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Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)

2011-02-20T07:15:52Z

Giarc367:

{{Nav-bw}}

Though [[Trukk not munky|reviled]] by many Transfans when it first hit the airwaves in 1996, the wholly-[[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] '''''Beast Wars''''' is now considered by many to be among the finest examples of Transformers storytelling.

:''Canadian name:'' '''Beasties'''
:''Japanese name (season 1):'' '''Super Lifeform Transformers Beast Wars''' (超生命体トランスフォーマー　ビーストウォーズ, Chō Seimeitai Transformers Beast Wars)
:''Japanese name (season 2-3):'' '''Super Lifeform Transformers Beast Wars Metals''' (超生命体トランスフォーマー　ビーストウォーズ　メタルス, Chō Seimeitai Transformers Beast Wars Metals)
:''French name:'' '''Animutants'''
:''French name (Canada):'' '''Robots-Bêtes'''
:''Italian name:'' '''Biocombat'''
:''Latin-American name:'' '''Guerra de Bestias'''
:''Latvian name:'' '''Briesmoņu kari''' ("Monster Wars")
:''Polish name:'' '''Kosmiczne Wojny''' ("Cosmic Wars")
:''Russian name:'' '''Bitvi Zverey/Zhestokye voini''' (Битвы зверей, "Battles of the Beasts"/ Жестокие войны, "Cruel wars")
:''Vietnamese name:'' '''Chiến tranh quái vật vũ trụ''' ("Galaxy Monster Wars")

==Overview==
The series opens at an unspecified time and place, where two warring factions of robots have crashed on a strange planet populated by animals like those on [[Earth]]. The planet abounds in mystery, with vast deposits of raw [[Energon (fuel)|Energon]] and evidence of [[Vok|alien]] activity. The Energon forces the newly arrived Transformers to take on protective beast forms to shield themselves from the ambient Energon radiation. And so begin the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]]...

[[Image:Beastwarsmaxgroup.jpg|left|300px|thumb|Rattrap and Airazor conspire to ruin school picture day.]]
Though at first the show seemed to be in an entirely separate continuity, by the end of the first season's 26 episodes, viewers had been treated to a number of classical Transformers references, such as [[Unicron]] and even the reappearance of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], last seen as a ghost in the third season of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]]. These ties to the original story increased as the second season progressed and the planet was revealed as prehistoric Earth, the characters having been thrown back in time. The third season was entirely structured around the [[Maximal]]s defending their dormant [[Autobot]] ancestors aboard the ancient crashed [[Ark (G1)|Ark]].

The show won over many viewers through fun, intriguing stories and generally high production values. Strong characterization, top-notch scripting and voice acting, and complex, overarching plot threads are among the reasons cited for the show's enduring popularity. Some of the show's mysteries and machinations remain topics for fan debate over a decade after it aired.

The show's CGI, though somewhat primitive by today's standards, was revolutionary by television standards of the time (and puts [[Energon (cartoon)|some later shows]] to [[Cybertron (cartoon)|shame]]). Mainframe's animators took pains to ensure their characters gestured and emoted in great detail, and the "camera" work often took creative advantage of the format's flexibility.

The show was immediately followed by a sequel series, ''[[Beast Machines (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]''.
{{-}}

==Episodes==
{{main|List of Beast Wars episodes}}

''Beast Wars'' has had 52 episodes over 3 seasons.

===Season 1: 1996–1997===
{{columnlist|4|
# [[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]
# [[Beast Wars (Part 2)]]
# [[The Web]]
# [[Equal Measures]]
# [[Chain of Command]]
# [[Power Surge]]
# [[Fallen Comrades]]
# [[Double Jeopardy]]
# [[A Better Mousetrap]]
# [[Gorilla Warfare]]
# [[The Probe]]
# [[Victory (episode)|Victory]]
# [[Dark Designs (episode)|Dark Designs]]
# [[Double Dinobot]]
# [[The Spark]]
# [[The Trigger, Part 1]]
# [[The Trigger, Part 2]]
# [[Spider's Game]]
# [[Call of the Wild]]
# [[Dark Voyage]]
# [[Possession]]
# [[The Low Road]]
# [[Law of the Jungle]]
# [[Before the Storm]]
# [[Other Voices, Part 1]]
# [[Other Voices, Part 2]]}}

===Season 2: 1997–1998===
{{columnlist|4|
# [[Aftermath]]
# [[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)]]
# [[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)]]
# [[Tangled Web]]
# [[Maximal, No More]]
# [[Other Visits (Part 1)]]
# [[Other Visits (Part 2)]]
# [[Bad Spark]]
# [[Code of Hero]]
# [[Transmutate (episode)|Transmutate]]
# [[The Agenda (Part 1)]]
# [[The Agenda (Part 2)]]
# [[The Agenda (Part III)]]}}

