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Judgment Day, Part 2

2025-01-23T15:54:20Z

IlliterateBagel: /* Foreign localization */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 44
|image=JudgementDayPt2-TerratronusVSQuintessons.jpg|
|caption=You would never break the chain (never break the chain)
|prev=Judgment Day, Part 1
|next=
|title="Judgment Day, Part 2"
|season=3
|season ep=8
|airdate=[[October 25]], [[2024]] (Paramount+) TBA, [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Dale Malinowski]]
|animation studio=[[88 Pictures]]
|director=[[Sheldon Vella]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/sGi2dXMWngwWsz1v8GxMN27TcbTNcduq/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''The twin threats of the Quintessons and a storm of chaos energy hang over Witwicky.'''

==Synopsis==
Cornered, [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and [[Mo Malto|Mo]] don their helmets and take out the advancing [[Quintesson Executioner (ES)|Quintesson Executioner]]s. Mo rips the crest off one of the fallen Quintesson before the pair go in search of [[Twitch]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]].

On the ground, [[Dot Malto|Dot]] keeps an eye out for the kids while [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] and [[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] complete their work modifying [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]]'s trailer to absorb the energy of the Chaos storm. [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] is raring to go, having been repaired from his previous mishap, but Optimus instead assigns [[Cosmos (ES)|Cosmos]] and [[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] the task of taking the trailer into the storm. The pair take off, but as they prepare to release the trailer, the strong winds overcome Prowl's ability to remain attached. In the process of trying to reattach himself, Prowl is struck by the Cyber Slayer and plummets downwards, but fortunately he's caught by Megatron who has disregarded Prime's orders and stepped in. Nightshade joins Cosmos and is able to steady the trailer. They drop it into the storm which is rapidly sucked into the trailer, restoring clear skies and almost crushing Megatron and Prowl as it crashes to the ground. As everyone assembles around it, the trailer pops open and [[Aftermath (ES)|Aftermath]] and [[Spitfire (ES)|Spitfire]]. restored to life, jump out. Megatron uses the [[Cyber Slayer]] to repair Prowl. The two Chaos Terrans are tempted to just leave at this point, but the others persuade them to stay.

Distracting the guards with some music played on Mo's phone, the two kids release Twitch and Thrash from their holding cell. Meanwhile word of the escape reaches the [[Quintesson Judge (ES)|Quintesson Judge]] who immediately disintegrates the messenger before issuing a ship-wide alert. The kids, hearing copious alarms, cyber-sync and leave the ship with Quintesson pods in pursuit. As their horrified parents watch, they're shot down and unsync as they hit the ground. Twitch is the most seriously hurt, but the others arrive and she's taken aboard Megatron so that Wheeljack can start repairs.

While Mo and Nightshade head for Terratronus, the Quintesson pods touch down and a number of executioners emerge to face the Autobots. Aftermath soon finds to his glee that the large amount of chaos energy he absorbed has turbocharged his weapons. Mo and Nightshade fly to [[Terratronus]]'s spark chamber, where Mo uses the [[Spark Regenerator Key]] to bring the Titan back to life. Terratronus once more stands on the battlefield and the Quintesson Judge unleashes the firepower of the Quintesson ship on her, which she simply takes out using a massive beam of energy. The Quintesson ship has a massive cannon of its own however, which hits Terratronus in the head, shattering her helmet. Robby and Mo rapidly come up with a plan. Robby syncs with Thrash and Spitfire so the trio can keep the Quintessons busy. Meanwhile Mo, Nightshade, Jawbreaker, Hashtag and Aftermath head to Terratronus. Robby causes a distraction with the Judge, resulting in the ship turning away from the Titan long enough for Mo and the Terrans to cyber-sync with her.

Robby, Thrash and Spitfire do their best to evade the Quintesson firepower, but are finally hit by a missile. Robby uses his cyber-sleeve shield to block the massive beam of energy that fires from the Quintesson ship until the ship suddenly lurches, pulled back by a giant tow-line made of energy. Terratronus, synced with the kids, manifests armor and a sword, the latter of which she uses to bifurcate the Quintesson ship as well as its commander. The ship explodes and the remaining Quintesson Executioners retreat.

Everyone de-cyber-syncs for the reunion on the ground. Optimus thanks Terratronus for her help, while the two Chaos Terrans opt to leave before there's any danger they might be hugged. Megatron arrives back with the now-repaired Twitch and the group assembles on Terratronus's shoulder to watch the stars.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] (9)
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (12)
*[[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]] (13)
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (14)
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (16)
*[[Cosmos (ES)|Cosmos]] (17)
*[[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] (18)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (15)

|c3=
*[[Robby Malto]] (1)
*[[Mo Malto]] (2)
*[[Dot Malto]] (4)
*[[Alex Malto]] (5)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (6)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (7)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (8)
*[[Aftermath (ES)|Aftermath]] (10)
*[[Spitfire (ES)|Spitfire]] (11)
*[[Terratronus]] (19)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (20)
*[[Twitch]] (21)

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Quintesson Executioner (ES)|Quintesson Executioners]] (3)
*[[Quintesson Judge (ES)|Quintesson Judge]] (22)
}}

==Quotes==
"We need to climb above the storm and drop the trailer inside of it." 
"Thanks, Captain Obvious! I was at the same briefing, you know?" 
"Right, then prepare for phase two." 
"Which phase was that again?"
:—'''Prowl''' and '''Cosmos'''

"Now let's finish the experiment!" 
"Experiment? You don't know if this will work?" 
"Isn't science fun?"
:—'''Nightshade''' and '''Cosmos'''

"You didn't say it would feel this weird." 
"Easy, the sync depends on trust." 
"Seriously? That's my Achilles' heel!"
:—'''Spitfire''' isn't fond of syncing with Robby and '''Thrash'''

"Your students truly have become the masters." 
"Spend enough time with me, and my greatness may rub off on you too."
:—'''Prowl''' and '''Bumblebee'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*If you're keeping track, the Quintesson Executioner from "[[In Ruins]]" is the one who is relieved of his crest by Mo and subsequently meets his end when he reports to the Judge.
*Mo nabbed the Spark Regenerator Key back in "[[No Soldier Left Behind]]". Hopefully you remember it from that episode as no explanation is given for it in this one.
*Spitfire and Aftermath previously met their end in "[[Witwicky, Part 2]]", during which [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] relieved them of their [[Emberstone]] shards so he could restore the artifact.

===Transformers references===
*

===Real-world references===
*

===Errors===
*

===Trivia===
*[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]], seen in the previous episode fighting alongside the Autobots, is completely absent from this episode. Maybe he was put in timeout for endangering that one guy during the evacuation of Witwicky.
*For the final shot of the assembled group on Terratronus's shoulder, Arcee, Wheeljack and Cosmos are all mysteriously absent.
*[[Vanessa Marshall]] joins the cast of EarthSpark in this episode but so far as of this episode she is only listed as additional voices, time will tell if she will have a more substantial role.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Dia do Julgamento, Parte 2'''" ("Judgment Day, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' October 25, 2024

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Der Jüngste Tag, Teil 2'''" ("Judgement Day, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 22]], 2024

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Judgment Day, Part 1

2025-01-23T15:52:36Z

IlliterateBagel: /* Foreign localization */ German

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 43
|image=JudgementDayPt1-Quintessonjudge.jpg
|caption="What if you could change your mind, Judge?" "...I think we're gonna have to kill this guy, Mo."
|prev= The Truth Is Out There
|next= Judgment Day, Part 2
|title="Judgment Day, Part 1"
|season=3
|season ep=7
|airdate=[[October 25]], [[2024]] (Paramount+) [[TBA]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Dale Malinowski]]
|animation studio=[[88 Pictures]]
|director=[[Vinton Heuck|Vinton T. Heuck]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/sGi2dXMWngwWsz1v8GxMN27TcbTNcduq/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''An ancient evil arrives to lay claim to Quintus Prime's power.
'''

==Synopsis==
[[Robby Malto]] is still moping over the fact [[Izzy (ES)|Izzy]] turned out to be a Quintesson shapeshifter. [[Mo Malto|Mo]] tries to talk to him, continuing to hang out on the roof and chat when he tries to shrug her off. She's finally managing to get through to him when a Quintesson ship appears in the sky above the farm and moves to hover over the [[Chaos Dome]].

