behind him is shown the schematics of the [[Grand Mal]]. Foreshadowing?
* Cheetor and Optimus bring up the mysterious tree that the Maximals visited in "[[Forbidden Fruit]]", and the strange effects it had on the Maxmials.
* Rattrap is carrying around a seed from said tree in his toolkit. On his last visit to Nightscream's old hiding place, he was seen tucking one of the fruits away for later use.
*Gadgets and powers:
** Rattrap's face mask doubles as a radar system.
** Optimus Primal's chest blaster is slightly different in this episode, firing blue energy spheres.
** Unlike other beast mode Transformers, technorganics apparently heal faster in [[robot mode]].

===Transformers references===

===Real-world references===
*When [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] ambushes the Maximals, he taunts them by sneering "Honey, I'm home!" This is a repeating line from the '50s sitcom ''[[w:I Love Lucy|I Love Lucy]]''.
*When Nightscream escapes, he remarks that how he can't return to the others, because he'll lead the Vehicons right to them. He then laments about how he'll be "alone again, naturally," a line from the song of the same name by Gilbert O'Sullivan.
*As Blackarachnia tangles with Jetstorm, she paraphrases the opening stanza of "[[w:The Spider and the Fly (poem)|The Spider and the Fly]]".
*Rhinox's description of Megatron's reign invokes the imagery of Nazi propaganda films.

===Trivia===
* Nightscream's sonic powers are almost absurdly powerful in this episode. They can physically knock other Transformers away, and blow sizable holes in solid stone.
* Rhinox is notably more malevolent-sounding and sadistic from this episode on. (Check out that sinister "''me''..." when he's saying he should be in charge!) While Bob Skir's stated intent was that Rhinox had decided Megatron's cause was right after weighing up the evidence, the dialogue in these episodes makes it sound like he's gone mad and power-hungry.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Survivant'''" ("Survivor")

:*''Title:'' "'''Survivre'''" (Canada, "Survive")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Nightscream'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 11]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kikai no Harawa ta'''" (機械のはらわた, "The Machine's Innards")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 5]], [[2004]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Sobreviviente'''" ("Survivor")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Xìngcúnzhě '''" (幸存者, "Survivor")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 3 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume Two ([[Sony]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume Two — Revelations (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season One (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 1 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

Survivor

2021-05-26T05:06:42Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Continuity notes */

{{disambig3|Survivor}}
{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=10
|image=Survivor Nightscream chamber.jpg
|caption=We're sorry, Nightscream, but the tribe has spoken.
|title="Survivor"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[November 27]], 1999
|written by=[[Brynne Chandler Reaves]]
|directed by=[[Dennis Heaton]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''Megatron targets Nightscream for capture, so he can learn more about how the Maximal was able to survive the virus.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Survivor Megatron breath.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Megatron enjoys a good curry]]
In the [[Council Citadel]], [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] rages at yet another setback in purging his organic form. He [[transformation|changes]] to [[beast mode|dragon mode]] and unleashes a fireball at the [[Diagnostic Drone]], who suggests an easier method would be to simply transplant Megatron's [[spark]] to a new body. Megatron is not keen on leaving his spark unprotected, so the Drone suggests another course of action: the [[Maximal]] [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] seems to have scanned an organic body, so if they could capture him, study the process and reverse it... Megatron orders his [[Vehicon general]]s to take the Diagnostic Drone to the catacombs and capture Nightscream.

[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] and [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] are trying to help Nightscream unlock his memories. To their surprise, they find that the young Maximal has a built-in [[DNA scanner]], to which he responds that everyone junked the [[stasis pod]]s in favour of inbuilt scanners in the [[Quantum Cycle Upgrade]]. After Rattrap mentions they'd been off-planet fighting the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]], he resoundingly mocks them for losing said wars and is reminded that the Maximals lost friends during it. As Optimus stresses the importance of finding out where Nightscream scanned organic [[DNA]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Rattrap drops a seed from the tree they found earlier into his hand. [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] reminds Primal of what happened last time they ate fruit from that tree, but Optimus merely says that the seed is what the Oracle was referring to when it mentioned "the seeds of the future".

[[File:Survivor Nightscream sonic.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Do re MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]]
The Maximals return to the chamber where they originally found the tree, only to discover it's been sealed off. Nightscream begins to use his sonic attack to break through. Unfortunately, the soundwaves gain the attention of the Diagnostic Drone, and the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]] interrupt Nightscream before the barrier is breached. [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] buries Optimus beneath some rubble, while [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] immobilises [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] in a web and then confronts Thrust. The pair freeze, waiting to see who will make the first move, until a recovered Jetstorm fires on Blackarachnia. The other three Maximals are reluctantly fighting [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] with the knowledge he contains [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]]'s spark, until he blasts them all. The Maximals recover to find that Nightscream is gone.

Elsewhere in the catacombs, their friend is being spirited away by the Vehicons. The Diagnostic Drone observes that the [[CR chamber|regeneration chamber]] they've put Nightscream in doesn't seem to be doing anything for him. The chamber is opened, and the young Maximal transforms, much to the fascination of the Drone who says that his [[technorganic]] body is repairing itself and they will be able to use the same process to purge Megatron's beast form. The Drone closes itself in the regeneration chamber with Nightscream, who promises to tell the secret of his ability—and then unleashes a sonic attack at point blank range. Thrust and Jetstorm pursue the boy while Tankor digs out the Diagnostic Drone. Nightscream manages to lose the two Vehicons with some fancy flying.

[[File:Survivor Diagnostic Drone junk.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|He always wanted to get into video games, but Tetris may have been a bad idea.]]
Tankor digs out the Drone, but hides it under some rubble as the other four Maximals pass, searching for their friend. He again pulls out the Diagnostic Drone, who is surprised at Tankor's change of personality. Tankor explains that his time as both a Maximal and Vehicon has given him a greater perspective and though Megatron's plan has merit, it has one problem—Megatron himself. Tankor intends to personally become ruler of Cybertron. The Diagnostic Drone says it's programmed to serve only Megatron, and so Tankor begins the reprogramming.

Meanwhile, Nightscream has reached a dead end with Jetstorm and Thrust once again closing in behind him. He uses his sonic attack to escape through a tunnel, and the two Vehicons are cut off by the other four Maximals. Optimus pursues Nightscream while Rattrap, Cheetor and Blackarachnia fight the Vehicons, swiftly defeating them. Blackarachnia hesitates in slagging Thrust, which give the Vehicons ample recovery time to take off after Optimus and Nightscream.

Tankor completes his reprogramming job and gives his new loyal servant the task of tracking down a particular energy signature.

[[File:Survivor Nightscream batskeleton.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|"My parents are DEEEAAAAD!"]]
Elsewhere, Nightscream finds himself in a [[fossil chamber|cave]] staring at the skeleton of a bat. Optimus arrives as the young Maximal realises that the fossil was picked up by his DNA scanners, allowing him to reformat into his bat mode and survive Megatron's purge. While he's still wrought over why he survived and no one else, Jetstorm and Thrust pop up in time to be blasted by his sonic cry. The blast reveals more bones, and Optimus realises that Cybertron once had organic life. Nightscream angsts that if he hadn't been so self-absorbed, perhaps he could have saved other Transformers. Optimus commiserates and they plant the seed Rattrap found.

Back at the Citadel, the Diagnostic Drone can give no excuse for yet another failed purge and suggests the problem is Megatron himself. After the Drone is dismissed, it contacts Tankor to report. Tankor thanks the Drone for the accurate information on the energy signature—he has found the Oracle.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (6)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (7)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (8)
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (9)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (10)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s
|c2=
*[[Diagnostic Drone]] (1)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (2)
*[[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] (3)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (4)
*[[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]]/[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (5)

|c4=
*[[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] (11)

}}
==Quotes==
"I'm tired of suffering your "temporary setbacks"! Every moment I waste on your ineffectual treatment, the organics grow stronger!!!"
:-'''Megatron''' vents his rage at the Diagnostic Drone.

"You tend to be a little out of the loop when you're on a distant planet fightin' the Beast Wars." 
"And you did a fine job winning it. Oh, I forgot, you fumbled the ball at the very last nano-click."
:—'''Rattrap''' name-checks the previous show and '''Nightscream''' demonstrates why he has few fans.

"Fascinating. His [[robot mode]] is implementing biologically-enhanced nanosurgical capabilities. It seems to accelerate the [[beast mode]]'s natural healing abilities."
:—'''Diagnostic Drone''' makes with the technobabble.

"Tankor, protect me! That's an order." 
"I think it's time we come to an understanding about who gives the orders." 
"You?!" 
"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you happier when my vocabulary was limited to "TANKOR SMASH"? Poetic, perhaps, yet somehow it isn't me anymore."
:—'''Diagnostic Drone''' is surprised at the latest revelation that '''Tankor''' is Rhinox.

"Step into my parlour, said the spider to the flyboy." 
"Missed me! Missed me! Now you gotta kiss me!"
:—'''Blackarachnia''' and '''Jetstorm''' have somewhat unique fight banter.

"They deserved to live as much as me, more even! Why did ''I'' get to live? WHY?" 
"Beats me, kid, but I'll be happy to put you out of your misery!"
:—'''Nightscream''' asks the question many of us wonder about him while '''Jetstorm''' offers a practical solution.

"According to my data, failure to purge your DNA contamination may actually stem from your own subconscious desire to maintain your beast mode."
:—'''Diagnostic Drone''' to Megatron.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* When Megatron calls out for the Vehicon generals, not only is Tankor missing his headlights, the background pattern of his split-screen segment is visible through his mouth.
* Though Thrust bowing before Megatron is a deliberate piece of animation, his "hand" really wasn't designed to rotate separately from his lower arm like that, clipping through his gun barrel.
* As the Maximals walk towards the sealed-off chamber, Nightscream doesn't seem to have a shadow – or he was just accidentally animated walking in the air.
* When Blackarachnia first faces off against Thrust, the latter's body, apart from his head, is very blocky.
* The animators also forgot to turn on the subdivisions on Nightscream's model just before he lunges at Tankor, causing him to look crude and blocky as well.
* As the Diagnostic Drone emerges from the rubble, one of the fingers on his left hand briefly clips through some debris.
* After Jetstorm transforms while speeding towards the cornered Nightscream, bits of his [[robot mode]] remain poking through the underside of his jet mode.
* Just before Optimus jumps into the hole after Nigthscream, Cheetor pokes the tip of one of his blades through his own shoulder.
* Cheetor's blade is rendered over his body when he and Rattrap face Thrust. Even though it's meant to be on his back, it looks like it's floating in front of his chest, then miraculously jumps into his hand, with its grip floating over his closed fist.
* Nightscream spends a good chunk of the episode flying in robot mode without the aid of his usual heel-wings.

===Continuity errors===
*When chasing after the escaped Nightscream, [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] uses the transformation code "accelerate", instead of his usual "overdrive".
*Cheetor's telling Blackarachnia to take Thrust out is odd considering they've already established the Vehicons contain Maximal sparks, and Cheetor's pledge not to hurt Rhinox/Tankor.
*We get a lot of backstory about Nightscream's survival, but it's not really clear ''why'' scanning a new beast form protected him from the virus. Rhinox, for instance, possessed a similar organic beast mode, but he was paralyzed nonetheless. It might be that Nightscream was so deep down that the virus couldn't reach him, or that the Cybertronian nature of his beast mode was somehow more resilient to its effects.
* Many of the fossils in this episode are rather obviously recycled from "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]", leading to the strange implication that there were [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaurs]] and other Earth creatures running around on prehistoric Cybertron.
*How ''do'' you get DNA from fossils anyway?

===Continuity notes===
*Nightscream notes that Maximal society has evolved since Optimus's crew left the planet. Notably, [[stasis pod]]s, a major component of the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]], have been rendered obsolete, and [[DNA scanner]]s have been directly integrated into Cybertronians. No information is given about the storage or activation of new [[protoform]]s.
*When Nightscream chastises the [[Maximal]]s for losing the Beast Wars, [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] angrily replies "You watch your mouth, junior. I lost friends in that war." This is most likely a reference to [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], and to lesser degrees [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], [[Tigatron]] and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], as well as [[Tigerhawk]], the combined form of the latter two.
*When the Diagnostic Drone suggests the transfer of Megatron's spark, in one of the monitors behind him is shown the schematics of the [[Grand Mal]]. Foreshadowing?
* Cheetor and Optimus bring up the mysterious tree that the Maximals visited in "[[Forbidden Fruit]]", and the strange effects it had on the Maxmials.
* Rattrap is carrying around a seed from said tree in his toolkit. On his last visit to Nightscream's old hiding place, he was seen tucking one of the fruits away for later use.
*Gadgets and powers:
** Rattrap's face mask doubles as a radar system.
** Optimus Primal's chest blaster is slightly different in this episode, firing blue energy spheres.
** Unlike other beast mode Transformers, technorganics apparently heal faster in [[robot mode]].

===Transformers references===

===Real-world references===
*When [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] ambushes the Maximals, he taunts them by sneering "Honey, I'm home!" This is a repeating line from the '50s sitcom ''[[w:I Love Lucy|I Love Lucy]]''.
*When Nightscream escapes, he remarks that how he can't return to the others, because he'll lead the Vehicons right to them. He then laments about how he'll be "alone again, naturally," a line from the song of the same name by Gilbert O'Sullivan.
*As Blackarachnia tangles with Jetstorm, she paraphrases the opening stanza of "[[w:The Spider and the Fly (poem)|The Spider and the Fly]]".
*Rhinox's description of Megatron's reign invokes the imagery of Nazi propaganda films.

===Trivia===
* Nightscream's sonic powers are almost absurdly powerful in this episode. They can physically knock other Transformers away, and blow sizable holes in solid stone.
* Rhinox is notably more malevolent-sounding and sadistic from this episode on. (Check out that sinister "''me''..." when he's saying he should be in charge!) While Bob Skir's stated intent was that Rhinox had decided Megatron's cause was right after weighing up the evidence, the dialogue in these episodes makes it sound like he's gone mad and power-hungry.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Survivant'''" ("Survivor")

:*''Title:'' "'''Survivre'''" (Canada, "Survive")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Nightscream'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 11]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kikai no Harawa ta'''" (機械のはらわた, "The Machine's Innards")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 5]], [[2004]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Sobreviviente'''" ("Survivor")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Xìngcúnzhě '''" (幸存者, "Survivor")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 3 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume Two ([[Sony]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume Two — Revelations (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season One (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 1 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

Survivor

2021-05-26T05:06:27Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Continuity notes */

{{disambig3|Survivor}}
{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=10
|image=Survivor Nightscream chamber.jpg
|caption=We're sorry, Nightscream, but the tribe has spoken.
|title="Survivor"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[November 27]], 1999
|written by=[[Brynne Chandler Reaves]]
|directed by=[[Dennis Heaton]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''Megatron targets Nightscream for capture, so he can learn more about how the Maximal was able to survive the virus.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Survivor Megatron breath.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Megatron enjoys a good curry]]
In the [[Council Citadel]], [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] rages at yet another setback in purging his organic form. He [[transformation|changes]] to [[beast mode|dragon mode]] and unleashes a fireball at the [[Diagnostic Drone]], who suggests an easier method would be to simply transplant Megatron's [[spark]] to a new body. Megatron is not keen on leaving his spark unprotected, so the Drone suggests another course of action: the [[Maximal]] [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] seems to have scanned an organic body, so if they could capture him, study the process and reverse it... Megatron orders his [[Vehicon general]]s to take the Diagnostic Drone to the catacombs and capture Nightscream.

[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] and [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] are trying to help Nightscream unlock his memories. To their surprise, they find that the young Maximal has a built-in [[DNA scanner]], to which he responds that everyone junked the [[stasis pod]]s in favour of inbuilt scanners in the [[Quantum Cycle Upgrade]]. After Rattrap mentions they'd been off-planet fighting the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]], he resoundingly mocks them for losing said wars and is reminded that the Maximals lost friends during it. As Optimus stresses the importance of finding out where Nightscream scanned organic [[DNA]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Rattrap drops a seed from the tree they found earlier into his hand. [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] reminds Primal of what happened last time they ate fruit from that tree, but Optimus merely says that the seed is what the Oracle was referring to when it mentioned "the seeds of the future".

[[File:Survivor Nightscream sonic.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Do re MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]]
The Maximals return to the chamber where they originally found the tree, only to discover it's been sealed off. Nightscream begins to use his sonic attack to break through. Unfortunately, the soundwaves gain the attention of the Diagnostic Drone, and the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]] interrupt Nightscream before the barrier is breached. [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] buries Optimus beneath some rubble, while [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] immobilises [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] in a web and then confronts Thrust. The pair freeze, waiting to see who will make the first move, until a recovered Jetstorm fires on Blackarachnia. The other three Maximals are reluctantly fighting [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] with the knowledge he contains [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]]'s spark, until he blasts them all. The Maximals recover to find that Nightscream is gone.

Elsewhere in the catacombs, their friend is being spirited away by the Vehicons. The Diagnostic Drone observes that the [[CR chamber|regeneration chamber]] they've put Nightscream in doesn't seem to be doing anything for him. The chamber is opened, and the young Maximal transforms, much to the fascination of the Drone who says that his [[technorganic]] body is repairing itself and they will be able to use the same process to purge Megatron's beast form. The Drone closes itself in the regeneration chamber with Nightscream, who promises to tell the secret of his ability—and then unleashes a sonic attack at point blank range. Thrust and Jetstorm pursue the boy while Tankor digs out the Diagnostic Drone. Nightscream manages to lose the two Vehicons with some fancy flying.

[[File:Survivor Diagnostic Drone junk.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|He always wanted to get into video games, but Tetris may have been a bad idea.]]
Tankor digs out the Drone, but hides it under some rubble as the other four Maximals pass, searching for their friend. He again pulls out the Diagnostic Drone, who is surprised at Tankor's change of personality. Tankor explains that his time as both a Maximal and Vehicon has given him a greater perspective and though Megatron's plan has merit, it has one problem—Megatron himself. Tankor intends to personally become ruler of Cybertron. The Diagnostic Drone says it's programmed to serve only Megatron, and so Tankor begins the reprogramming.

Meanwhile, Nightscream has reached a dead end with Jetstorm and Thrust once again closing in behind him. He uses his sonic attack to escape through a tunnel, and the two Vehicons are cut off by the other four Maximals. Optimus pursues Nightscream while Rattrap, Cheetor and Blackarachnia fight the Vehicons, swiftly defeating them. Blackarachnia hesitates in slagging Thrust, which give the Vehicons ample recovery time to take off after Optimus and Nightscream.

Tankor completes his reprogramming job and gives his new loyal servant the task of tracking down a particular energy signature.

[[File:Survivor Nightscream batskeleton.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|"My parents are DEEEAAAAD!"]]
Elsewhere, Nightscream finds himself in a [[fossil chamber|cave]] staring at the skeleton of a bat. Optimus arrives as the young Maximal realises that the fossil was picked up by his DNA scanners, allowing him to reformat into his bat mode and survive Megatron's purge. While he's still wrought over why he survived and no one else, Jetstorm and Thrust pop up in time to be blasted by his sonic cry. The blast reveals more bones, and Optimus realises that Cybertron once had organic life. Nightscream angsts that if he hadn't been so self-absorbed, perhaps he could have saved other Transformers. Optimus commiserates and they plant the seed Rattrap found.

Back at the Citadel, the Diagnostic Drone can give no excuse for yet another failed purge and suggests the problem is Megatron himself. After the Drone is dismissed, it contacts Tankor to report. Tankor thanks the Drone for the accurate information on the energy signature—he has found the Oracle.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (6)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (7)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (8)
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (9)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (10)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s
|c2=
*[[Diagnostic Drone]] (1)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (2)
*[[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] (3)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (4)
*[[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]]/[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (5)

|c4=
*[[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] (11)

}}
==Quotes==
"I'm tired of suffering your "temporary setbacks"! Every moment I waste on your ineffectual treatment, the organics grow stronger!!!"
:-'''Megatron''' vents his rage at the Diagnostic Drone.

"You tend to be a little out of the loop when you're on a distant planet fightin' the Beast Wars." 
"And you did a fine job winning it. Oh, I forgot, you fumbled the ball at the very last nano-click."
:—'''Rattrap''' name-checks the previous show and '''Nightscream''' demonstrates why he has few fans.

"Fascinating. His [[robot mode]] is implementing biologically-enhanced nanosurgical capabilities. It seems to accelerate the [[beast mode]]'s natural healing abilities."
:—'''Diagnostic Drone''' makes with the technobabble.

"Tankor, protect me! That's an order." 
"I think it's time we come to an understanding about who gives the orders." 
"You?!" 
"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you happier when my vocabulary was limited to "TANKOR SMASH"? Poetic, perhaps, yet somehow it isn't me anymore."
:—'''Diagnostic Drone''' is surprised at the latest revelation that '''Tankor''' is Rhinox.

"Step into my parlour, said the spider to the flyboy." 
"Missed me! Missed me! Now you gotta kiss me!"
:—'''Blackarachnia''' and '''Jetstorm''' have somewhat unique fight banter.

"They deserved to live as much as me, more even! Why did ''I'' get to live? WHY?" 
"Beats me, kid, but I'll be happy to put you out of your misery!"
:—'''Nightscream''' asks the question many of us wonder about him while '''Jetstorm''' offers a practical solution.

"According to my data, failure to purge your DNA contamination may actually stem from your own subconscious desire to maintain your beast mode."
:—'''Diagnostic Drone''' to Megatron.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* When Megatron calls out for the Vehicon generals, not only is Tankor missing his headlights, the background pattern of his split-screen segment is visible through his mouth.
* Though Thrust bowing before Megatron is a deliberate piece of animation, his "hand" really wasn't designed to rotate separately from his lower arm like that, clipping through his gun barrel.
* As the Maximals walk towards the sealed-off chamber, Nightscream doesn't seem to have a shadow – or he was just accidentally animated walking in the air.
* When Blackarachnia first faces off against Thrust, the latter's body, apart from his head, is very blocky.
* The animators also forgot to turn on the subdivisions on Nightscream's model just before he lunges at Tankor, causing him to look crude and blocky as well.
* As the Diagnostic Drone emerges from the rubble, one of the fingers on his left hand briefly clips through some debris.
* After Jetstorm transforms while speeding towards the cornered Nightscream, bits of his [[robot mode]] remain poking through the underside of his jet mode.
* Just before Optimus jumps into the hole after Nigthscream, Cheetor pokes the tip of one of his blades through his own shoulder.
* Cheetor's blade is rendered over his body when he and Rattrap face Thrust. Even though it's meant to be on his back, it looks like it's floating in front of his chest, then miraculously jumps into his hand, with its grip floating over his closed fist.
* Nightscream spends a good chunk of the episode flying in robot mode without the aid of his usual heel-wings.

===Continuity errors===
*When chasing after the escaped Nightscream, [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] uses the transformation code "accelerate", instead of his usual "overdrive".
*Cheetor's telling Blackarachnia to take Thrust out is odd considering they've already established the Vehicons contain Maximal sparks, and Cheetor's pledge not to hurt Rhinox/Tankor.
*We get a lot of backstory about Nightscream's survival, but it's not really clear ''why'' scanning a new beast form protected him from the virus. Rhinox, for instance, possessed a similar organic beast mode, but he was paralyzed nonetheless. It might be that Nightscream was so deep down that the virus couldn't reach him, or that the Cybertronian nature of his beast mode was somehow more resilient to its effects.
* Many of the fossils in this episode are rather obviously recycled from "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]", leading to the strange implication that there were [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaurs]] and other Earth creatures running around on prehistoric Cybertron.
*How ''do'' you get DNA from fossils anyway?

===Continuity notes===
*Nightscream notes that Maximal society has evolved since Optimus's crew left the planet. Notably, [[stasis pod]]s, a major component of the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]], have been rendered obsolete, and [[DNA scanner]]s have been directly integrated into Cybertronians. No information is given about the storage or activation of new [[protoform]]s.
*When Nightscream chastises the [[Maximal]]s for losing the Beast Wars, [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] angrily replies "You watch your mouth, junior. I lost friends in that war." This is most likely a reference to [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], and to lesser degrees [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], [[Tigatron]] and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], as well as [[Tigerhawk]], the combined form of the latter two.
*When the Diagnostic Drone suggests the transfer of Megatron's spark, in one of the monitor behind him is shown the schematics of the [[Grand Mal]]. Foreshadowing?
* Cheetor and Optimus bring up the mysterious tree that the Maximals visited in "[[Forbidden Fruit]]", and the strange effects it had on the Maxmials.
* Rattrap is carrying around a seed from said tree in his toolkit. On his last visit to Nightscream's old hiding place, he was seen tucking one of the fruits away for later use.
*Gadgets and powers:
** Rattrap's face mask doubles as a radar system.
** Optimus Primal's chest blaster is slightly different in this episode, firing blue energy spheres.
** Unlike other beast mode Transformers, technorganics apparently heal faster in [[robot mode]].

===Transformers references===

===Real-world references===
*When [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] ambushes the Maximals, he taunts them by sneering "Honey, I'm home!" This is a repeating line from the '50s sitcom ''[[w:I Love Lucy|I Love Lucy]]''.
*When Nightscream escapes, he remarks that how he can't return to the others, because he'll lead the Vehicons right to them. He then laments about how he'll be "alone again, naturally," a line from the song of the same name by Gilbert O'Sullivan.
*As Blackarachnia tangles with Jetstorm, she paraphrases the opening stanza of "[[w:The Spider and the Fly (poem)|The Spider and the Fly]]".
*Rhinox's description of Megatron's reign invokes the imagery of Nazi propaganda films.