===Season 3: 1998–1999===
{{columnlist|4|
# [[Optimal Situation]]
# [[Deep Metal]]
# [[Changing of the Guard]]
# [[Cutting Edge]]
# [[Feral Scream Part 1]]
# [[Feral Scream Part 2]]
# [[Proving Grounds]]
# [[Go with the Flow]]
# [[Crossing the Rubicon]]
# [[Master Blaster]]
# [[Other Victories]]
# [[Nemesis Part 1]]
# [[Nemesis Part 2]]}}

==Characters==
Because developing new CGI character models was, at the time, an expensive and time-consuming process, the number of on-screen characters in ''Beast Wars'' was relatively small compared to most other ''Transformers'' shows. It is thus practical to list all the Transformers who appeared in the cartoon. They are listed in order of appearance. (The [[stasis lock]]ed [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] are not on this list.) Note that many characters besides these are also full-fledged ''Beast Wars'' characters, having appeared in other media.
[[Image:BW Maximals.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Time for Rattrap to lead.]]
[[Image:BW Predacons.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Waspinator is loved by fans.]]

{{-}}

{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal]] ([[Garry Chalk]])
*[[Rattrap]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] ([[Richard Newman]])
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] ([[Ian James Corlett]])
*[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]* ([[Scott McNeil]])
*[[Tigatron]] ([[Blu Mankuma]])
*[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] ([[Pauline Newstone]])
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
*[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] ([[David Sobolov]])
*[[Tigerhawk]] ([[Blu Mankuma]])
|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] ([[David Kaye]])
*[[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] ([[Don Brown]])
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] ([[Alec Willows]])
*[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] ([[Doug Parker]])
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]† ([[Venus Terzo]])
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] ([[Jim Byrnes]])
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] ([[Colin Murdoch]])
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] ([[Campbell Lane]])
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] ([[Lee Tockar]])
*[[Dinobot II]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
|c4=
*[[Vok]] ([[Blu Mankuma]], [[Richard Newman]])
'''[[Protohuman]]s'''
*[[Leader Neanderthal]] ([[Garry Chalk]])
*[[Chak]]
*[[Una]] ([[Susan Blu]])
|nonumbering=true
}}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Allied with the Maximals, nominally a Predacon.

† Became a Maximal towards the end of the series.

==International releases==
===Japan===
In Japan the show was split into 2 separate 26 episode series, ''Beast Wars'' which aired in 1997 (consisting of Canadian season 1) and ''Beast Wars Metals'' which aired in 1999 (consisting of Canadian seasons 2 and 3). The ''Beast Wars Metals'' series featured two additional clip shows:

*Episode 14: "[[Where Is the Banana?]]"
*Episode 26: "[[Remix: I Lost the Banana!]]"

Japan crafted two separate theatrical releases, the first being "[[Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers]]" (premiering the episode "[[Bad Spark]]" as well as two other segments) and a triple feature of short animated films based on [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] toylines (premiering the episode "[[Cutting Edge]]"). Since these episodes were released theatrically, they are not included in the show's proper 26 episode list, with their places being taken by the pair of aforementioned clip shows.

Additionally, for whatever reason, the Japanese dub of ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Wars Metals'' notoriously chose to turn the series into a goofy comedy show with lots of fourth-wall humor and a relentless string of over-the-top and in-your-face jokes, even at the most ''inappropriate'' of moments. This was the work of [[Iwanami Yoshikazu]], director of the Japanese ''Beast Wars'' series.

Some examples include:
* The beginning of every episode would start with one of the characters asking a ridiculous question and receiving equally ridiculous answers (Optimus Primal asking "Where is my banana", for instance) before segueing into the [[War War! Stop It|opening rap theme]] by [[Banana Ice]]. (On that music note, "[[For the Dream|FOR THE DREAM]]" is the closing song, while "[[Hello! Toughness]]" was the ending song for the special "[[Clash! Beast Warriors]]".)
* An attempt was made to ensure that nary a moment went by in which at least ''one'' character wasn't talking. Dramatic silences and subtle jokes involving body language or facial expressions were killed with meaningless, prattling dialogue and corny jokes. Characters could even be heard talking when their lips were visibly ''not moving at all''. Even in close ups. Perhaps worst of all, a "gag" that ran through the course of the entire series featured each character "making noises" every single time they fired their weapon. For instance, Rattrap would make a sound along the likes of "pikyuu!" every time he fired. Every. Single. Time.
* Rattrap would constantly break the fourth wall by "smelling" what the audience was eating and make gluttonous comments.
* Many characters received completely new personalities that were polar opposites to their Western interpretation (Depth Charge enjoyed singing folk songs while Megatron became a flamboyant madman that shrieked like a little girl at the sight of danger). A character had their gender altered (poor, poor Airazor).
* Clip shows would feature the characters interacting in silly situations such as game shows and contests (in one instance, Megatron acted as judge in a celebrity impersonation contest).

