MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)

2014-09-04T23:18:06Z

Lovepig: /* Continuity errors */

{{disambig2|the Generation 1 cartoon episode|the comic adaptation of this episode|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)}}
{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|image=Big Broadcast subliminal message.JPG
|caption=The judge is on the court, bweeeeeeeeeoooop!
|prev=The Ultimate Weapon
|next=Fight or Flee
|ep=85
|series2=2010
|ep2=21
|prev2=The Ultimate Weapon
|next2=Only Human
|title="The Big Broadcast of 2006"
|production code=700-105
|airdate=[[November 12]], 1986
|written by=[[Michael Reaves]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[AKOM]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Attempting to retrieve their lost records journal, the Quintessons use subliminal messages on the Junkions, and inadvertently the entire galaxy.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:G1-BigBroadcast Sharkticons journal.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"THE PRIME RIB IS GONE!"]]

Searching for one of their [[Quintesson Journal|journals]], the [[Quintesson]]s discover that it has landed on the [[Junkion (planet)|planet of Junk]]. After observing the native [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], the Quintessons send a [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]] retrieval team. The Sharkticons locate the journal quickly, but are then driven off by the Junkions. The Quintessons hijack the [[television]] [[Space-Age Jack|broadcasts]] the Junkions watch, planting subliminal messages telling the Junkions that being neat is a good thing...and the other races are their enemies.

[[Image:G1-BigBroadcast Nancy explodes.jpg|right|200px|thumb|They always fall for the exploding machine trick.]]

Travelling through the Junkion sector, [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] comes under attack by [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]. While the two battle, the Junkions fire on ''both'' [[Transformer|Transformers]]. Sky Lynx races back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], and informs [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. The [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]] sends the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] to investigate. Astrotrain also returns to [[Chaar]] to report his encounter, but [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] doesn't care. [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], however, is interested, and takes [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and the [[Sweep]]s to investigate. The Aerialbots arrive, and get caught in the crossfire between the Junkions and the Quintessons. The Aerialbots form [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] and target the Quintessons. However, the Quintesson ship damages Superion, who is then rescued by Sky Lynx. Cyclonus and the Sweeps arrive to investigate, and withdraw after being fired upon.

[[Image:G1-BigBroadcast Omega Supreme looming.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Omega Supreme has yet to realise that he isn't good at playing Hide and Seek]]

During the battle, the transmitter sending the messages to the Junkions was damaged, causing the Junkions to believe that they should transmit their broadcasts to other races. The [[Delta Pavonis IV|affected races]] soon begin lashing out at their neighbors, causing what would become an interstellar dark age. The Quintessons see a good possibility here, as they could sell weapons to the warring races, but decide that the recovery of the journal is the higher priority. Back on Chaar, Galvatron displays anger at Cyclonus for going to investigate Junkion, but Cyclonus continues on, believing that to turn the Junkions on the [[Autobot]]s is too good an opportunity for the [[Decepticon|Decepticons]]. Hoping to find answers, Rodimus, Magnus, [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]], and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] head to investigate in [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], but come under attack by Cyclonus and the Sweeps. Omega is damaged, and the Autobots draw the Decepticons away from the wounded [[Guardian robot]]. Finally, Omega Supreme is repaired, and the Decepticons retreat.

[[Image:G1-BigBroadcast Junkions Blaster broadcast.jpg|right|200px|thumb|We're sorry, but this wiki has exceeded its quota of "compensating for something" jokes.]]

Meanwhile, the affected races have converged on Junkion, and are firing on everyone in sight. Chaar has also been targeted, and Galvatron is drawn into the bedlam. Knowing they have one chance, the Quintessons make a move for the journal, but a stray blast from Galvatron damages their shuttle and sends the journal hurtling into the void. Arriving, Blaster determines that the transmissions are the cause of the violence, and sends out transmissions to counter them. Their senses restored, the Junkions stop fighting everyone...and start concentrating on the Decepticons, who retreat. Rodimus asks [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] what happened, but Wreck-Gar doesn't know.

Returning to their ship, the two Quintessons prepare to accept their punishment, but their superior declares that finding the journal is now their priority...before their clients do.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (5)
* [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] (6)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (7)
* [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (12)
* [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] (13)
* [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (14)
* [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (15)
* [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (16)
* [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] (17)
* [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (19)
* [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] (21)
* [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] (22)
* [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] (23)
|c2=
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (8)
* [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (9)
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (10)
* [[Sweep]]s (18)
* [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (20)
* [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (cameo) (24)
* [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (cameo) (25)
|h3=[[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]|c3=
* [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] (1)
* [[Nancy]] (2)
* [[Short Junkion]] (11)
|h4=Others|c4=
* [[Quintesson]]s (3)
* [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]] (4)
}}

==Quotes==
"I know you're bored, Rodimus, but with the mantle of leadership comes obligations." 
"Don't suppose I could interest you in a used mantle?"
:—'''Ultra Magnus''' and '''Rodimus Prime'''

"To share is to care. To care is to share."
:—'''Quintesson'''

"Mrs. Peel, we're needed. Our five year mission: to boldly share our signal with all the sloppy lifeforms who are our enemies. There is nothing wrong with your television set. We are controlling transmission. We control the horizontal. We control the vertical. We've got the touch!" 
:—'''Wreck-Gar''' created parody of Prime anthem

"Mighty Galvatron, where are you going?" 
"To the signal. To be a winner! Because I believe in me!"
:—'''Cyclonus''' and '''Galvatron''', discussing Galvatron's newfound belief in positive thinking.

'''Blaster''': We're outgunned, man! We don't have a chance! 
'''Kup''': Boy, that's what makes life interesting. 
'''Rodimus''': Or over! 
:—The Autobots discuss their situation.