[[Autobot]]s, [[human]]s and [[Terran]]s are soon assembled at the edge of the dome. A [[hologram]] of the [[Quintesson Judge (ES)|Quintesson Judge]] appears in front of them and offers to unite with Robby and Mo to restore [[Quintus Prime]]'s power and "usher forth a new era of harmony for all." Robby, burnt by the Quintesson shapeshifter, is not keen on accepting the offer, and when [[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] questions why they should even trust the Quintessons, the Judge uses the cruiser's firepower to shatter the dome. Mo realizes she and Robby have no choice but to head up to the Quintesson ship while the others handle the unleashed chaos energies, and volunteers [[Twitch]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] to come with them. The kids cyber-sync and fly off, while at Dot's request, [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] provides backup for them with [[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] and [[Cosmos (ES)|Cosmos]]. The ship opens fire as they approach, not targeting the kids but just the backup, successfully shooting Megatron out of the sky and forcing Prowl and Cosmos to turn back while the kids continue on.

The Autobots meanwhile deal with the effects of the chaos tornado unleashed by the shattering of the dome, protecting [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]] citizens from flying vehicles and debris while the town is evacuated. [[Dot Malto|Dot]] eventually reports from the bridge out of town that everyone is safe. [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] has spent the time coming up with an idea to contain the chaos energy.

Robby, Mo, Twitch and Thrash reach the Quintesson ship, where Thrash complains about the random fish he's found — Robby turns out to be carrying the sardines from the funnel cake he shared with Izzy, much to the disgust of the others. Twitch has him hand them over and shreds them in her rotors. They're confronted by [[Quintesson Executioner (ES)|Quintesson Executioner]]s who seize Twitch and Thrash and take the pair away. The lead executioner announces Robby and Mo will be taken to the Pit of Judgement.

Nightshade works on modifying Optimus's trailer and outlines the plan: they'll use the [[Cyber Slayer]] to collect the chaos energy and channel it into [[Spitfire (ES)|Spitfire]] and [[Aftermath (ES)|Aftermath]], which should theoretically revive the two Chaos Terrans and also get rid of the storm. To this end, Optimus is leading a group to [[Terratronus]] to collect the Cyber Slayer and the Chaos Terrans.

The Executioner shows Robby and Mo into the chamber holding the Pit of Judgement where the Judge expresses an interest in their [[cyber-sleeve]]s, threatening to drop them in the pit full of [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]]s unless they turn the devices over. Mo almost falls in when Robby can't maintain his grip on her wrist, but he manages to pull her back up with the help of a rope from his cyber-sleeve. The two kids reject the Judge's ultimatum and prepare to fight, only for the Judge to drop them into the pit.

Optimus's team reaches Terratronus's spark chamber, where they find [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] holding a tea party with the corpses of the two Chaos Terrans. [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]], who's had enough of Prowl's comments disparaging the Terrans, scolds his fellow Autobot. Starscream attempts to bargain for his freedom until [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] deactivates him from behind with the Cyber Slayer. While Prowl drags Starscream off to the brig in the Autobot base, the others start gathering up the Chaos Terrans.

Robby and Mo attempt to fend off the Sharkticons underwater, until finally the Sharkticons start swimming in circles, resulting in a vortex that drags the pair to the bottom of the pit. Reasoning that there must be some incredible technology down there, Mo digs through the layer of scrap and pulls out a massive cannon that clears the entire pit when she fires it. She turns the weapon on the Judge and Executioners, but it appears to be spent, so the pair instead have to flee. Unfortunately as the Executioners hunt them through the ship, they hit a dead end, and the Quintessons move in...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (4)
*[[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] (5)
*[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] (7)
*[[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]] (13)
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (15)
*[[Cosmos (ES)|Cosmos]] (17)
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (18)
*[[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]] (19)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (16)
*[[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] (23)

|c3=
*[[Robby Malto]] (2)
*[[Mo Malto]] (3)
*[[Dot Malto]] (10)
*[[Alex Malto]] (11)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Terratronus]] (1)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (6)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (8)
*[[Twitch]] (9)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (12)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (14)
*[[Aftermath (ES)|Aftermath]] (24)
*[[Spitfire (ES)|Spitfire]] (25)

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Quintesson Judge (ES)|Quintesson Judge]] (20)
*[[Quintesson Executioner (ES)|Quintesson Executioners]] (21)
*[[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]]s (22)
}}

==Quotes==
"Worst case scenario is the top, and peachy keen is the bottom. Stop me when I get to where we are right now." 
''[Megatron moves his arm way up]'' 
"Oh." 
"Yeah."
:—'''Cosmos''' and '''Megatron'''

"Phew, what do they feed you up here?" 
"Bots and rude kids."
:—'''Mo''' and the '''Quintesson Executioner'''

"All the bad stuff aside, how cool is it that we're on a real alien spaceship?" 
"Sometimes I wonder if we're even related."
:—'''Mo''' and '''Robby'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This is the first time Wheeljack has had any spoken dialogue since his apparent death back in "[[The Imposters]]", after making a silent cameo in "[[Witwicky, Part 2]]".
*Cosmos returns for the first time since "[[The Butterfly Effect]]". Dialog in several previous episodes has established that he's been tracking ships coming and going from Earth.
*The lead Quintesson Executioner is the same one Mo fought with in "[[In Ruins]]" — though this goes unspecified in dialogue, it has a damaged left arm following the final fight in that episode.
*The Sharkticons seen in this episode are very different looking from [[Blitzwave]] and [[Razor-Fin]] who were previously introduced in "[[The Last Hope, Part 1]]" and look more like their [[Sharkticon#Generation_1_continuity_family|Generation One]] selves.

===Transformers references===
*Various aspects of the Quintessons and their technology originate from their original appearance in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
**The Quintesson Judge is a redesign of the original [[Quintesson Judge (G1)|Quintesson Judge]].
**The Quintesson ship shares design aspects with the [[Quintesson Cruiser]] such as the oddly-angled disc sections.
**The original Quintessons also dropped their prisoners into a pit filled with liquid and Sharkticons, which at one point became a whirlpool.

===Real-world references===
*
===Errors===
* Just as Robby, Mo, Twitch, and Thrash fly towards the Quintesson Judge’s ship, Hashtag is briefly seen in her previous design where she turned into a [[G.H.O.S.T.]] van, which was changed after getting a new alt-mode in “[[Control Alt Delete]]”.

===Trivia===
*This is the first episode to feature every Autobot in the present day in EarthSpark altogether.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Dia do Julgamento, Parte 1'''" ("Judgment Day, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' October 25, 2024

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Der Jüngste Tag, Teil 1'''" ("Judgement Day, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 21]], 2024

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

The Truth Is Out There

2025-01-23T15:46:43Z

IlliterateBagel: /* Foreign localization */ German

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 42
|image=TheTruthIsOutThere - ShapeshifterFight.jpg
|caption=
|prev=Fire and Ice
|next=Judgment Day, Part 1
|title="The Truth Is Out There"
|season=3
|season ep=6
|airdate=[[October 25]], [[2024]] (Paramount+) [[TBA]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Ian Busch]]
|animation studio=[[88 Pictures]]
|director=[[Scooter Tidwell]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/w0SomKRRUqNY3WizlZ6PUa7etRXNCox4/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''Prowl, Thrash, and Robby use their detective skills to find who unleashed the hate plague.
'''

==Synopsis==
[[Izzy (ES)|Izzy]] and [[Robby Malto|Robby]] play paper football. Izzy asks about how the Autobots are doing following their recent experience with [[Hate Plague]] and comes out triumphant from the paper football game, but their subsequent almost-kiss is interrupted by [[Twitch]] who's fetching Robby for an Autobot meeting. Izzy is understanding and kisses Robby on the cheek as she leaves, leading to the emotional leakage to reach the rest of the Maltos currently on the road to Autobot base.

[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] believes the Hate Plague was inflicted on them intentionally by parties unknown. [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] bugs Robby for details about his kiss from Izzy, disrupting the meeting for a few moments as Robby has to assert Izzy isn't his girlfriend. [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] has determined that Terrans and humans aren't affected by the plague, but can be carriers, so [[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] has launched an investigation into how and when [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] was first infected and enlists Thrash as a deputy. The first thing Bumblebee recalls is having a fight with Megatron, which took place in the base's parking area. Though suspicion falls on Megatron for a moment, leading to tension between him and Prowl, he points out that Bumblebee was the one who angrily started that fight and so was clearly already infected.

