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Megatron Rising - Part 2

2025-10-31T14:05:17Z

Roboromantic:

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|series2=AniJapan
|image=Megatron Rising Megatron descends.JPG
|caption=I'm here to find the AllSpark and kick some skidplate...and I can't seem to find the AllSpark.
|ep=16
|ep2=15
|prev2=Megatron Rising - Part 1
|next2=The Elite Guard
|title="Megatron Rising - Part 2"
|airdate=[[April 5]], [[2008]]
|season=1
|season ep=16
|production company=[[Cartoon Network|Cartoon Network Studios]]
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|directed by=[[Heather Maxwell]] [[Ciro Nieli]] [[Shunji Ōga|Shunji Oga]]
|animation studio= [[The Answer Studio]]
|continuity=[[Animated cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27rjX3hr5Xg
|videosite=YouTube
}}

'''The Autobots are beaten down by the Decepticon invasion, but still must rally to prevent the AllSpark from falling into their clutches.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:MegaPrime.JPG|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Oh, it is so on.]]

As [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] descends to ground level, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]], [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]], and [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] look on in disbelief. As he lands, Bulkhead takes point, launching his wrecking ball, but Megatron calmly slices it off before backhanding Bulkhead into a nearby building. Prowl then attacks, but his throwing stars are easily deflected, and he finds himself on the defensive, dodging Megatron's swords. Taking cover behind a bridge support, he manages to avoid them, but Megatron's attacks destroy it, and two children are nearly crushed under the falling rubble, saved only by Optimus borrowing "a move from the Bumblebee play book", using a combination of his wheels and ax to dash forward and snatch the children up. Meanwhile, Prowl is pinned under Megatron's foot, and the Decepticon draws a sword, ready to take revenge for Prowl slicing off the remains of his arm fifty years ago. Optimus saves Prowl by using a combination of his grappler and ax to knock the sword from Megatron's grasp. The two leaders face off, but Megatron simply blocks Prime's blow and kicks him away. As Megatron reaches for his dropped sword, Optimus launches a grappler, tripping him. Megatron follows up by snapping the grappler's line and using it to swing Optimus into the side of a building.

[[File:PayThePiper.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|Megatron punishes Starscream for betrayal and goes against everything natural to Transformers lore.]]

In the tower, [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] wants to join the fight, but [[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]] won't allow him to interfere in Megatron's business. As the two Decepticons argue, [[Isaac Sumdac (Animated)|Dr. Sumdac]] tries to make a break for it, only to be blocked by Blitzwing. Meanwhile, [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] holds a struggling [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] while watching Optimus and Megatron battle, trying to decide whom he'll gain more from by helping, the Autobot or his would-be leader. On the ground, Optimus is taking a beating but says he will never reveal the AllSpark's location. Unfortunately, Megatron simply plans to use the [[AllSpark Key]] to track down the [[AllSpark#Animated continuity family|AllSpark]]. Punching Prime hard enough to send him skidding across the tarmac, Megatron calls out to his loyal Decepticons. Lugnut and Blitzwing immediately respond, and Starscream casually comments on his decision being made for him and throws Bumblebee away. As Lugnut prostrates himself, Starscream drops down on his head, ready to renew his tenure as Second in Command. Megatron comments on the appropriateness of Starscream's presence, takes aim on the Autobots...then quickly jams the Key into Starscream's chest, seemingly draining him of life. Dropping the offline traitor, Megatron asks if there are any other dissenters. Getting a negative response, he turns back to the Autobots, only to discover they've used the distraction to escape. Blitzwing wants to chase after them, but Megatron believes the AllSpark takes priority. At his command, the Decepticons transform and roll—er, [[rise up]], tracking their prize.

Isaac rushes outside to find the Autobots badly damaged, and confesses to them that he had rebuilt Megatron. Bulkhead and Prowl seem angry, but Prime decides they have more urgent problems to worry about: they were outclassed by the Decepticons even when in perfect operating condition, and now no longer can rely on Sari's AllSpark Key to repair them. Isaac suspects that there may be enough residual radiation from the Key left in his lab machinery to repair the Autobots, and they give his idea a try.

[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]], working to get the submerged [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Teletran-1]] flight-ready, sends out a security scan which detects the approach of [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] and [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari]]. Apparently the girl's sympathy from the previous episode was a ruse: she had been deliberately leading Blackarachnia in circles on the ice to waste time, and also had assumed the half-organic creature would not be able to stay underwater for long—a guess confirmed to be true by an outraged Blackarachnia, who becomes very threatening to Sari. Before the situation can get uglier, Ratchet surfaces the ship through the ice beneath them, rescuing Sari and catapulting Blackarachnia helplessly through the sky. Sari's gratitude at being rescued quickly fades when she finds out that despite "all that crud" about responsible handling, Ratchet lost the AllSpark Key.
[[File:Megatron Rising Sari chomp.JPG|upright=1|thumb|The {{w|Luis Suárez}} of Transformers, everybody!]]