While many long-time ''Transformers'' fans in Japan reviled this dub (including [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]]) it remained a hit with its target audience: young children. At any rate, this version of ''Beast Wars'' was popular enough to spawn two equally goofy-natured spin-offs, ''[[Beast Wars II (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'', and two Japanese-exclusive theatrical releases.

===United Kingdom===
When originally aired on GMTV in the United Kingdom, ''Beast Wars'' was only screened on school holidays, usually in double bills on Bank Holidays, and one episode per morning on half-term weeks, meaning that only a few episodes were shown a year, with wide gulfs in between (most prominently, ''three months'' passed between the airings of "Other Visits" parts [[Other Visits (Part 1)|1]] and [[Other Visits (Part 2)|2]]). In a sign of things to come, "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]" was shown some 25 minutes earlier than billed due to re-scheduled news reports, meaning many fans missed the entire opening episode. Things went from bad to worse when "[[Equal Measures]]" was skipped, and only continued when, after "[[Victory (episode)|Victory]]", the series skipped directly to "[[Other Voices, Part 1]]". The entirety of the second season followed the conclusion of the first, but the channel never aired the third season; although it was subsequently released on VHS, the cliffhanger-resolving "[[Optimal Situation]]" was only available as a free gift with purchase at [[Toys"R"Us]].

Additionally, these GMTV airings were modified in various ways. The first and most foremost alteration was the removal of the word "Transformers" from the series' title, which was only reinstated with "[[Other Voices, Part 1]]". With regard to the actual content, the earliest episodes generally had nothing more extreme than the removal of uses of the word "[[Slag (slang)|slag]]" (as it is effectively a synonym for "slut" in English slang), but with the beginning of the second season, edits were steadily made to episodes for no readily apparent reasons. Additionally, any scenes featuring flashing images were routinely put through a filter that slowed such scenes down to comical levels. This culminated in a butchered version of "[[The Agenda (Part 1)|The Agenda]]", which snipped out many short scenes throughout all three episodes for no reason, from inconsequential moments like Tarantulas cackling and driving out of his lab in Part 1, to key scenes such as Silverbolt and Optimus Primal's "office talk" in Part 2, and in what was the last straw for many fans, the complete second half of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s speech (''the part explaining [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s entire motivation''), also from Part 2.

During the time they had the rights to the series, GMTV also showed the entirety of seasons one and two on the then cable-only channel ITV 2.

Channel 5, a terrestrial channel, showed the entire series in its complete form in 2003. Thankfully. This got rerun too, leading to the ''Beast Wars'' comics getting [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|used as reprints in Titan's Movie-based comic]].

===France===
In France and (French) Belgium, the show was called "Animutants" and had a good-quality dubbing, rather close to the original voices. (The Dutch-speaking territory kept the original English dub.) But while the first two seasons of the show were aired, the third one never was; the show always ended with "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]", leaving the viewers in the area with the worst case of cliffhanger ever.

===Vietnam===
In Vietnam, the show was called "Chiến tranh quái vật vũ trụ" (Galaxy Monster Wars). The show was released on VHS tapes with a very good Vietnamese dub, then it was copied to VCD. Unfortunately, as happened in France, only the first two seasons were aired. It ended with "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]", and left the fans with a cliffhanger.

===Germany===
The German dub used the original title, ''Beast Wars'''. The show was initially very successful on the TV Station RTL2 and was released on VHS. However, only the first season was shown and dubbed. Furthermore, the TV broadcast had many fight scenes censored to comply with Germany's strict laws against TV violence; however, the VHS Release was uncut. After many reruns the show was cancelled and the second and third Season were never shown in Germany.

==Home video releases==
===Canada===
{{main|Alliance Atlantis}}
[[Image:Alliance Beast Wars Vol1 DVD.jpg|thumb|150px|]]
;VHS
*''Beast Wars'' — A Feature Length Beasties Adventure (1996)
*''Robots-Bêtes'' — Une Adventure Cybernetique (1996)
*''Beast Wars'' — Beasties Escape (1998)
*''Robots-Bêtes'' — L'Évasion (1998)
*''Beast Wars'' — Warning from Space (1998)
*''Robots-Bêtes'' — Alert Dans L'Espace (1998)
*''Beast Wars'' / ''Robots-Bêtes'' Three pack (1998)
*''Beast Wars'' — Optimus Lives! (1998)
*''Robots-Bêtes'' — L'Empreinte D'Optimus (1998)
;DVD
*''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes — Where the Beasties Began! (2005)
*''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes: Volume 2 — The Saga Continues! (2005)
*''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes: Volume 3 — The Battle Rages On! (2005)
*''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes: Volume 4 — The Predacons Advance! (2005)
*''Beast Wars'' — The Complete First Season (2005)
{{-}}