The team takes to the streets of [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]], which Bumblebee recalls driving along. He recognizes a small green car with tinted windows as one that followed him and knocked him off the road. It speeds off as the team gives chase but they eventually corner it and out steps [[Jon Schloder]]. He explains that he'd spilled his coffee, leading to the erratic driving. Regarding the previous day's incident, he says that he spotted Bumblebee driving poorly and perpetrating acts of road rage, but lost track of the Autobot. They head to the previous place Bumblebee had been: the Malto farm. [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] immediately claims he must be to blame as he's always ruining everything. [[Alex Malto|Alex]] shows his collection of Autobot memorabilia to Prowl, and provides the information that Bumblebee was already acting uncharacteristically angry when he was there.

They head to the barn where Thrash comes up with a number of unlikely suspects before pointing the finger at Jawbreaker for breaking his bowling ball. Refocusing the investigation on the Hate Plague, Robby recalls having an arm wrestling match with Bee, during which Bee seemed to be fine, and Izzy dropping off one of his baseball caps. When Prowl touches said baseball cap, he's suddenly stricken with Hate Plague. He advances on Bee, forcing Thrash and Robby to keep him busy so Bumblebee can go for help, which swiftly shows up in the form of Nightshade and their [[Smart Trainer 5009]], outfitted to provide an on-the-spot cure for the Hate Plague, and Prowl is soon back to normal. Nightshade's able to analyze the virus on the hat and calibrate the Smart Trainer to track down the source of the infection.

The Smart Trainer leads the team though the countryside to a pod within which a Quintesson is making a report to the [[Quintesson Judge (ES)|Quintesson Judge]]. They quickly corner the Quintesson, only for it to scan a nearby raccoon and shape shift into a perfect copy. Robby's able to catch the raccoon, but it again shapeshifts into a bird and flies off, albeit not without taking a shot to the wing from Prowl. They give chase, tracking it to a Witwicky street full of pedestrians. The team fans out, and Thrash again encounters Schloder who points him in the direction of a kerfuffle between a woman and a bird. Thrash is heading to investigate when he spots a second Schloder and realizes he's been talking to the disguised Quintesson. The chase leads them to the [[Witwicky Charter|school]] where they find Izzy walking up the steps. When Prowl points out Izzy could be the shapeshifter, Robby quizzes her with questions only Izzy would know, and determines she's definitely the real Izzy... but then Prowl spots she's also bleeding green goo. Robby is devastated at the revelation that Izzy has been a Quintesson all along. They attempt to corner the Quintesson, who shapeshifts into Prowl and flies off until Robby and Thrash bring it down into the school's football field. The Quintesson next shapeshifts into Jawbreaker and manages to overcome Thrash and Prowl, but after turning back into Izzy, its attempts to persuade Robby to let it go end up with Prowl trapping it in a force field. Now captive, the Quintesson spills that the only thing of interest are Robby and [[Mo Malto|Mo]]'s [[cyber-sleeve]]s as they're a gift from [[Quintus Prime]] and rightfully belong to the Quintessons.

Later, Robby again confronts "Izzy" at the Autobot base, and she announces it's only the beginning.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (9)
*[[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] (12)
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (13)
|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (11)

|c3=
*[[Izzy (ES)|Izzy]] (1)
*[[Robby Malto]] (2)
*[[Mo Malto]] (4)
*[[Dot Malto]] (10)
*[[Alex Malto]] (14)
*[[Jon Schloder]] (15)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] (3)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (4)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (6)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (7)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (8)

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Quintesson Judge (ES)|Quintesson Judge]] (16)
}}

==Quotes==
"I feel like I'm floating on a cloud of birthday balloons that have been blown up by puppies."
:—'''Jawbreaker'''

"Terran Thrash, due to your dogged pursuit of the kissing facts, I'd like you on my team."
:—'''Prowl'''

"The game's afoot. So many suspects. Cosmos? A carnival ride turned supervillain from one too many gums on the floor? Fluffy Ears? In cahoots with Energon Bear, possibly? Then we come back to JB. Lovable, clumsy JB, who is clearly the guilty party that broke my bowling ball!"
:—'''Thrash''' is way too into being a detective.

"I can't believe you think Izzy is a suspect, Prowl." 
"I appreciate your loyalty, but romantic entanglements have hobbled many a soldier. Ask Optimus."
:—'''Robby''' and '''Prowl'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*We finally get elaboration on Schloder's whereabouts since the end of season 1. Previously his only appearance post season 1 was in "[[The Butterfly Effect]]" during which he was part of the fair and had no lines, though he evidently retained some authority as he was able to arrest [[Fairmaestro]]. During this episode, he notes that he's on leave from his "North Pole outpost" which suggests he runs the secret [[G.H.O.S.T.]] outpost that the kids visited in "[[Fire and Ice]]". As G.H.O.S.T. and its systems were previously shown to be being shut down, as per such episodes as "[[Control Alt Delete]]", it's unclear at this point who he's working for.
*Schloder mentioning him wanting to start a family of his own hits different when one remembers his sister was [[Karen Croft]].

===Transformers references===
* This episode reveals the [[Hate Plague]] is spread by spores like its G1 counterpart. Another key difference is that [[Human|some]] [[Terran|beings]] are naturally immune.
* Bumblebee tells Megatron to "eat [[beryllium baloney]]", a term in use since the G1 cartoon.
* Alex’s action figure collection includes a G1-looking Bee, a G1 Blaster, a Hotrod, a green and red Seaspray, and a Doubledealer.
* Alex mentioned that Scavenger once fried Prowl's circuits, a reference to Prowl's rather gruesome death in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

===Real-world references===
* The episode's title "The Truth Is Out There" is a reference to [[The X-Files: Conspiracy: The Transformers|X-Files]]'s iconic tagline.

===Errors===
*Robby is standing next to Bumblebee as the later uses his foot to halt Schloder's car. Then some distance away, Prowl screeches to a halt next to Thrash and Robby jumps out.

===Trivia===
*Thrash's personality in this episode feels much more in line with his earlier season 1 characterization rather than his current season 2 characterization.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Verdade Está Lá Fora'''" ("The Truth Is Out There")
:*''Original airdate:'' October 25, 2024

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Der Gestaltwandler'''" ("The Shapeshifter")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 15]], 2024

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Fire and Ice

2025-01-23T15:39:16Z

IlliterateBagel: /* Foreign localization */ German

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 41
|image=FireandIce-TwitchHides.jpg
|caption=
|prev=No Soldier Left Behind
|next=The Truth Is Out There
|title="Fire and Ice"
|season=3
|season ep=5
|airdate=[[October 25]], [[2024]] (Paramount+) [[TBA]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Aiko Hilkinger]]
|animation studio=[[88 Pictures]]
|director=[[Sheldon Vella]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/UFy7yecpXLwNCWA6JYs7oK4_yrL__EQm/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''A plague of hate threatens to tear the Autobots apart.
'''

==Synopsis==
[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] uses her hacking skills to deactivate the lockdown on the [[Hypershuttle]]. Everyone piles in, though [[Robby Malto|Robby]] is busy texting [[Izzy (ES)|Izzy]]. She video calls him and he explains that he can't ditch Autobot base because he's off on a supersecret mission, before [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] grabs him and pulls him into the Hypershuttle, resulting in him dropping his backpack and phone. The Hypershuttle launches and deposits the kids on a snow-covered landscape where they start to enjoy their "snow day".

Elsewhere in the base, [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] reunites [[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] with [[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] and [[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]]. Prowl and Arcee engage in arm wrestling. Optimus thinks their time is better served tracking the recently departed Decepticons — [[Cosmos (ES)|Cosmos]] has reported that he's lost visual contact, though they have received mocking images from [[Frenzy (ES)|Frenzy]] and [[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]]. The discussion is cut short by the arrival of an uncharacteristically angry [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]], apparently furious at being left out of the mission into the [[Chaos Dome]]. Elita-1 tries to calm the raging scout, only to be physically grabbed and thrown aside. Arcee goes to help Elita-1 up, but Elita snaps and throws Arcee against a nearby wall. Optimus observes that the three Autobots seem to have lost all control, as they begin to glow red. Things go from bad to worse as [[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] arrives and is immediately infected by Arcee. Optimus, [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] and Prowl flee to avoid being infected as well.