Back at Sumdac Tower, the Autobots are more or less repaired by the leftover energy in the lab machines. Knowing they are still sore at him, Optimus apologizes for his earlier bad attitude and asks them to repair their friendships as well. Sumdac is still feeling guilty about rebuilding Megatron and offers his assistance, though the Autobots are skeptical—both of his loyalty and of what a mere human could offer them. Before they can decide, Ratchet and Sari arrive in the Autobots' ship. The Autobots board the ship, which by now has come under heavy bombardment from the Decepticons.

[[File:Megatron Rising 2 Autobots assemble.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"Avengers, assemble!"]]

The Autobots attempt to fly the ship into space, drawing the Decepticons away from Earth's civilians—but some well-aimed missiles wreck the ship's vital systems and that idea along with it. The vessel crashes into the side of the volcanic cone on [[Dinobot Island (Animated)|Dinobot Island]]. The Autobots gear up for what will surely be a climactic battle; Prime states he is proud to have his current team by his side, while Bumblebee says he'd just as happily have the [[Elite Guard]]. The Decepticons close in for their attack, and the Autobots use some of their tactics learned throughout the series to throw them off-balance: Ratchet and Bumblebee combine powers to generate an electromagnetic pulse that temporarily disables Blitzwing, and Bulkhead uses his sheer... ''Bulkheadness''... to force Lugnut to crash. Back on the ship, Isaac is trying to jerry-rig a weapon to use against Megatron; recognizing that they might not survive, he tries to tell Sari something that had been a secret, but instead of listening she rushes off to ask the AllSpark to give her more power so she can help her friends. She asks it why she had been chosen in the first place, but doesn't understand its cryptic "charades" answer.

[[File:Megatron Rising 2 All Spark Megs boom.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Oh, this is gonna hurt...]]

Unable to match the Decepticons in sheer power, the Autobots manage to prevail by using their own teamwork and playing off the Decepticons' weaknesses—thanks to some clever 'bot tactics, the erratic Blitzwing and overly-talkative Lugnut are basically encouraged to defeat themselves. But Megatron has no apparent weaknesses, except perhaps being cluttered with little shards of Optimus Prime after he finishes beating on the Autobot. Their one-sided fight carries them into the hold of the ship, where Megatron succeeds in acquiring the AllSpark. Before he can celebrate, he is temporarily downed by Isaac, who knows enough about Megatron's circuitry to disable his equilibrium sensors—but although he drops the AllSpark Key in his stumble, the tyrant isn't down for long. Megatron is about to finish Prime, when Sari hurls Prime the Key and he jams it into the AllSpark's spherical casing, cracking it open. A destabilized Megatron flees the ship before the AllSpark explodes inside his chest, dispersing its energy throughout the atmosphere.

The AllSpark Key is now the single most powerful Cybertronian artifact, and too important to be entrusted to the care of an Autobot—so Prime returns it to Sari, who uses it to repair all her friends as usual. But Megatron still functions and has plans for his new prisoner, Isaac Sumdac.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (2)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (3)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (8)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (10)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (4)
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (9)
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (5)
*[[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]] (6)
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] (12)

|c3=
*[[Isaac Sumdac (Animated)|Isaac Sumdac]] (7)
*[[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]] (13)

|c4=
*[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Teletran-1]] (11)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Megatron''': Ah, Starscream. How fitting to have you by my side as I finally take my revenge on the one responsible for my fifty stellar cycles of helplessness and humiliation. ''(Megatron aims his cannon at Optimus, then kills Starscream with the key)'' Does anyone else have a problem with my leadership? 
'''Random Blitzwing''': Uh, no, we're fine. 
'''Lugnut''': NEVER!
:—Megatron quickly reestablishes the Decepticon pecking order.

'''Sari''': No problem, we'll just fix 'em up. I mean, it's not like you lost my ''key'' or anything. 
(Ratchet looks away awkwardly) 
'''Sari''': You ''lost'' my key!? 
'''Ratchet''': Technically, I lost my ''hand''. It...just happened to have your key attached to it. 
:—One of many attempts to shift/avoid/lessen blame in this two-parter.