==Notes==
===Animation and/or technical glitches===
* While driving off the Sharkticons in the beginning, it looks like Wreck-Gar is shooting lasers from his axe. It changes to a gun in the last shot.
* Astrotrain appears to be the same size as Sky Lynx while in his robot form. Sky Lynx usually appears to be the size of a combiner.
* After the Junkions drive off the Sharkticons, Wreck-Gar is shown standing next to... Wreck-Gar and Wreck-Gar.
* As he notes Rodimus' boredom, Ultra Magnus has an Autobot logo on each shoulder. There should only be one on his right shoulder.
* Ultra Magnus' back is shown as plain red in several scenes, where it should have a grey panel with differently colored squares.
* Astrotrain doesn't actually tell Galvatron about the Junkion attack. There appears to be missing dialogue in that scene.
* In the same scene, Cyclonus is missing the lower orange shape on his waist, and Galvatron mouths part of his dialogue.
* A red alarm light flashes on a console and is somehow visible through a Quintesson standing in front of it.
* During the montage of the transmission's effects, one shot shows the Quintessons subliminal message as if it's a hologram, when it should be inside of the tv screen.
* In the last few shots of the Quintessons discussing the effects of the transmission on different planets, the Egyptian faces on the Quintessons have orange-framed eyes (instead of green).
* In many shots, the Quintessons' arms are drawn as simple (black) lines when they should be white and have some thickness to them.
* In the next shot, Cyclonus' back windows are not colored in (they should be orange).
* Omega Supreme's voice is missing its usual self-echo reverberation.
* The first shots of Blaster show him with five buttons on his chest instead of three.
* The inside of Magnus' mouth is red in the next shot.
* When Omega comes under attack, Rodimus starts asking what happened to Omega before anything actually happens.
* One shot shows a Quintesson's mouth lined in orange when only the inside should be orange.
* As he looks at Omega Supreme's panel, Magnus is missing most of his detailing as well as his Autobot logo.
* The next shot (as he dives for cover) has inside of Magnus' mouth colored in blue.
* When Ultra Magnus is repairing Omega Supreme, one scene is missing...well...everything but Magnus's hands. He appears to be repairing empty space.
* As he finishes the repairs, Magnus closes a panel that's already closed.
* Not so much of an animation error ''per se'', but Omega Supreme manages to transform from his rocket ship into his full robot self. That's interesting, given that his rocket ship is the equivalent of his forearms, with no tank, legs, or tracks that all appear in robot mode.
* As the Quintessons watch the big space battle, the display shows a grey background behind the ships instead of space.
* As Omega Supreme approaches the battle, one shot has one of his rocket fins in gray instead of orange.
* When he lands on Junkion, Cyclonus is missing the lower orange shape on his waist.
* When he fights Galvatron, we hear Rodimus Prime's rifle even though he's not carrying it (the blast he fires comes from his arm). This happens again as the Junkions attack the Decepticons.
* When Galvatron lifts Rodimus to throw him, Rodimus' spoiler is all-yellow when it should be orange in the middle.
* In the first shot of him talking to Blaster, the inside of Magnus' mouth is red.
* After Galvatron blows up a tv, the next shot shows a poorly drawn and miscolored Soundwave, Cyclonus missing the orange shapes on his chest, and Rodimus' spoiler in all-yellow.
* As the Decepticons retreat, Soundwave's chest is white instead of blue and is missing its Decepticon logo. There's also three Cyclonuses (Cycloni?) in the shot.
* When he wonders who broadcasted the programs, the inside of Magnus' mouth is red.
* The last shot shows the Egyptian faces on the Quintessons with orange-framed eyes again.

===Continuity errors===
* After Galvatron bashes Astrotrain aside, Cyclonus tries to reason with him - with information Astrotrain hasn't actually shared.
* Where has Omega Supreme been all this time? The Autobots certainly could have used him in the battles with Trypticon, the Dweller, etc. And why does his voice sound so different?
* When Cyclonus' group fires on the Autobots after disabling Omega Supreme, one shot shows Ultra Magnus just standing there (while everyone else is shooting back).
* Even though it seems that the Decepticons still fear Omega Supreme (especially when he has been repaired, Cyclonus orders a retreat almost immediately), Galvatron is able to take him down without any problem.
* Galvatron stops the transmission by shooting a tv, but the antenna was never shot, so the transmission should still be going on.
* When the transmission ends, do all the beings on all those planets suddenly stop fighting each other? Even if they somehow know they've been manipulated, there must have been massive casualties and damages on those worlds.

===Continuity notes===
* This episode is Omega Supreme's only Season 3 appearance, and last appearance in the cartoon.

===Real-world references===
* The title is a takeoff of the [[wikipedia:The Big Broadcast|"Big Broadcast" series of movies]] in the 1930s.
* The ''[[If You Can Name That Price]]'' game show is an obvious parody of ''[[wikipedia:The Price is Right|The Price is Right]]''.
* As a Junkion-centric episode, this story is positively ''drowning'' in pop culture references. In addition to generic phrases like "this concludes our broadcast day," "it slices, it dices" and "waxy yellow build-up," specific references spewed by the various Junkions include:
** "Here's looking at you, kid." – Humphrey Bogart's famous line from ''[[wikipedia:Casablanca (1942)|Casablanca]]''.
** "For a transcript, send $1 to Merkle Press." Merkle Press used to charge $1 to print the weekly transcript of ''[[wikipedia:Meet the Press|Meet the Press]]''.
** "Live from New York, it's… your hit parade!" – a dual reference to ''[[wikipedia:Saturday Night Live|Saturday Night Live]]'' and ''[[wikipedia:Your Hit Parade|Your Hit Parade]]''.
** "Say goodnight, Gracie!" – a reference to comedienne [[wikipedia:Gracie Allen|Gracie Allen]].
** "Oh, Cisco!" and "Oh, Pancho!" refer to [[wikipedia:The Cisco Kid|The Cisco Kid]] and his sidekick, but Wreck-Gar and his lady friend use the names in a swooning, romantic way, which is... not... right.
** "Fly somebody else's friendly skies!" – a warped version of the United Airlines slogan, "Fly the Friendly Skies."
** "And that's the name of that tune!" – the catchphrase of the titular character in 1970s detective show ''[[wikipedia:Baretta|Baretta]]'', itself a reference to ''[[wikipedia:Name That Tune|Name That Tune]]''.
** "Tenk you veddy much!" – the catchphrase of Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman) on the sitcom ''[[wikipedia:Taxi (TV series)|Taxi]]''.
** "Your mission, should you choose to accept it…" – the famous introductory line from the ''[[wikipedia:Mission: Impossible|Mission: Impossible]]'' TV series.
** Wreck-Gar and his little buddy assume the roles of [[wikipedia:Perry White|Perry White]] and [[wikipedia:Jimmy Olsen|Jimmy Olsen]] from [[Superman]], respectively. "Jimmy" refers to Wreck-Gar as "Chief", at which point Wreck-Gar quotes Perry by shouting "And don't call me Chief!"
** Following on from Wreck-Gar's insistence that he not be called "Chief," the "Jimmy" Junkion responds with "Sorry about that, Chief!", in the style of Maxwell Smart (Don Adams) from 1960s spy comedy, ''[[wikipedia:Get Smart|Get Smart]]''. Wreck-Gar also later mimics Smart with a cry of "Missed me by ''that'' much!"
** "Warning, Will Robinson! Danger! Danger!" – the famous line from ''[[wikipedia:Lost in Space|Lost in Space]].''
** Wreck-Gar assumes the role of Jimmy Olsen when he refers to "[[wikipedia:Clark Kent|Mr. Kent]]".
** "I pity the fool!" – catchphrase of [[wikipedia:Mr. T|Mr. T]].
** "Let's consume mass quantities of TV!" – ''Saturday Night Live'' sketch characters the [[wikipedia:Coneheads|Coneheads]] liked consuming mass quantities of stuff.
** Finally, Nancy takes the role of Jimmy Olsen when she screams: "Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's...", and Wreck-Gar quotes Perry's catchphrase, "Great Caesar's Ghost!"
** Wreck-Gar cries out to his lady by calling her "[[wikipedia:Lassie|Lassie]]."
** "Baby, you're the greatest!" – common catchphrase of Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) from ''[[wikipedia:The Honeymooners|The Honeymooners]]''.
** "Mrs. Peel, we're needed." – Wreck-Gar adopts the role of John Steed (Patrick Macnee) from ''[[wikipedia:The Avengers (TV series)|The Avengers]]'' and calls on his teammate Emma Peel (Diana Rigg).
** "Our five-year mission...to boldly share..." – ''[[Star Trek]]'', naturally.
** "There is nothing wrong with your television set..." – Wreck-Gar recites verbatim several lines from the opening narrative of ''[[wikipedia:The Outer Limits|The Outer Limits]]''.
** "We've got the touch!" — Possibly a callback to the [[The Touch|rock anthem]] from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' but also identical to an old CBS tagline in the 80s.
** "Lookin' goooood!" – catchphrase of Chico Rodriguez (Freddie Prinze Sr.) on ''[[wikipedia:Chico and the Man|Chico and the Man]]''.
** "Laser Wars...nothing but Laser Wars...!" – Wreck-Gar parodies a parody, mimicking Bill Murray's comedic rendition of the ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' theme on ''Saturday Night Live''.
** "Ward, I think we've been a little rough on the Beaver." – reference to the 1950s sitcom ''[[wikipedia:Leave It to Beaver|Leave It to Beaver]]''.
** [[wikipedia:Go ahead, make my day|"Go ahead...make my day."]] – Clint Eastwood's famous line from ''[[wikipedia:Sudden Impact|Sudden Impact]]''.
** "I dunno! I wuz a victim of soicumstance! Yuk yuk yuk!" – banter in the style of the [[wikipedia:Three Stooges|Three Stooges]].
* The television show "Space Age Jack" that is broadcast is a parody of [[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]], with the titular "Jacks" screaming the battle cry "Yo, Jack!"
* And then, to cap it all off, the Quintessons emphatically tell one another that the journal was "''[[wikipedia:Lost in Space|Lost in Space]].''"