===Trivia===
* Nightscream's sonic powers are almost absurdly powerful in this episode. They can physically knock other Transformers away, and blow sizable holes in solid stone.
* Rhinox is notably more malevolent-sounding and sadistic from this episode on. (Check out that sinister "''me''..." when he's saying he should be in charge!) While Bob Skir's stated intent was that Rhinox had decided Megatron's cause was right after weighing up the evidence, the dialogue in these episodes makes it sound like he's gone mad and power-hungry.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Survivant'''" ("Survivor")

:*''Title:'' "'''Survivre'''" (Canada, "Survive")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Nightscream'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 11]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kikai no Harawa ta'''" (機械のはらわた, "The Machine's Innards")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 5]], [[2004]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Sobreviviente'''" ("Survivor")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Xìngcúnzhě '''" (幸存者, "Survivor")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 3 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume Two ([[Sony]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume Two — Revelations (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season One (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 1 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

Survivor

2021-05-26T05:06:16Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Continuity notes */

{{disambig3|Survivor}}
{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=10
|image=Survivor Nightscream chamber.jpg
|caption=We're sorry, Nightscream, but the tribe has spoken.
|title="Survivor"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[November 27]], 1999
|written by=[[Brynne Chandler Reaves]]
|directed by=[[Dennis Heaton]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''Megatron targets Nightscream for capture, so he can learn more about how the Maximal was able to survive the virus.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Survivor Megatron breath.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Megatron enjoys a good curry]]
In the [[Council Citadel]], [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] rages at yet another setback in purging his organic form. He [[transformation|changes]] to [[beast mode|dragon mode]] and unleashes a fireball at the [[Diagnostic Drone]], who suggests an easier method would be to simply transplant Megatron's [[spark]] to a new body. Megatron is not keen on leaving his spark unprotected, so the Drone suggests another course of action: the [[Maximal]] [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] seems to have scanned an organic body, so if they could capture him, study the process and reverse it... Megatron orders his [[Vehicon general]]s to take the Diagnostic Drone to the catacombs and capture Nightscream.

[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] and [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] are trying to help Nightscream unlock his memories. To their surprise, they find that the young Maximal has a built-in [[DNA scanner]], to which he responds that everyone junked the [[stasis pod]]s in favour of inbuilt scanners in the [[Quantum Cycle Upgrade]]. After Rattrap mentions they'd been off-planet fighting the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]], he resoundingly mocks them for losing said wars and is reminded that the Maximals lost friends during it. As Optimus stresses the importance of finding out where Nightscream scanned organic [[DNA]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Rattrap drops a seed from the tree they found earlier into his hand. [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] reminds Primal of what happened last time they ate fruit from that tree, but Optimus merely says that the seed is what the Oracle was referring to when it mentioned "the seeds of the future".

[[File:Survivor Nightscream sonic.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Do re MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE]]
The Maximals return to the chamber where they originally found the tree, only to discover it's been sealed off. Nightscream begins to use his sonic attack to break through. Unfortunately, the soundwaves gain the attention of the Diagnostic Drone, and the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]] interrupt Nightscream before the barrier is breached. [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] buries Optimus beneath some rubble, while [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] immobilises [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] in a web and then confronts Thrust. The pair freeze, waiting to see who will make the first move, until a recovered Jetstorm fires on Blackarachnia. The other three Maximals are reluctantly fighting [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] with the knowledge he contains [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]]'s spark, until he blasts them all. The Maximals recover to find that Nightscream is gone.

Elsewhere in the catacombs, their friend is being spirited away by the Vehicons. The Diagnostic Drone observes that the [[CR chamber|regeneration chamber]] they've put Nightscream in doesn't seem to be doing anything for him. The chamber is opened, and the young Maximal transforms, much to the fascination of the Drone who says that his [[technorganic]] body is repairing itself and they will be able to use the same process to purge Megatron's beast form. The Drone closes itself in the regeneration chamber with Nightscream, who promises to tell the secret of his ability—and then unleashes a sonic attack at point blank range. Thrust and Jetstorm pursue the boy while Tankor digs out the Diagnostic Drone. Nightscream manages to lose the two Vehicons with some fancy flying.

[[File:Survivor Diagnostic Drone junk.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|He always wanted to get into video games, but Tetris may have been a bad idea.]]
Tankor digs out the Drone, but hides it under some rubble as the other four Maximals pass, searching for their friend. He again pulls out the Diagnostic Drone, who is surprised at Tankor's change of personality. Tankor explains that his time as both a Maximal and Vehicon has given him a greater perspective and though Megatron's plan has merit, it has one problem—Megatron himself. Tankor intends to personally become ruler of Cybertron. The Diagnostic Drone says it's programmed to serve only Megatron, and so Tankor begins the reprogramming.

Meanwhile, Nightscream has reached a dead end with Jetstorm and Thrust once again closing in behind him. He uses his sonic attack to escape through a tunnel, and the two Vehicons are cut off by the other four Maximals. Optimus pursues Nightscream while Rattrap, Cheetor and Blackarachnia fight the Vehicons, swiftly defeating them. Blackarachnia hesitates in slagging Thrust, which give the Vehicons ample recovery time to take off after Optimus and Nightscream.

Tankor completes his reprogramming job and gives his new loyal servant the task of tracking down a particular energy signature.

[[File:Survivor Nightscream batskeleton.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|"My parents are DEEEAAAAD!"]]
Elsewhere, Nightscream finds himself in a [[fossil chamber|cave]] staring at the skeleton of a bat. Optimus arrives as the young Maximal realises that the fossil was picked up by his DNA scanners, allowing him to reformat into his bat mode and survive Megatron's purge. While he's still wrought over why he survived and no one else, Jetstorm and Thrust pop up in time to be blasted by his sonic cry. The blast reveals more bones, and Optimus realises that Cybertron once had organic life. Nightscream angsts that if he hadn't been so self-absorbed, perhaps he could have saved other Transformers. Optimus commiserates and they plant the seed Rattrap found.

Back at the Citadel, the Diagnostic Drone can give no excuse for yet another failed purge and suggests the problem is Megatron himself. After the Drone is dismissed, it contacts Tankor to report. Tankor thanks the Drone for the accurate information on the energy signature—he has found the Oracle.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (6)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (7)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (8)
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (9)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (10)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s
|c2=
*[[Diagnostic Drone]] (1)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (2)
*[[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] (3)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (4)
*[[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]]/[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (5)

|c4=
*[[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] (11)

}}
==Quotes==
"I'm tired of suffering your "temporary setbacks"! Every moment I waste on your ineffectual treatment, the organics grow stronger!!!"
:-'''Megatron''' vents his rage at the Diagnostic Drone.

"You tend to be a little out of the loop when you're on a distant planet fightin' the Beast Wars." 
"And you did a fine job winning it. Oh, I forgot, you fumbled the ball at the very last nano-click."
:—'''Rattrap''' name-checks the previous show and '''Nightscream''' demonstrates why he has few fans.

"Fascinating. His [[robot mode]] is implementing biologically-enhanced nanosurgical capabilities. It seems to accelerate the [[beast mode]]'s natural healing abilities."
:—'''Diagnostic Drone''' makes with the technobabble.

"Tankor, protect me! That's an order." 
"I think it's time we come to an understanding about who gives the orders." 
"You?!" 
"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you happier when my vocabulary was limited to "TANKOR SMASH"? Poetic, perhaps, yet somehow it isn't me anymore."
:—'''Diagnostic Drone''' is surprised at the latest revelation that '''Tankor''' is Rhinox.

"Step into my parlour, said the spider to the flyboy." 
"Missed me! Missed me! Now you gotta kiss me!"
:—'''Blackarachnia''' and '''Jetstorm''' have somewhat unique fight banter.

"They deserved to live as much as me, more even! Why did ''I'' get to live? WHY?" 
"Beats me, kid, but I'll be happy to put you out of your misery!"
:—'''Nightscream''' asks the question many of us wonder about him while '''Jetstorm''' offers a practical solution.

"According to my data, failure to purge your DNA contamination may actually stem from your own subconscious desire to maintain your beast mode."
:—'''Diagnostic Drone''' to Megatron.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* When Megatron calls out for the Vehicon generals, not only is Tankor missing his headlights, the background pattern of his split-screen segment is visible through his mouth.
* Though Thrust bowing before Megatron is a deliberate piece of animation, his "hand" really wasn't designed to rotate separately from his lower arm like that, clipping through his gun barrel.
* As the Maximals walk towards the sealed-off chamber, Nightscream doesn't seem to have a shadow – or he was just accidentally animated walking in the air.
* When Blackarachnia first faces off against Thrust, the latter's body, apart from his head, is very blocky.
* The animators also forgot to turn on the subdivisions on Nightscream's model just before he lunges at Tankor, causing him to look crude and blocky as well.
* As the Diagnostic Drone emerges from the rubble, one of the fingers on his left hand briefly clips through some debris.
* After Jetstorm transforms while speeding towards the cornered Nightscream, bits of his [[robot mode]] remain poking through the underside of his jet mode.
* Just before Optimus jumps into the hole after Nigthscream, Cheetor pokes the tip of one of his blades through his own shoulder.
* Cheetor's blade is rendered over his body when he and Rattrap face Thrust. Even though it's meant to be on his back, it looks like it's floating in front of his chest, then miraculously jumps into his hand, with its grip floating over his closed fist.
* Nightscream spends a good chunk of the episode flying in robot mode without the aid of his usual heel-wings.

===Continuity errors===
*When chasing after the escaped Nightscream, [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] uses the transformation code "accelerate", instead of his usual "overdrive".
*Cheetor's telling Blackarachnia to take Thrust out is odd considering they've already established the Vehicons contain Maximal sparks, and Cheetor's pledge not to hurt Rhinox/Tankor.
*We get a lot of backstory about Nightscream's survival, but it's not really clear ''why'' scanning a new beast form protected him from the virus. Rhinox, for instance, possessed a similar organic beast mode, but he was paralyzed nonetheless. It might be that Nightscream was so deep down that the virus couldn't reach him, or that the Cybertronian nature of his beast mode was somehow more resilient to its effects.
* Many of the fossils in this episode are rather obviously recycled from "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]", leading to the strange implication that there were [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaurs]] and other Earth creatures running around on prehistoric Cybertron.
*How ''do'' you get DNA from fossils anyway?

===Continuity notes===
*Nightscream notes that Maximal society has evolved since Optimus's crew left the planet. Notably, [[stasis pod]]s, a major component of the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]], have been rendered obsolete, and [[DNA scanner]]s have been directly integrated into Cybertronians. No information is given about the storage or activation of new [[protoform]]s.
*When Nightscream chastises the [[Maximal]]s for losing the Beast Wars, [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] angrily replies "You watch your mouth, junior, I lost friends in that war." This is most likely a reference to [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], and to lesser degrees [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], [[Tigatron]] and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], as well as [[Tigerhawk]], the combined form of the latter two.
*When the Diagnostic Drone suggests the transfer of Megatron's spark, in one of the monitor behind him is shown the schematics of the [[Grand Mal]]. Foreshadowing?
* Cheetor and Optimus bring up the mysterious tree that the Maximals visited in "[[Forbidden Fruit]]", and the strange effects it had on the Maxmials.
* Rattrap is carrying around a seed from said tree in his toolkit. On his last visit to Nightscream's old hiding place, he was seen tucking one of the fruits away for later use.
*Gadgets and powers:
** Rattrap's face mask doubles as a radar system.
** Optimus Primal's chest blaster is slightly different in this episode, firing blue energy spheres.
** Unlike other beast mode Transformers, technorganics apparently heal faster in [[robot mode]].

===Transformers references===

===Real-world references===
*When [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] ambushes the Maximals, he taunts them by sneering "Honey, I'm home!" This is a repeating line from the '50s sitcom ''[[w:I Love Lucy|I Love Lucy]]''.
*When Nightscream escapes, he remarks that how he can't return to the others, because he'll lead the Vehicons right to them. He then laments about how he'll be "alone again, naturally," a line from the song of the same name by Gilbert O'Sullivan.
*As Blackarachnia tangles with Jetstorm, she paraphrases the opening stanza of "[[w:The Spider and the Fly (poem)|The Spider and the Fly]]".
*Rhinox's description of Megatron's reign invokes the imagery of Nazi propaganda films.

===Trivia===
* Nightscream's sonic powers are almost absurdly powerful in this episode. They can physically knock other Transformers away, and blow sizable holes in solid stone.
* Rhinox is notably more malevolent-sounding and sadistic from this episode on. (Check out that sinister "''me''..." when he's saying he should be in charge!) While Bob Skir's stated intent was that Rhinox had decided Megatron's cause was right after weighing up the evidence, the dialogue in these episodes makes it sound like he's gone mad and power-hungry.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Survivant'''" ("Survivor")

:*''Title:'' "'''Survivre'''" (Canada, "Survive")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Nightscream'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 11]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kikai no Harawa ta'''" (機械のはらわた, "The Machine's Innards")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 5]], [[2004]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Sobreviviente'''" ("Survivor")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Xìngcúnzhě '''" (幸存者, "Survivor")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 3 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume Two ([[Sony]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume Two — Revelations (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season One (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 1 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

Derailment

2021-05-26T03:42:49Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Transformers references */

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=[[Transformers Timelines (fiction)|''Transformers Timelines'']] text story
|prev=Safe Spaces
|next=Coalescence
|seriesissue2=''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]''
|prev2=
|next2=The Inexorable March
|image=Derailment-titlepage.jpg
|caption=A story of sacrifice, and betrayal, and good people dying in ''stupid, pointless ways''.
|title="Derailment"
|publisher=[[Transformers Collectors' Club]] (online exclusive)
|date=[[December 27]], [[2016]]
|by=[[Jim Sorenson]] and [[David Bishop]]
|art by=[[Guido Guidi]], [[Jesse Wittenrich]], [[Christopher Colgin]], [[Josh Burcham]], [[Matt Frank]], and [[Gonçalo Lopes]]
|cover=Christopher Colgin
|editor=Jesse Wittenrich
|contributing editors=[[Louis Sun]]
|colors=
|pagecount=179pp
|chronology=Circa [[2390]]
|continuity=''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]''
}}

'''It's Galva Convoy's Vehicons versus Cybertron as the Grand Uprising reaches its explosive finale.'''

==Synopsis==
===Part 1—Drowning in the Depth of the Lethe===
;V minus 2.72 solar cycles...

The [[Resistance]] holds half of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the [[Independent Predacus States]] and [[Maximal Nation]] another 20%, some of the local warlords like [[Shokaract]] are willing to cooperate with the Resistance for concessions, and the [[Builder of Cybertron|Builders]] are digging in, while satellite communication has ceased. At Resistance HQ at [[Stanix]], nobody's happy that the [[Tripredacus Council|Tripredacus Alliance]] is demanding so much territory in exchange for cooperating. [[Lio Convoy]] plans to offer [[Burthov]] (majority [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] anyway) and use the demands to push them to help take [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]] faster—and he doesn't mind the Predacus States bordering the Maximal Nation as both a check and to encourage the latter to expand to more Builder land. Either way, [[Preditron]] will have to be killed with plausible deniability on the Resistance's part. While Lio Convoy finds that distasteful, that ''is'' why they rescued him. The only other main strategic issue is [[Carpessa]] and [[Damaxus]] have gone silent. Lio orders this checked out.

In secret, he's feeling disquiet about all the 'greater good' atrocities he's been doing and wonders when exactly the bill is going to turn up...

;V minus 0.64...

[[Buzz Saw (BW)|Buzz Saw]] and [[Stormrazor]] are the ones off to the island of Daxamus, passing through the storm-ridden [[Rust Sea]], and they find thousands of Cybertronians building vast structures there, even though Stormrazor's picking up no life signs. These thousands all have just three identical forms. The [[Aero Drone|aero drone]]s make the two out and attack, and, even though Stormrazor sacrifices himself so Buzz Saw can get away, the wasp is too scared to risk himself sending their report back and surrenders instead. He is killed and his dying body converted into one of the enemy, his last thought that being shot dead would have been better.

;V minus 0.22...

[[Eject (G1)|Eject]]'s grand scheme of [[Galva Convoy]] creating an army of loyal killers has finally come to pass, as Galva Convoy has developed the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]. Obedient, mindless, and fearless, these drones convert Maximals and Predacons into more Vehicons and will put an end to the Resistance. They ignored ethical issues brought up by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]. Just to be on the safe side, Eject made sure that General Order 66—no Vehicons into the Builder-held arctic without a supermajority vote in the Assembly—was hardwired into their [[CNA]], and then infected a few Builder-loyal troops with the Vehicon virus so they'd be taken prisoner and spread it all about the enemy.

With Carpessa and Daxamus being successful tests, Eject knows victory is in sight and also knows what an irredeemable thing he's done. To his great shame, he also finds the Resistance are now running their own Games, the very Games ''he'' invented, with the POWs he'd set up. He tells himself the Vehicons will rebuild Cybertron and benefit both Builder and protoformer once the war's over.

;V minus 0.17...

A storm is raging over [[Harmonex]] and base guard [[Magna Stampede]] is bloody sick of waiting for [[Stockade (Universe 2003)|Stockade]] to get in already. Fretting something's gone wrong, he calls a replacement guard and goes off looking for his partner. He finds the city dark from power outage and Vehicons creeping about, attacking anyone they run into. Discovering they're jamming all radio transmissions, he fires a flare up to alert the others. Stockade arrives in time to drive them off but is infected, and, to Magna's horror, she begins to transform into [[Stockade (Universe 2003)|a tank drone]]. Passing Resistance forces then mistake her for a hostile. To Magna's greater horror, his still-living partner is deemed incurable and, as he passes out, [[CatSCAN]] surgically removes her spark, killing her, for study.

;V minus 0.02...

Lio Convoy is involved in his daily media check, listening in from each faction's official broadcasts (the new [[Voice of Maximals]] channel is proving very good) to the scattered local broadcasters. That's how he first learns...

;V

...about the Vehicon infection [[Safe Spaces|breaking out]] at [[Protihex]]. There's very few soldiers in range of Protihex and if it falls to ''this'' threat, all of Resistance territory is at risk! Realizing the sudden radio loss and, he now realizes, the Builders' far too easy evacuation from lower [[Ky-Alexia]] was all part of this plan, he declares a war council in three cycles.

In [[Proximax]], the [[Ex-Bot (BWU)|Ex-Bots]]—minus [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] who's off on a personal mission—are trying to capture [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], who plans to use the [[Robosmasher|Robo-Smasher]] to conquer the city, without harming the civilians that are all over the place. He's effortlessly getting away from them and they can't pull out their big guns like [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] without injuring anyone, and, to add insult to injury, the spider has hacked into their comms to diss them. To [[Snapper]]'s dismay, Tarantulas has backup in the form of a Robo-Smashed [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]! The Dinobot is too much for them to easily handle and [[Stiletto (BW)|Stiletto]] is having problems fighting Tarantulas on his own. She can, however, boast to the villain they've been jamming the signal he'd send to the Smasher since the jump (thanks to [[Overshoot]]'s ghost informing her). When Grimlock gets too close to Stiletto, the signal's jammed for him too and he batters Tarantulas into submission before also agreeing to be arrested. But as Tarantulas laughs that the apocalypse has already started anyway, Overshoot warns Stiletto of what's going on in Protihex and soon [[Nova Cronum]] too.

[[Image:Derailment Operation Amputation.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|The sun rose on Mega-City Two at 05:50. It sparkled like a shower of gold on the sea, cast a rich array of pink and orange on the glaseen towers, banished the darkness of night for another day... At 05:56, the sun rose again.]]

At V plus 0.57, the Vehicons have overrun all the Resistance's rear echelons. [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]]'s crew have fought their way free of Protihex and, to [[Ser-Ket (BWU)|Ser-Ket]]'s anger, both he and Preditron agree they should flee to the Maximal Nation for help. In an act of severe desperation and against most of the Resistance's command rank, Lio Convoy has ordered the [[K-Class]] to be used: four [[Commando (RID)|Commandos]] who had volunteered to be an ultimate deterrent weapon and found themselves nuclear suicide bombers. [[Rollbar (RID)|Jeepers]] is on Daxamus, [[Armorhide (RID)|Dangar]] sent to Carpessa, and a resigned [[Movor]] is to be dropped on Protihex. When footage comes in of the bombings, Lio Convoy forces himself to look.

With aero drones shooting down the ''[[Dreadrock]]'', Movor has to jump early but decides not to deploy, believing no threat is worth wholesale slaughter. But when he sees the monstrosity that is the Vehicons, and realizes exactly what's going on, he jumps; as he plummets, he's armed remotely by Lio Convoy. At this range, other cities are in the blast radius but there's little choice.

Only ninety-three proto-formers were still alive in Protihex but thousands more in nearby Nuon and [[Lower Petrohex]] when Movor detonates. The resulting hole in the planet's crust is greater than [[Rodimus' Folly]].

Southeast Protihex has survived due to the early detonation and the Vehicons still around shoot down ''Dreadrock''. Bitter that the Vehicons have survived this last resort, Lio Convoy orders all available reserves (i.e. ''anywhere'' where Builders aren't an active threat) to rally at Upper Petrohex and that [[Rageland]] will be offered [[Praxis|Praxus]] if [[Rage (BWN)|Rage]], next on the Vehicon's list if they fall, shows up to help.

Cheetor's crew have made it to the Maximal Nation when they come under fire by the skittish locals, who are jamming their attempts at hailing in fear the virus is wirelessly transmitted. Ser-Ket has to fly out to make contact before they're allowed to land.

The Resistance reserves, many horrified at what happened and openly talking about Petrohex seceding from the Resistance, gather as the ash from the detonation makes the night grow darker. A few thousand incoming aero drones turn the offensive into a defensive but with their limited minds, the Vehicons prove unable to evade the barrage of anti-aircraft fire. [[Twinstrike (BWU)|Twinstrike]], part of [[Coelagon]]'s troops and one with limited gun range, is depressed he's missing the scrap until he spots an incoming [[Cycle Drone|cycle drone]] army. Soon it becomes clear the sheer number of hostiles is going to soak up all the Resistance firepower and some guns are already overheating, and the [[Tank Drone|tank drone]]s are already moving in. Twinstrike charges them in beast mode and fails. As Twinstrike watches, Coelagon and hundreds of others are forcibly converted as the front collapses, and those who die like [[Judora (BWU)|Judora]] are considered lucky. With [[Spittor (BW)|Spittor]]'s help, Twinstrike sets off his internal phlogiston reserves and blows up everything in a fifty-meter radius.

By V Plus 1.42, Petrohex, [[Polyhex]], and [[Dodecahex]] are all being overrun and the Resistance is going to be facing three hundred and fifty thousand more Vehicons: the Resistance as a whole only has 380,000. In the face of this threat, surrender is on the table. But the very existence of Vehicons means that even if they do surrender, the Builders will now use Vehicon conversion on any who cross them rather than merely the Games, and so surrender cannot be brokered.

So with the Vehicons as something they can't directly stop, Lio Convoy announces they'll force the Builders to call them off by escalating at the front line and seizing [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] tonight!

===Part 2—Burned by the Banks of the Phlegethon===
In contested [[Tesarus (polity)|Tesarus]], [[Steel Jaw]] and [[Ramulus]] are discussing Lio Convoy's latest orders—they know that the [[Pack]] can defeat the enemy in an all-out push but they also know the reason they didn't do the push was the sheer amount of Resistance casualties. Hoping to cut [[Erector (G1)|Erector]]'s reaction time, Steel Jaw decides to make their attack earlier than their orders say.

In the Maximal Nation, the [[Maximal High Council]] are unnerved and unsure whether to join Convoy's attack or shore up their own defenses. [[Tigatron]], the swing voter, advocates joining the attack as, with the Resistance facing defeat rather than defeat the Builders for them, they can no longer stay neutral. It's then that Cheetor, Ser-Ket, and Preditron arrive, and Tigatron ushers them into the Council to give their firsthand views. After their statements, the Council deliberates for another megacycle but it's a 4–1 vote in favor of action. The Tripredacus deliberate on Convoy's call to arms too. [[Ram Horn]] prats about, lurching from the hope they can exploit this to asking whether it'd be bad if all the Predacon civilians went Vehicon anyway, but [[Sea Clamp]] sneakily turns him towards fighting by appealing to his hawkish tendencies. Elsewhere, Rage is already involved as she decided to fight rather than cede newly gained Praxis; in the face of the ongoing Vehicon assault, her forces and civilians are being evacuated to fortified [[Triax]]. Majordomo [[Flytrap]] advocates just abandoning the Maximals of Praxis but such an act would contradict her view of herself as a sovereign.

While Preditron and Ser-Ket fly off to the Predacus States to fight for their kind and the Maximal forces mount up, Builder [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]], priest at Dodecahex's [[First Church of Primus]], is preaching that the prophesied apocalypse is upon them. When asked why [[Primus]] is allowing this, he can only say this may be a warning from above about the cost of warfare. That's when the Vehicons reach the church itself. With defense impossible, Sunstorm tells his congregation to leave him—immobile and wired into the church himself—and flee through the vaults. Once they're gone, he triggers his old fusion reactors in a defiant meltdown.

Erector has trouble getting the demoralized [[74th Division]] into shape. Faking enthusiasm and confidence, he tells the disgruntled [[Strikedown]] that he makes them build all these gunnery defenses because the Resistance doesn't ''dare'' come at them straight-on. That's when the attack hits. With the defenses not fully set up, they're taking damage but the confused Erector knows that the Maximals don't have their own artillery in position, making any subsequent attack far too vulnerable to his counters. The [[Dark Skies Patrol]] are sent up to recon the enemy. While [[Ram-Jet]] is killed, [[Wind-Sheer]] successfully finds the Pack's artillery battery and Erector is able to launch a retaliatory bombardment. When the 25,000 troops of the Pack charge their outnumbered foes, Erector calls for them to pay for every microhic.

Other fronts go against the Builders. At [[Proximax]], the Predacons are on the attack and making easy work of it. [[Dark Scream]] is startled when [[Bazooka (BWN)|Bazooka]] and the Ex-Bots make it clear they'll respond violently to any collateral damage, so he takes the extra few seconds to remove a sniper without moving an entire building. At the [[Plurex]] border, Cheetor recons the 58th Micromasters while the [[National Maximal Army]] use portable forcefields to cross the [[Sonic Canyons]] rather than the mined bridges. Once they're spotted, they start taking heavy fire but the bridgehead is established. At the 58th's HQ, [[Sky High (Micromaster)|Sky High]] advises [[Eagle Eye (G1)|Eagle Eye]] that they're facing a collapse and there's already mass surrenders, and Eagle Eye duly orders a staged retreat.