'''Isaac''': Oh dear, this is all my fault! 
'''Sari''': What? It's not like you built Megatron in your lab or anything. 
''[Isaac Sumdac looks away and uncomfortably taps his fingers]'' 
'''Sari''': YOU BUILT MEGATRON IN YOUR LAB?! 
'''Ratchet''': On the bright side, now I don't feel so bad about losing your key. 
:—One of several awkward moments in this episode for Isaac Sumdac.

"If we go down, we go down fighting. Together. And I can't think of a better band of Autobots I'd be prouder to fight alongside." 
"Not even the [[Elite Guard|Cybertron Elite Guard]]? Because I sure wouldn't mind having them here now." 
:— '''Optimus Prime''' prepares to [[Furmanism|fight and die]] while '''Bumblebee''' would rather fight and live.

"Curious, my electrical systems have gone offline. Which means..." 
"I"M FALLING! WAHAHAHAHAHA!"
:- '''Icy Blitzwing''' explains the situation while '''Random Blitzwing''' states the obvious.

'''Bumblebee''': So what do we do now? Wait for him to turn back into a tank and crash like last time? 
'''Ratchet''': Nobody gets that lucky twice. 
'''Prowl''': Perhaps we can make our own luck. I've noticed a connection between Blitzwing's multiple personalities and his vehicle modes. We can use that weakness against him...but it will require using Bumblebee's greatest strength. 
'''Bumblebee''': What, my stingers? My turbo-speed? 
'''Prowl''': Your obnoxious personality. 
:—Prowl nails friend and foe alike with ninja precision.

[[File:Megatron Rising 2 Blitzwing tank crash.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|{{w|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy|Curiously enough, the only thing that went through the mind of the tank as it fell was "Oh slag, not again". Many people have speculated that if we knew exactly why the tank had thought that, we would know a lot more about the nature of the universe than we do now.}}]]

'''Bumblebee''': Hey, Blitzbrain! Is that your jet mode, or did your pal Lugnut dump out some spare parts? ...How come you have three faces? Couldn't decide which was the ugliest? ...And who uses ice as a weapon? What are you? A refrigerator? 
'''Hothead Blitzwing''': You want heat? I'll give you more than you can handle! ''[Transforms into a tank and promptly falls]'' Oh, [[Slag (slang)|slag]]! Not AGA-! ''[Crashes through the ice]''
:— Hothead Blitzwing is his own worst enemy.

"You all fought like Autobots! I can't tell you how proud I am of each and every one of you." 
"Go on, tell us. We can take it!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' praises the Autobots while '''Bumblebee''' showcases his recently discussed "greatest strength".

"I trust you are comfortable in your chair!"
:—'''Megatron''' to Isaac Sumdac. The choice of furniture was destined to come back to haunt him.

==Notes==

===Transformers references===
[[File:Ark in mountain.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Moral of the story: Autobots cannot drive.]]
* The manner in which the [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Autobot ship]] is left sticking out of the rock is reminiscent of the [[Ark (G1)|original ''Ark'']].
* [[Cyber Planet Key|A key as the most powerful Cybertronian artifact?]] [[Key to Vector Sigma|Most familiar]].
* [[Heart of Cybertron|Putting the AllSpark into his chest]] did not kill Megatron, unlike his [[Megatron (Movie)|second cousin twice removed]].
* The AllSpark gets dispersed in this episode, just like [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|G1 cartoon Optimus Prime]] did with a [[Matrix of Leadership|nearly identical artifact]] after his [[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2|resurrection]].
* Starscream's entire death contains references to the original [[The Transformers: The Movie|animated movie]]. First, an attempt on [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|his]] [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|leader's]] life is ruined when said leader returns in a new [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|body]] and kills Starscream for his betrayal. Then, the returning leader asks if anyone else has a problem with his leadership ("Will anyone else attempt to fill his shoes?"), and the remaining Decepticons pledge their loyalty.
* The damage Megatron receives after his battle with Optimus Prime is near identical to his [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Generation One self's]] damage after his final showdown with Prime in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