===Trivia===
*When the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|US comic]] needed a fill-in issue, this episode was chosen and script adapted. While the UK offices were in no position to pass up on any US material being produced, this issue also completely conflicted with the Movie-Future they had established. To sidestep continuity problems, [[Simon Furman]] wrote a framing sequence establishing [[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|US #43]] as an imaginary story dreamed up by Wreck-Gar, as part of a lead in to his "[[Space Pirates!]]" arc.
*The comic adaptation lends credence to the idea that the opening scenes are mis-ordered. The comic features the Sharkticons seeking the journal first, and being repulsed, then the Quintessons analyzing the Junkions and concluding that they must be subtle in their attack. In the cartoon, the analysis comes first - "we must resort to more subtle means" - and is immediately followed by the Sharkticons' flagrantly un-subtle invasion.
*This episode is set before "[[The Quintesson Journal]]", because this journal is the same one that Blaster and [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] find.
*Blast Off's appearance serves ''absolutely no purpose''. He's not shown fighting or speaking or ''anything''. And Soundwave must have been a decoration as well.

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das Hyperraumprogramm'''" ("The Hyperspace-Programm")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' 2010年の大放送 (''2010 Nen no Daihōsō'', "The Big Broadcast of 2010")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[April 30]], [[1987]]
:* A "[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]" segment unique to Japan was attached to this episode. This segment recapped the events of "[[Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening]]". It replaces the original "Secret Files" segment which focused on the Autobots.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1989 — ''Transformers'' — The Big Broadcast of 2006 / Fight or Flee ([[Tempo Video]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1992 — ''Transformers'' — Super Video (Tempo Video)
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 2 & Season 4 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 5: Series 3.2 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four {{sic}} (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2010 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Big Broadcast of 2006}}
[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]

Fire in the Sky

2014-07-31T19:36:36Z

Lovepig: /* Continuity errors */

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=7
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=62
|prev2=Masquerade
|next2=Fire on the Mountain (episode)
|image=FHE-FireInTheSky.jpg
|caption=
|title="Fire in the Sky"
|production code=#700-04
|airdate=[[December 8]], 1984
|written by=[[Alfred A. Pegal]]
|animation studio=[[Toei]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''While siphoning the Earth of its energy, the Decepticons uncover a long-lost colleague of Starscream.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:FireintheSky snowball.jpg|left|150px|thumb|This snow isn't as fun as Spike said it was!]]

What’s this? A blanket of snow over the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s volcano? The Autobots and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] engaged in a snowball fight? In July? In the middle of the desert? Something is amiss with the world’s weather. According to [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]'s scans, temperatures are 40 degrees below normal and falling rapidly.

[[Image:FireintheSky Reflector draincrystal.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Im in ur ice cave, steamcleanin ur crystal]]

Somewhere in the [[Arctic Circle]], the Decepticons have tapped a crystal shaft leading directly to the [[Earth's core]] to siphon the planet's heat energy into [[energon cube]]s. While excavating the icy caverns surrounding the crystal, [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] uncovers a Transformer frozen in the ice. [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] recognizes it as his old colleague [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]].

The Autobots finally pinpoint the source of the Earth’s energy drain, and Teletraan I confirms Decepticon activity surrounding a crystal outgrowth in the Arctic Circle. [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] hastily assembles an assault team, and they [[roll out]], with Spike and [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]] accompanying.

[[Image:FireintheSky DecepticonsrepairingSkyfire.jpg|left|150px|thumb|I don't care if he is a fat bastard, Thundercracker. You don't weld a bot in the pills. It's just not cricket.]]

The Decepticons have hauled the frozen titan out of the ice and proceed to repair it. Starscream explains his past: [[MYA|millions of years ago]], before the final falling out between the Autobots and Decepticons, Starscream and Skyfire were both explorers. They were charting an unknown planet, Earth, when a storm separated the two and Skyfire was lost.

Skyfire awakens and [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] welcomes him to the Decepticon cause. Though Skyfire is grateful for having been thawed out, he shows doubts about being a warrior rather than a scientist. He commits to the cause out of loyalty to Starscream. When the Autobots arrive in the Arctic, Skyfire targets them for destruction.

[[Image:FireintheSky Skyfire peers in.jpg|right|150px|thumb|I see you.]]

Skyfire opens fire, scattering the Autobots. Spike tumbles through the ice into the arctic waters. Sparkplug pulls him out, but they are trapped on an ice floe. They cry out for help. Skyfire is intrigued by the new lifeforms and tries to befriend them, not realizing that they are terrified by Decepticons. Spike and Sparkplug try to explain that it’s the Decepticons that are the true monsters. The naïve Skyfire takes the humans to Megatron to prove the Decepticons' good intentions. Megatron and Starscream promptly imprison Spike and Sparkplug behind bars of ice, and plan their execution, leaving Skyfire troubled.

[[Image:FireintheSky pileofparts.jpg|left|150px|thumb|They got better.]]