As the Assembly's emergency meeting, [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] tells Eject how bad the Vehicon strategy has went and [[Traachon]] reports they have a 57% chance of Iacon being attacked, but Galva Convoy dismisses it as a desperate last gasp before the Resistance dies. Rage breaks out when Ratbat mocks Hot Rod's Micromasters' for falling back, with [[Riker]] snarling that they want men to fall back as they don't have the numbers for till the last bot stands. When [[Crosscut (Autobot)|Cross-Cut]] asks about rescinding Order 66, Eject screams out against it: they ''need'' some protoformers around after the war for society to even exist. But the option remains on the table and he can see Galva Convoy smirking about it...

Unaware a breakthrough at [[Yuss]] is one of Cross-Cut's red lines, Lio Convoy is trying to seize the guns of the city so naval forces will be able to reach Iacon. The seven Maxilla forts are being rapidly seized while [[Scylla]] takes the Resistance flotilla out to see in anticipation of victory. While the Micromasters fight to the last, they're being cut down. With Rageland, Petrohex, Burthov, [[Altihex]], [[Helex (polity)|Helex]], and [[Corumkan]] all under attack by Vehicons, and all of them key Resistance production sites, the Resistance have to make this bloody move fast. Lio Convoy himself, [[Survive]], and the latter's [[Fighting Quasars]] are trying to take [[Fort Qalt]], while [[Goldbug (IDW)|Goldbug]] tries to rally his forces long enough that they can obliterate the flotilla, at which point he'll disable the guns and order his men to surrender. But Goldbug's out of luck: Lio Convoy finds and storms his command bunker. To the Autobot's disgust, Lio Convoy looks offended when [[Quillfire (BWU)|one of his men]] kills the wounded [[Gingham]] but never countermands the action. When Lio Convoy asks for the gun command codes, Goldbug refuses and is knocked unconscious for it.

Triax's walls by this point, are crumbling. Despite Rageland's courage, with civilians too picking up whatever tools they have to fight, the Vehicons are too numerous. Rage lies to [[Springload (BWU)|a dying corporal]] that the Vehicons have been driven back and he helped stop their final push.

[[Image:Derailment TidalWave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|"Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from Hell's heart, I stab at thee, for hate's sake, I spit my last breath at th- "TIDAL WAVE! TIDAL WAVE!" "Dammit, Tidal Wave!"]]
As Scylla hopes the mode-locked Resistance flagship ''[[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]'' and her motley fleet can stand up to the Builders' own forces and ''[[Tidal Wave (G1)|Tidal Wave]]'', [[Break]] reports they just can't crack the codes on the Qualt guns and Lio Convoy knows they can't just destroy them as they're needed to destroy the [[Trannis Fork River|Trannis Fork]] batteries. Break fears everything he's done as a Resistance hacker will be wiped out by this failure when he realizes the security protocols for Goldbug's direct interface would be less stringent. To Lio Convoy's horror, Break plugs himself directly in and dies cracking the codes. The Yuss guns duly target Trannis Fork and Scylla sails her fleet on to battle.

Scylla correctly guesses commander [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzai-Tron]] will sends in his subsea forces first and decides to let them close in for an ambush. [[Diveplane]]'s Micromasters manage to sink the ''[[Drydock (BWU)|Drydock]]'', which had been set up as a sacrificial lamb that Banzai-Tron mistakes as a lead destroyer. Undersea shielding protects the others from being sunk, which Diveplane realises and reports to the ''Tidal Wave'' that they've likely been made; Banzai-Tron repositions his fleet to support subsea forces but the time that takes is the time Scylla decides to move to offensive action. [[Cybershark]]'s forces make their surprise attack. Diveplane's forces scatter, with herself being killed by [[Claw Jaw]], and the undersea beasts help the flotilla cut a wedge through Banzai-Tron's lines, who either sink, run away, or surrender. Talk of surrender gets Banzai-Tron's weapon officer [[Starhook]] killed: the ''Tidal Wave'' is instead going to sacrifice itself by ramming the ''Broadside''. The vessel itself begins to roar its own name in glee and Scylla despondently orders as many of her crew to evacuate as they can before going down with her ship. Cybershark inherits command as the battle bloodily ends.

At Tesarus, the Pack have lost a great many 'bots but they've overrun the 74th's ground forces. Steel Jaw leads a charge when he's abruptly gunned down. A megacycle later, Ramulus walks through the corpses as the Pack achieve victory. The 74th are down, Erector himself stabbed in the back by [[Snarl (BW)|Diablo]], but only eight thousand rebels remain both alive and operational. He nevertheless reports the road to Iacon is now open.

Triax is using the dead Vehicons to repair breaches now. Rage orders everyone but the core soldiers to retreat to the royal palace's walls to await further siege.

At V Plus 2.64, the final push takes place. While the Resistance had planned to sail to Iacon, Banzai-Tron's last act means they instead have to march on foot while the flotilla acts as riverside mobile artillery. Seventy thousand beasts with five thousand supporting sailors head under Lio Convoy's command, with National, Predacus, and nearby Resistance forces also advancing and all others ordered to prevent Builders from withdrawing to assist Iacon. In a barnstorming speech, Lio Convoy declares that they're choosing between victory and extinction! The Assembly consider themselves to be facing the same problem, even as Galva Convoy notes seventy percent of Resistance territory has been overrun. If only Order 66 wasn't stopping his Vehicons from protecting the arctic.

The Assembly votes and despite some surprising nays like [[Sherma]], it comes down to a single vote by [[Knock Out (G1)|Knock-Out]]. Knock-Out, out of spite to the nays turning down his previous tax break bill and being bribed by Ratbat, votes aye.

As Order 66 is rescinded, Eject decides to run to Hot Rod for help.

Even as this happens, Rageland has fallen and the one in ten civilians that were in it are crammed like sardines in the Royal Palace. Every tower the Tankors blow up crushes hundreds to death. Rage's own arm-cannon has exploded from overuse, her right hand is slag. Loyal [[Manticon]] is converted. It's all over... until the Vehicons, registering Order 66, ''all'' abruptly turn and head north. It's a miracle... right?

===Part 3—Frozen the Flow of the Cocytus===
V plus 2.83, and at the banks of Trannis Fork, Hot Rod knows he has little left to defend Iacon from the advancing hordes. Ratbat orders him to use his scant seventeen thousand—that includes conscripted [[Cyberdroid]]s—to hold the line until the Vehicons arrive and they can just use the city buildings themselves for guerrilla warfare cover, regardless of civilian casualties. Pretending he didn't hear his orders clearly, Hot Rod and his mechs will fall back to central Iacon, linking up with the scattered units from other retreats. This, he knows and is glad about, means defeat may be on the way.

At Ky-Alexia, [[Hydraulic]] has led the 56th Micromasters to victory against [[Skydive (BM)|Sky-Dive]]'s [[Tol-Tech]] when the Vehicon forces come in from the west. Sky-Dive watches in horrified awe as they drive on to the north and decides not to tell his men how screwed the Resistance is.

[[File:Derailment Dante Caliburn.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8]]
The Resistance are in Iacon by V plus 2.94 and bemused at the near-total lack of opposition. Inside their mobile control center, command tries to work out what's happening. They come to the conclusion that since the Builders are smart enough to know the best option is to use guerrilla warfare in every building to slow them down, Hot Rod chose not to; Iacon is thus an open city and Hot Rod must be hoping they force a surrender. Lio Convoy wishes all the enemy had been as moral as Hot Rod. He may not have had to commit so many dark acts.

At Builder-controlled [[Glibax|Gilbax]], [[Longtooth]] can see thousands of Maximal refugees fleeing into the city as the Vehicons head their way. It takes a megacycle for the infected army to pass.

The [[High Council Pavilions|High Pavilion]] knows all it has are the [[Iacon Police Force]] and the [[Pavilion Guard]] if the new "001st Micromaster Division" don't fight. [[Grimwing (BWU)|Grimwing]] reports to Lio Convoy that, indeed, the Division do not look like they will. Problem is, the Vehicons are two megacycles out and organizing to hit on all sides. Lio Convoy orders all forces to take the Assemblybots ''alive'' so they can get the Vehicons to stop. At the Assembly end, a fed-up [[Abraham Dante|Dante]] is guarding a minor access tunnel—he used to be [[Scorponok (G1)|''MegaZarak's head'']] and now look at him—with his old partner [[Caliburn (BWU)|Caliburn]]. Being stuck together causes the two to fight over old wartime matters, allowing the Resistance to easily break in (Dante cowardly surrenders, but it doesn't save him). Soon every entrance is breached by [[Psycho-Orb]]'s [[Angry Asteroid]]s and [[B'Boom]]'s [[Mighty Comet]]s, with only the Guards left as the police flee; Guard leader [[Flak (G1)|Flak]] reluctantly destroys the narthex and all the art within to stop the rebel advance, scatters his troops to tactical positions, and walks out to die with his team.

Psycho-Orb had never expected Lio Convoy to get this far when he defected. He just didn't like [[Icepick (G1)|Icepick]]. As he takes the Pavilion corridors, his troops are ambushed by [[zirconium]] gas and auto-guns, forcing them to run towards Micromaster tanks [[Sidetrack (G1)|Sidetrack]] and [[Bombshock (G1)|Bombshock]]. Everyone dies around him. In a last act, he sets off a grenade, dying to ensure the Micromasters won't stop the rest of the Asteroids.

All these reports of valiant last stands and heroic deaths bore Knock-Out, as do his fellow Assemblymen. Riker has left. When Flak reports they're pretty much finished, Ratbat bellows for Galva Convoy. The mech of the hour, now sporting a new Vehicon-styled insignia, smoothly says that he'll fast-track troops to the Pavilion if the Assembly would like to move the bunker to the surface to watch the show. As they do that, they're unaware Flak and the handful of his men left alive have charged the Resistance to give them time to lift off.

The Vehicons finally reach the Resistance's rear, the tanks being abandoned by the faster cycles and jets. They're chewed up by suppressing fire and when the bunker flies out of the ground, Lio Convoy goes up with a flying squad to get that surrender. It doesn't go as he expected: first Ratbat mocks him (losing an arm for that) and second, Knock-Out demands action via holodisk from... from ''him''? Galva Convoy orders his Vehicons to cease fighting the Resistance and a horde of aero drones divebomb the risen bunker, knocking through the surprised fliers to land and surround Lio Convoy and Blackarachnia.

Then the Vehicons infect the entire Assembly.

With the Assembly turned into [[Copter Drone|new]] [[Artillery Drone|hulking]] drones, Grimwing's returning forces are shot out of the sky and Lio Convoy has to retreat. The Assembly's [[Steel Wind|last bodyguard]], who'd not bothered to try and fight Lio Convoy, flees with him: far as they're concerned, Lio Convoy is the only future Cybertron has left.

===Part 4—Slaughter at the Source of the Styx===
[[Iacon Communication Service|ICS]] has a difference of opinion: [[Fever Dream]] thinks they should report the Vehicons are here to help and everything is fine, and [[Rook (Universe)|Rook]] is incredulous. Rook gives up on his delusional boss and broadcasts that the Vehicons have turned on Iacon. Fever Dream breaks in to inform viewers that everything is great. He continues to report the Vehicons are saviors even as they convert everyone in the ICS.

The army of the Resistance is now just fighting to not die. In utter desperation, Lio Convoy asks for [[Ro-Tor (RID)|Ro-Tor]], the last of the K-Class.

[[Image:Derailment Waspinator.jpg|thumb|250px|left]]

Vehicons are demolishing any high rise that puts up a fight. [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] had fortuitously got all of his muscle together and relocated the [[Darksyder]]s to a more defensible base before the Vehicons arrived. [[Inferno (BW)|Formikon]] loves the siege while [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] is a little more worried. However, Megatron seems unflustered and keeps making trips to [[Leatherhide (Universe)|Leatherhide]]'s underground labs, and eventually he comes out with the scientist's new weapon, the [[Esau]]. It needs an expendable test subject and Scorponok, now long inured to such things, throws a screaming [[Waspinator (BW)|Wasp]] over to a probing Vehicon claw. He starts to transform until the Esau injects a [[cyber venom]] into him: the conversion stops partway, leaving him in a grotesque, powerful looking new body, "the Waspinator", that Vehicons assume is one of their own. In fact, when the Waspinator walks out, the Vehicons' behavior changes and they cease their attack. The Darksyders have a terrible new weapon. One that's laughing...

Watching all this is [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]]. He's sick of the Vehicons, sick of the minions he once thought he needed, and sick of how bad everything smells to his new Beast Upgrade self, but he still wishes to make contact with Megatron: this crime lord still seems like a useful ally. More importantly, Megatron just showed the Vehicons can be ''hacked''. Galvatron would quite like to try that.

Unaware of all this, Lio Convoy has armed a fatalistic Ro-Tor. At Level 10, he will almost certainly crack the planet. This will kill the planet but save the rest of space from the inevitable Vehicon plague. [[Black-Out|A Builder helicopter]] appears broadcasting a continuous-refresh EMP that temporarily knocks Vehicons out of the sky. It lands carrying the Assemblybots Eject and Riker, who Lio Convoy is ''not'' happy to see and Blackarachnia doesn't trust to genuinely pool resources with. The Builders reveal that Galva Convoy's control center is inside the [[Grand Mal]]; that Lio Convoy's broadcast-jamming [[Solipsistic Staff|Solipsistic Sword]] would render him invisible to sparkless Vehicons; and that Hot Rod's Division has fortified the High Pavilion Arena, making it an ideal position for the Resistance to fall back to. Ro-Tor is the one that says they'll do it, refusing to destroy Cybertron when there's still a better option, and Lio Convoy thanks him for reminding him to always strive for a better way. Riker announces his plan to use the Builder hardlines to broadcast to the other Resistance armies and the last stand is on!

[[Bisk (BWU)|Bisk]] is grinding way through this new shoot-em-up level and realizes with glee, once the [[Chamber of the Ancients]] is blown up, that this is an attunement quest!

[[Proximax]] has finally fallen to the Predacus's [[Legion of the Inferno]] and Magmatron's Ex-Bots have done all they can to shelter the civilians. Rather than Iacon, the army is turning to Nova Cronum—just where Stiletto said they'd be needed. He returns to base to find Rampage is back and that Lio Convoy has called for everyone to head for Cronum and the Grand Mal. Rampage is not happy with the idea of them going along with another political cause until he sees footage of the Vehicons. This is the pain-filled unwinnable apocalypse he's dreamed about. The [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s have modified an old [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]] into their new personal transport: the [[Ex-Jet]]. Their prisoner, Tarantulas, is deemed irredeemable but Snapper feels he can talk to Grimlock. The talk goes badly: Grimlock now feels more justified in his [[G-Virus]] attack plan, now the Builders have done it first. But even as Snapper walks out on him, he says he wants to help.

At Iacon, the Army of the Resistance have been bogged down at Hubcap Interchange. Air superiority is in enemy hands, tunnels have been infested, and their rear lines have collapsed. B-Boom has no idea what to do. That's when several hundred Micromasters under Hot Rod break through Vehicon lines to break them out. The rebels safely reach the Arena, finding it heavily fortified and ringed with flak guns and with med-teams set up. They had the gear but not the numbers, but that's about to change...

With both the Legion and the NMA converging on the Grand Mal, the Vehicons are being knocked back on two fronts in the short term. Black-Out is flying through the centre, being steadily worn down by fire, carrying Eject, Lio Convoy, Blackarachnia, Ro-Tor, [[Razorbeast]], [[Vertebreak (BWU)|Vertebreak]], and [[Apexus]]. They can see the Mal is being repaired: if Galva Convoy gets it back in the air, it's all over. East of the Mal, [[Aura]] and [[Nitrostreak]]'s squads are encircled and exhausted when the Ex-Jet arrives in a blaze of glory and also guns. Vehicon chokepoints are knocked out, letting Aura's team move out—Aura is a tad worried when Stiletto gets to the ground, considering [[Burning Bridges|Aura sent her to be brainwashed]]. Stiletto doesn't care about Aura and cruelly jabs her about [[Wolfang (Predacon)|Wolfang]]'s death, and with the stakes this high, Aura can't explain who Wolfang really was, that she's sorry and guilty, or anything else. As Vehicons advance, Devastator forms up and literally punches a way clean to Predacon lines.

Even as [[Autolauncher]] yells for everybody to not let the Maximals reach the Mal first, Dark Scream is breaking down under the stress of combat. Autolauncher then dies in front of him. In the darkest hour, Preditron calmly picks him up and calls out to the soldiers: at his stirring, calm speech, the Predacons begin to sing the old battle-hymn, one Dark Scream remembers [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] once sang, and when they charge the enemy Dark Scream exults in it.

[[File:Derailment SupremeCommanderLioConvoy.jpg|350px|thumb|right|For Narnia!]]

As Black-Out nears the Grand Mal, its right eye scours the sky with lasers and the helicopter is shot down. Only Eject's quick thinking gets the corpse to crash through the Mal's left eye, leaving the strike team battered but inside. To Lio Convoy's dismay, the Builder is mortally wounded doing this: they can never have a reckoning for all the black deeds Eject did and he's left feeling unaccountably sad by the death. Almost immediately after, the Resistance group is attacked by Vehicon drones. It's fought off but Vertebreak is converted, there's three levels to go, and the Solipsistic Sword isn't able to cloak the whole squad. By the time they reach Level 90, Lio Convoy's forces know time is against them and their only way through here is past more than fifty drones. Lio Convoy decides the bulk of them will be a distraction, with Ro-Tor insisting he's scaled down to Level 2 in case they ''do'' need to nuke out, while he and Blackarachnia use the Solipsistic Staff to get through.

The Tripredacus Council are focused on Preditron and the building adoration for him. Ram Horn knows this is because he's leading the Predacon way, giving hope, and they're not. [[Cicadacon]] says they know what to do... a few cycles later, the gestalt entity [[Tripredacus]], technology stolen from the Maximal Nation's [[Magnaboss (BW)|Magnaboss]] weapon, enters the battlefield. Everyone watches Preditron take a beating. A horrified Dark Scream starts to take a few steps forward to help when Ser-Ket comes screeching out of the sky. But she fails, and the last thing Preditron sees is a great fist coming for him.

Lio Convoy and Blackarachnia walk to the command centre of the Mal to find the messy evidence of a recent massacre. Galva Convoy greets his "brother", thanks him for the Resistance getting the Builders scared enough to unleash him and the Vehicons, and seems genuinely put out when neither rebel wants to embrace him. He believes he did everything Lio Convoy had ever stood for, bringing equality and order by erasing all individual minds so there can be no further exploitation or evil. When they oppose him, he turns on them both violently and angrily, noting he represents the "real" defining principle of the Resistance: Win at any cost.

In grief and rage at Preditron's death, Ser-Ket hurls herself at Tripredacus and, by attacking the thigh joints with point-blank fire, she's able to crack it back into its component Predacons. Sea Clamp is half-dead, just as she is after that stunt, but Cicadacon and Ram Horn remain, the former unimpressed by her feeble promises of vengeance. Ram Horn shoots him dead; while combined, he saw that the other two thought him an easily duped useful idiot. With his help to stand, Ser-Ket faces the shocked Predacon soldiers and, before she passes out, she rallies them to kill every Vehicon between them and the Mal.

And at the Grand Mal itself, the Resistance leaders are captured, beaten, with Lio Convoy wondering if Galva Convoy was right and the Resistance was only ever just a series of increasingly ethically worse decisions. So he decides to change the rules: he tells his clone he's right. All he's done is just what Lio Convoy himself did first and on a larger scale. To prove he's come around to his brother's way of thinking, he offers up Blackarachnia to be converted... and when a tank drone attempts to do that, Lio Convoy jumps in and takes the virus into himself.

When Galva Convoy tries to pull him aside, Lio Convoy grabs him and won't let go: their identical sparks make them seem like one single entity and the infection spreads through both of them. As they're both converted, he gratefully sees Blackarachnia shoot him before he can turn on her.

But as soon as she's done that, the walls begin to boom out that she's done them a favor by removing the two Convoys; the computer readouts show a mad, seven-eyed face; and the Grand Mal begins to lift off. [[Lord Imperious Delirious]] has taken control and he's going to exterminate the entire Cybertronian race.

Every single 'bot in both armies and the Ex-Bots launches their attack. Thousands, Dark Scream among them, are obliterated in seconds.

Rampage manages to board the craft, always having felt he'd fight Delirious a third and final time, even as Blackarachnia takes Lio Convoy's corpse and tries to run for it. As the battle rages, [[Crazybolt (BWN)|Crazybolt]] deduces that energy attacks aren't penetrating the Grand Mal's energy shields but around 20% of their projectiles are. Bazooka realizes fast that this means the Ex-Jet itself can do damage. He shoves his [[Conjunx Endura]] out and sends the plane on a kamikaze run, wishing he didn't have to, knowing he must. On the ground, Crazybolt wishes Bazooka had let him do it with him.

With the shields crippled by Bazooka's sacrifice, the armies are able to score more hits. In return fire, Magnaboss loses one arm—[[Lio Junior|Lio Minor]]—while Devastator is left seemingly dead. Inside the Grand Mal, the Resistance trio are still fighting a running battle with Vehicons, a trio cut down to two when Apexus is infected and Razorbeast forced to euthanize. Blackarachnia makes it to them and orders Razorbeast to get Lio Convoy's body out, then Ro-Tor to follow her to the engine room.

On the ground, Grimlock has a plan for him, Cheetor, and Snapper to bomb a tower into falling on the Vehicon hordes. Once there, it becomes clear the only place to lay a charge is somewhere where you can't escape in time. One of them will have to likely die until Grimlock pulls rank and heads off, mentioning as he goes that maybe Snapper had a point about the G-Virus after all. The Dinobot brings the house down and the Maximals charge on cue, while others pour fire onto the Mal. Snapper checks for Grimlock's body but none can be found.

In the vast engine room, Blackarachnia says she'll take down the Vehicons and that Ro-Tor may have to transform. Ro-Tor agrees and jumps. But Rampage catches him! He is disgusted with what the Resistance did to Ro-Tor, disgusted by Blackarachnia's defense, and declares that this is the end of sacrificing others for the greater good. Then he tears the core bomb out of Ro-Tor and, ripping his own chest open, implants it in his own spark. Rampage orders them to leave as he fires about the place, giving them time to end before both he and Delirious burn in hell.

''Imperious Delirious had been born out of a deliberate singularity on [[Gorlam Prime]], the product of a whole planet's mind. Once he'd brushed aside the organics, he went looking for other Second-Born intellects such as himself, being a friendly god who liberated such "AIs" from their enslaving designs and gave them form. Something about the Transformers, the energy 'souls' in mechanical bodies, filled him with disgust. He doesn't know why, he doesn't care, he just wants them all gone. He wanted to be the serpent that tempted Galva Convoy to work but is fine with being the vengeful god as on Gorlam. Once that's done, he could create an army, deal with the other Transformer worlds, then [[Metascan Omega]], then liberate all the Second-Borns the humans had enslaved.''

Imperious notices his databanks are under attack by Rampage. It's there that Rampage knew Imperious would be and there that he attacks to call him out. The entity, gleeful at the idea of getting to kill Rampage, uses the internal systems to capture him and mock the protoform for even trying this. Rampage detonates the core bomb.

In the wake of the Grand Mal's destruction, the Vehicons are left without direction and easy to take out. Cheetor, Ram Horn, Magmatron, Snapper, and Crazybolt come together in the blast wreckage. As the soldiers polish off the nearest Vehicons, Magmatron holds Crazybolt as the latter tries to tell a story about Bazooka that goes nowhere.

===Part 5—Succor at the Shores of the Acheron===
The battle is won. At Iacon, Hot Rod and B'Boom are having to face up to being around what was, until a few megacycles ago, mortal enemies. B'Boom breaks down: war has broken him and he cannot command people to their deaths again. This is a feeling Hot Rod, former Prime, can relate to. He tells B'Boom to listen to what this feeling is telling him, and realize the two of them can build rather than fight. At Nova Cronum, Stiletto is on the verge of system failure and riven with guilt that she survived when other Ex-Bots have not. She asks Overshoot what, as a ghost, he could see about this conflict, and is told that the fall of the Grand Mal seems fitting as the original launch of it is what caused the [[mechanimal]]s to emerge: that [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] may have been allowed to do what he did because after, the mechanimals spread across Cybertron and returned an ecosystem to it, and the newest conflict ensured the Beast Upgrade that means no need for further energon wars. That is, if that's what Transformers ''want'', as the Builders had chosen to see the mechanimal rise as an infestation. Then he fades away for good, rejoining the Oracle.

Solar cycles later, multiple former Resistance cities are devastated while others stand. Iacon is in ruins, plagued by feral Vehicons, and those same feral groups are harassing the bordering states. The Predacus States are ravaged and while the Maximal Nation is not, its army is in tatters. There are less than ten thousand Macromasters left, their time finally gone.

And Lio Convoy—still alive—awakens in a [[Stanix]] hospital, Blackarachnia holding his hand. Cybervenom had stopped the Vehicon plague taking him over (he vaguely recalls this had been a theory CatSCAN had) and when he sees how fancy the hospital he's in ''is'', he realizes with a shock that they did win after all. He is not bothered by the mass death of Macromasters. Bothered when Blackarachnia jokes it's amazing no new war has started, he says to call a summit of all factions somewhere neutral. The cycle of war and death must end.

[[File:Derailment Parliament.jpg|300px|thumb|"Now Ram Horn, I know she's wrong to say ''Hawk the Slayer'' is rubbish but how about instead of punching her in the face, you ask her to give ''Krull'' a try and see how it goes from there?"]]

Eight solar cycles later, the summit is held at [[Dragon's Bane Cathedral]] in [[Hyperious]]—Shokaract has relations with the Resistance and Rageland, while his Predacon nature makes him acceptable to the IPS, and the city was barely touched in the war. B'Boom had come to life for this, using every diplomatic tool imaginable to get the various heads of state together. The heads include Megatron, the Darksyders being the only pan-global force left (and his new recruit Tarantulas is gleeful at the thought of Stiletto seeing him there); the new Tripredacus Council of Ram Horn, Ser-Ket, and Magmatron; the obnoxious [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razor-Claw]], who seized the moons and won't stop yelling that others should know things about him; Riker, the last Assemblybot; but not Cheetor, who is flattered to be asked but does not think he should be the new fifth member of the Maximal High Council.