===Continuity errors===
* At the end of the last episode, Megatron grabbed Professor Sumdac as he was being rebuilt. He apparently put him back down though, as we see that at the start of this episode Sumdac is still in the lab being guarded by Blitzwing and Lugnut. Who then, upon being called by Megatron, fly off and leave Sumdac behind. This leaves Megatron to grab Isaac ''again'' right at the end of the episode. You'd almost think that the guy wanted to get captured.
* At the beginning of the series, years were measured as solar cycles to Transformers, but Megatron refers to years as stellar cycles. Stellar cycles will remain the designation for years till the end of the series.
* Megatron said that Prowl slashed off his arm, while he actually lost it due to Starscream planting a bomb on his back. Prowl ''did'', however, slash a part off that remained after the explosion.
* In "[[Lost and Found (episode)|Lost and Found]]", Ratchet reveals that even with the AllSpark Key, the ship would not be operational for a "long, long time," but in this episode he is able to get it spaceworthy in about two minutes—without the Key and with only one arm. However, the course of the series makes it clear that many months are going by (notice the changing seasons), so it's possible the Autobots had enough of a "long time" necessary to repair the ship off-camera.
* On that note, every other Transformer was shown to have scanned a vehicle in some way in order to get their alt mode. Megatron appears to have skipped that altogether. Of course he may have simply gotten his alt mode off the internet during his time in waiting. Who can say?
* Sari recognizes Megatron in his vehicle mode when he is approaching the Orion, despite not knowing what his vehicle mode (or Megatron himself for that matter) looks like.
* Megatron asks Professor Sumdac if he is comfortable in his chair in the form of Megatron's hand, despite it being the wrong hand.
* The Autobots defeat Blitzwing by using his multiple personalities against him, despite the fact that in the last episode when Triple Changer is seen firing at Ratchet, he speaks in his Hothead voice, while being in jet mode. In addition, he later transforms from jet to Hothead robot mode directly-and still managed to stay in the air as he threatened Ratchet. So, ''are'' Blitzwing's vehicle modes connected with his personalities or are they not? (Possibly, the tank is only Hothead's ''preferred'' alt mode-he can use the more manuverable jet form if he's not ultra-peeved.)
* Blackarachnia says her organic half can't resist being underwater for long, though [[Dispatches|her trip through the void]] didn't harm her at all.
* Speaking of whom, did she even do anything in this episode (or the last) except bring Sari closer to the Autobots? Seemed like a waste of time that could have been used elsewhere in this already packed episode.

===Animation errors===
* During their initial fight, when Prime says that he won't give up the position of the AllSpark, Megatron seems to be three times the size of Optimus, despite the fact the majority of shots of them together he is only around half again as tall at the most. This might be intentional, to make Megatron even MORE intimidating (or just to give him time to rant while the camera pans up his frame).
*When Prowl dodged Megatron's second blast behind a concrete pillar, Prowl's forehead was gray.
* When Ratchet catches Sari after Blackarachnia drops her, his right arm is intact. In the next scene, it's gone again.
* Also, when Ratchet, Bumblebee and Prowl are planning on how to stop Blitzwing, Ratchet's arm is intact again, but in the next shot, it's gone again. This happens constantly during the final battle.
* When Starscream lands on Lugnut and proclaims his loyalty, Blitzwing's jaw is colored red rather than black.
* When Blitzwing changes faces after Megatron coldcocks Starscream, his face rotates vertically, not horizontally as it usually does.
* The black lanyard attached to the AllSpark Key keeps disappearing and reappearing.
* Optimus Prime appears ''really'' tiny when he's shown sitting at the Autobot ship's door at the end.
* The [[stock footage]] of Megatron's [[fusion cannon]] shows it has some sort of lens in the barrel, which isn't present during the normal animation.
* The joystick Ratchet was using to pilot the ship moved along with his hand when he revealed how he lost his other arm.