===Japan===
{{main|Geneon Universal Entertainment}}
[[Pioneer]]'s Japanese DVD sets of the series come with optional English language dialogue with Japanese subtitles, allowing fans in Japan to view the more serious version of the show if desired.
;VHS
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Enter the Super Lifeform Transformers (1997)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Cheetus' Crisis (1997)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Convoy Disappeared (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Lonely Warrior Tigatron (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — New Weapon of Terror (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Goodbye Rattle!? (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Floating Island Deathmatch (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — The Destrons Make Drama (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — There are 2 Dinobots? (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Resurrected Beast Power (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Starscream's Invulnerability (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Farewell Tigatron (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — To Protect the Peace... (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers Special'' — Great Cybertron Army Collection (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers Special'' — Great Destron Army Collection (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Great Quiz Collection (1999)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — We're Back! (1999)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Convoy Reborn (1999)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — I Quit! (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Huh? The Face? (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — I'm a Crab! (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — I Do Love You! (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Groooww Bigger (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Rrray! (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — The Movie (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Yeah, I'm Back! (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Love Typhoon (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Sssshiny! (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — We Have Returned (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Happy? This Should Do It (2000)
[[Image:Pioneer BeastWars Laserdisc Box2.jpg|thumb|150px|]]
;Laserdisc
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Maximal Edition (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Predacon Edition (1998)
;DVD
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — DVD BOX (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD BOX 1 (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD BOX 2 (2000)
{{-}}

===United Kingdom===
{{main|Universal}}
Almost the entire run of the show ended up on VHS from 2000 to 2001, oddly missing "[[Aftermath]]" and "[[Optimal Situation]]". This time, cuts were gone! Characters could rightfully swear!
[[Image:UK Beast Wars Vol3 VHS.jpg|150px|thumb|Not featuring [[Razorclaw (BW)|Razorclaw]].]]
;VHS
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Free Video (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 1 (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 2 (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 3 (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 4 (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 5 (2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 6 (2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 7 (2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 8 (2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 1 (2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 2 (2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 3 (2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 4 (2001)
;DVD
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 1 (2004)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 2 (2005)
{{-}}

===United States===
[[Image:Rhino BeastWars Vol1 DVD.jpg|thumb|100px|]]
{{main|Kid Rhino}}
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 1 (2002)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 2 (2002)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete First Season (2003)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Second Season (2004)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season (2004)
{{-}}

===Australia and New Zealand===
{{main|Madman Entertainment}}
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 2 (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 (2006)
*''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (2009)
{{-}}

===Pack-ins and Giveaways===
{{main|Hasbro}}
{{main|Pack-in material}}
;VHS
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Aftermath]] & [[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)]] (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Aftermath]] (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)]] (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Bad Spark]] & [[Code of Hero]] (1999)

;DVD
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Equal Measures]] (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[A Better Mousetrap]] (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[The Spark]] (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Spider's Game]] (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Possession]] (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Code of Hero]] (2006)
*"[[Beast Wars (Part 1)|Super Lifeform Transformers Appear]]" and "[[Victory (episode)|Make a Dramatic Comeback, Destrons]]" (2006)
*"[[Beast Wars (Part 2)|Destroy the Destrons]]" (2006)
*"[[The Web|Cheetas's Crisis]]" (2006)
*"[[Equal Measures|Operation: Time Bomb Transfer]]" (2006)
*"[[Chain of Command|Convoy Disappeared]]" (2006)
*"[[Power Surge|The Sky-Mountains Explode]]" (2006)
*"[[Fallen Comrades|Solitary Warrior, Tigatron]]" (2006)
*"[[Double Jeopardy|Kick of the Spider Woman]]" (2006)
*"[[The Probe|New Weapons of Terror!]]" (2006)
*"[[Gorilla Warfare|The Assassin Virus]]" (2006)
*"[[A Better Mousetrap|Goodbye, Rattle!?]]" (2006)
*"[[The Spark|Falcon Warrior, Airazor]]" (2006)
*"[[The Trigger, Part 1|Floating Island Death Match, Part 1]]" and "[[The Trigger, Part 2|Floating Island Death Match, Part 2]]" (2006)
*"[[Dark Voyage|Around and Around the Jungle]]" (2006)
*"[[Possession|The Immortal Starscream]]" (2006)