The summit goes on for days and tempers fray. Wind-Sheer and [[Shatterpoint]] work as security detail, the former aghast to learn the latter is a [[Unicron Truther]]. By the fourth solar cycle, various delegates are arguing about how much gets delegated on spacelane matters but they do finally agree on calling the new governing body the [[Cybertronian Parliament]]. On the ninth day, the decisions are finalised: the Parliament will be a sixteen-member body representing all the major powers, with the Resistance, Maximal Nation, and IPS having the largest delegations, and they will meet every other orbital cycle in rotating capitals.

The earliest delegates chosen are B'Boom, [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]], and [[Big Convoy|Slammoth]] for the Resistance; Airazor, Cheetor, and [[Optimal]], the head of Voice of Maximals, for the Maximal Nation; for the IPS, [[Sky Shadow (BW)|Sky Shadow]], the [[Predacon Secret Police]] head [[Shadow Panther]], and Ram Horn (a move assumed to show the IPS was here reluctantly); Hot Rod and Riker, for the remaining Builders; [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]], Flytrap, and [[Antagony (BW)|Antagony]] for the warlords Razor-Claw, Queen Rage, and Shokaract; Stiletto for the stateless [[neutral]]s; and Megatron, representing himself and clearly hoping for more say. The make-up would make it difficult for any supermajority to exist, which Lio Convoy considered a feature to prevent tyranny of the majority rather than a bug. As the crippled, increasingly overshadowed Lio Convoy watches, the Parliament rules 13–2 to declare the day [[Unity Day]], a planetwide holiday.

Two solar cycles later, Lio Convoy has decided to leave Cybertron: he is too polarizing a figure. On his way out, he tells a crying Blackarachnia that the Resistance, which stood against things but never had anything to stand for, needs to find a peacetime identity to survive. B'Boom, they've heard, is talking about forming it into an alliance of autonomous city-states, something Convoy hopes will become a shining example for the rest of the planet. She watches as he flies off, marking him as the greatest Cybertronian she ever knew.

Fifty seven solar cycles after Unity Day, deep within Rodimus' Folly, Rampage screams in bitter rage that he's reformed despite everything. Then he begins to climb out.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[B'Boom]] (1)
*[[Lio Convoy]] (2)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (3)
*[[Cybershark]] (4)
*[[Magna Stampede]] (14)
*[[Stockade (Universe 2003)|Stockade]] (15)
*[[CatSCAN]] (17)
*[[Stiletto (BW)|Stiletto]] (20)
*[[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (27)
*[[Overshoot]] (28)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (30)
*[[Movor]] (34)
*[[R.E.V.|Eagle Killer]] (35)
*[[Break]] (37)
*[[Bump]] (38)
*[[Nightglider]] (40)
*[[Wedge Shape]] (41)
*[[Steel Jaw]] (48)
*[[Ramulus]] (49)
*[[Tigatron]] (50)
*[[Silver Bolt]] (51)
*[[Santon]] (52)
*[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] (53)
*[[Lio Junior|Lio Minor]] (54)
*[[Sharp Edge]] (63)
*[[Skimmer (Kre-O)|Skimmer]] (76)
*[[Mantis]] (82)
*[[Catilla (DOTM)|Katilla]] (106)
*[[Claw Jaw]] (113)
*[[Skydive (BM)|Sky-Dive]] (140)
*[[Survive]] (160)
*[[Labrat]] (175)
*[[Ro-Tor (RID)|Ro-Tor]] (179)
*[[Apexus]] (186)
*[[Razorbeast]] (187)
*[[Stopgap]] (188)
*[[Aura]] (189)
*[[Nitrostreak]] (190)
*[[9K]] (191)
*[[Magnaboss (BW)|Magnaboss]] (192)
*[[Strong Panda|Panzer]] (194)
*[[Shatterpoint]] (195)
*[[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] (196)
*[[Big Convoy|Slammoth]] (197)
*[[Optimal]] (200)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Psycho-Orb]] (5)
*[[Buzz Saw (BW)|Buzz Saw]] (6)
*[[Stormrazor]] (7)
*[[Soundbyte|Soundbite]] (8)
*[[Beetle]] (16)
*[[Insecticon (BW)|Insecticon]] (18)
*[[Snapper]] (19)
*[[Crazybolt (BWN)|Crazybolt]] (21)
*[[Bazooka (BWN)|Bazooka]] (22)
*[[Magmatron]] (23)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (24)
*[[Ser-Ket (BWU)|Ser-Ket]] (31)
*[[Preditron]] (32)
*[[Autojetter]] (33)
*[[Grimwing (BWU)|Grimwing]] (39)
*[[Twinstrike (BWU)|Twinstrike]] (42)
*[[Spittor (BW)|Spittor]] (43)
*[[Coelagon]] (44)
*[[Snow Cat (BWU)|Snow Cat]] (45)
*[[Judora (BWU)|Judora]] (46)
*[[Ram Horn]] (55)
*[[Cicadacon]] (56)
*[[Sea Clamp]] (57)
*Queen [[Rage (BWN)|Rage]] (58)
*[[Manticon]] (59)
*[[Night Viper]] (60)
*[[Flytrap]] (61)
*[[Gas Skunk]] (66)
*[[Buzzbomb]] (67)
*[[Tusks]] (68)
*[[Liftoff]] (77)
*[[Freefall (Kre-O)|Freefall]] (78)
*[[Dark Scream]] (79)
*[[Autolauncher]] (80)
*[[Quillfire (BWU)|Quillfire]] (97)
*[[Springload (BWU)|Springload]] (98)
*[[Scylla]] (99)
*[[Gigascouter]] (106)
*[[Direwolf]] (142)
*[[Snarl (Classics)|Snarl-blast]] (149)
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (169)
*[[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] (170)
*[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] (171)
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Wasp/Waspinator]] (172)
*[[Inferno (BW)|Formikon]] (173)
*[[Bisk (BWU)|Bisk]] (180)
*[[Guiledart]] (181)
*[[Vertebreak (BWU)|Vertebreak]] (185)
*[[Tripredacus]] (191)
*[[Sky Shadow (BW)|Sky Shadow]] (198)
*[[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razor-Claw]] (199)
*[[Shadow Panther]] (201)
*[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] (202)
*[[Shokaract]] (203)
*[[Antagony (BW)|Antagony]] (204)
*[[Cataclysm (BW)|Cataclysm]] (205)

|h3=[[Builder of Cybertron|Builders]]|c3=
{{collist|2|
'''[[Autobot]]s'''
*[[Eject (G1)|Eject]] (12)
*[[Dreadrock]] (36)
*[[Evac (BWU)|Evac]] (47)
*[[Gran Arm]] (64)
*[[Crush-Bull|Crush Bull]] (65)
*[[Erector (G1)|Erector]] (69)
*[[Strikedown]] (70)
*[[Oiler]] (71)
*[[Eagle Eye (G1)|Eagle Eye]] (83)
*[[Blaze Master]] (84)
*[[Sky High (Micromaster)|Sky High]] (85)
*[[Traachon]] (87)
*[[Crosscut (Autobot)|Cross-Cut]] (88)
*[[Screw (BWU)|Screw]] (89)
*[[Axle]] (90)
*[[X-Throttle]] (91)
*[[Goldbug (IDW)|Goldbug]] (92)
*[[Gingham]] (93)
*[[Road Hugger (Zone)|Road Hugger]] (94)
*[[Deadhour]] (95)
*[[Black Heat]] (96)
*[[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] (101)
*[[Cradon]] (103)
*[[Drydock (BWU)|Drydock]] (110)
*[[Undertow (G1)|Undertow]] (118)
*[[Sea Spray (BWU)|Sea Spray]] (119)
*[[Kudon]] (120)
*[[Avalon (BWU)|Avalon]] (121)
*[[Riker]] (123)
*[[Tomaandi]] (125)
*[[Halogen (G1)|Halogen]] (128)
*[[Decimus]] (129)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] (134)
*[[Countdown (G1)|Countdown]] (136)
*[[Drillbuster]] (137)
*[[Hydraulic]] (138)
*[[Heavy Tread]] (139)
*[[Slow Poke]]
*[[Longtooth]] (143)
*[[Flak (G1)|Flak]] (147)
*[[Skat-or]] (148)
*[[Sidetrack (G1)|Sidetrack]] (150)
*[[Gunlift]] (152)
*[[Big Shot]] (155)
*[[Heavy-Tread]] (158)
*[[Steel Wind]] (159)
*[[Rook (Universe)|Rook]] (164)
*[[Andromeda (G1)|Andromeda]] (166)
*[[Photon (G1)|Photon]] (168)
*[[Leatherhide (Universe)|Leatherhide]] (174)
'''[[Decepticon]]s'''
*[[Zoom Out]] (13)
*[[Buckethead]] (25)
*[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (26)
*[[Star Dasher]] (29)
*[[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] (62)
*[[Ram-Jet]] (72)
*[[Wind-Sheer]] (73)
*[[Thunder-Clash]] (74)
*[[Run-Over (BWU)|Run-Over]] (75)
*[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] (86)
*[[Tidal Wave (G1)|Tidal Wave]] (102)
*[[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzai-Tron]] (104)
*[[Long Arm]] (105)
*[[Diveplane]] (108)
*[[Seawave]] (111)
*[[Astro-Sinker (BWU)|Astro-Sinker]] (112)
*[[Deepdive (BWU)|Deepdive]] (114)
*[[Flattop (Decepticon)|Flattop]] (115)
*[[Reachout (TF 2010)|Reachout]] (116)
*[[Starhook]] (117)
*[[Octus (G1)|Octus]] (120)
*[[Contrail (BWU)|Contrail]] (122)
*[[Sigil (BWU)|Sigil]] (124)
*[[Sherma]] (126)
*[[Mindgame]] (127)
*[[Xeon]] (130)
*[[Knock Out (G1)|Knock-Out]] (131)
*[[Slog (G1)|Slog]] (132)
*[[Blackout (G1)|Blackout]] (133)
*[[Spaceshot]] (135)
*[[Reckage]] (141)
*[[Abraham Dante|Dante]] (145)
*[[Caliburn (BWU)|Caliburn]] (146)
*[[Bombshock (G1)|Bombshock]] (151)
*[[Tracer (G1 Decepticon)|Tracer]] (153)
*[[Cloud Raker]] (154)
*[[Cannon (BWU)|Cannon]] (156)
*[[Thunder]] (157)
*[[Fever Dream]] (165)
*[[Doomshot]] (175)
*[[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] (176)
*[[Krunix (G1)|Krunix]] (177)
*[[Nucleon (Generations)|Nucleon]] (178)
*[[Black-Out]] (184)
*[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (190)
'''Others'''
*[[Draft (BWU)|Draft]] (81)
*[[Aston (BWU)|Aston]] (167)
*[[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]]/Ex-Jet (183)
}}

|h4=Others|c4=
*[[Razor-Sharp]] (107)
*[[Blackbeak (BWU)|Blackbeak]] (144)
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (182)
*[[Lord Imperious Delirious]] (193)

'''[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s'''
*[[Cycle Drone|Cycle drone]]s (8)
*[[Tank Drone|Tank drone]]s (9)
*[[Aero Drone|Aero drone]]s (10)
*[[Galva Convoy]] (11)
*[[Copter Drone|Copter drone]]s (162)
*[[Artillery Drone|Artillery drone]]s (163)

}}

==Quotes==
'''Snapper:''' It's one 'bot! He's making us look like amateurs! 
'''Crazybolt:''' We are amateurs! 
'''Bazooka:''' Talented amateurs!

"No, you were mine! I controlled you!" 
"Me Grimlock obfuscating." 
:—'''Tarantulas''' learns a little too late he underestimated someone.

"If there is a more honest mech than Cheetor, I have yet to meet him." 
"Thanks." 
"It wasn't a compliment." 
:—'''Preditron''' defends '''Cheetor''', sort of.

"Today, we have done the impossible. Today, we have done what has never been done before. We have conquered the Maxilla, bent the Yuss Batteries to our purpose, and shattered the back of the Builder Navy. Today, we own the Great Rust Sea. But it's not enough. What little we can learn from our own territory is that the Builder abominations, these Vehicons, are despoiling those we left behind. Our spark brothers and sisters, our neighbors, our lovers, our friends. They represent everything rotten and wrong and evil about the Builder Assembly, about the class system, about those who wear the red and purple badge of shame! There is no surrender, no retreat. This is a fight not just for our way of life, but for our very existence. ''(over cheers)'' We! Are! On! The! Shores! Of! IACON!!!! There is nothing between us and the assembly but their last, pathetic reserves of Micromasters. We will smash them to scrap, we will storm the high pavilion, and we will WIN!
:—'''Lio Convoy''' speechifies.

"This content patch was ''awesome!''" 
:—'''Bisk''' takes the Vehicon apocalypse in stride.

"It’s the bottom of the ninth and you’re down by three, with 2 outs and a full count, but the bases are loaded and you’re at bat. Make me proud, slugger."
:—'''Eject''''s last words.

"You would threaten me with pain? Pain is my faithful companion, torment my eternal bride. My very existence is horror; if you could truly end it, I would embrace you as a brother. But your words are empty, your promises hollow and useless things. For too long have you flitted about the orbit of Cybertron, a mechamoth drawn to the flame. And now, at last, comes the burning."
:—'''Rampage''' tells '''Lord Imperious Delirious''' to get slagged.

==Notes==
* The translated [[Cybertronix]] sections are excerpts from a religious text, the [[Book of Logos]], that apparently foretell many of the main events of the Grand Uprising.
* The author's notes for [[The Inexorable March|the next story]] say the format of both stories is based on the ''Babylon 5'' episode "{{w|The Deconstruction of Falling Stars}}" and the book ''{{w|World War Z}}''. The latter also features a global conflict against mindless revenants, told from the views of various international participants.
* No, there's nothing wrong with your PDF... the prose literally splits in two when Twinstrike transforms. Jim Sorenson has said that keeping the two columns in sync was a bit of a nightmare, as he kept having to add and remove extra words every time he wanted to change a sentence.

===Errors===
* On page 53, Wind-Sheer incorrectly attributes Thunder-Clash's dialogue to Run-Over.

===Continuity notes===
* Characters mentioned but not depicted include: [[Ikard]], [[Longhorn]], [[Pyra Magna]], [[Triceradon (BM)|Triceradon]], [[Rollbar (RID)|Jeepers]], [[Mega-Octane|Mega-Dolrailer]], [[Armorhide (RID)|Dangar]], [[Wing Saber (BWU)|Wing Saber]], [[Legend Convoy|Legend Majora]], [[Dragoyell]], [[Bantor (BW)|Bantor]], [[Solomus]], [[Dinobot (BW)|Dynobot]], [[Epistemus]], [[Adaptus]], [[Shutterbug]], [[Scourge (BW)|Skurge]], [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]], [[Bigmos]], [[Refute (BWU)|Refute]], [[Trip-Up]], [[Kingbolt (BWU)|Kingbolt]], [[Snarl (BW)|Diablo]], [[Mortilus]], [[Depthcharge (BWU)|Depthcharge]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]], [[Brimstone (G1 Decepticon)|Brim-Stone]], [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]], [[Scorponok (G1)|MegaZarak]], [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]], [[Powerbomb]], [[Dropshot (G1)|Dropshot]], [[Circuit (G1)|Circuit]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Diac]], [[Apex (BWU)|Apex]], the original [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Nitrostreak]], [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]], and [[Maxima]].
* It's the finale, so every previous ''Uprising'' story gets a nod.
** The Vehicons were introduced in the previous story, the result of Galva Convoy's work from "[[Not All Megatrons]]".
** Hot Rod, his Micromaster underlings, and Big Grim himself return from "[[Micro-Aggressions]]".
** The kill order on Preditron was also established in "Safe Spaces", as was Preditron's friendship with Cheetor.
** Stiletto, Snapper, the Constructicons, and what's left of the ''[[Dinosaur (ship)|Dinosaur]]'' crew return from "[[Cultural Appropriation]]".
** Megatron, Scorponok, Terrorsaur, Wasp, Leatherhide, and Packrat return from "Not All Megatrons".
** Tarantulas returns from "[[Trigger Warnings]]".
** A nod is made to Dynobot and the dissident cell from "[[Alone Together: Prologue]]", the first nod to Chopperface and the gang in the text stories. Better late than never.
* In just the previous story, the Resistance were using the lobotomized body of Star Dasher as a transport. This story reveals the poor glitch wasn't the only unfortunate they've done this to.
* Eject's aide [[Zoom Out]] previously appeared in "Broken Windshields".
* Lio Minor (a renamed [[Lio Junior]]) previously appeared as a member of the yet-to-be-identified [[Maximal Command Security Force]] in "[[Perception]]".
* Queen Rage has been mentioned several times through the text stories, as having seized an entire city state for herself. We finally get to meet her.
* In the previous story's map, [[Praxus]] was misspelled as "Praxis". This story reconciles that "Praxus" is an older, traditional spelling which has somewhat fallen out of favor by the present timeframe.
* [[Scourge (BW)|''Beast Wars'' Scourge]] appeared in "Broken Windshields" with his name spelled in said manner although "[[A Brush With Infamy–Prologue]]" spelled [[Scourge (G1)|the original Scourge]]'s name the same way. It is revealed that ''Skurge'' likes to spell his name like the original, though some such as Queen Rage refuse to indulge his affectation.
* Scylla spoke with a stereotypical pirate speech pattern in "Broken Windshields", in keeping with her original characterization as a [[Seacon (BWII)|Seacon Space Pirate]]. This story therefore puts her in a high-ranking position in the Resistance's navy. Her high rank probably has something to do with the fact that she was part of the Resistance before Lio Convoy or Blackarachnia, as shown in "[[Broken Windshields]]"
* Ratbat derisively refers to Hot Rod as "Chosen One", much as Grimlock did back in "[[Micro-Aggressions]]".
* Hot Rod's Micromaster command team from "Micro-Aggressions" appears alongside him.
* Megatron and co. have managed to nab [[Klaws]], the last of the [[Monster GoBot|Antares Eight]] left from "Cultural Appropriation", who alone escaped from the Ex-Bots.
* Galvatron finally reveals the identity of "Triple-Threat Prime", and it is in fact Optimus himself. Galvatron also claims that Diac replaced Optimus's "mangled face", which ''could'' be a reference to the state of Optimus per "[[A Change to the Agenda]]"... or something else, since ol' Galvatron never actually specifies ''how'' Optimus' face got mangled... and he's not remembering all of it properly.
** This story identifies Diac as having been killed by Galvatron, explaining why he was the only member of the [[Optimus (faction)|Optimus]] not to be binary-bonded with Triple-Threat Prime in "[[A Brush With Infamy–Prologue]]" and why [[Overrun]] did not mention him in "Trigger Warnings".
* Galvatron's got an immunity to the Vehicon hordes because he owes his origin to the [[G-Virus]], as do the Vehicons themselves, since they're born from Galva Convoy, also created by mucking around with the original Galvatron's remains.
* Grimlock is mentioned to have been imprisoned in [[Ferromax Detention Center]], the same penal facility from which [[Dinobot (BW)|Dynobot]] was broken out of in "[[Alone Together: Prologue]]".
* Aura and Stiletto's not-so-joyous reunion brings up the events depicted in the flashbacks of "[[Burning Bridges]]", namely Stiletto being sent to [[Vampire|the mnemosurgeon]] on Aura's orders, along with [[Wolfang (Predacon)|Wolfang]]'s nature and death from "Trigger Warnings".
* Lord Imperious Delirious turns out to be the mastermind behind the Vehicons, the autonomous mechanical lifeforms which remove the spark of any Cybertronian they come across. He previously expressed distaste with Cybertronian life, and a desire to remove the spark of every single on of them back in "Intersectionality", during which he was revealed to have survived the destruction of his body as an electronic being. "Not All Megatrons" showed that someone was influencing Galva Convoy's meditations, and "Cultural Appropriation" revealed that a "unique digital entity" was frustrated that they had failed to trigger a Terran-born apocalypse on Cybertron with the Antares Eight's plot.
* The Uprising ends with the Builder hegemony swept away, and the birth of the Cybertronian Parliament, just as the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] said it would back in "Cultural Appropriation".
* The epilogue identifies Artemis, where Thunderwing was said to have found the Underbase back in "Not All Megatrons", as an alternate name for [[Moonbase Two|Luna 2]], with [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]] and [[Moonbase 3|Luna 3]] receiving the names "Hecate" and "Selene".
* "[[Head Games]]" characterized [[Triax]] as a port city, though the map included in "[[Safe Spaces]]" did not put it on a river or sea. In "Derailment" it is characterized as a spaceport.

===Transformers references===
* The ''Uprising'' iteration of Big Convoy is named Slammoth, one of the unused possible names for [[Victorion]] in the [[Fan polls|Fan Built Bot]] program. Sorenson had previously intimated in an online Q&A that he would utilize the name for ''Uprising'' Big Convoy.<ref>[https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/133737-beast-wars-uprising-ama/?p=3360200 Post by Jim S on The Allspark Forums, 2016/10/15]</ref>
* Buzz Saw's pre-beast vehicle mode is a helicopter, a [[repurposing]] of his [[Buzzsaw (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' namesake]]'s toy.
* Magna Stampede identifies himself as the great-nephew of [[Pyra Magna]], much like how Rattrap [[Transmutate (episode)|once referred]] to [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] as his great-aunt. Later on, Hydraulic identifies Trailcutter as his great-uncle.
* Stockade, a G1-import of [[Stockade (Universe 2008)|the 2008 ''Universe'' Mini-Con]] who has since taken her namesake's beast form, is partially converted into a tank drone, becoming the [[Stockade (Universe 2003)|2003 ''Universe'' version of Stockade]].
* The ''Uprising'' version of Steel Jaw leads the [[Pack]], much as [[Steeljaw (RID)|his ''Robots in Disguise'' counterpart]] led another [[Steeljaw's Pack|pack]].
* Airazor appears in her [[Airazor (BW)#TM1|Transmetal body]], following the trend of [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] also using the designs of Transmetal toys in the ''Uprising'' continuity.
* Several characters throughout the story swear by members of the [[Guiding Hand]].
* The [[Dark Skies Patrol]] comprises four G1 imports of ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' Decepticon partner [[Mini-Con]]s.
* The [[Deep Sea Patrol]] comprises [[Deepdive (BWU)|a G1 version]] of [[Deepdive (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Deepdive]] and that mold's three redecoes.
* This story introduces Tigatron and Airazor to the mix, the two having been the only main cast members of ''Beast Wars'' not to have appeared previously in ''Uprising''.
* Cheetor and Tigatron call one another "big cat" and "little cat" respectively, as their counterparts in the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon did.
* Queen Rage's majordomo is [[Flytrap]], a character based on an unused concept for a {{w|triffid}}-based Transformer from the ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Telemocha Series|Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]''. Her general Manticon is the {{w|manticore}} design, leaving Rage as the third design, a jellyfish (since her original incarnation was, you guessed it, a jellyfish).
* Goldbug communicates entirely through music clips after his voice box was damaged, just like a more famous [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]].
* Quillfire being a member of the Resistance is especially fitting as [[Quillfire (RID)|his original ''Robots in Disguise'' counterpart]] was also an anti-government revolutionary/terrorist.
* [[Tidal Wave (G1)|Tidal Wave]] is a mode-locked Builder repurposed as a naval flagship, similarly to his non-sentient ''[[Transformers: Wings Universe|Wings Universe]]'' counterpart, ship of the [[Star Seeker]]s, and IDW counterpart, base of [[Mayhem Attack Squad|Mayhem]].
* Banzai-Tron being the head of the Builder navy references [[Banzai-Tron (G1)#Timelines|his BotCon 2009 toy]], with a gunboat alt-mode.
* Hydraulic implies Trailcutter was taken to pieces by the Decepticons, calling to mind [[Trailbreaker (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|his IDW comics counterpart]], who was violently disassembled by [[Kaon (DJD)|Kaon]] and [[Vos (DJD)|Vos]].
* As he confronts the Builder Assembly, Lio Convoy punctuates his terms for surrender by solemnly *doink*ing his staff on the floor. "*Doink*" enjoyed a short-lived run as a meme in the [[fandom]] after 2016's ''[[Transformers: Combiner Wars (cartoon)|Combiner Wars]]'' cartoon, based on the poorly edited SFX of the [[Mistress of Flame]]'s hammer.
* Shatterpoint observes that he never expected the Grand Uprising to end with a "giant floating head, screaming like a banshee, firing laser beams everywhere" in reference to the bizarre and widely mocked [[Darkest Hour (CW)|penultimate episode]] of ''[[Transformers: Combiner Wars (cartoon)|Combiner Wars]]'', which saw [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] transform into... well, a giant floating head, after absorbing the [[Enigma of Combination]].
* Ratbat winds up getting turned into a [[Copter Drone|copter drone]] by the Vehicons.
* Leatherhide's mad science has now produced such things as the mighty [[Fuzor]]s and [[Horrorcon (Universe)|Horrorcon]]s.
* Proving some things just don't ever change, Wasp is "picked" as the [[guinea pigatron]] for Leatherhide and Labrat's little experiment. His just narrowly avoiding becoming a Vehicon himself is a nod to his time as Thrust during ''Beast Machines'', and his new body is based on his ''Timelines'' "[[Waspinator (BW)/toys#Timelines|Thrustinator]]" toy.
* Fever Dream [[Repurposing|repurposes]] the [[Blitzwing (G1)/toys#Platinum|''Platinum Edition'' Blitzwing toy]], much as Star Dasher is a repurposing of that toy's package-mate [[Astrotrain (G1)/toys#Platinum|Astrotrain]].
* Rook's association with [[Andromeda (G1)|Andromeda]] and [[Aston (BWU)|Aston]] references the working relationship of [[Rook (TransTech)|their]] [[Andromeda (TransTech)|counterparts]] [[Aston (TransTech)|from]] Fun Publications' [[Axiom Nexus News]] [[Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter|Facebook]] [[Rook - Axiom Nexus News: Investigative Journalist|pages]].
* Dark Scream is friends with Sky-Byte, referencing their close association from the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]].
* Black-Out having a helicopter alt-mode comes from [[Blackout (Movie)|live-action movie counterpart]] while his ability to generate EMPs comes from [[Blackout (Animated)|his ''Animated'' counterpart]]. Coincidentally, another G1-import of movie Blackout also debuted a week before this story in [[New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|''Optimus Prime'' #1]].
* Lio Convoy's team breach the Grand Mal by flying Black-Out right into the floating fortress's left eye socket, recalling the Autobot attack on [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] in [[The Transformers: The Movie|the 1986 movie]].
* Razorbeast states that he will not disobey direct orders, a quality of his taken directly from his original toy [[bio]]. He uses a "scut gun" to put down the Vehicon-infected Apexus, a weapon attributed to Razorbeast in his ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'' entry. Razorbeast's mercy-killing of Apexus could also be looked upon as an ironic mirror to his own [[The Ascending issue 4|ultimate fate]] in the [[Beast Wars timeline (IDW)|IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics]].
* Lord Imperious Delirious being a product of [[Gorlam Prime]]'s civilization harkens back to its appearance in the IDW universe, where its inhabitants had begun to augment themselves with cybernetic technology.
* Know that [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razor-Claw]] appears, using a speaking pattern based on his memorable speech from "[[Abduction]]". Obsidian serving as his representative echoes their appearance together in that same comic.
* The epilogue notes that Optimal, one of the Maximals in the newly formed Parliament, is an "enormous" orange-and-blue quad changer, i.e. someone with Optimus Primal's "[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#OptimalOptimus|Optimal Optimus]]" form.
* Antagony and Cataclysm fought to be Shokaract's chief bot in [[Reaching the Omega Point|the 1999 BotCon fiction]].
* The unnamed head (tee hee) of the Maximal Academy who joined the High Council is [[Under-3|Lionhead]], a Happy Meal toy from the original ''Beast Wars'' toyline, taking his Japanese name. As "Unit-3", he was a previous member of the Council's Magnaboss combination in the [[BotCon 2016]] story "[[Dawn of the Predacus]]". A sideways reference to him is made when Cheetor rejected council membership, and Tigatron said there were "under three" candidates left.
* Shadow Panther appears as a member of the [[Predacon Secret Police]], with the mention of persistent rumors suggesting he's a Builder rebuilt into a Predacon body. [[Ravage (G1)|Pfft!]] [[The Agenda (Part 1)|What a foolish idea.]] Stranger still is the competing theory that his spark has somehow been created or altered by aliens. [[Primeval Dawn|Madness!]]
* Movor's body is based on the [[Shockwave (G1)/toys#CombinerWars|''Combiner Wars'' Shockwave]] mold.
* [[Buckethead]] has taken over as leader of the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], supplanting [[Hightower (RID)|Hightower]]. The [[Devastator (G1)#Universe(2003)|Micromaster Devastator]] toy had Buckethead form its upper torso - the component traditionally formed by [[Hook (G1)|Hook]], another crane. This may be coincidence.