In the [[Arctic]], [[Twitch]] realizes they left the snacks at base, and jumps in the Hypershuttle to retrieve them. As a result, she's there when the base enters lockdown. The other kids quickly discover she and the Hypershuttle are both missing and they can't contact base. Twitch explores the base in search of anyone and finally finds Elita-1 standing over Arcee. The two Autobots immediately start menacing Twitch. Megatron and Optimus meanwhile disagree over their next course of action, as Megatron thinks they should leave the base to seek help while Optimus doesn't want to abandon the Autobots. The trio reach the parking garage where Bumblebee is waiting and charges at Optimus, only for Prowl to intercept him. While Bee and Prowl fight, Optimus prepares to let Megatron out to get help while he intends to stay. They don't get a chance to enact the plan, as Prowl tackles Optimus, infecting him. The raging Optimus flails with his Energon axe, inadvertently reactivating the lockdown. As Optimus advances on Megatron, Twitch hits the Autobot leader with a truck full of freezing gas which seems to momentarily affect the Autobot leader's red glow. Using more of the trucks, Megatron and Twitch manage to get past the infected Autobots and back into the main part of the base.

They reach the Hypershuttle only to find it's still locked down. While Twitch works on releasing it, Optimus arrives and charges, but she manages to get the Hypershuttle working and drag Megatron in just in the nick of time. Unfortunately Megatron reveals he has been infected and when they arrive in the Arctic, he's steadily turning red. Twitch warns the others, though Megatron proves able to handle the hate. That's not their only problem, as the Hypershuttle returns carrying Optimus Prime. As the two giants battle, Twitch is surprised that the cold isn't helping like it did in the base, but [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] reasons that they just need it to be a liquid cold. The Maltos begin breaking up the ice covering the lake that the pair are battling on and Optimus and Megatron start sinking. Twitch dives in after them, and the Maltos successfully rescue the pair. Optimus has Hashtag flood the Autobot base with the coolant gas, curing the other Autobots as well. Optimus and Megatron have a heart to heart, and Robby takes a call from Izzy, letting her know it's been a crazy day but everyone's OK. Optimus and Megatron believe foul play is at work and wonder who's to blame, but don't notice [[Teletraan-1 (ES)|Teletraan-1]] displaying a warning and a [[Quintesson]] insignia.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]] (10)
*[[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]] (11)
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (12)
*[[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] (13)
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (18)
*[[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] (19)
|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (9)
*[[Frenzy (ES)|Frenzy]] (14)
*[[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]] (15)
*[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] (16)
*[[Breakdown (ES)|Breakdown]] (17)
|c3=
*[[Mo Malto]] (3)
*[[Robby Malto]] (6)
*[[Izzy (ES)|Izzy]] (8)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (1)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (2)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (4)
*[[Twitch]] (5)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (7)

|h5=Others||c5=
}}

==Quotes==
"Why would I need help from you, Arcee? I'm your superior." 
"Superior? More like Inferior-1."
:—'''Elita-1''' and '''Arcee''' fight

"Maltos, we must break the ice!" 
"Okay okay okay, if you could live on any planet-" 
"Not that kind of icebreaker!"
:—'''Nightshade''' and '''Jawbreaker'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* The Decepticons stole Prowl's ship in the last episode.
* Laserbeak and Frenzy continue their habit of trolling the Autobots and Maltos with a series of selfies.
* This is the first episode since her debut back in "[[Decoy (episode)|Decoy]]" where Arcee has a speaking role.

===Transformers references===
* The [[Hate Plague]] has infected numerous Transformers continuities. This iteration of the plague is very similar to its G1 counterpart; it is spread by touch and engulfs the victims in red energy. A key difference is that the cure is a simple ice bath and not the collective wisdom of the ancients.
* The Quintesson insignia Teletraan-1 displays was originally used for the [[e-HOBBY]] release of [[Overcharge (G1)|Overcharge]].
* Megatron and Optimus Prime's battle is yet another homage to their G1 versions' fight in "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]".

===Real-world references===
*
===Errors===

===Trivia===
* This episode marks the first time in a ''Transformers'' TV series that versions of Arcee and Elita-1 have appeared in scenes together.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Fogo e Gelo'''" ("Fire and Ice")
:*''Original airdate:'' October 25, 2024

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Feuer und Eis'''" ("Fire and Ice")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 14]], 2024

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

No Soldier Left Behind

2025-01-23T15:34:57Z

IlliterateBagel: /* Foreign localization */ German

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 40
|image=NoSoldierLeftBehind-OptimusMediates.jpg
|caption=
|prev=The Great Escape
|next=Fire and Ice
|title="No Soldier Left Behind"
|season=3
|season ep=4
|airdate=[[October 25]], [[2024]] (Paramount+) [[TBA]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|animation studio=[[88 Pictures]]
|director=[[Vinton Heuck|Vinton T. Heuck]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/JGI91AezxbUjnnbHhB7H2YhowFR2VA_W/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''A new Autobot arrives on Earth, but crash-lands in enemy territory.
'''

==Synopsis==
[[Twitch]], [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]], [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and [[Mo Malto|Mo]] spy a spaceship rapidly descending as they drive along a road. The ship punches through the [[Chaos Dome]] and crashes inside. The kids arrive at the edge of the dome to find [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]], [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Dot Malto|their mom]] already waiting, thanks to advance warning from [[Cosmos (ES)|Cosmos]]. As it's an Autobot troop transport, it can only have come from the long-lost [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], so Optimus and Megatron launch into a argument over the all-important next step. Megatron is set on battering his way in, but Mo demonstrates her ability to create an opening in the dome. This naturally comes as a surprise to all else present bar Thrash, but the group moves into the dome. Megatron and Dot believe the kids should stay put, but Optimus has them accompany the group in case they need to make a quick exit.

They pause under the immobile [[Terratronus]] to admire the Titan and also [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] still trapped behind her eye. Mo soon spots the smoke from the crashed ship, however [[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]]'s [[Decepticon]]s reach it first and open fire, intending to flush out whoever's inside. Optimus's group arrives, but stays concealed behind a boulder as Optimus believes the situation is in hand. Sure enough, a drone pops out of the ship and scans the area, at which point the Decepticons' faction symbols begin pulsing red and a pair of massive cannons appear from the ship's upper hull. The following barrage of firepower sends the Decepticons into an immediate retreat, to the delight of the watching Autobot team — Optimus explains that the guns are programmed to fire on Decepticons and then moments later has to shield Megatron from more blasts. While Megatron and Dot remain in cover, the others head to the ship and head inside, only to find it mostly empty except for the pilot, Optimus's "most trusted adviser" [[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]].

Optimus is eager for news from Cybertron, but Prowl says he left ages ago. The attempts to rebuild Cybertron were being hampered by the flaring up of Autobot/Decepticon hostilities and he lost all contact with the planet.The ship is out of [[Energon]] and though Optimus is keen to move out, Prowl says he has to stay and protect it as he's brought the [[Spark Regenerator Key]], an artifact capable of restoring an extinguished [[Spark]]. Prowl spots Megatron on the monitors outside, and before Optimus can stop him, rushes out to confront the former Decepticon leader. Megatron has been forced to leave cover to intercept [[Ravage (ES)|Ravage]], but loses his grip on the Con when Prowl tackles him. Optimus manages to stop Prowl before the fight becomes serious, and Megatron and Prowl come to a state of mutual distrust. Meanwhile the Decepticons spy on the discussion via [[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]] and realize Prowl has come alone.

As they need to get the ship out of the dome somehow, the kids realize maybe they can harness the chaos lightning to provide the power. Robby and Mo can use their [[cyber-sleeve]]s to create a sort of jumper cable between the ship and Terratronus's helm. Prowl is skeptical that such a mission can be entrusted to a group of protoforms and Megatron, of all bots, but as the Decepticons pick that moment to attack, it's the plan they have to go with. As Megatron heads off with the rest of the team, Optimus and Prowl start defending the ship against the approaching Decepticons. Megatron is suddenly struck by chaos lightning as he approaches the Titan, causing his passengers to spill out, though he catches them on the way groundward. While the cable's still attached, Megatron's not able to fly any further so the kids instead cyber-sync to take it the rest of the way.