==Notes==
* The first season of ''Beast Wars'' cost $18 million, according to [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/b334d45514e26ab4/bc8e54e9165e0823?hl=en&lnk=st&q=bob+forward+interview+inferno+megatron&rnum=1#bc8e54e9165e0823 a 1997 interview with Bob Forward].
* There are three known unproduced ''Beast Wars'' episodes: "[[A Greater Ape]]", "[[Bitch Wars]]" and "[[Dark Glass]]".
* [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-CLUB_%28%E6%A8%A1%E5%9E%8B%E9%9B%91%E8%AA%8C%29 B-Club magazine] erroneously claims that ''Beast Wars'' is the first fully CGI television show in the world, a title actually held by ''[[:wikipedia:Insektors|Insektors]]''. Mainframe's own CGI show ''[[wikipedia:ReBoot|ReBoot]]'' also predates ''Beast Wars''.
* The Production Designer for the show, [[Clyde Klotz]], won an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation in 1997. How cool is that?
* For reasons unknown, the US Rhino release of ''Beast Wars'' season three did not include the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UmCEsbUe6E opening that was televised], which included an original shot of the ''Axalon'' and ''Darksyde'' spaceships crashing down to prehistoric Earth. Instead, all season three episodes began with the season two opening for the first part of the beginning credits.
* Also, the ''Beast Wars'' season one release from Rhino used a totally different and shorter opening sequence and a shortened version of the theme.

[[Category:Beast Wars| Beast Wars (cartoon)]]
[[Category:Mainframe]]
[[Category:Television series]]

Dark Voyage

2011-02-20T05:03:59Z

Giarc367:

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=20
|image=Dark Voyage Rattrap Cheetor blind.jpg
|caption="Dude... I've got some serious CAT-aracts..."
|title="Dark Voyage"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[January 27]], 1997
|written by=[[Samuel Warren Joseph]]
|directed by=[[Steve Ball]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
|packaged with=[[Archadis#Beast Wars Telemocha Series|Archadis]]
}}
'''After an energon explosion, Rhinox must lead the blinded Maximals back to base.'''

:''French title:'' '''Voyage au Bout de la Nuit''' ("Travel Until the End of the Night")
:''French-Canadian title:'' '''Sombre Voyage''' ("Dark Voyage")
:''Japanese title:'' ジャングルぐるぐる (''Jungle Guruguru'', "Around and Around the Jungle")
:''Latin-American title:'' '''Viaje en la Obscuridad'''
:''Italian title:'' '''Viaggio nelle tenebre'''
:''Brazilian title:'' '''Uma Viagem nas Trevas''' ("A Journey into Darkness")

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Dark Voyage Energon mining.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Dinobot finishes building Cheetor's new jet boosters.]]
[[Rattrap]] burrows through some rocks to uncover a piece of valuable [[Energon (fuel)|Energon]]. [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] congratulates Rattrap's discovery, while [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], disgruntled with the labour, discovers a deposit of surface Energon several times the size of Rattrap's harvest.

Suddenly, a dart from [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] lands on one of the larger pieces of Energon. [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] recognizes the dart as an explosive, and rushes to toss it away from the unstable Energon. However with the Energon already fractured, there's no stopping the gigantic explosion. Once the fireball expands and rises into the sky, Scorponok and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] are confident they've destroyed their enemies and return to base to report their conquest.

In the aftermath of the explosion, the four [[Maximals]] have all survived, but because of Energon poisoning, all of them have lost their sense of vision. Cheetor, Rattrap, and even Dinobot panic and fret—until Rhinox puts his foot down and gets his team moving, in hopes they can overcome their disability and reach home—or at least avoid being easy targets.

[[Image:Dark Voyage Cheetor snake.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Cheetor's got himself a crush.]]
Rhinox, at the front of the train of blind Maximals, comes to a sudden stop, causing the Maximals behind him to bump into his large posterior. Dinobot hops back onto his feet (and onto one of Rattrap's as well). Rhinox silences the group so he can use his ears to detect if something is near the group—his suspicion is confirmed as a large snake grabs Cheetor. Dinobot comically runs into a tree. Rattrap fails to fight the snake off, but Cheetor is saved due to the reptile deciding that Rattrap would be a better meal. Luckily, Rhinox is able to save Rattrap by tossing the snake over the horizon.

[[Image:Dark Voyage Rhinox Dinobot.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Scary eyes!]]
[[Tigatron]] and [[Optimus Primal]] (finally!) decide to search for their comrades who never reported home. Scorponok and Waspinator, searching for evidence of the expiry of the Maximals, decide to follow the trail of energon radiation their enemies left as the four walked away from the area. Waspinator finds the four as they cross a log over a waterfall, and the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] easily unhinges the log, causing the quartet to plunge into the water far beneath. As Waspinator congratulates himself, [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] arrives, demanding proof of the wasp's endeavor.