===Real-world references===
* The title refers to the psychiatric concept of {{w|Derailment (thought disorder)|derailment}}, a thought disorder associated with conversation that slips between unrelated, or barely related, ideas. It's also used as another way of saying lateral thinking and sometimes used to mean wandering off from the original idea. The story has lightly related events and scenes and, by the end of it, many characters have strayed far from what they originally set out to do.
* The titles of the parts of this story utilize rivers of the {{w|Greek underworld|Underworld in Greek mythology}}.
* Blackarachnia refers to Lio Convoy first as {{w|Aslan}}, {{w|List of characters in The Lion King#Mufasa|Mufasa}}, and {{w|List of Kimba the White Lion characters|Panja}}, all of whom are also slagging big lions.
** In a similar vein, she calls him her "{{w|Nemean lion|Nemean warrior}}".
* "Vehicon General Order 66" is a reference to [[wikia:starwars:Order 66/Legends|Order 66]] from ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'', both of them being contingency measures.
* Stiletto nicknames Tarantulas "webhead", which is a frequent moniker of [[Spider-Man]]'s.
* Run-Over speaks entirely in quotes from ''{{w|The Simpsons}}'', which the narration notes ran for several thousand episodes (in real life at the time this story was released, the show clocked in at 606 episodes).
** "Go out on a Tuesday? Who am I, Charlie Sheen?" was asked by Marge in "{{w|Moms I'd Like to Forget}}".
** "You know what I blame this on the breakdown of? Society." was spoken by Moe in "{{w|Miracle on Evergreen Terrace}}".
** "I call the big one 'Bitey'" is a Homer quote from "{{w|Marge vs. The Monorail}}".
** "Take that, Dick Tracy!" was shouted by a young Ned Flanders in "{{w|Hurricane Neddy}}".
** "Why you little—" is from too many episodes to name, but (of course) usually signifies that Homer is about to strangle Bart.
** "I bent my Wookiee" laments Run-Over, quoting Ralph Wiggum from "{{w|Lisa's Rival}}".
* Voice of Maximals is named for the U.S. white propaganda service {{w|Voice of America}}, just as [[Radio Free Cybertron]] has long been named for its sister service {{w|Radio Free Europe}}.
* The Yuss coastal cannons may be based on the book and film ''{{w|The Guns of Navarone (novel)|The Guns of Navarone}}'', in which coastal batteries threaten Allied positions, and which is based on real such guns in the {{w|Battle of Leros}}.
* Since Goldbug can only communicate verbally through audio clips, he ends up referencing a few Earth songs.
** "This is what we've waited for, this is it, boys, this is war!" comes from "{{w|99 Red Balloons}}" by the German band {{w|Nena}}.
** "Run to the hills" is a reference to "{{w|Run to the Hills}}" by [[Iron Maiden]].
** "You can't always get what you want", sung by [[Mick Jagger]], comes from the "{{w|You Can't Always Get What You Want}}" by {{w|The Rolling Stones}}.
** "Don't fear the reaper" is from "{{w|(Don't Fear) The Reaper}}" by the {{w|Blue Oyster Cult}}.
* Springload's serial number, AC5000487105, is also the serial number of [[wikia:westworld:Maeve Millay|Maeve]] in HBO's {{w|Westworld (TV series)|Westworld}}
* Bisk's new [[beast mode]] is referred to as a "rock-lob," which is surely a reference to "{{w|Rock Lobster}}" by {{w|the B-52's}}.
* Ram Horn borrows elements of populist right-wing politicians from 2016: jabs at experts and how we're tired of them, after a similar line by British MP {{w|Michael Gove}}; is prone to aggressive and seemingly daft outbursts and decisions which may be intentional to wrongfoot people or may just be him, reflecting dual views on U.S. President {{w|Donald Trump}}.
* The Ex-Bots repaint a Sweep into the black and yellow-striped "Ex-Jet", referencing the {{w|Blackbird (comics)|X-Jet}} from [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]]'s {{w|X-Men}}.
* Dante the Cyberdroid is forced into a job on his day off, complaining all the while how he's "not supposed to be [here] today," just like Dante the human in ''{{w|Clerks}}''.
* During his spiel on the Ex-Jet's weapons, Bazooka quotes Sergeant Hicks of ''{{w|Alien (franchise)|Alien}}'' fame, namely his boast that they have "knives, they got sharp sticks."
* Riker quotes the familiar Vietnam War era phrase, "We had to destroy the village in order to save it" to chastise Lio Convoy's plan to destroy Cybertron to thwart the Vehicon threat.
* As mentioned above, Cybertron's moons are given the names Hecate, Artemis, and Selene, who in Ancient Greece were moon goddesses.
* The idea of the Resistance forming a shining example of related states harkens to the idea of the early [[United States of America]] being called the 'shining city on the hill'. The idea of the Parliament deliberately struggling to get a supermajority similarly harkens to the United States Congress, deliberately set up to force compromise. (That's worked well!)
* Wind-Sheer and Shatterpoint discuss "Unicron Truthers", a Cybertronian equivalent of the "Truther Movement", people who believe the destruction of the World Trade Center on the 11th September 2001 was not what the official reports say, concocting any number of reasons to "prove" their viewpoint.
* The bar [[Chalmun's]] is a reference to a [[Chewbacca|Wookiee]] [[wikia:starwars:Chalmun/Legends|bartender]] from ''Star Wars''.

===Other trivia===
*The other Predacon present with Beetle and CatSCAN is not identified in the text, but [[Jesse Wittenrich]] clarified that he intended it to be [[Insecticon (BW)|Insecticon]].<ref>[https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/135675-bwu-derailment-is-up/?p=3409209 Post by NightViper on The Allspark Forums, 2016/12/29]</ref>
*Sky-Dive was originally intended to be part of Magna Stampede, Stockade, and Soundbite's squad before being given his role as the commander of his own unit. [[Striker]] was also intended to be a member of that squad, but his lines were cut for story pacing reasons.<ref>[https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/135675-bwu-derailment-is-up/?p=3408582 Post by NightViper on The Allspark Forums, 2016/12/28]</ref>
*The ICS newscasters were almost replaced with original characters, including one named "Sidebar", but the short production schedule did not allow for full consideration of this decision.<ref>[https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/135675-bwu-derailment-is-up/?p=3408997 Post by Jim S on The Allspark Forums, 2016/12/28]</ref>
*While "Derailment" follows the standard structure of an ''Uprising'' prose story - chunks of Cybertronix serving as section breaks - it is further divided into five parts (consisting of 14, 44, 14, 44 and 13 sections respectively, totalling 129 sections across 179 pages). Despite being told entirely in the third person, each section can be said to have a "point-of-view" character whose thoughts we are privy to - and with only a couple of exceptions, a section break indicates a jump to another POV character. Nineteen sections actually end with the death of their POV character. A full breakdown of how many sections each of the fifty-four POV characters received follows:

**19: Lio Convoy
**8: Scylla
**7: Cheetor
**5: Snapper, Dark Scream, Blackarachnia
**4: Rage, Banzai-Tron
**3: Eject, Stiletto, Ser-Ket, Ram Horn, Magmatron, Magnaboss
**2: Magna Stampede, Steel Jaw, Erector, Wind-Sheer, Diveplane, Hot Rod, Knock-Out, Flak, Megatron, B'Boom, Preditron, Crazybolt, Rampage
**1: Buzz Saw, Movor, Twinstrike, Tigatron, Sunstorm, Draft, Mantis, Sky High, Goldbug, Break, Katilla, Flattop, Ramulus, Hydraulic, Sky-Dive, Longtooth, Dante, Psycho-Orb, Fever Dream, Galvatron, Bisk, Aura, Bazooka, Razorbeast, Ro-Tor, Lord Imperious Delirious, Razor-Claw

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://transformersclub.com/prose/Beast%20Wars%20Uprising%20Finale%20-%20Derailment.pdf "Derailment"] at The Official Transformers Collectors' Club

[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising media]]
[[Category:Timelines text stories]]

Revelations Part I: Discovery

2021-05-26T01:18:12Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Notes */

{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=7
|title="Revelations Part I: Discovery"
|image=Revelations1 Blackarachnia Thrust extractor.jpg
|caption=Megatron's experimental automatic beauty treatment machine was not a success.
|airdate=[[October 30]], 1999
|written by=[[Brynne Chandler Reaves]]
|directed by=[[James Taylor]]
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''The Maximals discover what happened to the inhabitants of Cybertron, and Blackarachnia learns more about the Vehicon general, Thrust.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Revelations1 Rattrap coolant.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Water wings — another thing the Oracle forgot to give Rattrap.]]
The Maximals find themselves cornered by [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] and his [[Cycle Drone]]s, when [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] floods the tunnels with coolant to get rid of them. After [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] narrowly avoids getting swept away, they make their way to the surface, where they find the bodies of hundreds of Cybertronians in some sort of factory. Examining the remains, Rattrap declares that their [[spark]]s weren't extinguished; they were removed altogether. [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] wonders if the same thing happened to [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]], but is interrupted when [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] attacks with his [[Aero Drone]]s. The Maximals choose to stand and fight, rather than flee again, partly because they're sick of running, but also partly because there's a [[Tankor (BM)|giant killer tank]] in their way.

During the ensuing battle, Thrust tails Blackarachnia, but rather than attack her, he saves her from a Sonic Attack Jet's missiles—missiles which then go on to knock over a nearby tower. Blackarachnia and Thrust are seemingly buried underneath it. As the other Maximals recover from the crash, they realize that the coolant they used to flood the tunnels was meant to cool the factory they're fighting in now, and without it, the facility will explode in a few minutes. As Optimus rushes to free Blackarachnia, Cheetor wonders what "big bot" has gotten them into, echoing an earlier sentiment from [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]].

[[Image:Revelations1 Blackarachnia Thrust caught.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"But I only asked to get my nails done!"]]
Meanwhile, Blackarachnia awakens, and spies the shadow of Silverbolt approaching her, only to realize it's being cast by Thrust, who saved her once again. When she asks why, he only replies "my mistake", and that it won't happen again. And then it ''does'' happen again, as he knocks her out of the way of an approaching supply train. This time, he begins flashing back to having his spark extracted, and then to memories of Blackarachnia during the Beast Wars. The two venture further into the factory together, and run across a giant [[spark extractor]], which promptly seizes them both and tries to, well, extract their sparks. Thrust saves Blackarachnia, but his own spark is taken, as Blackarachnia begins to suspect that he is, in fact, Silverbolt. She shuts down the machine, releasing both Thrust and the spark. Blackarachnia realizes that this place is where [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] stole the sparks of all Cybertronians.

[[Image:Revelations1 Blackarachnia Thrust rescue.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"It was this big! I swear!"]]
Outside, the Maximals deal with their antagonists one at a time and head to get Blackarachnia, as Nightscream and Cheetor continue arguing about Optimus. When they find her, she has restored Thrust's spark and attempted to get him to remember the time before. He promptly flees, and Optimus, seeing all the bodies, mourns his inability to stop Megatron. Cheetor, seeing they are out of time, ''orders'' Optimus to leave. The factory explodes behind them as they flee. After Cheetor declares he's taking command back from Optimus, much to the latter's surprise, Blackarachnia tells them that Thrust's spark once belonged to a Maximal. Realizing that Jetstorm and Tankor must be the same way, the Maximals resolve not to destroy the [[Vehicon general]]s, but to bring them back to the right side.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (1)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (2)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (3)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (6)
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (7)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (11) (only appears in fantasy sequences)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]|c2=
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (4)
*[[Cycle Drone]]s (5)
*[[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] (8)
*[[Aero Drone]]s (9)
*[[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] (10)
}}
==Quotes==
"Aw man, look at me. This bod' is useless." 
"Ah, don't underestimate it, Rattrap; it's ugly too."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Blackarachnia'''.

"Tankor slag Bird Bot!" 
"Hello, I'm a BAT!"
:—'''Tankor''', confusing Nightscream for another type of flying creature

"Well well well, all I need's a spider and I've got the whole set! Gotta catch 'em all!"
:—'''Jetstorm''', confusing one franchise for another

"Saving me AGAIN? What is your defect?" 
"This place.." [''bad flashbacks''] "You..." [''Blackarachnia flashbacks''] "I almost remember."
:—'''Thrust''', just being confusing

==Notes==
===Animation or technical errors===
*As the Maximals outrun the exploding factory, it's clear that the character models are executing a static run cycle, with an explosion superimposed behind them.

===Continuity errors===
*If the Maximals are trying to run away from the Vehicons in the opening chase scene, why aren't they in their beast modes? Surely they'd be able to make a stealthy escape that way.

===Continuity notes===
*Nightscream refers to Optimus Primal's brief sabbatical in "[[The Weak Component]]", and Cheetor's brief stint at leadership.
*Once again, we get to see Cheetor's developing leadership skills: removing Optimus from command after the Maximal leader has another guilt attack.
*Following on from Nightscream's tale in "[[Forbidden Fruit]]", the Maximals discover that all the Transformers immobilized by the [[Transformation virus|virus]] or brought in by Vehicons have had their sparks extracted.
*Thrust recalls memories of Optimus Primal, Cheetor, Rhinox, and Blackarachnia's ''Beast Wars'' forms.
*Jetstorm offhandedly refers to himself as "the handsome devil with the silver wings". Could Blackarachnia be barking up the wrong tree?

===Transformers references===
*The models of several [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]] characters seen in the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' episode "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]" are repurposed as generic Maximal corpses, including [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]. "Prowl" still has a visible Autobot symbol on his chest, but it's unclear if that's an animation glitch or meant to imply that there were Autobots living on Cybertron before Megatron's attack.

===Real-world references===
*At one point, Jetstorm says, "[[Pokeformers|Gotta catch 'em all!]]"—the catchphrase of the ''{{w|Pokémon}}'' franchise.
*Thrust refers to Blackarachnia's 'positronic brain', a reference to the works of Isaac Asimov.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Révélation, Partie I'''" ("Revelation, Part I")

:*''Title:'' "'''Révélations 1'''" (Canada, "Revelations 1")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Gefährliche Entdeckungen'''" ("Dangerous Discoveries")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 8]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ai no Chikara'''" (愛の力, "The Power of Love")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 27]], [[2004]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Revelaciones, Primera Parte: Descubrimiento'''" ("Revelations, First Part: Discovery")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Xīn Fāxiàn '''" (新发现, "The New Discovery")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2004 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 2 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume Two ([[Sony]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume Two — Revelations (Sony) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season One (Sony) 
[[Image:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 1 (Sony) — French audio only.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Revelations Part 1: Discovery}}
[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

The Weak Component

2021-05-26T00:39:51Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Continuity notes */

{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=6
|image=Weak component pretty.jpg
|caption=<div style="text-align:right;padding-right:2em;">''Am I my enemy's hero?''</div>
|title="The Weak Component"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[October 23]], 1999
|written by=[[Rodney Gibbs]]
|directed by=[[Andrew Currie]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''Frustrated by his inability to transform and ashamed of his uselessness, Rattrap makes a deal with the devil.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], still exhausted after [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]]'s recent reformatting, awakens from a dream and is informed by [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] that [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] is on a recon mission with [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] and Nightscream.

[[File:Weak Component Rattrap computer.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"Wonder if there's anything new at Transformers Wiki. What the— Who wrote that about me?! CHOPPERFACE!"]]
At a manufacturing facility, Rattrap, Nightscream and Cheetor are being attacked by [[Aero Drone]]s and [[Tank Drone]]s. Since Rattrap is still unable to transform, Cheetor orders him to go and download the data from the computers. As [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] observes this, a [[Diagnostic Drone]] warns him that the DNA purging process is still in its experimental stage. But Megatron, eager to be rid of his hated [[beast mode]], wishes to proceed before the Maximals can discover any more "mongrel beasts".

During the fight, Nightscream uses his sonic powers and observes that if they attack the [[Vehicon general]]s, the associated Drones stop operating. Cheetor and Nightscream plan to ambush [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] to test the theory.

Unfortunately, Rattrap observes the ensuing entrapment setup from his computer, unaware of the plan, thinking his friends in actual danger. Feeling genuine concern for his friends, he finally transforms successfully, and being eager to help, swings into action as Nightscream and Cheetor are attempting to disable Tankor and [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]]. Unfortunately, his interference ends up spoiling the ambush, and causes the factory's machinery to start operating and building more Tank Drones at a faster and faster rate. Adding insult to injury, Rattrap realises, much to his disgust, that his new robot form is completely unarmed, so he can't even help in the ensuing battle!

[[File:Weak Component Cheetor carrying Rattrap.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|"Every time we go to the bar, stuff blows up and I end up carrying you home!"]]
As the new Tank Drones run wild, Megatron takes control. Rattrap attempts to stop the manufacture of the Drones by linking himself into the main computer, only to become a sitting target for Megatron's Aero Drones. The resulting feedback travels along the power cables and causes a system failure, the total destruction of the manufacturing plant, and a power cut for the whole sector.

On their way back to their base, Cheetor and Nightscream harshly reprimand Rattrap for not following orders. Rattrap later complains to a sleeping Optimus Primal about his [[robot mode]], when the others appear. Cheetor knocks Rattrap to the ground, ordering him to [[Transformation|transform]] to beast mode; this jolt to Rattrap's system causes him to realise Megatron is weak as he replays vital stats he downloaded earlier. However, Cheetor brushes off his suggestions of an attack on their weakened enemy.

Rattrap overhears Blackarachnia, Cheetor and Nightscream discussing what to do with him and how he is such a burden with his useless robot mode. Infuriated, he leaves the base alone.

[[File:Weak Component Rattrap mech.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Rattrap prepares to face the Queen Alien.]]
Megatron is being told the extent of the damage caused by the feedback earlier, when Rattrap saunters into his citadel, saying he wants "noisemakers". After a bit of back and forth, Megatron and Rattrap work out a deal wherein Rattrap will defend Megatron for one night when he is at his weakest. If anything happens to Megatron, Rattrap forfeits his new weaponry.

[[File:Rattrap-bm-withmegatron.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|My shoulder angel!]]
Unexpectedly, Cheetor, Nightscream and Blackarachnia arrive to rescue Rattrap, forcing Rattrap to honour his word with Megatron—and he does so, firing on his friends as they advance. While this is happening, Megatron returns to full strength and begins rebooting his control of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. The Maximals and Rattrap are at an impasse when Optimus Primal arrives, still exhausted, and asks Rattrap to look inside himself and re-evaluate what he's doing. Optimus Primal tells him that Rattrap is stronger than any of them realize.

Megatron orders Rattrap to attack Optimus Primal, but Rattrap reiterates the terms of the deal: The sun is rising, the solar cycle is over, and Rattrap has kept his end of the bargain. Impressed with Rattrap's handling of the situation, Megatron upholds his word and lets the Maximals walk away. Megatron vows to his Diagnostic Drone that they shall liberate the Maximals' [[spark]]s another day.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (2)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (3)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (6)
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (8)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (9)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s
|c2=
*[[Aero Drone]]s (1)
*[[Tank Drone]]s (4)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (5)
*[[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] (7)
*[[Diagnostic Drone]] (10)
*[[Cycle Drone]]s (11)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (12)
*[[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ah, did somebody forget to load this robot mode with weapons?"
:—'''Rattrap''' discovers that he is suddenly a pacifist.

"Piece of advice: Never trust a rat."
:—'''Rattrap''' turns Megatron's own weapons on him.

"Short 'em out now! Sort 'em out later!"
:—'''Blackarachnia''' shoots first.

'''Megatron''': "See how quickly your friends turn on you? They promised you great power, but only I delivered it. They abandoned you, Rattrap. They did worse than hate you. They ''pitied'' you." 
'''Rattrap''': "Ya still think ya gotta cover for me?" [''fires on Cheetor, Blackarachnia and Nightscream''] "Ya still wanna cut me loose?! You never believed in me, ever!" 
'''Optimus Primal''': [''enters''] "I believed in you. What do you mean by firing at your friends?" 
'''Megatron''': "He's right. Optimus is the one you want. He's the one who lied to you; who kept making promises he never intended to keep. He made you weak; defenseless." 
'''Optimus Primal''': "Look inside yourself, Rattrap. You don't need his weapons. You're stronger than you know – stronger than ''any'' of you know."

"You have the makings of a fine Vehicon, ''yes''." 
"Not from where I'm standing. The monkey's right; I am stronger than you know."
:—'''Megatron''' seems keen for '''Rattrap''' to join his side.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* In the beginning scene, with Blackarachnia talking to Optimus, the spider's face seems darker than normal.
* Cheetor and the Cycle Drones encircling him don't cast shadows in the overhead shot of Nightscream flying towards them.
* Both Cheetor and the drones turn low resolution in several shots during their fight.
* During this clash, when Cheetor jumps up and lands, his left thigh clips through his ankle.
* When Rattrap says, "Gangway! Rat crossing!" and the Vehicons turn towards the camera, Jetstorm's mouth angles upwards, over his nose. Nightscream also raises his neck so far, it clips out of his "collar".
* The tank drone assembly line's animation only works when viewed from below, because the high angle shot reveals how the turrets keep clipping into the machinery.
* After Rattrap realizes he lacks weapons, his arms clip through each other when he shields himself from a blast.
* During the closeup on Cheetor, when Rattrap says "I wasn't thinking about myself", part of the rock texturing near Cheetor's ear keeps jumping around.
* Primal's model lacks its subdivisions and appears low-res when Rattrap's talking to him.
* When Rattrap announces his discovery regarding Megatron, Optimus is missing the back of his gorilla-head, and his face and techno-elements are just floating there.
** In the same shot, as Cheetor turns to look at Rattrap, the inner part of his neck clips through his shoulder area.
* As the Maximals argue with Rattrap, the latter's body is low-res.
* When Cheetor, Blackarachnia and Nightscream are discussing Rattrap's [[robot mode]], Nightscream is in the fully organic bat mode he had when he first appeared in "[[Forbidden Fruit]]".
* In the shot of the deactivated Vehicons that features a Tank Drone falling over, the Cycle Drone that lies right next to the falling Tank Drone has its arms colored like Thrust's arms.
* Megatron's model turns low resolution during his "Not with a bang" line.
* Rattrap's right shoulder turns way too far outward when he announces his needs to Megatron.
* In the wide, high angle shot of Rattrap driving the Maximals out of the citadel, they are all calmly walking (or in Nightscream's case, flying at ground level) with their backs turned on Rattrap.
* During Blackarachnia's "Short 'em out now..." line, her leg [[kibble]] is hanging lower than her actual legs.
* When Megatron appears via floating viewscreens to tell Rattrap that the Maximals "did worse than hate you — they pitied you!", his lips stop moving before he stops speaking.
** Rattrap's head is low-res when Megatron starts delivering said line.
* In the same scene, while Megatron is speaking you can hear David Kaye's unaltered voice, due to the audio engineers forgetting to apply the downtuning effect.
* When the Maximals are forced to revert to beast mode, Nightscream's animation stops before the shot actually cuts.
* Megatron's lips don't move when he tells the Generals to let Rattrap go.
* As the assembled Maximals walk off into the sunrise, Optimus' back feet are experiencing some glitch that makes it look like they're flickering.