===Trivia===
* The intro has a number of new sound effects added in. This version will be used for some future episodes, while others will (for no apparent reason) use the original version of the [[theme song]].
* Though they have never been seen together as a unit since landing on Earth (save for a [[Starscream Heckles Megatron|certain, non-canon short]],) this is the last episode where all members of Megatron's original crew are present.
* Despite the fact the Autobot ship crashed on [[Dinobot Island (Animated)|Dinobot Island]], [[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]] and company are nowhere to be seen. In an interview,<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/interviews-27/tfw2005-interviews-transformers-animated-story-editor-marty-isenberg-165509/ August 1, 2008 interview on TFW2005.com]</ref> Marty Isenberg said that there was a cut scene in which the Dinobots did come and fight, only to be defeated one-by-one by Megatron in order to show how powerful Megatron was. However, the poor quality of the animation caused the scene to be dropped. Additionally, in retrospect, Isenberg felt things might have worked out for the best, since the scene probably would have annoyed Dinobot fans (not to mention contradicted Grimlock's profile).
** Years later, that deleted scene, along with an additional scene showing the Dinobots with the Autobots at the end of the episode, would be recreated. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCMuW6tNv2k]]
[[File:Megatron Rising 2 Sari AllSpark charades.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"The seeds of the future lie buried in the past." "What the heck does that mean?" "Wait, you're not [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|the munky!]]"]]
* Since virtually the beginning of the series, fans have been theorizing that Sari may be more than she appears (see [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|her own article]] for all the details), and this episode includes the second serious in-show hint in that direction, the first being in the very first episode, when Professor Sumdac's microbot cockroach experiment expanded into an out of control monster and devoured anything made of machinery, and the only human it grabbed was Sari. In addition to Professor Sumdac attempting to tell Sari "something important" when he thinks it's possible that they're about to die, a point is repeatedly made of noting that the AllSpark "chose" Sari, and when she asks it why, it projects an image of a DNA strand with a [[Spark|glowing, blue orb]] at its center. Hmmm...
* Sari bites Blackarachnia's hand, and somehow, the latter feels pain. Ordinarily, this could be explained away if one supposes that Blackarachnia's hand in robot mode is organic, but you can hear a metallic clang as Sari chomps down on it. That girl has some ''teeth'' on her.
* After 24 years, the Decepticons ''finally'' have an equivalent of "[[Roll out|Transform and Roll Out]]." And it's one that makes perfect sense, considering that traditionally, most Decepticons can fly. Even after taking that into consideration, the frequent depiction in [[Aligned continuity family|modern Transformers lore]] of the Decepticons being - [[Megatron (Animated)|in their own minds, at least]] - heroic freedom fighters rising up to retake and liberate their rightful homeworld from the tyranny of the oppressive Autobots who have usurped and exiled them from their birthright. Which lends it a certain poetic elegance as well. "Decepticons, transform and rise up!"
* Megatron's [[Stock footage|transforming sequence]] from helicopter to robot is ''mostly'' the sequence of robot to helicopter played backwards with a few shots added—or possibly, the robot-to-helicopter sequence is ''actually'' the helicopter-to-robot sequence played backwards with certain shots ''removed''. The added/deleted shots are seemingly designed solely for a vehicle-to-robot sequence (such as the reveal of his hands, head, and final elegant "Power Pose"), making the latter guess more likely.
* Megatron actually punishes Starscream for betraying him. You can count on one hand all the times that has happened in every Transformers series prior to this, combined. And [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] blasting [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|him]] to dust doesn't count.
* Megatron ''gently whisks away'' Sari. [[Deathsaurus (G1)|Maybe he has a soft spot for children]]?
* This episode, along with part 1, was adapted in comic book format using screen captures as "[[Transformers Animated Volume 7]]".

===Foreign localization===
'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''O Despertar de Megatron, Parte 2'''" ("The Awakening of Megatron, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Megatron se relève, 2ème partie'''" ("Megatron Rises Again, Second Part")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 1|1 October]] [[2008]]
::*Sari mistakenly pronounces "Megatron" the French way when all the other characters in the series say it the English way.

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Megatrons Auferstehung, Teil 2'''" ("Megatron's Resurrection, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 14|14 July]] [[2008]]

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Megatron Risorge (Seconda Parte)'''" ("Megatron Resurrects (Second Part)")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 10|10 January]] [[2009]]

'''Spanish (Latin America)'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Megatron se Levanta, 2da perte'''" ("Megatron Awakes, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 6|6 September]] [[2008]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Megatron no Fukkatsu Part 2'''" (メガトロンの復活パート2, "Megatron's Resurrection, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 10|10 July]] [[2010]]
::*'''Cut:''' A recap on what happened in the previous episode.
::*'''Cut:''' Sari confronts Ratchet about losing her key, but the two of them realize that the Decepticons are chasing them.
::*'''Cut''' The rest of the Autobots admit they weren't exactly Academy 'bot material and wonder what Optimus expected from a "bunch of insubordinate malfunctions".
::*'''Cut:''' Sari realizes that her father built Megatron in his laboratory this whole time.
::*'''Cut:''' As Teletraan-1 reports every system failing, Bumblebee yells out if it ever reports any good news.
::* The [[Transformers Evo.|theme song]] plays as the Autobots battle the Decepticons.

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Powrót Megatrona, Część 2'''" ("The Return of Megatron, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

==Home video releases==
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2008 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Season One ([[Transformers Animated (cartoon)/home video|Paramount]]) — English and Spanish audio. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Three: Megatron Rising (Paramount) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Three: Megatron Rising (Paramount) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Drei: Megatrons Auferstehung (Paramount) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2010 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Vol. 4 (Paramount) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2013 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Season One ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers Animated'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]])

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Animated episodes]]

Velocity (episode)

2023-09-02T03:57:11Z

Roboromantic: /* Continuity errors */

{{disambig3|Velocity}}

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|series2=AniJapan
|image=TFA Velocity Bumblebee Blurr meet.JPG
|caption="One shall stand, one shall eat dust."
|ep=21
|ep2=20
|prev2=Garbage In, Garbage Out
|next2=A Fistful of Energon
|title="Velocity"
|airdate=[[May 10]], [[2008]] (Canada) [[May 17]], 2008 (USA)
|season=2
|season ep=5
|written by=[[Len Uhley]]
|directed by= [[Irineo Maramba]] [[Christopher Berkeley]] [[Kenji Itoso]]
|animation studio= [[Mook]]
|continuity=[[Animated cartoon continuity]]}}

'''Investigating a mysterious race car, Bumblebee gets involved with an illegal underground street racing circuit, which also captures the attention of the Decepticons.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:TFA Velocity Prowl Blade.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Yeah, sure, '''this''' oughta help her stay calm.]]