[[Image:Dark Voyage Rhinox listening.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Rhinox pushes an invisible truck.]]
The four Maximals all manage to wash up on a shore together. Dinobot feels doomed by the situation but Rhinox remains hopeful. The Predacon fliers pass overhead at high speed, finding their targets. In response, Rhinox commands his group to transform to their robot modes. Next Rhinox instructs the group to imagine the targeting grid from their training. Using all his senses to extend his sensory awareness, Rhinox gives directions for Cheetor, Rattrap, and Dinobot to aim their weapons. Terrorsaur is hit, and the sound of fire alerts Tigatron to the missing group's location.

Being in robot mode for just a few extra minutes however, accelerated the energon poisoning blinding the Maximals to the point that it causes the three gunners to fall into stasis. Luckily Primal arrives before the group's sparks are extinguished.

After Primal has brought his friends back to the [[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]], Rhinox exits the [[CR chamber]], the Energon poisoning cleaned from his system and his eyesight restored. Rhinox suggests that the whole ordeal was educational, and leaves to embrace his senses by smelling some flowers.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
* [[Rattrap]] (1)
* [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (2)
* [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (3)
* [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] (4)
* [[Tigatron]] (9)
* [[Optimus Primal]] (10)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s
|c2=
* [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] (5)
* [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (6)
* [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (7)
* [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (12)
* [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] (13)

|c4=
* A large snake (8)

}}
==Quotes==
"Nice find, Dino-miner. You're even better at this than Rattrap!" 
"Mmm. I'm better at ''everything'' than Rattrap!"
:—'''Cheetor''' and '''Dinobot'''

"Listen to me!! You've all got to calm down." 
"Calm...down...? WE CAN'T SEEEEEEE!"
:—'''Rhinox''''s order and '''Dinobot''''s reaction

"What's happening? Are we under attack?" 
"Don't. Panic." 
"You won't get me!" ''[runs into tree]''
:—'''Dinobot''' and '''Rhinox''' , the former clearly not listening.

"What irony. For a warrior like me to go out blind, wet and helpless."
:—'''Dinobot''' laments his situation.

"I'm gonna go smell some flowers."
:—'''Rhinox''' having recuperated.

==Notes==
===Animation errors===
* When Optimus Primal tells Tigatron, "I'm going to put Sentinel on automatic and search from the air.", his left pectoral muscle is much smaller than his right, almost as if it's squeezing itself in. (Optimus's left, not the viewer's.)

* Earlier on in the episode, when Rattrap is in his robot mode, the underside of his chin was white like his eyes. However, when Rattrap later submits to stasis lock, the underside of his chin is red. This is likely due to the fact that the piece of his digital model that colors his eyes is the same one that colors the underside of his chin as well as the inside of his mouth.

* When Rattrap thanks Rhinox for helping them through the events of the episode (at the moment where Rhinox awakens in the CR Chamber), his face plate is charred and burnt, and his eyes are a flat shade of red (instead of glowing red). When Dinobot speaks and Rattrap turns to face him, his face plate is as good as new.

===Other errors===
*While carrying Cheetor on his back, Rhinox claims he can smell fresh water. However, water is an entirely odorless liquid, and cannot be directly detected by scent. It is possible Rhinox detected the scent of the foliage that typically accompanies a water source, or felt the increased humidity in the air, and inferred the existence of water from corroborating evidence.
* While the giant snake is squeezing Cheetor, he gasps that he 'can't breathe', which is odd because he is a robot and therefore does not need to breathe to live.

===Trivia===
* The energon explosion at the beginning is a real pyrotechnic explosion superimposed over a CGI background.
* Since Cheetor was shown in "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]" to be the size of a real cheetah, that snake that attacks him must be truly gigantic--far larger than any living or known fossil species.
* It's possible that it was a Reticulated python, which does reach impressive lengths and is arboreal. Or, allowing a bit of retconning, it was either a [[wikipedia:Gigantophis|Gigantophis]] or a [[wikipedia:Titanoboa|Titanoboa]].
* Speaking of the giant snake, when Rhinox flings it away in the jungle, if one listens carefully, one can hear a hard thud followed by an elephant bellowing.
* While blind, Dinobot's optics do not work for seeing but they continue to function for [[Optic weaponry|shooting]].
* It seems likely this episode was originally intended for production and airing earlier in the season. Not only does the plot seem to retread (on a simpler level) the concepts of the just-aired "[[Call of the Wild]]", but late-arriving characters Airazor and Inferno are notably absent from the screen (however, Airazor was mentioned by Optimus in the episode—he said she was sent to look for the others in [[Grid Delta]]).