===Continuity errors===
* One of the more polarizing episodes of the series, "The Weak Component" generated some controversy for its portrayal of Rattrap and Megatron.
** Previously one of the most distrustful and paranoid Maximals in ''Beast Wars'', Rattrap's behavior here—going behind Cheetor's back to strike a deal with Megatron—stood out as incongruous with his previous characterization.
** Likewise, Megatron is suddenly depicted as a trustworthy character who keeps his word. Whereas [[Nemesis Part 2|before]], Megatron would have crushed a [[Dinobot II|subordinate]] for merely mentioning "the h-word", here he makes a huge point of playing by the rules, with no ulterior motives.
** Basically, either side could have potentially won the war right there, but the two characters with the least scruples suddenly became interested in fair play for no reason (other than to keep the series from ending, obviously).
* Rattrap previously managed to transform to robot mode in "[[Mercenary Pursuits]]". Shouldn't he have already realized that he didn't have any weapons?
* It's not really clear ''why'' Rattrap's new body doesn't have any weapons. Did the Oracle not anticipate that he would be fighting Vehicons? Was it some kind of secret test of character?
* Considering her rather duplicitous nature that ended with her defecting to the Maximals in ''Beast Wars'', it's a bit hypocritical for Blackarachnia to suddenly accuse Rattrap of being a traitor.
* The "night" that Rattrap spends with Megatron is really short. Not long after getting his weapons from Megatron, the other three Maximals arrive, they fight Rattrap... and then the sun rises.

===Continuity notes===
* Rattrap's inability to transform to robot mode was first brought up in "[[Master of the House]]". This episode sees Rattrap finally overcoming this hurdle... only to be thoroughly disappointed with the results. Points for trying?
* Optimus is still recuperating from his strenuous reformatting of Nightscream, which happened in [[Forbidden Fruit|the previous episode]].
* Another episode that highlights' Optimus's growing metaphysical sense, the episode begins with Optimus experiencing a prophetic dream that appears to foreshadow Rattrap's upcoming crisis of conscience.

===Real-world references===
* When the weakened Megatron sees Rattrap in his chamber, he remarks: "Ah, so this is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a simpering...rodent." This is a paraphrased quote from the poem "{{w|The Hollow Men}}" by T.S. Eliot.

===Trivia===
* During Rattrap's "Not from where I'm standing" line, it seems that Scott McNeil halfway slips into his Silverbolt voice. But when someone [[Waspinator (BW)|voices]] [[Silverbolt (BW)|so]] [[Dinobot (BW)|many]] [[Rattrap (BW)|characters]], these things happen occasionally.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le Maillon Faible'''" ("The Weakest Link")

:*''Title:'' "'''Le Composant'''" (Canada, "The Component")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Rattrap'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 7]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Yakusoku no Yoake'''" (約束の夜明け, "The Promised Dawn")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 21]], [[2004]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''El Componente Débil'''" ("The Weak Component")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Chèn Rén Zhī Wēi'''" (乘人之危, "In the Precarious Position")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2004 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 2 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One — Reformatting (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season One (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 1 (Sony) — French audio only.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weak Component}}
[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

The Weak Component

2021-05-26T00:39:01Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Continuity errors */

{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=6
|image=Weak component pretty.jpg
|caption=<div style="text-align:right;padding-right:2em;">''Am I my enemy's hero?''</div>
|title="The Weak Component"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[October 23]], 1999
|written by=[[Rodney Gibbs]]
|directed by=[[Andrew Currie]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''Frustrated by his inability to transform and ashamed of his uselessness, Rattrap makes a deal with the devil.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], still exhausted after [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]]'s recent reformatting, awakens from a dream and is informed by [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] that [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] is on a recon mission with [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] and Nightscream.

[[File:Weak Component Rattrap computer.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"Wonder if there's anything new at Transformers Wiki. What the— Who wrote that about me?! CHOPPERFACE!"]]
At a manufacturing facility, Rattrap, Nightscream and Cheetor are being attacked by [[Aero Drone]]s and [[Tank Drone]]s. Since Rattrap is still unable to transform, Cheetor orders him to go and download the data from the computers. As [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] observes this, a [[Diagnostic Drone]] warns him that the DNA purging process is still in its experimental stage. But Megatron, eager to be rid of his hated [[beast mode]], wishes to proceed before the Maximals can discover any more "mongrel beasts".

During the fight, Nightscream uses his sonic powers and observes that if they attack the [[Vehicon general]]s, the associated Drones stop operating. Cheetor and Nightscream plan to ambush [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] to test the theory.

Unfortunately, Rattrap observes the ensuing entrapment setup from his computer, unaware of the plan, thinking his friends in actual danger. Feeling genuine concern for his friends, he finally transforms successfully, and being eager to help, swings into action as Nightscream and Cheetor are attempting to disable Tankor and [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]]. Unfortunately, his interference ends up spoiling the ambush, and causes the factory's machinery to start operating and building more Tank Drones at a faster and faster rate. Adding insult to injury, Rattrap realises, much to his disgust, that his new robot form is completely unarmed, so he can't even help in the ensuing battle!

[[File:Weak Component Cheetor carrying Rattrap.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|"Every time we go to the bar, stuff blows up and I end up carrying you home!"]]
As the new Tank Drones run wild, Megatron takes control. Rattrap attempts to stop the manufacture of the Drones by linking himself into the main computer, only to become a sitting target for Megatron's Aero Drones. The resulting feedback travels along the power cables and causes a system failure, the total destruction of the manufacturing plant, and a power cut for the whole sector.

On their way back to their base, Cheetor and Nightscream harshly reprimand Rattrap for not following orders. Rattrap later complains to a sleeping Optimus Primal about his [[robot mode]], when the others appear. Cheetor knocks Rattrap to the ground, ordering him to [[Transformation|transform]] to beast mode; this jolt to Rattrap's system causes him to realise Megatron is weak as he replays vital stats he downloaded earlier. However, Cheetor brushes off his suggestions of an attack on their weakened enemy.

Rattrap overhears Blackarachnia, Cheetor and Nightscream discussing what to do with him and how he is such a burden with his useless robot mode. Infuriated, he leaves the base alone.

[[File:Weak Component Rattrap mech.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Rattrap prepares to face the Queen Alien.]]
Megatron is being told the extent of the damage caused by the feedback earlier, when Rattrap saunters into his citadel, saying he wants "noisemakers". After a bit of back and forth, Megatron and Rattrap work out a deal wherein Rattrap will defend Megatron for one night when he is at his weakest. If anything happens to Megatron, Rattrap forfeits his new weaponry.

[[File:Rattrap-bm-withmegatron.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|My shoulder angel!]]
Unexpectedly, Cheetor, Nightscream and Blackarachnia arrive to rescue Rattrap, forcing Rattrap to honour his word with Megatron—and he does so, firing on his friends as they advance. While this is happening, Megatron returns to full strength and begins rebooting his control of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. The Maximals and Rattrap are at an impasse when Optimus Primal arrives, still exhausted, and asks Rattrap to look inside himself and re-evaluate what he's doing. Optimus Primal tells him that Rattrap is stronger than any of them realize.

Megatron orders Rattrap to attack Optimus Primal, but Rattrap reiterates the terms of the deal: The sun is rising, the solar cycle is over, and Rattrap has kept his end of the bargain. Impressed with Rattrap's handling of the situation, Megatron upholds his word and lets the Maximals walk away. Megatron vows to his Diagnostic Drone that they shall liberate the Maximals' [[spark]]s another day.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (2)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (3)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (6)
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (8)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (9)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s
|c2=
*[[Aero Drone]]s (1)
*[[Tank Drone]]s (4)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (5)
*[[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] (7)
*[[Diagnostic Drone]] (10)
*[[Cycle Drone]]s (11)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (12)
*[[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ah, did somebody forget to load this robot mode with weapons?"
:—'''Rattrap''' discovers that he is suddenly a pacifist.

"Piece of advice: Never trust a rat."
:—'''Rattrap''' turns Megatron's own weapons on him.

"Short 'em out now! Sort 'em out later!"
:—'''Blackarachnia''' shoots first.

'''Megatron''': "See how quickly your friends turn on you? They promised you great power, but only I delivered it. They abandoned you, Rattrap. They did worse than hate you. They ''pitied'' you." 
'''Rattrap''': "Ya still think ya gotta cover for me?" [''fires on Cheetor, Blackarachnia and Nightscream''] "Ya still wanna cut me loose?! You never believed in me, ever!" 
'''Optimus Primal''': [''enters''] "I believed in you. What do you mean by firing at your friends?" 
'''Megatron''': "He's right. Optimus is the one you want. He's the one who lied to you; who kept making promises he never intended to keep. He made you weak; defenseless." 
'''Optimus Primal''': "Look inside yourself, Rattrap. You don't need his weapons. You're stronger than you know – stronger than ''any'' of you know."

"You have the makings of a fine Vehicon, ''yes''." 
"Not from where I'm standing. The monkey's right; I am stronger than you know."
:—'''Megatron''' seems keen for '''Rattrap''' to join his side.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* In the beginning scene, with Blackarachnia talking to Optimus, the spider's face seems darker than normal.
* Cheetor and the Cycle Drones encircling him don't cast shadows in the overhead shot of Nightscream flying towards them.
* Both Cheetor and the drones turn low resolution in several shots during their fight.
* During this clash, when Cheetor jumps up and lands, his left thigh clips through his ankle.
* When Rattrap says, "Gangway! Rat crossing!" and the Vehicons turn towards the camera, Jetstorm's mouth angles upwards, over his nose. Nightscream also raises his neck so far, it clips out of his "collar".
* The tank drone assembly line's animation only works when viewed from below, because the high angle shot reveals how the turrets keep clipping into the machinery.
* After Rattrap realizes he lacks weapons, his arms clip through each other when he shields himself from a blast.
* During the closeup on Cheetor, when Rattrap says "I wasn't thinking about myself", part of the rock texturing near Cheetor's ear keeps jumping around.
* Primal's model lacks its subdivisions and appears low-res when Rattrap's talking to him.
* When Rattrap announces his discovery regarding Megatron, Optimus is missing the back of his gorilla-head, and his face and techno-elements are just floating there.
** In the same shot, as Cheetor turns to look at Rattrap, the inner part of his neck clips through his shoulder area.
* As the Maximals argue with Rattrap, the latter's body is low-res.
* When Cheetor, Blackarachnia and Nightscream are discussing Rattrap's [[robot mode]], Nightscream is in the fully organic bat mode he had when he first appeared in "[[Forbidden Fruit]]".
* In the shot of the deactivated Vehicons that features a Tank Drone falling over, the Cycle Drone that lies right next to the falling Tank Drone has its arms colored like Thrust's arms.
* Megatron's model turns low resolution during his "Not with a bang" line.
* Rattrap's right shoulder turns way too far outward when he announces his needs to Megatron.
* In the wide, high angle shot of Rattrap driving the Maximals out of the citadel, they are all calmly walking (or in Nightscream's case, flying at ground level) with their backs turned on Rattrap.
* During Blackarachnia's "Short 'em out now..." line, her leg [[kibble]] is hanging lower than her actual legs.
* When Megatron appears via floating viewscreens to tell Rattrap that the Maximals "did worse than hate you — they pitied you!", his lips stop moving before he stops speaking.
** Rattrap's head is low-res when Megatron starts delivering said line.
* In the same scene, while Megatron is speaking you can hear David Kaye's unaltered voice, due to the audio engineers forgetting to apply the downtuning effect.
* When the Maximals are forced to revert to beast mode, Nightscream's animation stops before the shot actually cuts.
* Megatron's lips don't move when he tells the Generals to let Rattrap go.
* As the assembled Maximals walk off into the sunrise, Optimus' back feet are experiencing some glitch that makes it look like they're flickering.

===Continuity errors===
* One of the more polarizing episodes of the series, "The Weak Component" generated some controversy for its portrayal of Rattrap and Megatron.
** Previously one of the most distrustful and paranoid Maximals in ''Beast Wars'', Rattrap's behavior here—going behind Cheetor's back to strike a deal with Megatron—stood out as incongruous with his previous characterization.
** Likewise, Megatron is suddenly depicted as a trustworthy character who keeps his word. Whereas [[Nemesis Part 2|before]], Megatron would have crushed a [[Dinobot II|subordinate]] for merely mentioning "the h-word", here he makes a huge point of playing by the rules, with no ulterior motives.
** Basically, either side could have potentially won the war right there, but the two characters with the least scruples suddenly became interested in fair play for no reason (other than to keep the series from ending, obviously).
* Rattrap previously managed to transform to robot mode in "[[Mercenary Pursuits]]". Shouldn't he have already realized that he didn't have any weapons?
* It's not really clear ''why'' Rattrap's new body doesn't have any weapons. Did the Oracle not anticipate that he would be fighting Vehicons? Was it some kind of secret test of character?
* Considering her rather duplicitous nature that ended with her defecting to the Maximals in ''Beast Wars'', it's a bit hypocritical for Blackarachnia to suddenly accuse Rattrap of being a traitor.
* The "night" that Rattrap spends with Megatron is really short. Not long after getting his weapons from Megatron, the other three Maximals arrive, they fight Rattrap... and then the sun rises.

===Continuity notes===
* Rattrap's inability to transform to robot mode was first brought up "[[Master of the House]]". This episode sees Rattrap finally overcoming this hurdle... only to be thoroughly disappointed with the results. Points for trying?
* Optimus is still recuperating from his strenuous reformatting of Nightscream, which happened in [[Forbidden Fruit|the previous episode]].
* Another episode that highlights' Optimus's growing metaphysical sense, the episode begins with Optimus experiencing a prophetic dream that appears to foreshadow Rattrap's upcoming crisis of conscience.

===Real-world references===
* When the weakened Megatron sees Rattrap in his chamber, he remarks: "Ah, so this is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a simpering...rodent." This is a paraphrased quote from the poem "{{w|The Hollow Men}}" by T.S. Eliot.

===Trivia===
* During Rattrap's "Not from where I'm standing" line, it seems that Scott McNeil halfway slips into his Silverbolt voice. But when someone [[Waspinator (BW)|voices]] [[Silverbolt (BW)|so]] [[Dinobot (BW)|many]] [[Rattrap (BW)|characters]], these things happen occasionally.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le Maillon Faible'''" ("The Weakest Link")

:*''Title:'' "'''Le Composant'''" (Canada, "The Component")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Rattrap'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 7]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Yakusoku no Yoake'''" (約束の夜明け, "The Promised Dawn")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 21]], [[2004]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''El Componente Débil'''" ("The Weak Component")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Chèn Rén Zhī Wēi'''" (乘人之危, "In the Precarious Position")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2004 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 2 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One — Reformatting (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season One (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 1 (Sony) — French audio only.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weak Component}}
[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

Forbidden Fruit

2021-05-26T00:36:38Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Continuity notes */

{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=5
|image=ForbiddenFruit titlescreen.jpg
|caption=Yum! Mangoes!
|title="Forbidden Fruit"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[October 16]], 1999
|written by=[[Steven Melching]]
|directed by=[[Trenton Carlson]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''A mysterious bat offers a strange new energy supply, but is it a blessing or a curse?'''

==Synopsis==
In the depths of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] and [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] spar in their [[beast mode]]s. They are being mentored by [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], who is trying to train them to find their still point in the heat of battle. Cheetor objects to this new, "mystical" Optimus and proclaims that he trusts his instincts. All this unfolds while they are watched by an unfamiliar set of eyes. But while Cheetor and Blackarachnia have moved on to the next level of training, [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] is still struggling with the basics of his [[technorganic]] body, unsuccessfully trying to transform. Optimus Primal tells Rattrap to have patience and just let it happen. Frustrated and disheartened, Rattrap mouths off to Primal about their inability to find the missing [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]].

[[File:Forbidden Fruit Nightscream restrained.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Charlton Heston in a role that will surprise you!]]
Hurt, Optimus Primal leaves Rattrap, while the other two scold him for his remarks. Primal notices something up above and investigates. It's a bat, and Primal is shocked at the presence of organic life on Cybertron. Before he can examine it further, he is hit with a sonic pulse, and the creature flaps away. The Maximals pursue the bat through an abandoned city before Cheetor transforms and catches the creature. As Cheetor holds the bat down, it speaks! Not only that, he claims to be a [[Maximal]].
[[File:ForbiddenFruit Optimus takes a bite.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Does this come Energon-flavored?]]
But before the Maximals can ask any more questions, [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] and his [[Aero Drone]]s appear and attack the Maximals. Optimus Primal, Cheetor, and Blackarachnia transform into combat modes, while Rattrap, still unable to transform, hides. After a short clash, the Maximals run away, followed by the Vehicons. Jetstorm fires a homing mine after the Maximals, but the bat sends it off-course with a sonic blast. While the Maximals take cover, the mine takes out the drones, and the disoriented survivors turn on each other. Jetstorm retreats, but vows to return.

The creature leads the Maximals back to his hideout as Optimus Primal recounts the events that led to their [[reformatting]] at the hands of the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]]. The bat tells them that he was an ordinary Maximal until a [[transformation virus]] attacked Cybertropolis, with the survivors dispatched by legions of [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]. While outrunning a [[Tank Drone]], he fell down a deep pit and awoke as a bat. When the Maximals reach their destination, Primal is amazed at the bat's temporary home... an organic tree, far below the surface of Cybertron!

[[File:Forbidden Fruit Optimus Primal tree.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|I'm not really digging this new remake of ''[[King Kong]]''.]]
The creature explains that he has been eating from the tree since his transformation and offers its fruit to the others. While three of them accept, Cheetor is suspicious of the creature. Optimus Primal tries the fruit, claiming that it may help their organic components, but Cheetor retorts that he only processes [[energon]]. While the others chow down, Cheetor interrogates the bat and demands answers, demanding to know if the newcomer's an agent for [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. The bat denies the claims, snapping that Megatron took everything he loved away from him. As they return to the others, the three Maximals are unresponsive, behaving like animals.

Amidst the chaos, Jetstorm reappears and attacks. Cheetor attempts to snap the others out of their beast mentality and get them to transform. They ignore him, and he and the bat attempt to take the food away from the increasingly feral Maximals. Out of desperation, Cheetor transforms and destroys the tree despite the bat's protests. The affected Maximals return to their old selves, and they transform and fight... but they're not quick enough to prevent the bat from taking a blast to the chest from Jetstorm. Optimus realizes that the only way to save him is to reformat the Maximal, and although Cheetor protests that he's not strong enough, Optimus insists that he won't lose yet another Maximal.

[[File:Nightscreambm.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|And the fandom reception went from bad to worse.]]
A white glow engulfs the injured Maximal, and a technorganic bat emerges. Transforming into his new [[robot mode]], he takes out the Aero Drones with a sonic blast, then drain's Jetstorm's energy until the general crashes. The Maximals are triumphant, but Optimus is left severely weakened. Even so, he's proud of Cheetor: he was right to destroy the tree, as its purely organic nature had imbalanced their technorganic bodies. While he recuperates, he appoints Cheetor as the temporary leader of the Maximals. With Optimus Primal on a web-stretcher, the Maximals prepare to move out. They're joined by the bat, who's decided to travel with them, and finally introduces himself as [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]].

But as they leave, a fruit from the organic tree puts down roots into what appears to be organic soil!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (1)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (2)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (3)
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (4)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (5)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s
|c2=
*[[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] (6)
*[[Aero Drone]]s (7)
}}

==Quotes==
"How do you expect to master your new body if you keep turning your back on the Matrix, the source of our very sparks." 
"I hate to disappoint you, Big Bot, but, (grunts) in the heat of the battle, I have to follow my instincts, not ''blind faith''."
:—'''Optimus''' preaches it, but '''Cheetor''' opposes it.

"But that's impossible. How can it ''live'' down here?" 
"Eh, even with wings, a rat's a rat. And we're survivors."
:—'''Blackarachnia''' and '''Rattrap''' spot a bat.

"Well, well, well. Looks like what we have here is an unlawful assembly. I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you boys downtown—''in pieces!''"
:—'''Jetstorm'''

"That's it! I'm through working with a bunch of empty-headed tin-plated-" [''is interrupted by Maximals''] "Ganging up on me? Let's see how tough you are when I bring a whole battalion back!"
:—'''Jetstorm''' suffers from ADD.

"I was trying to remember how to transform. I thought I could learn by watching him. Like that would ever happen." 
"''Like that would ever happen.''"
:—'''Nightscream''' doesn't have a high opinion of '''Rattrap''' (or anyone else, actually).

"Sit! Eat! Get strong!"
:—'''Optimus Primal''', nutritional specialist on fruit

'''Cheetor''': (roars) 
'''Nightscream''': Whoa, easy! I'm worried about your buddies too. I didn't know the fruit was gonna affect them like that. 
'''Cheetor''': (scoffs) Like I'm supposed to believe that. This whole thing stinks of Megatron. 
'''Nightscream''': Watch it! Megatron destroyed everything and everyone I ever cared about! Don't you EVER accuse me of-- 
'''Cheetor''': Shh!
:—'''Cheetor''' and '''Nightscream''' have an argument

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* When the Maximals escape into the underground and knock out a large metal cover blocking the tunnel, one of the bolts fallen on the ground clips through the thick metal plate as it drops down on top of it.
* Due to a layering error, Optimus overlaps Rattrap as the Maximals walk toward Nightscream's chamber, even though Optimus is farther away from view.
* When Cheetor shows his concerned face to Optimus, his entire body is blocky and of lower resolution.
* Optimus' right gorilla arm painfully twists around when he sits down to eat.
* In some shots, when Cheetor turns his head to the side in [[beast mode]], his neck clips through the "collar" around it.
* When Nightscream first transforms, his beast mode noticeably separates from him, shrinks, and disappears into the space between his legs. Granted, all of the show's transformations are cheaty and unfeasible, but at least they normally make it look like the characters remain in one piece.
** When he's done transforming, a bright blue spark of sorts remains floating between his legs.
* The destruction of the tree is... really weird. The entire tree just disappears, like a holographic illusion. This might be a storytelling conceit in order to further accentuate its mysterious nature, or it might have just been easier to animate.

===Continuity errors===
* Although Optimus is teaching the Maximals to transform while in combat, they've been doing it in the past without too much trouble.
* While all the Maximals were affected by the same transformation virus, Nightscream doesn't show any of the same symptoms that the four Maximals displayed in "[[The Reformatting]]". Optimus Primal and company were shown to be in clear physical pain as a result of the virus, sparking and glitching, while Nightscream is just unable to transform. It may be that the fruit was somehow responsible for staving off the nastier effects, but nothing is made clear.
* Contrary to Cheetor's declaration of "We don't eat food. We fuel up on energon, period!", plenty of Maximals and Predacons consumed organic material throughout ''Beast Wars,'' most notably [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]'s creepy habit of eating live animals.
* Nightscream manages to transform into his new robot mode seconds after his reformatting, which throws a wrench into Primal's assertion that learning to transform is a gradual process. (This development ''is'' lampshaded by Rattrap, who mumbles "you've gotta be kiddin' me!" as he watches). That said, Nightscream has been spying on Optimus Primal's training sessions for a while, so maybe he's been teaching himself? [[Silverbolt (BW)|Later]] [[Botanica (BM)|Maximal]]s will also transform without much difficulty, so maybe the original four Maximals are just really stupid when it comes to transforming.

===Continuity notes===
* Optimus makes a point of reminding Rattrap that "there are no shortcuts" when it comes to mastering technorganic transformation, regarding his use of a [[transformation enhancer]] in "[[Mercenary Pursuits]]".
* Rattrap brings up [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]], who are still MIA.
* Optimus describes the fruit as "de-evolving" their technorganic bodies, providing some foreshadowing about the Oracle's ultimate mission.
* It is at the end of this episode that the Aero Drones are first referred to by name.
* Gadgets and powers:
** Jetstorm can deploy a homing mine from underneath his vehicle mode cockpit.
** Rattrap's toolkit includes a tail-mounted flashlight.
** He later stores one of the fruits in said toolkit without much trouble.

===Transformers references===
[[File:Bm soundwave.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Mainframe's compensation for [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]]'s survival in [[The Transformers: The Movie|the movie]].]]
* Optimus Primal describes the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] as an interface with the [[Transformer afterlife|Matrix]] itself.
* During his flashback, Nightscream is seen hiding behind a Transformer that resembles [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]].

===Real-world references===
* The episode's title, is of course, a reference to the Biblical story of Adam and Eve.
* As the Maximals hold down Nightscream, he looks at Optimus and cries, "Get your stinking paws off me, you big, dirty ape!", semi-quoting the famous line from the Charlton Heston film ''Planet of the Apes''.
* Jetstorm refers to Nightscream as "{{w|Bat Boy (character)|Bat Boy}}", a fictional "character" from the infamous ''Weekly World News''.
* As he returns, Jetstorm triumphantly gloats "Seek, and ye shall find", a line from the Bible.

===Trivia===
* This episode was riffed on in [[MSTF]] fashion at [[BotCon 2000]]. It is one of two ''Beast Machines'' episodes to get the MSTF treatment, the other being "[[A Wolf in the Fold]]".
* The real message of this episode is that fruit is bad for you. Next time you get a craving, why not try a nice healthy [[Beast Wars II Sausage|sausage]] instead?

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le Fruit Défendu'''" ("The Forbidden Fruit")

:*''Title:'' "'''Fruit Défendu'''" ("Forbidden Fruit")

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Nachtgestalten'''" ("Creatures of the Night")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 6]], [[2000]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kindan no Kajitsu'''" (禁断の果実, "Forbidden Fruit")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 20]], [[2004]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''El Fruto Prohibido'''" ("The Forbidden Fruit")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Jìn'guǒ '''" (禁果, "Forbidden Fruit")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2004 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 2 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One — Reformatting (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season One (Sony) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 1 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Other Victories

2021-05-25T05:36:33Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Trivia */

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=50
|image=OVic opening.JPG
|caption=Sure is nice in the lifeless void.
|title="Other Victories"
|production=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[May 5]], [[1999]]
|written by=[[Larry DiTillio]]
|directed by=[[William Lau]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''The aliens send their powerful new emissary Tigerhawk to Earth to stop the continued disruption of the time stream.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:OtherVictories BirthofTigerhawk.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Oh yeah, we still have these two guys.]]
Somewhere in the vast universe, two entities are discussing the experiment on "[[Earth|Nexus Earth]]". Though the project was "sterilized", there remains a threat. The entities then reveal [[Tigatron]] and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], then merge their bodies together, creating a new [[Transformer]]. The aliens inhabit the body and depart in a ball of energy, while two [[spark]]s follow.