On the highways of Detroit, the [[Autobot]]s are driving under the moonlight, searching for an [[AllSpark]] fragment. As [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] complains about the boring nature of their task, several cars speed past them. [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] recognizes them as racers for ''[[Street Demon]]'', a show he and [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari]] watch. Calling them amateurs, Bumblebee decides to show off and speeds ahead. As he boasts, [[Blurr (Animated)|a blue racer]] comes in and rams two drivers off the road. Bumblebee wants to go after him, while [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Prime]] says that the drivers need help. Still, Bumblebee pursues, discovering that the car is quite fast. As the Autobots render assistance, [[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]] arrives and arrests the two drivers. Bulkhead is shocked to learn that the Street Demons are on an illegal racing circuit, while Bumblebee rolls up, transforms, and falls down, breathing heavily...somehow.

Back at the [[Autobot Earth Base|plant]], Bumblebee thinks that he can beat the blue racer with his [[turbo booster]]s. Prime and [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] refuse, and Bumblebee shouts that nothing on Earth is faster than him. This train of thought leads Bumblebee to the conclusion that the blue racer is a Decepticon. [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] points out that the racer was uninterested in the Autobots, and Prime orders Bumblebee not to use the boosters. Meanwhile, Bulkhead comes down on Sari over ''Street Demon'', but Sari says that they're not helping the illegal show in any way, since she's pirating the signal. As Bulkhead laments about how the Autobots need to set a good example, Bumblebee walks in and smooths things over, saying that he'll straighten out Sari. Once Bulkhead is out of [[Sensors|audio sensor]] range, Bumblebee has Sari show him the races. He asks her to track down where the broadcast came from, and with the help of the [[AllSpark Key]], he finds out where they are.

[[File:TFA Velocity Master Disaster remote.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|The universal remote of doom.]]

At an irrigation channel, Bumblebee, having taken his turbo boosters, joins in a training race, finally getting the hang of his boosters. Seeing what is going on, [[Master Disaster (Animated)|Master Disaster]], the host of ''Street Demon'', uses some sort of remote control to send out the blue racer to attack Bumblebee. Finally getting tired of being attacked, Bumblebee transforms into robot mode, causing Master Disaster to call off the attack. Instead, Disaster invites the Autobot to participate in the next race. Bumblebee agrees, on the condition that blue racer is present. As Bumblebee [[roll out|rolls out]], Disaster notes that with an Autobot racing, their ratings will triple...and get even higher if said Autobot were to suffer an "accident".

At the plant, Bulkhead brings Sari a cup of hot chocolate, but Bumblebee calls on her cell phone, revealing his misadventure and allowing Bulkhead to learn what is going on. Before he can further <s>dig his own grave</s> elaborate, Bumblebee stops short when he sees a plane— [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]]. Following the Decepticon, Bumblebee overhears Blitzwing communicate with [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] about an AllSpark fragment he was tracking. Convinced it involves the blue racer, Bumblebee heads back to the plant. He tells Sari what is going on, only for Bulkhead to come down on Bumblebee for what he's doing. Bumblebee tells him about Blitzwing, the AllSpark fragment, and his suspicions about the blue racer being a Decepticon, insisting that he can only discover the truth if he races. Bulkhead agrees to allow it on the condition that he is brought along as well, but Bumblebee fibs. However, when Sari catches him going out, she forces him to take her...as Bulkhead listens in.

In an interrogation room, Fanzone questions one of the drivers. Using the threat of imprisonment, Fanzone learns that the next race will be at Dix and Vernor, and he intends to get there before the races begins...at which point he walks right into a door.

[[File:TFA Velocity air chicken.JPG|left|upright=1.1|thumb|IT IS BETTER TO FIGHT AND DIE—than live with the knowledge that I ran. ''We can run?! Let's do that!'']]