Optimus leads his Autobot team into the icy caverns, but a cave-in splits the team in two. Prime's group finds the humans and frees them, while the other team—including [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Gears (G1)|Gears]]—find the crystal shaft tap. Megatron discovers this second group and has his soldiers capture them. To test Skyfire's loyalty, Starscream orders Skyfire to execute the captives. Skyfire refuses, and in a fit of rage, Starscream blasts his old friend. Starscream then blasts the prisoners to pieces.

[[Image:FireintheSky Skyfires magicAutobotsymbol.jpg|right|150px|thumb|A changing faction symbol? It's Sideways! Get him!]]

Well, not really. Once again, one of Hound's holograms has saved the day, creating the illusion of blasted Autobot parts. When Starscream departs, Hound drops the illusion. An ailing Skyfire awakens and is pleased to see the Autobots functioning. The disparate Autobot teams unite as Ratchet repairs the fallen titan. [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] spies Ratchet's work and reports to Megatron. The Decepticon leader chews out Starscream for failing to kill the prisoners. Megatron orders his soldiers to attack.

[[Image:FireintheSky Memorial.jpg|left|150px|thumb|"Rest in peace, Skyfire." "[[Fire on the Mountain (episode)|I'm not dead!]]" "I can still hear his voice on the wind... *sniff*"]]

As the battle progresses, Prime and Megatron each grab shards of crystals and engage in a duel. Skyfire appears on the battlefield, and Megatron orders him to attack Prime. Skyfire refuses, and proudly declares himself an Autobot, attacking Megatron and his Decepticons instead.

The battle takes to the air as Starscream and Skyfire engage in an aerial dogfight. A midair collision sends Skyfire out of control. In a last ditch effort, his blasts bury the crystal, but Skyfire crashes into the ice. The Autobots mourn Skyfire’s heroic sacrifice.

{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] (2)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] (3)
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (4)
*[[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (5)
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (6)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (7)
*[[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (8)
*[[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] (14)
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (15)

|c2=
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (9)
*[[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (10)
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (11)
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (12)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (13)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (17)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (18)
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (19)
*[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (20)

|c3=
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (1)
*[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] (16)
}}

==Quotes==
"Not snowman, Spike. Snowbot! There's a flurry in a hurry!"
:—A snow-covered '''Jazz''', surprising Spike

"Okay, Spike. You rat on me, I'll splat on you!"
:—'''Bumblebee''', after Spike warns Ratchet about Bumblebee's incoming snowball

[[Image:FireintheSky Gears crashes through ice.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Ironically, Gears is the one with the junk in his trunk. Well, truck bed, anyway.]]
"Ironhide's carrying too much lead in his caboose!"
:—'''Gears''', predating the "junk in the trunk" standard after they all fall through an ice sheet

"Lucky for you my laser has a defrost cycle."
:—'''Cliffjumper''' breaks Spike and Sparkplug out of an ice prison.

"Well, I'll be reprogrammed with a rivet roller."
:—'''Ironhide''' reveals yet another unusual piece of Cybertronian technology.

"I'm a scientist, not an executioner!"
:—'''Skyfire''' objecting to Starscream's demand that he execute the captives.

"He won't be forgotten, Spike. He will live forever... so long as freedom exists. We shall remember you, Skyfire."
:—'''Optimus Prime'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s eulogy for Skyfire

==Notes==
===Animation or technical glitches===
[[Image:FireintheSky Gears AninconvienientTruth.jpg|right|200px|thumb|ManBearPig - I'm serial!]]
* Jazz laughs at Spike's "I get the drift" line in Cliffjumper's voice.
* His voice apparently stolen by Jazz, Cliffjumper oophs and grunts in a Don Messick voice as he bangs into a tree. It's similar to the "What does it instantly immobilize?" flub from the later episode "[[The Immobilizer]]".
* As Optimus Prime muses about how the heat from the Earth's core is being drained away, Gears can be seen in the background sitting in front of a console with a very small screen. But during the closeup of Gears, the screen is ''much'' larger. The screen also makes a mechanical whirring noise as the view pans across a native village, as if the screen itself were moving.
* While Megatron and Starscream are talking at the energon cube-filler machine, Reflector places an already-filled energon cube at the machine, seemingly to have it filled. In the same shot, another Reflector bot's chest is all gray.
* Rumble's mouth moves after Skywarp taunts him, but rather uncharacteristically, he doesn't actually say anything.
* Coloring errors:
** As Starscream berates Skywarp and Rumble for standing around, Skywarp's cockpit fringe is gray instead of black, and Rumble's eyeband is gray.
** "Give him 50,000 volts" - Starscream's "collar" is red instead of gray.
** As Soundwave deploys the electrical device, his face is misdrawn with a strangely pointy faceplate, and his eyeband is colored gray instead of red.
** "I knew him once" - the tip of Starscream's gun turns the same blue as his glove as he gestures.
** "Hail Cybertron!" - Skyfire's face is white instead of gray.

[[File:Fire in the sky.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"If I talk to you for two minutes, I consider you my friend."]]

** As Skyfire first takes aim at the Autobots, his Decepticon symbol is red.
** As the Autobots roll toward Skyfire in profile, Jazz's fenders are colored windshield blue.
** "I'll take you to Megatron, my leader" - red Decepticon symbol on Skyfire again.
** Spike and Sparkplug's fur hats are beige instead of brown as they look at each other in fear.
** "We'd better find Optimus and the others before..." Ironhide's backside is entirely dark gray; there should be some red and light gray.
** "With pleasure, Megatron!" The bridge of Starscream's nose is light gray; it should be dark gray.
** In the wide shot of Ratchet repairing Skyfire, Skyfire's got a red Decepticon symbol yet again.
** Skywarp's nosecone is all orange as he transforms and takes off.
** Prime's bumper is yellow as he spins around to transform his trailer.
** Skyfire's thruster nozzles are white as he approaches the crystal.
** As the Autobots cheer for Skyfire's apparent victory, Optimus Prime's whole torso is colored blue.
* The first bit of Skyfire that's sticking out of the ice doesn't correspond to any actual part on his body.
* After Starscream melts away more of the ice, that first part of Skyfire is no longer sticking out.
* While watching the Sky Spy's footage, Spike describes a "weird light", but the screen shows nothing of the sort. The big, green, not-a-light crystal is plain as day, though.
* When the Autobots roll out, the background is moving far too quickly, making them appear to be sliding across frame while transforming. It doesn't help that they aren't drawn very well, either.
* Appearing / disappearing Autobots:
** Only Prime, Jazz, Ironhide and Hound are shown rolling out. Gears shows up in the convoy on the way to the north pole. Cliffjumper, Ratchet and Bumblebee finally show up when the group transforms in front of Skyfire.
* In Skyfire's memory monitor, a distant shot shows Starscream looking like a short, dumpy version of [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]].
* When Skyfire first wakes up and asks where he is, Starscream's mouth appears to be moving, but he isn't actually saying anything. In the same shot, the back of Thundercracker's head is white instead of black.
* The base of Megatron's fusion cannon is the same silver as his arm, as he introduces himself to Skyfire.
* When the Autobots stop in front of Skyfire, they're ''tiny'' - maybe as tall as his feet.
* When Spike yells for help, one of Hound's laser blasts comes out of mid-air instead of his gun.
[[Image:Skyfire-Valkyrie-Arm-FitS.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Gotta admit it...that boy has really gotten a lot better.]]
* When Skyfire picks up Spike and Sparkplug, his entire right arm, including his gun, is drawn as the Macross Valkyrie-styled arm from his [[Jetfire_(G1)#Notes|original animation model]].
* In a rather odd shot set up, Skyfire is too big to fit into a cave that Megatron and Starscream stand in. He’s forced to peer through the cave’s opening.
* After Starscream shoots his hand, Skyfire has an extra line on his face that makes him look like an old man (the same trick later used to distinguish [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] from his Rodimus Prime persona.) His arm jointing seems oddly drawn, as well.
* When Bumblebee tells Optimus that he can't find Ironhide and the others, the animation makes him look like he's floating a foot or two above the ground.
* Prime clearly drives into the caves without his trailer. When Bumblebee reports in, Prime does have his trailer. In the next shot, he lacks the trailer again. His smokestacks are rendered as thin red lines, too.