[[File:Judge Megatron.JPG|right|upright=0.85|thumb|Believe it or not, you may have better luck on [[Quintessa (planet)|Quintessa]].]]
At the [[Darksyde (BW)|Predacon base]], the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] are holding a "trial" for [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]]. [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] is the "defense", [[Dinobot II|Dinobot]] and [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] are the jury, [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] is taking the minutes, and [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] is the judge, not to mention the fact that he's all dressed up for the occasion. Quickstrike begs for mercy, saying he doesn't know what [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]'s intentions for destroying the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] were, but offers to hunt him down for Megatron, who is less than open to the suggestion. Suddenly, the sensors detect an energy surge on a ballistic approach for the base. Tarantulas and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] both detect the surge as well and recognize that it can only be one thing.

The aliens are back.

[[File:OtherVictories clash.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Flying Tiger, Hidden Dragon]]
The Predacons' automated defenses are ineffective against the anomaly, and Megatron orders them to abandon the base. Making contact, the energy ball destroys the Predacon ship instantly. [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] heads for the base, fearing that the spark of [[Megatron (G1)|the original Megatron]] may have been destroyed, and sends [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] to assist.

From the ashes of the Predacon base, the alien Transformer appears and introduces himself as [[Tigerhawk]], emissary of the [[Vok]]. He dispatches the other Predacons with ease, then sentences Megatron to death for his interference with the timestream. The two battle, but Tigerhawk is victorious. During the fight, Cheetor is incapacitated. As Tigerhawk prepares the killing blow, Optimus arrives. Tigerhawk greets him in a friendly manner, but asks him not to interfere. Optimus tries to explain Megatron's situation, but is entombed in the earth for his efforts. However, Tigerhawk is attacked by Tarantulas's [[Arachnoid|spider drones]], which allows Tarantulas to drag him to his lair. Meanwhile, an unconscious Cheetor dreams that he is visited by the sparks of Tigatron and Airazor, who fuse together before he is attacked by the two Vok seen in the beginning of the episode. He wakes up to see the fused spark, which guides him to the lair and the emissary.

[[File:Tarantulas death.JPG|right|upright=0.85|thumb|The most hardcore death of ''Beast Wars''.]]
At the lair, Tigerhawk revives and claims to know Tarantulas. The mad scientist states that he intends to use Tigerhawk to destroy the [[Maximal]]s while he detonates the ''Ark''. He also reveals why he wants to destroy it: Tarantulas and the [[Tripredacus Council]] are not descendants of the [[Autobot]]s and the [[Decepticon]]s, but have "other origins". This would allow them to control [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and conquer the universe. Cheetor jumps in around this time and looks on amazed at the scene. As Tarantulas activates the deprogramming device, the two Vok entities emerge from Tigerhawk's mouth and enter him. The device then shoots a bolt of energy at Tarantulas, which throws him into a nearby [[Energon crystal]]. The crystal detonates, destroying Tarantulas and the two aliens in a freakish yet totally hardcore manner. Cheetor manages to drag Tigerhawk out, but is knocked unconscious when the lair explodes.

Optimus locates Cheetor and Tigerhawk as the merged sparks of Tigatron and Airazor enter the emissary. Welcoming their old friends and new friend back, the Maximals depart for home... as Megatron watches on.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] (3)
*[[Tigatron]] (4)
*[[Tigerhawk]] (5)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (13)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (14)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (15)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (16)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (17)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (6)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (7)
*[[Dinobot II]] (8)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (9)
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (10)
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (11)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (12)

|c4=*Magenta-eyed [[Vok]] (1)
*Yellow-eyed Vok (2)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ooooo, Waspinator ''like'' defense! A little ''more'' defense, and maybe Waspinator not get blown up all the time!" 
''gulp'' "Looks like this is my last round-up." 
"Aheh-ahem! Two-Head throw Megatron in lava pit. Megatron ''angry''. Think Two-Head a traitor. Want to ''slag'' Two-Head. Waspinator down with that!"
:—'''Waspinator''' "defends" '''Quickstrike'''.

"I — I plum don't know! But I do know this. That dang spider double-crossed ''both'' of us. I'd be happy to track him down for ya, a-and kick his keister!" 
"Ah hah hah. 'Dang spider'. I applaud your good intentions. But we are ''through'' being lenient with traitors!"
:—'''Quickstrike''' learns that '''Megatron''' is no longer [[Master Blaster|tolerant of treachery.]]

"Well, i-i-if it's not a comet, what is it?" 
"Somethin' I thought we'd never see again."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Rhinox''', monitoring Tigerhawk's approach toward prehistoric Earth.

"They're back... just like Tarantulas always said they'd be."
:—'''Blackarachnia'''

"I am Tigerhawk, emissary of the Vok. Your form's changed, but I know you, Megatron. The Vok charge you with the willful disruption of time and space. Surrender to me immediately. Violence will not be tolerated." 
[''chuckles''] "Megatrons do not surrender." [''transforms to [[robot mode]]''] "We conquer! Predacons, attack!"
:—'''Tigerhawk''' tries to reason with '''Megatron'''.

"At least this time, Waspinator has company!"
:—'''Waspinator''' looks on the bright side as Inferno and Quickstrike go down with him.

"You're insane!" 
"So they say. Bblbllllaah! Hahaha!"
:—'''Tarantulas''' proves '''Tigerhawk'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s assertion.

==Notes==
===Script timeline===
* First script: 8th September 1998
* Second draft: 5th October 1998
* Finalised: 14th October 1998
* As Air: 23rd March 1999

===Animation and technical errors===
*Characters and objects randomly turn lower-resolution throughout the episode:
**Waspinator's body as he delivers his "defense speech" (most visible on his rectangular shoulders)
**Quickstrike's head as he begs for mercy
**The rest of him, as well as Dinobot and Rampage along with their blasters, as they ready and then lower them. Interestingly, Quickstrike's head is back to being smooth
**Tigerhawk's wings when he introduces himself
**Cheetor's body while he's trapped under the web
**Tarantulas' entire body when he captures Tigerhawk
*Before Dinobot and Rampage grab Quicksrike, the latter's right heel is on upside down. Then, his scorpion-leg fingers clip through his legs.
*Quickstrike's left shoulderpad is sunken in during many shots in the first half of the episode
*As the Predacons scramble for battle stations, Megatron's eyes are green instead of their usual purple.
*Before Megatron orders to abandon the ''Darksyde'', Waspinator screams "What should we do?!", then seems to practically vanish, dropping out of frame extremely rapidly and looking oddly two dimensional.
*When Megatron bursts out from under one of the ship's wrecked panels, parts of him clip through it.
*Following the destruction, as Inferno cries out "The Colony!", Quickstrike in the background oddly snaps forward as he stumbles around.
*As the Predacons open fire on Tigerhawk, Dinobot II fires a green beam instead of a red one.
*When Tigerhawk offers one last chance to Megatron, his right arm clips through his wing-assembly.
*When Optimus introduces himself to Tigerhawk, some of his fingers clip through his chest.

===Continuity errors===
*The Vok at first seem to believe that Earth has been sterilized following their activation of the [[Planet Buster]] back in "[[Other Voices, Part 2|Other Voices]]". However, this doesn't make sense, as they clearly were aware of the survival of the Beast Warriors on Earth when they sent the [[Metal Hunter]] there in "[[Other Visits (Part 1)|Other Visits]]".
*This episode sees the Tripredacus Council described as having "different origins" than being Decepticon descendants. Back in "[[The Agenda (Part 1)|The Agenda]]", however, the council spoke of "their Decepticon ancestors" ''in private amongst themselves''. That's potentially a bit of a glaring [[retcon]], though we might be charitable and suggest that the original line ("Ever since the Autobots defeated our Decepticon ancestors, we Predacons have worked secretly towards the day where we might rise up and take what is rightfully ours") refers to the Predacon faction collectively, rather than the Council specifically.
*Considering at least some time has passed since the last episode, there's no logical explanation for why no one had bothered to explain to Rattrap that Megatron now had the original Megatron's spark and thus why he needed it explained to him in this episode. Nor has Rattrap been portrayed as anything but intelligent up until this point so that he'd need this explained to him a second time if we're to assume they did tell him and he just... forgot. This was likely only done to serve as exposition for the audience.
*Tigerhawk is quick to try and shoot Megatron, in spite of Optimus's warnings that the destruction of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s spark will have dire repercussions. When captured by Tarantulas, he notes that he needs to protect the Autobots and Decepticons aboard the ''Ark''. Perhaps Optimus talked him round?

===Continuity notes===
* Quickstrike is on trial for his treachery in "[[Master Blaster]]".
*The gun Dinobot uses during Quickstrike's trial is one of the guns Rampage used in "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]".
* Tarantulas seemed to be happily working under Megatron since the events of "[[Cutting Edge]]"; since his power play last episode, he's gone back to acting solo.
* Not only is this the first time that Airazor and Tigatron have appeared since being abducted in "Other Visits", it's the first time they've even been directly mentioned by other characters. Some friends the Maximals are.
* Megatron tries to forestall Tigerhawk's arrival by activating [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]], which he got his hands on in "[[Changing of the Guard]]". This is its first appearance (or even ''mention'') since then, and its last, so it ultimately did practically nothing for the Predacons.
*The ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' is seen on Tarantulas's computer. It will have significance in the [[Nemesis Part 1|series]] [[Nemesis Part 2|finale]]. They also show he's got the warship ready to be activated, so its presence on his computer screen may (in-universe) mean he was about to use it himself...
*The third and third-to-last episodes of Beast Wars (The Web, and this one, respectively) parallel each other rather nicely and act as book ends to an extent. The Web is the first episode to focus on Tarantulas, while this is the last, both episodes involve Tarantulas capturing someone (a cat-bot, no less) and stringing them up in a web in his lair to perform all sorts of acts of evil on them. Both episodes also feature Cheetor as the lead Maximal and feature strange prophetic dreams of his. And, perhaps fittingly considering the similarities, both are written by Larry DiTillio.
* Gadgets and powers:
** Tarantulas deploys flying arachnoids to incapacitate Tigerhawk; these ones have blue tips as opposed to their usual yellow-green.
* Cheetor has his last of four strange dreams in this episode, wherein Airazor and Tigatron appear to him and fuse together before his eyes. When he wakes up, he sees and follows the new joint spark over the landscape. He also sees the Vok in this dream before he sees them in real life, perhaps because Tigerhawk shows him or perhaps precognitively.

===Real-world references===
[[File:TarantulasVok SignOfTheCross.jpg|right|upright=0.85|thumb|"The power of [[Christmas]] compels you!"]]
* During Quickstrike's court-martial, Megatron wears a barrister's wig like those worn by British attorneys and judges, in keeping with his accent and aristocratic speech patterns. Inferno acts as stenographer (complete with typewriter).
* As the Vok approach Tarantulas, he attempts to ward them off by forming a [[Jesus|crucifix]] with his fingers, a sacred item often used to ward off [[Energy vampire|vampires]] in folklore.

===Trivia===
* The original title was "Closure".<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070607003159/http://www.electric-escape.net/tf/conventions/BotCon-98/Jon-Wilkie episode list] from [[BotCon 1998]]</ref> The change means it fits the "Other V-word" trend for Vok stories.
* This episode [[To sell toys|really wants you to buy a Tigerhawk toy]]. Can you tell?
* In a bit of classic irony, Tarantulas has been trying to destroy the Vok for most of the series and has been attempting to manipulate their creations towards his own plans. However, when he actually faces the Vok themselves he utterly loses it and just starts shooting like a maniac out of fear.
*While Tigerhawk is easily able to defeat six Predacons and obliterate an entire Decepticon [[Nemesis (G1)|warship]] by himself, he is no match for a group of arachnoids.
*When Tigerhawk is under the influence of the Vok his optics are solid green. Once Tigatron and Airazor's sparks enter his body, his optics are red with a yellow slit pupil.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La Victoire'''" (Canada, "The Victory")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Un nuovo amico'''" ("A New Friend")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tadaima de Gozaru'''" (ただいまでござる, "I Hath Returned")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 8]] [[2000]]
::*"Gozaru" is the outdated samurai lingo which [[Tigatron]] used as his verbal tic in the Japanese dub of ''Beast Wars'', indicating he is the one speaking the title.

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Outras Vitórias'''" ("Other Victories")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Otras Victorias'''" (America, "Other Victories")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''故人归来'''" ("The Old Friend Returns")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — We Have Returned ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 4 ([[Universal]])
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Seasons 2 & 3 ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Other Victories

2021-05-25T05:35:53Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Continuity notes */

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=50
|image=OVic opening.JPG
|caption=Sure is nice in the lifeless void.
|title="Other Victories"
|production=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[May 5]], [[1999]]
|written by=[[Larry DiTillio]]
|directed by=[[William Lau]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''The aliens send their powerful new emissary Tigerhawk to Earth to stop the continued disruption of the time stream.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:OtherVictories BirthofTigerhawk.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Oh yeah, we still have these two guys.]]
Somewhere in the vast universe, two entities are discussing the experiment on "[[Earth|Nexus Earth]]". Though the project was "sterilized", there remains a threat. The entities then reveal [[Tigatron]] and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], then merge their bodies together, creating a new [[Transformer]]. The aliens inhabit the body and depart in a ball of energy, while two [[spark]]s follow.

[[File:Judge Megatron.JPG|right|upright=0.85|thumb|Believe it or not, you may have better luck on [[Quintessa (planet)|Quintessa]].]]
At the [[Darksyde (BW)|Predacon base]], the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] are holding a "trial" for [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]]. [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] is the "defense", [[Dinobot II|Dinobot]] and [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] are the jury, [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] is taking the minutes, and [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] is the judge, not to mention the fact that he's all dressed up for the occasion. Quickstrike begs for mercy, saying he doesn't know what [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]'s intentions for destroying the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] were, but offers to hunt him down for Megatron, who is less than open to the suggestion. Suddenly, the sensors detect an energy surge on a ballistic approach for the base. Tarantulas and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] both detect the surge as well and recognize that it can only be one thing.

The aliens are back.

[[File:OtherVictories clash.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Flying Tiger, Hidden Dragon]]
The Predacons' automated defenses are ineffective against the anomaly, and Megatron orders them to abandon the base. Making contact, the energy ball destroys the Predacon ship instantly. [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] heads for the base, fearing that the spark of [[Megatron (G1)|the original Megatron]] may have been destroyed, and sends [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] to assist.

From the ashes of the Predacon base, the alien Transformer appears and introduces himself as [[Tigerhawk]], emissary of the [[Vok]]. He dispatches the other Predacons with ease, then sentences Megatron to death for his interference with the timestream. The two battle, but Tigerhawk is victorious. During the fight, Cheetor is incapacitated. As Tigerhawk prepares the killing blow, Optimus arrives. Tigerhawk greets him in a friendly manner, but asks him not to interfere. Optimus tries to explain Megatron's situation, but is entombed in the earth for his efforts. However, Tigerhawk is attacked by Tarantulas's [[Arachnoid|spider drones]], which allows Tarantulas to drag him to his lair. Meanwhile, an unconscious Cheetor dreams that he is visited by the sparks of Tigatron and Airazor, who fuse together before he is attacked by the two Vok seen in the beginning of the episode. He wakes up to see the fused spark, which guides him to the lair and the emissary.

[[File:Tarantulas death.JPG|right|upright=0.85|thumb|The most hardcore death of ''Beast Wars''.]]
At the lair, Tigerhawk revives and claims to know Tarantulas. The mad scientist states that he intends to use Tigerhawk to destroy the [[Maximal]]s while he detonates the ''Ark''. He also reveals why he wants to destroy it: Tarantulas and the [[Tripredacus Council]] are not descendants of the [[Autobot]]s and the [[Decepticon]]s, but have "other origins". This would allow them to control [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and conquer the universe. Cheetor jumps in around this time and looks on amazed at the scene. As Tarantulas activates the deprogramming device, the two Vok entities emerge from Tigerhawk's mouth and enter him. The device then shoots a bolt of energy at Tarantulas, which throws him into a nearby [[Energon crystal]]. The crystal detonates, destroying Tarantulas and the two aliens in a freakish yet totally hardcore manner. Cheetor manages to drag Tigerhawk out, but is knocked unconscious when the lair explodes.

Optimus locates Cheetor and Tigerhawk as the merged sparks of Tigatron and Airazor enter the emissary. Welcoming their old friends and new friend back, the Maximals depart for home... as Megatron watches on.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] (3)
*[[Tigatron]] (4)
*[[Tigerhawk]] (5)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (13)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (14)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (15)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (16)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (17)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (6)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (7)
*[[Dinobot II]] (8)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (9)
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (10)
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (11)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (12)

|c4=*Magenta-eyed [[Vok]] (1)
*Yellow-eyed Vok (2)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ooooo, Waspinator ''like'' defense! A little ''more'' defense, and maybe Waspinator not get blown up all the time!" 
''gulp'' "Looks like this is my last round-up." 
"Aheh-ahem! Two-Head throw Megatron in lava pit. Megatron ''angry''. Think Two-Head a traitor. Want to ''slag'' Two-Head. Waspinator down with that!"
:—'''Waspinator''' "defends" '''Quickstrike'''.

"I — I plum don't know! But I do know this. That dang spider double-crossed ''both'' of us. I'd be happy to track him down for ya, a-and kick his keister!" 
"Ah hah hah. 'Dang spider'. I applaud your good intentions. But we are ''through'' being lenient with traitors!"
:—'''Quickstrike''' learns that '''Megatron''' is no longer [[Master Blaster|tolerant of treachery.]]

"Well, i-i-if it's not a comet, what is it?" 
"Somethin' I thought we'd never see again."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Rhinox''', monitoring Tigerhawk's approach toward prehistoric Earth.

"They're back... just like Tarantulas always said they'd be."
:—'''Blackarachnia'''

"I am Tigerhawk, emissary of the Vok. Your form's changed, but I know you, Megatron. The Vok charge you with the willful disruption of time and space. Surrender to me immediately. Violence will not be tolerated." 
[''chuckles''] "Megatrons do not surrender." [''transforms to [[robot mode]]''] "We conquer! Predacons, attack!"
:—'''Tigerhawk''' tries to reason with '''Megatron'''.

"At least this time, Waspinator has company!"
:—'''Waspinator''' looks on the bright side as Inferno and Quickstrike go down with him.

"You're insane!" 
"So they say. Bblbllllaah! Hahaha!"
:—'''Tarantulas''' proves '''Tigerhawk'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s assertion.

==Notes==
===Script timeline===
* First script: 8th September 1998
* Second draft: 5th October 1998
* Finalised: 14th October 1998
* As Air: 23rd March 1999

===Animation and technical errors===
*Characters and objects randomly turn lower-resolution throughout the episode:
**Waspinator's body as he delivers his "defense speech" (most visible on his rectangular shoulders)
**Quickstrike's head as he begs for mercy
**The rest of him, as well as Dinobot and Rampage along with their blasters, as they ready and then lower them. Interestingly, Quickstrike's head is back to being smooth
**Tigerhawk's wings when he introduces himself
**Cheetor's body while he's trapped under the web
**Tarantulas' entire body when he captures Tigerhawk
*Before Dinobot and Rampage grab Quicksrike, the latter's right heel is on upside down. Then, his scorpion-leg fingers clip through his legs.
*Quickstrike's left shoulderpad is sunken in during many shots in the first half of the episode
*As the Predacons scramble for battle stations, Megatron's eyes are green instead of their usual purple.
*Before Megatron orders to abandon the ''Darksyde'', Waspinator screams "What should we do?!", then seems to practically vanish, dropping out of frame extremely rapidly and looking oddly two dimensional.
*When Megatron bursts out from under one of the ship's wrecked panels, parts of him clip through it.
*Following the destruction, as Inferno cries out "The Colony!", Quickstrike in the background oddly snaps forward as he stumbles around.
*As the Predacons open fire on Tigerhawk, Dinobot II fires a green beam instead of a red one.
*When Tigerhawk offers one last chance to Megatron, his right arm clips through his wing-assembly.
*When Optimus introduces himself to Tigerhawk, some of his fingers clip through his chest.

===Continuity errors===
*The Vok at first seem to believe that Earth has been sterilized following their activation of the [[Planet Buster]] back in "[[Other Voices, Part 2|Other Voices]]". However, this doesn't make sense, as they clearly were aware of the survival of the Beast Warriors on Earth when they sent the [[Metal Hunter]] there in "[[Other Visits (Part 1)|Other Visits]]".
*This episode sees the Tripredacus Council described as having "different origins" than being Decepticon descendants. Back in "[[The Agenda (Part 1)|The Agenda]]", however, the council spoke of "their Decepticon ancestors" ''in private amongst themselves''. That's potentially a bit of a glaring [[retcon]], though we might be charitable and suggest that the original line ("Ever since the Autobots defeated our Decepticon ancestors, we Predacons have worked secretly towards the day where we might rise up and take what is rightfully ours") refers to the Predacon faction collectively, rather than the Council specifically.
*Considering at least some time has passed since the last episode, there's no logical explanation for why no one had bothered to explain to Rattrap that Megatron now had the original Megatron's spark and thus why he needed it explained to him in this episode. Nor has Rattrap been portrayed as anything but intelligent up until this point so that he'd need this explained to him a second time if we're to assume they did tell him and he just... forgot. This was likely only done to serve as exposition for the audience.
*Tigerhawk is quick to try and shoot Megatron, in spite of Optimus's warnings that the destruction of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s spark will have dire repercussions. When captured by Tarantulas, he notes that he needs to protect the Autobots and Decepticons aboard the ''Ark''. Perhaps Optimus talked him round?

===Continuity notes===
* Quickstrike is on trial for his treachery in "[[Master Blaster]]".
*The gun Dinobot uses during Quickstrike's trial is one of the guns Rampage used in "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]".
* Tarantulas seemed to be happily working under Megatron since the events of "[[Cutting Edge]]"; since his power play last episode, he's gone back to acting solo.
* Not only is this the first time that Airazor and Tigatron have appeared since being abducted in "Other Visits", it's the first time they've even been directly mentioned by other characters. Some friends the Maximals are.
* Megatron tries to forestall Tigerhawk's arrival by activating [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]], which he got his hands on in "[[Changing of the Guard]]". This is its first appearance (or even ''mention'') since then, and its last, so it ultimately did practically nothing for the Predacons.
*The ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' is seen on Tarantulas's computer. It will have significance in the [[Nemesis Part 1|series]] [[Nemesis Part 2|finale]]. They also show he's got the warship ready to be activated, so its presence on his computer screen may (in-universe) mean he was about to use it himself...
*The third and third-to-last episodes of Beast Wars (The Web, and this one, respectively) parallel each other rather nicely and act as book ends to an extent. The Web is the first episode to focus on Tarantulas, while this is the last, both episodes involve Tarantulas capturing someone (a cat-bot, no less) and stringing them up in a web in his lair to perform all sorts of acts of evil on them. Both episodes also feature Cheetor as the lead Maximal and feature strange prophetic dreams of his. And, perhaps fittingly considering the similarities, both are written by Larry DiTillio.
* Gadgets and powers:
** Tarantulas deploys flying arachnoids to incapacitate Tigerhawk; these ones have blue tips as opposed to their usual yellow-green.
* Cheetor has his last of four strange dreams in this episode, wherein Airazor and Tigatron appear to him and fuse together before his eyes. When he wakes up, he sees and follows the new joint spark over the landscape. He also sees the Vok in this dream before he sees them in real life, perhaps because Tigerhawk shows him or perhaps precognitively.

===Real-world references===
[[File:TarantulasVok SignOfTheCross.jpg|right|upright=0.85|thumb|"The power of [[Christmas]] compels you!"]]
* During Quickstrike's court-martial, Megatron wears a barrister's wig like those worn by British attorneys and judges, in keeping with his accent and aristocratic speech patterns. Inferno acts as stenographer (complete with typewriter).
* As the Vok approach Tarantulas, he attempts to ward them off by forming a [[Jesus|crucifix]] with his fingers, a sacred item often used to ward off [[Energy vampire|vampires]] in folklore.

===Trivia===
* The original title was "Closure".<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070607003159/http://www.electric-escape.net/tf/conventions/BotCon-98/Jon-Wilkie episode list] from [[BotCon 1998]]</ref> The change means it fits the "Other V-word" trend for Vok stories.
* This episode [[To sell toys|really wants you to buy a Tigerhawk toy]]. Can you tell?
* In a bit of classic irony, Tarantulas has been trying to destroy the Vok for most of the series and has been attempting to manipulate their creations towards his own plans. However, when he actually faces the Vok themselves he utterly loses it and just starts shooting like a maniac out of fear.
*While Tigerhawk is easily able to defeat six Predacons and hold off an entire Decepticon [[Nemesis (G1)|warship]] by himself, he is no match for a group of arachnoids.
*When Tigerhawk is under the influence of the Vok his optics are solid green. Once Tigatron and Airazor's sparks enter his body, his optics are red with a yellow slit pupil.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La Victoire'''" (Canada, "The Victory")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Un nuovo amico'''" ("A New Friend")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tadaima de Gozaru'''" (ただいまでござる, "I Hath Returned")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 8]] [[2000]]
::*"Gozaru" is the outdated samurai lingo which [[Tigatron]] used as his verbal tic in the Japanese dub of ''Beast Wars'', indicating he is the one speaking the title.