At the race site, Master Disaster is making the final preparations, when the AllSpark Key glows in the direction of Disaster's truck. Sneaking aboard, she finds the remote, then flees while Disaster announces the two-minute mark. As he reaches for the remote, he discovers what Sari did, forcing Bumblebee and Sari to escape. Thinking the race has started, the other drivers follow. As Bulkhead prepares to roll out and follow them, Blitzwing freezes the Autobot, then flies after the other two. Sari opens the remote and finds the AllSpark fragment, while Bumblebee detects Blitzwing. Seeing the flier, he dives through an arch, which Blitzwing freezes, cutting off the rest of the racers. Failing in his attempts to destroy Bumblebee from above, Blitzwing goes to tank mode, but is buried under rubble when he destroys a bridge support.

[[File:TFA Velocity Bumblebee Blitzwing Scale.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|...kinda one-sided, ain't it?]]

Meanwhile, Bumblebee sees Fanzone's car and tries to reach him. Fanzone is forced to jump into Bumblebee as Blitzwing destroys his car. As Blitzwing continues his strafing, Sari uses the remote to control Blitzwing, but it falls from her hands and out of the car. As they near another bridge, the blue racer crashes through the bridge's retaining wall and plays a game of Midair Chicken with Blitzwing. At first, Blitzwing is prepared to [[Furmanism|fight and die]], but he turns away, crashing first into a building and then into Master Disaster's truck. Bumblebee deposits the two humans on the road, then goes to finish off Blitzwing, despite being vastly outsized and outgunned. Fortunately, the fight has brought them back to where the remote was. However, Blitzwing destroys a bridge above Bumblebee, also freeing Bulkhead. As Blitzwing prepares to deliver the killing blow, Sari uses the remote to control Blitzwing (as well as Bumblebee, who crashes into Bulkhead). Finally, Sari sends Blitzwing into high altitude. As Master Disaster tries to sneak away, Fanzone places him under arrest.

Back at the plant, Prime decides to store the remote in a safe place, while Bumblebee decides to set a better example for Sari—starting by ending her pirated satellite connection. As Sari jokingly warns Bumblebee not to set too good an example (lest she not recognize him), Bumblebee notices the blue racer speed past the plant. Bumblebee shouts out a "thank you", but is left wondering who the blue racer really is.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (1)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (3)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (4)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (5)
*[[Blurr (Animated)|Blue Racer]] (6)
|c2=
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (12)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (voice only) (13)
|c3=
*[[Ming-Li]] (7)
*[[Roxy Sparkles]] (8)
*[[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]] (9)
*[[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]] (10)
*[[Master Disaster (Animated)|Master Disaster]] (11)
*[[Shana Story]] (14)
*[[Solon Kitakaze (Animated)|Solon Kitakaze]] (15)
|c4=
}}

==Quotes==
'''Fanzone''': I've been after them for weeks. They're part of an underground racing circuit. 
'''Bulkhead''': You mean they race in tunnels? 
'''Fanzone''': Underground as in illegal. As in they race in the streets and don't care who gets hurt. 
'''Bulkhead''': That's not what Sari told me. 
'''Optimus''': What purpose does this street race serve? 
'''Fanzone''': Eh, what else? They get a couple a' million pay-per-view customers for their pirate broadcasts, then it's "cha-ching cha-ching", big bucks.
:—Captain Fanzone introduces the Autobots to the seedy world of underground racing.

'''Bumblebee''': Lighten up, Bulkhead. We're supposed to be the ''fun'' bots, remember? 
'''Bulkhead''': Yeah, but we still gotta set a good example. She looks up to us. 
'''Bumblebee''': Hello, she looks up to everybody. 
'''Sari''': HEY!
:—Bumblebee should be more sensitive about [[Scale|size issues]].

"Uh oh. Goodbye traction . . . hello scrapheap!"
:—'''Bumblebee''' about to be run down.

"Hey...you know that's comin' out of my paycheck."
:—'''Captain Fanzone''' manages to see the down side of being saved before Blitzwing destroyed his car.

''[referring to Bumblebee's vehicle mode]'' 
"How come your interior's so much cleaner than mine?" 
"Hmm, maybe 'cause it's not on fire?"
:—'''Captain Fanzone''' gets zinged by '''Sari'''.

'''Hothead Blitzwing:''' Why can't I control myself?! 
'''Random Blitzwing:''' Not zat I ever could! AHAHAHA! 
:—Blitzwing while under the remote's influence.

"Oh, dizzy. Not liking the dizzy."
:—'''Random Blitzwing'''

"Well, that's the trouble with bending the rules—''cough''—they usually snap right back in your face."
:—Lessons in life from '''Captain Fanzone'''

'''Hothead Blitzwing''': Never give up! 
'''Icy Blitzwing''': Never surrender! 
'''Random Blitzwing''': NEVER MIND!! 
''[Blitzwing swerves off into a nearby building]''
:—Blitzwing and the mysterious racer play a game of Chicken.