** Later, during the big fight at the end, Prime's trailer appears again so he can use its weapons.
* Gears is missing his forearm as he and the others peer at the green crystal.
* As Hound gets to his feet, he leaves a copy of his missile launcher behind, briefly giving him ''two'' launchers. In the same shot, Ratchet's mouth goes missing.
* Megatron's missing his back gun barrel as he spins 180 at the waist.
* Optimus is shown mouthing Megatron’s order to Skyfire (to destroy Optimus Prime!)
* Starscream fires strange cross-hatch lasers at Skyfire. As he swoops in, a purple Autobot symbol is briefly visible on his wing.
* Spike and Sparkplug are both shown mouthing Spike's "Belt him in the burners" line.

===Continuity errors===

* This episode's basic premise is one of the most bizarre and scientifically ludicrous conceits ever created by the cartoon - namely, the idea that draining the energy of the Earth's core would somehow severely and instantly affect its climate, causing plummeting temperatures world wide. If internal heat generates the planet's climate, why would there be big frozen zones at the poles? Doesn't Earth actually have a big [[Sun|external heat source]] that would offset the devastating loss of this (infinitesimal) heat source?

* Teletraan I says the global average temperature has dropped by 40 degrees. To put that in context, the average temperature was about 8 degrees less than the present day ''during the last ice age.''
* What exactly do green crystals have to do with the Earth's core?
* Superhuman Spike:
** Spike not only survives (without bruising, or bleeding) a watermelon-sized snowball headshot (to the face) powerful enough to knock him off a cliff, but also rolling down said cliff with enough velocity to knock over several full-sized Autobots without so much as breaking a bone. In fact, he just gets up and is *smiling*!
**Spike falls and nearly drowns in Arctic water, and somehow is not overcome by hypothermia. It probably helps that both he and his clothes dry out about five seconds after being pulled out.
** Both Spike and Sparkplug seem none the worse for wear after being casually tossed onto solid ice by Starscream.
* Someone forgot that the Seekers have a pre-Earth design; in a flashback to millions of years ago, Starscream is shown transforming into his F-15 jet mode (millions of years before his arrival on Earth, or the invention of jets.) The script for the episode ''did'' call for a Cybertronian alternate mode, but evidently the animators didn't get the message.
*The Autobots can apparently drive from the United States to the Arctic in a fairly short amount of time.
* Just where did Skyfire get this whole "evil Autobots" notion, anyway? Did he miss that whole "conquer the universe" bit in Megatron's speech?
* The ad hoc icicle 'prison' created for Spike and Sparkplug first contains gaps clearly large enough for them to be able to escape through.
* Gears says that his group had better go find Optimus before they're discovered by the Decepticons. The group then stands around doing nothing until, sure enough, they're discovered by the Decepticons.*
[[Image:FireintheSky Reflector formation.jpg|200px|right|thumb|And then there's this. Did the script call for this? What the hell?]]
* Couldn't four Autobot prisoners overpower their captors (Starscream and Skyfire) with relative ease? Heck, Hound's still got his missile sitting there, ready to go!
* Starscream is apparently dumb enough to think that 2 piddly little null ray blasts are enough to reduce four Autobots to scrap.
* It's never adequately explained where Skyfire got an Autobot badge from. And he tears the old one off like it's made of paper.
* Why was Skyfire's whole sacrifice even necessary? Couldn't the Autobots have buried the crystal from the ground?

===Rhino DVD release===
[[Image:G1toon starscream and skyfire.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"Are you happier having a [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|red symbol]] [[Starscream (WFC)|than a purple one]], Starscream?" "Yes! It is far more exciting! And it goes so well with my red highlights!"]]

* At the beginning of the episode, the snow falls upwards and many snow effects are missing.
* In many instances Skyfire's symbol is miscolored.
* Right after he wakes up, Skyfire has a red Decepticon insignia in his chest in one shot, before they actually imprint the symbol on him.
* When Starscream blasts Skyfire, the laser blast is missing.
* The chapter stops for this episode on the Rhino DVD are Opening / Snowbot / At the Arctic Circle / "Destruction to Autobots" / An Illusion / Skyfire is Gone

===Continuity notes===
* Aside from astroseconds, Transformers also use astrominutes as units of time.
* Gadgets and powers:
** Soundwave can transform his right forearm into a cylindrical electricity firing module capable of generating a million volts.
** Ratchet uses the same forearm-mounted laser scalpel that he had in "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]".
** Laserbeak uses his forehead-mounted microphone... to broadcast a signal.
** Megatron receives that signal with a flashing of his pectoral rectangle things, a trope that will show up again in "Countdown to Extinction".
** Megatron can rotate his lower torso 180 degrees, which makes for some cool hand-to-hand combat maneuvers.
[[Image:Combat deck.jpg|thumb|right|200px| ]]
* Prime’s [[Combat Deck (G1)|Combat Deck]] cannons make a rare appearance in this episode, emerging from a non-transformed trailer.
* The first appearance of Skyfire, obviously.
* "We shall remember you, Skyfire!" Optimus solemnly vows. Yeah, especially [[Fire on the Mountain (episode)|next time we need a ride somewhere]].

===Real-world references===
* "It's educational, kids!" - we get an appearance of the Aurora Borealis.
* ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
** ''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' engine burst as the Seekers transform and take off.
** [[Death Star]] super laser as they launch their attack a second later.
** Exploding [[X-wing Fighter]] (or an explosion aboard the Death Star) as the Autobots flee from Decepticon bombs.
** Clashing [[lightsaber]]s as Ratchet gets blasted away from Skyfire.
** [[TIE Fighter]] roar as Skywarp and Thundercracker crash.
** Clashing lightsabers again as Prime knocks Megatron's cannon away.
** ''Falcon'' engine burst as Skyfire takes off.
** X-wings and TIE Fighter as Skyfire aims for the crystal.