Though Optimus and Prowl do their best against superior numbers, the Decepticons are proving a challenge. The kids reach the top of Terratronus and hold the other end of the jumper cable high. The Decepticons finally get the upper hand when Shockwave restrains Prowl and the Cons take control of the ship. Meanwhile the jumper cable breaks, causing the kids to fall, though Megatron swoops in for a rescue. Though the cable's broken, it's done its job and the ship crackles with energy, allowing the Decepticons to pile aboard and lift off. Optimus and Prowl vainly cling to the boarding ramp as the ship punches through the dome, tailed by Megatron. Prowl falls and Megatron tells Optimus to let go as well, before landing on the boarding ramp and demanding Shockwave surrender. Shockwave offers Megatron a place on the ship, but when Optimus falls, Megatron opts to save his friend instead.

The ship streaks off into the sky. Optimus is unhappy Megatron chose him over securing the ship, while Thrash observes that at least they're free of the Decepticons at last, bar Starscream. Prowl is more concerned about the loss of the Spark Regenerator Key, but it turns out Mo swiped that earlier.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] (8)
*[[Prowl (ES)|Prowl]] (23)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] (7)
*[[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] (9)
*[[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]] (10)
*[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] (11)
*[[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] (12)
*[[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] (13)
*[[Ravage (ES)|Ravage]] (14)
*[[Breakdown (ES)|Breakdown]] (15)
*[[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]] (16)
*[[Frenzy (ES)|Frenzy]] (17)
*[[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]] (18)
*[[Swindle (ES)|Swindle]] (19)
*[[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] (20)
*[[Bombshell (ES)|Bombshell]] (21)
*[[Shrapnel (ES)|Shrapnel]] (22)

|c3=
*[[Robby Malto]] (2)
*[[Mo Malto]] (4)
*[[Dot Malto]] (6)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] (1)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (3)
*[[Terratronus]] (5)

|h5=Others||c5=
}}

==Quotes==
"Why are you traveling with the tiny bots and organics? Are they some kind of pets?"
:—'''Prowl'''

"I think I liked him better in the comics."
:—'''Robby Malto''' clearly having never read the IDW comics.

"Ah, hold still or you're going to learn what curiosity did to the cat."
:—'''Dot Malto''' versus Ravage

"Easy. Prowl is my friend." 
"I thought ''I'' was your friend."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Megatron'''

"Cool, love this plan. And by love, I mean seriously question all of my life choices."
:—'''Thrash'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Mo's ability to open up the dome was first revealed in "[[The Need for Read]]"
===Transformers references===
*Prowl's shuttle resembles the Ark and its shuttles from the G1 continuity.
*The premise of this episode is reminiscent of the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' episode "[[New Recruit]]", also written by Marty Isenberg.
*The [[Spark Regenerator Key]] is a reference to the [[AllSpark Key]] in ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]''. Mo Malto, ''EarthSpark''{{'}}s girl protagonist, being the one to mischievously grab it at the end is a deliberate nod to [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]], girl protagonist of ''Animated''. Mo was to wear it on a chain with her house key to further the reference, but this was cut.<ref>Personal correspondence between [[User:Keyan Carlile|Keyan Carlile]] and [[Marty Isenberg]].</ref>
*Humans in the episode are referred to as "organics" and "pets", another frequent "Martyism".
*Robby saying he liked Prowl better in the comics could be an amusing jab at [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]]'s infamous characterization in the [[2005 IDW continuity]].
*Prowl refers to himself as Optimus's "most trusted advisor," likely calling back to when Optimus called Prowl "most trusted of my advisors" in the [[The Transformers (issue)|first issue of the Marvel comics.]]

===Real-world references===
*
===Errors===
*Nova Storm and Skywarp are both missing their wings in robot mode as they board the ship.

===Trivia===
*

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Nenhum Soldado Fica Para Trás'''" ("No Soldier Gets Left Behind")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 25]], 2024

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''On n'abandonne pas un soldat'''" ("No Soldier Left Behind")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 18]], 2025

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Niemand wird zurückgelassen'''" ("Nobody will be Left Behind")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 8]], 2024

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

The Great Escape

2025-01-23T15:33:32Z

IlliterateBagel: /* Foreign localization */ German

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 39
|image=TheGreatEscape-Fairmaestro.jpg
|caption=
|prev=Attack of the Drive-In Movie
|next=No Soldier Left Behind
|title="The Great Escape"
|season=3
|season ep=3
|airdate=[[October 25]], [[2024]] (Paramount+) [[TBA]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Jen Bardekoff]]
|animation studio=[[88 Pictures]]
|director=[[Scooter Tidwell]]
|video=https://https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/SNd7DL8oEN6xouMSYLhr4tp7kZC0490t/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''The Maltos must navigate a rigged escape room or risk becoming trapped forever.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Twitch]] finds a puzzle box floating under balloons with her name on them. She grabs it and returns to the farm where she finds the rest of the Malto kids have identical boxes which they're unable to open. Twitch quickly works out the solution and opens her box, prompting the rest of the family to hand over their boxes so she can open them all. The boxes contain invitations to an escape room with an extra challenge to turn up at dusk.

The kids, including a reluctant [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]], dutifully turn up at what appears to be a disused warehouse with a ticket machine in it. The ticket machine poses a riddle which Twitch quickly solves, resulting in them all being issued with golden tickets. Thrash immediately thinks they should ditch the escape room and sell the tickets, though as Nightshade points out, they're only made of fool's gold. As soon as they use the tickets, the [[Fairmaestro]] appears in a smoke burst. Thrash attempts to leave, only to find the entrance has been sealed with multiple locks — as the Fairmaestro announces, they must complete his game to leave or else become the replacement for his lost Cosmic Thunder ride.

The kids find themselves faced with the first challenge, a two-player rhythm action game. Robby and Mo take a crack at it, but the difficulty is escalated when the lit-up squares begin moving up the wall, and Twitch lends a hand by boosting the kids up. The first two keys are revealed, and when Twitch picks them up, Robby and Mo disappear. The next challenge is a test of strength, but every time [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] hits the target with the hammer, the bell moves up further. Twitch works out the trick and tells Jawbreaker to hit the target gently, allowing him to finally ring the bell. Jawbreaker disappears. Challenge three is to guess the weight shown on the scales Fairmaestro is standing on. [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] starts calculating likely values, but once Twitch discovers that it's actually a hologram of Fairmaestro, they realize the weight must be showing as zero. Another key pops up and Nightshade vanishes. In rapid succession, the kids solve fairground games for [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] and Thrash and finally Twitch... only for Twitch to find herself alone in front of the exit seal.

Twitch is confused as to where the rest of her family is, but Fairmaestro reveals that since she helped them all with their challenges, they did not legitimately win and have become part of his new ride. The Terrans are locked in alt mode with [[restraining bolt]]s and attached to a ride while Robby and Mo are trapped in a ticket booth. Twitch evades the Fairmaestro's firing of restraining bolts at her and apologizes to the others for causing them to fail. Nightshade has spotted something in the fine print that will help however — the tickets are null and void if destroyed. Twitch attempts to get the tickets back from the ticket machine, only to be sealed in a huge tank while the tickets are blown around her. Robby meanwhile speeds up the ride the other Terrans are attached to, allowing Jawbreaker to use his tail to free Robby and Mo, who then release the others. Nightshade rapidly comes up with a plan to use create magnets using balloons and static electricity. The group successfully charges up a hammer which Twitch uses to retrieve the tickets so she can shred them in her rotors.

Fairmaestro asks if the kids would like to give the escape room another try, to which Twitch issues a challenge of her own — if Fairmaestro can beat the escape room himself without cheating, she'll volunteer to be his ride. Fairmaestro eagerly dives in, though as Twitch observes, he'll never beat it himself.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
|c2=

|c3=
*[[Robby Malto]] (6)
*[[Mo Malto]] (7)
*[[Fairmaestro]] (8)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] (1)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (2)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (3)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (4)
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (5)

|h5=Others||c5=
}}

==Quotes==
"Escape room? Why go in something you have to escape out of when we're already out of it now?"
:—'''Thrash'''

'''Jawbreaker:''' "Who's the 'Fair-Mustard'?" 
'''Mo:''' "We met him at the school carnival. He's the horrible, rotten, no-good guy who was mean to [[Cosmos (ES)|Cosmos]]." 
'''Fairmaestro:''' "That description makes me look terrible. I quite like it."