==Notes==

===Real-world references===
* Wondering where Bumblebee came from, Master Disaster invokes the name of [[Detroit]] auto mogul Henry Ford (and also calls Bumblebee a "clown car").
* This episode borrows several plot and thematic elements from the popular street racing film ''{{w|The Fast and the Furious}}''.
* Blitzwing's "Never give up! Never surrender! NEVER MIND!" quote refers to the catchphrase from the [[DreamWorks]] film, ''{{w|Galaxy Quest}}''.
* Blitzwing haphazardly fires off multiple missiles in all directions in a style reminiscent of the Valkyrie Fighters from ''{{w|Macross|Super Dimension Fortress Macross}}''.
* In this episode, Blitzwing's cannons make the familiar "high tension cable twang" normally associated with laser cannons in the ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' films.
* The first car that passes Bumblebee at the beginning of the episode resembles the 1999 Nissan Skyline From 2003's ''2 Fast 2 Furious''.
* Some of the scenes in this episode may be construed as parodies of ''{{w|Speed Racer}}''.

===Animation or technical errors===
* Sari doesn't actually take off her seatbelt when she leaves Bumblebee's driver's seat to investigate Master Disaster's trailer. The whole shoulder-strap just moves with her, then we hear the sound of Bumblebee's door opening then closing.
* In the long overhead shot towards the beginning of the Bumblebee/Blitzwing chase (shortly after a wall of ice blocks the human racers off), Bumblebee does not get smaller as he moves further into the distance.
* When Bumblebee is stuck in some [[oil]], he is unable to speed forward, even with his boosters. Yet, seconds later, he speeds backwards without a problem.

===Continuity errors===
* Hothead [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] demonstrates the ability to function in jet mode, instead of automatically switching to tank mode as he did in "[[Megatron Rising - Part 2]]". His ice missiles are replaced with conventional explosive ones. Or maybe it was just Random who was in control at that moment?
* Bumblebee is using rocket boosters similar to the ones in "[[Nanosec (episode)|Nanosec]]," despite the fact they were destroyed and lost. It could be that Isaac Sumdac built him new ones, but given his absence and the fact that the replacements are never touched upon before hand, it seems unlikely.
* In "[[Megatron Rising - Part 1]]", Blitzwing freezes Ratchet, but he's able to break free a few minutes later. In this episode, when Blitzwing freezes Bulkhead, he cannot move.
* In "Nanosec", Bumblebee's boosters gave enough propulsion to match Nanosec in speed, so fast that he became a blur. In this episode, he is only on par with Blitzwing and cannot match the blue car even with the boosters. What gives?

===Trivia===
* Fanzone's car explodes. Again. At least we know where he gets the replacements.
* It seems that the Autobots have gained a better culinary understanding than they had in "[[The Return of the Headmaster]]" to the point where they know how heated cocoa powder in milk and hot water can be considered edible.
* This is the first episode in which [[Blitzwing (Animated)|a Decepticon]] is defeated by a [[Human|puny organic]].
* It's slightly odd that Optimus Prime and Fanzone chew out Sari and Bumblebee for hacking into pay-per-view broadcasts of illegal street races. It's not like the promoters deserve to profit from these broadcasts.
* It's also weird that Fanzone says he's been after the racers "for weeks," and yet Sari-"piece of cake"-Sumdac tracks them down the same night.
* This episode was adapted in comic book format using screen captures as half of "[[Transformers Animated Volume 9]]", with "[[Garbage In, Garbage Out]]" making up the other half.

===Foreign localization===
'''Spanish (Latin America)'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Velocidad'''" ("Velocity")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 11|11 October]] [[2008]]

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Velo-Cité'''" ("Velo-City")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Schneller als der Wind'''" ("Faster than the Wind")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 21|21 July]] [[2008]]

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''I Demoni della Strada'''" ("The Speed Demons")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 14|14 February]] [[2009]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Shichōritsu Race!'''" (視聴率レース!, "Ratings Race!")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[August 14|14 August]] [[2010]]

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Prędkość'''" ("Velocity")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Velocidade'''" ("Velocity")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

==Home video releases==
;DVD
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Season Two ([[Transformers Animated (cartoon)/home video|Paramount]]) — English and Spanish audio. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Five: Fistful of Energon (Paramount) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Five: Fistful of Energon (Paramount) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Fünf: Der Doppelte Starscream (Paramount) — English and German audio. 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2010 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Vol. 5 (Paramount) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2014 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Season Two ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers Animated'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]])

[[Category:Animated episodes]]