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Resurrected Beast Power ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2001 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 3 ([[Universal]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Predacon Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — English and Japanese audio.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete First Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes: Volume 3 — The Battle Rages On! ([[Alliance Atlantis]]) — English and French audio. 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — The Complete First Season (Alliance Atlantis) — English and French audio. 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]
[[category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:MSTF]]
[[Category:Pack-in material]]

The Trigger, Part 2

2011-02-20T04:29:54Z

Giarc367:

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=17
|series2=BWJtoon
|ep2=14
|prev2=The Trigger, Part 1
|next2=Victory (episode)
|image=The Trigger Blackarachnia chair.jpg
|caption=Lord Zedd got a makeover. By which we mean sex change.
|title="The Trigger" Part 2
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[November 19]], 1996
|written by=[[Bob Forward]]
|directed by=[[Michaela Zabranska]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
|packaged with=[[Megatron (BW)/toys#Beast Wars Telemocha Series|DX Megatron]]
}}
'''With the flying island under Predacon control, the Maximal base and the Beast Wars are in jeopardy.'''

:''French title:'' '''L'Île Volante - 2e partie''' ("The Flying Island - Part 2")
:''French-Canadian title:'' '''Île Volante 2'''
:''Japanese title:'' 浮島のデスマッチ後編 (''Ukishima no Death Match Kōhen'' "Floating Island Death Match Part 2")
:''Latin-American title:'' '''El Detonante Segunda Parte'''
:''Italian title:'' '''Il grilletto - Parte 2'''
:''Brazilian title:'' '''O Gatilho Parte 2''' ("The Trigger Part 2")

==Synopsis==
[[Image:The Trigger Blackarachnia symbol.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Even rocks have tattoos.]]
On the [[Brigadoon|floating paradise island]] of unknown origin, [[Tigatron]] resolves to be the island's dedicated defender, protecting it from the [[Predacons (BW)|Predacons]] who would abuse its power. With the injured [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] on his back, he gets moving. Meanwhile, the Predacons plan to make Tigatron's fear come true. [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] deduces how to detect traps on the island and that the obelisk that fires the laser weapon must be where the island is controlled.

At the same time, [[Optimus Primal]] (with [[Rattrap]] on his back) flies towards the island, maintaining radio contact with [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] on the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'''s bridge. [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] rushes onto the scene again, as he's spotted [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] and [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] leaving the [[Darksyde|Predacon base]]. As soon as he receives the news over the radio, Primal gets into an aerial scuffle with the two fliers, and because of his handicap from carrying Rattrap, is soundly blasted. Primal and Rattrap free-fall out of control.

[[Image:The Trigger Rattrap optimus.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Terrorsaur probably felt like he had a monkey on his back; it turned out to be a rat.]]
Rattrap, falling to his death, transforms and blasts the taunting Terrorsaur, commandeering the pteranodon as his new mode of transport. The battle between Primal and Waspinator ends in Waspinator's usual fashion.

Airazor and Tigatron have trouble with another of the island's deadly traps, but Tigatron cleverly blasts his and Airazor's way to freedom. Out of danger, they rendezvous with Primal and Rattrap (who is abandoned by his steed). Tigatron fills in his allies on how the symbols around the island denote the location of traps. Rattrap speculates the function of the island is, in fact, a test of the survival capabilities of whomever visits it.

Blackarachnia and [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] reach the obelisk that controls the island. Seeing the fliers, she fakes aggression against them so they attack her, which triggers the island's laser defense, giving Blackarachnia the chance to blast her way inside of the obelisk safely. The black widow marvels at the power of the alien technology she discovers inside. She gleefully announces her plan to use the island to win the Beast Wars for herself. Scorponok objects, but is quickly tricked into one of the island's traps.

[[Image:The Trigger Blackarachnia power.jpg|left|200px|thumb|I AM THE POWER!]]
Inside of the ornate control room, Blackarachnia steps on a strange symbol on the floor, which bathes her in light. The light alters her colors and her voice and gives her mind a direct connection to the island's power. She blackens the sky and uses the obelisk to rain destruction on the island (in a literal sense). The monolith elongates as she directs the island towards the Maximal base. Optimus radios to Rhinox the command for the crew to evacuate the ''Axalon''.

Rattrap's leg is pinned down by some heavy stone debris, but he commands Tigatron to leave him behind so the cat can stop Blackarachnia's chaos. As Tigatron presses forward, Rattrap uses an energy weapon to get the obelisk's defense beam to free himself. Inside the obelisk, Tigatron reluctantly destroys the island's reactor, knowing that this action will doom the paradise.