"Who said I was fair?" 
"It's right there in your name." 
"That's because I'm the maestro of a f- oh never mind."
:—'''Fairmaestro''' and '''Jawbreaker'''

"What have you done?" 
"The question is, what have ''you'' done?"
:—'''Twitch''' and '''Fairmaestro'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*The original encounter with the Fairmaestro and the loss of his Cosmic Thunder ride took place in "[[The Butterfly Effect]]".

===Transformers references===
* To motivate Jawbreaker, Twitch tells him that "it takes a strong person to be gentle"—this is a paraphrased bit of advice that was, according to [[Peter Cullen]], given to him by his brother Larry before he auditioned for the role of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]].

===Real-world references===
*The golden tickets and very fine print are likely references to the classic film ''{{w|Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory}}''.
*Aspects of the escape room are shared with British game show ''{{w|The Crystal Maze}}'', which was hosted by Fairmaestro's voice actor [[Richard Ayoade]]. For instance, the final challenge for each episode of the show was to catch gold foil tokens being blown inside the Crystal Dome.
*Fairmaestro's scheme involving riddles is very reminiscent of The Riddler in the ''[[Batman]]'' franchise.
*The first challenge is based on the [[Konami]] rhythm game ''{{w|Dance Dance Revolution}}''.
*According to Robbie, said game is easier than the Philippine folk dance {{w|tinikling}}.

===Errors===

===Trivia===
* Throughout the entirety of the episode, the Terrans seemingly forget that they have ''actual weapons'' they could use to escape... or the fact that they're ''giant metal robots'' who could very easily smash their way out of a plywood escape room in an old warehouse. Failing that, there's no reason given why they couldn't try to contact [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] or [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] for help, instead of playing along with Fairmaestro's blatantly rigged challenges.
* While his [[The Butterfly Effect|previous episode]] depicted Fairmaestro as an illusionist-type, this episode plays up his abilities to an absurd degree. Not only can he instantly poof the Terrans from place to place without their knowledge or transform the room they're in into different configurations, he can also summon gigantic carnival rides and circus attractions at will, something closer to outright ''magic'' rather than traditional smoke-and-mirrors prestidigitation.
* Twitch seemingly breaks the fourth wall by declaring "Cue the montage!"

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Grande Fuga'''" ("The Great Escape")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 25]], 2024
:**Jawbreaker doesn't do the "Fair-Mustard" joke.

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La Grande Évasion'''" ("The Great Escape")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 18]], 2025

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das Escape-Spiel'''" ("The Escape Game")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 7]], 2024

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

User:IlliterateBagel

2025-01-23T15:28:46Z

IlliterateBagel: Created page with "Austrian/German speaker"

Austrian/German speaker

Attack of the Drive-In Movie

2025-01-23T15:27:49Z

IlliterateBagel: /* Foreign localization */ German

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 38
|image=AttackOfTheDriveInMovie-MoleBots.jpg
|caption=Insert ''Five Nights at Freddy's'' reference here.
|prev=The Need for Read
|next=The Great Escape
|title="Attack of the Drive-In Movie"
|season=3
|season ep=2
|airdate=[[October 25]], [[2024]] (Paramount+) [[TBA]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Ian Busch]]
|animation studio=[[88 Pictures]]
|director=[[Sheldon Vella]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/FstHJkPV6FJJ0ZzDpUFBvirnLoPzylmc/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''Robby and Izzy’s movie hangout goes wrong when Nightshade's invention brings the movie monsters to life.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Robby Malto|Robby]] emerges from [[Witwicky Charter|school]] in time to have the world's most awkward conversation with [[Izzy (ES)|Izzy]] as she boards the bus, somehow culminating in Izzy agreeing to hang out with Robby that evening.

In the [[Dugout]], [[Mo Malto|Mo]] asks Robby what he's planning to do for the hang out. His lackluster response results in Mo suggesting he and Izzy watch a movie, which [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] asserts must be done on a big screen and [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] volunteers their new hyper-reality film projector for the task. [[Alex Malto]] is ready to provide snacks, and soon the Malto parents are driving Robby and Izzy to the drive in venue the rest of the family have set up. Robby introduces Izzy to the Terrans on the way, but is surprised when they reach the drive in and find it's packed — Hashtag explains she posted about the screening of ''[[The Alien Mole Bots Who Ate Philadelphia]]'' on social media and it went viral. Even [[Frenzy (ES)|Frenzy]] and [[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]] are watching from inside the [[Chaos Dome]]. Hashtags loudly tests the sound system while Alex provides popcorn from the [[Bumble Beestro]], before the movie starts, much to Robby's shortlived relief.

As the movie begins, the first jump scare causes Hashtag to accidentally bump the 3D printer button on the projector, allowing a [[Mole Bot]] to emerge from the screen unnoticed by the audience. Izzy takes interest in Robby's [[cyber-sleeve]], but while he's enjoying his hand being held, the pair are suddenly hit by leaves which [[Twitch]] and [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] are blowing to simulate the movie effects. This is followed by a bucket of water as it begins raining in the movie, and Robby goes to find towels. Jawbreaker and Twitch investigate a car alarm and are attacked by the loose Mole Bot whih they chase to the edge of the dome, where it again attacks Jawbreaker, much to the amusement of the Decepticons. Robby and Izzy's viewing is again interrupted, this time by [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] and Alex with movie snacks. Unseen by Robby or Izzy, the Mole Bot gets into the car and starts eating their snacks until Twitch tackles it while Jawbreaker keeps the pair distracted and unaware.

The Mole Bot slips into the projection booth and hits the 3D printer button on the projector, resulting in a crowd of Mole Bots emerging from the screen. Unseen by Robby or Izzy, the rest of the family attempts to fight the horde. Hashtag goes to turn the projector off, only to find the booth is full of Mole Bots chanting "Mama". The rest of the Mole Bots also start chanting as the Kaiju-sized Mother Mole Bot appears on the movie screen and starts emerging into the real world. The creature's claw picks up the car Robby and Izzy are in, though they assume it's Jawbreaker acting out more special effects. Hashtag manages to switch the projector, resealing the Mother Mole Bot into the movie, but with the side effect that Robby and Izzy are now trapped in there too. The pair manage to escape the giant Mole Bot, only to realize their predicament.

Nightshade realizes that if Robby and Izzy are still in there when the movie ends, they'll be trapped there forever. Meanwhile Izzy is having a great time fleeing from a giant Mole Bot with Robby. The pair use a discarded web gun and Robby's cyber-sleeve powers to take down the Mother, which makes Hashtag realize they're running out of time. Nightshade asserts they still has 19 minutes to figure out a solution, at which point Hashtag realizes she accidentally grabbed the sequel instead of the original movie, and they've been watching ''[[The Alien Mole Bots Who Ate Philadelphia Again Versus Nucleadon]]''. They have one minute before [[Nucleadon]]'s atomic death ray destroys the movie city. Fortunately Robby and Izzy, trapped between Nucleadon and a flat city backdrop, proclaim their mutual like, leading to almost a kiss which gives Nightshade the shot needed to extract them from the movie. With the movie and crisis over, Izzy agrees to another future date with Robby and kisses him on the cheek.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
|c2=
*[[Frenzy (ES)|Frenzy]] (11)
*[[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]] (12)

|c3=
*[[Robby Malto]] (1)
*[[Izzy (ES)|Izzy]] (2)
*[[Dot Malto]] (7)
*[[Alex Malto]] (8)
*[[Mo Malto]] (10)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (3)
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (4)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (5)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (6)
*[[Twitch]] (9)

|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Mole Bot]]s (13)

}}

==Quotes==
"Hey, Laserbeak! Shut it, or I'll come in there and shut it for you!"
:—'''Hashtag'''

"Robby, you OK? If you're scared, Mama can come sit next to you."
:—'''Dot Malto'''

"No way. It's not a Mole Bot. They're not real." 
"Well, maybe it's a cosplaying baby?"
:—'''Twitch''' and '''Jawbreaker'''

"Why didn't I pick a documentary on teddy bears and rainbows?!"
:—'''Hashtag'''

"I gotta be honest. I was rooting for Big Mama." 
"Stop blocking the screen!"
:—'''Laserbeak''' and '''Frenzy'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This is the first time since its introduction in "[[Friends and Family]]" that we see the [[Witwicky Charter]] school appear.