===Trivia===
* This episode was produced as the seventh in the season, though it aired after the eighth-produced episode, "[[S.O.S. Dinobots]]".
* This episode contains the first time that Prime gives the famous "Transform and roll out" order.
*Strangely, the official [[Sunbow Productions]] cast list entry for "Fire in the Sky" names "Decepticon Workers" who "resemble Skywarp" as silent characters ("no dialogue") appearing in the episode. No such legion of Skywarps actually appears.
* Spike and Sparkplug have fashionable fur-lined cold-weather hardhats with ear flaps.
* Skyfire gets what may be the only internal monologue in the entire series, as he reflects unhappily on the Decepticons ethos.
* If you don't get a laugh out of Megatron nonchalantly beaning Starscream with an energon cube, there's no hope for you.

===Foreign localization===
'''Brazilian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Fogo no Céu'''" ("Fire in the Sky")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Italian'''
:*''Title (dub 1):'' "'''Sfida tra i ghiacci'''" ("Challenge in the Ice")
:*''Title (dub 2):'' "'''Fiamme nei cieli'''" ("Flames in the Skies")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Skyfire no Saisei'''" (スカイファイヤーの再生, "Skyfire's Resurrection")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 26]], [[1986]]
:*The Japanese ordering of this episode places it toward the end of the series. This was done as it featured Skyfire prominently and with his toy being of [[Bandai]] design (and not sold in Japan as a Transformer), that caused some legal concerns amongst Takara (many of Skyfire's smaller scenes in other episodes were cut entirely). Though the episodes featuring him as a main character were eventually shown, the scripts were not reworked to adjust to the new chronological placement, simply being more or less direct translations of the original English versions.
:*'''Cut:''' After Jazz makes his "snow fair" joke, the pan across to Bumblebee has been cut.
:*'''Cut:''' After Cliffjumper crashes ino the snow-covered tree, the scene of him shaking his head, Hound sliding by and crashing into a cactus have been cut.
:*'''Cut:''' The scene of Gears pointing to his monitor and blaming the snow on the Decepticons and Prime walking up and bending forward have been cut.
:*'''Cut:''' After Megatron makes his speech about gathering enough Energon cubes to conquer the universe, the pan across the ice cave toward Rumble has been cut.
:*'''Cut:''' Following Teletraan-1's line, "Abnormally large energy expenditure in the Artic Circle", the scene of the monitor panning across the frozen tundra toward the large green crystal cone has been cut.
:*'''Cut:''' After the Autobots all transform and leave the Ark, the scene of Prime driving next to the cliffside and Spike's line, "Arctic Circle, here we come" have been cut.
:*'''Cut:''' After Starscream tosses Spike and Sparkplug to the ground, the following scene of him pointing his arm gun toward them and the humans reacting in horror have been cut. The sequence resumes as his firing on the roof of the ice cave to create the ice bars.
:*'''Cut:''' Once Soundwave ejects Ravage at Megatron's command, the scene of Megatron pointing Ravage in a certain direction and Ravage charging down the cave have been cut. The sequence resumes at the inward pan of the empty cave and Jazz's line about "searching these tunnels for astro-minutes".
:*'''Cut:''' Immediately following ''that'' scene, the scene of Megatron sitting down and spinning an Energon cube in his hand has been cut. The sequence resumes at his blinking chest.

'''Russian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ogonj v nebe'''" (Огонь в небе, "Fire in the Sky")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Serbian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Vatra na nebu'''" (Ватра на небу, "Fire in the Sky")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 1985 — ''The Transformers'' — Volume 4: "Fire in the Sky" ([[Family Home Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1995 — ''The Transformers'' — The Autobots vs. The Decepticons ([[Malofilm]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1995 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Megatron Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers'' — Decepticon Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2002 — ''Transformers'' — Original Series: Volume Three ([[Maverick Entertainment|Sony Wonder]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2002 — ''Transformers'' — Complete Original Series: Deluxe Edition (Sony Wonder) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — First Season Collector's Edition ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume Two (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2003 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 1: Series 1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Classic Transformers'' — Series One: Part One (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2008 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 01: Stagione Uno Parte Prima ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season One (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete First Season: 25th Anniversary Edition ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory)

==External links==
* [http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/fire_in_the_sky.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]

Auto-Bop

2014-07-24T22:19:48Z

Lovepig:

{{episode
|image=Auto-bop 4.jpg
|caption=Go ahead and mock '80s clothing, but in twenty years, they'll be mocking what we wear.
|series=G1toon
|ep=52
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=52
|prev2=Prime Target (episode)
|next2=Starscream's Brigade
|title="Auto-Bop"
|written by=[[David Wise]]
|production code=700-51
|airdate=[[November 13]], 1985
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Tracks and Blaster uncover a hypnosis plot. A ''funky'' hypnosis plot.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:DancitronGang.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Just the usual Manhattan commuter crowd.]]

[[Raoul]] and his friends [[Poplock]] and [[Rocksteady]] are trying to make some spare cash, breakdancing on the sidewalks of [[New York City]]. Unfortunately, the management of the [[Dancitron]] nightclub doesn't like competition, and sends a mob after them. The trio grab their tape deck and flee, riding a wheeled dumpster until it's brought to a sudden halt. They're soon surrounded by armed thugs, but luckily [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] are in the city, and come to the trio's aid. While fighting the thugs off, Tracks is surprised to notice one of them is a man in a business suit.

Raoul introduces the rest of the [[Bop Crew]] to the two [[Autobot]]s, who say they're monitoring Decepticon activity, and now suspect there's something strange going on at the Dancitron. The pair enter the club and admire the immense sound system. Soon Blaster is dancing with an apparently blissed-out patron, while Tracks notes a number of oddly-dressed dancers—a garbage man, a middle-aged woman in a bathrobe and curlers, and a man dressed to the nines. In an upstairs booth, [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] and [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] observe the two Autobots.

[[Image:AutoBop Blaster surfing on Tracks.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Mind the paint job.]]

Meanwhile, the Bop Crew are taking an elevated subway train when it unexpectedly begins gathering speed. The driver, entering a hypnotised state, pulls the accelerator lever to full and smashes the control panel with an iron bar. Raoul pulls the emergency cord until it breaks, but the brakes are ineffective at stopping the train. Fortunately Tracks and Blaster happen to be walking nearby, and are able to halt the train. They find the sabotaged control panel, however the driver has already fled.

Tracks sends Blaster, Poplock and Rocksteady to check with [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] while he and Raoul go to check out the Dancitron again. On the way, the pair spot an active building site—somewhat of an odd sight at 1am, and even odder when they notice the workers are more inappropriately-dressed people, including some of those previously seen at the Dancitron. They're quickly spotted by the workers, and Tracks drags the gate shut to prevent the humans from attacking them, though that doesn't stop a workman on the building itself from firing red-hot rivets at them.

[[Image:Trackscruc2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Passion of the Chrysler. ''Alternate joke'': Radio killed the video star.]]