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Outras Vitórias'''" ("Other Victories")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Otras Victorias'''" (America, "Other Victories")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''故人归来'''" ("The Old Friend Returns")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — We Have Returned ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 4 ([[Universal]])
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Seasons 2 & 3 ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Other Victories

2021-05-25T05:12:03Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Continuity notes */

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=50
|image=OVic opening.JPG
|caption=Sure is nice in the lifeless void.
|title="Other Victories"
|production=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[May 5]], [[1999]]
|written by=[[Larry DiTillio]]
|directed by=[[William Lau]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''The aliens send their powerful new emissary Tigerhawk to Earth to stop the continued disruption of the time stream.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:OtherVictories BirthofTigerhawk.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Oh yeah, we still have these two guys.]]
Somewhere in the vast universe, two entities are discussing the experiment on "[[Earth|Nexus Earth]]". Though the project was "sterilized", there remains a threat. The entities then reveal [[Tigatron]] and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], then merge their bodies together, creating a new [[Transformer]]. The aliens inhabit the body and depart in a ball of energy, while two [[spark]]s follow.

[[File:Judge Megatron.JPG|right|upright=0.85|thumb|Believe it or not, you may have better luck on [[Quintessa (planet)|Quintessa]].]]
At the [[Darksyde (BW)|Predacon base]], the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] are holding a "trial" for [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]]. [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] is the "defense", [[Dinobot II|Dinobot]] and [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] are the jury, [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] is taking the minutes, and [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] is the judge, not to mention the fact that he's all dressed up for the occasion. Quickstrike begs for mercy, saying he doesn't know what [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]'s intentions for destroying the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] were, but offers to hunt him down for Megatron, who is less than open to the suggestion. Suddenly, the sensors detect an energy surge on a ballistic approach for the base. Tarantulas and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] both detect the surge as well and recognize that it can only be one thing.

The aliens are back.

[[File:OtherVictories clash.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Flying Tiger, Hidden Dragon]]
The Predacons' automated defenses are ineffective against the anomaly, and Megatron orders them to abandon the base. Making contact, the energy ball destroys the Predacon ship instantly. [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] heads for the base, fearing that the spark of [[Megatron (G1)|the original Megatron]] may have been destroyed, and sends [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] to assist.

From the ashes of the Predacon base, the alien Transformer appears and introduces himself as [[Tigerhawk]], emissary of the [[Vok]]. He dispatches the other Predacons with ease, then sentences Megatron to death for his interference with the timestream. The two battle, but Tigerhawk is victorious. During the fight, Cheetor is incapacitated. As Tigerhawk prepares the killing blow, Optimus arrives. Tigerhawk greets him in a friendly manner, but asks him not to interfere. Optimus tries to explain Megatron's situation, but is entombed in the earth for his efforts. However, Tigerhawk is attacked by Tarantulas's [[Arachnoid|spider drones]], which allows Tarantulas to drag him to his lair. Meanwhile, an unconscious Cheetor dreams that he is visited by the sparks of Tigatron and Airazor, who fuse together before he is attacked by the two Vok seen in the beginning of the episode. He wakes up to see the fused spark, which guides him to the lair and the emissary.

[[File:Tarantulas death.JPG|right|upright=0.85|thumb|The most hardcore death of ''Beast Wars''.]]
At the lair, Tigerhawk revives and claims to know Tarantulas. The mad scientist states that he intends to use Tigerhawk to destroy the [[Maximal]]s while he detonates the ''Ark''. He also reveals why he wants to destroy it: Tarantulas and the [[Tripredacus Council]] are not descendants of the [[Autobot]]s and the [[Decepticon]]s, but have "other origins". This would allow them to control [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and conquer the universe. Cheetor jumps in around this time and looks on amazed at the scene. As Tarantulas activates the deprogramming device, the two Vok entities emerge from Tigerhawk's mouth and enter him. The device then shoots a bolt of energy at Tarantulas, which throws him into a nearby [[Energon crystal]]. The crystal detonates, destroying Tarantulas and the two aliens in a freakish yet totally hardcore manner. Cheetor manages to drag Tigerhawk out, but is knocked unconscious when the lair explodes.

Optimus locates Cheetor and Tigerhawk as the merged sparks of Tigatron and Airazor enter the emissary. Welcoming their old friends and new friend back, the Maximals depart for home... as Megatron watches on.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] (3)
*[[Tigatron]] (4)
*[[Tigerhawk]] (5)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (13)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (14)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (15)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (16)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (17)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (6)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (7)
*[[Dinobot II]] (8)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (9)
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (10)
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (11)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (12)

|c4=*Magenta-eyed [[Vok]] (1)
*Yellow-eyed Vok (2)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ooooo, Waspinator ''like'' defense! A little ''more'' defense, and maybe Waspinator not get blown up all the time!" 
''gulp'' "Looks like this is my last round-up." 
"Aheh-ahem! Two-Head throw Megatron in lava pit. Megatron ''angry''. Think Two-Head a traitor. Want to ''slag'' Two-Head. Waspinator down with that!"
:—'''Waspinator''' "defends" '''Quickstrike'''.

"I — I plum don't know! But I do know this. That dang spider double-crossed ''both'' of us. I'd be happy to track him down for ya, a-and kick his keister!" 
"Ah hah hah. 'Dang spider'. I applaud your good intentions. But we are ''through'' being lenient with traitors!"
:—'''Quickstrike''' learns that '''Megatron''' is no longer [[Master Blaster|tolerant of treachery.]]

"Well, i-i-if it's not a comet, what is it?" 
"Somethin' I thought we'd never see again."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Rhinox''', monitoring Tigerhawk's approach toward prehistoric Earth.

"They're back... just like Tarantulas always said they'd be."
:—'''Blackarachnia'''

"I am Tigerhawk, emissary of the Vok. Your form's changed, but I know you, Megatron. The Vok charge you with the willful disruption of time and space. Surrender to me immediately. Violence will not be tolerated." 
[''chuckles''] "Megatrons do not surrender." [''transforms to [[robot mode]]''] "We conquer! Predacons, attack!"
:—'''Tigerhawk''' tries to reason with '''Megatron'''.

"At least this time, Waspinator has company!"
:—'''Waspinator''' looks on the bright side as Inferno and Quickstrike go down with him.

"You're insane!" 
"So they say. Bblbllllaah! Hahaha!"
:—'''Tarantulas''' proves '''Tigerhawk'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s assertion.

==Notes==
===Script timeline===
* First script: 8th September 1998
* Second draft: 5th October 1998
* Finalised: 14th October 1998
* As Air: 23rd March 1999

===Animation and technical errors===
*Characters and objects randomly turn lower-resolution throughout the episode:
**Waspinator's body as he delivers his "defense speech" (most visible on his rectangular shoulders)
**Quickstrike's head as he begs for mercy
**The rest of him, as well as Dinobot and Rampage along with their blasters, as they ready and then lower them. Interestingly, Quickstrike's head is back to being smooth
**Tigerhawk's wings when he introduces himself
**Cheetor's body while he's trapped under the web
**Tarantulas' entire body when he captures Tigerhawk
*Before Dinobot and Rampage grab Quicksrike, the latter's right heel is on upside down. Then, his scorpion-leg fingers clip through his legs.
*Quickstrike's left shoulderpad is sunken in during many shots in the first half of the episode
*As the Predacons scramble for battle stations, Megatron's eyes are green instead of their usual purple.
*Before Megatron orders to abandon the ''Darksyde'', Waspinator screams "What should we do?!", then seems to practically vanish, dropping out of frame extremely rapidly and looking oddly two dimensional.
*When Megatron bursts out from under one of the ship's wrecked panels, parts of him clip through it.
*Following the destruction, as Inferno cries out "The Colony!", Quickstrike in the background oddly snaps forward as he stumbles around.
*As the Predacons open fire on Tigerhawk, Dinobot II fires a green beam instead of a red one.
*When Tigerhawk offers one last chance to Megatron, his right arm clips through his wing-assembly.
*When Optimus introduces himself to Tigerhawk, some of his fingers clip through his chest.

===Continuity errors===
*The Vok at first seem to believe that Earth has been sterilized following their activation of the [[Planet Buster]] back in "[[Other Voices, Part 2|Other Voices]]". However, this doesn't make sense, as they clearly were aware of the survival of the Beast Warriors on Earth when they sent the [[Metal Hunter]] there in "[[Other Visits (Part 1)|Other Visits]]".
*This episode sees the Tripredacus Council described as having "different origins" than being Decepticon descendants. Back in "[[The Agenda (Part 1)|The Agenda]]", however, the council spoke of "their Decepticon ancestors" ''in private amongst themselves''. That's potentially a bit of a glaring [[retcon]], though we might be charitable and suggest that the original line ("Ever since the Autobots defeated our Decepticon ancestors, we Predacons have worked secretly towards the day where we might rise up and take what is rightfully ours") refers to the Predacon faction collectively, rather than the Council specifically.
*Considering at least some time has passed since the last episode, there's no logical explanation for why no one had bothered to explain to Rattrap that Megatron now had the original Megatron's spark and thus why he needed it explained to him in this episode. Nor has Rattrap been portrayed as anything but intelligent up until this point so that he'd need this explained to him a second time if we're to assume they did tell him and he just... forgot. This was likely only done to serve as exposition for the audience.
*Tigerhawk is quick to try and shoot Megatron, in spite of Optimus's warnings that the destruction of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s spark will have dire repercussions. When captured by Tarantulas, he notes that he needs to protect the Autobots and Decepticons aboard the ''Ark''. Perhaps Optimus talked him round?

===Continuity notes===
* Quickstrike is on trial for his treachery in "[[Master Blaster]]".
*The gun Dinobot uses during Quickstrike's trial is one of the guns Rampage used in "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]".
* Tarantulas seemed to be happily working under Megatron since the events of "[[Cutting Edge]]"; since his power play last episode, he's gone back to acting solo.
* Not only is this the first time that Airazor and Tigatron have appeared since being abducted in "Other Visits", it's the first time they've even been directly mentioned by other characters. Some friends the Maximals are.
* Megatron tries to forestall Tigerhawk's arrival by activating [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]], which he got his hands on in "[[Changing of the Guard]]". This is its first appearance (or even ''mention'') since then, and its last, so it ultimately did practically nothing for the Predacons.
*The ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' is seen on Tarantulas's computer. It will have significance in the [[Nemesis Part 1|series]] [[Nemesis Part 2|finale]]. They also show he's got the warship ready to be activated, so its presence on his computer screen may (in-universe) mean he was about to use it himself...
*The third and third-to-last episodes of Beast Wars (The Web, and this one, respectively) parallel each other rather nicely and act as book ends to an extent. The Web is the first episode to focus on Tarantulas, while this is the last, both episodes involve Tarantulas capturing someone (a cat-bot, no less) and stringing them up in a web in his lair to perform all sorts of acts of evil on them. Both episodes also feature Cheetor as the lead Maximal and feature strange prophetic dreams of his. And, perhaps fittingly considering the similarities, both are written by Larry DiTillio.
* Gadgets and powers:
** Tarantulas deploys flying arachnoids to incapacitate Tigerhawk; these ones have blue tips as opposed to their usual yellow-green.
* Cheetor has his last of four strange dreams in this episode, wherein Airazor and Tigatron appear to him and fuse together before his eyes. When he wakes up, he sees and follows the new joint spark over the landscape. He also sees the Vok in this dream before he sees them in real life, perhaps because Tigerhawk shows him or perhaps precognitive.

===Real-world references===
[[File:TarantulasVok SignOfTheCross.jpg|right|upright=0.85|thumb|"The power of [[Christmas]] compels you!"]]
* During Quickstrike's court-martial, Megatron wears a barrister's wig like those worn by British attorneys and judges, in keeping with his accent and aristocratic speech patterns. Inferno acts as stenographer (complete with typewriter).
* As the Vok approach Tarantulas, he attempts to ward them off by forming a [[Jesus|crucifix]] with his fingers, a sacred item often used to ward off [[Energy vampire|vampires]] in folklore.

===Trivia===
* The original title was "Closure".<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070607003159/http://www.electric-escape.net/tf/conventions/BotCon-98/Jon-Wilkie episode list] from [[BotCon 1998]]</ref> The change means it fits the "Other V-word" trend for Vok stories.
* This episode [[To sell toys|really wants you to buy a Tigerhawk toy]]. Can you tell?
* In a bit of classic irony, Tarantulas has been trying to destroy the Vok for most of the series and has been attempting to manipulate their creations towards his own plans. However, when he actually faces the Vok themselves he utterly loses it and just starts shooting like a maniac out of fear.
*While Tigerhawk is easily able to defeat six Predacons and hold off an entire Decepticon [[Nemesis (G1)|warship]] by himself, he is no match for a group of arachnoids.
*When Tigerhawk is under the influence of the Vok his optics are solid green. Once Tigatron and Airazor's sparks enter his body, his optics are red with a yellow slit pupil.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La Victoire'''" (Canada, "The Victory")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Un nuovo amico'''" ("A New Friend")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tadaima de Gozaru'''" (ただいまでござる, "I Hath Returned")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 8]] [[2000]]
::*"Gozaru" is the outdated samurai lingo which [[Tigatron]] used as his verbal tic in the Japanese dub of ''Beast Wars'', indicating he is the one speaking the title.

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Outras Vitórias'''" ("Other Victories")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Otras Victorias'''" (America, "Other Victories")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''故人归来'''" ("The Old Friend Returns")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — We Have Returned ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 4 ([[Universal]])
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Seasons 2 & 3 ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Other Victories

2021-05-25T05:05:26Z

DuplexBeGreat: /* Continuity notes */

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=50
|image=OVic opening.JPG
|caption=Sure is nice in the lifeless void.
|title="Other Victories"
|production=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[May 5]], [[1999]]
|written by=[[Larry DiTillio]]
|directed by=[[William Lau]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''The aliens send their powerful new emissary Tigerhawk to Earth to stop the continued disruption of the time stream.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:OtherVictories BirthofTigerhawk.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Oh yeah, we still have these two guys.]]
Somewhere in the vast universe, two entities are discussing the experiment on "[[Earth|Nexus Earth]]". Though the project was "sterilized", there remains a threat. The entities then reveal [[Tigatron]] and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], then merge their bodies together, creating a new [[Transformer]]. The aliens inhabit the body and depart in a ball of energy, while two [[spark]]s follow.

[[File:Judge Megatron.JPG|right|upright=0.85|thumb|Believe it or not, you may have better luck on [[Quintessa (planet)|Quintessa]].]]
At the [[Darksyde (BW)|Predacon base]], the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] are holding a "trial" for [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]]. [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] is the "defense", [[Dinobot II|Dinobot]] and [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] are the jury, [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] is taking the minutes, and [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] is the judge, not to mention the fact that he's all dressed up for the occasion. Quickstrike begs for mercy, saying he doesn't know what [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]'s intentions for destroying the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] were, but offers to hunt him down for Megatron, who is less than open to the suggestion. Suddenly, the sensors detect an energy surge on a ballistic approach for the base. Tarantulas and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] both detect the surge as well and recognize that it can only be one thing.

The aliens are back.

[[File:OtherVictories clash.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Flying Tiger, Hidden Dragon]]
The Predacons' automated defenses are ineffective against the anomaly, and Megatron orders them to abandon the base. Making contact, the energy ball destroys the Predacon ship instantly. [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] heads for the base, fearing that the spark of [[Megatron (G1)|the original Megatron]] may have been destroyed, and sends [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] to assist.

From the ashes of the Predacon base, the alien Transformer appears and introduces himself as [[Tigerhawk]], emissary of the [[Vok]]. He dispatches the other Predacons with ease, then sentences Megatron to death for his interference with the timestream. The two battle, but Tigerhawk is victorious. During the fight, Cheetor is incapacitated. As Tigerhawk prepares the killing blow, Optimus arrives. Tigerhawk greets him in a friendly manner, but asks him not to interfere. Optimus tries to explain Megatron's situation, but is entombed in the earth for his efforts. However, Tigerhawk is attacked by Tarantulas's [[Arachnoid|spider drones]], which allows Tarantulas to drag him to his lair. Meanwhile, an unconscious Cheetor dreams that he is visited by the sparks of Tigatron and Airazor, who fuse together before he is attacked by the two Vok seen in the beginning of the episode. He wakes up to see the fused spark, which guides him to the lair and the emissary.

[[File:Tarantulas death.JPG|right|upright=0.85|thumb|The most hardcore death of ''Beast Wars''.]]
At the lair, Tigerhawk revives and claims to know Tarantulas. The mad scientist states that he intends to use Tigerhawk to destroy the [[Maximal]]s while he detonates the ''Ark''. He also reveals why he wants to destroy it: Tarantulas and the [[Tripredacus Council]] are not descendants of the [[Autobot]]s and the [[Decepticon]]s, but have "other origins". This would allow them to control [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and conquer the universe. Cheetor jumps in around this time and looks on amazed at the scene. As Tarantulas activates the deprogramming device, the two Vok entities emerge from Tigerhawk's mouth and enter him. The device then shoots a bolt of energy at Tarantulas, which throws him into a nearby [[Energon crystal]]. The crystal detonates, destroying Tarantulas and the two aliens in a freakish yet totally hardcore manner. Cheetor manages to drag Tigerhawk out, but is knocked unconscious when the lair explodes.

Optimus locates Cheetor and Tigerhawk as the merged sparks of Tigatron and Airazor enter the emissary. Welcoming their old friends and new friend back, the Maximals depart for home... as Megatron watches on.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] (3)
*[[Tigatron]] (4)
*[[Tigerhawk]] (5)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (13)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (14)
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (15)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (16)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (17)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (6)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (7)
*[[Dinobot II]] (8)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (9)
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (10)
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (11)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (12)

|c4=*Magenta-eyed [[Vok]] (1)
*Yellow-eyed Vok (2)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ooooo, Waspinator ''like'' defense! A little ''more'' defense, and maybe Waspinator not get blown up all the time!" 
''gulp'' "Looks like this is my last round-up." 
"Aheh-ahem! Two-Head throw Megatron in lava pit. Megatron ''angry''. Think Two-Head a traitor. Want to ''slag'' Two-Head. Waspinator down with that!"
:—'''Waspinator''' "defends" '''Quickstrike'''.

"I — I plum don't know! But I do know this. That dang spider double-crossed ''both'' of us. I'd be happy to track him down for ya, a-and kick his keister!" 
"Ah hah hah. 'Dang spider'. I applaud your good intentions. But we are ''through'' being lenient with traitors!"
:—'''Quickstrike''' learns that '''Megatron''' is no longer [[Master Blaster|tolerant of treachery.]]

"Well, i-i-if it's not a comet, what is it?" 
"Somethin' I thought we'd never see again."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Rhinox''', monitoring Tigerhawk's approach toward prehistoric Earth.

"They're back... just like Tarantulas always said they'd be."
:—'''Blackarachnia'''

"I am Tigerhawk, emissary of the Vok. Your form's changed, but I know you, Megatron. The Vok charge you with the willful disruption of time and space. Surrender to me immediately. Violence will not be tolerated." 
[''chuckles''] "Megatrons do not surrender." [''transforms to [[robot mode]]''] "We conquer! Predacons, attack!"
:—'''Tigerhawk''' tries to reason with '''Megatron'''.

"At least this time, Waspinator has company!"
:—'''Waspinator''' looks on the bright side as Inferno and Quickstrike go down with him.

"You're insane!" 
"So they say. Bblbllllaah! Hahaha!"
:—'''Tarantulas''' proves '''Tigerhawk'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s assertion.

==Notes==
===Script timeline===
* First script: 8th September 1998
* Second draft: 5th October 1998
* Finalised: 14th October 1998
* As Air: 23rd March 1999

===Animation and technical errors===
*Characters and objects randomly turn lower-resolution throughout the episode:
**Waspinator's body as he delivers his "defense speech" (most visible on his rectangular shoulders)
**Quickstrike's head as he begs for mercy
**The rest of him, as well as Dinobot and Rampage along with their blasters, as they ready and then lower them. Interestingly, Quickstrike's head is back to being smooth
**Tigerhawk's wings when he introduces himself
**Cheetor's body while he's trapped under the web
**Tarantulas' entire body when he captures Tigerhawk
*Before Dinobot and Rampage grab Quicksrike, the latter's right heel is on upside down. Then, his scorpion-leg fingers clip through his legs.
*Quickstrike's left shoulderpad is sunken in during many shots in the first half of the episode
*As the Predacons scramble for battle stations, Megatron's eyes are green instead of their usual purple.
*Before Megatron orders to abandon the ''Darksyde'', Waspinator screams "What should we do?!", then seems to practically vanish, dropping out of frame extremely rapidly and looking oddly two dimensional.
*When Megatron bursts out from under one of the ship's wrecked panels, parts of him clip through it.
*Following the destruction, as Inferno cries out "The Colony!", Quickstrike in the background oddly snaps forward as he stumbles around.
*As the Predacons open fire on Tigerhawk, Dinobot II fires a green beam instead of a red one.
*When Tigerhawk offers one last chance to Megatron, his right arm clips through his wing-assembly.
*When Optimus introduces himself to Tigerhawk, some of his fingers clip through his chest.

===Continuity errors===
*The Vok at first seem to believe that Earth has been sterilized following their activation of the [[Planet Buster]] back in "[[Other Voices, Part 2|Other Voices]]". However, this doesn't make sense, as they clearly were aware of the survival of the Beast Warriors on Earth when they sent the [[Metal Hunter]] there in "[[Other Visits (Part 1)|Other Visits]]".
*This episode sees the Tripredacus Council described as having "different origins" than being Decepticon descendants. Back in "[[The Agenda (Part 1)|The Agenda]]", however, the council spoke of "their Decepticon ancestors" ''in private amongst themselves''. That's potentially a bit of a glaring [[retcon]], though we might be charitable and suggest that the original line ("Ever since the Autobots defeated our Decepticon ancestors, we Predacons have worked secretly towards the day where we might rise up and take what is rightfully ours") refers to the Predacon faction collectively, rather than the Council specifically.
*Considering at least some time has passed since the last episode, there's no logical explanation for why no one had bothered to explain to Rattrap that Megatron now had the original Megatron's spark and thus why he needed it explained to him in this episode. Nor has Rattrap been portrayed as anything but intelligent up until this point so that he'd need this explained to him a second time if we're to assume they did tell him and he just... forgot. This was likely only done to serve as exposition for the audience.
*Tigerhawk is quick to try and shoot Megatron, in spite of Optimus's warnings that the destruction of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s spark will have dire repercussions. When captured by Tarantulas, he notes that he needs to protect the Autobots and Decepticons aboard the ''Ark''. Perhaps Optimus talked him round?

===Continuity notes===
* Quickstrike is on trial for his treachery in "[[Master Blaster]]".
*The gun Dinobot uses during Quickstrike's trial is one of the guns Rampage used in "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]".
* Tarantulas seemed to be happily working under Megatron since the events of "[[Cutting Edge]]"; since his power play last episode, he's gone back to acting solo.
* Not only is this the first time that Airazor and Tigatron have appeared since being abducted in "Other Visits", it's the first time they've even been directly mentioned by other characters. Some friends the Maximals are.
* Megatron tries to forestall Tigerhawk's arrival by activating [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]], which he got his hands on in "[[Changing of the Guard]]".
*The ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' is seen on Tarantulas's computer. It will have significance in the [[Nemesis Part 1|series]] [[Nemesis Part 2|finale]]. They also show he's got the warship ready to be activated, so its presence on his computer screen may (in-universe) mean he was about to use it himself...
*The third and third-to-last episodes of Beast Wars (The Web, and this one, respectively) parallel each other rather nicely and act as book ends to an extent. The Web is the first episode to focus on Tarantulas, while this is the last, both episodes involve Tarantulas capturing someone (a cat-bot, no less) and stringing them up in a web in his lair to perform all sorts of acts of evil on them. Both episodes also feature Cheetor as the lead Maximal and feature strange prophetic dreams of his. And, perhaps fittingly considering the similarities, both are written by Larry DiTillio.
* Gadgets and powers:
** Tarantulas deploys flying arachnoids to incapacitate Tigerhawk; these ones have blue tips as opposed to their usual yellow-green.
* Cheetor has his last of four strange dreams in this episode, wherein Airazor and Tigatron appear to him and fuse together before his eyes. When he wakes up, he sees and follows the new joint spark over the landscape. He also sees the Vok in this dream before he sees them in real life, perhaps because Tigerhawk shows him or perhaps precognitive.

===Real-world references===
[[File:TarantulasVok SignOfTheCross.jpg|right|upright=0.85|thumb|"The power of [[Christmas]] compels you!"]]
* During Quickstrike's court-martial, Megatron wears a barrister's wig like those worn by British attorneys and judges, in keeping with his accent and aristocratic speech patterns. Inferno acts as stenographer (complete with typewriter).
* As the Vok approach Tarantulas, he attempts to ward them off by forming a [[Jesus|crucifix]] with his fingers, a sacred item often used to ward off [[Energy vampire|vampires]] in folklore.

===Trivia===
* The original title was "Closure".<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070607003159/http://www.electric-escape.net/tf/conventions/BotCon-98/Jon-Wilkie episode list] from [[BotCon 1998]]</ref> The change means it fits the "Other V-word" trend for Vok stories.
* This episode [[To sell toys|really wants you to buy a Tigerhawk toy]]. Can you tell?
* In a bit of classic irony, Tarantulas has been trying to destroy the Vok for most of the series and has been attempting to manipulate their creations towards his own plans. However, when he actually faces the Vok themselves he utterly loses it and just starts shooting like a maniac out of fear.
*While Tigerhawk is easily able to defeat six Predacons and hold off an entire Decepticon [[Nemesis (G1)|warship]] by himself, he is no match for a group of arachnoids.
*When Tigerhawk is under the influence of the Vok his optics are solid green. Once Tigatron and Airazor's sparks enter his body, his optics are red with a yellow slit pupil.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La Victoire'''" (Canada, "The Victory")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Un nuovo amico'''" ("A New Friend")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tadaima de Gozaru'''" (ただいまでござる, "I Hath Returned")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[March 8]] [[2000]]
::*"Gozaru" is the outdated samurai lingo which [[Tigatron]] used as his verbal tic in the Japanese dub of ''Beast Wars'', indicating he is the one speaking the title.

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Outras Vitórias'''" ("Other Victories")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Otras Victorias'''" (America, "Other Victories")

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''故人归来'''" ("The Old Friend Returns")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — We Have Returned ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 4 ([[Universal]])
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Seasons 2 & 3 ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]