===Transformers references===

===Real-world references===
*The 50s movie evokes the flood of low-budget monster movies that proliferated during 1950s Hollywood.
*The Mole Bots naming and designs may be based on the Canadian animated series ''RollBots''.

===Errors===
*Witwicky Charter has acquired a tree to the left of the front doors which didn't exist back in "[[Friends and Family]]".
*The film reels on Nightshade's projector appear to have the film going from the front reel through the projector, up to the back reel, and then across to the front reel again in a closed loop.
*As Jawbreaker first tries to distract Robby and Izzy, a character in the film lifts up a Philadelphia Explorer newspaper with the paper's name on the back page rather than the front. For subsequent shots, the newspaper pages are flipped back so the paper's name is on the front page.
*Back in "[[The Butterfly Effect]]", the cybersleeve's empathic link was strong enough for Mo, Thrash, and Twitch to be discombobulated by Robby's 'butterflies in stomach' feeling. How are they not picking up his much more obvious embarrassment here?

===Trivia===
* This is the only ''EarthSpark'' episode so far to feature Decepticons and not feature any Autobots.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ataque no Cinema'''" ("Attack at the Theater")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 25]], 2024

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Attaque au cinéma'''" ("Attack at the Theater")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 11]], 2025

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ein unvergesslicher Kinoabend'''" ("An unforgettable Movie Night")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 1]], 2024

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

The Need for Read

2025-01-23T14:41:19Z

IlliterateBagel: /* Foreign localization */ Added german localization name and air date

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 37
|image=TheNeedForRead-BreakdownBB.jpg
|caption=
|prev=Witwicky, Part 2
|next= Attack of the Drive-In Movie
|title="The Need for Read"
|season=3
|season ep=1
|airdate=[[October 25]], [[2024]] (Paramount+) [[TBA]], [[2024]] (Nickelodeon)
|production company=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Nickelodeon]]
|writer=[[Dale Malinowski]]
|animation studio=[[88 Pictures]]
|director=[[Vinton Heuck]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/t0qSxyOYrqvacVNjcCPM_xIy7_xbLDVQ/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''Bumblebee and Breakdown’s friendship is put to the test when he, Mo, and Thrash enter the dome.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] and [[Breakdown (ES)|Breakdown]] fire fruitlessly at the [[Chaos Dome]] enclosing [[Terratronus]], but are unable to breach it. Bumblebee regrets that he can't free his friend — getting [[Robby Malto|Robby]] and [[Mo Malto|Mo]] to bring down the dome would free all of the Decepticons after all. Promising to try again tomorrow, Bee drives off.

At the Malto farm, Robby, Mo, [[Twitch]] and [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] are reading [[Transformers (fictional comic)|''Transformers'' comics]]. Robby discovers he's missing the vital last issue in the series due to being busy saving the world at the time, and the issue is now sold out. As Robby and Twitch head off to find something else to do, Bumblebee rolls up and Mo fills him in on the problem. She suddenly has an idea — the comic shop inside the dome must have the issue Robby is after and she can get them into the dome to get it. Sensing an opportunity to free Breakdown, Bee is all for this idea.

The trio arrive at a remote part of the Chaos Dome where Mo uses her [[cyber-sleeve]] to create an opening so they can head inside. Within, they discover some of the hazards — red lightning coming from the sky and [[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] and [[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] making futile attempts to escape the dome. They stop to admire Terratronus and also [[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]], still trapped inside her noggin. Bee touches Terratronus and absorbs a charge of chaos energy, flinging him back and causing his blaster to fire wildly, which inevitably attracts Decepticon attention. [[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] and Breakdown quickly arrive, with the latter expressing disappointment that Bee knows how to get in but didn't tell him. Bee manages to talk Breakdown around while the pair duel, and Breakdown cooperates with taking down Soundwave and the cassettes, allowing the trio to escape.

Bee and Thrash head down the road towards [[Witwicky (town)|Witwicky]], attempting to avoid the patches of chaos fog on the road. Bee's admission he's never beaten Breakdown in a fight or race distracts Thrash long enough that he hits a patch of fog and for a few moments is diving out of control, but fortunately Bumblebee is able to prevent him flying off the road. They continue on to [[Ultramega Comics & Collectables|the comic store]], only to find that [[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]] is running rampant outside it. Mo and Thrash are startled when Breakdown arrives ready to help, and then disappointed in Bee when they realize this is why he came on the mission, but he manages to convince them Breakdown is on their side. While Bee and Breakdown keep Skullcruncher busy, Thrash and Mo retrieve the comic from the store. Skullcruncher charges them as they emerge, but Bumblebee and Breakdown cooperate to defeat the Con before the four of them head to the edge of the dome.

[[File:ESShockwaveComic.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Guys, look! A Birdie!]]

Just as they're celebrating their victory, the comic is snatched from Mo's hands by [[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]]. To Bee's shock, Breakdown moves to stand with Shockwave, Soundwave and Skullcruncher, explaining that while Bee is his friend, the Cons are his family. Shockwave offers them the comic book back, but only if Mo frees the Decepticons from the dome. Mo is not willing to do that or to leave the comic behind, but Bumblebee has a better idea and challenges Breakdown to a race, winner take all. Knowing Bee has never beaten Breakdown in a race, Shockwave sees the logic in accepting, so soon Bumblebee and Breakdown are lined up for a no-rules race around "Chaos County". [[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]] provides footage and commentary as the pair take off. As expected, Breakdown employs all manner of cheating to try to slow Bumblebee down, but as they approach the finish line, Bumblebee intentionally drives into a bolt of chaos energy, temporarily supercharging him so he finishes first. Shockwave reluctantly concedes and allows Bumblebee, Mo and Thrash to leave with the comic.

Later, they present the comic to an overjoyed Robby, who immediately reads through it and reacts with shock at the ending.

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (1)
|c2=
*[[Breakdown (ES)|Breakdown]] (2)
*[[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]] (8)
*[[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]] (9)
*[[Starscream (ES)|Starscream]] (10)
*[[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]] (11)
*[[Frenzy (ES)|Frenzy]] (12)
*[[Ravage (ES)|Ravage]] (13)
*[[Laserbeak (ES)|Laserbeak]] (14)
*[[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]] (15)
*[[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]] (16)
|c3=
*[[Robby Malto]] (4)
*[[Mo Malto]] (6)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Twitch]] (3)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (5)
*[[Terratronus]] (7)

}}

==Quotes==
"Why can't my life be normal again?" 
"Because it's not scripted like comics?" 
"I wish someone was writing my life. I bet I'd have it pretty sweet for saving the world twice."
:—'''Robby''' and '''Twitch'''

"Sis, you know Thrash loves the wacky. ''(gasp)'' Maybe that's my catchphrase. I should practice that!"
:—'''Thrash'''

"Thrash does not like the wacky. No longer my catchphrase."
:—Also '''Thrash'''

"The terms of this negotiation are simple. Open an exit or deconstruct this prison altogether, and in return, you can have your precious ''pulp magazine.'' Ugh. As tasteless as it is."
:—'''Shockwave''' is not impressed by the use of his likeness.

"Your logic suggests a stalemate, and I will not accept an inconclusive outcome."
:—'''Shockwave'''

"Good luck! Sorry, you kinda need it. ...What?"
:—'''Thrash''' has utmost confidence in Bumblebee.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===

===Transformers references===
*[[The Last Stand|The 4th issue]] of a Transformers comic ending on a massive cliffhanger.
*The cover of the comic the Maltos are after is partly based on the famous cover for ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|The Transformers]]'' [[The New Order|#5]], featuring [[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]] striking the same pose as his [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel counterpart]].

===Real-world references===
* The opening scene evokes a stereotypical Old West film gunfight until it's revealed Bumblebee and Breakdown are firing at the dome.
* In addition to the aforementioned Shockwave homage, Robby's comic also takes heavy inspiration from the [https://comicbookinvest.com/2015/03/20/uncanny-x-men-141/ oft-homaged] cover to [[wikia:Marvel:Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 141|''Uncanny X-Men'' #141]], which features a similar "wanted poster" of multiple deceased or captured [[X-Men]].