Poplock and Rocksteady are offered free tickets into the Dancitron and eagerly accept, believing they'll be able to investigate on their own. The duo enter the club and are soon hypnotised by the music. Arriving at the club, Tracks leaves Raoul outside and encounters the boy's two friends inside. They lead him to two Decepticons, who use the club's hypnotized patrons to ensnare him and bind him to the club's sound system. Starscream reports to [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] that the building construction is on schedule.

Having consulted Teletraan I, Blaster arrives at the Dancitron to find Raoul waiting outside. The pair enter to find Tracks, with Blaster tracking an ultrasound signal. Raoul encounters his two friends and, remembering Blaster's warning about the hypnotic sound, plugs his ears with a paper napkin. They chase him, and he soon finds Tracks, but is overwhelmed by the hypnotized dancers. As he soon discovers, the hypnosis can be broken by simply getting the victim [[Water|wet]], so he triggers the club's sprinkler systems, freeing the patrons from their trance. The Bop Crew swiftly frees Tracks and they pursue Starscream.

[[Image:Auto-Bop Blaster Soundwave.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Soundwave and Blaster in a two-bot reenactment of You Got Served.]]

Blaster squares off with Soundwave at the club in a sonic "battle of the boom boxes"; the two are nearly evenly matched, until Blaster uses the club's sound system to amplify his abilities and drive Soundwave off. Tracks engineers a rain cloud which de-hypnotises the humans working at the building site. This also flushes out Starscream, who chases Tracks. The Autobot flies through the partially completed building, and the larger Decepticon damages his wing trying to follow, forcing him to retreat. Blaster arrives and uses the Dancitron speakers to bring down the building.

Tracks offers grateful thanks to Raoul and his buddies for saving his life, saying that if there's anything he can do for them... and it turns out there is. The trio lost their radio in all the chaos, and until they earn enough street cash to get a new one, poor Blaster will make an ideal replacement.
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] (5)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] (6)
*[[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] (10)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (8)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (9)
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (11)

|c3=
* [[Raoul]] (1)
* [[Poplock]] (2)
* [[Rocksteady]] (3)
* [[Furg]] (4)
* [[Stylish man]] (7)
}}

==Quotes==

"I've got to french-fry your circuits."
:—'''Raoul''' shows his gratefulness to '''Blaster'''

"That's what I call a riveting experience!" 
"I don't know why I hang out with you, man."
:—'''Tracks''' makes a terrible pun after being shot at by a guy with a rivet gun, and '''Raoul''' calls him out on it.

"Foo on this jive! My main machine's in trouble!"
:—'''Raoul'''

"I've been waiting a long time for this, you poor excuse for a sound system." 
"All talk...no shock."
:—'''Blaster''' and '''Soundwave''', right as their sonic duel begins.

[[File:AutoBop blaster speakers.jpg|thumb|right|200px| ]]
"Yo, the dude's gone crazy!" 
"Yeah... like a fox!"
:—'''Poplock''' and '''Tracks'''.

"I'd say your nightclub just went out of style."
:—'''Blaster''' to '''Soundwave''', after he won the sonic duel.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical glitches===
[[File:Raoul-AutoBop.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Well, he ''did'' say he wanted to pull a Michael Jackson.]]
* In this episode, Raoul's skin color is colored slightly lighter than his last appearance in "[[Make Tracks]]".
* Despite Rocksteady breakdancing and being thrown around quite a lot, his hat always remains firmly on his head.
* Throughout the episode, when people run, it sounds like they're wearing tapdancing shoes (over-exaggerated sound effect).
* "Let's beat it!" - Raoul is supposed to be saying it, but Rocksteady mouths the words.
* Before the Bop Crew jump onto the dumpster, it's standing against a wall, but shifts out into the middle of the sidewalk as they jump onto it.
* As the thugs first start firing at Blaster, the edges of his helmet are white instead of red.
[[Image:Autobop Blaster's putting on weight.jpg|thumb|right|200px|This scene was actually filmed while Blaster was pregnant with [[Eject (G1)|Eject]] and [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]]. That's his baby bump!]]
* As Blaster aims his electro-scrambler, he looks a little... fat.
* Raoul is missing a row of studs on the left-hand side of his jacket when he claims he had things under control.
* When Raoul introduces Poplock and Rocksteady, they're both suddenly at least a head shorter than him.
* As Tracks says "Mellow kind of place", the edges of Blaster's helmet are white again.
* After that [[Stylish man|one fellow]] leaves the bar to ask Tracks a question, his hair color changes from brown to white.
* Shortly after Tracks notices the out-of-place people, there's a shot of Blaster and Tracks walking — Tracks's Autobot insignia is outlined in white instead of black, and Blaster's insignia blinks out of existence every few frames.
* In the first shot of Soundwave, his faceplate is dark grey, and his eject button is blue. Then it pans over to Starscream, who has a dark grey face.
* Every shot of the train interior shows it devoid of passengers other than the Bop Crew, but several exterior shots show panicked people climbing out the windows.
* As Blaster says he didn't spy anything unusual at the club, his forehead is red instead of white, and Tracks's wings are missing. The same two errors occur in the next shot but one.
* Blaster walks along Tracks's grappling line a couple of steps too far, and appears to be walking on the side of the train.
* The location names on the side of the train change configuration between shots.
* As Tracks stands up after they halt the train, a cel ordering error results in the windows on the rear of the train appearing on top of him.
* When the two Autobots open the door of the train to see the Bop Crew, Tracks's helmet is mostly blue instead of white.
* The voice that says "Sabotage!" doesn't sound like Tracks, though it's him speaking.
* When Raoul enters Tracks after the train incident, Tracks' interior is glowing the same yellow as his windows (and the seat gets cut off in a yellow stripe as Raoul sits).
* Tracks's wings are blue when he flips them out to take off after he and Raoul leave the building site.
[[Image:Autobop Tracks holding bouncer.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Ah crap, he deflated.]]
* The bouncer appears to halve in body weight when Tracks picks him up.
* Tracks has grey wings, both when the door to the DJ booth opens and as Starscream gloats he'll never get out of the club alive.
* Soundwave's faceplate is oddly shaped and his eject button is blue as he announces he's ready for the ultra-sound transmission.
* After Tracks climbs up onto a catwalk, the shots of hypnotized club patrons approaching him from either side are the same shot, just mirrored.
* When Starscream contacts Megatron, Megatron's insignia is red instead of purple.
* When Blaster enters the club, in a couple of frames the chest portion of a female dancer's costume flashes flesh-colored.
* When Raoul attempts to free Tracks, the club patrons go into their zombie hypnotized state again. This is the same shot repeated from when the same thing happened earlier, only mirrored.
* Starscream's mouth is missing as he indignantly shouts "What?!"
* Right before Starscream jumps through the window, an exterior shot of the Dancitron (with motionless identically-dressed couples leading in a line out of it) can be seen through it, before panning swiftly to the right. As this is supposed to be an exterior window of the Dancitron itself... this shot doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
* After Tracks blasts a hole in the wall, the cels aren't properly aligned, so he appears to drive through a point in the wall slightly to the side of the hole.
* Directly after Soundwave jumps through the DJ booth window, the right-hand edge of Blaster's helmet is white, and his forehead is red.
* A moment later, the sides of Soundwave's head are blue instead of white, as he reels from Blaster's first attack.
* After Tracks causes rain to wake up the hypnotized humans at the building site, there's a shot of dozens of men fleeing it, all clad in identical outfits.
* Tracks' bumper gun sounds like Optimus' rifle.
* As Soundwave laughs, the walking animation makes him appear to be moonwalking forwards.
* After Soundwave knocks Blaster into the Dancitron sound system, Blaster sits up, and the piece of debris behind him winks out of existence.
* The sides of Soundwave's head are blue again when he's sent flying from Blaster's attack with the sound system speakers, and his eject button is blue again a moment later, when he stands up in the rubble.
* During a shot of Tracks flying through a building, his wings are blue. This shot is followed by one of Starscream colored as [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]].
* When Tracks shoots the half-constructed building, the flames wash across the ground about a foot too high.
* The pattern of creases in the Bop Crew's dance mat varies depending on the angle.
* The crowd gathered to watch Poplock and Rocksteady breakdance are completely motionless, despite some of them being in running poses (and check out the oddly "Old West" dressed people by the coffee shop!)