[[Image:The Trigger Island crash.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Someone stole the Master Emerald.]]
Without an energy source, the island loses altitude and guidance, narrowly swooping over the Maximal base. The island crumbles as it crashes into the ground, robbing Blackarachnia of her chance to dominate. The fallen obelisk sends one final pulse of energy into the sky, which bounces off of a similar obelisk on the smaller of the planet's two moons, then vanishes into space.

Tigatron knows the beam was a signal, telling [[Vok|the creators]] of the island how the Maximals and Predacons ruined their island paradise. A reoccurring butterfly symbolically dies. The Maximals wonder what's next, and how the builders of the island will react to the vandalism.
{{-}}
==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Tigatron]] (1)
*[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] (2)
*[[Optimus Primal]] (5)
*[[Rattrap]] (6)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (7)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (8)
*[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] (11)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s
|c2=
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (3)
*[[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] (4)
*[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] (9)
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (10)

}}
==Quotes==
"Have a nice... trip? Hehehahahahaha!"
:—'''Scorponok''' is easily amused.

"We should move... how are you feeling?" 
"Better. Still thrashed... ''(grunts)'' ...can't fly". 
"In that case... the lady shall ride a tiger!"
:—'''Tigatron''' and '''Airazor'''

"Now fly, ya featherless freak, or I'll toast ya tachyons."
:—'''Rattrap''', aiming his gun somewhere near Terrorsaur's tail.

"You're a real piece of work, Rattrap." 
"Eh, ain't it the truth?"
:—'''Optimus''' and '''Rattrap'''.

"Pterodactyl idiot!"
:—'''Waspinator''' re: Terrorsaur.

"Uhhhh... yeeeesss...I FEEL the power. I have the control! Let there be...''light.''"
:—'''Blackarachnia''' takes control of the flying island

"May I be forgiven for what I must do."
:—'''Tigatron''', just before destroying the flying island's power source

==Notes==
===Continuity errors===
*Despite Blackarachnia's observation that the monolith needs to recharge when it fires, it has no difficulty in firing a precise blast at Rattrap when he shoots at it, and it's dispersing energy all over the place at the time. Even if there are separate mechanisms for the different kinds of fire, the apparently large amount of energy consumed by the main beam seems as though it would cause some sort of pause in the barrage, at the least.
*Speaking of which, the monolith's main weapon has wildly varying power levels throughout the two-part episode. It was previously shown to be strong enough to badly damage Terrorsaur and Waspinator with one shot apiece, but in this episode, it only knocks them out of the sky, no worse for the wear. Later, it hits Rattrap almost dead-on, and leaves him seemingly uninjured save for a bout of dizziness. A possibility is that the repeated firings in such a short period of time are depleting the beam's charge, leaving it at the level of a strong blaster rather than a devastating superweapon.

===Real-world references===
* When Airazor is too injured to fly, Tigatron declares that "The lady shall ride the tiger". This is a reference to Frank Stockton's famous short story, "[http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/LadyTige.shtml The Lady or the Tiger?]"
* In [[wikipedia:The_Bible|the Bible]], "Let there be light" is a phrase used by God when he creates the universe.

===Trivia===
* Oddly enough, there are no silver redecos of Blackarachnia [[To sell toys|available for sale]]. Are you [[Dark Designs (episode)|sensing a pattern here?]]
* Despite spewing massive amounts of firepower in every direction, the monolith under Blackarachnia's control fails to hit any of the Maximals. "[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0655450/quotes Just stop and aim, you idiot!]"
* This is the only episode of Beast Wars not to feature Megatron in any way (flashbacks, dreams or holograms).
* Dinobot appears but gets no lines at all (which is odd given they had Scott McNeil there to voice Rattrap anyway).
*[[Cybertronix]]:
** As Rhinox makes contact with Primal, much Cybertronix appears on his screen. Though some is gibberish, the words "toilet", "Rod was here", and "you look too close" can be made out.
** Upsidedown text at the bottom of the screen when Airazor spies on Blackarachnia includes the names "PAM" and "KRIS", as well as "MCM10C4" (1994 in the Maximal numbering system).

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars'' — Warning from Space ([[Alliance Atlantis|Alliance Video]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1998 — ''Robots-Bêtes'' — Alert Dans L'Espace (Alliance Video) — French audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Floating Island Deathmatch ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars'' / ''Robots-Bêtes'' Three pack (Alliance Video) — Available in English or French audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2001 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 3 ([[Universal]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Predacon Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — English and Japanese audio.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete First Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes: Volume 3 — The Battle Rages On! ([[Alliance Atlantis]]) — English and French audio. 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — The Complete First Season (Alliance Atlantis) — English and French audio. 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trigger part 2}}
[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]
[[category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:Pack-in material]]