===Errors===
*In a geographical inconsistency, for this episode the town hall(?) at the center of Witwicky is shown to be within the dome. During the scene in "[[Witwicky, Part 2]]" during which the dome is created and in subsequent episodes, the town hall's shown to be just outside the dome perimeter.
*This whole episode's plot really hinges on a lack of digital comic purchasing in the 2020s, unless Robby prefers to only collect physical copies of comic books.
*At the beginning of the episode when Twitch sits up while in the tree, the comic she's holding has it's cover clip through the pages inside it for a few frames. This occurs again during the last scene with two comics in the pile in front of Twitch.
**Additionally one of the comics in front of Twitch turns into a blank sheet of paper after the first shot.

* [[Roger Craig Smith]] is listed in the credits as "Roger Cr'''ia'''g Smith".

===Trivia===

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Necessidade de Ler'''" ("The Need for Read")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 25]], 2024
::*Shockwave calls the comic book "realistic" instead of "tasteless".

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Vive la lecture'''" ("Long Live Reading")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 11]], 2025

''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Auf der Jagd nach dem Comic'''" ("On the Hunt for the Comic")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 30]], 2024

[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]

Transformers (2023) issue 16

2025-01-23T13:54:17Z

IlliterateBagel: Added joke to Devistator vs Bruticus image

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #16
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 15
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 17
|image=Transformers 2023 16 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[January 8]], [[2025]]
|coverdate=January 2025
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jorge Corona]]
|colors by=[[Sarah Stern]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|production design=[[Andres Juarez]]
|production=[[Ashby Florence]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The Autobots are caught in the crossfire of a Decepticon civil war, and the only hope to end it may be the return of an even greater evil.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:TF2023 no. 16 - BruticusVsDevastator.jpg|left|250px|thumb|We wonder if the Decepticons insurance will cover this.]]
Despite her reservations, [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] leads [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] across the war-torn wastes of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to what was once the home of Cliffjumper's [[clan]], long forgotten by the [[Decepticon]]s ever since they destroyed it in a bombing campaign. Cliffjumper digs through the rubble to find a [[spark canister]] he had hidden away; though there isn't enough remaining to bring back any of his friends, he says there's the possibility it can be used to create something new.

On [[Earth]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] orders the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s to merge into [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] to combat [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. As [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], Soundwave, and their respective troops clash, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] are caught in the middle of the carnage. [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] tries to reason with Starscream, but the one-time Decepticon leader is too obsessed with revenge and reveals the truth of what he and Soundwave did to [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]. As Starscream rants about the universe being made only for the strong, Thundercracker uses the [[H.I.S.S. tank]] remote control to steer Starscream's body off a ledge. The blue [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] then transforms and flies away, abandoning Soundwave to the fury of [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]. Optimus decides the [[Autobot]]s must intervene, fearing that the Decepticons’ senseless violence could damage the dam and endanger the humans. However, he is again overcome with visions and rage, firing his [[fusion cannon]] straight at the dam. Water bursts through the structure and sweeps away all the [[Transformer]]s. As the water rushes through the woods, Optimus spots two children on bikes fleeing from the waves. He tries to save them but is unable to reach them. Luckily, they are saved by the timely arrival of [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], who uses his force field to protect the “strange little creatures,” who managed to survive nearly being crushed by the combiners.

Back on Cybertron, the Autobots return to their makeshift headquarters and Elita explains to Cliffjumper that they’ve been unable to communicate with any other Autobot resistances and that they could be the only ones left. Elita asks Cliff what he plans to do with the sparks in the canister, and he reveals his plan to take them to the [[Well of All Sparks|Well of Sparks]]. Elita reveals that the Well is deep in Decepticon-controlled territory, but Cliff insists that they need a new warrior to help them, something Bluestreak echoes. And afterward, Cliff will return to Earth. To [[Carly (G1)|Carly]].

Meanwhile, Carly and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] set off on their search for [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] with [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]. Elsewhere, in some desert, [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] finds that which he was sent to find: [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], sitting in a cave, wounded and blinded. Megatron thanks Laserbeak as he grabs the bird, pulls out some of his cables and connects them to his eyes; he orders Laserbeak to act as his eyes and guide him to the Decepticons.

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] (1)
* [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] (2)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (3)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (13)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (14)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (15)
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (21)
* [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] (22)
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (25)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (26)

|c2=
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (4)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (5)
* [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (6)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (7)
* [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (8)
* [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (9)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (10)
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (11)
* [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] (12)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (16)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (19)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (20)
* ''[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]'' (23)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (27)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (28)

||c3=
* Kevin (17)
* Kevin's friend (18)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (24)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (26)
}}

==Quotes==
"You think Soundwave is any different than me?! It was '''both''' of us that tore your precious Skywarp to pieces, all for his useful metals!!!" 
"You-- you lie!" 
"Wake up from your naïveté, Thundercracker!!! The universe is only for the strong!!! [[Turborat]] eat turborat! Spark versus spark! '''METAL ON METAL!'''"
:—'''Starscream''' shocks '''Thundercracker''' with news about their brother.

"Sorry I'm late to the party, I woke up and almost got crushed by [[Devastator_(G1)#Energon Universe|those]] [[Bruticus_(G1)#Energon Universe|two]]! What in the spark is going on?" 
"Chaos."
:—A newly reactivated '''Trailbreaker''' finds '''Optimus Prime''' in a bad spot.

"My old friend. It has been too long. I must thank you. For finding me, wandering this desolate landscape. But thanks to your temporary sacrifice... I can now, see. Now guide me to my warriors."
:—No longer blind, '''Megatron''' has returned.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* We first learned about the destruction of Cliffjumper's clan in [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|issue #4]].
* Thundercracker initially believed the Autobots to be responsible for what became of Skywarp when he was revived in [[Transformers (2023) issue 5|issue #5]], but now knows that it was Starscream and Soundwave that used the Seeker to rebuild [[Teletraan I]].
* This is the first time Astrotrain has used his steam train mode in the Energon Universe.
* It was unknown why Astrotrain was locked away aboard the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' other than his rage against Megatron when we first saw him back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 8|issue #8]]. Here, we learn that Megatron was responsible for "ending his love."
* Optimus Prime has been experiencing strange visions ever since [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparky]] entered the [[Matrix of Leadership]] in [[Transformers (2023) issue 6|issue #6]]. However, these visions have been growing more and more corrupted, along with Optimus' eyes turning purple with rage, since [[Transformers (2023) issue 12|issue #12]].
* MEGATRON RETURNS! The Decepticon leader was last seen in the series proper to be frozen in a block of ice in issue #4, though readers of ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' know that he was taken by the denizens of [[Cobra-La]] to be studied. He escaped from [[Cobra-La]] in [[Transformers Energon Universe Special story|the ''Transformers'' segment]] of the ''[[Energon Universe 2024 Special]]'', though losing his (remaining) eye to [[Golobulus]] in the process.

===''Transformers'' references===
* Devastator says prepare for Devastation, Bruticus! Which was actually heard in [[All Hail Megatron]] by Devastator himself.
* Thundercracker’s decision to abandon the Decepticons fits in with earlier portrayals of him, calling to mind both his original toy file card and his appearances in the [[2005 IDW continuity]].
* The Well of Sparks, more commonly known as the "Well of All Sparks" is a longtime piece of ''Transformers'' mythology, first appearing in the [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity]] in ''[[Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages]]'' [[Conflagration|#6]].

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Bruticus vs. Devastator, by Daniel Warren Johnson and [[Mike Spicer]].
* '''Cover B:''' Bruticus emerges from a smoking forest, by Jorge Corona and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C:''' Connecting cover by [[Karl Kerschl]].
* '''Cover D:''' Soundwave vs Starscream, by [[Manabu Yashiro]].
* '''Cover E:''' Laserbeak perches on Megatron’s arm, by [[Homare]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 16 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 16 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 16 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 16 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 16 Cover E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 16 Unknown Comics Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 16 Big Time Collectibles Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 16 The 616 Comics Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 16 The 616 Comics Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 16 Big Time Collectibles Cover B.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''[[G.I. Joe (2024 comic)|G.I. Joe]]'' [[G.I. Joe (2024) issue 3|#3]], ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 16|#16]], and Transformers #17.
* Four-page preview for ''Invincible Universe: Battle Beast''

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 3: Combiner Chaos''''' ([[May 28]], [[2025]]) ISBN 153432559X / ISBN 978-1534325593 
** Collects issues #13–18 and the [[Transformers Energon Universe Special story|''Transformers'' story]] from ''[[Energon Universe 2024 Special]]''.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V3.jpg|'''''Volume 3: Combiner Chaos''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]