===Continuity errors===
* Rocksteady takes off his jacket in order to breakdance, but somehow is suddenly wearing it again when Raoul announces they should beat it.

[[File:G1Auto-Bop Tracks girl.jpg|thumb|right|200px| ]]
* Apparently there are still people who don't know about the Autobots, as that one fellow in the club appears to think that Tracks and Blaster are ordinary (gigantic!) humans wearing elaborate costumes.

* Presumably the train which the Bop Crew were riding on was heading away from the Dancitron, and at high speed. Yet Tracks and Blaster just happen to be walking in exactly the right place to see it speeding along when they were in the club the last time we saw them.

* At one point, the show does a flashback to a warning that Blaster gave Raoul ''less than a minute earlier''. Just to make sure nobody forgot.

* Tracks and Blaster actually open fire on humans!

* How did Poplock and Rocksteady get to the Dancitron ahead of Raoul and Tracks, who were driving? The scuffle at the building site didn't hold Tracks up ''that'' long.

* Superhuman <s>Spike</s>humans:
** The hypnotized humans are somehow able to throw Tracks off the catwalk.

* Blaster reacts with surprise to Soundwave's revelation that his 'accomplice' is right behind him. But did he really not see and recognise Starscream on the way in?

* One major plot point is that Tracks realises that there's something wrong when he notices middle-aged housewives and fancy-dressed people at the club, but as the Decepticons are hypnotising people with the music at the club, how did those people get there in the first place in order to be hypnotised?

* It is never established within the episode itself just what the Decepticons are trying to '''accomplish''' with their hypnotize-people-to-construct-a-building plot. However, according to the official [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]] synopsis included in [[Metrodome]]'s DVD release: "... the boys and the Autobots pursue Starscream to the skyscraper—a new Decepticon headquarters being constructed by the hypnotized patrons from Dancitron." Oh. Well then.

* Why do Tracks and Blaster destroy what looks to be a perfectly good building? Why not keep it?

===Continuity notes===
* This episode is one of four pre-movie episodes to not feature [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]].

* Gadgets and Powers:
** Blaster uses his electro-scrambler to disable the Dancitron thugs' guns.
** Tracks has a grappling hook in his vehicle mode hood, and a laser which he uses to blast a hole in the wall of the Dancitron.
** The back of Blaster's cassette cover functions as a monitor for his ultra-sound detector.
** Tracks "seeds" clouds (using some kind of special smoke) to make it rain.
** When leaving the building site to head to the Dancitron, Tracks inserts Raoul into his chest ''before'' transforming to vehicle mode. Weird.

*This episode features the second of only two instances in the series in which Soundwave ''laughs''. The first was in "[[Quest for Survival]]". It is possibly the scariest thing ever.

* The location the Autobots are using as a base has "SPARKPLUGS" over the door, though it's different from [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]]'s shop in "Make Tracks".

===Real-world references===
[[File:AutoBop Clothes Horse.jpg|thumb|right|200px| ]]
[[File:Furg02.jpg|thumb|right|200px| ]]
* The episode in general features then-relevant (or slightly past-relevant) cultural touchstones - [[wikipedia:Breakdancing|breakdancing]] and the paranoia over [[wikipedia:Subliminal_message#Audio|subliminal messages hidden in popular music]]. There's even a blink-and-you'll-miss-it reference to the popular FRANKIE SAYS RELAX t-shirts common at the time, based on the 1983 single "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.

* When confronted by the gang of thugs employed by Dancitron, Raoul suggests they "pull a [[Michael Jackson]]" and [[wikipedia:Beat It|beat it]].

* While fleeing from the thugs, Raoul wishes their blaster (boom box) was "THE [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]]". Rocksteady retorts that Raoul "knows the Autobots like I know [[Prince]]".

*When first meeting Blaster and Tracks, Rocksteady responds to Blaster's implication of trouble-making with "Hey! We were just breakin' in front of the Dancitron (''shifts from two open palms and a shrug to one thumb extended pointing behind him'') and these '''Road Warrior''' rejects tried to bounce us out."

* The sound effect of the DJ booth door opening and closing is the door sound effect from ''[[Star Trek]]''. This occurs in plenty of other episodes, along with other ''Star Trek'' sound effects (phasers, photon torpedoes...).

===Trivia===
[[File:Auto-bop 2.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"I play this song, Jazz plays this song, Cold Slither plays this song... does anybody ''not'' play this song?"]]
*When Tracks and Blaster enter Dancitron, the song playing is an instrumental version of the song performed by [[Cold Slither (band)|Cold Slither]] from the ''G.I. Joe'' episode of the same name.
* This episode is also noteworthy for pitting the two tape decks, Soundwave and Blaster, against each other, in an intense sonic duel. It turns out that Soundwave is actually somewhat the more powerful of the two, and Blaster had to augment his output with some nearby additional speakers to best his opponent.
*This was one of twelve episodes of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]] released as audio adventures by the [[Germany|German]] company [[Karussell|Karussell Musik und Video]].

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Gefährliche Hypnosekraft'''" ("Dangerous Hypnosespower")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 16]], [[1989]]

'''Italian'''
:*''Title (dub 1):'' "'''Linee di raggruppamento'''" ("Meeting up Lines")
:*''Title (dub 2):'' "'''Auto-rock'''"
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Broadcast VS Soundwave'''" (ブロードキャストVSサウンドウェーブ)
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 11]], [[1986]]

'''Russian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tantzetron'''" (Танцетрон,"Dancitron")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1995 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Megatron Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers'' — Decepticon Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 2 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 2: Vol. 6 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 2 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 3: Series 2.2 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2007 — ''Transformers'' — Box-Set (3DVDs) ([[Flex Media]]) — German audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 05: Stagione Due Parte Terza ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season Two: Part Two (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume Two: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)

==External Links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/auto-bop.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]